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Someone in the running group I post to asked for other members to briefly write about their very first race. I thought I'd post my answer here, too.
My very first race was probably a 5k "Jingle Bell Run" in high school, but I don't really remember it. My next organized road race was the Wineglass Marathon, in Corning, NY. I was in college. It was in October, and I had trained all summer, though I never ran further than 18 miles prior to the race day. It was a beautiful, slightly warmish fall morning. The trees lining these long rural streets were in gorgeous color. It was mostly flat. I ran the first 15 or so miles with an acquaintance I ran into that morning. My boyfriend at the time cheered me on from his bike along the course. Around mile 20 I ran a bit with a very old lady who was not entered but was training for another race; she called me a clydesdale and I wasn't quite sure how to take that. I started to really hurt with about six miles to go but was able to finish in 4:32, without walking except at the water stations. I don't remember the drive home but I was quite out of it for the rest of the day, and I nearly failed an exam in one of my classes the next morning.
For a long time after, having completed this race was a motivation for me in many aspects of life. I found myself saying "I ran a marathon, I can do x, y, or z".
My very first race was probably a 5k "Jingle Bell Run" in high school, but I don't really remember it. My next organized road race was the Wineglass Marathon, in Corning, NY. I was in college. It was in October, and I had trained all summer, though I never ran further than 18 miles prior to the race day. It was a beautiful, slightly warmish fall morning. The trees lining these long rural streets were in gorgeous color. It was mostly flat. I ran the first 15 or so miles with an acquaintance I ran into that morning. My boyfriend at the time cheered me on from his bike along the course. Around mile 20 I ran a bit with a very old lady who was not entered but was training for another race; she called me a clydesdale and I wasn't quite sure how to take that. I started to really hurt with about six miles to go but was able to finish in 4:32, without walking except at the water stations. I don't remember the drive home but I was quite out of it for the rest of the day, and I nearly failed an exam in one of my classes the next morning.
For a long time after, having completed this race was a motivation for me in many aspects of life. I found myself saying "I ran a marathon, I can do x, y, or z".
I sometimes take pictures of kitchen creations. Occasionally these creations are disastrous, because I tend to modify recipes. Sometimes the modifications are intentional "experiments", other times they are the result of negligence on my part, such as forgetting to add milk to a pumpkin pie (yes, I have done that). In this post I catch up on some recent dishes. The first ("a very orange meal") is my own concoction, the second (beef stew) was from the Joy of Cooking, the third (hot dog sushi) was put together by my friend Donna.
( Read more... )
I'm starting to get it...living in Maryland means having to deal with ice storms. The National Weather Service is predicting a quarter inch of ice tomorrow, following 1-2 inces of snow. Last February I was out of power for three days. I blogged about it, and took some pictures of the glistening "morning after" jsut as the sun finally broke on the second day.
Incidentally, last year's storm fell on Valentine's Day (story here). I had cozied up to a fire with blankets, a book, and a bottle of wine. It was a pretty good Vday! This year's was a little nicer, however, owing to the addition of a boyfriend who cooked dinner for me :) That was preferable to my backwards job of cooking on a sterno (which does not work, by the way).
( The NWS forecast )
The snow last night was a treat, especially under the lunar eclipse. Matt and I attempted to take some photographs of the moon over an agricultural field, but none came out.
Okay, so I'm the stubborn idiot who tried to take pictures of a dim object in a dark sky, at the edge of dark woods, without a good tripod. Matt stood in the cold air, occasionally trying to talk some sense into me. I listened, and I appreciated the input and much appreciated the company, but I am not one to follow reason.
"um, i wouldn't go down that bank. It's all full of sticks, and stuff"
"No, the floor lamp in your trunk that you were going to give to Donna will not work as a tripod; you should just put the camera on one of those fenceposts "
ten minutes later...
"It's cold out here"
"Why don't you just let this be an event that is not documented but is really pretty in person"
I'd love to say I proved him wrong and got a fantastic photograph, but in the end the eclipse proved elusive. It WAS really pretty out there. We both enjoyed the serenity of it, even if we got a bit chilled.
