Just got the email about race photos from Stowe. I, uh, don't exactly look like I'm having an easy race. I think I might have actually looked better at mile 25 this past April...
Brace yourselves. Bib #153 - http://www.capstonephotostore.com/search.php?eventnum=278
Monday, July 27, 2009
Happy Trails To You...
My Mizunos have had quite a few adventures this month, which is good because they're being retired in a week or two. Going out with a bang, I say! -- I took them on their first two beach runs while I was in Turks & Caicos, took them up to Stowe for a bucolic race in which they earned me a fairly respectable finish time, then then this past weekend on their first trail run. Yes, Abby, when you finish picking yourself up off the floor from shock, you can go back and confirm that you did in fact read that right - I ran trails this weekend. And in New Jersey of all places!
Noah and I headed up to his sister's beautiful house on Greenwood Lake in NJ for some waterskiing, swimming, kayaking, good food and light carpentry, and of course while we were up there I got in some running while he spent quality time with his buddy Pete and his aerodynamic carbon fiber mistress. While the boys were out, his sister and I threw on our sneakers, leashed up her dog and, at her suggestion, veered off the busy street to check out her favorite local running trails.
Now, it's been publicly documented here how difficult and scary I find trail running to be, but on this occasion I decided to say "When in Rome" (or Hewitt, as the case was) and dive right into it, and I actually really enjoyed myself (Abby, maybe I'll join you next time).
The trail we started off on was VERY muddy after the torrential rain we had the night before. We started to head back toward the road, but her beagle Chupa cleverly darted off up another path and before we could finish yelling "No! Chupa, come!" we were saying "Oh sweet! She found a better trail!" It was padded with pine needles, reeling with rhododendrons and funky fungi, and best of all: mud-less.
We stayed out about an hour, got in a pretty solid workout and I had a blast hanging out with her and getting to explore a little piece of the local park. We even saw a bright orange lizard as we tooled along, chatting and laughing at the dog's antics. And we CERTAINLY earned the big amazing dinner that was waiting for us when we got back to the house.
So am I done gallivanting about and filling every weekend with vacations and races? For a week or two, yeah. But then I'm headed to Falmouth to hopefully beat the pants off of last year's finish time and enjoy another fun trip with the running crew. Speaking of which, here's a picture from Stowe. I didn't get any emails from an official photographer this year, so there are no action shots to share (sorry!).
This one was taken post-race (and post-beer) by a woman who was staying in our hotel and traveling with a pot bellied pig. She was walking it on a leash. True story.
Noah and I headed up to his sister's beautiful house on Greenwood Lake in NJ for some waterskiing, swimming, kayaking, good food and light carpentry, and of course while we were up there I got in some running while he spent quality time with his buddy Pete and his aerodynamic carbon fiber mistress. While the boys were out, his sister and I threw on our sneakers, leashed up her dog and, at her suggestion, veered off the busy street to check out her favorite local running trails.
Now, it's been publicly documented here how difficult and scary I find trail running to be, but on this occasion I decided to say "When in Rome" (or Hewitt, as the case was) and dive right into it, and I actually really enjoyed myself (Abby, maybe I'll join you next time).
The trail we started off on was VERY muddy after the torrential rain we had the night before. We started to head back toward the road, but her beagle Chupa cleverly darted off up another path and before we could finish yelling "No! Chupa, come!" we were saying "Oh sweet! She found a better trail!" It was padded with pine needles, reeling with rhododendrons and funky fungi, and best of all: mud-less.
We stayed out about an hour, got in a pretty solid workout and I had a blast hanging out with her and getting to explore a little piece of the local park. We even saw a bright orange lizard as we tooled along, chatting and laughing at the dog's antics. And we CERTAINLY earned the big amazing dinner that was waiting for us when we got back to the house.
So am I done gallivanting about and filling every weekend with vacations and races? For a week or two, yeah. But then I'm headed to Falmouth to hopefully beat the pants off of last year's finish time and enjoy another fun trip with the running crew. Speaking of which, here's a picture from Stowe. I didn't get any emails from an official photographer this year, so there are no action shots to share (sorry!).
This one was taken post-race (and post-beer) by a woman who was staying in our hotel and traveling with a pot bellied pig. She was walking it on a leash. True story.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Good Morning, Beacon Street. My Feet Say Hello.
There wasn't an early morning singing song today (did anyone get that reference besides my parents and aunts?), but there was an early morning run - the first of such that I've done since the marathon. Five miles, to be exact, including hills.
I think the weekend in Stowe re-invigorated my love for running, so between that, the weight I've gained and the fact that Noah's about to dump me for a carbon fiber triathlon bike that's far more aerodynamic, fast and shiny than I could ever hope to be, I decided it was time to stop being slothful and get back into my workout groove. No more using "but I have plans tonight" as an excuse to not run. For the love of God, Brenda, set the alarm, get out of bed and throw on the sneaks.
