tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65410290157676002432024-03-06T02:17:59.094-05:00Step By StepUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-44084684836257588322018-12-27T17:24:00.000-05:002018-12-27T17:24:05.765-05:00Being A Lifelong Learner: 2018's 12 Must-Reads<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A rediscovered love of learning is one of my favorite life-changes I’ve embraced over the past couple of years. I’m closing out the year with 32 titles checked off my ever-growing to-read list. According to Audible, I’ve logged more than 325 hours of listening to audiobooks. That’s 325 hours spent making myself think and learn and grow. Time well spent, if you ask me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the books focus in some way on personal and professional growth, with a little bit of parenting thrown in. Themes of time-management, productivity and women-specific topics seem to emerge. I’ve really enjoyed taking bits and pieces from each and incorporating them in a way that makes sense to my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn’t easy to get this list down to the Top 12. There are so many good ones on the full list. But here you go, the books that resonated most with me this year. Enjoy!</span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></u></b></div>
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<b>2018: 12 Must-Reads</b></h2>
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<i>Better Than Before, by Gretchen Rubin</i></div>
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What I liked about it: I really like knowing what makes people (including, or especially… myself) tick and what motivates them. Gretchen Rubin shares that people generally fall into four tendencies, and then shows ways to work your habits to your own tendency, and better understand others’ to motivate them. <u></u><u></u></div>
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<i>Atomic Habits, by James Clear</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: There was so much in this one that was relevant to different pa<u></u><u></u></div>
rts of life I’m focusing on these days: career, health and eating, running. I connected to the idea of focusing on your current trajectory, rather than a moment in time. The idea of setting goals for direction, but focusing on systems for real progress also really resonated with me.<br />
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<i>Essentialism, by Greg McKeown<u></u><u></u></i></div>
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What I liked about it: I like to take on a lot of things, and it’s hard for me to recognize how doing less can be better. This was a really good book to convince me that honing in on the right things (not just doing all the things right) is a worthy approach. <u></u><u></u></div>
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<i>Motivation Myth, by Jeff Haden</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: I’m fascinated by the idea of motivation, having never been someone who has trouble finding it. A lot of practices in this book really spoke to me, such as setting big goals, then working the plan every day to reach them. I liked the concept of setting big goals, then forgetting about the end game and focusing instead on the little steps every day that will get you there.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<i>How Women Rise, by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: Really good, actionable take-aways, and an interesting perspective on what many women struggle with in the workplace (and beyond). I’ve referenced this many times with female co-workers, and have actively been adjusting my default habits and tendencies.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<i>Myth of the Nice Girl, by Fran Hauser</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: A different take on being successful as a woman – it doesn’t mean you have to give up being nice. In fact, being kind and compassionate can be a professional super-power.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<i>Drop the Ball, by Tiffany Dufu</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: Thought-provoking look at not doing it all. A senior leader in our team recommended this one to me, then followed up later to ask what I'd decided to drop the ball on. For me, this year it was Teacher Appreciation gifts. No Pinterest-perfect crafts, just a delivered lunch to the hard-working daycare crew. Continue to push myself to think of things not to do. It’s hard!<u></u><u></u></div>
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<i>Grit, by Angela Duckworth</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: I started this one the day after the 2018 Boston Marathon, where I stood at mile 26 and watched runners trudge through the driving rain and near-freezing temps. That’s grit, alright! This book was an interesting take on what “grit” is and how it can help you persevere.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg <u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: While I didn’t agree with everything, I did personally connect to the natural tendency to lean back when things get hard, or when society thinks you should. A series of career opportunities that aligned with my entrance into motherhood has shown me the value of leaning in when the time is right.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<i>When, by Daniel Pink</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: Fascinating look at the power of timing – I mean, really fascinating! Science-backed research, but wasn’t dry. Taught me the real value of taking breaks – yes, there is a scientific reason to let your mind and body take a rest. I also learned to schedule doctor appointments in the morning, and if I’m ever up for parole (?!), I hope my hearing is the first one after lunch.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<i>Let Your Mind Run, by Deena Kastor</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: A personal memoir of running legend Deena Kastor. Really interesting to hear her journey and own struggles, and ways to overcome them. Not exclusively about running, as the theme is relatable in a lot of ways, but the theme of running thread through this story was a welcome change to my usual self-improvement topics. I listened to this one on audio and really enjoyed hearing the story in Deena’s own words.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<i>How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen, by Joanna Faber and Julie King</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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What I liked about it: Science-backed advice on navigating communicating with little people. While I can attest that there are still plenty of times that my girls don’t listen – I mean, this book isn’t magic – there were a few take-aways that we implemented in our family that really changed the dynamics. For one, we now tell the girls to “work it out” when they come to us with a problem, and it’s amazing to see how they positively react to this challenge and often come up with a better solution that we would have. “Be a problem-solver,” is a new mantra in our house.<u></u><u></u></div>
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The rest of the books I read this year, listed more or less in order that I read them:<u></u><u></u></div>
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<li><i>Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office,</i> by Lois Frankel</li>
<li><i>Start With Why,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Simon Sinek</span></li>
<li><i>You Are a Badass,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Jen Sincero</span></li>
<li><i>Immunity to Change</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Lisa Laskow Lahey and Robert Kegan</span></li>
<li><i>Good Is the New Cool,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Afdhel Aziz</span></li>
<li><i>Option B</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant</span></li>
<li><i>The One Thing</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Gary Keller</span></li>
<li><i>I Thought It Was Just Me</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Brene Brown</span></li>
<li><i>Your Brain At Work</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by David Rock</span></li>
<li><i>Mindset,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Carol Dweck</span></li>
<li><i>Kick Ass</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Mel Robbins</span></li>
<li><i>The Yes Brain,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson</span></li>
<li><i>Off The Clock</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Laura Vanderkam</span></li>
<li><i>Scrum</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Jeff Sutherland</span></li>
<li><i>Wired To Eat,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Robb Wolf</span></li>
<li><i>Leaders Eat Last</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Simon Sinek</span></li>
<li><i>Girl, Wash Your Face</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Rachel Hollis</span></li>
<li><i>Stretched Too Thin,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Jessica Turner</span></li>
<li><i>Give and Take,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Adam Grant</span></li>
<li><i>Turning People Into Teams</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by David and Mary Sherwin</span></li>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-86836622150113696712018-12-17T23:09:00.000-05:002018-12-17T23:09:37.006-05:00Power of the Pause<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pause: Lily and Sadie in a rare after-dinnertime activity of stickers and art. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"Mom, why are we always trying to do things so fast?” <u></u><u></u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those were the words my sweet and inquisitive four-year-old daughter said to me this morning, as we walked briskly toward her classroom.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just a moment before, we had dropped off her younger sister, with a flurry of hugs and kisses. “C’mon, Lily,” I said, as Lily meandered slowly toward her own classroom, stopping to look at something along the way. “Let’s go,” I said quickly, putting my hand gently on her shoulder and corralling her toward her classroom. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a phrase I’ve said countless times. I suddenly realized that having me usher and guide her with the slightest of pushes on her shoulder was a nearly everyday occurrence.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not much stops me in my tracks. But this question did. Because I knew she was right.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve felt it lately: the pre-holiday rush, the increasing end-of-year work obligations, birthday parties, holiday shopping and, it seems, some sort of “event” scheduled for nearly every weekend.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then I realized it wasn’t just the pre-holiday push she was referring to. It was every day. Rushing was part of our life. Our family operates at what I like to describe as 95% efficiency, planning and strategizing nearly every minute to fit in everything we want to do.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a result, we have a wonderfully full life with fulfilling careers, dedicated time for fitness, home-cooked meals, and family-centered weekends (among all of the must-do’s of weekend errands and kid nap schedules). <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It also means that our days and weeks are a series of well-timed and planned events, squeezing in things when we have a window, or rushing to get to the next thing.<br /><br />I’m often asked, with seeming admiration, how we manage to do it all. The real answer is that it takes a lot of work and precise planning for a family to be hitting on all cylinders at all times. It really is relentless. When something extra or unexpected gets added in – or as the year-end, holiday season can mean, lots of somethings get added in – it puts strain on this machine, er, family, that usually runs at peak efficiency.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m sure Lily’s question this morning wasn’t meant as a commentary on our family’s full life. I’m sure she was asking why I had encouraged them to “hurry up” more than a few times that morning – while they dilly-dallied their way through brushing their teeth, or spent an extra 10 minutes figuring out which doll they would take on the three-mile ride to school drop-off.<u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For me, though, the question stuck with me all day – all day, as I smoothly navigated a back-to-back day of meetings, a commute, day-care pick-up, family dinner, and the usual bedtime routine. Lily was right: we are trying to go fast all the time.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the New Year approaches, I begin to think of what word will guide me in 2019. Perhaps it will be <i>pause</i>. <u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I need to remind myself that it’s okay to pause, to breathe, to not have a full day planned. It’s okay to say no to invitations, even when they are things you want to do. It’s okay not to rush toward the next career move or even the next meeting on your calendar. It’s okay to <i>pause</i>.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I arrived at school to pick up the girls tonight, Lily and I walked to her cubbie to find her coat and backpack hanging alone on the rack. “We’re the last ones again,” she said, with a hint of pride and excitement.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For this working mom, who had been thinking about that little girl’s innocent question all day, it reinforced that maybe I do need to make some space in our schedule. To cut back a little. To be even more selective with our precious time. To <i>pause</i> every now and then.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I zipped Lily’s jacket, put her papers in her backpack and said, “Let’s go get your sister so we can get home to dinner.” I instinctively put my hand on her shoulder, just as I had that morning.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I caught myself. <i>Paused</i>. I looked around her classroom, then at her. “Did you make any of these things on these bulletin boards?” I asked. She smiled widely and nodded. “Show me,” I said.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She took my hand, and we spent a few minutes walking around her classroom. She showed me a snowman she had painted, and a flag she had colored. She showed me the easel where she likes to paint, and her favorite place to sit for lunch.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes a small pause can be a big thing.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-54375916810766375802018-11-18T14:32:00.000-05:002018-11-18T14:32:02.906-05:00My 168 Hours: How I Survive (and Thrive)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1SnFcFLWo9oJUGmi-g8mIRl7gs11z44KehNEDudHFODrWokyuKFA2ItoKLlpqpEA9WBw5J4u7Dinew2e43mv83UEcNUd4qZhfc8zCK_OOfu5dNKGzehFLBzlZGYjrTHjMF6xImsur9ly/s1600/Girls_Bikes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1SnFcFLWo9oJUGmi-g8mIRl7gs11z44KehNEDudHFODrWokyuKFA2ItoKLlpqpEA9WBw5J4u7Dinew2e43mv83UEcNUd4qZhfc8zCK_OOfu5dNKGzehFLBzlZGYjrTHjMF6xImsur9ly/s320/Girls_Bikes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">168 hours.
