Did you hear about the woman that missed the Air France 447 flight only to die in a car accident days later?
If the link to a photo album of tacky weddings is still on the bottom of the webpage, I recommend checking it out. I wouldn't necessarily call them tacky, just committed to their theme.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
It's Been a While
I haven't run since my last post so I took it easy today for 3 miles. It was a little warm out too - about 80 degrees so I averaged a 9:59 min/mile. Everything felt good so I don't have much to say. I'll try to head out tomorrow for 3-4 miles. Next Saturday there is a 5 mile race I hoped to run. I'm on the fence about it now. Maybe we'll see how the week goes and how the weather forecast shapes up.
I also took a little hiatus from my Special K diet. I was on it for a full week (long time, right?) and lost a few pounds. Of course I gained them back over the holiday weekend. So I'm back on it again. I haven't been hungry much lately but that's to be expected when I over-eat for days at a time.
For your entertainment, I found two websites that have made me laugh lately. Warning: not all readers may find the humor in these websites appropriate.
awkwardfamilyphotos.com and
textsfromlastnight.com
I also took a little hiatus from my Special K diet. I was on it for a full week (long time, right?) and lost a few pounds. Of course I gained them back over the holiday weekend. So I'm back on it again. I haven't been hungry much lately but that's to be expected when I over-eat for days at a time.
For your entertainment, I found two websites that have made me laugh lately. Warning: not all readers may find the humor in these websites appropriate.
awkwardfamilyphotos.com and
textsfromlastnight.com
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Some Days You Do
I got some good running in this weekend despite having plenty to do. Yesterday morning I volunteered at the finish line of the Geist Half Marathon/5K. I was supposed to be at there by 6:30 and since getting to the finish line involved taking a bus from a nearby church parking lot, my alarm went off at 4:45. Needless to say I was tired when I got home around noon and I didn't even run 13.1 miles. The race seemed to be well-organized with a scenic course, although hilly for Indiana, so I'll probably try to run it next year.
I ran 3 miles yesterday and decided to run at an easy effort without monitoring my pace to figure out what now seems easy to me. Turns out it's an 9:49 minute/mile. I suppose I can't complain about that but you know I wish it was faster.
This morning I decided to spend the rest of my birthday iTunes gift card and get some new running songs (and the newest Kelly Clarkson album). Once I had them downloaded and my Shuffle synced, I had to go out and try out my new songs. I hadn't decided when I started whether I'd run 3 or 4 miles but it turns out my music was so good, I did 4 miles. I gave it a pretty good effort and ended up with an average mile pace of 9:29 minutes. That wasn't my fastest 4 miles ever so I think it's time to start doing speedwork again. Did I mention this was my first skirt run of the year? Is it hypocritical that I refuse to wear a skirt to work but willingly run in them? It's different because they have shorts underneath, right?
It's almost time for the Survivor finale! Who will win this season? At least it won't be Coach but he was fun to watch because he's totally insane.
I ran 3 miles yesterday and decided to run at an easy effort without monitoring my pace to figure out what now seems easy to me. Turns out it's an 9:49 minute/mile. I suppose I can't complain about that but you know I wish it was faster.
This morning I decided to spend the rest of my birthday iTunes gift card and get some new running songs (and the newest Kelly Clarkson album). Once I had them downloaded and my Shuffle synced, I had to go out and try out my new songs. I hadn't decided when I started whether I'd run 3 or 4 miles but it turns out my music was so good, I did 4 miles. I gave it a pretty good effort and ended up with an average mile pace of 9:29 minutes. That wasn't my fastest 4 miles ever so I think it's time to start doing speedwork again. Did I mention this was my first skirt run of the year? Is it hypocritical that I refuse to wear a skirt to work but willingly run in them? It's different because they have shorts underneath, right?
