Are you being pushed or you being pulled?

I had this thought while running today about chasing your goals or dreams.

Are you being pushed or pulled is something that came to mind? Being pushed implies forced against your will or desire and on the other hand being pulled has more of feeling of nonresistant.

I think on days like this AM for me when the allergens are high & I felt really bad energy level-wise, headachy and chest feeling tight there was a thought on how I have to run 9 miles feeling this bad but I let my thoughts of my dreams and what I want to accomplish pull me out the door and onto the road to find that I didn't feel that bad and I am actually a pretty tough cookie. I didn't feel push to do it but I rather feel like strings were pulling me towards something bigger and shutting out the oh but you feel like craps that were trying to take over in my head.

Ah! I came home just feeling so happy that my dreams are big enough and strong enough to have such a strong pull that it can resist fatigue, sickness, excuses, fears, and doubts.

If you feel like your life is pushing you around rather it pulling in the right direction, you may want to sit down with yourself and listen to your heart a bit. It will never led you astray.

Got to face up to the fact that I THAT AM FAST

This sounds like such a strange comment but coming to terms with my increasing fitness has paralyzed me a bit.

My training paces have been really increasing lately at first I was freaked by new set of schedules which had a lot of work in the 6 minute range. I am not sure why but that freaks me out because I know I have done the work to get here and the thought of a fantastic marathon is always in my mind. And I have not had a problem doing the work in the 6 minute range but alas there is a part me that does not equate these paces as me being that fast. I still look at runners that I always considered fast with awe and now being in the same ranks of them and seeing myself there is a harder mental transition to make.

This all has been perkalating in my mind over the past couple of weeks but was really brought to forefront of my thoughts with a 10K race I have scheduled for this weekend. I got my pace goals from my coach yesterday and his plan for the race about sunk my tummy! GOAL 42:00-42:30 - OMG! WTF - Goal is go out at 6:50ish and maintain through the 2 miles - miles 3&4 - drop to 6:40 and miles 5&6 work very hard to crush the finish.

Now I have to find the belief that I am that fast. I know the workouts all point to these times, Jeff is NEVER wrong, I believe in him and I trust him, I am stronger than ever, I have my faith and if I hold tight to the faith than come what may I will be good to go on Saturday.

Reminder to me - Let your Faith be bigger than your Fear.

Go to work

I have a key workout today that has me all jittery. I guess this feeling is increasing a normal part of the training process especially when you have a coach that increasing pushes you as hard as mine does to me. Sometimes the paces he give me freak me out, not sure why but they do....

Now most everyone prepares for the physical part of a hard training run - eat right, hydrate, warm-up etc..but for me the key in hard workouts is the mental prep I do before a hard workout. Getting yourself in the right frame of mind to do the workout is really key and can be the difference in you killing it or it killing you.

Sometimes the nerves in preparing for a key workout can be overwhelming that you have to work so so so hard to shutdown that negative chatter that seems to intensify as you prepare to do something hard, unknown and grueling.

For me during my warm-up, I am constantly working to shutdown that chatter and know once I get into the work out the nerves will settle. I try too distract my mind during my warm-up cause it can itself so worked up that it distracts me from what I need to be doing. Although the warm-up itself is a nerve soother as well.

I often think that workouts are the days my mind has to work way harder than my body. These are the days that I really test what lies beneath and I think that is where the nerves come from - today will it be there? will I be able to tap into that strength when the hurt sets in? will I be able to suffer a little more today than I did in the last workout? will I be able to shut out that chatter that screams enough? will I be able to relax and stay calm?

I will say a quick pray out loud - Lord Willing I will met the challenge of 10X800 @ 3:05-3:10.

Thank you Lord for the strength, courage and your presence everyday and in everyway.

Week in review

I am excited to write this week in review cause I had a really good week where I hit everything mileage and workout times.

Monday 7 recovery
Tuesday 9 easy
Wednesday 2 w/u, 8 miles - 7:13, 6;58, 7:13, 6:55, 7:19, 7:03, 7:13, 6:49, 1 c/d
Thursday 5 Recovery (AM) 4 Easy (PM)
Friday (AM) 10 easy (PM) 3 Recovery (SLOW)
Saturday 10 with 8 @MP - 7:35, 7:30, 7:30, 7:30, 7:28, 7:24, 7:19, 6:54
Sunday 16 easy with 7X90 second surges @ 6:30 pace

Mileage total - 75 Miles

I LOVE the work I get to do

I love the work I get to do! I just had to say that as I have been feeling it in my heart for the past two weeks. So blessed and happy! Kids are back to school and I am training pretty regularly with just a couple bumps in the road this week.

Okay I have to say it again - I LOVE THE WORK I GET TO DO!!!

I love that I am living my dream life!

Really balancing childcare and training during the school year is such awesome bag of having the best of both worlds.

I get to get up with my kiddie kats, snuggle them and send them off to school feeling loved and cherished. Than I get to focus on me and what needs to happen in my training for that day. I can get to go to the grocery store and get a constant supply of fresh food. Than be home for those kiddie kats to have a safe & loving place to come home to after school where they can unwind and play with friends.

Than I get to put them to bed at a decent time, maybe get in that second run or stretch session while spending time with hubby.

I LOVE THIS LIFE!! It is simple and pretty boring to some but for me, it is the life I dreamed of living!!

The week ahead

It is said that you need to prepare ahead of time to succeed in anything. So I am thinking ahead to the 3 workouts I have this week. I need to be eating enough, sleeping enough, getting in all my flexibilty & mobility stuff in before & after runs, and stay in a positive frame of mind all week which should help me perform these key workouts.

The most imidating of the workouts is on Wednesday which is a 8 mile alternating tempo at aggressive paces.

I plan to spend the next 2 days eating well, rehydrating, resting as much as possible and keeping the positive vibes in and around me.

Week in Review

Good week mixed with some awesome workouts and tough weekend of running in the hottest & most humid temps thus far but very happy to hit the mileage for the week. I keep reminding myself that this mileage is going to pay off when the temps come down. I try like hell to keep my chin up when the weather conditions make me feel out of shape.

Monday (AM)8 easy (PM) 4 easy + Core
Tuesday 2 W/U, 4 X 1.5 miles @ 6:58, 6:58, 6:55, 6:50, 2 C/D
Wednesday 6 Recovery
Thursday 8 Easy
Friday 2 W/U, 2 X 3 @ 6:58, C/D + Strength Training
Saturday (AM)7 Recovery (PM) 3 Recovery
Sunday 14 Easy

Mileage Total - 70