Grandma's Marathon Training Week 6 (oh, and a winner too)

This week started out rough, but finished fantastic. So here's how it shook out:

On deck:

M - 4 easy
T - 8 tempo
W - 4 easy
Th - rest
F - 9 tempo
Sa - 12 easy
Su - cross

Reality?

Monday: Rest - couldn't bring myself to run in the heat.

Tuesday: 8 miles at a 10:41 pace with Chris. I skipped tempo (although I really did try to speed up the last 3) to run hills with a friend. It was a really nice run, in spite of the heat, and I was happy to have Chris' company. We finished just at sunset. Lovely.

Wednesday: 6.46 miles at a 10:55 pace. My friend Sarah was going to attempt 8 with me (it would have been a distance PR for her), but the heat got the best of us. We called it when we ran out of water. And truthfully, that was ENOUGH. I also missed my strength class because John had a night meeting. And I wasn't even a little sad about it. Feeling beat down...

Thursday: 7.01 miles at a 9:59 pace. I was shooting for my 9 mile tempo run, since James was off school Friday. This just sucked the life out of me. I started out in my neighborhood, but felt like death. At 2, I stopped, went home, got a drink, and headed out to the trail, hoping some shade would help. It DID help a little, but not nearly enough. I can't seem to get a handle on it. I either need to get better at this, or it needs to cool down ASAP. Ugh. (10:05, 10:05, 10:00, 9:35, 9:33, 9:49, 10:52 (gave up, lol))

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 3.2 miles at a 10:26 pace on the lakefront path with a bunch of Chicago bloggers! I took the train into the city with Kim, and we had a lot of fun! We met at the bean, ran, chatted, hit the Shamrock Shuffle expo and had lunch. It was really nice hanging with local bloggers, even if I WAS the old lady of the group, hehe. Maggie posted an awesome recap with links if you are interested. I'll just steal a few pictures :)

That afternoon, I was wasted. I passed out hard core on the couch, missing the entire movie we were watching. Guess I needed that...

Sunday: 12.01 miles at a 10:05 pace. I was lazy and couldn't get out of bed, so I missed running with club peeps. I waited until mid afternoon, and was worried about it being too hot AGAIN. Well, my worries were unfounded - what a GLORIOUS day. It was actually chilly! Wahoo! I hit the trail, and my legs just took off. I stopped looking at my watch, and just concentrated on keeping my breathing in check. I started taking quick walk breaks at about 9, but it didn't seem to hurt my pace a bit - my legs were dialed in to 9:40, and I could NOT make them go any slower. It RULED. Every run should feel like that. (10:40, 10:32, 10:25, 10:08, 9:51, 9:49, 9:45, 9:34, 10:02, 10:10, 10:12, 10:03)

Week total miles: 36.68

On to important things, like the WINNER! I took out all the people who specifically said they did NOT want to be entered. And as chosen by random.org, the winner is:

Sara from Domestically Challenged! Email me (bandthejs at yahoo dot com) and I will hook you up! Congratulations!

13.1 Chicago Race Entry Giveaway!

I was thrilled yesterday when the people at 13.1 Chicago offered me a free race entry to give away to one of YOU! The race is Saturday June 9th. Here's what they have to say about it:

Course Description
The Allstate Life Insurance℠ Chicago 13.1 Marathon® starts and finishes at the Historic South Shore Cultural Center (SSCC) on Chicago's south side. The SSCC offers beautiful views of both Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline and has hosted many notable events, including the wedding reception of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The 13.1 mile course takes you along the Lake front Path past La Rabida Hospital. After passing the hospital, you will run through Jackson Park, home of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, the Osaka Japanese Garden, a strolling garden on Wooden Island. You will then pass the Museum of Science & Industry, the only original building remaining from the 1893 Columbian Exposition, and one of the largest science museums in the world. You will then head back to the Lakefront Path to almost 35th Street before heading back south, past the 63rd Street Beach House and finishing at the SSCC. This course is 13.1 miles of perfect Windy City experience.

The Allstate Life Insurance℠ Chicago 13.1 Marathon® is WALKER FRIENDLY. The course will remain open for 3 hours and 30 minutes (16 minute/mile pace).

If you'd like a chance to win a FREE entry to an $80 dollar race (and to run with me - that's priceless, haha!) all you need to do is leave a comment. No hoops to jump through (I hate hoops) but if you don't have a blog, you'll need to leave me some contact info. If you'd like to check out their facebook page, you can find it here.

I will leave this open until Sunday 3/25 and announce a WINNER Monday morning. Good luck!!

Blurred Reality

I am not a writer.

Well, I guess I write. Here. But I have never aspired to be "good with the putting the words together and their coming out, good."