It's almost time for the Survivor finale! Who will win this season? At least it won't be Coach but he was fun to watch because he's totally insane.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Rant: Blogger's Punctuation
Is it me or does it drive anyone else crazy that Blogger only puts 1 space between sentences? Was it a dream when I learned in school that 2 spaces should separate each sentence (and also after colons but not semi-colons or commas)? Am I doing something wrong? Is there some sentence spacing setting that I missed?
Day 2
Those of you that know me, know why my life will be different for the next 30 days. So I'm taking this opportunity to see how much weight I can lose (healthily, of course). Because I haven't tried enough diets in my life, it is time to do something different. I considered doing Weight Watchers again but the thought of counting & documenting everything I eat seems tiring. I also considered cutting back on carbs but was a little scared to do that since I'm running. So I decided to take the Special K Challenge. My plan is to have a meal bar or cereal for breakfast, eat a normal lunch, and have cereal for dinner. So far so good, but it is only day 2. I think the hardest thing will be watching TV at night and not snacking. I got some of the protein water mix and maybe it's just in my head, but I think it really does curb your appetite. I may change my mind in a week; only time will tell.
So tonight I made a batch of roasted chicken pasta salad (recipe from Cooking Light). I had a coupon for a certain brand of whole grain pasta and bow ties weren't available so I had to use rotini instead. I made some other small changes to the recipe based on some of the ingredients I did or didn't have in the house. I'm sure this will feed me for days - I can't wait to have some tomorrow!
So tonight I made a batch of roasted chicken pasta salad (recipe from Cooking Light). I had a coupon for a certain brand of whole grain pasta and bow ties weren't available so I had to use rotini instead. I made some other small changes to the recipe based on some of the ingredients I did or didn't have in the house. I'm sure this will feed me for days - I can't wait to have some tomorrow!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Back At It Again
I ran yesterday for the first time since the race. I did 3 miles in 28:28 (my second fastest 3 miles) and did 3 miles again today. Today's 3 miles were a little slower (28:50) since I ran a route w/ some hills. I hope to run again on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, I'll be experiencing a half marathon from the other side of things. I contemplated running the Giest Half Marathon earlier this year for a whole 5 minutes and am glad I didn't go through with it. Instead, I signed up to be a volunteer. I've been assigned to the Course Marshal team so I'm not sure what I'm in for other than "directing participants and traffic." Maybe the experience will provide some interesting stories :)
So I'm totally re-thinking a marathon in the fall. I know I can do it if I train properly and it's not that I want to stop training. I think instead of training to run longer distances that I should train to run faster this year. There will always be a marathon to run next year, right? Even though I registered to run a full marathon in November, I can opt to run the half marathon instead. I may even sign up for another local half marathon in October. My other race plans for the year include the Outrun the Sun on June 6 (5 miles), the CarmelFest Freedom Run on July 4 (4.5 miles), a race in Pittsburgh in September that has yet TBD, and the Race to the New Year 5K in December. So far the only race I'm signed up for is the November marathon but these races don't typically sell out so there's no urgency to pay for them now.
So I'm totally re-thinking a marathon in the fall. I know I can do it if I train properly and it's not that I want to stop training. I think instead of training to run longer distances that I should train to run faster this year. There will always be a marathon to run next year, right? Even though I registered to run a full marathon in November, I can opt to run the half marathon instead. I may even sign up for another local half marathon in October. My other race plans for the year include the Outrun the Sun on June 6 (5 miles), the CarmelFest Freedom Run on July 4 (4.5 miles), a race in Pittsburgh in September that has yet TBD, and the Race to the New Year 5K in December. So far the only race I'm signed up for is the November marathon but these races don't typically sell out so there's no urgency to pay for them now.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Mini Marathon Race Report
The Good:
1. The weather was perfect: about 50 degrees and cloudy. There was a slight breeze most of the time.
2. The first 10 miles: I was averaging a 9:39 min/mile until then. See The Ugly for the remaining 3+ miles.
3. My legs: the shin splints I battled during training did not bother me during today's race. My legs felt pretty good during the race although they did get a little tired towards the end. Of course, after the race is another story. I wasn't quite sure I was going to be able to make it to the car but eventually I got there.
