Sitting in Jello, or Life Between Halves

After I got back from Disneyland, I didn't really feel like working out or running for a few days. I figured that was fine; my body needed to fully recuperate from the long race.

A few days stretched into a week. Then, a couple of weeks. I ran once in there somewhere, just for 30 minutes, and that felt fine. I could have gone longer, I think, but I didn't really want to. I also did one strength training routine and one short high intensity interval workout.

Now, here I am, with a week to go before we leave for another race weekend, and I've still only run a couple of times since Anaheim. Mostly, I've been a slug.

I think I worked so hard on my conditioning over the summer that I burned myself right out. When I get home from work lately, I just want to hole up in my sewing and make fun things and watch Disney movies. I don't want to go down to the lounge to work out or go for a run.

Tuesday night I went to a brief lecture on ChiRunning with Tricia and Heather, and that re-lit a little bit of fire for me. I went for my usual run last night with the impetus to fine tune my technique a little more. And I'm glad I went. Again, it wasn't any struggle at all to pound out 30 minutes. But even so, I didn't get that exhilarated feeling.

My plan at the moment is to run the two more times I have on my schedule before our trip, and then just take it as easy as I need to in WDW. I know things will circle around and I'll be in love with running again before long. But right now, running and I are gonna see other people.

Disneyland 1/2!

So, the Disneyland 1/2 has come and gone. That entire weekend was incredible. Incredible company -- I had a BLAST with Tricia and Dawn, incredible sights, incredible experiences, incredible running.

The 5k on Saturday was super fun, with great sights to see and beautiful weather. It felt like one of those perfect training runs where you feel great and alive and like your body really wants to run. 

Sunday, on the 1/2. The city of Anaheim put on a race that was just amazing. Since Disneyland is much smaller than WDW, the course goes far off Disney property and into the surrounding streets, down to Angels Stadium and back to the House of Mouse. Having run a couple of 1/2s in WDW, where Villains and Heroes are scattered throughout the course to keep runners entertained, I worried that just running down non-Disney roads would be boring or would allow my mind to remember that I was slugging through a long run.

I needn't have fretted.

The entire course was supported by the community in a show of enthusiasm and positive energy that any town would be proud of. Local high school marching bands and cheerleaders lined almost the entire course, calling runners by name, shouting encouragement and high-fiving anyone who needed a boost. Cultural groups in the community showed their support by providing on-course entertainment like mariachi bands and Polynesian dance performances. And when we got to Angels Stadium and it was filled with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts cheering... well, that's a moment I won't soon forget. Thank you, Anaheim, for the most positive energy I've ever experienced in the course of 2.5 hours!

Which brings me to my time. As I've said before, I had a magic number in my head that I had set as a goal -- a new year's resolution, actually -- for a 1/2 marathon time this year. I've been kind of afraid of the possibility that if I didn't make that time in Anaheim, that would only leave the Wine & Dine 1/2 to make it. And there would be less than 4 weeks between the two, so I'd be fighting fatigue.

I was never sure, on course, of where I was, time-wise. There are clocks at every mile marker, but because I didn't see what time I actually crossed the start line, I could never tell if I was going to make my goal of a sub-2:30 race. I knew I was close, so close that I could easily be a little under or a little over.

When I finished, got my medals (oh, Coast-to-Coast medal, how I love thee!) and routed through the maze to the tent where the girls and I had planned to meet, I had about 20 minutes alone (in a crowd of thousands) to think about the race and my stiffening muscles and wonder whether I had met my goal. When Dawn appeared, I almost cried, just so happy to see her, and just so tired (which is a state which always leaves me weepy). She told me Brian had texted her some of the updates he had been getting through runner tracking, but she hadn't heard from him in a little while. Once Tricia joined us, we ambled back to our hotel room (how NICE it was to have a room just a brief stroll away from the finish line!) and I tried calling my beloved, but got no answer. I forgot that he had planned a DragonCon photo shoot for work that morning, so I assumed he must be there.When I finally spoke to him later that morning, he excitedly told me how proud he was that I finished at 2:30 on the dot. Hmmmm. I wanted to run this thing in UNDER 2:30, darn it. I know, at that point, it's a tiny, tiny technicality, but while I was super proud that I was 4 minutes and 34 seconds faster than my last race, I couldn't help but be bummed that one second faster would have achieved my goal.

