Five Hours. One Minute. Ten Seconds.
I won.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Twas the Night Before Marathon...
In 11 hrs I will be starting my first marathon, and my god have I been a roller coaster of emotion all day!
I set my alarm for 6am this morning so when I wake up at 5am tomorrow it won't be SUCH shock (yeah, I don't think it's going to do anything either). It was difficult to get up at 6am when I don't really NEED to, but I was saved when "Animal House" was just starting on tv!
Animal House: the Zaniest movie ever with a splash of "Wacky"
I LOVE that movie. It is HILARIOUS, crude, old, entertaining, and just plain funny (which is starting to become hard to come by these days in modern cinema...but I digress). Point being, thank god it was on or else I most likely would have gone back to sleep. I waited until about 8am to actually be productive (although taking in some late 1970's comedy starring Wolfgang Amadeus himself ain't too bad), and left for the first Farmer's Market of the year. I got some mushrooms and spinach for tonight's pre-race pasta meal. There was a new specialty pie bakery there this year and I wanted EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE but I figured I could wait a week, until after I actually ran. It took willpower, my friends.
A little later in the morning I ran some errands for work which included a lot of driving on a perfect sunny day. I had my shades on, my music up, my windows rolled down, and I started thinking about the race (big surprise), and for the first time, I didn't feel immense panic, I felt pride and excitement. I've mentally divided up the course into 5 miles, 9 miles, 6 miles, and 6.2 miles, and picturing each separate route doesn't seem overwhelming! I was so immersed in thought that I actually teared up a little thinking about crossing the finish line. Then I realized I was about to pick up my friend (Lindsey) to help me with said errands, and I'd rather not be made fun of for my liquid eye-pride.
Later in the aternoon I headed down to the Radisson for the runner's expo to pick up my race packet (bib, chip, shirt, etc) and SNAP it was PACKED! It was kind of insane. It was tough finding a parking spot to begin with, but that was nothing compared to what was inside. This is the only marathon in the US to be happening tomorrow (for Mother's Day) so it did attract a lot of out-of-town die hard marathoners.
I stopped by Gazelle to pick up some Shot Bloks for the race last night around 4:30 since I knew they'd be busy all weekend, and I wanted to make sure they didn't run out of my flavor (orange!). To my dismay they had all the same running goodies at the expo...ON SALE! How dare they. They also had a sock sale going on (buy 3, get one free) but I couldn't bring myself to spend 3 socks worth of money. I also got a free copy of "Eat This, Not That" which is actually pre-tty cool. All in all I got some pretty nice SWAG (there was more to take, but as I get older I find myself being able to weed out the crap from the awesome swag).
On the bottom: Black mesh-ish Kalamazoo Marathon pull string backpack; Moisture-wick (awesome) white short sleeved Kalamazoo Marathon t-shirt; 410 bib number (for those of you who want to keep track of my splits and time); A bottle of sunscreen with handy carabiner A copy of "Eat This, Not That" 100% awesome
I'd say it's one of my most successful restraint-showing-in-front-of-free-things outing to date. I then spent time updating my SEVEN HOUR long playlist for the run (which I've been worried about alll week, but thanks to John, I have these new tasty licks to add to the collection:
Packet: check. Music: check. Outfit picked out: check. Now what is left: dinner.
So I've been thinking about my "last meal" so to speak all week, and especially all day. I've been so worried about my carb and water intake that everytime I had a pause in thoughts I'd immediately shoot a glass of water. And let me just say the trips to the bathroom have been plentiful and frequent. As a snack I also decided to eat toast with hummus since it's a nice protein/carb mix. But what for dinner...
I decided to make a nice mushroom/red onion/spinach/tomato/pasta/chicken dish, with a side of home-made sweet potato fries:
That plate of fries was for John and I. Hence the large portion.
A close up of the pasta, for those of you who were interested
And let me just say that it was....well, not that great actually. The sweet potato fries were good (although a little burned, but that's my 70 year old oven's fault). The pasta wasn't bad, it just didn't really have much flavor. But hey, I ate, I hydrated, I jammed to the 80s, and now I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for the 5am wake up, breakfast, gear up, 6:30am pick up, and the 7:30am start time. (I think my stomach just flipped into my right lung)
My half marathon time from 2009 was 2 hours 12 min. If I keep that pace (which is 2 min over 10 min miles) I'll get in at 4hours 24min. I don't think that will be happening. My goal is within 5 hours, but really, anytime I get in will be achieving a goal. I just hope there is actual picture evidence this year! (no one brought a camera to my half marathon...not that anyone's counting...)
(for some reason 26.2 miles seems a lot less intimidating compared to 5 hours of running)
Ok, heart, stop pounding. And stomach, get back to your location of residence. I'm planning on TRYING to get to sleep at 10-10:30ish, so...we'll see what happens.
It's time to sign out, because my nerves are starting to come out through my fingertips on the keyboard, so I bid you adieu, and I'll talk to you after I've completed a marathon. Wow.
I set my alarm for 6am this morning so when I wake up at 5am tomorrow it won't be SUCH shock (yeah, I don't think it's going to do anything either). It was difficult to get up at 6am when I don't really NEED to, but I was saved when "Animal House" was just starting on tv!
Animal House: the Zaniest movie ever with a splash of "Wacky" I LOVE that movie. It is HILARIOUS, crude, old, entertaining, and just plain funny (which is starting to become hard to come by these days in modern cinema...but I digress). Point being, thank god it was on or else I most likely would have gone back to sleep. I waited until about 8am to actually be productive (although taking in some late 1970's comedy starring Wolfgang Amadeus himself ain't too bad), and left for the first Farmer's Market of the year. I got some mushrooms and spinach for tonight's pre-race pasta meal. There was a new specialty pie bakery there this year and I wanted EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE but I figured I could wait a week, until after I actually ran. It took willpower, my friends.
A little later in the morning I ran some errands for work which included a lot of driving on a perfect sunny day. I had my shades on, my music up, my windows rolled down, and I started thinking about the race (big surprise), and for the first time, I didn't feel immense panic, I felt pride and excitement. I've mentally divided up the course into 5 miles, 9 miles, 6 miles, and 6.2 miles, and picturing each separate route doesn't seem overwhelming! I was so immersed in thought that I actually teared up a little thinking about crossing the finish line. Then I realized I was about to pick up my friend (Lindsey) to help me with said errands, and I'd rather not be made fun of for my liquid eye-pride.
Later in the aternoon I headed down to the Radisson for the runner's expo to pick up my race packet (bib, chip, shirt, etc) and SNAP it was PACKED! It was kind of insane. It was tough finding a parking spot to begin with, but that was nothing compared to what was inside. This is the only marathon in the US to be happening tomorrow (for Mother's Day) so it did attract a lot of out-of-town die hard marathoners.
I stopped by Gazelle to pick up some Shot Bloks for the race last night around 4:30 since I knew they'd be busy all weekend, and I wanted to make sure they didn't run out of my flavor (orange!). To my dismay they had all the same running goodies at the expo...ON SALE! How dare they. They also had a sock sale going on (buy 3, get one free) but I couldn't bring myself to spend 3 socks worth of money. I also got a free copy of "Eat This, Not That" which is actually pre-tty cool. All in all I got some pretty nice SWAG (there was more to take, but as I get older I find myself being able to weed out the crap from the awesome swag).
