Uninspired
I'm running slower, gaining weight, breaking out, stressing out and in an overall bad way. Furthermore, I haven't even THOUGHT about my poor little blog in weeks :( usually, even when I'm really bad I can at least still post on the weekend. Ashleigh FAIL. October was such a sad month for my little blog project, and to the loyal few of you who follow me, I sincerely apologize.
So, in short, here's what has happened in the past 2 weeks:
*I ran 20 miles
*I went to California and drank a lot of wine and had a lot of fun, but didn't run much.
*Last weekend, I ran my longest race before the marathon - 30K (which is 18.8 miles) in 2:50
*I have been running minimally during the week, letting myself believe that by running ridiculously far distances on the weekend makes up for it. Turns out, it doesn't.
*I ran 14 miles 2 days ago, and I have a 1/2 marathon coming up next Sunday. That's my last race before December 12.
So, that's what I've been doing (and not doing). Billy will be home in a matter of weeks, and now I'm all stressed about that because I gotta look good, you know? So, with renewed vigor and enthusiasm, I will be running like it was my job (even though I already have a job...and grad school...and 2 dogs...and a house to keep up...and friends...and...and...and...)
I suppose I really don't have anything to say, other than that. I'll try to conjure up some witty blog banter for you as the week goes on to try to get back into the swing of things, but for now, I'm off to the gym for some treadmill action because it is no less than one million degrees outside. Fact.
P.S. - Any love you could send my way would be greatly appreciated! I have a motivation deficit.
P.P.S. - Starbucks red cup season started today! Love yourself and go get you one of them triple grande non-fat gingerbread lattes!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Valiant Return of The Weekly Weigh-In, How Running 20 Miles was EASY(?!?!?!), And How 6" Makes All The Difference ;)
The Latest & Greatest
I know I've been a little M.I.A lately, but hang on to your butts, friends! I'm about to make up for it now with so much blogging goodness, you're not even going to hardly know what to do with yourselves ;P
First of all, my dear DadE was here last week for an extended weekend. It was GLORIOUS! Sometimes, a gal still needs her dad to swoop in and take care of her. My dad is the best because he loves champagne as much as I do (maybe it runs in the family?) He's also very handy for: walking dogs, killing cockroaches, doing dishes, buying lunch, and just generally being awesome! This picture pretty much sums up the 5 days he was here:
Man, did we have a good time! Although, naturally, with DadE around, there was much food and wine and happiness and not so much putting one foot in front of the other for long, long times. Oh well. I'm not even mad about it.
It wasn't all fun and games, though. We went to WORK! Let me explain: my lanai is unquestionably my favorite room in the house, even though it's not even a room. It's always perfect out there. There's twinkle lights, and ocean breezes and happiness. However, there's a damn fence around the whole thing that is just a little too high. When Billy and I first moved in, we went to every single store on this rock that might sell patio furniture, trying to find a table & chairs that would be tall enough to see over the fence so we could perch up there and see the ocean. We got the tallest one we could find and it's the perfect height...if you like looking at a white fence :/ There are so many stupid things like that in this house. I know it had to be designed by a man, what with the lack of common sense and everything.
Anyway, you ladies out there already know this to be true, but:
An Extra 6" Makes All the Difference
Dad listened to my lament about the stupid too tall fence and I could almost see the cogs in his head turning. Friday I came home from work, and he said "We're going to Home Depot" and so we did!
By Saturday afternoon, this is what was going on (along with some imbibing for some reason...)
Voila! The happiest place on earth just got 6" happier! Now, when I sit out there I can see the ocean and not just hear it. It's glorious. Plus, we didn't just make a platform, we made a memory. Cheesey? Yes. True? Also yes. We had such a stupid fun time! Now, for those of you haven't come out to visit me yet, you have another reason. You simply MUST see the new and improved lanai ;)
20 Easy Miles
I couldn't make this up! I ran 20 miles yesterday morning which is as far as I will have to run until Marathon Day shows up 2 months and 1 day from today. I was very, VERY nervous beforehand, which is probably what made it so good. My dear Teresa even called me the night before and, like a good coach, asked me "Have you been hydrating? What did you have for dinner? Did you clip your toenails? Are you sure?" I have good friends! So, not only did I prepare BEFORE the run, but I was well-stocked with margarita flavored Cliff Shot Bloks, those energy jelly beans, and H2O in my hip runner's fanny pack. At 10 miles I didn't know it was possible to feel so good at 10 miles. Remember back here when 10 miles almost killed me? Here I am, 4 months later and I doubled that and felt better at the end! AMAZING what a body can do. I must be doing something right in this whole training process. There's always ups and downs, of course, but when it all comes together like it did yesterday, it makes it soooo worth it!