The number of hours in each week. How do I know? Because I know exactly how I
spend mine.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A little
over a year ago, I was admittedly barely hanging on. I’d returned to work after
my second child. I had two kids under two. My job responsibilities had grown
and I was managing a team of six. It felt like everybody needed me all the
time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, thanks
to a post on our Working Parents Group site, I found Laura Vanderkam’s book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You
Think.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I certainly
can’t do justice to Laura Vanderkam’s entire book, so I won’t try. But I’ll
tell you this: Know how you want to spend your time. Then spend it that way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Simple,
right? Why is it then that there are so many things on our wish lists and to-do
lists and bucket lists?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the
beginning of this year, I set out to change that. I made a list of all the
things that were part of the Whole Me – my family, my career, things I loved to
do but somehow got lost in the shuffle of every day life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were
things like date nights and quality time with my girls, aside from the cooking,
cleaning and feeding that seemed to consume our routine. There were things like
running, something I’d done a lot of before kids, but moved to the backburner
in recent years. There were things like writing and growing my career.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soon, a
clearer picture formed of the things that are important to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next, per
Laura Vanderkam’s advice, I tracked my time. It was tedious – and ironically
time-consuming. But it gave me another clear picture of how I spend my time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A
few things jumped out immediately: My 70-mile roundtrip commute meant a lot of
time in the car. I spent too much mindless scrolling through social media. I
was not getting enough “fun” time with my kids. And, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“me” time was essentially non-existant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That had to
change. So I moved forward with a plan and with intention.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I scheduled
in time to run, which meant some early mornings and partnership from my
husband. I completed two half-marathons this year, and somehow made time for
190 runs so far this year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I repurposed
my commute time by downloading audiobooks for personal and professional
development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I even
joined Toastmasters, since being a confident speaker will only help in my
growing career. Sometimes I practice my speeches alone in my car during my
commute.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But my most
favorite switch? The little ways I’ve found to infuse fun into my limited time
with my young girls as a working mom. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We’ve done
family walks at 6 a.m., which I suppose is an upside of having young kids who
are early-risers. We’ve gone to breakfast before work and daycare drop-off. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve delayed starting dinner for just 20
minutes to we can spend time doing chalk art in the driveway. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This isn’t
about being a working mom or a runner. It’s about knowing what it important to
you and finding ways to incorporate them into our crazy lives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, my weeks
still have those same 168 hours. No one gave me extra time. I certainly did not
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">feel</i> like I had an extra minute when
I started this life project. But adding in these things makes me feel like a
weight is lifted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make no
mistake, there are still days where I feel stretched or as if I’m trying to do
too much. There are lots of days that don’t look perfect. I certainly don’t
have it all figured out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I’ve
somehow found what works for me, and if I leave you with anything today, I
leave you with this: Know where your time goes and make the most of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-81333660940586412032018-07-04T21:22:00.000-04:002018-07-04T21:22:53.512-04:00The Whole Me: Midyear Check-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAN-ruWFZayBtaEm1Ka6TQcJZTDVAyLgU11WQkKnRar24dJUfrByIrICBD4ZOWtz-hQnjsIKAv1hHM6_Xvo7nU-GYF8SKrUHsz0DB5OTN2kBlqhuj0k-I7g3AjCkVP7QZfdjAFG6FZ4HW/s1600/goals+journal+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAN-ruWFZayBtaEm1Ka6TQcJZTDVAyLgU11WQkKnRar24dJUfrByIrICBD4ZOWtz-hQnjsIKAv1hHM6_Xvo7nU-GYF8SKrUHsz0DB5OTN2kBlqhuj0k-I7g3AjCkVP7QZfdjAFG6FZ4HW/s320/goals+journal+page.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I really (like, really really) enjoy the opportunity, whether at work or in my personal life, to pause and reflect. I do this weekly, reviewing highlights of the previous week and setting mini-goals and focus areas for the coming week. I mimic a similar process monthly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s this pause-and-reflect approach that keeps me on track. I'm tuned into my goals and my priorities, and I can make adjustments and redirect attention along the way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So it seems like the mid-point of the year is a good time to check in on <a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2018/01/2018-whole-me.html" target="_blank">my 2018 goals</a>. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s also a good time to adjust the goals as necessary, even if it means moving the finish line when it’s in sight (or crossed).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There’s a good mix of hitting some out of the park, tracking right on pace for others, and missing the mark on some. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Health</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. </span>Run a Half Marathon.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: DONE! (<a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2018/05/i-ran-half-marathon-last-weekend.html" target="_blank">read about it here</a>)</li>
<li>New Goal: Run second half marathon in 2018 in less than 2:07 (my time from my May half marathon). Signed up for half marathon in Newburyport in October</li>
</ul>
2. Log 500 running miles this year.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Status: 376 miles run to date. Hitting 500 is almost guaranteed.</li>
<li>New Goal: Log 800 running miles in 2018. (*gulp!*)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. A not-to-be-revealed-online “weight goal” that lines up with my birthday in July.</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Status: Nowhere near close to accomplishing this one, which is no real surprise because it’s one goal that I haven’t really focused on or approached with a plan. </li>
<li>New Goal: Adjust timeframe to Oct. 5 (anniversary date). And come up with a plan.</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Mind</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Read/listen to 30 books.</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Status: 19 completed </li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Disconnect from social media for at least two full weeks. </span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Status: Currently on social media hiatus as part of vacation week (so this post will probably not get shared until I re-enter the social media world). Plan another disconnected week for our family vacation in August. I need to be better at disconnecting, overall.</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. Write 25 blog posts.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: While I'm pleased that I've revived this old blog, I'm lagging behind here with only seven post completed (eight after I post this one). On the upside, I have a dozen potential post ideas documented in my journal.</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Family & Love</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. 10 date-nights</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: 5 done, 5 to go (not including our amazing weekend away to the Rocky Mountains!)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Complete family photo books</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: DONE! I love documenting our family adventures and seeing the completed book from last year.</li>
<li>New Goal: Upload photos monthly to make putting together 2018’s photo book a breeze.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had some other goals documented in my journal that didn’t make my original list at the beginning of the year. I thought it best to focus on a few in each category. I checked in on those this week, too. I’m trending pretty well on those, and added a couple of others since January.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Health</u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. Log average of 10,000 steps/day each month.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: Achieved in both May and June, not in April (when I started tracking steps).</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5. Run Feaster Five <45 minutes.="" span=""></45></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: November race</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">6. Secure top female spot on Johnny Cake Strava segment.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: DONE! (<a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2018/06/chasing-johnny-cake.html" target="_blank">read about it here</a>)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<u style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Mind</b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. Attend/participate in three development classes at work.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: Completed (mEQ Leadership Mindset, Agile Leadership, Business Brain)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5. Post three articles in new places (LinkedIn, etc.).</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: Shared two blog posts on LinkedIn. I also joined the Working Parents Group to lead communication efforts for its Steering Committee. Have authored three articles for our internal online news site as part of this work.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u><b>Family & Love</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. One kid-free weekend away.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: DONE! (*heart* Denver…)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. Implement “no phone hours” 8p-7a.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Status: Definitely a work in progress here… (this one could also fall under “Mind” but placing it here as a reminder of the importance of <b>BEING PRESENT</b> with my family).</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These first six months have been a recipe of hard work, focus and intention that has resulted in some great things, like an uncluttered mind, a reduction in my stress level, continued success at work, improvement in fitness, and most importantly, so much love and laughter. Yes, you've been good to me so far, 2018.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here’s to a great second half of the year, friends!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-20609166436739219102018-07-03T15:59:00.000-04:002018-07-03T15:59:25.259-04:00Finish What You Start<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaR6_yrZcMGTdkF-vCbtF8gfUMUikEBmrRHQvjNyg9hByvKm1CCHm5C-329lefJW2GRgujW_XRVDy4z0CMkHcFN_ubMwJqj3kKfV8UBnQz6e1hzQmRdX-RUNmfpn5RTbs631sks_tiUlc/s1600/Track+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaR6_yrZcMGTdkF-vCbtF8gfUMUikEBmrRHQvjNyg9hByvKm1CCHm5C-329lefJW2GRgujW_XRVDy4z0CMkHcFN_ubMwJqj3kKfV8UBnQz6e1hzQmRdX-RUNmfpn5RTbs631sks_tiUlc/s320/Track+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Four years ago, I had some lofty running goals. At least
they were lofty for me. My running was strong – again, strong for me. I ran
consistently and incorporated it into my life’s routine. I had completed two
marathons and a few dozen half marathons. I completed my arbitrary mileage
goals and consistently knocked out 100-mile months. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I wanted to focus on a new type of goal: time.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my 2014 goals, I set out to run a sub-25
5K. Today, I can’t even recall how big of a stretch goal that was, although I’m
still certain it was a big one since I remember reading articles and blog posts
on how to break the sub-25 mark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Runner’s World </i>declared that “busting the 25-minute barrier
marks you as a ‘serious’ runner. It requires commitment to more mileage and
focused workouts, and can take years to achieve.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a middle-of-the-packer, I knew I’d have my work cut out
for me. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I joined a local running club,
and signed up for track. It was the early, cold months of 2014. Track was held at
a nearby high school, where dozens of runners made their way in the dark
evenings to do laps around the indoor track with support of a coach and workout
plan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each Tuesday we were to meet at
6:30 p.m. for group drills. The first week, we did a timed mile.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the second week, a wave of nausea came
over me. It felt like extreme car sickness that just wouldn’t go away. A day or
so later, I found out I was pregnant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I knew women could run through pregnancy, and I
had every intention of doing so. But I wondered if running hard – like I’d need
to push myself in track – was wise for a newly forming baby. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plus I just couldn’t shake that nausea. I
skipped a week of track. Then another.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I decided to skip the rest of the
session, in favor of reading everything I could about growing a healthy baby,
and following most of it. The decision on whether to focus on a sub-5K or the
baby was an easy one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I jumped in fully to being a mom-to-be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In October 2014, we welcomed a
healthy baby girl, Lily, who forever changed our world for the better. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A little less than two years later, her sister,
Sadie, joined the crew, showing us that our hearts’ capacity for love could
grow when we didn’t think we could love any more than we already did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In those early days and months, I
dabbled in running but shelved the idea of “big” running goals while I muddled
my way through new motherhood, then through the working mother world. My
running goals became simpler: find ways to incorporate running into this new
crazy life, run a Mother’s Day 3K on my first Mother’s Day, and enjoy the short
window of life where I could push my new little ones in a jogging stroller
while they slept.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I set out my 2018, I knew I
wanted to incorporate running into my life again in a more intentional and
focused way. I bought a new Garmin, and set a goal to run a half-marathon and a
longer-term goal to complete 500 miles this year. Both would require
consistency and focus. Just what I needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I followed the local running club
on Facebook to keep up with the local scene. A post about early-morning spring
track caught my eye.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 178.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This could be my chance to finish what
I started.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m a finisher by nature. If I do
something, I do it fully. And on time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So bailing on track four years ago
has stuck in my mind. Not quite a failure, but definitely unfinished business. I
knew evening track was out of the question. Adding anything into the intensity
that is the after-work hours is unthinkable. But early mornings? Maybe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just how early are we talking? The
coach’s instructions called for runners to arrive by 5 a.m. to warm up on their
own. Group warm-up would start a 5:15 a.m., followed by the day’s track
workout. I’d be home before 6:45 a.m., just in time to jump into the morning
routine at home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I set my alarm for 4:15 a.m. on a
Tuesday in early May. <i>4:15 a.m.?? Who does this? </i>A better question would be,
<i>why am I doing this? </i>I wasn’t training for anything. I quickly learned that I
was like most of the other 15 or so people who showed up at sunrise each week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were mostly women, none of us
really training for anything in particular. Most were like me, just wanting to
improve, to push ourselves, to run with others, and to learn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Day 1 started with brief
introductions, led by Coach Sharon, followed by a timed mile. My mile ended at
7:48, which I felt pleased with. We were grouped by like-abilities, and I ended
up in the Purple Group. The workouts varied weekly, and we sometimes did laps
focused on form and breathing. I felt myself improving and learning. I pushed myself
to hit the time targets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most importantly, I felt AMAZING
after they were done. I felt so energized and accomplished. I felt strong. My
head was clear. My legs were just the right kind of tired. Between the warm-up
and workout, I usually logged 4-5 miles, at paces above my average. All before
6:30 a.m.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The eight weeks passed quickly, in
total and the minutes of each weekly session. I noted that it didn’t rain on a
single Tuesday in May or June, except maybe the Tuesday track I missed in favor
of a trip to Colorado.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My non-track runs were improving.
My paces improved. I felt strong and steady.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the final week, we ran another
timed mile. I hoped for marked improvement, given how I’d been feeling and
running. As I passed by the timer’s clock (yes, there is an actual clock), I
noted my time: 7:47. I had improved by one second. <i>One second?!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At first I started to question why
I’d gotten up so early and put in the energy each week. The thoughts were
fleeting, though, as I remembered how much my running had improved,
overall.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I couldn’t let one day of
testing reflect the effort and performance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 70.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it wasn’t just about improving. It
was about finishing what I started, even if it took me four years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had barely started my internal
celebration when I saw the announcement that summer early morning track would
be starting in two weeks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 70.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I signed up, committing to a
summer of weekly 4:15 a.m. wake-up calls. After all, I may have been checked the
track program off my to-do list, but that sub-25 5K is still lingering out
there…</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-70997694149262986622018-06-18T21:51:00.002-04:002018-07-03T16:00:52.729-04:00Chasing Johnny Cake<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6QO7TaYBLabcwC8GO3W_WccYj9TJDuNzR-wiV25oyIpwwu6gtVTAaYRVgcUDwFPsBJSmUGwH2FauZQ9eeogzV-i5mugySmVRxGTunYx-r0XLl1WvAl3IYUczyKtnEDajDd9R7DP36-K0/s1600/JohnnyCake+Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6QO7TaYBLabcwC8GO3W_WccYj9TJDuNzR-wiV25oyIpwwu6gtVTAaYRVgcUDwFPsBJSmUGwH2FauZQ9eeogzV-i5mugySmVRxGTunYx-r0XLl1WvAl3IYUczyKtnEDajDd9R7DP36-K0/s400/JohnnyCake+Sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Last week, I crossed an unexpected goal off my list: Getting
the top female spot on the “Johnny Cake segment” in my neighborhood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Just what is the Johnny Cake segment, and more importantly,
why was I chasing it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At the start of the year, I joined Strava, finally convinced
by my cyclist husband to abandon my beloved and long-used RunKeeper. I was
skeptical. What would Strava give me that RunKeeper didn’t? He tried to sell me
on its tracking features, most of which RunKeeper already gave me. He tried to
sell me on the “segments” feature, which ranks you against other Strava users
on designated sections of roads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I wasn’t convinced of the value of segments. “I only compete
against myself,” I told him at the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But I signed up anyway. And,surprise, surprise, my competitive
spirit was awoken soon after I discovered a designated segment – Johnny Cake –
on my go-to running loop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I didn’t set out for the top spot. When I first ran the
segment on January 14, I logged a 5:56 for the half-mile section. It landed me
firmly in the fifth (<i>of five</i>) spot for women on the segment.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I didn’t think much of the ranking – or even
the segment itself – and instead focused on running consistently and just plain
making time for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The top spot was 3:53. A full two minutes from my current
time. Two minutes in a half-mile stretch is an eternity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But soon, I somehow worked myself up to the third-place
spot. I saw steady improvement in my running, and started working Johnny Cake into
more runs. I chipped away at my time, even if it didn’t move me up the
leaderboard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I moved into second. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">First
place still felt so far, far out of reach. I chipped away – </span></div>
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sometimes a second
at a time – to bring me closer to the top spot. It still seemed so far away.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then I got it. On a day that didn’t feel particularly fast
or remarkable, I checked my segment on the Strava app as I cooled down on a
cul-de-sac near my house. 3:52. I had gotten it. I had shaved five more seconds
off my segment time. I DID IT!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here are six things I learned while Chasing Johnny Cake:</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Persistence pays off.</b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Call it persistence or focus or relentlessness, dedication, consistency, or
plain ol’ competitive stubbornness. I just kept trying. In fact, it took me 40
times to get the top spot. Yes, I ran that same ridiculous half-mile section of
road <i>40 times</i> since January 14. Quite literally, I had to show up on the
segment. Over and over and over.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Use the right tools.</b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I don’t actually know how to run “fast.”</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I’ve always been told, to run fast, you need to train fast. But other
than just move my feet faster, I wasn’t exactly sure how to do that. So </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I signed up for a morning track program
through a local running club. It’s organized by a certified coach who gives us
time targets and makes us work – hard! – at the 5 a.m. track session. Run fast
to run fast started to make sense. I found my non-track runs gradually becoming
faster. I learned I could sprint Johnny Cake, just like I did when I needed to on
800s in track workouts. (Just imagine what I could do if I pulled other tools out of the toolbox - like nutrition, hydration, etc.!)</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Success is not a
linear process.</b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Some days I could
knock 10 or 15 second off my segment time. Other days, I ran slower than the
previous run. Sometimes my slower days would last for two or three or four consecutive
runs. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It would have been easy to be
discouraged, especially for a person like me who likes to see continued
improvement each time. I reminded myself of how far I had come since that first
January 14 run, and found Strava’s trend line to be particularly motivating on
those slower days.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Know the playing field, and take shortcuts when it makes sense.</b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Over those 40 runs, and especially as the top spot became within reach, I
studied the road. It had two curves and a couple of very small, rolling hills. I
discovered, as I closed in on the top spot, that I could cut the corners close.