I am a reader, though. I love the way words move me. I love feeling, really FEELING, what an author is trying to convey. I love that symbols on paper or screen can evoke a visceral reaction in my soul. That's pretty effing cool.

***

John makes fun of you, still. But lately, less so. You will always be my "friends in the computer" to him. But I think he's starting to understand that while I've never met lots of you face to face, it doesn't make your impact on my life less real.

He is seeing how important our connections really are. Which is good for me, because I can stop feeling silly when I talk to him about people I've never officially met. Well, in person anyway.

And the people I have met in person because of my little corner of the internet? Are every bit as valuable to me as friends I've made in other ways. And sometimes, I think they even get me MORE. They certainly know how to talk me down off a ledge. And have. Often. Like yesterday :)

***

Yesterday and today I've read 3 or 4 posts of loss. Yesterday I was trying to explain to John how it's still strange, even to ME, to FEEL so much about you all. When you are hurting, I am hurting.

Because we are connected.

So I thank you for that. And I'm thinking of you. Because I appreciate you in my life.

I wish virtual hugs were as good as the real thing, though.

Grandma's Marathon Training: Week 5

This was a rough week for me. But I'm stubborn, and still managed to finish every mile on my plan, even if a few of them weren't very pretty...

On deck:

M - 4 easy
T - 8 tempo
W - 4 easy
Th - rest
F - 9 tempo
Sa - 14 easy
Su - cross

How it shook out:

Monday: 4 miles nice and easy at a 10:28 pace.

Tuesday: So yeah, this run sucked ass. I felt crappy, and I didn't get it done in the morning. I had to smah it in before basketball, and it was hot. I managed 6 at a 9:41 pace, but it was actually uglier than that suggests, since I stopped my watch and walked more than once. I called it at 6. Uncle.

Wednesday: So Sarah and I ran a really lovely 6.08 miles in the morning at 10:36. It was a great run. But that night strength class kicked my ass hard. So hard that my arms were still screaming at me on Saturday. Yeah.

Thursday: REST! So so happy to have a rest day.

Friday: Another jacked up day (darn sick kid!) but I got my tempo run done. 9.01 miles at a 9:41 pace, but the first 5 were actually much quicker than that. I had to take a breaak between mile 5 and 6 to negotiate kids' stuff, but it was only 20 minutes. You do what you have to :)  (9:56, 9:42, 9:35, 9:24, 9:21 (break) 9:57, 9:59, 9:49, 9:29)

Saturday: 14 miles at 11:20. So so ugly. But I actually learned a lot, so it wasn't a total wash. I hit Independence Grove to run with the club. Carrie was running with me, or I might have bailed, so that was good. We ran 7 out and back - mistake number 1 - I should have shortened that up to hit my car in the middle for more water/powerade. I carry a handheld, and it wasn't nearly enough. It's been a long long time since I've been that dehydrated at the end of a run. I actually stopped sweating.

So, the good news? My legs felt really decent! If I'd rehydrated better Friday night and planned my route better (I'm still not used to the heat - it freaking WINTER for goodness sake!!) this could have been a much better run, and actually, the first 9 were lovely. But the last 5 were a death march with a hell of a lot of walking. (10:44, 10:26, 10:31, 10:31, 10:19, 10:34, 10:45, 10:48, 10:43, 11:16, 13:14, 12:42, 13:40, 12:42)

That afternoon, I headed to Wisconsin to clean my parents' place. I spent the night there, finished up in the morning, and then raced back home. I count that as cross training...

Sunday: HOCKEY! We were given the best seats I have ever had at a Blackhawks game. I am a huge hockey fan, so this was SUCH a treat!

pregame

made. his. day. :)

13 rows up. center ice. HAPPY bobbi.

national anthem

with Steve Konroyd, who is a former 'Hawk and now a sportscaster

Week total miles: 39.09 - weekly mileage PR. I'd be excited for the upcoming cut back week, but it's still 37 miles. Let's go!

Back in Business

I hate leaving a whiny post up too long. We all struggle. Most of the time we get over it and move on. Moving on...

So James has been sick. I realize that I am lucky in that I can run while he's at school, but when school gets tossed out, my schedule gets...complicated.

Probably should have hauled my ass out of bed yesterday early. But I didn't (operating under the delusion that he was well enough to go back to school).

Smashed in my tempo run around all the evening's goodness. But got it done.

And it was wonderful. 9 miles at an average pace of 9:41. I finished up at 8:30pm and I am about to head out for 14 (it's almost 7am) so I'll probably be whining again later, but it'll all be done. YES!

Those Bastards (AKA Uncertainty and Doubt)

It just amazing to me how quickly my brain moves from, "Wahoo! I'm killing it! I can run forevah!!!" to, "Holy shit I must be on crack. There is no way in hell..."

