And Now For Something Completely Different

I'm still in the process of figuring out what the heck I want my little bloggy thing here to be about.  In that vein, I'm not really writing about running because, well, I'm not running anymore.  I quit about 3 months ago when I had to go to physical therapy for my knee and have since started Crossfit.  BEST workout EVER!  (as evidenced by my capitalized enthusiasm). 

So anyway, I won't be writing about running anymore because . . . I'm not running.  Hence the title of this post, Something Different.

Last night we went to my husband's holiday party.  It was super fun as it always is and we made it home in one piece, but not holiday party will ever live up to the first year he was an associate.  Back then (say three years ago) we went to said holiday party thinking there would be, you know, something to eat to counteract all the alcohol consumption.  Not so much.  Instead there was like two pieces of cheese and half a finger sandwich.  And those two things are severely insufficient for a good "base" as we like to call it.  So there we are trying to make the most out of the saddest food display at a holiday party ever, but still fully taking advantage of the all night open bar.  (Surely you can see where this is going.)

So Clark (we're pretending my husband's name is Clark Kent in case you're like, WTF?  Who is Clark?)(try to keep up here), starts with the scotch and water drinks and he means business.  Those things are going down like water.  And mostly scotch.  

A couple hours later and Clark is in rare form.  He is giving awkward hugs to work people.  At one point he is planning the after party somewhere else and I am agreeing while going behind him and telling people there is no way in fuck we're going somewhere after thankyouverymuch.  Long story short, we're on our way to the door and CK tries to high-five a partner at the firm.  Except, a regular ole high-five is insufficient to express the enthusiasm of the moment.  No, Clark needs to go straight up Top Gun on said old partner and tries the high-five, low-five move.  Yeah.  You really can't pull that off unless the other person is in on it.  

Next there is an incident at the valet stand over who is driving.  This is because Clark drives an old person "sports sedan" that happens to be a stick and your girl LGG here can't drive a stick to save her live.  

[Side note here: Clark tried to teach me to drive a stick once and all I'll say about that is that patience is not his best virtue and receiving (questionably) constructive criticism is not mine so I may have ended up giving up 10 minutes in parked at a stop sign, on a hill!, sitting in the backseat dramatically crying and refusing to get back in the driver's seat.  Yeah.  Only automatics for this girl.]

So back to the leaving-the-party scene.  There is "discussion" about how we're getting home.  Clark ultimately decides he is perfectly fine to drive* [insert side eye look here] and so we get in the car and he peels out, literally burns rubber in front of all the people waiting at the valet stand, including senior partners.

So yeah.  Clark's holiday cheer, so to speak, is now legendary at the firm parties.  Thankfully, last night was a little less news-worthy.  It may have ended with drama in the McDonald's drive-thru about it being only the late night menu and not taking credit cards, thus resulting in our kitchen (and really entire house) smelling like fried eggs this morning, but that's normal, right?

*  Asterisk here because, yes I know that drinking and driving is no laughing matter and I will say that this was years ago and I cannot change previous non-responsible behavior.  I can only report it for my own amusement now and tell you that we are certainly making better decisions these days.  

5! *and still alive*

OK.  Sorry the title is so lame.

I did my first long run for the fall marathon season today.  I really liked getting it done on Saturday instead of Sunday.  When I wait 'til Sunday, sometimes I build it up so much in my mind that I dread it all weekend and look for reasons not to do it.  Not this time!

I got up at 6:30 and should have high-tailed it out the door, but I putzed (sp?) around about 45 mins while it heated up outside.  I got through it though.  Other than the heat and humidity it wasn't bad at all.  Plus, no walk breaks this time!

The only bad thing is my foot situation.  I'll save you from another blister picture but my feet are getting worse, both in the same place on each foot.  I have tried moleskin, body glide, dry-fit socks.  You name it!  So I went down to Fleet Feet Birmingham and gave them a run down (so to speak) of my situation.  They were super helpful and suggested inserts as well as a new ointment for chaffing that has vitamins in it!  It is supposed to help be not only preventative, but healing as well.  I'll try anything at this point and we frankly glad to not end up buying $100+ shoes.  Another interesting suggestion was to duct tape the places that are already blistered when I'm running.  The guy said ultra runners do it.  So, why not?

