chocolate binge averted with post-visioning meditation

I feel like baking something totally calorie laden. Something with chocolate. And then eating too much of it. And then nibbling on more throughout the day just because it's there. And then eating more of it to hide the evidence. And then feeling sick on the couch for the night while simultaneously consumed by guilt because I ate so much. THERE! I'm all done now, and talked myself out of heading off to the store to go buy the ingredients.

How to train for a half marathon in 4 weeks.

So I read this article and it totally made me feel better about my half marathon coming up on April 27. I'm no longer doing the marathon for very obvious reasons. Make no mistake, there will be hell to pay on that course and along the way...and by no means am I at the fitness level this dude is at...but I do feel like sooner or later my legs will "remember" and my right foot won't get numb. And my lower calf muscles won't scream in protest during and after a run. And my thighs won't hurt walking down the stairs the day after running two days in a row. Does it sound like I'm complaining? I'm not, really. I welcome it, because it means that I'm moving. And there will come a time again when 4 miles is a short run, and I wouldn't even IMAGINE walking for parts of it. It'll happen, this I know. But question is, why do I do this to myself? What will make me stay on top of my running year-round? That's a blog post I'll work on soon. I have some theories beyond laziness. Hmmm...anyway, here's this dude's story. And I'm intrigued at the possiblity of doing this half marathon, also:

http://news.menshealth.com/half-marathon-training/2012/11/08/

The Craziest Way to Train for a Half Marathon

by Michael Easter November 8, 2012, 12:00 pm EDT

Can you train for a half marathon in just 4 weeks? That’s the challenge Men’s Health fitness reporter (generally fit guy—but infrequent runner) Michael Easter gave himself when he signed up for the Atlantic City Half Marathon with just a month to train. Could an idea so ill-conceived possibly succeed? Read on to find out—and see if it could work for you.

With 720 hours to train between Friday September 21, and Sunday, October 21, signing up for the Atlantic City Half Marathon just 4 weeks prior to the blast of the starting gun seemed sensible as I stared at the calendar on my desk.

I clicked the button to confirm my entry on the race website, officially joining the ranks, and then Googled “how to train for a half marathon in 4 weeks.”

Google’s consensus: not enough time. Six weeks, various websites indicated, is the bare minimum one needs to physically prepare to run 13.1 miles. But the Internet has led me astray before—once convincing me that a simple cough was undoubtedly lung cancer, and in April telling me that the Red Sox had a solid chance to make a playoff run this year.

So I consulted an expert: Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. She’s a fitness Jedi, frequent contributor to Men’s Health, and the mastermind behind the legendary Spartacus Workout. I knew she wouldn’t steer me wrong.

Friday, September 21, 2012, 10:35 a.m.

Hey Rachel-

I’m running a half marathon that’s exactly 4 weeks away from this Sunday. I haven’t run in a while, but last I checked I could run 7 miles. What are your thoughts? Any 4-week half marathon training advice to offer?

-Michael

Friday, September, 21, 2012, 2:11 p.m.

Hi Michael,

It’s not the greatest idea.

But if you are to do it, you should build up to a 10-mile run and should only add about 10 percent volume a week, so it’s really important that you’re sure that you can actually run 7 miles.

Then you should only increase volume by about 10 percent a week so the long run would build up something like this –

week one- 7 mi

week two- 8 mi

week three- 9 mi

week four- 9 miles

Race- 13.1 miles

The total volume each week would build like this –

Week one- 11 total miles (7 mile run, plus two 2 mile runs)

Week two- 13 total miles (8 mile run, plus two 2.5 mile runs)

Week three- 15 total miles (9 mile run plus two 3 mile runs)

Week four- 20.1 total miles (13.1 mile race plus two 3.5 mile runs)

You might think about doing a sprint workout run for one of the shorter runs, and you should make sure to add hills in your runs.

In addition – focus on RECOVERY, include a strength workout twice a week, and make sure to do some stretching and foam rolling.

Let me know if you decide to go ahead with it. Overall it would be much better to have 6-12 weeks.

-RC

My takeaway: Was this possible? Yes. Advisable? No.

Whatever. Once you’ve committed to a competitive endeavor, sporting or otherwise, I believe that you should give it your all. So I set a time goal of 1 hour and 45 minutes, slightly over an 8-minute mile, figuring that would put me in the top 25 percent of finishers—if I finished, that is. (Want top training advice for your first big race? Check out The 101 Best Running Tips Ever.) Editorial comment: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA planning on having a not-so-stellar run at 8-min per mile? WOW.