On the bottom: Black mesh-ish Kalamazoo Marathon pull string backpack; Moisture-wick (awesome) white short sleeved Kalamazoo Marathon t-shirt; 410 bib number (for those of you who want to keep track of my splits and time); A bottle of sunscreen with handy carabiner A copy of "Eat This, Not That" 100% awesome I'd say it's one of my most successful restraint-showing-in-front-of-free-things outing to date. I then spent time updating my SEVEN HOUR long playlist for the run (which I've been worried about alll week, but thanks to John, I have these new tasty licks to add to the collection:
- Dan Hartman-I Can Dream About You
- Sandstorm (do we really need artist identification?)
- Cheap Trick-Dream Police
- Steve Winwood-Higher Love
- Bruce Springsteen-Born to Run
- Billy Idol-Dancing with Myself
- ABBA-Gold (yes, the album. The whole album)
- George Harrison-Got my mind set on you
- Hall and Oates (need I say more?)
- Loverboy-Working for the weekend
- and more...much more...(like 5 more hours of music more...)
Packet: check. Music: check. Outfit picked out: check. Now what is left: dinner.
So I've been thinking about my "last meal" so to speak all week, and especially all day. I've been so worried about my carb and water intake that everytime I had a pause in thoughts I'd immediately shoot a glass of water. And let me just say the trips to the bathroom have been plentiful and frequent. As a snack I also decided to eat toast with hummus since it's a nice protein/carb mix. But what for dinner...
I decided to make a nice mushroom/red onion/spinach/tomato/pasta/chicken dish, with a side of home-made sweet potato fries:
That plate of fries was for John and I. Hence the large portion. 
A close up of the pasta, for those of you who were interestedAnd let me just say that it was....well, not that great actually. The sweet potato fries were good (although a little burned, but that's my 70 year old oven's fault). The pasta wasn't bad, it just didn't really have much flavor. But hey, I ate, I hydrated, I jammed to the 80s, and now I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for the 5am wake up, breakfast, gear up, 6:30am pick up, and the 7:30am start time. (I think my stomach just flipped into my right lung)
My half marathon time from 2009 was 2 hours 12 min. If I keep that pace (which is 2 min over 10 min miles) I'll get in at 4hours 24min. I don't think that will be happening. My goal is within 5 hours, but really, anytime I get in will be achieving a goal. I just hope there is actual picture evidence this year! (no one brought a camera to my half marathon...not that anyone's counting...)
(for some reason 26.2 miles seems a lot less intimidating compared to 5 hours of running)
Ok, heart, stop pounding. And stomach, get back to your location of residence. I'm planning on TRYING to get to sleep at 10-10:30ish, so...we'll see what happens.
It's time to sign out, because my nerves are starting to come out through my fingertips on the keyboard, so I bid you adieu, and I'll talk to you after I've completed a marathon. Wow.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Runner's Guilt!
I've been meaning to post this since the beginning of this blog, but now that the actual running aspect of the training is winding down, it is time!
Now I'm going to ask you to really stretch here, and remember back. Waay back, to the good old days of 2008. Obama was "Yes We Can"ing all over the country, Tina Fey was playing Sarah Palin, Hollywood ended their 100-day writers strike, Sex and the City premiered a movie (which I saw the first 30 min of the second one yesterday....yeesh. terrible. just terrible.), and Madona turned 50. It was a good year for most, and sandwiched in all these pop culture/political happenings was a new ad campaign. A NEW ad campaign from NEW Balance (clever?).
These came at a time when I was still in college, and my "workout" routine was going to the gym (that I was paying about $42/month) 3 times a month, on average. I had dabbled in running a little--which is to say I ran 2 miles every 5 or 6 days. The first time I saw this commercial, it shot me in my emotions like those SEALs shot Osama Bin Laden in the head (too much?). This overwhemling guilt came over me and then I realized: Runner's Guilt. Once you've been at a point in your life when you're in great shape (it doesn't have to be just running, any kind of athletic accomplishment really), any reminder of that lifestyle can shoot feelings if guilt through you and your sedentary lifestyle.
Without further ado, I give you: the most successful ad campaign to provoke emotion from me:
Snap.
Now I'm going to ask you to really stretch here, and remember back. Waay back, to the good old days of 2008. Obama was "Yes We Can"ing all over the country, Tina Fey was playing Sarah Palin, Hollywood ended their 100-day writers strike, Sex and the City premiered a movie (which I saw the first 30 min of the second one yesterday....yeesh. terrible. just terrible.), and Madona turned 50. It was a good year for most, and sandwiched in all these pop culture/political happenings was a new ad campaign. A NEW ad campaign from NEW Balance (clever?).
These came at a time when I was still in college, and my "workout" routine was going to the gym (that I was paying about $42/month) 3 times a month, on average. I had dabbled in running a little--which is to say I ran 2 miles every 5 or 6 days. The first time I saw this commercial, it shot me in my emotions like those SEALs shot Osama Bin Laden in the head (too much?). This overwhemling guilt came over me and then I realized: Runner's Guilt. Once you've been at a point in your life when you're in great shape (it doesn't have to be just running, any kind of athletic accomplishment really), any reminder of that lifestyle can shoot feelings if guilt through you and your sedentary lifestyle.
Without further ado, I give you: the most successful ad campaign to provoke emotion from me:
Snap.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
T Minus 1 Week
Well well well, 10 days and no call? I know, I'm ashamed. And especially so close to the race?! So last we talked I had embarked on my morning run and was feeling good. And I still do, I just need to stay out of my head!
Now you finally know, I'm actually a feline. With DYNAMITE green eyes!
So here are the things I have pledged to start doing with t-minus 2 weeks to go for the race, and then the way I have actually handled them.
Saturday, 3pm, 10.5 miles, sunny/hot
So this was going to be my last REAL long run until the race (tapering). I had conquered 17 miles, and I was ready to get to that unreachable 20 miles. If I could hit 20 miles, I knew I could mentally get to 26.2. So my friend Zach (who I ran into here) agreed to come with me for a portion of my run for his long run as well. I was doing 20, he was doing 15, I'd do 5 before we met up, and then quickly knocked out a 15 together (HA quickly knock out 15...). So I went out, feelin good, but snap it was really hot out that day. And when I stopped to think about it, it was really the hottest day I'd run in since last year (in SF the 2 times I ran it was later in the day, so it was warm, but not overpoweringly sunny or particularly hot). And that made it TOUGH. It was only 45 min of running, but I was a little afraid how the next 15 miles were going to go, but HEY I was going to be running with someone.
When I got back Zach was there waiting for me, so I quickly ran inside, grabbed my running belt, and a swig of Gatorade, and we hit the road. He listened to his headphones while I opted to not use mine (which I've been doing more lately. I'm actually surprised at how much I've been enjoying the sans-music...maybe this will influence how I run the race...we shall see). Well right off the bat my face was RED
I was about 10,000 times less glamorous than this and 100 times more red.
