...but I have a lot of them. The Dayton Marathon last Saturday was a disaster. Here's how it all went down:
Friday night, Matt and I drove up to Dayton from his house in Fairfield to get my race packet at the Nutter Center. We sat in traffic on Col Glenn Highway for about 45 minutes because of rush hour traffic and because the 5K race was going on at the same time and in the same location as packet pickup. So, we finally got there, got the packet, then headed back to the car. They weren't letting any cars out of the parking lot because they blocked off the road for the 5K. Seriously? The race planners didn't foresee this as a problem?
After finally getting out of the parking lot and getting some dinner and rest, I was up and ready to go Saturday morning for the race. Matt and I planned to leave by 6:30 for the 8:30 race, giving plenty of time for the 45 minute drive back up to Dayton and barring any traffic. What we hadn't planned for was spending an hour in the car on the expressway on-ramp with hundreds of other racers who appeared to be just as frustrated as me. Couldn't they have planned better for this? Perhaps a couple of crossing guards? I'm sure there was some way to move the traffic along a little better...
We finally got off the ramp and headed toward the parking lot, at about 8:15. The directions on the map were wrong, so we spent an extra 10 minutes confused and backtracking. If you're going to include maps in the race packet, maybe it would be a good idea to make sure the map is accurate? Just a suggestion. So, we finally get out of the car and onto a shuttle bus which is to carry us to the start line. Actually it turned out to be about a 1/2 mile from the start line. While some people got out of the bus and chose to run to the start line to make it by the gun, I chose to walk. I figure I am going to be running 13 miles, there's really no need to add another 0.5.
I felt pretty good through the first 6-7 miles. However, the scenery at the Air Force base left much to be desired. I was hoping we'd be running along the flight path and get to see some planes land, or see some of the historic sights of Wright-Patt. Um, no. We ran past a meadow, through a parking lot, and onto a freeway on ramp. Booo-ring. While I felt good and was on a good pace, at about mile 9 I started feeling it. I was ready for the one big hill at the beginning of the race, and tackled it with no problem, but the hills in miles 9-11 did me in. I ran the first one completely, but I had to walk the second two. I walked a little of the flat parts too, and by mile 12 I was doing more walking than running. My split time for the Pig in May was 2:21 and I came in a full 10 minutes after at 2:31 for this race. Disappointing to say the least. But at least I finished.
After the race, all I wanted to do was get back to the car and get home. Unfortunately, the entire race field was thinking the same thing, and the line for the shuttles back to the parking was hundreds of people deep. Rather than wait an hour for the shuttle, we decided to walk the 2 miles back to the car. Thanks a lot Dayton Marathon, great job of planning. Let's just say I won't be signing up again next year.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
13, 29 and My Achilles Heel
It wasn't very long ago that 13 meant halfway. 13 miles was easy... a "short" long run. In training for the Dayton half marathon next weekend, I've had to redefine 13 miles again. I had a great 12-mile run a few weeks ago, but since then, training has been brutal. Somewhere, somehow in the past month, I strained my right achilles tendon and last week's final 13 mile run before the race ended up being only 11 miles and 2 miles of walking. Furthermore, I haven't been hitting the gym as much or as hard as I should. Partly, the achilles injury has been an easy excuse for not having the kind of dedication I usually do, but what it really comes down to is that I'm distracted.
The reason for my distraction is the monumental task of moving. I hate moving. I mean I really, really hate moving. But, I'm also excited because I love the new condo I just purchased and am soon going to be enjoying the benefits of home ownership. I will be closing in about two weeks, and I don't even know where to begin with packing. I just don't know how an individual is capable of accumulating so much crap.
I'm trying not to focus on the actual move since it overwhelms me, and so I choose to instead focus more on how much I'll enjoy living in my new place. My new address number is 2909, and while that didn't mean anything to me when I put in my bid, it was later pointed out to me that it is a fitting number, given that my birthday is 09/29. So cool! And I will be closing on or about 9/29 to boot! What a great birthday present, huh?
Getting out of my apartment full of (currently empty) moving boxes and out on the open road at Wright-Patt next Saturday will be a refreshing break. I had hoped to be in a better place with my running right now. I wanted to run this half marathon faster than my Pig split time, but I just haven't been able to get my speed back to where it was pre-Pig. While it would be easy to get discouraged about my speed (and my injury), I am still keeping up the distance. Just the fact that I can physically go out and run 13 miles is still an accomplishment, and is amazing considering where I came from. I'll be 33 years old on 09/29, and this birthday reminds me of the goal I set for myself on my 30th birthday to lose 100 pounds and get healthy. Three years later, I'm continuing to maintain my weight loss. I may not be running nine-minute miles like I hoped I would, but at least I'm still out there every weekend pounding the pavement. And for now, in the whirlwind of all my distractions, that is good enough for me.
The reason for my distraction is the monumental task of moving. I hate moving. I mean I really, really hate moving. But, I'm also excited because I love the new condo I just purchased and am soon going to be enjoying the benefits of home ownership. I will be closing in about two weeks, and I don't even know where to begin with packing. I just don't know how an individual is capable of accumulating so much crap.
I'm trying not to focus on the actual move since it overwhelms me, and so I choose to instead focus more on how much I'll enjoy living in my new place. My new address number is 2909, and while that didn't mean anything to me when I put in my bid, it was later pointed out to me that it is a fitting number, given that my birthday is 09/29. So cool! And I will be closing on or about 9/29 to boot! What a great birthday present, huh?
Getting out of my apartment full of (currently empty) moving boxes and out on the open road at Wright-Patt next Saturday will be a refreshing break. I had hoped to be in a better place with my running right now. I wanted to run this half marathon faster than my Pig split time, but I just haven't been able to get my speed back to where it was pre-Pig. While it would be easy to get discouraged about my speed (and my injury), I am still keeping up the distance. Just the fact that I can physically go out and run 13 miles is still an accomplishment, and is amazing considering where I came from. I'll be 33 years old on 09/29, and this birthday reminds me of the goal I set for myself on my 30th birthday to lose 100 pounds and get healthy. Three years later, I'm continuing to maintain my weight loss. I may not be running nine-minute miles like I hoped I would, but at least I'm still out there every weekend pounding the pavement. And for now, in the whirlwind of all my distractions, that is good enough for me.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Ch-ch-ch-changes
I haven't felt this way in a long time. When I was 22, my dad retired from GE and sold the house in Anderson that I grew up in. I graduated from college and got an actual 8-5 day job where I didn't have to punch a time clock and had health insurance. I rented a cute little 1-bedroom apartment in Ft. Thomas, bought my own furniture and decorated my new space. My parents, whom I never thought of as "old," bought a condo and started spending their winters in Florida. I earned a master's degree, lost a job, and moved back in with my parents, whom I realized were officially old. I woke every morning during my early 20s and felt the earth spinning out of control as the days passed more quickly than I could handle. My life was changing, fast.
After a few years of what seemed like constant change, I settled into my life, and the earth's rotation slowed down enough for me to enjoy it. I got a good job, rented an apartment with two bedrooms, found the love of my life, lost the love of my life, got a promotion, rented an even better apartment, lost 100 pounds, found another love of my life, lost love again, and ran a marathon. For some reason, those big changes didn't seem so big. Through all those experiences, I felt sturdy, grounded and in full control of my decisions.
****
Last week, I bought new running shoes. Such a minor thing, I know, but it set off something inside me that I didn't know was there. I'm not running in the shoes that I ran my first marathon in anymore. I'm keeping my old pair, of course, as a memento of my accomplishment, but they've been retired. The chapter of my life involving my first pair of Adidas Supernovas has come and gone, and that makes me sad. But, as I inspected the new pair yesterday, I considered the possible stories their journey would tell. Where would these shoes go? How many times would I run up the hill on Gilbert in these? Would I slosh through a pop-up rain shower in them? How fast could I go in them? As I wondered what was ahead for my new shoes, and looked at those clean, springy new Supernovas, I realized that I wasn't just thinking about shoes.
I learned this week that Meters & Miles is being sold, and will soon turn into a Running Spot. I'm so sad that I will be losing the place (and the people) that helped me acheive one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. On the other hand, I'm looking forward to seeing how it all turns out, and to the new opportunities and different experiences I may have when the store changes hands.
