2009 Goals

I've been thinking so much lately about what goals I can set for 2009. It's like doing my objectives at work, I can never think of anything to write!! But I dug deep and this is what I came up with...

• Run another marathon
• Be a "fund-racer" for Back On My Feet (PLEASE check this site out)
• Attend track workouts when they start up in the Spring (so I can PR at all future races)
• Learn how to use my Garmin (more than just for pace, distance, time)
• Run at least 100 miles a month
• Complete the 100 push up challenge, successfully
• Do at least 100 sit ups 5 times a week
• Finish studying, pass the exam and officially be a Personal Trainer
• While I already eat really well and very natural, improve wherever I can (but I will still treat myself to the occassional Crunch n Munch because I just can't live without that)

Aside from the health/running goals, I have some personal goals, too. While some are too personal, there are a few I'm going to list so I can be held accountable. Andy is so great about making it a point to hug me every day. But usually, I'm in the middle of making dinner or something, and rather than appreciating how great of a guy he is, I'll give a half azz hug back and keep on going. Well, not anymore.

• I am going to make it a point to give Andy a one minute hug every single day.

I'm also not very good with money. Well, it's not that I'm not good, I just don't know what's going on. Andy is the finance guy in the family and takes care of it all. I mean, I don't even know if I get paid every month because I just don't pay attention! I could be working for free right now and wouldn't even know! So,

• I'm going to start to check my paycheck each month
• I'm going to actually look at the bills when they come in each month
• I'm going to learn the on line bill pay and actually pay some bills

That's all I came up with for right now. Looking back at my list, I'm pretty happy with it. Along with everything listed, I am also going to make more time for Andy, my family and most importantly, myself.

I Need Some Goals

I'm reading everyone's goals and races for 2009 and I really need to set some things up for myself! I've been thinking about some goals and I'm going to post them soon so I keep myself accountable. I swear, blogging has been the best thing for my working out. It really keeps me on track and everyone keeps me so motivated with their posts!

Yesterday's workout could have been better, but I was exhausted (and a little hungover) from the wedding the night before. But the important thing is that I made it there! Also started week 3 of the 100 push up challenge. Based on my assessment after week 2, I had to switch my difficulty level and go down a column. At this point, I really can't see how doing 100 push ups in a row is possible, but I'm going to stick with it and see what happens.

I woke up today and wasn't really in the mood to work out, but I have a few more days to earn some points for HBBC so I ventured to the gym. I actually had a great work out and ran 5 miles, lifted (since I didn't do all my lifting yesterday due to hangover) and then rode the bike for a half hour. I'm planning a 10 mile run on New Years Eve to make sure I'm going to be ok for the New Orleans half...which I am really looking forward to!!

HBBC - 137.6

Oh, is anyone doing this virtual run across America? I want to do it but not sure I get it. Here's the link to it: http://virtualrunamerica.blogspot.com/2008/12/journey-begins-thursday.html

A Flock of Chicks

I hope everyone had a great Holiday. We had a really nice Christmas day with my family at my sisters house. I received one of the coolest gifts ever!! Mich and Lisa made a donation in my name to Heifer International. It's a nonprofit organization which helps struggling people from around the world become self-reliant for food and income. The donation they made bought a flock of chicks for a family! I'm always sending my sisters Humane Society emails, petitions, recycling info, etc so Mich and Lisa knew I would love this. If you're interested, check out http://www.heifer.org/. Now if I could just get Mich to stop drinking bottled water...

Now for running...I realized today that the New Orleans half is only 5 weeks away. I haven't run more than 8 miles since the marathon. I'm starting to get a little nervous. I ran 7 miles today and think I have to get a 10 miler in next weekend. I could have done more today but we have a wedding in the city tonight so I need to save some energy for dancing!!!

Here's a picture from Christmas day. I had to put this up because I'm sporting my new t-shirt from Pumpkin. I have a feeling this will get a lot of wear!! Under the 26.2 is says, "I did it."

Challenge Updates:

HBBC = 123.10

100 Push Up Challenge = week 2 complete, assessment tomorrow

Burning Logs and a Christmas Run

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's a quiet morning here at home, which is actually really nice. We had a great Christmas Eve with all my family and will be heading to my sisters soon with just my immediate family. We're going casual and will spend the day eating, drinking and of course, playing Wii!!

I went out for a run this morning, which was probably the most peaceful run I've ever had. There were no cars on the road, the temperature was perfect and it was so sunny out. I went on a new route and only did 4 miles, but it was the most refreshing 4 miles I ever ran. I'm feeling really good this holiday and the stress level around all the food has been less than normal. I've managed to try some new things lately and have even had my share of treats. This is a very big step for me and shows me that I am making progress...even if it is just baby steps.

And in case you didn't know, you can watch a burning log on TV today, with Christmas carols playing in the background. Andy is watching this now and is fascinated. He wants to know what happens when the log burns out. I'm not sure I can take all this excitement.

Festivus For the Rest Of Us

HAPPY FESTIVUS!!

I wanted to make sure I wished everyone a Happy Festivus since I most likely won't have a chance to do so tomorrow. For those of you who are not Seinfeld fans and don't know what the heck I'm talking about, please click here. I'd hate for you to go another year missing out on the Festivus pole, airing of grievances, feats of strength and most importantly...FESTIVUS MIRACLES! We'll be celebrating, like we do every year, with some close friends. Out for lunch and cocktails and then back to The Woods to watch "The Strike" episode.

I have a big day ahead of me so I have to be sure to get a good night sleep tonight. Even though vacation officially started today, and I'm fired up, I'm treating tonight like a "school" night. I want to get up at my normal time (5am!) to get a nice long workout in before a day of debauchery.

And remember...Festivus YES! Bagels NO!

Love the Bubbly

We went to a champagne party last night, which by the way, is now my favorite kind of party! There were a gazillion different kinds of appetizers, which Andy made sure to sample them all, and an endless amount of champagne and desserts! I ate a small dinner before we went but I did treat myself to a few crackers with brie and some shrimp. Oh, and of course, copious amounts of champagne. With that being said, I relaxed a little and did eat some sweets. I hate when I let my guard down after I had a few drinks, but if that's what it takes to treat myself...then I guess I better keep drinking the bubbly!!

Went for a 7.75 mile run yesterday with the club. It was really cold out, but it felt great to be outside running. I didn't lift lower body last week because of my knee and thought it was doing better, but after the run yesterday it was pretty sore. The pain is on the outside of the knee and almost feels like it needs to crack. Any doctors out there??

Had a GREAT workout today, even after the champagne last night! I started week 2 of the 100 push up challenge, lifted for an hour, did the elliptical for an hour (really pushed myself on this since I rarely feel like I worked out after the elliptical) and then did some stretching and abs. Total points for HBBC today was 8.5.

One more day of work until Jan. 5th!! I'm really looking forward to 2 weeks of non-rushed workouts!! And one more thing, thanks for all the nice comments on my last post. :-)

NEVER AGAIN!

Today is Photo Friday so I thought I'd do the unthinkable. A friend of mine recently posted some old pictures on facebook, which included a ton of me. Needless to say, I was mortified when I saw the pictures. I recognize that I'm not that size anymore, but I still feel like I am. If that makes any sense. I still struggle when I go shopping and feel like I should pick up a size 14 or a XL. When in fact the other day I bought a size 4 pair of pants and an XS shirt. It's crazy how I refuse to see the smaller me and still deal with the scars of being overweight. I was talking about this with Pumpkin and she told me that I should be really proud of myself for what I accomplished. While it's hard not to be embarrassed, I know she's right so that's why I'm posting these pictures. I am proud of what I accomplished and I know I'll never let myself go back to that again.