Total time ran clocked in at 3:28:08. Have you ever been to a concert or something and had to be on your feet for 3 1/2 hours? Being on your feet for that long does something funny to your body, but that's why you need to do it BEFORE marathon day. There was nothing completely fast about that time, I believe it's over a 10 minute mile pace but I'm not concerned for a couple of reasons: 1)I felt so stinking good at the end, and that only means that if I could have run faster if I needed to and 2) I didn't need to because it's called Long, Slow Distance for that very reason. The purpose is just to do it! And I did it. And I feel so self-righteous and proud of myself - I can't help it! Go me ;)
The Weigh-In
Holding strong at 133.0. The stupid scale hasn't budged in 3 weeks. I'm sure not running last weekend and eating with wild abandon and drinking bottles and bottles of wine with dad probably evened out all the running I did this week. Bah humbug. I have a month and some change before hubs comes home, and I would love to lose 3 more lbs. Just 3 more stupid pounds. We'll see how it goes, because this coming weekend, there's going to be another hitch in training regime:
MARGARITAVILLE!!!
On Thursday, I'm flying into San Francisco to meet up with my MuM, my Auntie H, Kelly, Kari, and a plethora of other fabulous women for a weekend of wine tasting, giggling, and of course, a JIMMY BUFFETT concert!!! The plane ticket and conert ticket was a gift from my MuM for my birthday all the way back in May, so I've been looking forward to this for 5 months!
I really love my family, in case you all out there haven't noticed yet. I love that I can have my dad out here and he doesn't stress me out and we can build platforms for my lanai and drink wine. And I love how I'm just as excited about Estrogenfest: Part Deux with my MuM as I was for the orginal Estrogenfest with my best lady friends. Like I said, it must run in the family ;)
Have a lovely week, all of you! Till we meet again...xoxoxoxo
PS - I almost forgot! THANK YOU, Christopher Columbus for getting lost, ending up on this continent, and being a jerk about it so that nearly 600 years later, I can have a day off. I'll make sure to have a glass today for you, my exploring friend!
I know I've been a little M.I.A lately, but hang on to your butts, friends! I'm about to make up for it now with so much blogging goodness, you're not even going to hardly know what to do with yourselves ;P
First of all, my dear DadE was here last week for an extended weekend. It was GLORIOUS! Sometimes, a gal still needs her dad to swoop in and take care of her. My dad is the best because he loves champagne as much as I do (maybe it runs in the family?) He's also very handy for: walking dogs, killing cockroaches, doing dishes, buying lunch, and just generally being awesome! This picture pretty much sums up the 5 days he was here:
Man, did we have a good time! Although, naturally, with DadE around, there was much food and wine and happiness and not so much putting one foot in front of the other for long, long times. Oh well. I'm not even mad about it.
It wasn't all fun and games, though. We went to WORK! Let me explain: my lanai is unquestionably my favorite room in the house, even though it's not even a room. It's always perfect out there. There's twinkle lights, and ocean breezes and happiness. However, there's a damn fence around the whole thing that is just a little too high. When Billy and I first moved in, we went to every single store on this rock that might sell patio furniture, trying to find a table & chairs that would be tall enough to see over the fence so we could perch up there and see the ocean. We got the tallest one we could find and it's the perfect height...if you like looking at a white fence :/ There are so many stupid things like that in this house. I know it had to be designed by a man, what with the lack of common sense and everything.
Anyway, you ladies out there already know this to be true, but:
An Extra 6" Makes All the Difference
Dad listened to my lament about the stupid too tall fence and I could almost see the cogs in his head turning. Friday I came home from work, and he said "We're going to Home Depot" and so we did!
By Saturday afternoon, this is what was going on (along with some imbibing for some reason...)
