Friday, November 20, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
uh.....hi?
I'm still alive...I don't think I will ever write a race report for the Marathon. It's been two weeks, and I have no desire, no sense of obligation to do so at this point. The marathon is also the last time I ran. I have a 15k this Sunday, should be interesting. I've had no interest in running whatsoever, other than the interest in not feeling like crap while running 9.3 miles. Maybe I'll do the 5k instead. Maybe I'll feel just fine. Maybe I'll get in a run tomorrow morning, though it'll have to be on the treadmill. It's DARK out in the mornings right now.
Full of maybes.
Full of maybes.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Just in case...
...you happen to live in decent driving distance to an Arby's, and could possibly find it in your heart to buy a few roast beef sandwiches on Saturday night and bring them over to my place on Sunday a/k/a Marathon Day...place them in the fridge, and maybe mid-day remove them from the fridge (because I don't like them cold, but nor do I like them reheated in the microwave)...ya know...feel free to.
And yes, PLENTY of Arby sauce. :) Please?
And yes, PLENTY of Arby sauce. :) Please?
Monday, October 5, 2009
Tapering and stuff
So I'm wavering between complete calm and chaos. I had a rough week at work last week, not rough as in staying up all night working on projects kind of rough, which I've been known to have...but just a lot on the agenda, coupled with having to get used to new daylight hours...so I didn't run after my 20 miler until a full week later! And that was on the treadmill, which is really hard getting used to, even though come the dead of winter I'll be raving about her all over again.
My "long" run this weekend was a mere 7 miles, and I swear it seemed to take forever. And my feet which have been very sore after all my long runs were KILLING ME, especially my right heel, er my calcaneus (See picture). I will not make any diagnosis and I will be running on Sunday regardless, and deal with this later. Ready for a break, but only after 26.2 miles.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
20 Miles....DONE.
So despite the simple fact that I haven't run a long run past 15 miles or so (my 16 ended at 15 miles...mile 18 miler also ended unceremoniously at 15), it was clear to me that I MUST get in that 20 miles. Right before that disastrous half marathon two weeks ago, I decided to sign up for CARA's Ready to Run 20-Miler supported training run, because I've run 20 miles by myself before, and I didn't want to do it again. I signed up 8 days before the run. 2 days later I thought to myself "what's that scratchiness in my throat?" and then I didn't run again for 10 days. Sigh. So while everyone else is reveling in their marathon taper, I still had work to do.
Scenario: Taking Friday off anyway, b/c the kindergartner has the day off from school. Leave extra early and start off in the dark, hubby will watch the cherub until I get back.
Truth: Middle of the night my 3 year old wakes me up and asks me if she can have some tacos. True story. She cries herself to sleep when I tell her not right now. After over an hour of pleading and crying and whining and trying to go back to sleep. (Her, not me...well, I did try to go back to sleep.)
My alarm goes off at 5am but I don't hear it. At 5:40 I wake up and try to reason with myself why I should just put off the run until Saturday...but no. The prep involved for a 20-mile run is stressful enough, so I just decided to get up. Alas, the prep work was not enough. WHERE ARE MY SOCKS???? Because I was pretty tired still, it took me nearly an hour to get out the door, including two tries at socks, because when I finally went up the creaky stairs (worried that it'd wake up the girls) I GRABBED MY HUSBAND'S ALL COTTON SOCKS ON ACCIDENT. WHY ARE HIS SOCKS MIXED UP WITH MINE?!?! Two trips up the creaky stairs!
So I get out to the lakefront, this time from 31st Street Beach, and the sun is already peaking over the horizon. :( I eventually start running, with my new iPod in tow. (Yes! I got a new iPod. My old shuffle died, I THINK that morning I ran in the pouring rain. I don't know why I didn't think about that more. I'll have to post about the whole iPod saga later...)
Miles 1 through 4.5
From the very start of my run, my nose instantly started running. My short sleeve shirt became a necessity. Throughout the ENTIRE run, I was blowing my nose into my sleeves. As I explained to my husband later, "I don't do snot rockets." Anyway, right around 2.5 miles, I started coughing like crazy!!! But I kept going. The coughing last intermittently for about 2 miles, but never enough to make me stop. It was just annoying. At one point I had to spit out some stuff, just in time for some guy to pass me by. I wonder what he was thinking, I'm sure the whole scene was disgusting.
Mile 4.5 through 10
Right at Mile 4.5, I was at Ohio Street Beach, where there is a drinking fountain. I decided to take a Gu here. As I enjoyed the scenery for a minute (beach, tall buildings, cars on Lake Shore Drive zooming by, I decided maybe I will take a few pictures during my run with my cell phone camera. Leaving the water fountain I got my first opportunity for a picture. (See pictures at the bottom of this post.)
Along these miles, I decided to take the eastern side of the path that stays right next to the lake, instead of the route I'm more familiar with, which crosses over the Drive at North Avenue, and winds through Lincoln Park. It was beautiful out, and I found myself looking down at my Garmin at the 10 Mile mark right near Wilson Avenue. That's 4800 North (and I started at 3100 South.) Whew. So I stopped at a park district bathroom, took a short break and there...and as far as public bathrooms, this one was pretty nice. I decided to take another Gu, and then also decided to "mix up" some more Gatorade. HUH, you ask? Yes, in the FIND OF THE CENTURY, I found some Gatorade Mix, NOT in the hideous lemon lime flavor, but in my favorite Riptide Rush flavor. So I mixed up three 8 ounce bottles. While it was cool to be able to do this, I will never do it in a race, and maybe never again in a training run. It took FOREVER b/c I was worried about spilling the granules, it took like 10 minutes for my whole break. Ridiculous! So finally, I was on my way back south. The first 10 miles were fairly, uh, "easy" (it's all relative). So what's 10 more? Let me say here that I was so glad to go out 10 miles, b/c it FORCED me to do 20 miles, one way or the other. I was worried that if I went less, and told myself that when I got back to my starting point, that I'd run the other way for the remainder of my miles, well, that my resolve would fade during the later miles. I know myself all too well. So an "out and back" run this would be.
