Pain VS. Pleasure 01/16/2012
 What brings you pleasure and what brings you pain? It is the ultimate question that we answer subconsciously when we are setting goals or those dang New Year’s resolutions. The goal is chosen by picking something that brings us pleasure. The number one New Year’s Resolution is weight loss and exercise. So, why does the general population not make it past the first 21 days after setting their goals? If we can begin to understand the association between the two then we can become more successful with our goals. The pleasure of the goal cannot ultimately be achieved unless we go through a little pain. The best advice I ever got from a coach was; the only way you will ever get faster or stronger is if you let it hurt a little bit. So, if I train harder and feel a little pain I will be able to experience the pleasure of achieving my goal and being faster. When setting the goal if there is so much pain associated with it we don’t have a chance, or if the goal is unrealistic. For example, if I say I am going to cut out all sugar, caffeine, breads and eat only fruits and vegetables (basically say goodbye to happiness), while restricting myself to a low calorie diet and do this overnight, I am probably setting myself up for failure. This was an actual plan of action someone told me for their weight loss goal. I just ran into them yesterday and asked how it was going? Their answer, “It was too hard, so I stopped.” Translation; It was too much pain for the pleasure goal I had, to lose weight.  Step 1: Set realistic goals Pick your goal then decide why this goal would bring you pleasure. WRITE IT DOWN! If the goal is something you feel like you have to do or you should do, your setting yourself up for failure. For example, if I SHOULD lose a few pounds then I probably won’t. But, if I WANT to lose a few pounds for a specific reason then I probably WILL. For you runners; don’t you agree when you actually sign up for a race you are more committed to the training? If I say I am going to run it but I don’t actually commit, it is easier to slack off here and there because you MIGHT NOT actually run it. Many of my fellow runners often say if I sign up for a race it keeps me in shape. The goal is to run the race and one of the pleasures is it keeps you in shape. So, now you have decided you WANT to lose weight because you are training for a specific event.  Step 2: When going after your goals decide before hand your action plan of what your going to do when it gets hard. Once you have chosen your goal, then determine strong enough reasons why you have chosen it. Why? Because when it gets hard those reasons will be the only things that keep you from giving up. Back to my advice from my coach, when I have had a specific time goal speed work becomes a key element in training. When I do my weekly speed work-out and feel like the intensity is more than I want to endure I have to keep focused on the pleasure of my goal when I am experiencing the pain to achieve it. I often say in my class, “Decide now what you’re going to do before it gets hard”. One of my members recently shared with me when she ran the Las Vegas ½ marathon she wrote on her arm “What ya gonna do?” This was an amazing example to me of someone understanding the association between pain and pleasure. She had to decide beforehand when the race got hard what she was going to do and how she was going to handle it. You can’t quit, you have to keep going, the finish line will be the ultimate reward(pleasure)! I love the quote by Henry Ford that says,”whether you think you can or you think you can’t you are right”. The pleasure becomes greater knowing that you didn’t only accomplish the goal you set but, you endured the pain along the way. Every day, every workout or every race you have to decide beforehand HOW you will react when it gets hard, then when it does, you FIGHT and that brings the greatest pleasure!  I love this comic because it says it all...are you willing to expereince a short time of pain to expereince a lifetime of pleasure? Carrie 15 Comments To be...or not to be 01/06/2012
As my eyes gazed over the gym resolutionist crowd this week, I couldn’t help but wonder how many of these folk would be here next month? Nevertheless, I say good for them! They’re here and they’re courageously trying! As an instructor, every year we see classes that are packed until-maybe February, until many lose the holiday guilt factor and the motiviation and member go speedily out the door. Last week I was out of state at my parent’s congregation. A wise and inspired man, Lynn Robbins, spoke from the pulpit and focused his New Year remarks on to-do’s versus to-be’s. His remarks were timely! He said that although the two are inseparable, if we merely focus on checking off our to-do list (like making it to gymclass, or going for a run “ x” times a week, or even running a race) without focusing on the deeper layer of who we want to become, then our motivation is quickly lost. Centering our thoughts on who we want to be--something that never gets checked off--is the WHY and the motivation to the action (the TO-DO). He said (paraphrasing) checking off the to-do’s without becoming someone better is hypocritical; and to say we’ve become better without performing action(s) is also “self-deception”. They work together. In a previous sermon/talk, he spoke about this principle in regards to parenting…teaching children Christ-like attributes and characteristics (the WHY) versus criticizing bad behavior (what they DO). Example: Teaching a teen that rather than argue, they can choose to take personal responsiblilty-(a subject just off the top of my head). This is prob'ly a whole separate post not meant for this here blog! But can I say that I LOVE this principle!?!  