Category: Exercise

Keeping Promises

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Humor/Light Hearted2 Comments

Keeping my promise to get serious about fitness this week, I attended my first “Power Yoga Class”.  What an experience!  I haven’t been to a yoga class in five years and my weekly boot camp class ended several years ago.  True to the description, this 45 minute class with Vinyasa flow sequencing and the addition of cardio bursts to get your heart pumping and your muscles moving, got everything moving!  Sweat ran in rivulets down my back, face arms, well, everywhere.

Not so much the next day.  Nothing was moving very fast!  I know it was good for me, but my muscles were grumbling.

Tuesday I scheduled a run to give my sore arms a break.  4.25 miles at 5:30 PM in Austin, TX meant lots of heat.  At 86 degrees even the ancient oak trees lining the streets couldn’t block the sun’s rays. At least my arms felt less sore!

Wednesday found me back in class for a Yoga/Pilates fusion class. One thing I didn’t learn from Monday night’s class was when to arrive.  I always try to be punctual and strive to arrive 15 minutes ahead of schedule to allow for unforeseen traffic, etc.  That put me front and center, directly facing the instructor.  Next time I will arrive on time and move to the back row!   This class focused on core strengthening to make my yoga practice stronger and my tummy trimmer. The intent was to tone, refine, and strengthen from deep in your core.  The first half hour was core focused and the second half hour Yoga focused.  That should have sent me running back out the door, but I blithely tossed my mat on the floor and prepared to tone and refine.

The first 15 minutes of the class went remarkably well.  We lay on our backs while we incorporated leg lifts, shoulders off the floor etc.  I patted myself (not literally) on the back thinking this isn’t too bad when we kicked into high gear.

I’m not sure which poses we did, but I dripped as I watched the clock and waited to transition to the second half of the class.

I don’t know why but I thought the second half would be a rest.  I was definitely mistaken!  I dropped into plank position while everyone else smoothly transitioned through plank and back into downward dog. 

I valiantly plowed through the rest of the class, slipping into child’s pose as needed for a quick rest.  After the class, the instructor seemed concerned as she watched me try to get feeling back in my arms.  As I attempted to fold my mat, she asked “Are you okay?” 

“Sure”, I lied and tried not to limp as I walked away. 

I stepped outside and realized it had started to sprinkle  so I pulled on my jacket.  My car was parked a few blocks away at the office.  As soon as we stepped from under the awning, the rain began to pick up.  A few more steps and we were starting to get wet.  Suddenly, I felt like a kid playing in the rain.  Wearing my sandals and carrying my yoga mat, I started running.  Rain soaked and laughing we made it back to the car at a sprint. 

If all workouts could only end with this much fun, I would work out every day!

Now I just have to keep the momentum going.  Wish me luck!

On a Mission

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Food, Gardening, Musings, WritingLeave a comment

Saturday morning I was up at 6:00 am and on a mission.  I was determined to find a recipe for the perfect soap. I was planning to make the soap as a gift for someone special.

I decided to take a few days off from training and running this weekend.  I will get serious next week (I promise :p). So, I joined a studio this week, which offers yoga classes, Pilates, boot camps and more.   Next week, I am going to take a few classes and increase my mileage.  Hopefully, I can get myself ready for a half marathon in November.

But Saturday was a day for creativity.  I began by catching up on some writing projects.  I spent a few minutes on Pinterest and found some perfect recipes.  One for the soap and also one for some lotion I thought might be fun to try. I checked the ingredients and found I needed rosemary essential oil.

No problem.  There is a small rosemary plant out in my garden.  I love my little garden…… and it is little.  I have two tomato plants and a couple of pepper plants along with my herbs.  I clipped some fresh rosemary from my garden to blend my essential oil.

I researched and found two different methods for infusing essential oil.  One method required drying the rosemary for a few days, dropping it into a bottle and covering with oil to infuse over time.  The second method called for warming fresh rosemary and oil in a crock pot for about 6 hours to infuse.  I chose the latter for several reasons.  The main reason?   I wanted to enjoy the aroma of the oil while it infused.

Mixing the oils together for the lotion was relatively easy, but I was disappointed in the consistency of the lotion.  Nonetheless, I now have a lovely jar of rosemary essential oil in my cabinet.  It has already been used to sauté a handful of mushrooms which were tossed into a skillet of quinoa for a delicious meal.

But now it is dinner time, and I think I will go out and pick some fresh tomatoes for my salad.