Okay, so I'm the stubborn idiot who tried to take pictures of a dim object in a dark sky, at the edge of dark woods, without a good tripod. Matt stood in the cold air, occasionally trying to talk some sense into me. I listened, and I appreciated the input and much appreciated the company, but I am not one to follow reason.
"um, i wouldn't go down that bank. It's all full of sticks, and stuff"
"No, the floor lamp in your trunk that you were going to give to Donna will not work as a tripod; you should just put the camera on one of those fenceposts "
ten minutes later...
"It's cold out here"
"Why don't you just let this be an event that is not documented but is really pretty in person"
I'd love to say I proved him wrong and got a fantastic photograph, but in the end the eclipse proved elusive. It WAS really pretty out there. We both enjoyed the serenity of it, even if we got a bit chilled.
Last night I made beef stew. It was done at midnight, so needless to say it was not my dinner yesterday - it is my dinner tonight! It's snowing now, so I'm really looking forward to a warm cozy, savory bowl of homemade stew. Yum.
Um, weatherchannel.com says that it is partly sunny and 42 degrees right now. I disagree.
Researchers in my lab occasionally have the privilege of studying the ecosystem at the Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems Program (or CCRE) on the island of Carrie Bow , off the coast of Belize. CCRE is funded by the Smithsonian and is part of the Smithsonian Marine Science Network of research facilities which includes the lab where I work - the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in MD, facilities in Fort Pierce, FL, Panama, and a 96-foot research vessel. This boat may very well be larger than the entire island of Carrie Bow, which is so tiny that it can house only seven researchers at a time. Seven - keep in mind that's less than half the number of people that start off as contestants on Survivor, and you think their accommodations are sparse!
Actually, Carrie Bow is furnished with reasonably modern comforts, save for a real toilet. Despite the space constraints and the expected friendly competition for a one-or-two week long slot at the facility, some really great scientific work is done here, on topics ranging from the bacteria that grow on mangroves to the manatees, fishes, and jellyfish that swim around them. In fact, since it opened in 1972, over 500 scientific publications have come out of this beautiful, remote place!
Since I interviewed nearly two years ago for a job at SERC, I have hoped to go to Belize. In my life I've snorkeled and scuba dived (scuba'd?) three or four times in tropical waters - once, last year, for my diving certification - but have never taken a look at a tropical marine system from a research perspective. This prospect is to me - a kid who grew up watching Cousteau and later Discovery Channel documentaries - what playing at Fenway or Yankee Stadium would be to a former little-leauge warrior (I take no regional allegiance, however).
So, imagine my thrill when on Friday, an otherwise dull February morning at work, my boss phoned me at my desk to tell me that I had been granted a spot on the island! One of our graduate students will be studying jellyfish there and will need my help as a scuba diver for one week in May. My hope is that in the following months after this trip perhaps I can craft a proposal for a creative project of my own that would merit my return to Carrie Bow.
Of course, I would have to appeal to my boss as well as the "Jeff Probst" of the Marine Science Network to make that happen.
Actually, Carrie Bow is furnished with reasonably modern comforts, save for a real toilet. Despite the space constraints and the expected friendly competition for a one-or-two week long slot at the facility, some really great scientific work is done here, on topics ranging from the bacteria that grow on mangroves to the manatees, fishes, and jellyfish that swim around them. In fact, since it opened in 1972, over 500 scientific publications have come out of this beautiful, remote place!
Since I interviewed nearly two years ago for a job at SERC, I have hoped to go to Belize. In my life I've snorkeled and scuba dived (scuba'd?) three or four times in tropical waters - once, last year, for my diving certification - but have never taken a look at a tropical marine system from a research perspective. This prospect is to me - a kid who grew up watching Cousteau and later Discovery Channel documentaries - what playing at Fenway or Yankee Stadium would be to a former little-leauge warrior (I take no regional allegiance, however).
So, imagine my thrill when on Friday, an otherwise dull February morning at work, my boss phoned me at my desk to tell me that I had been granted a spot on the island! One of our graduate students will be studying jellyfish there and will need my help as a scuba diver for one week in May. My hope is that in the following months after this trip perhaps I can craft a proposal for a creative project of my own that would merit my return to Carrie Bow.
