A World of Difference

It’s amazing the difference a week can make. This time last week I couldn’t run for 15 minutes continuously and I felt like I’d never get back to my old self. But I put in my 15 or 20 minutes every single day, 6 days in a row, and sure enough today I ran for 48 minutes. So it’s not exactly like the long runs I was getting used to but at least I’m starting to feel like I’m going to get there sooner rather than later. I almost got emotional when my GPS said I'd gone over 5 miles. It might not seem like much, but for some reason getting over that hump was a big deal. Total for the day: 5.58 miles in 48:30.

I know that there are still going to be days that are hard and I’m nowhere near where I was at the Race for the Cure. But, I am starting to feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

So now that it’s officially the start of a new week on the log, I’m making the jump to 30 minutes a day. I’m still going to be on the 15-30 side of 30 minutes and I know there might be a day where I have to go less. But I’m going to do my best to hit 30 and hopefully by the end of next week I’ll be back on track. Just in time for the new running group to start. It’ll be perfect timing since we’ll all do three weeks of base runs before we get back into hills and speedwork. It might be sick but I can’t wait.

Plus, my sister and I made possibly the most amazing looking cake ever in the history of our cake baking. I'll post pics and the recipes tomorrow, so check back :)

I Will Be Making These....

Parmesaen Pull Apart Bread

It's like savory Monkey Bread. Yum. Although while I'm at it I should probably make the Monkey Bread, too. Who's up for eating lots of carbs with me? LOL

The Space Between

So I’ve spent this week trying to figure out where I am in that space between what’s written on the log and what I’m able to do. It’s a fine line to walk. But I’ve been putting one foot in front of the other and sure enough, here it is the end of the week and I already feel a little different.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not expecting to be back in perfect form tomorrow or heading out for a 2-hour long run, but I feel confident that I will get there, eventually.

Today we did 10 x 1 minute hard, with 1 minute rest. The first four felt great. My foot started to hurt after that but I was able to finish them all and really only backed off on the last one. Progress! I didn’t feel like I was dying! I think getting back into boot camp and a consistent routine with running is the ticket. I need both the consistent running and the lifting to keep myself where I want to be in terms of both fitness and ability.

I was talking to Kevin today and he said he’s glad I was forced to take the time off, so I could learn my lesson and see what it’s like to go through a set back. I learned. And I think he’s right, I’ll be stronger for it in the end and I’ll remember how hard and frustrating it was, so I won’t do it again. Or, at least I’ll do my best when circumstances are under my control not to do it again.

So there are no magic formulas, except for the one I’m following. It’s working pretty darn well as long as I remember to take a hefty dose of patience with it. :)

I think I'm getting in the pool tomorrow. I've got about a week and a half until the swim class starts up and I've been warned I better be ready for a workout ;)

Back to Basics

Well I’m home from Israel and not exactly settled in or unpacked, but I’m getting there. What’s going to take a little longer is getting back in shape. I knew you could lose fitness fast, but I never for the life of me could have imagined I’d lose both leg strength and cardio fitness as quickly as I did. If you watch me run, you’d think I had never run a day in my life. I’m embarrassed. My stride is off, I feel weak and fat. It has been a struggle for me to get in 15 minutes each day. I’m trying to be patient, and I know there is no magic trick to getting back into shape, but I never imagined it would be this hard.

If anyone has any tips or tricks for getting back into it, I’d really appreciate them. It’s not a mental problem, I want it and getting out on the road isn’t the problem. It’s the way I feel once I’m running. I miss that runner’s high. So how do I get my stride back to normal? Hopefully it doesn’t take as long to get back into shape as it does to get there the first time. 

Happy Jerusalem Day!

June 1 just so happens to be Jerusalem Day, the anniversary of the day in 1967 when Jerusalem was recaptured and made a part of Israel once again. We celebrated by taking our group into the Old City for a walking tour and to see the Kotel. After we made our way from the Haas Promenade, an overlook from where you can see the whole city and wound our way to the Old City, we lined the group up with their eyes closed and set the scene for the view they were about to see. We asked them to think about how lucky they were to be in this place on such a special day, to think about their families and theit ancestors who might never seen the view they were about to see. Then we asked them to open their eyes. It was pretty powerful to hear their audible gasps. Then we gave them time to pray at the wall and leave notes.

Afterwards it was time for lunch and we opted to stay in the Jewish Quarter. It was so cool to see and feel the energy of the city on Jerusalem Day. Especially after the Mega Event last night. It is so cool to be a part of something so much bigger than myself. To see the 3,000 participants gather with the donors, soldiers and government officials and realize that we are only 1% of the Birthright family. It's pretty awesome. Our trip is about 1/2 way over and I'm already trying to figure out how I can get back here again and stay involved with this incredible organization.

We are on our way from Jerusalem to the Negev now, and we'll head back to Jerusalem for Shabbat and to wrap up the trip. But first we have a couple of exciting days planned in the desert, including floating in the Dead Sea, climbing Masada and sleeping in a Bedoin Tent.

Yes, this is still a running blog...

Even though I haven't been running at all. Well, running all over Israel but I'm not sure thy counts. I hate the way not running makes me feel, particularly since there is so much good food to eat in Israel before we have to go back home. But, having the chance to be back in Israel really does make it all worth it. We took the group to Tzfat today and met the artist Avraham Lowenthal. He is very into the mysticism of the Kabalah. It really struck me when he said to think about what a miracle it is that we are here in Israel. I feel really lucky to be back for the fourth time and sharing my love for Israel with the participants. We have about a week left in Israel, though I never want to leave! Hopefully I'll be back to running soon after. In the meantime I'm going to do my best to enjoy every minute!

Israel aboard the Magic Shul Bus!

Well it’s Sunday morning here in Israel, and now that Shabbat is over, it is finally starting to sink in that I’m really back in Israel. Sitting next to my sister on the flight over (thanks to the awesome guy who switched seats with me!) we both commented over and over how unreal it was that we had crossed into Israel airspace, that we landed in Israel, that we were really in Israel.

Starting our trip with Shabbat was an interesting way to welcome the participants to Israel. It was a wonderful way to get to know the group on a more personal level. They are a fantastic group! This group of mostly strangers has very quickly become one bus (and has asked to be called the Magic Shul Bus!). Time spent touring Kibbutz Sha’ar HaGolan, sitting by the pool and playing soccer and basketball was a great way to break down everyone’s barriers and take a group of strangers and turn them into a group of friends.

After a wonderful Havdallah that many participants said was their favorite part of Shabbat (mine too!) we wished everyone a Shavua Tov and headed to Tiberias for dinner. The rest of the trip won’t be anywhere near as relaxing has Shabbat, but that is what makes Shabbat special. We’re refreshed and ready to hit the ground running for the rest of an amazing trip!