Crazy Daisies

Welcome, Spring!

2011-03-17T19:07:00.002-04:00

I feel like that would be the title of most blog entries today. What an incredible day! After a few days of rainy mid-forties sunshine and 60 has been more than appreciated. It has been forever since I've got in a blog post. It seems so hard now that you can write a new status in a sentence or two and be done with your day. But then you miss out on some of the more interesting minute details of the run, like:

~ Thank goodness for a gorgeous night that gave me an excuse to do my beastly speed workout not on the treadmill (intervals of one mile, two miles and 2x800m - worst track workout ever, so boring!)
~ Almost getting hit in the crosswalk by multiple cars. Doesn't anyone read the driver's manual or even the big reflective signs?
~ Running upon a little girl around 7 screaming like crazy for her dad. Seriously, I heard her for a block before I saw her. She had fallen off her scooter and totally jacked up her elbow (similar to my experience, though not as bloody). I did my best to help her out and back to her house a few feet away without being a creepy stranger. She finally made it through her front door and off I went.
~ The trails in Frick Park have finally thawed and while still damp, they were not mucky but rather quite springy. I literally felt like I was on a gymnast's mat
~ While I was doing my 'speed' workout, I still feel a bit like molasses. My confidence was definitely boosted when I sped past a biker. I don't understand how he was staying upright, but regardless, I passed him
~ Possibly one of my favorite parts was coming back through Regent Square. I passed a dad wearing the Pgh Marathon from the first year feeding his baby. His three year old daughter jumped up with excitement when she saw me run past, pointed and exclaimed "Runner!". SO CUTE! I think the dad was a little embarrassed, but I loved it.
~ Final great thing about this early spring run - procrastinating until after 6 to go running and get home while the sun is still up!

My Workout Routine at 39 Weeks and 4 Days Pregnant

2010-10-18T11:49:00.002-04:00

Alright - 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant (but who's counting?) and my workout routine is consisting of hiking up our hill because they're doing construction on our road and we can't park in front of our house. Given the last minute things we've been acquiring for the baby - infant tub, clothes, curtains (ok, those weren't actually for baby, but all part of a to-do list to get done before the baby), groceries (stocking up) - I think that lugging purchases up the hill sufficiently qualifies as a good late pregnancy workout.

Go me!

[I am looking forward to returning to the body I had been used to before pregnancy. Being able to bend over, squat and not fall over, get out of chairs, etc. will be nice.]

Baby Olympics

2010-09-25T13:16:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who planned the best baby shower ever! Carrying on the Olympic tradition, the Troxell baby shower hosted the Baby Olympics, including stroller time trials, musical juice boxes, feeding frenzy and don't break the water. Team Mego barely snuck by Team Natedog in a tie-breaker determined by an average of the stroller time trials.

Good Grief!

2010-09-15T19:19:00.002-04:00

So I'm finally returning to the blog after a frustrating spring/summer of low to zero energy while running and still no 'cure'. The last few weeks I have headed over to Schenley Park to explore the trails since I'm getting a bit sick of looping over through the north side. Trying to add more miles and get six in sometime before the Great Race, I started looping back on the main trails. After hitting the welcome center, I kept going being Flagstaff Hill towards CMU. Just ahead is a memorial/pond to Westinghouse that I've only ever run through one other time, the day my dad died. Ironically, my grandmother, his mother, passed away peacefully this morning at 96.5. I don't know how my mind unconsciously has let me wandered there twice, but it is a beautiful place and now will be my own memorial to both of them. The warm, yet crisp weather typical of cross country season was much nicer than that March day four and a half years ago. I remember arriving at the sparkling pond just as it started raining. I felt like the skies were mourning with me. A little silly, yet comforting at the same time. Today was not nearly as mournful since you can hardly do anything but celebrate a life so long and full. As I type, I am listening to the "In Memory..." cd made by a dear friend. I love it - but only when I'm ready for a good cry. In reflection, it is amazing how therapeutic running can be. If not just to be in the woods with little distraction to enable remembrance. As tough as it's been to get out the door, I'm glad I went out today. And I am so thankful for the outpouring of love four years ago when my world was flipped upside down.
So this was a little sad and a little scattered, but wanted to share. love you guys!

When Nathan is the Faster Runner

2010-07-27T12:42:00.002-04:00

Now that I'm into the third trimester of my pregnancy, my running pace has slowed to probably what some speed walkers can surpass. That's okay; I'm not in it for any medals. With the recent cooler temps, running in the morning has been spectacularly gorgeous.

Nathan has been excited to come with me a few mornings (ok, there was one time when he was excited and one time when he was not so excited to get out of bed) and I have seen a new kind of runner in Nathan that I have never seen before - one who talks and actually seems to be enjoying the run. Normally he is all business; trying to push the pace, sweating up a storm and generally just looking forward to being done with the workout. Not so on one of our recent runs. He was actually making jokes, laughing and talking, while I was the one huffing and puffing and wishing that I could just take a break and walk. Its been a nice role-reversal and though I'm the slow runner in the pair right now, I have to say that I sort of enjoy it!

Swimming - SO much better than running

2010-07-11T14:53:00.003-04:00

Ah - the maternity bathing suit - quite flattering...I had borrowed Debo's bathing suit, but realized that I was hoping to get in enough swimming over the summer that I didn't want to wear it out, so I splurged on my own as well.

Let me just say that while pregnant, swimming is so much better than running. For obvious reasons, buoyancy is a key factor. In running, I just feel like I'm plodding along. In swimming, even though I'm not a great swimmer, it still feels rather effortless and I can't tell that I'm pregnant (unlike when I'm running).

There won't be any marathons in the water, but I am totally enjoying this summer workout option!

Brentwood Firecracker 5k

2010-07-03T15:35:00.002-04:00

The patriotic McKinneys - Deborah, Miles and Claire were the cheerleaders

Megan and Nathan's 9th Brentwood Firecracker 5k...Megan with baby on board at 24 weeks.

Claire was too cute in her red, white and blue!

Dad and Miles
All of the runners - Grant, Ian, Nathan, Megan (i.e. Emily Kane), Geoff, Lisa

Notable for the 2010 Brentwood Firecracker 5k - red, white and blue popsicles post-race!

Prenatal Yoga

2010-05-23T17:56:00.002-04:00

I cannot say enough about the amazing prenatal yoga class that I had with Sheila last week. She came recommended by Emily Harding, but when I asked some of my other pregnant friends to go with me, one had already been and loved her as well.

Sheila does her classes out of her house in Point Breeze. She has the second floor of a duplex and her "studio" is at the front of the house with windows lining the room. Its a nice, big open space with hardwood floors and area rugs - very inviting.

We started on the large balls and while we weren't doing anything hardcore exercise-wise, it just felt SO good for my body. I wasn't sore the next day at all (which I don't think is the point anyhow), but just felt very cleansed and renewed. Sheila talks pretty much the whole time about everything that is going on in your body - what pregnancy does to parts of your body that seem so far removed from the baby - ankles? (She was big on ankle rotation given the extra weight a pregnant woman is caring.) And she made me feel more connected to the baby that is growing inside of me. Up until now, it seems so foreign, maybe even surreal, that there is another human being inside of me. She made us envision this baby and what it is experiencing NOW, not what it is going to be like when it is born or a two-year-old or its first day of kindergarten.

There was only one other girls besides me and she was 16 weeks, so we were able to move to the floor and do some things on our back as well. While I haven't really had bad yoga instructors before, I think the instructor really makes the practice. Sheila was able to tell me to relax certain parts of my body and my body was able to listen to her. Quite amazing that I can't just do that on my own - enlightening.

We also practiced toning, which at first I assumed was some kind of weight resistance, but no, this was toning your vocal chords. Sheila claims that 90% of women say that it is the most helpful tool in a natural childbirth. Still a bit odd and tribal to me, but if 90% of women say it helps, then who am I to argue that it seems silly?

Really looking forward to going back!

Pittsburgh Marathon (Relay)

2010-05-11T21:45:00.002-04:00

Race day started out in the sixties with promises of a hot and muggy race if the clouds decided not to drop their rain. But just as we were approaching the first waterstop, the clouds let loose and it started pouring. The rain would not subside throughout the rest of the race (or day for that matter).

Before the race even began there were lots of people to try to meet up with. First, I attempted to meet up with a group from Shadyside Presbyterian for a quick prayer send-off, but none of us were in the same place at the same time, so we missed one another. Next, I had my mandatory team photo with Cool Runnings. Then there's always the thought of meeting up with the porta potty, but with the lines looking as long as they were, I decided to forgo. As we approached the start time, my father-in-law and I realized that we were way too far back in the pack. We tried to push as far forward as possible, but it was somewhat fruitless. As the race began and we approached the actual start line, we saw a whole bank of porta potties with no lines, so we jumped off course to hit them up before crossing the actual start line and then jumped back in with the crowd - perfect!
I have to say, the first three miles were mostly dodging walkers and slower runners. We had worked our way up to the 5:00 hour pace group, but it was really slow-going. Eventually, I think we made up some ground and caught up to the 10:00 min/mile group, which is what I was shooting for. The race itself was rather uneventful - it just felt so good. Running seven miles rather than the 26 you were originally training for just seems like a walk in the park!

I handed off the slap bracelet to Greg Anderson around the 7 mile mark and then I was done! Nathan, plus mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law who had braved the rain were there to meet me and then we trekked back over to the finish line to catch Nathan's dad as he finished the half marathon. Originally we had plans to watch some of the other marathon and relay finishers, but with being soaked to the bone, we headed back home for warm showers.
I had this shirt made when I was originally thinking I was going to run the full marathon while pregnant. Still got some good usage out of it, but it would have been fun to run the whole thing...maybe next year. Hopefully up soon - my prenatal exercise plan!

