5 Miles Past Empty

Marathon Training

2012-01-31T17:51:00.001-08:00

Here I sit, comfortably in Week 5 of 18 for my marathon training. If I were to grade myself up to this point I think I would give myself a B+. I've missed a few runs, ok almost all my runs last week, due to being sick, but I've hit my long runs. I need to get my weekly mileage up a bit more. Hence my Note to Self today......

Before I know it I will be having those 7, 8, 9 mile mid-week, mid-distance runs. Oh boy....logistically I have no clue how that is going to happen but I better figure it out. And soon....

And today I feel like a horse that hasn't been run for a while, you know? I ran Sunday but not Monday, and yet it feels like light-years have passed since I ran. Is today really only Tuesday? Here I sit at 9:00 PM waiting for the Hubs to get home so I can head out, but I also REALLY want to take a shower and crawl into bed. The weather around here has been annoyingly beautiful. It's annoying because it's freezing when I go to work at 7 AM and dang near dark when I get home at 6 PM. No time for me to enjoy this perfect, beautiful, running weather that happens during the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM. It's driving me crazy. Tomorrow it's supposed to be a high of 72! PERFECT RUNNING WEATHER. But I wont be able to enjoy it. Whoa is me....

Ready for my night run....

Oh yeah, it's a Dorky Sweat Pants kind of night....

I am not feeling exactly chatty tonight. I wish I had exciting things to blog about, other than running in dorky sweat pants and a headlamp... but I feel like Boring Beatrice (no offense if your name is Beatrice. Or Boring for that matter...).

I will be guest blogging for FitFluential.com in the near future...I am having severe writers block. Strange I know! Any suggestions for fitness/running/triathlon topics that you think others would be interested in? If you aren't familiar with FitFluential you should head over and check us out! I say "us" because I am an Ambassador for FitFluential, Inc.! Total coolness!

Progress Report...

2012-01-29T12:19:00.000-08:00

....LB's not the only one around here to have an N and a U on his progress report. While I have no problem staying on task, I too struggle with completing assignments on time-as in running assignments. In LB's defense, even with the N and U for staying on task and completing assignments, the kid's above grade level in everything that counts (i.e. reading and math)....so there teacher-who-refuses-to-use-positive-reinforcement-and-redirection, we are working on it.

Back to me.

This past week's training stunk. Like skunk in your living room stunk. As in I didn't train, really. At all, stunk.

I think I may have run Monday night, an easy 3 miler after I spent all day thinking it was a rest day. Then Tuesday came and I had body aches, chills, a head ache, my throat hurt. I was dying. No drama here.

So Tuesday I went to bed at like 8 PM, struggled through work on Wednesday. Came home and again was in bed by 8 PM. Thursday came, I felt a little better. Probably could have hit an easy, easy 3 miler but family duties prevailed and The Hubs was headed to VA Beach for the funeral service of a good friend and a fallen comrade. I had no run in me and didn't really care.

I was flying solo Thursday through Saturday. Friday I just said, forget it and took LB to the Sweet Frog to celebrate TWO things:

My sweet froginess-delicious.

LB's sweet froginess--very kid-o-licious. I actually would not have eaten that....

Celebration Reason #1: Having only ONE incomplete all week long on his weekly progress report (seriously, overall he got a U for this?)

Check plus is like an A+. check is like an A. and check minus is like an A- . INC is incomplete.

Why is 1st grade so complicated? Sheesh....

Celebration Reason #2: His arm is all healed up! Yay!!

He's becoming a pro at x-rays.

We went to his doctors appointment to have his arm x-rayed to make sure everything was good. It was! No visible line on the bone and everything looked good-for him! I, on the other, did not look so good. The super awesome and amazing surgeon thought it was necessary to revisit the traumatic history of his break and his x-rays. He began with the first x-ray. I began to sweat, he had all of them visible on a huge screen right in front of me, I got a queasy feeling in my stomach. He pointed out the clear break, then pointed out the pins he put in, pointed out the break again when we came in for the hard cast, pointed out the tiny visible crack when the cast came off...I got clammy, hot, cold, everything was going black...and blacker, and blacker....I couldn't see......the pinhole of my vision was closing in fast. I had to get out of there. Why can't I handle this? Ridiculous. It is utterly embarrassing. I had to sit down and put my head down.

So we, ok ok...I needed a treat for surviving that ordeal. Sweet Frog it was and boy was it delicious! If yoru wondering, Sweet Frog is a place with like 30 different soft serve frozen yogurt flavors and a million different things you can put on top. Then you pay by the pound. When we checked out and our total was a bit over $10 LB said, "Look mom! It wasn't $100! Can I get more M&M's?" Kids.

Saturday came and LB had a basket ball game-he won 10-6! Go Bobcats!! Then it was off towards Raleigh to meet my brother for lunch! This may be his first appearance on 5 Miles Past Empty! He was only town for a little bit but it was great to see him.

And of course you can't have a visit from the Uncle without receiving a firearm....

We came home and The Hubs arrived shortly after and was fully engaged in a(nother) Nurf War.

An today, I got to meet Andrea for our long run of 11 miles! Oops, no picture of that, but I did get a picture of my Nathan Handheld water bottle because I thought it was cool how much stuff I could fit in there...

work on-call cell phone, GU, pocket knife, key fob.

So tomorrow starts anew! I am feeling better, kicked my cold or flu to the curb and am ready to get back to my plan!!

As good a time as any....

2012-01-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

...for a good ole taggy taggerton post.

This comes in good timing since I have been sick as a dog and thus have ZERO training to report…I was tagged by two (and a third promised to me for Friday) awesome bloggers, Kepa at The Tri-n-Hawaiian, and the awesomely delicious Junk Food Runner!

Here are the rules:

1.Post these rules

2.You must post 11 random things about yourself

3.Answer the questions set for you in their post

4.Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer

5.Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them.

So here are 11 Random Things About Myself...

1. I’m not very assertive at all. I hate that about myself and am working on it. But it’s hard.

2. I work with children and adolescents as a therapist. The thing I hate the most is when I meet the parents and they say, “Oh, I thought you would be a lot older.” Or “Oh, I didn’t think you would be so young.” I know I should be happy that I look young but they are labeling me as incompetent , often questioning my knowledge and competence, and accuse me of being wet-behind-the-ears based on the fact that I take care of my skin/health and loooook young. I’m 32 4/5’s. I gain some credibility when I tell them I am a mother and my son is 6. But, on the other hand I have been accused of being a 15 year old mother and scoffed at. I can't win....

3. I am terrible with numbers. If I were ever to be given a sobriety test and asked to count by seven’s I would FAIL. If you spout out your phone number I will remember the first three numbers only. After three numbers they all sound like 87857837583567376627632389202402402928948274792472498724.

4. I wish I could go back to school for three more things: Podiatry, Marine Biology, and Nutrition. When can I start?

5. I dream of traveling the world to be a Crisis Therapist and work with children who have been traumatized like in Haiti, Japan, Thailand, and Afghanistan, using expressive Art Therapy and Play Therapy. Only roadblocks are money, language barriers, and my own responsibility to my LB.

6. I wish I could quit my 40+ hour a week job and try really, REALLY hard to run really fast, swim really fast, and bike really fast so that I could take my triathlon career (ok create a triathlon career) somewhere. I have no doubt that if it were my JOB and with a coach I could be a professional athlete.

7. I hate being tall. I get pretty grumpy looking at all the super cute shoes-with high heels-because I love them! I want them! But I feel like a huge giant when I wear heels. So I stick to flats.

8. I don’t watch TV. I may watch an episode of something on Hulu once and a while but we have no cable or local channels on TV in our house.

9. I require a lot of sleep. If I get sleepy I get angry and cranky. I could fall asleep any time, any where, if I am tired. You could put a flashlight in my face and a TV blaring and I will fall asleep, if I want to.

10. I used to hate pickles. Randomly, now I love them. It's bazaar.

11. I have no idea how formatting this posting is so difficult, but I get very frustrated when I have computer problems--and this post formatting mess is a PROBLEM.

Here are the questions from Kepa:

1. Do you keep a training log?

Yes, of sorts. I hand write my plans in a spiral notebook and each week is a page. I keep notes about each run and paces and distance and all that jazz.

2. Do you think videos of guys getting hit in their privates are funny?

Kind of? Is that bad?

3. Train/Race - socks or no socks?

Yes. I like socks. The one tri I went without socks it was pouring rain and I finished the race with half the arch of my foot rubbed off…I will now always wear socks.

4. What is your favorite movie?

I’m not much of a TV head or movie person. I could go the rest of my life without watching a movie. I rarely ever watch a movie twice.

5. Do you listen to music while you train?

Sometimes. Not anymore if I run at night, or when I run alone on secluded roads. I do on a treadmill and usually in races.

6. Heel striker or mid/forefoot?

Midfoot strike mostly.

7. How many pairs of running shoes do you own?

Functional ones? Three.

8. What is your favorite color?

Pink, duh…..

9. Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, Other... Don't Care?

These days I’m not sure. I’m completely disgusted but I am leaning toward Libertarian.

10. At what training distance do you decide to carry your own hydration?

When I lived in the PNW my rule was anything over 10 miles. Here in North Carolina it’s usually anything over 3. Or I might die.

11. Do you wear your workout clothes more than once before washing them?

EWE! Gross! Sick! I think I just threw up in my mouth!!! I feel gross just thinking about that. No I don’t but I SMELL people at races who obviously do…..

Questions from Junk Food Runner:

1. What is your favorite cheat food/meal?

Anything chocolate or a fat salmon burger with fries.

2. Where is the best place in America that you have travelled to/lived in?

Lived in Monterey CA, would love to live there again….and lived in Tacoma, WA…would love live there again too. But the best place in USA to visit, Maui Hawaii, hands down.

3. If you could change one thing you have done in the past what would it be and why?

Oh my goodness? Really? I cannot honestly answer this….But just for the sake of giving an answer I’d say turning down a cross country scholarship out of High School. I wonder how things would be different?

4. What is your favorite thing you remember from your first race?

My first race (outside of track and cross-country) as an adult was a 10k. I remember it being super hard! It was on Mother’s day weekend and I pushed LB in the jogging stroller and as I crossed the finish line I was so proud and excited and they announced me and my name and my Little Buddy too! I ran a 9:06 min/mile pace. The next day The Hub’s deployed to Iraq-on Monther’s Day.

5. Would you prefer to run on a treadmill or in the pouring rain?

Ugh, treadmill without a doubt.

6. What is your guilty pleasure television show? Mine is Teen Mom. Please don't judge me.

Well, I have said a number of times that I don’t watch a lot of TV but when I do I usually go to ABC.com for Grey’s Anatomy (makes me feel good to see glimpses of Seattle) or The Daily Show. Sometimes I am forced to watch American Dad with The Hub’s, which I can totally relate too…the alien cracks me up.

7. If you could have one super power what would it be?

Wow, this is tough. I think I’d like to have the power to turn invisible while flying.

8. Do you remember your dreams when you wake up? If so, what is the strangest dream you can remember?

Just this week I dreamed I was on the run in Holland. I had done something bad and the law was after me. I did a great job evading them by hiding in an apartment with a very sweet family. They took me in for a few months while I waited for the law to back off. I cut my hair, wore local attire,

and fit right in walking around the community while the law was looking for me. They had my face plastered all over the place on fliers. It was very exciting to be a fugitive! I wonder what I did?

9. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would you choose?

Death? No, not an option? I need variety and anytime I eat a lot of something I end up hating it. But, with all that being said I could go with chocolate chip cookie or Safeway M&M sugar cookies.

10. What piece of advice would you give a new runner?

Don’t quit. It will get easier and more fun and you will never regret your decision to run. And first and foremost, run for YOU, not anyone else….the run is yours.

11.Biggest Loser - love it or hate it?

Eh…..ambivalent.

So now I have to ask 11 questions:

1.What is your earliest childhood memory?
2. What is your biggest fear?
3. What is something you dream of doing but you know it is just that, a dream?
4. If you had a million bucks to give to a charity or a person, who or what would you give it to?
5. If you knew, without a doubt, the world was ending on 12/12/12 what the heck would you do for the next 11 months?
6. If you could be someone else for one week, who would you be and why?
7. If someone offered you the car of your dreams (for me the BMW X5 3 series) to drive for free, gas and insurance paid as well, BUT you had to have one of those crazy advertisement car wraps for something completely stupid, all over it, would you do it?
8.What is your biggest pet peeve?
9. If you left the house in the morning without ________________, your day would be ruined.
10.True confession: How many days in a row have you gone without showering? And how many of those days involved a good, sweaty run/workout?
11. How much do you love ME for tagging you and asking you these ridiculous questions?

And now, dun dun dun…..I tag the following 11 people and I am super sorry if you have already been tagged.

I am Boring

Mission to Another Marathon

Livin’ a Little Life

Run Faster Mommy

Running to Sanity

Run ,Zoe, run!

Cackalackytransplant

Silly Kristal Runs a Marathon

Impossible is Nothing

I Have Run

It’s Just One Foot in Front of the Other

***And like I mentioned in Random Fact about me #9, I am tired and ready for bed. So i will link and tag you guys tomorrow. You can find links to each of the tagged bloggers on my side bar if you can't wait for me to tag....And also, if you see your blog feel free to go ahead and join the fun!

Rocking the Rest...

2012-01-23T16:58:00.001-08:00

...That's right. At this point in my training (Week 4), you don't have to tell me twice or twist my arm to get Rest Day Compliance. I welcome it. I don't feel especially tired or in need of rest and/or recovery right now but logistically rest days are awesome. I mean I actually get to eat dinner, after I cook it of course, I get to help LB with homework, conduct bath, supervise evening book reading, then back-scratch duty. Then, I get to sit down. Ah....yes. My evening starts at about 8:30.

So rest/recovery days are awesome until I look at my plan and realize that today is actually NOT a rest day. Epic Fail.

So here I sit...full belly, chillaxing finally, on the couch. It's pitch black and cold outside. Do I run?

You bet your buns I do......

I guess it's time to go get dressed for my easy 3 miler. It's hard to get motivated for a three mile run but in my plan each run has a purpose. I try not to add in junk miles. Each one matters, each one is special and serves a purpose. It's all a part of the deal....after all, I have a marathon to run!

Speaking of marathons, I kind of got crazy today....Another race is officially added to the calendar.

This my friends, is a registration for the Chattooga River 50k in South Carolina. What got into me I can not say for sure, but I blame it entirely on J-Ninja.

As you can see from the text conversation above, she twisted my arm and practically forced me to register....

But what's done is done....only 5 months until I will experience my first ultra. It is scary and exciting! So tonights 3 mile run must happen. It is not only a matter of putting in the run but the discipline, the will, the determination to do what it takes....

Race Strategy....

2012-01-21T08:20:00.001-08:00

How important is it, really?

Obviously I think it is good to have some racing experience under your belt but we all start somewhere, with out first race at a new distance. Recently I was reminiscing about my 70.3. I finished in 7 hours and 8 minutes. Could I have done better? Probably not. Not during that race. BUT, it was my first time racing that distance. It was unknown. I had no idea what I was getting into. With that race under my belt and some, ok A LOT of lessons learned my next 70.3 will not be so disasterous. And by disastrous I mean the run wont be so disastrous.

During my reminiscing I also fondly reflected on my first marathon. Oh my first....I will always cherish that 4 hours and 9 minutes. Everything about it was magical. Looking back now I know I could have gone sub 4 hours BUT it was new. My first! I was afraid of what was to come. I was scared of The Wall. Scared of mile 21, 22 and every mile after that. It was new, uncharted territory. I was conservative.

I've been thinking about my Race Strategy for Big Sur. It's not a new distance at all, but it is a tough course. The toughest marathon course I will have done to date. I think. Portland topped out at 150 feet elevation gain, OKC marathon had an overpass...Vegas full, I don't really remember a hill. Seattle AMICA 1/2 marathon had an elevation gain topping out at 200 feet. Mercer Island 13.1 might come the closest to being the hardest course but still that one only has a top gain of 250 feet. I know I have done some tough, tough courses while living in the PNW but....

I have been to Big Sur, actually lived in Monterey for a couple of years. I know Highway 1 well and the hills and the terrain of the course. It is hilly. I pulled up the elevation this morning so that I could see exactly what I am in for.

It actually doesn't look too terrible. Miles 1-5.5 are gravy...downhill. Mile 5.5 to 9 only slightly concerning with a bit of a climb. But then I see mile 10-12....

I think there must be a bus from miles 10 to 12. Right?

Um? Is this legal? A 600 foot climb in two miles? It looks like I might need a pulley of sorts to haul me up. I guess I thought, overall it would be straight up for 26.2 miles. As The Hubs so lovingly, supportively, and univitedly pointed out "That's not hard. You start at 300 feet and end at 100 feet. It's all downhill."

Yeah. Ok.

So miles 10-12 are just unmentionable. Then, the last half of the course just looks like chaos. The first 9 miles are all normal then it goes into some sort of desperate tailspin of craziness.....Clear Good vs. Evil going on here.

So it's technically not straight up for 26.2 miles but it is a "moderately difficult" course. I should be able to make the 6 hour race cut off. Right? Yes. I think so.

J-Ninja and I have been talking strategy for this race and, as of now, have decided it is a destination experience race. We'll take our time, enjoy the scenery, snap some pictures, enjoy the bands and shoot for a 5 hour finish, 5:30 tops.

But what about all our killer training? We don't want it to go to waist, now do we? Nope. So it only makes since to use Big Sur as a training run...yes, you read that right. A training run. But what in the world do you need to run 26.2 miles in training for?

Well, for a 50k of course.

We have been searching for a 50k to do a few weeks after Big Sur and found one in South Carolina. The idea is that we will be going fairly easy at Big Sur, leaving us able to continue training, or at least able to cover the distance, about a month later.

A 50k is 31.06 miles, so what is another 4.8 miles anyway? Truth is, I have no idea...this is new, unchartered territory. It's fun to do something new, to have a new challenge hanging in front of me!

What are your plans for a NEW race???

All Over the Place...

2012-01-17T17:59:00.001-08:00

I really shouldn't skip days on the blog, especially when every day is SO exciting.

Let's start with Saturday morning, shall we? I woke up SO MAD at the Hubs. Do you ever do that? It was bad. You see, I had this dream or nightmare rather, and my bike was STOLEN! Can you imagine! I ran to my big, strong, tough, brave husband in hopes he would track down the thieving swine (been reading pirate books to LB) and beat him up and get my bike back! But he just looked at me and did nothing. It was like I was frantically yelling in Swahili to him. It was no big deal. He was not comprehending the catastrophic event that had just taken place. Instead he shrugged his shoulders and mumbled something to the effect of "Dang, that sucks."

So I woke up mad at him. I checked on my bike and she was fine....(no thanks to The Hubs, bitter? Who? Me? Nooooo.....). I needed my 30 minute fartlek run....I got it in and felt much better. That was my Saturday.

Sunday afternoon I planed to meet J-Ninja for our long run. I got everything ready and realized my Garmin was only a teeny tiny bit charged. I threw it on the charger while I continued to gather my stuff. I had it all piled up and ready to go....I had my PureFit bar to try (review coming soon) and ZipFizz (also review coming soon), my pocket knife and my pepper spray. I was ready.

What's missing?

I headed out the door to meet J-Ninja, 10 minutes behind schedule....as always. On my way out it struck me, the Hubs had no idea where I was going. I asked him, "Don't you care where I am going?" He knew I was going to meet J-Ninja but he didn't know where.....his defense was J-Ninja's husband will know...Insert annoying buzzer sound here! Wrong answer. I told him where I was going and hit the road. I later found out that J-Ninja's hubby had no idea either. Lesson learned, provide the info even if it isn't asked for. Period.

So anyway, there I was on the way to meet her. I had to stop for gas and realized my Garmin was no where to be be found. A panic ran through me like a lightening bolt. Where was it? Did I drop it in the driveway? Did I leave it on the counter?Would I ever see her again? In a frenzy I texted the Hubs to see if it was at home...

He found it. Plugged in on the bed. Sad and lonely. Missing all the excitement of our long 9 mile run....

But thankfully I had the iPhone and the awesome iMapMyRun app. It seriously has saved me twice now. It is a great backup!

J-Ninja and I knocked out our 9 miler at an easy, comfortable pace (she did the Goofy Challenge last weekend...crazy running partner!). Next weekend we will be hitting up some hills for 10 miles of hill training. Completely necessary as Big Sur is 26.2 miles UP.

Finally, Monday rolled around and it was a chillaxing day. Around 5 o'clock I decided to head out for my my easy three mile run. The Hubs, taking from the lesson on Sunday (or being condescending, not sure which), asked me where I was going, what route I was taking, how long I would be gone, and most importantly did I have my pocket knife. I answered all his questions and he mentioned I needed to practice with my pocket knife. I agree with him and with Kat, who left this comment on my last post:

She and The Hubs are right. If you aren't trained, familiar, comfortable, or savvy with a knife it may be best to leave it behind. Or at least think of it as useful for cutting yourself out of a bind rather than attacking a bad guy. Kat is exactly right, if you aren't careful the very knife you hope to protect you could be used to do you in. The Hubs has taught me this as well. While I am not truly trained in knife fighting I am completely confident in my ability to to use it if necessary.

So, there I was. The Hubs challenged me to a quick draw of the knife. Ready, set, draw! I whipped that knife out of my pocket so fast he wouldn't have known what hit him....until I yelped. As I drew it out of my pocket the blade flung open and it jabbed my hand just under my finger. FAIL.

So there you have it. I am clumsy with a knife and it's no joking matter. The Hubs lectured me about practicing and being trained with the knife. I know he is right. I tell you all this because Kat's comment and my husband's concern are right on. It may be best to stick with the Pepper Spray and enroll in some self-defense classes if you aren't 100% confident in your knife fighting skills.

My marathon training thus far is actually going well. I have hit most of my runs. I missed two runs last week, my speed intervals and a 4 mile fast run. Oh well. I'm not sweating it. This is a new week and already I hit last night's easy three and todays 6x400 intervals at a 6:40 to 6:54 min/mile pace. Tomorrow I rest....sweet sweet rest. Thursday is a 35 min tempo run or I prefer a fartlek. Friday is a 5 mile pace run and Sat 10 easy miles.

And to add a little flava-flav to my day I got this text from J-Ninja....it made me smile ear to ear:

Looks like we have a fun 10 miles ahead of us this weekend.....how about you?

I've Got Something to Say....

2012-01-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

And I don't care if you roll your eyes at me, which I know you wont, because I know that we ALL know how serious and scary this is. I am certain many of you read Beth's blog, Shut up + Run or also known as SUAR and many of you most likely have heard about her family member and fellow runner Sherry HERE.

Sherry headed out Saturday morning for her run, like many of us did. But she hasn't come home yet.

This breaks my heart and strikes a bit of panic within me. When I lived in Tacoma I was not usually afraid when I headed out for my runs. I was always aware of my routes and surroundings, but not afraid. I hate being afraid. Ever since moving here to my current home I have felt uneasy about running outside of my small neighborhood. It is no secret that I have been nervous to head out on runs and usually cover a lot of the mileage in the safety of my neighborhood. When I do venture out it is always a relief when I turn back into the safety of my neighborhood, off the road in the big, wide, world.

Saturday, when they may have just been discovering something was not right in Montana, I had this text exchange with RED:

I thought I was getting paranoid but this story reminds me I am not actually paranoid. Paranoia is a suspicion and mistrust of people or their actions without evidence or justification.

I think we all have evidence AND justification.

People are jerks out there and they don't care, they have no regard for human-kind. And unfortunately, we are not invincible.

I remember a similar incident happening in San Diego a few years ago. We, runners, get all worked up and ramp up our safety precautions, run with buddies, take the head phones off....then we get comfortable again. We let our guard down. We stop being aware of our surroungings. We put a target on our own backs.....

The tragic story about Sherry has me again reflecting on my own habits and safety precautions and my new routine of running at night. I don't use headphones while running at night, I stay in my neighborhood, and since Christmas I have been carrying pepper spray. Tonight I will add a pocket knife.

Scary, huh?

I think so. But I will not go down without a fight.

While running on Saturday, outside of the safety of my neighborhood, I kept playing it over and over in my head what I would do if a bad guy stopped to harass me, or tried to abduct me, or violate me. I had my pepper spray but aside from that I was helpless. I imagined grabbing sticks to hit or stab a bad guy with. I imagined pushing his eyeballs out with my thumbs. I imagined trying to outrun him....but to where? I am isolated out there on about a three mile stretch of my 7 mile loop. And what if I was too tired to outrun a bad guy? Running long distances makes us vulnerable.

I hate that I even have to think about these things. I should feel safe. We all should feel safe. The truth is, I don't. But I am not willing to let bad guys or fear prevent me from doing what I love.

I will run.

I will be safe and be aware of my surroundings.

I will not hesitate to use my pepper spray and pocket knife....

So please, if you haven't already, think about your running habits. Are you safe? Do you tell friends or loved ones when you are heading out? Which route you are taking? How far you are going? How long you expect to be gone? Do you carry a cell phone? Here is a short article by the Billings Gazette that speaks about running safety HERE. Give it a quick read and take a minute to evaluate your current habits. Let's be safe out there! After all, we run so we can lead long, healthy lives...

And if you haven't, head over to SUAR's blog HERE and give some support to a fellow runner.

Did I Just Say That?

2012-01-09T19:29:00.001-08:00

No! Never....I would never say, "It seems these days, despite my grumbling and attempt to hate the night runs, they are growing on me. The darker, the colder, the wetter the better..."

LIES! All of it.....

