Easy-peasy. What's five miles after work? So nice, that's what. I came home from work at 4:00 and by 4:15 I was into my running clothes and out the door. The sun was shining and everything, though it was quite cold and the headwind was a little harsh. I decided to head into the country on one of my favorite routes, the Conway-Sibley loop. I didn't have to worry about slamming out a run and getting home in time to shower and get to work. It took me about 2 miles to get warmed up and settle into a good rhythm but once I did I felt on top of the world (literally; at one point on the route I can see all of Chelsea spread out in the distance, the skyline dominated, as always, by the Chelsea Milling Company (aka Jiffy Mix) grain elevators).
When I got back into town, instead of veering away from Main St. and taking Buchanan or West North to Middle in order to skirt the downtown proper, I just ran right up the Main St. sidewalk past all the stores and restaurants. There was a time not so long ago that I refused to run through downtown and pass people on the sidewalk because I was still embarrassed by how fat and slow I was. I didn't want people to see me and think, "She's barely moving, and boy, is she overweight."
Not any more. I'm a lean mean running machine. I don't care who sees me. I want people to see me as I run proudly up Main St. Now I hope they see me and think, "She's really moving, and boy, is she in good shape!"
What a difference six months makes!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Rosemary Chicken with Wild Rice
Another one of Weight Watchers' one-dish dinners that I've incorporated into my meal plans. The combination of orange marmalade, rosemary, and Dijon mustard might sound weird but it's really good.
Ingredients:
With about 15 minutes left of rice cooking time, heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and continue cooking for 4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the orange marmalade, mustard, salt, and pepper; stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes. The rice should be done now; drain any excess water and add the rice to the chicken mixture. Stir to combine and serve.
Makes enough for two good-sized portions. According to my Weight Watchers cookbook, a "generous" 1 cup of the stuff is 6 WW Points.
In other news I must be doing something right because the scale this morning said 161.4. That's a full 4-plus pounds less than what it said on Tuesday. I've been very carefully tracking Points and not going over my daily allowance because I am so determined to reach Goal before the end of the year. If my scale is to be trusted I have 6 more pounds to lose.
Watch for a picture post the first day I slip under 160 pounds, territory that hasn't been visited in 11 years.
Ingredients:
- 2 smallish-sized boneless/skinless chicken breasts (about 4 ounces each or a total weight of 1/2 pound), cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 3 tbsp sugar-free or reduced-sugar orange marmalade
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup wild rice
- Salt & pepper
With about 15 minutes left of rice cooking time, heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and continue cooking for 4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the orange marmalade, mustard, salt, and pepper; stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes. The rice should be done now; drain any excess water and add the rice to the chicken mixture. Stir to combine and serve.
Makes enough for two good-sized portions. According to my Weight Watchers cookbook, a "generous" 1 cup of the stuff is 6 WW Points.
In other news I must be doing something right because the scale this morning said 161.4. That's a full 4-plus pounds less than what it said on Tuesday. I've been very carefully tracking Points and not going over my daily allowance because I am so determined to reach Goal before the end of the year. If my scale is to be trusted I have 6 more pounds to lose.
Watch for a picture post the first day I slip under 160 pounds, territory that hasn't been visited in 11 years.
Defeated by (Almost) December
I just couldn't do it anymore. The mornings are too cold, too dark, too harsh. I've decided to start running in the afternoons. I went out yesterday after work for a "test" run. It was great! I could see where I was going! I wasn't blinded by oncoming headlights! It wasn't so bitterly cold!
Thus, after more than a year of morning runs, I am switching to the afternoons, at least until it gets too hot next spring, by which time it will be light in the mornings again. I'm still getting up at my usual time, but not running before work means I will be able to start work at 7:00, which also means I will be done at 3:30, which means I will be home and ready to roll (run?) at 4:00 or shortly thereafter. Running in the afternoon also means I will be able to go for longer runs in the middle of the week. My pre-work run length was kind of limited to what I could do in about 45 minutes, which meant really nothing longer than 5 miles.
Additionally, when I start training for the Marine Corps half marathon in February, I am going to be doing interval and tempo work, for which I would like to use the local high school track, and it's not lighted. I don't relish the thought of running around a track in the dark.
Thus, afternoons it is. And if it's crappy and raining, I can always just go to the gym. I think I'm sufficiently addicted to exercise at this point that I don't have to worry about skipping workouts because I "don't feel like it." I always feel like it these days. Once I had decided, while I was on my way home from work yesterday, to go running when I got home, I could hardly wait. I was so excited to get out there. And it felt so damn good once I did.
Thus, after more than a year of morning runs, I am switching to the afternoons, at least until it gets too hot next spring, by which time it will be light in the mornings again. I'm still getting up at my usual time, but not running before work means I will be able to start work at 7:00, which also means I will be done at 3:30, which means I will be home and ready to roll (run?) at 4:00 or shortly thereafter. Running in the afternoon also means I will be able to go for longer runs in the middle of the week. My pre-work run length was kind of limited to what I could do in about 45 minutes, which meant really nothing longer than 5 miles.
Additionally, when I start training for the Marine Corps half marathon in February, I am going to be doing interval and tempo work, for which I would like to use the local high school track, and it's not lighted. I don't relish the thought of running around a track in the dark.
Thus, afternoons it is. And if it's crappy and raining, I can always just go to the gym. I think I'm sufficiently addicted to exercise at this point that I don't have to worry about skipping workouts because I "don't feel like it." I always feel like it these days. Once I had decided, while I was on my way home from work yesterday, to go running when I got home, I could hardly wait. I was so excited to get out there. And it felt so damn good once I did.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Gumbo!
First of all, let me just say thank you to the various folks who emerged from the woodwork and left comments in my previous post! I was very glad to "meet" you!
Second, this dish has become a staple in our house. It's a Weight Watchers recipe, but I've tweaked it slightly to fit my tastes.
Ingredients:
Heat the canola oil in a soup pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, scallion, and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomato, chicken broth, spices, and bay leaf. Salt to taste, stir to combine, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes.
When the brown rice has about 20 minutes left to cook, add it to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Cover and continue cooking. With about five minutes left on the rice cooking time, add the kielbasa slices and shrimp and simmer uncovered for the remainder of the time.
Makes 4 servings.
Second, this dish has become a staple in our house. It's a Weight Watchers recipe, but I've tweaked it slightly to fit my tastes.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 6 scallions, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 14.5-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- salt
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/2 lb cooked shrimp
- 1 turkey kielbasa link, sliced (I don't know the exact weight but it's one link from a package of two Oscar Mayer brand turkey polska kielbasa)
Heat the canola oil in a soup pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, scallion, and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomato, chicken broth, spices, and bay leaf. Salt to taste, stir to combine, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes.
When the brown rice has about 20 minutes left to cook, add it to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Cover and continue cooking. With about five minutes left on the rice cooking time, add the kielbasa slices and shrimp and simmer uncovered for the remainder of the time.
Makes 4 servings.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Comment, Please
I have this nifty little application installed in the code for this blog. It's called Statcounter and it tells me everything I could ever want to know about anyone who reads this thing. Along with the handful of people I actually know IRL or from other places on the Internet who are semi-loyal readers (I have your static IP addresses labeled so I know it's you) there are a few of y'all who keep coming back...yet I have no idea who you are. Lakewood, Ohio, I'm talking to you. I know you're not my friend Ellen 'cause she moved to North Carolina. And who's that from the U of M Medical Center who keeps coming back? What about you, Jacksonville, Florida? I don't know anyone there. How did you find me? So don't be shy, comment! I love comments! I like knowing who's reading beyond the four to six people I'm absolutely sure about.
In other news: Tomorrow afternoon we have an all-company rah-rah meeting at the Sheraton across the street. Refreshments and snacks are being provided. This would all be well and good except Tuesday is my Weight Watchers weigh-in day and I don't eat anything but breakfast all day to increase my chances of a happy result at weigh-in, and tomorrow has the potential to be really good (55 pounds lost total!) or very irritating (gain for the week including Thanksgiving) But...free cookies. Lots and lots of free cookies. Sigh. What's a girl to do?
Must. Stay. Focused. Maybe I'll have one cookie.
In other news: Tomorrow afternoon we have an all-company rah-rah meeting at the Sheraton across the street. Refreshments and snacks are being provided. This would all be well and good except Tuesday is my Weight Watchers weigh-in day and I don't eat anything but breakfast all day to increase my chances of a happy result at weigh-in, and tomorrow has the potential to be really good (55 pounds lost total!) or very irritating (gain for the week including Thanksgiving) But...free cookies. Lots and lots of free cookies. Sigh. What's a girl to do?
