This week , winter had decided to blow through. I've come to realize that I'm a wimp when it comes to the cold and wind...especially when the wind chills hit the single digits. Brrrrrrr......I think I'm finding that my willingness to, run outisde limit is somewhere in the 20s at this point, but only for the shorter runs. My training schedule ended up being thrown off a bit, as I was suppose to run 3 miles, but we had wind chills in the low single digits. I even considered trading the 3 miler for a shorter run, but when it came down to it, I just could not make myself run in that cold of weather. I then thought that I could run at my gym....but it's really hard to run when you forget to bring your running shoes with you. So, with that plan scratched, I thought, "Okay, I will just run three days in row to get back on schedule. I ran FRiday, but didn't realize that my training plan called for 2.5 miles, and not just my normal 2.....ooops. Saturday came around, and my body basically balked at the idea of running at all. So, I decided it was just best to skip the three miler, and give myself a flat out rest day. There wasn't even a freestyle session happening at my rink, and I worked on upper body in gymnastics back on Thursday (made it to the second notch on the knotted rope....YAHOO!!), so I gave myself permission to take the entire day off from any type of physical activity.
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As for these colder temperatures, I decided to get a pair of Under Armour leggings that I found on sale (gently used) for $25. I found them through Poshmark, which is a website that sells new and gently used clothing for less than retail value. I got the leggings, and they fit perfectly....but they're not the wam, fleece-on-the-inside leggings that I was hoping for. They're more of a base layer type of legging. They're still a good item to have, but when I was running the othe day, and it was in the 20s, I found myself wearing another pair of leggings over that to have enough warmth for the run. Despite that, I'm not completely disappointed with the leggings as I also wear them for skating, and are nice enough for me be able to take one of my skating tests in them in a few months, if I want. Plus, I can just wear them under pants and stuff for some extra warmth with these upcoming cold months.
As for my long run today, I did three miles on the treadmill, ending at just under a 10 minute pace (5.8). I know that we all complain about being on the treadmill, but today, I was grateful for I'it. Today I desperately needed the run, as I needed to relieve stress. I was super stressed about money issues because I stupidly overdrew on my account by a few dollars. For those of you who may not know me, I've often struggled with finances, although I do work full time. I'm tired of having this struggle, and have come to realise that I need someone to help me sort things out financially. Thankfully, our university has a "Money Mentors" program that is free of charge and completely voluntary. I signed up to have a money mentor to hopefully help me organize my finaces, so that I don't come up short every month. So far, we have met twice, and I'm trying really hard to make steps in the right direction...such as not touching my savings account. We're in the process of trying to set up small goals each month. Like last month was contriI buting a bit more to my savings and to my credit card payment. This month, it's to look through each item line by line on my bank statement and making a list/columns of where my money is going, so that I can establish a realistic budget. I'm also trying to find out information on my interest rate on my credit card (which I unfortunately cannot get online) and how much money is going to my retirement fund with my job at the high school...stuff like that.
That being said, I was stressed because I was trying to figure out when I could pay my skating coach and a friend of mine who I owed some money to for getting my skates sharpened. Plus, I was having an issue with my gym membership (which is only $10 a month), because my card wasn't being accepted. I got that sorted out, but it resulted in my bank account being overdrawn by a few dollars. For me, this was a huge blow this afternoon because I am really trying to get better with my money. I must've cried in the bathroom for a good 30 minutes. I managed a short warm up walk on the treadmill and a short stretching period, but found myself crying yet again. I did let my money mentor know what happened, along with one of my best friends. I love my best friend like a sister, but I came to realise that I was coming across in a way that she wasn't deserving of. My money mentor was super chill with me, and basically told me to focus on getting back into the postive with my bank account. I was only a few dollars overdrawn, so I knew that in the long run, a few dollars wasn't going to make a huge difference, but at the time, it was a huge blow to my self-esteem.
So, finally about a hour later, I got onto the treadmill, and did my run. It was a "run to relieve stress" run. Having the blotchy, "I've just been crying" look probably didn't look too great, but I decided to focus on the job at hand. I had my ipod with my recently downloaded songs that I'm still jamming to, and I tried watching something on the t.v. I didn't like what was on, so I changed channels, but found that I just couldn't focus. So, I decided to shut the t.v. off, and just focus on running with my ipod playing my new favorite songs on almost full blast. I was picturing myself running the marathon, or mentally improving routines to whatever song was playing for skating competitions/events. I also just kinda let my thourghts ramble a bit, while allowing myself to run harder, breathe, and physically beat out the stress that was in me through my legs. I ended up running 3.25 miles, which was slightly longer than my originally planned "long run" of 3 miles. I felt a lot better afterwards....not my easy going self, but better than what I had coming in.
One of the thoughts I had during my run was related to budgeting. How does one make a budget for running? What is considered to be an adequate amount of clothing for runing? Do I really have enough there, or are new running items more a want? Did I really need the pair of workout/running capris and tank top that I just bought for $6? As a whole, what is best for me in terms of paying for things? Is is better for me to pay things in one chunk (such as my last paycheck always going to rent), or is it better to split things up?What about food? How am I going to manage my food budget when I need increased fuel, especially if I start hitting those longer runs? Plus, how can I keep fuel for my runs themselves without breaking the bank? How can I make this budget so that I'm being reasonable and realistic with my budget, without feeling like I'm depriving myself?
Now, if running was my only sport, I probably wouldn't be in as much financial craziness. However, I'm also involved in figure skating and gymnastics. I've already set the firm rule that quitting skating and gymnastics is a non-negotiable item for me. They've become part of who I am, and I've come to love both sports. I know that a lot of people would say, "Oh. Well, you just have to drop those sports." I do realize that both of these sports are expensive, so I want to figure out a way to make it work, so that I can still participate. On the skating end, I am willing to not skate a freestyle session once a week or so, and maybe cut out a few public skates, and maybe take a lesson every other week rather than every week. I also get my dresses for cheap (and stone them myself), or I reuse dresses I currently have. My gymnastics gym allows for people to "pay as you go," which is also very helpful. I guess I feel like everything with trying to come up with a reasonable budget is a mind boggling process. There's also the thought of obtaining a second job, which may have to happen. The kicker is that I don't want to feel like I'm constantly working. I put up with that for years, and it's really not a good thing. However, since I don't get paid for breaks and many half days (teachers meetings and stuff). That would also bring up the question on how I could continue to run/train for this potential marathon, plus still skate and take gymnastics. I'm trying to stay positive, but it really does make me stress out some with things being so uncertain, and trying to sort it out.
However, since I know things are questionable, the one thing I know I can do is to do what my money mentor is reccommending at each of our meetings (we've only had two so far, but will keep meeting each month), and continue to slowly build from there. If I try to tackle everything at once, it's going to not end up in a good result.
That beingsaid, at least running, as a whole, is very cheap. It doesn't cost anything to run outside, so I'm grateful that I am healthy, and able to run. I actually have it very lucky there, as I know many people can't run, or are in much worse financial mess than me. I'm just having to take baby steps, but they're going in the right direction. This overdrawing at the bank was just a minor pothole. I could be losing a house or car, or out in the streets, but I'm not. I just hope that things will smooth over a bit better soon, or that new opportunities come up to help me sort out...and possibly improve my situation.
Keep on running!
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