Last year, I made the decision not to run 15 half marathons in 2015. I stuck to my decision and instead ran 3 marathons, 8 half marathons, 1 10K, 2 5ks, Ragnar Cape Cod and a trail race. Oops, once again I overshot. 16 races in 2015. … [Read more...]
Top Ten Reasons Moms Make Good Ragnar Teammates
I had to miss out on Ragnar DC this year due to an overloaded schedule, but "my" team rocked the heck out of Ragnar DC and came in second in the all women category. Obviously, moms make the best Ragnar teammates! Sleep deprivation doesn't scare them - Ragnar has nothing on a cranky newborn. They've learned how to sleep anywhere and in any position. Moms can go from dead asleep to running in minutes. Showering is a luxury and they are used to putting clean clothes on a body that's not. Moms carry baby wipes with them wherever they go. Moms can park a minivan in a spot that's only two inches bigger than the car. Snacks. Moms never leave home without them. Moms are used to having no personal space and no privacy for … [Read more...]
It might be a little wet
Know what's happening this weekend? Ragnar DC and Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. Know what else is happening. Rain. Lots of rain. Because Hurricane Joaquin. I don't mind running in rain. I don't even mind torrential downpours. But here's the thing: I'm volunteering. Yep, 6 hours for Ragnar and 6-8 hours for WW. I'm pretty sure I will have gills by the end, assuming of course the winds don't blow me away. At least I know how to dress for a rainy volunteer stint. Number 1 rule: If you think you need another layer, you need another layer. Volunteers don't warm up like runners! On the sunny side of things, one of my favorite runner friends is coming in for the race. It feels like forever since I last saw Kim, but really … [Read more...]
Thinking out loud: Ch-ch-ch-changes
Welcome to another episode of "brain dump" AKA Thinking out loud Thursday with Running with Spoons. Today's brain dump will focus on Ragnar, marathon training, and fortuitous beer. 1. It looks like I won't be running Ragnar DC this year. You may recall that I LOVE Ragnar. I'd run every Ragnar every year if I had that kind of time. I had an amazing time at Ragnar DC last year and and even better time (didn't know it was possible, but yes, it was ) at Ragnar Cape Cod this year. So, of course, I signed up for Ragnar DC this year. Except the date has changed to October this year. Have I mentioned how insane October is around here? Birthdays and races and work conferences and soccer and... I knew it was going to be a crazy weekend, but … [Read more...]
How to Take a Ragnar Vacation
It's time! Here we go with another Ragnar - this time in Cape Cod. When I wrote my packing post last time, I was running a local race. No airlines were involved and I left my house Friday morning and returned Saturday afternoon. Things are a little different when you Ragnar away from home. To add some fun to the mix, Beer Geek and I decided to make it a vacation to celebrate our 20th anniversary. This meant packing not only for running and maybe a night on either end. Nope, I had to pack for running and a week's worth of clothes. Yep, I was going to take a Ragnar vacation. Luckily, I don't have to take that all in the van LOL. … [Read more...]
Ultimate Coffee Date – May!
I can't believe it is May 1 already. Or that I have 3 races to run left this spring and they will all be done in 9 days. Gah! As you are reading this, I'm out running a marathon, but I'm still joining up with my friends Deborah, Coco, and Lynda for a virtual coffee date. If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that as I'm writing this before I start running, I'm nervous as all get out. It's going to start nice and cool tomorrow, but will quickly warm up to the mid-high 60s. I have had zero time to acclimate to that, so my goal first and foremost tomorrow will be to get in plenty of electrolytes and fuel during the race. Luckily, Mainly Marathons provides one of the best aid stations I've ever seen, complete with freshly made … [Read more...]
Five trips in 2015
I love to travel. I love to run. I love it even more when I can combine the two activities. After all, my header is designed to record my races in different states.(Beer Geek and I are already talking about retiring and buying an RV and traveling the country, collecting counties and hitting up races.) Seems fitting that today's topic for Friday Five with Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia is "5 Trips". It was a pretty open ended topic, so I'm going to tell you about the 5 trips I have left in 2015. If I were to talk about where I want to travel, well, the list would be way longer than five. 1. First up is the trip I've been running my legs off for: I'm heading up to the Mainly Marathons Independence Series to run back to back marathons. Yes, … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Coffee Date – April Version
Good morning! We are home from our adventures to Chicago and Wisconsin. It's good to be home, but it was nice to be spoiled for a few days. It was nice for someone else to plan the meals. I don't mind cooking, but I am not a fan of meal planning LOL. So, today, I'm joining up with my friends Deborah, Coco, and Lynda for a virtual coffee date. If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that a month from now I'll be done with my back to back marathons challenge. This week I will run 15+ and 20 back to back as my last long training runs. It's a good thing I work for a close friend because I had to tell him that on Thursday and Friday I'll be running most of the school day and that after the run I'm stupid. I actually read an article … [Read more...]
Let’s have some coffee…
Happy New Year! We just got back from our trip down south for the holidays. It was a whirlwind of a trip from DC to Jacksonville, FL to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, and back to DC. Riding in the car for hours has left me with a brain full of thoughts that need to spill out, so I'm joining the January Ultimate Coffee Date. I … [Read more...]
I’m an expert…
Sometimes life is too serious and we need to laugh at ourselves. I saw this topic on A Lady Goes West yesterday and it made me laugh... and think about what I'm an expert in. After all, we all have skills. Some of them we learned, some of them we come by naturally. Some of them are "party tricks", some are actually useful. Many of them are entertaining. [Tweet "Let's have some fun! What are you an expert at doing? I'm an expert at finding hilly races! #runchat #uselessskills"] So here's what I'm an expert in: … [Read more...]
I need more coffee! Ultimate Coffee Date!
Some day I'd like to start this post with "It's been such a lovely, calm week." This is not that week, so I'm going to join Jill, Nikki, and Lynda at the Ultimate Coffee Date and make you listen to the crazy that is my life. I promise if you leave a comment about the crazy in your life to make me feel better, I'll commiserate with you. So, before I do the mind dump that is my usual, what's up with you? Got some races coming up? Work going well? Kids doing anything exciting? Here's what's going on in my life... If we were having coffee this morning, I would tell you that tomorrow morning I have to be on the course of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon at 4 am. This means waking up between 2:00am and 2:30am. I'll be setting … [Read more...]
Ragnar DC Wrap Up
Have you ever done something and thought to yourself: "This is what I was meant to do!" Yes, that's how I felt about Ragnar. It played to all of my strengths. I mean, I'm not fast (and seem to be getting slower, sigh) and I don't really enjoy running longer than 10-12 miles at a time. But I can run frequently and I need very little sleep. Even after running 5 half marathons in five days x 2, I was shocked at how good I felt on each run. My body never said to me: "Wait, didn't we run just a few hours ago?" Nope, each time I went out to run, I was met by legs that felt fresh and ready to go. And each leg I got faster, much like when I do the multiple half marathons in a row. I think I've found my super power. Now if only my … [Read more...]