On our eleven hour trip home from vacation, I was contemplating this between mouthfuls of pretzels, trail mix and a diet coke or two. (The bummer about a long road trip is that your list of goals gets to be so long you start wondering about yourself...). I listed out our personal and family goals and when I was finished, realized they all compliment each other. The art of strengthening relationships, ourselves/families gives purpose to accomplishing everything on our lists. I hafta say it made my goals for 2012 much more effective! So find your reason for jotting down that goal. And then jot the reason down. Type it out. Hang it where you can see it. Then announce it to the universe. Who do you want to be--or not to be--at the end of 2012… and long after?? That, my friends, is the question!!! ~Miko Stay on Target! 11/30/2011
 Lately, I’ve found myself pushing the Target basket around the store quoting from one of the Star Wars battle scenes: “Stay on target…Stay on target!!” This shouldn't be confused with Stay in Target…or Go to Target. We all know there's not a necessary command for that one. I think my car instinctively drives there when I don’t even realize it! It’s the last day of November, and December has pretty much been here since Halloween. So what to do about December fitness? How do you stay on target when all-that-is-joyful-about-December is here? It’s getting colder, the evenings are darker and the fitness motivation level can plummet. Frankly, we all have a list of to-do’s that’s growing bigger than the pile of laundry sitting on the floor. Those pressing events and to-do’s can quickly fill and take over the necessary time for a much-needed head clearing. Then, fast forward to January-we make crazy expectations for ourselves out of desperation of what happened (or didn’t happen) to us over the holidays. So how do you maneuver into December without procrastinating the one thing that keeps you jolly and sane?? As Gold 5 says to another Jedi in the Star Wars battle scene: Jedi: “I can’t manuever!” Gold 5, monotone voice: “Stay on target…” Jedi: “It’s getting too close!” Gold 5, monotone voice turning desperate: “Stay on target......Loosen up!!” Printing off a workout schedule and sticking it on the refrigerator where it visually stares at you is key to commitment. For mine, I chose a January race to get through some moderate training this month, which holds me accountable and hopefully consistent. See Smart Coach for a running or walking schedule. But, if the schedule needs to loosen up because of, say, a school Christmas party (actually now called “Holiday” party…but don’t get me started), then there’s room for flexibility with what activity and how long, as you look and see the whole entire week schedule. If one day needs to be cut short or cut out completely, you can immediately (visually) choose another day to add some more intensity. No need to add more stress about when to make it up. Then you can consciously stop wrapping gifts and get to bed earlier, lay out your workout clothes, and stick to the plan again! With the make-it-up-as-you-go plan, it’s simply way too easy to talk yourself out of getting it done when the mom button has “the list” screaming at you like a fire alarm. Which begs the question--is your daily list really that pressing? Or can that Target trip wait while you re-fuel and de-stress yourself? I was having this self-interrogation yesterday as I was ironically de-stringing a Pre-lit Christmas tree that’d been chewed ever-so-nicely by a garage critter. And for the record, Christmas tree manufacturers do not sell the top 1/3 of a tree. Will anyone care that the top third of my tree has no lights?? They might. But it looked way too funny from the street-and it needed emergency fixing, like, yesterday. Now if I could go for a run in the cold, dark morning with that much persistence and urgency every single day, we’d really have something! Sometimes it’s simple mind tricks (or even voices?!) that help battle for that hour of exercise! I've always remembered the end of this Star Wars scene (I blame my brothers for these memories)-- I’m not Galaxy-geeky enough to know if it’s all the same scene or not--but Luke is driving his battle ship (or whatever you do in a Y-wing..?) and hears the voice of Obi-Wan: “Use the force, Luke.” At which point: Luke lets go of the controls, turns off his computer and goes with his instinct. And still hits the target. How do YOU stay on target during December?? ~Miko Let's Be Friends...Free Gift 11/22/2011
One of the things we are most thankful for is you...our friends. So we decided to do something fun this week. We have a friend who is willing to give away an awesome gift to one of our friends. Here's how it works. 1. Just click on our Google Friend Connect link and become our friend. Just click below. 2. After you have joined our Google Friend Connect your name will be entered into a drawing to win A FREE Custom Designed Christmas Card AND 25 FREE Cards. This gift is being donated by Kelly Photography. Here is a sample of their work.  Keep Calm and... 11/15/2011
