It takes a village

I was watching the Olympics and it really struck me how many people it takes to get an athlete to the Olympics to compete. It literally takes a village of people supporting, nurturing, believing in and using their gifts to get an athlete to that level.

Greatness is not therefore the effort of one individual athlete but a collective energy that propels that athlete to greatness and excellence.

You are the sum of the 5 people you surround yourself! Think about those people - are they people that challenge you to be the best you? Are they people that love you, support you, believe in you, and work to elevate you? I believe Oprah said it best -

I know that I worked to surround myself with the best people around that love, support & believe in me - my family, friends, running partners, coach, PT, massage therapist, Chiro and an ART guy.

After a tumultuous year of having a few personal relationships that didn't met this criteria. I learned the value of this very ideal. Learn to guard myself and uphold these values in my relationships. I only let people in that know my heart, except me and do not judge, for that is love. And I commit to them in the same manner - love without judgement.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23

Our time here is limited, I learned that only people that will love and support you are where you need to spend your energies.

Week In Review

The week I got over it!

Beginning of the week, I had strange nig in my leg that caused me to take an extra day off over last weekend. It was iffy on Monday but with some good therapy it was all but good on Tuesday. Contiuned all week with stretching the glute and hamstring. Did miss out on a 20 X400 workout because of iffy glute & hamstring thing but it is better to run easy and not be injured.

The heat wave contiuned and keep fighting through it.

The results of week

Monday - 8 Easy
Tuesday - 9 Easy (AM) 3 Easy (PM)
Wednesday 9 Rasy
Thursday - 8 Easy (AM) 4 Easy (PM)
Friday - 3.5 W/U , 1 mile of sprint work, 3.5 C/D
Saturday - 9 Easy
Sunday - 2 W/U, 8 mile @ 7:30, 2 C/D

Miles = 70

Redemption on the Track

For all the craziness and ups and downs this week, I had a solid track workout this morning. I got up early to have coffee and breakfast before I left for the track at sunrise. I was sort of nervous as I just haven't felt that great this week and was still picking up the pieces from my emotional day on Tuesday.

I did have a glimmer of hope for a great AM as I check the weather and it read 75 and only 89% humidity and 72 dew point. WOW! I am business now that is darn near fall like conditions.

I went outside and did feel muggy but I reminded myself that the dew point is much lower than I had been running so it will be great.

As I started my warm-up on the track the sun started to rise and a cool breeze started up which kept me relatively cool.

I proceeded to do the workout which was

8 X 150
8 X 50
4 X 120

Now this doesn't look like a lot of work on paper at all but with the 3 minute jog recoverys - the workout itself took 1 hr to complete. And I will atest the fact my legs were tiring in the final 120s even with the full recovery between.

I am happy with workout as I managed another session all in the 4:55-5:22 range. I also felt increbily smooth and fluid. Never forcing the pace. I focused on the fluidity of my stride working to generate the force & speed but in a completely controlled manner. Totally thought about how I would love be a sprinter - I definitely have the developed posterior chain of a sprinter :-)

Anyway from the brink of burnout early in the week to ready to take on the world by the end of the week - goes to show how the eb and flow of training goes.

The biggest lesson I have learned in the past week is when you are on the brink of saying fuck it - always know that you are closer than you think and that the tide can change in your favor literally overnight. Stay in faith even in frustration.

Okay I had it...

So not today but yesterday I felt very much like I had enough of it....I am human and can be susceptible to fatigue, doubt, and fear. The negative thoughts can come hard when fatigue has set in. It is harder to fight back when you have sweated out your soul trying to fight, claw, bleed to stay the course in sauna like conditions.

It all started about mile 3 mile into a 10 miler. I had to start a bit late cause of camp drop off. I started out at 8:30AM and it was 82 degrees, humidity somewhere near 90% and dew point at 76. UGH! I thought the saving grace would be the shade in the trail. I started and wow was surprised that I was actually moving along okay and my spirits immediately were up and I was enjoying the scenery. Well that didn't last long, nope, nope, nope, something had changed around 3 miles in. I felt like all of sudden the effort to move forward was taking lots of energy and my pace dropped quickly by about 30 seconds. I stop to take a drink of gatorade and took note that I was already soaked in sweat. Oh dear - I not sure how I managed the next few miles but knew I was not feeling well to try to complete 10 miles. I could feel my chest working hard and knew my heart was under stress so I returned from the trail to finish 9 miles. In 9 miles, I think I lost every oucne of water in my body. I was dripping and pouring sweat onto the ground as I stretched out. I was so wet that I soaked through a towel that was on my car sit. I got in my car to drive home and sure enough the temp gauged red 92 degree and my phone said the dew point was at 74. Now people until you have run in dew point over 70-75 you don't know that is close to a death walk. This run left me so mentally and physically drained that I was pretty upset and irrational for the remainder of the day.

I am so lucky to have the love of my family which was quick to offer aid in the form unconditional love and support. My husband dropped everything to listen to me whimper about the weather and held me telling me that I will get through it and it will be worth it. I had a daughter forcing me to let go of my frustration by grabbing my face telling me to trust god followed by mommy, you need to breathe in blue skies in and breathe out gray skies out. She held my face til I agreed to do this with her. I said "Joey, but mommy doesn't want more blue skies - I want gray skies!!! Smart little girl says "so Mommy breathe in gray skies and send blue skies away". Mind you this girl is 6 yrs old. Heaven set angel of mine.

