Running On Empty

Off the deep end

2009-01-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

What have I gone and done?? Registered for the Twisted Ankle Half-Marathon, having just gotten back into running. Clearly, I am a lunatic.

A lunatic that knows a good time. But still a lunatic.

My runs this week have been very good so far (knock on wood). Of course, Murphy and his damned laws prevented me from getting one in at lunch today - I was all set to go out and it started pouring. The second I resigned myself to "only" a spin class tonight and changed back into my street clothes, the sun came out.

It's the way it always goes!

It's all coming back to me. . .

2009-01-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

If the little exercise lag I experienced (hell, I induced) from February to December taught me anything, it's that I was really fit. A bit extra weight be damned, I could do anything. After my Birmingham PR last February, I was probably in the best shape of my life.

It all went downhill from there. . .

The numerous times I tried to get back on the horse the past ten months left me tired, sore, and pretty much hating life. Add to that being overworked, law school, and my husband's cyclical deployments, and I was a sad human being.

I was lucky enough this past semester to finish exams early, thus giving myself about a month off. All told, I had about a month and a half off of class. I was able to get back to do something. As much as I loathe the elliptical, I could at least force myself to get on it, casebook in hand, and multitask my way through studying.

I progressed back to spin class. I normally loathe group exercise classes, as they require coordination that I do not possess. But getting back on the bike made me happy. And sweating like a fiend made me happy.

I have been back on a regular schedule for the past month, and I am happier than I have been in awhile. I feel better, I probably look better, and I'm sleeping better. And, at long last, my fitness level is improving. Case in point:

Wednesday 12/31: 60 min (PM) spin class
Thursday 1/1: ATC Resolution Run 5K @ conservative (10:30/mile) pace
Friday 1/2: 50 min (PM) simulated cycling race on bike trainer
Saturday 1/2: Lifted arms/shoulders/chest; 120 min (AM) spin class
Sunday 1/4: Ran (AM) 3 miles (no pacing); Lifted legs (PM); yoga

All of that, and I feel fantastic.

My official half-marathon training for ING starts tomorrow. I can't wait!

New Year. . .New Opportunities

2009-01-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

At the risk of stating the obvious, today marked the beginning of 2009. Having a deployed husband, I spent the day with friends, running the Atlanta Track Club's 5K Resolution Run.

It's the first time I've run - REALLY run - in several weeks. I didn't expect to run. Rather, I expected to walk most of the course with a friend, just to DO something. But I surprised myself by attempting to run. And I did it.

I hope I can make this a trend for the new year. I want to get back into the swing of things and get back to where I was, running fitness-wise, last year at this time.

In other news, I got a bike trainer from my husband for Christmas! So I hooked my little bike up to it and it's now sitting in front of my 61" TV, for optimal long riding pleasure. This should work well for the next couple of weeks, when the spin classes are sure to be packed with hundreds of New Years Resolutioners.

2008-12-13T12:16:00.000-08:00

It's getting cold here in the South! Obviously not cold by Rhode Island standards, but cool enough for Georgia.

Last night, I went with some friends to watch the Bruins beat the snot out of the Thrashers. It was blowing like heck downtown, and I actually wished I had gloves.

I have started running at lunch at work again. It's nice, but it sucks when people try to schedule things into that time. I've had to put my foot down with some people. I'm still not running as much as I'd like, but its something.

My plan for today is to do some arms and shoulders before heading to 4:30 spin class. Tonight, I'll relax on the couch with the animules and watch movies!

Again, life takes over

2008-12-03T18:14:00.001-08:00

In all honesty, I'm a terrible blogger.

I've always been a bad journal-keeper. I prefer to-do lists and planners. I must be about the only person left in the universe who still uses a paper planner. I tried a PDA when they were en vogue. No dice. I do use Google calendar as a way to reach my information. But none of Google's (or anyone else's) software has the organizational stuff that I need.

I guess that is a long-winded way of saying that I'm a ridiculous slacker.

Between work and school and the furkids, exercise of any kind has fallen to the wayside. With stress comes colds. And with this fall's colds came a diagnosis of asthma.

I was first diagnosed with asthma when I lived in Michigan, and was affected by the terrible seasonal allergies. But when I moved to Georgia, things cleared up and I started running.

After my most recent cold, I tried to run a couple of days later, but could barely crank out a mile. That happened several more times, and I ended up back at the doctor, with a diagnosis of asthma. I am also sleeping with a humidifier, which helps me not be

Now, I am on Advair, and well on my way back to health. With an luck, that will include running and cycling at the same level I was about a year ago!

Reason #347 to bring running clothes to work. . .

2008-04-22T04:17:00.000-07:00

I found a new usefulness for bringing my gym clothes to work with me - coffee.

As in, "when you spill a Starbucks grande coffee right down your front whilst wearing a light blue top and gray slacks, it's useful to have something clean and dry to change into."

But, per Murphy's law, I did not have my clothes with me yesterday, as I was planning to take the day off. Instead, I ended up at Target frantically searching for something to wear to class last night.

Asleep sitting up. . .

2008-04-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for a weekend when I have no studying to do. In reality, it's just three weeks off, but it seems like forever away. But I am going to leave the house to run, and that's it. The rest of the weekend will be spent sleeping, watching baseball (and God willing, the Celtics and Bruins) and probably drinking my weight in Sam Adams.

In between studying and a birthday party, I snuck in a 5 mile run on Saturday. I tried to talk myself out of it, but my conscience got the best of me when I realized that I was probably going to have a couple of drinks at the party. Small victories, I'll take them.

This morning was rather rough. I had to meet my study group in Roswell at 10AM. The kicker was that I was out until 4AM. . .oops.

But I managed to be productive in my study group, get the grocery shipping and laundry done, AND I got in an 8 miler this afternoon. And yes, I'm still awake!

