Well, how far are we going to go today?
I thought we decided on the four mile loop.
Yeah, but I could also do the five mile loop.
What time is it? You don't want to get back to the house too late because you still have to get both of your meals ready for today. Remember, you're going straight to the opera after work and you need to eat dinner.
So? I can be a little late, since I'm staying later at work and all.
OK, forget that. What about that groin pain that's been bothering you?
It's manageable.
Consider this, then. You aren't running tomorrow because it's rest day plus you have to be at work at 7:00. It would be better to do the five mile loop today for the extra miles.
Plus I should do the five miles as penance for that beer I had at 10:00 last night.
There you go. Penance. Drinking beer at 10:00 pm, what were you thinking?
I wasn't, I guess...
Decision time. The end of the cemetery drive is coming up. Which will it be? Straight for four miles, turn right for five. It's coming up. No time to dawdle.
OK, shut up already. Status check. Legs: good. Breathing: good. Overall feeling of badassery for running at least four miles at dawn: very good. Potential for even more badassery for running five miles before work: even better. Let's do it. Five miles it is.
Five miles it is. Turn right, please.
Final stats: 5.11 miles, 45:27, 8:53/mile.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Some Running Reading
My most recent issue of The New Yorker includes a piece by the Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. It is called "The Running Novelist." I saw the title and immediately drew the magazine closer, laying aside my salad fork. Finally, something interesting to read over lunch lettuce. He begins:
And this:
I loved this bit:
He ends with this:
Now, if y'all will excuse me, I have to go have my face painted white for my stint on stage as a dead spirit apparition haunting Don Giovanni. Tomorrow is opening night of the opera so this is our final dress rehearsal. Fun times!
A long time has passed since I started running on an everyday basis. Specifically, it was the fall of 1982. I was thirty-three then.He then goes on at length about his life as a jazz club owner and freshly minted novelist. Finally, he gets back to the running:
Once I had decided to become a professional writer, another problem arose: the question of how to keep physically fit. Running the club had required constant physical labor, but once I was sitting at a desk writing all day I started putting on the pounds. I was also smoking too much--sixty cigarettes a day. My fingers were yellow, and my body reeked of smoke. This couldn't be good for me, I decided. If I wanted to have a long life as a novelist, I needed to find a way to stay in shape.I might beg to differ about the "no special equipment, " but he's essentially right, and that simplicity is part of the reason I love running so much. You really do only need a good pair of shoes and some kind of surface on which to put your feet. Obviously you also need clothing as well unless you want to be arrested for public nudity.
As a form of exercise, running has a lot of advantages. First of all, you don't need someone to help you with it; nor do you need any special equipment. You don't have to go to any particular place to do it. As long as you have a pair of running shoes and a good road you can run to your heart's content.
And this:
So, like eating, sleeping, housework, and writing, running was incorporated into my daily routine. As it became a natural habit, I felt less embarrassed about it. I went to a sports store and purchased some running gear and some decent shoes. I bought a stopwatch, too, and read a book on running.I think that most of us, my fellow runners, can identify with "I'm not a great runner, but I'm a strong runner." I probably will never run a 6:00 mile, break 20:00 in a 5K or 1:30 in a half marathon. I probably won't qualify for the Boston Marathon (though, never say never, I guess). I'm certainly never going to win any major races or most likely any small ones. I'm just your average middle-of-the-packer, and I'm happy with that.
Looking back now, I think the most fortunate thing is that I was born with a strong, healthy body. This has made it possible for me to run on a daily basis for more than a quarter century now, competing in a number of races along the way. I've never been injured, never been hurt, and haven't once been sick. I'm not a great runner, but I'm a strong runner. That's one of the very few gifts I can be proud of.
I loved this bit:
No matter how much long-distance running might suit me, of course there are days when I feel lethargic and don't want to do it. On days like that, I try to come up with all kinds of plausible excuses not to run. Once, I interviewed the Olympic runner Toshihiko Seko, just after he had retired from running. I asked him, "Does a runner at your level ever feel like you'd rather not run today?" He stared at me and then, in a voice that made it abundantly clear how stupid he thought the question was, replied, "Of course. All the time!"Somehow, it both comforts and pleases me to know that there might be times when Deena Kastor just wants to sit on the couch in her pajamas and eat Ben & Jerry's ice cream right from the container while watching an "I Love The 80s" marathon on VH1 Classic. Not that I've ever done that. Nope.
Now that I look back on it, I can see what a dumb question it was. I guess that even back then I knew how dumb it was, but I wanted to hear the answer directly from someone of Seko's calibre. I wanted to know whether, although we were worlds apart in terms of strength and motivation, we felt the same way when we laced up our running shoes in the morning. Seko's reply came as a great relief. In the final analysis, we're all the same, I thought.
He ends with this:
At any rate, this how how I started running. Thirty-three--that's how old I was then. Still young enough, though no longer a young man. The age that Jesus Christ died. The age that F. Scott Fitzgerald started to go downhill. It's an age that may be a kind of crossorads in life. It was the age when I began my life as a runner, and it was my belated, but real, starting point as a novelist.I was 32 (almost 33) when I began my life as a runner. That was also the start of my weight loss journey. For me it wasn't a "kind of crossroads," it was the crossroad.
Now, if y'all will excuse me, I have to go have my face painted white for my stint on stage as a dead spirit apparition haunting Don Giovanni. Tomorrow is opening night of the opera so this is our final dress rehearsal. Fun times!
Since Everybody Else Is Doing It...
It seems like everyone and their brother have posted this over the past few days, and since I clearly have nothing better to do, I decided I'd be a sheep and do it, too.
1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?
Nonexistent. I didn't run at all. I was 24, in a shiftless, lazy, responsibility-less transition period between my college and graduate school careers, and if we want to get specific, at this exact moment 10 years ago I was in my childhood hometown in California after having driven there from Ohio in my brand-new Jeep Grand Cherokee (awesome road trip).
2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?
This is tricky. I don't know if I can select one specific instance of each. I like random bulleted lists better.
Good experiences:
I'm going with "best advice" (hey, it does say "best or worst" and because I really can't think of any bad advice I've been given): Know when to replace your shoes. Very, very important.
Also, "cotton is rotten." Once I dumped the baggy T-shirts and got me some wicking wear, I think my running went to a whole new level. It's all about the outfits, yo. Unless that's all psychological mind games and it was just a clever ploy by a certain person from the Running Fit store to entice me into buying lots and lots of beautiful (read: expensive) running clothes.
4. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?
Nonexistent. I didn't run at all. I was 24, in a shiftless, lazy, responsibility-less transition period between my college and graduate school careers, and if we want to get specific, at this exact moment 10 years ago I was in my childhood hometown in California after having driven there from Ohio in my brand-new Jeep Grand Cherokee (awesome road trip).
2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?
This is tricky. I don't know if I can select one specific instance of each. I like random bulleted lists better.
Good experiences:
- Running a 6:59 mile in the Presidential Fitness Test my sophomore year in high school and kicking everyone's asses save one boy who was on the soccer team (still my best mile time ever)
- Running through the beautiful woods near Melvin Village, Lake Winnepesaukee, New Hampshire on several family vacations while I was in college (the only time I ever ran all year)
- Breaking my 16-year-old 5K personal record at the Shamrocks and Shenanigans in March of this year
- Completing the Detroit Half Marathon in October 2007, my first half marathon, after a little more than a year on Weight Watchers and losing 50 pounds
- Finishing on the field inside Michigan Stadium at the Big House Big Heart 5K in September 2007
- Achieving my goal of a sub-2 hour half marathon with my 1:56:45 in the Marine Corps Historic Half in May 2008
- Getting totally lost on one of my runs in New Hampshire and being forced to meekly knock on a random stranger's door to ask for help. Luckily the woman there was a regular at the little beach park our rental cottage was next to, and knew the people from whom we were renting, and even knew that we were there from Ohio. A phone call and a few minutes later my dad arrived to pick me up. I was very embarrassed and everyone at the beach knew about it the next day.
- Finishing DFL in the 1989 Ohio High School Athletic Association Northeast Regional race, a race for which we had qualified as a team by winning our district championship for the first time. Unfortunately that day in very late October was freakishly (as in 85 degrees) hot and I, despite running consistent sub-25:00 5K times and setting a new PR of 23:54 that season, was totally wiped out by the heat. Destroyed. I even ended up walking during the race and when I did run I was barely moving. It was awful and very embarrassing (as everything is when you're 15). Even worse, our team didn't advance to the state championships. It was very disappointing after all our hard work during the regular season (clearly this is something I haven't yet gotten over since it was 18 years ago and I still remember it as if it happened yesterday).
- My first 5K after beginning to run again, the Ann Arbor Turkey Trot, November 2006. At the time I felt like I just wanted to curl up and die. It was so, so, so hard and I posted my second-worst 5K time of my entire life. But, this has a silver lining, because not only did I finish the race without stopping, but I've gone on to much greater things, including returning to the same race a year later and totally kicking ass.
I'm going with "best advice" (hey, it does say "best or worst" and because I really can't think of any bad advice I've been given): Know when to replace your shoes. Very, very important.
Also, "cotton is rotten." Once I dumped the baggy T-shirts and got me some wicking wear, I think my running went to a whole new level. It's all about the outfits, yo. Unless that's all psychological mind games and it was just a clever ploy by a certain person from the Running Fit store to entice me into buying lots and lots of beautiful (read: expensive) running clothes.
4. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
- I'm a classically-trained operatic soprano (currently performing in Mozart's Don Giovanni).
- I had my tonsils removed when I was 24 which was the worst medical experience of my life. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Avoid this operation at all costs if you are an adult.
- I thought rivers could only flow south (to follow the curve of the earth, of course) until I was in college. And to think I went on to become a geologist!
- I have memorized the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
- I have visited 45 of the 50 states (I am missing Washington, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina).
