1. No run yesterday. And it doesn't look like I will be running today either, purely due to scheduling issues. I now notice the trouble area when I walk, although it is more of a "hmm, that is an interesting sensation" than the "ow, shit, wtf" that I experienced during my run on Tuesday. I plan to run tomorrow, regardless, because this is already turning into a regrettably low mileage week and I can't afford to make it worse. Two short runs earlier in the week are not going to be enough to get me through my LSD Saturday, no sir. At best, I'll end up with 26 miles this week. NOT GOOD. Please don't tell George or Tuan. At this point in training, I should be topping out near 40. I know.
2. My birthday. You're tired of hearing about it. You are just three days away from never hearing about it again. My parents arrive tomorrow afternoon and I'm really excited. Aside from the church choir, I don't think they've watched me perform before. I hope to make them proud. Thus far, birthday weekend kicks off with a 14 mile LSD Saturday morning. The rest of the morning/afternoon will be pretty free, just kicking back with the folks and then getting all pretty for my gig. As I've mentioned a million times already, Saturday night is the main event. Vintage 51. Be there. Sunday is my official birthday. I'll be sleeping in, for sure. Hoping to watch the Giants game with my Dad, then dinner out at this great Indian place followed by cake. Must have cake. Going to be a pretty low key day, but at my age that is just fine. Not sure this old heart can take too much excitement....
3. Giveaways. Everyone loves them. I want to do another one. I did my first and only one as a way to celebrate hitting 20 followers. This time I'm just 4 people away from 40! Now, I'm trying to decide if I should make it easy and reward you lovely kids with a giveaway when I hit 40, or if I should make you work for it a bit and wait until you tell your friends so I can hit 50. 50 does sound really appealing, honestly. Let me know what you think I should do! I won't make you wait to find out what the giveaway is, though. I'm not totally heartless. When I hit the desired number of followers, you will have the chance to win your favorite mid-run fuel of choice. Yup, you tell me what you love and I'll give it to you. It could be a 24 pack of Gu, a 4 pack of Nuun tubes, etc etc. Bottom line, depending on the desired item, your winnings will retail for about $20-$30. As someone who has gone through Gu like a maniac this training season, I know how much free fuel would help me and my wallet out. Let me know in comments if you think I should shoot for 50 followers or cave when I hit 40. : )
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wordy Wednesday
That's right, kids. No picture today, just more verbal diarrhea from me. After yesterday's post I headed out for another four mile run and while the pace was fantastic, I did have some issues. More specifically, I had pain. The dreaded P word. In my left ankle and radiating up my calf. It wasn't enough to make me slow down or stop but it definitely altered my gait. There was a bit of limping each time I had to stop and restart at an intersection until I settled back into a groove. I've never had an issue in that area before so I'm not sure what the cause might be. I'm not running at work today, as I usually head out on a local trail on Wednesday nights. I'm not sure if I should take today off entirely or not. MCM is 5 weeks away and now is the time to really be ramping up the intensity before it comes time to taper. Advice, anyone?
On a completed unrelated note, there are only 4 days until my birthday and it looks like Saturday night is shaping up to be quite an interesting experience! An Evite has been sent far and wide, and posted on Facebook. If you are in the DC-VA area and reading this blog, consider yourself invited as well. The place is Vintage 51 in Chantilly, VA. I'll be getting there at 7 to set up gear and have a few pre-gig drinks. The band goes on between 8:30 and 9:00, we'll be playing until at least midnight. You obviously don't need to stay the whole time, but consider coming to check us out and help me celebrate!
Ok fine, you win, here's a picture. Appropriate because it is cute and because I am busy packing up my cubicle at work.
On a completed unrelated note, there are only 4 days until my birthday and it looks like Saturday night is shaping up to be quite an interesting experience! An Evite has been sent far and wide, and posted on Facebook. If you are in the DC-VA area and reading this blog, consider yourself invited as well. The place is Vintage 51 in Chantilly, VA. I'll be getting there at 7 to set up gear and have a few pre-gig drinks. The band goes on between 8:30 and 9:00, we'll be playing until at least midnight. You obviously don't need to stay the whole time, but consider coming to check us out and help me celebrate!
Ok fine, you win, here's a picture. Appropriate because it is cute and because I am busy packing up my cubicle at work.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
monday runday and track tuesday
Congrats, everyone, on a great weekend of racing and training! I see a lot of PRs were set, I am so proud of you all! Thanks to my laziness you now get the pleasure of two posts in one. I got in my 20 miler on Saturday, hell yeah! I am really pleased with how it went. I broke it down mentally into 5 mile segments, which were also the locations of the water stations on the route. And within those 5 mile segments I also blocked out when I was taking a gel, so at no point did I really feel overwhelmed with the distance as a whole. At most I all had to think about were the next 3 miles. I was even able, unintentionally, to throw in a few consecutive miles at race pace. There were a few casualties, however. One was a very bloody toe that messed up my new shoes (my fault) and the other was a blister (totally blaming the shoes). Overall it went much better than the 18 miler did. I was definitely sore by the end but I felt like I had more miles in me, thank goodness. It was a confidence boosting run. MCM is only 39 days away and I am really starting to believe that I can do it! PS this was my first long run in the Saucony Kinvara 2s, and I think they are going to work out perfectly. If you're looking to start transitioning to a more minimal shoe, I highly recommend them!
