Last night, after working in the yard and taking Emma on a long walk, I decided to treat myself to a Dairy Queen blizzard. I pulled into the drive-thru, and it was about 8 cars long. As I was waiting, I saw a family walking through the parking lot. It was a dad (I assume) and two kids - the kids looked to be 4 or 5 years old. The dad was a few yards ahead of them, talking on a cell phone. The kids were behind him, weaving in and out of cars, and running around...in a parking lot. At one point I lost sight of the boy, but then caught him coming out of a fenced dumpster area - yes, a dumpster area! Meanwhile, the dad has no idea because he is so engrossed in his cell phone conversation. The little boy called out to him at one point, and the dad turned around and lunged forward at him with a bark/growl type sound, like some crazy dog. The little boy recoiled and kept walking, a few lengths behind.
In honor of Mother's Day, I would like to give a "shout out" to my mom and dad. I know my mom is a faithful reader! I am so glad that I grew up in a safe environment. No matter what I did, I never had to worry about being hit or being left to wander alone in a parking lot. My sister and I were always getting into trouble and we were disciplined, but we never lived in fear. I hope that one day, when Chad and I are parents, we can draw from all of the wonderful things our parents have taught us over the years.
On a lighter note, I took Emma to the dog park this morning. Once again, we were the only people there! Dog parks aren't too fun when you are there alone. I don't think Emma got enough of a workout, so I'll be taking her for a long walk later today.
My training is about to kick back into gear, and I am really excited. I did some light workouts last week, swimming and 2-3 mile runs, but I'm going to start upping the mileage this week. My hope is that I can still get all my workouts in while I'm in Dallas. I'll be staying with my sister and she is in incredible shape (marathoner, cycler, collegiate lacrosse player and body building hopeful), so I'm thinking we can work out together and she can show me some good running routes.
I'm thinking of finding some stat counter type things for my training and integrating it into my blog. I really enjoy reading other running/training blogs (such as Jay's Ironman Training Blog, Running Chick with the Orange Hat, and Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong) It is really interesting and inspiring to see their progress.
I will post Boston pictures soon - I had a great time on the trip!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Friday, May 4, 2007
World Tour
Starting Sunday, Chad and I will begin zig-zagging across the country. I'm off to Boston for a conference, then Chad is off to D.C. to be in his good friends wedding, then I'm off to Dallas for my sister's graduation! Unfortunately we will be making our trips solo, so I'm sad that Chad and I will be apart all of those days. But, I know we will each have a great time on our respective trips. Plus, lil Emma will get to stay at home and not have to go to the kennel. I'm already planning a fun outing for us at a dog park when I get back from Boston.
I know Chad is looking forward to his trip to D.C. - he gets to spend the weekend with some old friends and be a part of a really swanky wedding. He is also very excited and honored because they've asked him to read Scripture during the mass (it is a Catholic wedding). Chad is excited, and he is even going to bust out his Catholic Bible!
I am really looking forward to my trip to Dallas. I know it will be so great to see my family and catch up with everyone, and I am also so excited about the food! My sister Megan and I have plans to hit up Braums, Taco Bueno, Taco Cabana, and Burger Street. My lost Texas loves - I will get to revel in them once again!
As for my marathon training, I'm getting ready to really ramp up my workouts. After my half marathon, I've realized that I need to be at a completely different level of fitness, and in a completely different state of mind, if I am going to be successful in my marathon. While I am in Boston I plan to get some miles in, and also do some swimming. I'm going to try and not let my traveling affect my training, although I can already see it is going to affect my diet! I've got some 5ks and 10ks throughout the next few months, and hopefully I can squeeze in one more half marathon before the big one in October.
I know Chad is looking forward to his trip to D.C. - he gets to spend the weekend with some old friends and be a part of a really swanky wedding. He is also very excited and honored because they've asked him to read Scripture during the mass (it is a Catholic wedding). Chad is excited, and he is even going to bust out his Catholic Bible!
I am really looking forward to my trip to Dallas. I know it will be so great to see my family and catch up with everyone, and I am also so excited about the food! My sister Megan and I have plans to hit up Braums, Taco Bueno, Taco Cabana, and Burger Street. My lost Texas loves - I will get to revel in them once again!