Me and Andy in 2003

Me and Andy summer 2008


Me and KT 2003

Me and KT winter 2008

I lost the majority of my weight right after Andy and I got married in 2004 (I'm the only woman who loses weight after she gets married!). I started September 1, 2004 and by Christmas of that year I was down 20 lbs. I have continued to lose over the years and as of today, I weigh 40 lbs less.

And finally, as for HBBC, had a GREAT workout! Earned 9 points today which brings me to 66.35. Also finished week 1 of the 100 push up challenge. Woo hoo!!

TIaRT - A Year In Review

The topic for this week's TIaRT is to write a summary of your running year in 52 words or less. So here you go...

I started 2008 wanting to be a runner, but I didn't think I had it in me.
I finished 2008 as a marathoner.
Turns out, I am a runner.
It's been a good year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ran 6 miles today and it was a great run. I'm looking forward to having tomorrow off and spending as much time as I want earning HBBC points!! The most I've earned in a day is 8.5 so I'm shooting to beat that tomorrow. So far my total is 57.35

Pumpkin Oatmeal Review

Well, I did it. I was wild and crazy and actually changed up my breakfast for the first time in what probably was, well, years! I mixed some oats with some skim milk and water, microwaved for a minute, then added a scoop of pumpkin. I cooked it a little longer then added some pumpkin spice, a few raisins and a half packet of splenda. It was so good!! I made it again today but this time I also added a few chopped walnuts. They didn't do much for me so I think I'll keep eating my 6 walnuts in the afternoon with my banana instead. And yes, I actually count out 6 walnuts. I also count out the 12 almonds I eat every day with my morning fruit. I wonder what would happen to me if I ate 13 almonds...maybe some day I'll be brave enough to try.

I woke up again today really sore. I'm just not recovering quickly like I usually do. But I couldn't not work out so I did the elliptical for an hour then some stretching and abs. This is not the time of year to be slacking off!! Starting tomorrow, we have lots going on straight through the New Year (just like everyone else, I'm sure) and I'm determined to not let the Holiday junk get the best of me. Even if I can only fit in a short workout, my goal is to do something every day for the rest of the year. Since December 5th (when I was finally better and able to workout), I've taken 2 days off. No more being lazy! And besides, there's a competition to be won!!

And can anyone else not believe Christmas is in a week?

Creature of Habit

I eat the same exact thing every day. It might change a little on the weekends, but every day is pretty much exactly the same...breakfast through dinner. I do this by choice because, well, I'm crazy. I'm not comfortable eating things outside of my "safe" foods and I know what I eat is healthy, and more importantly won't make me gain weight. But over the past few months I've come across some really inspiring blogs that include some delicious sounding recipes. As I've read them, I thought, "that is something I actually want to try!" I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm scared of eating anything other than my normal choices (which consists mostly of grains, fruits, veggies, chicken, fish, beans and almonds), but these blogs are making me want to be a little more adventurous. I think it helps to see that people are eating these things and are still in incredible shape and look great. Geesh, had I known the blogging world would be so helpful, I would have saved all the money I've been spending at the nutritionist and just read more blogs! Oh, one of my favorite blogs for food ideas is nhershoes if you're interested in checking her site out.

While I want to try some new things, it's very overwhelming and causes me a lot of anxiety. But I did buy something new today to try...pumpkin and pumpkin spice. My all time favorite food is oatmeal and I've come across a lot of recipes which include pumpkin. So tomorrow morning I'm going to try something new. SHOCKER! I'm going to put some pumpkin and pumpkin spice, along with some raisins, into my oatmeal. It will be a change from my plain old oats made with skim milk. This may not seem like a big deal, but I'll probably lose sleep worrying about this tonight!

Had great intentions of doing a killer leg workout at the gym today for my squat Sunday, but the side of my knee is not getting any better. I was doing some squats and the pain was so sharp and intense that I had to stop. I still had a great workout, but I'm really worried about this pain. I hope nothing is seriously wrong. Managed to earn 8.5 points though for HBBC! My total for week one is 35.85 (yes, every minute counts so I'm keeping track of them all!).

Also started week one of my 100 push up challenge today. Not much to report, though. Did some push ups, that's about it.

Resting Up

We are taking my nephews to Dave and Busters tonight and I'm so excited!! They are 6 and 8 and at a great age. Right now it's ok to be seen with their aunt and uncle...one day we won't be cool and we'll just get to see them when they are forced to be at home for family functions. :-( So to gear up for tonight, I took a nice nap which I desperately needed after a few too many glasses of wine last night.

Even though I had a late night, I woke up early and headed to the gym. I'm telling you, the HBBC is really what got me moving today. I'm disappointed with myself because I couldn't run very far between the dehydration/headache and my sore knee, but I managed to get 6.5 points in for today. We had a kitchen design appointment an hour away that forced me to end my workout, but I'm hoping to spend a few hours there tomorrow racking up the points. You know, I honestly think I could live at the gym. I absolutely love it there and lose track of time. There are only 2 other things I can do for extended periods of time without going crazy.
1) sleeping/napping
2) playing cards and drinking wine (which is exactly why I feel crappy today)

Ahhh, Jamaica

So, today is Photo Friday (check out Nike Mom at Adventure Seeker) and since I've been thinking a lot about vacation lately, I decided to post a this picture. We've been to Jamaica a few times (we were married there!) and I can't seem to get enough of it. I absolutely love the island and hope to one day have a vacation house (hut, shack, whatever) there...oh, and enough money to travel there each weekend. Wishful thinking. Anyway, we usually take a Caribbean trip each winter but with the house, renovations, furniture purchases, etc we are thinking of pushing it back this year. Maybe in the summer, which would be good timing for our 5 year anniversary.

As for the HBBC, I had to take yesterday off because I was soooo sore from lifting on Wednesday. I was going to go after work to do some light cardio to loosen up but we had a ton of stuff to do and by the time we finished running around, it was bed time and my legs were shot! Even though I'm still really sore, I ran 5.5 miles today and felt great while running. It was the walking and getting on/off the treadmill that hurt the most!

I'm really looking forward to the weekend, even though we have a TON to do. We're babysitting my nephews tomorrow night and taking them to Dave and Busters. Should be a lot of fun!!

No Pain, No Gain

I lifted today, the first time in several weeks because of the marathon training, and I think I'm going to be really sorry tomorrow. Convinced I hadn't lost any strength, I continued right where I left off. I did however only do 12 reps instead of 15, but I don't think that was playing it safe enough. I just sat down for the first time tonight and my legs are killing me!!! Darn walking lunges...UGH. My favorite, but oh so painful. Tomorrow is really going to suck because I'm sure I won't be able to sit down normally. Instead it will be a fast drop to get through the pain as quickly as possible!! (That's always fun when you have to go to the bathroom). But with that being said, it's nice to know I worked out hard and made it worth my while! No pain, no gain.

HBBC is going well but man, I don't think I stand a chance! Everyone is doing so well! Hopefully I can make up some points when I go out on vacation for the rest of the year. 7 days and counting...

I Loooove My Challenges

So today kicked off the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge. To keep track of my progress, because we all know how I like to keep track of everything, I created a new blog (on my side bar) for this challenge and all my future ones...

