Thursday, May 6, 2021

Got Coffee? Let's Talk!

 


Here we are again....gathered virtually over coffee (or a favorite beverage), and chatting. 

Seems like we were just here because April flew by rather quickly, at least in my world it did. We had warmer weather, and we had a few revert-to-winter days (actually, a good consecutive 10 days...but who's counting).

A lot went down... Plenty of sunshine! Some outdoor biking! My longest run (a 10-miler)! And my first half marathon, post-stress fracture! The days have gotten substantially longer and there's the scent of blossoming trees and blooming flowers everywhere. Things have been pretty nice.

So, whatever shall we talk about?

I'm glad you asked... 

First, over coffee, I'd give you an update on the magnolia tree. It had been in almost full bloom, for nearly a week, when Momma N joined forces with Old Man Winter and treated us to some unwelcome, unseasonably cold weather. We're talking several days with overnight frost advisories. Most of the beautiful blooms turned an unflattering shade of brown, but a few remained unscathed. I was able to snap a pic of the last remaining bloom just before it fell to the ground this week.


Another thing I'd share is my #SeeYouOutThere challenge of doing weekly 1-mile time trials for the month of May. This is a major comfort zone violation for me. First of all, I don't enjoy running circles around a track (#Boring). Second, the 1-mile distance is a  l.o.n.g distance to run at a faster-than-normal pace (#Intimidating). And, lastly, speedwork is just plain rough and tough (#PhysicallyDemanding). But, we don't learn or grow by staying comfortable. Well, I ran my first (of four) 1-milers this week, and the good news is that I ran it much faster than expected (even with no recent speed-training). The bad news ... I ran it much faster than expected (and now have the self-imposed pressure to better my speed each week). Yikes. Stay tuned...this is really going to be a tough undertaking from here on out.


After this 1-mile time trial, I had a pretty significant revelation. A friend asked me if my 1-mile run had been at an all-out effort. I had to really think about that...and the honest truth is that it wasn't a run-so-hard-you-puke attempt on my part. It definitely was a hard effort...I was focused on keeping my pace as steady as possible and there's no way I could have carried on a coherent conversation with anyone. But I did finish with an itty bit left "in the tank." Why? Because I realized, after the fact, I have a fear of running out of energy before the finish line. Yeah, talk about a light-bulb-moment. So, it's a given I'll be working on a lot more than just beating my 1-mile finish time each week. Things are gonna get raw and they're gonna get real out there on the track this month (#gulp). Moving on...

A new thing I've been experimenting with is the art of shooting video. I have some previous experience and "technical" knowledge of the industry (I was a Communications/Broadcast/Film major in college), but that was a few decades ago and things are very different these days. Let's just say this has been a very humbling endeavor to undertake. For example, the video I shot last weekend only took about 25 minutes of "work," but the level of stress was crazy because I was on the college track (late in the afternoon, on a Saturday none the less). Wouldn't you know? A baseball game had just ended, so there were numerous athletes, families and fans walking by my "video set" just after I arrived on the scene. As annoying as it was, having to shoot (and re-shoot) upwards of 15 times (some of which with an audience), I couldn't help but laugh at the situation. And, by the time I got the final video done, I had my script completely memorized. Glass half full, indeed. 


Finally, I'll share a solid piece of advice with you...Don't elect to have dental work on Cinco De Mayo. There was part of a filling (from my childhood days) that needed a little bit of repair. Afterwards, I was advised to avoid all crunchy food for the remainder of the day. Hello? Ever heard of tacos? I tried eating a baked potato for lunch and that was a near-fail because the right side of my mouth was numb. There may have been some idle drooling, as well, after I returned to the office.  Just keeping it real.

So, there you go! My coffee chat turned into a bit of a runfession. Oh well, that's my reality LOL.

You're turn! What would you bring to the table, if we were gathered over coffee? Any exciting (or scary) challenges on tap for May? Ever done a 1-mile time trial? 

 Since it's the first weekend of the month, I'm linking this with Deborah and Coco for the Ultimate Coffee Date.


I'm also linking this with MichelleReneeDarleneJenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.


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32 comments:

  1. No scary challenges coming up--after my 2 recent races, I'm going to dial it back again for summer. I've got some races planned for fall. I may do a trail challenge in Wisco--but that's on my time and it's more of a segment completion thing.

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  2. 1-mile time trials sounds like a excellent challenge - and way to go on your first effort!

    Despite all of the "behind the scenes" happenings your video turned out great! :)

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    1. Ha! This next video had its first (of many) attempts after work. This time, I had all the high school golfers (Barb's husband is their coach) and crazy wind. The wind totally made my hair a mess, the sun had me squinting, and the audio was patchy (again, due to the wind). So.....there will be several more video shoots tomorrow...after my run and (hopefully) before the forecast rain shows up LOL Never a dull moment!

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  3. Don't even get me started on video. Like many things in my life (hello, running!) I had zero experience with it when I started. Sometimes I still feel like I have zero experience with it . . .

    Good luck with your time trials! Running full out is definitely hard, but yes, you're gonna grow.

    Ouch on the dental procedure. I think I have a very old filling that may need to be replaced. Not looking forward to that.

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    1. The time trials are going to be a great learning experience, in more ways than one. AT least that's what I've been telling myself LOL

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  4. Love the new coffee mug! Ugh on the videos but we will get the hang of it. I also know that I have never really run to that all out going to puke place. Something always holds me back. I also know I prefer longer endurance runs and rides. I am not a sprinter. It's a nice challenge for you! Thanks for stopping by for coffee

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    1. I love the new coffee mug, too ;-) Sprinting is SO not my thing...which is exactly why I'm playing around with it a bit this month. Breaking outta my bubble...