As for my marathon training, I'm getting ready to really ramp up my workouts. After my half marathon, I've realized that I need to be at a completely different level of fitness, and in a completely different state of mind, if I am going to be successful in my marathon. While I am in Boston I plan to get some miles in, and also do some swimming. I'm going to try and not let my traveling affect my training, although I can already see it is going to affect my diet! I've got some 5ks and 10ks throughout the next few months, and hopefully I can squeeze in one more half marathon before the big one in October.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Post Race Post Script
I did it! I ran 13.1 miles in a reasonable time. My goal was to finish in under 2:30. My hope was to finish around 2:15. I came in right in the middle of my two goals at 2:22:17.
On Friday afternoon, I got home from work to find some surprises waiting for me on the back porch. Our friend Sarah had left 2 packs of Sportz Beanz and an encouraging note. Our friends Amberly and Ryan brought me some McDonalds gift certificates (double cheeseburgers!!!) and an equally encouraging note. I looked at my gifts with tears in my eyes - thankful for such wonderful and generous friends!
Race Day Run Down:
3:20am - Rolled out of bed and started making my breakfast, double checking my bag, and getting dressed
3:30am - Woke Chad up with surprising ease
3:55am - Dragged Emma out of bed to go to the bathroom, then tucked her back under the covers
4:00am - Hit the road! Our journey to Louisville had begun.
4:20am - Stopped at Doughdaddy's donuts for a pre-race treat!
5:40am - Arrived in Louisville at the convention center (picked up my race packet, hit the bathrooms, and caught a bus to the starting line)
6:40am - Arrived at the starting line (hit the bathrooms once again!)
7:00am - Started stretching, applying band-aids, then I found my spot in the crowd near the 10 minute mile pacer group. I talked with a man who was near me about the marathon course and about Wilmore - he went to Asbury College back in the day.
7:30am - And we're off! The race started right on time.
Mile 1-8: These miles felt like I was floating on clouds. I was sticking close to my 10 minute mile pace and everything felt good. My breathing was fine, and my legs felt like I could keep running all day. We went through Iroquis Park - and I felt great as I breezed through the hills that had previously crippled me during the Papa Johns 10 Miler.
Mile 8: Reality set in and I started to hurt when I realized I still had 5 miles to go. Between miles 8-9, we ran through a section of Churchill Downs. This was probably my favorite part of the course - we ran through a long tunnel and everyone was hooting and hollering. I know it sounds cheesy, but I got goosebumps! It was one of many times throughout the day where I was like - "Ok, I am really doing this!"
Mile 10: This is where things started to turn for the worse. My hamstrings were cramping, and I decided to walk through one of the water stops. I decided to eat 3 of my Sportz Beanz, and take in a lot of water. Not a good idea. About a 1/2 mile later, I felt like the Sportz Beanz and water were about to come back with a vengeance. I was reduced to a run/walk shuffle for about 2 miles for fear of getting violently ill on the course. I also was thinking...how in the world am I ever going to do 26.2 miles in October!
Mile 12: The best mile of the day! The thing that kept me going through miles 10-12 was knowing that Chad would be waiting for me between miles 12-13. I knew that I had to keep going to get to him, and that I had to be running and looking good when I passed him! Just as I thought I could not go on any longer without finding a bathroom of some sort, a White Castle emerged on the horizon. And who was standing in front? Chad! It was the happiest moment of the race for me. He let out a strange yell/cheer, and I hugged him and told him that my stomach was killing me. He said that he'd seen people using the White Castle restroom, so we went in and I got things taken care of. I felt like a new person when I came out, so I said my goodbyes and headed out to finish the last 1.1 miles.
Mile 13: The course was lined heavily with spectators and I held my head high and lengthened my stride as I made way to the finish line. As I passed under the finish line, I slowed to a walk and tried to get my bearings.
