Alarm Clock

A nice group of runners this morning... I am referring to number of runners not types of personalities! It was a little slick with the dusting of snow, but warmer than it has been.

The last post starred Christy. So today's will feature her lovely spouse, Bryan. The quote of the morning that literally stopped my conversation with Tom and Mike because it was too good to let go without comment was from Christy, "I am worried about Jake's birthday, I am not sure what to get him. Bryan suggested an alarm". Yes, you read right, an alarm. Now, this comes from a man that has no problem buying not only one tractor, but a SECOND one! AND he has a corn picker and as Tom pointed out, he isn't even a farmer. However, Bryan had a well thought rationale for all of this.... There isn't any tax on farm equipment purchases. Ah.............

I guess Christy and I are headed to Minneapolis today for a tractor's worth of shopping since there isn't any tax on clothes! Oh, and we need to pick up a nice alarm clock. Like this one.... I have to say. It would get you up, but there would be a lot of swearing (from you and your neighbors) as you tried to find the flying thing in a dark room while half awake in order to shut the darn thing off!

Crabby Apple

Today I cannot shake my crabby apple mood. My run this morning did not help. I am still struggling. At one point I made a conscious effort to focus on the positive aspects of the run.... it was light out, I could hear birds chirping which means spring is on the way, there was warmth in the sun which means spring is one the way, my new running jacket seems to be working well, most of the ice was off the sidewalks. Unfortunately I was only able to keep this up for 5 seconds.

So, this morning I went in search of an appropriate Oscar the Grouch video. However, while listening to this song, I realized that it is much more appropriate for Christy our self proclaimed long run grouch. She has been trying to complain less and be more positive during our long runs (and sometimes during our regular runs) by saying such things as "I will be really happy when this run is over." She knows she isn't quite getting it, but we will give her an A for effort because.... We Love YOU Just the Way You ARE!

Christy has been struggling to come up with something to give up for lent and a brilliant idea just occurred to me! It the perfect thing because not only will it be a sacrifice for her, it will also greatly benefit others! It is much better than her sacrifice of limiting herself to one dessert a day (now you know why she runs) She should give up complaining during running. Notice that I didn't limit it to long runs. She needs to really sacrifice - all runs!!! What do you think??? Yes, I am really asking, so there is a poll at the top of the poll for you to indicate your thoughts. I know I haven't wowed you all with my technical know-how for quite some time, so I thought I would expose you all to a new gadget - blog polls.

Also, you will notice that I did some updating to the blog page. Long over due.

Lastly, in attempt to end this poll on a positive note, I am happy to report that I actually finished the paper's Sudoku puzzle today. My husband tells me that Sunday has the hardest puzzles... so I am particularly pleased!

First official long run

I guess I should be happy since the first official long run of the training season is done.

It was painful.

The night before I had called C to tell her that if I wasn't there, don't wait for me. I was experiencing a sudden onset of nausea and thought I was in for a long night. I had heard too many nasty stories of 24 hour stomach bugs. Maybe it was my body's way of trying to get out of it since I had a solid night of sleep - dead to the world.

In the morning I was still feeling nauseated, but still able to run. Plus I didn't want to not go and then feel fine later in the day. I would rather go and quit the run early if needed. Too many times I have felt icky before a run just to have it disappear a few miles in.

Near the end of the first hour I was already thinking.... boy, I wish this was the end of the 2nd hour. NOT a good sign. A quarter of the way into the next 1.5 hours I was already thinking about telling the cousins and Tom to just go on. It was one of times where every time I looked at my Garmin I thought "Only ONE minute has gone by?????".

I managed not to bail as we ran by the vehicles... at that point I was able to think... I CAN do 45 more minutes. But not long after I told the others to just go. Of course I forgot that they are all Garmin sluts. So, not long after they slowed their pace down in order for me to catch up. Don't go thinking that they are kind and sensitive running friends because they are not. Nope, they don't care about me, they just care about my Garmin. The were lost with out me and my Garmin. Fortunately my slow, slow pace eventually made them give up and they went on their way.

