I See My Kneecaps Again!!!

Since I’ve reunited with the spin bike in September and I’ve added one to two classes a week to my workout routine, I am indeed noticing the formation of my kneecaps. Whenever I’ve shared this observation with Jeff, he laughs but he tells me he gets my excitement over seeing this measure of success that has nothing to do with a number of pounds or a number of inches.

It had been a while since I noticed the indentation in my kneecaps but it was just as exciting today as it most likely was, the first time I noticed it back when I started running regularly. I have been working out with a bit more intensity over the last few months but even more so in the last several weeks with the addition of spinning classes to my routine. My runs are done with a bit more attention and focus and though I am not doing super far distances, they feel different…in a good way. My training sessions with Jeff are more strength and conditioning focused these days and I just love the lifting and core movements. He tells me I have more pep in my step and I am getting better with my planks and squats but I’m afraid to get too much better with the planks out of fear of his increasing the planking time!

I’m getting more comfortable taking the spinning classes here, even if I can’t understand 90% of what the instructors are saying. There is just something about being in a class setting and working that intensity on the bike…it’s so different from running and from training and I like all three and I look forward to keeping the spinning in my routine, now that I’ve found it again. And if it helps make my kneecaps more toned…hey…I’m okay with that!

Making It All Work

I have to admit that last week at this time, I was a bit concerned about what the week ahead was going to look like from an activity standpoint. Thanksgiving in the US meant that Jeff would be off that day so no virtual training session for us/me. My daughter was days away from getting engaged and her boyfriend-now fiancée’s family was coming in for a long weekend to celebrate. I opted to do my workouts in the gym in the 6ish hour on both Thursday and Friday in order to get all of my cooking and preparing done for the weekend but somehow, I got it all done.

Fast forward to Sunday. We drove out to the wedding venue with the kids and that basically took up the entire morning and I chose not to head to the gym before we left the house at 7:30 even though I was wide awake. Instead, I booked an hour at the gym for the middle of the afternoon once I knew we would be back and I got a great three and a half mile run in. I hadn’t done much in terms of steps during the morning but between the run and some walking I did more intentionally throughout the rest of the day, I had done more than 12,000 steps! Yesterday, it ws a similar type of thing where we drove out to a few places to look at wedding gowns and I knew I wouldn’t be doing anything activity wise until we got back so I reserved the gym for 4:00. Since I found myself free after 1:30, I went for a nice walk outside and then did 30 minutes on the elliptical and voila — I was up to more than 14,000 steps by the end of the day!

I had to think outside the box and i also had to be intentional but I somehow managed to get it all done, rather than use my busy mornings as an excuse to take a day of rest. I am so used to running and using the gym in the mornings and then just making sure that I get my step count in but this past week taught me that I can be flexible with a schedule that is hardly routine.

Onto next week!

I Needed That Run

I haven’t run with the Sunday morning group in Aurora in months and this morning was the perfect opportunity to do a run outside, see the group and get a run in with my MRTT running buddy Kasey. I knew it was going to be a cold one so I layered up with some extras: my neck gaiter, running gloves and knit running hat. (By the second mile, the gloves were in my pocket, the gaiter was off my face and more of a scarf, but the hat stayed on.)

As I drove out to Aurora at 6:30, the sun was just starting to rise and it was the most beautiful sight! I was really looking forward to seeing some of the regulars I have come to know and meet some of the newer runners…well, new to me but not to the group since I haven’t run with the group in I don’t know how long. I got there just in time to do our group photo and then off we went. I ran with Kasey, Nicole and Heather with no fancy plan for pace or distance. As we ran through the parking lot of the school and football field, it was as if it was just last week rather than several months since I was there. Once we crossed the main road, Heather and Nicole ran a bit ahead of us while Kasey and I ran through the Aurora Farms outlet center and caught up on each other’s families and travel plans. I really wasn’t aware of our pace or time but it felt faster than I normally run and I told Kasey I was fine with getting anywhere between three and four miles.

