Book Review: Running Like A Girl by Alexandra Heminsley

If you've been reading my blog for a few years, you know I have been running for years.  Lately those running sessions have been few and far between, and as I've gotten older I've become slower and heavier.  

I found this book on Net Galley and just had to read it, and found someone who wrote a book just for me.  Running Like a Girl is Alexandra's true tale of how she got off her duff, started running, completed a marathon, and found herself sitting on the couch again and not running.

That is me.  Except I don't sit on the couch, I lay on it as I read books or take a nap.

What makes this book different from other running books is what really hit home for me while I was reading it last night.   I don't want to spend all of my runs thinking about how fast I have to run, negative splits, fartleks, or planning my meals for the next week around long runs.  I just want to enjoy the run, see the sights, and finish feeling tired and achy but knowing I just did my body and mind a world of good. 

 Alexandra readily admits to working her ass off to run a marathon (with the help of her dad and brother) and even raises money for a charity in order to feel good about her suffering through training for 6 months.  But after that triumph, the glow faded; she found herself running less and less until she stopped.  Somehow she did take up running again, and has run more marathons and half marathons since then.  Running is now part of her life.  What she found out about herself and running really hit a chord for me, and made me feel that I wasn't alone in the post-race let down and inability to keep running and being enthusiastic about it.  But you can always, always, put those shoes on and begin running again.  It is never too late, and you are never too out of shape or too anything to not try it again.  

The second half of the book is about some running advice she's learned over the years--simple stuff, but great for a novice or someone who doesn't know a lot of runners and is a bit intimidated about buying shoes or a running bra.  We all know when we're out running there is always someone who runs faster, looks fab in their work out clothes, and never seems to work hard while piling up the miles.  But for the rest of us who struggle through every run, want to give up, and can't afford to spend money on matchy matchy anything, this is a great uplifting book that will get you off the couch and out the door.

Rating:  7/10 for humor, brutal honesty, and an easy read.

Available in October in hardcover and e-book.

Summer Sun (Finally!!) And The Workout That Wasn't Meant To Be

We've had 4 days in a row of sunny, warm days and wonderful evenings here in Iowa.  This is a record, since this hasn't happened since last summer.  Plants are growing like crazy and happy to see the sun.  I am happy to see the sun come up at 5:30 in the morning, cause it means I can get up early and run.  There is nothing like running early in the morning, when the air is cool, there's no one around, and the day is new.  It makes you feel like you actually did something with your day even if it ends up taking a nosedive.  And you can relax at night, knowing you worked out super early.  I would like to run at night, but I have horrible night vision and would end up tripping over a curb, running into a parked car, and probably a light pole.  

I was super excited to sign up for a new course at the YMCA called Y360.  It was basically a 3 day a week 45 minute workout using tires, ropes, kettle bells, and my pure muscle strength (insert sarcasm).  It was also at 5:45 in the morning.  It was tough to get up, but once I was up and out the door, it felt good to be up and motivated early.  And it was an excuse to get coffee on the way home.

Except I was the only person who showed up.  THE ONLY PERSON TO SHOW UP AT ALL EVER.  Out of 3 YMCA's in the community, no one else paid and joined the class.  What the hell?

So my teacher, Lynn, worked out with me for those 3 days last week.  We worked outside and she tried to kill me, but I survived.  It was decided that if no one else joined, the course would be cancelled.  And it was.  Crap.

I'm back doing Body Pump and again contemplating doing Cross Fit.  And each week I tell myself I have to run x number of miles, and every week I don't.  Life is getting in the way of my running.  I haven't made it a priority, and I need to do that for my peace of mind, my giggly gut, and my legs that really really need to muscle up.  

What are you doing to stay fit this summer?  Have you tried a new fitness class?  Do you do Cross Fit?  

This is me after 5 minutes of exercise

Where, Oh Where Did May Go? And How To Get Lost At A Race

I know.  I haven't posted in forever.  That's because my life in May was pretty uneventful.  I think the most exciting thing I did was run on the wrong course for my 5K last weekend.  Yep.  

My sister and I signed up for the Marion Arts Festival months ago to run the half marathon.  Then we realized how ill-prepared we were (as in no running/training) so we changed it to the 5K.  We could do that.  

We walk to the event last Saturday morning--it was perfect outside, but promised to be pretty warm and muggy later on in the day.  My sister lives very close to downtown Marion, so the walk only took a few minutes.  We wandered around, waiting for the start.  Can I say there were an enormous amount of people waiting to run?  Giant hordes.  The race is no long a small race, which takes a lot of the fun out of it.  I miss that about this race.  

We followed the swell of people who were walking over to another street to start the race.  Ok.  It was so loud we couldn't hear much of anything, and everyone was wearing the same race bibs, so no distinction between half marathon and 5K runners. Boom!  We are off and running.  

