Run With Me

Five flurry-filled miles

2012-01-30T17:01:00.001-05:00

I did not get my long run in over the weekend. In fact, I didn't get any run in over the weekend. We took a road trip to see my brother & family so we wanted to be out of the house by 10:00 on Saturday. I really could've squeezed a run in, but I didn't want to be too rushed. Of course, I regretted not running because it was beautiful out that day. Anyway, we had a nice family time and I'm not training for anything right now so it's okay to skip a run once in awhile..right?

I knew I had to go out for something longer than 3 today after not having run all weeekend. I set out to do 5, got half a mile down the road and realized I really needed to use a bathroom. I could've tempted fate and tried to hang on until I got home, but that usually does not end well. I've been in that boat many times before. So, I turned around and headed back home and I was so glad that I did that. By the time I got back to my house, I had already run over a mile then I quickly took care of business and was on my way again..this time, I headed in the other direction..I get sick of running the same old routes all the time. Anyway, it got kind of dark and started snowing. It wasn't the kind that sticks to the ground. It was the fluffy kind that seems to disappear when it hits the ground. I love that kind of snow..it's so pretty.

I downloaded a 3 new podcasts. To be fair, I should reserve judgment until I can listen to more than one episode. I listened to 2 of them..I didn't strongly feel one way or another, but I'll listen to more & get back to you.

That's about it for now..

Three Giveawaysfrom The Happy Runner

2012-01-28T08:25:00.002-05:00

Here is a chance to win a $10 giftcard from Subway & the second one is for a Bob Harper kettle ball workout dvd..check it out..the dvd giveaway ends Jan. 30 and the deadline for the Subway giftcard is February 2..

http://thehappyrunner.blogspot.com/2012/01/subway-turkey-melts-review-and-giveaway.html

http://thehappyrunner.blogspot.com/2012/01/bob-harper-kettlebell-dvd-review.html

and one more..not sure when this one ends..
http://happyrunnergiveaways.blogspot.com/2012/01/progresso-souper-you-giveaway.html?showComment=1327959329911#c6932754245778154555

January

2012-01-27T09:33:00.000-05:00

I certainly cannot complain about the weather this month. It's hard to believe that a northeast winter could be so mild. My parents are in Florida for the monthof January and we are responsible for clearing their driveway if it snows. We've had an easy job! We've only had to go shovel twice and it was super easy. Today, it is actually raining out. I've gotten in 3 decent runs so far this week so that's not too bad. Hoping to get another one in tommorrow, too.

I signed up for a race on St. Patrick's Day..a new one for me..it's a 4 miler. I want to run some new/different races this year. I just found out that my hometown is having it's very first St. Patrick's Day run, too which I would prefer to do. It's being put on by a local restaurant. We are friends with the owner and he hasn't chosen a time yet..sounds like it's not really organized at this point, but if the timing works out, I may even do both..who knows. We'll have to see. It's a big irish St. Patrick's Day run..he's calling it a Kilt Run with green beer at the finish..sounds like a good time :)

It has been a pretty quiet month for me. I'm working on a few projects around the house..this is what happens when you are home all day..you look at your house and want to change everything! I have something exciting that I'm working on..I'm going to try to start a small side business painting furniture. I hate to even go out on a limb and say it because that's really putting myself out there, but it's not going to work unless I go public with it. I'm working on a new blog for it..once I have some more content, I will share..

In the meantime, I'm trying to motivate my husband to start half marathon training..we have to pick a race first. We have it narrowed it down to 3 options. I have a 16 week plan that I'd like to use. We can probably consodiate it down to a little less than 16, but we'll see. It all depends on which race he picks. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, happy winter running!

Hangover Half & 3.5 miler

2012-01-05T22:58:00.001-05:00

This year (like most years) we go to a friend's house party on New Year's Eve. It's always nice to see good friends. Seems like that doesn't happen enough. We were having a nice time eating yummy food and having some laughs, but I was tired. I wanted to get a decent night's sleep since I was doing a race the next day..granted it didn't start until noon, but I don't normally stay up until midnight so I was doing my best not to yawn..I hadn't mentioned anything at the party about the run, but around 11:00 a friend asked me if I had planned on starting off the new year by running the next morning. That's when I said, "as a matter of fact I am..would you like to join me??" The person that asked is a good friend and also a runner, but I knew she had no plans of running the next day. But, to my surprise she said yes! Now I was really excited. My brother was coming into town for the run (he lives about 90 minutes away). He was doing the half marathon (and hoping to finish with a 7:45 overall pace..he's in a whole other league!). Anyway, now my friend was coming with me, too? I was thrilled. Running makes me happy, but throw some friends and family into the mix..there's nothing better!

So, my friend and I did the 3.5 mile race. The options were 3.5 mile or the13.1. A half marathon was way out reach for me. I am definitely not in half marathon shape right now. In fact, I haven't done a lonr run further than 6 miles since the 26.2 in October. Sad, very sad ;-)

Anyway, I told my friend I would happily run with her..I really didn't care what our time was going to be. I was just happy to be out there and running with someone. I let her set the pace, but I also tried to push her just a tiny bit. She did great and we ended up doing just under 10 minute miles. I was pleased with that and I know she was, too. Here is a shot of us in the home stretch..

I am very smiley, aren't I? Well, I should be..it was a good day all the way around. This race was free for me since I'm a member of the running club..plus they had free pizza, bread, soda, soup, coffee, fruit afterward. My friend only had to pay $5 since she came with me..she ended up buying a membership herself that day. Anyway, we hung around until my brother finished. He ended up doing an 8 minute pace & he was highly disappointed! I think his finishing time was something like 1:46? Isn't that awesome?

I did a 3 mile run the next day (Monday) and today I did a 5 miler in some snow flurries which was actually a really nice run. It wasn't too cold (about 30) and not windy, but we were getting some light snow flurries. It felt really, really good..so far, I am pretty pleased with 2012..hope to keep it going :)

Goodbye 2011

2011-12-29T11:19:00.000-05:00

It is almost the end of the year so it's hard not to reflect on the past year. I don't know about you, but I had somewhat of a crappy year. I would really like 2012 to be better than 2011 which I don't think will be very hard. I've been jotting down some "goals" I have for next year. Some are silly, some are more serious..some are running related..here is what I have so far:

Run more
Eat less
Run races I've never run
Finally replace my garmin watch band & say goodbye to the duct tape
Stop wasting money
Smile more
Judge less (or not at all!)
Start a business
Take my vitamins
Buy new dishes
Love better
Be a better wife & mother
Lift weights
Drink more water
Read my bible MORE
Be an encourager
Complain less
Be a better blogger :)

That's the list so far..I am doing a short 3.5 mile race on New Year's Day so it's a good way to start off the year..Happy New Year & Happy running in 2012!

Six Weeks Later..

2011-11-27T06:41:00.011-05:00

I think I'm finally recovered from my marathon..I took a week off after the race and then started back doing mostly 3-4 mile runs. I couldn't get past the 5 mile mark for a long time, but yesterday I did 6 and it felt really good!

I didn't do an official Turkey Trot this year. Larry & I went out for a run Thanksgiving morning from our house. Linda & her husband came with us..we talked about getting an even bigger group together for a post Christmas run. I think we're going to aim for New Year's Eve morning which will be on a Saturday. It should be fun.

So, what else have I been doing that I have neglected my blog so much? You might be wondering how an unemployed person could be that busy ;-) Well, some things I'll keep to myself, but one thing I have been busy doing is getting my house ready for Thanksgiving. A friend was getting rid of this hutch last year so I happily snagged it. I wanted to refinish it, but wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. Well, I finally got around to it and it's finished. It came out so nice that I wanted to share it with you.

This is what I did for anyone that is interested:
First, I gave it a real quick sanding, taped the glass, removed the hardware and sprayed the whole thing with primer. (I used Krylon, but I have since switch to Kilz for my other projects). I then used Krylon spray paint for the green apple color (I don't remember the exact name). I used about 5 cans! Next I used a little bit of glaze (this was a first) to soften the green and to help the nooks and crannies stand out. I also sprayed the hardware and now they look brand new. I bought some funky fabric which I attached with spray adhesive. The whole thing was actually pretty simple..I am thrilled with the end result!

I recently bought a huge table (Craig's list) and needed some extra chairs..so I found some (also on Craig's list) and did this:

I just love the way everything came out. I still have one more piece to do in the dining room, but that may have to wait until spring because it's pretty big and it's getting cold here. Too cold for spray paint unfortunately. But, I did just finished another piece just yesterday..a small dresser. I'll post pics next time. I still have to put the drawer pulls back on. It came out great though.

I guess I have a new hobby :-)

Back to running..the weather has been absolutely gorgeous here the last few days. Perfect running weather. I hope it lasts for awhile. I don't look forward to those cold, wintery runs! It's time to start thinking about next year and what my (running)goals will be..what are yours?

Hudson Mohawk Marathon 10-9-11

2011-10-15T09:50:00.007-04:00

I think I still might have my runner's high from last Sunday ;-)

I can't even begin to tell you how satisfying it was for me to be able to break 5 hours! But, I have to say that it was NOT easy! The forecast called for temps to be in the low 80's. I knew that wouldn't be good, but there was no sense in being upset about something I had no control over. The only thing I knew I had to change was what I was wearing for the race. When it's hot & humid, I tend to have major chaffing issues in the thigh region so I opted to wear capris rather than shorts. I knew I would be hotter in the capris, but I'd rather be hot than bleeding!

The day before the race, we went to the expo and followed that by a yummy pasta dinner at my house..there were five of us running. It was a first marathon for one of the runners (Chris). I made homemade sauce & meatballs..which we are still eating by the way..I never know how much food to make! I was glad I offered to host the dinner because it gave me something to focus on other than the race.

I got a decent night of sleep thanks to 2 Tylenol PM's. I set my phone alarm for 4:55. Larry drove me to my brother's hotel and Gregg wanted to leave the hotel by 7:00. No problem. Everything was going perfectly.

The race started at 8:30..poor Brian couldn't get his Garmin to turn on for some reason so he ran the race without it. All of us (except Gregg) started in the back of the pack (it was chip timed so it didn't matter anyway). But, Gregg was looking to break 4 hours and he planned on starting and finishing fast so he was doing his own thing.

My plan was to do a run/walk of 4/1 right from the beginning. I wasn't going to worry what anyone thought when they saw me walking at 4 minutes, but what did I do when my beep to walk went off just 4 minutes into the race? I kept running! I said I wasn't going to do that and I did! After that first walk break came and went, I got a grip and decided I wasn't going to let that happen again. When it came time for the second walk break, I definitely took it. And from that point on, I took them all!

I did have a pace plan. I wanted to go 10-20 second slower than race pace for the first 3-5 miles. (In reality, I went a good 20 seconds faster). I kept trying to slow my pace, but I think the adrenaline got the best of me. From 5-8 miles, I wanted to be working toward my goal pace and from 8-18 be at goal pace. Then at 18 miles try to increase my pace, drop the walk breaks, or make whatever adjustments were needed. By the way, my goal pace was 11:24 and that was for 5 hours.

So, I guess my biggest problem was that I was running faster than what I should've been. There were a few people around me doing Galloway intervals also. I talked with a few of them. One guy was doing 5/1..a group of women were doing 9/1. One guy told me I was running too fast for my second marathon..we passed each other so much that we eventually introduced ourselves and shook hands while we were running (his name was Yuri). I probably talked with him the most. He was a little hard to understand because he had a very strong accent although I didn't really recognize the accent. Anyway, he said for every minute I gain in the beginning of the race by running faster than I should, I would lose 4-5 minutes at the end of the race. Well, that news went over like a lead balloon because I knew I had put at least a few minutes or more in the bank during the first half of the race. Uh-oh..if he was right, I was going to be in trouble. I thought about that little tidbit for awhile, but eventually I was able to put it out of my mind. When we got to around 16 miles, my friend Yuri said to me "you are going to finish first." And I did :) I never saw him again, but I was able to look up his finishing time later.

I was getting pretty tired by mile 18, but I knew Larry & Linda were meeting me at mile 21 to run the last 5 with me. I kept thinking, if I can just get to them I'm home free. But, in reality I still had a long way to go and it was real sunny and quite hot out. I was losing steam, but I knew my 5 hour goal was still within reach so I kept plugging along.

I was so happy to see them at mile 21! I had asked Larry to bring me a gatorade and pb & j sandwhich, but unfortunately I had no interest in eating it. I didn't even want to talk really. The only thing I said was "I could break 5 hours." He asked me if I wanted him to talk, tell stories, etc. I just shook my head (no). I didn't even say the word. I told him ahead of time what NOT to say to me and he listened. Other than me saying, "I'm so tired" or "I don't know how I'm going to do this" a few times, we practically ran in complete silence. I even started to accept in my head that it was okay to finish in 5:05..there's no big deal about breaking 5 hours anyway. But, every time I said I was tired, Larry would say "you can do this." He said "the next 15 minutes are going to suck, but you'll be so happy afterward." And, he was right about both..

Coming into the homestretch, I heard my family cheering me on (I say heard because I dn't remember actually seeing them! I had coomplete tunnel vision, focused on the finish line)..everyone was there..my parents, my kids. My kids jumped out in front of me right before the finish line and I had no idea what was going on. My son was in front of me holding this big sign and running backwards toward the finish line. My daughter was next to me. I was so out of it..I didn't get that they wanted to cross the finish line with me. I even told my son, "get out of my way"(nice, huh?)and that's when he said, "we're running with you." I was so exhausted and I think a little delirous!

I finished in 4:57:38 and I'm still ecstatic about it. I didn't really get a chance to celebrate too much because about 30 minutes after the race, I was extremely sick..huge gastrointestinal issues all day & night. Vomitting, diarreah, headache..I think I may have had a fever, too. It was horrible. I felt better the next day, but still not really able to eat very much. It took about 2 days before I was back to normal. I don't know if it was the heat or what, but I have never been so sick after running. I even started to wonder if I had a stomach bug, but that seemed like too much of a coincidence. Anyway, all is well now!

Congrats to all my fellow runners: Kathleen (4th marathon), Brian (2nd marathon), Chris (1st marathon), and especially my brother Gregg (3rd marathon) who broke 4 hours! I'm in awe of him!

Went on my first run this morning..I took 5 days off. I only did a 3 miler today. I felt really tired, but I am so glad to be running again. Not sure what's next..I'm going to enjoy running without a goal for awhile and see what's on the horizon :)

Mile 10 photo

2011-10-11T13:10:00.003-04:00

That's me in the yellow/green shirt..

Victory

2011-10-10T08:10:00.003-04:00

I did it..I actually broke 5 hours! My official time was 4:57:38. Will post a race report soon..

It's Almost Go Time..

2011-10-06T16:14:00.006-04:00

Well, the clock is ticking and in less than 3 days I'll be running my second marathon. I will run my last 3 miler tomorrow morning. Then all that has to happen between now & Sunday is a pasta dinner (which I am hosting).

I have to admit that I've had a lot of negative thinking since my last long run of 22 miles. I really struggled that day..I was supposed to run 26, but had to quit at 22. Since then, I've had my doubts about whether or not I can cover 26.2 miles.
I was thinking back to the day six months ago when I signed up for this race. I remember filling out the application and standing there trying to decide if I should run the half or the full. Part of me really wanted to do the half, but the other part of me wanted to see how much I could improve my time the second time around in the full. So, I reluctantly signed up for the full.

It has been a long summer of training...I spent a lot of time running by myself which I believe was was probably for the best. That time alone was healing in many ways. It gave me a chance to clear my head and get my priorities straight. I've said before that I have my best talks with God when I'm out on the road. There is so much that happens (or can happen) between the time you sign up for a race and the actual race day. When I think back over these last 6 months all I can say is "wow." And, strangely, none of it really has to do with running..

So, here I am. The race is Sunday and I'm FINALLY starting to get excited. I have no idea what is going to happen..I would love to break 5 hours, but I might die trying to do it. I'm not sure that is even a realistic goal for me. I think 5:15 would be a better goal. That would be shaving 10 minutes off my first marathon. I know should be happy with that..but I really want to break 5 hours. If I could do that, I would probably be finished with marathons. I guess it's all going to come down to how I feel on race day. Either I'll have it or I won't. Hopefully, I WILL!

I may be able to post one more time before Sunday..if not, my next post will be my race report..see you on the other side of 26.2 :)

2011-09-15T07:50:00.005-04:00

Here I am.. less than a month away from my second marathon..I'm not in the most positive state of mind lately. I did my last long run which was supposed to be 26 miles..I had to cut it short at 22 and no, I don't plan on trying it again..except for on marathon day that is. I'm kind of bummed that I couldn't make it to the end, but I'm going to try to not let it get me down.

I'm pretty sure I know what went wrong..I'm blaming it on the cat. Yup. It's all this guy's fault..

You see, our cat Geddy (named after the one & only Geddy Lee of Rush) has been sick..you can see from this picture that he's quite large..well all that changed a few weeks ago when we realized he had lost a LOT of weight. He stopped eating and was acting strange. It turned out that he had some type of liver infection and we've spent the last week force feeding him thru a syringe every 4 hours. We've had to force pills down his throat twice a day and we even were giving him fluids thru a needle. We tried everything to save Geddy, but he just didn't respond. So, yesterday was Geddy's last day with us :(

Unfortunately, my 26 mile run took place when all of the Geddy stuff was happening. I wasn't sleeping well and the night before that run was a particularly bad night of sleep for me. Geddy decided to sleep on our bed and we were so worried about him that we let him hog the bed as much as he wanted. I spent most of the night just petting him. I was exhausted by the time morning came.

Plus, the day before (September 11) was my son's birthday and we spent the day going on a mini road trip. I didn't eat well at all that day. I had planned a yummy spaghetti and meatballs dinner (I made the meatballs/sauce myself!) but we ate a late lunch and by the time we got home, none of us were really hungry..poor planning on my part.

So, I'm hoping the best for this marathon, but I'm not feeling real optimistic. I never cut a run short like that..I can always squeeze out a few more miles, but I didn't have it in me that day. I'm really not loving running right now. I went out for a 3 mile run yesterday and felt so exhausted. It wasn't enjoyable at all. Again, I was tired because of the cat ordeal..maybe now that it's behind me, I will start sleeping again.

I don't know if I will run another marathon again..right now, I would say no way, but I know how things change. I'm just looking forward to running without being locked into a plan and just doing what I want..but in the meantime..bring on the taper!! It couldn't have come at a better time..

The Morning After

2011-08-19T08:09:00.010-04:00

Another 20+ miler is in the books! 23 miles to be exact. This was supposed to be my weekend long run, but I did it a few days early since I have a lot going on this weekened. It actually turned out MUCH better than my disasterous 20 miler. First of all, it was cooler out which I think made all the difference in the world. Here's the breakdown:

I left the house at 6:00 a.m. with a small bottle of water and did 10 miles. Around 7:00, I decided to text my husband and ask him to bring me another bottle of water..I probably would've been fine without it, but I figured he was getting ready to leave the house anyway so it wasn't a big deal.

So, I returned back home at 10 miles, hit the bathroom, grabbed more water, a bite of my pre-made PB & J sandwich & back out I went. I ran to Linda's house. She agreed to run 10 with me so I had to pick up 3 miles between her house and mine..which I misjudged somehow. Anyway, by the time I got to her house I had 13.5 under my belt and I still felt pretty good. Also, I knew I only really had to run 9.5 now instead of 10 so that made me pretty happy. When we finally reached 9.5, I was DONE and we walked that last half mile to her house. I felt bad that she didn't get her 10 in (although she didn't seem to care), but I was not going to run one step beyond 23 miles!

Anyway, Linda was a real life saver..she planted 3 coolers along our 10 mile route..complete with Gatorade, water and even some snacks. When I got to her house she greeted me with a glass of ice cold water. And, when we finished she went right in and got me some ice cold orange juice. I think we all need a running partner like her!

I ran the first 13 at an 11:10 pace which I was quite pleased with. I did a 4:1 ratio of run/walk. After I stopped at Linda's, we ran the last 10 miles at just under a 13 minute pace..which I know is extremely slow and I didn't mind that. I just wonder if I had been by myself could I have kept up the 11 minute pace? I really don't know. I didn't feel like I could run any faster even if I was by myself which kind of worries me. I want to break 5 hours at the marathon and 13 minute miles is just not going to cut it! In order to break 5 hours I'll have to keep the pace under 11:24. I don't know if that's realistic for me :(

So, I felt quite tired especially during the last 5 miles. My feet were really hurting..they just felt sore and tired. I couldn't wait to take my sneakers off. Later on, my knees felt especially tired..so did the rest of my body! I think that's probably normal for doing something so abnormal ;-)

Did I get a headache? Well, a slight one..but thankfully, it was manageable with ibuprofen.

I came home and sat in my pool (this girl's version of an ice bath) then I laid on a float for a long time. I did absolutely nothing for the rest of the day. My kids were out with their grandmother and when they got home we had dinner (which I pre-ordered from a local Italian restaurant - chicken parm!). Even after dinner, I laid around and watched tv. Luckily, the rest of the family was feeling lazy, too so nobody really minded that we didn't do anything.

Today, I feel pretty good actually. Sooo glad it's behind me...just one more long run before the marathon. I'm thinking about my post marathon plans (for 2012)..stay tuned :)

Here are a few vacation photos..