4. My husband: he learned his Mini lesson last year and refused to run it again. So instead, he did everything he could to help my run go well. He picked up my race packet earlier this week, got up before the sun on race day, waited 3 hours for me to finish the race, and drove me home.
The Bad:
1. The track: I really enjoyed running around the track last year. This year, not so much. The back straight-away seemed to take forever. And there was little breeze inside the track (I had heard about this from runners in prior years but didn't think this was an issue last year). Plus there was no music over the speakers on the back straight-away. I finally noticed the music as I entered turn 4 but then it was only hip-hop - wth?
2. The crowd while running: I thought my race this year was a lot more congested than last year. Maybe it was because I started further up in the corrals and I was around more people actually running my pace.
The Ugly:
1. The last 3 miles: this is where my lack of training hurt me. My body felt good but that little voice in my head just kept telling me to stop and in the end, I walked. Mile 11 took me over 12 minutes. I tried to run the last mile+ but I still ended up taking a short break.
2. The post-race party: all of the participants (39,000) and their family and friends are supposed to meet up and celebrate in a relatively small park downtown. Needless to say it gets very crowded and after running 13.1 miles, my patience wears thin and all I want is a shower at home.
By the Numbers:
Total Time: 2:12:41
Overall Place: 13,157 of 30,147
Age Division Place: 880 of 2,529
Sex Place: 4,689 of 15,849
5 Mile Split: 49:18
10 Mile Split: 1:38:27
2008 Mini Time: 2:19:01
Half Marathon PR: 2:08:21
Mile Splits:
1. The weather was perfect: about 50 degrees and cloudy. There was a slight breeze most of the time.
2. The first 10 miles: I was averaging a 9:39 min/mile until then. See The Ugly for the remaining 3+ miles.
3. My legs: the shin splints I battled during training did not bother me during today's race. My legs felt pretty good during the race although they did get a little tired towards the end. Of course, after the race is another story. I wasn't quite sure I was going to be able to make it to the car but eventually I got there.
4. My husband: he learned his Mini lesson last year and refused to run it again. So instead, he did everything he could to help my run go well. He picked up my race packet earlier this week, got up before the sun on race day, waited 3 hours for me to finish the race, and drove me home.
The Bad:
1. The track: I really enjoyed running around the track last year. This year, not so much. The back straight-away seemed to take forever. And there was little breeze inside the track (I had heard about this from runners in prior years but didn't think this was an issue last year). Plus there was no music over the speakers on the back straight-away. I finally noticed the music as I entered turn 4 but then it was only hip-hop - wth?
2. The crowd while running: I thought my race this year was a lot more congested than last year. Maybe it was because I started further up in the corrals and I was around more people actually running my pace.
The Ugly:
1. The last 3 miles: this is where my lack of training hurt me. My body felt good but that little voice in my head just kept telling me to stop and in the end, I walked. Mile 11 took me over 12 minutes. I tried to run the last mile+ but I still ended up taking a short break.
2. The post-race party: all of the participants (39,000) and their family and friends are supposed to meet up and celebrate in a relatively small park downtown. Needless to say it gets very crowded and after running 13.1 miles, my patience wears thin and all I want is a shower at home.
By the Numbers:
Total Time: 2:12:41
Overall Place: 13,157 of 30,147
Age Division Place: 880 of 2,529
Sex Place: 4,689 of 15,849
5 Mile Split: 49:18
10 Mile Split: 1:38:27
2008 Mini Time: 2:19:01
Half Marathon PR: 2:08:21
Mile Splits:
Thursday, April 30, 2009
What birthday?
