May flowers..... and PRs

My 4th 10K was last Saturday and I totally PR'd it by almost a full minute - boo yah! Just what I needed to rev up for marathon training. No, not NYC - I didn't get in. :-(
But, it's probably for the best, right? Right?

Well, I dealt with the rejection by immediately signing up for the local City of Oaks marathon on the same date, 11/6. And followed that by immediately looking up my previous training plan and revising it for this year. Done and done.

Full on serious training starts Monday - almost a year to the date since I ran the Boone marathon, my first and (so far) only. My plan to try one a year is officially underway.

Meanwhile, husband is starting to talk about tackling his first 10K (insert sly smile here). I think he got pumped up from running the Angels Among Us 5k with me a few weeks back, during which he continued his PR streak. One step closer to that couple's marathon, wink, wink.

Now, if I can just enter enough sweepstakes to win a replacement for our decrepit treadmill, we'll really be in business!

Footnote - next race with hubby is the Komen Race for the Cure on 6/11. We both joined my mom's team but we suck at fundraising. So, for anyone reading this who would like to help a girl out, here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/3uhwdu9

April Showers

Well, it was actually just drizzle, but the Tar Heel 4+ Miler last weekend was chilly and wet. Along with almost 4,000 other runners, the husband and I braved the early Saturday morning gloom, and we both did pretty well.

A couple months ago, after I had signed us both up for the race, he had emailed me about a major detail that I had somehow overlooked - that the last mile of the race was a big, long hill referred to as the Laurel Hill Challenge. This particular hill is such a challenge that they actually give a split time and separate prizes just for that section. This definitely dampened the enthusiasm I had felt at the prospect of running in downtown Chapel Hill, past several of UNC's athletic stadiums.

So, just for this race, I did something I have in the past pretty successfully avoided - hill training. Luckily, there is a nice, quiet, scenic and extremely hilly road fairly close to our house, so we made it our training course. We tackled it together only three times, but in the week leading up to the race, I did it 4 times by myself, 4 days in a row. And I actually kind of started to enjoy it.

Well, it paid off. I ran the 4.7 miles in 44:58 and my hill split time was 8:58. My partner in crime came across the finish just under 50 minutes, with 9:48 for the hill - quite impressive in proportion to the amount of training he was able to do. Passing all the stadiums was indeed inspiring and I think it will end up on the calendar for next year - despite, or maybe now because of, the big scary hill.

brief

Too busy for a lengthy update, so here goes....


Myrtle Beach Half last month was awesome! Definitely must do again. Since then, trying to keep up with about 18-22 miles per week. Intervals have worked their way back into the routine and I finally got back outside for a run the other day, despite the return of winter. Looking forward to the Tarheel 4+ miler with hubby a week from this Saturday - still need to do some hill training for the legendary long climb that comes toward the end of the race.

And I should find out soon if I got in to the NYC marathon this fall. Fingers crossed.....

Too much

Once again, a post title with multiple levels of meaning. Last week was all about going beyond capacity - doughnuts, concerts, wine, friends, school, work. The highlight was definitely the Krispy Kreme Challenge, but all the other stuff amplified the excess.

The week started slow, thank god, but by mid week I was in full overload mode. Wednesday was a regular day at the office, followed by my evening class, followed by sushi, followed by drinks and Robert Plant live at Raleigh Memorial. It all seemed sane in my head when we were planning it out, and fit neatly into the hour blocks of my calendar. It was all self-selected, but as with so many other days that I overfill - waaay too much. And that was just Wednesday.

Thursday was another day of work, an overdue lunch with Mom and then a 5 course charity wine dinner with my brother, his wife and friends. This particular event has become an annual occurrence for us, so I knew to expect too much great food and way too much wine. Let's just say it met those expectations. Too much, too much, too much.

And I paid for it all day Friday - my one relatively loose day in the midst of the cramming. Too bad I wasn't at all able to enjoy how relaxed it should have been. It took a full 24 hours to completely recover, just in time for the race.

So, the local weathermen accurately predicted a cold wet morning for the Krispy Kreme Challenge. My dutiful driver/husband reluctantly stood with me in the rain for a half hour at the starting line, bumping umbrellas with the other 6,000 undeterred participants. He was only slightly stressed with the multitask of holding my brand new camera, figuring out how to use it, and documenting the race without getting it or himself soaked.

