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Bikini-phobia

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6/9/11
8 miles easy / 1:15 / 9:22 avg pace

I’m all about honesty on RTLR so I must confess to a (long-term) case of bikini-phobia.  I know I’m in the majority here; very few women love to shop for and parade around in bikinis (or one-pieces, tankinis, etc.).  I rarely (if ever) remove my cover-up at the beach.  I feel exposed and fearful that people are looking at me.  And shopping for a bikini is a complete nightmare – those mirrors and lighting should be banned.

I know my phobia is completely irrational.  I don’t look that bad.  But my hyper-critical self sees a flabby-this or an untoned-that .  Funny thing is, when I’m people-watching at the shore (fun!), 90% of the people walk by unnoticed.  The other 10% are noticed by everyone!  You know, the women and men with the bathing suit that is completely inappropriate for their size.  Yup, those people.  But let’s get back to the other 90% that pass by unnoticed – every single one of them has a flabby-this or an untoned-that.  So why do they go by unnoticed and I give myself the hardest time?

One of the gifts running has given me (bear with me, I’m going somewhere with this) is complete appreciation of my body.  I’m very thankful and grateful that I can push my body so hard and it still gives me results.  It really amazes me sometimes…my legs especially.  They are strong and powerful and have carried me through 8 marathons.  So after many, many years of running I’m learning to accept and appreciate my body for what it is:  strong, powerful, and resilient.

The point of this post is not to elicit encouraging comments.  I’m just being honest and transparent.  Many of the healthy living bloggers I follow will post pictures of themselves on vacation in a bikini.  They have it right (and look fabulous too).  Healthy eating coupled with exercise should translate to bikini confidence.  And while I’m not there yet, I’m pretty damn close.

My bikini-phobia is slowly being conquered!  On Memorial Day weekend, I went sans cover-up at the pool.  And I just ordered 2 bikinis online.  Usually I only own 1 bikini since there was never really a need for another one.  The strength training class I took on Tuesday also has a duel purpose:  besides helping me become a better runner, toning up will help my bikini-confidence.  Winning!

Do you suffer from bikini-phobia?

I Survived

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6/8/11

5 miles easy  / no Garmin

Yesterday I took my first strength training class in ages and I lived to tell about it.  It wasn’t so bad actually.  I’m a little sore today but not as bad as I was expecting.  The class did confirm that my leg strength is >>>> my upper body and core strength.  This is what I would expect when my legs do all the work and my upper body and core are just along for the ride.

The class was set-up like a circuit and we did lots of different things:  kettlebells, pilates reformer, stability ball, etc.  There were only 2 students in the class (including me) which I liked.  I was able to learn each circuit with the help of the instructor.

It wasn’t terribly difficult but I’m not sure if I want anything difficult right now.  I do have to be able to run a lot so I’d like to keep myself somewhat mobile!

Speaking of running, I’ve been getting up at 5AM to run and I’m oh so tired.  I crawl into bed at 9-9:30 every night and pass out.  I love to run in the summertime but sometimes fitting it all in is hard.  We are away most weekends until August so I find myself squeezing in as much a possible Monday through Friday so I can enjoy the weekend (weddings, shore, etc.).

How do you fit running in around your social life (or life in general)?  I know there’s no magic answer.  I used to get pretty creative with fitting in my long runs when I would have plans on both Friday and Saturday nights.  But that was back in the day (my 20s) when I used to go out much more!

Something New

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6/7/11
6 miles with hill repeats / 58:32 / 9:45 avg pace

To go along with my “if you keep doing the same thing, you’ll get the same results” theme, I’m doing two things today that are new and one of them is outside my comfort zone.

Scary thing #1 – hill repeats
I’m alternating my speed work this cycle between track workouts one week and hill repeats the next week. In the past, my hill work simply consisted of running on a hilly course. To my surprise, it was very effective. Imagine what hill repeats can do! Today’s workout was pretty informal.  I warmed-up for 1.5 miles and picked out 3 hills along my run.  I did 5 repeats on the 1st hill, 3 repeats on the 2nd, and 4 repeats on the 3rd hill.  I would run up the hill as fast as I could, and then jog back down.  Not so scary at all.  In fact, it beats a track workout any day.

