So after three months of procrastinating... i finally got up this morning and went to my gym's hatha yoga class
a lot of folks have been recommending it to me pretty enthusiastically... they said that it would help a lot with my stress and that its great for strength and flexibility.
but i had a lot of doubts....
the few yoga poses i had tried in the past were generally painful and uncomfortable... and i could not understand how that would translate into relaxing stress relief... lol
nevertheless... this morning i finally got myself out of bed and went to the class...
and fortunately i was pleasantly surprised... it was wonderful!
my instructor was this black woman named janee... she was really nice and very knowledgable...
i throughly enjoyed my class and it ended up being great for stretching out all the soreness in my body from yesterday... and surprisingly it was very relaxing...
looks like this may become a new part of my weekly exercise regimen :-)
peace.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Ego's and Marathon's Don't Mix....
today i attempted to run 16 miles at our weekly long run...
let me clarify...
today... after only working out in the gym (and even that was sporadic)...
when the last time i did a long run was at 8 miles (and that was pretty rough)
when even by 9am it was 80 degrees plus outside with killer humidity (keep in mind for the last 2 months i've been running in air conditioning)...
not only did i think i could complete the 16 mile long run...
i thought i could do it at 13min per mile instead of our normal 14:30 min per mile training pace... and at a 4:2 run:walk ratio (you run for 4 minutes and then you walk 2 minutes) instead of the 3:2 run:walk ratio we were supposed to run today (usually we run 3 minutes and walk 1 minute but since this was our first major long run we were supposed to extend the walk to 2 minutes)
apparently i forgot that oh so crucial lesson i learned the day we did our initial 3 mile timed run...
theres no room for ego when your training for a marathon... and there is certaintly no room for not preparing your body for the major shock to your system that 10+ mile run's cause to it...
you see... i figured that since my body is still relatively young and vibrant.... and since my endurance was still relatively high... i could just make that 8 mile leap in distance and it would be all good!
oh... how wrong i was...
but even after mile 4 i knew i was in trouble.... i was having a hard time breathing and my body was hurting... but so much of all of this is a mental battle... so i just convinced myself that in another couple of miles the pain would leaven out and i'd be fine...
not quite...
by mile 5-6 i was dying... i knew there was no way i physically could run the 3-4 more miles to the end of the southside lakeshore running path... and then actually be able to make it back to the running site (another 6 miles)....
but i kept pushing myself... i didn't want the people in the other groups to see me fail... my pride didn't want to admit that the other two in my running group were in much better shape than i was... so i kept mentally harassing myself like... you have to finish, you have to finish, you have to finish...
it was all ego....
so finally... at mile 8... i admitted to myself and to my group that i needed to turn back... and today i completed 12 miles...
and actually... i'm really proud of myself..
first i'm proud that i actually made it back to the run site... my whole body was in so much pain i thought i was going to collapse... i was so out of breath and out of sorts... it was clearly a miracle that i got back safely... lol...
second... i'm proud that i was finally able to get over my ego and stop.... i'm infamous for pushing myself until i collapse... and as much as others may view this quality as "strength" or "dedication" its really just foolishness and ego in disguise... i wasn't out there pushing myself because i had put in the necessary work beforehand and knew i could do it if i tried hard enough... i was out there because i wanted to prove to everybody else that i could...
but this last year has been a life altering one... and i've learned that only by having enough humility to know your limits can you actually succeed in a way that is both healthy and sustainable...
third...i'm proud that i was humble enough to go to the running coach and ask for help. they had asked over and over again if those of us that had been missing long runs wanted to adjust our training schedule to something that was more manageable... and i kept brushing them off.
today i was able to let it go and admit to him that not only had i struggled on the run... but i hadn't been handling my business as far as training goes in general... not only was he understanding... but he was kind... and put together a training schedule for me that will get me back on track in no time at all...
and don't get me wrong... there is a way in which ego can be necessary in [very] small doses. because after all... your ego has to be pretty healthy to actually believe that you can run 26.2 miles in the first place LOL... and when your hitting mile 18 and you can't possibly imagine making it to mile 26... its definetly going to be your ego's need to finish after 5 months of training that will get you to the finish... ultimately... everything [in life] seems to be about balance...
so even though my body is suffering... i'm happy, motivated and excited about the runs to come... not only am i getting stronger but my spirit is getting healthier to!
peace.
let me clarify...
today... after only working out in the gym (and even that was sporadic)...
when the last time i did a long run was at 8 miles (and that was pretty rough)
when even by 9am it was 80 degrees plus outside with killer humidity (keep in mind for the last 2 months i've been running in air conditioning)...
not only did i think i could complete the 16 mile long run...