The run itself would have been easy if the course had been wide enough to handle the bulging pack. I jostled my way through the first two miles, praying that I would not slip or trip or otherwise end up like the few unlucky runners who landed heels over head in the street and bushes. As one would expect, a lot of non-runners run in this race. And they act, well, as one would expect. I'll be nice and leave it at that.

As to the doughnuts, it was quite a scene. The last 1/4 mile to Krispy Kreme was lined with folding tables weighted down with thousands of square white boxes, the empty lot to the right filled by runners with fistfuls of doughnuts. I grabbed my dozen and found a spot to start inhaling. As planned, I squished 4 together and ate them as one. Though my strategy was not an original idea (as my husband so helpfully pointed out), I did set a trend among those around me who all started out eating doughnuts individually, but ended up following my lead, sugar-sticky hands and all.

The first 8 were slow but no sweat. The little smiling blonde girl standing nearby stared at me just hard enough to keep the last 4 down. I ate the last few bites as I walked around the corner to wave my empty box in victory. I hadn't registered as challenger (I opted in as a 'casual runner') which I now regretted enough to daringly run through the official "chute" anyway.

Surprisingly, the last two miles back to the bell tower were not all that difficult. There was an unfortunately placed dead opossum, but I otherwise had no trouble keeping the dozen down and mercifully missed seeing anyone else losing their load.

I ended the race in 57:10 (the objective was 'under an hour'), in the top 1/3 of the female runners. It had rained the entire time, but I had dressed smart and stayed relatively warm and dry. The husband and new camera somehow picked me out of the crowd in time to get a few good victory shots. The empty box had all but disintegrated on the return trip, but I still had it, folded into a soggy clump.

Even after a large latte, I started feeling groggy on the way home. But I somehow completely dodged the anticipated queasiness. By the time we got home, I knew that I had a choice: crash on the couch, unlikely to move the rest of the day, or keep moving and possibly have enough energy to enjoy the rest of the weekend. I chose to run 6 more miles on the treadmill, followed by a couple hours of homework, followed by another concert and evening out in Durham.

And, of course, the next day was Super Bowl Sunday. The weekend was as wall to wall packed as the few days preceding it. And then it's back to Monday......

This pace is, of course,unsustainable. The problem is, where most people can say that they just need to learn to say no - to invitations, requests, etc. from other people - I have to learn to say no to myself. And we all know that I don't listen well.

p.s. My husband sent me this link today, to one of his blog entries from 3 years ago. Hilarious.
http://alanporter.blogspot.com/2008/12/running-eating-puking-for-good-cause.html

Lost in the Woods

There was a moment during yesterday's trail race when I found myself completely alone, in the middle of the snowy woods, short of breath and ankles screaming. It was a little over halfway through the 10 miles and a distinct low-point of panic at not seeing a soul around me, wondering if I was still on the right trail, and second guessing the decision to even run this race only days after getting over the flu.

And then, Lost in the World came over my one, covert earbud. It was like Kanye and Justin themselves had literally breathed the life back into me. That one song, a most recent addition to the playlist, summoned the strength and energy that my negative thoughts had all but obscured. This was exactly the reason I had ignored the headphone ban.

I know it sounds trite, but I am a strong believer in soundtracking one's life. The right playlist can be not only life-changing, but life-making. I listen to music in my car, in my office, while I do housework, during dinner..... Music is not just background for me, it defines my mood and is absolutely critical when I am running.

Now, I do understand the safety implications of headphones - especially for a single-file trail race. You do need to be able to hear those around you who may be attempting to pass, or as in yesterday's case, slipping and falling on the ice and snow. My answer: turn the volume down a bit and wear only one earbud (hiding it discretely in your shirt whenever approaching a water station). I responded to every "on the left" and was able to react considerately when I heard the runner behind me fall.

I know I've opined about headphone bans before, but never before have I had a moment as crystalline as the one described above, upon which to pin my convictions.

As to the rest of the race - looking back on it, it's hard to believe they even held it. Even without winter precipitation, trail races are considered fairly dangerous. But with packed and refrozen snow covering about 70% of the trail, this year's run was downright hazardous. I really don't know how I avoided busting my ass. I saw several others do so, and it had to have been the slowest running of this particular race because everyone was forced to walk the scarier portions.

I did pretty well for my expectations - exactly 2 hrs. Slipping, tripping, 30 degree temp. and lingering flu symptoms aside, I had a pretty good time. But it will likely have to serve as my one and only distance trail running experience; I think I'll stick to road races from now on. I know my ankles will thank me.

