Ok...I'm Done...I'm Officially Vegan

Ok, so last spring I intended to go vegan when I began running, but it didn't really happen like I had hoped.  I cut out most of the animals products I was eating, but still consumed them when I ate out.  I didn't buy products containing animal products, but if my husband did, I often ate them.  I've been struggling morally because I "wanted" to be vegan, but I made a lot of excuses to eat dairy and eggs.

I began reading Eat Like You Care by Gary Francione and realized that I don't really have a legitimate excuse to consume animal products.  I really want to be vegan and I'm going to stop standing in my own way.  I love animals and they don't deserve to suffer because it is convenient for me to eat products that come from them.  I have know about how terrible the egg industry is, but I didn't realize "cage-free" doesn't mean squat.  They are not happy or healthy chickens and the male babies are thrown into grinders alive because they will never be able to lay eggs and no one wants the males.  THERE IS NO WAY I WILL SUPPORT THIS PRACTICE.

The dairy industry is just as bad.  The cows are forcefully impregnated and then the babies are taken away immediately and put into tiny crates.  Many of them stay in the crates for 6ish months before becoming veal.  Also, the dairy cows end up in the slaughterhouses too, as soon as their productivity decreases after about 4-5 years (they can live to 25+ years).  This information was new to me.  I AM DONE!  I cannot be a part of this appalling culture anymore!  These animals don't deserve to be tortured and murdered!

We do not need animal products to be healthy.  Research is showing that people who consume a plant-based vegan diet are actually healthier than those who eat animal products.  There are also many famous and successful athletes who are vegan, including Scott Jurek (perhaps the best ultra-marathon runner of all time) and Brendan Brazier (successful triathlete).  The astounding careers of these men, and many others, is proof that we don't need animal products to be healthy.  Here is a link to other famous vegans: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vegans

I realize that being vegan will take extra effort on my part.  The small community I live in is very focused on animal products (lots of hunters...ugh!).  It is almost impossible for me to find vegan food at restaurants, but, luckily, my favorite sushi place has vegan sushi.  We also have a couple of small natural food stores.  This means I will have to cook more and plan ahead.  I won't be able to pick up dinner on the way home very easily.  But, my mind is starting to think that way on its own.  I love muffins, but can't find vegan ones here, so I made my own this evening.  I have also discovered some delicious vegan cheese sauces that I can use on nachos, burritos, enchiladas, potatoes, etc.  I also just purchased a cookbook that is dedicated to vegan pizzas!  Yes, it takes a little more effort to be vegan (in my community, at least), but it is so worth it.  If you live in a bigger city, there are usually tons of vegan options at restaurants (at least on the West Coast), you just have to look for them.  Vegan food has come a long way and it doesn't have to be bland and gross.  There are some amazing cookbooks out there, if you just take a look.  I am not a great chef nor do I really enjoy cooking, however,  I am choosing to be a compassionate and loving human being who values ALL living things.  Ahimsa, do no harm.

Cheers,

Ashley

P.S.  Let me know if you want references for cookbooks or other information about becoming vegan.

1/2 Marathon and a Change of Pace

Half-Marathon Reflection

Well, I finished my first half-marathon two days ago.  The first 7.5ish miles were fantastic, but by mile 10 my legs were tired and I just wanted to stop.  I didn't.  I kept going, though I did walk some.  I was a little disappointed with the walk breaks, but then I realized that I've only been running for about 6 months.  So, I'm very happy with the progress I've made in such a short amount of time.  During the race, I kept thinking how running 10Ks (6.2 miles) is enough.  I told myself 5Ks and 10Ks would make up future races, but now, two days later, I find myself looking for another half-marathon for late spring...?  I guess I see it as having room to grow.  I know that I can increase my 5K and 10K race paces, but the distance isn't much of a challenge anymore.  The half was definitely an all-around challenge, but I have a lot of room to grow.  I can both increase my pace and decrease or eliminate my walking breaks.  I want to be badass and to continue to challenge myself, so I'm going to try again!  :)

A Change in Goals

Ok, so I don't want to run a marathon anymore...at least not right now.  I originally set the goal as a way to stay motivated and to help myself meet other goals.  However, in training for my half, I have met many of the goals already.  So far, I have:

1. developed a love of running
2. developed good exercise habits
3. lost some weight (still working on this one)
4. started to feel like an athlete again
5. gotten stronger