Voila! The happiest place on earth just got 6" happier! Now, when I sit out there I can see the ocean and not just hear it. It's glorious. Plus, we didn't just make a platform, we made a memory. Cheesey? Yes. True? Also yes. We had such a stupid fun time! Now, for those of you haven't come out to visit me yet, you have another reason. You simply MUST see the new and improved lanai ;)
20 Easy Miles
I couldn't make this up! I ran 20 miles yesterday morning which is as far as I will have to run until Marathon Day shows up 2 months and 1 day from today. I was very, VERY nervous beforehand, which is probably what made it so good. My dear Teresa even called me the night before and, like a good coach, asked me "Have you been hydrating? What did you have for dinner? Did you clip your toenails? Are you sure?" I have good friends! So, not only did I prepare BEFORE the run, but I was well-stocked with margarita flavored Cliff Shot Bloks, those energy jelly beans, and H2O in my hip runner's fanny pack. At 10 miles I didn't know it was possible to feel so good at 10 miles. Remember back here when 10 miles almost killed me? Here I am, 4 months later and I doubled that and felt better at the end! AMAZING what a body can do. I must be doing something right in this whole training process. There's always ups and downs, of course, but when it all comes together like it did yesterday, it makes it soooo worth it!
Total time ran clocked in at 3:28:08. Have you ever been to a concert or something and had to be on your feet for 3 1/2 hours? Being on your feet for that long does something funny to your body, but that's why you need to do it BEFORE marathon day. There was nothing completely fast about that time, I believe it's over a 10 minute mile pace but I'm not concerned for a couple of reasons: 1)I felt so stinking good at the end, and that only means that if I could have run faster if I needed to and 2) I didn't need to because it's called Long, Slow Distance for that very reason. The purpose is just to do it! And I did it. And I feel so self-righteous and proud of myself - I can't help it! Go me ;)
The Weigh-In
Holding strong at 133.0. The stupid scale hasn't budged in 3 weeks. I'm sure not running last weekend and eating with wild abandon and drinking bottles and bottles of wine with dad probably evened out all the running I did this week. Bah humbug. I have a month and some change before hubs comes home, and I would love to lose 3 more lbs. Just 3 more stupid pounds. We'll see how it goes, because this coming weekend, there's going to be another hitch in training regime:
MARGARITAVILLE!!!
On Thursday, I'm flying into San Francisco to meet up with my MuM, my Auntie H, Kelly, Kari, and a plethora of other fabulous women for a weekend of wine tasting, giggling, and of course, a JIMMY BUFFETT concert!!! The plane ticket and conert ticket was a gift from my MuM for my birthday all the way back in May, so I've been looking forward to this for 5 months!
I really love my family, in case you all out there haven't noticed yet. I love that I can have my dad out here and he doesn't stress me out and we can build platforms for my lanai and drink wine. And I love how I'm just as excited about Estrogenfest: Part Deux with my MuM as I was for the orginal Estrogenfest with my best lady friends. Like I said, it must run in the family ;)
Have a lovely week, all of you! Till we meet again...xoxoxoxo
PS - I almost forgot! THANK YOU, Christopher Columbus for getting lost, ending up on this continent, and being a jerk about it so that nearly 600 years later, I can have a day off. I'll make sure to have a glass today for you, my exploring friend!
Friday, October 8, 2010
God Is Good!
Dear Jesus,
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for:
*Two legs
*A set of lungs
*The ability to run, run, run
*My Billy Haas
*My amazing family
*Sunshine
*The ocean
*My great job
*Money in the bank
*The beasts
*Coffee
*Wine
*Twinkle lights
*The roof over my head
*Cognitive ability to think things and write them down
*My wonderful little blog following
*My beautiful lady friends
*The water feature in my backyard
*Sunrises
*Moonrises
*Geckos
*Angels
*Friday afternoons
*Long weekends
*Margaritaville vacations
*Napa Valley
*Flowers
*Mountains
*Laughs
*BBQs
*This beautiful little life of mine
Amen.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for:
*Two legs
*A set of lungs
*The ability to run, run, run
*My Billy Haas
*My amazing family
*Sunshine
*The ocean
*My great job
*Money in the bank
*The beasts
*Coffee
*Wine
*Twinkle lights
*The roof over my head
*Cognitive ability to think things and write them down
*My wonderful little blog following
*My beautiful lady friends
*The water feature in my backyard
*Sunrises
*Moonrises
*Geckos
*Angels
*Friday afternoons
*Long weekends
*Margaritaville vacations
*Napa Valley
*Flowers
*Mountains
*Laughs
*BBQs
*This beautiful little life of mine
Amen.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Brando Is Really Dumb
THAT DARN DOG!!! ***Shakes Fist***
I think I'm going to start a new blog. I'm going to call it "What Brando Chewed Today" Today it was my running headphones AND my checkbook. He pilfered both out of my purse while I was unsuspectingly sitting on the lanai, drinking some wine, and reading for grad school. This is getting silly.
