Brown Socks

Still Running...

It's been a while since I posted...I wasn't feeling blogging at all for a long time. Not sure if I am now...but I thought I would post to my sad, lonely blog.

I'm still running- but in moderation.  In the past year I found out I had asthma, dealt with the unpleasant Ischemia (and the subsequent yucky tests) last October, and had a miscarriage in March... A bit much for me.  I'm not sure if I was burned out, overwhelmed, bummed...but it has taken a while for me to get back in the swing of things.  I've run a race here and there and run around the neighborhood and at the greenbelt, but it seemed after all  of my health issues that I needed to examine my priorities and spend more time with my family.  Instead of getting up at the crack of dawn every day on the weekend,  I have been sleeping in and taking runs around the neighborhood in the late morning, and luckily this summer has been a mild one in comparison. I haven't touch the Camelbak in months and haven't run far enough to carry gels.  It's been all good, but I'm ready for a change.

It feels like I am now ready to get back "into" running.  Not that I have stopped, because I haven't- I run 3-4 times a week.  But I run without a goal, many times without a watch, and that is the difference... I am ready to get back into running with a goal. No big goals- no marathon or ultra this year as I am still wanting to have another baby and hopefully at some point soon- but a goal to focus on.  Zack ran a relay race on Friday night and I really missed being a part of that, and sitting there cheering for the runners I realized that it was time for me to get back into it again.  Nothing big- a 10K, a 10 miler...I just need to keep working to find a way to balance it all!

On the life side of things- busy, busy, busy- but who's not?  School's back in session for Mar, I'm  about to do some more traveling, I've got classes to take, ACL fest, jewelery orders to fill, a trip home for the wedding of a childhood friend, and running---trying to schedule in the running, of course.

Changes

Normally I get behind on posting to the blog because I've been running too much... This time that is not the case. I'm actually not running right now.

Where to begin...?

So I did a 20 miler a few weeks ago on a Saturday, followed by a 10 miler on Sunday. I was feeling great during both runs. I took a day off on Monday, ran 4 miles on Tuesday, took a day off on Wednesday because my parents came into town,  and then headed out for a 6-7 mile run on Thursday afternoon. Got about 4 miles into the run when I experienced a terrible pain in my lower abdomen- a pain so sharp that I couldn't stand up straight. I had been experienced a milder abdominal pain on and off during runs in previous weeks, but nothing as painful as that.  I had to make my way back to the house, walking and jogging when I could. By the time I got back to the house I could barely think.  The pain stayed for the next week or so- not as bad as it was initially- but dull and persistent every day. I went to my doctor, who then sent me to a specialist. They believe I have Ischemia, a result of lowered blood supply to my "gut" while running. It appears to occur with long distance runners, and usually repairs itself. Mine seems to be taking longer to heal. Yeah, not pleasant.  We won't know for sure until we do more tests, but they have pretty much ruled out anything serious.

So plans change, and I haven't been able to run at all. Though the pain is mostly gone, running brings it back.

Instead,   I have been spending time with my family- wonderful time that I miss when I am running half of the day on a Saturday and Sunday. Though I am disappointed that I had put so much time already training for Sunmart, the alternative is great. I have a lot more time to dedicate to reading with Marcel, making time for myself, and baking(!) lots of yummy holiday treats.

I'm looking forward to getting back on the trails, but for now my exercise will be at the gym or around the block with the dogs.  I doubt I will be keeping up this blog, at least not for now. Instead I have been posting a "Photo of the Day" on the other blog. 

Take care y'all!

Out of Pocket

Well, I've been out of pocket in blog-land for weeks now...It started when I took a trip work work a few weeks ago, and I've not been able to catch up since. I keep meaning to post something but after being away from the blog for weeks it's hard to make it a short one- which is about all the time I have to dedicate to posting right now! I have been trying to keep up with all of the blogs I read, quickly reading them in between other things- but haven't had time to comment.

I have been running, trying to keep cool on my weekend long runs- a few 3.5- 4 hour runs here and there on the weekends.  It's mostly sluggish running due to the heat, but I'm dragging my butt out there as much as I can!  I had an unfortunate brush with nature few weeks ago when I was swarmed by red wasps out on the trail (and stung 3 times). I also I lost the valve on my camelbak with 7 miles to go on a long run, and proceeded to pour  all of the water out of the pack  when I took it off to get a gel.  A that point I had about 4 miles left,  with temperatures in the high 90's, so it made for long 4 miles. But other than that, not  a lot of excitement on my runs.

I did have a few really bad runs in the past few weeks which left me gasping for air and coughing up clear junk. I went to the doctor thinking I had some lower respiratory infection, but instead she diagnosed me with exercise induced asthma.  She gave me an inhaler, which I used on my Saturday long run. For 3 years I have been running, and I had no idea that I had any breathing problems... I just figured that my shortness of breath and occasional dizziness was all part of running in Texas heat. After using an inhaler for the first time before a run and feeling my airways open, taking full deep breaths (something I can rarely do this time of year) I realized that there was more to my summer running struggles than I thought.  She believes it is related to my allergies (which have been pretty bad this summer) and I am awaiting the results of allergy tests to possibly identify triggers.   Who knew?

On another note, probably the biggest reason why I haven't posted is that Marcel started kindergarten yesterday. We had weeks of activities building up to kindergarten -parties, shopping for supplies (do you know how many stores I had to go to to find wide ruled 70 count spirals?), family visits... I really wanted to spend all of my extra time getting Marcel ready for kindergarten and enjoying the last days of daycare (i.e. no more random vacations and picking him up at noon just to spend the day with him). I had no idea how hard this transition would be on him and us.  I figured since he had been to 2 different schools/day-cares in the past that he would be fine.  But, I guess kindergarten is different with the big school and the big kids- and he has been having a pretty hard time. I had to leave him crying in the cafeteria this morning, and it broke my heart.  So, that's my focus right now- getting through this without having a meltdown...and I saw a few of those today at the school (both kids and parents)!

One more thing- Zack and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary this week.  We did the zip-lines and the ropes course at the Cypress Valley Canopy Tours and had a blast.  If you are ever in Austin (or live here) check it out- it was great. I can't believe how fast time has flown by...I've been married for 7 years and my child is starting kindergarten...whoa!

Is is Sunday Already?

Whoa- that week went by fast! Haven't had time to update my blog or comment on others, but I have been reading new posts from everyone in between running around.  Zack's out of town, so it's just Mar and I this weekend- doesn't leave much time for blogging, or reading other blogs so I'm quite behind.

So, where was I?

Enchanted Rock

Last Sunday we went to Enchanted Rock for the day. We packed a cooler of pasta salad, lime jello, chips and salsa, and tons of water and headed out mid-morning.  Driving to the Hill Country for me, is a great way to get away from the anxiety of Austin. On a normal day I spend a total hour and a half in traffic driving through Austin from my house... which isn't really that far from work. On a bad day, I've spent over 2 hours in traffic...I could head South and get to San Antonio faster than I can get to the other side of Austin. So, driving 80 miles to the Enchanted Rock seems like a normal day of driving.  I'd rather be driving 90 minutes at 65mph on open roads,  than 45 minutes of start-stop-start-stop (3 mph) traffic on I35 any day.  I'm used to the drive now, but it wears on me by the end of the week.

