Early morning meme

because Denise sent this to me in an email, but it's much too fun to do on email alone. all my bloggy friends would get left out. If you want to play along, leave a comment, or linky-link back to your place.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Bags. Bags. Bags. But no ribbons or bows if I do wrapping paper, because nobody in my house appreciates them anyway

2. Real tree or artificial?
I prefer real, but the pre-lit artificial tree is a thing of greatness.

3. When do you put up the tree?
After my December marathon, usually the second weekend of the month

4. When do you take the tree down?
Between Christmas & New Year's, before I have to go back to work.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Blick.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
The school-sized, flip-over blackboard we got one year

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes. My mother gave it to me - she used it the first year my parents were married. The sheep has a broken leg from when my sister pounded it on the hardwood floor.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
in-laws - they buy whatever they want/need throughout the year. 2nd hardest is Hub since he micromanages the checking account and I can't sneak in something from anywhere unique without it being a dead giveaway. This year, I got lucky and was able to stop at the University Co-Op. He knows its Longhorn gear, but exactly what kind, he'll have to wait and see.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
Dread Pirate DinoBoy. Um, pretty much anything piratey or dino-ey and he's thrilled.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
A set of magnetic letters suited for a three-year old. It would have been great, but I was 10.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Not a full-length movie, but the Charlie Brown Christmas. And Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey..

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
After my December marathon.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Nope. But I have bought early, stashed in the closet and then forgotten about it.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Tamales. Tamales. And then, occasionally, I'll eat a tamale.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
No matter. Just so they're little. The big ugly ones are hideous. .

17. Favorite Christmas song(s):
"Adeste Fidelis" and "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and I'll deny it if you call me on it, but the Bryan Adams' one

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Would rather travel, but staying home is nice, too.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?
Only if I'm singing. And you don't want me to sing.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Star. Used to be a gaudy lit-up, ferris wheel star-thingy, but is now a sedate, lovely cross-like star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Eve at Grandma's, but we save my family's gifts, our own and Santa's for morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
The mall. I avoid it all the time, but especially at Christmas

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
Burnt Orange baby! My mom's tree has Snow White and the 7 dwarves. We also have a nice set of Star Wars ornaments!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Tamales

25. Do you have Jesus in your heart this Christmas?
That's the whole reason we're here, no?

Is it the weekend yet?

just got back from a whirlwind trip to San Antonio. My elder sister received her Bachelor's of Education degree at age 41, after attending college off and on for almost 15 years. Go her. My parents were really pleased and proud, as were her husband and two kids.

I have to work a full day Monday, half a day Tuesday, then a last day on Wednesday before I get to enjoy the Christmas break. Elder Child was finished with school on Friday, and DPDinoBoy has 2.5 days left before he's done. I think Hub is trying to take a few days this week, and then next week we're all home all day, every day. I can't wait. I need this break in a big, bad way.

Thursday already??

yipe! didn't mean to go so long without posting. it's just been hurry, hurry, hurry around here. no time to breathe, much less troll/peruse the internet/blogroll. I promise I'll make it up eventually.

The only big news around here, besides finally getting the tree up and decorated on Monday night, is that Elder Child will definitely need surgery on his foot, possibly on both. What kind of recovery he'll need and how complex it will be we'll find out next week at the follow-up visit after the MRI. He's not real thrilled (read: he's PETRIFIED!), but we've been assured that his arch will be nearly normal afterward, and it won't impede the growth of his foot, and he'll be clear to run, skate, etc., with abandon. Now to see if we can schedule it so that he doesn't miss too much school.

Not much else. I'll try to post a link to the marathon pix later, although I have to give you fair warning that they are mostly hideous. Wow. The Mom of Skate has a LOT of work to do, judging by those photos. bah.

oh, yeah, that!

Almost forgot (actually, I did, or it would have been part of the last post!):

I signed up as an Athena (rawr!!), and came in 7th out of 15 Athena women. Only 12 finished, so I technically was out of the top 50 percent of Athena finishers, but if you consider I was 7 out of 15 registrants, then I finished top 50 percent. Wahoo!