Needless to say, I'm having one of the latter kind of weeks. And the sad part is, I KNOW that it's just one of those weeks. I KNOW it. But that little thing just creeps in there and takes hold and starts wiggling around, burrowing deeper.

And BAM. I stop believing.

***

So, summer has arrived in Chicagoland. Never mind that there's nearly a week of official winter left. Holy shitballs does running in the heat suck the life out of me - especially when I'm not used to it. So Tuesday's tempo run (smashed into the evening madness after a massive headache knocked me on my ass that morning) was littered with walk breaks and absolutely horrible. I thought I might die. I stuck it out for 6 and called it.

Wednesday's morning run was lovely, but by then, I was tired. It was my 5th day in a row running. But it was still a nice run with Sarah.

Wednesday night's strength class was a whole nother thing altogether.

People, I seriously lost my shit and nearly stared bawling only 15 minutes in. The tears were burning behind my eyes and I couldn't breathe and I couldn't swallow. I thought I was going to puke. I felt like a Biggest Loser contestant on the first day.

I stepped back and buried my sweaty face in my towel and had to forcibly WILL myself back to class. But will myself I did. And I finished it, but wow, it was NOT pretty. By the end I was trying to plank but was so sweaty I was sliding off my mat - I looked ridiculously pathetic. Pam called me out on it, but I was seriously just so glad that I was still in there.

***

Today I have never been so thankful for a rest day in I can't remember how long. Every mothereffing part of my body is sore. To top it all off, James started coughing - that "barking like a seal" coughing" just as I was getting out of the shower last night. So yeah, sleep? Not so much.

I know that I am tired and PMSy and sore. But it's kind of overwhelming. I mean, I'm only in week 5! How the hell am I going to keep this up?!?

But I know that I will talk myself out of this doubt in a minute. I will wallow for a minute, and then I will STFU and keep on keepin' on.

I will, Doubt be damned.

Grandma's Marathon Training: Week 4

First off, thanks for all your thoughtful comments regarding my last post. You gave me lots to think about, and reminded me why I love this community so much...

On to training goodness!

On the schedule:
M - 3 easy
T - 7 tempo
W - 3 easy
Th - rest
F - 8 tempo
Sa - 11 easy
Su - cross

What actually happened?

Monday: Week 2 / Day 1 of 100 push ups and 200 sit ups

Tuesday: 7 miles @ 9:42 pace. I felt like crap all day, so I pushed this off til the evening. It was nice outside, if you don't count the 30mph wind gusts. Gross. The last mile was full on into the wind, and my stomach was a jacked up mess. (9:38, 9:34, 9:34, 9:35, 9:35, 9:42, 10:16)

Wednesday: 6 miles @ 11:07 pace. I'd purposely skipped my Monday easy miles because Sarah had asked me to run 6 easy with her Wednesday. Another super windy run, but we hit the trails for it and ran into the wind on the way out to get the tail wind on the way in.

Wednesday night strength class kind of kicked my ass again. We did single dumbbell moves - a lot of shoulders, curls, and kettlebell swings with heavier weights. We did burpees with a single arm press at the end that kicked my butt. We boxed some, including ab work with punches on the way up. Hard.

Thursday: REST!!!

Friday: More rest. The weather was cold, and I pushed this to Saturday to run with some friends. I'd been struggling with feeling crappy all week, and Started Day 2 of push ups and sit ups, but didn't make it through the whole set.

Saturday: 8 miles @ 9:45 pace. This run was freaking stellar. Since I was running with Kate, I wasn't sure if I was going to try to hit my tempo pace, but Rael ran with us too. We ran the first few together, and then I pulled ahead. I felt awesome, and it was such a confidence boost to finish knowing I could have gone further.  (10:20, 9:56, 9:52, 9:54, 9:45, 9:46, 9:20, 9:18)

Sunday: 11 miles @ 10:49 pace. Well, we went to some friends Saturday night and I ate a bunch of crap. And I felt it this whole run. BUT! I ran with some great friends from the running club and got to hang out with them afterwards for a while and it was a lovely perfect morning. (11:08, 11:01, 10:47, 10:34, 10:41, 10:14, 10:55, 10:44, 10:49, 11:22, 10:55)

Week total miles: 32

Overall, it was a really good week running - even though I was feeling crappy a lot of the week, my runs were solid and I got my miles in. The upcoming week will be a weekly mileage PR when I finish. In week 5. Yeah, kinda crazy. But I'm feeling really good, so I'm going with it.

Secrets

I have been struggling with blogging lately. Struggling with the words, with the "how much is too much." Struggling with the worry about pissing someone off.

I hate that.

So instead of letting it be a chore, I've been quiet. I took a step back. I waited.

I still worry about how much sharing is too much sharing. I don't want to offend or upset my family. But I don't want to lose this record of my life either.

