Debo's Longest Run

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

Too Hot to Handle

Even though we had originally decided that later night track workouts would be better, Megan and I left work promptly at 5 and headed to the track. I'm not sure if today was an Ozone Alert day or just very close (tomorrow is supposed to be as well)...The first four of 12 400s went well - 94-96 seconds apiece. After our first water break, things went drastically downhill. Megan was able to stay somewhat consistent. I, however, could not as I was on the verge of vomiting for the first time ever running...We made it through 8 repeats total and decided to back off due to extreme weather conditions. Next time we will definitely wait a few hours to start our run...

Weekend Overload

Met up with Megan and Deborah at the North Park Boat House for our ten miler. We decided to do a 9 mile loop so as not to repeat loops around the lake. Since we reversed the loops, we unofficially did 10.12 miles - not bad, especially with that hill during mile 7! Yoga came next where we baked in the hot sun and apparently I was the only one getting attacked by fruit flies...annoying.

I got home and planned to do some "gardening" (otherwise known as ripping the weeds out of the potential garden area) but found Geoff getting ready to cut down the biggest and nastiest of the hedges in front of our house. So five hours later, we were finished cutting and chopping and digging and cleaning up...

As if my legs hadn't gotten enough work, Geoff and I played tennis on Sunday. I only lasted about 45 minutes and could move no more. But it was super fun to play on the clay courts for the first time!

Update for the Week

After a not so good weekend, I was able to get back on track with the whole training thing...

Swim on Tuesday - switched around the schedule to ease back into the program. I was very upset as I was driving to Avalon under a looming black cloud. I was nervous that it would be closed again. I was even more nervous when I got there and everyone was packing up. Well, I was in luck, third time is a charm - it was adult swim night. A little weird that they had four lifeguards for four people but I got in my 1400yd swim (I asked for an easier plan and it was longer than the last! - OK only by 50 yds, but still!). I love swimming and am so glad we have a program that requires cross training!

Speed on Wednesday - I did the 4x 3min fast/3min slow. I thought I might have been cheating since the first fast segment was all down-hill. In defense it was a very strong downhill performance...BUT it turned out that I only had two minutes fast on flat land remaining - the rest was uphill! Yikes! And to make matters worse, I was doing sort of an out and back loop, but I didn't turn back quite soon enough - I guess an extra mile of cool down never hurt anyone!

Tempo on Thursday - I found that the owners with the nasty unleashed dogs go walking right after work. So going in the morning or late evening (also nice as the sun has gone down a bit) is my best bet not to get bitten. My tempo was a little off as my two mile easy was faster than easy as I seemed to be working off stress from work. The tempo run actually felt good! And it was nice to get a compliment at my 'speed' even if it was from a three year with training wheels!

Broken Leg

I don't think I have told any of you the story yet, but Nathan's dad broke his leg! He fell off his bike as he was riding into work in the morning. It was a "one-bike" accident, ie - he was not hit by a car or anything, he just sort of fell over. He was only three houses away, so he hobbled back home and Maggie (the physical therapist in training) took a look at him. As she was looking at him, she got a little nauseous from the concrete burns he had on his leg, so the two of them were both laying on the floor in agnst when Nathan's mom came downstairs to check out the action. He is taking it in a light-hearted manner and luckily he has a co-worker proficient with photo-editing tools (see photos below)! (He is probably out for the Great Race this year...)

Palm Tree Wading Pool

OK - this really has nothing to do with running or related cross training, but figured I'd include another kiddie wading pool picture...this is Nathan's second cousin, (what does that make him to me?) Trent. His parents just sent us Fourth of July pictures!

I finally got a chance to try out my grab bag swimsuit tonight...I now understand why speedos have drawstrings in them...almost lost my bottoms when I pushed off from the wall tonight. Pretty much had the pool to myself - there were no more than seven other people there throughout the time I was in the pool. I also tried out the swim workout provided by swimplan.com.

Best Quote from the Olympic Trials

“Now I’m thinking that maybe it’s a blessing from God that I don’t have to run the marathon in Beijing. All the marathoners are complaining so much about the event there, but I’ll get to stop after six miles. Maybe I’ll come out to the 26-mile mark of the marathon and cheer for them near the finish.”

- Abdi Adirahman, after coming in first in the 10,000 meters

(I guess sometimes even worldclass athletes just don't really want to run that far...)

Pirate Ship Wading Pool

I had a fairly uneventful 9 mile run this morning. I decided not to do the Sewickley route on my own for fear of getting lost (Don't worry, Debo, with Lisa and my powers combined, we should be able to get through it.), so I extended my normal tempo run route. Its basically down California Avenue, so its a road I'm familiar with in a car, but I have never run that far; you see different things when you run as opposed to drive, including this exciting Pirate Ship Wading Pool (the highlight of my run)!

Brentwood 5k

The Troxells seventh annual running of the Brentwood Firecracker 5k......and Miles's first!

Downtown Bellevue at Noon

Things have been slow in the office and I figured why sit at my desk ogling the outside when I could just take a day off and enjoy the summer. Nathan joined me on my spontaneous day-off adventure. We started with 9 holes at Clover Hill with our friend Matt Misja and then Nathan had to do his one obligatory work meeting downtown, so I hammered out the tempo run. I was hitting downtown Bellevue right around noon and let me tell you, I almost plowed over at least three blue hairs. Bellevue is a happening place at high-noon. Just as my run was ending it started to sprinkle (I've been contemplating how many of our recent Pgh posts refer to a rainy run...you would think we lived in Seattle or something). I took a quick shower and Heather & Sarah Misja picked me up for a girls lunch at Sewickley Cafe - delicious - tomato dill soup & a tomato, basil mozzarella sandwich on ciabatta. The rainy afternoon led into a relaxing nap - oh, what a perfect day!