60 Days Until Marathon

2011-08-10T12:14:00.006-04:00

My brother informed me today that the marathon is just 60 days away. The training seems to go so fast until you get into the really crazy long runs (now!) 20+ mile runs are generally not a lot of fun no matter who you are. Just sayin'.

I have been thinking about my 23 miler coming up in a little over a week. Because of the issues that I had on the 20 miler (lack of bathroom facilities when needed, lack of cold water, etc.) I'm seriously considering doing this run from my house.

There are a couple of problems with that :

1) The roads out here are pretty hilly & sunny. The bike path where I would normally run is mostly flat & shaded.

2) Will I be able to handle going to my house to use the bathroom/get drinks and then be able to continue on with my run? Or will the temptation to stop be too strong? I'm pretty sure I have the discipline to keep going, but how much will it affect me mentally? Hmmm..

3) Then there's the issue of planning out the best route. I have never run this type of distance from my house. I think the longest run I've done from home is 13 miles (which was an accident! by the way, but that's a story for another time).

If you do not follow Jeff Galloway's training plans, you may think running 23 miles is nuts (actually, it IS nuts. Period.). Most marathon training plans only have you run up to 20 miles and that's it. However, if you are using the Galloway method to train, he has you run up to either 26 or 29 miles depending on which plan you follow! There's a lot of research behind this and I did follow the same plan last year so I know first hand that it works. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

If you'd like more information on Jeff Galloway, visit his website: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/

I do have some time to gear up for this run. I have to consider the mistakes I made on my last run and try not to get caught up in the negative talk. After this run, I'll just have one more ridiculously long run left before marathon day! Yipee!!

20 Miler Recap

2011-08-03T07:05:00.007-04:00

I think I've finally gotten over the trauma from my 20 mile run on Saturday..although I had a lot of physical issues during that run, I think most of the damage done was mental.

The plan was for me and my friend, Linda to run the first 10 together (out 5, then back 5). She brought her bike and was going to meet up with me somewhere during the last 10 which I was perfectly okay with. I'm glad to have company for any portion of a long run.

It was warm so we got an early start..I was in a good mood..everything was going great. But things started to change as we approached the 10 mile mark and I knew had to do the second 10 alone. My "mental toughness" suddenly took a nosedive! I tried to tell myself to forget the first 10 and just pretend like I was going out for a 10 mile run, but the thought of having to do another 10 miles was overwhelming. I kept telling myself I could do it and that I'd be okay. If only it were that simple..

So, after filling up my bottle with Gatorade and eating a little of my PB & J, I headed back out. I should probably mention that I was having..how should I say it..some intenstinal issues..so that made things interesting ;-) I'll just leave it at that..

My plan was to run the exact same route again, but it was getting warmer and so was my Gatorade (yuck). I only got a couple of miles out when I felt that familiar stinging which meant I forgot to put on more Bodyglide..with the heat/humidity comes chaffing..I've been there before. But, there was nothing I could do about it so I just kept running.

I knew if I could get to the final turnaround point, I would definitely be able to finish even if I had to walk. Just knowing that I was on my way back would give me enough of a mental boost to get me through.

That's when something kind of funny that happened..since I was on a bike path where there are lots of people running & biking you sometimes see coolers that runners plant along the way..I was so desperate for something cold to drink & I could not choke down my warm Gatorade any longer..I never have considered taking something from somebody else's cooler, but then again I was never as desperate as I was that day. So, at the height of my desperation I stumbled across a cooler. Nobody was around (I checked) so I stopped and opened it up. There were 3 empty bottles and 1 frozen solid water bottle. That frozen water bottle looked like the best thing in the world to me at that moment. I have to admit that although I was really, really tempted to take it, I just couldn't do it. I knew someone would be back for it and I already felt guilty for even considering it in the first place.

My next thought was my friend on her bike. Maybe she would be coming..and maybe by some miracle she would have a frozen water bottle for me. Or some Body Glide. Or some toilet paper. Or a cold washcloth. Or an ice cream cone. But, that didn't happen either...apparently she had some problem with her bike and it was unrideable. Oh well. I was truly on my own.

On the bright side, at least I was on my way back and I told myself this will all be over in less than an hour..I can do it..I can do it..and I did do it, but between the heat, the chaffing, being thirsty, & the lack of a bathroom..I was hurting. I was never so glad to finish a run.

After I was done, it took me a little while to pull myself together for the drive home. It felt sooo good to get in the air conditioned car (it was now 86 degrees) and it felt even better when we stopped for an ice cream (which I completely inhaled!).

I felt horrible for the rest of the day, but I came home and fell into my pool and laid on a float for a very LONG time. While I was floating around I seriously contemplated this whole marathon thing. Is anything worth feeling this crappy? I don't know..the jury is still out..

Headache Update

2011-07-31T22:08:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was another running milestone for me..I did the first 20 miler of my training. I have to admit that it was not pretty. More on that in the next post (& I promise it won't take another month!).

But first, let me back up to my 17 miler which was just 3 weeks ago. I felt great on that run..I had just finished listening to the Extra Mile Galloway Edition podacast where Jeff Galloway himself personally gave me his tips on how to deal with my post long run headaches. He said these types of headaches are usually caused by: not being properly hydrated, low blood sugar or the pace isn't slow enough. Well, I knew my pace was not the issue and I thought I was drinking more than enough water..so I zeroed in on the low blood sugar.

I brought some candy (Spree) with me on my 17 miler and had a few every couple of miles. Other than that, I stuck with my normal routine of what I ate that morning, etc. After the run, I really didn't get the headache..until around dinnertime, that is. That's when it kicked in..so I'm back to square one again.

I went in for a routine checkup last week and I was expecting to see my doctor (who delivered both of my kids), but instead the new nurse practioner walked in. At first, I was a little disappointed because I really like my regular doctor. Anyway, the nurse & I were talking and it turns out that she runs marathons..she was young (younger than me), but she has a lot of experience (she runs 2-3 marathons a year!). Anyway, she was able to give me some advice about my headaches..she's thinking that I drink too much water in the days leading up to the long run and my sodium is basically already depleted by the time I start running. I guess that could be possible. She told me to try these margarita cliff shots..they have extra sodium in them. Unfortunately, I couldn't find them..but I did cut back on my water drinking the day before. I have to say that I did still get a headache, but it wasn't that bad. It was manageable at least. I will continue to try to tweak things little bit so maybe there is still hope. But for now, the headache saga continues :(

Marathon Training & Headaches

2011-06-30T12:15:00.012-04:00

I'm already about halfway through marathon training..I can't believe that! I did a long run of 14 miles over the weekend. I felt really good other than the nagging headache afterward. This has been an ongoing problem for me over the last 4 years since I've gotten into distance running. It only happens when I do a longer run (more than maybe 10 miles). I've done some research, but I still haven't really figured out what causes these headaches. I'm fairly sure it's not hydration and it's not what I'm eating before or after the run. So now I'm looking into a lack of salt or sugar (?).

I've been listening to the Extra Mile Galloway Edition podcast (you should check it out if you haven't already) and I got the idea of asking the master/guru of running himself (Jeff Galloway). I emailed my question into the podcast and I got a reply that Jeff will be answering my question on the next podcast (yippee!). I can't wait to hear what he has to say! Hopefully, I'll find out before my next long run which will be 17 miles..yikes!

Other than my headache issue, my training is going really well. The weather hasn't been too warm so my long runs have all been done in fairly cool weather. I did have a slight pain in my right arch that I noticed on my run this morning, but I don't think it's anything major. It might have to do with my flip flops. I know they are so bad for your feet. Right now I'm wearing old Nike foam ones and they are completely shot. I want to look for a decent pair of flip flops (if there even is such a thing) with a little support. I wear the Adidias slides around my house and they feel great, but that's nothing I would wear outside of my house. If anyone knows of a decent flip flop with support, let me know.

I want to close with a few shots of some flowers from around our property..I've been taking a lot of pics of them lately..

This Running Blog Is Interupted By A Middle School Concert

2011-05-25T06:37:00.019-04:00

I'm trying to fend off a migraine. It started last night..maybe it was the middle school concert that pushed me over the edge ;-)

I just love those concerts..not because the music is outstanding, but because I like to people watch. And, let me tell you..there's a LOT going on both on stage and in the audience.

First of all, there were NO seats. Oh goody. There we were in the back standing with the other late arrivers (aka chorus parents). Our son is in the chorus and since the chorus goes last, we don't have to arrive at school until 6:45..that's why there are no seats. On a side note, I don't even know why my son is still in chorus. He always hates going to the concerts and tries to get out of going every. single. time. I think it's because he has been in chorus since elementary school and doesn't want to hurt the teacher's feelings by quitting so he just continues. But who really knows..he's in middle school. He doesn't talk.

The bright side to not having seats is we knew how it would play out..the orchestra plays first and those who have kids that are only in orchestra would get up and leave when their kids were finished. Let's face it, people are there to see their own kids. They really don't care about everyone else's kids. That used to annoy me, but last night it didn't. I knew once the orchestra parents left that would free up some seats and we could finally unprop ourselves off the wall and have a seat. Thank you orchestra parents.

Don't hate me for saying this, but the orchestra is usually the worst part of the concert..I'm assuming because the instruments are the hardest to play?? I have to say though, these kids really improved this year..it was actually enjoyable to listen to. (Other than the music teacher giving a too long history on each piece played).

Disbursed throughout the audience are the camera people (and normally I am one of them but I've learned that it's a really hard place to get decent pictures so I've given up). We have the regular people with their disposable cameras that they bought on their way to the school..those are usually the grandparents..very cute. Then, we have the next step up which are the wanna-be professional photographers with their big zoom lenses and flashes..my daughter noticed one guy in front of us zooming in on a girl's chest! Classy, real classy. Plus, it's MIDDLE SCHOOL! Hello. That is someone's daughter or granddaughter..could you be more inappropriate?

Then there are the "videographers." They don't bother me because they just sit there quietly and do their thing. I just want to know do they ever really plan on watching these videos? I wonder if someday I'll regret not documenting my childrens' every concert, soccer game, etc. I hope not. I think even if I DID record the stuff and DID want to sit down and watch them, I probably wouldn't even be able to find the things. Maybe it's just me..(P.S. I do have videos from when our kids were babies/toddlers, etc..so I'm not totally heartless.)

There are always the crying babies, the people getting up and roaming up and down the aisle 800 times during the concert (where do they keep going?), people who yell random "shout outs" to the kids on stage (what??), and don't forget the loud talkers.

And that is just the audience. The kids on stage have their own set of antics..what in the world is going on with the percussion section anyway? They're always crammed in the back and there seems to be a LOT of commotion going on..I love them.

I already mentioned the music teachers giving great big long explanations about every piece they play..sometimes it's just a tad too much. Just a tad. I have to remind myself that they really love what they do (they must) & just want to share it with the rest of us. I think there's definitely a special place in heaven for music teachers :)

Finally...after the orchestra, band, jazz band, special chorus and other special numbers, we get to see the chorus..by then, many in the audience have left and are already at the local ice cream store eating sundaes.

For this concert, they gave the kids those leather folders to hold their lyrics..I'm not sure why. The kids hardly even glanced at them, but okay. Most of them didn't know how to hold them or weren't sure what they were supposed to do with them which also provided some funny moments. Some of the kids weren't even singing which made them even more fun to watch. One girl who was supposed to be singing was laughing hysterically. I wish I knew at what. Others were fidgeting with their ties, their hair, their gum, you name it.

It was a long concert..90 fun-filled minutes. As always, the kids did not disappoint. I always love going and seeing that particular slice of life. I know someday I will miss this and I do remind myself of that while we're standing in the back of the hot auditorium. These are the good times :)

Of course, we went out for ice cream afterward. But, lucky for us the crowds were gone :)

Randomness

2011-05-11T21:17:00.000-04:00

I had a good running week last week..I finally broke the 20 mile mark (22.6 to be exact). It's about time! I did an 8, 4, 4, 6. For the 8 miles I was doing a 9-1 run/walk interval and I have to say that it didn't feel wonderful. I mean, it was okay, but I really felt like I should switch back to the 4-1 intervals I was doing last year. So, this past Saturday I did just that and it felt 100% better. I had a great run. I never really felt tired and I definitely could've run further and I know it was ALL because of the 4-1 intervals. I was soo happy!

This is the week that I need to jump into my marathon training plan which means I have a 9 miler scheduled for this Saturday. I plan on sticking with the 4-1 intervals for sure! I don't know why I was so intent on the 9-1..that was so random anyway. 4-1 is really where I ought to be.

I mapped out all my long runs from now until my marathon (October) just so I can start planning summer vacations, etc. I don't want to have to run too far while we're on a family vacation. Does anybody else plan vacations around their running schedule or am I the only one?

While I was running the other day, I was listening to a sermon on my iPhone..it was so good. In fact, it was the second time I listened to that particular sermon because it was packed with a lot of really great stuff. I can't remember specifically what he said that made me suddenly want to cry, but as I was running I got really choked up. Has that ever happened to you? Crying and running really do NOT mix! I felt like I had a bag of bricks on my chest..it was not good.

I've had a lot of changes in my life recently and some of them make me really angry/sad. I just never know when these feelings are going to pop up. Something in that sermon I was listening to triggered me, I guess. Although no one has literally died, I think what I'm going through is similar to a death in the sense that I've lost several big, important things in my life. I've lost a lot and it has been tough but I'm so thankful for my husband and my friends/family who have been there for me. I really appreciate the special people in my life.

Well, enough of that for tonight..I'm looking forward to an easy, shorter run tomorrow and then the 9 miler on Saturday..

Night-night for now..I'll leave you with some photos I took yesterday..

Easter

2011-04-24T21:09:00.003-04:00

What a great weekend..the only not great thing is I didn't get to run. I had planned to do 7 miles yesterday, but woke up to pouring rain & wind. That run didn't happen. Since today was Easter and I was cooking, there was no way I could squeeze a run in so now I'm planning to do the 7 tomorrow (Monday). But, of course more rain is forecasted. I'm still hoping to get some kind of run in.

I've been trying to break the 20 mile mark these last 2 weeks and I've come sooo close..but no cigar. I'll give it a try this week again though. I know 20 miles is nothing great for a whole week of running, but that's just where I'm at right now..

I've been really trying to be careful about my eating. I've been using a great app for my iPhone called My Fitness Pal. It's basically a calorie tracker. I've never in my life counted calories, but my husband has been doing P90X and he has been using the app (on his droid). He got me interested in it so I decided to give it a try. This app makes it so easy to keep track of your food and calories (& even exercise!). I love it.

I racked up some calories this weekend..in fact, it was so bad I didn't even punch them in. It started on Friday..we always have homemade pizza on Friday nights and it was so good that I ate way more than I planned. I usually consider Friday night a "cheat" night so I didn't give it much thought. But, yesterday we went to a friend's house for dinner and had some really delicious lasagna followed by cookies and rice krispy treats! Then, of course there was Easter dinner today which was so good, but so fattening. G & K brought one of the most delicious cheesecakes I've ever had. It was from a place in NYC called Junior's. It was one of the best ever. But, I didn't stop at the cheesecake..I made crustless pumpkin pie. There were cookies & cupcakes, too. Oh boy!

I really hope I can get in a good run tomorrow. I need to run off a few of these calories!

I Have Presents

2011-04-11T16:21:00.005-04:00

I'm a big fan of Jeff Galloway..I started to read about him a few years ago when I decided to train for a marathon. Last year, I followed the Extra Mile Podcast Experiment and that is really where I learned most of what I know about the run/walk/run method. It was/is a great podcast!

This year, Kevin at the Extra Mile Podcast is again teaming up with Jeff Galloway for another podcast:

gallowayextramile.blogspot.com

I decided that I should finally get around to ordering Jeff's training programs book & the interval timer. I found out thru the podcast that there is a special for Extra mile listeners which included the book & the timer (plus the book is autographed!!). It was a really great deal! I left a comment on the Extra Mile blog telling Kevin that I ordered the book & timer. Kevin asked if I would call in & say my comment on their comment line..he even offered me an incentive to do it!

This brings me to the presents I found in my mailbox today..not only did I receive my Jeff Galloway autographed book & the interval timer, but I also received a Headsweats hat just for calling in my comment. So, I am a very happy girl today! Thank you, Kevin :)

Solitude

2011-04-07T07:17:00.006-04:00

Solitude is a good thing, right? I have had a lot of it lately..sometimes I think a little too much. I'm recently unemployed so I have ALL day by myself. Part of me dreads Mondays because the kids go back to school & my husband back to work and it's just me..again. I know most people would love that and sometimes I do, but at times I think it's just too much alone time.

I'm trying to take advantage of all this time and do some projects that I've been wanting to do. After all, I'm in a new house and there are still changes we want to make and now I have plenty of time to do them. The first week I was home, I started cleaning behind furniture and in all those little nooks and crannies that are unseen. By the end of the day, I moved my entire dining room into what was the living room and all of the living room (minus the couch because it wouldn't fit thru the doorway without turning it sideways) was moved into the old dining room...it all seemed like a great idea at the time, but I wasn't sure it was going to last. But, we all actually really like it that way and we've decided to keep it like that. So, you just never know what I'm going to do when left to my own devices ;-)

All of this alone time is making me run more often & further distances..I figure, why not? It's not like I don't have the time. I even started to lose a few pounds so now I'm watching my diet and I've lost 6 pounds! So, I guess that's all good, too.

I'm running more and more by myself which is how I started out so many years ago. It was only over the last few years that I started running with other people and eventually I got to the point where it was hard to go out for a run by myself..I just couldn't get motivated. It's funny how we go through these seasons of life and it really effects all areas..now I'm back to running on my own again (more solitude) so I'm learning to enjoy that as much as I can.

Now that it's finally starting to feel like spring (it has rained a lot!) I'm getting out whenever it's not raining. I did 6.5 yesterday and I did the Galloway method 9 mins running, 1 min walking. It didn't add that much to my overall time..a few minutes but that's okay. It's supposed to be nice out again today so I should take advantage of the nice weather. Me, myself & I will be out running..hope you are, too :)

Oops..I did it again!

2011-02-28T19:44:00.002-05:00

I did it again..I registered for another marathon over the weekend. I was torn between registering for the half or the full. I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit to training again for a full..it's our first summer in our new house (with a pool) and part of me just wants to enjoy the summer without worrying about my next long run, etc. Plus, my training buddy is hurt so I'm preparing myself for doing the training alone. And, my job situation has changed..I will be jobless as of April 1 and I'm not sure what my employment is going to be this summer. So, needless to say..there is a lot up in the air.

I was able to get out today for a short run..3 miles. I'm looking forward to doing some longer ones soon. I need to build my base back up..I haven't run more than 5 miles all winter! Sad :(

I hope your winter running is going better than mine has been!!

38 Days Until Spring

2011-02-10T20:28:00.005-05:00

I finally updated my running log to Runner's World today. I ran a little over 750 miles last year which at first sounds like a lot, but when you break it down it's really not very impressive. But, it is what is, right?

Before I get all negative on myself let me just say that in that year I trained for and completed my first marathon. I also ran a half marathon (PR of 2:05), my first and only 10k, and two 5K's..both 5k's I ran with my daughter. I hope I'm not forgetting anything although it wasn't a big year for races since my focus was really marathon-marathon-marathon.

According to my running log, I ran less than 30 miles in December and less than 30 miles in January..now that is pathetic! February isn't looking much better, I have to say. I should also mention that we have had a LOT of snow. In fact, our kids have had 6 snow days so far this winter.

On average, I'm only getting out about twice a week and that's just not enough. Running 4 or 5 miles is a real effort right now...I'm hoping for better days to come.

The log also tells me that I have 500 miles on my shoes! I was ready for a new pair right before I did the marathon, but I didn't want to make that rookie mistake. So, I ran the race in the old shoes which was fine. I was going to wait until spring for new shoes, but I think enough is enough. It's definitely time..

Well, I'm looking forward to spring and wearing a few less layers..how about you?

Happy New Year

2011-01-10T17:04:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe that Christmas is over and we're well into January..time flies!

During the Christmas rush, I didn't do as much running as I would've liked although most weeks I managed to squeeze in at least a few short runs. Living in the northeast, we also have the winter weather to contend with. I have learned to deal with the cold..the biggest problem is when it snows and the roads aren't clear to run. But, even if we get hit with 6 or more inches, it normally only takes a few days before the roads are okay.

Now that we're in the winter running mode, I'm noticing how cold my butt gets! I wear Nike Dryfit pants and sometimes even fleece pants on top of those and my butt still freezes. I don't know if this is normal..I haven't heard anyone else complain about having a frozen butt when they run? If this is a "problem" there must be some kind of underwear or something that would keep my buns warm, don't you think? I'm gonna have to look into that!

I've been running more and more by myself lately..one of my running partners has been dealing with some knee problems so she has been awol. The other one is a substitute teacher so our schedules don't always coordinate. Sometimes I'm really having to force myself out the door..it's so much harder when you're running alone AND in the cold. But, still..I've been doing it. I did 4 on my own today. I procrastinated for so long before I actually made it out. I took forever to get dressed and then I kept finding stupid little things to do just so I wouldn't have to go out. I eventually did it though and as always I'm glad I did.

