Past Present and Future

It's been so much fun to read everyone's review of 2008 and plans for 2009. You all are so organized and motivating! Here's my attempt at documenting my accomplishments and goals. Hopefully it'll be fun to review it all a year from now.

Past

Since this was my first year of organized racing since high school, it was a bunch of PRs! Yay!

• May- S.A.M.E. National Conference Fun Run 5K- I ran this with my work friend who had done an amazing job losing weight and getting fit.


• May- Lincoln Half Marathon- This was my first real race, and I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't even own a watch. Time: 2:10:03


• September- Omaha Corporate Cup 10K- I also ran this with my same work friend. She blew away her anticipated time, and I was so proud of her that I nearly cried as we crossed the finish line.


• September- Omaha Half Marathon- I kind of trained for this, shaved off over 11 minutes, and was officially bit by the marathon bug. Time: 1:58:33


• November- Gobbler Grind Marathon, KS- My first marathon and my first AG place. (3/12) It was a small race, but it was such a great experience. I'm not sure when, but I'm definitely doing another one. Time: 4:04:25

Present
This last week has finally been nice enough to make running fun again. I went for 8 glorious miles on Christmas Eve morning and loved every step of it. My running life would be so much more productive if I didn't have to work all day. I'm definitely taking tomorrow afternoon off to go for a nice long run. Please stay in the 30s for the rest of the winter. Come on global warming!

Future
I'll do all the same 2008 races again, but I'm not sure what else. I like to play things by ear. It keeps me from slipping too far out of shape. One thing I know for sure, I want to set some food goals for 2009 and what better way to do that than with some kicky clip art!

Historically, I've been a very picky eater. Embarrassingly so. Traveling for work, and having a husband who's fallen in love with cooking, however, have expanded my tastes quite a bit in recent years. Race and marathon training has also taught me to be better about seeking out nutritious/body fueling food instead of just avoiding unhealthy things. Items I want to incorporate more into my diet:

• Fish- I fell in love with grilled salmon this year, but I'd like to expand to other grilled/baked items. My mother in law made some tilapia fish tacos this weekend that were yummy. I plan to tweak it a bit to make it more healthy in the coming weeks.

• Veggies- I've grown to like steamed broccoli and tolerate steamed green beans, but that's just about the only veggies I'll eat. The husband will eat just about anything, so I'd like more carrots, egg plants, peppers, spinach, cauliflower, etc in my life.

• Beans- I can do chili, but I still ask for my Chipotle burrito without beans. I want that to change. More beans in soups, more beans in salads, and more beans in my beloved Mexican meals.
• Almonds- My homemade granola contains sliced almonds, but I had no idea whole almonds were so tasty alone. I should have known of their power when they were in the opening scene of Devil Wears Prada. Those skinny Runway beeatches would never steer a girl wrong.

Feel free to share your favorite way to eat any of this stuff. I need ideas!

All in all, 2008 has been great, and I'm very exciting to see what 2009 brings. I have a variety of personal and professional goals for next year, and with some hard work and focus, I know 2009 has the potential to be even better.

Merry (Charlie Brown) Christmas

Everyone has their favorite part of Christmas. For some it's a yummy cookie, or a song, or a candle-light service at midnight shoulder to shoulder with family. I love all of that, but nothing makes me smile like our Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Let me back up a bit. The husband and I met in college many moons ago. Upon graduation, we moved in together in a sketchy "garden-level" apartment and tried to be grown-ups. Being an adult is expensive, yo. We ate romen noodles, and economized where we could, but I was very insistent on doing the first Christmas in our place right.

We didn't have the space or money do get a giant tree, but this scrawny Wal-Mart special looked like Rockefeller Center to poor, love-struck us. His mom was also quite thrilled to unload all his childhood Star Wars ornaments out of her basement. (He's not a nutjob Star Wars freak, I promise. Just a child of the 80s.) Add in some felt stockings with hand puffy-painted names, and that was one of the best Christmases I've ever had.

Tomorrow morning will be the 10th Christmas the husband and I have spent together. Over the years we've upgraded to a lovely home, fridge full of actual food, and a giant tree that sits proudly in the middle of our living room. But that Charlie Brown tree still holds a special place in my heart. We're by no means ballers, but putting up that little tree in the corner of the kitchen each year reminds me of how fortunate we are to have all the blessings and love and comfort we enjoy today.

So from our house to yours- Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all! I've only been at this blogging thing a short time, but this community is such a great group of supportive, funny and encouraging people, that I can't wait to see what 2009 brings.

It pays to be a runner

Yesterday was the coldest day of the year so far. Like, 5 degrees cold. My previous temperature limit to run had been 10, but after the mitten revolution last week, I thought I was pretty tough. While my hands were toasty warm, my lungs didn't handle the cold very well. I only went 3 miles, but it probably wasn't the greatest idea I've ever had. It did however lead to a genius idea later in the night.

One of my college friends was back for the holidays, and she was looking to bar hop downtown. Even though the temperature was unbearable, I'm just that good of a drinking friend. Wardrobe selection was more important than usual. I needed to balance fashion with function. I pulled a load of laundry out of the dryer and a light bulb went off!

Here's a shot of my jeans and heels. (And for all you fashionistas out there- those are 4inch patent leather platform Steve Maddens from DSW. Yeah, that's how we roll in Nebraska.)
What the world couldn't see:
See? Genius! And you better believe I would have worn my Under Armor shirt too if it wasn't a mock collar.

Runners may have unsexy feet and high maintenance schedules, but on nights like last night as we huddled from bar to bar, it absolutely positively paid to be a runner.

