It's That Time of Year Again

Yes, it is the ever delightful Christmas season but if you are a college student you are probably either nearing or have already started taking finals. If you take a look around the UMBC campus you will see students cramming at the library and pretty much every other place that has a desk or place to sit. People are dressing a little sloppier and parties are almost unheard of at this point. And the thing is, finals week hasn't even started yet! Today is a study day meaning there are no classes or exams so that students can catch up on work and get a head start on studying. Then finals start on Thursday and continue through next Wednesday. Luckily for me I only have one real final, and then a presentation and two papers. I get to go home on Friday and finish up my work from home while fully immersed in Christmas celebration while the majority of students are still furiously studying.

Despite my early departure from school I am still stressing out like any other student. I have already had 2 tests and a presentation this week and still have another presentation and my only final. I am not a presentation person so having two in one week has my anxiety level through the roof. I am trying to keep everything in perspective and only focus on the more immediate work. Instead of trying to rush through everything so that I can hopefully accomplish more I am taking my time to make sure that I fully understand as much as I can. I would rather have a really strong grasp on 80% on my material than a poor understanding on all of the material.

So true!

And despite some really exciting things in the works on the running/triathlon front (more on that later) I am not worrying about either this week. I know people constantly say that it is important to hit the gym for a sweat session to keep the brain juices flowing but worrying about fitting in runs just seems to stress me out even more. I will run when I have time and feel comfortable taking a break from studying. Since I am not currently training for anything I am trying to focus on the parts of my life that are most important- like school. And with Christmas right around the corner I am anxious to get home and spend some quality time with my family and friends that I haven't seen since the summer.

6 Weeks To Go

I was emailing my super fast marathoning cousin last night and realized that the New York City Marathon is only six weeks away. At first I started freaking out that I would never be ready in time. The longest run I have done so far was 14 miles while most people have already knocked out at least one 20 miler. My mind was plagued with thoughts of how I will never have enough time to build up enough endurance. And last weekend's long run certainly didn't help. Instead of filling me with confidence it left me questioning everything.

But I have been an athlete long enough to know that a lot can happen in only six weeks. I went from walking my bike up the hills on the Keystone State Triathlon course to hammering up them and actually passing people in six weeks. Back in high school I recovered from surgery and qualified for nationals after only being in the pool for six weeks.

I had some really great training runs in August that gave me a tremendous amount of confidence heading into both the Keystone State Triathlon and the RNR Philadelphia Half Marathon. I only ran three or four times a week but my training also consisted of cycling, yoga, strength training, and swimming. I did weekly track workouts that increased my love for running and boosted my confidence. I increased my long runs and actually enjoyed doing all of them.

I am writing this post to remind myself not to get too stressed out and just to take everything one day at a time. Don't get worked up about the long runs and find my love of running through track workouts. I am doing the best I can and that is all that matters. I will run 26.2 miles on November 4th and I will enjoy every mile. I signed up to train for and run this marathon because I love running and I want to challenge myself. I don't ever want running and training to become something that causes me anxiety.

I Have a Confession

One of the goals I set for myself for my triathlon training was to train consistently. Because sometimes schoolwork and being a college student get in the way of my training, I have turned to morning workouts as the solution to this. And I must confess, I kind of sort of really like morning workouts. Shocking, I know!

So far I have only done short recovery runs in the morning but I used to swim in the mornings twice a week when I was in high school. Since I have not done any hard workouts in the morning I obviously cannot comment on them, but I gotta say that morning workouts are very relaxing.

I love checking the weather and setting out all of gear the night before. I love waking up, getting dressed, and heading out the door all in ten minutes. And I love going outside and enjoying the outdoors while most people are stressfully driving into work.

Hahaha not exactly what I mean

I feel so calm and at peace with myself during those morning hours. I don't have to really think much because I'm doing a recovery run. I have a tendency to zone out for the majority of the run just enjoying being outside but somehow end up having life changing thoughts. I have come up with some of my best ideas during morning runs, and I have also worked out a lot of stressful problems during these runs.

I always feel so relaxed during the day after doing a morning run, and I am also usually smiling the whole day too. Morning runs give me this sense of power and confidence because I have already started my day off by doing something so productive and good for myself. Not to mention I am doing something that I really enjoy.

I know a lot of other runners and triathletes are morning people and swear by their AM workouts but if you are not a morning person I am challenging you to give it a try. You don't have to workout every morning or even for a long time. Just wake up 30 minutes earlier and go outside. I promise you will notice things that you would never have seen later in the day. And you will be amazed how great you will feel for the rest of the day.

10 Things I Love About Running

In honor of Valentine's Day today I decided to celebrate why I love running. I know a lot of people dislike Valentine's Day but I think of it as a day to celebrate all of things in my life that I love and am grateful for. As happy as I am to spend Valentine's Day with my amazing boyfriend and was even happier to start the day off with a four mile run.

