I titled and wrote the majority of this post prior to the tragedy in Paris this past Friday night. Of course my perspective has been changed once again, so please read this knowing it was written prior to that, and I’m sharing the world’s shock, anger, disbelief and grief.
Extremes usually bring perspective – a death, a birth, a big win or a huge loss. I’ve experienced all of these and immediately afterward I feel like I have to get my head on straight. I spend at least the next hour hugging my kids and not yelling as much, feeling overwhelming gratitude and that “it was all worth it” feeling or trying to make myself believe it was because, in the grand scheme of things, does any of it really matter? Yes, yes it does and these Jedi mind tricks only go so far until you fall right back into your daily routine.
Last week was an attempt to sort out my post-racing season feelings, pre-holiday feelings and everything in between. And, when you start your Monday by flying from 90 degree sunny Miami to 50 degree rainy Connecticut, shit gets real pretty quick.
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9, 2015
RUNNING
I started the week running in the hot tub that was Miami and ended it running in a leaf covered and rainy trail. I think I preferred the latter. Serious props to anyone living in the south who endures that heat 365 days a year. It’s just weird. And hot. And requires too much hydrating for this runner.
I’m happy to report that I ran about 25 miles over the week and I’m starting to feel like myself again. Running weather at home is pretty perfect and I even snuck in two different runs with friends. The first happened to be with the friend who also ran NYC. She had an absolutely fantastic race, loved every mile, wrote her name on her shirt and had people cheering for her through all 5 boroughs. La dee da for her. < – – Kidding! You know I love you Anne.
It’s all about perspective.
SWIMMING
The pool has been my saving grace. I did three pool workouts this week, have mastered my flip turns (even with a pull buoy!) and have even improved my kicking. Slightly.
I’m slowly building more time in the pool and trying to keep it enjoyable because I know what’s coming. Basically hours of swimming where I will loath the pool, my goggles and whoever made chlorine because it will permeate everything I own. #GoodTimes
I should also probably figure out what ‘SWOLF’ is…
CYCLING
I realized I had not been on my bike, a spin bike or any bike for about two weeks. How did that happen? This led to my first spin class, which I happily attended and did not teach, in a while. My legs felt great, my breathing was labored and it left me ready for more!
I really wanted to take these for a spin in Miami but no one wanted to join me.
STRENGTH TRAINING
This will be a focus of mine until the new year. I’m aiming going to get 2-3 days in a week to keep my glutes, abs, hips and hammys strong like bull and ready for action. Did I mention I pretty much hate strength training? I find it fantastically boring (says the long distance runner) and I loathe coming up with my own routines…which is why I love this one from Jesica at runladylike:
FUEL
After eating and drinking my way though Miami, I’ve landed squarely back in reality. Reality sucks because it means making my own food and everyone else’s. Wah. What doesn’t suck is getting easy and healthy meals like this one from my BRF Deena Kastor:
It only looks fancy.
GEAR
First off, you all know I’m a Momentum Jewelry Ambassador and I pretty much never leave home without wearing some inspiration. Trust me, I need it all.day.long and these mantras work when I’m alone with the boys too – especially “BE BRAVE” because they sometimes scare the hell out of me when I think of their adult life.
Anyway, you need to know this:
What you do not yet know is I’ve accepted an offer to becomea KUHL ambassador and blogger!
In case you are not familiar with the brand, KUHL clothing is all about outdoor style, comfort and functionality. They also have some pretty ridiculous bloggers who climb the hell out of mountains like this:
If you look closely you will see this guy is actually changing his shoes!!!! I would be clinging to the mountain and crying.
No, I’m not going to start scaling mountains but I am going to start showcasing a little more of my outdoorsy side and that of my family. You know we all love to ski and snowboard and I’m happy to say, the boys started asking in July when they could go skiing again. I didn’t say they were bright, I just said they’re outdoorsy. I even wrote my first KUHL blog post about how they’ve disappointed me by choosing skiing over running as their go-to sport.
I’m looking forward to talking more about their clothing as soon as I get my special delivery! You know I will be putting it to the test!
THINGS I LOVE
Running with actual human beings around. The one thing I really enjoyed while running in Miami was all the action…and the ocean views didn’t hurt either.
Retracing my morning run with my husband. I found a Starbucks and led him back to it later in the day. This is why he keeps me around.
Seen on the run in Miami: tons of other runners sweating as much as I was, lots of dogs, a walk to benefit Alzheimer’s research in the park, a man dancing to music, too many homeless people, a crane, the American Airlines arena where the Heat play, free yoga in the park, cruise ships, Whole Foods, skyscrapers, gorgeous bridges and more gorgeous yachts.
See on the run near my home: cows
#Perspective
THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH
Holiday drama. Please do not save it for this mama Nordstrom – I’m not buying it.
WTF? Make no mistake people, Nordstrom would “deck their halls” in July if that’s what would give them all the attention they are getting for this! Do they seriously need to advertise this? Is there anyone on the planet who would walk into one of their stores from now until November 22 and wonder where the holiday decorations are? Save it Nordstrom, but give your PR people a raise.
