I have been listless, restless, bored and lost ever since I ran that half marathon in October. Oh sure, I'm still working out. But I have no point, no destination, no goals. Until now. As I have been pressuring my friend Shaunda to run the Fox Cities Half Marathon with me in September, it dawned on me. I have been telling you all about my experiences with training for and running a half marathon for over a year now. It's time for you all to share in it with me.
So I got this bright idea to gather up all of my blog readers and Facebook friends and do my best to try to recruit you to participate in the Community First Fox Cities Festival of Races. So many of you have approached me or sent me private messages asking how I got motivated or started. You've shared that you are frustrated with yourself and wanting to get in better shape. Some of you have even told me that you were inspired by me. . . . . . aw shucks.
Now, I want to share it with you. I want you to feel how awesome it is when you take your first step, commit to something big, and reach it. I can't guarantee it will be fun getting there but I can guarantee that when you accomplish your goal, you will see something in yourself that you have never seen before. You will suddenly feel more confident in yourself than you've ever felt, more pride than you can imagine, and YOU will inspire the people in your lives.
Are you thinking about it? What are you afraid of, the distance? You don't have to run the full marathon. You don't even have to run the half. You will have your choice of a 5K (3.1 miles), the half marathon (13.1 miles), or the full marathon (26.2 miles). So now you're afraid of the running? No excuse, you can walk. Even the half marathon. Yes, YOU can walk 13.1 miles. It is a tremendous feeling.
Have I convinced you? I really hope so. I am hoping to put together a big group of women who can do this together. I imagine us training together, sharing tips and short term goals, leaning on each other when it gets tough, and celebrating together in the end. I can see your family at the finish line, cheering you on. And I can see a single tear streaming down your cheek when you realize that you are so much stronger than you ever thought you were before.
Sometime tonight, I will be sending you a Facebook invite to participate in this challenge. If you are brave enough, respond with a yes, and post your goal. 5K, 1/2 marathon, or full marathon. You can change your mind anytime before the official registration, which was May 1 last year, giving you plenty of time to think it over. Over the next 9 months, I will try to motivate you with blogs, emails, and other ideas I have in mind. We will get together as we are able to plan, train, laugh, cry. If I don't send you an invite, it was because I had no idea you would be interested. PLEASE, email me and I will send you one.
Oh my gosh, I am so excited I could scream.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff? Sure. . . .
Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays. I really do. Some of you who have seen me over the past few weeks may not believe me. Perhaps I seem a little stressed. Take today for example. It is 5:30 AM on Sunday and my kid spent the night at my in-law's house. Normally, that would mean the luxury of sleeping until eight and then lounging around a bit. But just a few minutes ago, I found myself wide awake, laying in bed planning grocery lists, household tasks, and hour-by-hour schedules. I can tell you exactly where I will be every minute of the day, beginning on Thursday at 4:30 until Sunday afternoon.
I know it's not just me. I know that most of you are shopping, wrapping, planning, baking, cleaning, and scheduling in a very similar fashion. I know some of you have clicked on that intriguing link on msn.com, "8 Ways to Manage Your Holiday Stress NOW!" Did you find it helpful? Me neither. (By the way, don't bother to read "Avoid Holiday Weight Gain". That one's not too much help either.)
These people need a writer who tells it like it is. Someone who knows that just because you have an apple and a protein shake before you go to the office party does NOT mean that you will have satisfied your appetite enough to skip the dessert table. These same experts also suggest "taking a breather to clear your mind". The person who wrote that must not have an inch of dust covering every surface in her home. My personal favorite? "It's OK to cry or take time to express your feelings." I really don't agree. No one wants to hear me screaming in the middle of the holiday dinner, "I hope you all enjoy the meal because it took me hours of preparation and planning and it cost me a fortune and I don't even like apple pie."
If you find these lists as irritating and completely unhelpful as I do, perhaps you will find my list more comforting and a hell of a lot more useful.
1. Buy a LOT of batteries. No one tells you this in self help books, but trust me, Santa has a way of leaving gifts that you never would have dreamed needed batteries. Keep a good selection on hand for Christmas morning and you will have less whining and your husband won't have to run to the gas station in his jammie pants to pick some up. (Thank goodness for Kwik Trip.)
2. If you have a pet, do not think you can get away with putting edible gifts under your tree just because they are wrapped. This should be self explanatory.
3. Christmas cards. Stop the madness. Don't send them to people you hate just because they were dumb enough to send one to you. If you must, send them to the select people who mean the most. And by the way, I stopped this tradition all together a few years ago so if you didn't get a card from me, it doesn't mean I hate you.