I'm driving along looking at the sights singing with Marcel and Zack when I notice that a police car is behind me with his lights on. We were just out of Fredericksburg with about 15 miles to go on the curvy, rural road that brings you to the Enchanted Rock.  I was so busy looking around at all the hills, thinking about running up them, that I didn't know how long he had been behind me. Turns out, I was going 50 in a 40 at the outskirts of town, before the speed limit went to 50- not something you would usually get stopped for. But I'm thinking that the reason that he pulled me over was because I was looking at the landscape and weaving a bit... I think he thought he had a drunk on his hands.  He realized that we were just goofy Austinites...he checked out my info and gave me a warning.  The next day at school,  at "circle time" Marcel shared the story of "My mom got caught by the police" with his class. He failed to mention his great hike at Enchanted Rock...or that he took two bad spills running down enchanted rock...or that we were surrounded by angry wasps in our picnic shelter...Nope- he told them the cops got Mommy.

So it was a great day.  As soon as we got out of the car we knew it was going to be a hot hike up the rock...but we had no idea that the temperature would reach 104 that day!  You'd think that the place would be abandoned with heat like that on a completely exposed area- but now, tons of families with small children, campers, and climbers were all over the park. It felt hot, but not that hot....I guess by now, our bodies are used to it.  But, it's always amazing to me to be out in heat like that and see people without a drop of sweat on their body and small children unfazed by the heat. I will forever look like a New Yorker in Texas when I am out in the heat.

Grr...I lost the rest of the post that I just wrote- so I'll re-write the rest later...

Random Stuff

Random stuff on my mind…

• On Tuesday I went to the gym for the first time in weeks and did a upper body/abs workout and then ran on the treadmill. I’m finding it very hard to get to the gym these days, I just want to be outside! Luckily, I had told Zack I would meet him at the gym so I couldn't really skip the workout. I did my workout using the same weights and reps as I was doing the last time I went to the gym (about a month ago)….I found out today that that was a bad idea… As I was working on something at my desk I noticed that my elbow was bothering me. It felt bruised, and I tried to remember if I had smashed my elbow into a door or something. But, it wasn't an external bruise- It was pain radiating in to my elbow from all of the sore muscles in my arm.  And this evening, while making dinner, it HURT to slice a pepper. Ugh, I need to get to the gym more…

• My grandmother started radiation for breast cancer this week and I have been thinking about her quite a bit. She doesn’t read this blog- but I want to put some good vibes out there for her…My Grandma and Grandpa play a big part in my love for the trails and the forest.  Growing up, I spent many summers with them out in their land near Watertown New York while they cut trees for firewood. My brother and I would play for hours while the grown-ups downed trees and split the wood.  My grandparents also have “camp” near the Adirondacks, where we spent many days fishing and exploring the woods. I wrote about camp in my race report for my first trail race- when I arrived at the park (Huntsville) where the race was being held, I felt like I was at camp. I knew that trail running was what I wanted to do- before I ever ran a step of that race.  I felt like I was “home”. The picture below is of the lake at camp- one of my favorite places.  Sending out good vibes to Grandma...

 

• Zack and I have a wedding anniversary coming up- 7 years! To celebrate our anniversary we have asked our friends to watch Marcel while we check out this place.  I saw an ad for it in one of the local magazines so I checked it out.  I really liked how the place came to be, they wanted to share the beauty of their land without having to change it so they put in zip-lines instead of trails- a different way to enjoy the scenery...

• I found this photo the other day when I was collecting pictures to scan for my friend Kristen in San Diego. I was going through all of my old photos from when Kristen and I used to hang out in Syracuse (and a brief stint in Sandusky Ohio) about 10 years ago. It was hysterical to look at some of the photos- and a great trip down memory lane. In every picture I was smoking or drinking, or both. It is such a contrast to my life right now! But despite the damage I was doing to my body at the time and my total disregard for the future (an empty savings account and major credit card debt)... I have to agree with Kristen when she said that they were the best times.  I look like I am having a great time don't I? I really was, that's what makes me laugh about the picture, just like the after race photo that Zack took where I looked pissed. Anyways, thankfully, Kristen and I will get to hang out again in the fall when I take my first trip “out west” to visit her in San Diego. We get to hang out again as “grown ups”…how surreal will that be?  Love ya Kristen- can't wait to visit!

• And lastly, if you haven’t checked out Ginger Breadman’s blog today- go on over and check out the very cool pictures of the Cairns, and the interesting post to go with them. I’ve been teaching Marcel about cairns on our greenbelt hikes- small piles of stacked rocks mark the trails here and help us not to get lost when we go off on the side trails. He calls them “Tikis” and made a few “artsy” ones off to the side and included a few sticks in the mix. When Marcel was 4 Zack brought him to an Andy Goldsworthy show during his Christmas break. Then they watched Rivers and Tides and Marcel was able to see how Goldsworthy created his art. Since then, Marcel sees art in sticks, leaves and stones- so “tikis” aren’t just functional things, they are art as well...like GB’s photos.  Check 'em out.

That's all for now...

Oops, I missed one

I forgot the last one in my tag:

4 Favorite Bands/Singers

• Ryan Adams
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (yeah, it's a fake band, but you can't get the songs out of your head...)
• Cat Power
• Sufjan Stevens/Smog (tie)

Also having fun running to Gogol Bordello, Gorillaz, Goldfrapp, and a bunch of funky mash-ups right now...

Tagged

Matt tagged me! Here are my answers:

4 Jobs I've had

- Restaurant Manager

- Research Analyst

- My first job- A Snack bar at JamesvilleBeach (Jamesville, NY)

- Selling Shoes

4 Movies I Watch Over And Over

- Boogie Nights

- Magnolia

- Waiting for Guffman

- Spinal Tap

4 Places I have Lived (the only 4 places I have lived…)

- Syracuse, NY (21 years!)

- Cortland, NY

- Sandusky, OH

- Austin, TX

4 TV Shows I Watch

- The Office

-Six Feet Under (I know it’s off the air, I’m still re-watching episodes!)

- Grey’s Anatomy

- Intervention

4 Places I Have Been on Vacation (notice I’ve never been “out west”)

- Las Vegas (to get married)

- Cape Cod

- The Keys

- Quebec


4 Websites I visit everyday (notice I’ve never been “out west”)

- My Google alerts for work (uplifting stuff I tell ya- stalking, trafficking…etc…)

- Bloglines

- Google Maps (yes, pretty much everyday I need to know where everything is in relation to everything)

- ???

4 Favorite Foods

- HomeSlice Pizza (plain cheese- Just like home!)

- Queso

- Guacamole

- La Dolce Vita (local Amy’s Ice cream with espresso poured over it)

4 Places I’d Rather Be Right Now

- Hiking with Mar and Zack

- Trudy’s- having a Mexican Martini to help dull the pain of this pinched nerve in my neck!

- San Diego with my friend Kristen

- Syracuse with my Family

I think everyone else has already been tagged!?

A bit of everything

Since my new sleep schedule is catching up with me, I'm going to do a bullet-style post so I don't have to worry about trying to make sense. Yesterday I was feeling pretty proud of my 5AM mornings, today I am feeling like my brain isn't operating at 100%. I am wide awake...but...not all here. Driving this morning I completely forgot which road I was on and for a moment I thought I was heading West, but I was heading East.  Agh.

