Let the Taper Begin!

Last year, the longest run of our training season fell the day after my fundraising party and I did 18 of my strongest-ever miles that year (plus another few on the ArcTrainer) on very little sleep. This year, I went to bed early to rest up for the big day, but was woken up a little before midnight when one of the dryers in my laundry room caught on fire and the building was evacuated. Well, that is, they evacuated all three of us who were actually home at midnight on a Friday. The other two girls were still getting ready to go out.

We started talking about how scary it was and one of the girls said "I saved Louis!!" and was clutching her Louis Vuitton bag. The other girl replied "I have all my jewelry and I saved Chloe" clutching her designer handbag, too. I kept my mouth shut because the only thought that crossed my mind as I bolted out the door was "Should I grab my running bag? I won't have time to break in new sneakers before the marathon if these go up in flames." I didn't even give my jewelry or two Gucci bags a thought.

Regardless of the scare and interrupted REM cycle, I actually had a good run yesterday. I'm happy to report that I did 16 miles of run/walk pain-free, running each 2.5 mile stretch between water stops, then walking for a minute or so once I gulped down a cup of Gatorade. I did 8 out and back, and that first 8 was with Abby, Jim and John, per the usual. It was SO nice to be back with them and I couldn't have imagined a better way to complete the longest run of our training. Abby's become even stronger as a runner since the last run we logged in together, and I really felt like I was holding her back. Jim's a machine this year too, so since John's waging his yearly battle against his "hammies," he and I stuck together at one point and let the two speedsters lose us on a monster hill (might have been Grossman's. I can't remember). And hills there were. The run took me along the course starting at BC and going all the way out to Wellesley and back, running over both the Newton Hills and Grossman's Hill twice.

The other nice part about yesterday's run was that both J-Rod and Marcy were volunteering and had been assigned the same water stop. I got to see them twice, and each time they cheered as I approached. The second time, they were even kind enough to facilitate a "wardrobe change" and take my sweaty narsty jacket and t-shirt, trading me for a dry-wicking long sleever. The folks at water stop #2 win my MVP award for the day :)

With 16 strong miles under my belt, I felt like I was on top of the world and wanted to shout from the rooftops "I'M GOING TO RUN THE BOSTON MARATHON IN THREE WEEKS!" I didn't though. Instead, I hopped on the ArcNemesis at BC, our gracious host for the day, and got in my final 6 miles.

Just like last year, at this point I'm nervous that my training won't be enough to get me through 26.2 miles of real running - after all, I did the bulk of it on the AT. Unlike last year, however, I know exactly what I'm getting into and know just how far the crowds and race day atmosphere can get a runner. There's no sense in worrying about it, though. At this point "the hay is in the barn," as coach likes to say, and my only goal now is to stay healthy and strong for the starting line.

Tomorrow...

...I do two things I haven't done in a VERY long time:

1. I attend a DFMC group run
2. I run 15 miles

Last long run before taper. Twenty-two miles total, 15 of which I get to run/walk (legs permitting, of course). Wish me luck! And send strong, healthy, non-injury thoughts my way :)

Off-Roading

Tonight, at Jack's suggestion, I tried some "soft surface running" and took my bitchin' hot new Mizunos off-road. He suggested a driving range or one of the fields at Harvard, but given my base location and time constraints, I decided the river bank and the strip that runs down the middle of Comm Ave, stretching from Mass to Arlington - the "mall" as it's called - would work just fine.

According to MapMyRun.com (Garmin battery was dead... funny how you forget to charge it when you're not running), I ran/walked 9.7 honest-to-goodness miles. Let's all take a moment to appreciate that.

Thanks to Daylight Savings, I made it home from work in time to run the river while it was still light and not (too) sketchy. It was a misty cool night, perfectly suited for capri tights, a technical Tshirt, my green windbreaker and a baseball cap. I tossed on the iPod, threw my gym card in my pocket just in case, locked my water bottle in my mailbox just in case and cautiously jogged my way over to the river. Once on my familiar path, I was pleased to share it with so many other runners (HI!!! I'M RUNNING!!). I kept an eye to my watch, carefully policing my 5 mins run/1 min walk routine and let my mind wander to all the early mornings I'd run it with Ben, the handful of times Mary Ann or Abby had joined me, the group run I hosted at my place over the summer and the hours and hours I've logged in solitary. Me and this river have some great history and it's as much a part of me and my life as my apartment, car or pink Burberry scarf.

