Done with the swim!

And all that's left is the run! I am not convinced that the gym pool is in meters, so just to be sure, I did 850, which brought me to a total of 4250 (yards or meters). 2.4 miles is 4224 yards, so either way I exceeded my goal. And I ended today with 25 of butterfly.

Done with the bike!

The Supportive Husband was working today, and I was afraid I wasn't going to get to the gym. I didn't want to leave Max in babyminding again, plus his afternoon nap often stretches till 4:30, and by the time he's up, changed, had a snack, and we finally get out the door, well, that leaves very little time for actual exercise before the babyminding closes up shop for the day. Luckily, Grammy came through in a pinch, and I headed to the gym around 4.

And it was closed.

What do you mean normal people don't go to the gym on Saturday nights? Luckily, the security guard was kind enough to tell me that the other location (freakin' across town) was open till 6. So off I went. And to my surprise, I discovered that there are actually 2 other bikes, not with the rest of the exercise bikes, because they're not hooked in to the TV sound system. But they are brand new and sweet and super comfortable. I pounded out 9 miles in record time, while listening to an audiobook on my iPod. I only wish I'd found these super-secret fancy bikes sooner.

I got home, and Grammy had to take off, so I ended up having company while I showered. Max rolled in on his "bike" and asked me repeatedly, "Mommy shower?" Fortunately, he's pretty scared of the shower, so I was able to lather, rinse, and repeat in solitude, if not peace.

Older but fitter

My birthday was this week!! I started off my day with a great workout. I swam about 600, had hoped to swim more, but the lady with the pool noodle doing laps in an already crowded pool just about sent me off the deep end, pun intended. I am all about novices, heck I am a perpetual novice, but really, if you are floating around on a pool noodle, then take it to the warm water pool. The lap lanes are not your personal lazy river.

An aside, the new suit is really awesome, and I feel like such an ass-kicker in it. The goggles are also amazing; they actually fit my narrow face.

Then I hopped on the bike for 30 minutes, and managed just over 8 miles. A quick stretch, and off to the treadmill for one (fast) mile. Whee!!

I met up with my family for lunch, took Max to the park, then headed home where The Supportive Husband and I watched a DVD while Max napped. That evening, grammy and Aunt M shared babysitting duties while The S.H. and I had a grown up dinner out and a very juvenile session of ice skating at the ice park. They even played "Ice, Ice, Baby" over the sound system. Who could ask for anything more?

I may be older, but I'm not slowing down. I'm aiming for a PR in the 5K on New Year's day. Between my foot stuff and the tri challenge, I haven't run more than 2 miles at a time all month, but every time I get on the treadmill or on the road, I feel strong and fast, thank you, stationary bike and ashtanga yoga.

I'm very nearly done with the tri stuff, and should have no problem coasting to my goal on 1/1. The totals so far:
Run 18.2
Bike 103 (booyah, broke 100 miles!)
Swim 3400 (meters, I think, but either way I have way less than 1000 to go)

17 miles

The gym bikes reset themselves after 30 minutes, but since I was the only soul on the bikes, I went through two cycles, and ended up with 17 miles. I did a little catching up on the New Yorker, and listened to my iPod with my amaaaaazing new headphones (thank you, Santa). Overall, it was quite relaxing. I even had time for a good stretch afterward.

I've got 10 left to run, 30 left to bike, and about 1200 on the swim. I'm planning on doing the rest of the swim, 15 on the bike, and a couple miles on the treadmill tomorrow, but that might be a little ambitious. I am super motivated by the fact that my jeans are now loose on me right out of the dryer.

Lucky 13

I did 13 on the bike today. I did it super-fast, too. I dropped Max off at babyminding at the gym for the first time. He boo-hooed when I dropped him off, so I was soooo anxious the entire time on the bike, that I pedaled as fast as my little legs could, so as not to leave him in the torture chamber any longer than necessary. In fact, I stopped at 13 instead of 15, hopped in the shower, stuck my hair in a clip without drying it and rushed to collect him.

Naturally, he was having a great time, sitting in one of the sitters' laps and playing with little toys. And then he reached for me and burst into tears when he saw me. I think he thought I was never coming back, and was overcome that I was there. I felt awful.

But he forgave me when I took him out for lunch and let him eat a whole pack of Teddy Grahams.

They gym's closed tomorrow, and I am wisely taking a day off from exercise. Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

1000 and 10

1000 meters (yeah! meters, baby!) in the pool and 10 miles on the bike.

I was overjoyed when I pulled into the gym parking lot - there were maybe 15 other cars. I thought for sure I'd have a lane in the pool to myself. No such luck. I think all 15 other people were in the pool, and I ended up on the wall half of an end lane. The other fella in the lane was a really buff young guy with just the ugliest, thrashingest stroke ever. If I ever do a real tri or an open water swim, this will be good preparation. Luckily, he tired himself out after about 100 yards, and my new lane-mate was quite considerate and sincerely apologized for *almost* bumping in to me. It wasn't the fastest 1000 ever, but I felt great the whole time, and even did flip turns for most of my freestyle.

Then transition, ha ha. I took the time to rinse out my suit and put it through the spinner, before heading on to the bike. I was under a bit of a time crunch, so I changed into my workout clothes as fast as I could. I was still pretty damp, and got an interesting workout trying to get my sports bra on over my head.

I rocked out to my iPod and read Entertainment Weekly and busted out a quick 10 miles before I had to hop off and get cleaned up.

Tri tally: 3062 of 4224 yards swum; 52 of 112 miles biked; 16.2 of 26.2 miles run

Yeah, those meters add up fast!!

Two miles

It occurred to me that all these miles on the treadmill may be contributing to my foot problems. So I ran on an actual road this morning! Woohoo! It was much colder than I was expecting. Partly because I've been running in the 68 degree gym, and partly because it was just cold and windy. I forgot my gloves, and was only wearing a long-sleeve shirt and tights. My teeth were chattering the first quarter-mile, but 10 minutes into the run I was feeling pretty good, and when I walked in the door afterward, the house felt stiflingly hot.

My inserts did well on pavement, and I had no pain during or after the run. It's a Festivus miracle!

As for my tri challenge, I've got 10 miles left to run, 70 left to bike, and about 2800 on the swim. Once again, I sacrificed a day to yoga, which doesn't count toward my numbers, but is an important part of my workout routine nonetheless. I've got just 10 days to finish the tri, so I'd better get to it. Daycare is closed next week, so you can plan on Max spending a healthy amount of time in babyminding at the gym while I make good on my goal.

Happy Solstice everyone!

News flash!

I was perusing the website for my gym today, trying to find the holiday schedule, when I happened to come across the description for the pools. The lap swimming pools are listed as being 25 meters in length. Meters, y'all!! So I've been swimming a little farther than I thought.

Good news - my new swimsuit arrived, and I splurged and got new goggles, too. I got this suit:

Yes, that's a giant fish!

And a shout out to Robine - may your vision soon be as crystal clear as my fancy new goggles.

Magic Shoes

You're know you're an athlete when your shoes look like this:


Even at very low mileage (the past few weeks I've only been running 1-2 times per week while I work on my swimming and biking), I've been having foot problems. Again. They started before Richmond in my right foot. The right foot stuff (mostly) resolved once I got into a stiffer shoe and insert. And then I started having arch pain in my left foot. That got better with a new shoe and insert. Now, I'm having pretty noticeable pain in both feet, during longer runs, and even on my days off. And that's no fun.

I'm due for a new pair of shoes anyway, so I headed to the shop, where Mark and his most experienced manager puzzled over my krazy-with-a-k foot issues. I spent about 45 minutes there, answering all kinds of questions about my shoe vs pain history. Apparently, my shoes, with 300 miles or so, look pretty battered, but my inserts, bought new at the same time as the shoes, look practically brand new. For the record, I've always been very easy on my shoes (street and athletic) and have never, ever come close to wearing a pair out. I despise shoes with a break-in period, because I can't even break them in properly.

The theory is that in trying to correct my issues, we've been going stiffer and stiffer, which really isn't helping things, despite my serious overpronation. So rather than go right for a stability or motion control shoe, we started trying flexible shoes. The first felt so weird I could hardly walk normally in it, let alone run. Then we moved on up the stiffness ladder, trying different brands. I finally tried on a pair of Asics that felt different than the rest - good different. Great!

But they were out of stock in my size, so I have to wait a few more days. In the meantime, the manager was nice enough to MacGyver my current shoes and inserts, building up the left arch and the right lateral edge with duct tape and cut up old shoe inserts. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that schmancy new shoes and a little bit of duct tape can keep me running pain free.

I guess the old saying really is true: If it can't be fixed with duct tape, it can't be fixed.

And the tri update: Run: 12.2, Bike 42, Swim 1800. I had planned to do a big workout today, but, get this, I had two very small glasses of wine last night while at the Ellis Paul show, and woke up seriously dehydrated, and maybe a little bit hung over. I felt pretty unwell today, and just decided to write it off. I've got my gym bag packed for tomorrow at lunch - I can't wait to take my duct tape for a spin.

Tri-ing hard!

My totals so far:
Run: 9.1
Bike: 40
Swim: 800 yds

Meaning I have a lot of work ahead of me still. 17.1 run, 72 miles bike, and 3424 on the swim. Um, yeah.

I attempted to do a ton on the bike and then a couple of miles running today, but after 15 on the bike, my legs were a little wobbly, and I was pretty sure I was going to wipe out and go flying off the back of the treadmill. So I only did one mile. And (cue the tiny violins) my swimsuit did that thing that swimsuits do - for months, they look brand new, and then suddenly one day, they're faded into unflattering, anatomy-highlighting patterns. So I have been really reluctant to swim in my ghetto suit, and just finally got around to ordering a new one. And my shoes are truly thrashed as well.

I have 11 days off over the xmas holiday, and am planning on hitting the gym big time. In fact, I told the Supportive Husband that what I really want for my birthday (which falls near xmas) is to go to the gym and run some, bike some, and swim some. And then get gussied up and be taken out for a nice dinner.

10 more on the bike

...only 87 to go. A busy day, and I was just barely able to squeeze in 45 minutes at the gym. I figured that the bike, abs, and stretching were enough, as I got plenty of strength training last night changing Max's carseat from rear facing to forward facing. Make that car seatS. I did both my car and the Supportive Husband's car. No small feat, let me tell you. But I am confident that both seats are rock-solid. I even did the top tethers. Phew.

I can hear some of you saying it now - you're only just turning him now at almost two years old? Yes, that's right. The rule is that a child must be *at least* one year old and twenty pounds to face forward. But he can safely rearface to the limits of the seat. This means that unless the child exceeds the height limit (not a hard and fast height, but where the child's head is in relation to the seat) or weight limit of the seat for rearfacing, they can and should rearface. Here's why. My little chunkamonk is now brushing the uppermost weight limit for rearfacing, plus he's getting harder and harder to stuff through the extra-tiny back door of the Outback. So after lots of pulling, pushing, huffing, puffing, and grunting; a little bit of swearing, and one broken nail, his car seat now faces forward.

