Short -n- Sweet Sunday

Next week, at this time, I WILL be a marathoner!!

Cool and busy weekend, lots of recaps to follow. I love getting back into racing, soccer, Fall...such a great time of year!!

the "oops" award

 

front

 

back

 

the result of a five year old with a camera

 

apparently, me running twelve miles had this effect on him

 

Tell me something about your weekend! 



 

 

 

 

Lip Tickling and Other Forms of Punishment

my torture device

 

My sister and I enjoy coming up with disgusting terms to apply to otherwise normal objects and/or activities. Elliptical...using the elliptical machine...ellipticalling...lip tickling. Get it? Gross, huh?

 

Punishment: I set aside today for Cross Training. Most of the time, I'll cheat on this and still do some sort of running. For example, I'll go to the pool...and run in the water.  Or, sometimes, I'll say I'm going for a 12 minute/mile "walk". Today, though, I felt compelled to actually ramp up my cardio in a way that was completely non-running.

 

Blech.

 

We have a large tv mounted in front of our elliptical machine. The husband installed a ceiling fan almost directly above it. He even went so far as to handily rig up a laptop/book holder on the front of it. (you can just make it out in the picture)

 

I think, even if that machine was spewing ice cream and dollar bills, I would still despise it.

 

The only reason I can attribute this to is that it makes me sweat buckets and doesn't give me nearly the rewarding rush of endorphins or sense of accomplishment that a good run does.

 

Anyone else feel this way?

 

Reward? : followed this up with my bi-weekly shower, (you're welcome, everyone) and this :

who had the dumb idea to buy a house with this much tile?

 

Punishment: My beloved and handy Shark Steamvac bit the dust a few months ago. I'm way too cheap lazy smart too buy another, so I've resorted to using a good ol' fashioned mop on our (miles?!) of tile floors. I'm not sure if I sweat more after that or 30 minutes on the elliptical.

 

Reward?: Clean floors! This will last for approximately 4.2 minutes

 

Fear not! This entire post isn't dedicated to my Workout Pity Parties

 

I also wanted to share my thoughts on this : There comes a time, in a runner's life, where your rewarding activing is also met with a reward.

 

Punishment?: Thoroughly enjoyable, nighttime, easy-paced, kid-free, mop-free, conversation-filled running with some of your best friends. If we're to be honest with ourselves, that would actually count as our daily reward/indulgence.

 

Nevertheless, we "endured" the run and rewarded ourselves with more grown-up time at the "finish line" of our route. It's pretty rare that any of us muster up the energy to leave our houses after about 6 pm. (soccer practice doesn't count) This was a rare treat.

 

pretend I'm there, filling that empty seat and looking way less cute than them

 

Bonus : We practically had the place to ourselves! What? You think this is because we looked and smelled like we'd just run all the way there? Ohhh....yeah. Maybe.

 

Bonus #2: My Berry Lemon Shandy was one of the best things I've ever sipped AND it cost a whopping $2.56.

 

Really? All I had to do was get some exercise to make this night happen? Next time I mop those floors, there'd better be an ice cold beer waiting for me...

 

all four of us are hoping to be further rewarded (with shiny PRs) for punishing ourselves through some 5 & 10ks, this weekend! Anyone else have any sort of torture and/or reward planned?

 

 

 

 

 

 



 







Keeping Things Interesting

New runs and inappropriate, uncomfortable stretching right before your first marathon : Check!

No?

Okay. Don't worry. It was all actually very benign.

Also, in non-running related news : The Littlest broke my heart, just a little, yesterday. I have grown scarily very attached to his crazy, blondie, softy curls.

the blue mustache and beard? notsomuch

 

So, yesterday, when he told me he just wanted his hair to be "straight and sleek" I had to oblige. 

 

boo! :(

 

Luckily, he's still pretty darned cute. (and, once his curls grow back, we'll just avoid mirrors as long as possible!)

straight and sleek, indeed

 

I also read a new and timely (for me) Runner's World article about The Perfect Taper. One of the workouts described fit perfectly into my plans to run a 6 (or so) mile run, in the evening. It involves marathon-specific speed maintenance. The key is to keep the mileage and pace within an reasonable realm.

 

Before I left the house, I set up my Garmin to do a custom workout for this run. One mile warmup, followed by one mile with a pace approximately 30 seconds faster than my mgp (marathon goal pace). The next mile was to be 30 seconds slower than mgp. I repeated that set and then planned to finish off the run at an easy pace.

 

It's not often that I'm able to run in the evening. That, combined with being able to meet up with my running group and a new route made me just plain giddy. Unfortunately, my giddiness translated to erratic button-pushing on my watch, at the start. I have no idea what happened to the custom workout I painstakingly set up AND it didn't even beep at the mile splits. I was still able to see what mile I was at, but had no idea what my pace was.

