Topic 16: 20 Myths about a Marathon....Part I

Oh boy! A running topic!! This may actually be difficult because I don't really know too many myth about marathons! But I'll debunk a few that I can come up with.

Myth #1: I could never run a marathon

Bologna. Pronounced BULL LONEY. 

I am pretty sure anyone can complete a marathon, given they have proper training and are cleared by their doctor. 

Myth #2:  I can't do a marathon because I can't run the whole way. 

Bologna. Again. Pronounced. BULL LONEY. A marathon is 26.2 miles. Point A to Point B. You can get there running, walking, crawling, hoola hooping (as long as you're on your own two feet, I've seen it...for real), and any combination of these. I used to think it wouldn't count if I walked. But it totally counts. Run. Run/walk. Walk. Who cares?! You did it and it counts!

Myth #3:  My toenails will fall off. 

Maybe. Maybe not. I've never lost a toenail to the marathon. I have many friends who have many times. I think it comes down to your toenail genetics, shoes, socks, lubricated feet, and conditions on race day. If it's raining, like it did in Portland 2010 where is rained like 7 inched in 2 hours, your feet and socks WILL be wet which is very hard on the toenails. And you know what? So what if you do? It's a badge of courage and accomplishment. It is something that most everyone who experiences it brags about. It is a conversation piece. All the cool kids are doing it and it should not be your reason for not taking on the 26.2. 

Myth #4: Only crazy people do it.

Ok. Maybe so....but it's a good kinda crazy!

Myth #5:  I will have to train all the time and have no social life.

#truth

Ok, well 90% true. You do have to train. You have to stick to your plan if you want to finish the marathon with as little pain as possible (there will be pain, but following your training plan helps. Significantly.) But your social life becomes your training. Or your training becomes your social life. You will find that you start hanging out with your running buddies and instead of staying up late you go to bed early and get up early. And you run for miles then go out for a big fat burger and hot coffee. And that is fun! That becomes your social activities and you soon forget any other things you did and you wonder what on earth you did before you had kids you started training for a marathon!

Myth #6: I will get so skinny! 

#false

Sorry. Simply not true for 95% of us. The thing is this, running makes you hungry. And if you don't follow a strict diet (and I don't mean diet like restricting, i mean disciplined eating of healthy foods and a combination of protein, fat, and carb) you will eat your weight in junk and thus not lose any weight. You will certainly see changes in inches and tightening and moving around as body composition repositions but you most certainly will not lose copious amounts of weight....unless you don't eat. In which case you would not be able to cover the distance of 26.2 miles. You will need a lot of energy which as we all know comes in the form of FOOD. And no, not necessarily carbs....which brings me to my next myth....

Myth #7: I hate bread and pasta. I can't run a marathon because I hate carbs. Or I am Paleo....

So? Yes you can. Complex carbs are better anyway! Try beans, lentils, and peas! Green vegetables, oatmeal, potatoes and sweet potatoes! Pumpkin is a good source of complex carb as well.  Eat healthy and eat appropriate portions and you will do just fine. If you find yourself in a brain fog or a slump (often in the middle of a long run if you haven't eaten enough prior) then you readjust your diet before the next run. It is all a game of trial and error. Everyone must find the way their body responds and how best to fuel it. What works for me most certainly won't work for everyone.  But don't let this deter you!

Myth #8: I might get last. And that will be embarrassing.

Uhhh.....don't chose a tiny marathon full of elite athletes. Ok, really...some of these marathons are HUGE. Chances are you won't get last. But yes, I guess there is usually a last person to finish. But who cares! You did it!! 26.2 miles is a long way and a respectable distance! And you just did it! That is all that matters! Also have a running partner that matches you pretty well and run together. You both can be last together! Or you may surprise yourself and not get last at all! And really, in the end no one really cares, it is your race and yours alone. Who cares what those benchwarmers think? Let them lace up and try to run 26.2 miles....then they can say something.

This is getting really long. I think I will break it up into at least two posts. Do you have any marathon myths you'd like debunked? Let me know and I'll give you my 100% personal opinion.

Swim, swim, swimming...

I'm taking a break from my previously scheudled blog topics to actually discuss something fitness related! Yay!! Swimming! 

I've been swimming with the Masters swim team lately and it's going swimmingly. It is hard to make the time, but that's just it, I HAVE to make the time. Practice is from 8-9 PM and by the end of the day I am wiped out. But it is so worth it to just suck it up and go. I have yet to regret going, only regrets are the times I have not gone. 

Here is our 2000 meter workout from Monday. The workout Tuesday night was 2300 meters but I gran out of time and had to call it a day at 2000m. But I am ok with that.

Isn't it beautiful? I love pools. It just looks so calm and inviting!