So here we go:
1. The challenge. Running is one of the few things that always challenges me no matter what. Some days the challenge is hitting a certain pace while others days it can be as simple as just getting out the door. Maybe it is because I am such a new runner, but I truly feel that I have a lot of room for improvement both in the speed of my running and my overall running endurance. Running is the best reminder that nothing comes easy, and that the best things in life are worth fighting for.

2. The stress relief. Being a full time college student can be very stressful, especially during midterm & finals week. When I am feeling overwhelmed I always force myself to go for a run because I know I will feel a million times better afterwards. Running lets me get my mind off of whatever is bothering me at least for a little while.


3. The time to myself. I am a huge introvert. I absolutely need time to myself to simply gather my thoughts and be alone. So many of things in my life are shared with friends and family and it is such a great feeling to have running all to myself. It is my time to just be by myself and think about whatever I want.


4. The feeling of accomplishment. I love the feeling of knowing that I accomplished something that most people will never do. Running makes me feel like I am getting out there and doing something productive while others are lounging on the couch. I love going for morning runs and starting my day off with a sense of accomplishment so early.


5. The confidence is gives me. As I have mentioned before I have struggled with my confidence. I feel so great about myself about a few days of consistent running, like I am on top of the world. In turn, this confidence transfers back into my running and starts a very beautiful circle.


6. The feeling after a great run. This goes along with the feeling of accomplishment. No feeling beats that after an awesome run. I had a run like this a few weeks ago and I was riding my runner's high for the entire weekend. I felt truly unstoppable and like I was completely in my element. No better feeling seriously.


7. The time I spend outside. Growing up I didn't really enjoy spending time outside. Running, though, makes me appreciate nature so much. Whenever it is a beautiful day outside all I can think about is going to a run to enjoy the beautiful weather. Consequently, I have spent many days running outside in the rain.


8. The strength it gives me. As a swimmer I didn't use my legs very much. It was very difficult for me when I first started running because my legs were not used to constantly being used. My legs are so much stronger now and I absolutely love it. Running has also made me stronger mentally. I struggled mentally as a swimmer and had frequent bouts of anxiety and the occasional panic attack. Running has been the complete opposite for me and I couldn't be more grateful.


9. The community. Even though I don't know many other runners, I love being a part of the running community. I love the support of the blogging community and having the ability to chat with other runners on Twitter. Going to a race and being with other people who are there for the exact same reasons is such a unique experience. Runners are all so friendly and welcoming.


10. The shoes. I'm not going to lie, I love my running shoes. I love all shoes in general and any excuse to buy new shoes is okay with me. I recently switched to a bright purple pair of Brook's Adrenaline's and can't get over how awesome they are.

Tackling the Upcoming Semester

With my second semester at UMBC starting on Thursday I have been super busy getting everything ready for the new semester. This is going to be my second semester here, which I am really excited about, but I also want to do some things differently.

Last semester I fell into a rut and all aspects of my life suffered. This semester I am going to make a conscious effort keep my well-being and happiness a priority. I wrote a goal post for this semester that will be posted later this week, but I also wanted to write some guidelines for making this a great, successful semester.

1. No procrastinating. When I was swimming competitively I never had much free time so I had to be really efficient with how I used that time. I would never just be sitting around doing nothing and consequently I would usually finish my homework days in advance. Now that I have a lot more free time I keep putting things off and then end up cramming to finish things at the last minute, which leads to lots of stress.

2. Focus on what is best for myself. I am a people pleaser (I don't think that is a word). I will give up things in order to keep others happy. Don't get me wrong here, I am not saying I want to be selfish but sometimes it is better to put ourselves first or else things can get overwhelming. I need to understand that nobody will treat me differently if I want to take a quick nap or go out for a run.

3. Be proactive about stress. Stress sucks. And it can come out of nowhere. Stress is different for everyone but regardless nobody wants to deal with it. For me, a cup of chamomile tea, and a hot bubble bath can cure almost anything. A few minutes reading a good book and getting enough sleep also really help. I want to get in the habit of fending off stress before it happens.

4. Take advantage of what the school has to offer. UMBC is mostly a commuter school so there aren't as many events on campus as most other schools but there are still a lot of really great things going on. I always have intentions to go to some of these events or even just go to a professor's office hours but never actually do. This is the semester to do the things that I know I should do but never do. When I am no longer in college and can't go to free yoga classes I am going to be upset that I didn't go to as many as possible while I could.

The Benefits of Yoga

When I started school one of the first things I did was take advantage of the free yoga classes offered on campus. I had only done yoga a few times but really loved it. I was excited to find out that 6 classes were offered throughout the week and that I was able to attend 4 of them. With each yoga class I go to I fall even more in love with it.

I am a very energetic person and consequently I have a rather difficult slowing down and destressing. Yoga is perfect for me because it is a workout but so much more at the same time. I have met friends through going to yoga every week and have really started to embrace the yoga lifestyle. I have been trying to meditate for a few minutes every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to sleep.

