BACK TO BERLIN: WEEK 8

Story behind the 5K run

“Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” 

― William Faulkner

This Week's Purpose

I love beginning the week with a sense of purpose.  

My purpose this week (Week 8 : 06.03 - 12.03) is bring back focus on my 2017 plan: simplify, declutter and journal (for structure and therapeutic process).  I've let myself be distracted too much!

In order to realise my week's intentions, I think it is necessary to have a writing schedule I can stick to . ***** (please, see at the bottom of the post, how I fared at the end of the week with my intentions)

“Courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your whole life.” ― Shannon L. Alder

I noticed in  my Instagram postings,  last week and beginning of this week (I am writing this 8th of March, and will update during the week), how much faster I can recover from negative triggers, once I write about them, right away.

This recognition reminds me, how important it is that I focus on completing my book project, this year.  Again, the marathon training is helping me stay on track, not only in taking care of my physical health but more importantly of my mental self-care.

The Training Week - Stories and Statistics

06.03.17, Monday:

0  biking (J brought her to school, and K picked her up)

The photo above was taken after  my morning run!  

Went out for a run around 11:30 - 11:35 and
happily posted on Instagram Stories right after!

It's my 20th run since I began training.

I was too happy with my simple accomplishments - too happy to care, that I look like a hag in this video! hahaha

Running makes you feel good and look good! Promise. :D

Hope this video clip works :

Last week Wednesday's, (1st of March) selfie,  taken to remind myself the day might feel bad, when you woke up but you can change it, if you set your heart to it!

Story behind how I turned a "crappy feeling" to a good vibes day!

I am very happy with my progress!

I know from experience, that the marathon adventure is not only continuous progress.

There will be stumbles, road blocks and challenges along the way.

The more reason I have to celebrate small success and significant improvements, when they happen!

Funny, I cooked the same soup (SO GOOD and so simple!), which I prepared last week Monday! A delicious coincidence. :)

07.03.17, Tuesday: biked 20 km, did a couple of NTC workouts!

Since Monday, I am trying to record, "how my average day" is via Instagram Stories. I'm not sure if I can complete this week. My plan is to blog about mindfulness training in my May blogs.  This activity is a sort of warm-up for that.

I tried a new dish, inspired by @nicolevorderman's IG story.

The recipe is originally from @donderdesign's boyfriend.

They are both inspiring runner's I met and follow on Instagram.

08.03.17, Wednesday: biked a total of 3 km  ("A", a mom friend, brought M to school because she saw us biking in the pouring rain) 

Women's International Day! 

I had planned to run 8 km in the morning to honour this day but alas my calves were painful and stiff, thus I decided to rest one more day.  The weather helped with this decision! It was pouring almost the whole day, and stopped late in the afternoon.


Since the friend, who  helped bring M to school, also picked her up after school for a spontaneous playdate with her son (M's classmate)  I had longer time than usual (Wednesday is half day at school) to dedicate to catching up with chores, I've sorely neglected.

Yup, on International Women's Day, I exercised my right to be a better homemaker! :D

@voltwomen

I had two bikes to bring home, after M was brought with the car, so I decided to lock my bike and pushed M's bike home.  In the afternoon I simply walk to pick up my bike and rode my bike to pick up M from her playdate.

This day has been a good training day, after all! REST (from running, counts as training too!), biked a total of 3 km and walked a total of 3 km.  

Mentally the rest did me well.  It was great to do chores without feeling stressed about it. What  also helped a lot reduce stress is go through my neglected to do list.  After having done, the things I have been postponing (cancel CPC race, write/reply to friends messages, send emails, finish blog Week 7!)



09.03.17, Thursday: 

Biked 20 km and documented my morning via Instagram Stories for my mindfulness project.

My left calf, foot did not let me sleep until way past midnight. I stretched and massaged it the whole evening.  When I woke up, I felt the positive result of a day's rest and helping my foot recover.

I was happy I got a run in before I picked up M from school!

Temperature was great but it was a very windy bike ride home!

10.03.17, Friday: REST day

11.03.17, Saturday: 

WE were BABYSITTERS for the day (noon until dinner) to my adopted grandchildren (P's grandkids from his daughter, in his first marriage)

After I helped P get settled with the little ones, I went out for a short run.  When I left them, they were outdoors, after having finished their snacks and were waiting for the popcorn to be ready for them.

I was back in time to help P serve the cute ones dinner.