Which brings me to my next topic!! I found the 100 push up challenge on Landy's blog and think I'm going to give it a try. It's really weird that I found this today because as I was working out this morning, I was thinking of adding more push ups and pull ups to my lifting routine. Shape magazine recently had a pull up training program that I wanted to try but never got around to it with the marathon training. Since I stumbled upon the push ups program today, I'll start with that one. Check out this site if you're interested. It will also help add up the points for HBBC!!

New blog is nothing fancy, I'm just going to tally up my points within the same post each day. I love seeing the miles, etc grow as time goes by.

Like the show says...

It's always sunny in Philadelphia. We're back home safe and sound from our trip to Michigan this weekend. Upon arriving in Detroit, meaning the second we came below the cloud cover, it was grey and dreary. What a shocker. The entire 3 days we were there, no sun. Not once. On top of that, it was freezing cold. The kind of cold that hurts. Burrrr. Anyway, as soon as the pilot said we were cleared for landing in Philly, I opened the window shade, smirked and pointed out to Andy how sunny it was! Have I mentioned recently how happy I am to be living back in Pa? I have? Well, too bad. I'm saying it again.

So, the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge starts tomorrow. Could not be better timing. I'm feeling MUCH better and have had too long of a break from working out since the marathon. I miss my routine and am looking forward to getting back on track. Since it's time to get serious again tomorrow, I let Andy talk me into pizza for dinner. Or I might have suggested it. But that's not really important.

I'll be keeping track of the points I earn daily on the side of the page. Good luck to everyone. Looks like a lot of people are up for the challenge!

Congrats to...

BROOKE!!!

The tattoo says "Happiness, One mile at at time."

Once it heals up, I'll post a better picture. Ok, back to spend some time with the in-laws. I just saw the confusion over what the tattoo said, so I thought I'd give an explanation. :-)

Happiness...One mile at a time

First of all, I feel like a slug. I haven't done a thing since last Saturday because of this cold turned flu business and I feel like atrophy is setting in. I can't wait to feel better and get back to my routine. Especially during this time of year, I can't afford to not be working out. I must be feeling better though because I decided to eat something other than soup and bread today and made a pretty good dent in some trail mix. Yum.

Oh, and I had a bit of a breakdown this morning and made Andy tell me where he hid the scale. Made meaning I whined REALLY bad and since it was first thing in the morning, I knew he wouldn't be able to take it. If the whining didn't work, I had the tears ready to go. Luckily, I didn't have to take it that far. I haven't weighed myself since he took it away and I just wanted to see how things were going. I have resisted the urge to find it myself, which would have been easy, so I think pulling it out once in a while is acceptable. Thankfully, considering the lack of working out, the scale was nice to me and I didn't have to smash it.

And now, for my newest addition and the reason behind the title of this post. My treat to myself for successfully KICKING ASPHALT! It's hard to see in this picture, but there are little purple stars all around the foot symbol.

So, I'm off to Michigan tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to sneak away to check in at some point...Have a good week!

Blogging From Bed

So my cold turned into the flu on Sunday. I was up all night puking and was home in bed miserable yesterday. I am even staying home today because I'm still not feeling great and everything on me hurts. Why does the flu have to hurt? Ugh. Anyway, I'm starting to think this is a blessing in disguise. A lot running club runners who ran the marathon are in bad shape and injured. I know if I wasn't sick I'd be out there running, or trying to, so I'm thinking it's a good thing that I'm giving my body the time it needs to recover. We're heading to Michigan for our holiday visit on Thursday and I'm hoping Andy doesn't come down with this right as we get on the plane. *fingers crossed*

I would normally run while we're out there, but I might just take it easy and gear up for Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge which starts on Monday. Check this out, it will be a fun competition to keep us on track through a month filled with cookies and cocktails!

A Week Ago

Geesh, hard to believe that a week ago today I was running through Philly, freezing my butt off. Too bad it's not that cold out today considering we just had to move all the food from our refrigerator to a cooler and put it out on the deck. Grrrr. Stupid apartment refrigerator busted at some point through the night. Thankfully, we didn't buy many groceries this week because we're heading to Michigan on Thursday. But still, makes me even more anxious to get out of here and into our new house. We went to Lowe's yesterday to do the mock kitchen design and it went really well. Well meaning Andy and I didn't bicker at all!! That might have been partially due to me being sick and not having the energy to be bossy. :-) So, yea, I'm still fighting this cold. I managed to go for a run yesterday and did an easy 5 miles. That was my first real run since the marathon and I have to say, it was harder than I expected. My legs are definitely not fully recovered. Had some pains down the sides of my legs that almost forced me to walk a bit. But I survived. Can't believe the long weekend is almost over...ugh.

Oh, and after we put the perishable items into the cooler I could see Andy was deep in thought. Then he said, "If we can fit all our stuff in that cooler, why do we even need a refrigerator in the new house? Why don't we just get some coolers?" This might have something to do with the refrigerator I want being $3500 but still, hands off ladies, he's all mine!

Recovered

I think I'm fully recovered from Sunday. I managed to get out of bed normally today and didn't have to take Frankenstein steps to the bathroom!! I've been doing light cardio all week and am very anxious to get back to running. I'm planning on going tomorrow with the club for our Saturday fun run. I haven't been to one since the marathon training started so I'm really looking forward to it.

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. We had a GREAT night!! Cocktails, appetizers, Wii, cocktails, dinner, cocktails, dessert, cocktails...needless to say, I woke up with a little headache today and refused to go with Andy to the mall at 4:30am!!! Yes, he left at 4:30am to head to Sears. We made our first purchase for the new house...a fancy washer and dryer. It was worth him getting there so early because we got the set for more than half off. I'm sure I can find a good way to spend the money we just saved!

Here's a picture of my delicious dinner last night...if you look really closely, there is a little piece of turkey on the plate. :-)

And here's me and my sisters (Left to right: Mich, Jeanette, Me)

Here are my adorable nephews, Nate and Aidan, with my Nanny.

I Wanna Go Back

I want it to be Sunday again. I am feeling so blah now that it's all over. I knew the training and the race was consuming my life, and all my thoughts, and all my conversations (sorry to all my family and friends!) but I didn't realize how empty I'd feel when it was all said and done. On Sunday after the marathon, I thought one would be enough and that I was done. Well, that feeling is completely gone and I know I will do another...hopefully sooner rather than later.

I have to say, I felt like a super star at work yesterday. Reading everyone's comments on my blog and having everyone come up to me to hear how it went...it was a great feeling. Made me realize that it was an even bigger accomplishment than I thought!

So, now I have to find something else to keep my occupied. That shouldn't be too hard with the new house and studying for the PT certification. I am also really looking forward to having a little more time to focus on lifting. I let that slide a bit due to all the running and have been missing it a lot. Can't wait to get back to my "Squat Sundays."

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We'll be having dinner with my family this year at my Aunts house. It's my first Thanksgiving with my family since 2002 because I didn't travel home for the Holiday when I lived in Michigan. I have never been one to care much for Thanksgiving but I'm actually excited for tomorrow. Gobble, gobble.

KICKED ASPHALT!!

Well, it's over!! I ran my first marathon! First and foremost, my stats:

Chip Time - 3:51:31

Overall place - 2506 / 7231

Overall women - 635 / 2986

Age group - 117 / 486

Now for the details...I woke up at 2:45am excited. To my surprise, I didn't feel nervous at all. I was very calm. Because it was only 20 degrees out when we left, I bundled up and we hit the road. Oh, and right before we walked out the door, I took an Imodium because I didn't want a repeat performance of my worse run ever. I'm SO glad I did and think that will be a common practice for the long runs from here on out.

