Saturday, November 29, 2008

Missing shoe

I had a great swim practice yesterday. A lot of people were gone for the Thanksgiving holiday, meaning there was a lot more lane space. Instead of 7 people trampling over me as they lap me, there were only 3-4 other swimmers in my lane. I really enjoyed this calmness.

Despite this great practice, I did two really stupid things.

1. I twisted my knee while doing a breaststroke kick. It popped and really hurt for the rest of the night. Thankfully, it feels perfectly fine today. I could barely walk last night and was worried it would compromise my running today.

2. (The dumbest thing I did)! I lost one of my running shoes. I just lost one running shoe- the right one. I brought my running shoes with me to swim practice last night; however, they were hanging off the edge of my swim bag and one must have dropped out sometime after I left practice.

All I know is that I came into swim practice with two running shoes; however, by the time I came home and went to put my stuff up, I noticed I only had one running shoe. After looking all through my bag, retracing my steps outside to my dad's car (my ride home) and looking through my dad's car, I realized that I could not find this other shoe! I completely panicked. I only have one pair of running shoes!

After calling the Rec center where I had swim practice and hearing that no shoes were found, my mom drove me back to the Rec center so that I could look around.

While at the Rec center, I looked outside.



I traced my path back to the locker room.



I looked in the locker room.



I looked on the pool deck.



I looked in the lost and found box.



I asked the people at the front desk again to see if they saw any shoes.



No right Brooks Addiction 7 Women's running shoe size 6 narrow was found.



I saw plenty of other shoes (especially in the lost and found box), but none that fit the above description.



After leaving the Rec center discouraged, my mom decided to take me to the local running shoe store this morning to see if I could purchase another pair of these shoes. After asking the sales guy about the Brooks Addiction brand, it turned out that the smallest size the store carried was a 6 and a half. They also could not order me the correct size because the Brooks store will not be open until Monday.

Defeated, I left the store and decided to order the shoe online like I have done in all previous years. The interesting thing this time about being able to order online is that Mom said she would let me spend $100 on shoes. If I find shoes cheaper than this amount, then I would be able to keep the change.

After about half an hour of digging around on the internet, I was able to find a pair of Brooks Addiction shoes for $43.98. This meant I was able to keep $56.02. Because of Mom's awesome idea (she wanted to teach me the value of money), I was able to get a new pair of shoes, and make some cash.

Not a bad price to pay for losing a shoe...

As for my running tonight, I guess I will just have to run in a really beat up pair of shoes that I normally use for when Dad forces me to do yard work. They used to be my mom's shoes, but they ended up being too small for her.

They are probably not the greatest shoes to be running in, but they will work for now. According to the website I ordered the shoes from, they should be arriving no later than Christmas Eve. I really hope they arrive sooner than that. I also hope that my right shoe turns up. They have been really great shoes so far!

Friday, November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving weekend

The vacation turned out to be not as fun as I thought it would be, but it was still nice to get out of the house and see a different state. I have only been to Indiana a couple of times before.

We left to go to the hotel Wednesday around noon. We arrived around 2:30 and checked in. The hotel was absolutely in the middle of nowhere. It was about 15 miles just to get to the nearest Wal-Mart. I didn't end up doing anything special during this vacation- I pretty much just ended up staying in the hotel room the whole time.

My parents didn't even go skiing. My mom has bronchitis, so obviously that option was out. My parents wanted to go hiking instead, but the nearest state park was 30 miles away. They ended up walking around town instead. All that this "downtown" consisted of was a pawn shop and a bike shop. I declined on this "trip" to the middle of nowhere. I guess I could have gone. I just didn't really feel like it.

The rest of the night, my parents spent watching TV while I was in the middle of a good book. I ended up going downstairs to run for an hour on the treadmill as well. When I came back from this oh-so-fun treadmill run, I took a shower and pretty much just read for a while and attempted to go to sleep.

I say "attempted" because I didn't end up actually going to sleep for a couple hours after I put my head on the pillow. My parents go to bed a lot later than I do, and they had all the lights on, the TV going, and they were talking. It was pretty much impossible to sleep. When I ended up finally going to sleep, I was awoken several times by my dad's snoring. Surprisingly, I didn't wake up tired at all despite this lack of sleep.