$4.49 worth of heaven

After getting the go-ahead from the running world about the acceptability of running with mittens, I went to Target to purchase my first pair since elementary school. Because I have the small hands of a circus folk and nomads, I went straight to the boy section. I thought about Spiderman or Spongebob but since they wouldn't match the purple Nike hatphone, I opted for a sensible black pair.

The last couple days have been single-digit cold around here, and yesterday was the first time the temperature has been above 10 since Saturday. Perfect day for a run to test out the new gear. Socks, tights, UA top, vest, hat, and ahhhhh the mittens. Two blocks in, and I could already tell this was going to be the best $4.49 I've ever spent in my entire life. Granted the waterproof exterior leaves the snot-rockets a little more, uh, present than my fleece Northface gloves, but I like to think of it as good preparation for having kids some day.

Overall, I really think this is going to revolutionize my winter running. Yay mittens!

On an administrative note:

Dear good people of my neighborhood,
This is your one warning about shoveling your sidewalk. I understand it snowed less than 4 inches, and yes, there is something satisfying about being the first footprints on new show (proving that I'm the clearly the toughest runner around), but do not let this be a habit. Shovel your damn sidewalk. Or call me and I'll do it. I need the cross-training workout.

It's officially winter

As much as us city-folk like to fight it, Nebraska is very much a farm state. Most people have parents/grandparents from a small town or at least know a farm-born person somewhere. For me, my dad was raised on a farm, and the husband is from a small town where his family still farms. I have great memories of traveling over the river and through the woods, and I can't wait for my future kids to appreciate all things rural at grandma and grandpa's house.

So while I may own a pink coat and my nails are always painted, I can hold my own on a farm. I've picked my own sweet corn and gobbled it up 5 minutes later, the smell of a feed lot is oddly nostalgic, and my seasonal calendar is loosely tied to planting and harvest.

The weather here was beautiful on Saturday. Sunny, nearly 50, and perfect for a nice long 14-mile run. I busted out the shorts (just because I could) and set off for my long route on the out-skirts of town. I ran past the neighborhoods, ran past the golf course, and turned onto the empty road lined by cornfields. I hadn't been on that route since before the marathon last month, and it took me a couple seconds to realize why it felt so different. Then it occurred to me: the rolling hills of corn had been harvested!
Gone were the head-high stalks that closed in the road like a cozy green tunnel, and its place were broken brown remains that opened the countryside for miles in every direction. I'd almost forgotten about the tiny red barn buried among the hills or the dried stream that danced between the perfect rows. I know Christmas is right around the corner, and it was literally 0 degrees the very next day, but it wasn't until I stopped running, turned off the iPod and took a deep breath beside the cool empty field that it officially felt like winter.

Merry Christmas to me

Through a series of blog links, I stumbled upon Running Shoes Reviews blog one day. Apparently you submit a review of your running shoes and are entered to win a monthly drawing for a free pair of whatever you want. Since I sort of did that already here when my mom bought me a new pair of Asics for my birthday, I figured I'd take the couple of minutes and formally submit my review on the site.

Shock of shocks, I won 3rd place! It was the first month she did 2nd and 3rd places, so I had no idea what to expect as my prize. I would have been excited to get a random sticker, but look what all was delivered this week:

A sweet card, four adorably wrapped Hammer gels/Honey Stinger, a pack of Sharkies, and the softest REI headband I've ever felt. And if that wasn't thoughtful enough, she even read through my blog and tried to find the raspberry Hammer gels I normally like. I've never had Sharkies or Honey Stingers, so I'm pretty excited to give them a try. (It's been tough to avoid opening the pack and just snacking on them at my desk. How delicious does Peach Tea Breeze sound?)

So thank you to her, and go check out her blog if you're in the market for new shoes or want to submit a review yourself. You may get a package full of rad stuff or even get awesome Magical BQ Flying Shoes like Frayed Laces some day.

Travel = cross training

I travel for work a fair amount, and for the most part don't mind it. It's nice to put faces with e-mail addresses, and I've visited a few neat places I never would have gone to on my own. One thing I do mind: conferences. I hate conferences. Thankfully I only have to attend a couple a year, and as I sit in the Memphis airport during a thunderstorm with at least a 2-3 hour delay, I'm reminding all over again how much I hate conferences.

My flight yesterday left mid-day, so I spent the morning "working from home". What that really meant was checking my BlackBerry a few times and going on a 9 mile run. It felt great to get all the refreshing aspects of a morning run without all the darkness and rushing. What I didn't realize was that once I hit the airport, the real workout would begin.

Conference travel requires a ton of crap. Rushing from gate to gate, dragging my suitcase and computer crap while wearing heels is never a good idea. (Although it was partially my fault for walking over a mile out of my way for some Wolfgang Puck in the Minneapolis airport. Yes, it was worth it.) Once I arrive in Memphis, it gets twice as fun to track down and haul boxes of brochures, give aways, and booths all over B.F.E..

Assuming I get out of here tonight, I'll have spent about 28 hours here, but my body is just spent. My feet have blisters from my terribly uncomfortable (but terribly adorable!) shoes, my calves ache from the power walking, and my arms are exhausted from lifting 50 lbs worth of junk around downtown. So much for my day of rest. I'm more sore from the last two days than I am from most workouts!

Overall assessment of Memphis: A-
Nice people, kicky accents, and very easy to find my way to and from the airport.

Overall assessment of Memphis Airport: C+
What's a girl got to do to get some freaking soup around here? My choices seem to be BBQ or... BBQ.

