Needed! Running Partner- Slow Huffy Puffer Who Also Hates Running, Preferred

In my inbox today was this little nugget from Women's Health Magazine: 6 Reasons You Should Be Running .  And, I get it-  sign number nine billion eight hundred and fifty two.  I know!  I should be running.  If I ever want to actually compete in a tri instead of just participating, I need to be able to run.  But at the weight of a tub, the thought of pounding the pavement isn't really all that appealing to me.  


The article discusses the many benefits of running- from increased calorie burn, less stress, less belly fat, and strengthened joints (which was an interesting tidbit) but still, I don't know why I am so hesitant to get up and go.  Perhaps even while running with the gazelles last year I took it too fast.  Everyone - even the article- says that you really have to ease your way into running.  Maybe I just need to slow it down even more.


My main problem though is that with running, I am completely incapable of pushing myself.  Completely.  Swimming-  no problem, I could push myself time and time and time again, regardless of the pain, discomfort, or how tired it makes me.  Because swimming is my comfort zone.  Biking- I'm not all that able to push myself, but I can definitely keep myself going longer than I can with running.  With running, the second it gets hard or it starts to hurt-  I immediately pull up and start to walk again.

I need a running partner.  Someone who:

1.  Runs slow
2. Does more walking than running
3. Would be willing to run with me on weekdays
4.  Preferably hates running as much as I do... that way, we can learn to love it together :)  Or at least, loathe it together.

Weekends are full between Trainer Brutus on Saturdays  and biking on Sundays.

We'd start out with 30 minute "runs" following the couch to 5k Program.

If anyone wants to be my running buddy, please let me know!

I'm Not One to Keep My Mouth Shut

So, here in Chicago, there is a bit of hullabaloo surrounding a school in the city telling parents that they are no longer allowed to pack and send lunches for their children.  The thinking behind this being that the schools supposedly know what is better for the kids than the parents do.  That, and they feel that children will be getting a more nutritious lunch from the school.  The article cites that it is a "Pop versus Milk" thing.  But if that were actually the case, why not just ban pop?  Why not take out the pop machines and only sell things like milk/juice/lemonade  or water.

What makes anyone think that a blanket decision encompassing all children is the best idea?  Additionally, since when are cafeteria lunches healthy??

What does the average kid eat in their lunch if packed from home?

Sandwich of some kind
Fruit
Snack of Some kind- bag o'chips, cookies etc
Juice box or can of pop

What would they get in a cafeteria?

Processed and preservative laden meat or pizza
"Fruit" swimming in sugar laden syrup
Pudding or some other form of dessert
Milk

Personally for me, I would think the healthier option would continue to be whatever is made at home.  I think it is awfully forward of any school to be deciding they know what is better for a child than a parent does.  And quite honestly, what business is it of any school to tell a parent how or what they should be feeding their kids?  I think the entire idea of this is ludicrous.

I don't have any kids in schools at the moment, but I would assume that most parents would be outraged if someone came along and told them that they no longer had control over what was being fed to their children.  For me, it isn't even the issue of cafeteria lunches costing roughly $2 a day- though I understand that argument as well.  For me personally, and I'm quite certain for a large conglomerate of my friends with children, the issue would be someone else telling me how to parent or what they think is right for my child.

Am I over reacting on this one?  What would you do if your kids came home with a letter tomorrow saying that the school was now going to decide for you, what your child is going to eat every day?

If you would like to read the full article, you can find it here

My New Bike!!!!

This weekend after getting a butt kicking from Brutus, Mr Millie and I headed over to my favorite bike shop  Performance Bicycle.  The plan was to find a bike for Mr. Millie so that he and I could ride together. We had to buy a bike this past weekend because I belong to their loyalty program, and buying a bike this weekend afforded me double reward points.  (woot!)  Mr. Millie received gift cards for his birthday last year, and timing - or lack there of-  delayed his bike purchasing until now.