Must. Stay. Focused. Maybe I'll have one cookie.
Aurora Turkey Trot and Shocking Development
Thursday morning (Thanksgiving Day) was the Eastside Turkey Trot in Aurora, Ohio, about 30 minutes from my hometown of Chesterland. My dad and I ran the race together. I had registered some weeks before after scouting out potential Thanksgiving holiday races in northeast Ohio. We were coming to the area for the holiday, and these days I like to do a quick online reconnaissance of road races in places I will be visiting. I never know when there might be a 5K I could do.
It was a miserable morning, cold, drizzly, and generally the kind of morning which should be spent indoors drinking hot coffee, bundled in pajamas, and looking out at the world, not spent outdoors bundled in many layers of special fabrics contemplating the fact that one has to run four miles. However, we and several hundred other nutjobs showed up for this race which started and ended at the Aurora Farms Premium Outlets Megaplex and if that's not a statement about the American love of consumerism I don't know what is. Maybe they wanted us to come back on Friday and go shopping?
Besides, I love running in bad weather. The crappier, the better! Frigid? Drizzle? Wind? No problem! All three at once? Awesome!
As far as races go, it was fine. Four miles isn't a distance with which I have much strategic racing experience, my preferred distance being the 5K. In true scatterbrain style I failed to activate the Garmin at the start line so all of my distance and pace data is off. Moron. I still averaged about 8:18/mile, and finished the race in 33:15 or so. Update: official race results were finally posted, although not broken down by age group, and I finished in 33:16, and appear to be fifth in my age group and 122/299 overall.
The race course doubled back on itself so at one point we middle-of-the-packers were passed by the front-runners heading in the opposite direction. I rarely if ever get a chance to see race leaders so it was very interesting. There was one hardcore guy (dressed only in shorts and wispy tank top) who was up with the top male runners who must have been in his mid- to late sixties. I just thought, "Rock on, old dude."
I liked the course; it was broad, gently sloped, well-tended and marked, and not overly difficult. Aurora Police were on hand to halt traffic, which was nice, considering I have run road races where traffic was allowed to continue going past.
I hope the race returns next year. Or whatever year it is that we return to Chesterland for Thanksgiving.
Now, the Shocking Development. Friday I braved the insanity and went to Beachwood Mall with my mom. We ended up at Ann Taylor (again) and I found some cute stuff on sale. To my EXTREME SHOCK (and delight) I am now wearing SIZE SIX pants from Ann Taylor. I know their sizing runs bigger than other stores so I might not necessarily be able to squeeze into a size six from, say, J Crew or whatever. But. The label on my pants, pants I am wearing right now says "6." This is totally unprecedented. I haven't worn a size 6 since I was in high school when I was 15 or 16 years old.
Tomorrow I will see if I suffered any collateral damage from all the feasting last week. I hope my exercise efforts offset the increased consumption. I ran four miles on Thursday, two on Friday (plus weightlifting), and six on Saturday. I am so close to my Weight Watchers goal weight that any setback will make me very disappointed. I really, really want to reach my goal before the end of the year.
It was a miserable morning, cold, drizzly, and generally the kind of morning which should be spent indoors drinking hot coffee, bundled in pajamas, and looking out at the world, not spent outdoors bundled in many layers of special fabrics contemplating the fact that one has to run four miles. However, we and several hundred other nutjobs showed up for this race which started and ended at the Aurora Farms Premium Outlets Megaplex and if that's not a statement about the American love of consumerism I don't know what is. Maybe they wanted us to come back on Friday and go shopping?
Besides, I love running in bad weather. The crappier, the better! Frigid? Drizzle? Wind? No problem! All three at once? Awesome!
As far as races go, it was fine. Four miles isn't a distance with which I have much strategic racing experience, my preferred distance being the 5K. In true scatterbrain style I failed to activate the Garmin at the start line so all of my distance and pace data is off. Moron. I still averaged about 8:18/mile, and finished the race in 33:15 or so. Update: official race results were finally posted, although not broken down by age group, and I finished in 33:16, and appear to be fifth in my age group and 122/299 overall.
The race course doubled back on itself so at one point we middle-of-the-packers were passed by the front-runners heading in the opposite direction. I rarely if ever get a chance to see race leaders so it was very interesting. There was one hardcore guy (dressed only in shorts and wispy tank top) who was up with the top male runners who must have been in his mid- to late sixties. I just thought, "Rock on, old dude."
I liked the course; it was broad, gently sloped, well-tended and marked, and not overly difficult. Aurora Police were on hand to halt traffic, which was nice, considering I have run road races where traffic was allowed to continue going past.
I hope the race returns next year. Or whatever year it is that we return to Chesterland for Thanksgiving.
Now, the Shocking Development. Friday I braved the insanity and went to Beachwood Mall with my mom. We ended up at Ann Taylor (again) and I found some cute stuff on sale. To my EXTREME SHOCK (and delight) I am now wearing SIZE SIX pants from Ann Taylor. I know their sizing runs bigger than other stores so I might not necessarily be able to squeeze into a size six from, say, J Crew or whatever. But. The label on my pants, pants I am wearing right now says "6." This is totally unprecedented. I haven't worn a size 6 since I was in high school when I was 15 or 16 years old.
Tomorrow I will see if I suffered any collateral damage from all the feasting last week. I hope my exercise efforts offset the increased consumption. I ran four miles on Thursday, two on Friday (plus weightlifting), and six on Saturday. I am so close to my Weight Watchers goal weight that any setback will make me very disappointed. I really, really want to reach my goal before the end of the year.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Y'all. Listen to this.
I was going to keep quiet about this but I can't help myself any more. This afternoon a photographer from the Ann Arbor News is meeting me in Chelsea to take my picture, dressed in full running gear, for the Thanksgiving edition front page feature story.
So what in the world is going on? Well, on Saturday I saw a tiny little blurb buried at the bottom of the News in Brief page that asked for personal stories from people who are especially grateful for something this Thanksgiving. I thought, man, if there was ever a year for which I am thankful, it has to be this one, and it's all due to the wonderful woman who performed my surgery back in February. I sent an email to the woman who is writing the story, an email which included:
Thursday, Ann Arbor News, front page. Me. Holy crap!
(By the way, my face is in a state of extreme pimpliness the likes of which I haven't seen in years. I don't know what happened but I am leaving work at 3:00 today to go home and plaster on as much foundation as my skin can handle. Stupid zits. You'd think they would go away by the time you hit your thirties. Bah humbug!)
So what in the world is going on? Well, on Saturday I saw a tiny little blurb buried at the bottom of the News in Brief page that asked for personal stories from people who are especially grateful for something this Thanksgiving. I thought, man, if there was ever a year for which I am thankful, it has to be this one, and it's all due to the wonderful woman who performed my surgery back in February. I sent an email to the woman who is writing the story, an email which included:
The surgery was a complete success and after my recovery period was over I flung myself with everything I had into my new life, a life I had almost lost sight of before surgery. I lost 30 pounds, started running, and in October I completed the Detroit Half Marathon. I feel more vibrant and energetic than I ever have in my entire life, and next month I will be 34.She wrote back, we talked about running and such, and lo, this afternoon I will be standing in the cemetery in Chelsea (my favorite place to run) in my running outfit, which includes a free shirt from Running Fit. I went there yesterday ostensibly to pick up a pair of nice warm gloves (check) and nice warm hat (check) but also to casually mention that I was going to be photographed for the paper in my running clothes and I really wanted to wear something from RF with their name on it...since it's my favorite store and all...free publicity...hence, free shirt. Thank you, Victor!
Thursday, Ann Arbor News, front page. Me. Holy crap!
(By the way, my face is in a state of extreme pimpliness the likes of which I haven't seen in years. I don't know what happened but I am leaving work at 3:00 today to go home and plaster on as much foundation as my skin can handle. Stupid zits. You'd think they would go away by the time you hit your thirties. Bah humbug!)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
French Green Lentil Soup
I haven't posted many recipes here which was one of the things I intended to do with this blog so here's one.
FRENCH GREEN LENTIL SOUP
(from Bon Appetit magazine, December 2006)
1 1/4 cups French green lentils, rinsed and drained
2 cups diced white onion
1 cup sliced celery stalk
1 cup sliced carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp olive oil
Balsamic vinegar (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, lentils, and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Transfer 2 cups of soup (mostly solids) to a blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup pot and stir. Season with salt and pepper and a splash of vinegar (if desired).
