The Midlife Reframe

Category: workout

  • October: Time for a Reboot

    A BIG reboot.

    After my last race(s) during Maritime Race Weekend, I took a break.

    There I am!  2nd from the left during the Sunrise 5k 🙂
    I needed this break.  Needed to take a step back.
    There has been a lot going on in “the background”.  TeenThing finally has a job (yay!).  As I sit here writing this post, she is at her first shift (training).  I am just over a full month and a half on low dose hormone for perimenopausal joy. (This is something my doctor and I discussed when I was in to see her for my shingles.)  There was some residual fatigue from shingles as well.  Work has been busy (which is good, because my brain needs that for survival, hahahaha).
    Things are better since I have seen my doc, especially for the perimenopausal joy.  I am not as absent-minded or moody AF (Which, astonishingly, I knew wasn’t my mental illness.  This is a whole other beast.  A weird, WTF kind of beast.)  Can’t get rid of those hot flashes though, lol.  Took some time for me.  Got some new hair (actually this colour is extremely close to my “before gray” hair).

    Who IS that mama??
    I also needed to step back because I was losing my running mojo.  I had two great races but I wasn’t getting that “HELLZ YEAH” feeling on my runs.  I also wasn’t feeling GOOD.  I felt off.  I needed to find my mojo again.  My love of feeling the burn 😉

    I found it today.  Fighting a head cold, on the couch, I found it.

    I watched From Fat to Finish Line on Netflix.  Remembering the way I felt during my last two races:  the people, the atmosphere and the support of everyone who runs.  How much of an accepting family runners are.
    With this new month I am doing a reboot.  I need to really, because I run a 5km race later this month, lol.
    So, nice and easy goes the train.  I signed up for the “new” Bad Yogi 30 day challenge, will head back to the gym on a regular schedule, and start kicking those kms in the butt.  Also, I bought Run Fast Eat Slow to get my cooking mojo back!
    [For anyone who needs to have someone kick their butt to get their mojo back, check out Carey (A PT and Coach) with Running Moms.  She has great programs and is a fantastic motivator.  I was kicking ass before I got sick and hormonally screwed, lol. I am also pretty sure that was how I made it through my two races with great times!]
    What do you do when you lose your mojo?  Take a break?  Work harder?
    What works for you? 
     

  • When Life Gives You…..Shingles

    Yes, You Are Reading That Correctly

    Pic courtesy of Bitmoji 🙂

    This is NOT an “old people” thing.
    Your risk of complications increases over the age of 70.
    TeenThing had them when she was 10/11 years old.
    They appeared on the right hand side of my stomach, just across from my hip bone, just over a week ago.
    At first, I though something had bitten me in my sleep, as I discovered them within an hour of waking.  I stripped my bed looking for the culprit.  NOTHING.
    They were itchy, and warm.  So I took a picture and sent it off to my mother.  She told me I needed to get to the doctor, because it looked like shingles.  So off I went.
    My doctor (she was on duty at the walk-in clinic, yay!) confirmed that I did indeed have shingles.  She wrote me a prescription, which I filled (and started taking) right away.
    Now, before this happened, I thought I was getting a chest cold.  A day or two before that I had a sty in my eye.
    Those shingle things were itchy and burning.  They also “tingled”, like electric shocks.  I, thankfully, did not have much pain.  I was very, very fatigued.

    Everything came to a grinding halt

     

     

    My training had to stop.
    I had to rest.
    I had to try and bring down the stress levels.
    (I know what you are all thinking: Exercise is supposed to eliminate stress.  It does.  But sometimes you are burning the candle at both ends and you are blind to it.  As a single mom I can sometimes get tunnel vision thinking I can do it all, when I can’t.)
    I am still following the group I was training with on Running Moms.  Still watching the running form videos.  Still downloading my workouts and the meal plans.  Carey’s HIIT workouts and running workouts were really showing me what I was neglecting in my training.  This is going to come in handy for the rest of my running season and when I start my half marathon training in January.
    For now, I am slowly going to work my workouts back into my day.  Being on vacation for two weeks is going to make this easier 😉
    So, anyone else out there had shingles?