 

The first mile was a bit faster than what I'd normally consider a "warmup". (see giddy factors, above) I was able to reel it in, though, and happened to catch on to the Garmin Glitch right at about 1.01. So, I sped up for my first, faster mile. It felt way too fast for a reason. I was able to check the splits, after I got home and saw it was almost 30 seconds faster than I'd planned. Oops.

 

The rest of the miles actually ended up being right on target. (go me!) However, my lovely, easy-paced cooldown was not really that, at all. I hadn't planned ahead for all this willy-nilly, in the dark running. No flashlight, no visible running buddies ahead or behind me and lots of cars with glaring headlights forced my pace to quicken. I finally stumbled on a (smart) runner with a headlamp and kept pace and conversation with him 'til we got back to the parking lot.

 

I liked the new workout and the course, but my legs were uncomfortably sore after the hilly 6.5 miles. The Husband called with a Shower Curtain Emergency (apparently those exist?) so I had to make a quick, sweaty, stinky, red-faced stop at Target before going home.

 

Walking in, I realized I desperately needed to stretch my achy muscles. I made a beeline for the bathroom and was happy to find the handicapped stall empty.

 

Gross? Probably. Necessary: Yep. Plus, I got to incorporate some new, germ-avoidance stretches into my routine!

proof

 

could've been worse. I could've chosen Wal-Mart.

 

Quick recap:

• Mommas, don't letcher babies grow up to get haircuts 
• Try incorporating a new, safe workout into your routine
• If you have to drape body parts around a public restroom stall, make sure it's at Target

Any new stuff happening for you this week?

 

Which was more weird : stretching in the stall or taking pics of it?



 



 

 



 



Trusting the Process

There are less than two weeks left until my first, full marathon,! Crazy!! As I've posted, when everything running-wise got all cattywompus due to the injury, I decided to ditch my actual training plan (s). Instead I've been planning my workouts, rest days and cross-training based on feel.

 Somehow I've been able to shut everything else out and really stay tuned into the way my body is reacting on a daily basis. If I need extra sleep, I take it. If it feels like a long, slow run NEEDS to happen, I fit it in. Until race day, I have no real way to determine if I'm doing a good or dumb things.

So far, it feels right, though. Jinxes be darned, I feel pretty, stinking good, both physically and mentally. Even if this (epic-for-me) race turns out to be a disaster, I'll be able to honestly say how much I loved training for it. (minus the whole stress fracture fiasco, obviously)

I wanted to follow up Saturday's 16-miler with some relaxing recovery miles. Luckily, Sunday morning presented the perfect opportunity. Some of my favorite ladies, who also happen to be superduper runners, met up with me.

another example of a stellar photo op with my sister

 

quite possibly the world's most enthusiastic runner

the shadows make us look cool and mysterious, eh?

 

These three, lovely girlies are currently gliding through training for their very first half-marathon. Occasionally, they let me tag along and are unlucky enough to get to hear my neverending Running "Wisdom". It usually goes a little something like this : "Don't do what I did..."

 

When the four of us finished our run/gabfest, they all took their sweaty selves home and I was starving. As I was making a big breakfast, and thinking back on the week's runs, it was like a light switch flipped off.

 

Done.

 

Any "training" that was going to happen, in preparation for this marathon, was done. I felt an overwhelming need to stop stressing, start running for maintenance and just trust the work I've been able to put in.

 

When I woke up, this morning, I felt peaceful and blissfully relaxed. Bonus: I can totally write off my current sluggish mood and call it "tapering".  For example: Not wanting to waste any extra energy to deal with this room in my house, I left for a soothing, 2-mile walk. That's not what a person does when they're lazy. It's what they do when they taper.



 all those Legos...just waiting to be stepped on

 

 

Any other ideas to avoid both running and cleaning up Pokemon cards? 







 

 

Saturday So Far

I left the menfolk at home, sleeping, and drove to a local, high school, Cross Country Track Meet. It was my first event of that kind, so I took some cool pictures. Instead of posting them, though, I accidently deleted them.

That would be my second "Win" of the day.

My first victory happened at the Track Meet! I sprinted, as fast as I safely could, through the wet grass and totally got there first!! No, not the finish line. I made it to the one accessible bathroom with only seconds to spare. Go me!!

Insert fuzzy, dark pictures of finish line and single occupant bathroom here

While at the bathroom, I made a startling discovery!

Wait! Don't go. It's not what you think it is...

It was about 5 minutes prior to the start of the CC 5k and there wasn't a single person lined up for the bathroom. Whaa? Do high-schoolers not get pre-race jitters? Are they forbidden from using the facilities? At what age do racers go from meandering around the track, before the start, to frantically lining up in front of filthy porta potties for the 6th time that morning?

So, as you may have deduced, I was not racing. I was a Course Marshal. That's a fancy term for "Person who claps, cheers, gets bitten by mosquitoes, and points towards a turn on the course". I really liked seeing the (full bladdered?) kids gutting it out for their schools. I even teared up at a few of them who were so obviously struggling and refused to stop. Very inspiring.

