So I've run a marathon, almost. I clocked 26 miles over the past 3 days. I treated the 10 mile run today like the last 10 miles of the marathon, except I went a heck of a lot slower than what we're projected to run on race day. I think I ended up averaging 11:30 a mile. We had received an inspiring Wednesday e-mail from our coach Paul. So I put it to use. I swear it's like he reads my mind.
I had a quick snack of chocolate milk and the rest of my banana from breakfast, grabbed my fluid and a Hammer gel, and out the door I went. What a beautiful evening for a run. Except for the bugs. I mean these flying ant things were everywhere. They were on my cheek, in my eye, on my shirt.....I hope I didn't mistakenly eat one! Josh had the same experience, so at least it wasn't me. I thought it might have been the obnoxiously bright yellow shirt I was wearing but apparently not.
My legs are super fatigued and sore. I received some great advice to run super slow and foam roll out those muscles. Josh helped me out with my legs last night but it was so painful he had to stop, maybe I'll try again tonight. I made sure to truck along at a nice slow pace. It felt pretty good once my legs got going but I kind of hated having to spend 2 hours running on a week night. I need to get ready for the weekend but I had already set my priority for the day. I went to a time management training session this morning. I guess it was pretty good. I know I try to cram too much in to too little time. But if you don't try, do you ever really know how much you can accomplish? I think I've been pretty good at fitting in all this daily stuff and still saving a little relaxation time but there is always room for improvement.
About 4 miles in my mind just got so tired. I could have really gone to sleep. Instead, I popped open my raspberry Hammer gel and sucked it down. It perked me up by the time I got to mile 6. Miles 5 - 8 gave me time to tour my neighborhood. I decided to weave up and down the side streets I never visit. What beautiful homes! The run really finished off uneventful. Miles 6 -9 felt pretty good but by mile 10 my legs had gotten tired again. I came home to stretch it out and chow down on some leftovers. I've started some more laundry- the sock is on its second load. We'll see how it turns out. Studied a bit for tomorrow's quiz while icing my legs and I just finished a Great Pumpkin from Ted Drewe's. I view this as one of the perks of running so many miles this week :)
Tomorrow I'll be resting up for Friday's run and preparing for a mostly girls weekend. I'll for sure be looking to rest my legs up tomorrow. But the good news is I contributed over 25,000 steps today to my walking team at work.
Let the rest begin.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Another Run Bites the Dust
This was my mantra during my race pace run. I usually like to start nice and slow, but for these race pace runs I do my best to kick it in to gear right away. This is more challenging in the evening because I've been on my feet all day, usually in heels, and it was even more so challenging this evening because my legs are still tired from all the hills on Saturday. I think I shall have to say bye-bye to my heels until after the marathon :( Well, mostly goodbye. I will still let myself wear them on special occasions- like Jacquelyn and Kristy's wedding days. But now that I think about it, if I cut out high heels and the like, I don't know that I really have any shoes to wear. Hmmmm.....
Anyways, back to my mantra. I kicked it in to high gear right from the start. This mantra popped in somewhere around 0.5 miles. I thought, what a clever title for today's post. For about the next 3 - 4 miles I kept singing this over and over in my head. Maybe this can be my mantra on race day. Doo doo doo, another run bites the dust. Another mile gone, another mile gone, another bites the dust. You get the picture.
During the run I saw little people soccer. They were like a school of fish chasing after that ball. Very cute. There were also the usual boot camps and TONS of people running with their dogs or baby joggers. All in all it was a pretty good run and I finished at a pretty good pace. I think my app played a trick on me somewhere between 1 and 1.5 miles. I'm pretty sure it credited me with more speed and distance than was warranted but I'm okay with that ;)
What I did not appreciate on my run was the stupid boy who yelled out his window as his car drove past. This happened to our group on Saturday as well. What would possess someone to think it's okay to just yell at someone else? Maybe they should get out of their car and try some physical activity and perhaps get a taste of their own medicine. I mean, it's not like yelling out the window is a good way to pick up chics. Come on fellas, have some class. Good thing it doesn't phase me. I just keep plugging along and don't even acknowledge the ruckus. Doo Doo Doo, another run bites the dust.
Oh and I forgot to tell you all a 'funny' story from Sunday morning. So I'm sound asleep early Sunday morning, in prepartion of another early day to go to work for a half day (yes it was a Sunday), when all of a sudden I find myself shooting up to a sitting position. At first I didn't realize what had startled me so, but then I heard that unmistakeable pumping of Emma's stomach. This meant she was going to barf any second. We ran outside and she did her thing. We made it just in time. She started to try to eat whatever had just come up, so I had to run out bare foot, in my jammies, and half alert of my surroundings, in attempt to get her to stop. It was too dark to see what she had eaten not did I really care considering it was 3 a.m. I left it for morning.
I'll give you a second to guess what she might have eaten........When Emma was a puppy, see the picture below for a glimpse of the cute little nugget as a pup, she liked to nibble on socks, shoes, wallets, toilet paper, undies, textbooks, etc. You name it, she ate it. It always came out one way or another. I thought we had graduated from this phase....but apparently not.
About 9 hours after she had barfed, I was able to take a look and figure out what she had eaten. Sadly it was one of my special running socks. When one sock costs about $7, you can bet I'm going to try to salvage that. I've never attempted to salvage anything Em has regurgitated but I might have to make an exception. We'll see.....
I would like to thank Butch & Lynn and Brad & Sharon. They recently donated to the American Cancer and helped me break my (third) goal of raising at least $2500. This is absolutely amazing. Thank you everyone. Your support means so much to me and it really has kept me going through this process. It would be so easy to give up but my commitment to you all and my grandpas is what keeps me going.
That's it for now. On schedule for tomorrow 10 miles. I'll give a shout out to Cesse who will be plowing through 12. You can do it! And then Thursday will be a lovely day of rest. Holla :)
Anyways, back to my mantra. I kicked it in to high gear right from the start. This mantra popped in somewhere around 0.5 miles. I thought, what a clever title for today's post. For about the next 3 - 4 miles I kept singing this over and over in my head. Maybe this can be my mantra on race day. Doo doo doo, another run bites the dust. Another mile gone, another mile gone, another bites the dust. You get the picture.
During the run I saw little people soccer. They were like a school of fish chasing after that ball. Very cute. There were also the usual boot camps and TONS of people running with their dogs or baby joggers. All in all it was a pretty good run and I finished at a pretty good pace. I think my app played a trick on me somewhere between 1 and 1.5 miles. I'm pretty sure it credited me with more speed and distance than was warranted but I'm okay with that ;)
What I did not appreciate on my run was the stupid boy who yelled out his window as his car drove past. This happened to our group on Saturday as well. What would possess someone to think it's okay to just yell at someone else? Maybe they should get out of their car and try some physical activity and perhaps get a taste of their own medicine. I mean, it's not like yelling out the window is a good way to pick up chics. Come on fellas, have some class. Good thing it doesn't phase me. I just keep plugging along and don't even acknowledge the ruckus. Doo Doo Doo, another run bites the dust.