After finally waking up the next day (Thursday), the rest of the morning was spent in the hotel room. After check out at noon, we had a Thanksgiving buffet at the hotel. Then it was time to go home. We arrived home at about 2:00. The rest of the night was spent just reading, playing on the computer, and going on another hour run on the treadmill later that night.

Today, my mom and I are going to do some Black Friday shopping. I hope there are some good deals!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving (almost)!



Yeah! It is oficially Thanksgiving break for me. School is now out for 5 days! For Thanksgiving, I am going down to Indiana for two days. My parents and I just felt like getting away for Thanksgiving (and didn't feel like cooking), so this is the reason we decided to go to Indiana.

We are staying at a really nice hotel with an indoor pool, casinos (for my parents), and a Thanksgiving buffet. There is also a ski lodge down in Indiana, but I am not sure if it is going to be open yet, or if I am even going skiiing (I don't really enjoy skiing. I hate the cold too much).

We are leaving for the hotel tomorrow morning and are coming back Thursday evening. It is about a 1-2 hour drive to this hotel in Indiana. I'm not sure yet about everything we will be doing there. I hope there is a mall there. I love to shop!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Template?

Is it the new template of this blog that is making the pictures so big? I never had any problems on my old blogger template? Can templates do that: magically change the size of pictures?

I really don't know if templates can do that or not. Either way, I am keeping this template. It is a lot nicer than my previous template, and it is about 10X nicer than my original blog template.

I like blue. Blue is my favorite color. This template has lots of blue...

...and huge pictures. I'm not too crazy about the huge pictures (as you can tell... this is my second post about the issue).

Maybe I shouldn't post pictures on this blog. Then again, pictures make this blog so much prettier. I'll put a poll up shortly on the sidebar of my blog and get input about whether or not to keep posting huge pictures onto this blog. I think the more amazing thing than the answers to this poll would be whether or not I get any answers.

I'll be putting up the poll now. If you want to testify that this blog is not pathetic and that people actually read it, cast your vote. You could be the decider of the way pictures get loaded onto this blog (Wouldn't that decision make you feel important? Well...it should.)

Go on now! Vote!

Makeup of a champion



Oops! Wrong kind of makeup!

Anyways...

I read a really interesting chapter yesterday in a book called "Runner's World Complete Book of Running". It was a chapter about the ways successful athletes think about their performances. It also told of ways you can get the most out of yourself physically, by changing your outlook mentally.

One thing I would like to share from this book is a list (of course...you know how I love lists) about the characteristics of a champion. I know I will never be a "champion" and win the Olympics, or something; however, this list has ideas that can apply to any athlete, no matter what their level of performance.

The characteristics of a champion:

1. The courage to risk failure, knowing that they will learn from their mistakes.

2. Using a race to gain greater self-knowledge as well as feedback on physical improvement.

3. Training thought processes as well as the body to produce a total approach to performance.

4. Understanding their athletic weaknesses, and working to improve these weaknesses.

5. Creating a life of balance, moderation, and simplicity- values that help improve running and life.

6. Understanding that they have both good and bad running performances, and learning to accept them both.

7. Enjoying running just for the fun of it.

8. Having vision. A champion dreams of things that haven't been and believes they are possible. A champion says "I can".


The book also explained some ways that you can tell if your thought process needs improving. I'm just going to paraphrase this list though. I don't like copying lots of stuff out of books. It feels too much like schoolwork.

Anyways, here are some ways you can tell:

1. You look only for external improvements, such as new PRs, as opposed to internal improvements.

2. You base your self-worth only upon these external improvements.

3. You focus on being perfect, instead of just being the best that you can possibly become.

4. You look at mistakes as failures.

5. You blame others or uncontrollable circumstances when things go wrong, leaving you feeling helpless.

6. You have unrealistic goals that only result in frustration.

After reading through this chapter, I found many positive things that I am doing right; however, I have also found many things that I could use some work on. One thing I found that I am doing right is having goals that are tough, yet achievable. (I.e. finishing an Ironman triathlon by 2010). I also do love to run (and work out in general) just for the fun of it. I never go on a run where I am not enjoying myself.

An example of a way I could be better, however, is that I can do a better job focusing on the internal improvements that have happened to me since I have begun this sport (i.e. I'm a lot happier and more confident than I used to be), instead of focusing mainly on the external things such as PRs. I always compare my times to everyone else's and feel bad about myself for not measuring up. I need to think more about all the positive things I have gained from participating in sports.