The Training Begins

The first run of my 4-week program left me feeling cautiously optimistic. I ran all 7 miles, but it took me 1:05—a pace that would put me over my goal in the actual race.

From there, I did weightlifting sessions on Wednesday and Friday, combined with shorter runs on Tuesday and Thursday. I’d perform upper body exercises like bench presses, pullups, rows, and high pulls on one day, and lower body exercises like deadlifts, squats, box jumps, and hip raises on the other. The two runs took place outside, and were the exact distance that Cosgrove suggested.

The second week’s long run went better than expected. It put me on pace for my 1:45 minute goal. I was closing in on my prey—this race was my lamb to sacrificially slaughter.

But then the lamb grew fangs. I felt weaker in the gym the following week, and was exhausted toward the end of my 10-mile, final run. That night a friend asked me if I was ready for the race next weekend. “Not so much.”

Then my problem hit me: I hadn’t “recovered,” in the full sense of recovery. Yes, the days I didn’t work out I’d relax, maybe do some foam rolling, and ice my knees, but I was failing on the nutrition end of things. I thought I was eating enough, but after running the numbers I discovered that I was eating just 2,300 calories a day. I should have been putting down around 3,000.

The fix was simple: I pounded at least 3,000 calories every day. And all those carbs, proteins, and fats helped me finish my third week’s short runs and weight training sessions strong. But my failure the previous Sunday lingered heavy at the cusp of my mind.

A Miracle on the Boardwalk

I arrived in Atlantic City on Saturday evening and stayed the night at Revel, the newest hotel on the city’s famed boardwalk. After pounding enough pasta at a hotel restaurant to relieve a day’s worth of hunger in a small developing country, I navigated through the opulent casino back to my room.

The danger of an athletic event held in a town built on sin is that the night before, you must have the fortitude to avoid 24-hour gambling and cocktail service (or not). It’s harder than it sounds. As I passed men in jackets hurling red dice, scantily clad waitresses yelling “cocktails,” and the seizure inducing lights and sounds of slot machines, I felt drawn into the sin. But then I saw a man in a jogging suit at a roulette wheel, screaming something about black as he quaffed a brown liquid from a rocks glass. He’ll be the guy wheezing and throwing up at the 4-mile mark, I thought to myself as I hurried to the elevator.

I awoke at 7 a.m. and watched the sun rise over the Atlantic while I foam rolled my lower body one last time before the race. After a walk from Revel to the starting gate, the gun blasted at 8 and we were off. The first few miles seemed much farther than the 5,280 feet that they were, and my goal seemed unthinkable. But I trucked on, attempting to block out the exhausted feeling in my body.

Then something happened. As I turned a corner for the race’s final 5.1 miles, onto the slotted hardwood boardwalk—past glitzy casinos, wooden roller coasters, fried food stalls, shrieking seagulls, and the vast Atlantic—the sea air swept my face cool and salty, and somewhere, Springsteen blasted from invisible speakers. (Editorial comment: I SOOOO want to run right here!) Let the record show that when you’re running a race on a Jersey Shore boardwalk and “Born to Run” is playing, it feels like anything is possible.

Hell, at that moment, I could have won that race. The experience hurled me directly into that hard-to-find flow state, where all cylinders fire in unison, and exercise seems effortless.

And once you find that flow, the only course of action is to tap into it as violently as possible. To suck every last bit of energy from it until you can’t go anymore. So I did. Blocks of seconds started falling from my final miles, and I finished the race in an hour and 35 minutes.

A race completed at 10 minutes under my goal time, done with just 4 total weeks of training. Editorial comment: I'm not expecting said results, just being clear here. My goal is to finish. And NOT be my worst half marathon time, which I won't disclose at this moment, because I personally know people--or at least one person--who's run faster marathon times.. This was the way to do a marathon. Could I have logged a better time with more time to train? Yes. Would it have been worth it? Not to me. That’s because, with limited running time and weight lifting, I was able to maintain muscle mass while burning fat. Most long-run training plans burn muscle like a gambling junkie burns cash at the horse track. Editorial comment: This is another divergence from his way of thinking, but whatever...

5 Weeks to Your Half Marathon

Point is, you don’t need to devote a full 12 weeks of training to running a half marathon if you can already cover the first 7 miles with no trouble. The key is to limit your running time, lift weights, and focus on recovery. If you want to try a shorter, less traditional training program for a half marathon, give this 5-week plan from Cosgrove a shot. (And for more must-have tips from the pros, read these 13 Things Serious Runners Wish You Knew.)