• I have been getting a bunch of hits on my site lately for "UPS Brown Socks"...And wouldn't you know, there I am right up at the top because I have "sit UPS and push UPS" listed on the blog.  Looks like those UPS socks must be pretty popular...lotsa people looking for those. Why they then click on my link it beyond me...
• Today I have a day off from running. I realized that today is my first day off since last Friday. I am going to be chilling today.  Today is Marcel's  field trip day- In a few hours I will be chaperoning kids at Crowes Nest Farm.  Then I will go back to work to finish my day- smelling like farm.
• I have a short run tomorrow! The first non-long run of the weekend in weeks. And I have Sunday off! Perhaps I will actually paint that wall that has now been primed for about 2 months. I get my runs in, but put a lot of other things on the back burner. Need to tackle those this weekend.
• Being a child of the 80s I couldn't resist the opportunity to do this: Journey Sing Along. And since I'm not getting up and running on Sunday, I will be able to enjoy it to the fullest.  The only thing that will be missing is the roller-skates...

and a few answers...

• Angie- Old Pueblo looks beautiful! I've never been West of El Paso (except to get married in Las Vegas but I really didn't see anything except Vegas) so I have yet to see landscapes like that in person- it's gorgeous. I've been up an down the east cost more times than I can count, and from New York to Texas twice, but I definitely need to get west of here soon- I'm missing out!
• Matt- Rocky Trails is at Inks Lake in Burnet Texas- they have a marathon and a 50 mile race (in November). That's actually where they are doing the all night 6/12 hour run in a few weeks. By the way I have chickened out of doing that...I heard there are snakes there. I'm not ready for the run in the dark with snakes thing yet...I need to get over this phobia if I'm going to be a trail runner...geez... As far as coaching goes- it's something that I am trying out with the folks that did the Sunmart training.  I wanted a program for trail running, but the only group was Pikes Peak, and I am not going to do that anytime soon (I have enough problems breathing at Austin elevation). So we worked out a base plan for the next few months until the group starts up again for Sunmart.
• TJ- Perhaps I will consider the 50 Miler...I didn't realize that your schedule was similar. I figured y'all were doing many more miles then we were. But, I will have to see how I'm doing speed-wise because I'm not sure I can make the cut-off!

Being Prepared

*** Added a few things after thinking about this post after I sent it out there in the world...***

I was thinking about this today on my run and thought I would share...

A little background:

• Last year this time my longest run was a 25K trail race that I had run 8 months before.
• Last year this time I was getting ready to run the 25 K Belt race, the same race I am running this coming weekend (this year it is a 30K).
• Last year this time I was just starting to meet other trail runners, and was running the greenbelt on a regular basis, sometimes with my new running friends.
• Last year this time I had just purchased my first Camelback and got my first pair of "real" trail shoes.

That gives you an idea of where I was at in my trail running journey last year....

On my run today I was reminded of something that upset me last year around this time.  So, I mentioned that I was just starting to run with other trail runners on the greenbelt... One day I was supposed to hook up with a group of runners, but it ended up just being me and another guy that I didn't know.  It was my first time doing the powerline loop- and the plan was to do it backwards.  Despite the fact that I mentioned that I ran at the Greenbelt on a regular basis, I think my fellow runner mistook me for a rookie because I hadn't run this particular trail.   As we ran along the main trail toward the falls, we talked about our upcoming races.  At the time my only goal was to finish the Belt race feeling strong, and I had only briefly considered doing something longer. We came to the climb up to the powerline and we both hiked up it- it was tough for me to talk as we climbed, but I thought I hung in there.  We got to the top and continued running the loop backwards.  And then the upsetting thing happened- my fellow runner asked me "are you sure that you are ready for the race" ??

Oh man.

It was a blow. I don't really know why he said that-he was probably just being practical. This man was basically a stranger to me so he meant no harm. But still...ugh, you have no idea how that made me feel.  I wasn't struggling or out of breath. I wasn't flying- but I was running along at a nice consistent pace. Was I ready? I thought so before the run. Did I still think I was ready? I didn't know anymore.  Suddenly I felt slow. I felt conscious about the fact that I was breathing loudly when I  run/hiked the uphills. I tried to shrug it off, but it stayed with me.

Anyway I was determined to do this, despite his questioning of my fitness.  I ran the race...the second time I had run 25K in my life- and though it took me longer than my first 25K I finished happy. It wasn't easy and I hit some "rough spots" but I was prepared.  I've run a bunch more trail races since then, did some pretty tough training runs,  and finished my first 5oK- and I've met every goal (so far) that I have run after.  Physically I may not always be "prepared" to run a steady race without having to take walk breaks, but mentally I have always been prepared and that gets me through the rough patches.  I'm stubborn and don't like to give up!

So today I was thinking about this is terms of "being prepared" asking myself a bunch of questions:

How do you know you are prepared? How much do you really have to prepare?

And how far does pure determination get you? How much determination do I have and what would make me have to "throw in the towel"?

Can you truly make a judgment about someone's training? How can you know how determined someone is, and what their limits are?

These are the things I was thinking about on my run today- I'm still thinking about them.

The heat (again) and snakes

More talk about the heat...

My last 2 runs consisted of an hour at the greenbelt.  I ran the same route both times, but today I was able to go farther along the route before turning around, and still made it back to the top of the Hill of Life 3 minutes earlier than Sunday.  And today was a "casual run"...! The difference between the 2 days? The temperature. Yes, I finally got out to run while the temperature was still in the low 80s.  Sunday it was in the 90s by the time I made it to the greenbelt.

I know some people struggle in the heat (as I do) and some people do not.  My husband does not- he can run the same speed in 70 degree heat as he can in 100 degree heat.  I see people out at the trail who appear completely comfortable in hundred degree heat- not a drop of sweat, no red tomato face.... Me? It's not cute. And not only do I look like I am dying, tack on another few minutes per mile once the temperature goes over 90 degrees.  Today, if I would have turned around at the same place I did on Sunday, I would have made it back to the car 10 minutes earlier...That's crazy to me- because I feel like I had to put so much more effort into the Sunday run, and I was still creeping along at a pretty slow pace. 

So, since I keep complaining, why don't I run in the morning more often? There are a few reasons.  First,  running before work just isn't happening right now. I no longer live near the greenbelt or Town Lake to run in the morning, return home to shower, then head to work.  Just one of the drawbacks of moving to the burbs.  And my office doesn't have showers and I am not going to do the "wipe-down thing"...no way.  Second, I need to be prepared for the heat for the race on Sunday.  Last year the race took me about 3 and a half hours and it was 5K shorter. Not to mention that the course is more difficult than last year in addition to being longer.  So there is a chance that I will be out there when it starts to get hot, and I want to stay strong at the end.  Lastly, (despite the complaining that I do) finishing a run climbing up that hill in the sun, sweating buckets, listening to a good song on the iPod, knowing that it is hard- but that I'm not anywhere near limit...it's a great feeling.

Snakes

So, on my run with Zack a few weeks ago we swore that we heard a rattlesnake when we were one of the higher portions of the Powerline Loop.  At first I was in denial, I pretended that I didn't hear it...

"Was that a Rattlesnake?" Zack asked me

"I don't know. I don't want to know. I am just going to keep running" I responded.

Now, I run the greenbelt quite a bit and hear all sorts of crunches and crackles and strange animal sounds- but nothing like that.  It was creepy.  Despite that, I didn't feel too freaked out about the experience because I was with Zack.  But since that day, I have been totally fixated on snakes whenever I'm near that area, I guess because I am alone and fear being bit.  So on my run Sunday when I got to the powerline I was totally focused on snakes- I was hyper-vigilant while running down the trail...and wouldn't you know I saw a big old creepy one cross the trail! I don't know what kind it was, it wasn't a rattlesnake but still... So, when I went up there today you know I was obsessing about snakes! Thankfully the only wildlife I encountered in that area was a little rabbit.