I did finish, a little shy of 2:15, but only by 2.5 minutes, so that is just fine considering how rotten I felt.

Blood and the Olympics

Today is one of those days that I have so much to say that I don't know where to begin!

So, let's begin with a topic that is always interesting... blood.

I gave blood for the first time this week. (pat on the back) However, after today's run I have decided that I will not give blood during training season (I can't say "racing" season with a straight face). I thought it would probably impact my running because I remember running with some of my fellow morning runners and them saying they were struggling because they gave blood. However, I read up on the issue (no surprise to those who know me well). I learned that it can take 3-4 weeks for your body blood haemoglobin levels to return to normal. I was thinking it would be a couple of days. I have a hard time maintaining my iron levels under normal circumstances, I can only guess how hard it will be for me to recover after giving a pint (of blood, not beer - in my dreams). I was actually a little surprised I was able to give blood since in the past my iron levels were too low. However, this week I was taking an iron supplement in addition to my multi-vitamin. Now, I am sure that iron is a nice little mineral as minerals go, but I am sure those of you who have taken an iron supplemental can support my testimony that it is not NOT nice to other vitally important and daily bodily functions. So, although I believe it is the right thing to do, I will not be giving blood until October.

So, on to more cheery subjects. Did you watch the Women's Downhill on the Olympics last night? OMG. OMG. You could use this race alone to develop an updated montage for the ABC Wide World of Sports' catch phrase, "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is ABC's Wide World of Sports!" (I looked hard for the original video montage, with no success).

The course was very hard and icey after being slushy all week and then freezing the night before making for some spectacular crashes which they only can be at 60mph. Amazingly, they all walked away and afterwards they reported that none of them were seriously injured.

Particularly sad was the women from Italy(?) who is the second skier in the montage. She wipes out within 25 feet of the starting gate. Wow.... you gotta feel for her. And adding insult to injury, she had to be wearing an ALL WHITE ski suit. Now, any woman can tell you that an all white, skin tight outfit is NOT flattering, even if you are an Olympic athlete. You look more like a dough boy (or in this case - girl) not a hard trained, rock hard Olympic athlete. Obviously it was a man who came up with the design.

Take the time to watch the video... if you can without say OH! or OUCH! it is a good indication that you have serious issues and you should pick up the phone right now and get some therapy!

Still learning about each other

Today my husband and I had one of our rare runs together. We opted to run while the boys were at basketball practice. We ran the first 5.5 together and then he continued on for another 5 miles, meeting us at home. On this run I found that after 11 years, I still continue to learn new things about him.

Obviously it was Valentine's weekend since he ran without his ear buds. Normally he doesn't understand why I think listening to an iPod while running with someone defeats the whole reason to run with someone. He says he can still hear me. This is kinda true since he does tend to hear me when I am repeating what I just said in addition to giving a dirty look. However, I don't think this counts, but he apparently does. I should take what I can get since the day before I had to inform him that Valentine's Day was on February 14th, not the 12th. This honestly surprised him. To be fair to him (and because he will quickly point this out to anyone who mentions this blog posting to him) I should admit that two nights before I turned to him and said "Just so you know, I am not getting you a Valentine's Day card". He believes this means that it should be no surprise that he does not know what date V-day actually occurs on. Hmmmmm.... again... we have different levels of expectations.

Anyway.. got a little off track here. So, on this run with my dear, dear, husband I learned that he is a SIDEWALK runner and I am a ROAD runner. Now, in the summer this would not bother me too much, but in the winter when running on sidewalks means leaping over rock hard snowplow mounds at intersections; tip toeing over ice spots from snow that melted then sheeted over the sidewalk and then froze; and praying that my ankle doesn't twist as I run over sidewalks that had not been shoveled (GRRRR) I find this practice somewhat ludicrous. Especially when the road is nice and clear. So, there were many times during our 5 miles when I was running on one side of the road (against traffic) and he was running on the sidewalk on the OTHER side of the road. Makes for great conversation. This should not have surprised me since he tends to be a pretty law abiding person when it comes to pedestrian type activities. He leaves it to me to be the family law breaker when it comes to crossing the street before the street light flashes the white (you are allowed to) walk person (all the while shaking his head or giving the "I am NOT with her" look). Also, on previous joint runs he often urged me to get into a single file formation even though the car he believed was 'upon us' was in actuality just a 'glint of sun off the roof in the far distance' to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the next time we run together he brings a long a rope with two loops to hang on to, just like you see pre-schoolers using on field trips.