Of course, I would have to appeal to my boss as well as the "Jeff Probst" of the Marine Science Network to make that happen.
I don't know if it's because I'm approaching 29, or perhaps because it's February, but lately I've been getting irritated with my own excessive self-reflection. Crap! I'm running out of play-in-my-20's time; I need to figure out if I'm on the right track in life!! Granted, I KNOW that the process of self-improvement never stops, and thus the feeling like you've arrived at "Life" never quite happens, and yet I let a rainy, blustery winter day get me drear-ified (my invented term). I almost want to slap myself, but what good would that do?
Lots of songs have been written about this feeling of searching for belonging and purpose, of needing to check off life -list items optimistically penned at age 23, and of trying to be more than just a number while at the same time actually bringing home a paycheck. One in particular caught my attention a few days ago. While stopped at a traffic light on my way home from work, my ears perked up at the line:
Caught between the longing for love/and the struggle for the legal tender
That's ME! Right NOW! I thought. And everyone else in the world, I chuckled. Ah, and I didn't even know what the song was about, though I recognized the artist as the soulful 70's singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. So, since the internet knows everything, I Googled the line.
Here are the rest of the lyrics, and a youtube video.
Im going to rent myself a house
In the shade of the freeway
Im going to pack my lunch in the morning
And go to work each day
And when the evening rolls around
Ill go on home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in
Ill get up and do it again
Amen
Say it again
Amen
I want to know what became of the changes
We waited for love to bring
Were they only the fitful dreams
Of some greater awakening
Ive been aware of the time going by
They say in the end its the wink of an eye
And when the morning light comes streaming in
Youll get up and do it again
Amen
Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
And the junk man pounds his fender
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor
Out into the cool of the evening
Strolls the pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams
Begin and end there
Ah the laughter of the lovers
As they run through the night
Leaving nothing for the others
But to choose off and fight
And tear at the world with all their might
While the ships bearing their dreams
Sail out of sight
Im going to find myself a girl
Who can show me what laughter means
And well fill in the missing colors
In each others paint-by-number dreams
And then well put out dark glasses on
And well make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in
Well get up and do it again
Get it up again
Im going to be a happy idiot
And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
Thought true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the pretender
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender
Lots of songs have been written about this feeling of searching for belonging and purpose, of needing to check off life -list items optimistically penned at age 23, and of trying to be more than just a number while at the same time actually bringing home a paycheck. One in particular caught my attention a few days ago. While stopped at a traffic light on my way home from work, my ears perked up at the line:
Caught between the longing for love/and the struggle for the legal tender
That's ME! Right NOW! I thought. And everyone else in the world, I chuckled. Ah, and I didn't even know what the song was about, though I recognized the artist as the soulful 70's singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. So, since the internet knows everything, I Googled the line.
Here are the rest of the lyrics, and a youtube video.
Im going to rent myself a house
In the shade of the freeway
Im going to pack my lunch in the morning
And go to work each day
And when the evening rolls around
Ill go on home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in
Ill get up and do it again
Amen
Say it again
Amen
I want to know what became of the changes
We waited for love to bring
Were they only the fitful dreams
Of some greater awakening
Ive been aware of the time going by
They say in the end its the wink of an eye
And when the morning light comes streaming in
Youll get up and do it again
Amen
Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
And the junk man pounds his fender
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor
Out into the cool of the evening
Strolls the pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams
Begin and end there
Ah the laughter of the lovers
As they run through the night
Leaving nothing for the others
But to choose off and fight
And tear at the world with all their might
While the ships bearing their dreams
Sail out of sight
Im going to find myself a girl
Who can show me what laughter means
And well fill in the missing colors
In each others paint-by-number dreams
And then well put out dark glasses on
And well make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in
Well get up and do it again
Get it up again
Im going to be a happy idiot
And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
Thought true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the pretender
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender
- Mood:
pensive
After my last attempt at a race report tuned out as a long-winded tale of race morning, I thought to try a different approach.
So, in lieu of a third stab at a race report, I give you the top ten things that kept me running to the finish line.
So, in lieu of a third stab at a race report, I give you the top ten things that kept me running to the finish line.
( Read on! )
Better late than never!