I think I'm going to start a new blog. I'm going to call it "What Brando Chewed Today" Today it was my running headphones AND my checkbook. He pilfered both out of my purse while I was unsuspectingly sitting on the lanai, drinking some wine, and reading for grad school. This is getting silly.
Pain & Misery On The Road
Welcome To Monday
I hate Mondays as much as I love Fridays - and you all know by now how much I LOVE Fridays. So you can imagine how much I HATE Mondays. I didn't weigh myself yesterday so I couldn't write my weekly weigh-in. I'm not all that concerned about it. I have a feeling I did not make any progress, so best to live in denial than to confirm that I gained weight instead of lost anything. But, let's get on with things. I have to tell you about the crap-tastic race I was in on Saturday. Ugh. Just thinking about it makes me cringe. Here we go, anyway...
25K of Hell
Alright, so 25K is a little more than 15 miles. I know by now that I am physically and mentally capable of running 15 miles. So what went wrong? I think there were three major elements I had working against me. They are:
1) Last weekend, you may recall, I ran 16 glorious miles on Sunday. Saturday, as well know, is only 6 days after Sunday. That's a problem. It takes your body a while to recover from a really long run like that. That's why I generally run long, then taper down the next 2 weekends, then bump it back up again. Make sense? It's also common knowledge that tapering is crucial to racing success. For a month leading up to marathon day, I will great decrease my mileage. I'll run 20 miles somewhere about 4-5 weeks out, and then the miles will drop off until the BIG day. Clearly, there was no tapering for my 25K if I ran 16 miles only 6 days before. Lesosn learned.
2) Lack of fuel. I didn't run with my runner's fanny pack, and the only calories I took in before the run came from half a breakfast bar. That just simply is not enough gas in the tank to keep me going. Somewhere around mile 11 (I had already been miserable for 7 miles by this point) my stomach started cramping and I began getting nauseous. I should have eaten more, and I should have had my hip runner's fanny pack loaded with goodies to keep me fueled. Again, lesson learned. Never EVER again.
3)
I don't think I really need to explain this. It hurt. Badly.
I haven't even looked up my official time or results yet. I know it's going to depress me, so why bother? It's like stepping on the scale. If I know I'm not going to like what I see, then why look? It's a self-preservation thing.
Not All Crappy
I made it up to myself yesterday, though. I bought a new pair of running shoes and these lovely blue pumps! The running shoes were $99. The pretty blue shoes? $9. On super DUPER clearance. I LOVE it when people don't like pretty things and so they go on super sale for me to swoop up. Pretty, huh?
Brando Strikes Again
Billy's dog is such an idiot! He not only chews shoes, expensive underwear & running sunglasses, but his tastes encompass the less refined as well. I can't watch him all the time!!! Billy's favorite thing to say when I lament DumDum destroying something new is, "Well, why did you let him do it?" WHAT? I didn't LET him do anything. He just does these things. This morning, it was while I was in the shower. Evidenly he's developed a taste for BodyGlide and razors. Smart? Not so much. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Gwen would NEVER do such a thing!
Take a look:
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Just like my race on Saturday. Just like Mondays. *Sigh*
These, however, are not stupid. On Saturday afternoon a VERY large flower arrangement showed up on my doorstep courtesy of my deployed hubs. Just because he loves me. Pretty sweet, eh? Someday, somehow, I will be a florist. So...instead of leaving the beautiful flowers as they were, I broke them up into 4 small arrangements. That way 4 rooms can be filled with yellow sunshine instead of just one :) There you go, there's your happiness for Monday.
I hate Mondays as much as I love Fridays - and you all know by now how much I LOVE Fridays. So you can imagine how much I HATE Mondays. I didn't weigh myself yesterday so I couldn't write my weekly weigh-in. I'm not all that concerned about it. I have a feeling I did not make any progress, so best to live in denial than to confirm that I gained weight instead of lost anything. But, let's get on with things. I have to tell you about the crap-tastic race I was in on Saturday. Ugh. Just thinking about it makes me cringe. Here we go, anyway...
25K of Hell
Alright, so 25K is a little more than 15 miles. I know by now that I am physically and mentally capable of running 15 miles. So what went wrong? I think there were three major elements I had working against me. They are:
1) Last weekend, you may recall, I ran 16 glorious miles on Sunday. Saturday, as well know, is only 6 days after Sunday. That's a problem. It takes your body a while to recover from a really long run like that. That's why I generally run long, then taper down the next 2 weekends, then bump it back up again. Make sense? It's also common knowledge that tapering is crucial to racing success. For a month leading up to marathon day, I will great decrease my mileage. I'll run 20 miles somewhere about 4-5 weeks out, and then the miles will drop off until the BIG day. Clearly, there was no tapering for my 25K if I ran 16 miles only 6 days before. Lesosn learned.
