Positive Outlook

Last night's run was hard. Really hard. I physically couldn't drag myself any further. I was wearing my Camelbak, so I don't know if that weighed me down, or if I wasn't used to the heat (it wasn't that hot...), or if my legs are just in need of a big break. But it was rough.

I decided to take an old gravel prison road that is closed to the public, behind the high school and passing through fields and trees and overgrown blackberry bushes. The sun was beginning to set, and I was seriously considering dropping out of the half-marathon when I saw an entire family of deer in a narrow space between blackberry hedges, carpeted in lush green grass. It was so beautiful, and for a while they didn't see me; they just continued to eat grass and was their white tails. For some reason it just made me feel so much better.

As I kept walking, I passed a small pond surrounded by tall marshy grasses. On the far side were two deer, wading in the water near the shore, just hanging out. To their right, within a human's arm length, was the most elegant bird; I'm not 100% sure but I think it was a great blue heron. (We've seen the same bird at the pond in Laurel Hill, the other end of the prison land... same guy maybe?) I stood for a while and wished for my camera, but I also started thinking about how little the half-marathon really matters in the scheme of things.

I'm so proud, it's ridiculous. Who cares if I come in last? At least I would finish! But instead of focusing on the accomplishment that will be finishing the half-marathon, on race day I will probably be embarrassed that I'm not going faster, or that I'm at the back of the pack, or that I'm gross. I also will be annoyed and embarrassed that people will be on the sidelines cheering. I don't even know these people, but I'm already dreading them because they'll be cheering for everyone and I won't feel like I am doing well enough to be cheered.

In the beauty of the moment, I thought about how it doesn't matter, and I just need to appreciate what I am able to do and be more positive in life in general. It's going to be hard for me, since being positive goes against my very nature, but I'm working on it.

the Hotness

So... yesterday and today it's been in the 90's. Someone's bright idea yesterday was to go for a bike ride at NOON. Really, it was more planned around our friend's schedule, but still. It was realllly hot out there, and it made the 9.5 miles that I rode feel a lot longer.

It's amazing how much difference the heat makes to my body; the same trails that I was killing last weekend I could barely handle yesterday. And I have a lovely physical reaction to the heat--it makes me throw up. (It's usually just water, but still.) Yes, I know, I throw up a lot anyway. This is just one more instance where I get to heave.

So this makes me wonder how training is going to go for running. Obviously, the marathon is in October and it may be warm but won't be 90. I'm just wondering about practicing all summer, since I pretty much HAVE to practice outside (it's so different, the treadmill just won't cut it) and it's definitely going to be hot. I guess I just wait as late in the day as possible, but even at 8 last night (when the sun was setting) it was 85 out. I know, I know, I should get up early and go before work. It might come to that (gasp!) but even so, when I left for work at 8:15 this morning it was already 78. It's going to be interesting.

At least I might get acclimated to the heat this year so I'm not puking every single time I ride, like last year. So lovely.

Conundrum

Hills are the hardest part of running; however, they are also the part that makes my shins feel the best. Downhill is hell. What is the world coming to??

4.87 miles around Lorton tonight: 2.6 running and a total average pace (walking and running) of 16:23. Kinda slow, didn't drink enough water earlier today, but I am finding that, like biking, I take a long time to warm up and after 30 minutes or so I am kicking ass. Right now my shins are kicking my ass, so it's time to throw on some ice.

On a side note, I recommend Stuff White People Like. Hilarious.

I Need a Running Partner.

MapMyRun is pretty cool—it's basically the same as Gmaps Pedometer but you can save runs and see other people's runs. It is also a tiny bit less clumsy to work with, although I'm still learning my way around some of the features. One thing that is really fun is that you can use little icons to signify "start", "end", "ice cream break", "scary dog", etc.

Looking at some of the runs people have saved, it occurred to me that I need a partner. I'm scared of running trails/woody areas by myself. I think I've seen too many crime dramas and Law & Order type shows. But those are areas that I'd really like to run, so if anyone wants to come with, please let me know!