Despite my slow pace and intermittent walking, the miles went by very quickly and fortunately, my timing was perfect - I turned off the grassy bank and onto the bridge just as the last bits of purple and pink were leaving the sky, and made a point to drink it all in against the gorgeous Boston skyline. I contemplated a second loop for a half second, but knew it wasn't safe and headed over to Comm Ave. It's just shy of a mile from Mass to Arlington, so I could ballpark 2 miles for each out-and-back. Three of them to be exact. While the repetition became monotonous very quickly, it helped in calculating my walk/run because I could gauge by city block, instead of checking my watch. As my legs loosened up and my body got into the run, though, eventually I stopped being so vigilant and simply stopped to walk whenever the humor struck me. This was always for one block, though. While running this stretch, I let my mind wander to the marathon and all the expectations I'd built up. I realized and accepted that sometimes, goals have to be just that - something you strive for but may or may not achieve. I thought about how for the first time in a while I was simply running to run. It wasn't about a BQ or sub-9 pace or a 4 hour marathon, but about getting healthy and strong enough to complete the journey, no matter how long it takes. I'm nervous to see what race day brings, but I suppose that's half the fun of marathon running - never knowing what the day will bring until you're in it.

As fate would have it, I hit the last turnaround at Arlington just as the quesadilla I had for lunch decided it was showtime. At this point, my stamina was there, my legs felt fine and it was time to stop babying my injury and bow to a higher power - that power being a part of my body located higher than my calves. I booked it home at a speed that felt close to what was once my marathon pace and even ran on the actual asphalt path, totally cheating on my "soft surface run" attempt. There was no messing around with uneven ground and sticks that could be tripped on - my body meant business.

When I hit my apartment, I'd run for roughly an hour and 40 minutes, which for a walk/run 9.7 miles is not too shabby. No pain, no aches - just a desperate need for my bathroom, a good stretch, a shower and an ice bath (in that order for sure!). Fingers crossed I still feel good in the morning...

Feeling Good and Uneasy

I'll try to make this short and sweet. Tonight I banged out 30 minutes on the ArcNemesis, then ran/walked FIVE WHOLE MILES (repeating 5 minutes running, then 1 walking). All in all, it felt pretty OK. Not perfect, but not bad. I could have done 26.2 feeling that way. I'm pleased with my progress, especially considering my calf muscle is still sensitive to the touch after seeing The Chad yesterday.

Tonight I also tried out the new Mizunos. Overall, very happy with them, but I think they're a half size too big. I realize I'm up against a very tight deadline, so I decided to order the right-sized pair online when I got home from the gym and pay extra for some next day delivery. I did some price shopping and found them dirt cheap on a website called Kelly's Running Warehouse and even with rush shipping it cost less than I paid at Greater Boston Running Company WITH my DFMC discount. I was feeling pretty proud of myself for being so savvy, but then when 20 mins went by with no email confirmation I started to have that "ruh-roh" feeling and wonder if the website was too good to be true. Then I realized there isn't a customer service number listed. Just an "info@" email address. Then I started feeling uneasy. I did a few Google searches for customer reviews and it's a mixed bag. Lots of glowing reviews about fast delivery, great prices and huge merchandise selection, but more bad ones than I would have liked to see, all related to there not being a number to call if something goes wrong. One or two people reported being billed for more than the website's listed price and around the same number of people said they never got their shoes. It's been almost an hour and still no confirmation email.

My only peace of mind is that I ordered next-day shipping, which means I only have to wonder a couple of days whether I'm being scammed or not. I'm also somewhat of an expert at fraudulent charge disputes after my almost year-long battle with Super Fitness/Planet Fitness, so I shouldn't have a problem fixing things if in fact I did screw myself. I just really hope I'm wrong about this and it all goes smoothly, because I want the shoes!