Miles 10 thru 17
Terrible. I was beat. Famished. Miles 10 thru about 13.5, I walked once each mile, for about 2 minutes at a time. My goal was to just keep going...each step is a step closer to 20 miles. For the entire stretch along between Oak Street and Ohio Street Beaches, I WALKED..and up under the bridge, too. (That was about a mile and some change of straight walking. At 15 miles, my left hamstring and my right...I dunno, achilles, maybe? They started siezing up, like clenching fists. I've had this happen before, on a 20 mile run and an 18 mile run, but never this early in the run, usually towards the end. Ah...the lack of training, catching up with me. But I got myself together and run-walked, shuffling along, muscles siezing every few minutes or so.
Miles 17 thru 20
So I'm downtown again. Just 3 miles left. You can do this. (As I calculated in my head how long it would take "on-pace", for which I hadn't been on for quite some time now, and how long if I just walked it in.) I kept shuffling along, run some, walk a bit, run, shuffle, OUCH, run, shuffle, OUCH. Downtown and heading south there was some kind of benefit walk, I saw all these people in their cotton t-shirts, half of them complaining about how long the walk is. Hhmph. BTW, there were some interesting snippets of conversations I heard throughout my run, when I didn't have my iPod on:
"I wonder if Miles has a pre-nup." Two cyclists riding by.
"Margaret is the worst commander ever, she's incompetent." Two cops riding by on bikes.
"He's a filthy beast! I hate him." Two chicks walking by.
Anyway, during the last mile, I couldn't help but mentally calculate how long it would take me to complete an additional 6.2 miles on marathon day.
Overall, the run was not pretty, but I got it done. And while it would be easy to say "how on earth will I run another 6 miles on top of this," the point is that I will. When I ran that terrible half marathon the other day, I remember thinking "how on earth will I run another 7 miles on top of this for the 20-miler?"
The answer is: ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER.
And now, bring on the taper and obsessive checking of the 15-day weather forecast on accuweather.com. Because really, can we really have THREE marathons in a row where October weather hits the upper 80's? I'm going to look fate dead in the eye and say "I THINK NOT!"
p.s. I had just ONE bad cramp later in the afternoon. Just one. So I guess I hydrated well and ate enough afterwards. This has been a problem in the past.
p.p.s. I didn't eat more than I usually would during the day. But dinner? Dinner on a 20-mile kind of day: 5 tacos that included a total of about 7 or 8 ounces of meat, probably an ounce of cheese per taco, fresh garden tomatoes, spinach (try it!), two whole avocados (I kid you not) mashed up into my own homeade guacamole and.....in an ode to my dad, HEINZ KETCHUP, not taco sauce. And a banana and two Suzy Q's for dessert. I know, that's probably not a good dessert. But, in a small victory, I did NOT get up and get a Suzy Q in the middle of the night, even though they kept calling my name from the pantry all night.
Scenario: Taking Friday off anyway, b/c the kindergartner has the day off from school. Leave extra early and start off in the dark, hubby will watch the cherub until I get back.
Truth: Middle of the night my 3 year old wakes me up and asks me if she can have some tacos. True story. She cries herself to sleep when I tell her not right now. After over an hour of pleading and crying and whining and trying to go back to sleep. (Her, not me...well, I did try to go back to sleep.)
My alarm goes off at 5am but I don't hear it. At 5:40 I wake up and try to reason with myself why I should just put off the run until Saturday...but no. The prep involved for a 20-mile run is stressful enough, so I just decided to get up. Alas, the prep work was not enough. WHERE ARE MY SOCKS???? Because I was pretty tired still, it took me nearly an hour to get out the door, including two tries at socks, because when I finally went up the creaky stairs (worried that it'd wake up the girls) I GRABBED MY HUSBAND'S ALL COTTON SOCKS ON ACCIDENT. WHY ARE HIS SOCKS MIXED UP WITH MINE?!?! Two trips up the creaky stairs!
So I get out to the lakefront, this time from 31st Street Beach, and the sun is already peaking over the horizon. :( I eventually start running, with my new iPod in tow. (Yes! I got a new iPod. My old shuffle died, I THINK that morning I ran in the pouring rain. I don't know why I didn't think about that more. I'll have to post about the whole iPod saga later...)
Miles 1 through 4.5
From the very start of my run, my nose instantly started running. My short sleeve shirt became a necessity. Throughout the ENTIRE run, I was blowing my nose into my sleeves. As I explained to my husband later, "I don't do snot rockets." Anyway, right around 2.5 miles, I started coughing like crazy!!! But I kept going. The coughing last intermittently for about 2 miles, but never enough to make me stop. It was just annoying. At one point I had to spit out some stuff, just in time for some guy to pass me by. I wonder what he was thinking, I'm sure the whole scene was disgusting.
Mile 4.5 through 10
Right at Mile 4.5, I was at Ohio Street Beach, where there is a drinking fountain. I decided to take a Gu here. As I enjoyed the scenery for a minute (beach, tall buildings, cars on Lake Shore Drive zooming by, I decided maybe I will take a few pictures during my run with my cell phone camera. Leaving the water fountain I got my first opportunity for a picture. (See pictures at the bottom of this post.)
Along these miles, I decided to take the eastern side of the path that stays right next to the lake, instead of the route I'm more familiar with, which crosses over the Drive at North Avenue, and winds through Lincoln Park. It was beautiful out, and I found myself looking down at my Garmin at the 10 Mile mark right near Wilson Avenue. That's 4800 North (and I started at 3100 South.) Whew. So I stopped at a park district bathroom, took a short break and there...and as far as public bathrooms, this one was pretty nice. I decided to take another Gu, and then also decided to "mix up" some more Gatorade. HUH, you ask? Yes, in the FIND OF THE CENTURY, I found some Gatorade Mix, NOT in the hideous lemon lime flavor, but in my favorite Riptide Rush flavor. So I mixed up three 8 ounce bottles. While it was cool to be able to do this, I will never do it in a race, and maybe never again in a training run. It took FOREVER b/c I was worried about spilling the granules, it took like 10 minutes for my whole break. Ridiculous! So finally, I was on my way back south. The first 10 miles were fairly, uh, "easy" (it's all relative). So what's 10 more? Let me say here that I was so glad to go out 10 miles, b/c it FORCED me to do 20 miles, one way or the other. I was worried that if I went less, and told myself that when I got back to my starting point, that I'd run the other way for the remainder of my miles, well, that my resolve would fade during the later miles. I know myself all too well. So an "out and back" run this would be.