I'm still pondering today's run. I'd like to check out something new without straying too far from home. We'll see what I can come up with...

Earth Day - 4/22

For Earth Day (and for my own reasons), I went straight to Lea's and ran around her neighborhood before dinner. I didn't look up a route beforehand, but I had an advantage since I used to live in the same neighborhood. I wasn't really sure how far it was going to be, but I knew where I was going to run... and of course I had forgotten how far it really was. The "shortcut" that I took through a neighborhood and up a gigantic grassy hill (really big!) didn't help, since it would have been faster to skip the "shortcut" and just continue on my way.

All in all, it was a good workout, and it was nice to get outside and see what that feels like. I did about 4.14 miles in 55 minutes, which is not too far from my pace on the last treadmill run I did (4.5 miles in 55 minutes). It felt as though I walked more than I ran, so I wanted to map it out based on where I walked/ran to see what it all added up to. Of course, I used Gmaps Pedometer, but the image below is just from regular old Google Maps (and me drawing on it through Photoshop), where I just discovered the "Terrain" setting... that's been there all along:

Apparently I only ran 2.05 miles of that distance... not as much as I would have hoped. Since my Nike+iPod is only calibrated for walking (working on it...), I don't know how fast I ran, but I do know that my usual walking pace is somewhere around 16.5 minutes/mile. If that's true... then I spent 34.48 minutes walking and 20.52 minutes running... which means I ran at roughly... 10 minutes per mile? That sounds awfully fast, but maybe that's why I wimped out and started running less at a time. (I'm also bad at math, so if you notice an error please feel free to let me know...)

I've always been a sprinter; Andy actually commented this weekend on how I like to go fast and get things done. It's true—the longest race I ever wanted to swim was one that took only 2 minutes. I'm not a long-distance anything—so why am I running a marathon?! :)

While I've been writing this post (amidst work... all day... at least work is taking the priority here!) I've discovered something called MapMyRun. It seems as though you can map your bike rides too. Interesting... I'm going to check into this further and report back soon.

Not the Early Bird

This is the second day in a row that Andy has gone to work 1st shift (leaving the house around 5:30 a.m.) and I've meant to get up and go to the gym before work. I'm not sure it's physically possible for me to do that--not a new concept but something that has been proven yet again.

Anyway, yesterday I was running late (but not running!) so I didn't even have gym clothes, and it was raining outside... so I did not excercise. Unless you count cleaning and reorganizing the house a bit. Today, I have clothes, and it's actually decent weather right now. So, if it's not going to rain, I may just head home and go out when I get there. Otherwise, I'm hitting the gym.

I'm going to start slow, because my legs are still sore and I haven't been able to run since last Monday. I'm hoping that after a nice long walking warmup I'll be able to run. If not, I'm not pushing it, because I am on the verge of recovery and 6 mile days once again!

shocks...pegs...lucky!

So I wimped out on Thursday night, then I tried to run outside Friday night but it became VERY obvious that I pushed it too hard last Monday, because... the shin splints are back. NOOOO!!!!!

It's actually OK though, because Saturday we went bike shopping and I got a new bike! The Trek 4500 WSD--made specifically for women. I tried a bunch of bikes before finding the one, and after a test ride at Laurel Hill last night, I know it was a good choice. And, it's a way to keep in shape while I rest the legs--at least the part of the legs where the shin splints happen. I think it actually helps them, since my feet stay flexed for the whole ride. Anyway...

Off for another ride!

P.S. It doesn't have pegs. But I am lucky.

Cool Again

Ugh... I'm just leaving work now... that means it'll be pretty much dark when I get home, which means I can't run too far because I get scared. Sounds silly, but I don't want someone to run out and get me while I'm running... so now I'm going to have to run around my condo complex. I'm sure that will look super cool...

Finally Outdoors

So... I was pretty sore for a couple of days, and can still feel a little bit of Monday's run in my legs. Maybe a slightly larger step than I should have taken...