I kept thinking about that second. I replayed every time I took a walk interval, wondering why I didn't run just a tiny bit more. I debated with myself and others about whether or not this meant I had to work to meet the goal at Wind & Dine, or if this was close enough. Exhausting just to think about.

And then, a few days after I returned to Atlanta, I checked my results online to see where I had landed in relation to the rest of the pack. Lo and behold, my official finish time was 2:29:59! The universe gave me my second back! I felt so elated, so relieved, so blissed out. Up to that point, I kept telling myself it was no big deal, but the way my heart soared at seeing my official time made me realize that one second was, to me, a huge deal. It meant the difference between a goal met and a goal nearly-met, and that gap can be immense.

Thank you universe!

Nearing the first start line...

Despite my running burnout, I'm trucking along.

Last week, I did my last long run before the Disneyland 1/2 - a 2 hour/10 mile affair that involved blocks of 30 mins. of running interspersed with 10 minute walks. It went ok! Not exactly feeling like I could take on the world at the end, but I know I can at least finish the race.

I just have no idea about whether or not I'll manage my time goal. I am in better shape than I was when I did the Princess in March. Even then, I managed to shave 4 minutes off my previous time. Now my endurance is better, I'm stronger, I've trained much more. Theoretically, I should be able to carve down another 4-5 minutes, but there's a big difference between theory and execution.

It's hard to believe that it's all so close. Here's hoping I'm prepared!

Also, in roughly 100 hours, I will be eating my first Monte Cristo of the weekend.

I Kinda Hit the Wall

I have running/training burnout.

I haven't really run in almost two weeks. I've been doing plenty of other high-intensity training, so I don't feel like I'm losing my place, fitness-wise, but I just HAVE NOT felt like running. At all.

This is not entirely surprising since I had reached a point where I was running a lot more than ever before. Too much of a good thing, you know? I hope I have not jeopardized my performance in the upcoming 1/2 marathons by taking a break. I know I need the rest, and really, that's more important than making the finish time I have in my head as a goal. We'll see what happens!

Ambitious Fractions

Tuesday night, I ran for 52 minutes. A personal record for a continuous run.

Yesterday afternoon, some weird part of my brain decided I should try for a full hour, even though I'm not scheduled to do so for several weeks. I figure I do workout videos longer than 60 minutes, so why not?

So I started my run at 7:30, thinking "This makes timing easy. I'll just switch directions at 8, and aim for 8:30. If at 8:25 I feel wiped out, I'll just call it a night and be happy."

I remember at the 20 minute mark thinking I was 1/3 of the way there and that I felt ok. Then it was 1/2. Then 5/8. (Yes, I really do count out things in fractions, and not just running. Road trips, to do lists, you name it. If I can quantify some progress, I feel better.)

Once I had switched my direction, it was just ticking down the minutes to the end and seemed to whiz by.

 I found myself thinking in disbelief "I'm totally going to make it!"

And I did.

9 Mile Weekend

I was scheduled to do 8 miles this weekend.

I set out early Saturday morning planning to do 8 miles. But that didn't happen.

Around mile 5, I was worn the hell out. I was thinking 3 more in the Atlanta heat (even though it wasn't even 10am yet) was just going to be misery. Then, a distant bell rang in my head - I just recently read an article about the benefits of splitting up longer training runs when prepping for marathons. Ok, I'm only prepping for a 1/2, and I didn't read the article carefully, but as I was already registered for a 5k Sunday morning, I figured I could call it a day at 6 miles on Saturday and not feel too guilty.

So that's what I did!

Cut to Sunday AM.
Brian came down to Centennial Park with me for the race since all of our friends had conflicts. (Some of them just had warm, cozy, comforter-covered conflicts, but who can begrudge someone a sleep-in morning?) I got my number and waited for the start, enjoying the sights and sounds of a bunch of veterinarian conference attendees up way too early on a Sunday.

When the gun went off, I started running, but within two minutes, my body was flipping me the bird. It's not unheard of for me to feel sluggish at the beginning of the run and then get past it about five minutes in, but my legs just kept getting heavier and heavier. My body was all "Fuck YOU. I did SIX miles of intervals yesterday! I hate you! Bitch."

