Running 101: Getting (and STAYING) motivated!

Do you have the "bug" yet? Has the Olympic spirit motivated you to run a little extra these last few weeks? Is running on the brain?

Running is not always in the front of my brain (especially with a baby on the way!) but it seems like the perfect time to help myself get motivated; the end of a long hot summer breaking way to a crisp, cool fall.

With sports, athletes and awesome races from London this summer, I can't help but take a look at the results and watch replays of my favorite events (Did you see the awesome finish in the Men's 10,000 Meter race on Saturday? Go Galen!). I wish I could get out there and compete!

Although not everyone can be Olympic caliber, we can do our best to stay motivated every day. There will always be good days and bad days, struggles and triumphs. Acknowledging that truth can be a great place to start.

One way to stay motivated is through experience. Ever have that euphoric experience after a race where you are on cloud 9 even though you can't stand up right? Seek those feelings often. They have the power to push you to a new person record (PR for short) and ecstatic feeling.

 If you have had a few ok runs, switch up the course, join a group or enter a race with that experience in mind. It is ok if you don't achieve the feeling your after, the trying will be more motivation for the future.

I find motivational blogs, books and movies to help too. Some of my favorites are:

• Fast Track by Suzy Favor-Hamilton 
• Once a Runner by John L. Parker
• 5 Essentials for a Winning Life by Chris Carmichael
• Joan Samuelson's Running for Women by Joan Benoit Samuelson
• Chariots of Fire
• The Lone Green Mile
• Runblogger blog
• A great resource for Women's inspired running blogs: Running Skirts
• RunFastMommy
• Shut Up + Run

Finding the time and having the energy to run is really only half the battle. Staying positive mentally can be difficult at times. Sometimes ourselves get in the way of making running a habit. Here are a few questions I ask myself if I am feeling tired or sluggish with running.

• Why am I going to run today? (I like to have a purpose for all my runs)
• What do I need to have a good run? (clothes? shoes? water? food? time?)
• What is my short term goals for running? What are my long term goals?
• Why is running important to me? 

Other reminders for myself include thinking about the benefits of a good sweat, the necessity to run more miles to meet my goals, the great feelings I get after a run and how running allows to me lead a better life (less sick days, more energy, etc.)

Some times even a few quotes on sticky notes helps keep me motivated!

When in doubt, or really run down, let your body & mind rest. Take a break if this all seems overwhelming. It is hard to stick with something that seems like such a chore mentally and physically. Allow yourself to unwind or take a time out. Running will be there when you are ready.

What motivates you? Why do you run? How do you help keep on track? 

13.1

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.
That's how I felt on Sunday at 10 am after waking up at 4:45 am, running 13.1 miles and eating banana. 
You probably couldn't wipe the smile off my face if you tried.

Erie Half Marathon Results 

I am ecstatic that I signed up. After months of debating with myself, asking if I was ready or could even run that far that fast, I did. And now I am more energized then ever to run more, further and faster. I cannot wait to sign up for a marathon. I am thinking that I want some more time to train, get long runs under my belt and figure out that whole drinking water while running thing. I am still confused and baffled that people can actually drink water or gatorade WHILE RUNNING. Serious skill. I gulped down about a half cup around mile 7 and that was about all I could manage to get in my mouth. It did make me feel better, but it added some time to my race time. I am going to have to experiment with that stuff as a train for a marathon.


any ideas on which marathon to do in the spring? I think there is one in Buffalo, NY which isn't too far...i will have to do some more research on the area to see what will be the best option. training through the winter in a town next to a Great Lake could be a challenge, but I am enthusiastic (and a sadist).


