~~It's time~~

It is now November. I've neglected writing, is it due to being busy or just plain not wanting to share my experience, strength and hope as I moved through rehab ~ no idea at this point. Though, I'm ready now again. 

On Saturday I ran my first race, since Rock N Roll Chicago in July. I placed, 3rd overall women and 8th overall. I was able to pull off a time that was 39 secs shy of my PR. 

I'll take it. Why ? Well, for the simple fact that this is my first race back after a pretty significant injury. Not sure I've still accepted the fact that I was injured with a hip injury, but I'm sure as hell accepted the crutches that I had to utilize for 3 wks of my 36th year.

Now to report the rest !! 

I've built up some pretty amazing muscle strength while being at the gym and also amazing new relationships!! I'm very excited about my future in the fitness world. Not only am I trying different cross training programs, I'm also working incredibly hard on my nutrition and physique! Hopefully working towards new goals and achievements in 2013! 

Nothing shy of EPIC!!
My race schedule will not be as heavy and at this point, does NOT include another full until '14. As I need to learn more about running and my body, prior to putting myself through the intensity I did in '11/'12 for the full. To also note, I want to run for times now, not for quantities of races. This I have learned. I'm out to better my times, become faster AND stronger. Prove to myself that there is no limits and that the impossible really is doable. 

There's some steep goals I'm aiming for and they won't come over night, nor will they come with a simple run or workout here or there. The work and training is gong to be intense and the learning will be irreplaceable.

To achieve happiness, one must be one with self inside AND outside. I'm working on both, day in and day out. Only to show my children that their dreams are achievable and that there is nothing in this world that is impossible. 

Shoot for the moon and at the very least you WILL land among the stars!!

One last fun thing: I was Featured in Rochester's Magazine in a Fun Article:

http://www.rochestermagazine.com/

Long time no talk ...

It's been quite a while since I've posted.

I ended up being injured - left hip had a stress reaction in it. I was on crutches for 3 wks and then I've been told not to run. I've been to the PT twice and last Friday I was given the OK to begin jogging this Friday and I can honestly say that I'm extremely excited!!!

I've not stopped working out, by any means!! I've been hitting the local YMCA around 5 to 6 times per week. I've been building upper body and now lower body as allowed. I will continue this regimen as I begin to get back into running.

I've learned a valuable lesson for an endurance athlete. You have to cross train !!

You also have to work on quality and quantity.

I believe that this summer something happened, externally and internally. Another change, perhaps. Yet, there have been many lessons learned. Lessons learned all around.

I, personally, need to be coached in all I do -- not only from actual trainers but also from my HP ( higher power ). There's something about faith and following the 'right' ways and when I go about things on my own and do 'my will' I lose what I've worked so hard to accomplish. This has been proven to me over and over again, yet, I'm a stubborn lady and it takes me some hard lessons to learn the actual lesson in this one.

I've been keeping some pictures on my progress on the weight training and I will share the ones this upcoming week to show you where I've gotten and possibly continue sharing as I move forward.

I'm considering fitness instructing as I would love to be able to be at the YMCA and share with others what works so well for me !!

Hopefully, I will continue to blog and share with you what has all occured.

For now -- it's onto weights and workouts ... we benched 120# this week and 125# last week. Working on building the muscles in the upper body. We are also at 60# on the biceps/tri's and then theres the deadlifts and good mornings at 70#...just to share some of what we are working on.

Onward. Upward!!

Bam Pow!

Just nailed my upper body W.O. within 45 min's !! 5 minutes faster then what I had previously done this W.O. in !! Super pumped!

My hips been a bit sore this week, so instead of hitting the upper body twice, decided to rest a little bit more. I did, however, hit the pool and was able to do around 6 laps and then the lazy river for a total of 30 min..

There's been a few lull days for me and I'm feeling it. I decided to volunteer on Tuesday night at the Bryon Donut Days and also at Ragnar this week, which helped time go by faster.

My children also ran in the Donut Run, they volunteered to run all by themselves! I didn't even suggest it - it was super cool and Mom was extremely PROUD when they registered AND finished!!

I know this too shall pass and it will be faster then I expect it to be, well, hopefully. On Monday I will find out the results of the MRI an go from there. For now, it will be upper body work, pool time and also volunteering, as well as, prepping for school and also getting in to the media spotlights.