Oh and I forgot to tell you all a 'funny' story from Sunday morning. So I'm sound asleep early Sunday morning, in prepartion of another early day to go to work for a half day (yes it was a Sunday), when all of a sudden I find myself shooting up to a sitting position. At first I didn't realize what had startled me so, but then I heard that unmistakeable pumping of Emma's stomach. This meant she was going to barf any second. We ran outside and she did her thing. We made it just in time. She started to try to eat whatever had just come up, so I had to run out bare foot, in my jammies, and half alert of my surroundings, in attempt to get her to stop. It was too dark to see what she had eaten not did I really care considering it was 3 a.m. I left it for morning.
I'll give you a second to guess what she might have eaten........When Emma was a puppy, see the picture below for a glimpse of the cute little nugget as a pup, she liked to nibble on socks, shoes, wallets, toilet paper, undies, textbooks, etc. You name it, she ate it. It always came out one way or another. I thought we had graduated from this phase....but apparently not.
I would like to thank Butch & Lynn and Brad & Sharon. They recently donated to the American Cancer and helped me break my (third) goal of raising at least $2500. This is absolutely amazing. Thank you everyone. Your support means so much to me and it really has kept me going through this process. It would be so easy to give up but my commitment to you all and my grandpas is what keeps me going.
That's it for now. On schedule for tomorrow 10 miles. I'll give a shout out to Cesse who will be plowing through 12. You can do it! And then Thursday will be a lovely day of rest. Holla :)
Monday, September 26, 2011
Just Another Manic Monday
What a great 80s song- just another Manic Monday. Good news is we made it right? The last few weeks I've been running 8 miles on Monday. At the beginning of September I had some really great Monday miles. Labor Day kicked off with a 10K race. It was fabulously challenging because of the hills and the weather. That was one of the first cool days. The next Monday I was in DC and had the chance to run from the National Cathedral to Bethesda and back. That was a nice scenic route. Then the mileage ramped up to 9 miles for Monday. Today the run was split by work. In total I did 8 and some change. I was pretty proud to fit all this in and only be 5 minutes late to class :)
Easy runs allow your muscles to recover. I'm really good at taking it easy. My first two miles of these recovery runs are usually 12 - 13 minutes a mile. Oh yeah. Nice and slow :). Eventually I get warmed up and go about 11 minutes a mile. This morning was a nice and peaceful run because it was so early and still pretty dark. Most of the neighborhood was still sleeping so I was able to hear my steps, my thoughts, and my racing app tell me how slow I was going. I needed to take it slow today because my bootay and legs are still fatigued and sore from all the hills on Saturday. They are still feeling pretty tired at the moment but that should get better with time.
Overall my energy level was good today but I'm fading fast. I'm going to take some time to unwind before heading to bed.
On schedule for tomorrow, 7 miles at a race pace. And a haircut too. I bet you can guess what I'm more excited about ;)
Nighty night.
Easy runs allow your muscles to recover. I'm really good at taking it easy. My first two miles of these recovery runs are usually 12 - 13 minutes a mile. Oh yeah. Nice and slow :). Eventually I get warmed up and go about 11 minutes a mile. This morning was a nice and peaceful run because it was so early and still pretty dark. Most of the neighborhood was still sleeping so I was able to hear my steps, my thoughts, and my racing app tell me how slow I was going. I needed to take it slow today because my bootay and legs are still fatigued and sore from all the hills on Saturday. They are still feeling pretty tired at the moment but that should get better with time.
Overall my energy level was good today but I'm fading fast. I'm going to take some time to unwind before heading to bed.
On schedule for tomorrow, 7 miles at a race pace. And a haircut too. I bet you can guess what I'm more excited about ;)
Nighty night.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
T Minus 1 Month
One month from today I'll be sitting here to debrief you on my first marathon experience. I'm so ready for this next month. After running with my group yesterday, I found I'm not the only one struggling. The experienced runners told me if you can make it through this week, "you're basically in the clear". Seems they forgot that looming 21 mile run 2 weeks from now. I've been told this is called a "grad" run. People wear crazy outfits and apparently there is beer or some other fun surprise when you're finished :) Basically a grad run means you've graduated to higher mileage. And for those of you who have asked why I don't ever run 26.2 miles to actually prepare for the race, I finally found out why. 1. If you can run at least 20 or 21, you should be able to run 26.2 on race day because the adrenaline and racing atmosphere will carry you the additional 5 - 6. and 2. You don't want to overtrain.
Of course this week, one of the highest in mileage (44 miles in total), has to be one of those weeks. First of all I'm working on a short week. On Friday I'll be heading to Chicago for Jacq and Mike's wedding. So excited :) There is no way I want to jeopardize having a good time. I can't repeat last weekend- 19 mile run and then trying to keep up with the party...equals an exhausted Courtney- so I'm determined to cram those 44 miles in to 5 days. I think what I'm most worried about is 19 miles by myself. That is a long time to be left with my thoughts ;). With the group at least we're talkative for the first 13 and then the last few. That leaves me with just a few miles to myself. We'll see how that goes. So in addition to the mileage there is life outside of running, sort of ;). I've been doing some critical analysis and planning about how to tackle this week. I've got some fairly early start times at work, so I'm anticipating my runs having to be split, and then there is class twice this week. and a late afternoon haircut (which will be a nice pampering moment). I'll just tell myself the light is at the end of the tunnel. Especially when I get to see all my college girl friends this weekend!
We were a really strong group of runners yesterday- we had to be to tackle all those hills! And boy are my legs and butt still paying for it today. Check out this awesome pic. We were missing quite a few of our group members but you get the feel for how close we are.
I mean that looks like a scary offensive line right? We would have really been a sight to see around miles 13-15. We were so huddled in together we looked like a school of fish. What made it even better is that we were all able to keep up- every other time we've been at this course one of us has struggled in one way or another- and we are definitely feeling strong and well prepared for the race up to this point :)
I guess you could say I'm back in the game. I'm feeling renewed and ready to move forward. I'm finally able to start thinking about the race, but not too much. I'm excited for the experience and to see how my dedication for the last 14 (will be 18) weeks will pay off. Kim and I have decided we'll volunteer at the Race Expo the Friday before. A half day off work to get the in the spirit? Sign us up!
So if you are signed up for the race and need to get your packet, come get it Friday night between 2:00 and 7:00. Not sure what we'll be doing, but come find us and say hello :)
Well my fiance made his dad's famous chili recipe, so I'm going to chow down and then we're going to watch Bridesmaids. Definitely a great way to end the weekend.
