Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

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motivation monday (err tuesday ok): GOALS and VALUES

Intimidation or Inspiration?

All summer and especially last week, lots of my local friends and online acquaintances have been running stand-out races. Big marathons, big goals, fast times, strong bodies. Just amazing, motivating stuff. And after simmering in envy for too many weeks, this most recent rash of other people’s accomplishments has left me feeling great.

I finally feel relaxed about my personal timelines and not at all panicked. Studying, for example, how many years some people have spent working hard at their goals is a huge encouragement for me. I have time. And, I don’t mind admitting this, seeing the price some people pay in pursuit of those goals has been eye-opening. It helps bring my own values into focus.

As with anything in life, it helps to know that each of us has our own set of unique goals, and we should tailor them to our unique talents, lifestyles, and resources. It all just reinforces to me that I need to get honest with myself and focus on some goals that would bring me authentic joy while aligning with my core values and resources, which might differ from the people I have been emulating. I need to focus a little more on what I am doing with my own running and overall fitness, with less comparison to the rest of the world.

 

So I spent some time marinating these things and came up with a short list of goals and values that are genuine for me, in no particular order:

GOALS that are both measurable and long-term

  • Run a sub-4 marathon. I have no clue how close I am right now. And I am a little scared to find out. My focused training weeks this year went well, but I have not progressed much overall, just making small adaptations month to month. My mileage base is strong, so there’s that.
  • Also, qualify for Boston (for my age group that would be about 12 minutes faster than my sub-4 goal).
  • Run a half marathon really close to my brother’s time. (Dream big ok!!)
  • Finish this calendar year by running 2,018 miles EARLY. Take some downtime around Christmas. Only 424 miles to go!
  • Win the Olympics. Ha. And while I am at it, write a best selling novel so my husband can quit his job and we can spend the icy months at the beach. Ok.

VALUES, methods I want to observe along the journey:

  • Continue carving out time for lifting (baby) weights in order to feel really good, improve bodily function and strength and stay injury free. Even when it means sacrificing miles.
  • Evolve my diet safely and sustainably so I can live in a more fat adapted state (Primal? Maybe?) and curtail diabetic symptoms. 
  • Eat well (I feel my best when I eat great food and enough of it) but live life fully with my people, never dieting, not “fueling” constantly or pretending to be in a running vacuum. Perfectionism is a pitfall. And I am so tired of trying to lose weight. I just want to feel good every day and trust that healthy habits work in my favor, long-term. I love pizza and cookies once in a while. That has to fit in.
  • Overall health and balance, pursuing a good, ongoing sense of well being without overuse injuries or emotional burnout. 
  • Keep my running in harmony with the rest of our busy life, not living constantly in a strictly scheduled “training” mode, which leads to burnout and imbalance with friends and family. This means maybe one run per weekend right now, knowing that could change once marathon training starts.
  • Schedule more excursion runs with friends and family. “Iron sharpens iron” and also, it always turns out to be so fun. (I generally resist because I feel slower than everyone, I always have to pee more often haha, and I definitely treasure the alone time. But social runs are good for us too.)
  • Races are exciting and I am enticed by the competition, but they are less important to me over time, in the scope of things, so long as running and other healthy activities can remain a part of my life. I recognize that I need to spend less time and energy agonizing over how many races and fun events I am missing. 
  • Maintain the JOY of running!! I think anything we do for too long at an almost obsessive level can become work, and I want running to be a joyful part of my life for the rest of my life, if possible. So I am happy to allow some breathing room.

To remember my friend Robin’s advice, it’s great to look to others for inspiration, but once that begins to feel like intimidation, it’s time to look away.

Look at a baby kangaroo instead. 

Wish me luck and maybe some wisdom as I sort out exactly how all of this translates to weekly and monthly plans. I definitely do better with at least a skeleton plan and short-term goal or two.

Speedbump:

Something funny is that this morning after I drafted this blog post, I headed to the lake for a speed workout. As I was parking my car, my phone started flashing and buzzing tornado warnings, and the sky turned black. Instantly. I drove the nine miles home through blinding rain and straight-line winds, got the animals safe and happy, and watched the weather on television for two hours instead of working out. I was mad for a while but was able to pull out if it, reminding myself that this is life. Life (and certainly weather) does not revolve around my plans for the day. Also? It’s fine. It really is fine.