BTW, you'll have to follow the link at the top of this article to see the 5-week plan, it's formatting funny here.

So anyway...4 weeks til my half marathon. And 4 weeks is better than 3. And better than no training at all. Right? Anyway....

(Quote I carried with me for the marathon.) Me love sarcasm.

Your 2013 Chicago Marathon...

...will be held on Sunday October 13. (2013, of course.) So saith the Chicago Marathon website, which I sort of obsessively check. Obsessive in a way that the event is 11 months away and I check the website once every 10 days or so. So, not exactly stalker obsessive but probably still way too much.

p.s. Uh, on another note I got an email about the Shamrock Shuffle registration beginning on December 3rd. Somebody's smoking crack. For years this has been my January 1st traditional rundown:

1. Shitty Rose Parade,

2. Boring college football,

3. Everyone's cranky from staying up too late,

4. Nobody feels like cooking,

5. That one random store you wanted to go to is actually CLOSED on NYDay,

6. Vacation is almost over,

7. Sign up for Shamrock on Day One of Registration!!!

I wonder if that means they'll move the marathon registration back to Jan 1 instead of Feb? Why am I obsessing about these irrelevant details? I don't know, except that I don't like change.

Check me out!

Check that last race on my list of races to do this year, over on the right.

:)

CTRL-ALT-DEL

According to Wikipedia, Control-Alt-Delete (often abbreviated to Ctrl-Alt-Del, also known as the "three-finger salute")[1][2][3][4][5] is a computer keyboard command on IBM PC compatible systems that can be used to reboot the computer, and summon the task manager or Windows Security in more recent versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system. It is invoked by pressing the Delete key while holding the Control and Alt keys: Ctrl+Alt+Delete. It forces a soft reboot, brings up the task manager (on Windows and BeOS) or a jump to ROM monitor. In most X desktops it brings up the Logout dialog. These keys are sometimes referred to in computer manuals as interrupt keys, since they are often used to interrupt the operation of a malfunctioning program.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So you might have been wondering where I've been. Ok, maybe not since I'm not sure who is actually paying attention to this blog anymore since I barely do. You might also think that those two recent WW weigh-ins could not be possible. Believe me...it's possible, and they're TRUE. FOR. FUCKING. SHAME.

See what had happened wuzzzzzz...
-continued work stress
-no vacation even though I had one scheduled in late December that never happened, due to said stressors.
-no working out at all (b/c I was ggetting up at 4am to work before GOING to work, then working all day, then coming home and collapsing into a heap after fixing dinner.

Then one blessed Friday night work finally eased up, and the girls and dude went off to Champaign for 24 hours. I should have gone to the gym. I should have gone to WW at the ass-crack of dawn that next morning (please excuse my language, or do yourself a favor and just stop reading my blog.) But no. I rented 3 movies. I watched them. I slept in. Then I went to the movies and saw 2 more movies.

Overall, I did not work out for 14 days in January. (still have somehow managed to get in 50+ miles, a minor miracle.) And before now, I never understood those weirdos at WW meetings who rave "OHMYGAWD I just LOOOOOOOOOOVE peanut buter." I was always like "yeah, whatever. why can't you just put it down?" Then all of the sudden my girls started liking PB&J sandwiches (remember that new year's resolution to start packing our lunches 4 out of 5 days? yeah, well we tried new things.) And goodness gracious, St. Ignatius, if that Skippy Creamy PB isn't the best stuff ever?!?! I've since put it down, but I've had more PB&J sandwiches and all out spoonfulls of PB in the past month than I've had in probably my entire life. Ok, well maybe not THAT many, but definitely a lot.

So last Monday night when my co-worker asked if I could drop her off at her WW meeting I decided, ya know, it's time to see what the damage. I argued with myself that it wouldn't be so bad. It would be this strategic way of getting back on the wagon. What, with having eaten crazily, going to weigh in at the END of the day (we all know that can account for an additional 3 to 5 pounds), wearing regular clothes instead of my standard "weigh-in outfit, well it wouldn't be my true weight, and that the next time I weighed in, it would be a loss no matter what. (Yes. I have a sick, sick mind.) The idea was that since I wouldn't be able to weigh in on Saturday at my usual meeting, I'd wait until the NEXT Saturday. So I weighed in and saw 206.2. I rationalized that maybe I was really around 203 or 202. That was more palatable, and to be honest, not knowing for sure made it easier. (I'm a sick one, eh?)