No swimming for me again

I was all ready to go swimming tonight even though it was below 70 degrees. I had called earlier in the evening and they were still open. Of course by the time I drove to the pool, it was dead and there was no luck for me. I now have the # in my phone so that I can call on my way to be sure...So after taking 1:45 to get home from work (traffic was a disaster), I rocked out on my rowing machine. It was a little like spinning with changing tempo with whatever song might come on - no planning necessary! (At least I had six different stations to flip through quickly if I didn't like a song). My favorite part was that a Lincoln Park song came on right at the end which was truly reminiscent of a great spin class!

Girls Weekend

What a fun weekend with the girls - we started with the WYEP Summer Music Festival, continued with a morning run/bike & outdoor yoga in Tunnel Park...
...(Miles did some of his own cross training in the water), enjoyed delicious smoothies & waffles at the McKinneys...
...stuffed our faces with cupcakes...
and then finished with some shopping, the viewing of Sex & the City and cocktails at Kelly's!

XXIX Olympiad Stamps

You may well know that I am excited for the Olympics to begin on 8/8/08! Here are the US postal stamps you can get in anticipation of the Olympics that will soon be upon us. There are lots of trials starting this week - T&F today; swimming on Sunday. Here is the television coverage listing for T&F.

Unsuccessfully outrunning the rain...

Since I can no longer get out of bed before 7:30, I missed the morning storm. However, I got off the bus last night and the sky was gray and the air heavy with the humidity of an impending storm. I waited around for about a half hour hoping that the rain would start and it wouldn't feel so oppressive. No luck for me! During the tempo part in the middle of Frick Park I was afraid that I might be stranded the way the trees started blowing and how very very dark it had gotten by 7:30. There was also no sign of wildlife like there usually was - everything was already under shelter.
I do want bonus points for doing 3 miles at tempo pace - 2 as scheduled and the last mile that happened while the storm slammed the area. I thought about stopping but then I would just be wet and stranded in Regent Square. So I sprinted home as much as I possibly could with the water coming up around my feet as fast as it was coming down. I normally don't mind running in the rain - or even storms- but I had never been so close to the lightning and felt the thunder! Glad I made it back - hope my shoes dry out before Saturday!

P.S. Luna has this new powder for a smoothie treat post exercise. I tried the strawberry bannana flavor - NOT Good! I will try the chocolate, but I assume it will not be much better!

Solitary Swim

After getting stuck in Pirates/Yankees traffic, I finally made it to the pool. I paid my dollar fee all in dimes, much to the amusement of the attendant. I knew Megan would be late if she was able to make it at all so I jumped in (well, slowly and painfully lowered myself in) and got started. There was no one else in the lane with me and I was a little uncreative with my workout. I swam for a 1/2 hour but then was so bored that I just quit. I have since then registered with swimplan.com and have a great workout for next week!

"Crazy" is an understatement...

One of my crazy owners had the bright idea to do a tempo work-out this morning in the middle of a rainstorm. Needless to say, after 4 grueling miles we arrived home soaking wet. Now I have to listen to the owners complain about the 'wet dog' smell. It's not my fault she leashed me up and dragged me out in the rain...

Outrunning the Storm (and a Train)

This weeks marks the official beginning of our training program for the Marine Corps Marathon. We started with our first speed workout yesterday. Lisa and I met downtown and crossed over the Smithfield Bridge so that we could run along the trail in the Southside. Speedwork was 1 minute fast, three minutes recovery x 6. (Easy to start!) There were some ominous clouds blowing in as we ran and we witnessed the Monongahela covered with whitecaps - blowing UPstream! We basically outran the storm and made it back to a covered PPG building where we did our stretching at the end.

(We also saw three trains on our run - the most I think I've seen on that trail...the first train required us to pick up the pace in order to cross the tracks so we didn't have to stand there and wait for it.)

A Run Up Memory Lane

No strolls down memory lane for these gals...we did a traditional eight mile loop that we used to always do in Shadyside. We met at "the corner" and then headed up Beechwood, through Squirrel Hill and back down Wilkins. Notable occurrences from the run - a comment on that blue car with corrugated aluminum on all the windows - "Has that car EVER moved?" (Answer - I don't think since we've all lived in Pgh that it has moved.) Also, we witnessed the aftermath of a hit and run accident on Murray. We are pretty sure no one was injured, but a car sideswiped at least three cars and a bike (chained to a parking meter) and pushed a jeep onto the sidewalk, enough that it broke the store front window it was next to. We witnessed the firetruck coming to the scene a few moments later (unfortunate occurrence, but good distraction for making it up the Murray Avenue hill).

Women's Shoes

Remember how the guy at Athlete's Foot told me that my feet are too wide and I have to wear men's shoes? I guess I never thought it through the whole way, but it is an option to get shoes in a higher width and I guess I just never exercised that option. I continued to suffer through wearing blah-colored men's shoes. I finally had the revelation to just buy women's shoes in the next width up, so I got cute teal-colored shoes and I took them out for their first run this morning!

Cool Evening Run

After spending all day in an over air-conditioned office, I had to fight every inclination to go home and curl up under a big blanket. I was handsomely rewarded when I had one of the best runs I've had in long time. The weather was cool and it looked like it was going to rain the entire time. The cool temperatures were actually a relief and I ran a quick 4 mile loop. I think yoga is already paying off. My stride is noticeably stronger and longer and my core is stable. I finally understand what Amber went through when she would always run ahead of us since "it was too painful to slow down". Now my only hope is that I'll figure out how to pick up my feet! The only not so good parts were the dozens of leash-less dogs who outnumbered their not so aware owners - including two pit bulls who were playing/fighting...