Post Race: I got my finisher's medal, turned in my timing chip, and made my way to the food (my favorite part!) There were all kinds of things, but sadly no donuts like my friends got in Nashville at the Country Music Marathon. There were the obligatory bananas and bagels, but I opted for pretzels, Doritoes, and Take 5 candy bars. And while the thought of eating another Sportz Bean made me want to puke, I grabbed a handful of the fruit punch samples the Jelly Belly vendor had available. I've searched all over for the fruit punch flavor to no avail, and plus - those things are $1 pack so I stocked up on all the freebies I could get. I didn't really go overboard though, I just got three packs. I grabbed some water and PowerAde and made my way to the "Runners Re-Unite" area to find Chad. I was stumbling along, not sure of where I was going, and then all of a sudden Chad was beside me! I was glad we were able to find each other so quickly. We made our way back to the car, where I saw that I had some voicemails and text messages. After listening to some voicemails and reading a text message from my sister - I burst into tears! I was so happy and relieved with what I had just accomplished, and then to see that my friends and family had been thinking about me - it was just too much! I gathered myself together and we headed towards home, stopping at McDonalds for a double cheeseburger, of course!
On Friday afternoon, I got home from work to find some surprises waiting for me on the back porch. Our friend Sarah had left 2 packs of Sportz Beanz and an encouraging note. Our friends Amberly and Ryan brought me some McDonalds gift certificates (double cheeseburgers!!!) and an equally encouraging note. I looked at my gifts with tears in my eyes - thankful for such wonderful and generous friends!
Race Day Run Down:
3:20am - Rolled out of bed and started making my breakfast, double checking my bag, and getting dressed
3:30am - Woke Chad up with surprising ease
3:55am - Dragged Emma out of bed to go to the bathroom, then tucked her back under the covers
4:00am - Hit the road! Our journey to Louisville had begun.
4:20am - Stopped at Doughdaddy's donuts for a pre-race treat!
5:40am - Arrived in Louisville at the convention center (picked up my race packet, hit the bathrooms, and caught a bus to the starting line)
6:40am - Arrived at the starting line (hit the bathrooms once again!)
7:00am - Started stretching, applying band-aids, then I found my spot in the crowd near the 10 minute mile pacer group. I talked with a man who was near me about the marathon course and about Wilmore - he went to Asbury College back in the day.
7:30am - And we're off! The race started right on time.
Mile 1-8: These miles felt like I was floating on clouds. I was sticking close to my 10 minute mile pace and everything felt good. My breathing was fine, and my legs felt like I could keep running all day. We went through Iroquis Park - and I felt great as I breezed through the hills that had previously crippled me during the Papa Johns 10 Miler.
Mile 8: Reality set in and I started to hurt when I realized I still had 5 miles to go. Between miles 8-9, we ran through a section of Churchill Downs. This was probably my favorite part of the course - we ran through a long tunnel and everyone was hooting and hollering. I know it sounds cheesy, but I got goosebumps! It was one of many times throughout the day where I was like - "Ok, I am really doing this!"
Mile 10: This is where things started to turn for the worse. My hamstrings were cramping, and I decided to walk through one of the water stops. I decided to eat 3 of my Sportz Beanz, and take in a lot of water. Not a good idea. About a 1/2 mile later, I felt like the Sportz Beanz and water were about to come back with a vengeance. I was reduced to a run/walk shuffle for about 2 miles for fear of getting violently ill on the course. I also was thinking...how in the world am I ever going to do 26.2 miles in October!
Mile 12: The best mile of the day! The thing that kept me going through miles 10-12 was knowing that Chad would be waiting for me between miles 12-13. I knew that I had to keep going to get to him, and that I had to be running and looking good when I passed him! Just as I thought I could not go on any longer without finding a bathroom of some sort, a White Castle emerged on the horizon. And who was standing in front? Chad! It was the happiest moment of the race for me. He let out a strange yell/cheer, and I hugged him and told him that my stomach was killing me. He said that he'd seen people using the White Castle restroom, so we went in and I got things taken care of. I felt like a new person when I came out, so I said my goodbyes and headed out to finish the last 1.1 miles.
Mile 13: The course was lined heavily with spectators and I held my head high and lengthened my stride as I made way to the finish line. As I passed under the finish line, I slowed to a walk and tried to get my bearings.
