For a so called, introverted home body, this has been a very social week. Tuesday night, I met up with a good friend who I have not seen in way too long for dinner. It was great catching up. Then, last night, I took my mom to see Riverdance. I had won tickets at work. 😃🎉.
Growing up, I remember watching the performances on tv with my mom and grandparents, we used to love them. Every time we watched I was left wanting to both dance like them and learn to play the violin. They made violin playing look so damn cool. When I won the tickets I was stoked but also worried that they wouldn’t live up to my memories. I had nothing to be worried about, it was freakin’ awesome. Seriously the moves they can with their legs and the sounds? Amazing, if you have the chance to see them, do it. 💃
The inside of the PAC is pretty cool
Once again, I was left wanting to dance like them. And learn to the play the violin again. 😀. But seriously, they have hip-hop inspired dance classes and Zumba- so why has there never been a Riverdance inspired fitness class?!
Social fun aside, I’ve been a serious slacker in the fitness department. I was looking forward to getting in a good run at the gym tonight but it was more of a farce.
My knee still twinges at odd times so I was planning to take it slow. I was going to try watching a show on my phone while on the treadmill. When I say watching, I really mean listening. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to see the phone comfortably without jacking up my stride. I am way behind in Grey’s Anatomy so I figured it was worth a shot. After a nice walking warm up I set the treadmill to an easy 11 minute pace and got running.
I was aiming for a super easy run as I’ve only jogged 3 miles since Big Sur. Also my leg still has moments where something feels off. I was feeling pretty good and looking forward to solid hour run. That was the time goal I set for myself and mileage didn’t matter. Listening to the show worked pretty well for 20 minutes. The the feed just died and I couldn’t get it back. Ok fine. Then 37 minutes in, my stomach cramped in a very bad way and I bailed off the treadmill.
I was ticked because my stomach has been really good the past 2 weeks. I also have barely run the past 2 weeks. I refuse to see a correlation.
Once I took care of that issue, I knew more running was unlikely. I was already at the gym so I figured I would try one their stationary bikes. The first one I sat down on was dead. No amount of pushing the start button or pedaling was bringing it to life. So I moved over one. Someone had to show me how to start it. 😭 Finally I was pedaling though. Only to find that the thing was off balance and made a clanging sound with every pedal rotation. Oh and the computer didn’t really work. It said I was pedaling a consistent 11.8. No matter how fast or slow my cadence was. I made it 15 minutes before I bailed.
So yeah, tonight seems more #gymfail than win. However, I’ve been in an odd funk lately and I am actively trying to break it. So, like the title (and one of my goals for 2015) says- there is some shiny. 37 minutes on the treadmill and 15 on the bike is 50+ more minutes than yesterday. And the day before. I got to wear my new shoes-that’s always a plus. My leg only twinged a bit during those 37 minutes too. That’s a good sign right?
And while Tuesday and Wednesday were lacking workouts, they were spent having fun and making memories. Those are always shiny.😃
Oh, and I am one day away from vacation. That may be the shiniest of all. 😛
What was your “shiny” this week?
Anyone racing this weekend? Maybe an early Turkey Trot?
I took 5 days off after Big Sur. 5 days in a row of intentionally not running. Say what? I figured a week would let all of my little aches and pains and funkiness heal. I don’t know if anything was actually leading towards an injury but I figured a little intentional rest wouldn’t hurt. Intentional rest is odd. Normally if I have 3-4 days off in a row, I start to feel like a lazy, guilty sloth-like creature. And I usually whine about it here. 😃
I wanted to run a few times but I told myself a week and I was sticking to it. It was kind of weird going straight home after work every day. Coworkers asked is if I was changing to run and I said no. How odd. A week turned into a work week- 5 days counts right? I headed out for a short, easy run on Saturday. To make sure I wasn’t tempted to go crazy, I took the puppy with me. It’s been a long time since I stole her for a puppy jog so I figured why not? She did really well. The only time I was concerned is when we were swarmed by vultures. But, really I was concerned about both of us too. Seriously creepy. I may not run by that house again for a while. 😞 They were still there the next day!
oh and new shoes!
So that 3 miles run plus a 7 mile bike ride on Monday trying to shake out the achiness from Big Sur was all the exercise I got in last week. Oops. Failure at the first week of the #holidaysweat. Hmmm, that timing didn’t work out so well. I wanted to run on Sunday but woke upp feeling like I was getting a chest cold. Breathing is still uncomfortable. Grrr. But I would rather feel crappy this week when I have multiple commitments after work which conflict with the gym. Then hopefully, I will feel great next week when I can run whenever I want because I’m on vacation!!!! Woo hoo!