More snow is in the forecast for Tuesday night..the kids are already talking snow day for Wednesday ;-)

Here are some wintery scenes from around here:

Marathon Recap Part 2

2010-11-09T13:55:00.008-05:00

I've had a month now to reflect on my marathon experience. I have a couple of regrets, of course..who doesn't? But overall, I am really happy with my marathon :)

Here's the crappy part:

After going out on the town to celebrate...several hours and several margaritas later (I was not driving..my brother picked us up at our hotel)..we returned to the hotel and headed downstairs to the parking garage to get some stuff out of my van..which I had not been to since we parked it the day before. When we got off the elevaltor and I glanced in the direction of my vehicle all I could see was a bunch of shattered glass all over the ground next to my car. It took a few seconds to register what had happened (like I said..a few margaritas!), but I soon realized that my van had been broken into. They smashed the passenger window and stole my dvd player and for awhile I thought they stole the gps which by the way wasn't even mine. It belonged to my friend that was with me (Alyson).

We were smart enough to hide the gps in the console between the 2 front seats the day before. I had heard that people actually look for the little ring on the windshield (that the gps suction cup leaves). If they see that, they know you have a gps in the vehicle. The console of my van has a little tray that sits on top that you can lift out. It's like a secret little compartment. Fortunately, I put the gps down underneath the tray. There was also a plastic grocery store bag in there as well as a book - I really buried it. In fact, I hid it so well that I didn't even realize until the next day that the gps didn't actually get stolen! It was weird. When I first found that the car had been broken into, I checked everything out and I never saw the gps down inside the console. In fact, I didn't even notice right away that the dvd player actually WAS stolen.

Anyway, the hotel we were staying at was absolutely no help to me at all (Crowne Plaza). It was like pulling teeth just trying to get someone to come down and clean out the glass and tape a garbage bag over the window (nothing screams redneck like a garbage bag taped over your car window!). Actually, I did most of the cleaning myself. The police wouldn't even come..I reported it over the phone.

The next morning when we got in the car to drive home, I jokingly said, "I wonder which way is home" (since I thought the gps was stolen). I don't even know why I did this, but I popped open the console and there was the gps as plain as can be. I was so happy to see that thing! In fact, I was so happy, that I didn't really even care that my dvd player was gone.

What a crazy way to end our weekend. What was also crazy was the car ride home..2 1/2 hours with a plastic garbage bag flapping away at 70 mph (can you say redneck?). It was so loud that we couldn't even talk to each other. We tried for awhile, but we got tired of yelling and we couldn't hear each other anyway. When we would slow down or stop, our ears were ringing..you know how your ears feel after going to a really loud concert? That's how it was. I recently had that experience when I went to see Rush over the summer with my husband..they were great, but man they were loud!

Anyway, that's part 2 of my story..it's kind of funny now...here we are on our way home:

David Letterman - NYC Marathon Top Ten

2010-11-09T13:55:00.005-05:00

This is for my brother who ran the NYC Marathon on Sunday...congrats! So proud of him!

Hartford Marathon Recap Part 1

2010-10-20T20:47:00.010-04:00

It has been about a week and a half since I ran my first marathon. I am still pretty happy about it. It didn't go quite the way I had imagined, but you can't ever really know for sure what's going to happen when you go out for a really long run. Anything is possible, right?

Alyson and I left for Hartford around noon on Friday afternoon. It was a perfect fall day so it was a really nice ride. Once we got there and checked into the hotel, we were off to the expo. I always like going to the expos..I like checking out all the running stuff. We even got roped into trying those titanium bracelets. I didn't buy one, but I have to say there might be something to it! (I hope you know what I'm talking about..they're in all the running stores now).

We also picked up some pace bands. We took 5:00, 5:15 and 5:30. 5:30 was really what we were trained for, but I think we could've done 5:15. 5:00 would've really been next to impossible, let's be honest. The marathon website posted bios of all the pace leaders so we were able to find out that the 5:30 guy was doing the Galloway method. He was doing an 8 minute run, 1 minute walk. We had trained the whole time running 4, walking 1. I didn't know if we should try something new the day of the race, but it was good to know there was someone doing Galloway.

We went out for dinner to a great restaurant in Hartford called First and Last. It's an italian place and it was delicious. After that, we went back to the hotel to contemplate all the minute details about the next day...should we bring our usual pb & j sandwiches for the race..problem was we had no place to put them. We have spi-belts, but the sandwiches would get pretty smashed in there. We were obsessed about every little thing from which socks to wear (old or new) to our handheld water bottles (to bring them or not to bring them). Plus, the whole night I was fighting a headache...I even took some of my prescription migraine medicine because I feared that was the direction I was heading.

We went to bed pretty early, but neither of us really slept well. When I woke up, I realized my headache was still lingering. I thought about taking another pill, but usually it makes me feel pretty tired so I decided not to take it..that was a bad move because the headache stayed with me for the rest of the day. By the time we got to the starting line, it was very sunny..not good for a headache. I would've given anything for a pair of sunglasses!

We were looking around at the crowd and we happened to see the pace groups forming..we looked over and there was our 5:30 guy. Around him were his groupies, his followers for the next 5 1/2 hours. Every single one of them was wearing a brace or bandage of some sort. They were the walking wounded. They were old, young, big, small..we dubbed them the Island of the Misfit Toys.

I'm not making fun of them because we were in that group, too! We didn't really want to officially join the group because we weren't sure how the 8/2 thing was going to work since we had not trained that way. We decided we would at least keep them in our sights and whatever happens we would not let them get ahead of us. That was our strategy.

We listened (eavesdropped really) as the pace leader described his plan for the race. He said he runs 8 minutes, walks 2. He also walks up all hills and at all water stations. He said he does that up until 20 miles. He then said, "after 20 miles your body says, what the f is this." (only he didn't say "f", he said the actual word.) For some reason, we both thought that was extremely funny...and true!

So, what did we do? The gun went off and we did what all the books tell you not to do..we tried something new. We started out doing the 8 & 2 which we had never done before. It seemed to be okay though. I was wearing the 5:15 pace band and Alyson wore the 5:30 band. The first couple of miles flew by and we were both pretty happy. I knew we were going too fast though and I had a feeling it was not going to last, but I figured we'd take advantage of it for as long as we could. I think we stayed on the 5:15 pace for at least the first 8-9 miles even with a few potty breaks. My headache continued to nag at me which kept the conversation to a minimum at least on my end. As the miles ticked by, it continued to get sunnier and hotter. I was trying not to think about my headache, but it was getting hard not to.

I also kept thinking of the dead silence between us..which is pretty unusual. I just couldn't muster up anything to say at all. My headache was not only stopping me from talking, but stopping me from thinking. Even the crowd was quiet. We ran threw this one section and there were some spectators and not one of them made a peep. Not even one clap. I think I even said out loud, "wow, dead silence" which made them laugh and cheer a little bit.

Once we hit 10 miles were on an out and back stretch of the course. It was around here we saw the front runners starting to go by us. This lasted for the next 7 miles! We did not like that AT ALL. It really did something to your head to be going by people for that long. The turnaround point wasn't until mile 17. It was a horrible stretch. Also, the road was a weird kind of pavement. It wasn't normal asphalt. It was kind of a combination of crushed stone and asphalt. It didn't feel good to run on and the bottom of my left foot was starting to hurt.

Alyson had a few of her own issues although neither of us were really sharing what issues we had because it just seemed to make things worse once you actually said it. Things started to break down a little at mile 18. At some point we had stopped with the 8/2 and switched back to our usual 4/1. At mile 18, Alyson said she wasn't sure if she could keep up with the 4/1 so asked her if she thought she could make it to 2o miles. She said yes so I said let's just get there and then we'll reevaluate.

At 20, we tried all different things. Eventually we dropped all the ratios and did a good amount of walking and then I'd try to get her to run just to the next telephone pole. At mile 22, she said she was going to walk the rest of the way. She wanted me to go ahead, but I really did not want to leave her. We trained for this marathon together and I wanted us to finish it together. I should mention that the 5:30 pace group was STILL behind us..so at least that was encouraging. Finally, she convinced me that I should just let her walk to the end and so I started to run. I didn't plan on running very far ahead of her, but by then my foot was really hurting and it seemed to feel better running than it did walking.

Once we split up, I just wanted to get it overwith. I had 4 miles left to go and when I was running, I didn't really feel that bad. It was when I was walking that I hurt. So, I just tried to keep running. I ran most of the last 4 miles. I walked a couple of times, but not too much. I think every person that I came up behind was walking those last few miles. All of them. Which made me feel even better that I was actually the one running. It was like no man's land though. It was weird seeing all of those people walking. It was like a bunch of zombies going to the store single file.

Eventually, I was in the homestretch and what was nice about the finish is there was not another person in the shoot. I had it all to myself. I heard them not only announce my name, but they commented about how I knew all my hard work had just paid off..it was cool. You can watch the finish online if you want. I'm #1725. So my chiptime ended up being 5:25. I finished and that was my goal so I was happy.

My brother came right over (he had run the half - he's doing the NYC marathon in a few weeks) and after congratulating me, asked what happened to Alyson. I said, "Oh she's gonna be awhile..she started walking at mile 22). It was only another few minutes later that we heard them announce her name! I couldn't believe my ears.

It turns out, just after we split up, the 5:30 pace group came along and she hooked up with them. They were down to only 2 people, plus her and the pace leader. They talked her through those last few miles and got her to finish. I was thrilled for her.

My only regret is that we didn't get to finish the race together. After all that, all the training, we didn't get to finish the race together. There would not be any doing something goofy at the finish line when it was over, no pics of us finishing our first marathon together. Nothing.

But, as I said before, you just never know what's going to happen when you get out there. You can train and plan and hope and dream, but in the end it all comes down to how your body is going to respond on that given day. You just don't know.

I've thought about all this..probably a little too much. If I could do it over again, I would've taken the 2nd immitrex on the morning of the race. I also would've crammed a PBJ sandwich into my spibelt. I think if I didn't have the headache, I would've been talking more and I could've helped get her to the end of the race. I was so wrapped up inside my own head that I was really no good to her. That's what I would do differently.

But, now that it's over..what's next? I'm not depressed at all. I was kind of depressed after I ran my very first half marathon. I've only run once since the marathon and it was a really good run. It felt great. Part of me is glad this race is behind me because it was such a huge time committment..at least toward the end. Those 20 mile runs take a LONG time! For now, I want to enjoy some fall running. I'm going to do a 15K in a few weeks. I just want to enjoy my running for now. I do love distance running though. So much more than 5ks. Most people don't understand that. I don't even really understand it myself.

Do I want to run another marathon? Yes. I wasn't sure at first, but I do. I know I can improve my time. My goal would be to break 5 hours. I think it's possible. I'd probably try to stick with the Galloway method though to some degree. I really believe there's something to the walk/run thing.

Sorry this is so long, but there's a lot to relive..here we are with our medals and smiles:

8 days to go

2010-09-30T06:34:00.002-04:00

With just a little over a week to go, I have the first marathon jitters. I'm starting to doubt my training (I know I shouldn't), did I do enough, why do I want to do this, etc. I really need to relax about all this & remember that my only goal is run this marathon with my friend and to finish. That's it. We have no time goal..we're sticking to the Galloway "to finish" method. It is also her first marathon so I know she's got some jitters, too. I'm supposed to be the calm, cool, and collected one though so I have to put on my positive face for her..maybe if i do that, I'll convince myself at the same time!

Well, this fall has been filled with back to school stuff, sports, moving, painting, figuring out how to maintain a pool, cover the pool (you hire someone!), etc. Like most families, we've been very busy. We are really enjoying our new house though and finally getting more settled. I've painted 2 rooms (so far) with more to come!

There is a sauna in this house...one of the previous owners was from Sweden and I guess they installed it. The only problem is they plopped it right in the middle of a hallway upstairs and it takes up a LOT of space. So, we want to take it down..soon.

But, before that we need to install an "invisible" fence for the dog. Our poor dog (Alex) was used to having a big fenced in yard to run around in, but this house doesn't have a fence (only around the pool). We decided the invisible kind would work out the best for the property so we ordered it and we're going to install it ourselves. Hope it's not too difficult.

So, the countdown is on..I have a hair appointment today (can't have roots on my big day!). Saturday is my birthday & we have a wedding to go to..hoping to do a little birthday celebrating ;-) then, as Alyson says we'll head into marathon "monkdom". Not sure exactly what she means other than watching what we eat, drinking lots of water and don't do anything stupid and get hurt (which we did last weekend & I have cuts & bruises to prove it!)

Wish us luck as we head into pre-marathon week..

Fresh Start

2010-09-06T07:35:00.010-04:00

September is here. It has been a busy few weeks. We moved out of one house & into a new one (we actually moved into an old house, but new to us). Moving out & moving in are really two separate things. I would call them two separate nightmares ;-) I have a very organized & uncluttered house, but it was still terrible to move the whole thing even though the house we were moving to was just a few hundred feet away. I had been packing boxes for weeks so I thought we were in good shape for the move.

On moving day, things seemed to be going fairly well until it came time to move the basement, laundry room & workshop. That's where the junk is. Then, there's all the stuff in storage like Christmas decorations, boxes and boxes and boxes of pictures, my son's crib (I still have it even though he will be 12 this week) and other seemingly useless items that have no value other than they are sentimental for one reason or another. After 14 years of living in a house with 2 kids & various pets, you accumulate a LOT of stuff...even if you are a neat freak like me.

There's nothing like a good move to make you realize who your friends are. They were there with us until late into the night. They moved our basement, our monster couch and even the washer and dryer. There was also our basketball hoop, snowblower and even the dirty laundry. I felt bad for them. At times, I was even embarassed by the sheer amount of stuff.

It all came out of the old house and down the road to the new one. As it was getting later and later, we fell into desperation mode. We were starting to get worried that we weren't going to get everything out before the closing the following morning. We worked until 4 a.m. and, it still wasn't done! My husband and I were back up there at 6:00 the following morning for the last remaining items in the garage...and to fix the water pipe that broke when the washing machine was moved..I'm talking shut the water off and sodder the pipe..yeah, he was so happy to be doing that :)

But, eventually it was finished. This is what the place looked like when it was all over:

Yes, I believe that's a dresser drawer in the living room. This is what happens when a move goes wrong. Things get dropped anywhere...but, at least it was all under the same roof!

So, it has been over a week and we have gotten a lot done. We are digging out of the mess. I had to take a whole week off from running, but I'm back on track again. The Galloway plan calls for a 26 mile run this week and then we have a about a month until the marathon. I can't believe it's that close! I'm getting excited.

There's a lot to look forward to this fall..enjoying our new house, the marathon, soccer games, track meets, birthdays..I love it all :)

2010-08-15T07:05:00.004-04:00

Today we are one week post vacation. My house looks like a box factory. We are moving. It didn't look like it was going to happen there for awhile. We put an offer in on a house back in February. It took until the end of June to sell our current house. It looks like it's all going to come to an end (or new beginning) on Monday, August 23rd. Wow.

I'm trying not to be too sentimental about leaving this house. I love it here. It was our first house. It's the only home we've ever lived in as a family. I don't want to get too dramatic about it, but we have lots of memories here..although I'm sure we'll make lots of new ones at the new house, too.

Running: I started having a little problem with my knee while I was on vacation. As best I could tell, it's the IT band. I went out and bought a foam roller and I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical that it would actually help. I really wasn't totally sure if I was using it properly, but I have to say that I didn't have any pain yesterday (for the first time) after my 6 mile run. I have to credit the roller. That's the only thing I've done different so I guess I'm a believer.

Because I'm following the Galloway plan, I'm scheduled to run 23 miles this week - yes, all in one shot. I can't even believe I'm saying that, but it's true. I have to move the run to a Thursday again because of the whole moving thing going on here. I hope the knee holds up for it. I just want to be able to make it to the marathon on October 9.

I'm going to have to come up with a plan to keep my mind occupied. At the end of my 20 miler, I was out of it. I couldn't think of anything to think about. It was weird. This time, I'll have company for a good part of it. Alyson is back on board now, but her longest run was 15..she's not up to doing 23 yet. I think we decided she should try 18. She's thinking 20, but that may be too much. Our schedules got out of sync when she had a flareup with her hip. We're trying to get back on track again so we can do the rest together.

For me, all that will be left (after the 23) is a 26 miler which seems crazy to do before the marathon itself, but Jeff (Galloway) hasn't failed me yet, so I'm just going with it.

I booked our room in Hartford..we decided to stay at a less expensive place so we can stay for two nights rather than one. We still haven't registered for the race though. We decided to wait until the very last minute since both of us are dealing with injuries. I'm getting excited though. It's really not that far away. I have to say that running the 20 miler has given me quite a bit of confidence to be able to finish out the rest of this plan. As long as this old body holds up!

Vacation Scenes

2010-08-06T17:36:00.003-04:00

Lifeguard attempting to keep horses off beach ;-)

Guy with the craziest mullet I've ever seen!

Yesterday

Latest obsession: collecting shells

Vacation Running & Vacation Eating

2010-08-06T07:56:00.004-04:00

I've been in Maryland for a week now. We're going to stretch out our stay until Monday..I think. At least that's the current plan. Here's how my running has shaped up so far this week:

Sunday: 4 miles
Tuesday: 6 miles
Friday: 2 miles

My plan was to "take it easy" after running the 20 last Thursday, but of course I didn't exactly do it. Why is it such a problem for runners to do that -- to take it easy? Or is it just a problem for me? I love running when I'm down here. I'm always up way earlier than the rest of the family so I can get it done before they're even awake. Plus, it's incredibly flat here and that's such a nice change of pace.

I felt really good after my 4 mile run...so good that I ran 6 on Tuesday (I had only planned on doing 3). It was after the 6 mile run that my knee started bothering me. I'll spare you the details, but after talking with my brother who had a similar problem last year after an 18 miler, we decided it could possibly be my IT band. He said he bought one of those foam rollers to stretch it out and that seemed to do the trick.

Off I went to look for a foam roller..they didn't have them at Walmart. The closest thing I could find was a pool noodle. Needless to say, that did not work. I had a feeling they might have one at Target, but I didn't know where there was a Target down here. After a quick google search (what did we do before the internet!?) I found a Target in a town a few miles away and now I have my very own foam roller.

I rolled around on that thing last night. I had no idea what I was doing. I don't even think I did anything that remotely helped, but who knows! I went out for a 2 mile asessment run this morning and I think it actually felt better, but I'm not sure it's because of the roller. I still felt little twinges here & there & I thought it could start really hurting at anytime, but I made it through the 2 miles and it still is feeling okay.

It felt strange running just 2 miles. I want to go out for 3 tomorrow, but I don't want to push it...and I mean it this time! I have no idea if it's my IT band or what, but I'll be very disappointed if I do something to hurt myself now after coming this far in the training. I don't even want to think about it!

Other than that, we are having a great time here at the beach, but I have eaten way too much. My husband says I haven't, but here's what I think the problem is. I don't eat much when I'm at home. When I'm home I always eat a healthy breakfast & usually a lowfat dinner. I don't normally have an official lunch, but I have snacks throughout the day of yogurt, pretzels, stuff like that. When I'm on vacation, I eat a decent breakfast, but then we go to the beach and I bring stuff I don't normally eat like sandwiches, cookies (for the kids of course!) and a bunch of other junk. Then, we go out to eat every night - that's the biggest problem. Oh..and the ice cream. They have THE BEST ice cream place down here (Dumser's). That's another problem. Oh, and the drinks...BIG problem ;-)

I'm sure that even if I have gained a few pounds I'll drop it once I get home and go back to eating my regular way. In the meantime, I feel like a big cow! I think I have to start downsizing my meals starting today! On the other hand, I'm on vacation & that only happens only once a year. I should just enjoy it, right???? Right?

Ode to Uncle Tom

2010-07-31T09:36:00.011-04:00

My uncle Tom was a police officer & a Vietnam vet. As a kid, I was afraid of him. He was tough. He was the guy who was always throwing the kids in the pool at family parties. I didn't like getting thrown in the pool so I would stay away from him. He told it like it was regardless of the consequences. It didn't matter if he hurt your feelings.

But, he also had a soft side. He was a dad. He had 3 sons. He took them to a camp they had in the Adirondacks. They would fish and hunt and come home with tons of stories. That's what I remember most about my uncle...he was always telling stories.

He was the guy that got my brother jobs as a teenager. My uncle knew everyone because he was a cop. His job was "walking the beat." He got to know the business owners on his beat and they loved him. They felt safe because of him.

I remember when I was getting married -- he insisted the guys get tuxes at his friend's shop which of course was on his beat. He got us a "deal."

Our families went on vacation together to the beach. Everyday he would bring a cooler filled with cans of Budweiser, a chair and a hat. When the cooler was empty, it was time to go home.

I've hardly seen him in the last few years. He retired from the police force and he and my aunt separated. The last time I saw him was at my cousin's wedding over a year ago. When I went up to him and said hello, he looked at me like he didn't recognize me. I told him who I was and his expression changed. His face softened and he said, "you get more beautiful everytime I see you." And, that's exactly what I loved about him. Far beneath the tough exterior, you got a glimpse of his soft heart. Sometimes you had to dig pretty deep to get to it, but it was there.

Rest in peace, Uncle Tom..

1948 - 2010

20

2010-07-31T09:29:00.001-04:00

Today is the first day of our vacation. I was scheduled to run my first 20 miler today, but there was no way I was doing it so far from home so I got it out of the way on Thursday. It was a very busy week..it always is right before you're going away, isn't it? The kids had dentist & orthodontist appointments. I had my annual physical. Plus, I was trying to cram 2 weeks of work into 2 days. My uncle died so I had a wake & funeral to attend..the list goes on & on..