Today, as I was sitting in a TWO HOUR meeting at Juvenile Justice I could not stop thinking about going for a run. In my daydream I pictured myself busting out of the office, the two glass doors flinging open behind me....It was sunny and warm, almost hot, but for some weird reason I was wearing my coat, scarf, hat, sweater and slacks and heels. I tore off running, heading for an open field with beautiful grass and flowers, flowing to and fro...my long hair whipping around me, flapping annoyingly in my face. I was slinging items of clothing left and right...I must have had on a lot of layers, coat, scarf, sweater to the left, short sleeve shirt to the right, camisole to the left (I don't even know WHAT a camisole is...its a daydream people). As I ran my heels flipped off and flew behind my head. My bare feet clinging to the earth momentarily as I somehow, with great skill and amazing finesse, flung off my slacks.....

TADAH!!!!!!!!

There I was, running with the most satisfied grin across my face, running through the meadow-somehow in my favorite running attire-it just magically appeared.

I have no idea how long I ran but I do know for the rest of the day I was feigning for a run...big time. At (my 15 minute) lunch I tried to satisfy the need with a cup of coffee but there was none. FAIL. Then I eyeballed a piece of carrot cake. DON'T DO IT. I was trying to find anything to satisfy my craving....the need to sweat, to run, to get my heart rate up. It hit me, there was only one way to satisfy my craving. I needed a fix. Too bad I couldn't get a fix until I got home, and even then it would be later.

Finally at about 8:30 I was able to head out for my easy three mile run. It felt great. The rain was slushy and almost snow. My breath came out in a thick puff that hovered in front of my face for a few seconds. It was quite, except for the swish of my hair inside my hood and my feet hitting puddles. I ran sans headphones. It has become my best practice when I run at night, in the dark. I like to have all my senses available to me. But I like the silence, the peace and quite. So, yeah. I guess my evening runs are starting to grow on me. If I can't be a mid morning beauty runner then I'll be a bundled up evening runner...and like most of you said, I'll take my run when I can get it.

Have you ever totally feigned for a run? This has happened to me before and it is so hard to be stuck at work all day when all I want is a quick, sweaty fix that includes a few miles.

Have any of you helped your kiddos make New Year's goals? LB made a few for himself. He resolved to wake up every day and do his exercises, i.e. run through the house like a banshee, do his jumps (on the couch), then run back to his room. He also included play basketball every day and ride his bike everyday. Then yesterday as I was working on training plans for a couple of my readers he asked me what I was doing. I told him I was making training plans for a couple of friends and would soon be done. Our conversation went something like this:

ME: "I'll be done in a minute then I can play with you."

LB: "No. Then you have to make my training plan."

ME: "Oh? Really? Are you training for something?"

LB: "Yes. A kid race. And a tri."

ME: "Awesome! Let's do it!"

Hot-digity-dog!! Our active lifestyle and example is paying off!! It's going to be a fun ride when my LB can run along side me and train for tri's with me....not so fun when he beats me but hey, I have a few more years. I think.....

Not Gonna Do It...

2012-01-05T19:18:00.001-08:00

No way!

No how!

Ain't gonna be me.

No sir-ee I am not going to be a night-time runner!

Night-time runners are....weird.

They are weirder than early morning runners. But strangely they are almost the same really. What is the difference in running at 10 PM and 4 AM? Both times are times in which I should be ASLEEP, snug in my bed. If it's dark I should not be running. My ideal time is 10 AM, when I should be at work. I wanna be a 10 AM Beauty Runner. I wanna drop my kid off at school, go buy my groceries, come home and drink coffee. THEN go run. Then go to work.....

What a fantasy land.

For the third night this week I have been a weird night runner. It's the only way and to be honest I'd much rather run with my dinner threatening to come up than get up before I HAVE to in the morning. For some reason one of my favorite times of day is in the morning, when I wake up and slowly twitch my leg to the cold spot, to test it out, and quickly pull it back to the warmth, and I do the same with my arms. I love it. And to get up at 4 AM and miss this strange ritual I have would just be ridiculous.

So this week, the first week of 2012 and the first week of my Big Sur 26.2 training cycle, I have not missed a run. Monday was an easy 3 miler, Tuesday was 5x400 interval training, Wednesday was a rest day, and tonight was a 30 min fartlek. So far I am off to a great start (despite running in the dark, at night)!! It is a huge confidence boost to get these runs in even when I really REALLY didn't want to. I tried to convince myself tonight that I wasn't going to do it. I got home late and was starving after missing lunch. But RED texted me and gave a pep talk-love her!!

So I headed out when my dinner settled.....

Here is my first Signature Pose of 2012 taken after tonights fartlek run.

So what are you? A Weird Night Runner? A 10 Am Beauty Runner? An Early AM Runner? A Whenever Is Convenient Runner? Or a Who Cares As Long As I Run Runner? I am striving to be the Who Cares As Long As I Run runner....

Oh oh oh! I almost forgot!! Check out Marathon Training Schedule, I am ranked #20 on the Top 100 Running Blogs! Can you believe it? Thank you to all my readers and followers!! Without you I would be, uh....writing to no one but myself! So thank you all for supporting me and my blog! You Rock-even if you're a weird night-runner.....*

If you emailed me or mentioned wanting help with your training plan, fear not...I will be contacting you this weekend! Be ready!!

**I don't REALLY think your weird if you run at night....or early in AM....I actually think you're awesome.

Making the Plans

2012-01-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

Half the fun of racing is getting the plan ironed out....when will I run, how far, how fast? I like seeing the numbers go up and up each week, on paper. I like that little flip I get in my stomach when I pencil 18, 20 miles on a Saturday morning. I enjoy looking at the completed plan and closing my eyes and imagining the entire 18 weeks within the blink of an eye.

Yesterday I sat down to get the plan on paper. Something about actually putting the pencil to paper makes it real.

My Big Sur Marathon training began today with a three mile run. The rest of the plan covers speed work to prepare for a 5k on Feb.25 and a half marathon on Mar.18. It includes tempo runs, fartleks, pace runs, and slow/easy long runs. ~~I think~~ I know I am ready. I know, and expect, there will be challenges but what is a training cycle without challenges? That is part of the fun, or at least what we consider to be fun.

So have you made any plans yet? Do you do them on the computer? With a fancy excel spreadsheet? Am I the only crazy one who loves pencil and paper? Do you need help with your training plans? Let me know! I'm excited to put my new knowledge as an RRCA Running Coach to the test!

Happy Twenty Twelve friends!!

TWENTY TWELVE- The Year of Dragon

2012-01-01T10:55:00.001-08:00

Dragons have wings and breath fire. That's so cool…

2011 was the year of the Rabbit. Enough said.

I'm not too great with resolutions and frankly I like to look at them more as goals. For the most part I try to be healthy and fit year-round and resolutions imply a big or significant change. So with each New Year I like to set goals and try my best to accomplish them. Sometimes I fall short but I try to set realistic goals that are achievable, to set myself up for success. So here we go, Twenty Twelve Goals:

FITNESS

1) Do more of it.

Ok, no really. Since starting my full-time job in July I have really struggled with my fitness and maintaining a consistent workout routine. It has to get ironed out and quick because of goal #2…

2) Big Sur Marathon on April 29th.

26.2 miles of up, up, up and more UP. Today is the beginning of marathon training. In 18 weeks I'll be in Monterey, one of my favorite places in the US, to run one of the most scenic marathons in the states, with some great friends. I can't wait.

3) Tobacco Road 13.1

I did this one last year and it was a good race. It also happens to fall nicely in the full training plan on a 14 miler weekend. It will be a good test of endurance for the marathon training.

4) My summer tris...

All of the ones I did last season and then some…And then…my biggest goal of 2012…

5) Augusta Georgia Half Iron on Sept 30.

This year we have thought it out and this 70.3 is a bit more strategically placed in the year than last year. After a summer of triathlons and swim training I believe I will be better prepared to cover the 70.3. I am pumped!

6) Local Races

I want to do any and all local race that seem fun or fits my schedule.

7) BQ

I know, I know…so cliche'. But fact is this: I have no idea what I would even have to do to BQ as far as paces and qualifying time. All I do know is once upon a time I did know then they went and changed things up, I got disgusted and discouraged. Now I think I could do it but with proper, FOCUSED training. I'm thinking that upon wrapping up my Augusta 70.3 I can focus on training and paces that will lead to a BQ. So my goal is actually to set myself up to begin a BQ training cycle in 2012 and choose a marathon (probably spring of 2013) that will assist me in that goal (read flat and fast course).

NUTRITION

1) Eat Healthy

I hope to continue on my journey of whole-food eating with minimal sugar intake. My goal is to eat less processed foods and more foods that ARE ingredients and not HAVE ingredients.

2) Reach and Maintain

Once I hit my goal weight my goal is to maintain it. Unfortunately I was just over my goal weight in October and then I slipped away, up a few pounds. So I have to really focus on Nutrition Goal #1……seriously.

PROFESSIONAL

I have accomplished a LOT in 2011 professionally but I have so much more to learn and do!

1) Work closer to home.

I need to find a way to eliminate my daily commute to and from work. Driving an hour one way really has been a hardship. It's time I evaluate my situation and make my fitness, workouts and family a priority again.

2) Never stop learning.

I like my job. I want to LOVE my job. I know that it will take time to get to where I want to be professionally but I can keep working towards it by choosing relevant continuing education courses and keeping my eye on my goal: to own my own practice where I am my own boss. The American Dream.

3) Create my Therapeutic Running Group for Women

This has been a dream of mine for a while now. This year I am making it a priority to create the program. I envision a program for women that focuses on them and their needs to increase self-awareness and self-esteem, a lot like Girls on the Run only for women who may be going through divorce, struggling with abuse, or depression, or body image issues....you name it. Running has been so essential to my mental health over the last three years and I know I am not the only one. So it's time I make my dream a reality!

There you have it. My TWENTY TWELVE goals! Of course these goals can and probably will evolve over the course of the next year but at least I have them out there. HAve you come up with your goals yet?

2011 Flash Back!

2011-12-29T19:28:00.000-08:00

Wow. Another year gone by. This year was not like the others. Let's go back in time (...time, time, time.....)

...to New Year's Eve 2010 when someone (not mentioning any names or pointing any fingers or taking any responsibility) decided we should take on the ultimate (for us) challegne. White Lake 70.3.

And that is how 2011 got started.

There was no time to waste. We hit the ground running, biking and swimming. I was working part time so I had all the time in the world to train. I would do about 3 hours 6 days a week, sometimes 7 days a week. Eventually I came to realize and accept that I was training too much, swimming was not a rest day, even though I enjoyed it. I came to love my swims. It was my favorite workout. I went from swimming 500m to 3500m and loving it over the course of 6 months. I joined Master's swim and found myself improving and even realizing I was a natural swimmer....I have always felt like a fish out of water.

Anyway, from Jan to May my life was consumed by 70.3 training. I learned that spin class 3 or 4 times a week does not translate to road biking. Excellent workout, but it's just not the same. I showed up for my Half Ironman feeling confident I would survive but there were many unknowns. What would it feel like to swim 1.2 miles in open water? How about 56 miles on a bike? I can do 13.1....right? Wrong!!!! The lessons I learned in stumbling through my first half iron were priceless. I learned that rest days are necessary, absolutely no excuses. Road biking is a must and fast at that, not piddling around just hanging out like we did for most of our long rides. And lastly, respect the 13.1. Yes, I had run 12 half marathons before but nothing could have prepared me for the way my bootie was handed to me by that last 13.1 of a 70.3. To successfully train for a half iron one must do bricks (i.e. bike to run transitions). That was the longest 13.1 of. my. life. But I crossed the finish line and completed one of the hardest physically challenging events of my life. Behind Portland Marathon, 2010.

Being in North Carolina during the full 2011 year I came to realize that this is a triathlon-happy state. I feel like Washington is a run-happy state (among other things). But in NC the triathlon scene is fun and just different than the running scene here. So after completing the 70.3 I was hooked and could not wait to get another tri under my belt. As a matter of fact as I type this I am already thinking ahead to the 2012 tri season....

I did a few road races here to include my first NC half marathon on my birthday weekend in March. I have signed up to do this one again in 2012. That race was followed by a trip to Oklahoma in April for the Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon where I was searching and hoping for the running high I had during the 2010 full marathon. Boy did I NOT find it this year. Instead I found freezing rain, wind and a bitter cold I was not prepared to deal with. I came home and in June showed up for the Army 10 miler in 98% humidity and 90 degrees outside. I felt really good about that race and my performance. I found that I really enjoy the 10 mile race distance but there just aren't many of them around.

In the end of June I headed to Seattle for the Seattle Rock n Roll Half Marathon. I had signed up for DetermiNation to fund raise and ended up raising over $1500! I was so proud of my efforts. On race day I was not prepared for the emotion I felt while meeting with others who were a part of the DetermiNation team. So many people willing to raise money to support the fight against cancer, so many people affected by this horrible, disgusting disease. I did this in honor of my Dad. I wanted to go out and run the Seattle RnR 1/2 marathon (which it holds my current 13.1 PR from 2010) and smash it, kill it, annihilate it, own it! I wanted to do it for my dad, in his honor. I don't know what happened during this race, it could have been a combination of many factors (fatigue from being on a 10 vacation, diet, lack of sleep, emotionally drained, too much pressure on myself, HILLS) but I feel like I went out and choked. My time was still a respectable 2:03 but not the PR I had dreamed of accomplishing for my dad. I had a great time running with Mel-Tall Mom and Jess Blonde PonyTail. They stuck with me even though I was running a good min/mile (or more) slower than they could have gone. They stayed by my side and shared this race with me, with my dad. For that I was thankful but I cannot deny the disappointment in myself.

From there I came home from Seattle and started my full-time job. This was another turning point for me. I knew I had it good, no GREAT and AWESOME, with my part-time gig but it couldn't last. Once I started work life/training changed. I continued to do what I could to train but my trips to the pool stopped, my spin class hasn't seen me since June, my bike was pulled out for races only. I'm still trying to figure out how to juggle it all. With a one hour commute one way to work there just isn't time like there used to be. I know people make it work and I am confident with the will to do so, I can find a way to train for multi sport while working full-time. During the summer months I continued to race triathlon, competing in three more races through July and August.

In July I also began following the 4 Hour Body diet. It was rough but I managed to stick to it and watched my weight drop from 163 to155 and then by September to 149. Cutting sugar, breads, pasta seemed to be working. I got my carbs from beans, ate truck loads of veggies and meat. I am currently on a modified version of the diet and am happy with the way I feel and pleased overall.

Mid July I amped up my marathon training with my eye set on OBX in November. I was hanging on but getting my runs in was a challegne. I attempted different plans like Run Less, Run Faster. It worked for a few weeks but getting the key workouts in was stressful and I missed the simplicity of just running. I settled in with trusty Hal Higdon for the remainder of my training. I got my 18 miler in with Natalie, who was in town visiting from WA. She and I shared over 45 miles together in three short weeks and she even did a 14 miler with me a few days after finding out she was prego! What what!!? Hard core! I was hitting my long runs, yet struggling with my shorter weekly runs. The marathon was hanging in the balance. September rolled around and near the end of September I was summoned home to OK. My dad wasn't doing well. My already weakened spirit was about to take the ultimate blow.

I traveled home in September to see my dad. That was hard. Harder than Portland Marathon 2010, harder than OKC half 2011, harder than my 70.3. All those were physically hard. They may have helped me with some mental strength somewhere along the lines but they did not prepare me for my dad's race of life to end. I was not ready for that. Saying goodbye to someone is hard. It is harder when you know it is a true, honest to goodness goodbye from this earth. My father passed away in the night of Oct. 5. I have been struggling to find my motivation since. I pretty much tossed my running shoes in the closet and shut the door. OBX 26.2 was struck from the calendar. I contemplated attempting it but I knew better. I gave up on the hope of making it to the starting line and knew that even if I did start chances were high that I would not see the finish line. I felt defeated, discouraged, angry at myself, and disappointed....

All of October and November seem to be a haze. If you asked me to recall any specific details I would have a hard time doing so. I was functioning on auto pilot and just going through the motions. Finally, in December I saw a race advertised. A 10k. I wanted to do it. The desire to run the race caught me by surprise. It had been so long since I felt an urge to run, to race, to get out there and enjoy life. So I registered. I went solo to race. One of my friends texted me about 30 min before the race start and said he was on his way, he was coming to run with me. We toed the line, I put my iPod on and told him I was just going to turn it up. They said GO and I ran the fastest race/pace I have run in my adult running career and an obvious 10k PR.

Two weeks following that 10k was a 5k I had done in 2010. I again registered and showed up, this time with a bit more of a crew, but I raced solo. I was unsure if I could push myself alone, if I had the guts, backbone, or motivation to go hard or fast without someone pushing me. But I proved myself strong and ran my way to another race PR.

During 2011 I have faced many challenges, many of which never found their way to pages of my blog. Not that I don't want to share them with you all, but it is actually quite the contrary, it was more that I didn't even have the words to express what I wanted to say. I have found myself, in the past month, slowly coming out of my dark place and finding joy in the simple things in life again. My desire to run is returning, my pleasure in racing has shown up again, and I am looking for an opportunity to excel, to push myself, and to make my dad proud(er. He always was so proud of me and my running. He always asked how it was going, what I "was up to now").

It is clear to me that the things I endured in 2011 were softened, if even the slightest bit, by the lessons learned in 2010 and the confidence and strength I gained previously. The things we learn out there on the road do cross over into our every day lives. They make us strong, resilient, confident, and capable. Without a doubt running has given me the strength, so many times, to push on and put one foot in front of the other....whether it be the last few miles of a race, or in the face of tragedy and heart ache, I know I can put one foot in front of the other......

Because I run.

Year in Review Part I

2011-12-27T16:17:00.001-08:00

I've seen a few people posting this lately so I headed over to MissZippy to get the low-down-skinny....She asked her readers to post a 2011 Reveiw. I figured this would be a nice leeway into my in depth review of 2011. So here you have it:

Best race experience?
Hands down I'd have to say my White Lake 70.3. What an accomplishment! And when I finished, after going hard for SEVEN hours I was thrilled, elated, amazed, tired and HAPPY TO BE ALIVE.

Best run? I'd have to say my recent 10k PR. I ran faster than than I thought possible. I was tired but fought hard against my mind and my doubts. The result is a new found competitive spirit and confidence that I can do this, and I can do it faster!

Best new piece of gear?

My beloved Felt, Nelly CIRN.

Best piece of running advice you received?

Just run, put the Garmin down and run.

Most Inspirational Runner?

I'm kinda ~~crushin' on~~ inspired by Scott Jurek right now. He's the one holding the microphone.

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?
Challenging but rewarding.

So there you have....how about you? Did you answer these questions? Let me know and I'll come check out your answers! Or you can answer them in a comment!

Tis the Season....

2011-12-26T11:50:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe Christmas is now behind us. Just like every year past, the day after Christmas leaves me in a sort of Holiday Hangover of fun and memories. When I was a kid I was in this Hangover for a good week following Christmas. Now the Hangover includes stepping on toy pieces, boxes, scattered bows, and witnessing LB in chaos and a sort of desperation to get from toy to toy...I love it.

I have also found myself in the crossfire of a Nerf War....

I don't really think it's necessary to recap every single gift I received this year, but I am just dying to share one in particular. Of everything I received this one gift was perfect. If it was my only gift I would have been happy. My mom sent it to me, actually my mom made it....

...using my dad's shirts she cut out the quilt squares and made me a quilt! The perfect Christmas gift!

I love it! I recognize each shirt and it brings so many memories to my mind.

How has your Christmas holiday? Dodging any Nerf bullets? Testing out new gear? Or heading out to spend those gift cards?

Are you working on your 2012 Race Schedules and Goals? I am excited to get mine finished up and posted! I'm also excited to see if any of you all will be doing some of the same races!

Will any of you be in the area for New Year's? We are planning a Football game, cookout and New Year's celebration!

What's the deal....

2011-12-24T12:35:00.001-08:00

Recently I was asked about my blog's title: "What's the deal with your blog title? How'd you come up with that?"

Well, here is the story about 5 Miles Past Empty.

Long, long ago my blog was actually titled 5 Miles 2 Empty. As my training became more consistent and my mileage increased I felt 5 Miles 2 Empty was a little bit negative, restrictive if you will. It sent the message that 5 miles and I was done. Empty.

This was not the case, no sir-eee my amigos.

You see, I hate buying gas. Always have, always will. When my gas light would come on while driving my beloved Jeep I would look at the warning: 23 miles to empty. I would push the limit, I can make it. I would watch the warning, the mileage decrease, 20 miles to empty, 15 miles to empty, 10 miles to empty, 5 miles to empty.....0 miles to empty. Yes, I would push on, rolling into a gas station miles after the warning would read 0 Miles to Empty.

One day as I was driving across the Narrows Bridge, my gas light was on and the warning read 0 Miles to Empty, it donned on me, this parallels my running. Let me take you back to August 2, 2008, my first half marathon. I started this half marathon with confidence. My longest run had been 10 miles. I was ready for what was ahead of me, or so I thought. At mile 7 I began to doubt myself. My calves were tightening up, my shoulders screaming. It was hot and I was tired. I couldn't will my legs to move, it was like I was running through mud with cinder block shoes. At mile 8 I was thirsty, cursing myself for ever getting into this stupid sport. I was running on empty. By mile 9 my tongue was dragging, hanging out so far I was tasting the pavement. I couldn't possibly go another step, another mile, much less 4 more miles. By mile 10 I hit the proverbial wall head on....that's it. I had never gone further than 10. How the heck would I make it to 11? If it weren't for AN the RB I never would have made it. This was her second half marathon and she was by my side, pulling me along. Somehow I managed to make it to mile 11. I felt like I was well past empty, beyond empty. I needed a tow truck, or a medic. I had no energy, I had goose bumps even though I was hot. I was dying of thirst. I couldn't feel my toes, or my nose. Why was I doing this to myself? What is the payoff? Death? Will this be the end of me? Will my tombstone read: Here lies Amanda. She tried to go 5 Miles Past Empty. No, not this time. Before I knew it I was at mile 12. Wow, a distance PR! By the time my brain was able to do the math to calculate that I only had 1.1 miles left I actually only had .6 of a mile left. Me, running, and math-it's a train wreck (your brain need carbs to think, so when you are carb/energy depleted it is hard to think, hence difficulty calculating mileage and paces). I was moving slow, but I was moving. I saw the 13 mile marker and said a prayer of thanks...but that last .1 of a mile was seriously at least a half a mile long. I had no kick at the end. I stumbled across the finish line.

When I crossed the finish line they handed me my Finishers Glass. Smart. I was shaking so bad I almost dropped the stupid glass (that is now a prized possession). I had goose bumps but I was hot. I finished. I said, "Never again. Never doing that again...." That was my first of 14 half marathons and counting.

Back to my Jeep. I coasted into the gas station, miles after my warning flashed 0 Miles to Empty. I realized that often in my running, like in that half marathon, I feel like I'm empty, done, down and out but the truth is I have a reserve. I have something in the tank, enough to get me to the finish line. I felt like I was empty at mile 8 and managed to make it 5 more miles to finish 13.1 miles. Could I have gone 6 miles? 7? I don't know. Maybe. But probably not. The point is when you feel like you've given it your all there is usually still a little bit more to give. Our minds play terrible tricks on us, telling us we can't, we are tired, we need to stop, to give up. But deep inside there is a reserve, a little bit left that says "No! You can do this!" In that compartment is where we store our thoughts about our training, our experiences, our why. When we learn to tap into that compartment we then realize that we can push through, push farther than we have before. We can and we will....go 5 Miles Past Empty....or more.

So there you have it. That is what 5 Miles Past Empty means to me. It symbolizes my ability to go further, faster, harder than I thought possible. When I feel like I'm on empty, I just remind myself I can go a little bit further. Have you ever gone 5 Miles Past Empty?

Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas Eve!!!

Christmas Eve Eve....

2011-12-23T19:29:00.001-08:00

....and the stockings are hung by the fire(place) with care. The tree is twinkling in the corner. LB is snoozing soundly with dreams of Santa coming down the chimney... Speaking of LB and Santa, for weeks now LB has been begging for an Easy Bake Oven. I thought, I hoped it was a phase. I tried to hold off, hoping it was a bandwagon he jumped on at school while chasing the first grade girls around the play ground. But he kept at it...I opted to not get the oven and hope he would love the new mountain bike Santa is going to deliver. I have a hard enough time staying away from sugary, delicious sweets as it is. Give LB and Easy Bake Oven and I'm done for. Tonight at dinner I asked him, "So what do you think Santa is going to bring you?" I held my breath and hoped he wouldn't say Easy Bake Oven. I really don't want to disappoint him, I want to see him thrilled on Christmas morning. Much to my relief he stalled then said, "A gun that shoots out fire!" Ah, yes. We are over the Easy Bake Oven.....now what to do about the flame-shooting weapon?

I have found myself reflecting on 2011 a lot the past few days. My road has had some rough patches. I have faced many challenges, haven't we all? Over the past year I have learned it's not the fact we have challenges, rather how we manage those challenges. I was thinking this morning, randomly, about my dad. I wondered if was watching me this month as I ran my 10k and my 5k. Mel told me if I watched out, paid close enough attention, I would see him, sense him with me on the road, like she did with her dad at Boston. I haven't yet.....But I can't wait for that day to come.

Through the rough spots in 2011 I have had some outstanding, shining moments: Race PR's in the 10 mile, 5k, 10k, sprint triathlon, and 70.3. It was Sarah reminded me of this in a text:

Sometimes things just need to be put in perspective.

I have done some amazing things this year. I'll admit it....Maybe it is for this reason that I am allowing myself some time off from true, rigid training. I do miss training though. I have been looking forward to the new year when I will ramp up my training for a 5k PR and a full marathon in April. That's not all I have on my 2012 To Do List but I will do a detailed post on that later.

