Centerfold

Over the holiday, the cute husband and I spent some time in Asheville, wishing both that we lived there and that I had brought a coat (the cute husband thinks I've acclimated to 105 degrees). In addition to buying more books for our imaginary bookshelves, I picked up a magazine I hadn't seen before, Marathon and Beyond. The current issue features an article about the ultramarathoner whose book I recently read who did four desert marathons or something and almost died. I have a feeling there's an article like this about him in every issue. Anyway, it's a good magazine. I like the marathon ads scattered throughout... it's kinda how we do our vacation planning these days. I'm currently trying to sell the cute husband on Mobile, Alabama in January (half-marathon, anyone?).

addicted

I gave in today and purchased a hot yoga package since I'm apparently addicted. Yesterday, when we got back in town, I thought about not going for the 7-mile run, but I knew if I put it off until today, I wouldn't be able to do hot yoga too. So I guess it's a good thing. I noticed today how freakishly tall these yogis are (at least compared to my 5'4 self). Apparently yoga can make you taller. I'll let ya know how that works out for me.

proud mary

I just finished my seven-mile run, and now is as good as a time as any to let you in on what training program I'm using.  Being somewhat injury-prone, I'm going with the Galloway run-walk method. Since today was my first over-10K run in over a year, I decided to add the walking in today.  The book I have leaves a lot of the details up to the individual runner, so I tried 9 minutes of running for 1 minute of walking today.

It was pretty pleasant knowing I always had that minute to look forward to, and I can't say that it slowed me down at all.  If anyone has any two cents or experience with Galloway, and particularly how to determine the run-walk ratio, I'd love to hear it. My girl Lori used it when she completed the Virginia Beach Half-Marathon on her 40th birthday, despite being injured and in quite a bit of pain.

And while I'm giving shouts out, I'm very proud of my girl Emma who finished the Atlanta Marathon in under four hours, despite the fact that miles 22-25 were all uphill.  Considering I would never be able to do this even within the five-hour limit, I find her time pretty darn impressive. And in other impressive news, my brother-in-law and fake sister-in-law ran a 5K in Antarctica (or thereabouts) in under 30 minutes (and with full bellies as it was the day after Thanksgiving).

Notes to self for the next long run: don't forget the Bodyglide for the girls. Also, ditch the Band-Aid (assuming the toenail is still trying to hang on).

Hot N Cold

I tried somewhere much closer for hot yoga last night. They don't do the cool lavender towel there, but it was still pretty fancy. The class was a lot smaller, so I got some much-needed correction, which is a good thing when most of the yoga you've ever done has been in front of the TV. Also, the room was a perfect 106 degrees. I'm adding that part here because somehow the cute husband didn't realize that when I said "hot yoga," I really did mean hot yoga.

I did my just-over-3.14 run this morning in 39 degrees. It's no marathon like my girl Emma is running right now, but it's my "pi" run, and I'm planning to have pie later today.  Speaking of which, I gotta get going.  Happy Thanksgiving!

daughters

I'm so delusional that I'm already searching for a Fall marathon. In so doing, I came across this gem of an article: Dad Forces Girl, 6, Into Marathon

"Yang said his daughter recently ran 138 kilometers (86 miles) in two days. He wants her to train until she can run the same distance in one day.

"The [Shanghai Daily] reported the girl is forced to run laps as soon as she gets home from school, sometimes until midnight.

"Yang is said to be concerned about his daughter's puffy toes and swollen feet, but the training continues."

Interesting... this article had the effect of simultaneously making me feel like a complete slacker of a runner and a fan-TAS-tic mother.



[Disclaimer: The use of the song Daughters in the title of this post should not be construed as any type of endorsement of either the over-the-top corny and offensive song (I'm just happy it's not 2005 anymore) or the out-of-control ego of the artist. I happened to catch him in a rather long-winded radio interview the other day, so the song came to mind.]

three days

I did manage to sneak a run in before trivia, mainly because the cute husband said it couldn't be done. It was the first time since I've been regularly running again that I wanted to get it in. And since I'm only running three days a week on this schedule, I don't really have a choice. I've always heard that taking three days off in a row is bad, but maybe that's just anecdotal. This guy seems to think it won't make much difference.

