Tag: stress

Run to the Music 6

I’ve made no secret that I’ve been a little stressed the past few months. Between work and waiting for news about my job, all the rain, the longer commute and just life in general; I’ve been kind of a hot mess. I’ve started taking my Fitbit off because I don’t need to see my heart rate numbers climb like that.

Enough is enough. I’m doing what I can to take back my calm. Music is huge in my life. A lot of memories are tied to songs and a lot of songs remind of books and times past. I sing way louder than I should in my car. And sometimes at work. So in an effort to help myself calm down I made myself a new playlist. I called it “Calm the Frak Down”. You know, in case I needed a reminder. 😛

It’s an odd mix of Bebe Rexha, Rise Against, Papa Roach and Florida Georgia Line. Eclectic but it’s working for me. I tend to only listen to country in the summer when it’s 110 outside and the Fair is in town so I’m usually always a year behind when it comes to Florida Georgia Line. When I was working on my playlist I saw they had a new album… oh nope-2016, oops, I’m behind a year again, damn. I clicked buy without even previewing it. Why not? It’s not summer yet but let’s shake things up.

I heard this song on my way to work thinking that the words fit my mood. So I played it again. Then I actually saw the name of the song and started laughing. Well isn’t that fitting.

The other song I have on repeat is Bebe Rexha’s “Sweet Beginnings”. Little different vibe though. 😛

How do you calm down?

What are you listening to?

Week 3 Recap- All Wet

For a person who chose the word Challenge as a guiding principle for the year, January is doing a great job of laughing at me. I’m chalking it up to job stress and hoping that learning way or the other in the next week or so will help some of the stress go away. Maybe, hopefully…oh who knows.

In other news, it is still dumping buckets here in CA. Which would be awesome if I could stay at home under a blanket with my cats all day. But I can’t so yeah. I miss my night runs, who knew I would ever say that?? My boss and I were supposed to attend a Chamber function after work on Friday night but the storms and wind were so bad that we both agreed it was smarted to just go home. Somehow there was a break in the weather that lasted right until I got off the freeway in home town- best idea ever!

I had troubles keeping my blood sugar regulated this week as well. If you’ve been following this blog since the beginning (if you have, thank you!) you know I had this problem a few years ago. It’s been a long time since I bottomed out like that so that was fun. It happened Thursday and Friday…what gives?! Last week ended up being more Slacker-ish then I would have liked.

Monday- Rest– Haha, I wasn’t this sore after my marathon. This is what happens when you run 13.1 miles under trained. 😛

Tuesday- 4.5 miles I had a vacation day from work so I was able to enjoy a longer run in the middle of the afternoon. I really do love those. My shins were a little sore but I ran it off within a mile or two. I enjoyed being back on the river path for the first time in months. Come on spring and time change, where are you??

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday- Rest. Yeah, that wasn’t planned but that’s what happened. I actually did some pushups and a plank all of those days but I am not sure those count. I packed my bag and while it actually left my car but I never changed into my running gear. Grrr.

Saturday- 7.65 miles Reality moment run. We had a break from the rain but it was still cold so I thought an afternoon long run sounded good. I planned 8 miles where I left my house, ran across town, ending at the high school and hitching a ride with my mother at the end of tennis practice. I don’t know where I went wrong. I swear I left my house with plenty of time. I felt like I was running a steady pace, the bridge mile faster like always. I was stopped at traffic lights but it didn’t seem like an inordinate amount of time. I did get distracted on the river trail. Water!!!! In all the time I’ve been running that path, there has never been water in the river let alone moving water; I had to stop and admire it for a moment. Or 2. Climbing the last big hill I got a text message from my mom asking where I was. Then I saw the time. What the hell?!! Not only was I not going to get in a leisurely 8 miles, I was still well over a 1.5 miles from the school and would have to haul ass just to get there and still be late. So I tried. I did…but there was no haul in my legs. I literally felt like I was running with a stick up my butt. TMI? I don’t know if it was because I was cold and my legs felt frozen, maybe I was tired, whatever, I could not move faster. With 1/2 miles to go I get another text. “Where are you”. Again my response is trying. Her answer is “meet us in front”. Oh great, so now I get to share my red face, huffing, out of breath, out of shape self who didn’t hit 8 miles with her AND whichever tennis players needed a ride home. Oh boy. 😞 They caught me at the streetlight. Yeah, reality check moment.

Sunday- Rest I woke to the power being out. Yay. I was hesitant to run because I wasn’t sure my water heater was 100% gas and the idea of cold run followed by a cold shower followed by a cold house… yeah, umm no. So I ran some errands then took a nap. I kept pushing my run back hoping the power would come back on. Then PG&E called and said that it wouldn’t be back on until Monday. What?!? So then it was hitting the store to find flashlights and ice for the freezer while wishing that I hadn’t gone food shopping on Saturday. Not that I buy much but still. All this to get close to my house to find the traffic lights back on…ummmm? So, power was back! I guess it could have been worse- my neighbors rented a hotel room and had just left to check in when the power came back.

Miles 12.1 Ouch, that’s sad. That’s like one good long run. That said, I am on track with the mileage target I set for January so I feel decent with starting training for Livermore and Santa Barbara Wine Country on the 30th. Also hopefully by then the rain will calm down and I may have an answer on the job front, fingers crossed. If low numbers get me through January while I face all its other Challenges, so be it.

How was your week?

Anyone else totally unprepared for power outages?

