A Runner's Christmas Eve

Twas the day before Christmas, in this runner's place

Morning run out of the way. I tried hard not to race!

Driving home, I saw folks neatly dressed up in red

I'm in shorts and all sweaty, jaunty antlers on head

 

What to do first? Wrap more gifts? Do some baking?

Nah. The Foam Roller's Calling and my tendons are aching!

Stretching's all done, I should don my red hat

But, first, I'm starving! Need to re-fuel, stat!

 

A shower's not happening. This is now sadly clear

This year, for Christmas, folks get stinky cheer

I'll just break out the wet wipes and dry shampoo

Don't judge. I know some of you have been there, too

 

Still on Mom duty, it's breakfast for the boys

Dressed with teeth brushed, playing loudly with toys

Time to get moving. Need to make cookie dough

First, let me just get those miles logged, though

 

Ok. I'll check out this last running site...

Losing track of time, getting closer to night

I'd like that coffee, while it's still warm

Just need to mail this race registration form

 

Time to tackle that laundry, presents and food

Got my mind off running and in Holiday mood

Tape and scissors in hand, all those gifts in big piles

I know! I should go out for a few more miles!

 

So the boys on their bikes and I in my Brooks

Completely ignore the neighbors' strange looks

We get nice and sweaty and have tons of fun

Merry Christmas to all and to all a happy run!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 23 For You and Me

In retrospect, I may've been keeping that whole "end of the world" thing in my back pocket when I came up with this Adventrageous plan. You know...I think I thought there was a decent chance I may not have to actually have to come up with any more posts after 12-21.

Moving on...

Today's Topic: Runners are crazy. As a runner or even person who knows a runner, I'm pretty sure this statement has come up before. This isn't a groundbreaking discovery. I'm not the first person to ackowledge this, nor will I be the last.

The whole "please let me pay someone to let me run 26.2 miles all at once" issue, aside, sometimes runners think things like this are a good idea. If you don't feel like clicking on the link, here's how my latest running adventure went down :

There was a scheduled Running Group meetup that started at 11:30 pm. It was just over 30 degrees F, which, in Florida terms, is equivalent to sub-zero. My dad, sister, friend and I bundled up and ran from my house to the meetup. (because simply running 3 miles, with the group, would not have been enough weirdness?)

The runners who showed up were grumbling about how cold and late it was, but had obviously not been forced/threatened to be there. This means, deep down, we were all pretty darned giddy about the prospect.

As with most other run, we set off, in small groups, with no fanfare. It was a clear night so the moon, stars and neighborhood Christmas lights were highly visible and beautiful to see. The quiet stillness of the time of day (night?) allowed me to hear snippets of panting conversations from the 30 or so other running friends circling the route.

My own chatter was endless.

In August of 2011, my dad took me as his guest to my very first run with this group. It was a 5 am run, on the same route, so the scene looked very similar. So much time has passed since I've been able to run, with my dad, in the dark that I couldn't seem to shut up. My dad's still re-building his cardio so he wasn't quite as chatty as me. Rest assured I babbled on and on enough to cover both of us.

(sorry, dad)

We finished the route and I was feeling so energized and happy, that I made a snap decision to zip back out for a self-timed, speedy mile while everyone else finished up. At midnight. People-dodging and aching lungs (have I mentioned it was cold?!) forced me to cut it off at a 1/2 mile, but it felt so good to run fast.

We chatted, in the cold, for a little longer and then the four of us headed back to my house, as there were people waiting on their crazy runners.

some runners wisely rewarded themselves with beers

 

Fun, happy, crazy times. Just think...if I weren't a runner, I'd have no reason to be outside, in the cold, wheezing and sweating at midnight!

 

Today's share: Gracie is one of those naturally talented, extremely fast runners who you're not allowed to be jealous of because she's also incredibly humble. Sucks, huh? I get inspired by her writing and am in awe of her artistic talent and fashion sense. I'm pretty sure people aren't allowed to be so multi-talented, actually.

I hope you'll visit her blog. She's currently on a bit of a running hiatus (other than the possibly ill-timed 10 miler, recently) and can probably use some new readers/encouragement. 

 

What sort of crazy have you recently involved yourself in? 