Stop and Smell the Tomatoes

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Humor/Light Hearted, Writing2 Comments

I joined a new running group last week. I am very excited to have a group and planned training run each week.  Last Sunday we ran 6 miles and it was one of the most enjoyable runs I have had in a while.

I woke up Monday with a scratchy throat.  Mold pollen was off the charts in Austin, TX that day, so I assumed it was allergies.  By Tuesday, I was running on fumes and my throat was extremely uncomfortable.  I felt like I had a beach ball in my throat!

Beachball!
Beachball!

My day was filled with meetings, so I sat through them, waiting not so patiently until I could head home.  Once I got home, my throat was on fire and I could hardly swallow.  My temperature was low grade, about 99 Tuesday night but was gone by morning.  I went to work, but after a couple of hours decided to run to the doctor, get some meds and be back within the hour.

No such luck.  One look at my throat he said, you not only have strep but you also have a peritonsillar abscess.  A fancy name for an abscessed area near the tonsil, which can swell and impede the throat opening and make it difficult to swallow.  My primary care doctor sent me straight to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat)

I couldn’t return to work.  I had to go back to the doctor daily for a few days to ensure the swelling was going down and I was forced to relax and stay indoors away from people for a few days.  I finished a book I received for Christmas.  I dusted my bedroom and sat in the floor to go through clothing to discard.

Saturday morning, I wandered into my garden to discover my first summer pepper and a couple of ripening tomatoes hiding at the base of the plant.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Pepper!
Pepper!

 

 

 

Then I sat on the deck, and enjoyed the occasional drops of rain that fell from the overhanging trees, freshly bathed with an early morning shower.  I made notes for my novel and worked through some sticky plot points.

On the Deck
On the Deck

Saturday morning, after three days of relative inactivity, I was desperate for a diversion.  I made a quick trip to the garden center for plants to refresh my hanging baskets.  I filled one with lavender and the other with jalapeno pepper plants. I was tired.

So I brewed a cup of espresso with steamed vanilla cream for a lovely vanilla latte.  And now I think I may just follow the example of my feline companion and take a nap!

Naptime
Naptime

Sometimes being forced to stop and smell the tomatoes can be a very good thing.

Zooma Half Marathon 2015

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, News and Reviews, Writing3 Comments

Saturday morning Mar 29, 2015, the much awaited/dreaded race day.    Up at 4:20 AM, we needed to arrive at the Cedar Creek high school parking lot before 6:00 AM.  The shuttle buses would start running at that time to transport runners and spectators to the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa for the Zooma Texas 2015.  We were out the door by 5:10 AM and on our way.  We arrived at the parking lot by 5:55 AM and scrambled to make sure we had our watches, gels and sunscreen before boarding the bus.

The temperature was mild at 55 degrees with a light breeze.  By the time we arrived at the Resort, I was grateful to be wearing my jacket as the temperature dipped to 47 degrees.  The resort is beautifully nestled in a wilderness setting.  The run is not ‘a walk in the park’.  It is peppered with multiple hills from slight rises to steep grades.  If you plan to run this race, you should train on hills.

Mile 9!
Mile 9!

We arrived at the resort and moved inside where staff opened the door and welcomed us.  Inside additional staff were stationed throughout the building offering smiles, greetings and directions as needed.

For runners who are used to port-a-potties at the start of a race, it was quite a treat to have indoor, clean and warm restroom facilities.  It was wonderfully relaxing to sip a cup of complimentary coffee seated on a comfortable chair and visit with fellow runners.  In the lobby, I met Shonda and Lisa from Houston, TX where we joked, laughed and discussed race strategy.

As we lined up at the starting line there were a couple of llama’s on the sidelines to send us on the way.

The Llamas
The Llamas

Once on the course, runners were full of smiles and waves.  As I turned onto Highway 71, a school bus full of kids passed by.  With the windows down, they were all shouting ‘Run Forrest Run’! I smiled for several miles remembering their enthusiasm.

 

 

The last couple of miles were on the resort property, along a relatively flat only slightly rolling path on the golf course.  Mile 13 was marked by the resident longhorns lounging in the grass.

The golf course
The golf course

Ron 406

This is the third time I have run Zooma at the Lost Pines Resort.  It has not disappointed yet.  If you can forget about those hills for a minute, the scenery is lovely.  The run starts in the parking lot and continues to Pope Bend which is a county road.   The road is lined with wildflowers including Bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes and natural grasses.  There is a short leg of the course that takes you down the shoulder of Highway 71, but it’s relatively short and downhill.