But, nothing was going to stop me from getting this run done. I was fortunate enough to have Linda & Alyson volunteer to run portions of it with me. I did 2.5 miles out and back (4 times). So, every 5 miles I would pass by where I parked. I knew from when I did the 17 mile run that I was running 5 miles in just under an hour so that made it easy to time when they should get there.

Here's how it worked out. I did the first 5 miles by myself. I started at 7:40 a.m. Linda met me and ran the next 5 with me. Then, Alyson & her son, Conor showed up when I hit 10 miles. The 4 of us were off and running miles 10-15 . Linda turned back around 12 because her foot was bothering her, but we eventually met back up with her for the last mile.

I meant to put on body glide at the 10 mile mark, but forgot (big mistake). It wasn't until the 3 of us were running for about a mile that I felt the chaffing begin. Same place as last time - thighs. I asked Conor if he minded biking back to the car and getting the body glide for me. Thank goodness for him otherwise I woud've really been hurting even worse than I am.

Linda left when we hit 15 miles. We used the bathrooms and I filled up my handheld bottle with Gatorade. I even had 1/4 of my PB & J sandwich. I was eating Sharkies along the way, too. I was feeling really good. Alyson, Conor & I were off to finish the last 5. Alyson has been having problems with her hip so I wasn't sure she'd be able to run the whole 10 miles with me..she came pretty close. She did 9. something..just under 10. She was with me when I finished though and that was the best part. She did a good job of keeping the conversation going at the end and I needed that.

When I stopped running, I shouted "thank you, Jesus." And, I meant it! I was really glad to have Alyson there with me. My brain felt like absolute mush those last few miles. I couldn't even think of anything to think about. It was kinda weird. I wanted to focus on something, but it was like my brain was turned off. It made me wonder what I'll do running a whole marathon completely by myself. I know I can wear an iPod for some of it, but that gets old after awhile, too. I'll have to come up with something..

I have to mention that I texted my husband when I stopped at 15 miles. He was at work of course. I just wrote "15 done." He wrote "keep going." By the time he sent that I was at 17.5 so I replied "17.5..don't reply..i'll text you when i'm done." As I was basking in the glory of finishing 20 miles, in pulls a truck and Alyson says, "hey that looks like Larry's truck." Sure enough, it was him. He wanted to be there when I finished. Isn't that sweet? I thought that was really nice. I was running on a path very close to his work and it was lunchtime. I never expected him to be there, but was really touched that he was. I could never do any of this without his support.

So, all in all I have to say the run went just about as well as it could have although my knee was really hurting afterward. Not sure what that's all about. I think it was just tired, not really injured. I went home and took my first ever ice bath which was not fun at all, but I do believe it helped tremendously. My muscles really didn't feel sore at all. When I did the 17, I was pretty tight and sore for a few days. My legs feel so much better this time and I think it's from the ice bath. Plus, we were in the car for 8+ hours yesterday and even that didn't bother me.

Today is Saturday and I'm on vacation. I'm not going to run today. I think I need a few days of rest..I might do 3 tomorrow. We'll see.

Today I'm only doing one thing...going to the beach :)

Another Saturday

2010-07-17T07:20:00.003-04:00

Saturday is when I do my 'long' run..I'm reflecting a little bit about my 17 miler which was last Saturday. I still can't believe I actually did it! Seems like it was way more than just a week ago. The training schedule only calls for 6 miles today which you think would be a piece of cake after 17, but I've learned that there's really no such thing as a piece of cake run.

I'm already looking ahead to my next long one which will be 20 miles. I'm scheduled to do this while I'm on vacation, but I'm planning on doing it a few days early just to get it out of the way before going. I think there's a 13 miler that I will have to do while I'm away, but we'll see..not sure about that.

It's already the middle of July. Wow. The summer is flying by. Hopefully, we'll be moving by the end of August. We sold our house and bought another house which is close by. It's a house that we have always loved and have looked at every time it has gone up for sale (3 times). Our new house has an inground pool..I grew up with a pool and can't wait to have one again. The kids will love it. I know people who have pools probably think I don't know what I'm talking about, and we'll probably end up cursing the pool, but right now the pool is a good thing!

I'm dreading the actual move..I haven't packed a thing yet, but we don't have an actual closing date yet either. Once we get the closing date, I'll have to get my act together...stay tuned...it should be an interesting time.

Enjoy your weekend!

Redemption

2010-07-12T18:56:00.004-04:00

All I can say is..it is really nice to be on this side of the 17 miles.

Actually, my run went very well. I had made a trip to my local running store (Fleet Feet) the day before and bought some sport beans, body glide & a fancy new water bottle. I went to bed early and much to my husband's dismay set the alarm for 5:00. My friend, Linda was meeting me at my house at 6:00 and then she was following me down to a bike path for the run. I didn't even want to attempt to map out a 17 mile course so I thought it would be easier to do the bike path (which was awesome). I definetly made the right choice and plan to do as many runs there as possible in the future.

Unfortunately, I woke up at 3:20 and could not fall back to sleep. I was too anxious about the task at hand. Eventually, I got out of bed only to find that it was raining. At the time, it was just a light drizzle so that wasn't going to stop me. Eventually, Linda arrived and she followed me in her car. She was only going to run the first 7 with me and then I was on my own. As we were driving, it started raining harder. And harder. I was expecting her to start flashing her lights in an attempt to tell me she was turning back. But, we continued on and eventually the rain let up a little bit. But it was really still raining pretty hard. Once we arrived at the bike path, I was happy to see other cars in the parking lot with 26.2 stickers...we weren't the only lunatics running in the pouring rain.

The water bottle I bought was the kind that straps onto your hand. It has a neoprene holder which helps keep the fluid from warming up. It also has a little zipper pocket for a key or beans or something. I was a little skeptical at first, but quickly I realized that I LOVED the thing. I had Gatorade in it and every time I went by my car (which was a total of 3 times), I'd fill it up with more Gatorade. I found it much better to sip fluid along the way rather than downing a whole bottle in one shot. I'm a believer in those bottles now. The one I got is by Ultimate Direction. It's GREAT! If you don't have one, you should go out and buy one immediately ;-)

So, Linda ran with me for the first 7 miles..we went out 3.5 from the car and back. 7 miles done. Bye-bye Linda :( I was on my own now. I quickly used the bathroom (yes they even have a bathroom there - major bonus!), refilled my bottle, and headed out in the other direction 2.5 and back..that makes 12 done. Got more Gatorade and my iPod and then off I went for my last 5 miles. I felt pretty good at that point. Not really too tired. I was running 4 minutes, walking 1. After Linda left, I picked up the pace. I think all of my running intervals were right around 10 minutes or under so I was moving at a decent pace (at least between miles 8-17). It wasn't until 15 miles that my legs started feeling really tired. But, I only had 2 miles left so I knew I could do it.

Since it had finally stopped raining (at 15 miles!), my wet clothes were really starting to bug me, the cord to my headphones kept getting in my way and that was bugging me, everything was bugging me. But, then I started getting into my music and before I knew it I was finally finished. It took me 3:15 which I know is slow, but I don't really care. I was so happy I did it. I have to admit I was pretty proud of myself.

So next I have a 20 miler to look forward to (in 3 weeks). I don't even want to think about it right now. My legs are still a little sore, but all in all I have to say I feel really good. I went out for a 4 mile run this morning. Very slow and easy, but it was good. Still can't imagine 26.2 miles, but you never know. I didn't think I could do 17 either.

Thanks to all my running buddies for your advice & support!

Respect the Distance

2010-07-07T06:37:00.004-04:00

Today will be the third day of temps in the 90's. With the heat index it feels like over 100. Definitely not a good time for the a/c to break down. Yeah.

I want to talk about the 14 miler that I did 2 weeks ago. It was the hardest run to date. I am doing the Galloway beginner plan (to finish). The longest distance I had run prior was the half marathon distance. I really wasn't worried about the actual distance because I had been building up to it. I was stressing a little bit about the course. It's hard to find out a course that's not too hilly. Then, I had to figure out where to plant water/gatorade. Suddenly, the weather was an issue (possible thunderstorms). Plus, I had to do the run on a Thursday rather than my normal Saturday because I was going out of town...which meant the kids were home since school was out. What I'm trying to say is there were a lot of things to worry about.

I was happy to wake up that morning and see that it was not raining or thundering/lightning. Phew. I drove around the course I had mapped out on Map My Run to drop the drinks and realized that this one section was extremely hilly (a road I had never been down before) so I decided we had to change the course around at the last minute. Not good because I had to estimate the miles and we ended up having to add on at the end which really messes with my head.

With all that said, what I really should've been worried about was the heat and humidity which I didn't give much thought to (stupid). I was drenched with sweat only a few miles into the run which is not normal for me. I don't sweat very much for some reason. I think it was around 9 miles that I realized I had some chaffing action going on in the thigh area. It wasn't long before I was trying to run while holding my shorts up above that area (didn't work). I only had chaffing one other time and it was years ago, but I do remember that it was also very humid that time.

By the last mile, I was so ready to be done that I stopped taking the walk breaks and practically sprinted to the end. My friend, Linda that was running with me just completely stopped at mile 13 (she's dealing with some plantar fasciaitis). When I finished, I backtracked to try to find her. By that time the temp had to be in the mid 80's. We were both hurting. Because we had to do so much adding on, we were probably a good half mile from my house when we finished. I had some weird cramping at the very top of my calves (never had that before). It did go away after a little while, but it was kind of strange.

I felt like garbage for the rest of the day. Up until that point, I had felt GREAT after doing my long runs using Galloway. This time was a completely different story. I was starting to get the headache that has become normal for me after a really long run. I knew I should eat something, but had no appetite. Looking back, I think part of why I felt so bad was because I was a little dehydrated. Even though we drank along the way, I don't think it was enough for the temps & humidity we were dealing with. Plus, I didn't bring any sort of nutrition..I usually at least have sport beans or Sharkies. I don't know what I was thinking not to bring anything. So stupid of me.

So, this Saturday is the next long run. 17 miles. I'm very nervous about it. I know I have to go get some body glide and beans. Maybe even bring a sandwich or something. We are going to a bike trail which is flat so that should help. I'm taking all the necessary precautions this time. I think that 14 miler was a good wake up call..you always hear "respect the distance" and I didn't do that. I took it for granted. I won't make that mistake again.

Updates on stuff

2010-06-10T11:16:00.002-04:00

Last week, I ran the Freihofer's Run for Women (5K) with my daughter. It's a really fun race because it's all women..I don't know if that's what makes it fun...nothing against races with guys, but this is just a really unique race that attracts world class runners. I don't know of any other race like it, do you?

Anyway, I have to admit that it was very refreshing to not be running a race for myself. I was only running to help my daughter finish and to have fun. It was actually nice to not worry about what my time was going to be. I'm not a big fan of 5k's anyway because I'm not as fast as I used to be. In the old days (pre-kids) I could run a 5K in 25 minutes. These days, I'm happy with 28-29 minutes. Let's just say I'm happy to be sub-30!

It was pretty hot last Saturday so I was a little worried that the heat was going to be a problem, but it turned out to be fine. We had the most fun & she ended up running almost the whole thing. She took a couple of walk breaks the second half of the race. I did get a little worried toward the end that she was not going to start running again and then the people around us starting telling her she could do it, etc and she finally started back up again. It's such a nice downhill finish. Our goal was to finish in less than 35 minutes and we did just over 34 minutes. She was so proud of herself & I was, too. Plus, I stopped to take a picture of the finishing clock so she is proudly telling everyone that she beat me by 2 seconds...she can have the 2 seconds..she loves going around saying that ;-)

We have 12 miles scheduled for Saturday according to the Galloway beginner plan. We're going to start a little earlier this time. I'm looking forward to it. Hoping my hip doesn't act up again.

We listed our house with a realtor and have had a few showings. Apparently the latest showing went very well and I'm hoping that this is it! This has gone on far too long.

Songs new to my playlist:
Rush - Caravan
Rush - Marathon (we're going to see Rush in concert next month so I'm on a roll listening to them).
Chritina Aguilera - Fighter
Superchick - Let It Roll

Finally Feels Like Marathon Training

2010-05-30T07:10:00.000-04:00

I think yesterday was about as fun as running 11 miles could be. We went to a new place and it was great. We loved it because it was a bike path and completely flat. The only problem we had is there's no water fountains along the path so if we wanted drinks, we had to bring them. Normally, when we do our long runs I will drive out ahead of time and drop gatorade around the halfway point.

Well, fortunately between Alyson & I we have 6 kids. Okay, well 2 of them are too small to help us at all, but there are 4 older ones that are more than capable :) We ended up bringing one of Alyson's kids along (with his bike). He had a backpack to hold our Gatorade and Beans. I think he felt like he was doing us a real service...and he WAS! It's nice to have someone at your beck and call when you need something. I could get used to that!

Anyway, we did the Galloway method. 4 minutes running and 1 minute walking. It's a beautiful thing. It works. I'm a believer.

The 3 of us run at different paces so it can be hard to find a pace that's comfortable for everyone. We have a tendency to start our runs too fast and then struggle later on. I really did not want that to happen yesterday since we were going so far. I wanted to keep a slower than slow pace just so everyone would finish and not feel horrible so I tried to really follow Jeff's guidelines as far as running 2 minutes per mile slower than your regular pace. For me, I'm in the 9:30 or so area so that would mean 11:30-12:00 miles. The others are probably in the 11:00 range so they should've been going around 13 minutes miles. I don't know how it's possible to run THAT slow. 13 minute miles might even be too slow for them! Actually, I did run that slow with someone once and it was absolute torture. I think we did 14 minute miles on a 10 mile run..I felt like I was dying a slow, painful death.

Anyway, we averaged 12 minute miles and that's including the walk breaks. We stuck to the 4-1 intervals the whole time. I have to say that I felt really good at the end. There were a few times that I would look at my watch and realize that we were going "too fast" and I'd have to put the breaks on. I just hope the other girls felt as good at the end. They said they did. I'll have to get an update and see how they felt the rest of the day.

As far as injuries/mishaps go..my hip has been hurting a bit since our run. That happens every once in awhile. Linda's sock got all bunched up and by the time we finished she had taken it off. Alyson - she seemed to be complaint free...all in all a pretty good run!

Holy Headache!

2010-05-01T06:22:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was a day from hell. I woke up at 4am with a migraine and couldn't get rid of it. It was one of the worst migraines I've ever had. The kids were off from school, too. In fact one of them had a friend sleeping over Thursday so it wasn't just my kids I had to worry about. I had a friend coming over for a run at 9:00..I knew there was no way that was going to happen.

Luckily, I have the best husband in the world..he got me an ice pack for my head and he even ended up taking the day off to take care of the kids. He kept them quiet/took them out, etc. so I could rest. I don't know what I would've done if he weren't able to stay home.

In the middle of all that, I got a voicemail saying that a realtor wanted to bring someone by to show our house...hmmm..how would we swing that. I was so sick with my headache that I was even vomitting. If you know me, you know I do not vomit. I will do anything in my power not to do that, but I lost the battle yesterday.

How would we get the house ready, get myself ready, etc..well, once again my husband came to the rescue. Somehow I got myself together, we got the house ready and he left with the kids & the dog. We decided since I still wasn't feeling well that it would be less work for me to be the one to show the house than for me to leave with the 3 kids and the dog for who knows how long.

So, the appt. was from 2-3. At 2:30 the realtor called and said she was stuck in a closing and is 3:30 okay. Fine. Well, 3:30 came and went. Nothing. 4:30 - Still nothing. Then, I decided to call the realtor and got her voicemail. I left a message asking her if she was still planning on coming or did she want to reschedule. In the meantime, my husband is driving around getting the kids ice cream...he went over to a friends house and luckily was able to stay there with the whole gang until I eventually made the decision that the showing was not going to happen.

Finally, at 5:30 the realtor called back and said first she was stuck in the closing. After that, her client called and said it was too late and she couldn't go looking at houses, and lastly her cell phone died. My husband asked me how I reacted to all that. If I had been feeling better, I don't think I would've been as nice to her. However, being that I was still feeling completely lousy I was nothing BUT nice to her. I just didn't have the energy for anything else. I was just thankful to be able to go back to bed.

Larry ended up staying at our friend's house for dinner and then they all watched a movie together. These are our Friday night friends. They're the BEST!Thank God for good friends!

They didn't come home until 11:00 last night. I still was feeling like garbage, but managed to get a good night's sleep. Today, I feel better, but I have to say still not 100%. Sometimes migraines linger. It's weird. But, at least I'm sitting here drinking a cup of coffee and I can function.

My running this week hasn't been much since the half one week ago. I went for a 4 mile run on Monday because my legs just felt so tight. It's been a bad weather week so I told myself it was okay to take it easy between the weather and just running the half. I'm still so psyched about my time..2:05. Wow! But, I haven't been running since Monday. It has been weird to take almost a whole week off. I never do that.

I think we're gonna do a little experimenting with the Galloway method this morning. Looking forward to it. I hardly ate anything yesterday so I hope I'll be okay to run. My tank is EMPTY today. I'll have to force myself to eat a half of a bagel or something this morning. Well, I should get crackin' :)

Ocean City Half Marathon

2010-04-26T18:28:00.005-04:00

I got back from Maryland yesterday around 4:30. I had a GREAT race (we all did)! The weather was perfect..couldn't have been better. It was cool, but sunny with a slight breeze. Probably in the 50's or so. Kathleen, Brian & I all exceeded our goals..Brian finished in 1:55, Kathleen 1:58 and I was 2:05 (new PR for me by 6 minutes!). Gregg had a broken toe and couldn't run, but he came along and graciously agreed to be our coach/cheerleader/caddy/chauffeur. And, he did a GREAT job. We planned out where he was going to be around the course to give us drinks, etc. and it worked out great. It was really nice to have someone do that. We jokingly talked about possibly doing that for each other for future races. I think it made a world of difference.

My pace was 9:29 which I was very pleased with. It didn't seem to be a problem to keep that pace until about mile 10-11. By then, my legs were getting pretty tired and I felt like slowing down. I was trying to beat my first half marathon time (of 2:11) and even if I dropped down to 10 min. miles, I'd still beat it. But, I really didn't want to do that..if I could keep going at my current pace I could smash that time. And, that's what I did! I was soooo happy with that.

The course was totally flat other than the bridge at mile 12. The bridge takes you over to Assateague Island. I've never walked on that bridge before (just drove). I didn't realize how high it actually is. They made us use the narrow pedestrian bridge (rather than the one that the cars drive on) which was a little weird. I felt a bit nauseous. I'm not afraid of heights at all, it just felt strange running on it.

Right after I got my medal and was just standing around in the tent talking, a man right behind me collapsed. He landed face first on the concrete. We yelled for help and medics were right there. Within a couple of minutes they started giving him CPR, but you could tell he wasn't responding. They eventually took him away in an ambulance. We couldn't find any news online or on tv about the race so we kind of assumed he must be okay...

My sister-in-law emailed the race director to ask about his condition since we were right there when it happened. She was told that he didn't make it. He was 40 years old. They said his wife was also running in the race.

I just can't stop thinking about that and how tragic it is. You do hear about runners dying in races, but it's actually not very common when you think about how many people are running. Still, it's kind of scary. It makes me wonder what this guy's situation was..did he train, was he experienced, etc. More than likely, he probably had some kind of heart disease or underlying (possibly unknown) issue. I've even been looking online for his obituary. I don't know why. I haven't found anything yet.

Went for a 4 mile run today to loosen up. My quads are pretty tight. Everything else feels good though. Not sure what my next race is going to be...possibly the Freihofers if I can get my daughter to run it with me. I'll keep you posted :)

Boston Marathon

2010-04-20T06:36:00.003-04:00

Robert Cheruiyot wins the Boston Marathon in an amazing course record of 2:05:51 (which is faster than my half marathon!). I love that he said he is going to use his winnings to "buy some cows."

Ryan Hall got the title as the fastest US runner who made it to fourth overall in 2:08:41.

And the women..

Teyba Erkesso of Ethiopia finished the race in 2:26:11.

Amazing!!

Ten Days

2010-04-14T11:47:00.002-04:00

Well, in just 10 short days I will be running my third half marathon. Although I've been doing some decent longer runs these past few weeks (8,9, & 10 miles) I don't know how prepared I actually am. I was SO prepared for my first half! I don't know that I'll EVER be as prepared as I was for that race. Anyway, the course is flat so that's a plus. It's a road trip down to Maryland with my brother and another friend. They're also doing the half. It should be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to going to a place called Seacrets after the race and having a frozen drink called a "pain in the ass." Mmm!

For the next week, I'll be doing some shorter runs and maybe 5-6 miler this Saturday. The weather is getting nice here and that makes running extra nice!

I discovered Sharkies recently. Awesome. We had them on our 9 mile run a few weeks ago and they are delicious. Not as sweet as the sport beans, but they have that sugar coating on them like sour patch kids. Really good.

I'm listening to the Extra Mile Podcast Experiment http://theextramilepodcast.blogspot.com/. They're doing a whole thing on the Galloway method. Jeff Galloway has agreed to be part of the podcast and is going to answer questions, etc. I've already emailed a question in and they asked me to call their hotline and ask the question...not sure if I'm up to that...I like to stay inconspicuous ;-) I'm afraid I'd say something stupid and not be able to take it back. We'll see though.