What are characteristics of a champion that you poses? What are ways you can find to improve your weaknesses?

Thursday, November 20, 2008

A few quick updates

I don't have time to make a whole huge post on this blog, but I still feel like making a small one.

1. I like making lists. You have probably seen (and will continue to see) many lists on this blog.

2. It is snowing tonight (Already...ugh) which means there is no swim practice tonight. That is the only reason I am sitting at this computer and not swimming 10 X 100 IM or something.

3. I have had so much homework this week. Can anybody say three essays in a single week? My teachers are insane!

4. Remember the thing I talked about a couple of posts ago about getting left off the swim team T-Shirt? It turns out that actually was not deliberate and my name was not crossed off a list Someone just simply forgot to write my name down on the list. There was not a list already pre-made.

5. I'm joining the track team this spring and am really excited about it! It will be something really different and fun to do. Every year since middle school, I have wanted to join the cross country and track teams, but never really acted on that desire. I always regretted my decision. As another benefit, the track team should give me extra leg speed in my quest for a sub-22 5K.

6. I officially got accepted into National Honor Society. The induction ceremony is in December. I am so glad I got in because the application process was really tough. We had to fill out this huge application about all our volunteer activities, extracurricular, etc. We also had to write an essay (yet again with the essays- I am becoming a professional essay writer at this point). I thought my application was really bad, and that I wouldn't get in. I was really surprised when I made it!

7. I had a really great run today in the snow! Normally I think of winter weather as really, really gross, but the snow shower I ran in today was actually very beautiful.

8. I ran two other times this week in the cold weather. It has never gotten above 35 degrees this week. I'm going to have a fun time training this winter (or not…)!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Huge pictures

I have no idea why the last two pictures I have put on this blog have turned out so HUGE. Just to let you know, I didn't delebrately make the pictures that big. They just decided to grow themselves. I'm just hoping that future pictures turn out smaller. Large pictures bug me. Actually, the large pictures don't bug me. It is just the REALLY large pictures like the one on the previous post that bug me.

Do they bug you? Does anyone know how to shrink random pictures that just decide to have growth spurts right here on my blog?

Okay. I will stop rambling right now. Maybe I'll stop. I don't know. I'm procrastionating on the Spanish test I have to study for. Guess I better go study so I don't fail the thing. Maybe all my blog pictures will shrink in the meantime. I hope so

This runnin' thing



In my quest for a sub 22 minute 5K, I am becoming completely addicted to the sport of running. I was already addicted to this sport before, but my new goal is giving me so much motivation that I am starting to love every step I take.

This whole 3 day weekend was almost completely devoted to running. I went for 2 runs this weekend. One run was an hour on the treadmill yesterday. Another run was a 45 minute jaunt outside in the 35 degree weather. I just now came back from this run. I still have the sweaty face and red glow on my cheeks to prove it!

The rest of the weekend has been devoted to reading everything I can about the sport. It is just my personality that when I become excited about obtaining a goal, I devote myself fully to it. Sometimes the pursuit of this goal is all I can think about. Ever since my 5K, I have been thinking very hard about all the ways I can improve in this sport. Here are all the books I have read within the past couple of weeks on the subject of running:

Run Fast- by Hal Higdon
Daniel's Running Formula- by Jack Daniels
The Competitive Runner's Handbook- by Bob Glover
The Cutting Edge Runner- by Matt Fitzgerald
Runner's World Guide to Road Racing- by Katie McDonald Neitz

...and the two I still have yet to finish:

Runner's World Complete Book of Running-by Amby Burfoot
Training for Young Distance Runners-by Larry Green and Russ Pate

If you are interested in learning more about running (Yes- There is more to it than left foot, right foot for all you sarcastic people out there) I would highly recommend any one of these books. They all have GREAT information.

Just a sample of the things I am learning:

1. When you are running up a hill, it is easier to lean back than to lean forward. I tried this tip on my run today while jogging up a relatively big hill. This tip definitely seemed to decrease the effort needed to climb the hill.

2. I learned all about the different types of speed work such as fartleks, tempo runs, intervals, etc. I also learned how long and for what paces you should be running these workouts. I also learned how much speed work to incorporate into a running program for best results.

