Keeping Pace

Keeping Pace

Archives for September 2007

Roll with the punches

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My body is trying to roll with the punches, go with the flow, adjust and recover from my late night of watching our local football team get creamated and then wait until 11 pm for the train to take us home. It’s 10:40 am and my body is still waking up.

I haven’t been eager to get out for today’s run. Yesterday’s run (8 miles) felt awful. I hoping that my body will do better with the lower heartrate (that’s how the BETA blockers lower blood pressure).

I’m now dressed in my running apparal. My cytomax is mixed up. Now, I just have to generate a little more enthusiasm and courage to get out there.

Please send me good vibes for a safe run. Technically, I’m already tapering. It’s only 18 miles. Yippee!

The ABC’s start with “A”

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Here’s the deal. I’ve noticed a tight feeling in my throat for a couple weeks now. I couldn’t actually pinpoint when it started; it’s been more intense on some days. But recently, the feeling has been more intense, more consistent. I’ve been trying to figure out the cause but it was a guessing game until now.

I woke up and noticed that my throat felt normal. It was clearly different from what I’ve been feeling. When the kids were taking their medications, I began to wonder if my ACE inhibitorcould be the cause. I wondered and then dismissed the idea because I’ve been on this medicaiton for a while. Sure, I’ve gone up on the dose recently, but the timing of the increased dose did not coincide with the throat issue. I took my pill, along with my allergy pill. Soon after, we were out the door.

It was about 30 minutes later that I noticed the urge to have something hot to drink. I had not made my latte at home so I would have to pay for a latte if I stopped. I didn’t care. By the time I had my drink in hand I was well into my throat clearing habit. By the time I hit the freeway, I was coughing. It was pretty obvious – the ACE inhibitor is not agreeing with me.

All day I wondered why the symptoms would start now. I tried to convince myself that going outside started up my seasonal allergies. But, even indoors, the feeling continued. By lunch, I felt miserable enough to skip my run. Then I had a realization.

Before now, I wasn’t aware of the tightening in my throat because, until I missed a dose over the weekend, I used to take my medication as night. A-ha!

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Over the hump

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I was catching my breath between intervals when a ghost from my past drove up on his bicycle. The last time we’d encountered each other on the trail I hadn’t recognized him – even after he told me his name. I remain embarrassed, after all of these years past, that I did not know the boy that I spent most of my high school years dating.

I was stretching after completing the first of three 2-mile intervals. I did a self-check to assess if it was safe to venture further from my van, as I’ve been feeling under the weather since yesterday. I confirmed that I was not feeling dizzy, and the tightness in my throat had eased up. I felt a bit vulnerable having forgotten to grab my cell phone but, seriously, who would I call if I got into trouble. It’s not like my husband could leave heaven to rescue me.

The fact was, I was feeling okay at the moment. I was, in fact, elated at my having nailed the interval pace perfectly. I was tired, but encouraged as well. It wasn’t that long ago when I felt that I’d never be able to hit the paces that Coach was asking of me.

In a matter of minutes, my old friend and I caught up on our lives (children, employment status, and my grieving). When he told me that I appeared to being doing okay, I mentioned that my running kept me sane. His commenting that my running had always fulfilled that need was a big “hello” for me ~ he’d managed to recognize me even though I had failed to know him.

Before long, we were both back on the trail. He rode on ahead, and I did my best to keep my required pace even after cooling down.

It was up to me to gauge my progress as Garminia has a habit of missing the mark on her mile measurements, thus pace, on the trail that I was at. I did my best to push hard enough to hit the target pace but not so hard that I would die off before the 2 miles was traveled.

I was pleased with the outcome. Not only did I hit the pace on the second 2-mile interval, but I surpassed it on the final one. Then I drove home, showered, logged my workout, and returned to bed. I was not feeling so good anymore.

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The race

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The workshop titled “Empowering Yourself to Create New Possibilities” was a little strange. I little too touchy-feely for me. The most difficult part about it, though, was the constant references to “morning the loss” – of OUR JOBS. I did get something out of it though…

The gun has sounded and we are all off and running. We are, in a sense, moving in the same direction yet we all have different goals.

There are some that will run with only the goal to finish the race. They take their time and take in every aspect of the journey. Their journey is no more, or less, than that of the others who run the course.

Others have a different goal in mind. They do not slow to take in the crowd, let alone to refuel. They are literally on the run at all times. They reach down deep to find the power that will fuel them along the way.

No matter what approach is taken, it is the people that make the journey meaningful. Those who run beside you, whom you pass, or who pass you along the way add to the experience. We pull each other along with acknowledgement of the struggle to get to our destination.

Of course it wouldn’t be the same without those who stand on the sidelines for hours on end. The signs that say “Go Mom,” whether intended for you or not, speak volumes of encouragement. The kids, who stretch out their hand, give you encouragement and five more reasons to continue forward on your journey.

Do not give up. The race is worth running, and the finish line is so rewarding. All the aches and pains along the way are the evidence of your character, and when you choose to take your next step you will be empowered to create whatever you desire.

Holding on

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It’s Saturday, aka “rest day.” For me, it means a day when I don’t have to get out of bed. So it took me quite a while to do just that. I went about my blah day, feeling blah and resisting doing anything productive.

While I accomplish nothing useful, I demand that my children pick up their shoes and the clothes that they have peeled off downstairs. That is the thing with boys on hot days, they undress anywhere and leave their clothing everywhere.

I insist that they pick up their clothes “NOW” and take them up to their rooms. Then I take my coffee into my room where piles of my clean clothes sit on the chair and in the laundry basket awaiting my attention. I hear my voice saying “NOW,” to which I respond, “What-EVER.”

I have a packet of papers that need completing, well, NOW. My resume needs further tweaks, and I need to get my the boys dirty clothes washed, folded, and up to their rooms. But I just don’t feel like it.

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