     

  • Week 1 With a Coach and a Plan – Not Dead Yet!

    Holy Crap I Am Still Alive…

    Also, still able to walk.  Hahaha.

    I received my workouts for the week late last Sunday eve.

    HIIT workouts with running workouts, a rest day, and a cross training day.

    What I loved about the HIIT workouts is that I could adjust to my level of fitness.  I chose to do modified push-ups on the floor.

    My speed workout was a killer.  I live where there are hills EVERYWHERE.  Some of my sprints were UPHILL, lol.

    I tried to do my HIIT workouts in the morning as our weather has been hot and humid. 

    I slept in Friday.  Hot sweaty mess after supper workout.  Blargh.  No more sleeping in 😉

    Being accountable to a coach and a group of people works well for me.  I made sure my workouts were done each day.
    I took my rest day on Thursday (it was supposed to be Saturday) as my muscles were sore.  Carey was glad that I was listening to my body and totally endorsed the rest day on Thursday.  I am feeling the muscles I was definitely neglecting, even with my gym workouts.
    Saturday’s workout was a pyramid (5 min warmup – then x2 of each one fast and one regular pace -> 1 minute , 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute).  This is what I was supposed to do on Thursday.  I really enjoyed this run.  It was hard, but I felt really good and aware of my running, my form, etc.
    I was asked to track my food for a couple of days.  I used My Fitness Pal for this, which I used during my half marathon training earlier this year.  I learned then that I was not eating enough during my training.  This time I also made note of what made me feel good and what made me feel not so good.  (I still ate my feelings a couple of times, lol.)
    Today was cross training day.  After I watched the Olympic Women’s Marathon I did some yoga for 30 minutes.  I was tight for sure, lol.  Felt really good afterwards though.
    I was given a meal plan for the week ahead.  Can’t wait to see how I feel after this week is over with different fuel for my run 🙂
    Being aware of my body and being told every day to be aware of my body is really making a difference.  I don’t ignore pain, I am noticing the muscle groups I am neglecting and focusing on my plan.
    I am currently awaiting my workout plan for next week and I am super exicted!
    If I am still alive next week, you’ll be seeing another post, lol.
    If you went from doing your own thing to a coach, what differences did you notice?  Let me know!

  • August: Training, a Plan and a Coach!

    Yes, You’ve Read That Post Title Correctly 😉

    Last week I signed up for a 5 Day Faster Stronger Challenge at Running Moms.  Carey is a physiotherapist and running coach looking to get moms into badass running shape with her programs.  Last week was HIIT, strides, hills, core and just straight up running 🙂   (Want to try a few of her HIIT workouts?  She has 3 of them, FREE, right here:  3 Simple HIIT Workouts)

    I did my strides on the indoor track at the Canada Games Centre.

    I did this HIIT at home with TeenThing.  It kicked our butts!
    Carey is super supportive and was ready to answer any of our questions in the challenge (there was a Facebook page for us to talk/vent/share our experiences).  Her workouts are made to fit into a busy mom’s schedule (she IS a mom, so she gets how hectic we can be!) She even had a quick Q&A with a nutritionist who gave us tips for what to eat before and after a run.  Carey also has a Running Moms Facebook page (you can sign up for free through her website) where we can post our successes, our not so good days and get support.

    I am now signed up for Carey’s 28 Day Faster Stronger Challenge.
    This challenge starts tomorrow and I am super excited!  I am ready to have someone tell me what to do, lol.  This Challenge comes with a workout/running plan, nutrition plan and Good Form Running Series.  
    As a runner, I am stubborn and will not always fall back on my own personal training knowledge.  
    I am sometimes also less inclined to kick my own ass, lol.  
    I really needed something to push me (wisely) to get over my current running/training plateau.  I have two back to back 5km races in September (Maritime Race Weekend – WOOHOOO!) and this was the perfect avenue to amp up my fitness.
    Having a plan set out for me and knowing what I will need to eat each week will make my life so much easier! 
    So, the road to a faster and stronger me starts tomorrow.
    Stay tuned for my weekly updates, I will be sharing everything here on the blog!!
     