I got home from picking the girls up that evening, packed their lunches, laid out their clothes, my clothes, AND my workout clothes. And at 4:30am on Tuesday thru Friday, I made my way to the gym, hitting the elliptical and treadmill. Yes, I could workout on my treadmill at home, but there's something to be said for "peace of mind" and realizing that no little 5 year old is going to come tugging at my sleeve to interrupt. Plus the bright lights of the gym make me feel like I'm supposed to be there, not the dull, lifeless atmosphere in my basement. Shhhhh! Shhhhhh! You'll wake someone!! On Thursday I went all out, and ran 3 miles STRAIGHT, which I can't even recall the last time I did that. It's been awhile. I went to the gym again yesterday (but at 8am, much more reasonable), skipping my usual 6:30am WW meeting because I was tired.) I generally stayed on points, although in something totally new, I pretty much ate every activity point I earned..I was SO hungry at night.

But last night (Saturday night), I could feel myself slipping. That self-destructive thinking that sounds a little like this: "Oh, go ahead and order some pizza. You can eat the whole damn thing, you don't have weigh-in until next Saturday." I needed some kind of meeting. Maybe I should weigh in. So this morning, I snuck out of the house while the cherubs and dude slept, and went to WW. 198.8, down 7.4, but still up a bit from my lowest. That's ok. I'm cool. And after weighing in, I went grocery shopping, and came home and made a points friendly breakfast. GASP. And then walked on the treadmill (easy, light day) for a nice 4 mile walk. GASP. The GASPing is because I've gotten into the habit of eating a bunch of my flex points after weigh-in. Starting with a sausage mcmuffin in the drive thru a mile or so from my WW homebase center...for the love of all that is greasy and fattening, WHY ARE THOSE SO GOOD?! And $1.10 from the 99 cents value meal and Cook County taxation. A bargain! Not today though.

So...I think I'm on track. I feel good. I went back and looked at some of the meals that I like and realized I'd stopped eating: my 4 point turkey sandwich snack that was so awesomely filling. And cottage cheese (dude, it's friggin HIGH in protein!) My after-workout protein shake. Weird how you skip buying something once or twice at the store, and it's like it becomes erased from your brain. ??? I'm back at the gym tomorow morning, and may not even be able to go midweek if we get the snow they're talking about...but whatever...one day at a time. right?

Sigh. I think in my "former life" I wouldn't even catch this. I would go all the way back to start, so I'm feeling ok. Minor bump in the road. Next up? 195.0, the 30 pound mark.

p.s. My race season is shaping up. I'm feeling good about this year and not the sense of dread that I had last year (in which I ended up doing NOTHING.) I've signed up for a few half marathons. I am still unsure (and maybe that means no) for the 2011 Chicago Marathon. I did enter into the NYC lottery awhile back, so we'll see what happens with that. I kind of like the idea of letting fate decide...I'll keep you posted. Of course all of this could change when 2011 Chicago Marathon registration opens on Tuesday, which they will send me 100 reminders before then.

Happy almost 2nd month of the new year.

untitled post

well, wrapping up week one on the new program...i like it, i think i did fairly well, though my weight loss was kinda "eh." rough week at work, ended up working two very long days on wednesday and thursday nights, getting up at about 2:30am each day and working straight through the entire next day. that and no exercise. but i DID stay on points. Plan to make it to the treadmill or some for of exercise this week. and get more sleep.

cheerio!

Nerves of a Wet Noodle: Part II

Ok...so it's been a weird week. Have barely made time to work out (just Sunday) though I plan to this evening, tomorrow and Friday. These fall-colored M&Ms and Brach's Autumn Mix candies have been calling my name from the kitchen. Solution! I packed them all up today. Some went to the first grade Thanksgiving hullabaloo, the others in the kitchen at work, in a bowl, with spoon next to it and paper cups. They're gone and I can't hear them anymore. YAY!

"Just one of me won't hurt!"

"Just a few, just eat 1 point worth! C'mon, you can stop when you want!"

Since we last spoke, i've still been obsessing. You haven't missed a beat. Here's what I have already journaled* in my food diary for the big day tomorrow:

MORNING:
2 pieces of Healthy Life white bread (1 point)
2 egg whites, seasoned with salt and pepper (1/2 point)
1 american cheese slice, 2% (1 point)
Total Points: 2.5 points (but that protein will keep me satisfied for a bit.)

MIDDAY (also known as "gametime")
1.5 cups cooked collard greens (1 point)
4 ounces turkey breast, roasted, no skin (3 points; turkey you ROCK)
4.5 ounces Honey Baked Ham brand (8 points and worth EVERY BIT OF IT, mmmm)
2 servings (1 cup) Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, a WW recipe (1 point)
1/2 cup Stove Top Stuffing (pretty sure we're getting box version) (4 points)
Total Points: 17 deeeeeeeelicious points.