Have you been mulling over your 2012 Goals, or as I prefer to call it the 2012 To Do List? I can't wait to share mine and hear yours!!!

My Glory Days.....

2011-12-22T18:09:00.001-08:00

.....are they truly over? Or just beginning?

I love this time of year. This has been a really great week, even though I've been working all week and still have to work tomorrow.

Last night I had dinner with the girls. Girls night is awesome! I needed it so bad! I am feeling a little bit more plugged in here lately. I am feeling less and less alone in this town. Wow, a year and a month and a half later...sheesh. It takes times to get settled and connected and to get life in a routine. That is why I was SO excited when the newest fellow PNW transplant joined us for dinner. She blogs at Navy Wife on a Diet but has just recently switched over to wordpress and is now CackalackyTransplant. Man can I relate to her misery and lament. North Carolina is not horrible, don't get me wrong. It's just not Washington. Coming to NC from WA is a serious culture shock. I might compare it to going from small town North Carolina to New York City....it's just different. It takes some adjustment and getting used to. But the good news is that she, I am not alone! We will all get along just fine! Dinner was a blast and the conversation hovered around running, our recent 5k, upcoming races, training, shoes or lack there of, high heels, and of course diet. I can't wait for our next girls night! I can't come soon enough!

I know I told you all I am reading Born to Run. Right? Well, I am. You should too. Seriously, it's a good book. Anyway, I have been thinking back to my glory days, high school cross country. I was slim, fast, in shape, and naive and lazy. I had no clue what my potential was. I turned down running cross country in college because the race distance was 10k, twice the HS race distance of 5k. I thought a 10k was impossible. Too far. I would die! Right? No way could I do that.....

If I could go back to talk to my 18 year old self there is a lot I would say. Not all of it about running but that would be a nice talk we would have. I wonder what kind of look would be on my face when I told my 18 year old self to buck up, lace up, and get out there and run because someday your gonna run a marathon! You're even gonna do a half iron man! I didn't even know what a marathon or half iron was back then. I was that person who said, "Oh you did a marathon? How far is that?" There is a part of the book in Chapter 28 that has been on my mind. In short there is a discussion where they are talking about the evolution of humans and how we are literally born to run....I'll attempt to summarize. The results of the 2004 New York City marathon were monitored and all the finishing times where compared by age. What they found is that starting at age 19, runners get faster every year until they hit their peak at 27. Does this mean I missed my peak? I was pregnant at 26, nursing, fat and out of shape at 27! No!!!! I don' think so! I still have plenty of time to improve!! And here is why. The question is presented: At age 27 we begin to decline. So how old are you when you are back to running the same speed you did at 19? Wow! You mean I can actually get back to running the way I did at 19? Wait a minute, what you are actually saying is that I could have run BETTER than I did at 19? When I was running sub 7 minute miles, or 7 min miles for 13 one mile repeats? What? Yes! My glory days have just begun? Yes! I think so....Back to the question, we start declining at age 27 but our decline is much slower than our climb to the peak. I'm not sure I want to give you the answer, since this was a cliffhanger for me but if you want to know then just let me know in a comment, or read the book. Essentially we have the ability to improve and if we started out late it's ok, keep running!

So I'm looking at some 5k training. There is another 5k in Feb and I think I'd like another PR. I'll be working on a 2012 goals post but I think from the 5k in Feb I'll move on to training for a 10k, 12k, 13.1, then 26.2. I rarely have ever trained for anything other than a 13.1 or 26.2. I think training, actually training for shorter distance races could be fun. As it is now, both my 5k and 10k finish times predict a sub 4 hour 26.2. Boom! Oh the places you'll go!!

I sense a 2012 goal about to go in the books!

The only problem is this Big Sur Marathon I have the end of April. It's not really a problem per say, I am looking forward to it like no other it's just NOT a PR course....it's a Sunday Drive of marathons for me. So I will be looking at the calendar and planning out my races and I can't forget the killer tri season! from about May to August I'll be tri-ing it up......

So are you all ready for Christmas? I am!!!! I am ready to watch LB's face light up as he checks out what Santa Brings him! This year, for some reason, it seems extra exciting. LB gets it and really believes in Santa! I remember believing in Santa and being so excited I couldn't fall asleep. Oh to be six years old again......

My 5k Race Recap

2011-12-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

So much is going on this week but I wanted to give a race recap! Let me start by saying:

OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH!

My calves were so sore. I mean sorer than they have ever been ever in my whole entire life. So sore I felt like maybe I had torn the calf muscles on both legs. What happened? What went wrong? Or right?

I decided to wear my New Balance Minimus shoes. No biggie, or at least I thought. I have been wearing these quite a bit during my shorter runs and a 5k is short, right? Right. It is short but this particular 5k was short and FAST! At least faster than I ever run in training, which is the way it is supposed to be. But it made for some sore calves. I could hardly walk on Sunday and Monday. Just today I am at a point where I am only a little bit still sore. On Monday I frantically dug through my Workout Basket, a basket where I keep samples that are mailed to me to sample or given to me in race goodie bags. I knew I had to have something to relieve my sore, aching, dying calves. Sure enough, at the very bottom buried under GU, Chomps, and some random Butt Cream was the glorious samples packs of Biofreeze ! Hallelujah!

Holy Moley! Can you say Miracle Worker? This stuff is the bomb dot com! No kidding and no exaggeration! I am going to replace my 15 samples with a huge, industrial size. No kidding. After applying it this morning I was like a new woman with new legs......

Anyway, back to the race day. Not only did I wear my minimus shoes I wore my CEP socks. I don't usually run in these. For me it is often annoying and given the pain I had in my calves after the race I am not convinced the CEP Compression socks did much good? Weird. I also wore my 2XU Compression shorts under my running skirt. Strangely enough I had no pain in my quads, glutes or hamstrings. So verdict is: continue to run in my minimus shoes, love the compression shorts, take or leave the CEP Socks.

The race started rather abruptly. We were all gathered and they sang the National Anthem and then GO! Wow. It was really sudden and no one was really ready. Everyone was still hand over heart and facing the flag. It was chaos for a second until everyone figured out what was going on. I fumbled with my headphones, hit start on iMapMyRun app, and hit start on Garmin. That's right, I ran with both my Garmin and iMApMyRun iPhone app. Overkill? Ya think? Yeah, me too. I decided to go ahead with the Garmin and vowed to myself that I would not not look at excessively. I surprised myself and actually only looked when I heard the mile beeps.

My first mile was decent, considering the first mile had two significant hill climbs. I logged mile one at 7:53.79. The first 1/4 miles was killer. Who starts a race uphill like that? Check out the course elevation below....

The second mile had a nice up, some down but this mile ended up being my slowest mile at 8:02.24....What? That is nuts, my slowest mile was 8:02.24? Who am I?

My third mile was my fastest, but no wonder, check out the nice, long downhill. I finished the third mile at 7:46.45. My Garmin logged the race as 3.46 miles and my final .46 average pace was a 5:35 min/mile pace. I WAS DYING AND FLYING....but it was a significant down hill and I used it to my full advantage. There was a glob of women in front of me and one had her hair down and flopping all over the place. Seriously, she might as well have put a target on her back saying Pass Me. There is no way I was going to let her beat me. Nope, no beauty runner with beautiful, flowing, unkempt and untamed hair was going to beat me. Not. Over. My. Dead. Panting, Breathless. Body.

I ran. I ran faster. I knew the final 300 yards can be detrimental to some. From experience I knew that if you get passed by someone who looks weak or like they are struggling you can muster the mental power to overcome, to come back and beat them. BUT if you get passed by someone who's poise and body language says "I eat runners like you in the last 300 yards for post race protein replacement." It defeats them. It sucks their mental ability to fight. They give up. You win.

I passed the glob of women and it was a brutal fight. They were not going down easy. I had to dominate.

Here is a snap of the result times for the glob: I was 24:33, then there was 24:34, 24:35 and 24:42....it was close!

I knew it wasn't good enough for an AG placement (since the age group was 30-39. I HATE that, it makes the groups too big) but it was a nice PR for me. My previous 5k PR is 25:46 which means my new PR of 24:33 was more than a minute faster! What's next? I'm thinking I may train for another 5k PR. That sounds fun. Kind of..... I

was 8th in my age group and the 21st female out of 347. The first female came in at 20:23....that is pretty darn fast. That is like High School X-Country days fast...I got 90th overall out of 589 total male and female. That is crazy!

Here I am, coming to the finnish....

The cheering squad:

There you have it....my race recap!

New 5k PR...

2011-12-17T08:22:00.001-08:00

Yes, you read that right! I have a new 5k PR!!

My unofficial time is 24:28 or a 7:48 min/mile pace. What? Weird.

I will have a complete race recap to come but for now I am going to drink my coffee, catch up on blogs, read some of my book, Born to Run (BTW I have a total celebrity crsh on Scott Jurek....so Scott, if you read my blog....) and whine about my calves hurting...and get my shoulders rubbed.

Ryan's Reindeer 5k

2011-12-16T21:03:00.001-08:00

No pressure...

Tomorrow is the 5k that I did last year and it holds my current 5k PR. Am I expecting a PR tomorrow? Eeeeesh....To be honest I'm not feeling it. It is 12:05 AM and I am blogging, not sleeping. Not exactly my idea of a decent pre-race nightly routine. In fact, check out my "Race Pile":

It's a mess, even by my standards. This is a true pile....

If you have been following me for a while then you know my piles are usually at least a little bit of a controlled chaos. Here are a few of my previous piles for comparison:

But not tonight, my pile is a mess. It may reflect my inner feelings surrounding this race tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, I am excited and I think it will be fun but I am not putting any pressure on myself to perform, to get another PR. I plan to show up and run. Have a good time. My pacer, Heezie, wont be there tomorrow so I'm completely on my own. Truth be told I'm not sure if I can push myself to another PR. Not to mention this course is kind of tough. It has a good, or bad, uphill that has the potential to kill you off in the first half mile. If I can just make it up that hill......

I am debating on whether or not to ditch my Garmin for tomorrow. I am certain that had I been wearing my Garmin during my 10k I would have psyched myself out when I saw my sub 8 min/mile pace and slowed myself down. It felt good to run by feeling and to feel my body pushing the limit. It felt good to teeter on the edge of run-till-I-puke. I am still a stats freak and need the stats, but I can get them without wearing my Garmin by using my iPhone in my arm band and the iMapMyRun app. It worked well for me last time.

Another random thing about tomorrow's run is that I am on call for work. This is weird and new to me. I have to have the crisis on-call phone with me and I cannot miss a call. So I will be running with an old school cell phone. Great. And what if it rings? Yeah, hi, what's your crisis? Oh ok, let me finish this last mile and I'll get right back to you.....What do people do when they are on call? Not race? I mean obviously I wouldn't be on call during a marathon or a triathlon but I figured a 5k was safe. Right? Let's hope.....

And finally, I went and picked up my medal for my Third Place Age Group finish!!! Check out the newest addition to my bling!! My first 10k Medal!!! And it says Winner!? Maybe they gave me the wrong medal, it should say third place winner but whatever, I'll take it.

How about you? What have I missed the past 10 days? I can't wait to catch up tomorrow afternoon!

Green Baret 10k- PR! A Recap~

2011-12-05T18:28:00.001-08:00

I decided to do a local 10k about a week ago. I needed a race. I hadn't raced since my last tri in Aug. A 10k seemed like an ok distance, not too long and certainly not short....and I hadn't done one since 2008!

Race day came and I didn't have a race crew. J-Ninja had done a 10k on Saturday and wasn't up for a second one. I checked the race website and saw that I had to be there before 7:45 AM for a 9 AM race start to get my race packet. I got there at 7:40 and easily got my bib. They didn't have the race shirts, for whatever reason, so I have to get it later, somehow. There I was, an hour and twenty minutes early. I don't do early.

I was sitting in my car prepping for the race and grabbed G. Money (my Garmin). It was OFF. It would't come on. FAIL. I sat and thought about how much it was going to stink to not have stats for my first 10k since 2008, how much it was going to suck to not have stats from a PR race. Then I grabbed my iPhone and searched the apps for iMapMyRun. SCORE! I downloaded the app and instantly felt better. At about 8:30 I got a call from my buddy Heezie-he was on his way! YAY!!! I would have a running buddy! Heezie made his 5 Mile debut when ran me to a 5k PR last December at Ryan's Reindeer 5k!

I met Heezie and we headed to the start. I had no idea where the route would go but was relieved to know there would be a pickup to follow, you know, in case I was first. We inched up a bit closer to the start, it wasn't a big race, only 221 total runners. The race started with a bang. Literally. They set of a cannon or huge fireworks or something. I hit start on my iPhone iMapMyRun app and shoved it in my arm band, where it would stay for the remainder of the race, and turned on my iPod. We took off running. I had no way of knowing how fast I was going but I felt ok, and I felt fast. Heezie stayed beside me and up a little bit. He would surge and hold, forcing me to keep up.

My breath came easy and my legs felt good. I kept waiting for a side stitch. And that was in the first mile. A mile in and I was still fighting my britches. It took a mile and a half before my skin was sweaty enough to cling to my waistband and stop the inching down. Around mile two I ditched the hand warmer that Heezie had given me. My hands were beyond warm. About two blocks after I chucked the hand warmers I felt nauseous. A wave of puke-ness came over me. This was it, I thought. I'm gonna puke. I knew I was running faster than normal. Faster than I normally do. Heezie was not slowing and I swallowed my stomach and told myself there was no time to puke. I kept going. By mile three the urge to throw my breakfast on the curb had subsided. a block later Heezie asked how we were doing on time. I had no idea and told him so. A dude just up from us shouted out, "24:12!" Ugh......I don't do 24:12 for 3 miles. A 5k PR perhaps? In a 10k? Dang!!!

Around the 4 mile mark I could feel my breathing getting heavier and my mind getting heavier too. I knew I was going faster than normal and it was getting hard. Hard is ok, though, right? Heezie kept going and I had to keep up. We got passed by a dude, then eventually two more dudes. No females passed us. I couldn't see who was ahead, I had no idea how many girls were ahead of me. We passed one girl and kept going. The route had us twisting and turning around downtown. I was ready to head to the finish. Where was the finish? Are we there yet?

With a bit over a half of a mile left we passed one more girl, on an uphill. The sun was to our backs and I realized I liked this, it made for big shadows. I could see if a shadow was coming to pass us at least a good 5 feet before it was actually going to make the pass. I only saw one, it was a dude.

The finish line came into view and I went as fast as I could.....the finish clock said 50 something....a certain PR! I couldn't believe it. Actually I could, it felt like I was going that fast, I was uncomfortable and tired. What I couldn't believe is that I had actually done that, without whining or dying or puking.

We wandered around for a bit and attempted to find out the results with no luck. Heezie decided to head home and I headed to my car. I put my stuff down and decided to go back one more time to check for the results. This time the guy put my name in, gave me my time of 50:33 and said I was 4th in my Age Group. Dang. Missed the podium by one place. I decided to head home.

I was proud of my race! With a 50:33 time that gave me an 8:10 min/mile pace. But with the distance on the iMapMyRun of 6.48 miles it gave me a 7:46 min/mile pace. I'm not sure how accurate that app is, I'll be curious to test it and compare it, running it at the same time as my Garmin. But either way, a PR is a PR and I was pumped!!

Today when I checked the results page I saw that I actually got THIRD in my Age Group! What was that guy smoking? Why would he tell me 4th? So who knows, maybe I missed a cool prize. Oh well......

So there you have it, my 10k PR and THIRD in my Age Group!!! And 76 out of 221 total runners. Next up, Ryan's Reindeer 5k! I smell another PR!

And check out the course map, Tall Mom pointed out it looks like a gun, a pistol to be exact. So what do you think, did they do that on purpose?? It was, after all the Green Baret 10k...

My Weekend in Pics....

2011-12-04T17:09:00.000-08:00

Friday night we had a gathering/party and things got WAY too crazy....

Then Saturday LB and I went to pick out our Christmas tree! LB found the perfect one!

Then we threw in the Jeep.....oh wait, I don't have a Jeep any more. No biggie, we threw it on top of the car!

Then Saturday night we headed out for a train ride through some Christmas lights, with a small carousel detour!

This morning I headed out for the Green Baret 10k and blazed my way to a sick PR! This is the only picture I was able to get. How's that for a teaser???

Then this afternoon we headed to Raleigh to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra!

It was awesome!!

There you have it...our crazy weekend! And I'm spent!

I'll get my race recap up tomorrow night, hopefully! I'll just tell you this much, I was shocked by my time! Most of you probably already know if you follow my Facebook page, if not and you can't wait then head over to check it out!

Good luck to all the Las Vegas Rockers and Rollers!!!!

All confused and whatnot....

2011-11-30T18:04:00.001-08:00

It's been one of those days. Actually one of those months. I thought it was OCTOBER but no, here it is dang near DECEMBER. I mean I didn't really think it was October, but November is a blur. A complete mess of days and hours that I can hardly recalll. How in the world did it come to be November 30th? I have been confused all month long. Seriously. November has flown by. Kid you not-it feels like we went from Halloween to Thanksgiving to today.

All day I thought LB had a program at school. I even called the school this afternoon to find out the details about when to be there and what to wear. I somehow missed the details with him out for an entire week with his arm and then out the next week with Thanksgiving. Long story short I juggled my day so that I could make the hour commute in time to see his program at 5:30 just to find out that his program is actually tomorrow night. I hate it when that happens.

When I got home I was starving and The Hubs had dinner on the table. SCORE! So I didn't run. No biggie except LB's program is tomorrow and directly after that I am meeting J-Ninja for dinner and (not just any) movie-Breaking Dawn! I can't wait! So no run tomorrow.....That leaves me with Friday. No run Friday. We are having company and I have to prepare and all that jazz. So the days are packed full and there is hardly time to take a breath, which is good until I come up for air and a whole entire month has passed by.

With the next few days being crazy busy I probably wont have a chance to update the blog but I didn't want you all to think i was slipping back into my slump! No way Jose! I'm crawling out, and staying out! It's just getting to be that time of year I guess. And since it's December I guess I should start my Christmas shopping. Oops.

Have you ever blinked and a whole month passes by? I hope that doesn't happen again!!

I am off to curl up with a good book! Tall Mom-the amazing Mom on the Run sent me not one but TWO books to help me come out of my slump! And this is not the first time she has thrown me a life-line. Mel has such a special place in my heart for many reasons, not only was she my first blind running/blogger date, she came and subjected herself to pain and agony for 26.2 miles with me in Vegas nearly a year ago. Only a true friend would do that! I can't believe it has nearly been a year since we last saw each other. Too long.... I am so blessed to call her friend. I continue to be amazed by the friendships forged over the miles run together.

Have you ever read either of these books?

Eyes Wide Shut Part Deux

2011-11-29T18:34:00.001-08:00

....would you take a look at that!?

My neighbor(ing)hood isn't so "boring" when all my lovely neighbors have their Christmas lights up! It gives me some visual stimulation and makes me less inclined to run with my eyes closed, which apparently, after reading all your comments, I am not the only one who frequently closes my eyes while running. Thank goodness! It's good to know I'm not , er....weird(er than I feared).

This evening, once again in the rain-but much cooler this time, I got in a good 3.5 mile fartlek run. I enjoy fartleking around my neighborhood. It helps me mix it up a bit. I can run fast to the end of a cul-de-sac then slow to the stop sign, then fast up the small hill, then slow to the seconds white mail box, then fast to the end of the street and back to the big bush that rips my legs if I get too close, then slow to the house with the dog that bit me once, then fast....and you get the point. It really helps to pass the time and makes my run less ho-hum. Not to mention fartlek runs are a very valuable part of training and can be done on the sidewalks or streets. Getting your heart rate up and letting it fall again is an important part of building cardiovascular strength, endurance, and anaerobic threshold-which means, ideally and eventually, you can workout/run harder for longer periods of time. I was surprised to look down and see my pace, during my speed up, at a 7:10 min/mile pace. I of course wouldn't hold this pace long, maybe 400 yds. Even though a fartlek run may seem simple and fun and done only to pass the time and mix things up, this is considered a hard day in your running schedule, like speed work, and should be followed by an easy day of running or rest. So tomorrow I'll do a nice, easy run. I think I'll be ready for my 10K this weekend, the Green Baret Jingle Jog!

That's right, I registered for my first 10k since the Tacoma City 10k in 2008. This was the day before Mother's Day and the day before The Hub's deployed to Iraq. I pushed LB in the stroller and it was one of the toughest races I can recall. Not to mention The Hubs took first in his age group....that stings. It didn't sting at the time but it stings now...I want to win first in my age group.I would like to promise a PR this weekend but since my previous 10k time is 56:32 (9:05 min/mile pace) I'm not sure I've got that in me right now. Plus I believe the route is quite hilly, not Tacoma hilly, is significantly hillier than my little neighborhood. I'm excited nonetheless to see how I do and to get a more recent 10k on the books.

I really like the 10k race distance. I don't know why I don't do more of them. What race distance do you like but have little experience racing?

Do you ever run with your eyes closed?

2011-11-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

Yeah, me either. Usually.

Tonight I came home from work and changed into my running clothes immediately. It seems to be the best method for me so that I actually get a run in. Otherwise I sit down and lose motivation (instantaneously-how does THAT happen?) or walk into the kitchen and get overwhelmed by thoughts of what on earth to make for dinner-then the run is off....and I get grumpy(er). So it seems that if I come home and run to my room and change I am more likely to actually head out for my run. We'll see how long I can keep this up.

Anyway, so there I was, on my evening run. It was dark. Warm...what? Yes, 65 degrees on Nov. 28, and raining. What is up with this weather here lately? It is too warm. It's almost December for crying out loud. As I ran along in my neighbor(ing)hood I felt the soft pitter patter of rain on my cheeks. My shirt was getting wet and my hair was turning into a tangled rat's nest mess of wet hair. I closed my eyes, for just a few steps, or feet, or yards, and let the rain hit my face. It reminded me of my time running in the rain in the PNW. I wont beat a dead horse with that, but it felt good...then I almost ran into a basketball goal and had to open my eyes. Yeah, I would not recommend running with your eyes closed. It's not safe.

Our Thanksgiving weekend was great. We hung around the house on Thursday then headed to Colonial Williamsburg for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Just to show you our unseasonably warm weather here is The Hubs and LB playing soccer in the road on Thursday:

Check out his patriotic cast!

And here are some of Colonial Williamsburg:

Me and LB in the jail sell that held Blackbeard's pirates in 1718! Cool!!

LB at the Yorktown Battleground

Have you ever been to Colonial Williamsburg? Are you a history buff? If you could take a weekend trip, on the East coast, where would you go?

Running Thankfully.....

2011-11-23T19:47:00.001-08:00

This evening I was able to go for a run when I got home from work. After fighting the I-95 north traffic and the crowd at the grocery store (procrastinate much?) it was nearly dark by the time I got home and dressed for a run. I don't mind running in the dark. Thankfully I feel safe in my neighborhood, aside from a few dogs that always startle me when I run by their fence. Actually in their defense I am sure I startle them when I run by their fence....Either way, our neighborhood is quite around 6 PM, not many cars coming or going, and if I didn't know what time it was I would think it was 10 PM. It's a pleasant place to run. I just wish it had better scenery and offered more distance. BUT, I ran and for that I am THANKFUL!

As I ran I felt really good. My heart rate was low, my breathing good, and my legs felt fresh...well they should since they have done nothing for who-knows-how-long. I began feeling like I could just keep going. Run far. Do a long run! I felt so good! I wanted to keep going. I thought I could easily knock out a 10 mile run, until....UNTIL I got bored out of my gourd. My neighborhood is about as exciting as vanilla. I know, vanilla is delicious, but you get my drift, it is no mint chocolate chip or chocolate chip cookie dough. I lasted 4.5 miles before I headed home, bored stiff.

I've looked for any kind of Turkey Trot for tomorrow morning but haven't had any luck finding one with people, or turkeys (how come you don't spell it turkies??? WEIRD!) for that matter. I guess I'll head out on my own in the morning for another run. My goal is to run 5 days in a row. Do you think I can do it??

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Will you be in the kitchen tomorrow? I will be! I love cooking for Thanksgiving! I'm looking forward to it!

What Have You Done Lately?

2011-11-20T18:27:00.001-08:00

Nothing.....I have done nothing.

Well that's not true, I did 40 kettle bell swings this afternoon, sat in the sun (it was 70 degrees today) and I drove by a CrossFit gym to "check it out" yesterday. Other than that I flaked on my yoga date with J-Ninja and skipped my weekend runs.

Last week was a doozie for me. I missed work on Monday and went in late almost every day after that due to LB being home and out of school with his broken arm. This had me working later-than-usual hours and playing catch-up which in turn had me feeling like a Lazy Lima Bean all weekend.

I can't snap out of it.

My trial gym membership purchased 2 weeks ago has been used exactly ONCE. Not good. I just don't have a traditional schedule that allows for lunch breaks. If I have a chance to make it to the gym it is a last minute hole in my schedule and it may or may not be long enough to get my scheduled workout in. BUT I guess something is better than nothing since it is clear I come home and do nothing.

I did register for the Tobacco Road Half Marathon....it's March 18th. Lets see if I can actually train and complete a 13.1. It will be a busy spring. Why is it that all the races I want to do are within about three weeks of each other? Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is April 29th, Big Sur (registered) April 29, White Lake 70.3 is May 5, Blue Ridge Half Marathon is April 21... Do you notice that your favorite races are clustered into one mess of a month?

Anyone doing any Turkey Trots this week? I MUST do one, whether it's my own or an organized event I need to do a Turkey Trot....