Don't forget it's not too late to donate to the American Cancer Society, on behalf of me: Click Here. I'm ony $9 away from raising $2500 dollars.
Of course this week, one of the highest in mileage (44 miles in total), has to be one of those weeks. First of all I'm working on a short week. On Friday I'll be heading to Chicago for Jacq and Mike's wedding. So excited :) There is no way I want to jeopardize having a good time. I can't repeat last weekend- 19 mile run and then trying to keep up with the party...equals an exhausted Courtney- so I'm determined to cram those 44 miles in to 5 days. I think what I'm most worried about is 19 miles by myself. That is a long time to be left with my thoughts ;). With the group at least we're talkative for the first 13 and then the last few. That leaves me with just a few miles to myself. We'll see how that goes. So in addition to the mileage there is life outside of running, sort of ;). I've been doing some critical analysis and planning about how to tackle this week. I've got some fairly early start times at work, so I'm anticipating my runs having to be split, and then there is class twice this week. and a late afternoon haircut (which will be a nice pampering moment). I'll just tell myself the light is at the end of the tunnel. Especially when I get to see all my college girl friends this weekend!
We were a really strong group of runners yesterday- we had to be to tackle all those hills! And boy are my legs and butt still paying for it today. Check out this awesome pic. We were missing quite a few of our group members but you get the feel for how close we are.
I guess you could say I'm back in the game. I'm feeling renewed and ready to move forward. I'm finally able to start thinking about the race, but not too much. I'm excited for the experience and to see how my dedication for the last 14 (will be 18) weeks will pay off. Kim and I have decided we'll volunteer at the Race Expo the Friday before. A half day off work to get the in the spirit? Sign us up!
Well my fiance made his dad's famous chili recipe, so I'm going to chow down and then we're going to watch Bridesmaids. Definitely a great way to end the weekend.
Don't forget it's not too late to donate to the American Cancer Society, on behalf of me: Click Here. I'm ony $9 away from raising $2500 dollars.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Losing Motivation
I think it's safe to say I'm losing motivation. Since Monday, it has been like the movie Groundhog Day: wake up, eat, run, work, (class), eat, sleep (by 8:30 or 9), wake up and do it again. This is really the nitty gritty of training. It's not glamorous, no matter how you try to spin it. I'm not sure if I've been fighting a cold this week, you know the yucky throat feeling, extreme fatigue and nausea, or if the later sunrise is having it's effect on me. But this has definitely made it more difficult to wake up and get going. I also think I didn't get adequate rest after Saturday's really long run. Lesson learned; I need to do less on those long run days, or do less in general.
Paul, my running coach, posted a funny picture today and I thought I would share it with you. This may or may not depict how I feel at the moment. Obviously the mileage would be a lot less than this, but you get the picture :)
I'm hoping that race day makes me feel as if I knew I had become too tough to kill. Right now I'm not sure that I feel that way. Right now I just feel really smushed down. Physically I'm doing okay. I make sure to really take advantage of those rest days and essentially I've avoided serious cross-training, mostly for lack of time, to really rest. But mentally- yikes. I guess the challenge of fitting in this high mileage training is preparing me for the mental challenges I'll face on race day. Or at least let's hope.
In any matter, I'm so happy it's Thursday evening. That means my weekday running is complete (it took me 4 days instead of 3 to get it all in), class is over for the week, tomorrow is Friday and I can get a date with the couch tomorrow night. Saturday's run will 'only' be 16 miles. As always I look forward to seeing my group and having company on those long runs.
Paul, my running coach, posted a funny picture today and I thought I would share it with you. This may or may not depict how I feel at the moment. Obviously the mileage would be a lot less than this, but you get the picture :)
In any matter, I'm so happy it's Thursday evening. That means my weekday running is complete (it took me 4 days instead of 3 to get it all in), class is over for the week, tomorrow is Friday and I can get a date with the couch tomorrow night. Saturday's run will 'only' be 16 miles. As always I look forward to seeing my group and having company on those long runs.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
35 days
As I was logging in the most recent donations, my tracker told me I have 35 days until the marathon. I can't believe there are only 5 weeks left! That means I've gone through 13 weeks of training and it explains how the last few months have flown by. We have 3 more weeks of really high mileage and then we start to taper and let our bodies rest for race day.
I was pretty ready to tackle 19 miles yesterday, because I was riding a high from Friday afternoon. What happened Friday afternoon? The sentencing for the court case I have been involved with since last April. Essentially the defendant will be going to prison, and he won't be getting out. I think experienced the full spectrum of emotions over the 1.5 hours I was there. When he was brought in I experienced fear. As the judge read the charges and the defendant tried to find loop holes for why the trial should not count, I was angry. As I read my Victim Impact Statement I felt both upset and powerful. As the judge delivered the sentence, I felt relief and closure. Now I can officially move on and moving on meant moving up in mileage.
I feel like I'm no longer phased by the building mileage. Either 1. It's just become a reality. I mean, is 19 miles really that different from 17? Or 20 different from 16?, or 2. I'm too tired to even notice. By the later points in the run we all become a little delusional and the legs are on autopilot. I'm sure I could keep going, if I had to.
All in all it was a great run through south city. The weather was lovely and the company was wonderful. I also got to see an old friend/colleague from grad school and her family. That put an extra pep in my step for the next mile or so- thanks Katie! The last 2 miles were uphill. Literally. I heard from Paul "this is the last hill" one too many times. He was lying. Not cool. I don't know that I could have finished this race without the support of our running group. I know I keep saying this, but they are such a fantastic crew! Everyone is so inspirational and brings something to the table. I still have 5 weeks left but I'm already wondering what I will do early on Saturday morning without them :(
My body was broken down after Saturday's 19 mile run. Nothing in particular hurts, so I'm very fortunate, but I do experience general fatigue. This has carried over in to today. Part of that may be related to the somewhat hectic schedule I have at the moment. Running to and from takes away time from napping and icing after these long runs. I made it work yesterday by grabbing a few minutes of ice time before heading to Kristy's bachelorette party and I napped on the party bus ;). By the way, probably one of the best bachelorette party themes ever. We were given the chance to wear a dress again that, in spite of what previous brides may have told us, we would have never worn again. That's right, each of the 20-something girls present for the event wore an old bridesmaid dress. We were a pretty fabulous looking bunch that made quite the statement. I didn't have my camera, so unfortunately I don't have any pictures. If I get a hold of one I will be sure to post it.
Well I want to give a shout out to those who have donated recently, and then I want to have ice cream, actually watch the Emmys, and go to sleep :)
Thank you to all of you for contributing to this fantastic cause!