Now that Alyson is back to running after her injury, she is toying with the idea of training for a marathon using the Galloway method. I'd like us to train together, but I don't know if I want to use Galloway. Part of me does because he has such a big success rate. I just can't wrap my brain around the walking though. It goes against everything in me to walk. I'm going to stay open to the idea. I'm glad the podcast is exploring the method prior to the actual training.

I'll keep you posted..

Sunny Day

2010-04-01T21:11:00.003-04:00

It has been raining here for days and finally it stopped. This afternoon it was sunny and in the 60's. It may have reached 70. All I know is it was beautiful out and I LOVED it!

I worked everyday this week just so I could leave at noon today and take tomorrow off (kids are off tomorrow & all next week). I knew I wanted to go out for a run this afternoon and honestly it was one of the best runs I've had in a long time. It may have had a little to do with the nice weather, but part of it was because I ran a new route. It's always nice doing something different instead of the same old thing.

I've been running with people so much lately that I've almost forgotten what it's like to run on my own. I used to not like running with anyone because I liked the alone time. Lately though, I've preferred going with someone. I've come close to even bagging runs just because I was going it alone.

I was pretty sure I'd be on my own today, but because the weather was going to be so beautiful I was really looking forward to it. Plus, I wanted to try a new 5 mile loop and I had some good stuff to listen to on my iPod so I was READY! The combination of those things made for an excellent run. One of my faster 5 milers. It made me so happy.

I really started to think about marathon training today. I got the schedule out and figured out when our summer vacation is going to be. I'll have to do some pretty long solo runs(unless my husband decides he suddenly wants to be a long distance runner and that's probably not going to happen). Actually, he has been running quite a bit lately, but he's a 3 mile kinda guy. He's only doing it to lose a few pounds. He never stops telling me how much he HATES to run and he can't understand how I can run mile after mile...anyway, running the distances shouldn't be a problem on vacation since Maryland is flatter than flat. Love that!

Still trying to sell our house...we may have a buyer...they're getting approved at a bank before they make the offer. Smart. Hopefully, we'll hear something soon. Time is running out!

well, that's about it. Easter blessings to all my running friends :)

Holyoke 10K Race Report

2010-03-23T06:41:00.000-04:00

First off, Gregg & Kathleen scored us some shirts to wear from this really cool hamburger place in Holyfield called Local. We were supposed to wear the shirts for the race and then go there for a burger afterward. Sounded good to me. The guys got red shirts and the girls got black. They were cute. There was just one slight problem..it was going to be pretty warm out on Saturay and not only were our shirts black, but they were also cotton. It was going to be the first really warm day. Like really warm..like in the 70's. The race started at 1:00 and when we finished and got in the car it was 79!

The race was just part of the St. Patrick's Day festivities going on in Holyoke that weekend. They also have a big parade on Sunday. It's actually the 2nd largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the country..at least that's what I was told.

This was the best crowd support out of any race I've ever been a part of. There were people lining the entire course from start to finish. It was unbelievable.

Gregg said this was a fairly flat course with "some hills," but they weren't supposed to be bad. Well, that turned out to be untrue! The first hill was pretty big. From what I remember, there were 3 hills altogether. I don't think the hills would've been a problem if it weren't for the heat. I think we were all pretty sweaty long before we got to the starting line. Between the heat and the black shirts (plus I had on black capris), we were dying!

I was looking for water at the first mile, but unfortunately there wasn't any until mile 2. The other unfortunate thing was I started the race way too fast. I think my first mile was something like 9:08 which is too fast for the first mile of a race (at least for me it is!). That's a classic mistake and I know better, but I did it anyway.

I have to say, there were a couple of times where I honestly thought I wasn't going to make it. I had been feeling a little sick the night before & the morning of the race. I had an upset stomach and I almost felt like I had a stomach bug..so I didn't feel so great going into the race.

It was so hot that I drank water at every single water stop. I don't normally do that. In fact, the only races I've ever stopped for water were during 15k's & half marathons. I really needed it on Saturday though.

My sister-in-law unfortunately started vomitting between miles 2-3 and had to drop out. Although she was drinking water for 4 days prior to the race, I think she got dehydrated. I felt bad for her. When she dropped out at mile 3, her splits were right where she wanted them to be. What a bummer.

So, the bottom line is..I was aiming for a time 58 minutes and ended up with a time of 59:55. I think that's an overall pace of 9:36 or something like that. I'll take it. I think I could've done better though. I think the heat played a big factor.

All in all, it was a fun day. After the race we went to Local for some awesome burgers and fries. I was so hungry that I inhaled everything. Thanks to the peeps at Local for hooking us up with the shirts and the burgers!

I went out for a 3 mile run today. I have to admit that the quads and the calf muscles are a bit sore. Today's run felt good though.

Next race is the Ocean City, Maryland 13.1 next month..yowza!

Here is a nice picture of our group - pre-race :)

Bizarre

2010-03-16T16:35:00.004-04:00

I learned of two freak running accidents today. Maybe you heard about these on the news, too..

The first story is out of Hilton Head, SC. A guy was running on a beach, wearing an iPod when apparently a plane made an emergency landing on the beach. I guess the guy was hit from behind. You can read the full story here:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/03/16/small-plane-hits-kills-man-south-carolina-hilton-head-beach/?test=latestnews

The other story is about a girl who was out for a run somewhere in Alaska. She was attacked by wolves and mauled to death.

Read the full story here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100316/ap_on_re_us/us_alaska_death_wolves

These are two very sad and tragic stories. Being a runner, things like this always catch my eye and it just goes to show that our days really are numbered.

Life is short so make the most of each day..

Thank You Runner's World

2010-03-12T11:32:00.004-05:00

If you notice, I added the Runner's World gadget to the right ------> to help keep track of my workouts/totals. I just added it this week so I guess I'll have to go back and manually input my runs for Jan/Feb/March. I'm hoping that I can upload right from my Garmin. I have to look into it more. I was just curious if I could get it onto my blog. Glad it worked.

I have an 8 miler scheduled for tomorrow morning. I did a practice 10k yesterday. I averaged a 9:20 pace. That seems to be the magic number for me. Although I did have to check a voice mail, but that probably didn't take more than 30 seconds or so. I also had some killer hills in there - at least 3-4.

I signed up for my first 10K which will be next weekend (3/20). I'm excited because I never ran a 10k race before even though I've run the distance many, many times. I really like that distance and I'm hoping to do pretty well (under 58 minutes which again is the 9:20 pace). Just can't seem to break that, but I'll keep trying.

Well, get your runs in and if you have any tips about this Runner's World training log, let me know.

The Snow Is Melting :-)

2010-03-04T19:44:00.000-05:00

Feels Like Spring

2010-03-04T17:25:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to report that the second storm we were supposed to get never really materialized into more than a few flurries. I think we picked up an extra couple of inches on Saturday - it was enough to stop me from going on my run last weekend.

I made up for it on Monday though and was able to get in 7 miles. I went out yesterday afternoon for a little over 3, and then another 5 today. That's already 15 for the week so I'm pretty happy with that. I also have my long run on Saturday so I'll easily end the week with at least 20 miles.

I'm really looking forward to spring running! I was able to shed one layer yesterday and today and even that felt good. Can't wait to run in shorts!

I feel like I always have something going on...remember when I was talking about the 200 year old farm house? Well, we didn't buy it, but instead we ended up buying our neighbor's house. It's a house that we have loved for years. This is the third time it has been for sale since we've lived here. We've looked at it every single time it was on the market, but it just didn't work out for various reasons. Until now!

So, the flipside of that is now we have to sell our house. We put it on the market 2 weeks ago. We're trying to sell it ourselves (without a realtor). We've had an open house. We've had several calls and emails plus a few additional showings, but not an offer yet.

I know it hasn't been that long, but I'm getting a little anxious. I've been holding back on getting excited about the new house, but I'm at the point where I want to be excited. Know what I mean?

Well, in between playing realtor I'll be posting more running stuff...I'm pretty happy that I've been able to get out and run all winter. A few years ago I would've been contemplating trying to get started running again after sitting on my butt all winter. Not this year, baby!

Sorry this has nothing to do with running..just what's going on in my life. I promise I'll stick to running stuff next post ;-)

Snow Storm #1

2010-02-24T21:06:00.004-05:00

This took me over 30 minutes to shovel

Olympic Hat & Mittens

2010-02-23T21:17:00.004-05:00

We're in the middle of a snow storm here in New York..I'm pretty sure the kids will have a snow day tomorrow. Wish I had stopped and rented some movies, but it was a tough ride home this afternoon. It was only supposed to rain today, but this afternoon it started snowing and hasn't stopped since. We're supposed to get about a foot of snow!

If you're following the Olympics, you may have noticed the cute red mittens everyone is wearing. I want a pair! So, I went to Ebay to see if I could find some and sure enough there they were for about $30. I didn't order any and I probably won't because I'm too practical. I doubt I'll really want them after the Olympics are over. Plus, I don't really need another pair of mittens.But, right now I think they're pretty darn cute!

So, then I looked for the hat the Lindsey Vonn was wearing because I think it's just as cute as the mittens. Here it is:

This morning, there was only one listing on eBay and the bid was over $500!! I don't think Lindsey actually wore the hat so I can't figure out why someone would pay that much for a HAT! I didn't look up the final price yet, but now there's another one listed and it's up for $300. That's crazy! I guess I won't be getting any Olympic gear..what happened to cheap knockoffs?

A Crazy Race

2010-02-14T06:46:00.003-05:00

I just found out about a crazy race. It's called the Warrdior Dash. It's a 3 mile race (3.3 I think?) where you jump over fire, slide down a mud wall, scale a rock wall, etc. I think it would be a blast..and at the end you get a warrrior helmet which is similar to a viking helmet.

I'm sure I could get some peeps to do it with me..the only drawback is that it's a month before my fall marathon and I'd be a little worried that I could actually hurt myself. By then, my training will be winding down and I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize running the marathon at that point. I don't know...I'll have to think about it. It sounds like a blast though.

Has anyone ever done one of these before? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

Check out the link to find out more:

http://www.warriordash.com/index.php

Plotting & Planning

2010-02-03T20:40:00.008-05:00

I printed out Hal Higdon's marathon training plan for beginners. I'm trying to coordinate our summer vacation at the beach with the training. I'm definitely going to do the full marathon in Hartford on October 9 so that means if I do Hal Higdon, I'll have to start the first week of June. I know I can do a little adjustment of my runs, but I'm so anal when it comes to the training that I like to stick to the original plan as much as possible. When we go on vacation, I'd like to avoid doing a run over 10 miles mainly because I'll be on my own. When I'm home, I'm hoping to have some company on my long runs :-)

I was reading the new Runner's World today..the article on Kara Goucher was interesting. It's hard to believe that someone at that level lacks confidence. They had some really good tips from a sports psychologist about ways to run with mind over matter. One idea was using a key word. The concept is stimulus & response. You focus on that key word during intense training moments then during a race, you invoke that word and then the response you're looking for follows. Kara used the word "fighter" one season. I like that.

The other interesting article was about injury prevention. They talked about marathon training and increasing your mileage by no more than 10% and sometimes even 10% is too much..I guess there's a training plan out there that's 9 months (wow!) and it never increases more than 3% per week. They have a 97% success rate getting people through the entire program and to the finish line. I didn't know this, but many people get injured during the third month of marathon training when the mileage goes up. i'll have to look at the Hal Higdon plan again and see what the weekly increase actually is. I'm a little paranoid about getting hurt after having the stress fracture last year.

Well, I'm hoping for a nice long run tomorrow...maybe 6 miles. I know..that's not so long, but it's long for where I'm at right now..looking forward to it!

A Cold Saturday Morning

2010-01-23T07:06:00.006-05:00

Here it is 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday. I'm waiting for the coffee to brew. The kids just got up. Larry's still in bed. I'm sitting at the kitchen table next to the heat vent...the heat just kicked on. We all fight for this spot, it's the warmest place in the whole house. I'm pondering how cold it is going to be outside for my run in just less than an hour. The dog & cat are both munching on their food. This is a typical Saturday morning at our house..I love Saturdays.

Once again, I have let the blog lapse for way too long. What can I say?

Well, our 200 year old farm house did not work out. We couldn't agree on a price with the seller so we've moved on. We keep looking, but there's really not much for sale around here. So, we will wait until something else comes along. We have a pretty good idea of what we are looking for. On one hand, that's a good thing. On the other, it makes us very picky because we're not going to take anything that doesn't meet our guidelines.

So, running..a lot of people from my running group last year want to run a half marathon. It seems like there's a half marathon craze going on right now..everyone wants to do one. I keep recommending Hal Higdon's training plans. Some of them want to do a spring half, others are looking for summer (although those are few & far between in this neck of the woods). I've tried to convince them to go for a fall half so they can avoid the winter training. Many of them are out there now running which is so great. I just want to make it as easy as possible for them to complete their goal and training in the winter could be a big stumbling block.

Well, the coffee is just about done. The kids are starting to argue and I have to let the dog out. Typical Saturday :-)

Enjoy your weekend and go for a LONG run!

Happy New Year

2010-01-06T12:39:00.003-05:00

Here it is January 6 and I don't think I've been on a run yet this year! Nope...the last one was 12/31. We've had horrible weather - a lot of snow. I don't mind the cold so much, I can deal with that. But, if the roads aren't clear there's not a thing you can do about it. So, I'm going to be optimistic and say that I will be running tomorrow barring any further accumulation. I drove down some of my back roads today and they looked okay. Not great, but good enough.

In order to deal with my lack of mileage, I'm cutting back on the calories. Just finished some homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch. Boring, but necessary.

Some of my goals in 2010... Hoping this will be my year to finally run a FULL marathon and hopefully one or two half marathons. I really want to run some 10K's. I don't think I've ever run a single 10K ever and that's one of my favorite distances to run. I plan on staying away from the 5K's. Not a big fan. I want to focus on staying healthy and injury free this year. In addition to taking magnesium (helps to restore muscle recovery), I've started taking calcium and Vitamin D. Calcium for my bones obviously. I don't want another stress fracture! I read an article in Runner's World about Vitamin D so I added that one as well. I actually found a combination of those 3 and that's what I've been taking.

A few people have asked about the running group that I did last spring..I'd like to possibly do something with that, but I'm not sure. I would love to keep that going somehow, but I'm not sure how much time I'll have to devote to it this year. Running the 26.2 is going to be my main goal.

Outside of running...some exciting things on the horizon. This may be the year we sell our house and buy something different. After living in our "starter home" for 14 years, we're thinking it may be time. Although I totally love my house and all it's character and charm, I must admit we've outgrown it. However, I would be happy to live there forever, too. That's how much I love it! It would be nice to have some extra space though. It almost seems more important now that the kids are getting older. We're in the process of looking and have found a really cool 200 year old farmhouse. It needs a ton of work, but it has a lot of potential. We'll see...

Our dog continues to have issues. The vet now thinks he has a food allergy so he's now on some grain free limited ingredient dog food that is pretty pricey. It has been about 10 days and I haven't noticed a difference in him at all. He still scratches, licks and bites his rear end (I know it's gross!) until it's raw. We're considering one of those cones (Elizabethan collars) just so he'll leave himself alone. I hate to do that, but it's for his own good. It's an ongoing saga.

All in all, we're in a good place right now as a family. The kids are doing great in school and they're awesome, smart and well behaved kids. Things are pretty good on the job front. We're healthy. We have great friends and family. What more could anyone want?

Happy 2010!

Winterfest Highlights 12.19.09

2009-12-24T08:28:00.006-05:00

The Crew :-)

I did say he was as sick as a dog!

They're really on top of it with those bibs #s :-)

Love that girl..

Winterfest 5K Recap

2009-12-24T07:39:00.005-05:00

It is Christmas Eve..I don't know how that happened. I still have to go out and buy a couple of gift cards today, too. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been a major procrastinor this Christmas.

Anyway, the race...we arrived late which was almost really bad. I had my son out that afternoon and we were doing a volunteer thing that had to do with Toys for Tots. I won't go into all the details, but it took WAY longer than I had planned. We barely had enough time to go home and get ready. We also did not eat anything while we were at the volunteer thing so needless to say, we were starving.

We got home, changed into our running stuff and the 4 of us rushed down to the race. My husband was a sick as a dog. I told him to stay home and he was going to, but changed his mind at the last minute and decided to run.

We managed to get a parking spot pretty close to the start. I opened the door to get out and what do I see laying on the ground...a wallet. The race was starting in 5 minutes so we didn't have to really think about what to do with the wallet so I just put it in our truck and said I'd deal with it afterward. I really didn't want to leave it laying on the ground because I was afraid somebody else would find it and that may not be a good thing (the wallet is a whole other story).

Did I mention how cold it was? It was freezing, but we were pretty well dressed. It was kind of windy, too, but I knew we'd warm up once the race started.

We met Alyson there with her family. She is having some hip flexor issues so she couldn't run. Her boys started out running with us. There were some awesome fireworks right before the race started. We were running slowly, but just doing it for fun. We were having a good time chatting back and forth about the race. We ran through Washington Park where they have Christamas light displays throughout. Normally, cars pay to drive through it (@ $20 a pop!), but they close it to cars for the race. It was fun running through and seeing it all up close.

The 11 year old had some issues right from the start. His hands were cold and that put him in a bad mood so we were trying to coax him out of that. My daughter's (the 10 year old) shoes came untied about the same time, but she refused to stop and tie them. Alyson's boys were just along for the ride -- no complaints from them. By the time we were halfway, Jacob was complaining that he didn't feel well. He said he was going to throw up. We certainly were not running fast so I think it was just him not eating that day. He had nothing in his stomach. I could tell he really wasn't feeling well so again we tried to just coax him through. Emily got a little tired, but didn't complain much. Jacob did have to walk a little and Alyson's kids went ahead once the walking started. From there on, we just kept taking turns running with each of them. In the end, Jacob and I finished together in around 34 minutes and Larry & Emily finished in 35. (Alyson's kids were 30 minutes). Everyone was happy and we celebrated with some pizza and wings afterward.

We met up with Gregg, Kathleen, and Brian before we left. They finished fast. I think Gregg did like 21 minutes and the others weren't that much behind. Their bib numbers were 1,2 & 3. Isn't that awesome?

I don't have my own pics from the race, but maybe I can try to "steal" some from Alyson's facebook page. We'll see. There are some good ones! I'll try to do that under a separate post.

In the meantime...Merry Christmas :-)

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
(Luke 2:10-11)

Slacker

2009-12-18T14:17:00.003-05:00

I'm such a slacker with my posts lately. I'm so bad. I won't bore you with my excuses. The excuse is life, that's all. It's busy.

Tomorrow my whole family is running a 5K (husband & 2 kids). We did this one together last year. My daughter did great. Ran the whole thing. She had some problems on Thanksgiving though when we did the Turkey Trot so I'm hoping she'll have a comeback tomorrow. Last year, our son had problems in this race (he actually laid down in the road at one point and refused to get up). Luckily, my husband was running with him and I missed that whole scene. Larry vowed not to run with him in the future so I'm not sure what the plan is going to be for tomorrow. We'll have to discuss this.

I know I can't go "all out" because Emily is not comfortable running a race on her own. One of us will have to stay with her which is fine. It's just that my last 2 out of 3 races were not run for me..they were me running to keep someone else going. As much as I love this "coaching" position (especially with my kids) I think it's important to run your own race sooner or later. I hope that doesn't sound mean or selfish. Who am I kidding...I guess it is a little selfish.

So, my running has been cut back a bit now that winter is here. I am down to running 3 days per week instead of 4. Basically because it's too dark for me to go in the morning before the kids have school (the older they get, the earlier school starts and the earlier they have to get up). There's only a short window of time between when I get home from work and when they get home from school so it's nearly impossible for that to happen either. The only days I'm running on are my 2 days off plus my Saturday run. That's my winter!

Speaking of winter...it's stinking cold here in NY. It was 12 yesterday with a 0 windchill. I did manage to force myself out the door for a 3 mile run. I forgot how much I hate running in the cold. I just hate the cold. Period.

It's time for me to complain about sneakers now. Why in the world don't they design sneakers geared for cold weather running? (Or do they and I just don't know about them?) I wear 2 pairs of socks in the winter - one pair that's wool - so I'm warm enough when I leave my house. By the time I'm a few minutes into my run my feet feel like two blocks of ice. When I get close to 3 miles, they finally start thawing out. What can be done about that? Maybe I need different socks? Sneakers are designed to vent which is great in the summer, but our toes are freezing in the winter! Asics, Nike, Brooks, Mizuno...are you listening? I know they're not, but that's okay :)

Well, I'll let you know how the race goes tomorrow. Running with kids is always an adventure..anything can happen and usually does!

Oh - my sister-in-law (Kathleen), brother (Gregg) & Brian managed to score bib #1,2, & 3 for tomorrow's race! Isn't that cool?