Up to the Challenge

Yesterday, I ate my usual nutritious breakfast, a light healthy lunch, a sensible dinner..... and 4 Krispy Kreme doughnuts smashed together for speedy ingestion. (Which, for my fellow calorie counters, represents 800 calories and 44 grams of fat.) Yes, there was a dare involved, but it was sort of part of my training - for the Krispy Kreme Challenge 1 month from today.

For the uninitiated, this race consists of running 2 miles - from The NCSU bell tower in downtown Raleigh to the Krispy Kreme on Peace St. - downing a dozen doughnuts, and running the two miles back without puking. The 6,000+ runners do it for all sorts of reasons, but overall, the proceeds benefit the NC Children's Hospital. As one of the most high profile races in the area, it's the one that, over the past year, every non-runner I know has jokingly asked if I was going to do.

Well, the answer is yes. As a now somewhat seasoned distance runner, the 4 miles will be no sweat. The doughnuts however......

So, I have determined my strategy (which was originally only theoretical) of smushing 4 doughnuts together so that I will only have to do it 3 times. And, no water - doughnuts expand. It sounded good enough to not really need to personally test it out; but at the end of our annual meeting at work yesterday, we coincidentally had several left over Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I caved to the peer pressure, but only after a coworker agreed to do it with me.

The eating part really wasn't that bad - not unlike a super sweet bagel. I'm confident that I will be able to do it three times. The feeling it left me with wasn't so good, though. My companion in this effort (who, as you can see is a foot taller than me) and I were both 'donut drunk' the entire rest of the day, and 3 hours later I could barely hold my eyelids open. Its probably a good thing that I did this a month out because I now don't want to see or smell another KK doughnut for at least that long.

Cruisin for a Boozin

This past weekend we went on our very first cruise - our Christmas gift from the in-laws. 3 days, 3 nights to Nassau on the Carnival Sensation. Pictures of 80s-era Kathy Lee peeking out from every brochure and booklet. After the initial shock of extensive chow lines and overexposure to the kinds of people you would usually only see in a mall, we had a great time. I can attribute this, at least in part, to being able to run every day; in addition to the awkward outdoor "track" around the mini-golf course (a whopping 1/12 of a mile long), the bay of treadmills in the fitness center fit the bill nicely.

It did not start off well, however. The first day was a bit rocky, but I guess it was our fault for seeking out a run almost as soon as we got on the boat. I had already run 3 miles that morning at our pre-cruise hotel, but now my husband was ready to go a few miles and I wasn't going to be left alone this early into the fantastic voyage. Turns out, 4 o-clock was also the perfect time for everyone else on-board to wander around the mini-golf course track (after I actually ran into someone on lap 22, we called it quits) and for the crew to hold a promotional giveaway IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GYM - wtf??? It's reeeeally hard to run when there are people using the treadmills as recliners.

We almost bailed again, but waited long enough to hop on as soon as the crowd dispersed. By this time, we had officially embarked (i.e. the boat was moving), which made the treadmills a little tipsy to say the least. I guess the constant re-balancing was good for my core, but hubby did not appreciate it one bit. I ended the day with a total of 6 miles under my belt, which did make me feel better about getting into a swimsuit the next day.

The rest of the trip went mostly like this: wake up earlier than is reasonable, run 2 miles on the track then 3-4 on the treadmill, wait in buffet line for breakfast, start drinking, lounge in the sun on the over-21-only deck, drink more, shower, drink, hang out in the room for awhile, wait in line for dinner, eat dinner, drink more, gamble, drink enough to make a fool of oneself dancing in 'da club', go to bed, wake up and do it all over again. We also, of course, ate dinner with the fam each night, saw the rest of our large group every now and then (mostly at the bar or buffet), and spent a good 4 hours of Saturday walking around Nassau popping in to random bars and snapping lots of photos.

Overall, it was a great trip - relaxing and amusing. A free trip is such a nice gift. Having never before been trapped on a boat for days, I really did not know what to expect. But this means that I had very few expectations. Would I go on a cruise again? Sure. Would I be surprised by the past-its-prime-Vegas-casino feel of the ship or the preponderance of bad wigs and Jersey-licious/trailer park fashions? Definitely not.

......maybe a springtime Mediterranean cruise? As long as there are treadmills.