Zero to 26.2

Getting Comfortable With "Comfortably Hard" (TWSS)

2012-02-23T12:46:00.000-06:00

So. Once upon a time there was a girl who started running. Almost exactly 2 years ago. And for nearly 2 years, she ran whatever pace she felt like running. Whether it be a race or a long run or a training run. It was all pretty much the same. She ran easy, all the time.

After a pretty successful second running season, she began to wonder what she could do to improve her pace a little. It HAD improved, just due to lots of miles, but not as much as she'd like it to improve. She added a couple of speedwork sessions in that year, and liked them, but her schedule prevented her from running speedwork with the club much, and she was too lazy to do it on her own.

She added in a weekly strength class, and that helped more than she ever dreamed it would. She FELT stronger. She walked less. And as a bonus, winter wasn't really winter 'round here, so she kept running and running, putting good miles in all winter long.

Beginning a new training season for her next marathon, she sought a different training plan. The new plan had more miles. The new plan had 2 pace specific runs per week. Her friend had entered the paces she believed were appropriate. This runner immediately balked, thinking, "That's WAY too fast for me. There's no WAY I can do that." She amended the plan and started to execute it.

BUT. She DID run as fast as the plan originally called for. She COULD match those paces she'd never dreamed of running. She PR'd the 10k on a training run. She repeated that pace again and again. She ran her fastest ever timed mile (since beginning 2 years ago) AT THE END of a 6 mile training run.

SHE CAN.

(not sure where the hell that leaves my original goals for the year, but WHAT A GREAT problem to have!)

Back At It: Grandma's Marathon Training Week 1

2012-02-19T13:16:00.002-06:00

So, as I said, I got a brand new training plan in my grubby paws late on Tuesday. That set my week behind a little bit, but I recovered nicely. Overall? This week of training was so so perfect.

Monday: 3 easy on the schedule, but James was off school, so rest it was.

Tuesday: 6 @ MRP - 30 seconds on the schedule, but James had his Valentine's Day party, and I couldn't say no. Rest again.

Wednesday: 3 easy on the schedule, but I decided to do my Tuesday run. 6 @ 10:23 pace ended up 6@ 10:21 pace, progressive. (10:53, 10:47, 10:28, 10:07, 10:04, 9:53) I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be striving for a more consistent pace, but this felt really good.

That night, I had strength class. We did a lot of work with plyoboxes, and a lot of jumping. We planked off the boxes and used weights too. It kicked my butt after that run, and I was a sweaty mess by the time we finished.

Thursday: Rest on the schedule, but I made up my easy miles instead. I did 6 @ 10:49, which is a little faster than I meant to run.

Friday: So I thought I had it all figured out - my older kids were off school, but Jenna was going to sit for me while James napped in the afternoon. Until Julia hurled her breakfast everywhere. *sigh* Nothing like a Lucky Charms puke clown face to start your day. (WHY do they insist on trying to somehow hold it in their mouths? It never works!)

BUT. Lucky for me, she never puked again, AND John came home from work early. Hurray! Run saved! I headed out for 6 @ 10:30 pace. This got thrown a little when I started right when all the neighborhood high school kids were getting off the bus. So there were kids and construction workers everywhere (they are still building in my 'hood). I'm not sure why, but I always run unintentionally faster around people. So when I clocked the first mile at under 10, I started thinking. Hmmm. Weather? Beautiful! Legs? Feel great. I went for it.

LESS THAN AN HOUR later, I was done. With 10k. In 58:47. Yes, I ran a PR training run. (9:57, 9:40, 9:28, 9:21, 9:20, 9:11, 9:02 for the last 0.2) I was BEAMING.

Saturday: After the Friday evening speed fest, I was a little nervous about my long run legs. My friends Sarah wanted to start with me though, which was just what I needed. I ran slow and steady, and felt great when I was done. Again, the weather was perfect. (11:16, 11:14, 11:07, 11:21, 11:13, 11:05, 11:05, 11:23, 10:54, 10:49, 10:00) 11 miles done at 11:02 average pace.

Since I started late, the next couple hours were a whirlwind of smashing in work under the wire. But I got everything accomplished I needed to, and then I headed into the city. Because one of my favorite bloggy friends was there!

After I finally made it (seriously, Chicago traffic SUCKS) I spent the next few hours hanging out with Kate, who is absolutely as warm and real and funny in person as she is on her blog. We cheered for her son (who was playing in a volleyball tournament) and gabbed a LOT. I seriously love meeting bloggers, and it's always crazy to me just how accurate the picture in my head is. I had a great time, and hopefully we can do it again soon!

Sunday: I'm still in my jammies. I'm going shopping soon - does that count for cross training?

Week total: 29.2 miles

Happiness Is? A New Training Plan

2012-02-15T08:37:00.001-06:00

I completely adore how blogging has made me so many friends who get what I do. Who love what I love. Enough so that when I'm struggling with what EXACTLY I want in a training plan this go 'round, one takes pity on me and dumps exactly what I need in my lap.

I heart runners.

You see, I'd used the same training plan for all 3 of my previous marathons. And while I did adjust a little for the last (failed) attempt, I felt like it was no longer enough.

So after staring at it and getting scared of it and scooching things around to better accommodate my actual life (yes, really, I do have one) I have declared it perfect.

It is just scary enough to give me that oogy gut feeling without being completely overwhelming. Well, not yet anyway. Ask me again in one of those 50 mile weeks.

It's moved me up to a 5 day a week runner.

It has 2 pace-specific runs per week.

It's gonna be epic. I seriously CANNOT WAIT for Grandma's this year.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm already behind on my shiny new training plan (darn kids and their days off of school and Valentine's Day parties). Gotta run! :)

Weekend Goodness

2012-02-13T21:15:00.000-06:00

Well, the weekend turned out to be not so insane as I feared, which I was enormously thankful for...

Friday night, Jenna's team lost their first tournament game. It was a close one, but I was secretly a little glad, because it made my Saturday schedule so much easier - and Jenna's too, for that matter. We were up ridiculously early, and I had her dropped off at the local community college for her testing by 7:30. Gross.

Now, originally I had planned to join the running club for a group run in Sherry's honor. But Friday night, everyone who was my pace dropped out because it was supposed to be super windy and cold Saturday morning. *sigh* I THOUGHT that I could smash it in a bit later, but truthfully, that just never worked out. I was really really bummed, but life happens. Jenna's team ended up losing their afternoon game (my husband called it "street ball with horrible reffing") so we all went out to dinner at Red Robin.

Yes, for those paying attention I ate one of my favorite POST long run meals the night BEFORE my long run. *cue ominous foreshadowing music here*

Sunday morning, bright and early (again) I met up with Marcia for a long run on the March Madness Half Marathon course in Cary, IL.

stolen shamelessly from Marcia!

It was pretty effing cold to start out. But we also started with the wind at our backs, and we warmed up quickly. The sun was bright, and we both remarked that this winter (this AMAZINGLY MILD winter) has made us soft. The early miles ticked off easily, mostly because they were pretty downhill.

this course is no joke, and we missed a chunk of it...

It was really nice chatting about all things running and blogging, and I thoroughly enjoyed her company. We made a SUAR stop, we saw a bunch of deer that just stared at us. We ran some hills.

And the first of the hills I handled pretty well. As a matter of fact, I was feeling pretty good as we passed a couple runners who stopped to walk it. But soon, they sucked the life out of me. I'm not used to hills like that (guess that means I should head over there more often, huh?) and my unfortunate dinner choice decided to mock me for my complacence between miles 8 and 9. Oh well. As I said then, at least I GET to run. It seemed rather fitting that it was a tough one during Sherry's run. I was due for one like that, if for nothing else than to remind me that I NEED to pay attention to my diet more than I have lately.

It's been wonderful and overwhelming reading everyone's Sherry tributes. I feel honored to be a small part of something so huge even if the reason is so tragic. I wish us all her courage and strength and grace.

Look, It Really IS Winter!

2012-02-10T13:30:00.002-06:00

It's snowing.

Now don't get me wrong - I LOVE snow, but by mid-February, I'm done with it. And even this year, where we've hardly gotten any snow, I guess my mind is STILL done with it.

I think it's more because James didn't have school today so I couldn't get out there and run in it (seriously, it was that puffy, not windy, BIG FAT FLAKE kind of snow. *sigh* John says it looks like volcanic ash, hehe).

***

I've been having one of those never ending weeks, with extra stuff happening both during the day and in the evenings too. Some normal stuff, some "putting fires out" kind of stuff, some random EXTRA stuff. And not just evenings - my normal mornings have been jacked up too, so no running makes Bobbi something something...

I hate being THAT busy.

This weekend, Jenna has a basketball tournament. Now, I'm all for sports, but I have to say: I LOATH tournaments. Why? Because what time the next thing happens depends solely on the outcome of the thing that hasn't happened yet. Meaning, I CAN'T PLAN.

***

I'm still running for Sherry tomorrow morning. There have been tentative plans for GREAT Sunday running, but it'll all depend on how basketball falls. I don't consider myself ridiculously type A controlling, but not being able to plan makes me nuts.

Are you running for Sherry? Does last minute scheduling make you crazy?

***

My blog broke a little - I can't get my blog list back. Any ideas as to wtf I'm doing wrong?

Perfection

2012-02-06T13:29:00.001-06:00

Sometimes, everything just comes together in that perfect storm of RIGHT.

I've been fighting this niggling cold for a week now. On Saturday, I decided to just REST. I hung out with my family. I played the memory game. I talked about accomplishing something, but really, I didn't accomplish anything. Saturday night, we brought James' old race car bed over to some friends who have 2 younger boys, and then had a nice quiet dinner.

After dinner, I drug john to Dick's to spend a gift card I had won (I've been pretty lucky with the winning lately). I ended up with a new (1 size SMALLER) pair of capris and a long sleeved blaze orange top (that I LOVE).

So on Sunday, I was pretty excited to try out my new outfit. But not enough to get up early to do it. By the time I actually MADE it outside, it was 1:30. No worries - still plenty of time for 10 miles before the Super Bowl.

The weather was STUNNING. Sunny skies, 40 degrees, light breeze, awesome. I took off with the thought that MAYBE I could run this run. As in, no walk breaks. I've done a couple 8 milers without walking, so it was a reasonable goal.

I put on some music, and just got lost in the run. I FELT AMAZING.

Somewhere around mile 5 I thought, "maybe I could negative split this run." Maybe.

I ran to a little subdivision I'd never run before, just to check it out. I've never been barked at so much in all my life. After 2 loose dogs tried to maul me, I got the hell out and swore I'd never run there again. Ack.

I tried to take a gu at about mile 8 (it was starting to feel hard) but I had a tough time with the whole eating and running at the same time thing. Need to work on that.

And then I was done! I was done, with the silliest, goofiest, can't-wipe-it-off grin EVER. HOLY CRAP!

It looked like this:

And I looked like this:

unexpected runner - this is my walkman :)

Of note? (I mean, besides the whole damn thing!!!):

I had never in my life run 10 miles in a row with no walking
I had never in my life run 5 sub-10 minute miles in a row
Average pace was 10:02, average moving pace was 9:59!!!!!
The last 5k? A measly 42 seconds off my 5k PR!

So yeah. No clue what happened there, but I am LOVING it. I STILL have a stupid smile on my face about it. I never thought I had that in me...

Half marathon PR? I'm comin' for you....

Quiet

2012-02-04T13:36:00.001-06:00

When you have a head cold, don't you feel like you are swimming through life underwater, in a weird sort of fog? That's how I've felt all week...and consequently, I haven't had much to say.

***

Tuesday was the last day of January. That in itself is sort of surreal to me (where the hell did this month go??) but adding to the weirdness is the weather. It was 50 freaking degrees. Seriously. It felt like the end of March, and it smelled like Spring. I had a really nice run with Sarah, where we chatted about her husband's cancer treatment and bone marrow transplant. Everything has been going really well for them up til now. I hope that streak continues - it just HAS to.

***

Wednesday was strength class. I am so in love with this class that even when I feel like ass, I refuse to skip. And, as usual, when I was done I was glad that I'd gone. If you are even thinking a LITTLE about adding strength into your routine, I highly recommend it. It rules.

***

Thursday I woke up feeling probably the worst I'd felt all week. Just snotty and headachy and blah. I wanted badly to run, but was having real trouble getting motivated enough to get out the door. My facebook peeps helped me commit to at least a couple miles.

So I put on my Walkman and headed out. I hadn't run with music in MONTHS so that right away was kind of novel. I started out slow. But as the run progressed, I felt stronger and stronger and got faster and faster (relatively faster - my fast is still pretty pokey). But by the end I felt phenomenal! I so love those runs - I felt like I could fly. Hello runners high!

I ended up busting out 6 progressive miles at an average pace of 10:19. (splits were 10:55, 10:42, 10:25, 10:15, 10:06, 9:37)

But more importantly I remembered that I ALWAYS feel better after a run. Especially when I don't feel like running in the first place.

***

Friday I had a running date with Kim! It was so nice to catch up with her - it'd been too long since we got to run together. Truthfully, I was a little worried that since my run went so well the day before that this run was going to feel hard, but aside from the fact that Kim is way faster than me, and we were clipping along pretty good, I only had to stop to gasp for air a couple times. We managed a 10:07 pace for over 5 miles.

AND we managed a good vent session.

And after it all? Hot chocolate for me and hot tea for her. Yum!

***

I'm sure I'll run tomorrow too, rounding out a pretty good running week, despite STILL feeling gross. Training for Grandma's started mid-February last year, but as yet, I still haven't figured out my training plan. Guess I need to work on that, huh? I can't wait to see where training takes me this time, and I can't believe I'm training for my FOURTH marathon. Craziness!

FYTO5K: Delay of Race

2012-01-30T13:08:00.001-06:00

So you may remember that I was planning on running Adam's virtual 5k on Saturday. But then, life got in my way, instead, and it ended up getting pushed til Sunday. Oops!

So, you may be asking yourself, just what was I doing instead of running on Saturday? (or you may NOT be asking yourself, but I'm going to tell you anyway...)

I was doing...THIS!

lots and lots of hair...GONE.

My hair appointment took longer than anticipated, probably because I changed it big time. And then we have friends over to share a big pot of chili, and too many beers, and well, running just never happened.

Sunday morning, we had a really lovely time at church, the pancake breakfast and the book fair. All the kids were remarkably well behaved (even James who's been sick since Thursday). I can't remember when it's gone that smoothly. So nice!

So Sunday evening I got together with a girl from the running club and we did 8 miles in the dark. It was still and not too cold, and it was so nice to get out there again. So I dedicate the first 3.1 of my 8.07 miler to Adam's FYTO5K. The time was right around 33:30, and my pace remained pretty steady throughout the 8 miles, so I was HAPPY. And tired.

The weather is forecasted to be in the 40s ALL FREAKING WEEK. Bring on the miles!

Unplanned Rest....Week?

2012-01-27T10:42:00.001-06:00

Last night I was reading Adam's post about taking an unplanned rest day, and I kind of giggled to myself. I realize I am not nearly as hard core as a lot of runners, but a rest day rarely bothers me, even in the middle of marathon training. As a matter of fact, I am at the tail end of what has been an unplanned rest WEEK.

After the race on Saturday, I bent over to get a pan out of the oven (Julia is obsessed with shrinky dinks at the moment) and I couldn't stand up. My lower back was in total spasm. Ouch. This hasn't happened in a long time. But the last time it DID happen, it scared the shit out of me so much that I babied it like crazy the rest of the weekend. It actually felt a ton better already on Sunday, but I wasn't taking any chances, so no running earlier this week.

On Wednesday night at strength class, it was still sore, so I took it easy on the weights and skipped out on a couple moves that my back didn't like. Yesterday, the day got away from me. And today, James is off school. Which brings us to a week with no running.

But you know what? I am 100% cool with it (except for ITCHING to run because today looks PERFECT outside). Maybe it's because after tomorrow (when I will run Adam's virtual Freeze Your Thorns Off 5k) I will have run more miles in January than I did last year in November, December and January COMBINED. Maybe it's because marathon training starts again in 2 short weeks.

Maybe it's because I'm LAZY.

In any case, the break has been kind of nice. And my house is happy because of it....

Double Tagged!

2012-01-24T14:20:00.001-06:00

Lauren and Amy both tagged me for the 11 random things meme...after a weekend of insanity followed by John's birthday and a championship tournament basketball game yesterday (which they lost...sad face) I'm going to take on both of these at once...

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
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

I'll be breaking the rules some, but lets start at the beginning:
1. I have been coloring my hair for a REALLY long time. Lately, I'm realizing that I'd be full on silver if I didn't. Part of me wishes I was brave enough for that, but then the sane part takes over and I go back to the salon again.

2. While I really miss having a pet, and while the kids would LOVE it if we got one, the more practical side of me realizes that I can barely keep up with the dependant living beings I already have.

3. I am one of those people who could eat the same thing every day and not grow weary of it. I see a lot of that in some of my kids.

4. I would read books all the time if I weren't so compulsive about getting to the ending. So I am forced to wait until I can devote enough time to finish the entire book before I start one.

5. I am the antithesis of crafty, but I can crochet. I crocheted my kids' baptism gown - all 4 of them wore it. I was pretty proud of that...

Julia

6. People laugh at me when I tell them I have this weird fear of biking, but it's true. I don't think I've been on a bike since middle school. Not sure I remember how. I am quite sure that part isn't helping me overcome this fear...

7. After the race Saturday, I listened to Riyanti and Dave talk all about the places they've travelled in their lives. I have never been outside of North America. Someday that will for sure change - I can't wait!

8. While I am a terrible housekeeper, I secretly love to do laundry, and I hate it when John "helps" because he totally messes up my system.

9. I worked at a canoe outfitters in the BWCA summers all through college. I think I would live there still if I could.

10. When I first signed up for the Chicago marathon in 2010, I never expected to fall in love with running. Or that I'd still be doing it 2 years later. So often, I start a "thing" only to lose interest later. I'm so glad that didn't happen this time!

11. I love to drive really fast. I rarely get the opportunity anymore...

Now on to Lauren's questions:

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Australia
Do you have a goal / legacy that you’d like to leave behind? Just my children - I want to raise good, happy people
What is the food you eat most frequently? I eat cheerios almost daily
What is the best meal you ever ate? I got engaged over dinner. I have no recollection what I ate, but it was the best day of my life at that point.
Favorite Run? Grandma's marathon 2011
Who did you last talk on the phone with? John
What is the last book you read? Janet Evanovich - Smokin' Seventeen
Open- or closed-toe shoes in the summer? open
What’s the coolest race swag or prize that you’ve received? Nothing remarkable, sadly.
Do you consider yourself to be shy or outgoing? Nervously outgoing?
Do you live near or far from family? As close as we've ever been, which is still a 90 minute drive.

And Amy's:

What is your #1 best memory – the one that will always make you smile? As an adult, it's a toss up between my wedding to John and the birth's of all my kids. As a kid, it would be Christmas Eve at my Grandparents' house, complete with fake Santa and the ensuing mountain of presents.
If you could do anything (career wise), and money was no object, what would that be? If I could afford it and could find the time, I'd go into forensic pathology.
What is the most awesome place you’ve ever visited? Hawaii is magnificent.
What is your go-to comfort food? Taco Bell.
What is your guilty pleasure (that you’re willing to admit to in a public forum?) Vampire smut novels. Love them.
Favorite way to relieve stress? Running. Followed closely by driving while singing really loudly.
Favorite book? Too hard to choose. Although I always return to Gone With the Wind.
Favorite movie? The Princess Bride
What are you good at that hardly ever gets recognized? (example, are you a masterful karaoke singer? do you plan a mean harmonica? is your hidden talent hopscotch?) Why yes, I AM a masterful karaoke singer :) (I so wanted to be in a band when I was young)
What did your 10-year-old self want to be when you grew up? Do you still want that? (Are you that?) Either a pediatrician or a veterinarian. But I think I would get too emotionally attached to my patients.
What’s holding you back? Usually, only myself. But I'm getting there...

I'm not playing the tagging part, sorry...thanks, though - this was FUN!

Race Report: Polar Dashing For Team Gab

2012-01-22T15:39:00.000-06:00

So, last week I signed up for Giraffy's virtual race (and giveaway!) to support the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation in honor of her daughter Gabby, who is fighting leukemia. Great cause, great prizes, and since I'm a girl with a remarkably low racing budget right now, it fit right in as an affordable way to make me run a half marathon. Yes, sometimes (read: most of the time) I still need a goal to keep me moving.

The race director kindly gave us a month to get our race complete. But as it turned out, I didn't even need a whole month! Riyanti emailed me last Thursday night asking if I was interested in a bib for the Chicago Polar Dash 1/2 Marathon. You see, they'd had to reschedule the race due to weather, and now her friend could no longer make it. All I needed to do was show up. YES!

On Friday, it snowed here. Kind of a lot. No worries, everything was still a go. We met Saturday morning with another running club member, Dave, who'd offered to drive into the city. It was sunny and beautiful as we left, but as soon as we hit the city, the lake effect snow started to fall.

We scored great parking, and they had all kinds of tents set up so we didn't have to wait out in the wind and cold. We ended up walking back to the car instead of waiting in the gear check line which served as a really nice warm up.

We lined up way in the back. Riyanti and I had no illusions about racing this - it was going to be a nice steady long run. In the snow. My goal was to finish feeling strong and to have a great run together. We kept assuring the other that it was ok to go on ahead, but I think we both knew that we were in it together for the long haul.

The first few miles were kind of rough. It was narrow and crowded and hard to find a rhythm. When we finally hit the lakefront path (where the majority of the race was to be run) it was full on snow covered and terribly difficult to find your footing. Thankfully, that didn't last all that long, and the rest of the way the path was pretty clear. It was still kind of "body-stressful" though - I felt like I was being really cautious, the entire way.

The mile marker signs were really throwing me off - they didn't make logical sense to me, having looked at the course map just that morning. Once we reached the turn around for the 10k people though, and they made us ALL turn around, I realized they'd changed the course into a double loop of the 10k, probably to save so many volunteers as they only had to man half the aid stations. Ok, no huge deal.

The good thing about turning around really early was that the wind was no longer freezing my left cheek off. It was such a relief! Finally we were able to settle into a better groove. We took out first walk break at about 5 miles in, had a gu (the race didn't start until 9:30, and I realized that breakfast had been a REALLY long time ago) and drank some water. And stretched out a little. We were both feeling a little creaky, but ok. The walk helped a lot.

There were only 2 things about the course that I really struggled with. The first was that the made the halfers run through the finish chute. Yes - we crossed the finish line twice. That was mentally crushing - kind of sucked the life out of you. But we kept on...with the 10k people all done now, the course really opened up and we had a really nice next few miles. BUT...

When we got to the original turn around, they had pushed it way back. Well duh, 10k plus 10k does not add up to 22k. But at that point in the course, it was SO much a mental beat-down. It didn't help that we'd skipped the last water station thinking we'd hit it on the way back. Or that the trail led up and over a hill and a broken part of concrete that you were forced to jump over (jumping at mile 10.5 equals not so much fun). Or that this part of the trail wound around such that you couldn't actually SEE where exactly the turn around WAS.

It all made for a giant ball of suck.

But that was the worst of it, really. We made it back to the water station and walked and gu'd and chugged water and powerade. After that I felt much better. But my hammy's were starting to protest - I hadn't actually RUN this distance since October. My legs were screaming "what gives lady?!?"

At just past 12, Riyanti need a pit stop and I needed a stretch break. It was JUST what I needed and we ran the rest. I felt strong when we crossed the finish line (for the second time) which was all I wanted out of the day. SUCCESS. At 2:36:19, it was my second slowest half ever, but given the conditions and my training and expectations, I'm still really happy with the results.

Dave finished not too long before us, so he got pics

bling!

As we were running, we both said that one Chicago in January race was enough. But looking back, you never know. It was fun to be out there in the snow. It did suck to have them taking everything down and be out of hot chocolate when we finished though. I understand (those volunteers must have been freezing) but it's still disheartening to run for more than 2.5 hours and be left out of anything hot at the finish.

All in all? A well run race in some crazy conditions. I felt bad for the lead guy (who ran into Riyanti at one point) as those fasties were forced to lap us more than once. But they did the best they could in very un-ideal conditions.

You can still get in on Giraffy's race - go check it out!

What Day Is It?

2012-01-17T09:48:00.000-06:00

I have a love hate relationship with holidays. I love having everyone home, but my schedule gets all jacked up and I have no clue what day it is for a week following. So.

I guess it's Tuesday?

First thing - I guess blogger has enabled embedded replies to comments as long as you have COMMENTS embedded. Which is great, except when I switch my settings, I can't see any of my old comments. And some bloggers out there who've switched, I can't comment on. But not others. Weird. Anyone have any good advice on how to navigate this?