After two consecutive days on the bike, plus the exercise in car seat installation, my quads are on fire. So I'll either rest tomorrow, or go for a swim.

11 miles and congrats IronMo

First things first - IronMo qualified for Boston again!!!! Hotshot ran a 3:37 at CIM. WAY TO GO, IronMo! That is seriously hardcore. She's now a two time IronMan and a two time Boston Qualifier. Awesome!!!

And I took advantage of a rainy Sunday afternoon to head to the gym and do 11 miles on the bike. It only took me 38 minutes - the bikes at the other location fit me a little better, and are stationed right in front of a window. So I downloaded an old episode of Fresh Air and just pedaled my heart out. I was only going to do 10, but it went so much faster than I thought, so I just kept going. Then some abs and stretching, and I was home and showered by the time Max woke up. Only 97 miles to go on the bike!

Two more down

So, it wasn't all running. But I ran and walked my butt off today, so I'm giving myself credit for two.

My dad ran/walked the men's four miler this morning, so I headed out to Free Union to spectate. I arrived at the Chapel (about 1/4 mile from the start) just moments before the mass of runners pounded by. I saw my dad, cheered for him, waited for the last runner, and then headed out on the course. I went to just past the 1/2 mile mark, just over the crest of the last hill where I had a good view up to the 3 mile mark. By the time I got there, the first place runner was already zooming by. As a proud alumna of the Scream Tunnel, you better believe that I worked up a sweat spectating. Since I was just below the crest of a hill near the end of the race, there were some pretty tired souls, who were gracious enough to say "thank you" to me as I cheered and clapped and screamed encouragement.

It's these back-of-the-packers who make spectating so much fun. The guys in the lead are rightfully concentrating on staying in the lead. The guys just behind them are running really really hard trying to catch up, or win their age group, or set a PR. But then just behind them are those who are amateurs, and I mean that in the full sense of the word. The root of the word amateur is love. Without the promise of winning, their motivation is entirely intrinsic. For them to have cheering and encouragement is usually unexpected, and always icing on the cake.

I've read a few articles lately written by fast runners who don't believe that those of us who are 5+ hour marathoners have any right to run marathons. The arguments generally all take the tone of "if you can't take it seriously enough to put in 100 miles a week, it's dangerous and disrespectful." I beg to differ.

First, the danger aspect. There's danger inherent in great physical exertion, no matter how well trained you are. One only has to think of the recent death of Ryan Shay at the Olympic marathon trials. Gentle readers, I assure you that I am well aware of the toll that 26.2 miles can take on my body and mind. I ran Richmond in 80 degree heat and was, relatively speaking, about as comfortable as possible due to my careful hydration and electrolyte replacement. I trained in the heat, I researched the effects it would have on my body, and I took every possible precaution to stay safe. And I did.

Second, the disrespect. I assure you, that though I have an incredibly full life outside of running, and though I lack any genetic gift for running at all, I surely respect this distance. My relationship with it is different than yours, certainly, but my reasons for being at a race are no less valid than yours. Surely my presence isn't weighing you down from the back of the pack. Any animosity you feel toward me is yours and yours alone. You run your race, and I run mine.

And let's face it, it's the peons and the masses that make it possible for you to have a bevy of well-supported marathons from which to choose. There wouldn't be a Richmond without the throngs who enter for the fun, the challenge, and the life-changing experience.

Anyway, back to the four miler. My dad was in the last handful of runners, but still looked strong. I ran and walked the rest of the way to the finish with him, encouraging to keep a fast walk when he couldn't run. With the cones of the finish chute in sight, I told him to kick hard, and I slowed to a walk, to let him have the accomplishment of crossing the finish line all to himself. Way to go, Dad!!!

Anyway, I then had to walk the 1/4 mile or so back to the car, which brought me to nearly 1 mile for the morning. And all in jeans and carrying my purse! Then later, I pushed Max in the buggy for a 1.5 miles walk with Louise. So I think I'm perfectly legit in claiming a couple of miles toward my goal.

7.1 down, 133.5 to go

I am so far sucking on my goal to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112, and run 26.2 by New Year's. It's been a busy week, what can I say. I hit the exercise bike at the gym during lunch the other day, and OMG, it kicked my butt, in every sense of the word. Must buy padded shorts. I found it really awkward, since those contraptions aren't built for someone 5'2", no matter how far down you can jack the seat. So I did 4 miles in just under 20 minutes. Which is slower than a lot of people can run.

I gave up my regular workout on Thursday in favor of a 90 minute yoga class, which seems like a completely insane indulgence these days. Something akin to bathing in champagne, or lighting Cubans with $100 bills. Good lord, it was so wonderful. But it just means I'm one more day down on this end of year goal. And at the rate I'm going, the bike portion is going to take a really long time.

Race Report: Turkey Trot

I did a "race for the cure" type thing when Max was 2 mos old, but other than that, I've never done a race that involved getting the both of us ready to go and out of the house at a decent hour. It was a total fire drill, and by the time we got there, all the good parking was gone and we ended up over 1/4 mi from the start. There was a brief moment of terror when Max loudly proclaimed "Max poop," but it must have been a false alarm, THANK GOD. There was no time for messy diaper changing before the start.

We started back with the walkers and baby joggers. My dad accompanied us, but got pretty wiped by the first couple of hills, so we left him behind at mile 1. This course is extremely hilly, even by Cville standards, and pushing Max up and down hills was immensely challenging. I walked most of the steep uphills, hoping to make up some time on the downhills, but keeping the stroller from dragging me headfirst down the steep hills was almost as challenging as going up. However, I still managed to run 11:30 in mile 2, my best of the race.

I felt a little crummy during mile 3, and by the time I got my second wind, we'd made the turn onto the crushed gravel path. It is narrow, and doesn't really allow for passing, plus they must have recently added a truckload of crushed gravel, and it was like pushing the stroller through sand. It was flat, but nearly as tough going as the uphills. Finally, around the sports club, and the finish line in sight, I kicked hard and crossed the finish in 42:40. Mark gave me a shout out and a pat on the back as I came through, and I saw a couple other friends as well. At the end of the chute, Max got a blue ribbon that proclaimed him a "PARTICIPANT."

The finish chute funneled me right to the refreshment tent, and I grabbed a bagel and some grapes, and headed back to the chute to keep an eye out for my dad. He kicked hard and looked springy as he crossed the finish in 51:00. I was way more beat than he was, that's for sure.

We had serious work to do, so didn't hang around for awards and prizes, but took the long hike straight back to the car. Max heard a train as we were walking and proclaimed "choo choo happy" and then "yellow truck" when he saw the yellow truck parked across from us. Hello, smarty-pants!

Athlete

Last night was the end of the season potluck dinner for the running group. After a quick workout (2 mi on the treadmill, some stretching and weights), I headed over to the shop. It was great to see everyone in regular clothes, hair done, rested and wide awake. Everyone was also wearing their medals, except for those of us who did Buck Mountain. It was neat to see all the hardware - the Marine Corps medal were enormous this year; Richmond, though they had promised a "commemorative" 30th running medal looked pretty much the same as last year's.

We ate, took a picture of the group, answered Mark's series of questions (who had negative splits? what was the worst mile? favorite training run?), and talked about plans for next year.

I felt pangs of jealousy hearing about Richmond, and the cool weather. But like IronMo said, it'll still be there when I'm ready again. Maybe next year?

Our group spans the range of those just hoping to finish to those who effortlessly breeze through BQ times. And Mark, bless his soul, treats each and every one of us like the athletes that we are. It's taken me a year and a half to get to the point that I don't feel like a fraud when I say I'm an athlete. My only hope for an age group win is to still be running when I'm 100. I can't do 60 miles a week, my diet isn't systematically tuned to be the best fuel for my runs. But I'm out there. I'm setting goals, and sometimes I meet them, and sometimes I don't. I'm always pushing to be better than I was, to learn something new about my sports (running and swimming). I'm out to have fun, but I take them very seriously. Running and racing are not the most important parts of my life or identity, but they are woven in to the fabric of my life, and can't be disentangled from all the other threads that make me who I am. I'm a mom, a wife, I used to be an airline pilot, I'm still a current flight instructor, I'm a woman and a feminist, I've got brown hair, two masters degrees, and a sense of humor. And I'm an athlete.

So thanks, Mark, all the other runners, and the staff at the shop, for welcoming me into this community. Many times you all treated my athletic aspirations with much more seriousness and respect than I could muster. Thankfully, that attitude has finally rubbed off on me.

I'm an athlete.

1100 and yoga

A wonderful couple of days, exercise wise. I busted out 1100 (or was it 1150?) in the pool yesterday at lunch. Did it in just over 20 min, including a few laps of drill, and 25 of butterfly at the end. Go me. Mil desculpas to the folks in the other lane who were most certainly disrupted by my splashy thrashing.

And then today, a good, long yoga class. I am embarrassed to say that Max was not 2 months old the last time I went to yoga class. Things like nursing, running, and life kind of got in the way. Oh how I missed it, though. I hope I can make it a more regular gig.

Track

I hit the track this morning. I did 3 or 3.25, I lost count a little bit. I did a warmup, 3x800, with easy 400's in between, then an all out 400. Very zen, and I was considerably faster than I thought I'd be - 4:35- 4:45 on the 800's and 2:14 on the 400. Not bad for being so lazy the past couple of weeks. The Turkey Trot is in less than two weeks and while I don't expect to break last year's PR, it would be nice to be close. However, my dad is running it, and I'm considering doing it with him while pushing Max in the stroller. That would be an incredible workout, but would certainly be my slowest 5K time ever. But Thanksgiving's all about family, right? I can always try for a PR on New Year's.

Fun with toddler!

The Supportive Husband's return from Mexico was delayed, so my plans for a long solo run didn't work out. I did a couple of miles with Max in the stroller. He's getting heavier, and the stroller/baby combo now weighs about 60 pounds. Add to that the "warmup" of getting him out of the house, past his bike and his little wheelbarrow on the front porch ("biiiiiike, mama, biiiiike," tears ensued), a brief stop to examine the earthworms on the driveway, then a losing battle over the addition of a stroller cozy to the setup (he'd rather be cold than cozy, and the straps don't fit through quite right, anyway), and it was a pretty strenuous 2. I'm hoping to still squeeze in a couple more today, but it's not looking good. The Supportive Husband finally landed in Richmond, but the main road out of the airport was totally shut down due to an accident, and all the roads in the city were shut down because of the marathon.

