Gym Rat To Be

I'm always looking for some magical motivational factor to get me off of my ass and into the gym (or out running, dieting, etc). I think I've found the answer.

Look! A new keychain. Supposedly, you can use it to work out.

To start, I decided to join a gym. There's a brand new gym that opened in the Bermuda Triangle of my life (home, work and barn make a triangle) and it has one vital thing: wifi. I figure I can feed my love of a good Netflix binge while slogging along on the treadmill.

I made this 18 month gym commitment on Sunday after brunch near the gym (with mimosas). I waltzed into the gym in flip flops and jeans with a mimosa induced happy feelings. Needless to say, I was not prepared to actually begin working out right then and there.

So far, I haven't made it to the gym at all because my adorable horse got an abscess in his foot and I've been soaking it in Epsom salt morning and night since Monday. And there always tends to be happy hour taking place at my barn in the evening. Running post Pinot Grigio hydrating is less than ideal. #priorities

Equine athletes use Epsom salt, too.

 

Despite the fact that I haven't actually made it into the gym, here is where the actual motivation comes in.

Louie still can't figure out why there's a horse in there.

We had mirrors set up in our arena, which is pretty common in dressage, so you can see how your horse is moving. Let me just say, I'm not thrilled with how I'm looking in those damn mirrors. It's way easier to be in denial when you can't see yourself. Although, I think my horse said, "oof!" when I got on him the other day. That might be a sign.

Oh, hey handsome!

 

Alas, having mirrors has not tapped into my narcissistic side, but rather my insecure, self judging side. So, off to the gym, I go. Pretty soon, I'll be posting pictures from the locker room of me kissing my biceps. Just wait.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

WDW Marathon Is Trying To Suck Me In

It's interesting how fast the challenges fill up while the marathon itself takes quite a while. I know there are more marathon slots than challenge slots, but I guess there just aren't as many runners that want to just do the full.

Only 50%?!?! It's like it's waiting for me.

 

I don't know what it is about the WDW Marathon, specifically, that makes me want to run it, but ugggh. I do want to do it again. I don't even know whyyyyy. I hate marathons! It is especially bad when you are as slow as me and it takes you 276 hours to cross that finish line.

Anyone that is a fan of runDisney gets why running their events is awesome (mostly. They still have their issues.) but I could get the thrill of an rD event without running a full.

So why am I all sad and mopey because I can't sign up for 2016 Marathon? It's not that I don't have enough time to train, it's that I have way too much on my plate, including a trip to Europe next spring, so there just isn't room in the budget or PTO at work to fit this in.

I just get all strangely wistful about running it even though when I ran it in 2013, there was a terrible heat wave and it was awful. Why? Why do I want to do this again? Plus, I can't think of any friends to con into this event with me. Good thing I know a bunch of bloggers to follow around. Ha!

Post Goofy 2013

 

There's just something really awesome about marathon weekend that I love. It has a different feel than some of the other runDisney race weekends.

Who signed up for the marathon today? I need to know so I can feel jealous of you. The struggle is real, yo.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Friday Five

I don't think I've ever done a Friday Five post. I've found that I've had a really hard time coming up with blog topics for a while now. The girls over and Fairy Tales and Fitness posted today about blog link ups (if you haven't seen their blog, hop on over there. They always have fun topics.) While I'm not actually doing a blog link up in this post, I'm jumping on the Friday Five band wagon with the cool kids.

So that brings me to number one.

1. Blog link ups. Despite the fact that I've been a blogger (admittedly, a half- assed blogger, but a blogger, none the less) for several years, I've never done a blog hop or blog link up. To be honest, I'm still a little unsure of exactly how it works. I also have a huge fear of doing something that inadvertently steps on someone's toes. Like, what if I don't link back correctly? What if I look like an idiot. Ahhhh!! The struggle is real. But I think it would help me with blog topics.

You rang?

2. I'm going on an Alaskan cruise is June! I certainly didn't have an Alaskan cruise on my travel itinerary for this year, but a friend of mine convinced me to go. I'm super excited. Being an Arizona dweller, I need to find some warm clothes.

Can. Not. Wait.

3. By the skin of my teeth, I managed to qualify my wonder pony for the Regional Championships in October. Luckily, regionals will be held here in Phoenix this year, so it will be easy to participate. I don't really anticipate getting a ribbon simply because Louie isn't as fancy as the other horses, but you never know. It should still be a fun experience.

This picture is pretty old. I need to get some new show pictures!

4. I just started a new Netflix binge on a show called Bloodline. I'm about four episodes in and it's confusing, but I'm kind of sucked in. Is anyone else watching Bloodline?

5. I'm super, duper excited already for Wine and Dine Half. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my mom. We're walking the 5K together and then I'm running the half. I've wanted to do this runDisney event for years. I also can't wait to be reunited with some of my favorite blogger friends and maybe meet some new friends! Who else is going to Wine & Dine? We need to meet up! I promise I am not a serial killer.

I love meeting up with friends at races!

Marathon Madness

You know what I'm super excited about?

All that training, and this is as close as we got
to the finish line in 2012.