This is sort of the basic recipe; many things can be added to it according to one's individual tastes or desires. For example, last night I browned ~1/2 pound of turkey breakfast sausage links in a separate frying pan, cut them into chunks, and added them into the soup after the pureé step.
I think the next time I make this I want to experiment with some other seasonings. S&P are all well and good but I think it needs something a little more zesty.
And lastly, why French green lentils (specialty) and not just plain old green or brown lentils one can find at any grocery store? It's worth seeking them out because their flavor is more intense and earthy than other lentils. The recipe is timed to accommodate the longer cooking time and more robust structural integrity of French green lentils so I can't vouch for what might happen if one used another kind of lentil. Lentil mush, maybe? I buy my French green lentils in bulk at the Ann Arbor Whole Foods store. However, I see that Bob's Red Mill has packaged French green lentils (I love Bob's Red Mill! I put his ground flaxseed meal into all kinds of things).
FRENCH GREEN LENTIL SOUP
(from Bon Appetit magazine, December 2006)
1 1/4 cups French green lentils, rinsed and drained
2 cups diced white onion
1 cup sliced celery stalk
1 cup sliced carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp olive oil
Balsamic vinegar (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, lentils, and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Transfer 2 cups of soup (mostly solids) to a blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup pot and stir. Season with salt and pepper and a splash of vinegar (if desired).
This is sort of the basic recipe; many things can be added to it according to one's individual tastes or desires. For example, last night I browned ~1/2 pound of turkey breakfast sausage links in a separate frying pan, cut them into chunks, and added them into the soup after the pureé step.
I think the next time I make this I want to experiment with some other seasonings. S&P are all well and good but I think it needs something a little more zesty.
And lastly, why French green lentils (specialty) and not just plain old green or brown lentils one can find at any grocery store? It's worth seeking them out because their flavor is more intense and earthy than other lentils. The recipe is timed to accommodate the longer cooking time and more robust structural integrity of French green lentils so I can't vouch for what might happen if one used another kind of lentil. Lentil mush, maybe? I buy my French green lentils in bulk at the Ann Arbor Whole Foods store. However, I see that Bob's Red Mill has packaged French green lentils (I love Bob's Red Mill! I put his ground flaxseed meal into all kinds of things).
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Race Report: Ann Arbor Turkey Trot
This morning was the Tortoise & Hare Ann Arbor Turkey Trot. It was my kind of running weather: cold and dismal. I've always done better in bad weather, reaching all the way back to my freshman year and first season of high school cross country. That year (1988, practically prehistoric times) at our District meet I ran a 24:13 (my PR for the season) in abysmal weather conditions, even worse than today's. My preferences were set for life.
We were issued timing chips, but there was no timing mat at the start of the race, just the finish. I don't know how this could be considered completely accurate. Especially since I was so close to breaking 25:00. I was timed in 25:01. If there had been a timing mat at the start, would my time have been different? Especially since according to my Garmin I finished in 24:52? I guess I will have to look forward to breaking 25:00 in my next 5K , whenever that may be.
I had a good race; my mile splits were 7:48, 8:02, and 8:06. I finished 11/31 in my age group. I averaged 8:03 over the full distance. There was no one at the mile splits announcing times but I glanced at the Garmin. I shouldn't have done so as my immediate reaction to the first-mile 7:48 was to think, "That's much too fast! I can't sustain that pace!" And sure enough, I didn't. I should have just left well enough alone and not peeked at the Garmin. Maybe I could have maintained the faster pace for just a little longer and busted past that 25:00 barrier.
Nevertheless, what a difference a year makes. One year ago I ran this race in 32:58 and my goal was just to manage to get/stagger across the finish line. I had been on Weight Watchers for a little over 2 months and had been running for about a month. This was me then:
And here is me, one year, 35 pounds, and 7:57 less later:
Stand up and stop SLOUCHING!:
Why do I always look like a TOTAL GOOBER? (oh, and get a load of the nice spit trail up and over my right shoulder):
One year ago today is also a Big Deal date for me because it was on this day, after coming home from the race, that I noticed my period had started unexpectedly. I had no way of knowing at the time that it would be my last one ever, and that it would last 83 days, until I had surgery on February 2, 2007, putting a permanent end to that nightmare.
We were issued timing chips, but there was no timing mat at the start of the race, just the finish. I don't know how this could be considered completely accurate. Especially since I was so close to breaking 25:00. I was timed in 25:01. If there had been a timing mat at the start, would my time have been different? Especially since according to my Garmin I finished in 24:52? I guess I will have to look forward to breaking 25:00 in my next 5K , whenever that may be.
I had a good race; my mile splits were 7:48, 8:02, and 8:06. I finished 11/31 in my age group. I averaged 8:03 over the full distance. There was no one at the mile splits announcing times but I glanced at the Garmin. I shouldn't have done so as my immediate reaction to the first-mile 7:48 was to think, "That's much too fast! I can't sustain that pace!" And sure enough, I didn't. I should have just left well enough alone and not peeked at the Garmin. Maybe I could have maintained the faster pace for just a little longer and busted past that 25:00 barrier.
Nevertheless, what a difference a year makes. One year ago I ran this race in 32:58 and my goal was just to manage to get/stagger across the finish line. I had been on Weight Watchers for a little over 2 months and had been running for about a month. This was me then:
And here is me, one year, 35 pounds, and 7:57 less later:Stand up and stop SLOUCHING!:
Why do I always look like a TOTAL GOOBER? (oh, and get a load of the nice spit trail up and over my right shoulder):
One year ago today is also a Big Deal date for me because it was on this day, after coming home from the race, that I noticed my period had started unexpectedly. I had no way of knowing at the time that it would be my last one ever, and that it would last 83 days, until I had surgery on February 2, 2007, putting a permanent end to that nightmare.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Then vs. Now
In March of 2005, shortly after joining the Wellness Center here in Chelsea, I underwent a baseline fitness evaluation. On Wednesday of this past week I had myself retested out of curiosity about how much I have changed myself since I began losing weight and running. I knew that I had lost a considerable amount of weight, but what about all the other things that aren't as easy for me to measure? Thus my fitness re-assessment.
Thursday I picked up my results:
Obviously, a huge improvement in many areas, especially my weight (loss of 54 pounds), body fat percentage (change of -12.7%), and body mass index (change of -8.5 from "obese" to "normal").
One of the statistics I found most interesting (and kind of gross) was that of the 54 pounds I have lost, 41 of them were of fat. 41 pounds of fat is a LOT of fat. I tried to picture a big quivering heap of 41 pounds of fat, glistening and sickly yellow, and all I did was make myself queasy.
I'm a bit mystified as to how my estimated VO2 max could have decreased despite my greatly improved physical conditioning. I'm suspicious of that number. Still, a VO2 max of 40.7 for a female my age is considered "superior."
I tried to calm myself enough to get my resting heart rate to go below 60, but it didn't. I've measured my RHR in a state of extreme relaxation as low as 52.
My arms are still like wet noodles, though. I didn't put my submax bench press or leg press results on the chart because the Wellness Center changed the testing method for both and the results don't compare. I could only bench press 10 reps of 53 pounds and that was a gigantic struggle. I'm "well below average" in the arm strength category. I don't really care; I'm not out for the bulging bicep look.
In other news, tomorrow is the Tortoise & Hare Turkey Trot in Dexter. One year ago, I ran that race when I was still in the nascent stages of my weight loss and running efforts. I am totally pumped for the "one year later" version. I went for a short, slow jog this morning to keep myself in prime condition. I want to better my time from the Big House Big Heart race (25:28). If I break 25:00 I would be thrilled.
Thursday I picked up my results:
| Parameter | March 2005 | November 2007 |
| Weight (pounds) | 220 | 166 |
| Body Fat Percent | 37.3 | 24.6 |
| Fat Weight (lbs) | 82 | 41 |
| Lean Weight (lbs) | 138 | 125 |
| BMI | 33.4 | 24.9 |
| Resting Heart Rate (bpm) | 72 | 64 |
| Ebbeling Treadmill VO2 Max (mkm) | 42 | 40.7 |
| Curl-Ups (1 min) | 54 | 62 |
| Push-Ups | 13 | 31 |
| Sit-Reach Hip Flex (inches) | 21.25 | 24.25 |
Obviously, a huge improvement in many areas, especially my weight (loss of 54 pounds), body fat percentage (change of -12.7%), and body mass index (change of -8.5 from "obese" to "normal").
One of the statistics I found most interesting (and kind of gross) was that of the 54 pounds I have lost, 41 of them were of fat. 41 pounds of fat is a LOT of fat. I tried to picture a big quivering heap of 41 pounds of fat, glistening and sickly yellow, and all I did was make myself queasy.