I may have mentioned before that I used to have a pet snake- so I don't typically have this snake fear. I also had a freaky dream last week that I once again pet snake but it I didn't feed it and turned into this creepy hairy ferret thing- it was disgusting.  Maybe I have been watching too many nature shows with my son? How did I suddenly get this snake phobia?

Crap Food

So Costco opened in South Austin last week, so I had to go join.  I actually had a case of Powerbars in mind when I walked in, but I walked out without the Powerbars and got this stuff instead:

It isn't even real food!

I seriously love Cup Noodles. And Knott's Berry Farm Shortbread Cookies. Buying them in bulk- not good. 

Well...that SUCKED

So where was I? Oh yeah, I left off at my Friday run.  My Friday run that was supposed to clear my head,  and mark my return to wellness.  Well, IT DID NOT.  In fact,  Friday night it all went downhill.  I practically had to crawl to bed because I was so nauseous in the evening, and I then stayed in bed pretty much until Sunday.  Sunday morning, I awoke to more of the same...I could finally get out of bed, but I had nothing in my stomach and was pretty weak.  Monday morning woke up- yup, more of the same.  I finally called the Dr. who told me I shouldn't have been that sick for that long (yeah, I know) and then called me in a prescription.  I finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel! I was so appreciative that she helped me out on the holiday- I needed to get well!  I was scheduled to leave Monday for San Antonio to be at conference on Tuesday and Wednesday.  And it wasn't just any conference - it was a conference for a program that I manage- my conference- therefore I COULD NOT BE SICK!

The antibiotics worked! They kicked in Monday afternoon, and I didn't have to suffer through my conference as I feared.  I wasn't able to eat any Mexican food as planned though. Who knows what the hell I had, but it looks like it is finally out of my system.  It felt like it was never going to end though...my brain wasn't even working correctly at the end of it- on Monday I thought I saw a cow sitting in a neighbor's yard...but it was a tree stump.

So- on the running front, because I couldn't keep any food in my body, I couldn't run.  Not that I would have wanted to, I was happy just to be able to stand up on Sunday.  Four days off... As soon as I got home from San Antonio last night, I threw on my running clothes and ran a quick 30 minutes around the block.  Ahhh...I'm running and back on track, thankfully, I was about to get really bitchy.  And today I went down to the Greenbelt before work and ran in the drizzle for an hour.  Great run. Good to be back.

On a side note, the conference was a success.  We put a ton of hard work into coordinating the event and I'm thrilled with how it turned out.  I don't talk about my job on my blogs (I manage a sexual violence/family violence law enforcement training program), but today I have to say that I love my job...and I love that my job can make an impact on the lives of others.  I've felt that since I took the job in October,  but I especially feel that way right now after the conference after seeing people working together to make change. 

Trying to keep up

Where did I leave off? Trying to get back on track, right?

Well, I think I am back in the swing of things. Last week Zack and I headed down to the Greenbelt after weeks away from the trails.  I was worried that my ankles weren't going to be able to handle the 12 mile run, and I was concerned because I hadn't worn my Montrails for over 7 miles. I figured I was in for some pain and/or blisters. But, really the only suffering that occurred was in the first 2 miles- I had the worst side-stitch ever! Every step made it worse and I was blowing air out of my mouth, trying to burp, walking- anything I could do to get it to go away. I refused to talk to Zack, and I was just downright bitchy. Lesson learned from this experience- do not eat a tuna salad "everything bagel" right before running down the rocky, jumble-y hill of life. PAIN.

Last Sunday I painted the dining room- all...day... long.... 4 coats of paint/primer and touch-ups and my arms were sore and my hands felt arthritic on Monday.  Tylenol.  Lots.

Anyway, with that trail run under my belt, I felt much more motivated and confident this week. I headed to the greenbelt on Tuesday to do a 3 mile run and a few hill repeats, and went to the trail for a kinda-speed workout on Wednesday.  And today I had a work holiday, so I got a 3-hour trail run in at the Greenbelt.  I'm feeling great.

So, from this point, my plans are as follows:

- Rocky Hill Ranch (one loop- 25K) in a few weeks

- Two trail runs in a local series: The Loop and The Belt (both are 30K)

Then, I will start to think about Sunmart or Bandera...

Well, I'm off to drink yet ANOTHER glass of water to re-hydrate myself (it was pretty darn warm out there today) but I wanted to post a picture that Marcel took at the park yesterday:

That's me and my puppies- yes, the gold one is still technically a puppy, though he is bigger than most full grown dogs... That was my first attempt at bringing both of the puppies out to a public park.  Things got a bit hairy when a group of pot smoking disk-golfers with 4 big dogs came our way, but after mustering up some super strength I was able to keep them away from the craziness... I think I am brave enough to do it again.

Must get back on track

I'm still running.  Not very seriously...not seriously at all.  And I don't feel too great about it, but it has been hard to get out there and run.  Finding the time hasn't been too easy this past month, and when time is found, sometimes I can't find the energy after dedicating so much to packing, moving, and unpacking! I am so happy to finally have a house of our own, that I just want to work on making it "my home" whenever I get a chance.

I'm also still trying to adjust to the difference in my commute- it can be anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes longer, depending on when I leave.  I think I've got the hang of it now, and I really plan to jump back into "training" next week- or at least keep a consistent workout schedule.  Next step is to find some places to run near my home now that I no longer have the Greenbelt or Town Lake trail a mile from my house... My neighborhood is fairly self contained, but does connect to one other subdivision. However, I have yet to make it through without getting turned around, so I must get a better handle on the streets!

I did run a 10 mile race a few weeks ago- I went into it knowing that I hadn't trained as I wanted to, but knew I could cover the distance fairly consistently because of the long runs that Zack and I have been doing over the past few months.  I was actually very happy with my time, knocking about a minute per mile off from my previous middle-distance time.

So, to begin my "Get Back on Track Plan" I headed out for a 10 mile run yesterday. I got a late start due to the time change, so I didn't make it to the trail until about 10:00. What a bad idea- it was so freakin' humid!  After 1 mile of having to control my breathing due to the dense air, I decided to opt for the 7 mile loop- which I completed but not without walking a few times.  Every year I am amazed how Austin switches from cold to humid in a week!

Today, I left work after lunch to head to Arlington for work, a little over a 3 hour drive. My plan was to get a run in on the hotel treadmill as soon as I go to Arlington.  Since I started traveling back in October I realize that my energy level always drops when I travel, then I don't work out as frequently when I am staying in a hotel, which then adds to my energy level dropping even more.  So this time I am going to try to get a workout in as soon as I arrive.  Sure enough, about an hour into the drive I really started to zone out and had to stop for coffee. At the time I couldn't imagine running when I arrived in Arlington, all I wanted to do was take a NAP. Thankfully, the coffee did the trick and I got some energy back.  Once I arrived here I did the "stairmaster" (is that what they still call it? I haven't done the stairmaster in ages) for 15 minutes and then ran for 30.  So, I am on Day-2 of the "Get Back on Track Plan" and all is going well. Yay.

On another note, my son did the Jr. Dillo race on Saturday and had a blast. It was his 3rd year to run the race, which amazes me because he is only 5.  Despite how overwhelming that first one was for him, he was immediately hooked and now looks forward to his races. In addition to running the kids mile race on Saturday he tested for and was awarded his yellow belt in Kung Fu! I love that the entire family likes to run, it is as exciting to wash Zack and Marcel cross the finish line as it is for me to do so!

