To everything there is a season and a time.

I've been feeling fairly inconvenienced lately. I have been indignant almost when it comes to running lately. Training for a marathon takes a lot of time, and if I'm being honest, I haven't even been putting in as much time logging miles as I should be. Getting up early to run, going to work, not eating dinner in order to get in a solid night run, and then going to bed in order to repeat it all the next day has really been wearing on me. I feel like I can't do anything I want to do. Though the truth is that I feel good while I am running, and I feel better throughout the day when I've started off with a workout or run.

Today I was really able to feel the seasons changing. Granted, it is still a bit early for the changing, but it is happening nonetheless. The cooler mornings are allowing me to run a little later when the rest of my schedule allows, and I even saw leaves falling from trees today. They looked like bits of glitter shimmering as they fell to the ground, and it was absolutely, beautifully humbling. How can I be bitter about training when I get to witness this beautiful world?

When I went back out tonight, I was grumbling before I even got out the door. I didn't have water to take with me, I couldn't find my reflective shirt, I wasn't going to be able to go as far as I wanted to, and the list went on and on in my head. I played a podcast of an NPR program, and the topic of the segment just happened to be about helping others, which pretty quickly put me in my place. How can I be so upset about something I should cherish dearly? I ran past a nearby park, and I was reminded of how much fun I used to have running through the local park at night like a maniac with a group of friends playing Army Tag. Why have I complicated and sucked the fun out of something I love? Running and being active are amazing gifts that I can choose to use fully, or fully take advantage of. The trick is that every day, I need to choose the fullness that I want in my life.

Live fully. Live on purpose. Be thankful.

Runner's Rambles: We meet again, Schuykill Loop.

I am really going through one of those phases where it is blatantly obvious how much you really have to want to live a healthy lifestyle. Life can really get in the way sometimes. I really let the head race beat me last week because there was more than one day when I didn't even make it out the door for a run, and I only made it to the gym twice. Now, I did take some time out to spend an entire day walking all around Center City and Chinatown in Philadelphia with some friends, and that part of a healthy lifestyle is something I really enjoy.

I have also been reminded that it is so easy to choose unhealthy options when it comes to what I eat. I'm sort of in that, "when it rains, it pours" kind of stage, yet I am the one tipping the bucket that's pouring on my head. I have been squeezing in work outs, and even squeezing in this post just a couple sentences at a time, but I haven't been keeping myself accountable for what I am putting in my mouth. It just reinforces how important it is for me to prepare for the whole week ahead of time.

I forced myself to get in a little bit better workout this week by mapping a route to the gym that was long enough for me to get my full distance in only split in half. I also decided for our long run this weekend that Matt and I would take on The Loop again. I knew that after that crazy long run I wrote about before, and my lack of dedication would need a good solid run this weekend. I get somewhat annoyed by the traffic and whatnot when it comes to city running, so having a path just for pedestrians is very appealing to me. And I wanted another crack at The Loop.

This run wasn't much better time wise, but mentally it was a thousand times better! I had Matt with me the whole way, and I think the Forerunner helped too. I hate when I am running a route that I don't already know the markers on, or running a race that isn't marked. It was a beautiful day in Philadelphia, and I was able to get some sunshine on my face and some spring air in my lungs. I was a beautiful day for a run, and I can't wait for more spring running. Now next time, we will have to take on the "Rocky Steps" as well.

The Switch-up

I am a seriously picky eater, which often makes healthy eating difficult for me. Over time I have been making substitutions and forcing myself to eat things that I don't really like in order to eat a healthier, more balanced diet. I have found that small substitutions can really make a big difference, so I am going to share a few examples of easy and yummy substitution ideas.

1. I love burritos. There are a few tricks that I have found really help make one of my favorite meals a win-win situation. I first decided that I would start buying the smaller tortillas. This first step is built in portion control. Just don't justify over-eating by saying that you can have more because of the smaller portion...that's the point. I also switched out flour for whole wheat. Swap your fatty beef for lean beef, ground turkey breast (check the package because it might have the skin ground in, which adds lots of fat), or chicken breast. Swap those refried beans for black beans (I throw mine in the food processor with some salsa!) because refried beans have tons of fat, while black beans are full of protein and fiber! And the last swap that you may not have thought of is brown rice with some lime juice instead of Spanish or Mexican style white rice. Don't forget to use low fat or fat free options when grabbing the sour cream and cheese.

2. Sandwiches just aren't the same without mayo. Which is probably a good thing considering it is almost pure fat, even if it is delicious. There are so many other things to throw on sandwiches,  wraps, or burgers that are healthier. Mustard is always a good choice since it is almost calorie free, but if your looking to mix things up, then try a little guacamole on your turkey with Swiss. Making chicken or tuna salad? Mix some Greek yogurt with a little Dijon mustard.

3. Chocolate milk, hold the syrup. I hate drinking milk, but there are times when I just really want a  big glass of ice cold chocolate milk. Even though we buy either almond or skim milk, it turns into a not-so-good treat when you dump a ton of sugary syrup in there to make it chocolaty. What's a better swap? I have recently started making my own chocolate milk by mixing unsweetened cocoa powder, a dash of salt, and a little Splenda into my milk. I know what you're thinking...gross. It isn't! It is possibly better than Hershey's Syrup, and I live in Pennsylvania! That would be considered slanderous here if I weren't using Hershey's Cocoa Powder, although any brand will work just fine. And a tip to mixing it all in, is to put the dry ingredients into the bottom of the cup, then add just a little hot tap water and stir it together before adding the cold milk.