I am trying to go three times a week in preparation for an actual swim meet end of January. I have verbally committed to swimming the mile. YIKES!!  When I swam 1.2 miles in my 70.3 my time was 42 minutes, I think. I know in the swim meet, in the pool, the times will be much MUCH faster. I know I will be destroyed. I know I won't win. I just hope it doesn't take me 40 minutes! Everyone would be watching me finish! One of my teammates told me her time in the last meet was about 21 minutes and most of the others were around 18 or 19 minutes. Ummm..... Say whaaaa?! Ok. I am not scared though...ok so I AM scared but not scared off... I will try. That is all I can do. Try. Wait, but like Yoda says, there is no try. Only do or do not....And I will do it. If I can get my time under 30 minutes I would be thrilled! I have about  month and a half to get ready for this....Given my first day day in the pool after being released from the surgeon for my shoulder I swam a mile. I know I can cover the distance. I just don't know how fast. Or how graceful. And my turns....oh. my. goodness....my turns are not pretty. But I'm not asking for pretty. I'm asking for completion. And maybe completion in a decent time. Under 40 minutes. Or under 30 minutes. Ok really all I am asking is to finish and to not throw up in the pool. That would not be cool. 

And just throwing this out there....I'm kicking around the idea of a Ragnar Relay in Florida. Just kicking it around. If I can work it into my schedule and figure out the logistics it just might happen. 

Topic 15: 20 Quick Tips About Health....

Health is multifaceted so here are 20 tips for health that encompass all facets of life:

1.  Get plenty of sleep. 

2.  Drink lots of water. 

3.  Eat less sugar. 

4.  Eat more whole foods. 

5.  Sweat. Daily. 

6.  Don't be lazy when you are parking. Don't be that annoying person who waits for four minutes to get the closer spot. You could have parked and walked in already! And gotten a few extra steps in. 

7.  Laugh often. 

8.  Don't be angry. Let things go. 

9.  Don't drink soda. 

10. Cut back on coffee. 

11.  Get a pet and snuggle with it. 

12.  Play with your kids. 

13.  Invest in yourself. Take "me" time and stop making "I'm a busy mom" excuse. You matter. A lot. 

14.  Talk about it. If not to a close friend find a therapist and work through it. 

15.  Drive slow. 

16.  Wake up early and don't be in a rush so that you CAN drive slow. 

17.  Vow to make your house a "Non-Yelling House". There is no need for it and it can cause anxiety in some kids. Even if it's not angry yelling. 

18.  Try yoga or at least meditation and/or mindfulness. 

19.  Count your blessings weekly. 

20.  Dare to day dream and begin to make those dreams a reality....

Do you have anything to add to my list? 

Topic 14: The Best Moment of my Life...

Wow, this is tough. I've had a lot of awesome moments. But here are two...

1. When LB was born I got a glimpse of him then he was whisked away to the NICU. About two hours later I was finally able to see him. That very first moment I got to hold LB and look at his perfect little Elmer Fud face....Best. Moment. Ever.

2. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in 2010. The entire 4 hours 9 minutes of it was awesome. But specifically the final 100 yards and the few minutes thereafter are the absolute best memory ever....I had run an excellent race. I saw my family waving and cheering me on around mile 21. Only a few miles to go. When I finally came within eyeshot of the finish line I knew I was going to do it. I was going to win! Win MY race! I heard my name being called and I looked to my left to see my dad and LB! Dad was running along beside me, on the backside of the fans camped out to cheer their runners in. My dad was finishing with me....with the biggest smile across his face, in his cowboy boots.

Once I finished and got a hamburger, chocolate milk, some cookies, a banana, an orange, some water, and more chocolate milk I made my way out of the athlete finish area and over to my dad and LB. The photo above is one of my all time favorites. I was so proud of myself, LB was obviously proud too...and my dad, he was proud of me. I could just see it in his face and eyes...he was proud of me. 

That photo was taken only weeks before he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. The thing about our Best Moments Ever is that you rarely ever know at the exact time it is actually happening that it is in fact THE BEST MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE....

Topic 12: A Word That Means Something To Me...

Life. 

We only have one....and I don't want to squander it. I want to experience it!

I have realized that just waking up and living is not enough. I want to LIVE LIFE. I want to experience LIFE. I want to be an active participant in my LIFE. I want to make LIFE happen....I want to say "Yeah, I did that."

I want to live the LIFE I love.

You may have noticed that the theme of many of these post lately have circled around choices and life and living....and future. I have really been doing a lot of soul-searching, self-work, and self-evaluation lately. I have noticed that I seem to find myself in the same situation, over and over and over....And it is time to change. Time to take a leap of faith and begin living LIFE. Whether I like it or not LIFE is happening and I don't want to be a bystander and just let it unravel, I want to be involved. I want to dream and make it happen the way I want! For so long I was along for the ride, living the LIFE of a military wife, tagging along on someone else's LIFE dream. I was not in control of anything in my LIFE, or at lease not much. I just had to hold on and say "Ok, I'm in. " I never dared dream of the LIFE I wanted because it seemed impossible and only left me with disappointment. My LIFE would begin after military time was done. I felt I had to chose between the LIFE I had as a military wife, a mom...and the LIFE I wanted. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to live LIFE as a wife and a mom, but I also wanted more....but being a military wife did not allow for my dreams of the future. So I gave up on that....I had no dreams beyond "tomorrow" or maybe "next year".