Week 16 - Race Weekend

2010-04-30T07:41:00.003-04:00

Apparently I lost count of my weeks at some point, because I'm pretty sure I should have come up to 18 weeks by the end. That will happen if you stop training midway through. Looking forward to race weekend - lots going on - out-of-town guests to entertain, carbs to consume (!), race packets to pick-up, preparations for SPC activities and, oh-yeah, a RACE to RUN!

And after this week, I'm going to draft a full-blown prenatal workout schedule to keep me accountable. Totally looking forward to yoga, biking and swimming, on top of running as long as I can.

Week 15 - Me n' Sweetpea

2010-04-18T18:30:00.002-04:00

So here goes my first announcement to the worldwideweb (Facebook might come a little later...) that I'm preggo! Very excited for this little body I have inside me who is currently named Sweetpea, but that also means that I'm not actually running the marathon this year. I had reached a training distance of sixteen miles, fully knowing that I was pregnant and reading all the articles I could find on-line that supported my opinion that it was okay to run a marathon while pregnant. Sweetpea and I had some great, frigid runs together in North Park in the dead of winter and he (my opinion) even seemed to enjoy the thrill of speed workouts, but at my first doctor's appointment, I was informed that I should not run the marathon...or even the half. This news even came from a P.A. who is running her first marathon in Pittsburgh on May 2. Not sure if that made the news easier or harder to swallow.

I then went back and read all of the articles on the other side of the debate on whether or not you can run a marathon while pregnant...and, quite honestly, the articles on that side of the debate are much more medically sound. I'm okay with the decision at this point and know that it is best in the long run. The doctor said that it was totally fine to keep running, just to take it at a slower pace and not go for more than an hour. I've since broken that rule only once and only plan to break it one more time while I'm pregnant. I did the 8 mile option for Just a Short Run, attempting to pace myself at 10 minute miles and came in at exactly 1:19:56; you can't get much better than that!

And I'm proud to announce that I'll be joining the Cool Runnings Relay team and will be doing the first leg of the marathon relay!

Week 14 - Run 4 Haiti

2010-04-18T18:22:00.003-04:00

After much opposition to the race course and its hindrance upon Sunday morning worship services for churches along the course, my Church has finally decided to embrace the Pittsburgh Marathon and all four pastors will be joining together to run a relay together. They are raising support for the Run 4 Haiti fund.

Last year we also set up an orange tent (SPC is just about at mile 14.5) and we'll be doing that again, so keep an eye out if you'd like some citrus nourishment at that point.

Our service will be moved to 4 pm that afternoon, with a potluck dinner at 5 pm, a cupcake contest (I'm lobbying to be a judge) and Fitness Fest with hula-hooping, yoga, face-painting and balloon-sculpting.

Weeks 12 & 13 - Just a Short Run & Catching-up

2010-04-05T13:22:00.002-04:00

I'm behind on my posts and figured I'd catch-up all in one. Two weekends ago was the Just a Short Run with a 5k, 8 mile, half marathon or 30k option - guess which one I picked? It was a great spring day, which meant that it was frigid before the sun came up, but once the sun rose, it was quite pleasant and spring-like. Only thing is that this meant we were absolutely freezing at the start line. This was the first time I had ever run a race at North Park. I'm sure its convenient for race organizers, but its a pretty anti-climatic, boring route, which I can pretty much run anytime I want to. Half the fun of road races is that you get to run in places you normally don't get to - straight down the double yellow lines, if you want!

This past weekend was gorgeous and I slept in a little on Saturday (no work!) and got to take Fres and Nate with me on my run! Recovery breakfast was freshly baked homemade cinnamon buns and a mango smoothie - yum!

Highlight of the week(s) - Spring!

Difficult part of the week(s) - The final push at work for some upcoming deadlines (seriously, though, I think the tough part is almost done)

Week 11 - Central Park & NYC Half Marathon

2010-03-22T12:54:00.003-04:00

Could there be a better weather weekend in mid-March? I certainly think not! Running in Central Park was sheer joy on Saturday morning. Nathan didn't have any meetings for work until 10 am, so we got to sleep in a bit and then we grabbed NY bagels (yum) before parting ways - he to the basement meeting rooms in the Javits Center and me to the loop in sunny Central Park - guess who was really looking forward to his/her activity? I entered the park on the south side at the main entrance and the place was already filled with people. As I jumped into the sea of people, generally heading counterclockwise around the loop, I joined hundreds upon hundreds of fellow runners, nearly as many cyclists, a few pedicabs and the obligatory horses and carriages too. And there were even a few odd modes of transportation - I saw two wheelchair trainers (I've seen these plenty of times in races, but never just out and about on a training run), quite a few scooters and one guy on what looked to be cross-country ski trainers for when there is no snow - they were short skis that looked sort of like rollerblades, but with only two wheels and he had poles too, so it was just like the cross-country skiing motion. And then there were folks not traveling around the loop, but still enjoying the sunshine - pick-up games of softball and soccer, a fencer, a group doing yoga and, even though it was in the 60s, an ice hockey game on the north side's rink! Seriously - taking in the human life around me plus the very beginning evidence of buds on the trees and the purple & white crocuses and yellow daffodils, I don't think that you could be anywhere else and experience such vibrancy of life!

Highlight of the week - Other than everything I just detailed above, the NYC half marathon was on Sunday morning (actually sorta glad that I didn't know ahead of time, b/c I would have wanted to run it, but that would have put a damper on Saturday night's activities) so I got to cheer the runners on

Difficult part of the week - We won't even mention it here

Spring has Sprung!

2010-03-14T09:19:00.002-04:00

This week was exciting for me as I opened my shorts drawers for the first time in months. It was a weird feeling and I definitely felt bad for any passersby that might have been blinded by all my pale skin, but it was a delight! And so much easier than the layers I have been wearing. My track workout this week was nothing stellar, but I was happy to be able to run on a non-snow covered track for the first time in a while

This week was also a good week for the cross training segment of training. On Monday,I went to free hot yoga in Shadyside (only one free week left...) and Wednesday I bribed my sister into going to our first Zumba class. ah, the joys of exercising while feeling like a fool! It was definitely fun (basic line dancing with a Latin flair) and had A LOT of hip shaking. We were both laughing since we had thought that we should bring our men sometime...Geoff would probably actually have a good time, but all the regular women might not be happy about a male presence.

As mentioned below by Megan, our long run was not plagued by cold temps and snow, but by sheeting rain that just wouldn't stop. After we called our run early, I had a yummy brunch at Square Cafe and spent the afternoon stalking radar maps to attempt to avoid getting drenched on Part II. After not having rain all afternoon, even with the radar maps being bright green solidly over my house, I set out for my second nine miles around four pm. Part way through my Short Beechwood Loop, it started to sprinkle and eventually got a bit harder. It didn't compare to the morning rain but I did get a bit wet since I was in the rain for another 45 minutes. Just knowing that I had only four miles remaining vs. fourteen, made the miserable weather tolerable. I am happy to be done with the long run for the weekend, although it looks like today is going to be dry, albeit gloomy.

As I write, there are 48 days, 21 hours until the start of the marathon. It seems like that is too soon! But we've put in some solid runs, I'm not taking several vacations to hinder the long runs, and I know the course so well that I just have to get up early that morning and perform!

The new goal will be to stay and marathon shape all year and find some summer/fall marathons to do.

Week 10 - Above Freezing!

2010-03-13T12:26:00.002-05:00

I finally get to report that all of my runs this week were performed in above freezing temperatures! Though I must admit that I'd take dry-and-35 (Tuesday morning) over rainy-and-48 any day, which we encountered today. The plan was to do a course similar to last week, with Lisa doing 18 and me making sure I beat Lisa back to the cars since I'm only doing 16. I checked the weather and saw the forecast of rain, but I tried to use my optimistic meterologist skills to justify that it wouldn't rain during our run. It was dry when we started and not five minutes into it as we were crossing the 16th Street Bridge, I said, "I think it might be raining, but its hard to tell." Shortly thereafter it became more evident and soon enough it was clear that it was most definitely raining. We hopped, skipped and leaped over puddles all the way to hand dryers at Station Square and Lisa attempted to dry out her shirt. (They ARE really powerful hand dryers, but it was really a lost cause.) At this point I suggested that maybe we call it (we were seven miles in and it would be 2-ish [maybe?] miles back to the cars). Probably a good decision as we were soaked to the bone and though the rain stopped as soon as we made our decision, there was no way we would dry out over the course of the remainder of the run and the wind was a little chilly. Hope to get in some more miles tomorrow to make up for what I missed today.

Highlight of the week - The runner (under cover and out of the rain at PNC Park) who clapped for us

Difficult part of the week - I was actually pretty sore after last week's long run, but that encouraged me to do a short little run with Fresca the next day and then some good stretching.

Week 9 - Not the Weather in Milan

2010-03-04T08:31:00.004-05:00

This morning (finally getting around to posting this nearly a week later) I woke up to do a speed workout and, as usual, checked my Weather Channel app to see what would greet me when I opened the door. (This app has occasionally allowed me to ditch a run before even climbing out of bed. Probably not good, but, hey...) I hadn't necessarily looked at the weather forecast, but heard rumors of 50 degree weather over the weekend (I've since checked; that rumor is false). I was surprised that the temperature was 45 degrees, feels like 41, but thought, "Awesome! Should I wear shorts?" I decided to still dress conservatively and wore my thinnest pair of leggings, my Crazy Daisies long-sleeved shirt so I could use the hand warmers rather than wear gloves, a light jacket and a hat.

I should have known as soon as I walked out the door that it was not 45 degrees. A) It did not feel warm at all. If you haven't seen the thermometer north of 40 in as long as you can remember, 45 degrees should feel like summer to you. It did not. B) The cars were frosty. Gee - how can the cars be frosty if it is 45 degrees out? I headed down the hill to drop off an envelope at the church and then as I was heading into Emsworth, it dawned on me that the last time I checked the weather app was when I was checking the weather in Milan, Italy, where Nathan is traveling this week!