***Update March 25 -- 1:14pm I received a response to an email I sent them last night asking about a confirmation email. Apparently my order is in stock, and as soon as it ships I'll receive a tracking number. I'm prepared to fight for my $20 if it doesn't ship out today...

***Update March 26 -- I have a tracking number! According to UPS, they're "in transit" at this very moment, scheduled to arrive today. Yippee!

Laugher is the Best Medicine

In my passion over my shoe dilemma, I neglected to blog about the rest of my weekend. My "long run" yesterday consisted of an hour and 45 mins on the AT and 4 miles on the treadmill. The running portion of it didn't go quite as well as I had hoped it would, but it didn't go as badly as it could have, either. I managed to increase the ratio of run/walk to more running than walking, and I did a full half hour before I stopped to walk for a couple of minutes. No pain, a little tightness/twinginess, but less than I had experienced earlier in the week. I was hoping to do 6 miles, but when I reached 4 I had run out of water, so I paused the machine and hobbled my blistered toes (blisters on blisters on blisters this week from the AT) over to the water fountain for a refill. After stopping, my legs made it clear they didn't want to start again, so I didn't even try. That's OK though, because the bigger piece of news is - I've finally made peace with my injury.

Last night a group of the usual suspects had an impromptu gathering in Davis Square for drinks. I've been on somewhat of a social hiatus this past month for a variety of reasons, one of which is not to inflict my Debbie Downer attitude on those I love most, but on this occasion I couldn't say no. And the funny thing was, as much as I'd been trying all this time to shelter my friends from the worst of me, I showed up to be reminded that they bring out the best in me. Within moments of being there, it was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I found myself smiling, laughing and actually being optimistic and positive about my race - not faking all these emotions like I have been for some time now. And my legs didn't hurt at all the entire night, even after walking to catch a cab in heels. Spending time with Shifter, Laurie, Matt & Lauren, Gordon & Peg, Mary Ann and Martin always feels like being wrapped in a huge hug. They're good people, and their warmth envelopes those around them. It's as though the happiness they bring me actually healed what ailed me.

Just Call Me Golidlocks

Yes, my quest for a sole mate is STILL ongoing. It seems finding a good running shoe for me is even harder than finding a good man!

I've been running/ArcTraining in the Hurricane/arch support combo for a little more than a month now and something's just kind of off... I almost get the sense that they're aggravating the injury more. When I wear them for walking around long distances (i.e. shopping for hours and hours and hours or wandering around Davis Sq.), my legs always ache afterwards. My existing pair of Alchemies (with arch supports thrown in) don't. I figured my legs were just getting used to the new shoe/extra support, so I toughed it out. Then today I realized it's "kill weekend" for buying marathon shoes. So I took myself to Marathon Sports AND to Greater Boston Running company and put both sales guys through the wringer, in a last ditch effort to find my right-fit shoe. "This one's too light. This one's too heavy. These are too narrow. These are too big. Is this one as supportive as that one? Tell me the difference among these three. Which brand is wider? Why is the sky blue? What's the meaning of life? Do these shoes make my butt look big?"

I wasn't necessarily planning on buying new shoes. I just wanted some sort of affirmation that either A) The Hurricanes are over-correcting/somehow not right for me or B) The Hurricanes are fine. My legs just hurt because I've been training for 5 months and they're sick of it, and no shoe will fix that.

... and yet I walked out of Greater Boston Running company with a shiny new pair of Mizuno Nirvanas.

Here's my reasoning: The sales guy said something no one else has yet -- Because my shin splints turned into stress fractures last year, perhaps my problem is more rooted in cushioning than pronation support, which the Alchemies do give me plenty of. The Nirvanas are cushier than the Alchemy and they're also the same brand I've been running in and trusting for more than a year now, so my body and legs are already familiar with the feel of the structuring. And Jack DOES say we need two pairs of different brand shoes with the same support, so we can rotate. It might have been a frivolous and wasteful purchase, but if it buys me peace of mind between now and marathon weekend, they're worth every penny.

