weird

The family and I headed up to Ohio this weekend, with the main purpose being Nathan's fantasy baseball league draft. I however, had 18 miles to complete. My in-laws generously agreed to watch Liam while I ran - I guess that was a win-win situation. It was an odd run. First off, I started in the morning, which is not usual for me, but good since the marathon starts at 7:30 am. I ran along the Towpath which runs along the Cuyahoga River. It was a beautiful setting for a long run, not much traffic and great weather (50's on the verge of raining).

My father in law dropped me off and I was on my way. I'd planned to do a couple out and backs stopping midway for gatorade and pb&j, which I'd stashed away in a bag somewhat out of sight (or so I thought). The bag also contained some extra Gu, gloves, and cheap sunglasses. Another thing that was odd was how friendly people were during my run. Normally, I try to give off a "don't mess with this b--" vibe with my shades, hat and no smiling since there can be some quite sketchy characters along the routes I choose. But everyone here was oddly friendly. That took some getting used to... :)

I finished my first out and back (9.5 mi total) and headed for my stash. I thought it odd that a half drunk bottle of Gatorade just like the one I'd packed was sitting on the bench where my stuff was. Oh, that was my Gatorade. Someone had rifled through my stuff and helped themselves to my Gatodare! Ack! Needless to say, this freaked me out. A lot. I mean, I had a whole 'nother bottle of Gatorade, but what if they'd done something to it (I was thinking spit or pee, not to be gross)? Well, I had no choice as I was by myself, so I drank my other bottle of gatorade and ate some pb&j which appeared un-tampered with. But i was freaked out - so I didn't drink or eat as much as I should've. So I resumed my run...

The next out and back did not go so smoothly. I ran out of sport beans at about mile 17. I was breathing really hard and feeling a little out of it. I definitely slowed. My main motivation was knowing my in-laws and Liam would be waiting for me at the end. I saw my father in law, Randy, at the top of the final hill and his excitement really pushed me through to the end. It was a great finish to a not so great second half. Liam seemed excited too, but that might not have been about me. :) Sadly, my bag was gone! I almost wasn't surprised, but pretty disappointed that someone would take my stuff - really, junk to anyone else. After a few minutes, Randy was able to retrieve it from the recycling bin. Someone had tossed my stuff!

Another weird thing was that I got a sore throat almost immediately after finishing my run. Dehydration? Not sure... We drove home where i was able to stretch, shower, and rest. I felt amazingly good for running 19 miles. Not too stiff or fatigued. And then the next morning (today), it hit me like a ton of bricks. My sore throat had turned into more - I wonder if I pushed my immune system to the brink. Today has not been as much fun - sitting in the car for 6 hours, trying to hydrate and religiously swab my nose with zicam while popping ricolas and praying that I don't get too sick now!

Anyway, just wanted to give an update on my long run. Next week is hopefully a 20 miler - we'll see how my health holds up. I'm optimistic!

wind at my back

I ran 17 today. I had planned to do it yesterday, but today was better weather-wise. Still windy though, and cold. Ugh. When is this going to end?

Everything was going along pretty smoothly, actually. I ran the W&OD trail again from Reston. Decided to head toward Vienna and turn around after 3.5 mi. to break at my car. I was feeling good, then immediately when I turned around the wind hit me square in the face. 8.5 miles of wind in my face. I was wondering how much this affected my time. I did slow down as I headed west. After my pit stop, I headed west toward Loudoun Co. for 5 miles and then 5 mi. back to Reston. Boy was I glad the wind was at my back those last 5 mi. Almost as if someone was pushing me along, encouraging me to keep going. Had a low point somewhere around mile 11 or 12, but managed to push through it.

I'm pretty tired right now. Nathan promised to rub my calves for me, but he is doing his long run. Liam's still napping - another epic. I'm wondering how long I can leave him in bed and still consider myself a good parent. :)

Only 2 more long runs and then the two week taper!! Only 3 long runs to go, including marathon day. Can't wait (to have a life again)!

day off

I decided to take an extra day off this week, which means I am only running 4/7 days. Oh well, I did feel that the rest was more important than getting in 3-5 more miles this week. My calves have been incredibly tight/sore. I rub them out every day and have been taking a lot of advil. I get these knots that just seem to hold on to my shins. This is new to me - all of my running related issues in the past have been my knees.

So, with this extra day off (Saturday), came A LOT of extra time. Makes me realize even more how much I'm looking forward to the days following the marathon. What will I do with myself? take lots of naps? go shopping? to the spa? :)

Nathan and I went to Dick's Sporting GOods this mornings to stock up on some sport beans for my long runs. I am attempting 17 mi. tomorrow. I have to say, I hate Dick's. I mean, it is a really nice store and generally has a great selection and prices. But the people who work there, well, I wonder why they are there. I have consistently had the WORST service there over a period of years. It was so bad today, I wondered why we continue to patronize them. Nathan decided against some running shoes on clearance due to the crappy attitudes of the teenagers who work there.