I do know this - people seem to continuously point out to me that I am a strong, confident woman and so .. it's ONWARD with these challenges ahead of me - ONWARD I say!!

I worked out

Well, today I worked the upper body!!

The workout went like this x's 3:

Side Bends ( 50 ea side )
Lat Side Rows ( 50 ea side )
Chest Fly ( 30 )
Crunches ( 50 )
Tricep ( 50 )
BiCeps ( 50 ea side )
Crunches ( 50 )
Over head Press ( 30 )
Resistant Band Rows ( 30 ea way )
Crunches ( 50 )


I utilized 10#'s/12.5#'s/med. resistant band and my body.


Since I'm unable to run, I am not going to let it stop me from working the upper body !!


I was still sore from straddling a jet ski for hours on Saturday !! OOFTA that's a work out for the quads and the legs -- when you whip around in those bad boys you need some strength to hold on!! LOL

I'll feel this tomorrow -- but then I will hit the pool so .. keep the muscles working!!!

For now, it's PROTEIN and food for these muscles :O)

Onward!!

~~ Rest Day ~~

Today is a rest day for the body.

There was alot of hard upper body workouts this week - there was some water workouts - there was little sleep.

This week has been extremely a growing week. My week began with a trip to the doctor, sharing with me that I was out of the running world ( while listening my lip quivered, the cuss words flew out and I had emotions flying ) and that theres a possibility that I would need surgery. Then the middle of the week another Bomb exploded and I was thrown off again. Then by Thursday I was a glum lot. I knew that I had to change things in order to keep going. NOT search outside of myself, but look within. Feels the emotions and then get back on track!!!

 I had worked out with my trainer on Tuesday and I knew I could pull of another good workout. So, I put together a bomb workout, combined from what her and I had spoke of and also had made sure that there was a membership at the YMCA for the family and I. Thursday afternoon, I put on the headphones, laid out the mat, put out the timer, filled up the water bottle and hit it!!! I NAILED an upper body workout like no other, or that I had done at home, in quite some time and it felt AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was about to hit the 3rd rep of it and I looked out my patio door to see Team RED Running !! It motivated me MORE !! I knew that eventually I will be back out there, hopefully stronger then before, running with them. In time, but for now this is WHAT I have control over. This is what I am able to pull off. This is what there is and I was going to make damn sure that I was able to put myself into it as much as possible!!

I am pretty sure I did just that as for on Friday I felt the soreness and then the kids wanted to visit the pool area at the Y and my GF was going to meet up with us. So, we went for an hour or so and I did some work in the pool and lazy river. Not to much, enough to know that I did something, at that moment. Yet, it was more to get used to it.

Then yesterday, I was invited to the River with the R.E.D. group and decided to join them. Man, am I ever happy that I did !! I was able to enjoy not only GREAT company but a workout on the Jet Skis!!! It was SOO awesome and my legs definitely feel it today.

This upcoming week there is to be an MRI, scheduled for Wed, and then a follow up visit the following Monday to review it.

Time will tell with what will actually come from it. But for today, I know that no matter what is thrown at me, I will make it threw it !! Not only will I make it threw it - I will make it the best thing that is possible !! Turn it into a positive instead of a negative!!!

We are the ones that make our own worlds either happy, joyous an free OR miserable -- what do you choose ??

Screw the Lemonade, I'm makin Shirley Temples!!

It's been a heck of a summer!! First off, I now KNOW what they mean when they say that they can not wait for School to START!! AWWW...bring it back, PLEASE !! Send them back to learning and routines!!! Wow'zers !!

Second off, I know now what they mean by training -- and not just throwing in long distances races together. The body has now shown me it's limits, for now !! BAM !! We are going to show it that it can be stronger though and push it farther - while being SMARTER and STRONGER!! I am injured.

Third off, College begins for me in a few weeks --  here comes change.

Fourth off, I know how humiliating injuries are to us athletes -- ugh -- I dropped out of Ragnar an boy that was a blow to receive that email indicating that I was off of the team.

Fifth, My little brother will accomplish another dream of his - getting married. I'd try to talk him out of it, but I remember those wonderful moments and, besides, I like his fiance. So, we will go with it.