So the plan is to start working out in the Nirvanas and see if I feel a difference. I'm also going to stop using the arch inserts in the Hurricanes, because I think they're canceling out the shoe's natural cushioning, and both the guys at Marathon and Greater Boston confirmed after watching me run that there's no visible difference in my gait with or without them - the shoe alone should do the trick. By April 20, both pairs of shoes will be broken in. The ones I choose to wear on my terrifying 26.2 mile journey will likely be a game time decision.

Some Updates, A Story and Some Fuzzy Math

The Updates

Week two of "eye on the prize" is going quite well. Monday was a rest day because I saw The Chad that morning, then Tuesday was my first attempt at integrating running back into my workouts since taking a week or so off. I hit the ArcNemesis hard for 40 mins, then ran for 10 minutes at a nice easy pace, then walked for one. Then ran for 5, then walked for 2. Then ran for 5 again, then walked for another 2. Each time I ran, I bumped the pace up a teeny bit. As I reported back to Jack, it didn't hurt. It just felt kind of tight and twingy - I think I might have still been recovering from the massage, too. Last night I had a strong, aggressive cross-training/strength training night and can't even remember the last time I put so much into a strength workout. Tonight, attempt #2 at the running integration. 30 minutes on the ArcNemesis, then 10 mins running, 1:30 walking, 5 mins running, 1:30 walking, then another 10 running, then another couple walking - still feeling that tight/twingy sensation - then I went to do my last run to bring the total to three miles and three turned into 4. At some point, everything just kind of shook out and felt great, and I was able to bump up to my usual pre-injury training pace and cruise. I stopped at 4 miles, not wanting to push my luck, and then completed the remaining 2 on the Arc. Booya!

The Story

While I was on the treadmill, I was watching Ugly Betty to trick my brain into forgetting I was on a treadmill. When the show went to a commercial break, I'd stare blankly at the TV screen and my mind would wander to negative town - Why do my legs still feel so funky? Gosh, today was tough at work... I'm hungry. I'm so frustrated that I'm not outside running tonight, and even more frustrated that I'm not going to Crossroads. Well, at some point in this part of my workout, I glanced away from the TV and looked out the window in front of me to see what was happening on the street below, and my eyes met the gaze of another runner - only he was on a big Boston Marathon poster hanging from a street lamp, illuminated against the dark night by the single gleaming bulb above his head. Yes, they're back. It's time. A grin spread across my face, my heart fluttered and my brain engaged - it's SO almost here! From there, my mind raced along with my legs. I thought about seeing the finish line set up, picking up my bib (#22069) at the Expo, going to the DFMC pasta party and running the final stretch of the marathon course down Boylston to the sound of screaming spectators. I shut my eyes and visualized the crowd, visualized my whole body humming with adrenaline, visualized my Garmin with a 3 as the first number on it and then opened my eyes and saw that I almost fell off the treadmill because I had started to drift to the left. Miley Cyrus "See You Again" came on my iPod (I know... shut up...) and I dedicated it to the marathon in my head. Scandal belted out "The Warrior" and I thought about how hard I've trained, how this is going to be my year and how much I've earned these 26.2 miles going well. I WAS the warrior, shooting at the walls of my training heartache (bang, bang). And I kept cheating glances back over at my opponent on the poster, his biceps and quads perfectly defined and steely. See you in a month, Boston Marathon... Looks like all I needed was a little extra morale boost.

The Fuzzy Math

I'd like to talk about math right now, and how I believe everything in life across the board is about balance - never taking more than you give and vice-versa. It's like there's this bank, and our only goal is to always keep the balance the same, always calculating what we've given or taken, to keep that balance in check. Well... in the last month or so, I've managed to completely screw up that balance across the board. I'm taxing myself physically and mentally more during the day than I am sleeping hours at night to make up for it. My job is sucking more joy out of my life than my workouts and friends can put back in. I'm stress-eating more calories a week than I'm burning in my training (hard to believe, right?). I'm spending more time doing the things I have to do than the things I want to do. I'm pouring my heart and soul and time into fundraising and I'm only a third of the way to my goal. The result? I'm exhausted, my body is shutting down on me (more ailments than I'd care to admit to), I've put on 5 pounds that I haven't seen in more than a year, I'm feeling defeated about my fundraising and I'm miserable. I'm like a disgusting, pudgy, grumpy zombie, is what I'm saying.