Someone in one of my running groups recently posted that an altered workout is actually good for us, because not only does it build mental tenacity; it also keeps our bodies guessing a little bit and makes us stronger in new ways.

Ok. Over and out. Thanks for coming to my TED talk about running goals and values and how I worry about missing out on stuff. 

It’s Fine!!
XOXOXO

 

 

6 running lessons from September

Hello, happy October!! Can you believe it? Does it feel like October to you yet? I still keep thinking it’s June, you guys. Our gradual shift in weather is beginning to convince me, though, and I am actually happy about that. I am on board with the ever-so-slightly cooler temps, the terribly slow-changing leaves, and a few pumpkin recipes. I feel grateful for how gently this new season has arrived.

I’m checking in to review fitness goals, etc.

September was a strong running month for me. I feel great overall. And along the way, a few good lessons were reinforced to me that you might find useful, too. 

001 Those Little Extras are Actually Big Essentials

I am fully convinced that the following rituals and healthy habits have not only kept me injury free since springtime but have also enhanced my general sense of well being:

  • dynamic warm-ups before each run (just 5-7 minutes)
  • deep, slow stretching after each run (breathe light into your muscles, haha!)
  • lifting weights 2-3 times per week (at MOST, and I am talking BABY weights, for maybe 20-30 minutes per session)
  • doing focused core strengthening and one-leg balancing moves when the mood strikes (your core includes a lot more than those flat upper abs, haha! Get strong in your lower belly, hips, & glutes to see a major improvement to running power as well as foot health.)
  • running in a fasted state more often but replenishing with a lot of nutrition pretty soon after a workout
  • spreading protein more evenly throughout the day
  • foam rolling my legs and massaging my feet while watching tv at night
  • YOGA (although I only did it a few times this past month, every time I did yoga it felt luscious and I was reminded to do it more often)
please enjoy my messy weights corner of the laundry garage xoxoxo

002 Adaptation is a Slow, Beautiful Process

What fun that some things that used to be difficult for me, now feel way easier. I am in love with that rush of energy from sprinting an 800m repeat until I can barely feel my feet, or of completing a solid tempo run with energy to spare. Chipping away at a mileage goal is great, but feeling the actual differences in my body is the big thrill. Not too long ago I was scared of certain SOS workouts that I now get excited about. And this will sound ridiculous, but the stronger I get, the higher up to my hip bone I can feel those long leg muscles. That’s crazy. Ha.

003 Quality of Thought is Just as Important as a Healthy Diet

I cannot tell you how many times last month I was having a pretty great run and nonchalantly allowed my thoughts to slip into a sad memory or a frustrating life problem or melodrama, and my body nearly shut down. My legs suddenly felt heavy, my heart rate spiked, and I became hyperfocused on my Garmin, which (naturally) was giving me lots of negative feedback, and it all would make me crazy for a few minutes. 

The funny thing to me is that, sure, running is not always about performance. Often we get out there just to feel better emotionally. And on those, days, I might let my heart and mind wander a bit more and indulge in some crying while sweating. But even then I do try to reign it into a prayerful conversation with God, rather than just have a pity party. And on those days I make sure to set the intention of “slow and easy, mellow effort, low heart rate, focus on relaxing.” It helps. 

On the days I need fast intervals or just want to feel strong and capable, I focus and keep my brain in a very happy lane. I keep the reigns pretty tight on my imagination and also select music and podcasts carefully to avoid a surprise bummer.

004 Inspiration Beats Intimidation

My friend Robin gently reminded me of this a few weeks ago. I have a good, natural tendency to cheer other people on with their goals. It feels great to me and also helps me stay connected to loved ones, like my little brother who recently crushed his half marathon in DC!! And I just love learning from other people’s journeys.

But since I am not personally racing any time soon, and also I am not the caliber of runner most of my friends are, I will sometimes get that dreaded “FOMO” and start thinking loser thoughts about myself. Robin helped me restore my positive attitude. She gave me the vocabulary to draw inspiration from others, rather than allow myself to feel intimidated but their accomplishments.

I love that. And I love Robin.