Outside of my running life, too, changes are all around me. My brother Nick is getting married and moving to a new house waaaay out in Milford. I see my friends, too, moving in with significant others, getting married, buying homes and having kids. When did they all grow up? I'm changing too. The fun party girl who wouldn't dream of missing a CSL happy hour is somehow content with spending most Friday nights carb-loading and resting up for long Saturday runs. I'm not using my credit card anymore, and am developing into a responsible spender (thanks in part to a new boyfriend who has pointed out the foolishness of financing a round of shots at the bar). And, this is the biggie-- I'm finally planning on making a long-term life change by buying a condo. I won't have a kick-ass city view anymore, but I will have 8,000 more dollars in my pocket thanks to the first-time homebuyers credit. It's responsible. But it's a big commitment that's scary, stressful, and I don't know how it will all turn out. For the first time in a long time, I'm taking big risks. The world is spinning fast again, and there's nothing else to do but hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
After a few years of what seemed like constant change, I settled into my life, and the earth's rotation slowed down enough for me to enjoy it. I got a good job, rented an apartment with two bedrooms, found the love of my life, lost the love of my life, got a promotion, rented an even better apartment, lost 100 pounds, found another love of my life, lost love again, and ran a marathon. For some reason, those big changes didn't seem so big. Through all those experiences, I felt sturdy, grounded and in full control of my decisions.
****
Last week, I bought new running shoes. Such a minor thing, I know, but it set off something inside me that I didn't know was there. I'm not running in the shoes that I ran my first marathon in anymore. I'm keeping my old pair, of course, as a memento of my accomplishment, but they've been retired. The chapter of my life involving my first pair of Adidas Supernovas has come and gone, and that makes me sad. But, as I inspected the new pair yesterday, I considered the possible stories their journey would tell. Where would these shoes go? How many times would I run up the hill on Gilbert in these? Would I slosh through a pop-up rain shower in them? How fast could I go in them? As I wondered what was ahead for my new shoes, and looked at those clean, springy new Supernovas, I realized that I wasn't just thinking about shoes.
I learned this week that Meters & Miles is being sold, and will soon turn into a Running Spot. I'm so sad that I will be losing the place (and the people) that helped me acheive one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. On the other hand, I'm looking forward to seeing how it all turns out, and to the new opportunities and different experiences I may have when the store changes hands.
Outside of my running life, too, changes are all around me. My brother Nick is getting married and moving to a new house waaaay out in Milford. I see my friends, too, moving in with significant others, getting married, buying homes and having kids. When did they all grow up? I'm changing too. The fun party girl who wouldn't dream of missing a CSL happy hour is somehow content with spending most Friday nights carb-loading and resting up for long Saturday runs. I'm not using my credit card anymore, and am developing into a responsible spender (thanks in part to a new boyfriend who has pointed out the foolishness of financing a round of shots at the bar). And, this is the biggie-- I'm finally planning on making a long-term life change by buying a condo. I won't have a kick-ass city view anymore, but I will have 8,000 more dollars in my pocket thanks to the first-time homebuyers credit. It's responsible. But it's a big commitment that's scary, stressful, and I don't know how it will all turn out. For the first time in a long time, I'm taking big risks. The world is spinning fast again, and there's nothing else to do but hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
I'm back!
It's been so long since I've blogged, I'm not really sure where to start. So, here goes...
I pretty much still don't understand how three months ago, I ran 26.2 miles and now it takes everything out of me just to get up to running double-digit mileage. I started 3 weeks ago by planning to run 10 miles and I decided the best place to "get my feet wet" again was Lunken Aiport. Lunken has a lot of benefits for 10-mile runs: 1.) It's flat, flat, flat, 2.) It's a 5-mile loop so if you park in the middle, you can re-hydrate halfway through and 3.) Further to point #2, if you don't think you can run the whole 10, you can bail out and just run 5 (but feel like you suck). So, a few Sundays ago, I went out there and got down to business. I got through 5 miles fairly easily, and eked out the last 5 with some difficulty, but it wasn't too, too bad and boosted my confidence quite a bit, since I hadn't run that far since the marathon in May.
Once I had the first 10-miler under my belt, I felt confident enough to go run 9 miles with my Meters & Miles group the following Saturday. I did everything right -- had a good high-carb dinner, rested my legs Friday, and got to bed early. When I woke up at 6:00 a.m., it was pouring rain and I heard rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightening. "Okay," I thought, "We're probably not meeting for the run." I turned off my alarm and rolled over and went back to sleep. About a half hour later, nature called, so I got up and looked out the window. It was like I woke up on a completely different day! There was no rain, and the sky was only partly cloudy. I checked out weather.com, and it verified that the rain had passed temporarily and wouldn't start again until after noon.
I hemmed and hawed about what to do. I wanted to run because I had planned to run and prepared well for it, the weather was great (especially for mid-July) and I was ready to go. After screwing around for 45 minutes on Map My Run looking for a decent 9 or 10 mile route, I reluctantly chose to head back to Lunken. In doing so, I also made a promise to myself to try to be more adventurous in trying out new routes in the future.
I wanted to change things up a little from the previous week as not to get bored, so when I got to Lunken I parked at the airport instead of at the beginning of the trail on Wilmer. I almost decided to run the loop counter-clockwise to mix it up even more, but I decided not to get too crazy. I fed the parking meter (which I'm not sure you even have to do there on Saturdays, but best to err on the side of caution, I figured) and off I went. The first 5 miles were fairly easy again, but once I got back to my car for loop 2, I saw an ominous black sky in the distance. I decided to go for it anyway... maybe I could outrun it?
As you may have already guess, it turns out I couldn't run faster than the giant cloud of doom (though it certainly caused me to pick up the pace quite a bit) and at 7 and 1/2 miles in, the rain started to drip-drip. By mile 8, I was running through a torrential downpour. I honestly felt like I was in the middle of a hurricane. Stupid weather.com and it's innacurate forecast.
One other cute sidenote from my run in the rain... As soon as the rain started falling, I had to laugh at my iPod Shuffle's sense of irony. Despite being on the "random" setting, this song came on. Jamming out to Superchick and sloshing my way back to my car, it occured to me that I should have been miserable right then. I wasn't -- I loved every splishy-splashy second of it. It reminded me of just how much I love running.
With renewed energy after my second Lunken run, I made a plan to run 14 miles with my group last Saturday. If you're thinking that stepping up from 10 to 14 miles in one week is too ambitious, you are correct. Despite my best effort, I only got through 11 1/2 of the 14 (and the last mile was torture). Luckily, Bill from our group (the "waterboy" for this run) was able to drive me back to my car so that I didn't have to walk the last 2 1/2 miles. (This is one of the perks of running with a group.) I felt a little defeated after not making the whole 14, but seeing as I'm not actually training for a full marathon, and the half marathon I am doing isn't for another month and a half, I feel really good about my progress.
I do not, however, feel good about how much ice cream I've been eating lately. Luckily I am back to running enough to counteract the effects of all the turtle sundaes, but jeez... I really have a problem.
I pretty much still don't understand how three months ago, I ran 26.2 miles and now it takes everything out of me just to get up to running double-digit mileage. I started 3 weeks ago by planning to run 10 miles and I decided the best place to "get my feet wet" again was Lunken Aiport. Lunken has a lot of benefits for 10-mile runs: 1.) It's flat, flat, flat, 2.) It's a 5-mile loop so if you park in the middle, you can re-hydrate halfway through and 3.) Further to point #2, if you don't think you can run the whole 10, you can bail out and just run 5 (but feel like you suck). So, a few Sundays ago, I went out there and got down to business. I got through 5 miles fairly easily, and eked out the last 5 with some difficulty, but it wasn't too, too bad and boosted my confidence quite a bit, since I hadn't run that far since the marathon in May.
Once I had the first 10-miler under my belt, I felt confident enough to go run 9 miles with my Meters & Miles group the following Saturday. I did everything right -- had a good high-carb dinner, rested my legs Friday, and got to bed early. When I woke up at 6:00 a.m., it was pouring rain and I heard rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightening. "Okay," I thought, "We're probably not meeting for the run." I turned off my alarm and rolled over and went back to sleep. About a half hour later, nature called, so I got up and looked out the window. It was like I woke up on a completely different day! There was no rain, and the sky was only partly cloudy. I checked out weather.com, and it verified that the rain had passed temporarily and wouldn't start again until after noon.
I hemmed and hawed about what to do. I wanted to run because I had planned to run and prepared well for it, the weather was great (especially for mid-July) and I was ready to go. After screwing around for 45 minutes on Map My Run looking for a decent 9 or 10 mile route, I reluctantly chose to head back to Lunken. In doing so, I also made a promise to myself to try to be more adventurous in trying out new routes in the future.
I wanted to change things up a little from the previous week as not to get bored, so when I got to Lunken I parked at the airport instead of at the beginning of the trail on Wilmer. I almost decided to run the loop counter-clockwise to mix it up even more, but I decided not to get too crazy. I fed the parking meter (which I'm not sure you even have to do there on Saturdays, but best to err on the side of caution, I figured) and off I went. The first 5 miles were fairly easy again, but once I got back to my car for loop 2, I saw an ominous black sky in the distance. I decided to go for it anyway... maybe I could outrun it?
