My week of self imposed torture is almost done! I’ve missed running and reading all your posts. I did manage to read some posts, I tried to hit “like” on what I did read, but my comments were kind of sparse. Sorry 😦 Since this week has been so off and all over the place, this post is going to be a little different-
Things I’ve Learned this week-
*Procrastinating is not as cool as you think and working under pressure does not make things more exciting. And, yes I knew that before but have been forcibly reminded.
*I found something slower than a treadmill mile- and a typo
*Compression socks are awesome for your circulation on a long drive. However, if you are wearing said socks under skinny jeans and are stuck in traffic in a poorly ventilated car- watch out! I was so flippin’ hot and I couldn’t loosen my pant leg enough to get the socks off. But Pro Compression did retweet me!
*When your GPS app is telling you to keep left, you should keep left! Instead of making it have to recalculate and circle around. If the app could talk, I think it would have had some choice things to say.
*No matter how clean the rooms are or how friendly the staff is, care facilities are depressing. Just straight up sad and I don’t do well with that. 😦
*Why yes, I do eat my feelings. And it’s usually pizza.
Ok, kind of blurry, sorry.
*Running into a headwind doesn’t always suck. For example, when its 90º+ outside. I still walked a lot but thank you wind. Was it too hot to run? Possibly but after 3 days off, I really wanted to run. Saturday’s original goal was 6 but that wasn’t happening. 3.5 instead.
*Visor’s really do make a difference. Took a run break from the research today and realized I forgot my visor 1/2 mile in. I thought I would be ok as it was 10º cooler than yesterday. So not true. I was hot and sweaty and sweat was dripping in my eyes. I don’t think that has ever happened before. I did an uncomfortable 4 and called it.
Why do my grimaces look smiles?
*Finding said visor and dunking it water before taking the puppy out for a puppy jog-awesome! I was so much cooler. The puppy also had a really good walk/jog. She loves to roll in grass. I think this needs to be our weekend tradition.
I have 2 deadlines, one Monday and one Wednesday, and then freedom! Haha. I am sure something else will come up 🙂
I have probably mentioned a lot that I have been super tired lately. I even took an unplanned nap after Run or Dye last weekend. It seems like all I do lately is go to the doctor. So there has been a little change in plans. I had planned on running my third half of the year on May 31st but have decided that it would probably be smarter to step back to the 10K. Especially considering that I have 2 papers due in the next two weeks and should really spend some time on those. See, I am a Slacker! I feel bummed missing the half but I decided to use the time to work on training better and to work on my form. I am signed up for a half in July that I am super excited for. NikeC is going to run it too! Woo hoo for race buddies!
The half in July is part of the same event that I ran a 10K in last July. In fact Rock to the Pier was my first race recap on this blog, awww, nostalgia. They also have a Rock’n Around the Pier half and that is what I am running this year. 90% of the race is on the beach and I can’t wait. This year also has a little added excitement to it. Due to the tides, the race starts at 6:30 but high tide is expected to start rolling in before 8:30ish. So, the website warns that the half marathoners will get wet and may have to navigate some rocks at some point. It also states that if runners don’t hit the turnaround point (10K) by the 1:20:00 mark, they will be bussed back to the finish line. Yikes! I’m still looking forward to it though. 🙂
So small but yummy… and dangerous
Friday was a usual scheduled rest day, and unfortunately the cookies were victorious. Seriously, no will power. Did I mention they are from a french bakery? However it has been a week since I had candy. The only time I have a problem with candy is the beginning of the year. My favorite candy is SweetTarts and I especially love the small ones. For Valentines day and Easter they make special bags of hearts and bunnies. It’s a problem every year. I only eat the red, orange and purple so I usually delude myself until thinking its ok. It’s not. Thankfully, Easter candy is all gone and I’m not really a chocolate person so I am in the clear until next year. 🙂 Maybe by then I will have the strength to resist.
Today was a work day for me so no sleeping in for me. The drive was pretty, no fog in sight and I kind of wished I had a real camera. I passed classic cars going east for a car show and hordes of bikers going north for the Criterium. Plus Saturday work town was gearing up for the AMGEN tour next week. Everyone had a bike, I’m jealous! I have been looking into borrowing one but no luck yet. That’s ok, I still have time. Once off work, I headed home.
This was not it but still pretty good.
The weather was mid 70’s and breezy, so I headed out for an early afternoon run. I read a quote on Twitter the other day and for some reason it was a light bulb moment. I can’t remember who tweeted, I can’t even remember who originally said it (but it was some famous runner) or even the exact wording- blogger fail! But it said something like this-“if you don’t take your easy runs easy enough, it will make your hard runs easy”. Or in my case- races. Easy means eeeasssy; which I already knew but sometimes reading it from someone more talented helps.