2) Lack of fuel. I didn't run with my runner's fanny pack, and the only calories I took in before the run came from half a breakfast bar. That just simply is not enough gas in the tank to keep me going. Somewhere around mile 11 (I had already been miserable for 7 miles by this point) my stomach started cramping and I began getting nauseous. I should have eaten more, and I should have had my hip runner's fanny pack loaded with goodies to keep me fueled. Again, lesson learned. Never EVER again.
3)
I don't think I really need to explain this. It hurt. Badly.
I haven't even looked up my official time or results yet. I know it's going to depress me, so why bother? It's like stepping on the scale. If I know I'm not going to like what I see, then why look? It's a self-preservation thing.
Not All Crappy
I made it up to myself yesterday, though. I bought a new pair of running shoes and these lovely blue pumps! The running shoes were $99. The pretty blue shoes? $9. On super DUPER clearance. I LOVE it when people don't like pretty things and so they go on super sale for me to swoop up. Pretty, huh?
Brando Strikes Again
Billy's dog is such an idiot! He not only chews shoes, expensive underwear & running sunglasses, but his tastes encompass the less refined as well. I can't watch him all the time!!! Billy's favorite thing to say when I lament DumDum destroying something new is, "Well, why did you let him do it?" WHAT? I didn't LET him do anything. He just does these things. This morning, it was while I was in the shower. Evidenly he's developed a taste for BodyGlide and razors. Smart? Not so much. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Gwen would NEVER do such a thing!
Take a look:
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Just like my race on Saturday. Just like Mondays. *Sigh*
These, however, are not stupid. On Saturday afternoon a VERY large flower arrangement showed up on my doorstep courtesy of my deployed hubs. Just because he loves me. Pretty sweet, eh? Someday, somehow, I will be a florist. So...instead of leaving the beautiful flowers as they were, I broke them up into 4 small arrangements. That way 4 rooms can be filled with yellow sunshine instead of just one :) There you go, there's your happiness for Monday.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Drink Up
It's Friday!
Friday is BY FAR the best day of the week. Some people disagree, because on Fridays you still have to wake up and go to work. Therefore, these crazies argue that would make Saturday or Sunday the winner of the "Best Day of the Week" award. Those people are WRONG. You know why? Because there's a feeling that you get when you leave work on Friday afternoon that is unmatchable. The weight of the world is lifted off your shoulders and you know, in that moment, that you are as far as possible from Monday morning and going back and doing it all again. And I don't even hate my job! I have a pretty sweet job, actually. But, work is work. And when I'm at work, I'm not sleeping, running, surfing, reading, painting, playing with puppies, writing cards, or drinking champagne. Ok, ok, ok...that's only mostly true. Those of you who know me really well know that I actually DO do some of those things on the list at work. Whatever. I'm getting off track. The point is, it's FRIDAY. Glorious Friday! And I think we should have a little drink to that...
Drinks For Runners
Yes, kids. Chocolate milk. Who doesn't love chocolate milk? No one, that's who. Not only is it a tasty treat, but it is also one of the best post-workout recovery beverages out there. Don't believe me? Go here. They explain it better than I do. Basically, it's got just the right amount of sugar and is packed with protein to make your muscles happy.
Good ol' H20. I'm telling you. If there is ONE thing that can make or break a run, it's how much of this you have floating around in your cells. I drink a lot of water. Sometimes, however, I get tired of it. But evidently, this is a problem for lots of other people (maybe you?) because there's a solution!
My MuM started sending me these amazing little packets of happiness when I was in the desert. They really make drinking water so much...tastier. They even have come out with ones that are suppodly specifically for "working out" but I don't really buy it. It's all just sugar in water, but for 5 calories, I'll take it! Water is exciting again.
Now, I never drink Gatorade or any of those sports drinks unless it's the cup I grab as I'm running by the aid station at a race. They're great for some people, but I just am not a fan. Who needs gatorade when I have water? And chocolate milk? If that's your thing, more power to ya. But it's not mine, so they don't get a picture.
But...