Thanks for letting me vent. Again. :)

pet peeves

Through this blog, I have come to the realization that I like to complain a lot. :) I generally try to be a positive person. Perhaps this is my outlet. Through the many hours I've logged running, I've come up with a list of pet peeves. Here is one of my latest:

Please tell me why when there is snow on the ground there is less likelihood to clean up dog poop? There is SO much poop on the sidewalks and adjacent grassy areas right now. What is up with this, people?

I also highly dislike the phrases 'cool beans' and 'thank you much'.

What are yours?

come be my friend

http://www.myspace.com/163238739

sport beans

These are good stuff. Try 'em if you get a chance - www.sportbeans.com

long run sunday

Nothing terribly exciting to post about my long run, except that I completed 15! Woo! Finally, it is all coming together. I decided to change my route since I am really tired of doing all the ones near my house. I headed up to the W&OD trail and parked. This is the trail where I did most of my MCM training, but that was all in Arlington and Falls Church. Today I started in Reston, headed east to Vienna and then west through Herndon and out to Loudoun County then back to Reston.

The majority of the run was great. I was protected from the wind much of the time. There were some challenging hills, which I need! I definitely had some rough moments but was able to push through them. It was by far my best long run to date.

Part of why it was so good was that I was properly nourished and hydrated. I've made some new food discoveries... well new to me at least. PB&J is a great pre/post workout snack or meal. I've been really resistant to Gu or any of the other gels b/c I just can't stomach them, so I tried some Sport Beans this time around. They are made by Jelly Belly and slightly bigger than regular jelly beans. I ate one every half mile and that seemed to work out pretty well. I stopped for gatorade once.

Running up there and seeing tons of cyclists of all ages made me think we need to get Liam out there too. THe poor kid got a tricycle for his birthday but has had to resort to riding it in the living room due to all of the cold weather and darkness. I see some warm days up ahead!

flying

Just got in from an early morning run, albeit a short one. Just trying to loosen up and burn off nervous energy before my 15 miler tomorrow. I have not been a morning runner for a long while, due to weather and duties at home. When sleep is a precious commodity, it makes it that much harder to get up. I woke up earlier than usual today and after having coffee, reading the news and general internet surfing, decided I'd take advantage of this beautiful day. Boy am I glad I did. In just over 3 miles, I resolved some work-related issues that have been plaguing me, saw 7 people, 3 dogs, and 2 geese and a beautiful sunrise. I flew. Thanked God for this beautiful day.

defeat and redemption

Horrible long run on Sunday. After 3.5 miles of being blown around the trail, I headed back home with my tail between my legs and tears of frustration and disappointment in myself. I intended to complete my planned 15 miler on the treadmill, but even that goal would not be reached. With Nathan's encouragement, I reached a total of 10 miles before crawling into bed and pulling the covers over my head. They say it is not about the destination, but the journey, right?

On Monday, I did not really know what to do with myself. I wasn't really sore or too tired, but I felt defeated. No confidence. I ended up going for a run because I was pretty stressed at work and wanted that endorphin high! And it worked! Again on Tuesday! I had 2 great runs... am determined to tackle and conquer that 15 miles this weekend. Pray for good weather!

random thoughts 3/3/07

This week has been a pretty good running week. The weather has been quite spring-like and I've even enjoyed those runs on the treadmill, they've been fast. I even got to yoga class. I'm gearing up for a 15-miler on Sunday, with have a new (hilly!) route picked out. We shall see if I'm this enthusiastic on Sunday evening. It's amazing how optimistic a good night's sleep can make you.

I rounded out February with 125 miles under my belt - not bad considering it is a short month and all of the bad weather we had! Yeah!

The lingering aches and pains remain, mostly in my shins and calves. They don't bother me too much - I have to remember to stretch and rub out my calves. I bought "The Stick" (www.thestick.com) several years ago when I was training for MCM. It cost $25 and I thought I was being ripped off, but what a great investment it has been. For anyone who likes to roll out the muscles particularly in the quads or calves, I highly recommend it. Worth every penny.

I had some great fast runs this week, but also one in particular that was pretty rough. My legs felt heavy, and I just couldn't find my stride. I felt all over the place, kind of like Phoebe on Friends.

NRR (not running related) - Nathan and I have watched some good movies over the last couple weeks. The Departed and Babel were quite good but serious and I also enjoyed The Illusionist, even with Jessica Biel in it. Don't watch The Departed before bed - I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest with all the suspense and I could not get to sleep that night!

I guess that's all for now. Looks like a beautiful day, enjoy everyone! (all 3 of you)