As you may have already guess, it turns out I couldn't run faster than the giant cloud of doom (though it certainly caused me to pick up the pace quite a bit) and at 7 and 1/2 miles in, the rain started to drip-drip. By mile 8, I was running through a torrential downpour. I honestly felt like I was in the middle of a hurricane. Stupid weather.com and it's innacurate forecast.
One other cute sidenote from my run in the rain... As soon as the rain started falling, I had to laugh at my iPod Shuffle's sense of irony. Despite being on the "random" setting, this song came on. Jamming out to Superchick and sloshing my way back to my car, it occured to me that I should have been miserable right then. I wasn't -- I loved every splishy-splashy second of it. It reminded me of just how much I love running.
With renewed energy after my second Lunken run, I made a plan to run 14 miles with my group last Saturday. If you're thinking that stepping up from 10 to 14 miles in one week is too ambitious, you are correct. Despite my best effort, I only got through 11 1/2 of the 14 (and the last mile was torture). Luckily, Bill from our group (the "waterboy" for this run) was able to drive me back to my car so that I didn't have to walk the last 2 1/2 miles. (This is one of the perks of running with a group.) I felt a little defeated after not making the whole 14, but seeing as I'm not actually training for a full marathon, and the half marathon I am doing isn't for another month and a half, I feel really good about my progress.
I do not, however, feel good about how much ice cream I've been eating lately. Luckily I am back to running enough to counteract the effects of all the turtle sundaes, but jeez... I really have a problem.
Monday, July 6, 2009
My triumphant return to group running
A few of the many, many excuses I've had for not running with my Meters & Miles group for the last 4-5 Saturdays are: 1.) Too hot, 2.) Too early, and 3.) Don't feel like it.
Emerging from my post-marathon funk hasn't been quick or easy. I've gotten back up to running 8 miles, but that doesn't really count because it was on a treadmill. I've only run outside a handful of times outdoors since May and they've been short runs.
This weekend we didn't have a group run on Saturday due to the Fourth, so instead M&M scheduled 7-mile group runs on both Friday and Sunday mornings. Surely I could make one (or both) of those?
Well...Friday didn't happen. 7 a.m. came and went as I was delightfully snoozing away. After being a little mad at myself for being lazy, I opted to run at my parents' house at about noontime. My parents live smack dab in the middle of Oakbrook, which has a great 2 1/2 mile walking path along the main road. The terrain is fairly flat, but has one monster hill in the middle, and a couple of other little ones here and there. If I run it from my parents condo in the middle, then out to Oakbrook Drive, and run from one end to the other and back, it's just under 5 and 1/2 miles. Although it would have been a little cooler earlier (if I had been able to wake up and get motivated), the weather was pleasant at noon and there was a nice breeze. I did the run in just under an hour. I know I've done it faster, but I'm giving myself a grade of "not too shabby" for the first stab at it in a while.
After lots of food, drinks and fireworks on Saturday, I went to bed early to attempt to make it to the 8 a.m. group run. Despite a restless night of sleep, I was actually able to wake up in time to head down to Newport to Meters & Miles for the 7-miler. The weather was perfect -- 60s with a little misty rain. Upon arriving, it became clear that I was going to be the slowest in the group (by far) and I was also the only skirt. Me and my entourage of dudes planned to run the floodwall route through Newport, Bellevue and Dayton. The route being very flat, along with the weather, made it easier to push myself to go a little faster than normal. My pace was 10:23, so I finally am getting back to my pre-marathon speed.
I'm giving myself a grade of "pretty good" for Sunday, and am looking forward to improving more over the summer for the group runs... that is, assuming I can actually motivate myself to go.
Emerging from my post-marathon funk hasn't been quick or easy. I've gotten back up to running 8 miles, but that doesn't really count because it was on a treadmill. I've only run outside a handful of times outdoors since May and they've been short runs.
This weekend we didn't have a group run on Saturday due to the Fourth, so instead M&M scheduled 7-mile group runs on both Friday and Sunday mornings. Surely I could make one (or both) of those?
Well...Friday didn't happen. 7 a.m. came and went as I was delightfully snoozing away. After being a little mad at myself for being lazy, I opted to run at my parents' house at about noontime. My parents live smack dab in the middle of Oakbrook, which has a great 2 1/2 mile walking path along the main road. The terrain is fairly flat, but has one monster hill in the middle, and a couple of other little ones here and there. If I run it from my parents condo in the middle, then out to Oakbrook Drive, and run from one end to the other and back, it's just under 5 and 1/2 miles. Although it would have been a little cooler earlier (if I had been able to wake up and get motivated), the weather was pleasant at noon and there was a nice breeze. I did the run in just under an hour. I know I've done it faster, but I'm giving myself a grade of "not too shabby" for the first stab at it in a while.
After lots of food, drinks and fireworks on Saturday, I went to bed early to attempt to make it to the 8 a.m. group run. Despite a restless night of sleep, I was actually able to wake up in time to head down to Newport to Meters & Miles for the 7-miler. The weather was perfect -- 60s with a little misty rain. Upon arriving, it became clear that I was going to be the slowest in the group (by far) and I was also the only skirt. Me and my entourage of dudes planned to run the floodwall route through Newport, Bellevue and Dayton. The route being very flat, along with the weather, made it easier to push myself to go a little faster than normal. My pace was 10:23, so I finally am getting back to my pre-marathon speed.
I'm giving myself a grade of "pretty good" for Sunday, and am looking forward to improving more over the summer for the group runs... that is, assuming I can actually motivate myself to go.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Reading Recap and Multiple Illnesses
It all started with the tots.
Friday night I was planning on taking it easy since I wanted to get to bed early and do well at the KCPL Racing to Read 5K on Saturday morning. My friend Jenn invited me to a happy hour on Friday evening that seemed right up the "taking it easy" alley. Her boyfriend Shane, who is the reigning 2009 Cincinnati Tater Tot Eating Champion, was granted an all-you-can-eat tot party for 20 of his closest friends by Bar Louie (who sponsored the tot-eating contest) as part of his victory spoils. So at 5 p.m., I was at Bar Louie and hungry for tots.
I'm not sure whether it was the tots, too many Blue Moons, or some of the crap I ate later that evening, but by about midnight, I felt not-so-great. After a few hours of bellyache followed by a violent exorcism of evil from my digestive tract, I got some sleep and was feeling bright and chipper by morning.
My brother Nick called me at about 8. He had made a last-minute decision to come run the 5K with me. Despite the previous evening's illness, the run went well. My goal is to get my 5K time under 30 minutes this summer, and so coming in at 30:35 was not too shabby for the first try. I was impressed that my brother (who is a great athlete but not a runner) was able to keep up with me through the whole race.
After the race, we gobbled up our free pancakes from First Watch, and I headed home to get showered and changed for football. Football was exhausting after the race, but the rest of the weekend was a lot of fun. Matt and I took the Gangsters, Gamblers, and Girls tour of Newport Saturday night, and it was really interesting and entertaining. So much history; it was just fascinating. They are going to be running the tour again in the fall, and I highly recommend checking it out.
Monday night I got through a mile on the treadmill before feeling crampy. Something was definitely wrong. I had a restless night of sleep, then woke up feeling worse Tuesday. After about an hour at the office, it became apparent that whatever it was wasn't going away. I took the rest of the day off, and spent most of it hugging porcelain. By mid-afternoon, I was feeling a little better and gingerly sipped down a vanilla milkshake. Things got better from there. Today, I am back to about 99%.
I'm pretty sure I've narrowed down the possible causes of my second illness to some mediterranean rice and bean salad that I ate Monday afternoon. I got it off the olive bar at Kroger. I guess the fact that there is a sneeze-guard on those things should have sent up a red flag... ugh.
So, two lessons learned: 1.) No more food from anything under a sneeze guard and 2.) Tots should be eaten in moderation.
Friday night I was planning on taking it easy since I wanted to get to bed early and do well at the KCPL Racing to Read 5K on Saturday morning. My friend Jenn invited me to a happy hour on Friday evening that seemed right up the "taking it easy" alley. Her boyfriend Shane, who is the reigning 2009 Cincinnati Tater Tot Eating Champion, was granted an all-you-can-eat tot party for 20 of his closest friends by Bar Louie (who sponsored the tot-eating contest) as part of his victory spoils. So at 5 p.m., I was at Bar Louie and hungry for tots.
I'm not sure whether it was the tots, too many Blue Moons, or some of the crap I ate later that evening, but by about midnight, I felt not-so-great. After a few hours of bellyache followed by a violent exorcism of evil from my digestive tract, I got some sleep and was feeling bright and chipper by morning.