It meant running on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, but if I ran early enough,
traffic wasn’t an issue. I decided I’d go ‘all out’ on the downhill sections,
and push hard for the final uphill that ended the segment. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Those small adjustments could have meant the
seconds I needed to grab the top spot.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Shoot for targets you
don’t think you can hit.</b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Back in
January, I didn’t even consider that the top spot could be within reach. Enough
said.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDbLssfl3EnAk8JQvosSBz6vYTjYJcQ4SkfCwnUkwl73HN387Nps0NNqD6bC68phnk-3vl5aca8nPHva6OFfhvssbtA0o-J2NumW8ShPIS_pDFGnF2ZIkgr8VrESKD5xtm9NZmW42MBkH/s1600/Strava+Leaderboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1115" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDbLssfl3EnAk8JQvosSBz6vYTjYJcQ4SkfCwnUkwl73HN387Nps0NNqD6bC68phnk-3vl5aca8nPHva6OFfhvssbtA0o-J2NumW8ShPIS_pDFGnF2ZIkgr8VrESKD5xtm9NZmW42MBkH/s200/Strava+Leaderboard.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Chasing Johnny Cake was a new kind of running for me, a new
kind of goal. My running goals have always been tied to mileage. This one focused
on time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But it wasn’t just about the time. I mean, I’m still not a “fast”
runner, and most of my running friends could easily knock me out of the top
spot on their first try. (Please don’t try, friends.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Having a time goal meant that I’d have to do more than just show
up, to slog through the miles, to just go through the motions, one foot in
front of the other. I’d need a plan. I’d need to run differently. To think differently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Who knew a half-mile section of road in my neighborhood could teach me so much.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-26294746031767667062018-05-19T20:51:00.003-04:002018-06-19T09:13:38.503-04:00Taking Time To Celebrate<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5iR-zLf8sB1jC7c3x6BcKyYm8Xghocx73NJKyNAKUKJVA9OYKsl8zjjMQruVerXhcJwiCGilmVEsP1A3dQkulT1YhBhezjbUGiYyARsZ9h54HB9hrGWleoeA6WHSqHrXdkYW3yY3mjO-/s1600/racepic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5iR-zLf8sB1jC7c3x6BcKyYm8Xghocx73NJKyNAKUKJVA9OYKsl8zjjMQruVerXhcJwiCGilmVEsP1A3dQkulT1YhBhezjbUGiYyARsZ9h54HB9hrGWleoeA6WHSqHrXdkYW3yY3mjO-/s400/racepic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I ran a half marathon last weekend. It wasn’t my first. It wasn’t my fastest. But it was probably the one I’m the most proud of. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was the first half marathon I’ve done since becoming a mom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s not the physical feat that I’m most proud of, but yes, I feel good about that, too. After all, having two kids in two years, at the age of 39 and 41, sure does take a toll on your body. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rather, it is the mental commitment, the time management and relentless prioritization and, most importantly, the supportive partnership from Jeff that it took to get me across the finish line that makes me most proud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I signed up for a half marathon at the end of last year, when I was formulating this year’s “big things” I wanted to celebrate at the end of 2018. I chose a half marathon because you really can’t just fake it. There’s no showing up without putting in the time and training. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It meant I would need a plan. It meant I would need to run when I didn’t want to – when it was raining, or cold. Or when I felt like I just didn’t have time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let’s be real, I don’t “have time” to add half marathon training into my crazy life. I have two kids under four, a full-time Career (yes, capital C – as <a href="https://lauravanderkam.com/" target="_blank">Laura Vanderkam</a> says), a 70-mile roundtrip daily commute, a husband I like talking to and spending time with, parents and in-laws to see, a commitment to healthy cooking… and …and …and… There is always something to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Like everything, it’s about <i>making</i> time. It’s about getting my butt out of bed to squeeze in miles before the kiddos got up. It’s about strategizing with Jeff about how and when to fit in the training miles with all of the other must-do’s in our limited weekend hours. It’s about Jeff taking the girls grocery shopping so Momma can run. (Marry someone who wants you to achieve your goals, my friends.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I guess, reflecting back on it, I’m most proud of making time for this. For me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Since January, when I officially started my return to running, I’ve somehow found 43+ hours for running. That’s just over three hours a week. I’ve somehow squeezed in 71 runs and am now approaching the 275-mile mark. I’ve averaged 19 miles per week over an average of four runs a week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In January, I certainly didn’t feel like I had an extra 43 hours for anything. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On race day, Jeff and the girls cheered from the finish line. Lily ran to me with a big sign she had made. (It was a dinosaur, if you were wondering.) She hugged me. Sadie clapped. Both girls chowed down on post-race food. (I never realized how kid-friendly the post-race buffet can be – fruit snacks, bananas, granola bars.) Lily wore my medal proudly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was the best finish I’d had yet. Not in terms of time or how I felt (boy, those last two miles were hard!), but in terms of almost everything else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Full transparency: I almost didn’t write this post. I felt like it could come off to be bragging or boastful. That’s certainly not my intent. If anything, I hope that stories like these can be motivating or inspiring. I know reflecting like this gives <i>me</i> extra motivation and reminds <i>me</i> what it possible when I commit to something fully. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It reminds me that you don’t need to lose yourself entirely after becoming a mom. It reminds me that it’s okay – and <i>good,</i> in fact – to prioritize my own health, time and goals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This post is only partially about running. For you, it could be art or knitting or rock-climbing. Whatever makes you feel happy, fulfilled and proud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the final minutes of the audiobook I just finished this week, <a href="https://melrobbins.com/kickass/" target="_blank">Kick Ass With Mel Robbins</a>, she gave me the final push I needed to write this. She says, paraphrased, celebration is essential to a happy life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Take time to celebrate your accomplishments, large or small, together or to yourself. Just be sure to celebrate.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-7714132063681406952018-04-15T16:17:00.001-04:002018-04-15T16:17:39.166-04:00Toastmaster Ice Breaker Speech: Where Are You From?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfsvDJcTK-GEqBr8-kuXACh6QA083OnVIhjcJSIAkbIFsDdolPlRflNBpWJlkotp71I1fQh3UU8YVRNobzOrsLKE5-p0WcTLIqfwej6FFO3hTygxccEkHKWhEY0T5XAN7pFN-cAChKvkU/s1600/Teresa_baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="640" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfsvDJcTK-GEqBr8-kuXACh6QA083OnVIhjcJSIAkbIFsDdolPlRflNBpWJlkotp71I1fQh3UU8YVRNobzOrsLKE5-p0WcTLIqfwej6FFO3hTygxccEkHKWhEY0T5XAN7pFN-cAChKvkU/s320/Teresa_baby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earlier this year I joined Toastmasters. Public speaking is something I want to get better at - and what better way than joining an organization that gives me (okay, forces me) to practice and improve. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Toastmasters is structured and organized - just the way I like things. I received new member materials shortly before my first speech was on the docket. The guide brings participants through a series of speeches with different goals, ranging from voice control to use of visual aids to research. Each speech is evaluated by a fellow participant, with additional input from all audience members.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition to the ones outlines for each speech, I have a couple of personal goals for my public speaking: get more comfortable with "the room" (don't hide behind a podium!), cut down on "crutch words" (like um and uh), work on my voice (volume, projection, etc.), and learn the value of practice, practice, practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of weeks ago, I signed myself up for my first speech: The Ice Breaker. The speech goals were simple - provide a way to introduce yourself to the group, stay within the 4-6 minute timeframe (yes, you are timed) and get a baseline for your speaking abilities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I drafted the speech below and filed it away on my computer for a couple of days. Speech Day was quickly approaching and I was having a hard time finding time to practice. So I got creative. Each day on my commute to and from work, I'd say the speech aloud 4-5 times per trip. As I did so, I became more comfortable with the way the words rolled off my tongue. I found places where I was likely to trip up - and reworded as necessary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At first, I felt ridiculous. I mean, I was giving a speech <i>about </i>myself, <i>to</i> myself - in my car, <i>by </i>myself. Then I started feeling better about the upcoming challenge. I'd found the balance between memorizing and being familiar enough with the content to deliver it without notes or stumbles.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Speech Day rolled around, and I was nervous. I barely heard a word that the speaker before me said. My stomach flip-flopped. I took deep breaths as I was introduced - and took my place in front of the podium.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is the speech I delivered (more or less - since I was familiar enough with the content I was able to improvise here and there).</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZTlFApDbfK-diQbqurwy8GeUxWWdODWYqLEm96HjVAwlytqWWv0KLNakugkfhgkAxVrsLDykLDks8NB1O_kMicwvh3cRCh_MtqykDM2Xzz94dN_DpyZ8TIp4Mi53eMbNzEQPXKYL5qMN/s1600/Toastmasters+Pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="475" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZTlFApDbfK-diQbqurwy8GeUxWWdODWYqLEm96HjVAwlytqWWv0KLNakugkfhgkAxVrsLDykLDks8NB1O_kMicwvh3cRCh_MtqykDM2Xzz94dN_DpyZ8TIp4Mi53eMbNzEQPXKYL5qMN/s320/Toastmasters+Pic.png" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>ICEBREAKER SPEECH: Where Are You From? (4-6 minutes)</b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">T<i>his speech
is about ME. But I am going to start by asking a question about YOU. </i></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where are you from??? </span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>See, you all
answered this question so easily. I’m envious.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>For me, this
question is one of the hardest ones I get – and, unfortunately for me, one of the
most frequent that’s asked when you meet someone new. </i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, where am
I from? </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let’s see …
I’m from Toronto, Canada. And New Brunswick. And Maine – three hours north of
Bangor. And Chicago. And New Hampshire – Dover, Rochester, Barrington,
Goffstown </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Manchester. Now I live
in Massachusetts. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>People often ask me whether I'm a military kid. I'm not. I’m what I
consider a “corporate kid” – someone whose father worked hard and climbed the
corporate ladder, moving his family to chase the next great opportunity. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>As a kid, I
hated moving. I hated walking into a new classroom to a roomful of strangers. I
hated starting over. I was confused, when as a 10-year-old, my teacher marked
my spelling test wrong when I added “u’s” to words like neighbor … and color. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>But looking
back, I’m grateful for my experiences. It taught me to adapt. It taught me to
be curious about the people and community around me. It taught me to
navigate “newness” in all ways. It taught me – in hindsight – to face things
that scare you. (It also taught me to negotiate … I convinced my dad for a
kitten, a puppy and even a horse as part of various childhood moves!) </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>My parents
moved to New Hampshire just as I was finishing my freshman year at the
University of Illinois. I recall them asking me whether I was going to transfer
to UNH. I recall saying – or maybe I just thought it – “No guys, it’s YOU that’s
moving this time, not me.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>But when I
graduated college … more years ago than I want to admit … I was drawn home. I
settled in New Hampshire with my parents. I started my own life and career,
moving around a bit, but always sticking close to home. </i></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nine years
ago, I met a guy with roots deeper than this Corporate Kid could ever
understand – the kind who lived in the same house his entire life … the kind
who used the same barber that he did in middle school … the kind who probably
considered it a “big move” when his parents downsized from their house in
Nashua to a neighborhood </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in Litchfield</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Five years
ago, we got married. Four years ago we bought a house. Three years ago we had
our first daughter, Lily, followed by her younger sister, Sadie, a year and a
half ago.</i></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I find
ourselves talking about the school down the street that our girls will attend.
We talk about expensive home improvement projects we want to do. We find
ourselves not pursuing job opportunities that would take us away from our aging
parents. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Somehow this
Corporate Kid has found herself putting down roots. I know I’m not “from” here.
(You native New Englanders are sure to remind me of that!) But it’s as close as
I’m probably going to get.</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-81223034168878837422018-02-13T22:02:00.000-05:002018-02-13T22:02:44.743-05:00Leaning In: Growing a Family and a Career<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As someone who believes strongly in women’s rights, I’m
embarrassingly late to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lean In</i>
party. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But finally, and thankfully, I finished <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead</i>,
Sheryl Sandberg’s sometimes polarizing personal perspective on women in the
workplace. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It outlines what she sees as
ways women are held back (oftentimes by ourselves), a personal call to change
the conversation around equality, to stay in the workforce, and to “lean in”
when we are tempted most to “lean back.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I was struck by how connected I felt to Sandberg,
sometimes laughing aloud at the similarities. Like her, I’ve been called
Bossy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still today, my family’s nickname
for me is Little Miss Bossy. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9s1VmuzPjJX-rbZ3o1aG1GHD_V9szSyV6fDJaiSZbBly6wxD74czEpBEG5t0g3pJgdCHTiVd4SBm8qNrdhWzaaBLKJfE09e7MyLnZo-g9ZM9roXySITW3I6wWrNXu2oVr6JwQGZ-rwzYV/s1600/MsBossy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="231" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9s1VmuzPjJX-rbZ3o1aG1GHD_V9szSyV6fDJaiSZbBly6wxD74czEpBEG5t0g3pJgdCHTiVd4SBm8qNrdhWzaaBLKJfE09e7MyLnZo-g9ZM9roXySITW3I6wWrNXu2oVr6JwQGZ-rwzYV/s200/MsBossy.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I love my career and the personal and professional
satisfaction it brings me. I have a loving and supportive partner who
encourages me in all ways possible. It was almost too coincidental that, like
her, my favorite childhood book was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Are
You My Mother? </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Of course, we have plenty of differences, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not a high-level executive at Facebook or
Google, after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I am a working
woman – one with a Career (with a capital C, as Laura Vanderkam described in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://lauravanderkam.com/books/168-hours/" target="_blank">168 Hours</a></i>). More importantly, I’m a mom.
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For anyone who knows me, it’s probably not surprising to
know that I take being a mom really seriously. I mean, let’s face it, I take <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything</i> really seriously. Anything I
take on, I do fully. So when it comes to what I see as the most important thing
I’ll ever do – being someone’s mother – don’t get in my way.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUAWeWkaTU30-duq7X8pw5i2Q9CqIkZ75MbDCDFDnEkVmyZ7bZQ1Lli2P31NIzXapau7MSREd6i0eOW08TeIbn6Mb988r1kfpablOk_5gnaszjH0ixBEBE-UzMjJfpP_4xXZzPa5a_p42/s1600/are+you+mother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUAWeWkaTU30-duq7X8pw5i2Q9CqIkZ75MbDCDFDnEkVmyZ7bZQ1Lli2P31NIzXapau7MSREd6i0eOW08TeIbn6Mb988r1kfpablOk_5gnaszjH0ixBEBE-UzMjJfpP_4xXZzPa5a_p42/s1600/are+you+mother.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Perhaps that’s why, despite my pro-women, statement-making
pink-hat tendencies, even I have internal debate on whether to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lean in</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lean back</i>.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thankfully, I’ve had a few people in my corner to give me
the nudge I needed, just when I needed it most.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Two days after returning to work from my first maternity
leave in 2015, I received an email from a senior vice president in our group.