Males: Keep Calm and Move On. (This post is for “women only”. Read at your own risk! ) Females: Keep Calm and Read On. Last month it happened. I was lured into the world of Pinterest, an online pinboard community. Within clicks, I was snatched into the vortex of other people’s creative pursuits. The vacuum sucked me in and I couldn’t get out! All the while my eyes were glued (no pun intended!) on pictures upon pictures of crafts, quotes, fashion, décor, and food...it was infinite and, well, beyond! Buzz Light Year could be their spokesperson! As the sucking sounds in my head grew louder and louder, it virtually pinned me to my computer (no pun intended). I wanted to click out, truly I did. But I couldn’t. Some of the eye-appealing quotes I found myself looking at were the “subway signs”. Now…I’m just a plain girl from a fairly small town. I’ll admit- I don’t know much about subways. Perhaps all the city-folk would scoff at my urban-enlightening that was instantly falling upon me as I clicked away (as did the clock). In plain, clean lettering were posters that said, “Keep Calm and Carry On”…  which innovatively, the folk (probably from the city) who are quite ingenious and clever turned that into other versions such as,“Keep Calm and Fight On”,  for the holidays, “Keep Calm and Gobble On”,  and “Keep Calm and Merry On”.  Background: The “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster was originally produced by the British government under the threat of a German invasion during World War II (read it again, this time with a British accent!). King George’s crown is seen on the top of the original posters. The British thought these posters would boost the morale of the English folk across the British Isles under such threat of war…to keep their fear and panic at bay (again, no pun intended). England was never invaded, and the posters didn’t become all too popular until recently, when someone found an original at a bookstore. Tie in: Who hasn't thought you were good-to-go for a workout, a race, or even just your regular day--and then instantly, discover an immediate delay or set back? It’s like an attack. An invasion of sorts! Some things you see coming on the horizon, others are stealth or unforeseen. Maybe the nervousness of a different routine for race day has thrown you off and you realize at the starting line you ate the wrong thing for dinner, don’t have gels, your GPS watch won’t sync, or your I-pod battery is dead. What about that certain time of the month when we feel a tad bit more freaked? Am I going there with TMI?? Yes, yes I think I am. So-- why don’t female athletes post about this monthly unwanted visitor, "Aunt Flo"? If this has ever been your setback for race day or even a simple work out, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Especially when marathon training, Aunt Flo never tells you when she expects to visit. She comes unannounced and doesn’t even call first. (If you’re still reading and are male, you’ve been warned). At mile 4 of my marathon last year, Aunt Flo arrived in full fashion. There I was, squatted in a thorny bush on the side of the racecourse. Can we say surprise attack? First, one is often unprepared with the right ammo. Panic button right there. Second, the ammo could possibly be situated in the wrong coordinates for, let’s say, 26.2 miles. At that point the bad coordination of said ammo has to be thrown out. Literally. Third, there’s the fall out (no pun intended): such as; increased heart rate, utter battle fatigue, and let’s not forget the anxiety and wave of emotions. Okay, hysterical emotions. Possible race obliteration of battle plans right then and there, perhaps a contributor to my very first DNF (did. not. finish.). And yet do female elite athletes (or any female athlete for that matter) ever get to respond bluntly- yet calmly, of course- as to the real reason they didn’t PR or take the win for the day? Can they say to reporters or nay-sayers, “Well, at the half way mark I started my period, and since it was running down my leg, my heartrate was 205bpm and everything on my insides wanted to be on my outsides (another bonus), well- I just had to back off!! So BACK OFF ALREADY!!!” Nope. This is the unspoken, raging response that never gets to leave the perimeter of your female brain. You’re supposed to KEEP CALM and RUN ON and use the typical athletic excuses in your post race reply. I often wonder if men ever think of this regarding female athletes-out of compassion, understanding, and the race day break-down??  So part of me wants to create my own poster, in my NON-urban, innovative way. Maybe I’ll calmly wait for the surprise invasion later this month. You know, when mental and physical things really get flowing. It might look something like this:  No pun intended. ~Miko Surely I'm not the only one this has happened to. You can anonymously reply and share...calmly, of course! Why do you race??? Another lesson learned!!! 11/09/2011
Sometimes we run a race to see how fast we can go, to get that PR (personal record) and other times we run for the experience? Have you ever done it for either of these reasons? The first time I ever ran a marathon I didn’t know what to expect so I went out and JUST ran until I hit the finish. Then came the race phenomena…wow maybe I could have gone a little faster!?!? So, you find your next race and train a little harder with the intention of running a little faster. The addiction begins. Doing a few races you begin to meet a few characters who run for different reasons. Some runners run race after race in search of the magical PR. Others run race after race in search of another experience, a new course, city or even country. NYC definitely pulled in more runners searching for the experience. I have never been surrounded by so many people from other countries who came from all different walks of life and yet we were all there in search of the those two magical things. 