Oh well. I survived. Actual temperature in Pittsburgh on 3/4 at 5:30 am - 22 degrees.

Long run with Lisa was super fun (I did 15, she did 17) - Lisa mapped out a course that was pretty much exclusive marathon course. The uphill on Forbes wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. I don't think I have actually ever run that stretch before. I've run down on the parallel Fifth, but never up on Forbes. It was a chilly start to the morning, but the sun was out by the end and what a gorgeous day it was on Saturday. We did our good deed for the day by dragging a huge branch out of an intersection on the Northside and my run finished with a recovery brunch of a Mancini's pepperoni roll - um, yum!

Highlight of the week - A really successful 15 miles - felt like the good ole days

Difficult part of the week - figuring out what to eat on long runs; I've about had it with Gu (or the like); I tried eating some rice cakes on the run, which were okay, but I don't know how much they really helped en route

Week 8 - Xtraining with Olympicfest

2010-03-03T21:52:00.006-05:00

I must admit, I don't think I've gotten any cross-training in during this season's training. Biking, swimming, tennis, etc. just don't seem desirable during the winter months at all. I could totally be convinced to do cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, but just can't seem to find the time...or the equipment. But THIS week was Olympicfest, so that meant I got to do CurlToss, Derby Combined, Super G and...ah...what was Emily's event called - Eat a Snowball?

Here are some pics from the afternoon:

This week was a scaled back week for me, so my long run was ten miles. Sounds easy, but for some reason I was really slow and it just felt like a tough run. Hoping that next week's 15 with Lisa will be better.

Highlight of the week - Meeting the Race Director of the Pittsburgh Marathon! She was at a networking event that I attended and so glad I got to meet her; super nice lady! I also met a spunky Irish lady training for her first marathon - she was a ball of energy.

Difficult part of the week - Still...finding time to fit everything in. I've just got to realize I'm not going to accomplish it all and just go with what I can do. When I leave in the morning at 6:30 am and get home at 9:30 pm, that just really doesn't leave time for much else...speaking of which, I think its bedtime.

Week 7 - Three Mile an Hour God

2010-02-20T16:07:00.002-05:00

Last night (the eve of my long run) I was at the Jubilee Conference listening to the opening message from Don Opitz and during his presentation he referred to our "Three Mile an Hour God," as coined by Kosuke Koyama. Don went on to explain that the reason most of us miss the Lord in our daily lives is that we are running through life while God is moving at three miles an hour - pretty much a stroll through the park. Now Lisa and I were trekking along at a pace more than three miles an hour (Let's remember, Jesus walked this world in the Fertile Crescent, not Pittsburgh in winter. I'd make the case that you wouldn't see Jesus strolling at three miles an hour along the shores of the lake in North Park, because, frankly, there wouldn't be many folks for him to walk with.), but the concept is the same - running (even at a pace faster than 3 mph) allows me to slow down my life for a bit. Lisa and I spent 2+ hours with each other. We could choose to talk about whatever random thought crossed our minds or we could simply run in silence. So glad that I get to experience "slowing down" through running.

Highlight of the week - the four slices of pizza I downed at the office after our long run (we normally get Vocelli's, but today we got Pizza Parma and oh. my. gosh. was it delish)

Difficult part of the week - discovering it was actually 12 degrees this morning instead of 22 degrees, as advertised by the Weather Channel

Week 6 - Snow Flurries, Snow Showers, Snow

2010-02-15T16:23:00.002-05:00

Week 6 started off with treadmill workouts, mandated by the fact that the roads were still impassable by people on foot and motorized vehicles at the same time. The speed workout was 5 x 1k, which was nice to do on the treadmill. I think the tempo run was supposed to be six miles, but once I got over the 30 minute cardio machine limit, I look around guiltily to see how much longer I can go and break the rules, so I didn't get in a full six miles.

By the time the weekend was here, I was ready to be outdoors, but it was still a question as to what roads I could run on. I called the office in North Park to see if they had plowed the trail around the lake, but the lady on the phone there would not tell me. She said that I had to come judge for myself whether I thought it was safe or not. Hrmgh! Lisa and I made plans to meet early Saturday morning, but she had to cancel because of a cough. I enjoyed an extra half hour of sleep and then headed into the office and made plans to do North Park in the afternoon when the so-called sun would be out.

The trail around the lake was the empty-est I have ever seen it before. Sometimes I will be headed out there, thinking Lisa and I are the only devoted runners, only to encounter dozens of other crazies. Not so much on Saturday. I could probably count the number of non-sledriders that I ran into on two hands during my two loops around the lake. There was some sun shining through when I first arrived and some beautiful snowflakes, but it soon went back to blah, wind and cold. Since I am beginning to expand my acceptance of such things as treadmills and music, I decided to do the ipod while I ran AND I decided to give the imapmyrun app another try. I had tried it when I first got my phone, but was thoroughly underwhelmed with it and just gave up on it. I had seen that it had some updates, though, so figured it I'd give it another whirl. It was great! As I was listening to music, a nice lady come on over my headphones to tell me when I hit my miles and what my pace and speed were. It was great until I drained the battery...it didn't make it through the whole run.

Highlight of the week - rediscovery of the imapmyrun app
Difficult part of the week - No yoga/strength training accomplished this week - need to bet back into that, though that has never been the best part of my training...

Week 5 - Gettin' in the Routine

2010-02-09T19:35:00.003-05:00

I'm late on this post, so trying to remember what all week five entailed. I was out of town at the beginning of the week, so I did my "speed" workout on the treadmill. One complaint on treadmills - I wish you could convert to meters! It was 3 x 1600, so pretty easy to stick to miles and not that big of a deal, but it would be nice. I did a nice run with my winter dog some evening Wednesday (?), Thursday (?). Who remembers?

And then, of course, we all know that the biggest snowstorm since 1993 hit! I would have loved to run outside to take in the sights of all that snow, but there was no way the sidewalk would have worked and the roads I would have run on were barely passable by two cars and since they were so treacherous it simply would not have been smart. I considered running up and down the shoveled portion of my street (it was quite pristine, really), but it was only .07 of a mile, so I would have needed to do 50 reps up and down the hill in front of my house to get in seven miles (and I'm pretty sure the neighbors would think I was weird.) But thanks again to the incompetent folks at the YMCA in Bellevue, I got another free pass. They can't find the waiver that I need to fill out, so they just let me go in for free. I try to pay, but to no avail.

Highlight of the week - my first good speed workout (treadmill holds you accountable)
Difficult part of the week - the drunk jagoff in Bellevue who made catcalls to me as I ran past (I hate that)

Week 4 - On a Scale of 1 to 10

2010-01-31T19:51:00.002-05:00

I'd say my training this week was a 4 and it was significantly boosted by the fact that Lisa invited me to do the long run together this morning in the 10 degree weather. Hey, at least it was sunny out; we got to enjoy a great sunrise!

Bringing the average down would be the fact that I simply skipped some workouts. My workout plan was set so that I could do some running in the morning and some either yoga or stability ball in the evening, but with the long hours at work, finding the time to do two workouts a day has proven to be a challenge. But, most days I've done at least something, whether that be yoga/stability ball or running.

The long run was fantastic this week! The tempo run, ah, not so much. I delayed it until Friday evening this week and it was a frigid night. I went out with that mentality, of "Go at least a mile and if its that horrible, you can turn around." Well, after a mile, I actually took myself up on that offer, so I only did two. The "track" workout was supposed to be 6 x 800. I'm thinking I really need to map out my neighborhood in 400 increments so that I can really measure this. I'm totally guessing when I do this workout and I'm sure I was short. Again, it was freezing (and by freezing, I mean MUCH below freezing) and I gave myself a bit of a break.

Highlight of the week - running with Lisa
Difficult part of the week - the cold

True Confessions

2010-01-31T10:10:00.002-05:00

After not going out yesterday since it was 12 degrees and I had to get some things to the post office first thing, I knew that I HAD to run today. Unfortunately, it actually was colder today than yesterday. Fortunately, Megan has been running on Sunday mornings, so I cajoled her into running with me. I had it all planned out, since she was doing 10 and me 14, that we could run 7.5 together and then split at Forbes. Megan would head back to the Strip District and I would head up Forbes into Oakland. Well, it was just too cold. My to layers of pants just weren't cutting it and I didn't know how smart it would be to keep going. The other issue was the GU that I took on our water stop. It was in an outer pocket on my coat so that I wouldn't have to disturb my layers to get it out. Turned out that GU was as frozen as it could be. Not quite a solid, but close to it. Of course I swallowed the lumps anyways, which my stomach quickly decided it hated, causing some stomach pain for the last three miles. I stopped four streets early at the 16th st McDonalds to use the restroom while Megan kept running to get her car and camera (see FBook for photo...). So here's my confession: I was so preoccupied with getting all my layers back on that I'm almost positive I didn't flush the toilet. Gross. And I was going to comment that those restrooms are a lot cleaner than they used to be. Oops! I'll have to pay more attention next time. Even with skipping the last four miles and the ridiculously cold temps, the run was a success. Megan and I were able to meet up for a run and we actually got out the door in this weather!

Night at the Track

2010-01-26T07:41:00.002-05:00

In the third week of running, I finally made it to the track for the first time. It was definitely motivation that the temps were pushing 40 and the sun was shining - probably the only nice weather all week. It was also motivating that the workout was a measley 4x800. Totally doable, even if not totally recovered from said stomach flu. I took advantage of a middle aged man run/walking around the track and made him my rabbit. I had to use him since there were more people at the ice rink than the track (3). I was surprised at my relative consistency, now to increase speed next time: 3:39, 3:36, 3:35, 3:36.