Monday, June 9, 2008
I Have Become That Which I Mocked
Let's go back in time. Many years ago (OK, it was the early 1990s) I used to shop at Abercrombie and Fitch. I really liked their clothing. It was sensible even though it was a little pricey. Then something happened (popularity) and the prices started going up and the clothing started shrinking. $60 for a T-shirt? I don't think so. Teeny tiny shorts that only a five-foot-two 90-pound teenager could wear? Yeah, right. The last thing I bought at A&F was a long-sleeved (men's) shirt in about 1998, a shirt which I have since bequeathed to John. Hey, it's still pretty stylish.
I'd walk past their store at the mall and while being aurally and olfactorally assaulted by the twin devils of too much cologne and really loud music, would cock an eye at the mannequins in the windows bedecked in the tiniest clothing and scoff, "Who the hell can wear that stuff?"
Fast-forward to Saturday afternoon. My favorite resale shop. I was on a mission. New shorts were desperately needed. I had been wearing the same pair of size 12 shorts for weeks. A belt was now required to keep them up. I grabbed everything that looked like it might fit me and headed to the dressing room.
A few minutes later I was staring at myself in the mirror, shocked, because I had just put on a pair of
size 4 (gasp)
Abercrombie and Fitch (GASP)
shorts.
And they looked really, really good. OK, so the inseam is about an inch long but you know what? I've worked SO hard for these legs, so why not show them off? How many hundreds of miles have I run? I deserve those tiny shorts!
I bought them and three other pairs including size 4 shorts from the Gap. I also got some new jean shorts, aka "NASCAR shorts," whose sole purpose is to wear to a NASCAR race. It's like the required uniform. Daisy Dukes + bikini top = NASCAR fun!
I'd walk past their store at the mall and while being aurally and olfactorally assaulted by the twin devils of too much cologne and really loud music, would cock an eye at the mannequins in the windows bedecked in the tiniest clothing and scoff, "Who the hell can wear that stuff?"
Fast-forward to Saturday afternoon. My favorite resale shop. I was on a mission. New shorts were desperately needed. I had been wearing the same pair of size 12 shorts for weeks. A belt was now required to keep them up. I grabbed everything that looked like it might fit me and headed to the dressing room.
A few minutes later I was staring at myself in the mirror, shocked, because I had just put on a pair of
size 4 (gasp)
Abercrombie and Fitch (GASP)
shorts.
And they looked really, really good. OK, so the inseam is about an inch long but you know what? I've worked SO hard for these legs, so why not show them off? How many hundreds of miles have I run? I deserve those tiny shorts!
I bought them and three other pairs including size 4 shorts from the Gap. I also got some new jean shorts, aka "NASCAR shorts," whose sole purpose is to wear to a NASCAR race. It's like the required uniform. Daisy Dukes + bikini top = NASCAR fun!
Friday, June 6, 2008
Well, I Guess I Won't Be Doing a Marathon After All
Dang-nabbit. All my careful plans foiled!
I guess my weeklong beach vacation to Cape Cod next month (feel free to be jealous) is out of the question, too. And I was so looking forward to working on my tan!
I guess my weeklong beach vacation to Cape Cod next month (feel free to be jealous) is out of the question, too. And I was so looking forward to working on my tan!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Testing the Waters
Emboldened by my performance in Sunday's Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, I decided to do this morning's run at a faster-than-usual pace. I wanted to see if the speed I unearthed the other day was a fluke or something I should be gently nurturing towards its full potential.
I set out at what I felt was a comfortable pace. I didn't peek at Garmin because I wanted to let my body guide itself and remain unfettered by digital constraints. I just let myself flow along the sidewalk (said flowing was greatly enhanced by my totally awesome new shoes). When I reached the end of my first mile and Garmin chirped, I looked and saw I had done it in 7:55. I continued on. Second mile: 7:41. Third mile: also 7:41. I did a full 5K and finished in 24:02 (7:45/mile avg).
Well, well, well. I was very heartened by this outcome. I am going to make an effort to run faster all the time. It felt really good to go fast. Even better, I was home in 24 minutes instead of 30 which allowed me some extra kitty-rumpling time.
In other news, my weekly farm shares have begun coming in, and I am eating so many leafy vegetables there is a distinct possibility I may turn green. Yesterday's dinner featured three vegetable side dishes (in John's case, only two, since he continues to classify the taste of asparagus as "ass") plus vegetables between the multigrain buns used for the meatloaf sandwiches I made. I picked up a further four bundles of spinach in my share box yesterday, plus a bundle of broccoli raab (rapini) which I am going to use in the pasta I plan on making for dinner tonight. Additionally, I got another bundle of radishes, 2 heads of lettuce, some green onions, garlic scapes, and fresh thyme.
All of this vegetable-eating has been marvelously effective at promoting weight loss (huh! who knew!) and I am back down to 155 lbs as of this morning. After the half marathon I shot up to 163 lbs, about which I was not happy. Progress is now being made in the right direction. The dream of 75 (total weight loss) is still alive.
I set out at what I felt was a comfortable pace. I didn't peek at Garmin because I wanted to let my body guide itself and remain unfettered by digital constraints. I just let myself flow along the sidewalk (said flowing was greatly enhanced by my totally awesome new shoes). When I reached the end of my first mile and Garmin chirped, I looked and saw I had done it in 7:55. I continued on. Second mile: 7:41. Third mile: also 7:41. I did a full 5K and finished in 24:02 (7:45/mile avg).
Well, well, well. I was very heartened by this outcome. I am going to make an effort to run faster all the time. It felt really good to go fast. Even better, I was home in 24 minutes instead of 30 which allowed me some extra kitty-rumpling time.
In other news, my weekly farm shares have begun coming in, and I am eating so many leafy vegetables there is a distinct possibility I may turn green. Yesterday's dinner featured three vegetable side dishes (in John's case, only two, since he continues to classify the taste of asparagus as "ass") plus vegetables between the multigrain buns used for the meatloaf sandwiches I made. I picked up a further four bundles of spinach in my share box yesterday, plus a bundle of broccoli raab (rapini) which I am going to use in the pasta I plan on making for dinner tonight. Additionally, I got another bundle of radishes, 2 heads of lettuce, some green onions, garlic scapes, and fresh thyme.
All of this vegetable-eating has been marvelously effective at promoting weight loss (huh! who knew!) and I am back down to 155 lbs as of this morning. After the half marathon I shot up to 163 lbs, about which I was not happy. Progress is now being made in the right direction. The dream of 75 (total weight loss) is still alive.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Race Report: Dexter-Ann Arbor Run 10K
I registered for the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run a little over a week ago in a "why the hell not?" kind of way. I'm in between training regimens so these days I have an "anything goes" philosophy toward my running. I didn't really have any aim or goal for this race. Sure, it would be great if I set a new 10K PR, which I thought might be doable considering I've only done one previous 10K. Even greater would be to break 50:00, but I wasn't counting on it. I haven't been pushing myself in the speed department lately and my runs since the half marathon have been rather leisurely. I mainly just wanted to have fun, because that's what it's all about in the end, right? RIGHT? FUN, DAMMIT!
I was determined yesterday to forgo any consumption of booze to see how and if it would affect my performance today, but after I picked up my race packet at Ypsilanti High School and was waiting at the stop sign to get out of the parking lot onto Packard Rd...turn left, go home. Turn right, and a mere 2 miles away was the Corner Brewery, having a second anniversary bash with $2.00 pints of some of the best damn beer around.
Quandary!
Well, which do you think I ended up doing?
Please.
Anyway, unsurprisingly, several hours and beers later I got home. I did go to bed at a sensible hour because I was going to get up at 6:00 am, which I did. I was on the road around 6:50 and pulled into a conveniently located parking spot in the residential area near the races' base of operations at shortly after 7:00. I saw Tina while I was wandering around and we did a few warm-up laps on the as-yet-unfinished track at the new high school. Pretty soon it was time to head to the starting line, and the race was underway at 8:00.
There had been talk of some monster hill on Maple Rd. as part of this new course, and the bulk of the first mile of the race was all downhill on this hill. I was going to have to run this thing from mile 5 to 6. Oh, great. Well, we'll endure it when we get there, I told myself as I came off the final, steepest part onto the flatness of Huron River Drive.
I felt decent, and I wasn't looking at my Garmin because doing so always gives me an oh my gosh I'm going too fast I can't sustain this I have to slow down complex. The timer at the first mile read 8:30 as I passed and I thought, Well, that sounds about right, that's a good pace. I didn't take into account the time it had taken me to cross the starting line after the gun. It turns out I had just run a 7:59 mile though I didn't know it at the time.
I knew something was up when I ran the second mile in 7:51 and the third in 7:44 and I wasn't feeling overly stressed. I was managing to keep my breathing deep and even, resisting the impulse to pant uncontrollably. Arms were relaxed and doing their job, legs felt good and quick, and heart rate wasn't disturbingly high. Mile 4 passed in 8:01 and mile 5 in 8:05...and then the monster hill hit. It was killer. I don't know how to run hills so I just try to grind along as best I can without any strategy whatsoever. I had been trailing this older woman for a long time, determined not to lose her, but when we got to the hill she just took off and left me in the dust. I plodded along and finally gave in to the temptation to pant and it felt really good. Interestingly, my heart rate only reached 167 during this ascent, which was only 2 bpm faster than my max HR for the previous 2 miles. I don't know what this means in terms of my physiology but I find it curious. I felt like I was working really hard, almost at the limit of my capability, but my HR says otherwise.
Once I reached mile 6 I knew it was almost over; a mere 0.2 to go. I checked my Garmin: 48:32! I had a chance to break 50:00! Could I do it? I threw everything I had left into the last 0.2. I stopped my watch at 49:58. I was filled with unease. I knew I was going to be right on the edge between 50:00 and 49:50-something according to my chip time. The fact that I had just PRed by over a minute suddenly became less important. Oh please please please let me break 50:00!
