Letting Go... While I Flow!

I think everyone has had those moments or times in their life when they are absolutely wallowing in some sort of disappointment.

As a kid (ok.... and as an "adult") I found (ok, ok, find) that disappointment comes often and easy when you're a perfectionist. When I'd get an 89 instead of a 93 on a test or mess up an important play in softball, it wasn't something I could just let go of and move on from. The disappointment would fester and boil until it would spill over into some emotional outburst or a month long session of too much internet and books.

For a lot of runners I'm sure that the time spent pounding it out on the pavement or exploring the great unknown is therapy for those moments that call for it. When you're wallowing. There's no expectations in the average runner, right? I mean you're out there doin it. Who else is?! I certainly don't see a lot of other midtwenty females out there. So that place for disappointment is small, and then you just run it out. Well I guess that's how it goes, anyway. Because I really don't get that from running.

Lately I've been struggling to shake off a little slice of a disappointment, but I've recently seemed to find answers in a very sweaty room. A hot yoga room! There's a class that I like to go to on Monday nights called, "Power Yoga Basics" at my new favorite studio Thunderbolt Power Yoga. For one the instructor is great (Becky Cawood, (she's taught me so much in such a short time)), but it's also this cool melting pot of super experienced yogis and total noobs. You come on your mat, totally let go of your inhibitions and all of your daily woes and just be present. Cause if you aren't totally there, then you're totally going to fall out of that pose or give up when your legs are on FIRE. You can't think of how you messed up that stupid form or caught an attitude when you shouldn't have, because it's simply impossible to succeed that way. I am really not that flexible or balanced, but it doesn't matter. I can still be as much of yogi as the owner who practiced by my side today! I'm honestly happier and  I hope that has reflected in my work and with my friends.

So if you're feeling a little stuck, go do some sun salutations or hold a plank for a stupid amount of time. Or maybe just check out a class at my new home 😀. It's in the northern part of buck head where the outback used to be and the first month of classes is only $40!

Product Review: Victoria Secret Sport Bra

Let's be honest. Looking good while working out is a big motivator. I want my butt looking awesome as a run past lines of cars through my neighborhood during the busiest time of the day for traffic. But unfortunately just looking cute is not enough. The many different pieces of activewear I put on has to perform under extreme circumstances. I live in the south and train for races through the hottest part of the year, so not only does it need to wick away sweat but it also can't be too heavy or stick to me too much. I spend lots of money, time and effort looking for the best of gear so when Influenster asked me to participate in their new camping with Victoria Secret Sport, I said "hell yeah!!"

So they sent me a lovely Victoria Secret box (you know the one, with the pink stripes! You can spot it anywhere.) filled with coupons for friends and a pair of the The Knockout Tight (in Marl) and the Incredible Bra (in black).

I was so excited that I immediately took my new sports bra out for a trail run the next day. Plenty of bouncing around on trails, especially since I'm not the most graceful. But the bra? It's great! It has a really nice amount of padding at the shoulders that I've never experienced before. It also really gives great shape without sacrificing function. The back racerback panel has breathable mesh, and even though there is a lot of support and padding to the bra I don't notice. There's also an adjustable back closure to make the fit even more personal.

When I went into the store to shop and use that coupon I was overwhelmed by all of the colors! I had a hard time choosing but ultimately went with the same bra but in a different color an zip front. I also tried on some different sizes to see how they fit me and decided that I should go down a cup size. Of course Victoria Secret is head and tails above the rest of the retail world in customer service so the
sales team was very helpful.

"INCREDIBLE BY VICTORIAS SECRET FRONT-CLOSE SPORT BRA"

The tights are great too (duh). The waist is a little higher than I'd usually chose but they're still very comfortable and flattering. The most important thing for me is that the waistband has a drawstring! How many legging lack that?  Sooooo many. I have a big rear end and a small waist so it's very necessary. I also decided to buy a  pair of The Incredible crops too. I've been wearing them around all day!

"Knockout Leggings" in Marl and "Incredible" (front close) sport bra in Blueberry Twist Marl
  

I'll be taking the front close Incredible for a spin in my power yoga class tonight. Check in at my Instagram page to see how it goes!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored blog post. Influenster provided me with complimentary Victoria's Secret products to test and review as part of a contest. All opinions are my own.

Wednesdays

For me, Wednesdays are my most challenging days to stay active. I work 9-6 and then turn around and go to choir from 7-8:45. I often will get a Wednesday off every other week, as I work a weekend every other week (that's a whole other issue) and that can help, but otherwise I have to cram a run in and sacrifice dinner or do the opposite.