I managed to run a respectable amount of the race (probably 2/3) alternating with walking intervals, so I feel no guilt. Of course, when I got to the finish and they were all out of shirts in my size, I was a little dejected. There's allegedly a shirt coming in the mail, so we'll see what happens with that.

Despite the semi-crummy happenings of the morning, I'm still glad I did it. 1. It benefited shelter animals. 2. It's one more time that I trained my diligence and discipline muscles a little. I'll take it!

When You Don't Expect It, Something Really Cool Happens

We met a new friend last night at the track. :)

Towards the end of our run, this darling woman (in an athletic skirt, no less!) had started some walk/run intervals. When we were finished stretching and headed for the stairs, she stopped us and asked us if we knew how many laps around the track made up a mile. When I told her 13, she looked shocked, then laughed. She then went on to ask a few more questions about starting a running program, nutrition for runners, etc. She said her husband had told her about our running, and it inspired her to try it.

Incredibly awesome.

Just goes to show, you don't know what you're sending out into the universe, even when you're totally wrapped up in your own little world. Getting other people moving is a great motivator for me - I will think about this encounter every time I want to be lazy.

Ugh. I have to run 50 minutes AGAIN?

This week has been a little grueling.

Tuesday we headed to Hunstville, AL to visit the US Space and Rocket Center so we could see the latest Star Wars exhibit. Awesome, but that meant I had to get all of Monday and Tuesday's workouts done on Monday, which left me feeling a little worn out. We got home from Alabama near midnight on Tuesday night, and I had to rise and shine bright and early yesterday for my volunteer shift at the aquarium before work. Then, after work, hit the DEVO show with a friend. Another midnight homecoming. Today, I am worn the hell out.

I refuse to let my tiredness derail my training, though. It's gonna suck, but I'm running tonight, come hell or high water.

Less Easy, But Still Not Too Bad

Last night, I banged out another 50 minute run. It was not the lighthearted romp of Tuesday, that's for sure! I had to eat on the run. I had a lot on my mind. But somehow, I kept plugging away, and the minutes ticked by.

I am having a hard time imagining what it will be like to run an hour at a time.

But then, I once could not imagine running 5 minutes. So it's all relative.

Huh. That was easy!

Despite my fear of NEVER being able to make it through the 48 minute barrier (Thursday's fail really shook me up) last night's run was a breeze from start to finish. All 50 minutes of it - two of which were extra!

When I first began running, I was thinking, "This feels easy... uh oh... better be careful not to burn up all my energy early on." But I managed to keep a pretty consistent pace and I felt good -- really good.

The time flew by. When I hit the 1/2 way mark, I started questioning my own clock math. "If I started at 7:12 and end at 8:00, that's 48 minutes, right?"

My math was fine. I was just having an unusually good run. I hope I have more of them. I even sprinted the last minute. Wheeeeeee!

Performance Anxiety

Ok, after Thursday's disappointing performance and a distance run on Sunday that could only be described as half-assery, I am a little trepidatious about tonight's run. I am keenly aware that I have not had a "good" run in a week, and I worry that I might have trouble getting back up to speed, so to speak. (Using the words "run" and "speed" in the same sentence when referring to me is hilarious.)

Also, part of me wonders if I am feeling a little bit of runner burnout. I think because I am on my self-established training plan to prep for the Disneyland and Wine & Dine 1/2s, I kind of just feel like every run is just being done to check off my requirement (or in my case, use a pink highlighter on it). I hope the joy returns. It might be that I feel burned out because I seem to be hitting this developmental wall, so my brain is just associating negativity with the whole thing. In any case, I shall endeavor to move past the current blahs.

Let's just see how tonight goes.

Some Experiments Fail

Yesterday, I woke up too late to get in the sculpting workout I had planned for the morning. "No problem!" I thought. It's only a 30 minute workout -- I can wedge that in before I go running tonight.

Oh, foolish mortal.

The sculpting workout was fine, but my run suffered terribly. I hit 30 minutes and started walking. Damn! I think normally,around the 30 minute mark, my body starts cranking out endorphins and that allows me to keep going to the 48 minutes I have worked up to so far. But last night, my body was all "Um, hey, idiot, you used up your endorphins on the beginning of your run, after your 30 minutes of weight training! You're cut off!" What a stupid struggle of a learning experience!