A Misty Morning Run

This morning we had the best guided tour through the Sewickley area! James Hendrickson agreed to join us on our run so that he could show off some of Sewickley's fine routes. We started in the Village and enjoyed ourselves on wide, tree-lined streets with million dollar homes, including Mario Lemieux's (okay, maybe his is a multi-million dollar home). Then we got into the more remote areas and the terrain turned to rolling hills. We had an absolutely gorgeous western Pennsylvania forest to run in and we had a light rain that came at just the right time. The best part was that our last mile or so was all downhill back to our starting point - a reward we had earned with all of our hard work getting up to that point!

(The least idyllic part of our run was the snake roadkill we came across...the thing was massive!)

Just some information

Hi! This isn't really to talk about running...since I've been cramming a lot in my schedule this week with carpooling/CPA exam classes/studying and working, but I am trying to fit it in whenever I can. I work out at a gym in my office building, so it's easy enough to get to. Yesterday I only had 10 minutes before I had to leave for the carpool, so I jumped on the treadmill and ran as fast as I could for 10 minutes. Hey, it was something right? :)

SO, I wanted to clue you girls in on the wedding plans...at least where they are right now. I'm heading to Oregon after work (with Ryan). We were intially going there to celebrate multiple birthdays and Father's Day, but now it has turned into a cram-as-much-into-the-weekend situation to check out wedding locations/info. Poor dad (and mom). I'm meeting with a photographer tomorrow morning - his photos look cool, and he's not too spendy (and we get the digital photo files), so we'll see. Then Sunday in Portland, on our way to the airport, we're checking out a church, reception place, and rehearsal dinner place which is also a place where out of town guests would stay. It will be busy, for sure. We're still thinking early May of 2009, in Portland, but we'll see about that. We'd like to get married sooner, so who knows.

AND - I get to finally try on some dresses in Albany (the bridal shop will be interesting...). I just wanted to keep you girls in the loop. I thought this might be easier than writing multiple e-mails. :) I miss you all and SOOO hope you can all make it to the wedding.

Have a great weekend!!

My Four-Legged Running Partner

Most of you already know, but Amber didn't and I wanted to get a picture up anyhow - Fresca is my new four-legged running partner! The Melders are moving to a house with a smaller yard and also just aren't quite positive that Fresca won't someday maul Koen (highly unlikely, but you're allowed to be overprotective on that front). Anyhow, we are loving having Fresca around. She makes us get outside more and we have been exploring the trails in the woods back behind our house. She does a pretty good job running, especially considering that its about 70 degrees warmer than what her ideal running temperature would be. Huskies won't slow down when they are hurt or tired (kind of like us). It is a survival thing for them (unlike us...for us it is more of a pride thing), so I will need to keep a good eye on her. She especially loves licking the salt off of me when I am done with a run!

I've asked Fresca to be a Crazy Daisy and she agreed, so you can look forward to future posts from her!

Hello from Afghanistan!

We received a response to the package we sent as our service project for Girls on the Run:

Hello Girls on the Run!! It was so kind for your organization to think of us. The cards are great & helped add some color to the walls of our barracks! I hope you all do great on your 5K. I enjoy doing triathlons & miss not being able to do them this summer. I don't think there are any Afghan Triathlons! Lol!

Again, thank you for thinking of us over here. It makes us fell good to know that we are not forgotten.

God bless America!

Trevor

PS - Here's a pic of me with some of the local children we're helping.

Circle Swimming

Lisa and I had our first experience at the Avalon Community Pool. They basically have one lap lane set up which separates the shallow end from the deep end. As we got into the pool there was this hugely cranky woman saying that she was waiting to swim in the lap lane next (there was a very slow guy in there by himself). I asked her if we could circle swim and she said she didn't think this guy knew how to do it and she didn't think that's how they did it here. Lisa and I were beginning to realize that this lady just wanted something to complain about, so the next time the guy came around, we asked if he would share the lane. Of course he was willing, so we all hopped in. Four people in a lane is a little much, but I knew that once we got going, the slow guy would head out. He was really just in there because I think he was bored of playing with his kids. Then we just had cranky lady to deal with. Luckily, Lisa could smoke her, so we (by we, I mean Lisa) showed her what was up and we generally had a good workout. Occassionally, you get kids crossing through the lane to get back and forth between the shallow and deep ends, but the lifeguards were good at blowing the whistle on them and it worked out pretty well. For an outdoor community pool at $1 admission, I think its worth it!

Two little fishies

Megan and I met up at the Avonworth Pool tonight (well I was VERY late but she was very patient). It was $1 since we were there after six and they had one lane reserved for lap swimming. We were very happy with that but were stunned by the woman who had sat there for 10 minutes and was very angry that we just expected to get in the lane before her! She was pretty condescending - especially to the guy who was currently swimming in trunks with no goggles - she just assumed that he was uninformed and quite stupid and wouldn't know how to circle swim...well, it made me feel better that I was able to not only pass her quickly but even lap her - I think she actually helped me stay focused and swim faster. I lost count of my laps quickly since I was busy maneuvering around her and other random kids who got stuck in the lap lane positioned between the main pool and the deep end. We got at least a solid 35 minute swim in - which I'm going to estimate to be between 1000 and 1200 meters. I'm planning on going every Wednesday and I might even go on Mondays if the weather is hot enough...

Top Three Things

The top three things from our run on Saturday amidst the humidity and heat:

1. Seeing the REI building come into view (which meant the end was in sight)
2. Cold smoothies from Caribou Coffee
3. The Greyhound bus station (a bathroom break and water stop...ah, the air conditioning felt great...and despite our sweaty presentation, I don't think we were the smelliest people in the building)

4. (This was not discussed w/ Lisa, so its not official, but I am adding it on...) The fountain at the Southside Works - you may have only seen children playing in it, but Lisa and I stepped in, feeling no shame!

This run brought back many Chicago memories!

Summer is Here!

