Addicted to Marathons

A revised plan

2011-01-18T15:15:00.002-06:00

I found out a week ago that I probably won't be able to run TCM this year due to a major work training that weekend. Which sucks. This would have been year 5 and I really wanted to run it to beat my time from 2009. I know I can do it, but running a marathon this fall in under 5 (my goal) will be not quite the same.

So I'm looking for another race. It might be Mankato. It might be something else. I just don't know.

I did sign up for the GoFar challenge with the Fargo Marathon in May. I'll be running a 5K the Friday night then the full marathon on Saturday AM. Mike thinks I'm crazy, and I might be, but I'm also looking forward to the challenge. Plus - 3 medals! One for the 5K, one for the marathon and one for completing the challenge. That part makes me excited. It's all about the medals.

But then I need to come up with something for fall. Mike wants me to run SF's. But the route sucks ass. Flat and open with no shade. I've ran that route before and it's awful. The half is much better.

So a fall marathon...that's what I'm looking for. Or a miracle that I don't have to be at work in October.

Plan for 2011

2010-12-28T20:33:00.002-06:00

Irishman - March 12
Fargo Marathon - May 21
SF Half - Sept 11 (maybe)
TCM - Oct 2

I'll have some 5K's and 10K's in the middle there, but for the most part I think this is my plan for the year. I want to get two marathons in this year so the next few months will need to be focused. MS and I are starting P90X Saturday, which will get me stronger and better in 12 weeks, then I can focus on running too. I'll be lighter and stronger and ready to go.

Training must begin

2010-10-31T19:02:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow starts Week 1, or week 16 as Tom Holland counts them down rather than up. Of course tomorrow is a rest day, which is good because I need one more day to get my head straight and get my plan in place. I'm excited to try this method. Tom Holland's plan is to run 4 days a week, 2 days of weight training and 3 days of core work out, and one full rest day (Monday's).

My friend MB and I are planning a marathon (or maybe a half since it IS winter). I wanted to run the Austin Marathon, but I'm not sure I'll be able to afford the trip. BUT I need a plan to train so I can keep a goal. So MB and his wife and I are laying out a marathon course so he and I both can have a race to train for.

I'm nervous because it is winter and I do live in the tundra, and we all know that I haven't been doing well this year. I'm hoping that now that I live in ONE place, that my focus on training will be easier. Here's hoping.

Preparation

2010-10-10T14:11:00.003-05:00

So I'm in recovery mode this week and easing slowly back into running again. I'm still not happy with my performance last week. Not at all. well, a little - I'm glad I "finished" but to go 30 minutes slower than last year is eating me up. I know I didn't train as well as last year, I know this. But it bugs me. Why didn't I? I've done 4 marathons now, I know what to expect, I know what's going to happen so why didn't I train better? I don't know and I'm really annoyed with myself.

So I've been reading The Marathon Method, by Tom Holland. E had suggested I run the Austin marathon with him and Scott February 20, 2011. Well, by my calculations, I have a couple weeks to get back to "normal" and then 16 weeks to get ready - right on track with this book. It has pretty good reviews. I've read half and I'm now to the training programs. I need to read those very carefully so I make sure I follow them. I'm excited about this and though my knee is still hurting at times, I think this is something I need to do to redeem myself.

Today while I'm baking a pie and attempting a baking surprise (a cake shaped like a pumpkin) for KC and MB and their kids, I'm watching "The Spirit of the Marathon". Watching them run the Chicago marathon today (when the 10-10-10 Chicago marathon is actually going on) makes me excited. I should be out running today...it's gorgeous...but my knees are twinging. So I'm running in spirit instead.

Soon. And I think Austin is on the horizon.

TCM 2010

2010-10-04T10:49:00.003-05:00

Lots of lessons learned from this race. I'm surprised I finished. It was truly amazing considering all the crap that led up to this one. So let's recap...

So marathon weekend began Friday night. I had to work late and we didn't get supper until almost 8:30. Ugh. Packing/laundry all the fun stuff took place and I thought I was ready.

Saturday, I headed in to work to clean up a few things and MS finished packing up the car. He met me at work and we left my car there. The drive up was uneventful, other than we were cutting it close on time so we didn't eat lunch (and breakfast was a granola bar). This is where my horrid need to follow the plan I set up came into play and proved detrimental.

I had my per-race massage scheduled at 1230 with Keith. I snagged the bathroom while he was finishing setting up so I wasn't there when he and MS met. MS mentioned his lower-back issue that he has had constantly (and the chiropractor isn't helping - shocker!) so Keith asked if he could borrow MS for 10 minutes. I said sure. Then he came out and needed 30 minutes (MS is a mess). So that shortened my massage - which was okay, I didn't need that much.

So then we busted down to the hotel to check in (opposite side of the city) and traffic was horrendous. So a quick check in and back up to Keith's for kinesio taping - which took an hour longer than we had planned and we still didn't do what were supposed to (which hindered me Sunday). And we still hadn't eaten. At one point I was standing up arm stretched out to my side and my head turned the other way and I became nauseated and had to lie down...twice. Luckily Keith had some yogurt, which helped. It brought my sugar levels back up so I was clear headed again.

Then it was off to pick up my packet. It was 6pm and the expo closed at 7pm. Ugh. Not how I had this planned, but in hindsight the packet pickup was EMPTY so I was able to get in and out super quick, and the handouts were numerous because people were trying to get rid of their stuff. We got 3 cups from the Fargo Marathon (an option for next year) and handfuls of mini Larabars. Mmmmmm.