I am hoping the track stays clearer than last year...

Week 3 - The Night Runner

2010-01-24T19:17:00.002-05:00

Other than my long run, all of my runs this week were at night and I really enjoyed it! I got into a nice routine of coming home late from work (ah, busy season), putting on a one-pot meal of something that takes awhile to cook (jambalya, soup, etc.) or staging Nathan to get dinner prepped and then heading out the door into the dark. I figure its going to be dark no matter what time I'm running during the week (the wee hours of the morning or the late hours of the night) and it is much less of a rush if I go in the evening. Granted, this means that I pretty much then go to bed after eating dinner, but, hey, I'll take it. Bonus - chocolate milk is sometimes a recommended recovery drink and I figured why not make it hot chocolate in the winter, so I've totally enjoyed that!

The long run of nine miles worked out okay this week - really nothing to report. The weather report accurately predicted that rain would start at 9 am on Sunday, so I got out the door in time to be finished by about that time. Sure enough, the rain started on my last half mile of the run. Helped me pick up the pace to get home!

Highlight of the week - Listening to (and heeding) the weather report
Difficult part of the week - Trying to do a speed workout in the dark and cold (hard to look at a watch because its so cold that I don't want a draft to come in at my wrists); I end up trying to count seconds in my head - very accurate

Third Time's a Charm

2010-01-23T13:27:00.003-05:00

I've been attempting this same 13 mile long run for the last three weeks (Beechwood loop, past CMU, up Ellsworth, loop through Point Breeze...) but have been having difficulty getting it done.

Week 0 (thought it was Week 1 but miscounted): The week when Pittsburgh received more snow in one week than any time since college. I set out at 6am to run on the roads since I knew sidewalks would be impossibly frustrating. Well that didn't go so well, since Pgh decided not to plow or salt until 8am that day. By the time I hit the "fork in the road" (Murray & Forbes) where I could either be home in three miles or go out for the rest of the long run, I was exhausted and decided that 9 was plenty since it was taking as long as 13 and I honestly felt much more tired than if I did 13 on clear roads.

Week 1: Set out in the sunshine with last week's snow mostly off the sidewalk. I was one.five miles from home when my ankle pain from the MCM returned and I knew that it was not a good idea to try for 12 more miles. I am learning that my ankle pain is directly related to my flexibility. On a normal/bad day, I can touch the ground with at least one knuckle. When I stopped in agony, I couldn't get closer than six inches from the ground. ouch. So I took a lovely walk through Frick Park and went home and did Jillian and Bob tapes for a few hours to make sure I kept my heart rate up for a good two hours.

Week 2: Caught the Stomach flu on Monday. Didn't eat for three days, lost 8 pounds. Some of that might have been brain cells as I thought it would be fine to try 13 miles again today. And why wouldn't I want to do this when it involves two Gu packs on an already weak stomach!?!? At the same point of no return (6 miles), I was feeling tired but good. So I went on for more. CMU finally shut off the water fountains outside the parking lot so I had to go inside the building for some quick water. It seems like forever since I've run the length of Ellsworth and it was a nice trip down memory lane as I passed all our old houses and stomping grounds. And then I hit 10 miles. And utter exhaustion. I was not surprised that this happened since I really have no energy stores for that kind of endurance. For the next three miles I had to walk more frequently than I would like, but I was happy to be completing the run that seemed to be starting to be a mental block.

I'm glad to see that I've learned a thing or two about limitations over the last couple decades of running (am I really that old to be able to say that?? gross). I'm also happy that I can be content with my ability and performance as it relates to all the twists life throws my way. I am striving for drastic improvement this year (Boston in 2011, anyone??), but am not going to kill myself to get there. It has to be fun, or there is no point.

P.S. The beechwood crappy blue car with the window covers roped on was gone today! I had to do a triple take to make sure that I just hadn't missed it because I was so used to seeing it there. I wonder if it was being used, had been sold...or had been towed!

P.P.S. I witnessed another accident today. Not as scary as the one we ran passed on Murray, but some guy tried to park on Beechwood at 40ish mph and when he hit some leaves he couldn't stop fast enough and popped a Grand Caravan. He tried to blame it on the leaves, but the screech and the pop were too loud and long for him to be going anywhere remotely close to the speed limit.

P.P.P.S. Sorry for the novel. I will try to write less, more frequently. Welcome back to spring marathon training!

Week 2 - My Friend, the Treadmill

2010-01-17T21:46:00.002-05:00

Week 2 was not such a successful week of training...I worked no less than an eleven hour billable day this week, so that made it a bit difficult to get in much training. On top of that, I was out of town in an area where running outside isn't really an option, so the one run I got in during the week was done on the hotel treadmill. It was actually really fantastic, from a running perspective. It was the night of the Haiti earthquake, so I was beginning to see some of the first images that were coming in from the mainstream media.

I am a little embarassed to admit that my long run was only scheduled to be a five mile run this weekend. I thought it was supposed to be eight and wanting to enjoy some sleep on Sunday morning, I figured I'd wait until the afternoon to do it. It was raining cats and dogs when I was originally planning on running and it didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon, so I moved on to Plan B and figured I could convince myself to do my "long" run on the treadmill. At this point, I still thought it was eight miles, which I thought was WAY too much to do on a treadmill, but also WAY too much to do in 35 degree rain. Then I checked my schedule and saw it was only five miles and there was much rejoicing! Not much of a long run, but given the week I had, I'll take it!

Highlight of the week - Discovering the treadmill isn't as horrible as I always make it out to be
Difficult part of the week - Finding time to run

Week 1 - Successful Kickoff

2010-01-17T21:30:00.002-05:00

Finished up week one of training for the Pittsburgh Marathon! I'm doing a training schedule that I mixed together from Hal Higdon's beginner level (being realistic about time constraints during busy season) and the FIRST program and I've worked in some yoga and stability ball workouts at home and hopefully can get in some cross-training too.

My first long run was seven miles, which seemed achievable even though I hadn't been doing that good of a job in keeping up with running after the half marathon in the fall. The morning of my long run the temperature was a chilly 3 degrees (windchill of -10), but I took it as a challenge and headed out. (Bonus - there was a nice, light snow as I headed out - very beautiful!) I had that thought that every runner has on a morning like I was facing, "Get through the first mile and if its that horrible, you can turn around and go back." After mile 1, I wouldn't say I was warm, but I was willing to keep going. By the end, though, I was freezing and glad that I could cut it off at seven miles.

Highlight of the week - completing my first long run
Difficult part of the week - people who don't shovel their sidewalks

Pgh Marathon Training Schedule

2010-01-02T09:54:00.003-05:00

OK, so I mapped out my training schedule...guess this means I'm committing now!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2009-09-17T22:02:00.000-04:00

Whoever was the genius that decided cross-country season should be in
the fall really had it figured out! The hot, sticky days of summer are
over and the best days of running are upon us.

Fres and I attempted to go for a run at Fern Hollow in Sewickley, but
I couldn't exactly find it. Instead we headed over to the Montour
Trail and had a great run!

Sent from my iPhone

Luzerne

2009-09-14T22:35:00.004-04:00

Luzerne was an easy enough place to run. There's a huge lake and there's a trail around it...pretty hard to get lost here. This is the view into town from the furthest point that we ran out to.
Mt. Pilatus in the background.
Crisp, Swiss mountain air in perfect running temperatures!
We even got to see a rainbow on our run!

Venice

2009-09-14T22:21:00.003-04:00

Running on vacation is one of my favorite things! Not only is it a form of exercise, but its the quickest way to do a speedy site-seeing trip. One of the things they caution you about in Venice is getting lost, so probably you should multiple the chances by ten if you plan to go for a run. It happened. We got lost. But it was lots of fun to explore!
Water stop!
Running down the steps of the Rio Alto Bridge - it is VERY empty here. At midday you can barely make your way across this bridge; it is so crowded with people. That was the other good thing about doing an early morning run in Venice - no crowds!
View of the Grand Canal from atop the Rio Alto Bridge
An empty Rio Alto Bridge at 7:30 am.

Another great day at the track...

2009-08-27T21:36:00.002-04:00

It took forever for me to get to the track tonight - it was almost 7 and the sun was about to set. I was not looking forward to my 12 400s... The workout started out pretty well. Point Park's CC team (??) was there again doing the same workout as me (same as last week too!) but by the time I finished my warm up they only had 2-4 repeats left. I never ran with them but would use them as something to chase or not get caught. That got me through my first six all between 1:30 and 1:32. Not bad...and pleasantly consistent. The plan called for a longer break halfway through, which turned out to be a mistake. My times tanked as my legs became lead. I struggled through four more (1:33-1:35) before I called it quits. Now that I'm writing this, I'm realizing that my times weren't that much slower - doofus. Oh well.
And as reported on FB - the coach who called me old left me alone today. But there was a big oaf watching his friends play soccer - and apparently was watching me too.... He said I was a strong runner (ha - he didn't know that I just skipped two laps!)...and then suggested we keep in touch. So I must not look that old afterall...

So things learned from tonight:
1) Arrive earlier so as to run with PPCC
2) Wear rings even with the phobia of falling will damage them more
3) Scam someone into coming too!

Run Around the Square

2009-08-22T10:48:00.000-04:00

Do I need more junk food?