Post Race: I got my finisher's medal, turned in my timing chip, and made my way to the food (my favorite part!) There were all kinds of things, but sadly no donuts like my friends got in Nashville at the Country Music Marathon. There were the obligatory bananas and bagels, but I opted for pretzels, Doritoes, and Take 5 candy bars. And while the thought of eating another Sportz Bean made me want to puke, I grabbed a handful of the fruit punch samples the Jelly Belly vendor had available. I've searched all over for the fruit punch flavor to no avail, and plus - those things are $1 pack so I stocked up on all the freebies I could get. I didn't really go overboard though, I just got three packs. I grabbed some water and PowerAde and made my way to the "Runners Re-Unite" area to find Chad. I was stumbling along, not sure of where I was going, and then all of a sudden Chad was beside me! I was glad we were able to find each other so quickly. We made our way back to the car, where I saw that I had some voicemails and text messages. After listening to some voicemails and reading a text message from my sister - I burst into tears! I was so happy and relieved with what I had just accomplished, and then to see that my friends and family had been thinking about me - it was just too much! I gathered myself together and we headed towards home, stopping at McDonalds for a double cheeseburger, of course!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Half-Marathon...T-Minus 4 days!
The countdown to my half-marathon has begun! In 4 days, I will be traipsing through Louisville, each step taking me closer to my goal of completing a half-marathon. I'm currently in the tapering phase of my training - this has its ups and downs.
It's good because I am getting to cut back on my mileage and rest up a little bit, but its bad because I have to pay a little more attention to the calories I'm bringing. It's easy to eat like a ravenous caveman when I am burning about 700 calories each morning, but since I've cut back on my work-outs, I need to make sure I don't pack on any extra weight that I will have to carry around with me on Saturday. My husband is an amazing cook and has been making me great meals this week (steak tacos, pork loin with cous cous...I know, I'm lucky!) and it has been relatively easy to eat healthy and be mindful of my portions. On Friday, Chad and I have been invited to a Lexington Legends (semi-pro baseball) game. My plan is to pick up my usual pre long run meal at Fazoli's (whole wheat pasta, tomato sauce, meatballs, ceaser salad, unsweet tea) and eat it on the way to the game.
Saturday morning, Chad and I will leave our house at 4:00am in order to arrive in Louisville at 5:45am. From there, I will pick up my bib number and race packet, hop a bus to the starting line, and then cross the starting line at 7:30am. I am very excited, but also very nervous about the logistics of being at all the right places at all the right times. However, that is to be expected since I tend to be a nervous person. Chad and I have a plan of how we are going to meet up at the end, and we can only pray that it will work out. The weather is supposed to be beautiful, and I have a feeling that everything will work out just fine. I keep trying to decide what I would like my post-race meal to be (after I gather up some goodies from the post-race party) and right now I really think I would like it to be McDonalds. There is just something about eating a double cheeseburger after a long run.
I also want to give a shout-out and wish good luck to all of my training buddies from Wilmore who are running in the Nashville Country Music half-marathon this weekend. I know that everyone will do well!
It's good because I am getting to cut back on my mileage and rest up a little bit, but its bad because I have to pay a little more attention to the calories I'm bringing. It's easy to eat like a ravenous caveman when I am burning about 700 calories each morning, but since I've cut back on my work-outs, I need to make sure I don't pack on any extra weight that I will have to carry around with me on Saturday. My husband is an amazing cook and has been making me great meals this week (steak tacos, pork loin with cous cous...I know, I'm lucky!) and it has been relatively easy to eat healthy and be mindful of my portions. On Friday, Chad and I have been invited to a Lexington Legends (semi-pro baseball) game. My plan is to pick up my usual pre long run meal at Fazoli's (whole wheat pasta, tomato sauce, meatballs, ceaser salad, unsweet tea) and eat it on the way to the game.
Saturday morning, Chad and I will leave our house at 4:00am in order to arrive in Louisville at 5:45am. From there, I will pick up my bib number and race packet, hop a bus to the starting line, and then cross the starting line at 7:30am. I am very excited, but also very nervous about the logistics of being at all the right places at all the right times. However, that is to be expected since I tend to be a nervous person. Chad and I have a plan of how we are going to meet up at the end, and we can only pray that it will work out. The weather is supposed to be beautiful, and I have a feeling that everything will work out just fine. I keep trying to decide what I would like my post-race meal to be (after I gather up some goodies from the post-race party) and right now I really think I would like it to be McDonalds. There is just something about eating a double cheeseburger after a long run.
I also want to give a shout-out and wish good luck to all of my training buddies from Wilmore who are running in the Nashville Country Music half-marathon this weekend. I know that everyone will do well!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
I came across this picture today on The Daily Puppy and I thought that it was just too cute to pass up.