I am still working on my form so today was going to be an easy day. I determined that I had to warm up before trying to focus on my legs. I tried to do it from the beginning and just felt like I was running with a limp. So I went back to the old way with a short walk for a warm up. Once I felt warmed up, I went back to working on actively using my right leg. It’s harder than it sounds. 😦 I felt like there was an army drill sergeant in my head- right, right, right. I’m not even sure I am doing anything, other than I am sore in new ways. And oddly enough, the first 3 miles were a bit faster than I thought. Focusing on my legs meant I focused less on pace and somehow that made it seem easier? At least until mile 4, I hit that last hill and felt tired for the first time, I walked a bit. I finished 4.5 miles and stretched. I was a little hot but nothing a little water couldn’t fix.
she likes to roll
After that I took Zoey for a walk. I haven’t taken her for a puppy jog in a while. She didn’t bark at any cars, well except for a Directv van, guess she was mad at them for some reason. 🙂 She was feeling pretty lazy though, she kept lying down on the first mile. She’d trot along and then just plop down on the ground. After we turned around, I took her to the school so she could play in the grass. She was very excited and wanted off the leash but that wasn’t happening. Then we headed for home. She was a very good puppy. 🙂
All in all, it was a pretty good Saturday! Now I really should do some research.
I feel like I was just posting the Run or Dye recap then I blinked and now it’s Thursday. 4 days without a post, total Slacker! I really did mean to post but this week ran away from me, so here we are. On the upside, tomorrow is Friday!!!
On Sunday, I enjoyed an overly warm uncomfortable run. 4.5 miles in 48:08-ouch. I won’t say it was hot, because it was only mid 80’s. It actually nice outside, until you started running that is. 3/4 of a mile down the road, I realized I had misplaced my water bottle. How does a person do that? I pushed on to complete the 4.5 miles but took so many crawl breaks. I felt nasty sweaty at the end but I was done. I also found my water bottle. On top of the dryer in the garage. Oops.
Monday was a pretty good day at work. To keep things lively and stay upbeat on a busy day, a coworker and I had a little transaction battle. It was a close one but I lost. 😦 I don’t usually do that many anymore so it kept me moving. After work I met my mom and the puppy at the lake for a few miles. It was a nice little warm up, I walked a little over 1/2 a mile with them before running. The first mile was slower due to the walking but my legs felt pretty good so I decided to do a little speed work. I managed to pull in a decent progression run for the night.
I was a little sore on Tuesday so I kept it as my usual day. I knew Wednesday was going to be a busy day so I had thought of switching days but decided against it. I lucked out actually because since I work on Saturday I had the chance to leave early on Wednesday. I had a doctor’s appointment in the later afternoon but I thought I could squeeze in a run. I headed to the lake aiming for 3.5 easy miles. I wanted to run an average pace of 10:00-10:15. I also wanted to concentrate on my form.
I noticed awhile back that I relied heavily on my left leg. All of my issues are usually on my left side. I wanted to work on my form but didn’t want to try anything new before the SLO 1/2. I figured that would be a bad idea. 🙂 So after my first mile, which was a little fast, I focused on my right leg and its turnover. Apparently I can’t do two things at once. I couldn’t maintain my planned pace and focus on my form. I ended up being faster than planned. What was weird was that it felt easy. Too bad that doesn’t happen all the time. If that pace could become my easy run that would be sweet, but that’s likely farther out.
And I found this branch in my shoe…
After my doctor’s appointment, I headed to a tennis meeting with my mother. She likes to drag me along when she can. She always ropes me into filling out the draw forms for her. Wow, 7 team coaches trying to get their players seeded? There were a few times I though there was going to be a throw down. I just kept my head down and kept writing, trying not to laugh out loud.
I’ve been feeling super run down and tired lately and that translated into a rough morning today. It took me a little longer to get going. I figured if I was so tired that I was texting my boss for an extra 45 minutes then I was not running tonight. Boo. Well, more time for an update then! Tomorrow’s a planned rest day, so fingers crossed, I can also avoid the temptation of cookie Friday. Especially since I ate a donut yesterday. Ok, 2 donuts. But they were so good. 🙂
For the first time, I think I am fully embracing taper week. Saturday’s race left me a little sorer than I thought I would be so taper has come at the perfect time. However that also means that the SLO Marathon-1/2 is only 4 days away. How did that happen?! Where has the time gone?
After resting on Sunday, I headed to the lake on Monday for an easy 4 miles. I completed 3.5 and they were not easy. I don’t remember being this sore after last years Firehouse 5K. I would have said that I was better trained this year but the calf tightness and overall soreness told me differently. Not cool. The first mile was rough, my legs were so not happy. Mile 2 was wonky but a little less awkward. Mile 3 involved a short walk- got a text message, it was the perfect excuse to walk a bit. 🙂 That mile actually felt the best by the end. 3.5 miles brought me back to the car and I figured it was best not to push it, so I called it and stretched before heading home.
Felt sore, so I rocked the polka dots
On Tuesday, I managed to wear heeled boots all day. Sometimes I feel like heels help stretch my calves and ease them somewhat. You know what else helped? Foam roller and ice. It was a rest day from running but I did some yoga poses and stretches and spent some time with my roller. I also slept in a pair of compression socks. 🙂 And I wore a pair to work today (under my dress pants) with flats. Gotta change it up right?
