Cracks me Up every time!!!!

Focus and Motivation

As you can see by the long layoff of blogging, my focus and motivation is out the window!  I need to find my passion, determination, focus and motivation to reach a goal!  What goal????  I'm not sure yet, let ya know.

Hoping that coming back to blogging, accountability will give me my motivation, I'm not sure about focus...that may be only found in a bottle.

Quick summary, health is good!  Good check up with Cardiologist and primary doctor.  My ankle is really giving me a rough time though.  I tore it up good a few years back....I have starting taping it for runs and it seems to help, but not always.  Why does it always seem to be something?  Maybe because my focus on running is off....so I'm focusing on my aches and pains...hmmm.....

We are 32 days away from the Detroit Free Press Marathon Relay!  I am super excited about that.  My first Relay and I'm running it with 4 of my "Sisters In Christ" in my Run For God group.  Note to self: start making running tutu's for the team!  We are going to be super cute!

ok -- now send me some motivational words and encouragement to get back at it!!!!!

Slow week!

I didn't get out this week except to walk the dogs....feel a bit frustrated with that!  Scheduling is still hard with Jeff on long shifts at work.  Wes' practice was cancelled on Tuesday which ususally gives me some time to get a few miles in after work.  The weather has been beautiful and walking the dogs is better than nothing at all I guess.  Then there was Wes breaking his wrist! He isn't up to crusin around yet, so that sidelined me as well.  Its cooling off this week and rainy right now, I hope to get some miles in!

Yesterday was the Stress Echo test.  I had had both tests done before, but never together.  Basically its an Echo, then a stress test on the treadmill and then a quick transition back to the bed for another Echo while the heart rate is still high.  Took awhile to get my heart rate up to the 148 beats which they consider maximum for a woman my age.  The Tech said I have a high exericise tolerance, which was something good...shows that I am doing something right!  They spent a lot of time on my valve and recording and pictures, don't know how normal that was, but regardless...I go back in 2 weeks for the results with my Cardio and they didn't say not to exercise between now and then...so I'll continue.  I'm sure I would have heard something if they didn't want me to.  Right?

Planning a Long Run......

I had a pretty good week, got out most days...some run/walk days and some just walking the dogs days...they count!  We have had a beautiful week for Michigan in March! 

I took Thursday and Friday off as this weekend is a 11 mile run/walk weekend for me.  Planning is tough with Jeff working weekends again!  Then there is the route...hmmm....I was planning an out and back on the Metro Parkway trail, but have this fear of getting out and not being able to get back!  If my heart rate sores or I have problems breathing I need to stop.  Plan B is a round route near home where I have several options to cut back if I need to cut my run short.  I think I have it figured out at last.  Jeff is hopefully only working a half day tomorrow so I'll wait til he gets home and then have him keep his phone handy in case I need him to pick me up!  I have several roads to bring me home as I run down Garfield.....on to Mapmyrun to check the milage.  We will see how it goes and how I feel when I'm done.  Looking foward to finishing my Cardio testing this week and finally get clearance to continue as I was and on to my half marathon in April!

Running Magazine Obsession! My Running Binder

As I said...I'm a researcher....I have to read EVERYTHING I can about running....Thanks Goodness for the internet!  My other obsession is magazines....I LOVE running magazines!  Here's the problem...I kept them ALL!  I had piles of magazines...why?  Articles I wanted to keep, websites, apps, recipes, the fun ads in the back for cool gadgets and jewlery!  Yep, They were everywhere!  Jeff was less than thrilled and I started stacking them in my closet....then they started falling out every time I opened the door.  Hmmmm.......what to do what to do?  I remembered a book I read about organzing a long time ago about tearing out what you want to read, throw the rest out and then keep a few in your purse to read in waiting rooms, etc and then throw it out when you were done.  That got me thinking and the creation of my Running Binder!

Here is how it works.....I took a binder, 3 holed punched a bunch of card stock and added notebook paper.  I go through my magazines and cut out what I want.....recipes, races I'd like to do, cool gadgets, websites...whatever and I glue it to the card stock.  Articles I take out whole, 3 hold punch it and add it.  Now I tend to be a little OCD about lining things up and keeping it organized, but that got too hard....so I just keep adding to the back.... The notebook paper I have my 2012 Bucket List....my lifetime Bucket List....and I write down quotes or sayings I find inspirational.  It works!  I have been behind and have a new stack of magazines to cut up and add, a good project for today!

What is your running/exercise obsession?

A friend shared this with me...yep that's about sums it up!

Love this....and yep....Been there, done that!