I am still working on these goals and will continue to race and challenge myself.  I have decided that 2 to 2 1/2 hour weekend training runs are enough.  Also, I don't feel like I'm in good enough shape yet to put myself through marathon training and I definitely don't want to get injured.  I get sore by about 10 miles and feel that if I push myself too much farther injury is inevitable.  Plus, virtually everyone I know who has run a marathon has ended up in a boot and on crutches due to stress fractures.  So, I feel like I can accomplish my goals by sticking to the distances I am running now.  Again, I'm not saying that I'll never run a marathon, but right now, I don't feel like I really have the extra time or desire to commit to it.  I have caught the racing bug and have already scheduled a virtual 5K in December, a 10K in January, and a 5K obstacle course in May.  I am still looking for a late spring half (April or May) and will probably add some more 5K and 10K races in the late winter/early spring.  I'm addicted to collecting race bibs, medals, and t-shirts.  I am also displaying my bibs and medals in my classroom in an attempt to set a good example for my students.  This journey has been an amazing one so far and I am learning so much about myself.  My main goal is to be a lifetime runner...until I am no longer able to run.

Cheers!

Ashley

Running Away From Colds and Excuses

Well, I'm one month into the school year and, overall, things are going pretty well.  I haven't been running as much as I'd like because the germy little 5th graders gave me a cold...sigh...however, I rocked my 10k last Saturday WITH a cold.  It is the first time I've raced a 10k and it was a challenging and hilly course.  I managed to pull off 1:14:18!  I was planning on averaging a 12:30ish pace and came in under 12.  I am so thrilled!  I even took a couple of short walking breaks up some of the hills and it is still my fastest 10k time yet (at least, during this round of being active).  Until last weekend, I didn't understand how someone could run/walk at about the same pace someone else runs, however, now I see that it can work if you take short walking breaks.  It gives your body a chance to rest and let's you run faster when you do run.  There were a few people who kept pace with me for most of the race even though they walked more than I did.  This will be valuable knowledge for my longer races.

I was very close to skipping the race altogether.  My head was trying to tell me to give in to my cold and to curl up on the couch all day.  But, I decided that I wanted to earn my race shirt.  I decided that it would feel weird to wear it without actually participating in the race, like I cheated or something.  I finally convinced myself to go.  I told myself that since I only lived 1 block off of the course a little over mile 1 (and just before mile 5, as it was out and back), I could always drop out if I felt too sick.  However, I felt so much better once I began running that I just kept going.  I did end up getting sicker and missing work on Monday, but it was so worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat!  I knew that if I let my head talk me out of my third ever race, I would set and evil precedent and probably try to convince myself to skip future, more important races, which would ultimately lead me to give up on running altogether.

I tried to run a couple of days ago.  I felt fantastic!  I was energetic and light on my feet, BUT...my lungs wouldn't let me fly for more than a few minutes.  Once I started coughing, I couldn't stop.  This is the stage where my exercise routine usually ceases to exist.  I get sick and have to take a week or two off.  I fear that exercising too soon will make me sicker and it is really difficult to take a sick day when you're a teacher.  During this time off, I lose fitness and then get frustrated when I can't run as far or as fast as I could before.  Wednesday's run attempt was me defying this habit.  I'm determined not to let this setback stop me this time.  I am so tired of giving up and having to start over.  I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP!  I will try again tomorrow and see how my run goes.  I'm supposed to do another 6-miler this weekend, but I know that won't happen and that's ok.  I'm hoping for 2 miles tomorrow and 3 on Sunday.  Hopefully, next week I'll be able to work back up to my regularly scheduled long run.  But if I can't, that's ok too, just as long as I don't quit.  NOT THIS TIME!