***

What a lovely quiet weekend! There was Olympic Trials and marathon stalking and running and shopping and a date night even. And a pj day. And a Daddy daughter dance!

2 of the cutest people I know :)

***

Running lately has been feeling bigger than I am. Running reminds me of all the good in my life, but it makes me reflect on all the bad out there. Between Beth's cousin, my friend who's currently undergoing a stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma, my parent's friend (who is several years younger than I) who is dealing with the ramifications of a brain tumor, my running friends who CAN'T run due to injury, well, the list is long. There's been so much of this lately, that I am reminded that while my bullshit may feel overwhelming at times, my bullshit is pretty minor in the grand scheme of things.

I went out on Saturday afternoon (because I couldn't bring myself to get up early) for a snowy run with some running club people. It was a lovely chilly sunshiny run with great company. Riyanti was supposed to run the Polar Dash Half in Chicago, but they rescheduled it due to the weather, so she ran a half anyway, just to. It was perfect.

Things to remember on a chilly day: my mom has Raynaud's, and I need to watch out for this - my fingertips were blue when I got home, and numb. Also, wool socks and my feet have a 6 mile limit. My toes were warm, but that didn't make my blister feel any better.

Three Things Thursday

2012-01-12T10:24:00.001-06:00

1. I have loved all the posts about self worth and body image lately. As a challenge, g asked us to post a photo we feel GOOD about. After digging through pictures, I realized that my favorite recent picture of ME is just 2 posts below this one, from NYE with my family. It's the first picture of myself in I can't tell you how long where I am completely uncritical of myself. I've been working hard. I can finally see it.

2. As much as I haven't been talking about it, I've been running a decent amount. Even with no training plan in place, I've been logging some quality miles. As of 1/8, I'd already run more this January than the entire month of January 2011, and just because I want to. Contributing greatly to my success has been the Spring-like weather we've been having. Which is coming to a close, but it was good while it lasted.

3. We are expecting 8 inches of snow here today. And as crazy as my sister thinks I am, I was SO SO looking forward to running in the snow this morning. Alas, all we are getting right now is that 34 degree nasty cold drizzle that I hate. Is it wrong that I am putting off my run so that I DO get to run in the snow? Do you like running in the snow as much as I do? Or do you think (like my sister does) that I am a complete whack job?

Good Enough

2012-01-09T09:43:00.000-06:00

I'm stuck.

There is a post that has been rattling around in my head for nearly a month. It all started with a comment I'd left on another blog that of course, I can't find. I'm pretty sure it was on Kimberly's blog. But the long and the short of it was the tremendous hit my self esteem took after having my first baby.

I felt unimportant. Unattractive. Unworthy. UnEVERYTHING. The "un" was crippling.

Backing up, once the middle school years passed (you know - the years during which EVERYONE feels awkward and ugly, even the beautiful people) I'd never suffered self-esteem issues. I felt good enough, the majority of the time.

But only good ENOUGH.

After having kids, I didn't even feel good enough.

Since I started running, I 've gotten back to "good enough." I was pretty happy with how I'd been feeling about myself this past year. Confident even. I said as much in my goals post.

Then I read ginny's post on Friday and I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach.

I spent the rest of the day chewing on just WHY that post had hit me so hard. I settled into a quiet, just thinking. The quiet lasted through the day, and on the car ride home from Jack's basketball game, it struck me.

Good enough is no longer good enough.

So I'm resolving to spend this year reminding myself that I'm more than good enough. That at times I am fucking outstanding even. My quest to be "better" will not dissuade me from believing in myself and my inherent outstandingness. I owe that to ME.

***

Later that same night, armed with my new found understanding, John and I headed upstairs to bed. As I pulled off my tshirt to put on my pj's, he looked at me.

A slow smile spread over his face.

I thought maybe he was appreciating my new, stronger physique. Enjoying the gun show even.

Then he asked me, "Is your fly open?"

Yup. Had been all through basketball. Outstanding, indeed.

Looking Back & Looking Ahead: 2012 Goals

2012-01-03T11:02:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite things about blogging is going back and reading old posts. That said, I don't do it all that often. In marking off another year complete, I spent this morning reading about my 2011.

It was pretty epic.

Taking a look at the goals I set for myself a year ago:

1. 1000 miles - COMPLETE! I ran 1001.33 miles in 2011.

2. Lose 8 pounds - COMPLETE! I lost 10 pounds in 2011.

3. Run a marathon in UNDER 6 hours - COMPLETE! I finished Grandma's marathon in 5:02:28.

4. Be a better, more organized housekeeper - FAIL! The basement project derailed this goal. I'll be revisiting it.

5. More one-on-one time with each of my kids - COMPLETE! I did really well at this in 2011.

6. More cross training - IN PROGRESS. I've gotten MUCH better about this, but it took until the very end of the year.

I ran PRs in every distance I raced this year. I gained significant speed over 2010. I gained stamina and endurance, and more importantly CONFIDENCE. I'm not sure I'll ever repeat the kind of personal transformation I made in 2011. I joined a running club and made some GREAT friends, which only added to the success of my running year.

I'm a little sad it's over, truthfully.

So what's ahead for me??

I will likely NOT be racing as much this year. We are in a financial spot that is less than ideal, and racing has to give a bit. I have three races on the schedule so far, and I don't see much more happening. But you never know.

The WI half holds my half mary PR and a special place in my heart. I loved this race and am excited to do it again. Grandma's marathon will be my "A" race this year. And unlike last year, I know so many people who are running it (including 2 from my running club!) and I am determined to break 5 hours. I'd really love to break 4:50, but we'll talk about specifics as it nears - sub 5 is non-negotiable.

As for Chicago, this race will NOT be about me. I'll be running with my sister, who is gunning for her first full marathon. I'm excited to accompany her on this journey.

So just a few things for 2012:

1. Run 1000 miles. (having a number holds me accountable and keeps me moving)

2. Run a sub-5 hour marathon.

3. Run a new half PR.

4. Continue strength training.

5. Reorganize and maintain a clean house. I will keep typing this until I can make it a habit. My kids are big enough. I'm out of excuses.

6. Support my sister to the best of my ability, even if it means kicking her ass a little. Run every single step of Chicago by her side (unless I can't keep up - she IS speedier than I am).

Here's to making 2012 every bit as epic as 2011 was. Bring it!

Starting 2012 Out Right: Holiday Wrap Up & RTTF Resolution Run

2012-01-01T20:47:00.000-06:00

Another holiday season has come and gone, and I'm torn between mourning it a little and being glad to get back to my routine. We had a quiet, lovely Christmas, with Christmas Eve spent with my whole family at my parents' place, and Christmas Day spent in true Welch fashion - in our jammies. Perfect. There was food, and cookie making, and presents, and I really enjoyed getting into the spirit this year.

The week between holidays started out kind of tough for me. I'm not sure if I was just sad to see Christmas go, or if I took an unintentionally hurtful comment to heart too much, but in any case, I was cranky. Lots of good running helped that so much. That Friday, I ran my 1000th mile with Kim and Chris (another running club friend). It rained the entire day, but by the time I headed over to Kim's I was too excited about it to worry about the weather.

1000 miles DONE!

Even better, when we got back to Kim's place after finishing our run, much to my surprise I opened the door to this, along with "Chariots of Fire" blaring in her living room:

you can't see, but there were balloons all over the floor too

we celebrated with grasshoppers...what, you don't mix drinks in your fuel belt bottles?

It couldn't have been any more fun or special. I felt like a super star, even while we were getting lapped by the fasties on the trail. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous year of running.

New Year's Eve was a family affair - we spent the evening at a friend's, had "second Christmas" and just let the kids run wild while we enjoyed more good (but not FOR you) food and good company.

On to Amanda's virtual Resolution Run!

Today I participated in our running club's annual New Year's Day fun run as my "resolution run." We ran 3 miles with the group, and then had a pot luck lunch at our running club president's house.

The run was kind of "meh" for me - I ate horribly the night before and had too many beers. Kim pulled me along though, even when the wind was trying to knock us backwards. I finished the 3 miles with an average pace of 10:09 minute miles, so I gotta say, I was pleased with that all things considered.

just a part of our crew - I am the ninja on the right next to Kim in her badass tights

post-run, but pre-food :)

It was the perfect way to start off the new year, which I hope is at least as great as 2011 was for me. I have some goals brewing around in my head, so I'll be visiting that soon. Happy New Year to all my "friends in the computer!" (my husband's label for all of you)

Merry Christmas To ME!

2011-12-21T09:40:00.002-06:00

It's getting close! Are you ready for Christmas?? Me, I'm about where I usually am at this point, which is ALMOST done. There are always last minute odds and ends to clear up.

I've been desperate for some new shoes. My current pair have more than 300 miles on them, and for me, that's a LOT. So when John came home from work on Friday and handed me $180 in gift cards to my favorite running store which he'd WON from work, I was over the MOON.

I got a new base layer shirt, new adrenalines, and a pair of adrenaline TRAIL shoes. I am so so excited to run in them!

Then yesterday, I got my bloggy secret santa present! It cam from Aimee who blogs at I Tri To Be Me. (She just completed her first Ironman at IMAZ - if you haven't read her report, you totally should - AMAZING!)

I busted into the box like a little kid!

oooo, a pretty box inside the box!

what's inside?

This is what I saw when I opened it up - LOVE!

Already, I was in love. I am not crafty, and I refused to pay outlandishly for a running related ornament, but OH did I WANT one - so before I even took it out of the box, I was so excited! BUT! Then I turned it around...

this made me cry. yes I am a sap. SO AWESOME!

I immediately hung it on the tree. I couldn't love it more. THANK YOU!

why yes, it IS right next to a Slayer ornament. (love my hubs.)

But THEN I remembered there was MORE in the box! Gotta check that out too!

her family is gorgeous! and GU!

Thank you so much Aimee! It couldn't have been more perfect! And thanks to Jill for organizing this gift exchange - so much FUN!

Lastly (because who knows when I will be able to post again - today is the kids' last day of school for winter break) I was tagged by The Unexpected Runner to share 7 random things about myself. Since I did this recently, and since it IS Christmas time, I'm going with a Christmas theme today.

1. My earliest Christmas memory is sitting crammed with all my cousins in my Grandmother's kitchen singing carols and waiting impatiently. After a bit we'd hear a loud "HO HO HO" and run into the living room to what seemed like a MOUNTAIN of presents! It was magical!

2. My Dad is Polish and my Great-Aunt (who married into the family) was from Japan originally. So early Christmas meals were kind of dyslexic - czarnina next to egg rolls, anyone? But I loved it.

3. I love Christmas music, but prefer it done traditionally. To me, it should be quiet and reflective more than upbeat and peppy (which gets annoying to me every year - please no more Mariah Carey. Ugh.)

4. I used to sing in church choir and midnight Mass was always my favorite. Although I haven't been in many years...

5. Since having kids, Christmas traditions have changed. Now, each Christmas eve, John and I drink lots of wine and wrap presents until the wee hours of the morning. So much that it doesn't even occur to me that I could get the wrapping done ahead of time.

6. When I was a teenager, instead of having a big meal on Christmas eve, my mom would make every delicious appetizer she could think of and we'd munch all evening as people would stop through. I miss this, and hope to resurrect it when my kids are older.

7. I haven't been to Christmas Mass in years. I prefer to spend Christmas morning in my pajamas, surrounded by my family, and just take in the joy on my kids' faces.

Merry Christmas to all of you!!

Made It (mostly) Through....

2011-12-16T10:14:00.000-06:00

Well, I managed my way out of this week, for the most part. I'm glad to have it as a memory now.

Tuesday I managed a 7.4 mile trail run. I knew I'd need it to make it through the rest of the week.

Julia's Christmas program was the sweetest thing. She looked beautiful, proudly sporting her new 'do. I was (of course) super proud of her, and despite being REALLY nervous, she did beautifully.

I wish I could say I enjoyed the rest of the show, but truthfully, I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention. James has had a rough month, and has been fighting a cold. Add that to his normal personality, and it was a rough go. I spent the majority of the time trying to keep him from having an outburst, getting kicked, getting stepped on, bla bla bla. But we made it til the end. Barely.

The next day, we had Jack's winter band concert. I was looking forward to this - he really is getting good! I was anxious to see him perform.

In hind sight, I should have known better. I should have done it SO differently. We got a decent seat, but were smashed on bleachers. The warm up is always excruciatingly dissonant. The lady directly in front of us had no regard for people behind her. The chaos of the room left James anxious and volatile. We had 15 minutes of warm up to go, and he was already in full on melt down mode. So I took him out.

I wish I could say that I calmed him down and we made it back inside in time to see Jack play, but that wasn't the way of things. Sometimes autism fucking sucks. I spent the concert in the van, crying. James was happy to wait for the performance to be over. I didn't get to see any of it.

But. Jack did extremely well, and the concert was a success without me. We got home, got the kids in bed, and instead of running (which is what I SHOULD have done) I busted out french onion dip and pretzels and stared at the TV. Not my finest moment, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time.

Yesterday, I woke up with another crazy morning ahead of me. Everyone was tired. We had to get to James' school early for his IEP review. James woke up PISSED off. *sigh*

But once he got all that out of his system, we had a great meeting with his teacher and therapists. He is doing beautifully, and they are starting to prep him for kindergarten. I'm really proud of how far he's come, and thankful for a system that is working for him, despite the difficulty of the last weeks.

I left him at school, came home, and got a call from my friend Sarah - could I run? HELL YES. It was 47 degrees and I wore a skirt and a long sleeved tee. I froze my ass off the first mile (damn it was windy!) but I didn't care. 4 miles later and I was a new person. It was Sarah's birthday the day before, so she shared some of her cake with me. I ate it for lunch. Don't judge.

I'm really behind on Christmas shopping, but hoping to finish this weekend. The tough stuff is behind me, and the fun stuff coming up. Can't wait!

(oh, and only 32 miles to go!!)

"Faster Than My Bullet"

2011-12-09T08:38:00.001-06:00

Bullets is all I have time for, so today, bullets is what you get:

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. There are no expectations, just food and family. Christmas stresses me out, even though I love experiencing it through my kids - but there is so much pressure to get it "just right" and we are struggling financially this year, so there's that.
If you click on Riyanti's blog, she's got a great picture of us from the Turkey Trot. I am too lazy to steal it and post it, but click if you want to see...
Last weekend I took Jenna, my 12yo, to her first concert. We saw Christina Perri, Kelly Clarkson and the Fray. It was a fantastic show, and I had so much fun hanging out with my daughter. I am a new fan of the Fray - seriously good band.
The temperatures are starting to creep lower. Not a fan. My drive to get out the door wanes a lot as temperatures fall into the 20s...and the wind! Ugh.
Next week is going to be psychotic. Julia's Christmas program and Jack's band concert and James' IEP review, trying to get shopping wrapped up, trying to figure out teacher gifts. Plus I need to get our cards mailed. Bla bla bla. Need to get OFF the internet!
Running has been going well. One interesting thing to note - I am addicted to running on the trail. Consequently, I haven't run with any music in I can't even tell you how long. Now all my marathon training cycles so far have had their "song." (Pumped Up Kicks was TCM's song). I'm not sure what to expect for my next training cycle - I wonder if I don't RUN with music, if I'll still feel like a particular song defines that time frame. I mean, it still plays in my head whether I'm listening to it or not...

Gotta run (literally) - only 60ish miles to go!!

Drinking the Kool-Aid

2011-11-28T21:12:00.001-06:00

As I may have mentioned, I have been attending a 1 hour strength training class every Wednesday since the first week in October. When I first started, it was something new to try. I knew that my core and girdle were weak, and I figured, what better way to work on that in the off season?

So. One hour. Once a week.

Not to belittle the class at all - I sweat my ASS off in that class, and shake and grunt and sometimes I CAN'T do what he wants us to do.

But really? It's only once a week.

I figured it couldn't hurt my running, right? I mean, other than being a little sore in the couple days after class. It might even help a little.

It might even help A LOT.

Seriously, in the last month, not even 2 months after starting the class, I can COMPLETELY feel it in how I run. I have more speed. More endurance.

I FREAKING RUN BETTER BECAUSE OF A ONCE A WEEK STRENGTH CLASS.

On Saturday morning, I set out for at least 8. The skies were ominous and it was supposed to rain all day long, but it was unseasonably warm, with temps in the 50s. I drove to my favorite spot and set out. It was supposed to be a longish run, so I was keeping the pace easy, but running by feel, not looking at my watch.

Just after mile 4, I turned back around, just in case the skies opened up. But it was still not raining when I got closer to my car, so I took a side trail and tacked on another couple miles. When I got back to the car, I was so close to 10 that I turned around to run the little it'd take to get there. The whole time, I was feeling good. Strong. Easy.

Imagine my surprise when I uploaded my workout! My splits were 10:52, 10:40, 10:18, 10:20, 10:13, 10:36, 10:13, 10:04, 10:04, 10:22. My fastest miles were 8 and 9. I freaking negative split a 10 mile run.

And the amazing thing isn't that I did that. The amazing thing is that it DIDN'T feel like work.

At all.

I'm a believer...

A Tale of 2 Turkey Trots

2011-11-25T15:19:00.001-06:00

I guess I needed a bit of a blogging break? It's been so busy - it's that time of year I guess - and something had to give. Needless to say, the computer time was the first to go.

***

Last Saturday was the first of 2 turkey trot 10k races that I'd registered for this year. The Clear Water Outdoor Turkey Trot is the same race I walked last year with Kim and Tori. (We didn't MEAN to walk it, but Tori hurt her knee early on, and it turned into a giant gab fest, with us coming in dead last). It's held in Big Foot Beach State Park, right along Lake Geneva in WI.

This was going to be my friend Sarah's very first 10k race ever. it's nice, local, and relatively inexpensive, with the race shirt (a long sleeved tech tee) as an optional add on. The downside, if you can call it a downside, is that it's on real trail - not HORRIBLY difficult, but most certainly not easy either. They do a great job keeping it clear, marking roots with spray paint, and the route is well marked. There are some tough hills in there though, and the course changed from last year, making it tougher on the back end. (garmin data) I had warned Sarah about the course, but I don't think she REALLY knew what she was in for...

Sarah offered to drive, and picked me up plenty early. The race started at 9:30, and we were out my door by 7:30, with about an hour drive.

Well, an hour drive IF you stop where you are supposed to.

We were gabbing gabbing gabbing, and before you knew it, we'd turned off on what we thought was the right lake road. We SLOWLY made our way around the lake, and I began to doubt. Pulled out my cell phone, and turned out we were one lake PAST the lake we were supposed to be on.

Well, shit.

By the time we made it back to where we needed to be, it was just after 9, and we still needed to pick up our bibs and stuff. Which wouldn't have been a big deal, except for the 30 car back up to get into the state park.

Nothing like a little stress to get your blood pumping on race morning.

But it was no big thing - there were LOTS of people behind us, so they ended up delaying the start by about 15 minutes. We got our stuff, waited in line for the port-o-potty, brought extra stuff back to the car, and only had to wait for about 5 minutes before the race started. Just enough time to connect with a bunch of running club people who were there too.

The run itself was fairly uneventful. I let Sarah know right away that I was NOT racing, that I was there for her as fast or slow as she wanted to go. She'd hoped to finish with less than 11 minute miles, but quickly figured out that that was unrealistic. The first half of the course we shared with the 5kers which was crowded and rather obnoxious. Sarah hung in pretty good, even when the hills were kicking her butt. She only walked up a couple of the steeper hills at the end, and we finished in 1:15 and change. 10 people finished behind us, which was a definite improvement from last year.

Afterwards, we found that they'd run out of nearly everything including water. I think the turnout was WAY more than they had anticipated, which was great for them - proceeds go right to the park. I love this race, and next year, I'd like to RACE it. As for this year, I was SO proud of how well Sarah did, and I know that she'll kill her next 10k.

***

I ran a new to me hilly trail route with Kim on Sunday. I had really missed running with her, and it was so great to catch up.

Then, this week was school breaks and John off from work and conferences for my older 3 and Thanksgiving prep; even though I didn't host this year, there was still so much to do. John was completely focused on finishing odds and ends in the basement. My niece spent the night Wednesday.

Basically, all the workout plans I had for the week, including my strength class, went right out the window. (which means by Wednesday night I was a complete bitch. seriously.)

***

Thursday morning, I got up after a crappy night's sleep. I felt crappy. I was blah about my next race, the Mayor's Turkey Run put on by the Kenosha running club, along with a 2 mile race. I ran this one with Riyanti, a running club member (with a new blog). I still hadn't decided if I was going to race it or run it for fun.

We made it up to Kenosha plenty early, and they had the museum open so we could hang out in the heat and use indoor bathrooms, which was really nice since it felt MUCH colder than they had said it was going to be. I was pretty worried that I'd really under dressed. (I wore my screaming green turkey trot tee from Saturday's race and capri's. No jacket. No gloves.)

Riyanti and I run a really similar pace, which is great. We decided to start together, and I told her I'd know later in the race if I was going to push for my sub-60, but the goal was start out pretty easy. We lined up towards the back.

This turned out to be my only mistake of the day.

The first mile was a cluster. This was a pretty decent sized race (almost 2000 total with 600 10 k racers) and we spent way too much time dodging and weaving and getting COMPLETELY stuck. I didn't care at the time - we counted it as a warm up mile. It clocked in at 10:27.

By the second mile, I was finding a good groove. We were still passing people, but it had thinned out a lot. I wasn't pushing it, so I was surprised when garmin beeped 9:55.

They had a water station that we hit twice at the beginning of the third mile. We skipped it here. (We ended up skipping it later too.) We were feeling good, and pushing the pace a little. We were cheering for all the runners coming back off of the turnaround. We hit mile 3 at 9:36. I started to consider the possibilities....

After the turnaround, we were following some girls running just the right pace. I was just keeping up with them. Passing runners right after they were. Not paying attention to my watch except when miles beeped done. They were having a random conversation about bikini waxing. Freaking hilarious! It kept me laughing the whole mile. Didn't pass them until they peeled off for a photo op, and then never saw them again. Mile 4 = 9:42.

Right at the beginning of the 5th mile, I decided to see just what I had in me. I was feeling good. I was hitting the hills perfectly. I was feeling comfortably uncomfortable, aiming now for flat out uncomfortable. Why not? I left Riyanti behind in this mile. 9:29.

Mile 6 hurt. But in a totally good way. I was passing people like CRAZY. Me! Passing people. At the END of a race. Who is this girl? I was chasing 2 girls, picking off others one by one. It felt amazingly good, but strange. I was watching my average pace creep down to where I needed it. Just before the mile marker one of the girls dropped an eff bomb because her shoe was untied. She kept running, and I passed them. Hit mile 6 at 9:17.

Her friend was having NONE of me passing them. They passed me back, and urged me on with them. I laughed and said I was down for the chase. We TOOK OFF. All I could think was that I started my kick way to effing early, but it was too late to do anything but hang on. Untied shoe girl peeled off to hurl. I was right behind her friend til we crossed the finish line, gasping. The last 0.24? Yeah, I did that (almost a quarter mile) at a freaking 7:46 pace. Yes, I did.

Once I caught my breath, I congratulated my 2 rabbits and cheered Riyanti over the finish. We both PR'd. Perfect.

Official finish time: 1:00:21
Garmin time: 1:00:22
Pace: 9:44
Half Split 31:03
414/600 runners and 22/31 in my age group

I couldn't be prouder of how I executed this race. Had I lined up farther ahead (which I would have if I'd decided I was racing before the start) I could've hit it under an hour. Next time...

***

We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving at my sister's with her family, my parents, and John's Dad too. It was a lovely afternoon with all of my family. I have a lot to be thankful for, and I know it.

Hope your Thanksgiving was as good as mine!

This and That

2011-11-14T10:27:00.001-06:00

It seems that with the loss of giant looming goals, I've kind of run out of things to say. Weird. It isn't like there's nothing going on around here...

Last week, the crisp Fall air and sunshine were overshadowed by gray and gloom and rain. I didn't manage to run until Friday. When I ran just over 7 miles, where I felt like I could run forever. No walk breaks, AGAIN. Average pace in the 10:30s, and my last mile was the fastest of the day, coming in at 9 something. I think I just might be starting to figure this this out!

On Saturday, I went out for 8 with a new running club member. I started out too fast, and crapped out at the end. But it still felt good - it's been in the 60s! It's crazy. Summer's last push. And with that poorly executed run, I'm learning more about what exactly I need to manage a successful one.

On Sunday, Jenna, my 12yo, wanted to run with me. So we hit the trail on a gorgeous 67 degree afternoon. I started slowish, around a 10:40 pace (my easy cruising pace) and she complained that I was going SO SLOW. I smiled. About a half mile in, she was complaining that her side hurt SO MUCH. Yeah. Take it easy kiddo.