     

  • Lessons Learned from a Less Than Ideal Race – Canada Day ‘EPIC Canadian’ Edition

    My 10km Epic Canadian Race on Canada Day was Hot and Humid!

    Post Race Me 🙂
    We went into the long weekend here on the East Coast of Canada (Nova Scotia) with some hot and humid weather.  This was my first summer race.  Ever.  My previous 10km races were a while ago.  A Bluenose 10km and a Valley Harvest 10km.  I was a sub 1 hour 10km girl then.  Three years ago for the last one, lol.
    Lesson #1:  Keep on hydrating the night before, even if you think you are adequately hydrated and keep an eye on the weather.
    I woke up a little late on Friday, had my usual coffee and oatmeal and got dressed.  The meal was a little later than I would have liked, but I needed food.
    Lesson #2:  Stick to your alarm and get up on time to make sure you eat long enough beforehand.  Also, drink more water.
    I met up with some friends after hanging around the post party area for awhile.  We chatted and then it was time to head up to the start line.  I was feeling the heat and my body was sore from increasing my weights at the gym.  We hopped in close to the front and soon we were off!
    Lesson #3:  No matter how excited and pumped you may feel.  STOP STARTING FAST!  For some reason, at at least one race, I forget this lesson and start out faster than I should.
    I ran with a RunAtCan Twitter bud and did 10 and 1s with her up until 4kms.  Then I was not feeling so great.  With the heat, the late breakfast, and going out fast, it was a recipe for nauseous stomach.

    Lesson #4:  Always have 3 “goal times”.  One for an ideal day.  One for an okay day.  One for a “Oh My God I May Not Make It Through This Day Alive” day. 

    At 4kms with my stomach wanting to empty its contents, I knew I was not going to pull out a good time.  It became an “Oh My God I May Not Make It Through This Day Alive”  goal time day.  I took water at every water stop after that.  Some for me, some over my neck.  I had electrolytes in my water belt (Nuun).
    Lesson #5:  All races teach us a lesson.  Good and bad.  Embrace the run and if you can, finish strong.
    I got a little of my mojo back in Shubie Park and felt okay.  Hit the turnaround (with some tunes being played on the race route) and started back downhill.
    Cruising along and hit 7kms.
    Bottom of the hill.
    PAIN IN MY CALF.  Similar to the pain during my training run for the Bluenose Half.    I was pretty close to crying.  For real.
    I stopped for a minute.  Walked.  Ran a bit.  Walked.  Ran a bit.
    Chugged along in the gross hot and humid conditions.  Water and Nuun when I needed it.
    I sucked it up after my freezie fix about 500m (give or take) out from the finish and ran to the Finish Line.
    My chip time was 1:08.  Two minutes less than my last goal time.  And really, not a bad finish at all considering the conditions.  But I will admit, in that moment, I was so upset that I did not finish in under an hour.
    Final Lesson:  STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP.  (For me:  Remember that your surgeon told you to run and enjoy it.  You are NOT going to pull out a fast pace like you used to do with the OCD in the knee.)  Run because you love to run.
    So,  I am back to my physio exercises for my calf.  Will continue to do my gym workouts.   Back to yoga classes at the gym (I need a teacher to guide my form).  Keep my weight training going and ease up on myself.  Do some nice easy runs once the calf is happy and enjoy the ride until the next race in September 🙂
    What lessons have you taken away from your bad race??
     

  • My Love/Hate Relationship with June

    The Month, Not a Person

    June:
    The month where summer starts.
    We (kind of) get warmer weather.
    Kids are gearing up for their summer vacation.
    Everything is in full bloom.
    June:
    The month I was diagnosed with a mental illness 5 years ago.
    The month I was lost.
    The month I broke down.

    Photo courtesy of the American Psychological Association

    Every year I mull this over.  Awful, right?
    Yes and no.
    I take time to try and remember the signs.  I want to remember so that I never forget.  Knowing the signs reminds me of how I felt before I broke down.  This is important.  If I remember then I know when I need help.
    That being said, there are times that I have a bad day.  As someone with a mental illness, I can say that I worry about that day becoming the next.  And so on.
    This is where Anxiety is a big jerk.  This is when I take some Ativan.

