Last night as I was getting ready to work on today’s post I was out of ideas. I didn’t have anything in particular come to mind that I wanted to talk about so instead I just decided I would talk about what is on my mind lately.
My thoughts are kind of all over the place right now to be honest, so please bear with me during this post.
Five Things on My Mind Lately
Getting Back in the Swing
I mentioned a few times on here but I have really had a hard time getting back into it since we came back from Boston. I’m behind on a lot of work so I feel like I have been playing non-stop catch up since returning.
Wednesday the plan was to work in the morning and then get a run in. The work happened and the run didn’t. I gave myself a break and decided a few extra days of rest this week aren’t going to kill me.
Yesterday I went into work and the minute I got home, I slipped on my shoes and was out the door. I wasn’t going to let the time pass me by again.
I ran a total of 5 miles. My husband tagged along with me which made the time pass quicker.
A couple hours later I headed to the gym to get some upper body training and core work. I’m happy to report that I am already noticing some great improvements in my increased lumbar lordosis just from focusing on it these past few weeks.
The Days are Numbered
I am in shock that next week is officially May! That means that in less than a month and a half we will be packing up and moving out of the city of Erie.
I am beyond excited but I am feeling really overwhelmed.
On the list of things to do before we leave:
- Pack
- Find a job (the job search is underway!)
- Finalize the lease
- Find a moving company
- Finalize some odds and ends with the rental home
- Finalize moving date
I am sure there is much more I could add to that list that I haven’t even thought of yet! I am trying to take things a day at a time and trust that it will all come together.
Throw Away the Scale
I’ve come to a new realization. I am no longer going to weigh myself. For years and years I was a slave to my scale. It wasn’t that I wanted to lose weight but I wanted to make sure I wasn’t gaining any. Any slight change in that scale and it would frustrate me.
As I begin my training I don’t want to focus on my weight. Of course I don’t want to go and gain 20 lbs, but as long as I am in a healthy range and am eating the foods that are good for my body and my running then that number that pops up on the scale doesn’t matter.
The only thing that matters is that I am healthy, strong and my running performance is going well.
I think it hit me again when I was in the locker room showering after my workout earlier. I saw woman after woman coming in and weighing themselves. I know that if you are trying to lose weight then yes the scale is important, but I hate seeing so many that are obsessed with that number.
The truth is that number for me can vary 2-3 lbs per day, so what is the point?
If you are treating your body right, feeding it the right foods a majority of the time and are a healthy weight then that’s all that matters! It’s so freeing when I finally came to that realization!
Dreaming Big Means Taking Chances
Thanks for all your kind words on my post yesterday on my big dream. It’s not going to be easy, it is going to take a lot of work, a lot of dedication and a lot of focus on doing the things that I’ve always slacked off on.
I realize that going for a BQ in October is a huge leap for me. I mentioned it briefly in the post, but I want to make it clear that I am OK if it doesn’t happen in October. If I don’t make it to that point and fall short, it will be disappointing but it just means I wasn’t there yet. It also doesn’t mean I’m not going to try.
I have decided to take the chance. I will train smart and do things the right way. I will continue to try to improve every day, and we will wait and see what happens. If I make it to October and can BQ then great, if I can’t then that’s okay too. I will PR regardless so as long as I am working towards it that is what matters.
I will continue to dream big. It will happen.
I’ve pretty much found my 10k plan and will officially begin it on Monday. It needs a little tweaking based on my level currently, but I’m excited to have a focus.
Hydration
This is completely random, but last Friday morning Wes and I went out to run 2 miles before getting on the road to Boston.
The run was awful. Every step felt horrible and I couldn’t figure it out. I didn’t understand why it was so bad. The original plan was to do 3 miles, however since I felt awful I ran a mile to where Wes was doing strides, sat and waited and then ran back home with him.
I showered, packed up the car and we took the dog out for a walk. Wes looked at me and said I looked sick. I didn’t feel sick but I felt so off and tired.
He immediately told me I looked VERY dehydrated. I hadn’t done much thinking about it, but the more I thought about it I realized I hadn’t really been drinking enough the past couple days. It wasn’t on purpose – I was busy and just wasn’t focusing on it.
I immediately started drinking fluids and within 15 minutes was feeling 100% better.
The moral of the story: HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE! No matter how busy you are always carry water with you and drink throughout the day. It not only makes you feel better but your running improves!
Tell me something that’s been on your mind lately..
Yay for ditching the scale! I hate the grip it has on so many women, how we all-too-often let a pretty meaningless number determine our worth and how we feel about ourselves. You should take a sledgehammer to it and share pics 😉 Lately, I’ve been pondering what life will look like after our first baby arrives in August. Everyone says it changes your life so much. As a planner, I like to know what’s coming and plan for it. That’s difficult since each kid is different, as is the experience of parenting person-to-person. I’m super-excited just unsure what life will look like.
Congrats on the soon to be arrival of the new baby Jaclyn! That is so exciting! we haven’t gotten to the kid stage yet but I know in the next couple years we will and I imagine that feeling is pretty surreal to know how quickly life will change!
I really should take a sledgehammer to it because that’s how I feel about it!
I’m in disbelief that’s it’s almost May, too. That means about one month before I set off on my cross-country bike trip this summer! I am looking forward to it, but also feeling nervous. After the trip, I am moving to Boston to start dental school. I’ve been having that low level anxiety feeling you get when you feel underprepared. I have a lot of planning to do, and the first thing is to find an apartment. That would be a huge burden off my shoulders once I secure a place.