In more good news, we won first place at trivia (no thanks to me), and today's Fake Friday. Woot! Woot!

mountain

I was supposed to run yesterday, but I ended up walking up some crazy hills with two of my best girls instead. It was definitely a good work-out (although my girl Laura is delusional if she really thinks we were walking 12-minute miles), plus the benefit of girl time. Until my girl Lori freaked us all out by convincing us that we were being watched in the dark by some unseen smoker. And then of course that led to the cyclist who was murdered on the Silver Comet Trail. And somehow that led to Deliverance. Lovely musings when you spend a lot of time running alone.

Anyway, since I didn't run yesterday, I guess I gotta run tonight before we trivia it up. I'm tired though, so it may not happen. The youngest jimmy woke us up crazy early by playing basketball in his room. Apparently he's excited about his 5-day vacation that has now officially started. It didn't entirely wake me up, but I tossed and turned... dreaming that my mom and I were sitting in folding chairs on a gabled roof until I decided that maybe I shouldn't sit quite so close to the edge. At which point I stood up and promptly fell off the roof (somehow only spraining my wrist). At one point in the dream I asked someone how much red wine their two-year-old should be drinking (as it turns out... none).

Hot Hot Hot!!!

I'm supposed to be cross-training three times a week. If you're wondering why you haven't heard more about cross-training, that's because I've been slack. But this afternoon/evening, the cute husband's soccer games were rained out (read: I could go somewhere without the jimmies), so I ventured back to my favorite place for bikram yoga for Hot Core Power. Hot yoga is a good balance for running, and I'd do it way more often if it were a lot cheaper and a lot closer. It was crowded... 40 or 45 people in one small room, but I figure that just helps get the temperature up where it's supposed to be.

And then at the end, when you're in Shavasana, the instructor puts a cool lavender towel over your eyes. It really doesn't get any better than that. Well, maybe comparable to that was when I finished the Virginia Beach half-marathon last year (#5 of 5 halves) on the beach and was handed a cold beer while I waited for my friends to finish. Yeah, that was pretty good too.

Doomed!

So it seems that I've doomed my toenail.  The only time this has happened before was during my second half-marathon, and I haven't run anywhere near that distance yet, so I'm thinking it might have happened when I kicked a soccer ball in inappropriate shoes here.  This reminded me of all the other running maladies I've had.  I'm too vain to detail each one, so I'll just tell you that I've had about a dozen of the following 40 (after reading over the ones I haven't had, this is turning into a seasonally appropriate Things I'm Thankful For list)...

Achilles Tendonitis

Ankle Sprain

Arch Pain

Athlete's Foot

Baker's Cyst

Black or Lost Toenails

Blisters

Bunions

Calf Strain

Chafing

Dislocating Kneecap

Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis

Exercise-Induced Compartment Syndrome

Groin Strain

Hamstring Strain

Heel Pain

Hip Bursitis

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Itchy Legs

Knee Pain

Lower Back Pain

Metatarsal Stress

Morton's Neuroma

Patellofemoral Syndrome ("Runner's Knee")

Pes Cavus ("Claw Foot")

Plantar Fasciitis

Plica Syndrome

Pulled Hamstring

Rashes

Runner's Trots

Sever's Disease

Shin Splints

Side Stitches

Snapping Hip Syndrome

Sore or Bloody Nipples

Stress Fracture

Tendonitis

Turf Toe

Urinary Incontinence

Verrucas

So why do so many of us still lace up our sneakers (I love this expression... who wears sneakers anymore?), often while suffering from any number of the above?  It must be that one side effect that makes up for all the rest.  I know I'm feeling pretty groovy after my 6.1 (sigh... I better correct this - the cute husband knows it was only 6.0905)-mile run... icky toenail and all.