EVENING
3 ounces Honey Baked Ham (brand) (5 points)
2 servings (1 cup) Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, a WW recipe (1 point)
1 cup fresh spinach (0 points)
1 small tomato, cut (0 points)
1 T FF balsamic vinaigrette dressing (0 points)
Total Points: 6 points

That's a 1/2 point over. I guess I won't quibble about a half a point on Thanksgiving. I feel good about this now. I will report back to you on how I do! Wish me well!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

*Is it really journaling if you're doing it via the WW app on your iPhone? Hmmm

UPDATE: I did great! While I didn't stick 100% to my already journaled plan above, I improvised. Here's how it went down. The dressing (stuffing) was not Stove Top--not that that's my preference anyway--but it looked like a lot of calories. I decided since it may/may not be great, why waste the points on it? There were also deviled eggs. Which. I. Love. So I had that instead, and dropped my soup as well. Then instead of leftovers for dinner, I just really didn't feel like it. I had a bag of 94% FF microwave popcorn instead. And that was it! Hooray. Tomorrow is weigh-in, let's see what happens.

UPDATE #2: I lost 2.0 pounds this week, but better than that, I hit the 25 pound mark AND went below 200. Yay!

Nerves of....a wet noodle?

What's a WW'er to do? Thanksgiving is coming! On Thursday. You might already be aware of that factoid. And Saturday is weigh-in day. Usually on Thursdays I'm mindful about what I eat even more than the rest of the week. Ya know, like that can of soup with 67% of my recommended salt intake for one serving..that's something I tend to avoid on Thursdays or Fridays so as not to get one of those nasty "I'm retaining water" artificial weight gains. I'm mean yeah, it's artificial, but it's still disappointing. So you can just imagine all of the potential pitfalls on the upcoming Thanksgiving thursday are playing over and over in my head.

At the meeting this past Saturday we discussed t-giving strategies. Here's a few mentioned by my fellow WW'ers, relative to the actual dinner (not cooking/tasting strategies; eating breakfast instead of skipping; etc):

1) I've planned exactly what I'm going to eat, and I'm going to stick to it.
2) I'm going to exercise more so I have extra points
3) I'm going to save all my flex points and use them all.
4) I'm not going to take any leftovers

YIKES. That #3 is scary to me. Yes, it's Thanksgiving, and technically yes, I could use all my flex points, but I just can't have a gain on Saturday, a mere two days later. Why? Again, mentally it's no good for me. Secondly, I'm soooo close to 25 pounds down, and being under 200. I want that! I don't wanna wait another week (unless I legitimately lose less, not because of stuffing my face 2 days prior.) And third and most importantly, I know myself. I might eat that 35 in side dishes and desserts along, and keep going in that kind of setting. And you might say it's just one week's weigh in, but it's only gonna get harder. The very next DAY after my Saturday weigh-in, the WW program is changing to its new-fangled version. Maybe adjusting to the program will be difficult and take adjusting. And the week after that is my work holiday party with food galore. And of course, there will be other invitations to events. With food. So I'd rather just aim to keep it all together and keep doing what I've been doing. Flex points only on the weekend, and after weigh-in, of course.

So here are my personal strategies:
1) I'm not having one BITE of macaroni and cheese (because I simply can't do it, and I will end up eating 2 over-sized servings worth. Well, and also because (hallelujah) no one is making it, and i didn't offer!)

2) I'm going to fill half of my plate with veggies, and 1/4 stacked with meat that i've secretly weighed in a discreet place in the kitchen. This includes turkey and my special treat, Honey Baked Ham. Mmmmm. Thanks, Dottie, for the points calculations!

3) I will have 1/4 of my plate for other stuff, which i will play by ear, but choose wisely.

4) I plan to take leftovers ONLY of the meat and veggies. Real veggies, not that bean, cream of mushroom, fried onions casserole.

Late last night, I added one more "strategy." I will use absolutely no flex points, because they're NONE AVAILABLE. Nipped that notion in the bud real quick, using my flex points at an informal Mom's Night gathering for all the first grade Moms. Enjoyed every single one of those points, too. Shake your head if you want, but like I said...I'm gonna keep going with what's been working for me on this journey until it doesn't work anymore.


Obsessively yours,
Lindy

It's that time of year again....(sigh.)

Sorry to disgust you.

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

2 months from today...