I'm a bit mystified as to how my estimated VO2 max could have decreased despite my greatly improved physical conditioning. I'm suspicious of that number. Still, a VO2 max of 40.7 for a female my age is considered "superior."
I tried to calm myself enough to get my resting heart rate to go below 60, but it didn't. I've measured my RHR in a state of extreme relaxation as low as 52.
My arms are still like wet noodles, though. I didn't put my submax bench press or leg press results on the chart because the Wellness Center changed the testing method for both and the results don't compare. I could only bench press 10 reps of 53 pounds and that was a gigantic struggle. I'm "well below average" in the arm strength category. I don't really care; I'm not out for the bulging bicep look.
In other news, tomorrow is the Tortoise & Hare Turkey Trot in Dexter. One year ago, I ran that race when I was still in the nascent stages of my weight loss and running efforts. I am totally pumped for the "one year later" version. I went for a short, slow jog this morning to keep myself in prime condition. I want to better my time from the Big House Big Heart race (25:28). If I break 25:00 I would be thrilled.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Surprise
All of my teeth-gnashing over the fact that I posted substantial gains two weeks in a row was for naught because I lost 7.2 pounds in one week, which wiped away the 5.4 I gained plus put me down another 1.8 for a grand total of 53 pounds. I'm now at 165.2, which, for my height, puts my BMI at 24.9, which is considered "normal." I'm also just barely above the weight range for my height that Weight Watchers considers "normal."
There are many ways in which I could be considered not normal, but for the first time in 10 years my weight is not one of them.
There are many ways in which I could be considered not normal, but for the first time in 10 years my weight is not one of them.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Milestone
If my home scale is to be believed, I weighed 163 pounds this morning. This is important because my highest recorded weight (doctor's office visit, maybe late 2005) was 223. Which means that I have lost 60 pounds. 60 pounds!! Of course, by the end of the day, the scale at Weight Watchers may say something different (it always does). Oh, whatever...I'm back on track again after those two annoying weeks of gains.
I don't even want to start thinking about dropping into the 150s. I haven't been below 160 pounds since...uh...??? I know it was in college sometime, so at least 10 years ago. I don't want to get prematurely worked up about the one-fives (but when I see "159" on the scale for the first time...oh man).
With the time change I actually have a bit of morning light to run by. I know it won't last long so I will try to take advantage of it. This morning, along with the (somewhat gloomy, overcast) sunrise, I also encountered...snow. That's right folks, it be snowin' here in southeast Michigan. Well, not any more, but it was earlier. Now, for those of you who don't know, I absolutely HATE HATE HATE HATE cold and winter. I was born and raised in northern California where if the one inch of water in the birdbath iced over once all winter it was a major event. We moved to Cleveland when I was 13 and despite now having spent well over half my life in the Midwest I still hate winter. I've gotten used to winter, but I don't like it. Not at all.
Therefore, the fact that I went running outside this morning WHILE IT WAS SNOWING is grounds for me to ponder whether or not I've totally gone insane.
I don't even want to start thinking about dropping into the 150s. I haven't been below 160 pounds since...uh...??? I know it was in college sometime, so at least 10 years ago. I don't want to get prematurely worked up about the one-fives (but when I see "159" on the scale for the first time...oh man).
With the time change I actually have a bit of morning light to run by. I know it won't last long so I will try to take advantage of it. This morning, along with the (somewhat gloomy, overcast) sunrise, I also encountered...snow. That's right folks, it be snowin' here in southeast Michigan. Well, not any more, but it was earlier. Now, for those of you who don't know, I absolutely HATE HATE HATE HATE cold and winter. I was born and raised in northern California where if the one inch of water in the birdbath iced over once all winter it was a major event. We moved to Cleveland when I was 13 and despite now having spent well over half my life in the Midwest I still hate winter. I've gotten used to winter, but I don't like it. Not at all.
Therefore, the fact that I went running outside this morning WHILE IT WAS SNOWING is grounds for me to ponder whether or not I've totally gone insane.
Monday, November 5, 2007
A New Challenge: Beat Dad
I wrote to my mom and told her that I had registered for next spring's Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon and that I intended to invade my aunt's (her sister's) house in northern Virginia for the duration of the race weekend. Well, apparently this got my dad all fired up and now he too is registered for the race. I guess it has become a family affair.
My dad will be 63 on race day...can't let him beat me...can't let him beat me...!
My dad ran a bunch of San Francisco Marathons back in the early-to-mid 1980s and at the time he was a decent competitor with a personal best marathon time of 3:20 (or something close to that, I can't remember what he said exactly even though it was just last night...I must be getting forgetful in my old age). He's been running longer than I've been alive. Recently, however, he's gotten more into road biking for its low-impact quality.
I ran a 5.25-mile race with him in May of this year in which I managed to beat him but that was only because he succumbed to muscle cramps. He was well in front of me for most of the race and I only passed him because he had pulled off to the side to stretch. That was a long time and many miles of training ago, however. I have no doubt that I will totally be able to smoke him at the MCHH race. Especially since my goal is to run a sub-2:00 half. He estimated he'd finish in 2:10.
I'm going to train my butt off come February. Can't let the old man show the young whippersnapper how things are done.
My dad will be 63 on race day...can't let him beat me...can't let him beat me...!
My dad ran a bunch of San Francisco Marathons back in the early-to-mid 1980s and at the time he was a decent competitor with a personal best marathon time of 3:20 (or something close to that, I can't remember what he said exactly even though it was just last night...I must be getting forgetful in my old age). He's been running longer than I've been alive. Recently, however, he's gotten more into road biking for its low-impact quality.
I ran a 5.25-mile race with him in May of this year in which I managed to beat him but that was only because he succumbed to muscle cramps. He was well in front of me for most of the race and I only passed him because he had pulled off to the side to stretch. That was a long time and many miles of training ago, however. I have no doubt that I will totally be able to smoke him at the MCHH race. Especially since my goal is to run a sub-2:00 half. He estimated he'd finish in 2:10.
I'm going to train my butt off come February. Can't let the old man show the young whippersnapper how things are done.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
A New Goal!
I waited a full 20 minutes beyond the official opening of registration (noon today) to register for the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, taking place in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in May 2008. I've been waiting for this for months. At last I have a new goal. I won't start training for the race right now, obviously, but when the time comes (February) I plan on stepping things up a notch and using Hal Higdon's Intermediate Half training program. Now that I know I can do a half marathon, I want to improve my half marathon. I calculated that in order to run a sub-2:00 half, I need to average 9:09 a mile. I believe that is entirely within my reach. Heck, I averaged 9:09/mile on my ten-mile training run before the Detroit race.
In other news, I was a bit disgruntled this week at Weight Watchers because for the second week in a row I posted a substantial gain. I know I shouldn't dwell on it too much but it's all my fault. I overate, ate poor-quality food, and didn't exercise as much. I hate getting set back because then I have to re-lose weight I already lost. Now I'm back to where I was at the beginning of September. Thus, I've recommitted myself to tracking my points and making Weight Watchers recipes for dinner. Dinner is most often my downfall. I can control what I eat for breakfast and lunch extremely well but dinnertime can be hazardous. Plenty of times we're sitting around watching TV or something and I look at the clock, it's 8:00, and we haven't had dinner, and I say, "I don't want to cook...let's just go out/order pizza."
On a more positive note, I was able to get out this morning for an easy 5K run. I think the days I spent babying my back this week helped and I completed the run without any pain and I feel fine now. I was so antsy from not running for three days. It was driving me crazy. I managed to do some low-impact cardio at the gym, but my body was like, "I NEED TO RUN!" There is something about the act of running, the sensations I experience while running, that just aren't there when I do other forms of cardio. Thus, this morning's run felt so good.
In other news, I was a bit disgruntled this week at Weight Watchers because for the second week in a row I posted a substantial gain. I know I shouldn't dwell on it too much but it's all my fault. I overate, ate poor-quality food, and didn't exercise as much. I hate getting set back because then I have to re-lose weight I already lost. Now I'm back to where I was at the beginning of September. Thus, I've recommitted myself to tracking my points and making Weight Watchers recipes for dinner. Dinner is most often my downfall. I can control what I eat for breakfast and lunch extremely well but dinnertime can be hazardous. Plenty of times we're sitting around watching TV or something and I look at the clock, it's 8:00, and we haven't had dinner, and I say, "I don't want to cook...let's just go out/order pizza."
