Piggy Bonk

As brian said in a recent blog - the marathon is a distance that is intimidating and should be resepcted -- well at least he said something to that effect... and he is right. Going into the pig I didn't quite have my head on right. I went in there knowing that I had improved by great strides and that i was capable of doing big things - but i went in there also underestimating the marathon. In the one year and eight months since i completed my second marathon I seemed to gloss over the fact that a marathon is a mental challenge and that you have to be mentally tough. I need to work on my mental toughness - this race was the first race where I bonked and I was alone - i didn't have anyone there to pick me up an take me the rest of the way in. I was spoiled on my other two marathons to have that - but the experience of bonking when alone has taught me much more. I know that i will probably bonk at some point on my next marathon - but I know that i can get through it now - even by myself.
So quick run down....
Got down the race - stood in line for the bathrooms - got done with just enough time to run towards the start to try and find the pace team. The start was so packed and so tight that I sure there was no way we are going to find the pace team. Well the 3:50 and 4:00 pace teams were right at the front. I'm talking my chip time was only a minute off the clock time close to the front - which is ridiculous - but i wanted to make sure i was near the pace team - b/c i knew that was the only way i would maintain even pace. Well I get into the starting line and i can see the 3:50 pace team on the other side of the start - and there is no way i'm getting over there. ok - i'll just find them once i start running. Well the race director gets on the microphone and says we are going to be delayed by about 15 minutes -there is a fire around mile 20 and we are going to have to detour the course. The bad news is the course will be a little long - the good news is it will at least be as long as a marathon. everyone laughed b/c we thought he was joking. Nope - the course was some like a quarter mile too long -- they are apparently going to adjust everyone's times once they figure it out.
Well the gun finally goes off and my friend clare and I are off. It was 39 degrees when we got up that morning - and yet by 6:45 when the race finally started - it was warm enough to ditch my throw away shirt and mismatching pair of one red and one teal gloves. My plan was to follow my pace chart and go with the 3:50 team as they came up on me - b/c i was a little ahead of them at the start. First mile 8:45, perfect. second mile I was about a minute ahead of 3:50 pace, 3rd mile about 1.5 ahead of pace - figured that was ok- i had the hills coming up around mile 5 - so i figured it would be ok to have a little time in the bank. Lost clare around mile 6 in the middle of one of the hills. i have to say i was very happy with my hill training - I barely noticed the hills - and i felt great even as a i reached the top around mile 8.5. I saw my parents and my mother in law right before mile 7 - it was great to see them - and I felt really good - my mother in law took this picture at mile 7 - this is the top of one of the hills.




look pretty good i think. Well kept about a minute ahead of pace through the half. my official 13.1 time was 1:54 -- that's a personal best. Well around mile 14 i had to stop at the port o pot - and things got kind of ugly after that - never got back into my rythem. The 3:50 pace team caught up with me finally at mile 15 - and i was excited to see them - b/c i was needing someone to run with -- but they blew by me like i was standing still. That's when I think i became a head case. My stomach starting getting upset and I felt like i was going to throw up if i put another gatorade or gu in my face - so i started just rinising my mouth with water. Looking back i think I actually started to be dehydrated at that point. Training through the winter - i know i did not train to properly rehydrate myself - and although i felt i was putting too much in me - i wasn't putting in enough. Well around mile 16 i walked for a bit b/c i was tightening up big time - and i was getting upset at how far off pace i was falling. Well funny thing is - up until mile 19 or so I was still on pace to break 4 hrs. But things go worse - my hamstrings tightened up so badly that my back and calves locked up too. Walking hurt worse than running and the only thing i wanted to do was to lay flat on back and make the tightening spasming pain stop... which wasn't an option. I have never hurt that bad while running - ever and I don't know what caused things to tighten up that badly. Well i never saw the four hour group go by - heard the 4:15 group go by - maybe i would have had the energy to go with them - but the pacer was the loudest person i have ever heard in my life. She's is yammering on at the top of her lungs how we only have a 5k left - and although we are hurting and our muscles are in pain and we feel terrible, and we feel like we are not going to finish... it is only a 5k. Then she says i'll tell you my mile 23 pep talk.... when i was 13 my mother died of cancer - and as much as we hurt right now - this doesn't hurt as bad as she hurt when she was dying of cancer.