Notice the man in the blue carrying a golf club, the back of his shirt says"setting a world record running the furthest ever in a golf uniform". This is his reason for running???
As I stood at the base of Staten Island Bridge listening to our countries national anthem my breath was taken away. Following the anthem the classic Frank Sinatra New York Theme Song began to play, I looked up at the massive steel beam structure of the Staten Island Bridge, the cannon went off and the race had begun. Every time I have ran a marathon I learn something new and I wondered at that moment what it had in store for me that day. 
Two weeks prior to the race I was having major Achilles issues and my running had come to a halt because I was unable to run, so what would that bring me today? I began to run UP the bridge, the view of the statue of liberty to my left was astonishing. As I came off the first of 5 bridges the roar of the spectators was unbelievable! This race pulls in more spectators than New Years Eve celebration at time square. The fans were incredible screaming, waving signs, shaking noise makers and hanging over fences to get you to hit their hands. The interesting thing was I wasn’t hearing it. I was focusing so much on the frustration of my injury. How could this be happening, I have never felt stronger in my training and for it to fall apart at the end when it mattered most. Then I began to realize what I was about to learn during this experience. I wasn’t “HEARING” the cheering going around me, I wasn’t “SEEING” the scenery because I was so “FOCUSED” on a “PR”. I began to reevaluate my thought process. Why do I need to push and hurt myself more , why not slow down to my training run speed and focus on the experience and not the PR. I began to think how often do I have struggles in life and I don’t listen to the cheerleaders surrounding me helping me get through life’s challenges because I am to focused on the frustration. So this may sound a little deep…but isn’t it true? We are surrounded by cheering sections but we choose sometimes not to see or hear them because we are focusing on the wrong things. 
Throughout the course they had huge billboards that displayed messages from friends or family members of the runners. Each LCD billboard was the normal width but twice as high. The messageswould come up on the billboard that was triggered by your chip as you ran by. The very last one was at mile 22. As I ran by the large billboard up popped a picture of my dad, he was yelling, “GO CARRIE, YOU CAN DO IT!” Of course my eyes started to water up because he was there like always when I needed him most cheering me on. I began to think about the impact that it had on me. The last few miles of a marathon is when you see people beginning to fall apart. Runners stopping to stretch or limping because their race had not gone as planned that day. I started to cheer them on as I went by, “come on we are almost there.” As I came across the finish line and looked up at my time I realized it was a different kind of “PR” that day. My qualifying time to get my into the race was 2:53:35 but as I finished this day it was a chip time of 3:09:47 a “PR” that gave me an experience that I will never forget. Open your eyes and listen with your ears to the cheering section in your life. Don’t get so focused on your PR that you miss the experience and the lessons to be learned. It doesn’t matter what your time is when you cross that finish line EVERY SINGLE TIME but it does matter what you HEAR and SEE along the way!!! Do you run for the experience, the PR or both? Carrie The Dreadful Doubtful Taper!!! 10/30/2011
 NYC start, first of 5 bridges along the course One week until NYC marathon. I am experiencing all of the standard mixed emotions of nervousness, excitement and of course DID I DO ENOUGH!!! Josh Cox send out a twitter message to all of his fellow NYC marathoners,“Resist the urge to let it rip. Trust the work. The hay is in the barn. “ Such a funny statement and yet so completely true. The last few weeks of training the miles are high and the fatigue is greater. As you come done off the intensity and begin your taper you begin to feel more tired, then question did I push hard enough and run far enough. Literally in one week you cut your miles in half then the week before do almost nothing and yet you are supposed to be perfectly ok with that. The battle becomes more mental than physical. I feel like the body goes into an exercise withdraw. Not a feeling of, if I don’t run that far I am going to die, but a guilty feeling. When you finish your workout it feels weird because it is a fraction of what is was in the weeks past. The recovery begins to take place and you feel like running hard again. So, changing your thought process and realizing you’re tired because you pushed hard and ran enough miles. Then when the guilt comes from the lack of miles realizing you want to go further because you are recovering successfully. I love where he says “THE HAY IS IN THE BARN!” Trust that you have done all that you could do and now it is time to believe in yourself!!!  