Monday Project Link-Up: The Bank

This week at the Sisterhood, we looked at what types of activities, thoughts, etc add a deposit to our "bank". While I didn't run outside this week or have any scary interactions with the local wildlife, I did manage to add a few deposits (and learning experiences) to my bank.

When I think back on this week, I'm trying to find activities that have deposited into my bank. One stands out. I have been training for 4 weeks now with the c210k program. My training has involved a large amount of technology: my iPhone, c210k app, nike+, the treadmill. This week, technology has tried to do everything in its power to bite me in the butt and get me discouraged. Tech is a great thing...when it works! When it doesn't work it is frakin' frustrating. However, I have continued to run. I have no data from Sunday and Wednesday (9 miles and 2 hours total, thank you very much), but I kept running even when my crap wasn't working. I found I can run without music, although it is very, very, very, boring and I really don't need to know exactly how far I've run or what my pace was since it doesn't matter at this point. Thankfully, my run today was recorded without fail. It appears my tech issues are behind me (for the time being anyway).

• Deposit: I walked/ran 13.5 miles in 3 workouts this week, running 40% of the time. The tech isn't what matters, moving your @$$ is what matters.

I did not want to go to the gym tonight. The weather was terrible, I needed to pick the boy up from swimming at 4:15, have the girl to gymnastics at 4:30 (yep-she was late) and the gym I work out at is in the opposite direction. However, I really didn't want to have to get up tomorrow to do this week's final run and then try to do next week's run on Sunday, so I got my butt to the gym. I was starving but burpy from drinking a diet coke right before I got there (you're welcome) and when I unpacked my bad, I realized I forgot my favorite water bottle. Oh well. I needed to suck it up and drink out of the aluminum one I use during the day. Then, I was so hungry when I got home (after driving back across town to pick up K at her gym) that I completely SCARFED my dinner. Needless to say, the tummy isn't feeling too good at the moment.

• Deposit: I was busy but I still worked out. Schedules and schedule changes happen-suck it up


• Deposit: I learned what not to do before I run: don't drink pop. I also know not to eat a lot first, but maybe bringing a powerbar or some fruit to work to eat on the way to the gym might not be a bad idea.


• Deposit: I improvised, but also learned: don't try to run and drink out of an aluminum, open-mouth water bottle, you might lose a tooth, or at the very least dump water all over yourself.

All of my training so far has been on a treadmill. Western lower Michigan, 25-some miles from the lake, is entirely too cold and snowy for me to train outside yet. Case in point: this is the trail where I run during the nicer times of the year. Can you find it? Yeah, I can't either.

I would love to be one of those women who runs in the snow, but I'm not and don't really want to be. (I will and have run in the rain-don't like it, but I'll do it if I have to. It builds character.) I have a paranoia about falling. Silly, yes, but that's just me. How does this relate to filling my bank? I'm learning NOT to look at the treadmill next to me because it just ticks me off. Who cares that the 22 year old hot guy on the next treadmill is running at a 7 or 8 minute mile pace and I'm barely holding on (literally, I'm holding on to the treadmill) to a 10 min mile pace and only for 2 minutes at a time. It shouldn't matter.

• Deposit: I am steadily increasing my distance and stamina, on my terms. I've walked/run almost 50 miles since starting my c210k training! I'll get to that 6.2 when I get there and not a second sooner.

I'm glad Christie devised this little project for us this week. I honestly didn't think I'd come up with anything. I was wrong. My deposits might not be victories and may not have involved suicidal squirrels, but they are mine.