The marathon! Yes, I am so disappointed that I'm not there. It's perfect weather - started off a little rainy, but is overcast and cool. Just perfect. I know I can break five hours, it just wasn't meant to be this year. (insert Mama having her own meltdown here)

Anyway, I parked Max in front of the TV (Wonder Pets; they were going to the aid of a puppy that needed to peepee but couldn't because he was locked inside the house. Yes, really!!) so I could shower. Then off to swim lessons. It was at the gym's other location, which I thought I'd like better, but I guess everyone does because man, that warm water pool was PACKED full of kids and senior citizens. Max had a fantastic time jumping off the edge again, and can now actually hoist himself out of the water onto the edge. Goodness! However, he kind of flipped out a little at the end of class because, like the puppy, he had to peepee. Nothing like trying to do the alphabet song while Max is grabbing his crotch with both hands saying, "peepee mama peepee diaper." I guess I've got the only kid on the planet who won't just pee in the pool.

So that was my workout today, baby in tow. Good times.

And congrats, Richmonders! But unless you were there last year, you have no idea how good you have it.

IronMama??

Okay, I just heard about this fantastic idea - the "go at your own pace" triathlon. Pick a date range (for example, Thanksgiving to New Year's) and in that time swim 2.4 miles, bike 114, and run 26.2. A great way to keep motivated and in that marathon spirit during the season of excuses.

Starting with my 5k on Thanksgiving, I'm doing this!! Seriously. I hope I can finish. But don't get too excited - I'll be doing the biking on the stationary bike at the gym.

Distance

Physical distance, just 2 miles walking with the stroller. Emotional distance, three years.

Marathoning mama victorious!

Paula Radcliffe wins NYC!! I ran 5:34 with a 10 month old, she ran 2:23. But I'm guessing that she wasn't exclusively nursing, and that running is her only job. And that she's incredibly genetically gifted as well. But, jealousy aside, go Paula! I have to wonder if the recent rash of successful post-partum athletes has any thing to do with the Title IX provisions that came into effect when I was a child. We're the first generations of moms who ever really had viable athletic aspirations. And we're finding out that childbirth and child rearing doesn't end those aspirations.

Swimming & weights

Actually, it was Max's first swim lesson. Which was not an insignificant workout for Mama. I had to lift him up over and over and over. Boy wanted to jump off the wall into my arms, and how could I say no to that. Couple that with the fact that the pool is warmer than Max's bathtub, and I was pretty wilted by the end. I'll run tomorrow, but today I'm kicking back, watching football, and heading to the film festival.

Recovery week

Truth be told, I pretty much sat around. I did do a lot of walking and go for a swim. But life is, as always, super busy, and I had a lot of catching up to do on all kinds of things.

Without any good run/workout reports, I'll leave you with some of the search strings that have led visitors (hello, visitors!) to my blog (with my comments in parentheses):

buck mountain half marathon

marathon mama

running group street cred (I love this one)

nine months up, nine months down

can I breastfeed after running a half marathon? (this reminds me of the old joke about the kid who breaks his arm and asks the doctor if he'll be able to play the violin, and the doctor says yes, and the kid says, that's amazing, I've never played before in my life)

how long is 7 miles (depends on if you're looking for an answer or a punchline)

wearing camelbak in marathon

mama marathon (of course!)

pooping before a marathon

train and run for marathon while 11 weeks pregnant (wow, her 1st trimester must shake out pretty differently from mine)

calories per roll of smarties

I'll be back in the groove next week - I've got the Turkey Trot to train for. I set a PR there last year, wouldn't it be nice to set another?

no rest for the weary

The thing about being a mom-athlete is that rest and recovery after a race are really "rest" and "recovery." Last year, I carted Max up and down the stairs within hours after the marathon. Luckily, my mom hung around long enough to lift him in and out of the bathtub. This year, no different. The Supportive Husband is a photographer, so most Saturdays he's shooting a wedding. So once Max went down for his nap yesterday, I was on my own. At least the Supportive Husband had done an excellent job of getting Max worn out, so I could expect a long nap, giving me an opportunity to put my feet up. Though that didn't quite work out - Max is adored by a little girl down the street who rang the doorbell at regular intervals to ask if he was up from his nap yet and could he come out to play.

Then as soon as he was up, it was off to the pumpkin patch. How better to recover from a race than toting a 30-pound toddler, one giant pumpkin, and two huge gourds around the local plant nursery.

But Sunday, day of rest, right? At least Max got the memo that he was supposed to sleep in! I emerged from my race-induced coma after a blissful 10 hours of sleep. I don't think I've slept that long since he was born! But once he was up, rest was over. I made a pancake breakfast, took Max on a wagon ride around the neighborhood, went to Target for diapers, grocery shopped for the week, filled the MamaMobile with gas, and hurried home so that the Supportive Husband could go meet with clients. Then, hit the ground running again. Max is learning to jump, so I did a lot of jumping today.

In some ways, I'm glad I never really ran before I had kids. I'd hate to know that in another life, I'd spent the day or two after the race lounging in the jacuzzi eating bonbons.

Race Report: Buck Moutain Half Marathon

13.1, baby!! Woot!

The last time I ran this course was last fall during marathon training - the infamous driving rain and cold run. So I was looking forward to Perfect Weather today and actually getting to see the views I'd heard so much about.

Race registration was on a card table lit by a camping lantern. I gladly donated $20 to the YMCA building fund and got my "goody" bag, which contained lip balm, a $10 off shoe coupon, and a wooden chip with the race logo on it - don't EVEN say that's my substitute for a medal. Free or not, it's a little depressing to do a race where there's no t-shirt and no medal. Anyway, my tummy was feeling a little weird still, and I was crossing my fingers that I'd be able to do the course in 2:30. I really, really just wanted to finish, more so than any other race I've done.

We started just about on time. The first 2.5 are flat - this is the same stretch of road where I ran my one and only 9 minute mile on New Year's day. No prob. I was trucking at around 10:45/mi. Mile 5 goes up Catterton, which I can't adequately describe. Oh, shoot, sure I can. It's a huge fucking hill. There. It's over a mile of relentless, steep uphill. I did just fine going up, and it felt great to stretch out my stride on the screaming downhill following.

Then came the real butt-kicking hills. I forgot about the back side of the loop. Up and down, up and down. Crazy drivers, no shoulder, the whole package deal. I walked quite a bit.

But then back through the village of Free Union, and only 3 miles to go, along the same flattish stretch that began the race. The only training run I've ever had calf cramps on was this Free Union run in the rain last year. I chalked it up to the rain and the cold. But it really must have been something about the hills, because I must say that the last 2 miles were extremely painful. At the 12 mile mark, 2:10 had elapsed. I was hobbling a little. I knew 2:30 was going to be close. But dammit, I wanted it. I wanted it bad. With less than a half mile to go, I could see the finish.

With the cones marking the last 100 yards in sight, I glanced at my watch: 2:28. I kicked hard, entered the chute, kicked harder. Crossed the finish and hit my watch. Did I do it?

HELL YEAH. 2:29:22, baby. Awesome.

And then my legs cramped up, there was no food or gatorade at the finish (but it was a FREE race, so I can't really complain, plus I had half a banana in the car), and on the drive home I thought I might throw up. But all in all, a great race. I was by myself just about the entire time, just a word or two as I passed or got passed by other runners. So I'm extra proud of meeting my goal.

two days left...

...game on, baby, game on. The GI bug was, as promised, short lived. I did a little over a mile today and felt strong. A cold front swept through, and it's now cool, clear, and breezy. At last! I cleaned out my CamelBak, refused multiple social invitations for Friday night (damn!), and soaked my stinky favorite shirt in vinegar. Ready or not, Buck Mountain, here I come!!

3 days to go...

...and all is not well. All occupants are suffering from a low-grade day care GI illness. Word on the street is that it'll be gone in 24 hrs. I sure hope so. I went for what turned out to be a very short run today, and almost yakked about a 1/4 mile into it. I don't have a backup race, so Saturday is my one shot. Cross your fingers that this bug is gone by tomorrow night and I'm 100% in time for race day.

7 miles

My last long run before the Buck Mountain Half!! I decided not to run with the group on Dick Woods, and instead slept in and ran from my house. The plan was to run through the new development 2 miles to the high school, do a couple 800's for fun, then run back the way I came.

I woke up extremely late - nearly 8:30!! Max has been getting up between 7 and 7:30, so I had planned on getting up around then, and starting out. So I was an hour behind where I thought I'd be, not to mention I was so well rested I just felt weird. Between running, work, and Max, I'm not used to having enough sleep. My body rejected it.

So I finally strap on my CamelBak, and step out the front door, only to be greeted by a disemboweled toad carcass on the front step. That's nice, some neighbor's cat likes us enough to leave us a gift. So I grabbed some gardening gloves and a shovel, and sent the toad to his final resting place in the woods.

Finally! I hit my watch and I was off. The first mile is almost entirely downhill, which is a nice way to warm up, though I always find myself thinking about hauling myself up that hill at the end of the run. I popped through the gap in the 10 ft tall fence that shields the old neighbors from the new development, and started winding my way through the neighborhood. Much to my chagrin, the road had been paved just this week, meaning that the stagnant air was shot through with the thick smell of tar and asphalt. Not quite the bucolic run I had imagined.

When I crossed the highway to the entrance of the high school, I heard cheering. Awwww, rats. Some athletic event was going on in the stadium where the track is. So much for my 800's zen. I did a couple laps around the soccer field, and then decided to bag it since my shoes were getting wet from the dew. I headed back across the highway to the middle school, and decided to run sprints across the parking lot. However, the school is down in a little hollow, and in the still morning air, the smell of garbage from the dumpsters was more than I could handle. I decided to head home, and figured that 6 + was enough.

I exchanged garbage smells for tar smells, and headed up, up, up, and when I was less than a quarter mile from the house, I could spy the big fence. Except the hole I'd gone through less than an hour before was gone. Seriously, WTF? Workers were affixing the last few nails in the missing section, meaning that I had to backtrack almost a half mile to go out via the road. So, I ended up doing my entire 7 after all.

After having wonderful runs the past two weekends, it was jarring and demoralizing to have such a crappy day. That's what I get for sleeping in.

Midweek runs

Nothing much this week. A short run and weights on Tuesday, plus a walk with my dad in the evening. I've got him talked in to training for the men's four miler. Now I just need to get him to swap his jeans, belt, and button-down for some shorts and a t-shirt.