There is nothing worse than finishing a race and feeling disappointed in your performance or time. Especially because so many people ask….WHAT WAS YOUR TIME??? Missing out on the joy and sense of accomplishment that you just ran as far as you did, becomes a negative experience. Have you ever run a race with a friend and as soon as they finish they have every excuse why their time was what it was? I could have run faster BUT….then comes the excuses. Why not enjoy the journey or adventure that you just experienced. Have you ever ran a race to go out and feel good and not worry so much about a time on a clock. Maybe we wouldn’t feel such a disappointment about a few minutes on your time and we would focus more on the success of several hard weeks of training.  Soak in the adrenaline of the starting line, listen to the chatter of the other runners as they share their stories along the course, marvel at your pace when you hit different mile markers, instead of instantly carrying additional negative baggage because you aren’t on pace. If you beat yourself up along the way you won’t have the inner strength to pull you through the final stretch of the course. So, this is my challenge to myself, “THE HAY IS IN THE BARN... enjoy the journey of NYC!!!  Is there any advice anyone can give me about running NYC??? Carrie Y-I-E-L-D Spells Reward 10/25/2011
Do you ever find yourself relating everything to running? Do you stand there talking with someone and mid-conversation think to yourself, "This is just like running!” followed by chills down the arms and images of yourself sprinting to the finish line banner? It’s easy to catch the “running disease” when you choose to be disciplined to a schedule every day. It becomes part of who you are! And before you know it, simple life situations are being compared to the life-altering goal of running a race: Gas went up a few cents? Amazing! So did my running mileage! You had a hard day today? Well! Let me tell YOU about my mile repeats! Sometimes we get a bit “lost in the trees” of our training that we can’t see the entire “forest” of what it’s really all about because we’ve unknowingly caught the disease. It’s easy to keep thinking that getting to the next ‘tree’ of another new PR, qualifying for Boston, landing yourself on the podium--or, insert whatever your eyes are set on--will be the next WIN. We constantly chase it, and are seemingly unsatisfied with performance. Unaware, we begin to nickel and dime ourselves into being enough, thinking that more miles, more races, or more (fill in the blank) is better. But in reality…sometimes more of the same intensity is often not what's better. If we have the courage to step into the forest and come out with amazing experiences or even renewed friendships, isn’t that good enough? I sat with a friend at lunch last week, explaining the surreal experience of watching my oldest go through the college application process (pinch me!!). I questioned whether I did enough to help him over the years... did I enforce the right things, offer enough experiences, give him enough help, etc. etc. She looked up at me as soon as I took a breath and said, "You did ENOUGH. Why do you think it's not enough?" (echo, echo, echo...) I love the fall season for the usual reasons, but also because it’s the season that YIELDS. Last week my youngest was with me in the car and looking out the window, she asked, “Mom, what does Y-I-E-L-D spell?” I told her and then she asked what it meant. I explained that it means to slow down a little in order to let "something else" go first (like a car), or to get the benefit or reward of hard work, like farmers get with their crops. Immediately what came to mind was, It’s kind of like… marathon training!!!! See the madness of this disease?!?! However, there is such a spirit of accomplishment in the season of recovery; to slow down a little mentally, to allow the body to rest from the pressures and to trust the work we’ve invested. This, too, is effort and work to pull back and let ourselves recover. The reward is in heading out for that run or race with unexpected effortless energy, running the same hill you did in the beginning but without having to slow or walk; running freely without fear, judgement or doubt about numbers. Each workout becomes an investment of experiences that close the gap to where we started and where we progressively finish. You know what Y-I-E-L-D spells? It spells REWARD! I found this photo that depicts how we feel when we start (bottom photo) and how different we feel when we've 'arrived' (top photo):  facebook.com There's this friend I have (her name's Carrie) that recommended the song "Fly" prior to my race a few weeks ago. The lyrics go like this: I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise To fly To fly (Bridge) Get ready for it Get ready for it Get ready for it I came to win Get ready for it Get ready for it I came to win To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecc. 3:1 ~Miko What season of training are you in? What training-physical or spiritual-have you already invested that would remove your doubts? Crying is for babies??? 10/20/2011