I felt ok though. And what's funny is that by mile 3 (with Zach, so mile 8 overall) I started to get my stride and was feeling in the "groove." Quick swig of water here, pop a Shot Blok of energy there, boom, I was ready to dominate this 20. Then we hit the 5.5 mile mark and the heat was getting to Zach. It's ok, I've run 10.5 miles, it's ok if I take a little walk with him, right?! We walked for a bit and when we tried to start back up again his knee had tightened up in a painful way. We were at the furthest part of our loop (we had 4 miles back to my place) and the truth started setting in: we were going to walk the rest of the way home. He kept apologizing for the interruption in the run and told me I could keep going, but the thing was it didn't really bother me at the time (and plus, I wasn't going to leave him. I'd want someone to stay with me if the roles were reversed). We walked the 4 miles back, with the whole thing taking almost 3 hours. I was going to try to run another 6 miles or so when we got back, but I was so tired of being outside, I just came home and slept. I had even purchased new Shot Bloks and 2 Gu packs for the run. I didn't get to try my new running treats (I actually tried a Gu for the first time today for my 8 mile run...AND I DON'T LIKE THEM! It is gross and unsettling, and I won't have another one...unless it's free, then I'll eat it by the free-truck load!).
Paid for: ehhh. Free: Delicious!
As the day went on, I started getting really worried about this missed mileage. This was my last long run to train myself mentally to go through the pain. I know physically I'll be able to do the run, but it's a question of mental preparation at this point. I'm still worried about it to tell you the truth.
(Sidenote that has nothing to do with running: the day after this my sister and I cooked Easter dinner for my parents and John, and we actually did a great job! Homemade Gnocchi, Marsala chicken, roasted Asparagus, brussel sprout/red onion salad, matzo ball soup, and almond coated matzo for dessert. Yes, our jewish roots were coming out in Eater, but technically the Pope did pardon us from the actual crucifixion of Christ, so hey, we're in the clear).
I've had 4, 3 (the morning run!), 6, and 8 mile runs this week and feel good about those distances, but am still worried about the 26.2! I have 2 short runs this week with a 2 mile walk, and then it's racetime! I can't believe I haven't lost any toenails! Although I did have bloody snot after my run today...I literally have no idea where that came from (and it was a shock! It was shockingly gross).
I know I still have a week, but I've been doing a lot of reflecting as the big day gets closer. I'm so proud of myself that I've gotten this far, I actually trained and stuck with it during those AWFUL months of Michigan winter, ran (albeit only twice) during my vacation, forced myself to hit the mileage I needed (for the mostpart), and actually kept up this blog. Although I'm sure I'm my biggest fan, this outlet has really proved to be a great tracking devise for staying accountable. "I can't skip this run, what will I tell the blog!?" I'll try to stay posted more frequently this week, since I won't be spending my night running long distances or going out drinking.
I have 7 days. I can do this.
Now you finally know, I'm actually a feline. With DYNAMITE green eyes!So here are the things I have pledged to start doing with t-minus 2 weeks to go for the race, and then the way I have actually handled them.
- I will start doing all my runs in the morning either before work, or when I get up on the weekend to get used to running early. I happened to get up early once this week before work and thought "what the hell" and went for a run. It was only 3 miles. And that was 3 non-morning runs ago.
- NO MORE DRINKING until after the race. I want pure liquids! I was 4 days strong (saturday, sunday, monday, tuesday) and John and I decided to go to one of my beer-specializing restaurants or dinner on Wednesday. They had Short's Bloody Beer on tap (which is SUPER limited release) that I LOVE so what choice did I have?! And since I had one I might as well have another...right!? And then I had an event to go to the next night at our Wine Bar (mmm Cabernet)...and then Friday called for a mixed 6-pack of "fancy beers" followed by the Red Wings game at my friendly neighborhood watering hole (read: cheap food/drink specials during wings games...$5.50 pitchers...I was defenseless). And my last "long run" today (8 miles) called for a celebratory beer, plus it was sunny and warm. But hey, I have a week to "purify" my system! RIGHT?!
- My diet will be immaculate. I will cook more out of my "Athlete's Palate Cookbook" and eat "superfoods" that will help with endurance, oxygen delivery to cells, protein, iron, and the like. Ehhhhhhh. My diet isn't all that bad, I cook well and make good meals, but when I'm out I eat fried everything with a big ol'slab of aioli (read: flavored mayo). I'm not TOO worried about this aspect, but I still have room for improvement.
- I will mentally prepare myself. Work in progress.
Saturday, 3pm, 10.5 miles, sunny/hot
So this was going to be my last REAL long run until the race (tapering). I had conquered 17 miles, and I was ready to get to that unreachable 20 miles. If I could hit 20 miles, I knew I could mentally get to 26.2. So my friend Zach (who I ran into here) agreed to come with me for a portion of my run for his long run as well. I was doing 20, he was doing 15, I'd do 5 before we met up, and then quickly knocked out a 15 together (HA quickly knock out 15...). So I went out, feelin good, but snap it was really hot out that day. And when I stopped to think about it, it was really the hottest day I'd run in since last year (in SF the 2 times I ran it was later in the day, so it was warm, but not overpoweringly sunny or particularly hot). And that made it TOUGH. It was only 45 min of running, but I was a little afraid how the next 15 miles were going to go, but HEY I was going to be running with someone.
When I got back Zach was there waiting for me, so I quickly ran inside, grabbed my running belt, and a swig of Gatorade, and we hit the road. He listened to his headphones while I opted to not use mine (which I've been doing more lately. I'm actually surprised at how much I've been enjoying the sans-music...maybe this will influence how I run the race...we shall see). Well right off the bat my face was RED
I was about 10,000 times less glamorous than this and 100 times more red.I felt ok though. And what's funny is that by mile 3 (with Zach, so mile 8 overall) I started to get my stride and was feeling in the "groove." Quick swig of water here, pop a Shot Blok of energy there, boom, I was ready to dominate this 20. Then we hit the 5.5 mile mark and the heat was getting to Zach. It's ok, I've run 10.5 miles, it's ok if I take a little walk with him, right?! We walked for a bit and when we tried to start back up again his knee had tightened up in a painful way. We were at the furthest part of our loop (we had 4 miles back to my place) and the truth started setting in: we were going to walk the rest of the way home. He kept apologizing for the interruption in the run and told me I could keep going, but the thing was it didn't really bother me at the time (and plus, I wasn't going to leave him. I'd want someone to stay with me if the roles were reversed). We walked the 4 miles back, with the whole thing taking almost 3 hours. I was going to try to run another 6 miles or so when we got back, but I was so tired of being outside, I just came home and slept. I had even purchased new Shot Bloks and 2 Gu packs for the run. I didn't get to try my new running treats (I actually tried a Gu for the first time today for my 8 mile run...AND I DON'T LIKE THEM! It is gross and unsettling, and I won't have another one...unless it's free, then I'll eat it by the free-truck load!).
Paid for: ehhh. Free: Delicious!As the day went on, I started getting really worried about this missed mileage. This was my last long run to train myself mentally to go through the pain. I know physically I'll be able to do the run, but it's a question of mental preparation at this point. I'm still worried about it to tell you the truth.
(Sidenote that has nothing to do with running: the day after this my sister and I cooked Easter dinner for my parents and John, and we actually did a great job! Homemade Gnocchi, Marsala chicken, roasted Asparagus, brussel sprout/red onion salad, matzo ball soup, and almond coated matzo for dessert. Yes, our jewish roots were coming out in Eater, but technically the Pope did pardon us from the actual crucifixion of Christ, so hey, we're in the clear).