...and I'll be running a marathon right now. Trying not to let the fact that I'm soooo not ready for that, because that's what the next two months of training are all about.

So you know how my Garmin has been acting up...

..and I'm thinking maybe I could go to the Garmin Store and check to see if all it really needs is a new battery...but THIS is so tempting.

Temptations + evil credit cards = bad mommy.

Pure exhaustion!

What a weekend! Here's the play-by-play:

Friday night/Early Saturday morning:
-hubby tells me he HAS to leave the house no later than 9:30 for his appointment
-I do the mental math and realize it could be close...call best friend to see if she can stop in for an hour or so (worry though, cuz she's at Beyonce concert)
-woke up at 2:45 because I had to go to the bathroom
-lied in bed awake, last time I looked at the clock it was around 4:15
-up at 5:30 to quickly get ready, and leave by 5:50 in order to drive up north for our training run.
-an hour into training run, text best friend to make sure she's up...no response, decide to ditch out early on training run
-run 10 miles instead of 12
-at car, realized texting is not a good form of communication. she had been on her way, but i never got that text. she got my second text telling her not to worry about it and went back home. oh well.

Saturday morning
-come home, get ready, get girls ready
-drive 45 miles west to the far west suburbs
-we are a little early, so we quickly drop in at the outlet mall to grab a pair of shoes for the girls at the stride rite outles. love that store!
-next we arrive at a birthday party at Chuckie Cheese.
-noise!
-upon leaving, we go over to my dad's, potty break, and then my dad, me and the girls head down to the park for the girls' first fishing lesson. 4 fish and a million rocks thrown later, we leave.
-arby's!
-head home
-AHHHHH, satisfaction! all cabinets are now in, all countertops done, sink and dishwasher, in and working. HOORAY!

Sunday morning
-Fleet Feet Women's Festival 5K/10K
-pondered switching from the 5K to the 10K, since I fell short on my miles
-drove up north with my hubby's cousin...this was her first race ever!
-all the way to the registration table, my legs protested, but I switched to the 10K.
-ran it (race report pending)
-came home
-sanitized cabinets, started putting things in them
-birthday party in the afternoon for a girl in the neighborhood

TIRED!!!!!! This is the lamest post ever, and I might delete it, since it is devoid of anything interesting. I will do a race report when i've had time to get the creative juices flowing. Sleep and/or sugar may help.

Alive and Running

Today was one of those runs that you’re all like “YES! I love running! I live for running! Running is life!” I had a bad run on Saturday, as you may have noticed by my little graph over there on the side, I ran what appears to be a random 5.34 miles…well that was supposed to be 10 miles. Mid-run, I ditched Lou, Meg and crew. I was exhausted and I just knew my heart wasn’t in it.

The day before I worked for 16 hours (almost straight, sans an occasional Michael Jackson break to watch a video and reminisce and be sad.) I baked and decorated 600 cookies for an event, standing most of the time, because that’s how I do my cookies, I cannot sit down, it makes it harder for me. (Don’t bother the artist while she’s at work, this is how she works, and that’s that.)

So by some miracle I was able to wake up and arrive on time, but after 5 miles I was DONE. Fast forward to today…still didn’t want to be out there running, but managed to make a go of it. After all, it was barely 60° and relatively low humidity! And it was a great run. At my 22:30 turnaround point I realized I’d gone farther than usual and thought there was no way I could keep up that pace, but I did. Towards the end I realized I had a shot at 4 miles. 4 miles in 45 minutes! That is rock star status in my penguin-slow book. So I kicked it into high gear for the last two minutes or so. Not only that, I managed to pull off a negative split. AND my last mile, according to my beloved Garmin, was 10:57. Not 11:57….10:57. Wow. Nice work.

And nearly the whole time, I was still thinking about Michael Jackson and the whole family (minus Papa Joe.) I know, I really do have issues and might be cracking up. However, a college friend of mine countered that I’m not so crazy, and that you can’t help but to be sad. Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, and then in college in the 90’s when we put together choreographed stepshows each year, MJ was the soundtrack/dancetrack of our lives. Saying goodbye to him is saying goodbye to a little piece of yourself. And that, my friends, is hard to reconcile sometimes.

Bike to Work Week - Chicago Style

UPDATE: 5 things

1. Waited out the rain/lightning/thunder, started around 9am
2. 16.26 miles, house to lakefront to work (no bus.)
3. About 6.25 miles of that was city biking (stop, go, avoid being sideswiped)
4. 1:46:17, an average of 9.18 miles per hour (so says the Garmin)
5. I'm not cut out for biking AT ALL. I kept thinking about Lou's "ass pants" that she bought for her triathlon training and wished I had a pair on. Yikes! I'm taking the train and bus home!