I'll be putting these new ideas into practice over the next week and on my next long run.  So I'll let you (hypothetical, if-anyone-is-listening out there you) know how it goes.  Until then, get out there and run and try to stay cool while you're doing it!

5 miles (+.25 cool down walk), approximately 53 mins.  No walk breaks!

OBX Marathon Training - Day ONE

After having a false start training for a marathon on Labor Day weekend (which incidentally would serve as the perfect excuse to miss my 10 year high school reunion), I have found a new race.  Today I got an email about Runner's World's 16-week marathon training plan.  The plan begins this week and ends in a marathon the second weekend in November.  I thought, it's a sign.  This is my chance to run a fall marathon.  So I googled, found the OBX Marathon (not far from my husband's family) and decided, why not?

I mapped out a plan and started today.  I know this sporadic blog has little to no readership, but I am going to write here as a diary for myself.  SELF, today is the beginning.  It was a difficult 4-miler outside in the blazin' heat, but you finished.  Your shirt felt a bit snug, your shorts a bit short and you took 3 walk breaks ending with a time around 42 minutes.  It will get easier.  Must remember that.  It will get easier.  And to commemorate the first day of training, I took this picture.

In 16 weeks I will be faster, stronger and maybe even a little slimmer!  Here's to that!

YIKES

So, I have signed up for a September marathon.  Obviously this is a little earlier than the RnR in San Antonio in November, but it is close geographically and cheap, so I thought, why not?

The title of this post in meant for the following picture:

For the first time in a long time, I'm having some serious blister issues.  I've been doing some research on new socks (as I believe that is the culprit), but I have been a bit hesitant to pay $25+ a pair.  I mean, really?  I don't spend that much on underwear!?!  I think I'm going to have to take the plunge though.  My local Fleeet Feet is boasting a sale on Drymax socks and I think I might take advantage of it because I've heard good things about DryMax.  A

As for by 10K review, I have no pictures from the race because they are on my mom's camera (and I am currently still not telling my mom how to find my blog although I know she's looking hard for it).  So here's the info.  Last month I ran the Gumtree 10K in Tupelo, MS.  I haven't done a 10K since the Vulcan Run in B'ham in November.  Back in November I was coming off my marathon training so I had a pretty good time (for me), but I honestly can't remember the time.  I'm thinking is was 57:something.  

I wasn't anywhere near that kind of shape for this, so my goal was under 1 hour.

The made it to the race for packet pickup with no problems.  I was a little annoyed that the time chip wasn't in the packet and you had to go get in another line to pick up your chip.  It wasn't too bad though.  There were a good number of porta-potties and I went once with about a 10-min. wait.  

The race start was a little frustrating because the wheelchair racers were started a what was touted to be the official start time.  Don't get me wrong, I totally understand getting those racers started a couple minutes early for logistical reasons, but in my experience races give out the separate start times for wheelchair racers rather than making the rest of us just wait around after an inexplicable gun has gone off at the time we've been told we're starting!

So, we get started... And I swear to God I never saw the start!  I didn't know when to start my Garmin!  Grrr.    The course itself was pretty good.  We ran through some pretty, historic neighborhoods that my Grandmother grew up in so that was nice.  I didn't particularly like the part when we had to run down a ramp onto Hwy 45 and run in one lane while traffic was still moving coming from behind us in the next one.  There was plenty of police presence, but I'm a stickler for safety.  Also, the last mile was mostly uphill, not a steep one, but the gradual kind that can be challenging when you're trying to push it to the finish.  

Afterward, I got some fruit and a Gatorade that was readily available.  The only water I saw was from coolers into little paper cups (not worth the hassle)!  I went over to an area I noticed they were posting times.  I had my info from my Garmin, but I wanted to see the official time.  When I found my name I thought, well I was thinking I was a little faster (like 45ish seconds).  I think the discrepancy was because there wasn't a mat at the start.  I think they used the gun time for everyone and just used chips for ease of finish time.  I could be wrong because WHY would they do that??  But nothing else makes sense.  

Anyway, walked around with my parents at the Gumtree Art Festival and saw some pretty (and pretty random/interesting) things.  Overall, I would totally do this race again.  It was inexpensive, fun race.  Most people seemed there to have a good time and everyone was really friendly (especially the guy who picked up my iPod for me when I dropped in between miles 3 and 4).  I give it a B+, recommended!