I'm sure you're wondering why I'm talking about Mr Millie when this is entitled "My Bike".  The plan was for him to buy a road bike, and that I would share it with him and use it during races.  However, after speaking with my friends at Performance Bike, we were informed that road bikes are custom fit to each person.  Because of that, Mr Millie generously gave me his gift cards so that I could buy a road bike for myself.  However, since it was a double points weekend-  we have enough points to get him a bike too!!!  I have to wait for my rewards card to be credited all of my points but a few weeks from now, Mr Millie will have a bike too!  Win ! Win!

But, enough about Mr Millie, and more about my gorgeous new racing bike (no really- love you honey, but this post is about my new beauty)

Here's she is!  My beauty.  The Scattante  R 570 Road Bike.  The only difference between this picture and my new baby is that mine is navy blue not shocking electric blue.

Baby needs a name though.  Originally, because I am apparently color blind,  I was calling her "Pearl"- short for "The Black Pearl"  - because I thought she was black. Looking at her a bit more though, baby is navy- so she needs a new name.  So give me some ideas!!!

I have to go back on Thursday to have her custom fit to me but I took her out for a spin today and she is fabulous!  I can't wait to take her out on the trails and really see what I can do with her. :)

And, thanks of course to my wonderful husband of 7 years (on Sunday) for forgoing a bike for the moment and having me to get one first. <3  love you honey! 

Motivation Monday- Tuesday Edition! - Elizabeth

Better late than never!  So, we’ll call this “Motivation Monday- Tuesday edition” Today's guest blogger is my friend Elizabeth.  She is a thirty-something Manager and Interior Designer who recently completed Chicago’s Shamrock Shuffle.   In her own words,  here is her inspiring story:

Thanks Millie for asking me to be your guest blogger!!

Yesterday, I participated in the Shamrock Shuffle for the second time. It is an 8K run that starts off the Chicago running season. There were about 34,000 people running in it. I started actively running about a year and a half ago. It was something I was never good at and wanted to overcome. So, I started off slow and had a goal. My goal was the Shamrock shuffle of 2010. I had a great support group the day of the race. I trained for it and was super nervous but I did well and finished. The shuffle of 2010 was SOOOO cold but this year’s shuffle was a couple weeks later in the year and the temperature were averaged in the 80’s. It was a beautiful day for a run! This year was a bit of a challenge for me because last year after the shuffle I began training for the Soldier Field 10 Mile race.  I was doing great with my training and was super excited and totally ready for the next challenge.  Then the worst thing could have happened… I discovered I fractured my right foot and was put in a boot for just about 6 months the week before the race. Talk about a total set back and disappointment.

So, my great achievement in running came to a fast stop. I continued to have a lot of trouble with the foot for several months after the boot came off. I started back running again in the end of January, slowly and not over doing it. I still do not have all my speed back that I had last year but week by week I am increasing my pace. I was not sure if I would be able to do the shuffle this year but I was very happy that I successfully completed the finish line. My foot did begin to hurt during the run. I am attributing it more to the adjustment of running outside and the really hot temperature.  I listened to my body and slowed down when I needed to.

It is such a great feeling to know that I have successfully completed 2 Shamrock shuffles. I hope to run it yearly and am going to add other runs to my summer agenda. My next goal will be to run the Newport, RI Half in October with some of my college friends. From this experience I have learned that you can achieve things in life even of you think you can’t. You have to be in the right state of mind and listen to your body.  It was great to be back outside running yesterday and the adrenalin and the excitement of the people and the crowd cheering all the runners on. Even after a big setback I am back in the game and ready for the 2011 running season!!

Are you training for a race or did you recently complete one?  I'd love to have you share your inspiring story as a guest blogger on See Millie Tri.  Email me at Millie [at] See Millie Tri [dot] com and let me know when your race is.  I would love to share your success with everyone else!  

Brutus - The Return

Image from Curious Inkling

As I sit here, on my couch, on Saturday night-  all I can think of is thank goodness I live in a ranch, because honestly I think I would probably just sleep on a couch all night instead of going up stairs.  If the usb cable to connect my body bug wasn't in my office, I would be checking it right now to see how many calories I burned today.