I was pretty ready to tackle 19 miles yesterday, because I was riding a high from Friday afternoon. What happened Friday afternoon? The sentencing for the court case I have been involved with since last April. Essentially the defendant will be going to prison, and he won't be getting out. I think experienced the full spectrum of emotions over the 1.5 hours I was there. When he was brought in I experienced fear. As the judge read the charges and the defendant tried to find loop holes for why the trial should not count, I was angry. As I read my Victim Impact Statement I felt both upset and powerful. As the judge delivered the sentence, I felt relief and closure. Now I can officially move on and moving on meant moving up in mileage.
I feel like I'm no longer phased by the building mileage. Either 1. It's just become a reality. I mean, is 19 miles really that different from 17? Or 20 different from 16?, or 2. I'm too tired to even notice. By the later points in the run we all become a little delusional and the legs are on autopilot. I'm sure I could keep going, if I had to.
All in all it was a great run through south city. The weather was lovely and the company was wonderful. I also got to see an old friend/colleague from grad school and her family. That put an extra pep in my step for the next mile or so- thanks Katie! The last 2 miles were uphill. Literally. I heard from Paul "this is the last hill" one too many times. He was lying. Not cool. I don't know that I could have finished this race without the support of our running group. I know I keep saying this, but they are such a fantastic crew! Everyone is so inspirational and brings something to the table. I still have 5 weeks left but I'm already wondering what I will do early on Saturday morning without them :(
My body was broken down after Saturday's 19 mile run. Nothing in particular hurts, so I'm very fortunate, but I do experience general fatigue. This has carried over in to today. Part of that may be related to the somewhat hectic schedule I have at the moment. Running to and from takes away time from napping and icing after these long runs. I made it work yesterday by grabbing a few minutes of ice time before heading to Kristy's bachelorette party and I napped on the party bus ;). By the way, probably one of the best bachelorette party themes ever. We were given the chance to wear a dress again that, in spite of what previous brides may have told us, we would have never worn again. That's right, each of the 20-something girls present for the event wore an old bridesmaid dress. We were a pretty fabulous looking bunch that made quite the statement. I didn't have my camera, so unfortunately I don't have any pictures. If I get a hold of one I will be sure to post it.
Well I want to give a shout out to those who have donated recently, and then I want to have ice cream, actually watch the Emmys, and go to sleep :)
Thank you to all of you for contributing to this fantastic cause!
- Casey
- Andy & Joanne
- Paul
- Jac & Mike
- Alan
- Aunt Terri
- Jene & Chris
- Peggy
- Karen
- Emily
- Pam
- Heather & Phil
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Did She Do It?
Did I make it through everything? Not exactly.
I had very good intentions today. I woke up before 5:00 to get a good breakfast in- oatmeal now that it's cold out! I completed 5.15 miles, showered, took care of the dog and made it to work by 8:00 for my first patient of the day. Work put me on edge, nothing horrible just lots of little big things adding up, so I was looking forward to the second half of my run. Unfortunatley I left work late but still had to run home to take care of Em before class. Needless to say I was 30 minutes late to class. Ooops.
I got home from class about 8:30 and still had quite a few things to do: eat dinner, walk the dog, run, and write my victim impact statement. Did I mention I want to be at work tomorrow by 6:00 so I can get a full day in before I head to the courthouse? Sleeping is always important before big runs, so I knew I needed to divide and conquer. I decided to walk the dog, that always helps my stress level, then eat and type at the same time.I walked an additional 1.5 miles with Em but not quite up to the 4 still on the agenda.
Paul, my running coach, planned his e-mail at the perfect time. He shared an inpiring video that brought a much needed smile to my face. When I e-mailed back to the group asking for advice about what to do about the last 4 miles, he said DON'T DO IT. All caps, that's serious. Tears literally came to my eyes. I think it was a combination of having just finished my victim impact statement, which means I had to relive the whole thing over again, and feeling so much relief that I can relax tomorrow once work and the courthouse visit are over.
With that being said, I'm saying good night. Only for a few hours, but I have a feeling it will be some pretty awesome sleep.
I had very good intentions today. I woke up before 5:00 to get a good breakfast in- oatmeal now that it's cold out! I completed 5.15 miles, showered, took care of the dog and made it to work by 8:00 for my first patient of the day. Work put me on edge, nothing horrible just lots of little big things adding up, so I was looking forward to the second half of my run. Unfortunatley I left work late but still had to run home to take care of Em before class. Needless to say I was 30 minutes late to class. Ooops.
I got home from class about 8:30 and still had quite a few things to do: eat dinner, walk the dog, run, and write my victim impact statement. Did I mention I want to be at work tomorrow by 6:00 so I can get a full day in before I head to the courthouse? Sleeping is always important before big runs, so I knew I needed to divide and conquer. I decided to walk the dog, that always helps my stress level, then eat and type at the same time.I walked an additional 1.5 miles with Em but not quite up to the 4 still on the agenda.
Paul, my running coach, planned his e-mail at the perfect time. He shared an inpiring video that brought a much needed smile to my face. When I e-mailed back to the group asking for advice about what to do about the last 4 miles, he said DON'T DO IT. All caps, that's serious. Tears literally came to my eyes. I think it was a combination of having just finished my victim impact statement, which means I had to relive the whole thing over again, and feeling so much relief that I can relax tomorrow once work and the courthouse visit are over.
With that being said, I'm saying good night. Only for a few hours, but I have a feeling it will be some pretty awesome sleep.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Great News!
I have some fantastic news to share with you all. My grandpas are doing well! Grandpa B is now halfway through his radiation treatments (22 out of 44) and he reports feeling pretty good thus far. He is starting to feel a little worn down after his treatments but the doctors said this is a cumulative effect. It will likely get tougher but we'll just have to wait and see how he is able to handle the second half. But so far, so good. Grandpa T found out the cancer was non-invasive. He'll begin his localized treatment later this month. They will both be finishing up around marathon time- couldn't be better timing :)
Since you all have helped me be an overachiever with fundraising, I've decided to raise my new goal to $2,500. That is a nice round number right? As of today, you all have contributed $2,236. I think it is totally possible to raise an additional $264 in the next 39 days. Here is the link in case you want to share it: American Cancer Society. My fundraising app tells me that is how many days are left until the big day. Yesterday there were 40 days left, which made me giggle a bit. It is kind of like lent when most people give things up. For example, bread, sweets, chocolate, soda, coffee, etc. As of late, I've never been one to 'give up' something. Instead I choose to do something. For example, one year (long ago) when me and Mal were at odds with each other, she was way cooler than me and that created tension, I decided I would make an effort to call her at least weekly. Well this marathon lent period will be a combination of giving up and doing; I guess it kind of has been all along. I'm basically giving up a social life so that I can run, eat, run, sleep, run, work, run, go to class, run, "plan a wedding", run, fundraise, and oh yeah run. This has been quite a give-take relationship but I know it will be worth it in the end. It already has been.