I'm super excited about the fact that I don't have to train for a marathon this summer. I trained for the New York City Marathon for 3 straight years and only finally completed it in 2014. (It was cancelled in 2012 and I had to defer in 2013.)

Finally a finisher in 2014

I've completed two full marathons now and I have to say, I'm in no real hurry to do another one. Training to run a fall marathon sucks pretty much anywhere. I can't even fathom training for a full in the south or anywhere that has extreme humidity. Arizona is not much better, going weeks at a time with highs over 110 degrees.

Abby, Ronda and me post Goofy Challenge 2013

Following along with Boston Marathon coverage does something to my psyche. I become incredibly inspired and suddenly start thinking that I'm capable of one day being a spritely gazelle that bounds along at a 7 minute per mile pace.

I start convincing myself that, yes, I do actually want to do another marathon. And yes, there's always a possibility that I could one day be fast enough to qualify for Boston. I'm pretty delusional, I think we can all agree on that.

The reality is that I probably won't ever be dedicated enough to train like that. Buuuut, that doesn't mean I should rule out marathons completely. There's a part of me that wants to do the WDW Marathon again without tacking it on to any sort of challenge. I've done enough challenges that I don't really feel the need to do many more.

Registration for WDW Marathon Weekend opens soon and I'm thinking that I probably won't sign up for this one because I'm already doing Wine & Dine and I don't think I can swing back to back trips across the country. But maybe 2017 is a good year to set as a goal...

2013 WDW Marathon 20 mile marker

But then, of course, if 2013 was the 20th anniversary, then 2018 would be the 25th anniversary. I'm sure Disney will make a big ol' deal out of that. Maybe I need to do both.

All I know is, I really, really don't want to ever again train for a marathon in the summer here in Arizona again. Marathon training is like a part time job and training for one in AZ is like a part time job frying your flesh off in the heat. No, thanks.

I've wanted to do Marine Corps, but that's in the fall, too. WDW Marathon is really the only one that I really want to do where my longest training runs would be during some decent weather.

Right now, all I have to worry about is training for Wine & Dine. I'm pretty happy it's only a half so I won't be doing any super long runs this summer.

Does anyone else get totally delusional about their running abilities during the Boston Marathon?

Trying To Get With The Program Tuesday

Hola, Bloggarinos. Once again, I have been a lame, unmotivated blogger. I could write about Motivation under the title Motivation Monday, like all of the other cool, hip bloggers, but like I said; I'm lame. So this is Trying To Get With The Program Tuesday.

I'm looking like a rhino these days despite
my unicorn-like magicalness.

Anyone that has read this blog for more than a nanosecond knows that my first love is riding horses. How does this relate to running? Well, I'm going to share my troubles in my riding life and how it tends to affect nearly every other aspect of my world, including running.

Last year was an amazing year for me, riding-wise...all the way up until the end of the year when my brain went all cray, cray at our state championships and I had the worst show I've had in years because I psyched myself out so terribly that I couldn't ride for shit.

Or in my case, the rider becomes so psychotic,
she makes her horse crazy.

I moved my horse up a level a couple of months ago and nothing illuminates the holes you ignored at the previous level when they rear their ugly little heads aggressively at the next level, where you can no longer hide it.

At the beginning of March, I dragged my horse down to Tucson (about 2 hours south of Phoenix) for a horse show where it all came to a head. It was bad enough that on the first day, I had to excuse myself from a class. I finally got my act together well enough to get through a class on Sunday, but I went home knowing that I had some serious work to do to get myself back on track to be successful.

Sometimes overcoming a huge hurdle
feels as good as winning a blue ribbon.

Back to how this relates to running. I have done no running since Star Wars Half whatsoever. I'm signed up for Wine & Dine Half in November, but that's a long way off, especially for a slacker like myself. I can binge on a whole lotta Netflix rather than train in that time span. So how do I get myself motivated to work out or run when what I really want to do is plant my ass on my couch and whip through all 4 seasons of Lost Girl in one weekend?

Well, by the skin of my teeth, I managed to qualify for the Dressage regionals in October at our spring show last weekend. Riding is a much more physical sport than people realize. I somehow have the drive to get up at 4:45 every morning to ride before work, but can't seem to go the extra mile - literally - and get myself in shape for something that I pour blood, sweat and tears into (and an insane amount of money. No joke.)

The worse things got with my horse, the more hopeless I felt and the more I felt a complete lack of motivation to go work out. Luckily, I've figured out a few things with Louie and we're getting everything figured out.

I'm trying to use riding as a motivator to actually work out and get into better shape so that I can ride my horse better. And if I could get myself a shiny new PR at Wine & Dine, that would just be icing on the cake. (Mmmmmm....caaaakkkkeee.)

What kinds of things motivate you guys? Where do you get your inspiration from? Sometimes I feel like I'm just failing at doing something so simple as working out for the sport that I love so much. Maybe it's just that my brain spins around like a cyclone until I curl up on the couch in the fetal position, snarfing M&Ms like magical happy pills.

Louie the magical pony.

So, help me out and tell me your tale of woes so that I don't feel all alone with my neurosis and my cats. Who wants to boss me around, military-style until I'm a lean mean machine? Also, does anyone else watch Lost Girl? I'm addicted.