Oh! Yay! We're boarding! I take it all back Memphis Airport, I love you.

Movies and soup

The husband went to do boy things with his buddies, so it was up to me to entertain and feed myself all day. I had high hopes of being productive. The morning started out very encouraging with a sneaky-cold and windy 10 mile run. The sun was out, but the north wind was horrible. Some runs are fun, and some runs are... today.

I came home, took a hot shower, and curled up on the couch to warm up for a little bit. I flipped channels, and what should I find on USA? The greatest lineup of movies in the history of movies!
Blue Crush, Stick It, AND Bring It On. Seriously, could you resist sitting on the couch for 6 hours and basking in the cheesy acting and predictable plot lines of these girl power movies? I could not. I did some cleaning and laundry, but needless to say, no Christmas presents or groceries were purchased. I assume my family will take cash in lieu of gifts, but I still had no food for supper. I generally have a nightly plan and ingredients on hand to make one of the 10 things I know how to cook. Because I hadn't left the house, it was time to get resourceful.

The ingredients: left-over carrot sticks from last week's lunches, half an onion, sweet potato, chicken bouillon cubes, and left-over turkey.

Chopity chop

I figured I should lightly saute the veggies because... well, I have no idea why, but it seemed like something someone who knew what they were going would do.

15 minutes of boiling it all together, topped with fresh herbs, and I officially had soup!

Seriously, sign me up for the next season of Top Chef! Plus, I got to use my fancy shmancy wedding china again since I hadn't put it back in the boxes from Thanksgiving. I was so proud of myself for being able to whip up a nutritious, warm, filling dinner from random left-overs and pantry staples. Ah, such a wonderful day.

Can I get an official ruling?

What's the official ruling on wearing mittens while running? Yay or nay?

Let me give you some background/rationalization first:

Nebraska is f'in cold. ("Wait, I watch the College World Series every year, and I thought it got f'in hot in Nebraska.") Yes, it get miserable hot too, aren't we lucky? I think it's because of our distinct four seasons that we don't have as much winter street cred as our northern neighbors. Just ask any Nebraskan this time of year, and they'll not only tell you about the cold, but they'll almost always include the wind chill temperature just to be extra dramatic about it.

Not that I'm judging. I'm about to do the same thing! Here's the weather for this morning's run.

See, it was 14 degrees with a single digit wind chill! That's COLD!

As whiney and temperature-sensitive as I am in my normal life, I'm relatively hearty about running this time of year. Except for one thing: my hands. No matter what I do, I can't keep my fingers from going numb. Here's a photo montage of my current attempt at keeping warm. It's the Double Bag Approach.

1. The starting point. I don't think my hand looks this odd in real life, but anyway...
2. Bottom layer of Nike light-weight fleece
3. Top layer of heavy Northface fleece. (And yes I cleaned off the snot first. You're welcome.)

4. About 10 minutes in, my fingers start to freeze and I end up balling my hands together and creating something like this.
It's odd-looking, not very safe should I fall, and impossible to change the song on my iPod. Mittens just seem easier and warmer at this point, but I don't want to look like a South Park character.

Can I get a ruling from the experts?

Awesome hats and aching legs

Based entirely on Chic Runners Nike Hatphone review, I ordered myself one that very same day. They appear to only have the $19.99 white ones left, but I was able to score the purple one for the low low price of $15.97! Seriously people, you need this hat. (Here, let me help. It's even Buy 1 Get 1 50% off! Christmas!) It's not only functional, but it's way cute. Chic Runner's review had photos and circles and arrows and is way more thorough than anything I could do, but here's my thoughts:

First, it's incredibly freeing to run without the wires from my headphones laced under my shirt, over my heart monitor, and tucked into my pants. It reminded me of the first day of spring where you just run in a t-shirt and shorts without all the winter crap piled on top. The back has a little pouch where you can house your iPod. It says it's built for a nano, but my shuffle clipped in there just fine. I couldn't ever tell it was up there.

There's a little mesh window in the back to push the buttons, but I never could figure it out right. Since the problem was a combination of my giant gloves and the unfamiliar angle, you could probably chalk it up to "user error" and assume you'll be smarter than me. I had to turn the volume up a little to hear it, but that wasn't surprising. The husband stood next to me and said he couldn't hear it, so I guess it wasn't too loud.

The down side is it's quite a bit thinner than my normal winter running fleece hat . Wearing a headband plus the hat makes the music a little too muffled though. Guess the coldest days will have to go back to the old school set up. I also haven't figured out how to wash it yet, but I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I get there. If nothing else, I can always cut a hole and sew something more easily accessible back together.

On an unrelated note, I lifted on Sunday for the first time in nearly 6 weeks and still hurt. Part of the downside of going from half marathon to full marathon in less than 7 weeks is the time crunch. I stopped lifting and doing stadium workouts since I never felt like I had enough time to recover. In a rush to get my mileage up, running while sore just shook my confidence.

Apparently, you can't half-stretch the same amount and lift the same amount after taking that kind of time off. Who knew? I'm not a body builder by any means, so it's not like I'm a threat to seriously injure myself. Just a few too many squats and lunges, I think. Thankfully, aside from the first couple steps out the door, running actually makes my sore muscles feel better. Heavy, but better. Guess I'll be more diligent about easing into the lifting from here out.

Race pics

Race pictures of myself always crack me up. I only see the photographer about half the time, and when I do, I never know what to do. Smile? Thumbs up? Suck it in? Stay cool and pretend I don't see them? What's the official protocol here?