And worse yet - I've lost control. And you all know how much I hate that.

So guess what? Tomorrow (Ok, maybe Monday...) I declare it a new day, a new week and a new me. And yes, I choose to put down the junk food and reach for the carrots when I need to stress-eat.

Brenny, I Got Your Number...

No, it's not 867-5309. And yes, I realize my creative license with that song is likely emitting groans that can be heard across the country and through Ontario, Canada.

The BAA assigned numbers today! Without further ado, this year I'll be rocking (drum roll please...)

Bib #22069

It doesn't add up to 13 or 9, but 22 is the date of my mom's birthday and I've always been prone to giggling like a middle-schooler at the number 69, so I guess it's not that bad a bib number, right? And if you rearrange the numbers and add some punctuation it can be 26.2 and the number 9 (my lucky number). Right? Yes, I've now applied that creative license to my bib number. Clearly, it's time for bed :)

Nightmare on Comm. Ave - Year 2

Last year right around this time, I blogged about my first nightmare about the marathon. I don't think I really had any others (at least none so long and vivid) before the big day last year, and I haven't had any pre-race night frights since. Until last night.

What I find interesting is how the contents of this nightmare seemingly progressed along with my running abilities/knowledge. In last year's I not only ran in super slow-mo, but also bypassed half the course because I got lost, and wasn't sure if I'd finish or not. Part of the dream also involved a maze within a building, in which I had to follow arrows to make my way.

In this year's dream, I knew what I was doing, where I was going and what time I wanted to get there in. I just couldn't do it. I dreamed that I was running alone through suburbia on what was "the course" in my dream, only I just couldn't keep up the pace I wanted - I was barely running. All the water stops had shut down and people were milling about the streets as though it was a normal day. I had to tell a pedestrian I was running the marathon for this person to even realize it. In my dream, I wanted to go faster, catch up, but my body wouldn't let me - I had lead legs and feet with no traction. And there were hills - STEEEP STEEEEP STEEEEP hills that I had to sit down on and push my butt up backwards to climb, as every muscle in my body screamed for mercy. I also hit mile 20 and realized I hadn't taken a single Gu yet - but there were no water stops with which to wash it down, even. This year I went through a building again, too, only I was clumsy in opening doors and making my way through openings, even though this year I knew which ones to take. Everything was as though I were drunk or impaired in some way.

When I completed the marathon in my nightmare (yes, I finished in this year's dream), I saw on the clock that I finished about 40 seconds slower than last year and broke down in tears. My dad was waiting patiently for me at this imaginary finish line, which had long been broken down before I crossed, happy to see me in one piece and still proud. He asked if I wanted to buy the photo from the finish line. I told him I just wanted to go home, as tears streamed down my face.

The dream melted away from there and it doesn't take a professional psychologist to explain it (or to tell me that I'm a head case) - I'm terrified of what April 20 will hold for me this year, still wishing and hoping and praying for a sub-4 finish even though I know it's likely not possible and already disappointed in what I think is to come.

Now the bigger challenge comes in overcoming that negative mentality to think positively and drive the results I want - and to NOT be "backwards-butting" my way up Heartbreak Hill.

The Beatings Will Continue...

...until the injury improves!

Thank you Chad, may I have another?

Making Good Choices

My first full week of "keeping my eye on the prize" is complete and I'm happy with all the choices I made, even if some of them made me pretty miserable at the time. No one ever said doing the right thing is easy or fun.

After Monday's cross-training extravaganza, Tuesday I did about an hour on the ArcNemesis and got in a good stretch afterwards. Wednesday brought aches, so I opted out of the gym, in favor of a yoga DVD at home. The next night I "did the Thursday" on the ArcNemesis, then Friday morning I saw The Chad bright and early for a serious beating. He really put me through the ringer, but I clearly needed it - I'm back tomorrow morning for some follow-up abuse. Friday night brought ice and early bed (another tough decision, as many of my friends were out at a fundraising party), yesterday I did 40 mins on the ArcNemesis, then push-ups, planks, sit-ups and a lot of stretching, then today I did my second 20-miler on the ArcNemesis: 3 hours on a stationary machine, two packets of Gu, one bag of sport beans, two-and-a-half bottles of water, one-and-a-half times watching Empire Records and four new blisters (and I now literally have blisters on top of blisters). It certainly was an exercise in mental strength, and I think I passed it, as I did the whole thing without cutting corners or trying to run.