Turkey Trots, Bad Pie Crust and MEGA Calories

2009-11-26T22:18:00.003-05:00

We did a Turkey Trot today. It was a lot of fun. The kids and I ran it along with my friend and her two kids. It was a 5K. I couldn't believe how many people were there. They said over 6,000. I knew I couldn't really run the race for time because I figured I'd run with the kids. Which I didn't mind one bit. When we first started we were going at a decent pace. According to the Garmin, our time was 10:30. That's when things sorta fell apart. Emily started to get a cramp and needed to walk so we stopped and walked for a bit. Everyone else pulled ahead at that point which was probably a good thing. She was struggling. Much more than I had expected. When we did the 5K last December, she didn't have to walk once and she seemed to have lots of energy. I'm not sure quite what happened today. Anyway, we finished eventually. I think the clock said 39 minutes, but it didn't really matter. Despite all of her woes, she still had fun and wants to do the next 5K with me (which is just in a few weeks).

We went to my in-laws today for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful meal. Normally, I cook on Thanksgiving and have my family over, but this year everyone decided to do something different which is fine. It just felt kinda strange to not have everyone over. I didn't like it. I talked to my father & stepmother and they said the same thing...just wasn't the same as being here. They definitely all need to come here next year :)

In light of the fact that I really had nothing to prepare today other than a pumpkin pie, I decided to attempt a homemade crust. Big mistake. It came out crappy. I even made the pumpkin pie from an actual pumpkin that I cut, baked, scooped, pureed, etc. Unfortunately, the crappy crust kind ruined it. At least for me. Yucko.

So, now I must work off all the calories I consumed today. I see a very, very long run in the near future. Like maybe 30 miles :-)

Now that the day is coming to a close, I just want to say how thankful I am for all the blessings in my life...family & friends. We have way more than we ever need or hope to have. We are truly blessed and I'm very grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stockade-athon 15K

2009-11-11T08:26:00.020-05:00

It has been 3 days since the race and finally my quads are not screaming! I had a good race. I beat last year's time by 2 minutes so I was pleased with that. My pace was 9:20 for an official time of 1:28. (I believe last year my pace was 9:44 for a time of 1:30).

It was a beautiful day. Couldn't have asked for better weather. Alyson picked me up at 7:30. By the time we parked and got ourselves together it was about 8:40. We had missed out on the shirts the day before at the expo. Since we did last minute registration, they told us to check back after the race to see if they had any left. I was on a mission to get us shirts and I told her we're not leaving without them!

First person we saw was Brian...he told us they were already giving the shirts out back at the pavillion so I darted over there with only about 15 minutes until the race started. I did end up getting them, but the woman made me work for it. She tried to get me to come back AFTER the race, but I convinced her to give them to me NOW.

The only problem is now that I had them, I had to get them back to the car which was parked pretty far away. Fortunately, Alyson hid her keys on the vehicle so at least I didn't have to go back and find her and then go to the car. I started running to the car as fast as I could. For a couple of seconds, I got disoriented and started to wonder if I was going to be able to even find the car. Eventually, I did find it and quickly threw the shirts in. Once again, I ran as fast as I could to try to find Alyson and get to the starting line. I found her in line for the porta potties (where else :-). I grabbed her out of line and told her to go behind a bush...we didn't have much time...it was now about 8:55. So, off into a bush (actually a field) she went..and in another or minute or two the race started.

I had been thinking about my race "strategy". I really wasn't sure I could top last year's time, but part of me wanted to try. The other part of me wanted to stay with Alyson. I told her I thought a good time goal for her would be 1:45 and she agreed. We didn't talk about staying together or anything, but I knew in my mind that I wanted us both to run our own race. I didn't want her to feel any pressure to stay with me or vice versa. This was her third race and she was ready to be on her own this time. I never said anything to her, but I took off right away. I wanted the "victory" to be hers and hers alone.

My 5K time was 29:31 which isn't so great, my 10K time was 58:55 (not bad) and then my finishing time was 1:28:20. I was happy. It's a hilly course and it was hard for me to keep that pace for 9+ miles, but I did it and I didn't feel like I was going to puke at the end. Last year, I had to fight it off!

Gregg was the first to finish in 1:15 (wow), then Kathleen & Brian at 1:21, me at 1:28 and then Alyson at 1:43. She beat her goal and I was so happy for her. She always wants to do better so her satisfaction is usually short lived. I think she did great though and should be very proud of herself.

So, another race is in the books...I haven't run since then. I'm hoping to get out this afternoon. No school for the kiddos today and we have to go to the ortho. very soon. I should get going.

Don't forget thank a veteran today if you get the chance :-)

Running Garmin-less

2009-11-06T14:14:00.005-05:00

I went out for a 5 mile run yesterday by myself. It was a beautiful day. I was tempted to leave the Garmin at home, but I'm way too "ocd" for that. So, I made a deal with myself. I really wanted to find my own comfortable pace and not let my watch dictate how fast/slow I was going to run. I decided to wear the watch, but hide it underneath my sleeve. It was a little cold so I wore a light jacket. The jacket is pretty fitted so if I wore the Garmin underneath, I wouldn't be real tempted to look at it (do I sound like a nut case or what?).

I set out for either 5 or 6 miles. I started my watch, then pulled my sleeve down over the watch. I had my iPod on, but I could still hear each mile "dingaling" on the watch. I knew I was going at a decent pace, but yet I was comfortable and not killing myself. Just pushing enough so I could feel it.

When I got to the approximate 5 mile point, I didn't hear the watch beep and I thought I may have missed it so I decided to take a peek. I was at 4.96. I took a quick glance at my time and was just approaching 48 minutes. Not bad for an easy, but give yourself a little push, run.

Off went the dingaling and I finished in 48:17. 9:39 pace. Pretty good for me. And, I actually liked not looking at the watch all the time. I think I ran a little faster because I wasn't focused on trying to keep a certain pace. I just did what felt good.

That inspired me to want to do a race so I decided to do a 15K this weekend. I haven't registered yet. Online registration is closed. They say there's a last chance registration tomorrow so I think I'm gonna go for it. I did this race last year in 1:30 (9:44 pace). It is extremely hilly. I think it will be hard to beat last year's time, but you never know.

I'm debating about wearing the Garmin. Maybe I'll do what I did yesterday and wear it underneath my sleeve and make a pact with myself not to look at it.

I'm pretty sure my half marathon friend, Alyson is going to run the race, too. We were supposed to run 8 tomorrow morning, but I guess we'll skip that since we're going to race on Sunday. I LOVE that she loves running! LOVE IT!!

My brother, wife and friend (our Running Wild team) are also doing this race. It's supposed to be a gorgeous day on Sunday. Might as well take advantage of the good weather. Plus, I have that itch to race after coming off a couple of good runs at home.

Happy Fall Running! Good luck to you if you're racing this weekend!

Halloween Run

2009-10-31T10:39:00.005-04:00

Went running this morning with Alyson, Linda, & Jason. We did 6.5. I've been feeling really good running this week. Even though I ran the half marathon slow, it still must've taken more out of me that I thought because I felt pretty tired on my runs for the 2 weeks following the half. But, not this week. I finally feel like myself again. I went out alone on Monday and averaged 9.14 min. miles which for me, is fast. I was pretty pscyhed about that. I wanted to stay under 10 the whole time and it wasn't a problem.

So, I'm looking for some races to get through the fall/winter. It's a good way to keep me motivated to run when it gets cold. I try to stay away from 5k's, but most of the races in the winter around here are 5k's. I'll do them just for fun.

I'm thinking about doing the Ocean City, MD Half Marathon in April. That's where we've vactioned every summer since I was a kid. My parents have a condo down there. It's a good course. I've run there many times. I think it could be fun. I could try to get some people to drive down with me and we'd have a free place to stay.

I wanted to show you a picture of our latest addition to our family..a CAT! Anyone that knows me, knows I've never been fond of cats, but for some reason I warmed up to the idea a few months ago and we started looking. I've never had a cat and have never been a big fan, but the kids wanted one and I started to think it could be okay. We already have a dog so I was kind of nervous about how they'd get along.

Here they are..we got him at the Humane Society. I'm a big believer in places like that. His name was Kirby when we got him. He has had several name changes, but we've settled on Geddy. As in Geddy Lee, from the band Rush. My husband had to bribe the kids to get them to go along with that one. Our dog is named Alex (another Rush name), but that was accidental... he already had the name when we adopted him.

I actually have grown to love little Geddy. He's a little over a year old. My requirements is the cat had to have medium to long hair and not be a kitten. I know kittens can be destructive and I just thought a cat that was a little older would work better for us. This guy was quite cuddly when we first go him, but not so much anymore. He likes you to pet him, but he doesn't hang around for long. He's pretty lazy and he actually acts quite a bit like a dog so that works for us. And, the dog and cat are getting along just fine.

Well, happy Halloween running today....coming soon...a review of my arm warmers :-)

Arm Sleeves Review (Sorta)

2009-10-22T10:49:00.006-04:00

Here I am wearing my arm sleeves. I don't know why I like these things so much, but I do. I guess they would be considered a gadget and I do love my gadgets. I still haven't really figured out why I wouldn't just wear a long sleeve shirt in place of the arm warmers.. does anyone else know the answer to that? I guess it's the whole gadget thing.
Anyway, I recently decided to give them a try. It was one of the first days that it was a little chilly so I thought it was the perfect time. Not! It ended up being way too warm. I would've been better off in just the short sleeve shirt. Oh well. I do have to say, during the first 5 minutes of my run (when I was still cold), they did keep my arms warm and they stayed in place without sliding around. They were snug, but not too tight. I wore my Garmin on top of the sleeve and that seemed to work out just fine. I will defnitely be wearing them again when it's a little colder.

In Alyson's words. (& some pics)

2009-10-21T15:35:00.004-04:00

This is what Alyson had to say about the race...she posted this as a comment on the other blog that I have for the beginning running group. I don't think she'll mind me posting her comment here, too. Thought you might like hearing from her :-)

"Besides the emotional and friendship implications of this whole experience, my major afterthought is that GOD STILL DOES MIRACLES ;) This was one of the greatest experiences of my adult life.. crazy as though it may be.. i truly believe that God gave me the endurance to stick this one out. Cindy can attest to the "gutting it out" portion of this race.. I had to go deep with it in order to make it to the finish line. At one point I got this thought in my mind about my first pair of "real running sneakers".. my brother Scott had given them to me when I started grad school with a note about being an "MBA in training".. NOW THAT is how you finish a half marathon with minimal training time! Thanks to Cindy who was a TRUE FRIEND and slummed with me toward the back of the pack when she really should have been up there with the more experienced runners. See you all next year in Hartford.. you won't be disappointed!!"

13.1 Hartford Half Race Report

2009-10-21T12:24:00.007-04:00

I think I've been putting this off for so long because I have SO much to say about the race. Sorry for the delay. I apologize for the excruciatingly (is that a word?) long post, but it cannot be helped! And, I'm sure I've left out lots!

There were two reasons for me to be very excited about Hartford. On one hand, I was disappointed that I wasn't able to run the full marathon, but I guess I got over that. I was just glad to be healthy and running again w/out any pain. So, for that reason I was happy. Another reason why I was so happy was because my pal, Alyson had been doing my long runs with me and all along it had been in the back of my mind that maybe she would come to Hartford and do the 13.1 with me.

Now, you have to understand...Alyson had recently lost a lot of weight - more than 50 pounds. She also joined the running group that I did back in the spring. She used to run back before she had her kids, but that was awhile ago so she was basically starting from scratch. The funny thing is, she really didn't want to join, but her neighbor did. So she really did it to be a friend to her neighbor. And, what do you know...7 months later she's running 13.1 miles.

Anyway, we ran 10 miles together the Saturday prior to the race and once I knew she could do that, I started bugging her a little bit about Hartford. It wasn't until Thursday that she made the decision to do it and before we knew it, we were heading to Hartford.

It was no small feat to get myself to Hartford. My husband was traveling for work that week - he was in India (of all places!). So, we had to make arrangements for my mother-in-law to get the kids off the bus and watch them. She had already planned on going up to her camp that weekend so she asked if she could take the kids with her. To which I replied....YES!

On a side note...my daughter's birthday was 10/13 and I promised her I'd redecorate her bedroom for her birthday. So, my plan was to get home from the race Saturday night and spend all day Sunday painting and then have it put back together by the time she came home on Monday.

That's a tall order, huh? Part of the plan was to purchase a new (full size) bed for her, too. Yes, I was going to make the purchase THAT weeked (a whole other story - what am I, nuts?). As the weekend was approaching, I started to consider the enormity of the task I was about to take on, especially considering that my husband was on the other side of the world. But, I was intent on doing it nonetheless.

Back to Friday...we leave for the race. There are 3 of us. I have another friend (Linda) who is also coming along and running with us. She trained with me when I did the half marathon last year.

We had a great time driving there...talking....snacking...just joking around about the race and everything else. Got to the hotel and I think an all time record was set for the amount of time we waited to check-in. It was crazy, but we had a good time with it. More to laugh about.

After we checked in, we headed to the expo. Although we had to drive there, it wasn't too hard to find from the hotel. We had a lot of fun at the expo looking at everything, buying stuff we didn't need, and of course getting free stuff (love that). Next, we were going to meet up with my brother & crew (the Running Wild team - Gregg, Kathleen, Brian). I talked to Gregg and they were waiting for us at a pub near their hotel. (We were staying in different hotels). Unfortunately, it took a long time for us to find the pub. I defied many rules of the road that day (almost giving Linda a heart attack) by making u-turns and turning left when you're not supposed to turn left, parking, you name it. I had two people with me who are exact opposites. I have Linda telling me, "that's really not a good idea" and then there's Alyson saying, "do it". Needless to say, I did most of the things I shouldn't have been doing (driving).

Eventually, we made it to the pub and there's Brian standing up holding a sign that they picked up at the expo and they wrote "Go Cindy, Alyson & Linda 13.1." That was nice and it made us feel special in sort of a dorky way, but still special. We had some good food and talked about the race the next day. Gregg, Kathleen, and Brian were all running the 26.2 so they had more to be worried about than us 13.1'ers. They had all done their training though and were fully prepared.

Also running the full, was their neighbor Rick. He was pretty funny. The longest training run he did was 15 miles. Needless to say, he was nervous. He was staying in the same hotel as us and we met him for breakfast the morning of the race. He barely had any food on his plate and I questioned him about that. He only had a bagel with nothing on it and coffee. I asked him if he would be bringing any food with him for the race (gu's, gels, anything) and he said no. He said he planned on "finding someone with a banana around the 10 mile mark." I swear those were his exact words. We busted on him for that, telling him that might not be the best "plan". He took some abuse from us 3 females that morning, but it was all in fun. He said he wished he had t-shirts made that said, "this seemed like a good idea 3 months ago." I actually thought that would've been great. They'd probably sell like crazy.

So, here we are now at the starting line. I brought my cell phone (to take pics) and some sport beans. I wore my spibelt. The weather was perfect. Last year, it was so cold before the race, it took me 4 miles before I could feel my toes again. This year, I was prepared with a throw away shirt (and I never had to wear it).

We picked up some pace bands at the race expo. We had agreed to all run together (Alyson, Linda & me). My sole purpose was to get Alyson to the finish line no matter how long it took. I knew Linda could do the 13.1 so I wasn't worried about her. I thought Alyson might need a little pep talk toward the end so I wanted to be sure to be there for her. Plus, we have been friends for 30 years and I wanted us to be able to say we did this together. Another one for the memory book :-)

We got 2:30 & 2:15 pace bands. Realistically, we were aiming for 2:30, but if things were going better than expected maybe we could pull off 2:15. We started out kinda fast (for us) around 10:00 miles for the first 3 miles. I tried to slow us down (since I'm the one with the Garmin). I didn't want to make the classic mistake of starting out too fast (especially if I'm "responsible" for these other 2 people) and then bombing out at the end.

The first 8-9 miles went by pretty fast. It seemed like every time I looked down at my watch, another mile would fly by. Around the 9 mile mark, that all came to a screeching halt. It seems like were were stuck on 9 for an eternity. Finally, we hit 10 and there was just 5k to go. We could do it, but that last 5k was rough. It seemed to take forever. I was trying to be encouraging, but I'll admit I didn't have much to say. Come to think of it, we were all pretty quiet throughout the whole race. I guess we were focused :-)

Eventually, we were coming down the shoot for the finish line and just like that it was over. I was so excited for Alyson. Our finishing pictures are a riot. Here she is looking all serious headed to the finish and I'm right by her side looking at her, smiling. I'm saying something. You can tell I'm talking & laughing.

I mentioned before that I sometimes have an "alter ego" when I run. Normally, I'm pretty quiet and reserved, but when I run I'm pretty outgoing - especially once I hit 10 miles. Alyson laughs about that. She says I get friendly at the same point she feels like swearing. I'm smiling and she's flipping the bird. She's not really doing that, but we like to joke about that.

So, we finished the half marathon in 2:35. Alyson and I finished together. When you look at our pictures they took along the course, we're all in there together. Except for the very end...Linda took off once we hit the shoot. Not that we cared or that it mattered. She said she "wanted to get it over with." We were a tad bit surpised. So, after all that, she ended up finishing 4 seconds ahead of us. But, that's okay. I guess you gotta do what you gotta do :-)

I'm glad to have had the privilege of running with my pal. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. After we finished, we got our medals, hugged and got some food. I drove them nuts with taking pictures before, during and after the race. I'll post some (if I can ever wrap up this post!).

We then hung around for the 4 marathoners to finish. First came my brother, then Kathleen & Brian and eventually Rick (the banana guy). Before Rick finished, we all headed to the beer tent and had a mini celebration. Poor Rick, he missed out. We waited a LONG time for him to get done. The others finished all around 4 hours or so and Rick's finishing time was 5:45! That poor guy. He was hurting. God bless him though. He stuck to it and did it.

I went out and bought some stickers the other day. I got Alyson a 13.1 AND a 26.2 as an incentive. Even though she says she will never run a marathon, I'm not convinced. That's part of next year's plan. I bought myself a 26.2 to have in my house where I keep my running stuff. Just a reminder of my next goal.

Congratulations to everyone who ran that day - Alyson, Linda, Gregg, Kathleen, Brian and Rick. You're all awesome and inspiring!

P.S. I don't have access to my photos right now so I will try to upload them later.

Hartford Half - Here I Come

2009-09-28T21:48:00.002-04:00

Last week I recieved a 2nd email from Hartford about my registration. I hadn't yet gotten back to them to let them know which race (if any) I would be running. I was procrastinating about making that decision. Anyhow, the 2nd email from them said that they switched me to the half marathon and I didn't need to do anything further. Oh. I guess that's that. I'm doing the half.

I'm really not prepared for the half. I mean, I know I can finish. At least I'm pretty sure I can finish. I seriously doubt I can beat last year's time. Not even sure if I'll try.

The stinky part...my husband has to go away for work so he won't even be around for the race. I don't mind that he doesn't see it, but honestly, I was counting on him to be my driver! I now have to drive out there a day ahead of time by myself, get an overnight sitter for the kids, and the really crappy part...drive myself home after the race. That'll be the worst part - the drive home.

Also, there doesn't seem to be any hotels left in downtown Hartford, so I booked room in East Hartford. Hopefully, it won't be a total dump. Anyway, I was just glad to find something.

I was jokingly trying to get a friend of mind to run the half with me. She's pretty new to running and she really isn't ready, but I do think she could suffer through it. Then again, I wouldn't want her have a bad experience so it's probably for the best that she's not doing it.

So, now another friend of mine is considering doing the half with me. She trained with me last year and she has done a marathon before. I run with her quite a bit and she's seriously considering it so that would be great if she decides to do it. It'll be nice to have someone to drive with and not to be totally by myself.

I did 8 miles on Saturday. I felt pretty good. My legs were tired at the end. I plan on doing 10 this Saturday and then the half is the following Saturday on 10/10. Not much prep, but I'm hoping it's good enough to finish and do halfway decent.

I just have to figure out what to do so I won't get a migraine when it's over. I had that problem last year after finishing the half. I also felt that way when I did a 15K last year. It seems like whenever I run longer distances I tend to get headaches. I'm pretty sure that it has to do with what I'm eating afterward so I want to try to stop that from happening this time. I thought I had been doing a decent job of having some carbs and some protein, but I guess not good enough. Any tips for me? Let me know.

Have a great week!

Chic Runner Zensah Give Away

2009-09-17T09:56:00.004-04:00

Check out this great giveaway...

http://chicrunner.com/?p=975

Update

2009-09-16T16:28:00.003-04:00

Just got an email from Hartford re my registration. They haven't processed anything yet so I can either withdraw completely, do the half or defer my registration until 2010. So, the ball is now in my court. They want me to decide soon though.

I was hoping to get a few more long runs under my belt before having to make the final decision, but I guess I don't have that luxury since the race is only 4 weeks from Saturday.

Right now, I'm leaning toward doing the half, but only as a training run. No PR this time...I'm even considering not wearing the Garmin (now that would be really crazy!) so I can really run according to how I feel, and not what the watch dictates.

Well, that's it for now...stay tuned....

Fall Running

2009-09-15T13:09:00.006-04:00

Oh, how I love to run in the fall. Plus, it's marathon season. Even though I'm not running the marathon, it's still exciting to me that it's marathon time of year. I'm excited for the rest of my Running Wild team that are doing the 26.2 in just a few weeks. Plus, I'm slowly getting my mileage up there (did 5 on Monday) and am feeling pretty good. Slower than ever before, but feeling good :-)

So, I was at my brother's last week and he's trying to convince me to run the half (on Oct. 11 - while they're doing the full). I'm really torn. I thought I had made up my mind that I was NOT going to do it, but the more I talk to him the more I feel like I want to try it. The problem is, I'd have to go into it without any expectations. I have to force myself to not try and beat last year's time. I would have to just run it REALLY SLOW. More like a training run. And, I don't know if I can do that. I want to say that I can, but I know me! When I think back to last summer and how hard I trained for the half compared to what I will do to prepare this time...it's a joke. I'm coming off an injury and have very little miles under my belt. Not much of a base and only two 5 mile long runs as of yesterday.