Today is beautiful; the sun is shining, so I'm going to do my official second run of the year outdoors. I think I'm going to aim for an hour; whatever happens in that time is fine with me. I'll have to measure when I get back via Gmaps pedometer, just so that I can understand how far I went and what that feels like.

On the treadmill, an hour would be between 4.5 and 5 miles, depending on my dedication level. Running outside is so different than the treadmill, since you're self propelled and there are hills. I HATE hills. But, I'll keep a positive attitude for today... :)

An Open Letter to my iPod

Dear iPod,
I owe you a big apology: I've said some really unkind things about you lately, some of which are kinda my fault. If I don't charge you, then you can't stay going longer—a fact I'm openly accepting and for which I'm holding myself accountable.

That said, I have to tell you how much you really made my day yesterday. Around mile 6, Love Story by Taylor Swift started dying out when I still had 0.25 to go in my set, and I could feel my spirit sagging and was already thinking about stopping early to walk. But then you kicked in with some Bon Jovi! Perfect timing, and a great motivator. I finished that set running harder instead of walking early.

And then at the very end—that is where you really deserve some major kudos. Nine miles is a looong way, even with the walking spurts in between, and I was really feeling it towards the end. That last mile, trying to run and stay focused, I was trying to find some inspiration to keep me going, and then you played The Devil Went Down to Georgia!!! Unbelievable!!! I couldn't have chosen a better song myself: upbeat, sassy, and distracting enough to get me through to the end.

I couldn't have done it without you last night, iPod. I'll try to remember this the next time something happens—take the good with the bad. And you are good.

Hugs,
Sarah

Nine Miles in One Hour Fifty-Two Minutes and Forty-Eight Seconds!

No kidding! Doing the run/walk thing, 6 of those miles were running! But today I feel like I'm about 92 years old from the waist down. :-p

Nine Miles in Two Hours

That's the goal for tonight. The iPod is half-charged and might die before then, which I guess would be normal because I doubt it can last the whole marathon even fully charged. Hope I get a good treadmill!

Anxiety

Starting to get nervous about the half-marathon. I shouldn't have such high expectations for myself, but I can't help it. When I feel like I can't do something perfectly, I would rather not do it at all. Yes, I know this is a terrible attitude, but it's just the way I am. That's why I hated skiing for so long. I'd like to average 14 min/mile at the SLOWEST. Hmmm.... I think I can do that, but I'll have to figure out how to keep myself on that pace during the race. Maybe I'll write it on my arm where I should be time-wise at each mile. The Nike+ iPod thing isn't what I had hoped. I wonder if I still have the receipt... they'll take it back within 30 days...

Change of Plans

Instead of running outside yesterday, I did some cross-training with Andy and we went biking—about 8-9 miles total. We explored some of the new trails in Laurel Hill Park, (more maps here) which is adjacent to our neighborhood and is part of the former Lorton prison. The new trails are in the J-K-L areas on this map, or you can see the trails themselves (and lots of discussion on how awesome they are!) here. The newer trails are everything across Lorton road; the only trail up until this spring was the Giles Run trail.

Our first ride of the season went surprisingly well for both of us; I always have a hard time warming up, especially since the only direction to go from our house is UP. It's physically impossible for me to warm up going uphill—even when I am fully warm the hills kill me. I have ridden 30 miles on relatively flat/slowly rolling terrain, but steep uphills make me want to (and have in the past actually made me) vomit!

Andy was riding his single speed bike (I would die if I didn't have gears to change) and I was on my crappy old Fila. Yes, Fila made bikes apparently... but after 3 years of riding this bike and 2 years of saying I'm going to get a new one, I really might get a new one. We found a good deal on a good bike at Spokes Etc. so I'm going to try to call today to see if they have any at our store in Alexandria.

