30 Days Of Truth- Day 1

I liked doing my Truth post so much that I went in search of something else like it and found http://punchitin.wordpress.com/.  Oddly enough, her blog roll includes many of the blogs I read however I had never visited this blog until I found it through google the most amazing tool ever created.  I am all about stealing off other blogs new things so here we have 30 days of truth.  Which is more like 30 weeks of truth since I plan to only post once a week.  Actually, there is no plan outside of the fact that when I feel like it, I will post a Day of Truth.  Cause the truth is, I wanted to post this weeks ago.  I didn’t get to be President of the procrastination club by doing things in a timely manner, that is for sure!

And thus it begins…

Day 1: Something you hate about yourself

The truth is, I don’t truly hate anything about myself.  Hate is a strong word.  But I don’t let myself off the hook that easy…there are a few things I dislike:

I dislike my low fuse…I tend to let really little things bother me.  And the fact that they bother me, bothers me.  I cannot stand when I know I have flipped out over something stupid, especially when it is happening and I cannot stop it even if I want to.  This is something I have been working on and will continue to work on throughout 2011.

I dislike my disdain for change…I am a creature of habit.  I like everything a certain way.  I struggle with change.  Change of plans, change of heart…change of any kind. 

I dislike how much pressure I put on myself…I suppose if you read this blog you are already aware of the fact that I pressure myself.  I put such an insane amount of this pressure on myself that I have literally made myself sick over it before. 

I dislike that I am short. You would think after 29 years I would be over it. You would think, since I’ll be short the rest of my life, I would have come to terms with it. Nope. Still dislike the shortness!

I would love it if you all commented a little truth about yourselves…either here, or if you are interested in challenging yourself to the same project.  What do you hate (or dislike) about yourself?

Monday Brain Exchange Week 24- Back And Running 2011 :)

It’s back 🙂

Every Monday, at the end of the current weeks M.B.E answer, I will post a question for the following week.  This way you can cue your post for Monday if you wish.  If Monday doesn’t work for you, you can still play along any day of the week that works best. If you want to play along, all you have to do is post the question and your answer on your own blog.  Link your post to my blog so that I know you have participated, and in the following weeks post, I will link all the participant blogs from the prior week.

Next Weeks Topic: 2011 Racing

Next Weeks Question: What race are you most excited for in 2011?  Any destination races?  Are you trying out a new distance.  Tell us what it is in general you are looking forward to when it comes to 2011 racing.

Snow-ver IT!!!

O.M.G.

Perhaps you remember snowmaggedon 2010.  Well, its 2011 and at the rate we are going it is going to be even worse.  I refused to go out in the crap yesterday (we had a snow day) so all of these photos have been stolen from my mom.

Word on the streets is that it is going to snow more tonight and again next Tuesday another storm should arrive. Frig.  Tomorrow I plan to run and it looks like I’ll be stuck on the dreadmill again.  Thanks snow. Another thing I can dislike you for.

Anyway, I made the best of my snowday yesterday by getting on the trainer while watching What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and doing some P90X abs.  Grape is such a fantastic movie; it had been years since I last watched it and I forgot how much I loved it!  After my awesome workout I pretty much felt justified in doing nothing for the rest of the day.  I watched a bunch of cheesy Lifetime movies, ate Kraft Mac & Cheese and eventually got bored enough to clean my house.  And it was still only 6pm!  How do people stay home all day and not work?  I don’t even like my job, but man, I need to work!

And while we are on the subject of work: somebody asked me the other day what my dream job was…and it dawned on me that I didn’t really have one.  I mean, I do, but they are all completely unattainable.  Which sucks. but it’s true.  I mean, I can’t just be a travel writer.  I can’t just be the PR person for an organization I really believe in.  Those things don’t just happen…they have to be made to happen.  I don’t necessarily feel stuck for life in the job I have now…if I did, I would probably lose my mind…but I do feel like I will always have an office job of some sort.  Perhaps one day that office will be at a magazine, or in a building that does non-profit work.  And I will go there and be happy every day because I love my job.

Speaking of happiness…28 days until I am in sunny Florida.  🙂 There is no snow in sunny Florida-score!  And speaking of Florida…I need to get myself into bikini form, stat!  It has given me the motivation to go at my work-outs hardcore and even finally give into the P90X.  But here’s the thing about P90X…I wouldn’t say I am doing it, but I am.  It’s like this- I enjoy some of the workouts and like doing them at home, but I am not following the schedule or the nutritional parts.  So I really don’t like to say I am “doing P90X” since I am really just half-assing it as part of my off-season training and to get ready for Florida.  Thoughts on that anyone?  Have you done it to the T or modified it in any way?