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  5. I have a hard time with all-out runs too. Great idea to “practice” with them. I don’t have the patience for video — I take long enough with still shots.

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    1. The video thing is really a beast to tame. AS much as I get annoyed watching them, they are the big trend right now...so I'm giving them a trial run (see what I did there LOL).

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  6. The mile trial is a beast! But I'm very happy because my coach wants me to do one this month. It's been a year since my last one.

    Oof thanks for the heads up...I will never visit the dentist on Cinco de Mayo.

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    1. Good luck with your 1-miler!!!! I'm excited to hear what you think of the experience!

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  7. Good luck on the time trial. My running is for fun and scenery - never wear a watch so no challenges in my future.

    Have a dentist appt on Monday!

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    1. My running is seldom with a watch (as you know), so that is definitely one thing I do not like about these time trials.

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  8. Great job on your 1-mile time trial! I haven't done one in years, but they are fun (once you're done).

    I just started the process of having my three remaining metal fillings replaced with white ones and have my next appointment scheduled for May 18th. I'm sure there will be plenty of drooling ensuing that afternoon. LOL

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    1. Yes, the time trials are fun when they're done LOL I just kept telling myself..."Okay, that's one lap already!" Then, "Okay, now you're halfway!" After the third lap: "Awesome, now you only have one lap left!" And, then..."Yay! Now that wasn't so bad." I think I even said all those statements out loud, ha ha!

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  9. Love the pics of your magnolia tree. We have been having seasonably warm weather lately...until this weekend. Bill and I have a 3-hour timed race on Saturday and it is unseasonably cold. And rainy. Ugh!

    You have a speedy 1-mile time. I need to get out to the track and time a 1-mile interval, just to see where I am.

    Hope your tooth is feeling better by now.

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    1. Well, that 1-mile was just one mile LOL There's no way I could have maintained that for even a second mile. But, it was fun to see what I could do without any speed training since (maybe?) last summer.

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  10. I've never done a one mile time trial so I don't really know what I'm talking about, BUT, I think part of the challenge of it is figuring out your pacing. Now that you have the first one done you'll have a better idea how much you can push yourself each lap. I'm sure this will do amazing things for your running! Looking forward to future installments.

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    1. That's my strategy, too --> trying to figure out how to pace myself. My pace perception is totally jacked. "Easy" paces feel a lot Faster than they actually are. Conversely, I'm not usually running as "fast" as I think I am when I'm actually trying to LOL

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  11. Congrats on your first 1-miler! How about for the next ones you program it in your Garmin in 1/4 increments? Maybe that will help ease any pressure?

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    1. Believe it or not, I'm not even sure my Garmin has that feature (?). It's a very basic Garmin, with minimal bells and whistles...and I'm tech challenged enough (and usually just don't care LOL), so I've never felt a need to program any workouts into it. (and I call myself a runner, ha!)

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  12. Congratulations on your mile trial! That's great!

    I'm having my dental work done right before Memorial Day weekend. That should end well. Not.

    Video can be hard! I hate recording short films (especially if I'm in them), but it's all part of the gig!

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    1. Yeah, I'm not a fan of watching videos on social media. But they're the "thing" right now, so I'm trying to jump on the band wagon...so to speak.

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  13. oh your poor magnolia tree Kim :'(

    I think it's great that you set the bar high for your time trials. And if you aren't puking then you must be able to go faster ! haha!

    I really don't like the video stuff on social media for the most part. I feel like. grumpy old lady when I say so as well. but I can't blame anyone for trying though!

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    1. HA ha....yes, I probably can go faster, but the idea of puking is a real good reason not to LOL I get SO annoyed by the REELS on Insta, especially because they are (usually) so loud and even with my phone on silent, they still have audio (???). I wish there was the option to "play" them or just scroll past without having them play without the viewer's consent.

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  14. I'm proud of you for getting out there and doing speed work, especially for the 1-mile distance as I know that's rough!

    Hopefully you can get a re-do of Cinco de Mayo and enjoy some tacos :)

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    1. I was finally able to eat small bites of chips (with guac) that evening. Barb had to work (she teaches a couple of college classes), so she totally missed out on all things Cinco de Mayo, so we rectified that last night after work ;-)

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  15. I like doing track work but our high school track is dirt and I don’t like getting my shoes dirty. Hahaha.
    Great first mile attempt. Like you, I hold back for fear of not being able to finish. Your mile is still way faster than mine.
    I thought of trying videos but I don’t like looking at myself or hearing my voice. So there’s that. :-)

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    1. The track is just a tiny bit higher than the treadmill on my list of running favorites. I'm not sure if it's the repetition of running in circles, or what, but I don't find much excitement there. But, I do like that there's an actual start line, and it's easier for a more accurate measure in distance (so I can eyeball the hash marks rather than squint at my Garmin in the sun). Glass half full? LOL

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  16. It's great to see you in the Oval office! You may know that's where running began for me so it'll always be a favorite. Yes, speedwork can get pukey...just saying, but how else will you know where your threshold is? Haha!

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    1. HA ha ha...I am SO grossed out by all things vomit, that I just cannot bring myself to that point of speed or exertion LOL I guess I'm good with the great unknown ;-)

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