    But you’ve said in the past that movement is medicine.

    Yes, it is.
    But sometimes moving itself is a struggle.
    Every day is different and it is on the days I DON’T want to move that I struggle to move the most.  Getting out of bed, getting dressed are sometimes the biggest ones.
    Making sure I keep moving is why I have been signing up for more races.  Having a goal, a target, works best for me.  Keeps me moving forward.

    “The Plan” to keep moving.

    I have signed up to do Maritime Race Weekend in September to give me a month to work on my 5k pace after Epic Canadian 10k on Canada Day.
    Will be looking for an October/November Race of a smallish distance and will probably end off the year with the Resolution Run.
    After those races, I can plan for 2017.  No half in the spring though, lol.  Will save that for the fall.  Smaller distances so winter training isn’t so daunting 😉
    What does your race calendar look like until December?

    @crazymamaruns

     
     

  • Post Half Marathon Chaos and My Next Race

    It seems like forever since my Half Marathon

    I recovered.

    I took some time off from running.  (Work and family stuff has kept me busy over the past little while.)

    Celebrated my Dad’s 65th Birthday in Cape Breton with a big feast at my Aunt and Uncle’s place in Boularderie.

     
     
    Then once I got home and settled, I sat down and thought about races.
     
    Not having anything to train for put me in a little bit of a funk.  Not unusual really.  But I forgot that feeling.  I had to take a step back because it took me by surprise and freaked me out a little bit.  Feeling that way makes me afraid I am getting sick again.  Once I was able to figure out that it wasn’t my illness creeping back in, then it was all good.  Of course, it did spike my anxiety a little bit….grrrrrrr.  That required a visit to the local marsh to see the baby ducks!


     
    I’ve made a decision that the remainder of my races this year would be shorter distances.  5k and 10k races to work on my form and speed.  That leaves more time for me to enjoy my running and the summer months ahead.  Early morning runs will be placed back in my calendar and weight training scheduled in the evenings.
     

    You said next race?

    I sure did!

    I am running a 10k on Canada Day.  The Epic Canadian is a local race I have yet to run, but I am familiar with the route.  Some of my local Twitter peeps will be there and I heard there is cake and sno cones afterwards.

    I will run anywhere for food, lol.

    2016 EPIC Canadian Course 10K
    Photo of race route courtesy of http://www.epiccanadian.ca

    Sprint Triathlons?? 

    Yes.  I am considering these in my future.

    But I need to do some things before I take on a swim/bike/run combo.

    I need to learn to swim again.  I can swim to save my life, but for technique and form, I need to take lessons.

    Also, extra gear will be required:  a road bike, shoes, swimsuit/cap/goggles, etc.

    For now, I will focus on the swimming aspect.  Maybe lessons in the fall.
     
    That’s where things are at now!
     
    What’s new with you?  Summer Plans?
     
    Feel free to share 🙂
     
    @crazymamaruns
     
     

     

  • My Last Long Run = One Week Out from Bluenose Marathon Half 2016

    HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??!??!

    Where in the hell did all this time go?

    This time next week I will be done.  Finished.  Full of food and naps.

    Today was the last long training run.  I was given the all clear to run outside as I have been banished to the elliptical as we treated my calf strain flare up.

    My BRF and I did 13km on the BLT here in Halifax.  It was cloudy/sunny and warmish, so the bugs were out.  I probably ate quite a few…unintentionally.  But the coolest part about today’s run:  about 10kms in, two deer came down from across the highway and ran out in front of us across the trail!  They were speedy, so there was no time to grab my phone.  But it was AWESOME.  A sign of good luck for sure!!

    Post 13k – Legs feeling good!

    A nice easy run. A happy Mama 😉

    Of course, the first few kms were gross, as per the usual.  

    So, what is this “walking like JLO” thing?

    Walking like JLO (as per my Chiro’s recommendation) is paying off!  It seems that my glutes were firing AFTER my hammies, not by much, but that is not how it is supposed to work. (I have been saying “Walk like JLO” in my head all week, hahahahaha.)  With the adjustments I’ve been having and my recent massage, I felt really good on my run today.