James and I tackled the large loop at Kennesaw Mountain this afternoon, as it was the least crowded. It was a good run, all told. I did spend an inordinate amount of time dodging horse plop (how come they can do their business on trails, but if I try to pee in the woods, I get yelled at by a park ranger?) But that's what trail shoes are for, right?

I do plan to crash soon, but I have to make sure I write a letter to my fantastic husband, who I miss a lot. I have gotten a lot of emails from him. He's been running on the sub's treadmill, which leaves a lot to be desired. I hope he is hope by the Peachtree so that we can run it together. That would make my 4th of July super happy.

In a groove

2008-04-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

My original plan for Monday was to swim. I decided I didn't want to, so I did some speed work on the track instead. Of course, that meant two days of back to back tough workouts. Which also meant I was ignoring my own good sense.

Anyways, it was just 3 miles: 1 mile warmup, 6X200 (alternating with cool down laps), 1 mile cool down.

I felt great, but I was really sore when I got home, so I took a nice soak in my enormous garden tub. I happen to be a bit of a bath products whore, so it made my skin nice and soft. To the point that my dog, Bear, felt the need to snuggle up to me and lick me all night.

Today, I did my swim. But rather than making the same boneheaded move from last week, I did a relatively easy 1800 yds of an all free set.

200 w/u
600 free straight swim
6X75 with 15 seconds rest
6X50 (1/2 pull; 1/2 kick)
6X25 sprint w/ 5 seconds rest
200 s/d

All in all, a nice start to the week.

I've got some work to do tonight. Our office is moving next week, and I spent most of the day purging some files and packing. So something came up after I left to swim and go to school. And I am out in the morning to wait for the Comcast guy.

Yay.

Pet peeves

2008-04-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone judges me for being a not-so-skinny girl.

Case in point: Since it was chilly out, and I am not well equipped to ride in the cold, I went to spin class at my gym. I was wearing bike shorts, a tech shirt, and had bike shoes with well worn cleats. Yet the instructor still felt the need to come up to me to ask me if I'd ever been to a spin class before and proceeded to try to fit my bike for me.

I just rolled my eyes as all the other spritely class participants stared and snickered.

Afterwards, I proceeded to whoop butt in class.

Afterwards, the instructor said, "Well, I'm embarrassed. Clearly, you know what you're doing."

Pulling no punches, I put her on the spot: "Let me guess, you didn't think I had any idea simply because I'm a fat girl???"

She didn't lie, and replied in the affirmative.

This is a lesson everyone should teach their kids. Just because someone is not built like a marathoner, cyclist, swimmer, or any other type of athlete, you should not automatically presume that they are out of shape, have just started exercise, or otherwise don't know what they're doing. It's insulting, hurtful, and every time someone does it to me, I enjoy the fact that I can make them look like an asshole.

The Green Devil (and no, its not absinthe)

2008-04-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

I thought people were nutso when they warned me about moving down south several years ago.

It wasn't warnings about "oh you're gonna marry your cousin" or "watch out- you'll start saying 'I'm fixin' to' for everything." It was warnings about the pollen.

I've never had real bad allergies (at least nothing Claritin can't fix). I still don't really. But this two weeks out of the year (aka pollen season) just leaves me miserable.

Yesterday at work, my boss and I went for a walk to get coffee and to chat uninterrupted (interruptions are a problem in my office). I touched a car that had pollen on it. And then I touched my eye. Misery.

This mornings run was pretty miserable. Not for the way my legs felt, but the way my lungs felt inhaling that disgusting, powdery dew. Blech. That'll make my boogers bright green for sure!

It was a good run, though. Slow, but good. The biggest problem was running in the hyperpollenated woods.

Soooo, slowly but surely, I'm hopping back in the saddle.

I am gonna be sorry tomorrow. . .

2008-04-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

I got in the water for the first time since October today. One would think that a reasonable swimmer would take time to pace herself and re-acclimatize herself to swimming. Clearly, I am not a reasonable swimmer.

2000 yds. 400 yds mixed warm-up; 12X50 mixed IM sprints (fly/free, back/free, breast/free, free/free); 4X100 free drills (ripples, wrist, fist, catchup); 400 free swim; 200 swim down.

Psyyyyychooooo.

By the time I got to class tonight, my arms were feeling a little not attached to my body. Not sore - just weird. But I'm pretty sure tomorrow I will not be reaching over my head much.

I got in a decent run on Monday.

But I had to miss a workout yesterday. Because of work. There is going to be some serious discussion with my boss about that.

Hopefully, I can get 4 miles in tomorrow before a mandatory school thing. People's constant demand on my time, with little respect for my priorities (and its subsequent drain on my workout time) has started to take a toll on me. My demeanor has shifted from upbeat to exhausted. I have become short and easily irritated. I have gained a bunch of weight. I feel terrible.

And it is time for that all to stop.

Where the heck did my life go?!

2008-04-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

Wow. Almost two months since a post. I suck.

Since the Mercedes half in Birmingham, I have essentially done nothing insofar as running. So needless to day, I did not make my goal marathon (ING) nor will I make my other goal (Cox Providence). I still plan to run the half in Providence, though. Luckily, I've run enough (though sporadically) since then that I have enough fitness to crank out a half pretty effortlessly.

I don't know what I was thinking. I knew that this was going to be the worst semester of school. On top of that, I got a promotion (read: more responsibility) at work. And to put the icing on the cake, my husband has finally left for parts unknown with the Navy.

I can't beat myself up, I guess. Another day, another opportunity to run. Though today = swimming!

I think I'm going to set my sights on the Chickamauga Marathon this November in northwest GA. Next semester will be much easier, and work generally slows down for the summer (though who the hell knows what will happen with the election and the fact that my agency keeps having a disgustingly bad spotlight shone upon it). . .

