July: In Which I Ragnar'd Again.

Reusing this one. It's just so perfect.

So Ragnar happened again. Best time ever. I cannot wait to do it again. I want to do every single one....I guess I should start a Race Bucket List. There are many more to conquer so I'd better start saving my pennies. 

Pre - Relay....before we checked em all off.

61 Kills.....not too shabby.

I spent the rest of the month after doing Ragnar writing about Ragnar. You can read all about it here: Start, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and The Big Finish, among a few other posts. The other thing I did this month was join a gym. Which I am excited about. I've been several times already and have definitely have a new-found inspiration to really focus on my weak spots and get in shape. And prevent injury - that is the goal. So far so good. Can't wait until I am actually seeing some results! I still haven't lost all of the 40 lbs I gained when I quit smoking...and I finally ready to be rid of it. Forward motion- it's a good thing.

Joined a Gym....

So the Girl and I have been talking about joining a gym for a few months now. I needed to wait until I finished PT and Lexie cleared me for that....but now that summer is here, it was the perfect time to get started. There is one that is a few blocks from my work (only a short train ride from home) and they allow the Girl to also be a member and come and go as she pleases, even though she is still a minor.

My goals for this are to up my game in terms of cross and strength training. I plan to be there 3 days a week, mostly on my non-running days so I can do the elliptical and some circuit training. In the week since we joined, we've actually gone on running days so I've gotten to experience a treadmill for the first time.

Before now, I had only ever been on a treadmill for warm ups at PT and at the running store testing out shoes. So running a full 3 miles on one is a totally new experience. I totally get why people call it the 'dreadmill'. It's kind of awful. Like I can't stop staring at the screen to check how far I've gone. It's is also much harder. I had no idea. But running at the same exact pace, even when you are tired and would naturally slow down a little on the road, you just keep going. I am not sure I really like it.

And it's boring as hell. They have these little TV's but only get like 4 channels, so I am forced to watch CNN  (love news, just not that network) and get dizzy trying to read the subtitles in an attempt to trick my mind into staying busy. I am thinking I need to a) not go on the same one every time b/c it makes it worse that the view is exactly the same and b) perhaps try watching something on Netflix on my phone to distract myself and c) don't go on the treadmill.

I think the last choice is the winner. At least as long as it's prime outdoor running season in Seattle. I think it might not sound too bad once winter hits and every run is in the dark again. We shall see.

Part of the membership includes Personal Trainer sessions. Never really done that so it will be good I think. I had my first apt. with Zack, my trainer, yesterday and it went well. We have our first workout scheduled next week and he's going to set me up with a good circuit training routine that will cover arms, abs, back and legs.

Also part of this next phase - the Girl and I need to clean up our eating. Like a lot. It's gotten pretty bad and I've been really lazy lately. No more - there is absolutely no point to doing all this work physically if we eat crappy - the bad food will always show on your body and I'm tired of it. Big changes to come - watch out!

2013 - Goals for the Year

What do I want to see in 2013? Well the biggest and most important goal is to get 'off the injured list'. But big goals are nothing without breaking it down into bite sized chunks. And in a nod to my 'too much too soon' injury, this year is all about keeping it simple and not trying to accomplish stuff my body is not ready for.

Big Goals:

• Progress in my rehab so that I am able to 'run' again. I cannot wait until I am able to run a full 3 miles without having to do walking intervals. Likewise, I can't wait to do a long run again. It's been 5 looonnnggg month since I've gone on a long run. 

• Build strength and flexibility. My PT exercises and work focus on strengthening my core, pelvic floor, hips and glutes. I do a series of exercises every day and do my run/walk 3-4 times a week. Once I 'graduate' from regular PT visits, I'll be focusing on a regimen that will include yoga, more strength training and hopefully a lot of cross training amidst all the running I hope to be doing again this year.

• Focus on building a solid base. I really neglected that last year and have a pretty awful injury to prove it. I will not make that mistake again. That means I will be extremely cautious in increasing my mileage when I am back to running full time. It also means I will be a total zealout when it comes to stretching, recovery methods and fueling my body. I will be a smart runner who doesn't take chances. I love it too much to allow this sort of injury to occur again.

• Keep the racing to a minimum - no matter how much I am tempted to do other fun races. That means that my first 6 months of the year will be focused on training for Rock and Roll in June and Ragnar in July. Past that, if all goes well, I'd like to do the full Seattle Marathon in November. If a full is too much for this year, I have no problem doing the half instead. But I am not planning on any more and think that keeping the focus on these will be better for my body.

• Not suck at blogging. This was a mirco goal last year....Not sure how well I am doing in this regard but since I now have a full year of blogging under my belt, I'd like to get better, more consistent and savvier. 

And that is it. No crazy big goals this year.....and no specific tiny goals either. Just going to be realistic, listen to my body and go with the flow. We'll see how that approach works in the coming months!