So we walked for a bit, and talked over where she was going wrong. We set out to do some easy 400s, where I made her run super slow. She finished each of those, and we were so close to 2 miles in by the end, SHE wanted to finish it out. So we ran 2 miles (I stopped my watch while we walked) with an overall pace of 11:59. I was really proud of her for letting me push her a little (so not her strong suit - she is her mother's daughter, after all) and for finishing strong.

When we got home, my 6yo wanted to run with me. So we went around the block (0.55 miles) and I cheered her on the whole way. She was whining a ton by the time we finished, but I talked her out of it, and she was so proud of herself. :)

THEN, James, my 4yo wanted in on the action. Now, he has pretty little legs, like I can WALK as fast as he can run. But I was astonished! He ran the whole thing! And when I'd walk (since it was almost easier than running that slow) he would have NONE of it. "RUN, Mommy!" he's admonish me. So freaking cute.

So I ran a 5k with 3 out of my 4 kids this weekend. A highlight, for sure. I love that they want to run with me. I think Jack was actually a bit bummed that he didn't get a turn (he was playing with his friends outside, and cheered for the munchkins as they went by).

When we got all finished, I asked Julia (my 6yo) if she'd like to run a race some day. Her eyes got huge. "Mom! I can't run 26 miles!" she said. I laughed and told her that they had shorter races too. Even ones for just kids. She got all excited about that and ran out of the room to tell her dad...

***

James has been such an up and down kid lately. I think he's reaching a couple turning points. We've had a few successes at the potty (yes, my 4.5yo is still in pull-ups) and he's both excited and terrified by that. He's been doing beautifully in school, most of the time. Amazing progress from last year, really.

But he's still James. Case in point, we went to church yesterday. We've been terrible about making this a priority as a family (mostly BECAUSE of James) but we went. We got half way through Mass, and he pitched a fit because I was SINGING. In CHURCH. He screamed, and I promptly removed him, and when we came back, he pitched a fit because the kneeler was down. Seriously. BUT. This fit was quiet. So he's getting it. Slowly. A lot of that is my fault - once he knows the routine of church better, he will handle it better.

***

I have at least one, maybe 2, Turkey Trots coming up. I'm excited to race a 10k. The first is a trail run (one I did last year) so there will be no racing. But the second one is a road race. I've grown to love the 6ish mile distance, so I'm excited to see if I can execute a race as well as I've executed some of my training runs at that distance. My unofficial 10k PR is 1:01:41. I'd like to come in under an hour. We'll see.

A letter for G

2011-11-10T08:20:00.000-06:00

For G,

This weekend you are running a marathon.

I was totally going to write you a pep talk letter. You know, the kinds of letters you've written to so many of us? But then, then you went and wrote yourself one yesterday, so that part is pretty much covered.

So instead, I'd like to go back a couple weeks, when I commented on one of your posts. This one. One of many you've written where I feel like you somehow live inside my head.

In that comment I called you "my running idol." Later, you kind of blushed and brushed it off, but it IS true, and I think maybe I should tell you why.

To be fair, the blogging community has blessed me with MANY running idols. And some of them I've even had the pleasure of running with and some have become SUCH good friends. It's definitely the best thing to come out of all this bloggity goodness, and frankly, the most unexpected.

But back to you...

You are my running idol because you started where I started. A mother, not so sure about this running gig, just seeing where it'd take you. Determined. But not fast. Not yet.

Over the years you've built an enviable support system. You've worked hard and trained hard. You've made running an integral part of who you are. And you have gotten SO STRONG. You show me what is possible.

But what I really love is how you share your love of running with everyone. You reach out, over and over, to virtual friends. You build us up. You support our dreams, and relish in our successes and lament our failures. You offer advice. You pay it BEYOND forward.

You are a great writer. A great friend. A great runner.

This weekend, it's your turn - your race, your way, with your crew all around you.

You are going to CRUSH it.

And while you're killing it, remember that you have all of us there with you too, pulling for you, believing in you.

SAVOR your run!

Versatility

2011-11-09T19:13:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged! The fantastic XLMIC, who I recently discovered after the blog world took HTC by storm, tagged me with the Versatile Blogger award! Thanks! (and if you don't read her, go CHECK HER OUT!)

1. I loathe shopping. It does not make me happy. Even when I am shopping for something I REALLY want, it's not fun for me. If I had the cash, I'd gladly spend it on a personal shopper, for real.

2. Some of you may already know this, but after calling myself a runner for more than a year and a half now, I have never in my life run on a treadmill. While I am oddly proud of that fact, I kind of want one. But then again, I kind of don't.

3. I got married in Vegas. And although I did NOT get married in an Elvis chapel (which I will admit a teeny part of me regrets now), my husband still managed to bring Elvis into the day...

They wore those glasses when I walked in with my Dad - I totally cracked up

Please ignore the crayon drawing I scanned for my daughter that you can still see - I am much too lazy to rescan...

4. I have a ridiculous fear of public speaking of any kind. At the same time, I wanted to be a professional singer when I was young. I can sing on stage, no problem. But ask me to speak? Horrible. I read one of the readings at my Grandmother's funeral mass, and still, at 40 years old, I thought I was going to fall over, my legs were shaking THAT hard.

5. Besides my aspirations for a career in the music biz (*snort*) when I was young I wanted to be a doctor. Right up until college, when I was registered "pre-med." I wanted to be a pediatrician. Somewhere near the end of my sophomore year, I realized JUST how much school (and DEBT) that involved. So I bailed, and ended up with a Medical Technology degree (read: lab rat). I'm not sorry, and if I were to go back to med school, I think now I'd probably end up an ME instead of actually working with the living...

6. One of my very earliest memories is camping with my family. I was laying there VERY early in the morning before anyone was awake, watching a spider snake its way down a string of web just above my sleeping bag. I'm still afraid of spiders.

7. After dealing with sickness this week (hence the radio silence) I can honestly say that I'd take 4 sick kids over ONE sick husband. Any day.

I'm supposed to tag people, but I am a lazy procrastinator, so I'm opting out. Play along if you want to, though, and let me know - I LOVE reading these!

One Goal Left

2011-11-01T09:49:00.002-05:00

And just like that, it's November!

Since I skipped any mention of my yearly goals last month, a quick recap is in order. The weight is officially off (plus 2 extra pounds. GO ME!), I completed my marathon goal back in June (with a PR of more than 1 hour and 6 minutes), my house is still a mess (sigh), I've done pretty well spending 1 on 1 time with my kids, and I'm working on cross training via a strength class I started at the beginning of October, which I am LOVING by the way. So that leaves one teeny tiny goal left for the year: 1000 miles.

In October, I managed 74.39 miles of running. I am a little disappointed in that, but it is what it is. Truthfully, I kind of needed the break, and while I didn't run a LOT of miles, the miles I DID run were so so GOOD. So. That brings my 2011 total miles to 843.22, which means I need to run 156.78 more in order to reach 1000. 80 miles a month. Easy peasie, right? I hope so...

This past weekend was full to the top with Halloween goodness. Backing up a bit, on Friday, James' teacher called me at home after school, just to tell me how proud she was of him! They had gone through a haunted maze that was set up in the gym, and James had participated and then gone back for more. AND he'd been trying all kinds of new food in their classroom (they've been having pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, apple, all kinds of fall treats) and he's tried them all (and even liked some!). For James, this is huge progress, and it makes me so happy.

For Halloween, we had the Mad Hatter, Harry Potter, Kung Fu Panda and a cute little witch. Everyone had a great time, and the weather cooperated JUST long enough to get Trick-or-Treating done before the rain started. James freaked out initially, but after sitting with me and handing out candy and running costume-commentary, he settled down and went back out for a while. I have entirely too much candy in my house, and yesterday, I gave myself full on permission to indulge. But today? NO. No more candy. (I am unable to ration myself. It's sad really, but I do much better when I can't have any than I do when I tell myself I'll have just 1, which inevitably turns in to just 1 MORE.)

Before the Halloween festivities started Sunday, I snuck out for an 8 mile run with some running club people I hadn't seen in forever. It was THE BEST run. I felt strong, I paced perfectly, and I ran 8 miles. With NO walk breaks. Without even feeling like I NEEDED to walk. This is HUGE for me (don't laugh - really!) and in fact is a personal distance record for me for running without walking at all. Which seems crazy, but I've always taken them. Every mile or 2. So I'm not sure if it's the weather, or the strength class, or smarter pacing or just BELIEVING I COULD, but it felt so so good. I averaged a 10:38 pace, and hardly varied from that the whole run. And it felt easy. New goal? A half marathon with no time goals, but no walk breaks.

And one last question for the parents of middle schoolers out there. What is your take on make up? My oldest is 12, and she doesn't wear much, but would really like to. Some of her friends wear full on war paint ("She wears too much make-up. Makes her look like a whore." Movie, anyone?) and I think that it's ridiculous. Still others have parents who say it's just a "little" and I'm thinking, REALLY? Looks way more than a little to me. So. Am I being over-analytical? Should I just stay out of it? Is 12 old enough to let her do what she wants as far as make up is concerned? I need some advice please! :)

Yeah, I'm All Over The Place...

2011-10-27T14:53:00.000-05:00

Hmmm. I guess in addition to a training break, I've been taking a blogging break too. Truth be told, I stare at this screen a lot and random post ideas flit through my head often, but when I try and put together something cohesive, I got nuthin'. So let's skip the cohesive, shall we?

1. NOT running in effort to have more time for other stuff is ridiculously counterproductive. I spend all my time wishing I'd run. I feel like a lump so I have no energy for chores. So basically, I've succeeded in shooting myself in the foot. MUST REMEMBER THIS.

2. I had the most amazing run with Kim last Friday. I was thinking about running 10, but I knew she was running long, so I asked to join her. It was a gorgeous day! We checked out a new trail. Starting out, I said I'd do 12, but we were feeling good so we made it an even half mary. I faded a bunch at the end (can you say, OUT OF PRACTICE on the long run?!) but I made it farther and felt better than I ever expected. Win!

3. Saturday night we had a DATE! I went to the Blackhawks game, sat 14 rows off the glass, parked like a rock start, and had an all out fabulous time with friends. It could only have gotten better if the 'Hawks had managed a win, but it was a great night out in any case. AND. Jenna babysat. SCORE!

4. Sunday I had a run set up with my friend Sarah, who just started running at the beginning of this year. She was going for 6 miles (she is working up to a 10k) for the first time. In spite of belly issues (GOD do I know all about THAT!) she finished the distance with her legs and lungs feeling strong. SO PROUD! She told me afterwards that I inspire her. That watching me succeed as a runner gave her the confidence to start, mostly because I'm not the stereotypical teeny tiny runner. She called me "realistically inspirational." I like knowing that watching me has given people I know the confidence in themselves to start doing something that I've grown to love. It's a whole new dynamic to my love affair with the sport. And it's kind of like a circle - it's inspiring to ME to see my friends start from scratch. and motivating to help them accomplish their goals.

5. We are all getting excited for Halloween around here. I have succeeded in getting costumes for everyone, on time even, and they are all excited about it. I'm sure you'll be seeing pictures coming up soon - we trick-or-treat on Sunday here, which was weird for me when I first moved into the neighborhood. Do you trick-or-treat on Halloween? Or on a different community designated day?

Running For Fun

2011-10-17T14:33:00.000-05:00

This morning I ran 6 of the best miles in forever. I felt AMAZING. Last week I ran 5.5 gorgeous miles on the trail Wednesday. It was a stunning mid-October day and I wore a tank and was almost hot but not quite. And between those 2 runs?

NOTHING.

And I'm so not stressed about it, and I can't tell you how much I'm LOVING that feeling. If I go out and feel like shit, I can bail after 3 miles and who cares!? If I feel spectacular, I can run as long as I want and as fast as I want. Today, my average pace was 9:55 minute miles! THAT IS WAY FAST FOR ME.

So instead of running, I've been giving back to my family. They sacrifice for my training more than they should, even if they don't see it as such. It was nice to hang with them all weekend, and not worry about when I was going to get a long run in.

So I guess you could say I like this laid back approach.

BUT! Unlike last year, I still have a goal to meet. Which means I can't just stop running regularly. Last October I logged 53 miles. Only 11.64 were post 10/10/10 (Chicago marathon). I ran 23 in November and 10(!!!) in December. This year, so far, I've run 810 miles. Which means I still need to run close to 20 miles a week to break 1000 for 2011. I AM going to do that. But it's going to be more fun and less work. :)

I have been enjoying dinner (and WINE!) with friends, without worrying about being out too late or eating the wrong thing.

There's been a way lot of volleyball happening. Unfortunately, their season ended with a disappointing showing at the conference tournament, but I'm super proud of how they progressed this year.

I got to go with James on a school field trip (yay for youngest kid - I could never do this before!) to the Chicago Botanic Gardens last Friday. It was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun.

And yesterday we finally made it to Fright Fest at 6 Flags - we had a great day, and came home to venison chili in the crock pot. We watched a fantastic Bears game. It was perfect.

And finally, 2 decent pictures from TCM. The first is significant, since it is my VERY FIRST official race photo with air. I tend to look like I'm walking. The second is just past their giant inflatable "you're running through the wall." Mile 22 I think? I'm smiling!

Three Things Thursday

2011-10-13T11:22:00.000-05:00

1. I've been quietly trying to catch up on everything that got left behind for marathon training. There's a lot. It's going to probably take me until the next training cycle starts to complete it. Ack.

2. Sick kids make everything suck.

3. Because I love you all (and because I am so boring), I leave you with this goodness. She is much funnier than I will ever dream of being. So stop drinking / eating (don't say I didn't warn you!) and enjoy, courtesy of the Bloggess.

Glutton For Punishment

2011-10-07T12:47:00.001-05:00

I just registered for Grandma's 2012.

There's something wrong with me. Truly.

And there's a pretty outstanding chance that I'll be running a Fall race with my sister.

So.

2012 looks to be another 2-marathon year.

Bring. It. On.

Twin Cities Marathon: Race Report

2011-10-05T14:29:00.000-05:00

I feel like I've said so much about it already, that this is going to be rather anti-climactic, but here it is, in all it's glory...

Friday FINALLY got here, and I was packed up and ready to go. As soon as I got the kids off to school, I headed towards Minnesota. I know I've said it before, but there is something about crossing that state line that always makes me smile. Minnesota makes me HAPPY. I miss it.

On the way, I was talking with my Mom and realized that the Expo was on the way to her apartment, so I stopped and picked up my bib just to get that out of the way. I shopped a little bit, and drooled a little bit, but the budget was not allowing for much buying, so I didn't stay long. Which ended up being a good thing, as it took me over an hour to get to the restaurant where I was meeting my parents for dinner - I HATE being stuck in traffic. So annoying.

An early dinner, a walk by the lake near my Mom's place, and I was hashed. I was falling asleep on the couch and my Mom sent me to bed. I think I slept for 10 hours straight - I really needed it. (Julia has been sick, so I've been listening to coughing all night for about a week now.)

The next day was kind of a blur. Shopping, lunch with my parents' friends, and back to the expo to meet Carly! We chatted for a while and I met her friend Kelli (they both grew up in my hometown and ran high school track with my sister - small world!) and I left them on their mission to find just the right race shirt. I did a little more shopping at the expo, and bought a new SPI wrist band with a pocket, since I hate belts of any kind SO much. Then back home to chill.

I went to bed early, but didn't really sleep well. Not too surprising. My stomach had been talking to me for since arriving in MN...it doesn't really travel well. I was still hopeful that I could work it out in the morning and have a good race.

But, as you know, that wasn't how that played out at all.

SO. Race morning! It didn't start until 8am, so I got up early, but not obscenely so. My Dad dropped me at the metrodome for the start, where we could wait inside and use real bathrooms. It was CRAZY inside, but really nice to be out of the morning chill. As cool as it was at the start, I was a little nervous about how warm it would end up.

With just 20 minutes to go, I headed outside to sunscreen up (I ended up sharing with a couple people) and check my stuff. I found my corral and waited. I'd been texting with Sara, but it wasn't until just before go time that I realized we were in different corrals (which is why I was unable to find her). It was crowded and exciting!

that's the metrodome on the right...

For as many runners (there were 8500+ finishers) it was REALLY well organized from start to finish. I crossed the start just 11 minutes after the gun went off, and was on my way.

The first mile, the thing I remember most was that my skirt was giving me fits. It kept falling down! I have worn this skirt on a gajillion long runs and never had this issue. I know my weight is down a little, but I didn't think it was enough to make a difference. But it was disconcerting to be messing with it for the entire first mile.

Luckily, that was short lived, and I was able to just settle into a pace that felt comfortable. My goal was to stick to as close to 11 minute miles as I could, for as long as I could. I felt AMAZING. It was gorgeous out, the energy of the race was so high, and the spectators! They rocked!

I had my walkman around my neck, but I never even put it in until mile 7. And then I took it off again, since I couldn't hear it anyway. There were very few quiet spots on this course - people lined the ENTIRE thing, whole families and neighborhoods cheering. It was outstanding!

The course starts in Minneapolis, weaves around several lakes and through gorgeous neighborhoods, runs all along the Mississippi river and into St. Paul, and then down Summit Avenue which is lined with incredible historic mansions, and ends smack in front of the State Capital building. It is BY FAR the most beautiful course I've ever run. There were no crappy industrial areas or boring spots to get through. From start to finish, it was gorgeous.

The first miles ticked off easily. I felt great. My splits were right on point. (garmin stats here.) I was chatting with other runners. I was smiling at everyone. It was perfect. Spectators, as I said, were outstanding. But the best part was seeing the same families and signs over and over again throughout the race. To the point of me actually saying to them, "Hey! I saw you just a little while ago!" It was a great race for seeing your loved ones on the course many times. Some of them I saw as many as 5 or 6 SEPARATE times. (And they didn't even belong to me! They really know how to work it!)

Even the hills! (And there ARE some hills on this course.) I ran steadily up them. I was only walking the water stops. The plan was running beautifully.

And then? Mile 12 happened. And my stomach made itself known. I had been running for a couple miles with Jess, a first time marathoner, but I sent her on her way to wait in line at the damn port-a-potty. I spent 5 or 6 minutes there, and when I finally got a turn, some RUDE guy outside was screaming like a 2 year old for us to HURRY UP IN THERE!! Really?! You think I LIKE wasting precious minutes in the damn toilet? I got the hell out, and he RAN ME OVER on the way in. He kicked my ankle out and I nearly fell. Nice. I was pissed.

And just like that, it all fell apart. I couldn't settle back into a pace. My mental game was struggling. I was upset and nearly in tears. I couldn't find a rhythm. I texted my husband that I was struggling.
He was so encouraging.

But I never got it back. I tried, and for several miles it was back and forth...I'd think I had it, and then it was gone again. Just past mile 17, I ran into my aunt and uncle on the course! That was a really nice boost right then, and I thought I could get it back. I had already been passed by the 5 hour pace group, but I wasn't so far off yet.

And then? Damn stomach again.

It was then that I realized I was hot, and a PR was out of my cards for the day. I was in it to enjoy it. I walked when I wanted to. I talked to everyone. I really had an amazing time soaking in the course, and I am glad I didn't try to kill myself when it was no longer necessary. For a while, I felt like I'd given up on myself, but after a few days to process it all, I realize I simply adjusted my goals with what the day had brought me.

And I KNOW I did the right thing.

At mile 19, I saw my parents. My Mom had been worried, since I was so far off of my projected time, but I just shrugged. I was fine. It just wasn't my day.

coming up to the Franklin St. bridge at mile 19

getting some love from my Mom

After that, I just kept with "constant forward motion." I was hot (I realize that some people thought this was a PERFECT running day, but I like it much colder. I suppose if I could run MUCH faster, it wouldn't be such an issue...) but I was having fun. I smiled. I chatted. I high-fived. I ran some. I walked some. And before long, the finish was in sight.

This is THE BEST FINISH LINE EVER. It's on a nice downhill, the Capital in full view, and they announce your name as you cross (which I loved - it was the first time I'd ever experienced that). My family back home got to hear the announcer say my name and watch me cross live. That was also pretty cool.

looking AWAY from the finish up the hill - first we ran under the flag...

Finishing this one felt great! The finishers area was really well organized, and after getting my medal, shirt (you have to FINISH to get the shirt) and picking up my stuff, I met my family again.

I am a giant dork :)

The rest of the day was spent ice-bathing and showering, and then chilling. After a bit, Carly made it back from urgent care, and I headed to her place to hang out and rehash the day and trade Duluth stories. It was the perfect end to a great day.

With so many superlatives used to describe everything about this race, there's no way I can say I had anything other than a fabulous time. Sub-5 hours is still waiting for me, and I'll still chase it, but that doesn't diminish my accomplishment in any way. I reminded myself often that day - I am BLESSED to GET to do this. I am LUCKY. I trained with wonderful people. I GOT TO RUN.

Now on to what's next....

Lessons

2011-10-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

(Race report is still coming - I'm waiting on pictures before I put it all together, so AHEM! Daddy! Email me!)

For the record, I'm really not as crabby as I sounded in yesterday's post. I just never had a chance to get upset about it until I walked in the door yesterday afternoon, and John hugged me. It honestly caught me off guard, feeling upset like that. I shed a couple tears. I wrote a pouty post.

But I don't want any of that to diminish the fantastic weekend I had.

Erin (go read her OUTSTANDING race report!) commented yesterday, "You know what our running club coach says to us after we run a race we're not happy with? "You have one hour to be upset. Then you tell me what you learned from this race."

Perfect. Here are some take away lessons from the weekend:

Heat sucks the life out of me. 78 degrees at the finish. Adjusting goals because of weather is something I just need to accept and deal with gracefully.
It is possible to be having the day of my life one minute and not be able to get up to speed a mere 10 minutes later. It happens.
It's possible to watch your dream goal fall into the port-a-potty abyss and STILL have a fabulous time.
High (and low) fiving little kids makes every race better.
God bless spectators with outstanding signs. I guffawed loudly several time Sunday.
I LOVE chatting with first time marathoners. They inspire me so much!
This was my first "race with expectations." Just because I expect it to go a certain way, doesn't mean it will. 26.2 is a long freaking way. Anything can happen.
Meeting awesome bloggers rules. (YAY for internet dating!!)
Cake makes everything better.
Text messaging awesome bloggers also rules. Even if we couldn't get our shit together AGAIN enough to meet.
Never underestimate the boost gotten from seeing family. Especially unexpected family!
Running a well-supported course with music is stupid (for me). Leave it home next time.

The Twin Cities Marathon was by far the most beautiful course I've ever run. I am blessed to have been able to run. I finished. It was (and is) all good!

Processing

2011-10-03T21:07:00.000-05:00

5:31:32

A pretty far cry off from where I'd hoped to be.

While the easy answer is, "You finished! Be proud!" the reality that is my brain right now is having a much tougher time wrapping my head around Sunday.

There's a lot of disappointment there.

But don't worry - I really did have a great day, and SO much fun, but that's because I adjusted my goal mid-race to "have an AMAZING time, no matter what the pace is." It worked for me that day.

I'll be back with a real race report in the next couple days, and I hope to get caught up on everyone.

I'm way proud of so many of you! SO many PR's this weekend.

Which may or may not make my less than stellar showing sting just a LITTLE bit more...

Three Things Thursday: The Calm Before The FUN

2011-09-29T08:49:00.000-05:00

1. I've settled into an excited calm. No stress. No panic. Just a bubbly giddiness over what's to come. I'm not sure I've looked forward to a marathon more than this one. Maybe it's all the amazing supportive emails and comment I've gotten this week. Maybe it's re-reading G's amazing letter to me (from the week before Grandma's) over and over again. Maybe it's all the TCM race reports I've been gorging on. Whatever it is, it's working.

I am SO FREAKING READY.

2. Today will be spent packing and double checking and getting everything ready around the house so John doesn't have to stress TOO much while I'm gone. I'll be out the door hopefully before everyone gets up tomorrow, just to make things simpler on everyone. And to get me to the cities as early as possible. I get a 6 hour drive to settle into my head. I'm actually looking forward to that...

3. If runner stalking is your thing, you can go here for the TCM website. Or here for the runner tracker website. Not sure if you need my full name (Bobbi Welch) or just my race number - F7789. (And Jamoosh, the F stands for Female - I guess they want all the guys on the course to be SURE they're getting chicked).

I'm not sure what kind of internet access I'm going to have, so I'll see you all on the flip side!!

Scatterbrained

2011-09-26T18:58:00.002-05:00

My head is all over the place this week. I guess that's to be expected, but I can usually focus a bit better, so it can be disconcerting. And overwhelming.

Upon announcing the winner of my giveaway, I immediately had one less follower. Not that I give a crap about who follows me, but it made me giggle. Do you do that? Follow for the contest and then unfollow? I never have - it's never occurred to me...

The weather just keeps looking better and better for Sunday. I hate to say it out loud, because we KNOW how much it can change, but it's gone down almost 10 degrees. *sigh of relief* PLEASE anything but hot...

