I am SO behind! I feel like I can't move on to talk about anything else until I talk about the half-marathon I participated in...which was no officially, like, four months ago! Where does the time go?!
One of my favorite quotes to live by is this: “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” There is a period of time in any athletic event that requires a lot of time and miles in which you will experience what it feels like to be putting in A LOT of work when no one is watching. A period of time when 'the hush' falls over the crowd of participants and suddenly if this is not a concept you have been of aware of in the past you are suddenly living it! You can either stop where you're at (and since no one is watching it would be a really easy thing to do) or you can keep moving forward and do the work for YOURSELF. The very first time I experienced this I was fresh out of college and participating in an adventure race which started with a 25 mile bike ride. The bike ride started on this HUGE hill which was no easy feat to complete even with all the cheering from the sidelines. When I got to the top of this enormous, mile long, hill the crowd had fizzled and it was quiet and from the very top of that hill all I could see was miles and miles and miles (and miles) of country roads with LOTS and LOTS of hills. I literally wanted my mom. I had officially experienced 'the hush' and I didn't like it or appreciate it, in fact I was suddenly a toddler who needed my mom to rescue me and I'm not going to lie-there were tears. There was no one on the side line cheering me on, or holding up signs for me to read so I could forget about my troubles. My mom was hundreds of miles away at home and, truthfully, if I would have called her she probably would have told me that if I would have listened to her in the first place I wouldn't have even signed up for something that would lead me to this predicament (gotta love moms!). So with no help available I did the only thing I could think of-I swore,out loud-I said every swear word I could think of while riding up and down those hills for at least two miles, maybe five... fortunately after about mile five my brain had caught on that I wasn't giving up and the ride got better after that.
The next time in life that I can think of when I truly experienced this was in 2011 when my best friend and I did one 90 mile day of RAGBRAI. We started that morning in Marshalltown and ended in Cedar Rapids. That morning as we got on our bikes and rode through town everyone was along the route like we were in some kind of parade but as we left town and go out into "the country" suddenly there was a hush-'The Hush' -all the people were gone, there were no signs, no accolades- the only thing you could do now is pedal your bike and hope to make it to the next town where you once again experience a party or festival being held just for you!During the half-marathon, the entire first mile there was hundreds of people along the sidelines holding up signs and cheering, in fact I had to laugh a little when everyone cheered as we crossed over that first mile marker (one down 12 to go....or for the people running the marathon it was one down 25 to go!)Woo hoo we're almost there! (*insert sarcasm here). As we crossed over that first mile marker and headed into the second and third mile and beyond I felt 'the hush' go over the group and again all we had left to do was the real work, with out the accolades.
I believe that I experience 'the hush' from a much healthier perspective now and have even come to appreciate it. In fact, I think 'the hush' is what keeps me coming back for more with these types of events! I can't help but also feel like 'the hush' is when you really feel the connection between your own mind and body and also when you really feel the connection with the other runners/bikers/etc that are participating in the event with you. During Ragbrai this is when fellow bikers really started taking care of each other-giving a hand signal to let others know that a rumble strip is coming, or a shout from the front to alert you to be careful ("Car!" "Debris!" etc.). It was during 'the hush' that I remember pedaling up a hill to nowhere and a biker came up next to me to provide some encouragement. During the half marathon it was during 'the hush' that volunteers on their bikes would come along and offer licorice or a tissue. Other runners, too, always seemed to have a few words of encouragement to hand out just when you needed it.
I believe that the experiences that occur during 'the hush' are the ones that are going to stick with you so much longer than the accolades from the sidelines; these are the experiences that are responsible for building genuine belief in yourself and your abilities....and isn't that true for every day life as well???
February 15, 2014
October 11, 2013
No Turning Back Now!!
Well, this is it! Next weekend I'll be heading to Des Moines to participate in the Des Moine half-marathon, there is no turning back now!! I had a dream last night about the event, it was quite hilarious actually! I was running and I kept complaining that I've only been running for like 5 minutes and that there is no way that I'll ever get to the finish line before dark; but then someone showed me a clock which showed that I had been running for 6 hours and then I felt really proud of myself. I continued following everyone and the route was so confusing, at one point someone drove me across the interstate (?) and then when I saw the finish line I made them let me out so I could cross it (cheat much??). Anyway I crossed that finish line and found out I finished the 1/2 marathon in 12 hours...and I was EXCITED about that! If it takes me 12 hours to cross the finish line somebody please come pick me up and drive me across the interstate!!