The upside of doing a small marathon is lots of race pictures to make into coffee mugs, mousepads, holiday cards or whatever else Action Sports thinks my family would enjoy. (Because nothing says "Merry Christmas" like sweaty, exhausted, makeup-less me surrounded by candy canes!) The downside of doing a small marathon is considerably more unflattering pictures than cute one in the mix.

First, a very large shoutout to Brooke and others for the excellent tip on how to save race photos. Yes we should support race photos, so while I won't be purchasing any, my parents most certainly will. Shoot, it may actually be their Christmas card. My conscious is clear on this one, trust me. Anyway, here's just a few of the 34(!) they took.

Not looking... trying to stay cool... and yes fuzzy man in the background, I just passed you.

See, this is what happens when I look. Ack! Tool! Not quite the fanfare of a big race finish, but I always wanted to get the "arms raised in triumph" picture everyone has. I wasn't very successful, but look at those hops!

Thanks Action Sports. Should I find an extra $65 lying around, I might purchase the 20x30 poster of the most hideous looking one in the bunch for days when I'm feeling a little too good about myself.

Running off Thanksgiving dinner?

Thanksgiving just makes me happy. None of the pressure of gift-giving and all the fun of food food food. (Plus, I really do have a wonderful life. It's good to stop and think about how blessed I am every once in a while.) The logistics of everyone's family rarely works out perfectly, so as a compromise, we volunteered to host Thanksgiving day at our house with my parents, sister and grandparents. Everyone was getting traditional turkey later this weekend, so the husband opted to make italian. And make italian he did! I can make a mean Tuesday night meal after work, but he's in charge of big productions. I cleaned while he busted out two pasta dishes, chicken alfredo pizza, garlic bread, steamed green beans and a house full of amazing smells. I knew I married him for a reason.

My grandparents hadn't heard much about my marathon, so they got to hear the full story. Then the following conversation happens:

Family Member: So, what's next?
Me: The Lincoln marathon is next May, so I'll probably do that.
FM: That's a while from now, you can take some time off.
Me: Yeah... I guess... I wouldn't mind finding another race before then...

Of course, I jump on google as soon as they left. I knew there weren't any races around the midwest until spring, but I have a few work trips scheduled in the next couple months to warmer states. One in Memphis in December and another in Florida in January. I thought, if there happens to be a marathon at that time, it was meant to be for me to run another one sooner.

Sure enough, BOTH trips have a marathon the weekend before I'm supposed to arrive. Can you believe that? I should really buy a lottery ticket. It would make Christmas shopping much easier. Anyway, the races are the St. Jude Memphis Marathon and the BankTrust First Light Marathon in Mobile. Anyone know anything about either?

The downside:

• It's an extra 2-3 days away from home in a boring hotel room
• My parents would be nervous about me running a marathon alone
• The 5 days after the marathon would be spent working and on my feet

The upside:

• I can smell a sub-4 hour time!

Decision decisions.

The marathon recovery from Sunday is going pretty well. I went running 5 miles yesterday morning and got a message in the afternoon. It was wonderful. This morning was 8 miles before the festivities, and I think I thankfully have my legs back.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gobbler Grind Marathon: The Long Version

Reading race reports are always my favorite (including some great ones from this weekend), so here's my report on how I got from half marathon to my first full marathon in 8 weeks. (This is my first post on how I got here.)

Training:

I took most of my training queues from other running blogs and experiences. I never did speed workouts or interval training, but I tried to increase my mileage and do some long runs. The first 4 weeks were about 30-40 mi/wk, and the last month was about 40-50. I did Sunday long runs of 12-14-16-18-20 with varying degress of success. The last couple weeks were scaled back a bit to rest up and let some aches and pains heal.

Pre-race day:

The race was on Sunday in Kansas City, and my sister was kind enough to let me stay at her house. Thankfully, she lives less than 15 minutes from the start. Here are my clothes that I must have checked a million times.

• Shirt options depending on the weather (I opted for the warmer white Under Armor top)
• Pants and shorts (I went with the shorts)
• Socks/shoes
• Lucky race sportsbras
• Headband/gloves
• Heart monitor and watch
• 2 raspberry Hammer Gels and a bag of raspberry Shot Bloks

The weather was predicted to be low 30's in the morning but warming up to mid 50's later. I did some serious obsessing over the weather, and I thankfully wasn’t ever cold during the race. (Before and after was another story though.)

I arrive safely in Kansas City after lunch Saturday and spent most of the day loading songs onto my iPod (they were allowed this race... I think), picking up my race packet, and relaxing on the couch. It was a small race, so there was no expo. Bummer. I like shopping.

Race morning:

I woke up at 5 and proceeded to spend the morning nervously wondering around the house, eating, stretching, and generally freaking out. My sister soon came rolling out of bed and sleepily drove me to the start line. I sat in the car as long as possible before hitting the bathroom and saying hello to my awesome cousin, her husband and adorable baby. It was great of them to come out so early. Especially since it allowed me to spread my spazzing among three people instead of just one.

(Yes, we have matching coats. Thanks mom! Good thing we live in different states.)

Race start:
This was a pretty small race of about 1200 people running the full marathon, half marathon and 5K. The 5K people peeled off at mile 3, and we split with the half marathon racers at the 10 mile mark. I was anxious to get separated from those groups. I wear a heart monitor with a timer, but by and large, I don't pace myself. (Garmin Sharmin!) I anticipated about 10 minute miles, but I really had no idea.