i thought i could do it at 13min per mile instead of our normal 14:30 min per mile training pace... and at a 4:2 run:walk ratio (you run for 4 minutes and then you walk 2 minutes) instead of the 3:2 run:walk ratio we were supposed to run today (usually we run 3 minutes and walk 1 minute but since this was our first major long run we were supposed to extend the walk to 2 minutes)
apparently i forgot that oh so crucial lesson i learned the day we did our initial 3 mile timed run...
theres no room for ego when your training for a marathon... and there is certaintly no room for not preparing your body for the major shock to your system that 10+ mile run's cause to it...
you see... i figured that since my body is still relatively young and vibrant.... and since my endurance was still relatively high... i could just make that 8 mile leap in distance and it would be all good!
oh... how wrong i was...
but even after mile 4 i knew i was in trouble.... i was having a hard time breathing and my body was hurting... but so much of all of this is a mental battle... so i just convinced myself that in another couple of miles the pain would leaven out and i'd be fine...
not quite...
by mile 5-6 i was dying... i knew there was no way i physically could run the 3-4 more miles to the end of the southside lakeshore running path... and then actually be able to make it back to the running site (another 6 miles)....
but i kept pushing myself... i didn't want the people in the other groups to see me fail... my pride didn't want to admit that the other two in my running group were in much better shape than i was... so i kept mentally harassing myself like... you have to finish, you have to finish, you have to finish...
it was all ego....
so finally... at mile 8... i admitted to myself and to my group that i needed to turn back... and today i completed 12 miles...
and actually... i'm really proud of myself..
first i'm proud that i actually made it back to the run site... my whole body was in so much pain i thought i was going to collapse... i was so out of breath and out of sorts... it was clearly a miracle that i got back safely... lol...
second... i'm proud that i was finally able to get over my ego and stop.... i'm infamous for pushing myself until i collapse... and as much as others may view this quality as "strength" or "dedication" its really just foolishness and ego in disguise... i wasn't out there pushing myself because i had put in the necessary work beforehand and knew i could do it if i tried hard enough... i was out there because i wanted to prove to everybody else that i could...
but this last year has been a life altering one... and i've learned that only by having enough humility to know your limits can you actually succeed in a way that is both healthy and sustainable...
third...i'm proud that i was humble enough to go to the running coach and ask for help. they had asked over and over again if those of us that had been missing long runs wanted to adjust our training schedule to something that was more manageable... and i kept brushing them off.
today i was able to let it go and admit to him that not only had i struggled on the run... but i hadn't been handling my business as far as training goes in general... not only was he understanding... but he was kind... and put together a training schedule for me that will get me back on track in no time at all...
and don't get me wrong... there is a way in which ego can be necessary in [very] small doses. because after all... your ego has to be pretty healthy to actually believe that you can run 26.2 miles in the first place LOL... and when your hitting mile 18 and you can't possibly imagine making it to mile 26... its definetly going to be your ego's need to finish after 5 months of training that will get you to the finish... ultimately... everything [in life] seems to be about balance...
so even though my body is suffering... i'm happy, motivated and excited about the runs to come... not only am i getting stronger but my spirit is getting healthier to!
peace.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Finally Reached the Goal
Sorry for the delay in posting... i was in Detroit last week...
As of last Tuesday I officially reached my Chicago AIDS Foundation Marathon Training fundraising goal.
So I will definetly be running in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday October 12, 2008.
I promise I will get back to my run descriptions this week! Our 14 mile run got canceled two weeks ago... but this Saturday we will be running 16 miles....
Thank you so much for all of your help, support and love
A big thank you to those of you that gave me the final push...
Mimose Julian
Sydney Duncan
Nicole Stallings
Alexxiss Jackson
peace.
As of last Tuesday I officially reached my Chicago AIDS Foundation Marathon Training fundraising goal.
So I will definetly be running in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday October 12, 2008.
I promise I will get back to my run descriptions this week! Our 14 mile run got canceled two weeks ago... but this Saturday we will be running 16 miles....
Thank you so much for all of your help, support and love
A big thank you to those of you that gave me the final push...