Then back to the hotel to drop off the stuff and time for food. It was after 7 before we got to TGIFriday's (which seemed a better option than Chevy's or IHOP), but they were sooooo sllllooooowwwww. We finally got our food at almost 8, snarfed what we could and then I took half of mine back to the room for Sunday AM (but forgot a fork so I didn't eat it anyway).

We were so tired. We both showered and then crashed around 9:30 and crash we did. I was exhausted, nutrition starved, and very nervous for Sunday.

Sunday AM - I woke at 4am, wide awake. At 4:22 I got up to go to the bathroom, then went back to bed to cuddle. I need cuddling because I felt like I could throw up. A little before 5 I got up and got ready. Of course I ended up realizing that I had forgotten a few important things - my pace tat, my accelerade, my endurox, to name a few. But I figured I could do without them. MS walked me to the train station (I asked for that so he could know where to go and so I would have a little last encouragement before I had to head to the start.

The marathon changed some of the procedures at the Dome, which threw me off a bit. They had specific areas open, which I got in, but not before they did a bag check. Then they changed some of the times for races (at least it seemed) so that threw me off too. But I did what I could to keep things normal for me.

Anyway, I got to the corral and, trying to be optimistic, I started at approximately 5:15. They didn't have a 5:15 pace team this year so I just started between 5 and 5:30. 5:30 was the only pace team with balloons, which was weird too, but I figured if I could stay in front of them for most of the race, I'd be okay.

I missed the national anthem - some young guy singing way too low so I heard the last few measures. The wheelers took off and they gave them a 10 minute head start (which I think was different). So the elite didn't start until 8:05, and we were just standing there trying to stay loose. Another weird thing - you know how people always take off running as soon as they can and then have to stop and walk then run, then walk before they hit the official start line? Yeah...that didn't happen. Everyone.Walked. And maybe 10 feet before the line we started running. Weird!

I felt pretty good the first few miles, in fact, I only walked through the water stop between 2&3, otherwise I ran for the first 6, albeit slow. I saw MS at 4 and dropped my throw-away shirt and ear guard there and kept going. Then MS met me at 6 I think and from there on he stayed with me the entire race - riding ahead and taking pictures or getting gel shots and Gatorade ready for me. My legs were tight so I took those meeting moments to stretch.

The downfall - I was passed by 5:30 between 10 and 11. This was my breakdown point - I started crying and just tried to keep running. I tried to stay with the pace team but I couldn't even do that. MS kept encouraging me, "This is your race, honey. Run YOUR race." He was right but it took awhile for me to get there. I kept imagining Year 1 when the sweep bus came up behind me a few miles later and how I didn't want that to happen again. I may not have trained well, but I didn't want to fail either. And the sweep bus would be a total fail.

It took me 3 miles to get there. MS would ride ahead and see where 5:30 was and then time how long I was behind them. That helped. And thank God for math because I was able to do the math to figure out if I could still finish under 6 or not. That helped. So after that it was just a matter of keeping moving forward. MS was worried about the 2pm deadline, but I was on my clock so I was just looking for under 6 hours. With his help, I made both.

Splits sucked:
Mile 1: 10:57
Mile 2&3: 23:06
Mile 4: 11:35
Mile 5: 11:22
Mile 6: 12:41
Mile 7: 13:57
Mile 8: 12:29
Mile 9: 13:35
Mile 10: 12:30
Mile 11: 13:00
Mile 12: 13:16
Mile 13: 13:51
Mile 14: 13:44
Mile 15: 12:42
Mile 16: 14:55
Mile 17: 13:28
Mile 18: 14:57
Mile 19: 13:37
Mile 20: 14:28
Mile 21: 15:07
Mile 22: 14:29
Mile 23: 16:22
Mile 24: 15:08
Mile 25: 14:09
Mile 26: 13:39
Last .2: 2:36

I guess the good thing is the last 4 miles were negative splits. But there's not a whole lot of consistency here. And I did finish: 5:51.46 (official chip time)

I felt like a running virgin for this race - I wore brand new race clothes (I had washed them at least) but they actually didn't cause problems. But I forgot so many of the obvious things - eating, for one; my during race process - I guessed the whole way; my recovery plan - I didn't have one; and so many other things. Just the lack of training was awful. I have to be more diligent for the next one.

I kept thanking MS for his support and he said at one point, "This is something you're passionate about, I'm glad to be here to support you." Which made me feel about this / / big since it is something I'm passionate about but I didn't make it a priority this year.

So if I'm going to run Austin, or Fargo, or Akron, or something other than TC next year (though it would be fun to run TC next year since it's the 30th year), I need to come up with a game plan. I have a week to recovery and make my plan. Crossing fingers I can come up with a decent one that will be doable and workable and successful. I need to do better the next time. I have to!

One week!

2010-09-25T08:17:00.002-05:00

I'm getting excited for the marathon next week! I'm concerned on my running, but hoping my mental game will keep me going. I ran yesterday and was having splits that were normal a year ago, so that's good at least. Despite my lack of training I haven't lost everything I have gained in the last few years. (Of course the guilt in me makes me wonder how much faster I would be now if I had been running and training more...but alas...)

So I'm making my plans. I have a pre-race massage set up for Saturday with Keith, then I'm going to run to get my race packet, then back to Keith for some kinesio taping. I'm very stoked for this. After my back hurt so bad at the SF Half, I need something to help for another 13.1 miles. He's (most likely) going to tape my knees and legs too to help that. It'll be good though...every little bit helps.