3. I learned that more mileage is usually better and will normally help you run a lot faster in races. There is only one catch to this rule though: Don't run so much mileage that your body can't recover and get stronger. This will hinder your running performances- not help them.

4. I learned that the recovery between hard workouts is more important than the hard workouts themselves. This is because the recovery period is when torn up muscles rebuild themselves and become even stronger.

5. I saw many very good training programs in these books- and online- that will help me reach my goals. It's still too early though for me to decide on a specific one though.

So as you can tell, I am getting a little bit excited about this new goal. Once time passes and I get into a regular running routine (I am hoping to build up to at least 6-7 days of running per week) I will probably calm down tremendously. Hopefully by this time, I will still stay just as motivated as I am now. I am SO excited right now about the prospect of being able to succeed in a sport.

I am also starting to love running for a completely different reason as well: just being out there feels SO good. I love having the road to myself. I love not having to worry about people constantly on top of me, trying to get around me, and running over me like I do during a crowded swim practice. I also never have to compare myself to other people, since I am usually the only one out running in my rural neighborhood.

I also love just being outside in the elements and the huge endorphin rush that running brings.

As for swimming, I'm not going to let a few members of the swim team's opinion affect how I feel about the sport. I'm still going to swim as hard as I possibly can during the meets. I'm still going to go to practice every night.

Then again, if track season rolls along and I still feel the same way about swimming, you KNOW what I am going to do...

Friday, November 14, 2008

Just venting...



Okay. I've been sick all week. I woke up with a sore throat last Thursday and continued to feel sick on Friday. I thought I was well enough Saturday to swim at a meet last weekend. I felt fine on Saturday, but when I came back on the second day of the meet and swam on Sunday, I started losing my voice. My voice was completely gone on Monday, and it didn't start coming back until Wednesday. Last night I finally felt well enough to go to swim practice. I got a wonderful welcome back.

Right after the warm-up set, the coach had us all gather in one lane at the far right side of the pool so that he could talk to us. He started off talking about a meeting that would take place for all members of the team planning to go to a swim meet in Indiana next weekend. (I'm not going to this meet- I don't feel like traveling to the next state over just to swim). He said a couple things about this meet, and then he started talking about team T-Shirts.

At this point, I was only maybe half paying attention. My mind was wandering between many random things such as what the coach was going to give us for our next set, and what I would do on my three day weekend (I got the day off from school today. Wahoo!). Then the coach said something about a person on the team deliberately leaving someone's name off of the Team T-Shirts.

Of course you know where this discussion is going. Why else would I bring this incident up? Apparently, someone on the team thought it would be a wonderful idea to leave my name off the team T-Shirts. I don't know who exactly decided to leave my name off. All I know is that the action was deliberate. I knew this by the way the coach was yelling, saying things like "We don't exclude anyone from this team!”

I didn't find out that I was the person left off the T-Shirts until almost the very end of the coach's speech. I heard him say something at the beginning of the speech like "Why would you exclude Amy from the list". I thought I was mishearing things though until towards the end of the speech, he stated this question again.

The second time the coach said my name in reference to this act, the words struck me like a blow to the stomach. It was all I could do not to burst out into tears right in the middle of swim practice. Apparently the people who excluded me from being on the T-Shirt don't feel like I'm good enough to be part of the team.
I know that I am a terrible swimmer: I am the slowest swimmer in the slowest lane. I get lapped every 200 yards by all the other swimmers in my lane- most still in middle school. Sometimes in practice, the coach will make separate intervals for me because I am too slow to keep up with the rest of the team.

I have frequently felt like I didn't belong on this team. My parents pay the same annual fee for me to swim on this team as any other team member's parents. I go to practice just as often and work just as hard as anyone else on the team- yet I never feel like I belong there.

It's mostly the frustrating feeling I feel when everyone in my lane laps me 5 or more times during a 1000 yard set. It's the feeling I get when no matter how hard I work, I can never place better than last at any swim meet I "compete" in. It's the feeling I get when I do a swim event such as the mile and finish 6 minutes behind the second to last person. It's the feeling I get when I have (according to my training log) devoted over 240 hours of my life-this year alone- to swimming and realize I am still as terrible of a swimmer as the day I started this sport.