Well, people my official time was:
50:00.
OK, let me tell ya'll that YES I was frustrated, because if I had run ONE SECOND FASTER at any point on the course I would have broken 50:00. I'm not going to dwell on it too much (any more than I already have, anyway) because those are the thoughts that will drive a person crazy.
(ONE LOUSY SECOND! ARRRRRRRRRGH!)
There is a bright side to this story, which is that I hung around the finish area with Tina for a while and scored two pieces of Zingerman's Bakehouse Chocolate Cherry bread, which is like crack in the shape of a loaf of bread. Seriously.
Eventually, though, I needed to get going because opera rehearsal started at 1:00 and I really had to go home and shower off the crusties. But first, my other vital task of the weekend was to procure a new pair of running shoes because my Saucony Omni 6es have run their last mile *sniff*. I not only scored a new pair of Brooks Adrenaline shoes on sale but also some more summer clothing including two tank tops for 50% off due to some makeup smudges but I didn't care; hey, I'm not fussy and that's what washing machines are for. Someone's foundation and mascara rubbed off on these things when they were tried on and as a result I got 50% off! I used the rest of my anniversary bonus money from work and came away with a big heavy bag of goodies. Thanks, Place of Employment, for subsidizing my obsession!
Final stats:
Mile 1: 7:59
Mile 2: 7:51
Mile 3: 7:44
Mile 4: 8:01
Mile 5: 8:05
Mile 6: 8:53
0.2: 7:06
8:03 avg pace
Time: 50:00 (ARRRRRGH...OK I'll stop now), a new PR by 1:22!
9/125 W 30-34
49/764 women
214/1391 overall
Post-race rehydration: Magic Hat No. 9 "Not Quite Pale" Ale and Flying Dog Woody Creek White Belgian-Style Ale. And water, too, of course. I'm not a complete idiot/lush!
For a race that was a "I don't have anything better to do today" thing, I think it turned out all right. At least now I have a goal for my next 10K, which is to break 50:00.
(ONE LOUSY STINKIN' SECOND FASTER....GRRRRRR!)
I was determined yesterday to forgo any consumption of booze to see how and if it would affect my performance today, but after I picked up my race packet at Ypsilanti High School and was waiting at the stop sign to get out of the parking lot onto Packard Rd...turn left, go home. Turn right, and a mere 2 miles away was the Corner Brewery, having a second anniversary bash with $2.00 pints of some of the best damn beer around.
Quandary!
Well, which do you think I ended up doing?
Please.
Anyway, unsurprisingly, several hours and beers later I got home. I did go to bed at a sensible hour because I was going to get up at 6:00 am, which I did. I was on the road around 6:50 and pulled into a conveniently located parking spot in the residential area near the races' base of operations at shortly after 7:00. I saw Tina while I was wandering around and we did a few warm-up laps on the as-yet-unfinished track at the new high school. Pretty soon it was time to head to the starting line, and the race was underway at 8:00.
There had been talk of some monster hill on Maple Rd. as part of this new course, and the bulk of the first mile of the race was all downhill on this hill. I was going to have to run this thing from mile 5 to 6. Oh, great. Well, we'll endure it when we get there, I told myself as I came off the final, steepest part onto the flatness of Huron River Drive.
I felt decent, and I wasn't looking at my Garmin because doing so always gives me an oh my gosh I'm going too fast I can't sustain this I have to slow down complex. The timer at the first mile read 8:30 as I passed and I thought, Well, that sounds about right, that's a good pace. I didn't take into account the time it had taken me to cross the starting line after the gun. It turns out I had just run a 7:59 mile though I didn't know it at the time.
I knew something was up when I ran the second mile in 7:51 and the third in 7:44 and I wasn't feeling overly stressed. I was managing to keep my breathing deep and even, resisting the impulse to pant uncontrollably. Arms were relaxed and doing their job, legs felt good and quick, and heart rate wasn't disturbingly high. Mile 4 passed in 8:01 and mile 5 in 8:05...and then the monster hill hit. It was killer. I don't know how to run hills so I just try to grind along as best I can without any strategy whatsoever. I had been trailing this older woman for a long time, determined not to lose her, but when we got to the hill she just took off and left me in the dust. I plodded along and finally gave in to the temptation to pant and it felt really good. Interestingly, my heart rate only reached 167 during this ascent, which was only 2 bpm faster than my max HR for the previous 2 miles. I don't know what this means in terms of my physiology but I find it curious. I felt like I was working really hard, almost at the limit of my capability, but my HR says otherwise.
Once I reached mile 6 I knew it was almost over; a mere 0.2 to go. I checked my Garmin: 48:32! I had a chance to break 50:00! Could I do it? I threw everything I had left into the last 0.2. I stopped my watch at 49:58. I was filled with unease. I knew I was going to be right on the edge between 50:00 and 49:50-something according to my chip time. The fact that I had just PRed by over a minute suddenly became less important. Oh please please please let me break 50:00!
Well, people my official time was:
50:00.
OK, let me tell ya'll that YES I was frustrated, because if I had run ONE SECOND FASTER at any point on the course I would have broken 50:00. I'm not going to dwell on it too much (any more than I already have, anyway) because those are the thoughts that will drive a person crazy.
(ONE LOUSY SECOND! ARRRRRRRRRGH!)
There is a bright side to this story, which is that I hung around the finish area with Tina for a while and scored two pieces of Zingerman's Bakehouse Chocolate Cherry bread, which is like crack in the shape of a loaf of bread. Seriously.
Eventually, though, I needed to get going because opera rehearsal started at 1:00 and I really had to go home and shower off the crusties. But first, my other vital task of the weekend was to procure a new pair of running shoes because my Saucony Omni 6es have run their last mile *sniff*. I not only scored a new pair of Brooks Adrenaline shoes on sale but also some more summer clothing including two tank tops for 50% off due to some makeup smudges but I didn't care; hey, I'm not fussy and that's what washing machines are for. Someone's foundation and mascara rubbed off on these things when they were tried on and as a result I got 50% off! I used the rest of my anniversary bonus money from work and came away with a big heavy bag of goodies. Thanks, Place of Employment, for subsidizing my obsession!
Final stats:
Mile 1: 7:59
Mile 2: 7:51
Mile 3: 7:44
Mile 4: 8:01
Mile 5: 8:05
Mile 6: 8:53
0.2: 7:06
8:03 avg pace
Time: 50:00 (ARRRRRGH...OK I'll stop now), a new PR by 1:22!
9/125 W 30-34
49/764 women
214/1391 overall
Post-race rehydration: Magic Hat No. 9 "Not Quite Pale" Ale and Flying Dog Woody Creek White Belgian-Style Ale. And water, too, of course. I'm not a complete idiot/lush!
For a race that was a "I don't have anything better to do today" thing, I think it turned out all right. At least now I have a goal for my next 10K, which is to break 50:00.
(ONE LOUSY STINKIN' SECOND FASTER....GRRRRRR!)
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The Shortest Distance
...between two points is a straight line. This morning's run was one long, straight line. For a change in venue I drove up to Lakelands Trail State Park which has its western terminus in Stockbridge, about 12 miles from here. I had only ever used the trail once before, years ago, on a bike ride. I ran from the trailhead in Stockbridge east to the small town of Gregory just over 5 miles away. I started around 9:30 am so not only was it an extremely pleasant sub-60-degree temperature but I had the trail virtually all to myself. I crossed paths with only four people the whole time I was out.
I had a fierce debate with myself about how far I was going to go. These out-and-back runs can get a person into real trouble. Every mile farther east I traveled added two more miles to the total I would have to run. I was feeling quite fine and knew that 8 miles was easily doable. But that meant I would have to turn around at mile 4, and I thought, Well, that just sounds silly...surely I have enough oomph to go at least 5 or maybe even 6 miles out! Oh wait...that means I would have to run 12 miles total...uh...maybe not. I could totally picture myself just cruising along the lovely path until, uh oh, I'd gone 8 or 9 miles with that distance yet to go in the opposite direction. I am not ready to run 16 or 18 miles yet! Conveniently, I reached Gregory around mile 5.2 and decided that was far enough. I stretched a little and then turned around and headed back.
I saw all manner of birds, including an Eastern Towhee, which I believe is a bird first for me. I heard a lot of birdsong I recognized, such as house wren, cardinal, red-winged blackbird, gray catbird, song sparrow, goldfinch, red-bellied woodpecker, blue jay, chickadee. I also heard birdsong I didn't recognize and I wished I had had my binoculars because I would have liked to add those birds to my list. I did catch sight of a small dark bird trilling an unfamiliar song but it was too far away for me to get a decent positive-ID-worthy look. Not with my poor distance vision. That's all I've got: "small, dark songbird." Uh, there are, like, 100 species of those.
I got back to my car just after 11:00 and on the way back to Chelsea one of my favorite songs, "Untitled" by Interpol, came on the radio so I turned it up really loud. And then right after that was Peter Bjorn & John's "Young Folks"! An excellent run, a new bird sighting, awesome tunes, kick-ass coffee, and nothing to do for the rest of the day except relax, watch NASCAR, and crack open that bottle of Jolly Pumpkin beer that's been chilling in the fridge since yesterday. Even better, I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO WORK TOMORROW!
It's 1:45 and I'm still in my running clothes...is this bad?
I had a fierce debate with myself about how far I was going to go. These out-and-back runs can get a person into real trouble. Every mile farther east I traveled added two more miles to the total I would have to run. I was feeling quite fine and knew that 8 miles was easily doable. But that meant I would have to turn around at mile 4, and I thought, Well, that just sounds silly...surely I have enough oomph to go at least 5 or maybe even 6 miles out! Oh wait...that means I would have to run 12 miles total...uh...maybe not. I could totally picture myself just cruising along the lovely path until, uh oh, I'd gone 8 or 9 miles with that distance yet to go in the opposite direction. I am not ready to run 16 or 18 miles yet! Conveniently, I reached Gregory around mile 5.2 and decided that was far enough. I stretched a little and then turned around and headed back.