I have been doing a ton of visualization. I love finding videos of the course and imagining myself on it. It really helped me mentally at Grandma's, and I'm hoping it does at TCM also. Do you visualize yourself on the race course prior to running it? Does it help you?

Lots of little goals are niggling at my periphery. Goals I'm going to try to attempt, but not entirely sure I'm capable of. Here's the one that scares me the most. BECAUSE it scares me the most, I'm putting it out here: I WILL ONLY WALK WATER STOPS. Can I do this? Yes. Will I convince myself I can in the moment? Not as sure. But I'm putting it out there so you all can help me stick with it.

I got a really really good 8 miles in this morning between storms. It was really windy, but I stayed dry, and I felt SUPREMELY strong. So good. I really needed that one...

HOLY CRAP IT'S 6 DAYS AWAY!.

Sorry.

I am doing my absolute best to avoid any and all germs currently circulating my house. I really hate school for that. So. Much. Coughing. And the snot. Ugh.

Are you running TCM too? Please, let's try to organize a meet up. Leave me a comment or email me if you are interested. I'm going to be in the Cities from Friday mid-day through Monday. I'm WIDE OPEN as far as time, place, whatever.

I'm sure I'll be spewing randomness at you all again soon :)

TCM Training Week 14 (And A WINNER!)

2011-09-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

This has been a strange training week for me, but I'm in full on taper mode (complete with crazy mood swings) so I guess I can't care too much.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 6 miles (ave. pace - 10:41)

Wednesday: 5.12 miles (ave. pace - 11:19) I ran with Sarah - this was a new distance PR for her!

Thursday: 4.29 miles (ave. pace - 11:19) I ran this evening with Sarah again, nice and easy.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Rest. Boo. I planned on getting my 8 mile long run done on Sunday, but I was thwarted by thunder and lightning. Later we had friends over to watch football, so it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Week Total Miles: 15.41

I'm getting excited. And calming down at the same time. The weather forecast is looking better at this point, but I'm really at peace with however this goes down. I just want to soak it all in and enjoy every second. THAT'S my main goal...

On to the WINNER! As chosen by random.org, the winner of the YMX Tribal Sea Run Tee is Ms. Caboo!! Please email your shipping info to bandthejs at yahoo dot com, and we'll get your shirt to you!

Last Call

2011-09-24T18:23:00.001-05:00

Just a quick reminder - today is your last chance to get in on my giveaway. Go HERE for a chance at a really cool shirt from a really cool company!

Winner will be announced tomorrow - happy Saturday everyone!

Antsy

2011-09-21T13:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm at that point in my taper where I'm anxious. Don't get me wrong, I love me some taper, and the running part is going really well, but the rest of it? *sigh*

Every time I log on to accuweather I swear the predicted high for 10/2 goes up a degree. Last week, it looked like a stunning high of 60. Right now? It's up to 77. This freaks my shit RIGHT OUT, even IF my hubs keeps reminding me that IT IS A GUESS, and they CAN'T POSSIBLY know yet. I know this in my head, but well, ACCCKKKK!

I'm wrapping my head around logistics while dealing with the pissed off 12 year old who can't understand why she DOESN'T GET TO GO.

I'm addicted to past race reports. It's seriously bad. I've read them all 16 times. No one freaks out TOO much over the hill at the end, so I'm choosing not to also.

11 DAYS!!!!

I'm struggling with goals for this race. The obvious choice is to come in under 5 hours, but if it's REALLY close to 80 degrees on race day? Yeah, that'll be amended. The only good thing about dealing with heat is that it'd make choosing the appropriate race outfit SUPER easy.

Geez. I'm even getting sick of me...off to daydream about the perfect race (while sanding and staining basement doors). Later...

An Unlikey Love Story. Happiest Ending Ever. (subtitled - damn I'm lucky!)

2011-09-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

(a celebratory post, marking my 13th wedding anniversary - I have always wanted to write up a "how we met" post, but never actually gotten around to doing it...)

A little more than 14 years ago, I was still unsure as to where, exactly, life was going to take me.

Just a few years prior to that, I had gone through a pretty ugly (although uncomplicated - the ugly was entirely due to hurt feelings and bruised egos) divorce. Being the giant chicken that I was at the time, instead of facing my friends and family, most of whom did NOT understand my reasons for leaving, I ran. I ran to Illinois, where I'd done my last year of school, and where I'd remembered who I was again. It made sense to me to start fresh here. It was far enough away, but still close enough to Minnesota.

After settling in and finding a job, I picked out my "rebound guy." We dated, but it was a strange relationship. We never really gelled. He liked to push my buttons. We fought an insane amount. It grew old after a time, but neither of us was willing to call a spade a spade and move on to something better.

It was September of 1997. I got drug out with the rebound guy to a local Fall festival. We were working the beer tent with his sister and brother in law. I positioned myself at the tap next to his sister (which HAPPENED to be as far from rebound guy as possible) and started pouring hard cider and laughing and joking with people. It was a lot of fun.

Before long, 2 crazy (and obviously intoxicated) guys began running up to my line, cups in each hand. They were smiley and silly, one would ask me a question, and the other would declare that, "enough!" and drag him back away. Then they'd reappear again, louder than before. It was only a little obnoxious - more funny and flattering. He asked my name. Later he asked for my number. I politely declined, pointing out my "boyfriend." RG's sister was laughing too.

When my shift was up and we were cleaning up, he found me again and handed me his business card, saying, "You won't give me YOUR number, but I can give you mine." I took it, laughing and shaking my head. He was cute. And funny. I stuck his card in my pocket.

The next day, RG was heading to a wedding with a friend. A girl. Not me. I knew where this was going. I headed to the Bears vs. Vikings game with friends (who were bound and determined to find me a NEW guy). They were obnoxious while we tailgated, but it was hilarious. The game was a great time - it was a noon game, so I got back to my apartment rather early. I was still steamed at RG's whole "wedding with a friend" thing (seriously, who does that?) and fueled by the beers of the day, I drunk-dialed John. I left some rambling ridiculous message on his answering machine, but not my number. (I am WAY smart, yo.)

Monday after work, I was frankly embarrassed. I couldn't remember exactly what I'd said on John's machine. So I used that as an excuse to call him to apologize. We talked for a long time. We totally clicked.

A couple days later, I called it off with RG. He was not happy. In retrospect, I'm not sure why he put up such a fuss, since he ended up marrying wedding chick (who is way cool, and a much better fit for him than I ever was) but whatever. I had my first official date with John (yes there may have been unofficial dates first. we don't need to go there. this is a PG blog and I already established that I was LESS than smart).

I called my mom and told her I was going to marry him.

I heard her rolling her eyes at me through the phone.

The following May, we went out to dinner. During dinner, he stuck a jewelry box on the table and pushed it towards me. We were flat out broke, and I was confused. I kept asking him, "What's that??"

He kept telling me to open it.

When I did, I found the most perfectly beautiful ring I'd ever seen. That I'd had absolutely nothing to do with just made it even more special. I still consider it the best present I ever received. He asked me to marry him, and of course I said yes. Dinner was on the house, along with a bottle of bubbly. Best day ever.

It was John's first marriage, so I let him choose the logistics. We got married in Vegas and used the money we'd saved on a huge wedding to buy a new to us house. We closed in June, lived in sin for a few months, and got married in September. Somehow we found the money to swing a package deal and honeymooned in Maui. Which, for the record, is still the most beautiful place I've ever been. I can't wait to go back some day.

Throughout everything in our lives, he remains my rock. He is my best friend. My partner in crime. The one person I can ALWAYS count on. He supports every hair brained scheme I can come up with. He is my biggest fan. He is an amazing father, and has never once looked at any houshold chore as "not a man's job."

We are a team.

I am blessed to have him in my life. I am blessed that he ran up to my beer line that day (an aside, I am STILL "beer chick" in our football pool). I can't imagine anyone better by my side.

So. Lucky.

TCM Training Week 13

2011-09-18T21:46:00.000-05:00

This was a great week of running for me! That said, why the hell is it that I wait 3 days before I start running?? I run 4 days a week. I know this. When I start on Thursday, that means 4 days in a row (which I normally don't like to do). Dumbass. Moving on...

Monday - Wednesday: REST. Not on purpose really, but Tuesday, my procrastinating nature got the best of me, and I was thinking, no problem. I'll run on Wednesday! Then my friend who's husband was recently diagnosed with cancer calls and says she wants to hang out. What can I say? Cancer trumps pretty much everything.

Thursday: 6.01 of the best miles in recent memory. (ave. pace - 10:07) Negative splits. Last 2 miles sub 10. Awesome.

Friday: 11.6 miles (ave. pace - 10:58) I wanted to get my long run out of the way, since the weekend was going to be crazy. I had 12 on the schedule, and met Kim and another running club member out for some morning miles. I only got 9.5 done before I had to get back home to meet James' school bus. Before the bus came, I managed to squeak in 2.1 more mile. I called 11.6 close enough!

Saturday: 5.5 twilight miles (ave. pace - 10:29) A gorgeous evening run...I had to wait until Jenna was back from an all day volleyball tournament, but it was worth the wait.

Sunday: 4.01 easy miles with friends (ave. pace - 11:29) I ran with my friend Sarah and her daughter in the misty rain. Perfect.

Week Total Miles: 27.12

Three Things Thursday: Complete 180

2011-09-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

(pssst! GIVEAWAY!!)

1. I whined a ton during July and August about being burnt out. About feeling stuck in a rut. About losing my running mojo. Well, something happened in the last week, because it's BACK! Maybe it's the weather? Or a successful 22 mile day? Or TAPER? Or the weather?!?

I love running again! It's so nice to not dread running and training. It's so nice to be on the cusp of finishing out a training year that began in FEBRUARY. It's so nice to run HAPPY. I had the most incredible feeling 6 mile run this morning ending in 2 sub-10 minute miles. PERFECTION.

2. Speaking of loving running and a successful 22 mile day, check out this finish-line photo:

nothing like crossing the line with your daughter AND your friend to make you happy!

3. Truly, I was kind of dreading TCM before. Now? I am so STOKED for that race. I've been stocking up on old race reports, photos, videos from last year, all of it. I CANNOT wait to run this gorgeous course. Even if it DOES sport a 2 mile long 250 foot hill starting at mile 21. I am going to OWN that freaking hill! Right?!? Right!

Almost Wordless Wednesday!

2011-09-14T13:02:00.001-05:00

I just got the mail! My bib number is F7789 (love) and I'm REALLY starting to get excited !

(If you missed it, hit up my giveaway!)

GIVEAWAY!! YMX Tribal Sea Run Tee Review and Giveaway

2011-09-13T20:51:00.000-05:00

A while back, YMX contacted me about hosting a review of their Tribal Sea Run Tee. I was super excited, because their designs are SO cool. So I meant to get this moving a while ago, but honestly, it's only been cool enough for me to want to sport sleeves recently. Last week, I was finally able to take it out for a spin around the neighborhood. I LOVED it! (AND I got compliments from my kids. WIN!)

From their website:

ABOUT YMX

YMX (acronym for YellowMan Expression) was launched in 2009 as an extension of the original, high-end tattoo clothing brand, YellowMan (founded in 2004). Built on an extensive library of original tattoo artwork collected around the globe, YellowMan offers collectible, limited wearable art prints. YMX was created to offer an alternative to YellowMan in a broader, commercial market, while still preserving the authenticity of its origins.

YMX offers multifunctional garments that bridge the gap between athletic and fashion garments. Featuring high-comfort, lightweight MadKool fabrics and detailed, original prints, YMX garments can be worn for athletic use, or for casual wear. As a matter of fact, because of the moisture-wicking properties of the fabric, many people wear YMX in both active and leisure activities without having to change!

Their designs are so so cool. Seriously, poke around their website - their stuff is more like artwork. And their MadKool fabric? Is SO nice to wear. Soft and silky and lightweight and breathable. It feels great on your skin and wicks like you wish all your running stuff would wick. It also has a pocket that sits at your lower back, perfect for gu, tissue, chapstick, whatever.

About MadKool® technical fabrics:

MadKool® technical fabrics enhance the athletic performance of the people who wear it. MadKool® efficiently moves sweat away from the body to the outer layer of the fabric, where it dries faster than with other fabrics.

In addition, MadKool® fabrics regulate your natural body temperature so you will stay warm in cool weather activities, and cool when your heart is pumping

Some MadKool® fabrics, such as those used in YMX cycling jerseys, offer UV protection so you can wear them on your next outdoor excursion without having to worry about exposure to the sun's harmful rays.

MadKool® fabrics have a lot of stretch, hold their shape and are abrasion resistant. Although they feel delicate, they aren't. Wear YMX garments hard, they can handle it just fine.

As an added bonus, MadKool® fabrics are engineered to receive prints with vivid clarity and permanance, so you don't have to worry about wearing your garment hard.

Once you experience the comfort and performance of MadKool® fabrics you will never want to take it off.

Truly, I think this is my new favorite shirt. And they sent me a super cool pair of arm sleeves made out of the same material. I can't wait till it's cool enough out to try those out too!

no making fun of the messy bathroom!

Want to win one for yourself?? Become a follower! (MANDATORY) Leave me a comment. For extra entries, please leave me a comment for each:

Lie YMX on facebook. Leave me a comment.
Share this giveaway on your blog, facebook, twitter. Comment for each.
Visit the YMX by Yellowman website. Tell me what you love!

The contest will run through midnight on September 24. I will announce the winner the following day.

Disclaimer: YMX provided the shirt at no cost to me, but the opinions are all my own.

TCM Training Week 12 (and WTH have I been up to?)

2011-09-13T09:08:00.001-05:00

As I've mentioned, life seems extra crazy lately. I don't have time to breath hardly. So here's the scoop on the last week...

Monday: After Sunday's long run fail, this was planned rest. Sort of. John and I spent the majority of Labor Day in the basement working our asses off.

Tuesday: Rest. More basement work.

Wednesday: Unplanned rest. Meant to run, but basement got in the way. Again.

Thursday: 4.01 predawn miles! (ave. pace - 10:45) It felt so good to get out there. The first round of flooring was scheduled for that morning, so I knew it had to get done early. Leg feeling good!

Friday: Unplanned rest. Oops. Up too late in the basement and I was unable to haul my ass out of bed. Next round of flooring DONE!

Saturday: 5.01 early miles (ave. pace - 10:49) Again, I knew it was early or nothing. Jenna had a volleyball game that morning, and we all went. I spent the rest of the day shopping with the kids, taking care of packet pickup, and hydrating.

Sunday: 22 miles!!! Adding everything together, I finished all 22 in 4:21:01 for an average pace of 11:52. Not too bad.

Week total miles: 31.02

Want to see pictures?? Go here to recall how it looked before - we'd gotten it just livable enough for my brother-in-law to stay down there. And now?

prior to flooring

laminate done!

this is where all the stuff was piled in the first picture

Jenna's room

We still need to finish the ceiling, stain and varnish all the doors, and have a little trim work to finish, but it's SO FREAKING AWESOME to have all the big stuff complete at last!

Race Report: Fort2Base 10 Nautical Mile

2011-09-12T10:50:00.002-05:00

(first off, I'M SO BEHIND! I've been reading, but not commenting - I hope to catch up with everyone this week...)

I heard about this race early in the Spring, and really wanted to do it, but couldn't afford it at the time. As time went on, of course the price went up. But! A few weeks back there was an online Schwaggle that discounted it 50%. So I registered, hoping to both honor the day in a meaningful way and also combine it somehow into my 22 miler - my last long run before TCM.

Kim was running it too, and I tried to talk her into making it 22 with me, but she wasn't comfortable with the idea, wanting her 22 to be it's own thing. So she did her 22 on Saturday, and ran this with me as a recovery run. (YES!! She ran 11.6 with me the day AFTER her 22! ROCK STAR!!)

SO. Since I was running more than 10 miles prior to the start, I didn't want to do race day packet pick up. I drug my kids with me Saturday and we picked up my bib and shirt, which by the way is probably the best race shirt I've gotten to date. Love it.

Race day morning I woke up at 3am. Yes. Way early. I was out my door before 4, hoping to get at least 10 done by 6. The miles ticked off, and I enjoyed the quiet of the dark. The moon was AMAZING. It was cool and humid, and the run was uneventful. I made it back to my house just before 6, having logged a 10.4 mile warm up. YES! Now I just needed to finish the race, with no extra miles to worry about.

I changed my clothes quick (I didn't want to START the race already gross), grabbed a banana and my handheld, and John dropped me off right at the start. In hindsight, I am so thankful, and the logistics of getting on the base turned out to be complicated for many runners. He kissed me and sent me on my way, and it was nice knowing I'd see him at the end.

I ended up waiting for a bit, even though I was worried about being late. The last bus full of runners didn't arrive until AFTER the projected start time, so there was a bit of a delay, but nothing too serious. I found Kim in the port-o-potty line, and waited with her, as the race started without us. No biggie - it's chip timed and I have no time expectations. Just putting in miles while honoring the day.

The first few miles ticked by. I was feeling pretty good, all things considered. I took walk breaks every mile or so. My legs felt surprisingly good. The majority of the race was along a shaded trail, and the weather was still fairly cool, with a nice breeze (I was actually COLD waiting for the start). It was still rather humid though. That kind of bit me in the ass later.

My fueling was going pretty well - I'd taken a gu at mile 6 that morning and had a salt packet and a banana between runs. I was drinking my powerade and water from every stop. I gu'd at mile 4 of the race, with more salt a couple miles later, when we stopped at a port-o-potty. I gu'd again at nearly 9. I was feeling decent. No tummy troubles.

The crowd support and course marshals were nearly all military, and they were amazing. At mile 8, we entered Great Lakes Naval Base and it really ramped up here. Just after mile 9, I started having trouble with my toes cramping up. For a bit, I could walk it off and stretch them out, and they'd be better again for a while. Just after 10, we went down a monster of a hill. Steep. Long. My toes smashed into the end of my shoes, and it hurt. Then we ran along the lake for a while, and Kim was playing music for me and dancing and distracting me. I ran as much as I could, knowing I was going to have to walk back up that monster of a hill. The good thing was that the military support at the hill was amazing. They were whooping and cheering - it was really a great boost. I walked it, the whole thing, next to a woman who ran up nearly the whole thing. We were going the same pace, so we were motivating each other.

The whole race, in my head, I kept telling myself that NOTHING I was doing today was as tough as what the people of our nation were going through 10 years ago. That was my mantra of the day. "This is NOTHING. This isn't pain. THAT was pain."

But the last mile. *sigh* I was hoping to finish much stronger than I was able to. But my toes were now excruciating. They brought tears to my eyes. I was WISHING I'd brought another salt packet. Kim was encouraging me, telling me to run it in. I had to tell her that I was walking now so I COULD run it in. We made the final turn, and I was able to run the last 100 yards. We saw our husbands, and John had brought Julia with him! So she ran it in with me! It meant everything to me that they were there...

The medals were awesome, although I'm a little bummed that we couldn't get the chain that so many people got (the chain was for the 3 mile medals). Still - very cool medallions!

Thanks so much to Kim! It was amazing doing this with you!! I'm so glad you were feeling good enough that you could use this as a pokey recovery run, and thanks for being patient and running back to me so many times. Running friends rock!

Drama Queen

2011-09-06T15:01:00.000-05:00

Wow! I sounded like my 12 year old daughter in that last post - all whiny and pouting and woe is me.

I'm still not running (yet). But after reading all your lovely comments and really taking a good hard look at it, I'm surprisingly ok with that.

This training cycle (which, for the record, I wrote in FEBRUARY), I really ramped up the miles. I figured, why not? I am already used to it - I ran a spring marathon right? Why NOT increase things?

I guess my body didn't like that so much.

In every one of my marathon training cycles so far, my body has rebelled at some point, forcing me to step it WAY back for a bit. Instead of getting (too) pissed off and training through pain, I've chosen to listen to it every time it's spoken. If that means a week off mid-training, so be it.

The upside to this is that I've yet to suffer a real game changing injury.

So I guess I'm doing something right...

(for the record, I'll be heading out either tonight or tomorrow. thanks again for all your lovely comments. beers were definitely had, although not a whole lot of rest. more like staining and varnishing and base moulding installation and ceiling tile. carpet and laminate are being installed at the end of the week. THEN I can rest!)

Dammit

2011-09-04T06:20:00.002-05:00

It's super great that I post all about determination while my leg is hurting right?

I'm all about denial.

Unfortunately, after a mile gimp-running this morning, I am unable to NOT face my current reality. There will BE no 12 miler. My week total mileage is 6.

My fucking leg hurts.

Where does that leave me?

Who knows.

On The Cusp Of My Favorite Season...

2011-09-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

I love the Fall.

I love the crispness in the air, and the chill in the morning. I love the colors and the smell. I love settling in to a new routine, and that we NEED a routine again after a Summer of "whatever we feel like today."

I love running and not feeling like I want to die.

After a couple of weeks of stunning running weather, today feels oppressive. Heavy. Looks like Summer's making a final stand. I somehow couldn't make myself get out there this morning, so I'll be running as the sun sets (which I also secretly love).

It was a good August - I lost another pound, and even saw 149 on the scale a couple times this past month. It'll be weird to finally not be classified as an Athena runner. Weird, but sweet. I ran 121.92 miles. I survived a 20 miler. I got to spend a lot of time with my kids in August. I got to celebrate 3 of my kids' birthdays and my Dad's college graduation. I got to usher everyone back to school (which was good for them AND me).

All that said, I'm suffering from a lack of motivation (which is really nothing new - I'm lazy at heart) and a suffocating kind of melancholy. Some of it is in part to the change of seasons and some of it is a bit of unwelcome and unexpected news, news that isn't mine, so I can't share it, but it's always in the back of my mind, and it's reminding me to be THANKFUL for what I have.

But instead of thankful, it's bringing out this strange, perverse, thick sadness in me, one that I've been unable to shake.

But I'm trying.

Hug your families today.

Life is short. And a gift.

As I enter the home stretch for this final marathon of this season, and as I stare at McMillan and my training log, I decided something today. A 5 hour marathon is MINE. I just have to WANT it enough. I CAN. I CAN. I just need to EXECUTE WITHOUT GIVING UP. I am too too easy on myself. But I see the numbers. I have this in me. No wimping out this go around.

Hello, grim determination. Welcome back. I've missed you.

TCM Training Week 10

2011-08-29T11:48:00.001-05:00

Last week was an emotionally draining week for me. There are weeks where James seems damn near average, and then there are weeks that remind me that he isn't. Transitional times are always the hardest on him, and when it's toughest for him, it's also toughest for me as a result.

On Thursday, after putting him on the bus, I cried my guts out (really?!? wtf?) and set out for a calming run. Well, the run HURT, enough to cut it short, so I was feeling even more wound up by the time I met the bus at the end of his day. Then he looked at me, screamed bloody murder, and thrashed, kicked and hit me as I tried to remove him from the bus. It was heartbreaking, more than anything, even IF I should have expected it - you see, he LIKED the bus and didn't want to get off.

The rest of the day spiralled downhill from there, and I was ridiculously SPENT by then end of it. Thankfully, Friday went much much better, and his afternoon bus driver made me fall in love with her by working with him so that he had a "get off the bus" routine down complete with a, "HELLO Mommy! I had a GREAT day!" I'm hoping today is more of the same.

On to training...
Monday - Wednesday: Rest. But not restful - mad dash into back to school.

Thursday: 3.25 ouchie miles - my right shin/lower leg were really hurting. Cut my 6 short. (ave. pace - 10:54)

Friday: 5 tuneless, easy miles. Leg felt better, although not 100%. (ave pace - 10:44)

Saturday: 5 easy miles at my parents' place. It was fun to explore their neighborhood. (ave. pace - 10:53)

Sunday: 20!!! All week long, it was a toss-up as to whether or not my leg was going to let me get this one done. I set out easy, paying close attention. The most bummer part is that I was running 4 days in a row, which I CAN do, but am not really used to doing, so by 13, I was pretty beat. I had done the first 10 on my own, stopped at my car to refill, and met a running club friend. She got me through the next 6, when I stopped at my car again to refill and meet up with Kim and Erin for my final 4. It was super nice to have them there, even if I was unable to keep up with them at that point. But they cheered me on, and got me to the end! YAY!

I am DONE! Kim, though had 16 more to go :) Kim and Erin were very cute and unintentionally matchy...

I managed to finish, even though there was a ton of walking happening at the end. (ave. pace: 11:39 - gu'd at 6, 10, 15ish (started half a gu, got pukey, finished it at 16) salt at 10 and 16, 60+ ounces of half powerade half water, plus water fountain stops at 10 and 16)

Week Total Miles: 33.25

Three Things Thursday

2011-08-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

1. This morning, after I put James on the school bus and then GOT OFF THE SCHOOL BUS I bawled like a baby for the whole walk home. And then for about 20 more minutes. I am having a really rough time with this one. And it's so unexpected! I mean, he went to school last year too, but watching that bus drive away ripped my heart out...