A long week. . .and a new PR

2008-02-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

So this past week was another long one. Work (once again) interfered with running (but for a good reason that I can't fully disclose right now), and I had to cram two of three of my runs into Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

Saturday afternoon, the husband and I, as well as 7 other members of our running club headed to Birmingham, AL for the Mercedes Marathon Relay.

After a minor incident, involving the bottom falling out of a Chik-fil-A cup of Dr. Pepper, we were off, via the back roads of rural Georgia and I-20 West. It was a fairly mundane ride, other than a semi trying to take out the van in which we were riding as we got into downtown B-ham.

We stayed at the Doubletree, which was admittedly very nice, since most of B-ham looks like a shithole (no offense to any Alabamans), and the nine of us ended up at brewpub for dinner. I had a few too many beers, but apparently that form of carbo loading worked. . .

I was running the first leg of the relay, which was a 10K. Then, I would continue on in the half-marathon.

Sounds easy, right?

In theory, yes. But for the Worst Hill I Have Ever Run In My Life, which was conveniently located between miles 5 and 6. And took up 99.8% of that mile.
Ouch.

Let's just say, I kept my head down.

There was a drumline at the top of the hill, so I concentrated on their rhythm to get me to the top of the hill. After what seemed like a year, I finally got there.

Around the corner from the hill was the 10K mark, and my relay handoff point to my husband. He ran with me for the next 2.5+ miles, until the marathon course split from the half. He kept those "rolling" B-ham hills from messing with my head too much, and he kept me nice and evenly paced.

Soon after we split, I headed up yet another hill (see mile 9). It was deceiving. I thought it was going to be a short hill, but it just kept going up and up. Finally, I got to the top, where a pleasant view of B-ham below awaited me.

And then began the brutal downhill. Most people don't think that running downhill is hard, but boy is it brutal on your quads, especially when it's steep. I wished to heck my Garmin had been working, because I would have loved to seen my splits between miles 10 and 12. When I passed the race clock at mile 10, though, I knew I was on track for a possible PR.

Mile 12 was pretty flat and uneventful, besides a Buckeye heckler (I was wearing my Michigan Alumni shirt and heard quite a few "Go Blue!"s along the route, including an accordian player who started playing "Hail to the Victors" as I ran by).

I don't think I realized where mile 13 was, but I did hear the announcers calling out names, so I really turned it on. I turned the corner by the park, and saw the race clock. There would be a PR, even based on gun time.

Chip time: 2:17:56
Previous PR: 2:20:40 (2006 Country Music Half)

I'm particularly proud of the fact that I PRed on one of the toughest courses I've ever had the pleasure(?) of running.

That, and the free post-race beer.

Ouch!

2008-02-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

Wow, that loss was painful. I still can't even bring myself to talk about it quite yet. There will be no ESPN or NFL Network for at least a week. . .

Hopefully, this weekend will take my mind off of things. My running club is heading to the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL for the Marathon relay. We have two teams. I am running the first 10K leg of the A team, and after 6.2 miles, I'll hand off the relay chip to my husband, who will run the next 5K leg. I'll continue on in the half-marathon race.

It should be a good time. Most of our destination races are.

On top of all of this, I'm trying to plan a surprise going-away party for my husband, who leaves for sea duty on March 19th! It's going to suck with him not around on the regular for the next couple of years, but it will be good for his career, and we've been here before. I'm just worried about how my baby doggie and kitty will handle it all. . .

Now, I have to go get ready for class tonight. . .oh, the harassment I'm going to get from the Giants fans. . .

Rough week. . .and a new milestone

2008-02-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a rough week.

I did not get out to run ONCE this week, due to the shit hittething the fan at work. I was stuck late at work every night this week, and it left me scrambling to get downtown for class in time. Wednesday was supposed to be my day off, complete with time for running and doing school work, but I ended up on the phone all day, doing damage control.

Needless to say, I was a little apprehensive when it came time to go out for my long run on Saturday. James and I planned to do the entire trail system of Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park (save the trail to the top).

All 16 miles of it.

We had spent some time in the previous week over e-mail trying to figure out what was the easiest way to do this, as there were about 4 possible points where we could meet and run from. We finally settled on meeting at Burnt Hickory Rd.

The first leg was 6+ miles to the Visitor Center and back. I started out in capris, a short sleeve dri-fit tee, and a lightweight windbreaker. It soon became apparent that the windbreaker was going to get ditched when I got back to the car.

On the way from Burnt Hickory to Dallas Highway, there are two major hills. One doesn't look very steep, but is suprisingly tough to get up. We call that hill SSOB, or Sneaky Son of a Bitch hill. The second one just sucks: it's about 3/4 of a mile long, straight up. It's a pretty consistent grade, as well. It really tests your will. I just call that one Ugh.

The first time I ran Ugh was when I was training for my first half marathon. I was out alone, and it was my first time across Burnt Hickory on the trails. On my way up SSOB hill, I was chased by a wild turkey, and set a land-speed record up that hill.

I wasn't really expecting Ugh. No one had warned me about it. And needless to say, as a rather rookie runner at that point, it did me in. I hadn't learned about salt and hydration, and I ended up getting back to the Visitor Center with a shuffle and a headache. My husband (then-fiancee) and one of my good friends took me to Waffle House, and I almost passed out in my eggs.

I guess I've learned a thing or two since then. ;)

In any case, we got up Ugh slowly, and crossed Dallas Highway to attack the Kolb farm loop. At this point, my legs were just tired. The no running all week was finally catching up with me. Additionally, I had to spend a bit of energy dodging the freshly-laid horse turds that seemed to be everywhere on the trail.

The Kolb farm loop is my favorite part of the Kennesaw Mountain system, mostly because it is the most remote, and the most pretty. But boy, was I happy to be done with it!

We crossed back over Dallas Highway, after exchanging words with a guy in a Ford F250, who didn't seem to think that "yield to pedestrians" applied to him, as well. In retrospect, it's probably a good thing I was out of energy at that point.