Times like these you realized how loved and important you are to them.

The rest of evening I worked my best to let go of my frustration. That worked until bedtime when the emotions swelled again. Running in this heat is getting to be painful and it tests your resolve to keep fighting for your dream. I laid in bed thinking silent prayers asking for strength, guidance and a sign that it all will be well and that I am on the right path.

This morning I woke up early to meet a friend that was visiting from out of town for the run. Due to the time of the morning, I didn't realize the skies were iffy until I reached the parking lot. I got out of my car and saw a HUGE black cloud heading in our direction. I was beyond excited as I knew that this cloud was holding the answer to my prayers. Relief from the heat!!! Within 10 minutes, my dear friend and I were running in the rain!!! Sweet relief - we shared stories of encouragement and love. What a renewing run! I breathed in my gray skies in gratitude all the amazinginess of this day.

One Final Push

11 days to be exact...Will finish off a 10 week training segment where I averaged between 60-72 mpw. Than I get a 2 week regeneration break. The first week of the regeneration period will take me down to 38 miles and slowly over 3 weeks bring me back up 70 mpw. This should give me a renewed season of go-get'ems for my marathon training segment.

I am very excited and feel blessed because the first week of my regeneration period coincides with our vacation. We are going on a Disney Cruise to Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, and Cozumel.

This light of the end of tunnel is giving me lots of end game motivation to finish off this segment well.

I am tired and having been longing for a break especially with the weather conditions. In a way, I feel like I can hang on for this final push. It sort like when you are running maybe a long run or medium long run and you really want to stop but you start bargaining with yourself to go one more mile and a than you get there and you say to yourself okay one more mile and than bamb you finished the entire thing but you did it by just getting the mile your in done. That is how I am going to do these last 11 days, just focus on finishing the miles I have on each day.

A girl and her family that are - ALL IN

A while back, maybe 5 months ago when I had that calf issue, I was seeing a PT to rehab it and to get back to running. I really loved the care he provided and referred him to a good friend who had been dealing with some hip & shin issues.

She had told me after one of her appointments with him what he said about me. That Jamie she is ALL IN. I remember that day that Kim had told me of this conversation. I remember smiling and than Kim saying how awesome it was to be considered to be a person that is ALL IN. I hadn't thought of it all like that but I guess in a way over the past year I have really gone all in. More and more with each passing day and month. My commitment to this path has been cememnted by the work already done, progress already achieve, people that have commited their gifts toward my progress, people that I love & love me giving their unyielding support & love. There is no going back - only forward and why go half in.... There is half way point to greatness. Medicore is the half way to the dream. Greatness goes to those willing to Go Big, Play Big, and Go All In & honor that dream in there heart!

Risk it all!! Dream Bigger!!! Believe!!! Have Faith!!!

I have no idea where this dream will take me but I do know life is worth living to the fullest and taking risks. I do know that I have a family that believes in this dream as their own.

In a conservation with my husband last week, my husband described my running jounrey as our (his & mine) dream. I about bawled! I than reflected on his comment while running that evening. WOW! There is no better feeling than having someone else believe in your dream and your ability to see it through and want it for you as much you want it. My children often give me encouragement and loving comments - like today my daughter got on my legs and starting trying to jump on them saying mommy I need to help you get your legs stronger and faster.

Me as a girl and we as a family have a dream and we are ALL IN!!!

Keep On Keeping On

The humidity and dew point upped its ante over the course of the past 2 weeks. Running in dew points over 70 - can wipe you out and leave you for died.

That is how I felt early in the week. Pretty tired and beat up!

I was feeling the fatigue on a big workout day - Tuesday. Not sure if I was mentally or phyiscally in the right state to attempt this big workout. The warm-up was basically YUCK!!! Which didn't help me mentally or phyiscally.

I decide to go inside and use the treadmill for my 8 mile tempo as it just wasn't going to happen outdoors with temps at 80, 100% humidity and dew point at 73.

I jumped on the treadmill and thought lets see what I can do.

Workout was an alternating tempo from 7:05 - 6:50 over 8 miles.

Hit 7:08, 6:53, 7:05, 6:49 and the wheels starting coming off..fatigue, emotional frustration, head spinning and started to feel dizzy. I made a emotional decision to stop & got off the treadmill crying a bit and sweating a lot. Tried to figure out what I was going to do - finish it or call it a day. After I caught my breath and wiped the tears and sweat from my face, I decide to finish it up by breaking the final 4 miles in to 2 mile tempo intervals with 3 minute rest. Not easy but I think at this point it was more mentality doable. Ran 1 set @ 7:05 & 6:50 & 2nd set @ 7:05 & 6:48.

So I am pretty happy to be running these times even though the workout didn't go perfectly - I am proud of myself for pushing through and making the most of what I had on that day.

I am thankful that for the wonderful family & friends that remind me of how far I have come - thank you for the love and support that you all provide. It is so much appreciated from the bottom of my heart.

I just have to keeping on keeping on....

Dreaming of a day in the 60s with humidity lower than 80% - wow how awesome that would feel!!!