First - For all of those who have been anxiously waiting to see if I beat my previous record for yearly mileage (particularly Bryan). YES I did! I know there were a lot of bets out there on this. I believe in Vegas the odds were in my favor. I actually passed my goal last week.... so if you were your bet was based on what day I did it (kinda like baby birth boards) you will have to agree to share half of your winnings with me before I tell you the day.
I still have a day or two of running left in 2010, so I can't post what my final mileage is yet.
Second - I was mentioned in Shut Up and Run's Blog!!! I feel like I have gotten my 15 minutes of running fame. Lord knows I will never get it by winning any race of any stature, so I will take it where I can get it!
It was -21 degrees on our run this morning and honestly, it wasn't that bad. I would take -21 and calm winds over 2 inches of snow and a good breeze any day.
I must say that I am a little disheartened by my fellow native Wisconsinites. Dean, who has a southern accent, was out there today. No complaining either. I really don't think it was just because he was trying to make up for any faux pas he thinks he may have done under significant influence of adult beverages at Al and Sheri's party. He was actually just fine, but Mike wasn't going to let him off that easy. I did though, what more can you do to a guy who is running in -21 degrees????
I know it will come as a surprise, but my fellows in the Morning Running Group (I think we have to come up with a catchier name) have been HOUNDING me, yes, HOUNDING me to come up with our own dance routine. I know it seems odd, but they seem to think it would be quite a "memorable moment" for us to get together and perform a dance routine after completing a race or even just a morning run - just for the heck of it! I think they are secretly hoping to top the Antwerp Station Flash Mob.
Then I had an idea! Giving the MRG (Morning Running Group for those of you who have not yet had your morning coffee) their own personal dance routine would be the PERFECT Christmas gift for the group. Now, I have a good sense of my personal abilities and know that I could not do any dance routine justice. Plus, I know that some people in the group might take a little longer than the rest to learn the routine. And there would be those who would LOVE it so much that they would want to watch it over and over again. So, I came up with a great routine - even threw in a couple of extra 'double dream hands' for Tom and Mike and a couple of 'cranks' for Christy and Jill. Then I hired a profession dancer and videographer to film it.
So, here it is MRG - your 2010 Christmas Gift. I expect to see it make it's debut at Al and Sheri's party! BIG smiles everyone!
I have seen a disturbing trend crop up on the weekly running poll. I don’t feel I would be fulfilling my “Master of the Poll” (not Pole, Mike was kind enough explain this to his friends who were having visions of a stripper pole. Just goes to show you the type of people he hangs around with!) duties if I did not call it out and try to stop it dead in its tracks.
It all started with one of our hibernators, Wendy, who when the Wisconsin weather starts to get a little bit frosty inserts behind her name on the poll “If above 20 degrees”. I believe her intent is to indicate that she will not be running if it is below 20 degrees. I think she really means 20 degrees, plus another 10 on some days or plus a warm bed on others since there has been many days where the kind Time and Temp Lady indicated it was above 20 degrees.
On this week’s poll another of our runners, not a hibernator, indicated “if above 0”. Hmmmmm. I felt my stomach churn a bit at that. I believe neither the Cousins nor I have ever put a disclaimer like that behind OUR names. (Sorry Jill, I don’t think I can include you in this prestigious list since I believe you did do this last winter – I am sure Mike remembers the exact week).
Having grown up here, the Cousins learned long ago that town is considered one of the coldest spots in the states. Yes, even compared to our much more northern neighbors. I, not being a native Spartan, am just a quick study. This “coldest spot in WI” is not just in our head’s either. Many times I have heard the local meteorologist state this fact. And as we all know, they are ALWAYS right.
So…. getting back to the poll. Those people (hopefully only one, since I am sure this post will stop any other people from violating this soon-to-be new poll rule) who put this temperature caveat are obviously trying to get out of running without looking like the wimps they really are. Really, how many days can it be above zero when you are the coldest spot in Wisconsin! I am sure they think that any reasonable person would completely understand this threshold of intolerance. But they forget; their fellow runners are not reasonable or they would not be running much less at 5:00 in the morning in the dark with snow and ice on the ground and sub-30 temps. Heck – some of us (not me Mom) don’t even wear reflective vests in the dark morning! AND some of us expect FREE beer after a race, no matter what the distance!
Normally running with friends is a good thing. Their mere existence tends to motivate you to get out there and run even when it is -17 degrees out. And it isn't even the fear of the endless teasing that you will have to endure from those you "stood up" when you chose to stay in bed. No, it is just the fact if they are running, you should be too. This morning I learned that the later is generally too, for MOST people unless they were unwise enough to put themselves on the running poll AND visited (for a very long time) the local tavern for some pre-Thanksgiving merry making.
That was the case for THREE of my running comrades. Oh sure, they chalked it up to the weather.... "It's going to be cold!" "It's going to be icy!" "You should cancel the run tomorrow morning!" There are two things you should note here. One - you will notice that they did not voice the REAL reason they wanted to cancel the run, "I am going to be hung over and just don't want to." Two - some how they felt this was MY problem since they wanted ME to cancel the run so they could lie in bed guilt free (but not hangover free). Oh to have the POWER to be able to cancel runs! Maybe on some "perfect running weather" day I should just cancel the run - just to PROVE I have the POWER. (On a side note - my youngest has been talking a lot recently about figuring out what his super powers are, I guess I just figured mine out.)
Now, it just so happens that the THREE runners who did not show this morning are semi new to the morning running group. (yes, yes, Al and Sheri - I know you have been running for a while, but not with the MORNING group). I realized that these 3 did not do the wise thing and watch the more veteran runners and take cues from them on how to handle the situation they put themselves in. There were two other morning runners in the tavern last night who not only did not sign themselves up to run the next morning, but they were wise enough to realize that they shouldn't even bring up the fact that they weren't running because that also opens themselves up for ridicule (wise wimps). So, given that today is Thanksgiving, I figured that I should embrace the day and give the three of them a little words of wisdom....
1. Coordinate your merry making and running schedule (in other words - Think ahead!)
2. If you don't do #2, don't badger the "keeper of the poll" to cancel the run.
3. If you don't do #1 or #2 then remember that the "keeper of the poll" is also the blogger and be prepared to be featured in the next poll. And being prepared means that you will take blog stardom with more grace and humbleness than you did when NOT following #2.
And yes, I did run this morning. A little cold, a little icy, BUT I STILL RAN.
Today I got this e-mail from my running friend Bryan:
"Today I was reviewing your blog as I always do and it occurred to me that you are close to running the most miles that you have ever run in a year this very year. Yes at the ripe old of ??? you are on the brink of setting your all time record. A mere 150 miles will allow you to cross your proverbial finish line in first place. By my calculations you need to run approximately 2.87 miles per day for the rest of the year to accomplish this goal.
I am behind you 100%, GO FOR IT!!!"