You Shut Your Mouth When You're Talking to Me!

(The cute husband has Wedding Crashers on.)

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I'm quite the do-gooder.  When I'm not running, let's say, once every five years or so, I do some sort of volunteer activity.  (I also used to give blood... I'm expecting a call about Sainthood any day now.)  Anyway, I was inspired by my friend who Gives Back by sometimes pouring wine for the needy here.  So when he asked me to help judge a law school mock trial competition, how could I say no?  It's for the kids!  And that's how I spent my Friday night in the Big City. 

Share the Sidewalk!

The only remotely interesting thing about my run this morning (besides the fact that 39 degrees didn't feel nearly as cold as I feared it would) was that I almost got run over by a guy on a bike. On the sidewalk. I know Atlanta is a particularly bad city for cyclists, and I'm all about sharing the road when I'm driving. But at 5:30 a.m., there's just really no reason to be riding your bike on the sidewalk.

Two much more interesting things happened to the cute husband yesterday, but I'm hoping he'll blog about them himself.

Cooler Than Me

Oh, I forgot to mention earlier that our Chomp and Stomp hostess just had her picture in the paper while she was on a 20-mile run.  Very cool.  And thanks to the cute husband for going out to buy the paper last week while I was at the c.l.e.  I'm going to display the (somewhat blurry... my girl runs too fast) picture for inspiration.

non-observations

It might be time to invest in a headlamp.  Don't tell my mom, but I ran through an underlit neighborhood in the dark this evening.  I'm not so worried about the bogeyman as the very dead, very large raccoon-possum-wharf rat I very nearly stepped on, thinking it was just one of many piles of pine needles.  The other bad thing that happened was I was lip-syncing somewhat obnoxiously as I bounded into the light of a streetlamp before I saw a woman walking her dog.  I'm sure she didn't think I was at all retarded.

so very very tired

I just now got in my 5(.4)-mile run.  I intended to go this morning before the jimmy's soccer game, but Tony Randall kept me up all night... pouncing on my face, knocking candleholders into the bathtub, and generally acting like a kitten.  Anyway, the run is done, and pizza is on the way, so it's all good.  The jimmy count has also gone from 2 to 3... the cute husband and I are getting overrun.

Adoption Announcement

Tony Randall

On November 13, Tony Randall was asked to remove himself from his place of residence.  That request came from his new parents.

We welcome our newest addition, Tony Randall,

born approximately four months ago and found behind a Land Rover dealership.

5.6 pounds at adoption

Kate and the Cute Husband

Fair Weather Running

I ended up doing Wednesday's run this morning, and since I am heading out of town for a c.l.e. in a bit (and didn't have to leave as early as usual), I got to run in the sunshine.  Some observations:

1. Chihuahas only bark if you're running up behind them.  Apparently they don't like that.  I'm a cat person, but I've been pro-chihuaha ever since I saw Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
2. There's a downside to running by a fire station.  When a fire truck leaves in a hurry (as they tend to do), people pull their cars over right next to you, and that can be a bit freaky.
3. The good thing about an out-and-back 4-mile run is that if you're running into the sun for Mile 2, you know you'll get to enjoy the sun at your back for Mile 3.  Which is Good Stuff (not to mention much more pleasant than running a marathon at the South Pole).

Rain, rain, go away...

I should have run this morning, but I was promised the rain would be gone by the end of the day.  I actually don't so much mind running in the rain, once I get going.  And because I'm nothing if not helpful, here's a link to some handy Tips for Running in the Rain. And from there you can click on Top Visibility Gear...

If you want to show the runners in your life you care about them, get them this runner's reflective gift pack, complete with an orange reflectovest, two lime reflective legbands, and lime reflective hot spots and tape[!]

So now you know what do get me for Christmas.  And as an added bonus, I'll be able to get a part-time job as a crossing guard!