I find it hard to believe that only 15 women in the entire field of marathoners were Athenas. I guess most of them either didn't know about the weight class, or chose not to register as such. Hell, just like I claim my grey hair and upwardly mobile age, I also claim my Athena status, as long as I qualify.

The day after

Just to give you an idea of the conditions out there yesterday (second temp is "feels like"):

9:00 AM	Cloudy 47°F	41°F	30°F	52%	10.0 miles	From S 13mph
10:00 AM	Cloudy 48°F	43°F	32°F	54%	10.0 miles	From SSE 12mph
11:00 AM	Cloudy 50°F	50°F	37°F	62%	10.0 miles	From S 14mph
12:00 PM	Cloudy 51°F	51°F	38°F	61%	10.0 miles	From S 15mph
1:00 PM	Light Rain 48°F	43°F	44°F	86%	2.5 miles	From SSE 10mph

Like I said yesterday, for most of the run, the cloudy and mid-40s was actually just about right. And I would say the rain started, for me at least, at about 12:05! I did end up putting my long-sleeved shirt back on at the end, because you could definitely feel the temps drop right in there, even before the rain started. But it wasn't too bad, and the aftermath isn't bad at all.

I had stopped by the office right after the race, to check in on the weekend testers that were there, and at least pretend to care about the quarterly updates/fixes that went in yesterday. While there I'd changed into dry clothes and fresh socks -- note to self: Never underestimate the power of dry socks!! By the time I got to MIL's, I wasn't as stinky as usual, and I'd washed most of the salt off my face, so I wasn't as offensive as I've been in the past -- being in the rain the last hour helped with that too, I'm sure. I met up very quickly with Hub and the Elder Child before they left for the Cowboys' Massacre/Saints game, and DPDino Boy was quite happily watching SpongeBob there on the big screen at Grandma's, so I propped my feet up and snoozed for a while before we headed back home. The first few steps off the couch were touch-and-go, with a bit of a wobble and a slightly loopy head as the blood rushed either to my head or away from it, I can't be sure. But after a momentary (2 seconds) wave of uneasiness, i was good to go. Nothing at all like what happened waiting for the train with Rebecca and Christy at MCM last year.

I got home and started a hot tub -- by then, I'd lost all interest in an ice bath, and decided to go for the bubbles and jets instead. Of course, even though I'd body-glided, I was still surprised by a few spots of chafing I wasn't expecting as I descended into the tub. The worst was around the back of my waist, where my belt pack rubbed against me the whole way. It's actually a pretty raw set of scrapes, about a quarter-inch wide and three inches long on either side of my backbone. The good news is it's above my waistline, since the double-barreled belt pack is wider than the single one, so it wont' bother my real clothes. I did have Hub put some ointment and a gauze pad on it before bed.

My feet were in remarkably good shape, considering that in addition to the usual swelling and sweating, I had also stepped in puddles for the last 3 miles. I've got a bit of a sore spot on the edge of my right foot, right above a callus/blood blister that's been there for a while now. It hurt last night some, but today it's OK. Just doesn't look pretty, is all. But my feet have been beyond pretty for some time now, so no worries. The left foot got away scot-free.

My hydration was good throughout the race. I drank both 20 oz bottles of half-strength Gatorade, plus extra water at about 8 of the aid stations. I kept pounding water after I left the course, so I'm not feeling any ill effects today for it, nor did I have any dehydration yesterday afternoon. My fingers didn't swell at all, and I was never sloshy. I'm making sure to keep an eye on it today, too.

My fuel for the day, pre-, during, and post-race included:
PRE:

• 1 bowl of oatmeal
• 1/4 trial size Clif bar -- banana nut bread -- blech!