I don't want to end up hurt again - that's my other big concern. If I am going to run it, I'm thinking I'll have to crank up the long runs for the next 3 weeks. That means doing at least 6 this Saturday, then maybe 8 or 9 the next, then 10 or 12 the week before the race. Is that crazy or is it within reason? Seriously, how come I'm having such a hard time telling the difference between realistic and crazy? In every other area of my life, I KNOW what's realistic and what isn't, but when it comes to running there's a very fine line that I have a hard time seeing.

My other problem is I'm not sure what the status of my registration is at this point. I was registered for the full, then I sent them an email a few weeks ago to withdraw completely. Then, I sent them a second email saying I wanted to do the half and I haven't gotten a reply on either of those things. They probably think I'm a complete ditz at this point.

What should I do? My dr. told me to try the half so at least I have his blessing. He also gave me a speech about it being okay to walk some of it or to drop out if I have to, but that's not really an option for me. I would rather not do it at all if I have to walk or drop out.

Advice. I need advice. What would you do if you were in my shoes???

Goodbye Summer

2009-08-31T20:45:00.003-04:00

I really can't believe it is August 30. Where did summer go? Did we even have a summer? We have had horrible weather here in the northeast. I think we had a total of 2 nice weeks all summer. It rained the rest of the time. Today, it feels like fall and it's going to be in the 40's tonight!

So, I'm in my 4th week of running (since I got the green light to run again). I'm allowed to go 4 times this week. I'm still only doing about 3 miles or so each time. I wasn't given any real clear guidelines so I'm kind of playing this whole recovery thing by ear. I feel like I could go out and run 5 miles or more, but I'm being super careful. I have no idea what I'll do next week. I guess just slowly increase my mileage.

I can't help but think where I'd be in my marathon training had I not gotten hurt. I thought I was over not being able to run the marathon in October, but I guess I'm really not entirely. I want to be out there running long distances again. I really, really miss it. Hopefully, I'll be doing some decent long runs in another month or so.

Non-running related news - my husband got a new truck. It's actually an 08', but it's new to us. It's nice!

Getting ready for school to start next week...spent a small fortune on school supplies.

My husband and some friends started a fantasy football league and they were short one team so my friend and I partnered up to make a team which if you know me is pretty funny. I don't pay a whole lot of attention to football, but I can be pretty competitive. So, we had our draft last night and we got the first pick. We both did a little bit of research yesterday afternoon so at least we looked like we weren't totally clueless. I think we ended up with a pretty decent team, too. We're not doing it for money or anything, just for fun.

Well, that's about it. I'll be able to post more often once the kids go back to school. Have a good week!

My Second Run

2009-08-17T09:03:00.007-04:00

Today I went on my second two mile run since my stress fracture. So far, so good. I'm sitting here with my knee resting on an ice pack per dr's orders. I'm not having any pain at all. I can't wait to go more than 2 miles.

Looks like I may have at least 3 takers for my October 10k. I'm pretty psyched about that. Can't wait to do some running with my group again.

The October marathon is still in the back of my mind....I have to talk to my brother. I wonder what the status of HIS knee is...

I can run once more this week..that will probably be Thursday. I may go on some bike rides, too. I'm now on a quest to get myself back into shape.

We're in the middle of selling a truck and buying a truck....hopefully, it will all come to an end today. Larry is excited to finally be getting something new. The truck he has now is a 98'! He bought it in 1999 so it has lasted us 10 years! The new one is an 08'.

Well, now that I'm running again I have more to write about...stay tuned :-)

Here are a couple of shots from the weekend..

The Verdict

2009-08-11T11:39:00.002-04:00

Finally...I'm out of jail. If there is any bad news it's that I'm on probation for the next 4 weeks. Actually, I don't mind that at all. I want to go really, really easy. I know I'm going to be ultra paranoid about getting injured again.

So, here's the deal. The dr. said I can run one time this week, 2 times next week, 3 times the 3rd week and 4 times the 4th week. He said to go half the distance I would go if I didn't have an injury. I have to stretch a lot before going and apply ice when I'm done. If I have any pain of course I have to stop and then I may need more rest or whatever, but hopefully that won't happen.

I never even got an x-ray today. He examined my knee, we talked and he sent me on my way. I did ask him about the marathon. He said as long as everything goes okay, he thinks I should be okay to only do the half. I honestly don't know that I will do it though. I really had my heart set on the full.

Melanie (from Life Is A Marathon) suggested that I pick a December marathon, but the problem is there aren't any (that I know of) here in the northeast that time of year. I wouldn't mind traveling a short distance for a race, but I don't want to have to fly somewhere or drive for more than a couple of hours. A spring marathon would be tough to train for - again because of where we live. I'd have to train all winter. That could be tough with our winters. I'd consider it though.

I've been talking to some of the women from the 5k group that I coached and I'm toying with the idea of coaching them to do a 10k this fall. I know at least a few of them are ready to take that step now and it would be a great way for me to ease back into getting my mileage up again after having 7 weeks off.

The down side is I have to accept that Hartford (or any other marathon) is probably not going to happen for me this year. I'm disappointed to say the least although I've had a lot of time to get used to the idea. I know my running team will be disappointed. It was going to be the first marathon for 3/4 of us. Looks like my brother has a pretty serious knee injury of his own to deal with and I doubt he'll be running the full 26.2 at Hartford. Plus, he got into NY which is just a few weeks after Hartford so if I were him and had to make a choice between the two, I'd choose NY. My sister-in-law, she's definitely on track to run her second marathon in Hartford - my guess is she'll blow last year's time out of the water! Our friend, Brian...don't know what his plan is or if he has been training or not. Hartford would be his first marathon as well.

Well, that's the big news for today. I'm hoping to go for a run later today even though it's steamy out. I think I'll start with 2 miles :-)

The Countdown

2009-08-04T20:11:00.004-04:00

The countdown is on...I go back to the doctor one week from today.

I feel like a kid waiting for my birthday or Christmas or something. I haven't run for 6 weeks so it will be a full 7 weeks when I go for my appointment. I'm getting excited and a little anxious. I will get an xray first and then depending on the results find out if I can begin running again.

I decided I will make my decision about the October marathon after I see the doctor. I really don't think I can pull off training for my first marathon in 8 weeks especially after coming off an injury. I think that would just be plain stupid on my part. I'm getting too old to do something like that. Plus, I'm realizing that my body is not as indestructable as I once thought it was.

In the meantime, I'm doing a little biking. My daughter and I went out for a 7 mile ride on Saturday. It was good, but in order for me to get any kind of workout I realize I really need to go solo. When I'm with the kids there are 8 million reasons they keep having to stop which is a trade off I'll make for having them with me...I guess :-)

We went to a local amusement park yesterday and did tons of walking. I felt pretty tired by the end of the day, but I enjoyed the exercise. A highlight of the day happened right when we arrived at the park. We had to park pretty far from the enterance. When we got up to the ticket window we realized we left the discount coupons in the car. So, rather than have everyone make the trek all the way back to the car, I said, "I'll go" and I took off before anyone could say anything. I should've said to my husband "time me", but I didn't think of it until I was mid sprint. I got some pretty weird looks from people as I ran by them going up hills, down hills, through parking lots, etc. I didn't care though. I was running and it felt SO good.

By the time I got close to the car I started to think that maybe I shouldn't be doing all this running just a week before going back to the doctor. I've come too far to blow my recovery now...so I walked the last 20 feet to the car.

I quickly grabbed our coupons (worth $21) a bottle of water from the cooler and ran back (I quickly decided against walking). My family watched me run in like I was in a race or something. It was funny, but it felt good, too. My husband said, "I love that you can do that." Hey, I love that I can do that, too. I just can't wait to do it MORE!

Until next week...

Why There Is No Substitute...

2009-07-30T19:36:00.002-04:00

Even though I did a lot of writing in my last 2 posts, I never said "why" there is no substitute...substitute for running that is.

Although I've enjoyed my bike riding experience so far, I must say it doesn't hold a candle to the love I have for running. For me, it's just not as physical. Granted, I've only been twice and I'm not sure the second time even counts. Plus, I didn't go very far either time. I guess what I'm really doing is going for a leisurely bike ride, but at least I'm out there doing something. I can't go back to the doctor and tell him I've done absolutely nothing for the past 6 weeks, can I?

Don't get me wrong, I discovered that I like biking and I think if I went for maybe a 10 mile ride I'd probably feel like I was getting some sort of a workout. I don't really know the first thing about biking (isn't it obvious?), but I'm giving it a try and it is all I can do for the time being. It may even be something I'll continue to do once I get the green light on running, but it would be more for pleasure. So far, I just haven't gotten the same "high" or level of enjoyment that running gives me. I always feel a sense of accomplishment after a run and I haven't gotten that with biking...at least not yet. So, this is why I say, "there is not substitute." Sorry, bikers! I'm not ready to join your club just yet.

There Is No Substitute - Part 2 - Finally!

2009-07-30T11:04:00.004-04:00

Sorry I left you hanging :-)

So, I went outside to get on the bike. My husband had given me his leather gloves to wear (which I scoffed at). I didn't want to look like too much of a dork. He said to wear them in case I fell...that they would protect my hands.

I left the gloves home. Yes, on purpose.

One thing about the bike that scared me a little was the gears. I had no idea how to change the gears so I told Larry just to put it in a "medium" gear and I would leave it that way. I soon found out that that's not the greatest plan. It's pretty hilly where we live and the medium gear wasn't bad for going up the hills, but I think I was coasting too much going down the hills. If I put it in a harder gear, I would've been able to pedal more (if that makes sense?), after coming down the hill rather than coast...but I was afraid to mess with the gears at all.

Another thing about riding up hills...one hill in particular is so steep (I sometimes walk up that hill when I'm out running) that I had to stand up and pedal. That wasn't the easiest thing to do. I haven't pedaled that way since I was a kid and I felt my sense of balance had changed or was slightly off. I guess I'm getting old.

After riding for about 10 minutes, the palms of my hands started to hurt a little. I guess from all the weight resting on the rubber handlebars. I was wishing I had those gloves!

So all in all I have to admit that I really enjoyed my ride. I went on one of my familiar running routes (5.8 miles) and it took me 30 minutes which is roughly half the time it takes me to run the same distance. I'd like to work up to do 10 miles this weekend.

Yesterday, I wanted to go out again, but this time I took the kids which should probably be a whole separate post...however, I won't do that to you again.

Let me just say, one child volunteered to come and thoroughly enjoyed it and the other one had to be convinced. Note to self: if you have to convince them to do something, it may not turn out the way you hope :-)

Here is a list of the complaints/statements made by the unhappy child along the way:

1. "My helmet feels funny." (I only adjusted it about 30 times)
2. "Are we halfway yet?" (I never should've said out loud that we were going almost 6 miles so that was MY mistake).
3. (In a crying voice) "My blisters popped and it hurts to hold the handlebars." My response, "Blisters, what blisters?"
4. "Riding bikes is so stupid."
5. "When I'm in high school I'm going to do this 4 times a week." (Not sure what caused the momentary change of heart...I think he was delirious).
6. "Is there a shortcut home?"
7. "You almost ran me over." (This was shouted at the other sibling over and over).
8. "WAIT for me!"
9. "I'm so hot!"

Then, there's me every 5 seconds yelling, "Get over to the RIGHT! Stay to the RIGHT!"

Oh my goodness. It was a JOKE! But, thinking about it now it's kinda funny and I learned some lessons so hopefully our next experience will be much better!

There Is No Substitute - Part 1

2009-07-28T06:51:00.003-04:00

I finally have something to write about. I actually have had lots of things to write about, it's just that they haven't had anything to do with running. Actually, this post isn't about running either, but rather my "substitute" for running.

My husband's friend heard about my stress fracture (via Facebook - how else do we find out anything about the people around us :-) and offered to let me borrow his wife's bike. He told me the bike was a "hybrid" although I had no idea what that meant. Let me just say this is not any old bike. When you are really into your sport, you buy the best of the best, if at all possible. I suppose we do the same with running, right?

It took awhile on my part to finally make the arrangements to go pick up the bike, but we finally got it last night. It was kind of late when we got home so it was dark. I was riding it around our driveway so we could make the necessary adjustments. I quickly realized that flip flops are not the best footwear for bike riding - even in the driveway. We adjusted the helmet and I got my clothes out. I wanted to have everythng ready for an early morning ride. I have to admit it felt good going through the process of getting ready.

This morning when I got dressed, it really felt like I was going for a run. It made me happy just to put on my running clothes, shoes, etc. I even got to wear my Garmin. Oh, how I've missed my Garmin :-) On one hand this all felt very familiar and good, but on the other hand it was a bit of a tease to get ready to run (I mean bike) and not be able to run.

to be continued....

Denial, denial

2009-07-17T08:06:00.003-04:00

I'm still in denial that I really have a stress fracture. I'm not having any pain other than when I run..and it has been so long since I ran that I've almost forgotten about the pain. It has even been in the back of my mind that the doctor is wrong despite the fact that he's one of the best orthopaedic doctors around...like he has never seen a stress fracture before and is just being overly cautious :-)

So here I am online looking all over the place for info on stress fractures and I'm seeing the same thing over and over again:

"The runner with a stress fracture may experience only minimal symptoms early on. For example, one may feel a mild ache in the shins or on the top of the foot only after one's long weekend run. As time goes on, however, the pain becomes more noticeable and occurs sooner. Pain is usually worse during or soon after a run. Rarely does pain associated with a stress fracture improve with running. One can usually identify a particular point which is most tender to touch. Since many stress fractures do not appear on xrays, a more sensitive test such as a bone scan or MRI may be needed to confirm the diagnosis."

This is exactly what I've experienced, only my pain was behind the knee. Apparently my doctor knows what he's talking about. That's a good thing.

Well, I hope the rest of you are having some good runs. Whether you're training for a marathon or out for a little jog around the block....make it a great one!

MRI Results

2009-07-14T22:22:00.002-04:00

"Ill defined longitudinally oriented band of marrow signal abormality within the central medullary cavity of the distal femoral diaphysis and metaphysis."

In English this means I have stress fracture (of my lower femur).

I understand that stress fractures are from overuse, training too hard or bumping up your mileage too quickly. I don't believe I've done any of those things so I don't understand how this happened. But nonetheless, it happened.

I also have a small baker's cyst which is leaking some fluid in the same area (just behing the knee). Apparently that's due to the swelling and inflammation of the bone.

So, I haven't run for 2 weeks. I saw the dr today and he said take another 4 weeks off. I said, "Can I run in 4 weeks?" His answer was "maybe". Ugh!

This does not bode well for my Oct. 11 marathon. I don't want to write it off just yet, but I have to be realistic.

The dr. gave me the speech about pool jogging and biking in the meantime. The only way I would ever attempt pool jogging is in the privacy of my very own pool which I do not have so that's the end of that.

Biking...I've actually been wanting to dust off my old bike and get the whole family riding so maybe this will inspire me to do that.

I have to be honest though. At this point in time, I feel like I don't have the motivation to do that or anything. I'm trying not to be a baby about it. I don't want to be like "if I can't run I don't want to do anything." Wah, wah...but that's how I'm feeling right now. I think I just need a day or two to wallow and then I'll come up with a plan to attempt to keep myself in some sort of shape.

The dr. said this is only a bump in the road, not "career ending" so I'm trying to remember that. Trying to keep it in perspective. I don't have a horrible disease like cancer. I will heal and be able to run again. There are so many people around me suffering right now. Some near and dear to my heart. They are going through much worse things. I am lucky. I am blessed. Things could be much worse.

In the meantime, I need to figure out what I'm going to do for the next 4 weeks to stay in shape. Any ideas?

Oh How I Love Free Stuff!!

2009-07-05T16:55:00.003-04:00

Just found out about this giveaway...thought someone else might be interested, too...

http://tallmomontherun.blogspot.com/2009/07/medal-to-wear-all-day-giveaway.html

Time Off

2009-07-04T08:57:00.003-04:00

I'm still in limbo w/ my knee...the dr wants to rule out a bunch of things so I had an MRI on Thursday. He told me no running until I go back for the results. So, here I am on vacation and I can't run.

What I'm really worrying about is taking time off from my training and then trying to get caught up. By the time I go back to the dr. I will have had 2 weeks of no running and then face the possibility of even more time off. I have to try not to stress over it. The marathon is early though (Oct. 11) so that's not a lot of time. If it were November it would be a little easier to make up the lost time.

Well, that's my state of mind right now. Still enjoying our vacation with or without running.

Happy 4th of July!

Stupid Knee

2009-06-28T20:58:00.005-04:00

I've had a rough week running. My knee has been bothering me more and more. This past week called for 3, 4, 3 & 5 miles. I am now only able to run about 2.5-3 miles before my knee starts hurting. (It's not really my knee, it's the muscle in back of my knee...it's just easier to say knee, that's all). I couldn't even make it through the 5 miler. I had to walk when I got to 3 which was very depressing.

So, I made an appt. to see a sports dr. I go see him on Tuesday which is great because I'm going on vacation on Thursday. I'm happy that I could get in before going away. I think I really just need to rest it for a week or so and give it a chance to heal. I don't think it's anything major at this point, but I do think I'm only aggravating it more by continuing to run on it.

I'm being super cautious by going to a doctor, but I want to take care of it before I get too far into my training. As it stands now, I'm probably still going to have to change around my training plan somewhat. The next 2 long runs are 9 & 10 miles and I just don't see that happening with the knee the way it feels now.

I'll try to post again after my dr. appt.

Popliteus

2009-06-21T07:16:00.004-04:00

Yes, I learned a new word "popliteus". It's the muscle behind your knee. Thanks to the internet, I diagnosed the pain I've been having. It started last Saturday after my "long" run (haha - 6 miles isn't really a long run, but according to Hal Higdon's training plan it is). Anyway, I noticed it after I got done with that run. It didn't hurt at all during the run. By that night, I had an ice pack on it and was taking ibuprofen. By Monday morning, it felt fine. I ran 3 milers all week without any pain. Yesterday, I had to do a 7-miler and started feeling the pain around mile 5. Nothing too bad, but enough to be bothersome. So, now I'm getting a little worried being that I have 16 weeks of training ahead of me. I'm not sure how I'll deal with having an injury. That's not part of the plan! I'm doing the whole r.i.c.e. thing and hopefully that will help. I need to do some more research...Dr. Cindy will figure something out :-)

Here are a few pics of the Bronx Zoo...& Happy Father's Day!

Week 2 Marathon Training

2009-06-16T16:14:00.004-04:00

So far marathon training has been easy. I know I won't be able to say that for too long so I'll enjoy these short runs and easy weeks while I have them. I keep feeling like I should be running more than what the plan calls for, but then I realize that I'll be doing that soon enough. For now, I'm building up my base (right?).

My husband went to a conference last week in Florida and while he was there he won a mini Dell Notebook in a raffle. The best part is he gave it to me! I finally got everything transferred from my desktop. One small glitch was something got messed up with iTunes. Every file is in there at least twice. Not sure what happened there, but I'll be working on that later tonight.

We set our two little turtles free over the weekend. It's warm enough where they should be able to survive...I have to admit that I was a bit sad letting them go. I felt really bad when I woke up to a storm Sunday night. Believe it or not, my first thought was of the turtles and how scared they probably were. I don't remember the last time we had such a bad storm. I didn't think I was that much of a softy, but I guess I am. It even crossed my mind to go and try to find them yesterday, but then i came to my senses :-)

It's the end of the school year....just one week left until the kids are done. We're going on a field trip to the Bronx Zoo on Friday. I haven't been there in so long that I don't even really remember it. I'll post some pics next week.

Wishing a happy early Father's Day to all you dads out there in the blogland...

Two Days Down

2009-06-10T22:52:00.004-04:00

Well, I officially started my marathon training plan this week. I ran Monday & Tuesday. I'm going again tomorrow morning. I've been getting up and going very early - I'm out at 6 a.m. - yikes! I don't look forward to getting up that early, but I'm so glad when I'm done with my run and it's not even 7:00.

When I did my half marathon training plan last year, I picked up that plan about 1/3 of the way into it because I was already running more miles than what the plan called for. With me being sick recently and not being able to run for a few (2) weeks, I've decided to follow this training plan just the way it is. Even though prior to that I was running much more. It's hard to believe I only took 2 weeks off - it seems like it was more than that. I think it's because I was sick for SO long. I was running through most of it, but I always felt like garbage. Anyway, since I'm still easing back into my running, I thought this was a good way to do it.

This week it calls for 3 three miles runs and a long run of 6. Easy. Actually, the first month is pretty easy and that's just fine with me.

Well, it's already after 11:00 so I should get to bed. 5:30 will be here before I know it :-(

Garmin Fix

2009-06-09T22:25:00.003-04:00

I figured out what keeps happening to my Garmin. It freezes while it's charging. Here's the fix: press the power, mode & lap buttons all at the same time, then release. Press power again and it should turn on. It really works!