I was told on Monday by a sports med doc that I may have a tear in my labrum. ( Left Hip ) He also said that I will more or likely be up against surgery and be out for at least 6 to 8 weeks after that. We set up an MRI for the following week, with the follow up visit the week following -- are you adding these weeks up, because I sure as hell am. We are now looking to around 3 months with rehabilitation in there. So, whats a good athlete to do ??? PLAN -- make a plan of attack !!

Next week, I join the local YMCA and start swimming, literally!! I have talked to my trainer about a workout plan at home an will follow that as well as getting to the gym to swim 2 to 3 x's per week. This is going to be a huge change for this lady, as I usually do ALL my workouts at home. YET, I love to run and workout and it's become a part of who I am now. So, start living or get busy dieing is a favorite saying of mine and I'll be damned that I come this far in my life to give up!!

It's not about others anymore. It was when this all started -- I started to stay strong, to be a good person for my children. To take out all the emotions and work on the outsides while the insides didn't know which way to turn. They hurt with pain that I never knew before and all I could do was get into something that would provide strength for the most important people in my life and that was and still is my two beautiful children. Through that searching I found a new way of life an something that worked for me. As the pain subsided, I found joy in a new passion - running/exercise. I not only found a new passion, I found a place that I fit in and I found a community that surrounded me with positivity, love, tolerance, teachings, knowledge, wisdom, strength, courage and soo much more !! The bonds in this community are unreal!! I am soo unconditionally loved, its absolutely amazing!! They are there for me during the successes AND the failures. They pick me up when I am down, literally ( whether it's my mood OR laying on the ground after a workout ) !! Now this is about finding me, all over again, in another realm that I have not yet ventured.

Learning to do different things, things that you are uncomfortable doing, things that you know you are not familiar with, places you need to go that are foreign, new things/places/people are always scarey. Yet, if anyone knows that good comes from bad things, it's me!! By golly, I've had the rug pulled out from under me OODLES of times in my life and it ALWAYS, yep, ALWAYS turns out to be a GREAT THING!! When I allow it to work and do the footwork and rely on my faith.

I am not alone, I haven't been in years and that feels amazing.

It's time for a new adventure until I can put those sneakers back on. It's time for a change -- slide down another side of rainbow and see what prevails. Man, change SUCKS and is sooo hard!! Yet, from it, we grow and become such better people, stronger and more confident !!

Confidence ROARS -- here we go......Onward. Upward. Stay ON. Keep ON.

!!Milestones and More to COME!!

This was the first weekend as a 36 yr old runner.

Today I am able to call myself a runner - which when I started running I never really imagined myself as one.

I have had the opportunities to meet spectacular people, in the health and fitness field.
I was able to complete a total of 30 races since Oct. '09.
I have been able to complete a Full Marathon, within those races.
I have been sponsored by MARATHON Bars, twice.
I have had opportunities to represent in the media an share my experience, strength and hope.
I have been able to maintain a weight loss of 60 lbs/40 inches.

All of these accomplishments are many, yet, the best one of these all are:

I have been able to believe in ME!!

There's many things I could write about here - or many things that I could give you suggestions on, yet, tonight I feel it's extremely important to share with you that learning how to believe in one's self takes time, patience, support, love and most of all -- kindness to one's self.

When I began running, I was not confident that I would EVER be able to finish a race of ANY type. Now I Have completed races all the way up to a full marathon.

When I began running, I was not able to breath over a few inclines. I would complain over them. I did, however, move my feet as told and continued on - one step in front of another.

Now today -- I am able to complete things that I never imagined were possible and alot of these 'things' do not include a finish line. They are now a part of my life.

Today I believe in ME -- which I believe came from the support, love, patience and tolerance from those around me and within me. Today I am runner and a good soul person who knows she will cross that finish line again and accomplish the next goal she sets out.

If there's something holding you back in life, allow yourself a gift the gift of belief. IF you are NOT able to believe in you -- ASK FOR SOMEONE TO!! People will help you !! You do NOT have to do it alone!!

 Below are ONLY a few people that have touched my life -- >> YET <<-- they continue today to help me grow, become stronger and also push me to my ultimate best!!! THANK YOU to all who have helped me thus far an for those of you that are going to help me even farther!!! I am truly blessed !!!