Adventrageously Fourteen

Late Edit : I posted today's entry before the news of the Connecticut tragedy broke. I'm not a shallow, heartless blogger. However, I can't say or think about it, too much, just yet, though. It just takes me some time to try to process something that absolutely senseless.

Now that we've coined "Adventrageous" as an actual word, we can start using it in its various forms.

Today's Topic: Really boring occurrences which I have captured, in photos, to make them seem more exciting.

Now you may be thinking : "Wait a minute, there, lady!" "Isn't that what all your posts are about?"

No, my friends. The difference is, this post is only about that. Others actually offer of a pretense of containing interesting content, with some boring photos on the side.

See?

really bad picture. really good cookies.

 

Thanks to this sweet blogger, I figured out what cookies I wanted to make for our Book Club's Christmas Extravaganza. When you visit her site, take note of how much better her photos are, too.

 

I've already eaten two, today. Why? They're delicious and they contain carbs.

 

Also, this happened:

I was trying to think of something lucky about all those sixes. No luck.

 

Please note this Odometer Excitment occurred in a different vehicle than the one from this post. No, you're not losing your mind. I really did share two different photos of two different odometers on the same blog.

 

Did you ever imagine you'd be fortunate enough to stumble upon reading material this compelling?

 

Today's Share: Haha! I snuck in a twoferone! The topic actually contains the blogshare. Go forth and visit Jade. Be entertained by her funny and bubbly stories. Make those cookies. Encourage her as she gets back into running after being out of comission.

 

Have you considered running a marathon after fueling solely on cookies? Me neither. (lie)

 

 



 

 



12-12-12

I wish I had a clever post associated with the date. I may have, at some point, actually.

Last night's Christmas party has rendered me mostly useless, though, today. I was up way past my bedtime and indulged, just a bit too much.

That's the cool thing about being a lame-o and rarely going out, though. The few times a year we get out of our "comfies", get babysitters and hang out with other adults pretty much allows us to get a little crazy. People tend to forgive us more easily with the "They don't get out much..." mindset.

this pretty much captures the overall feel of the night

 

Since I forced invited all my friends and family to join the running group, we get to go to group functions, together. Last night the West Volusia Runners held their annual Christmas party. The founder/president/runner extraordinaire, Jennifer, makes sure everyone has a fun time.

 

There was plenty of food and drinks, personalized awards, runners in Regular Clothes (i.e. shocked and awkward conversations when people start to recognize each other) and a cutthroat gift exchange. Perfect ingredients for a memorable party.

 

The husband was awarded the very sweet and appropriate "Wind Beneath Her Wings" certificate. He was recognized for always supporting me, in every way, for every one of my crazy running goals.

 

I was honored to be named :

 

Best Looking in a Boot

 

Almost made me want to break it out and model for everyone!

 

I did manage to drag myself out for my last, short speedwork before the marathon, this morning.

 

1 Mile Warm Up (this isn't going to be nearly as bad as I thought it would!)

4x400s w/active recovery between each (oh-ho! This is actually worse than I thought it would be!)

1 Mile Cool Down (I think that happened. I don't really remember much past the wind-sucking, dry heaving, head-throbbing bits)

 

Before the fuzziness in my brain takes over, again, I'll end with :

 

Today's Share: I'm a fairly new reader of Fit Fun Mom, but I'm so glad I found her. Like me, she recently completed her first Full Marathon (just over 4 hours, too!!), after years of running and racing. Unlike me, though, she actually offers readers posts that are useful. While it may be unfair that she's extremely intelligent AND a talented runner, she's earned her claim to both.

 

Any fun holiday events on your schedule? 



Day 4 of Adventrageous

"Mom, seriously, what were you thinking trying to blog for 25 days straight?!"

Today's Topic: Blogstuffs. Although fairly new to blogging, I've already learned some valuable lessons about myself in this new venture.

1. When the kids are home and needing snacks, love and refereeing, I produce awful posts and it gives me cold sweats and headaches to even attempt it. Nighttime results in slightly more read-able babble, but I can't guarantee good results due to my tired brain. If ever you happen to read a post from me, that seems somewhat intelligent and/or humorous, be proud of your secret knowledge that it was typed in the morning.
2. While the novelty may someday wear off, I LOVE getting comments. If no one ever read my drivel, I think I'd (sadly) still keep cranking it out. Getting confirmation that people are, at the very least, taking the time to put my page on their browser, makes me feel giddy. Also, I've been lucky enough that the comments, thus far, have been nothing but kind, funny and awesome. I guess that's what I should expect, coming from the people who read this.
3. I should think decisions like "ooh! I should post for 25 days in a row through before impulsively launching into it. Pretty sure there's not actually that much subject matter in my brain. May need to start making up stories...
4. I love having the ability to go back and look at posts like this or this when I'm feeling grumpy about a recent run.