5k Report

2009-06-04T21:32:00.007-04:00

I'm finally getting a few minutes to write about my race on Saturday. This was the race where I "coached" a group of new runners. I think we had about 15 altogether. First, I want to say that they all finished the race. There were some decent times, too, especially for a first race.

We followed a 9 week training plan (Couch to 5k) and met every Saturday to do a run together. They also ran 2 other times during the week on their own. At first, I was a little skeptical that the plan would really work because I saw that they were struggling. It wasn't until about the halfway point that everything sort of fell into place and they started really believing that they could do it. From that point on, they got more confident each week and by the day of the race they were actually excited.

We really had a fun time training together and I am so proud of all of them. Some of them have already registered for other 5K's and a few of them are even interested in doing a 10K and perhaps even further! I told them I feel like a proud mother. It was a great experience and I think through it some new runners were born :-)

My race report...by the way, this was the Freihofer's Run for Women. A great race and it gets bigger every year. It is always extremely crowded which can be somewhat frustrating if you're running for time. I had several goals. One of them was pretty lofty at least for me - that one was to break 25 minutes which I have never done in all my years of running. (The best I could ever do was 25 something and that was 15 years ago). It wasn't too hard to let that goal go and move onto my next goal which was 27-28 minutes. Still somewhat fast for me, but within reason. And, my last resort goal was to finish in less than 30 minutes. If I can't do that, I may as well give away the sneakers.

I felt pretty good that day and the weather was absolutely perfect for running so it seemed reasonable to aim for the 27-28 minute finish. According to my garmin, my time was 28:30 so technically I achieved my goal. A little slower than I would've liked, but I was happy with it.

Okay, this is the part where I vent about the timing chips. Apparently they don't register at the start of the race only at the finish. I'm not sure why, but for all 3,600 of us the clock starts when the gun goes off. So if you're in the back of the pack and it takes you a minute or two to get to the starting line, your official time will be that much slower. I always had a feeling about that, but I was never totally positive. But, now that I have my trusty garmin, I knew EXACTLY how fast I ran. I started my watch right as I stepped on the starting line/pad so I'm positive about my time. However, the official time is slower and I can't stand that. I don't know why they bother with the chips if they're not going to give you your chip time.

Enough about that. I did the spin class today and it was pretty hard. So far, my legs aren't sore at all, but we'll see how they feel tomorrow. It was definitely a good workout and my heart rate was up there the whole time. I bet a lot of calories were burned in that room today! Those people (including me) were really working!

Some exciting news....my brother got into the NYC marathon. His wife didn't make it and neither did his friend that applied. They wanted me to apply as well, but I chose not to. Why didn't I? Because it's 3 weeks after the marathon I'm scheduled to run. Being that it's my first marathon (and his) I opted to only register for one race. He says he's going to run them both. For me, just the possibility of running back to back marathons was enough to scare me so I'm glad I stuck with the original plan. Hartford....here I come!

P.S. By the way, apparently "National Running Day" was June 3 and not June 4. Figures :-)

It's National Running Day

2009-06-04T06:49:00.003-04:00

I didn't know there was such a thing as National Running Day, but apparently there is...and it's today! Someone invited me to try a spin class this morning so that was going to be my exercise for the day. I just might have to squeeze in a couple of miles though, too.

Looking forward to marathon training (did I just say that?) beginning next week. The first few weeks aren't bad at all. I decided to follow the Hal Higdon beginner's plan.

I still need to talk about the race with my running group. Maybe later on I'll write another post.

Have a good run today!

Garmin Goof-Up

2009-06-03T10:53:00.004-04:00

I went out for my first 6 a.m. run of the year this morning. Up until now, I've been only going on my days off or after work, but every afternoon this week is busy so my only option is early morning. I do that a lot in the summer so I guess I should start getting used to it now.

I had my Garmin on the base so I grabbed it along with my pile of running clothes and went downstairs to get dressed. Out the door I went, go to turn on the Garmin and nothing. No power, nothing. I got a little nervous because even when the battery is low, it will at least turn on and say "low battery". I couldn't even get it to do that though. I'm so reliant on the thing that I considered not running just because I couldn't get it working. Then, I came to my senses and went anyway.

When I got home, I put it on the base and still nothing. Then, I tried putting it on the computer and finally it woke up and started charging. It was fully charged after only about 45 minutes and it seems to be working now. I don't know what that was all about, but I was starting to panic a little considering that marathon training should begin next week.

I went out for a nice 5 miler on Monday. Felt yucky at the beginning, but I livened up about halfway through and then finished feeling good.

I'm going to a spin class tomorrow with a friend. I've never done that before so I'm a little nervous. I'm sure I'll get my butt kicked.

In my next post, I'll write about the 5k I did with my running group over the weekend. They did awesome! I feel like a proud mama! There was a nice piece in the paper about us including a great photo.

Have a great day!

Another Run Under My Belt

2009-05-26T22:01:00.005-04:00

This coming Saturday is the 5K that I've trained my running group for. They've all put in their miles and are ready for the race. I'm really excited for them. I think this is their first race for almost all of them. They've done a GREAT job.

I have no idea how I'll do on Saturday since I'm still trying to make up for 2 weeks of lost running. I'll be happy to finish in less than 30 minutes, but ideally I would LOVE to do 28. I don't know if it'll happen though.

I've only been running 3 miles this past week. I went Saturday, Monday and today. I did 4 today. All very SLOW, but I'm feeling good so I'm happy about that.

My main focus after this 5K will be to get on with the marathon training. That's really my goal. (I'm registered for the ING Hartford Marathon which is on October 11). This 5k training group was just a fun, side thing to do.

I've been running with my iPod more lately and I've decided that I hate my earbuds. They are uncomfortable and are constantly falling out. I had to order something from Amazon today and I needed to spend another $2 in order to get free shipping so I got looking at the earbuds. I ordered a pair that hooks around your ears. It's hard to believe they would be comfortable, but they got pretty good reviews so I figured I'd give them a try. They were only about $10 anyway so it's not a huge investment.

That's about it, I think. I'm real excited about the race this Saturday. It's nice when you plan something and can follow it through to the end AND have a happy ending, too.

Wednesday

2009-05-20T13:08:00.003-04:00

I'm feeling so much better than I was - finally. Just hope it lasts :-)

Went to a new doctor on Monday and they're trying to get to the bottom of whatever it was that I had. Running a bunch of other tests just so nothing gets overlooked. I am so glad that I've gotten well on my own and I'm finally starting to feel like myself again.

I'm hoping to get out for a short run this afternoon. I've really lost a lot of ground with my running. Hope it doesn't take long to get back to where I was. I'm feeling optimistic though.

Life is good :-)

Me

2009-05-16T22:01:00.005-04:00

Sorry for my absence. Believe it or not, I was sick...AGAIN. Things all came to a head last week. I had a high fever and a lot of pain in my joints (along with various other strange symptoms) and had a bunch of bloodwork done. The dr. was convinced I had lyme disease (test was negative). I was tested for all sorts of autoimmune diseases and those tests also were negative. Once my fever broke I started getting better on my own. The pain in my joints is almost all gone now, but not completely. I'm still not 100% convinced that this was not a reaction to an antibiotic I was on. I guess we may never know. The dr. doesn't think that was likely, but who knows. I just know I won't ever take that particular antibiotic again.

This is very weird for me because I'm a person that rarely ever gets sick. Over the past few weeks, I felt like I was calling my doctor almost every day. I always thought this dr. was okay (until I actually got sick and needed her for something more than a check up). So, in the process of this whole thing, I left that office and am trying this other office on Monday. I hated to have to do that, but it had to be done.

I was so sick that I had to miss my running group last Saturday. I turned over the reigns to a good friend and she led the pack for their 2.25 mile run. I was so glad that I felt well enough to at least make the trip out to the park today. It felt good just to put on my running clothes. Once I got there, I knew I wanted to run..and I did run. It felt okay. It was an easy run so I think it was fine that I did it. We ran 2.5. I don't think I could've done more.

On Monday, I have an appt. with a new dr to go over my history and maybe see if this one can shed any light on what happened to me. In the meantime, I'm taking it easy and only doing the things that I absolutely must do. I want to figure out what is/was wrong with me so I can move on. After all, I have a marathon I need to train for!

I have lots of catching up to do on listening to podcasts, reading blogs, and just life in general. Hopefully, I'm back for good now.

I have to post these pictures I took in this cute little town called Chatham. We were there a few weeks ago before I got the plague :-) They have a small brewery there and we went to buy a couple of "growlers". What I thought was the funniest thing was the sign they had posted on the door for "beer emergencies". I laughed thinking of the calls this guys gets for beer emergencies. Too funny...anyway, here they are...

Weekend Recap

2009-04-27T08:37:00.003-04:00

I'm finally starting to feel better. Yippee!

To wrap up the diet - my husband and I were the "biggest losers" and the diet is officially over. I'm happy about that. We celebrated a little by having some real pizza Friday night and a few beers.

Saturday morning was my new running group. It was the first time we did not run on a track and I think they did great. There was even a hill and they all conquered it. This coming Saturday, we are supposed to run 2 miles without walking. That will be a real turning point for many of them. I hope they stick to the program this week.

After that, the "diet is over celebration" continued and we had a family bbq. It didn't have anything to do with the diet being over really, just an excuse to get together. I didn't go crazy eating, but ate more than I normally would. My brother & family were there. They were part of our biggest losers contest. Boy, do they look GREAT w/ their skinny new bods!

Sunday, it was 85 degrees and we were signed up for a 5k. The race started at 1:15. The hottest time of the day. (I've never heard or a face starting so late.)This was the first weekend that we've had that kind of heat so we haven't gotten used to it yet. In fact, the race shirts were long sleeve so this is not really normal weather for the northeast. It's pretty early for it to be this hot. Anyway, it was rough running in it, but we did it. I really thought I could've finished in 27 or even 28 minutes, but I ended up doing it in a little over 30! Needless to say, I was disappointed with my time.

Today is another beautiful day. I'm going to do a few errands and then head out for a run. I'm thinking 6 miles. Just an easy run w/ my iPod.

Have a great week!

Sick AGAIN!!

2009-04-23T15:06:00.004-04:00

I'm so bummed that I'm sick again. Or still sick from before. I don't know which. It seems that this pleurisy thing is back. I went for a chest xray and back to the dr. this week. I won't go into all the details, but I am now on an antibiotic (as of last night) and I hope that kicks whatever I have out of my system.

Needless to say, my running has suffered this week. I had such a great week running last week, too. This week I forced myself out on Monday (the day I had the chest xray) for 3 miles. I got out today for another measly 3. Whoopee :-)

The dr. didn't say "don't run" (because she knows I probably won't listen). Instead she told me I could run, but to "take it easy." That, I guess I can do. At least for a few days.

So, I really want to feel better. I'm sick of being sick! I will suck it up though and forge ahead. I figured it's a good time to be sick (if I have to be) since I haven't technically started marathon training. I've been running some decent mileage, but haven't started the training program yet.

I signed up for a 5K this weekend - I just hope I feel well enough to do it & do well. I was hoping for a decent time. We'll see.

On a different note.. the diet ends tomorrow. Amen to that! I can't wait to have some real, non-diet pizza! And some beer!!

Too Many Runs, Too Little Time

2009-04-18T10:06:00.003-04:00

I just got home from the track with my running group. 4 showed up today. I expected that. A lot of people are away because of the school vacations. We did a 5 minute brisk walk, 90 second jog, 90 second walk, 3 minute jog, 3 minute walk. Then repeated the whole thing again. They did it, too! I'm proud of them all. We went over next week's "assignment" and things really ramp up. I this will be make or break some of them. "When the boys are separated from the men" so to speak. I really hope they can do it!

I even dragged my daughter up there with me. She starts Road Runner's this coming week and I REALLY want her to do the Freihofer's Run with me. She told me she would awhile ago, but she's backing off of that now. Anyway, she sprinted around the track as fast as she could one time then danced around the rest of the time. Typical nine year old :-)

So, before I met them at 9:00, I had it in my head that I wanted to run 8 miles. I convinced my husband and his friend to at least start out with me. I wanted to leave the house at 7:00, but that was a little too early for them. We compromised on 7:15 and I was glad to have the company for at least part of the run. The only problem was I didn't get home until about 8:55. I knew I would be cutting it close, but I didn't realize it would be THAT close. When I got home, I quick hit the bathroom, drank some chocolate milk and changed my shirt. Luckily the track is not even 5 minutes from my house so I was only 5 minutes late (and a sweaty mess!).

I don't think I'll do that again. Not because the running was too much. I don't like to be that pressed for time. I'd prefer to get up there a little early and be able to warm up before everybody gets there instead they were standing there waiting for me. Not good.

See, I didn't want to go on my 8 mile run after my run with the group because I thought I wouldn't feel like it, plus it was supposed to rain today (even though it's still sunny). Why can't I just go up to the track and run with the group? What's wrong with me? I guess I feel a little like it's not enough (because I'm mental?) so I have to go way overboard. Well, it's only for another 5 weeks...

Hope you're getting your runs in, too. Have a great weekend!

Mind Over Matter

2009-04-16T15:38:00.004-04:00

I did not feel like running today. Although it was a beautiful day - perfect weather - "runner's heaven" as Katheen would say :-) I woke up not feeling great. You know, crampy, pms, etc. (Sorry guys, but sometimes a girl just has to vent about these things). Anyway, all I wanted to do was lay on the couch and watch another Harry Potter movie with my kids (I've lost track of which one we're on at the moment).

They're off from school all week and I've pretty much just let them do what they want (within reason). Two days this week, they've been at various grandparents houses while I've been working so they've gotten to do plenty of activities. Tomorrow, they will go to a friend's house while I work. The days that we've all been home together, I've let them go on the computer, tv, wii, watch movies, with very few limits. Normally, there are some kind of restrictions tied to all of those things, but this week I decided since they're on vacation I'll loosen up the rules a little. Plus, it's exhausting being the mommy police all the time. I needed a break, too. So, I was really hoping they'd want to lay low and watch a movie today and I could just plug in the heating pad and nurse my aching body.

Of course, just as I'm getting ready to sprawl out, here comes that nagging feeling that I should go for a run. After all, how can I NOT run on a day like today? This weather is what I've been waiting for, for months! I thought maybe if I got dressed for a run, I'll actually feel like going. So I got changed and I STILL didn't feel like going. So, what did I do? I went anyway. Mind over matter. And, it worked. I forced myself to go out. I must say that I didn't feel quite as bad as I thought I was going to. I even ran 6 miles which was more than I had planned on. That just goes to prove how sometimes we should not listen to our bodies. I mean barring any kind of major physical pain like a like a torn muscle or something...then by all means, listen! That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the little lazy excuses we can so easily make to talk ourselves out of just getting out there.

I am so glad that I didn't listen to my body today. I feel good knowing I got my run in. Now, I can feel even better about plugging in the heating pad...just for a bit.

Harry Potter anyone?

Terrific Tuesday

2009-04-14T16:45:00.002-04:00

I'm excited. I just went for a run by myself. I haven't done that in quite awhile. I usually run with someone. Anyway, I was really trying to run 5 miles in under 50 minutes and I actually succeeded! As a matter of fact, my average pace was 9:38. I've done that in races, but never on a regular old training run. That is very good for me. It may not be a big deal for some runners, but it's great for me. Especially considering where I run. Lots of hills. It is a beautiful day, too. I even got to wear a short sleeve t-shirt!

I'm guessing that my faster pace has a little bit to do with the 10 pounds that I lost so that's pretty exciting. I believe there are 2 weeks left in our contest and I really don't think I want to lose anymore weight. (I never thought those words would come out of my mouth). But, I'm glad I lost what I did.

On an unrelated note...I was reading a blog written by someone that went to DC for a race and that really made me want to bring our kids there for a mini vacation. I've never been to DC myself, but I've always wanted to go. If anyone has any tips for me about doing that, would you send them my way? I think I'd want to stay downtown so we're close to everything. Would that be smart or is it better to stay outside the city and take the Metro in? I'm sure it's probably much more expensive to stay downtown. Anyway, I'd love to hear any tips you might have.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T13:35:00.002-04:00

Hope you're having a wonderful Easter. I happened to catch Rick Warren on Fox News this morning as I was getting ready for church. I noticed now they're replaying it thoughout the day. If you have a chance, you should check it out. I should put a link, but I don't have the time right now. Anyway, he gave a great explanation of the message of Christianity and why Jesus came, lived, died, etc.

On a completely unrelated note, what's with these pirates???? I was following the story the last few days. I just heard they rescued the captain of the ship that was captured. That's some crazy stuff!

No running today. No diet today. I've already given into my cravings and ate peanut m & m's and (only half of) a glazed doughnut. Later, there's ham & the thing I've been thinking about most - CARROT CAKE - homemade by ME! I can almost taste it now.

Have a great Easter & don't forget to check out Rick Warren.

Biggest Loser Update Week #6

2009-04-11T06:50:00.004-04:00

I guess I forgot to post week 5. I won't bother now. Here's a recap: I gained a little, Larry lost, G & K both lost and took the week. I don't remember about Mr. & Mrs. H, but I'm guessing they said "no change" again :-)

We were the big winners this week:

Larry -1.65%
Cindy -2.19%
Team -1.87%

Kathleen -.9%
Gregg -.5%
Team -.7%

Mr&Mrs. H:
no change :-)

Running Again & Stupid Midas

2009-04-06T18:36:00.005-04:00

After taking a full week off last week, I have to say it was hard running yesterday. I did run a little with my group on Saturday, too, but I decided not to count that. I basically just walked/jogged the whole time. Anyway, I went out Sunday afternoon and I felt pretty tired. I only went 3 miles and I was happy to get it overwith.

I felt pretty good when I went out today. I have to say I'm still not completely better from this pleurisy thing. I don't have the pain anymore when I breath..now the pain is my shoulder. Plus, I have a cough I can't get rid of. I do think I'm getting better though so I can't complain too much.

I had to get my oil changed today. I went to Midas because I went there last time (and I had a coupon). I don't bother our mechanic with oil changes because he's really busy and I'd have to leave my car there for the day or wait around (he has no waiting area). It just seems like too much trouble. We're really happy with our mechanic and we've been going to him for well over 10 years. He's local, he's honest...I know he has saved us loads of money, too.

Anyway, back to Midas. Awhile after they brought my van in, they call me into the bay area. I see my van up on the lift, with the front tire off. He starts telling me about hot spots on my rotors, my brake pads being worn, my transmission fluid needs to be flushed and by the way so does my power steering fluid. I must've looked like an easy target or something, but I told him okay, I have my own mechanic and I'll give him a call, thinking that would be the end of the sales pitch. Then, I got this big song and dance about the "benefits" of having a national chain take care of my vehicle vs. my own local guy, blah, blah, blah. This guy was really working me! Why in the world would I want to go to Midas for all that stuff instead of someone that I know and trust? He asked what I would do if my car broke down while I was out of town and my mechanic couldn't help me. That's one of the benefits of going to a big chain :-)

Yeah, right.

He just really ticked me off. What should've taken 15 minutes ended up taking a good hour. Then he had the nerve to say that my mechanic should've found all of this stuff 25,000 miles ago. By then, I knew if I said anything it would get ugly so I kept my mouth shut. Plus, I didn't want to be stuck there one more minute because this guy just had an answer for everything. I just stood there and took it, then I got my keys and got the heck out of there.

So, by this guy trying to convince me to go to Midas to get my car serviced, he now lost me as a customer. I don't know if I qualify as a customer by going there two times, but I will never go back again. The first time I went, I didn't have any of that go on. In fact, I wanted to say to the guy, why didn't anyone tell me this the last time I was here to get my oil changed just a few months ago? Hmmm??? Have all of those things just happened in the last 3 months? You said they should've been picked up 25,000 miles ago. What do you have to say to that Mr. Smarty Pants?

I had to laugh because when I FINALLY got in my van to leave, I noticed they put the little reminder sticker on my windshield upside down. I wonder if that was intentional?

Oh - what made the whole experience even better is they had the tv on while I was waiting. There was another guy who was about 75 years old waiting for his car, too. I don't know what they talked him into, but they ended up renting (yes, renting!) a car for him while they worked on his. I guess it was going to be awhile :-) That's beside the point, anyway, back to the tv. The Jerry Springer Show was on the whole time I was there (which was annoying me even more). The name of the episode was "Hair Pullin' Smackdown". (The old guy actually seemed to be enjoying it).

Stupid Midas.

Recovering

2009-04-01T16:29:00.003-04:00

Remember the pain I mentioned having in my chest? It started to really bother me later that weekend so I ended up at the dr. on Monday. I didn't know what it was. It turns out I have pleurisy. I didn't know what that was until the other day, but it's an inflammation of the lining around the lung. It makes you have pain when you breath in, cough, sneeze, etc. It was pretty uncomfortable. It can be caused by several things, but they think mine is from a virus. I have been fighting some sort of bug for the last few weeks. so I guess it makes sense.

Anyway, I do feel like it's getting a little better - thankfully. But I was told I should take a rest from running until I feel better. As much as I hate to do that, I agree it's for the best. Especially since I have many miles ahead of me once the marathon training begins :-)

I keep telling myself that I'll be better by the end of the week. I just hope my body listens :-)

This doesn't bode well for the Biggest Losers contest. I'm still trying to diet and drink plenty of water, but the key to losing weight for me is running and it's just not happening. I may actually GAIN this week! Egads!

Hope you register for the Chic Runner giveaway!