On a more positive note, I was able to get out this morning for an easy 5K run. I think the days I spent babying my back this week helped and I completed the run without any pain and I feel fine now. I was so antsy from not running for three days. It was driving me crazy. I managed to do some low-impact cardio at the gym, but my body was like, "I NEED TO RUN!" There is something about the act of running, the sensations I experience while running, that just aren't there when I do other forms of cardio. Thus, this morning's run felt so good.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Uh-oh
Something has gone awry with my back. I went for a nine-mile run on Sunday and all yesterday afternoon my back was giving me twinges. This morning when I got up it was awful. I almost fell over at the gym when I reached out at an awkward angle. I'm leaning on things to bend over like a broken-down old person. I think one of my leftover giant post-surgery ibuprofen pills and my back bag are in order when I get home. I made it through all those months of training for the half marathon without injury, at least. But after all that running...why am I only now experiencing a problem?
Even if my 9-mile run yesterday blew out one of my discs or caused a stress fracture in one of my vertebrae...it was one of the nicest runs I've had in ages. The weather was perfect and the fall scenery could not have been more gorgeous. It was so nice to just get out and run for fun and not because I had to. The only thing that spoiled the run was the rotten little motherfucker of a Jack Russel terrier that charged me and nipped me twice on the ankles. That stupid little shitty dog deserved a sound kick or two but the best I could do was do a couple of lame mule-kicky things with my feet that I think glanced off its snarling, yappy little head. Stupid fucking dog. That late in my run (this was around mile 8) the flood of adrenaline that resulted from basically being attacked made me little light-headed and my heart rate zoomed up. I spent the rest of the run at a faster pace as I thought of creative ways to take revenge on that dog. I'll have to remember the house from whence it came and keep an eye out on subsequent runs.
Even if my 9-mile run yesterday blew out one of my discs or caused a stress fracture in one of my vertebrae...it was one of the nicest runs I've had in ages. The weather was perfect and the fall scenery could not have been more gorgeous. It was so nice to just get out and run for fun and not because I had to. The only thing that spoiled the run was the rotten little motherfucker of a Jack Russel terrier that charged me and nipped me twice on the ankles. That stupid little shitty dog deserved a sound kick or two but the best I could do was do a couple of lame mule-kicky things with my feet that I think glanced off its snarling, yappy little head. Stupid fucking dog. That late in my run (this was around mile 8) the flood of adrenaline that resulted from basically being attacked made me little light-headed and my heart rate zoomed up. I spent the rest of the run at a faster pace as I thought of creative ways to take revenge on that dog. I'll have to remember the house from whence it came and keep an eye out on subsequent runs.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Detroit Photos
I realize I'm going overboard with the whole half marathon thing but hey, it was my first half marathon. It was very, very exciting for me. So here are some totally unauthorized pictures of me from the Detroit Half Marathon.
RIP-OFF!!
$29.95 for ONE FREAKING DIGITAL PICTURE FILE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP!
The professional photos from the half marathon were posted today so I went to take a look. There are some pictures I would like to have, but I was hoping to get them in file form. I really don't need a huge poster of myself looking like a goober at the finish line. Well, that notion was quickly dispelled when I saw the HIGHWAY ROBBERY PRICES those people are charging for a bunch of bytes. $29.95 for ONE picture! How is that even possible? It's even more egregious when one considers that 8 wallet-sized printed photos are only $18.96 or a huge 11 by 14 printed photo is the same price as one digital file. What a freaking rip-off. I'm so pissed. I wanted some pictures to share with family and friends and to post to the blog but NOT NOW. Sheesh.
In my opinion, those digital picture files should be $0.99 each. Just like a song from iTunes.
What a bunch of crap. Crapity crap CRAP! YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!
Anyway, if anyone's curious, go here, choose "Detroit Free Press/Flagstar 2007" and input "11406" in the bib number field.
Yeah, I look a wee bit like a goober. But a triumphant goober!
The professional photos from the half marathon were posted today so I went to take a look. There are some pictures I would like to have, but I was hoping to get them in file form. I really don't need a huge poster of myself looking like a goober at the finish line. Well, that notion was quickly dispelled when I saw the HIGHWAY ROBBERY PRICES those people are charging for a bunch of bytes. $29.95 for ONE picture! How is that even possible? It's even more egregious when one considers that 8 wallet-sized printed photos are only $18.96 or a huge 11 by 14 printed photo is the same price as one digital file. What a freaking rip-off. I'm so pissed. I wanted some pictures to share with family and friends and to post to the blog but NOT NOW. Sheesh.
In my opinion, those digital picture files should be $0.99 each. Just like a song from iTunes.
What a bunch of crap. Crapity crap CRAP! YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!
Anyway, if anyone's curious, go here, choose "Detroit Free Press/Flagstar 2007" and input "11406" in the bib number field.
Yeah, I look a wee bit like a goober. But a triumphant goober!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Other Stuff about the Detroit Race
Some more impressions of the Detroit race:
- Did anyone else see that guy who was dribbling three basketballs? I passed him on Michigan Ave soon after the start. Crazy! I heard from someone else that there was another dude who was juggling!
- I found all of the discarded clothing very amusing. The highest concentration of castoffs was before the bridge though I saw scattered items throughout the race. I guess some folks got warmer than they expected.
- The brass ensemble playing "Eye of the Tiger" along Riverside Dr in Windsor. Some guys near me started singing along.
- One of the sound systems along Michigan Ave in the first mile of the race was playing "Running on Empty." Some guy next to me yelled out, "Not yet, man!"
- Guys taking leaks wherever they felt like it. Do y'all know how lucky you are to be able to do that?!
- People talking on their cell phones during the race. Good grief, is there nowhere that is a cell phone-free zone anymore?
Monday, October 22, 2007
Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Half Marathon
Yesterday, October 21, was the Detroit Half Marathon. For four months every running step I took and weight I lifted and bead of sweat that ran into my eyes was meant to prepare me for this race, the biggest and longest of my life thus far. There was nothing more I could do; the moment was upon me.
I had not the best night of sleep before the race. I was restless, waking frequently, and when I was asleep I had fitful dreams about everything that could go wrong during the race. I forgot to put my number on my shirt. I forgot to put my timing chip on my shoe so even though I ran the race it wasn't recorded. I got lost on the course. I woke up at 3:30 am (because the dog threw up on the floor) and then laid there for another half hour until the alarm went off at 4:00 and it was officially Time To Get Up. I had all my clothes laid out, the Garmin was charged, and I had already mixed a fresh batch of Gatorade for my CamelBak. At 5:00 we were in Ann Arbor to meet with the rest of the group: Erik, Elizabeth, Greg, and Andrew. By 6:00 we were parked downtown. Already there were throngs of people streaming toward the start area. The Port-A-Potties were alongside the marathon start corrals on the west side of Washington Blvd. I had to leave John behind as we crossed into an area that was marked "runners only." It felt like we were saying goodbye at an airport. I wouldn't see him again for three hours. Elizabeth and I got into line for the toilets. It was already 6:40. I was starting to get butterflies in my stomach. We made our way to the other side of the boulevard to the half marathon start corrals. I was in corral "S," estimated finish time of 2:30.
National anthems were sung, the mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick, said a few words, as did the celebrity guest of the day, new marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie. The gun went off for the wheelchair and hand cycle division. The crowd was both restless and excited; our start was less than five minutes away. When the gun went off for the start of the marathon, the crowd pressed forward briefly but was almost immediately stopped. Slowly people started moving, then stopping, then moving again as the ones in front fanned out. Finally, my corralmates approached the official starting line. All I could hear was the earsplitting shriek of the timing chip recording devices being triggered hundreds of times as the crowd surged over the timing mats. We were off!
It was slow going at first down the length of Washington Blvd. There were spectators lining both sides of the road, hollering, waving signs, ringing bells, banging cheer sticks together. I turned onto Michigan Ave and was almost brought to a halt by the crowd slowing down to squeeze around a police car that was parked right in the middle of the road. Um, hello? Was that really necessary? Bad, bad idea!
Finally, I was able to settle back, open up my stride, and start running as the crowd spread out across the entire width of Michigan Ave. Almost immediately I knew I should have placed myself in a faster start corral. I was passing so many people. I just had to find a line through the throng and follow it.
The early miles of the race pre-bridge were the best. We passed old Tiger Stadium at Michigan and Trumbull, possibly the last time that will ever happen as the historic stadium is on the block for demolition in 2008. We turned down Rosa Parks, then west on Bagley, then a goofy detour near Mexicantown because of road construction. Somewhere along this stretch the road had a small incline (it might have been the overpass for I-75) and from my vantage point at the bottom of the hill it was quite a sight-- thousands of people spanning the road as far as I could see. We got back on track on Vernor, and passed through an area redolent of frying tortillas. We turned south on Grand Blvd and headed for the bridge. The sun was starting to rise and as I approached the bridge from the west, I could see the silhouettes of thousands of runners on the bridge span. That image-- of the sun rising behind the field of runners-- is something I will never forget.