It was picking up on a conversation we had 12 weeks earlier, when he floated
the idea of me joining his team – in a way that only a man would suggest a job change
to a woman just days away from giving birth to her first child. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I was interested, for sure, but in no way was ready to
even think about a new job. I knew my whole life would be changing. And I
didn’t want another thing to think about while I tried to navigate the
challenging and exhausting days of new motherhood. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I answered with the non-committal, “I’d be
interested in learning more.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Honestly, I barely thought about that conversation in the
12 whirlwind weeks that was maternity leave. As I re-entered the working world
– thankful to be using my brain for things other than baby feeding schedules –
I was ready to dive back into my routine.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But he didn’t forget about following up. Yes, he wanted
to touch base at the end of my first week to continue the conversation. The
meeting invite popped up on my calendar for three days after my return, as he
described, again in only a way a man would, “to give me time to settle back”
into work. That comment still makes me laugh, since three years into working
motherhood, I’m still not sure I’m “settled back in” … or ever will be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Despite every fiber of my being telling me to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lean back</i> – why would I add another new
and challenging thing to my already challenging life?? – I moved forward and
accepted the new role, one that didn’t come with a set of instructions or a
clearly outlined path to success.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But that’s what I loved about it. It was a blank slate.
Something I could create and shape and grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I grew along with it.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It took time. A lot of time. And so, so much mind-space.
It took so much <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">leaning in</i>. At times,
I wondered if it would have been better to have settled back into my old role,
which was becoming increasingly comfortable and routine with time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I jumped in with both feet, not
surprisingly both at work and at home. I worked hard to become the best mom I
could be, and worked hard to bring value to my new role.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Less than two years later, a similar scene played out. I
was just a few weeks from Baby #2’s birth, when a role on the team was opening,
one that would mean expanded responsibility, managing a team and some regional
travel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Of course I was interested, but like last time my
instinct was to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lean back</i>. I knew from
experience how hard taking on something new at work would be while adding
something (or someone!) new at home. And, this time I’d have two kids under
two. I was downright scared about how I’d balance and manage (and maybe
survive) it all.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Yet I forged ahead, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">leaning
in</i> and accepting the new challenge, working to fill three vacancies on my
new team before the little one’s arrival. (Baby reminded me not to be lulled
into believing I’m in control and can plan life out, making her surprise
appearance five weeks early – leaving me scrambling to tie up loose ends at
work <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and relinquishing control of the
hiring process from my hospital bed while my teeny baby was being cared for in
the adjacent NICU.)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Once again, I returned to work. Once again, in a bit of a
daze, facing new challenges, unchartered territory, and a road ahead that I
knew would require a lot of thought and effort to navigate and pave effectively.
(Effectively = the way I wanted it.)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I dug in. No, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">leaned
in</i> – before I even knew what it meant to lean in. And again, I embraced and
loved the challenge.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Last year, I joked with my manager that I wanted 2017 to
be a Year of Nothing – no big life changes, no big work changes. I kind of
meant it. In the past four years, I’ve gotten married, moved to a new state, bought
a house, had two children. I am on my third role in five years at the firm,
increasing responsibility and visibility (and, thankfully, job satisfaction and
Engagement with a Capital E) with each step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As quickly as I joked with my manager about the Year of
Nothing, I followed up with assurances that I’m open to new things and to
doing whatever the team needs to move forward successfully. It probably didn’t
need to be said, but I said it anyway. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lean
in, </i>explicitly, friends.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Six months ago, despite my best effort toward a Year of
Nothing, responsibilities shifted yet again – and again I faced new
responsibilities and new work challenges. At times it can seem overwhelming,
and at times my mind wonders if it’s time to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lean back</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Am I trying to do too much? Can I build a
career and build a family at the same time? Should I?</i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></em></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But, I find myself continually energized by new and
interesting work. I'm want to see and move toward the possibilities ahead - and to show my daughters what strong, independent women look like (even if it's not always pretty!). I know that I was right to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lean in</i>. Again and again.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Without mentors and my champions encouraging
me, knowingly or not, to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lean in</i> –
when all I wanted to do is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lean back</i>
– I never would taken on these challenges, to push myself and to learn so much about myself. And I would have missed out
on some of my best professional experiences … so far...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-18566668593920004462018-01-30T20:36:00.000-05:002018-01-30T20:52:31.226-05:00A Different Path<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6p6LKtD7G3YhrARg4ZqIz4zXYMoKRqKC5ELVlN6M3RMgNjMUp32VEMzWldlqfEB6yA7MeUaSz5Nz16yXIJUcbRJHxjwaOrEqJbbRQ4JOMX40D6PUAPOPD0QKEbIbFpBJw_Fn8gP5Yjoc/s1600/Hike5_Jan2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6p6LKtD7G3YhrARg4ZqIz4zXYMoKRqKC5ELVlN6M3RMgNjMUp32VEMzWldlqfEB6yA7MeUaSz5Nz16yXIJUcbRJHxjwaOrEqJbbRQ4JOMX40D6PUAPOPD0QKEbIbFpBJw_Fn8gP5Yjoc/s1600/Hike5_Jan2018.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If there’s one thing that motherhood has shown me – especially working motherhood – it is to protect and cherish time. Sure, I mean cherish the moments, like when Lily is making Sadie laugh like only she can. Or the quiet snuggles and hugs.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But mostly I mean, don’t waste a single minute. I’ve become fiercely protective (like, really stingy) with my time since the girls were born. I seriously weigh and analyze every invitation, meeting, get-together, and those rare (very rare!) moments of free time. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I recently found myself with <em>a whole day of free time</em>, on Martin Luther King Day, when Jeff’s office and the girls’ daycare were open but I had a work holiday. I weighed my options. Should I keep the girls home for quality time? Should I send them off to daycare and tackle some of the house projects that can only be done sans kids? Should I treat myself to a massage or pedicure? Call a long-lost friend to meet for lunch?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How would I have used a day off in my pre-kids life? I meant that, <em>what would I have done?</em> Sadly and surprisingly, in just three short years I’ve completely forgotten what I would have done – although I’m confident it would have included a lot more leisurely time-wasting than my current life.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I thought hard about what is important to me – which was easy, since I mapped out the things most important to me at the beginning of the year as a way to keep me focused on the bigger “me” picture – and asked myself what I wished I could do more of in life. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Get outside. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There’s something about being outside that I love. Fresh air, quiet (or at least a different kind of noise), the beauty of nature. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I decided I would tackle a winter solo hike. It was both a combination of things I love (being outside, hiking) and things that scare me (hiking alone, winter hiking, going somewhere new solo).</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks to the suggestions of friends, I decided I would hike Wachusett Mountain, which is about an hour away. I didn’t know anything about the hike, other than the photos my friends had posted online from their hikes and that catchy jingle for the ski-side of the mountain.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was excited about my adventure. And then I was scared. How prepared would I need to be? Flashlight? Poles? Crampons? The temperatures for forecasted for single-digits, and I’m definitely prone to a worst-case, what-if mindset. Plus, I’d be alone.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do things that scare you, I tried to convince myself. This is a safe hike, I told myself. I’ve never heard of anyone needing to be rescued from Wachusett Mountain. <em>Had I?</em> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Bt4RAJEkI1ZUAdTTMYIhhyywhfyZGrBxIuc4HXLTYp-bfeIs2uDvJNgJDk612ICPjL2rrobaMG1x0os-DWh0Ut-PzegIqdXOB4C4aQAkJ96amlqnPhmmHBgr3qpmq9XdQHdOB2l0nDSD/s1600/Hike2_Jan2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Bt4RAJEkI1ZUAdTTMYIhhyywhfyZGrBxIuc4HXLTYp-bfeIs2uDvJNgJDk612ICPjL2rrobaMG1x0os-DWh0Ut-PzegIqdXOB4C4aQAkJ96amlqnPhmmHBgr3qpmq9XdQHdOB2l0nDSD/s400/Hike2_Jan2018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Despite the back-and-forth in my head, I suited up in wicking layers and my hiking boots that frigid Monday morning and made my way to the mountain. I chose what looked like a moderate path to the summit, long enough to make it worth the trip, but short enough to give the trail enough steepness to challenge me. I consulted the trail map again and stepped into the trees.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was icy and cold. Really icy and <em>really, really</em> cold. Just a few hundred yards in, the trail pitched and headed directly to the summit. A thick layer of frosty white ice coated the trail. There’s no way I’ll make this up without crampons or poles, I thought. I had neither. I debated turning around, disappointed that my solo adventure may be coming to a very quick end.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I checked the trail map on my phone, and saw a perpendicular path that would connect with a longer, less-steep way to the summit. I decided to give it a try. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Navigating patches of ice, I made my way to the upward trail and climbed up, stepping cautiously on ascending rocks and keeping a close eye on trail markers on the trees. It was quiet. (And so, so cold. I’ve mentioned that, right?)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It took me a little less than an hour to get to the summit. It wasn’t a summit like the 4,000-footers Jeff and I had climbed in the New Hampshire White Mountains, where the payoff is big in terms of the view of the surrounding mountains and a silence only found atop those peaks.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Near the summit of Wachusett, hikers literally cross an auto-road (closed to traffic in the winter) and walk across a parking lot. The view is nice, not spectacular, looking down on the towns below. The whir of the nearby chairlift can be heard from the ski-side of the mountain. I would have liked to plop down on a rock at the edge and spend a few quiet-ish moments at the top, but the wind whipped at my face and the single-digit temps cut the visit short.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The descent was quick, except for a short pause as I navigated a tricky and particularly ice-covered rocky section that was clearly harder on the way down than the way up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfirsrirRGCAWRAiD8nPBIi6dgzpNj7cvY1ECHppcvN3UxSqqPKFn5nI2ixbXqy4FSJX4OM3za2iedL4F6-Th1RqxVuBQAxDd8vKisimG-9b3X5gOf5mh1KkHGvkK02hfuG3X8d_ALOF-/s1600/Hike4_Jan2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfirsrirRGCAWRAiD8nPBIi6dgzpNj7cvY1ECHppcvN3UxSqqPKFn5nI2ixbXqy4FSJX4OM3za2iedL4F6-Th1RqxVuBQAxDd8vKisimG-9b3X5gOf5mh1KkHGvkK02hfuG3X8d_ALOF-/s400/Hike4_Jan2018.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A helicopter circled above. I looked up, trying to see if it was a recreational helicopter or one from law enforcement or a news station. <em>Was someone actually being rescued from Wachusett?</em> Or, <em>were they looking for a deranged killer who was hiding in the woods?</em> (Told you I have worst-case, what-if tendencies.) </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I laughed my own wandering mind and refocused on the trail ahead of me. I made it back to the trail I originally planned to take to the top – the one caked in thick ice that had me contemplating scraping my winter hike adventure.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’m sure glad I’d pushed on. It was great to get outside, to have some solo time and to be reminded of some of life's important lessons.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sometimes there is a different way to the same destination. Sometimes it’s best to adjust your plans. And sometimes – most times – it’s good to do things that scare you a bit.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-85026763869601011042018-01-06T16:11:00.000-05:002018-01-06T16:11:13.940-05:002018: The Whole Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVx1djzmVTHJVcGFEq-8yTmhyphenhyphen8s7jXAyFqCUEGBRmeACLpt6H6ayJvnRML66JGRqfcbvAcBLszULpMBR3QDPIk3XdI0X3FbmWZsLfZsq6hMssxsLBCLg4cvZEtXsqGsehjFVQfERM6KOci/s1600/Family+pic+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVx1djzmVTHJVcGFEq-8yTmhyphenhyphen8s7jXAyFqCUEGBRmeACLpt6H6ayJvnRML66JGRqfcbvAcBLszULpMBR3QDPIk3XdI0X3FbmWZsLfZsq6hMssxsLBCLg4cvZEtXsqGsehjFVQfERM6KOci/s400/Family+pic+2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The more things change, the more they stay the same. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here I
am, in January, setting my intentions and goals for the year – a full three years since I last posted on my
long-neglected blog. It’s funny to me that just two posts ago I was reflecting
on all the big changes of 2013: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“I’ve never been happier – and had probably the bigges</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">t year
of my life (so far). I became a wife, an auntie, debt-free, an American citizen
and moved to a new state.”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I added “(so far)” three years ago, I must have had an
inkling, or hope, that the big and happy things would continue to fill my
life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My life of three years ago is
barely recognizable. I’ve been challenged to try new and exciting things in my
corporate job, and have grown professionally in ways that I never expected.
I’ve almost (almost!) fully adapted to living the corporate work-life. My
marriage and partnership with Jeff is so <i>perfectly
perfect</i> that it feels as if it’s always been part of who I am. We bought a house in a great community north
of Boston, and somehow we’ve transformed into poster-children for the suburban
professional family. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Together, we’re the
parents two of the greatest little girls who keep us laughing (and, yes, sometimes
crying) nearly every minute of our jam-packed lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love being a mom in ways I never thought possible. It is
both the most natural and the most difficult thing I have ever done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just a few weeks after I wrote the January 2014 post, we
found out we were expecting our first baby. We were happy. We were scared. We
had <i>no idea</i> how this would change our
lives. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gone are the leisurely day-long bike rides, exploring the New Hampshire
countryside, and the impromptu Vacations With No Destination adventures in the
convertible. But they’ve been replaced by heart-bursting family dance parties, endless
cups of pretend coffee, trips to the farm to look at animals, story-times,
picking up toys, playgrounds, and the most genuine hugs you’ve ever gotten. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What hasn’t changed is my love of looking at January as a
new beginning, a blank slate. (I’m
noticing a pattern in my January posts from years past.) <i>What do I want my year
to look like? What great, big, happy things do I want to be reflecting on next
January?</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My goals used to revolve around mileage and pace, running and riding.
As my life has expanded, so have my goals. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I look at my life more wholeistically. I look at </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">me</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> more wholeistically.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With that, here’s what I’m setting out to do
in 2018:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Health</u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Run a Half Marathon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Log 500 running miles this year</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A not-to-be-revealed-online “weight goal” that
lines up with my birthday in July</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Mind</u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read/listen to 30 books</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Disconnect from social media for at least two
full weeks </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Write 25 blog posts</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Family</u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10 date-nights</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Complete family photo books</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s my checklist for the year –
in addition to the less-checkable things like prioritizing hugs, family
dinners, meditating, journaling, working hard, and being mindful of how I spend
my time. Most importantly, just <b>BEING
PRESENT.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For what it’s worth, I totally missed the mark on my 2014
goals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nope, not even close to logging 2,000 running and cycling miles.
Not a chance that I hit a sub-25 5K. No race-a-month-plan. I did <i>really,</i>
<i>really </i>hit one of them out of the
park, though: <b>One “big” adventure.</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At
the time, I pondered that it might an overnight hike in the mountains or a multi-day
cycling ride. I had no idea that life had a much, much bigger adventure in
store for me that year. And, I’m forever thankful that it did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking forward to connecting and sharing again, my friends.