I have been addicted to fashion blogs as of late. New York Fashion Week happened to be on my radar and I needed to keep up with some of my favorite designers. Not that I am a fashion slave, but I do like to see what is trending for spring and how I can start to look for the newest styles. Coming from a small mid-western town, my fashion knowledge has come from a lot of reading on-line and in magazines. Its funny though, I like to see what is new in terms of style, but can't force myself to buy all the trendy items. I like classic fashion, a  mix of preppy style and timeless pieces. I would much rather buy an accessory that is in style than a whole wardrobe that will be out of style soon enough. Fashion blogs have been lighting up with soft palates and lots of patterns, both of which i love! I cannot wait to get some of those striped shirts paired with flow-y silk skirts. But for now I will have to wear my favorite boots and warm sweaters. darn.


It finally feels like fall around here, and I am very glad! I love fall colors, scents and food. Fall is my favorite season by far. I think its the most beautiful and enjoyable of the seasons since you can be outside without having to sweat like a maniac! You can cook warm meals and heat up the whole house with good smells. In our house we have already had some acorn squash and apples from a local orchard. I have a new recipe for vegetable soup and classics like chili and goulash always test better in the fall. Its a tradition in my family to make goulash in the fall, I have some of my fondest memories involving goulash at my Grandparents cottage. Something about warm food and fall make me feel comfortable.  
I am getting hungry already!


Its also my favorite time for new socks! One of the small luxuries I enjoy in life (good coffee being the number one luxury!) The feeling of warm toes and squishy padding under my feet could not be more welcomed. I once said in an interview that new socks were one of my favorite things to buy (side note: I did not get that job). Its amazing that you can find such joy in little things. 

Ok. Another stellar week ahead for me. 
I promise to write sooner.


Your pal,

EAA

time travel

this is a positive turn around. i have starting to think ahead about what i am going to blog about before i start typing. i might actually write more than twice in two years. 

before i go and talk about myself, a shout out to our wedding photographer. Caryn Ashley Photography did our engagement and wedding photos. She was wonderful to work with and extremely professional. I would highly recommend her if you are in the Michigan area and looking for a wedding, senior or family photographer. Check out her website at: http://carynashleyphotography.com/


a lot of my thoughts this week have been about music. i love music. all kinds of music. i listen when i am cleaning, cooking, writing this blog, reading, while on the phone and running. I like the beat of some songs, others remind me of my husband, and some are just feel good tunes. in high school we had to make a life CD filled with songs that meant something to us. i loved the project, and I am sure if i dug it out of the "erika's box of life" it would remind me of my high school self.  in honor of that project and my thoughts of music, here's a short list of my favorites (with Youtube videos of course!).

• Toto's Rosana: I used to have a Billboard 1982 cd that I stole from my parents. this was by far my first memory of a song i liked
• Jay Sean's Down: I think this has the highest played rating on my itunes. best song to sing along to i think.
• The Proclaimers, I'm Gonna Be: reminds my of my husband. he dances a little whenever this song is on. at our wedding people went crazy about this song!

• Ben Folds' Luckiest : this song reminds me how wonderful my life is. no matter the day

and that really is the short list! I could go on for a while. a lot of the music i like changes with my mood or time in my life but there are always classics that i come back to. a good song can always make me run faster, smile bigger or give an extra hug. What are your favorites? and why? what makes music meaningful to you?

only a WEEK until the half-marathon. i went to the course on saturday and ran part of the loop backwards so I could get a good feel for the course. can you tell that I ran in college? I know the course well as I have run almost all of my long runs there since we moved to Erie, but I just wanted to make sure. I am getting nervous but i know those nerves will help me go faster. just have to keep it in for 5 miles before I start racing, that will be the tough part. 

it's a friday night tradition in our house to watch a movie or tv shows on friday after work/school. this week was a few episodes of Lost, yes the ABC show that probably no one watched. we have all six seasons. i am on season 5. almost done. i never watched the show when it was on cable, but my husband is getting me caught up. funny thing about the show is that i don't think it makes sense but its addicting! I have to watch the next episode so i know what is going on or who dies. argh. i did not think i would be interested in the show, but here i am almost done with the entire series. and i can't believe it last siz seasons. really. some of the story lines are a bit far fetched. my husband had a roommate in college who used to make fun of him for watching it. he told us that he read that the writers only wrote a few episodes because they thought the show would flop. and i can see why. i will have to finish the series now though, i need to know what happens to the island! 