AWWWW, How nice! Now, if Mike had sent this to me I would have been suspicious. Obviously, is intent would be to butter me up so that in the future I would not poke fun at him in my blog. He makes it so easy to do. But not Bryan. He is such a sincere guy!
Little does Bryan know that breaking my previous mileage is a goal of mine. It would be particularly great since that high mileage year was a year I trained (and ran) 2 marathons. This year I trained for and ran 1. However, this is kinda a sadistic goal since to beat it year after year I have to run more and more. Hmmmmm seems like a goal that is gonna become a problem in the not too distant future! But 2.87 miles/day seems very possible!
THANKS Bryan! I will defend you every time Christy says something bad about you......... until November 10th.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Some good clean laughs. Watch the Grandma on the right.
It is a record! And no, I am not talking about the fact that I have posted 2 times in 2 days!
There are 17 - SEVENTEEN people on this week's running poll!!!! Who would have thunk (yes, I know that is not a real word... just being funny for you literal people out there) 5 (or 6 or 4 years ago... we are not sure) when we started running in the morning that we would have 17 - SEVENTEEN people wanting to meet at the horrendous time of 5:00 AM to RUN! And in all weather except for rain. Oh - a new exception was added last week... 60 mph winds.
I am thinking that we are going to have to start issuing name tags. A new running gadget!
I am not sure if I am happy with this next realization or not.... It looks like people are taking 'ownership' in the poll. This week one of our members added to his name a little love note to his wifey who is long distance commuting. It appeared as this ... "Frank - (I love u honey;^)". Hmmmm. Even though this is extremely cute and makes all us wives green with envy, it makes me wonder if I now need to institute some rules on what is acceptable and not acceptable when filling out the poll. I thought dealing with the people who show up but don't fill out the poll was bad enough (It has been a while since I have thought about He Who Shall Not Be Named).
Anyway, I am going to focus on the happy feelings of 17 - SEVENTEEN people being on the poll! Plus the addition of a new runner! Dean has joined us THREE times!!! Another man who is not intimidated by all us women! So, another happy thought: We now have 4 - FOUR men who show they are well grounded in their manhood by running with us 13 women.
The Badgerrunner blog must be feeling very neglected, not to mention my 3 (count em'!) THREE followers (one of which is some kind of spammer - I think). My apologies to all 3 of you.
Anyway.... BIG NEWS! After at 4 years of maintaining a running blog (no wonder I am running out of things to say) and 5 years of a morning running group (maybe 6 - my memory is getting bad as a result of lack of sleep) we have FINALLY made the Sparta Herald - and a photo no less! It was a picture of 12 of us + 1 dog in our Halloween costumes. 15 of us (one late comer the name of KwikTrip Gal and 2 non costume runners) actually ran. Who would have thought 5 (or 6) years ago that we would have 15 people running at 6:30 AM on a Saturday morning. And the weather was PERFECT too!
So.. after so long of annoying morning drivers by running in the road (especially a woman in a white Taurus wagon who like to voice her opinion of us), how did we FINALLY make it into the paper? Well, I have two theories:
First - after the our Self Adoration Tour otherwise known as the Door County Fall 50 Relay, we decided that there just COULD NOT be enough pictures of us out in the world. So, we had to pay to publish one in the paper.
Second: One of our esteemed (and self loving) group has an uncle that is an editor at the paper. Once again proving that the all the political commercials we saw this election season were right - the power is in "Who You Know" NOT how fast you RUN.
More BIG NEWS: Beerhater is (FINALLY) running the New York Marathon this weekend! The weather looks like it is going to be PERFECT for her.... High of 50 and Sunny. No rain anywhere in the forecast! Can't wait to hear how it goes for her.
I just uploaded new photos from the Maple Leaf Half Marathon and Door County Fall 50. You can view them in the slide show at the top of the blog.
No worries Witches - no embarrassing pictures were posted. We were all very good witches, at least according to my camera!
For all the rest of you.... we LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Door County Fall 50. Very tough course, but BEST post race party EVER! And of course us witches casted a spell over the whole party!
It has been BEAUTIFUL running weather the last week. However, it appears the cooler morning temperatures have made staying in warm beds a bit more harder to resist. This morning it was just Christy and I running. Even Bella didn't come! Quite a change from a few weeks ago when we had 10 runners. Christy was really happy though because it meant that she could run whatever pace she wanted. None of that fast running for her!
Wendy was signed up to run and I was looking forward to a mile by mile report of her Boston Qualifying performance at the Twin Cities Marathon. A great way to spend at least 26.2 minutes of the morning run and that doesn't include the detailing of all the different food available at the post race party. Alas, she didn't show.
I have never loved Nut Rolls as much as I did after the Twin Cities Marathon. I don't think I ever ate one before (unless I got one in my Halloween booty) or since. It ALMOST made up for the absence of beer. I just learned that Nut Rolls are made in St. Paul an are not made by one of the big candy companies. NOW I understand why they were at the Twin Cities Marathon. The bonus was that they were good too!
Sigh, I just hope that not too many of the summer runners go into winter hibernation.
Through a very scientific study with peer reviewed methodology I discovered the following equation:
Monday night Packer Game + 5:00 am running time = few, if any, running partners.
I am thinking about doing my doctoral thesis on it. I am sure it will make national headlines like the "Aliens have deactivated British and US nuclear missiles, say US military pilots" news story. I know it is true, because my 9 year old told me all about it and any news story that catches his attention must be true!
This post is dedicated to Beerhater. We have missed you on our runs, especially Mike who wonders if you have a story that would top the picture below. And no, it is not from our local Wal-Mart.
As I drove up the hill to our house I saw a woman running up it. As Jim is quick to point out to me - I notice anyone running in town, especially if I don't know them. Jim teases me that I am on the edge of demanding unknown runners show their 'running license'. Due to this and since he was with me when I drove back down the hill, I decided the perfect opportunity to embarrass/freak him out had presented itself (Mike would be proud). (Plus, Melissa has brought so many new runners to the group, I figured I better step up and find some too!)
So, as I neared her on her downward trot, I pulled over to her. I am sure Jim was thinking "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, (He really was praying) she is really going to do it, she is really going to ask her who she thinks she is running in town without making her presence known to the 'Morning Running Group".
Well, close. I asked if she ran in the mornings. She said she has, but it was hard getting herself up. Well! Did I have a deal for her! I briefly explained about the morning running group, the weekly poll etc. and of course asked for her e-mail address. Guess what it was????
MillerTime@******.com!!!
It was a little tough for me to spell, but I finally got it!
How great an e-mail address is that!?! She acted all embarrassed when we exclaimed over the GREAT e-mail address, which we, of course, pish pawed. We told her it was an EXCELLENT choice and proved, even beyond the fact that it was obvious she can run, that she would be PERFECT for the running group. No worries about being a beerhater!