I've had 4, 3 (the morning run!), 6, and 8 mile runs this week and feel good about those distances, but am still worried about the 26.2! I have 2 short runs this week with a 2 mile walk, and then it's racetime! I can't believe I haven't lost any toenails! Although I did have bloody snot after my run today...I literally have no idea where that came from (and it was a shock! It was shockingly gross).
I know I still have a week, but I've been doing a lot of reflecting as the big day gets closer. I'm so proud of myself that I've gotten this far, I actually trained and stuck with it during those AWFUL months of Michigan winter, ran (albeit only twice) during my vacation, forced myself to hit the mileage I needed (for the mostpart), and actually kept up this blog. Although I'm sure I'm my biggest fan, this outlet has really proved to be a great tracking devise for staying accountable. "I can't skip this run, what will I tell the blog!?" I'll try to stay posted more frequently this week, since I won't be spending my night running long distances or going out drinking.
I have 7 days. I can do this.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
17 Again!
Well, no, this is technically the first time I've ever run 17 miles (longest run ever!), but I'm just a big fan of Zac Efron.
Who wouldn't want to go to high school with this Adonis?
So all my fears are put to rest (well, not all, not until this $#%@ing marathon is behind me), but I manned up, and ran my first REAL long run since March when I ran with Clarke that 15 miles. I was a little afraid, but that 10 mile run I did last Wednesday really puffed up my ego enough to feel like I could do it. Now I'm at a point where I SHOULD technically be tapering off my distance until the marathon (which is less than 3 weeks away!), but I feel like I need to get one more long run in before I start that. 2 runs longer than 13 miles spaced out over a 2 month period does not a marathon-training make. But enough about that, onto the runs! (WARNING: snot references below)
Sunday, 3pm, 17 miles. WINDY, overcast/sunny mix, chilly
Well holy F I did it (as I had mentioned before). This run was comprised of 2 x 8 miles loops, with an extra mile thrown in the first loop, bringing us to that fun little total of 17 miles. If the amount of miles I ran was an age, I'd be able to drive past midnight with my Driver's License! I suited up with my runner's belt (which I still feel stupid putting on, but my god I really do love that thing and swear by it. Best (almost) $50 spent...the "real" best would be on either food or beer), and put a half pack of Cliff Shot Bloks and a full pack of Jelly Bean Sport Beans and tried to forget I was running for 3 hours. 3 hours. Of running. Oh yeah, and it's still 9.2 miles shorter than the distance I'm training for. Yeah, that's what a sane person should do. AH see how easy it is to slip into negative thinking!? And that was nothing.
So along with my mental hurdles to tackle, it was windy. And I mean WINDY. Which, as an avid snot-rocketer, is not the best condition. Right in the beginning at 1.5 miles I did what I always do: peel back my gloves, ready my fingers around my nose, make sure my headphone cord isn't in the way, and then go to town. Well, when you have a rogue element (hint: WIND) you can't control where your...fluids...land. Now this wind was going so hard and so fast, I didn't even see where it went. It was like it was there...then POOF, nothing. I was so freaked out that it went in my hair or something I stopped, walked back a few steps, and diligently looked around the ground to see if I could spot where it landed. It. Had. Disappeared. I swear. I then tore off my gloves and feverishly felt along my hair, face, pants, shirt...etc for any semblance of snot or bodily fluid. To my dismay (really? I wanted my bare fingers to touch that?) I found nothing. Where that snot landed, we may never know, I still feel that it was somewhere on my person, out of my sight, gleaming like a newly appointed badge for the unwitting passing cars to see and gawk at. "Look at that girl, she has snot all over her pants. hahaha. Let's enjoy the rest of our day NOT running for 3 hours" zoooooom.
So fast forward to the 5 mile mark, where I'm at the furthest part of my loop and turning down a road to complete the second half of the first loop (still with me?). Well, I was feeling fine, good pace, adequate candy-like fuel in me thanks to the handy pouch in my runner's belt, the wind wasn't even getting me down (too much). The I started thinking about the fact that "hey, I'm going to be back here after another 8 miles. Hey street sign, see you in an hour and a half!" And that's when I had to talk myself from an early psych-out. This run wasn't so much physically challenging as it was mentally. After that point every 5 min or so that thought would creep into my head and I literally had to REALLY try to stop those thoughts and put my mind on something else...ANYTHING ELSE.
Besides the wind and snot, the next 4 miles were pretty uneventful.
Fast forward to the end of my first loop. 9 miles down, 8 to go. At least I could stop psyching myself out about the double-loop thing. At this point it was all about that grand prize: 17 miles. I started ascending the Oakland hill for the second time, and up in the distance I saw a man running ahead of me in a red running outfit. I wonder how far he's going? Is he training for the marathon too? Look at those back pockets he has in his shirt! How clever. As I started looking closer, he had the same stride and form as my friend Zach (who had originally signed up for the marathon, and due to workload has cut down to the half marathon).
Side story about Zach and running:
This actually happened about 2 weeks before I started this blog. I may have hinted at the fact that I'm not very balance-and-or-grace gifted, and have had some serious injuries involving falling from running. This is one of those stories. So it's a Wednesday night in Michigan in January, so that means SNOW and it's dark. But we decided to do an easy 4 mile run, the first time we had run together EVER. The run was fun, we talked about people, places, things, the usual, and I almost forgot how cold and miserable my surroundings were since I had great company (man, thinking about running outside in the winter makes me SHUDDER, I know the weather now in April hasn't been ideal--afterall, it DID snow 2 days ago, seriously--but sweet christ I wouldn't want to go back to that time). We were in the last .5 miles of the run going down that hill on Oakland, and we were running next to each other rather than staggered. Well, unfortunately for me I was on the outside. And when it's snowy, you can't always see the curb, and where the sidewalk ends and drops off. Somehow I strayed too close to this edge, and half my foot caught curb, half my foot caught air. 100% of my ankle rolled. 100% of my person fell into the snow...hard. I wish I could have seen it, it was no less than a "comical fall" as in arms flailing, terrified look on the face, complete with a slight cracking sound from my ankle. Zach, of course, was horrified and worried. I jumped up (as people so when they're embarrassed) and just started bumbling "ha HA wow, how about that, let's finish the run, h-ha, man, what a fool I am..blahblahblah." He kept asking if I should run the rest of the way, but I was determined to prove I was fine (I don't know why). By the time we got back to my house and started our walking cool-down, I could feel something wasn't right. I fought through it until he left, then went to a full out limp. OH MY GOD IT HURT SO MUCH. I could barely stand on it. But the thing is, it didn't swell or bruise up. I stayed off it for like 4 days, and then it was fine. But still, yikes.
Anyhoo, after 1/2 mile I caught up to this unknown red running man, and sure enough, it was Zach! I must have scared him half to death with my arm slap coupled with "OHMYGODITHOUGHTTHATWASYOU!" since I had a good 5 minutes of build up trying to catch up with this guy. Turns out he was on a 10 mile run and he had 1 more mile to go. It happened to be in my route, so we ran that mile together. I can't tell you how much that 1 mile changed my feelings. I was a little overwhelmed thinking about doing the same route again, and having that extra mile with him, talking about nothing, took my mind off everything. By the time I dropped him off, I had 5.5 miles left to go. This is do-able.