Oh yes. That's what I'm talking about. Have you ever had a cold beer after a hot run? SO good. I learned this one from ol' Dad. If Dad does it, it must be right. He's not just drinking it because it tastes good, though. I've actually heard from other sources that a light beer is not one of the worst things to put in your body after a run. It's got calories and carbs - it's good for what ails you. Plus, it makes your taste buds AND your achey muscles smile ;)
And lastly, we have your reward for running so hard/fast/far/at all:
Tips to enjoying Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (Happiness in a bottle. How Friday afternoons would taste if you could bottle it):
1) Get back from run, drink water like a good athlete should. Eat a banana or drink your chocolate milk. Do what you do.
2) Pull your friend Kim out of the fridge and put on the counter
3) Feel giddy with anticipation...but WAIT
4) Go take a shower because you smell bad because you just got done running.
5) Don't take longer than 20 minutes getting clean, because Kim is still on the counter waiting for you! Our friend likes to be nice and chilled, just not "just out of the fridge" cold.
6) Open. Pour. Sip. Enjoy. Repeat.
Happy Friday!
Friday is BY FAR the best day of the week. Some people disagree, because on Fridays you still have to wake up and go to work. Therefore, these crazies argue that would make Saturday or Sunday the winner of the "Best Day of the Week" award. Those people are WRONG. You know why? Because there's a feeling that you get when you leave work on Friday afternoon that is unmatchable. The weight of the world is lifted off your shoulders and you know, in that moment, that you are as far as possible from Monday morning and going back and doing it all again. And I don't even hate my job! I have a pretty sweet job, actually. But, work is work. And when I'm at work, I'm not sleeping, running, surfing, reading, painting, playing with puppies, writing cards, or drinking champagne. Ok, ok, ok...that's only mostly true. Those of you who know me really well know that I actually DO do some of those things on the list at work. Whatever. I'm getting off track. The point is, it's FRIDAY. Glorious Friday! And I think we should have a little drink to that...
Drinks For Runners
Yes, kids. Chocolate milk. Who doesn't love chocolate milk? No one, that's who. Not only is it a tasty treat, but it is also one of the best post-workout recovery beverages out there. Don't believe me? Go here. They explain it better than I do. Basically, it's got just the right amount of sugar and is packed with protein to make your muscles happy.
Good ol' H20. I'm telling you. If there is ONE thing that can make or break a run, it's how much of this you have floating around in your cells. I drink a lot of water. Sometimes, however, I get tired of it. But evidently, this is a problem for lots of other people (maybe you?) because there's a solution!
My MuM started sending me these amazing little packets of happiness when I was in the desert. They really make drinking water so much...tastier. They even have come out with ones that are suppodly specifically for "working out" but I don't really buy it. It's all just sugar in water, but for 5 calories, I'll take it! Water is exciting again.
Now, I never drink Gatorade or any of those sports drinks unless it's the cup I grab as I'm running by the aid station at a race. They're great for some people, but I just am not a fan. Who needs gatorade when I have water? And chocolate milk? If that's your thing, more power to ya. But it's not mine, so they don't get a picture.
But...
Oh yes. That's what I'm talking about. Have you ever had a cold beer after a hot run? SO good. I learned this one from ol' Dad. If Dad does it, it must be right. He's not just drinking it because it tastes good, though. I've actually heard from other sources that a light beer is not one of the worst things to put in your body after a run. It's got calories and carbs - it's good for what ails you. Plus, it makes your taste buds AND your achey muscles smile ;)
And lastly, we have your reward for running so hard/fast/far/at all:
Tips to enjoying Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (Happiness in a bottle. How Friday afternoons would taste if you could bottle it):
1) Get back from run, drink water like a good athlete should. Eat a banana or drink your chocolate milk. Do what you do.
2) Pull your friend Kim out of the fridge and put on the counter
3) Feel giddy with anticipation...but WAIT
4) Go take a shower because you smell bad because you just got done running.
5) Don't take longer than 20 minutes getting clean, because Kim is still on the counter waiting for you! Our friend likes to be nice and chilled, just not "just out of the fridge" cold.
6) Open. Pour. Sip. Enjoy. Repeat.
Happy Friday!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Triumph, Success, Kick-Ass or: How I Ran 16 Miles. And the Weekly Weigh-In
Greetings!
Want to see something pathetic? Check this out:
Guilt
Well, here is your midweek blog post because I feel guilty at shirking my blogging responsibilities last week. That said, I don't really feel like I have much to write about here in the middle of the week. I caught you up on Sunday, didn't run on Monday, and I was on the track yesterday. Since I have alread posted et nausium about the importance of rest and taking days off, as well as my stupid track workouts, I don't really want to bore you with more of that again. I was elated to see the latest Runner's World show up in my mailbox last night, but I haven't had time to flip through it yet since all I ever do is read for school. I was going to bring it to work today to read on my down time, but I left it on the counter - boo!! :( So, I can't look through that for inspiration.