I saw all manner of birds, including an Eastern Towhee, which I believe is a bird first for me. I heard a lot of birdsong I recognized, such as house wren, cardinal, red-winged blackbird, gray catbird, song sparrow, goldfinch, red-bellied woodpecker, blue jay, chickadee. I also heard birdsong I didn't recognize and I wished I had had my binoculars because I would have liked to add those birds to my list. I did catch sight of a small dark bird trilling an unfamiliar song but it was too far away for me to get a decent positive-ID-worthy look. Not with my poor distance vision. That's all I've got: "small, dark songbird." Uh, there are, like, 100 species of those.
I got back to my car just after 11:00 and on the way back to Chelsea one of my favorite songs, "Untitled" by Interpol, came on the radio so I turned it up really loud. And then right after that was Peter Bjorn & John's "Young Folks"! An excellent run, a new bird sighting, awesome tunes, kick-ass coffee, and nothing to do for the rest of the day except relax, watch NASCAR, and crack open that bottle of Jolly Pumpkin beer that's been chilling in the fridge since yesterday. Even better, I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO WORK TOMORROW!
It's 1:45 and I'm still in my running clothes...is this bad?
Friday, May 23, 2008
Race Report: Marine Corps Historic Half
Let's get this started!
After the race, showing off some of my race swag.
At last, at long last, race weekend had arrived. I started training for it in January, and I was quite ready to get on with it and see if my goal of a sub-2:00 half marathon was indeed going to happen (all suspense in regards to this is nonexistent since in my previous post I revealed the results).
Friday the 16th in the afternoon John and I headed down to the Cleveland area where we spent the night at my parents'. Saturday morning we were up early and ready to hit the road for the 400-mile trip to Virginia. I took the morning driving shift until we reached Somerset, Pennsylvania and stopped for lunch. After our lunch stop I took over the back seat of the Jetta and John took over driving duty with my dad in the passenger seat. We arrived in Fredericksburg around 4:00, checked into our hotel, and then went to the Healthy Lifestyle Expo at the convention center to pick up our race packets. While there, I saw Kathrine Switzer, who was signing copies of her book Marathon Woman. I also stopped at the Bondi Band booth where I was unable to contain my excitement at the discovery of new and heretofore unknown patterns, whereupon the sales girl pulled out A GIANT BAG FULL OF BANDS from under the table and told me I could rummage through it. I bought three more bands (I now have 16). These are the headbands you see in all of my recent race pictures. I love them. I have very unruly hair and these babies keep every strand in place. Plus, they're great for sweat control!
We watched TV for a little while and then went to sleep around 9:30 with a projected wake-up time of 5:15. I didn't have the most restful night; the room was stuffy, the bed uncomfortable, and as a general rule I never sleep well unless I'm in my own bed at home. Nonetheless, I got enough sleep to feel confident about my energy level when we awoke the next morning. It wasn't my less-than-ideal sleep or the glass of red wine I had with my spaghetti at dinner the night before or fussing with my race gear that had me in a panic in the morning. No, it was because I had an earplug stuck in my ear. Yes, dear readers, you heard that right. Like a 3-year-old who stuffs a jelly bean in his ear, I had gotten one of my earplugs (I never leave home without them) jammed too far into my right ear. Compounding this was the fact that I didn't bring my tweezers (my normal method of stuck-earplug extraction...yes, this was not the first time this had happened) and I had just cut my fingernails. Frantic scrabbling at my ear only managed to push the plug in further. I finally said, "I'll just go into Wal-Mart and buy a pair of tweezers. We're going to park in their parking lot anyway."
Post Wal-Mart shopping trip, pre-earplug removal. One hour to race.
After the race, showing off some of my race swag.At last, at long last, race weekend had arrived. I started training for it in January, and I was quite ready to get on with it and see if my goal of a sub-2:00 half marathon was indeed going to happen (all suspense in regards to this is nonexistent since in my previous post I revealed the results).
Friday the 16th in the afternoon John and I headed down to the Cleveland area where we spent the night at my parents'. Saturday morning we were up early and ready to hit the road for the 400-mile trip to Virginia. I took the morning driving shift until we reached Somerset, Pennsylvania and stopped for lunch. After our lunch stop I took over the back seat of the Jetta and John took over driving duty with my dad in the passenger seat. We arrived in Fredericksburg around 4:00, checked into our hotel, and then went to the Healthy Lifestyle Expo at the convention center to pick up our race packets. While there, I saw Kathrine Switzer, who was signing copies of her book Marathon Woman. I also stopped at the Bondi Band booth where I was unable to contain my excitement at the discovery of new and heretofore unknown patterns, whereupon the sales girl pulled out A GIANT BAG FULL OF BANDS from under the table and told me I could rummage through it. I bought three more bands (I now have 16). These are the headbands you see in all of my recent race pictures. I love them. I have very unruly hair and these babies keep every strand in place. Plus, they're great for sweat control!
We watched TV for a little while and then went to sleep around 9:30 with a projected wake-up time of 5:15. I didn't have the most restful night; the room was stuffy, the bed uncomfortable, and as a general rule I never sleep well unless I'm in my own bed at home. Nonetheless, I got enough sleep to feel confident about my energy level when we awoke the next morning. It wasn't my less-than-ideal sleep or the glass of red wine I had with my spaghetti at dinner the night before or fussing with my race gear that had me in a panic in the morning. No, it was because I had an earplug stuck in my ear. Yes, dear readers, you heard that right. Like a 3-year-old who stuffs a jelly bean in his ear, I had gotten one of my earplugs (I never leave home without them) jammed too far into my right ear. Compounding this was the fact that I didn't bring my tweezers (my normal method of stuck-earplug extraction...yes, this was not the first time this had happened) and I had just cut my fingernails. Frantic scrabbling at my ear only managed to push the plug in further. I finally said, "I'll just go into Wal-Mart and buy a pair of tweezers. We're going to park in their parking lot anyway."
Post Wal-Mart shopping trip, pre-earplug removal. One hour to race.After a successful operation in the back of the car I could finally hear properly and I wasn't going to be forced to run the race with an earplug stuck in my ear. Commence normal race morning routine.
Fussing with race bib. It has to be exactly centered, you know.
Walking to the starting line in the dawn's early light.
Probably the most vital prerace activity.
Contemplating the task at hand.
Fussing with race bib. It has to be exactly centered, you know.
Walking to the starting line in the dawn's early light.
Probably the most vital prerace activity.
Contemplating the task at hand.After standing around for a while, my dad and I eased into our respective start corrals and John went off to spectate. The moment was upon me.
The starting line.
The starting line. My plan was to start slow and build to my intended cruising pace of 8:30-8:40/mile. I wanted to run the second half of the race faster than the first like I had been doing in training. I knew it was going to be tempting to start fast, given my excitement and the overall downhill trend of the first 10 miles. I kept myself in check for the first mile but once I got warmed up I found myself running much too quickly. I remember looking down at my Garmin and saw I was running at a 8:30 pace during mile 2. I had to slow down or I was going to flame out and not have anything left for the later stages of the race. It took me a few miles but I finally got myself under control.
Mile 1: 8:59
Mile 2: 8:40
Mile 3: 8:45
Mile 4: 8:47
Mile 5: 8:55
Mile 6: 8:58
At mile 7 we were in lovely downtown Fredericksburg, and John had taken a shuttle bus from the starting line so he could see me go by. Of course our stupid slow digital camera couldn't focus fast enough so John didn't get any pictures of me midrace. We saw each other, however, unlike at the start when I ran past him, waving and yelling, and he totally missed me.
Once I reached the halfway point of the race I told myself that now, now it was time to go faster. I felt great: very strong, not tired at all, very energetic, fresh, nice slow, deep breathing. I sucked down a Gu and some Gatorade and quickened my pace.
Mile 7: 8:40
Mile 8: 8:25
Mile 9: 9:14 (this is where I had to make a pit stop. It probably cost me 30 seconds off my finish time, but it was imperative.)
Mile 10: 8:44
Mile 11: 9:12
Mile 12: 9:17
Shortly after mile 10, the hill appeared. This was one long uphill climb from the Rappahannock River plain to higher ground. It wasn't particularly steep, just long. It lasted for almost the entire mile. At this point in the race it was taking a toll on many of my fellow runners. There were a lot of people who had slowed to a shuffle and a lot of people walking. I put my head down and ground my way up that hill without stopping. At the top there was maybe a half-mile of flat and then around mile 11.5 the final hill, which was really just a freeway overpass bridge, was in front of me. This one was by far the worse of the two major hills on the route. It was much harder. I knew, however, that once I reached the crest of the bridge and crossed the Mile 12 marker on the ground that I only had a mile and change left and why not give it everything I had? I checked my Garmin. I was on track to finish in under 2 hours. I had put enough time in the bank during the first half of the race that my slowdown in the second half would not affect me. I told my weary legs they were almost done, could they please go just a little faster and finish strong? They responded.
Almost at the finish!
Mile 1: 8:59
Mile 2: 8:40
Mile 3: 8:45
Mile 4: 8:47
Mile 5: 8:55
Mile 6: 8:58
At mile 7 we were in lovely downtown Fredericksburg, and John had taken a shuttle bus from the starting line so he could see me go by. Of course our stupid slow digital camera couldn't focus fast enough so John didn't get any pictures of me midrace. We saw each other, however, unlike at the start when I ran past him, waving and yelling, and he totally missed me.
Once I reached the halfway point of the race I told myself that now, now it was time to go faster. I felt great: very strong, not tired at all, very energetic, fresh, nice slow, deep breathing. I sucked down a Gu and some Gatorade and quickened my pace.