My brother Nick called me at about 8. He had made a last-minute decision to come run the 5K with me. Despite the previous evening's illness, the run went well. My goal is to get my 5K time under 30 minutes this summer, and so coming in at 30:35 was not too shabby for the first try. I was impressed that my brother (who is a great athlete but not a runner) was able to keep up with me through the whole race.
After the race, we gobbled up our free pancakes from First Watch, and I headed home to get showered and changed for football. Football was exhausting after the race, but the rest of the weekend was a lot of fun. Matt and I took the Gangsters, Gamblers, and Girls tour of Newport Saturday night, and it was really interesting and entertaining. So much history; it was just fascinating. They are going to be running the tour again in the fall, and I highly recommend checking it out.
Monday night I got through a mile on the treadmill before feeling crampy. Something was definitely wrong. I had a restless night of sleep, then woke up feeling worse Tuesday. After about an hour at the office, it became apparent that whatever it was wasn't going away. I took the rest of the day off, and spent most of it hugging porcelain. By mid-afternoon, I was feeling a little better and gingerly sipped down a vanilla milkshake. Things got better from there. Today, I am back to about 99%.
I'm pretty sure I've narrowed down the possible causes of my second illness to some mediterranean rice and bean salad that I ate Monday afternoon. I got it off the olive bar at Kroger. I guess the fact that there is a sneeze-guard on those things should have sent up a red flag... ugh.
So, two lessons learned: 1.) No more food from anything under a sneeze guard and 2.) Tots should be eaten in moderation.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Back in action, reluctantly
While my head is still in Vegas sipping a cocktail by the pool, my body is finally coming to terms with being back in Cincinnati. (I might have to be back from vacation, but I don't have to like it.) After a week of gluttony at 5-star restaurants and buffets, I am trying to refocus on my fitness. It hasn't been easy.
After taking last Wednesday and Thursday off of running, on Friday and Saturday I was ready to attack some respectable mileage. I did a combined 11 miles (7 Friday night and 4 Saturday morning). I am finding that doing a shot of Gu before my runs gives me a little extra "oomph" to get past the 4-5 mile mark. While my body is sending me messages that I should still be taking it easy after the marathon, I know the only way to get over the hump is to slurp up my Gu and suck up my pain.
After 11 miles in two days, I also played flag football Saturday afternoon. More specifically, I played the whole game (40 minutes), with no subs. While I was okay afterward, I really started feeling it while hoofing up the steps to the 500-level at the Reds game Saturday night. At least it was worth it; the Reds took home the victory in extra innings.
After lazing about on Sunday, this week I've been trying to hit the gym harder: I did an easy 4 miles Monday plus Group Power class, then last night I did a 30-minute abs class plus a fast 3-miler. Tonight I'm planning on 5-6 miles (probably on the treadmill due to the rain) and tomorrow I'm doing something called FitCamp, which I have a sneaking suspicion is going to be crazy-hard and will make it difficult for me to sit down or stand up for a few days.
On Saturday, I'll be participating in my first race since the Flying Pig. I'll be running the KCPL Racing to Read 5K. While I know it actually helps fund the Kenton County Public Library, I really wanted to do it because it sounds like the kind of race that might help support The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good... "What is this? A center for ants? How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read if they can't even fit inside the building?"
After taking last Wednesday and Thursday off of running, on Friday and Saturday I was ready to attack some respectable mileage. I did a combined 11 miles (7 Friday night and 4 Saturday morning). I am finding that doing a shot of Gu before my runs gives me a little extra "oomph" to get past the 4-5 mile mark. While my body is sending me messages that I should still be taking it easy after the marathon, I know the only way to get over the hump is to slurp up my Gu and suck up my pain.
After 11 miles in two days, I also played flag football Saturday afternoon. More specifically, I played the whole game (40 minutes), with no subs. While I was okay afterward, I really started feeling it while hoofing up the steps to the 500-level at the Reds game Saturday night. At least it was worth it; the Reds took home the victory in extra innings.
After lazing about on Sunday, this week I've been trying to hit the gym harder: I did an easy 4 miles Monday plus Group Power class, then last night I did a 30-minute abs class plus a fast 3-miler. Tonight I'm planning on 5-6 miles (probably on the treadmill due to the rain) and tomorrow I'm doing something called FitCamp, which I have a sneaking suspicion is going to be crazy-hard and will make it difficult for me to sit down or stand up for a few days.
On Saturday, I'll be participating in my first race since the Flying Pig. I'll be running the KCPL Racing to Read 5K. While I know it actually helps fund the Kenton County Public Library, I really wanted to do it because it sounds like the kind of race that might help support The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good... "What is this? A center for ants? How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read if they can't even fit inside the building?"
Friday, June 5, 2009
Vegas Recap
I could go on and on and on and on about how much fun I had in Vegas and all the cool stuff we did, but I don't want to write a whole novel about it (and I doubt anyone would want to read it), I'll just stick to some of my favorite highlights:
Stumbling into lions: After flying in late Saturday night, we got up early Sunday and started exploring the Strip. Matt has been to Vegas tons of times, so he was a great tour guide. While wandering through MGM Grand, we noticed a large mountain lion exhibit. We found out that in just 15 minutes from now there would be a live show and feeding. So we grabbed a cocktail (there's nothing like rum in the a.m.), and waited for the lions to make their appearance. Two 1500-lb. mountain lions wandered out of the den and showed off for the crowd.
The Palazzo: The first night in Vegas we stayed at the Mirage, and the room was acceptable but not fantastic. I wasn't complaining, but I certainly wasn't impressed. Little did I realize Sunday that we were about to get an upgrade. Matt kept this as a surprise - for the rest of the week we'd be staying at the Palazzo, which was about 1,000 times nicer than the Mirage and probably the nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in (I say probably just because the suite I stayed in at the Galt House in Louisville a few years ago is right up there with this one). Palazzo means "palace" in Italian, and our room felt like a palace.
Swimming with the fishes: It worked out really that Matt likes to gamble and I like to lay by the pool. On Monday we headed to downtown Vegas at the Golden Nugget. I spent the afternoon outside in their kick-ass pool with a shark tank in the middle of it, while Matt played Craps inside (he lost, but made most of it back on roulette...lucky, lucky).
Stumbling into lions: After flying in late Saturday night, we got up early Sunday and started exploring the Strip. Matt has been to Vegas tons of times, so he was a great tour guide. While wandering through MGM Grand, we noticed a large mountain lion exhibit. We found out that in just 15 minutes from now there would be a live show and feeding. So we grabbed a cocktail (there's nothing like rum in the a.m.), and waited for the lions to make their appearance. Two 1500-lb. mountain lions wandered out of the den and showed off for the crowd. The Palazzo: The first night in Vegas we stayed at the Mirage, and the room was acceptable but not fantastic. I wasn't complaining, but I certainly wasn't impressed. Little did I realize Sunday that we were about to get an upgrade. Matt kept this as a surprise - for the rest of the week we'd be staying at the Palazzo, which was about 1,000 times nicer than the Mirage and probably the nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in (I say probably just because the suite I stayed in at the Galt House in Louisville a few years ago is right up there with this one). Palazzo means "palace" in Italian, and our room felt like a palace.
Swimming with the fishes: It worked out really that Matt likes to gamble and I like to lay by the pool. On Monday we headed to downtown Vegas at the Golden Nugget. I spent the afternoon outside in their kick-ass pool with a shark tank in the middle of it, while Matt played Craps inside (he lost, but made most of it back on roulette...lucky, lucky). Joining a gym: Yep, only I would join a gym while on vacation. When I realized on Monday that there wasn't a free gym in the hotel, I knew I'd go crazy without getting in at least a few workouts (especially with all the great food we were eating!). So I decided to join the Canyon Ranch for two days. Not only did I get in 10 miles on the treadmill and a Pilates class, I also treated myself to some crazy spa treatments including a Finnish sauna (relaxing), an Aquavana bath (odd) and a shower called "tropical rain storm" (get me out of here, I hate this!).
The food was delicious, especially our steaks at Table 10 (Emeril Lagasse's restaurant) and the buffet at the Wynn (I had at least 4 different desserts, all tasty). The weather was perfect, especially since I spent two afternoons working on my tan (I still can't find it). I learned how to play Craps, and got to help out by rolling the dice a few times, but I don't see myself ever actually placing a bet. I just can't see risking $50-$100 that could be better spent on a cute handbag.
Matt fake-tried to throw me over both the Stratosphere and the Hoover Dam, but then made it up to me and then some by buying me some beautiful pink heart-shaped Saworski crystal earrings with some of his winnings. We spent 4 days there but there's still so much more we wanted to do and see. Also, I'll need to get another one of these:
(Yep, it's a margarita shaped like a football.)