I have had a lot more time to cook since getting married, perhaps that is how it works. less things to plan, make and coordinate after work. more time to prepare wonderful meals! I recently made a delicious bacon meatloaf. It went over ok with my husband, a few too man onion bits perhaps. i thought it was great. i have been baking a lot of sweets lately too. brownies, cookies, cakes, etc.. i even grill!

I never really learned a lot of basic cooking techniques growing up but i have a new appreciation for good cooking. It relaxes me a lot after a long day. I feel good making a meal and then getting to enjoy the results. I am glad that I have taken an interest in it, it was on my mental list of things to be better at as I got older. I always envisioned myself as a better cook and its good to realize a wish like that. I feel accomplished in some arena that i once only thought about. i have always been a thinker about what i could do better, or start to do. it seems like the older I get the more obtainable this wishes are. that is one of the great parts of growing up.


Alright, sunday at 10:55 pm, I have seen enough of you.


EAA

Crooked Pages.

You ever have one of those days where it seems like the smallest things annoy you. I mean annoy you so bad you roll your eyes, you swear muffled under your breath and are just plain cranky?

Yes. That was my day yesterday.

I really like my job. In fact, its one of the best jobs I have ever had (my stint as a running store employee was my favorite though). I like the people I work with, my day to day task are enjoyable and I am allowed to be creative with advertising. I am happy there. But some times there are moments where I get so annoyed. I have no idea why. An outside stressor? A mental breakdown? A frustration not properly vented? I try to analyze the situation, review the mistakes I made and figure out how to prevent it but yesterday it was just there. The thing that got me was crooked pages- the stapling of pages together while being crooked. It just looks awful. I have to remove the staple, re-staple the page and then move on. There is no one criminal, no one to always blame but they appear. I have no idea why pages are staple pre-alignment, it does not seem like a daunting task to complete. I must be too type A to deal with crooked pages.

Resisting the urge to bring it up to a co-worker, I am addressing my frustrations here.  Thank you blogspeher for listening to my senses frustrations.

I feel better. Phew.

Other new happenings in life: A Job!

Perhaps I should recap: currently I work for a temporary employment agency. I have been assigned to my current position but still receive a pay check from the temp agency. I was approached with a different job opportunity with a different company last week. I wanted to remain at my current job so I approached my boss with the situation. Thankfully he was understanding of the situation and how I might be able to stay with the company, not the temp agency. I am still waiting for all the paperwork, but I hopeful it will all work out. Job security is very nice.         

Oh, and the in-laws were here! AH!

No, just kidding they really are great. I am glad to show them around and can’t wait to show off the townhouse, a very clean townhouse I might add. We went out to Waldermeer park, the Zoo, a picnic on the beach and play many rousing board games. I won two rounds of Settlers of Catan, the boys were mad! The weather was beautiful on Saturday and our trip to the amusement park was action packed. My neck did hurt the day after however. I think I am getting too old. A real problem when you are in your twenty's.

Running is going ok this week. Not the best though. I am having trouble recovering for the next day’s workout/run. I ran a good 8 on Tuesday and ever since then it’s been hard to make the legs go. I didn’t run with my GPS on Tuesday, braving just the timed watched for the run, so I am not completely sure of the pace but it felt faster than 7:45/mile. I think perhaps I am eating too little. What a problem, right? I eat a good breakfast, but I am always starving by lunch. Some how lunch doesn’t fill me up and I am starving again when I get home. I have not been very good about snacking twice during the day. I used to do that in college every day, but now I am out of the habit. I guess I will have to get back into the routine of eating more.

Only 11 days until the half marathon!

Happy Wednesday to all my followers (and future followers, I hope!)