Do I need to also point out the brand she chose to highlight? No, it has nothing to do with her last name which has its roots in German heritage and starts with an M, has an L in the middle and ends with an R. She assured us it was because it was such a great tasting beer. I think she told us that before we mentioned we were Miller Beer Distributors. What a nice gal with discerning taste!
Obviously she is perfect for our group! However, since she was on her run I didn't want to delay her to long, so I never got the chance to ask if she was a Packer or Vikings fan.
Keep your fingers crossed that she starts running with us! I am guessing she has a lot of great stories!
I found it! I found a person who can rival Bryan when it comes to telling detailed stories.
This type of person is very handy to have on long runs, because you never have to worry the conversation lagging. Unfortunately, I don't think she lives in WI and something tells me she is not a runner. So Bryan doesn't have to worry about anything.
A sure sign that summer is over - back to 5:00 am runs. BUMMER
I was really thinking it was going to be raining this morning - just to start life out right, but it wasn't. Of course, us morning runners know that when you WANT it to rain in the morning, it never does and when you aren't expecting it to rain (because if you are honest, you never really WANT to run at 5:00 am) it does.
AND the heat and the humidity was still present. BUMMER.
It seemed appropriate that on the first day of 5:00 running and the first day of school that we run the BEER route. Of course, God was also telling us something when a car decided to do a rolling stop just as we were crossing thru the intersection. Good thing our NYC runner Elyse wasn't with us, because he would have gotten a morning wake up call (shout) that he would never have forgotten and runners around the the world would have been forever safe from his careless driving.
However, the incident did remind us that we need to be wearing our reflective gear again!
Quite a few interesting news stories to talk about this morning. Christy seemed out of the loop so, I thought I would provide some links to broaden hers and others Current Event knowledge:
It has been very hard for me to post this summer (I know, excuses are for LOSERS!). But after my morning runs I quick eat breakfast and then take Ollie out for what usually is an hour walk (tired puppies make happy owners). By the time that is all done (plus showering) it is time to shuttle the kids some where. Today, however, I realized that I have a few musing to share.
On Wednesday when a certain person whose name rhymes with Wednesday and actually all the letters of her name are in Wendysday, I mean Wednesday, didn't let me know that she changed her mind and would not be running hills with me, I ended up running with the 6:00 group. (Dear Grammar Police - I know that is a very long run on sentence, but it is my blog and I can do whatever I want to do. You should just be happy I am posting at all) Yes, I should really thank her since I didn't have to run hills, but I also missed out on an extra half hour of sleep. I am not sure if the good out weighs the bad.....
Anyway, since I wasn't doing hills I figured I should get some speed work in. So after the hilly part of our route was done (I am not THAT hard core), I started to pick up the pace. I had edged a block or two ahead of our group when I passed by a guy taking a cigarette break out side his place of employment. He put quite a grin on my face with his enthusiastic "You Go GIRL!" "Keep your Focus!", "Pick up the Pace!", "Run, Run, Run" which lasted much longer than I expected. Plus,he finished with the Rocky Theme. It kept me smiling for quite a while. When I came back to my fellow runners they said they got the same royal treatment. Nice!
Today I decided to run with the 5:00 and 6:00 groups so I could make sure I could get my long run in (11 miles). The forecast was threatening rain on Friday when I had planned to do it. I have done this in the past, but this time I was the only one running long. I was quite surprised when I returned to the parking lot with the 5:00 group. They essentially ran right up to their cars, jumped in and left. Hmm... okay.... well.... so much for a little post run chit chat. Obviously I need to return to my 5:00 running time to model how to have fun running and relax a little. Too much seriousness!
Tonight I saw my "Speed Work Doesn't Equal Speed" post appear on Facebook (my brother "Liked" it). So, I ended up reading it. Wow - lots of typos. Sorry about that, but I am usually in such a rush to just get something posted that I don't spend a lot of time proofing it. So, of course I had to go back and correct it.
I know I have reached the extent of your attention span, so it is time for a little humor. This weekend is the Runner Camping Weekend which I organized, but won't be there. Long story, but I will sum it up by simply saying "BRAIN FART". Also, one of the posts I got the most feedback on was the one with the video of the drunk guy trying to put on a flip flop. So, I found a video which combines the two - two drunk guys trying to put up a tent. For your enjoyment:
I should have stayed in bed today like I wanted to.
I could have too.
No one was meeting me to do the track work out, so at least I slept until 6:00. I could have slept later, but I figured the longer I stayed in bed, the harder it would be to get out of it. Plus, I knew it would be hot and muggy and it was.
For those of you who don't know, our track work outs are what we used to call in high school swimming - "a ladder". We start with a lap warm up (I need much more than that), then a 400(one lap) followed by a lap of recovery (slow jog). Next a 800 (2 laps) followed by a recovery lap. We do that up to a 1600 and then come back down.
I knew I was in trouble during my warm up lap. I was hoping that it was just the normal pain and agony of getting my body warmed up, but it wasn't. My subsequent 400, 800 and 1200 were pretty pathetic. Slightly faster than my normal running pace. Then during my mile (1600) I got distracted by Ollie who decided that he would rather leave with Mr. Richgruber than stick around with me. I paused my watch with the full intent of finishing the mile, but when I started back I couldn't remember if I was finishing lap 2 or 3. And that was THAT. I was DONE.
Well, not quite. I decided that my body could handle some quick, short speed work, but was not up for the longer stuff. So, I did 10 x 100. I am not sure if that will really help me, but I figured it was better than nothing.
So, on a less depressing note:
I saw this elliptical bike at the street fair when I was Idaho. It might be something that would be good to give a try if I was injured. I also found a video of Dean Karnazes who uses it. Apparently he is going to do a couple of ultra bike events with it. I couldn't help but wonder why the guy in the red shirt doesn't match his bike like the other two. Did they decide it was too matchy-matchy?
I am always on the look out for a new Sparta running uniform. I have found the perfect one for the guys: I am sure it would eliminate chafing and bleeding nipples:
I saw this at BeerRunner and for some reason Christy came to mind.
You are a Beer Runner if you:
1. Fantasizing about the beer you’re going to drink when you’re done is what gets you through the final miles of a hard run or bike ride.
2. When planning a destination race, you take into account not only the views on the course, but whether or not FREE beer is offered at the post race party.
3. You judge a race director’s performance in part on the quality of beer he or she offers at the finish line. (Christy doesn't care what kind, just that it is FREE)
4. You’ve cured a hangover with a run.
5. You’re in way better shape than your drinking buddies (unless they’re also beer runners).
Apparently Mondays are turning into my tempo runs and my posting days.
It appears that I have found the secret to fast running. I am not sure I should share it since I am sure it will spread through the running community like wildfire and change running as we know it. But you know me... I can't help to share the newest and greatest thing for runners. Well, it is....
Snickers Blizzards.