Scary thing #2 – strength training class
Scary thing #2 hasn’t happened yet (12pm). But I’m putting it out there in the blog world so I can’t back out. My yoga studio has a whole body strength class that they offer a few times a week. I can’t tell you the last time I strength trained; it’s pretty sad actually. My focus has always been run, run, run. Strength training is crucial to making you a more balanced runner (literally and figuratively!). I’m taking the “all levels” class so I don’t make a fool out of myself. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow, provided I’m not too sore to type.

What have you done recently that was new or scary?

Weekend Fun + Week 1 Recap

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6/6/11
7 miles tempo / 1:01 / 8:43 avg pace
1 mile easy, 5 miles at 8:35 (MP), 1 mile easy

Date day/night with Hawk was fun.  First up was a stop at Kelly Drive.

Yes, I really am this un-tan.  It’s not the camera flash.

Mr. Hawk seemed to enjoy himself.

Next we strolled around Philly and got some drinks.  Guess who we bumped into?  Mayor Nutter (a.k.a., mayor of Philly)!  He was checking out a menu with 2 other people (staff?).  Matt and I were across the street and one of his staff noticed I was holding my camera and waived us over for a picture.  Mayor Nutter is always present at all the Philly races so it was nice to meet him in person.  Of course, Hawk got in on the picture.

The rest of the day went unpictured:  dinner, trying to find a patch of grass for Hawk to use as a toilet, sleeping in, and brunch (pancakes for me, french toast for Matt).

Lehigh Valley Marathon – Week 1 Recap
MON:  5K + 1.5 mi warm-up
TUE:  8 mi tempo
WED:  rest
THU:  8 mi easy
FRI:  5.4 mi easy
SAT:  13 mi long
SUN:  rest

A total of 39 miles for the week.  Overall, I’m happy with how the week went.  I got some hill training in and did my tempo run on a trail.  I also like how I’m starting out at 39 miles, considering last cycle I maxed out at 43 miles 🙂  Fun, fun!

How was your weekend?  Any good races or training runs?  Are you tapering or just starting up like me?

Progress!

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6/4/11

13 miles / 1:53 / 8:42 avg pace

Today was a good run.  I was excited and the weather was beautiful.  I swear I’m not pulling anyone’s leg when I say that I was excited.  I love long runs and look forward to them each week.

I’m doing my long runs on the same hilly route I used for Steamtown last year (beginning – hills, middle – flat, end – hills).  Two things really stood out after this run:

  • The first mile is especially hilly and last year my pace would always be around 9:50.  Today I ran the first mile in 9:23.
  • My overall time – 1:53 – is 4 minutes shy of my half marathon PR (1:49) last September.  I think it’s time to race another half marathon!
I love seeing progress in numbers.  It’s so satisfying knowing all your hard work is finally paying off!

Random Friday Thoughts

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6/3/11

5.4 miles easy
My legs were a little tired this morning so I used my Garmin to get to the 2.7 mile turnaround and then turned it off.  I need to go slow on easy days! 

1.  Check out these pictures from my 5K on Monday.

Finish line. Looks like I ate something bitter or just did a shot. See #121? She's the woman I sprinted past at the end.
Getting my medal. I was trying to act nonchalant (like this happens all the time) but I was really, really happy!

2.  Matt and I have date day/night – part II this weekend.  Again, it’s going to be a Hawk-friendly weekend.  Dogs parks, staying in a dog-friendly hotel (in Philly), and eating at dog-friendly restaurants.  This is completely normal, right?

3.  Head over to Kara and Alyssa’s blogs and wish them luck on their 50K tomorrow (that’s 31 miles)!  Good luck ladies!