I’m also guessing some employees will be working overtime on Thanksgiving so they can “open their doors in style” the next day. #TrueSpiritoftheHoliday
READING
First, a moment of silence for Ronda Rousey losing her first fight. I’m looking forward to how she will handle this and what she will have to say, when she’s ready to say it. No matter what, I’m sure she will only come back stronger. #KeepYourHeadUp
And now…the best of last week involved some of my favorite women being their amazing selves:
Mothers, Daughters, Sisters and Veterans – ESPNW | You may recognize one of our veterans in this piece! I have to give props to ESPNW for highlighting some fantastic, brave, and powerful women in their tribute, including Michelle from NYCRunningMama. Thank you for your service ladies!
Reese Witherspoon’s Stunning Speech About Female Ambition – Huffington Post | I love everything about this. I love how she started her own production company when her needs as a lead female actress weren’t being met, I love that she proved she can hold her own in Hollywood by having two blockbuster, Academy Award nominated movies in her first year (Gone Girl and Wild), and I love how she’s talking openly about it. Lean in Reese. Lean in.
“I dread reading scripts that have no women involved in their creation because inevitably I get to that part where the girl turns to the guy, and she says, ‘What do we do now?!”
“Do you know any woman in any crisis situation who has absolutely no idea what to do?” – Reese Witherspoon
RANDOM QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Overhead while in a Miami restaurant:
Woman: “Do you have diet tonic water?
Waiter: sneers, walks away, then over his shoulder “Has anyone ever said ‘yes’ to that?”
Our entire table laughs.
How was your week?
What has put your world into perspective lately?
It sounds like you had a nice week. I’m sure the change of perspective in Miami was really nice. That is one place I’ve wanted to go hangout for a few days. Plus it was terrible weather up here anyways. My week was good…just busy.
It was so nice to go outside in the sun and heat every single day. But, that would just get weird after a while, right? That’s what I keep telling myself!
So very much has pushed my life into perspective.
Friends struggling and yet bravely pushing through.
Larger world struggles and events.
Thank goodness for the optimism and perspective shifting of my nine year old <3
YES! Thank goodness for the kids’ perspective – always!! Great point Carla.
Woohoo to KUHL kids! I can’t wait to get my gear and put it to the test. I admit I was quite a bit intimidated when I looked up what all the other ambassadors were posting. Ummmm…yeah. I’m not changing my shoes while tethered to a tiny rope on the side of a mountain. hahaha!
Glad you are feeling back to normal.
OMG right? Yikes!!! Although I’m sure running 26.2 sounds daunting to them. I think. Maybe. Whatever! So excited to try some need KUHL threads!
Congrats on the KUHL blog….I’m going to have a hard time stalking you if you are all over the web on 20 different sites, but I’ll do my best…but seriously congrats!
Ah….perspective….of course Paris…. and other untalked about tragedies but let’s not get political here….
Perspective for me in the running world was when I went to bed at 4am on Friday(or I guess it was already Saturday) due to my friends’ bday party that I hosted and then got up at 6am to meet my running group…. did an 8 mile run on 2 hours of sleep and felt ok…. I’ve come a long way:)
LOL – thanks Paria!! And yes, I didn’t want to get political either and it was a pretty strange coincidence that I was seeking perspective last week before everything..
Love that you still met the running group after beating the hell out of your Donald piñata 🙂 I’m assuming that was the night. Loved the FB pics!
Congrats on the ambassadorship! I love KUHL’s line of clothing. My kind of style.
Looks like a great “recovery” week, altho 25 miles doesn’t seem like recovery to me! LOL!
Thank you! And yes, but it was a slow and happy and friend-filled 25 miles that I chose to do so…you know…recovery 🙂
Perspective indeed–it keeps bothering me that I’m sitting here enjoying life when all of that is happening over in Paris and Beruit. So sad and so troubling.
Congrats on the Kuhl deal! I actually have a pair of their x-country pants that I’ have owned for probably 15 yrs now!
I know. It’s definitely a struggle whenever something like that happens.
Love that you have a great sturdy pair of KUHL’s already!!
Ahhh perspective. Trying to remember what that is. I can’t wait to read Reese’s speech. And yay for Kuhl!! Yeah, those pictures of the other ambassadors are just a wee bit intimidating. But hey, we just help make the brand more relatable, right? 😉
Exactly!!
Hope you enjoyed Reese’s speech as much as I did. If it doesn’t exist, create it!!
I’m envious of your swimming skills, Allie; I just need to get in the pool and start working on it, instead of complaining. My husband said that he’ll help me, but I think I’m intimidated by it. It’s such a great cross training activity, right? I loved seeing your Miami pics and, yes, it’s super hot – GAH! I don’t think I could live in central or southern Florida because I really enjoy seasons. Hope your week is off to a great start!