Not a single, solitary mile of running in a week. I really hope it lets my legs finally heal up completely. I hate to say it, but I really haven't had any fun this marathon season. I've only been to 2 or 3 group runs, every time I've gone to Crossroads it's been a reminder of what my body won't let me do and each set-back has only made me more sad and frustrated. What's worse, our last two group runs of the year are at the host club chain (which shall not be named) that is being jerky and making us pay to workout inside. So this is it for me. 12-15 next weekend by myself, 20-22 the next by myself (neither of which I'll be able to do completely running), then taper.

Don't worry, dear reader, I'll be able to run the marathon. It's not like anything is broken, and I've kept my fitness level up through all these tedious indoor workouts. It's just a little disheartening and scary to know that in 5 weeks the longest distance I'll have done outside is 14. Merde.

Inspiration from CSI NY

"You can choose to live in a place of fear, or you can choose to believe in the best version of yourself."

Runners Mentally Unbalanced?

Thanks, Jeff, for posting this article. Not that I know anything about completely losing your mind and hating your life when deprived of running or anything... ;)

Eye On the Prize

Maybe the reality that the marathon is 6 weeks from yesterday finally hit me. Maybe now that my fundraising event has been successfully completed, I'm ready to focus on running again. Maybe the warm sunny weekend we had finally lifted me out of my winter blues and cleared the haze from my head. Who knows.

What I DO know, is that I'm now laser-focused on getting healthy, strong, fast and ready to OWN the Boston Marathon come April 20.

Last night I hit the gym for a cross-training day and had a great workout. 25 mins on the ArcNemesis, 10 minutes of a PT exercise that has me backwards on the stairmaster, 5 mins on the bike, then some quality time in the weight area doing my PT weight routine. I would have tossed in some push-ups and an ab workout, but it was getting late and I was tired and hungry (although when is neither not the case?).

Get ready, body and brain. It's ON. You're doing everything it takes to kick this injury, build endurance and run a sub-4 whether you like it or not. And I'm pretty sure it will be the latter :)

Aches, Pains and Thanks

Ok, maybe not in that order. First (and most important), a huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Hajjar's last night to support Dana-Farber and an even huger (is that a word? would it be more huge?) thanks to B-Side Charlie for rocking our socks off all night long.

Through everyone's generous support, the event raised a hair more than $1,500 and some of my friends and loved ones went home with some pretty sweet prizes. Also, the venue was smaller, we only had one band and the "opportunity drawings" were fewer than last year, so it afforded me the luxury of hanging out with my guests and actually greeting people at the door to talk about why I run for Dana-Farber and why the event and my fundraising really are so important to me. All in all, a huge success.

Now, on to the fact that I woke up at 5am wondering if I might be bedridden today, thanks to yesterday's long run. Calves, adductors, shins, quads - you name it, it aches. And after only 14 or so miles! Laaaaaaame. As an aside, I really have to say that this year's injury is kind of sneaky and weird in the fact that it often doesn't hurt when I run. Yesterday, for example, I did an hour on the ArcNemesis, then hopped on the treadmill to see how things felt. When I was met with happy legs, I busted out of the gym to complete my long run by actually running 8(ish) miles in the 60-degree weather. I spent the entire run thinking "HOORAY! I HAVE MY LEGS BACK! YIPPEE! THIS FEELS GREAT!" and composing a blog post in my head thanking my legs for not being mad at me anymore. I got back to the gym, showered, changed, drove to Weymouth and a few hours later was in Wal Mart prepping for the event when WHAM - my calf cramped up, my shin splint pain was searing and I found myself limping through the silk flower aisle. I stretched a little, changed up my gait a little and by the time I was back at my parents' house, it was feeling a lot better, but still not perfect.