The Interpretation of (Running) Dreams

I worked in restaurants for about 10 years (before I left for my current job 4 almost 4 years ago) and I used to have "waiter-mares" all of the time- they would go something like this:

I'm waiting on a handful of tables, all of them are asking for many many things- I am running around like crazy and can't seem to keep up with everyone needs. Then I get in my car and head on home. I realize after I am home and settled in, that I have left all of those tables unfinished, waiting for me to come back with their seconds of mash potatoes and Miller Lites.  I panic, and jump in the car to go back to work. I am driving like a maniac trying to get back before anyone notices (yeah right, I have been gone for at least 45 minutes at this point), and the rest of the dream is me jumping curbs, running lights, and running over old ladies. I never make it back to the restaurant and always wake up before I have to confront the angry, hungry mob.

Waiter dreams, they totally sucked (except the one I had where Looking Glass came to the restaurant where I was bartending and sang my favorite song "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl). Everyone I know who has waited tables for any length of time has them, they are all pretty similar- not being able to keep up with demands of angry people- as if it is not bad enough that you have to deal with crappy people on a daily basis, you dream about them too...

So, the reason that I bring this up is because I had a runner-mare last night.  I don't have them often, the worst one so far was the dream I had about having to follow plastic tub flowers as trail markers the night before the Belt race.  Last night's was just strange:

The dream started out with me running with some runners from my Fall training group. We were all running and chatting, having a good time- but I was way overdressed; I had on sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt. I was sweating like mad.  We planned to run to the entrance of the greenbelt and run along the trails for a bit.  I was so hot and uncomfortable, but luckily the trail-head that we were looking for just happened to be in my backyard (which was actually my parents backyard) so I told them I was going to run inside and ditch the layers. So I go inside and decide to change my socks as well.  My laundry is in a GIANT pile on top of the bed, and I try to find a matching pair of socks. Fifteen minutes later, I am still looking for a matching pair of socks... I keep seeing individual socks, but it is such a mess they keep getting sucked back into the pile.  I finally grab 2 socks, not sure if they were matching or not, and head back out.  My running buddies are pretty upset with me for taking so long, but we head to the trail anyway. But suddenly, they are running so fast, and I can barely lift my legs to keep up with them. I can only run a few steps, and then have to stop. And that's it- that's all of the dream- I woke up in the middle of the humiliating run, thankfully.

So, what's up with the laundry and socks in my dream? And my legs- I can understand dreaming about running slowly, but why wouldn't they move? I consulted Soul Future online dream dictionary to get the lowdown...

Laundry: 

• Cleaning up or cleaning out something that no longer serves you
• Ridding yourself of façades or personas - the type of laundry will provide further clues
• Making your personal problems, mistakes and scandals known publicly, revealing your dirty laundry
• Something that is not above board, of impure intent or taboo, laundering

Hmmmm, so the type of laundry will provide a clue...

Socks:

• Disguising or being unfamiliar with your true foundation in life
• Something that really impresses or startles you, knocks your socks off
• Needing to get your act together, pull your socks up
• Being hit with something, opening yourself to receiving bad news, "sock it to me"

OK, so I have a facade that I am this serious runner person, but actually getting my butt out the door the past month has been a bitch, a total struggle,  so I have to get my act together and pull my socks up (despite the fact that they may not match?)  Sounds about right.  Running is haunting me in my dreams, think it is time for a re-evaluation of what I am doing right now (which is NOT MUCH!)

Out and about

Looking at my calendar for the next 3 months is a bit scary- it seems like every weekend we have something major planned; races, parties, Kung Fu tournaments, etc...and I am taking 4 trips for work during that time.  Whoo-eee, I need to hurry up and learn how to manage my life a little better!

Right now I am out of town, in Chapel Hill,  for a conference. We will be working on a project from  noon today until Thursday afternoon; working from 8AM until 8PM most days. When the heck I am going to run!? The grounds have a jogging trail which is a few miles long and I am hoping to get to check it. Otherwise it will be trips to the fitness center early in the morning...yeah right,  we will see how much I actually get to run...When I travel I stay up waaay too late watching crime shows. 

Disturbing sight - on the run

It is raining out,  and I am putting off my trail run right now.  I need to get myself up...but it is so warm and comfy in the house...

Pretty good week- did another spin class on Thursday and really did crank resistance up this time.  Perhaps a bit too much because I felt like I was going to suffocate- but I survived the 3-minute "hill climb" by totally zoning off into another world.  I was abruptly pulled out of my zone when a techno version of  song "The Phantom of the Opera" came on and I burst out laughing.  Strange choice.

Now to the "disturbing sights" part -Yesterday Zack and I ran a hilly 11 mile run through South Austin.   The first half  of the run was in Barton Hills and it was quite hilly ( I chose the route so I put as many hills in as I could...) We headed down to Town Lake for a bit, then we headed up South Congress.  We saw a few people that we knew along the way- it was almost a social event, running up the busy street. We turned on to a quiet side-street to head to home and noticed a pair of  Fruit of the Looms on the ground. Zack and I both made a "yuck" comment to each other, before we saw that the underwear were full of poop.  Then we let out a really big "AW MAN, YUCK!"  It was not the result of a child's potty training accident (not that it would make it OK to litter dirty undergarments on the sidewalk)... No- these were adult underwear.  Now, since starting this  running thing (especially trail running), I have seen a lot of bothersome things on the run- nasty animal poop on the trail, rotting dead animals, disgusting chemical toilets, snakes etc... but there is something very nauseating about seeing pooped-up adult underwear on a quiet neighborhood street.  Probably because I knew that there was some awful story that went along with it- someone was having a BAD DAY.   I couldn't help thinking about an old roommate of mine who had an unfortunate hallucinatory experience and and ended up tossing his soiled boxers up into a tree.  Those things were still up in that tree at least a year after he threw them up there.  I always wondered what the neighbors thought.

Despite the underwear incident, the run was great.  After we passed that area we headed back to our neighborhood for a few more hills before turning onto our street.  I was pretty beat by the end, it was very challenging for me because Zack is a faster runner. He did slow down for me, but I still kept up a faster pace.  I promised him a tougher one next time.

Looking Back

So it has been about a month since the 50K.  I started back on a running schedule this week (or, I'm trying to...), and it really got thinking about what I learned during the whole 50K experience (yeah, I know I already posted some things, but there are more post-race).  It is funny, there are times that I feel very different, like an ultramarathoner, but most of the time I still feel like a newbie runner.  Sometimes I forget that I did it and I will look at a marathon ad in a running magazine and think "man- I wonder if I will ever do one of those...?"

So- what did I learn and how did it change me? Hmmm...

1) Well, I learned that running, trail running that is,  for me is 1) being out there with with nature (cheesy, I know) and 2) about being and the people that I meet and talk to, and not about the competition. Right before Sunmart I found out that  one of my fellow runners had a goal to finish before me.  Why- I don't know because I am pretty slow. But still, it really shook me up.  I was upset about it for the first half of the race- upset because that isn't me... I never invited this competition at any point. I don't compete with the people I run with, not my friends, not on the trails.  Instead, I support my friends out out there- with miles between aid stations and the possibility of getting hurt tripping over a root, getting poked in the eye with a branch, being eaten by an alligator- you gotta stick together.   That is why I like trail racing, people support each other, people will sacrifice their race to make sure someone gets the help they need. 

I didn't want to race with this runner- this was my first race over 25K ever, the first time I would run over 23 miles, and I had to run it for me.  Still, in the back of my mind I kept thinking about how much time was between us, and it made me feel s l o w.  It was hard not to think about that. So, I really had to dig inside myself to get beyond this- to really understand why I was doing this- for me and me only. 