Today after my cycling class I had a member come up to me and ask if they could share something they experienced today. Nervously, she began to describe how she started to cry during the ride. She said, "I didn’t expect it, so it caught me off guard. I began to push myself harder than I have ever pushed before, then I realized I was doing it and doing it well. I felt so connected with the intensity that I was giving. My mind stopped thinking so much for a moment and I realized the only obstacle that ever holds me back is myself. When I was caught up in that moment I realized I conquered something that I didn’t know I could." She said, "I can’t believe I am sharing this but…is this normal???” I giggled when I told her how normal it is, but you can’t relate unless you have experienced it yourself. It is an indescribable emotion. In fact, I wanted to share my experience on the blog I recently had but wasn’t sure how it would be received. Would people think I was weird? Or would they possibly be able to relate as well because others have had a similar experience? As you know I am training for NYC marathon. As I have trained for this race I have had a few life challenges that have made it hard to mentally prepare for the event. Sometimes it gets tricky trying to find the time and energy to prepare each week for the speed work and long runs. I battled the thought of not being able to put in the training to get the time I expect from myself and contemplated not running it at all. I had to change my perspective and focus on what I could do and not what I couldn’t. I knew I would learn something during this journey but wasn’t sure what it would be. Each week I battled/dreaded doing the long run and strategically planning on how I would make it all fit together with life. But, each day/week that I was able to cross off another run, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. Last Saturday was my last 20miler!!! My alarm went off at O’crack of dawn in the morning. My hubby drove by my side in the dark until I reached the meeting place of our running group. He came and found us a few times bringing us water. I came into mile 18 and was feeling amazing. I had to take a different turn at mile 18 to head back towards my home which meant I would be leaving the other runners. I put in my headphones, turned the music up as loud as I could and began to pick up my speed. I started to envision the finish line. What it would look like and how I would feel. I started to recap the journey of the last 13 weeks of training. Is this really coming together? Did I really make all of these long runs? I hit mile 20 and kept running just a little further to reach my neighborhood. I turned into my neighborhood and there was my hubby holding ice cold water yelling you did it, you made it, it’s done!!! That is when the emotion that I was not expecting came over me. I dropped my hands to me knees and began to cry. I felt so much gratitude and strength at that moment. We are so MUCH STRONGER than we give ourselves credit. We don’t realize how strong we are until we place ourselves in that situation where we have the opportunity to see the strength that we have all been blessed with. I love the quote that says: Today you may not feel like running a marathon, But, you will spend the rest of your life knowing that you did!!! Author unknown Just think what words you could replace with running a marathon. If you filled in the blank with whatever you are trying to conquer at the moment just imagine...what everyday decisions could add up to something amazing!!! Have you had an emotional moment in a race or while training or are we just cry babies? Carrie  Top Ten Things NOT TO DO... 10/15/2011
There are some things you just should NOT do after a run...especially one that is considered "long". For that matter, there are some things you just shouldn't do after you race. This morning some of our runners in our newly-named running group, I.E. Road Killers, ran their last 20 miler of training!! This led us to volleying texts back and forth this afternoon about all the various activities that one SHOULD NOT, CAN NOT, and just downright are ENTITLED-TO-NOT participate in!! Here they are: (drumroll please.......) TOP TEN ACTIVITIES NOT TO DO (AFTER A LONG RUN OR RACE): 10. Transport thyself to the grocery store (this could go south for multiple reasons...mouth-watering cravings for whole rotisserie chickens/sides of raw beef AND/OR urgency to find the ladies' room) 9. Recline in the beach chair at your kids' sporting event (especially when the video camera is still running) 8. Volunteer for Snack Bar duty and monitor greasy hot dogs (the nacho cheese is simply the upside to the grease)  7. Wear compression socks while sitting on hot, metal bleachers in the sun  6. Or just sitting on hot, metal bleachers in the sun 5. Engage in any variety of manual labor; this includes ANY form of yard work, household chores (laundry, etc), performing any making-dinner-from-scratch duties, and/or feeling the urgency to show up to your STEP class after your race 4. Wear high heels to baby showers, weddings, church services or any formal event that is thus   3. Telling a muggle (Harry Potter term for "human being") how early you arose to get in your miles before the first kickoff, pitch or quarter of your alien child's game (bug-eyed muggles will stare at you and then inform you that you're an alien in adult form)  2. Drink chocolate milk as a recovery drink while forgetting you are lactose intolerant AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST....................... 1. HAVE A BABY ('Tis true. Marathon and child birth on the same day. Click here for the rest of the story) Enjoy the day of rest. Truly. What would you include on the list of things "not to do" after a long run/race? ~Miko and Carrie |  About Us
We're Carrie and Miko, two friends who love to RUN-some days it seems we run all day long!! From two ArchivesJanuary 2012 CategoriesAll |
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