31 Day Blog Challenge – Day 6/Face The Music Friday #65

 

#6 – Your 5 senses right now

We all know what the senses are: sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. Let’s get right to it, shall we? (This was based on when I started writing this post on Thursday night)

Sight – the newest issue of Runner’s World on my nightstand

 

I cropped it kind of funny to take out my address label

 

Hearing – my Spotify playlist

 

 

Taste – these amazing roasted chick peas that Tara made

 

 

Touch – the keyboard

 

 

Smell – this awesome Yankee Candle that makes me WISH I was on a Seaside Holiday

 

 

 

 

Day 1 and 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

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So, there is my challenge for today, now here’s my Friday training update: I’m just getting back into the swing of things. Tuesday was my first “official” workout (if you don’t count shoveling snow) since Saturday, 2/21. I’ve had a horrid cold with an awful cough and when it’s in the lungs, there’s no way I’m pushing my body so I rested. And rested some more. And some more. I still have the cough now, but am trying to slowly work my way back. Let me tell you that Tuesday’s run was horrible. I felt like a beginner runner again.

 

 

I didn’t do anything on Thursday because snow screwed everything up again with about another 8 inches. I had kind of a down day anyway and just wanted to curl up under the covers. I plan on trying to get in a run after work today so hopefully the week will pick back up again. I really need to get my shit together again. I was on a streak and this being sick really put a damper on things.

I need a song that pumps me up and there’s not really anything more epic than this on my playlist…

E.S. Posthumus – Unstoppable

 

 

 

 

 

Face The Music Friday #64

Saturday – 30 min Yoga

Sunday – 6 miles

Monday – Shoveling snow 1:15

Tuesday – Rest

Wednesday – 30 min Yoga

Thursday – 4 miles + 1 hr kickboxing class

Friday – 3 miles

 

Not the greatest training week at the beginning, but I stepped it up towards the end. I had a minor pity party the first half of the week and a meltdown on Wednesday, but picked myself back up and kept going. Nothing spectacular to speak of.

Now, for the highlight of the week…your World Champion New England Patriots!!! Yeah baby!!! Such an intense, exciting game. I watched at a friend’s house with a few people and we were all standing up for the last 10-15 min of the game screaming at every little thing. It was mayhem. At least when we know we’ve lost, we can still lose like men. That fight that the Seahawks started at the end was just completely unnecessary and only made them look disgraceful. Awesome game. Awesome, awesome game.

Nothing else to speak of, so in honor of our Super Bowl victory, I’m going to share the Imagine Dragons song, Warriors. It’s part of a hype-up video released right before the game and I think they did an awesome job with it. I get goosebumps every time I’ve watched it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Face The Music Friday #63

Saturday – 30 min Yoga

Sunday – 6 miles

Monday – Rest

Tuesday – 2 hours shoveling

Wednesday – Rest

Thursday – 4 miles

Friday – not quite 3 miles

 

Training got fairly messed up by a little thing we like to call “winter in New England” aka Winter Storm Juno. I’m not sure what our official tally was at the end of the blizzard, and it was too hard to judge with all the drifts due to high winds, but I would guess in the neighborhood of 20-24″. Pretty close anyway. So that’s what my week ended up looking like. Still decent and only one missed run.

The storm also caused a cancellation of one of my appts, but I had one this morning. Not gonna talk about those other than to say today was a tough one. Not much else going on either. Staying busy, trying to keep to a schedule around the appts so it’ll be a simple transition back to work when I return.

Yesterday was Tara’s 30th birthday. We celebrated last weekend with friends, had dinner out last night with her boss and will be having dinner tonight with her parents.

I’m excited about the Super Bowl on Sunday and watching my Patriots play with some good friends.

This week’s song…

Have To Drive – Amanda Palmer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Face The Music Friday #62: The One With All The Training

Oh, hey. Hi there. Remember me?

First, let’s get the training out of the way. I’m not gonna use the usual format because there are too many missed weeks to type up, so here’s a screenshot of this month. Not too shabby if I say so myself.

