Live, Laugh, Love, Run, Fun! ...Repeat

The last week has been spent recovering from the half marathon that I ran on May 7th (and preparing to ride the bike leg of an upcoming triathlon). Last Saturday I ran the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. Going into the race I had a "realistic" goal and a "super great" goal. I met my realistic goal. I'll get to that in a bit. This was the second time that I ran this particular race and my 3rd half marathon.

The area that we live in has a great Roadrunners club and a training program to prepare runners to run the half marathon. The Mr. and I signed up in November and started training in late January for this race. I met some really great friends through the training and really ended up learning a bit about myself in the process too. I am really looking forward to continue running with my new sweat buddies. I've already signed up for another half in two weeks...a little crazy, but why stop now! :) Thanks to my running buddy for talking me into it...

The Mr. and I went over the night before the race and walked around downtown, grabbed some good food and relaxed a bit without the kiddos. Niiiiice!! It was even better to be able to sleep until 6:00 instead of getting up super early and driving over the morning of the race. We were within walking distance of the start line. Which was also very niiice. I was a good girl and didn't over eat the night before, and packed my prerace meal of a half of a bagel and some OJ. My blood sugar was normal and I didn't forget anything! (yeeehaw) But my training buddy, who was in the same corral as me, was running late and we never found each other until after the race! Boo! The Mr. and I already had a bit of a competitive thing going on and we agreed to start together, but not worry about running with each other...but I was a little bummed about not getting to start the race with Sarah.

It ended up being a good thing that I didn't bet anything too costly with the Mr. because he ended up beating my by 3 minutes! Darn him!!!

I ran a decent race...I could have pushed myself a little harder at a few different points. I finished in 1:55:29! This is a new PR for me and almost exactly 2 minutes off my time from last year!!
mile 1 - 8:56 lots of weaving through people
mile 2 - 8:18 making up for the first mile
mile 3 - 8:41 trying to find my groove
mile 4 - 8:38 feeling good
mile 5 - 9:09 slowed down a bit for fuel and water
mile 6 - 8:45 back in comfortable pace
mile 7 - 8:49 feeling good
mile 8 - 8:49 holdin steady
mile 9 - 8:55 not bad, but could be better
mile 10 9:14  ohmyheck!! more fuel and water, but I didn't think I was that slow...

mile 11 8:40 trying to make up for mile 10

mile 12 9:08 paying for trying to make up for mile 10

finish 13.1 9:23 sprinted the last .25....HARD, but felt a lot better than the finish last year...

which made me think that maybe I could have pushed a little harder on those slower miles....but it is what it is. I guess the fact that I think I can do just a little bit better next time keeps me running (smile). 

By The Way....the Mr. may have beat me by 3 minutes, but he could barely walk the next day while I was getting along pretty good.....(insert evil laugh)!        .....which of course makes me think I shoulda' pushed harder, maybe I'll beat him next time (*wink)

Me and the Mr. after the race....uh yeah...It was cold! This was his first half...and in all seriousness I'm very impressed at how well he did!

Me and Sarah...we finally found each other...she beat me too darnitt!! But she rocked a PR too!

So I'm excited for her! (smile)

Great new friends!

Lemonade Anyone?

I've always kinda been one of those people that tries to make the best out of things. That's usually a good thing, I suppose. I learned early on that if I didn't roll with the punches I would never survive....maybe that's why I try to always look at the positive side of things. My dad would tell me "Katerina, challenge brings opportunity..your attitude will determine your success." Thanks dad!

He was a coach and teacher his entire life; even after he left education he coached people in life. He was always looking for the teachable moments in life, and would try to give us (me and my two brothers) challenges to engage us in learning some kind of life lesson. (smile*)

 We never actually had a lemonade stand, but I think we tried to sell just about everything else from fresh tomatoes and zucchinis to bicycles and maybe even an old refrigerator in our front yard. I'm sure these ventures taught us responsibility, or good marketing strategy or something. (*wink)
 

 

Looking "challenge" dead on in the face is not always pleasant. It can feel very lonely and frustrating. Sometimes there isn't anyone you know that has been through what you're going through. Sometimes it is difficult to get past the "potential" and actually produce a final product worth the effort..... 