DURING:

• 1.5 packs of Clif Bloks, starting at mile 8 and taking 1 every two miles
• three small cookies along the course -- most I took a bite or two and tossed the rest
• handful of pretzels somewhere in there
• 2-3 orange slices along the course

POST:

• 1 banana
• 3-4 bites of a frozen fruit smoothie - I'd have had more but it had mango -- blech!
• 1 pack of PB crackers from the machine at the office after I changed clothes
• 1 small orange at MIL's
• a small plate of rice, beef-broccoli and orange chicken
• fortune cookie and half-cup of chex mix

I was pretty ravenous right before I went to bed, which is why I had the chex mix then. Today I had a cinnamon roll for breakfast, and I'll have the rest of the Chinese for lunch. Tomorrow is the nutritionist consult, so I'll have to see what she says about here on out. I do know that I'm taking my staff to lunch on Wednesday for our holiday celebration, and I am SO having cheesecake then. A guy leapfrogging me for about the last three miles said he was thinking about the cheeseburger he was going to have -- I told him I'm thinking about the cheesecake I get to have!

I fell asleep on the couch last night -- too hyped up to sleep at my normal time, as is usual. When I woke up about 3:30, I was very sore when I tried to go to my bedroom. But after a few steps, I worked out the kinks and it's not bad at all. I'm thinking in a minute I'll head out for a leisurely walk around the block, or maybe head to the mall (!). It shouldn't be crowded there right now, and the walking will do me good to fend off any lingering soreness. For the rest of the day, I have to bring the boxes down from the closet so we can do the tree today, and I also have to make an appointment with Elder Child's podiatrist again. He continues to have serious issues with his ankles. Beyond that, it's me, the couch, and the new Dish hook-up!

Oh, and before I forget, this:

PR

So I didn't break 5:00 like I wanted. And somewhere around mile 20, that became OK. I still PRd, by about 10 minutes, give or take, crossing the line with a bounce in my step at 5:14 chip time. And I'm happy with it. Around mile 21ish, I had to step carefully and walk more than run, because the mist that started about mile 20 became full-out rain, and it was slippery and slidey. And that was OK. It was only a pain because I couldn't see with my glasses all sploshy.

I stuck with the 5:00 Clif Bar pace leader (Marie, who was awesome and incredible and inspiring, and who deserves a post of her own) until midway through mile 19. And then the same thing happened that happened last year (and the year before), and I hit that point in the course where i had to walk a bit, and they kept running, my group of 5:00 pacers. And Marie's little stick with her balloons on it stretched further and further away from me, until they were out of sight and out of hearing range. But I still felt strong, so I knew I'd PR even if I had to walk some, and I made peace with not breaking 5:00. And I ran more than I walked in those last six miles, and I sure ran harder and faster than I did at the end of the Waco race. I was strong, just not strong enough to maintain an 11:27 pace for 26.2. And yet, I finished. And I have the same medal and finisher's shirt I would have gotten had I come in 14 minutes faster.

It was a self-imposed monkey that I had on my back, this 5:00 or bust business. I thought I had to settle that score with myself before I could turn completely to triathlon training. But somewhere along there (around that damn freaking lake), I realized that just because I'm a 5:14 marathoner instead of a 4:59 marathoner doesn't mean that I can't train for a sprint tri. I'm visiting the nutrionist on Tuesday, and that coupled with the cross-training that a sprint tri will require will help me lose the last 26.2 pounds (yeah, don't think I didn't get the grand irony in being 26.2 pounds from ideal when I stepped on the scale this weekend!) to reach my goal. And by becoming a stronger athlete, I will become a faster runner. It will happen. And it will happen on my schedule.

I'm not ever going to break any land speed records. Or water speed records, for that matter. But by toeing the line and racing smart and getting to the finish, I will become a better athlete, and I will improve. My finish today is a full 15 minutes faster than my first marathon, and nearly half an hour faster than my last one. How can I look that horse in the mouth and be unappreciative? The weather turned sucky toward the end, and it was cold as hell on the start, but beyond that, it was a fairly good day for a run. And unlike a couple of folks I know, who really wanted to race this season and can't, I was blessed with a strong, healthy body that allowed me to cross the start line, and the finish line. Not as strong as I'd like, and not as healthy as I'd like, but stronger and healthier than I was two years ago, and sure as heck stronger and healthier than I was five years ago. And that's the whole reason I'm out there. That and the bling. :)

So I"ll take the PR. And the shiny, pretty thing. And the satisfaction of a run a little faster than my last, and that I put out all I had today on the course. Right around mile 25 and change, I passed a couple of girls, one of who was obviously struggling. And I looked at them, and I honestly meant it when I said, "This was fun!"