2. So I did what any normal runner would do - I registered for another race. What can I say? Races are like my crack. I don't have a shopping problem, I have a "registering for races" problem. Fort2Base is an inaugural 10 nautical mile race being held on September 11. What better way to commemorate such a tragic day in our nation's history! And wonky race distance = automatic PR.

3. As much as races are my crack, I have really really lost my running mojo. I am kind of burnt out. So I'm going out for a run, both to pass the time until the bus brings my baby back, and to try to find my mojo again. It's out there somewhere, I just know it...

Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Back To School

2011-08-24T13:19:00.000-05:00

Jenna, Julia and Jack before school yesterday

James wanted in...

James this morning, first day for him!

THRILLED to be back!

He'll ride the bus this year...

Practice ride...

TCM Training Week 9 (not sure how I actually survived that week - all hail SCHOOL!)

2011-08-22T21:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been so quiet. It's been absolutely INSANE around here, for way too many reasons. School starts tomorrow. Hopefully then I'll be able to breathe again...

Monday: rest, and I SO needed it.

Tuesday: rest - lots of love happening between me and my foam roller (Monday too) - ass is not happy.

Wednesday: 5 early morning miles (ave. pace - 10:59) Everything was still feeling wonky, but I kept it nice and easy. Glad I got it done early, because after that I had Jack's yearly doctor visit, a birthday party, and volleyball practice to fit in there. Oh, and shopping for Julia's birthday present.

Thursday: I woke up and promptly rolled over and went back to sleep. I HATE when I do that! I had to get all the school supplies ready for the older 3 kids, as it was meet and greet that night at school. I wrapped Julia's presents before she got up. I put a candle in her bagel at breakfast and we sang to her. John took half a day and we did 6 Flags all afternoon. She wanted IHOP for dinner, so that's what we had after meet and greet. I did NOT exercise, but I am so NOT calling this a rest day. I was exhausted by the end...

Friday: I got up and ran 1.12 miles (11:53 pace) with a weird acid reflux thing happening. It wouldn't stop, so I bailed. Jenna and Julia had doctor's appointments in the morning. Then I spent the rest of the day cleaning for a party the next day, but then got a call that a friend's hubs was admitted to the hospital, could I keep her kids? Um, of course. Not in the plans, but it kept MY kids busy for the day. Fed everyone, Jenna had practice, bathed the littles, and as soon as John and Jenna got back from practice, I went for a redemption run. It's been a while since I did an entire run in the dark - I am NOT used to it. But I felt good, and managed 5.02 more miles (10:42 pace) so I was HAPPY that I made it out.

Saturday: 4.5 early morning miles (10:56 pace) which, considering I'd run not even 10 hours earlier, felt GREAT. I finished up the cleaning with lots of family help, and we had a graduation party for my Dad, who earned his BS in engineering in May. It was a lovely day, albeit a busy one.

Sunday: 12.51 miles (11:16 pace) I so didn't want to do this one. I dawdled getting out the door, but my huubs kicked me out at about 7:30. I hit the trail right by my house, and headed north. The weather was STUNNING at first, cool and breezy, and while my right leg was still sore, the run wasn't bothering it at all. I had to detour for a pit stop at about 7, but overall, I felt strong throughout. I jacked up my planned route a little, so I ran out of fluid with about a mile to go, and ended up running a little extra. But my fastest mile was mile 11(!!) and overall I was fairly consistent in my pacing.

We spent the rest of Sunday working on the basement (well, John did), and Sunday night I was asleep on the couch by 9pm. Just a little tired.

Today I ran around like an idiot getting everything I missed ready for school tomorrow (WHY am I such a procrastinator?!?) and the kids are all set. We also got to meet James' new teacher this afternoon (so happy we could do that one on one) and school starts for him on Wednesday. THEN maybe I can get back some semblance of a normal routine again. We are all craving it...

Until then, I'll leave you with a song - can't get enough of this one lately!

TCM Training Week 8

2011-08-15T18:49:00.000-05:00

It seems like my life has been consumed by basement goodness lately. My training is sort of suffering. That said, I had some good miles last week, even if I did miss a run...

Monday: rest

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: 7 of the best miles I've run in I can't tell you how long. As in, I set out to do 5 and couldn't make myself stop. I wish I'd had time to run further. Glorious. (ave. pace = 10:37)

Thursday: 5 miles. I think it's the weather - these felt awesome as well. (ave. pace = 10:27)

Friday: Unintentional rest day. It was expo day though, so there was LOTS of walking...

Saturday: rest

Sunday: Chicago Rock-n-Roll Half plus 2.66 warm up miles. Total garmin distance run = 16.3 miles. Walked 1.32 miles post race. Sorry that my race report sounds so crabby - it isn't like me to be so whiny. But the report is honest - it's where I was that day. I considered taking it down, but I'm letting it stand and moving on. I'm still so happy I had the opportunity to race. I just wish I'd have been able to stay in a better spot in my head throughout it...

Week Total Miles: 28.3 miles

Race Report: Chicago Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon

2011-08-15T16:26:00.001-05:00

As you may remember, I got this race entry for free, so I was going into it planning on enjoying every second, reflecting on last year and how far I've come, taking lots of pictures and soaking in the atmosphere, and hopefully getting all 18 miles I had on my schedule done.

Damn. Typing all that my day seemed pretty epic FAIL.

Backing up - the expo, like last year, was awesome. RnR really knows how to put on an expo. Jenna and I hit it on Friday early, to beat the rush, since John took the day off of work to work (that seems really really wrong) in the basement. We have flooring scheduled, so we're on a time crunch now, and he's working really really hard to get it done. Anyhow, Jenna and I had a really nice time taking it all in and trying a gajillion free samples of everything imaginable.

After the expo, we stopped for lunch and then hit my favorite running store for new kicks. I am in desperate need of new shoes, and my shins are telling me so. In my shoe store dreams, I wanted to try on every pair in the place before blissfully choosing the PERFECT shoe. Um, not so much. He took one look at my feet, brought out 3 pairs, and I settled on the most expensive pair. (Brooks Ariels, for the record) I came home very much un-in-love with my shoes.

So I sent John in to take them back and get me new Adrenalines.

Yeah - I know - NOT how I was hoping that would go.

But, getting back on track....

Saturday John spent the ENTIRE day in the basement (have fun in the BASEMENT, da da, da DAAA, I'm sitting on my lucky couch...are we the only family who sings that song incessantly?) and I tried to go to bed sort of early. I got all my stuff ready to go, since I knew that I was on my own. I had considered driving down with some running club peeps, but that would've meant LEAVING MY HOUSE at 3:45. Um, no. I had everything laid out for the morning, I hopped in the shower, and I was in bed before 11.

Only, John was NOT. In fact, John was still working in the basement. With drills. And hammers. And various other noise-making paraphernalia.

Until 1 in the mutherfucking morning (please excuse my french, but I was a LITTLE pissed off by this time). And then he came upstairs and got in the shower (in our master there is no door between our room and the bathroom) and then he came to bed and said, "Oh, I'm sorry."

Sorry.

Grrrrr.

And now, I am too cranky to even sleep. And my alarm goes off at 3:30am, and he's still snoring. I am only a little irritated. I am TRYING HARD to not let it ruin my day.

I made it down to the city right when I hoped I would, found parking super close (and super expensive) with no incident, and only managed to forget the plastic bag I planned on keeping my phone in for the race. So of course, I knew right away that I'd be running in the rain. What I was unprepared for though, was how long it'd take me to find gear check. It wasn't clear where I was supposed to go (I am really not used to checking anything - that's what husbands are for, right?) so I didn't start my warm up miles in time to get all 3 done before the race began.

I did manage 2.66 and trotted up to the start corrals with 2 minutes to spare. I didn't exactly find my corral either - from what I saw, they only went up to 11. But I KNOW there were supposed to be more, I just couldn't figure out where they were. I was supposed to be in 15, but I hopped into 11 and we crossed the start like 5 minutes after the gun went off. Super fast.

Immediately, I was happy. I was feeling good. The weather was cool and overcast. The energy was great. But it was so freaking crowded. And that never really went away - I was elbow to elbow with people the entire race.

As in all Chicago races, my garmin freaked the eff out from the get go. I lost signal completely under the first set of tunnels, and it chimes mile 1 and I wasn't even close yet. It was a half a mile off that fast. And for the first few miles, I'd look down and see that I was running a 4 minute pace (HA!!) and then a 17 minute pace. So I just stopped looking and ran on feel. Garmin splits for the first 5 miles? 9:34, 10:15, 8:50 (hahaha!), 9:15 (also funny), 10:50. Basically, I didn't have a clue, and neither did it.

AND. Despite the fact that there were bands nearly every mile, THIS is what I had in my head. For 5 miles. There's something wrong with me. Finally, I just put my music on...

So I gu'd at mile 5ish, which considering my warm up miles was probably a bit late, but I was feeling pretty good. My stomach was staying out of the picture, which is huge. It had been drizzling on and off, but nothing major. I had decided to carry my handheld, not knowing how cytomax would treat me, and that turned out to be a good decision. I was taking water from each water stop.

I'm not sure exactly where my wheels fell off. I remember struggling to stay running just before the 9 mile water stop where I knew they'd have gu. I was mentally pushing to keep running to that. And then around 10 my ass really started talking to me. But not the way it usually does - no GI stuff here - but my muscle was REALLY sore. And each time we'd run up an overpass, the hill wasn't big, but my butt was SCREAMING. I stopped at one point to lean against a bridge and really tried to stretch it out well. But it was not helping much.

Splits: 6 - 10:25, 7 - 11:26, 8 - 10:16, 9 - 11:44

And then? I just stopped caring. I walked and stretched when I needed to. I got all pissed off when it started to rain harder. I was cranky. I was over this run.

At about 11.5 I walked with a girl for a minute and she perked me up some. I think company would've made this run much more fun. I convinced her to run the downhill and we stayed together for a little bit. Then she wanted to pick up the pace for the last mile and I sent her off.

I ran as much as my butt would allow me to until the finish line. It was raining harder than it had been the whole race when I crossed. I was soaked.

heading towrds the finish - happy to be done

Splits: 10 - 12:05, 11 - 12:07, 12 - 12:22, 13 - 13:07, 14 - 10:30

Afterwards, I navigated the giant cluster that was the chute. It took forever to find medals. It took forever to find food. I had to backtrack to get a popsicle. I skipped finisher photos. I needed to get out of there.

I got my gear checked bag (I was really worried about my phone - I wanted to get it into something dry) and then I walked back up the course and cheered for the runners coming in. I knew that anymore running was out of the question for me, but I wanted to try to get another mile or 2 in, even if it was walking.

My finish time was 2:28:36 - my slowest half of the year, but all things considered, I'm happy with my performance. I wish I could have gotten over being crabby and enjoyed myself more. The rain made it impossible to take photos - I should have taken more in the beginning when it was less rainy, but negotiating the crowds made that tricky.

I did learn that big city races are not where I'm at right now - I'll take a smaller less chaotic course any day. I spent too much time trying not to step on / get stepped on and losing myself in thought was near impossible, so no reflecting really happened. I am thankful I got the opportunity to run a repeat race - they really improved the course over last year. I don't know. Just wasn't feeling it I guess...

hey Marcia! The ribbon was even crappier than last year's...

Saturday Quickie

2011-08-13T08:14:00.001-05:00

I spent yesterday exploring the R-n-R expo with Jenna. I still say that that series charges an arm and a leg for their races, but they sure know how to put on an expo! We had a great time!

I am number 15676 (LOVE - not sure why, but I have a good feeling about this number) in case anyone feels like stalking me.

I have a guest post up at Darlene's blog - you can find it HERE. If you haven't checked out her blog, and I hadn't before, you totally should - she's such an inspiration! Anyhow, if you are curious about my running story, it's all there...

Have a great weekend everyone!

Three Things Thursday: Birthdays, Beach, and Oh Yeah, I'm Running A Race Sunday...

2011-08-11T14:04:00.000-05:00

1. Yesterday marked the birth of Jenna, my oldest daughter. She turned 12. 12!!! Insane. It was very low key, since her present was the spa fun we had a couple weeks ago. She got to choose the course of the day, so we went out to lunch with her Dad at her favorite pancake house and then? We headed to the beach.

2. What a beautiful day! The kids had so much fun - I'm not sure why we don't go more often. It' super close to our house, yet we only get there a couple times a year. Ice cream followed soon after - it was a perfect day.

3. Tomorrow I'm hitting the expo for the Chicago Rock-n-Roll half which is on SUNDAY. Kinda snuck up on my. I just reread my report from last year, and am amazed at how far I've come since then. I'm really looking forward to running this race for fun, and enjoying it. There will be no racing for me on Sunday. If you are running too, let me know - I'd love to meet up!

GBBPX: Seeds of Running (Guest Post)

2011-08-09T18:15:00.000-05:00

Hi I'm Karen, and I'm so happy to be doing a guest post for Bobbi. You can find me normally blogging at TriKarenTri.blogspot.com. I write about my triathlon, trail running and road running adventures. Sometimes I throw in a bit of humor (I think) or some stuff about cycling. I guess this post is a follow up to my post titled "Seeds of Triathlon". While my forays into triathlon had a distinctive Indian source, my introduction into running did not. Like many of you, I ran a bit as a kid here and there. I chased boys around the playground as a small child, although I was often hindered by the need to pull up my knee-high, strawberry shortcake socks.

I wasn't a particularly athletically gifted kid though. I sucked at dodgeball--I mean, really. Being the only brown kid, I guess I stuck out like a sore thumb and became an easy target. The best thing any baseball, basketball or football teacher ever said to me in elementary school was, "Nice effort". I hated P.E. with a passion, mostly because of the awkwardness and embarrassment of always being chosen last or next to last.

Yeah, I was that kid.

Fast forward a few years--Jr. High. That bastion of hell. By the time my 12th birthday rolled around, I decided that I was going to be smart. Not athletic. Certainly not pretty (no girl thinks they are pretty during Jr.High, do they?). Mandatory P.E. still caused embarrassment, although not to the extent as elementary school.

Then something weird happened. During our usual forced military run during P.E., I decided that I would rather get the darn 1/2 mile run over and done with. And guess what? Instead of being middle of the pack, I was the first girl done. The next time I ran a "bowl" (that's what the 1/2 mile was called) the girls were sent out first. 1 minute later, the boys were sent to chase after us. I decided that I was not going to let any boy pass me; I turned my legs faster and I felt the wind whip through my aqua-netted hair. In the end I almost succeeded--a boy from the Jr. High Track team beat me by 10 seconds. But he was the only one. I remember coming home and telling my dad about my running that day and that I beat everyone except one boy. His response was, "Of course--you have my genes." I didn't know what that exactly meant but for the first time, it dawned on me that I might be good at some athletic endeavor. It blew my mind.

Two years later, I enrolled at high school. One of my friends said to me, "hey, let's go out for cross country." Without a second thought, I said, "Ok". I didn't even know what that would entail. I set out for my first "practice run" on a Saturday afternoon in August. It was probably 105 degrees and I was running on asphalt with no water, old nikes and baggy shorts and a cotton top. Not my best run. Slowly I learned the rules--buy good shoes at fleet feet, not at payless shoes source. Don't wear cotton if you can help it. Drink lots of water before you run. Drink lots of water after you run. Year after year I persevered in my running. I wasn't the fastest and I wasn't the slowest either. That was ok with me-- my expectations had been so low, i was thrilled to be a part of a running team; other things changed in my life though. My social circle became wider, my grades went way up and I was placed in AP classes. All of this I credit to cross country and track.

During college I didn't run with the college team although I did run sporadically on my own. After college, the usual craziness of life took hold and running ceased completely. Then right around my 27th birthday I (on a dare) ran a race with my mom. Again, it changed my life because it sparked in me that old nostalgic feeling of accomplishment of something I never thought possible. Throughout graduate school I trained for a half marathon or a local 5k. Then after I finished my degree, I registered for every race I could afford. And now I have 2 marathons, 9 half marathons, 1 half-ironman, 2 olympic triathlons, unknown sprint triathlons and 5k's under my belt.

And I have this..

The seeds of running sprouted very well, indeed. Thanks so much for reading!

(Thanks so much for guest posting today Karen! You can find other GBBPX participants at Adventures of an Average Athlete.)

TCM Training Week 7

2011-08-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

Last week was a decent training week, despite my life being nutso crazy.

Monday: rest

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: 6 miles (ave. pace = 10:47) It finally cooled off! This was a nice early morning run.

Thursday: I meant to run, but the day got away from me. Boo.

Friday: 3.51 miles (ave. pace = 10:43) Felt like crap - giant headache, super hot/humid. And we had LOTS of basement painting to do. Like, we painted until 10:45pm. Seriously.

Saturday: 3.1 miles (Just Book It 5k - ave. pace = 9:19!!!) Getting up that early was rough. Even rougher was racing home, showering, heading to my sister's for my niece's birthday party, then heading to my friend's for my godson's birthday party. Felt like crap all day (maybe from racing hard? who knows). And we got home at 10:00pm. Freaking TIRED.

post race, just before I left

Sunday: 15 miles (ave. pace = 11:38) with Kim. Some of the worst mosquitos I've dealt with. I have probably 30 bites today. And it rained a lot, but that DID help with the bugs. Very very soggy, but no blisters or significant chaffing. Got it done, even though neither of us was feeling it. After that? We went to the Taste of Roselle to see our friends' band play. By the end of their set it started to rain again, and we headed home. And I was only a little bit sad. Exhausted.

Week Total Miles: 27.61

Today? I did NOTHING. And I liked it.

Just Book It 5k - Race Report

2011-08-08T08:09:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, the Grayslake Running Club held their inaugural 5k which benefited the Grayslake library. A ton of work went into putting this together, and so I was really excited to see how it all played out.

I showed up at 6am for the 8am start - I didn't get to be too involved with the planning, and I had to beat it out of there right after the race, so I wanted to help as much as I could with the set up.I helped out where I could but really? They had it very under control considering it was their first time doing such an event.

Soon, blogger friends started to arrive. Kim, Erin, Lauren and Marcia would also be running, and I was stoked to see everyone (and meet Lauren for the first time). We watched the kids dash go first (so darn CUTE!) and then lined up at the start. I was already hot. And sticky. It was really really humid.

The plan was for Kim to pace me to a sub-30 minute 5k. I gave her full permission to beat me into compliance. Kim knows exactly how wimpy I can be. I promised her I trusted her and that I wouldn't look at my watch at all (I didn't want my brain to freak out into "HOLY CRAP I CAN'T DO THIS" mode - my brain is good at that). The high school choir sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and we were off and running to the high school band. There was a GREAT community turnout.

I was pretty sure I could do it. I wasn't as sure that I WOULD do it. We didn't get a chance to warm up at all, so there was that - usually my legs don't feel good until about 2 miles in. But I was pretty darn determined.

The first mile went pretty well. I walked the water stops (there were 3 I think - a lot for a 5k, but I was thankful for EACH ONE). But only briefly - I had Kim pulling me hard core.

The second mile, I started to falter. My lungs were SCREAMING at me. Kim was telling me stories and talking to get my mind off of my hurt.

The third mile sucked ass. My splits showed it too - there would be no negative split for me today. I tried a walk break or 2 (or 5) but Kim would bark, "COME ON. 4 SECONDS!" and then I was running again. (My favorite was when she was tired of my whining and snatched my water bottle out of my hand and ran off, haha!. Love her - she knew just how hard to push me).

I've never been so thankful to see a damn finish line. Racing a 5k is freaking hard! BUT. I still had a decent kick! AND. I crossed the line with a BIG PR.

28:55!!!

I was gasping. Seriously felt like I wanted to die. But I was thrilled that I'd done it.

We all had pretty good days! Lauren PR'd also, and Marcia snagged second place in her age group. I was so freaking happy to be on the first page of results (instead of the last) and actually managed 5th in my AG (and not out of 5!!)

Sweaty and done! (thanks for the pic Marcia!)

Unfortunately, I had a ridiculously busy day ahead of me, so I couldn't stay and chat very long. (Yeah - I had 2 birthday parties still to get to). But I stayed for a bit and enjoyed a freeze pop. It was so nice to get to see everyone. And the race was a smashing success (they had over 500 registrants!).

The next day (yup - ran long with Kim) Kim asked me if she thought we went out too fast (splits were 9:04, 9:06, 9:38). I assured her that we hadn't - she knows me well enough to know that I would crap out at the end, and she was building me a cushion. She ALSO said she thought I could do 27. Maybe. But right now, I don't even want to. That was effing hard.

TCM Training Week 6 / July Wrap Up

2011-08-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

July sucked for me, as far as motivation is concerned. I just didn't seem to have any. I struggled to get out the door. I let myself skip runs when I wasn't feeling it. I wished I wasn't marathon training AGAIN. And the weather? Is NOT helping.

Let's look at last week:

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 5.54 of the best damn miles in FOREVER. It was so nice out! (ave. pace: 10:28)

Wednesday: 5.15 miles - decent run (ave. pace: 10:42)

Thursday: rest

Friday: 12.02 miles (ave. pace: 11:17) I did my long run Friday knowing it'd be near impossible to smash it into birthday weekend. Kim ran it with me and it was hot and it sucked. I did NOT treat Thursday like the day before a long run, and my eating has been craptastic at BEST, and I suffered because of it. Why do I do this to myself?!? There were a record number of potty emergencies, and I felt like SHIT. It was so freaking humid. I sweated buckets. It was so gross out that somehow Kim talked me into running the last few miles in just a sports bra. We'd stopped to refill water bottles, and we went for it. (I actually wrung sweat out of my shirt - nasty!) I was SO self-conscious, but it felt SO FREAKING GOOD! Sometimes it's ok not to care right? Even when you aren't sure you can pull it off? In any case, I was so glad to have Kim with me (or I'd have quit on it) and I was so glad to have it DONE.

Saturday: Birthday party extravaganza! What a great day, full of friends and fun. Lots of swimming, we rented a bounce house, and everyone had a great time. PERFECT weather.

CUPCAKES!

how James prefers to get after it :)

Sunday: I really meant to get some recovery miles in. But nope. I never got out of my pajamas. Parties take a lot out of me, I guess.

Week total miles: 22.71 UGH! Not enough.

July month total was 80.88 miles. Maybe mentally I needed a slack month? I don't know. I'm finding summer running the least fun. I'd rather run in the snow, seriously. I am ready to pick it up again in August though. My training schedule is a lot more agressive than my past schedules have been, but I don't want to burn myself out either. So I'm going to commit to 4 runs per week, even if I can't necessarily hit the mileage that I've laid out.

My other goals have basically held steady, with no significant improvement. No weight loss or gain. The one exception is time spent one on one with my kids. I managed quite a bit of this in July. And that's ALWAYS a good thing.

Three Things Thursday

2011-07-28T09:56:00.001-05:00

1. James' appointment at the peds neurologist was surprisingly anticlimactic. Yes, he's on the spectrum. Yes, we're doing everything we should at this point (except for continuing services through the summer - will work on that next year). Yes, who the hell knows how this will manifest itself in the future. Maybe he'll be "normal" (whatever THAT is) and maybe not. Here's an order for a chromosomal test which may or may not tell us anything.

I HATE how freaking gray autism is. Sucks. Sometimes black or white would be nice.

2. I had an absolutely LOVELY evening with Jenna yesterday. All she wanted for her birthday was to go to a real salon and get a mani-pedi and her hair done. So that's what we did, a bit early, so she can unveil her new look at the birthday party Saturday. It was so nice to just chill out with her, and her hair looks adorable. Seriously. Love.

3. My house is a freaking mess. Sometimes procrastination does NOT pay off. Gotta go!

More Surprises

2011-07-26T13:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, after dropping off my oldest son at basketball camp for the week (*sniff*), I went to my sister's house to hang for the afternoon.

Have I told you recently how much I LOVE that I can do that?!?

So this morning, I was in full on procrastination mode. I stayed up too late waiting for my hubs to get home from his late meeting, and I couldn't get out of bed this morning. I hate that. I was wasting time on the computer. I can waste a LOT of time on the damn computer.

But.

Someone from the running club posted on our page.

She had a free entry code to the Chicago Rock-n-Roll half that she couldn't use.

"Up for grabs!" she said.

Oh HELL yeah!

I snatched that up! Before, I was super bummed to not be running it this year - it was my first half ever last year, but I couldn't afford it now.

But for FREE!!???!!

WAHOO!!

Sometimes procrastination pays off...

Who else is running it?

(expect lots of radio silence this week - I'm cool, but planning our annual kids' birthday bash for Saturday. I'll pop in when I can no longer stand the cleaning...)

TCM Training Week 5 (Along With A Winner!)