At least now I know one more thing about what my body is willing to do.

WhyDoIBotherItis

Ok, I know that I shouldn't compare myself to others. It's stupid, and is a recipe for dismay and heartbreak. Last night, however, I was thinking as I ran about my performance and the ways it has and hasn't changed over the last couple of years. I got to wondering about how I will do in the Disneyland 1/2 in September, and then my inner Eeyore kicked in with this gem: No matter how much you train, Tricia will probably blow right past you now that she's quit smoking, whether she trains or not.
What a bitch my inner Eeyore is! That's just mean! Besides, it doesn't matter. Our first 1/2, she came in ahead of me, this last one, behind me, and it didn't really matter one bit either time. I don't know why I let my brain sass me like that sometimes.


In fat-assedness news, I am becoming progressively more angry with my scale. It's down three pounds, up five pounds, down two, up one. I know our bodies wax and wane and carry extra water for various reasons. (I do love my sodium!) Even so, the downward trend has not really happened in a while. I dropped eight lbs. right out of the gate at the end of May, but spent all of June just wobbling back and forth up and down the same five pounds, even though I'm doing everything right. Frustrato. On the upside, the body fat percentage has gone down, which does support my "water, water, everywhere" theory. Blar. I have this fantastic vision of reaching goals and having smaller numbers, but reality is not playing nice with my dreams!

Clearly, I'm traveling through a patch of negative thinking. Gotta figure out how to turn it around!

Will I Ever Have Endurance Outside? During a Race?

I can run forever indoors. Ok, not forever, but 46 minutes, at least! That often seems like forever, so I think my statement is valid.

Anyway, once I get outside, even on a lovely day, it seems I can't run nearly that long. Some of it, I know, is mental. But I also worry that I am training myself to be a wuss.

Admittedly, I have no big desire to run outside in Atlanta in July. But I need to be able to handle running outside the safety and ease of my air-conditioned indoor track.

Sigh.

I don't wanna.

Peachtree Road Race 2010...

... or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Follow the Crowd

Sunday was my 2nd Peachtree Road Race - 6.2 miles down Atlanta's most famous road.

The weather was lovely - much cooler than last year. The company was the same - Molly and Heather, my two lovely girls.

The race itself didn't do much for me this year. It's not the race; it's me. I just wasn't as enthused for some reason. It's possible that I'm so spoiled by Disney races that all others seem kind of meh by comparison now.

Things seemed a little more crowded this year, though I have heard other runners say the exact opposite. It's probably due in large part to the fact that we started way back in the T wave. By the time we were done, the park was insanely crowded. Brian was having trouble even getting into the park to meet us, so we left to meet him. We were routed with everyone else up 8th st. to the train station, which took a long time and was a very crowded walk. MARTA was a nightmare, though Heather had the smartypants idea to take the southbound down one station and then switch to Northbound, which was a perfect plan. There's a reason she has all those degrees.

But, once we got home, things got rolling for our cookout, which was a blast! So yay for food and friends! And oh, yeah, Independence.

One Extra Minute, and Peachtree Here We Come!

I had one of those runs last night where my mind was wandering and the time flew by. Before I knew it, I was halfway done, then only had 10 minutes left, then, I had hit the 45 minute mark and was finished... except I wanted to add one extra minute. I don't know why. Just to say I did? Just so I know I can always do a little more than I think I can? It's a mystery. But I sure feel accomplished afterward. Who knew that 60 seconds could inspire such pride?

And last night was my last run before the Peachtree Road Race on Sunday! Wooohooo! Another early early morning on MARTA, waiting at the start, and trucking through 6.2 miles of the city. Afterwards, relaxed and groovy cookout at our place! Wahoooooo!

45 Minutes, Made Better with Comedy

The longer my runs get, the more elaborate and mathematical my mental games to pass the time have to get. I count laps and see how fast I'm running. I try to run x number of laps during a song. I try to draft patterns in my head. ANYTHING to distract me and pass the time.

Thank the universe that Stephanie is as silly as I am, because by lap 22 last night, my brain was tired of entertaining me.