The logical explanation here is for me to just get up early and run, right? Well I do track workouts late on Tuesdays (sometimes not over until 8 or 8:30) and so I am not ready to get up and do it again at 6AM on Wednesdays. I also really suck at waking myself up, whether it's 6:30 or 8:30... like this morning =).

I've tried running to choir (it's about 2.8 miles, not far), but I got SUPER gross and sweaty and felt bad having to sit so close to other people for 2 hours. It's just impossible in the Georgia weather not to get super sweaty, even nearing sundown.

My traditional rest days are fridays, as I like to feel rested for my long run then run on tired legs on Sundays as recovery.  Since my goal is consistency for this training cycle, I've got to figure out something that works. I guess trial and error can work for the rest of June and July, but after that it's business time!

Any suggestions?

Finding My Pace

I thought going in to the last marathon that I could run between 10:30-11:00 min miles. But that was simply not the case. When I think about the last training cycle all I think about is pain and inconsistency.  I battled foot pain, blisters, and a pretty tough achillies pain (tendonitis?). Coming off the marathon the only thing that seemed to help get over all the stupid aches and pains was to just take a break. So I didn't run for about 6 weeks and now I feel like I'm starting over.

I decided to actually pay for a training plan so that I didn't just run whatever I thought would work during the week and then do a long run on the weekend. There were a lot of different requirements in my search, as I have a very inconsistent work schedule, get bored easily and am really wanting help build a strong base.

I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a plan built just for me and a lot of the plans were very structured and repetitive.  Run the Edge offered the perfect plan (Level Up Ultimate 26.2) for me as it's all time based, I can move through it at my own pace, and it's interactive and ever changing. Hopefully it will work out! 

This brings me to my original point. A lot of the weekly miles are based on effort. Today I decided to do my "long run" (I'm going to my sister's graduation this weekend and wanted to save the shortest workouts for Saturday and Sunday) and it was supposed to be done at "medium" effort. Finding a medium effort is super hard for me. Running at an easy pace (around 12:00 min/mile) is a piece of cake, and finding a hard pace (around 8:45-9:30) is not challenging, but getting somewhere in the middle and holding it is something I haven't quite mastered yet. Luckily I have another 4 or 5 weeks of "easy" or short distance running to figure it out. I still have to find what my goal marathon pace is too. I'm still at the point where just running a race that I feel I did as well as I could is my goal, not so much for time. 

As always the biggest challenge will be forcing myself to stick to a plan the whole way through. Especially once my schedule starts to interfere.

Pity

Today (ahem yesterday, as it is now 12:30AM Saturday) a coworker of mine said, "so what have you been doing besides work lately?"

"Nothing new." (It felt like an odd question to me. There was clearly a follow up coming."

"Katie, I feel bad for you. You need to make something out of your life."

--insert jaw dropping-to-the-floor-face here--

...

Pity. I get it from this particular person a lot. Why does it bother me so much? Is it because I'm not used to being pitied? I certainly haven't felt like I deserved anyone's pity in the last few years (let's call AFK for after fat Katie). Or is it because I see some truth to it? 

Is being single (and not really mingling) in your mid to late twenties pitiable? Or is it just that in the eyes of twenty something it is? Because I don't go out to eat; because I don't go to bars; because I don't spend lots of money (I don't have) on fancy cars and clothes; does that mean they pity me?

This is crazy! How have I even been brought to the point where I think I should be pitied?

Let's recap what I've done, the good and the bad, AFK.

I moved back home. I moved to Atlanta. I got a full time, regular income kind of job. I ran a marathon. Then I did it again. I ran 4 half marathons, 3 10ks, a 4 miler, and 4 5ks in 2 years. I've run hundreds of miles. I've run over a thousand miles! I learned what a chaturanga push up is. I got to the point where I could actually do one. I forgot how. I traveled to Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Townsend, Vegas, Dayton and of course, Savannah. I went to the Grand Canyon for the first time. I found out in good at property management. I got a road bike. I've only road 50 or so miles on said 7 month old bike. I walk to work. I was asked to be a bridesmaid. I found a mentor, who became a friend and who is now more like an annoying older brother. I joined a choir. And then joined another. I was a member of a cast in a production of Oliver!. I learned I can run for over three and a half hours, but I usually feel like crying half way through. Running brought me back 2 friends I'd never thought I'd call friends again.  I found a roommate. I went to a funeral. Ian Somerholder offered me his tea, then got mad when I didn't drink it. I learned that letting go is so much easier than holding a grudge. Then I found another. I'm more independent then ever. I'm alone a lot. 

Being alone is not pitiable.

I'm fine being alone.

Alone.