Wow you have got a lot going on!! That is such an awesome opportunity! Can’t wait to hear all about it! Yes once we finally found a place to rent it made me feel a lot better. Now I have to find a way to move our stuff 🙂
Hi Sara…great post. I am on vacation but felt I had to reply. You should throw out your scale. I am build just like you…about 5.5 feet and very thin. People tell me I need to gain weight and I know I do but I still never weigh myself because if it is low I feel bad and if it is up a few pounds ( as I know it will be after 6 days in Mexico) I also feel bad. I know that sounds weird but for me it is best not to know the number and just focus on how I feel and look. I have also really started in on the weights more because I love the look of a really defined body. I have no doubt you are in such great shape that throwing out your scale will be totally freeing to you! Give it a try….you will be glad you did 🙂
This is exactly how I feel Susan! I am no longer going to weight myself and focus on the number. If I am healthy and eating the foods I should then it doesn’t matter! I know when I have gained weight or lost weight I don’t need a # to tell me that – I just need to focus on my body! The scale is not important!
Good for you for realizing that the scale was causing you grief and realizing you were dehydrated!! Dehydrating can catch up with so many people – a simple fix, but hard to realize when it’s causing an issue!
Yup you must TRASH the scale! They seem so old fashioned to me now, and pointless. The scale doesn’t measure anything that is important to me so I really have no use for it. Seems like they make people doubt themselves needlessly.
Do you know what marathon you will do this fall? I’m debating targeting a mid-late Oct or Nov marathon but it would have to be pretty local (I’m in NJ). Was briefly considering Philidelphia but don’t know much about it.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having BIG goals. Going after a big goal is what gets you to take action and, in my opinion, teaches you the most in the process. Don’t worry about being accountable to other people, going after what’s in your heart is not something to regret, no matter what the outcome is 🙂
So true Michele! Thank you. I think going into this goal knowing my plan is more than just running helps and knowing that if I don’t reach it and have to re-evaluate that is OK too!
We will be living in Virginia then so I am playing around with maybe the Greensboro Marathon but my husband will be running Chicago then too so we will just kind of have to play it by ear and see how it turns out. As soon as I figured it out I will let you know!
Getting into shape and, specifically, getting back into running shape for training have been on my mind. It wasn’t until recently that I realized just how grateful I am that I can run. Sure, I am slower than I used to be, when I was exercising regularly, but I can run.
My goal from this point forward is to train right and stay healthy so that I can continue to run. Then, I will be able to enjoy races and racing, because I will be in shape and training right.
.
That is so important! I often forget that and I Have to sit back and say “at least you are ABLE to run” that is such a blessing!
That sounds like a great goal and very similar to what I have for myself!
Ditching the scale is the best! I saw this blog earlier this week (http://breatheandnourish.com/goodbye-to-the-scale) where she drew on the scale all the things she thought about it (like it doesn’t define me, etc.) Thought it was an awesome idea!
That is such an awesome idea! It really is so liberating!
I had the same problem earlier this week–it was time for my Wednesday post and my mind was completely blank. There are plenty of things I wanted to cover, but I didn’t have enough of the pieces together yet. Luckily, I’ve made a habit of taking pictures of some of my meals as I prepare them, so I put up a recipe. #bloggerproblems
On my mind lately? Hmm…getting back to racing now that I’m just about back to running following nearly a year’s worth of injuries. I’m considering a marathon in the fall (not a BQ), but need to do some shorter races in between. I’m taking it as it comes, though, and am not pushing myself too hard. I just want to go out and have fun.
I know I hate when it happens! Sometimes the best thing I can do is just sit down and write what is on my mind!
It is a hard battle when you are coming back from injury. It is hard to know when you are finally at that point when you can start training again. I too want to do some smaller races just to get back into the swing of racing again I feel like it has been forever. Having fun is so important! I’ve always told myself the moment it isn’t fun anymore I won’t do it.
Hydrating is something I make sure I always do, because I travel so much. I don’t ever weigh myself, unless I am somewhere that has a scale. This week I am in California getting ready for Big Sur Marathon. I just hope it doesn’t rain on race day. It’s rainy here now.
That’s a great choice to ditch the scale! I rarely weigh myself but I do know it varies quite a bit. Last year I had to go to patient first 2 days in a row, and they weighed me both times…and my weight was 6 pounds more the second day!! I know there were so many reasons why (I had run the first day right before going, eaten a big breakfast the second day without running, and I was getting closer to my time of the month so more bloated, etc…) but it just goes to show how a higher number doesn’t necessarily mean you have gained weight.
I also feel really off when I am not hydrated enough. Its really helpful to carry a water bottle around all day!
Hydration and so many other things can play into that # on the scale. It’s so pointless! I go off how my clothes fit and how my running is going.
Yes I started carrying water with my everywhere as a constant reminder now!
I was a slave to the scale for years as well. It was an unhealthy way to live for me because it weighed on me emotionally and I think that reflects on the scale too. When I put my energy to eating clean and working out, the weight came off naturally…i know that’s cliche but it did.
Re: hydration, this is so true for me too. It reminds me of elementary school and learning that our bodies are 70-80% water…no wonder we need to hydrate!
Exactly! I know that I need to hydrate but I guess I Just wasn’t thinking about it. Not a good combo!