4. Get your children gifts that you like. Seriously, I refuse to purchase season 3 of Spongebob even if Sam would scream with joy when he opened it. And when choosing board games, I always get ones that I won't mind playing since I know I'll be his number one competitor in said games. One year, he received "Disney Channel Monopoly". That was a hard lesson to learn, my friends.
5. Go guilt free. Or at least try to. I hate guilt. It weighs me down a lot, and usually for things that I should not even consider feeling guilty about. Starting today, I am guilt free for one full week. Do the best you can. It is not up to you to make all 37 members of your extended family happy. If they don't enjoy the holidays, it's their own fault.
6. Not everything needs to be homemade. Pillsbury makes a lovely crescent roll that comes in a cardboard tube and people love those suckers. You can do it! Put down the yeast packets!!
7. Your kids will love you even if they don't get everything on their list. I promise.
8. Speaking of kids, put them to work. There is seriously not enough of this going on these days. If you are stressed about cleaning, cooking, or wrapping, stop doing it all yourself and make your children help you. Back in the day, people had extra kids for this reason alone. They needed more help! There is no reason your kids can't wrap grandma's present--the corners don't have to look perfect and who cares if they use 87 pieces of tape? The point is, it's one less thing for you to do. (Also, you will have much better luck getting help from your kids than you will from your husband. Fact.)
9. Some people might suggest wine. I think that's a bit too obvious. I will reserve that for Sunday night when things are finally winding down. For now, it's coffee, coffee, coffee. The more the better. Strong and black, nothing fancy. I have never seen this on one of those other stupid lists about coping with holiday stress. Clearly, they don't get it at all.
10. Try to have some fun. We all have that one relative we dread seeing. Sure, the turkey might be a little dry. I know the cat has tipped the tree over six times by now and your great grandmother's ornament is broken. Not everyone will use the coasters you've conveniently placed around your house. Yes, you bought something that the recipient already has and now you need to dig out the receipt. (You did keep a perfect little caddy with all the receipts organized alphabetically, didn't you?) It's not going to be perfect. No matter how much you try, it simply cannot be perfect.
Next year, I'm submitting this list to MSN to see if they'll publish it for the regular folks like us who know that carrot sticks and meditation are not going to save us from holiday chaos. I wish you all a very blessed holiday. Hopefully, stress free thanks to these tips. And no, you may not put tranquilizers in your kids' bed time snacks the night before Christmas. Are you kidding? Save them for yourself!
I know it's not just me. I know that most of you are shopping, wrapping, planning, baking, cleaning, and scheduling in a very similar fashion. I know some of you have clicked on that intriguing link on msn.com, "8 Ways to Manage Your Holiday Stress NOW!" Did you find it helpful? Me neither. (By the way, don't bother to read "Avoid Holiday Weight Gain". That one's not too much help either.)
These people need a writer who tells it like it is. Someone who knows that just because you have an apple and a protein shake before you go to the office party does NOT mean that you will have satisfied your appetite enough to skip the dessert table. These same experts also suggest "taking a breather to clear your mind". The person who wrote that must not have an inch of dust covering every surface in her home. My personal favorite? "It's OK to cry or take time to express your feelings." I really don't agree. No one wants to hear me screaming in the middle of the holiday dinner, "I hope you all enjoy the meal because it took me hours of preparation and planning and it cost me a fortune and I don't even like apple pie."
If you find these lists as irritating and completely unhelpful as I do, perhaps you will find my list more comforting and a hell of a lot more useful.
1. Buy a LOT of batteries. No one tells you this in self help books, but trust me, Santa has a way of leaving gifts that you never would have dreamed needed batteries. Keep a good selection on hand for Christmas morning and you will have less whining and your husband won't have to run to the gas station in his jammie pants to pick some up. (Thank goodness for Kwik Trip.)
2. If you have a pet, do not think you can get away with putting edible gifts under your tree just because they are wrapped. This should be self explanatory.
3. Christmas cards. Stop the madness. Don't send them to people you hate just because they were dumb enough to send one to you. If you must, send them to the select people who mean the most. And by the way, I stopped this tradition all together a few years ago so if you didn't get a card from me, it doesn't mean I hate you.
4. Get your children gifts that you like. Seriously, I refuse to purchase season 3 of Spongebob even if Sam would scream with joy when he opened it. And when choosing board games, I always get ones that I won't mind playing since I know I'll be his number one competitor in said games. One year, he received "Disney Channel Monopoly". That was a hard lesson to learn, my friends.