What a great trip! I'm very seriously looking into going back soon. There's a half-marathon there on December 6th. Hmmm...
Friday, May 22, 2009
Yuck Update and Vegas
For those who were worried, my yuck-procedure went just fine on Wednesday. I started off the morning by getting in 6 miles on the treadmill. I knew I'd be pigging out later, so I wanted to counteract it with some serious pre-calorie-burning. After my run, I headed over to my parents' condo in Florence so that my dad could take me to my appointment. When I got there, my parents were arguing about the kitchen disposal. They were both being comically irrational, so I was glad that it was time for my dad to take me to St. Luke. They definitely needed some time apart.
Once I got to the hospital and got checked in, I was irritated by the fact that it took 40 minutes of waiting in a room full of people (must of whom I suspect did not have insurance). Once I finally got in to the room, I shifted my emotions from irritated to nervous. My strategy for coping with it was to just remind myself that I ran a marathon, so this couldn't possibly be any more painful. And it wasn't. I spent the rest of the day Wednesday chilling out at my parents' house and eating Panera bagels (french toast bagels with honey-walnut cream cheese....mmmm). I had some pain, but my drug dealer (mom) gave me one of her "good" pills, so the rest of the evening was smooooooth sailing. I planned to take off Thursday as well, just in case I was still feeling yucky. However, I woke up Thursday feeling pretty decent, so I spent the day shopping and even felt good enough to go to my abs/kickbox class last night. I think I overdid it though, because I'm not feeling so hot today. Maybe it's just that I had to come back to work today...blah. I imagine that I'll magically feel much, much better come 4:00. Funny how that is, isn't it?
On a much more exciting note, I'm going to Las Vegas next week! I haven't been there since I've been an adult. We went there on my family's Griswald-esque "out west" vacation when I was 5 years old, but I don't remember much. We are departing next Saturday (the 30th) for 4 days. I haven't had a true vacation in quite a while, so I am looking forward to it. I'm not much of a gambler, so if anyone has any suggestions of things to do out there that do not involve cards, chips or dice, please send them my way.
Note to self: Watch Swingers for the forty-billionth time in preparation for my trip... "Vegas baby!"
Once I got to the hospital and got checked in, I was irritated by the fact that it took 40 minutes of waiting in a room full of people (must of whom I suspect did not have insurance). Once I finally got in to the room, I shifted my emotions from irritated to nervous. My strategy for coping with it was to just remind myself that I ran a marathon, so this couldn't possibly be any more painful. And it wasn't. I spent the rest of the day Wednesday chilling out at my parents' house and eating Panera bagels (french toast bagels with honey-walnut cream cheese....mmmm). I had some pain, but my drug dealer (mom) gave me one of her "good" pills, so the rest of the evening was smooooooth sailing. I planned to take off Thursday as well, just in case I was still feeling yucky. However, I woke up Thursday feeling pretty decent, so I spent the day shopping and even felt good enough to go to my abs/kickbox class last night. I think I overdid it though, because I'm not feeling so hot today. Maybe it's just that I had to come back to work today...blah. I imagine that I'll magically feel much, much better come 4:00. Funny how that is, isn't it?
On a much more exciting note, I'm going to Las Vegas next week! I haven't been there since I've been an adult. We went there on my family's Griswald-esque "out west" vacation when I was 5 years old, but I don't remember much. We are departing next Saturday (the 30th) for 4 days. I haven't had a true vacation in quite a while, so I am looking forward to it. I'm not much of a gambler, so if anyone has any suggestions of things to do out there that do not involve cards, chips or dice, please send them my way.
Note to self: Watch Swingers for the forty-billionth time in preparation for my trip... "Vegas baby!"
Monday, May 18, 2009
Diet, Running and Yuck Stuff
I can sum up my weekend in one word: Gluttony.
Friday evening's Maifest outing was a feast of sirloin tips, polish sausage, funnel cake, more sirloin tips and topped off with way too many liters of beer and a late-night trip to Skyline. Saturday was just as bad. We headed back down to Maifest after football, beer and appetizers at MLT's. After a shish-kebob and more beer at Maifest, we headed over to Sidebar to watch my friend Shane polish off 50 hot wings and an entire pitcher of beer, hence becoming the only person to complete the eating challenge in the bar's history (they've only been for open two weeks though). I had pizza and wings at Sidebar. Later, I wolfed down more wings and some saratoga chips while watching small children sing innappropriate karaoke songs (both hilarious and disturbing; I'm fairly certain social services should have been notified).
So, by Sunday morning, I knew that my streak of gluttony had to come to an end. I made a healthy breakfast (french toast with lo-cal wheat bread and egg whites), then headed out to Lunken for a run. I promised myself after the marathon that I'd keep my distances to under 4 miles until I start the training group again in June, but after this weekend's eat-fest, I had to break that promise so that I could burn some calories fast.
It felt great to be outside running yesterday. The weather was perfect. Sunny but not hot, and with a gentle breeze. I used to run Lunken all the time back in the late 90s when I was living with my parents in Anderson Twp., but it's a little bit of a drive from Wilder, so I don't run there as much anymore. I've always kind of felt that Lunken is my "home" track, so it was a good place to test the waters for my first 5-miler since the Pig.
It was strange feeling how difficult 5 miles was again. It almost felt like the first time I ever ran Lunken, not knowing if I'd be able to make it or not. It was a little depressing. However, I cheered up when I got to the long two-mile stretch down the back that anyone who has run Lunken dreads. "Ha!" I said to myself, "This is nothing compared to Eastern Avenue."
After my successful 5-miler yesterday, I plan to push myself hard for the next few days so that I can take a few days off completely and enjoy some comfort food after my minor surgery on Wednesday. I'm not thrilled about having my third yucky biopsy in two years, but I know that it's important for me to continue getting screened so they can diagnose it and treat it before it becomes cancerous. Cancer would suck.
So I'm going to run hard in the next few days and try to eat better as well. Now that Maifest has packed up and moved out, that will certainly help matters in terms of what I am putting in my body. I am, however, counting down the days til Oktoberfest...
Friday evening's Maifest outing was a feast of sirloin tips, polish sausage, funnel cake, more sirloin tips and topped off with way too many liters of beer and a late-night trip to Skyline. Saturday was just as bad. We headed back down to Maifest after football, beer and appetizers at MLT's. After a shish-kebob and more beer at Maifest, we headed over to Sidebar to watch my friend Shane polish off 50 hot wings and an entire pitcher of beer, hence becoming the only person to complete the eating challenge in the bar's history (they've only been for open two weeks though). I had pizza and wings at Sidebar. Later, I wolfed down more wings and some saratoga chips while watching small children sing innappropriate karaoke songs (both hilarious and disturbing; I'm fairly certain social services should have been notified).
So, by Sunday morning, I knew that my streak of gluttony had to come to an end. I made a healthy breakfast (french toast with lo-cal wheat bread and egg whites), then headed out to Lunken for a run. I promised myself after the marathon that I'd keep my distances to under 4 miles until I start the training group again in June, but after this weekend's eat-fest, I had to break that promise so that I could burn some calories fast.
It felt great to be outside running yesterday. The weather was perfect. Sunny but not hot, and with a gentle breeze. I used to run Lunken all the time back in the late 90s when I was living with my parents in Anderson Twp., but it's a little bit of a drive from Wilder, so I don't run there as much anymore. I've always kind of felt that Lunken is my "home" track, so it was a good place to test the waters for my first 5-miler since the Pig.
It was strange feeling how difficult 5 miles was again. It almost felt like the first time I ever ran Lunken, not knowing if I'd be able to make it or not. It was a little depressing. However, I cheered up when I got to the long two-mile stretch down the back that anyone who has run Lunken dreads. "Ha!" I said to myself, "This is nothing compared to Eastern Avenue."
After my successful 5-miler yesterday, I plan to push myself hard for the next few days so that I can take a few days off completely and enjoy some comfort food after my minor surgery on Wednesday. I'm not thrilled about having my third yucky biopsy in two years, but I know that it's important for me to continue getting screened so they can diagnose it and treat it before it becomes cancerous. Cancer would suck.
So I'm going to run hard in the next few days and try to eat better as well. Now that Maifest has packed up and moved out, that will certainly help matters in terms of what I am putting in my body. I am, however, counting down the days til Oktoberfest...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wings Clipped
The first week after completing the marathon has been a roller coaster of emotions for me. In many ways, I am a Flying Pig that's had my wings clipped. The last few nibbles of my Congratulations/Nice Try cake hit the garbage days ago. My race clothes are washed, folded and put away, no longer reeking of 26.2 miles of funk. My bib and medal are carefully arranged on a shelf of mementos in my office. I'm trying so hard to hang onto that feeling I had when I crossed that finish line, but eight days later, it's already slipping away.