It was at the 10 mile mark that I checked my watch for the first time. I was hoping to be about 1:40. Imagine my surprise when it said 1:28! In front of an entire water table of volunteers and children, I say out loud "holy sh*t!" Classy. I felt pretty good, so I plugged along and checked again at the half way point. 1:57. About 2 minutes faster than my half marathon finish in September. It was around then that I wish I had done some pace work to know if I was likely to still be upright at the end or not.

I tried to keep a comfortable pace and not worry too much about time. The course wound through a great wooded bike trail, so it was nice to be hidden from the wind and enjoy nature a little bit. The miles blended together with slight breakups from water stations, passing people and the occasional small hill. I had my gels at mile 10 and 20 with Bloks throughout. They had water and Gatorade at each station, and I tried to have a small cup of each at most stops.

About mile 20 is where the mental part became a challenge. My legs ached, my feet hurt, but most of all, I was kind of bored. I tried to map out the last 6 miles to a route I’d run at home, but even that didn’t help. Apparently running beside an imaginary suburban golf course in Nebraska isn’t any more exciting than a bike trail in Kansas City.

I checked my watch one last time and discovered that I had a very good chance of finishing around 4 hours. I tried to pick up the pace as best I could. I passed a couple people and begged the finish line to be behind every curve. The time slipped past 4 hour, and while slightly disappointed, I had to remember that 4:15-4:30 was my original goal and I was definitely going to make that.

Race finish:
Finally, the sight of orange cones and waving flags peeked over a hill and I could hear, “Now finishing, (my name)!” People kindly cheered as I “sprinted” across the finish mat. Getting my timer chip removed and being escorted over to the food and water table is a little fuzzy, but I do remember my sister bouncing up with a big hug and my precious bag of pre-packed food in hand.

The following hours were filled with a long shower, Frontega chicken sandwich from Panera, and a nap on the couch. I eventually made it back home in the evening, had a great dinner brought to me by the husband, and fell asleep completely exhausted but quite satisfied.

Final stats:

4:04:25

14/64 female finisher

3/12 finisher in my age group

I even won a prize for my age group! (But like I mentioned, it was a small race.)

The day after:
I’d like to say I woke up this morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but that would be a total lie. The first step out of bed nearly dropped me. It’s comical, really. My muscles aren’t terrible sore, but my knees, hips, and arches make me walk like I’m 100. (And why do I have a closet full of heels and running shoes? What I wouldn't give for a pair of sensible flats!) I’ve been taking ibuprofen and plan to get a message on Wednesday, so I’ll hopefully be good as new for Thanksgiving.

Overall, I’m so happy I decided to do this. All my friends and family have been so supportive and encouraging. I definitely plan to do the Lincoln marathon in May, but for now, I just want to catch up on sleep, go back to a 20-30 mi/wk schedule, and try to stay warm for the winter.

Thanks for everyone's wonderful comments and unofficial marathon/running advice. This blogging community is one of the main reasons I finally did it.

Gobbler Grind Marathon: The Short Version

I did it!

Time: 4:04:25

Female finish: 14/67

Age group: 3/12

I'll post a full race report soon (because I loooove reading other people's race reports). Thanks to everyone who left words of encouragement and support.

Bling bling

As I stand deep in the heart of Taperville, I find myself with way too much time and nervous energy on my hands. I've been filling it with reading about other people's upcoming marathons this weekend. (Holla to Philly!) It's entertaining, educational, and most importantly, it keeps me from obsessing about MY marathon this weekend. (62.5 hours- *gulp!*)

So today specifically, I've decided to focus on the less terrifying aspects of running: running apparel! As I mentioned here, my mom hooked me up with some sweet gear a few days before my birthday. Come the actual day, she gave me even more fun stuff. Some running and some not. Because I'm easily entertained and kind of a picture whore, I combined the two for a photo opp.
The glowing thing is actually part of a pair of these ankle bands. (My parents are always go great about looking out for my safety.) I've even heard from my neighbors that combined with my reflective headband, pants, and shoes, that I look odd but noticeable. Thanks...I think. I debated between ultimately wearing them on my ankles, arms, or neck. I generally go for the arms, but how fun is the make-shift necklace? Plus, who needs good picture lighting when I bring my own where ever I may go?

And to give a better shoutout to the other half of the gift, here's what the adorable gray dress my sister helped pick out really looks like:

Yes, I'm wearing it over jeans, and no I'd never really do that. I read Go Fug Yourself religiously, and they have an entire section dedicated to dresses over pants. A true fashion crime indeed.

Alright, back to not thinking about Sunday's race...

Four years ago...

...I put on the puffiest, sparkliest, girliest dress I could get my hands on.

...I stood behind the church doors clutching my dad and shaking with nervousness. (Only to have it instantly replaced with excitement as the doors opened and our eyes met.)

...over 300 of our family and friends traveled from afar to gather in one place for one day just for us.

...rings were exchanged, vows were spoken, and it was a million times better than I'd ever imagined

...my dad put his arm around my mom and gave a heartfelt toast that brought down the freaking house.

...I got a new last name that made me an official part of one of the warmest, kindest, awesomest families a girl could ever hope to have.

...I got a guaranteed hand to clutch during scary movies, date on Valentine's day, and a kiss at New Year's for the rest of my life.

...I married my best friend.

xoxo!

Hi: 58 Lo: 41

Every since I decided to do this marathon, I have been obsessed with the weather on race day. Obsessed. Like, googling Farmer's Almanac and stalking weather.com every single morning. I've lived in Nebraska my whole life; I know what a fickle beeatch Mother Nature can be this time of year. Some Thanksgivings have been spent trying to talk my grandpa into turning on the a/c and some have been spent warming up the car for 10 minutes to remove the sleet before we went home. You just never know.

