Finally

Well I finally got a chance to run again. Real running, not treadmill running. (which by the way I hate!) My legs didn't feel up to their best, and my cardio was lacking a bit, but I knocked out 3 miles in 27 minutes. It felt good to get out there again. Now that the weather is warming up and the days are getting longer I might be able to get out 3 or more times a week for several 3-5 miles runs. My ankle is still bothering me. I have no idea what is up with that deal. This morning my lower legs were stiff as boards. I feel like I'm back to square one with the whole running thing. I don't think it will take me that long to get back to where I was though. I guess that is what happens when you take 3 weeks off.

I have inspired another running partner to run a half marathon. Which is surprising b/c of all the bitching I did about the training in the end. She is running the Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half. Which sounds like an awesome party. I'm sure the course is flat as can be and training in the summer won't be half as bad as winter training. I'll take heat over 40 mph wind gusts any day of the week. I'm debating on training with her just for the heck of it. There would be no pressure on running the race so maybe it won't be so bad.

Other life things are crazy. I will add a second car payment to our lives tomorrow. My son cried at swimming. I would of too if I were him. She had him on his back and let his head go and he slowly started to go under. He did better than I thought he would. Of course he hates it and wants to quit. He got his way with his father and dh put the training wheels back on his bike (which irks me to no end) but he must stay with swimming until he can swim one lap in the pool. I'm not raising quitters. Dh is better at training them to ride two wheelers so I didn't get involved in that discussion.

I've been bad at blogging lately too. It'll probably get much worse once the spring/summer get going. Though maybe not. Who knows. I AM keeping up with everyone elses blogs.

oh boy

two weeks without working out and I feel completely out of shape. Is that possible? I ran sprints on the treadmill today while daughter #1 had swimming lessons. (that is after the stupid slow walker got off it) I did it, but my heart rate got up to 170. Ack. I felt very fat for some reason. My gym membership is over (sob) at the end of the month. Back to the great outdoors. Actually I will miss the gym for weight training, but tonight when I went in it was packed and I'm not good with crowds. I had to get on one of the older treadmills for 5 minutes and whatever program I picked I had to put my age into and it wouldn't let me run over 4.5 until it checked my heart rate. Please. On a better note. I am completely healed (yeah me!) and have a 5k at the end of April.

Our truck died again. Dh would kill for a new, used, small, dented anything pickup truck. No, no no. I need to stick it to the man. We are buying a car that gets 34 mpg and is a stick shift. It is small as anything, and I won't be able to get three car seats in it but I'm getting it anyway. We have the SUV for carpools, surf fishing, home depot and hunting. I test drove a Chevy HHR (very retro car) today and since it's a 4 cylinder (i'm used to 8) I wanted to see what kinda pickup it had. I think the car salesman almost had a heart attack. Good thing he doesn't drive with me all the time. He'd be a corpse in about an hour. The car we are most likely getting is another 4 cylinder with 120 horsepower. I was going up a hill in it and tried to floor it and .....well....didn't get much past 40 on the hill. That car salesman thought that was pretty funny. At least he didn't try to talk me out of the manual transmission or put me in a small SUV b/c "that what all the ladies that come in here like" I hate buying cars.

Lost is on...gotta go!

Memories and me

Are there memories that you never forget? Things that pop up in your mind decades later?

Here is one of mine.

When I was 7 or so I was terrified of water. I would be that loser kid hugging the side of the pool. My mother put me in swim lessons. I remember there were 2 other children and the instructer. We held hands in a circle and she said "ok at the count of 3 we are going to go under the water, everyone is going under!" 1, 2, 3 and we went under. When I came up I was so excited, proud and amazed at myself. I did not drown or die. No one had to rescue me and I didn't cry. After that and practice I became a competitive swimmer until I was 16. I've been thinking of this for a couple of weeks now. The most likely reason is child #2 is just like me. I've set him up for private lessons with a former drill instructor at the same pool. I think he is going to cry though. I have become the mother I said I never would. I want one of these children to be a swimmer like me. There are just so many great memories with swimming. The competitiveness, the friendships, the pool parties, the excitement and let's not forget eating jello powder with your finger!

Other stuff going on. I'm eating like crap lately. Tomorrow it stops. It isn't stopping today because this is our national holiday. I've got the corned beef ready to go. Though no cabbage. Yeck. I'm going on the assumption that the Irish switched to cabbage during the potato famine. Probably wrong about that, but the smell alone will make me ill.