We often high five each other as we run if we're going in opposite directions, but last night, a spontaneous game of pass-by-surprise erupted. Stephanie ran like an Egyptian, did a creepy Thriller run, and shot me with an imaginary rifle. I ran backwards, saluted, and did cartwheels.
Before I knew it, another 14 minutes of running had gone by, and it had happened while I giggled (and sometimes cackled). At one point, I caught the older woman on the track with us smiling at our antics. I'm sure she thought we were crazy, but at least we're crazy happy and not crazy dangerous!

Thanks Stephanie!

5-miler cut a little short

Heather and Steve joined me. It was hot as hades. We ended at 4 miles.

Then got lunch at Mimi's. Bliss!

"Every scratch, every click, every heartbeat...

 ... every breath that I held for you... 45."

I am a long-time Elvis Costello fan, so every time I think about my current running time, that song pops into my head.

I believe I have now officially surpassed my old record of 43 minutes. I was scheduled to do 44 mins. this week, but figured I'd go ahead and bump up to 45. Go me!

Another 5-miler coming up tomorrow. I'll have company this time, which will make it le awesome.
Luck to me!

43 minute run: FAIL. 5 miler: demi-success.

OK, I have learned my lesson. I am not intended to run in the heat. The end.

Friday night, Stephanie and I went out to our old Peeler Road path to run. I was scheduled to do 43 minutes. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
I got to about 23 before my body flipped me the bird.
I felt kinda woozy, a little nauseated, and mostly just wilty.


The last time I felt like that was after Race for the Taste while Tricia and I were wandering around EPCOT sucking down boozy slushies and escargots. A little H2O fixed things -- I was just dehydrated. And the same was true on Friday. So, I walked back to the cars with Stephanie, and kind of whipped out of there in a hurry, stopped at a drive-thru on my way home for fluids and voila! Instantly better. Stupid heat.

So yesterday (Sunday) I was scheduled for 5 miles. Now, when I do my weekend distance runs, I can walk as much as I need to - I just need to cover X amount of ground. Thank goodness, because three songs into my run, I was gassing out. Luckily, having learned from Friday's less-than-stellar performance, I had water with me, but it sure went fast!


It took me a very pokey 75 minutes to go 5 measly miles. Oh, well! At least I did it.

Onward ho!

Yeti, we own you!

(Well, we hung out with you and all had a good time, anyway!)

This trip to WDW, while short, was spectacular. The room (which Brian's mother kindly booked for us using her Vacation Club points) had one of those views you never want to leave and amenities out the wazoo. The company was stellar. And the food. Dear god, the food.

But the real reason we were there was Expedition Everest Challenge. This is the third year for the challenge, but the first year it's been in June -- previous years, the race happened in late September. June is significantly hotter than September, in case you were wondering.

Packet pick-up was business as usual, with one really neat exception: the goody bags. The bag for the 1st year of Everest was fabulous, with tons of little freebies. Last year... less so. It was underwhelming, to say the least. This year, when I initially got my bag, I think I audibly groaned. It was decidedly anemic. But then - gasp - my delightful spouse found the motherload -- the freebie table! The event organizers had a table filled with boxes and boxes of free stuff so you could fill your own goody bag a la carte and not end up with stuff you'll never use. BRILLIANT! We won't even talk about how many Sharpies or packets of kinesiology tape I snagged.

We decided to all hang together for the race and take it fairly easy. I must admit, the relaxed pace was a relief -- my Achilles tendon has been grumpy lately. The obstacles were interspersed throughout the 5k this year instead of being a separate segment of the challenge. This was mostly cool (hay bales), but sometimes odd (army crawl RIGHT BEFORE the finish line). We got a little separated during the scavenger hunt, but it didn't take long for us to all convene at the end of the race with medals and snacks.

Then, there were rides to ride! River rapids! Yes! (Thrice.) Expedition Everest! Yes! (Twice, before my stomach threatened to evict the bacon cheeseburger I had foolishly wolfed down). By the time we left the park, it was 1am and we were that sort of happy tired that only happens at such events. I was so blissed out after our post-race champagne toast back at the hotel that I slept the sleep of angels.

Life, the universe, and everything.

42 minutes last night. Not my record, but getting quite close to it. (I think the record is 43, around this same time last year.)

As my runs have lengthened, I find I am constantly devising and playing mind games with myself to pass the time.

My new thing is to count songs. I can't look at my watch for the first five songs, then not again for four more songs, then three, etc.

Is it wrong that I am trying to trick myself?