The temperature and winds both rose as I neared the finish line.  The wind, although gusting at times, was a relief from the 70+ degree temperatures.

Bluebonnets in Bloom
Bluebonnets in Bloom

The Zooma race mission is to inspire women to live healthy, happy, & active lives.  The post-race celebrations included vendors, live music, food, and massages.  Sponsor Barefoot wines provided post-race samples and complimentary coffee was also available.

The race field the inaugural year 2009 was over 1200 women.  This year the event included a 5K and a 10K in addition to the half marathon.  There were only 362 runners in the half marathon, 162 in the 5K and 173 in the 10K but the celebration was just as entertaining.

Not my Chi…..Anticipatory Failure

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Friends, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, Writing5 Comments

On the journey to recapture my fitness, I am trying to remind myself to draw on my chi. Chi Running, defines chi (pronounced ‘chee’) as the energy that unites body, mind, and spirit.  How awesome is that.  If only I could learn to tap into that!

A few years ago, when we traveled to in San Francisco, CA for the Nike Women’s Marathon, my running partner and I purchased stones with Chinese symbols engraved on them.  We each chose a symbol that had special meaning for us.  We often trade them at the beginning of a race as a symbol of support for each other.  We call them our chi.2015-03-25 18.31.44

As fun things often do, they took on a life of their own.  On our training runs, if  someone just a little faster ran past us, we would challenge ourselves and pick up the pace, shouting “It’s our chi!”

If someone sprinted by much faster, we would look at each other and proclaim, “Not my chi!”2015-03-25 18.33.29

Those little engraved stones have become a symbol of support and companionship, but occasionally even they aren’t enough to push me up a hill.

Years ago, someone told me a secret to running hills.  You should visualize a rope at the top of the hill and imagine someone is pulling you forward.  It’s a great visualization and can help.  But it can’t really pull you.  You still have to move your legs and when you haven’t trained; well it isn’t as easy to make it up the hill.

Recently, I was out for a run with my two favorite running partners.  It was an easy and pleasant run and things were going well.  We were at the start of our training plan, so the run was short and not too aggressive.  Near the end of the run, we were faced with a hill.  The hill is about a 45 degree incline alongside a busy road. When I looked ahead and saw the hill I said, “I’m going to run to the bottom of the hill and then I’ll walk the actual hill.”  I was thinking I was already tired and would not have the energy to run up the hill.  Both my companions nodded and headed for the hill determined to beat it.

Hill no plate

I realized I had allowed anticipatory failure to keep me from making it up the hill.  No it’s not ‘rocket science’ but for me it was an eye opener.  I actually got it.  If you don’t start, you can’t finish is a real thing.  I ran the hill, huffing and puffing the entire way, but I didn’t stop until I reached the top.  Even if I had taken a break half way it would have been fine.  I wasn’t attempting to set a record, just keep moving until my body said stop instead of my head.

I have a half marathon to run in this weekend and haven’t trained as well as I could have, but I never do.  I considered switching to the 10k instead.  Then I remembered the hill and changed my mind.  I may not finish, but I will start and I will listen to my body not the anticipatory failure in my head.

Crazy, Compulsive Multi-tasker!

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Humor/Light Hearted2 Comments

Monday morning found me standing in the shower, the water flowing, deep in thought.  I reached for face wash and realized I was about to scrub my face with my toothbrush.  Still wearing glasses,  a fitness band circling my wrist, I paused.  For a moment I wondered if I should consider taking a step back and slow down.  Nope!  One of my favorite quotes, is “Someday I won’t be able to do this, but today isn’t the day.”

I am a compulsive multi-tasker as my husband, Ron will attest.  Every morning, I get to the car with more bags than I should carry.

Many mornings, I shut the car door, buckle the seat-belt and realize my phone,  purse, or lunch is missing.  I unbuckle, go back inside and backtrack to find the missing item.

When I sit down to view a television program, I gather a novel, a crossword puzzle or a sewing project or two.  If I’m working on a writing project at my computer, I will open a class I’m enrolled in or edit a different writing project.  Hey, it helps jump start the creative process.

This month, I am actively training for a half-marathon, taking 2 online classes, working 40+ hours a week, crocheting an afghan and working on a quilt.  I say actively, because I have many other projects, in various stages.  I don’t profess to be proficient at many of the things I tackle, but I enjoy attempting new things.

During a recent day off, I took an online class in calligraphy.  When Ron asked why, I smiled and replied, “It was free, and it was fun.”