But I must say, despite all this silliness, I do love running with him and am thankful we have something we can do together, even if he is wearing his ear buds. It wouldn't be any fun if I couldn't rib him about something!

Runners World

I have been having long and serious thoughts about my relationship with my Runner's World subscription. Simply said - the thrill is gone. When I see it in the mailbox I think "Eh - there it is." instead of "Oh Boy! It's here!"

I am not quite sure why this is. Maybe I am wondering if they are following down the road of the guy who edits Men’s Health who was sacked because he had a unique way of handling his old responsibilities. It just seems to be the same ole, same ole. PLUS the Penguin is gone!

Granted - I am not normally the magazine type, but I thought things were different between me and RW. Apparently not. No, I probably won't cancel it because I subscribe through my niece's fundraising effort, but it is kinda depressing. It is sad when something you love so much loses its appeal and excitement. It reminds me of when I realized that my relationship with The Complete Running Network was, in my eyes, dying. There are only so many times that I am willing to go to a site only to find that there are no updates. The anticipation and excitement of reading something new only to be disappointed time after time. And believe me, I gave CRN many, many chances to redeem itself. If felt like I was losing touch with a good friend, but as with everything, I came to understand that sometimes you have to let go. I had to recognize that all the work I was putting in (navigating to a website is hard after all!) was just not being reciprocated and it got removed from my favorites list. Harsh, I know, but necessary. Tough Love.

I am happy though that I have found a replacement in Shut and Run's blog. Her post today was TOO FUNNY!

Cold Pace Run

Today we opted to do a pace run. Ugh.

I am not a fan of pace run even in ideal conditions. Today was not ideal. The temperature hovered at zero. Plus all the ice chunks from the snow earlier in the week provided some additional challenges. BUT we did it and a decent pace considering the conditions..... 8:46. That is about 30 seconds per mile faster than what we normally do in the winter. It was a short one - only 5.5 miles, but since training hasn't official begun, I am FINE with that. Plus I think running in the cold is more strenuous so that added 2 miles - right? Oh - and I was running without Shiner (dog) pulling me along... so even harder!

Now I can take joy in the fact that I don't have to run tomorrow AND I have tomorrow off!

New runner blog to follow

I have been casting about and lurking around trying to find a new running blog to follow. I think I may have found one: Shut up and Run. I even left her a comment to see if I could get some free champion running apparel. I have to say, I love their bras.

Confirmed

I checked and I am definitely registered for the Fargo Marathon on May 22. I have another compulsion to add to my pre-race obsessive compulsive disorder. Since I some how goofed my registration to the LOTTERY for the NYC marathon, I have become a nervous Nelly.

I got excited too when I went to Fargo Marathon's merchandise page. It looked like they might have something to tempt my credit card before the race. However, when I went to the page there was only coffee mugs, bumper stickers for the 2009 race. It was hard, but I resisted.

So I went on trying to find something else to get me JAZZED about running the Fargo Marathon. The only thing that got my heart beating - in a good way - was the course elevation chart. It looks relatively flat - doesn't it? Or are they putting it at such a large scale that the changes don't look too bad? Sorry, I can't get it any bigger. However, I will tell you that those "BIG" valleys in the first half are LESS than a 20 foot change in elevation. That can't be has bad as the last street bridge at Chicago or the Hill from Hell (my name, not the official one) over the last 4 miles of Twin Cities (and I swear to you the hill lasted the ENTIRE 4 miles!). So right now - big grin on my face.