2009-08-18T19:03:00.002-04:00

I actually got out of bed 'early' this morning to go for a run. 1) We are completely in the Dog Days of August and all the humidity that goes with it 2) Had my locks of love haircut this evening and want to try to preserve the style until tomorrow.
I attempted to run to the start of the Run Around the Square, run the course, and then run home for a five-ish mile run. I try to take advantage of "home-court" when I can. Well I took a wrong turn in the initial neighborhood which added a few blocks and a few minutes of time. But the worst part of the run was that I had ZERO energy. It took me 30 minutes just to do the 5k+ portion! I couldn't even lift my legs on the downhill part.
It was extremely frustrating because it was a simple five miles, no big deal. What made it worse was the last two runs (a track work-out and a very hilly 10.5 mile loop past Magee the morning after Claire was born), I felt the same way. There was nothing left in my tank.
I started to analyze what differences might have occurred that would be depleting my energy sources. And then it hit me - on August 1, I started my first 'diet' ever.
And by 'diet' I mean:
*no bagels/donuts in the morning from work
*no afternoon trip to the vending machine
*no fast food
*all 'rules' are out the door if it's a social event
So as you can see, it's hardly a diet - just a little bit better moderation of fats and sweets (my favorite food group). Regardless, my body depended on those calories for years and now I'm depriving it of its usual energy! Now I have to work in some better foods and fast because these bad runs are killing me!
I don't know if I'll be able to figure it out by Saturday but at least I'll be able to beat today's pace, if by only staying on the correct streets!

I'm Back! ...Finally!

2009-07-30T22:48:00.007-04:00

So fortunately, I've been running fairly consistently since I last posted. I had an interesting time training solo for the first time for the Pgh Marathon. I was having a great week followed by a down week, pretty much the entire time...and I only got in three speed workouts (and rarely replaced them with another run). Somehow, on basically two runs a week and some cross-training I ran a sub-4 marathon. I don't think I'll be selling that plan to anyone.... But here's a photo from my long run on super bowl sunday (17 miles starting at the corner and running through the strip, past heinz field, south side, oakland...my shirt was quite popular in every neighborhood!)

So back to the heat and humidity of the summer....Things I've 'learned' this summer:

* I assumed training for a 5k would leave me unmotivated to get out the door for short/easy runs. It actually is much easier and enjoyable since I'm no longer intimidated by the long runs!

* When the humidity rises, always use Body Glide, no matter how short the run

* When the goal is a lazy Saturday morning, it is better to get up twenty minutes early to go run a quick 5k than to lounge around and end up doing 8 miles

* 5ks can be delightful at a run/walk pace - but ONLY with friends to enjoy the LONG time it takes to get to the finish

* My best runs happen after my worst work days (that one always amazes me)

* After June 20, the days get shorter. Going out for a run at 9 pm through Frick Park is still dark. Even though it seems ridiculous, I should consider bringing my head lamp.

*Even 1/2 marathon have long training programs. I should consider this well in advance before I'm more than a month late starting it!

That's it for now! Hopefully I'll be back soon!

A Run at Eaton Reservoir

2009-07-11T09:25:00.000-04:00

We did a muggy loop around Eaton Reservoir this morning in North East.

Northville has Sidewalks!

2009-06-30T07:32:00.001-04:00

Attempted to run at Maybury State Park where there is an old asylum
but the gates were closed when I got there. But Northville is full of
subdivisions with luxury estate homes and they are all connected by
convenient walkways - genius! Here is a photo of a model home that I
snapped. While there are some gorgeous new homes, most of the
subdivisions have lots of vacant lots.

The Great Allegheny Passage

2009-06-18T20:53:00.002-04:00

Last weekend we embarked on a new endeavor - an overnight bike trip on the Great Allegheny Passage! Ian scoped out the landscape and did a lot of the logistics prep work (including biking an additional 22 miles, along with Grant, before the rest of us even started on Saturday). OK, we weren't quite hard-core enough (or quite light-weight packers) to do a true overnight biking trip, since we had a car waiting for us at the campsite loaded up with a cooler, air mattress, tents, etc., but we were all sore the next day and it was an accomplishment!

Pittsburgh Half Marathon

2009-05-10T20:59:00.005-04:00

What a fantastic race in our hometown! We were very gracious for the Mylar blankets at the finish line. At this point it was rainy and breezy, so they helped keep our body heat in a lot!
We're almost at the finish line when we spot our fans Mom Troxell and Maggie.

Marathon Sleepover!

2009-04-30T14:36:00.003-04:00

Want to…

Cheer on the Marathon Runners Sunday morning?
Encourage SPC’s Youth Director Tres Adams as he vies to qualify for the Boston Marathon?
Serve as part of the SPC team distributing orange slices to the runners who pass by Amberson Avenue on Fifth Avenue?

Wondering how you will get here with all of the traffic?

Join us for a Sleepover Retreat Saturday night at the church!

Bring sleeping bags, pillows, flashlights, snacks, and be ready to slice oranges.

Who: Church members and guests of all ages.
What: A festive time to gather and get the best parking spaces for the race!
When: Saturday May 2, 7:30PM until the roads open again so you can go home (probably around noon Sunday).
Where: Shadyside Presbyterian Church.
Why: Because we’re a fun-loving group of people and want to support the Marathon runners.
How: Email Ellen Allston indicating you’d like to participate and then show-up at the church Saturday evening.

We will be locked-in. The guys will sleep in the Richards Room and the girls will sleep in the Babcock Room. We’ll be able to watch movies, heat-up snacks in the kitchen, play flashlight tag in Parish Hall, have a flashlight tour of the church, and just have fun.

Sunday morning, we’ll join many other SPC volunteers (about 30!) to slice oranges and then set-up our distribution station on Fifth Avenue at Amberson.

All participants will receive a special SPC t-shirt. We will cheer the runners along Fifth Avenue and will give orange slices to those who need them.

We should be finished by 11:30 AM with the surrounding roads scheduled to open at 12 Noon.

“Run the straight race through God’s good grace. Lift up thine eyes and seek his face. Life with its way before us lies. Christ is the path and Christ the prize.”

I am so bummed that I a) can't do the Sleepover Retreat and b) won't even be running past the Church...next year either calls for not running at all and going all out on the spectating OR doing the full!

Pittsburgh Marathon Features

2009-04-29T09:23:00.003-04:00

It's race week! I'll try to post the most interesting articles that I find on the marathon. Pop City Media always has well written articles and covers the 'burgh happenings so well, so they are first on my list:

Last Long Run

2009-04-27T12:53:00.003-04:00

Nathan and I did our last long run (a ten miler) at North Park on Saturday morning. Nathan's dad (who plans to run as a bandit in the half marathon) and his sister Katie also ran with us. Katie was only planning on running five, but her dad guilted her into running another five. It was gorgeous out, though a little on the hot side. I think we are just about guaranteed that race day won't actually be that hot.

Orange slices - Rinded or Rindless?

2009-04-23T12:03:00.003-04:00

I got a question from the person organizing the Shadyside Presbyterian Church's marathon support group about whether they should peel the oranges or not. Good question...glad he is thinking it through. I responded with a resounding - leave the peel on! As in the attached photo:

Central Park

2009-03-29T11:01:00.000-04:00

A misty 7 mile run with Katie and Nathan in Central Park.

Tired Dog

2009-03-15T09:28:00.000-04:00

Fresca after our 6 mile run this morning.

Playing Hooky

2009-03-05T14:37:00.002-05:00

OK, so I headed out the door at lunchtime today into 56 degree air and sunshine overhead. The plan was to work half a day at the client's office and then half a day at home since I have to take Fresca to the kennel this afternoon. The gorgeous weather was just way too much to resist, though, and I had to come home and go for a run. Glorious!

Tube Socks

2009-03-04T08:11:00.005-05:00

I have to admit that I did not run in the great out of doors during the streak of subzero temps earlier this winter, so when yesterday registered a "feels like" -1 degree, I could not drag myself out of bed. (The iPhone has a good/bad weather channel app that gives me the temperature while I am still lying in bed. Good in that I know how to dress...bad in that I can potentially justify staying in bed. Before the iPhone, all I had was our indoor/outdoor thermometer, which required me to actually get out of bed and even then, it wouldn't factor in windchill, so I was sufficiently dupped into thinking it was warmer than it actually was.)

Anyhow, I wanted to pass along one of the keys (I say "one of" because there are obviously many.) to running in temps below about 20 degrees. Tube Socks! The glorious tube sock eliminates any potential draft flowing in around the ankle area. This concept can also be applied to other running attire - you must have a shirt that can be tucked in to eliminate waist drafts and if it is really cold, you need a scarf to eliminate neck draft. (The picture I found of tube socks is cute, however, since my post is about eliminating drafts, you obviously can't wear your cute running skirt.)

To the extreme I rock the mic like a vandal

2009-03-02T22:48:00.004-05:00

Ice, ice, baby! What else would else would you listen to while running on a sheet of ice? Fresh Prince's classic "Summertime" just wasn't cutting it, so I spent some quality time with Vanilla. When everything thawed around home, I went Up North to get one last round of cross country skiing in. The skiing was great...but for running I should have maybe checked out the race in Antarctica! After completing a shorty without slipping too much, and avoiding any injuries, I decided to save the longer run until I got home Sunday afternoon where I would only have to deal with wind and stray dogs!

Head Licking

2009-03-01T18:32:00.003-05:00

This is the typical scene after our runs with Fresca. She LOVES to lick Nathan's salty head! Today we did 5 miles (the highest of our long runs so far). I'm about ready for it to warm up, but other than that, it was a good run. It was my first run w/ the iPhone since I just got an armband for it this week. Theoretically I can use the Map My Run app w/ the GPS function to track my runs, however, I wasn't getting a strong enough signal. It worked out well that I had my phone on me today, though, because we found a stray dog - Topaz - on our run. We called the owner, but she actually rolled up in her mini-van right as I was calling. Apparently her dog always goes to the bus stop (?) when it escapes, so she knows right where to look for it. After our run we had toasted Loafer's cinnamon bread - what else can you ask for on a Sunday morning!