2011-07-25T07:18:00.000-05:00

I seem to have skipped weeks 1 through 4, huh? They were mostly recovery weeks - I didn't worry for a whole month about getting in anything I didn't FEEL like getting in. It was nice. I DID get a decent long run in each week (week 2 was 6 miles, then 9 miles, and last week I ran a 10 miler) but outside of that, it was pretty laid back. So this was the first week I was back in "training" mode. Leave it to me to start up hard during a heat wave. Ugh.

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 5.5 hot miles (first 1+ with my girls) (average pace: 11:26)

Wednesday: rest

Thursday: 4.5 hot early morning miles (average pace: 10:57)

Friday: storm induced rest

Saturday: 4 hot miles (average pace: 10:32)

Sunday: 8.1 evening miles (average pace: 11:10)

Week total miles: 22.1 (it only goes UP from here...)

On to the WINNER! Random.org chose lucky number 2 which means Christy gets the gotein! Email me your info (bandthejs@yahoo.com) and I'll get it in the mail. Thanks for playing everyone!

Surprises

2011-07-22T14:40:00.001-05:00

Lately, as I mentioned in my last post, I've been cranky. In a bit of a funk. Just feeling off.

Last night, it stormed like crazy madness starting at 3:55. My son immediately demanded my presence. My daughter joined soon after. When my husband checked up on us a bit later (after checking in with my older son, who is always a bit freaked out in a storm) I told him my alarm was going off in 10 minutes. At that point, I pretty much knew that there'd be no early morning run for me. *sigh*

James and I were up for good shortly after 7. Everyone else wandered slowly out one by one after that, with Jenna getting up just in time for lunch. It rained all morning (which we desperately needed, but I was still pouting about my missed run).

Just after Jenna woke up, the Fed Ex truck showed up and my doorbell rang. I hadn't ordered anything, so I was immediately curious. I thought maybemy nuun had finally shown up - I ordered it to arrive before Grandma's, and it got lost in USPS limbo somewhere. But when I looked at the box I knew that wasn't it. And when I looked at the return label from Allied Medal Displays I got all jumpy and excited. You see, I'd been lusting after these since I first saw one given away on a blog way back when. I try to enter every time I see them offered. I've yet to win one, but I've dropped lots of hints around my family about how awesome they are and how I totally NEED one.

Still, I had no clue who'd sent it. I tore into the box, to find the most KICK ASS display that says "ROCKSTAR" and a note! From Kim! Oh how I love surprises! Completely out of the blue and unexpected. It made my day, and I haven't stopped smiling. Here's a crappy picture - I'll post a better one when I hang it...

I adore it!! Seriously, it's such good quality, and so pretty. THANK YOU KIM!!!

And then! My nuun DID come in the mail. YAY! And strawberry lemonade is so so yummy!

And just like that, my outlook and attitude are better. And my family is happy because of it. Don't you just love surprises!? Happy Friday!

(BTW!! My Gotein Giveaway ends Monday, and your odds are excellent at this point!)

Thursday 13: Sometimes A List Is Easier...

2011-07-21T11:58:00.002-05:00

1. Yesterday, my oldest son, Jack, turned 10. It's tough to believe that he's in double digits already. He had his last day of summer band, they had a little concert, he went to Harry Potter, we went to Red Robin for dinner, it was a good day. Love that kid...

2. I've been trying to write something coherent for a good week now, but it seems I've lost my muse. I mean, how many times can I write "I ran?" It isn't like there's nothing happening - I just can't seem to find the words. Or the desire to type the words. Summer funk I guess...

3. Running has been similarly stale. I have a tough time getting motivated. It's fucking hot. I run. Sometimes. But not as often as I should. Blurgh.

4. BUT! On Tuesday BOTH my girls wanted to run with me. Yes, it was a gazillion degrees. Yes, I'd rather have gone later to beat the heat a little. But how could I turn that down? We got ready and headed out. Julia (who is almost 6 and a MAJOR whiner) and Jenna (who is almost 12) ran the first loop with me. It was 0.58 miles, and Julia ran most of it, not really melting down until the very end. We dropped her at home and ran it again. Jenna wanted to go to fast, and ended up with a cramp halfway through. I tried to explain the benefits of going slow at the start to her, but she still "thought" she should be running faster. We took a couple breaks, and sprinted to out driveway. I was so PROUD of them both! How COOL to be running with my girls?!?

5. After dropping my girls off, I ran sprinkler tangents for 4 more miles. Holy crap, it was hot. I must have crossed the same street 5 times just to hit every possible water source. I had to beg a kind woman washing her car for a handful of water because I had so much sweat in my eyes I could barely see. She took pity on me, thank goodness.

6. James has been on my last nerve lately. He actually asked me this morning if he could go to school today (hence, his problem). We have an appointment with a pediatric neurologist next week, to try to get to the root of things. We'll see - I am hopeful...

7. Is it time for school yet? Anyone else's kids trying to kill each other this summer?

8. Thank goodness for the pool. It has saved my sanity countless times. Seriously. And James jumps right in (with his life vest on) and swims around like a fish. So for the first time in YEARS I can swim with my kids without one of them attached to me. Bliss!

9. With all this heat, I am reminded constantly of how thankful I am that this is NOT the week we had no power. I think I'd have cried. For real.

10. We scheduled flooring for the basement. So now we have a deadline. Which is a good thing.

11. Money has for years and continues to be a constant source of stress for our family. Honestly, my funk lately is probably more related to money woes than anything else.

12. So when I got an email from a recruiter with a job I am ridiculously qualified for, I asked John and then threw my name into the ring. It scares the SHIT out of me, as the logistics of a full time job for me with 4 kids is mind-boggling.

13. BUT. This is a contract job. And I have to have a lot of flexibility to make it work. Otherwise, forget it. It isn't worth it. We'll see if they are willing to be flexible. I'll keep you posted...

Gotein Review and Giveaway

2011-07-18T15:08:00.000-05:00

Like a gazillion other bloggers, I was contacted by Gotein to do a review of their product and a giveaway. I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity, as I had yet to discover a protein shake that I actually liked.

For those of you who've yet to read about it or try it, Gotein is a single serve tube of protein powder that you mix into bottled water, shake and drink. It's convenient for use on the go. It comes in 3 different flavors (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry).

My review? Gotein IS convenient. It's easy to mix, easy to drink, and you can have it anywhere. All flavors are 110 calories or less and contain 16 or 17grams of protein. They are pretty low carb (6g or less) and vanilla and strawberry are gluten free.

I started with chocolate, which would normally be my favorite, but I ended up liking it the least. I moved on to strawberry, and last I tried the vanilla. They were all OK, to me. But that's coming from a girl who doesn't love protein shakes, so take it for what it's worth. They DID provide a quick easy recovery drink, and also a mid-afternoon way to curb my munching, keeping me full til dinner. I found that I needed to mix them a LOT and drink them as cold as possible to get the most enjoyment out of them.

So if you like protein shakes and are looking for something quick and easy to have on the go, Gotein is a good choice. It IS on the expensive side, but they have a convenience club on their facebook page here which can lower your cost.

If you are interested in trying it for yourself, here's your chance! You can win it! Just become a follower and leave me a comment. I'll choose a random winner on Monday 7/25.

Disclaimer: I was given the product to try for free, but the opinions expressed are my own.

So. Freaking. Behind.

2011-07-15T10:19:00.000-05:00

So. I was officially without power from 8am Monday until 2pm Thursday. I was JUST starting to recover from the impromptu Minnesota visit for my Grandmother's service, so to say I'm a bit behind now is the understatement of the century.

I don't even know where to start.

Last Saturday was our semi-annual trek to the dentist. We still go where we used to live, so we all go on a Saturday morning and take over her office, which is about an hour and a half away. It was monumental that day, since James sat for his ENTIRE cleaning without hardly even fussing. I was over the moon! After that we met some old friends for a picnic in the park, and then all went for ice cream. It was an exhausting but SUPER fun day.

I had a lovely spur of the moment long run on Sunday. I wasn't even going to run (I totally thought I deserved a day to sleep in for once), but Kim tested me at 9:30 the night before asking me if I wanted to go. My husband laughed at me as I argued with myself (yes - out loud!) and texted her back saying I was in. For 9 miles. I hadn't run more than 6 since the marathon, and I'd eaten NOT like I was running long that day, so I had no clue how it'd go.

We met at 6am, since it was supposed to be a hot one, and it was so nice to chat with her. It'd have been even nicer if my stomach had decided to behave, but oh well. It was to be expected. I walked often the last 3 miles to avoid any unfortunate accidents, but it all ended up OK. Kim is always patient with me, thank goodness. It was a fun run, and I was home before anyone in my house was even awake. LOVED that. I spent the rest of the day in the pool. LOVED that too.

Then, Monday morning, the storm blew through. It was a scary, super quick storm, that turned my backyard upside down, picked up my huge gas grill, and tossed it on it's head 6 feet away like it was nothing. The power went out. Jack was screaming that it was a tornado, and I had to talk him down off the ledge. Trees and branches blew everywhere. After a couple hours, we bailed and went up to see my Dad. When we came back, John's Dad was busy hooking up our generator.

So basically, it was 4 days with no power. Monday sucked since it was 90 degrees outside. BUT. We had the food under control. Tuesday it cooled off beautifully, so much that we opened all the windows and went to the zoo. Wednesday night, I actually SHUT windows because I was cold (!!!). Other than everything getting dark at 9pm, and not being able to do laundry, we were fine. Sure it was a pain, but it could have been SO much worse. Some of my friends are still powerless. Our neighbors on both sides have huge trees in their yards. We are all just fine. It was in the grand scheme of things, a minor inconvenience.

But I'm REALLY behind. Time to catch up!

We Interupt This Broadcast...

2011-07-13T06:36:00.000-05:00

I haven't had power or phone since 8am on freaking MONDAY.

I am a teeny bit frustrated with the whole situation.

I am ridiculously grateful that it cooled off so much yesterday.

I'll be back as soon as the lights go on :(

Miss you all...

Glossing Over Important Stuff So I Can Catch Up

2011-07-08T10:31:00.004-05:00

I've been MIA, and I'm sure most of you guessed why, and you were probably correct. I've been trying for 2 days now to figure out how to put the past week in words, but really? Words can't do any of it justice.

I'm tired and uninspired, so I'm just going to lay it out here and then move on.

Saturday morning I set out on what was supposed to be a 6 miler. It sucked from the minute I set foot out the door, but I made myself give 3 miles before bailing. At 3 miles I was dying in the stifling heat, blaze on sun, and 95% humidity, I said eff this shit and ran home. It was early, but obviously not early enough - I should have gotten up sooner. Almost an hour later, I was still sweating buckets. Gross.

Right after getting back from the slog, my Mom called. They'd just seen my Grandma, and she was still breathing steady. She hadn't eaten or drank since Monday, so it was just a matter of time. I hung up, got in the shower, and then when I came downstairs, she called again. Grandma was gone.

I didn't know how I was supposed to feel. This was a recurring theme throughout my weekend. I was going to miss her like crazy. But I was happy that she got the death she wanted and chose. She died with dignity surrounded by love. Who can ask for more than that? So I honestly felt strangely when people offered me their sympathy.

We continued on with the plans we made for Saturday, and I waited til later to tell the kids what happened. (My oldest daughter has a lot of drama queen tendencies.) As is was, we just kind of eased into the conversation and it was all kind of just "there." In the meantime, we did a lot of this:

We had friends over, we grilled, we took down an entire watermelon, it was a great day. The only downside was James' face - I mistakenly put Jenna in charge of sunscreen. She did the best she could with a boy who fights everything. It turned out like this:

Poor kid - he had stripes and fingerprints and spots that were perfect and spots that were NOT. It didn't seem to bother him, but I felt bad (and so did Jenna).

Sunday there was no 4 mile race - instead it was a mess of packing and laundry and shopping for funeral clothes. But, I did manage to squeeze in one of my best 6 mile runs to date - what a difference a day makes. And Monday, we got up at the ass crack of dawn and headed towards Minnesota. After an uneventful (albeit WHINY courtesy of Julia) 7 and a half hours, we were checked in to our hotel. We chilled for an hour, changed clothes and cleaned up, and headed for the wake. Not exactly the typical 4th of July celebration, but that's the way it worked out. It was the first time in I can't remember how long that I missed fireworks.

We were back to the funeral home right away Tuesday morning, then processed to the church for mass. I was a pall bearer for the first time. Caskets with tiny ladies in them are still really heavy. I did a reading, Jenna did too, they tried to involve as many people in the mass as possible. My sister and my uncle did the eulogy. I cried a lot, but not out of control sobbing. It was perfect. We headed to the cemetary and then on to a luncheon. It was a GORGEOUS day. My children were OUTSTANDING. I was full up with love and sadness and pride and joy all at once.

After lunch my kids were getting to be less outstanding, understandably so, so we bailed. Just before leaving, my Dad made me bawl uncontrollably. It was only once, and it was quick, but what he gave me touched my heart in an inexplicably momentous way. I am blessed.

More swimming. More sort of sleeping in a crowded unfamiliar place. More driving.

Back to laundry. Bla bla bla.

Back to normal.
But I'm still feeling a little sad and empty. Sorry if I'm a bit quiet - I'll catch up soon...

July!?! How The Hell Did That Happen So Fast? (Midyear Goal Check In)

2011-07-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

I am copying from my January post, and addressing each one...here goes:

1. I already mentioned that I joined Tall Mom's 1000+ mile club. I really want to run MORE this year. I'm not quite ready for speed workouts yet, but I want to up my base mileage. When I told my husband this goal, he looked at me as if I had lost my mind - that's TWICE the mileage I did in 2010 - but if I do 2 marathons per the training schedule I have, and if I manage to stay injury free, this is very doable.
-June mileage was 69.16. That's way down from the past few months, but that's got my jacked up taper and my marathon recovery in there. Year total so far? 478.73 miles. I am SO going to run 1000 miles this year! AND I have been doing speedwork too :)

2. I want to lose 8 pounds this year. That will put me right at 150, which is a really good weight for me. I can do this by changing my diet up some more to include less junk food and more veggies and fruits. This will have the added benefit of helping my cholesterol improve.

-I am down another pound. Only 2 to go! AND my cholesterol is behaving nicely. WIN!

3. I want to run a marathon in UNDER 6 hours. This is also very doable. And if things go well, we'll talk 5:30.

-OH YES I DID!!! 5:02:28!!! We'll see if we can go sub-5 this Fall! (can you tell I'm still glowing about this? Ha!)

4. I want to be a better, more organized housekeeper. I suck at this. My plan is to pick 1 room a month to completely overhaul. That's manageable, in addition to keeping up better with day-to-day chores. I have a tendency to let things go til I can no longer stand it and then go crazy but do it all half-assed. If I can keep up, this will no longer happen.

-Sadly, I still suck at this. *sigh* Hoping that summer helps me get a better handle on this one.

5. I want to spend more one-on-one time with each of my kids. James gets a ton of me, but I need to give more to my other kids too.
-This has been going really well, and summer will only help...

6. MORE CROSSTRAINING. Seriously.

-Um, no. NEED TO FOCUS HERE.

So, I'm making good progress, but still have work to do. Getting there!

Three Things Thursday

2011-06-30T08:08:00.000-05:00

1. Track = SUCCESS!

1 x 400 @ 2:00 (actual - 1:59) w/200 rest
1 x 800 @ 4:10 (actual - 4:22) w/400 rest
1 x 1600 @ 9:00-9:30 (actual - 9:15) w/800 rest (ended up being 400 - walked most of it)
1 x 800 @ 4:10 (actual - 4:26) w/400 rest
1 x 400 @ 2:00 (actual - 2:02)
Did a half mileish warmup and cooldown.

I still can't believe that I hit my 400s perfectly. I didn't think I could go that fast, seriously. I couldn't quite hit the 800s, but close enough! It's really fun doing this with a group, rather than solo. I push myself harder than I would on my own. Today, I'm feeling like I WORKED yesterday, and I like it.

2. This weekend, I might run a local 4 mile race. I've never run a 4-miler, so even though it's supposed to be a HOT one, it'll be an automatic PR! (For the local peeps who've run in Highland Park, yes, it DOES include the monster hill. Yay.) It's only 20 bucks, but I need to decide by the end of the day. So what am I waiting for? See number 3...

3. Grandma update - basically, she's fading quickly now. She had a really good couple of weeks, but in the past few days, the decline is evident, and yesterday, she was for the most part, completely unresponsive. I'm planning on us all making the trip back for the funeral...I'm just waiting for that call.

Back On Track

2011-06-29T15:31:00.000-05:00

According to Higdon, I'm not supposed to be doing speedwork again yet, but today, I'm saying eff him, and heading to the track anyhow. It's just too perfect outside.

The problem is that the club has been progressively doing workouts each week, and I went to the first session back in May, and haven't been since. As such, the workouts have gotten more difficult, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up. But I figure, I'll do what I can, and some is better than none, right?

On tap tonight?

1 x 400 @ 2:00 (eek!)
200 rest
1 x 800 @ 4:10 (eek again!)
400 rest
1 x 1600 @ 9:00 to 9:30 (this would probably be close to the fastest mile I've ever run)
800 rest
1 x 800 @ 4:10
400 rest
1 x 400 @ 2:00 (I might die right about here)

NOT A CLUE how this will go...wish me luck...

Spreading The Word...

2011-06-27T16:47:00.000-05:00

I have often considered running for charity, and at some point, I hope to have the courage. But the truth is, fundraising scares the crap out of me. Yes. I am a giant chicken when it comes to asking people for ANYTHING, but most especially, MONEY.

But, I try to support other people's efforts when I can. Lately, my bank account (and my husband) is not so forgiving of my generosity, but I still try. One thing I CAN do is try to spread awareness.

SO. If you have the means and the inclination, go HERE to support Erin as she raises money to support Team Meb while training for NYC. Erin is a super inspiring mom of 12 amazing kids. She says:

The MEB Foundation stands for Health, Education, Fitness and Balance and helps youth have the opportunities they need to succeed in life by providing access to health, education and fitness to children in the U.S. and in Eastern Africa. As a mom of 12 and as one who works with kids in need, this is a cause near and dear to my heart.

She is offering up some amazing prizes too, so if you can, help her out!

Race Report: Sweat Your Thorns Off Virtual 5k

2011-06-25T21:53:00.001-05:00

As I said in my last post, I intended to race this. I'm not sure if I've ever truly *raced* a 5k, so I was kind of winging it. As per usual, my day got away from me, so I was smashing it in at the end of a long one...

My day included weeding, mowing, a Menard's run, and some cleaning, topped off with a birthday party at a local park. All 6 of us went to the park, and we ate pizza for dinner there. And cookies. Yum. I ate too much pepperoni pizza. I regretted that lots later.

We got home with 4 whiny kids and started to get everyone cleaned up. Then I did a quick change, and headed out the door, intending on 3 warm up miles followed by the 5k. The first mile was AGONY. I hurt. I was burping pizza. My legs felt like lead. It almost felt like I was at mile 20 of the marathon. I convinced myself that I could skip the warm up and call it a 5k recovery run.

But then? Halfway through mile 2? I was feeling OK. Still burping pizza (I never really got past that) but my legs were getting into it. I stopped my warm up at 2.5 miles and reset my watch. (2.5 miles: 26:49. Average pace: 10:44)

Here's where I need some work: mile 1 was crazy fast for me. I was gasping and had to walk lots. I spent mile 2 trying to recover from mile 1, and it ended up being the slowest of the bunch. By mile 3, I'd found a bit of a groove, but I was over it at this point - I wanted to be DONE.

The details? Click here if you want to see it all.

Final time: 30:15 Just short of my 30 minute goal, but an unofficial PR!
Average pace: 9:45
mile 1: 9:43
mile 2: 9:55
mile 3: 9:46
last 0.1: 8:30

absolutely sweaty

Not too bad! I can definitely do better, but I'll take this 1 week out from a marathon. Thanks, Adam, for hosting a fun race! (and sorry - no bib - my printer is dead)

Three Things Thursday

2011-06-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

1. I have been eating like a crazy person since getting back. Seriously. Burgers, pie, chips, burritos, cookies (the COOKIES!) you name it - I'm ingesting it. Must. Stop. Now. If I don't, I'll gain back every pound I've worked so hard to take off this year! I do admit, though, that it's been fun to indulge in things I've avoided during training :)

2. Saturday I am running Adam's "Sweat Your Thorns Off" virtual 5k. Depending on how my legs feel, I'm aiming for a sub-30 5k. I looked at the numbers in my PR 10k (the one where my average pace was UNDER a 10 minute mile) and the last 5k WAS under 30 minutes. So I need a decent warmup to get it done. But I'm going to RACE it, which is tough for me...

3. I decided to follow Hal Higdon's recovery plan, so for the next 3 weeks, I'm sticking with it as best I can. I may or may not up the mileage a TEENY bit though - I don't know if I'm capable of going out and running just 2 miles. I've hardly warmed up then!

Question for those of you who've run more than one marathon in a season: How did you incorporate a decent recovery to a new training plan? I made up my plan a while back, but now I'm not sure if I need SO much recovery...

Post-Grandma's: The Rest of the Weekend

2011-06-22T09:52:00.000-05:00

Are you sick of hearing about it yet? This is the last of it, I swear. Well, I think so, anyhow. I also promise not to use the word "freaking" QUITE so often in this post. That's what I get for trying to write while dealing with my kids at the same time - after getting called away from it 20 times while writing it, I didn't realize how often that word got typed, haha.

I honestly don't have a lot to say about the aftermath. I obviously got my medal. I didn't get a shirt - they were out of my size - but they let you order it, so it'll get mailed to me. Much better than settling for a men's sized shirt (although they gave you that option if you wanted). I looked for Carly, but never saw her.

Then it was off to try to find my sweat bag, and maybe redeem my drink ticket. But after negotiating the chaos and finally getting my stuff, I was feeling kind of out of it, and the post race beer no longer sounded so good. We had a good half a mile to walk back to the hotel, at least, and I made the call. I was freezing. Let's get the hell out of here. After that, I just kind of blindly followed my parents back. We got to an escalator in the skyway that was off. I and all the runners around me thought that was cruel and unusual. Up we walked. At least it wasn't down.

My room was RIGHT next to the ice machine, so once we got back, I set my parents to filling up my tub. I got a quick ice bath (oh my god I was so COLD! I shivered uncontrollably the entire time I sat there.) and then the hottest shower I could stand. While I was cleaning up, my mom got me subway and then made me eat it - I was so not hungry. And then I spent the rest of the afternoon alone in my bed reading a book. It was nice to relax, and NOT have a million things to do post-race.

That evening, I headed out to a daily mile meet up at an Irish pub just a half a block from my hotel. I got to chat with a bunch of great people who'd run either the half or the full that day. I got to meet Nora, who is just as awesome in person as she is online. She ran an AWESOME first marathon! I ate an amazing bacon cheeseburger (which has somehow been my post-long-run meal of choice this training cycle) and have a couple beers. But it was funny - 10pm hit and all of a sudden we all looked like we might fall over asleep at any minute. The half marathon started an hour EARLIER than the full, so we were all pretty beat. I called it a night.

The next day was packing up, having an amazing brunch with old family friends, and a lot of DRIVING. It was after 7pm by the time I made it home, but I still got to spend a LITTLE bit of Father's Day with my family, who all seemed to miss me very much.

A few post race thoughts:

I am ridiculously thankful that my stomach played NO PART WHATSOEVER in my race.
I think that my loopiness at the end had a lot to do with how much I gave to the course.
Not once have I been disappointed in not actually breaking 5 hours.
For the record, my garmin says my moving time was 4:57 and change - makes me happy :)
Now instead of just THINKING I have a sub-5 in me, I KNOW it.
I ran today. I feel really good. I was sore post-race, but not unmanageably so. That said, driving for 8 hours isn't necessarily the best way to spend the day after a marathon.
Next time, I hope we can actually organize a blogger meetup. There were lots of people I hoped to see, but didn't get to. I guess you can't just hope to run into people you only know online in a sea of thousands. I caught myself looking for them all though!

Now, on to training for Twin Cities!! I'm tired just typing that :)

Grandma's Marathon: Race Report

2011-06-21T13:10:00.001-05:00

First off, if you missed the post about all things leading up to the big day, scroll down, or click here.

I didn't sleep well Friday night. No big surprise there - I wasn't worried about it. My alarm went off at 4:20 and I grabbed my phone and laid back down for a minute, listening to the pounding rain. At 4:27, I got a text message from Kim, wishing me luck. It reminded me of randomly seeing her prior to the start of the Chicago marathon last year, and how HAPPY it made me to see someone familiar. I smiled, and hauled my butt out of bed. Time to move.

I settled on a short sleeved tech tee and capris. I wanted to wear a tank, but with a high of 48, rain, and the wind off Lake Superior, I was worried about freezing my ass off. I made a cup of coffee, poured some milk in it, and tried to figure out how I was going to eat a bowl of cereal with no bowl. I'd just decided to use a cup, and I realized I had no spoon. I said eff this, and ate a cliff bar instead. In retrospect, I believe my non-traditional breakfast had a lot to do with the success of the day, and I MAY have actually figured out my stomach problems. Time will tell...