And what's your favorite small Thanksgiving Dinner recipe? I'm doing a small dinner for just me, LB and The Hubs, nothing big. I've got my trusty Cranberry Sauce Recipe, I'm debating between Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie. The Hubs is lobbying hard for garlic mashed potatoes...and I'm opting out of the trusty Green Bean Casserole. So any veggie suggestions? I think I should stick to running....

Knee Deep...A Margaritaville Review

2011-11-18T14:04:00.001-08:00

Wishing I was knee deep in the water somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze and it don't seem fair
Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise there's a fire in the sky
Never been so happy
Never felt so high
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise

-Knee Deep, Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett

Have I ever told you how much I love Jimmy Buffett? No? Wow, surprising. Well, I do. I love Jimmy. He just sings songs straight from my heart, he speaks seemingly from my soul. I think I was born to be a beach bum, to live in a hut on a beach, with the sun on my skin, the salty wind in my hair and sand in my toes. Not a care in the world....Doesn't that sound nice? How can this small town, Oklahoma farm girl feel such a draw to the ocean? Weird.

Imagine my excitement when I was given the opportunity to review of pair Margaritaville/Jimmy Buffett polarized sunglasses! Of course I pleaded for some concert tickets, a ride on his boat to/from/around Margaritaville, a meet and great...but I'll take what I can get, the sunglasses are a good start.

Here they are, the Calypso in red! Love them!

Funny story about why I chose the red sunglasses. When I was dating The Hubs, about 8 and a half years ago, I had a sweet (cheap) pair of red sunglasses. I loved them. They looked cute. That was about it. We were at the lake and chilling on a dock when somehow, for some reason, he had me peering over the edge of the dock and PLOP! My beloved red sunglasses sunk to the bottom of Clear Lake. I have missed them ever since. So of course when I saw that Margaritaville had a pair of similar red sunglasses I chose them immediately.

]

But maybe you aren't the red sunglasses kind of guy/gal. Not to worry! There are other colors like white, tortoise, black and blue or even a lot of really awesome different frames to chose from! Like these sweet, fighter pilot looking aviator-ish Hemisphere glasses:

Things I liked about my Red Calypso Polarized Sunglasses:

-They passed The Hat Test. Yes, they fit on my face while wearing a hat. Many times hats have to be worn high on the head, or at least my head, because the glasses hit on the brim. Well these fit nicely with different types of hats with no problems at all. SCORE!

-They are light weight. I thought they might be heavy. I have a pair of Maui Jim frames that are comparable in style, price, and quality except they are HEAVY. Not the Margaritaville frames! They are light weight and don't leave red patched on the bridge of my nose like the Maui Jims.

-Work for casual wear and active wear! I wore these for a run AND to the local Veteran's Day parade! I can work out in these and wear them for normal, not running related activities. They are my new go-to driving sunglasses!

-They are pretty darn cute. Self-explanatory.

What Margaritaville says about their polarized lenses:

MPT® polarized lenses by Margaritaville® are where state-of-the-art optical science meets fun-in-the-sun protection. Optimal visual clarity is our mission and we offer performance unmatched by any other lens technology on the beach or at sea.

We craft our optics with your lifestyle in mind. MPT® Polarized Lenses exceed industry standards for safety, and our fused MPT® Polarization Technology exceeds all existing eyewear industry standards for optical quality, value and durability. For more read HERE.

These sunglasses are awesome, down to the smallest detail! Like the Integrated Leash Loop and Low Profile Leash! Who would want/need that? you ask....well, recall my Sunglass-In-The-Lake story? Yeah, if I had had a leash on my glasses they would not have made their way to the bottom of the lake!

There is way too much info about these to include here on my single blog post. All you need to know is they are having a KILLER sale right now so visit their website and peruse around! Who knows, maybe youll find the erfect pair of sunglasses for yourself or someone on your Christmas list!!! Check them out HERE.....

Now excuse me, I have a plane to catch....heading to the beach!!

Not. I wish though......

My Marathon

2011-11-15T06:48:00.001-08:00

....of sorts. A post about LB for the family....and you all too since you are like family too....

I think I'd rather have put myself through a brutal, untrained-for marathon...

Sunday afternoon, when I was supposed to be recovering from a marathon LB was being a 6 year old boy tying to walk on a fence, balancing like a squirrel, or maybe Spiderman, I'm not sure. I had a difficult time explaining the fence to people then I decided to just post a pic. It was this kind of fence:

I looked out my kitchen window and saw our neighbor setting LB over the fence into our yard, he began hobbling home. Then there was the tears and the "where does it hurt?" game. After about 40 min of looking at his arm, trying to conduct some tests (that I have no business conducting, but I've played a doctor on TV) I concluded that I should at least take him to the ER, get an x-ray, receive some Tylenol and be sent home as an over-reactive mother. Better safe than sorry.

After about 4 hours waiting in the ER we finally got a jillion x-rays around 9 PM.

Yes, of course I took pictures...I'm a mom.

By 9:30 the verdict was in: supracondylar type three fracture of his humorous. Ouch. I was shocked. I figured it was just bruised....Then the kicker-the only way to fix it was surgery and inserting three pins.

LB was a trooper and decided at that point he just wanted to go home. I agreed, let's go....But we had no choice, he was prepped for surgery and by 10 I was in the waiting room and he was in surgery. I called The Hubs to let him know what was going on and from Boston there was nothing he could do.

By 11 LB was in recovery. By 2:30 AM I was watching some sort of Batman cartoon with LB who was spaced out on morphine.

We made it home Monday by noon and the rest is history. We've been chillaxing, watching cartoons, eating popcorn, drinking sprite...you know, all the important things.

He has to go back in next week for his hard cast and I will be first in line to sign it.

As for training/running...I did get in a 4.5 mile run this weekend, before the incident! My awesome neighbor and I traded kid-sitting so each of us was able to get in a run. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a beautiful runlationship! This coming weekend I think, I hope, I can convince The Hubs to sit on three kids so we can actually run together! Mark my words-I will have her running her first half-marathon with me before the Army takes her and her family away from me in 6 months.

How was your weekend? Any advice on how to deal with LB's arm? How the heck do I put a shirt on him? This is still a mystery!

This Time Tomorrow...

2011-11-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

....I will have missed OBX marathon.

I have only registered and missed one race since I began doing road races and that was an Iron Girl 10k in Seattle. I registered but for some reason I decided to go home to OK to see my family that weekend instead. Missing that 10k was hard....missing this marathon is down right depressing. On one hand, I am proud of myself for making the smart choice to sit this one out. But, yes there is alway a but, on the other hand I am totally disappointed in myself for letting my training slip, for just not doing it. Each and every day I made the conscious decision to not follow my plan. I kicked my shoes under my bed, or maybe in my closet (it's bad that I have no idea where my running shoes are) and just ignored them. They would call to me and I would cover my ears. And squeeze my eyes shut. And rock back and forth....ok not quite that bad but you get the drift.

A few things are going on here.

FIRST: My flame is so weak, although it gets going at times-see Tuesday's post-but it just has nothing to sustain it for more than one teeny tiny moment. I have lost my mojo, my spark, my desire. I know where it is and why it has gone and I can't really beat myself up for it.

I had a dream that I was walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Weird I know. I hear a voice that said to me, "You are in the Valley of the Shadow of Death." And I looked around and it was beautiful. Green and lush. But it was dark and in the shadow of a very large mountain that looked cold and smokey. It was weird but I knew in my dream that I had to just keep walking, away from the mountain and out of the valley. I knew once I got out of that valley every thing would be different. So I walked....with the tune of Gansta's Paradise thumping in my dream. I know it just sounds crazy but I feel like this dream pretty much sums up where I am right now. Everything around me is beautiful and good, but I am in a dark shadow. I'll get through it, it's just a shadow, if I keep moving.

SECOND: I kinda like tri's now, like I like them more than just road races-and yes, I did say "just road races". The road running here in this part of the state I live in is, how do I say this...lacking, disappointing, lame, boring, not satisfying....I have tried for over a year. I got here on October 20, 2010 and have been tying to keep my flame going since then. It has been a struggle with the lack of sidewalks, road shoulders, trails, running partners, you name it. To put it plain and simple-I was spoiled by the PNW. Running will never be the same for me. Period. The only thing that came close to filling the void of my running buddies, routes, and favorite races of Washington is the triathlon scene here in NC. That lit a fire in me and I was happy this summer. I felt the rush of energy as I held on for dear life-literally-down hills on Nelly CIRN, as I swam through flailing arms, and I collapsed crossing the finish line. So maybe I have truly been taken to the dark side....triathlete. I can't wait until tri season rolls around again! But I don't think this means I can't enjoy a road race here and there.

THIRD: Absence of racing. I haven't done a race since my last triathlon in mid August. Even that one was not supposed to be my last. I had a few more on the calendar after that but once school started and my job kicked in life got difficult to juggle. But either way I have an urge to race. I should be racing tomorrow but I'm not. You, or at least I, can't just show up for 26.2. I think the next race I'll do is Ryan's Reindeer 5k in December. We did this one last year and it was fun. So I'm looking forward to it.

FOURTH: I need new shoes. I miss my Asics Kayano. My Saucony's have been nice but I think I have heard my feet complaining and I swear my left one said something about the good ole days with Kayano....So maybe it's time.

SO there you have it....my true confessions this OBX Eve....man, I sure wish I was lacing up for the marathon tomorrow. Guess I'll have to wait until April 29, 2012.

So any true confessions out there? Did my dream totally creep you out? Or maybe you have had dreams that you could analyze perfectly, where you knew exactly what it was telling you?

On Track...

2011-11-08T17:33:00.001-08:00

...not literally on a track, that would have been cool, but I'm talking about being on track with my new training plan.

Day one of Big Sur Marathon and White Lake 70.3 training.... and I already messed up on my training plan....Don't worry though, instead of missing a workout or not completing the workout I totally OVERACHIEVED.

Today I checked out a gym near my job and was able finagle a one month trial to see how much I am able to use it during the week and if I like it before purchasing an official membership since I actually live an hour away. I will say it was a pretty awesome facility and even more awesome to get in a swim and a run on my lunch hour. Maybe this is why I overachieved today?

Today's workout was to be a 2 mile run and 500 m swim.....

But I accidentally ran 3 miles and swam 1100 m. Ooops....

In creating this plan I started out very conservative, as you can see. Week 1's total mileage is only 17 miles. If you recall my last post though, I am starting over at square one. It feels like I am completely rebuilding my base. I am trying to be smart in my build so I can avoid injury (and burnout). Also, if you will notice I have TWO rest days. This is pretty awesome! Lets hope I can keep the momentum! Tomorrow its a 5 mile run and a bike ride on the trainer.

It feels good to be on track again. I know it wont always be easy and I may miss a day-or two, but hopefully not three- and that's OK. Sometimes, these days, I just don't feel like doing anything (except finding chocolate). My struggle with the run over the last year has been a difficult one, but I am doing my best to hang on by the skin of my teeth (what does that even mean???) and I know one day it will all fall into place-again.

When did running fall into place for you? How did you know when it fell into place?

Square One

2011-11-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a 3.25 mile run.

The only thing I was thinking the whole time is "Wow, is this really how I feel? This is me starting over. At square ONE. Ugh...."

But it is time, I must get back on track. My diet has gone to pot, sugar and carbs galore! My running has gone to pot...sporadic at best. Who is in control here? Certainly not ME! Not the me I know I am....this is the lazy, sluggish, down-in-the-dumps me, the me who is moping because I am not going to toe the line at OBX next weekend....I have never missed a registered race before and let me tell you, this is a blow to my moral.

I know that attempting 26.2 next weekend is asking for trouble. The smart thing to do is to sit this one out. Maybe next year....

In an attempt to jump start my motivation J-Ninja and I devised a plan that will train us up for Big Sur Marathon on May 1 followed by White Lake 70.3 Redemption on May 7th. That's right, I am going to have a repeat of my half ironman! With one under my belt I am hoping for an improvement.

Yes. We realize this is going to be nuts-a marathon then 6 days later a 70.3. BUT-our training plan starts tomorrow, with a rest day of course, and spans 26 weeks. This will be ample time to train up for the 26.2 with conservative bike and swim workouts throughout. Unlike last year's plan, this year I actually have not one but TWO rest days scheduled in. Boooyow! The plan is realistic, smart, conservative, and perfect! I have full confidence it will get us to the finish line of both races.

We discussed our strategy for completing Big Sur 26.2 with our 70.3 in mind. With proper training and race strategy it shouldn't be a problem. So here's to hoping having this ambitious goal will snap me out of my training rut. I will not miss Big Sur!

So what do you think? Crazy plan? Of course it is!!

Congrats to everyone who ran NYC ING Marathon today!! I can't wait to read all the recaps!!

Winter stinks......

2011-11-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

....but with a fireplace, preferably with a warm, cozy fire glowing, a cup of coffee, some deliciously frumpy fat pants, a hoodie, and a good book, the dark and cold winter months aren't so arduous.

I thought I would share some of my favorite running-themed books in case you were looking for a good read to snuggle up with.

The first book on my pile is Run Like a Girl: How Strong Women Make Happy Lives , by Mina Samuels.

Talk about a pick-me-up, feel-good book! This book covers topics that certainly could have been taken right out my mouth, and from any the conversations heard during any and all of my runs with a close running buddy. I love this book because it takes the stories of real women and their experience of coming to terms with themselves, as women of all shapes and sizes and talents, and discovering that "fit is the new thin". It speaks to being proud of our accomplishments and seeing them for what they are...Its' chapters capture the female audience's attention with titles such as, Rising to the (Almost) Daily Challenge, Fit is the New Thin, and Chicking the Boys. If you are looking for an easy, entertaining read that will have you lacing up your tennies and longing for a sweat (even if it's dark, cold and wet outside) this this is the book for you! And "our mission..."according to one of the athletes in Mina's book, "..should we chose to accept it, is to do our best, and let our accomplishments speak for themselves..." So there you have, go run like a girl and be proud!

Second on my reading list is Long May You Run. All. Things. Running. by Chris Cooper.

One word: Awesome.

And for cool points he wrote me a little note on the inside.

This book is pretty much like a perfectly thought-out random conglomeration of running! It's like a go-to running guide for noobs and oldies alike, with topics like Run Under a Full Moon. What? What a random, glorious idea! As a matter of fact, when is the next full moon? And to stoke your running fire a bit more he talks about the Mystic Runners Full Moon 5k in Wakefield, Mass. Anyone live near there? He has awesome quotes sprinkled throughout to get you where you need to be, mentally and physically, such as "Refueling within thirty minutes after a run is key." (Hazel Clark, 5 time US 800 m champion and member of the 2008 Olympic team). And another great quote by Pete Pfitzinger "If you feel great during a run, go farther than you planned. If something hurts do not force yourself to keep running." Excellent advice that I know we all could hear....This is just a fun, interesting book that brings the excitement and newness back to running, if you find yourself in a rut (like me...). This is a great bedside or coffee table book that can be read all at once or in bits and pieces. You'll be sure to walk away from it with a smile and a new item for your Bucket List.

The third book on my list is Lynda Drews' Run at Destruction, a True Fatal Love Triangle.

I received this book from Lynda quite a long time ago. I started reading it and kind of walked away from it for a while. Not to say it wasn't good but mostly I got busy and had a lot of other things to do (like study for my licensure exam) and reading for pleasure went by the way side. It is a true story set in the early 80's when women were just emerging in the running, recreation and competitive scene. This story kind of hit home since it was about runners, women, like you and me (and men for my male readers), who met for long runs and training runs, they went to races and socialized togehter. But this story has a sad, deadly twist that truly disturbed me. So if you like suspense and mystery books then this one is a real treat because it is not only a mystery but it is about running and the characters could be anyone among your or my running crowd, seemingly normal, happy runners....So look around you....this book makes you wonder. Some people don't like murder mysteries. I know it was a little much for me to read while The Hubs was in Afghanistan and I was home alone, meeting my running buddies many times a week. But otherwise, I would say it was an enjoyable read and it made me truly appreciate my running buddies.

The last book I will review for you is Runner's World, The Runner's Diet: The Ultimate Eating Plan That Will Make Every Runner (and Walker) Leaner, Faster, & Fitter by Madelyn H. Fernstrom, PhD, CNS

Pretty much, I haven't been able to implement a lot of thngs in this book, yet. But it does provide valuable information and pointers on analyzing your eating habits and activity patterns so as to really honestly look at what we are putting into our bodies. The book discusses the Best-Choice Carbohydrates and serving sizes. In it's pages I found pointers such as: Calories count, even when you'll be exercising and using some. Duh...but really, guilty! It also states: Carbohydrates give you quick energy, but you will need to avoid sugar/fat combinations or other refined-carbohydrate sources -BINGO!!! This step alone resulted in a 13 pound weight loss for me since July. It works people! So if your looking to to tweak your diet and avoid the Marathon Training Weight Loss Plateau, or worse the Marathon Training Weight Gain (GASP!!! It happens!!) or are wanting to figure out how to shed the last, hardest 5 pounds, this book may just have a few tips and sound advice that will help you become leaner, faster, and fitter.

There you have it....my most recent reading list. What do you think? Have you read any of these? Any of them peak your interest? What have you read that I should put on my list? And seriously, do you curl up by the fireplace in the winter?

Halloween-5 Mile Style

2011-11-01T04:24:00.001-07:00

I love Halloween......It has always been one of my favorite holidays...and it's only fitting that it is also The Hubs' birthday!

But it is so SO evil, and I'm not talking about the scary, devil-y ghosts and goblins and vampires running around. I'm talking candy, sugar, CHOCOLATE! I work so hard for months to to cut sugar out of my diet, only allowing for small dosages here and there just to have all sorts of delicious candy shoved under my nose....

Even Lazy Dog is like "Heck Yeah!!!"

The Hubs is going for his "10% Dad Tax" that is applied to most holidays where LB receives copious amounts os candy.

Remember how I told you The Hubs' costume was a doozie? Well I will not disappoint....He sure makes for a pretty runner girl....He was beating the boys off with a stick all night....

And of course LB....

How was your Halloween? How are you going to avoid the sugar rush of the Holidays?

My Weekend in DC....

2011-10-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

And not for the MCM....thank goodness!

It was COLD and gross! Saturday it was blowing snow. I felt bad for the MCM runners. I have experienced this kind of weather faux pas before when I did OKC Memorial half last year. The forecast looked good, I packed, hit the airport and by the time I landed in OKC the forecast had completely changed...instead of the nice 50 degree race everyone planned for it was freezing rain, sleet, wind and 34 degrees. Not fun. So I surely felt bad for the racers who were scampering about trying to find warmer clothes suitable for race day.

I had about a mile walk both Friday and Saturday morning from my hotel to the site of our RRCA class. Good thing I packed my new Columbia Omni-Dri Ultrabreathable Waterproof jacket (full review coming soon)! It kept me dry AND warm!

Pictures curtsey of LB....

See the snow/ice gathering?

I made it through the RRCA Coaching Certification course held in Arlington, VA....This is not to say I am "certified", yet. I still have to take (and pass) a test and get my CPR/First Aid to the our instructor. But I think it is is safe to say I will soon be a certified Road Runners Club of America Running Coach! I am pretty excited about this....it fits into my long-term life goal of motivating people and encouraging them to set and achieve goals that will benefit them in not only physical manner but mentally as well. Pretty cool, don't 'cha think?

My stuff....

We learned SO much over the course of two days! I feel like my brain is still on overload actually. We learned about VO2Max, ATP, rules of overload and specificity, work capacity, energy systems, training adaptations, creating plans....Nutrition, injury prevention, the psychology of training/running/racing....and of course about coaching! It was a great course and it made me want to go back to school to learn about Exercise Science, Kinesiology, and Nutrition. Who knows, maybe I will pick one of those to further my education. I've been kicking around going back to become a registered dietician but it's a big, huge commitment.

So there you have it....my weekend in DC/Arlington!

This afternoon we are off to a Halloween/Birthday party for The Hubs. His costume is classic! You'll have to check back to see, I don't think you'll want to miss it!

How about you? Any Halloween parties? Did you make it through MCM?

I will KICK you.....

2011-10-25T18:03:00.001-07:00

...and your little dog too.

Ok, just because your dog is the size of an over grown rat and ~~hairy like Cousin It~~ you use shampoo more expensive than my own on it, does not mean you can let it chase me for a half a mile down the road. Does it? Really?

Just because your dog weighs 12 pounds (if that) does not mean it's ok to let it be so completely disobedient that I have to help you by turning around (10 different times) and chasing him back to your driveway, just so I can turn around and continue on my run, just for him to come bite my ankles again. Seriously.

This dog was chillin' by his mailbox with his dog-mom when I ran by, minding my own business, 1/2 mile from my house. This crazy Shih tzu thought he was tough and should chase me away. I kept running since I could punt him from here to last week if I needed to. He kept at me while his adolescent dog-mom chased him around in her little, off-season, too-short dress and heels. It was quite comical now that I think about it. It went something like this:

He would chase me...

I'd turn around, face him, he'd run like a little punk toward his yard...

I'd turn around to continue my run, he chase me down, I'd turn around and face him, he'd run like a little punk....

I'd continue on....

His dog-mom the whole time chasing him around the middle of the street like a kid chasing a butterfly, trying to grab him, he'd dodge her...

He'd chase me, I'd turn, he'd run like a punk....

She'd grab, he's bolt, I'd run, he'd chase...

I'd turn, he'd punk out, she'd grab, he'd dodge...

I'd run, he'd chase, I'd turn, he'd run like punk...

She'd grab, he'd dodge, I'd run....

He'd chase, I'd turn, she'd grab, he'd dodge....

And so this went on for like 5 minutes.

Finally.....

FINALLY.......

The dog had to use the bathroom and when he did his thing his dog-mom, unaware of his reason for stopping, tackled him, in her flowered-y dress and heels, grabbing him and rolling around the ditch.

That was my que to go home.

End run.

How was your run?

Lazy Dog....

***I like dogs and I really wouldn't drop-kick, punt, strangle, run over, or maim a dog. I just have a problem when owners of small dogs allow them to run a muck simply because they are small and harmless. They are (sometimes) annoying and their teeth are still capable of puncturing the skin even though the are small. How about I let my 108 pound Lazy Dog do that to you, adolescent dog-mom....? I'm sure I know who would be knocking on my door later...your parents and animal control.

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures....

2011-10-24T17:31:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid I thought new shoes could make me run faster. And well, maybe they did, could, can and maybe I need new shoes right now....great. Anyway, I am trying to ~~pull~~ drag myself out of this semi slump. I'm working on it, I think I'm about 70% out of the hole I've been hanging out in...so to give me a small boost I did something drastic. I went from this:

Blonde (ish)....

To brown:

My hope is that it will make my run farther....

I took Sunday as a rest day since my knees felt like they were going to fall off and my hip had a hint of a twinge in it. I also took today off too but tomorrow I plan to hit the road again after work. The early morning runs just weren't working for me, it's too difficult when I have to get LB ready to catch the bus and head to work by 7. So I gave up on the 5 AM alarm and have now begun an evening run. It works well now that LB can ride his bike with no training wheels! He joins me on my neighborhood runs and it keeps me company.

Here we are last week about to head out for a neighborhood run/ride:

It sure does help that LB can join me on my runs, at least the shorter ones. Soon he'll be able to join me for my long runs! Oooh! And he can be like a little pack mule, carrying my water and gu and whatever else I may need!! Is that mean? Wrong?

I'm off to wrap up my Monday and move on to Tuesday....what does Tuesday have in store for you?

Forget me not...

2011-10-22T18:47:00.001-07:00

I'm still here….

I've been pretty busy and admittedly avoiding my blog (sorry! Forgive me???). I have a zillion excuses. Would you like to hear them all? No? Ok, I'll spare you.

As for my upcoming OBX marathon…things are still up in the air. I headed out today for a long run. I was aiming for at least 16, hopefully 18, wishful-thinkingly 20….I made it 13.25 before I called it quits. My hip was hurting and my knees felt achey.

I know I can't jump to a 20 mile long run after weeks of little to no mileage. In fact check out my mileage for the past 5 weeks…Not impressive at all.

So no wonder my knees and hip were creaky and achey today. I increased my mileage WAY too much after taking too much time off. I know better….I'm a smart runner, usually. So with THREE weeks left until my marathon I am still thinking of making a stupid decision: Run the full 26.2. The beauty is though, that I can do the half, DNF, walk, crawl, cry…whatever. I don't really care. I know I'm not going for a PR or a BQ. I'm going for a Show-Up-With-My-Big-Girl-Undies-On. No expectations really, other than to just go.

I'm hoping this marathon can fuel the fire that struggles to burn, a fire that hasn't been glowing to it's potential for about a year now. It has been one year since I left the PNW and moved to the south and I feel like it has been a battle to keep my running fire alive since I got here. I refuse to let this location completely extinguish the love I have for the run, but it has been tough.

In other news…to catch you up what has been happening in 5 Mile Land, I said goodbye to my beloved Jeep…

With my 52 mile one-way commute to and from work, and driving on the job, I just couldn't really afford to keep her any longer. I was spending my salary on gas. So, we said our goodbyes and I brought home this beaute:

A Nissan Altima Hybrid.

Let me tell you….get a hybrid! It's AMAZING! I am saving so much money a month on gas it is ridiculous. When we were car shopping I had no intention of a hybrid or a car. I wanted another SUV type vehicle that got more than my Jeep's 19 mpg and could carry my bike to triathlons. But once I saw this I couldn't pass up the 33 mpg's in city driving. No way. Plus it feels good to be a little on the green side. I can get a bike rack for it and cruise to my triathlons in green, earth conscious style!