So...
What's a girl to do?
Do you know what that is? That was my attempt at writing a blog on Wednesday. I like how I stopped and asked a rhetorical question (which was really dircted at myself) and I couldn't think of an answer, so I just stopped. And then it got really fun, because I didn't run the rest of the week until today. Awesome, huh? I know what you out there are thinking. You're thinking "My! For someone who's training for a marathon, she sure takes a lot of weeks off. I wonder how that works?" Yeah. Me too. I need to go ahead and try NOT to do that again. I need to keep my mileage up. However, this week I really don't think I lost much because...
I Made 16 Miles My B*tch
Remember when I ran 15 miles a few weeks ago? Well, this wasn't ANYTHING like that. That sucked. It hurt. And remember how I had all those little lessons for you? Well, I listened to myself! I heeded my own advice. Now, this should give you warm fuzzies for 2 reasons, loyal blog readers: 1) you know I'm not out here feeding you crap. Some of the stuff I ramble about is legit and 2) you know I'm not lying for your benefit about how amazing my run was today because you know that if it sucked, I would have said so. No need for me to fluff myself up and make it sound like this is easy for me. Because it sure is not.
What do I think my keys to running success were today? Well, I made sure I hydrated yesterday copiously. I also pigged out at a 4 year old's birthday party yesterday (read: loads of pasta from Buca di Beppo, cookies, chips and salsa, and ice cream cake. Carb HEAVEN). I also made sure my toenails were clipped, BodyGlide was slathered in all the appropriate places, I was wearing my microfiber socks, and I had my favorite running snack option. God also helped out by providing a nice little cooling shower right around the 8 mile turn around. Glorious. Oh yeah, and Mr. Springstein happened to come on my iPod just as I was on my last half mile singing "Born to Run" That's amazing!
Did it still hurt? Yes. Was I still super excited when it was over? Definitely. But did I want to kill myself and die afterwards? No. Do I feel like I could have run another mile or 4? Probably if I had too. So, what I'm trying to say is: I'm getting there. I just have to keep myself from thinking about the 10 miles that come after the first 16 on December 12...
A Souvenir
Here's one fun little thing that did happen today that has never happened before:
I don't know if you can see that or not, but there's a nice red ring of ouch right where my sports bra top was sitting. Now, it's not particularly painful, just a mild annoyance really. Still, not something I want to deal with on marathon day. I think it's probably because my sports bras are all the cotton Champion numbers that were issued to me at good ol' Navy bootcamp 4 years ago. Seriously. And, being that they're cotton, and it was raining pretty good there for a minute, I bet I can blame the combination for my nice little battle wound. Luckily, this is easily fixed. I will go out and buy a sports bra that's NOT cotton. MuM told me her favorite these days is her Under Armor one, so maybe I'll give that a whirl. And then I'll tell you all about it. All the guys screamed "YESSSS!!!! I love to hear about sports bras!"
The Weigh-In
Holding steady at 133.0. I'm not bummed, because after I made it over the 135 hump last week, I pretty much ate whatever I wanted for 2 days (cheesey fries, pie, you name it) and then did not run it off over the week. So there you go. Holding steady, and I'm ok with that...for now. I just past the "Billy's Been Gone 4 Months" mark so that means I still/only (depending on how I'm feeling) have 2 months to lose 3 lbs and keep it off. Hopefully I'll see some progress next week.
More Excuses, In Conclusion
So, I know this blog has been lacking lately. I'm really going to try to start blogging more frequently (at least twice a week instead of the once a week that I've been stickin with lately). For those of you that don't know, I started grad school 2 weeks ago, which means that I made my life a LOT harder than it already was. You might not believe it, but it's hard holding down the fort without the hubs, even without kids scurrying about. So add to my household duties that I had already 3-hour night classes twice a week, and all the hours of reading that goes along with them, and I feel like I'm being spread pretty thin. In my life, 2 things cannot come soon enough:
1) Billy coming home.
2) This marathon to be over.
*Sigh* Someday. Someday.