I've only been doing organized races for about six months, and in that time, nearly all of them have been in ideal weather. (With the exception of a chilly "Fun Run" at a conference in Minneapolis in early May at 6:00am. Turns out- not all that Fun.) No races in the bitter cold, no races in the wind, and all races in enough sun that I could fake warmth if necessary. I've made a conscious effort to do training runs in rough conditions just in case, but I'd prefer my first marathon to be sunny, warm, and calm. Who can I call about ordering that up?

Last Thursday, November 23rd hit the 10 day forecast and I was actually nervous to check. It's fluctuated a bit, but the consensus between the 121,000 google websites I think I've visited:

Showers/partly cloudy
Hi: 58, Lo: 41

Woo hoo! I'm not super excited about the showers, but considering it was 27 degrees two weeks ago, I'll take a few sprinkles. Now I just need to figure out what I want to wear on the big day. I've been recording the temperature when I start and stop, what I was wearing, and if I felt too hot or cold for the last month. (See, I told you I was obsessed!) The most logical choice is my white Under Armor shirt, but since I'm not trying to win a round of shots at a Spring Break wet t-shirt contest, it may be a bit il-advised. Guess I'll just bring everything I own and make a game time decision.

Weekly stats:

Monday- rest
Tuesday- 5.5 m
Wednesday- rest
Thursday- 6.5 m
Friday- 7 m
Saturday- 6 m
Sunday- 10m

Total- 35 miles

This morning's "dress rehersal" run went a little rough. My legs were heavy and it never felt like I got over the hump. I woke up and did everything the way I plan to for race day. Not sure if it was the windy cold, early time, throbbing left arch/heel, or the cream-based and sausage pasta the husband made for dinner last night, but my confidence is a little shaken. Good thing I have seven days to rest up and find other mundane things to obsess about.

The birthday hangover

I woke up this morning straight-up hung over. Not from Svedka vodka+cranberry with a lime unfortunately, but rather: fun-fetti birthday cake. I can not even begin to describe how much fun-fetti birthday cake I consumed last night. (The husband did help make that impressive dent, so the picture is a bit deceiving.) More on that in a minute.

The husband, my family, and my friends banned together as usual to make sure I had a great birthday. I spent most of the day reading and thanking people for e-cards and other funny messages. It was joked more than a few times that the countdown to Dirty 30 is officially on. And really, the more I think about it, the more I think I'm okay with the big 3-0. When I graduated college back in the day, there was a list of personal and professional To Do's I made for myself. With the exception of a couple works in progress, I've accomplished all the biggies. Awesome marriage, fulfilling job, happy home, etc etc. I reserve the right to change my mind entirely, but I think 30 something won't be so bad.

Back to the tummy full of fun-fetti cake. The one thing that makes my husband crazy is my habit of grabbing a spoon/fork and idly nibbling food without putting it on an individual plate. I do it with the container of cottage cheese, I do it with left overs, and when we do have cake, I do it with the pan. (And no, I don't do this with food I'm serving guests.) I could stand at the island and take tiny bites back and forth for quite some time. The one time he's not allowed to complain is with MY birthday cake.

We arrived home from dinner last night, and he got straight to the cake-making. Within an hour, the house was filled with that awesome bakery smell and those pastel sprinkles were sprinkled to perfection. He got out one plate for him and just hands me the pan and a fork. Bless his heart. He knows me too well.

Like a kid who ate too much Halloween candy, I went to bed sick to my stomach. Since I knew I had two more days of birthday lunches and dinners with friends, running out some calories was essential. I set the alarm for 5:30, drug myself out of bed, and hit the road for 6 miles and a sunrise. Morning running is tough for me for a million reasons, but today it was a life-saver. That disgusting sugar-ache was gone and I finally felt hungry for some nutrients. We'll see if the fun-fetti cake on the island calls my name again tonight, but this morning's run was probably the most satisfying run in weeks.

*Splash!*

I've always been really interested by exercise science and other health and body stuff. Since this is probably the best shape I've ever been in, I opted to make an appointment to get an underwater and skin fold body fat % test.

I made the appointment at the Health and Recreation department at my alma mater. The grad student meets me at the front desk, and he's a very short, very young, nervous-type of guy. (Is that a nearly-30 thing where you think everyone younger than you is 18?) Nice though. He takes me to the "lab" in this back, back room. It's basically a collection of old equipment from some sort of Dharma Initiative testing video. There didn't appear to be any holes drilled in the wall for someone to video tape and play back in their dark apartment later, so I assumed it was safe.

He starts with getting me to sign this giant consent form about death and drowning and concludes the entire thing with "do not worry, all test administrators are certified in CPR." Excellent, because THAT was my concern.

He tells me I can change in the sketchy restroom but I can't use the toilet because the pipes aren't working. Of course. I change into my swimsuit, mourn the loss of my fab summer tan, wish I had flipflops and wrap my towel extra tight as I walk back out for a quick height and weight check. (In centimeters/kilometers, of course, which means nothing to me. Dumb metric system.)

Then the towel officially drops and the skin pinching starts. This poor kid. I'm certainly no supermodel, but I'm standing in a stark, silent room in a bikini while he runs some tape measurer down my thighs and grabs up on my hip bones. I try to make small talk, but I think that was doing more harm than good. He kept apologizing for his hands being cold and promising to move quicker. Awkwardness abound.