The Hub's, LB and I hit up Occupy Raleigh last weekend to represent the 99%. That was pretty cool and I think it's good to expose LB to these kinds of things. We left early and didn't get arrested, so I consider it a success.

.

And we hit up a Jazz Concert.

I have been trying to stay busy…

Speaking of busy…I cannot wait until next weekend! I will be attending the RRCA Coaching Certification course in Arlington! I have been looking forward to this since June! In the near future I will be able to call myself a real live Running Coach!!

So what have you been up to? Oh wait, I guess I should peruse some blogs! I am so sorry for ignoring you all! You all have been so supportive and awesome these past few weeks. I truly cannot express how thankful I am for all of your thoughts, messages, prayers, and miles dedicated to my dad. My life is richer and blessed because of each and every one of you!

FIVE....

2011-10-15T18:11:00.001-07:00

I have five weeks until OBX. I don't think I'm going to do it.

I told myself that this weekend would be my deciding factor. If i got my 20 miler in today then I would be able to move forward with the 26.2 plan. BUT, it is now 9:06 PM and I have yet to run one single mile today. I don't foresee me running 20. I guess there is still tomorrow but again, unless someone volunteers to meet me at 4 AM then I don't see that happening. Anyone? Anyone? Beuler?

I must say I am saddened, disheartened by this. I want to do a fall marathon...just not enough to lace up, right now-this second, and go out for 20 miles. I want to do it, just not bad enough to train. So how much do I really want it? I don't know. I just can't seem to get in gear, get it together, to wrap my head around the run. The cherished, quiet, alone time I once longed for on the run is now a deterant. My thoughts are not pleasant ones and I don't want to be left with them, alone. I need constant distraction. I need something other than alone time. I need a running partner, someone to talk to me about something other than what I am thinking about. Talk to me about the new fall fashion, Halloween consumes, Thanksgiving dinner menus, Occupying Wall Street, shoot...talk to me about Kim Kardashian or Ashton Kutcher and how big of a jerk he is. Talk to me about anything other than what is going on in my life. I am avoiding myself.

Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully with it comes some sort of peace and a hint of motivation. I don't like this feeling and I know well enough to understand that I can change it. So, here's to the weekend and one more chance to get my 20....

On a brighter, less depressing note, My Official Race Crew, Jessica, is running her second half marathon tomorrow! Here we are in 2008--The Amica Seattle Half. Wow. We both have come so far! I am SO proud of her! She has been training so hard for this and I know she is going to do amazing!

I wish I could be there for her! She was a HUGE support for me at almost EVERY SINGLE RACE and I wish I could be there for her....but I will be there in spirit and heart!

GO JESSICA!!!! You are going to do amazing!

Wow, maybe I feel a little bit of motivation now? Yep, that's motivation alright! But not enough to go out for 20 at 925 PM....that's just crazy talk.

Greetings Earthlings...

2011-10-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been traveling warp speed through space and time.....

I have made it back to NC, if you even knew I left NC and went back to OK? Many of you who like my FB page know, but either way, last Wednesday my dad lost his fight with pancreatic cancer. I am even now still at a loss for words. It doesn't seem real. It seems like I will wake up and this will all be a dream, I'll be back in WA where I was before he received his diagnosis. Things will be the same and he will be healthy again. But I guess that can't happen so it is time to start accepting the truth. The truth that cancer touches and affects so many of us, it doesn't care how many miles we run, or weights we lift. It just plain and simply sucks. Enough said.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and support. I asked on my FB page for followers to dedicate a mile to my dad during their next run, and dedicate a mile in honor of other cancer survivors and those who have lost their battles. I can't really tell exactly how many miles were run for my dad but I added up about 84.97777 (the .97777 is thanks to Mel's 8k race) miles dedicated to him. I am truly touched by this...I love runners.

Today I headed out for what I hoped would be my long 19 mile run. I made it 5.5 miles before I called it quits. I had a shooting pain through my hip, just like I had in 2010 while training for OKC marathon. I have no idea what this was about but I figured I would call it quits and spare myself the pain and agony. I can get my 19 or 20 miler in Saturday. Anyone local (ish) who would like to join me???

Today is my two year Friendaversary with Tall Mom. On 10/10/09 I went out of my comfort zone and went on my first blind, bloggy, running date. Read about the blind date HERE.... And about my fear and nervousness about accepting her invite for a run HERE. I can't believe I was nervous to meet her for a run! She was so fast and famous...I was just a new blogger trying to make my way. To this day I am so glad, grateful that I did. Mel has been a rock for me and proved time and time again to be a true friend. She knows, somehow, when to text and just what to say. I miss our runs and the conversations we shared while logging miles. Somehow a good run with a trusted friend is often just what the heart needs, and lately my heart needs a good long run with a good, trusted friend who can put things into perspective, give me hope, empathize with me, and just exist with me, on the road. There is comfort in companionship and sharing the misery of a long run, or the exhaustion of a short, fast(ish) run, or just the ease of a no pressure run.

So, Mel, happy Friendaversary! Thanks for everything!!

Do you celebrate Friendaversaries? Maybe you should!

Salvageable...

2011-10-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

I wonder if my marathon training is SALVAGEABLE....I have had almost 2.5 weeks off with minimal, I mean bare minimum running. I don't think I have lost too much endurance/fitness but I am certain I have lost a significant amount.

Today I had the urge to run. Of course I was smack dab in the middle of therapy....ever wonder what your therapist is thinking when you are pouring your heart out? Well, usually they are thinking about you and what you are saying...usually. Today my mind was on the road. I wanted to pack up and head home for a run. I wanted to tell my client, "Invest in some good running shoes and hit the road." Ever heard the slogan Running is Cheaper Than Therapy? Well, I'm not sure I agree with that completely, if you have decent insurance. But I will say running has some unique health benefits that therapy doesn't have. But, with that being said, combine the two and you have a team like The Dynamic Duo....you could be unstoppable! Anyway, I had the urge to run today.

I made it home in a state of starvation. We had dinner, I helped LB with his homework, navigated through bath time, books, and FINALY bed time. I don't know about your emergent reader, but each night I sit with LB while he reads. IT. PUTS. ME. TO. SLEEP. He is so monotone and doesn't give any inflection or emotion. We are working on that. He is also S.....L......O.......W. Don't get me wrong, I am super proud of him and he is doing great. It just isn't the best way to get pumped up for a late-night run, being snuggled in on the couch, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, listening to Barenstain Bears'. Finally he made his way to bed and I was no longer longing for a run. The Hubs convinced me to go out, just for a mile. I was dressed and ready so why not? Just a mile, and if I feel like it more....

I donned my head lamp and headed out. For one mile.

Well, wouldn't you know it I felt like more! I knocked out 5 miles, in the dark. It was amazing. I left the iPod behind and just ran...

So, do I think my plans for OBX full marathon are salvageable? Absolutely.

Thanks to trusty ole Hal Higdon I have a new plan of action. A low-stress plan that will allow me to just run and I am confidence I'll be able to handle it....Here is my plan for the next 6 weeks:

Finally, THANK YOU ALL! Your comments and words of encouragement have truly lifted my spirits and helped bring a smile to my face. I don't think I can effectively express how much you all have helped me through this time. So thank you, thank you for reading and thank you for taking time to encourage me. Thank you for being supportive and thank you for understanding and sharing your own experiences and feelings. Thank you for being you!

Blah.....

2011-10-01T16:19:00.001-07:00

I've got a bad case of the "I don't care anymore".

I think I'm in BIG trouble for my OBX full Marathon in Nov. I have been off my running game, actually, truth be told I have no running game right now. There are a lot of things that have me not feeling like lacing up and honestly I can't just shake the feeling of not caring. At least not right now. Running has gotten me through some tough times, there is no denying that. But this, right now, is different. I am having a hard time finding the time and when I do find the time I can't find the will, the motivation, to go for a run.

As a Mental Health Professional I'll say it, I feel depressed. I have been worse before, that's no secret. If I'm not full-blown depressed, which I think I am teetering on the edge of depression, I am stressed to the max. I know running can help relieve stress, it has worked in the past, but since moving to NC running just ins't the same anymore. It's not convenient, the scenery stinks, the routes stink. It is more of a chore and a hassle than a pleasure.

LB and I had to leave OK and return to NC. I couldn't keep LB out of school too long. My heart is in OK with my family right now but I can't be there. I will be going back to be with my family, I just don't know when. My dad is hanging in there with hospice care. It breaks my heart not being there....

While I was in OK I did get in a run. I ran the dirt roads I used to run and play on as a kid. I had a lot of fun memories on those roads. As a kid I used to run a mile down the road where my dad would be working on the tractor, or with the cows, or whatever else. I remember learning to drive with my dad on that road, going fishing, chasing cows, checking out deer tracks, or just sitting there with his dinner waiting and watching him on the combine.

As I ran I wanted to run forever, until I was a kid again and I didn't have to worry about grown up things. I wanted to stop at the bridge and look in the water to see me, my reflection as a 10 year old again. But I knew no matter how hard or how far I ran I would end up right back at my parent's house with nothing changed or different. The run let me down, it didn't heal my broken heart, clear my head, or change anything......maybe I had too high of expectations but I hoped I would finish and everything would be different.

So for now, me and running aren't speaking. Hopefully we can work things out soon or else I'll be skipping out of my first North Carolina 26.2.

Life is short...

2011-09-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

too short.

Thursday LB and I headed to Oklahoma. As most of you know, if you have been following my blog for the past year, my dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in May of 2010, just one month after this photo was taken:

This is one of my best, favorite memories of all times. And now I cherish this photo...He cheered me across the finish line of my first marathon. I'm not sure who is the proudest person in that picture, all three of us are just beaming. Growing up my dad never missed a basketball game or cross country meet. It was only fitting that he was there for my first marathon.

I don't have any words right now to express my thoughts and feelings. I don't know how much to share or what write about. I wish I could write about running on the red dirt roads, or races, age group wins, swimming or biking. I wish I could write about training and paces but it all seems so insignificant right now. Cancer sucks. It is just one of those things that no matter how healthy you are, active or physically fit you are (case in point: Lance Armstrong) you, we, I, are not safe and immune to cancer. Life is short and precious....

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Hug your parents, spouse, friends, kids, grandparents, loved ones....you never know when something will become your most cherished memory.

Please excuse me....

2011-09-20T16:56:00.001-07:00

while I sit under a rock....and wallow.

source

I have been MIA lately...on the blog and the road. I just don't have the time or energy to run and I am in a rut. I hate my routes, they are inconvenient and not fun or interesting. The run doesn't take me away like it used to. It is now a chore. A hassle. A drag. My marathon training is in a bad kind of way. I have been getting in two of my three RLRF runs a week. Didn't run yesterday, didn't run today. And you know what I have to say about that? Oh well. I have eight weeks until OBX marathon. I have gotten in an 18 miler so that is at least good. But the truth is right now I just kind of don't care. Ugh, that is so awful. I can't believe I just said that! It's horrible. I feel so ashamed. I am supposed to be encouraging and motivating and here I am Ms. Debbie Downer of the Century. So, this is why I have been choosing not to blog lately. My mom taught me that if I have nothing good/nice to say then just say nothing at all. So, until I can snap out of this drag of a mood I guess I wont contaminate your positive, happy-go-running moods. But feel free to leave me a kick-butt, shape up, pull yourself up by your boot straps kind of comment. It will be accepted in the manner in which I am certain you intend for it to be delivered.

I don't want you all to worry. I will snap out of this, I always do. And I am going to revamp my marathon training plan. While RLRF is a great plan I just don't have the time to make it to a track for the speed work, and doing it on my street just isn't feasible. I stink at tempo runs too and really can't seem to do it unless I am on a treadmill. So while the three runs a week is good, it's just not working out for me right now since the runs are so technical and particular. I think I will be picking up on Hal Higdon's marathon plan. He has been good to me. Plus it is just easy to head out for a 5 mile run and not worry about different paces and miles. I may integrate pieces of RLRF into Hal's plan (when it is convenient) but for now, when I get my mojo back and crawl out from under my rock, I just want a pure run. Just me, the sweat, and the road....pounding out our differences.

Until then....I'm off to pack for a quick trip to Oklahoma.....

Oh, hi....

2011-09-10T19:40:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I'm still around. I've kind of been on an unintentional internet hiatus. I must admit it's been kind of nice. Sometimes the hub-bub of life gets crazy and the easiest thing to ease off of is my internet addiction. But truth is I can't stay away long, hence addiction.

This week has just been busy, tiresome, and although it was 4 working days, long and exhausting. Here are the noteworthy events of the week:

LB learned to ride his bike. 100%. He is now a wild man on wheels, flying down hills and just loving his new-found freedom. So every day after work/school we have been out riding the neighborhood. It's awesome!
We have been new-to-me car shopping. A 53 mile one-way commute has me screaming No More GAS!!! So I need something with better gas mileage. I LOVE my Jeep and really hate the thought of getting rid of it....BUT the bank account speaks and says better gas mileage=race entry fees, trips, gear.....whatever.
An 18 Mile run this AM!! I ran the first four miles on the treadmill at 5:15 AM. At 6 I met Natalie of Running, and What Not. She sent me a message a while back saying she would be in town visiting her in-laws for three weeks , three glorious weeks, and from there we just ran with it, pun intended. So this morning was our third and final (at least until she comes back for a visit or I head make my way back up to WA) long run. We did two 14 milers together and today was 18 for me and 14 for her. It worked out beautifully. We hit it off immediately on our first run and had no trouble finding conversation topics. Today's run was a much needed confidence booster for OBX-9 weeks away!

Me and Natalie

Let me just tell you, I have truly missed having a running partner. I know I have talked about Running Partners before and even kicked off National Running Buddy Appreciation Day (this will be an annual event). But I just feel the need to say that I miss all my running buddies, so much. I'll be accepting applications for Official, Full-Time Running Partner....Please apply in person ASAP. Thanks.

How is your weekend going? Any awesome long runs with awesome Running Buddies?
Ok, off to hang with The Hubs...

A Note on Speed Work...

2011-09-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

Something about a three day weekend is just magical. I hope you all are enjoying the holiday and down time.

Last night we decided to go on a night-time dog walk. The Hubs grabbed LB's skateboard and I grabbed my Razor Scooter. LB opted to run. I bet we went over a mile and he ran the whole way. It was dark but we managed some action shots....

The Hubs and LB headed to the gym and dropped me off at the track en route. I was excited to get my interval/speed work in on a track as opposed to the dreadmill. My RLRF workout for today had me doing a 10-20 min warm up, 6x800m @ 7:26 min/mile pace with 1:30 rest between, then a 10-20 min cool down. This was a killer today. When I woke up this AM it was nice and cool, probably 65 degrees. Dummy me waited until noon to hit the track. It was hot and humid and I wanted to QUIT. But I didn't. It feels good to finish a HARD workout!

Since I had my fitness assessment I have been very curious about VO2 Max, training, lactate threshold, and improving overall. I now know that the speed work, regardless of the race distance we are training for, is an integral part of training. Even ultra runners do speed work. While increasing weekly mileage will increase your VO2 Max, it is the speed work that will have the most lasting impact on your VO2 Max levels.

MANY MANY MANY of you have inquired about where to get this testing done. I am sorry to say the facility where I did mine was on the military installation and is for active duty military and their dependents. Although I was told that you can looking into your local universities and inquire about it with their Exercise Science or Physiology departments. They may often do testing at a fraction of the cost (thanks Run Faster Mommy!).

Anyway, if you want to improve your ability to increase the amount of oxygen that your body can uptake and deliver to your muscles and then remove the lactate from your muscles at the a same time (to keep you from getting so sore you have to stop, walk, or lay down and die...) it is recommended that you run intervals at a pace that is 15-30 sec faster than your 5k race pace. Wow! That is FAST, right? Either way, this can be a good indicator of your 100% VO2 Max pace if you have a recent 5k to go by. You can run that pace for 400s, 800s, 1200s...shoot even 200s. The point is that you run that pace repeatedly (in the beginning 3 to 4 intervals and as you progress 5 to 8 or more intervals), with a small amount of rest between where your heart rate drops down to well below the 90-100% range of your Max Heart Rate (MHR). Depending on your fitness level that could be between 1:30 to 3 or 4 min of rest between.

Simply put, add mileage and intensity into your workouts once a week to improve your VO2 Max. By increasing your aerobic capacity you will certainly see an improvement in your conditioning and your race times! And get this, you can improve VO2 Max by decreasing your body fat percentage (not weight, but body fat specifically). Long story short....I'll be seeing you at the track! Happy Speed Work! But, if you are new to speed work or are just starting out building your mileage base, don't worry about VO2 Max just yet. It will come...Continue to build your weekly mileage and focus you running effort on gaining that base. Then start the speed work.

It's time to hit the track!

And with summer coming to a close the temps will be a little easier to handle.....

So what do you think? You gonna hit the track?

Coming to an end....

2011-09-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

Tri season that is...and I am not happy about it.

I have been planning to do White Lake Olympic Tri this coming Saturday. But Team Mountaintop may be losing steam. The Hubs is registered but nursing an ITB inflamation. He's not down and out just being safe. ITB is not a good injury to mess with and it can take MONTHS to heal, as J-Ninja is also suffering with this as well. She has been out since May with the ITB.

I could still do it but I just feel off. I have been sporadic with my swims and only getting in ONE a week, if that. I also haven't been biking like I should be. An Olympic is certainly not a sprint with it's distances being two-fold. I'm afraid I will get spanked if I go out or even show up. The next Tri on the schedule is early Oct. I am losing steam. I don't think I can maintain the swimming and bike conditioning for an Oct triathlon. So it seams tri season is coming to a close with little notice. I feel so empty! I feel like I need closure, a last hoorah, a final race to end the season. Sunday there is a mini tri, like a tri-me size tri, Inside Out Sports Dash for Divas. I could possibly do that one. It's an all women's tri which I am not exactly a fan of but whatever. We will see....

I kind of got to thinking this morning, dangerous I know...But I only have one race on my calendar for 2012. I haven't really done any running races around here that I felt like I really wanted to do again-exluding the triathlons, I want to do each and everyone of those again next summer! So with my race schedule being kind of empty I got to thinking that after OBX full marathon in Nov I could roll into a year-long training cycle to train for.....ANY GUESSES?

A Full Iron.

There, I said it. I put it out there....

I know the time commitment will be outrageous, crazy, impossible, horrendous, tough, difficult, challenging, and AMAZING.

I have a full marathon on April 29---Big Sur--I am pumped! This has been on my To Do Wish List since I found out about it and now I am registered and making plans!

With training for a spring marathon, I will have the running going. I have the bike trainer and if I can be disciplined enough to use it during the cold, winter months, riding 1+ hours a few times a week would be awesome. Then there is the swim. Ah, yes.....If I could make i to the pool even twice a week for off season training to maintain conditioning I think I'll be fine. On the other hand, riding 112 miles on a bike makes my girly parts hurt just thinking about it.....What am I thinking?

I'm going to be doing some race and training plan research before I decide but I think 2012 might just be my year for 140.6.

What do you think? Am I nuts?

Any realistic Full Iron Races you would suggest? I can't be traveling to foreign countries for a race....I need mid-west or east coast races. MAYBE, maybe a West Coast iron depending.

Mystery of the Vo2Max

2011-09-01T18:45:00.001-07:00

So, cardiovascular capacity is a measure of your body's ability to use oxygen to perform work. Every time we go out for a run, bike, swim...whatever, we are working. High fitness levels are indicated by a low resting heart rate and the ability to perform sustained aerobic exercise at a high level.

So, of course I had to turn to RED to assist me in translating my new found Vo2Max knowledge. Simply put she said: "You have some high mpg on your RBC 'bus', and lots of 'em."

She's so good at explaining things....

This morning I arrived at 7 AM for my Fitness Assessment. This portion of my assessment tested my VO2Max, Grip strength, Back Strength, and Sit Flexibility. All this paired with the BMI, Body Fat, and Resting Metabolism will assist them in helping me reach my fitness goals: lower BMI, lower body fat, higher VO2MAx, higher overall strength...AKA Wonder Woman status. Ok, not really but healthy, maybe a bit above just healthy. Above average. I am tired of being average.

So I spoke with the lady who was conducting my test for a good 20 min prior to starting. She asked lots of questions and listened. She was familiar with the Run Less, Run Faster program and this made me feel much better, knowing that she was knowledgeable about training and plans. She also said she had run a couple of marathons. In other words, she gets it.

She asked me what my good, comfortable pace is and I was a little stumped. I said 9 min/mile. I put on a heart rate monitor and she led me to the treadmill. She hooked me up to the mask and explained a little bit about what to expect. I was a little nervous, would I be able to do this? Would I have to run too fast for too long? I have no idea where these thoughts came from but I have always been frightened by the idea of this test and thought it would be hard. It was not.

I started out walking around a 2.5 mph pace. She would slowly increase the speed. It got awkward around 4.2 mph at the speed where your kind of like a crazed mall walker but not a shoplifter speed trying to get out fast but not too fast...you know what I mean? So I was happy when she punched it up to about 5 mph, then 5.4, 5.8. Each time there was a good 30-40 seconds (or more) between increases. It hit the 6 mph and I felt like this treadmill was on crack. 6 mph felt super fast. It was weird. She gave me bits of encouragement and told me I was doing really good. She kept increasing it and I kept running. I began to sweat and wondered how long it would take for me to hit my Vo2Max. I secretly hoped I could get my 5 mile workout in to knock out my run....that didn't happen. I don't think I even made it a mile. Maybe I did though? I have no idea.

She cranked it up to about 8 mph and then finally.....I hit my max. She slowly lowered the speed and I was instructed to go ahead and walk until my heart rate came down to about 100. It took no time at all for my heart rate to come down.

She then had me do a grip test, back strength test, and a flexibility test. All these are important for the overall fitness assessment.

The results of my Vo2Max came back pretty good. Excellent actually, points away from Superior.

My first question: How do I get to Superior?

Her answer: Interval training.

Pretty much if I keep up with the speed work and tempo runs prescribed in the RLRF plan I should see improvements in my Vo2Max. To recap, speed work helps to make your body more efficient at carrying oxygen rich blood to the muscles and removing the lactic acid from the muscles. Thus running faster for longer before dying.....

Here is my chart: You will see my score was 48.9 (3.6 away from Superior).

Notice the Peak Value: 9:30. I am going to strive to bring that comfortable pace down by OBX Marathon in November. I'm excited to follow my progress at 30, 60, and 90 day follow-up appointments. At each of these follow-ups they will redo each of the tests (Resting Metabolism, Bod Pod, Fitness Assessment).

A few people have asked me about the cost of this sort of testing and assessment. I wish I could give you all an answer but fortunately for me this is all covered by my healthcare or at least is a benefit offered to Active Duty Military and their dependents. Otherwise I am not sure I would fork over the $100-$300 for each assessment although it is very valuable information.

Getting tested....

2011-08-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Have you EVER seen anything like this?

This is The Bod Pod....kind of like a time capsule. I may have actually traveled through space and time this morning...but I can't tell you for sure.

So this morning I had some testing done. I wish I had been able to get in about 6 weeks ago so I could have a good starting measurement before I made my dietary changes BUT I couldn't get in so I have the measurements now. I'll schedule another appointment in a month or two to measure further progress. So what exactly is the Bod Pod? Good question....

This machine uses Air Displacement Plethysmography. English please...Ok, it is a dry way of testing body fat percentage. It is similar to testing underwater BUT the obvious difference is that air is more convenient and comfortable than water, and it is not wet. Duh...you don't have to hold your breath, submerge and expel ALL of your air to get an accurate measure. You simply strip down to approved skivvies, put on a cute swim cap, climb in, shut the door and wait for 50 seconds. The testing is easier and safer, is reliable, and has improved repeatability accuracy.

The basic operating principle of the Air Displacement Plethysmography includes some really big words that you all will understand, right....Densitometry, Mass Measurement, Volume Measurement, Thoracic Gas Volume, and Surface Area Artifact. For a complete break down of all these really, really big words go HERE and check it out.

Along with the Bod Pod I also had my resting metabolism tested. This means I found out how many calories I need each day simply to maintain and sustain life with zero activity, or just existing each day I require 1700 calories. They hooked me to a crazy mask and I got to lay down and breath in a dark room for 15 min. I wish I would have had my phone handy to snap a picture of myself but I didn't so I found this photo, taken from HERE:

So just imagine that is me, not a dude, and laying alone in a dark room.

So, sharing the results of today's tests have been on my mind. I was debating whether or not I would put it out there for the world to know and I have decided I will and in a month or so when i go back I hope I can share some improvements with you and we can celebrate together. Plus I know I am not the only one struggling to be healthy and maintain a healthy weight. We all work so hard and man of us never see the scale budge. I have begun to take drastic measures and I need to know that it is working. So without further adue, the result of my Bod Pod test:

You can see here my % of body fat, fat free mass, how many pounds of fat (37.791?! Wow. No wonder I am having trouble with my paces!), how much I would weight with 0% fat WHICH IS NOT POSSIBLE, HEALTHY OR EVEN HUMAN....

I would like to focus on the %of body fat, % of fat free mass-or muscle, and that Fat Mass...I put a 10 pound weight loss as my goal. I am certain this is possible. And once I achieve that I can re-evaluae and set a new goal or sustain.

So with the above information it was determined that I am in the Moderately Lean category on the Body Fat Rating. i am 2% away from lean...Wow. I can do that, I can get there.

In talking with the woman who conducted my test and evaluated the results she told me I was in a good range. She explained the health concerns with being too low, which I already know. She pointed to the Ultra Lean category and said, "This here, this ultra lean is for people who, you know, do triathlons and stuff."

