Stress Test

These past few months have been stressful for many reasons.

I know that I have a history of stress mismanagement. Case in point: getting ready to go to college the summer after High School graduation. Although I was thrilled to go away to school the mere thought of it left me so stressed that I started to feel physically ill and was convinced that I was having a resurgence of heart problems. As a kid, I had open heart surgery to repair a hole between my left and right atria know as an Atrial Septal Defect. It it completely fixed but every now and then I am convinced that something is wrong.

A recent visit to the doctor in turn sent me to the cardiologist. During a routine visit she let me know that my heart was producing extra beats.
The cardiologist put me through a series of tests:

EKG
Electrocardiogram
blood tests
24-hour Holder monitor
Another EKG
and finally...yesterday's Exercise Stress Test.

If you're not familiar with a stress test it is basically a doctor-monitored workout on a treadmill. The patient is hooked up to wires and a belt to monitor heart rate while the doctor checks blood pressure and breathing rate and periodically increases both intensity and incline.

The good news in my case is that my extra heartbeats disappeared with exercise, exactly what is supposed to happen. Even though my 24-hour monitor showed a number of extra beats, the electrocardiogram was also normal..another good sign! The cause of my extra heart beats could be related to my surgery but it could also just mean that my heart has its own unique rhythm (or as SB says, it "marches to it's own rhythm!). Either way, I'll take it. After months of worrying I am finally cleared to return to my normal exercise routine and am in fact encouraged to do so.

It looks like the Chicago Marathon is a definite go!

I sometimes wonder how I survived three seasons of spring triathlon training.
I am finding it so hard to motivate nowadays to do much of anything, let alone workout in the cold. I know there are some other factors in the question this time affecting my mood, motivation, etc. but seriously...it is tough! Gone are the days where I went to 5am swim practice and then hopped my bike on the trainer or ventured out for a run on my own after work.

Usually a race on the calendar is enough to at least get me out for a portion of the workouts. The Shamrock 1/2 is just four weeks from Sunday and I am seriously behind in my preparedness for it. I haven't run since last Sunday's short three miles at home (although I did go to yoga on Tuesday night with EE). I need more! Officially signing up for Chicago is definitely something. Although the race is months away it is always looming in my mind. I think about it often and even question my sanity daily. Can I really run 26.2 miles? Can I stay relatively injury-free and find the time to block off runs? Have I totally lost my mind? Hopefully the answer to all of those questions will be YES! (Well, maybe not that last one).

I am slowly moving out of workout hibernation mode. Last week I even got back in the pool and am planning another swim for this Sunday. I am also going to squeeze in a run while in DC this weekend. I'll probably even register for another race or two and sign up for a yoga class sometime next week. Baby steps all the way.

I'm also looking at other sources of motivation.

1. IPod and Nike +
I have gotten out of the habit of running with music because music players are totally illegal during triathlons, and for good reason. Riding a bike on open roads is dangerous enough! you don't need to add any more distractions. Still, I have come to appreciate the benefit of music on one's mood and psyche. Just today on my commute I read about a study that found the following:

"Listening to music boosts endurance. When subjects listened to upbeat music, they exercised 15 per cent longer than when they sweated in silence. Synchronizing with tunes may stimulate euphoria-inducing endorphins and interfere with body signals that communicate fatigue and discomfort to the brain, says investigator Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., of Brunel University."

I definitely believe it. Walking into my office building today I was in a great mood (despite an early morning dentist appointment) as one of my favorite songs played through my headphones. This might be something worth looking into! Making the investment in a Nike + system for my iPod should help with running motivation. By securing the transmitter to my shoe not only will I get real-time updates on distance and speed. I'll get the added benefit of an extra push. The "power song" feature is a good one, as is the idea of downloading fitness podcasts and exercise mixes from a variety of sources. Now I just need to decide on what my favorite power song will be...

2. Nutrition
I would never consider myself a vegetarian...it is just not in my blood. Living on my own I do find myself eating much less meat than I did while living at home with my parents. It is not a conscious choice, maybe just one made out of economics or convenience. Let's face it..meat is expensive, relatively time-intensive when it comes to preparation, and finally, kind of hard to cook for just one. I know that protein is essential to any diet, let alone one of an endurance athlete. I am always looking for other sources of protein and new recipe ideas.
This is a good article from Runners World Magazine about running vegetarian/adding more protein to your diet.

