It’s kind of silly that athletes refer to this time of year as the ‘off season’ because it seems like everything is very much turned ON this time of year. You know what I want an ‘off season’ for? Bad drivers. PMS. The misuse of grammar. I could go on…
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 10, 2014
RUNNING: My legs hurt! Isn’t this supposed to be my “off season?” Tell that to my heart and mind. I’m so addicted to running it’s stupid. On Wednesday it was too gorgeous not to run and then I had not one, but two opportunities to run with good friends. That’s just a no brainer. I did, however, spend more time in the hot tub, which is not a bad place to be…depending on who else is in there.
CYCLING: What’s this? I seriously need to get my ass in gear. Pun intended. I only taught one spin class and didn’t even set up the bike trainer. #fail
SWIMMING: Who swims with a head cold? This girl! It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, and I did wait until Thursday to jump in. I was able to do an extra long swim, which meant I ate for the first time during a pool workout. It was kinda gross, because you’re wet and all, and I’m pretty sure it’s not allowed. I need to find out how real swimmers pull this one off.
RACING: If you missed my race recap last week, here are the highlights: arrived early, able to use inside toilet prior to race, set the bar too high but ended up with a three minute PR anyway. Lowlights: I didn’t place in my age group, but if I was four months older (40!) I would have placed second in the master’s division.
Me and Miles post-race!
FUEL: I got a sweet shipment from my favorite granola maker this week! Ilene Evans of Hippie Chick granola is using her customers as guinea pigs, and I love it when she does that! I was able to do her the huge favor of taste testing the latest flavor – chocolate coffee with coconut and cashew. Do I really need to tell you how good it tastes? Coffee and chocolate have no off season.
THINGS I LOVE:Â Snow! Mostly because it was the first of the season, the sun was out, I was going for a run and it was gone by the end of the day. I have a very strict criteria for loving snow.
THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH: What kind of psycho came up with this idea?
They forgot to add “So you can more clearly see your imminent death as you plummet toward the earth in a fiery ball of destruction.” Someone will seriously have to knock me out before I could set foot on a windowless plane! I’m calling for all engineers working on this terrifying project to take an Off Season!!
MUSIC:Â Christmas music! Just embrace it. Yes, it’s probably too soon and yes everyone is complaining that it’s not even Thanksgiving yet but, you know what? The Christmas season is awesome, my kids are beyond excited and I’ve survived another year with a happy, healthy family. Life is good, bring on the Jingle Bells!
READING: RunHaven! There is some great reading going on here and, if you run and you’re not reading RunHaven, you’re missing out! In case you missed it, I wrote about the 4 Inventions Road Racers Need and I delved into the running psyche, asking the question of limitation when it comes to say ebola, molten lava, jail? Where would you draw the line and decide not to run? Remember, it’s the off season…
RANDOM QUOTE OF THE WEEK: One of the daycare providers at the YMCA where my kids spent a lot of time (thank you half-day kindergarten) actually wrote down what Miles said the other day, while he was there. She thought it was hysterical:
Good to know I’m raising a kind, caring and gentle soul.
Is this your off season?
What would you like an ‘off-season’ from?
What do you think about a windowless plane?
hahaha this post cracks me up. Thank you for the Monday morning laugh! And my children’s second home is their Y! And I will also not be on that plane with you. Time to start your journey or time to end it?!
Seriously!!! Thanks Emma…and you’re welcome 🙂
That note cracked me up and yes I have finally embraced Christmas music here, too!! Hey it is almost Thanksgiving give or take 🙂
We may as well embrace it, right? Now, talk to me in December and I’ll probably be over it. 🙂
I hear you Allie! Once my off season started, I honestly felt like my hamstring was worse, but I think it was because I began to obsess over it getting better, and as I didnt have the swing of AWFUL days, it made it seem worse in my mind. I am glad you are on your down time too. I am ALMOST on christmas music, but resisting a liiiiitttle longer 🙂
Just let it go and embrace it Tina!! I’m also glad we’re kinda, sorta dealing with this hamstring issue together 🙂 I’m doing all my yoga hip openers!!
This is actually my season of building back up. Normally the summer is my off season, just because it’s hot and I like to do half marathons (for us on the East Coast, there aren’t many too chose from). I think it’s important to take the time to rest and recover during your off season.
You are absolutely right and I’m really going to try and it take seriously so I can have a great Spring of racing!!
That granola! Wow, I think I need it.
No, no and no to the windowless plane! Insanity!
I am a scrooge all season long, but I am trying to be better about it this year. And no snow here yet, which is just fine, thank you, but I have a feeling that when we venture to Ohio for holidays I’ll be bringing the yaktrax.
What do I want an off season from? My stupid, always broken body. I’m so done.
You definitely need the granola!! And I don’t have to pull out the Yax just yet but it’s coming fast.
