Pulse Pilates

Today was my second EVER Pilates class!  Sean took me to a mat class at Pulse Pilates in Carlsbad on my first weekend home.  Having never done Pilates, I was a bit nervous and pretty much had it in my mind that it would be way too hard for me and I would end up looking really silly trying to do all kinds of "weird" stuff.

As it turns out, it wasn't awful and today Sean and I headed back for my second mat class with Natalie Dent.  She is amazing - patient, positive, and challenging!  I was incredibly awkward with all of the movements, especially the ones that left me shaking because my body was revolting...but she guided me through each movement as I needed help.  The class size was small, nine people total this morning, which is perfect for me.

The class is challenging but fun.  It forces you to engage your core and work on flexibility, which I really, really need to do based on the fact that I can barely touch my toes!  So for anyone looking to bolster their training plan, challenge themselves and have fun - check it out!  If you are in the Carlsbad area, I highly recommend you check out the Pulse Pilates studio where you can meet the lovely Natalie Dent.  

Running for Stillness

It seems somewhat counterintuitive that I need movement to find stillness.  I'm talking about stillness in my soul, stillness in my mind, and stillness in my heart.  After eight months of going non-stop, or what felt like non-stop, I need to find a way to calm myself.  A way to cease the need to always be doing something.  

I've tried meditating, but I seem to be too restless to calm down.  There are hundreds of thoughts bouncing around in my head and as soon as I push one thought out, there's another one just waiting.  

I've tried yoga...I really love it, but it is hard to work into my schedule and costs a lot of money.

But I always have old faithful - the trails that do not desert, do not cost much, and are always open whenever I can fit them in.

I find that stillness on the trails.  Lacing up my running shoes, tying up my hair in a ponytail, and pounding out the miles is the best way I know how to do that.  

There's no "to do" list when I run.  There's no judgement when I run (unless I'm being extra critical of myself).  There's no requirement to think (well, for the most part).  

It is extraordinary that such a simple act of putting one foot in front of the other can bring such calmness to my mind.  Perhaps it is the simplicity that makes it so peaceful.  I choose not to overthink it and just enjoy the solitude, the break from a busy day, the quietness.  

Time for Some Goals

Now that I'm back in the swing of things, I guess it's time to set some goals.  I'm on the hunt for some fall races to do - mostly looking at triathlons right now.  I find that signing up for races helps me focus on training more.  Additionally, for anyone who has read our blog before, you know we are huge fans of setting goals and holding ourselves accountable by posting weekly updates on how we are doing.




Exercise Goals
1) Run 25 miles a week.
2) Swim at least 3 times a week.
3) Bike to and from work at least once a week.
4) 10-dead hang pull-ups.




Nutrition Goals
1) One caffeinated drink per day.
2) One carbonated beverage per week.
3) Keep a food journal...preferably one where I don't cheat and leave things out!


Stay tuned for updates on how things are going!

What goals are you working towards right now?  Anything big on the horizon?

Great to be Back

After a long eight months away, I'm happy to report that I'm back in SoCal and loving it!  The deployment seemed to fly by, but I really, really missed running.  At the beginning of 2012, I was running fairly regularly with another Marine.  The weather was cool and it only rained off and on for about a month.  Then things got busy at work and there was less time to get outside and hit the road.  As the weather warmed up, it was too hot to run during the day and I wasn't able to run alone at night.  So, I settled for a lot of time on the trainer, riding my bike.  Oh yeah, and the air quality in Afghanistan is AWFUL!  I guess I could compare it to Los Angeles...we burn our trash out there and the burn pit is going 24/7.  The wind kicks up all kinds of dust and sand.  Yup, I'm pretty good at coming up with reasons for why I was so lazy!

Well, now that I'm back in Carlsbad, it was time to dust off the old running shoes!  We got home on the 30th and first thing on the morning of the 31st I laced up my shoes and hit the road.  I was completely expecting to be somewhat out of shape, but WHOA...I needed walk breaks.  But it doesn't even matter to me.  I was running/walking by the beautiful Batiquitos Lagoon, not inhaling any dust.

It's great to be home with Sean and Nessie.  Tomorrow it's time to go back to work and that means facing the hills of Camp Pendleton after eight months in the flattest place I've ever been!

Time to get back out there!!!

MCM Training: Week 4

After my previous week with two days off, I should have felt rested, but we had lots of company and I probably consumed more alcohol than during a regular week, so I was feeling sluggish.

Here's what week 4 had in store for me:

Monday: Off
Tuesday: 5
Wednesday: Intervals
Thursday: 6
Friday: 5
Saturday: 13
Sunday: 4

And the week actually turned out like this:

Monday: 6
Tuesday: 5
Wednesday: 3
Thursday: 3
Friday: 1200 w/u, 4x 400 FK (400), 800 c/d
Saturday: 11.5
Sunday: Off

Lately it's been really rainy here:( On Monday, I headed out with the Weasel in tow for a nice 6 miler on base. It was drizzling when I left the house, and by the time we were parked on base, it was really coming down. Thank goodness for the rain shield! We started off at a decent pace, but nearing the 2 mile mark, Reagan had to potty. We stopped at a building and took a pee break. Then we went back out in the rain and finished the rest of the scheduled run. My shoes were SOAKED!