Yep, I am SURE the fact that I had one last night is the reason that I was able to run an 8:28 pace this morning!!! Whew! It might be tough, but I may have to test my theory again next Sunday. I know you all will support me in my latest attempt to make running more enjoyable!
I hadn't really planned on running that fast, but poor Areanna (college cross country runner of our group) didn't have a fast running partner since Jenny pulled her hamstring. So, I decided to attempt to run faster. Now, 8:28 still is not fast for her, but I think it helped. I know I should be incorporating some of these pace runs into my training along with the dreaded track workouts, so this seemed like a good time. Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad.
Today turned into a tempo run with Jenny. 8:38 pace. Whew! Good for me though. We did an extra 2+ miles, but slowed it down to the normal 9:00 pace. It is hard, but I need to do it if I want to meet or beat my half marathon time this fall. I think I have plenty of time, but I know it will come sooner than I think. Plus, no matter how much may wish it, the fact is that ONE speed work out will not make me faster.
So, I have been thinking about the below video for a few days. It is shows a guy's over the top reaction to seeing a double rainbow. At first I thought, 'Geez! This guy needs to get a life!" Then as I thought about it, I came to think that maybe I am a bit envious of him. What a great thing to get so excited and emotional over something as simply beautiful as a rainbow. Then I listened to the video again and realized, "Nope - the guy is just really stoned". BUT wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if we all could get so much joy from a simple, yet still magical thing?
And it DID suck while I was running, but I did give myself a break. I didn't worry (too much) about my pace. I walked up hills when I wanted to. And I told myself again and again and again, "It is just good that I am out running."
AND afterwards, in a nice cool shower, I was glad I did.
I know, I know - it has been a LONG time since I posted. June 10th to be exact. Time flies! I guess it just took me longer than normal to recover from Butterfest! I realize now that the goal of keep up with the Flock girls is similar to the goal of qualifying for Boston - Impossible!
Life has just been busy and I am not in training for anything, so life seems pretty ho hum. If you consider taking care of this guy ho-hum:
It is amazing how much he has grown in one week! The bad news is that he has been at the Vet's the last two nights with a viral infection. Hopefully he will come home today.
Anyway - back to running. Today was a bit nerve wracking. I was the only one signed up with the speed demons Jenny and Wendy. A frightful experience (due to speed, not company) no matter what, but the last couple of runs I have really struggled. Not entirely sure why, but needless to say the Wisconsin heat and humidity did not help. Thankfully, I felt really good today. We had a fast pace - for me - they were nice enough to slow down a little bit. And I even did another mile loop afterwards. Of course they did a 2 mile loop in almost the same time I did a mile loop..... It was a beautiful morning to run and it had been a while since I talked with Jenny and Wendy (since usually they are 5 blocks ahead of me) so the run went well.
It was one of those mornings that I just loved running - well, almost.
Wow, what a painful run this morning!!! Oy! I just had to force myself to keep going. If I had not had running friends with me it would have been a much, much shorter run. I am not sure why it was. It is sad if it was the 1.5 beers I had at concert in the park last night. I know I am getting old, but geesh! Or maybe it was the Piyo (pilates and yoga) class yesterday. I didn't feel particularly tired afterwards, although I know I worked muscles. I actually feel more sore after then run than before. I guess it snuck up on me.
It was a beautiful morning for a run too! Too bad it was so miserable. It just goes to show it could have been worse.... a tired body and bad weather!
This morning when I checked the running poll, 8 people had filled it out, which is pretty good. I just checked it to see who is running tomorrow and was astounded to see that TWELVE people have filled it out! We are not all running at once due to the the 5:00 and 6:00 start times - but still!!!!! It is a pretty exciting thing for our little group of runners!
Now when I see someone running I will be even more puzzled when I don't know them! How many runners can this town hold?
I started back to running this week with a vengeance. I was away at a meeting Tuesday - Thursday and I actually ran the two mornings I was there. That was a first for me. Usually I try to run at least one day. It helps me keep my head in these meetings which tend to challenge me as much as my marathons do! I do love running in other cities. The pressure to do well is, for some reason, off. Plus with it being my first week of post marathon running... I had another reason to take it easy.
Today I had planned on going 7-8 and ended up with 10.6 despite the majority of the running group abandoning me and Julianne at 2 miles. They had started a half hour earlier. Personally, I just don't get why people don't want to sleep in just a little bit on the weekend! I could go on and on about that.... but I won't.
The rest of the group missed an enjoyable run - so it was their loss anyway. I haven't run with Julianne for quite awhile so we had quite a lot to talk about and the miles flew by. I was feeling it (the marathon) at the end, but was glad I did OVER 10 miles!
I was looking for something funny and running related to post - but no such luck. So instead I am going to post a video and a drummer that thinks quite a bit of himself. It is pretty funny....it is long, but he amazingly keeps it up the whole time. I wonder if he wore a Bodybugg, how many calories he would burn. Would it count as an aerobic activity?
This morning was my first run after the marathon. It felt about like I thought it would... hard. But I know it will just get better.
A bit of a shocker today.... Mike didn't show up. Too bad Jill wasn't there so she could finally give HIM a hard time about not showing. Life is full of missed opportunities.
I am feeling a bit under pressure since last weekend....
Sorry, but I can't help but think of that song when I feel "under pressure", which I do to write a Fargo race report.
Believe me, dear fans, I have been thinking about it every day, but not in a good way. I find it very hard to give race reports. Due to my race induced tunnel vision, my experience tends to be very narrow. However, during some car contemplation time this morning, I realized that I could just write about the "highlights" few that they were. That is another reason that I struggle to write this race report. The race was not exactly my best and I like to write about happy, fun thoughts, not why the F*** am I doing this thoughts.
First (I have no idea how many highlights there will be) - loved all the race clothing they had at the Expo and it was reasonable! Nothing like a little shopping to start the weekend off right.
Second - I passed Dean Karnazes! And yes, we were both running the same race at the same time! Okay, it was just the 5K, but a thrill none the less. I found it quite humorous that he was telling the guy next to him about a guy who had rigged up his water pack with beer. It sounded like one of those beer hats that are so common at Wisconsin tailgating parties. He thought it was a pretty cool thing.... my kind of guy.
Third - I know some of you were wondering if I would actually wear my beautiful throw away sweatshirt. Rest assured, I got my .25$ worth out of it. It came in quite handy when we were trying to locate the Cousins prior to the race. Christy said she spotted my sweatshirt a mile away. According to her it really set itself apart from the normal running apparel. Huh. I would have never guessed.
Fourth - I did have a moment of panic after the first mile when it was still quite cool and I was STILL wearing my horsey sweatshirt. I realized that if it didn't warm up, I might be wearing the thing the whole race. The good thing was that the sleeves that had shrunk to 3/4 length would work really well for an extended run. The BAD thing was that all my Fargo Marathon photos would feature the beautiful garment. The GOOD thing is that it would make finding my photo in the "lost and found" section of the race photos very easy. Thankfully, it quickly warmed up and I tossed my well spent .25$ to the side.