....with a vengeance. Last week it was in the low 70s with a humidity level in the 20s. All of the sudden it was 90 and HUMID yesterday. My car thermometer said 95 when I left my client and dropped to 89 when I got home at 6:30.
Even so, the sun made it impossible to stay inside (it has been raining for a few days) and I went out for a nice run. I forced myself to do it slowly and I went through the park where there might have been a 5-10 degree temperature drop (I love trees!). Since I did loops through the park I was able to pass a water fountain every fifteen minutes. I was happy that I was out for 55 minutes - no idea of the mileage - I would like to say 5.5 but who knows - it was slow.
Also, part of the purpose of the run was to use my new GPS watch for the first time. Well, I need more practice since I shut it off before the first minute was over! Oops! Maybe I can get it to work on Saturday.
I am PUMPED for Yoga after our runs!


P.S. Very excited that we are motivated to write about our runs again!

It was a sweaty one!

Only a two mile easy run w/ Fresca, but I was drenched in sweat by the end of it! It is hot out there (and this was at 5:45 a.m.)!

Saw an article on the Runner's World website about the upcoming track and field Olympic trials - check it out!

GOTR Sighting

During tax season, it became sort of a ritual if I was working later than I should and Geoff was not home during the evening then I had earned enough self-pity to get Eat 'n Park take out. Well that was the case tonight as I went to work sick and ended up staying until 7. But much to my surprise and delight, I saw Autumn and her family in the checkout line! She was almost as perky as usual as she had just had some sort of shot related to dental work. It so reminded me how fantastic those girls are!

Wondergirl 5k

It was a wet and rainy day, but lots of fun!  All of our girls finished in under an hour and we were proud of them!

Local marathon gets sponsors, to return next May

As written in the Post-Gazette:

Monday, May 19, 2008
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The newly named Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon is set for May 3, 2009, the result of a sponsorship deal announced by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato this morning.
The arrangement with Dick's, details of which were not immediately disclosed, brings back the 26.2-mile race after a six-year hiatus. The course is not yet final. But it is expected to start in front of the City-County Building, Downtown, pass through the North Side, South Side, Oakland, Shadyside, Point Breeze, Homewood, East Liberty, Bloomfield, Highland Park and the Strip District before finishing in the renovated Point State Park.
A half-marathon will be sponsored by Respironics, a firm that specializes in sleep and respiratory products.
UPMC Sports Medicine will be the medical sponsor, providing support for runners along the course and training seminars throughout the year.
UMPC formerly was the lead sponsor.

Dare To Be Brave

Katie started writing on this card "Dear..." but she misspelled it as "Dare," so we had to come up with a way to reword it:

The Gettysburg Address

As the girls were making their cards for soldiers, Autumn and Taylor burst into reciting the Gettysburg Address. Not sure what spurred it, but they were good! Autumn particularly spouted it out very quickly! Here are some pictures:

GOTR Community Service Project

Finally, the girls have chosen the "Make Cards for US Soldiers" as their Community Service project. This is always on the list to vote for, but has yet to make it until this year (I'm thinking maybe Molly wasn't there on Wednesday...she's not a huge fan of the war - I'm hoping we don't have to screen out too many of the cards). I think it is such a great idea and fits well into our session when we don't have a ton of time to plan for something. I was actually doing a little prep with getting supplies together and made a sample card. Check it out:

Together Again!

Lisa and I got together for a misty morning run this morning. We figure our last run together was probably the Columbus half marathon, so good to have a partner again! We both admitted to being much more inspired to run (i.e. not stop half way up a hill) when we're with someone else.

Afterwards, we enjoyed breakfast at Dozen in Lawrenceville with Debo and Emily. Our plan was to go right after our workout and be one of those cool runners who looks beautiful and trendy sitting there eating breakfast. Geoff let us in on the secret that those "runners" who look beautiful and trendy eating breakfast, haven't actually RUN...they have probably just walked their kid around the block or something.

From there, I headed over to Trizilla to check out bikes. Now, I know how to ride a bike and since I've been spinning for quite awhile now, I feel like I can do this, but I forgot about the fact that an actual bike is WAY different than a stationery one - requires balance for one thing. So when the guy said, "Do you want to take it for a spin in the parking lot?" I said, "Sure." And immediately then thought, "Oh shoot...when was the last time I was actually on a bike with two wheels that doesn't stay in one place?" I managed to not make a complete fool of myself, but I think once I get into the biking thing that I will need to purely stick to paved trails with no chance of encounters with cars until I get the hang of it again.

XTraining - Outdoor Swimming

This is more for my own reference, but if anyone else get some benefit out of it, great! Here are the outdoor swimming options for the summer:

Avonworth Community Pool - $6, after 5 pm $3
Citipools - $4 (Here is a listing of all the parks, those w/ a swimming pool are marked in the "SP" column)
YMCA - I think $10/visit. (I'm going to cancel my membership for the summer. Too nice to workout inside!)

I'm not sure how any of these options will be for actual lap swimming, but I'm going to explore and figure out what works.

Other outdoor workout option (other than running) for the summer:
Breathe Outside at Southside Works - $5/class

Pittsburgh Marathon 2009?

In the wake of marathon excitement (attending Boston last week and signing up for Marine Corps this week), I thought I would check in again on the status of a potential 2009 marathon in Pittsburgh. Here is the response I got from Kevin Smith of Elite Runners and Walkers:

"If it happens the group will be announcing within the month. If it all does not come together soon, we will have to wait for 2010. Things are looking up for 2009."

This is not a super strong answer and given that I had information last year that "a 2008 marathon is definitely going to happen," I don't have my hopes up.

Bacon is a turn on after all...

On one of our Boston subway trips we were thoroughly entertained by a seemingly drunk girl going on and on and on about all of her favorite types of meats and chimichangas. She obviously saw this commercial before I did and took it for actual dating advice. Poor Thing....