They were red-faced, dripping sweat and working hard to compensate for the heat, even at 8:00 am. This did not bode well for the long run I had planned, for myself...(foreshadowing)

I had to rush out, before awards, to meet my guys for soccer. The middlest wasn't feeling great, though, and ended up doing a lot more of this, than kicking the ball :

socializing = team spirit...or something

 

While at the game, I was trying to ignore the fact that the temperature had risen to well over 85 degrees. There was no breeze and the humidity was typical. The Husband was less than pleased to be dropping me off, in those conditions, to run 16 miles around our little city.

 

Timing-wise, it was, unfortunately, the only time I could squeeze this workout in. And, with it being my last long run before the marathon, it needed to happen.

 

In my defense, I was well-hydrated, dressed appropriately and had no trouble walking or cutting the run short, if absolutely necessary. I also agreed to bring my phone, which eased his mind immensely.

 

He and the boys came to my aid, about 10 miles in. They were kind enough to bring smiles, cheers, icy cold water for my handheld bottle, and an equally cold cloth. The Littlest's insistence that I "just get in the car" was pretty darned tempting, too.  

16 hot, humid miles : done.

Since going rogue, I don't really have an actual "taper" planned. I suppose that's what will happen, though, now. No more long runs, very little speedwork, lots of rest, waiting for phantom aches and pains and maniacally stressing about the marathon. That should cover it.

How was/is your Saturday?

Burning Questions

I've been in need of some decent sunglasses, to wear while running, for a few months. Every once in a while I'll wear a hat or visor to keep the squinting at bay. However, I've noticed when I wear those, it intensifies the sound of my breathing, to my ears. It feels like my head's in a box and the sound of my hideous, labored breath is all I can hear.

Unpleasant.

Runglasses are the obvious fix but my "thriftiness" has prevented me from buying any. The cheapest ones I've found are about 3x more than I generally spend on a pair of sunglasses. I tried running in my regular, $10 shades, but they envelope way too much of my crooked face. Within about 5 seconds, pools of sweat built up behind the lenses and I was temporarily cursing...screaming...blinded.

Right before a 5k, in April, I counted out my change to splurge for another ($10) pair that were much lighter and allowed a bit of a breeze. Also, they had pretty purple frames.

hoping my face conveys how happy I am with those glasses

 

I tried them out while running my warm-up for the race. They bounced up and down so hard I thought I'd have a bloody forehead AND chin by the time I'd ripped them off my face. It was also too late to run them back to the car so I was stuck carrying the stupid things for the entire race. (1st in my division, though. Maybe they really are good for something!)

 

Since then I've stuck to squinting and cursing the sun for burning my poor eyes.

 

Today, though, I broke down and spent a whopping $30.00 on a pair that may actually be designed for some sort of physical activity.

man, my pictures are phenomenal, today!

 

I haven't tested them, yet, but will be happy to report back when I do. Try to refrain from holding your breath in suspense.

 

Until then, How do you keep the sun out of your eyes, while you run? Any good sunglass recommendations?

 

Finally, Have you ever seen anything more frightening than my neck, while I was trying on sunglasses?

 



 what the heck is that? Am I really that old?!

 

 

 



An Inconvenient Truth

not that one. This one's much less important...and has nothing to do with Mr. Gore.

I rarely weigh myself. When I was pregnant with my third (and final) child, I stopped looking at the scale at my regular OB visits. I knew I was making excellent dietary choices for me and the little one inside me. Beyond that, I didn't care about the numbers.

After I had him, that mentality stuck around. The older and more active I've gotten, the less concern I have had for what the scale says. I know I'm not under or overweight. As long as I'm eating and feeling great, what does it matter?

I hopped on the scale, a few weeks ago, just out of curiosity. While I wasn't unhappy with the outcome, it was higher than I'd thought it'd be. Having recently read an article on finding your ideal racing weight,  I decided to make some small changes to my diet to help myself be in tip-top shape for this upcoming marathon. I planned to maintain, or even increase, my calorie intake, as my running miles increased. However, I wanted to see if I could so by only cutting out the empty, junky calories and replacing them with good, healthy fuel.

Today, I broke down and stepped on the same scale at the same supermarket. I felt the need to confirm or (hopefully) disprove an unpleasant suspicion.

Sigh

I have lost five pounds.

I eat pretty well to begin with, so there was really only one, major change to be made. A little over a week ago, I said "bye-bye" to my daily ice cream treat.

Pause for collective gasps and/or stunned silence

It wasn't supposed to happen this way! Not only have I lost weight (quickly!), but I also feel better overall. My running has felt spectacular, I haven't been hungry and I didn't experience any sort of withdrawl symptoms. On top of all that, our grocery bill has been lower. (my daily ice cream involved a lot of components)

again. sigh.

Until I can sort through this sad, inconvenient situation, I'll have to keep living vicariously through my treat-loving boys.

someone's got to keep the ice cream shoppe in business

 

Have you made a recent dietary changes?

 

What would your ideal ice cream sundae involve?