Then I was on the long uphill grade of the bridge. At this point, halfway between mile 3 and 4, I was still feeling pretty fresh. It was a good thing, too, because the bridge grade went on for what felt like FOREVER. The border control people were all standing around cheering, and I overheard some guy near me say, "I bet this is something more interesting than usual for those guys."
The view from the crest of the bridge was fantastic. Even better was the fact that it was the apex of the climb and then I had a nice long cruise downgrade to mile 5. We were in Canada! We made our way to Riverside Dr and ran north along the Windsor waterfront for a couple of miles. I still felt good and energetic. I was just cruising along at a nice steady clip. I passed the 7 mile marker and knew I was more than halfway done. I checked the Garmin every so often to see what my heart rate and pace were. I ate a pack of Gu, drank some water, and marveled that I hadn't felt the slightest urge to go to the bathroom. We took a couple of turns and then we were on the approach to the tunnel. I could hear the shouts and whistles echoing backward out of the tunnel as I neared the entrance. I crossed the timing mat at Mile 8 for the Underwater Mile and then I was inside the tunnel. It was wall to wall runners, just a river of people streaming down the grade. People were yelling, hooting, shouting, whistling. The noise was incredible. The air got very hot and stuffy. Somewhere ahead of me was a bunch of military people running in a pack doing army-style marching chants. I reached the bottom of the tunnel grade and started the long climb back to the surface. It was hard going. I bore down and felt my heart rate escalate (indeed, my max heart rate, 163 bpm, happened during this mile). For the first time I really felt stressed. I could feel my face getting hotter and hotter and the sweat started pouring down. When was this going to be over? Finally I saw the gleam of sunlight off the tunnel tiles up ahead. When I heard the shriek of the chip timing devices at Mile 9 I knew I was almost there. (My Underwater Mile time was 8:53.) The cool breeze that hit me as I exited the tunnel was the best feeling ever. All around me people were expressing their relief at getting out of the tunnel. I heard a chorus of "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhs!"
The race was drawing to a close. We wound around past the Cobo Center and Joe Louis Arena, then onto West Lafayette and back onto Rosa Parks. This was at mile 11 and I was starting to hurt. I never felt like "I can't take another step," it was more like, "okay, I'm ready for this to be over now." I still had a bit left in the old energy tank but my reserves were draining fast. I forced myself to eat a final pack of Gu somewhere around mile 10 and I think that helped me a little. We turned back onto Michigan Ave heading east and I knew the end was near. I passed the Mile 12 sign. Only one more mile. Just put the feet one in front of the other. A race worker separated the field into half marathoners and marathoners as the field neared the race split. I thought, "I can't even imagine having to run twice as far." I turned north onto Washington Blvd. "Oh," I thought, "here's the starting line! I was here, like, two hours ago!"
So close. So close to the finish. People on the sidewalk were yelling, "It's just around the corner! Go! Go!" I made the turn south onto Woodward and saw the finish line banner in the distance. Oh shit I'm almost there jesus my hips hurt I can't even feel my legs any more just run run run run my god listen to all the screaming where's John is he here somewhere faster faster just pick your feet up and run run run you're almost there almost almost ALMOST....AAAAH!
I couldn't help it; as I crossed the finish line I lifted my arms into the air and threw my head back. It was over. I stabbed at the Garmin to stop it but didn't even look at it. I was too wasted at the moment to think about anything but staying upright and moving forward. I took a finisher's medal from a race worker and dropped it around my neck. I had done it-- finished a half marathon. 13.1 miles. I had just run 13.1 miles. I stumbled onward, taking the timing chip off my shoe, getting a bag with some food in it, making my way over to the family reunion area where I found John.
Somewhere along the way I finally looked at the Garmin. I had completed the race in 2:07:40 (official chip time: 2:07:39) with an average pace of 9:44/mile (official chip-timed average pace: 9:45/mile). I had hoped to average 10:00/mile and finish in 2:10, so I was right on target. I finished 124th out of 408 in my age group and 2,080th overall out of 4,721 half marathon runners.
Before the race, making final preparations and clothing choices:
Post-race, very rumpled, sweaty, tired, and sitting in Cadillac Square Park and attempting to peel an orange:
The triumphant finishers of the 2007 Detroit Half Marathon, Greg, Andrew, Erik, Elizabeth, and myself:
As soon as I had recovered, the first thing I thought was "I can't wait to do this again next year!"
I had not the best night of sleep before the race. I was restless, waking frequently, and when I was asleep I had fitful dreams about everything that could go wrong during the race. I forgot to put my number on my shirt. I forgot to put my timing chip on my shoe so even though I ran the race it wasn't recorded. I got lost on the course. I woke up at 3:30 am (because the dog threw up on the floor) and then laid there for another half hour until the alarm went off at 4:00 and it was officially Time To Get Up. I had all my clothes laid out, the Garmin was charged, and I had already mixed a fresh batch of Gatorade for my CamelBak. At 5:00 we were in Ann Arbor to meet with the rest of the group: Erik, Elizabeth, Greg, and Andrew. By 6:00 we were parked downtown. Already there were throngs of people streaming toward the start area. The Port-A-Potties were alongside the marathon start corrals on the west side of Washington Blvd. I had to leave John behind as we crossed into an area that was marked "runners only." It felt like we were saying goodbye at an airport. I wouldn't see him again for three hours. Elizabeth and I got into line for the toilets. It was already 6:40. I was starting to get butterflies in my stomach. We made our way to the other side of the boulevard to the half marathon start corrals. I was in corral "S," estimated finish time of 2:30.
National anthems were sung, the mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick, said a few words, as did the celebrity guest of the day, new marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie. The gun went off for the wheelchair and hand cycle division. The crowd was both restless and excited; our start was less than five minutes away. When the gun went off for the start of the marathon, the crowd pressed forward briefly but was almost immediately stopped. Slowly people started moving, then stopping, then moving again as the ones in front fanned out. Finally, my corralmates approached the official starting line. All I could hear was the earsplitting shriek of the timing chip recording devices being triggered hundreds of times as the crowd surged over the timing mats. We were off!
It was slow going at first down the length of Washington Blvd. There were spectators lining both sides of the road, hollering, waving signs, ringing bells, banging cheer sticks together. I turned onto Michigan Ave and was almost brought to a halt by the crowd slowing down to squeeze around a police car that was parked right in the middle of the road. Um, hello? Was that really necessary? Bad, bad idea!
Finally, I was able to settle back, open up my stride, and start running as the crowd spread out across the entire width of Michigan Ave. Almost immediately I knew I should have placed myself in a faster start corral. I was passing so many people. I just had to find a line through the throng and follow it.
The early miles of the race pre-bridge were the best. We passed old Tiger Stadium at Michigan and Trumbull, possibly the last time that will ever happen as the historic stadium is on the block for demolition in 2008. We turned down Rosa Parks, then west on Bagley, then a goofy detour near Mexicantown because of road construction. Somewhere along this stretch the road had a small incline (it might have been the overpass for I-75) and from my vantage point at the bottom of the hill it was quite a sight-- thousands of people spanning the road as far as I could see. We got back on track on Vernor, and passed through an area redolent of frying tortillas. We turned south on Grand Blvd and headed for the bridge. The sun was starting to rise and as I approached the bridge from the west, I could see the silhouettes of thousands of runners on the bridge span. That image-- of the sun rising behind the field of runners-- is something I will never forget.
Then I was on the long uphill grade of the bridge. At this point, halfway between mile 3 and 4, I was still feeling pretty fresh. It was a good thing, too, because the bridge grade went on for what felt like FOREVER. The border control people were all standing around cheering, and I overheard some guy near me say, "I bet this is something more interesting than usual for those guys."