Miles 10 thru 17
Terrible. I was beat. Famished. Miles 10 thru about 13.5, I walked once each mile, for about 2 minutes at a time. My goal was to just keep going...each step is a step closer to 20 miles. For the entire stretch along between Oak Street and Ohio Street Beaches, I WALKED..and up under the bridge, too. (That was about a mile and some change of straight walking. At 15 miles, my left hamstring and my right...I dunno, achilles, maybe? They started siezing up, like clenching fists. I've had this happen before, on a 20 mile run and an 18 mile run, but never this early in the run, usually towards the end. Ah...the lack of training, catching up with me. But I got myself together and run-walked, shuffling along, muscles siezing every few minutes or so.
Miles 17 thru 20
So I'm downtown again. Just 3 miles left. You can do this. (As I calculated in my head how long it would take "on-pace", for which I hadn't been on for quite some time now, and how long if I just walked it in.) I kept shuffling along, run some, walk a bit, run, shuffle, OUCH, run, shuffle, OUCH. Downtown and heading south there was some kind of benefit walk, I saw all these people in their cotton t-shirts, half of them complaining about how long the walk is. Hhmph. BTW, there were some interesting snippets of conversations I heard throughout my run, when I didn't have my iPod on:
"I wonder if Miles has a pre-nup." Two cyclists riding by.
"Margaret is the worst commander ever, she's incompetent." Two cops riding by on bikes.
"He's a filthy beast! I hate him." Two chicks walking by.
Anyway, during the last mile, I couldn't help but mentally calculate how long it would take me to complete an additional 6.2 miles on marathon day.
Overall, the run was not pretty, but I got it done. And while it would be easy to say "how on earth will I run another 6 miles on top of this," the point is that I will. When I ran that terrible half marathon the other day, I remember thinking "how on earth will I run another 7 miles on top of this for the 20-miler?"
The answer is: ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER.
And now, bring on the taper and obsessive checking of the 15-day weather forecast on accuweather.com. Because really, can we really have THREE marathons in a row where October weather hits the upper 80's? I'm going to look fate dead in the eye and say "I THINK NOT!"
p.s. I had just ONE bad cramp later in the afternoon. Just one. So I guess I hydrated well and ate enough afterwards. This has been a problem in the past.
p.p.s. I didn't eat more than I usually would during the day. But dinner? Dinner on a 20-mile kind of day: 5 tacos that included a total of about 7 or 8 ounces of meat, probably an ounce of cheese per taco, fresh garden tomatoes, spinach (try it!), two whole avocados (I kid you not) mashed up into my own homeade guacamole and.....in an ode to my dad, HEINZ KETCHUP, not taco sauce. And a banana and two Suzy Q's for dessert. I know, that's probably not a good dessert. But, in a small victory, I did NOT get up and get a Suzy Q in the middle of the night, even though they kept calling my name from the pantry all night.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A Comeback?
I ran this morning. It was an easy 2 miles, that's all I aimed to do. My cold is better-sans the occasional coughing fit that usually takes place during the most inopportune time. But I ran it with no coughing at all, other than an "ahem" later in the morning. Cool!
Up next? Making up that 20-mile run I missed last Sunday. By my lonesome! I plan to run it Friday, since Jada is off from school. I will leave early to go run, while hubby takes care of the early morning duties until I return.
Up next? Making up that 20-mile run I missed last Sunday. By my lonesome! I plan to run it Friday, since Jada is off from school. I will leave early to go run, while hubby takes care of the early morning duties until I return.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Verdict is in...
...I will not run tomorrow's 20-miler supported training run sponsored by CARA-the Chicago Area Runners Association. I woke up this morning coughing a lot. But I still was holding out hope. But after more coughing and hacking up things late this afternoon, I decided that NO run, not even a short run would do me any good.
:(
Jada is off from school next Friday, which means I have to take the day off. I might try to work something out with hubby in the early morning...or I will aim for Saturday. Not an ideal situation, but it's all I have left.
:(
:(
Jada is off from school next Friday, which means I have to take the day off. I might try to work something out with hubby in the early morning...or I will aim for Saturday. Not an ideal situation, but it's all I have left.
:(
Friday, September 18, 2009
The 20 Mile Run...in years past.
So I checked out my solo 20 mile run in 2008, prior to running Cincy, and the one in 2007 when I ran the CARA Ready to Run 20-miler, just prior to the history-making Chicago "Heat Wave" Marathon.
I love blogging about running. It's cool to be able to look at this kinda stuff.
I love blogging about running. It's cool to be able to look at this kinda stuff.
To run or not to run...
...that is the question.
So my mom calls me up last night and when I answered the phone she says "Oh, Lindy!" as in, 'Lindy that voice sounds like a character out of Star Wars!' Then she went on to basically suggest I shouldn't be trying to run this weekend blah blah blah. She reads my blog, you see. The whole phlegm thing is probably what prompted her call.
So not having run at all this week, I'm still recuperating. Hoping for a miracle and that this cold leaves my chest. I seem to be better today, only the occasional coughing fit.
I googled "running while sick," "running with a cold," etc...and read about the "neck test", and that if your symptoms are above the neck (sore throat, headache, sniffles) and you feel ok to run, go for it. But if it's below the neck (chest, stomach, uh, bowels) sit tight. Same for a fever, and that you can't sweat out a fever by sweating. I was all like, you can't? But then they said that if your body can't regulate its temperature when you're just sitting still, how on earth will it do so when you're running? Good point.
Then in a few articles they talked about on some instances, that the added stress of running for long distances when sick is enough to kill you. Really? And I saw the reference on several sites, which kinda wigged me out.
Here are a few of the articles I read:
here
and here
and here
and this blogger/coach here.
Ok, and I guess it was all the forums (read: random miscellaneous non experts) talking about so-called heart issues.