Ugh, punch in my face. Yeah. I know. I see them every other weekend (remember the 90 pound turkey? Yeah, me too). It was frustrating to hear the opinion, judgement, or bias or whatever you call it that I should have been in the ultra lean category simply because I do triathlons. The shoulds, oughts, and musts really get old and annoying, even though I do it to myself all the time. I work out and train so much, I should be leaner, I ought to be below 20% body fat, I must lose 10 pounds....The expectation to be something simply because I do triathlons or marathons, or whatever...I don't need to hear it from the health professional. I need to hear how I can get to my goal.

Thursday I have my Fitness Assessment where I will have my VO2 tested. I am pretty excited. Have you ever had anything like this done before?

Do you fight the shoulds, oughts, and musts? By that I mean do you find yourself thinking thoughts like "I should be 10 pounds lighter." "I ought to be able to run a 8:45 min/mil pace." "I must qualify for Boston." "I must get first in my age group." "I shouldn't get passed by a 90 pound turkey!" You see? These are what I call unhelpful thoughts. They do more harm than good. If you find yourself beating yourself up with these types of internal dialogs try to catch yourself and stop the thought process and replace it with something a bit more helpful and positive. See what happens!

Sometimes you just need a little PUSH...

2011-08-29T18:35:00.001-07:00

...a little oomph if you will.

Lately, with the summer months being so hot and humid AND my new demanding work schedule, I have been struggling with my runs. Struggling to get through a three mile run can be a real downer, a real confidence-killer. I know there are many factors contributing to my slump: staying up later, getting up earlier, stress of a new job, diet, hours siting and driving, and also some over training and a little bit of fatigue.

Something had to change. Obviously I just started my job so that was not going to change. I decided in July to take on a new way of eating. I needed to know what I was putting in my body and I needed to STOP putting things in my body that are not natural, helpful, or healthful. Now I am by NO means an expert when it comes to diet and clean eating, but I am stumbling my way through it. I have found that making things from scratch is the easiest way to know what I am consuming. If it is processed I pretty much don't eat it. Towards the middle of July I embarked on a new way of fueling my body: I have cut out wheat, grains (rice and yes, this includes bread), pasta, sugar (all forms to include fruit), dairy. It was TOUGH at first but now going into my 6th week, I am used to it and really loving how I feel.

I can (and will) go into more details on the new way of eating soon. I have lost about 8 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle. I need to get my measurements so I can tell you how many inches I am down. Tomorrow morning I have an appointment to test my resting metabolism and measure my BMI, and I'm not talking with calipers. I am very excited about this. Then on Thursday morning I am going in to the Wellness Center for the Fitness Test to include the VO2Max testing. I am beyond excited about this. Finally I am getting some valuable, measurable information about my health and fitness. Boo-yeah!

Anyway, back to the little PUSH we may or may not need at times...I was a little hesitant when Daniela of Power-gy contacted me about giving their product, Push NOW a try. First, I wanted to know what was in it and was it safe. So many products in the past have proven to be dangerous and I just don't go there. Anything that raises your heart rate can't be good or safe when you are running 26.2 miles, or even 3 miles for that matter. Those products aren't for me.

BUT-I checked out Power-gy and as soon as I read about the product I was interested. It seemed different, by description and by ingredients.

What Power-gy says:

PRE-WORKOUT ENDURANCE SUPPLEMENT

Need that extra "push" while exercising? Feeling sluggish halfway through your workout? push NOW is a pre-workout endurance supplement that gives you the perfect amount of sustained energy to carry you through your workout routine. Unlike most endurance supplements that are packed with sugar based ingredients, push NOW is sugar-free.

Here are the ingredients:

*****Now, I am by no means an expert or a doctor or have any education or training about this sort of thing SO with that being said, please consult with your doctor before taking anything like this.

My experience with this product was very, very good. I have tried products in the past but this one is different. If you will recall, I have been doing a good amount of my training in the evenings. So, with this being a pre-workout supplement, before my evening runs I took one supplement around 7 o'clock PM. My workouts have not been easy, I am doing the Run Less, Run Faster plan which has me doing some serious speed work and tempo runs. Each time I took the Push NOW I was able to make it through my workout. Not only did I make it through my workouts but I was hitting my paces right on target. THAT, my friends, is a BIG deal. I didn't poop out and actually after my first RLRF workout I was surprised that I was able to even finish the workout. Just as the product promises, it gave a subtle push to make it through.

A couple of other things I think you should know. I did not notice my heart rate raise any higher than it does during a workout sans supplement. I generally have a heart rate of 165 during an easy mid to long run. During my speed work it can push 185 if I am working HARD. I did not feel like my heart was going to explode or that I could possibly die at any moment. I felt completely natural. I had actually forgotten I took the supplement after one workout. I was neither wired nor running around like a crazed energizer bunny. And get this, after my evening workouts I was able to come home, shower, and fall into bed at 10 o'clock and sleep. Yes, I was able to fall asleep after taking this supplement only 3 hours prior. Now I'll admit, I am kind of a freak of nature when it comes to sleeping, I almost fell asleep while swimming laps in a warm, sun lit, indoor pool once...but still, I think this deserved to be mentioned.

I took the supplement before my Roxborro Sprint Triathlon where I had my swim PR by 1 min 20 seconds. I also had a killer bike (despite the rain) and my best run (during a tri) of the season. Had the run not been on a muddy trail in the pouring rain I would have possibly gotten a 5k PR. I finished that race feeling like I had been able to push to the end as opposed to wanting to fall off a bridge a mile in to the 3 mile run.

And finally, I have taken this supplement for two of my long runs, including this past weekend's 14.77 mile run. I probably could have gone on to 18 miles if it weren't for my calves tightening up, the humidity, and I was hungry. So the verdict is.....I'm certainly purchasing more of this supplement. It has earned the 5 Mile Stamp of Approval.

Go ahead, check out their website (HERE) and if you have any questions I am certain Daniela would love to answer them for you! She knows her stuff and has a passion for health and wellness.

Have you ever tried anything like this before? What are your thoughts on using performance supplements?

All Mixed Up...

2011-08-27T07:41:00.001-07:00

This has been one of those weeks. All my workouts and runs are all mixed up. I wasn't able to get my tempo run in on Thursday or Friday so I am hoping to hit the treadmill in a little bit, if Hurricane Irene cooperates. For now we are right on the outskirts (just south and east of Raleigh) and have random wind gusts and rain. Nothing serious. This puts my long run of 13-15 miles tomorrow morning EARLY.

I am super stoked to run with Running and Whatnot in the morning! She is in town from WA for a couple of weeks and is struggling with the culture here, the absence of sidewalks, and the SERIOUS lack of consideration given to runners and others seeking an active lifestyle by motorist and those who think we should not be on the 2 inch shoulder of the road. So in case you have missed me and my complaining about this stupid town I live in go ahead and check out her recent experience in trying to get out and simply run in this town. It will make you go outside and hug your sidewalk. Seriously.

It's sad that when I day dream about running I imagine Tacoma, sidewalks, slow moving cars, not dodging cigarettes flying out of car windows at me, beautiful scenery, and SMILING and WAVING motorist. In real life, here in my neck of the woods, I get honked at (and not by the boys flirting) and flipped off. Seriously.

Fortunately being a military family all I have to do is wait, wait just a little bit and a move is on the horizon. I am excited about our next move! It is looking like a move to CA is next! I know, it is super early to be talking about that, like almost three years early, but it gives me something to look forward to...getting out of this place. Ok, wow, little tangent there, enough being grumpy and negative.

I am attempting to be the change I want to see in this town. (Ghandi)

It isn't fair to say that no one in this town is healthy or active, because in fact there are a lot of healthy, active people. Many of which kick my bootie in each triathlon I have competed in. It is just the overall culture is different from what I fell in love with in Runner's Paradise (AKA the PNW). I still have not adjusted but I have at least, for the most part, accepted where I am and what I am working with. I am making it work, kind of.

Speaking of a move to CA, I have been busy completing the requirements so I can transfer my professional license to CA. This has me busy with studying for CEU tests and I have to take a graduate level class that I didn't need for my degree program. So with that being said I have been very busy and will continue to be so for the next few months. I have to get my licensure paperwork in by Dec. so my blogging may be a bit on the sporadic side for a while.

And for your viewing enjoyment, LB wanted to run to the Bus Stop on Friday...of course I let him. He set out on the quarter-mile + run while I was loading the car and locking the house...As I pulled up next to him I had to get a picture. Do your kids ride the bus to school? For some reason, when he got on that bus the first day of school it was like a punch in the gut. I was so proud of him for being independent and brave but he is that much further from being my baby...

Well, off to check in with all my friends running the Hood to Coast Relay this weekend then to get in my 6 mile tempo run!! What are you up to this weekend? Hunkered down for Hurricane Irene?

RLRF I sort of <3 you....

2011-08-23T17:53:00.001-07:00

...even if you are trying to KILL me.

Today I squeezed in my RLRF workout! I hit snooze this morning, yep no surprise there. I don't even know why I bother setting that stupid alarm. 90% of the time I hit snooze. I LOVE having three runs a week though because if I snooze Monday I can still get it in on Tue or Wed, then have run #2 in on Thru or Fri and still be able to get my long run in early Sunday mroning. Three runs a week make my running possible and alleviate the stress of a training plan. Not to mention the two to three cross training sessions a week can easily be done on my porch, at the yoga studio, or the pool on the weekend. So this plan is working great right now.

Tonight's workout consisted of 3x1600 m repeats, or 3x 1 mile repeats, @ 7:40 min/mil pace with one minute rest between each. I'm not gonna lie because really I would jus be lying to myself, and what's the point of that? I took about TWO MINUTES rest between each one. I'm sure that is not ideal because the point is to raise that lactic acid threshold and increase endurance at a faster speed but lets face it, 7:40 min/mile for a whole, entire mile is redonkulous-for me anyway. I am certain these workouts are working. I need to find 5k to test it out and play with my new found speed. I was actually surprised I was able to do three one mile repeats at that pace. Mission accomplished, self-estem boosted 25 points, confidence through the roof.... And that is how it should be.

Tonight we had Open House for LB to meet his new 1st grade teacher! I think it's going to be a good year, for all of us!

I was so proud when we stopped by to say Hi to LB's kindergarten teacher and after greeting LB she looked at me and said, "I've started walking! It's not running but I'm walking! I've lost 10 pounds!" She told me that LB was always talking about me and my races and running. It is such a good feeling to know that I have motivated her in even a small way and she is getting fit and healthy!

And because I am 16 years old and care what other people think of me, I cleaned up my cords....So many of you loathed my cord mess so I felt ~~embarrassed about my mess~~ like I should tidy them up. We'll see how long it stays like this.

Before:

AFTER:

There, do you all feel better now?

OH! I almost forgot! Check out my guest post over on Power-Gy's blog HERE!! I'll be doing a review of their Push NOW Pre-workout endurance supplement soon!

I wouldn't say " TOTALLY....

2011-08-20T18:40:00.001-07:00

...redeemed myself", only slightly redeemed myself.

For some reason peeling myself out of bed at 5:30 AM on a Saturday is much easier than oh, say a Monday, Wednesday or a Thursday. What is that about? I guess it is just knowing that I had the remainder of the day to chillax and be lazy instead of be functional at work all day makes a difference.

The sweet, soft, and gentle sound of my alarm startled me from my sleep (who me? Sarcastic? Nah.....) at 5:40. The amazing and welcoming aroma of delay-brew coffee did make my arousal that much sweeter... My foot got caught in the sheet, or the sheet was practically tied around my foot, and I fell out of bed landing on my pile of cords that I use to charge all my 50 jillion electironics: computer, iPod, hard drive, two cameras, cell phone, work on-call cell phone, Garmin...just to name a few. Anyway, my foot was caught and I think I pulled my ~~ego~~ hamstring or inner thigh trying to catch myself and prevent my face from saying good morning to the stinking carpet.

Nice way to wake up...Way to find that inner peace, get the day off to a goooood start. Don't you hate it when that happens? Or am I the only person in the world who gets tangled up in the sheets?

My Pile-O-Cords....

And the funniest part of all this is that just this morning, while I was out, LB wrote me a little note because he tripped, or fell off the bed and/or stepped on a plug and hurt his foot. In case you have trouble reading it, it says:

"Mom kilenee (clean) up yor (your) kords (cords)."

I was confused at first when I saw it, I wondered if he or The Hubs had witnessed my graceful greeting of the day....but I don't think either of them did, for one it was pitch dark my room and LB was in his own room. I think it was just sheer, random coincidence.

I piddled around, ate breakfast, had my coffee, and hit the door by 6:20. I should have and could have left a little earlier so I could have gotten in 13 miles-ish. I headed out knowing I needed to be home by 8 so I could meet J-Ninja for yoga at 9.

My RLRF plan called for 17 miles...uh yeah, right....No. I am just not ready for that kind of mileage. I am not about to risk injury right now so I am following the old 10% increase in mileage per week, kind of. Really I am just not increasing in a stupid way. I realize this is not how the plan is meant to be used but I just don't have the base for 17 miles right now and I don't have the time or energy for any other plan. So 3Plus2 (3 quality runs plus 2 [at least] cross train days) it is for me.

So I should have done 17 miles at MP (marathon pace) +48 seconds: 9:54 min/mile. Now I am sure on a 10 mile run I should have hit that MP +15 or 20 seconds but hey, I'm just rolling with the tides right now...So I hit my 10 miles at a 9:55 min/mile pace. I was soaked in sweat by the end. It was muggy and I couldn't keep the sweat out of my eyes. I have been thirsty ALL day long too.

Yoga was good, not amazing but good. We got some nice, deep stretching in and I think that was much needed. The best part of all this was breakfast after with J-Ninja! I earned that Western Omelet and pancakes!

Tomorrow I hit the pool! I am ready for a nice, long swim! My joints and muscles miss the pool!

I QUIT.

2011-08-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

No, not my training, not my job, not anything of significance really....except my run tonight.

I hit snooze this morning. I hate it when I do that. I mean I love it, getting that extra hour of sleep, but I hate it. And the kicker is that I knew it would be difficult to get my run done this evening. I knew that I had a busy day at work and an appointment at 6 PM. Yet I still self-sabataged and hit snooze.

Tonight I got home about 6:30 and The Hubs was making dinner-AWESOME! I was super starving since I had to eat my lunch at 11and devoured the chicken stir fry dinner...

Fast forward 45 minutes and I am on the treadmill at the Rec Center, plucking away at my 6 mile tempo run. I completed my slow, warm up mile at 9:48 min/mile pace. I quickened the pace to 8:45 min/mile for mile two. I could feel my stomach burning. The burn was creeping up into my throat and my stomach was H.E.A.V.Y. Mile 2 came and started to pass but things were not feeling good and I was doing that disgusting throw-up in my mouth thing....I hit the big, fat, red STOP button and packed up my stuff. I headed to the car with my tail between my legs. Tonight I quit my run. I could have done my 6 mile tempo run but somehow I just didn't feel like puking up my dinner. I was defeated.

I have to get it together. I'm still struggling with the early AM running thing even though it's only 3 days a week. Today's tempo run is scrapped. I think the smart thing to do is scrap it for tomorrow too and go ahead with the long run Saturday AM.

Have you ever just straight up quit in the middle of a run? Even though your legs and breathing were good? It felt weird and I was kind of angry. I needed this run but I just couldn't stomach it.

RLRF: I <3 You....

2011-08-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

Kind of.

This past weekend I missed my long run. How am I supposed to get in a 17 mile run at MP +45 seconds when I am doing a triathlon? Major conflict here but what ever, I'm going to make it work. I was too sore on Sunday to get it done and Monday just didn't work out. So scratch the long run for this week. I'm determined to get it in this weekend, Saturday. I have no excuse. It will be long run Saturday AM then yoga with the J-Ninja.

This morning I slept in and had a plan to do my run on the treadmill then hit the pool after work. Well the treadmill happened but the pool did not. I really miss swimming. My swim time on Saturday was awesome, my best time of the season: 13:49.9 (previous PR is 15:09)! So I would love to keep the swim momentum going and get that time down a bit more, I need all the help I can get to make up for my weak run showing. I'm picking up my tri training intensity for the remainder of the season. I only have two left, as of now: an Olympic distance (which is scary!) and another sprint.

Tonight's RLRF workout was a doozie, I expect no less than a doozie out of these workouts though. I did a 10 min warm up followed by 5 x 1k @ 7:49 min/mile pace, followed by a 10 min cool down. It was rough but nothing I couldn't handle, even with my wicked blister:

The Hubs fixed me up with duct tape...it worked pretty well. It was still sensitive but at least it didn't get any worse and I was able to run.

Many of you have asked if I got the blister from my new NB w10 Minumus shoes. The answer to that is No. The blister came during the run portion of my sopping wet triathlon on Saturday. I made a last minute decision to ditch my socks after the bike and put my bare feet into my soaking wet Sauconys. I think it was the best choice and this one blister could have been worse and multiplied by 10 if I had worn the socks. So i think I came out of this deal pretty good! So far no issues with my w10s! Love them!

Take a Gander at This...

2011-08-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

It hurts...real bad. And yes, I know my foot looks very dirty....

I hit snooze this AM instead of going for my run. How can I run with no skin on my arch? I don't know either...So I didn't. Suggestions welcome. Anything would be better than what The Hubs suggested: Put duct tape on it...Uh, seriously, is there anything you men don't use duct tape for?

Tomorrow is a new day though and my alarm is set for 5:15 AM so I can do my 5x1k @ 4:42 with 400 yd recovery between and a 10 min warm up and 10 min cool down.

Next thing for your viewing enjoyment is this truck I saw today. Look closely at the roof of his truck. I guess I could call him and ask what's up with the dinosaurs and super heros? Well and to ask what's up with his truck in general. It looks like my 6 year old went crazy practicing his numbers and letters on it, then played dinosaur vs. super heros on top....

Need a closer view? It's a little blurry but you get the point. Funny.

And finally, Sunday afternoon we had a small, impromptu belated 6th birthday party for LB. Poor kid didn't have any fun at all though... The look on The Hubs' face is priceless. Almost as classic as LB's face. Almost.

Happy Monday everyone!!!

Mayo Lake Sprint Tri Recap

2011-08-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

All it takes is a woman to pass a dude to light a fire under his bum. Seriously.

Today I did the TrySports Mayo Lake Sprint Tri. It was amazing and crazy and wild and awesome all wrapped in one blurr of an event!

Team Mountaintop!

Somehow The Hubs and I got bib #20 and 21 so we were next to each other in the transition area. That was fun....Here are our bikes set up and ready.

I was hoping to make it to the podium but I knew the competition was stiff going in with 21 in my age group. It was a little more than twice as big as my last tri. With that being said I feel like did SO MUCH BETTER. Actually I am not sure what my splits were, they aren't posted yet, but I know I feel really good about them, given the circumstances.

"Circumstances?" you say....Lets just say the swim was amazing. Went off without a hitch except for a few instances where I literally swam over one girl, got kicked in the boob, got swum over and a few other things. It was actually the roughest swim to date BUT I think I had my fastest swim time yet. Amazing!

Coming out of the water we had to run up a steep hill. Whose idea was THAT? Really....

This certainly was not the cleanest or least disgusting swim venue I have experienced...

I came out of the water and grabbed Nelly (my bike for the new readers) and hit the road. I saw, what I thought was off in the distance, some gnarly clouds. I told myself, "Ok Amanda. Lets do this. Go hard and beat the rain." Big mistake. If I never believed in jinxing myself this would be one of those times that has made me into a believer.

Not two miles in I started getting pelted with rain. I wondered for a minute if it was hail, tiny little hail nuggets flying at my face. I let off my speed for a minute and thought about a few options: Get off the road and sit under a tree and DNF, keep going, see what happens, ride a bit slower, use my race experience to my advantage and despite being a bike-weenie use my racing experience to my advantage and go for it....I went for it. Others were slowing, I sped up. I still rode conservatively on the downhills, I always do since my crash back in March. That messed me up and I suffer from PTSD. Every down hill I have flashbacks of the entire crash ending with me in a ditch. Scary stuff. But at the end of the day it makes me a safe and alert biker. If I can just get that piece under control I know I could be so much stronger on the bike.

So there I was, riding my bike in the stinking rain. Who does that? Not me. I don't ride in the rain. It didn't help matters that this was THE hilliest course I have ever ridden. It even beat Kirkland in Kirkland, WA. It was big, long uphills and long steep downhills, and short steep uphills and long moderate downs....and on and on the entire way. It was actually a great course. I could get those thighs burning on the uphill, hit the big gears and ride it down....giving my legs a rest.

I passed a few girls and a number of dudes. One dude kept leap frogging with me. I didn't mind since he was, well a dude, and 50. And then it happened. An Age Grouper passed me, not only was she in my age group but she was a 90 pound Turkey, and I mean that in the most complementary way possible. She could not have weighed a pound over 90. She was skin, bones, and muscle. She passed me and I decided to hang close, 15 meters behind. And sorry if you are a blog reader of mine, but really you need to hear this. When she passed she remained in the middle of the lane. I could not over take her at all if I wanted to. A couple of times I could have and wanted to but she was right in the middle. I didn't want to cross the center lane or pass to the right so I hung back until the right moment came and I passed her. I didn't look back and I never saw her again. On the bike.

When I finally came off the bike I was soaked to the bone. The rain had been torrential. I racked my bike and made a split second decision to lose the socks for the run. My entire transition area was soaked. When I did Tris in Washington I usually took a large trash bag to cover my stuff in case it rained. It was just habit and second nature to plan for rain. Not here...I didn't even think about it. Everything was soaked, my shoes were full of water when I slid my bare feet into them. i figured bare feet would be better than my soppy socks.

The run was a trail run. It was absolutely awesome! I had forgotten how much I love trail runs. At first I puddle hopped but that lasted about 15 feet into the woods. The trail was about 3 feet across at most, but usually about 2 feet wide, and slippery mud. There was no avoiding it. I slid around the corners and down hills. It was gnarly! I was loving every second of it even though it was up and down hill, wet and muddy, twisty and turny, and tree branchy and rooty. I will say though that it was the longest three miles of my life. I hit the one mile mark and nearly hit a wall. Yep, a wall at one mile. My left arch was burning already and I could feel my insoles bunched up and crinkled up under my foot, not laying flat in my shoe.

I passed a number of dudes...and let me tell you, I guess all it takes is for a woman to pass a dude to light a fire under his tushie to get him to run faster. It's funny and annoying at the same time. Then as I grabbed a tree on the right hand side and flung around a tight, hairpin curve it happened. That 90 pound Turkey went trotting by me....UGH. I was ticked. I was running my best. I could have run faster if it was a road race but this was a muddy trail race and that kinda takes some getting used to. But I saw her in front of me and I watched her slip away....into the forest.

Getting passed is so mental. It is hard to keep going, at least it is for me. I felt myself slow a bit as she went by but as she went around a turn ahead and I could no longer see her it was me and the forest and the rain and the mud again. I found my mental game and realized I was doing ok and I could keep going. After the two mile mark I got passed by another girl. This one was also hard on me mentally but she looked good and strong. She showed no sign of fatigue or slowing. I let her go. Yes, let her go....

In my mind I knew best case scenario I could have third place but really I had no idea of my standings. As I finally neared the finish line I saw The Hubs, clapping and cheering me in. He yelled, "There's one on your tail!" I glanced over my shoulder and saw a woman coming but really couldn't tell how close or far she was or how fast she was coming. I gave every last ounce of umph I had and sprinted to the end. It was a weak sprint but I held her off and beat her. Turns out she wasn't in my age group but it got me an Overall Female Ranking of #15 and an 8th place finish in my Age Group out of 21. I'll have to post official times and splits later once they are posted.

The rainy day...

LB was having a blast...he was a soaked, muddy rat by the end. He said, "Mom! I am just doing what my shirt says!!" Well son, I guess you are...

Tomorrow is my long run and yoga! What's in store for you tomorrow?

Ok, I can do this...

2011-08-11T17:24:00.001-07:00

Right?

Yeah, I think so.

This morning's RLRF run was a tempo run. I haven't ever tackled a temp run on the streets. Usually I stick to the treadmill so I can control the pace. But it is just not feasible or convenient for me to get to the treadmill in most cases since it would cost me a good hour or more in the morning. Getting up at 5:15 is bad enough, take away even a half hour and that puts me getting up at 4:45. Gross.

My plan called for 7 miles, Mile 1 easy at 9:43, the middle 5 at a more challenging 8:43 pace, and the final mile at an easier 9:43 pace again. I opted out of 7 miles for two reasons: 1) I didn't have time for 7 miles and 2) my long run last Saturday was 8 miles, I didn't think a medium, mid-week long run of 7 miles two days before a race was a good idea. Aren't' I a good smart runner/triathlete? My first mile was completed in 10:07 min/mile, a little slower than planned, Mile 2 was 8:46 min/mile, just three seconds off goal pace! Mile 3 and Mile 4 were right on the money at 8:43 min/mile each! How did I do that?? And mile 5 was at 9:54 min/mile.

Overall I am pleased with the run, I just wish I had enough time to do 7. I was feeling pretty good and I think I could have maybe gotten another 2 miles done at the faster pace. But I am playing smart. I don't want any overuse injuries. This weekend, depending on how sore and worn out I am after Saturday's tri, I'll hit my long run up early on Sunday. I'm going to shoot for 10-13 miles instead of the 17 miles on the plan. I think that is doable, as long as the heat and humidity are bearable.

One issue I have with this plan is that it jumps into high mileage FAST! Next weekend, at the end of week 4 the plan has a 20 miler! Are you kidding me? 20 miles in week FOUR? I understand that this plan in intended for people with a very good mileage and endurance base. I haven't helped myself any by starting in week 3. Self-sabatoage much? This plan has FIVE 20 mile runs altogether...No stinking joke...This is serous. I'll work it out though, I am certain!