My ankle is much better. I have no idea what I did to it last Sunday. I plan to run 2 miles sometime this weekend. I'm looking forward to the run. Here is a picture of me crossing the finish line . FYI...I don't even remember the fanny pack guy next to me. I must of been booking up that final hill and I just kept my eyes on the clock not on people.

ME!

Pain

I'm a mess. I got a very good pressure point leg massage yesterday, but I'm still having problems walking. My left inside ankle looks strange too. What is weird about all this is that I feel that I could of run harder. I'm a bit upset about the last mile time. What was that about? I hit mile 10 at 1:30 (chip time was probably 1:29) but 1:30 was my training time on harder hills and in the wind. I couldn't get up the gumption to pick people off, which is a trait I hold dearly. None of the people interested me enough that day. Or maybe it is because it was the first time I ran this type of race. In my first 5k in September I wasn't interested in picking people off that much either.

One thing I do in life is that I don't make eye contact in supermarkets, malls or places like that. I tend to hold my head down. Usually friends will have to come up to me and tap me on the shoulder or will say "i saw you so and so yesterday". At the race though I looked every runner in the eyes as they were on the way back. I just wanted to see what they "looked like" What their face and body said to me. I was curious what made them so much better than me. On a side note I must apologize for the "what a freak" comment about runner #1. He isn't a freak, I think I thought that after he passes and runner #2 was nowhere in sight. FYI runner #1 missed the start and probably started next to me (about a minute back). Here's a link to some pictures of fast people. They stopped taking pics at 1:35. (dicks) Brightroom was there so maybe some camera caught my agile frame.

I'm eating like crazy this week. I actually had a peanut butter cup today. Gotta love them. I'll be back next week running and eating like I usually do. I'd better, or I'll blow up like a blimp with this thyroid. It's weird not running or worrying about mileage for a change. Though looking outside and seeing how beautiful it is (it's windy as hell though) I want to put on my shoes and run. Luckily for me I can't wear shoes at the moment. Gotta love the ugly birkenstocks. They do wonders for the feet.

I DID IT, I DID IT, I DID IT, I DID IT!!!!!

Catchy title huh. Thank you. I thought it up on mile 11. It was shortly after I said to everyone around....."thank God there are only 2 more fucking miles to go." Whew IT is over. Actually it wasn't THAT bad. I would like to strangle our weatherman. It was suppose to be cloudy, not torrential downpours. I almost didn't run because I don't do rain. I will run in the rain if the temperature is 100 for 5 days with 101 humidity. Not when it's 50 (was suppose to be 70) out. All the racers where bitching before the start. It was common to hear "this sucks." My husband was waiting at mile 6 in case I jumped and was ready to DNF. (he knows about my aversion to rain running) Nope I put to much into this to quit.

Splits:
3 miles 26.04
4 miles 8.58
5 miles 8.49
6 miles 9.39
7 miles 9.37
8 miles 8.51
9 miles 9.20
10 miles 9.05
11 miles 8.47
12 miles 8.38 (this is the 2nd point I saw hubby and the kids... i must of been showing off)
13.1 miles 10.18

One extremely bloody shoe later I finished in 1 hour and 58 minutes(chip time) ! Yes. I was quite excited when I saw the finish line clock on the hill and it said 1:58. I put in a sprint, left my pacing buddy in my dust and finished hard. For some reason I developed a blister around mile 5. I noticed the blood on mile 8 and was pretty much grossed out by it for the rest of the race. I had to keep checking it out ever mile or so though. My legs are toast and will get a much needed massage tomorrow. I can't write down a detailed what was I thinking during the race b/c at this point I can't remember if I was thinking at all. When I saw the winner (1 hr 8 min chip time) pass me on his way back (I had just passed mile 6ish) I did think "what a freak" I didn't pick anyone off at the end with the exception of some 50 year old man on the final hill. I ran the race pretty much alone. I always ended up between groups. I admired everyone that passed my slow ass on mile 13. I just didn't have it in me anymore.

So I did it. I accomplished another goal. It's back to running for fun, weight maintenance and the special 5k races.

Did I mention

that I'm a tad bit terrified of tomorrow.

Isn't it all about the T-Shirt?

Yeah that's what I thought. I picked up my race packet today and was excited about the cool shirt I was going to get. I mean I'm running a half marathon, right...the shirt has got to be great. Could they of used, maybe a size 16 font? Maybe put half marathon somewhere in the middle, back, or on the arms. At least I have somewhat large breasts so if I ever where this shirt it will stick out a little. Don't you love general nonsense bitching. I really am pathetic today.