Mile 7: 8:40
Mile 8: 8:25
Mile 9: 9:14 (this is where I had to make a pit stop. It probably cost me 30 seconds off my finish time, but it was imperative.)
Mile 10: 8:44
Mile 11: 9:12
Mile 12: 9:17
Shortly after mile 10, the hill appeared. This was one long uphill climb from the Rappahannock River plain to higher ground. It wasn't particularly steep, just long. It lasted for almost the entire mile. At this point in the race it was taking a toll on many of my fellow runners. There were a lot of people who had slowed to a shuffle and a lot of people walking. I put my head down and ground my way up that hill without stopping. At the top there was maybe a half-mile of flat and then around mile 11.5 the final hill, which was really just a freeway overpass bridge, was in front of me. This one was by far the worse of the two major hills on the route. It was much harder. I knew, however, that once I reached the crest of the bridge and crossed the Mile 12 marker on the ground that I only had a mile and change left and why not give it everything I had? I checked my Garmin. I was on track to finish in under 2 hours. I had put enough time in the bank during the first half of the race that my slowdown in the second half would not affect me. I told my weary legs they were almost done, could they please go just a little faster and finish strong? They responded.
Almost at the finish!I pulled out an 8:28 mile for Mile 13 of the race and ran the final 0.1 at an 8:00/mile pace. I crossed the finish line, triumphant, in 1:56:46. I had done it! I had finished in under 2 hours! I had also set a new half marathon PR; my previous half time was 2:07:30. I moved on through the finish area, collecting finisher's medal, bottle of water, commemorative towel, and got my timing chip taken off my shoe. I wandered over to the family reunion area and John joined me shortly afterwards.
In a postrace daze. I think we've all felt like this from time to time.
In a postrace daze. I think we've all felt like this from time to time.My dad finished in 2:07:44.
My dad and I. He's been running since before I was born and ran 5 marathons back in the 1980s. If it wasn't for him I probably never would have taken up distance running.
My dad and I. He's been running since before I was born and ran 5 marathons back in the 1980s. If it wasn't for him I probably never would have taken up distance running.
Once we were both done there wasn't much else to do but walk back to the car, go back to the hotel, get cleaned up and packed up and hit a nearby Waffle House for a greasy postrace breakfast (after looking over the menu I whimpered that all I wanted was a fruit salad and a bowl of oatmeal to which both John and my dad just laughed. I compromised with a veggie omelet and some whole-wheat toast). We were on the road shortly after 11:00 for the drive back to Cleveland. I zoned out and promptly fell asleep in the back seat. I definitely wasn't as tired after this half as I was after the Detroit half last fall but I was still tired. I just ran 13.1 miles, after all.
Our day's adventures weren't complete, however. Once we reached Hancock, Maryland, where I-70 comes down from Breezewood, we took a short side trip to one of the greatest road cuts known to man (or geologists, anyway): Sideling Hill. Yes, John and I got our nerd on in a big way. This road cut reveals a spectacular syncline, formed during the Alleghenian Orogeny 230-240 million years ago.
Nothing makes a couple of geologists happier than a big pile of rocks next to a highway.
Our day's adventures weren't complete, however. Once we reached Hancock, Maryland, where I-70 comes down from Breezewood, we took a short side trip to one of the greatest road cuts known to man (or geologists, anyway): Sideling Hill. Yes, John and I got our nerd on in a big way. This road cut reveals a spectacular syncline, formed during the Alleghenian Orogeny 230-240 million years ago.
Nothing makes a couple of geologists happier than a big pile of rocks next to a highway.Once we had gotten our fill of roadside geology, it was back to the car and homeward bound. We arrived back at my parents' around 7:00 that night and the next day John and I returned to Michigan.
Final stats:
Final stats:
- 1:56:46 chip time
- 8:55/mile average
- 45/279 W 30-34
- 269/1794 all women
- 1046/3826 overall
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
I Know, I Know...
Yeah, my half marathon was three days ago and I haven't posted a race report yet. Here's the ultrafast version:
- 1:56:46 (new PR by 11 minutes)
- 45/279 age group
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Irony Entirely Possible
I am in the process of printing out relevant documents for my trip this weekend. At the Web site of the Fredericksburg Expo & Convention Center (where the race starts and ends), there is a "Next Up at the Expo Center" banner. On the left is the Marine Corps Historic Half and the Healthy Lifestyle Expo. On the right is Mixed Martial Arts Cage Fighting (coming May 24!).
Hmmmm...
Hmmmm...
Sunday, May 11, 2008
One More Week
This morning I completed my last long run for my half marathon training: 12 miles. After yesterday's gorgeous weather today dawned gray and cool. A check of the weather radar map revealed a large storm swirling off to the south that was guaranteed to bring rain to the area. I couldn't put off this run so I dressed for the probable conditions (tights, Dri-Fit long-sleeved shirt, jacket) and hoped I would be able to get in most of the miles before the rain hit. John decided to accompany me on his mountain bike while I ran. I still carried my own Gatorade and Gu in my CamelBak because I wanted to get used to hydrating and eating on the fly during the race. We set out just after 9:00 on this route:
I decided I wanted to approach this run much like I did last week's 11-miler; that is, to run at or below my intended race pace to see how reachable my goal of a sub-2 hour half will be. I also decided I wanted to run a negative split, doing the last 6 miles faster than the first 6.
Mile 1: 9:03
Mile 2: 8:52
Mile 3: 8:57
Mile 4: 8:59
Mile 5: 9:14 (hills)
Mile 6: 8:52
Total for first half: 53:55
It was around the sixth mile when the rain that had been threatening finally made its presence known. A light sprinkle soon gave way to a steady rain and I was soon soaked. I pulled the sleeve of my Nike shirt over my Garmin to protect it and forged onward. Now I dug in for the second half of the run.
Mile 7: 8:30
Mile 8: 8:22
Mile 9: 8:22
Mile 10: 8:22
Mile 11: 8:31
Mile 12: 8:43
Total for second half: 51:23
I was surprised (and pleased) to see I had maintained the exact same pace for three straight miles. I was also pleased to see my negative split plan had worked.
Total for entire run: 12 miles, 1:44:45, 8:44/mile.
This bodes extremely well for my race plans. One week from now we will most likely be almost back to my parents' in Cleveland, another half marathon under my belt.
I decided I wanted to approach this run much like I did last week's 11-miler; that is, to run at or below my intended race pace to see how reachable my goal of a sub-2 hour half will be. I also decided I wanted to run a negative split, doing the last 6 miles faster than the first 6.
Mile 1: 9:03
Mile 2: 8:52
Mile 3: 8:57
Mile 4: 8:59
Mile 5: 9:14 (hills)
Mile 6: 8:52
Total for first half: 53:55
It was around the sixth mile when the rain that had been threatening finally made its presence known. A light sprinkle soon gave way to a steady rain and I was soon soaked. I pulled the sleeve of my Nike shirt over my Garmin to protect it and forged onward. Now I dug in for the second half of the run.
Mile 7: 8:30
Mile 8: 8:22
Mile 9: 8:22
Mile 10: 8:22
Mile 11: 8:31
Mile 12: 8:43
Total for second half: 51:23
I was surprised (and pleased) to see I had maintained the exact same pace for three straight miles. I was also pleased to see my negative split plan had worked.
Total for entire run: 12 miles, 1:44:45, 8:44/mile.
This bodes extremely well for my race plans. One week from now we will most likely be almost back to my parents' in Cleveland, another half marathon under my belt.
Friday, May 9, 2008
I Have a Problem
Really.
I had a vivid dream that I was in a running store trying to decide on a new pair of running shorts. Should I get the Asics? The Hind? The Nike? Ooh, and what's this white singlet over here?
I clearly
need
help.
I had a vivid dream that I was in a running store trying to decide on a new pair of running shorts. Should I get the Asics? The Hind? The Nike? Ooh, and what's this white singlet over here?
I clearly
need
help.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Vegetable-Cheese Mini Quiches
This recipe is from my South Beach Diet cookbook and was my breakfast standby for the few months I spent on the South Beach Diet back in the fall of 2003. A few words, first, about my fling with the SBD. It was successful from a weight loss standpoint; I lost 26 pounds in about two and a half months (I went from 220 to 194. Kind of remarkable to consider that I've now lost over 40 pounds more from my lowest weight on the SBD). However, almost as soon as I faltered with the diet (wouldn't you know, right around the holidays...it is impossible to avoid carbs at Christmas) the weight started creeping back on. In the end it was too restrictive. I couldn't meet its demands. Now I know that any diet that tells me I'm never allowed to eat ice cream or have pizza again for the rest of my life is a diet I want nothing to do with. I did learn some good eating habits from my stint with the SBD. I started using whole wheat pasta and brown rice. I reintroduced the vegetable side dish. But my completely sedentary lifestyle and overwhelmingly poor eating habits (brown rice notwithstanding) got me in the end.
Anyway, since I've been shaking up my routine (with startling positive results!) by switching to Core I thought I would drag this old favorite out and give it a try again. That and I ran out of fruit to mix in with my breakfast yogurt and I haven't gone to the grocery store yet this week. It has become absolutely imperative that I go tonight BECAUSE WE ARE OUT OF BOOZE. I'm talking about our normal supply of gin and vodka which are always in the freezer ready to be mixed into whatever strikes our fancy that night. This is situation critical, people. I can't even have a Cosmo after work, for crying out loud. Cranberry juice plus Cointreau and a splash of lime juice just...isn't...the...same. We drank the last two beers in the house last night while eating popcorn and watching Kill Bill: Vol. 2 which is a Netflix disc that has been sitting around for about a month. (Speedy Netflix turnaround is not our forté.) Needless to say, without the gin or vodka (my base of choice), well, our liquor cabinet doesn't really lend itself to much. We have a lot of weird stuff (Dubonnet (rouge et blanc), Pernod, Chartreuse (green and yellow), Galliano, Midori, Limoncello (and Orangecello), Amaretto, Frangelico, Chambord, Calvados, Grand Marnier, various vermouths, blue Curacao, Tuaca, Kirschwasser, a large selection of the crème de family, and some other things lurking at the very back of the cupboard which I am sure I am forgetting) which are all quite tasty...but not by themselves. Ever had green Chartreuse straight up? Yuck!