005 Small Efforts Add Up

This past month I ran a total of 205 miles, but never more than 13 in one day, and I stayed plenty busy the rest of my life too, while not running, ha! The month felt really easy. I think it’s noteworthy and exciting that we can gently increase our running volume each week (each day) while staying active, productive, healthy and happy in the rest of our beautiful lives. For all of September, I never once felt so drained that I could not do my housework, farm stuff, gardening, or hanging out with loved ones. I’m thankful for that. Just a good reminder that a little extra each day, especially at an easy pace, adds up.

006 Gratitude Always

Every single run, even the ones when I tripped and bloodied my knees and elbows, ended with giving lots of thanks. And I think it matters.

Thanks for every single mile, for the health and strength to do it, for the freedom and safety, for the financial means to buy good shoes and have a car that drives me where I want to run, for the abundance of time to do something I love that greatly enhances my health, for the emotional release of it all, the mental sharpness and alone-time therapy running provides, the weather and scenery, just everything.

Sometimes after a run, I would thank God for answering my worries about a family member or for urging me to do something that day which maybe had not been on my radar yet. He talks to me, and I feel connected in these solitary hours. I am super duper, very extremely thankful.

What do you think of these lessons? Do they ring true for your running or for some other part of your healthy life?

October has already started strong for me, with a 10-mile easy run yesterday and 8 miles with my friend Sheila today, which included a really fun fartlek workout and breakfast together afterward. I am excited to chase a few goals leading up to Halloween, and the “run the year” finale is well within reach.

I have no idea about races any time soon, but whatever life brings I’ll hold these seven lessons close along the way.

Happy Running! Happy Everything!
XOXOXOXO

 

fake it till you make it? or just a word swap?

I went to sleep Sunday night in a grim mood and, despite sleeping well, woke up more or less the same way. Except with the benefit of a crystal clear dream, something that eventually motivated me.

The rest of the day was, in fact, just another Manic Monday, though in the dream I was not kissing Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream.

The dream was just a short little thing about social media, what to do when I wake up, and some big wishes finally coming true. (Sometimes my dreams are more like glyphs than storyboards, ok, just go with it.)

Today was the kind of day when I needed a pep talk, and I was frustrated that nobody was around to offer one. I don’t have Monday morning staff meetings or a manager who gives me feedback or even children at home whose mood and radiant lines of success might give an indication about my own. I have lots of beloved animals, but their feedback is, let’s face it, pretty narrow in scope. They know nothing about my life goals or spiritual path or overarching, you know, peopley stuff.

Normally happy way deep down in my bones and on fire, especially in the early mornings, today I just went through the motions for a few hours, doing the normal basic Monday tasks. Then went for a run.

My mind was a maelstrom of negative thoughts, so much so that by the end of eight miles my face was as wet from crying as from the rain.

Because of course it rained all day on a Monday when I was feeling super pissed, haha.

Normally I love the rain. Anyway.

But for the dream that warned me about something as much as it encouraged me about some promises, I might have vented on Facebook. Instead, I breathed deeply for many hours and just tried to keep steady. 

It had been a while since I felt the need to fake it till I make it. But a lightbulb went off.

Maybe it doesn’t have to be fake. Maybe at vulnerable times, we can simply choose a better thought. Take a deep breath, acknowledge the bummer feelings, then turn to embrace something better.

I’m a sucker for words and, in fact, believe they hold a lot of actual power. So I tried something. I just started writing down the annoying phrases that had consumed me all morning and reworked them into more constructive versions of the “truth.”

  • I feel smothered. I am loved and needed.
  • There’s too much to do, it’s never-ending. Life is full and beautiful.
  • I’m gaining weight and don’t feel good. We have enjoyed a relaxing summer and food is plentiful.
  • When will this nightmare end? God is in control.
  • Everything is such a far drive away. We have the private oasis we need and love. 
  • Medical marijuana in Oklahoma? Are you KIDDING me?? People who need it will get the help they need. 
  • I will never qualify for Boston at this freaking rate. There is no time limit on good health.
  • I miss her so much, this is killing me. God has reconnected you once before. He will do it again.

And so forth. I scribbled for a long time.

What struck me after a while was that the new, more pleasant versions actually seemed truer. More accurate. The darker phrases looked ugly and distorted. 

