Needing motivation, in a big way

When my schedule gets packs and more and more reasons to "skip" workouts come my way. . . I use anything and everything I can to stay motivated.

It seems weird to be saying this, but it's almost as if motivation is trendy right now, like everyone has lost the will to get up at 5am in the rain and run. My facebook wall is full of these:


They work, to a degree. But honestly, this is the thing that keeps me going.... a photo of little Adrienne


This little girl had big dreams. She didn't know in her lifetime she'd have to battle with her weight or know the feeling of warming the bench on the high school basketball team. She didn't understand limits or heartbreak or the possibility that things didn't work out exactly how we would want them to.... All she understood was Hope, and I owe it to her to make my dreams a reality (even if it is painful, embarrassing, humiliating and hard). The great thing about it is that I have the power to make my dreams come true, and for runner... that is so many :-)

Race Lessons from the Shamrock 8K

Well. My second race of the year has come and gone... and it rocked. The weather was beautiful, the crowd was energized and elated, and I had friends by my side! With every race, we learn something. Something about ourselves, our routine or our preparation and allows us to see the areas where we are in need of improvement. This race was no exception; great prep, a solid start and a few changes from my usual running routine helped get me into the mental and physical state to push hard to the finish.

Here is a recap of those all-important items:


PRE RACE:

THE OUTFIT: I planned a trip to Nike the day before the race to pick up some spring training items... it was SO TEMPTING to buy something green to wear at the race the following day however I'M SO GLAD I DIDN'T

Someone once told me, "nothing new on race day" and they were right of course. We've all (me included) put on a fancy new shirt or socks only to have them blister and chaff us during the race. I resisted and went with an old standby. I wanted to feel fast so I opted for a tee shirt, sleeves, shorts, gloves and headband.

LESSON: Good choice. No chaff and I felt fast

MEAL: 1-Slice Whole Grain Toast, Peanut Butter. 1-Banana. Water.
LESSON: This was a good amount of food to eat ~2 Hours Prior. Light and easy yet not too filling

START: I live about 2 miles from the start and decided to run there to warm up.
LESSON: Warm up! I couldn't help but notice how great my muscles felt as I ran through the start shoot. Warm and ready to push forward, I was able to start out fast than normal with the help of a good warm up.

RACE: I see it constantly: headphones. I'm guilty too, I started wearing them during training and for a while, used them during my races. It felt good to listen to music and it helped the time pass.

LESSON: WRONG. I thought it felt good to listen to music and help the time pass... its not. During a race, I need to push.. push my body and push my mind. This takes a level of focus and concentration found in a place without music... a place without distraction. During the 8K I didn't listen to anything but myself- this allowed me to have the dialog I needed to push though the hard moments and reward myself in other moments... it felt amazing.

FINISH and LESSON: As the shoot neared, I felt the feeling every runner or walker seeks. The reason we enter races if the first place... to feel the benefits of hard work. I was greeted warmly by a hug from a friend and the satisfaction of knowing I ran hard and left it all out on the course. 7:37 min/mile average. I'll take it!

Athletic Clothing Care MUST HAVES

Training for kind any race or competition takes a lot of time and effort as well as plenty of training gear! My days of running, swimming and biking have put both my body and my stuff through the ringer. I wanted to share with you some of my favorites that help lessen the impact on your body and your gear.

CLOTHING CARE
Dry Fit Fabrics, the blessing and curse of modern technology. Most people work out in them AND discover the same few issues. . . 1. Smell 2. Wear Out and/or Pilling. To help combat this issue, I use a solid method for cleaning that works AND keeps clothes fresh longer!

WASH- After sorting athletic clothes from the regular wash, I turn every INSIDE OUT. This helps keep the decals/zippers and reflective material safe and protected. Post sort, I wash in warm on the delicate cycle using Charles Soap

Soap leaves scented additives behind on your clothes to make them smell great. I have found that this simply mask the nasty odder without addressing this issue. Charles Soap was created for retailers to use to remove the harmful additives left of clothes during their creation. ALSO, it is flame retardant.

TREAT THOSE STAINS- Get some gel on your shirt? Get those stains out and fast! I use OxyClean and it rocks.



DRY SMART- I don't dry ANY of my goodies in the dryer! Use a drying rack instead to help save your garments as well as cut down on electricity.

Found this in a cookie

A little dedication to the miles and and miles that have been made amazing by good company. Thanks Tawny and Mike J, Saturday morning long runs aren't the same without you!

Weekly Recipe: Taco Seasoning

For the longest time, I made tacos with those premade seasoning packets. No more. Those packets, although tasty has 1. NO MUCH SALT 2. NO ENOUGH FLAVOR 3. NOT ENOUGH SPICE

The solution? Make your own! Use an empty spice bottle or baggie to make this up. Best thing is, its completely adjustable. Change what you like to please your taste buds



Here's what you'll need:

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix in a bowl and boom! Add to ground beef (Use 94% lean organic beef or turkey- I use sliced veggies) after the meat has been browned and the grease drained. Add seasonings and about a 1/2 cup of water to simmer.

Enjoy those tacos!

Photo Roll Motivation

After a long week of workouts and the busy nature of life- I need to remind myself it's worth it get outta bed and put those extrahard workouts. Lately, the pace of my life has been a bit hectic. Lots on my mind and many other well, "things" going on that compete with my desire to be a better runner. To combat this, I decided to take photo of myself just before I head out for a workout.

Why do this?

1. When I pose for a pic, I smile. Regardless of my mood, the tiny photo helps create a moment of reward. I am doing something for myself- something this is difficult, a choice to work hard and be better.

2. When I need a pick-me-up between runs, I flip through the photo roll and remind myself hard choices I've made in the past to run when I didn't want to.

3. Unintentional side product: I've discovered that most of my running clothes come in one color: black. #runningninja you can call me.

Try it out for one week then review your pictures. Trust me- you'll feel great about yourself!

Yesterday's Snap


Before and After my hardest workout of the week: 5 mile run and 1-hour bootcamp. Note the smile on the after :-)