Anyway, yadda, yadda...we arrived to our corral with our pace group leader, Dan. Running with the pace group was the BEST decision I could have made. I highly recommend it. Dan kept us right on track, we didn't start out too fast, we took the hills slow and made up time on the down slopes and flat portions. Course was good, and the first 8 miles went so fast! I was feeling good and the feeling that I had lost in my feet due to the cold came back, thank goodness. It was nice wrapping back around the art museum where the half marathon finished and seeing all the spectators. Provided a little push to keep going. We did have some hills along the course but I can honestly say, they were not difficult. Reach the Beach in New Hampshire and running Shawmont Hill make most hills easy at this point. The out to Manayunk was a little long, not many people along the course and we were running into the wind. This is where my hands really went to sh*t. Although I was wearing gloves, I couldn't feel them at all and I needed to ask people to help me open my gels. My hands always make the runs during the cold months miserable. The water stations were icy because it was so cold out and because of this, I lost my pace group around mile 17. I slowed down so I wouldn't slip and when I looked up, the balloons were way ahead of me. Running through Manayunk was nice because it was filled with a lot of people, music, etc. I needed this at this point as I was by myself and getting a little tired. We turned around at mile 19-20 and headed back the way we came...except this time it was slightly down hill!! Now everyone says the marathon starts at mile 20 and the last 6 miles are where the race begins. I was prepared for this mentally but have to say, when we turned around and I only had 6 miles left, I thought to myself, "what the heck, 6 miles is nothing at this point. I just ran 20!" So I counted down and headed to the finish. I did hit a bad patch around mile 22-23 where I just didn't want to run anymore. Thankfully I saw a friend along the way who was spectating and he hopped in and ran with me for a mile or so. This was a big help. Then I saw my aunts and cousins around mile 24 and that really gave me my final push I needed. Heading to the finish line that last mile was the best feeling ever!! The crowd was literally touching you and it was packed!! I saw Andy, my sister Michelle, and Lisa as I was rounding the corner to the finish line and seeing them started the tears! I crossed the finish line strong, and hopefully smiling, and then I started bawling. I couldn't believe I did it. Everything at that second hurt. My back was spasming so bad and my legs were shaking uncontrollably. Oh, and I was numb.

So, I did it!! Last night I wasn't sure I'd run another one. Today, I'm feeling a little different. I think, actually know, I will. BUT, I don't think I'll ever put the pressure on myself to qualify for Boston. I ran my first marathon in under 4 hours. I know that is an incredible achievement. I want to make sure I always enjoy this and have fun, I don't want the added pressure of qualifying. And as long as I'm in this age group, I don't think I'll get the 3:40 for Boston anyway! At least I know I'm in good shape to qualify when I hit 40! Ok, I know I need to stop rambling...here are some pictures. I *LOVE* the ones of Andy hugging me. I was crying so hard and he just kept telling me how proud he was of me.

Here I am around mile 21.

Here's Michelle and Lisa babying me!!

And here is the poster my sister Jeanette and my nephews made for me...too funny!

And one last thing...I'm happy to report I had zero chaffing, blistering, etc. I am really sore and my toenails are killing, but other than that...I feel great!! Having spectators along the course was such a help. Knowing I had them to look forward to really kept me going. Can't wait to read about how everyone else did yesterday!

Just Waiting

I just got home from the Expo but I didn't buy anything. :-( I didn't think the marathon merchandise was anything special and the race shirt they gave us was pretty nice, so I thought that was enough. Since I've been home, I attached my timing chip to my shoe, laid out my clothes, hooked my gels onto my water belt, and pinned my bib on my shirt. Now...I just wait. I woke up at 4am this morning excited. My excitement has turned into nervousness, though. I have a feeling today is going to be the longest day of my life.

Here is a picture of the shirt they gave us. I had to *beg* the woman to switch my shirt size to a small. I originally selected a medium but they were huge. She even asked for my bib # and said she'd come find me if the pile of small shirts (which was huge!) started to get low. Did she think I was going to wear my bib through the Expo?? Anyway, here's the back of the shirt. I love the 26.2 saying..."Asphalt Officially Kicked!"

Weather Update:

Saturday Night: Low: 21 °F RealFeel®: 19 °F

Sunday: High: 40 °F RealFeel®: 34 °F, Sunny to partly cloudy

Soooo Close!

I went for my last run this morning. Ran 4 miles and felt great. Throughout the whole run I thought about race day...I'm so excited! I know, I keep saying that!! I'll be heading to the Expo tomorrow morning and I'm not planning on doing much activity other than the walking around that I do there. I have slept SO well this week and have gone to bed really early (and have fallen right asleep around 8-8:15!!). I'm typically not a good sleeper so I think my body knows it needs all it can get before Sunday. I'm hoping to get one more good night in tonight as I'm sure I'll be too anxious to sleep on Saturday night. Anywho, because I know JoyRuN is anxiously awaiting, here is our weather forecast.

Weather Update:
Saturday Night: Low: 27 °F RealFeel®: 23 °F
Sunday: High: 43 °F RealFeel®: 37 °F, Partly sunny

TIaRT - Thank Goodness for Running

This weeks TIaRT theme is Thank Goodness for Running. I'm thankful for running because it gives me time to take a break from all the craziness in life and everything going on. I can clear my head and realize what/who is important in life and what really matters. To show my gratitude I decided, "what better way to pass the 26.2 miles than run each mile for someone in particular." I'll preface by saying that while some things listed aren't people, they still serve a very important purpose and I'm saving the last mile for someone special...so last, but definitely not least.

1 - Me. Ok, not trying to be selfish here, but come on! I was the one who went through all this training!! I think I deserve at least a mile!

2 - Andy. Not only was this a huge commitment and sacrifice for me, but it was for him, too. And if it wasn't for him, I'm not sure I'd even be at this point with running. He's always right there to tell me that I can do it.

3 - Mom. Although she thinks this running isn't good or healthy, if it wasn't for her I would not have this stubborn Polish side to me that never lets me quit. And as much as she doesn't get the running, she was the first one I called after my worst run ever . There's nothing like a mothers sympathy...especially after you poop yourself!

4 - Dad. The hardest working person I know. So anything I can do to make him proud, I will. Having him ask every time I call, "did you run today?" shows that he's not only interested, but proud.

5 - Mich. Has always been my biggest fan, coming out to cheer me on. Whether I made her do it or not, she organized spectators along the course for marathon day. She has NO idea how important that will be to me getting through this. I can only hope that I've provided the same level of love and support to Mich that she has given to me over the years.

6 - Jeanette. Has been there for me through so much over the years. When my life was at it's lowest point, she took care of me and I'll be forever grateful. We've come a long way, and I think she's deserving of some free personal training sessions. Don't worry, Mich, you'll get some, too.

7 - AARC. Best running club around. I'm so thankful for having this great group of people to run with every week.

8 - Newman. Did you really think I'd leave him out? It was hard to wait this long to list him! And you can probably guess who's next...

9 - Lainey. The best two kitties anyone could have. They keep me nice and warm after each long run when I lay down to take my well earned nap!

10 - Pumpkin. One of the few people who truly gets me. Actually, might be the ONLY person who does. Soul mates.

11 - Beans. No matter how busy she is, and the important things she has going on in her life, she always finds time to ask how I'm doing. And even though she doesn't comment, I know she's reading my blog!!

12 - The Woods. Early bird dinners!! I love that we're getting "old" together and a night consisting of an early dinner and cards have come to be some of my favorite nights! "Pick it up Daner."