I've realized that I love being a runner!  I finally feel like I am becoming the person I've always wanted to be.  Tonight, I registered for my first Half-Marathon!  I will be running in my hometown, on very familiar paths, the weekend before Thanksgiving.  I'm so excited!  The general plan is to cut back my mileage for a few weeks after that and then dive into my marathon training schedule in mid-December.  I don't have my actual marathon picked out yet, though.  I'm waiting for one to get approved to begin registration.  I also have a couple of backups if this one doesn't go through.  The general idea is to run my full marathon in late April or early May.  For me, this is the perfect time of the year.  I love cool, cloudy weather and that is usually what we have here in Oregon during that time frame.  I'm not a warm weather kind of gal in any situation.  I can tolerate it to some extent, but I do not enjoy it.  :)  Plus, I recently became a Swirlgear Ambassador and I have some cute long sleeve shirts/jackets on the way.  I'm so excited to have some nice quality running clothes for this rainy Oregon weather.  Click on the badge below to learn about this company.  I'll let you know what I think of the clothes when they get here.  I'm just so excited that, of all of the running pages out there, they happened to find my little one and liked it enough to include me in their group.

This girl is ecstatic that the rain is finally here!  I've been feeling all dried out for months.  We are supposed to get a storm this weekend, but I plan to fit my runs in anyway.  Running in the rain makes this pluviophile one happy girl.

Cheers for now, Run Lovers!
Ashley

Back to Work

Ok, so my summer has ended and I'm back to work.  Last week was Inservice and the kids come back tomorrow.  I have always had a difficult time maintaining an exercise routine when my schedule changes.  In college, I was thrown off every term or whenever I got a new job, my work schedule changed, or I got sick.  Work and school always came first.  This year, I'm determined to keep up my running schedule.  It will be my main priority once the kids leave my classroom.  I honestly believe I can do it this time for many reasons:

1. I'm still very focused on running a spring marathon.
2. I have a running schedule set to take me through to my first 1/2 marathon at the end of November.
3. I'm so tired of quitting and having to start over.
4. I'm finally noticing changes, both physically and mentally, and I like them and don't want to lose them.
5. My district is trying to improve employee wellness and health, so exercising is encouraged.
6. I'm looking forward to running in the rain again! (I'm a true Oregonian!)
7. I'm learning how to flex my running schedule to fit into my life schedule.
8. I love the person I am becoming.
9. I feel like I have a purpose.
10. I WANT to keep running!

So that's an even 10 reasons.  There are probably more, but the point is that I'm going to do what I can to keep my momentum going.  I do worry about getting sick and missing runs, but hopefully nothing too bad will develop and I'll be able to keep running.  I've been running for about 5 months now.  I think this is the longest stretch of continuous exercise I've maintained since college.  August has been my best month so far!  Last spring, I discovered that it worked well for me to run at 4 in the town in which I work.  That gives me time for a snack when the kids leave and then I can drive home when I'm done and be able to worry about home stuff when I get there.  My running bag went with me all last week and will remain in my car so that I can run whenever I have time.  The biggest challenge this year is that my husband now works at my school, so he'll have to wait for me to finish running before we can go home and no one will be home earlier to let the dogs outside.  I don't think it'll be too big of an issue, though.  He's also started running again with our big dog, so we may come home in time to run with the dogs.  We'll see.

I took this little monster running with me yesterday.

 This is Steve.  He used to run with me years ago, but lately I haven't been taking him.  He pulls and that worried me since I had knee issues earlier this year.  Also, I constantly seem to run into loose dogs.  Most of them are friendly, but my little Stevie is overly protective of me and has been known to try to pick fights with other dogs.  I worry about his aggression causing an unsafe situation.  I read about some spray citronella (or something) stuff that will deter dogs.  I may look into purchasing some of that.  I know Stevie needs more exercise and he gets very sad when my husband takes our big dog running with him, so I think it is worth it to take him with me.  He could also stand to lose a couple of pounds.  

Yesterday, Stevie did very well.  I am so happy with him!  Since it was my short run (3 miles.  It's strange that that seems like a short run now!), I decided he'd be able to make it that far without too much trouble.  He calmed down a lot about halfway through.  We had to pause a couple of times at the park so he could cool down by swimming in the pond.  I'm going to try to take him with me a few times a week.  Hopefully, when I hit my really long runs, my husband and both dogs will be able to come with me.  I will feel safer that way.

Another important milestone of this week is that I hit 5 miles for my long run!  Yay!  The great thing is that it wasn't that hard.  I didn't worry too much about my pace and just focused on running slow and steady.  I don't want to say it was easy because that would mean I wasn't going fast enough, but I still had energy at the end.  Everything I've read says to take the long runs slowly to avoid injury, so that's what I'm doing.  I'm feeling very optimistic about my running goals.  It's going to be a great year!