I got to that same point at the the furthest part of the loop and it just hit me all at once. I. Am. Tired. And. My. Knees. Hurt. Ok, I can push through this, if I can get through this, I can run a marathon (right?). I pushed and pushed until I felt like I was running fumes. I kept checking my watch because I wanted to run at least 2:30 before I let myself walk (that was how long Clarke and I went for our 15 miles). I got to 2:23 and said screw it. I let myself walk for about a minute (maybe less, maybe more, we'll never know). The thing about letting yourself walk, or even being stopped at cross streets is that your body takes this time to tell you "HEY THIS PART OF YOUR BODY HURTS." And my knees were not quiet about their struggle. After pumping myself back up, I ran the rest and finished at 2:57. 17 miles. Booya.
When I finished my run on my ipod/nike program, Lance Armstrong came through my headphones saying "congratulations! This is your longest run yet!" and I don't know if it was how tired/hungry/battered I was, but I almost started crying when I heard that. I could feel a flood of tears rush to my eyes and I just felt so proud of myself. And then I got REALLY excited for the race itself. I am actually going to run it.
Then about 2 minutes later an older man stopped me and said he wanted to give me one of his poems. Now John always gets on me about how I can't not talk to someone like this. I didn't even try to talk to him, I was just too tired to say anything. This man then proceeded to talk to me about god and sinners for at least 6 minutes. He even said these words to me "I know times are changing, and I know that only God can judge you for wearing those tight pants." WHAT?! I was wearing running pants. I kept trying to leave but I didn't have the energy or strength to be polite. Finally I just walked away and said something about my muscles tensing up. I had to fight back tears, I was so upset about this encounter, and I'm sure it had to do with, again, RUNNING FOR 3 HOURS, and just being generally drained. I'm upset because I let this a%^hole get to me and interrupt my post-run euphoric walk. Next time, I'll just pretend my music is up too loud.
And then my knees hurt for 2 days, and I walked a little funny.
Wednesday, 6:30am, 5 miles. Overcast/rainy, chilly
I hate running in the morning. Hate it. But we have been having wine tastings with Michigan Wineries at one of our restaurants every Wednesday for the past few weeks, which I never make it to due to the running. The wine rep (Jenny Parker!) for this week's tasting--who is also training for the marathon--asked me if I'd be able to make it this week since, as I mentioned, I have yet to attend.
I mentioned the running to her, and then of course we went on a training-for-the-marathon-running-tips-tricks-stories route for a while, and she explained how she HAS to run in the mornings, or else it'd never get done. And let me just say, she is like Superwoman! She has so many events going on throughout Kalamazoo all the time involving beer and wine (DREAM JOB), and she's always there 100% and does amazing work. And she's training for the marathon. She is my idol. So I decided I would wake up early this morning, run a quick 5 miles before work, and make it to the tasting. If anything I'll at least complaining rights all day that "I woke up early and ran in crappy weather."
When was I going to bed I didn't really expect myself to go out, I was banking on my alarm going off, and me just setting it for later. But when I went off, it wasn't raining outside, my clothes were all laid out for me, and I was even a little chipper (confession: I think I went to bed at like 10:30 last night). Screw it, I'm running! And I did, and I was lovely (except for overdressing and being WAAY too hot, and being slightly misted by not-quite rain the entire time).
I got home and it was only 7:30am. I had time to leisurely get ready, and even made it in to work 30 min early. I will be at the Wine Tasting. Booya.
Who wouldn't want to go to high school with this Adonis?So all my fears are put to rest (well, not all, not until this $#%@ing marathon is behind me), but I manned up, and ran my first REAL long run since March when I ran with Clarke that 15 miles. I was a little afraid, but that 10 mile run I did last Wednesday really puffed up my ego enough to feel like I could do it. Now I'm at a point where I SHOULD technically be tapering off my distance until the marathon (which is less than 3 weeks away!), but I feel like I need to get one more long run in before I start that. 2 runs longer than 13 miles spaced out over a 2 month period does not a marathon-training make. But enough about that, onto the runs! (WARNING: snot references below)
Sunday, 3pm, 17 miles. WINDY, overcast/sunny mix, chilly
Well holy F I did it (as I had mentioned before). This run was comprised of 2 x 8 miles loops, with an extra mile thrown in the first loop, bringing us to that fun little total of 17 miles. If the amount of miles I ran was an age, I'd be able to drive past midnight with my Driver's License! I suited up with my runner's belt (which I still feel stupid putting on, but my god I really do love that thing and swear by it. Best (almost) $50 spent...the "real" best would be on either food or beer), and put a half pack of Cliff Shot Bloks and a full pack of Jelly Bean Sport Beans and tried to forget I was running for 3 hours. 3 hours. Of running. Oh yeah, and it's still 9.2 miles shorter than the distance I'm training for. Yeah, that's what a sane person should do. AH see how easy it is to slip into negative thinking!? And that was nothing.
So along with my mental hurdles to tackle, it was windy. And I mean WINDY. Which, as an avid snot-rocketer, is not the best condition. Right in the beginning at 1.5 miles I did what I always do: peel back my gloves, ready my fingers around my nose, make sure my headphone cord isn't in the way, and then go to town. Well, when you have a rogue element (hint: WIND) you can't control where your...fluids...land. Now this wind was going so hard and so fast, I didn't even see where it went. It was like it was there...then POOF, nothing. I was so freaked out that it went in my hair or something I stopped, walked back a few steps, and diligently looked around the ground to see if I could spot where it landed. It. Had. Disappeared. I swear. I then tore off my gloves and feverishly felt along my hair, face, pants, shirt...etc for any semblance of snot or bodily fluid. To my dismay (really? I wanted my bare fingers to touch that?) I found nothing. Where that snot landed, we may never know, I still feel that it was somewhere on my person, out of my sight, gleaming like a newly appointed badge for the unwitting passing cars to see and gawk at. "Look at that girl, she has snot all over her pants. hahaha. Let's enjoy the rest of our day NOT running for 3 hours" zoooooom.
So fast forward to the 5 mile mark, where I'm at the furthest part of my loop and turning down a road to complete the second half of the first loop (still with me?). Well, I was feeling fine, good pace, adequate candy-like fuel in me thanks to the handy pouch in my runner's belt, the wind wasn't even getting me down (too much). The I started thinking about the fact that "hey, I'm going to be back here after another 8 miles. Hey street sign, see you in an hour and a half!" And that's when I had to talk myself from an early psych-out. This run wasn't so much physically challenging as it was mentally. After that point every 5 min or so that thought would creep into my head and I literally had to REALLY try to stop those thoughts and put my mind on something else...ANYTHING ELSE.
Besides the wind and snot, the next 4 miles were pretty uneventful.
Fast forward to the end of my first loop. 9 miles down, 8 to go. At least I could stop psyching myself out about the double-loop thing. At this point it was all about that grand prize: 17 miles. I started ascending the Oakland hill for the second time, and up in the distance I saw a man running ahead of me in a red running outfit. I wonder how far he's going? Is he training for the marathon too? Look at those back pockets he has in his shirt! How clever. As I started looking closer, he had the same stride and form as my friend Zach (who had originally signed up for the marathon, and due to workload has cut down to the half marathon).