No one wanted to venture a guess regarding the boys' advent surprise, from yesterday. It's okay. It's very unlikely you would've guessed correctly. Had any of you typed "plastic fangs" as your answer, I probably would've been terrified, anyway.

Nothing evokes the Spirit of Christmas more than slobbery fangs

 

Noteworthy tangent: There's a weird sound, outside, that reminds me of someone riding a pogo stick. It's making me want to go out and buy one. I was a spectacular pogo-er, back in the day...when I was 7. Think that's one of those "riding a bike skills?"

 

Ha! Now you're totally confused about what time of day I typed this up. It quickly went from semi-intelligent to totally weird and random, eh?

 

Today's Share: Just because this lady  is very well-known in the running & blogging community, doesn't mean she doesn't deserve mention. Hers was the second blog I bookmarked, back when I first stumbled into the magical world of Reading About Other People's Lives and Training Instead of Doing Laundry. If that's what you're currently doing, stop. Go take the clothes out of the washer, put them in the dryer and then come sit back down. (preferably with a piece of candy or your fourth cup of coffee) It's all about balance, people.

 

Anyway, there are very few off-limit subjects on www.shutupandrun.net. Which is why we like her. Mixed with all the fart talk, though, are some actual knowledge and tools. Here are a couple of examples :

This one about preparing your mind

 

Another great read

 

Those are just a couple of the ones I pass onto friends and enjoy reading, myself. Even if you're familiar with her blog, go check out some entries you may have missed.

 

Next up : My newest Runventure that involved Capri Suns and Wild Boars (obviously)

 

 





 

 

Adventrageous Day 3...Wheeee!

It'll get REAL old if I link back to every post of this series. At this point, though, two links isn't excessive, right?

If you missed the excitement of days 1 and 2 of this Outrageous Advent Posting Marathon (Adventrageous), you can get caught up here and here.

Today's Topic: Shutting off the right part of your brain when running. I was reminded of this elusive (to me) skill during my 12-mile run, yesterday. The plan was to run the first 8 miles at my easy, long run pace and the final 4 at my goal marathon pace (gmp). It was a bit warmer than I would've liked and at an odd time of day, for me. Due to it being a Sunday afternoon, traffic was also heavier than I'm normally used to.

Stopping and waiting for cars is a big, giant pain in the butt, btw.

Despite my seemingly endless list of complaints, the run actually felt just fine.

After I hit the 8-mile mark, I sped up to what I hoped was a pace I could maintain for 26.2 miles. I wasn't wearing my watch, so I couldn't actually see what my pace was, at the time. I had my phone with me and was tracking it using this app. The phone was strapped to my arm, though, and I had my music on loud enough to drown out the split announcements. (on purpose)

lalala. Can't hear you, robot lady...

Approximately 15 seconds into the 9th mile, the previously dormant, and ever-so-nasty part of my brain jumped to life.

"Whoa-ho, there, pal. Lets slow it back down"

"Why are you attempting to run over a minute faster, per mile, when it's 80 degrees out and you've already run 8 miles?"

"This is JUST a training run! Did you think it was a race? You can slow down...SLOW DOWN!"

"Ohmigosh. Is that a blister? That's definitely a blister. You should stop immediately"

"Ok. I didn't want to have to resort to this but you don't seem to be paying attention : "

"you will never be able to run a marathon at this pace. why did you ever think you could do this?"
"you. are not. this fast."

Allow me to introduce all of you to JerkBrain. The part of my mentality that provides enough doubt and mental anguish to actually affect me, physically, during an intense portion of running and racing.

Sometimes I'm able to drown it out. Sometimes I'm not.

The problem comes in when I drown out the ugly thoughts with, basically, zero thoughts at all. It's known as "zoning out" and it's my achilles heel, in races. I end up shutting off my brain to the point that I'm no longer focused on my pace or goals. I settle into a feeling of comfort, which shuts off the JerkBrain, but also slows down my body.