On the other hand, I am moving forward. This was the kind of weekend I had before I started training. I went to happy hour. I played flag football and spent the afternoon with my friends and endless buckets of beer at MLT's. I went to the Reds game Saturday night, and wallowed in the freedom of eating and drinking whatever I wanted without worrying about how my decisions would affect my running. All in all, my life is getting back to normal. But normal isn't enough for me anymore.
To conquer my blues, I'm formulating a plan. Meters & Miles starts up the training group again in June for those doing fall marathons. I'm thinking that I'll train to do a half marathon in October. Maybe Columbus or Indianapolis, or maybe even someplace more exotic? This summer, I'll be focusing on getting faster and stronger. I'm planning to hit the gym as hard as I was during the past 4 months, but try to keep a balance with my "normal" life. All that may change again come January, because in 355 days, I am planning on another date with the Pig. A lot of things can change in a year, so I don't think I'm ready to send in my $70 entry fee just yet, but it's a goal. It's clear and defined and it gives me a reason to want to get out of bed in the morning. I suspect the feeling I have crossing another finish line won't compare to how it felt the first time, but I'll chase it anyway.
I did short runs on the treadmill on Friday and Saturday. I have a nagging muscle strain in the back of my left hip, but it's getting looser with each run. Yesterday, I couldn't bear to run indoors with how nice the weather was, so I headed down to Pioneer Park in Fort Wright and did the 1-mile loop 4 times. It wasn't easy, but it felt great to just be out there running again. It gave me the sense that after a week of living in gloomville, that all will be right with the world as long as I can lace up my shoes and pound some pavement.
I guess my wings haven't been clipped after all; they just got misplaced for a few days.
On the other hand, I am moving forward. This was the kind of weekend I had before I started training. I went to happy hour. I played flag football and spent the afternoon with my friends and endless buckets of beer at MLT's. I went to the Reds game Saturday night, and wallowed in the freedom of eating and drinking whatever I wanted without worrying about how my decisions would affect my running. All in all, my life is getting back to normal. But normal isn't enough for me anymore.
To conquer my blues, I'm formulating a plan. Meters & Miles starts up the training group again in June for those doing fall marathons. I'm thinking that I'll train to do a half marathon in October. Maybe Columbus or Indianapolis, or maybe even someplace more exotic? This summer, I'll be focusing on getting faster and stronger. I'm planning to hit the gym as hard as I was during the past 4 months, but try to keep a balance with my "normal" life. All that may change again come January, because in 355 days, I am planning on another date with the Pig. A lot of things can change in a year, so I don't think I'm ready to send in my $70 entry fee just yet, but it's a goal. It's clear and defined and it gives me a reason to want to get out of bed in the morning. I suspect the feeling I have crossing another finish line won't compare to how it felt the first time, but I'll chase it anyway.
I did short runs on the treadmill on Friday and Saturday. I have a nagging muscle strain in the back of my left hip, but it's getting looser with each run. Yesterday, I couldn't bear to run indoors with how nice the weather was, so I headed down to Pioneer Park in Fort Wright and did the 1-mile loop 4 times. It wasn't easy, but it felt great to just be out there running again. It gave me the sense that after a week of living in gloomville, that all will be right with the world as long as I can lace up my shoes and pound some pavement.
I guess my wings haven't been clipped after all; they just got misplaced for a few days.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
My 15 minutes are not up yet...but wait, yes they are.
The past few days have been rough for me. Physically speaking, I'm getting back into the groove of things. A short 1-mile run on Tuesday was excrutiatingly painful, but reminded me of how much I love running and how much I can't wait to run "for real" again as soon as my body heals. Last night I did a half-hour on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the bike at the gym. I wished I was running instead, but it was refreshing to get moving again. So I am feeling good on the outside, but inside I'm lost.
I really don't know what's next for me. I've spent the past four months working up to a goal, the goal has been accomplished, so now what? I had a long conversation with the manager at my gym last night about it, and we came up with a few ideas, like improving my speed, working on toning up more, etc. But these things aren't very exciting to me right now. Maybe once I've let the glow of the Pig wear off a little, I can get more amped up about my future plans.
Along with our goal-setting session last night, my gym manager and I were joking about how my "15 minutes of fame" are up since my stint with CinWeekly is through. When I came back to his office after my workout, he had an opportunity for me. Channel 5 news had called about a story they are doing on local "Biggest Losers" that they are airing in conjuntion with next week's finale of the show. They wanted to feature me. Wow! My 15 minutes aren't up after all!
Unfortunately, Channel 5 called me this morning and it turns out their photographer is sick today and they won't be able to feature me in the story after all. They are keeping me in mind for future stories on weight loss, but for the time being it looks like I'll be forced to crawl back into my hole of anonymity.
Oh well, my ego was probably getting a little too big anyway...
I really don't know what's next for me. I've spent the past four months working up to a goal, the goal has been accomplished, so now what? I had a long conversation with the manager at my gym last night about it, and we came up with a few ideas, like improving my speed, working on toning up more, etc. But these things aren't very exciting to me right now. Maybe once I've let the glow of the Pig wear off a little, I can get more amped up about my future plans.
Along with our goal-setting session last night, my gym manager and I were joking about how my "15 minutes of fame" are up since my stint with CinWeekly is through. When I came back to his office after my workout, he had an opportunity for me. Channel 5 news had called about a story they are doing on local "Biggest Losers" that they are airing in conjuntion with next week's finale of the show. They wanted to feature me. Wow! My 15 minutes aren't up after all!
Unfortunately, Channel 5 called me this morning and it turns out their photographer is sick today and they won't be able to feature me in the story after all. They are keeping me in mind for future stories on weight loss, but for the time being it looks like I'll be forced to crawl back into my hole of anonymity.
Oh well, my ego was probably getting a little too big anyway...
Monday, January 26, 2009
Moving to CinWeekly!
Hey all!
My blog is officially moving to CinWeekly. Please check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/gabcinweekly
I started off with a bit of a back-story for my new readers (assuming there are any), but I'll be posting again today at some point with an update about this weekend's run. Make sure to bookmark the new page, because this will be my last post here.
My blog is officially moving to CinWeekly. Please check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/gabcinweekly
I started off with a bit of a back-story for my new readers (assuming there are any), but I'll be posting again today at some point with an update about this weekend's run. Make sure to bookmark the new page, because this will be my last post here.
Friday, January 23, 2009
To Jam or not to Jam? That is the Question...
For our Wednesday night run with Meters & Miles, I ran from the Newport store this week with my friend Jenn. Jenn is fresh off running a half marathon last weekend in Phoenix, but decided she wanted to go ahead and see how she felt running (and wanted me to be there to give her a piggy-back ride back to the store if she didn't make it through the whole run). So we met up at the Newport store and here's a recap of our conversation:
Jenn: "I didn't bring my iPod."
Me: "I'll talk to you during some of the run."
Jenn (in her best huffy voice): "You'll talk to me during all of the run."
Me: "Well... let me make sure my iPod is working, just in case we get in a fight and there's an awkward silence."
Luckily, said argument did not occur and I enjoyed chatting with Jenn during our run, but it did bring me to an interesting question: "To Jam or not to Jam?" I have always thought that I absolultey needed music to run to, that if there wasn't a techno beat to back me up that my legs just wouldn't move. In discussions that I've had with other runners, I've learned that a lot of people are just as religious as I am about it.
So I've run a few times now where I've turned off my iPod during some of the run and even a few times that I've--gasp!--not used it at all. In some aspects, I enjoyed it. Chatting certainly makes the time go by quicker. However, when I am jamming out, I kind of get lost in the music and forget that running kind of hurts. Whereas with no music, I am fully cognizant of every little ache and pain. So, I am conflicted.
In other news, I had my photo shoot yesterday for CinWeekly and got to meet my fellow marathon bloggers, Greg and Mike. The shoot went well... I think. I didn't get to see any of the pictures they took and apparently I don't get to help in the selection process. So, if they pick a particularly unflattering shot, then that's what will go in the magazine. I'm fairly certain, though, that the photo of me "acting like a cougar" (ala Austin Powers) will resurface at some point...
Here's my schedule for the rest of the week (including yesterday, since I am a day late on blogging):
Yesterday: 3 miles at the gym plus yoga/pilates class at Fitworks
Today: Rest day
Tomorrow: 7 miles with Meters & Miles
Jenn: "I didn't bring my iPod."
Me: "I'll talk to you during some of the run."