Making Big Sur my last race was not my original plan. I had planned on running a 25k trail race at Montana de Oro to cap off the year but realistically I was not prepared in any way shape or form for that. Luckily I hadn’t registered yet; I knew it might be a long shot after Big Sur. Also it ended up raining that morning so bonus! I’d really be sick if I had run in that. I ran 13 races this year, 7 were 13.1 or longer. I’m good with that. 😄 That said, I may throw in a turkey trot on Thanksgiving because, well, it’s a turkey trot.
but we love it anyways
As for off season, I am still reading books and plans and looking for a better way to train that I know I can sustain. All these weird, crazy thoughts are in my head right now, so I am taking the time to sift through them. I am also currently reading Ultra Marathon Man by Dean Karnazes. It is not helping to temper the crazy thoughts at all. I need to figure out something soonish though as I am leaning towards running Surf City again and that is the first Sunday in February.
And this week? I have social plans! Holy crap, who am I? I am meeting friends on Tuesday and Friday. Wednesday?! I have tickets to Riverdance!!!! Total nerd moment but I am so excited. Even better- I won the tickets! Woo hoo!
Oh and I randomly decided to quit soda today. Sort of.*
How was your weekend?
Thoughts on Riverdance?
Bets on how long til I cave with the soda?*Disclaimer- I am allowing myself to have it if I eat out- but no more soda at work.
Going into this race I had very few expectations and more than a few concerns. In an effort to keep things light and fun (and help my indecision) I took to Instagram with a race day outfit vote. The outfit I was leaning towards got zero votes. Oops. 😢
I only ran 2.5 very slow treadmill miles in the week leading up to the race. My left foot was bothering me and my left knee has been aching for a week or so. What I was not expecting was the sharp stabbing pain in my rightankle that I woke up with on Monday. It even hurt lying down. WTF? My left leg is the problem child never the right. Taper crazies, maybe? Who am I kidding I don’t run enough to need to taper but I was holding on to that thought all week. Better a phantom pain than a real injury. My attempt at running on Tuesday didn’t end well and I tend to run oddly on the treadmill so I just rested the rest of the week.
I was so worried about my weird aches and pains I somehow forgot about the one thing that can really mess up my running- my stomach. Saturday morning was not a good one. I was taking all the emergency medications my doctor has prescribed in hopes that I would be fine on race morning. Grr, but let’s move on. Monterey is a little over 2 hours away but the drive didn’t seem that long. We stumbled upon the expo as soon as we hit town- sweet! The expo was medium size and well-organized. I think it hit a new record for distance between bib pickup and shirt pickup though. I picked up a few things- 2 shirts, a Sweaty Band (my first!) and some Gu gummy things. I don’t know why I buy fuel when I never use while running but it’s better to be prepared right? We then wandered around Monterey on foot before checking into the hotel. Dinner was decided by proximity to the hotel and was California Pizza Kitchen. Gluten free pizza for the win! Not that I have a gluten problem but my stomach was so jacked up already I wasn’t taking any chances. Then it was back to the hotel to get some rest. I was super tired and my left foot was starting to hurt. I was in bed by 9.
Race day!
The rain they had been predicting was coming in later than they thought and that made me happy. I got to the starting line around 6 for a 6:55 start. Seriously this was the chillest start I’ve ever seen. Over 8000 runners and there was no wait for the port-a-potties. What? No one even got into the corrals until about 5 minutes to the start. I also met Heather of wholehearted wife while loitering around the start line- Hi Heather! The announcer was upbeat and very clear about the course and race directions. I had my headphones but I was going to try to run without them. There was supposed to various types of music played throughout the course so I figured I would try to go with just that.
I kind of look like I am stumbling home from a party not heading out for a race.
I was in corral D which was for a 2:00 hour finish prediction. Apparently I was feeling optimistic when I registered 6 months ago. 😉 I put myself in the very back of it. While I said my only goal was to have fun, I did have a time goal in mind. I was hoping for a 2:15 finish. If I could do that under trained and tired than maybe I have improved a little this year. I tossed my sweater to the side just as the first wave went off. My corral crossed the starting line a little after 7:00am, sooner than I had anticipated. The start was that smooth.