On to the quiches:
Ingredients:
Microwave frozen spinach (sans foil wrapper but still in box) on high for 2 1/2 minutes. Remove spinach from box into a strainer and press out excess water.
Combine spinach, onion, bell pepper, cheese, and egg substitute in a bowl. Distribute evenly among foil liners. If you want, top off each cup with a bit more egg substitute. I did it because I had half of the pint carton left and just wanted to use it up. Hey, it's egg substitute, so it's not bad for me, right? Besides, the extra layer of egg substitute on top kind of makes them look more like real quiches.
Bake for 20 minutes, cool, then remove quiches foil and all. They keep nicely in a sealed container in the fridge and are very portable. Just remember to remove the foil when microwaving! I find that 20 seconds on high makes them nice and toasty.
Anyway, since I've been shaking up my routine (with startling positive results!) by switching to Core I thought I would drag this old favorite out and give it a try again. That and I ran out of fruit to mix in with my breakfast yogurt and I haven't gone to the grocery store yet this week. It has become absolutely imperative that I go tonight BECAUSE WE ARE OUT OF BOOZE. I'm talking about our normal supply of gin and vodka which are always in the freezer ready to be mixed into whatever strikes our fancy that night. This is situation critical, people. I can't even have a Cosmo after work, for crying out loud. Cranberry juice plus Cointreau and a splash of lime juice just...isn't...the...same. We drank the last two beers in the house last night while eating popcorn and watching Kill Bill: Vol. 2 which is a Netflix disc that has been sitting around for about a month. (Speedy Netflix turnaround is not our forté.) Needless to say, without the gin or vodka (my base of choice), well, our liquor cabinet doesn't really lend itself to much. We have a lot of weird stuff (Dubonnet (rouge et blanc), Pernod, Chartreuse (green and yellow), Galliano, Midori, Limoncello (and Orangecello), Amaretto, Frangelico, Chambord, Calvados, Grand Marnier, various vermouths, blue Curacao, Tuaca, Kirschwasser, a large selection of the crème de family, and some other things lurking at the very back of the cupboard which I am sure I am forgetting) which are all quite tasty...but not by themselves. Ever had green Chartreuse straight up? Yuck!
On to the quiches:
Ingredients:
- 1 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup reduced-fat or fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup egg substitute
Microwave frozen spinach (sans foil wrapper but still in box) on high for 2 1/2 minutes. Remove spinach from box into a strainer and press out excess water.
Combine spinach, onion, bell pepper, cheese, and egg substitute in a bowl. Distribute evenly among foil liners. If you want, top off each cup with a bit more egg substitute. I did it because I had half of the pint carton left and just wanted to use it up. Hey, it's egg substitute, so it's not bad for me, right? Besides, the extra layer of egg substitute on top kind of makes them look more like real quiches.
Bake for 20 minutes, cool, then remove quiches foil and all. They keep nicely in a sealed container in the fridge and are very portable. Just remember to remove the foil when microwaving! I find that 20 seconds on high makes them nice and toasty.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
I Hit 65...Can I Retire Now?
Wait...wrong kind of 65. Not 65 years but 65 pounds. That's how much I have lost on Weight Watchers. Oh my, you should have heard the clapping and cheering that erupted in the room when my award was announced. I was unable to do much more than sit there with a big shit-eating grin on my face. Then I got a little gold "5" star to put in my logbook. (We get gold stars for each 5-pound increment. It's totally elementary school!) Then I said a few words about how I stay motivated after being on the program for so long.
Not an hour later I was at the School of Music auditioning for a part in an upcoming production of Don Giovanni (Mozart). I sang "Batti, batti, o bel Masetto" which is an aria from that opera. My voice is a little out of shape these days as I am not taking lessons and practicing, but it's hard to undo four and a half years of training. My voice knows what it's supposed to do, and I pulled it off well enough to be offered a part in the chorus on the spot. Hallelujah! Finally, I get to actually sing in an opera! I was in Michigan Opera Theater's production of La Boheme some years ago as a supernumerary (nonspeaking onstage role) and that was a fantastic experience, but I yearned to be on stage and singing. I will finally get that chance!
For those of you who don't know, my other passion in life is singing. Yes, I have something else that's near and dear to my heart besides running. I am a professionally-trained classical singer and the great dream of my life is not to qualify for Boston (though that would be nice), it is to be an opera singer. I would like to have a career as a professional singer more than anything else. At my age, however, I realize that my window of opportunity is probably closed, and I won't ever have an international career. I can, however, indulge my love of singing on a smaller scale in things such as Arbor Opera Theater's production of Don Giovanni and the occasional impromptu living room concert.
In other news, this morning was an absolutely perfect morning for my five-mile run. It couldn't have been any better. Ambient temperature was about 58 degrees, no breeze, sun just starting to gild the tops of the trees along the cemetery driveway as I passed by. I took it easy and did the 5.25 miles at about a 9:25/mile pace.
Not an hour later I was at the School of Music auditioning for a part in an upcoming production of Don Giovanni (Mozart). I sang "Batti, batti, o bel Masetto" which is an aria from that opera. My voice is a little out of shape these days as I am not taking lessons and practicing, but it's hard to undo four and a half years of training. My voice knows what it's supposed to do, and I pulled it off well enough to be offered a part in the chorus on the spot. Hallelujah! Finally, I get to actually sing in an opera! I was in Michigan Opera Theater's production of La Boheme some years ago as a supernumerary (nonspeaking onstage role) and that was a fantastic experience, but I yearned to be on stage and singing. I will finally get that chance!
For those of you who don't know, my other passion in life is singing. Yes, I have something else that's near and dear to my heart besides running. I am a professionally-trained classical singer and the great dream of my life is not to qualify for Boston (though that would be nice), it is to be an opera singer. I would like to have a career as a professional singer more than anything else. At my age, however, I realize that my window of opportunity is probably closed, and I won't ever have an international career. I can, however, indulge my love of singing on a smaller scale in things such as Arbor Opera Theater's production of Don Giovanni and the occasional impromptu living room concert.
In other news, this morning was an absolutely perfect morning for my five-mile run. It couldn't have been any better. Ambient temperature was about 58 degrees, no breeze, sun just starting to gild the tops of the trees along the cemetery driveway as I passed by. I took it easy and did the 5.25 miles at about a 9:25/mile pace.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Revisit
Friday morning I sacrificed about a half cup of my precious blood in the name of science. I got paid $20 for the privilege of allowing my blood to be used in a genetics study. I was (as I suspect I will be for most studies) a normal control, the "healthy volunteer." It was a nice way to make some extra cash. I'm holding out hope that I may get involved some kind of megabucks-paying exercise physiology study. I'd love to have my VO2 max calculated, to run on a treadmill for a while with things beeping and spitting out numbers all over the place. A girl can dream.
So there I was back at the U of M hospital for the first time since I had surgery lo those many months ago. The day I met with my surgeon, a visit which ended with a blizzard of paperwork and endless long trips up and down the hallways from one department to another because I was going to have surgery in two weeks, was one of the great days of my life. I wandered from lab to lab in a daze, a fog of disbelief and extreme happiness because it was finally happening, I can't believe this is actually happening, I'm having surgery, I'm having surgery, I'm going to finally get well, oh my God, I'm finally going to be well.
Three hours in the bowels of the U of M hospital and I went home with a giant wad of papers and instructions and forms and a bag containing a box with a concoction called HalfLytely, the consumption thereof being one of the most unpleasant experiences ever.
What a difference 15 months makes...now I was at the hospital so they could pay me, not the other way around, and how often does that happen? I am in fabulous condition, 40 pounds lighter than I was on the day of surgery, infinitely happier and healthier.
In other news, I had a superb training run on Sunday, during which I ran at or below my target half marathon pace (9:09) for each mile and averaged 8:59 for the 11-mile distance. This bodes extremely well for my sub-2:00 goal at the Marine Corps Historic Half, which is coming up in TWO WEEKS! I can't believe it! 14 weeks of training down, just a shade less than 2 to go.
I am already thinking about doing the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run two weeks later. I don't know which distance I would like to do: 10K or half marathon. If through some catastrophe I do not achieve my goal at the Marine Corps half (urgh) I would like to attempt to do so at the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run.
So there I was back at the U of M hospital for the first time since I had surgery lo those many months ago. The day I met with my surgeon, a visit which ended with a blizzard of paperwork and endless long trips up and down the hallways from one department to another because I was going to have surgery in two weeks, was one of the great days of my life. I wandered from lab to lab in a daze, a fog of disbelief and extreme happiness because it was finally happening, I can't believe this is actually happening, I'm having surgery, I'm having surgery, I'm going to finally get well, oh my God, I'm finally going to be well.
Three hours in the bowels of the U of M hospital and I went home with a giant wad of papers and instructions and forms and a bag containing a box with a concoction called HalfLytely, the consumption thereof being one of the most unpleasant experiences ever.
What a difference 15 months makes...now I was at the hospital so they could pay me, not the other way around, and how often does that happen? I am in fabulous condition, 40 pounds lighter than I was on the day of surgery, infinitely happier and healthier.
In other news, I had a superb training run on Sunday, during which I ran at or below my target half marathon pace (9:09) for each mile and averaged 8:59 for the 11-mile distance. This bodes extremely well for my sub-2:00 goal at the Marine Corps Historic Half, which is coming up in TWO WEEKS! I can't believe it! 14 weeks of training down, just a shade less than 2 to go.