12.03.17, Sunday:  CPC Run 2017 - 10K Race 

(UPDATE 08/03/17: cancelled in favour of running near home to have quality time with the family) 

Background story of why I skip this year's CPC race

Story of Sunday's challenging 13K

Total  :   43 biking km / 35 (rounded off ) running km

***** P.S. On the purpose of this week - I did not make time.  

This blog is updated mid-week of Week 9, and I am not feeling well mentally and physically, so obviously I am in dire need of some peace, my writing therapy and less time on Instagram. 15.03.17 15:34

UPDATE  15.03.17 17:24 : publishing this blog, and writing the blog draft of Week 9, helped me regain more mental balance.

✓ Week 1, 2 and 3 (Biking : 188 km Running (started 3rd week) : 21 km)
✓ Week 4 (Biking : 60 km Running : 13 km )
✓ Week 5  (Biking : 50 km Running : 29 km )

✓ Week 6 (Biking : 0 Spring Break! Running : 29 km )
✓ Week 7 (Biking : 60 km  Running : 36 km)

Week 8 (Biking : 43 km  Running : 35 km) 08.03

8  weeks of Biking : 401 km
6  weeks of Running : 163 km

created 08.03.17 11:55, Wednesday
updated 15.03.17 17:24, Wednesday

BACK TO BERLIN: WEEK 7

Old picture (June, 2015)
to show last Friday's (3rd of March) Nike+ run statistics

“If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgement of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgement now.” 

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

This Week's Purpose

I love beginning the week (Week 7 27.02 - 05.03)  with a sense of purpose.  My purpose this week is to confront those things, thoughts, activities distracting me from being productive and from creating.  I would like to confront all of them by writing my thoughts in blogs.***** (please, see at the end of the post, how I fared with this intention)

“for the unexamined life is not worth living.” 

― Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates

What my marathon training is giving me, is the opportunity to change.  I know, I can change without necessarily running a marathon but knowing myself, specially in the last 5 years, running - specifically marathon running! - gives me the impulse to do many things I procrastinate on.

The Training Week - Stories and Statistics

27.02.17, Monday:  

10K biking (since P brought M to school in the morning, I only had to bike in the afternoon) - yup, we are back to daily biking after one week Spring break!  I felt my muscle chiding me for not stretching after Sunday's (26th of February) 11 km run.  

Tried the vanilla flavoured SKYR
and
I loved it the most from all other flavours.

I have been trying to find a good alternative
 to my favourite  Alpo yoghurt and so far, I like SKYR,
now that I discover they also have vanilla! 

I love the new features of IG! Specially the IG stories features.

It animates me more to photo journal daily!

REST  - "rest", yes from running. "Rest" does not mean complete resting in this running mom's world!

A part of me knew that I will not manage a shake out run.  I was itching to complete a 100 km month for February but that means I should have run 8 km Monday, and 10 km Tuesday.  

Well, the "old" Happy Feet would have done it. I ended up documenting my Nike+ statistics from 2012-2017 with pen on paper to get better perspective and to put an end to a developing manic cycle my brain was stepping into (overdoing just for the sake of statistics!).



The diligent upkeep of household chores were neglected during Spring vacation (UPDATE: redeeming myself in Week 8!).  Mondays, during normal school week, is the day in the week I try to get the chaos of the weekend in order.  Saturdays, is the day in the weekend, I would like to try to get the chaos of the week in order. I am not super strict on myself about this but giving myself structure helps a long way.

I think, I need a separate blog for this housekeeping ramblings! hahaha Long story short, I did what I could do at home, so that Tuesday, I can do at least a relax last run for February.



Current favourite meal:

After doing home made steamed buns, I made Chicken Mami! I will write more about new/old culinary adventures in a separate post.

This is such a treat on rest day and I am planning to eat this (or variation of this soup) on recovery days, as well.

Before I went to bed, I re-activated my @happyfitnl IG account.  I will be documenting my #STRETCHREVOLUTION challenge, there.  It's hard to do a blog series on everything I am doing. If you want to read about my slow evolution as a yogi, and my attempt to include stretching to my daily life, please follow me at @happyfitnl!

28.02.17, Tuesday:  

No biking today. (K brought M to school and picked her up after, together with her  best friend Y)

8K Yesss! DONE 8.28 km!!! I love it when the running stats somehow "tells a story" (this day is the 28th but since I obviously should not run a 28 km, I settled for 8 for 28! :D I know I am a silly OCD runner).   Doing this sort of stuff tickles my brain to it's happy place. :D

01.03.17, Wednesday: biked 10 km, ran 5.45 km, did 3 min planking and a whole lot of stretching (at least 20 minutes)! K helped me with my photos, today.  Specially the attempt at doing my first stretch photo for #STRETCHREVOLUTION challenge.