The Amazing Women Behind the Pittsburgh Marathon

2009-02-25T12:22:00.001-05:00

Link to article in Pop City Media

Our Own Paula Radcliffe

2009-02-23T09:01:00.002-05:00

This morning on a chilly 3 mile run, Fresca decides to do her business right in the middle of the street - we're talkin' directly on the double yellow lines in the center of the road! (She must have really had to go, because normally she is picky about where she decides to do #2.) Nathan now calls her Paula Radcliffe...hahaha!

The Forgotten Shoes

2009-02-20T19:43:00.002-05:00

Nathan happens to be in Key West right now (lucky dog!) and the plan was for him to take running gear and get in a 3 mile run and a 4 mile run. Unfortunately, he forgot to take his shoes! He was very distraught about it, so I'm pretty sure that he didn't actually do it on purpose. We discussed the option of overnighting them to him, but figured that we can both do the 4 mile run together when he gets home Sunday night.

In the meantime, Fres and I just did a 3 mile run in the frigid temps of lovely Pittsburgh, PA.

Media Coverage of Kat

2009-02-19T09:27:00.009-05:00

Our co-coach for Girls on the Run last year is running a marathon in Antarctica! Check out the coverage she is getting:

Post Gazette
Pitt News
You can also check out her blog at: Kat Runs Antarctica

Is That Fisk?

2009-02-17T14:06:00.003-05:00

Since we do an out and back route for our 3 mile run, Fisk Street is both our 1 mile marker and our 2 mile marker. Since we run in the dark, it is sometimes hard to tell when you are coming up on Fisk Street, especially when you are coming back down California and every street seems like it is Fisk.

We had a succession of four streets that Nathan thought were Fisk this morning. "Is that Fisk?"...run, run, run..."Is that Fisk?"...run, run, run..."Is that Fisk?"...run, run, run..."Is that Fisk?"

"Yes, THIS is IT!"

We have since noted that there is also a large tree stump at Fisk. Possibly this will reduce the "Is that Fisk" inquiries in the future.

What a week!

2009-02-15T23:24:00.002-05:00

Four runs and four different experiences this week checking to see how committed I am. I shed a couple layers early in the week, but still didn't expect to overheat that much in February. The rain on Wednesday and the 20mph wind on Thursday were a lot of fun. Then finished the week off with a 9 miler on a messy road mixed with fresh snow, ice, and leftover mud...not great footing, but I finished pretty strong. After encountering the variety of elements, my legs feel great and I'm excited for more. Also had a nice find at the local shoe store when they had a my shoe $20 off...Good week!

Wind Resistance

2009-02-12T08:25:00.004-05:00

Nathan and I set out to do a "speed" workout this morning. The plan was to do it on a flatter part of our roads and do two minutes fast, two minutes recovery. The wind was absolutely incredible. During our warm-up across the bridge over Camp Horne Road Fresca was literally blown right into the guardrail. We had thoughts of turning back, but at that point we were already out of bed, so figured we should go ahead with the workout.

Nathan's speed is very fast at the beginning of the two minutes - like 100 yard dash kind of speed - but he can't maintain that the whole time, so we've got to work on pacing. We might lay off of the speedwork for a few weeks until we get a better base under our belts. The wind played a big role in giving us resistance as we ran west, but on our way back east, we got a nice push from behind! We also got to rescue quite a few trashcans from the middle of the road!

I am a Slow Runner

2009-02-10T07:57:00.003-05:00

I'm realizing that I really need to run with other people to keep me moving. I can manage to run by myself and honestly it feels like I am running fast, but running today with Nathan on roads that I normally run on my own, I realize that I am a slacker when I'm by myself. He totally smokes me on the uphills!

Nathan and I have started the half marathon training plan! I sneakily made us do 3 miles on Sunday, but the schedule didn't really start until Monday, so we got in a run prior to the training - woohoo! The alarm went off at 5 am this morning and Nathan chipperly said, "OK, ready to go?" Good thing I was already laying down, cuz I would have fallen over if I had been standing up. I chimed in that I needed a little bit of snooze time, but we were up ten minutes later and then we headed out the door. Glad we beat the rain this morning - 39 degrees and rain is no fun.

Long time reader...first time poster!

2009-01-25T15:08:00.002-05:00

Thought I would hop on here and say howdy before I spook anyone else...sorry Lisa! Thank you to Megan for allowing me to contribute to aid in motivation for training this winter/spring. I just did not feel right posting until I could honestly say I was "training!" So, I think I am back in the game after a couple weeks of getting out into the COLD consistently, although I have a long way to go! I am hoping to be running the full marathon, but will be listening to my knee over the next month as to whether it would prefer the half. Either way, I look forward to running with some of you in Pittsburgh in a few months!

Go Steelers?

12, no 13 miler

2009-01-24T16:14:00.002-05:00

I've officially decided that this is my wimpiest running winter yet. I cannot comprehend how we would go out in sub zero temperatures every day...I did remember that Amber and I had unsuccessfully tried using some cheap (and tight!) balaclavas at one point that did not help with the breathing. I found a black fleece face guard this year and I love it - combined with my hat, only my lips and eyes are exposed. Normally I run at night or in the morning so people can't really see me anyways. But this sunny mid-morning I went out knowing that I would be miserable if I didn't wear it for the two hours of exposure. I was laughing for the first few miles as I pictured myself as looking like either a ninja or a power ranger....(and power ranger only because I was wearing red)...
The run went much better than I thought as I have a mental block of doing long runs by myself. It was also a run from the last marathon that I tried to do twice and never finished it (once due to the vintage grand prix) I ran past A LOT of other runners as well as two larger running groups and I couldn't help but smile as I'm pretty sure that most of us were training for the same marathon! The brief thaw left several inches of ice on the trails in both Frick and Schenley Parks forcing some small detours. I also thought it funny that the sun only came out as I was going downhill - all tough parts of the course were a bit gloomy! As I finished up, I was so excited that I was done for the weekend! No more procrastinating!

7 mile tempo

2009-01-21T22:01:00.002-05:00

After finding the extreme temperatures a good excuse to cross-train like crazy the last week, I knew today I finally needed to actually go out and do my tempo run. I tried to leave work on time but realized it took me 15 minutes to change into all my layers (Thank goodness for my own office) before I flew out the door to catch the last hour of sunlight. I started at the trail head under the 16th street bridge and looped through washington's landing, the strip and downtown. I was really excited as I started out running next to the river as the 'glaciers' floated down the river. It was positively gorgeous and I even had to stop once or twice just to watch the river. That was the highlight of the first three miles. All other aspects were miserable. I had not really thought that the trails would be snow covered and that no one would take care of clearing the sidewalks on the 31st street bridge. Needless to say, it was difficult to manuever between icy packed snow and slippery slush (or both). The beginning took long enough that I could barely make out the lovely sunset over the Ohio as I ran through the Strip. I was bummed I couldn't make it to the Ft. Duquense bridge to see it but was very happy to be back out running again - AND very excited to do our track workout tomorrow! (yeah, packing eveything in at once!)

Just Me & My Husky Making the First Tracks in the Fresh Snow

2009-01-18T15:27:00.002-05:00

I can understand the difficulty of climbing out of a warm bed in the wintertime to face single digit temperatures; however, when I hear the sound of snowplows in the morning I can hardly get ready quick enough to get out into the new, fresh snow. The sound of snowplows means that there's a fresh layer to make the first set of tracks in and I love the opportunity to do that. This morning, Fresca and I had a glorious trek through Emsworth enjoying the picturesque winter scene. It disappears quickly, though. By the time we were headed back, people were already venturing out to shovel their walks and clean off their cars.

Four Years Old!

2009-01-14T21:07:00.002-05:00

Crazy Daisies is now four years old, which is kind of making ME start to feel old. I do marvel about those days back in 2006 that I actually went out in this frigid weather to do track workouts...seriously, WHAT was I thinking and WHERE did I find the time to do it? 2007 I was a slacker - brought clothes to Hermitage, but did NO running. 2008 - did some treadmill runs, but that was it. 2009 - I'm on pace w/ 2008, though if you note from a previous post, I DID use the incline function on the treadmill which is a big step (no pun intended) for me!

A Ponytail Workout

2009-01-13T20:46:00.002-05:00

Guess what, I'm totally able to get my hair into a ponytail now! I'm up in Greenville and we hit up the Y tonight. Since I've just been running outside w/ a hat or headband, I haven't tried to get my hair back into a ponytail, so super excited that it works!

Also, I tackled the scary treadmill tonight...and I even did a program that used the incline. I had it up to an 11% grade - it is pretty tough!

Let the training begin!

2009-01-12T21:02:00.002-05:00

It was an odd realization that we're all somewhat on our own for the Pittsburgh Marathon doing different training programs and even different races. Without the moral support (and organization) I almost missed the first week of training... But this morning as delays were being called as the snow covered the ground (Ok, only an inch or so), Geoff and I peeled ourselves out from under the covers and proceeded to do our "track" workout. (Now you're probably wondering why Geoff got up too...he promised to be my 'rabbit' for track practices. That way he doesn't have to run the whole thing, but I have someone to help me keep up my speed. So far he's made good on his promise!!).

The workout was 3 mile repeats with a one minute rest interval. (You can tell it's a hard program since there wasn't really a rest!) We did laps around the 1/2 mile block which made it seem so much faster. And it was fast, my times came in at 7:02, 6:56 and 7:13. That shocked me but maybe all my biking/rowing downstairs is paying off :) Ok, maybe it's just that I was chasing someone with much longer legs.

I have also decided that I'm only doing two 20 mile runs (vs. the 5 in the program) Mainly because one happens in Oregon and one in Hawaii....Don't think so! I am also going to try to do a lot of my long runs on portions of the marathon course. If anyone is interested to join, let me know!

P.S. Who is Mad Bomber? I just saw the name one day and it startled me.... :)

The First Run of 2009

2009-01-04T08:28:00.003-05:00

I definitely let the holidays, Hawaii and busy workload excuses pile up since we ran the marathon, so I think today was just about my first day out for a run since the marathon. Fres and I did a frigid short run around the neighborhood.