As we turned onto the street that leads to where we had parked our cars, I knew I was starting to falter. I felt it in my breathing and I felt like I needed to slow things down yet I wasn’t ready to press Pause on my watch. I could see the parking lot from a distance and I told Kasey to go ahead but she was having none of that. She went from being my running buddy to my coach, telling me to lift up my feet and finish the run. I channeled my inner trail runner…you know, the one who always seems taxed at the end of a trail run with Jeff but there is that last tenth or two tenths of a mile to do and he tells me to sprint. I didn’t exactly sprint this morning but I did find the fire left in me to lift up those feet and run to the end. This run was just what I needed. I could have chosen to run by myself this morning in my neighborhood but I wouldn’t have had the same results. I’m not talking about the overall pace or the time I ran. I’m talking about my needing the company of my running buddy and the nudge she gave me to push a little harder…nothing crazy, mind you…but pushing me enough to look back at this with no regrets and a whole lot of pride.

Well, That Was Fun

I haven’t run on the trails in two months and I haven’t worked out outdoors with Jeff in I-don’t-know-how-long so I was a little nervous as I drove out to the Rocky River reservation for our workout-trail run. I wasn’t feeling all that confident about how I was going to handle whatever Jeff had in mind for the workout and then to do a trail run immediately after that?! As Jeff unloaded all kinds of goodies from his car – the TRX that he hung over a tree branch, a running ladder, battle ropes, a slam ball — I asked him if he brought some business cards in case a walker or runner passed us by with interest.

The workout was pretty intense and Jeff kept telling me that he had been wanting to do this for months…except I hadn’t been ready. Physically, yes I had been ready but the mental part had taken some time and he knew I was going to be up for this workout. I warmed up with some moves with the TRX – some rows, some chest presses — and then I did the first interval. I had to run in and out of the ladder one way and then the other, jump rope with rope-free handles, squat jumps and holds, some ball slams followed by alternate battle ropes and a whole lot of bicep curls with a resistance band. The second interval was more challenging — jumping in and out of the ladder, throwing the slam ball against the tree with one arm, more battle ropes and more jumping rope. I tried not to think (read: worry) about people passing by and watching me…I kept myself in the moment and focused on what I was doing. I loved the intensity of it all even though it took me a while to recover when we were done.

Except we weren’t quite done. We had a trail run to do. Jeff said it would be two plus miles and we wouldn’t do anything too crazy. I was so sure that with the way I was moving, it was more of a 12 or 13 minute mile pace but surprisingly, my splits were 12:10, 11:20 and 9:37. With fall soon turning into winter, this run was a real treat and I probably could have gone more than the 2.21 miles we ran. Dare I say it was fun?!

Falling In Love With Running Again

I was once asked what my favorite running season is and without hesitation, I answered ‘fall.’ It’s not too hot and it’s not too cold and with the change in the colors of the leaves, it offers so much to look at on the run.

I had a great spinning class yesterday at the gym and so today, I had a three mile run on my plan. I have been following Jeff’s suggestion to limit my run on the day after spinning to an easy three miles. Being the overachiever that I am and wanting to get my 5k badge from Strava, I do the extra .11 and truth be told, I am not all that sure that it’s not all that easy. I left the house around 7:15, dressed appropriately for the 56 degrees and went according to the route I had planned out around my neighborhood. I started out a little easier but as I listened to the music and moved along the streets, I told myself it was okay to push a little bit. I took in everything — the flashing of the lights on the school buses, people walking their dogs, the array of colors of the leaves on the sidewalks and grass. I was in the zone once again and it felt wonderful!

Disappointed Yet Determined

I had been planning on running the Jerusalem Marathon 10K this coming March. After two years of not doing this particular race distance, I was finally in a good place to say I would run the 10K, awesome hills and all, with no set time goal. I had done the 5K in 2023 and I didn’t particularly love the course and then I missed the entire race this past March as I was recovering from major surgery. I was ready to tackle this new goal and so I went onto the marathon website last night to sign up.

The race was changed to April 4. Wait…what?! It was supposed to be on March 21. I won’t be here on April 4. When did it get changed?