2) The race hurt...but so did my first half-marathon and my first trail run (25K).  Sure, I didn't hurt as BAD as I did at the end of the 50K- but it was my first time running that distance, as was with those other races.  Despite all of the miles and hills that we ran, the training didn't help it hurt less. Doing the back-to-back runs that we did taught us how to continue running while hurting- "running on tired legs" and that is what got me through. Still, I hope that next race will be less painful since I have some experience with the distance now. And now, after running nearly 7 hours, 2 or 3 hours with aching knees, hips, and a very tight IT band- running through the aches and pains is different- achy quads 3 miles into a run is nothing compared to the way I felt 25 miles into the race.  It helps me push a bit more.  I think the experience will make me a stronger runner, whatever the distance.

3) Meeting this goal has made me look at my "nerves" differently.  Before a meeting last week, I felt some butterflies in my stomach but reminded myself that of how nervous I was before Sunmart. After I thought about that, I wasn't nervous about the meeting any more- walking into the meeting- it just didn't seem to compare to the wreck that I was before the race. 

4) Running 19-23 mile long runs per week, 35-40+ miles per week for 3 months - was cool- but not something I can keep up for months at a time. For now, I think that focusing on running some of the shorter trail races will be good for me, then I can perhaps ramp up again for Sunmart or Bandera next year.  You know how sometimes the absence of something makes you really appreciate other things in your life, or makes you realize something important? Well, the absence of these long runs (plus travel to and from) which kept me away from home for a half a day to an entire weekend, made me really appreciate Sunday mornings with my family. Running a great 18 mile run on a Sunday  is fantastic, but so is cuddling with my son drinking a great cup of coffee and taking Salado to the dog park. Or, SLEEPING IN is a nice change too!

Those are some of the things that have been swimming around in my head in the past month. I'm sure there are more, since running is on my mind quite a bit, but that is all I can remember right now...

Goals for 2006- I guess you would call them resolutions?

I lost my list of 2005 resolutions.  I think I met some of the goals at least- things went well for me at work (I changed jobs a few months ago), I lost a bit of weight, I stuck to my workout schedule mostly, and I finished a 50K which was well beyond my "distance" goal.  And family-wise things were great- saved a chunk of money for a house down-payment and Marcel learned to read early this year (a goal that Zack and I had made).

I would have like to have been more disciplined about getting up early to work out (which would make my life much easier post workday) and I would have liked to cross train more.  But, other than that I am pretty satisfied with 2005.

So, what is in store for 2006? For general running & fitness goals- well, first off, enough lazying around post Sunmart.  I forced myself to get out there today and work off the Spinach dip, funnel cake, and Smidgens that I ate too much of yesterday.  I ran about 3.5 miles on the road, and actually opted to go up Wilke (steep hill) and not take the easy way out. I was dying halfway up the hill, but hey- I tried.  It was fun to be lazy and sit around watching cable all day in Syracuse while eating non-stop- but enough. So goal number #1 is just to get back on track. 

The others:

Cross Train, get back to lifting 2 times a week.

More weekday morning workouts. It makes life soooooo much easier to get it done early in the day. No rushing around making dinner...

Not to take running too seriously and blow off other important things.  I want to enjoy it and I want it to be a big part of my life- but I need to learn how to enjoy it while not obsessing about it.  I want a healthier relationship with my running. Perhaps "more weekday morning workouts" will help me with this by getting my workouts done before the day really starts.

Run with my husband- Up until last week when in Syracuse, Zack and I hadn't really "run"  together  (besides short spurts of  running with Marcel at the trail once in a while) since August of 2003, our 4th wedding anniversary. We are going to buy a block of childcare at Marcel's learning center and vow to get out on the trails together a few times a month. Starting tomorrow since we have the day off and Marcel has school!  I am going to show him the Greenbelt from start to finish.

Specific Running Goals-

Run another 50K- hopefully Sunmart if schedules permit.

Get faster. I noticed improvement in my speed after doing hill-work and speed-work- gotta keep it up. 

PR at Rocky Raccoon 25K (or equivalent course, depending on schedule) again.

Non Running Goals-

Keep in better touch with friends and family.  I totally suck at this, see goal "not to take running too seriously" above.

Be more honest with people. Not that I am dishonest, because I'm not. I just don't tell people what I really feel sometimes.  Looking back on some of the incidents of the past year, I really regret not letting people know that I was upset, and why I was upset. As I have learned, not addressing the issue leads to festering problems that do not go away. Gotta stop that.

Learn how to play my drum. Yeah, really.  Zack got me a beautiful hand-carved Djembe for Christmas.  I have no clue how to use it, I'm just banging on it right now...

Spend more time reading to and with Marcel. The little dude can read on his own, but I continue to work with him on reading as well as read to him still. Zack started reading Narnia to him (a Christmas gift from Mom) and I would like to do something like that also.

Be a good dog parent.  Oooh, have we had a rough start with our pup.  He chewed up 3 pairs of my shoes, the baseboards on every corner, Zack's hat,  his retractable leash, etc etc... Which isn't unusual I know- he is a puppy. A big puppy.  But his energy level was almost unmanageable for while there since we are folks who are away from home all day during the week. The evenings were really out of control and left us frustrated and exhausted.  Things are much better now as long as we continue to devote time to him to let his energy out by going the dog park and greenbelt.

Snowy Christmas

I guess I forgot to mention that I was in Syracuse this past week, which is where the snowman picture was taken.  It was nice to be home! I made it out to run a few times, negotiating snow here and there on the roads.  Returned to Austin wearing my "winter clothes" and found that it was 80 degrees here! I was wearing a wool sweater a skirt and tights when we got off the plane.

Haven't done much running really, just enjoying the break from the structured schedule. Instead I am just running when I feel like it. In a few weeks I will start up a running schedule again, but for now it is fun to be L A Z Y.  I feel like I need to take a break so I don't burn out.  I love running, but taking a break from it here and there helps me appreciate it more.

Working on some New Year's resolutions- for life and running.  I have to get life more organized!

Tag

Hey- It's a bit late, but I was tagged by Christine on Monday and I am just getting around to it!

The rules: list 5 random facts about yourself and list 5 names of folks you'd like to know more about...

Here we go:

1) I worked at an amusement park one summer and rode one of the nasty wooden roller coasters with the safety bar unlocked.  My friend who I was riding with was friends with the person who was supposed to make sure the bars were locked- but somehow the bar got unlocked...And I stood up.  Yeah, I had a few too many beers before that one.

2) My favorite movies are all extremely depressing movies. The more depressing, the better- movies like  Requiem for a Dream, Magnolia, Amores Perros...

3) I grew up in Central New York where it snows for months, yet I have never tried to downhill ski.  Cross country skiing was a disaster enough. 

4) My father worked for a television station for years and when I was little they used to use my brother and I for little commercials.  My brother was well known in the community as the "school closing kid" for his appearance in a spot that was used to remind viewers to check Channel 5 for school closings. In the commercial he is heading for the bus, dressed in a full-on snowsuit,  and my mom calls out the front door to tell him school is closed.  When he hears the news, he jumps in the air, and he is frozen mid air while some goofy music plays.  The commercial ran for years, he was in high school (driving no less) and they were still playing that spot. I, on the other hand had a less visible role as "illiterate girl" in which I had to purposely misspell words on a chalkboard.  Sometimes, I also got to pull names out of a barrel on the Saturday Showboat, a local kids show.