Tuesday was not much better, weather wise. But I had my SW buddies with me, so logging 5 in the rain with company wasn't so bad.

Wednesday was another run on the Air Station. I had good intentions of going 5, but since I had put off my run that morning (again due to rain), I didn't get started until about 3:00. It was brutally hot and humid. I wasn't feeling great, so I cut the run a bit short.

Thursday was a short run in the neighborhood that was again cut short. We were running late for a photo session on the beach!

Friday was another run with my favorite SWs! We were already scheduled to do intervals, so I just did the proscribed workout.

Saturday's long run wasn't great, but did provide amazing weather. I started at 4:40 and was finished and showered before the Weasel even woke up! My right knee was bothering me a bit (I think I banged it on something earlier in the week), so I was happy with 11.5.

The week's total mileage was 31.76, bringing me to a plan total of 125.41 to date. Bring it on week 5!

MCM Training: Week 3

With two weeks under my belt, I started to feel a bit more confident. One of the biggest hindrances to my training has been the heat, and this week was no exception, but during this week, life took over and I ended up with 5 days of running. No worries, it was still a great week, plus that's what the plan called for (just not back to back:).

Here's what week 3 was supposed to look like:

Monday: Off
Tuesday: 5
Wednesday: Intervals
Thursday: 4
Friday: Off
Saturday: 15
Sunday: 4

Week 3 actually looked like this:

Monday: 5
Tuesday: 5
Wednesday: 1m w/u, 1600 TK (800), 800 TK (400), 6x200 FK (200), 800 c/d
Thursday: 14
Friday: Off
Saturday: Off
Sunday: 2

Monday and Tuesday were great runs, mainly because my FIL was in town and he took stroller duty! Wednesday's was a bit odd. I woke up early with the Weasel and logged the warmup and the first 1600 interval. Then I headed back to the house where I dumped the stroller and the Weasel with FIL and her Uncle Geoffrey. I went back out into the neighborhood to do some more intervals, and though it was already hot, they went pretty well.

On Thursday morning, I awoke at 4:30 and was running by 4:40. I downed half of a Honey Stinger Waffle prior to running and set a full bottle of water + some Honey Stinger Chews at the top of my street. I logged 8 miles in my tiny neighborhood which was quite a feat of boredom. By the time it was light enough to hit the main road, I was more than ready to finish. But I kept going, sipping water and eating a few chews for energy. This was a good run. I was soaked when I finished, but the temps were never unbearable and that made waking up super early totally worthwhile.

On Friday morning, we were up early, but not to run:) On that fine, HOT morning, Jason, Fil and I hit the golf course for 18. It was a wonderful break to my training routine. Then Saturday rolled around and it was time for the Weasel's 2-year old birthday party. No time to run then either.

Sunday hit and I missed my running window in the morning. We ended up having a crab feast around 1:30 (Well, everyone else did, but I ate pasta since I'm allergic.) and then we had to say goodbye to Uncle Geoffrey since he was heading home. I had already had a glass of champagne, but I really had an itch to lace up, so I went out for a quick 2 miles (averaged a 7:43 pace) and called it good.

Week 3 was a success!

MCM Training: Week 2

With the first week under my belt, and lots of fellow SW posting on FB about their own accomplishments (in their plans), I was feeling confident going into week 2.

Week 2 was supposed to look like this:

Monday: Off
Tuesday: 5
Wednesday: Intervals
Thursday: 5
Friday: 3
Saturday: 12
Sunday: 4


In reality, I should know that I will almost always be running Monday, Tuesday and Friday for sure. I try to get my long runs in during the week, so we don't miss family time, but that's not always possible since we're potty training and hauling the Weasel with me is rough for 10+ miles.

Here's what Week 2 actually brought:

Monday: 5
Tuesday: 1m w/u, 2x (1200 TK (600), 800 TK (400), 400 FK (200), 1m c/d)
Wednesday: 4.01
Thursday: 4.01
Friday: 3.05
Saturday: 11
Sunday: Off


Tuesday's interval workout was a HOT one. I arrived at our SW workout about 35 minutes early, knowing I wouldn't have time to get the entire workout done. I did the warmup and first round of intervals, took a break to meet up with the SW and then continued the rest of the plan. I had to walk the rest periods between the last couple intervals, but it was nearing 9am and getting too hot. On Saturday morning, I woke up at 4:45, grabbed half of a Honey Stinger Waffle and hit the neighborhood roads until it got light out. That's tough because my neighborhood it TINY! From my house to the furthest point back is .8 miles. I managed to get 4 in the hood before grabbing my pre-staged water bottle for a quick sip and heading out on the main road. I headed out for a couple miles in one direction, turned back to grab some more water and a couple Honey Stinger Chews to finish out the 11. It was just shy of my goal, but my longest, successful run in a while and I was feeling good. I did manage to get several blisters, but they didn't affect me too badly.

On a whim, I had purchased a Chilly Pad cooling towel at Bed, Bath & Beyond earlier in the week. I decided that Saturday would be a perfect day to test it out. I ran the entire 11 miles with it and felt pretty good. I'm not sure how effective it was because I finished my run before the sun actually got high enough to see, but I think I'll be trying it again.

Me and my Chilly Pad nearing the finish. 

Week 2 was over and I was feeling great. My total mileage for week 2 was 33.57. The plan total to date is 62.4.