My next switch-up is going to be the cauliflower pizza crust I keeping seeing all over the place. I bet it is going to be super yummy! Maybe I will even let you know how it goes. Let me know what other great switch-up ideas you have!

Peacemaking

I am supposed to be training for a 10k right now. I even posted a 10k training schedule on here, but my life is sort of in a state of flux right now. There are so many things that have been thrown at me from different sides lately, and I have not been able to pin down any semblance of a routine or schedule. I am the type of person who needs a routine or schedule to stick to an exercise plan. I need to at least know the general time of day that exercise will fit into my day, but I haven't been able to pin down a time, and with all that I have been doing lately, I haven't made enough effort to make it a priority. This has really put a damper on my mood and my training.

I caught a break today, so I took some time for me. I slept in, caught up on my Tivo, and went for a short run. It was a beautiful morning, yet I found myself doubting my abilities basically from the first step. I had already decided that I would just do a 1.5 mile loop right by my house, so I knew that I didn't have far to go at all, but I just still felt negative about the whole thing. As I ran, I thought about how I ran two half marathons because people told me I couldn't, but then there I was telling myself I couldn't run 1.5 miles.

As I have mentioned before, my grandma has recently lost the ability to walk. She has, for my entire life, been the pentacle of independence, courage, strength, and  grace. My grandma has lived her life with a strong yet graceful dignity that I admire, and I know that I should always utilize the abilities I have because I could lose them at any time. I do value my ability to walk, run, and be active, so I know that I should take full advantage of those things.

I also realized how thankful I should be about my life in general. I live in a beautiful state, in a wonderful country, with my amazing fiance, and I have family and friends who love me very much. I am so lucky to have all of those things on top of my physical capabilities that I should not take for granted. If I don't take care of myself, then I could lose those beautiful things and wonderful people as well. I need to be in good health not just for myself, but also for those people who are important to me.

Needless to say, the irritation and pessimism I felt in the first steps of my run were gone by the time I got home. It is amazing all the things God, nature, and introspection can show you on such a short run.

Quieting the White Noise

I know it's been a while since I have posted anything, but I have just started working now that we moved to PA. for those who don't know me personally, I am a teacher, but I have decided to leave full time teaching, so I am currently teaching K-12 remedial reading part time. I am very fortunate in that I only have to earn a supplementary income, which has sparked a decision for me to really focus on my health and fitness. I have never been an athletic type person even though I participated in various sports growing up and swam competitively for more than 10 years. If every person who knew me well wrote a list of adjectives to describe me, I can guarantee that none of them would contain words like athletic, fit, strong, or any of the other things that I would like for myself. And if you have read the Anything for 10: Background Story, then you know I basically started this journey because people told me I couldn't do it. I have come a long way, but I still have so far to go. I would really like to become that strong, fit, HEALTHY, athletic person that I know I can be.

Although I haven't been to the gym this whole week as I started my new job, I have been going to walk at the local high school track in the evenings after dinner. Each night brought different internal battles. Away from the white noise of the gym, my mind was able to tear me down and build me up. I was dragged down by the thought that I was so weak because all I was doing was pitifully walking laps when I have completed two half marathons! I should be able to run! I could, but the truth is that I just didn't make myself do it. And there is also the truth that brisk walking is also a good activity for me to engage in, even if my inner-self was telling me that I was a failure.

I decided during my walk last night to pick up the pace. I was provoked to start jogging after my first mile when Garth Brooks' "Callin Baton Rouge" came on my ipod. As  Garth belts, "Hello, Samantha dear, I hope you're feeling fine," who isn't filled with a surge of energy? Come on, people! I am not myself a country fan per say, but I was raised in a rural community, so it has a bit of a nostalgic spark for me. I started thinking about so many things as I ran. I thought about my Grandmother who is one of my favorite people in the whole world, and how she is dying from ALS, which is a terrible disease that robs its sufferers of the ability to walk, stand, move, and eventually the ability to breathe. I felt a sense of shame for all the times I have taken those simple, yet beautiful, life-sustaining actions for granted. I thought about how shameful it is to let that little voice inside tell me who I am or who I am going to be. I cannot let that voice, or the voices of nay-sayers define me.

I am on a mission. I have decided to make myself the person I want to be. I can't let anyone or anything stop me because I don't know how much time I have left to utilize the body I have been given, but when that time is up, I would like to know that I have truly given it everything I've got. I know that this is going to be a very difficult path, but I will take it a day at a time. I want to reach the point where those who know me will have words like healthy, fit, strong, and athletic at the tops of their lists. It is time for me to push.

Reader Response:

I would like to know what I can do to make my blog better suit your needs as readers. If you have any ideas of things you'd like to see more or less of on my blog, then leave a comment letting me know. I have a few things that I've thought about, but have not yet written about like, my favorite home workout DVDs, confessions from a blogger, guilty pleasure workout songs, and a few others. Let me know if you are particularly interested in reading any of these, and I will bump them to the top of the list. Let's get fit together!