I just realized last week that the half marathon STARTS at 7:00 am in Fredericksburg—at least 30 minutes from Lorton. So I'll have to get up super early to get there and pick up my packet/warm up before the race starts at 7. I'm going to have to start getting up early during the week and working out before work—something I've been dreading and avoiding even thinking about since I started working out. Ugh, I hate to get up early. And, I will have to go to bed even earlier, so I will see Andy less during the week since most nights he doesn't even get home until close to 9 p.m. *sigh* The sacrifices for running. Good thing I've already told everyone about it or I might quit... but pride will prevent me from that at this point. :)

Note to Self:

Don't eat a big bowl of Cheerios before going to the gym. Or anything containing milk for that matter.

Sleep Queen

Illustration from the original edition of The Wizard of Oz, via ColourLovers

Well my goal for today was 9 miles run/walk at the gym, but it's the first day that I've really been able to rest after this insane month I've had. I asked Andy to call me around 10 to make sure that I was up and not sleeping the day away, and then I fell back asleep until 1. (It doesn't help that Fry and Lela loooove to sleep in with me—and practically on me—on the weekends.)

Anyway, I'm going to the movies at 4, which means I need to leave the gym around 3 to come back and shower, so I guess I'll just see how much I can do while I'm there... my running ratio is getting better and better so maybe I'll get more in than I think. If I could get 6, that would be great.

My goal for tomorrow is 3 miles running outside as long as it's clear. I really need some outdoor, fully self-propelled practice!

The Sexiest Girl in the Gym

So last night everyone in the gym was staring at me. They couldn't take their eyes off me! I truly was the center of all attention, and my socks were all the rage. When you forget to bring gym socks, you are elevated to a whole new level of hotness—especially when you wear your (husband's) brown work socks with your sneakers. If only they knew the things they couldn't see—like the fact that I was wearing the largest underwear known to man (or woman in this case) since we haven't done laundry in about a decade. Mmm hmm... Andy is one lucky dude!

(Notice the sock like on my leg where they were all day under my work pants—so sexxxy!!!)

4/7/09

Oh yeah! 6 miles last night, 2.5 running. I probably could have run more, but I brought a book with me and couldn't stop reading... running and reading don't mix, therefore I was reading and walking with mile-breaks for running. Anyway, it was great. I felt great. I feel great today. No aches or pains... except where I dropped a glass bottle on my toe last night. :( Yeeeouch!

Home Sweet Home

Ahhhhh the comfort of being home! I love to travel, but coming home is always my favorite part. Back to work today, no rest for the weary, and here I am working late on my first day back in the office! But really it's just because I didn't get much done during the rest of the day—it's really hard to focus, but that's OK. I'm about to head to the gym, where I sincerely hope that the workout goes swimmingly and that the altitude really was the reason for my crappy workout in NM. I'm aiming for 5 miles today, walking is fine if I need to just get back into the swing of things, but I'm sure I'll run at least a couple of those miles.

It's time to focus on bringing up the amount of running vs. walking again. This suffered a bit during this busy month of work, work work, and I'm ready to get it back on track. At least I got plenty of fast-walking practice last week at the conference. If I can move that fast in heels without running, then I should be excessively swift in sneaks. :)

P.S. Here's me feeding a baby goat at Jack (my boss)'s sister's goat dairy farm outside Albuquerque! (I wasn't wearing makeup, that's why the goat looks better than I do...) :-p

Two Firsts Today!

I completed my first workout during a business trip this morning, and I just REGISTERED for my first marathon! I'm in! From what I hear the MCM sells out very quickly, so lucky for me that I had it marked on my calendar and was able to register right away. I figure if I practice with the Team in Training, I can let someone else use their reserved tickets.

The workout this morning was pretty rough, mainly because of the altitude. I was walking fine, but I tried to run and got pretty dizzy. If you want to read more about how altitude affects the body and why this isn't a simple excuse, you can check out this Wikipedia article. Lorton is around 447 feet above sea level, and Santa Fe is 7000 feet. Liiiittle bitt of a difference there.

I am so pumped up about the marathon!!! 47 days to train before the half, and after I get back home the work situation will be significantly slowed. Plenty of time to run! WOOHOO! :-D