That being said, I will wait and see how I feel tomorrow before making a decision for running the 20-miler "Ready to Run 20-Miler" with a few thousand or so other runners. SHould would be more ideal than by my lonesome. Yes. The decision should be made tomorrow, because if I have to wait until Sunday to decide, than that should tell me already that the answer is to hold off a few more days. :(
So my mom calls me up last night and when I answered the phone she says "Oh, Lindy!" as in, 'Lindy that voice sounds like a character out of Star Wars!' Then she went on to basically suggest I shouldn't be trying to run this weekend blah blah blah. She reads my blog, you see. The whole phlegm thing is probably what prompted her call.
So not having run at all this week, I'm still recuperating. Hoping for a miracle and that this cold leaves my chest. I seem to be better today, only the occasional coughing fit.
I googled "running while sick," "running with a cold," etc...and read about the "neck test", and that if your symptoms are above the neck (sore throat, headache, sniffles) and you feel ok to run, go for it. But if it's below the neck (chest, stomach, uh, bowels) sit tight. Same for a fever, and that you can't sweat out a fever by sweating. I was all like, you can't? But then they said that if your body can't regulate its temperature when you're just sitting still, how on earth will it do so when you're running? Good point.
Then in a few articles they talked about on some instances, that the added stress of running for long distances when sick is enough to kill you. Really? And I saw the reference on several sites, which kinda wigged me out.
Here are a few of the articles I read:
here
and here
and here
and this blogger/coach here.
Ok, and I guess it was all the forums (read: random miscellaneous non experts) talking about so-called heart issues.
That being said, I will wait and see how I feel tomorrow before making a decision for running the 20-miler "Ready to Run 20-Miler" with a few thousand or so other runners. SHould would be more ideal than by my lonesome. Yes. The decision should be made tomorrow, because if I have to wait until Sunday to decide, than that should tell me already that the answer is to hold off a few more days. :(
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Rhetorical question...
So in an email to Lou and Meg yesterday I mentioned that this cold couldn't really last into the weekend, could it?
Kiss of death.
The cold has settled into my lungs. And for a runner, that is not a good thing. FOr a runner with exercised-induced asthma and a history of respiratory issues (on occasion), it's really not a good thing.
STOP READING IF YOU ARE EASILY GROSSED OUT. CONSIDER YOURSELVES WARNED!!!!!
Rewind to last night. I took some Nyquil. Me taking cold medicine is a big deal because I don't like the feeling--I'm still in a "zone" this morning. So anyway, I slept like a ROCK. (bonus!) After 8 hours sleep, I groggily trudged to the bathroom where I suddenly coughed up a nice big ball of mucus. It was greenish yellow. Then I caught a glimpse of something in the back of my hair. I found blobs of mucus in my HAIR?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! WTH?!?!?! I don't know how it got there, all I can think of is that I must have coughed in the middle of the night and then rolled over into it?!?! I dunno, but that was very, VERY strange.
Kiss of death.
The cold has settled into my lungs. And for a runner, that is not a good thing. FOr a runner with exercised-induced asthma and a history of respiratory issues (on occasion), it's really not a good thing.
STOP READING IF YOU ARE EASILY GROSSED OUT. CONSIDER YOURSELVES WARNED!!!!!
Rewind to last night. I took some Nyquil. Me taking cold medicine is a big deal because I don't like the feeling--I'm still in a "zone" this morning. So anyway, I slept like a ROCK. (bonus!) After 8 hours sleep, I groggily trudged to the bathroom where I suddenly coughed up a nice big ball of mucus. It was greenish yellow. Then I caught a glimpse of something in the back of my hair. I found blobs of mucus in my HAIR?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! WTH?!?!?! I don't know how it got there, all I can think of is that I must have coughed in the middle of the night and then rolled over into it?!?! I dunno, but that was very, VERY strange.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
BodyBugg - just enough above my on-a-whim purchase threshold
So for like the 3rd or 4th time, I heard about this "Bodybugg" thing...it's like all magical and tells you EXACTLY how many calories you're burning, which would be fantastic, since I can't seem to get this whole endurance running/weight loss thing right. I mean, who runs 15 miles and gains weight? (me.) 
So last night on the 8th season opener of The Biggest Loser (it was AWESOME), there it was again. The Bodybugg! And here it is, only $249 on SALE. I want it. However, each paycheck I "get to" (humor me) take out 10% of my paycheck and go wild with it. My hubby saves his. I spend mine. Lunch. Running shoes. Whatever. So if anything is above that 10%, it's not a purchase I take lightly.
Hmmmm. Here's an interesting, hopefully non-partisan review of it.
In the meantime (and totally in the opposite direction...really, i mean HONESTLY now Lindy...) here is something to satisfy my ShoppingBugg.
So last night on the 8th season opener of The Biggest Loser (it was AWESOME), there it was again. The Bodybugg! And here it is, only $249 on SALE. I want it. However, each paycheck I "get to" (humor me) take out 10% of my paycheck and go wild with it. My hubby saves his. I spend mine. Lunch. Running shoes. Whatever. So if anything is above that 10%, it's not a purchase I take lightly.
Hmmmm. Here's an interesting, hopefully non-partisan review of it.
In the meantime (and totally in the opposite direction...really, i mean HONESTLY now Lindy...) here is something to satisfy my ShoppingBugg.
The steel drum that is my head
So in addition to being tired, having achy knees and all the other stuff, I now have a cold. It was bothering so much that I left work early yesterday. I suffer from the weird phenomena, usually, that when I'm sick I WANT TO WORK. I should be sick more often, it's good for my career. but not yesterday, I was typing and couldn't type without a million typos, fading fast...I would have left before noon, had I not had to pick up "le Kindergartener" at 3pm.
So while I planned to take a short rest from running, I didn't even run this morning. Instead, I slept 9 hours and woke up with bags under my eyes and STILL tired. Maybe tomorrow. Also on tap for tomorrow, a 30-minute sports massage at Athletico during "lunch break". Uh, at 1:45.
That is all, carry on, friends, carry on.