The view from the crest of the bridge was fantastic. Even better was the fact that it was the apex of the climb and then I had a nice long cruise downgrade to mile 5. We were in Canada! We made our way to Riverside Dr and ran north along the Windsor waterfront for a couple of miles. I still felt good and energetic. I was just cruising along at a nice steady clip. I passed the 7 mile marker and knew I was more than halfway done. I checked the Garmin every so often to see what my heart rate and pace were. I ate a pack of Gu, drank some water, and marveled that I hadn't felt the slightest urge to go to the bathroom. We took a couple of turns and then we were on the approach to the tunnel. I could hear the shouts and whistles echoing backward out of the tunnel as I neared the entrance. I crossed the timing mat at Mile 8 for the Underwater Mile and then I was inside the tunnel. It was wall to wall runners, just a river of people streaming down the grade. People were yelling, hooting, shouting, whistling. The noise was incredible. The air got very hot and stuffy. Somewhere ahead of me was a bunch of military people running in a pack doing army-style marching chants. I reached the bottom of the tunnel grade and started the long climb back to the surface. It was hard going. I bore down and felt my heart rate escalate (indeed, my max heart rate, 163 bpm, happened during this mile). For the first time I really felt stressed. I could feel my face getting hotter and hotter and the sweat started pouring down. When was this going to be over? Finally I saw the gleam of sunlight off the tunnel tiles up ahead. When I heard the shriek of the chip timing devices at Mile 9 I knew I was almost there. (My Underwater Mile time was 8:53.) The cool breeze that hit me as I exited the tunnel was the best feeling ever. All around me people were expressing their relief at getting out of the tunnel. I heard a chorus of "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhs!"
The race was drawing to a close. We wound around past the Cobo Center and Joe Louis Arena, then onto West Lafayette and back onto Rosa Parks. This was at mile 11 and I was starting to hurt. I never felt like "I can't take another step," it was more like, "okay, I'm ready for this to be over now." I still had a bit left in the old energy tank but my reserves were draining fast. I forced myself to eat a final pack of Gu somewhere around mile 10 and I think that helped me a little. We turned back onto Michigan Ave heading east and I knew the end was near. I passed the Mile 12 sign. Only one more mile. Just put the feet one in front of the other. A race worker separated the field into half marathoners and marathoners as the field neared the race split. I thought, "I can't even imagine having to run twice as far." I turned north onto Washington Blvd. "Oh," I thought, "here's the starting line! I was here, like, two hours ago!"
So close. So close to the finish. People on the sidewalk were yelling, "It's just around the corner! Go! Go!" I made the turn south onto Woodward and saw the finish line banner in the distance. Oh shit I'm almost there jesus my hips hurt I can't even feel my legs any more just run run run run my god listen to all the screaming where's John is he here somewhere faster faster just pick your feet up and run run run you're almost there almost almost ALMOST....AAAAH!
I couldn't help it; as I crossed the finish line I lifted my arms into the air and threw my head back. It was over. I stabbed at the Garmin to stop it but didn't even look at it. I was too wasted at the moment to think about anything but staying upright and moving forward. I took a finisher's medal from a race worker and dropped it around my neck. I had done it-- finished a half marathon. 13.1 miles. I had just run 13.1 miles. I stumbled onward, taking the timing chip off my shoe, getting a bag with some food in it, making my way over to the family reunion area where I found John.
Somewhere along the way I finally looked at the Garmin. I had completed the race in 2:07:40 (official chip time: 2:07:39) with an average pace of 9:44/mile (official chip-timed average pace: 9:45/mile). I had hoped to average 10:00/mile and finish in 2:10, so I was right on target. I finished 124th out of 408 in my age group and 2,080th overall out of 4,721 half marathon runners.
Before the race, making final preparations and clothing choices:
Post-race, very rumpled, sweaty, tired, and sitting in Cadillac Square Park and attempting to peel an orange:
The triumphant finishers of the 2007 Detroit Half Marathon, Greg, Andrew, Erik, Elizabeth, and myself:
As soon as I had recovered, the first thing I thought was "I can't wait to do this again next year!"
Friday, October 19, 2007
Is this Bad or Good?
I now have dreams about running. In last night's episode I dreamed I was in a race taking place inside various buildings on the University of Michigan campus. The race was being held on the same day as a football game and of the hallways were crowded with drunk, hollering frat boys. In fact, now that I think about it, it was less a race than a bizarre obstacle course. Then I got lost inside West Engineering. I don't think I ever crossed the finish line.
It was very strange.
I think I've officially become obsessed with running.
It was very strange.
I think I've officially become obsessed with running.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
One More Week
One week from today is the half marathon. One more week and all the training and sweat and aches and sore muscles and banged-up toes and hills and pavement traveled that I've foisted on my body for the past four months will come to a head and I'll learn once and for all just what kind of stuff I'm made of.
If yesterday's big run is any indication, I'm made of some tough stuff indeed. Yesterday was my ten-mile run, the last long run before the race, the last time I could really put myself to the test and gauge my endurance and fitness. I paid another visit to Running Fit (sigh) and bought a CamelBak FlashFlo waist-mounted hydration pack (in screamin' high-vis yellow) because I was so DONE with the carrying of the used soda bottle thing. (I have to give a shout-out to my friend and fellow Detroit halfer-to-be Elizabeth for raving about her waist-mount CamelBak; I totally copied her.) I also got some Body Glide for my chafing issues. And another Nike Dry-Fit shirt. In pink. (I'm lucky I stopped there.)
Yesterday morning I set out, completely bedecked in ridiculously overpriced (but totally necessary, all of it, I swear) running gear from head to toe, but with energy to spare despite the wee headache I had (I really shouldn't have had wine with dinner Friday night). The Garmin was rockin' and I was rollin'. The weather was absolutely perfect for my taste (about 40 degrees). I finally had my heart rate monitor strapped to my chest.
I mapped out a new route that took me well into the country north and east of town. McKinley and Waterloo Rds. have some of the nicest scenery around. I only had three or four cars pass me the whole time I was on those two roads (Werkner Rd. was another story). Almost before I knew it I was at the corner of Werkner Rd. and M-52 with only a mile and a quarter left to go. I hardly felt tired at all. What a difference from last week! I put the hammer down for the last mile and did it in 8:48.
The whole run took 1:31 (incidentally, a minute faster than I ran nine miles last week) and I averaged 9:09 over the full distance. When I got done I thought, "Well, only three more miles and that's the race." I am so so so so ready!
When I registered for the half marathon I estimated I would finish in 2:30. That was for a 10:00 pace with various breaks (water, bathroom, whatever). Now I'm thinking I overestimated that time. If my pace for my ten-mile run is anything to go by, I will finish the half marathon well under 2:30. I would guess that come race day I'm also going experience an adrenaline rush from the excitement which will spur me on. I can't let that push me into a faster pace than I can sustain, however! It won't do me any good to rush out at an 8:15 pace because I know I cannot sustain that. 9:00/mile, however...we'll see.
For the record, my red wine headache was long gone by the time I finished.
One more week.
If yesterday's big run is any indication, I'm made of some tough stuff indeed. Yesterday was my ten-mile run, the last long run before the race, the last time I could really put myself to the test and gauge my endurance and fitness. I paid another visit to Running Fit (sigh) and bought a CamelBak FlashFlo waist-mounted hydration pack (in screamin' high-vis yellow) because I was so DONE with the carrying of the used soda bottle thing. (I have to give a shout-out to my friend and fellow Detroit halfer-to-be Elizabeth for raving about her waist-mount CamelBak; I totally copied her.) I also got some Body Glide for my chafing issues. And another Nike Dry-Fit shirt. In pink. (I'm lucky I stopped there.)
Yesterday morning I set out, completely bedecked in ridiculously overpriced (but totally necessary, all of it, I swear) running gear from head to toe, but with energy to spare despite the wee headache I had (I really shouldn't have had wine with dinner Friday night). The Garmin was rockin' and I was rollin'. The weather was absolutely perfect for my taste (about 40 degrees). I finally had my heart rate monitor strapped to my chest.
I mapped out a new route that took me well into the country north and east of town. McKinley and Waterloo Rds. have some of the nicest scenery around. I only had three or four cars pass me the whole time I was on those two roads (Werkner Rd. was another story). Almost before I knew it I was at the corner of Werkner Rd. and M-52 with only a mile and a quarter left to go. I hardly felt tired at all. What a difference from last week! I put the hammer down for the last mile and did it in 8:48.
The whole run took 1:31 (incidentally, a minute faster than I ran nine miles last week) and I averaged 9:09 over the full distance. When I got done I thought, "Well, only three more miles and that's the race." I am so so so so ready!
When I registered for the half marathon I estimated I would finish in 2:30. That was for a 10:00 pace with various breaks (water, bathroom, whatever). Now I'm thinking I overestimated that time. If my pace for my ten-mile run is anything to go by, I will finish the half marathon well under 2:30. I would guess that come race day I'm also going experience an adrenaline rush from the excitement which will spur me on. I can't let that push me into a faster pace than I can sustain, however! It won't do me any good to rush out at an 8:15 pace because I know I cannot sustain that. 9:00/mile, however...we'll see.