I needed to get new shoes after the marathon anyhow, but I was definitely realizing that I needed to get new ones today because I trashed mine with red Hawaiian mud while hiking with Deb & Nick!

Swift and Beautiful for Thee

2008-12-23T23:48:00.002-05:00

Just got my GCC women's XC 20 year PAC champions T-shirt in the mail today. Lisa - you'll be happy to know that you are listed on the shirt as both Lisa Gregor AND Lisa Gehring.

Honolulu Marathon

2008-12-17T22:52:00.003-05:00

In my effort to keep up on marathons around the world, it slipped through the cracks that I was going to be in Honolulu for this year's marathon. We started seeing signs on Thursday night about traffic detours, etc. and then back from the recesses of my mind I remember that we contemplated doing this marathon our senior year of college, mainly because of the convenience of the date right after cross-country season, but clearly our college incomes didn't allow us to make the trip. Anyhow, don't know if it makes my top ten list for next marathons. It starts at 5 am. Course is not spectacular, but not bad either. Its during the rainy season in Hawaii. (They got dumped on!) Here are a few pictures:

We only came across the actual marathon route because we were attempting to watch what we thought was an 8 am HST Steelers game. We did not realize it had been switched to a 4:15 pm EST game. (Still enjoyed breakfast though.)

All the soggy runners.
A Hawaiian warrior stops for some replenishment.
Two nearly nude Hawaiian men (and one is BAREFOOT)!

puppy running

2008-12-02T08:54:00.002-05:00

Since Megan added Fresca as a member, i thougt i would post on behalf of Reggie.

This morning that aweful human person i live with let me run on the leash...normally she's all, "stop pulling me so hard." (wimp!) So i took control of my end of the leash with my mouth and dragged her about two miles...but she was such a pain and wouldnt let me stop and sniff or anything. Then just to get back at her i peed on her bed!

SO there you have it! I ask you, my friends, how far is too far for a 4-5 month old puppy? She is used to walking that little 2 mile loop and she seemed to like running it, but then i got puppy terrorism on my bed. Perhaps unrelated??? But she has NEVER done any kind of urination on my bed before and she has been pretty well house-broken for a couple of weeks. So i think it was terrorism. Do you guys have any idea what kind of distances dogs can do?

Thanks!

Calling All Spinners!

2008-11-18T15:27:00.002-05:00

I haven't been spinning in f-o-r-e-v-e-r and am planning on going this Thursday night at 6 pm at the downtown YMCA. Todd Kart is the instructor who is friends with Emery; he has fairly recently moved back to Pittsburgh. (Emery had asked me if I knew of any accounting jobs for Todd, so that's how I am connected.) Let me know if you might come and I'll keep an eye out for you!

Running Movies to Watch

2008-11-08T21:53:00.003-05:00

OK, two weeks since the MCM have very quickly slipped away with no running accomplishments to speak of. (There WAS that leisurely bike ride with Em on the Montour Trail, but that barely counts as cross-training.) I HAVE finished the third book in the Twilight series AND blazed through all 9 episodes of True Blood (Nathan was out of town), so I've done my fair share of being a couch potato. To add to that, I have some running movies to add to our list of "must see running movies":

The Spirit of the Marathon (2008)
Born to Run (2008)
Run for Your Life (2008)
The Long Green Line
Indulgence: 1,000 Miles Under the Colorado Sky
The Games (1970)
The Four Minute Mile (1988)
The Jericho Mile (1979)
Run Lola Run (1999)
Fire on the Track (1995)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Across the Tracks (1989) stars Brad Pitt
Second Wind (1976)
Personal Best (1992)
Chariots of Fire - How can this NOT make the list of must see running movies?

Some appear to be oldies but goodies...they came from a Runner's World sidebar.

20th PAC Championship

2008-11-03T12:53:00.001-05:00

Grove City wins 20th straight conference title!

Marine Corps Marathon - Post-race

2008-10-27T11:03:00.004-04:00

Birthday girl, Krissy Gleason, made signs for us...she only saw Jessie along the course, though.
Three happy Crazy Daisies after the race was over!
Congratulations were passed around.

Marine Corps Marathon - Race Photos

2008-10-27T10:57:00.002-04:00

Flying by at the reservoir near Georgetown
Near mile 2 (Lisa and Debo are right in the background)
Our first sighting of our spectators
Happy spectators before any of the action began.

Marine Corps Marathon - Pre-race

2008-10-27T10:51:00.003-04:00

Our supporters mapping out their spectator route the night before the race.

Getting dropped off at the Crystal City shuttle location.

Yes, it was cold!
Little does Lisa know, but she is about to run the whole marathon!

Final Run on a Frosty Morning

2008-10-23T10:31:00.002-04:00

Today I was finally able to head out the door into the frigid air and be cozy warm in long pants and a sweatshirt. I don't know why I have that stupid rule that I can't wear pants unless it is 39 degrees or below. I am thinking about amending this rule to allow for pants-wearing in the fall when it is 45 degrees or below. The springtime is a different story, because after months of below freezing weather, anything in the thirties actually feels warm!

So Fresca and I enjoyed a short run that was the final run before the Marine Corps Marathon!

Sunrise and Sunset

2008-10-22T23:16:00.003-04:00

Only one more official to run to go before the big race! I just had to comment on the gorgeous sunrise we saw on our last long run of the MCM training this past weekend. As we were coming up Beechwood, we could look off to our left and see the sun and its magnificent colors beginning to pop up. Then on Tuesday, for our last speed workout, Lisa and I saw a great sunset, while up atop the hill where the Avonworth track sits. It was frigid and windy up there!

New Runner Perks

2008-10-22T19:28:00.001-04:00

Looks like I could have a bit of luxury thanks to my latest shoe purchase - it's amazing how companies are getting their name out there.

From the MCM website:

WEAR BROOKSWear your MCM 2008 Brooks gear or Brooks shoes on race day and you'll earn access to the luxurious Brooks VIP Porta Potty. Climate controlled and staffed with an outside attendant, the Porta Potty has hot and cold running water and stalls with full doors!

Marine Corps HALF Marathon

2008-10-14T08:00:00.002-04:00

I was down in DC this weekend, so I met up with Jessie to get a little preview of the MCM course. From Jessie's apartment, we ran down to the starting area (just a short little trip; super convenient) and then we ran along a trail beside the river. We didn't actually do much of the MCM course, but it was great to know where the start/finish area is! We had a gorgeous day - can't wait for the actual race!

The 20-Miler (in 5 mile increments)

2008-10-05T21:21:00.003-04:00

Mile 0 - all smiles and ready for the run:
Mile 5 - downing the first Honey Stinger energy gel:
Mile 10 - The sun is still shining - what a great day for a run:
Mile 15 - Five more to go and Debo is no longer in the picture...uh-oh:
Mile 20 - Yay! Peace sign/20 mile signifier as the sun sets in the background:
Time to go home and soak my feet in ice so that they fit into dress shoes for work tomorrow!

Nipple Anecdotes

2008-09-11T08:59:00.004-04:00

I was corresponding with Mike Roche about a few first time marathoner tips and I mentioned the bloody nipples thing that is so painful to see on guys. Here is his response - I thought it was hilarious!

"I appreciate your nipple anecdotes, better to be forewarned! After the 15 mile run, I didn't initially feel anything, but the next day I realized for like the first time in my life that I even had nipples - because they hurt! So I have been doing the petroleum jelly thing on them too for the longer runs."

Witness to a Bar Fight

2008-09-10T22:38:00.003-04:00

The chances of witnessing a bar fight drastically increase when you run at the 8:30 pm time as opposed to the 5:30 am time. I did not actually witness the fight, but I did witness the police showing up at Carline Cafe in Avalon and I overhead this snipet, "Well, when the magistrate gets here, he is not going to want to hear..." I should have slowed down a little to get the rest of the sentence, but the anticipation did help me keep up my tempo pace. Since I was doing an out and back, I was hoping I could get back to the same spot by the time the magistrate showed up. Alas, when I got back to the spot everything was dissolved.

Successful Sprints

2008-09-10T08:54:00.002-04:00

I went up to Schenley Park since they have the 1k trail around the track so I thought it would be perfect for the 1k, 2k, 1k, 1k w/ 400m rest intervals. Here are my splits: 4:27, 9:08, 4:44 and 4:12. Guess which one I saw my old track coach and he ran half with me. It was so fantastic to see him in the running mode again and he very naturally gave me coaching tips (like run on the track, not asphalt and not really the hardened trails). I'm not sure if I can follow that for the 9 mile tempo, but maybe part of it... He also introduced me to some of the ladies in his track club as I might try to connect with them after the MCM. They seem very nice and their only requirement was that I didn't run with a purse. Oh yeah, it happened... So I'm off to the PT tonight to find if there is some remedy for my ankle. (Oh AND my coach said that I have plenty of time to heal up before MCM!)

A Test Drive

2008-09-09T06:21:00.002-04:00

I finally got a bike this weekend, so I took it out for a test ride this morning. It was still dark enough that I couldn't really see what gear I was changing into and I was under strict instruction to keep low numbers with low numbers, high numbers with high numbers and no extremes in the middle, so I didn't want to experiment too much. It was also very windy and a little misty-rainy outside, so I just did a short ride. Look forward to testing it out more!

Debo's Longest Run

2008-09-09T06:18:00.002-04:00

Saturday Deborah and I headed out to the Montour Trail to do our 16 mile long run. We had forgotten that the IKEA half marathon was being held that day, so we had many race officials tell us to get off of the course. We used the excuse that we were cheering for folks and that appeased some of them. We did have to stay off of the course for a little while in the middle of our run, but then we hopped back on until the top runners caught back up to us. We neared the finish line among the top ten - quite fun to be at the front of the pack. Overall, I thought the run went well. I could definitely tell that it was the longest run yet of our training, but that's why we're training, right?