Fifth - Just before mile 6 I kept on hearing bells, but whenever I looked I couldn't find where they were coming from. I mentioned this to the Cousins and they didn't respond back. I had a moment of panic and asked "Are you guys hearing the bells?". I thought it was a bit early in the race to be hallucinating, but you never know... strange things can happen in a marathon! Plus, I figured it would give me a good excuse to find the next spot to drop out due to a "medical emergency". Thankfully, they cracked up (laughing!) and reassured me that they did hear the bells too. It turned out to be the bell tower at Concordia University which we ran right through the middle of. Very cool.
Sixth - Shortly after mile 17 I noticed a fellow running next to me. To me he suddenly was there, but I learned later he had been running along side of me for about 20 feet before I noticed that it was Bryan! It was time for my first DEW DROP STOP! This is the song I heard in my head at that moment...
I believe I have mentioned to you before that created a Running Induced Addiction to Diet Dew/Sun Drop among my long distance running partners. Oh, they looked down their noses at me, shaking their heads in shame the first time I made them stop at a Kwik Trip about 3/4 of the way through a long run so I could get a nice cold Diet Dew. That is until they took me up on my offer to have a taste. Thus the tradition and addiction to having a ice cold Dew/Drop 3/4 of the way through a run or in this instance, a race, came to be. Thankfully, Bryan on the injury list and not running so he was an enabler to our addition. He racked up many, many "points" from me, but unfortunately for him, I am not his wife so it does him no good. I saw his cheer face cheering me on so many times, I can't count. It was so great! (Thank you, Thank you, Thank you). This is what I will think of Bryan every time I see him (until the next story from Christy - in about a week)
Seven - It is really getting hard to come up with more highlights since by this time I was well into my "bad place" as Christy puts it.
Eight - During the last half mile I was once again walking when a guy in the crowd yelled at me with a lot of gusto, "Come on Allison! You can Do IT!" This caused a fellow runner to veer over to me and say the same thing with the same amount of disgusting enthusiasm. It took every remaining kind bone in my body to not say "Oh, I can DO IT. (lots of heavy sarcasm) It is more a question of whether or not it is running or walking." Thankfully, it would take to much energy to say that and she was well beyond my at that point.
Nine - Three words: PIZZA and CHOCOLATE MILK!
Ten - Jim was kind enough to go get me a beer. I was quite impressed by its size and even posted a photo of it to Facebook. I think that is a 20oz Powerade bottle sitting next to it.
Later when Jim was off getting something else for me - perhaps another beer? Two guys sat down at our table and asked how much it was and I said, with a lot more enthusiasm than I felt the entire race, "Its FREE!". Later, when Jim had returned, another two guys sat down and asked the same question and I responded the same. To which Jim said, "It's NOT free". Oh... does Christy have some explaining to do! She assured me that there would be beer. And there was, true, but it did not meet the Sparta Runner Race Criteria of being FREE beer. That criteria was submitted by Christy herself and the lack thereof of said FREE beer sends her immediately to her bad place.
It seems appropriate to end on that note. Beer. Needless to say it was not my best race - 4:13. I started out too fast and after doing 2 marathons a year for the last 3 years, I am mentally beat. So, that WILL be my last marathon for a long time. I won't say never, but the thrill is gone. Time to start focusing on halfs.
I would recommend Fargo to anyone. It is cheap, but provides the same level of service as much more expensive marathons (excluding the free beer). The people were incredibly friendly every where we went and crowd support was awesome.
My RIOCD (Running Induced Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) specifically checking the weather forecast for Fargo, ND a gazillion times a day, has not helped to relieve any anxiety. Here is how the weather has changed as I have been checking it:
Warm
Warmer
Hot (60 at beginning of race and 78 at end)
Hot and Breezy
Hot and Windy
Hot and Windy with Gusts
Hot and Windy with Gusts and a 30% chance of rain.
So, apparently I need to stop checking the weather because it just keeps on getting worse. Maybe if I stop it will improve. I am sure that the weather revolves around my actions, so it will work. Just like when my husband says he has to sit in a certain spot or wear a certain shirt in order for the Packers to win. The Packers' success depends on HIM!
Today is Christy's B-day. She is not sure if she is 36 or 38, so make sure you ask her how old she age since repeating things tends to either help you remember them or make people think you have dementia. I should be nice to her though, since she brought donuts this morning! Yum!
So here is a Birthday song for her. Based on what Christy said about how Bryan views her birthday, I think he will agree with its overall message:
On another unrelated note. I noticed today that we now have a lot of white cars in our group. Mine, Mike's Christy's and Todd's. NO ONE can get another white car! I bought white car to get away from all the Gray min-vans (mine, Wendy's, Sandy's, Judy's x2) and now I find myself in the predominate color group again! At least they are not all the same type of vehicles!
The marathon is 6 days away and the running induced obsessive compulsive disorder (RIOCD) has begun!
I have checked the weather forecast 3 times so far (+ 3 more while I was writing this blog). The first time was a high of 80!! Yesterday was 75 with chance of rain, BUT it was from my iPhone app - Weather Central. Today, I once again checked National Weather Service (what could be more accurate than a government run meteorological agency? (no scoffs out there!) They are forecasting 78 and mostly sunny. The local Fargo TV station is forecasting 78 and partly cloudy and Accuweather is predicting 75, windy and plenty of clouds. So, needless to say beyond the fact that it will be in the 70's, the forecast is uncertain, which will put my RIOCD into overdrive.
However, I don't want it to be cold, so I did something to guarantee that it will be warm. (but not TOO warm). When I was hitting the garage sales this weekend, I went hunting for a throw away sweatshirt for race day morning. I am pleased to report that I found the PERFECT throw away sweat shirt for .25$. Take a gander:
Pretty SWEEEET huh? It is soooo ME! Here is the close up of the front, so you can fully appreciate the artistry:
I am not sure how they get the sweatshirt to do that "lace" effect, but you have to hand it to them...I guess. I particularly LOVE the horses. It takes me back to my grade school days when I MAY have liked it, just because it had horses on it.
And yes, the sleeves are short which is a bit of a bummer because it will be hard to pull my hands into them if it indeed is cold. I guess I shouldn't complain for .25$. Now I will probably have to also pack my homemade arm sleeves which I can put my hands into. For those who have not witnessed those beauties, maybe I will share a picture of them next time!
Lastly, CONGRATULATIONS to the Sparta runners who took part in the Cellcom Marathon (Sullivans) and Half Marathon (Knolls) in Green Bay! It looks like you guys did great! Can't wait to hear about it! And yes Tom, we know you are done with your marathon and we are not!
A week and a half before the marathon and I already had anxiety dream!