(At least 25 times this year, right?) Here’s to more big adventures (but no
more kids!) in 2018…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="height: 0px;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-83180141440065458342014-01-11T20:31:00.004-05:002014-01-11T20:48:48.219-05:002013 Dailymile Summary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5hcrc5Xzzx2X4RHfvLeYjCRnb9kuHxqD-sYo3NZ5dwr_832FqX_xGGRrTCB0YBgilqMN-sp9oFNKZwipqIRQKG6qkO6IqE9XRMc4cvV7DEBbvLIRRHo0OGyNFToG_TJq7hKF8Ae_plzA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-11+at+8.29.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5hcrc5Xzzx2X4RHfvLeYjCRnb9kuHxqD-sYo3NZ5dwr_832FqX_xGGRrTCB0YBgilqMN-sp9oFNKZwipqIRQKG6qkO6IqE9XRMc4cvV7DEBbvLIRRHo0OGyNFToG_TJq7hKF8Ae_plzA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-11+at+8.29.49+PM.png" height="305" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love the day that the year-end dailymile summary lands in my inbox. Usually just a few days after the new year, it's almost like Christmas all over again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It gives a nice snapshot of my running and riding year - from miles to "streaks" to pounds burned. No surprise, I like looking back on the year and picking apart the numbers. And comparing it to the previous year. And now, with a few years on the site under my belt, the year before that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Usually, there are fewer surprises than there are confirmations of what I already know. There's something comforting in that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, here we go. My thoughts on the <a href="http://www.dailymile.com/people/tkr114/training/2013/summary" target="_blank">2013 summary</a>. And, for reference, here's the <a href="http://www.dailymile.com/people/tkr114/training/2012/summary" target="_blank">2012 summary </a>and the <a href="http://www.dailymile.com/people/tkr114/training/2011/summary" target="_blank">2011 summary</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I logged a total of <b>1,543 miles</b> in 2013, up a bit (222 miles or 17 percent) from the previous year. I'm definitely happy with the upward trend, after having a complete free-fall (1,200+ fewer miles!) from 2011 to 2012. But I'm still about 500 miles short of where I need to be to feel really accomplished... whatever that means. Since my goal is to log 2,000 run/ride miles this year, I'm aiming for that "accomplished" benchmark. That means adding more than 450 miles - almost 30 percent more miles! - during the next 12 months. An extra 37.5 miles per month. Or, if I'm on two wheels, an extra long(ish) ride per week. Seems do-able.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I logged <b>10 fewer workouts</b> in 2013 compared to 2012, but increased my per-week miles by four to <b>29 miles per week</b>. So, fewer workouts, more miles. I credit more bike miles.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Speaking of that, 2013 was the first year that cycling overtook running as my "most popular" activity. I spent only <b>43 percent of my workouts running</b>. It's also the year that I finally decided to change my profile description to read "athlete" instead of "runner." Is is possible I'm just moving away from running?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My month-by-month graph is a little more consistent this year, with <b>six months with 100+ miles</b> (including two with 200+), and several in the 60-80 range. What's most noticeable is the glaring <b>blank in September</b>, reminding me that I let "life" get the better of me. Granted, I was putting the finishing touches on my October wedding and finding a new place to live, but I rarely let life push running and riding that much to the side. Plus, my 40-miles in October are a single ride on a tandem bike during my honeymoon. Essentially, that's two whole months (!?) off from running and riding.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like the past three years, I seemed to fade a bit during the last few months of the year. I can't promise that won't happen again this year, but I'll give it a good shot to stay consistent throughout the entire year.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As always, big kudos to dailymile for compiling this report and feeding the insatiable need for stats, trends, facts and figures that us runner-types need. I'm already looking forward to seeing 2014's report.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-57932832423141824222014-01-03T12:28:00.000-05:002014-01-04T13:39:16.304-05:00Four Things for 2014<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Normally, I have my goals for the year set in stone, more or less, by the time the calendar flips. This year, despite the fact that I've given them a lot of thought, they've seemed a bit murky until now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Perhaps it's because I've done a rather poor job of sticking to my goals - or rather, keeping them in the forefront for the entire year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, what happened? It's probably a combination of things. Big life changes, shifting focus (and sometimes complete lack of focus), declining obsession about miles, tracking and recording less and less. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh, I actually just run and ride less. A lot less.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Despite the fact that I rounded out 2013 with more than 1,500 miles and topped 8,000 miles since I joined dailymile in January 2010, I still only went a fraction of the miles of what I did in years leading up to 2012. I kinda fell apart - mileage-wise - that year and haven't quite gotten back on track. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In many ways, this year and last, running and riding just became something I casually did, when I found time or when the feeling hit. It wasn't something that the daily routine. It wasn't a given. Gone are weekly long runs with friends, bunches of races on the calendar and cycling adventures, big and small, to fill our weekends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That said, I've still never been happier - and had probably the biggest year of my life (so far). I became a wife, an auntie, debt-free, an American citizen and moved to a new state. That's a lot for one year, miles or no miles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But when it comes to running and riding, it seems like 2013 just wasn't enough. It wasn't satisfying for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been thinking a lot about my goals (still avoiding that r-word) for the upcoming year. My problem, I think, it that I want to do too many things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I've spent the last few days whittling down the list to something tangible, do-able and something I can really focus on for the long-term. Most importantly, I need to keep the list short. Sometimes I just want to do too much. So I'm limiting myself to four things. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My Four Things for 2014</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Log 2,000 run/ride miles. </b>That will put me at 10,000 miles since joining daily mile in January 2010, and since that's my main way of tracking, it seems like a wonderfully perfect round number to shoot for. Oh, how I love round numbers. I think, though, I'll probably also go back to good old-fashioned pen-and-paper tracking, too. I did best, I think, when my log/calendar was posted on the fridge, reminding me when I started to slack or had too many "rest" days.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Do a race/event each month.</b> I only did two - TWO!? - races in 2013, one on New Year's (a mile!) and the other on Thanksgiving. Somehow I'd become that person who only does holiday races. The Thanksgiving race, the Feaster Five, gave me a bit of the racing bug again --- the vibe, the crowds, everything. I miss it and need more of it. So my plan is to do one organized event -- running or riding, any distance, any format -- each month of the year. It will be fun to plan out a calendar and explore all of the new race options in my new home state. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Run a sub-25 5K. </b>This one might scare me the most and is the biggest question mark on the list. For most of my running "career" (I use that very, very loosely), I've focused only on distance. I've tackled and completed two marathons and countless half marathons, so I know I can log long, slow miles. I think it's time for a change - and a challenge. Shaving this much time off my 5K time (based on my New Year's race time, I have about 4 minutes to go!) will certainly be a stretch. I've signed up for a coaching/track program through the local running club that I hope will get me well on my way. The good thing is that there are so many 5Ks, I can just keep trying. And trying. And trying.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>One "big" adventure! </b>I'm not sure yet what this will be, but I want to do something big, fun and adventuresome. Something that scares me just a bit. It might be an overnight hike in the mountains or a multi-day cycling adventure or something like Reach The Beach. I'm still looking and planning and weighing the options. Suggestions welcome.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So there you have it. Short and sweet. That doesn't mean I might not still come up with mini "30-day goals" - things like, no sugar, all a.m. workouts, something like that. And, of course, I'll still have my own personal goals for health, finances, career and life. Lucky for me, I seem to have those under control.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stay tuned, friends. Here's to 2014!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-43622273769946503322013-10-16T21:18:00.002-04:002013-10-16T21:44:54.784-04:00What Riding A Tandem Taught Me About Life<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpytwI93mc3STrXjEwdsa3yJdcs17KoHlcsL3isHeDad9PwyG8dCqNIMQ47FbwJ6pYw0DTlHyuHnHbGNJPlDOHAHEIjh8VYPmaVn7yDw5eI-tyx_uogZunGwhnGnum0H_l1mYAd2_UvafG/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpytwI93mc3STrXjEwdsa3yJdcs17KoHlcsL3isHeDad9PwyG8dCqNIMQ47FbwJ6pYw0DTlHyuHnHbGNJPlDOHAHEIjh8VYPmaVn7yDw5eI-tyx_uogZunGwhnGnum0H_l1mYAd2_UvafG/s640/photo.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm married. Yep, officially a Mrs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ten days also, I held the hand of that trusty fellow who first won my heart by leaving me a scribbled good luck note and CD at my work the day before the Hampton Half Marathon in 2009, and said, "I do."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, that trusty fellow who's followed me around on his bike while I plodded my way through marathon training, who acted as Head Sherpa for long runs, who never failed to be on the sidelines or the finish line with a smile, hug and a cowbell. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That same trusty fellow who's challenged me to get onto two wheels, to tackle the climbs I don't think I can do, to take far-fetched bicycle adventures through new parts of the country and to think it's totally normal to walk into a restaurant clad head-to-toe in spandex.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've never been happier and more at peace with my life. Things are just so right.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Four days into our new marriage, while on our honeymoon, we decided to put things to the ultimate test by renting a tandem bike. Yep, that thing known as a "marriage wrecker" in some circles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it just seemed so perfect, so metaphorical - joining together, literally, after joining together, figuratively (and legally). Yes, yes, the bicycle-built-for-two challenge would be a fitting way to celebrate our union, our partnership and test our ability to work as a team.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We both feel confident on our individual bikes, pedaling thousands and thousands of miles over the years. Riding has become second-nature, no longer having to think about balancing or pedaling or steering or any of the mechanics that consume you when you first start riding. I suppose that's why we were only mildly worried about the tandem bike.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We probably should have been more worried.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After a quick intro to the tandem road bike by the bike shop guys and, of course, signing the liability waiver, we were off. Or at least we tried.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We walked the tandem to the side of main street in Calistoga, the northern part of Napa Valley, and jumped on - totally ready to roll. Jeff rode in front with the brakes, shifting and steering. I was in back, facing my fear of not being in control in a very real, very scary way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We pushed off, like we normally would when starting a ride, and lasted about, oh, 2 seconds before harshly slamming our feet back on the ground and tipping the bike, pretty much uncontrollably, to the side. Hmmm, this would be harder than we thought.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Almost immediately, and probably not surprisingly, we started coming up with systems and processes. Count to three when "launching" or stopping, communicating when Jeff planned a shift in gears. Everything required a plan. Everything required us to be in sync. Everything, everything required communication.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I won't lie. That first 10 minutes was killer. I felt like we would topple at any moment. The bike seemed absurdly heavy and hard to handle. I was tense. I was afraid of falling. I thought we'd never make it all the way to Yountville, about 20 miles away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We continued to tweak our riding methods and, bit by bit, improved. Sure, we only rode in a straight line for the first 20 miles - yes, we walked our bike across the street to avoid turning - and sure, we took breaks every five miles or so give our brains a break from concentrating so much. But slowly, very slowly, we got the hang of it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we rode, and as I relaxed enough to think about anything other than the fact that we might completely wipe out on this thing, I started to think about all of the things that riding a tandem bike can teach you about life. And marriage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>COMMUNICATE.</b> Every little thing had to be communicated. Everything. We first found this out the hard way when Jeff, up front, decided to stop pedaling momentarily. I, in the back, continued to pedal at my regular cadence - or tried to. You know that feeling when your chain jams and you're suddenly met with extreme resistance when you try to push forward. Yeah, like that. As we rode, we got into a rhythm, communicating the most comfortable pace, when to stop and start, how to lean into turns. When we communicated everything, it was smooth sailing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>IT'S OK TO RELINQUISH CONTROL. </b>Okay, this is a hard one for me. Really, really hard. As the backseat passenger, I had to come to terms with the fact that I wouldn't be steering, shifting or braking. I had to completely trust someone else, trust that they would take care of me, do the right thing and get us where we needed to go. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING. </b>I love a plan. I like to know what's in front of us, what's around the corner. With everything - work, life, training - I like to know and see where I'm going. I spent the first few miles trying to peek around Jeff's shoulders, to alert him of road hazards up ahead (like he couldn't see them) and to see where we were going. It was an exercise in futility, and if anything, just continued to throw us off balance as I bobbed side to side around his shoulders. Once I realized I didn't need to see where I was going, I could relax and enjoy the moment, to enjoy the blue Napa sky, the rows of grape vines and the peaks of mountains in the distance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>TAKE BREAKS. </b>The tandem was way, way harder than any regular bike ride - especially mentally. We took far more breaks than we normally would on any ride to give our brains a rest from concentrating so intently. It also gave us a chance to stretch a bit and recap what we'd learned along the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>KEEP GOING. </b>Yes, keep going even when things are hard. Especially when things are hard. A few miles in, both Jeff and I were ready to head back to the bike shop - not ready to commit to the full-day rental we signed up for. Solo bikes would have been a lot easier, a lot more relaxing and, perhaps overall, more fun. But conquering a new challenge, especially doing it with someone, is particularly satisfying and well worth it in the end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>DO THINGS THAT SCARE YOU. </b>Yes, Eleanor Roosevelt was right. Do one thing every day that scares you. Riding this tandem qualified for a week's worth of scary things. It pushed us way outside our comfort zones and made us question our ability. Sometimes we need that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>EVERYTHING'S EASIER WITH WINE.</b> It might just be coincidence, but we got notably better after our lunch break in Yountville that included a glass of wine. (Hey, we were in Wine Country!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We wrapped up the ride with a lot more smiles - and confidence - than we started, gliding to a stop in front of the bike shop and congratulating each other with hugs and high-fives. Heck, we finished the ride with 40 miles under our belts. Tandem riding, I think, has some dog-year conversion chart, so surely that was the equivalent riding a century or so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We'd done it. We'd taken on a new challenge together and figured it out ourselves. We'd worked together and we didn't give up, even when we both wanted to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think we'll do just fine together. Forever.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-58705982552013727242013-05-25T13:28:00.000-04:002013-05-25T13:33:45.078-04:00A Case Of The "Too's"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yep, I started 2013 with a bang. All the good personal and career stuff aside, I was really hitting my stride - and my mileage goals - when it came to running and riding.<br />
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Each month, I pushed myself a little harder. Each month, I worried about whether I'd be able to hit the marks. Each month, I did.<br />
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Until now.</div>
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I guess, five months into the year, one month of not hitting the goal isn't the end of the world. As someone told me, if you hit your goals every month, they're not really challenging you. Point taken.</div>
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I know the month isn't over yet. But it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out I won't hit the May Monthly Challenge to log 300 miles, 250 of them bike miles and 50 run miles. I'd have to somehow pull out, uh, 150 or so miles. Um, not happening.</div>
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That's not to say I'm not having a decent month. My miles are still climbing, overall, as the year progresses. And longer daylight hours and warmer (sometimes!) weather means more time on my bike.</div>