Want to see something pathetic? Check this out:
Guilt
Well, here is your midweek blog post because I feel guilty at shirking my blogging responsibilities last week. That said, I don't really feel like I have much to write about here in the middle of the week. I caught you up on Sunday, didn't run on Monday, and I was on the track yesterday. Since I have alread posted et nausium about the importance of rest and taking days off, as well as my stupid track workouts, I don't really want to bore you with more of that again. I was elated to see the latest Runner's World show up in my mailbox last night, but I haven't had time to flip through it yet since all I ever do is read for school. I was going to bring it to work today to read on my down time, but I left it on the counter - boo!! :( So, I can't look through that for inspiration.
So...
What's a girl to do?
Do you know what that is? That was my attempt at writing a blog on Wednesday. I like how I stopped and asked a rhetorical question (which was really dircted at myself) and I couldn't think of an answer, so I just stopped. And then it got really fun, because I didn't run the rest of the week until today. Awesome, huh? I know what you out there are thinking. You're thinking "My! For someone who's training for a marathon, she sure takes a lot of weeks off. I wonder how that works?" Yeah. Me too. I need to go ahead and try NOT to do that again. I need to keep my mileage up. However, this week I really don't think I lost much because...
I Made 16 Miles My B*tch
Remember when I ran 15 miles a few weeks ago? Well, this wasn't ANYTHING like that. That sucked. It hurt. And remember how I had all those little lessons for you? Well, I listened to myself! I heeded my own advice. Now, this should give you warm fuzzies for 2 reasons, loyal blog readers: 1) you know I'm not out here feeding you crap. Some of the stuff I ramble about is legit and 2) you know I'm not lying for your benefit about how amazing my run was today because you know that if it sucked, I would have said so. No need for me to fluff myself up and make it sound like this is easy for me. Because it sure is not.
What do I think my keys to running success were today? Well, I made sure I hydrated yesterday copiously. I also pigged out at a 4 year old's birthday party yesterday (read: loads of pasta from Buca di Beppo, cookies, chips and salsa, and ice cream cake. Carb HEAVEN). I also made sure my toenails were clipped, BodyGlide was slathered in all the appropriate places, I was wearing my microfiber socks, and I had my favorite running snack option. God also helped out by providing a nice little cooling shower right around the 8 mile turn around. Glorious. Oh yeah, and Mr. Springstein happened to come on my iPod just as I was on my last half mile singing "Born to Run" That's amazing!
Did it still hurt? Yes. Was I still super excited when it was over? Definitely. But did I want to kill myself and die afterwards? No. Do I feel like I could have run another mile or 4? Probably if I had too. So, what I'm trying to say is: I'm getting there. I just have to keep myself from thinking about the 10 miles that come after the first 16 on December 12...
A Souvenir
Here's one fun little thing that did happen today that has never happened before:
I don't know if you can see that or not, but there's a nice red ring of ouch right where my sports bra top was sitting. Now, it's not particularly painful, just a mild annoyance really. Still, not something I want to deal with on marathon day. I think it's probably because my sports bras are all the cotton Champion numbers that were issued to me at good ol' Navy bootcamp 4 years ago. Seriously. And, being that they're cotton, and it was raining pretty good there for a minute, I bet I can blame the combination for my nice little battle wound. Luckily, this is easily fixed. I will go out and buy a sports bra that's NOT cotton. MuM told me her favorite these days is her Under Armor one, so maybe I'll give that a whirl. And then I'll tell you all about it. All the guys screamed "YESSSS!!!! I love to hear about sports bras!"
The Weigh-In
Holding steady at 133.0. I'm not bummed, because after I made it over the 135 hump last week, I pretty much ate whatever I wanted for 2 days (cheesey fries, pie, you name it) and then did not run it off over the week. So there you go. Holding steady, and I'm ok with that...for now. I just past the "Billy's Been Gone 4 Months" mark so that means I still/only (depending on how I'm feeling) have 2 months to lose 3 lbs and keep it off. Hopefully I'll see some progress next week.
More Excuses, In Conclusion
So, I know this blog has been lacking lately. I'm really going to try to start blogging more frequently (at least twice a week instead of the once a week that I've been stickin with lately). For those of you that don't know, I started grad school 2 weeks ago, which means that I made my life a LOT harder than it already was. You might not believe it, but it's hard holding down the fort without the hubs, even without kids scurrying about. So add to my household duties that I had already 3-hour night classes twice a week, and all the hours of reading that goes along with them, and I feel like I'm being spread pretty thin. In my life, 2 things cannot come soon enough:
1) Billy coming home.
2) This marathon to be over.
*Sigh* Someday. Someday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)