There are some things that I wanted to report that I didn't have time for in my last post. So, here it goes...
There are some things that I wanted to report that I didn't have time for in my last post. So, here it goes...
The short report and numbers:
I had a fantastic time at Disney and really enjoyed the race on Saturday morning. 16,000 people came out for the half marathon and the sight of them gathered at the start in the dark at 5am just blew my mind. 18,000 ran the full marathon, which was held on Sunday. Nearly 2,000 runners and walkers from Team in Training came out in total for both events, and raised 5.6 million dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I was proud to be one of those "in purple" and loved to be part of team running with purpose and a cheering squad of thousands. Following the race, people passing me would congratulate me on finishing and some would simply say "thank you". I've never been thanked for an athletic achievement before, so this was a really great feeling.
While this race was about so much more than running and time, I sill like to track my progress and see if I am pushing myself as hard as I should be. I finished in 2:08:27, which is between my goal time of 2:05 and my realistic time projection of 2:10, so I am happy with that. For some perspective, the top female finished in 1:18:07, however a lot of people walked this event and many needed the full three and a half hours to finish. In my age-sex group, I placed 134 out of 918. Overall, I finished # 2,508 of about 16,000; and 904 of all women.
This was my first half-marathon. Although I had completed four months of training and done progressively longer weekend runs, I wasn't quite sure how fast I could expect to be. In the past three years I've done a handful of races: three 5 K's (24:32), one 8K, a 10K(57:13), and a 10-miler(1:38:26). I also ran my first and only 26.2 miler, the Wineglass Marathon (Corning, NY), in 4:31:44, but that was EIGHT years ago. I'd like to start training more consistently through the year and entering more local races so that I can continue to feed off of the energy of other runners, and hopefully see some improvement in my times. Being part of TNT was amazing and I'd love to continue to run for charities as much as possible - maybe once every one to two years. It's really a win-win situation.
It was great to have Matt there as my biggest fan. But, more details to come later.
I had a fantastic time at Disney and really enjoyed the race on Saturday morning. 16,000 people came out for the half marathon and the sight of them gathered at the start in the dark at 5am just blew my mind. 18,000 ran the full marathon, which was held on Sunday. Nearly 2,000 runners and walkers from Team in Training came out in total for both events, and raised 5.6 million dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I was proud to be one of those "in purple" and loved to be part of team running with purpose and a cheering squad of thousands. Following the race, people passing me would congratulate me on finishing and some would simply say "thank you". I've never been thanked for an athletic achievement before, so this was a really great feeling.
While this race was about so much more than running and time, I sill like to track my progress and see if I am pushing myself as hard as I should be. I finished in 2:08:27, which is between my goal time of 2:05 and my realistic time projection of 2:10, so I am happy with that. For some perspective, the top female finished in 1:18:07, however a lot of people walked this event and many needed the full three and a half hours to finish. In my age-sex group, I placed 134 out of 918. Overall, I finished # 2,508 of about 16,000; and 904 of all women.
This was my first half-marathon. Although I had completed four months of training and done progressively longer weekend runs, I wasn't quite sure how fast I could expect to be. In the past three years I've done a handful of races: three 5 K's (24:32), one 8K, a 10K(57:13), and a 10-miler(1:38:26). I also ran my first and only 26.2 miler, the Wineglass Marathon (Corning, NY), in 4:31:44, but that was EIGHT years ago. I'd like to start training more consistently through the year and entering more local races so that I can continue to feed off of the energy of other runners, and hopefully see some improvement in my times. Being part of TNT was amazing and I'd love to continue to run for charities as much as possible - maybe once every one to two years. It's really a win-win situation.
It was great to have Matt there as my biggest fan. But, more details to come later.
The weeks following the holidays are special, too. It's the most wonderful time of the year...for cold viruses!
I have one week until the Disney Half Marathon, and I've been laying low the past few days. I've only run once since my Saturday long run. Perhaps I'm taking being a bit sick as an excuse not to run, but this is the way I see it: I'd rather risk a little loss of performance by not running then risk having something like a sinus infection at Disney World.
Right now I'm feeling okay, and I'm glad to be rested for tomorrow's 9 miler. This morning, however, the pain in my head took on a personality in my dreams.