I am already thinking about doing the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run two weeks later. I don't know which distance I would like to do: 10K or half marathon. If through some catastrophe I do not achieve my goal at the Marine Corps half (urgh) I would like to attempt to do so at the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Unofficial Milestone
My highest recorded weight was 223 lbs (pre-Weight Watchers).
Yesterday morning I weighed myself. 153 lbs.
I have lost 70 pounds. 70. I can't even wrap my head around that number. That's like, an entire small child.
After being on a plateau for so long I changed two things: I began exercising in the morning and I switched to the Weight Watchers Core program. You know that saying about how "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity?" Well, clearly doing the same thing over and over wasn't working for me, so I changed everything.
And it's working. Man, is it ever working. With the Core program, I do not have to track Points and only eat a certain number of daily Points based on my weight. I eat foods from the Core Food List and I can eat generous portions of them (but not to the point of stuffing myself; I still have to practice portion control). I think I desperately needed the additional fuel and my diet is leaner and more vegetable-heavy than ever (and good thing, too, since my weekly boxes from my farm share start rolling in at the end of this month).
Next week's weigh-in will be a big one, as I fully expect to drop the 2.4 lbs from my Tuesday weigh-in of 155.6 and reach the 65-lbs lost mark on the program.
I admit to being somewhat thrilled by the attention I get at meetings during "awards time." At this point I am the biggest loser in my meeting group. Someone in my meeting even told me I was her "Weight Watchers idol." I probably blushed and looked sheepish. I am pleased, though, that my success might have a positive effect on the other members. When I first started, I was awed by the people in my meeting who had lost 40, 50, or 60 pounds. I fervently hoped I would be able to do the same. If they could do it, certainly I could, too.
And now I have.
Yesterday morning I weighed myself. 153 lbs.
I have lost 70 pounds. 70. I can't even wrap my head around that number. That's like, an entire small child.
After being on a plateau for so long I changed two things: I began exercising in the morning and I switched to the Weight Watchers Core program. You know that saying about how "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity?" Well, clearly doing the same thing over and over wasn't working for me, so I changed everything.
And it's working. Man, is it ever working. With the Core program, I do not have to track Points and only eat a certain number of daily Points based on my weight. I eat foods from the Core Food List and I can eat generous portions of them (but not to the point of stuffing myself; I still have to practice portion control). I think I desperately needed the additional fuel and my diet is leaner and more vegetable-heavy than ever (and good thing, too, since my weekly boxes from my farm share start rolling in at the end of this month).
Next week's weigh-in will be a big one, as I fully expect to drop the 2.4 lbs from my Tuesday weigh-in of 155.6 and reach the 65-lbs lost mark on the program.
I admit to being somewhat thrilled by the attention I get at meetings during "awards time." At this point I am the biggest loser in my meeting group. Someone in my meeting even told me I was her "Weight Watchers idol." I probably blushed and looked sheepish. I am pleased, though, that my success might have a positive effect on the other members. When I first started, I was awed by the people in my meeting who had lost 40, 50, or 60 pounds. I fervently hoped I would be able to do the same. If they could do it, certainly I could, too.
And now I have.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
What Runners Think About While Running
I get asked a lot what I think about while I am on a long run. When I am out on the road alone for a hour or more, what do I do to keep myself occupied? Sometimes I take my iPod. Sometimes I just completely zone out. And sometimes I see something which I seize upon and which keeps my mind busy for a little while. Such was the case with my 11-miler on Sunday. In the yard of a home outside of town, I saw a very large statue of the Virgin Mary perched at the edge of a pond. Immediately my mind threw out "Our Lady of the Pond."I found this highly amusing. I repeated it to myself over and over while I was running. I thought about the ways in which Our Lady of the Pond could watch over the waters, protecting the ducks and fish alike. Our Lady of the Pond.
This ends the totally scary glimpse into the head of a distance runner.
This ends the totally scary glimpse into the head of a distance runner.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
One More Thing
I forgot to add something to my list of reasons why I am finding myself nostalgic for winter running:
BUGS.
There is nothing like inhaling a stray insect or running through a cloud of gnats!
BUGS.
There is nothing like inhaling a stray insect or running through a cloud of gnats!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Be Careful What You Wish For...You Just Might Get It
It seems that spring has, at last, finally sprung in Michigan.
Of course now I all but guaranteed we will have one more blast of winter weather by saying that, didn't it?
I have whined and complained and bitched about the way winter seemed to be dragging on...and on...and on...around here. I yearned for longer days, warmer temperatures, sidewalks that were free of snow.
Now I have all three of those things, except they aren't turning out to be as all-encompassingly fantastic as I thought they would be. OK, the longer days thing pretty much rocks. I can go out for a run at 6:30 pm, finish at 8:00 pm, and it's still light out. Furthermore, I am about to flip my schedule and start running in the early mornings again now that it's semi-light at 6:00 am.
However. Warmer temperatures means I am sweating more. And for me, "more" means "getting drenched." I sweat a lot. That old trying-to-be-funny saying about how "women don't sweat, they glow" does not apply to me. I don't glow. Or glisten. I look like someone threw a bucket of water on me. It was so nice over the winter when I didn't come back with my hair all matted down, huge sweat bibs on the fronts and backs of my shirts, and eyes red and stinging from sweat trickling into them.
I am enjoying the fact that all I need to go running now is a pair of shorts and a tank top instead of ten layers and multiple accessories, though. And whoa, folks, let me just say that proper running shorts and short-sleeved and tank tops are so much nicer to run in than cotton T-shirts and my old gym shorts. I feel so sleek and speedy in my new gear. Additionally, I can coordinate my outfits with one of my thirteen Bondi Band headbands. I am ready for any fashion situation! When you look good, you feel good, you know.
But. Warmer weather also means that the snow cover is gone and the temperature is above freezing most of the time. Thus, all of the roadkill that was sacrificed to the car gods over the winter and mercifully lay frozen for months has now thawed. I like to run in the country as much as possible. The country contains many ditches and such where roadkill landed. Said roadkill is now becoming...awfully fragrant. Nothing like the smell of dead deer in the morning! I can only hope that our local crows, vultures, ants and flies do their jobs as Nature's Garbagemen and take care of this problem.
Now, on to our sidewalks. For months I ran in the streets because the sidewalks were a half-shoveled or not-shoveled-at-all nightmare. Now that the sidewalks are clear, I can run freely on them. Except...often I find myself back in the street anyway. Why? Because the sidewalks of my lovely little city are so uneven as to guarantee a faceplant or skinned knees at some point in my future. I have to stare at a spot a few strides ahead of me at all times in order to stay alert for changing topography. This prevents me from taking pleasure in anything else. I love being able to look around at the world while I am out running. However, my world shrinks down to the few feet of sidewalk a short distance in front of me these days. Thus, I often veer into the street to get some relief from staring at the same spot on the sidewalk and to not worry about tripping and crashing to the ground.
Finally, the combination of warm temperatures + clear sidewalks = PEOPLE, PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. I got used to being the only one out and about during the winter (except for fellow obsessed runners; we would always exchange "the nod" if we passed each other while out for a run on a frigid January afternoon). Sometimes I felt as if I was the only one alive in town. The peace and solitude were lovely. Now I have to dodge ambling teenagers, people with dogs, little kids on bikes, enormous sidewalk-gobbling megastrollers, old folks going slowly, and people who walk three abreast and don't even attempt to move when they see me coming.
I wanted spring to come so badly, and now that it's here, I find myself waxing nostalgic for winter. I'm never satisfied, am I?
Of course now I all but guaranteed we will have one more blast of winter weather by saying that, didn't it?
I have whined and complained and bitched about the way winter seemed to be dragging on...and on...and on...around here. I yearned for longer days, warmer temperatures, sidewalks that were free of snow.
Now I have all three of those things, except they aren't turning out to be as all-encompassingly fantastic as I thought they would be. OK, the longer days thing pretty much rocks. I can go out for a run at 6:30 pm, finish at 8:00 pm, and it's still light out. Furthermore, I am about to flip my schedule and start running in the early mornings again now that it's semi-light at 6:00 am.
However. Warmer temperatures means I am sweating more. And for me, "more" means "getting drenched." I sweat a lot. That old trying-to-be-funny saying about how "women don't sweat, they glow" does not apply to me. I don't glow. Or glisten. I look like someone threw a bucket of water on me. It was so nice over the winter when I didn't come back with my hair all matted down, huge sweat bibs on the fronts and backs of my shirts, and eyes red and stinging from sweat trickling into them.
I am enjoying the fact that all I need to go running now is a pair of shorts and a tank top instead of ten layers and multiple accessories, though. And whoa, folks, let me just say that proper running shorts and short-sleeved and tank tops are so much nicer to run in than cotton T-shirts and my old gym shorts. I feel so sleek and speedy in my new gear. Additionally, I can coordinate my outfits with one of my thirteen Bondi Band headbands. I am ready for any fashion situation! When you look good, you feel good, you know.
But. Warmer weather also means that the snow cover is gone and the temperature is above freezing most of the time. Thus, all of the roadkill that was sacrificed to the car gods over the winter and mercifully lay frozen for months has now thawed. I like to run in the country as much as possible. The country contains many ditches and such where roadkill landed. Said roadkill is now becoming...awfully fragrant. Nothing like the smell of dead deer in the morning! I can only hope that our local crows, vultures, ants and flies do their jobs as Nature's Garbagemen and take care of this problem.