A quick lunchtime run today. Working from home, I got to run outside, which wasn't nearly as fun as the last time I worked from home. It's pretty hot today, actually, and the sweat was pouring off of me by the time I finished. As a concession to Mark, I did do just a skosh of speedwork - repeats of 20 sec all out and 40 sec recovery. I may try to hit the nearby high school track this Saturday instead of running with the group. I just have no desire to beat myself up on Dick Woods Road in the predawn darkness. I only need 7 - no reason to wake up at 5:30 for that. It's a heck of a lot easier to get all zen on the track in the daylight than on the soft gravel of DWR before dawn.

7 miles

The waning gibbous moon was so bright that I didn't need my headlamp even though the sun was still fast asleep. It was cool, almost chilly. After the run, I was picking up the coolers that two other runners had set out, so I waited to start until I could coordinate with and get the chalk from them to take back to the shop. One asked me if I wanted to run with her, but I declined, not wanting to slow her down. As soon as she took off, I regretted it.

By the time I started, the sun was beginning to rise, and before I knew it the day had dawned with a clear blue sky. I got to the two mile water stop, paused briefly, and just kept going. I got to the stop at 3.5, paused just long enough to take two shot bloks (1 caf, 1 decaf) and an Endurolyte. I turned back, and cruised right on past the 2 mile water stop. Overall, I averaged just about 11:00/mi, which is great. For the second week in a row, I ran every step, except for a pause at the water stops. This is almost unheard of for me. Even last year, when I was running more miles, I hardly ever ran an entire long run. But suddenly, I just feel like everything has clicked. I'm in decent shape, I'm not injured (knock on wood), the weather is relenting, and I'm clear-headed about my purpose.

I've also finally worked out a few of the small details, that didn't seem like a big deal, but really do impact my runs. Poop before a long run, no exceptions. Eat before a long run, maybe half a banana or so. Drink before a long run. Take 1 Endurolyte before a long run. Get lots of rest two nights before a long run. Take two Shot Bloks, 1 caf, 1 decaf, every four miles. If necessary, add 1 decaf at mile 6 and/or 10. Wear a hat, not for warmth or to keep the sun off my head, but to keep my hair from flopping into my face. Wear tights (short, long, or capri-length) on a long run. Wear a CamelBak and sip, don't wait two miles to hydrate. Stretch within an hour after a run.

I don't think any of this is really making me that much faster, but it sure doesn't hurt. Long runs are just so much more pleasant. I'm not completely wrecked for the rest of the day, and it doesn't take as long to recover.

12 miles on Sunday

This blog entry is a little delayed - I ran on Sunday, and that totally threw off my weekend groove.

Jim and I met up Sunday morning for a run along the Rivanna Trail starting at Riverview Park. Great little 2 mile flat, paved stretch of trail down along the river. We did 3 out and back. It was very peaceful and zen. We saw little frogs, hot air balloons, and a period Korean war campsite set up behind the VFW. Everything clicked for me on this run. Maybe it was the flat, maybe it was the company, maybe it was running on Sunday. But I was in the zone, and ran every step (except for stopping for water at the turnarounds) and didn't even feel tired till about mile 10. Our pace was somewhere around 10:45 or 10:50, which is way better than my goal of 11:00.

I had more happy news this week - I've lost 2 pounds since instituting my hardline "no food after 8:30 pm" rule. I am no longer at my heaviest weight ever. Phew. I must resist the urge to celebrate with cookies.

My program has me doing 6 miles of speedwork midweek this week and next, but it just ain't gonna happen. Sorry, Mark. I just can't do speedwork with a toddler in the stroller. But meanwhile, I'm hitting the treadmill at lunch, and taking long stroller walks before dinner. And hey, with just 2.5 weeks to go, shouldn't I be tapering?

3 miles and a big decision

I think I was supposed to do 4, but I'll do another 2 briskly walking with the stroller tonight to make up for it.

A power outage at my office meant working from home. So rather than scooting to the gym, pounding out something lame on the treadmill, and then racing back to work, I got to step out my own front door at lunch time, and do a nice 3 miles on my usual, peaceful route. It is simply glorious weather here, and I was in a great mood. My mind wandered around to the topic of Richmond, and possibly running it this year. At the beginning of the summer, I sort of felt that hey, I'm no longer nursing, it should be so much easier to train this year than last. Training for a half will be a breeze, I'll feel great about the whole thing, and while I can't commit to Richmond right now, once the cooler weather rolls around, I'll be feeling so wonderful about my running that I will finally bow down to all the spam they've been sending me and sign up for it. I'll run it in beautiful, seasonal weather (unlike last year's record-setting scorcher) and come in under 5 hours as the awesome culmination to all the awesomeness I've been feeling all summer.

Ummmm, not so much. My niggling little injury has finally cleared up, but I simply haven't put in the mileage or the quality that I really need to be marathon ready in 7 weeks. I am soooo seduced by the promise of a PR, of running the 30th, of having special 30th anniversary finisher's schwag. But seriously, I'm just not there. I thought that not committing to it at the beginning of the summer would keep me from burning out. But what it did was keep me from preparing.

I'm a little bummed, but I feel like I can just get on with the next 3 weeks until my half-marathon, and start planning for the future. Instead of fixating on this one race, I can think about where I really want to be with respect to running in one year, in five years, in ten. And even with that forward-thinking, I am so much more in the moment than I have been all summer. Instead of "if/then" and "what if", I can be in the realm of right now. And isn't that a large part of why I run? To have time to be focused and clear, without distraction?

It reminds me of this run last year. You spend a long time constructing a fantasy about what the perfect run/race/training program is like, yet when they don't live up to your expectations, you just take a breath, take what you're given, accept them as they are, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. On that day, I ran because that is what I woke up in the morning to do. I remember spending hours the night before fretting about the weather, making plan B and plan C, packing and repacking, setting out infinite combinations of clothing and gear. But when I stepped out into the rain, it just washed away, and all I was left with was the run.

And now, letting go of Richmond this year, all those contingencies are washing away, and I finally just get to run.

165

For a young, healthy person, I've always had borderline high cholesterol. Ever since my first cholesterol check as a 105 lb college sophomore, my cholesterol has been between 195 and 210. I had my first real physical in many years a couple of weeks ago, and my blood work came back today. My total cholesterol is just 165, and all my numbers (triglycerides, LDL, HDL) are right where they should be. Hopefully running will keep me statin-free for many years to come.

I managed a long stroller walk today, and will hopefully hit the treadmill for a short speed session tomorrow at lunch. It's a busy week, but I'm finally over this cold and determined to keep up my mileage.

Pepsi 10K

The morning started off on a great foot. The weather was bee-yoo-ti-ful. Fall has arrived! I woke up with plenty of time to spare, had a little breakfast, and arrived in time to pick up my number and still warm up. I had a chance to socialize a little.

The gun went off, and I made sure to pace myself. Mile 1 was in 10:40. I did about the same for mile 2. And 3. And 4!! Way to pace, self! The second water stop was just after mile 4 at the turnaround. The newly crisp air had left my mouth parched, and since I wasn't wearing my CamelBak, I wasn't able to sip 'n' run. So I had waaaay too much water. By the end of mile 5, I was feeling sloshy, but I still reached it in 54:00. Mile 6 (and the .2), not so hot. End result, I had a sloshy tummy and a side stitch, and just got eaten by the hills for a final time of around 1:08. Ergh. (Edited later to add: Hey, for the last 1.2, my pace was 11:40, which is slow, but not nearly as slow as I'd thought, especially considering the amount of walking I did. I'm feeling better about this!)

After stopping, I really felt crummy, and seriously thought I was going to throw up. I nibbled a bagel, until I spied some friends eating cookies. They directed me to the source of the chocolate chip-y goodness, and two cookies later I was good as new. I hung around hoping that my name would get called for a grab bag prize, but gave up and headed home once the two golf passes were gone.

Spent the rest of the morning doing strength training, i.e., toting Max around the construction equipment rodeo. Fun, but boy oh boy was I glad when nap time rolled around.

Where were you?

I was employed as an airline pilot on 9/11/01. It was perfect flying weather that day, and I bemoaned my ill fortune to be scheduled for a classroom training session at headquarters near Dulles. As I waited for my training partner to arrive, people began popping out of offices to spread the news. Someone produced a TV. Someone else produced pictures from the internet. The building was evacuated. The sky, usually thick with the sight and sound of air traffic at Dulles, was silent and empty. Occasionally, the sound of a fighter jet would rip through the quiet.

Many of my colleagues witnessed the burning and collapse of the towers from the air. Many more were trapped away from home and family in the days following.

The next day, I reported for training again. Our simulator session script (standardized, and determined months in advance by the training department) had us flying charted visual approaches at LaGuardia. Those photorealistic images of the Twin Towers on the sim's visuals were my last, eerie glance at the towers.

Weeks later, flying up and down the east coast at night, the bright work lights at Ground Zero could be seen for miles and miles.

Six months after 9/11, I was captain of an evening flight from LaGuardia to Dulles. As I taxied toward the runway, suddenly two shafts of light appeared where the twin towers had been. It was a beautiful, perfect, etheral tribute. But all I could think about were those work lights months ago.

A day at the gym

Normal Monday routine at the gym: treadmill, weights, stretching, abs. I did mix it up a bit by doing speedwork on the treadmill. I did a couple of 800's at 10:00/mi pace, then a couple of 400's at 9:00/mi pace. Fun, but kind of weird. I like doing a little sprint at the very end, and that's not really possible on the treadmill. But definitely an improvement over my usual boring treadmill session.

I am embarrassed to say I am still sore from Saturday. Between that run, and carrying a 30-lb toddler up and down the stairs at the football game that afternoon when we both should have been napping, my quads are crying uncle.

What happens on DWR...

My only solace while running today was thinking up the blog entry I'd make when it was all over. Where to begin? The ankle I mildly twisted yesterday on my way to purchase an egg salad bagel suddenly feeling not so mildly twisted? The remnants of my cold working their way out? The late wake up resulting in stiff muscles and a foggy brain? The foggy brain making a questionable decision about whether to be on time or to, um, take care of some business? The humidity? The loose gravel?

What's there to say, really, except that I did a miserable, horrible, no good, very bad almost 8 miles on Dick Woods. And this morning at least, what happens on Dick Woods stays on Dick Woods.

Three...

...hour nap, that is. I should not have tempted fate yesterday by writing a long, newsy email to IronMo about my new plan for increased mileage. Because some little virus was reading it over my shoulder, and I woke up this morning with a killer headache, sore throat, achy joints, and swollen glands. And it was incredibly painful to look at light. Which is all the more ironic since I just broke my sunglasses and am still waiting for the replacement to arrive in the mail. I headed off to work anyway, since my mid-year performance review was today. I headed straight home after, and by that time was actually feeling a little better. I thought I'd eat lunch, watch last night's Top Chef on Tivo, and go for a quick run or walk before picking Max up early for daycare for a late afternoon of stroller walks and playground fun. I ate lunch, watched Top Chef, and then three hours later, was rudely awakened by the Supportive Husband coming home in between gigs. Waaaah?