 ....But when you do, the end result can be quite refreshing!! (yes, pun intended)

I don't believe myself to be a Pollyanna. I understand the reality of things. I for sure have frustrations and I get upset (often)... I'm probably a little too hard on myself, and maybe don't even see my own potential, but if I stay in that mess of a mindset, I will never reap the opportunity of the challenge. 

So when faced with an 18 page paper I make the best of it and create the best possible homework station (see above picture and notice the venti cup of iced coffee)....an extension cord, good coffee, and some sun (actually a little too much sun..I got a little sunburned this day. Boo! Sunscreen...Kat...Sunscreen)

flowers from my kiddos...

and five+ hours of effort and I was done! Worth the effort? Hopefully!!

In the end...whether it be a homework assignment (Ugh!), a race, a new opportunity or a fresh start at life...remember your attitude will determine your success.

~later

Grapes...Pom Poms...and Good Juju

Tonight's run was fantastic!!! I finished 6 relatively flat miles in 52:49...which isn't totally amazing for some, but the fact that I was able to hold a quick clip for an extended amount of miles without blowing up mid run and fizzling out at the end all while leaving the Garmin on for intersections (where I slowed down to avoid being road kill) says a lot for my improvement!!

 

One of my new favorite pre-run snacks....grapes. Red or green - must be seedless. Tonight when I checked my bg pre-run I was 121. Which after a crazy day, is really pretty good. But if I was going to run 3+ miles I really kinda wanted it up a little higher. My sweet spot zone tends to be in the 140-150 range for a pre-run result. Sooo I didn't eat this whole bunch but a small hand full and grabbed my cranberry apple GU Chomps for mid run. I love finding new snacks that help out with the whole bg issue and don't give me tummy issues on the run....my running buddies do too! Ha! :)

I've been trying to grow out my hair for a while now...eh maybe since mid winter-ish. I used to only be able to get the top into a cute little samurai pony tail. Now I have enough hair to make a full pony that takes the shape of a pom pom!! (just in time for warm weather...I tend to sweat like a big hairy man). I was nominated tonight to lead our group in cheers before our runs so I guess it fits! Heehee (BIG cheesy grin!) ....and NO, I probably won't embarrass myself by actually doing a cheer (I did coach cheer for 2 years - back in the day) but I'll take it as a compliment to my sunny disposition! 

...and now for the "Good JuJu". My mind tends to wander A LOT when I run...sometimes places it shouldn't but generally speaking the peace of the open road or trail is really one of the things I loooove about running. It gives me time to myself where I can think about things ~ ponder, or just completely zone out and enjoy the pain (pshyeah right). I've met some good friends along the way, and really enjoy listening...I'm usually too busy trying to breathe to talk much myself.

Tonight I found myself thinking about "Good Juju" and "shake off the stink". Two things we used a lot this past season with my volleyball team. (we were runners up in the County Tournament-very proud of their hard work!) Good Juju is just good vibes, good attitude - don't let yourself take a hit when you get behind. Now mind you, I believe strongly that with God all things are possible, but you can't sit around and mope all day and expect JOY! Shake off the stink - same kinda thing. My girls had to overcome some big obstacles to get where they did. 

Sometimes I have to shake off the stink from a day and just get out there and run.... and find my good Juju. 

~later

It's Good to Take a Rest Day!!

Friday, This last weekend was probably one of the best weekends I have had in quite a long while! It was my baby boy's eighth birthday!!! Woohoo Little-man! We took off a little early from work to head out of town with the kiddos plus one. (my day at work that day was super crazy!!! Mucho Stresso!!) We went to an Incredible Pizza Company to eat. This was pretty good food/fun! Then we went to see the Pacers play the Bulls at Conseco.