So did I run today? No. I woke up at 5, with every intention to run, but it was pouring rain. I was sleeping pretty well up to that point, so I decided to go back to sleep until 6:00. At 6:00, it was still raining. Running in the heat and sweating is one thing. But to run in wet squishy shoes/socks. I don't think sooooooo. Instead I fed Em, got the coffee going, started a load of laundry, and dived in to some homework. I figured it would stop raining in an hour and I could still get part of a run in before work. 7:00, you guessed it, still raining. Instead I pressed forward with homework and laundry. What a productive morning- 3 loads of laundry and finished my homework for tomorrow's class. It rained pretty much all day, and it felt freezing out. Of course when I was heading home around 6:30 the rain had stopped. I just wanted to fix dinner and catch up with everything else. So I didn't run. Should be interesting to see if I can fit in 9 miles with a jam-packed work day and class. Stay tuned to see if I can do it! Oh and I'll also share some stories from my travels to D.C.
Since you all have helped me be an overachiever with fundraising, I've decided to raise my new goal to $2,500. That is a nice round number right? As of today, you all have contributed $2,236. I think it is totally possible to raise an additional $264 in the next 39 days. Here is the link in case you want to share it: American Cancer Society. My fundraising app tells me that is how many days are left until the big day. Yesterday there were 40 days left, which made me giggle a bit. It is kind of like lent when most people give things up. For example, bread, sweets, chocolate, soda, coffee, etc. As of late, I've never been one to 'give up' something. Instead I choose to do something. For example, one year (long ago) when me and Mal were at odds with each other, she was way cooler than me and that created tension, I decided I would make an effort to call her at least weekly. Well this marathon lent period will be a combination of giving up and doing; I guess it kind of has been all along. I'm basically giving up a social life so that I can run, eat, run, sleep, run, work, run, go to class, run, "plan a wedding", run, fundraise, and oh yeah run. This has been quite a give-take relationship but I know it will be worth it in the end. It already has been.
So did I run today? No. I woke up at 5, with every intention to run, but it was pouring rain. I was sleeping pretty well up to that point, so I decided to go back to sleep until 6:00. At 6:00, it was still raining. Running in the heat and sweating is one thing. But to run in wet squishy shoes/socks. I don't think sooooooo. Instead I fed Em, got the coffee going, started a load of laundry, and dived in to some homework. I figured it would stop raining in an hour and I could still get part of a run in before work. 7:00, you guessed it, still raining. Instead I pressed forward with homework and laundry. What a productive morning- 3 loads of laundry and finished my homework for tomorrow's class. It rained pretty much all day, and it felt freezing out. Of course when I was heading home around 6:30 the rain had stopped. I just wanted to fix dinner and catch up with everything else. So I didn't run. Should be interesting to see if I can fit in 9 miles with a jam-packed work day and class. Stay tuned to see if I can do it! Oh and I'll also share some stories from my travels to D.C.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Making It Work
So it's been awhile since I've blogged. I warned you it would be a busy month ;)
I think I left off preparing for my first 17 mile run. I was pretty nervous because I felt like a zombie all last week. How would I be able to conquer 17 miles if I could barely walk from point A to point B without dragging my feet. I woke up Saturday morning and just went with flow. We finally had a run in the city- Forest Park- on somewhat familar territory, so maybe that made it easier? All the runners were in rare form Saturday morning. People were sassy, questionably sober, and probably just a little bit nervous about what was to come.
We did our usual warm up. I wonder what we look like to the average Joe who is also crazy enough to be out and about at 6:20 on a Saturday morning. The weather was perfect for running- cool and overcast. I was able to run in one of my new long sleeve shirts. Remember I told you I needed to do something about this attire. Well I did. Some people thought I was crazy but they were jealous by the end. I bought new shoes but decided 17 miles would not be a good time to debut them.
We cruised along at a nice even pace, not too slow and not too fast. The conversation was flowing. You can tell we've spent many a-hours together. On Saturday we spent about 3 hours together, and that doesn't include warm up or cool down. People are starting to get to know one another pretty well. It's kind of nice because Saturdays are our time to catch up with 'new' 'old' friends. As always, we eagerly anticipated the hydration stations manned by Bob. They provided us a nice opportunity to stretch, drink and eat. For the first time I actually felt hunger during a run. I inhaled my Gu chews (glorified fruit snacks but I'm not willing to mix things up at this point) and they still didn't cut it. Thank goodness Mary had brought her famous chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies! Since I ran 17 miles, I decided it was okay to have one of each :)
All in all I felt pretty good after the run. Gwen told me I looked strong. That is nice to hear, especially when I no longer realized I was running and my legs felt like Jell-O the last few miles. And, surprisingly, the recovery wasn't horrible. I think hydration was my biggest challenge this time. I considered myself to be somewhat dehydrated until today, but that was partially related to travel.
Speaking of traveling....Traveling after running 17 miles sounded glorious. I thought, hmmm....I get to sit on a airplane for a few hours and probably nap. Sounds pretty good. Well it would have been if I could have stretched out and brought some ice packs. Oh and it would have helped had the flight not been delayed due to a bird hitting the plane on its way to St. Louis. We sat cramped in the plane for an entire hour before pushing back from the gate. I wasn't upset because at that point I was happy to be sitting. (I had only had enough time to shower and head to the airport. No rest for the weary here). But plenty of other people were. I mean, personally I would rather maintenance check the plane out and give us the green light before we head out. Hello Captain Sulley and the Hudson River. Sheesh. Some people need to 1. Relax and 2. Get out more. or 3. Run 17 miles before traveling and then they wouldn't care about anything :)
I planned ahead for the travel. The dietitian in me packed apples, almonds and pretzel sticks. Fruit, protein, and carbs with plenty of salt. Perfect trifecta. I also bought some water and a salad. Not too bad for trying to refuel in an airport. When we finally made it to Charlotte for the layover, I decided I should grab another snack because who knows when I would actually eat again. This time- frozen TCBY yogurt with blueberries and strawberries. YUMMY. So glad I got that snack, because again we were delayed another hour for some unknown reason. Oh well, I finally made it to DC and Cesse was waiting to pick me up with dinner in hand. Yes I was hungry and thirsty again.
It's getting late (for me) and I need to fit in 9 miles around a long day of work and training. So I'm going to leave this blog as To Be Continued.....
But here is a little teaser- my adventures in DC, updates about those I'm running in honor and, of course, fundraising.
I think I left off preparing for my first 17 mile run. I was pretty nervous because I felt like a zombie all last week. How would I be able to conquer 17 miles if I could barely walk from point A to point B without dragging my feet. I woke up Saturday morning and just went with flow. We finally had a run in the city- Forest Park- on somewhat familar territory, so maybe that made it easier? All the runners were in rare form Saturday morning. People were sassy, questionably sober, and probably just a little bit nervous about what was to come.