Boston Marathon

Leading the race were the top three women from the time trials held the day before. Nathan said to Deena Kastor, "Aren't you supposed to be throwing candy or something?" She laughed!
Team Hoyt bring tears to your eyes. Dick Hoyt has pushed his son, Rick, in over 65 marathons, including 25 Boston marathons. Read more here.
The elite women - among them are Jelena Prokopcuka (Bib No. 2, Latvia), Rita Jeptoo (Bib No. 4, Kenya, finished third), Alevtina Biktimirova (Bib No. 8, Russia, finished 2nd) and Dire Tune (Bib No. 7, Ethiopia, finished 1st)
The elite men - leading the pack is Robert Cheruiyot (Bib No. 1) who was the ultimate winner.

Humid Hoofing

I knew I was going to have an interesting run the second that I went down my stairs and my knees just ached. Ah, it must be really humid! So sad that my body in its old age can already tell me the weather report. I set out anyways and decided to go back to the dirt bike trails that I found last week. I took a different trail that led to a dirt road which led down to the continuation of 9 mile run stream. So excited. So I crossed to the other side where there looked to be a 'path' and headed back to the familiar Frick Park. It turned out to be a good run athough since some parts of the trail were rough/non-existent/grown over I slowed down almost to a walk. Well, also becuase I ran through a lot of greenery, I am now totally itchy. It's probably just mental but I'm not taking any chances. I've already thrown all my clothes and shoes into the washer and am going to scrub down asap!!

Just a reminder - Wednesday at Noon - Sign up for the MCM!!!!

Women's Olympic Time Trials - The Spectators

Sitting on the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, waiting for the next pack of runners to come by.
The view from the bridge over into Cambridge.
Lisa and Nathan at the starting line.

Women's Olympic Time Trials - The Runners

Magdalena Lewy Boulet - the lone lead runner for 23.5 miles; ultimately finished second.
The main lead pack - among them are Blake Russell (finished third), Deena Kastor (finished first), Elva Dryer, Desiree Davila, Mary Akor, Kate O'Neill and Desiree Ficker
Joan Benoit Samuelson - won the inaugural women's marathon event in LA in 1984. This was supposedly her last real competitive race (though I bet she might still be able to beat me even when she's 70).
Veena Reddy - not a real contender in the race, but featured in Runner's World as one of those people who has a "normal" life in addition to training for the Olympic Time Trials.

Hydration Station #2

Lisa and I are carefully mixing the brew. It is a strict one bottle of concentration to 5 gallons of water. And by "strict" they mean that a Gatorade rep comes around to test your mix to make sure you are doing it correctly. Nathan and Osei had a drive-by audit of their brew!
Standing proud next to four tiers of lemon-lime Gatorade!
We quickly discovered that the newbies are the ones who get stuck w/ the Gatorade duty. What a sticky mess. Don't know if I'll be able to stomach lemon-lime Gatorade for a little while.
Do you see the fluorescent yellow glow bouncing off of Nathan's face?

[More photos to come...there are so many great ones to post up here!]

lopsided!?!

So Megan suggested i could ask my running questions here. I'm impressed, by the way, with your bloggingness.

So my one leg (calf) hurts and the other doesnt. Do we think i am lopsided? It hurts the day i run and then lessens as time goes on. I think i am a freak. But mainly i can probably still run with it like that right?

thanks!

Girls on the Run Team Picture

Maybe I should get an Ipod...

So shockingly I not only left work before 8:30, I made it to GOTR, AND got there early ...I was so pumped at having a free night that I went out for a run as the dusk was settling in. It was chilly, but it was delightful to be outside for the first time in a couple weeks. After a good half hour, I realized that in between my random thoughts, I had continually been singing the first two lines of the chorus of "Touch my Body" by MC. It was only stuck in my head because a 3-5 grader had it as a ring tone! Can you say growing up too fast!?!?! It would have been nice to have some variety but still very happy to have full awareness of my surroundings since it was very dark by the end of the run and I still insisted on running on the streets (sidewalks are so uneven and a hazard).

Happy End of Busy Season Eve!!!!

A Springtime Run in Central Park

After plans of running mid-busy season were continually cancelled and no schedule whatsoever was being adhered to, I simply submitted and said, "OK, at this point, I'll just wait until after April 15th." Well, I broke that by three days with a trip to NYC. I can never pass up a chance to run in Central Park and Saturday morning was absolutely gorgeous. It had rained the night before and the fog was so thick that you couldn't see the tops of skyscrapers, but it was warm and the blossoms were out on cherry trees, magnolias, forsythias, dogwood - you name it! I jogged up from Times Square and then did a portion of the loop, cutting through the middle when I had thoughts of, "You haven't run in awhile, Megan. Make sure you can make it back." The park is always the quiet gem in the middle of the city, but it was extra peaceful on Saturday morning because there was a bike race going on and the whole loop was closed for any traffic at all. Very fun - what a great way to kick off the spring training and the post-April 15-return-to-normalcy...well, maybe...

LOVE/hate

Have you guys seen the new ad campaign launched by New Balance? The commercial I have seen a few times is so incredibly good...completely captures a runner's mentality. Check it out!

I guess I'm a hypocrite too

While I'm still resisting using headphones on my runs, I realize that I am now doing the one thing I always hated about other people - only running when the weather is above freezing. But now that tomorrow is spring, I have no more excuses. Went running this morning since I didn't have to be anywhere until 9. I don't really know why I stopped running over the winter - it feels so good and I have so much more energy.

P.S. Since some of you do not have Facebook - I want to make sure that you know that tomorrow (Thursday) is Rita's Italian Ice's First Day of Spring celebration - I think you get a free ice (or at least some discount). I know it's supposed to be chilly and wet but I am stoked for Rita's to open up again.

Gasp! She's a Hypocrite!