This morning everything is complaining, so I need to wait for it all to calm down before I decide what's actually injury-related and what's just being a big baby for the time being. Days like this, I really wish my gym had a pool. I think swimming laps would feel pretty nice right now. Days like this I also wish I didn't have a million thank you notes to write and work that I brought home. It's nice outside again and I want to walk around!

Little Known Fact

Red wine and Thin Mints are excellent for running injuries, when consumed during ice baths. Runner's World just hasn't caught on yet. You read it here first!

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say...

Yes, I haven't blogged in a few days because, once again, I really don't have anything nice to say. My dearest reader, I'm grumpy and bummed out with seemingly no solution to these feelings in sight.

After Saturday's successful 20-miler, I took Sunday off to "cross-train" by shopping for a new purse (which I never found), running tights (oooh... aaaahhh... and on sale at City Sports!) and red shoelaces for the Hurricanes. I promise, schlepping in the snow around Boston was a workout. Feeling just a tiny bit guilty, I swore to myself I'd make up for it on Monday. Then Monday came and I ended up working until 2am. True story. No gym for me.

Tuesday rolled around and all I wanted in the world was to zip around the city in my fancy new tights and bitchin' hot shoelaces, but I decided to exercise caution and took my sorry behind to the gym instead. Good thing. After 30 mins on the ArcNemesis, I tried to run my second 3 miles on the treadmill and quickly hopped off and back on the AT after only a minute - the left shin/calf just wasn't having it. I know it's because I've been commuting everywhere in my galoshes (stupid snowstorm!) and had to wear heels on Tuesday for a management seminar I attended, so my poor legs were taking a beating all day long.

The marathon is 6 and a half weeks away and every time I look at a countdown I want to throw up. The endless precipitation isn't helping my cause, the world at large doesn't seem to understand that "business casual" footwear and marathon training don't mesh well together and I'm stressed beyond belief that my body is going to give out on me come April 20. Frustrated doesn't even begin to cover it, and the injury is really only the tip of my iceberg right now - but the rest of my emotional Titanic scene is not for this blog.

Tonight my dad asked how I'm feeling and I said "Ehhh..." He told me to be positive so I joked, "I feel GREAT! I could run Boston tomorrow. In fact, maybe I'll run it twice - out and back!" and we laughed about how it would be "uphill both ways" like the old adage goes. Secretly, I'm really trying to trick my mind and body into believing it.

RAAWWWRRRRR!!!!

That's March coming in like a lion - and a very angry and fierce one, at that.

As I sit in my apartment waiting for my work computer to boot up so I can work from home during our latest blizzard, I'd like to take an opportunity to write a blog post that's been a few months coming.

This morning I got up, got ready for work and made my way over to the post office so I could buy stamps for my fundraising letters. I couldn't have picked a worse morning to do it, but I've been procrastinating too long and they HAD to get out today so my South Shore donors will get them in advance of Saturday's event. Granted, it will only be a day or two's notice, but it's still better than nothing, right? And yes, I know the old adage about what procrastination is like...

Anyway, as I made my trek to/from the post office in already mid-calf-deep snow, whiteout conditions and knock-down winds, I saw a dude actually making his morning commute on a bike and not one, but TWO runners. I gawked at them all and only one thought crossed my mind: "You're not impressing ANYONE." I felt the same way about the people I saw running in shorts a few weeks ago when the temps here dipped into the teens and single digits. Are you really asking for frostbite? Do you really want that biting wind blowing up your shorts and freezing off your man-bits? Do you really think people are impressed by your stupidity?

Now, I love a good snow run as much as the next person, know that marathon training can't stop because it's gross outside, get the concept of dressing "for mile 2" when your body is warmed up and completely understand the emotional attachment some people have to biking everywhere, but there are limits! I promise you NO ONE thinks you're hard core and awesome for risking frostbite or running and biking during an actual blizzard. Frankly, it's dangerous (potential for rolled ankles, uncontrolled vehicles to dodge, etc.) and most people just think you're crazy. For pete sake, people, use some common sense.