Ugh was not nearly as fun as it usually is on the way back down. In fact, it downright hurt. But we got back to our cars at Burnt Hickory, having accomplished something we had both wanted to for awhile - we ran the trails at Kennesaw Mountain, in their entirety, in one day. Pretty cool if you ask me!

On the way home, my mother called, and let me know that Andre Tippet got in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Congrats #56 - you deserve it!!

I got home, grabbed some cheese (because that's what I wanted), and turned the water in the bathtub on lukewarm. The husband came upstairs with a 20 lb bag of ice, and I climbed in, still in my dirty, sweaty running clothes. He dumped the ice in the tub, and voila! Instant ice bath!

People may think I'm a lunatic, but a day later, I hardly feel any effects of the run on my legs. Maybe a little soreness in the hammys, but that's about it!

So today is Super Bowl Sunday, and we'll be heading out later to watch our Patriots clobber some New York Giant ass. I've been trying to avoid some of the pre-game insanity, but clearly, that is not happening today! 8+ hours of pre-game shows. Wow.

1986 (aka the year the Sox and the Pats both lost, aka the worst year of my life because I was 6 and didn't understand why my teams lost) seems so long ago. . .

2008-01-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

I really hate it when Atlanta gets winter weather advisories. . .they never turn out the way I want them to! A storm would have given me reason to stay snuggled in bed this morning, but I'm glad I didn't.

I met James at Kennesaw Mountain for a run. Our training schedule called for 11, but we went 9+, since we figured that 9+ on the trails of KeMo is probably equivalent in effort to an 11 or so. It's supposed to be a "cut back" week anyways, so that was just fine with me!

It was a really good run. I've had two this week. Uneventful, but smooth. It was needed.

I'm going to spend the rest of the day reading about rape (for criminal law), damages for breach of contract (contract law) and nuisance (property law). Good times.

Finally!

2008-01-25T10:03:00.000-08:00

The midweek running schedule has gotten back on track. Had a very happy 6 miles yesterday, and a decent 4.25 the day before that.

So, I've decided to run the Mercedes Half Marathon in Birmingham in a couple of weeks. A few of my running club mates and I are doing the Mercedes Marathon Relay, and their rules say that the first runner of the relay legs can continue in either race. Far be it from me to turn down a medal - especially one with a Mercedes logo on it!

After all, it fits right in with my marathon training, so it's literally a win-win.

The only problem is that my group is struggling to come up with a team name. We need something funny, possibly crude (but still PG), and obivously running-related.

The early brainstorms:

The Trotting Runners (an obvious ode to my favorite running ailment)
Sprinting for the Bushes (see above)
The Nip Guards
The RUNS (Running Unclub of the Northwest YMCA Superior Team) - we've got two teams going to the race

Ideas??

Another day, another long run

2008-01-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

15 miles yesterday in 40 degree, windy weather. The 40 degrees wasn't so bad. But the wind, yeuck. It made me feel what Tom Coughlin's face must've felt like during the Packers-Giants game on Sunday. . .Red, raw, and painful!

It was a decent enough run. James and I were on the Silver Comet - on the asphalt section - and I swear for as flat as that thing is, it is difficult to run on. I am used to hills in my daily runs. In fact, I tend to love hills and thrive on hills. When I get on completely flat surfaces, I struggle.

Its funny, some of the things I noticed while running. . .

Long runs are so much easier with a partner. It sounds like a given, but it seems like there are so many reasons why - your mind can go elsewhere, other than the pains in your legs; you have someone to bounce thoughts off; someone else can witness the crazy shit you see, to prove to people you are NOT insane (like the little old lady carrying the sawed-off golf club)
I am not the only one who talks to themselves while running. This probably crazy guy was running with his iPod (I hardly ever run with tunes). We passed him twice, and each time, as he got near us, he'd belt out a line from the song he was presumably listening to. After he passed, I heard him congratulating himself: "yeah, good one! You really psyched them out!" or something to that effect. Yeah, I talk to myself, but I am not that nutty!
Long runs are easier taken in chunks. Get the first three miles down. Then the next 4. Or something like that.
Out and backs always seem longer on the way back.
Nothing is off limits for conversation when it comes to long runs. We discussed everything from bowel movements to Barack Obama.
When in an area where you may not have access to restrooms BRING YOUR OWN TP. I cannot stress this enough. Otherwise, $2 Wal-Mart gloves will do in a pinch.

The rest of my long weekend was spent studying and watching football. Of course, my Patriots won (on the shoulders of Laurence "Kool Aid" Maroney, no less), and will be appearing in the Super Bowl! Yay for Big Ten men!

Move along. . .nothing to see here. . .

2008-01-14T07:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a mixed bag this past week. Runs got put off or taken out completely, and the majority of it was not by my own doing. I hate that. If I'm going to not run, I'd rather it be on my own accord, than circumstances beyond my control.

Particularly when they relate to work, and they almost make me late for school, never mind make me miss my run.

So I ended up missing two runs this week, one of which I made up on Saturday. I know you're not supposed to "make up" runs, but I really needed that one. The two misses this week were a result of meetings that ran over, and co-workers not being respectful of my time. I get into work at 6AM, expressly so that I can be out of there by 3:30. . .so I can get in a run, and hopefully, a shower, before heading off to class.

That's 9 1/2 hours a day, in a 40 hour work week, so forgive me for being pissed if I'm kept beyond 5PM. I work for the government - they don't pay me enough for me to be at their beck and call!!

Anyways, I squeezed in a quick 4 miler on Saturday before retiring to watch football for the balance of the day. My Patriots won, and all is right with the world. One more game to go before the Super Bowl!

I also had a couple of beers on Saturday, which normally wouldn't have been a problem, except for the fact that James and I switched our long runs to Sundays. The schedule called for 14 miles. . .so 14 miles it was.