Cheers!
Ashley

Oh God, What Am I Doing?!

I just finished watching Spirit of the Marathon, and I can't help thinking, "What the hell am I doing?!"  It just hit me all of a sudden: 26.2 MILES!!!  That is 4/10 of a mile FARTHER than my commute to work.  Holy cow!  It seems so unreachable right now and I'm feeling immensely overwhelmed.  The movie actually brought me to tears.  I think it is because I really want to do this, but I'm feeling like I can't.  I feel that I am not dedicated or strong enough.  I want, so badly, to do something incredible, something that most people can't do.  I want to be different.  I know that if I can run a marathon, I can do anything, but now I'm starting to have doubts.  This is the first time I've really been doubting myself.  I know I'm in this alone.  I don't have friends to run with.  Our small town doesn't really have any running clubs and the few people I know who run are a lot faster than I am and not crazy enough to run a marathon.  Can I really run 20 mile training runs by myself?

I'm still not giving up despite these overwhelming feelings.  I'm not going to think about the overall distance.  I'm going to take it one mile and one run at a time.  Sure, I'm not ready to run 26.2 miles yet, but I'm still working up to 5.  It will take time.  I have time.  I'm tired of giving up on things.  I'm not going to quit.  I'm going to stop thinking about how far a marathon actually is and how long it will take me to run it.  Rather, I'm going to remind myself of how much I love running, how it makes me feel about myself, and how it has changed me in the last few months since I started.  I'm going to banish the negative thoughts and focus on where I am and where I want to be.  "Marathon" is a lot less scary than "26.2 miles," so I'm not going to think about the miles.

-Ashley

The Show Must Go On: Vacation and Disappointment

Vacation

So, life has been a bit chaotic these last couple of months.  June brought the end of the school year and we quickly followed that with a 10 day road trip to see some friends and family.  I got two runs in while on that trip, along with many walks and hikes.  I had hoped to run more, but the heat made that extremely difficult.  Living on the coast, I am definitely not used to weather above 70 degrees.  The 90+ degree weather in Utah and Colorado was unbearable, at times.  Once we returned home, we packed like crazy and moved.  I didn't run at all that week...ugh...I was feeling very unmotivated and so I gave myself a break.  At the end of July, we spent another 11 days away from home with family.  I did much better on this trip.  I completed every run that I scheduled!  I didn't let myself see these runs as being optional.  I didn't give myself a choice.  This made it easier for me to get up early and run.  I'm so proud of myself!   Usually, I use vacation as an excuse to sleep in and be lazy, but not this time.

Disappointment

Last week, I got some disappointing news...the 2014 Eugene Marathon has been scheduled for July 27th.  Ugh!  I'm really not happy about this!  I was looking forward to running my first marathon in the city in which I spent most of my life.  I know the terrain.  I am comfortable in the environment.  Most of my friends and family live there and would be able to come support me.  There are so many great reasons to run the Eugene Marathon, however, I am not going to be running my first marathon in July for several other reasons:

1. It starts at 6 am.  The idea is that the average temp in July at 6 am is 52ish degrees.  While this may be ideal running weather, by 9 am, it could easily be 80 degrees or more.  I'm sure it'll take me 4 1/2 hours or so to finish and there is too much potential for it to be super hot by the end of the race.  It will already take everything out of me to finish, I don't want to add heat on top of everything else.

2.  I need at least 2 hours for my body to wake up in the morning before I can run.  This would put me at a 4 am wake up, which is ridiculous when I probably won't sleep well the night before and will be running 26.2 miles.

3. My training will be more intense at the end of the school year.  Any teacher will tell you that the first two months and the last two months of the school year are the busiest and most stressful.  I would rather have my marathon finished by the time I hit intensive state testing and end of the year stuff.

4. The heat!  Ugh!  I will be training on the coast, where it rarely hits 70 degrees...EVER... I will be ill prepared to run in 80 or 90+ degree weather.  65 degrees on a sunny day feels hot for me.  I know the Willamette Valley in July.  It. Gets. Hot!  I dislike running in the heat.  April weather is soooo much better.  I don't understand their reason to change the date of the marathon by three months.

It sounds like a lot of people are upset about this change and a lot of runners are choosing not to participate after all.  The heat might be something I can tackle in the future, but for my first marathon, it is a hurdle I would like to avoid.  I was just really looking forward to celebrating my 1 year of a healthier life by running in my hometown.