It generally happens during the middle miles. Towards the last few miles of the race, I realize what's happened and desperately try to salvage the race. At that point, though, JerkBrain morphs into to PanicBrain when I attempt fuzzy math and learn the amount of time I'll have to make up is just simply not possible.

Bottom line : I need to figure out a way to keep my mind sharp, but positive.

The good news? I acheived that, yesterday. I'm happy to report I triumphed over JB and ran those last four miles about 5 seconds faster, per mile, than my goal marathon pace.

And I didn't even die from the aforementioned blister.

Today's recommendation: Amanda's blog is dear to me because it was the very first running blog I ever read. I'm pretty social networking inept so finding something like that, online, opened up a whole new world, to me. I lurked, there, forever. I eventually followed some of her links and starting lurking on those blogs, but hers was the one I read, regularly. (I'm recently a reformed lurker, btw)

She pours out her thoughts and insights about everything. I wish I had the ability to put my feelings and life into words, the way she does. The ability to run as fast as she does wouldn't hurt, either. Hers is a popular site, but if you haven't had the joy of visiting Runninghood, I encourage you to do so.

Just don't be a lurker...

Care to guess what was in my kids' Advent Calendar, today? I'll give you a hint : It wasn't chocolate.

Adventrageous, Day 2

If you're confused by the "word" in today's title, feel free to refer to this. If you hadn't read the previous post, but were NOT confused by the strange title, you may have been hanging around me and/or my blog for too long.

I'm sorry about that.

Today's Topic: Good Enough is, sometimes, just that. My running, this past week, has felt uninspired and unmotivated. It's left me feeling completely unsure of myself, my training and my upcoming marathon.



please go easy on me

 

I know this is probably right where I should be, actually. I'm coming off my last "hard" week, of the cycle. Things will start moving in a taper-ish direction and it will take some time to adjust. Still, it's not made me feel especially sunshine-y or rose-y.

 

Yesterday, though, I finally had a good run. It wasn't groundbreaking or any huge accomplishment. It was five, easy miles. I changed my route, ditched my watch and just simply ran. It didn't produce a spectacular "runner's high" or any good story fodder. As I was a marking down the details in my little running journal, though, I realized it had been Good Enough.

not pictured: the stickers decorating the front and back of the binder. Elementary School-style

 

For me, at this point in my training, Good Enough is...well...exactly that.

 

Today I'll be hippity skopping out for my last double-digit run before the marathon. While I'm shooting for a run in the Totally Rad category, Good Enough will certainly suffice.

 



Running blog share: I refer to this lady's words of wisdom enough to grant me SuperFan status. (If that were a thing, obviously) A lot of her posts are based on her personal experiences. In addition, though, she actually completed a Master's degree on the topic of enhancing bone recovery, in an effort to better understand Running injuries! I find her extremely knowledgable and inspirational. If you don't have time to read a ton of her blog entries, just pick a couple from this list.

 

You'll be hooked. 

Anything good happen to you, this weekend? Did you race? Tell me about it!!

check it this giveaway, quickly. Ends today!

Adventrageous!!

new word
new plan
new post every day from now 'til Dec 25th
All from me...just for you

our actual advent calendar

I'm not nearly creative enough to come up with interesting stories twenty-five days straight. I can likely scrounge up a few, but my main purpose was to give and share. Each day I will share a blog or site I frequent, in the hopes that I can give you all something better other than my nonsense, to read.

Sometimes.

You should totally still read my blog!

Feel free to show your appreciation to me, in the form of lavish gifts and/or money.

Today's Advice : Don't be lazy with your schoolwork and produce a horrific Progress Report. Instead of sleeping in and enjoying a relaxing Saturday, you will be dragged, pre-dawn, to volunteer at a local race.

our family's version of Community Service

 

Don't pity him too terribly much. He got a free, Krispy Kreme doughnut out of the deal. Plus, he got to spend quality time helping and hanging out with his dearest mommy.

 

"If I take your picture can I get another doughnut?"

 

The first blog I'd like to introduce you to is Tia's. She's a mom of four and a strong, fast runner. I chose her, for today, because she just ran her second marathon in four weeks, this morning!

 

I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just give you a hint. She accomplished a PR (personal record) in both.

 

Ridiculous, right?

 

What was the worst punishment you ever had to endure?