I learned a valuable lesson today though, that before I continue on, I wanted to address.  There is so much information and misinformation out there regarding workouts and what you should or shouldn't be doing before you workout.  I read an article in Shape magazine not more than a week ago, that said if you workout in the morning and on an empty stomach you will burn more calories that if you eat beforehand.  I do this with swimming all the time - mainly because of #1 the whole "dont eat and swim" thing that all of our mothers petrified us with as children  and secondly, eating and then lying facedown in the water causes whatever I ate (even if its something small like a luna bar or protein shake) to pay me a little return visit as I swim.  Ugh its the worst.

Anyhow, I chose to sleep this morning instead of eat.  I did have a luna bar in my purse that I brought with me, but I forgot how to get to Brutus' gym ended up getting lost and forgot all about the bar.

Brutus' style of workouts is to keep the body in constant motion, doing reps of three or four different exercises.  I got through the warm up, finished my squats and was just about to move into the next grouping when I got *really* dizzy.  And had to stop.  I told Brutus about missing breakfast and how usually when I swim Im fine on no breakfast- and he explained the difference between aerobic exercising like swimming and working weights etc like I was currently doing (he used a workouty kinesology sounding word that I have since forgotten so at the risk of misrepresenting what he said, I;ll explain it in a broken down way lol)  But- he said that if you're planning on lifting weights or doing the type of dynamic, constantly moving workouts that we do, that you should be eating a carb and a protein before working out.  So I will definitely NOT be making that mistake again lol

I recovered, but had to tone it down a notch for the rest of the workout.  So, yeah - the workout was a tad dialed down, but definitely still got some form of workout considering that for most of the afternoon I spent cursing the fact that I am a squatter and not a pointer...  ;-)  (the act of sitting down certainly reminds me of just how hard I worked those muscles today)

We talked about focusing more on weightloss vs on Tri specific training.  Though we are still going to incorporate a lot of exercises that will continue to benefit my training in the off chance I feel ready for my event in 8 weeks.

I'm still tossing around the idea of the Run for the Zoo event that Lifetime is sponsoring.  A  5k through Brookfield Zoo sounds like a lot of fun!  I'm going to see how my scheduled Run day goes on Tuesday and decide then.

Thinking about Thoughts

I've been in my own head a lot lately- and instead of internalizing as I usually do, I figured I would at least share.  So-  between being sick, being on vacation, and now recovering from my sun poisoning I'm disgustingly behind in my training.  My first intended Triathlon is the first week of June.  That's 8 weeks away.  I'm nowhere near ready.  I'm quite certain that I'm going to have to defer.  And I know how disappointing that is - to me as well -  but I just don't think there is anyway that I am going to be able to get race ready in less than 8 weeks.  Which is a complete disappointment to me.  I have to be honest with myself though-  crappy winter, cold pools, never ending cold and snow- illness, injury, school, and god knows what else has just been too much to deal with this season.

There is still the Triathlon in August- and I think I can better prepare for that one.  I have Brutus to work with me, and if I have him to work with for five months before the first tri versus two months, I have a much better chance of actually competing in the race instead of just participating.  So I think my goals are going to shift and refocus a bit.

It just seems weird that See Millie Tri  will only be Tri-ing once this season.  Which brings me to my other thoughts.  Losing weight and Training for Tri's don't really work all that well together.  Yeah there is some general slimming down that happens while training for a Triathlon but actual Weightloss isn't really your focus while your training and with all the working out you are doing-  you are more concerned with developing strength and stamina -  plus piling in the calories (in a good way- not a lets eat a whole bag of chips in one sitting way)  to support the needs of your body.

But, Ive never made it a secret that Mr Millie and I want kids and that I need to slim down to start IVF.  We've been talking, and Ive been talking to Brutus about my goals-  and by the end of the year, I want to be IVF ready-  that means a BMI Of under 40 and preferably under 35.   In order for my BMI to get under 35- I need to lose about 75 pounds by the end of the year- which is roughly 12 pounds a month.  The average or "suggested" weightloss is 8-10 pounds a month, so 12 pounds a month is really lofty, but  that is my hope anyway.

I didn't meet with Brutus on Saturday because the boils on the undersides of my legs were the most painful of all of them.  But, I plan to tell Brutus on Saturday that I want to shift my focus a bit more towards weight loss less towards Triathlon-ing (for now)  and re-focus in June training for the August Tri.