Life really is great. Things are way better than they seem at times. And that was the nutshell of my personal pep talk to myself today. 

The next time you need a pep talk and no one is around to offer it, try this exercise. Write down all the things that are ruffling your feathers and convert them forcibly, harnessing the power of words.  

Choose a better path. Fake it for just a minute. You will make it.

“Perpetual optimism
is a force multiplier.”
~Colin Powell
XOXOXOXO

 

 

 

 

 

motivation monday: instagram crossover

Occasionally dubbed “Marathon Monday” around here, I am relaxing a little to share all kinds of wonderful motivation. Delicious stuff that nourishes all areas of life. Welcome (back) to several weeks’ worth of Motivation Monday posts coming at you. I hope you enjoy.

Monday, July 30th: Instagram Crossover

Have you been loving the IG feature where you can save posts into personalized folders, using that little bookmark icon? I groove it so hard. It is either very good or very bad for my information-hoarding tendencies. At present, I have the following folders in my personal IG and use them all with abandon:

  • Winter Hygge
  • Maximalist & Ordered
  • Food
  • Wellness
  • Books 
  • Gardens
  • Art
  • Heart
  • Fitness 


The first two are about home decor, two seasonal ways I do things around here.

Food, wellness, books, gardens, and art are pretty self-explanatory.

And you would think that the final two would be self-explanatory, as well, except that gradually I have noticed something interesting.

The Instagram accounts I follow for fitness ideas (mostly super talented and crazy successful runners) have a lot of cross-over with the ones I follow for soul nourishment (life coaching, universal spiritualists, big business authors, you name it).

There sits between the two spheres a glorious overlap of motivation and purpose, a Venn diagram of nourishment, so much so that often when a post strikes a chord in me I hesitate for a moment, trying to decide into which folder to drop the little electronic treasure. Is this a fitness post, or does it speak more to my heart? And… This speaks to my heart, but will I want to refer to it on tough running days? The answer is so often yes, to both. 

Those of you who have been athletic your whole lives might not find this the least bit surprising. I remember even from non-participatory times of my life (i.e. ages 14-38) that sports metaphors are effective in a widespread way, and the roots of self-improvement and competition run deep for most people. The things we work on to make progress physically have everything to do with spiritual development, too.

It’s wonderful. I love it. 

And maybe you’re saying, “Well duh.” 

Here are a few examples of what I have saved. See if you can guess in which folder they sit:

Every cell in your body is eavesdropping on your thoughts.

Ok, this one?

Comfort is the enemy of progression.

The author of this quote went on to say, “Don’t change everything at once, you may stress yourself out.”

Okay, how does this one strike you?

If it’s not a HELL YES then it’s a NO.

The screenshot above gives away the answer. I saved it to my “Heart” folder. But it has resonated with me on so many levels, up to and including this unshakable desire to Boston Qualify. 

Heart and soul feed the body and the body in motion ignites the heart, and they both serve each other beautifully, with harmony, if we allow the good stuff to flow freely.

Consider the young women here, Megan and Sierra. They danced at our friend Lynn’s recent annual showcase at Teaze Dance and Fitness, and their performance blew my mind. They did a twin aerial hammock routine that had their lithe bodies spinning and floating and holding poses mid-air, with no safety net or even a cushion on the hardwood floor. They turned and curved around the music as if it had its own physical shape and substance, the whole time suspended by only the lengths of silk or each other’s arms and legs.

The depth of grace and mountain of strength that their dance required are both so far beyond me. I loved watching it, and I have loved reflecting on it too.

Megan and Sierra’s artistry summoned a surprising amount of emotion from the crowd. I cried a little and thought so much about the lyrics to their chosen song. It was all about female friendship and offering support when no one else is there for you. I walked away as inspired emotionally as I was inspired to try something harder, or at least more complex, than just running.

Body and spirit. A dual ignition. This is what so often happens with these Instagram posts, which satisfies me but makes it tricky to organize all of that electronic inspiration, haha.

All of this is another cliche I am so happy to discover as real. Another game to which I do not mind being late because it’s such a good time overall.

“Keep showing up.”
~Des Linden
one of many running mantras
that matter so much
to everyday life
XOXOXOXO

 

 

1st of 7 simple improvements to my running lately

Howdy and a very happy Motivation Monday to you!