I couldn't take it anymore -- i was hurting so bad and feeling so sorry for myself that i couldn't speed up to get away from this women - so i started walking again. I made sure to finish my last mile strong - no walking no matter what. Steve literally caught me after i crossed the finish line. I cried. I was so upset at how dumb of a race i had run. how do you go into a race with hopes of breaking four hours - and end up walking as much as i did? but i learned a lot and finished in 4:25 -- well maybe 4:23 depending on how long the course actually was. But - I learned a lot - and even though i bonked bad - it was still over a 20 minute pr! can't beat that right?
So - what's next? I know i have better than a 4:25 in me right now - and i don't want to wait til fall. So - found a marathon in south bend indiana in four weeks. You finish in the notre dame stadium. So I will be yelling "Rudy Rudy Rudy" when i cross the finish line. The course is flat - but it will be hot. But here is the plan - suck it up bridget - it's going to hurt - you are going to probably bonk. I'm going to shoot for a more reasonable goal - like 4:00 - 4:10 - you know another p.r. by twenty minutes. Maybe i'm capable of more right now - but I think i'll ease into. Get a race in under my belt - were i actually pace myself and run smart... - and i'll revamp my training for a fall marathon - need to up my weekly mileage and my speedwork. eventually i'll get there - some things just take more time then you would like!

Going out of my mind

I am going out of my mind. It doesn't help that everyday the pig sends an email telling you exactly how many days are left til the race -- like i'm not already aware!! Things are really quiet at work - which isn't exactly helping the days fly by... I think i'm more excited than nervous - but sheesh this is the longest taper ever!! i just want to get there and run that race! It's been so long since i've run a marathon it will be so nice to see where i'm actually at. ugh 4 days to go...

starting a business...

having finished with all of the preparations for my wedding and several of our friends weddings and baby shoewers - my sister and I are at a bit of a loss with what to do with our craftier sides.... so we're starting a little home side business. We'll probably never make any money at it - but at least it is something we'll enjoy doing. So what is this business you may ask? Well - my family really enjoys planning parties and showers. We like to make the invitations and favors and figure out unique ways to carry the theme throughout.
So - if any of you are tasked with planning a shower or party of some sort and need help with the details - let me know!
I'm having some difficulties with getting our website up and running - so in the meantime i've created a blog for the company....
http://scatteredshowersonline.blogspot.com/

check it out! Hopefully i'll get some pictures of our work up there soon!

mind tricks

Do you think that our minds play tricks on us when it gets close to a significant event? By this I mean - how much is our brain able to control what is physically going on with our bodies? For example - 18 days before my wedding I came down with a horrible stomach flu... Would I have gotten sick even if I had not been getting married in 18 days? Did the stress of planning the wedding weaken my immune system? Did the worry of the possibility of getting sick actually make me sick?
Ok now - 5 days before the pig... i have been coughing non-stop and my head is killing me. But the weird thing is - it's a dry cough - a tickle in the back of my throat - there isn't any signs of chest congestion.... So what is it? I wonder - am i fighting off some sort of bug? or is my nervousness making me sick? or... is my brain creating a safety net - something i can fall back on.... well you know i didn't make my goal - but i was coughing the entire week before the race... so considering that -- i did really well... guess it just amazes me how much of a mental sport this really is? So my plan for now -- positive think my goofy cough away before race day! and if it doesn't go away - consider it a good luck charm! ha! I really should seek therapy i think...

6 days til pigs fly!!!!