So I didn't break 5:00. That just means I have to try again, sooner than later. Somewhere I've got to figure out what happens to me at mile 19 that makes the wheels come off, and I might have to get some help to figure it out. It might just be running a few 22-milers in training, whereas I've been following a finisher plan that only has me running one 20-miler. It might be incorporating some actual speedwork. It might be getting back to yoga. Or, maybe just losing the weight will help. I'll figure it out, but do so, I first get to run another marathon!

checklist

• Road ID -- with my motto "Through Sheer Force of Will" for inspiration -- check
• BodyGlide -- check
• layers, to better deal with the 59 degree temp -- check
• LS Lady Longhorn tech shirt -- got me through the first 4 -- check
• Bib and chip -- check
• 2 water bottles loaded w/half H2O, half Gatorade -- check
• swedish fish and Clif bloks -- check
• oatmeal breakfast -- microwave just dinged -- gotta go.

Thank you so much to all of you on the sidebar over there who inspire me daily (most of you know who you are, Nancy Toby, Ellie, Richard, Ben, *jeanne*). Many thanks to those of you i know in IRL who come by here on occasion (Diane, Denise, Suzi, Marissa, Rebecca) who keep me honest, because when it gets tough out there, around that god-forsaken lake, I think to myself, "I have to finish this thing, because those people are expecting a stupid race report," and that keeps me going toward the finish and the pretty, shiny thing.

You, along with my family, keep me strong, and keep me going. See you on the other side.

today

I'm out the door to register for the marathon. I *love* paying full price for a race (NOT!) not because I wavered on whether to run it or not, but because I just let the online deadline pass me by. Eh, no worries. It's all for a good cause. And I get two shirts out of it right? An entry shirt and a finisher's shirt. Plus a pretty shiny thing. Yee-haw.

Also, we just moved the shelves in the corner of the living room to another spot (where they'll likely live full-time even after the holidays!) so there's a big bare hole in the corner. Where the tree will be! Maybe tonight. Possibly tonight. If not tonight, then tomorrow night. Or Monday for sure. Yeah.

What else? Not much. So I should head to the expo. I need to get a new sticker for my car. And maybe some new running tights. It's supposed to be cold tomorrow. Fun.

sibilance.... sibilance....sibilance....

is this thing on??

Hey, y'all.

I have a marathon in 4 days. Yipe.

More later. Mebbe.

Hi, there!

um, sorry. didn't realize it's been so long since a post. we've been dealing with that silly Arctic Blast (blast... blast... blast....) the last few days.

I didn't run on Wednesday morning because it was too hot and sticky, and I figured I'd just make it up on Thursday. Um. no. The differential between our high and low on Wednesday was 50 degrees -- from a high of about 80-something to freezing by midnight. Yowie.

Oh, and my oven is broken. It wouldn't turn off after i baked a frozen pizza and a batch of cookies for the boys (yeah, for the boys... 'cause I would never eat that stuff myself. Nope. Not. Ever...) on Wednesday night. So I ended up having to pull it away from the wall and turn off the gas and unplug the sparky-thingy. Which killed my kitchen clock. But, eh, no worries. It's not like I ever cook on the weekdays anyway.

Even though I haven't run since Tuesday -- I'm taking this "taper" thing a bit too seriously, I think -- I do have some running content to report. Check out these pix from last week's 10K -- in one of them, you can even see me grabbing some air, it looks like! I'm not sure what's up with the completely unattractive sweat pattern, though. How I can sweat on only one boob, I'm not sure. Maybe I spilled water on myself or something.

Gotsa run, seeing as how I'm at work and such!