The key ingredient for a bad run is a bad starting attitude. Combine that with a semi-hangover, and you've got all the makings of a miserable day. The hills were particularly vicious, and at some point, I lost one of the bottles from my fuel belt (which I never found again).

James and I could only keep each other in good spirits for so long. And during those long, quiet periods, I started the inevitable questioning:

Why am I doing this?
What the hell was I thinking?
12 more miles?! Are you kidding me?
Am I going to make it?

Of course, I knew all of the answers to these questions. But there's nothing like self-doubt creeping in on a long run.

With about 3 miles left, James was doing more walking than running, but I was still doing pretty well. I could have used some salt, but had decided to forgo the electrolytes (and, unfortunately, the BodyGlide), given the mild temperatures.

I didn't take an ice bath, or even a cold bath, and today, my legs feel good. Tired, but good.

My goal this week is to leave work absolutely on time. No one is getting in my way. I will do all my runs this week. And today, I will get to the gym for a cross-training session - something I haven't done in a very long time.

Yeah. . .

2008-01-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

So no running happened Sunday or Monday.

Sunday was consumed by homework. Namely, homework for my new criminal law class. I can tell that this guy is going to be brutal. Also, our garbage disposal broke.

Monday, I was out of the office sick. My sore throat and sore ears just took over. I feel a bit better now, but not 100%.

In any case, it doesn't matter. It's due to be 70 here today, and my sorry butt is going to get out and pount the pavement come 3:30!

Long Run Blues

2008-01-05T20:35:00.000-08:00

I had one of those runs today. . .9 miles. But it was a struggle all the way through.

I haven't been feeling that great all week. I've got a subclinical cold/ear infection/sinus infection going on, probably due to all the traveling and weather changes. Lord knows my skin is shot to hell. . .

I ran the trails at Kennesaw Mountain with Bill and James. It was a little over 30 when we started, but it climbed about 10 degrees by the time we finished.

We usually run the Visitor's Center trail on Saturdays, which winds from the Visitor's Center (duh) to Burnt Hickory Rd, and covers about 5.8 miles, out and back. Today, we continued across Burnt Hickory and went up to Dallas Highway. And I definitely mean "up to." There is a vicious hill that lasts about 3/4 of a mile and has at least a 10% grade. Of course, it's fun going back down, but let me tell you. . .going up, NO ONE goes very fast.

By the time we got back down the hill, we still had about 4 miles left to go, and my energy was sapped. I kept lagging behind the guys, but I kept shuffling.

The thing about trail running is it takes a lot of effort. I really felt like I ran a lot further than I did. It's not just the vicious hills out there (OK, Caroline, you're running at a mountain. . .what did you think, it would be flat??) - it's the effort to keep your feet going on the trail. I'm sure it has something to do with the energy transfer - trails/dirt absorb more, so you don't get as much of a "return" as you do from a less absorbent surface like asphalt. But I swear - the second I get off the trail and back onto the road, I think my perceived exertion goes down by 75%!

So, despite the slogginess of that run, it's done.

The hubby and I spent the rest of the day at the outlet mall in Dawsonville, spending Christmas gift cards. We returned home just in time to catch the Wild Card games, which were entertaining enough. Especially in the 4th quarters.

Tomorrow means homework, since law school starts up again on Monday. Maybe a slow recovery run and more football, too.

BRRRRRRRRRISK!

2008-01-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

It's been unseasonably cold for Georgia this week. And unseasonably windy, too!

Yesterday, I met James at the Kolb Farm Loop at Kennesaw Mountain for a trail run. It was about 22F when I left the house, so I bundled up in some tights, a long sleeve dri-fit, a fleece, and my new hat. The wind was blowing fiercely, but I knew we'd be buffered by the trees.

The run started off decently enough, and we warmed up quite quickly. It was a much better run than the 5K, and for that, I was grateful.

There are some challenging hills on this run, most of which included the dodging of horse poop. James was running well (which he attributed to his New Year's "carbeer-loading"). Me? Not so great, but I hung in there.

This week will be my highest week, mileage-wise, in awhile. Probably since before my first marathon. Baby steps.

Turning the Calendar to 2008. . .

2008-01-02T02:19:00.000-08:00

So I've been a bit slack in posting. . .even though it's vacation. But I have a good excuse - I've been spending time with my husband and furkids.

This will be our last holiday break for awhile. Law School starts back up fast and furious next week (and work starts up fast and furious tomorrow). In March, my husband goes back into his Navy sea rotation and will start being deployed every couple of months. It's not as horrid as it sounds (other than the fact that we'll be living apart for the next 4-5 years), but it'll be interesting to see how we balance this. Our little furry family has grown since he was last at sea in 2004 (we added Mr. Bear the Handsome Puppeh in 2006), and I've also gotten two rather large promotions since then, so the stress of work is larger.

But it is what it is, and we will deal with it!

So we made it back from Rhode Island whole, though the drive back was a little scary. Lots of rain, football traffic, and scary, soupy fog once we got back into ATL. All in all, it was a good trip, and I got more running in than I expected - including two hilly six-milers around my alma mater.

We spent most of Monday running around, doing errands such as buying my books for next semester (I have 200+ pages of reading already assigned), food shopping, and the obligatory Blockbuster trip since neither of us were in a mood to go out for New Year's.

This morning, we ran the Atlanta Track Club Resolution Run. We met up with our running group at the start, and I got it in my head that I wanted to do the 10K. Hubby decided to do the 5K. So I committed to run with my marathon training partner, James. He and I took off at a sub 10 minute clip (much faster than either of us had any business going today), and decided to mail it in and only do the 5K around the 2 mile mark.

Call us wimps, but there was football and beer to be had!

On that note, I must give a shout-out to my other alma mater, the University of Michigan Wolverines, for their Capital One Bowl victory today. . .that partially redeemed this otherwise obscenely embarrassing season for UM.