02.03.17, Thursday:  biked 20 km no running, even if I wanted to!  

What a stormy day! M is getting stronger and gaining more and more confidence on the bike.

SORRY, this video clip is not working (I am not sure if I alone can't view it on the iMac).

I'll try to find out how to do this right and update this blogpost.

Please try this video clip version:

I made a photo to remind myself, how important it is (specially  for long term healing!) to work on my book project BLANK SPACE.

POST about BLANK SPACE

P took my picture for #STRETCHREVOLUTION challenge!

03.03.17, Friday:  

I am updating the 3rd of March (this training week!)  on the 8th of March! Half-way to my training Week 8! Yes, I know, shame on me!!! 

Don't worry, I will do something about this slacking on my daily updates before it gets bad.  There are 28 weeks to Berlin Marathon and I would like very much to achieve my mini-goal NO. 1 (document this Berlin Marathon 2017 adventure much better than I have done Berlin Marathon 2012!),  on my way there!

The photo below is a nostalgic photo.  It is the 3rd photo on my other Instagram account @happyfitnl.  I print/screen it, so I could use it on Nike+ app for my 8K run, to share it @happyfeetnl. 

Yes, yes, yessss! I am completely aware and not in denial: I am knee deep once again in using Instagram.  It is one of the reason I am not following the routine I set for myself earlier in regards to my blogging and book project. 

It's all good. Nothing to worry about!  Next week (this means Week 9 of my training), I will be stricter with myself because my going back to work is coming upon me, as well.  Time will have to be used conservatively.

More on that much later. :) Be patient with me, s'il vous plaît!

One cool thing about my (über) using IG again :D *insert ironic smile here* - I am having fun with my training and recording it like I have never done before.  Plus, it made me obsess less about the 13th of March!  It is the day, I will register officially here in the Netherlands as a resident! Say what?!  Again, more on that later.  

It's been busy and each day seems busier than the next.  The days are passing by faster, as well.  Luckily, I know myself much better now, after years of *trying* to document my (marathon) training minutely, I have learned never to trust my memory and write details down!

This foresight is helping me today! Even with my photo journaling of our daily activities, my Google+ gallery could not show me, or even give a hint, if I biked the whole day with M or not.  My Instagram gallery did, though! :D

Please read below: 

Sooo as a quick recap of Friday, once more -

Biked 20 km
Ran 8 km
Planked, did NTC, stretched!

Planking is less torturous and more and more meditative (as long as I keep at it daily and do variations; holding each variation to 30-45 seconds)

04.03.17, Saturday:  REST 

On this day, I literally vegetated on the sofa (the girls and I binged watched on NETFLIX).  I wrote  (notes and more notes on my #13HappyHalves 2016 project) but I was not as productive as I wished I was!  

As a result, more house chores piled up on top of those that were not done during the Spring vacation. Help! (UPDATE: this is getting better in Week 8!)

If this video clip does not work, please click on the version, below:

05.03.17, Sunday:  Yesss! This was a good day.  A good day to remember (remember, I am writing this 3 days later :D 08.03.17 !).

My Run:

Story of the 14,12 KM RUN

Family (breakfast) meals together are always great bonding moments

Sometimes the easiest way to get rid of the crazies is to do some shakies
hahahaha

Warm up before my yoga and later my longest run since November, 2016!

Hope the video  below of my "warm-up", works:

K helped me catch up on my #STRETCHREVOLUTION challenge
by taking pictures (in between her NETFLIX binge watching :D ) for

Day 3, 4 and 5!

Total  :  60 biking km / 36 (rounded off ) running km

***** P.S. On the purpose of this week - I made progress but I have to work more on this.  

I think it helps the process if I write about it, and I "failed" to do so, this week.  My experience has taught me working through my intentions alone in my head is not enough.  It is time to allot time for regular daily writing (not on Instagram but via hand written journal, or recording them in a blog) and stick to the schedule. - 08.03.17

✓ Week 1, 2 and 3 (Biking : 188 km Running (started 3rd week) : 21 km)
✓ Week 4 (Biking : 60 km Running : 13 km )
✓ Week 5  (Biking : 50 km Running : 29 km )

✓ Week 6 (Biking : 0 Spring Break! Running : 29 km )

Week 7 (Biking : 60 km  Running : 36 km)

7 weeks of Biking : 358 km
5 weeks of Running : 128 km

created 27.02.17 13:11, Monday
updated 08.03.17 17:37, Wednesday