Today I did what I said I would never do - listened to music while running outside! I have to admit, it was a bit anti-climatic, not life-changing at all. In spinning, you can kind of pedal to the beat, but in running, you really have to work to keep up to the beat. I think I was only once in stride w/ the cadaence and it was going down a hill. There is no way I would have been able to keep up to any of the music. The other thing is that headphones have a totally different sound quality than a car stereo or speakers at the Y. And I was a little nervous to turn it up too loud to drown out the surrounding noise even though I was running on the sidewalks and there was little chance of me being hit by a car. I actually heard someone come up behind me (go figure, I haven't been passed by another runner in a long time...it was up a hill and he stopped at the top of it, though and I repassed him) and didn't jump out of my skin. It did give me a chance to fine tune my next contribution to Emery's music selection, though. Will I do it again? Maybe. Top song of the run - Chocolate by Snow Patrol.

PS - I was inspired by Lisa's Daylight Saving post, but I was a bit too ambitious about it starting to feel like "spring" outside. I went out in my shorts and lightweight long-sleeve T and was freezing the whole time. All the other runners I saw had no leg-skin showing at all and most had multiple layers on top. One even had full hat and gloves. I also saw a dog w/ a coat on. Granted, it was a wimpy looking dog, but still...

Daylight Savings Rocks

So last night when I was leaving my client relatively early, some weird feeling possessed me. Maybe it was the sun beating down on me during rush hour traffic or maybe it was that I had ordered a new pair of running shoes (that are currently out for delivery), or the fact that I realized that I better start actually running if I want to meet my goal of running 10 miles before I sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon on April 30th. Whatever it was I put on my running shoes and bolted out the door for the first time since Thanksgiving (yikes!). I only had twenty minutes to run, but I used every minute with glee as the sun began to set and blind me. The exciting part is that I could have gone much longer than twenty minutes - I didn't totally lose all my muscle mass and lung capacity. Wahoo! Can't wait to be able to start running with you girls again once our schedules open up.

Kickoff to GOTR

Last night was the first session of Girls on the Run. We have a full group already with two repeaters (Katie Hazen and Maive) and one little sister (Brooke). It seems like we either have really quiet or really loud girls - one or the other. Its different without CJ, but the new coaches, Sarah and Kat, seem like they are really excited to coach and it comes as a bonus that they are actually runners as well. Excited for the season!

Full Body Workout

My midweek workout this week was comprised of shoveling snow! You may not think this counts as a workout, but let me tell you, this was some of the heaviest snow I have ever shoveled and I have shoveled a lot of snow in my days. I normally like shoveling snow and, yes, it could be considered a chore with a healthy dose of fresh, winter air to go with it, but when you take 7 inches (that's the word on the street, probably exaggerated, but we'll go with it) of nice fluffy snow and then you dump an inch (complete guess) of freezing/mixed rain on it, that 7 inches gets really heavy. That's what happened to me. I procrastinated shoveling it in the morning when it was fluffy, so by the time I got home at night, it was the heavy sludge. My abs/back muscles felt like they were going to rip apart as I shoveled the stuff. I had to stop every few minutes for a break; if the neighbors were watching (most of them didn't shovel their walks), they were probably laughing.

I did learn my lesson the next day it snowed and though I was a bit later to work than I wanted to be, I shoveled a clean path, salted it and came home to a nice clean walkway!

Not the Stroudsburg we know and love

We had somewhat of a warm spell this week, so there were no snowy morning runs in East Stroudsburg this year. I got in one morning run, but I was a little overheated in my tights and long-sleeve T with a jacket over top. I wasn't too courageous in venturing all that far from the hotel, so I did a couple out and backs to places I am familiar with - the Wa-Wa, the hill up 10th Street and the Main Street. The only snow I came across was a severely melted pile at the back of a parking lot.

A View of the Golden Corral

Did the treadmill again tonight. I gained some confidence and did a faster pace than last time. I still can't look up enough to be able to watch the TV, so all I have to look at is my reflection in the window (which is helpful, b/c I can see if I am veering to one side and I can really focus on NOT having a freak treadmill accident), the glow of the red and gold neon lights from the Golden Corral and the parking lot of the Super WalMart off in the distance.

The 10 Degree Runner

The 10 Degree Runner is not me...but I saw someone out this morning and was actually slightly jealous that it wasn't me. I've been slyly good at coming up with excuses for not running without directly using the excuse "It's too cold out." Other excuses recently have been - "I need to get into work" or "I need to catch up on sleep."

Happy Birthday, Crazy Daisies!

I just missed the two year anniversary of the Crazy Daisies blog. (It was on January 12.) But, I am back up here in good ole Hermitage/Greenville and this may be the first year that I do not get in a track workout. Reason being (1) I'm not on a training program that suggest them, (2) It is darn cold outside...ok, maybe not any colder than the past two years, but next week the forecast is filled w/ single digits and (3) Nathan wasn't all that comfortable w/ me running after dark at a track behind a high school...not that it wasn't dark when I've done it the past two years.

Tonight I got my two staff to join me at the Y. They both said their wives would be proud of the job I did in getting them there. I'm not a huge fan of the treadmill, as we all know, but I got in 30 minutes on it with no freak accidents. I always picture this happening...my shoelace comes untied and then gets stuck in the belt.

Here's to another year filled with good blogging, but more importantly, good running and good times!

Mark Your Calendar!

Matt called me yesterday and said that his dentist, who is also a runner, filled him in with all the Michigan relay races. I've found the site for a few and I am still looking for a supposed 70 mile trail relay. I think it is an absolute MUST that we do one of them!

http://greatlakesrelay.com/ - A 270 mile relay. They start taking applications on April 16 - a wonderful way to celebrate the first day of non-busy season. Swag for this race is a custom-made ceramic mug from potter I.B. Remsen and you get to meet famous Pinky Winky (???).

http://www.shoretoshorerelay.com/ - A 200 mile relay, actually not in Michigan...it is in sourthern Ontario. We should get things pulled together by February 29 to get a discount. This race looks a bit more organized than the first.

http://danceswithdirt.com/ - A 100k relay in either Hell or Gnaw Bone Michigan (one in May, one in September). This could be a good starter. It is the shortest and only includes 5 relay runners, but we could have multiple teams race against each other if we get some interest.

http://www.laurelultra.com/ - I also just found this one! I knew they did a 70 mile ultra, but didn't know there was a relay option. So close to home!