So the nice thing about running a race this weekend is that it's totally distracted me from my birthday. I don't want to celebrate by eating or drinking too much so I keep thinking "I'll deal with it later."
It looks like the temperature during the race will be perfect - in the 50s. Now there's a chance of rain though. Fingers crossed that the front moves through faster than predicted.
Are you watching Survivor? So good! Who will get voted out tonight? And what will Jeff and Dalton say about it tomorrow?
It looks like the temperature during the race will be perfect - in the 50s. Now there's a chance of rain though. Fingers crossed that the front moves through faster than predicted.
Are you watching Survivor? So good! Who will get voted out tonight? And what will Jeff and Dalton say about it tomorrow?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Less than 5 days to go...
I have one more run before Saturday's race and I'll likely do it on Wednesday. I ran 3 miles after work today and it's still pretty hot out there. I still ran at a pretty good pace (average 9:40 min./mile) and if I can run that fast on Saturday, I'll be a happy camper. I ran in my new shoes that I've been blaming for my aches and pains and didn't have any issues tonight. I laced them up differently and wonder if that made a difference. I also ran in my new t-shirt that was an early birthday present (similar to this one).
So far the weather forecast for Saturday is mostly cloudy with a low of 53 and a high of 66. I can live with that. Although since forecasts are rarely accurate this far out, maybe I'd be happier if they were predicting rain. In the end, it is what it is and I'll run anyway.
So far the weather forecast for Saturday is mostly cloudy with a low of 53 and a high of 66. I can live with that. Although since forecasts are rarely accurate this far out, maybe I'd be happier if they were predicting rain. In the end, it is what it is and I'll run anyway.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Toasty!
It was warm out there this weekend, to say the least. I only ran 8 miles this weekend and tried to get out there as early as possible to beat the heat but it was 10:30 by the time I was ready. I swear it takes me longer to get ready for my long runs than it does for me to get ready for work. I felt really good during today's run - no aches, no pains but my average pace was over 10.5 min/mile since it was so hot (over 80 degrees for the first time in how many months?). I actually was going to call it a day after 7 miles, stopped my watched, and started walking back to my car when I notice some cloud cover for the first time. After catching my breath and drinking some more water, I ran/walked the last mile. That mile alone took me 13:22.
Earlier this week, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill so I skipped 2 of my 4 runs this week. My heart just isn't in the training this time. I just know this is going to come back and bite me in the race - 6 days and counting... I just want a new half-marathon PR but I know the training I put in doesn't warrant one. So do I attempt a pace that may be too fast for me? When I think about my 2 half-marathons last year, my legs were dead tired during the first and felt like lead the entire race. I struggled to finish my second half because I was depending on Gatorade stops that were on the course map weren't actually on the course during race day. I stopped and walked about 1/2 mile in that race so neither race was an ideal performance. You just never know what the day will hold so you know I'll be obsessing about it all week. At least it will be a distraction from my birthday!
Earlier this week, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill so I skipped 2 of my 4 runs this week. My heart just isn't in the training this time. I just know this is going to come back and bite me in the race - 6 days and counting... I just want a new half-marathon PR but I know the training I put in doesn't warrant one. So do I attempt a pace that may be too fast for me? When I think about my 2 half-marathons last year, my legs were dead tired during the first and felt like lead the entire race. I struggled to finish my second half because I was depending on Gatorade stops that were on the course map weren't actually on the course during race day. I stopped and walked about 1/2 mile in that race so neither race was an ideal performance. You just never know what the day will hold so you know I'll be obsessing about it all week. At least it will be a distraction from my birthday!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I Have a Corral!
The race booklets have been mailed and corrals have been assigned. I'm in F - much better than being in R as last year. Bib numbers are given out as you register so I'm # 10991. I feel like the race should be this weekend. I'm ready to get it over with.