I'm really confident that working with Brutus I can achieve my goals.  He works you until you're a drop of goo-  but in a way that empowers me and reignites that little spark inside me that says "I can"

Right now, its just a whisper-  but soon-  it will come back roaring.

It's weird, because every time I see an IronMan  I think "wow, what if"... then sensible me says "Millie you can't even run a 5k.. you expect to swim three miles, bike a hundred and then run a full marathon"  and little Millie, who is holding the dim candle whispering "I Can"  tells me "You will..... someday"  and for some crazy reason, I actually believe it.

But that lofty goal is far far away-  post weight loss, post (fingers crossed) child birthing - but its there and maybe someday I will be able to get branded with the pride that says I am an Ironman.

For now though-  Ill continue t focus on my little old Sprint Triathlons.  -  Perhaps I'll do some five k's this summer and get my body used to running, and really rock it come August.

Motivation Monday! - Lindsay

Morning all!  We made it to Monday already? So quickly-  blah.  Well at least a spot of sunshine in our Monday morning....   another installment of Motivation Monday!  Today's guest blogger is my friend Lindsay.  She is a thirty-something mother of three  who recently completed the Dallas Rock and Roll Half Marathon.   In her own words,  here is her inspiring story: I just wanted to start off this blog post by thanking Millie for this opportunity to write about this really amazing experience in my life. My name is Lindsay and I live in Texas with my husband James, and I am a stay at home mom to three children. Jared is my oldest, he is almost 9 years old. He was diagnosed with Autism when he was three. Lauren is 6 years old and practically a mini version of me with blond hair and blue eyes. Our third child is Brandon and he is just the sweetest, most laidback little guy. Long before starting my family, I struggled with my weight. One of my brother's favorite nicknames for me was Big Butt Jabba the Hut. It was horrifying when our entire high school caught on. It has been almost 15 years since I graduated high school, and to this day I feel the agony I felt in the hallway when I heard someone say it. During my junior year of high school, I started to cut back on what I was eating and as a joke, I tried out for my high school cheerleading squad. As my luck would have it, they picked me to be on the team. Due to all the practices, I got down to my lowest weight ever and my self esteem skyrocketed. Then I went to college, and didn't just gain the Freshman 15. I was so embarrassed and disgusted about the way I looked, that I actually covered all my mirrors in my dorm room with newspaper. And when that didn't help (along with some family issues), I transferred colleges. I arrived at Texas A&M University my Junior year. On the plane ride down, I decided that I was going to create a new life for myself. And I did. By the time I graduated, I was in better shape than I was in high school. I was lean and strong and was proud to be myself. Pretty soon after college, James and I started our family. I didn't really struggle much with the pregnancy weight loss with the first two, but after Brandon was a nightmare. I was eating the same foods and working out like I always had been, but nothing really was changing. (Okay, maybe I ate a few more Hershey Kisses or pints of ice cream than before!) So I joined Weight Watchers and hired a personal trainer. When I thought that the starvation from Weight Watchers was going to do me in, Sheila would wear me down in the gym. But it paid off, and I have been holding pretty steady at my goal weight since then. People will tell me, "Wow! You look so great after having three kids!" and let me tell you, that makes me feel good! Especially if it's from someone that knew me when I was Big Butt Jabba the Hut!!! So I'm pretty sure you were wondering why I mentioned Jared having Autism earlier. Life with a husband and three kids is really hectic. Add Autism in the mix and some days I find myself counting down the hours until bedtime. As blessed as I am to be able to stay at home with our three kids, sometimes I feel like I just don't have anything to offer this world. No goals, no promotions...just potty training, refereeing, cleaning scraped knees, and repeating the same requests over and over! At the end of January, my brother-in-law's partner flew to Houston to do the Houston Marathon. I had told Norm that I had thought about running the Houston Half, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish. He said I was already halfway there in training since I normally run 6 miles a day, at least 4, but usually 5 days a week. I looked up some training schedules and half marathons in the state. I found out that the Dallas Rock N Roll Marathon was two months out and I knew I'd have plenty of time to train. I was even more excited when I found out that it benefitted the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation. My grandmother, mother-in-law, and two good friends are breast cancer