I can't believe it's almost here. There is such a huge amount of time that passes between "i'm going to run a spring marathon" to actually signing up for said marathon - to actually arriving at the week before the marathon. And.. I am actually for the first time ever - more excited than nervous. Nervous yes - don't get me wrong. But when you are going into a race - knowing that even if you have a lousy lousy walk up the hills kind of day - you're going to have a p.r. - it makes things easier. Ok - so here is the strategy for race day. Going to head out with the 3:50 pace group - if around mile 5 or so I feel this is too fast - i'll slow it down. My goal is to break 4 hrs - but i'm not going to start crying if I don't . This is the first marathon i have done in almost two years - and the first one where i have trained with a goal that was more lofty than just finish. I know i can go out there and run the distance no problem. i just need to make sure i stick with the pace team.
I am just so excited to be running a marathon again - it just seems like it has been so long since my last one - and i am such a ham - i can't wait for the expo and finisher's medal and the feeling of accomplishment. Even if I don't break 4 hrs - it's still an awesome feeling everytime you can cross that finish line! Wish me luck! I can't wait!

pacingly challenged

If i do not learn to pace myself during my runs - i am either going to make it to the olympics -- or more realistically - hurt myself. Ok - race is less than two weeks away - so yes i am in taper mode. I decide this morning to run for an easy 40 minutes. figure i'll go about 4.5 miles. Well i get to work today and map out the route i ran - yeah 5.3 miles at a 7:46 pace. For me - a 7:46 pace is not an easy pace - tempo run maybe - but not easy! how do i have no idea that i am running that much off the pace? I keep doing this - why do I keep trying to run faster than I am suppose? i know that really isn't a bad problem - but i'm afraid i'm going to burn out or something... or am i just capable of more than i think? ugh. i don't know.
Oh - i wanted to run the hermes 10 miler this weekend as a supported training run where you get a nice wicking t-shirt. Now i'm thinking there is no way I should do it - b/c i'll end up racing it - unknowingly and that would not be a good thing to do a week before the marathon!!! help me! how do i learn to reign myself back in?

20 miles, mr. hero and an early bed time

so i did my last (and actually only 20 miler since my first one was a bit of a fiasco) on Sunday. Forcast called for rain/snow mix - which did not help add to my apprehension. I was up most the night worrying that I would over sleep and that the 20 miles would be awful. Well I met Brian and Boris at 7 a.m. for our run. It rained on us lightly - but no snow - and was overall pretty nice conditions to run in. The run went really well.. thank goodness brian was there to reign me in. he kept us at a 9:30 pace - b/c as he kept saying "if your goal is to break for hours - we don't need to be running at an 8 something pace on a training run!" I have a tendancy to run like a puppy ... i get all excited and run way faster than I should. By the end of the run i couldn't wait to see the parking lot again - but i didn't feel horrible - i even joked that maybe we should have just done the whole 26. So that was good. My lower back and my shins seem to be the only items that are not happy with me. Oh - I ran into a girl while we were running that I went to college with. She is trying to break 3hrs in her next marathon - so i'm trying to get her to come out and join some of the running groups. It was good to see her again!

After the run I was STARVING - so i knew i was going to go through a drive through of some sort to get something in me quickly - also knew that this was the last day i could really splurge on my diet since i'm going into taper mode (I can not gain ten pounds during my taper again!!) Anyway I wanted to make my splurdge really worth it - didn't want to waste it on a crappy cheeseburger - so I got on the highway and headed straight towards mr hero for my all time favorite - mushroom cheesesteak! I know most people think that is gross - but i drool over their billboards that have pictures of cheesesteaks. I honestly shoveled half of the sandwhich into my mouth as I was pulling out of the parking lot. Overall felt pretty good - tried to take a nap and couldn't fall asleep - so come around 9:30 I went to bed and slept like a baby straight thru the night! Thanks brian for running with me and keeping me on pace!

big baby

I am such a big baby sometimes!!! Especially in the morning. If you were to see me in the mornings (especially on the days the alarms goes off for me to get down to the gym) - you would be embarrassed for me. I spend more time whining and moaning and trying to rationalize why I shouldn't actually get out of bed. I probably waste a good half an hour of exerecise time because i'm laying there feeling sorry for myself. And then the best is when i get up to swim - you would think someone is asking me to take a dip in arctic waters filled with man eating sharks. If I don't get so whiney that i actually change out of my swimsuit once i'm at the gym and do something else - I walk so slowly out to the pool and then sit on the edge of the pool like i'm walking the plank. I am seriously ridiculous. And everytime after I am done with my workout I say "oh i'm so glad i got up and went to the gym today - i think i'll do it again tomorrow" then comes tomorrow morning - and i'm back to walking the plank! new goal: stop being so whiney and dramatic in the mornings!!! (see that loophole allowes me to be whiney and dramatic at other points during the day!)