I know you’ve been having a lot of issues lately but this is a good time to be injured. Right?
That note was hilarious…out of the mouths of babes! Normally once the weather gets cold, that would be my off season but since I am running that half marathon this winter, I have to suck it up this year and run more than I usually would in the cold weather. 🙂 I’m sure it will be good for me.
It absolutely will!!! I’m still doing that half in Colchester, but it’s not until the last weekend in Feb so I have time 🙂 Can’t wait to test out my TrailHeads later this week as the temps plummet!!
ahhh I WOULD LOVE an offseason from packing 🙂
I hear you!! Good luck with the move!! You can do it! 🙂
Hahaha, I love the quote from Miles…sounds like something my oldest would say 🙂 Yea, despite my husband being a pilot, I HATE flying…aint no way I would get in one of those!! I am SO not ready for Chirstmas, this year has flown by way too fast!!
How did I not know your husband was a pilot?? I wonder if that would make me feel better or worse about flying. Sometimes the more I don’t know, the better… 🙂
Yea, I don’t like to fly when he is flying…makes me nervous. When we were in the military they wouldn’t let us fly on the same plane together for next of kin reasons…that still sticks with me so I try to avoid it
First of all, I am crying at Miles. Funniest thing ever. He may need to meet my Abby…she is a bit older, what with being a 1st grader and all, but I think they would get along famously! Secondly, that someecard made me spew coffee on my keyboard!! BWAH HA HA HA!! Finally, you swam so long you had to eat??!! Were you crossing the English Channel or something?! ;)-Ashley
Now you’re cracking me up!!! I swear, swimming gives me such an appetite. I didn’t eat a big lunch and then, after 40 minutes of swimming, I had to have one of those Honey Stinger Waffles. I just needed the sugar/carb rush!
And yes, I think Abby and Miles would get along great!!! 🙂
I realized this morning while I was running that you’re fast and I’m not because I don’t like it when my legs hurt. Well – there’s a multitude of other reasons too – like you’re just a total warrior – however, when I said that to myself, I DID make myself go faster, because a little pain ain’t gonna kill me. And you’re so right – there is no off season for chocolate or coffee. Thank you for being one of my guinea pigs xo
You are also a warrior – a granola warrior!!! I was eating the granola as my breakfast this morning and it was amazing. Thank you!!
I never really feel like I have an off season. I might not have a specific goal or race I’m training for…wait. Is that what you mean by an off season? I guess I do then. It just doesn’t feel like what I imagine an off season would be.
Rambling with myself for a moment 🙂
I know how you feel. Trust me, I’m still running, swimming, biking, etc but not at TRAINING level. Does that make sense?? I love a good ramble…
I don’t have an “off” season. I have a get I need to get off my butt season happening right now. I signed up for a 5k that happens on Dec 7 and have done ZERO to get ready for it. Time to lace up the shoes!
Haha – good luck!!
Beautiful pictures Allie! I usually hate snow but something about that first one is pretty awesome. It’s once we’re in March is when I want it to go away. Right now with working two jobs, I’m not hardly running. Because I am a Beachbody coach, I bought the 21 Fix. It’s is crazy cross training which I can do in the early morning hours. This should get me ready for January when I start to train for a half marathon again.
I saw that! Congrats and I know those workouts are no joke. Good luck sticking with the training in your “off season” 🙂
Oh yea, I love Christmas music. I do cringe a teeny bit when I walk into the store and it already looks like Christmas threw up in there — I mean c’mon, it’s mid November! – but I love Christmas and everything about it so I try to just embrace the holiday spirit, however early it gets started!
I agree but when my kids see Christmas everything, they get super excited and it’s contagious. Now, if I didn’t have kids, it might be an entirely different story!
I am head over heels in love with Hippie Chicks (Ilene’s) Granola, you are so lucky to be a guinea pig! That quote is seriously the best ever, and I LOVE when the day care providers share little awesome moments like that. My off season begins on Thanksgiving and I’ll be honest I am a little sad LOL. This newborn is going into toddlerhood and I’m not sure I like it haha. But before you know it, it will be February and I’ll be racing again! I do love Christmas–they put up a tree in my office building today and that made it REAL for me!!
They now have his quote hanging in the day care room! So funny. And yes, I can feel your pain as you cut your racing teeth but, in the words of Ice Cube – “Life is not a track meet, it’s a marathon…” I know you already know that and yes, February will be here before you know it.
Yay to Christmas trees in the office!!
Haha, love Miles’ quote!
Also, Ilene’s granola. Especially my blend, ahem.
I have to agree with you there! I have a bag of it in my pantry as I type…
Yeesh. I’m bad enough at flying WITH windows.
And new granola is a yay! I can’t wait to eat it. I just can’t wait.
Miles’ quote is fabulous and I’m sure Scarlet has similar sentiments she could share with him!