5)  The Sound of Music was one last night, and I realized I know every word to every single song . And, I actually still love every one of them.  The dog however did not enjoy my singing on my yodeling on this one (my favorite):

High on a hill was a lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Loud was the voice of the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Since I think I am a bit late on this tag, I don't think there is anyone that I can tag that hasn't already been tagged...If you haven't, go ahead and tag yourself for me- I love hearing all of the answers!

Running without a plan

.....is kinda cool.  I'm back to running for 30 minutes- just enough time to fit into a workout at the gym, or to walk the dog.  It's nice to run without the pressure of getting in a certain amount of miles, at a certain speed- etc...  Yesterday I brought Salado down to the Greenbelt and we explored some of the trails that make up the "Toy Loop" and I let him run around the creek bed too.

Zack and I went to REI yesterday to do some Christmas "window shopping". But, we we each walked away with a pair of Montrails. Oops. We aren't even going to bother to wrap them for each other, we already threw away the boxes.  I thought I would try a shoe with a bit more support- I love the Cascadias that I wear right now, but after Sunmart I realized that perhaps I need a shoe with a bit more arch support for longer distances.  So, I'm going check these out.

Only a few more days in this wonderful, cool, Austin weather...then it is off to snowland. Marcel is excited to see the snow (he doesn't remember much of the last time he played in the snow). Me- I can live without the snow, which is the reason why I live in Texas now...but I'll bundle up and run around in it for my little man.  It's 40 degrees and cloudy here, 29 degrees with snow showers there...

Marcel and Zack will be running a local Jingle Bell Run tomorrow- looking forward to running the Kid's K with Mar.  I'm sure to take a bunch of pictures of my reindeer antler and Santa hat-wearing guys. - still looking for the perfect one for the Christmas cards that I have yet to send out... And speaking of pictures, Brightroom shot a few photos of a cold Marcel at Sunmart last week- we searched the lost and found for them - I thought this one was pretty cute. My pictures on the other hand, not so cute.

A few photos

The beach at South Padre Island where I was early this week (for a conference). I was able to run on the beach twice- it was fun going down the beach, not so fun running back up...the wind made it pretty darn difficult.  And the jelly-fish globs that you have to avoid make it interesting as well.

       

Rookie beach-runner mistake- I didn't take my running show off after my workout. Needless to say, I had sand everywhere by the end of the trip. 

My socks after a 15 mile run on the greenbelt today.  It was a beautiful, dry and windy day. I did not cross any muddy creeks, nor did I run in any mud. Still my wonderful new socks look like this.

Oh yeah, and as you can see Salado is enjoying my nasty dirty socks.

Catching up

I feel like I am so behind in everything! Cleaning, reading,reading blogs, posting on the blog, emails...this new job and my Sunmart training is taking all of my energy..,

So, a bit late, but I am finally getting to Lara's tag- what is the the 5th sentence of your 23rd post?

It looks like my 23rd post was only two sentences:

Posted about my great Greenbelt hike at our other blog and added a photo album here as well. More to come because I plan to be at the greenbelt quite a bit from now on...

From May 3rd, after going down to the Greenbelt for the first time in years. Little did I know how MUCH I was going to be down there!

So I will use the 5th line of my 22nd post instead:

I can't wait to go on a trek and use it!

Also from May 3rd, posted after I purchased my Camelbak on a whim. I just thought it would be cool to have when I hit the Greenbelt.  At the time I had no idea that I would be relying on it to get me through 4 and 5 hour runs, carrying gels, Imodium, e-caps, gummy worms, a camera (sometimes), my cell-phone (sometimes), trail maps, baby wipes, and my keys. I've attached a bottle of Powerade to the outside and tied bandannas to the straps as well. A Lifesaver !

Question...

O.K- So you are chatting up running with a coworker or running buddy, and something said reminds you of a fellow running-blogger. Or you someone mentions a race that a fellow running blogger is running, and you join in "oh yeah, I know someone that is running that".  Or you mention meeting up with someone for a run (in another state, another city, your own city)...How do you explain to people how you know the fellow running blogger? Do you tell them that it is someone that you met through your blog...? What if they don't even get the whole blog thing? Or they aren't hip to this whole thing and they think it is a "chat room" ?

I have recently had a few moments where I realize that the person that I am talking to thinks I am completely nuts for meeting and corresponding with runners I have met through my blog.  I never know quite what to say, and I always get this strange stare, as if I am running around knocking on strangers doors, asking them to run with me and share their training stories...

Anyone else?

The Whys?

Yesterday I had one of those moments when I realized how much I put my legs through in a week and how much I will be putting them through in the coming months.  It was afternoon, and I had run 15 miles the day before and 3 on the treadmill yesterday morning.  I got out of the car to walk across the parking lot into the mall, and it hurt.  I was stiff and slow, my ankles were aching and my shins were sore. And for a moment I stepped outside of my body and looked down at myself hobbling along and wondered "Why?"  Why do I put myself through the twisted ankles, the sore shins, the achy knees, the stomach issues, the sweating buckets in the summer heat?  Why do I wake up before the sun comes up on the weekend to subject myself to this? Why do I want to run 31 miles? It seemed so ridiculous.

And then I was thinking about the Pike's Peak Marathon reports that I have been reading over the last week - the pain, the tears, the lack of oxygen, the stomach issues, the hail and snow, the fear of heights, but also the exhilaration of turning around and going back down the mountain, and the feeling of accomplishment of completing such a tough race.  I read some fantastic accounts of local runners experiences and they all got me thinking that I just may shoot for that in the coming years. 

The "whys?" passed pretty quickly I guess.  I don't know if I have the answer yet.

What a week!

All I can say is it has been a crazy, busy, tiring, emotional, and interesting week.

Tuesday afternoon I got a call from Marcel's teacher to let me know that he had a 100.5 fever and we needed to come get him.  Zack sped over and picked him up right away- when he arrived Marcel was looking pretty green.  On the way home he puked in the car- poor bugger.  Once home, he was sick again, and completely worn out, with a fever fluctuating between 99-101.  He had these dark circles under his eyes, and he was worn out.  The vomiting seemed to be under control and we put him to bed with a slight fever, hoping it would break in the night.

On Wednesday he was much  better, but still had a fever.  When I asked him if anything hurt, or if he felt sick- he said "no". Strange- he had a fever, but felt fine...? Finally I called the doctor to make an appointment for Thursday, figuring he probably had an ear infection (in the past he has had ear infections, but never complained of any pain).  Zack brought him to the doctor the next day to find out he had step throat! Don't know how the child could have strep throat and not feel any pain, but I guess that happens...I've had strep many times, and each time it is just downright painful.

Also on Thursday, I was offered a promotion to another program, which I happily accepted . It was exciting, but also nerve wracking. It will be a complete change from what I am doing now. You would have thought that I would have been giddy when I got home on Thursday night, but I was completely drained from the whole experience. It hasn't really hit me yet- I start the new position next week, I am sure that it will hit me then- when I realize just how much there is to learn, and how much responsibility I will have!

So, with all of that going on I was able to get to the gym once and out to the trail for about 4.5 miles- but that wasn't really the focus this week.  Making sure Marcel was well, and taking some time to enjoy my good news was the focus this week. Marcel is doing well, and it no longer contagious so he can get back out there and do all of his weekend things.

So that's that for the week- I had a great, tough run on the greenbelt yesterday morning that I will write about shortly. 