So this is taper week, but the weather is looking beautiful. It's going to be tough to keep it at taper pace, but we'll see. I might just push it a little bit more since I haven't really pushed it this year. We'll see how it goes. :)

Judging the run

2010-09-15T10:20:00.002-05:00

My half marathon Sunday got me thinking. This isn't unusual - I generally do think while I run, but I dug deep on Sunday.

Maybe it was the beautiful weather and the streams of speedy runners passing me. Maybe it was my lack of training and just trudging forward. Maybe it was all of it. But it got me to thinking how running is not a race against others; it really is a race against yourself.

Now, I know this isn't a novel concept. It's been said time and again that you're only running against yourself, even if you're in a competitive race because if you let your mind beat you, your body will beat you too and in the end you'll be beat.

But it really triggered as I watched women and men of varying shapes and sizes run 13.1 miles. There isn't a set body type for running. Anyone can run (like Ratatouille where anyone can cook!)! And truth - you can be fat and fast, you can be thin and slow. You can be old and run, you could be young and not able. There are no hang ups. You just have to lace up the shoes (or not, if you're a barefooted fiend) and go.

As I would pass runners or (more often) was passed by runners, I realized that I'm not running against them. I'm running with them. There were women who passed me who initially I judged that they shouldn't be because they were heavier or older - but they had trained better. There were women and men I passed who I initially thought I shouldn't be - they looked like they should be in shape and able to run like greased lightning - but I don't know what was wrong. They could have been in pain (as I was with my back), they could have been on the verge of throwing up, they could have just been lost in thought and got their rhythm off, they could have been using their walk/run training program ...

Basically what I'm saying is there are a myriad of reasons why people run, why people run or walk they way they do, why they are walking at that moment, why they can run as fast or as slow as they do... all of this should mean nothing. Use it as an inspiration, but don't judge the other runners. They are out there with you, running or walking as you are, and all hoping for the same outcome - to finish, with a respectable time (for them), and get the medal/t-shirt.

I'm not in my greatest shape this year, and Sunday proved that. But I was able to finish with a semi-respectable time given my training. Others trained harder and didn't make it. Others probably trained less and did better. But the truth was, the race was only a race against me. Could my head and heart hold out long enough to give me the strength and stamina and endurance to finish? Yes. Yes it can.

Half Marathon recap

2010-09-14T20:01:00.002-05:00

Sunday, September 12, I ran the SF Half Marathon again. It was awesome. The weather was perfect (almost got a little too warm), the course was new, and the people were great.

I haven't been training like I did last year, so I was hoping for a time equivalent or better to Brookings back in May (3 hours). Of course withe my 3-tier goal process it was basically this:

I want 2:30
I'll accept 2:45
No slower than 3:00

I ended up with 2:47:57. I can live with that.

The funny thing was that my legs felt great. I could have kept running with the legs I had, but my back was killing me! I don't know if it was a stress problem or the fact I had completed my fitness test for work (with pushups and situps) on Friday. It was weird. My whole shoulders and back just got stiff and sore. There was so much pressure I felt like I had to lean forward. So I'd walk so I could straighten up and stretch, then ran again.

So if I can keep my back upright the marathon in 3 weeks should go well, right? I probably won't get the 5:21 I had last year, but I should be able to stay under 6.

Running catchup

2010-09-05T17:22:00.002-05:00

I have been running! Really, I have. My Dailymile log can prove it.

While I was in Alabama I ran once - once. That was sad, and painful. 4 miles at 94% humidity and 100 degree weather. Not fun. And it wiped me out the rest of the week.

But last week I got going. I walked 2 miles on Tuesday afternoon to get my legs working again.

Wednesday AM I ran 3
Thursday AM I ran 3
Friday AM I ran 4
Saturday AM I ran 7.5...on gravel...with hills...with MS pushing me. :)

20 miles this week. It's good to take today as a rest day, though the weather was gorgeous this morning so I really did want to. But my knees probably are thanking me. Or they will when I ice again tonight.

It's great to be running again. I didn't realize how much I missed it. I'm excited for my races coming up - a half on Sunday and a marathon in 4 weeks. The times this year will probably be rough but this has been a rough year. I'm excited to run them and finish. That's the goal. And of course, the medal. :)

Getting nervous

2010-08-18T21:11:00.003-05:00

This summer has sucked for training. It's been my fault but also illness has affected me and the weather has just been awful for training. Humidity and I do not mix.

The bad thing is that the marathon is less than 6 weeks away and I have not been running a lot. I have my PT test in 2 weeks. I have a half in 3. I need to get running.

I'm going to have to force myself up in the morning tomorrow. I don't like running at strange places like this, but I might just have to.

Is it bad to admit that I'm scared?

Here's hoping

2010-08-13T23:21:00.002-05:00

Sunday I leave for a work trip for a week and a half...in the south no less. And that means it's still going to be hot and probably humid. Sucky.

I don't normally like to pack running stuff because with my work clothes that add so much more to my luggage. And for a short trip it's not really worth it.

But I think I'm going to have to make it happen this time. I need to get out there running. And MS has given me a weight schedule to help me with my core work and pushups, which will help for work and for running.

So here's hoping that A) I can find room in my luggage for everything I need and B) I can get out running daily. I need it. For my health, my sanity and my job.

I thought I already wrote this...