Oh, and FYI- for whatever reason, I have no idea why…my google reader will not log on when I am on my laptop at home.  I finally got caught up on blogs and then BAM can’t get on all the sudden.  I am hoping it is a fixable cookies type issue but if not, I’ll catch up with you all on Monday!  Have a fabulous weekend everyone ❤

Note: Skiing Uses Different Muscles Than Running

(FYI- MBE will be back next week 🙂 )

Seriously kids, skiing is intense!  I am more sore than after any race I have ever run!

This past weekend my teammates and I headed up to Elk Mountain in Pa for a weekend of skiing and some seriously needed relaxation and fun.  I had to work Friday night but was up and at em super early Saturday for the drive up.  There were six of us in two cars headed up to meet the gang.  Some of them were already there from Friday night and others would be on their way Saturday night.  In total we had about 40 people through the weekend.  And the trip wouldn’t have been the same without them!

We arrived in Elk around 9am.  It has been years since I skiied and the same was for two of my friends.  Additionally, my friend Lisa was going to attempt snowboarding.  Given that, we all decided on the beginner lift ticket which also came with a lesson.  I thought I would be bored  but I am glad I did it- I forgot a few things and it was a nice refresher. 

We skiied all day- afterwards, we had an awesome Italian dinner made by a few of our teammates.  And then the night got crazy!  We partied like we were in college- starting at 6pm and went all night.  We played poker, beer pong and spent some time in the hot tub.  It was an absolute blast and I am so glad that I went even if I was exhausted by the trips end! 

Photos of course 🙂

 Ready!

Snow Bunny

On the slopes with my girls ❤

Monday morning I woke up sore, sore, sore!  I had worked Sunday night which probably didn’t help but working Monday night actually did make my legs feel better.  Today I woke up not as sore and headed to the gym bright and early.  So far I have been doing really well getting to the gym two mornings a week- I really hope I can keep it up.  For right now, I am just working on cardio and strength until my actualy training schedule begins.  I like the ease of it and it reaffirms my decision to wait until later in the Spring to race my first half. 

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!  I hate the winter but January has been super fun so far!

 

On Being Spontaneous

One of my goals for 2011 was to take opporunities as they come; if I can make something happen, I want to make the effort to see that it happens.  I want to be less of a planner and more of a “lets do it” in 2011.  Basically, I just want to really live life this year!

So far things are working out quite nicely.  On Wednesday evening, I was talking to my friend Victoria and she mentioned how bad she needed a vacation.  Coincidentally, I have two vacation days to use and could also use a vacation. 

In less than 24 hours we had a trip planned 🙂 In five weeks from today, we will be flying down for a long weekend in Fort Lauderdale.  Ahhhh….life is good!

Life’s a beach, I’m just playin in the sand!

Top Searches- AKA, People Google Weird Things

Over the last (almost) two years that I have had this blog, I have kept track of the search terms people use wherein my blog appears.  And people google the most bizzarre things!  I get a lot of normal searches that make sense, like “running”, “yurbuds”, “races”, “triathlon”, “swimming”, “fresh start” and of course any combination of the words “finishing” and “winning” but then there are the phrases like the ones below that just make me scratch my head. 

“Obstacles getting to Ohio”- Funny, I have never been to Ohio.  Moreover, I am trying to figure out if I even know anyone who lives in Ohio!  And I am curious as to what obstacles a person would have attempting to travel there. I should know because I do want to get to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame one day!

“There are three things on the table”- Something tells me the person who did this search was NOT looking for a triathlon blog!

“I am super speedy”- I feel sorry for this person looking in the way wrong place.  You want speedy you are going to have to click on over to Joe, Lindsay, Denise, Keri or Aron.  Me slow; them speedy!

“Scuba woman extrodinare”- I am a woman of many extrodinary things but scuba diving is not one of them. 

 “Congratulations New Year pig”- I actually laughed out loud for real when I read this.  There are so many different ways to interperet this phrase depending on commas and inflections but they are all funny.  I feel like this is the kick in the ass I could have used at the start of 2011 to get back to the gym!

“One beer too many”- Considering I just recently drank my first beer in over 10 years the other night, I have no idea how this got someone to my blog.  I think perhaps they were looking for the Last Mile Lounge.