Yoga has helped stretch out my tight runner's body and also increase my stability through balance poses. More importantly, yoga has been teaching me how to relax no matter how stressed out I am. I always leave class feeling so refreshed and ready to tackle anything.

Yoga is also a great way to get in a different type of workout that works muscles in my body that aren't normally worked. It is easy on my body and my body responds well to it because of that. My hips have never felt better and my abs are really tightening up, all thanks to yoga.

Do you guys do yoga? How often? Why do you like it?

Destressing

One of the things I have learned in my short time back in school is how stressful college really can be. With taking a full course load, training for a half marathon, looking for internships, and living on my own for the first time the stress can really rack up. Now I know most of you work full time plus train for marathons or half ironmans. I am not complaining about anything, I am simply saying that I have a lot going on for me right now compared to in the past.

Last week I had my first and second exams, in Russian and Psychology of Culture. Plus I had a 2,000 word French paper due. This was my first week this semester where I had so many major assignments all due in the same week. I was very nervous for my exams, which lead to me being really stressed out. I decided in the midst of my stressful week to come up with a plan to deal with future stressful times in order to be as successful as possible.

1. Drink enough water
Water is like coffee for me. I drink it pretty much all the time and would say that I am kinda sorta addicted to it. I have noticed that when I forget to bring water with me for the day I just don't feel as good. I end up drinking soda, eating too much, etc. Water makes me feel so pure and energized. I also stay healthier when I am drinking enough water, and we all know being sick detrimental to staying stress free.

2. Don't skimp on sleep- for ANYTHING
It is so easy to stay up later than necessary to get that extra studying in or finish that paper due tomorrow morning but I can't actually accomplish anything productive when I am tired. Sleep is a really important thing for me: I need no less than 6 hours to function but preferably 8-10 hours. It is a much better plan for me to just go to sleep at a reasonable hour so I wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle the day.

3. Make a plan for studying
I am that obnoxious person who has to have everything planned out. I keep multiple calendars always know when everything is due. What I need to work on doing is scheduling when I want to study. I always end up watching tv or browsing the internet instead of studying, assuming that I can study later. Then I run out of time to study. If I pencil in specific times each day that I want to study specific subjects then there is no worry about when to do other things.

4. Sweat for 45+ minutes a day
Exercising is such a stress reliever for me. I oftentimes end up skipping out on exercising in order to get more time studying in. The problem is that I am less productive when I haven't gotten my daily sweat on. I need to take breaks while studying anyway, so why not get my sweat on during those breaks?! This will also help me stay on track with my training and prevent me from stressing about that as well.

5. Find a study place without distractions
I get distracted easily. Like really easily. So I know that if I need to get in some hardcore studying then I need to find a place without distractions. So far I have taken a liking to studying in the library (Cliche, I know) and on the lawn outside the library. I have yet to discover the best study places on campus so these have to do for now. I never bring my laptop with me unless I need it because I know I will end up on the internet rather than actually studying.

6. Keep everything color coded
My boyfriend says I am OCD. This point might confirm his assumptions. I know it is obnoxious, but it really works. I keep my pens, highlighters, and dry-erase markers all color coded so I know exactly what is going on. I am able to look at my calendar and not be overwhelmed by what I see because I know which color corresponds to which class. It really helps me stay on task & organized and prevents me from overlooking anything

7. Meditate
This is one thing that I could really work on. We have been doing a few minutes of meditating during yoga and I have been loving it. I really want to take this tool and incorporate it into my daily life, and not just do it at the end of yoga. I really think meditating puts things in perspective and allows me to regain focus on what I need to do and how I am going to do it.

8. Spend 30 minutes a day reading for fun
A lot of college homework includes reading, which stops a lot of college students from reading simply for fun. I find reading to be a great way to be completely absorbed in something without turning to electronics. And reading just makes me feel smarter. Reading is something that I really enjoy, which is another reason why it helps me destress.

9. Drink hot tea
Hot tea has a way of making any situation much less stressful. I am not what it is about drinking tea but I always have some when I am having a stressful day.

10. Take a hot bath 
A hot bath is another thing that always seems to help me with stressful situations. Must be something about warmth. My favorite is reading a nice book and drinking chamomile tea while taking a hot bath.

11. Find something you love & keep doing it
I have learned how important it is to make sure that there are many things in my life that I absolutely love. For me, reading, running, yoga, etc. are what keeps me sane. If I only worried about school and studying I would be a nutcase. I make sure to spend lots of time with my boyfriend because he really cheers me up like no other. He also has the ability to calm me down like no other. I try to make sure that I do one thing every day that is solely for my enjoyment and not some kind of assignment or requirement.

12. Reward yourself for a job well-done
Motivation works really well for me. I try to reward myself for accomplishing major tasks, such as kicking ass on that next exam. The rewards can be as simple as getting frozen yogurt for finally completing that Spanish paper or going shopping for nailing that Child Development midterm. Ultimately, I would like to reward myself for an awesome semester with a trip to New York City. But that will be decided at the end of the semester.

What do you guys do to destress?