Wednesday Workout: Rolling

Rolling. 

Not rolling in the hay or rolling down the road...... Foam Rolling! 

I've had a foam roller for a while now and I'll admit... it has done more to get in the way than to be of use to me in the past. After running my first marathon I learned a little more from my muscles and my body. I'm not a beginner runner so I have to work for injuries. In other words, I'm past shin splints and knee issues... it's all down to stress build up on these mighty muscles! 

Over time and as my distances have gotten longer, my time and commitment to stretching properly has been cut so short that I'm barely doing anything at all. [slacker] Seriously - it's a major issue I have to address pronto or I'm going to be paying for it with a nasty injury that I might not be able to bounce back from. 

I know, I know! ---- I'm working on it! 

Foam Rolling is part of this big correction. I've found that my legs hurt a lot when I roll. Seriously... I'm so tender in many of these tiny muscles I've almost brought tears to my eyes. I've also discovered how amazing it feels on my back and shoulders after one crazy weekend at work! :) Sooooo.... I'm moving the foam roller off of my back and to my glutes, hammies and hips. 

AND SO SHOULD YOU! :) 

If I'm going to tough it out, I want company. "No pain, no gain!" I use this mantra sparingly, but when it comes to rolling, I'm afraid it's more truth than theory. 

Here are a video you can use to get started. Roll what feels good (or hurts). There are TONS of options when it comes to rolling. Be smart and a bit creative if you must! 

There's not a real science to using a foam roller. Some say use before exercise, others say after. Some say just do 10 rolls per area, some say you should roll until it's pain free. Regardless.... I just roll. A lot of these moves require odd positioning and upper body support so I'll go until my arms are too tired to hold much longer. This is often when I roll on to my back for a bit of a reward. :) 

All hard work deserves a reward. Save the best for last... trust me, your back will love it! 

Roll On my friends! :) 

-a. 

The Blog-Wagon

Considering it's been almost four months since my last blog post.... I think it's completely reasonable to say I have completely fallen OFF the Blog-Wagon.

SORRY!! I have had so many people ask, email and comment to see where I've been in the blogging world and my excuses weren't very good. I just had to give it up for a while. Training, working and managing life just were taking my time and my blog was becoming a "chore"..... Not what I ever intended my world wide expression (and mission) to become!! Now, I miss it.

To quickly catch-up:

- Girls on the Run finished the same day as my marathon. What an amazing season!! We had a blast every week running and growing together. I'm sure we even learned a few things from each other along our journey.

Done - Cramping and way over heated

At the 13.1 mile marker

- My marathon was amazing. Seeing my long time friend Katie Wade was so much fun! I miss her sweet smile so much and spending a weekend with her made me realize it even more!! Certainly finishing my race was the MAJOR highlight. It was my first marathon, 87 degrees, I nearly pooped my pants and I still finished under 4 hours!! (YES, you read that correct. If you know anything about how the combination of electrolytes, sugar and an unexpected heat wave... you'll understand!) I've started training for my next two races already - a half marathon this September and Marine Corps Marathon in October... all with the hopes of running in Boston next April. We're also thinking about going crazy and running (or trotting/walking depending on if I BQ) Big Sur two weeks after Boston.... but that's to be determined.

My running partners - Don Smythe (Katie's Kick Ass Dad), Katie and Meghan (Katie's college roomie)

- Work is wonderful. CRAZY, but good. It's insane at how hard we've had to work in the ICU lately. Seriously, I'm amazed at how much we're able to accomplish each day. I wouldn't say we do our best work every day.... but we certainly do our best with what we're handed. Being short staff, having crazy sick patients and insane demands are wearing us out, but thankfully I work with amazing women (and a few men!) who motivate me to come to work everyday ready, prepared and willing to be better everyday. I'm closing in on my one year date at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and I'm proud of how I've grown professionally.... but remain a bit intimidated at how much I STILL have to learn!! Hence the constant desire to go back to school... yikes!