My mom came over a little after 5, and it helped calm me down having her there. I sun screened up, which seemed ridiculous as it was still POURING outside, and since it was cold, I opted to leave the handheld water bottle behind. I packed up my spibelt with all my essentials, tucked some TP, salt packets, and an extra tube of aquaphor in my back pocket, grabbed a water bottle and a banana for the bus ride, and I was off to find the bus.

In the hallway, I chatted up a girl staying a few doors down from me who was obviously heading in the same direction. It was nice to have company. We hopped on the first bus and ended up staying together through the first few miles of the race. She was running her very first marathon, and I'd like to think that I helped her as much as she helped me - chatting and laughing and having someone to hang with really helped me stay relaxed. It was pouring down rain as the bus pulled away from the hotel, and I was kicking myself for not bringing any rain gear or an umbrella or a garbage bag, but as we got closer the rain let up more and more. By the time we got there, it was just a drizzle. By the time we started, there was hardly any drizzle even.

The first few miles were absolutely uneventful. I just settled in and tried to find my groove. The first couple I spent chatting with Lee Anne (from the hotel) and relaxing into an easy pace. We were giggling about 2 ladies who told us we had "a long slow race" ahead of us. Really?!? We were unaware...

mile 1: 11:05
mile 2: 10:45
mile 3: 10:46
mile 4: 10:46
mile 5: 10:48

I was aiming for 11ish minute miles, and I knew I was probably going a bit too fast, but I was running more on "feel" and at that point, it felt really relaxed and easy. I was soaking it all in. I was smiling at everyone. I was running happy.

For those of you who don't know the course or the area, Grandma's is a point to point race starting in Two Harbors, MN which is up the north shore of Lake Superior, and it ends in downtown Duluth. Until you get into town, the whole length of it is right along the lake. We had, in my opinion, the PERFECT running weather. It was overcast and cool with a wind off the lake at our backs. I couldn't have WRITTEN better running weather. They had aid stations every 2 miles starting at mile 3 until mile 20, when they switched to every single mile. I walked all the aid stations and took water and powerade from most of them. I gu'd at 6, 11, and 17 and took salt at 13 and 20.

I ADORED running next to the lake. It was such a fixture in my life growing up, almost a source of comfort, and it just felt right running along side of it. The miles flew by early on, and I enjoyed the quiet of this race. There were people out, but they were scattered between the little towns along the way, with people coming out and hanging at the end of their driveways offering support. It was a far cry from the constant chaos of Chicago, and I appreciated it for what it was - peaceful. It let me settle into my head and think of my Grandma and remind myself of G's words and smile inwardly. I saw my first cowbell just before mile 10 and cracked up laughing.

mile 6: 11:07
mile 7: 10:27
mile 8: 11:07
mile 9: 11:09
mile 10: 11:31 (stopped to text my family - I wasn't counting on runner tracking this time)

the only picture I took the whole race - just before mile 10

my Dad took this one

I was on cruise control. I kept checking in with my body and form, and everything was feeling good. I needed to pee, but not bad enough to wait in line at a portapotty for it. Just after mile 13, there was a HUGE bank of portapotties (turns out, this was where the half marathoners started, which is why there were so many) and I made my only pit stop of the race. My stomch never peeped. Not ONCE.

mile 11: 10:41
mile 12: 11:22
mile 13: 10:39
mile 14: 12:33 (pee stop)
mile 15: 10:33

Mile 16 was where it started to get a little harder for me. Not *hard* but definitely tougher than it had been up to this point. I talked myself out of it a bit, telling myself that there were only 2 more 2 mile stretches I had to do before the water stops came every mile. My right piriformis was aching now, and my feet were starting to feel beat. I tried not to think about it. I focused on my tunes. After 18 is where we came into town more, and the crowd support increased by a lot. I think mile 19 or 20 was where I saw a girl working a water station that I went to GRAMMAR school with. For real. She's a facebook friend, but I haven't seen her in close to 30 years. She looks exactly the same. "Alice??!?" I asked her, incredulous. What are the odds of that? It distracted me enough, and made me smile.

mile 16: 12:33
mile 17: 11:29
mile 18: 11:20
mile 19: 11:05
mile 20: 13:06
mile 21: 13:23

Miles 20 and 21 were my mentally toughest of the race. At this point, I knew if I could pull off a killer 10k, I could barely break 5 hours, but I wasn't feeling physically able to do that. Everything started to hurt. And then I'd say to myself, "DUH dumbass - of COURSE it hurts! You've just run 20 freaking miles!" And I'd suck it up for a while, and then falter again. After a bit though, I knew it was getting close to where my parents would be. And that was enough to keep me running. Then, at 22 or so, the 5 hour pace group caught up with me. I hung strong with them for a bit.

hanging with the 5 hour pacer

the guy in the gray COTTON shirt behind me?
had bloody spots all over his BACK. felt bad for him.

Then comes the infamous Lemon Drop Hill in mile 22. I ran up most of it, walked the crest, and relished in the enormous downhill on the other side. Until I didn't. That downhill lasted close to a mile, and it felt steep. My quads did NOT like it at all. It hurt. At the mile 23 aid station, I stopped to walk, and the pace group kept on. It sucked, but I had to let them go. For the longest time, I had them in my sights, thinking maybe I could catch them again. Never happened though. So I decided to keep running happy even though I was hurting. I high fived a gazillion college kids handing out beer. I high fived bacon. Seriously. A giant piece of BACON.

Just before mile 24, I saw my parents. I was SO FREAKING HAPPY to see them! As I ran up, my mom had this huge sign that said "Go Bobbi GO" on it, and it was freaking upside down! A runner ahead of me told her and she flipped it over just as I reached her, and we all cracked up laughing. I ran over to give my mom a hug, and Daddy snapped some pictures.

The last 2 miles were just freaking hard. But I was so so so happy with how it all went, I didn't care. I was OK with the toughness. I was OK with an occasional walk break that didn't last very long. I tried to keep running, but my ass and my feet were screaming at me at this point. Did I fade at the end. Oh, yeah. Did I give up? Hell. No. There was going to be no negative split here, but there was going to be no walking it in either. I gave this race everything I had.

mile 22: 11:43
mile 23: 11:59
mile 24: 11:54
mile 25: 12:21
mile 26: 12:19
last 0.37: 10:39

The last mile and a half last for FREAKING EVER. After running in a basically straight line for miles and miles, the last mile and a half are twisty and turning, around corner after corner. Coming around each corner, even though you KNOW it isn't there yet, you want to see the stupid finish line. After 2 turns, the wind that's been at your back for the whole race is now full on in your face. It's a mental struggle to keep going forward. But forward is the only way to go. And then? FINALLY it's there.

My parents made it back to the finish line too, and my dad was able to get some pictures...

can you see me? orange scarf guy's right ear

High 5ing King Kong

getting Mom all salty

stole my dad's coat - was FREEZING

5:02:28. So so PROUD. Since this is OBSCENELY long, I'll stop here. I'll wrap all the after stuff up in the next post. If you made it this far, you are a rock star.

Pre-Grandma's Marathon: Travel, Family, Expo

2011-06-20T11:12:00.000-05:00

While this is not the exciting stuff, I figured I'd start at the beginning...sorry for the length, but I want to remember it all. Feel free to skip it if you are so inclined - you won't hurt my feelings.

My last post was Wednesday, which proved to be a chaotic mess of packing and finishing up everything that needed to be done before leaving my poor hubs in charge for the next 4 days. Because of a snafu with my daughter's new cell phone (just let me reiterate that for a minute...my DAUGHTER'S new CELL PHONE. Ugh. My husband caved - it's all his fault.) an emergency extra shopping trip was necessary, and I didn't make it out the door until 8:30pm for the drive to my parents' house in Wisconsin (they live about 90 minutes from me).

That was the scariest drive ever. Pouring down rain, pitch black, and my night vision sucks on a good day. It was white knuckles all the way. Flat out SUCKED. But I made it intact, sat down and had a beer with my Dad, and was in bed fairly early. We were up and out the door the next morning by 7 or so, for the trip to Minnesota.

The drive was blissfully uneventful. We made it to my Mom's apartment (she works in MN during the week) by lunch time, had a sandwich, and the 3 of us headed to see my Grandmother. It was a short tough visit. We chatted with my aunt who has been doing the bulk of the day-to-day care until she woke up from a nap. She came out for a bit, but kept nodding off while we were visiting and then startling awake again. She kept drawing up her knees and looking uncomfortable. It was tough to see her like that. After a bit, she decided to go lie down again (I was proud of her for saying that - she tends to be a people pleaser even if it isn't in her best interest). We all gave her hugs and I told her I loved her. She wished me well on my race. And then we left. I didn't cry until hugging my aunt on the way out. But it was tough, even if it was less than a half hour. I was SO SO thankful to have the chance to see her. It meant and means a lot to me to have had that time with her.

Back to the cities we went. It was a gorgeous day so we decided a walk was in order. Mom's apartment is within walking distance of Long Lake, which has a nice trail around it. Mom bailed after a mile or so, but my Dad and I decided to walk all the way around. He estimated that it was 3 or 4 miles, but I'd bet it was closer to 5 or 6. It felt good to stretch out after all that driving - my legs thanked me for it. After that it was dinner and chatting and I headed to bed early. I slept like a ROCK Thursday night - I was beat.

Friday morning came and we were on the road by 7:30 headed to Duluth. We were going to do some visiting before checking into the hotel. We toured Mom's work (the company originated in Duluth, and it's gotten huge since I'd seen it last) saw my parent's old place (and a TIMBER WOLF - too cool) and had lunch with my cousins. Then Mom headed down to the hotel (we drove separate - she stayed to work this week) and Dad and I headed to one of my favorite places growing up, Enger Tower. It was REALLY foggy, but had started to burn off, and we took a couple pictures.

My Daddy

After wandering around (without climbing all the stairs to the top) we headed down to meet my Mom at the hotel. She'd upgraded us to 2 suites (I HAD A SUITE TO MYSELF!) next to each other at the Holiday Inn, an old hotel, but nice, and more importantly, within walking distance to EVERYTHING. I didn't move my car once until we left on Sunday.

After getting our stuff up to the rooms, Mom and I went down to the expo, while my Dad took a little snooze. I was disappointed with the expo though. It was probably my own fault - we should've gone there MUCH earlier in the day. To say it was packed was an understatement. And the exhibits were crowded together. I felt claustrophobic in there. So I didn't even shop. We picked up my packet and my sister's (even though she wasn't running) and I sat down to watch Dick Beardsley speak. He was amazing! I was glad I stuck around to hear him tell the story of his first Grandma's race (he still holds the course record) and of his "Duel In The Sun" with Alberto Salazar. He is a phenomenal speaker.

Then it was back to our hotel to eat dinner (I had a grilled chicken sandwich and a few fries) and obsess over the weather. They were predicting rain, rain, and more rain. With some thunderstorms thrown in for good measure. And a high of 48 degrees. A far cry from the 65 and sunny they were saying earlier in the week. I was sure glad I threw in everything I could think of as far as running clothes when I packed on Wednesday.

I headed to my own room early. I attached my chip to my shoe, sorted my stuff, still undecided on what to wear. Hit the store quick for a bottle of milk for my cereal in the morning. Checked in with my family. Set my alarm for 4:20. Read through the race instructions one last time. I was surprisingly NOT stressed out. I was ready.

1:06:32

2011-06-19T07:06:00.000-05:00

It's going to take me a few days to write up everything that's happened in the last week, so here's the end of the story...

Marathon = AWESOME

Finish time = 5:02:28

That's a PR by one HOUR six minutes and 32 seconds.

I RULE!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there!

Peaceful Chaos - One Last Check In

2011-06-15T08:57:00.000-05:00

First off, thank you for your kind words on yesterday's post. It means a lot to me - your words give me a lot of comfort. And to Karen who reminded me that I'm running Grandma's marathon for my Grandma. Love.

A special thanks to G for her post today. I've already read it countless times. I'll read it again when the crazy creeps back in. And I'll remember it on the course Saturday. Awesome.

I'm packing and organizing like mad. I leave for WI tonight to stay with my Dad, and then together we're heading to MN bright and early tomorrow to see my Grandma. We're staying in the twin cities and then heading up to Duluth Friday morning.

There's so much going on between now and race day, I won't have time to make myself nuts.

That, my friends, is a good thing.

I'm bringing my laptop, but I honestly have no idea when I'll be able to update again. I'll be back home late Sunday night.

See you on the flip side!

Brave

2011-06-14T18:05:00.000-05:00

When I started running last year, and then started training for the Chicago marathon, and then FINISHED the Chicago marathon, people told me all the time how brave I was. How courageous. How they could NEVER do that.

It always took me back a bit.

I mean, brave?

Sure, I worked hard. I put in lots of time. I read lots and learned a ton and screwed up, and learned some more.

But, brave?

I never felt very brave - determined, yes. Accomplished too. But the scariest part was clicking "submit" on my race registration. The rest of it was just REQUIRED to get me across a finish line in one piece.

Yesterday morning I answered the phone. It was my Mom. Right away, I asked her what was wrong. I know her voices, and I didn't like the one she was using.

Turns out, my teeny tiny 88 year old Grandmother, who's been in assisted living and on dialysis (she only has one barely functioning kidney) since just after my Grandfather passed away more than 3 years ago, had made an important decision.

My Grandma has had enough.

She is discontinuing her dialysis, which means that she only has maybe a couple weeks to live.

She is leaving it in God's hands.

Now, THAT, that is brave.

I will go to see her on Thursday before heading to Duluth for the race. It will likely be the last time I get to spend with her. On Saturday, if I get to run, there will be lots of miles dedicated to her...

F.A.B. 5k: Race Report

2011-06-13T09:13:00.001-05:00

Well, with the week that I had, I was a little nervous about this. It was the first time I'd run in 8 days! But it turns out, I needn't have worried at all.

Originally, I was going to race this. I haven't raced a 5k since last year, so I was excited to see what I could do. I was pretty sure that I could come in under 30 minutes But after convincing a couple of my friends to train and run it, and after having the week with my calf that I did, I figured it'd be much smarter to play pacer, a role I'd never really played before.

I picked up Sarah and Christine, and we got to the race in plenty of time, which was nice because there wasn't much for parking at this school, and they were expecting 500 participants. We got our bibs and goodie bags (with a really nice water bottle and ONE wright sock with a breast cancer logo - you had to go to the local running store to pick up your other sock. Clever marketing.) and had plenty of time to hang out before go time and check out all the awesome raffle prizes they had. The school was unlocked, so we had use of indoor bathrooms. Score!

I heard about this event through the Run Like A Mother facebook page and since it was local and supporting a cause I believe in (breast cancer research) I signed up right away. The 4 organizers of the F.A.B. 5k have all been touched by breast cancer in some way. When we lined up at the start, the announcer went briefly through their stories and recognized the breast cancer survivors participating and also the people lost to breast cancer recently. It was VERY touching, and I got a little teary before we started.

Then we were off! Sarah and I were running together, and I was to pace her to a sub 35 minute finish. Christine was running her own race, a bit newer to running and a bit slower than we were going to go. Right away, I pshawed Sarah's 35 minute goal - I'd run with her several times, and I knew what she could do. She was underestimating herself a little.

We hit the first mile in 10:49. Sarah was doing great, and I had finally worked out all the kinks (I spent the first mile thinking, stupid knee, stupid calf, why is my hip hurting? stupid ankle. wtf!?!) so I decided to pick up the pace a bit. They had a water stop at 1.8 which we walked, but otherwise we ran it all. We hit 2, and I looked down at my watch and laughed. I asked Sarah if she wanted to know (10:28), and she said, "No - it'll just freak me out!" The course was REALLY flat, but there was 1 little hill in mile 3. I noticed Sarah was breathing really hard, so I checked in with her, but she assured me she was fine. After that, I just pulled her hard. Why not? We were almost done! We hit 3 in 10:09, and I started to kick it for the end. Sarah was just behind me, but she was keeping up. We gave it all we had, and I stopped my watch at 33:13. She killed it!! I was so proud of her!

We walked around a bit and waited for Christine to come in. She had run the whole thing and finished in 38 and change. Again - I felt so proud! I had such a good time worrying more about others' performances than my own, and it felt so good to think I had a part in inspiring others to run. The event was so nice, with a FANTASTIC crew of volunteers - the whole community cam out with Brownies handing out breast cancer pins they'd made and Daisies selling lemonade. The raffle was outstanding, and by the end, we'd all won something (I got a Mizuno tech tee!).

All in all - a GREAT day. I'd definitely do this event again. And I'll post pictures as soon as I get some (I did NOT bring my camera - I suck like that).

Goal Post

2011-06-10T09:49:00.001-05:00

And, no, I'm not talking football. No one will be talking football unless everyone on that end GETS IT TOGETHER, which I hope they do. If not, this will be a very unhappy place to be come fall - we are all football, all the time here.

Since my wonky calf decided to improve enough that I'm no longer convinced my leg is broken, it's time to start talking about what I want out of this race...

1. I want to conquer my stomach issues. Now I know that sometimes, that's out of my control, but I want to control that which I CAN. I can eat right. I can hydrate and prehydrate. I can fuel properly, and on schedule. All of these I am committed to doing right.

2. I want to run a strong mental race. There will be no giving up on myself in the middle of this one. I WILL NOT. I have come so far mentally during this training cycle. I am READY.

3. On to time goals. My last marathon was my FIRST marathon. All I wanted to do was to finish. And finish, I did. But I walked a TON of the last 10k and I gave up on myself mentally and it was hotter than hell. SO. I can (and WILL) do better.

My "holy shit you'd better or I'll be PISSED" goal: sub 5:30
My "I know you can do this based on training" goal: sub 5:15
My "if the stars align and I have the race of my life" goal: sub 5:00

I am truly SO excited to run this race. I have visualized the finish in my head so many times, I have pictured myself on the course, I am more mentally prepared than I've ever been for any race. As of right now, the forecast is predicting a low of 53 degrees and a high of 71, and sunny skies. I'd take that!

My bib number is 5707 (love!) and I think I've got my race outfit picked out. If you want to stalk me, you can sign up for text/email updates here (Bobbi Welch). One week from now I'll be expo-ing it up.

So.

Freaking.

Ready.

Three Things Thursday: Calming The Crazy

2011-06-09T08:43:00.000-05:00

1. Yesterday's post may or may not have been partially inspired by James - he's had a tough couple days, I think because he's done with school and his siblings have until tomorrow before they are finished. Anyhow, he spent a good solid 40 minutes screaming at the top of his little lungs at me and refusing to do anything I needed him to do yesterday, culminating with me fireman carrying him shoeless ("NO SHOES!! NO, I NOT!!!") to the van and forcibly buckling him into the 5-point harness while he thrashed. It took me 10 minutes, and I decided I couldn't care that he'd unbuckled the top part. I was exhausted.

So last night when the storms hit and he freaked the eff out, I secretly enjoyed snuggling in next to him. I needed that time to reconnect to my sweet boy, more than you know. And when the storms raged all night, I broke one of my cardinal rules and dragged him into bed with me (it totally beat sleeping in his toddler bed). This morning, we are friends again.

2. Looking at the bright side of no running for 6 days, I totally missed the whole running in 100 plus degree heat with a million percent humidity thing. Go me!! I am going out for a nice 60 degree run this afternoon. Hopefully, my leg (which seems to be feeling a bit better today) behaves itself.

3. I'm running a 5k this Saturday with a couple friends. I'd originally thought about racing it, but I think I'm just going to pace Sarah and run it easy. I'm really looking forward to it - hopefully it doesn't pour down rain on us!

Loony

2011-06-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

I have never been one to succumb to taper madness. Not that I've been running super long, but still - I tend to enjoy the wind-down before a big race. It probably has to do with me tending towards lazy piece of crap.

But this time? I am freaking losing my mind.

For the record, I have not run since Friday's slog-fest, so I KNOW that not running is contributing greatly to my madness. I KNOW it. But knowing it and finding a way to manage it seem to be 2 wildly different animals.

I am cranky.

I am STRESSED out.

One minute I am in full on PANIC mode that there's no way I'm going to be able to run this race.

The next minute I'm convincing myself that this leg thing is no big deal.

Followed by 5 minutes of OH MY GOD IT MUST BE A STRESS FRACTURE I'M GOING TO DIIIIIEEEEE.

There are many many benefits to reading a zillion running blogs. But the curse is learning about a zillion things that go wrong and convincing yourself you might be suffering from ALL of them.

Good Lord - It flat out sucks to be in my house right now.

*breathe*

Marathon Training Week 17 (Um, 12 Days To Go. EEK!)

2011-06-06T08:51:00.000-05:00

Let's just say that this one didn't go exactly as I hoped. Either taper madness is taking over, or my body just needed a BREAK. For the first time since week 5, I missed my long run, and had a weekend with no running whatsoever.

Monday: Rest (Memorial Day)

Tuesday: 4 easy recovery miles with Sarah (Average pace: 11:08)

Wednesday: 6 miles - legs pissed off (Average pace: 10:47)

Thursday: Rest - my left calf is really feeling sore

Friday: 4.5 hilly miles with Kim. (Average pace: 11:08) My calf went from feeling sore to loosening up to screaming at me. It felt better when we went fast the last half mile or so. But more than that, it was FREAKING HOT AND HUMID. And I just couldn't get into it. But I got to explore a brand new section of trail, really beautiful trail, and then we went back to her place, cleaned up, and ate homemade deep dish pizza and gabbed for a couple hours, so it was still a good day, just not a good run. John gave me a stellar leg massage when I got home and I slept in a compression sleeve, which seemed to help some.

Saturday: Rest - I woke up with a leg that was NOT HAPPY. I wore my sleeve for most of the day, and it was better towards the end of the day, but still sore. We ended up heading to Great America for a few hours after dinner - it had cooled off a little and the park was not crowded at all, so we had a really nice time. I was hoping to run the next day, but it wasn't looking promising.

Sunday: Rest - Julia had a Daisy Girl Scout picnic, and it was a gorgeous day. But my leg was still aggravated, so I pushed off my long run again.

Week total miles: 14.5 Not cool, but I can't worry about it. I need to get to 100% for 6/18, and right now, that's all that matters.

Three Things Thursday: Doesn't Get Much Better Than This

2011-06-02T10:37:00.000-05:00

1. Last night, instead of going to the track, my family all went to see James' end of the year preschool program. It was short and sweet - 6 songs with animal themes - and they did a beautiful job. My son - MY SON - stood there with his class, doing the motions and singing the songs, all with a smile on his face. Had you told me even 6 months ago that he'd be capable of this, I'd have laughed at you and looked away wistfully, wishing it for him. It's damn near miraculous. Blessed.

2. We had such a nice Memorial Day with my sister's family. I can't begin to express how much I love having her nearby. It was so tough not being able to watch my nieces grow up. I am in awe that they are HERE.

all the girls...♥

bubbles!

3. I don't know how anyone does this running thing without a supportive partner. I am so thankful for John, who rubs my feet, and tells me I'm his hero, and schleps everyone to finish lines, and picks up the slack when I'm running long. He goes above and beyond to help me be a successful runner. I love him so much...

June 1 Goal Check In

2011-06-01T09:43:00.000-05:00

1. Run More: May miles totalled 137.73!! By FAR my highest mileage month ever.

2. Lose 8: Down 2 pounds. Only 3 to go!

3. Sub-6 marathon: I should revise this to sub-5, THAT'S how well everything is going.

4, 5, and 6 - no progress whatsoever. I'm hoping that with school ending for summer, these will be easier to maintain. We'll see.

Everything has been going so so well as far as running is concerned, that I'm starting to get paranoid, waiting for the WHATEVER to happen. I came out of my 20 confident as hell, but after watching a few strong runners struggle with the beast that is the marathon, I was quickly reminded that ANYTHING can happen on race day.

But I am SO SO hoping that 6/18 is my day. We'll see, I guess!

Happy Running Day!! I'm heading out for 6...

Marathon Training Week 15 (!!!!)

2011-05-30T10:09:00.001-05:00

Well, my last week of tough training is done. Hello TAPER!

Monday: 4.5 easy recovery miles with Sarah (average pace: 11:10)

Tuesday: rest (read: RAIN)

Wednesday: rest (John had a night meeting which preempted my track workout. Much pouting.)

Thursday: 5 miles (average pace: 10:23)

Friday: 3.57 fun miles with Kim (average pace: 10:18)

Saturday: 20 miles!! (average pace: 11:37)

Sunday: rest (read bbq with friends trying not to eat everything in sight)

Week total miles: 33.07 miles

My left calf had been acting up after the half, and I was happy that it seemed to work itself out by my 20 miler. It's still a little tight, but not anything I'm concerned about. Today I get to go see my sister's new house and spend time with my family. Happy Memorial Day to everyone! And my heartfelt thanks to the men and women who've served and who continue to serve our country.