And I also looked for half marathons in the spring/early summer. Here are some reasonably close options:
May 4 - Frederick, MD
May 4 - Alexandria, VA
May 18 - Marine Corps Historic Half (already sold out...darn)
June 21 - Niagara on the Lake, Ontario
Hmmm...that's not that many options.

Also - REGISTRATION FOR THE MARINE CORPS MARATHON OPENS ON APRIL 30. THIS ONE FILLS UP FAST!

Guess Who I Saw?

I was at Michael's (the craft store, not the pizza place) on Sunday and I saw Laurie (or is it Lori?) from GOTR! She was with her mom and I stopped to talk with them for a few minutes. I asked what they were there for and she said, "Well, I'm like, kind of getting into scrapbooking..." I asked her if she had been running...to which she said "no," but her mom chimed in with the fact that they had gotten a stepper for Christmas...interesting.

Volunteering Info for Boston

There is a group set up for us so that we can all be together in our volunteering! The group name is "Crazy Daisies" and the PIN is "Pittsburgh".

Once a Runner

Here is a link to a "preview" for the upcoming Once a Runner movie (don't get too excited, though...see next link):

http://www.oncearunnermovie.com/

Here is a link debunking the movie trailer:

http://www.eliterunning.com/blog/2007/04/09/296/

What a letdown! I was so excited after I watched the trailer, but you'll note at the end that it says "Coming Summer 2007." When I went to do some research as to how it came and went without me noticing, I discovered it was a fake.

Musings on the Day

As I walked out of the Y this morning I wondered if maybe I had blinked and busy season was actually already over. It felt like such a nice spring day that it just had that feeling like winter (and long hours at work) was drawing to a close. As I sweated my way over to the office (remember how the Y has that archaic heating/cooling system that takes about 4 days to catch up if there is a drastic change in temperature?), I was brought back to reality looking at all of the work that was in front of me. Alas, busy season 08 is only just beginning.

It was so nice out that I decided I had to take advantage of the warm weather and go out for a quick run this evening. Just had to savor it! Plus, I'm reading Again to Carthage, John L. Parker Jr.'s sequel to Once a Runner, and it is so inspiring, it just makes you want to go out and run. The thing is, it takes place in the South, so it makes me want to run in WARM temperatures, not COLD. That's why today was perfect.

(Amber, do you know if Ryan has the book Once a Runner? It is out of print and sells for about $200 a copy on Amazon. I thought there might be a slim chance that he would own it, though.)

I also think it quite impressive that my last run was done in 19 degree temps (1 degree wind chill, I later heard that morn) and a mere four days later it is 64!

Boston Volunteering

Volunteer applications will be available starting January 10. Not sure how quickly this fills up, so we might want to get our act together and decide what we want to do. Here is the link http://www.bostonmarathon.org/Volunteering/BostonMarathonVolunteer.asp to the homepage. From there you can check out what the requirements are and the different positions that are available. Most of them are, in fact, a pretty extensive committment (ie - 9 am - 5 pm), so we will probably be looking at a full day. There are many options for the hydration stations along the course. Other jobs that sound interesting to me - Drug testing and/or VIP security for the elite athletes (actually, kind of kidding on this one), mylar blankets. I do NOT want to be a "rope holder" ie the person who enforces the corral designations. Personally, I always get annoyed at these people, so I do not want that job.

I think this will be a fun way to be involved and though its a committment, I think we'll be able to cheer the day before for the time trials, so we'll get our fun in that way. I'm sure the boys will be up for interspersing some non-running related fun things as well!

Priest Busted for Running Naked at School Track

Amber, I know you sweat a lot, but whatever you do - keep your clothes on! (Oh, what you hear on DVE in the morning...)

FREDERICK, COLO—A Catholic priest who said that he sweats too much if he wears clothes when he’s jogging may be permanently defrocked as he is facing indecent exposure charges after allegedly running naked at a high school track.

The Rev. Robert Whipkey, 53, was arrested by police on June 22 about 4:30 a.m. after an off-duty cop saw him walking home naked. When the cop shone his flashlight on Whipkey, the priest reportedly covered himself with material that he was carrying. The Archdiocese of Denver has suspended Whipkey pending the disposition of the case. If Whipkey is convicted of the misdemeanor charge, he would have to register as a sex offender. Leadership councils at the three Catholic parishes he serves near Denver have met to discuss his future in the church.
He told police he knew what he did was wrong but he didn’t think anyone would be around at that time of the day to see him. He was ordained in 1983 and serves three Catholic parishes near Denver. A diocese spokesman said that there had been no complaints or allegations concerning Whipkey regarding sexual abuse. 8-09-07

Running in a Winter Wonderland

There was a fresh layer of snow this morning and glittery snow falling down as I was running...much more preferable in December than my last post!

Melikalikimaka

Felt like I was running in Hawaii last night with the warm breeze blowing through Ben Avon. We set a record high temperature of 66 yesterday, according to DVE.

I found it!

So I shouldn't be allowed to write on the blog since I can barely remember the last time I ran...BUT I finally started my Christmas shopping tonight and I walked into Target. There displayed right in front of my eyes was our favorite sports bra in RED with the black trim. It's the same one that I saw on some girl in Chicago and was very jealous! So now I have a little more motivation to get out of the house...