It was they typical one. I was getting worried that I wouldn't be ready for the 4:30 p.m. (it was a dream) start time when I checked my bib (again - a dream... for some reason the start time was listed on the bib - maybe that isn't a bad idea!) and realized that it was a 11:30 a.m. start time! I was 5 hours late! I briefly contemplated running anyway since it was chipped timed, but realized my foolishness. Plus it would have made for an even longer dream!
Today the First Annual Sparta Half Marathon was held. Unfortunately, the race was delayed 12 hours due to weather which caused a decline in participants. Reports are that the overwhelming pre-registered crowd of 8 decreased in HALF to 4.
Race weather was not ideal, a bit windy and scattered snow showers. However, it was obvious that the route creator is an expert at their job because the course was relatively flat and easy to follow.
It was quite an exciting start. The four runners lined up at the crack in the road. Several got down into their race start position - example provided for your clarity. I know you can't see the face, so just let me be clear that it is not a picture of Jill. I know you were all wondering. On a side note: I got this picture from a poster site. Why someone would want a large poster of some one's rear end? I wonder how big of a seller it is.
Getting back to the start of the race..... like I said it was QUITE exciting. After I said GO! It looked something like this, but with only 4 people. Mike was particularly cut throat.
Once we all got our rhythm and agreed there was no point in killing ourselves, we settled into a friendly and enjoyable run. Oh, of course Jill had to start complaining at the .5 mile mark, but Mike quickly put her in her place with a well place snot rocket (just kidding).
We picked a bandit at about mile 2 (Judy) and calmly continued on. I won't go into all the thrilling details of the next 11 miles. Disappointing, I know, but this is a volunteer job and I have stuff to do!
The finish was just as exciting as the start. Here is a photo of Mike finishing the race. I know it doesn't look like him, but it was such a traumatic finish that it actually changed his appearance!
Okay - enough joking around.... here is the picture of the 13.1 finishers. Judy (who didn't do the full 13.1 miles) took the picture for us.
See how HAPPY we look! Come join the fun next year! We are setting a goal of 20,000 runners, just like Fargo.
I saw the video below on Shut up and Run's blog and immediately thought, "Huh! I am surprised I haven't encountered this women in a hotel fitness center." I say this because it seems like after every one of my vacations, my running partners get to enjoy, once again, a story about some weird thing another person was doing or wearing in the hotel fitness room. I really don't think I am judgmental, just lucky. Or perhaps God is making up to me the fact that when I run outdoor races, my eyes are looking at the ground 10 feet in front of me. As a result, I miss A LOT of funny things my fellow racers enjoyed. He sees the need to provide me a little humor (since running with Tom and Mike is not enough).
Maybe someday I will get to see this women, but I don't think I will have the same willpower of the two people next to her. They don't give her one look. Not ONE! Seriously... I would be constantly looking and although you couldn't see it on the video - big eye rolling too.
I ran what was supposed to be my 3:30 hour run today with Tom. I had a little anxiety leading up to it due to the weather forecast - little did I know that would be the least of my worries (foreshadowing).
We did get rained on a little at about 5:30, but it ended and the rest of the run the weather was decent. A little windy, but manageable. No worries there.
I was feeling pretty good for most of the first 18 miles. Somewhere around there I experimented with a new energy substance - Gu Chomps. I don't know why. Energy Gel usually if fine for me although after training for 6 marathons, it is a bit of a struggle to get them down. Once down though, I am usually fine. Plus, I KNOW I don't like chewy, gooey things when I run. The sticking to my teeth annoys me. So, I don't know WHAT possessed me.
Shortly after that, my side started hurting. No, not a "side ache" from breathing wrong - a true pain. I have had this before, even when I am not running. Normally ibuprofen helps, but unfortunately I didn't bring any and Tom didn't have any either.
We were on a good part of the run too... 45 minutes remaining, on the trail (nice soft, flat surface) with the wind (which was becoming strong) at our backs. The best way to end a long run! However, the pain in my side continued to increase and my excuses to stop increased in frequency. Finally, I told Tom to just go ahead. I would run/walk back to his house where we started. He asked if I wanted his phone, was I sure... etc., etc. - asking all the things a good, caring running partner should ask. (This should have made me see what was really going on).
Of course a few minutes later when I could still see Tom, but he was well out of earshot (I tried). I realized that I needed to be picked up ASAP. There was no 'run/walk' in my future. I just needed to curl up some where. So, for those who are not familiar with the area - the area where we were at is secluded - a old railroad track converted to a trail. No cars driving by to hail down and I was in serious trouble (I am not trying to make you feel guilty Tom, really!). I had no choice but to keep walking until I got to a nearby bike shop where I could call my husband. It was about 3/4 of a mile away and up over a bridge.
There was a pit toilet, so I decided to see if was open with the hope that maybe a "deposit" would make me feel better. I did have the sense to drop my fuel belt at the beginning of the path to the toilet just in case I passed out in there. Maybe if hubby or Tom came looking for me it would point them in the right direction. I know it sounds like I am joking, but I am totally serious.
I was happy that the bathroom was indeed open. Unfortunately, my deposit did not make me feel better. However, I told myself it did. There was no choice but to keep walking. I was on the verge of puking and severe pain in my side. The silver lining in this whole story is that I got to practice my marathon mantra. This time I chose - 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3. In time with each step. It was the only way I could figure out to keep going and keep my mind from focusing on the pain.
I did make it to the bike shop without puking or passing out. I slowly walked in and asked the lady to call my husband. She went to hand me the phone and I asked, "Could you call him?" as I laid my head down on the counter. She did and after the confusion of Jim thinking she was calling "for" me (wanting to talk to me) and then that "she needs to be picked up" did NOT mean that I had ordered something that needing picking up, he came and got me.
The lady was very nice. She offered me a chair behind the counter where I promptly laid my head down and breathed.... She must have been a runner in the past because she did not ask me if I need anything, or if I was okay.. or any question which required me to talk. I know it might seem cold and heartless, but actually that is EXACTLY what I needed her to do.
Jim came and got me and after a long hot shower, I was, of course, totally fine even without ibuprofen.
So, which brings me to the Sullivan Curse. I realized, as I was lying on the desk at the bike shop, that my two most horrible runs in my history of marathon training have happened when I was running with one of the Sullivans. They are great to run with. They are excellent at keeping the chatter up with fun and interesting conversation, yet not dominating it. I realized that this is a ruse. They do this so you have no idea that anyone running solo with them is doomed to some horrific running ailment. I think the curse doesn't take affect when they are running with a group of people, because, well, it would just be too obvious. Either that it is a weak curse that is only effective on one person at a time. So, all you Sparta runners - keep this in mind if you ever run alone with one of the Sullivans.
I noticed a couple of things today. First there were a LOT of runners. 9 - I think.