Now, on to our sidewalks. For months I ran in the streets because the sidewalks were a half-shoveled or not-shoveled-at-all nightmare. Now that the sidewalks are clear, I can run freely on them. Except...often I find myself back in the street anyway. Why? Because the sidewalks of my lovely little city are so uneven as to guarantee a faceplant or skinned knees at some point in my future. I have to stare at a spot a few strides ahead of me at all times in order to stay alert for changing topography. This prevents me from taking pleasure in anything else. I love being able to look around at the world while I am out running. However, my world shrinks down to the few feet of sidewalk a short distance in front of me these days. Thus, I often veer into the street to get some relief from staring at the same spot on the sidewalk and to not worry about tripping and crashing to the ground.
Finally, the combination of warm temperatures + clear sidewalks = PEOPLE, PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. I got used to being the only one out and about during the winter (except for fellow obsessed runners; we would always exchange "the nod" if we passed each other while out for a run on a frigid January afternoon). Sometimes I felt as if I was the only one alive in town. The peace and solitude were lovely. Now I have to dodge ambling teenagers, people with dogs, little kids on bikes, enormous sidewalk-gobbling megastrollers, old folks going slowly, and people who walk three abreast and don't even attempt to move when they see me coming.
I wanted spring to come so badly, and now that it's here, I find myself waxing nostalgic for winter. I'm never satisfied, am I?
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Sigh
I had a long (2-hour) meeting at work this morning. I was sitting in the conference room waiting for it to start and looking out the windows. I saw some guy out for a run on a sidewalk about 300 meters away. I watched him until he passed out of sight and the whole time I was thinking, "I wish I could be out there right now."
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Aw Yeah
After my Weight Watchers meeting yesterday I headed out to the track for my speed workout. I was feeling slightly peevish because I had posted yet another middling one-pound gain at weigh-in. I'm on a plateau so huge it feels like Tibet. I just cannot get away from the 159-161 pounds range. Sigh.
Anyway, I bopped on down to the track for some 800-meter intervals. At least the weather was pleasant, unlike one week ago when I battled that 30-mph wind and 35-degree temperature before screaming "F@RK THIS!" and bagging it halfway through the workout. I started with a mile warmup and then launched into my first 800. As I was pounding along, a huge gaggle of girls appeared on the grassy slope leading down to the track. It was some local soccer team there for practice. I passed by them on the curve heading into the homestretch in front of the grandstands.
I zoomed past, and then I heard one of the girls say, "Oh my God...look at her muscles." I was wearing my spiffy new Asics shorts (third day in a row!) so my gleaming white (love those Midwest winters...nary a photon of sunlight has hit my skin in six months) legs were out there in all their apparently rippling-muscled glory.
I hereby confess that upon overhearing that comment I kicked extra-hard to finish my interval. All remaining irritable thoughts of my stalled progress at Weight Watchers were swept away. So what if I can't seem to lose any weight? I've worked so hard for these strong legs, these muscles that are now drawing comments from strangers. These legs have carried me almost 300 miles this year, will carry me 13.1 miles in a mere five weeks, and hopefully hundreds more (and a marathon distance) by the end of the year.
Sometimes positive change isn't always about the number on the scale.
Also: Adolescent girls? Squeal a lot.
Anyway, I bopped on down to the track for some 800-meter intervals. At least the weather was pleasant, unlike one week ago when I battled that 30-mph wind and 35-degree temperature before screaming "F@RK THIS!" and bagging it halfway through the workout. I started with a mile warmup and then launched into my first 800. As I was pounding along, a huge gaggle of girls appeared on the grassy slope leading down to the track. It was some local soccer team there for practice. I passed by them on the curve heading into the homestretch in front of the grandstands.
I zoomed past, and then I heard one of the girls say, "Oh my God...look at her muscles." I was wearing my spiffy new Asics shorts (third day in a row!) so my gleaming white (love those Midwest winters...nary a photon of sunlight has hit my skin in six months) legs were out there in all their apparently rippling-muscled glory.
I hereby confess that upon overhearing that comment I kicked extra-hard to finish my interval. All remaining irritable thoughts of my stalled progress at Weight Watchers were swept away. So what if I can't seem to lose any weight? I've worked so hard for these strong legs, these muscles that are now drawing comments from strangers. These legs have carried me almost 300 miles this year, will carry me 13.1 miles in a mere five weeks, and hopefully hundreds more (and a marathon distance) by the end of the year.
Sometimes positive change isn't always about the number on the scale.
Also: Adolescent girls? Squeal a lot.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Race Report: Meteor 10K
Ah, sunrise. Heralding a new day full of fresh possibilities. In this case, my first 10K race. At 7:15 am we were driving east into the blinding sunrise, heading for the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the Meteor 10K.
We arrived with plenty of time to spare; I picked up my race number amidst the total chaos of the expo hall and then we strolled down to the start/finish line. I did a brief warmup, some stretches, and then joined the participant crowd.
Final adjustments
We arrived with plenty of time to spare; I picked up my race number amidst the total chaos of the expo hall and then we strolled down to the start/finish line. I did a brief warmup, some stretches, and then joined the participant crowd.
Final adjustmentsI was very pleased to see that the race was using start and finish timing mats for this chip-timed event, unlike several previous events I have participated in. This ensured that my time would be extremely accurate. When the DJ booth started blaring the Rocky theme I knew the big moment was at hand. I also knew I could not bolt out too fast at the start which would guarantee a quick fade later in the race. I decided to start with a slowish warmup first mile and then settle into a faster pace. The race started, everyone surged forward, and I was off!
Around mile 1 (photo from Run Michigan image gallery)
I did exactly what I had planned for the first mile: 8:41. OK. Feeling good. Breathing under control-- nice slow, deep breaths. Legs feel fresh. Stomach rock solid. Let's open things up a little.
Somewhere around mile 1.5, passing the start/finish line crowd again. Looking good!
Around mile 1 (photo from Run Michigan image gallery)I did exactly what I had planned for the first mile: 8:41. OK. Feeling good. Breathing under control-- nice slow, deep breaths. Legs feel fresh. Stomach rock solid. Let's open things up a little.
Somewhere around mile 1.5, passing the start/finish line crowd again. Looking good!I settled back into a nice groove and slowly upped my speed. The miles just seemed to fly by. I felt great, the best I've felt since I got sick two weeks ago. I had struggled somewhat with training this past week; I just felt like something was "off." I felt like I had lost my "running mojo." It came roaring back during this race. I was passing people right and left. I felt like I had wings on my feet! I passed the 5K mark just before 27:00. As we started up Hines Dr., (holy potholes, Batman!) which was a long out-and-back, the front of the field passed me on the opposite side. I love these races that double back on themselves, giving us middle-of-the-packers a chance to see elite runners in action. The turnaround point on Hines Dr. was shortly after the 4-mile mark. I decided to bear down and pick up my pace a little for the final two miles. I didn't really have any time goal for this race. I told John before the start I would finish in 55 minutes if I took things nice and easy and 50:00 if I worked for it. Soon enough mile 5 was behind me and I could hear the noise from the finish line area. I was undeniably tired and working harder than ever. Just a little bit more! After an unscheduled "water jump" (partially flooded driveway) right at mile 6 the path jogged a little to the right and then it was just one long straightaway to the finish. I pushed hard all the way to the line and finished in 51:22.
Immediately after the finish, still breathless, watching a race volunteer remove my timing chip from my shoe.
Immediately after the finish, still breathless, watching a race volunteer remove my timing chip from my shoe.My splits were 8:41, 8:24, 8:13, 8:10, 8:04, 8:11, and the final 0.2 at a 7:20 pace for an average of 8:16. I finished 17/124 in my age group (30-39) and 181/617 overall. It was a great race; the weather was perfect (sunny, about 45 degrees at the start, no wind). I also got a bunch of stuff on sale at the race expo afterwards, and any time I can get an awesome blue Asics shirt for 50% off is a good day.
Talking with Erika and Victor after the race.
Talking with Erika and Victor after the race.Friday, April 4, 2008
True Grit
Yesterday during some random running blog meanderings I stumbled across YARB (yet another running blog), this one entitled Frayed Laces.
This woman experienced an injury so ghastly, so horrible, so unbelievable, I would never wish it even on someone in my age group who is about to finish one second in front of me to win our age group in any race. I wouldn't wish this injury on anyone, ever, under any circumstances.
Her pelvis broke due to a stress fracture DURING A MARATHON and she kept going and finished the race.
I can't even put into words how in awe of her I am. I probably would have collapsed in a heap.
My confession? I'm absolutely terrified of getting a stress fracture. It's my worst nightmare. I think every little twinge is an incipient stress fracture. I'm currently obsessing over the state of my right shin. It doesn't hurt...there's just...a weird little feeling there. It does not hurt or bother me during my runs, however. I've done enough research to know I should be feeling some degree of pain during a run if I was developing a stress fracture.
In other news, tomorrow morning is the Meteor 10K in Dearborn, Michigan, a race in which I will be running. My very first 10K race! I'm 100% guaranteed to get a PR!
This woman experienced an injury so ghastly, so horrible, so unbelievable, I would never wish it even on someone in my age group who is about to finish one second in front of me to win our age group in any race. I wouldn't wish this injury on anyone, ever, under any circumstances.
Her pelvis broke due to a stress fracture DURING A MARATHON and she kept going and finished the race.
I can't even put into words how in awe of her I am. I probably would have collapsed in a heap.
My confession? I'm absolutely terrified of getting a stress fracture. It's my worst nightmare. I think every little twinge is an incipient stress fracture. I'm currently obsessing over the state of my right shin. It doesn't hurt...there's just...a weird little feeling there. It does not hurt or bother me during my runs, however. I've done enough research to know I should be feeling some degree of pain during a run if I was developing a stress fracture.
In other news, tomorrow morning is the Meteor 10K in Dearborn, Michigan, a race in which I will be running. My very first 10K race! I'm 100% guaranteed to get a PR!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
I...I...I...
...just registered for the 2008 Detroit Marathon.
Oh my God. I'm really going to do this.
My very first marathon.
Oh my God. I'm really going to do this.
My very first marathon.
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