Not that I'm ready for some stellar performance or anything. My goal is to PR and beat a particular co-worker. I'm not so sure about the PR though. If it happens, it will be close. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill tonight because it's raining outside. Seems like it's been raining for weeks. I'll probably run again on Thursday and so far it looks like I can run outside based on the forecast.
For all you techies out there that have to have the latest and greatest, check out these upcoming fashions. Before clicking on the link, please note the video contains nudity! I don't want any complaints that I didn't warn you!
Not that I'm ready for some stellar performance or anything. My goal is to PR and beat a particular co-worker. I'm not so sure about the PR though. If it happens, it will be close. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill tonight because it's raining outside. Seems like it's been raining for weeks. I'll probably run again on Thursday and so far it looks like I can run outside based on the forecast.
For all you techies out there that have to have the latest and greatest, check out these upcoming fashions. Before clicking on the link, please note the video contains nudity! I don't want any complaints that I didn't warn you!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Some Days You Just Don't Have It
The plan was to do a long run this weekend of 14 miles. I would have been happy with 12 but I only made it 10 (with 2 long walk breaks at miles 7.2 and 9.25). I have a list of excuses 10 miles long but in the end, sometimes it's just not your day. The best thing I can do is learn from some of my mistakes (not eating enough, getting discouraged by a slower than normal pace) and learn how to adapt to things out of my control such as the warmer temperatures. In a few months, I'll probably be begging to run in 75 degree weather with a decent breeze but the first warm run of the year is always a challenge. In the end, it's better to have a rough day now than on race day :)
Today's adventure is the halibut enchiladas I have in the oven now. I was looking for something new to try with all the Alaskan halibut we have. How can you go wrong with enchilada sauce, sour cream and cheese?
Today's adventure is the halibut enchiladas I have in the oven now. I was looking for something new to try with all the Alaskan halibut we have. How can you go wrong with enchilada sauce, sour cream and cheese?
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Dragon Slayer
Did you see tonight's episode of Survivor?! It was a classic! There was never-ending entertainment. I can't wait to read the blogs of Jeff Probst and Dalton Ross.
So I was supposed to run two 4-mile runs this week. Based on the weather forecast, I had planned to do one yesterday and one today. I didn't pack my running gear yesterday so I could run before coming home so I'm sure you can see where this is leading... By the time I got home, my lack of motivation was too overwhelming to overcome and I convinced myself playing some Wii Sports would be an acceptable alternative to my run (while drinking beer). I didn't make the same mistake today so I changed at work and ran around a few neighborhoods near the office before getting in the car to head home. My run was pretty uneventful: pace around 10 min./mile (haven't downloaded the splits from my Garmin yet) and the weather was perfect. My nagging shin pain was back so I'm blaming it on my new shoes. I wore them on an outdoor run for the first time last week when this all started and wore them again tonight. Hopefully they just need some more breaking-in. I hate investing money in shoes that won't work for my picky legs and feet.
So I was supposed to run two 4-mile runs this week. Based on the weather forecast, I had planned to do one yesterday and one today. I didn't pack my running gear yesterday so I could run before coming home so I'm sure you can see where this is leading... By the time I got home, my lack of motivation was too overwhelming to overcome and I convinced myself playing some Wii Sports would be an acceptable alternative to my run (while drinking beer). I didn't make the same mistake today so I changed at work and ran around a few neighborhoods near the office before getting in the car to head home. My run was pretty uneventful: pace around 10 min./mile (haven't downloaded the splits from my Garmin yet) and the weather was perfect. My nagging shin pain was back so I'm blaming it on my new shoes. I wore them on an outdoor run for the first time last week when this all started and wore them again tonight. Hopefully they just need some more breaking-in. I hate investing money in shoes that won't work for my picky legs and feet.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Running With the Easter Bunny
Is it good luck if a bunny crosses your path? A rabbit crossed the local running path in front of me today and then raced along side of me for about 20 feet. He won the race but only because he's built for speed, not distance.