Side story about Zach and running:
This actually happened about 2 weeks before I started this blog. I may have hinted at the fact that I'm not very balance-and-or-grace gifted, and have had some serious injuries involving falling from running. This is one of those stories. So it's a Wednesday night in Michigan in January, so that means SNOW and it's dark. But we decided to do an easy 4 mile run, the first time we had run together EVER. The run was fun, we talked about people, places, things, the usual, and I almost forgot how cold and miserable my surroundings were since I had great company (man, thinking about running outside in the winter makes me SHUDDER, I know the weather now in April hasn't been ideal--afterall, it DID snow 2 days ago, seriously--but sweet christ I wouldn't want to go back to that time). We were in the last .5 miles of the run going down that hill on Oakland, and we were running next to each other rather than staggered. Well, unfortunately for me I was on the outside. And when it's snowy, you can't always see the curb, and where the sidewalk ends and drops off. Somehow I strayed too close to this edge, and half my foot caught curb, half my foot caught air. 100% of my ankle rolled. 100% of my person fell into the snow...hard. I wish I could have seen it, it was no less than a "comical fall" as in arms flailing, terrified look on the face, complete with a slight cracking sound from my ankle. Zach, of course, was horrified and worried. I jumped up (as people so when they're embarrassed) and just started bumbling "ha HA wow, how about that, let's finish the run, h-ha, man, what a fool I am..blahblahblah." He kept asking if I should run the rest of the way, but I was determined to prove I was fine (I don't know why). By the time we got back to my house and started our walking cool-down, I could feel something wasn't right. I fought through it until he left, then went to a full out limp. OH MY GOD IT HURT SO MUCH. I could barely stand on it. But the thing is, it didn't swell or bruise up. I stayed off it for like 4 days, and then it was fine. But still, yikes.
Anyhoo, after 1/2 mile I caught up to this unknown red running man, and sure enough, it was Zach! I must have scared him half to death with my arm slap coupled with "OHMYGODITHOUGHTTHATWASYOU!" since I had a good 5 minutes of build up trying to catch up with this guy. Turns out he was on a 10 mile run and he had 1 more mile to go. It happened to be in my route, so we ran that mile together. I can't tell you how much that 1 mile changed my feelings. I was a little overwhelmed thinking about doing the same route again, and having that extra mile with him, talking about nothing, took my mind off everything. By the time I dropped him off, I had 5.5 miles left to go. This is do-able.
I got to that same point at the the furthest part of the loop and it just hit me all at once. I. Am. Tired. And. My. Knees. Hurt. Ok, I can push through this, if I can get through this, I can run a marathon (right?). I pushed and pushed until I felt like I was running fumes. I kept checking my watch because I wanted to run at least 2:30 before I let myself walk (that was how long Clarke and I went for our 15 miles). I got to 2:23 and said screw it. I let myself walk for about a minute (maybe less, maybe more, we'll never know). The thing about letting yourself walk, or even being stopped at cross streets is that your body takes this time to tell you "HEY THIS PART OF YOUR BODY HURTS." And my knees were not quiet about their struggle. After pumping myself back up, I ran the rest and finished at 2:57. 17 miles. Booya.
When I finished my run on my ipod/nike program, Lance Armstrong came through my headphones saying "congratulations! This is your longest run yet!" and I don't know if it was how tired/hungry/battered I was, but I almost started crying when I heard that. I could feel a flood of tears rush to my eyes and I just felt so proud of myself. And then I got REALLY excited for the race itself. I am actually going to run it.
Then about 2 minutes later an older man stopped me and said he wanted to give me one of his poems. Now John always gets on me about how I can't not talk to someone like this. I didn't even try to talk to him, I was just too tired to say anything. This man then proceeded to talk to me about god and sinners for at least 6 minutes. He even said these words to me "I know times are changing, and I know that only God can judge you for wearing those tight pants." WHAT?! I was wearing running pants. I kept trying to leave but I didn't have the energy or strength to be polite. Finally I just walked away and said something about my muscles tensing up. I had to fight back tears, I was so upset about this encounter, and I'm sure it had to do with, again, RUNNING FOR 3 HOURS, and just being generally drained. I'm upset because I let this a%^hole get to me and interrupt my post-run euphoric walk. Next time, I'll just pretend my music is up too loud.
And then my knees hurt for 2 days, and I walked a little funny.
Wednesday, 6:30am, 5 miles. Overcast/rainy, chilly
I hate running in the morning. Hate it. But we have been having wine tastings with Michigan Wineries at one of our restaurants every Wednesday for the past few weeks, which I never make it to due to the running. The wine rep (Jenny Parker!) for this week's tasting--who is also training for the marathon--asked me if I'd be able to make it this week since, as I mentioned, I have yet to attend.
I mentioned the running to her, and then of course we went on a training-for-the-marathon-running-tips-tricks-stories route for a while, and she explained how she HAS to run in the mornings, or else it'd never get done. And let me just say, she is like Superwoman! She has so many events going on throughout Kalamazoo all the time involving beer and wine (DREAM JOB), and she's always there 100% and does amazing work. And she's training for the marathon. She is my idol. So I decided I would wake up early this morning, run a quick 5 miles before work, and make it to the tasting. If anything I'll at least complaining rights all day that "I woke up early and ran in crappy weather."
When was I going to bed I didn't really expect myself to go out, I was banking on my alarm going off, and me just setting it for later. But when I went off, it wasn't raining outside, my clothes were all laid out for me, and I was even a little chipper (confession: I think I went to bed at like 10:30 last night). Screw it, I'm running! And I did, and I was lovely (except for overdressing and being WAAY too hot, and being slightly misted by not-quite rain the entire time).
I got home and it was only 7:30am. I had time to leisurely get ready, and even made it in to work 30 min early. I will be at the Wine Tasting. Booya.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Playing Catch Up
Wow, it has been far too long dear friends.
Well I went to San Francisco, and snap was it fun. The weather was perfect, we went to Alcatraz and Napa, ate some amazing food (and drank some tasty drinks) and I even got a few runs in! And by a few I mean 2. Only 2. Over a full week. A month before my marathon. After 2 weeks of being sick and barely running. I know what you're thinking: yikes. (and you're right)
But before I get into that, some pretty pictures from San Francisco! (hope you like food pictures)
There are like 500 pictures, I edited myself for your benefit
(and anyways, this is a running blog, not a Erica-frolicking-about blog)
So the first day I got to San Francisco (well, second day really, Lindsey—my traveling chum—and I got hit with a bout of food poisoning the first day. The culprit: hot dogs from hockey-themed "SlapShotz Cafe" in the Detroit airport) the first thing I noticed were ALL THE RUNNERS EVERYWHERE. Immediately I had runners guilt (with an extra splash of unrealistic Erica expectation). I originally set this trip up in my mind to be my "cheat" week, only doing 3 runs (one of them being a 16 miler). That was before I got STREP and lost 2 weeks of training.
Here's the difficult thing about running while being on vacation: drinking. It's not so easy to do morning runs (to get it out of the way) when you've been drinking the previous night...and when you're terrified of getting lost in a city you've never been in before (and look like you're 14). So morning running is out. After a full day of tourist-ing about town (FULL HOUSE house), I decided to go for a quick 5 mile run. At this point it had been 4 days since my last run, and I was itching to get back on the road.