- My mom, step-dad and little sisters are slowly getting things together to make their BIG move to VA this Fall. Todd is loving his job. They've got a place to live come August. Molly's ready for High School and to start marching band. And Allyssa is ready to come see us in DC! All we need is a job for my mom.... then all things would be GLORIOUS! :)

If you know are or know anyone in the Fairfax Co. School System - please send me a message!! My mom is top-notch (and I'm not saying that because she's my mom... She's really just that great at what she does!). 

- My sister, Megan, and her husband are with CHILD! :) I'm going to be an Auntie this January! YAY! We don't know yet what gender this little bundle is.... but I'm thinking it's a boy. Meg hopes for a girl.... and I'll be honest, I do too.... but either way, this baby is bound to be gorgeous, have incredible eyes, brains galore and probably enough attitude to keep my sister in line for the rest of her life! ;) It will all come honestly:

See - Aren't they gorgeous?!

See... Not that much has changed. :) BUT, I will work on keeping my blog up to snuff. There are too many people in my life working hard on themselves to not add some extra fuel to their fire. 


Now, to talk my dad and brother in to running the 1/2 marathon with us this September! 


Have a GREAT week friends! I hope you've been doing well. 
-a.  

DetermiNation

Todd ran this after he returned from Iraq and we ran alongside my friend, Lori, last year. Each time, I've always been invigorated by the crowd, the bands, the spectators, the runners and the energy. This year, I'm running it. Well, I'm running it yes... but I do have every intention to do more than "just finish" it as well. I'll narrow down a time goal and hopefully that might coincide with Boston time restrictions. :) 

 

2012 is a big year for me as a runner. 

I signed up for my first marathon a few months ago and I'll be running in the Poconos with girlfriends from all over for my first "official" 26.2 mile race. May 20th is also the day of our 5K for Girls on The Run. The girls are all sad that I won't be there to cheer for them, but they're so supportive and encouraging of the race I will be running the same day that many of them will be running their first 5K! :) 

Two weeks ago I signed up for my Fall challenge: The Marine Corps Marathon! 

But besides running it. I'm running with a purpose too. Before registration for MCM, I had looked in to running with Team DetermiNation for the American Cancer Society.... but come the day of registration the decision more or less was made for me! MCM registration for 30,000+ individuals sold out in 2.5hours!!! I was working that day but thought I'd be "safe" to register as soon as I got home, but apparently NOT! (Lordy!)

So, happily I signed up immediately with Team DetermiNation! Yes, I have to raise money... and some people hate doing that. But, I lost my best friend to cancer and I'd do about anything to save your best friend from cancer!! This is my attempt. A few people have asked why I don't do the Susan G. Koman walks or fund-raising events... and my answer is simple. There are SO many other forms of cancer out there that we know very little about, can't treat, and can't defeat that I want my money and time to help THERE. Not that breast cancer research isn't important, because it is. But Katie didn't have breast cancer. Katie had Angiosarcoma. Yea... you've probably never heard of it. I haven't met another person since her with it either. But still - the google search hasn't changed. Treatment is still aggressive and often symptomatic. Nothing has changed. 

I'm running to help MAKE a change. I'm not unrealistic. $1800 isn't going to change much... but it will help. I'm making the promise to put the miles in and I'm counting on you, friends and family to make a financial promise to help me succeed! I'll be running for Katie October 28th.... and Melanie, Lee J., Betty, Aunt Karen, my Grammy and for all those around me I love who have loved and/or lost someone with cancer. 

Let's be honest. Cancer's a bitch. Let's work together to kick it!!! It may not be within my lifetime... but eventually is always encouraging. 

Any and all help is appreciated. I'll even take cheerleaders the day of!! If you feel the desire to support me, THANK YOU! You're able to do so here on my team page. 

HUGS! 

-a. 

Sleep

So, this morning one of my "friends" whom I follow on facebook posted a nifty little tip:


Running by The Book 

Runners need sleep! Our bodies recover from hard/long runs while we sleep. A good rule of thumb: for every mile you run during the week, you need an extra minute of sleep each night. So if you run 20 miles a week, you need 20 extra minutes of sleep each night. Are you getting enough sleep?