2010-08-09T19:41:00.002-05:00

I know I wrote the other day, but it must not have uploaded. Dammit...because now I can't remember.

I know this: it is HOT and HUMID. It sucks. I haven't worked out (officially) since Yoga on Thursday. Friday I slept in, Saturday I had to be at work early and was a mess when I got home, and yesterday MS and I had a mini-date night (he won lots of bonus points too).

So I was going to run this morning but I woke late and then my sister and niece decided to do the Sculpture Walk. I'm not sure how many steps we took or how many miles we went, but with the exception of lunch we were on our feet from 9 til 3. And it was fun, except my feet are killing me and my legs are a little sore.

Hopefully that will help. I'm going to have to figure out something for tomorrow...hot and humid and a chance of rain again. Uffda. This summer has sucked.

Yoga rocks

2010-08-04T21:52:00.003-05:00

Today was Yoga X and, while I can't do most of the moves and felt pretty pathetic when, during one of the moves, I bent over and saw my belly flab shadow on the floor - ew, this day rocks.

The bad thing is that the disc is 92 minutes long...so for me to get it done in time to shower and get to work on time I had to get up today at 4:20 to start by 4:30.

Boss2 did come up with another option today. We have workout time scheduled in the day - 30 minutes - that we can take either at the beginning of the day, with lunch, or at the end. Well, the rules are that workouts are supposed to start and end on base. He suggested I get my runs in during the morning (or P90X) like I normally do, but get to work by 6:45 (our start time). Then go to the gym and do some stretching and such, shower and be to work by 7:15. All is "groovy" and copecetic as long as I do a little bit at work and I come in sweaty. It might even help if I come in a little before 6:45.

I think he offered this up because the last few days I have been working out in the AM (and he wants to continue to encourage me to do that) but it makes me have to get up super early if I need to get everything done before I arrive. I just have to shower and dress at work.

This might be a good option. I need to trim my hair so it doesn't take so long to get ready in the morning, and I think I want to shower at the gym instead of in our normal locker room. This should work. Tomorrow will be the test.

Another day

2010-08-03T16:48:00.002-05:00

P90X is kicking my butt. I was supposed to do Ab Ripper this morning but it didn't quite work...my back and legs hurt so bad I could barely sit down to do the Froggers or whatever Tony calls them. I need to get there though so I'm going to have to force it out on Thursday.

Coach Jeanne suggested we run 4 on Thursday afternoon. I'm going to hope for a nice weather day and probably attempt it. I need to get a run in one of these days or TC will hurt.

I am feeling a little stronger - I'm starting to get my arm muscles back. Tomorrow is Yoga! I can't wait!

P90X

2010-08-02T18:55:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I did P90X Core. Uffda. I am out of shape! It was a little weird to be doing it without MS with me, but it was also kind of nice.

This morning I got up and after MS had left I went downstairs and did Cardio X. That hurt bad too. I forgot about how similar that one is to Core. There were a lot of the same exercises, but that's how Tony has the Lean program set up so I guess that's what we have to do. Funny though, my butt muscles hurt more than my core. I must have been doing it wrong.

Tomorrow is Shoulders & Arms. I was going to do that tonight, but I think it's better if I stick with the schedule. :)

A new month, a new start

2010-08-01T08:33:00.002-05:00

August 1 is going to be a new start for me. I'm starting SB again (different blog). I'm going to get back to my writing (two different blogs). And I'm going to start P90X again. That's this blog so I can get ready for TCM again on Oct 3. I have 2 months, which is such a short time but I'm hoping that P90X, plus dropping some pounds, will help me to do what I need to do and help me prep for TCM.

It's been a rough year. I did run the Brookings Half in May. Note to self: Don't run when congested. I was sick for the next two weeks. But I finished.

I'm also getting my medals inscribed with my times so I can have those on each one. I don't have them displayed very well right now, but my running scrapbook is coming together quite well.

Okay...I'm just rambling now, and I must to MS's so I can start my goal. Prayers are welcome! :)

Just for fun

2010-02-28T20:55:00.002-06:00

So I've been doing P90X since February 17. MS and I started the lean program so we could get in shape and not kill ourselves, but also strengthen everything. We had pretty much let everything go to the wayside over the past few months so this was very much needed.

P90X has been going really well, I'm happy to report. And then today I took it a step up. I need to be running. I have the Irishman in two weeks, so today I ran to and from work, 3 miles both ways for a total of 6 miles.

That might have been a mistake as now I can barely move. It's a good hurt though. I'm really excited for this year for running. I just need to find and sign up for some races too. One step at a time, I guess.

YAY!

2009-03-16T19:23:00.003-05:00

I'm a lurker, which everyone knows. But today I got a shout out from one whom I lurk.

See here. I'm "S". :)

Do you have any idea how cool that is? She and I don't even know each other. I've been reading her for a year and then last December I emailed her when I wasn't able to comment on her blog and asked her some questions. She posted the questions which led my running partner, SG, to email her asking for my email so we could run together. And the rest is history.

I'm so stoked. :)

Irishman over-Half Marathon

2009-03-14T18:14:00.001-05:00

So today was the Irishman in honor of St. Patty's Day here in town. Normally the Irishman consists of a 5 mile, 5K, and 1 mile race. You run these and they give you your times for each and then an overall time at the end. You also get a finisher certificate and another t-shirt. The things I do for beer and t-shirts.

So Karen and Jen were coming down for the Irishman with me, Sarah was going to run the 5K and Joey was coming down for that too. So I opened up my home so we could meet up and walk to the starting lines. I live right in the middle of them so this seemed smart and economical on my part. We could walk there, warm up, and we wouldn't have to deal with parking.