We ran the wrong course.  For 5 frickin' miles, people.  I hit the 3 mile mark and was waaaaay out in the middle of nowhere--not running past Walgreen's and through the finish line.  My sister had run ahead of me, so I had no idea where she was.  I figured out I was on the wrong course pretty quickly, but had no option but to keep moving forward.  I was a bit freaked out--no cell phone, no way to find my sister.  And I was pretty far from the finish line.  

I turned a corner, and saw my sister standing at the water stop.  Phew.  She was with another woman who was also on the wrong course.  A pretty cool dude at the water stop was trying to find a sag wagon to pick us up.  Guess what?  There wasn't one.  He said there were many people who had made the same mistake, so we didn't feel too stupid.  

We started walking back since there wasn't any option for a ride.  We didn't get far when a man driving a U-Haul picking up cones offered us a ride back into Marion.  We gladly accepted.  And he too, said many people had taken the wrong route.  He dropped us off near my sister's house and we walked home.  We never even made it back downtown, never crossed the finish line, never got to eat goodies afterwards.  Phooey.

I have never run on a wrong course before in a race.  The actual 5K was on the opposite side of Marion from where we ran, and started at the same time.  There were no clear directions, we couldn't hear announcements, and nothing at all in my goodie bag about course maps or instructions.  Boo.  I really think races must always include maps of the courses and information about the race in the bags we pick up for the race.  Bud has used those maps many times when he's ridden his bike along with me as I run the races.  Race officials shouldn't expect participants to print off information on the internet.  

In good news, the annual 8K race on July 4th is going to be back downtown this year, so I plan on running it--after taking the last 3 years off.  I love this race.  There was major construction in downtown Cedar Rapids for the past few years due to the 2008 flood, and streets were blocked off.  Moving the race sucked and I didn't like the new course.  It was my mini-protest.  But it's back on the old route this year, so I am happy!  I'm going to sign up!  I have one month to be able to run 5 miles.  I have work to do.  

May has been an extremely busy month, for reasons I can't share right now.  Needless to say, my reading, flower planting, and usual Spring clean up have been delayed and I'm getting antsy to move it along.  Memorial weekend I am finally going to buy flowers, get some herbs planted, and set up the back patio.  Fingers crossed the weather stays sunny and not so darn rainy.  I'm happy to report my Iris patches are all blooming lovely purple flowers.  My lavender came back and is looking great.  Peony bush is quickly getting ready to bloom lovely giant pink poofs of beauty.  

Next up:  limoncello.  It's just about ready; this weekend I am going to finish it off and fill  the bottles!  Then summer can officially begin.  And so can another batch of limoncello.

How was your May?  Crazy like mine?  What are your plans for June?

Ok...Tomorrow is Gym Day. Seriously. I Mean It.

I freely acknowledge that if I worked out during the month of December I wouldn't have the lack of energy that only a blood transfusion would fix.  Besides work, the running around to shop (which I absolutely hate to do after working in retail all day) for presents, decorating the house, and trying to make something with chocolate for treats  just poops me out.  So the one thing that quickly falls to the wayside (besides my beloved reading) is working out.  

I just don't wanna go to the gym at the butt crack of dawn.  And since it's dark when I leave work, I don't wanna then, either.  The super cold weather may have something to do with it, too.  And miraculously, I sleep better in the colder months that I do when it's warmer outside.  I get my sleep when I can take it.

So I don't.  Darkness=home Light=Gym.  Since I am only outside  between home and work when it's dark, that means no gym for me.  Amazing how I came up with that excuse!

Now we are in Post-Christmas Clean-up at the store; people are back to school and work, and I am not frantically running around looking for chocolate and coffee to inhale.  

I have no excuse not to hit the gym.  I don't wanna isn't good enough.

Plus--oh shit--I have a half-marathon in May.  I haven't run in months.  Oh shit.

And--I have committed to running a 5K in April with my sister, my niece, and apparently gobs of other people, where we are doused in colors as we run, so we look like modern art on two feet.  

Oh shit.  

I'm putting my work out goal at 3 times a week.  Not enough, I know, but enough to feel like I am giving it a go, and enough to have some sore muscles.  Start the road to running!  I don't want to be the weenie that comes in last.  And lunges, oh, those love to hate lunges.  I will do them with the full knowledge that I will never have legs that will be able to lunge repeatedly without major burn. Lunges are fun that way.

So please, gym people.  Make sure there is a treadmill open for me tomorrow morning.  I promise I will get on it and start running...until I take a walk break 2 minutes later.  

Progress is made in teeny tiny steps, my friends.  Sweating means you're doing it right.