In the dream, I was scuba diving with our lead dive guru M. The water was clear and deep for the first 10 feet, to the halocline, where the denser, saltier layer shimmered like frosted glass. At this point I realized (oh no!) that my air wasn't connected. Somehow I was still breathing, but when I turned to M. to tell him what was up, he shuttled me into an underwater chamber, where he matter-of-factly told me he didn't think I would make it.
I didn't understand. Why would I not make it? He instructed me to look in the mirror (that was conveniently located in this convenient underwater chamber) to see how bulged out and bruised my eyes were. "And your nose is broken!" he added. It was true, the mirror didn't lie: my eyes were blue and looked as though they'd been under suction for days, and my nose and teeth were bleeding. Clearly my face was under some intense pressure and was about to burst.
Before I could attempt the ascent, I awoke (which might be the opposite of waking before the end of a falling dream), and nearly had to laugh despite myself. However, first I got out of bed to take some Advil, sudafed, and put a hot pack over my eyes and nose.
I have one week until the Disney Half Marathon, and I've been laying low the past few days. I've only run once since my Saturday long run. Perhaps I'm taking being a bit sick as an excuse not to run, but this is the way I see it: I'd rather risk a little loss of performance by not running then risk having something like a sinus infection at Disney World.
Right now I'm feeling okay, and I'm glad to be rested for tomorrow's 9 miler. This morning, however, the pain in my head took on a personality in my dreams.
In the dream, I was scuba diving with our lead dive guru M. The water was clear and deep for the first 10 feet, to the halocline, where the denser, saltier layer shimmered like frosted glass. At this point I realized (oh no!) that my air wasn't connected. Somehow I was still breathing, but when I turned to M. to tell him what was up, he shuttled me into an underwater chamber, where he matter-of-factly told me he didn't think I would make it.
I didn't understand. Why would I not make it? He instructed me to look in the mirror (that was conveniently located in this convenient underwater chamber) to see how bulged out and bruised my eyes were. "And your nose is broken!" he added. It was true, the mirror didn't lie: my eyes were blue and looked as though they'd been under suction for days, and my nose and teeth were bleeding. Clearly my face was under some intense pressure and was about to burst.
Before I could attempt the ascent, I awoke (which might be the opposite of waking before the end of a falling dream), and nearly had to laugh despite myself. However, first I got out of bed to take some Advil, sudafed, and put a hot pack over my eyes and nose.
Matt and I celebrated the new year in New Jersey, at my friend Jeremy's house in Metuchen. (Metuchen is a town in Central Jersey, about 20 miles from NYC). Every year he and his Metuchenite friends have a shindig, and every year their rendition of a New Year's Ball Drop gets more highly engineered. In the first year of the ball of lights, it was simply that - a mass of Christmas lights on strings. Each year it has grown in size and this year it finally graduated to an organized series of larger lights emerging from a chicken wire mesh around a circular frame. Also new this year was a pulley system to better raise and lower the ball from a tree limb over Main Street; the pulley proved far easier, and safer, than simply throwing an extension cord over the tree limb. Of course - as has always been the case in things that Gurzo et al. have contrived - I can claim no credit to its creation, but have been entertained watching it come to life.
Thanks to Gregg for the photo!
Thanks to Gregg for the photo!
During a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond tonight to return a broken toaster, I ended up in one of those Homedics shiatsu massage chairs. One minute I was browsing plush bath towels for Matt, and the next I was heeding the call of an animate object; twenty minutes later I was in the store in a physical sense only. It's a nice vantage from which to people watch. There were more men shopping there than I would have expected for a home goods merchant. One of them, about 75 years old, was partaking in the free massage in the chair on the opposite side of the display from me. On my way out, I thought to say "nice to get away for a minute, isn't it?" but thought better - wouldn't that defeat the purpose?
Matt didn't score any towels from that trip, though. The chair put me in such a zen state that I was able to get the "buy, buy, buy" bug out of my head. Besides, he's so picky I'd probably end up returning them. Which wouldn't be so bad; maybe on the trip back I'd have product tested the neck massager.