We did our usual warm up. I wonder what we look like to the average Joe who is also crazy enough to be out and about at 6:20 on a Saturday morning. The weather was perfect for running- cool and overcast. I was able to run in one of my new long sleeve shirts. Remember I told you I needed to do something about this attire. Well I did. Some people thought I was crazy but they were jealous by the end. I bought new shoes but decided 17 miles would not be a good time to debut them.
We cruised along at a nice even pace, not too slow and not too fast. The conversation was flowing. You can tell we've spent many a-hours together. On Saturday we spent about 3 hours together, and that doesn't include warm up or cool down. People are starting to get to know one another pretty well. It's kind of nice because Saturdays are our time to catch up with 'new' 'old' friends. As always, we eagerly anticipated the hydration stations manned by Bob. They provided us a nice opportunity to stretch, drink and eat. For the first time I actually felt hunger during a run. I inhaled my Gu chews (glorified fruit snacks but I'm not willing to mix things up at this point) and they still didn't cut it. Thank goodness Mary had brought her famous chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies! Since I ran 17 miles, I decided it was okay to have one of each :)
All in all I felt pretty good after the run. Gwen told me I looked strong. That is nice to hear, especially when I no longer realized I was running and my legs felt like Jell-O the last few miles. And, surprisingly, the recovery wasn't horrible. I think hydration was my biggest challenge this time. I considered myself to be somewhat dehydrated until today, but that was partially related to travel.
Speaking of traveling....Traveling after running 17 miles sounded glorious. I thought, hmmm....I get to sit on a airplane for a few hours and probably nap. Sounds pretty good. Well it would have been if I could have stretched out and brought some ice packs. Oh and it would have helped had the flight not been delayed due to a bird hitting the plane on its way to St. Louis. We sat cramped in the plane for an entire hour before pushing back from the gate. I wasn't upset because at that point I was happy to be sitting. (I had only had enough time to shower and head to the airport. No rest for the weary here). But plenty of other people were. I mean, personally I would rather maintenance check the plane out and give us the green light before we head out. Hello Captain Sulley and the Hudson River. Sheesh. Some people need to 1. Relax and 2. Get out more. or 3. Run 17 miles before traveling and then they wouldn't care about anything :)
I planned ahead for the travel. The dietitian in me packed apples, almonds and pretzel sticks. Fruit, protein, and carbs with plenty of salt. Perfect trifecta. I also bought some water and a salad. Not too bad for trying to refuel in an airport. When we finally made it to Charlotte for the layover, I decided I should grab another snack because who knows when I would actually eat again. This time- frozen TCBY yogurt with blueberries and strawberries. YUMMY. So glad I got that snack, because again we were delayed another hour for some unknown reason. Oh well, I finally made it to DC and Cesse was waiting to pick me up with dinner in hand. Yes I was hungry and thirsty again.
It's getting late (for me) and I need to fit in 9 miles around a long day of work and training. So I'm going to leave this blog as To Be Continued.....
But here is a little teaser- my adventures in DC, updates about those I'm running in honor and, of course, fundraising.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mind Games
I've decided running at night is not my thing. I think I may have said this before but I really mean it this time. Last night was the hardest run I've had. Gosh, I think I've said that before too......
9 miles. Not too bad right? If you're not in the midst of training for a marathon, 9 miles sounds bad, but when 17 is on tap for Saturday, 9 sounds pretty good. Remember I ran pretty quickly on Monday and Tuesday. I had also had a long work day, so I was already dragging. I grabbed a balanced snack (graham crackers with peanut butter and raisins- water on the side) and headed out in to the beautiful weather. I quickly realized that my legs were not functioning. It felt just like running in 90 degree heat. The effort was there but the output was not. I think my first 5-mile split was 11 minutes 42 seconds, and it didn't get much faster from there. I'm pretty sure some people walk faster than I was running.
I always tell people the worst part is the first mile. Well I still had that same thought 3 miles later. And still 2 miles after that. I considered stopping short of 9 miles and saving some for today. While initially the thought of stopping early sounded appealing, I reminded myself I had fueled for a longer run and I just really wanted to not run for a day or two. So onward I went. All I could think about was how much I didn't want to be running and how tired my body felt. This has me a little worried for race day. But then I thought this was probably a good experience for me to have. 26.2 miles is quite a distance to run, and I'm bound to run in to these thoughts at some point during the race.
How did I handle it? I finished. I just didn't get the same satisfaction or enjoyment that I usually get. I didn't appreciate the little things going on around me because all I could think about was finishing. I missed out on the sunset. I didn't observe the astronomy group that had their telescopes set up. The smells of all the restaurants were making me nauseated. Mal had texted me a picture of her dog at their neighborhood bar. Casey had called. I guess I felt my run was making me miss out on what the world was doing. In the mornings I don't feel that way. Most people are sleeping while I run, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Our team coach Brandi must be able to read my mind, because today she sent out an e-mail highlighting the importance of easy runs and a slow pace as part of the recovery process. I wouldn't classify my easy run experience as easy but the 'easy' pace was definitely there. I also sought advice from my marathon expert- Casey. She told me to listen to my body so that I can avoid injury. She also reminded me about the importance of sleeping and eating.
The highlight of my run was again chocolate milk. The best part- my fiance had surprised me by already having it mixed up and waiting in the fridge :) My body is tired today and I have been a zombie. I have nothing but respect for new moms. I find that I don't remember doing things or saying things. I even left my pager sitting on the table at home today. Good thing the only page I missed happened to be someone I called ;).
So to end on a happy note, because I believe you should always end on a high note, let's discuss fundraising. You all have helped me raise over $2,000! I'm in the top two fundraisers on our DetermiNation team. That is so crazy that you all helped me beat my goal by $500. And to think, the race is still well over a month away. There is still plenty of time to continue to spread the word.
Shout outs for people who have recently donated:
9 miles. Not too bad right? If you're not in the midst of training for a marathon, 9 miles sounds bad, but when 17 is on tap for Saturday, 9 sounds pretty good. Remember I ran pretty quickly on Monday and Tuesday. I had also had a long work day, so I was already dragging. I grabbed a balanced snack (graham crackers with peanut butter and raisins- water on the side) and headed out in to the beautiful weather. I quickly realized that my legs were not functioning. It felt just like running in 90 degree heat. The effort was there but the output was not. I think my first 5-mile split was 11 minutes 42 seconds, and it didn't get much faster from there. I'm pretty sure some people walk faster than I was running.