So while I planned to take a short rest from running, I didn't even run this morning. Instead, I slept 9 hours and woke up with bags under my eyes and STILL tired. Maybe tomorrow. Also on tap for tomorrow, a 30-minute sports massage at Athletico during "lunch break". Uh, at 1:45.
That is all, carry on, friends, carry on.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Chicago *#&$*%*&*(#$ Half Marathon Race Report
Subtitle: Well...at least it's not like last year and all that rain.
I suppose I should do a race report. But that would imply that I “raced.” I can hardly call what I did yesterday “racing,” other than my racing heartbeat when I broke into a full run on occasion. Here are the gory details:
Pre-race: I felt good, in a “I’m going to break out of my funky race season” kinda good. Yes! This would be it! I watched the weather and decided to go with my favorite running capris because it was to be a high of 72°, so I’m thinking if that’s the high, it’s bound to be nice for the entire race. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Since the race was in my neighborhood (starting line less than a mile away!) Lou and Meg (and Lou’s new husband Joey-same name as my hubby, I might add) came to pick me up and we maneuvered around to find a good spot for the car. In case I haven’t mentioned it, Lou was running because she is wearing a BOOT.
Miles 1 through 4: And we’re off. Race starts, and some 15 minutes later or so, we’re on our way. I was glad that with a race this small (relatively speaking) they did not do that goofy corral start, complete with roping things off. That is super annoying and unnecessary, I think, for crowds under 30,000. But that’s just my opinion.
Running through some familiar streets, and I’m rather enjoying it. Trying to not start off too fast, trusting my Garmin and my lungs to tell me to slow down. All was well. But through the cover of the trees I noticed that it was a lot sunnier than what I’d expected. Crap. Meg and I were rolling along fine though. Despite the humidity, it was ok.
Shortly after Mile 2, I felt the pressure building. (Dangit, the careful balance of proper hydration had tipped in favor of the porto-potties!) This early on in the race, I knew a trip to the bathroom would be in order. Nearing Mile 3, there were clouds overhead. Stay, stay! On 67th Street off to the right cheering us on was my friend Simeko. I waved and she waved and shouted! Kudos to her, for having completed a 21 miler the day before! You rock, Simeko!
Somewhere near 3.75 miles, there was another aid station (3rd one) accompanied by some porto-potties. We stopped. Isn’t Meg the greatest running partner? She stopped but didn’t even have to go, and I encouraged her to go on. (yet!) I could supply link and after link in my blog as to why she is a kick-@$$ running partner, I swear I could. So we stood in line. And stood. And waited. Finally I got my chance to view a fresh steaming pile-o-vile as I took care of business in a 90-degree box only slightly wider than myself. It was refreshing! And upon leaving I glanced at my watch. SIX MINUTES and some change. Nice.
Miles 4 through 9: So we start off again, and the sun is beating down on us. Shortly after we started up again, here came the first runners on the other side, running fast and maybe a ½ mile or mile from the finish. I will tell you this…usually this phenomenon is an exciting one to see, but I was thoroughly discouraged. We did cheer on the first place woman. We trudged on, and Meg started suggested that maybe she should have gone to the bathroom. So at some point (maybe around Mile 7?) we stopped again. But I was in SERIOUS need of a walking break. Everything hurt. Legs. Knees. Pride. So I suggested that since I needed this break, I would walk and she would sprint ahead to the bathrooms. If she was still in the bathroom, I would keep walking and wait for her before I started running. I didn’t look at my watch but kept on walking, like semi-speed walking. After awhile, I’m all like WTH? Where is Meg? I kept looking back and she just wasn’t there! I wondered if something happened. It seemed like forever. FINALLY off in the distance I saw her, she waved both arms at me. I shuffled into barely a run, knees groaning at what was probably a 14:00 pace until we were side-by-side, and off we went. (Apparently her line for the bathroom took even longer than mine!)
We admitted to each other that this was not our day for any PR. And that we both would likely require multiple walking breaks. We ran into a friend of mine from college…Rudy, who was riding a bike and escorting a wheelchair participant. We saw a man on the other side keel over into the median, looking pale and about to vomit, and people calling for water for him.
At the turnaround there was another aid station, and we walked through it, made the turn and headed back for what one spectator called “the home stretch.” I remember thinking that the home stretch is not 4+ miles out, IDIOT. (The difference between me, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams and Kanye West, however, is that I kept my big mouth shut and my grudges to myself.) Sorry, I was hot and tired and annoyed.
Miles 9 through 11: I was struggling to keep up. Worrying about the “sag wagon” coming to pick up a round of potential DNF’ers. (Did Not Finish.) Meg was getting ahead of me slightly. I told her to go on, I was going to walk for a few minutes. And she did. And I did. FOR A SOLID TWO MILES. Even walking was hurting, to be truthful. For those people who say “If I have to finish a race by walking it in,” dude, it TOTALLY SUCKED. I did chat up a nice woman by the name of Mary for those two miles. Mary is from Park Forest, seemed to be older (not sure how old), was run/walking her first half marathon…we chatted for awhile. Sirens were blaring, ambulances racing by headed both north and south quite a few times. I saw a girl’s knee blow out right in front of me. That concrete on the Drive is nothing nice on the knees, I tell ya.
Miles 11 through -----Finish: So I started running again, sick of being sick and tired of the race. Suddenly I saw a course official waving people off of the drive. “They’re opening up Lakeshore Drive, you have to get off!” Some runners ignored him and kept on going by. I went his way and found myself on a steep grassy embankment leading down to the lakefront path, underpass, and on the other side of the path to where I normally run on the weekdays. Maybe this was the encouragement I needed to finish! Familiarity! I ran some more, only to break into a walk again. Some girl up ahead was sobbing about how she was so disappointed in herself. I assumed it was her first race and tried to make her feel better. “This isn’t my first half marathon,” she loudly exclaimed. Whatever, chick! Whatever, be sad and cry, it won’t help you get to the finish line any quicker. Crybaby! (I said this to her in my head.)