Realizing I won’t be able to run this race, I was disappointed. It was a real let down because I was really ready to push harder in the months ahead with including more inclines and hills and getting to the 10k distance on my runs. I let Jeff know about the date change and he responded, ‘I’ll run with you at Brecksville on our own.’ That sense of disappointment I had been feeling turned to determination as I sent him a ‘like’ emoji. Granted, I won’t be running in Jerusalem on April 4 and I won’t be experiencing that joy I feel every time I participate in the race but I can feel that same joy as I run a 10k through the trails of Brecksville and conquer similarly awesome hills and no time goal. I might not get handed a medal when Jeff and I finish but I can channel that same glory and sense of accomplishment. Let the training begin!

Running With Confidence

I did it. I ran five miles this morning but not just any five miles. I ran according to a plan I had made up for myself that I haven’t done in I don’t know how long, whether it was because I had a niggle in my calf or I had been sticking to something that was within my comfort zone.

This route took me up a few streets before turning onto the main street where I ran a good mile or so before running down a big hill. The thing about this hill is once you reach the bottom, you have to get back up and it is something of a thing, or rather it had been. This morning, I was determined to manage myself and take my time with getting back up to the top where it flattens out for a little bit before some more hills on a nearby road. I have resorted to walking up that first big hill in the past or starting out with a slower run and then switching to a walk but I really, really wanted to get through the hill climb without walking. I channeled my inner trotter and did my thing, trotting along the road that is just outside the Old City and gave no thought to the time it was taking me to get it done. And when I reached the top, I got right into something of a run without needing to catch a breath or take a little pause.

Getting to the top of the hill was a big deal for me. I knew I could handle it physically and I knew I had it in me from a mental standpoint but too often in the past, I started out just fine and let the mental beast tell me I couldn’t finish because it was too hard or I didn’t have it in me. I had it in me today. I felt strong and I even felt a little confident that I could handle this hard thing…I just needed to remind myself that it was all within my reach. And when I did reach the top and I got right back into running mode, I thought about that moment at my first Spartan race when I was climbing that wall and feeling like I just couldn’t get myself all the way up. I kept on slipping downward as I was trying to get higher and higher to the top and I was feeling like this was out of my reach. With some help from Jeff and a fellow Spartan racer, I reached the top of that wall and then got myself back down with the most amazing feeling of having done something not just hard but literally and figuratively, out of my reach.

I Don’t Want To Jinx This

I ran three miles this morning. That is huge.

Why would running three miles be such a big deal, one might ask. Well, my running three miles is not so huge but this morning, I ran three miles without a twinge, without discomfort, without pain, without stopping. Three solid miles. It could have been anywhere between two and three easy miles as Jeff has directed me to do on the day after a spinning class and I opted for three. And while I started out on the easier side, my intensity increased once I was sure that I felt 100% fine.

To be able to run is a blessing. To be able to run without pain is a whole different blessing. I do not take either ability for granted. It felt so good to run along the streets and pass the honking cars and the people walking their dogs and the children standing by the bus stop. It felt so good to feel and to be aware of what I was doing and not think of this as a run I had to do. The time didn’t matter. The distance didn’t matter. The pace didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I got out there and ran because I could. And once I passed the second mile and didn’t sense the tugging in my leg that usually cries out around that time, I ran and I embraced that could-ness.

The Path Not Taken

I had two different routes for this morning’s run and I did neither of them.

I had originally planned a route that would take me from our place in Baka to the road that is just outside the Old City of Jerusalem and loops around to King David Street where there are all sorts of beautiful hotels and art galleries. This route has quite a bit of hills going down and then right back up and I have often had to ‘catch myself’ with a switch to a walk when I’ve approached those uphills. In planning out a five mile route for today’s run, I told myself I would go nice and easy for the entire run and just take the hills one trot/one step at a time but keep at something of a running pace rather than ‘catch myself.’

