[42] Graduation Day 2011

Ah, it's that time of year again. Saying farewell.
Parting ways.
Becoming an adult.
Moving on.
Moving out.
Moving up.

While hundreds of thousands of students will be throwing their mortar boards up and closing a chapter of their lives, I, too, celebrate. While on my National Running Day Outing with the NYRR YPC, I logged the remaining miles necessary to finally graduate from Green to Blue! A special greeting from runner Tanya Richards for synching 623.23 miles (1,000KM), and a little pick me up that "being blue is okay when you're a serious runner" was the icing on my cake this morning.

This was a goal I have been slacking on since March. Then it was pushed to April, and then May. Actually, I find it rather comforting that I could celebrate my first NRD and clear a Nike+ Milestone in the same run! (Apologies for the bad screen shots, I haven't figured out how to do one with an iPhone, so it was digicam on iPhone, hence the glare/fuzziness.) The first (and last time), I attended Nike Run Club here in Westchester, I picked up my green laces. Since I am off next Wednesday night, I may need to drop by, run, and pickup some blue ones! ;)

Now that my summer running schedule is advancing quicker than I would like to admit, I need to really start working on my running programs, tackling Nike+ goals, amping it up in races, and making sure I am eating healthy and recovering properly. Looking at my Nike+ goals, I need to get moving on the following:

• Run More: Run 40 times by 6/22 (25 Complete; 15 Left; 4 Behind): Will be extended to July.
• Run Farther: Run 200 Miles by 6/22 (46.8 Miles Complete; 152.2 Left; 102.2 Behind Target): Will be extended to July.
• Burn More: Run 10'30" Average Pace 10 Times by 6/18 (2 Complete; 8 Left; On Target): Possible, but need to hit the pavement ASAP.
• Run Faster: Burn 20,000 Calories by 6/22 (4,581 Complete; 15,419 Left; 10,352 Behind Target); Will be extended to July.

Once school is finished, and I return from the UK, my summer running is going to have to be super early morning (like 5:30AM early) or after 7PM (around sunset). My rapidly growing concern is the heat and humidity in the summer. I'm registered for the Queens (7/30) and Bronx (8/28) Halves and if the weather is this bad now, I'm going to need something short of a miracle by the time the height of summer peaks in July and August. Even though the races start at 7AM (Q1/2), I am hoping for a push up to 6AM, for more running in the early morning hours. The start time for the B1/2 is "TBD", but with summer heat (regardless of being from Florida), earlier is better. I don't mind waking up at 3AM for an early start time. Beating the heat is all I care about, especially since the B1/2 coincides with my first day back at work, so I would like time to shower, sleep, and tend to my achey muscles before throwing myself into two solid weeks worth of work.

My graduation may be small, but I didn't graduate alone. My mom also started using Nike+ and she called me to tell me that she's advanced from Orange to Green! She left a cute message on my FB Wall "I'm coming after you!" I'm so proud of her, and it feels great to graduate in a very exclusive class. 

Blue to Purple? Only 930 Miles (or 1,500KM and counting) to go...

[21] Summoning the Lioness

:

Challenge: Nike+ Run Like a Lion
Intro: They say March either comes in like a Lamb or a Lion. We want you to attack it like the latter.
Goal: Synch 50 miles between March 7th (12A) and March 31 (10:59P) [Details]
Swag:  Hit it hard this March for your chance to win a pair of Nike’s most innovative new shoes - the Lunar Haze.

I always love a good challenge. It keeps me honest, and prevents me from procrastinating on my training, especially when I have a race scheduled. I am not expecting to lead the pack and win the shoes (though it would be nice), but I am going to push myself to knock out this challenge prior to the last week of the month. Naturally, I am leaving some room for negotiation, but I really want to stick to my guns. DC is coming up faster than I would care to admit, and I would like to nail a better time on my 5K.

Gotta get to work, Baby.

I have several large, time consuming work commitments coming up, so I am certain my stress level may go through the roof. The senior trip to Florida is also weighing heavily on my mind as it will be like sitting on the sun in Florida come April, and I would like to enjoy the pool and water parks just like everyone else.  Also, with spring rapidly making its way in, I need to start stripping off the layers, like the Under Armour Heatgear® Capris which are designed to help keep the heat trapped in on those cooler runnings. I'm planning a trip to {intmacy} to buy a bathing suit with appropriate support.

Scheduled Runs

1. 3/10 (Thu): 5 Miles (568 Cal)
2. 3/11 (Fri)
3. 3/12 (Sat)
4. 3/14 (Mon)
5. 3/15 (Tue)
6. 3/17 (Thu)
7. 3/18 (Fri)
8. 3/20 (Sun)
9. 3/21 (Mon)
10. 3/24 (Thu)

This morning, when I stepped on the scale, I was in for a pleasant surprise. After a month of fighting with a plateau, I finally smashed past 150 pounds. I actually started this mini-project when I first bought my Nike+ basic kit in 2009. I flicked through the Post-It Notes this morning, taking a moment to see how far I've come. One of the troubles I had last year was that I kept focusing on how much I had left to lose instead of celebrating how far I had come. When I finally hit that 130 pound mark, I think I shall take a photo of the compacted version of my journey. To make sense of the numbers, the number on the left is where I am at presently, and the one on the right (130) is my goal weight.

Finally smashed through the plateau I've been fighting. (Photo: Not Me... Yet.)

For a long time, I have had a fear of the scale. When I first started attending Weight Watchers meetings, I started becoming more comfortable with them. Now, weighing-in has become part of my daily morning routine. It is always the hardest to step up after a long weekend or a night out with friends, but it keeps me honest and focused. When I invested in my bathroom scale, I selected this one by Conair and endorsed by Weight Watchers. The design is nice and compact, but it is also accurate and easily switches between pounds and kilograms. If you are looking to invest in a reliable and affordable scale, I highly recommend this one.

The intimidation factor of weighing in drops dramatically when I know I've maintained a healthy diet and adhered to my running schedule. Its only after one of those long, lazy, leave-me-alone weekends, that the showdown causes me to break a sweat. My weekends from now through the end of April are booked solid, so I have to make sure that I am keeping healthy, taking time for myself, and roaring through like the lioness I am.