I saw the Mile 12 marker over across the way on the other side of Lakeshore Drive, along with those renegade runners who refused to get off the street. The police were pointing at them to get over in the grass. And finally, the 63rd Street underpass to head back over to the course and finish line. I ran the entire way from there. It was the most ungratifying finish to a race ever. I almost didn’t even care if they’d packed up the medals and gone home, I just did not care. (I did take the medal though.)
Post-race report
Caught up with Meg and Lou. Lou saw two people pass out while nearing the finish line. She said Joey was like 10 minutes slower than his usual speedy self. Meg saw someone who was all bloodied on their head/face, possibly from falling. Sirens were still wailing all around. It was like a much scaled down version of the 2007 marathon.
And instead of a PR (personal record,) I managed to score a PW (personal worst.) i'm tired of all the excuses. There's really no excuse. I'm just not having a good year, not doing well, and it's my own fault. It's not negative self talk...it just IS what it IS.
Yep. And with that encouraging run, 20 miles is on tap for this coming Sunday.
p.s. and I swear to you it was way higher than 72 degrees out there.
I suppose I should do a race report. But that would imply that I “raced.” I can hardly call what I did yesterday “racing,” other than my racing heartbeat when I broke into a full run on occasion. Here are the gory details:
Pre-race: I felt good, in a “I’m going to break out of my funky race season” kinda good. Yes! This would be it! I watched the weather and decided to go with my favorite running capris because it was to be a high of 72°, so I’m thinking if that’s the high, it’s bound to be nice for the entire race. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Since the race was in my neighborhood (starting line less than a mile away!) Lou and Meg (and Lou’s new husband Joey-same name as my hubby, I might add) came to pick me up and we maneuvered around to find a good spot for the car. In case I haven’t mentioned it, Lou was running because she is wearing a BOOT.
Miles 1 through 4: And we’re off. Race starts, and some 15 minutes later or so, we’re on our way. I was glad that with a race this small (relatively speaking) they did not do that goofy corral start, complete with roping things off. That is super annoying and unnecessary, I think, for crowds under 30,000. But that’s just my opinion.
Running through some familiar streets, and I’m rather enjoying it. Trying to not start off too fast, trusting my Garmin and my lungs to tell me to slow down. All was well. But through the cover of the trees I noticed that it was a lot sunnier than what I’d expected. Crap. Meg and I were rolling along fine though. Despite the humidity, it was ok.
Shortly after Mile 2, I felt the pressure building. (Dangit, the careful balance of proper hydration had tipped in favor of the porto-potties!) This early on in the race, I knew a trip to the bathroom would be in order. Nearing Mile 3, there were clouds overhead. Stay, stay! On 67th Street off to the right cheering us on was my friend Simeko. I waved and she waved and shouted! Kudos to her, for having completed a 21 miler the day before! You rock, Simeko!
Somewhere near 3.75 miles, there was another aid station (3rd one) accompanied by some porto-potties. We stopped. Isn’t Meg the greatest running partner? She stopped but didn’t even have to go, and I encouraged her to go on. (yet!) I could supply link and after link in my blog as to why she is a kick-@$$ running partner, I swear I could. So we stood in line. And stood. And waited. Finally I got my chance to view a fresh steaming pile-o-vile as I took care of business in a 90-degree box only slightly wider than myself. It was refreshing! And upon leaving I glanced at my watch. SIX MINUTES and some change. Nice.
Miles 4 through 9: So we start off again, and the sun is beating down on us. Shortly after we started up again, here came the first runners on the other side, running fast and maybe a ½ mile or mile from the finish. I will tell you this…usually this phenomenon is an exciting one to see, but I was thoroughly discouraged. We did cheer on the first place woman. We trudged on, and Meg started suggested that maybe she should have gone to the bathroom. So at some point (maybe around Mile 7?) we stopped again. But I was in SERIOUS need of a walking break. Everything hurt. Legs. Knees. Pride. So I suggested that since I needed this break, I would walk and she would sprint ahead to the bathrooms. If she was still in the bathroom, I would keep walking and wait for her before I started running. I didn’t look at my watch but kept on walking, like semi-speed walking. After awhile, I’m all like WTH? Where is Meg? I kept looking back and she just wasn’t there! I wondered if something happened. It seemed like forever. FINALLY off in the distance I saw her, she waved both arms at me. I shuffled into barely a run, knees groaning at what was probably a 14:00 pace until we were side-by-side, and off we went. (Apparently her line for the bathroom took even longer than mine!)
We admitted to each other that this was not our day for any PR. And that we both would likely require multiple walking breaks. We ran into a friend of mine from college…Rudy, who was riding a bike and escorting a wheelchair participant. We saw a man on the other side keel over into the median, looking pale and about to vomit, and people calling for water for him.
At the turnaround there was another aid station, and we walked through it, made the turn and headed back for what one spectator called “the home stretch.” I remember thinking that the home stretch is not 4+ miles out, IDIOT. (The difference between me, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams and Kanye West, however, is that I kept my big mouth shut and my grudges to myself.) Sorry, I was hot and tired and annoyed.
Miles 9 through 11: I was struggling to keep up. Worrying about the “sag wagon” coming to pick up a round of potential DNF’ers. (Did Not Finish.) Meg was getting ahead of me slightly. I told her to go on, I was going to walk for a few minutes. And she did. And I did. FOR A SOLID TWO MILES. Even walking was hurting, to be truthful. For those people who say “If I have to finish a race by walking it in,” dude, it TOTALLY SUCKED. I did chat up a nice woman by the name of Mary for those two miles. Mary is from Park Forest, seemed to be older (not sure how old), was run/walking her first half marathon…we chatted for awhile. Sirens were blaring, ambulances racing by headed both north and south quite a few times. I saw a girl’s knee blow out right in front of me. That concrete on the Drive is nothing nice on the knees, I tell ya.
Miles 11 through -----Finish: So I started running again, sick of being sick and tired of the race. Suddenly I saw a course official waving people off of the drive. “They’re opening up Lakeshore Drive, you have to get off!” Some runners ignored him and kept on going by. I went his way and found myself on a steep grassy embankment leading down to the lakefront path, underpass, and on the other side of the path to where I normally run on the weekdays. Maybe this was the encouragement I needed to finish! Familiarity! I ran some more, only to break into a walk again. Some girl up ahead was sobbing about how she was so disappointed in herself. I assumed it was her first race and tried to make her feel better. “This isn’t my first half marathon,” she loudly exclaimed. Whatever, chick! Whatever, be sad and cry, it won’t help you get to the finish line any quicker. Crybaby! (I said this to her in my head.)