Second - we stood around and talked for a few minutes afterwards. Not something we normally do. There are a couple of reasons why I think this phenomenon occurred:
Jenny and Wendy were running. As soon as they had an opening, they took it and Tom went with them. A few of us nicer people hung back and stopped and waited for Belle had to do her business. (to be fair J, W and T were so far ahead they had no idea) So, we were all spread out through most of the run. As a result there was little opportunity to talk among the whole group, so we had to do it after the run.
It was actually daylight so we could see each other when we were talking.
It was somewhat warm (as compared to below zero).
We ran such a fast pace that we got back well before 6:00, so people didn't need to rush off.
Tom wouldn't let us go because he had to tell us about his new camper.
Over the weekend I ran in my home town. It was a windy and wet day, but I enjoyed it anyway. It was a trip down memory rain. Plus the crab apple trees were in mid blossom and their colors were just vibrant. At one point I stopped to take a picture of a crab apple blossom tunnel I was going to run through, but I realized that I didn't have my phone. This isn't the picture, but it shows the beauty of crab apple trees.
It would have been easy to excuse myself with the blustery and wet weather and although it wasn't a fast run, I felt really good having done it. Plus it was fun to run somewhere different.
The training run I hate most is the last pace run... 16 miles. I hate it more than the long run of 3:30. However, the good thing about having a horrible, horrible, quite literally puking 3:15 mile long run last week is that the 16 mile pace run seemed like a breeze in comparison!
Mike gets the award for trying to keep conversation going when it was lagging during the last few miles. However, his tactics need to improve. Just saying, "We aren't talking again!" doesn't do much to spur conversation. He didn't get too annoying.
Christy, however, went to her "bad place". Nuf' said.
Jill did great.. cheerfully plugging along. Of course, she is off today and going to a Brewer game. How could life not be good for her?
So, good video below. Yes, the guy is inebriated, but this so easily could be any runner after running a marathon - and BEFORE hitting the post race beer tent. I love the fact that no matter how intoxicated he is, he still has the presence of mind to flirt with the cute girl who talks to him. I am sure this probably took place at some beer tent in Wisconsin.
I ran my 3:15 hour long run yesterday. Thankfully I had Rhonda to run with me. She was a life saver and very good at chatting! It was NOT a good run.
The first 11 miles Kristi B joined us. We had a fight the 25-30 mph wind on the first leg and the last, but beyond that the wind didn't bother us too much. K did great - her longest run so far!!!!
I started having stomach issues shortly into that first hour and the first Gu did not help. When we looped back to R's to drop off K, I had a granola bar hoping it would help. It didn't. It really sucked. I have never had stomach issues like that and I am guessing it is because of the medicine I am on in combination of not eating the right thing during the day. The bummer was that my legs felt pretty good. Of course, at the pace I was going at the end - how could they not feel good!
I made it home, paid the babysitter and crashed on the couch - afraid to move. I logically thought I should get something in my stomach but really didn't want to take the chance. I made myself get up and take a hot shower, which I had a hard time making myself leave. Can't I stay in here forever? And that did make me feel better - enough so that I was willing to chance something in my stomach. A plain bagel and strawberry jam. Once I got that in, I was willing to chance some ibuprofen to mask the muscle pain so I could sleep. And I actually did sleep fairly well. Glad it is done and just hope the next run goes better!
Usually I try to be a positive person when it comes to running. Oh, I say the occasional, "Let's get this over with!" or "I am struggling." Or just plain, "Ugh". But overall I think my running friends would not say I am a negative Nelly. However, lately there seems to be a plethora of stories about things you need to worry about if you are out on a run. If it isn't getting hit by a plane, it is this:
First Holy Crap and starting on a happy note - a TON of people came and ran this morning. It looked like a big sale was happening at Walgreens. NINE! Jenny and Wendy made their repeat seasonal return (I missed them last time since due to not hearing my alarm clock). And Dan (Wendy's husband) joined us too!
Second HOLY CRAP and not so happy note - Jenny and Wendy have turned into speed demons over the winter and the overall slower momentum of the rest of the runners did not slow them down. Instead the group increased their pace to try to keep up. However, the wise ones (over 40) and thus able to resist foolishness behavior, decided to actually enjoy the morning run and settled into a much more reasonable, but still faster than normal, pace. Thanks goodness Elyse and Dan were there or it would have been either a lonely or miserable run for me.
On an even funnier note: Last night I had a dream, and I am not joking about this, that we were at a marathon expo and as we were leaving we said "We will see you at the post race celebration with beers in our hands!" To which the race organizer responded, "Sorry, no beer this year." Which elicited the reply, "WHAT???" And he explained that it was a new law which prohibited them from serving alcohol after races. To which I responded, "That's it - now I am definitely NOT doing marathons anymore!".
So, I interpret this dream a couple of ways...
It was a NIGHTMARE, not a dream.
Apparently, I do need a break from marathons.
It is an obvious indication of my opinion of the laws politicians feel compelled to enact for the "good" of the people. (sarcasm)
Maybe I am running marathons for the wrong reasons - all of which come in 12 oz containers and contain a yellowish brown beverage with a lovely white foam on top.
A search of the Internet came up with this appropriate picture:
And also helped me discover a great new blog: Beerrunner
I have done three runs since my last post. A normal morning run. A 14 mile pace run. A Sunday evening sucky run.
The pace run was good. Well, it was very hard, especially the last 3 miles, but the pace as a tiny bit faster than I hoped. So, the suckiness (Is that a word? It is now!) was worth it. Plus I got to run with the very humorous Sullivans. They were very kind and delayed their run so I would have someone to run with since No Show Gal bailed on me for better running partners (the Cousins). It was very kind of them, but I am still going to give Tom grief for being a NPP (Non Poll Person).
I just got back from a Sunday evening run with as I alluded to before - SUCKED. It was a beautiful evening too! Perfect temperature, no wind. One of those evenings that EVERYONE is out taking walks. However, it was the evening and my body just is not used to running at the that time. It was one where one I looked at my pace I had to remind myself that it was just a good thing I was out running.
So - on to PRODUCT REVIEWS.
MUSCLE MILK LIGHT
After my pace run I got a request on my cell phone to bring home some marshmallows to roast over our new fire pit. (One of those times I did NOT enjoy the easy access of technology). However, I was feeling like my usual recovery drink of Diet Mtn Dew was not going to be good enough nor was it going to make my night of sleep any easier to come by. Plus, the one I had in my cooler was not icy cold. So, since I could also benefit by stopping by the grocery store in my nice and stinky state, I decided to go and get the marshmallows and some CHOCOLATE milk. I have read in many places that it is indeed the best recovery drink. It didn't take much convincing. However, in the long and large cooler space at the front of the store I could not find a chocolate milk! There was every energy drink you could imagine, but no chocolate milk! I tapped my heels three time and said "I want go home, I want to go home". But since I was already in Wisconsin (the DAIRY state) I stayed right where I was. Still no chocolate milk and after running 14 miles, there was no way in H - E double hockey sticks that I was going to walk to the very back of the store to see if they had single serving sizes back by the gallons.