13 - KT. My partner in crime. We've had some great times and I have memories that will last a lifetime! And if it wasn't for her convincing me to run the Vegas half marathon, none of this would even be going on. Hmm...so we have KT to blame...or thank!

14 - My Followers. The people who regularly follow my blog. It's so nice to connect with people who share the same passion for running that I do. I've enjoyed getting to know each of you and thank you for your comments and support.

15 - Aunt Eileen, Aunt Jean, Aunt Joan. My aunts have always taken such an interest in all of their nieces/nephews lives. I am so lucky to have such a close knit family (all 100 of us!) and could not be happier to be back in PA with everyone.

16 - God. I am truly thankful and grateful for every single thing and person I have in my life. While I've worked hard to get where I am, I know the big guy has been looking out for me.

17 - Nate and Aidan. Giving me something to strive for...to be the best Aunt ever. I have some steep competition, but if all else fails, I'll bribe them with McDonalds and Legos.

18 - Cottonelle. Enough said.

19 - Erica. More than just a running buddy. Who would have thought a long run at Militia Hill could create a new friendship.

20 - Arch Nemesis. For the people out there that without knowing it make me run harder and longer...a little friendly competition never hurt anyone.

21 - Treadmill. My treadmill at Golds Gym. The second one in from the end. We have created quite a bond over the last year and I've put in countless miles on that thing!

22 - Lisa B. More than just another member of the running club, she's been too good to me in preparing for the marathon. I admire her strong will and running, and could not be happier to have her by my side during marathon day.

23 - Lakshmi. I'm not sure I'd have any confidence for race day if it wasn't for Lakshmi's kind words. Another great runner who made getting through the training possible.

24- Dave. Amazing runner and in a way, a coach (whether he knows it or not). Being able to run with him on my last few long runs made me feel like I was capable of so much.

25 - Nanny. The center of our family, my 92 year old Grandmother. Nanny is the most accepting, loving Grandmother anyone could ever have and there's a reason I saved her for last. We are forever telling Nanny to sit down and take it easy, to which she never listens. So on my last 1.2 miles of the race, when everything in my body is telling me to stop and everything hurts, I'm going to think of Nanny and push through. Like she once told me, "when you stop, that's when you don't get back up."

One more thing (I know, I never shut up)...I wrote this post last week after my run and have been waiting to post it. I wanted to add a special thanks to Lisa, Christine and Jennifer who I found out will also be on the course cheering me on Sunday. I feel like a celebrity!

Weather Update
Saturday Night: Low: 23 °F RealFeel®: 15 °F
Sunday:High: 44 °F RealFeel®: 39 °F, Clouds limiting sunshine

3 Days, 20 Hours, 21 Minutes

Until the big day!! I am insanely excited! I am so ready to run and even more ready to go out afterwards and celebrate! I just talked to my sisters and I have spectators along the course (mile 1, 6, possibly 13, 19 (who will also see me at 21) and 23). I feel so loved!! I can't believe it's so close...all the training...yikes...hope it pays off!!

As for everyone else running Philly, GOOD LUCK and bundle up! (Laurel, FLYERS26, Marci, JoyRuN). Hope I didn't miss anyone!

Weather Update:
Saturday Night: Low: 23 °F RealFeel®: 17 °F (YIKES)
Sunday: High: 44 °F RealFeel®: 38 °F, Chilly with increasing cloudiness

And the Lucky Winner Is...

Cliff Shot Chocolate. I tested it this morning and besides cutting the corner of my mouth on the foil packet, all went well. The flavor is MUCH more tolerable than the vanilla and I think it's even better than the double latte I was eating. Now, I only ran an easy 4 today, but my stomach seemed fine and still does. Whew!!

Weather Update:
Saturday Night: Low: 24 °F RealFeel®: 19 °F
Sunday: High: 42 °F RealFeel®: 37 °F Mostly sunny

More Testing Needed

So, I tried the Cliff Shot vanilla (no caffeine) yesterday before my 5 mile run. While my stomach felt ok, I have to say, that thing tasted like death. It was so gross. I don't think there is any way I could stomach more than one of those things while I was running. Just thinking about it makes me gag a little. It brought back memories of some anti-diarrhea medication my mom made me take once when I was younger. UGH! So, I'm off to REI again tonight! I'm going to try another non caffeine gel tomorrow morning before my run and see how it goes. At this point, I guess I'm just hoping to find one that doesn't taste like poo...or make me have to go poo.

Also, I'm worried about taking gels and blocks (I would take the blocks for salt purposes since I don't drink Gatorade) so I picked up some salt packets from the cafeteria at work today. If I decide to stick with just the gels, I'll down a salt packet or two at some point. Not an ideal situation playing around with this at the last minute, but I really think I need to take a chance with something new than to go through what I've gone through on previous runs.

Weather Update:
Saturday night: Low: 28 °F RealFeel®: 21 °F
Sunday: High: 46 °F RealFeel®: 35 °F, Mostly cloudy and breezy

I Can't Belive It

This time next Sunday the gun will be going off!! I'm actually nervous/anxious while I'm writing this. I typically don't get nervous before races, but I have a feeling next weekend will be a whole different story.

I went to REI last night to figure out what I can do about the food issue and I talked to a very helpful sales associate. He has run 14 marathons and had a lot of advice. I had originally switched to the Power Bar gels because they have the most salt in them, and I'm a heavy salt sweater. But it turns out Cliff makes the blocks in a margarita flavor with added sodium. Yum! I can start celebrating during the race! Anyway, I decided to try the cliff shots in vanilla, no caffeine (Lots of people think that might be what was bothering me. And it makes sense, coffee goes right through me, too. Sorry if that was too much information, but you've all read much worse about me). I'm going to eat one on an empty stomach this morning before I go for my run. While it's just an easy 5 today, at least I'll be able to assess the sloshing issue. Ugh. I will also plan on eating the blocks on and off throughout the race, since I'm not planning on drinking Gatorade. So complicated!!!

Weather for the Big Day:
(Saturday night: Low: 31 °F RealFeel®: 28 °F)
Sunday: High: 49 °F RealFeel®: 45 °F
Cloudy with a passing shower in the afternoon

We Have A Problem

I think the power gels are messing up my stomach. Well, at least the double latte 2x caffeine ones are. I was wondering if this was the cause of my worst run ever so I've been paying closer attention since then. Last week on my 14 mile run, I ate one. And while my stomach was ok, I not only felt but I heard all this liquid sloshing around. So yesterday, before my 8 mile run, I ate one. Ugh. I felt like I had just drank a gallon of liquid. It was SO loud in my stomach. Had that been a longer run, I am pretty sure there would have been problems. With the marathon a week away, I'm so worried about changing it up this late in the game. I have used the beans and blocks before, but not during any of my long training runs. This week, even though I'm not running much, I'm going to eat some beans before my runs and see how I feel. I guess it's better to switch it up and take a chance rather than stick with something that I'm pretty sure is making me sick.

Anyone else have this problem with gels? Could it be flavor specific? And why right now...one week before race day?? I have enough anxiety as it is...and to top it off, of course the temperatures are dropping this week! Go figure.