For the record, my red wine headache was long gone by the time I finished.
One more week.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
When You Wish Upon A Star...
Monday morning while I was out for my run I saw a spectacular meteor blazing across the sky north to south. It was so incredibly awesome and totally made my day. I felt very lucky to have seen it. How many other people are in a position-- namely, being outdoors at 6:30 in the morning looking at the sky-- to see something like that?
Stats for Monday's 5-miler:
Total time: 48:23
Mile 1: 9:43
Mile 2: 9:34
Mile 3: 9:54
Mile 4: 9:36
Mile 5: 9:33
Stats for Wednesday's 5-miler:
Total time: 48:57
Mile 1: 9:46
Mile 2: 9:41
Mile 3: 9:40
Mile 4: 9:45
Mile 5: 10:02
I think...I will be able to do the half marathon at a pace of 10:00/mile or even less. That seems to be my groove and it's one I'm comfortable with at this point.
Stats for Monday's 5-miler:
Total time: 48:23
Mile 1: 9:43
Mile 2: 9:34
Mile 3: 9:54
Mile 4: 9:36
Mile 5: 9:33
Stats for Wednesday's 5-miler:
Total time: 48:57
Mile 1: 9:46
Mile 2: 9:41
Mile 3: 9:40
Mile 4: 9:45
Mile 5: 10:02
I think...I will be able to do the half marathon at a pace of 10:00/mile or even less. That seems to be my groove and it's one I'm comfortable with at this point.
Run Report: Nine Miles in the Country
Friday night we met my brother and his wife for camping at Lake Hudson Rec Area in Clayton. Keeping in mind that I had to run nine miles the next morning, I declined any beer and went to bed soon after we arrived. Talk about willpower. Forgoing beer while camping? Who am I? (Never fear: I made up for it Saturday afternoon while listening to the Michigan football game on the radio.)
Early the next morning I arose, fired up the Garmin, and headed out. I had only the vaguest idea about where I was going, having only briefly looked up a map of the area surrounding the park. Never fear, my trusty Garmin is here!
I tried not to think too much about the fact that nine miles of road lay ahead of me. I was just out for a run, enjoying the (jesus h christ it's fucking hot as hell out here) fall weather. I had new roads to travel, different things to see. I was in unfamiliar territory, and for some reason that always makes my runs go by faster.
The terrain in that area of Michigan is extremely flat. From that standpoint, this was not a challenging run. For the first 6 miles of my run, I never ascended more than 79 feet per mile. Yep, it's flat as a board down there, folks. Thus unencumbered by hills, I concentrated on maintaining a steady pace and enjoying the scenery.
I was on farm roads most of the way, five miles of narrow one-lane, badly-paved or gravel roads lined by corn stubble and not-yet-harvested soybeans. An enormous tractor hauling some kind of tank and sprayers passed me, enveloping me in a cloud of earthy stink. The air was a pungent cocktail of livestock, damp soil, and late-season vegetation.
Before I forget: you know you're running in the country when you pass piles of horse manure smack dab in the middle of the road. Also, when tractors drive past you.
I paused during mile 4 to gulp down a Gu and take in some Gatorade. Those of my readers (all, like, five of you) who live in Michigan know what the weather was like this past weekend. I was having déja vu of running in Cape Cod back in July. Needless to say my long-sleeved shirt and vest were on the...heavy side. I was sweatin' buckets, people. Even my headband couldn't contain the streams coursing off my forehead. I feel so sorry for those poor people who ran the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
I spent the first three miles under 10:00/mile but I couldn't keep it up. I was so damn hot and uncomfortable. Plus I had slept like shit the night before; lying on the ground in a tent just doesn't compare to one's own bed at home. I knew I was slowing down drastically. I didn't need Garmin to tell me that. I decided that I was just going to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other to get the miles in. Not every run has to be a personal best. Keep moving, focus on something on the horizon, and watch it slowly get closer. I reached my nadir between miles 5 and 6. I did that mile in 10:34. After that, however, I sped up slightly (it might have had something to do with the fact that I turned my back to the sun and no longer had it glaring me full force in the face) and completed the last 3 miles at or under 10:30/mile.
I was watching Garmin like a hawk during my last mile...all I could think about was being able to finally stop. When the distance clicked over to 9.00 miles I hit that stop button so hard! At last, I could rest.
Four more miles on top of that and that's the half marathon. Totally doable.
Total time: 1:32.16
Mile 1: 9:39
Mile 2: 9:49
Mile 3: 9:56
Mile 4: 10:01
Mile 5: 11:04 (this is when I stopped for Gu and water)
Mile 6: 10:34
Mile 7: 10:32
Mile 8: 10:17
Mile 9: 10:22
Early the next morning I arose, fired up the Garmin, and headed out. I had only the vaguest idea about where I was going, having only briefly looked up a map of the area surrounding the park. Never fear, my trusty Garmin is here!
I tried not to think too much about the fact that nine miles of road lay ahead of me. I was just out for a run, enjoying the (jesus h christ it's fucking hot as hell out here) fall weather. I had new roads to travel, different things to see. I was in unfamiliar territory, and for some reason that always makes my runs go by faster.
The terrain in that area of Michigan is extremely flat. From that standpoint, this was not a challenging run. For the first 6 miles of my run, I never ascended more than 79 feet per mile. Yep, it's flat as a board down there, folks. Thus unencumbered by hills, I concentrated on maintaining a steady pace and enjoying the scenery.
I was on farm roads most of the way, five miles of narrow one-lane, badly-paved or gravel roads lined by corn stubble and not-yet-harvested soybeans. An enormous tractor hauling some kind of tank and sprayers passed me, enveloping me in a cloud of earthy stink. The air was a pungent cocktail of livestock, damp soil, and late-season vegetation.
Before I forget: you know you're running in the country when you pass piles of horse manure smack dab in the middle of the road. Also, when tractors drive past you.
I paused during mile 4 to gulp down a Gu and take in some Gatorade. Those of my readers (all, like, five of you) who live in Michigan know what the weather was like this past weekend. I was having déja vu of running in Cape Cod back in July. Needless to say my long-sleeved shirt and vest were on the...heavy side. I was sweatin' buckets, people. Even my headband couldn't contain the streams coursing off my forehead. I feel so sorry for those poor people who ran the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
I spent the first three miles under 10:00/mile but I couldn't keep it up. I was so damn hot and uncomfortable. Plus I had slept like shit the night before; lying on the ground in a tent just doesn't compare to one's own bed at home. I knew I was slowing down drastically. I didn't need Garmin to tell me that. I decided that I was just going to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other to get the miles in. Not every run has to be a personal best. Keep moving, focus on something on the horizon, and watch it slowly get closer. I reached my nadir between miles 5 and 6. I did that mile in 10:34. After that, however, I sped up slightly (it might have had something to do with the fact that I turned my back to the sun and no longer had it glaring me full force in the face) and completed the last 3 miles at or under 10:30/mile.
I was watching Garmin like a hawk during my last mile...all I could think about was being able to finally stop. When the distance clicked over to 9.00 miles I hit that stop button so hard! At last, I could rest.
Four more miles on top of that and that's the half marathon. Totally doable.
Total time: 1:32.16
Mile 1: 9:39
Mile 2: 9:49
Mile 3: 9:56
Mile 4: 10:01
Mile 5: 11:04 (this is when I stopped for Gu and water)
Mile 6: 10:34
Mile 7: 10:32
Mile 8: 10:17
Mile 9: 10:22
Friday, October 5, 2007
A Seismic Shift
(I couldn't resist paying tribute to my geologist past by using the word "seismic" in the post title.)
Notice the time at which this is posted. Ridiculously early, right? I know. There was a time when it was inconceivable that I would ever be awake at a time with only one hour digit. Now I happily bounce out of bed at 6:00 in the morning and strap on my running shoes for a leisurely five-mile run before work. By 7:30 I'm finished, showered, dressed, lunch packed, and on my way to work.
It occurred to me as I was heading into Ann Arbor (earlier than usual; today is Rest Day and I was on the road by 6:35) that I have become...
....A MORNING PERSON.
Notice the time at which this is posted. Ridiculously early, right? I know. There was a time when it was inconceivable that I would ever be awake at a time with only one hour digit. Now I happily bounce out of bed at 6:00 in the morning and strap on my running shoes for a leisurely five-mile run before work. By 7:30 I'm finished, showered, dressed, lunch packed, and on my way to work.
It occurred to me as I was heading into Ann Arbor (earlier than usual; today is Rest Day and I was on the road by 6:35) that I have become...
....A MORNING PERSON.
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