Jenn (in her best huffy voice): "You'll talk to me during all of the run."
Me: "Well... let me make sure my iPod is working, just in case we get in a fight and there's an awkward silence."
Luckily, said argument did not occur and I enjoyed chatting with Jenn during our run, but it did bring me to an interesting question: "To Jam or not to Jam?" I have always thought that I absolultey needed music to run to, that if there wasn't a techno beat to back me up that my legs just wouldn't move. In discussions that I've had with other runners, I've learned that a lot of people are just as religious as I am about it.
So I've run a few times now where I've turned off my iPod during some of the run and even a few times that I've--gasp!--not used it at all. In some aspects, I enjoyed it. Chatting certainly makes the time go by quicker. However, when I am jamming out, I kind of get lost in the music and forget that running kind of hurts. Whereas with no music, I am fully cognizant of every little ache and pain. So, I am conflicted.
In other news, I had my photo shoot yesterday for CinWeekly and got to meet my fellow marathon bloggers, Greg and Mike. The shoot went well... I think. I didn't get to see any of the pictures they took and apparently I don't get to help in the selection process. So, if they pick a particularly unflattering shot, then that's what will go in the magazine. I'm fairly certain, though, that the photo of me "acting like a cougar" (ala Austin Powers) will resurface at some point...
Here's my schedule for the rest of the week (including yesterday, since I am a day late on blogging):
Yesterday: 3 miles at the gym plus yoga/pilates class at Fitworks
Today: Rest day
Tomorrow: 7 miles with Meters & Miles
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Ice Queen
Yesterday I got up at 6:15 a.m. for our 7:00 8-mile run. The temperature: 9 degrees with a wind chill of -2. "I'm not going, " I told myself. Then, I thought about it, then thought about it some more, and the decision finally was put to rest when I realized I'd be really mad at myself for not toughing it out. So I put on my hot pink fleece pullover and my yellow Columbia coat over that. I put on my regular black running pants that are too long, and my gray fleece running pants that are too short over the black. I looked ridiculous, but I was warm. I changed my socks three times, settling on the one pair that I have that aren't ankle socks. I put on my hat and gloves and was out the door.
The run got off to a good start. There was a group of five of us--Chapstick Nancy, Shelly, Karen, Earl (from M&M) and me--who ran at about the same pace, so never did I once feel lonely during the run. I was also immediately glad that I accepted the chapstick, because the wind was blowing directly in my face. At the turnaround spot, Brad from M&M was there to give us water. While we were drinking, Shelly pointed out that I had icicles in my hair. I touched my hair and felt a huge mass of ice and tangled hair. Nice. (After the run, Earl took the picture at the right to document my icicle experience.)
To my surprise, it really wasn't that cold. I think the previous two days of cold that were far more obnoxious in their freezingness helped put 9 degrees in perspective. Plus, I was appropriately dressed for it. I was offered some Secret Star Strawberry Hannah Montana chapstick from fellow runner Nancy, and accepted it more because it was funny than because I thought I needed it. After a short presentation by Oxford Physical Therapy about the importance of stretching, we set off on our run (without stretching first).
The run got off to a good start. There was a group of five of us--Chapstick Nancy, Shelly, Karen, Earl (from M&M) and me--who ran at about the same pace, so never did I once feel lonely during the run. I was also immediately glad that I accepted the chapstick, because the wind was blowing directly in my face. At the turnaround spot, Brad from M&M was there to give us water. While we were drinking, Shelly pointed out that I had icicles in my hair. I touched my hair and felt a huge mass of ice and tangled hair. Nice. (After the run, Earl took the picture at the right to document my icicle experience.)
I continued to feel good until about mile 7. It was then that my legs really started aching and I felt myself slowing down a bit. I'm not sure what happened, but after about a half mile of my legs screaming, my energy came back from wherever it had been hiding, and I finished strong. The fact that I ran 8 fairly easily makes me feel a little bit less nervous about 11 miles in two weeks.
Another thing that makes me feel good about my future runs is the first development I want to share: I got new shoes! Earl told me that during the run it seemed that I was running too much toward the inside of my feet. I hadn't realized that, and wasn't experiencing any pain from it, but it figured it was better to do something about it now before it led to injury. So Earl outfitted me with some new Nike's that give more support on the inside of my foot than my old New Balance $39.99 specials. The price was--Gulp!--but I knew it was necesarry, and the 15% marathoners discount helped a bit. So, this marks the momentous first occassion of me spending nearly $100 for shoes that are actually practical.
The other development that I'd like to share is even more exciting: I am going to be moving my blog here in a few weeks to blog for CinWeekly. I have been chosen to blog my experience for their site along with two other marathoners. I will certainly give everyone the details once I have them.
This week starts out with:
Today: 4 miles outside with Heather
Tomorrow: 4 miles at the gym plus Group Power strength Training
Tuesday: 3 miles (plus I'll probably try to find a class to take at Fitworks)
Wednesday: 4 miles with M&M
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Indoor running, mom's advice and battling fat genes.
In an effort to avoid a snowstorm that didn't happen and extremely cold temperatures that did happen, Meters & Miles gave us the option of running our 4 miles last night at NKU's indoor track instead of braving the elements. I took the indoor option for a couple of reasons: 1.) I haven't been into the campus rec center at NKU since I was a student there and thought it would be fun to go back and see my old stomping grounds and 2.) I really could use a break from the various weather surprises of the past few outdoor runs.
The four miles were a breeze (weather pun intended). I could have easily done more. On that note, I'm finding it's difficult to stop myself from running more. On the days that I run on my own (3-5 miles) I am usually also doing a fitness class (or two) at the gym as well, so I am exhausted by the time I am done. On nights when I am only running 3-4 miles (like last night), I feel like I haven't done anything. On one hand I don't want to feel like a big slouch, but on the other hand I don't want to go over the recommended mileage. My mom (who is hardly an expert on marathons, or for that matter anything involving health or fitness) had a good point: she told me that I need to make sure I don't overtrain and risk injury. Excellent observation, bizarre that it came from my mom.
Part of why I want to run more is because I am still trying to lose weight. You would think that running 20-25 miles every week would melt the pounds off, but it just isn't happening any more. Genetics are telling my body that I ought to be a big, sturdy German woman like every female on my mom's side for 5 generations, and society is telling me I ought to fit into a size 4. Can't we just meet in the middle somewhere?
Seriously though, I was hoping that the strength training classes I am taking would kick my body into gear. Yes, I know that it is normal not to lose weight when strength training because muscle weighs more than fat, but it's been two months now that I've been taking these classes, so I was hoping to start seeing some results on the scale by now. I think this will all become a moot point once I start logging some higher miles on Saturdays, but right now it is frustrating.
Here's the schedule for the rest of the week:
Tonight: 3 miles at the gym plus Group Power and yoga/pilates classes at Fitworks
Tomorrow: Rest, ahhhh.
Saturday: 8 miles with M&M
The four miles were a breeze (weather pun intended). I could have easily done more. On that note, I'm finding it's difficult to stop myself from running more. On the days that I run on my own (3-5 miles) I am usually also doing a fitness class (or two) at the gym as well, so I am exhausted by the time I am done. On nights when I am only running 3-4 miles (like last night), I feel like I haven't done anything. On one hand I don't want to feel like a big slouch, but on the other hand I don't want to go over the recommended mileage. My mom (who is hardly an expert on marathons, or for that matter anything involving health or fitness) had a good point: she told me that I need to make sure I don't overtrain and risk injury. Excellent observation, bizarre that it came from my mom.
Part of why I want to run more is because I am still trying to lose weight. You would think that running 20-25 miles every week would melt the pounds off, but it just isn't happening any more. Genetics are telling my body that I ought to be a big, sturdy German woman like every female on my mom's side for 5 generations, and society is telling me I ought to fit into a size 4. Can't we just meet in the middle somewhere?
Seriously though, I was hoping that the strength training classes I am taking would kick my body into gear. Yes, I know that it is normal not to lose weight when strength training because muscle weighs more than fat, but it's been two months now that I've been taking these classes, so I was hoping to start seeing some results on the scale by now. I think this will all become a moot point once I start logging some higher miles on Saturdays, but right now it is frustrating.
Here's the schedule for the rest of the week:
Tonight: 3 miles at the gym plus Group Power and yoga/pilates classes at Fitworks
Tomorrow: Rest, ahhhh.
Saturday: 8 miles with M&M
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Splish-Splash
I woke up at 6:30 yesterday morning for my run, checked my email to make sure our run was still on (yes, indeed!), and I also checked the weather forecast. Weather.com said "light rain" for Florence, Ky so I decided I could handle that. Uopn walking out the door and seeing the "actual" weather, I was less certain. I was worried that a 6-mile run might cut into my ark-building time. After skating 4 miles on Wednesday, now I'm supposed to swim 6. Great.