I slogged along my out-and-back on the marathon course at a little more than a 9-minute pace while listening to a few good tunes, sucking in the damp humid air and fantasizing about the new sneakers I'm going to buy in a few weeks - both my Mizunos and Sauconys are nearing the end of their lives and have served me well. Nothing special about this run, other than the fact that I actually woke up to do it and that I totally enjoyed it. Hopefully, I can stick with it! Desperate times, folks...
I think the weekend in Stowe re-invigorated my love for running, so between that, the weight I've gained and the fact that Noah's about to dump me for a carbon fiber triathlon bike that's far more aerodynamic, fast and shiny than I could ever hope to be, I decided it was time to stop being slothful and get back into my workout groove. No more using "but I have plans tonight" as an excuse to not run. For the love of God, Brenda, set the alarm, get out of bed and throw on the sneaks.
I slogged along my out-and-back on the marathon course at a little more than a 9-minute pace while listening to a few good tunes, sucking in the damp humid air and fantasizing about the new sneakers I'm going to buy in a few weeks - both my Mizunos and Sauconys are nearing the end of their lives and have served me well. Nothing special about this run, other than the fact that I actually woke up to do it and that I totally enjoyed it. Hopefully, I can stick with it! Desperate times, folks...
Monday, July 20, 2009
Run Happy: Stowe 8-Miler
Running shoe/gear company Brooks has a campaign going right now called "Run Happy" and while I don't know much about it, I've seen their ads and the phrase must have stuck with me because it was the first thing that came to mind once I settled into my race yesterday.
In short, Stowe is a magical place where running is pleasant for me, no matter how hard the course. The first few minutes of a road race are always a bit hectic - finding your pace, trying not to collide with anyone and settling into your stride - but once my body finds its groove, my mind is always next to follow and this year, I was once again struck by the beauty of the landscape around me and the perfection of the day. Warm but not hot temperatures, blue skies, puffy white clouds, green grass, cows (Lauren spotted 22 and won the cow hunt), fresh air - heaven on earth for this runner. I flipped through my iPod shuffle for just the right tunes to set the mood, and found myself choosing songs like "Put Your Records On" and "Don't Stop Believing," instead of "Break Stuff" and "Enter Sandman." As the course wore on, the mood did too - I even caught a fleeting runner's high as I soared down a long decline. If Virginia is for lovers, then Vermont must be for runners, I say.
The race was challenging - don't get me wrong. It was NOT an easy, happy trot along cow fields. There were some serious hills, a few of which were stacked one after the next (I mentally named this part of the course "little Newton") and plenty of not-so-serious hills. A couple of them really took it out of me. There was shade, but also a few long stretches of blazing sunlight. And I was categorically under-trained. To call the last mile difficult would be an under-statement of grand proportions. And yet I finished in 1:06:13 (5 minutes faster than last year) and came in 11th in my age group (out of 47). Just imagine how well I could have done if I actually did any hill training in advance! Next year, I swear...
The rest of the weekend was amazing, as well. Very different from last year's experience (not a three day party in the pouring rain with 6 of my closest friends), but very enjoyable. Some non-race running, some wandering around, lots of good food, a little sunbathing, a couple of naps and a lot of laughs. Noah even got me to rent a bike and go for a ride with him - dorky handlebars, pink rental helmet and all. And the weather was perfect, save a fleeting rainstorm Saturday night.
Usually by the time a vacation is over, I'm satisfied with my time away and ready to return to my life in Boston. This weekend however, for one reason or another, I wasn't ready. Must have been that dairy-air.
In short, Stowe is a magical place where running is pleasant for me, no matter how hard the course. The first few minutes of a road race are always a bit hectic - finding your pace, trying not to collide with anyone and settling into your stride - but once my body finds its groove, my mind is always next to follow and this year, I was once again struck by the beauty of the landscape around me and the perfection of the day. Warm but not hot temperatures, blue skies, puffy white clouds, green grass, cows (Lauren spotted 22 and won the cow hunt), fresh air - heaven on earth for this runner. I flipped through my iPod shuffle for just the right tunes to set the mood, and found myself choosing songs like "Put Your Records On" and "Don't Stop Believing," instead of "Break Stuff" and "Enter Sandman." As the course wore on, the mood did too - I even caught a fleeting runner's high as I soared down a long decline. If Virginia is for lovers, then Vermont must be for runners, I say.
The race was challenging - don't get me wrong. It was NOT an easy, happy trot along cow fields. There were some serious hills, a few of which were stacked one after the next (I mentally named this part of the course "little Newton") and plenty of not-so-serious hills. A couple of them really took it out of me. There was shade, but also a few long stretches of blazing sunlight. And I was categorically under-trained. To call the last mile difficult would be an under-statement of grand proportions. And yet I finished in 1:06:13 (5 minutes faster than last year) and came in 11th in my age group (out of 47). Just imagine how well I could have done if I actually did any hill training in advance! Next year, I swear...