Yesterday I did a quick and dirty four miles during my lunch break, just to shake out my legs and see how I felt. It went really well. I didn't have any lingering soreness or stiffness from Saturday. Must have been all the sleeping I did on Sunday. Legit, between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon I probably slept for 15 hours. Oops. The only issue I had on my run was totally operator error. I forgot to throw socks in my work bag. It was okay for the first two miles but my feet felt like they were sliding around in my shoes for the last two. Ew. Then for the sheer irony of it, I was cleaning out my cubicle this morning and found a spare pair of running socks tucked in the back of a drawer. Figures.
This is normally where I would start telling you about my latest track workout, but I have a confession to make. I blew it off this morning. I know, bad runner. The alarm went off and I just couldn't make myself care. I woke up feeling down for no reason, which is really frustrating. I slept horribly and that extra hour I had by skipping the workout was spent tossing and turning. I packed my bag (with socks!) so I can theoretically get in another lunch break run today instead. It won't make up for missing speedwork but it will be better than nothing. Right now the motivation is just not there. It is dreary out and I feel depressed. All the more reason to run, right? Get those endorphins going. At the very least it gets me away from my desk. I'll have to follow up with the CAR mafia later today to find out what I missed. I could attempt to atone for my sins by showing up for the tempo run on Friday morning. I don't usually do them because I think that they are too close to my Saturday long runs. The first (and only) time I did do the tempo run I ended up being pretty sore for the next day's long run. I suppose that is something that could change in time, if I make tempo runs a regular part of my routine. It is definitely part of my post-MCM master plan. Thoughts?
Only 5 more days until my birthday and I am starting to get excited. A little nervous too, knowing that so many familiar faces will be at my gig. I am much more comfortable singing in front of total strangers, odd as that may seem. Hopefully everyone will have a good buzz on by the time we start. Before I wrap this up, I thought I'd throw you all a bone and let you know part of why I've been so annoying happy these past few days. Drum please.......
I GOT A NEW JOB! Yup, it is true. I've been seriously looking since March, and cultivating this particular opportunity since June. I won't have to commute into DC anymore, or ride the Metro at all. Adios, bus! I'll have a 20 minute drive, give or take traffic, and I'm pretty happy about it. It will be interesting to see what the difference is in paying for gas compared to what I've been paying for the Metro. I'll still be working in the field of grants management, but in a different capacity. If you're at all interested, I'd be happy to go into more detail. For now it means more money, a shorter commute, the potential for travel, new responsibilities, and great opportunities for upward movement within the company. Pretty much everything I was looking for when I made the decision to leave my current position. Between that news, my birthday, and other goodness I'm a pretty happy camper.
Yesterday I did a quick and dirty four miles during my lunch break, just to shake out my legs and see how I felt. It went really well. I didn't have any lingering soreness or stiffness from Saturday. Must have been all the sleeping I did on Sunday. Legit, between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon I probably slept for 15 hours. Oops. The only issue I had on my run was totally operator error. I forgot to throw socks in my work bag. It was okay for the first two miles but my feet felt like they were sliding around in my shoes for the last two. Ew. Then for the sheer irony of it, I was cleaning out my cubicle this morning and found a spare pair of running socks tucked in the back of a drawer. Figures.
This is normally where I would start telling you about my latest track workout, but I have a confession to make. I blew it off this morning. I know, bad runner. The alarm went off and I just couldn't make myself care. I woke up feeling down for no reason, which is really frustrating. I slept horribly and that extra hour I had by skipping the workout was spent tossing and turning. I packed my bag (with socks!) so I can theoretically get in another lunch break run today instead. It won't make up for missing speedwork but it will be better than nothing. Right now the motivation is just not there. It is dreary out and I feel depressed. All the more reason to run, right? Get those endorphins going. At the very least it gets me away from my desk. I'll have to follow up with the CAR mafia later today to find out what I missed. I could attempt to atone for my sins by showing up for the tempo run on Friday morning. I don't usually do them because I think that they are too close to my Saturday long runs. The first (and only) time I did do the tempo run I ended up being pretty sore for the next day's long run. I suppose that is something that could change in time, if I make tempo runs a regular part of my routine. It is definitely part of my post-MCM master plan. Thoughts?
Only 5 more days until my birthday and I am starting to get excited. A little nervous too, knowing that so many familiar faces will be at my gig. I am much more comfortable singing in front of total strangers, odd as that may seem. Hopefully everyone will have a good buzz on by the time we start. Before I wrap this up, I thought I'd throw you all a bone and let you know part of why I've been so annoying happy these past few days. Drum please.......