Sweating it off without doing a thing

I am a bit under the weather, but its just the sniffles, nothing major. I was going to attempt swimming tonight, though I couldn't remember the adage about whether you could exercise when you had symptoms above the neck. (You can - I just looked it up. If symptoms are above the neck - nasal, headache, etc. - you can still exercise, just slow it down. Below the neck - take the day off.) Even if it would have been okay, I wasn't sure how the breathing thing would work while swimming. If I'm stuffed up, can I still breath when I come up for air? Well, I used the excuse that I forgot my goggles (I think I actually lost them.) and nixed the swimming idea. I had read some things recently about the benefits of saunas and I had brought a book with me to do some leisurely reading, so I jumped right in. Its really quite awful - you sweat just sitting there - not a comfortable feeling for me. I think I'd rather run three miles. Apparently 15-20 minutes in the sauna burns 300 calories, which is equivalent to the calories burned in a one hour brisk walk.

My Fortune Cookie

My fortune cookie at lunch yesterday read, "Winners are those that forget they're in the race. They just love to run."

Turkey Trot

So...Turns out the course for the Turkey Trot is pretty fun! I am only reporting on second-hand information since (Long story short) I didn't end up running it after all due to baby duty and lots of family sleeping in the house at the time. It takes you over the Clemente bridge, past PNC, the Science Center, by the river, etc.

Grant, Rebecca, and Ruth all said it was lots of fun, and not to mention the crazy warm weather (63 degrees!) it was a great day to run. Too bad Miles didn't have the opportunity to make his first race debut, but soon. I promise.

Maybe if anyone is around next year we can plan on it!

Brings Back XC Memories

Nathan and I ran on the cross country course at Carlisle High School, which is also the course that Dickinson College uses, so I've run there a few times for races. It was cold and windy out on the course, but fun to run in the grass, which I hardly ever do anymore!

No Run Tonight

I was optimistic and packed running clothes for while I am staying out of town tonight (I'm starting to get the busy season vibe and its not even Thanksgiving yet), but alas, I don't think its going to happen. With visions of a long to-do list tonight, I think my eyes will be glued to the computer and I'll be frantically trying to get work done before the partner comes out tomorrow. Darn!

Saturday morning run

My wife made me get up and run with her this morning. It was a nice morning for a run. But, more importantly, I wore my Daisy Crazy shirt for the first time. Thanks to Lisa for helping me show my pride in style.

Thursday Rainy Run

Once again, I had to drag myself out of bed this morning to fit in one weekday run. Unfoturnately for me, the mild 50s and 60s that had been present all week had been replaced by a 41 degree rain. I set out planning to run to Forbes Avenue and back through the park...but since I could barely see the rivers and lakes at my feet on the lit streets, I decided that the dark rainy park was a bad idea. So I flipped around and went the flattest route possible past the Kane's...
As much as I'm slacking off due to no training program, I really enjoy having no set requirements. I wanted to do 30 minutes (so that I wouldn't have to rush for work...) but ended up doing an easy 40. Glad that I still have some level of endurance.

Megan and I are planning a reunion run on Saturday - nothing special, just the first time since Columbus!

D's Expanding

I forgot to mention the new Regent Square tenant that I discovered on my run yesterday. Yep - it's D's! They now also occupy the bakery and from the sign it looks like it will be a deli/sweet shop. Sounds good to me!

Sweetie Sweetie, the former bakery in Regent Square, has now moved into the corner shop right by my house. The stuff is good, but the selection is currently limited and somewhat overpriced (probably to help pay off the significant tax lien from the state....)

Happy eating one way or another!

I did it!

So I have had a tremendous internal struggle since the marathons are over to get up and run in the morning. It was especially bad this week as the wake up temps were in the low thirties. Well I knew that when I woke up an hour before I was supposed to get up, that I really had no choice. I'm bummed that I've lost most of my endurance and speed in two quicks weeks but I need have a delightful run as the sun was coming up - about 40 minutes in total. I would love to get a run in up in New Hampshire this weekend - but I don't forsee it fitting in to the driving schedule!
The worst part is we're not going to be around for the Steelers/Browns Game! (I guess it's better that Geoff lose in privacy...)

Casting My First Vote in the Ben Avon Precinct

Since I wasn't completely sure of where we were supposed to vote and how long the polls were open, I figured I would pose as a runner so that I wouldn't look like a fool wandering around like a first timer. Today was my first ear band & gloves run of the winter season! I also wore my Precip jacket - initally to break the wind, but by the end of the run it was drizzling (I could tell it really WANTED to snow!), so it was much appreciated. I found the polling place - the campaign signs out front helped - and fulfilled my civic duty, then it was off to finish the rest of the run.

Weird thing that happened - A guy pulled up next to me asking for directions to Washington, PA.

Its a Small World on the Web

Wow - Lisa, can't believe you saw my posts. [I am the only fool who accidentally posted mine twice...whoops.] Yeah, obviously we were up to try to catch it as well...very disappointing. I truly gave up and never got to see any of it. They had the highlights on NBC at 2 this afternoon, so I recorded that and just finished watching it. It was so amazing how well Ryan Hall finished. One of those runners who makes it look super easy. Considering it was a loop, I was surprised that there weren't more people there. I really think we should try to go to Boston!

Also - they have highlights of the NYC marathon tomorrow at 3 pm. Switch between that and football?

Men's Trials a Bust

I stayed up late with the Schreibers last night and set my alarm to catch the start of the Men's Marathon Trials. Much to my frustration (and everyone else's around the world), the streaming wasn't working due to too much traffic. I was reading through the angry bloggers when I happened across these comments:

Doesn't work for me in the US w/ a non-Mac computer either...guess I'm going to head out an enjoy a morning run instead.
MTroxell 11/03/07

Can't watch from my non-Mac computer in the US either. My husband and I are watching replays of old badminton matches...exciting. I think I'm headed out for a morning run.
MTroxell 11/03/07


Could it be true? Do I know this person??? Well, glad that you at least got your own run in. I hope mine will happen this afternoon in between laundry and a nap!


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So, I finally connected in time to see the last ten miles. So dramatic! We definitely need to go see the women in person!