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Guess what pals? In Chicago, the City of Big Shoulders, the Second City, the City by the Lake (oh wait, I think that's Milwaukee), it's Bike to Work Week. Quick! Everybody! Grab a bike!

Here at my job, we participate in the Bike Commuter Challenge along with a load of other like-minded people who halfway care about the environment, and we are the reigning champs for FIVE YEARS IN A ROW in the "Business/NonProfit" Category, 25-99 Employees Division. In years past, the winning groups get 3 monstrous Eli Cheesecakes (a Chicago brand), and you get to go to their factory to pick them out and everything...kinda cool, um, except it's sooooo far out, completely un-bikeable (especially if you're carrying 3 big 20-serving size cheesecakes on the return trip), and nowhere near transit...but I digress.

Last year I think we had 96% participation, with me being one of two people who didn't at least bike once to work. But tomorrow (Thursday)...my bike ride to work will be my crosstraining as I travel from the South Side (69th/Woodlawn) to the fabulous Center for Neighborhood Technology near Damen and North Avenue. (Now this means nothing to some of you.) Trust me when I say it's no small feat. I will wear my Garmin, which actually has a cycling mode, and tell you exactly how far I travel, ok?

I plan to take as much of the lakefront path as I can, and then either hop on Armitage with a semi-friendly bike lane (versus North Avenue and no bike Lane), OR take the bus from the North Avenue and the Lake over to my job, since we have these handy-dandy bike racks on buses now...and since technically, I have to ride a portion of my commute, it doesn't have to be the whole commute.

Now if my bicycle trailer hadn't been stolen from our garage last year, I could even bike the girls over to their summer daycare program, but now everything is complicated.

I hope the weather holds out. Unless there's lightning, I will be out there.

Let the Marathon Training COMMENCE!

Email on 4/23/09 at 10:52am:

Registration Has Closed for the 2009 Bank of America Chicago MarathonOpen Registration for the 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon closed today when it reached its capacity. If you would still like to take part in the 2009 event, entries can be obtained through our affiliated charities and international tour groups. For more information on these registration options, visit chicagomarathon.com.

Celebrate the Excitement with 45,000 Runners
Thank you to all those who have registered for the 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Although registration is closed, everyone is encouraged to be a part of the 2009 event, whether as a runner, volunteer or spectator. The Chicago Marathon is world-renowned for its dedicated volunteers, enthusiastic spectator support along the 26.2-mile course, and the best Health & Fitness Expo in the industry.

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Down at the Marathon Office I'm imagining a scene of confetti, balloons dropping from the ceiling, corks popping, and a whole lot of hooting and hollering...er, I suppose it's not all that dramatic, but I should think it calls for a 2-hour lunch or something.

Registration for the Chicago Marathon opened today

...and I'm registered. Yay for Lindy!

Run #83 GASP, two midweek runs?

Date: September 11 at 5:30am
Place: home on the treadmill (why is that room so HUMID?! UGH!)
Mileage: 3
Time It Took: 35:38
Pace: 11:52....I'll take it
Mileage this week: 6
Miles this month: 9
2008 Goal: 473.27/1000

Thoughts/Comments: What's worse than running on a treadmill in a humid room at 5:30 in the morning? Running on a treadmill in a humid room at 5:30 in the morning WITH NO IPOD! (needed charging.) And what's worse than THAT???

(If you're easily grossed out, stop reading...)

Ok, so I set my clothes out the night before, where are those pants? Dangit. Dare I go back up the creeky stairs and more than likely wake up the world's lightest sleeper known as Zoe. Out of the corner of my eye I spied the laundry basket.,.with MONDAY'S running clothes in it. And in my mind it was my surest option of getting in that much needed run. So I put on my stinky running shorts. Still, some 3 days later, WET. Eeeeeeew, nasty. Disgusting. But Zoe didn't wake up and dangit, I met my goal of keeping my legs moving before my date with the unknown....the Chicago Half Marathon. It's not unknown in not ever having done the race--or the distance...it's an unknown with the extreme lack of training and poor preparation.

I've found in running you sometimes do crazy things that you wouldn't normally do...drink from a water fountain on the lakefront path b/c it's hot as hades, you're out of water and who cares if that dog just left from getting his water-lapping on (Yes, I've done this). Now I will add "wearing 3-day old nasty stinky running clothes" to the crazy things I wouldn't normally do. Please be assured that I would never, EVER do this while running outside or with people...offensive odors before you've broken a sweat, (clothes, morning breath, et al) are absolutely unnacceptable. I mean, runners, am I right or am I right? Help me out here!