Well, I'm about .8 of a mile from the starting line. We walked this road 5 times, plus another little stretch (.7) to the start of the mile. So another 4.7 miles on top of the 9.2 we already ran. That's 14 miles we covered today. And we were going to walk to the bar where the awards ceremony was happening but we were running late so we drove instead.

I wasn't ready for 14 miles today. OMG. That hurt. And I'm really tired. I was going to go see "Milk" tonight, but I think I'm going to stay home and rest on my couch instead.

Wow. It was an intense day but a lot of fun. I'm really glad Karen and Jen came down to run it with me. If I had had to do that alone, that would have really sucked.

Rough course

2009-01-31T17:23:00.002-06:00

Today SG and I ventured to her running area. She usually starts around mile marker 7 and then runs a couple miles out and a couple back. That was fine. I was up for 4 today.

That was until we ran around the first bend and the path wasn't cleared hardly at all. Granted most of the main drifts were off to the side so there was at least a semi-path, but so much ice and at spots thick snow.

That just wore us both out. And as we're walking I'm realizing we haven't run since Wednesday, and Friday afternoon I ate Ritz bits with cheese and a bunch of Twizzlers, and I missed breakfast that morning. All these factors just wiped me out. So the run was a more than a little rough.

Tomorrow, thank God!, is a new day and a new month. We're going to run again in the morning since it's supposed to get windier and some big football game is going to be on.

And I need to be running every day this week. No more excuses! And to add to my focus, I signed up for Brooks Sweat365.com tracking thing. Should be good. I need some motivation. Brookings is coming up quicker than I realize.

Back on the streets

2009-01-28T21:04:00.002-06:00

In the non-prostitute sort of way.

SG and I ran 2.5 tonight - our usual route, at our usual pace, with our usual walks. It was good, but I need to figure out someway to run more. We got back to the arch, and had maybe .25 mile left and I felt so great and ready to run more.

But it's dark out at 7pm and I didn't have my reflective shirt or any other protective gear (PPE as we call it). So I came home. But I really could have run some more.

So how to do this? I don't know. I'm very excited for the weekend. At least it's supposed to be nice this weekend. I'm thinking of running with the Heathens Sunday morning. I like church, but maybe I can do both. Nothing against SG but it might be fun to run with some other folks too.

Random thoughts today

2009-01-27T20:07:00.001-06:00

You know there is something horribly wrong with you when you get out of the car to walk into work and you think, "Huh, it's kind of warm out this morning." Then you check the temp and see it's 1 degree out. Uh...

The 10-day forecast says it's going to be warmer after today, so I'd actually be okay if SG wanted to bail tonight. It's supposed to be 10 degrees, feel like 0, at the time we usually run. That's not bad, if there isn't any wind, but I have a feeling she'll bail. I'm okay with that. I have a lot of cleaning to do tonight - my apartment is a mess - and the next 10 days look really nice for running (with the possible exception of Thursday).

---
Well, I talked with SG and she's okay with taking tonight off. Thank God for that. I feel like crap, so it's good I'm taking a day. Plus I just have a mess of a house and I really will feel better if I clean tonight. Tomorrow! Tomorrow I run!

---
And I'm thinking I need to get a shoe dryer for this spring when I'm running in the rain. This would be a great investment.

SFARC

2009-01-24T17:22:00.001-06:00

Well, I finally did it. I sent in my registration for the SF Area Running Club. K had recommended I do this when I first moved here two years ago, but I hesitated. I'm really not a fast runner and when Jacqueline would talk about her runs and lament when she was running so slow (at 9:30 min/miles) I just cringed. I would kill for a 9:30 mile.

But as SG and I started running together we talked about it and decided to join. She wisely paid the dues right at the beginning of the year. I finally got mine sent out this week and my confirmation email today.

I am excited. I'm hoping to get faster this year but I know I won't be as fast as Jacqueline for a long time. At least I'll have some sort of club to belong to. AND we get 15% off at the Runner's Block store, so that's a bonus. :)

I didn't run today. Flippin' cold and windy. Tomorrow I head out of town and back late on Monday, so Tuesday I'll get out again.

Fabulous Meme

2009-01-22T21:19:00.003-06:00

Jill posted her 5 addictions today. In honor of her nose dive this weekend, which she did with grace and poise, I shall post my addictions:

1. Blogging. Duh. I have three blogs right now that I post on. I have 70 blogs I check every night and another 30 I check once a week because those writers don't update as often. I also have another dozen or so which are just running blogs that I check once a week or so as well.

2. Diet Coke with Splenda. I can drink other diet sodas, but Diet Coke with Splenda is my absolute favorite. Sadly it isn't sold in this part of the state, but happily Deaner is willing to pick it up when he's on the west side of the state for work. He's such a doll. I don't know what I'll do if he ever retires. I really think Diet Coke should have an online ordering system, but that's just me.

3. Lists. I love to make lists. I will make lists of what I need to do for the day. If I have already completed some tasks before making my list, I will put those tasks on the list so I can cross them off. I'm not good at prioritizing, but I do love to make the lists.

4. Baking. I love to bake cookies and pie. These are truly my two favorites and I do them well. I wish I could eat more of what I make. But then I'd balloon up and since I like to run, I can't do that.