Through out my training I have been able to hold a steady pace of somewhere between 11 to 12 minute miles, which is not fast at all BUT slow and steady is what I'm going for. So I would like to be done in like 2 hours and 30 minutes...my only goal is to cross the finish line so if I don't get there until 3 hours that is fine too.
I am remembering my very first athletic event that I did in 2002, it was an adventure race that I did with my friend Jon and his dad. It started out with a 15 mile bike ride, followed by a 5 mile canoeing trip, then a 5k at the end. I remember getting to the top of the hill on my bike and seeing nothing but country ahead of me and know that there was no turning back, I truly wanted my mom! It was a crazy feeling, I felt alone, scared, mad at myself! But I told myself to buck up and I did and I got through it...so "Buck up self, you'll be fine!" There, that's my pep talk!
Through out my training I have been able to hold a steady pace of somewhere between 11 to 12 minute miles, which is not fast at all BUT slow and steady is what I'm going for. So I would like to be done in like 2 hours and 30 minutes...my only goal is to cross the finish line so if I don't get there until 3 hours that is fine too.
I am remembering my very first athletic event that I did in 2002, it was an adventure race that I did with my friend Jon and his dad. It started out with a 15 mile bike ride, followed by a 5 mile canoeing trip, then a 5k at the end. I remember getting to the top of the hill on my bike and seeing nothing but country ahead of me and know that there was no turning back, I truly wanted my mom! It was a crazy feeling, I felt alone, scared, mad at myself! But I told myself to buck up and I did and I got through it...so "Buck up self, you'll be fine!" There, that's my pep talk!
July 24, 2013
Action!
It's been a little over three months since I last posted here about my journey toward completing a half-marathon; I will say that over the last three months I have been wrestling through the "contemplation" "preparation" and "action" stages (see my previous post titled Stages of Change) and I am just now sure that it is safe to say "ACTION" with no turning back. Whew, that's a scary idea, but an exciting one!!
Training for any kind of athletic event is naturally difficult and challenging even for the most seasoned athlete. I wouldn't say that I'm naturally athletic with tons of granola-like energy for these kinds of things, in fact I really like to sit on the couch and watch Lifetime movies while playing games on my Ipad-so the decision to complete a 13.1 mile athletic event is not something I would choose to do without a method behind the madness! That "method" is exactly what I want to write about today! About two years ago I caught this bug and most of you who know me have probably heard me talk about it at some point (or at several points) over the last couple of years, that "bug" is the organization "Girls on the Run" (GOTR). In short Girls on the Run is an afterschool program designed to encourage and inspire young girls, ages 8-11, to "recognize her inner strength...and to define her life on her own terms". I've been involved with this program for two official seasons-both as a GOTR board member and as a GOTR coach. What this means first of all is that I am in mad-crazy love with this organization (mad-crazy enough to run a half-marathon) and most importantly that I have seen first hand the impact this program has on the lives of the girls who are able to participate!
The longer I am a part of this organization the more passionate I become about it, and about inspiring young girls to DEFINE their lives on their OWN terms! One of the best things about Girls on the Run is that we, as an organization, want any girl to participate despite ability to pay the $150.00 registration fee (the registration fee covers the necessities for the season including curriculum, materials, medals, t-shirts, volunteer recruitment, coach training and certification, coach background checks, healthy snacks, water bottles, 5k race registration, program management, etc). In order to allow all girls to participate despite income level or ability to pay GOTR does fundraising through out the year to build a scholarship fund that can be utilized by any girl who wants to participate but cannot afford the fee. On our registration form the girls (and their families) are simply asked to pay what they can whether it be $5.00 or the entire $150.00; the scholarship fund then absorbs the remainder of the cost. According to the GOTREI annual report our chapter served over 600 girls in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area and provided over $44,000.00 in scholarships in FY2012...so as you can see the program itself, and the scholarships provided are kind of a big deal!
One of the fundraising programs that GOTREI launched in 2012 was the Solemates adult charity running program; according to the annual report this program raised $10,000.00 in it's first year! And that, my friends, brings us full circle in my explaination of the method behind my madness! I CAUGHT THE BUG! And through my journey with Girls on the Run and with the Solemates program I want to help you catch the bug too, whether it's helping me to raise money for local girls by donating for my race, or the decision to sign up to participate in your own Solemates event! You could also consider becomeing GOTR coach...the possibilities are endless and I want you to feel the energy and spread the word!!
My three main goals for participating in Solemates:
1. To spread the word about Girls on the Run and all the awesome work the organization does for girls in THIS community and around the world.
2. Complete the Des Moines half-marathon (13.1 miles) as an inspiration for the girls who participate in the program, locally and world-wide, to see what it means to set a goal in mind and work hard to achieve it, and to be inspired to do the same!