“Running pregnant in a horror film”- I have never been pregnant or in a horror film. But I run, so I have that going for me.

“Results for martini drinkers”- Yes, martini drinkers can run and race triathlon too!  I am proof of such statements.  I just don’t recommend mixing martinis with shots of jager and a few too many washington apple shots on a race weekend.  Results might include puking on the side of the road.  Just saying.

“Mike M. such a douchebag”- I promise with my whole heart and soul that I NEVER EVER called you a douchebag, Mike.  Ever. Swear.

“Is there a height requirement for Warrior Dash?”- Clearly not since I was able to participate.  Wonder if they saw my photos and signed up? 

“Cartwheels in the pool are fun”- I would have went with “cartwheels in the pool are impossible” but then what do I know, I just give swimming advice. 

“Why do southerners misuse the word Toboggan?”- Do they?  Here’s the thing though…I don’t think I have ever used the word toboggan in my life.  I don’t even know for what reason I would ever have to reference a toboggan.  And in what way could this word be misused?  Ahh…life’s greatest questions!

“What do you mail a noodleini for?”- I had to google noodleini myself for this one.  Which clearly means I never talked about it in this blog.  For those of you who don’t know, Noodleini is a race in Wisconsin.  At the end of the race you eat noodles.  I definitely never heard of this race before but I dig the word noodleini.  Course, it doesn’t answer how you would mail one…mail a race…I mean, huh?

I am curious- when someone does a search, it goes through a blogs comments as well?  Cause that would explain the Noodleini for sure…and the toboggan thing.   And maybe even why Mike M. is a douchebag!

What are some of the funny things people have searched your blog for?

Seven More Things About This Girl

Jamie tagged me in a seven things post…and all I have to do is tell you seven things about myself.  Easy enough, especially because the post I wanted to post today is still in progress.

1. I love listing things about myself. And listing things in general. I am a list person.
2. One of my goals for 2011 was to try new things; one of those new things is beer.  I have already tried two and I liked one of them.  I think Jamoosh will be proud!
3. I am having so many emotions about turning 30 this year.  Not one of them is because I feel old, because I do not feel old at all…I just feel…different.  And part of the emotional confusion is that I don’t know why I feel so different.  I just do.
4. I have been trying to move this blog to my own domain for at least three months now- I am such a tech moron that it has been a complete fail.  I will take any and all help you can offer- my email is Jillyfly81@comcast.net!
5. I have always wanted to be good at art.  I think even though I will never be good at art, I might start painting anyway.
6. I feel like I was born in the wrong generation- I just feel really out of touch with people my age.  I tend to connect with people much older or a little younger.
7. In my next life, I want to be the lead singer of a local band.  I don’t need to be famous, I just want to be on stage at local bars and sing and maybe play a little guitar.

I am supposed to tag seven people but so many already have been…how about this, if your birthday is in January, consider yourself tagged 🙂

 

Truly Starting Over

Flashback to: December 2007:  “I want to do a triathlon”

My first triathlon was set for August of 2008.  I honestly believed that I had plenty of time to train when I picked that race.  I honestly thought it would be easy.  It was not easy. Before I started training, I had not run more than a mile in years. I hadn’t been on a bike since middle school. I hadn’t swam seriously since getting my lifeguard certifications ten years prior.  Even though I had been an active member of the gym for 10+ years and was a pro at walking on the treadmill, riding the stationary bike and lifting, I had little to no base when I began the road to my first tri.

Flashback to August 2008: I finished my first tri.

In the time since, I have completed nine 5k’s, four 8k’s, one 7-miler, one 10-miler, six half-marathons, two duathlons, six triathlons and been the swimmer for three relay triathlons.  Additionally, I am a finisher of the Air Force Mud Run and Warrior Dash.

I have conquered knee issues, shin splits and most notably a torn hip flexor.  I have been down.  But I have never been out.  I was told this year I probably wouldn’t race until late summer and half-marathons were probably out of the questions.  I was racing in May and in November I PR’d at the Philly Half-Marathon.

However, I have done very little since the Philly Half by way of working out.  A few pilates classes, a couple two mile runs and a little biking here and there.  It was a much needed break physically, and more importantly mentally.  I was so drained coming off this season I wasn’t even sure I wanted to race in 2011.  But some time off and a fresh perspective has all those thoughts in the past.  And I am ready to get it going for 2011.