5. Chicken. I eat chicken every day - either before or after. Meaning, I will eat eggs or chicken itself at least once a day if not twice and often three times. I love chicken. I once told my bosses to not worry about the bird flu because I would totally be one of the first to go. Of course then one of my bosses said I've probably built up an immunity and I'd be the only one who'd survive.

I know we're only supposed to write five, but here's one more because it is really close to the top and the purpose of this blog:
6. Running. Duh. My friends get annoyed I think about how much I talk about running - my races, my splits, my pacing, my diet, my training, my struggles. Man, if I were my friends I would hate me, but I love me and that's all that matters. :)

Still went

2009-01-22T20:35:00.002-06:00

SG canceled this afternoon due to her friends' moms' death.

This was not a good thing. Of course death isn't hardly ever good, but today I really needed to have someone waiting for me because I was not having a good day. These late nights caught up with me today. I was more pms-y today than I ever am during an actual pms week.

The whole way home I kept trying to talk myself into running. "Don't not go, Moe. You'll regret it." "You're not going to have another 34 degree day for a long time. Relish it." "At least go for a little while, you need to do something." "Just run, Moe. Just run."

This went on the whole 15 minute drive home, the 5 minute walk to my apartment, 2 more minutes while I called Debbie to see if she could talk me into it (she wasn't there). After a nice 10 minute crying jag while I was getting dressed, I finally went out.

I only ran 2.25, but I rarely walked. My time was 25:26, which isn't great, but I had to stop for a few stop lights, and took a 2 minute 1 block break while I walked and stretched in the middle.

I will admit, that after I ran I felt better. It was good to get out because I know that the next few days are going to suck, weather-wise.

And maybe I'm just getting to the point where I can't stay up late anymore and I have to run every day or I won't function well. I think I'm almost there. That'll be good for my continuing marathon training. I need to need to run.

now if only Spring would actually show up.

Another one!

2009-01-21T22:43:00.003-06:00

SG and I weren't going to run today, but she wrote after looking at the forecast for the weekend and asked if we could run today instead. Yeah, like I'm going to say no.

The only bad thing was I had planned on running longer today during lunch and working late to make up for it, but since I was running with SG I opted to just do that run, which was only 2.5. I toyed with running more because it was 30 degrees out at 7pm in this northern Midwestern state, but I bailed. Maybe tomorrow I'll leave work early and do the full run like I did last night instead.

Nice run

2009-01-20T20:08:00.002-06:00

Okay, I know it's all 25 degrees out and there's a bit o' wind chill, but I was actually WARM tonight running.

I skipped my solo long run this afternoon since I needed to run some errands and I watched the inauguration all morning. So I decided I'd run to the park to meet SG, run our 2.5, and then run home. I figured it'd be around 5 miles, but I don't know if I measured wrong or what.

Then I decided to run a bit more more so I ran to the park, about a mile or so, ran the 2.5 with SG, then ran 1.25 (the first half of our run, then another .5 or so. So that should be only 5.25 but when I put it into map my run it ends up being about 6.8, which I'm dropping off at least .3 because it's following the roads and I don't follow the roads. I'm going to have to try this again because it's just not working right. hmmm

Anyway...however far I ran it felt really good. SG and I need to pick our pace up a bit because it took us 36 minutes to run the 2.5 and I know we can go faster. I know there's no shame in running but sometimes I just want to go...run fast! But I also remember how I felt two short years ago when I started running and how sucky that felt so I'm giving her a break. I'm going to push her harder next month though. I know we can do it; I'm just being nice right now.

Okay...back to map my run and I'm going to try this again. If it changes I'll let you know.

Thug

2009-01-19T14:39:00.002-06:00

The last time I ran alone I commented how I thought I look like a mime when I run, but in actuality I look like a thug. So I thought I should prove that point.

yeah, I'd be scared too if I saw this fat thing come running at me in the middle of winter when no one else is around. :)

Freakin' wind

2009-01-19T14:27:00.002-06:00

SG is asking to back out tonight and I don't blame her. We're windy here in the state of wind. We really should have the wind mill things in the middle of downtown. Sheesh. We could provide power for the entire town.

Anyway, I think I'm going to pull out Tony Horton tonight instead. I knew I should have run this morning but I thought since we've taken a couple weeks off and ran last night I should let my body rest a little more. I am going to run twice tomorrow. It's supposed to be 34 tomorrow and I don't want to waste the day. I suppose I should finish my errands today then instead. I'll have to figure out my schedule. Hmmm.

Finally!

2009-01-18T20:24:00.002-06:00

Thank goodness. SG and I got out tonight for a 2.5 mile run. Thank GOD! We were both getting cranky. But by the end we felt better than we have since we last ran...almost two weeks ago.

The too bad thing was the wind. It was supposed to be nice but the wind on the way back was a little much. Oh well. We still made it and tomorrow we'll go out again. I'm really glad we did.

I have 17 weeks (117 days today) until Brookings. I'm a little nervous because the weeks are ticking by rather quickly. But soon I'll be able to run more consistently because I won't have the weather to fall back on.

I really am glad SG and I made it out tonight. Hopefully the repercussions won't be too bad tomorrow. :)

Question

2009-01-15T21:50:00.001-06:00

Hey, just in case anyone is reading this besides me... I have a question.

When the weather gets warmer I'm going to run to and from work, but I need a backpack or something to carry the stuff I need from work back and forth. Last summer I tried one of those cinch bags but it bounced a lot and got annoying.

I don't want anything too big, but something that will stay secure to my back without killing me.

Any ideas?