3. Raise money (my goal is $500.00) to benefit girls locally and pave the way for them to be able to participate in the program despite household income or ability to pay the registration fee.
Will you consider helping me out and making a tax-deductible donation? It's super easy to donate, here is a link to my fundraising site: https://www.raceplanner.com/donate/Vicky_Wieben_GOTR. All funds that are donated go directly to Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa to benefit girls locally in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. I will continue to blog about my own journey and about this organization! Thanks for your help!
Training for any kind of athletic event is naturally difficult and challenging even for the most seasoned athlete. I wouldn't say that I'm naturally athletic with tons of granola-like energy for these kinds of things, in fact I really like to sit on the couch and watch Lifetime movies while playing games on my Ipad-so the decision to complete a 13.1 mile athletic event is not something I would choose to do without a method behind the madness! That "method" is exactly what I want to write about today! About two years ago I caught this bug and most of you who know me have probably heard me talk about it at some point (or at several points) over the last couple of years, that "bug" is the organization "Girls on the Run" (GOTR). In short Girls on the Run is an afterschool program designed to encourage and inspire young girls, ages 8-11, to "recognize her inner strength...and to define her life on her own terms". I've been involved with this program for two official seasons-both as a GOTR board member and as a GOTR coach. What this means first of all is that I am in mad-crazy love with this organization (mad-crazy enough to run a half-marathon) and most importantly that I have seen first hand the impact this program has on the lives of the girls who are able to participate!
The longer I am a part of this organization the more passionate I become about it, and about inspiring young girls to DEFINE their lives on their OWN terms! One of the best things about Girls on the Run is that we, as an organization, want any girl to participate despite ability to pay the $150.00 registration fee (the registration fee covers the necessities for the season including curriculum, materials, medals, t-shirts, volunteer recruitment, coach training and certification, coach background checks, healthy snacks, water bottles, 5k race registration, program management, etc). In order to allow all girls to participate despite income level or ability to pay GOTR does fundraising through out the year to build a scholarship fund that can be utilized by any girl who wants to participate but cannot afford the fee. On our registration form the girls (and their families) are simply asked to pay what they can whether it be $5.00 or the entire $150.00; the scholarship fund then absorbs the remainder of the cost. According to the GOTREI annual report our chapter served over 600 girls in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area and provided over $44,000.00 in scholarships in FY2012...so as you can see the program itself, and the scholarships provided are kind of a big deal!
One of the fundraising programs that GOTREI launched in 2012 was the Solemates adult charity running program; according to the annual report this program raised $10,000.00 in it's first year! And that, my friends, brings us full circle in my explaination of the method behind my madness! I CAUGHT THE BUG! And through my journey with Girls on the Run and with the Solemates program I want to help you catch the bug too, whether it's helping me to raise money for local girls by donating for my race, or the decision to sign up to participate in your own Solemates event! You could also consider becomeing GOTR coach...the possibilities are endless and I want you to feel the energy and spread the word!!
My three main goals for participating in Solemates:
1. To spread the word about Girls on the Run and all the awesome work the organization does for girls in THIS community and around the world.
2. Complete the Des Moines half-marathon (13.1 miles) as an inspiration for the girls who participate in the program, locally and world-wide, to see what it means to set a goal in mind and work hard to achieve it, and to be inspired to do the same!
3. Raise money (my goal is $500.00) to benefit girls locally and pave the way for them to be able to participate in the program despite household income or ability to pay the registration fee.
Will you consider helping me out and making a tax-deductible donation? It's super easy to donate, here is a link to my fundraising site: https://www.raceplanner.com/donate/Vicky_Wieben_GOTR. All funds that are donated go directly to Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa to benefit girls locally in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. I will continue to blog about my own journey and about this organization! Thanks for your help!
April 3, 2013
Stages of Change
There is a model for behavioral change that smart people in the 80's used research to come up with to assess a person's readiness for change. This is called the Transtheoretical model and there are 5 stages: Precontemplation (either completely unaware of the issue or just unwilling to do anything about it), Contemplation ( Aware of the issue and thinking about overcoming it but mostly uncommited to taking any action), Preparation ( Aware of the problem and having good intentions about taking action within the next month or so but have unsuccessfully done so for more than a year or so), Action (actually committing time and energy to change the behavior), and Maintenance (preventing relapse from occurring).