Regarding Christmas music, I’ve loosened up on it. Not that I was really mad about it, but Thanksgiving is next week! Then it’s officially Christmas season. I have room in my heart for both.
Agreed!!…really on all points, but my heart has opened up room for both since the kids. They really do change everything!!!
I’d like an off-season from my GI issues and food restrictions, which easily turn in to obsessing…and now trying to figure out what to eat before late races when I usually take in no food pre-race is complicating it. Debating going from no-grain back to gluten-free grain as it would make my life and DH’s so much easier, but have performed really well this year on paleo-esque regiment. Would I be better w/ grain or not? Only one way to find out, try it, but I hate risking losing any of the fitness/performance I’ve worked so hard for! So back and forth my brain ping pongs….
That is certainly a struggle. I feel so lucky that I can eat pretty much whatever I want before a race. However, when I did the Ragnar relay and had to run at 2am, I had some serious GI issues afterward. Good luck figuring all of that out!!! My Christmas wish for you is a happy, healthy tummy and a lot of PRs 🙂
Thank you so much! I’d love to PR at my first Boston next year!!
That plane is ridiculous! I’d be vomiting everywhere!
I feel like the whole plane would be!..with the exception of the kids who may just constantly trying to climb out.
The word off season finally has meaning to me now. This cold weather has this newbie runner so bummed out. I’v always hated the cold and now its cramming my new love for running. I sucked it up on Sunday and joined a gym. The treadmill run felt great…but still it’s a treadmill.
Love the quote from your son. 😉
Don’t be afraid to get out for a run in the cold! You just need the right gear and it’s a great excuse to go shopping 🙂
I ate that entire bag of test granola – yum! That stuff is addictive. And I don’t mind the Christmas music, but it hijacked the Love station on Sirious on Veteran’s Day! That makes me sad – I need my love songs.
My bag is almost gone as well. I’m rationing it out!
That is too funny about the “love” station. I can think of A LOT of other stations they can get rid of in lieu of Christmas music before that one!
Honestly, I’m a little depressed how easy NOT running has been since my marathon. I’ve been out once in the last three weeks. I’m back in the gym. But I thought I’d miss running more. I think I need to get my 2015 calendar going, get me motivated. I’m considering the Spartan Beast in NJ in April. You in?
Well, you did crush that marathon. Signing up for a few races in 2015 will definitely get the running mojo going again. It’s funny you mention the Spartan Race b/c I was just talking to a friend who did one for the first time and she said it was ridiculously challenging – and she’s a rockstar – so that got my attention. I just may be signing up for that!! Otherwise, I’m going to focus more on triathlon this year. Swimming will certainly be challenge enough for me!
That note….AMAZING. I wish the YMCA daycare was Roman’s second home. I tried 4 times to leave him there while I worked out. The longest workout I made it through was a whopping 11 minutes. Now when we go to art class or something there, we pass the daycare area and Roman invariably announces, “Look, Mama! That’s where I cry!”
Eating while swimming – something I’d never really thought about, unless I was reading a recap of some incredible swim feat like Diana Nyad, but of course it makes sense you need to fuel mid-swim.
And guess what? My babysitter just signed up for her first duathlon!! 🙂 I thought of you.
That is so hard when the kids absolutely hate the day care. I’ve seen A LOT of crying and screaming in there. Another great thing about having a twin is that you are never alone. I think because the boys always have one another, they are usually ok with me walking away.
That is SO cool about your babysitter!!!! I want updates!
I love that Miles plans to work at the Y Day-Care – I especially love his reasoning behind that job choice!!!
I live in the off season most of the time.
I hope that your cold is finally getting better. I’m sitting here sneezing and sniffing tonight but hoping it is because I did a lot of dusty work this morning at the venue. No way would I end up sick the same week as a skin cancer surged and root canal – that would be wrong!!!
OMG that would be infinitely wrong!! I still have the sniffles but I’m getting plenty of sleep at night and wake up good-to-go! Hope you’re feeling good in the morning too.
You want to know what I want an “off season” for… Wait just OFF in general…. Heart Break…. *Womp. Womp*
Oh GiGi. That is the saddest. Now I have to send you flowers and chocolates.
Nice. LOVE the pic of your son and that note. Don’t mess with his legos!
Hate the snow. We have it here in WI too.
Seriously! He is too much.
Hate the snow? Hate? Come on James, you need to embrace it!!
Haha. I have another chance to embrace it, as it is snowing again today. 🙂 #TooSoonToBeSnowingEveryday
NO windowless plane. EVER. Can barely get on a plane with windows. Can I get an off-season from life? Please? PS. John needs to start training hard again. He is making me mental. Possibly rethinking my “no ironman in 2015” ruling.
We are so much alike it’s scary. I’m afraid to have the “I’m going to start training hard in January” talk with my husband. I’m going to get him something amazing for Christmas to ease the blow…
Good luck with John!