Tomorrow's plan: a 6 mile trail run at Kennesaw Mountain. There will be no bailing out on this one!

2007 Retrospective

2008-01-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

Taking a page out of Wes's book, here is my 2007 Year in Review:

3/29/07: ING Georgia Half-Marathon, Atlanta, GA

This was far from my best race, but it was the husband's first half. Despite having exploratory surgery 4 weeks beforehand (3/1/07), and having not run for the better part of the last month, we still pulled off a sub-2:30 finish. Of course, I was disappointed. I always want to PR, but I was agitated by the crappy race ammenities (lack of port-a-johns leading to a 20-ish minute bathroom break). I hear the course will be better next year as well.

4/14/07: Hoya and the Hare 5K, Marietta, GA

A hilly, punishing race at Harrison High School. Despite the hills, I still finished 3rd in my age group! My first and only age group placing to date.

7/4/07: Peachtree Road Race 10K, Atlanta, GA

This race will always mean something to me. I had a full hysterectomy on May 29th, and was able to complete the Peachtree (for those of you who've never run it, it's hilly) 5 weeks post-op. I was cleared by my doctor to run at 3 weeks, and I never looked back.

8/12/07: Hansgrohe Acworth Women's Triathlon, Acworth, GA

This race was a mere nine weeks post op. While I didn't finish as well as I wanted to, I had a very speedy swim (7th out of the water), but didn't do so hot on the bike and absolutely TANKED on the run.

I went home and slept for hours. And started law school the next day.

9/3/07: US 10K, Marietta, GA

Another hilly race, straight up Cobb Parkway. I had a not-so-great experience this year with it, and ended up shuffling most of it.

11/10/07: Chickamauga Battlefield 10M, Chickamauga, GA

This was a great race. My first 10 miler, and a fantastic course. It also set me up nicely for Thanksgiving. I felt like it was a good run, and I had a good time with some good friends doing it.

11/22/07: Atlanta Half-Marathon, Atlanta, GA

What a miserable race! It was rainy and cold, and I chafed everywhere! Despite all of that, I still managed to come within a minute and a half of my PR. I need to find an early year half to see if I can beat it.

All in all, I am thankful for the year I had. While my running may not have improved by leaps and bounds, I feel like I have learned to appreciate it more (3 weeks of being forced to be sedentary will do that to ya!) I am thankful for being able to get out there and run when I can.

Best running in 2008 for you all!

Mission: Almost Accomplished

2007-12-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

Well, we are (mostly) packed and ready to go. I'm just waiting on my husband to get home from work. I'm also heading t get my hair did at 2:30 (cut and highlights), and then we will be off!

I'm definitely excited to run in the cool weather in Rhody. It's been a while.

My niece said she wants to run with me while I'm home. Too bad the little brat runs a 21-min 5K, and there's no way I'll be able to keep up with her!

In any case, my marathon training really starts to ramp up while we're there. I have an 11 miler due this weekend (which will probably have to wait until Monday, given travel and events - e.g., Patriots games and beer consumption) and a 12 miler due next weekend. It'll be interesting!

Last night I went to the gym hoping to swim. But the pool was closed. So I hopped on a treadmill to run 3-ish miles. I hate the treadmill. There was a guy next to me that was absolutely destroying his treadmill. He was pounding the belt, and holding the rails, not flexing his legs at all. And he was doing it all at a speed that was way too fast for him.

I thought about saying something, but I didn't. Not mean saying something, but just maybe a friendly pointer from a more experienced runner. It's one of those awkward things - he probably would have been grateful, since he was struggling like heck, but it may have been embarassing in a gymful of people.

Oh well. If I see him again, I won't let the opportunity pass by then!

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas that celebrates it, and I'll be posting from Rhode Island!

TOTAL slacker

2007-12-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

If I hadn't run today, it would have marked a week since I last ran. . .nothing like a little motivation to get me out the door when it was the last thing I wanted to do.

Boy the jackoffs were out on the roads of Acworth/Kennesaw today! I not only had someone not move over as they drove by me (on a road without a shoulder), but I had someone actually speed up! What a jerk!

Anyways, it was a short 3 miler today to let myself get back into the swing of things. It wasn't a great run, but it was a run. I was out there. Whee. I guess it could be counted as a small victory.

The husband and I leave for Rhode Island on Friday afternoon. Until then, I have a ridiculous amount of things to do, including:

drop off the mutt to get fumigated (he smells horrid, and we can't bathe him outside because of the freaking drought, and he is too big/gimpy for the bathtub or shower)
pick up said mutt
run (2X - Wednesday morning and Thursday evening)
select and purchase Christmas gift for my sister and brother-in-law, the certified World's Hardest People To Shop For Because They Have Everything
finish up my mother's Christmas gift
do a load of laundry (including cold weather running gear)
pack
attend work Christmas party (tomorrow, ON MY DAY OFF)
start massive work project that is probably going to make me cry
purchase snacks for drive

Right now, the plan is to shower, change, and head to Old Navy to get some sweaters. I moved to Atlanta from Michigan 3 years ago, and I've already purged most of my heavy sweaters. Huh.

Ahh, the Christmas season. Brings out the stress and worst in all of us!

I have a New England superiority complex

2007-12-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to be invited to sit in a luxury box at Phillips Arena last night for the Thrashers-Bruins game. As the B's cruised to a 5-3 win, my friend Megan said to a nasty Thrashers fan:

"It's a Boston sports world, and you're just livin' in it, baby!"

Wowza. And she's right:

The Sawx just won their second World Series in 4 years, after spending most of my adolescence worrying that I'd never see them win one.
The Pats are currently undefeated, and are gunning for their 4th Super Bowl in 6 years. All while setting every offensive record imaginable (including number of illegitimate children being born to the star QB).
The Celtics are 18-2, and are whooping up on opponents regularly.
The Bruins are overachieving like whoa. They were projected last in their division by the "experts" (aka Barry Melrose's mullet), but are currently second and are scoring points like mad.
My Rhody Rams are 10-1, and just knocked off Syracuse!