hill research

I went for a very nice 10.5 mile run on saturday. Kept a very even overall pace of 8:39 - with the last mile being an 8:25... Got to wear shorts and get some sun on my face. Well when i got home I decided to take a look at the elevation changes that I run around my house. The 10.5 mile run I had just completed included a hill that was about 350 or more over about 2.5 miles. I run that hill all the time - it's a good workout - but it doesn't intimidate me - i just run up and over the darn thing. Well...
After doing some research - I learned that the largest hill on the pig is 280 feet over a 2.5-3 mile stretch. I can do that. Everyone keeps telling me how hilly cincinatti is - and looking at the elevation chart - it is indeed hilly - but I realize now - that it is nothing i can't do - or haven't done before. Will i be prepared for the hills - i think so - could I have prepared more or better?? sure - i'm sure I could have. But I guess what i've learned is - why am I spending some much time worrying about these infamous hills with out finding out what i was really up against? moral of the story - don't freak out about something - with out doing your research first!! 26 more days til the pig - and one more 20+ mile run!!!

time to stop and smell the flowers

Last week - i thought about/worried about my 20 miler all week long - to the point on making myself sick. So - i figured it wasn't going to go very well. In retrospect - there is a reason why people do runs in the morning. Waiting until after noon to do a 20 mile run on half a ham sandwhich is not go a good idea. Nor is picking a 20 mile route through cities with names such as "seven hills" or broadview "heights." ugh -- let me just tell you - if i am not ready for the hills in cinci after this workout... i will never be ready!!! so the run was not my best 20 mile run - especially mentally. Around mile 14 - i wanted to just quit - i was so stinking hungry that i was going to be sick. Well i went on to mile 17 - where i decided there is a point where you need to push yourself - and there is a point where you need to listen to your body. So - i stopped - called steve to pick me up - we headed directly to the arby's drive thru where i proceeded to cram a large sandwhich into my face. i wanted to go finish the run after that but steve wouldn't let me. It was a really tough run - and more valuable than had I done the full 20 on a flat course. Still i was a little disappointed and on monday morning decided i need to shake out some of my running demons. I only had about 30 minutes to get a run in- so i booked it - ran a little over 2 miles out and then booked it uphill for a negative split and about 4.25 miles in 33 minutes! nice. I guess a bad run is just that - a bad run - it is not necessarily some evil omen that is dooming you to run poorly for the rest of your life. it's just a bad run. I'm going to go run cinci - it will be my first marathon in a year and seven months - hopefully i'll break four hours - but if i don't - who cares - anything will be faster than my first two marathons! I need to stop pressuring myself - and remember i do this for enjoyment. Sometimes we get so bogged down with times and schedules and paces and workouts - that i think we forgot the most important measurement -- enjoyment. I need to set a new goal of truly enjoying each time i am able to get out there and pound the pavement!
oh - in non running news - i finally got all of my wedding proofs!! woo hoo!!

random thoughts for the day

One random thought and really one random question...

1.) i promise promise promise that if/when i have kids that i will make them take swim lessons and I will not let them quit in 3rd grade because they don't like it - but mostly because they are afraid of the 180 year old swim instructor - who use to scream at kids "I don't swim in your toilet - so you better not pee in my pool." I promise this so that my children will not be as lowsey of a swimmer as i am... let's hope they get their father's genes when it comes to swimming...

2.) If you could quit your job and do anything in the world and get paid for it - what would you do?

A glimpse of Summer, new shoes and another smack in the face of winter

Ok the glimpse of summer - was in Cincinnati for work on Thursday and Friday. I was able to meet up with a friend of mine who lives there for a nice 6 mile run and a fun dinner out. Did I mention I was wearing shorts? shorts! it was beautiful out - shorts and a long sleeve t. that's it. no gloves, no tights, no hats -- I felt like I was running naked - it was wonderful. it was the perfect run - put me in a good mood for days. Well until Saturday that is.