Finally, the pool. This thing was at least 8ft deep with a disgustingly slippery ladder. You sit in this PVC pipe chair and hold onto the little handles. My first thought was sheer panic. The side walls are uncomfortably close and all the equipment overtop makes it like a little cocoon of death. I get my breathing instructions and start freaking out a little. Of course they don't have digital equipment, so I have to hold my empty lungs for a few seconds so he has time to read the grocery store produce rotary scale.

Eight times over I have to completely empty my lungs and hold still before passing out. All while this guy is telling me to "make sure you blow out all the air. Any you leave in will show up as fat." Thanks dude. As if I'm not competitive enough, now I'm going to kill myself in this back room where no one will ever find me.

Towards the end I'm fairly light-headed and queasy but happy to be done. I change, check the mascara, toss up a messy pony tail, and meet him in the office. I'd report the final number, but I'm afraid my parents will read this and OMG! GRANDBABIES! GRANDBABIES!! GRANDBABIES!!!

I will say that my fat % is low enough to be Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, and if that's not a measure of a woman, I don't know what is.

Weekly stats:

Monday- rest
Tuesday- 4 miles (LOVED running in the Phoenix weather)
Wednesday- travel back home
Thursday- 10 miles
Friday- 10 miles
Saturday- 4 miles
Sunday- 20 miles (which went awesome- I think I might actually be marathon ready)

Total- 48 miles Welcome to Taperville!

UPDATE
Since people cared enough to read and comment, I guess I do owe a better estimate of the final number. The numbers were 5% apart. The (less accurate) skinfold was probably too high, and the (more accruate) underwater was probably too low. Average them together and it's about 12%. Which still seems lower than it should be, but I made him do the underwater part more than normal just to be sure. Who knows. Overall, it was fun and interesting, and I'm glad I did it.

Happy pre-birthday to me!

In anticipation of my birthday this week, my mom asked me what I wanted. New purse? New jeans? New earrings? No, sadly, I'd really like new running shoes. Because she loves shopping for just about anything, we met this afternoon to pick some out.

I'm not particularly brand loyal to anything since I run on cement and underpronate like a mofo. I'll wear out the bottom of shoes long before anything like arch support or cushion becomes a real issue. After trying on several styles, I opted for a lovely pair of Asics. Cute, huh?

After picking out the shoes, we started talking about my cold-weather running apparel. I mentioned that I love my black Under Armor shirt, but I wish it wasn't black when I want to run at dusk. (I do have a white Nike cold weather shirt, but it's not compression and not nearly as warm.) Because my mom is awesome, she marches right over to the apparel section and starts pulling white UA shirts for me to try on. Five minutes later, she's tucking a new shirt under her arm and heading toward the register. This stuff will probably get much more wear than some boring sweater from the mall anyway. Thanks mom!

And just as another fun birthday thing to do, I'm getting my body fat % measured using an underwater test on Monday. My mom is concerned that all this running is martini-shaking my internal organs (overies in particular), my dad has thrown out the word "barren!" as a cautionary tale, and I've accidentally caught the husband with a pointy hip bone a few times. Hopefully this test will put some of their concerns to rest. For me: I just want to see if I'd be skinny enough to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. (And if you aren't watching Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team 3, you absolutely positively should be. Trust me on this.)

"It's not the change that is hard, it is the transition."

This Thursday's Take it and Run topic on Runner's Lounge is about Running Through Transitions. With daylight savings and colder weather, how to survive and thrive through transitions and changes.

Overall, I'm not a fan of change. Surprises I love, change I hate. For example, just when I was coming to terms with Allen Iverson leaving the Denver Nuggets, I see Carmelo Anthony shaved his cornrows! Did no one think to call me and ask what I thought?! Seeing the wacky patterns of their hair was half the reason I sat through Nuggests games with the Husband all winter!

Daylight savings and the dropping temperatures are making my training a challenge. Whenever I tell someone about my plans, the conversation goes like this:

Person A: Where's your marathon?
Me: Kansas City
Person A: When?
Me: Sunday before Thanksgiving
Person A: Ooooh, that'll be COLD!

Stop saying that, people! I fully realize I might be decked out in my head to toe cold weather gear, but I haven't even dug it all out from the back of the closet and don't plan to until after the race. I plan to cling to my shorts as long as possible. Once the North Face gloves get busted out, summer/fall is officially over and that won't happen until the Monday before Thanksgiving. (Because I've seen the pictures from last year! Tons of people are wearing shorts, and a few are even in tank tops!)

So, I guess the answer to how I deal with transition: D E N I A L

(To contribute actual tips to the fine folks at Runners Lounge, keeping a routine with the rest of my life helps with the transitions in my training. Having my food, sleep, work, and social routines remain the same make the weather and time changes less stressful. But if we're being honest, it's more burying my head in the sand and pretending it's not happening.)

My therapy

I get asked from time to time why I run so much. It's a variety of reasons, really. It keeps my clothes fitting, it allows me to eat fairly freely, I honestly enjoy it (most days), but most importantly- it's free therapy.

I woke up Saturday to some news that launched a giant morning pity party. I don't throw them very often, but when I do, they are full-on selfish, petty, glass-half-empty poutfest. The next hour was spent trying to recover using my normal methods: a few tears, a mini box of Apple Jack of unknown origin from the back of the pantry (cereal doesn't expire does it?), and some America's Next Top Model (Sheena, honey, you were robbed!) from the DVR.

Nothing was really working when I remembered my new yoga DVD. I'm pretty intense and wound by nature, so I usually spend most of the video with my mind racing instead of relaxing. The muscular Asian man in a black speedo with a ponytail at the second half of the video is much better than the woman at the beginning, so for the first time, it was sort of effective.

After that, I walked out to check the mail for my Us Weekly and check the weather. It was beautiful. Sunny, warm, and zero wind. I couldn't help it, I was still mopey and needed to kick my funk asap.

The plan was to go 3.5 miles in anticipation of my long run today, but I just couldn't help it and went a little further. Every step, every deep breath, and every smiling runner/dog walker I pasted lifted my mood considerably. As the miles past, I thought about my bummer news and began to develop A Plan. I also spent a fair amount of time thinking of how grateful I am for all the fantastic things I have going on in my life: A great husband and family, job I enjoy, fantastic friends, lovely home, and the health and ability to be running on such a beautiful day.

I came home refreshed, happy, and feeling like a million dang dollars. See, free therapy!

Saturday night was spent at my friend's house for a lovely football party. The score ended poorly, but my affection and appreciation for my amazing friends was confirmed all over again. Sniff, I love those girls.

Today's run was a bit rough. I didn't hydrate property and should have brough more than one gel. The race is three weeks from today, so I'm a little worried about having enough time to figure it all out. You can gut your way through a 10 mile run, but 18 is no joke. Phyisology beats will every time. More planning for sure next week.

My week's stats:

Monday- rest
Tuesday- 7.5 miles
Wednesday- 9.5 miles
Thursday- yoga/abs
Friday- 7 miles
Saturday- yoga/5 miles
Sunday- 18 miles

Total: 47 miles (I really need a bike...)

PS- I'm traveling to Phoenix tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have some stories for the other half of my "cross country" moniker.

You wouldn't ever have to change the bulb

Today's "Take it and Run" topic over at Runner's Lounge asks runners to "share your most imagined running superpower."

My choice: commanding daylight! (I thought about controlling the weather, but I can layer up or skimp down as much as necessary. Or move to southern California where people don't even own coats. Whichever.) I’m a bit of a road snob, so as convenient as a gym or treadmill would be this time of year, I just can’t do it.

Since the sun sets about 6:15 even before daylight savings kicks in shortly, it’s a challenge to get home from work and out the door before dusk. Some awesome bloggers have purchased such darkness-combating devices as a glowy vest and Amazing Race-style headlamp. They certainly seem practical, but the more I think about it, it’s not that I need people to see me, it’s that I need to see people.

After reading posts about the beauty of running at sunrise, I tried to recreate the magic a couple weeks ago. I stayed under the street lights and around the neighborhood, but I constantly felt like the sprinting, panicked-arm-flailing, soon-to-be victim in a bad horror movie. Every sound made me jump, and don’t get me started on people walking their dogs. It might have well been werewolves coming to tear me limb from limb the way my imagination was racing. (The upside is my heart monitor showed some fantastic calories burned. Guess that’s what happens when your heart beats out of your chest from having a panic attack for a solid hour.)

So back to needing sunlight—I’m not greedy. I don’t expect it to stay light every night until 11 just to accommodate my busy schedule. Too much light isn’t always a blessing, you know. I went to Alaska last summer and 20 hours of sun seems like a great idea right up until you’re stumbling out of a bar at midnight with your shoes in your hand and you realize it’s still light outside. The novelty wears off pretty quick. Anyway, just the hour or two that I’m running is all I need. I’d treat it like a light switch, I promise!

(And since I vowed to pretty up the place, below are a few pictures of my trip to Alaska.)

This was taken on July 10th during a hike to Byron Glacier. It was 100 degrees back home, and I was way too fascinated to be walking on snow.

I don't need to catch giant salmon like the kid in the background. This tree branch will do just fine, thanks. (Shoutout to the Victoria's Secret pink hoodie! Who says I'm not outdoorsy!)

Fortress of Solitude

(First, thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. This blogging thing is fun!) Work is killing me this week. Killing me. I'm stuck doing a task left by a departed coworker that I neither have nor wish to acquire any business doing. Needless to say, it'll be mostly early mornings and late evenings until Saturday. I did take a stand around 4:30 that I needed to burn off some energy and go run. Packed my computer up, threw on my jacket, and made it home to get in a quick 7 miles before the sun finally set. Ahhhh, just what I needed. Lest this become a total whine-fest, there is a sliver lining to this work business. My Fortress of Solitude. (And no, we don't normally call it that. It was just to up the interest of the story.) The Husband and I got married in November 2004. We also built and moved into a house that very same week. (Do not recommend.) For the first year of our marriage, one of our guest bedrooms was known as "The Wedding Room". Basically all the fancy china and odd gifts were stacked neatly in the middle of the stark white room. As our first anniversary (and the start of grad school) approached, I noticed a post-it note on the door that said: Do not enter until November 20th! I could smell the paint and hear the commotion, but I had no idea what he was up to. Once the big day arrived, in awesome Trading Spaces fashion, he led me into the room blindfolded for his best Paige Davis big reveal. TA-DA!
He's a big fan of movies, so that's the theme of the room. He painted the walls black(!), had his mom sew the curtains, and got frames for mini-movie posters of our favorites. Just cleaning up the gifts would have been gift enough, but I couldn't believe he went to all that trouble. He even bought a stapler! It totally blew away the football tickets I got him, by the way.

I spent countless hours in this room during school, and I kind of miss it. He'd come visit every hour on the hour to refill my water or bring me grapes. (Yeah, he's just that wonderful.) So even though crappy work is testing my sanity this week, I at least have a great room to do it in.

Oh, and the little space heater on the floor is getting worked tonight. It's about 85 degrees in here now and I loooove it.