I have been reflecting a bit on what changes recently have made the biggest improvements to my running and overall well-being.

After doing lots (and I mean LOTS) of reading and podcast stalking as well as quizzing my running friends about their habits then experimenting with all of this information in my own ways, I have felt better and better. These past few months have been a delicious learning curve for which I am so thankful, despite a couple of injuries and missed races.

Looking at all of this I see seven distinct changes or additions to my routine, seven things I think will stick around a long time. Five of these are outward or straight up physical; two are more in my head or even… spiritual.

I am a sucker for lists and reflections like this from other people, so hopefully you’ll find this interesting. My plan is to write a separate post about each one, beginning tonight with the first, dynamic warm ups.

7 Simple Improvements to Running

  1. Dynamic Warm Ups before every single run, no matter what.
  2. Tweaks in Running Form (thanks again Mickey!)
  3. Longer, more mindful stretching cool-downs
  4. Abs, Glutes, & Hips! Actually all sorts of cross training, but especially core work.
  5. Diet Improvements, especially migrating toward the “Queen-Princess-Pauper” pattern.
  6. Intuitive Living, all the things we do daily to re-learn how to trust our own bodies
  7. Attitude and Outlook! Gratitude every day, for every mile, no matter what.

 

Dynamic Warm Ups:

The very first event I ever ran was in the autumn of 2012, a 5k Zombie Bolt, which I convinced my then brand-new friend Trisha to run also. It was SUCH fun and definitely had a lot to do with me getting hooked on running, on races, just all of it. I also got a bit hooked on Trisha. She is a spectacular human being.

This day was also my first introduction to dynamic warm ups, though I didn’t know they were called that: As we walked around before the actual run, I noticed two men dressed head to toe in neon running gear, performing these wild leg swings and exaggerated high knee kicks, plus a series of other bizarre activities that were completely foreign to me. “Umm, what the heck? Do they think this is the Olympics? That’s so dumb.”

I sort of thought it was dumb and was also secretly fascinated. I assumed they were just very serious runners and was happy that we were just there for some zombies and silliness.

With Trisha in 2012. We had so much fun that day!!
A zombie scared me and I ran off course.

The moment stuck with me, and five years later I finally understand what the heck they were doing: They were giving their bodies a simple dynamic warm up to prevent injury. Because YES even a quick little 3-mile run has the potential to do some damage to a cold, stiff body, and injuries can plant you on the couch quickly. No runner, whether serious or not, likes to be kept from running.

In recent weeks I have discovered that most runner neglect this to their own peril. I have also learned that had I been doing more warming up I might have avoided some ligament strains.

My warm up routine is based on one I found by Kara Goucher:

  • Leg swings
  • Lateral twisting squats
  • Butt kicks
  • High knees
  • Fire hydrants
  • etc.

It only takes a few minutes. And besides waking up my joints and large muscles, this ritual also helps me feel excited for the run. I check in with my body overall (injuries, energy level, gratitude for a million healthy things) then mentally set my intention for whatever miles are planned (am I angry, sad, happy, do I have a decision to make and pray about, a party or menu to plan, did I dream something weird last night that needs to be sorted out, etc), and I get my music going. These pre-run minutes have become wonderfully fruitful.

Do I actually feel different while running after doing this? YES! Much looser and sort of… yummy. Even my upper body feels more relaxed. Another measurable benefit is that after that injury I was able to inch back into a sturdy weekly mileage using these warm ups. A mile or two the first day, then more and more, steadily, comfortably. It was like heaven. Right now I am running maybe 33-40 miles per week, always warming up first, and feel great.

Okay, confession: If I am at a public trail or in a parking lot, sometimes I feel goofy doing the warm up, like maybe someone will notice and regard me the way I regarded those guys five years ago, “GAH! Does she think she’s in the Olympics? That’s so dumb!” But oh well. I would rather look silly to a stranger than be sad on the couch, nursing a preventable injury.

So that is my first improvement lately, and I am pretty happy about the results. See you soon for thoughts on running form.

“If you don’t have time for the little things,
you don’t have time for running.”
~Janae Jacobs
XOXOXOXO