Saturday: 5 miles. 6pm. Sunny!
I did an easy (geographic-wise) 2.5 mile out and back, so as not to get lost. As soon as I started running I felt great! It was so surreal running in a backdrop like this, and I even had a route that was flat. I ran past AT&T ballpark and along the water. It took me 19 minutes to run to the Bay Bridge and then I ran just past the Ferry Building (which is where the Farmer's Market is held...and where Hog Island Oysters are..mmm), and then turned around and came back. It was a great run and I felt so accomplished (because I was just honestly surprised I actually ran...that took precious time away from being a tourist, or eating...or drinking). Here are the following modes of transportation I saw while on this run:
Sunday: 8 miles. 6:30pm. Still Sunny!
Today is the day I decided against running 16 miles since I didn't want to devote 3 hours of my vacation day to running. If only I knew how much that thinking would seep into the rest of my week. I did the same route, just 4 miles out and back (to about Fisherman's Wharf). There were dogs EVERYWHERE, and not only were there dogs, but none of them had leashes! There were Charles as far as the eye could see: and they were walking themselves. My people, I have seen the future, and it is tethered dog and bark-free! Who knew? The highlight of this run was at about mile 7 I heard a little boy yelling "run! run! run!" in the most adorable way imaginable. So I smiled over at him and waved. He looked starstruck. I felt like ZZ Top (you know..famous people?). But what really struck me was how easy this run was. I had barely run in weeks, and 8 miles was nothing. Not only that, but it went by really quickly! Mostlikely because I was running along the coast of San Francisco...a little more interesting scenery than Kalamazoo, Michigan. But it really made me realize I need to change up my routes. I may like knowing exactly where all my mile markers are, but maybe it's not the best way for me to run and train long distances? Only time will tell...
And then I just didn't run at all for the rest of the trip. F.
I got back and spent a full day sleeping and watching tv (obviously) and then was ready to hit the road the 2 days I had left before I had to go back to work.
Saturday: 8 miles (kind of). 2pm. Sunny!
So I wanted to get 16 miles in today. That didn't happen. I got to my 1.5 mile mark and had to walk for about 4 minutes. I ran another .5 mile, and then walked 6 minutes. What. Is. Going. On. I had two really great runs on vacation....oh yeah, that was a full week ago. And I've done no training since then. I walked/ran the 8 mile route (I was planning on doing this route 2 times...*sigh*...wishful thinking). I tried to stay positive during the 1.5 hours it took me to get through the route, but I was starting to get nervous. The marathon is a month away. I can't even run 2 straight miles.
Sunday: 8 miles (barely). 1pm. 80 DEGREES!
Oh snap was it sunny outside!!! I think I got more of a tan (read: freckles) during this "run" than I did in my entire week in California. And that was the highlight of my run, getting bronzed like a greek sun goddess (if you have ever seen me in real life you would realize the enormity of that joke). I set out for that unattainable 16 miles again, and did worse than the day before. It took me 20 more minutes this time to get through the 8 miles of walking/running. If only you could hear the negative and awful things I was thinking in my head. I didn't even attempt to run the last 1.5 miles. It was the king of all "Walk of Shame"s. How am I ever going to be ready for a marathon? Why did I let myself waste all my months of training when I'm so close? IT'S BEEN A MONTH SINCE I DID A LONG RUN! But when I break down my non-runnings, they're not terrible reasons. I didn't actively try not to run. I was sick, and then I was on (a much needed) vacation. It's just really hard to swallow that at a month until the race, I physically can't do the runs I need to be doing.
Monday: 5 miles. 6pm. Overcast.
I was not encouraged to go out on this run, but I got John to come on the road with me for an "easy" 4 miles. We set out and right off the bat he was way ahead of me. I felt awful, but kept pushing myself to keep going. Thoughts of "I've been training for months and he never does anything and he's doing better than I am" kept seeping into my head, and making me not only frustrated, but sad. Then around 1.5 miles I started thinking about what if I didn't run the marathon. What if I downgraded to the half marathon? After months of talking (and blogging) about my EVERYTHING having to do with running, I would let everyone down and not get close to my goal. I'd never be able to run in the first ever Kalamazoo Marathon. I could literally feel my eyes start to moisten, and I'd have to snap out of it...only to see John 20 feet ahead of me...slowing down every once in the while for me to catch up to him. We got to the 2 mile mark and John said "let's go to Whites Road" (which would be adding a mile onto our run, making it 5 miles). I wanted to kill him. After acting like a child we ran out to Whites, turned around, and started back. Around mile 3 I started to get a wind in me. I picked up my pace, and started feeling better. By mile 4 I was 1/2 a step in front of John. Stupid John making me run a mile more than I wanted to, making me feel better about myself. Stupid. I left the run feeling a *little* encouraged. Just a little.
Wednesday: 10 miles. 5pm. Sunny!
At work we've recently put "Good Form Dining" menus in all of our restaurants, so I've been talking Marathon alllllll day. Needless to say this made me a bit "pumped" for a run, y'know, to see if I still suck. Well long story short, I'M BACK. I tricked John into running the first 6 miles with me (it was officially the longest he's ever run. I think he NEEDS to run the half marathon if he can run 5 and 6 miles back to back with no training....jerk. His calves are killing him, so that makes me feel a little better, I suppose). After I dropped him off I set out for my last 4 miles. I decided against the iPod for the remaining distance...which I NEVER do. It was so nice out, and I felt so great from that first 6 miles I thought it was too perfect to change. I surprised myself with drifting off into my thoughts, and then realizing how fast I was going. I didn't want to overthink it so I could keep this surprising pace, so I drifted off again. What am I going to wear on the day of the race? Did I just step in dog poop or my own snot? Is that frozen pizza I got from Meijer going to be good? Which Girl Scout Cookie box do I get into first: Thin Mints or Samoas? Am I really going this fast? It was the first time since my vacation I was actually excited about running. I got back and my legs were a bit fatigued but I didn't feel as tired as I thought I was going to. I can't wait for this weekend when I try 17 miles. I know I can do it.
On a slightly different note, I think my middle toenail on my right foot is in the process of falling off (it's already getting pretty black). My feet are really gross.
It's crunchtime people. Less than a month!
Well I went to San Francisco, and snap was it fun. The weather was perfect, we went to Alcatraz and Napa, ate some amazing food (and drank some tasty drinks) and I even got a few runs in! And by a few I mean 2. Only 2. Over a full week. A month before my marathon. After 2 weeks of being sick and barely running. I know what you're thinking: yikes. (and you're right)
But before I get into that, some pretty pictures from San Francisco! (hope you like food pictures)
There are like 500 pictures, I edited myself for your benefit(and anyways, this is a running blog, not a Erica-frolicking-about blog)
So the first day I got to San Francisco (well, second day really, Lindsey—my traveling chum—and I got hit with a bout of food poisoning the first day. The culprit: hot dogs from hockey-themed "SlapShotz Cafe" in the Detroit airport) the first thing I noticed were ALL THE RUNNERS EVERYWHERE. Immediately I had runners guilt (with an extra splash of unrealistic Erica expectation). I originally set this trip up in my mind to be my "cheat" week, only doing 3 runs (one of them being a 16 miler). That was before I got STREP and lost 2 weeks of training.