This was the view from our seats. They weren't as bad as it looks from the picture.

Max (our plus one), and my Zach-Zach

He had just said that this was the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!! That is exactly what a mom wants to hear! Of course he was ready to leave at half time, until things got interesting at the end. The game went into OT and the Pacers ended up winning. We were surrounded by Bulls fans so that made it extra fun when we won! Funniest thing about the night...my 8 year old looks at me and says "All this Bud Light is making my stomach hurt." Let me first say that he meant the SMELL of the beer from the people around us made his stomach feel yucky! But that's my Zach, always putting a smile on my face!!

 (one birthday down and one to go)

Saturday the boys played the Wii all morning while the Mr. and I went out for our long run. I had a GREAT run!!! even on about 6 hours of sleep I ran 11 miles in 1:37 and some change!! Soooo happy about that time, because I'm training for the Indy Mini in May, and that course is mainly flat. Saturday's run had three sets of some decent size hills in it. And even if my last two miles suck I should still beat my time from last year. For now my realistic goal is 1:55 and my super-awesome goal would be 1:52...we'll see what I can do!! Still lot's of time to train~ oh! by the way....LOVE the Saucony Kinvara!! Nice and lite!!

Sunday was supposed to be an easy 2mile run, but I got out on my bike for the first time this season!!!!! The weather was just about perfect,and it felt soooooooooo good to ride! I'm a little embarrassed to say that it had been since September! Ugh!! 20 miles felt great!! But I could tell Monday that I hadn't been in the saddle for a while, if ya know what I mean ; )

Monday, I went to swimming. My legs felt like lead! I used the buoy/leg floatie thing and tried to work more on the upper body form and what not.  I did manage to tough it out for an hour, but had to take some Advil before bed. The good thing is my blood sugar was 118 before my swim and 117 after!! woohooo maybe I'm figuring the whole carb ratio needs for swimming thing out! That would definitely help in keeping with it!

Tuesday,  Hills...hills...What the Hill !!  5.6+ miles of running mostly hills. Looking at my Garmin results from this run was fun.... LOT'S of streeeeecccchhhhiiiinnnngggg before bed... It helped.

Wednesday, REST!!!   I was going to go to swim...I had prepared mentally to go swim...even shaved the legs to go swim (it isn't quite shorts season yet ~wink*) But I ended up with an unexpected break in the afternoon and kinda just carried that relaxed attitude through the rest of the day!! I went to Zachary's first baseball practice- fell asleep in the car! ha! - and then we took both kiddos to the park. Then came home and had home made smoothies! Yummy! Sometimes it's nice to just take some time to rest. My legs still feel jello-ish from the past few days anyway, and we kinda needed the "down" family time too (smile).  So back to the grind tomorrow!!!

 ...and so goes the life of kpm!!! In case you were wondering...if not...eh-oh well.

~later

It May Seem Corny, But It's True..

This week has been the week from...well, as I would say as a kid "H- E - double hockey sticks"! It's been a difficult couple of weeks really. A lot going through my head, work stuff, training stuff, life stuff...you know we all get there from time to time. 

As I ponder the week's goings on and reflect.. a few things stick out to me... aside from the crappiness.., there were a couple of random people that paid me compliments. Just out of the blue and unexpected. And as corny as it seems these people helped me have a little brighter day just because they said something nice. They didn't have to. It doesn't happen very often anymore in our society...everyone is so self consumed, or just too busy to notice what's going on around them. I'm guilty of that...too much time on facebook, checking my email on my blackberry, etc. or just not seeing past my own nose to notice anybody else.

It is truly amazing how much a compliment can stick and help a girl out.  I used to have a difficult time accepting compliments. When I was much younger a dear friend from way back in the day (high school-ish maybe college) told me that it was actually rude to not accept a compliment. He said that it was something he saw in me whether I saw it in myself or not and if nothing else just say thank you. hmmmm...