The rest of the weekend was amazing, as well. Very different from last year's experience (not a three day party in the pouring rain with 6 of my closest friends), but very enjoyable. Some non-race running, some wandering around, lots of good food, a little sunbathing, a couple of naps and a lot of laughs. Noah even got me to rent a bike and go for a ride with him - dorky handlebars, pink rental helmet and all. And the weather was perfect, save a fleeting rainstorm Saturday night.
Usually by the time a vacation is over, I'm satisfied with my time away and ready to return to my life in Boston. This weekend however, for one reason or another, I wasn't ready. Must have been that dairy-air.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Mother Of All Blog Posts
Dear readers, it's been 2 weeks and two days since I've indulged you with my wit, sarcasm and self-deprecating humor. Are you feeling deprived? Wondering what shiny wonderful things I've been up to that could possibly be distracting me away from all four of you? Perhaps you've deleted my blog from your Google reader and decided to only read Kristina's blog instead. If that's the case, I don't blame you. After all, she IS my blogger hero. If that's NOT the case, however, and you're hanging on my every word, here goes the run-down of what's been happening in my running life, and also in the places where it intersects with my real life:
- Track, June 30 - Can I get a collective groan? Mile warm up, 600 (200 rest), 800 (400 rest), mile (800 rest), 800 (400 rest), 600 (Throw up and collapse on the track, or mile cool down. Your choice). I clocked my splits on my hot pink Nike watch, but have since run enough times with said watch that those times are long gone and forgotten. They weren't that great anyway. In fact, I think if you were to play them back, instead of coming up numbers, it would say "YUCK!" "GROSS!" "UGH" "WHYYY??" "BLEEECCHHHHH" across the screen.
- 4th of July Weekend! - Skipped the usual Thursday night Crossroads run and kicked off the weekend Friday morning running the river with Noah, going at a nice clip in the humid air. Once that was out of the way, the weekend segued nicely into sailing, drinking, sunbathing, eating and fireworks. It's always my favorite weekend of the entire year, and now I have to wait a whole 11 more months to do it again. Bullocks...
- Speaking of Noah... - The new man of the hour. He's awesome. He's kind. He has a good heart and a sweet demeanor. He's good to me. He makes my mom swoon when he lifts heavy objects. He can untangle all of the mast lines on a 35' boat in the time it takes my dad to eat a turkey sandwich. He runs (and bikes and swims). He's probably blushing a little reading this. This will be the one and only time I blog about him in a non-running context, so drink it up.
- Cakes and Tacos... Er... Turks and Caicos - A last minute press trip to the Caribbean for my friend Lindsay meant a last minute vacation for me that only cost me my flight. More boating, sunbathing and drinking, this time combined with massage, over-eating and simulated surfing in a man-made rapids machine thing. I might hang up the Mizunos and invest in a wet suit. I think I've found my calling. But speaking of the Mizunos, I took them and my Garmin out for a spin along the beach while I was there. 5 miles against a backdrop of turquoise water, gently lapping waves and the sun setting on the horizon. Then I got smart and did it again later in the trip - this time barefoot, watch-less and iPod-less. A girl could get used to training in these conditions, even if I was getting some funny looks. YES other tourists, I'm running in the Caribbean. NO, I'm not being chased. And no, dear reader, I didn't bump into Matthew McConaughey doing the same. Bullocks again...
- Time Trial! - Track tonight was our long-awaited 5K "time trial." For fun, we all wore old bibs from races we'd done in the past. For even more fun, we busted out coolers and tailgated on the field afterwards. Mary Ann won MVP for bringing extra numbers, beer and Cheez-Its. Back to the "race," though, I clocked in at 25:08, which is just a hair over an 8 minute mile. Definitely not my best 5K pace, but not too shabby on the heels of a week where I skipped both track and Crossroads, then slid nicely into an indulgent slothful weekend.
- Fatty McButterPants - Sound like I've had a lot of fun this past month? Well it came at a price - I've gained a few more pounds. Oops :) Time to lay off the Superman ice cream, pizza, frozen drinks, french fries, beer and burgers, methinks. And if US Airways ever finds my luggage (almost 24 hours missing now) and releases my Mizunos from imprisonment, maybe I should think about wearing them regularly and doing that whole distance running thing I used to be into.
So what's next on the agenda this month?
- STOWE 8-MILER! Heading up to the dairy air (wokka wokka!) again this year for what will hopefully be an awesome race, leaving Friday after work and returning Monday in just enough time to cruise into my office at 9. Given my slow pace, extra weight and lack of training, I don't have high hopes for my results. Last year I ran just under a 9 minute mile, I believe. Will I beat it? Hopefully. But you'll have to tune in next week and find out.
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