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So what happened to May?</div>
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Simply put, I'm suffered a case of the "too's."</div>
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You know, <i>too</i> tired. <i>Too</i> busy. <i>Too</i> hot. <i>Too</i> rainy. <i>Too </i>cold. <i>Too</i> early. <i>Too</i> late. <i>Too</i> dark. You get the idea.</div>
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I've said this a million times: There's always a reason not to run or ride. This month, I seemed to find a lot of excuses.<br />
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I mean two times this month, I came home from work, changed into my running clothes - then totally lost my motivation, changed back into regular clothes and went out to eat. Twice. </div>
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And now, just <i>too</i> many miles left to go to hit the mark.</div>
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I spent today's run trying to convince myself not to give up entirely on the goal, even if it's a re-adjusted one. There's still several days left in the month, so I've decided to push myself a bit. Some quick math shows me that I'll have to log more than 100 miles by Friday to hit it. </div>
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That's going to be a stretch. But I'll give it my best shot.</div>
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And, I'll come out swinging for June's goal. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-88754864302982830112013-04-01T21:29:00.001-04:002013-04-01T21:37:56.751-04:00Starting 2013 With A Bang<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just before 2012 came to a close, I predicted that 2013 would be a <a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2012/11/only-one-month-left.html" target="_blank">"mighty fine"</a> year. A quarter into the year, I can confidently say it totally is.</div>
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And then some.</div>
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Although I've been working hard on being more focused on my running and riding goals (more on that later), it's really my "real life" that's come out of the gate with some gusto.</div>
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Most notably, the focus of the year took a turn on Jan. 13 when, at the summit of my first winter 4,000-footer, I turned around to see Jeff, smiling, holding a tiny box. Inside, was the most beautiful, unique engagement ring. </div>
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In case there was any doubt, I said yes. (Actually, I'm pretty sure I said, "Of course.") </div>
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The details of the hike and the day are a post for another time, a post I've had on my mental to-do list for a while. It's sufficient to say that that moment changed the focus for the year.</div>
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Suddenly, in an instant, I turned into a girl. Like, an honest-to-goodness girly-girl - the kind that joined Pinterest and planned out wedding colors and invitation designs and hair-styles. </div>
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If wedding planning didn't solidify my girly-ness, two weeks ago I became an auntie for the first time. My brother and sister-in-law welcomed the most precious, sweet girl into their lives (and ours) - and I'm completely hooked on her. So tiny and peaceful and unbelievably cute. I just can't get enough.</div>
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Yes, there's been so much "life" going on this year, that it seems like it can't possibly only be three months in to 2013. On the other hand, I can hardly believe that it's already time for my "quarterly" check-in on my goals (<a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2013/01/blog-post.html" target="_blank">per my New Year's post</a>). </div>
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But here it goes...</div>
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<b>HEALTH AND FITNESS. </b>The turn of the calendar to the new year also lit a fire under me to get my butt back in gear. I've been meeting weekly with a personal trainer, whose helped me focus on strength training and kept me accountable. The training sessions, combined with laser-focus on meeting my monthly mileage goals, is paying off. I've dropped about 7 pounds and am noticing my pants are fitting a little looser. Yes, a far cry from checking the box on my <a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-hardest-262-yet.html" target="_blank">26.2 challenge</a>, but with much-improved endurance and strength, I'm chalking this up in the positive column. And I'm not done yet. Each month brings higher and higher mileage. And, to my delight, I've found the desire to do more - to keep pushing, to keep reaching. I'm not quite ready to declare that I'm back to my "old self," but I'm getting there. <b>For the second quarter goal, I'll continue to lay out concrete monthly mileage goals, clearly broken down into running and riding miles, and tracked along the way.</b> I'm thinking 200 miles for April, 300 for May and, yikes, 400 for June? Get ready, bike.</div>
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<b>BE IN THE MOMENT.</b> Oh, I really liked this goal. And I really needed this goal. I did pretty well ... for a while. I left the cell phone at home during dinner-dates. I chose between watching television and surfing the web. On conference calls, I actually just listened and participated in the call. But then I fell back into my multi-tasking habits. (Case in point, I'm typing this on the couch while half-watching The Voice in the background.) <b>For the second quarter, I'm leaving this one on the list. Clearly I need some work here.</b></div>
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<b>DOLLARS AND CENTS.</b> I'm *thisclose* to being debt-free. In fact, I thought I might get there before the end of first quarter of the year. <b>By the end of the second quarter, I'll be totally debt-free.</b> Just in time to plan - and pay for - a wedding. </div>
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<b>LOVE LIFE.</b> If there's one thing that this first quarter of the year has taught me, it's to just embrace all of the good things - no, great things - that life has to offer. It's okay to be a girly-girl and spend pointless time browsing ideas for the wedding. It's okay to just totally love my little niece sleeping on my chest. It's time well-spent to just hang at my parents house watching The Biggest Loser. <b>For the second quarter, I will do whole lot more of those "life" things. </b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-81067716387546465622013-02-12T06:54:00.005-05:002013-02-12T06:54:49.564-05:0026.2 Update: Using The Buddy System<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not an accurate reflection of my personal training experience.</i></td></tr>
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I pride myself of being pretty independent, not afraid to do thing by myself. The downside of that is that asking for help is sometimes really hard. And scary.</div>
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At the end of last year, I <a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-hardest-262-yet.html" target="_blank">shared my latest goal to shed some of the pounds</a> I've built up over the past year or so - 26.2 of them, to be exact. I likened the challenge to training for a marathon, knowing it was going to take time and effort and focus. Within the first week or so, I dropped about five pounds, mostly by watching my portion sizes and passing on a drink with dinner.</div>
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Then I got a bit stuck. Facing my virtual "marathon," I'd only gotten to a point of being able to run five miles. </div>
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That certainly wasn't going to cut it.</div>
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So I enlisted some help. I sought out a personal training program we have through my employer. Over the years, I'd toyed with the idea of hiring a personal trainer to help keep me on track and push me outside my comfort zone. But the cheapskate in me wouldn't pull the trigger to write the check. </div>
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Realizing having an ally for the weight loss journey could be advantageous, I started asking about the personal training program. I'm still a bit of a penny-pincher so the money part still irked me. When a deal came up at the end of the year to get three free sessions with the purchase of 10, I seized the opportunity. </div>
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I wasn't sure what to expect - something like the photo above or Jillian Michaels, in my face yelling? Definitely not what I got.</div>
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My trainer and I met to talk about my goals and fitness level, and take the dreaded measurements and weight. I did a food journal for a week, logging every thing I ate and drank, and what time I did so. </div>
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I must admit a really dislike the food log exercise. I've avoided it for years now, despite knowing that the people who have the most success with weight loss and maintenance track what they eat. When I went in for my consultation about my food log, I dreaded the conversation. I mean, I eat relatively healthy (no soda, no fast food, minimal processed food), but I do like to eat out and I do like my glass(es!) of wine with dinner.</div>
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I didn't want to be told to change. But, I told myself, that's what this process is all about. If I stay the same, I will, well, stay the same.</div>
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Interestingly, the two people I met with about my food log didn't chastise me or tell me to cut this or that. Instead, they praised me for having a really good base. The problem, they said, is that I wasn't fueling my body enough. I had to eat more - more often, to be more precise.</div>
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My homework was to eat every two to three hours, which sounds like an easy task. I really struggled with it. I was shocked at how quickly a couple of hours went by, especially on busy work days filled with meetings and running around. I was also told to incorporate a bit of protein with each meal/snack. I've made some good progress with this, working in Greek yogurt, homemade hummus and other protein-rich foods.</div>
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I know this because I've kept up with the food log - and even suggested that I send a copy to the trainer each week. Just to keep me focused and on track. (I cannot believe I offered - and asked - to keep a food log and email it to someone.)</div>
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Over the weeks, it's been about four now, my trainer has asked the right questions to figure out what motivates me, and now that he understands more about what makes me tick. I think we've come up with a winning strategy.</div>
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I'm motivated by numbers, tracking and accountability. I like to see the progress. I like charts and graphs. I like to analyze what works and what doesn't. (It doesn't take a genius to figure this out - just look at my last post, cutting my stats this way and that.)</div>
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In addition to the weekly training sessions, monthly weigh-ins and measurements, we've agreed to have other numbers-based challenges. For the next two months, I'll log 100 miles of biking or running each month. Of that, 50 miles will be running. (There was a time when those numbers were the norm or even easy for me, but this will be a stretch given my recent history.) Two months from now, we'll come up with the next challenge. </div>
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It would kill me to turn in a monthly report that didn't hit these numbers, and I've already found myself in the gym more. As much as I hated the exercise, I also suggested that I submit a weekly food log - partly to just keep me honest and accountable, but also to keep nutrition in the forefront.</div>
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My trainer, while he whole-heartedly supports my goal and loves the personal nature of it, isn't as concerned about the pounds as I am. He's looking more at the other measurements, like body fat percentage and inches. He's looking to see how I improve my stamina and strength. </div>
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I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous at my first appointment. I didn't quite know what to expect. The trainer works me hard, focusing one session on upper body, then lower body the next. Each session involves some core work and, often, plyometrics (think lots of jumping and sweating). </div>
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Having someone next to you, pushing you farther than you think you can do, definitely helps. When I think I can't do one more rep, he asks for two more. Sometimes three. Being a good student, I oblige. </div>
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I also joined a Biggest Loser-style challenge at work. Participants are divided into teams (we don't know who else is participating) and given weekly challenges. This week's challenge was to ride 20 miles, cumulatively, during the week on the stationary bike, attend two spin classes, or ride 10 miles and attend one spin class.</div>
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For someone who's relatively active, it's not a far-reaching challenge. But it's still a good way to focus on getting the workouts in and stay motivated. That's probably why I found myself squeezing in my last five miles on the bike between meetings on Thursday before the snow.</div>
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I've often said that running is easier with a buddy. Seems like this 26.2 weight loss challenge will be easier - and more successful - with buddies, too.</div>
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Will keep you posted.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-36626182165983518642013-01-12T11:03:00.001-05:002013-01-12T11:50:13.991-05:00Diving Into The 2012 Numbers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ah, it's that time of year again. No, not the time to face and lay out New Year's resolutions. It's time to dive into my <a href="http://www.dailymile.com/people/tkr114/training/2012/summary" target="_blank">dailymile summary</a>.<br />
<br />
I admit I anxiously await this report at the start of each year, with its bright colors, fun graphics and all sorts of analysis of my running and riding life (at least as recorded on <a href="http://dailymile.com/" target="_blank">dailymile</a>) way beyond what I keep track of during the year.<br />
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This year, however, I had an itty-bitty bit of dread as I awaited the report. I knew it was going to show me what I already knew. This past year hasn't measured up to the past two, when it comes to running and riding.<br />
<br />
I looked back at my thoughts on my <a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-dailymile-summary.html" target="_blank">2011 report</a>. Then I turned my thoughts to how 2012 compared. Wow.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I logged 1,321 miles in 2012, compared to 2,529 in 2011. That's <b>1,208 fewer miles</b> this year. 1,208! 1,208? 1,208!? That's 100 miles a month fewer miles than last year. It almost seems impossible to me. But I know it's right. I knew I dropped back in miles. I guess I just didn't realize how much my mileage dropped off this year. Certainly my Boston Marathon training miles gave a huge boost to the start of 2011 that I didn't have this year. But, more than that, the fact that my bike spent much more time in my front hallway than on the road contributes to the paltry number of miles I logged this year. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Surprisingly, I logged 10 <b>more workouts </b>(192) than I did last year (182). Obviously, these were much shorter workouts.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>The average number of miles I logged each week took a deep dive, from <b>48 miles per week in 2011 to 25 miles per week in 2012.</b></li>
</ul>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Also taking a nose-dive was the stat showing the number of pounds I burned through logged activities, from <b>41 pounds burned in 2011 to 26 pounds burned in 2012.</b> That means, all other things being equal, I gained 15 pounds this year. Yup, sounds about right. (Ugh.) What's most interesting about this is that, as I take on this <a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-hardest-262-yet.html" target="_blank">26.2-pound weight loss journey</a>, I'm struggling with changing my eating habits - or, I should say, struggling with wanting to change. Certainly there's enough there for a whole other post, so I'll jump into more of that at another time. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>I had <b>six months of the year in which I logged more than 100 miles</b> (running and riding combined). But 100+ miles a month when you're using two wheels, rather than just two feet, isn't that hard. Even still, it wasn't long ago that I set the standard to run 100 miles a month. What happened? In 2011, I had only three sub-100 months. Interestingly, they were the last three months of the year - which I could credibly argue were just the lead-up to 2012.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>When I reviewed my 2011 report at this time last year, I noted it was a year of the highest-highs and lowest-lows - with one month topping 700+ miles and one barely reaching 20 miles. This year, I seemed to be<b> more consistent </b>(but consistently low?) and avoided the extreme peaks and valleys. I was surprised to see that my lowest mileage month, December at 31 miles, was higher than 2011's lowest month, also December. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Speaking of consistency, this is what might stand out to me the most on this year's report (aside from 1,208 fewer miles this year?! I mentioned that, right?). Last year, one of the things I wanted to work on was balance. I wasn't talking about balance in running and riding; I wanted to work on the balance between work and life, between running and riding and life. Just general life balance. I think I did that. What's interesting, however, is that it resulted in a huge <b>imbalance in my running and riding</b>. I went from a 56/44 run/bike split last year to a 67/37 run/bike breakdown this year. </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>When it comes to "Karma"- <b>how much I interacted with my dailymile community </b>- the imbalance is even more stark. In 2011, the split was nearly even. This year, I sent 332 comments, compared to the 1,672 I received. It may be hard to realize why this is important, but the motivation that the dailymile community has given me in previous years is notable - and perhaps a reason that my mileage slacked? I don't know for sure. But I do know that I started to use the site this year more as a place just to log workouts, rather than a place to connect, learn and be inspired.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