So, this week, I started over again.  Of course this time, I have a much better base and I know my capabilities.  I know I am capable of running 13+ miles, riding a bike and swimming for a mile or more at a time.  The differences between 2008 and 2011 are immense.  But one thing is the same: starting new is never easy.  It will be a slow couple of weeks.  You may have noticed my first race, an 8k, isn’t even until March.  My first half is in May.  I am going to start off walking and work my way up, following the 10% rule like it is my job!  The idea for 2011 is slow & steady, have fun, stay healthy & uninjured and kick ass. 🙂

Yesterday was the first day of my 2011 training season.  I went for a walk with my roommates dog and we had a blast.  We were out for about n hour; not sure how far we actually walked and not sure I care.  I worked up a great sweat and had a fun time in the snow.

2011 Race Schedule

Just because I have decided to take the pressure off when it comes to training and keep my goals more personal, doesn’t mean I don’t have a race schedule planned.  And here it is!

Shamrock 8K; Virginia Beach, VA- My first race of 2011.  My friend Nicole and I planned to do the half-marathon but did not sign up in time unfortunately.  Since we had already found a placed to stay, taken the time off work and planned the trip we decided to at least do the 8k and then just spectate the half and full.  I really wanted to run this race since I had to bag it last year after my injury, but I guess it is just not meant to be for me.  At the very least, I will enjoy 4 days in VA Beach 🙂 

B.A.A Boston 5k; Boston, MA- This is obviously assuming I get in on the day registration opens.  I know it is going to be a crapshoot since 27402378 are trying to sign up but hopefully I will get in.  Either way, I will still be in Boston for the marathon and I am way ridiculously beyond excited to reconnect with and meet new bloggers 🙂  It is going to be a super fabulous weekend.

Frederick 1/2 Marathon; Frederick, MD- I actually just decided on this the last week.  I wanted a May 1/2 marathon and this one fits best into my schedule.  Plus, since I deferred Baltimore to this year, I will get the Double Medal 🙂

Black Bear Olympic Relay; Poconos, PA- Despite the freezing cold, rain and getting sick in the water, I loved this race.  I was the swimmer last year with my friends Kurt and Brian and I am the swimmer this year with my friends Shauna and Lisa.  Hopefully we get better weather and I can get some revenge on that swim course!

Boilermaker 15K; Utica, NY- This race takes place the day after my 30th birthday so a few of my friends and I are heading up to race and party it up!  We are spending the weekend, including my actual birthday there and then running is specially made shirts!  Other than Boston, I am most excited for this race.

NJ State Sprint; Mercer, NJ- This is my “A” race for 2011…this is my favorite course by far and as anyone who reads my blog knows, run by my favorite RD’s, CGI.  I am not even kidding…this race is great!  Even in 100 degree weather last year it was enjoyable.  If you are looking for a mid-July tri, I cannot recommend anything more than this race!

Belmar Sprint; Belmar, NJ- This race is pretty simple but still one of my favorites.  I love the ocean swim, the simplicity of the looped bike course and the run along the beach.  This will be my third consecutive year racing this course and I look forward to getting even better this year than last year.

Timberman Sprint; Lake Winnipesaukee, NH- This is the only race on this schedule that I am still back and forth on; the entry fee is ridiculous and hard to justify but a lot of my teammates will be there and it will make for a fun weekend.  Plus…Chrissie Wellington.  Yeah, her.

Wildwood 1/2 Marathon- Wildwood, NJ- This is the newest 1/2 marathon in the CGI half-marathon series and I am very excited about this race.  Not only does it take place the same time I am on vacation in Wildwood, but so many of my teammates are racing this and with the entry fee you get a ticket into Morey’s Pier and water park.  So after the race we will be hanging out on the boardwalk and beach AND then back at my place to hang out.  It will be a most excellent way to end summer!

Baltimore 1/2 Marathon- Baltimore, MD- I deferred this race last year to this year and as much as I loved this race in 2009, Baltimore does not make it easy to stay overnight there.  The hotels in the area do not accommodate even though they are “race supporting” hotels.  I found it all to be very frustrating and if I run into issues again this year, I probably won’t bother with the race anymore.  Which would be a shame since I really do like it and they give out the coolest medals!

Philadelphia Marathon- Philadelphia, NJ- Yup. Giving it another go. I am unsure if I will ever attempt a second, so the first has to be Philly.  The half distance has my little racing heart and I cannot think of any other full that I would want to be my first.