I got over to M&M at about 7:25, and not only was it still pouring, it was also still dark out. Ugh, I did not feel good about this. We ended up not actually starting the run until 7:45 or so, and it was starting to get light out. Thankfully, the rain was letting up as well.
About 20 strides into my run, I heard "Splosh!" I had stepped in a huge puddle and soaked my left shoe as well as the sock within it. Okay, so apparently I was going to need to be a little bit more observant of the puddles. Watching out for puddles took some fancy footwork but it made the run a little bit more interesting. Also, since I had two other people running right at my pace, I was able to chat a little bit as well. Wow, that really helps pass the time!
I looked at my Garmin while we were waiting at a stoplight at what I felt was about 4 miles. My Garmin read 2.67 miles. Wait, that can't be right. I looked closer and saw that it had stopped at 2.67. So, I had no idea how far we'd actually come. What was unusual about this was that I didn't care. I could have run 10 more miles. I felt great. Days like yesterday are why I love running.
This week starts off with:
Today: 3-4 miles outside with Jenn
Tomorrow: 3 miles at the gym plus my Group Power class
Tuesday: 4 miles (maybe outside, maybe treadmill, depends on the weather)
Wednesday: 4 miles with Meters & Miles
I got over to M&M at about 7:25, and not only was it still pouring, it was also still dark out. Ugh, I did not feel good about this. We ended up not actually starting the run until 7:45 or so, and it was starting to get light out. Thankfully, the rain was letting up as well.
About 20 strides into my run, I heard "Splosh!" I had stepped in a huge puddle and soaked my left shoe as well as the sock within it. Okay, so apparently I was going to need to be a little bit more observant of the puddles. Watching out for puddles took some fancy footwork but it made the run a little bit more interesting. Also, since I had two other people running right at my pace, I was able to chat a little bit as well. Wow, that really helps pass the time!
I looked at my Garmin while we were waiting at a stoplight at what I felt was about 4 miles. My Garmin read 2.67 miles. Wait, that can't be right. I looked closer and saw that it had stopped at 2.67. So, I had no idea how far we'd actually come. What was unusual about this was that I didn't care. I could have run 10 more miles. I felt great. Days like yesterday are why I love running.
This week starts off with:
Today: 3-4 miles outside with Jenn
Tomorrow: 3 miles at the gym plus my Group Power class
Tuesday: 4 miles (maybe outside, maybe treadmill, depends on the weather)
Wednesday: 4 miles with Meters & Miles
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Ice, Ice Baby
The run last night at the Florence Meters & Miles store fared much better (for the most part) than my first run in Newport. In talking to the runners there, I learned that they are a couple of people who are at about an 11:00 minute pace (if that). In a related story, it turns out Webster's Dictionary is finally going to replace my picture next to their entry for the word "slow." This was excellent news.
While I was overjoyed to have found a cozy new home with the Florence runners somewhere in between slow and slowest, I was also greeted by some of the joys of running outdoors, namely extreme cold, wind, and (my personal favorite), ice. The first half of the 4 mile run was smooth sailing. My sweet new running jacket (that I bought at TJ Maxx for $30 on clearance) kept me nice and warm (and way stylish) as my body heated up during the first mile or so. By mile 2 I was rocking it out to a remix of Abba's "Dancing Queen" on my iPod Shuffle and keeping a really good pace.
About the time we hit the halfway point on Turfway, I noticed it was getting a little icy on parts of the sidewalk. As we turned onto Rt. 18 for the home stretch the ice had gotten worse, and I was really skating more than running. What was really fun was that the wind blew so hard that it was actually causing me to run-skate sideways. I felt a bit like a cartoon character. But at least I wasn't the last Goofy in the pack...
The rest of the week is:
Tonight - 3 miles on my own (i.e. treadmill) plus abs/kickbox class at Fitworks
Tomorrow - Rest (Yay!)
Saturday - 6 miles with M&M in Florence
While I was overjoyed to have found a cozy new home with the Florence runners somewhere in between slow and slowest, I was also greeted by some of the joys of running outdoors, namely extreme cold, wind, and (my personal favorite), ice. The first half of the 4 mile run was smooth sailing. My sweet new running jacket (that I bought at TJ Maxx for $30 on clearance) kept me nice and warm (and way stylish) as my body heated up during the first mile or so. By mile 2 I was rocking it out to a remix of Abba's "Dancing Queen" on my iPod Shuffle and keeping a really good pace.
About the time we hit the halfway point on Turfway, I noticed it was getting a little icy on parts of the sidewalk. As we turned onto Rt. 18 for the home stretch the ice had gotten worse, and I was really skating more than running. What was really fun was that the wind blew so hard that it was actually causing me to run-skate sideways. I felt a bit like a cartoon character. But at least I wasn't the last Goofy in the pack...
The rest of the week is:
Tonight - 3 miles on my own (i.e. treadmill) plus abs/kickbox class at Fitworks
Tomorrow - Rest (Yay!)
Saturday - 6 miles with M&M in Florence
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Hey guys...wait up!
It's day 1 of my training and right now I am feeling discouraged. Already. I really hate to say that, because I pride myself on being an optimist. I am still hopeful, and still motivated, but I need for something to change. Here's what happened...
This morning we were supposed to do 5 miles for my first training run with Meters & Miles in Newport. We were running with people who were doing the half marathon as well, and they were only running 3 miles. The instructions on where the 3-milers and 5-milers split off was vague (especially to directionally-challenged individuals like me), so I figured I would just follow my friend Jenn, who I knew paced about a minute ahead of me. Other than knowing Jenn was doing 5 miles, I didn't have any idea who else in the group was doing 3 and who was doing 5.
We ran over the Purple People Bridge and into Sawyer Point, and I fell behind the group (even Jenn) quickly. I saw way up ahead where a few people were rounding a turn just past the Boathouse, but I couldn't see where they were going next. So, I instead followed some people going straight who I suspected were doing the 3-mile run. I decided it was better to just do 3 miles than to not get lost.
Upon returning and explaining my situation, Brad (from M&M) told me that 1.) He would try to explain the routes a little more clearly and that 2.) I would get faster. Unfortunately, neither of these things was reassuring to me. I joined a group to run WITH a group, not to run way, way behind it. And getting faster is not necessarily my goal. I want to complete a marathon, not win it.
So, I am going to try to run with the Meters & Miles group in Florence on Wednesday and hope that maybe there will be someone (anyone?) as slow or slower than me. My biggest fear is being at the back of the pack all alone not knowing the route and on top of that it being dark. Actually, that's not entirely true...my biggest fear is clowns. But I digress.
Anyway, I will see how the run Wednesday goes in Florence. In the meantime, I will be doing the following on my own:
Tomorrow: Should be 3 miles, but I will run the 5 I was supposed to run today.
Monday: 3 miles plus my Group Power strength training class at Fitworks.
Tuesday: 3 miles
This morning we were supposed to do 5 miles for my first training run with Meters & Miles in Newport. We were running with people who were doing the half marathon as well, and they were only running 3 miles. The instructions on where the 3-milers and 5-milers split off was vague (especially to directionally-challenged individuals like me), so I figured I would just follow my friend Jenn, who I knew paced about a minute ahead of me. Other than knowing Jenn was doing 5 miles, I didn't have any idea who else in the group was doing 3 and who was doing 5.
We ran over the Purple People Bridge and into Sawyer Point, and I fell behind the group (even Jenn) quickly. I saw way up ahead where a few people were rounding a turn just past the Boathouse, but I couldn't see where they were going next. So, I instead followed some people going straight who I suspected were doing the 3-mile run. I decided it was better to just do 3 miles than to not get lost.
Upon returning and explaining my situation, Brad (from M&M) told me that 1.) He would try to explain the routes a little more clearly and that 2.) I would get faster. Unfortunately, neither of these things was reassuring to me. I joined a group to run WITH a group, not to run way, way behind it. And getting faster is not necessarily my goal. I want to complete a marathon, not win it.
So, I am going to try to run with the Meters & Miles group in Florence on Wednesday and hope that maybe there will be someone (anyone?) as slow or slower than me. My biggest fear is being at the back of the pack all alone not knowing the route and on top of that it being dark. Actually, that's not entirely true...my biggest fear is clowns. But I digress.
Anyway, I will see how the run Wednesday goes in Florence. In the meantime, I will be doing the following on my own:
Tomorrow: Should be 3 miles, but I will run the 5 I was supposed to run today.
Monday: 3 miles plus my Group Power strength training class at Fitworks.
Tuesday: 3 miles
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