This feeling is incredibly frustrating to say the least. That is what made my running victory I mentioned in the last post so amazing- I was actually able to work hard, improve, and get a respectable time that puts me in the middle of the pack.

So now you know why not being good enough to even get my name on a T-Shirt is such a crushing blow. I already feel like I am not good enough to belong on the team; however I thought this belief was like one of those irrational beliefs I had as a little kid, where if I didn't sleep with a nightlight, monsters would come and eat me. (I actually didn't believe that- I'm just using it as an example).

Don't get me wrong. Most of the people on my swim team are VERY supportive and nice to me. A couple of them approached me after the coach's lecture and said how bad they felt that someone would try and do that to me. Like I said, I don't know who exactly on my team would do that. It was probably someone I don't know very well (obviously!).

I have just been getting SO frustrated with the sport of swimming during the past few months. I am mad that I put this much dedication and hard work into something, yet still never improve and end up being so far behind everyone else. Every day, I think about how great it would be to quit the swim team and focus on my running- a sport where hard work and dedication actually pays off.

...Maybe if I did track and cross-country, I wouldn't be the joke of the team anymore. I might actually be good at those sports.

I do have dreams of making varsity cross country next year. If I can train hard and get my 5K time under 22:00, I definitely have a shot at making varsity cross-country. I have no idea what I would have to do to make varsity track. I'm going to train hard all winter though. I'm going to get my mileage up to at least 30-40 a week this winter. I am going to start adding speed work in the spring. I will further increase my mileage to maybe 50 this summer. I will put my heart and soul into running and I will ACHIEVE something.

The odd thing about my frustration with swimming is that though I am really starting to hate swimming, I love it at the same time. I love getting in the pool every night. I love the feeling of water against my skin; I love the smell of chlorine. I love the electrical feeling in the air at a swim meet. I love PR'ing in a swim meet- even if only by a few seconds. I love the calming monotony while doing long distance sets that almost lulls me to sleep, yet keeps me so awake at the same time. I love swimming IMs. I love the feeling of a heated pool in the middle of winter.

No. I am not ready to give up swimming just yet. I am just SO incredibly frustrated right now!

Yes. I did still end up getting my name on the back of the T-Shirt.

And no. You couldn’t pay me all the money in the world to wear that stupid shirt!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

5K suprise

I used to think I was terrible at every single athletic event imaginable. I completely surprised myself though on Nov 1 2008. I cut 3 minutes off my 5K time, going from a PR of 29:31 to a 26:28. If you want to read all about this race, I have the race report located at the side bar of this blog. All I can say about the 5K was that it was SO fun and I had no idea that I would do so well.

The thing that surprised me the most about this 5K was that overall, I finished 16th out of 83 people (but this placement also includes walkers). I also finished first place in my age group (out of three people) beating two people on the cross country team!

This race happened almost two weeks ago, but I am still incredibly proud of my accomplishment. This made me realized that I actually have potential in the sport of running, and that if I work hard in this sport, I can achieve many more great things.

I decided on a goal that I am extremely willing to work hard to achieve: A sub 22 minute 5K by (hopefully) August 2009. The reason I want a sub 22 in this time period is because I think it would be so neat to make the varsity cross country team at my school. To make the varsity cross country team at my school, you need a 5K time of 21minutes or under.

I have never been good (or even average) at a single sport in my life. To make the varsity cross country team would be an amazing goal that would completely change my entire perception on who I am as an athlete- and who I am as a person.

I already love the idea that I am actually improving as a runner. This kind of improvement never happened to me in a single sport before. I know I was able to improve my bicycling over the summer by a large amount- but definitely not enough to make me middle of the pack!

So this is my new goal for the upcoming season. To work hard at my running and cut my 5K time down as much as possible. I realize I have written about other goals before in this blog (i.e. a self-supported half-marathon) but I never really had enough motivation to actually accomplish them.

For this goal, I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it (except steroids, lol). I will build my mileage to at least 30-40 miles a week, I will start doing speed work sometime in the near future, and I may run on my school's track team this spring. I'm not quite sure about the track team yet though. I will just have to see.

I revived this blog to keep a record of my journey to a sub 22 minute 5K. I want some way of keeping myself motivated and accountable. I am willing to do whatever it takes though. Varsity cross country sounds likes a dream now, but maybe in another year it will be a reality.