WTF is in the water up there?!

Anyways, tonight is my last law school final of the semester (and probably the most pivotal to my career) - Contracts. With any luck, I'll have a couple of beers in me by 10PM, so I can pass out in peace and ward off the Exam Demons. In any case, I hope to get in a celebratory run tomorrow!

New Shoes!

2007-12-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do is break in new running shoes.

I ordered a pair of my Brooks Adrenalines from Amazon during their $20 off shoe sale. They arrived last week during my sinus infection, so I didn't get an opportunity to test them out until yesterday.

I brought my running clothes to work because I knew I was going to have a late meeting and wouldn't get home in time to run while it was still light out (thanks, Atlanta traffic). I got delayed after the meeting, but managed to book it up to Chastain Park for a quick 3 mile jaunt in my new kicks.

It was a nice, quick run. I attacked the hills well, had good pace, and good breathing. I was a bit sore from running on concrete the day after a 9 mile run on concrete, but I got in a good stretch at the end that really loosened things up and made my legs feel better.

I'll be running on asphalt today. The plan is 4-5 miles, but we'll see. I've got my study group tonight, a Bruins-Thrashers game tomorrow night, and my exam Thursday evening. So no more running after today till Friday.

Saturday, the plan was to head up to Lookout Mountain for a trail race with friends, but plans changed and we are unable to go. So it looks like I'll just have to get my trail work in at Kennesaw this weekend! But at least I won't have any school committments afterwards, and I can dawdle after the run with my friends!

And last, but certainly not least: Congratulations to Wes on his completion of the Rocket City Marathon this past weekend. Go, you!

Back in the saddle

2007-12-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

Went for a long run this morning.

This has been arguably the busiest weekend of my year. It is the weekend between my two finals (Property law last week and Contracts this week), and I am studying for Contracts like a madwoman. I still wasn't feeling all that great yesterday, so I decided to forgo any run at all and sleep in a bit before heading down to school to meet some study buddies.

I worked on Contracts from 10AM yesterday until the wee hours of this morning. Sometime during those hours, my buddy James called and asked if I wanted to make up the long run. . .

So bright and ugly this morning, I rolled myself out of bed and met James for 9 loooong miles.

We started out at a too-fast pace and had to slow it down a couple of times. A nice, steady 10:40 or so minute/mile pace was what we ended up with. It was a great morning for a run - mid 50s, no wind, and overcast.

James is just one of those great running partners. I could run with him every day. He knows when to talk, and he knows when to just be quiet (which is sometimes more than I can say for the hubby!) James' wife, Lori, used to run with our group. In fact, I knew her before I knew him. But she doesn't run much anymore, which is a shame.

All in all, the run was pretty tedious. It was just one of those that I had to do and get through. There was no way it was going to be a "good" run - though I think my bad attitude determined that! Afterwards, I grabbed a Diet Dr. Pepper (my drink of choice) at Sonic and headed home to shower and do some more studying before heading off to watch football for the afternoon.

Sickness

2007-12-05T10:39:00.001-08:00

I hate being sick. Apparently, I caught my husband's sinus infection from last week. As always, I got sick worse than he did, and I have been out of work two days this week. Bah.

To make matters even more sunny, my first final in law school is tomorrow :(

Needless to say, there's been no running. But lots of hot tea and soup. And kitty and doggie snuggles, of course. Those make everything better.

Running groups

2007-12-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I absolutely love long run days with the running group.

I met my running group one fall day three years ago at Kennesaw Mountain. Dori, our leader, has a habit of picking up "strays," so she picked me up and made me give her my email address. At the time, I lived in-town Atlanta, and didn't have much intention of going out to KM all that often.

After persistent emails from Dori, I started going on a regular basis. And we all became friends. They helped me train for my first half marathon in April of '05.

So anyways, there are several of us training for ING. It just seemed natural to train together.

We've decided to follow Hal Higdon's Novice II program, which incorporates more distance and adds in some pace runs. We had our first long run of 8 miles this morning.

Bill is a Major in the Army. James is an engineer. I am. . .me. Bill is the faster of the three of us, by far, and James and I keep a decent pace together. The three of us set off into the chilly morning this morning, which a starting temp of 38 degrees.

I knew off the bat that it wasn't going to be a great run for me. I have been hanging onto some of the side effects of a husband with a head cold. That, combined with law school finals, have left me really unable to thoroughly enjoy my running.

But today was different. Despite the fact that I didn't feel 100%, having other people there to laugh, joke, and tell stories with really made all the difference in the world. It's a special kind of bonding, and some of the long run conversations really do make for some great memories.

So, all told, ~8 miles in ~1 hr, 20 mins. Not so bad after all.

Happy Running!

When, oh when will I learn?!

2007-11-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

My husband's horrendous *rollseyes* sinus infection made me skip my run on Wednesday. I know, I know. Bad form not even a week into marathon training! But he kept calling at work and wanted me to play nursemaid, so I finally gave in and went directly home after work.

Feeling badly, I replaced my 3 miler with a 4 miler yesterday, with the intention to maybe kick it up to 5.

Before going to run, I called my husband to tell him of my intentions. After my run, I was supposed to head down to school to study for exams (starting next week. . .yikes!) and I wouldn't be home until late, so I wanted him to feel free to grab dinner without me. We had the usual banter about how our respective days were. I mentioned to him that I had felt rather, er, plugged up as of late. He said that it seemed strange, since I have a habit of being Ms. Regular, but otherwise we thought nothing of it.

Around the two mile mark, I could feel my tummy give off that distinctive pressure. You know, that "you better re-think your plans" pressure.