TIaRT - Running Green

This weeks TIaRT theme is running green. While I'm guilty of running on the treadmill a lot and wasting that energy, I do make any attempt I can at being green. For one, I HATE the thought of using a disposable water bottle. I carry a reusable water bottle at work, when I'm on the go, when I run...always. Not only is it ridiculously wasteful, why pay for water that is less regulated than our free tap water? I just don't it. If you agree, check out www.tappening.com

In general, I try to do what I can to be green. I try to purchase only #1 and #2 containers and I separate our recyclables at home. I won't use Styrofoam and carry my own mug for coffee. I use reusable grocery bags, I use all reusable containers for my lunch, and I reuse the same Ziploc bag all week for my snacks. Any trash I generate along a run, I never drop. I will carry my empty gel packets for miles if I have to until I find a trash can. It drives me crazy when I see all the empty packets along the trail!! I opted out of receiving a phone book due to the number of trees that are killed to make them and use rags for cleaning instead of paper towels. Geesh, if I only use a paper towel to dry my hands, I hang it to dry and will reuse it again the next time! While I recognize there are a lot of other ways I could improve, I do know that every little bit helps. Why people don't recycle is beyond me. It really drives me crazy. It takes only a second, yet makes a huge difference.

And lastly, because this should be related to running, I came across an article in Shape magazine called "Take it to the streets for a cleaner town." It talks about a runner who was frustrated with all the trash he saw while running and how he started carrying a BioBag with him to collect trash and bottles along the way. Something to think about...

Separation Anxiety

I admit it, I'm a slave to the scale. I weight myself pretty much every day. I think at one point, when trying to break the habit, I went about 5 days without weighing myself but then fell off the wagon. With the taper underway and not running nearly as much, I've been worried about eating my normal amount of food for fear of gaining weight. Knowing this is not the time to cut back as I'm fueling up for the marathon, I decided to have Andy hide the scale. He snuck into the bathroom while I was showering on Sunday and took it. It's only been 2 days and it's driving me crazy. Every time I walk by the bathroom I notice that it's not there, tucked nicely into it's home between the toilet and vanity. I never realized how often I acknowledged it's presence!! This morning when I woke up, I decided to take today as one of my off days this week and not run. My first instinct was to weigh myself (because I don't know, deciding not to run made me gain weight...?? Crazy.) but I couldn't. I'm so tempted to find the scale, but I'm trying my best to suppress the urge to snoop. I could easily find it, sneak in a quick weighing and then put it back where I found it. You see, from a very early age I learned how to snoop from my older sister, Jeanette. She was a pro at finding all the Christmas presents, opening them up to take a look and putting them right back where they came from. I was never allowed to touch the presents myself, but sat by her side while she pulled them out one by one. If it wasn't for confessing this to my mom years ago, I'd probably still not be able to write about it. Anyway, I'm struggling. I miss my scale.

Beaming!

I feel great!! What a difference from last weekend! Just got back from a 14 mile run and it went really well. I've been so down about my worse run ever last weekend and it was really breaking my confidence, but today turned things back around. We ran Shawmont and held a great pace, even up the mile long climb. I averaged a 9:03 pace and after discussing this with Dave (who I told today that he should pimp himself out to be a running coach...he's so motivational to run with!), I'm right on track for the marathon. I never really thought of it before but I run all my runs, with the exception of my long run, at an 8:30 pace. When I do tempo runs, I take it to 7:30 - 7:00. So what does all this mean? I definitely think I can hold a 9:00 minute pace and finish in 4 hours and I'm even starting to believe that the 3:50 pace group (8:45 min pace) will be a good match for me.

But only race day will tell...

Geesh...too much work!

I feel so behind on the world of blogging! I've been working long hours the past week (and next week) and am struggling to keep up on all the blogs I follow. Now that we don't have to house hunt, I'm looking forward to having time this weekend to catch up.

I've been so busy with work that I'm lucky the taper started this week. I'm running 15 miles tomorrow morning and am a little concerned. My back is killing me right now! I'm not sure if it's from sitting in a conference room all week or what, but I caved and took meds to see if that would help. On top of that, my legs are really crampy. If I bend my foot just slightly the wrong way, I start to get a charlie horse. It's really weird, not something that usually happens. And my calves feel really tight too. Hmmm. Not sure what's going on but hopefully a good nights sleep will fix me right up.

Transitions

This weeks TIaRT theme is Transitions, and how we manage change. I feel like I am the Queen of change. In fact, I feel my life has been in a constant state of change for YEARS now. It hasn't been until recently that I feel I'm not only able to handle change, but I also accept it and look forward to it. All the change over the last 10 years of my life, has brought me to a great place...both mentally and physically. From divorce, moving, moving to MI, new job, marriage, moving back to PA (and one more to come!) HOLY CRAP...JUST AS I WROTE THAT LAST STATEMENT AN EMAIL CAME IN FROM OUR REALTOR SAYING OUR OFFER WAS ACCEPTED!! WE GOT OUR HOUSE! Thanks to everyone for their good wishes!!

*sigh* back to change...where was I?? Oh you get the point. I've gone through tons of changes and I'm actually thankful for each one of them. I think the best way to deal with change is to learn something about yourself while you're going through the transition. If you take something positive out of every experience, you can get through anything.

To tie this into running...aside from Andy, running has been the most significant change I've made in my life. It keeps me happy and sane (well, that's debatable), gives me time to think, relieves stress, takes me places I've never thought I'd go and has given me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.

Woo hoo...we're new home owners!!

Made An Offer

We made an offer on a house today. While this seems like it is all happening so fast and came up much quicker than we planned, I'm trying to keep it all in perspective. If the offer isn't accepted, then this must not be the house for us. If it is accepted, then we got a great deal and I feel confident we made a good decision. We should know by lunch tomorrow whether or not the seller accepted. Stay tuned...

I ran 5 miles today and my knees actually felt great. The only pain I'm still having is when I go down steps. It felt great to run today and if it wasn't for having to vote, and this taper, I would have run further.

Hope everyone voted and then enjoyed their free coffee from Starbucks!

Everybody Poops

Surprisingly, I'm not that embarrassed or devastated by the "incident" on Saturday. Well, I guess that's sort of obvious since I blogged about it, talked about it over dinner with friends this weekend and I haven't deleted my sisters diarrhea songs she's left in my comments. In a weird way, it's almost like a rite of passage. I've heard stories about marathon runners having bowel issues during their long runs and never thought I'd be one of them. I've mentioned before about how I don't consider myself a runner but having completed 22 miles in those conditions...I must be one after all. And really, what is there to be embarrassed about? I mean, everybody poops.

I was feeling really banged up yesterday, mostly from the fall, and didn't make it to the gym. I went today but because my knees are still hurting I did some cross training instead. I have to say, I don't know how I used to work out on the elliptical. Not only was I ready to poke my own eyes out, but I felt like I wasn't doing anything. Nothing seems to make you sweat like a good run and if I don't sweat, then I didn't work out hard enough!! Needless to say, I'm looking forward to a nice, hard, sweaty run tomorrow.