Minor Derailment

Was in Florida visiting my dad this weekend, so I didn't get my scheduled 4 miler in. I had devised a little plan where I would run in his pool to fulfill the training plan for the week, but it rained, poured, and rained some more.

Oh, well!

Tonight, back to my regularly scheduled run!

Trail Comeraderie

Last night, on my third lap around the park, a guy who had been walking in the opposite direction from me (thus we kept passing each other twice per lap) started clapping as I ran past and said "Great run!"

We past each other a few more times, and every time, he'd yell out a short, encouraging word or two. When I finally finished and was walking up to the gym to get some water, I thought I'd throw some back and said "Good job!" (He had been walking those challenging hills at a good clip, and was drenched with sweat.) He returned the sentiment and we high-fived.

I don't know that stranger, but he made my workout.


Oh, and by the way:

41 minutes on those damn hills.
Woot!

I am a poor predictor of my run performance.

Last night when I got home from work, I over relaxed. I sat down on the couch while chatting with Brian, and before I knew it, I was supine. Our house is very hot (we are waiting to hear back as to when the AC guy can come check out the problem), so it's easy to melt into slug mode when you walk in.

I didn't really want to run. I didn't even want to change clothes. I finally did, and got into the car. Thank the universe Brian wanted to go for a walk while we ran, because I didn't want to drive, either. We got to the park and I told Brian I might fall asleep in the car while we waited for Stephanie. I was basically Count Grogula.

As Stephanie and I started our warm-up walk around the track, I mentioned that I was super sleepy and kind of dreading running. Nonetheless, I am trying very hard to stick to my training plan, so I was gonna give it a shot, and when it was time to start running, I did...

... and the 41 minutes FLEW by! I had a great run! I even toyed with my form a little to see if I could eek out a little more speed, better momentum, etc.

I give up - I have no idea how to be a good enough swami to know if I'm going to have a good run or not.
But I'm awfully glad I had a good one last night. :)

SOS 5k - 3's the Charm!

Saturday, Heather and I ran the SCAN Foundation's SOS 5k for the third year running. As you may recall, this was the first 5k we ever participated in back when we first started running -- we were only a few weeks into our C25k program when we signed up on a whim.

I remember feeling so incredibly accomplished crossing that first finish line. It was the first time I had really participated willingly in any athletic event with other people. And I loved it! Thus the many many more races to follow.

This third time out was a really good run, for a couple of reasons. First, Heather killed it, coming in at 33:27 - which I believe is a personal best for her. I followed shortly thereafter at 34:06, and I was pretty darn happy with that, since I have been getting slower and slower, it seems.

The other thing that made this a great run was that I never walked, which is a habit I've been getting into lately during 5ks that I'm none too thrilled about. I don't know how it is I can truck it around the hills at the park for almost 40 minutes, then struggle on a relatively flat course to run for 35, but it's been happening during races, ding dang it. So, there's a measure of personal triumph in having taken no walk breaks Saturday morning.

Now, let's see if I can handle tonight's challenge: 41 minutes straight. Wish me luck!

As predicted, those hills were cruel.

Last night's 39 minute run around the park was... rough-ish. I was flying solo, as everyone else had conflicts, and I was running the path in the direction with a bunch of short, steep uphills.

I'll be honest. There was a teeny part of me that kept whispering to myself "you can cheat. no one will know." But that would just make next week's 41 minute runs harder, and I'd just be cheating my conditioning.

I have this plan to lose 20 pounds in 100 days, right in time for the Disneyland 1/2. During this year's Princess 1/2, I really REALLY noticed every pound I had gained since last year. It really took its toll on me, and I think my time could have been under 2:30 if I were not dragging that extra weight around.

So far I am on track to meet my goal, so I'm hoping that even though the runs are getting longer, they will actually feel a little easier. Fingers crossed!

39

I managed to run for 39 minutes on Monday, in the gym, where it's level and cool.

Tonight is usually our outdoor run night. I'm kinda scared. 39 minutes of running on those ass-evil hills... doesn't fill me with anticipatory joy.

A Make-Up Run, then 4 Mile Saturday!