And stupid me, I didn't. I ran past every port-a-potty I saw over the five miles, and the pressure got worse with every agonizing step. It finally got to the point where I was waddling down Peachtree with buttcheeks clenched, praying that I'd get back to the Starbuck's where I'd parked my car in time.

There is a happy ending to this story: not only did I get back to Starbucks in time, but they were so impressed by the fact that I just "ran all that way," they gave me a free coffee.

Because runners + coffee = happy.

The training begins. . .

2007-11-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

Today was my first "official" training run for the ING Georgia Marathon in March. It was nothing big- a pedestrian 3 miles on the Chastain Park loop after work.

But more exciting news came in the form of an email from my mother. It turns out that my home state of Rhode Island is finally getting another marathon in 2008! It took me about 0.3 seconds to sign up for the half (though I am considering the full. . .we'll see after ING).

I'm still waiting for all the photos from the Atlanta Half. It was good fun, despite the rain.

Happy Running!

Rainy Runs

2007-11-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

Usually, I love running in the rain. I love how quiet it gets. I love the rhythmic sound of the raindrops on pavement.

However, I do not love it when it downpours during a 13.1 mile race!

Thursday morning, my husband and I partook (is that a word?) in the annual Atlanta Half-Marathon. I think our major excuse for this was to avoid cooking and sit on the couch like sloths, eating turkey, drinking beer, and watching football for the remainder of the day.

We were warned of rain, which is a good thing - Atlanta is in a bit of a drought - but I was not at all prepared for a deluge.

The rain began, almost instantaneously, as soon as we crossed the start line. Our chips beeped and off we went.

Within the first 3 or 4 miles, I was getting stiff, so I stopped to stretch a bit. The rain kept on coming, and it felt like I had puddles in my shoes.

Around 5 miles, I started running better. We had just passed the start line of the annual Peachtree Road Race, which is held on the 4th of July and is the largest 10K in the world. I've run it several times, and because the half-marathon course was matched for the next 6 miles with the Peachtree course, I knew what laid ahead: only one downhill and a whole lot of uphills for the next 8+ miles.

One of the hills is called Cardiac Hill, a spoof on Boston's famed Heartbreak Hill. It's called Cardiac Hill because it runs next to Piedmont Hospital, one of the top heart hospitals in the country. It's not hilly by Atlanta standards, but is a slow, steady incline.

I felt good, so I attacked it. By then, the rain had subsided a bit. I was about 3/4 of the way up when I noticed that my husband was not directly next to me. I looked back, and saw that he was slowly plodding up the hill, holding his dri-fit shirt out from his chest. I immediately knew what had happened.

Chafing.

I knew, because I was doing it, too. I used to be religious about Body Gliding up before runs, especially on the important areas like the sports bra line and the belly button, for when I had on shorts or pants with a tie in the front. I even had separate Body Glide stick for - ahem - other areas. Alas, I forgot them all.

As wet and sweaty as I was at that point, I knew that the after-shower was not going to be pleasant.

The last several miles went by quickly. I dare say we ran well on the hills. Once we hit Capitol Hill, I really began to pour it on, and we started passing people.

We crossed the finish line in 2:22:18, about 1:30 off from my PR (damn that stopping to stretch!) and a PR for my husband by 8 minutes!!

Next up: I begin training for the ING Georgia Marathon which takes place in March, 2008!

Oh, and PS: yes, those post-race showers were painful. But thanks to Starbucks and their amazing Gingerbread Lattes (as well as Smithwick's and Stella Artois), we were back to ourselves in no time!

An introduction

2007-11-15T20:57:00.001-08:00

An apropos way to start this blog. . .

As I write this, it's approximately 11:58 PM on a Thursday night, and my husband snores away in bed. Me? I'm an insomniac, and will be lucky to get to sleep before 2AM. I'll arise 2 1/2 hours later to get into work by 6, so that I might be home while it's still light out.

Why?

So that I can run.

I haven't always been a runner. Not that long ago, I would have called myself the anti-runner. I hated running.

But now, I need to run.

I began running in October of 2004. I was preparing for my wedding in October of 2005, and wanted to lose weight (much like any bride does before her "big day"). Grad school, moving to a new city, and starting a new job had all left me rather overweight and underactive, despite the fact that I loved to work out.

I met a bunch of girls on theknot.com, a wedding planning website. We all wanted to start running. So, I got myself some running shoes, and off I went.

Six months later, I completed my first half-marathon.

The rest was history.

I never ended up losing weight before my wedding (but that was for reasons other than running), but I was hooked.

Running is my therapy. It keeps me sane, lets me clear my head, and relieves my stress. It makes me feel in control.

Running is my "me" time. It is my selfish indulgence. I don't think about what I have to do at home, at work, or at school. I just go. It's me and the ground.

Running is my job. I've "written" some of my best work while running. I've analyzed issues (I'm a federal government policy analyst) and solved problems while running. I can think unencumbered. Things just flow.

I don't need to race, though I do that quite frequently. I just need to run.

-------------------

Otherwise about me:

- Federal government wage slave by day/rockstar law student by night

- Native Rhode Islander, transplanted to the South

- Married with furkids- a dog and a cat

- Avid and obsessive sports fan- particularly of the 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox (yes, I will say that as often as I can), the New England Patriots, the Michigan Wolverines, the Rhode Island Rams, the Boston Bruins, and to a lesser extent, the Boston Celtics (though I may be hopping on the KG bandwagon pretty soon)

- Seasoned runner and novice triathlete

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I will be posting a lot about running, but will definitely venture into other realms as well.

My current favorite topics of discussion include:

- Will the Red Sox re-sign Mike Lowell?

- Will Barry Bonds be convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice?

- Will the Patriots go undefeated this season?

- Will I pass my first semester of law school?

- Will I PR in my half marathon next week?

And much, much more!

Be well,
Caroline