I immediately turned to my running log to see how much I've been averaging recently and NO WONDER I'm so exhausted. I have had close to 30-40 mile weeks this month and I've not been sleeping much more than I usually do. Especially the nights I've been at work or before I work. I TRY to be very routine with my sleep pattern. 10:30PM - 5AM is my work schedule. 6.5 hours never feels like enough anymore.... but now that I know I should actually be getting at least 7 hours ...nights I'm off, I should be getting like 8-9 hours?! Holy cow! I knew I had a legit reason for feeling so tired. I'm not the kind of person who usually sleeps a lot. 6-7 hours is usually all I need - until I started training for a marathon. Goodness! 

I've got to start working on this training-sleep-tip! 

Keep this tip in your pocket as you advance and achieve your fitness goals. I've been running for years now and had no idea of this training tip! 

THANKS Connie! I promise I'll be ordering your book soon! It's my Summer training plan. :) If you've not hear of Running by The Book, check it out on Facebook or Amazon too.

Why be a Girl On The Run

I often tell people I'm a coach for Girls On The Run. 

Some people know how awesome it is. 

Others, have no idea what GOTR is. 

Girls On The Run is many things... 

Yes, we run (skip, hop and jump). 

Yes, we work hard.

Yes, there are cheers :) and lots of smiling faces. 

Yes, there is dedication. 

Yes, we build confidence. 

Yes, we create strong girls. 

But what I love best.... 

GOTR makes the girls of today, strong and ambitious women of tomorrow. 

I encourage you to help out if you can. Volunteer for the local 5K this Spring. Take your girl for a run.

Or just go out and cheer on the smiling faces! :) 

CHEERS! Here's to our Spring Season and making amazing little girls everywhere! 

Mental Health Day

Today would definitely count as Amanda's first mental health day for the year 2012. I feel like I've been going non-stop since the start of the new year. I took on another job, I'm training for my first Marathon, Todd's been busy with his job and Navy career, we almost bought a house, I want to go back to school, my step-dad has moved in with us until the rest of the family can make the "BIG MOVE" to the city...  AND Girls on the Run started this week for the Spring season! :)

All is going very well here in the Delp household, but quite frankly... I'm exhausted. I'm working hard to fight off the grumpy's and NOT be that over worked and exhausted nurse everyone hates. I'm running a lot. Actually, my running is amazing right now. I've never felt so strong or ran as well as I am now. I've actually almost talked Todd in to running in Poconos with me in May too!! YAY! (fingers crossed I can beat him over the finish line! haha)

So, today, I took a day. I took the entire day. I kissed Todd goodbye this morning from my big comfy bed and went back to sleep and I think the clock said 9:43AM when I finally cracked my eyes open again. I did have a moment of panic because I had slept so late and I hadn't been up and doing something. After a few belly rubs of Ginger I didn't care anymore. I had oatmeal and coffee while I sat on the couch watching TV. I didn't make a to-do-list and I didn't clean anything besides making the bed and the mandatory wipe-up of the kitchen counter-tops and the bathroom. No vacuuming. No dusting. No laundry. Nothing. It can, and it will, wait for tomorrow.

Taking a day is hard for everyone. Especially when we're busy. I know that by taking today will help keep me nice, healthy, loveable (Todd shouldn't have to have a grumpy wife) and able to keep doing all the many things I love to do!

Plus, tomorrow gets the added bonus of being called "Coach Amanda" again. :)

Have a great week friends!!

Motivational Monday: Tough

Pardon the language... but I saw this one evening and KNEW I had to share it. I was running hills in the pouring rain this morning with Britney Spears' song, Outrageous on repeat.

In my head this is exactly how I was feeling. I hope you're feeling it too. This week, get out there and PROVE it to yourself. You are WAY tougher than you think you are. Prove to yourself, your husband, your kids, your co-workers and your mama that YOU are one tough chick! :)