Friday night, Stephanie and I ran to make up for skipping our Thursday session. Since the gym is closed Friday nights, we were out on the hills. Yowza. Those things kick my ass EVERY TIME. But, so far I've managed to run continuously on them, even if it seems I'm barely moving on some of the uphills. And though it kind of sucks while we're doing it, I always feel such a good sense of accomplishment afterward.

The way I'm currently training (and dragging others into my web of evil), I run for time twice during the week, and then distance on the weekend. For example, this week, I'm bumping up from 37 minutes to 39 for my work week runs, and then I have a 5k on Saturday. During the runs for time, the goal is to run the whole thing. During the runs for distance, I can run intervals; I'm just getting my body accustomed to traveling longer and longer distances. After this week, it will just build up and up and up.

So, Saturday Heather, Tricia and I were scheduled to do 4 miles. Initially, I started with the intervals I used on the last 1/2 marathon, which is three songs running, one song walking. The natural variance in length of songs keeps me on my toes and keeps things interesting. However, I only managed that interval for the 1st two miles. Then I went to two songs running, one song walking. Then, the last mile, I intended to run every other song, but got to yapping with Tricia and walked most of it.

And I was still pooped. What's up with that?

Played Hooky Last Night

That Heather's a bad influence! (A wonderful, delightful bad influence.) She called after work last night to say she just did not feel like running and wanted to eat instead. I ended up agreeing to skip, if we could convince Stephanie and Tricia to do the same.

We ended up having a lovely dinner party at Ted's Montana Grill. We used to have group dinners every Tuesday night. We've fallen out of that habit due to busy schedules, and it was so nice to sit down and share a meal and laughter with our good friends. Yay for the occasional skip!

37 minutes doesn't sound like a lot.

But it sure felt like it last night. Not my best run ever -- just felt slow and logey. Kept thinking about having to walk during the 3rd mile of the Skirt Chaser. Wondering what my problem is, when I can clearly run 35 minutes straight on the hilly outdoor path at the park.

For last night's run, Tricia and Heather stayed on the outside trail, and I went into the gym. For the first time I can remember, I was the only person on the indoor track. No need to leave a space for walkers, no need to dodge children, no worries about going against the flow when I reverse my direction. That was lovely, even if my legs felt like they weighed 100 pounds apiece.

Registration: Complete!

It's official! I am registered to run the Disneyland 1/2 marathon this year. :)

This is significant for a couple of reasons:

- I am missing DragonCon to run this race. For the 1st time in a long time. (I'm kind of relieved.)
- I am traveling across the country for this one. With Dawn and Tricia! Wheeeee!
- This will be my 2nd of three 1/2 marathons this year. One of my annual goals for 2010 is to run a 1/2 marathon in 2:30 or less, and I was 4 minutes too slow on the Princess. So if I don't manage it on this one, I only have one more shot!

Skirt Chaser 5k!

This past Saturday, May 15th, was the 1st Atlanta appearance of the Skirt Chaser 5k series. The race has a cute hook -- you get a running skirt with your registration package, and the women start 3 minutes ahead of the men. Given my oft-proclaimed LOVE for running skirts, signing up for this one was a no-brainer. Heather and I ran, and Lili came with us for moral support (and also to enjoy the block party).

This race also differed from your standard Saturday 5k in that it started at 5:30 pm instead of some early morning hour. Heather and I both remarked that this made for some odd, slightly confused prep for the day. Whereas normally I would pop out of bed, eat a banana, and then be ready for a large lunch after a race, this time I had to figure out what to eat all day long that would give me energy but not weigh me down too much. Surprisingly tricky. It made me think, looking forward, about the Wine & Dine 1/2 marathon in October, which won't start until 10:30 pm. That's gonna be tricky, too.

The course was through the Candler Park area, and ran right down Moreland at one point. I will say this: if you want to see a combo of bemusement, confusion and irritation, run a race through Little 5 Points at 5:30 on a Saturday afternoon, and reduce one of the most congested areas of the city to one lane of traffic. Wheeeee! As we trotted past the shops, restaurants and bars, our spectators consisted of angry motorists, befuddled stoners, the occasional cheerer, and a random array of people who seemed not to get what was going on, but smiled and waved to the runners all the same.