Miles 1-2 – 9:51, 9:36
We were running back up into the city. I noticed there were still runners walking to starting corrals. I know it’s chip timed but really? There was also a woman in front of me running barefoot. Really? Ouch. I also got the first shout out about my socks. 😃 The first course music was a keyboardist playing the Rocky theme song- sweet! Mile 2 led us into the Cannery Row tunnel. Never having run through a tunnel, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The far end of the tunnel was manned by a DJ and had a light show rigged up. It was kind of awesome. But the way Gangham Style was reverberating around the tunnel made me glad when I was out of it. I had expected my Garmin to lose signal in the tunnel but somehow it picked up distance. From there out, my Garmin was about 2/10th’s ahead of the mile marked. It stayed consistent so I am fairly comfortable with my mile splits.
Mile 2
Miles 3-5- 9:56, 10:30, 9:41
Ocean views, Cannery Row, dancing jelly fish outside the aquarium? This race rocks! Then there was the elementary cheerleaders and a drum line. I love drum lines. I was keeping the pace I wanted and feeling pretty good. And I was still taking pictures as I ran. Which came in handy during the first out and back section. The elites!! I noticed the course marshals and lead cyclists coming so I had my phone ready. They are so damn fast! Kara Goucher snuck up on me and she was the lead female! Sarah Kiptoo passed by a few people later- she didn’t look like she was having a good day. I was also surprised to see a man running in a loin cloth carrying a spear running the race. What?!
She won!
Miles 6-9- 10:03, 10:23, 10:47, 11:00
I was feeling a little tired but was still holding onto a 2:15 finish. Seriously the ocean views were awesome. Aid stations were well stocked and run well. Water, gatorade, Gu’s, Vaseline and sunblock. Seriously awesome. And people were loving my socks- spectators were actually shouting it out to me. 😉 More DJ stations, a blues band and a jazz band. Then a Tonga drum line. Did you know they hold a squat while drumming? Holy burning legs, batman. The turn around came at mile 7.7. Mile 8 is always my favorite mile- home stretch baby!
Mile 9.4
I was feeling pretty good and loving the race until…stupid stomach. I cramped, badly, I felt like I had been stabbed in the middle of stomach. Come on! I was so close. First walk break. I wish I could say only walk break.
Miles 10-13.1- 12:37, 11:51, 12:01, 11:40
Riding the struggle bus. It was run-cramp-walk-breathe repeat for the next 4 miles. I never felt like I needed a restroom break but it just kept hurting. To add to the pain, both quads and IT bands started protesting the walking portions. Come on legs- don’t fail me now! A woman I had been near in the starting corral came up behind me during mile 12. I was walking. She encouraged me to keep pushing and I ran it in the rest of the way. Finish line- yay!! I lost 8 minutes over those 4 miles.
Finish- 2:23:26
The otter was worth it, though. I also learned how very breakable the medals are when another runner dropped his. From there on out through the staging area, I was cradling it. 😄 I almost didn’t take one of the silver sheets since it had warmed up a lot but I was glad I did. I cooled off very quickly. The finish area was my only gripe about the race- It wound around and round and I just wanted out. I grabbed a cup of water and skipped the finisher photos. The post race food won points for the tiny bag of Fritos and pineapple juice. As I was leaving the food tent a volunteer was coming back with boxes of something. He offered one to me- chocolate milk!!! I told him that he had just made my day. I finally sat down by an ambulance while waiting for mom to find me. My knees and quads were pissed but that random ankle pain never made its presence known.
This race was awesome. It is definitely on my list of races to run again. It is a very PR friendly course, it has the right amount of flat, incline and descent for most people. The last 4 miles are some of the flatter miles so negative splits are likely. That might have been what aggravated my legs though as I am not a fan of flat. I need to work on that. Back to the race, the course is amazing and the crowd support was pretty awesome, and I’m not saying that just because they liked my outfit. 😎 Did it go like I had hoped? No but that’s not the races’ fault. That’s all on me and some things I need to work on. However, this was half marathon #6 of 2015- the most I’ve ever run in a year before. That’s something all by itself. It’s number I’m proud of. My last race of the year may have been my slowest but it was still worth it. And now I have something to beat next year. 😜
It’s better to be 10% under trained than 1% over trained when you step up to the starting line.
Whelp, how about 30% under trained? Actually that may be pretty generous. I had big plans for the weeks in between City to the Sea and Big Sur but we’ve already discussed the sloppiness of October so let’s move on. 😉😉
So what is the under trained slacker with an aching ankle thinking about for this weekend?
Big Sur is supposed to be gorgeous- If it takes me longer to run it, well then I get longer to enjoy the view.
Start will be in the low 40’s- I haven’t quite adjusted to that but at least it won’t be too hot.
Bib 3118- Corral D…out of A-L. What the hell am I doing up there? Maybe inertia will push me forward and I will run faster?
