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)