I don’t sit still well and I love variety.  Ron, however, will stop what he is doing to give me his full attention when I talk to him.   What a wondrous ability he has to focus.

In my defense, we commute an hour plus each morning and each afternoon. That’s two hours I can write, crochet and brainstorm or anything else I can manage in a car.

The next project will be a weekend of soap making for the girls, at my house.  I want to learn the process.  Sharing the experience with my daughter, granddaughter and sisters will be a lot of fun.  I can’t wait!  If anyone has a favorite recipe or special tips, I would love to hear from you.

So am I the crazy one?   Probably, but If so I like this kind of crazy!

Nature, miles and friends

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Food, Friends, Writing4 Comments

While much of the country has been dealing with extreme weather,  in my area we’ve been more fortunate.  Austin, TX residents woke Saturday morning to a mild 64 degrees.  It was a perfect day for a long training run. If you have to run long, you may as well run for fun! Bastrop State Park is a short 15 miles from my home.  Running in nature while I train is a great distraction.2015-02-22 15.34.35 (1)

A fire devastated Bastrop State Park in September 2011 along with many other areas of Bastrop County.  The fire destroyed many of the ancient pine trees.  It affected 96 percent of the park.  The fire was a tragedy, but it has been wonderful watching the rebirth of the park, aided by many volunteer organizations and their members.

Dez, Ron, and myself arrived at the park with two expectations; to complete an 11 mile training run and to enjoy ourselves.  We put no constraints on time or speed.  Dez and I kept to the trails as much as possible while Ron opted for the park roads.

The trails range from sand, gravel, or packed dirt and is easier on your body than pounding on pavement.  The steep inclines and declines work muscles not used in street running and compel careful navigation to prevent falls.  The combination is a great workout.

2015-02-22 15.30.03

We quickly realized that it was going to be a silly, fun day when we started laughing at everything.  We stopped along the way to take pictures, to view the blackened, fallen trees and to enjoy the newly planted baby pines.

Throughout the morning, park guests greeted us and we shared waves and greetings in return.  At mile 6 we found a restroom, which had been recently renovated and was sparkling clean.  While we were stopped, we visited with Ranger Carpenter and learned a few facts about the park rehabilitation.

We stopped at mile 9.25 to enjoy a bit of solitude at a pond hidden among the trees.  I had spent the day in search of the elusive Houston Toad.  We were pretty sure we heard one in the distance while we were at the pond.

The Pond!

The park ranger we spoke with encouraged us to find a tree and claim it.  He suggested we take our picture with the tree and return annually to document the growth.  So we each picked one and began a tradition.

Our final mile tally of 11.5 miles was full of fun.  After surviving  our trek through nature, we ate lunch and stopped by Austin City Wide Garage Sale.  This weekend the sale was being held in Bastop, Texas.  After an hour and a half of wandering through the maze of exhibits we were a few dollars poorer and a few items richer, and our energies had been fully expended.

We ended our day with sweets from  the Sugar Shack in Bastrop.  We each had two scoops of ice cream and I brought home treats for later.  It was a lovely day and the best one I’ve had in a while.  A special thanks to my cohorts today for helping me make wonderful memories!

Toto we’re not in Austin anymore…..

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Friends, Humor/Light HeartedLeave a comment

I’m still playing catch-up on my training for the Zooma half marathon.  I am slowly building up both time and distance as the date moves closer.  Tonight we ran through downtown Austin.

We started at the Treaty Oak on Baylor and ran down 6th street toward the interstate.  At the interstate we looped around and started down 5th heading to our car.  As we ran we wove our way through tourists, 5:00 o’clock workers heading home, valets parking cars, homeless people and early evening patrons heading into one of the many bars that pepper 6th street.

We discovered a sign for the best hamburger in Austin, one that said they had the best dumplings in Austin and discovered an entirely different town alive with entertainment.

We drive these roads every day, but everything changes when you’re on the ground at 5:00 PM on 6th street in Austin.   We may not be setting any speed or distance records but we did have a lot of fun!

See you on the trails!

Motivation where for art thou?

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Humor/Light Hearted, WritingLeave a comment

I’m not talking about the motivation of New Year’s resolutions.  I’m talking about motivation for the lifestyle of exercise and eating healthy food that I have professed to follow for the last ten years.

Never Give Up!
Never Give Up!

I know my motivation was here in December!  It was there when my good friend and running partner said, “Let’s do the ZOOMA TEXAS HALF MARATHON at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, in Bastrop, TX.  She and I ran the half marathon in 2009.  That year, we completed a training program of sorts to prepare for the “challenging course through the scenic Texas countryside with rolling hills”.  Or as I like to describe them, “the brutal hills with a few flat stretches thrown in.