Anyway, carry on friends! I've got a busy weekend and upcoming week. I'm baking/decorating 500 cookies (yes, you read that right) for an event next week. from now through the end of the month, I will have baked and decorated 870 cookies in cookie orders. YIKES x 3.

Run #80 Just get up and do something

Date/Time: August 31 at 7am
Place: 63rd street beach, about 65 degrees
Mileage: a "just do something" 3 miles
Time It Took: 35:02, which included walking 3:30 of it
Pace: 11:40
Miles this week: 9.17 (sheesh what a joke)
Miles this month: 41.18
2008 Goal shot to hell: 464.27/1000

Thoughts/comments: Well. I did something. Thought tempted to turn on the tv and watch more Hurricane Gustav coverage, instead I just checked the most recent stats, threw my running clothes on and headed out the door. Nice morning, though the sun seemed especially bright. Surely the difference between running at 6am and 7am.

I can't quite call it, why I'm so mesmerized by Hurricane coverage. I will tell you this, I was the exact same way about Hurrican Katrina, well before it hit. I literally lost sleep. At the time I was sleeping on the couch because at 7 months pregnant with Zoe, it was the only semi-comfortable place in the house. So I would doze and then "oh! where is that hurricane now!" Hurricanes (and people) are fascinating. It's like abig wreck that you can't avoid. You know it's coming, you don't want to believe it. Some get out, some don't for a variety of reasons. And it's mind boggling for me to understand that some people don't leave b/c they don't want to. Even more mind boggling that some people can't b/c they have no money, no car, no nothing (that is very sad and makes me realize how lucky...no, how blessed I am.) I remember watching the random interviews before Katrina hit. This one woman with a small child on her hip was like "Yeah, we live on a shrimp boat out on the water....No we're gonna just ride it out, we've never had a hurricane hit directly, we've never run now, we have nowhere to go, we'll be ok," I always wonder what happened to her and that poor little baby with her risk-taking mother. And I still marvel at all the different lifestyles in our country. People live on shrimp boats?!

Well now that was a weird run-report.

2007 Chicago Marathon Re-Hash; subtitle: Race Director Carey Pinkowski Can Kiss My @$$

Try this before running a marathon (article/blog from Chicago Tribune)
Here's a sensible and intriguing idea: Require that all 45,000 Bank of America Chicago Marathon entrants run a 13.1-mile half-marathon before the Oct. 12 race.

It wouldn't matter how fast runners went or whether they finished. But it would give first-time racers a small taste of what it takes to get through a 26.2-mile marathon.

Right now, the idea is only a suggestion from Bank of America Chicago Marathon race officials, who have done some soul searching after the 2007 race was canceled prematurely due to excessive heat.

This year, they've added aid stations and supplies, installed an event alert system and beefed up participant communication, targeting "debut" or first-time runners.

But I think the most significant change is the formal recognition that a marathon is not a parade or a race to be taken lightly.

"There's nothing casual about it," said race director Carey Pinkowski. "You have to prepare, not only physically but mentally. Fifteen years ago marathoners had more of a running background. But with the popularity of the marathon, we have the responsibility to educate and inform (debut runners)."

Unlike the Boston Marathon, which has qualifying standards, The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is well known for drawing thousands of first-time marathoners, who often run to raise money for charity. It also attracts those who have never run an organized race, which is like trying to walk before learning to crawl.

For example, if you don't know what a water station is--or how it's laid out--you might cause problems for yourself or others on a crowded marathon course. Group training runs are helpful, but race experience is even better. It gets you used to running with others when the adrenaline is pumping, navigating aid stations and figuring out how your body responds to certain conditions and elements.

Are you a salty sweater who needs to replenish electrolytes? Or do you have a tendency to go out too fast early in races? What happens to your body--and your mind--when you don't drink enough water, or you drink too much?

I applaud Chicago Marathon officials for reaching out to the newbies via e-mail newsletters and visits to running clubs and training groups. But ultimately, it's up to runners to be prepared, whether they're running in a heat wave or a snowstorm, two definite possibilities in October.

Fortunately there's still plenty of time to get experience. You can find a half-marathon at Chicago Athlete or the Windy City Sports event calendar.

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Aww, gee whiz, thanks for the fucking tips, bitch! I sent a comment...with no cursing or anything that would lead them to believe that I'm a certified lunatic....we'll see if they post it.