I always tell people the worst part is the first mile. Well I still had that same thought 3 miles later. And still 2 miles after that. I considered stopping short of 9 miles and saving some for today. While initially the thought of stopping early sounded appealing, I reminded myself I had fueled for a longer run and I just really wanted to not run for a day or two. So onward I went. All I could think about was how much I didn't want to be running and how tired my body felt. This has me a little worried for race day. But then I thought this was probably a good experience for me to have. 26.2 miles is quite a distance to run, and I'm bound to run in to these thoughts at some point during the race.
How did I handle it? I finished. I just didn't get the same satisfaction or enjoyment that I usually get. I didn't appreciate the little things going on around me because all I could think about was finishing. I missed out on the sunset. I didn't observe the astronomy group that had their telescopes set up. The smells of all the restaurants were making me nauseated. Mal had texted me a picture of her dog at their neighborhood bar. Casey had called. I guess I felt my run was making me miss out on what the world was doing. In the mornings I don't feel that way. Most people are sleeping while I run, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Our team coach Brandi must be able to read my mind, because today she sent out an e-mail highlighting the importance of easy runs and a slow pace as part of the recovery process. I wouldn't classify my easy run experience as easy but the 'easy' pace was definitely there. I also sought advice from my marathon expert- Casey. She told me to listen to my body so that I can avoid injury. She also reminded me about the importance of sleeping and eating.
The highlight of my run was again chocolate milk. The best part- my fiance had surprised me by already having it mixed up and waiting in the fridge :) My body is tired today and I have been a zombie. I have nothing but respect for new moms. I find that I don't remember doing things or saying things. I even left my pager sitting on the table at home today. Good thing the only page I missed happened to be someone I called ;).
So to end on a happy note, because I believe you should always end on a high note, let's discuss fundraising. You all have helped me raise over $2,000! I'm in the top two fundraisers on our DetermiNation team. That is so crazy that you all helped me beat my goal by $500. And to think, the race is still well over a month away. There is still plenty of time to continue to spread the word.
Shout outs for people who have recently donated:
- Karen
- Jim & JoNell
- My parents- bless their hearts- they were waiting to "help" make up the difference. They didn't have to :)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Getting Lost
In spite of leaving plenty early, I'm finding it difficult to make it to running spots on time. Why you ask? Well, each of these runs have been in a new spot and my Google map directions slightly switch the ending address to the point that I arrive at a different and undesirable location. Saturday I ended up in the middle of an industrial park instead of St. Peter's city hall. Yesterday Josh and I ended up at Creve Couer park instead of the JCC. He had the patience of a Saint- and thanks to Brandi for getting us on the right track!
So how do these detours affect me? Well I'm coming to realize I have a 6th sense for the wrong direction. It doesn't mean I know where to go to make it right, but I do have a gut feeling when I'm going the wrong way. Feeling lost gives me an upset stomach and I feel frazzled starting my runs. The good news is that pent up energy is quickly released and I settle in to the run.
Saturday I ran 14. This was a pretty good run in spite of the humidity and warm temps. Luckily I think I've survived the crazy hot summer temps and now we're on to cooler mornings. I'm going to have to re-evaluate my wardrobe. It was only 54 degrees as I prepared to head out on another run this morning. That is about 30 degrees cooler than I'm used to.
My legs and body were not as tired after the 14 mile run but the day's schedule of events made it difficult to stay properly hydrated and nourished. That left me tired and sore the next day. I think I've made a decision that I'll have to be selfish and make this month about me. As much as I would love to have a social life and partake in an adult beverage or two, I also value my rest and proper nutrition/hydration. So if I don't return phone calls or respond to e-mails in a timely manner, I'm sorry. It's nothing personal. I'm just tired and worn out. For example, tonight I took a 45 minute nap after dinner. I had every intention of walking the dog, but I decided to just sit and relax instead.
To celebrate the Labor Day weekend, Josh and I ran in the JCC 10K race. We almost missed the race, remember we ended up at the park, but the wonderful ladies at registration made an exception for us since I mentioned we got lost ;). We walked up to the race pack right as they were saying "Runners take your mark". That was one hilly course. I heard it was tough and they weren't kidding. At one point I was side-by-side with a very funny gentleman; he was probably in his 70s. I quote: "The last mile is a b****. I think I'll catch the next bus that comes by." Hilarious. But he wasn't kidding. That last hill was a doozy but then again I do love hills. In spite of the hills I ran super duper fast. Could I have run faster? Sure. But I'm there to just enjoy the scenery. And let's be honest, I'm not fast compared to Josh's 7:30 min./mile. Then again my legs are like 12 inches shorter. Even though I'm at a height disadvantage, I did run an impressive ~9:00 min./mile. Now I don't think this will be the case for 26 miles but it does show that I'm faster than I was a year ago :)
Tomorrow I'll update you on the fundraising efforts.
Until then, enjoy the lovely weather and take it easy. At least that's what I'll be doing :)
So how do these detours affect me? Well I'm coming to realize I have a 6th sense for the wrong direction. It doesn't mean I know where to go to make it right, but I do have a gut feeling when I'm going the wrong way. Feeling lost gives me an upset stomach and I feel frazzled starting my runs. The good news is that pent up energy is quickly released and I settle in to the run.
Saturday I ran 14. This was a pretty good run in spite of the humidity and warm temps. Luckily I think I've survived the crazy hot summer temps and now we're on to cooler mornings. I'm going to have to re-evaluate my wardrobe. It was only 54 degrees as I prepared to head out on another run this morning. That is about 30 degrees cooler than I'm used to.
My legs and body were not as tired after the 14 mile run but the day's schedule of events made it difficult to stay properly hydrated and nourished. That left me tired and sore the next day. I think I've made a decision that I'll have to be selfish and make this month about me. As much as I would love to have a social life and partake in an adult beverage or two, I also value my rest and proper nutrition/hydration. So if I don't return phone calls or respond to e-mails in a timely manner, I'm sorry. It's nothing personal. I'm just tired and worn out. For example, tonight I took a 45 minute nap after dinner. I had every intention of walking the dog, but I decided to just sit and relax instead.
To celebrate the Labor Day weekend, Josh and I ran in the JCC 10K race. We almost missed the race, remember we ended up at the park, but the wonderful ladies at registration made an exception for us since I mentioned we got lost ;). We walked up to the race pack right as they were saying "Runners take your mark". That was one hilly course. I heard it was tough and they weren't kidding. At one point I was side-by-side with a very funny gentleman; he was probably in his 70s. I quote: "The last mile is a b****. I think I'll catch the next bus that comes by." Hilarious. But he wasn't kidding. That last hill was a doozy but then again I do love hills. In spite of the hills I ran super duper fast. Could I have run faster? Sure. But I'm there to just enjoy the scenery. And let's be honest, I'm not fast compared to Josh's 7:30 min./mile. Then again my legs are like 12 inches shorter. Even though I'm at a height disadvantage, I did run an impressive ~9:00 min./mile. Now I don't think this will be the case for 26 miles but it does show that I'm faster than I was a year ago :)
Tomorrow I'll update you on the fundraising efforts.