I give a lot of credit (and thanks) to dailymile for pulling together this report. I've been struggling a lot to figure out the motivation behind these numbers, but being able to see these stats and compare to previous years is a step in the right direction to figure out what happened. But more importantly, to figure out what I want to happen in 2013.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-45849318945432356002013-01-01T17:11:00.001-05:002013-01-01T17:26:54.874-05:00A New Way For New Year's Resolutions<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0JBHSlJvFY_Cl2mHeltX7bcoWnhbOgZC3nfV9mXSZFwnNlcOS8z8pTQ1dXwJKd8mEzgk-XGygIr0iWpLWxrc6CBm11Z6kiXoTOyYXtdwFmMEWu4jhStSzsKECqpZYWPWYrNBJftJEY3d/s1600/new-year-resolutions-380x260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0JBHSlJvFY_Cl2mHeltX7bcoWnhbOgZC3nfV9mXSZFwnNlcOS8z8pTQ1dXwJKd8mEzgk-XGygIr0iWpLWxrc6CBm11Z6kiXoTOyYXtdwFmMEWu4jhStSzsKECqpZYWPWYrNBJftJEY3d/s400/new-year-resolutions-380x260.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
It's probably no surprise that for the past few weeks my mind's been swirling with resolutions - or, as I prefer to think of them, my goals for the upcoming year.<br />
<br />
For the past several years of my running-life, I've laid out specific, track-able goals for running and riding. Things like miles, paces and other black-and-white markers that would tell me whether I succeeded or failed.<br />
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For years, I did great at these. Success after success, reaching farther and pushing harder to do things I never thought I could (or would) do. I continued to raise the bar higher and higher.<br />
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But the higher the bar got, the less I tried to reach it. I simply stopped thinking about my goals. Somehow - and for a reason I haven't yet figured out - they didn't matter any more. Flat out, I failed.<br />
<br />
Last year, I <a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2011/12/2012-year-of-do-over.html" target="_blank">declared a do-over to 2011</a>, as a way to redeem myself for not hitting my mileage goals. This year, I ended the year without even knowing how many miles I logged. I used to know that stuff inside and out. I don't need to tally things up to know that I missed it, again. By a long shot.<br />
<br />
So what do I do now? A do-do-over? I certainly can't bear the thought of that.<br />
<br />
I think the first thing I need to do is figure out why I'm not hitting the marks any more. Or, I should say, why I'm not trying to hit those marks.<br />
<br />
What I do know is that I'm happier, life-wise, than I've ever been. And I love that. I love my life, my career, my wonderful sweetie, our lives together. I honestly have a strong sense of calm and satisfaction when I think about my life.<br />
<br />
If I'm so happy with everything else - the important things in life, maybe those mileage goals just don't matter to me anymore? It's a strange thing for me, who's always been driven by goals, track-able things with charts and graphs, to face. I love coming up with a big goal or project and breaking it down into manageable, achievable parts.<br />
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So, here I am on New Year's Day, thinking about the upcoming year and the best way to line up my goals. Again. But this year I'm going to try it a little differently.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to create my usual checklist of things to do this year. Instead, I'm going to focus on some things I'd like to improve - both for running/riding, but mostly in life.<br />
<br />
And this year I'm going to forget about that whole year thing. I'm only focusing on one quarter at a time (I guess that corporate world is rubbing off on me). I'll get through the first quarter of the year, then assess how I've done and adjust, add, edit and delete from as necessary.<br />
<br />
That said, here's what I can expect in the first few months of the year.<br />
<br />
<b>FITNESS & HEALTH. </b>Instead of specific mileage or pace goals or races on the calendar, I've made a commitment to get fitter. At this point in my life, it means dropping some of the pounds that have added up over the past couple of years. (Hmmm, correlation between not hitting my running/riding goals and added pounds?) In my last post, I <a href="http://my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-hardest-262-yet.html" target="_blank">declared that I wanted to drop 26.2 pounds</a> - because, hey, I like when I can tie numbers to things. This somehow seemed appropriate. I started this very, very slowly, cutting back on portion sizes and passing on the drinks with dinner. I dropped five pounds, but after a week or so of vacation (and dinners out at fantastic restaurants and, basically, too much holiday cheer), I definitely need to get back on it. I met with a personal trainer and talked about my goal(s). I have my first session on Friday. Yikes!?<br />
<br />
<b>BE IN THE MOMENT.</b> I've often prided myself on my ability to multi-task. But even good things can go too far. I've noticed, more and more often, that I'm always trying to do two things (or more!) at once. And, with my attention divided, I often end up missing the moment I'm in. No, I don't need to answer emails while I'm on a conference call. No, I don't need to scroll through Facebook while watching television or check my phone while someone's talking to me. Maybe I'll even just drive during my commute, instead of always using it to return phone calls. It sounds simple enough, but this one with be a tough one for me.<br />
<br />
<b>DOLLARS & CENTS.</b> I made good - no, great! - strides in the finances department in 2012. I hit my goal, and then some, to reduce my debt by half. I'm so close to being debt-free that I can taste it. I'll continue to consciously chip away at it and enjoy the light at the end of the tunnel. Along those lines, I think the first part of the year is a good time to focus on finances, in general. Saving a little here, a little there will go a long way to helping us with some of the big plans we have this year.<br />
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<b>MISCELLANEOUS STUFF. </b>Remember that morning workouts are a good thing. Keep up with weekly running dates with my running buddy. Be aware of my posture and sit up straight. Don't text and drive. See friends and family. Work hard. Do things outside. Write more. Just enjoy life. Oh, and do some thinking about why those goals for the past two years didn't work.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-20446352020740688722012-11-30T20:04:00.000-05:002012-11-30T20:04:18.368-05:00The Hardest 26.2 Yet<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><em>[Not my feet...]</em></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As my running buddy and I wrapped up one of our final training runs for the half marathon, we found ourselves talking about, no surprise, the next big challenge.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We suggested a winter race schedule, weekly long runs, a half marathon early in 2013, and even toyed with the idea of a marathon. But in the end, what we came up with had nothing to do with running at all. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We stumbled upon the idea almost by accident when I made an off-hand comment that I was afraid to sign up for another marathon because I dreaded the post-marathon 10 pounds. You know, those 10 pounds that seemed to creep up me after the marathon, when my body was still in marathon-eating mode but my weekly mileage plunged.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve done two marathons. At about 10 pounds each. With some quick math, it’s easy to see that I need to get myself back in check.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was surprised (and somewhat relieved) to find that my running-buddy has had the same problem. While it was tempting for us both to make commitments to up our mileage to take on a long-distance goal, I decided to go down a different path. For me, it’s a much more challenging one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve decided to take on the challenge of 26.2. No, not miles. Pounds. As in, losing them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just the thought of that makes me want to run in the other direction, to come up with something “easier” to do. The thought of telling anyone about it makes me question my sanity because, well, now I kind of have to do it. I wonder if I can do it, if I should do it and, honestly, just exactly how to do it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, it’s pretty much the same feeling I got when I signed up for any marathon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like the marathon, this 26.2 challenge leaves me knowing I need to come up with a plan. I know I can’t just fake my way to the end of this one. And I also know that I need a good support system.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will spend the next few weeks coming up with a plan and equipping myself with the right resources. Instead of new shoes, I may team up with a personal trainer, an organized weight loss program, a calorie-counting app, or some combination of all of those.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will seek out people who have done this before, just like I sought out the advice of marathoners while I trained for my races.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, this 26.2 is certainly going to take a lot of work and focus. It will mean tracking and recording – this time foods and weight, instead of miles and paces. It’s going to mean doing things I don’t want to do – this time skipping desserts or that second glass of wine, instead of wintry long runs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like the marathon, I don’t expect to do it overnight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I need to remember that, like the marathon, I didn’t set out to run the entire distance when I first started training. I had to mentally break it up into small, more manageable parts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The same applies here. I need to focus on the 5K – losing 3.1 pounds doesn’t sound too difficult. Then a 10K - 6.2 pounds, still do-able. Then the half-marathon – 13.1 pounds is a little scarier and daunting. Then the big finish line.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, this 26.2 scares me, perhaps more than the thought of signing up for an actual marathon. But I know it will pay off will be big in the end. Just like crossing the finishing line.</span><br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-66063815292247301832012-11-18T21:39:00.000-05:002012-11-18T21:50:56.471-05:00Only One Month Left?<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://blog.logodesignguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/web-design-checklist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://blog.logodesignguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/web-design-checklist.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someone once told me that the older you get, the faster times seems to go. They were totally right.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where the heck has 2012 gone? Sure, I know it's not over, but we're rapidly approaching year-end. And you know what that means: New Year's Resolutions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't believe it's been almost a year since I <a href="http://www.my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2011/12/2012-year-of-do-over.html" target="_blank">declared a "do over" </a>to my 2011 running/riding goals <i>[Spoiler alert: I'm failing miserably on this.] </i>and laid out a list of other things I wanted to focus on this year. Think of them as the <a href="http://www.my-step-by-step.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-it-aint-just-about-running.html" target="_blank">personal development goals</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back in February, I wrote that a monthly check-in would keep me focused on track. Umm, right. This is only my second check-in. It's the week of Thanksgiving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's get the "do over" disaster report over with. Honestly, I didn't work on it at all. I didn't track it. I don't even have a good sense of how many miles I have left to do. All of this is very unlike me - and something for me to delve into a little more on an upcoming long run. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What I do know, without adding up my stats, is that my bike sat in the front hallway more than it was on the road, that I adjusted my running goal to 800 by year-end a couple of months ago (and I still won't make that) and I have no prayer of hitting any of my speed goals.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess now it's time to start thinking of how to approach the next year. A do-do-over? Adjust the goals, gulp, down? Scrap mileage goals altogether? I still have six weeks or so to figure it all out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the upside, I did a pretty good job on my "life" focuses I set out for myself early in the year - well, except that 10 pounds part. <i>Does it count if you gain the 10?</i> But the weight was a small, somewhat superficial piece of the whole pie (mmm, pie), so I'm not overly concerned about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More importantly, I successfully focused on my health, relationships, finances, career and giving back. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I continued with my vegetarianism (pescetarianism) without much hassle at all. I had routine check-ups, participated in health fairs and screenings and, happily, have the lowest "numbers" I've seen in a long time - maybe ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had an awesome opportunity to "give back" (really, I think I got more out of it than the girls did) by being a volunteer coach for Girls On The Run. Although the schedule is challenging for a corporate person (practices at 3 p.m.!?), it was worth all of the schedule juggling and running around (no pun intended). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not sure what my future holds as a coach - I'm really, really hoping I can make it work, but the schedule is so darn tough. And, this year will be even tougher with a new job.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, a new job. When I wrote about my career, I had every intention that I'd be sitting in the same office doing the same thing at year-end. I loved my job. But mid-way through the year an opportunity I couldn't pass up came my way. And I haven't looked back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although starting over was daunting and it's sometimes challenging being a new kid in a big place, I'm starting to find my groove. I love the positive atmosphere, the hard-working, goal-oriented people and being part of a team. I have no doubt that this was the right move and that it's a place I can thrive and shine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It helps that the job change came with a healthy paycheck - certainly helps my goal to focus on my finances this year, at least. I've checked off the goal to pay down my debt by half and, just today, upped the monthly payment to pay it down quicker. Finally, the end is in sight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My relationships, from Jeff to family and friends, are strong, healthy and moving in good directions. If I had to fault myself on one thing it's that I haven't made the time for my/our friends that I should have. My list of let's-get-a-date-on-the-calendar follow-ups is growing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I blame changing jobs (Jeff and I both had changes here this year) that's thrown our schedules off a bit and left us with seemingly less free time. Certainly our time off together has been cut. I suppose it just means that we need to make the most of our free time together (not that we don't) while remembering that friends and family are important.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trust me, I'm not trying to rush the rest of the year away, but I'm looking forward to continuing in 2013 on the path that I have been on. I have a feeling it's going to be a mighty fine year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess when I look back at all the good things I've been able to do in my life this year, missing those mileage marks doesn't really seem to matter. Much.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-15130110263471606422012-09-15T16:41:00.000-04:002012-09-15T16:44:47.359-04:00Gettin' Back On The Horse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This morning started my official training regimen for the Manchester Half Marathon. I use the phrase "training regimen" very loosely here. The race will be here sooner than I know it and certainly there's no PR in the cards. </span><br />
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Perhaps I should say that today officially started the first step of getting back to having running be part of my life, starting with weekly long runs.</span><br />
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I've really been struggling with the motivation to run for a while now. A long while. I've gone in spits and spurts of semi-consistent running, but mostly I haven't much cared if I missed a run. Gone, long gone, are the days that I would be antsy if I missed too many consecutive days.</span><br />
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I may dig deeper into the cause of my hiatus - my mental hiatus - but, for now, I'm just looking forward to getting back on the horse.</span><br />
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What better way to do that than to return to the basics of why I started running in the first place? It was never about pace or finishing times or things like that. It was never about being "good" at it. It wasn't about PRs or goals or race resumes. </span><br />
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Running used to be just about being out there, pushing myself beyond what I think I could do, even if that meant doing it at 11-minute-miles. Running used to be about friendships and miles filled with chit-chat and laughter. </span><br />
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A few weeks ago my marathon-running buddy asked if I'd like to join her for the Manchester Half Marathon. More importantly, she asked if I'd like to join her in weekly trainings.</span><br />
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Having a standing "running date" is something I now realize that I've really missed. For the first couple of <i>years</i> of my running-life, I ran with people. The miles varied, and even the faces varied, but I was always surrounded by enthusiastic, fun people using running as a way to meet various goals - stay in shape, train for races, honor loved ones at charity races, acclimate to a new community, make friends.</span><br />
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I'd be lying if I said I was confident about my return to running-dates. I know I've fallen terribly out-of-shape, well below the level of the last time I'd run with this friend (or anyone, for that matter). I tried to prepare her, suggesting a short-ish route for our first long run at a very, very moderate pace. </span><br />
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I woke up this morning to the sound of rain. I can't tell you the last time I ran in the rain, something that used to be almost commonplace. If I hadn't had someone waiting for me, I'm sure I would have convinced myself that it would be okay to push the run off until later in the day.</span><br />
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But, running-dates have a way of getting you out of bed and out the door.</span><br />