Matt didn't score any towels from that trip, though. The chair put me in such a zen state that I was able to get the "buy, buy, buy" bug out of my head. Besides, he's so picky I'd probably end up returning them. Which wouldn't be so bad; maybe on the trip back I'd have product tested the neck massager.
This afternoon I took the last envelope of bills and two bags of coins from my candy sales to the bank. I raised $293 on candy that I sold at work alone! I also raised $84 selling candy bars outside my grocery store in October, for a total of $377. A number of folks must have given donations in excess of the amount of candy they took, since if I had sold all of the boxes I purchased it would have netted only $300.
I'm thrilled that I could raise almost $400 with such an easy task. Granted, it was difficult for me to ask people for money as they were leaving the store with their kids, groceries, and dry cleaning, but the candy sales at work were just amazingly easy. It took about two months to sell 450 candy bars (or rather, to have 450 candy bars practically walk off on their own) and with the holidays and folks starting to eat a lot of baked good, I think the timing couldn't have been better. I think this is an example of working smart, not hard (something my father is fond of saying, and something which I tend to do do in reverse).
As of this moment, I have raised $3807! I had pledged to raise $3800 by January, and I would like to raise a total of $4500. When I started, $3800 seemed such a frighteningly large number! I'm just so happy to have made it with a month to go. THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me along the way, whether with donations, help with fundraisers, or just words of encouragement. Your generosity will go a long way towards finding a cure for blood cancers, and I really appreciate having your support.
This morning we ran 11 miles. Thankfully, it felt much better than last week's run! My sister is in town this weekend from MA so I am off to go join up with her for some fun.
I'm thrilled that I could raise almost $400 with such an easy task. Granted, it was difficult for me to ask people for money as they were leaving the store with their kids, groceries, and dry cleaning, but the candy sales at work were just amazingly easy. It took about two months to sell 450 candy bars (or rather, to have 450 candy bars practically walk off on their own) and with the holidays and folks starting to eat a lot of baked good, I think the timing couldn't have been better. I think this is an example of working smart, not hard (something my father is fond of saying, and something which I tend to do do in reverse).
As of this moment, I have raised $3807! I had pledged to raise $3800 by January, and I would like to raise a total of $4500. When I started, $3800 seemed such a frighteningly large number! I'm just so happy to have made it with a month to go. THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me along the way, whether with donations, help with fundraisers, or just words of encouragement. Your generosity will go a long way towards finding a cure for blood cancers, and I really appreciate having your support.
This morning we ran 11 miles. Thankfully, it felt much better than last week's run! My sister is in town this weekend from MA so I am off to go join up with her for some fun.
- Mood:
accomplished
It's not "music", but I like to listen to Car Talk and Weekend Edition on NPR. Right now I'm listening to Badly Drawn Boy.
I just helped some friends move out of an apartment into their first townhome. There were four sets of hands, and it went pretty well, and I'm impressed with how quickly everything got moved (two Uhaul loads, four hours).
Still tired from yesterday, my body is wondering, where's the love?
Tough loving, that's the only way to get stronger.
Still tired from yesterday, my body is wondering, where's the love?
Tough loving, that's the only way to get stronger.
Well, I did finish my 12 miler, and while I'm happy that I did it, I'm not so happy at how sluggish it felt.
I finished it in a little over two hours, however my ipod unit was again off by about a quarter mile despite the fact that I calibrated it last night. To prevent the pebble from shifting around, I cut a slit into the tongue of my shoe, shoved it in there, and sewed it in. Then I headed to the gym to calibrate it on a treadmill. I think that next time I'll calibrate it at a track.
2:08 is a minute faster than my goal time for the half-marathon (13.1 miles) so I'll need to pick up some speed in the next month and a half. This morning was cold, yes. As I've experienced before, from rowing in the snow, something about having really cold fingers and a heated body makes me feel sick and nauseous. Of course, our coach Nancy claims that the Saturday morning run after Thanksgiving always feels sluggish because of all the alcohol and rich, fatty food that we indulge in is really slow to metabolize. Hey, you are what you eat - I really do believe that. I haven't been kind to my body in that sense for the past three weeks now, and this morning my body let me know.