Fast forward to now and I am sitting here. Not a wife (and that's OK!).  I have a bucket full of dreams for my LIFE that I can make happen! I am ready to put a plan into action and begin seeing my dreams actually happen!

I am so excited! for once I have a very vivid picture of my future in my mind. It is amazing! It will take a lot of work and dedication but I can finally being living a purposeful LIFE with a goal....and LIFE is good....and exciting!

So how about you? What is a word that means something to you?

Topic 11: Bad Hair Days....

I've had far too many bad hair days lately.

I made a very very bad decision....all because I am impatient. I have an awesome hair girl. I'm lucky to have found her within weeks of moving back to OK. BUT....as it is with all good hair people she is busy and often difficult to get in to unless I schedule far in advance. I don't plan. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl. I hate plans. 

So one Saturday when LB was hanging out and playing with a friend I decided it was my chance to get my hair trimmed....I mean just a little trim, I'm talking a quarter inch off the ends. So I headed in to Super Cuts. I mean it's a trim for crying out loud. What could go wrong? It's just hair, it'll grow...Just a trim.

JUST A TRIM.

JUST A TRIM?

HOLY MOLY LADY WHAT ARE YOU DOING? 

IF YOU KEEP GOING IT'S GOING TO BE A MULLET! 

OK, THAT'S GOOD. I THINK WE'RE DONE HERE. 

I have no idea what happened. She put me in her chair. I told her I'm growing my hair out and want to keep it long but need just a trim off the ends to clean it up a bit. And a little trim on the bangs and to frame my face.  She started CHOPPING the sides. I said, "Whoa! If you keep going it's going to be a mullet!" Ugh. I stopped her and left. And now my left head hair is shorter than my right head hair. I'd show a picture but I'm at work and have figured out a way to mask it and make it somewhat disguised.

The worst part? The walk of shame into my old trusted salon to see my amazing girl. There is no denying the fact that I messed up. This is what I get for going outside of my circle of trust. I never should have done that and now I am paying the price. I have learned my lesson and will be planning my hair appointment.  6 weeks out......

Topic 10: Getting up in the Morning....

I don't like it.

But now that I've written that I realize that I should adjust my frame of mind, my negative thinking....I should be grateful for another beautiful morning that I get to rise and shine and live life.

But sometimes I feel like my life could be complete if I got to spend the entire morning in my bed, wrapped in my warm down comforter, snuggled up with Crazy Puppy and sometimes LB (he's almost too good of a cuddle bug, smothers me and somehow gets arms and legs all over the place all at once).

I've set my thermostat to be very low during the night and then warms to 70 at 6:30 AM. This helps me get up. I start to get pretty hot under all my blankets and then eventually I find myself rolling out of bed, grumbling.  I've always had a pretty comfortable bed but two years ago I got a new mattress, a cooling gel memory foam mattress, and it is Ahhhhhhhhhmaaaaaaaazzzzzzziiiiiing. Really it put an end to any early morning runs I have dreams of doing. Nothing it happing in the early morning except me laying, no more wallowing, in my bed, loving life....loving life snuggled in my bed.

Then.....BAM. The alarm.


Ugh.


I have to get up. I have to get LB up and around and ready for school. I have to get ready for work. And then I spend th rest of my day thinking about bed time. Wow. Maybe I have a problem? I bet if I had a rock hard bed I would be much more productive. I'd get up earlier and not go to bed so early.


But sleep is good. It is really important for a healthy lifestyle. Sleep hygiene is one of the most important factors for good mental health.  So yeah, never mind.....I'm going back to bed.....

Look at that face....

He's right in my spot....

Topic 9: Going to the Movies with Friends....

...is fun.

This is a boring topic.

I like going to the movies. The big screen captivates my attention. I LOVE the previews almost as much as the movie. So I really enjoy getting there and eating ALL my Twizlers before the previews are even over.

I have a very hard time sitting through movies at home. I get up and walk around, do things, get side-tracked and distracted. At home I rarely can sit through an entire movie without getting up and missing a big part of it. But in a theater I refuse to get up and go anywhere. I will not get up to go the bathroom unless it's an absolute emergency. I am captivated and thoroughly sucked in. Or just stubborn.

So I am much more likely to go to the movies than to watch one at home. In fact I don't have anything that even plays a DVD. My computer doesn't have a disc drive, neither does LB's. I don't have any gaming systems, other that the WiiFit and that doesn't take a DVD. If I do want to watch something I use Amazon Prime or Hulu and then I pause it or get distracted or fall asleep.

I do want to go to the movies to see the new Hunger Games. I saw the last one on New Year's Eve. Hopefully since I have a kid-free week I'll be able to make ti to a movie!

How about you? Heading to the movies this weekend?