The plan today was to run 12 miles and stop immediately if any shin pain or discomfort started to get worse. I tried to keep a slow steady pace and ended up with an average pace of 10:12/mile. Somewhere between 6-7 miles, my legs stopped hurting but then I could feel a blister forming on one of my feet. The good news is that had my legs been 100%, it would have been a relatively easy run.
This coming week I'll be running two 4 mile runs during the week, a 14 mile long run and 3-4 mile recovery run on the weekend. This will be my first attempt at running more than 13.1 miles and while the training program doesn't require it, I wanted to do something new and different during my training to keep it exciting.
The plan today was to run 12 miles and stop immediately if any shin pain or discomfort started to get worse. I tried to keep a slow steady pace and ended up with an average pace of 10:12/mile. Somewhere between 6-7 miles, my legs stopped hurting but then I could feel a blister forming on one of my feet. The good news is that had my legs been 100%, it would have been a relatively easy run.
This coming week I'll be running two 4 mile runs during the week, a 14 mile long run and 3-4 mile recovery run on the weekend. This will be my first attempt at running more than 13.1 miles and while the training program doesn't require it, I wanted to do something new and different during my training to keep it exciting.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Test
Afraid that I would have issues running again, I only attempted 3 miles today around the neighborhood. I had to try hard to run slow and in good form (not lean forward too much) and was able to get it done with little pain in my lower legs. The good news is that I didn't have any deep shooting pains up my legs and the pain didn't get worse as I ran. Did I mention that as I type this I have ice packs strapped to my legs? Some ibuprofen would probably help heal whatever is going on down there.
I found this while researching shin splints/stress fractures this morning. Please note that the video link is not for the faint of heart. At this point the plan is to try 12 tomorrow and stop as soon as I feel anything wrong and call for a ride back to my car. I wouldn't want to have to crawl back on my hands and knees!
I found this while researching shin splints/stress fractures this morning. Please note that the video link is not for the faint of heart. At this point the plan is to try 12 tomorrow and stop as soon as I feel anything wrong and call for a ride back to my car. I wouldn't want to have to crawl back on my hands and knees!
Friday, April 10, 2009
To Mini or Not?
I was scheduled to run 4 miles twice mid-week before a long run of 12 this weekend and another short run of 3 or 4 miles. On Wednesday I ran around the neighborhood with 1 minute intervals at race pace with 2 minutes of recovery. In the end, my average mile pace was 9:26/mile which was almost a personal best.
On Thursday I ran on the local trails and attempted to make it easy. My average pace was 9:35/mile which I was pleased with except for the shooting pains up my lower legs that started after 2.5 miles. The short walk back to the car was almost unbearable and my legs throbbed on the way home. I attempted to stretch my legs well and elevate my feet as much as possible. I also iced them and took some ibuprofen and my legs felt better this morning so I was hoping the issue was temporary. As the day wore on, the pain started returning so I'm afraid this is more than just shin splints.
I read somewhere that if your shins hurt when you start running but the pain goes away as you continue to run, then you have shin splints. If the opposite happens, no pain at first but increases as you run further, then it's something more serious. So against my better judgement, I'm going to attempt a run tomorrow to see what happens. Not sure if I'll go out prepared to run the 3-4 miles or the 12...maybe it will depend on how my legs feel in the morning.
The bad news is that there aren't any medical deferrals for the Mini anymore and today was the last day to transfer your registration to another racer. So now if I can't run the Mini, I'm either out the money for registration or I have to find someone willing to pay to run under my name.
On Thursday I ran on the local trails and attempted to make it easy. My average pace was 9:35/mile which I was pleased with except for the shooting pains up my lower legs that started after 2.5 miles. The short walk back to the car was almost unbearable and my legs throbbed on the way home. I attempted to stretch my legs well and elevate my feet as much as possible. I also iced them and took some ibuprofen and my legs felt better this morning so I was hoping the issue was temporary. As the day wore on, the pain started returning so I'm afraid this is more than just shin splints.