So being a therapist, working in a mental health clinic, and being constantly surrounded by therapists of whom you consider your friends it's a little difficult to try and make changes without having to truly conceptualize what it means to make a change and the most effective ways to go about making that change. This is how I get to a blog post about the Trantheoretical Model of Change. So it's been a joke between one of my friends (and coworker) that I have been slipping in and out of the precontemplation, comtemplation and preparation stages. So I'm aware theres an issue and some days I'm unwilling to do anything about it, other days I just think about overcoming it and the rest of the days I do have good intentions about taking action, but they are not always carried out. I do think over the past month or so I've moved completely out of the precontemplation stage and have even dabble in the action phase because I have gone for a run a handful of times.
But now, spring has arrived and the time has come to announce that I am IN the action phase. No more dabbling around to the stages I find most comfortable for my mood that day...action it is!! Ugh. Just typing that kind of sends me straight back to precontemplation. Sigh.
This weekend Team Vic is gearing up for Season 3!! We will be running the Live Healthy Linn 5k in Hiawatha. Considering it's Wednesday and I'm just NOW declaring ACTION...I guarantee this race will be have to be a "get through it without throwing up" kind of run! :)
Wish me luck and considering donating to my cause! I'm currently attempting to raise money as part of a fundraising group called "Sole Mates". I will be running a half-marathon in Des Moines in October and all the money I raise will go to our local chapter--Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa! Check out the website for more information on this awesome program and learn how to donate!! www.girlsontherun.org or girlsontheruniowa.org
So being a therapist, working in a mental health clinic, and being constantly surrounded by therapists of whom you consider your friends it's a little difficult to try and make changes without having to truly conceptualize what it means to make a change and the most effective ways to go about making that change. This is how I get to a blog post about the Trantheoretical Model of Change. So it's been a joke between one of my friends (and coworker) that I have been slipping in and out of the precontemplation, comtemplation and preparation stages. So I'm aware theres an issue and some days I'm unwilling to do anything about it, other days I just think about overcoming it and the rest of the days I do have good intentions about taking action, but they are not always carried out. I do think over the past month or so I've moved completely out of the precontemplation stage and have even dabble in the action phase because I have gone for a run a handful of times.
But now, spring has arrived and the time has come to announce that I am IN the action phase. No more dabbling around to the stages I find most comfortable for my mood that day...action it is!! Ugh. Just typing that kind of sends me straight back to precontemplation. Sigh.
This weekend Team Vic is gearing up for Season 3!! We will be running the Live Healthy Linn 5k in Hiawatha. Considering it's Wednesday and I'm just NOW declaring ACTION...I guarantee this race will be have to be a "get through it without throwing up" kind of run! :)
Wish me luck and considering donating to my cause! I'm currently attempting to raise money as part of a fundraising group called "Sole Mates". I will be running a half-marathon in Des Moines in October and all the money I raise will go to our local chapter--Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa! Check out the website for more information on this awesome program and learn how to donate!! www.girlsontherun.org or girlsontheruniowa.org
February 9, 2013
"You.Cannot.WING.A.Half-Marathon."
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| College-Age Me |
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| Adventure Racing |
After I graduated and moved to Cedar Rapids I was that much more exited about working out because I had a lot of extra time on my hands since I no longer had homework to worry about. One of my friends convinced me to participate in two adventure races one summer. One was four hours and one was eight. So I rowed my own canoe for 4 miles, biked 19 miles and then ran 3.1 miles all in a matter of 4 hours...by choice!
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| This is one of my very favorite wedding pictures of Matt fluffing my dress! :) |
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| The day before I delievered my baby boy |
And then I decided to go to graduate school which was stressful!! I think I'm still stressed from grad school! Oh, and this happened...
But really, who could complain with a baby this adorable?
Team Vic was established in 2011, when my bestie Vicki and I decided to participate in some events together...
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| April 2011 |
The summer of 2012 was our biggest year yet with five 5k's completed and a 90 mile bike ride from Marshalltown to Cedar Rapids!! It was a fun summer!
In 2012 running took on a more philanthropic reason specifically last fall when a lot of hard work paid off and Linn County hosted their first season of Girls on the Run in 4 area schools. Watching the girls who participated grow, change, and realize their internal worth changed ME. Here is a post I wrote about Girls on the Run and what it means to me to be a part of it. I'm proud to serve on the Board of Directors for Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa and will be coaching a team of middle school girls at Tanager Place later this month. I have wanted to participate in Solemates since I've heard about it but wasn't sure if I was ready for the commitment of anything more than a 5k because running is difficult and I am not in as good of shape as I used to be. But after completing a day of Ragbrai without training prior to the event (Huge mistake!) I've decided that I have the mental power to complete at least a half-marathon, I can raise money for a good cause AND cross it off my bucket list!! I'll try and keep up to date with my training on here, if for nothing more than to keep myself accountable BECAUSE I tend to suck at training for these kind of events but I must make my mantra "You.Cannot.WING.A.Half-Marathon." :) Stay tuned!