Let me know if anyone has other suggestions on socks.  I clearly need some help in that area!

Decisions, decisions

So, clearly I've been neglecting my posting for a while.  I have multiple excuses, but they mainly ocome down to the following:

1) My husband dropped our laptop and we have an (ever growing) crack across the middle of the screen.  Please refer to this reason as my excuse for any typos as well.

2) I'm still struggling to decide what the heck my blog is about.  I feel like my favorite blogs fall into categories and my thoughts don't fit any particular one.

So those excuses aside, I decided tonight to just bite the bullet and write.  The hell with the consequence classifications!

My title also applies to my decisions today to stop hemming and hawing about my fitness, specifically, when will I go for my next race?  My next BIG race.

So today, after reading a tweet from Adam, I realized the San Antonio Marathon I've been eyeing for a few months will be $15 off for National Running Day.

That does it, I thought.  I need to jump on board and get back into training.  So that's what I'm doing.  Tomorroe I will be registering for the Rock 'N Roll San Antonio Marathon and get in gear to train for it and make a better showing than my first marathon in last October.

If you're reading this, maybe you could do the same.  We've got 25 weeks (counting this week).  No day, but today, right?

P.S. To show you I'm actually going to come back here more than once every blue moon, I promise to recap my 10K from last month by the end of the week.  There.  I told you I will.  Now I will be accountavle!

Back in the Saddle Again

This week I started my training for a fall marathon.  It will be my second and I'm hoping to make a much better showing than my first.  I have used self-motified versions of Hal Higgdon's training before for both the half and full marathons, but this time I decided to switch it up.

Me after the Nike Womens' Marathon, San Francisco (Oct. 2009)*

* Note the super HOT knee brace I was sporting for the race!

The daily email I get from Runner's World yesterday included a link to training programs for beginners, intermediate level and advanced marathon runners.  I am VERY much in the beginner's arena still so I'm going with that.

My only complaint so far is that the "rest" days include an instruction to really rest.  They say that "active rest" is not really resting.  My issue with that is doesn't cross-training help marathon runners.  Coming off a (somewhat mild) injury during my last marathon training and race, I need all the help I can get to avoid my knee problem flaring up.

So, as far as "rest" days go, I'm pretty much going to let it be my call whether they are "active" or not.  Sorry RW.  I'll let you know how it goes.  :)

What's on the tube?

I never understand when people say they don't watch much t.v.  I have been watching television, and I mean a lot of it, for as long as I can remember.  When I was 5 my parents taught me to make cereal for myself so I wouldn't wake them up at 4:30 a.m. or whatever crazy time I was waking then.  They awoke one Saturday morning to their 5 yr-old watching a Woody Allen movie.

(via techdigest.tv)

My taste in programming is pretty diverse.  I indulge in the Real Housewives drama (although NJ is by far better than all others in my book) along with many other reality t.v. shows (READ: Kell on Earth, Top Chef, etc.).  But I also love sarcastic/dry comedies too.  My favorite is of course THE OFFICE!  Good luck ever trying to talk about an episode in my presence without me talking over you and quoting it!  *Yeah, I'm that girl!*

(via tvmedia.ign.com)

I even like a good true crime show or documentary.*  All this to say, I don't see what the big deal is about Americans watching a lot of t.v.  True, a lot of people substitute television time for family time or exercise, but my husband and I love watching "our shows" together.  We only have one t.v. so we don't have much choice on the matter anyway.

And as far as exercise, the tube ain't what is keeping you from the gym.  You decided not to go there on you way home from work, or to sleep in this morning or to eat a long lunch instead of fitting in a quick workout.  Heck, I would love to workout in front of the t.v. if my husband would just get us a treadmill (hint hint!).

(via picturesofpeoplerunning.com [i.e. this is clearly NOT me; that lady is hotter, has bigger boobs, and I don't run with my hands taped up like I'm boxing??!?])

So let's all just sit back, relax and watch a little t.v. tonight without the guilt, shall we?


*If you aren't watching The Pacific on HBO you are missing out!

"Television: chewing gum for the eyes."  - Frank Lloyd Wright