The Best 20 Mile Run Ever

2011-05-29T11:10:00.000-05:00

To say that I was looking forward to this run would be an understatement. After running and chatting with Kim on Friday, I was even more looking forward to it.

You see, I had very specific goals for this run. And here's a little spoiler: I MET EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.

When Kim asked me what my goals were, I said, "Goal number one: Don't shit yourself. Goal number two: Finish feeling strong." (An aside: later on facebook, Kim commented, "YAY! Can't wait to hear about your 20. Don't forget your #1 Goal! Or should it be your #2 goal...? :P" I laughed so hard I almost spit my drink at my computer. Really, I'm a 12 year old trapped in a 40 year old body.) I ended up posting my planned run on the running club website, but truthfully, I wanted to do this one alone. I wanted to see if I could get through it ALONE. I won't have a huge support system at Grandma's, and I crashed hard mentally in Chicago last fall, so I NEEDED to see if I could manage 4 hours of running by myself.

I hydrated really well in the days leading up to Saturday. I was planning on eating really light on Friday night, but instead gave in to my PMS craving for pizza. Oops. I took 1 imodium Friday before bed, and got to bed really early and slept really well. So far, so good.

Saturday morning, up at 4:00. I ate cereal and had 2 cups of coffee, which did the trick. I made it out the door, almost on time. I was planning on running my same route along the Des Plaines River Trail as I had for my 18, but just go a half a mile farther before turning back for each of 2 out-and-backs. I saw 2 running club peeps before I started, but I sent them on ahead.

I headed north along the trail. It was a humid, cool, overcast morning, threatening rain. It was really nice running weather. I decided to run the whole thing with my handheld, and I planned to refill at the halfway point. My achy calf was feeling decent, and I was looking forward to a good run.

Almost immediately, I was forced to change plans on the fly. About 1.75 miles up the trail (when I was planning on 5 miles up and 5 back) the trail was completely flooded. I couldn't see a way around it without potentially soaking my shoes, which I flat out refused to do this early on in the run, so I turned south. I passed my car and headed south for barely a mile from there when the underpass was flooded. This I could get around though, and I climbed up the hill and crossed the street. Another mile, and I had 3 pissed off geese blocking the trail. Really? This is NOT my day! I got hissed at a bunch, and went way off the trail to get around them. Finally, running again. but I only got another mile and a half before the trail was flooded and I was forced to turn back.

Now I am feverishly calculating in my head, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. I gu'd at 7 (since I was walking by the stupid geese again anyhow), and made it back to my car with only 8.5 miles ticked off the total. *sigh* I was feeling good, so I decided to head north again as far as I could go. I ran a road access both ways to add some distance on, gu'd at 11, and made it back to the car at 12.5. Just in time, too, because I needed a bathroom stop.

Took care of business (I never noticed a difference with the imodium - maybe I need to take it earlier? Or not eat an entire frozen pizza right before taking it?) refilled my handheld, ate a packet of salt, and tried to figure out where to go next. The pavilion I was parked at was right next to a lake, with an inner and outer path going around it. I decided to start running loops. I did the inner ring first, but it was only about 0.8 miles around, so I moved on to the outer ring. It was a little better than2.25 around. I can handle that. It was less covered, so a bit more windy, which was actually really nice, since it cooled me off nicely. It was also nice to have a bit more "company" to smile and say good morning too. One woman I must have met 6 times and we were encouraging each other.

After the second 2.25 mile loop, I had less than 3 miles to go, but I refilled my handheld one last time. I had gu'd and eaten another packet of salt again at about 15.5, and I was feeling strong. My feet never cramped up, my legs were tired but good, and my mental game was perfect. I hit mile 18 with the hugest freaking smile on my face, and I think I smiled the entire rest of the run. People on the trail probably thought I was loony, but I did not care. I was going to DO this. I started running faster, which made me walk more often, but my average pace stayed consistent. I hit mile 19, and Cinderella's "The Last Mile" came on my iPod. I LAUGHED. And maybe sang a little.

The last mile / before I sleep
It'll be awhile / before I get my peace
With the same style / I walked for years
On the last mile / I can REST MY FEARS

Splits for the curious (see gamin details here): 11:56, 12:07, 11:44, 11:29, 11:50, 11:04, 11:19, 12:01, 11:17, 11:20, 11:48, 11:39, 11:2911:35, 11:36, 12:22, 11:30, 11:33, 11:13, 11:21 My average pace was 11:37.

Getting Rid Of The Crabass...

2011-05-27T13:58:00.000-05:00

I can't stand to have that crabby as hell post up for one more minute. Moving on...
First off, I want to plug a great giveaway that Michel is hosting in her fundraising efforts for autism, a cause that is most obviously near and dear to me. For the amount of loot she has to offer, there are relatively few entries so far, which means you have good odds. Go here for more info!

Last night, John came home early (after much begging from me) and I still couldn't seem to get my butt out the door. But after dinner and basketball practice, I noticed that the gale force winds had died down significantly, and at 8pm, it was still pretty light out. So I headed out for whatever I had in me. And it was a GREAT run. I got in a good progressive 5 miler with the last mile clocking in at 9:41, and more importantly, I felt SO MUCH BETTER.

The sun came out today, and I got the chance to run with Kim, one of the most positive people I know. We did a quick 3.57 miles, during which I went too fast and subsequently made her walk a few times, but she was patient with me. Then we proceeded to hang out and chat in the parking lot until I had to go get my son from preschool. It was so fun catching up with her, and so nice to run in the sunshine, that I came away feeling 100% better about life.

Here's hoping tomorrow's 20 miler continues the positive trend. Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

Three Things Thursday: The Whiny Edition

2011-05-26T14:11:00.000-05:00

1. My son is, shall we say, having a BAD week. Hence, I am having a BAD week. I am trying to remind myself that these are getting fewer and farther between, which is good, but honestly? That doesn't help much while you are in the middle of it. I am so so looking forward to my long run this week. Right now, 20 miles BY MYSELF sounds like heaven.

2. The weather sucks ass. Not helping my crankiness in the slightest. But the weekend is looking to be really nice, so the long run, birthday party, and housewarming for my sister should be fantastic. I just have to get through today, and it's all downhill. What are your big plans for the holiday weekend?

3. I have been reading about people who's kids are finishing up school right now. WTF?!? We have 2 whole weeks left. Uber jealous. I will be BITCHING about having 4 kids home this summer in about a month, but right now? I AM READY.

(To add to my frustration, I have clicked publish at least 6 times, logged out and logged back in to blogger, and it is being an asshole. Figures.)

A Few More Thoughts On Splish Splash

2011-05-24T10:30:00.004-05:00

Today I am not getting anything that I'd planned to get done accomplished, mostly because James has decided to vacillate wildly between super sweet and EXTREMELY EVIL. No preschool today - I think he's having belly issues.

A few random follow ups on Sunday:

- At the luau, I got to meet one of the girls who dressed up as a barmaid from the WI half marathon! She was super nice and it was fun to chat with her. I felt like I was talking to a celebrity, haha!

(I stole this picture from Michel's race recap - she had an awesome PR that day!)

- I am definitely going to attempt the immodium for my 20 this weekend. If I'd continued to run hard, I would have had to stop. It was only all the walking I did at the end that saved me from that. As it was, I narrowly made it home in time. Frustrating.

- I've heard a lot of complaints about the race, but seriously, I had the best time. I have to wonder how much of that is attitude? Or simply knowing I had people on the course? Or not having race expectations? I may have been more frustrated with the hills had I been attempting a PR. I don't know. As it was, I just had so much fun!

- Last year I commented to someone at one point about wanting to be able to rock a half marathon without it physically affecting me for days post race. I believe I am at that point. I ran Monday to work out the kinks, and it's all good. It feels good to be in good enough physical condition that a half marathon, which is no small feat, is not such a HUGE undertaking.

- The medal. *sigh* They could have done so much with the theme to make it WAY cooler. LIKE NOT USE A STICKER.

- I ran the first 8 miles at an average pace of 10:15. I had a good 2 or 3 in me after that too, minus the foot cramping. Past that, who knows? But I see a new half marathon PR in my future - I definitely have more to give to that distance.

Splish Splash Half Marathon: Race Report

2011-05-23T20:05:00.015-05:00

I will start out by saying this is LONG. Consider yourself warned...

Well, I hemmed and hawed about signing up for this one. I wanted to do it (10 minutes from home!!!), but was having a tough time justifying the cost of yet another race. I'd written it off, when I got a half price deal, and then said f*$# it. I signed up.

THEN I realized just how much I'd now smashed into this past weekend.

I glossed over it in my last post, but it was a lot. And by the time it was race morning, I was TIRED. And I hadn't started running yet.

Saturday was a full day, and we didn't get home until 11:30, so it was close to midnight by the time I got to bed. I didn't lay anything out the night before. I was completely not ready. But I was also completely laid back about it all - John was going to volunteer, so I had company in the morning, and this was a TRAINING run. No big deal. No PR attempt. DO NO DAMAGE 4 weeks out from Grandma's marathon.

John drank like a fish the night before, so I wasn't sure how he'd be come race morning, but he was good to go. I had breakfast (cinnamon cheerios) and coffee, and got my stuff together. I wore a skirt with pockets, so I didn't wear a belt of any kind. With John slated to hand out finisher's medals, I didn't even bring my phone. I chose not to carry water, something I'd regret later.

The weather report said mid 60s at the start up to mid 70s by the time we were finished. There was a chance of thunderstorms, but we got nothing but blazing sun.

The race started at Key Lime Cove, a local water resort. For an inaugural event, there was a really decent turnout. A few hundred half marathoners and a couple hundred running the 8k. We got there early to pick up my timing chip (ankle bracelet, ugh) and John left me with my running club peeps, to get started on his volunteer duties. I was still feeling laid back - just chatting with people. There's something really comforting about starting a race with a bunch of people you KNOW. It takes that "what the hell am I supposed to DO with myself for this extra hour besides pretend to stretch" thing out of the equation. Another plus of starting at the resort? Beautiful indoor bathrooms.

Here's the Grayslake running club crew ready to run. Let's do this!

The race started pretty close to on time, and we were off. I knew that John would be a course marshal right about the 2 mile mark, so I was already looking forward to seeing him. I had run into my neighbor (3 doors down) who was running the half too! I chatted with her early on, but then never saw her again. Right away, the hills started up, but I was feeling really really good.

The first water station was at the first mile. Why the hell do they do this? I don't need a drink a mile in. But I could sure use that extra water station shoved in at the end somewhere! I took a cup though, just because it was hot, and it looked like water but it was not. They were calling it Gatorade, but it was not. HEED. I'd never had heed before, and for me, it was some nasty nasty shit. Yuck. Note to self: FIND OUT WHAT THEY WILL BE SERVING ON THE COURSE. Oh, well...not a damn thing I can do about it now.

Mile 2, and John was right where I expected him to be. YAY!! It was such a boost to see him. He was also serving as my race photographer, and got some good pictures.

Here come the speedy runners!

A crew of grass-skirted runners.

This guy had a full flamingo costume on - wish he'd gotten a side view.

Coconut and shell bras abound, and more grass skirts.

YAY!! So excited to see him, even if it IS only mile 2.

I was still feeling good, and about this point, I decided to just go with it. I was running 10 minute-ish miles depending on whether or not I was going uphill or downhill, and I shushed the part of me screaming TRAINING RUN! REIGN IT IN DUMBASS! and decided that I was doing a DIFFERENT kind of training run. I knew I'd crash eventually, but I wanted to see just how far I could hold that pace, knowing it was a speedy as hell pace for me. We'll call it an experiment in, "how far can she go?"

Miles 3 and 4 had us going all the way aroung the Gurnee Mills Mall parking lot. The road here was not pretty - you had to really watch your footing for potholes and big rocks. And there were more hills. Really? I never noticed them while driving before! But I was still feeling good, and ran most of this section with 2 girls from the running club, so it went by fast.

Splits: 1)10:11, 2)10:00, 3)10:20, 4)10:07

Then we had to cross Grand Avenue, a pretty major street, and traffic was backed up. I saw people getting out of their cars to cheer on runners, which I thought was cool. Later, I heard that some people got HECKLED by drivers, but that was not my experience. Miles 5 and 6 had us going south through a kind of half residential half industrial area. We were mostly on the right side of the road with a decent pitch to it, and I was trying to stay on more level footing because it was the exact opposite of what I'm used to running on. My left leg started to complain a little here, but nothing major. I gu'd just before the water station at 5.5, and my stomach was behaving itself even though I forgot to take the immodium I bought. I drank water and heed at every stop, but I was having a tough time getting all the heed down. Blech.

Right at the mile 6 mark, we were going over the tollway and then up a really steep long hill towards the entrance to Great America. It was here that I started to lose my patience with all these hills. But I was still holding pace. We turned into the Great America parking lot for a slight downhill, turned a corner, and were going up again. I gave up and walked for a minute here, and my running club peeps passed me and asked if I was ok. I grumbled something about goddamn hills and salt in my eye, and picked it up again shortly. We ran around the parking lot, and it wasn't marked very well, and there were NO volunteers here, so people did a lot of cutting corners, with the herd mentality setting in and everyone just following the leader. After we got out of Great America (well, the parking lot anyhow - we were never actually IN the park), I was measuring short on the miles.

Splits: 5)10:03, 6)10:26, 7)10:30, 8)10:23

We were again on some busy streets for the next half a mile or so, heading towards the Des Plaines river trail. The cool part about that was that I saw a friend of mine sitting in the race traffic and she was yelling from her car for me!! So so cool, it was just the boost I needed at that point, and I was feeling good again. BUT. I turned on to the trail, and my whole right foot cramped up. The whole front of my foot was locked down tense, and I could NOT get it to loosen up. I walked for a bit, ran for a bit, stretched it out. Blah. I was mad, because I was feeling good, but my foot was hurting too much to run much. Pissed.

Splits: 9)11:01, 10)12:14

After we came out of the trail section, it was residential til the end. I was running some, walking some. My stomach was letting me know it was there. Somewhere in mile 11, I was crossing the street, directed by cops, and the cops had held up a group of about 20 cyclists so I could pass in front of them. When they came through after me, they were all congratulating me, asking me how far I had to go, encouraging me. It was really cool, and a nice boost at that point!

But after that, the heat started taking its toll on me, and I reminded myself of my original ONLY goal for this race. HAVE FUN. And you know what? Despite everything, I really was enjoying myself! I started catching up to other struggling runners, and chatting them up. The second or third woman I talked to, I ended up run walking the rest with her. She was super nice, and was having hip problems. I was on the "do no damage" plan, so I was content to hang out with her. It made the end much less of a slogfest than it would have been by myself.

But with a half a mile to go, I wanted to be DONE. I knew John was waiting for me, and I was so STOKED to see him. We ran it in.

Splits: 11)11:47 (last gu), 12)12:30, 13)14:08, 0.1)8:35

As short as the course had been running, I stopped my watch at EXACTLY 13.10.

Finish line photos!!!

It really was so cool to have John at the finish line. Loved it! Final time was 2:24:36, which I was COMPLETELY happy with, all things considered. It was still 10 minutes faster than anything I did last year, even with all my issues at the end.

Afterwards, they put on a really good luau, with the best post race food I have ever had, by far. I wish I'd have taken a picture, but I was too busy shoving it into my mouth. It was a tad disorganized with a water table WAYYY over to the right, that I almost didn't find (and later learned that a lot of people never found), but seriously, the food was so so good. Pork, fish, fresh fruit, rice, roasted sweet potatoes, salad, bread, cucumber salad, chicken, just a crazy amount of food.

Overall, I had a great time. They needed more volunteers. They could have better managed the volunteers they DID have. The finish line was a bit chaotic, and way after you thought it should be (you ran through the start line and around the corner before the actual finish). The medal is cheap with a STICKER on it. Really?!? And the 8kers had to wait a really long time for the luau. But for a first run? I thought it went really well.

Marathon Training Week 14

2011-05-23T16:37:00.002-05:00

I want to get this out of the way quick - I'm working on a race report that should be ready by tomorrow...

Monday: 3.5 easy recovery miles with Sarah, a friend of mine who is training to run the F.A.B. 5k with me in June. Average pace = 11:20

Tuesday: 5.48 miles of speedwork with the running club. Average pace = 10:18

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 5.75 music-less miles. Average pace = 10:24 (I was surprised to find that I went faster without music - I kept having to consciously slow down.)

Friday: No running, but I headed to WI to clean my Mom's house top to bottom. Crosstraining? My biseps hurt...I spent the night to finish in the AM.

Saturday: Finish cleaning. Haul ass back to IL. Packet pick up. Then out to our school raffle party, where I drink lots of WATER but stay out way too late. TIRED!

Sunday: Splish Splash half marathon. 13.1 miles in 2:24:36. Race Report to come.

Week Total Miles: 27.83 Step back week is over - 20 miles on deck this weekend. Then it's TAPER TIME.

That Was FUN!

2011-05-18T10:07:00.003-05:00

Speedwork = SUCCESS! And it was way more fun than I expected. I kind of dreaded going around and around a track for that long, but lots of club runners showed up, and breaking up the distance made it go by super fast.

We'd all emailed the organizer letting him know PRs and average paces for different distances, and from that information, he assigned the workout. We were all doing 8X400 with a 200 recovery between each. I was aiming for 2:15 per 400 (or a 9 minute mile pace). I did a 1.75 mile warm up, and then we got started.

Right off the bat, I was going TOO FREAKING FAST. It was funny, since I wasn't sure I could GO that fast - I was actually nervous about holding a 9 minute pace for 400 - and here I look down to see a pace starting with 7?!? Reign it in, kid! I also screwed up my garmin to start, so my first 400 got lumped in to my warm up. But after that, I got it all figured out...

I ended up just hitting the lap button (without turning off autolap or anything) at the start of each 400 and 200. It was less complicated than I thought it would be.

I pretty much NAILED this workout! And I discovered that I am faster than I think I am. I walked the first half of each recovery, and jogged the rest, and it felt comfortably hard. I think I could have done them faster (!!!) which made me smile big.

The club does this every week all through the summer. I am really looking forward to more!

I Feel The Need...

2011-05-17T10:59:00.002-05:00

Tonight, I am embarking on a NEW journey in my running career.

Speedwork.

I'm a bit nervous, since this is something that I've never even attempted before. I'm heading to the track with my running club. I'm a bit LESS nervous since there will be a lot of people there who know what the hell they are doing, and therefore, what I SHOULD be doing.

I also need to figure out what to do with my Garmin during speedwork. Can I just hit the lap button after every interval? Do I need to disable autolap for that to work?

I guess I'll figure it out soon, huh?

I did a few recovery miles yesterday with a friend who is training for a 5k. We did 3.5 miles at a super easy pace, well for me anyhow. It's funny, because it's a pace I ran most of the time last year, and yesterday even after running 18 Saturday, it felt so so easy. She did great, and while we slowed at the end, she ran the whole distance. Super proud of her!

I still have no clue as to what might have set my stomach off the other day, but I wasn't at all surprised that it was acting up, since it had been bothering me for a day prior. I'm going to try immodium on my next couple longish runs and see how I handle that...

Marathon Training Week 13

2011-05-16T08:14:00.002-05:00

Monday: Rest - Julia was home sick

Tuesday: 6.05 super speedy miles (ave. pace of 10:13 and negative split)

Wednesday: 3.6 mile walk with a friend

Thursday: 4.21 hot sweaty miles (ave. Pace of 10:43)

Friday: 5 pre-dawn miles (ave. pace of 10:41)

Saturday: 18 miles!!! (ave pace of 11:17)

Sunday: Rest - pajama day

Week Total Miles: 33.26 miles run

I have another half marathon on deck for this weekend (race plan is HAVE FUN). Happy Monday!

A SUAR Kind Of 18-Miler

2011-05-15T09:43:00.005-05:00

So, as you may recall, yesterday was my 18 miler.

I was anxious, but not freaking out. I ate my usual pre-race food the day before, and had a really pretty pre-dawn run Friday morning. Friday night, I was feeling good. I went to bed early, more concerned with the weather forecast than anything else.

Saturday morning I was up at 4:00. I had my breakfast, coffee, and got "things" moving. I was struggling with what to wear - it was 47 degrees and windy and showers were predicted. I settled on capris and a short-sleeved tech shirt. I packed up my stuff and threw a long-sleeved shirt in for good measure, and then I headed out to Independence Grove to run the Des Plaines river trail.

I got there only a few minutes later than planned (success!!) and immediately knew I'd need that long-sleeved shirt. I threw it on over the top of the other one and headed out for my first nine.

My plan was simple - and out and back route which is 4.5 miles each way. I was doing 9 solo, and then meeting my running club for my second nine. This way, I could go out slow and manage my pace without feeling like I was holding anyone back. I was determined to run my own run.

My first nine was beautiful. It was not raining, just a light mist that would come and go. The weather said the winds were at 17 mph, but there was so much tree cover that I never struggled with the wind at all. I was just enjoying the peace of the trail. My shin never even announced itself. My only weirdness was a shooting pain on the bottom outside of my left foot at mile 2.75. It really really hurt, and I was worried that I was done so soon, but it went away in less than a mile. It's still a little sore today, but no big deal. Splits for the first nine: 11:45, 11:14, 11:17, 10:58, 10:41, 11:00, 10:54, 11:14, 10:48. These were a little faster than I was trying for, but my effort was consistent and I was feeling really really good.

I got back to my car, took a salt cap (I had never done this before, and I feel like my legs appreciated it), filled up my handheld, used the bathroom and we were off again. I ran the first couple with a guy from the club who'd done the full marathon in Kenosha last weekend. His legs were feeling it, so he was happy to run slow with me. It was nice to chat for a while. After a couple miles, he turned back, and I gu'd and kept on. On this trail, there's a bathroom, a permanent portopotty really, 3 miles up the trail, so I knew I had a potty every 3 miles, which was reassuring, because now my stomach was getting wonky. I stopped to go, but couldn't poop, even though I felt like I had to. So I kept on.

I met up with a couple other runners shortly after that, and one of them decided to turn around and run with me for a while. Miles 13 and 14 were punctuated with me needing to stop to walk off my stomach cramps. Lovely. We hit mile 14 and it was getting bad, but I knew that the toilet was just a mile up the trail. What I DIDN'T know was if I could make it there in time.

I sent Sarah on ahead, knowing that it was going to be the mother of all potty stops. I was WISHING I had some TP or something on me to wipe with - I'd have squatted in the bushes. Finally, FINALLY I could see the bathroom and I booked it.

Alas. Not quite in time. I was forced to run the last 3 in one less article of clothing than I started with. Ahem. I was extremely glad to NOT be among the crew of commando runners - not sure what the hell I'd have done in that case. As it was, after a bit of contortionist maneuvers in the bathroom, and probably half a roll of TP, I was on my way, and the only thing I suffered was ass-cheek chaffing.

I was still feeling strong, albeit a little mentally defeated by the whole deal. I walked a bunch of the last major hill, but I was still moving well. About a half a mile from the end, I spotted a couple of running club buddies coming back my way. Sarah had been worried about me and sent out search and rescue! I told them what happened and we laughed and ran it in. DONE! Splits for the last nine: 10:45, 11:25, 11ish (stopped my garmin for a mile - DOH!), 11:52, 11:11, 11:47, 11:41, 12:44, 11:18, 10:27. Overall pace was 11:17 or so.

While my stomach frustrates me, I was SO HAPPY with this run. I felt so strong at the end (we were running 9's the last half mile!) and I could have gone farther, even if I was glad to not need to.

Afterwards, no rest for the weary - we got everyone dressed up and headed out for a First Communion. It was a really nice evening, and I was super tired, but proud. It was nearly 11 by the time we got everyone home and into bed, and I crashed soon after. I'm feeling good today - a bit tired and sore, but nothing major. All in all, SUCCESS.

Friday Five

2011-05-13T13:30:00.002-05:00

1. 18 on deck tomorrow. For whatever reason, I am NOT freaking the hell out. This is so unlike me!

2. I am at a very weird place mentally in my training. I am so so pessimistic. I feel like some injury is going to take me out at ANY SECOND. I know I'm 5 weeks out, but this is not something I've experienced before, and I don't really get it. Even after my knee went all wonky last fall, I always knew I'd finish. Maybe it's because I want to WAY MORE than *just finish* this time, or maybe it's because of number 3.

3. Left shin. Very achy. Very disconcerting. I think that tomorrow will either give me a boost of confidence or be horrible. I can't decide which. The good news is that the weird feeling GOES AWAY while I'm running.

4. I spent all my birthday money yesterday. I am going to run cute this summer.

5. FINISH LINE PHOTO OF BLISSFUL JOY.

That smile was there the whole dang day, I swear!