March 22, 2012
T is for TWO (take 2)
Well, anyway...I didn't get to take the whole day off to spend with him but I did go watch his music class at school and then took him out for lunch :)
When we got back to his daycare (we call it "school") after lunch it was nap time. I didn't want to upset him and disrupt all the kids already sleeping so I thought to myself "Well, I'll just stay a little while so he doesn't cry and once he's asleep I'll go." Well about 10 minutes later my sweet boy says "bye, mom" I thought for sure he doesn't know what he's saying, he doesn't want me to leave! So I asked him, "you want mommy to leave?" and he said "yea". Heartbreak!! So I think to myself that if I stand up and start to leave he'll for sure make a fuss because he doesn't want his mommy to leave! So I stand up and just kind of look at him waiting for him to start whining for me to sit back down...but no he just blew me a kiss then turned over on his tummy and started sucking his thumb. So I walked out and kept looking back at my little boy who is independently laying on his cot with not a care in the world. Of course he's still my cuddle bug who adores his mommy and daddy but for that moment I really had to grab a hold of the fact that he won't always be my "baby" no matter how much I say he will!This growing up thing is so bitter sweet and though I'm sure this is a feeling that all mommies in the world feel as their little ones grow (or grew) up...it's still difficult for the mommies who experience it for the first time with their first child. The sweet part is watching him grow and learn. Listening to him talk and have thoughts of his own...the bitter part is when I miss that baby smell, his soft hair and gummy, drooling mouth. When I miss those little clothes and baby giggles.
The baby toys have been replaced with big boy toys like trucks and tractors. That soft, fine baby hair has now become unruly, thick hair that wants never wants to stay in place. That gummy smile has turned into a mouth full of little pearly white teeth and a sponge bob toothbrush. Those cute little clothes have been replaced with big boy clothes that don't say things like "I love mommy" or "Team Daddy" on them. Those baby giggles have turned into BIG belly laughs with a constant plea for "mowe tickle". And he goes from being my baby to being my little buddy. As things change and I attempt to hold on when I think about the the great things to come for this little boy and his sentimental momma the sweet definitely takes over the bitter!!
I created this slideshow on www.onetruemedia.com so that I can remember his second year of life; so I can move on with him as he grows but look back whenever I need to. I did this last year to remember his first year of life and enjoy watching it from time to time and seeing how much he has grown and changed. This video took me FOREVER to finish because I did not sort his pictures very well through the year and I had to find the perfect songs. But am so glad I took the time to complete it because I will cherish it forever!!
March 9, 2012
T is for TWO
I haven't written a post in a couple of weeks! Which also means I haven't spent any quality time with Carmen in a couple of weeks! But you see, my sweet baby boy is turning TWO next week and like the (un)organized mama that I am I have been trying to get his two year video done!
Last year for his first birthday I made this video:
I love this video, I ordered the DVD of it and love to watch it from time to time because he has been SUCH a joy!! Riley turning two is so bittersweet...I love watching him grow and learn but I also just want to keep him little, sweet, and innocent. It's a scary world out there!
So I definitely want to make a video for him every year. Right now I'm having to go through all my pictures from the last year (there are A LOT) and organize them into months and then organize them onto the video. I already have a couple of songs picked out but I will have to narrow down the pictures to fit the two songs. I want it to be awesome so I just keep going over it and over it (read about my perfectionist tendencies here). I think this year my goal will be to keep them organized by month through out the year so I don't have to do so much work just to get started on the video. So for now Carmen will have to collect a little dust and understand that my boy is only little once and I'm sure once he is grown she and I will have LOTS of time together...I'm sure she understands!!! :)
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| Riley Matthew, age 2 |
Last year for his first birthday I made this video:
I love this video, I ordered the DVD of it and love to watch it from time to time because he has been SUCH a joy!! Riley turning two is so bittersweet...I love watching him grow and learn but I also just want to keep him little, sweet, and innocent. It's a scary world out there!
So I definitely want to make a video for him every year. Right now I'm having to go through all my pictures from the last year (there are A LOT) and organize them into months and then organize them onto the video. I already have a couple of songs picked out but I will have to narrow down the pictures to fit the two songs. I want it to be awesome so I just keep going over it and over it (read about my perfectionist tendencies here). I think this year my goal will be to keep them organized by month through out the year so I don't have to do so much work just to get started on the video. So for now Carmen will have to collect a little dust and understand that my boy is only little once and I'm sure once he is grown she and I will have LOTS of time together...I'm sure she understands!!! :)
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