Here's the difficult thing about running while being on vacation: drinking. It's not so easy to do morning runs (to get it out of the way) when you've been drinking the previous night...and when you're terrified of getting lost in a city you've never been in before (and look like you're 14). So morning running is out. After a full day of tourist-ing about town (FULL HOUSE house), I decided to go for a quick 5 mile run. At this point it had been 4 days since my last run, and I was itching to get back on the road.
Saturday: 5 miles. 6pm. Sunny!
I did an easy (geographic-wise) 2.5 mile out and back, so as not to get lost. As soon as I started running I felt great! It was so surreal running in a backdrop like this, and I even had a route that was flat. I ran past AT&T ballpark and along the water. It took me 19 minutes to run to the Bay Bridge and then I ran just past the Ferry Building (which is where the Farmer's Market is held...and where Hog Island Oysters are..mmm), and then turned around and came back. It was a great run and I felt so accomplished (because I was just honestly surprised I actually ran...that took precious time away from being a tourist, or eating...or drinking). Here are the following modes of transportation I saw while on this run:
- Walking
- Running
- Biking
- Roller Blading
- Roller Skating
- Heely-ing
- Rickshaw
- Unicycle (seriously)
- Tandem Biking
- Dog "walking" (no leash necessary)
Sunday: 8 miles. 6:30pm. Still Sunny!
Today is the day I decided against running 16 miles since I didn't want to devote 3 hours of my vacation day to running. If only I knew how much that thinking would seep into the rest of my week. I did the same route, just 4 miles out and back (to about Fisherman's Wharf). There were dogs EVERYWHERE, and not only were there dogs, but none of them had leashes! There were Charles as far as the eye could see: and they were walking themselves. My people, I have seen the future, and it is tethered dog and bark-free! Who knew? The highlight of this run was at about mile 7 I heard a little boy yelling "run! run! run!" in the most adorable way imaginable. So I smiled over at him and waved. He looked starstruck. I felt like ZZ Top (you know..famous people?). But what really struck me was how easy this run was. I had barely run in weeks, and 8 miles was nothing. Not only that, but it went by really quickly! Mostlikely because I was running along the coast of San Francisco...a little more interesting scenery than Kalamazoo, Michigan. But it really made me realize I need to change up my routes. I may like knowing exactly where all my mile markers are, but maybe it's not the best way for me to run and train long distances? Only time will tell...
And then I just didn't run at all for the rest of the trip. F.
I got back and spent a full day sleeping and watching tv (obviously) and then was ready to hit the road the 2 days I had left before I had to go back to work.
Saturday: 8 miles (kind of). 2pm. Sunny!
So I wanted to get 16 miles in today. That didn't happen. I got to my 1.5 mile mark and had to walk for about 4 minutes. I ran another .5 mile, and then walked 6 minutes. What. Is. Going. On. I had two really great runs on vacation....oh yeah, that was a full week ago. And I've done no training since then. I walked/ran the 8 mile route (I was planning on doing this route 2 times...*sigh*...wishful thinking). I tried to stay positive during the 1.5 hours it took me to get through the route, but I was starting to get nervous. The marathon is a month away. I can't even run 2 straight miles.
Sunday: 8 miles (barely). 1pm. 80 DEGREES!
Oh snap was it sunny outside!!! I think I got more of a tan (read: freckles) during this "run" than I did in my entire week in California. And that was the highlight of my run, getting bronzed like a greek sun goddess (if you have ever seen me in real life you would realize the enormity of that joke). I set out for that unattainable 16 miles again, and did worse than the day before. It took me 20 more minutes this time to get through the 8 miles of walking/running. If only you could hear the negative and awful things I was thinking in my head. I didn't even attempt to run the last 1.5 miles. It was the king of all "Walk of Shame"s. How am I ever going to be ready for a marathon? Why did I let myself waste all my months of training when I'm so close? IT'S BEEN A MONTH SINCE I DID A LONG RUN! But when I break down my non-runnings, they're not terrible reasons. I didn't actively try not to run. I was sick, and then I was on (a much needed) vacation. It's just really hard to swallow that at a month until the race, I physically can't do the runs I need to be doing.
Monday: 5 miles. 6pm. Overcast.
I was not encouraged to go out on this run, but I got John to come on the road with me for an "easy" 4 miles. We set out and right off the bat he was way ahead of me. I felt awful, but kept pushing myself to keep going. Thoughts of "I've been training for months and he never does anything and he's doing better than I am" kept seeping into my head, and making me not only frustrated, but sad. Then around 1.5 miles I started thinking about what if I didn't run the marathon. What if I downgraded to the half marathon? After months of talking (and blogging) about my EVERYTHING having to do with running, I would let everyone down and not get close to my goal. I'd never be able to run in the first ever Kalamazoo Marathon. I could literally feel my eyes start to moisten, and I'd have to snap out of it...only to see John 20 feet ahead of me...slowing down every once in the while for me to catch up to him. We got to the 2 mile mark and John said "let's go to Whites Road" (which would be adding a mile onto our run, making it 5 miles). I wanted to kill him. After acting like a child we ran out to Whites, turned around, and started back. Around mile 3 I started to get a wind in me. I picked up my pace, and started feeling better. By mile 4 I was 1/2 a step in front of John. Stupid John making me run a mile more than I wanted to, making me feel better about myself. Stupid. I left the run feeling a *little* encouraged. Just a little.
Wednesday: 10 miles. 5pm. Sunny!
At work we've recently put "Good Form Dining" menus in all of our restaurants, so I've been talking Marathon alllllll day. Needless to say this made me a bit "pumped" for a run, y'know, to see if I still suck. Well long story short, I'M BACK. I tricked John into running the first 6 miles with me (it was officially the longest he's ever run. I think he NEEDS to run the half marathon if he can run 5 and 6 miles back to back with no training....jerk. His calves are killing him, so that makes me feel a little better, I suppose). After I dropped him off I set out for my last 4 miles. I decided against the iPod for the remaining distance...which I NEVER do. It was so nice out, and I felt so great from that first 6 miles I thought it was too perfect to change. I surprised myself with drifting off into my thoughts, and then realizing how fast I was going. I didn't want to overthink it so I could keep this surprising pace, so I drifted off again. What am I going to wear on the day of the race? Did I just step in dog poop or my own snot? Is that frozen pizza I got from Meijer going to be good? Which Girl Scout Cookie box do I get into first: Thin Mints or Samoas? Am I really going this fast? It was the first time since my vacation I was actually excited about running. I got back and my legs were a bit fatigued but I didn't feel as tired as I thought I was going to. I can't wait for this weekend when I try 17 miles. I know I can do it.
On a slightly different note, I think my middle toenail on my right foot is in the process of falling off (it's already getting pretty black). My feet are really gross.
It's crunchtime people. Less than a month!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
SF
I'm in San Francisco, and it is SO much warmer than Michigan, oh snap.
I have yet to go on a run, but I'm planning on going out later today. Tomorrow my 16 mile run-to-the-bridge-and-back, so I'm excited to see more of the city...but not the actual running aspect. That's 3 hours I could be spending shopping, or eating (or napping...old habits die hard).
Stay tuned for better SF stories (and pictures...oh, and I'm going to the "Full House" house today, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited out of my mind)
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