Long runs and tractors

I was very tempted to leak out on my long run today. It was forecasted to be -7 and Friday's run in similar temperatures seemed down right nasty. I really didn't want to repeat it, especially for 1.45 hours. But I stuck it out. Mainly because I knew if I didn't I would get endless you-know-what from Mike. Of course, he rewarded me with the comment, "I hope more people start running the long runs soon". A not so subtle way of telling me that I was not good enough. It was ALMOST as bad as Christy's comment, "Wade is Way, WAY older than me". Note to readers, Wade is a year YOUNGER than me. AND she didn't seem a bit remorseful when I pointed this out to her!

And here I am rewarding Mike by fulfilling his request that I include in my post the video "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy". For you non-spartans, this video is dedicated to the running love duo of Christy and Bryan. Bryan recently bought a SECOND tractor for his land. Apparently, his first tractor was somehow not good enough in the way that only a guy who loves his tractors can understand. His wife Christy is not one of those guys. He tried to pass it off as thinking of her..... now they would have his and hers tractors. Now, for those of you who are not Wisconsinites, let me be clear that it is NOT every female cheesehead's dream to have her own tractor. Yes, we might be the Dairy State, but that is only in the minds of male politicians. The women politicians have better things to spend their time on.

It is only in BRYAN's fantastical mind that Christy is thinking the following when she sees him when he is driving is tractor:

She thinks my tractor's sexy
It really turns her on
She's always starin' at me
While I'm chuggin' along
She likes the way it's pullin' while we're tillin' up the land
She's even kind of crazy 'bout my farmer's tan
She's the only one who really understands what gets me
She thinks my tractor's sexy.

I think Christy's response would be "Oh Boy!" and not in a supportive way!

I want to be a turtle

I want to be a turtle! See why:

courtesy of Running is Funny

Renege

Okay - I said I was going to take a hiatus from blogging, but in the last couple of days I have had things I wanted to post about or share and was feeling bummed I couldn't. Plus, I found out that I actually have readers (Thanks Take*Two!) not associated with the Sparta running group. (wonders will never cease!).

Another reason is that I need to have the threat of the appearing in "BLOG" when my fellow runners fail to show up to run. One of our runners, who is slowly infiltrating into the morning group, failed to show yesterday despite being signed up. I know she has a fear of what is being said about her in the blog (not sure why that would be!) and I know one of the reasons she failed to roll herself out of bed was because she had no worries about being mentioned in the BLOG. Well, I felt really guilty about that. I felt like I was letting her down (yeah right!). So, I felt the need to serve my people and return to blogging, albeit on a lesser extent.

So here I am again.

I will not blog after every run, just when my fellow runners give me some good material. Plus, I think I will expand the focus a bit beyond running. No fears - I will not give you the mundane details of my daily life! But I do want to be able to share funny or interesting stuff that I can't in some way connect to running.

So.... last night I a lot of dreams which at the time seemed somewhat stressful, but upon wakening I realized were actually HAPPY dreams.

I dreamt that I was in some kind of race at the temperature was going to be a lot warmer than I thought it would be. Not 80's, but more like 50's instead of 20's. In the dream I was stressed about this and wearing the right clothing. But in the wide awake replay I realized that having temperatures in the 50's is ALWAYS better than the 20's!

I dreamt that I got on the vicious scale and it showed my weight at about 10 pounds less than it really it. I didn't believe it and weighed myself again, to a LOWER amount. In the dream I was frustrated by this since I thought the scale was obviously not working right. Now in the wide awake replay I realize that I should never doubt the scale!

I dreamt about my high school friend Donna. It wasn't stressful in anyway. Yeah!

I dreamt that I didn't set my alarm for my morning run. Obviously, I was stressed because I was going to let my friends down and not show up. In the wide awake replay, I should have been happy I got to sleep in one day!

So, this blog is a reminder to us all that life is just a matter of perspective!

Too funny not to post

Okay - I said I wasn't going to post anymore, but this was too funny. I kept thinking - Well, at least that is one thing runners don't need to worry about!

See more funny videos and Sports Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Taking a Break

Well, I have decided that I am going to take a break from blogging. I am not sure how long the hiatus will last, but it is apparent to me that the inspiration is not there right now. I have been doing this years, so maybe it is just time for a vacation. We'll see....