That's when the smack of winter part comes in. Saturday was one of those snowy days when I just did not want to leave the house - or the couch for that matter. Well I promised myself I would sleep in on Saturday - so I did. Then spent the day cleaning the house for the in laws who were coming over for dinner that night. Still no desire to run. I put my brand new running shoes on display in the middle of the dining room table as motiviation - still no desire to run.

So... finally 3 o'clock rolls around. The inlaws are coming at 6. - so if i'm going to do a 12-15 mile run I better get my butt out the door. Steve didn't have to push me this time - i knew I had to go - but I didn't want to. .. I was so angry with the fact that it was cold and too snowy to run on the sidewalks. Well I get outside and my garmin is not working. It won't turn off it won't reset and it won't find a signal. Great. Now i have to run 12-15 miles in circles around the neighborhood and I'll have no idea how far I've gone. So that made me even crabbier.
I started off doing what Elizabeth refers to as a "comb" run on the streets behind my house - since that would not require running through any snow -and I figured I would run for 2 hrs since it was 3:30 by the time I actually got out the door. I went up and down the one street twice and I got even angrier - and decided to explore for awhile. Long story short I was able to get a little further from home b/c some cities actually plow their sidewalks - unlike the fine city I live in. Well it seemed like forever before an hour went by - and I some how managed to run for 1 hr and 54 minutes. I did not have the heart to back track for 6 more minutes. Sometimes when you don't want to go out there - you need to push yourself - other times you should listen and just stay in. I felt like I was running through a wet paper bag that entire time. I can't remember ever enjoying a run so little. I think it's just a sign that I'm done with winter. I quit winter.
But on the positive side - the neighborhoods I ran in are really hilly - so I got some great hill work in... especially the last three miles uphill home. I got home and mapped out what i had run. 13 miles - that's about an 8:45 pace. So good to know - that although the run felt horrible - it was still a good run - and worth getting out there after all.

Now - next week is my 20 miler. Any one know where I can run 20 miles on Saturday at an 8:30- 8:45 pace - not by myself? (We're celebrating steve's b-day on saturday night - so i'm not going to be stupid and try to plan the 20 miler on sunday!) Thinking about running the "just a short race 30k" that monica is running - but just don't know if i can get moving that early to drive that far...

Perceived Exeretion Levels

Steve and I took advantage of our passes for one free spinning class yesterday. This was a first for both of us - and so we weren't sure what to expect. Overall it was a great work out - followed it up with an easy four mile (cramp filled run - note to self do not drink so much water during spin class)
Here is my problem with the whole spinning class. All you have is a red knob and in the instructor would say "turn your knob to add more road" ok - well how much road is enough road? i have no idea. On the wall is a chart of perceived exertion levels. It reminded me of the 1-10 pain chart they have in emergency rooms (another concept i think is silly) So she says ok - you should put on enough road so that you are at a "5" or "ok you should be at an 8 now" Now i was pretty tired - especially since i kept cranking up the road - but having trained for several marathons (i can't even imagine had i done an ultra or an ironman) I feel I've had my moments were I was in a high 8 range. Level 10 is "So tired i can't go on" Maybe i was there after my first marathon?? maybe? so how do you translate that to a one hour spinning class. There is nothing i can do in one hour that is going to make me feel like i did after that first marathon. So - I just kept cranking up the "road" and tried to not sweat on anyone. Think i'll give it another shot - just think the whole thing is a funny concept. Anybody out there have an opinion on spinning classes -- and their value or lack of value?

what a running weekend!