Until then, enjoy the lovely weather and take it easy. At least that's what I'll be doing :)
Friday, September 2, 2011
The Morning Crew
After spending much time outside yesterday morning, I've decided there is an A and B morning crew. Before I define this for you, I would like to say I'm kind of sad to see my morning tv crew have a shake up. I love having coffee and breakfast with Art and Jennifer in the mornings. I found out that this is Art's last week as part of the morning crew. I'll be sad to see him go but I have faith the new team will be more than capable of getting me going in the mornings.
So back to my morning observations. I feel I had plenty of time to make appropriate observations yesterday because I was out and about for a little over 2 hours. I jogged 9 miles and then took Emma for her 1.5 loop. My pace was jogging but due to the heat it felt like running. I thought this heat was over....hopefully after tomorrow. So, the A crew is the real early birds, this is me, who are out there pounding the pavement before the sun comes up. I enjoy seeing the friendly familiar faces of the A crew. There is one lady who power walks almost as fast as I'm running. There is a tall older man who loves to throw Emma biscuits- she can smell him a block away! His pace is very slow so we always pass him at least twice on our trip around the park. So 2 treats in 1 lap, I think that somewhat defeats the purpose of the walk. oh well. Then there is the man who only walks back and forth on one side of the park. He pushes his pace and does some calisthenics on the park benches. Then there is another older man who lives just a few houses down from me. These are the most regular people I see out, all the others are more infrequent.
Then there is the B team. The sun is fully up and it is a whole new, fresh set of faces. There are kids out with their parents, babies in strollers, and lots more dogs. This is a pretty nice crew too but I don't 'know' them as well because it's not my normal time to be outside.
Well let's talk about the A and B crew in regards to traffic. I love the A crew because it's pretty much non-existent. If they are out, they go the speed limit, they take notice of pedestrians and they're pretty quiet. The B crew for traffic is annoying. There are many more cars out, they are loud (honking at each other for no apparent reason), inappropriate (they whistle or honk at me), and they definitely don't have their eyes out for pedestrians. I do not appreciate them and I am going to do everything in my power to get my runs completed before these more annoying people are on the roads.
I'm no meteorologist, but I did make some observations about the weather yesterday. Again, I had plenty of time to notice things. It was hot when I set out around 5:30 (83 degrees). The first few miles were pretty warm and humid but then as the sun started to peek out, a breeze picked up and it cooled off a few degrees. My theory is that as the sun starts to peek over the horizon, we get a temporary relief before it starts its climb to high noon. Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.
I took a half day off work yesterday so I was able to get my run in, work, and go to class. I don't think this will be exactly doable for the next 4 weeks though (during high mileage). I am pooped and I definitely didn't have 4 extra hours yesterday to fit in more work....we'll see what happens.
This is turning in to somewhat of a ramble but I guess it has been a few days since I last posted. Last night when I got in my car after class, my odometer was set at 26.2 miles. Is that a sign? I think so. My car was telling me I can make it through this journey. I took a picture, so as soon as I figure out how to transfer things from my iPhone to the computer, I'll post it so you can see.
On a fundraising note, I have raised over $1,800! Apparently I'm in the top 3 fundraisers for our DetermiNation team. Woo hoo. Completely unintended but nice to get a shout out. So thank YOU to all the amazing people who have helped me achieve that. It's not too late, so share the information with other friends, family or co-workers who you think might be interested in donating. This is the link. It is a long web address, so it may be easier to just send them the blog link and they can connect through that.
Shout outs for people who have recently donated:
So back to my morning observations. I feel I had plenty of time to make appropriate observations yesterday because I was out and about for a little over 2 hours. I jogged 9 miles and then took Emma for her 1.5 loop. My pace was jogging but due to the heat it felt like running. I thought this heat was over....hopefully after tomorrow. So, the A crew is the real early birds, this is me, who are out there pounding the pavement before the sun comes up. I enjoy seeing the friendly familiar faces of the A crew. There is one lady who power walks almost as fast as I'm running. There is a tall older man who loves to throw Emma biscuits- she can smell him a block away! His pace is very slow so we always pass him at least twice on our trip around the park. So 2 treats in 1 lap, I think that somewhat defeats the purpose of the walk. oh well. Then there is the man who only walks back and forth on one side of the park. He pushes his pace and does some calisthenics on the park benches. Then there is another older man who lives just a few houses down from me. These are the most regular people I see out, all the others are more infrequent.
Then there is the B team. The sun is fully up and it is a whole new, fresh set of faces. There are kids out with their parents, babies in strollers, and lots more dogs. This is a pretty nice crew too but I don't 'know' them as well because it's not my normal time to be outside.
Well let's talk about the A and B crew in regards to traffic. I love the A crew because it's pretty much non-existent. If they are out, they go the speed limit, they take notice of pedestrians and they're pretty quiet. The B crew for traffic is annoying. There are many more cars out, they are loud (honking at each other for no apparent reason), inappropriate (they whistle or honk at me), and they definitely don't have their eyes out for pedestrians. I do not appreciate them and I am going to do everything in my power to get my runs completed before these more annoying people are on the roads.
I'm no meteorologist, but I did make some observations about the weather yesterday. Again, I had plenty of time to notice things. It was hot when I set out around 5:30 (83 degrees). The first few miles were pretty warm and humid but then as the sun started to peek out, a breeze picked up and it cooled off a few degrees. My theory is that as the sun starts to peek over the horizon, we get a temporary relief before it starts its climb to high noon. Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.
I took a half day off work yesterday so I was able to get my run in, work, and go to class. I don't think this will be exactly doable for the next 4 weeks though (during high mileage). I am pooped and I definitely didn't have 4 extra hours yesterday to fit in more work....we'll see what happens.
This is turning in to somewhat of a ramble but I guess it has been a few days since I last posted. Last night when I got in my car after class, my odometer was set at 26.2 miles. Is that a sign? I think so. My car was telling me I can make it through this journey. I took a picture, so as soon as I figure out how to transfer things from my iPhone to the computer, I'll post it so you can see.
On a fundraising note, I have raised over $1,800! Apparently I'm in the top 3 fundraisers for our DetermiNation team. Woo hoo. Completely unintended but nice to get a shout out. So thank YOU to all the amazing people who have helped me achieve that. It's not too late, so share the information with other friends, family or co-workers who you think might be interested in donating. This is the link. It is a long web address, so it may be easier to just send them the blog link and they can connect through that.
Shout outs for people who have recently donated:
- Jill
- Steve
- Joyce
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)