When we started the race, Heather shot in front of me pretty quickly. I spent the first two miles looking out ahead on the course to try to keep an eye on her. She manages to be so much faster than me -- I am proud of her, and only a little envious. ;) Around mile 2, things started to get really difficult. It was hot. There were several long, slow hills. Did I mention the heat? I passed Heather, who had decided to walk for a bit, around the 2.25 mile point. Just in time to hit another crappy ass hill. I tried to make it all the way up running, but I did eventually acquiesce to the requests my achilles tendon had been making, and I took a walk break as well. The last mile, I alternately ran and walked as my ankle felt up to it, and all I could think about was a cold beverage. Thank goodness the finish was a downhill dash!

The block party that Skirt Sports threw for the event was spectacular -- even before the race started, there were vendors handing out snacks, and the after party was like a buffet of yum. Chipotle was there handing out chips, salsa, and burritos. Sweet Tomatoes had salads, cookies, and other delectables at the ready. We tried an interesting beverage called Solixir, which bills itself as a sparkling botanical beverage. One of the flavors tasted like grass clippings, the other, more like a faint fruit. There was beer, but none of us were interested. We also saw the Skirt Sports fashion show, which was really fun -- I was thrilled that they featured a wide range of body types, and included a couple of girls that are accomplished marathoners but do not have the ropey, gaunt physique one normally associates with serious endurance athletes. Super fun clothes, of course. I love the midori color they have in their newest line.

After stuffing ourselves and taking in the sights, we were ready to head home. This is a race I would definitely run again, because for the $48 entry fee of the Standard package (a Deluxe offering is also available), you get a skirt, a hell of a lot of food, and a great afternoon of fun and exercise. Win, win, win!

Hills, Hills, and More Hills

So, last night, we decided to run outside on the park trail instead of inside at the gym.

I was game when Heather pitched it. I don't LOVE the outdoors thing, but I figured it's a good challenge. Then, when Tricia said she wanted to start in the opposite direction of the one we ran last, I was a little trepidatious (it has shorter, but steeper hills), but said I was up for it.

Holy geez oh man. That was some rough hillosity.

But, I managed to eek out my 35 minutes, though I got really pokey towards the end when I was out of gas.

Today, the backs of my legs are definitely feeling the burn. Why, oh, why do people love the hilly outdoors so much?

The 1/2 Marathon Training Kick Off

Last night, Heather and I officially began the training plan we put together to prepare for the fall's big races.

Our plan is very, very gradual, as we have plenty of time. No need to rush things and risk injury if we don't have to, right?

This week, we have two 35 minute runs scheduled and then a 5k on Saturday.

The 5k is the SkirtChaser -- the first time it's coming to Atlanta! I have no idea how big it will be, but I hope it is super fun. The weather report this morning looked a little ominous with regards to Saturday. Hope the race is rain or shine -- I'm itching to wear my giraffe dress again!

Time to get serious.

The next several months are going to get progressively more intense when it comes to running.

Ambitious (more like overzealous) fool that I am, I am planning on completing two 1/2 marathons this fall, four weeks apart. Tricia is running the first one (Disneyland 1/2) with me, and Heather is running the second (WDW Wide & Dine).

What this means in terms of day-to-day life is that I have to do everything I can to get as fit as possible in the coming months. I need to have the endurance, stamina, and strength to run both races and come out of them feeling aok. I will also need to peel off as many pounds as I can manage in that time to reduce the pounding on my joints when I'm hoofin' it.

This may be a bumpy ride, and I'm sure it will test my strength of will, but I'm buckled in and ready for blast off!

The blog's been stagnant, but we haven't!

I'm embarrassed at how long it's been since I've posted. The good news is, the running has continued pretty consistently since my last update. There have been ups and downs on the training rollercoaster, but we're all still huffin' it!

Tricia and I ran our second 1/2 Marathon this March -- again, Disney's Princess. That same weekend, Stephanie joined Lili and I for the Royal Family 5k. I will have to whip up a very late trip report soon!

We will also be running the Disneyland 1/2 in September, and I think Heather may join me for the WDW Wine and Dine 1/2 in October! Yeah! It's a year of big races!

Coming up next for some of us is the SkirtChaser 5k on May 15, and the SCAN Foundation SOS 5k on May 29. Everest is looming in the near, near future, as it's happening June 12 this year. Then the Peachtree 10k follows on its heels on July 4. Wooohoooo!

More races always in the works. More reasons to train. More fun adventures with fabulous friends!