"I can make the runner stumble..."

I admit it, I have '80s cheese on my running playlist. I had a good run this morning (4-ish miles), and it was warm enough at 5 a.m. that I could run in short sleeves. Always a plus in November in my book. I felt good when I was done until I remembered advice received by my ultramarathoner when he was but a high-school freshman:

"If it felt good," [Coach] said, squinting like Clint Eastwood, "you didn't push hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell."

Oh well.

Bonus running tonight: I took the 7-year-old to soccer practice and then found out it was "moms against kids." I guess it wasn't 45 minutes of pure sprinting, but it kinda felt like it. (Don't ask who won.)

crack nuggets and 420

the cute husband and I went to the chomp and stomp festival in cabbagetown. first though, I lost some serious weight, less so I think from the four-mile run than the hair choppage-offage (see new profile pic). yes, I ran this morning with a ponytail and now, well... see the profile picture.

borrowed a fancy new book from our lovely cabbagetown hostess: Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner. For some reason, I've read the first part of this book, but I forget where. So far it's good though and will hopefully inspire me to run an ultramarathon minus the ultra part. Also, the lovely aforementioned hostess will be running her third marathon this month. Because she rocks like that.

one more thing I'd rather run a marathon than do...

...play soccer against Elizabeth Lambert yesterday. (Besides the fact that I'm nowhere near college age and suck at soccer, of course.)

Wow. The cute husband told me about her unsportsmanlike conduct (to put it mildly), but you really have to see it to believe it.

"I know that I am running as fast as I can"

"But I know that that's not very fast at all."

I kicked it to some Allison Crowe this morning. ("Running" followed by Snow Patrol's "Run"... still going in reverse alphabetical order, as you can see.)

The run was good... I got to go a little later, which was nice as the sun was out. But it was still 42 degrees (jacket off at mile one, wishing for gloves early on, kept hat & 2 long-sleeved shirts on).

I got heckled by this funny guy when I was almost home.

déjà vu all over again

Nothing new this Tuesday... I should just refer you back to last to last Tuesday's post. 40 minutes on the wave this morning for 40 minutes of chips and queso. That's even, right?

Observations

Two things I saw while driving this morning that I should remember when running (and/or when trying to get out of bed to go run):

1) A lady running with a double jogger. I do not miss those days. I don’t care how good the jogger is; if there is even the slightest hill, it’s miserable. I did this regularly one summer when the jimmies together weighed 70 pounds (and often with a jimmy foot on the wheel because he thinks he’s a funny guy), and it SUCKED.

2) A University of Florida lemming flag. Forget the sticker. If I actually run a marathon, I’m sticking a flag out of my car window. Forever. (Why not? The Gators aren't exactly playing today [right?], and I’m doubting Tim Tebow was driving that Avalon in front of me. If they’re still gloating two days later about beating Georgia [c’mon, it's Georgia!], I can get my brag on if I actually stick to a six-month training schedule.)

PS - weather note on the run for my future reference: 44 degrees, fake mittens off at half-mile mark, jacket off at one mile, thought about shedding the second long-sleeved shirt and/or hat but it was too much effort at that point.

so very very wrong...

I had to go to Walgreen's yesterday to return a movie (love that redbox!) and get hemming tape for a last-minute adjustment to the Grim Reaper. Anyway, I wouldn't say I lost all respect for Jillian, but she's skating on thin ice with me. Yes, "TV's meanest personal trainer" is now hawking diet pills. Only $99.99 to get started! Hypocrite.

Anyway, cross-training day... I did 30 minutes on The Wave. (I'm sure it too was overhyped on the infomercial, but at least it's exercise, not a pill.) It's gorgeous outside-62 degrees now with some strange bright object in the sky. So I packed up 3 youngsters (I swear I started with 2) and went to watch the very fit husband referee. There was a playground next to the soccer field... I wonder if I can count swinging as cross-training?