Winter blues

2009-01-15T21:45:00.002-06:00

Obviously, I haven't been blogging because I haven't been running. I'm so pathetic, but when it's -22 degrees and -55 wind chill, it's just not going to happen.

But tomorrow, ah, yes tomorrow it's supposed to be 23 and feel like 12 at the time I'm supposed to run. I'm so excited. It will hurt, but I so need to get out and run. I miss it.

I joked with Boss3 today that he needed to get out of the office because he was getting whiny and cranky, but in truth, it's ME - I'm the one getting whiny and cranky. And then I had two donuts for lunch so then I was on a sugar high all afternoon which was interesting.

But tomorrow I will run. And this weekend I will run. This weekend is going to be warm, but windy, and yet I will run. I need to get my fat butt off this couch and get out.

Diet Delights

2009-01-13T19:46:00.003-06:00

On one of my email sites they have helpful tips. Today's health tip was this:

You've heard it repeatedly -- exercise more, eat less fat. But exercise is tiring, and a low-fat diet is about as much fun as eating paper. There has to be a balance somewhere.

According to the February 2000 Journal of the American College of Nutrition, there is a way out -- all you have to do is exercise more.

Researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo studied the effects of different diets on endurance runners. They had marathon runners eat diets that ranged from 17 percent to 44 percent of total calories from fat.

They found that on the low-fat diet, the runners simply weren't getting enough essential nutrients, particularly calcium and zinc. Women runners on the low-fat diet weren't getting enough essential fatty acids either.

As a result, the researchers had to advise the runners to eat more, rather than less, fat.

Maybe this is my problem right now - I don't have enough fat in my system so I'm feeling blah and unmotivated and unenergized. Maybe I need to eat some ice cream. Or Frosted Flakes. Or Lucky Charms. :)

Very thankful

2009-01-12T17:30:00.003-06:00

I'm very thankful that there are 18 weeks until the Brookings marathon because if it was in 16 or 12 and I was dealing with this weather and lack of opportunity to be outside running would truly suck.

I should have run this morning. I said this, "I should be running" all morning on my way to work. It was semi-warm and not too much wind. But I had made plans to get to work and get the bios done and some other stuff for work.

Of course 2 hours into my work it starts snowing and blowing horribly and now we're in a blizzard watch or something. And I didn't get a run in. I'm going on almost a week without running.

I'm not too worried because there have been other times where I've missed a week, and since the marathon is still 18 weeks away I should be okay. But it's frustrating nonetheless.

I do want to run, so I may have to suck it up and land on the dreadmill tomorrow. God help me.

Okay...this is the last time.

2009-01-10T21:31:00.002-06:00

I skipped yesterday - but that was planned, sort of. SG was going to skip and when it started snowing really bad I thought it'd be better if I skipped too.

But today! OH! Today...I should have gone out. But my back has been hurting again - I slept wrong. It was my own fault and I should have used moist heat but the day kind of got away from me.

So when SG texted and said she wanted to bail today I took it and ran - just not literally. I decided to just go home after work and relax. It turned out to be good, I think, though I haven't run since Tuesday and that's not a good thing.

But it's early in training so I'm hoping this won't affect me too much. This was my downfall last year. I signed up for the marathon and then wasn't able (or just didn't) run enough during the winter and spring so I wasn't ready in May.

And yesterday I signed up for the Irishman - this will be for the Saturday before St. Patty's day. I'll run the 5M, 5K and 1M races. I know I won't win the Leprechaun Shoe trophy but it will be something new for me to attempt. Now I just hope I don't screw up my training by taking all this time off. (Even if I am sick).

Sick :(

2009-01-08T19:17:00.002-06:00

So yesterday I felt crappy and this morning I felt the same. So, in my brilliance for once, I went to the doctor.

That was fun. Dr. P had me say "ahh" and then said, "Wow, that looks painful." haha. So he figured it was strep or mono. Joy. But he could have a diagnosis in 10 minutes. Fair enough.

Well, it turned out to not be strep or mono, but could have been a fast acting strep or a different form of mono, not sure it if was viral or not so... as he said, "That's my long spiel to tell you we're putting you on antibiotics."

Joy! Amoxicillin for 7 days, three times each day! I can't wait.

So because of this, and the fact it's freezing rain right now, I begged off running again. Sarah was okay with that, I think. I don't want to keep bailing but it's still early in training that I think we'll be okay. And I won't get any better if I don't rest.

So I'm going to rest tonight, maybe tomorrow but definitely back out there Saturday.

sigh

2009-01-07T18:55:00.002-06:00

I have to say, I'm really glad that SG and I are taking today off. I have no energy today. I know my body is adjusting to the lack of flour and sugar, but I don't know that Dr.A from SB really understood just how much I'd be running. :)

So today we're taking off. I need a day to recover. Plus I have a pus or snot thing in my throat that's been there all day. I'm worried it's strep or mono and I just can't handle that right now. So I'm going to take some NyQuil and go to bed soon and see what's what in the morning. If it's still there I'm going to try to get to the doc and get it checked out. I can't be sick. I refuse to be sick.

It's mime time!

2009-01-06T20:26:00.002-06:00

Does anyone else remember that? From Animaniacs? Love that show.

Yes, I'm a mime when I run...at least that's what I thought until I got home tonight and realized I look more like a thug than a mime. I wear black pants, black jacket and thug-like black stocking cap, but white gloves and shoes. Well when I got home and looked at me in the mirror I suddenly realized why the couple walking on the bridge by the river took off rather quickly when I came toward them.