I realized that this Plan A was not a great plan for this morning for two reasons —- first, with the possibility of a siren going off and with 90 seconds to seek shelter, I didn’t feel all that comfortable with being so far away from our place. I also thought that with the very minor twinge I felt in the back of my knee during Monday’s run, this course might be a bit too much for me. So I started out on my run today, thinking I would follow Plan B. I ran more than a mile on the street adjacent to ours that has a subtle incline but I wouldn’t call it hilly and then I turned onto our street and there was that tugging in the back of my knee again. I ran along our street, debating if I should stick to the plan that includes my going up this one big hill that would lead me to a street that ultimately connects to the beginning of the city running path. As I powered through as best I could to ignore the tugging, I made up my mind to forego the hilly part and stick to the flatter road I was on for the time being and then get onto the flat running path.

I have no regrets about switching plans and I have no regrets about the run that I did in the end. It was 3.61 miles…not quite five miles but it was what I was able to do today. And that is fine by me.

Musings On My Birthday

As I say goodbye to 55 and hello to 56, I am overcome with a lot of mixed emotions. I am grateful for seeing another year and also reflective on the year past. It was a year that started off being separated in distance from my husband as I was here in Israel and his recovery from a major eye surgery wound up taking much longer than anyone expected. He was able to come a week and a half later, in the midst of a war that broke out on October 7 and is still going on. I used that time to write.

I blogged here and I also wrote a piece here and there about what it was like during those first few weeks and I began a project that had me writing out my story…the story of a wife and mom of five who went from couch potato to a two time Spartan. I used this blog, as well as other resources to recount my fitness journey and wrote…and wrote…and wrote. I didn’t know if anything would come of this manuscript, other than to have something in writing in case anyone should ever ask but then I went about looking into sharing this with a larger audience. I shared my would-be book with Denny Krahe, a podcast host and running coach I have admired and respected for several years now and asked him to read it and offer something of a foreword. He did that and then some and with his stamp of approval, I went about the hunt for the right publisher and in July, I signed on with Library Tales Publishing. It’s still pretty early on but we are looking at a release date in June of 2025 and I can’t wait!

Running wise, I was doing great and I was doing more and more in my strength and conditioning work with Jeff. My motivation was there and the drive was back..I was on the rise but then came the roller coaster ride of 2024 that would take months to undo the safety belt. I had a hysterectomy in late January and I went into it being okay with taking the time to heal and knowing that running and working out would be there when I was ready. It would take me over two months to run again and I followed the plan that Jeff had laid out for me to get back into things wisely and carefully. My body was ready to do whatever he doled out but something was seriously wrong everywhere else. I thought the motivation was there but the drive was missing. I lost the confidence in myself that had taken me years to acquire. I shied away from running with others because I was so convinced that I was too slow and I couldn’t keep up with them. I stuck to three miles and told myself I couldn’t push the pace because I wasn’t that runner who used to do five or six miles effortlessly and on average. I tried to do a longer distance but something would make me stop the watch mid-way because I needed to take a break or ‘catch myself,’ as I used to call it.

Things turned around in the later part of the summer when I went about on a run that was five miles and I didn’t stop until I saw that magic 5 number. It was as if it was my first ever five miler and the adrenaline rush I felt upon finishing was pretty much the same rush I felt when I crossed my first finish line. I decided to join Jeff and his Wednesday night running group for two consecutive runs and that gave me back some of the confidence I had been lacking. I also dusted off my bathing suit and went back into the waters of the JCC pool after years off from swimming as a form of exercise. And I got back into spinning classes…something I loved but an activity I had stayed away from since early 2020 for reasons I am not so clear about.

As I look ahead, I feel a lot of hope and see a lot of possibilities after seeing so much doubt this past year. I am running a few times a week without anything specific to train for and with a greater sense of appreciation and awareness of what it offers me. I am doing more and more YWMTDW things in my training sessions with Jeff and I am loving it all! I am in the driver’s seat when it comes to what I do, when I do it, how I do it and I am learning along the way how to proceed when the light goes from green to yellow to red. I may not look like the 2017 version of me who spun and swam and ran but I am doing it all with that appreciation and awareness I mentioned earlier. Here’s looking at you, 56!