I had one of the best weekends for running in a long time. Started off on Friday morning with a good solid paced run with elizabeth in the morning. Woke up on Saturday morning - and felt just terrible. I don't know if it was nerves or what. I use to get really nervous before races - and lately I've learned just to go out there and whatever happens happens - you are going to have good days and you are going to have bad days. But now that I am seriously working towards getting fast enough to run boston in the next couple of years - i find myself faced with the old pre-race nerves again. I guess it's becuase I've put it out there for people to see - I WANT TO QUALIFY FOR BOSTON. there i've put it out there again.... so what happens if I go out there and run and i'm back to my old 10:30 pace again. What if one day I stop getting faster and just start getting slower again? Will i be the slow fool who thought she could ever be fastest enough for Boston? I know i have issues. Anywho - I got my nerves under control enough to stop my stomach from hurting and to stop gagging - and we set off to St. Malachi.

Steve and I started at the back of the pack - so fortunately I had my watch on - b/c we were about a minute behind gun time. I tried to take it easy on the first mile - didn't want to burn myself out like I usually do - but at the same time that race is so packed in those first couple of turns that I tried my best just to keep trying to get around people. Mile 1 7:33 - nice! especially since i felt like i had not gone out too hard. Mile 2 - just under an 8 minute mile - some where around there I saw Elizabeth while I trying to strip off a layer of clothing - that's what the picture is from. I always seem to over dress! Do you like the sweet all black spandex outfit I was wearing underneath? I need to learn to dress in layers that are more flattering when you lose the outer lays. Mile 3 was uphill - but i was watching all the faster runners fly down the hill in the opposite directions - so i knew if i could keep mile 3 under 8 minutes I would be good. I was starting to believe that i could make the goal i set at the turkey trot of breaking 40 on my next 5 mile race. Got to mile 3 23:48 or something like that - I was so excited to still be under 8 minute miles that I flew down the mile hill 4. Hit mile 4 somwhere around 30-31 something so i knew I really could break 40. I started to uphill finish and was pushing as hard as i could - almost threw up like i do every year on that hill - and i could see the clock about to hit 40. Fortunately i had my watch so I knew I was ok. Final chip time 39:16! 8th in my age group out of 93. I was so excited you would think i had just won the chicago marathon or something! Oh and steve also ran his best race ever - it was a good day all around!

So next day met with SERC to do 15 miles. There were six of us that ran the first 12 together. My goal was to keep my pace under 9 minutes the whole time. We ran the first 12 loop - and then four of us set out again to do another 6 miles. I felt really good til about mile 17 - at which point my feet and back were just done. but the good news - according to elizabeth - we ran at about an 8:50 pace overall!! whoo hoo!! What a great 18 mile run - now if i can just keep this up for the rest of my long runs - I'll be in great shape!!!

friday morning runs

Decided yesterday that I needed a day off - was beginning to feel a little burned out. So the hubby and I made dinner and drank some wine while watching tv - with ...get this... our windows open - yes it was actually that warm that we had the windows open for most of the early evening...woo hoo.

For the 2nd friday in a row i've run with espeed before work. I think it is clear that i am not a morning person - however I love running on friday mornings for some reason. It just seems like a great start to the weekend. Maybe it's because when I leave work - I can just relax - and not try and squeeze a run in. Plus I just like running with espeed on her easier days b/c they really push me - and I think running with someone who pushes me is the only way I seem to get out of my pace rut. I just always hope i don't slow her down too much!
Anway last week - we had a minor injury to report during the run - a parking lot sign reached out and bit me in the arm last week - scared me more than hurt me - still I learned to watch out for those darn signs (especially when it is windy out!) However today was a more significant injury report - poor espeed found a nice piece of ice and took a nasty spill. Being the trooper that she is - she brushed herself off and kept going. It wasn't til we got a few miles further down the road that she discovered the real damage she did to her hip... Do you remember the scene in the movie A League of Their Own where the girl's hip is all bruised and scrapped from sliding on the bases? I think e speed might have a bruise to rival this! Anyway that's all for now - happy weekend to all of you!

shamrock 15k

It doesn't take much to make me happy. Have a race where you give out long sleeve tech shirts and have bobbleheads for the age group awards and I am as happy as a clam!