 

 

Things are going well so far with the running. I can definitely tell my yoga is helping so I’m glad I’ve stuck with it. Running 4 days a week has been tough, but manageable so far. I’ve stuck almost religiously with the plan I’m following with the exception of skipping one long run day to catch up on some rest and skipping my Thursday run this week because my hips were really sore from doing a double workout on Tuesday. I still did yoga in it’s place, so I’ll call it a win.

Let’s move on and be a little more serious. I want to thank my blogger friends who have left comments checking in on me. It makes the interwebs feel a little smaller and it’s nice to know people notice when you’re not around.

Depression and anxiety are a nasty duo. One or the other is bad enough on it’s own. It’s not been a good few months. Every day is a struggle to just get out of bed. I think my training hasn’t suffered only because it’s one thing I can control. I have people to be accountable to as well.

 

 

 

On the plus side, I have an amazing network of friends (who really are family) keeping my head above water. I’m entering into more intensive therapy while taking a leave of absence from work for a short time. I’ve even gone back on medication to help level me out. It’s been a long while since I’ve taken anything and am hoping this will only be temporary.

 

 

Since I’ve missed so many weeks of blogging, I owe you a few songs. These are some of my obsessions lately. Music is a huge part of helping me feel better. Headphones in, volume up, turn off the whirlwind.

 

Robert Delong – Long Way Down

 

 

Fitz & The Tantrums – Fools Gold

 

 

Yelawolf – Till It’s Gone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Face The Music Friday #60

 

This week has been a really tough one. Let’s get the training update out of the way:

Saturday – 30 min yoga

Sunday – 4 miles

Monday – Rest

Tuesday – 3 miles

Wednesday – 30 min yoga

Thursday – 2 miles

Friday – 3 miles

As for the week, well, a gigantic step was taken in the interest of getting better, of moving forward with my life. This is not some place that I need to share what choice was made, suffice it to say that it was very difficult and will take a little while to sink in what’s been done. It’s very positive at the same time.

I’m hoping this step, along with others I am taking, will take me to a better place. Having this training to focus on is helping. Having the accountability to have to answer for why I would miss a workout is enough to keep me going. Having this gigantic goal – it’s all good.

Tomorrow is the Unleashed Christmas party and I can’t wait. I need the fun, the frivolity, the friends. I’m on vacation all next week and I’m very excited not to have to go to work. I plan on lots of fun stuff with friends whenever possible, keeping up with my workouts and who knows what for the holiday. Normally I’m a planner, but I’m going to try to just enjoy playing it by ear and see what happens.

Here’s your song for this week…

K.Flay – Get It Right

 

 

 

 

 

 

Face The Music Friday #59

Quick update as I started training for the Marine Corps Marathon this week. I think that having this training plan to follow will give me something to focus on so it’s a good thing.

Saturday – nada

Sunday – 6 mile hike in Blue Hills

Monday – Rest

Tuesday – 3 miles

Wednesday – 1/2 hour yoga

Thursday – 3 miles

Friday – 3 miles

 

Tomorrow is my birthday so some friends are coming over for a game night and then we’re going to go out to breakfast Sunday morning. I’m really looking to spend some good down time with great people.

Speaking of which, one of them told me about my choice for the song this week not too long ago and I listen to it daily, sometimes multiple times a day. Thank you, C.

Mary Lambert – Sum Of Our Parts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minor Blog Entry, Major Announcement

Yup, I’m still here.   😉

I’m popping in today to make a pretty big announcement. I need some accountability and what better way than to announce it to the interwebs?

Through a great deal of thought and an even greater amount of peer pressure, I have decided I am going to throw my hat in the ring and sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon next October. Yes, you read that correctly – marathon.

I must be completely insane.

Now is your time, runner friends – PLEASE give me all of your best tips, tricks, advice, etc. The first step will be actually getting in since it’s a lottery system (that I just found out yesterday), but I am starting training for it next week. Lay it on me!