Get in the pool!!! Yes, it’s intimidating for sure but it’s amazing cross training, especially if you’re rehabbing an injury or just need something different. It’s also great for a beginner to just do 15-20 minutes because it can be intense when you first start. Plus, if you learn to swim, a whole new world of triathlon will open up to you 🙂
last week was pretty crazy, but not bad. except for friday and Paris and Beirut. deal lord how horrific, it really put things into perspective. i was there in 2013 (paris) and had the time of my life… my old company is based in Paris, thankfully none of my friends were harmed.
another mind blowing thing was the Rousey vs Holm fight. OMG that was brutal and humbling to watch… i’ve been knocked out with a kick in the head back in my martial arts days. it sucks. those women are true warriors. until the next fight.
I know! I could not believe it when I saw it. Totally stunned but cannot wait to see what happens next because she is a beast and trains like a maniac. I feel sorry for whomever gets in the octagon with her next…and I feel sorry for you! Kicked in the head and knocked out? No thanks! Glad you survived that one!!
I am so impressed with how well your swimming is going!! I remember when you were not happy to give that part of the report but every week it seems to be getting better!! So great. I don’t watch Ufc but man I have all the respect in the world for Ronda. So great that you got to sneak some fun runs in, the weather was absolutely perfect!!
I know! I’m the biggest advocate for swimming now because I’m such a convert. It took a while but now I love it!!
I’ve been stalking Ronda on the web and really eager to hear what she has to say in her first interview. I hope she carries herself well and talks only about the future. She works and has worked so hard for everything she has and, as we know, losing is part of the battle.
The weather has been amazing!! I did a long run yesterday because the sun was out and I literally could not stop!
I didn’t know Jes did workouts like that- awesome! She did such a great job! I’m impressed that your mileage is back up so much already. I jumped back after the half and after the RW weekend, but then after my ten mile race I think my body needed more rest than I gave it as my shins are now a bit cranky, so I”ll be taking it easy this week. Strength training 2-3x a week is one of my goals, too.
I don’t think it’s a regular thing but I was happy to see it on her blog! I can do that one from home which is nice.
Most of my mileage was SLOW and with friends and just felt really good. I think getting in the pool in the two days after the race helped a lot.
Yes to strength training!
I subscribed to Oxygen magazine for a few years, and I saved all the issues for the strength training workouts. I don’t mind strength training as long as someone tells me what to do!
As for Nordstrom….their window sign is not up in lights, and they’ve been doing it for years. This year someone decided to make a big deal about it and post it on Facebook. Kind of like the stupid Starbucks cup thing. Just do your shopping and drink your coffee, people!
I feel the same way about strength training. If my coach didn’t live so far away I would make her do the routines with me!!
I did not know that about Nordstrom but I’m not surprised. I feel exactly the same way – just live your life!!! #Stupid
I love how everyone is always out and about in Miami! I’m with you in that I don’t think I’d want to live where it’s always 90 degrees, but I do enjoy San Diego weather where we have mild seasonal changes, low humidity, and it’s pretty nice year round 🙂 Plus I fly back to the east coast for the holidays and get more than enough of my winter fill every year!! Ha.
Oh that is perfect! I lived in L.A. and Santa Monica for about three years and would commute back for the holidays. There’s just something wrong about palm tress with Christmas lights on them!!
San Diego is gorgeous and the few times I was able to run there were amazing!
How Cool that you are going to be a KUHL ambassador! I love their gear!!! Love that you are getting back into the groove too!
I know! *squeee* Thanks Sandra.
Congrats on being a KUHL ambassador! I always obsess over their clothes each time I go into REI – such great outdoor gear! The attacks in Paris and Beruit certainly shook my perspective this week – how sorrowful and how terrifying.
Yes to both. I found it really odd that I had already been seeking perspective this past week and then Paris and Beruit happened. I didn’t need that much.
I don’t even know what to say about Paris. I am just very, very sad. When you hear about things like that, it puts many things in life in perspective.
Exactly. Like I said to Laura, I find it odd that I was already seeking some perspective but I did not need that much.
I have to say, I am glad you now realize why I’ve been complaining about running in FL. It’s terrible isn’t it. Hahaha! I will be dreaming of your cow and leaf-filled runs. LOL! Thanks so much for sharing my glute/hip video. I’ve been doing that workout at least three times per week. PF is still around but I’m running through it. xoxo
Oh how I feel your pain! That is a rough running life, but at least there was a lot of distraction 🙂
Love the video and have been incorporating the standing skaters and bridge work! Thanks.
If I was in Miami, I’d totally order a diet tonic water… WTF?!
BAWHAHAHAHA! I would think Miami is one of the only places you could do that…which is what made it ever funnier.
Congrats on your ambassadorship! That is amazing!
I think the holidays are totally an completely out of control. Everything happens so far in advance that I feel over the holiday way before it even arrives! It’s too much!
Agreed! I truly enjoy Thanksgiving but, after that, it’s pretty much a haze until the new year. *deep breaths*
So question for you about your strength training. Do you just do body weight exercises or are you a believer in “lifting heavy”?
I do a lot of body weight and resistance band training but use weights for squats, triceps, biceps and core work and go heavy! I do some squats on the squat rack but the other stuff is usually around 10-15 pound weights. If I can get 1 set of 10-15 and do 3 rounds, I know I have the right weight.
Hope that answers your question!
Yes, thanks! I’m trying to figure out how to really start my strength training!