I saw the Mile 12 marker over across the way on the other side of Lakeshore Drive, along with those renegade runners who refused to get off the street. The police were pointing at them to get over in the grass. And finally, the 63rd Street underpass to head back over to the course and finish line. I ran the entire way from there. It was the most ungratifying finish to a race ever. I almost didn’t even care if they’d packed up the medals and gone home, I just did not care. (I did take the medal though.)
Post-race report
Caught up with Meg and Lou. Lou saw two people pass out while nearing the finish line. She said Joey was like 10 minutes slower than his usual speedy self. Meg saw someone who was all bloodied on their head/face, possibly from falling. Sirens were still wailing all around. It was like a much scaled down version of the 2007 marathon.
And instead of a PR (personal record,) I managed to score a PW (personal worst.) i'm tired of all the excuses. There's really no excuse. I'm just not having a good year, not doing well, and it's my own fault. It's not negative self talk...it just IS what it IS.
Yep. And with that encouraging run, 20 miles is on tap for this coming Sunday.
p.s. and I swear to you it was way higher than 72 degrees out there.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
A Run to Reminisce On.....
I'm down here in Champaign-Urbana, during week 2 of my two-week hiatus from work, since the girls' summer program ended and school has yet to start. I'm still working, but working from home...and never a full day (except yesterday.)
Anyway, so the girls and I rode down to Champaign-Urbana with my mother-in-law to visit my siter-in-law and her hubby and baby. They went to school here at the University of Illinois, as did I and my husband. So anyway, I never mind coming down here. It's less than two hours south of Chicago, and every trip conjures up many, MANY memories.
So for those of you who also went to the University of Illinois, this ones for you:
I left the house for a late run, after 7am. Headed out to the intersection of Florida Ave and Philo Rd, which always seemed WAYYYY off campus back in the day. I ran west towards Florida and Lincoln, which is sorta the SE'ern most point of the campus. As I was running, I was a little annoyed by the slight hills that I didn't notice when driving this same stretch the night before.Approaching campus, I passed Orchard Downs (Family housing area--I think), the president's mansion where we protested one cold wintery night.)
At Florida and Lincoln, in came the memories. FAR and PAR residence halls (Florida Avenue Residence, Pennsylvannia Avenue....you get the picture.) I ran past the Illini Grove, thinking about those picnics after Quad Day and other events. I continued north to Nevada Street, and turned west heading towards the Quad. This stretch looks a lot different. There seem to be a lot of new university buildings, like an Early CHildhood Education center (with a daycare.) I passed by Busey Evans Residence Hall, BKA Borgeouise-Evans because it was so nice and ALL of the dorm rooms are singles. With central air. SWEET! I stayed there my last year, and it was like a hotel compared to any other dorm.
So I moved on towards the Quad, passing "The Black House," La Casa Cultural Latina and other student group buildings and arrived at the Quad. Running north, I saw students racing to make their 8am class. I remember those foolish days I took 8am classes. A class on the other side of the Quad can make all the difference whether you will arrive on time or not. (Now 8am doesn't seem so early, but it sure did.)
This post is boring...let me speed it up.
So I took a pitstop in the Union to get some water, came back out, passed Allen Hall and headed back south to the PAR/FAR area, then took a more residential street back east. I would have made 6 miles, but I stopped my run short and stopped at Walgreen's to pick up shower gel, lotion and toothpaste that, as I was running, I realized I'd forgotten at home.
Anyhoo....that is all. Sorry if my post is boring, I'm not feeling especially creative today.
"To thy happy children of the future, those of the past send greetings."
Anyway, so the girls and I rode down to Champaign-Urbana with my mother-in-law to visit my siter-in-law and her hubby and baby. They went to school here at the University of Illinois, as did I and my husband. So anyway, I never mind coming down here. It's less than two hours south of Chicago, and every trip conjures up many, MANY memories.
So for those of you who also went to the University of Illinois, this ones for you:
I left the house for a late run, after 7am. Headed out to the intersection of Florida Ave and Philo Rd, which always seemed WAYYYY off campus back in the day. I ran west towards Florida and Lincoln, which is sorta the SE'ern most point of the campus. As I was running, I was a little annoyed by the slight hills that I didn't notice when driving this same stretch the night before.Approaching campus, I passed Orchard Downs (Family housing area--I think), the president's mansion where we protested one cold wintery night.)
At Florida and Lincoln, in came the memories. FAR and PAR residence halls (Florida Avenue Residence, Pennsylvannia Avenue....you get the picture.) I ran past the Illini Grove, thinking about those picnics after Quad Day and other events. I continued north to Nevada Street, and turned west heading towards the Quad. This stretch looks a lot different. There seem to be a lot of new university buildings, like an Early CHildhood Education center (with a daycare.) I passed by Busey Evans Residence Hall, BKA Borgeouise-Evans because it was so nice and ALL of the dorm rooms are singles. With central air. SWEET! I stayed there my last year, and it was like a hotel compared to any other dorm.
So I moved on towards the Quad, passing "The Black House," La Casa Cultural Latina and other student group buildings and arrived at the Quad. Running north, I saw students racing to make their 8am class. I remember those foolish days I took 8am classes. A class on the other side of the Quad can make all the difference whether you will arrive on time or not. (Now 8am doesn't seem so early, but it sure did.)
This post is boring...let me speed it up.
So I took a pitstop in the Union to get some water, came back out, passed Allen Hall and headed back south to the PAR/FAR area, then took a more residential street back east. I would have made 6 miles, but I stopped my run short and stopped at Walgreen's to pick up shower gel, lotion and toothpaste that, as I was running, I realized I'd forgotten at home.
Anyhoo....that is all. Sorry if my post is boring, I'm not feeling especially creative today.
"To thy happy children of the future, those of the past send greetings."