Tonight I met my mom and the puppy at the lake path. She had heard me talk about it had never really seen it. It’s very dog friendly and I always thought the puppy would like it. She loved it- so much to see and smell- she was in doggy heaven. She was also very behaved. I walked a 1/2 mile warm up with them before running ahead. I felt a little lingering stiffness but was overall better. Since we were planning on doing dinner after, I figured the same 3 laps as Monday (3.5 miles) would be good. I finished up and saw them getting water at her car, so I turned off my Garmin. My mom decided the path was fun, so we ended up doing another lap of jogging/ walking. I hadn’t turned the Nike+ app off it so I let it gather mileage until 4.5 miles.
Why is that visor so purple?!
Tomorrow will be another rest day, loving this taper right now, so I am heading into SLO to pick up a cake from the Madonna Inn. The Madonna Inn is also the finish line and expo location for the race. The cake is my thank you to my mom, since I have hired her as my driver all weekend. 🙂 I think that’s a promotion from race photographer to crew chief, right? I bought a bus ticket for the race on Sunday but I get antsy if I have lots of time to think. The plan is for her to drop me off as close to the start as possible. 🙂 This might mean a walk, but that’s just warming up right?
This will be the expo!
I am so excited for this race weekend to come. I’ve accepted that this is probably not going to be when I break 2 hours in a race. While the medication my doctor prescribed has helped me feel better in some ways, my system does not like it in other ways. 😦 My last dose will actually be Sunday evening. Ugh. My goal for the race is to hang out with the 2:00 pace group as long as possible. I was in front of them for 9 miles at City to the Sea, so maybe if I start slower, maybe I will get closer to the 2:00 mark. Fingers crossed!
In other news, I have vacation days coming up!!! Friday and Monday, I will be sleeping in!!!! Another thing to look forward to this weekend!!! The day off on Friday gives me time to contemplate the serious things. Like, what does one wear to a race expo where they are an Ambassador? No really, I mean it. I am looking forward to the expo, it will be the biggest one I have been to and I am excited to check everything out. I am also looking forward to meeting all of the other ambassadors.
Last week felt like the longest week, granted that was probably aggravated me trying to knock myself into next week. 🙂 Friday was stressful but I knew if I could get through I had a whole weekend ahead of me! I briefly thought about trying to get a few miles in after work but my head was still a little off and hearing my boss exclaim at how bruised my head was, I decided against it.
Saturday I was up earlier than I would have liked but that was ok because I spent the day shopping in SLO. The weather was great, there was a storm coming in but it didn’t get windy until we were leaving. The food was super yummy and I didn’t do too much damage to my bank account. 🙂 I managed to get in a few miles when I got back to town, but man they were rough. It was like my brain forgot how to work my legs. I managed to bring the pace down by the end but my body was rebelling. Even though it was harder than I would have liked, I loved that I was out and moving. Especially when I consider that I am now less than 28 days from my next half marathon- SLO!!!!!
Post run time with the puppy
Moving on- I call my blog Slacker Runner for a few reasons, one of which is that I am a huge procrastinator. If I can do it later, I will, usually at the last minute. I am the exact opposite at work, but in most other aspects of my life, I am a Slacker. I was recently nominated for some blog awards and I am just now following up. Sorry!!! So time to rectify that –
The Versatile Blogger Award-
Suzan over at Welcome to the Nuthouse sent me this shout out last week. Thanks!! She’s awesome and if you haven’t checked out her blog, you should go do so! And I found out that we both just completed our 6th half marathon last Sunday 🙂
Now, there are always rules-
1. Thank the person who nominated you for your new award, and be sure to include a link back to their site in your acceptance speech. DONE!
2. Share 7 random facts about yourself– hmmmmm
3. Pass on the award to 13 other versatile bloggers.—- that’s a big number
7 Random Facts–
1. My mind just went blank. it does that sometimes.
2. I have a freaky memory for numbers and some things. Sometimes I can’t decide if coworkers and customers are impressed or scared.
3. The list of childhood movies and cartoons that I haven’t seen is pretty large. Actually some popular movies too. I get a lot of shocked faces. Like The Sound of Music and A Christmas Story or any of the Matrix Movies. Never seen them.
4. I worked at a Taco Bell for 10 years. Spent most of those years as Assistant Manager before I left. Oh the stories.
5. I went stag to my Senior Prom. My dress was borrowed and in recollection was a little more scandalous than I thought.
6. I got through the City to Sea half marathon by listening to Hannah Montana songs. No not Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana. And I am not ashamed.
7. I love owls. I have necklaces and ear rings and artwork and decorative pillows. My boss even bought me an LED one for station at work.
So, with my slacker-ness, I make no guarantees that I will message any of you before you read this (if you read this 🙂 ) so consider this your notification and run with it! If you’ve been nominated before, congrats! Just take this as further confirmation of your awesomeness. If these awards just aren’t your thing, well that’s cool too. You’re still cool. Oh and another random fact- my lingo is still in the 90’s. 🙂
The other one is The Liebster Award by the lovely Jenni on the Run, but that will require some thought and deserves a post of its own.
How was everyone’s weekend?
Now, I’m off to order a new gear bag, any suggestions?
Slacker Runner 