The headache is gone, but everything else still feels crummy, including my eyes. How weird.

So, whatever. At least I know people are reading my blog!! Helloooooooo Robine!! I wouldn't have blogged at all today if I hadn't found out last night that you are hanging on my every word. And since I already know that IronMo reads, I am sure that I have readerS, plural!! What a joyful day in Blogland.

1000, 1.5, and a brag

I meant to run on the treadmill and lift weights at lunch, but I left my running shoes and workout clothes at home, so I hit the pool instead. I did 200 free, 200 breaststroke, 50 back, 50 drill to warm up. Then 300 free, 200 breast, 50 fly, 50 drill, 100 easy, for a total of 1000 in under 30 min. After my fly, I was resting (of course!) at the wall for a moment when the one other guy in the pool also got to the wall for a little rest. He asked if I was part of the master's swim group, because he was wicked impressed that I could do fly at the end of my workout like that! Go me, someone thinks I'm an athlete. We chatted for a while - he's done a 1/2 marathon, and did his first tri recently, and is (like me) hitting the pool to mitigate running injuries. As much as I kvetched about not wanting to socialize at the 4 miler, it was nice to have a little chat at my lunchtime workout. Working in a cubicle with headphones on all day will do that to you.

After work, Max and I went for a long walk (1.5 mi) in the stroller. Pushing him uphill is quite the strength training workout, and we were both ready for dinner by the time we got home.

Women's 4 Miler - PR!!

Tee hee. I've never raced this distance, so OF COURSE it's a PR!! That said, it was better than I actually thought I would do, but not as good as I was hoping.

I didn't sleep well last night, and didn't have my pre-race nightmare, so I was just a little off when I got out to the course. I had a little coffee, and about half a banana on the way over. Trouble is, I got there at 6:50, and the race doesn't start until 8. So there was a lot of warming up and milling around, and by the time we were corralled at 7:35, I was already hungry again. I took two caffeinated Shot Bloks, but I don't think they made much of a difference by that point.

Corralling was quite a process/spectacle. Organized chaos. The runners are corralled, and then you march with your pace group out to the start. We started lining up at 7:35, and it took until the gun went off at 8 to get everyone where they needed to be. And as someone who is in a not so fast pace group, my gripe with every race of any size was valid for this one - no one more than a few dozen rows back can hear any starter's announcement or the gun.

It took about 45 seconds for me to cross the start. I was shoulder to shoulder for the first half mile, and ran 5:15. I made the turnaround at mile 1 in 10:30. Mile 2 (passing the start/finish) was just about 21:00. So far, so good. Then the water stop just after mile 2, where I made a big mistake.

I usually run with a CamelBak, so I haven't mastered drinking from a cup while running. I hadn't really planned on needing to drink, but the hours since wake-up and race time had left me pretty thirsty. I slowed to a walk to drink. The water stop, much to my chagrin, was at the bottom of the biggest hill on the course. So when I finished drinking, I was all slowed down, with no momentum, looking up a hill. I walked up most of it, and ended up doing mile 3 in about 11:30.

I enjoyed the downhill on mile 4, sprinted the last 100 or so for a 10:22, and finished in 42:52 (10:43/mi avg) chip time. I had hoped to do 10:30; 10:45 was what I thought I'd do.

I'm not sure if I'll run this race again. I'm glad I did it, and I'll definitely volunteer to help with it, but I'm not so compelled to actually run it again. Driving down Garth, I saw all the names of the honorees writ large on signs lining the road. That was very inspirational. And the standing ovation given to the last-place finisher was something to behold as well. But the course is a narrow 2 lane road, with runners going in both directions, and it was very difficult to concentrate on running when there were racing novices darting side to side, slowing to a walk in the middle of the course, and just a lot of tightly packed bodies with flying limbs. And the logistics mean lots more standing around time than running time. And I really, really wanted to just go off somewhere by myself while 2700 women did the "awesome cheer."

But, over $200,000 was raised for the Breast Care and Cancer Center, so woooooohoooo!

Twas the night before race day

'Twas the night before race day and all through the town, yada yada.

Tomorrow is the Four Miler! Woo! And I am soooo crabby. I have had a cold, and haven't been able to really run or to swim all week, though I did do a LOT of walking. After work today, I braved packet pickup. This is a four mile race in a small city, and they need multiple people directing vehicular traffic at PACKET PICKUP. Yes, this is a big deal here. Almost 5% of the area's women run this race, by my estimation. Though I'm a native, this is my first time running this race. But oddly enough, it was this race that got me to run the marathon last year.

When Max was just 8 weeks old, I headed to the shop to get a new pair of running shoes. I had a crazy idea that I might run a half marathon. After all, I had 8 months, and IronMo was about to do her SECOND IronMan and had just qualified for Boston. While I was there, I asked about training programs, and Mark looked at my squishy, postpartum bod, and the baby in the carrier, and said, gee, the Four Miler program would be just perfect. And I was so mortally offended that someone would think that I needed to wake up early every single Saturday morning for 3 months just to go four little miles, that I immediately decided that yes, I absolutely MUST do a marathon. So I did. Simple as that.

Now please don't think that I am belittling anyone's accomplishment at running the Four Miler. I am not. And it is a big deal! Go, sisters!! But for me, with my crazy postpartum hormones, and my stubborn, Capricorn disposition, four miles just wasn't worth getting up early for. Go big or go home, right?

The irony in all this is that I *am* running it tomorrow, and I am nervous as all get out. I might not have been this nervous for Richmond last year. I'm so anxious about the crowded course, about trying to pace myself, and really doing my best, despite my recent injury and illness. And quite frankly, I'm nervous about the huge, rah-rah group of runners. While I like a little company on a run as much as anyone, I don't relish the thought of running with 2699 women who are having the culminating event of a very long journey. I like running for the same reason I like swimming - they are fake team sports. Like, if you're on, say, a field hockey team (which I was back in the day), you have to maintain a certain baseline level of good communication with your teammates. When you run or swim, you're all in it together, but for the most part you can just shut up and go to your happy place without inviting 2699 other women.

But, as always, go big or go home. So I'm going out tomorrow to break 42:00, a 10:30 pace. Wish me luck. And if you see me on the course, just keep right on going. I'll talk to you when I'm done running.

Feelin' scratchy

Lots of extenuating circumstances today, not the least of which is a scratchy throat and general sinus-y feeling. Could it be the ragweed? The mold? A back to school cold? Who knows. But I took a long walk out in the sunshine instead of running and lifting, enjoyed the mountain views and didn't feel guilty about it. Some workouts are good for the body, others are good for the soul.

And in case you were wondering, I'm an INTJ.

Seven super miles!

Seven at the track. But first, I had to get up extra early, load the coolers and gatorade, and set them up. It was actually not a bad warmup to haul 3 full coolers and a couple gallons of gatorade from my car to the setup point. I was all done setting up by 6, and had plenty of time to socialize and stretch before the run.

After a relatively mild week, it was supposed to get up to 100 today, and the low this morning was around 70, so I made sure to keep on top of the Endurolytes.

2.2 mile hilly warmup. Followed by 4x800 with hills in between, then a 400. I was supposed to run 5:45, 5:15, 5:15, 4:55, and 2:15 or 2:20 on the 400. Oh, and guess what? It's actually a metric track. Who knew?!

I screwed up my math and did 5:20 on the first 800. Then I screwed it up the other way and did 5:17. Then 5:14 (yay!!), 4:54, and, drumroll please, 2:12!!! I just blew it out on the last stretch of the 400. My fingers (and all of me, really) were sweaty and slippery, and it took some fumbling to hit the button on my watch, but it read 2:12.94 when I stopped it. I didn't reset my watch, hoping to keep my kick-ass time there, but I accidentally hit the button again somewhere in the loading/unloading process, gosh darn it.

Other than that, the run was great. I had NO PAIN in my foot for the first time in over a month. Between not having pain, having gotten up a little earlier and done some heavy lifting prior, and accidentally buying caffeinated Shot Bloks, I felt AWESOME.

Anyway, after the run, I shot the breeze waiting for the last of the long runners to come back in. The other person on water duty accidentally emptied the last cooler before everyone was done, oops. We thought everyone was back, but it turned out there were a few doing a cooldown on the warmup route. Luckily, it appeared that band practice or something was starting in the school building, so it was open for water and a/c if anyone needed it. But I felt pretty guilty, especially since I'd made a big effort to have abundant cold (and clean) water and gatorade. The gatorade all got drunk, but there was plenty of water left, at least a gallon or two in each of the three coolers.

On the way home, I realized I'd said "see ya next week!!" to just about everyone when I'm actually not doing the long run with the group, but the Women's Four Miler instead. It's my first time, and I'm really excited, though dreading the traffic and crowds.

Catching up

I didn't get around to blogging about last week (lots of walking and a fantastic swim on Fri) or about Saturday's run. Nothing exciting - no bears this time. There was a tiny dog (looked to be part Chihuahua and part MinPin, and maybe part rodent) who was extremely vocally enthusiastic about guarding his turf, but other than that, nothing eventful, wildlife-wise. I had some more issues with my foot. I felt great, like Tony the Tiger "Grrrrrreat!" for the first five miles. Then mile six, and my foot started cramping and the rest of the ten miles pretty much sucked. Lots of walking and grimacing. Two groups of people were concerned enough to stop and ask if I needed a ride the rest of the way. Which made me even grumpier. But, Keene was lovely, even if it did take almost 45 minutes to drive there.

On Monday, I did about 2.5 on the treadmill, yesterday I ran 2 pushing the stroller, and tonight I did a quick mile or so loop. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do the kind of mileage I'd like. Oh, and I weighed myself at the gym, and found that I weigh more now than I ever have when not pregnant or postpartum. I feel like a hobbled, squishy slob, and that's no fun. So I've resolved to do some kind of exercise every day, and cut out all the snicky snacking. No food after 8:30pm, which means cutting way back on my beloved milk and cookies.

Saturday I'm on water duty for the run - I lucked out and got the track, which means I don't have to get up in the middle of the night to mark Dick Woods and then hang out for four hours till everyone finishes their long runs. I picked up the coolers today, and discovered that two of them had not been rinsed or dried after the last time they were used, and they were FOUL. Half an hour of vigorous scrubbing with hot, soapy water has left them squeaky clean, and I've got the dishpan hands to prove it.

6 miles

Six miles up at Whitehall Vineyard. I was shocked to see only 6 on my program for this Saturday, but given the heat and humidity, and my foot issues, I welcomed the break.