Weekly Recap 2- Of stress and rain

Yikes, last week was a little rough. I still can’t pinpoint exactly why but if you read my last post you know I was feeling massively out of sorts last week. The feeling only went away when I ran. Or tried to nap but that was rare. I started the week with a migraine and my stomach was being its asshat self. I also admit that my food choices were less than stellar. Boo.

Anyways, let’s get to the workouts! Or what resembled working out. 😛

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday- ~~Stress~~– Rest In all seriousness, I foam rolled and stretched every one of these nights. Between all the rain and the longer commute, job stress and just life, I was freaking out. I knew I was only running one evening during the week due to my weekend running plans so I kept pushing it back due to the weather. I really needed to run.

Thursday- 3 miles Oh thank goodness, a break from the rain and I ran. I was planning on running at home but knew that the longer drive home zaps my energy and willpower. I changed into my running clothes after work and made the last minute decision to run from work as I was walking out the door. I always treated my work route as off limits in the dark but I decided to chance it. It was just what I needed. It was slow but also oddly the fastest 3 miler I’ve done in months. Considering I was dodging branches, I’ll take it! The smell of the eucalyptus trees and the sun setting on the ocean was just what I needed. For a blissful few moments, my brain was quiet for the first time all week.

Friday- Rest Jacked up my back again while getting ready for work, it hurt just to move. So I spent the day deciding how crazy I was. Which also probably contributed to my stress level this week.

Saturday- Road trip! Up early on the road heading towards Carlsbad. My back was super sore but not outright painful. Guess I am crazy. Bonus to this trip was that my uncle recently moved to that area- so added perks were staying with family and no hotel fees! Even if the grounds of his new house made me feel like I am doing something wrong with my life.

And the fact that I typed grounds, it’s not big but still. I went to bed early and just tried to get a decent night’s sleep.

Sunday- Carlsbad Half Marathon. I only ran 14 miles in December, what was I thinking?! But more on that next time. 😛

16.2 miles for the week. I kept my work week miles low as I knew what was coming in Sunday. I may be a little crazy but I have been trying to up my weekly mileage in a sane way. But still, doesn’t everyone jump their long runs from 7 to 13? Looking to this week, I am hoping to be a little calmer. Rain is still coming and my road is still closed, man I miss it, but I’m hoping that I will deal with it better this week. Fingers crossed!

How was your week?

Share something random!

Week 51/ Vacation Week 2

And just like 16 days have passed. For the first time, I feel like I need more time. Mostly because I feel like I accomplished next to nothing. Unless there are awards given for the number of Hallmark movies watched. 😛

In fact, since I was still sick most of this week, let’s bullet-ize this recap for expediency. Is that a word? Bullet-ize? Oh well, I’m using it anyways.

I slept… a lot.
Watched all the Hallmark Christmas movies…and Lifetime ones too.
I coughed a lot.
Finished all 11 seasons of Bones. Ok, I did start this in the summer but still.
Watched all second season of Fuller House.
Still not a huge fan of food, well, sometimes I am and sometimes I’m not.
Rode the stationary bike once for a slow 6.5 miles.
Watched Battleship for the 100th time. It’s my stress movie. More on that below.
Had my office Christmas party on Friday evening. Filet Mignon, yum.
I managed a little bit of yoga to try and loosen up. Ha!
Saw Rogue One on Thursday!!!!!!
I had an MRI on Friday and I freaked the frak out. Like full on panic attack freak out.
Went for one really short run on Saturday. Man that was hard! My legs were so confused.
Finished most of my Christmas shopping on Sunday. I think. I feel like I bought nothing. 😢

So, yeah, a stellar week of vacation. This didn’t serve to improve my opinion of vacations any. Waking on Tuesday to the news that the company I work for is being sold was also not something I was expecting. My boss texted me but even knowing, seeing the headline was not something I was prepared for. The next few months will be interesting. I’m going to put a smile on my face and do my best to be positive. Fingers crossed.

2.5 miles was all I ran this week but that’s 2.5 miles more than last week. That said, I can see I’m not going to be running any double digit long runs any time soon. Which means Carlsbad in January might not be the best idea. Boo. Good thing I haven’t registered for it yet! I’m not closing the door on it yet, but I think the smart thing would be to not run it.

How was your week?

Do you have a go to stress movie or show?

Am I the only one behind for Christmas?

Run to the Music 4

But this isn’t giving up no this is letting go
Out with the old dreams I’ve borrowed
The path I carve from here on out will be my own
A path to take me home

Most of my runs lately have had me thinking deep thoughts. Maybe facing some truths too. I claimed that this was the year of no goals but I let myself get swayed by the dark side, the numbers side. It’s all too easy to get caught up with social media and fall into the comparison trap. Denying it can only dig you deeper and deeper into the hole. Combine that with a bunch of crappy things happening outside of running this year and I think I’m falling apart. Not completely but I’m starting to crack.

Which means a lot of things but one of those is letting go of those pesky numbers goals that snuck back up on me. I’ve become a little too mired in pace and miles. I realized the other week that I have run more miles this year than any year previous. Right after that, I realized how close I am to actually pulling off 1000 miles in a year. In other words, 2015’s failed goal. But let’s be honest, 2 hundred mile months right now would break me. Likely make me hate running too. I don’t want that, I want to enjoy running just to run for the rest of year. Maybe next year too. Who know? I want to enjoy races for awhile.

Thankfully, my iPod is still on shuffle all. The perfect song came on at the right time today.

This is Letting Go– Rise Against

So this me letting go. I saying it out loud…and in print. Hopefully, you’ll see a shinier Slacker in the coming months.