I didn't run today. My legs still feel leady. I might try a two mile jog tomorrow to test them out. I also might be able to check out the final "killer" hill that is right before the finish line. Will try to get a picture and feel for it tomorrow. I should check google for the final climb (so I can freak out some more). I know it's a bad hill, but the girl at the running store where I picked up my packet made it sound like Mt Everest.

Child #2 has the worst case of croup ever. Today and last night was very bad. It seems the last thing the doctor wanted to give us was the much need steroids. Thankfully she did and gave him some codeine so he and I could sleep better tonight.

Well that's it. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Today

1. I ran the two (2) miles they told me to.
2. My legs are lead weights
3. I ran like crap.
4. My knee gave out at exactly 2 miles.
5. I got my period. (yeah) Someother blogger somewhere recently wrote that she read that if you run at the end of your cycle you run better or something....whatever....i'll take it.
6. I want to start carbo loading now.
7. My half-marathon partner emailed me and tried to entice me into this race.
8. I emailed her back and expressed my feeling in two words. "fuck you"
9. TOM always gets me in a nasty mood.
10. I am looking forward to the race, but it's only when I'm driving in my car.

10 miles

Did it. 10 miles in 1 hour 30 min and 29 seconds. First 5 in 43+ min the second in 47+ min. My running partner that I was complaining about a month ago b/c she was slow smoked me, spanked me in the first 5. I could barely keep up. I stretchec at mile 5 b/c my legs were extremely stiff. I ate that gel (Gosh you really do need a couple glasses of water with that stuff...gag) at mile 6+ and caught up, then I wanted to rest at the red light and she said "you have to" go through it. You know me and "you have to's" I was pissed off, emimem "shake that" came on and I was gone. Bye, bye. The route I picked out was hard (very hilly) the wind was at our side or in our face. Never at our back. Which is weird b/c we ran a there and back route. Just my luck I guess.

I did NOT want to run 10 miles today, but I'm glad I did! I actually was planning on being a loser and running a 5k race Saturday and 7 miles today, but my dear husband said NO I had to run 10 miles. He was right. I'm as ready as I will ever be for the race next week. I'm glad I did a hilly run too. A lot of people who live downstate from me have no hills and run only on flat ground. I don't think there is any flat ground around here. I hope all this hill training pays off. I need to start carbo loading a couple days before the race. That might of been todays problem. I don't think a slice of pizza for lunch, chicken and some couscous for dinner and cookie (ok 2 damn cookies) constitutes carbo loading for a 10 mile run.

Not to sure how many posts I will get in next week. I'm a painting fiend right now. Once I start I can not stop. Our hall and living room walls were discusting. You could actually see hand prints on them. Someone even decided a green marker would look nice on my walls and on the dining room chair cushions. You know what I don't even care at this moment.

Time

I was reading Jennifer P (decaf please) today (no time to set up html links) and I completely understand her and other's issues with lack of time and energy. I think this half marathon has scared the living shit out of me. I have no desire to run it. Do you know how long 13.1 miles is? I'm trying to map out a 10 mile route near my home and I can't believe how far I have to run. It is nuts. I think I'm putting to much pressure on myself for this race. I have never liked long distance cardio. Even when I was a kid, the coaches never put me in the long races. I would only race 100yds (swimming). This is a long race. I will be running for 2+ hours and I really have no desire to run for that long. I think 10k is the longest I want to run. I WILL do this race because I committed to it, but it just has me down mentally.

I have only run once this week (5 miles). It is just too cold for me. If I had run a 5k today I would have to buy a bank robbers ski mask. My hands are in severe pain from running without gloves on Wednesday. They are discusting looking. I have never had hands so chapped before in my life.

Another reason I can't wait for this half to be done with is because I can get back to my regulary scheduled life. No more "you have to strengh train today" or "you have to run 5 miles today" or "you can't eat that" I hate "you have to's". There are so "you have to's" in life, but they belong to your family and that always comes first. Running comes second and it's my way of getting away from reality for an hour.

Sorry to sound so damn depressed in this post. I think TOM is coming, it's to damn cold and I want to get this race out of my mind. Shit, I just checked my calendar and TOM will be here on race day. Great. I can't even blame my mood on PMS yet. Actually I think I'm in a bad mood because we HAVE TO" buy a car tomorrow. I was hoping to get another year out of our p/u truck that has 190,000 miles on it. Well, at least I didn't buy new tires for her. Now I can get an economical car! I'm quite sick of putting gas in a p/u that we rarely use for what it was meant for. It seems we just lend it out to neighbors to pick-up their furniture, home depot purchases or trash removal. Though I get to call in all those favors someday.

Have a great weekend. I have a 10 miler scheduled for Sunday. Hope it gets my mood in better shape. It always does.