I read somewhere that if your shins hurt when you start running but the pain goes away as you continue to run, then you have shin splints. If the opposite happens, no pain at first but increases as you run further, then it's something more serious. So against my better judgement, I'm going to attempt a run tomorrow to see what happens. Not sure if I'll go out prepared to run the 3-4 miles or the 12...maybe it will depend on how my legs feel in the morning.
The bad news is that there aren't any medical deferrals for the Mini anymore and today was the last day to transfer your registration to another racer. So now if I can't run the Mini, I'm either out the money for registration or I have to find someone willing to pay to run under my name.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
In the beginning...
I decided to start a blog since my mind wanders aimlessly while I run and I feel the need to regurgitate it after I finish. If I could do this while running, it would be even better but I haven't quite figured out the logistics of that yet...
So in the past 8 days of running, I have experienced the extremes and everything in between. Last weekend, my schedule had me running a 10 mile long run with a 4 mile easy run. I should have done the 10 miles on Saturday but after getting up early and going to the Honda dealership to get a new car, I convinced myself that I had been productive enough and just ran 4 miles around the neighborhood. So my only option was to run the 10 on Sunday in horrible weather. It was 40 degrees at the most, raining, snowing, and very windy. Thinking I had appropriate clothes for these conditions, I headed to the local park trails which I figured wouldn't be crowded. I was right - I think I saw a total of 5 other people during my 2 hours on the trail. I headed south which is all downhill and felt fine. My only grievance was that the Garmin was way off in my mileage. Mile 1 was about 1/10th of a mile too long and then mile 2 beeped at about 1.6 miles. I was a little irritated but kept going, trying to remember split times in my head. I turned around after about 4.2 miles figuring I could double back on my route to get my 10 miles total. Turns out that going back, I was heading into the wind. I still felt good after 6 miles but then I hit some serious uphills and gave into my head telling me I could take a short break for the next 2/10ths of a mile. I tried running again after that and was completely miserable. My feet slapped the ground as if I had wooden boards strapped to my feet and I just couldn't go on. At this point I was 1.6 miles from the car, wet, cold, and exhausted. With Mr. Thisgirlrunz' support via cell phone, I walked back to the car vowing to never run again. The icing on the cake was finding 2 bloody toes after returning home (the 5th toe on each foot).
Considering I'm already signed up for a spring half-marathon and a fall marathon, the never running again promise was broken on Tuesday. I was scheduled to run 4 miles but it was raining. I reconnected our extra TV to a DVD player, turned on Auntie Mame and slowly pounded out 3 miles on the treadmill (5.6) instead of the 4. Thursday I ran 4 on the local park trails and since I didn't do intervals on I tried to increase my speed as I went which wasn't difficult since the majority of the second half of my run was downhill. I also had extra motivation to hurry up and finish the run when my ipod battery died after 2 miles.
Saturday's long run was scheduled to be a step-back to 8 miles but since I didn't do 10 miles the week before, I changed the plan to the 10 miles I didn't accomplish last week. I headed out equipped w/ 20 oz. of Gatorade, 20 oz. of water and 2 packs of sport beans (I'm convinced my problem the week before was lack of fuel). This long run went exactly how their supposed to go. I tried to start out slow and keep my pace around 10:00 minute/mile. Overall my pace quickened slightly as I progressed which I was happy about considering the second half of my run was almost all up hill. (sound familiar - this can only make me stronger, right?)
Sunday's run was scheduled to be 3 miles. If the weather had cooperated, I would have run 4 outside to make up for the mile I missed on Tuesday but due to rain, I was back on the treadmill w/ Mame and Patrick. I considered going for 4 miles on the treadmill but my lower legs were aching so I decided to call it a day after 3. No sense in injuring myself for an extra mile, right?
