AKA "What I'm writing when I should be writing a newsletter article"I went to the gym again today. I used the elliptical and the bike again and got a decent work out. It doesn't feel as much like a workout as running does, but I'm hot, I'm sweaty, and my heart rate goes up, so I'll count it. That's two weeks in a row for those of you keeping track at home. I do, however, need to invest in some of the special detergent for sports clothes. It's one thing when your clothes start stinking while out running. It's an entirely different thing when you could clear the room with your stank and you've barely started sweating.I've become involved in so many different activities lately that I'm starting to have a hard time keeping track of what … [Read more...]
Why am I even posting?
Not a whole lot has changed around here...I'm still undecided on the whole marathon thing;I'm still working on booking stuff in Alaska;I'm still emotionally unstable (perimenopause kicks PMS' a$$)Despite the fact that I've put aside my marathon decision until a point in time where I can make a decision without crying or yelling, I've started training. I'm cobbling together a plan from Hal Higdon, FIRST, and some of JoyRun's previous plans. Basically the mileage Hal suggests at his intermediate level, minus one day of running per week, some FIRST speedwork, and some tweaks from Joy. Will it work? Who knows, but since I may be training for a marathon I never run, I guess it'll be a fun experiment.Sunday was my first speed workout. I did … [Read more...]
2010 Plans and Goals
2010 is a big year here. In May, Beer Geek and I will have been married 15 years. In August, I turn 40. To celebrate, we have some exciting plans.Big Plan #1 - We are going to Alaska. We honeymooned in Alaska and had a fabulous time. Now we are going to take the boys and hopefully spend two weeks exploring near Anchorage, likely the Kenai Peninsula and Denali National Park. My parents are considering going with us as well. I love doing cool stuff with my family and I will certainly appreciate being able to go out at least one night without the boys.Big Plan #2 - I'm going to run a spring marathon. The Marine Corps Marathon did not go quite as I had planned. I want to run another to see if I can train better and run smarter and … [Read more...]
Another marathon?
Before the Marine Corps Marathon last October, I swore I'd never run another one. Training took a huge toll on our family and on my mind(surprisingly, my body held up quite well). I felt like I spent every moment of my free time running. I leaned heavily on my parents to watch the kids when I went to visit and Beer Geek took two days off work so that I could do my 20 mile runs without taking over the whole weekend. I spent a ton of money on babysitters so that I could get the longer midweek run in without conflicting with soccer or our normal evening routine.As I crossed the finish line, I said to myself "I never have to do this again." A few days later, I promised Beer Geek I wouldn't run another one until Shoo was in school. I also … [Read more...]
My hood and some random stuff
Beer Geek finally got home last night, but his luggage did not. The airline called and said they'd deliver it that night, so I hung out until midnight and then gave up and headed to bed. At 5 am, we woke up to my cell phone ringing. The bag was delivered five minutes later (we think the driver had been delivering bags all night). Thankfully, the boys let me sleep until after 8, so I'm not quite as exhausted as yesterday.I've been doing some more marathon contemplation. I don't think I'll be doing the New Orleans one as the weekend just doesn't work for us. I'm kind of considering the Knoxville Marathon, but we'd combine that with a trip, which would mean traveling on Easter. Beer Geek's dad has a big family get together on Easter … [Read more...]
Aftermath: Where do I go from here?
As soon as I ran across the finish line, I came to a dead stop. Not because I wanted to, but because there was no place to go. It was complete gridlock. We slowly moved forward and got our space blankets, some water, and our medals. Then it was time for the picture in front of Iwo Jima. That was pretty cool, but after that, I (and some others) got directed the wrong way and ended up downhill from where the food was. I was in a bit of a time crunch as Beer Geek needed to leave town, plus I really wasn't up for walking back up the hill, so I just headed to meet my family, knowing I had a Cliff bar in my dry clothes bag. Beer Geek met me on the way, as I was picking up my USAA finisher's coin. We found the boys, my mom, and Shoo's … [Read more...]
Miles 22-26.2: These miles brought to you by Powerade
Marine Corps Marathon 2008 recap, part 3 (MCM recap part 1, MCM recap part 2) Just after mile 22 was another water stop. I drank three cups of Powerade. Really. I thought to myself, "I'm going to regret this when I throw up". I headed into Crystal City. The place was hoppin'! Music, tons of spectators, tons of offerings of vaseline and twizzlers and various things. I got my last Gu in and just focused on keeping moving. And suddenly, I started feeling better. I couldn't move fast because my legs were exhausted and my toes hurt, but I actually enjoyed those miles. Arlington had special mile markers for all the miles in VA, so it was cool to get to see them all. I was able to "run" almost the entire loop back to the water stop. I … [Read more...]
Mile 10-21: the hell miles
Marine Corps Marathon 2008 recap, part 2. (MCM 2008 recap part one) Just before the end of mile 9, my stomach started feeling off. I felt like I was running with a brick in my belly. Not a good feeling at all! I walked the water stop and tried to drink, but the liquid made me nauseous, on top of the brick feeling. I hit the 15K mark at about 1:35, which was still a 10:13 pace, but I was feeling absolutely horrid. I should have still been fine at that point. 9 miles at that pace in cool weather is usually easy for me. I spotted a set of porta potties with a short line and attempted to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, I still felt like crap and had wasted 6 minutes to boot. My legs felt ok, my breathing was fine, but I desperately wanted … [Read more...]
Pre-race to mile 9 : The glory miles
Marine Corps Marathon 2008 recap, part 1 Short story: Clock time: 4:56:25 Actual time: 4:50:14 The weather was projected to be absolutely perfect for the race. Starting temp was low 40s, with the temp at the finish near 65, with a bit of a breeze. I got up at 4:30 am, took a shower, got dressed, ate a PB&J sandwich and proceeded to completely freak out. The topic I decided to stress about? A shirt that races. I had one seam that felt rough and the shirt itself feels more cottony than my normal running shirts and I'd only run two miles in it and...and...and... Just before 6, when we were about to leave, I almost changed out of it. Beer Geek convinced me to wear it and change at mile 2 (where they were meeting me) if it was … [Read more...]
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