I rolled in at (by my watch) exactly 6:15, but the course markers had already finished their spiel and as I hopped out of my car, everyone was just taking off. I ran by myself, which is beginning to be more comfortable. It's time to let my brain do its thing without the pressure of making conversation. The first 1.5 are incredibly hilly, but I did a respectable 23:00 for the first two miles. Mile 3 took me along the Moorman's River up toward the dam at Sugar Hollow. The river was feeling the effects of the drought, and was little more than a gully full of damp rocks. Despite that, I saw 1 heron, 1 magnificent buck, 1 newt, several bluebirds and a bear!

Yes, a bear. Black bears are fairly common around here, but it's still a shock to see one up close. I had turned around at mile 3, and was trotting on down the road when I saw what looked like a giant black dog in the road. It turned its face toward me and I realized it was a bear that had come up from the river. It headed up the bank on the opposite side of the road, thought better of it, turned back and headed back down. I wondered if it wasn't a mama scoping out the other side of the road for her cubs. Thought black bears are (usually) quite docile, I stopped and made sure that I wouldn't be between the bear and any cubs. Even with the complete stop, I still ran mile 4 in 10:20, by far my fastest mile of the morning. Maybe I just need potentially deadly animals stationed every so often along the course to spur me to reach my goals.

My arch still hurts. I think it's time to head back to the shop and try something else. At this point, I'm willing to experiment a little - I don't think I'll be any worse off trying something new than I am right now.

A swim

It's too hot to run. Plus, I'm trying to take it a little easy to help my foot recover. All the new shoes seem to be working, and I haven't felt any pain at all since Sunday, hooray!!

I hit the pool at lunch. Everyone must have had the same idea, because both lanes were circle swimming. I picked the slow side, and hopped in. The two folks on the slow side were waaaaaaay slow, but I made a game of it. I'd wait till the first one was nearly back to the wall, then push off and swim a hard 50, or as far as it took to almost overtake them. Then I'd rest for a sec while they made it almost back around, and do another hard 50. I did pass one of them at some point, and I also did about 100 worth of drills. Total was around 900, I think, not bad for a lunchtime swim, especially considering I was in the slow lane.

It's supposed to be 100 tomorrow, and in the 90's the rest of the week. So until Saturday's early run, it's the pool or the treadmill for me.

World Breastfeeding Week

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I trained for and ran the 2006 Richmond Marathon as a new mom, with a breastfeeding infant. So I feel it is my obligation to remind all my readers (all 3 of you) about World Breastfeeding Week this week. Lots of women can't breastfeed for various reasons, but most can. It is without a doubt nature's perfect food for a newborn. Not to mention it is free, clean, and environmentally friendly. Yes, breastfeeding requires dedication: the early days can be painful and confusing, and being the sole provider of nourishment for your child can be a big burden. So to all you mamas to be, educate yourself *before* the baby comes about breastfeeding, common problems, and how to avoid them. Your hospital's lactation consultant is a good resource, as is La Leche League, kellymom.com, and your friends and family.

As mothers, so much of what we do is undone in an instant - the laundry gets washed and folded, only to be dirty again; it takes all afternoon to make dinner, but it's eaten in a flash, leaving only a sinkful of dirty dishes. For me, running a marathon was a way to achieve something that couldn't be undone. I am, and forever will be, a marathoner. Breastfeeding is the same way. It is something I did for my son that can never be undone. He is, and forever will be, a breastfed baby.

8 miles

It was almost a relief when the alarm went off at 5:30. I'd been having a terrible nightmare about competing in a triathlon. The order was backward and the swim was last. It was utter chaos in the pool. And then they started draining the water so I had to swim through air. It was very difficult.

And then off to Dick Woods Road. As usual, I straggled in at precisely 6:15, and had to park way the heck down Miller School Road. I missed most of Mark's speech, but figured it consisted mostly of "start out slow" and "stay hydrated." And OMG, Cynthia Lorenzoni was there. She's training for Richmond, her first marathon in over 20 years. I've seen her at the shop and she's even helped me with my shoes a couple of times. Talk about Mama Marathon - she's got 4 kids!

The group was huge, and the start was a madhouse. I think I've been in races with fewer entrants. I ran pretty much on my own, though. The first three miles were fine, albeit unbelievably muggy. Not long before the second water stop, my arch really started hurting, and I half-ran, half-hobbled into the water stop. I decided to keep going, to make the full 4 out, then turned back.

Just after mile 5, everything started to click, sore foot and all. I was almost entirely alone, since the marathoners were all doing high mileage, and were doing the full 7 to the end of Dick Woods. Mentally, I was somewhere I hadn't been since my airline days. Every now and then, you'd have one of those days where you knew what was going to happen a split second before it did. Your grip on the yoke relaxed, and you controlled the airplane almost by telekinesis - just the thought of how you wanted the airplane to move would make it happen. Every noise, from ATC to the FO's checklists, to the movement of the flaps and the gear, to the automated callouts, to the faint sound of the FA addressing the passengers, seemed perfectly orchestrated, and perfectly clear. The airplane and the gauges and the wind and the runway and the pilot are all part of the same intention. No matter what the crosswind or weather, the plane would cross the threshold exactly on track and on speed, and just a breath of pressure on the controls, and first the upwind wheel, then the downwind wheel, and then the nosewheel would engage the runway in a soft, slow kiss.

And that's what I felt for the last two miles this morning.

Back in business - 2 miles

...on the treadmill at lunch. I did them really, really fast. For me, anyway. It was the fastest I've run two miles in a very long time. I think the treadmill motivates me to run fast - the faster I run, the quicker I can get the hell off of it.

I went to the shop on Monday to get my shoes and inserts looked at. The staff loved my Road ID, but chastised me for my totally thrashed inserts and hooked me up with new ones. I was also advised to wear supportive shoes all the time, which, awww shucks, meant going directly home and getting on Zappos to buy a new pair of Naots. I'm digging all the new footwear, but it's pretty depressing to be told that my arches might be falling. I'm getting old. And here I'd thought I was the only woman alive to go through pregnancy and not have serious foot changes - my shoe size has never wavered from a 7.5. But all that gestating, lactating, and marathoning has indeed taken their toll on my perfect feet.

Track workout

I was supposed to do 9, but the workout was only about 4, plus a 2 mile warmup, and 1 mile cooldown, so I ended up doing only 7. Seven was plenty.

We've been spoiled by cool mornings all summer, and this was the first really humid run of the season. The air was sweaty. Since I've been running either in the a.c., or in 60 degree temps, the sweaty air kicked my sweaty butt. I drank waaaaay too much water after the first interval. And I have no Endurolytes, since I've been lulled into thinking that an ounce or two of Gatorade is enough electrolytes to sustain me.

The workout went like this:
2 mi warmup through hilly neighborhood streets. I should have just done my warmup on the track.

4 laps at 10:30
Up the hill, down the hill
3 laps at 7:45
Up the hill, down the hill
2 laps at 5:15
Up the hill, down the hill
1 lap at 2:25
Up the hill, down the hill

1-2 mi cooldown

I did the mile in right around 10:30, maybe 10:35 or something like that. Then I chugged a lot of water, and ate half a pack of Sport Beans. The uphill kicked my ass. It is incredibly steep. And halfway up, you turn off the path, and run through the uneven grass and mud. And then you run down. I'd gotten used to the nice paved road at UVA, where you jog down first, then surge up.

My 3 laps, I did mostly with Pamela, who wanted to chat. At some point, I just couldn't talk any more, and feigned a side stitch to fall behind her. So I ended up a little slow on the 1200.

Then the uphill really kicked my ass, as the excessive amount of water I'd had started to catch up with me.

Let us not talk about the 800, nor about the uphill that followed it.

The final lap, I completed in 2:23. Go me!!!! And then I treated myself to a cooldown on the track.

Coach Mark was there for the entire session. He never remembers my name, but he did do a little "rah rah" on my way uphill, and reminded me to turn over my legs faster (dear heart, I would if I could) and really use my arms. I stopped to ask him about my sore arch, and to my surprise, he remembered exactly what my stride looked like, and advised me to come in to the shop this week to work on my inserts. When I bought the new shoes, I intended to buy new inserts as well, but they were out of my size. So my current ones have a lot of miles on them.

And best of all, today was schwag day for the training program. We all got free shirts that say "distance is my game." So there you go.

When I got home and emptied my CamelBak, I realized I had drunk almost an entire liter of water with no more electrolytes than contained in a pack of Sport Beans. That's just stupid. And I've paid for my stupidity with that slightly hungover feeling. I finished off the last of the Pringles, and ate a banana to help, but I don't expect to feel quite right until tomorrow.

Yikes, Thursday already

How'd that happen? I got in a great run - outside! not on a treadmill! - on Monday. I think it was around 2 miles, then I did another half or so on the torture machine. I figured I'd do my other weekday run at lunch on Wednesday, but it was not to be. Max had giant, and I mean huge, like, I should have taken a picture huge because they must be seen to be believed, lymph nodes. He had a skosh of a fever Saturday afternoon, but otherwise seemed quite happy and healthy. By Tuesday, the nodes were even larger, and I heard that a few kids at school had strep, so I reluctantly made an appointment with the pediatrician for Wednesday morning. Great, I thought, I'm going to be late to work and the doctor will just pat my head, and tell me to give him Tylenol and come back in a week if they're still enlarged.

The nurse was quite impressed with the lymph nodes, and peppered me with questions about whether we had cats (yes, but elderly and declawed), or if he had been exposed to any strange diseases (you never really know at day care), or what other strange symptoms had he had (none). The doctor took a throat culture and gave a long speech about what the next step was if/when it came up negative for strep. But no sooner had the exam room door clicked behind her than she was back. Eureka! The strep test had turned positive in record time. So, no school for Max, no work for Mama, no precious, precious lunch hour workout. Today was a similar wash - Max had to stay home until he'd been on the antibiotics 24 hours (as if he hadn't already been spreading pestilence around day care earlier in the week), and I had a work deadline bearing down upon me.

We did manage a few wagon rides, though. Does that count?

I almost forgot - I got new shoes! Hooray! Good for me. I went with the same shoes I first got back in December. And I am happy to report that instead of blah blue, they now feature punchy purple as their highlight color! They're still more serviceable than pretty, though.

I think tomorrow will be a wash, too. I have serious work to catch up on, plus there's a 9 mile track workout Saturday, and I don't want to overexert beforehand.

8 miles

I went to Target yesterday during my lunch hour to buy Sport Beans, since I was out of Shot Bloks. I can never find Shot Bloks, but I knew Target had the beans, plus I was looking for a potty seat for Max. I ended up with a box of beans, no potty seat, a $20 Aquadoodle, and a new pair of shorts and a shirt.