As I write this on February 7, 2015, 7:00 PM, I checked the website.  The countdown says 48 days.  Now you would think that would motivate me.  So far I have not run one full mile since the first week in December.  I hope it works!  I planned to get on the treadmill this morning, but excused myself, due to a fender bender I had yesterday.  No, I’m not really sore and I wasn’t injured, but it gave me a great excuse.  In December, we were traveling a lot, so I didn’t train.  My husband, who is always motivated, ran while we traveled.  The first week in January, I had the flu, so I took January off, even though the flu lasted less than a week.

So looking at the countdown, I have to admit, these are all a lot of excuses.  I’m out of time for excuses.  In just over 6 weeks, I have to run 13.1 miles of not so gently rolling hills.  So in the morning, my plan is to drive to Bastrop State Park and run/walk some hills.  Wish me luck!

My hope is that perhaps my motivation will return soon.  If you see it, would you please send it back?  I sure could use it about now.

Back on the Trail
Back on the Trail

P.S.  As always, be careful what you ask for!  Monday morning, two different friends reached out and invited me to go for a run with them this week.  Motivation or not, run I shall!

Rocking the Streets of San Antonio Texas

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Friends, Travel, Writing2 Comments

The Humana Rock and Roll Marathon was the weekend of December 6th through December 7th in San Antonio, Texas.  This is the 7th year l  have participated in the San Antonio Rock and Roll marathon. I signed up months ago before this became the year of broken bones.  In August, I broke my toe and the healing outlasted my patience!    Not to be left out, my husband Ron fell and broke his wrist a few weeks ago.  And then, just because we are a little insane we signed up for the Remix challenge which means we ran a 10K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday.

San Antonio is a beautiful, magical city and one of my favorite places to visit.  The expo in the downtown convention center was as entertaining and chaotic as always.  I never seem to leave without purchasing something.  This time it was new socks and some GU gel blocks.  Leaving the expo, we stopped to enjoy the twinkling Christmas lights along the Riverwalk and the Tower of the Americas.  It was lovely in the soft evening light.

San Antonio Christmas LIghts

We didn’t stay in a downtown hotel for this trip, so we had to get up a little earlier to ensure we could find parking.  On Saturday, the 10K didn’t start until 9:00 AM and there were only 2500 or so competitors.  The parking was easier to find and it turns out it was considerably cheaper.  Sunday morning, the official start was 7:30 AM, so we left the comfort of our warm beds a bit early to head back to our parking garage from the previous day.  Supply and demand was definitely in play as we had to pay double the fee we had paid on Saturday.

I should clarify that I am not an elite athlete and I enjoy the fun and camaraderie found by those of us crossing the start line 30 minutes after the sprinters in the first corral.  When you run slower you can see all sorts of sights along the course.

Sunday morning, we all lined up; the elves, the tutu wearing competitors, the old, the young, and all other 12,000 plus runners, walkers and wheel chair participants.  The music was pounding and the weather was just a little chilly.

As expected, I crossed the starting line about 30 minutes after the gun sounded.  The course was a bit downhill in the beginning, heading from the Alamodome toward downtown.  As we passed the Alamo, many runners, stopped for selfies with the façade and spirits of the Alamo.  Leaving downtown took us through Trinity University and hills.  The spectators lined the road through Trinity, cheering us up the hills.  The enthusiasm was wonderful, but it didn’t really make up for all those hills.

The course in a Rock and Roll marathon is always alive with music and excitement.  It is also lined with coaches, family members and complete strangers.  Sunday was no exception.  Signs along the course proclaimed, “Worst parade ever”; “Run like a Zombie is chasing you” and my favorite, “I’m proud of you complete stranger.”

I think my favorite coach along the course was the gladiator wielding his sword, his face encased in a metal helmet in the parking lot of a Cross fit gym shouting encouragement as we passed.  My most memorable athlete was the young man I passed at mile 12, limping to the finish line, carrying his shoes and socks because of blisters on his feet.  Dedicated or stubborn I’m not sure but he finished!

At the end, I was so relieved it was over!   It was the slowest I’ve ever finished a half marathon, but I felt quite proud to have survived. Heavy Medals

We ended our San Antonio trip with a wonderful meal at Canyon Café, a southwestern grill in the Quarry Market.  I am never disappointed with the food or service.  It was a great meal to end a great trip.