Well as the day started off I wasn't certain what to expect at the shamrock 15k - as we headed out that morning i expected to see a snow covered mess - and was expecting to just have a fun run. Well when we got there I was suprised to see the roads down to bare pavement. I had originally planned on getting an 18 miler in - by running the course twice. But that morning I assumed that would be a bit ambitious on a snow covered hilly course - so I didn't bring my water belt or ipod or garmin - or any of the things I deem esential for an 18 mile jaunt. So I decided to just go for the 9.3.

The race started off downhill for about 3 miles or so and then took a steep steep turn up hill. (it was more of a staircase than a hill) I ran the first couple of miles with Monica and then ended up running with a very nice man for a few miles. He was running a bit faster than I could handle on all those hills - so I lost him eventually. But between the two of them - it made the run fly by quicker. Well as I was running I was amazed at how much longer we spent coming up the hill then we did going down - didn't seem quite right. I was invisioning us having to jump down off a cliff to get back to the finish. Anyway - once i realized that the uphills weren't going to stop anytime soon - I realized that this was a great training run for the pig. So i tried to pass a few more old men before the end of the race - and I ended up finishing in 1:20:27 - about a 8:36 pace I believe. I was pretty excited about that - and I ended up 3rd in my age group. Oh and as a special bonus - steve got an age group award in the 5k - so our m antel now has a his and hers matching set of running bobbleheads! gotta love it!

what a weekend!

Here's some snowy pictures from the blizzard of 08!

too much too soon and brand new towels.

why do I always do this? i start something and I go waaay overboard. This going to the gym in the morning thing. good idea right? well for a person that does not easily fall asleep before midnight most nights - this is a tough transition - so one would think this would be something said person would kind of ease into. I don't know - start off with a couple times a week -- not every morning since you joined the gym. I couldn't fall asleep last night and so slept through the alarm. Was suppose to meet espeed for a swim - and didn't make it -- and i don't want to be that person. that person that says they'll be somewhere and doesn't show. sorry espeed. but i guess i learned my lesson. maybe for now i'll focus on going to the gym in the morning 2-3 mornings a week - not 5. that will certainly make it easier to guarantee that i will be there on the days i plan. on an upside though - since i got to shower at home this morning - i finally got to use the brand new towels we got as wedding gifts... it was like showering at a spa!

put your money where your mouth is.

Alright i finally bit the bullet and registered for the pig. I know i know - i've been saying for months now that i was going to run the pig - so I should have been signed up by now. I don't know - i guess there was a small part of me that was afraid I wouldn't actually be able to do it - training in the winter is hard enough - let alone with everything else i had going on. But - i realized last night enough is enough - stop making excuses - and put your money where your mouth is. I guess i'm just afraid that all the progress i've made in the last year is going to be for nothing - and i'm going to go out there and run a 4:45 marathon again. I know i am capable of a 4 hr marathon - i think the only thing that is standing in my way is my brain. ugh. so positive thoughts only.

I hit snooze one time too many on sunday and didn't make the to catch a leprechaun race - guess i'm glad i didn't pre-register. So instead i did my 12 miles by myself that afternoon. Overall pace 8:35 -- not too shabby! especially since I picked up my pace on the second half of the run. So - schedule says 18 miles next week. Can't stand to do that one alone. I found a 15k race - the Shamrock run in cuyahoga falls that is at noon on sunday (I wish all races started at noon!) I might just run that course twice. We'll see though. Oh - and I swam a mile this morning... i stopped every 50 yards - but I swam a mile - baby steps here people... baby steps!

back to the pool!

I joined a new rec center last night - so no more excuses for not getting in the pool anymore! I took it slowly last night and just swam 550 yards. Just wanted to get the feel of being in the pool again. I think it has been almost a year since the pool at our rec center was shut down and I haven't swam anywhere else. So needless to say that wasn't helping any of my triathlon plans! But now i have no excuses - My plan for tomorrow a.m. is to swim 1000 yards. We'll see how that goes -- oh and did you notice i said a.m.? And... I actually mean that. Me - the night owl actually went to the gym this morning to run and lift. And.... I have to go tomorrow -b/c the hubby is going to go there to swim and he is my ride to work tomorrow! So that will be two days in one week!! go me! miracles never cease.