Jen, of Runner Maybe hooked me up with this link HERE to a RLRF calculator! (THANK YOU!) PRICELESS! I put in my 5k time and turns out I ran my splits on Monday night a lot faster than I needed to. Oops! Maybe that is why I am STILL sore from that workout? Ya think? But now I know and will adjust for it come next Tuesday's speed work. Am I sick and twisted for saying that I am already looking forward to it? I was afraid so...I think I will love the speed work and long runs but hate the tempos. But who know? Maybe like an arranged marriage I will learn to love them.....one can only hope.

So any questions about RLRF? I know a few of you had some questions on my last post. I'll try to answer questions here this weekend! I am certainly not an expert by any means though, I am fumbling through this workout...so it will be fun, like the blind leading the blind! And let me just add this, three runs a week kind of rocks! I do have three days of cross training but for a triathlete that just plain and simply rocks the hizouse! Swim and bike and kettle bell....oh yea!

I am humbled to say...

2011-08-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

WOW! Holy RLRF! This is going to be no joke. Like seriously no joke...I am not prepared for what is the Run Less, Run Faster plan. Tonight it put me in my place.

After a lot of hard work I got my plan made and I am sticking to it....hard or not it is what it is and I am doing it.

I decided to do tomorrow's workout tonight since I have a 12:10 AM date at the airport to pick up my boys. Yay! I knew getting up at 5 AM would be hard to put it nicely. Why self-sabatoage? I had the evening and needed to get my workout in. Too bad I had to leave work a little later than anticipated and couldn't make it to the 7 PM yoga so run only it was. I decided to head to the Recreation Center that has a small, and I mean small fitness room. But hey, two treadmills and two elliptical and some weights and other things is pretty good for a FREE community center. It is literally 6 minutes from my house! Score!

I am not sure what time they open but they close at 9 PM. Getting there in the AM and back home to shower for work mostly likely will not happen, let's be honest. But I guess I could become an evening runner...GASP! Tonights killer workout lasted one hour from the beginning of the warm up to the end of the cool down. I am sure, positive actually, that they will get longer as I progress through the plan. But for now an hour it is.

My workout tonight was:

10 min warm up/10 min cool down

1200 m done in 5:39

1000 done in 4:40

800 m done in 3:42

600 m done in 2:48

400 m done in 1:49

200 m done in :50

...All these with 200 m recovery between.

Anyone have any guess as to the problem I had when I arrived with this, written on a Post-It note, and jumped on the treadmill?

Uhhhhh.....how the heck to I convert all this to miles and mph or pace per mile or min/mile pace? Deer in the headlights...total Duh moment as I stood there and stared at it. Shoot. I texted Jess-Blonde Ponytail, she is a veteran of the RLRF plan since she used it for her last marathon. She emailed me a table which was very, very helpful....now that I am at home with my computer.

So there I was, standing on the treadmill. I decided that I could figure out the distance by gauging it with the visual guy that runs around the track. I have enough track experience that I know a 1000 m is 2 laps around a track plus a 200 yards, which puts me halfway around the track. ugh, so this was not only a physical workout but my brain was smoking by the end.

I used the lap option my iPhone to time each interval, and the treadmill to measure distance and pace. It worked out ok but I need a better system. It worked out that I ran each interval a little bit faster than the previous. the 1200m was done at approximately a 7:15 min/mile pace, 1000 @ 7:10, 800 @ 7:05, 600 @ 6:52, 400 @ 6:32, and the 200 I did way to fast (but hey, this was one of my races in High School and when I dabbled in track in college, I was a short distance sprinter).

I recovered each time with 200 m very, very slow. It was hot even inside with the fan blowing right on me. I was sweating up a storm.

I also did the entire workout in my new NB w10s except for the last 200 m and the cool down! I loved them! I felt no pain or weirdness throughout! In fact, it was weird when I put my Sauconys back on. I am excited to be making this transition! I may even race in them on Saturday when I do my next sprint tri.

Man, my legs look weird and swollen. Maybe it is is my weird ankle socks?

Well I am off to the airport soon to pick up my boys! It has been way too quite around here!!

How was your workout? Anyone do any crazy speed work??

Tips for Running in Heat and Humidty

2011-08-07T17:01:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's about time I talk about this....it is seriously challenging and I know many of us deal with it.

Let me tell you about my training. Saturday I got up early to meet Sarah downtown for a long run. Neither of us had run more than 3 or 4 miles since Seattle Rock n Roll so we were just out with hopes of 5 or more. My new Run Less, Run Faster plan told me I was to run 15 miles. HA ha ha ha!!! Yeah, right. I knew that was not smart. Sure I could have suffered through it but I don't want to get injured. Things are looking UP for me fitness-wise right now and an injury is the LAST thing I want. So in my mind I had a 10 mile limit. No more than that but I wanted to hit at least 5 miles.

I showed up and parked and quickly noticed downtown was bustling with bodies, running bodies!! A race was happening! I texted Sarah and told her I thought something was going on and she recalled a race going on down there. We didn't have enough time to register last minute so we watched for a few minutes and then made a game plan. We would run the first mile of the course in reverse so as not be confused as racers, then turn around and run the 10k race course. The race was small. I'm pretty sure I could have maybe placed Age Group, maybe....I like sizing up the competish these days.

We were on our way and it was muggy, humid and hot. In fact, this is a good time for me to tell you what I learned about running in heat from Run Less, Run Faster:

Reduce exercise intensity in very hot conditions. When temps exceed 90 degrees F or when the sum of the temp (F) and humidity (percent) exceeds 135, runners should modify their workout. Uh.....that wold be 24/7 here in the south from June-Oct. So Saturday it was about 84 degrees at 7 AM with 76% humidity. Any math whizzes out there? No, ok I'll do the math...160. I think that means go to breakfast for an iced coffee or mimosa....

Second thing I learned, and I am SO guilty of this, when it is humid it is BETTER to drink that water and try to stay dry. Why? Good question, here is what RLRF says: Your body adapts to the heat through increased blood flow to the skin, increased sweating, and a higher core temperature. You need to replace the sweat lost through regular hydration. Only water that evaporates results in significant cooling; the sweat running off your body reduces your body heat very little (Think about this one, the sweat running off and NOT evaporating does not really work to cool you). Higher humidity reduces the rate of evaporation. Wet skin does not sweat as much as dry skin; therefore, "poor it in, don't pour it on". In other words, drink water rather than pouring on top of your head.

So how many of you pour that water all over you, and on top of your head trying to get relief from the heat? ME! I am guilty! Just last weekend I was doing so. And frankly, I can see now that it did not help. The water just does not evaporate, and in high humidity, neither does your sweat. It is the sweat that evaporates that cools you, so if it just beads up there on your skin it is not really cooling you. So how do we adjust to this? How can we help ourselves? I'm not sure it is possible actually. Research shows that running times and paces slow while running in heat (temps over 60 degrees F) and humidity. In fact, you will not be able to sustain as fast a pace as normal in the heat, even if you are acclimated.

So all this to say, I should't be so hard on myself. And you shouldn't be either! It is stinking HOT and HUMID.

Back to the run...we ran opposite the race for about a mile then joined the route. I felt kind of bad but hey, it's a public road and we ran on the opposite side of the road and did not interfere with the racers. It was nice because Sarah and I could pretty much run our own pace and just follow the route, otherwise we run together since I have no idea where I am going in that part of town. I tried to keep my pace around 9:54 (my Marathon Pace +45 seconds). I was happy with my effort but I still have a had a hard time maintaining a consistant pace. Back in the day I would run every mile within 2-4 seconds of each other. Those days are gone.

We followed the course and when I ran back by my car I stopped for a quick shoe change, from my Saucony's to my NB w10s. I wanted to get at least a mile in with them on.

LOVE. Can you say love at first stride? Om my goodness! They felt amazing! Light! Comfortable! I did my 8th mile with them on and had no problem or pain whatsoever! I think my transition to these shoes will be negligible, and here is why: I walk around barefoot all the time, whenever socially acceptable. I love to be barefoot. And if not barefoot I wear flip flops that are equivalent to wearing a 1/3 inch slab of rubber, no real support. I even run in my flip flops when I need to, chasing LB or Lazy Dog, running in the park, playing catch or football. You name it I have done it in flip flops. I toured Italy in my flipflops, walking on the marble slab ground. No support whatsoever...so this transition will be A-okay.

BUT, that does not mean I will be running barefoot. No-siree. I am not jumping on that bandwagon. The thought of stepping on dog poop or a nail or a rock or spit or a snot-rocket, or getting a hook worm,you get the idea... I'll be wearing shoes thankyouverymuch....

After the 8 mile run (completed at about 9:30 min/mile pace) I was drenched in sweat but I had plans to meet J-Ninga for yoga! I headed to the studio and changed in the bathroom where I had to literally wring out my shorts into the sink before I dared put them in my Marc Jacobs bag. Seriously, priorities people! I have never seen such a thing. It was gross. Yoga was amazing though...I hope I can make it a routine to hit up the 9 AM morning class after my Saturday longruns. That would be awesome!

And finally I hit the road today with J-Ninja and her Hubster for a 20 mile bike ride. It was a good ride and I felt pretty good. We didn't ride too hard but the course was our old favorite, the Ranges, with hill after hill...So my quads were screaming at me! I passed on an even yoga class with J-Ninja. My back is so sore, most likely from plank into chaturanga then into cobra and down dog....over and over.

So this weekend was totally awesome! I got in a lot of training. The only thing I missed was a swim. Twice, Saturday and today, I put it off and didn't make it to the pool. I hope to make it there straight after work tomorrow. I'm packing all my stuff to be prepared.

This weekend I rediscovered Pandora Radio. Oh. My. Goodness. I am listening to Amy Winehouse station (a mix of music and artist of the same genre). It is awesome! So what are you loving today!?

Yeeeee-oga!

2011-08-05T16:52:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time I did yoga twice a week. That was when I was training for my first marathon. I would follow up most Tue/Thur runs with 1 hour and 15 minutes of flow Yoga. I did a lot of things right during that training cycle. Not sure what happened but I think I got cocky. Got over-confident maybe. Started thinking I was the bees knees, the best thing since sliced bread. A seriously too-cool-for-school chica. I see the error of my ways now though.

Back to Yoga. It was great. I was not as bendy as I had once been. I couldn't do many of the modifications which frustrates me. My balance was all wonky and frankly I had non when trying to Warrior III or the Half moon. Yoga is good. So, so good. It can do so much for the body as far as balance and stretching. The Pigeon pose is my favorite. The stretching I feel in my hips is unmatched. If I need to relax I can do two things, close my eyes and think back to my massage therapist, Kathryn (at the YMCA in Tacoma) or think about the Pigeon pose. It is almost instant relaxation. Fantabulous! Today my back muscles, glutes and hammies are sore. It feels so good!! I love being sore, hate it but love it.

It isn't exactly convenient, generally, to go to yoga, but I think I can commit to once a week. I think it will really help my overall fitness. Since our beach weekend was spoiled by what was a hurricane, then Tropical Storm Emily, and now an open tropical wave, J-Ninja and I decided to hit up yoga again in the morning.

Speaking of tomorrow morning, I hope to get in a good 5-6 mile run before hand. Although I don't think I'll be wearing these:

Aren't they beautiful?

My amazing UPS friend dropped these off this evening. Lazy Dog is not so excited to see the Brown truck, but me, I get straight up giddy when he rolls up.

Lazy Dog licking his chomps...biting at the bit to eat the UPS man.

I think I'll wear the new New Balance W10's for one mile, return home and change into my Saucony for a few miles, then one more shoe change. They say to transition slowly. I'll try but patience has never been my forte.

Tonight I am just chilln' at home. I think this is a great opportunity ~~to get in a kettle bell workout and bike ride on the trainer~~ work on my final OBX Marathon plan. I'm all set up and ready to get it done, put down on paper so there are no more excuses. I must get on this.

The Hubs made it to the summit of Mt. Rainier. I am so super jealous but I think next summer we will head up there to do it together. I can't wait!! Look at him! He's on top of the world!

What are you up to this weekend? Anyone creating their training plan for their upcoming races? Or summiting any mountains? Going to the beach despite the open tropical wave? My parents are cruising around Alaska. My son in heading back to Berkley from Yosemite and I am sitting at my kitchen table, listening to Pandora radio....Someone tell me something exciting....make me feel even more ~~jealous~~ happy for you!

Still Lonely...

2011-08-03T17:14:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am still living the Bachelorette life here...for 5 more days.

It is very quite and lonely. To make matters worse TOMORROW is LB's 6th birthday. I can't believe he is 6 already! And I can't believe I am not celebrating his birthday with him. I am celebrating, just not with a Spiderman cake or with him. J-Ninja, Sarah, and I are heading downtown for a late Flow Yoga class followed by dinner! When will I ever get to celebrate LB's birthday like this again? Probably when he's grown and off doing his own thing, in 20 years. Thank goodness for friends!

To make matters a little more sad and woe-is-me-ish, LB is in Yosemite National Forest this week with his grandpa. The cell phone service there is not great so I can't reach him. Insert pouty face here.....I am certain he is having a great time though. While he is hiking around Yosemite, The Hubs is on his way to the summit of Mt. Rainier.

Photo taken from Mel-Tall Mom's yard in June. Beautiful!

Man, how did I miss out on all this fun? I have always wanted to hike to the top of Mt. Rainier. Maybe next year....

Take a look at these beauties! New Balance Trail W10! They are making their way to my house via UPS as we speak.

I don't do a ton of trail running but a lot of the sprint tris thus far have included a good portion of the run on trails. So I am hoping to get used to these puppies and work my way into the minimalistic running, kind of. Anyone given these a spin? How do you like them?

Oh and HOW did I forget!? I am OFFICIALLY registered for OBX 26.2. So I guess I have to start training now. What fall races are registered for? Any first time marathoners??

More Chamoise...

2011-08-02T17:16:00.001-07:00

For the boys…wait, I don’t have boys…but either way Chamoise it good. Really good. If you are getting into the world of triathlon don’t skimp on the Chemoise. Feel free to ask in a comment if you need clarification.

Recently I have been approached with a number of questions surrounding triathlon. I figured I would go ahead and answer some of them here and now. So if I leave any question unanswered, please feel free to ask either in a comment or via email. I’ll do another post if necessary. But…keep in mind please that these answers are just mine. I am no pro, I have no coach, or professional training. These are from ME, me who wants to melt into the pavement and slip peacefully away into the sea during the run portion. Me.

Now, first question:

1) Under your wet suit do you wear a swimming suit?

-Simply, no. I mean, yes if if is swim suit or birthday suit...but I prefer triathlon specific clothes. I have done 6 triathlons and have only worn a wet suit once and that was in my first, in late September in Lake Washington. The water temp was two degrees warmer than the air at 68 degrees. I wore a shortie wet suit (it was shorts with only 3/4 sleeves) over my swim suit because I did not have a proper triathlon outfit. Now here is the deal, if you don’t want to drop the money on tri gear I get it. It’ expensive. I have done most of my tris in a swim suit. It is no biggie. My suggestion for you is don’t wear a wet suit unless it is cold. Cold air and cold water. You will warm up and the wet suit will slow you down coming into/out of T1. I understand though that some tris are just wet suit necessary and in order to avoid hypothermia you need to wear one. in which case I would wear it OVER my tri shorts and singlet. But if i didn’t have that as an option I would wear it over a sports bra (one made for tris that will dry quickly, not cotton) and my swim suit AND tri shorts (very important that they are Triathlon specific shorts, not just biking shorts, you will hold too much water in the butt pad of a regular bike short). Coming out of the water you unzip the back and pull it down to the waist while running. At your bike you shimmy out of it. Once out of it, if you have only a swim suit on good luck with those tri shorts. Yes in the past I wore my tri shorts over my swim suit and worn it the whole way. swim, bike , and run. In my 70.3 I did not want to wear the swimsuit for that long but for a sprint or olympic I think it would be just fine. Just don’t forget the Chamoise Cream….

Oh and P.S. Putting on spandex while wet is nearly impossible. Wear your bike and run clothes from the get go! It makes your T1FAST which is just plain bad A.

Me in my tri shorts and swim suit with a tri-soecfic bra underneath. I swam, biked, and ran in this…

Me in my 2XU Tri shirt and Tri Shorts. I swam, biked, and ran in this entire outfit…Shout out to J-Nina’s Hubster below with his Age Group GOLD. 

Me (and LB) at my first tri 9/2008 in my shortie with swimsuit underneath.

2) When you are swimming how do you overcome the obstacles with running into/getting hit by other swimmers?

-Expect it. Unfortunately this happens and it can be bad but for the most part swimming arms aren’t really like deliberate punching arms. What I’m saying is that it can catch you off guard and throw you off but if you expect it then you wont be surprised. My advice is, if your out for a good time and a first time tri, begin to the back and the outside. If you don’t want to be in the back then just ensure you are on the outside. This way the faster, more aggressive swimmers can be on their way and not swimming over you. Keep your eye on the buoys and don’t get too far of course. And the time when I get kicked and hit the most is on turns. So be aware of swimmers around you while turning at the buoys. Remain calm if you do get punched and don’t take it personally. I have punched and been punched. It’s part of the game.

3) For the sprint tri’s how do you fuel throughout the race?

-This one is tricky. You have to find what works for you. I think I am close to finding the right way. For me, I drink Accelerade 30 minutes before my wave start. Upon coming out of the water before getting on my bike I eat as much of a GU gel I can in ONE squeeze and gulp. Then while on my bike I have a water bottle I use in the aero position. This is key for me. Otherwise I cannot drink while riding. I’m just not coordinated enough. In my water bottle I have TWO separate chambers, a large chamber holding 20 oz I think and a smaller one holding 12 oz. I put water in the larger chamber and a GU Brew in the smaller. This way I am fueling while drinking. It is awesome. Now if you are a good biker you can do this, my husband tapes Gu Gels to his bike, the center bar between his legs. As he rips the Gu from the tape it opens the Gu packet and he can eat it. But you have to be aware of your trash, if you get caught tossing it you can get a 2 minute penalty for littering. Same goes for dropping your water bottle or anything else while on the ride. Then coming off the bike I grab my Chomps and use those as close to the beginning as I can on the run. I think next time I will use a Gu Gel, it is easier to down and I can get it into my system much faster, which is what I need coming off the bike. In the past I have used my handheld water bottle during the run with Gu Brew in it. So it just depends on what you want to do and what works for you. But there you have it.

Here is my bike with my water bottle between the bars. You can’t really tell here but there are two straws that stick up so I can drink easily.

4) Which marathon are you training for? Don’t you find it difficult to squeeze in biking/swimming while you are marathon training too?

-Um, ok I am only kind of training for a marathon right now. OBX HERE to be exact. It is Nov 13. I guess I should register and seriously be training. To be honest, yes I have had a hard time maintaining all three sports. For a while I focused only on running, then I was spinning and cycling like a mad woman, then once summer hit you couldn’t get me out of the pool. I was swimming almost two miles a day 4 times a week. I found my passion and natural athletic ability in the pool. I was born to be a swimmer. But, alas I cannot always swim, it is inconvenient. So yes, juggling all three is hard which is why I was desperate to see the Run Less, Run Faster plan/book. It has cross train days built in and those are the days where I will bike and swim and do weights or whatever. Tri season is quickly coming to a close so I will lay off the swim and bike, maybe, doing each once a week for maintenance until next spring when I will amp it up again. I think one fall marathon and one late spring marathon will be good, then TRIs all summer long.

5) The secret to improving bike skills seems to be finding other people to ride with. There is a group that rides together several times a week but they go much further (30+ miles) than I do (20miles at most). Do you think I should ride out with them and turn around early? What if I get lost?

-First off, please don't get lost!! Ok, this is scary for me too. I have a few riding groups around here and have never had the courage to join. BUT I will be joining them this coming Sunday, at least I will if you do!! =) But really, two people I work with are in the group and it was described to me as this: There are different levels of riders, Group A is fast fast lightening fast. Averaging over 22 mph. They go hard and fast and long and kick bootie. Group B is 18-22 mph. They too ride fast in my opinion. Then Group C rides less fast, all ranges up to 18 mph. I was also told that they take in new riders and will not leave them behind. So if you get there, talk to some of the riders, maybe some of them have the same issue, wanting less miles, and they may be willing to ride back with you. Maybe the first time out you could plan to ride the entire route, just to get a feel for it and familiarize yourself. Then after that 30+ ride you can decide. Plus, 30+ miles is awesome. I agree that riding with a group would be very helpful in pushing you/me/us to improve. So lets do it! A group ride is on the calendar for Sunday evening! Oh and about finding your way back….take your cell phone so you could call for help or if you have a GPS on it then you can find your way. Safety first!

Well that does it for my Q&A post. Hopefully you got some nuggets of knowledge out of it! And if you have anything to share I would love to hear it!!! Let me know in a comment!!

How I got 3rd in My Age Group....

2011-08-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

I swam fast. Rode hard. Choked on the run....

Ok, no really. I did really well throughout except for the run. What the heck? I'm supposed to be good at running. It's what I do. I run, mostly. But I always choke on the run. I've been told it's because I need to ride more and that my legs are tired from biking so I die on the run. I'm sure that is true. So tomorrow I am moving the trainer back inside. He has been banished to the garage since May and it is time, time to bring him back in and set Nelly up so I can ride.

Anyway, we headed to the race site early since we didn't make packet pickup the night before. It was still dark when I got everything set up...but under the cover of darkness I discovered I had forgotten my race belt. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! After a quick mini panic I realized all would be fine, I would just have to pin it. Old school style....No biggie. I closed my eyes and visualized how it would go down in transition: off with the bike shoes and helmet, on with the visor, running shoes, grab bib with pins already attached, pin it on as I run through the transition. I replayed it a couple of times and felt confident I could remember come race time. I use visualization a lot. I think it really helps me.

So here is my transition all set up and ready to go.

I headed over to J-Ninja's Hubster's transition to get some rubber bands so I could attach my repair kit to the back of my bike seat. Bad news, he had broken two of the rubber bands. There were none left to spare. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I returned to my transition. I stared at my bike, then my wheels, then the repair kit. The conversation in my head went something like this: "I take the repair kit I don't need it. I leave it behind I get a flat. I have no pockets. Where do I put it? What do I do? I am doooomed. I will face certain flattage if I don't have it. That is just the way my life is...I need this repair kit. Think. Think. Where can I get rubber bands?" I looked around and no one in sight had rubber bands.

After a bit I had a brilliant idea. I headed over to the body marking area and grabbed two ankle straps.... I hooked up my repair kit and stepped back to admire my handy work. "Yes, this is going to be a good race." I should have been a boy scout.

With my transition all set up all I had to do now was wait. My wave started at 7:46. As I waited a girl came and introduced herself, Lacey! Lacey moved to NC from WA too and emailed me about doing the same tri. I was thrilled that she came up and introduced herself. It is so great to meet people in real life!!

Finally it was time for the pink caps (yay for pink caps!) to head to the water. J-Ninja wished me good luck, I wished Lacey good luck and then, then I did something weird. I went to the VERY FRONT. I mean smack dab in the front! The swim started and I was off. Nice and easy. I was working hard to concentrate on my stroke, kick, and breathing. I didn't want to get thrown off like I have so many other times.

The swim was in a river that meets the salty water of the Atlantic ocean. It was also really warm. And to make it worse there was a current. We were swimming into the current for a good part of the swim. It didn't phase me though, I felt good, except I was getting really, really warm. The water temp was around 86 and like a noob I put my swim cap over my ears. Why? Well at the time I thought it was a good idea, to help keep water out of my ears. Nope. FAIL. It was like wearing ear muffs in the summer. I got hotter and hotter. I could feel my face getting read and hot. As I came around the last buoy a dude smacked me, twice, in the head. Now I know things can get crazy in a race, but seriously, at the point where you were in a wave about 10 minutes earlier and you are getting passed, by a girl, let it go, don't punch. Wow. My goggles got knocked a little bit and I remember that is why I often put my swim cap OVER my goggles in a race. Oops.

I came out of the water and heard J-Ninja yelling for me!! I ran to the transition. I actually cannot remember what that run was like. I was ticked off because my watch had my swim at 17 minutes and something. I was mad. J-Ninja was at the side near my bike and her words rang in my ear, "Don't let it phase you." She was right, it was just the swim, I felt so good though? How could that be? The current? I guess? In the end, my swim time was 15:14 and I was ranked 2nd female in my age groups out of the water. I had no idea.

When I got on the bike I had no idea where I stood place wise. I knew there were only 9 in my age group. So I was somewhere between 1st and 9th. As I rode I passed one girl in my age group, there....8th or 1st. And that is how my ride went. I never saw anyone else in my age group until about a quarter mile to go. I rode hard the entire time, like there was a mob of girls trying to get me. My goal for this race was to place. I wanted a top three. So I rode hard and just at the last I passed a girl in my age group, putting me in first but again, I had no idea. As we came nearer the dismount she passed me quickly and I got caught behind a dude who could not get off his bike and I was trapped in the narrow dismount area, "Dude, move! Go! Go!!" I yelled, mainly because I was about to fall over and I couldn't stop, he had to get out of the way.