So you may not be as talented as Mr. Bruno Mars, or even care for his music. But if we took the time to say something nice to those people we care about (probably most important but most neglected), or coworkers, or passerbyes at the store we just might make someone else's day a little brighter. And maybe in turn even feel a little better too.

Just a thought.
~later

The BEST Things I've Ever Eaten

So...I stepped on the scale today....and What the HECK! Um...remember a while back I wrote that post about time to shed the "winter coat"...well I've been trying with not too much success. As a matter of fact I am +6 from my weight last spring! Grrr!!

I can attribute part of this to my busy schedule over the last several weeks (too much fast food!) So I am officially saying goodbye to three cherished and loved items that have snuck back into my regular diet. DONUTS, ICE CREAM and McDONALDS...I will miss you!

The key phrase here is "regular". I have allowed convenience, and emotional state of mind to sabotage my eating habits. I don't think there is anything wrong with splurging on rare occasions, and celebrations...and even though I'm all about enjoying life..I don't think that Tuesday is enough of a good reason to stop at the donut shop on the way to work and "celebrate". (*wink)

So in all of this food thought today I came up with a TOP TEN list of some of my favorite foods:

 10 - Eggplant Parmesan. One of my mom's favorites.

 9 - Pancakes in general are delish, but Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes are Yummy!!

8 - Greek Souvlakia. Ideally from the stand at the square in Vaigya,

but I make my own mean version as well!

7 - Square Donuts.  Amazing!!

6 - Pizza!! Mama Mia!

I have never had a pizza I didn't like. This is the famous 747 from Maurizio's Pizza

 5 - Pineapple Upsidedown Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory

Just a piece of Heaven I tell ya!

 4 - Ahi Tuna Steak

I tried it for the first time on my trip to Boston a few years ago.

 3 - Baskin Robbins Rocky Road

My all time favorite flavor for as long as I can remember.

But kinda like pizza, not sure I've tasted a flavor of ice cream I didn't like.

2 - Chocolate Thunder from Down Under ~ Outback

It is a birthday must for me! I typically don't share food, but hard to eat this one alone.

1 - A Steak cooked to medium-rare Awesomeness!!!

How 'bout you?? What are your favorites?

...So, after all that I'm hungry again! Ha!! ~later

What A Difference A Week Makes..

Let me first start by saying I LOOOVE my Garmin!! It has been really great being able to run new routes and not have to question how far I have gone. I don't have to depend on people around me. I can be a steady paced runner....if I have a steady paced runner to run with..Ha!  I really don't look at it while I'm running, but I find it very interesting to look at all the data when I get back in from a run. I'm learning to connect the way I feel with the results from the data, and learn from it. I can compare my heart rate, the elevation, my pace etc. and there are other features that I haven't even begun to play with.

Today's long run was basically the same run as last week with a bit of a different finish to tack on another .25 to make it an even 9 miles. I'm not exactly sure what the difference was for me this week, but it sure did seem A LOT harder than last week. My overall pace went from 8:54 last week to 9:11 this week. Not a super big difference and much better than I thought it was going to be based on the way I felt. There were several times that I felt like I could just give up and die!! Of course that meant I would have to walk the rest of the way in, and I wasn't about to do that....so I kept on truckin'. Maybe running has helped me be less of a quitter...although I can be a bit stubborn...at times (*wink). I did try a new feature that let me compare the two runs...that was interesting to look at.

I always start out too fast. I probably need to change what I'm eating in the morning. And try my best NOT to miss my Thursday run. That's the "work on list" for this week.

I've kinda had a stressful week. Blah! I've been bottoming out (bg) too much lately and I'm probably going to have to break down and see my doctor about it. (..see stubborn..) Boo! I have spent way too much time in doctors' offices lately....no offense, but I'm not a fan...my blood glucose hasn't been high, and that's typically a "tell" for when something is wrong. So no worries there.. Diabetes Sucks! but at least it lets me know when I'm coming down with something.

But I did get my hair done this week, and there's nothing like a nice long afternoon of getting a little bit pampered to make a girl feel pretty!