Worst Run Ever

I've been anxiously awaiting this 22 mile run. Not only was this my first 22 miler ever, I was using this run as my "test" for the marathon. I thought if I could do this and still feel good, that I'd be ok come marathon day. Well, the run didn't go as expected. I ate my standard pre long run dinner last night and got a good nights sleep. I did everything the same I always do. Woke up feeling pretty good this morning except for my back. It's been pretty bad this week, but I was determined to push through it. Starting off the run I think I had myself psyched out for the additional 2 miles I was about to run. For some reason, 22 felt like it was going to be so much harder than 20. Anyway, I ran through a slump and at mile 8 I snapped out of it. The next few miles I was feeling good! I was feeling strong. But then at mile 17 it all went down hill. My stomach started acting up and I didn't feel so good. Feeling like I was going to crap myself (sorry, not sure how else to put that), I stopped dead in my tracks and told Dave to go on without me. I walked for a minute, let the feeling pass, and continued running. At this point I had to go to the bathroom and my back was killing me. Compensating for the pain, I was throwing off my gait and wasn't picking up my feet enough. Then it happened. Around mile 18 I fell. Hard. It sucked. When I got up and brushed myself off, I thought, "my back is f'in killing, I have to go to the bathroom so bad and now my knee, wrist and shoulder are banged up and I have 4 more miles to go." Yup...this is when I started to cry. Only lasted a minute, but I admit it, I cried. But I regrouped, turned my Garmin back on (because of course the first thing I did when I hit the ground was to turn it off!!) and started running again. I had to stop a few more times along the way for fear of something unpleasant falling out of me uncontrollably, but I managed to finish. And despite all of that, my average pace for the run was 9:14, which is faster than I should have been running today in the first place.

So, I'm home and showered, because yes, I needed to after the "issues." And while I'm devastated the run didn't go as I would have liked...at least now I know I can still push myself to finish when things are rough. My runs have all gone so well, it was just a matter of time until one sucked.

Not So Scary

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I'm not a huge fan of this holiday because I am petrified of people in masks, but I love this time of year because of candy corn!! I don't remember being this way when I was little but some where along the way, I developed this fear of masks and LOVE of candy corn (especially Brachs caramel candy corn...mmmm!). But enough about being scared...one thing that isn't so scary is my 22 mile run tomorrow! I am so pumped up and excited for this that I'm worried I won't be able to sleep tonight. We're meeting at 6:30am to start and I'm hoping to run the entire thing non stop (like I did on my last 20 mile run). Since this is my last long run before the taper, I'm testing my marathon clothes, shoes, gels, etc. one last time.

TIaRT

This week's TIaRT topic is to choose your running super power. Obviously, I would love the super power to be insanely fast, blowing by my fellow runners with ease and looking incredible while I'm doing it. But, I've already been blessed with a Super Power and you may think it's funny, but it's snot. :-)

My nose runs so much when I run in the cold, it drives me crazy. And since we can't run with tissues (because they always end up as wet balls of mush), I have to wipe my nose with my gloves or sleeve. Then after a run, my nose is torn up and chapped and it hurts like hell. Thank goodness for Aquaphor.

I think I missed the target of this week's TIaRT, but whatever...I hit 500 miles today since I started tracking my miles on August 3, 2008!! AND the Phillies won the World Series!!

Go Figure

The week before the taper starts I'm feeling great with the running. I'm already bummed I'm going to have to cut back over the next few weeks. I'll do it because I have to, but I'm not happy about it. Poor Andy...this should be interesting.

I guess the taper is coming at a good time though because we may have found a potential house. Since this snuck up on us, we need to cover some more ground quickly to see what else is out there before we make a final decision. Neither one of us are interested in being house poor and want the freedom to do whatever we want (travel, entertain, shop, RUN RACES ALL OVER THE PLACE!) without a lot of home maintenance. To my surprise, we found a really nice townhouse at a great price, in a nice development. There are some things we'd like to change before we moved in, but that's fine with us. Then it's just the way we want it! It's a little stressful because this should be it for a long time (finally!! No more moving!!) but it's also exciting...our first HOME together!!

It's Been A Good Year

I turned 32 today. Not really a fan of birthdays and getting older, but as I was running this morning I thought about the past year and how good it was. When I think back to this time last year, I really was a different person. So much has changed for me and I really like where I'm at in life. Sometimes I feel like I'm getting a late start with stuff, but hey, better late than never!!

And I'd like to thank the Phillies for playing the 5th (and hopefully final) World Series game on my birthday. What a great birthday present it will be when they win it tonight!!

One Week To Go

One more week until the taper begins. I remember when I decided to run the marathon the training seemed so scary with the 20 and 22 mile runs ahead of me. I could not picture myself running these distances and didn't really believe it would actually happen. Geez, I was so proud of myself when I finished my first 14 mile run!! Look where I'm at now...I've conquered several 20 milers and can actually say I'm looking forward to my 22 mile run this Saturday. The training has really made me realize that I love the long runs. I have all intentions of keeping up with them after the marathon, but maybe not to this intensity and frequency so I have some sort of social life.

LET'S GO PHILLIES!!!

IT'S OFFICIAL!!

I did it! I just ordered the personal training certification study materials. I decided to go with an ACE certification as that seemed to fit my goals and background the best. If, at a later time, I feel I'm going to go places with this, I may consider obtaining another certification (one that is heavier anatomy). Anyway, I am SO happy I did it. Now there's no turning back, especially since I'm putting it out here for everyone to see. I'm not sure when I'll take the exam but I'm hoping to get started with the study process as soon as I'm done with the marathon in November. Hopefully house hunting won't take up too much of my time and I'll be able to take the exam by summer. Here's hoping...

I'm expecting a huge wait list so sign up now for your first session!!

WOO HOO!!

Well, ooookay

Since I do not want to let my loyal followers down, I'll give a little background regarding my last post. So, there is an individual, who shall remain nameless, who I am not friends with, but know through some overlapping social circles. While I am not friends with this person, I always try to smile and be cordial when I see them because our paths do cross from time to time. Aside from these random occurrences, I never think of this person and could not really care less about them. Anyway, I also happen to know that this person is HIGHLY competitive and on several occasions has even made comments regarding me being a runner. When these comments have been made, they were made in a shocking tone as if to say, "YOU are a runner??." If I was a beotch and wanted to stoop to their level, I could reply, "Why, yes, I am. And may I point out that I am also faster than you?" But I would never do that because if my PDR and Broad Street times didn't prove that point enough, my run on Tuesday night sure did!

But in all honesty, I feel sort of sad for this person for many reasons which I won't get into. And while their comments have upset me in the past, now I'm laughing because all it's going to do from now on is make me run faster!

MMM...mushrooms!

Computer Take Back

So I normally write about something that has to do with my running, but I "stumbled" upon this very well written article, by a lovely woman I might add, regarding computer and electronic e-waste. When you get a chance, check it out. http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-computing/articles/12026.aspx. I have a feeling she might be famous some day...

Now, as for running, this week has been much, much better than last week. I feel like I'm finally out of my funk. Ran last night with the club and due to reasons I can not discuss because my blog is getting so hugely popular these days ;-) , I think Erica and I PR'd!! It's amazing how fast you can run when there's a point to be made!

For the Non-Runners Out There

Here you go, Jeanette...

According to www.wikipedia.org, tapering, in the context of sports, refers to the practice of reducing, or tapering off, exercise in the days just before an important competition. Tapering is customary in many endurance sports, such as the marathon, athletics and swimming. For many athletes, a significant period of tapering is essential for optimal performance. Longer endurance events are generally preceded by longer tapering periods. Typically, tapering for relatively short endurance events takes as little as a week or less, but tapering for an event like the marathon takes at least two or three weeks. Often, a workout simulating the actual race distance and conditions will climax the period of training immediately before tapering.

My 22 miler will be my last long run and then the tapering begins!

Two More Weeks...

Until the taper begins! While I'm looking forward to some much needed rest, I am expecting to go crazy without being able to run very much. The next two weeks of running will be pretty tough, with my final run before the taper being 22 miles. Hopefully this week will be easier to get through than the past few. Knowing I have a four day weekend coming up definitely helps. My schedule for this week is 6/6/5/6/6/14. It's crazy that knowing I only have a 14 mile run on Saturday makes me happy!