So...Now I have to figure out a new game plan.  I have a couple of options:

1. Find a different marathon to run in the spring.

2. Wait until Fall 2014 for my first marathon and do a 1/2 marathon in the spring instead.

I've been looking for spring marathons in Oregon, but there aren't many scheduled yet.  I'm hoping more will pop up soon in the Eugene area since the main one has been moved.  If I wait until Fall 2014, I could do either Portland or the Columbia Gorge.  The Columbia Gorge Marathon looks beautiful and I really want to do that one, but it is in October and I know I will be busy with school.  However, if that is the route I choose to take, I will definitely make my marathon training a top priority.

Changes

I have noticed a lot of changes in myself since beginning this journey.  I don't see a lot of physical changes yet, but I know I will eventually.  However, I feel stronger, both physically and mentally.  I feel like I am creating a new me, or rather a new part of me, that I can be proud of.  I look forward to running, which is not something I've been able to say in the past.  I welcome the challenges it brings and I no longer make excuses.  My mind still tries to convince me to skip a run or to quit early, but I don't listen anymore.  Occasionally, my mind will convince me to make poor food choices, but those are becoming fewer.  I keep telling myself that I'm not the same girl I was before.  I am strong.  I can make healthy decisions.  I need to push myself.  My life is fantastic, but I want more out of it.  Running is opening new doors and making me a better me.  It is exciting and a new adventure!

Cheers!
Ashley

 

I'm Back and With a New Challenge...Hills!

Ok...so I've been gone for a while, but now I'm back!  My motivation has been lacking lately, but I'm refocusing and getting back on track.

Nick and I spent 10 days on a road trip at the end of June/early July.  I only got 2 runs in, but also several hikes and walks, so I stayed active.  The heat and altitude were a challenge for me.  My first run was along the Animas River in Durango, Colorado.  It was about 75 degrees and I was at 6,500 feet.  That's quite a big difference from my 60-65 degree (max) at sea level runs I'm used to.  I did well.  I only ran 12 seconds slower than my run from home a week earlier.  Not bad considering the conditions.  My second run was in Utah at about 6:30 am.  I got up and ran immediately.  It. Was. Awful!  My legs felt like lead and I felt like I couldn't move.  It did, however, reaffirm that I need time in the morning to wake up.  I am not a runner who can get up and go.  I need at least an hour to wake up and get moving.

We've been home for a week, but I didn't run.  We spent three days moving and I haven't had the energy to do anything else.  I've also had a lack of motivation.  I preferred to lie on the couch and watch TV.  I'm not sure why, running just felt like too much effort and I wanted to be lazy.  Our new place is surrounded by hills.  I know that pretty much anywhere I run, I will be doing hills...which I don't like.  The only route that lets me do flat would require me to run down a large hill, run through downtown, and run back up the large hill.  Every other route has rolling hills, at least.  Yikes!

I was feeling lazy this evening, but I told myself I wanted to run (even though I didn't really).  I actually really wanted to stay home and watch The Office.  Between episodes, I ran into our room and quickly changed into my running clothes.  I told myself that I could watch one more episode, but the thing that surprised me was that I was eagerly anticipating the end of the episode so that I could go run.  I almost stopped the episode early.  I decided to start with a short run and it went pretty well.  The run felt great and my knee was doing pretty well.  The hardest part was finishing my run by going uphill.  It was a constant and relatively steep hill.  Ugh!  The whole time up, I was repeating one word to myself: "Strong."  This wasn't a word I picked out ahead of time, it just came to me in the moment.  I kept thinking of how strong I will be if I constantly run hills...something I have always avoided like the plague.  A lot of runners struggle with hills.  I'm telling myself that I'm lucky to have hills to practice on.  A couple of months ago, I was looking for upcoming races.  I kept getting discouraged by runs with hills.  I told myself I couldn't do them.  But, I can.  I just need to train for them.  The Prefontaine Memorial run is in September and goes right by my house.  It is a 10k (6.2 miles) and the course has some doosie hills.  However, I will be running these hills a lot and, now that I've accepted that, hills don't seem so scary anymore.  I'm ready to tackle this new challenge; I can't avoid them forever.

Cheers!
Ashley

This is how I now feel about hills: