NOTE: Yes, I'm behind. I've had this in draft mode for more than two weeks. Sorry! I promise to be better about posting in the future. I'm also going to be better about running, so I have more meaningful running content to post. Really!
so, the "don't call it a comeback plan" was supposed to include running the Half at White Rock today. I absolutely despise the full course there, because you spend ten miles running around that hideous lake, with downtown so little and far away. But the half course is pretty much an out and back on the relatively new Katy Trail ("relatively new" meaning since I quit driving to Dallas every day three years ago), so I thought it might be a good goal race for the return to distance running.
Except that I didn't sign up in time. A combination of a lack of training, not a lot of confidence going into December and the need to wait for payday to sign up led me to miss the registration window, as the race was closed at 20,000 total runners. So I needed to find an alternate. I found a race about two hours south in Temple, the Scott & White Chasing Lions Half Marathon. Scott & White is the same organization that benefits from the Miracle Match marathon in Waco (the hardest hilliest marathon I've ever done), the day before White Rock, so I decided I could drive down for the day and do this race. Not only was the race small enough that I could sign up the day of the event, but it was also less than half the registration fee.
After the Turkey Trot 10K on Thanksgiving, I ended up doing a 10K on the spur of the moment last weekend and really enjoyed it. I averaged exactly a 10:00 mile for that race, and so while I didn't have the distance base that I had hoped, I was feeling strong enough that I thought I could work it out after that 10K. So I announced the intention on FaceBook, knowing that once I did that I would HAVE to follow through.
When I left the house at 5:30, it was misty and cold, and it wasn't expected to get any drier or warmer as I headed south. I had pretty good success in the previous week's race with a layering strategy to keep warm at the start, and the weather then was a low of 27 that morning (OK, you northerners, you can back off - 27 is FRIGID for us Texans!). So I figured I would be OK with the same plan, even in the rain. The top layer I chose is a skiwear layer that repels water pretty nicely, and it served me well in my long run last week, too.
The drive down was good, even though it was drizzly and messy the whole way. But I had plenty of time, so I wasn't rushing at all. I had loaded up the iPod with all kinds of good songs that nobody else in my family likes to listen to, so I was jamming the whole way down. I stopped in West, Texas at this little truck stop/bakery place that has amazing kolaches and cinnamon rolls and such to refill on water and grab something to eat. I had planned to have oatmeal from Starbucks somewhere in Ft. Worth, but it was on the wrong side of the road, so I went a little further than I planned before stopping. Ended up having an oatmeal cookie with nuts that had about the right ratio of carbs and protein in it, and grabbed a muffin for later, too.
When I arrived at the race site, the tent was up and there were a few people milling about. It was colder than it was when I left home, though, and still pretty misty. I knew it was going to be the same kind of weather as my last long run the Sunday before, but I knew I was dressed OK for it and it was just going to be a matter of keeping going, one foot in front of the other, until I reached the finish line.
I registered, got my goodie bag and headed back to the car to relax for a bit. I still had about an hour before the start, and I needed to get out of the cold and warm up some, too. About 20 minutes before the race, I got in line for the porta-potty and started getting ready for it. I knew I could handle the distance, it was just a matter of how much I would slow down from the first ten miles to the last three. I also had to be sure not to psych myself out with the course - it was this weird figure-eight loop that we had to do twice, so the mile markers were funky - we saw the mile 7 marker well before we saw the mile 2 marker. I don't usually do loops in my training, because I'm not that disciplined - if I'm near the ending point, I'll bail and call it a day even if I'm only halfway done, because, well, my car is right over there, see? Yeah, so that part made me nervous.
But before I knew it, it was time to line up and go. I couldn't really tell how big the field of women 40-44 was since the little dots they put on our bibs were so small. But I was really more concerned with getting started so that I wouldn't be so darn cold! We received a few instructions about the course and were off.
The first half mile or so was through a slightly muddy pathway, and then we were on the paved trail. Apparently, the city of Temple has spent a good amount of money improving the path and the surrounding park, and from the part I saw, it was money well spent. We ran on it for a while, then were soon on a sidewalk next to a fairly busy road. This was the longest part of the course, and we were on it for a good few miles. We could see the mile markers for the second loop as well as for the first loop, and that was a little disconcerting, to think that we'd have to go this route again eventually. The weather was misty and cold, but it didn't feel so cold once we got moving. I was wearing wool ski socks, so my feet were in fairly good shape, and I kept my gloves on until about mile 3.
I had run a small 10K at the local university the weekend before, and had fallen into a rookie trap of pinning my race number through my bottom layer as well as my top layer. It took longer than it should have for me to extricate myself from it when I warmed up, and I was able to keep from making the same mistake this time, so when I hit the first turnaround at mile 3, I was fairly smooth at removing the top layer while not breaking stride. However, the time saved there was burned when I took a slight detour to the restrooms at a local park right off the route - I had miscalculated my water intake and it was a welcome sight, especially since I never did see any port-o-potties on the course. I lost about three minutes, but it made a difference as I was able to keep running comfortably in that department for the rest of the race.
Before I knew it, we were back at the start of the loop, and it was time for the second six miles of the course. I was still feeling pretty good, but a hot spot on the bottom of my left foot was beginning to develop. Besides that, I was doing OK. I knew the last three miles would be tough, given that my longest run to date was 10 miles the week before. But, I also knew that I would finish, it was just a matter of how much I would slow down. By now, I had stowed my gloves in my waistband, had the top layer off and was in a comfortable stride. The second loop seemed to go by pretty quickly, at least until the mile 11 mark. That was when the mile markers seemed to get further and further apart! The hot spot on my foot was making itself very well-known by now, but I dared not stop and check it out. I could tell I was slowing down, and actually walked across the streets when I came to them and through the water stops, but didn't give myself permission to walk any other time.
The last stretch was through the park, and I knew as soon as I hit mile 12 that I was nearly home. I still felt OK, although I knew I was slowing down, and I was just determined to finish out strongly. The return trip through the muddy path was a little dicey, as it was much more chewed up now, but seeing the finish line up ahead gave me the energy I needed to power through. The clock read 2:20 as I neared it, which is about 10 minutes off my PR for the half, but actually faster than I expected for this race, given the lack of training and distance prep. And, that did include the time at the pit stop, which I usually don't do in races, so I was fine with it. After they handed me my medal I walked over to the little tent for refreshments. All the bananas were gone, and there was one sad little grape in the bowl, but I did get a few orange slices and some yummy trial sizes of clif bar, luna bar and a full-size powerbar. I had to get home for an afternoon hockey game, so I changed shoes (thank goodness for Crocs!), put on a dry shirt, and headed north on I-35 (sadly, I noticed when I got home that I'd lost one of my gloves. Wah, I loved those gloves!!).
All in all, I was pretty pleased with the effort. It did reinforce that I need to do whatever is necessary to ramp up the training sufficiently for Cowtown. I will not go in unprepared for that race. It's not as much fun in the late going when you haven't put the miles in, and I am not going to do that again. I don't want to struggle to finish like I did at that race, not ever again. Especially not when I'm in New York City. So, yeah. More to come on that later.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Fort Worth Turkey Trot
So I was really excited to run this year's Fort Worth Turkey Trot, because the little one had said he wanted to run it with me. He said he was all set for the 5K, so my plan was to run the 5K at his pace, doing 3-2 running/walking breaks, then queue up to run the 10K, giving me 'round about 9 miles for the day. That would have been a perfect weekday run for the training plan I'm using... Oh, yeah, that. The training plan I'm supposed to be following - the one that I've essentially neglected because work hours are crazy and because of this wicked cough that will. not. go. away. As late as Tuesday I really thought this was still a workable plan. But then, neither the Elder Child nor the husband wanted to get up early to hang with him while I ran, and I'm not comfortable having him unsupervised in a crowd of 20,000 runners and spectators while I run for an hour. So I was still trying to figure out how to make this work. Then last night, the boy decided that he'd rather spend the night with Grandpa and sleep in than wake up at o-dark-thirty and run in the cold, so I had my answer. I'd skip the 5K and just do the 10K on my own.
I knew it was going to be a tough run, because I've only made 3 workouts in the last two weeks. Those have been good, but the volume is just not enough, especially not since I'm supposed to be ramping up to a half in three weeks. Um, yeah... Anyway, I decided that I would just go out and have fun, and not worry about my time. I wouldn't set my watch, I wouldn't even look at it. I'd just run.
I didn't leave the house until past 7:15, since I've always left so early and then I sit around in the cold and do nothing. This time, I figured I'd get as much sleep as possible, knowing the race didn't start until 9:00. I stopped for batteries for the compact camera, and got to the race area about 7:45. I parked in a different spot than usual because traffic was crazy-go-nuts, so I found a lot in a neighborhood off to the side and walked about half a mile to the start.
I have to say, I love this race, and I love that so many people come out to run/walk this thing, but the registration for this is always a disaster. They just aren't organized well. I'm sure it's hard to get so many volunteers and such lined up for the late registration, and I'm sure it would help if more people signed up ahead of time (yeah, OK, that would be ME, but whatever!), but race-day sign-ups always make my head hurt and make the process analyst in me cringe. In any case, I got signed up, wandered over to see the first 5K runners come in, and then walked over to the start. I grabbed some curb and chilled in the sunshine until it was time to start.
The start was delayed a few minutes because the 5K walkers were still on the course, so we didn't start until about five minutes after 9:00. The course was also changed somewhat from years past, since there is construction in the area and we had to work around it. It ended up that we did a lot of switchbacks through the neighborhood, and for most of the race I had no idea which direction I was headed or exactly where I was. No matter, though, right? Just keep moving. I will admit I looked at my watch when we passed the 5K mark, and it read 9:35, so I was about on pace for a 30-minute or so 5K split. I was happy with that considering the hills in the first half of the course, and the fact that the first mile seemed really, really, really long. After that, I started really questioning why I did this, and I could feel myself slowing down a bit. Mostly because there were crazy hills on the new route - not steep ones, just a lot of gradual risers that would have been OK if not for my cough and the whole having trouble breathing thing. I will say, though, that even if I was slow, I did not walk, not even on the hills. And then suddenly, I started feeling good again, and I was enjoying myself, and having fun again. Cool.
I finished in about 1:06, which is definitely slower than last year, but a better time if I had sat it out altogether. I really was focused on getting out there and having a good time, and I think I did that. I caught up with some buddies from the Cowtown training group, so that was good, and then I came home and got ready for Thanksgiving dinner with the fam. All in all, it was an enjoyable morning, and as usual, I was thankful for being healthy enough, cough or not, to be out there running around. The only glitch to the day is that I wandered around the neighborhood for about 10 minutes after the race because I forgot where I parked. Yeah, I'm a smart cookie, I tell ya!!
I knew it was going to be a tough run, because I've only made 3 workouts in the last two weeks. Those have been good, but the volume is just not enough, especially not since I'm supposed to be ramping up to a half in three weeks. Um, yeah... Anyway, I decided that I would just go out and have fun, and not worry about my time. I wouldn't set my watch, I wouldn't even look at it. I'd just run.
I didn't leave the house until past 7:15, since I've always left so early and then I sit around in the cold and do nothing. This time, I figured I'd get as much sleep as possible, knowing the race didn't start until 9:00. I stopped for batteries for the compact camera, and got to the race area about 7:45. I parked in a different spot than usual because traffic was crazy-go-nuts, so I found a lot in a neighborhood off to the side and walked about half a mile to the start.
I have to say, I love this race, and I love that so many people come out to run/walk this thing, but the registration for this is always a disaster. They just aren't organized well. I'm sure it's hard to get so many volunteers and such lined up for the late registration, and I'm sure it would help if more people signed up ahead of time (yeah, OK, that would be ME, but whatever!), but race-day sign-ups always make my head hurt and make the process analyst in me cringe. In any case, I got signed up, wandered over to see the first 5K runners come in, and then walked over to the start. I grabbed some curb and chilled in the sunshine until it was time to start.
The start was delayed a few minutes because the 5K walkers were still on the course, so we didn't start until about five minutes after 9:00. The course was also changed somewhat from years past, since there is construction in the area and we had to work around it. It ended up that we did a lot of switchbacks through the neighborhood, and for most of the race I had no idea which direction I was headed or exactly where I was. No matter, though, right? Just keep moving. I will admit I looked at my watch when we passed the 5K mark, and it read 9:35, so I was about on pace for a 30-minute or so 5K split. I was happy with that considering the hills in the first half of the course, and the fact that the first mile seemed really, really, really long. After that, I started really questioning why I did this, and I could feel myself slowing down a bit. Mostly because there were crazy hills on the new route - not steep ones, just a lot of gradual risers that would have been OK if not for my cough and the whole having trouble breathing thing. I will say, though, that even if I was slow, I did not walk, not even on the hills. And then suddenly, I started feeling good again, and I was enjoying myself, and having fun again. Cool.
I finished in about 1:06, which is definitely slower than last year, but a better time if I had sat it out altogether. I really was focused on getting out there and having a good time, and I think I did that. I caught up with some buddies from the Cowtown training group, so that was good, and then I came home and got ready for Thanksgiving dinner with the fam. All in all, it was an enjoyable morning, and as usual, I was thankful for being healthy enough, cough or not, to be out there running around. The only glitch to the day is that I wandered around the neighborhood for about 10 minutes after the race because I forgot where I parked. Yeah, I'm a smart cookie, I tell ya!!
the Jackalope is REAL thing, people!
I don't know if I trust this guy...
The men's 5K winner - came in about 16 and something, I think.
My own two feet, before the start of the 10K.
Maybe it was oxygen deprivation from the hills, but I found this sign behind the water stop hilarious!
bucket o'chips at the finish
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
yow
work is crazy. I've got a cold. I haven't run since Saturday. Bleargh.
kinda glad I haven't actually paid for White Rock yet, 'cause I'm not sure I'm ready for a half. Haven't done more than 8 miles yet and it's less than a month away. Sigh.
I haven't given up on it, I'm just not sure how I'm going to pull it out and not have a miserable day. Argh.
Good news? I bought a scale with my birthday gift card (whee! HB to me...) and it shows I'm down three pounds from the end of the summer when I had my girl-parts adjusted. Hey, I take the good news wherever I can get it.
kinda glad I haven't actually paid for White Rock yet, 'cause I'm not sure I'm ready for a half. Haven't done more than 8 miles yet and it's less than a month away. Sigh.
I haven't given up on it, I'm just not sure how I'm going to pull it out and not have a miserable day. Argh.
Good news? I bought a scale with my birthday gift card (whee! HB to me...) and it shows I'm down three pounds from the end of the summer when I had my girl-parts adjusted. Hey, I take the good news wherever I can get it.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
it would probably be better for me
if I could put down the candy corn. I guess it was a bad idea to put the jar in my office, in easy reach whenever the learning curve for the new job stresses me out. It's much faster to satisfy the sugar craving with a small handful of these than to go into the boy's room and dig through the Halloween bag (don't even pretend I'm the only one who does that... I'm not the only who does that, right??). It's a bad habit, and I need to do a better job of resisting the temptation.
I am doing better at getting the regular runs in, although I was hoping to start a streak for November. Late evening at the computer on Monday and then an unplanned trip to College Night last night conspired to keep me from running those nights, but I have been able to maintain a better semblance of a routine, which is a good thing. I'm still miserably slow, but I'm OK with that for now. Considering the year that I've had, I'm ok with just getting the mileage in. I'm like those baseball players that are interviewed on TV, "I'm just happy to be here, I want to stay within myself and do the best I can for the team." Yep, that's me, just happy to be here.
Speaking of baseball, Go Yankees! I opted out of baseball a few years ago (still don't like A-Fraud/A-Roid, whatever) but found myself watching the World Series this year and rooting for the Bronx Bombers and slipping back into the sport just like that. And it has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with Johnny Damon. Nothing. Really. ;)
Saturday ORN - 4.99 miles in 48:51
Sunday ORN - 8.25 miles in 1:25ish
Tuesday ORN - 4 miles, 42:00
Thursday ORN - 4 miles, 41:20
I am doing better at getting the regular runs in, although I was hoping to start a streak for November. Late evening at the computer on Monday and then an unplanned trip to College Night last night conspired to keep me from running those nights, but I have been able to maintain a better semblance of a routine, which is a good thing. I'm still miserably slow, but I'm OK with that for now. Considering the year that I've had, I'm ok with just getting the mileage in. I'm like those baseball players that are interviewed on TV, "I'm just happy to be here, I want to stay within myself and do the best I can for the team." Yep, that's me, just happy to be here.
Speaking of baseball, Go Yankees! I opted out of baseball a few years ago (still don't like A-Fraud/A-Roid, whatever) but found myself watching the World Series this year and rooting for the Bronx Bombers and slipping back into the sport just like that. And it has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with Johnny Damon. Nothing. Really. ;)
Saturday ORN - 4.99 miles in 48:51
Sunday ORN - 8.25 miles in 1:25ish
Tuesday ORN - 4 miles, 42:00
Thursday ORN - 4 miles, 41:20
Friday, October 30, 2009
working on it
now that I'm home from travelling and working out of the front room, I'm trying to sort out what a regular day looks like for me, so that I can best figure out where to slot in the ME time that is so critical for my well-being. The biggest challenge is that every day looks different from the one before - between the kids' evening activities (hockey, scouts and golf for the older one, scouts and gymnastics for the little one) and school work (A and B days at the high school that make NO sense to me), there's something new every day. And of course the fact that I'm still on this huge learning curve with the new job and the new processes doesn't make things easier there, either. I guess the biggest blessing at this point is that Hub is still in his job search, so he's a little more flexible than he ultimately will be, but that of course brings its' own special challenges with it. Ahem. Anyhoo, it all comes down to NOW being the time that I need to establish the pattern of when I work out and when I fit in my runs so that it continues to be priority for me.
I still want to restart the Insanity workouts, and will likely do that next week. As much as I'd love to be able to do them with my husband, the reality is that we're on different body clocks much of the time. I'm ready to work out as soon as I wake up, and really can't eat much before an intense cardio session, whereas he needs to wake up more gradually and isn't ready for a workout until after a meal and usually right when I need to be working. So we'll have to do it independently or it won't really happen. We'll still challenge each other to get it done and to make sure our eating is on plan, but we won't have the same schedule each day.
It also seems lately like the 5:30-6:30 PM start time is what's been working for me in terms of my runs around the neighborhood. On my birthday earlier this week I fit in a 40-minute jaunt before we left for the movie, and last night I ran a quick 5K to the park before I had to be back for gymnastics with the boy. The weather is just right for that kind of a workout now, but soon it will be dark even at 6:00ish, even after DST kicks in. So I know I'm going to have to adjust. Which means probably I won't get to watch the morning news and kick around for a while after the kids get off to school. Ah, well, it's not fun if you know what to expect, right? All I know is that I'm doing the White Rock Half in mid-December and will definitely do the Cowtown Half at the end of February. The White Rock will not have a time goal attached to it, but it would be nice if I saw some noticeable speed increases between then and Cowtown. I guess to get there I'll need to do some work then, huh? Which means I should get my arse off the computer and out for a run!
ORN: Tuesday, 10/27 - 3.9 miles, 40:00
Thursday, 10/29 - 3.1 miles, 30:58
I still want to restart the Insanity workouts, and will likely do that next week. As much as I'd love to be able to do them with my husband, the reality is that we're on different body clocks much of the time. I'm ready to work out as soon as I wake up, and really can't eat much before an intense cardio session, whereas he needs to wake up more gradually and isn't ready for a workout until after a meal and usually right when I need to be working. So we'll have to do it independently or it won't really happen. We'll still challenge each other to get it done and to make sure our eating is on plan, but we won't have the same schedule each day.
It also seems lately like the 5:30-6:30 PM start time is what's been working for me in terms of my runs around the neighborhood. On my birthday earlier this week I fit in a 40-minute jaunt before we left for the movie, and last night I ran a quick 5K to the park before I had to be back for gymnastics with the boy. The weather is just right for that kind of a workout now, but soon it will be dark even at 6:00ish, even after DST kicks in. So I know I'm going to have to adjust. Which means probably I won't get to watch the morning news and kick around for a while after the kids get off to school. Ah, well, it's not fun if you know what to expect, right? All I know is that I'm doing the White Rock Half in mid-December and will definitely do the Cowtown Half at the end of February. The White Rock will not have a time goal attached to it, but it would be nice if I saw some noticeable speed increases between then and Cowtown. I guess to get there I'll need to do some work then, huh? Which means I should get my arse off the computer and out for a run!
ORN: Tuesday, 10/27 - 3.9 miles, 40:00
Thursday, 10/29 - 3.1 miles, 30:58
Monday, October 26, 2009
Nothing Bad Happens at the top of Thanksgiving Mountain
that's my philosophy. So when I saw a road sign off the main road leading back to the resort on Saturday morning, I had to take a detour. I could have gone straight back to the hotel and met up with the girls for brunch without taking the road up the hill. I could have called it good, with about a three-mile out and back run, kinda rolling, but really mostly flat. I could have. But, when you're on vacation, and you're out running in glorious early morning Texas Hill Country air, and you're celebrating lifelong friendships and a new decade, it's tough to ignore a signpost that says Thanksgiving Road. So I turned.
The path was a two-lane street, very lightly traveled at that time of the day. Lots of scrub and nopalitos along the sides of the road, and the further I got from the main road, the steeper it got. Still, I managed to keep up with a run, a slow run, but I was running nonetheless. And then I came to a cross-roads, and I could have turned around there, and called it good. But something made me want to turn left, toward the Catholic church that I knew had to be at the top of the road. And the road got narrower and a little steeper. And then there was another turn, back toward the main road, but still climbing upward. It wasn't Colorado steep, but it sure as heck wasn't Suburbia South flat. And, then, when I got to the end of that road, I found the church, and more importantly, I found this:
And I realized, that, yes, I was right to have taken that detour. Sometimes, when you take the right road, even if it wasn't in the plan, even if it's not as easy a path as you were hoping for, if you put out the effort, and you do the work, at the end of the road, you get rewarded. And was I ever rewarded.
It was a glorious little surprise in my morning workout, and it reminded me of the reasons that I run, and it reminded me of just how lucky I am. And if that weren't enough, on my way back down the hill, toward the main road, I was greeted by a deer, who emerged from the scrub about 20 yards in front of me and stood there for a moment, blinking and nodding at me before running across the road and into the outcropping on the other side. Talk about a way cool start to the day!
Saturday ORN: 5 miles, :49 total time (I KNOW!!)
Sunday ORN: 7.6 miles, 1:22 running time.
Four weeks before Turkey Trot 10K, six weeks before the White Rock Half. I'm ready to get ready. Bring it!
The path was a two-lane street, very lightly traveled at that time of the day. Lots of scrub and nopalitos along the sides of the road, and the further I got from the main road, the steeper it got. Still, I managed to keep up with a run, a slow run, but I was running nonetheless. And then I came to a cross-roads, and I could have turned around there, and called it good. But something made me want to turn left, toward the Catholic church that I knew had to be at the top of the road. And the road got narrower and a little steeper. And then there was another turn, back toward the main road, but still climbing upward. It wasn't Colorado steep, but it sure as heck wasn't Suburbia South flat. And, then, when I got to the end of that road, I found the church, and more importantly, I found this:
And I realized, that, yes, I was right to have taken that detour. Sometimes, when you take the right road, even if it wasn't in the plan, even if it's not as easy a path as you were hoping for, if you put out the effort, and you do the work, at the end of the road, you get rewarded. And was I ever rewarded.
It was a glorious little surprise in my morning workout, and it reminded me of the reasons that I run, and it reminded me of just how lucky I am. And if that weren't enough, on my way back down the hill, toward the main road, I was greeted by a deer, who emerged from the scrub about 20 yards in front of me and stood there for a moment, blinking and nodding at me before running across the road and into the outcropping on the other side. Talk about a way cool start to the day!
Saturday ORN: 5 miles, :49 total time (I KNOW!!)
Sunday ORN: 7.6 miles, 1:22 running time.
Four weeks before Turkey Trot 10K, six weeks before the White Rock Half. I'm ready to get ready. Bring it!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Well, phoo
so much for the best-laid plans of mice & men, huh? I knew I wasn't going to get in my 6-miler yesterday, and I was OK with that. I just was hoping I'd get to make it up today, and that didn't happen, either.
I woke up in a panic at 4:30 AM Scotland time, convinced by some hideous dream that my Longhorns had lost the Texas-ou football game (in overtime, no less), so I had to get out of bed and check ESPN. Luckily, we pulled it out with a very ugly win, but a win nonetheless. After that, I had a hard time going back to sleep, but it was too early to go running outside - even I'm not nuts to go out in the streets in a strange town at 5:00 AM. At home, yeah, and in NYC, yeah, and even in Boulder I'd go out, but not here. Besides, I had to be ready to catch the bus to the City Centre by 8:00, which meant I had to forage for breakfast by 7:30.
Turns out, nothing around here opens until 8:30 or 9:00 am on Sundays, not even the Starbucks! It was odd to walk down the street to all the coffee shops, advertising breakfast specials in their windows, no less! and finding them shuttered, with no signs of life in them at all. I ended up getting a container of yogurt and a pack of shortbread at the Scottish equivalent of a 7-11 across the street from the hotel (Sidebar: I could LIVE on shortbread for the rest of my life. Yes, that life would be short and artery-clogged from all the BUTTER, but dang, that stuff is good, even the off-brand stuff I found at the psuedo-7-11!). The bus came right on time, and I hopped on and paid my fare for the short ride downtown. I took the subway to the same spot the day before, but the subway doesn't run until 10:00 am on Sundays - again with the sleeping in! I jumped off a few blocks early and walked to the tour meeting point, which was a good thing, since it was noticeably chillier than the previous day, plus it was grey and semi-drizzly. As I've told a few folks, that is a good thing - gave the tour of the Scottish castle and lochs a nice Braveheart feel!
I got a chance to walk more in the castle itself (plus climbing stairs and such), plus around the little village that we stopped in for lunch. The food here, shortbread aside, is a bit odd and too heavy for me - the deli counter at the sandwich place is crowded with strange meats and fishes in odd sauces, and there's lots of Indian-influenced menu items, too, along with the heavily fried standard of fish and chips, of course. I did have haggis last night at dinner, along with neeps and tatties, which while they sound nasty (and a little naughty, actually), are among the best things I've had in a while! I'll definitely be having haggis again before I leave for home! I've been mostly subsisting on yogurt and shortbread or scones for breakfast, ham and cheese sandwiches with fresh fruit for lunch, and a fairly light dinner from room service. I am trying to be adventurous, but sometimes you gotta stick with what you know, OK?
Anyway, the castle and loch outing was great, but wiped me out to the point where I couldn't get out of bed this morning. I snoozed the alarm too much and didn't have a chance to go out before work like I'd planned. I always forget how hard it is to go out at the end of the day. And with a ton of stuff to do still tonight before I turn in, I best sign off now so that I can get it done and hit the hay, so tomorrow I can be sure to get a few miles in. Or, I'll be saying "phoo" again this time tomorrow.
I woke up in a panic at 4:30 AM Scotland time, convinced by some hideous dream that my Longhorns had lost the Texas-ou football game (in overtime, no less), so I had to get out of bed and check ESPN. Luckily, we pulled it out with a very ugly win, but a win nonetheless. After that, I had a hard time going back to sleep, but it was too early to go running outside - even I'm not nuts to go out in the streets in a strange town at 5:00 AM. At home, yeah, and in NYC, yeah, and even in Boulder I'd go out, but not here. Besides, I had to be ready to catch the bus to the City Centre by 8:00, which meant I had to forage for breakfast by 7:30.
Turns out, nothing around here opens until 8:30 or 9:00 am on Sundays, not even the Starbucks! It was odd to walk down the street to all the coffee shops, advertising breakfast specials in their windows, no less! and finding them shuttered, with no signs of life in them at all. I ended up getting a container of yogurt and a pack of shortbread at the Scottish equivalent of a 7-11 across the street from the hotel (Sidebar: I could LIVE on shortbread for the rest of my life. Yes, that life would be short and artery-clogged from all the BUTTER, but dang, that stuff is good, even the off-brand stuff I found at the psuedo-7-11!). The bus came right on time, and I hopped on and paid my fare for the short ride downtown. I took the subway to the same spot the day before, but the subway doesn't run until 10:00 am on Sundays - again with the sleeping in! I jumped off a few blocks early and walked to the tour meeting point, which was a good thing, since it was noticeably chillier than the previous day, plus it was grey and semi-drizzly. As I've told a few folks, that is a good thing - gave the tour of the Scottish castle and lochs a nice Braveheart feel!
I got a chance to walk more in the castle itself (plus climbing stairs and such), plus around the little village that we stopped in for lunch. The food here, shortbread aside, is a bit odd and too heavy for me - the deli counter at the sandwich place is crowded with strange meats and fishes in odd sauces, and there's lots of Indian-influenced menu items, too, along with the heavily fried standard of fish and chips, of course. I did have haggis last night at dinner, along with neeps and tatties, which while they sound nasty (and a little naughty, actually), are among the best things I've had in a while! I'll definitely be having haggis again before I leave for home! I've been mostly subsisting on yogurt and shortbread or scones for breakfast, ham and cheese sandwiches with fresh fruit for lunch, and a fairly light dinner from room service. I am trying to be adventurous, but sometimes you gotta stick with what you know, OK?
Anyway, the castle and loch outing was great, but wiped me out to the point where I couldn't get out of bed this morning. I snoozed the alarm too much and didn't have a chance to go out before work like I'd planned. I always forget how hard it is to go out at the end of the day. And with a ton of stuff to do still tonight before I turn in, I best sign off now so that I can get it done and hit the hay, so tomorrow I can be sure to get a few miles in. Or, I'll be saying "phoo" again this time tomorrow.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Loving the Run
Maybe it's because the scenery is so awesome here. Maybe because I'm not worried about my pace. Maybe because I'm 4500 miles from home and I know nobody is waiting for me to get back, or nobody is mildly irritated that I woke up at o-dark-thirty. Or maybe, and I like to think that this is the real reason, maybe I'm finally getting the hang of this running thing again.
Ran a 4 mile loop around the hotel and neighborhoods nearby the university. Besides the amazing display of colors on the leaves all around (remember, y'all, I'm from Texas, we have 1.4 days of fall here, and I might have missed it already) and the near-perfect temps, the other thing that was remarkable was the absolute cleanliness of the streets and neighborhoods. Even the "car parks" are free of litter. All in all, it makes for a lovely afternoon run.
Planning on waking up whenever tomorrow morning and going for a 4-5 mile run along the paths here, then heading to the cathedral and the Necropolis before loitering around the shopping areas in the city center. Sunday, if I can make it work, I plan to take a tour to Loch Lomond and the Stirling Castle. I figure I don't know when I'll be back to see all this again, so I best take advantage of it. That might mean that I need to juggle my long run or maybe split the miles between Monday morning and Monday night. If so, so be it. I have a feeling that I will find a way to make it happen, since not taking advantage of this place would be a tragedy.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
I have run, really, I have
not as much as I want to, but more than I had been. Am in Scotland for the next nine days, doing a last-hurrah consulting gig before I switch roles once and for all. It is going to be fun, I think, if not a little intense. I will have a chance to do some sightseeing this weekend, and I do plan on exploring the area around the hotel on foot tomorrow morning before work. I was very happy to see a few joggers around when I was on the way back from grabbing dinner (except my body thinks it is lunchtime), so I feel like I will be in good company tomorrow morning.
I do plan on taking lots of photos while here, and per usual, the running workouts will be quasi-logged on Twitter, so you'll be able to see them up there in the top right corner, even if you don't get the Twitter thing. I myself have finally come to a sort of strategy for using Twitter, FB and this blog, I think. I tend to think of them as three separate channels for the ramblings from my brain - Twitter I keep to only quick and dirty ORNs, which may or not also qualify for the FB status updates, although most of the status updates there tend to be very random and not workout-related, depending on the kind of day I'm having, and then here is where I do my other deep thinking, as it were. It makes sense for me, although it may end up that I don't post here as often as I used to because a lot of the little daily blurbs end up on FB. Does anyone else feel that same pull between these two media? Are we having a flashback to Video Killed the Radio Star, except that it's Facebook killed the Blogger?
Anyway, perhaps this post is a case in point! I don't have much else to say here today since what I'm doing at this moment doesn't really relate to my journey toward Iron (or the next marathon, or 5K for that matter). But tomorrow, it will! Because I will run tomorrow, I will!
I do plan on taking lots of photos while here, and per usual, the running workouts will be quasi-logged on Twitter, so you'll be able to see them up there in the top right corner, even if you don't get the Twitter thing. I myself have finally come to a sort of strategy for using Twitter, FB and this blog, I think. I tend to think of them as three separate channels for the ramblings from my brain - Twitter I keep to only quick and dirty ORNs, which may or not also qualify for the FB status updates, although most of the status updates there tend to be very random and not workout-related, depending on the kind of day I'm having, and then here is where I do my other deep thinking, as it were. It makes sense for me, although it may end up that I don't post here as often as I used to because a lot of the little daily blurbs end up on FB. Does anyone else feel that same pull between these two media? Are we having a flashback to Video Killed the Radio Star, except that it's Facebook killed the Blogger?
Anyway, perhaps this post is a case in point! I don't have much else to say here today since what I'm doing at this moment doesn't really relate to my journey toward Iron (or the next marathon, or 5K for that matter). But tomorrow, it will! Because I will run tomorrow, I will!
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Overshare warning - proceed at your own risk
so, I've always tried to keep a modicum of modesty around here, not discussing bodily functions too much, just because, well, ewww. It's bad enough I live with three boys and have to deal with all that comes with that. And there are some reproductive functions, that while perfectly human and normal, hit pretty close to very personal decisions that I never particularly wanted to share with the interwebs.
But lately, those functions have interfered mightily with what I do write about on here, which is my running and my fitness, and my attempt to become something more than what I am, not just athletically but emotionally and in my day to day life. So I had to take matters into my own hands because, well, we just can't have that. I've suffered from fibroids for a really long time, probably as long as I've had a monthly cycle, now that I think about it. What I knew as a normal cycle isn't really normal, and thanks to people who are less uptight about sharing their information on the internet, I know that now. For a long time, I controlled them with birth control pills, but when I hit 35 a few years ago, I knew that I didn't really want to be on them much longer, especially not with the history of stroke and heart disease in my family. But I also knew that I was done having kids - I have the most perfect kids imaginable and had also been advised that my body just couldn't handle another pregnancy, not when my blood pressure zoomed to 220/150 in my last few weeks with both boys. So we had to do something else.
That something else was an IUD, which despite many reports of people having horrendous issues with them, I actually tolerated really well and rather enjoyed because it made my cycles non-existent. That meant I didnt' have to deal with the annoyances and issues related to all that, which was great for my training as well as for my general moods and disposition, as well as those around me. It was a double-bonus in that it did its primary job of keeping me from popping out three more kids and managed the fibroid issues. So it seemed like it was all working out fabulously, but still, nothing that I really discussed with a lot of folks besides a couple of my closest friends.
But then, I noticed the weight. And I've mentioned it a time or two. Or three. or four... and how it keeps creeping up, despite logging every calorie in and keeping meticulous records. And how, even after running 100 miles in a month, like in June of this year, I don't lose any weight, no I gain weight. And how when my friend and I were getting ready for AvonWalk last year, and we walked the same amount in training, but then I would run in addition to that, and she lost 10 pounds and I gained five.
In the past five years, I've had the metabolism tested, I've had the thyroid tested, I've had consults with nutritionists (none of which understood the demands of marathon running, sadly), and I've even consulted weight loss doctors through UT Southwestern. And nobody had any answers, except for my primary care doctor, who suggested that I might actually be waking up in the middle of the night and eating without realizing it, unwittingly sabotaging my efforts. This was after he suggested that I start walking 20 minutes a day, three times a week (he did not have an answer when I asked whether I should do that before or after my 10-mile mid-week run). And with all the stuff going on in my life, with job changes, the house, the kids, etc., etc., I just haven't addressed it lately except for keeping up the mileage and making sure that I eat somewhat reasonably. But now, it's time to get it fixed.
The more I read about the particular IUD I had, the more I realized that having hormones directly released into my body like that was probably not a good thing. And there was enough anecdotal evidence to connect it to not only my weight gain but my ongoing acne issues, too. So we made the decision to pull it out and go with something else so that I could be free of any artificial hormones. But that decision alone wouldn't resolve the fibroid issues, or the fact that my body paid me back for all those years without a cycle by foisting one monster never-ending one on me once i had the device yanked. That was NOT fun, let me tell you. So I called my doctor and discussed the alternatives with him, and decided that while I really wanted all the troublesome girl parts yanked out nine years ago, 40 is probably still too young for a full hysterectomy. So we went with the uterine ablation coupled with a tubal ligation, figuring that the ablation was a less-invasive option. I had that done this week, which means I can't run for a week, although I can start walking tomorrow. The surgery itself was pretty uneventful - it was done outpatient, with general anesthesia, and laparoscopically, so the incision is tiny and barely noticable. My most troublesome side effect was the shoulder pain from the gas they used to inflate my abdomen for the ligation, but that has pretty much abated as of yesterday afternoon.
It might be a couple of months before I find out for sure how effective it was at treating the fibroids, but hopefully I'll see some movement on the scales and with the acne once the hormones are all out of my system. And that means that I can get back to the business of running without feeling like I'm carrying an extra toddler around, and of actually looking somewhat like an athlete. We shall see.
So, there. apologies if it's an overshare, but I'm amazed at how often i look back at these entries to remind myself of what I've been through, so I kind of needed to write it all down, for posterity's sake. Plus, if I actually see some kind of benefits to going hormone-free, then you can be sure I'll be shouting that from the rooftops.
Training notes, ORNs and progress toward the goal of the White Rock Half will resume as soon as I'm given clearance to run again. I should only miss one long run, so if all goes well I will be back on track lickety-split.
But lately, those functions have interfered mightily with what I do write about on here, which is my running and my fitness, and my attempt to become something more than what I am, not just athletically but emotionally and in my day to day life. So I had to take matters into my own hands because, well, we just can't have that. I've suffered from fibroids for a really long time, probably as long as I've had a monthly cycle, now that I think about it. What I knew as a normal cycle isn't really normal, and thanks to people who are less uptight about sharing their information on the internet, I know that now. For a long time, I controlled them with birth control pills, but when I hit 35 a few years ago, I knew that I didn't really want to be on them much longer, especially not with the history of stroke and heart disease in my family. But I also knew that I was done having kids - I have the most perfect kids imaginable and had also been advised that my body just couldn't handle another pregnancy, not when my blood pressure zoomed to 220/150 in my last few weeks with both boys. So we had to do something else.
That something else was an IUD, which despite many reports of people having horrendous issues with them, I actually tolerated really well and rather enjoyed because it made my cycles non-existent. That meant I didnt' have to deal with the annoyances and issues related to all that, which was great for my training as well as for my general moods and disposition, as well as those around me. It was a double-bonus in that it did its primary job of keeping me from popping out three more kids and managed the fibroid issues. So it seemed like it was all working out fabulously, but still, nothing that I really discussed with a lot of folks besides a couple of my closest friends.
But then, I noticed the weight. And I've mentioned it a time or two. Or three. or four... and how it keeps creeping up, despite logging every calorie in and keeping meticulous records. And how, even after running 100 miles in a month, like in June of this year, I don't lose any weight, no I gain weight. And how when my friend and I were getting ready for AvonWalk last year, and we walked the same amount in training, but then I would run in addition to that, and she lost 10 pounds and I gained five.
In the past five years, I've had the metabolism tested, I've had the thyroid tested, I've had consults with nutritionists (none of which understood the demands of marathon running, sadly), and I've even consulted weight loss doctors through UT Southwestern. And nobody had any answers, except for my primary care doctor, who suggested that I might actually be waking up in the middle of the night and eating without realizing it, unwittingly sabotaging my efforts. This was after he suggested that I start walking 20 minutes a day, three times a week (he did not have an answer when I asked whether I should do that before or after my 10-mile mid-week run). And with all the stuff going on in my life, with job changes, the house, the kids, etc., etc., I just haven't addressed it lately except for keeping up the mileage and making sure that I eat somewhat reasonably. But now, it's time to get it fixed.
The more I read about the particular IUD I had, the more I realized that having hormones directly released into my body like that was probably not a good thing. And there was enough anecdotal evidence to connect it to not only my weight gain but my ongoing acne issues, too. So we made the decision to pull it out and go with something else so that I could be free of any artificial hormones. But that decision alone wouldn't resolve the fibroid issues, or the fact that my body paid me back for all those years without a cycle by foisting one monster never-ending one on me once i had the device yanked. That was NOT fun, let me tell you. So I called my doctor and discussed the alternatives with him, and decided that while I really wanted all the troublesome girl parts yanked out nine years ago, 40 is probably still too young for a full hysterectomy. So we went with the uterine ablation coupled with a tubal ligation, figuring that the ablation was a less-invasive option. I had that done this week, which means I can't run for a week, although I can start walking tomorrow. The surgery itself was pretty uneventful - it was done outpatient, with general anesthesia, and laparoscopically, so the incision is tiny and barely noticable. My most troublesome side effect was the shoulder pain from the gas they used to inflate my abdomen for the ligation, but that has pretty much abated as of yesterday afternoon.
It might be a couple of months before I find out for sure how effective it was at treating the fibroids, but hopefully I'll see some movement on the scales and with the acne once the hormones are all out of my system. And that means that I can get back to the business of running without feeling like I'm carrying an extra toddler around, and of actually looking somewhat like an athlete. We shall see.
So, there. apologies if it's an overshare, but I'm amazed at how often i look back at these entries to remind myself of what I've been through, so I kind of needed to write it all down, for posterity's sake. Plus, if I actually see some kind of benefits to going hormone-free, then you can be sure I'll be shouting that from the rooftops.
Training notes, ORNs and progress toward the goal of the White Rock Half will resume as soon as I'm given clearance to run again. I should only miss one long run, so if all goes well I will be back on track lickety-split.
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