survivors, and I knew that if they could fight that battle, I could surely do this! And selfishly, I knew that I was going to have time outside of the house (especially on long run days) and away from the kids. Time that I didn't have to think about Jared's disability or doing mundane chores. I followed Hal Higdon's (free) half marathon training schedule and every week I posted on Facebook how my long runs went. I felt some sort of accountability posting, and I knew that people would rally behind me on them. I really didn't struggle until the 11 and 12 mile runs, but I just kept remembering why I was doing this in the first place and then all the doubt and pain would go away. I tell people that I became spiritually stronger during these long runs because I would literally pray out for strength when I'd run. I'd work out whatever issues I was struggling with and you would think that I would be exhausted after these runs, but I wasn't. Well, my legs were, but my heart and mind felt strong and I was a much better mom and wife. It also didn't hurt that I had Eminem, Rihanna, Beyonce, Ke$ha and a few other artists to jam to! Bright and early on March 27, my husband, the kids, and my in-laws went with me to Dallas to watch me run my first half marathon. Gotta love my mother-in-law for making signs for me with the kids! It was the most surreal experience. As far as you could see there were runners. As I'm standing there these other runners, I started to panic. OMG. We are about to run 13.1 miles. I have never run 13.1 miles before. What was I thinking signing up for this? Is it too late to get out of this corral? Why can't I just be happy that I'm a stay at home mom of three kids? Why do I have to be more than that? What on Earth am I trying to prove??? And then before I know it, I'm at the start line. The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders are to my left. I can see my family up ahead waiting for me to cross the start line. And we're off! I passed my family and blew kisses, and then I got focused on what I had done during my training. I quickly found my pace and settled into it. The citizens of Dallas lined the ENTIRE course with hysterical signs, and they had bands and water stations strategically placed the entire course. This is me at mile 3 or 4. I probably could be running faster since I'm goofing off! I remembered what Millie's dad told me before the race...to run my OWN race. And I did. Just like in training, I got to Mile 11 and 12 and while my lungs felt fine, my legs began to burn. I noticed that I was falling behind on my pace and just at the right time I was passed by a woman with a shirt honoring someone that she had lost to breast cancer. And underneath it said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I dug my heels into the pavement and before I knew it, I was rounding the corner of the Cotton Bowl Stadium. I knew I was close when I heard the University of Texas Longhorn Band. I don't even have words to describe the feelings rushing through my body when I saw the finish line. I was super excited that one of the event photographers captured this picture of me trying to capture a picture of one of the most proud moments of my life (besides getting married and giving birth)! Crossing the finish line was one of the most amazing, overwhelming, and exciting feelings I've ever had. Even typing this a week later brings tears to my eyes. I am so incredibly proud of myself and the 14,000 other runners who faced their fears and finished the race too! During my training I paced at 10 minute miles. My ultimate goal was to finish, but I had hoped that I would finish with a 2:10 time. Out of those 14,000 runners, I finished in 4,013 place with a time of 2:06:42!  Not only did I meet both my goals, I finished faster than I thought I would! AND I beat Miss Texas 2011 by four minutes! I am so glad that I didn't give up on myself throughout my training. That on the days when I wanted to quit or had major negative self talk, I used it to empower me. How I fought for myself on those really tough days proved to me that I am not just some lame stay at home mom. I am an amazing, strong, resilient woman who can conquer anything I put my head and heart into. One final thought...I had no idea of the impact this was making on my kids. I ran into the kid's Physical Education teacher at Target midweek. She congratulated me on my run. Jared and Lauren were so proud of me that they told her when they saw her on Monday. Totally melted my heart. Thanks again Millie for letting me be a part of your Motivation Monday. I hope that my story inspires someone to try something they've always wanted to do, but been hesitant to do until this point. And if anyone wants to join me in September, I'll be running the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia!!! Are you training for a race or did you recently complete one?  I'd love to have you share your inspiring story as a guest blogger on See Millie Tri.  Email me at Millie [at] See Millie Tri [dot] com and let me know when your race is.  I would love to share your success with everyone else!