Monday, August 24, 2009
What's my motivation?
Oh man, 1 month and 16 days. I've been struggling lately, and my quote over there on the right (with the heading "The Truth") is suddenly ringing true. Due to the wedding festivities over the weekend (and my cookies I did for them) I did not get a single run in. I'm home for the next two weeks with the girls before school starts. Next up? Long run tomorrow. 16 miles. Just gotta get it done!
This is the cookie, although the finished product was just a teeny bit different:
This is the cookie, although the finished product was just a teeny bit different:
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
What ever happened to....
Jen, the girl who had a double masectomy at the advice of her doctor, due to family history issues, etc... which torpedoed her marathon training in 2007. She made it out of surgery, posted once or twice...then nothing. I wonder about her, how she's doing, etc....
Summer Sando...she and I used to trade training stories on our extrapounds.com blogs, and via blogspot as well. And then the posts and comments became sparse, and then POOF. Gone.
Neonatal doc, whose blog gave me an inside peek at the world of neonatology. The last post was the best. I wonder what happened. Did the boss get wind of this blog and end it? Did the writer just say "enough is enough?" Why the silence?
HarlemRunner, I hardly knew ye. In fact, I came across your blog after you'd already said your goodbyes. But this guy seemed pretty cool, and out of all of them, I wish he'd come back and write some more, while righting some more wrongs. I especially love his take on the Black Marathoners group and celebrity runners, aka Katie Holmes running the NYC marathon. Anyway, RIP, blog o' HarlemRunner.
Blogs. So seemingly personal, yet in reality, it's still just a bunch of words on a screen. Could all be lies, could all be truth...could be a mix of both meant purely for your entertainment. Sigh.
This post is going nowhere fast, so let me end it now! :-P
Summer Sando...she and I used to trade training stories on our extrapounds.com blogs, and via blogspot as well. And then the posts and comments became sparse, and then POOF. Gone.
Neonatal doc, whose blog gave me an inside peek at the world of neonatology. The last post was the best. I wonder what happened. Did the boss get wind of this blog and end it? Did the writer just say "enough is enough?" Why the silence?
HarlemRunner, I hardly knew ye. In fact, I came across your blog after you'd already said your goodbyes. But this guy seemed pretty cool, and out of all of them, I wish he'd come back and write some more, while righting some more wrongs. I especially love his take on the Black Marathoners group and celebrity runners, aka Katie Holmes running the NYC marathon. Anyway, RIP, blog o' HarlemRunner.
Blogs. So seemingly personal, yet in reality, it's still just a bunch of words on a screen. Could all be lies, could all be truth...could be a mix of both meant purely for your entertainment. Sigh.
This post is going nowhere fast, so let me end it now! :-P
Friday, August 14, 2009
So a girl walks into a bank...
...and the bank gets robbed and she is totally oblivious to it all.
Yes, that girl would be me! Yup! I went to the bank near my job to take care of some business. The tellers informed me that I would need to take care of that particular business with a manager, not a teller, and so I promptly stepped over to the manager's desk, which is a kiosk of sorts. So I'm standing there and we're going over some things on my account, and my back is to the tellers. I'm vaguely aware that someone else has come in to the teller area. So as the manager and I wrap up our business and she hands me a business card, I turn to leave and see these glass doors closing shut, and before my mind could register "huh?" the tellers behind the counter are saying loudly-not yelling-"We've just been robbed!"
So one teller is on the phone answering questions "Yes, he's gone....on foot....plaid shirt...." ALl the time I'm thinking "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME." So the other teller tells me I can't leave, I have to wait and talk to the police. So I said that I didn't see anything. I asked the manager if she knew they were being robbed, and she said she wasn't aware of it either. Meanwhile, people were coming up to the glass doors trying to get in and handle their own banking business. The tellers put up this sign that said "Due to circumstances beyond our control, this branch will be closed until further notice" or something like that. People were PISSED! Even one lady, after the teller said "we've been robbed," she was all like "well when are you going to open back up?!?!" Some people!
So what I thought would be a quick errand was turning into something longer. I texted my boss to let her know it'd be awhile before I got back, because the bank just got robbed. (Bad idea, she sent me a few texts in a row, worried about me...I forgot to tell her that I was fine.) Then the manager says that I can go, but to leave my contact information for the police, just in case.
As I stepped out of the bank, there were TONS of cop cars coming from every direction. And at this major three-way intersection, THAT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
Yeah...so I witnessed a bank robbery...sort of...except I didn't see anything.
Yes, that girl would be me! Yup! I went to the bank near my job to take care of some business. The tellers informed me that I would need to take care of that particular business with a manager, not a teller, and so I promptly stepped over to the manager's desk, which is a kiosk of sorts. So I'm standing there and we're going over some things on my account, and my back is to the tellers. I'm vaguely aware that someone else has come in to the teller area. So as the manager and I wrap up our business and she hands me a business card, I turn to leave and see these glass doors closing shut, and before my mind could register "huh?" the tellers behind the counter are saying loudly-not yelling-"We've just been robbed!"
So one teller is on the phone answering questions "Yes, he's gone....on foot....plaid shirt...." ALl the time I'm thinking "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME." So the other teller tells me I can't leave, I have to wait and talk to the police. So I said that I didn't see anything. I asked the manager if she knew they were being robbed, and she said she wasn't aware of it either. Meanwhile, people were coming up to the glass doors trying to get in and handle their own banking business. The tellers put up this sign that said "Due to circumstances beyond our control, this branch will be closed until further notice" or something like that. People were PISSED! Even one lady, after the teller said "we've been robbed," she was all like "well when are you going to open back up?!?!" Some people!
So what I thought would be a quick errand was turning into something longer. I texted my boss to let her know it'd be awhile before I got back, because the bank just got robbed. (Bad idea, she sent me a few texts in a row, worried about me...I forgot to tell her that I was fine.) Then the manager says that I can go, but to leave my contact information for the police, just in case.
As I stepped out of the bank, there were TONS of cop cars coming from every direction. And at this major three-way intersection, THAT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
Yeah...so I witnessed a bank robbery...sort of...except I didn't see anything.
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