I sat down last night with Google Maps to get some good directions to this morning's run, and discovered that Keene is way the heck down Route 20. It would take me 45 minutes of driving through nowhere to get to the middle. So rather than wake up at 5 to be on the road by 5:30, and then inevitably get lost somewhere, show up late, and have to run an unfamiliar route in the middle of nowhere by myself, I changed my plans. I slept till 6:45, and drove 18 minutes to the Monticello Trail. It's two miles uphill, and two miles down. I did two roundtrips.

The uphills are pretty relentless, but the downhills make it all worth it. I had some weird pain in my left arch, that slowed me to a walk on mile 3 (the first downhill mile) and again for almost the whole of mile 5 (first uphill mile on the second lap). But overall, I felt pretty good, and vowed to make it to the shop on Monday to buy a long overdue pair of new shoes. The last two miles, I flew downhill, did the last two miles in under 20:00, and it felt great. I finished in just over 92 minutes, again, an 11:30 pace. So, eh, not great, but better than I thought I was going to do when I hit mile 3. The arch doesn't hurt now, but I might just be distracted by the huge chafed area that the new shorts left on my lower back. They have a clever little zipper pocket for gels or keys, except I had my Camelbak strapped on right over it. Ouch.

Oh, and I saw a giant crayfish with one claw.

Another 2 on the treadmill

When my options are blazing heat and imminent thunderstorms, or air conditioning and treadmill, the treadmill starts looking better and better. I did 1.5 miles at 6 mph, a 10 minute mile! Scoff all you want, naturally athletic types, this is a big deal for me! I did the rest at an 11:00 pace. Then I lifted, did some abs, and a bunch of stretching. Yesterday (day off), I did a little yoga and spent some quality time with The Stick, and I was feeling limber and ache-free today.

As I left the gym, black clouds were gathering, and by the time I was halfway to Kroger, the skies had opened up. I waited it out sitting in the car listening to the radio for about 15 minutes, but working mama's got a schedule to keep. (BTW, The Corner, luv ya, but if you play "Hey There Delilah" and "Two Sisters" one more time, I'm switching to books on CD.) I switched my ever-so-stylish Birks for the shower shoes from my gym bag, and put my 10 min mile legs to the test sprinting across the parking lot.

Seven miles

An unseasonably cool morning on Ridge Road. I arrived late and missed whatever inspiration Coach Mark doled out to the more punctual folks. The pace groups were already leaving when I arrived. I said a brief hello to Jim, and I was off. Given the two miles here and there I've been doing, I felt great for, oh, two miles. Mile 3 was okay, but not stellar. I turned around after 3.5, and mile 5 really whipped me. At one point, I felt pretty nauseated. It was not pleasant. My knees also felt a little creaky - all that carrying Max around last week really put a lot of stress on my joints. I felt a lot better after mile 6, and I finished strong. Overall, my pace was around 11:25, better than I would have guessed after missing two long runs, but not where I want to be.

On the treadmill the other day, I realized that when I run faster, my form is better, my whole body feels better. When I run my normal (slow) speed, everything's bunched up. I feel like I've found a good stride, but it's a matter of getting my heart and lungs to keep up with what feels good to my body.

After the run, I pushed Max in the stroller on a reasonably long walk with Louise that left me pooped. After lunch, I took advantage of Max's naptime to have one of my own.

800 yards

Swimming today! I was late to work because just as I was putting on Max's shoes so he could come outside to wave goodbye, I noticed a peculiar odor following him about like Pigpen's cloud. So upstairs for a diaper change. I will leave out the details, but suffice it to say he hadn't pooped in two days, and had eaten a lot of blueberries, so, well, I was 15 minutes late to work. Which meant that I had to cut my workout a little short at lunchtime to make up for said tardiness. This working mom athlete is a tough gig.

But I swam a very brisk 800, including 200 backstroke. My backstroke is less "stroke" and more "random splashy thrashing," but I had the pool to myself so I went for it.

Another 2 on the treadmill

A quick lunchtime run on the treadmill. And not quite Chinese water torture. The treadmills at the gym closer to my work are much better suited to running. There's no bar right in front, where my arms need to go while running, and the TV screen is up higher, keeping my eyes up, instead of awkwardly down. Not as fun as running outside, but more pleasant than braving July heat and humidity.

Two miles on the treadmill

Running on the treadmill is mental torture. If I were ever captured, and the enemy wanted me to spill state secrets, they'd merely have to threaten the treadmill and I'd sing like a canary. It took all my mental fortitude to do the two miles on the treadmill. The thought of the 95 degree temps outside kept me going. I had hoped to do a longer workout today, but Max's pediatrician appointment ran long, and as usual, there just weren't enough hours in the day. I did do plenty of abs and stretching, plus got my daily dose of lifting a toddler. For the record, he came in at just 27.5 pounds, not the nearly 30 we were all expecting. I guess I'll have to up my reps instead.

Catch-up

The blog fell by the wayside as it's been pretty busy around here, and we went on vacation. Since my last entry, I've done the following:
-Run 2 miles on a treadmill. It was even more boring than I thought it would be. In fact, I think I really only ran 1.5 on the treadmill, then did the rest on the teeny tiny indoor track.
-Done some random lifting, stretching, etc.
-Gone to the beach! I had two great morning runs on the beach. On the Fourth, I had to stop in the middle of my run to watch dolphins frolicking in the ocean. The only downside to this soothing, zen run is that now the treadmill will seem worse than ever.
-Missed two Saturday runs. Shameful. Buck Mountain is just over three months away.
-Registered (just in the nick of time) for the Women's 4 Miler.
-Spent quality time with family, and worked on upper body strength by toting my 30-lb toddler all over tarnation.

What's next? Back on the wagon! Back to the gym tomorrow, and a long run on Saturday. And, as the beach pictures make plain and undeniable, some serious ab/core work.

One more thing...

...I've noticed a bumper crop of running skirts in the group this summer. They're adorable!

Another 4 miles

I hit the snooze once or twice this morning, and was a little late getting out of bed. I had laid out my clothes the night before, but decided that I needed a hat, too. I rummaged through my closet and drawers as quietly as possible, but came up empty-handed. I made a bowl of oatmeal, and ate just a few bites, and drank about 2 sips of OJ. I took my car key off the key ring, put my sunglasses on my head so I'd have them for the drive home, and headed to the car. Once in the car, no key. I ran back into the house and searched for it - no key. Back to the car. It had to be in there somewhere. I finally found it in my gym bag. I had given the bag the once-over in search of the missing hat, and must have dropped the key in.

So finally, I was off. When I got to Dick Woods, there were already cars lining the side of Miller School Road back to the guardrail. I cruised past the gravel parking area to find that indeed, there was enough room for me to squeeze in! I hopped out with just enough time to say a quick hello to Jim and Sadie before we broke out into pace groups.

There's a big glom of us slow half-marathoners, and I was a little cranky listening to all the chatter as we started out. I ran a very slow first mile up the hills, and between the hills, the gravel, the chatter, my discovery of my sunglasses still on my head, and my general discombobulation, I just couldn't get into a rhythm. I walked a little bit in mile 2, just enough to get behind some of the groups and have a little quiet. I caught back up with them at the water stop at Plank, but most of them must have been doing 5 or more, because I was by myself when I turned around.

As I headed back, there was a dog in the middle of the road, a friendly-looking black lab mix with a white paw. It ran beside me for maybe a quarter of a mile or so.

Also on the way back, I passed Pamela heading out - she shouted something about being late because she had to get bread out of her breadmaker.

Mile 3 I picked it up and did in 10:30. I like that the shorter runs give me the luxury of picking it up a little bit and not worrying about having reserves for later. The only way I will ever learn to run faster is to run faster! I had a hard time keeping up the pace in mile 4 - while it's mostly downhill, it's very rolling, plus the gravel road has a lot of large, loose stones. I was constantly worried about twisting my ankle, and my gaze was right down in front of my feet instead of up ahead. Even with some walking, I still did it in about 11:00. I averaged 11:30 for the run. A little slower than I'd like, but I'm happy with my 10:30 on mile 3. My head just wasn't in it today.

I did get my plan from coach Mark this week. My weekday mileage is very low, which is perfect. I do get some very long Saturday runs - 14 miles in September. That makes me think that if I could definitely do Richmond in November, if I felt like it. I could run another 3 after the Buck Mountain half, for 16 that day, do another long run in 2 weeks, and then have 2 weeks to taper for Richmond. I should just commit to it, but I can't, not this early. I'd burn out by August.

4 miles - season begins

Ridge Road. A cool, foggy morning. The crowd was huge, and about evenly divided between half and full marathoners. Most of the usual suspects were there, and it was nice to catch up a little. I did 4 miles with Pamela, who did crazy calisthenics next to me while I walked up hills with a terrible side stitch.

I felt great after the run. I'd been dreading it, but I feel buoyed and invigorated. Let's see if I can keep that up through the dog days.

More time in the pool

I lost count of my laps! I probably did around 1000. I think. Anyway, I used some of the techniques and drills the instructor taught me the other day, and by the end of my 40 min, I was pooped, and my arms felt like jello. I will definitely be sore tomorrow, and that is a good thing.

I must say that my flip turns were not bad, but so anxiety-producing that I only did them every other turn. I can't figure out how to get all the way through and still maintain my breathing rhythm. I end up having to hold my breath at some point, which is not what you want to do. And doing flip turns with backstroke is another ball of wax entirely.

Back in the pool

I finally made it to my swim lesson today, after having canceled it twice before for my horrible cold. The main pool already had a couple of lap swimmers plus an aquatic fitness class, so we did the lesson in the warm pool. It was warmer than I normally keep my bath, and I was totally wilted by the end of the lesson. I was hugely pregnant when I had my last swim lesson, and I'd been unable to get my body roll back. So the very nice swim instructor showed me a few drills and gave me a few simple pointers to get back on track. You can read this stuff in a book, but until someone watches you and says, "hey, dummy, quit crossing your left arm over" it doesn't really sink in. We also worked on backstroke, which has always been my bugaboo. I'd rather do butterfly (which is kind of fun, though I'm really too embarrassed to do it in public) than do backstroke. Again, a couple of drills and pointers, and I could feel my whole body changing. I also asked that we work on flip turns. I never could figure them out as a kid, and being pregnant just does not work with learning flip turns. So when I tried them today, I was surprised at how easy they were. No water up my nose, no horribly misjudged distances. I definitely need to work on them, but I think I might have gotten that monkey off my back.

Like a bozo, I forgot to bring my workout clothes, so I didn't do more than swim today. I'm planning on doing abs and strength during lunch tomorrow. I might even get out for a short run this afternoon.

90 minutes...

...of the start of the marathon/half-marathon summer training program meeting. Yep folks, I've done it again. Forked over my 30 bucks to the good folks at the CTC, and put my summer leisure time in the hands of Coach Mark. And this time around I even joined the CTC. So there you go.