Chad and I have an exciting few days ahead of us - his family is in town! We are so excited to have them in Kentucky. We've got lots of fun stuff planned, including (you guessed it) a bbq!
I am really looking forward to having a few days off of work to relax and be with friends and family...it is definitely time for a vacation!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Exciting Day
Chad and I are watching American Gladiators on ESPN Classic and it is amazing. My sister and I loved American Gladiators when we were growing up. One of our best friend's aunts actually was an American Gladiator ("Freeze" from Dallas) and we were stricken with awe every time we saw her. On Saturday morning, after watching the show, we would set up our own AG course in the living room. We would re-create each event, including "Assault", "Human Cannonball", "Snapback" and of course..."The Eliminator." We would use anything we could get our hands on to outfit the course: tennis balls, socks, couch cushions, etc. We had so much fun, and only broke a handful of bones.
I am also very excited because I got a bike today! Granted, it is a 90's splatter-painted Huffy Mt. Storm pre-teen bike, but hey - it was out on someone's curb and it was free! Chad is going to paint it for me, and then I'll hit the streets. Chad was laughing so hard when I showed it to him, and we both agreed that we think we had this same style of bike when we were in elementary school (Chad would like to clarify that his did not have splatter-paint.) While I would love to one day have a road bike, this little Huffy will have to do for now.
In a post on Pop Candy today, the "worst mix tape ever" is discussed. Limited to 5 tracks - what would your worst mix consist of?
Here's mine:
1. Truly, Madly, Deeply...Savage Garden
2. Liquid Dreams...O-Town
3. Follow Me...Uncle Kracker
4. Getting Jiggy With It...Will Smith
5. Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)...Looking Glass
Starbucks...love it or hate it, this is an interesting site. I especially love the celebrity sightings posts.
I am also very excited because I got a bike today! Granted, it is a 90's splatter-painted Huffy Mt. Storm pre-teen bike, but hey - it was out on someone's curb and it was free! Chad is going to paint it for me, and then I'll hit the streets. Chad was laughing so hard when I showed it to him, and we both agreed that we think we had this same style of bike when we were in elementary school (Chad would like to clarify that his did not have splatter-paint.) While I would love to one day have a road bike, this little Huffy will have to do for now.
In a post on Pop Candy today, the "worst mix tape ever" is discussed. Limited to 5 tracks - what would your worst mix consist of?
Here's mine:
1. Truly, Madly, Deeply...Savage Garden
2. Liquid Dreams...O-Town
3. Follow Me...Uncle Kracker
4. Getting Jiggy With It...Will Smith
5. Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)...Looking Glass
Starbucks...love it or hate it, this is an interesting site. I especially love the celebrity sightings posts.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Post Race Post Script
Well, I did it! The 10 mile race was a lot of fun, and I even managed to beat my goal time of 2 hours by 14 minutes! My final time was 1:46:33. It's a bit sobering to see the female winner's times of 58 minutes on the race results page, but I'm still proud of my new PR.
Distance running is kind of like an out of body experience. At about mile 3, I started thinking "How am I ever going to make it 7 more miles?" But the next thing I knew, I was at mile 5 and feeling great, especially since I knew that I was half way done. The friends and family members who lined the course were very encouraging, always eager and willing to cheer on the passing runners.
After the race I staggered to the post-race tents to get a Panera Bread blueberry bagel and some bottles of Powerade. On the drive home, I treated myself to a double cheeseburger from McDonalds. It was like a small piece of heaven in a yellow wrapper.
We've got a busy April ahead of us - Easter, a visit from Chad's family, time with friends, and my mini marathon.
Distance running is kind of like an out of body experience. At about mile 3, I started thinking "How am I ever going to make it 7 more miles?" But the next thing I knew, I was at mile 5 and feeling great, especially since I knew that I was half way done. The friends and family members who lined the course were very encouraging, always eager and willing to cheer on the passing runners.
After the race I staggered to the post-race tents to get a Panera Bread blueberry bagel and some bottles of Powerade. On the drive home, I treated myself to a double cheeseburger from McDonalds. It was like a small piece of heaven in a yellow wrapper.
We've got a busy April ahead of us - Easter, a visit from Chad's family, time with friends, and my mini marathon.
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