Then my eye happened upon:
Hmmmm (in a skeptical tone). If you look carefully, you will see below the words 'Nutritional Shake", the words "Contains No Milk". I was very, very skeptical. Did I really want to spend the money (over $2.00) to take a chance on something that might gag me? I decided it would give me some good blog material, so what the heck. But I also bought some flavored water so I could wash it down if it was indeed nasty. Nothing like driving around in your car looking like cat trying to hack up a hairball.
So, I got in my car and started slamming it it. As I was slamming it I thought, 'Not too bad!" Then I stopped for a brief second. Apparently, your taste buds aren't able to take in the full taste of a liquid when it is passing over its taste buds at high velocity. Now, the taste wasn't that bad, but it wasn't like chocolate milk. More like a cheap malt ball, which I don't like.
I have no idea if the drink helped me recover faster, but I do know that next time I will opt for the much cheaper, better tasting and scientifically proven good ole chocolate milk!
PRODUCT REVIEW NUBMER 2 -
Sennheiser MX75 Twist-To-Fit In-Ear Stereo Sport Headphones
Normally I don't wear headphones runnings I prefer people over my iPod. However today I was running by myself, so I took my husbands Sennheiser headphones with me. I got these for him for Christmas after he said he was happy it was cold out because now the ear band or hat will help to keep his earbuds in his ears. He unlike me, NEVER runs without his iPod - even when he is running with me (note to self - future blog material). He mentioned that at a recent race he saw a women who had taped her earbuds into her ear. Although he sympathized with her, he didn't think he would ever do that. Any Whooo... on my Christmas list it went and of course, Internet Search Goddess that I am, I was able to find a pair of earphone that was specifically built to address his dilemma AND all the reviews agreed that they worked. After wearing them twice, I have to agree that they work swell. I never have to adjust them and they never pop out. My husband has worn them on long runs and they did not hurt his ears. So they get two thumbs up from us. Of course, I had to wipe the girl sweat off them before I returned them to him. Here is a picture of them in some dude's ear (not mine or my husband's).
The purpose of this post is solely to get another entry into a give away contest at by my favorite running blogger - Shut Up and Run. She is giving away some cool stuff just because she is a cool gal! Check it out. She is even giving away stuff for MEN - and she is still cool!
I almost didn't set my alarm because the weather said there was a 100% chance of rain at 5:00. I know it will surprise you, but the meteorologist isn't always right. So, I set my alarm anyway.
I knew it wasn't good when through our open window I couldn't hear the pitter patter of rain drops or the trickle of water down the rain spout. I took a peek out the door and the sidewalk look dry. So dry in fact, that I didn't go out from under the porch and do my turn around with arms out and hands up to see if I could feel a rain drop. I did check the radar before leaving and the rain was approaching... but not was not here.....yet.
As I pulled out of the garage I saw the first few drops on my windshield. At first I had the naive thought that it was just condensation from dew. I know that those of you who are more with it than I am at 5:00 will have already asked.... dew? In the garage??? Yeah well, I will chalk it up to positive thinking rather than stupidity.
However, on the way to the meeting spot it became clear that it was indeed sprinkling. Luckily the Cousins didn't check the weather and they showed up too. We decided to run a loop that didn't take us to far away and brought us by our cars mid run. The rain steadily increased - of course. It wasn't that bad until we headed back east which turned out to be gale force winds (with rain). I really don't think I am exaggerating.
Christy bailed when we neared our cars. She said the dog had had enough. Dog??? I will have to tell Bryan to take the dog back to the breeder since it is apparent that if it can't run in rain then it can't be a good hunting dog.
Mike and I decided that we were wet anyway, so we might as well finish the run. Not the smartest move we have ever made. We did stick to a mostly north/south route to avoid the wind, unfortunately it is one of our longer loops. So although we avoided the wind, we ran longer than normal.
It started a conversation though..... It could be worse, we could be running 26.2 miles. Hmmmm.. So what would I do if race day was weather like this? I have been fortunate that the 5 marathons I have done have been without rain. Some heat, some wind, some cold, but no rain. I don't know if I could do 26.2 miles in steady somewhat cold rain. How would I avoid being hypothermic by the end? I think I would be tempted to bail and look for another marathon the next weekend. Hard to say.....except to say it would be MISERABLE.
I didn't show up to run today even though I signed up. Unlike others, this is UNUSUAL for me. I think it may be the second time it has happened to me. So, of course I have a good story to go along with it.
Last night we were dreaming of sugar plums when the dog barked. Normally this is not a big deal, but immediately afterwards we heard a fairly loud scratching nose. I thought it was just the dog pawing at his rawhide and the raw hide was caught in a corner, but when I went to investigate the second time the scratching noise started, I found him happily dreaming of sugar plums on my son's bed. Huh.
Of course, at the same time I found my youngest (who was not in his bed with the dog) on the couch. He said he was sick. Time to get the "puke bowl" (no cute names in our family) and a blanket.
I headed back to bed and the loud scratching started again it was even louder in our room. Jim discovered that we had an animal trapped in the drain spout which was right outside our bedroom window. Closing the window helped to minimize the animal's desperate clawing, but not to the level that we could go back to our sugar plums.
Jim left for the guest bedroom. I grabbed my ear plugs and another pillow to put over my head. See! - It was loud!
At 4:17 I woke up and thought "15 more minutes of sleep"......zzzzzzzz
I then woke at 4:37 and thought in my sleep induced brain that I might as well get up because my alarm would be going of in a minute. Note the sleep induced brain part - in actuality 4:37 is 2 minutes after my alarm. More sleep induced issues to come....
Knowing that Jenny and Wendy were returning from their winter hibernation today (translation - they were emerging from running in the gym all winter to come run outside with us) I happily headed to the bathroom. There I did my duty (sorry Shut Up and Run Blog, I just can't be has honest as you when it comes to my bodily functions) and brushed my teeth. As I was brushing my teeth, I looked at the clock and thought "Huh, did we not change this clock when Daylight Savings ended?" (or started, I can never keep it straight and really don't care enough to try and keep it straight beyond the "spring forward (set clocks ahead), fall back (set clocks back))" Then I looked at my wristwatch and sure enough 5:38!!!! AAARGH!!!!
Apparently, I had slept through the alarm when I had my ear plugs in. Dang! Plus, I didn't even get to back to bed for another 30 minutes of sleep. Well, I did, but I then heard hacking noises in the living room. I came out and found my youngest puking into the now appropriately named "puke bowl". Plus, I had to explain my whole story to all of you before nasty e-mails start flying around!
Yes, the animal's desperate attempts to escape have currently ceased. Now, I am waiting for a smell to start......