5. Go guilt free. Or at least try to. I hate guilt. It weighs me down a lot, and usually for things that I should not even consider feeling guilty about. Starting today, I am guilt free for one full week. Do the best you can. It is not up to you to make all 37 members of your extended family happy. If they don't enjoy the holidays, it's their own fault.
6. Not everything needs to be homemade. Pillsbury makes a lovely crescent roll that comes in a cardboard tube and people love those suckers. You can do it! Put down the yeast packets!!
7. Your kids will love you even if they don't get everything on their list. I promise.
8. Speaking of kids, put them to work. There is seriously not enough of this going on these days. If you are stressed about cleaning, cooking, or wrapping, stop doing it all yourself and make your children help you. Back in the day, people had extra kids for this reason alone. They needed more help! There is no reason your kids can't wrap grandma's present--the corners don't have to look perfect and who cares if they use 87 pieces of tape? The point is, it's one less thing for you to do. (Also, you will have much better luck getting help from your kids than you will from your husband. Fact.)
9. Some people might suggest wine. I think that's a bit too obvious. I will reserve that for Sunday night when things are finally winding down. For now, it's coffee, coffee, coffee. The more the better. Strong and black, nothing fancy. I have never seen this on one of those other stupid lists about coping with holiday stress. Clearly, they don't get it at all.
10. Try to have some fun. We all have that one relative we dread seeing. Sure, the turkey might be a little dry. I know the cat has tipped the tree over six times by now and your great grandmother's ornament is broken. Not everyone will use the coasters you've conveniently placed around your house. Yes, you bought something that the recipient already has and now you need to dig out the receipt. (You did keep a perfect little caddy with all the receipts organized alphabetically, didn't you?) It's not going to be perfect. No matter how much you try, it simply cannot be perfect.
Next year, I'm submitting this list to MSN to see if they'll publish it for the regular folks like us who know that carrot sticks and meditation are not going to save us from holiday chaos. I wish you all a very blessed holiday. Hopefully, stress free thanks to these tips. And no, you may not put tranquilizers in your kids' bed time snacks the night before Christmas. Are you kidding? Save them for yourself!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Appreciate Yourself
I will start by bragging and, as you read, you will see why I am entitled to this. I ran 4 miles and did Jillian's 30 Day Shred Level 3, all in under one hour today. Other than the half marathon, it may have been the most difficult work out of my life. I told my family I'm taking things up a notch this year and I really meant it. But here's why I started today.
If you saw me in the grocery store today, I apologize right now if I was rude to you, did not make eye contact with you, or even if I appeared to run off to a different aisle just as we spotted one another. It had nothing to do with you. I was in a BAD MOOD. I hate the grocery store and every ounce of time I spend there. I never know what to buy and am especially irritated when the store is out of the items that I actually know I need. What makes it worse is that when I leave the house I always ask, "Do you need anything?", "Anything special you want from the store?". The answer, always, is no. But, within 30 minutes of my return, people are complaining that there is nothing to eat.
In anticipation of this occurence, I started to feel grouchy while shopping. I started to get that sick feeling that mothers get sometimes. That mean, nasty voice that slowly starts to creep in but quickly becomes a scream inside my head. "THEY DON'T APPRECIATE YOU!!!!!!!!" What if I never shopped? Would they eat anything? Probably McDonalds. But what if I never balanced the checkbook and we had NO money? Does he even know what kind of bills we have? NO! When is the last time that kid actually picked up after himself? Does he even deserve Christmas gifts???? I do everything around here. No one even notices. And the worst. . . what would they do if I was gone?
Hold on, hold on. I'm not going anywhere. This just tends to overcome me once in a while and I suspect it happens to many of you too. If it doesn't, then you must fit into one of these three categories:
1. You are a man;
2. You have no kids; or
3. You are not married to a man.
If you are lucky enough to be one of the people listed in 1-3, may I please spend the holidays with you? For the rest of you women-who-have-kids-and-are-married-to-men, we need to pull ourselves together and deal with this issue before we leave our families to the wolves to starve and fend for themselves.
The first thing we need to do is realize that we are making this scenario so much worse by allowing this train of thoughts to get so derailed in our heads. Honestly, I don't think our husbands appreciate us as much as they should, but I have a feeling a lot of them are doing the best they can. They are not built like us, their brains are not the same as ours, and I believe that they do not have the capacity to think like we do. So why do we keep expecting them to? Once we come to terms with that, it is easier to stop expecting something that is never going to happen.