Ideas include:

More Beans!

* Black beans, which are great in a burrito, or pureed as a dip with tortilla chips.
* Garbanzo beans, which can be added to a stew, soup, or chili, or eaten in hummus.
* Edamame, which are a great source of protein and can be eaten alone or added to a salad or a stir fry.

Adding protein to every meal!

* Quinoa ( a high protein grain) with spaghetti sauce with TVP in it
* Corn tortilla with black beans, salsa and soy cheese
* Lentils and rice with slivered almonds
* A smoothie made with soy milk, soy yogurt, and/or peanut butter (soy butter for me!)
* A trail mix with cereal, roasted soy nuts, sunflower seeds, and/or dried fruit

Lots of new things to think about!
Hopefully I'll find my motivation this weekend. I know it's out there.

Presidents' Day Weekend

I spent the long weekend up in NJ visiting my family.
I left early Saturday morning and made it to my grandmother's by 9:30...just in time for breakfast! While the French toast was delicious it didn't exactly make me want to run that am. Lunch set me back further as did the red velvet cupcakes /homemade saltine candy that my sister/cousin were cooking up. Sometimes you need to just put food and family first! I felt like I ran though as I spent most of the afternoon in running tights and wicking shirts but eventually put them to use in cleaning the horse stalls with my dad.

Sunday morning I offered to cook brunch for my family so Guya and I made an early-morning run to the grocery store for supplies. I made 2 quiches (ham/mushroom and spinach bacon), fruit salad and some cinnamon rolls and still managed to get in a short 3 miles. Better than nothing! The really nice thing about running at home is the quiet. I was out for 30 minutes and only saw 4 cars in addition to a couple of deer, a fox and a few squirrels. It was a gorgeous, cold day and I am definitely glad I put in the effort.

Three miles is a start. I am still very wary of 26.2 in the distant future but I know I can do it. I just need to keep thinking of my mom and her strength. We spent much of Monday sorting through her closet/drawers which was extremely difficult. No matter how much you tell yourself "it's just clothes" it really is quite personal. Seeing things that she wore at particular events was the toughest part. I managed to pick up a fee things to hold on to which I hope will eventually bring some comfort, including a Nike pullover and a Lilly Pulitzer breast cancer awareness scarf that I plan to carry with me in Chicago. Ultimately I know that it is not the clothes that will make me remember her but it helps to have the little piece in my life.

And so it begins

I sent my credit card form into Susan G. Komen today along with my Chicago Marathon confirmation number. It is official! I am signed up. I even began my fundraising page on active.com.

As part of the program I will be on the 'Virtual Team" for Chicago. This means I will train on my own but will have access to a training program from active.com and the Team. I'll also get a training t-shirt as well as certain incentives if I meet different Fundraising goals. The minimum for Chicago is $2200 which will get me a race singlet to wear on October 11th.

I am definitely very excited (and also very nervous). I think this will be just the thing I need to start getting focused and get off the couch. I had a couple of runs this week that went really, really well, including a 10-miler last Saturday with my friend KL who was in from Colorado. Neither of us had been running long at all but somehow cranked it out with few side-effects. It definitely gave me the confidence I'll need to carry me through the Yuengling Shamrock 1/2 Marathon in March.

I've started tracking mileage on the left of this site which should be a neat thing to see progress. I am definitely interested in how many miles I will run over the course of the next eight months!

And so it begins.

I don't know where I'm running now, I'm just running on

Yesterday was a big day.

I decided to do something I never thought I would ever do...register for a Marathon. 

There are lots of things I never thought I would do. 

A triathlon. 

A ten-miler.

A half-marathon.

A half-ironman.

A 186-mile team running relay.

But a marathon?!?!

If the past few years have taught me anything it's that I need a goal to push me ahead. Without the next big event on the calendar I know that I will lose all ambition and drive. It may sound ridiculous but a triathlon isn't scary to me anymore. Neither really is a half-marathon. A marathon on the other hand is absolutely terrifying and might be just the thing I need to break me out the rut I have been in ever since my mom got sick for the last time. 

This is why I have decided to run the Chicago Marathon in her memory and raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's going to be a long road with many ups and downs but I am up for the challenge. It's the least I can do really.