So that adds up to 20 miles for the week. This coming week I should run, 4, 4, 12, and 4 miles (24 miles total) according to my schedule.
Highlights from this week's long run include: 2 dead birds smashed into the road, 13 "10"s on street signs/buildings/mailboxes, 2 Civic hybrids, one guy riding(?) one of these in full spandex, and one boy approx. 12 years old (clearly old enough to know better) urinating in public.
So in the past 8 days of running, I have experienced the extremes and everything in between. Last weekend, my schedule had me running a 10 mile long run with a 4 mile easy run. I should have done the 10 miles on Saturday but after getting up early and going to the Honda dealership to get a new car, I convinced myself that I had been productive enough and just ran 4 miles around the neighborhood. So my only option was to run the 10 on Sunday in horrible weather. It was 40 degrees at the most, raining, snowing, and very windy. Thinking I had appropriate clothes for these conditions, I headed to the local park trails which I figured wouldn't be crowded. I was right - I think I saw a total of 5 other people during my 2 hours on the trail. I headed south which is all downhill and felt fine. My only grievance was that the Garmin was way off in my mileage. Mile 1 was about 1/10th of a mile too long and then mile 2 beeped at about 1.6 miles. I was a little irritated but kept going, trying to remember split times in my head. I turned around after about 4.2 miles figuring I could double back on my route to get my 10 miles total. Turns out that going back, I was heading into the wind. I still felt good after 6 miles but then I hit some serious uphills and gave into my head telling me I could take a short break for the next 2/10ths of a mile. I tried running again after that and was completely miserable. My feet slapped the ground as if I had wooden boards strapped to my feet and I just couldn't go on. At this point I was 1.6 miles from the car, wet, cold, and exhausted. With Mr. Thisgirlrunz' support via cell phone, I walked back to the car vowing to never run again. The icing on the cake was finding 2 bloody toes after returning home (the 5th toe on each foot).
Considering I'm already signed up for a spring half-marathon and a fall marathon, the never running again promise was broken on Tuesday. I was scheduled to run 4 miles but it was raining. I reconnected our extra TV to a DVD player, turned on Auntie Mame and slowly pounded out 3 miles on the treadmill (5.6) instead of the 4. Thursday I ran 4 on the local park trails and since I didn't do intervals on I tried to increase my speed as I went which wasn't difficult since the majority of the second half of my run was downhill. I also had extra motivation to hurry up and finish the run when my ipod battery died after 2 miles.
Saturday's long run was scheduled to be a step-back to 8 miles but since I didn't do 10 miles the week before, I changed the plan to the 10 miles I didn't accomplish last week. I headed out equipped w/ 20 oz. of Gatorade, 20 oz. of water and 2 packs of sport beans (I'm convinced my problem the week before was lack of fuel). This long run went exactly how their supposed to go. I tried to start out slow and keep my pace around 10:00 minute/mile. Overall my pace quickened slightly as I progressed which I was happy about considering the second half of my run was almost all up hill. (sound familiar - this can only make me stronger, right?)
Sunday's run was scheduled to be 3 miles. If the weather had cooperated, I would have run 4 outside to make up for the mile I missed on Tuesday but due to rain, I was back on the treadmill w/ Mame and Patrick. I considered going for 4 miles on the treadmill but my lower legs were aching so I decided to call it a day after 3. No sense in injuring myself for an extra mile, right?
So that adds up to 20 miles for the week. This coming week I should run, 4, 4, 12, and 4 miles (24 miles total) according to my schedule.
Highlights from this week's long run include: 2 dead birds smashed into the road, 13 "10"s on street signs/buildings/mailboxes, 2 Civic hybrids, one guy riding(?) one of these in full spandex, and one boy approx. 12 years old (clearly old enough to know better) urinating in public.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Yes, I'm immature...
I doubt the truthfulness of this but it still cracks me up:
Worst race experience ever
Worst race experience ever
Saturday, March 28, 2009
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