It's important to refuel with protein soon after a long workout. Not feeling at all like eating, I reluctantly downed a chocolate milk and a Snickers Marathon bar in the car on the way home. By the time I arrived at home, my belly was screaming at me. Something was ripping my insides out! Running is not kind to the digestive tract, as also evidenced by the number of port-a-johns at road races.
My feet and legs are pretty sore right now, plus I have a new under-the-toenail blister. I got two after my run in the rain a month ago, which are slowly resulting in the loss of the nails on those toes. I suppose the good news is that I still have seven good toenails, and also that it is no longer flip-flop season.
I finished it in a little over two hours, however my ipod unit was again off by about a quarter mile despite the fact that I calibrated it last night. To prevent the pebble from shifting around, I cut a slit into the tongue of my shoe, shoved it in there, and sewed it in. Then I headed to the gym to calibrate it on a treadmill. I think that next time I'll calibrate it at a track.
2:08 is a minute faster than my goal time for the half-marathon (13.1 miles) so I'll need to pick up some speed in the next month and a half. This morning was cold, yes. As I've experienced before, from rowing in the snow, something about having really cold fingers and a heated body makes me feel sick and nauseous. Of course, our coach Nancy claims that the Saturday morning run after Thanksgiving always feels sluggish because of all the alcohol and rich, fatty food that we indulge in is really slow to metabolize. Hey, you are what you eat - I really do believe that. I haven't been kind to my body in that sense for the past three weeks now, and this morning my body let me know.
It's important to refuel with protein soon after a long workout. Not feeling at all like eating, I reluctantly downed a chocolate milk and a Snickers Marathon bar in the car on the way home. By the time I arrived at home, my belly was screaming at me. Something was ripping my insides out! Running is not kind to the digestive tract, as also evidenced by the number of port-a-johns at road races.
My feet and legs are pretty sore right now, plus I have a new under-the-toenail blister. I got two after my run in the rain a month ago, which are slowly resulting in the loss of the nails on those toes. I suppose the good news is that I still have seven good toenails, and also that it is no longer flip-flop season.
Oh boy. It's going to be 35 degrees tomorrow morning, with 12 miles on the running menu. Can I skip to dessert?
As I've mentioned, I have a neat little electronic device that tells me how far, how long, and how fast I run. It is an accelerometer (fancy pedometer) from Nike and Apple that works in tandem with my iPod Nano. This is how I've generated those little graphs of my runs that I've embedded in previous posts. I love data, and I love that I can track my workouts online, quickly and easily. I just plug my iPod to my laptop after my run and it automatically uploads my run data to the Nike website.
Wait a minute, am I about to write a product review? I'm not sure I want to spend that much time researching for this post, and really I shouldn't, since I have a few thank-you notes to write tonight! Oh, and I wanted to print some photos of me and Matt to send to my grandmother...why the heck didn't I use the photo viewer on my iPod to show her pictures when I was home? She would have loved that. Paper pictures it is, but should I go to Kinkos or Walgreens? Shoot, I'm getting hungry too and I need a shower. And the Bachelor finale is on in about an hour - should I finish writing this first or stop to put my laundry in the dryer? Do I need Ritalin? (Next on my to do list: write a new to-do list). At any rate, this is not a review, but rather a smattering of thoughts I have about my use of this product to date.
1. attach accelerometer to shoe 2. plug radio frequency (RF) receiver into iPod. 3. Run, and it tracks and tells you your time/ distance
Wait a minute, am I about to write a product review? I'm not sure I want to spend that much time researching for this post, and really I shouldn't, since I have a few thank-you notes to write tonight! Oh, and I wanted to print some photos of me and Matt to send to my grandmother...why the heck didn't I use the photo viewer on my iPod to show her pictures when I was home? She would have loved that. Paper pictures it is, but should I go to Kinkos or Walgreens? Shoot, I'm getting hungry too and I need a shower. And the Bachelor finale is on in about an hour - should I finish writing this first or stop to put my laundry in the dryer? Do I need Ritalin? (Next on my to do list: write a new to-do list). At any rate, this is not a review, but rather a smattering of thoughts I have about my use of this product to date.
1. attach accelerometer to shoe 2. plug radio frequency (RF) receiver into iPod. 3. Run, and it tracks and tells you your time/ distance
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