Monday, August 6, 2012

Putting in the Work

Okay, it was told to me as "putting the work in," but I grew up with an English teacher for a mother. Proper grammar is second nature to me. I cringe when people end sentences with prepositions. Hence, the word rearrangement.

On a good note, I got through Day #1 of the crazy schedule. I knew I'd have a dorm fridge available to me, so I packed a Greek yogurt, a baggie of grapes and apple slices, and a couple protein shakes. And by golly, that's what I had for lunch (minus one shake). 

I also had time today to make connections with a friend who sells Thirty-One purses and bags. She had some thermal totes laying around that she'd accumulated as samples, so I bought one of those. Now I'm ready to go for the rest of the week and beyond! Sack lunches, just like when I was in school!

And in spite of 90-degree temps, I hit the trail at 2:00 p.m., after I finished working. Strange thing...the trail is a lot emptier at 2:00 p.m. than it is at 9:00 a.m. I wonder if everyone else knows something? Maybe like it's a lot COOLER at 9:00 a.m. than at 2:00 p.m., and EASIER to get yourself going?? MAYBE????

Normally I try to keep a pace somewhere between 15:30 and 16:00 per mile for four miles. That's my standard. And for the first two miles today I managed that. And then it was like someone just shut off my engines. I don't know whether it was the heat, or the fact that I'd already been up and going and doing other stuff today (instead of getting the walking done very first thing when I have the most energy). But mile #3 came in at 16:32 and the last of the four was an abysmal 17:55.

I hadn't been anywhere CLOSE to 18 minutes since the very first day I got out with my Trainer and he had to practically carry me the final 1/4 mile because I thought I was going to pass out from the heat and exertion. (Seriously - I was huffing and puffing and light-headed and couldn't feel my feet touching the ground.)

I knew I was slow today. I was out on my own with no partner to drive me forward. I was tired. I could tell that I wasn't pushing myself as hard as I normally try to do. And I didn't care. The body just wasn't going to hustle anymore today.

And I remembered one other day when the body just didn't cooperate. The legs felt like they were slogging through wet cement. I had walked extra the day before and on this day cut the regular trip short by 1/2 mile. And my Trainer, bless him, said that some days you just have to put in the work. Some days it's not about going faster or farther. Some days it's not fun. (Okay, most days it's not fun.) Some days it's just about going out there and slogging through and getting the job done.

Today was one of those days.

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Extra Note: Beware of Chobani pomegranate Greek yogurt. Tastes yummy, but the seeds surprised me.

Extra Extra Note: For my cousin-in-love Lora - trying a new recipe tonight - zucchini sticks (slices) sprinkled with Chesapeake Bay seasoning and baked/roasted in the oven for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. I'll let you know how they taste. (They're baking as I write this.)

Extra Extra Extra Note: The perfect way to pick myself back up after beating myself up over not keeping up the speed? I came home and the scale read 1.5 pounds less than it has at any point so far. (Okay, so a pound of that was probably water loss from sweating, but it was still a lower number than I'd seen on the scale in a LONG time.) Woot! Woot!

Extra Extra Extra EXTRA Note: Baked pork chops, the aforementioned zucchini sticks, and roasted sweet potatoes sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. The zucchini, btw, has a bit of a kick, which the sweet potatoes offset nicely.

Nothin' says lovin' like
something from the oven.

10 comments:

  1. Great job!
    I've been reading along, and you're a real inspiration. Tomorrow I'll be 48 and I can see 50 from here. :-/

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    1. Happy Early Birthday to you, my friend. Glad you're getting something out of all my blabbering. ;)

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  2. Kiddo, I applaud you! But I'm also a little concerned (Hey, it's Mother to the Universe, here!). Back when I was able to do stuff like this, most people who were really into it all would alternate 'track' with 'weights'. To let one set of muscles recover while we worked another set.

    Watch out for the heat thing. That can sneak up on you, and the first thing you lose is your ability to tell it's happening.

    Now, got get 'em, tiger! *hugs!

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    1. Worry not - the strength training is coming. Just working on general cardio/endurance first.

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  3. Way to go on just getting a out there and doing it! I bet it's a lot harder in the heat.

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  4. Great work pushing through. Hope you hydrated well. :) btw, just found your blog and following from mine. :)

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    1. Carry my water bottle with me. Even got one of those fancy fanny pack deals with the spot to carry a water bottle. At least I *look* like a serious walker. ;)

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