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I agonized about what I should wear. Tank top? Long sleeves? Hat? I used to have a handle of what clothing combinations went with all conditions. Today, I was lost. </span><br />
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It was cool-ish and overcast, so I settled on a long-sleeved shirt and capris - a decision I would quickly regret when the clouds cleared and the sun warmed the air. Total rookie mistake. I knew my decision wasn't wise when I met my friend and found her wearing shorts and tank-top. We were clearly prepared for different seasons.</span><br />
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We headed out on a loop that I'd mapped earlier, one that would hook us up to part of the Manchester Half course. We knew it would be hilly. But we also know we need to run hills if we have any chance of surviving the "challenging" course in November.</span><br />
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I wore my Garmin and kept it solidly around 10-minute-miles, per my plan to make it all the way to the end without dying. As expected, the hills were hard. I huffed and puffed my way up them, telling myself it was good training and eventually, somehow, they would get easier.</span><br />
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I resisted the urge to think about how easy running used to seem, how we used to carry on conversations - hills or no hills - without skipping a beat. I resisted the urge to think about the fact that the race would be more than double the mileage we were running today. I resisted the urge to completely panic and call it quits.</span><br />
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And you know what? I loved today's run, something I honestly haven't said or thought in a really, really long time.</span><br />
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Yes, being out there this morning - despite the fact that I over-dressed, ran slower than I used to, completely struggled on the hills and even succumbed to a few walk breaks - reminded me why I love running. Finally.</span><br />
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It feels good to be back on that horse. Can't wait to be galloping around like I used to.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-16738881116362719402012-07-16T21:26:00.002-04:002012-07-16T21:26:53.828-04:00Do Something That Scares You<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The following column appeared in the New Hampshire Sunday News on July 15, 2012.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sometimes, a book that has absolutely nothing to do with running, has everything to do with running. This week I stumbled upon a book about an almost-30-year-old's quest to overcome her fears, big and small. The book, called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Year-Eleanor-A-Memoir/dp/0061875031" target="_blank">"My Year With Eleanor"</a> and written by Noelle Hancock, is inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt's famous quote: "Do something every day that scares you."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">She tackles the seemingly mundane, like going tech-free for a week, to the expected, like fears of heights and sharks, to the profound, like telling people what she really thinks and talking with her boyfriend about the future. (Disclaimer: I should admit that I'm only halfway through the book. I'm assuming her fear-conquering year goes well and she lives happily ever after.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Either way, big picture, she (and Eleanor) couldn't be more right. Do things that scare you. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hancock would probably laugh out loud at the thought of her book speaking to a runner - she has a vocal disdain for all things exercise (oh, aside from that little Kilimanjaro trip) - but reading the story made me think of all of the scary moments I've had as a runner and cyclist. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The scariest moment was probably the first, back in 2008, when a friend suggested I take on something big. A few days later, I found myself in a room of then-strangers signing up for a half-marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">From there, there were a series of scary running moments: the first group training session, going to a "real" running shoe store, the first double-digit run, the first energy gel and, of course, the first race day. Soon, the scary moments became the routine ones. And new scary ones took their place - signing up for a marathon, buying a bike, coaching a team of young girls.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another one of my favorite quotes is from <a href="http://www.waddle-on.com/" target="_blank">John "The Penguin" Bingham</a>, an author, columnist and self-described spokesperson for the slow-running movement: <span style="color: #333233;">"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's probably not a coincidence that the sentiment is the essentially the same as Eleanor's. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've read a lot of things, from books written by credentialed experts to personal blogs, on goal-setting. The one piece of advice that sticks out is that goals should be attainable enough that they are not impossible, but lofty enough that it gives you butterflies at the thought of trying. Looking back, the scary things - especially when it comes to running and riding - are probably the best things I have ever done.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Just this week, I was faced with another scary moment when a couple of gal-pals set up a group bike ride (which conveniently started at my house). I love riding with people, but to be perfectly honest, riding with people who are better than me completely scares (and frustrates) me. It scares me to a point that as the hours ticked away to our planned ride this week, I started to think just how I could get out of this ride. I even wondered if a raging sunburn qualified as a valid excuse.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">With the book's sentiment's fresh in my mind (and some encouragement from my sweetie), I decided not to back out. And, guess what, it was great. Not only was it fun, it was the best riding I've done all season. Nothing like a little positive peer pressure to improve performance. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've been thinking lately about the next "big thing" - things like another marathon, entering the Mount Washington Road Race lottery, joining and actively participating in a local running club, hiring a personal trainer or coach, going for speed. The possibilities are endless.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">For now, I'll keep my stomach butterflies fluttering a little less, but fluttering nonetheless. I signed up for the <a href="http://www.millenniumrunning.com/Pages/BILLKELLEY5k10K.aspx" target="_blank">Bill Kelley 10K </a>again this year. I had a so-so experience at this race last year, mostly due to the hot evening and lack of training. The switch to make it a Sunday morning race, as opposed to an after-work sweat-fest, will probably help part of that. The training part? Well, I haven't been exactly on-point with that lately. But those dang butterflies, and oh, the promise of an after-race poolside party at the Executive Health and Center Center's new tiki bar, Sizzle, lured me in.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The race, which also has a 5K option and benefits New Horizons for New Hampshire, is scheduled for Sunday, July 29. There's still plenty of time to sign up and get squeeze in some training runs. Does that give you butterflies? See you there.</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Teresa Robinson's NH Runner column appears every other week in the New Hampshire Sunday News. She can be reached at <a href="mailto:NHRunner123@gmail.com">NHRunner123@gmail.com</a>. Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/teresakrobinson" target="_blank">@teresakrobinson</a></span></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-28590527912468669322012-03-26T12:17:00.003-04:002012-03-26T12:26:49.911-04:00Running with the Leprechauns<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6G58KL467F17oxp473pStDPzvNVjXTGQjo8R3CDiiCO-W73Ovjl8gk-ZYvDouM9Jhz1sCBe0rNnqVBZdQTxBUps43DINZaV4Q0Afpemxbm51ihNgp2KEU34628Ed9n-I2DqFR7tVX8Ty/s1600/shamrockshufflekids.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 448px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 298px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724240849663875826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6G58KL467F17oxp473pStDPzvNVjXTGQjo8R3CDiiCO-W73Ovjl8gk-ZYvDouM9Jhz1sCBe0rNnqVBZdQTxBUps43DINZaV4Q0Afpemxbm51ihNgp2KEU34628Ed9n-I2DqFR7tVX8Ty/s320/shamrockshufflekids.jpg" /></a> <br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>PHOTO CREDIT: </em></span><a href="http://www.championphotollc.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Champion Photo</em></span></a></span></div><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">The following NH RUNNER column appeared in the <a href="http://www.unionleader.com/">New Hampshire Sunday News</a> on March 23, 2012.</span></em><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I don’t know about you, but I once hated running. In fact, one of the most dreaded school days was the day we had to run the mile as part of the Presidential Challenge fitness test. </span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><div><br />To the best of my recollection, we did not have any sort of build up or training. We just congregated on the school’s field, the gym teacher standing at one corner with a clipboard and whistle, and ran.<br /></div><br /><div>And I hated it. I hated not knowing, really, how far a mile was. I hated breathing hard and sweating. I hated the burning I felt in my lungs. I hated the kids who passed me with ease, trotting by with what seemed like little effort. I hated the fact that someone, somewhere had determined that how well we did in that mile “test” determined how fit we were.<br /></div><br /><div>I look back at those days now and laugh. Today, I love running. I love the freedom, the personal challenges and, yes, sometimes I love sweating and that burning feeling in my lungs.<br /></div><br /><div>Sometimes I wish I would have discovered the joy of running so much earlier, that someone would have shared the secret with me. That’s why I love when I hear of initiatives to support young runners.<br /></div><br /><div>Just before 11 a.m. today, 750 children will take place Leprechaun Kid Fun Runs, before the start of the Shamrock Shuffle in Manchester. Thanks to a sponsorship from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MVPGenerationGo">MVP Healthcare</a>, they can run the race (and any in the <a href="http://www.millenniumrunning.com/">Millennium Running Series</a>) for free. </div><br /><div><br />It’s part of MVP’s commitment to get kids active, according to Rebecca Couture of MVP Healthcare, who added the initiative is also about getting the whole family out and active together. </div><br /><div><br />“We want kids to come out and see what their parents are doing and maybe, just maybe, some parents will be motivated to run a road race, because their kids want to,” Couture said. “It goes both ways.” </div><br /><div><br />In fact, the program has already inspired Couture herself. She will lace up her running shoes for her first-ever race today. </div><br /><div><br />There’s little doubt that the streets will be lined with plenty of cheering fans as the younger runners hit the road. I know I’ll be there.<br /></div><br /><div>I’m also getting ready to help share my love of running with a group of elementary school girls as I prepare to become a volunteer coach for <a href="http://www.girlsontherun.org/">Girls On The Run</a>. </div><br /><div><br />The program uses running as a platform for its curriculum that teaches young girls about healthy eating, fitness, making good decisions, building self-esteem, setting goals and more. You know, all the skills and characteristics that running inherently helps us build. </div><br /><div><br />In New Hampshire, the program has grown to about 400 girls, something I give the executive director of New Hampshire’s Girls on the Run chapter, Jen Hubbell a lot of credit for. Her passion and enthusiasm is contagious, and it’s no wonder that there is a waiting list at many of the participating schools. </div><br /><div><br />In a little more than a week, I’ll meet my new team, a group of 15 girls in grades 3 through 5 at Green Acres School in Manchester. Over the course of 10 weeks, they will learn about self-respect and a healthy lifestyle while training for a 5K. </div><br /><div><br />On June 16, all of the Girls On The Run teams from across the state will convene for their grand finale, a 5K event that serves not only as a celebration of their accomplishments but also as a fundraiser for the non-profit. I encourage you to join us, whether to cheer or to run.<br /></div><br /><div>I’m excited to get to know my new team, to learn from them, to grow with them and to help them cross the finish line. In turn, they will probably teach me a lot about having fun, supporting each other and making up silly cheers. (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xQ-BWTBZr4">Like this!)</a></div><br /><div><br />Whatever happens, I’m pretty sure it will be a whole lot better than the one-mile fitness test I had in middle school. </div><br /><div><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Teresa Robinson is Community Relations Manager for the New Hampshire Union Leader. Her column appears every other week in the New Hampshire Sunday News. Her email address is trobinson@unionleader.com. </span></em></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541029015767600243.post-49599245757614625952012-02-14T08:54:00.007-05:002012-02-14T09:03:48.065-05:00Playing Dress-Up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OqSZ3g2-GKrJSF1uge6wAiu-ZMr3mZ0rRDQdSmvT4c3yi2do75UF0tHBg1pScOiaGSGzEyvwTFytqn9HE2QLbrY1X-YaUYl36rDVg2l7QmE_zdg4I82xNkM_OklJwF8Oj8Yd7uIMXgCK/s1600/5k+finals+CHaD+2011-368.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 404px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 290px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708990676029825362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OqSZ3g2-GKrJSF1uge6wAiu-ZMr3mZ0rRDQdSmvT4c3yi2do75UF0tHBg1pScOiaGSGzEyvwTFytqn9HE2QLbrY1X-YaUYl36rDVg2l7QmE_zdg4I82xNkM_OklJwF8Oj8Yd7uIMXgCK/s320/5k+finals+CHaD+2011-368.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>The following NH Runner column appeared in the New Hampshire Sunday News on Feb. 12, 2012. Photo above courtesy of Jim Stankiewicz. </em></span></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">My usual pre-race shopping list is expanding a bit. No longer will it only consist of the right kind of running shoes, wicking shirts and socks, comfy shorts and stay-put headbands. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Yes, I’m not afraid to admit that last week I bought an item for my next race at a most unusual place: a craft store. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It was what I consider an impulse buy. But I could not resist its sparkles and vibrant color shouting at me from the check-out aisle. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so I won’t go into much more detail, but I will say that I intend to run my first dress-up race next month when I participate in the <a href="http://millenniumrun.com/ShamrockShuffle.aspx">Shamrock Shuffle </a>before the St. Patrick’s Parade in Manchester on March 25.</span><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I’ve never been one to run in costume. Even when I went to Disney to run my first half-marathon, I was one of the traditional runners alongside the princesses, Mickey Mouses and all of the other (often elaborate) costumes running through the happiest place on earth. </span><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">But playing dress-up appeals to many runners, apparently. At last year’s Boston Marathon, I was passed by a hamburger at Mile 21. (I have convinced myself that the guy wearing the hamburger costume did not run the entire 21 miles before he passed me.) </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Let’s face it, most of us aren’t going to win the race. So we might as well have fun with it. In a very informal poll, local runners shares some of their favorite dress-up races:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>CHaD Hero Half Marathon<br /></strong>Thousands or runners and supporters of the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth take over Lebanon’s downtown in an all out hero inspired marathon benefitting the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. In fact, the race holds the Guinness World Record for having the most super heroes on one place. This year’s event is taking place on Oct. 21, a welcome change to the August date they had the past couple of years. For more information or to sign your team up, visit </span><a href="http://www.chadhalf.org/"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.chadhalf.org/</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>WITCH WAY TO THE 5K<br /></strong>Scheduled near Halloween, dressing up for this race just makes sense. Matt Bryant and his friends (eight of them, I assume) dressed up as Santa and his reindeer for the 3.1 mile run. Christine Telge of Manchester ran this race dressed in full camouflage and boots – and upped the ante by pushing a double-stroller draped with a camo tarp carrying two little army men (her sons). Timm Hartmann of Manchester and his wife dressed up as Batman and Bat Girl, complete with all black-Vibram TrekSports on his feet. I couldn’t find any updated information for 2012 on this race, but it sure stuck in the minds of many of my running friends so hopefully the race organizers are taking notes. Proceeds from the race benefit technology at Ross A. Lurgio Middle School in Bedford. More information at </span><a href="http://www.sau25.net/"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.sau25.net/</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>REACH THE BEACH<br /></strong>As if running 200 or so miles as a relay team isn’t challenging enough, some runners decide to take it one step further. Case in point: the Runn’n Commando team. Hooksett’s Muriel Saliba tells me that team members – yes, the guys, too – run in camouflage running skirts and other accessories.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>TURKEY TROT AND SANTA SHUFFLE<br /></strong>I have a college friend who runs her annual Turkey Trot in a full (and very bulky!) cartoon turkey costume. As if that’s not enough, her brother, dressed as a Pilgrim, chases her along the race route with a fake hatchet. And, who can forget the one thousand runners in full Santa Claus costumes – beards, included – running down Elm Street in December? </span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It seems like this costume fad isn’t going away, so I might as well join in the fun. Please don’t set the bar too high for my Shamrock Shuffle outfit. Perhaps by the time the CHaD Hero Half Marathon comes around, I’ll be ready for a full Wonder Woman costume. Maybe.<br /></span><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Teresa Robinson is Community Relations Manager for the New Hampshire Union Leader. Her column appears every other week in the New Hampshire Sunday News. Her email address is trobinson@unionleader.com.<br /></div></span></em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0