It's a balancing act...

***

Are there things that are off limits on your blog? Do you try to put your whole self out there for everyone to see? Or do you hold back?

For me, it isn't ME I try to hold back, but more that I try to be respectful of my family. As my kids grow older, I share less personal stuff about them. I don't want them to ever be upset by something I've shared here. And I think if I was unsure, I'd ask them and then honor their wishes. But more often, I leave anything questionable out.

***

Gyros need to be avoided. I always forget - I crave them about once a year. And every time I indulge, I feel like shit. For days. This is not necessarily a secret, but more something I NEED TO REMEMBER LATER. Gyros, no matter HOW good they taste, are the DEVIL.

So, yeah, felt like crap all week.

***

While I was laying on the couch in misery, I was thinking.

I've never really raced a marathon.

I think I'm strong enough now. To many of you, it still won't be "fast" (which I realize is a completely relative term). But it will be MY fast.

4:30 y'all. Go big or go home. I'm about to get comfortable with pain.

I'm looking forward to it.

Grandma's Marathon Training: Week 3

Well, this one didn't go exactly as planned. Oh, well...life happens.

On the schedule:
M - 3 easy
T - 6 tempo
W - 3 easy
Th - R
F - 6 tempo
Sa - 13 easy
Su - cross

What actually happened...

Monday: 3.2 @ 10:25 pace. I sped up at the end because the wind was trying to kill me and I was OVER this run. I also did week 1 / day 1 of 100 push ups and 200 sit ups.

Tuesday: 6.01 @ 9:32 pace. This was a good run with a negative split.

Wednesday: 5 @ 10:47 pace. Sarah wanted to run 5, and I was down with that. We managed to find the perfect running window between thick fog and DRIVING winds. YAY us! Wednesday night I had strength class. We did a lot of shoulder and ab work with weighted bars. I did way more push ups and sit ups than were required for week 1 / day 2, so I counted it.

Thursday: Rest day...I should have run, but I had entirely too much other stuff to accomplish. I celebrated James' birthday with him at school. We had James' parent teacher conferences that night, and they were incredibly positive. I learned that his preschool teacher (whom I adore!) has a say in which kindergarten teacher he gets, and that she was researching them all to figure out the best fit for him. I CANNOT TELL YOU how relieved I was to hear this. So. Happy.

Friday: I didn't manage my tempo run. James didn't have school, and Jenna had basketball that evening. Plus, it poured rain which later changed to snow, so I wasn't exactly inspired. I cleaned like a mad woman, and stayed up until nearly one in the morning making cupcakes. Which turned out pretty kick ass, if I do say so myself...

easy! but time consuming. he loved them, so totally worth it...

Saturday: I had grand illusions of getting up early to get a run in. I got up early, but it was more party prep instead of running. Rest day that wasn't very restful!

The party was wonderful, and James did brilliantly, only losing it for a second when everyone cheered after he blew his candle out (a weird James-ism...he HATES it when anyone cheers for him). We ate and drank and visited and it was perfect.

Sunday: 13.1 miles @ 10:54 pace. I did NOT want to run. I considered blowing it off (briefly). I considered running with Kim to make sure I finished (and because I miss her!). But it was Girl Scout Sunday at church and Julia had a cookie site sale that afternoon, AND my stomach was all wonky from party food and many monkey cupcakes (I made nearly 4 dozen). So solo run was best. Before I got that far, I had Julia count out all my sets of push ups and sit ups. Week 1 complete.

I set out at about 10:30 am in gray peaceful stillness with snow gently falling. I had decided to forget about music, and I was glad that I did. It was a really serene run, lost in thought, and turned out to be just what I needed. Since I am weird (runners ARE weird) I am incapable of running 13 miles. I HAVE to add on that last 0.1. So half marathon done.

Week Total: 27.31 miles - a few miles short, but still a good week...

TTT: James Edition

1. My baby turned 5 today. I guess that means it's official - I no longer HAVE a baby. *sigh*

a rare photo in which he smiles. :)

2. The beginning of today was difficult. He didn't want anyone to sing to him. He didn't want anyone to even SAY "happy birthday." He refused to talk to my mom on the phone when she called to wish him a happy birthday. I was nervous about him at school, but it seemed like by then, he was warming up to being the center of attention. I brought cupcakes in, and spent the rest of his day hanging with him.

We came home and I made him pancakes for lunch (per his request). I'm hoping that the rest of the day goes as well...

3. "Event" kind of days always amplify his differentness. I was speaking with one of his teachers today and we shared our concerns about kindergarten for him. I'm feeling anxious about his teacher conferences this evening. I still worry about him so much, only because I want so much for him.

This mothering gig is a trip, some days. I have a weird lump in my throat today that I can't seem to get rid of. All because I love him so much that I ache.