I'm leaning toward the Buck Mountain Half Marathon, but I worry about it being a little too low-key. There were only 80 finishers last year - I'd be last or next to last, for sure. But hey, it's a marked course, with clocks and stuff. And I know at least one other person who is going to run it. I figure if it goes REALLY well, I could just up and run Richmond four weeks later. But I just can't mentally commit to another marathon right now, not with a long and humid summer stretching out in front of me.

I felt oddly bittersweet about reupping. Invigorated with the thought of engaging my body and brain in that way again. But sad, almost to the point of tears, that I'll never have another first marathon. I could run a 4 hour marathon, and I don't think it will ever feel as good to cross the finish line as it did in Richmond. It wasn't until I missed my goal in the ten-miler 4.5 months later that I came down off that high.

What's that old camp song? "I can't be contented with yesterday's glories..." Indeed. So I'm looking for new glory. In the form of 10:30 miles for the half. Scoff all you want, fast athletes, this is a BIG DEAL for me. It's going to take a radically different program than I had last summer to get there. I'm hoping to put in good long runs on Saturdays, big workouts on Mondays (be it running, cross training, or some combo of both), and little workouts during lunch Tuesday through Friday. That's six days a week. Last summer, I don't think I ever once ran and/or worked out more than four days, and usually only 3. By doing a half, I have the luxury of concentrating on quality, rather than quantity. Not having to squeeze in 8 miles on a weekday will really free me up to do other things - drills, speedwork, strength.

Happy Mother's Day!

Better late than never, right?

Yes, Mama has been slacking on blogging lately, please forgive her. Not much to blog, really. I haven't been running much, just a few short runs here and there. My new job and new gym mean that I can now work out during my lunch hour. So I'm shooting for 3 short lunchtime workouts (strength training or swimming), 1 long run on Saturday and 1 long workout (strength and swim or run) on my 1 weekday off. Naturally, it went great for about 2 weeks. Then a hectic week at work, and then the newest cold from day care. So I'm feeling pretty schlumpfy.

I have an appointment for a swim lesson on Monday as part of my new member stuff at the gym. I did a personal training session a couple of weeks ago and it totally sucked. I told the guy I wanted to learn some new core exercises. And what did we do? Everything *but* core. Sigh. Not rocket science, fella, give the lady what she wants. Let me figure out how to adjust the seat on the weight machine on my own time, okay? I've got one more session to use after the swim lesson, so we'll see what comes of it.

The meeting for the summer distance running training program is in just over a week. I have to pick a race, and get my mind in the game. Now that Max is sleeping till a ridiculously late hour (that I dare not post here for fear of incurring the wrath of mothers of toddlers everywhere), I am loathe to drag my butt out of bed at 5:15 a.m. Hey, at least I don't have to pump.

In honor of Mother's Day, here's a pic of Max and me. From behind, so you can fully appreciate the junk that has accumulated in my trunk since November. Maybe Stacy and Clinton are right that women of a certain age (and apparently that age is 32) shouldn't wear shorts. But, I figure with the cred of the number on the shirt, I can wear what I damn well please.

In case you're wondering, yes, my 16 month old *is* that tall. And yes, I *am* that short.

Boston!

Yeah, not me, IronMo! However, I wasn't exactly slacking off. As a proud alumna of the Scream Tunnel, I had a repuation to uphold. IronMo did an awesome job, and totally inspired me to work on speed so that someday I might run Boston (though hopefully not in a nor'easter).

2007: The year I decided to run fast(er)

Okay, so a couple days post-race, the endorphins are long gone, and I'm seriously smarting over that 24 seconds. I wanna run fast! I mean, faster than 11:02/mile. I've had a few long runs where I averaged 10:45-ish, and I'd love to do that on a regular basis, not just when the stars align. I really, really want to break 30 min in a 5K, which is a heck of a lot faster than 10:45. I have a few sub-10:00 in my recent history, I know I can do it. But how do I do it regularly without requiring an act of god?

I have decided I am not doing the Cville Half, nor am I doing the tri in June (sorry Mo and Louise - it's just too much to think about right now). I'm not writing off tri's forever, just for now. And I'm not entirely writing off the possibility of doing Richmond again this year (though I did just miss out on the $55 entry). Distance is good, but it SUCKS being in the bottom 15%.

So, then, how do I get fast? All those things I strenuously avoided last year, like fartleks and hill repeats and track workouts, I need to start doing them. And maybe some more cross-training would be a good idea. And maybe, just maybe, the Mother's Day fairy (or anniversary fairy or xmas fairy or birthday fairy) will send me to the speed clinic.

Short term goal: get a different workout plan. The past year, it's been all about the miles. This year, it's about quality.

Intermediate goal: Break 30 min in a 5K some time this year. The last chance for that in 2007 will be the Turkey Trot. Upcoming chance is the VIA 5k, in 2 weeks.

Long goal: Break 100 min in the 10 miler. Maybe next year, maybe sometime in the future. But it's out there. I'm gonna do it someday!

Race Report: The Ten Miler

Mama, feelin' crummy, lookin' good around mile 8.

I had another prerace nightmare, this time that when I crossed the finish, my time was too good, and I knew that I had forgotten to run part of the course. I had lopped off the stadium, or Lexington, like we often do in training, and had to try to go back out and run it. It was getting dark, and I was having trouble finding it.

So when the alarm went off, I didn't dilly-dally much. Okay, one snooze, but then right out of bed, and into the inky darkness. I had prepacked so well the night before, that I was ready to go in record time, and rather than sit around the house, I decided to get underway. I arrived at U Hall at 6:40, for the 7:45 start, so I stayed in my warm car for a while, listening to the latest Modest Mouse album. Finally got out of the car around 7, and headed inside. I used the bathroom and wandered around looking for the merch table (I never found it, not even when I went looking after the race) and the bag check (also never found it). I started running into people I knew - Donny and Louise, Sadie, Jim, all the runners whose faces I know but names I don't, some friends from my airline days, and the other Max's Mom.

At the start, I was impressed at how many people there were. The race was almost at capacity of 2500 entrants (though only 1900 or so finishers - I think there were a lot of no-shows), and the start was packed. As usual for us slowpokes, we couldn't hear the PA system at all, and only knew it was time to start when the crowd started to move. It took me a little over a minute to cross the line, and then there was some serious shuffling up the hill a little bit. By the time we made the first big left, the crowd was spreading out a little, though I almost got sideswiped by some jackass pushing his TWO KIDS in their DOUBLE JOGGING STROLLER. Dude, not only is that against the rules, but it is seriously, seriously not cool. A pox on you. And a pox on the fact that he smoked both me and Louise, who was significantly faster.

I was aiming for 11:00 min miles for the race, and kept mile 1 nice and slow. The big uphill and slow start helped. I hit it at 10:40. The stadium portion sucked as usual, but I hit Mile 2 at well under 22:00. (I will have to get one of those fancy watches that shows splits, because my hypoxic brain cannot remember them post-race.) Mile 3 came just after the pitifully tiny Pep Band contingent at the Chapel. I know it's early for you college kids, but come ON! The ones who were there did seriously represent, though. I think I hit it around 32:00, which is truly awesome for me, considering all the uphill on the first 3 miles.

The highest course elevation is just after the turn on Grady, at mile 3. And then there is a screaming downhill for that next mile. I totally let it out Phoebe-style. I found length to my stride I didn't know I had. It was awesome. I think I did mile 4 in about 4 minutes. Seriously, though, I'm pretty darn sure it was my fastest mile of the race, definitely under 10:30. Some more downill, then a little uphill on to the Mall, and a flat stretch to mile 5. I didn't realize it was mile 5 - there was a timing mat, and I figured it was some random timing mat, because I couldn't possibly have reached mile 5 in only 53 minutes. But yeah, when I got to mile 6 (in the middle of bitchin' hilly Lexington), I realize I had totally smoked miles 4 AND 5. Go me! I got knocked right of that high horse during 7. The hills are tiny and steep during this portion, relentlessly up and down. I think they're described as "rolling" but that's really not accurate. More "roller coaster." So at 7 I'm feeling pretty happy that I've got only 3 miles left, and forget about how much uphill there is in 8.

Oh, mile 8. Mile 8. What can I say. I lost a lot of time from 7.5-8, and then in most of 9, which is a deceptive uphill. The only walking I did on the course (aside from into and out of water stops, since I can't run and drink from a cup) was in mile 9. If I recall correctly, my time in Mile 8 wasn't so awful, but at 9 I was seriously doubting I'd hit my goal. One bright spot, right at Elliewood, who should I spy but Max, zoned out in his stroller eating crackers. Yep, Papa was there with his giant lens. It was great to see them. I hollered at Big Boy a few times, but he was deep in contemplation about his crackers. I slowed down to let Papa do his photog thing, and tried to get Max to look at me. I am less interesting than crackers.

So, at mile 9, I knew I had to run a pretty well sub-11:00 to make my time. I can't remember the split exactly, but I wasn't hugely far off at this point, like, I needed a 10:30, which isn't totally out of my league. The hills on Alderman, which are more legitimately described as rolling than those on Lexington, were kind of eating me alive. But I leveraged the downhills for all they were worth. Wheeeeeee!

Can I say that I utterly despise that the 10 miler finish is uphill? It's actually flat, but the bit leading up to the flat is uphill. So not fair.

Just before the finish, there was my mom. She begged me to stop for a picture, but I did no more than slow down a little. I think she got a picture of my hand. Some guy behind me practically shoved me out of the way in his sprint to the finish (jeez, fella, it's not like you're in danger of winning), perhaps in his own quest for 110 minutes. I crossed the line and wooooooo! I knew I was close. A volunteer knelt down and pulled the chip off my shoe, and another volunteer handed me a medal! Awesome.

So many things in life are worthy of a medal and don't result in one. Childbirth. Parenting. Great personal sacrifice. Running 10 miles? Not really, but hey, I'll take it.

My dad met me just at the end of the chute, with good picture of me coming to the finish. I went in search of food and water. Hello? Where the hell was the food and water? There was none, no water, no gatorade, at the finish. If there was, the signage was about as good as that for the bag check and the merch table (see above). So I had to schlep back down to U Hall. Even the medical tent was a pretty decent hike from the finish, and totally unmarked, though there was a prominently parked ambulance nearby.

Some oranges, some bagels, a little water, and I was feeling fine. Spent some time chatting with an old airline buddy, had mom take a picture of me with my medal in front of U Hall. And that was it! I had a blast, and my 1:50:24 time was close enough for government work.

Today (the day after), I realize why we don't go all out on downhills during training. My knees are actually a little sore, and I now know, for the first time, exactly where my IT band is located. Nothing that a little (okay, a lot) of ibuprofen won't take care of, but I can see why one wouldn't do that on a regular basis.