I ran to the transition area, feeling surprisingly good. I visualized again my transition, shoes, visor, bib. It all went down just as planned. My bib was pinned on before I even made it out and crossed the timing mat. I was off...running. Running in the heat. The humidity. Ugh. I was not prepared for this. But I could see the calf with the number 34 in front of me. I kept her in my sights. Surely the heat will get her too? Yes, there is no way she can keep this up. She is going to choke. And then she was further and further ahead. Ah, drat. I let her go. I could settle for 2nd or 9th. At the 1 Mile mark I saw J-Ninja's hubster, he had a mile to go-I cheered him on and kept going. 2 miles left for me. I held my own and saw no more age groupers....until the last half mile. My feet were on fire. The bottom on my right foot was burning, my speed laces were too tight paired with the hot asphalt it was killing my foot. I could hardly breath, the humidity was torturous. The heat unbearable. It was like running in a stupid sauna. I was thirsty and HOT and then this chick, some girl in my age group passed me on an uphill with maybe half a mile a go.

I had no fight left. I had no kick. I had no will. I kinda felt like dying. Like melting into the pavement and dripping off the bridge into the salty water, to be washed away at sea....but no relief came. I had to finish. I had to keep running until I finally saw the finish line. I knew I was at best third place, at worst 9th. Oh well. I felt like I had put up a good fight and finished a good race. I was spent.

I crossed the line and things went pretty black as the girl removed my chip. I stumbled to the water bucket and got a drink. My eyes were littered with black dots everywhere...I couldn't really focus. I was hot, my stomach was churning. I was light headed. J-Ninja and her hubster found me in the gaggle and we talked for a minute. I got more water then told them I needed to cool down before I passed out and we headed to the lake. I got into the lake and submerged my hot body (and no I do not mean that in a stuck up way). I was still hot and light headed. It took a good while for me to cool off and start feeling a little bit more human again. Pretty sure I was on the brink of heat exhaust.

Here is picture of the lake, those rocks harbor a snake. A mean man-biting snake. A poor racer had been standing on the rocks and got bit! The ambulance came and took him away. I have no details about what kind of snake but it was not good. But it did not deter me from sitting in the water, right there to the left of the rocks. Snake or heat stroke....I chose snake. At least that could have won me a ride in the Ambulance with AC.

Here is a picture of a crazy water tree....I think it is pretty, pretty creepy.

And so now you know the story of how I got 3rd in my age group. I was so close to 1st but I let it slip away...Maybe sweet victory will be mine on Aug 13th when I do my next Sprint tri....

And here is my new bling....nestled quietly and comfortably with all his brothers and sisters....Welcome home Tri Bling, I have been expecting you....

Third Place!!!

2011-07-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

I got a medal! I got a medal! I got a medal hey, hey, hey, HEY!

And well, of course the Sig Pose with J-Ninja's Hubster with his GOLD bling....

Notice in the top picture I have a medal on a white ribbon, in the above picture it is red....I realized on the walk to the car that my medal said Age Group Male, not Female. This was noticed when a dude walking beside us complained that his medal said Female, Iooked at mine, Male... so Duh, we traded...problem solved.

A full race report to come!! But for now I am going to chilax on my couch and watch a movie!

It's Friday!

2011-07-29T14:18:00.001-07:00

Now that I work full time Friday has an entirely NEW meaning. I mean, don't get me wrong, I have worked full time before and this is not a new concept, just a concept I haven't had to face in a LONG TIME! So TGIF everyone!!

I am packed and ready to head to WASHINGTON! Washington, North Carolina that is.

I'm pretty pumped about tomorrow's sprint tri! I have been slacking in the swimming, biking and well actually running departments lately. Dang. How do I expect to win when I am pretty much an all-around slacker? Shoot.....But hey, I'm gonna look pretty high speed (hopefully) in my new 2XU tri outfit!! It came today. Was sitting on my front porch when I got home! I of course ripped it open and tried it on immediately. The shorts are tight. Really tight. I know they are supposed to be and actually I'm not sure if I am supposed to wear them by themselves or not. I'm confused. They are compression shorts with no padding in the seat. I think they go UNDER something else....So i may go with my trusty iZume shorts tomorrow. To Be Decided.

Well, gotta run! I'll check in again soon!!!

Something You Never Want to Find Out....

2011-07-27T03:26:00.001-07:00

Well, wouldn't you think that if it was 100% humidity outside it would be raining? Or something?

Well this AM, after receiving my Wake-Up-And-Go-Run text from CQL, I headed out for my run. I knew it was gross and hot and muggy. I was immediately sweating and melting and suffocating. But I kept on and finished with 3.33 miles (just for YOU Mel!). I came home and decided I would check the Weather Channel app on my phone. To my horror THIS is what I found:

GROSS.

But I survived to tell the tale and now you know, 100% does not mean rain. It means if you go for a run wear an oxygen mask and bring a butter knife to cut a path.

Hoping you have a more pleasant run than me. Perhaps you'll have a glorious run like my husband apparently did last night in Santa Cruz. Who me? Bitter? What ever gave you that idea?

Here's the Deal Pickle....

2011-07-26T17:31:00.001-07:00

I'm tired and I want to watch a movie then go to bed then wake up (thanks to my Wake-Up-and-Go-Run-Texting-Buddy, CQL- at Livin' A Little Life). We have begun our Tue/Wed/Thur 5:15 AM texting routine to hold each other accountable for our morning runs....Um, however, I cannot tell a lie: This AM I texted her at 5:20 AM but I didn't actually get up. FAIL. But in my defense....NO! There is no defense! FAIL. No really, I was so sore....SO WHAT! FAIL. Oh no, now the voices are typing on my blog...

Tonight I did do a short Kettle Bell workout on the porch. I hope I am not too sore for my run that WILL take place in the morning. I really do plan on getting up for my run. Today I was still so sore from 50 Kettle Bell swings I did on Sunday I could hardly sit down, or stand up for that matter. I figured I should play it safe with a race coming up this weekend. I don't want to be too sore come Saturday AM. Speaking of my tri, I got the shipment confirmation for my new tri suit. It os scheduled to be here by the end of the day on Friday. What does that mean? by 5? 5:30? I am heading out with J-Ninja and our Tri Crew Friday evening after everyone gets off work. The tri is a 2.5 hour drive so we are spending the night. So I am hoping so bad that my new fit gets here so I can sport it on Saturday! Didn't catch my post about my new ri suit? Check it out HERE.

My plan for swimming this week has not come to fruition. Last night and tonight we had pretty crazy, lightening and thunderstorms. Tomorrow I am interviewing a nanny at 6 but hopefully I can get her in and out in time to hit the pool....but really, I doubt that will happen. The pool closes at 8 so if I got there by 7 o'clock that's just barely an hour. A teaser.

I have some reading to do in the RLRF book so I am off to read then watch a movie! Any suggestions?

The Lonely Post...

2011-07-25T18:04:00.001-07:00

Going on 48 hours now that my boys have been on the West coast. It sure is quite! And lonely...and boring....and easy. But I prefer having my boys here, as chaotic and hectic as it can be. I just don't feel right being here, in NC, without them. The Hubs sent me a few pictures of their fun thus far:

Looks like someone got himself a skate board. Oh boy...well maybe if he gets good he can skate next to me while I run:

And I'm guessing he likes wearing the helmet...

Today, I drove home in a torrential downpour. A deluge of water coming at me. I could hardly see. Then as soon as I hit my street it was dry. Not a drop of water fell on my neighborhood, until about 20 minutes ago. It was weird. But as I pulled into my drive I saw something sticking out of my mail box! Thank goodness it didn't rain here since it was the Run Less, Run Faster book sent to me by Michelle!! THANK YOU!!! I am pretty stoked to look it over. I'm thinking the philosophy behind it is pretty close to what my plan from The 4-Hour Body. Running less and running faster...theres only one way to do it, fast and short.

Sunday after I swam 2,500 meters with Sarah I stopped at the PX (in other words the tax free store on the Army post) and found a Kettle Bell. My plan is to use it. Duh...ok, use it for working out and not as a door holder, paper weight or book end. Last night I did 50 Kettle Bell swings and all I can say is YEEEEOWE!!!!

Anything knew with you? Have you ever had extended periods of time when you were home alone sans kids and sans spouse? I've been without The Hubs many times, but without LB is just plain weird. I guess I could get used to it though...maybe.

Mechanics of Running....

2011-07-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yep, I must have some time on my hands if I am about to give you some tips on running mechanics.

To date I have run 3 marathons. I think it is funny that I ran my best time in my first (OKC Memorial), and I am certain I could have done better. I held back because I didn't know, the unknown made me err on the side of caution. I thought it was too good to be true, that I would certainly die...but mile 13.1 came and I hit a sub 2hour half (only my second sub two out of about 10 previous halves), I felt great. Mile 16 came and I was smiling and still holding back. Mile 20 more the same...Mile 21, 22 I was getting worried about how great I felt. Mile 23 was the roughest but still, I did not die. I climbed a wall but didn't die.

I say all this because I was looking at plans for my fall marathon. I found plans with crazy running, tempos, pace, speed. I did all that, sure. But what stands out most was the simplicity of the plan I used for my first marathon: Hal Higond's Novice 1 plan. I know, I said I wanted to try something new And I still do BUT tick tock, time is passing and I am 15 weeks out from OBX. I need a plan and I need it fast. So I have printed off Hal's Novice 2 plan. It's still simple and has 4 runs a week with a Wed mid-distance run topping out at 8 miles, and it has pace runs thrown in. I think I can handle getting up early three days a week and heading out for a Saturday long run. Wait, let me rephrase that: I will have no problemo with three early AM runs a week.

There are two rest days and one cross train day thrown in. I am still going to be trying something a little new from the 4-Hour Body book, Ultra-Endurance I: Going from 5k to 50k in 12 weeks- Phase II. In his book, Mr. Ferris lays out a plan that employs a lot of crossfit and 400m repeats. I am thinking I can do some of the shorter runs in the 400m format. And well, who wouldn't benefit from some crossfit? I would, that's for sure. Plus the workouts are done in about 20 minutes and The Hubs has promised to create a home-gym on our awesome back porch. So I can do this in the evenings. The benefits are two fold: lean, toned muscle and strength. This will help me when it comes to Tri season next summer. Strength means power on the bike, stronger run, and stronger swim. As the Sigma boys in college would shout out as a pretty girl crossed the Student Center, I'll take it....!

Ok, so get to the Mechanics of Running right? This is nothing new or Earth Shaking. It's just a little something I read from the 4-Hour Body book which is written by a dude who is independently wealthy and goes to top researchers and scientists and puts his body to the test. Every thing in his book is backed by research and science and people who are WAY smarter than me, WAY faster than me, WAY better than me (think Scott Jurek,7 time winner of Western States Champ). Most of them are elite athlete coaches and athletes themselves. So they speak, I listen. And hopefully I improve.

Use gravity for forward motion instead of push-off and muscular effort.
Land on the balls of the feet and aim to have the feet land under your center of gravity instead of in front of you.
Never fully straighten your legs. Keep a slight bend in your legs at all times to prevent push-off.
Pull each foot off the ground and towards your buttocks (rather than pushing off) using the hamstrings as soon as it passes under your center of gravity.
Maintain at least a 180 step/min rate, which means at least 90 steps per minute with each leg. This will use muscle elasticity to your advantage. Michael Johnson, who held the 200 m world record for 12 years, and also won 4 olympic gold medals at different distances, was known for eschewing (not my word!!) a high knee lift in favor of short steps. His per-minute step rate was 300! -Taken from Timothy Ferris, The 4-Hour Body

So how do you measure up? I actually have no idea how I measure. Pretty sure if I did #1 I would fall on my face. #2 I think I'm good. #3, I have no idea?? #4, I know I have a lousy back-kick. #5, I have no idea but maybe I should fill my iPod with tons of songs with 90 beats/min. Is that possible? What does that even sound like???? If you know of a 90 beat/min song send it my way so I can hear what that is....

Well, remember how I said I was afraid to push harder in my first marathon? Yeah, I kind of do that for all my races. I have talked about that before. I know I could do better, run faster, swim faster, ride harder. Why don't I? I guess I just don't have to. Do I really want to? I don't know, I guess it would be cool. But this quote struck me:

"Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through to obstruction" -William James

I told you I would be back and be bored. So maybe there will even be another post today, like after my swim I am about to go to...

Greetings Earthlings....

2011-07-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

From the stinking Sun.

Oh wait, the sun probably doesn't have 157% humidity like we have here. Heat indexes have been well over 100 every day this week. I'm talking like 111, 112. That is like melt-your-face hot. But the stupid thing is that it is actually like 98, 99 degrees but with the humidity it officially feels hotter. Around here it's referred to as Wet Bulb. It's super dangerous because you dehydrate and turn into a raisin or something. Maybe you just keel over and melt into the ground before anyone even knows what happened to you. As a matter of fact I saw this yesterday: Awful isn't it?

Well I am officially flying solo for 16 days. The Hubs and LB are off on a grand adventure....

What the heck am I supposed to do for 16 days? I have a nice idea but if it really turns out I'll be surpassed. As of now I plan to wake up in the AM and be out the door running by 5:50 or 6. So much less time is required when I don't have to get LB ready and out the door too. Then to work as usual, head home for a quick minute to let Lazy Dog out (lucky Lazy gets to chill in the AC these days), then head to the pool! I am pumped to get in at least three swims this week! I need to in a serious way since I have my next tri coming up on Saturday! I also have the option of swimming in the morning before work! That would be double-decker-awesome! But lets be honest here, I like my sleep BUT on the flip side I can be in bed by 8:30 PM! Now that is triple-double-decker-aweosme!

I mentioned my next sprint tri is on Saturday. I decided to bite the bullet and finally get me a real, live, big-girl tri racing suit! I ordered it from my *AHEM*sponsor...onetri.com (check them out HERE). They have a lot of great gear and some of it is on sale! Score! So if you are in the market, considering coming to the Dark Side (not naming any names here Marlene or TMB) go ahead and check it out! I had hard time picking out what I wanted and before I knew it my Shopping Cart was up to like $600. Uh, nope. Unless that suit will swim for me, bike for me, and has an AC installed I don't think so....(then there is always the awesome possibility of some co. sending me a totally amazing suit to try and review here on my blog).

I finally settled on these pieces: think those are sewn in abs? I sure hope so...

But I may try these, because well, you know I think they are totally fast looking! And all red/black and some grey to match Nelly C.I.R.N. What do you think???

Pretty sweet, huh? Yeah. I'm kinda getting big time. Not bragging or anything....Ok in my dreams guys, come on. Don't boo me off stage.

I asked The Hubs yesterday if he would give me ONE YEAR, just one year with a real coach, to try to do amazing things and become a pro. Tri as my J.O.B. He didn't shoot it down immediately. "So you're telling me there's a chance!" He did say there was a few things that would need to be in place first, and I can respect that...so we will see.

Anyways, back to my awesome new race gear, we'll see how the gear measures up to the ole polyester speedo. I haven't tried them on, of course. So hopefully they get here before Friday and I can try them on and hopefully they fit. I'm not worried about the Never Race in Something New rule. A sprint tri is pretty short and I'll just take a bath in Chamois Butter or whatever it is called. I think I'll live...Now if they don't arrive by Friday then I may not live. I may throw a fit (ok not really. I'll just have to find another tri to do the next weekend so I can wear new outfit...you know, like wearing new clothes to school or a date, you gotta do it!).

Well off to figure out something to do with my evening. I wish I was't too lazy to take myself out for a movie. But I'm sure I'll end up Netflixing something and falling asleep. I'm a rock star like that!!

Happy Saturday! I hope those of you who raced had a great showing!! I can't wait to catch up on all your blogs! I'll certainly be doing that tonight.

True Story...

2011-07-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

I'm too lazy to do a blog post.

So I'm not gonna....

And you can't make me....

Don't even try.

I will rebel and stand strong.

But tomorrow The Hubs and LB are headed to CA for a week, then The Hubs is headed to summit Mt. Rainier while LB stays in CA with the "City Grandparents". Do the math...TWO WEEKS alone. Two weeks with only me and Lazy Dog. This means I'm headed to pool and gym every night after work! Oh shoooooot! Is this turning into a blog post? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll be back tomorrow evening when I am all lonely and bored. I promise you will hear from me...

Insanity....

2011-07-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Clinically I'm not sure I agree with Einstein's definition of Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. But for my own sanity, I'm going to go with it.

Do you ever do the same things, day after day, and really without thinking about it expect it to be different this time? Ok, maybe I'm the only one. Anywho, things have to change. Today I have started a new way of eating, it is hard to explain but I am pretty much cutting out bleached wheat, and wheat in general, breads, pasta and grains, cereal, crackers. I know it, sounds like the Atkins diet but its not. Carbs are good. The right carbs anyway. The right carbs that don't cause a huge insulin spike. Slow carbs if you will. After all I am an endurance athlete and I need carbs.... I really should stop tying right now since I am in no position to speak about this intelligently. I am not a nutritionist, an expert, a dietician...nothing. I am just me. Me who is stuck on this plateau. I have been on this stupid plateau trying to get off for a year now. Trying to get off by doing the SAME STUPID THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING TO SEE A DIFFERENT RESULT. Every time I try to get down, I end up crawling back up to the safety, the comfort of the familiar. Working out, running, swimming, calories in calories out.....but not really considering what kind of calories I am putting in my mouth. Time for a change. Time to get off this stupid, desolate, annoying plateau. Time to get to my ideal racing weight. Time to get a sub 4 hour marathon in OBX this fall. IT. IS. TIME.

As for my routine, I am still adjusting. THANK YOU ALL for your comments last night. Sure enough I did read them this AM when my alarm when of at 5:15 AM. And I couldn't just ignore you all and go back to sleep. I got up and headed out the door. I only had 20 min before The Hubs had to go so I tried to make it a FAST run. Tried.

I decided I would head to the street on the far end of my neighborhood with the longest, biggest hill. I took the right turn off my street and was minding my own business when I passed the house who just put up a new, ghetto chain link fence (don't get me wrong, we have a chain link fence, but this one is ghetto because it is a fence around a wooden fence and goes from the front door all the way around the house to the other side for the front door. Make sense? I'll try to take a picture tomorrow).

Anyway, they have this fence around a fence and on the wooden fence there has always been a sign "Beware of Dog" and two dogs tied, or tethered, inside the fence. Like double security. Remember how Monday morning a dog took a taste of the heel of my shoe? Yeah, well it was a dog from inside the double fence. How do I know this? Well, this morning as I jogged along these two dogs came bolting out of the wooden fence. They now have a second bit of yard between the wood fence and the newer chain link fence. I looked at them and kept going. As I neared the end of their yard and they hit the corner of their fence I thought I would leave them behind. Nope. They scooted UNDER THE FENCE AND CAME BOLTING OUT INTO THE STREET AT ME. Now i am not really scared of dogs. I really think I could defend myself again one dog, two is kind of different. They were all over me. Not biting but barking and in front of me, behind me, coming at me, running around me....just all up in my space.

I stopped in the middle of the street, at 5:45 AM and yelled at these two nuisances "GO HOME!" They didn't really listen and I figured I was waking up the whole entire street. Oh well....keep your dogs put up. I decided I should just try to get out of there and started jogging. They did not like that. So I kicked at one of them. I missed but he back off. I ran backwards while yelling at them and they finally must have seen a squirrel or something because they took off in another direction.

The bad news is that I had to run back by there to get home....I opted not to. After I knocked out a few times up and down the hill (see elevation chart below) I headed out of the neighborhood in a second entrance that leads to the main road that I generally avoid these days (think crazy, redneck autobahn in huge trucks with shotguns and beer cans-no offense). It wasn't very far on that road before I got to our entrance to the neighborhood and had only maybe .25 to my house. barely over 2 miles done. Weak sauce. I miss my 4,5,6,7,8,9,10 + miles runs. Soon I'll get back into the swing of things....soon. Maybe it will be easier in the fall/winter when it isn't 100 degrees outside.

My Neighborhood Elevation---or lack thereof....

Uhhh.....So, I was looking at my Garmin stats because I was curious about my hill work. Um, yeah. I don't see a hill either, really. I had a whopping Elevation Gain of 34 feet. Ladies and Gentlemen....NO WONDER I DIED IN SEATTLE. I thought my hill here was a good one. It's not. It's weak. Lame. It's a baby hill....I must find a hill. Actually I know where one is but it's about 3 miles away. I'll have to figure out a way to work it in so I can go and run up it. A lot. But watch, it's probably like an elevation gain of like 45 feet.

Tomorrow I plan to get up at 5:30 for my run. Hopefully the people have their dogs put away (The Hubs went and gave them a talking to...) so I can run without any issues.

Random info for the day: I keep having a muscle twitch in my right tricep and it is annoying....like super duper annoying....what's up with that?

Blech...

2011-07-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

...where is my good, positive mood from yesterday?

I have no idea!

This AM I was unable to get up for an early run since The Hubs had to leave for work at 5:30. Ugh....I wanted to go with him since he was leading PT and going for a 6 mile run leading PT. But I couldn't. So I slept until 6:30. And then there is tomorrow. I was hoping to maybe do a Mon/Wed/Fri early AM run schedule but again The Hubs has to leave for work by 6. Maybe I can get it done before that. Maybe. I think there just isn't enough time in the day.

Today I am feeling defeated and challenged. I am starting to feel like no one else in the world has as many obstacles and issues getting their workouts in. But I know it's irrational and selfish for me to think that way. I know we all have roadblocks and obstacles that get in our way. But seriously...I have a lot of challenges. Ok, ok...I know you do too. Enough whining and complaining. Let's try this again....

Nope. Still cranky and Negative Nancy. Must be due to NOT getting my sweat on today.

LB's Mean Mug face....

Tell me something funny. Something happy and encouraging....Maybe when my alarm goes off in the AM I'll read your comments and be motivated to get out the door!

Yes, It is Certainly Monday...

2011-07-18T16:31:00.001-07:00

...thank goodness it is only Monday for a few more hours.

This AM I hit snooze when my alarm went off at 5:30 AM. No biggie. I had a plan. Snooze for one round and get up on the next pass, in 10 minutes. Plus Sarah was supposed to send me a Go Run or Else text...fail proof. Except she must have slept in or something because she didn't text me. Sure enough, at 5:40 AM my alarm went off again. I hit snooze and The Hubs mumbled something to the effect of, "Aren't you gonna get up to run?" Uh....yes. I flung the covers off and stumbled to my dresser. I was dressed and out the door by 5:53. No contacts in my eyes, blind as a half-blind bat, nothing in my stomach, no iPod. Dang it, I forgot my iPod. I didn't really have time to go back in for it. I only had 30 minutes for my run since The Hubs had to leave by 6:30. I also realized about 1.5 miles into my run that I should probably have returned the favor and texted Sarah a Get Up and Go Run text. FAIL. EPIC FAIL.

The sun was rising, at least I could see the beautiful colors of the sunrise. Lots of orange and pink....That is one thing I had forgotten about NC, the beautiful sunsets and sunrises. The colors are just so vibrant and beautiful. I didn't really mind running without music. It was quiet and calm outside. It was almost, almost chilly. It got me to thinking about fall. I love summer, it is my favorite season. I know I gripe and complain A LOT about summer heat and humidity but really I LOVE summer. Life just seems right in the summer. But nonetheless the chillness in the air had me thinking about fall, pumpkins, dark mornings, tights and long sleeve shirts. This led further to my thoughts of my fall marathon, OBX. Am I ready for a fall marathon? No. Can I get ready? I think so...I hope so! I better because I am doing one dad-gum-it. What will my new co-workers think of all this? I have no idea. Will I even tell them? To be decided....

Speaking of co-workers, how many of you share your blog and running with those you work with? I think I will, eventually. Maybe. Not many of them are, er....like me. For lack of better terms. They aren't fitness-minded really. There is one girl who spoke to me about going to the gym and wanting to gain weight. What would that be like? I talked with her about weight-training and working out. I briefly mentioned that I like to run and she said she wasn't a fan but ran in high school. No biggie but at least I can talk fitness with her. I wish I could start a trend in the office, and I might. It just might take some time for me to get settled in my job before I start making waves about getting fit and healthy.

All this I thought about while on my three mile run. In my last half mile a random dog came out and chased me down. He was circling me and barking. Uh, seriously. Get your dog. I yelled at him, "GO HOME!" about three times and he decided that he wanted to taste the heel of my Saucony before heading home...I wasn't really worried but I did think, "Great, I'll have to tell my boss about my running when I call and tell her I got bit by a stupid dog while on my morning run at 6 AM. The cat will be outa' the bag then..." Luckily the dog missed my skin and must have gotten scared when I said something like "STUPID DOG I WILL BEAT YOU!" and went home.

I made it home at 6:27 AM and was greeted at the door by The Hubs with a nice, cold recovery drink and scrambled eggs. Um....mmmm.....yummy combo?

And still blind, I decided to update my Dailymile. This is what happens when you try to do things, at 6:30 in the morning, when you are blind: Yes, I swam 3 yards in 89 minutes for my AM run....

And in case you need to see the pace for my amazing run....here it is: It says, 52516:26 pace. I'm awesomesauce.

And yes, Chelsea, I would LOVE a slimy new trining partner....thankyouverymuch!

Thanks to all of you who have offered advice and tips on the Run Less, Run Faster plan! I really, really appreciate it! Michelle will be sending me her copy of the book (THANKS A JILLION!!). I'm pretty stoked to look it over. I'll be working with the plan and seeing if it will work for me. I also just got the other book I was waiting on. I look forward to looking at and comparing the two plans. I do think I will use both, one for my fall marathon (OBX) and one for my Spring marathon (...already registered!!! To Be Announced Soon). The idea of using different plans is really appealing to me right now. I would like to broaden my experience a little bit, especially since I will be taking the RRCA Coaching Certification class in the fall. I want to be able to offer future coach-ees a breadth of knowledge, plans and experience. How can I create and implement plans that I, myself, have not tried?

Awesome things are happening here at 5 Miles!! And all because I got up on the right side of the bed for my early AM run.....And let's do it all over again tomorrow!