I put a lot less on my plate this year than last but as you can see, I am also going to give the marathon another try.  My first attempt was a bust but I feel like this year could be my year.  Especially because I have full intentions of going into every race the way I did the Philly half this year.  And of course, at the end of the day, all I want to do is finish.

I am sure there will be some 5k’s and 10k’s dispersed in there but for the most part, I want to keep it more simple for 2011.  I am still toying with Steelman again if I can get a relay together but I don’t think I’ll be adding in any more big races.  I am excited for all the traveling I get to do with my racing this year and picked my races bases in large part based on that.  I figure, I got nothing holding me back right now…midas well get all the traveling I can get it while I can.

Will I be seeing any of you at any of the above races???

First 2011 Post…Where I Have Been & Goals

I have been struggling to come up with the right way to express how I have been feeling lately and when it came time to put my goals list together I struggled even more.  It took me almost the whole month of December to figure out why.

And here it is…

I was keeping charts and graphs and tracking everything I did.  I was driving myself crazy writing schedules, setting alarms and calculating my pace/distance for every swim/bike/run.  I was completely overwhelmed by all the facebook updates and blog posts in my google reader that were all about running, working out and etc.  I was putting a ridiculous amount of pressure on myself and feeling negative about myself.  All because I felt like I had to fit into some standard.  (I feel like a five year old even admitting all this.)  At times lately, it has all felt very competitive; I notice gatherings with my teammates where the only conversations we have are about working out and who is doing what and how much of it they are doing.  Honestly, it makes my head spin. And instead of being motivated to change, I shut down and allowed it all to push me into a hole that kept me from having a desire to do anything at all.

Running is not my life.  Neither is swimming.  And well, I think we all know biking isn’t either.  There are so many more aspects to my life than working out and keeping track of my miles.  But I was pressuring myself to “keep up with the Jones’s” for a while and was concentrating to the point of exhaustion on things that honestly don’t matter to me.  But I wanted them to matter to me so I kept doing them.  I wanted them to matter because I thought it put me in the same ranks as everyone else.  A “real” athlete.  If I woke up and didn’t want to work out, I felt like something was wrong with me.  And the truth is, more days than not I woke up not wanting to work out.  The more days in a row this happened, the less I felt about who I was as an athlete.  And not only was I frustrated but I was confused as to why I even felt that way.

But I know why- I felt that way because I thought I was letting myself and others down if I wasn’t “taking it serious enough” and that if I didn’t take it serious, people wouldn’t take me as a person seriously.  Got all that?  Anyway, the good news is, I snapped myself out of it, got real with myself and decided that I don’t have to be so serious.  And people who like and respect me will like and respect me even if I am not caculating my miles vs. distance every step of the way.  They will like me even if I don’t care that I missed a workout.  But most importantly, I will like myself again.  Because I will be having fun again.  And for me, fun is what it is all about.  And for the record, I am totally most definitely without a doubt an athlete!

At the end of it all I was able to come up with some goals.

Goals for 2011:

1. Run for time, not distance; stop focusing so much on mileage.  It’ll be easier now with a Garmin to keep track of my miles without having to map out runs and etc, but some days I just want to run.  Run without caring about the exact distance.  At the end of the day, the miles I run in a week, month, year…that is not who I am.  I am not the miles I run, I am a runner simply because I run.
2. There will be no more week in reviews.  No more formula posts to keep up with or anything else that cause me to self-pressure over miles/hours/etc.
3. No more “100 push-ups a week” challenges for me.  Or anything of that nature.
4. I will only host a give-a-way when I truly believe in the product.  I will not make the give-a-way rules harder than and IQ tests and there will always be less steps than when you call your credit card company!
5. I will eliminate all unrealistic goals.  And I will push hard to achieve the realistic ones.
6. Give myself a break.  Or two. Or ten.
7. Realize I don’t need to blog every day.  Go back to quality over quantity.  My faithful readers will be here whether I blog once a day or once a week.
8. Keep my goals more private.  Again, limiting the self-pressure.
9. Continue to be an honest blogger.  Remember that at its most basic foundation this blog was my journey.  It is not always pretty, but it is always real!
10. I will make it fun again. I want to channel the way I felt when I started this whole journey to my first tri…I felt fresh and new and it was fun.  I want to go back to how good it felt to just want to go to the gym…get out and run or hop in the pool.  I want to get back to a place where I knew what I was doing was making me a better person, not driving me insane.  I want to get back to me.

I just thought I should start the year posting how I really felt.  Being me.  Honest little me.