A Steamy Long Run on Bayshore Blvd.

2008-09-01T20:57:00.004-04:00

My 12 mile long run this weekend was done in steamin' hot Tampa, FL. I know Amber is running in hot weather and what she might describe as a dry sauna, but let me tell you that Tampa is a wet sauna. As soon as you walk out of an air-conditioned building you are slammed with a steamy wall of hot air and you take a deep breath because it is hard to actually breathe! I woke up at 5:30 am (after only three alcoholic beverages the day before, topped with too much time in the sun and about four and a half hours of sleep) to get out the door while it was still dark outside. The darkness helped slightly, but it just meant that the sun wasn't beating down on you; its not like it made it actually "cool" or anything like that. I ran down Bayshore Blvd. into the city and explored a few different dead ends and then ran back up Bayshore towards MacDill Air Force Base. I really only ran by time (and I counted a ten minute breakfast break at Starbucks that was imperative since I couldn't turn on the lights in the kitchen to get anything before the run b/c there were 4 people sleeping on the floor) so I don't know if I quite got 12 miles, but at least I know that I ran for 2+ hours and sweated at least as much as I normally would in Pittsburgh!

Track Usage

2008-08-27T12:41:00.002-04:00

I added two links that should be helpful in determining when our favorite tracks are available. The high school sports link should be good for any high school facilities. And the CMU one should be good for that. (You need to look at the upcoming events on the right-hand sidebar.) I was also glad to see that the CMU track is officially open to the public. I always wonder if we are technically allowed to be there since we don't have any affiliation, but I figure no one enforces it. Well, it looks like we actually ARE allowed to be there!

900% Price Increase in Swimming

2008-08-27T07:31:00.002-04:00

I went to the Downtown Y to swim this morning. Since the price I've been paying for swimming jumped from $1 to $10, that represents a 900% price increase! Yikes! Glad (well, generally) that nothing has changed in the four months since I've been at the Y. Same door code; same guys that flirts with the lifeguard, distracting her from saving my life; same cleaning lady. Only different thing I noticed is that somehow they increased the water pressure in my favorite shower.

On another note, I think I'm ready to bump up my swim plans. I had it set on a 30-45 minute workout and I think today is the first time that I finished under 30 minutes, so I figure that I'm outgrowing the level I am at. Might do another time trial next time I'm in the pool and figure out where I'm at.

On another, completely unrelated note - I saw a guy wearing a Santa tie this morning. He didn't look crazy or anything though. Maybe he just put it on in the dark.

www.pittsburghmarathon.com

2008-08-27T07:28:00.002-04:00

I was excited to hear that registration is now open for the Pittsburgh Marathon, but a little disappointed that they don't have their website up and running. Since they had contact information at active.com, I was able to get in touch with the office and find out that it will be available in about three weeks. Since they already filled the first 50 slots that get Dick's gift cards, I'm boycotting registration until the website is live. Not that there's really any question whether or not I'm running it!

The Final Swim of the Summer

2008-08-21T12:16:00.003-04:00

Alas, the days in the outdoor pool have drawn to a close. Lisa and I did our last swim of the summer at Avalon last night. The pool will be closed next week since kids are back in school and then it will be open for Labor Day weekend before they shut down for the season. We have been starting to get a chill in the air on our recent swims - incentive to jump in and start swimming fast!

From Dawn to Dusk

2008-08-18T23:01:00.003-04:00

After we decided not to do our 13-miler together on Sunday morning, I knew that I was going to have trouble fitting it all in one chunk. I did a quick calculation before I went to bed on Saturday night, factoring in how early I was willing to get up and how much mileage I was really willing to do later in the day. The plan was to do 6 in the am and then 7-8 in the afternoon. (I figured I would add in an extra mile since I was giving myself the benefit of a break.) Well, as the afternoon task list grew, I was comprising with myself, saying, "OK, you can get 6 miles in this afternoon and then do 2 more tonight with Fresca..." Then it trickled down to 4...and eventually I got out the door and did 2 measly miles in the blazing sun. It was pretty hot, so all in all I'm glad that I didn't do a lot of mileage in the afternoon. After the sun went down and we returned from Church again, I headed out the door to do my final 5 miles for the day. (Fresca finished the last 2 with me.) I have to say, even with breaking it up, my legs were feeling pretty heavy by the end of the run.

Swimming with Sarah

2008-08-12T23:39:00.003-04:00

OK - I WENT to the pool tonight, but didn't end up actually swimming. My friend Heather called to see if she and Sarah could come along tonight, but we forgot that Tuesday night is Adult Night only at Avalon, so we ended up going over to Avonworth. I ended up being in charge of camera duty and since they don't really have a separate lap lane, I just headed home to start my Olympic watching! Tomorrow will be my speed workout!

Aren't they just the cutest pair?

Lithuania v. Argentina Basketball

2008-08-10T22:15:00.002-04:00

If you happen to be getting up for a 12 mile run early on a Sunday morning, this might be your only Olympic watching availability...though I think Lisa actually got some good LIVE action pre-6 am while it was still being broadcast on NBC before it switched to USA coverage.

What a gorgeous Sunday morning long run! Perfect weather and we both felt great on the run!

Once a Runner - REPRINT

2008-08-06T11:27:00.002-04:00

After the release of Again to Carthage, by John L. Parker, Jr., I really wanted to read the first book, Once a Runner. Only problem was that it was out of print and the cheapest price I could find for a copy was about $200. Looks like based on the success of Again to Carthage, that they are going to have a reprint of Once a Runner, so it is due out April 7, 2009 at a very reasonable $16.32! You can pre-order now!

The Best Place to Get Hit by Lightning

2008-08-06T08:23:00.003-04:00

While doing our speed workout last night, Lisa and I discussed the topic of lightning strikes and we agree - the best place to get hit by lightning would be the track at CMU. While, it is highly unlikely that you actually would get hit due to the number of large metal objects (goalposts, stadium lights, etc.) sticking up into the air that are much taller than a human, it is the ideal place as there are always a lot of people in the vicinity and you are so close to all of the Oakland hospitals - just a very short ride in an ambulance!

This topic came up since a storm was brewing and, quite ideally, started dropping rain on us during our 4th of 5 1k repeats. It started out with a nice, cooling sprinkle and then as we were doing our cooldown it dumped pretty hard on us. It stopped and as we were doing some stretches we saw Erica Howard, who we had just been talking about the other day when we ran past her condo - how ironic!

[Even though we were discussing lightning, there actually ended up being no thunder and lightning in this storm - just rain!]

Swimming Update

2008-07-30T22:58:00.002-04:00

Two firsts for today - bilateral breathing (ie every three strokes on alternating sides instead of every other stroke on the same side) and a swim cap!

People Who Run Downtown

2008-07-30T22:50:00.002-04:00

So Amber, Lisa and Debo should have gotten "verbal blog posts" from me last night about my experience running with the People Who Run Downtown running club. Needless to say this was a classic case of showing off your running skills and getting totally burned. It was a hot afternoon at 5:30 pm (not my prime for running) and I started off with my friend Heather and one of her friends at what I thought was a reasonable tempo pace. Would have been fine if we were only running a 5k, but since we were running 6, it caught up to me and I had to slow down at about the half way point. Luckily our route was simple - we started at Double Wide Grill, ran across Hot Metal, down the Jail Trail, across Smithfield and back up to Double Wide. The person who did the map took us back up Carson Street, but I opted to do the trail down along the river...and since I was by myself, this was a totally fine option. Afterwards, we waited about half an hour to get served at Double Wide and eventually bailed and headed over to Cupka's II - ah, the Belasco burger, what a way to celebrate a run!

I did it!

2008-07-25T09:28:00.002-04:00

When my alarm went off today at five, every excuse in the book popped up as reasons why I should stay in bed. Instead, I got up and slowly left the house embarking on the same run that we had planned for last week but were unable to do since the Grand Prix was going on. The morning was quiet as I climbed hill after hill. Forbes might have been easier than Panther Hollow/Beacon - the hill that just KEEPS going up and up. Overall the run was good, I had a longer stop near the beginning but total time was 1:55 so not bad going solo on a tough course. Oh yeah, to extend the 11 mile route I went up Commercial at the very end into Swisshelm Park - that was slightly masochistic. Glad to be done for the weekend but really wanting to take a nap at work!

Don't Try to Breathe on the Left Side and Count Strokes at the Same Time

2008-07-23T22:19:00.002-04:00

OK - I better not ever have to do accounting while underwater - I can't swim and count at the same time. (Plus, I was making it extra hard because I was trying to breathe on the left side...I am not an ambidextrous breather.) I ended up with a nose full of water while trying to count my strokes during a "freestyle DPS" set (distance per set). It was a chilly night for swimming - the kind of temperature where you just want to stay IN the water and not expose your skin to the cold air!

Successful Swimming

2008-07-17T12:23:00.003-04:00

I am loving the swimming workouts I am getting from swimplan.com (recommended by Kat). Swimming is not my strongpoint, but it feels so good and though I'm not getting too far very quickly, it seems to be a good workout. I did not actually complete the time trial they suggest you do upon signing up; I just guessed as to where I was (basically one level up from "Save-Me-I'm-Drowning!") Yesterday was my first timed swim and I hit the first 100 interval right on the nose. I got a little slower as they went on, but no more than 10 seconds over (and during two of the 100s there was an "interference" from 1) a ball, 2) a kid floating through the lap lane). Again, while I'm not good at it, I like the focused swims, like streamline, one-arm freestyle, push and glide, breathe right-breathe left, that make you focus on your swimming and then when you go back to normal freestyle, you feel like you learned something and can apply it!