    What is the game plan for this week?


    This week will be all about the gym and the elliptical.  I want to be proactive with this calf of mine.  So I am living in my compression gear today, possibly tomorrow if I find myself a little tender.

    It will also be the mental game this week.  Need to keep myself on the ball.  Fighting the inner doubt machine will be a struggle, even on race day.  I just have to remember that it is just like every long run.  Enjoy it.  Feel it.  And run MY race.

    So keep your eyes on this space next Sunday/Monday.  My race review will be here, with lots of pics and vids.

    Run happy!


    @crazymamaruns
     

  • When Anxiety Comes Knocking….

    You Put On Your Best Face

    Okay, maybe not THIS face, lol.

    Because we, the mentally ill, it’s what we do.  Until we can’t.

    Last week was bad for me.
    My anxiety was bad.  It started on Monday.
    I woke up with it, like the bottom fell out of my stomach.  There was no reason for it.  It’s just how I started the day.
    Then, for me, everything and everyone around me changes.  I feel like I am under the microscope.  Being examined.  Secretly criticized.
    I bury myself in work, and hope that I can just get through the day without an attack.  Most times, when I get home I am good.  Home is safe.  Home has no people (well, other than TeenThing, lol). 
    I am lucky to have drugs that I can take to calm the racing heartbeat and panic.  It was used a few times this week.

    After Wednesday I was better, and by Friday I was okay.  But on Friday, I crashed.  So tired.  Tired from keeping my head above water.  It’s exhausting fighting that battle every day, working, and being a mom.
    Why do I NOT say anything sometimes?  I don’t want to worry anyone.  Funny isn’t it.  I am worrying about others worrying about me.  Guess where THAT put my anxiety, DEFCON 1.  If what I was feeling lasted longer, I would have said something.  Sometimes, I am also tired of explaining what I can’t explain.  So I keep it to myself.  Sometimes, THAT is my coping mechanism.
    It’s not that I don’t want to share it with those that care about me, it’s that sometimes sharing it is overwhelming.  

    I am happy to say that I am feeling much better now.  Fitness works well for me as a way to create balance.  I was not as vigilant with it last week as I should have been.  Movement is medicine (thanks Clara Hughes!) and I needed more movement.

    One Month Away From The Half Marathon?

    Yes, one month away!

    I was discharged from physio last week (YAAAAAAY).

    I also switched my gym membership to a spot closer to home.  I have some major ass kicking to do.
    I did get out on the trails here last week, and that felt amazing.

    (I have my base laid down for my running, so I am lucky there.  This whole calf strain had me worried for a bit.)
    I am planning some HIIT classes, some spin, weight training and some pool time until Race Day to complement my running.  
    I am glad to be running with my BRF again.
    I have TeenThing to gym it with me.
    A new week ahead means a chance to start fresh.
    Time to Giv’r.

  • Post Plague, Burger Week, and a Pulled Calf

    Running


    Post Plague Amy had a couple of runs during the week with some gym time. Easing back into it.  I am loving my new Brooks Glycerin 13s 🙂


    The weather has been dicey here, but I lucked in with my timing.  Lots of core work and some legs/glute work (deadlifts anyone?).

    Ahhhhhh Burger Week



    The week when restaurants in Halifax, Nova Scotia, make some delicious burger offerings for us food lovers.  There are also burger combos with a portion of the combo donated to the local food bank!  TeenThing and I have had 3 so far.  I’ve been posting them in Instagram.  So good. Sooooo gooooood.


    Pulled Calf??


    Yes, at the end of my 5km run on Sunday I felt a pull.  By the time I got out of the bath I was limping *insert large sad face emoticon here*.  I pulled on my compression socks and put that calf on ice. Good thing:  no bruising.

    Today I can walk without limping, but I am getting this looked at.  Still a good amount of time out from my race, so I am not freaking out.  Yet 😉

    (Note:  When I saw the Doc last week, she gave me a note for physio.  Just in case.  Blargh!)

    So, March and I aren’t getting along right now, lol.