Oh well. I had a great run tonight. SG and I ran 2.5 and it felt great. Then we were talking about taking tomorrow off and I kept looking off to the other trail. SG says, "You're going to go more aren't you." Not a question, she could totally read my mind.

So I went for another half mile just to check out the trail. We've been running the downtown route because it's been well-lit and since we run at night we thought this would be best. But I'm getting bored with it so I want to increase our options.

The only problem with this route is there's limited lighting in a few places, so tomorrow on our rest day I'm going to buy a Maglite. I figure that will help with our lighting problems as well as providing a weapon if needed. But I don't think we'll need it. It's so cold, no one is outside.

So again, Keith - no step count. It's hard to function a watch with dual gloves on. :(

Day one

2009-01-05T21:21:00.002-06:00

I'm not going to number these days because I know I'll get all confused after about 5.

SG and I ran tonight 2.5 downtown. It was a nice run, though windy at first as we headed into it. That didn't help my lungs too much and since we had taken four days off we were both huffin' a little. Of course, I let her set the pace and we ran a lot faster than I think we do or should but her rationale was, "The faster we go, the sooner we get done."

Truer words are never spoken and I'm adamant that there is no shame in walking, so we did walk a couple blocks throughout.

The run back was better since we were finally warm and the wind was at our back. We do get a slight hill in on this route which is good too. And we're going tomorrow.

Keith - I didn't get a step count tonight because I forgot your watch and it was just too damn cold. Plus I know we weren't running right. I will tomorrow.

Approved!!

2009-01-04T14:18:00.002-06:00

I got an email from my trainer (did I mention how awesome he is even though he lives 4 hours away?) and he has approved my race schedule plan for the year! YAY!

Now I just need to get my training plan in place, my big calendar for my wall to track it, and eggs for SB.

Things are looking up!

Another day down

2009-01-04T14:13:00.003-06:00

Today is cold. Ugh. I hate the cold and I don't want to tempt fate and exercise induced asthma, so I'm baking cookies today.

Tomorrow I go back on South Beach, Phase 1. I'm actually excited about this because it's so much nicer knowing what I can/should eat instead of trying to figure it out on my own. And I know SB works because it has worked for me in the past.

Monday is supposed to be warmer, though maybe windy. SG and I are planning to run tomorrow night at 6 since she has to work, so I may go out for another short run at noon to get some mileage in. Plus I've just been feeling like a bump on a log - a BIG bump...HUGE bump - all weekend so I need to get out and do something!

Plus, I need to stay away from the cookies as much as possible. :)

Struggling

2009-01-03T10:37:00.001-06:00

There are moments in my life when I really really hate where I live. today is one of them. SG and I were going to run at noon today, but she just wrote and said the roads/sidewalks/driveways are really slick from the freezing drizzle we've had. She and her puppy even slipped, so she wants to not go out today. And I can't run tomorrow because I have family things going on.

I don't want to skip today. I need to get out, but I'm worried that now that she's backed out I won't get motivated enough to go. I think around 1 it'll be okay, but right now it's icky.

This is also the moment where I really wish I had been paying better attention when I bought YakTrax at REI...because stupidly I bought the walking ones, not the Pro ones, so I'm very hesitant about trying to run in them. I need to give them to mom and get some of the Pros, but I'm also trying to really curb my spending on frivolous things.

So if anyone is out there, please send some advice or motivation. I'm going to go shower and wake up and hopefully that'll help.

This is not a good start to the year. :(

Rest day

2009-01-02T10:03:00.001-06:00

SG is feeling a little sore today from our 4 miles yesterday and it's cold out with subzero wind chill, so we decided to skip today.

This isn't a bad thing. Just like I told SG when we were planning our runs - there's no shame in walking. And there's no shame in resting. Your body tells you when too much is too much and if you try to push beyond that it'll shut down on you.

I'm tired too. Spent last night hanging out with Grady so I'm exhausted. She really wanted to come running with me today, but alas she couldn't. She'll have fun playing with Maya and Sasha instead. Another time she'll come with me to run I'm sure.

Log One

2009-01-01T14:03:00.000-06:00

So I decided I needed a place to just write about my running. I'm truly addicted which is not a good thing, or maybe it is and I just haven't fully admitted that yet.

It's 2009 and my goals are to run the following:

St. Patty's 5K - March 17, 2009
Avera 5K - May 9, 2009 (part of tapering for next week)
Brookings Marathon - May 16, 2009
SF Half? Maybe - September 2009
Twin Cities Marathon - Oct 4, 2009
World Run Day - November 2009
Thanksgiving Day 5K - November 2009

And maybe a few others in the middle.

I have a new running partner, SG, and her goals are much different than mine. She's looking to run the St. Patty's 5K (her first in awhile), the Avera 5K, and then a 10K in September. She and I talked this morning and I'm going to run with her, if nothing else but to get me out. I'm a great procrastinator, as we all know, so having someone to account to and help get me out will be needed. But then after our run I'll go off on my own.

So here we go! I'm really excited for this year. 2009 will be my year for running. I can't wait. I started off with 4 miles with SG this morning. We walked a lot but still finished in under an hour. I think our average was a 14 minute mile which is a little slow, but we're both getting back into the sync of running.

I should be out again right now since it's almost 40 degrees out, but I think I'm going to just rest since we're running again tomorrow.

This will probably be a bit of a boring log, but if nothing else, it'll help me.