Chill

Tonight my husband has advised me to chill the hell out.  To R E L A X.  As did my son- "Mom, you need to chee-uull".  We were all having a conversation about my lack of chill, and Zack enlisted Marcel to help convince me to grab a book and head out to a coffee shop. The coaxing failed when Zack said to him,   "Marcel, what is your Mom's favorite drink?". He was expecting him to say "coffee". Instead,   Marcel's answer- "Powerade". 

Between running, working, being a Mom, cleaning, cooking, doing the laundry- it appears that I am running around like a crazy woman and scaring my family with my hardcore freaky insistence about making homemade meals every night, and making sure every sweaty piece of workout clothing is washed within an hour of wearing it.  Did you see Requiem for a Dream?Remember when Sara Goldfarb was running around cleaning the house after taking all that speed? Well, that's me- without the drugs. 

I'm having a hard time sitting still in the evening.  Go figure that running is my hobby.  Not that this is anything new, but the past week I have taken my mania to a new level.  Zack has been on crutches just over a week and I am running around making sure that he has everything he needs.  He can not do things like carry a glass of water into another room, or pull a pizza out of the oven. He can't take the garbage out,  vacuum, or iron his clothes. Because of this, I am running around like a mother hen, making sure that he is comfortable and has clothes for work and cold water, in addition to trying to keep the house clean and food on the table.  Now, I am happy to do all of this for him and more,  and I am thankful that his leg injury hasn't required surgery. He is actually quite independent with the crutches, but there are some things that just don't work right now. I'm going a bit overboard.  So, I help him with his stuff and do the rest of the cleaning and cooking and I am not stopping a moment to rest until I practically pass out at the end of the day.  Oh, and Zack wants me to mention that I rarely take lunch breaks at work too.

And of course, I am trying to keep up a decent running schedule as well.

You know, I never was like this until I was pregnant and started nesting. Before Marcel I could sit in a room full of dirty laundry and not bat an eye. Just ask my old roommates who waded through my dirty laundry for years, or ask my mother about the stinky rotting broccoli she found in my closet weeks after I threw my Social Studies diorama project (which included real broccoli trees) in there. 

Ugh.  I told Zack I would try to relax and not fret about the pile of laundry next to the bed that needs to be put away.  Not to stress about the 4 dishes in the sink. I agreed that a PBJ is OK for dinner sometimes, instead of a homemade meal. 

Now the question is, can I?

New Workout

This afternoon I found a new way to get a great upper body workout:

Just teach your 42 pound child how to roller skate.

I'm beat.

(oh, and I ran 3 miles this morning, not nearly as tough)

Back out there

I headed down to the greenbelt yesterday morning prepared to see how far I could go without getting too tired, too hot, or too lost.  I made it about 11 miles round trip, with a stop at the creek to soak my feet before heading up the Hill of life.  And, I didn't get lost. 

I found I ran much more slowly by myself, perhaps because I was fearful of twisting an ankle or falling - and being by myself (though I was never far from a mountain biker, hiker, runner, or dog-walker).  I took the downhills easy, and walked through the trickier areas.  I twisted my ankle about 4 miles into the run and thought that I was going to have get Zack to come pick me up at the next trail head-but after walking it off for about 5 minutes, I was able to run again.  I did find out that I get cell phone service down near the creek, so that is a good thing to know.

I can't say it was a wonderful run because I was very hot for the last half, but it was good run. I use my Camelback when I run at the greenbelt (unless I am doing under 6 miles), and by the second half of the run my water was warm. That warm water did nothing to quench my thirst, and a few times I just spit it out it was so unappealing.  I need to figure out a place to stash a frozen water bottle at the halfway point, it will really help to keep my body temperature down, and make me more comfortable.  I also experimented with using Lifesavers instead of gels, which worked well- but I did have one gel about an hour and 15 minutes into the run.

After the run yesterday I tried a new product- the Powerbar Recovery drink powder.  I had frozen a bottle of water Saturday night and brought it with me in the car. By the time I got back to the car the water was melted, but icy cold.  I dumped the powder in and shook it up, and was a bit dismayed that it was not appearing to mix.  Perhaps the water was too cold? Anyway, it looked like shit, but it actually was good.  It was salty and sour, which was just what I needed, and I drank most of it by the time I was home.  When I got home I had Marcel and Zack taste it, and they said it was horrible!  I guess it tastes good after being in the heat for a few hours.  That stuff really did the trick though- I didn't feel that hazy, drained feeling that I usually get after a longer run in the heat.

Monster asked today what my training looks like right now - well, before the 25K at the end of July I was at 24-27 miles per week, I decreased my mileage before the race because my shin was bothering me, I did the race, then I went on vacation and was lazy. It has been a nice 2 weeks of lower mileage, but it is time to work up to higher mileage weeks again.  So, the plan now is to bump my mileage back up to 25+ miles/week, then have a light week the week before I start the 50K training program in mid-September.  I know that this training program is going to put me in my place, and I'd like to make the transition as painless as possible.  Though I know there will be pain. 

Struggling and Sloshing

Is it possible that I lost my Texas heat acclimation when I went to New York for a week?

I went out for a 6 mile run on the greenbelt yesterday that turned into a death march. The first 3 miles were OK, but shortly after I turned around to head back to the car, I realized that I wasn't sweating. Now, I am a very sweaty person- so this is odd for me. I had some water with me, but couldn't drink much of it because it was warm- so it wasn't like I was drinking a ton of water on the run. Well, whatever the reason,  the result of this lack of sweating was a horrible, sloshing stomach. It was so loud and nasty. I had to alternate running and walking on the way back. Then, I had to climb the HillofLife after all of that, warm water the only thing to quench my thirst as I baked in the sun.  I've never been so happy to see my car (and cold Powerade) , as I was yesterday.

Yuck. That was so weird.  It was like it was my first day running in the heat, regardless of all of the running I have been doing this summer. Can one week away really from Texas really affect you that much?

Good news though- there is water in the upper part of the creek again! I could hear the little waterfall flowing as I made my way down from the hill, and then when I returned to the hill. That is a perfect sound to hear out there on a run, no matter how crappy I felt.

Vacation NO Running Part 3

My trip to the local State Park for some trail running was sidelined by exhaustion. After running around for the first 4 days of the trip; traveling to Alex Bay, running a 5K, going to camp, attending a wedding and wedding brunch, and a big ol' bbq at my parents house - my body rebelled and the thought of running a step seemed impossible. 

Oh, and not to mention the Zack and I stayed up way too late every night watching episodes of Six Feet Under on Icontrol...

So, no running for the past few days. I don't know if I could make it around the block! When I get home I am going to eat brown rice for a week after all of the indulgent eating we have been doing here! I got my fill of all the local specialties just as planned, I had my Buffalo wings, my favorite pizza (dipped in blue cheese), Mom's stroganoff, half moon cookies, Croghan Bologna, cheese curds...

A wonderful vacation! We are heading out in a few hours, soon to be back to our lives in Austin.

I'll miss it here.

Vacation Running Part 2

Well, there isn't a whole lot of running going on here while I am on this vacation. Probably because  my mother's and grandmother's wonderfully rich cooking and the Croghan Bologna that I keep nibbling on are not fueling me very well. Probably also because I have stayed up waaaay too late the last two nights ordering Six Feet Under episodes on the IControl.

I did however get to run a 5K cross country race in Cazenovia on Thursday, with Lara! It was great to meet her in person and we had a fun and interesting run on the cross country fields at Cazenovia College. It was my first cross-country experience, and it wasn't easy by any means! Running over such a soft surface (including much horse poo) was strange but fun, but took much more energy to move forward than on the trails.

Well, off to another function and another day of no running. Ahhh vacation.