We've had a really relaxing day. Aside from the gym and looking at a house, I didn't do a darn thing. Well, I did nap (of course) and I've been knitting on and off all day. It's been a good Sunday.

LIVE From the Wood Tavern

I'm a little sore...eating some homemade hummus (thanks, Daner!), drinking with Pumpkin...uh oh...just left a message for Mike M at work...oh Lord...what did I do? Thankfully, I left Caroline's extension!! Maybe one day we'll find out what that giant mosquito hawk is called!

Oh poo...Michigan lost...now I owe Dad 10 bucks. :-(

Since he never reads my blog...he's never getting it.

Runners Are A Strange Breed

I just got home from my 20 mile run and I'm enjoying a nice 24 ounce cup of Wawa coffee. (Note: for those of you reading my blog, I made it 2 days in a row without my afternoon fix!) Anyway, run today was GREAT!! There was a big group of us who set off for the 20 miles, but I ended up running with just Dave (incredible runner!). He shared some great advice for race day and tips for the taper. One of them being to hide all sharp objects and to warn Andy ahead of time of the mood swings. :-) I was feeling really down this week prior to this run, but today really perked me up. We ran the entire 20 miles without stopping, which was great practice because I don't plan on stopping for water or food the day of the race. We also ran the second half at just about marathon pace so I'm feeling really confident about the race right about now. Total run time today was 3:03. That's 8 minutes faster than my first 20 mile run!

And to quote Dave today..."Runners are a strange breed and non runners just don't get us."

Breaking the Habit

I love coffee...LOVE IT! I would replace meals with it, if I could. But the headaches are telling me that I'm drinking too much and that I am a little too dependent! On top of my thermos of coffee every morning, I sometimes have a mid morning cup (cup = more than the typical 8 ounce serving) and always have another cup in the afternoon after lunch. And then there's the weekend. I love the weekend because I go to Wawa (for those of you without Wawa...I feel for you, I really do) for a 20 or 24 ounce cup of hazelnut topped off with some skim milk and 2 Splenda...Heaven. That may or may not be followed by an additional cup in the afternoon after I wake up from my post run nap.

With all that being admitted, I'm trying to break the afternoon coffee habit. I don't think coffee is bad for us, I just feel like I'm too addicted to it. So today I made myself a cup of tea instead and let me tell you...it's so NOT the same thing. I like tea, when I'm sick and on the couch, but not for my afternoon pick me up! And since I like to count and keep track of everything (i.e. more proof that I'm nuts), I think I'll keep track of how many days I can go without the afternoon coffee. From there, we'll see if I can cut back in the morning.

Much Better

I decided to run after work again tonight. As I've posted before, I don't really enjoy the evening runs and rarely have a good run. But this morning, after 2 nights of little sleep, I just didn't feel like heading out so early. While the extra 45 minutes of sleep was great, I spent the afternoon at work tired and wondering how I was going to motivate myself to get through this run still ahead of me. Then I logged on to blog (i.e. complain) about it when I saw several of the blogs I follow have been updated. After catching up on some posts, I feel so much better and I'm actually looking forward to getting outside in this beautiful weather for a run!!

So far the week is going well. I do another 20 on Saturday and it's suppose to be cold out. Hopefully I'm better prepared this weekend and am able to feel my arms and hands for the duration of the run. Ugh.

New Orleans Here We Come!!

Because we needed a reason to go to New Orleans, I decided to run the Mardi Gras Half Marathon on February 1, 2009. I originally wanted to run the full marathon, but I want this to be a vacation, too. There will be a lot more time for fun (i.e. partying) if I only run the half!! We leave in 16 weeks!! With the Holiday season upon us, that will be here before we know it. I can't wait!

http://www.mardigrasmarathon.com/

You Want Personal??

My sister mentioned yesterday that my posts are getting more personal, which is true. But this blog is about me, and these "issues" are me. They have been with me for as long as I can remember and without them, I think my life might actually be a little boring. While I have my day to day struggles, I can honestly say that I love my life. Issues, craziness, and all! I have a great family, wonderful friends, a job I love and a husband who is more than I could ever want in a partner and a best friend (oh, and 2 amazing kitties!). And really, as I watch Jerry Springer right now, I'm clearly not the only one with issues...how comforting.

But getting back to personal...how's this? The infamous, insanely painful, pinkie toe blister. The picture does not do it justice, but you get the idea! This is for you Mich!! xoxo

Pep Talks

I have a lot of pep talks with myself lately and play little games to get me through some of my runs. Here's how this morning went:

Woke up at 5:15am and said out loud, "Man, I do not feel like running AT ALL today." I think I even threw in a big sigh, looking for Andy to tell me to come back to bed. Which didn't happen. Probably because he knows by now that I won't. As I walked out the door to the gym, I thought, "maybe I'll just do the elliptical and not run." I kept telling myself that this would be ok because I haven't taken a day off from running in so long, that one day wouldn't kill me. But then as I entered the gym and headed to the treadmill, not the elliptical, I decided, "3 miles on the treadmill and 3 miles on the elliptical." So I start running, wondering if I can really wear sandals to work with my unpainted toenails in this horrific state (I'm currently losing 3 nails and have some champion blisters) and before I knew it, I was at mile 3. At this point, I told myself, "just do 5 miles and make up the extra mile on Saturday." But at 4.5 miles I said, "what the heck, there's only 1.5 more to go at this point...sprint it out!!" When I hit 6, I felt great and thought, "that was easy!" I'm so glad I can have these little chats with myself.

And in case you're wondering, I did wear sandals to work...I'm proud of my battle scars!

Have the Guts??

I've been toying with the idea of getting my personal training certification for some time now (years, actually). The one thing holding me back...the good old self esteem. I just don't see myself as fit, etc and can't for a second believe that anyone would be motivated by me or how I look. It's just another situation where my lousy view of myself holds me back. Never mind that I have the knowledge of fitness and nutrition, it all comes down to what I look like (sooo frustrating!). Anyway, over the past few months I have gotten more serious about the certification and have even taken some steps towards setting the wheels in motion. But whenever I get just close enough, I seem to chicken out. Then today something small happened that made me think that maybe I should do this. Last week I was talking with another runner about my upcoming 20 mile run. My director was close by and joined the conversation asking what I was training for, etc. Well, today she came by my desk and told me that I motivated her with my running and she printed off a running plan for beginners. I was so flattered! Someone is motivated by ME?? I need to push myself, I know I have the guts to do this...

TIPSY from Orianna Street!

Well, Michigan lost...what a pisser. Chimay is gone...what a pisser. Lost Abbey Lost & Found sucked...what a pisser. BUT...Bud Light Lime on the other hand...Delicious!!!

Cooking fat free turkey dogs on the grill right now.

Good Friends...Good Times.

Hmmm...Tattoo night???

LIVE from Orianna Street!

Watching Michigan, drinking Chimay. Just got a Viv Pickle wristlet (http://www.vivpickle.com/). Does it get any better than this??

Katie, Ryan, Barry, Andy and I are relaxing watching MI play Illinois...game could be going a little better at this point (ILL - 17, MI - 14), but Katie took "the necklace" off so we should be ok. Too bad Caroline isn't around...

I'm feeling pretty good considering my run this morning...it's nice to be out with friends.

SHOUT OUT: I forgot to mention that Ryan (aka Frat Boy) has been quite the host. He not only opened a bag of Doritos, but he turned the oven on and made pizza bagels and jalapeno poppers. He is such a good hostess!