The next step has something to do with why I challenged myself to the second hardest workout of my life. I couldn't get my thoughts to stop. In fact, when I came home from the store, my son was six inches in front of the TV watching a Big Time Rush episode that he has seen at least 10 times, at top volume. My husband was in bed, asleep. Four letter words that start with F came out of my mouth louder than the TV as I dramatically carried in all the groceries by myself and let everyone know about it.
It was at that point that I realized I had (maybe) crossed a line myself. Before I could talk myself out of it, I put on my workout clothes and hit the home gym(AKA 10 year old treadmill). The workout was rewarding and I did it myself. I wasn't expecting anyone else to chip in, wasn't waiting to hear someone thank me for how hard I worked, and wasn't pissed off when I didn't get the help I thought I deserved.
Working moms, whether you work inside or outside your home or both, you NEED this for yourself. It is the only time when you will work your butt off and REALLY feel appreciated and all that appreciation will come from your own heart and your own voice. Let the laundry go for one hour. Honestly, no one appreciates that you are doing it for them anyway!
And in case you are wondering, the workout song that fuels this self-appreciation workout goes something like this:
"So raise your glass if you are wrong
in all the right ways
All my underdogs
We will never be never be
anything but loud
and nitty gritty dirty little freaks
So come on and come on and raise your glass"
Raise your glass, ladies, and cheer yourselves. No one is going to do it for you!
If you saw me in the grocery store today, I apologize right now if I was rude to you, did not make eye contact with you, or even if I appeared to run off to a different aisle just as we spotted one another. It had nothing to do with you. I was in a BAD MOOD. I hate the grocery store and every ounce of time I spend there. I never know what to buy and am especially irritated when the store is out of the items that I actually know I need. What makes it worse is that when I leave the house I always ask, "Do you need anything?", "Anything special you want from the store?". The answer, always, is no. But, within 30 minutes of my return, people are complaining that there is nothing to eat.
In anticipation of this occurence, I started to feel grouchy while shopping. I started to get that sick feeling that mothers get sometimes. That mean, nasty voice that slowly starts to creep in but quickly becomes a scream inside my head. "THEY DON'T APPRECIATE YOU!!!!!!!!" What if I never shopped? Would they eat anything? Probably McDonalds. But what if I never balanced the checkbook and we had NO money? Does he even know what kind of bills we have? NO! When is the last time that kid actually picked up after himself? Does he even deserve Christmas gifts???? I do everything around here. No one even notices. And the worst. . . what would they do if I was gone?
Hold on, hold on. I'm not going anywhere. This just tends to overcome me once in a while and I suspect it happens to many of you too. If it doesn't, then you must fit into one of these three categories:
1. You are a man;
2. You have no kids; or
3. You are not married to a man.
If you are lucky enough to be one of the people listed in 1-3, may I please spend the holidays with you? For the rest of you women-who-have-kids-and-are-married-to-men, we need to pull ourselves together and deal with this issue before we leave our families to the wolves to starve and fend for themselves.
The first thing we need to do is realize that we are making this scenario so much worse by allowing this train of thoughts to get so derailed in our heads. Honestly, I don't think our husbands appreciate us as much as they should, but I have a feeling a lot of them are doing the best they can. They are not built like us, their brains are not the same as ours, and I believe that they do not have the capacity to think like we do. So why do we keep expecting them to? Once we come to terms with that, it is easier to stop expecting something that is never going to happen.
The next step has something to do with why I challenged myself to the second hardest workout of my life. I couldn't get my thoughts to stop. In fact, when I came home from the store, my son was six inches in front of the TV watching a Big Time Rush episode that he has seen at least 10 times, at top volume. My husband was in bed, asleep. Four letter words that start with F came out of my mouth louder than the TV as I dramatically carried in all the groceries by myself and let everyone know about it.
It was at that point that I realized I had (maybe) crossed a line myself. Before I could talk myself out of it, I put on my workout clothes and hit the home gym(AKA 10 year old treadmill). The workout was rewarding and I did it myself. I wasn't expecting anyone else to chip in, wasn't waiting to hear someone thank me for how hard I worked, and wasn't pissed off when I didn't get the help I thought I deserved.
Working moms, whether you work inside or outside your home or both, you NEED this for yourself. It is the only time when you will work your butt off and REALLY feel appreciated and all that appreciation will come from your own heart and your own voice. Let the laundry go for one hour. Honestly, no one appreciates that you are doing it for them anyway!
And in case you are wondering, the workout song that fuels this self-appreciation workout goes something like this:
"So raise your glass if you are wrong
in all the right ways
All my underdogs
We will never be never be
anything but loud
and nitty gritty dirty little freaks
So come on and come on and raise your glass"
Raise your glass, ladies, and cheer yourselves. No one is going to do it for you!
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