Mimose Julian
Sydney Duncan
Nicole Stallings
Alexxiss Jackson
peace.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Two Weeks Ago
Hey all,
generally i try to do one interesting post about my running/commitment to HIV/AIDS and one donation post every week...
but i'm a bit under the weather this week so this weeks second post is going to be pretty basic
i'm running 14 miles on saturday and i'm nervous... but my workouts in the gym have been pretty good so i will let you all know how it goes.
anyway... i really just wanted to use this time to thank the people who have donated this week.
its crazy... two weeks ago i had only raised $200... and in two weeks you all have generously donated $1166 so i could complete my goal.
i am only $136 away from running in the chicago marathon!
your generosity, kindness and selflessness is deeply appreciated...
so with that said....
thank you to this weeks donors:
Shakira Smiler
Danielle Busby
John Andrews
Larissa Bell
peace.
generally i try to do one interesting post about my running/commitment to HIV/AIDS and one donation post every week...
but i'm a bit under the weather this week so this weeks second post is going to be pretty basic
i'm running 14 miles on saturday and i'm nervous... but my workouts in the gym have been pretty good so i will let you all know how it goes.
anyway... i really just wanted to use this time to thank the people who have donated this week.
its crazy... two weeks ago i had only raised $200... and in two weeks you all have generously donated $1166 so i could complete my goal.
i am only $136 away from running in the chicago marathon!
your generosity, kindness and selflessness is deeply appreciated...
so with that said....
thank you to this weeks donors:
Shakira Smiler
Danielle Busby
John Andrews
Larissa Bell
peace.
Monday, July 7, 2008
One Week Left
A week from Tuesday is the final deadline for my marathon training program fundraising.
As of 10:45am today I have raised 1,206.00, so I am $300 away from my goal!
To those of you who plan on donating and have not been able to yet... there is still time left!
So please donate to this great cause and help me accomplish my goal!
Also... I'd like to thank those who generously donated over the weekend:
R. L'Heureux Lewis
Ketly Bateau-Walker
Shelby Moffett
peace.
As of 10:45am today I have raised 1,206.00, so I am $300 away from my goal!
To those of you who plan on donating and have not been able to yet... there is still time left!
So please donate to this great cause and help me accomplish my goal!
Also... I'd like to thank those who generously donated over the weekend:
R. L'Heureux Lewis
Ketly Bateau-Walker
Shelby Moffett
peace.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
My Run Dedication
This goes out...
to all of the folks in Detroit with HIV/AIDS that don't have marathons run in their honor
those folks who aren't wealthy and don't have wealthy friends to run and raise money for their meds
those folks who live in areas that altruistic college students are to scared to "study abroad" in
those folks that live in the third world neighborhoods that aren't sexy enough to get their starving kids adopted by hollywood movie stars
those same folks that aren't covered by those MTV sponsored global AIDS organizations and instead whose children are being left behind by the government...
this goes out...
to all the regular, around the way folks, who grow up in our neighborhoods that we ignore and avoid, those hurricane katrina victims infected with HIV/AIDS that weren't able to get food and water, let alone medication... for days, that receive no media, care or attention by an American public that is supposed to be dedicated to uplifting and caring for the worlds sick and poor.
those neighborhoods that don't have peace corp volunteers building schools for their illiterate children
those pregnant mothers that can't get HIV/AIDS medication because they have no health care
this goes out to...
those folks we turn away from when we walk down the river walk...
those folks we shoo away when they come up to our cars asking for change...
those folks whose homes we pretend weren't bulldozed by gentrifications imminent domain...
this goes out to...
the folks who live in our peripheral vision, on the edges of our neighborhoods and on the fringes of our hearts...
peace.
p.s. I would like to thank Gail Day and Nicole Taylor for donating this week. Please continue to donate to this GREAT cause!
to all of the folks in Detroit with HIV/AIDS that don't have marathons run in their honor
those folks who aren't wealthy and don't have wealthy friends to run and raise money for their meds
those folks who live in areas that altruistic college students are to scared to "study abroad" in
those folks that live in the third world neighborhoods that aren't sexy enough to get their starving kids adopted by hollywood movie stars
those same folks that aren't covered by those MTV sponsored global AIDS organizations and instead whose children are being left behind by the government...
this goes out...
to all the regular, around the way folks, who grow up in our neighborhoods that we ignore and avoid, those hurricane katrina victims infected with HIV/AIDS that weren't able to get food and water, let alone medication... for days, that receive no media, care or attention by an American public that is supposed to be dedicated to uplifting and caring for the worlds sick and poor.
those neighborhoods that don't have peace corp volunteers building schools for their illiterate children
those pregnant mothers that can't get HIV/AIDS medication because they have no health care
this goes out to...
those folks we turn away from when we walk down the river walk...
those folks we shoo away when they come up to our cars asking for change...
those folks whose homes we pretend weren't bulldozed by gentrifications imminent domain...
this goes out to...
the folks who live in our peripheral vision, on the edges of our neighborhoods and on the fringes of our hearts...
peace.
p.s. I would like to thank Gail Day and Nicole Taylor for donating this week. Please continue to donate to this GREAT cause!
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