This is half marathon #6 of 2015, first time I’ve run that many 13.1’s in a year. Sweet!
Elites- Kara Goucher and Sara Kiptoo- Seriously. I will be running the same course as elites at the same time-holy crap! Actually, now that I think about it, part of the course is an out and back…I may need to keep my phone handy. 😆
Road trip! Seriously I never went anywhere before I started running.
Monterey- Home of the aquarium. We may try and go. But, man those tickets are stupid expensive.
Community- I’m going to be surrounded by thousands of other people like me. Those who think that lining up on a cold morning to run 13.1 miles sounds like fun. 😄
Monday- Did I mention I have Monday off?
This could be my last race of the year, at least I chose a good one. I’ve been having some odd ankle pain, hello denial, can I move in?
The view- Seriously, the pictures I’ve seen make this worthy of 2 mentions. I’ve actually considered carrying my little digital camera during the run. Either that or I need a strap for my iPhone.
So instead of goals, I have only one hope. I want to cross the start line and the finish line smiling. No head games, no berating myself, just running with a few thousand strangers like me. Runner’s are crazy right?
Good luck to everyone racing this weekend! Molly, Allison, Rae, Kate, those running Revel Canyon or Wine and Dine, and everyone else I am missing!!
Happy November!!! Seriously I am looking so forward to November. Which is rare for me. 😃 But before we get into the October recap, let’s talk about last week.
Monday- Rest – Still dealing with the remnants of the weekend’s migraine.
Tuesday- 2.25 Miles- I sacrificed mileage to enjoy a few last evening runs outside. This is pretty typical for the last 2 weeks before the time change though. Totally worth it to me. Unfortunately my commute makes for pretty short runs.
Wednesday- Rest– I had a training seminar a few towns south of work, so I knew getting in a run after work was unlikely. I headed home to discover some pretty sweet mail. A while back Dana over at Slow and Steady(ish) was hosting a giveaway and I was the lucky winner. Yay! 😃 Seriously I never win anything. I can’t wait to try them all.
Thursday- 2.25 miles– Goodnight lake, I’ll miss you. Also, I made a mistake. I ran this short run in my last pair of Wave Rider 17’s. They only have 100 miles on them and I wanted to give them another shot. Not the best idea. I had some aches and twinges.
Friday- Rest- Also, I lost the cookie battle again.
Saturday- Rest- The number hungry person in me wanted to get in a run just to add to my October mileage but I knew I was aiming for a 10 miler on Sunday so I refrained. Plus it was still in the high 80’s. Grrr. And my knee was now hurting.
Sunday- 7 miles– I was out the door running by 9AM- which is huge for me- but it still got warm. I don’t think I had ever really processed the correlation between the temp and the time change before. 9 meant the 10AM temps, grrr. Between the warm morning, and the persistent ache in my knee down into my left shin, I called it at 7 miles. The run was erratic at best, I could not get my pace under control- not even close. There were times I was running a sub 9:30 and then walking a 15:00 minute pace. If I didn’t have a race in 6 days, I may have toughed it out but I decided it wasn’t worth it. I have learned my lesson though- the Wave Rider’s and I are never getting back together. Insert Taylor Swift gif.
All in all a much better week than the previous 2. Which leads me to-
October Recap!
I am so over October. Seriously. September and October were hands down my busiest months of the year, I’m done. Unfortunately that “done-ness” showed in my mileage. Something had to give and it was running. So let’s look at the numbers-
So yeah, October was a sloppy mess. That mileage number kind pisses me off but makes sense considering I had a 5 mile week and a 6 mile week in the middle. I did get sick and if I am sick enough to leave work, I am too sick to run but that only accounts for a few days, not the month. October was supposed to be the month of me getting out of my own way, instead I dug a ditch. I need to take a note from Elvis with a little less conversation and a lot more action. In line with that, I have decided a little positive peer pressure is in order. So I will joining the #chasethebird challenge with Oiselle and sweating pink with the Holiday Sweat Challenge. This should be interesting. 😉
So what am I looking forward to? November potentially has 3 races but I am rethinking one of those. Another awesome thing about November? Vacation!!!!! I don’t usually like vacations, I dread them. But I am so ready for this one. I am actually counting the days until November 21. Then I have the next 2 weeks off! 😄 Now I will probably be going stir crazy by day 4 but 2 weeks is what work requires so 2 weeks it will be! 19 days, 19 days.
Oh and 6 days to to Big Sur!!!!!! Now if the knee pain could go away. And the foot…
Slacker Runner 