I GOT A NEW JOB! Yup, it is true. I've been seriously looking since March, and cultivating this particular opportunity since June. I won't have to commute into DC anymore, or ride the Metro at all. Adios, bus! I'll have a 20 minute drive, give or take traffic, and I'm pretty happy about it. It will be interesting to see what the difference is in paying for gas compared to what I've been paying for the Metro. I'll still be working in the field of grants management, but in a different capacity. If you're at all interested, I'd be happy to go into more detail. For now it means more money, a shorter commute, the potential for travel, new responsibilities, and great opportunities for upward movement within the company. Pretty much everything I was looking for when I made the decision to leave my current position. Between that news, my birthday, and other goodness I'm a pretty happy camper.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Random Friday Facts
1. This has been the best week I've had in months.
2. I think I'm the only one NOT running the Philly 1/2 this weekend.
3. There are now 2 new pairs of shoes added to my collection at my desk. Can't say no to a good sale.
4. I'm learning that patience can pay off in huge ways.
5. Never underestimate the magic powers of a $9 bottle of champagne.
6. Sometimes other people do have a better idea of what is best for you. So listen.
7. Employee expense reports are the bane of my existence.
8. Working someplace with Casual Fridays means I show up unshowered and in yoga pants. Sorry.
9. I never cared for living in this area, yet I'm enrolled in a Masters program that will keep me here at least 2 more years.
10. The weather for my long run tomorrow should be perfect!
11. There are 9 days until my birthday.
12. I still don't feel like I have a career or a grown up job.
13. Everybody needs a good therapist.
14. Cheez-its and beer is a perfectly acceptable post-run dinner.
15. I've never heard of most of the DC places that Groupons are for.
16. After 6 years I've finally made the drive to Tyson's. Still haven't been in the mall.
17. I'm thinking of buying a new couch. It would match the chaise I have.
18. Apparently I'm going skydiving in November. Sorry, mom.
19. I have 4 active email addresses. I don't know why I keep them all.
20. I hate horror movies, I cannot deal with being scared.
2. I think I'm the only one NOT running the Philly 1/2 this weekend.
3. There are now 2 new pairs of shoes added to my collection at my desk. Can't say no to a good sale.
4. I'm learning that patience can pay off in huge ways.
5. Never underestimate the magic powers of a $9 bottle of champagne.
6. Sometimes other people do have a better idea of what is best for you. So listen.
7. Employee expense reports are the bane of my existence.
8. Working someplace with Casual Fridays means I show up unshowered and in yoga pants. Sorry.
9. I never cared for living in this area, yet I'm enrolled in a Masters program that will keep me here at least 2 more years.
10. The weather for my long run tomorrow should be perfect!
11. There are 9 days until my birthday.
12. I still don't feel like I have a career or a grown up job.
13. Everybody needs a good therapist.
14. Cheez-its and beer is a perfectly acceptable post-run dinner.
15. I've never heard of most of the DC places that Groupons are for.
16. After 6 years I've finally made the drive to Tyson's. Still haven't been in the mall.
17. I'm thinking of buying a new couch. It would match the chaise I have.
18. Apparently I'm going skydiving in November. Sorry, mom.
19. I have 4 active email addresses. I don't know why I keep them all.
20. I hate horror movies, I cannot deal with being scared.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
triple tangent thursday
1. I got some great news this week that I have been working towards and waiting on for several months now. It isn't 100% official yet but as soon as it is, I will be shouting it from the mountain tops. It is part of why I have been all smiles this week, in addition to some beautiful developments in other parts of my life. I know, the vagueness of it all is cruel. I promise, as soon as I have something I can comfortably post, I will!
2. I sent out an Evite and a Facebook notice to a bunch of people regarding my upcoming gig/birthday party. I'm honestly not that excited about it. Not that I don't want to be surrounded by family and friends, just that I don't think many people are going to be able to make it. The location is a bit farther out in VA than we usually play, so it would be more of a special favor to me that people come. And because there is a drive involved people will also have to drink less. Not that it would be a deal breaker for my friends, but everyone deserves to have a good time as they see fit. Not to mention that the drunker you are, the better the band sounds, ha! My parents are definitely coming down from NY for it, which is awesome, and anyone else that can make it will just have to be icing on the cake. If you can read this, consider yourself invited. Email me at PamsKnickers@gmail.com or comment here if you want more info.
3. I am an EPIC FAIL at time management this week. I have 2 papers and several readings due for class tonight at 6:30 pm. As of this moment, neither paper is finished and the readings are completely untouched. I have a feeling I will only be turning in one of the two papers tonight and not getting to the reading at all. I think I got too comfortable with this relaxed class schedule in comparison to summer's four week intensity. I suppose it is good that this happens now, so early in the semester, rather than later. I'll need to make sure I devote some time this weekend to finishing this week's work as well as whatever is needed for next week. Sigh.
2. I sent out an Evite and a Facebook notice to a bunch of people regarding my upcoming gig/birthday party. I'm honestly not that excited about it. Not that I don't want to be surrounded by family and friends, just that I don't think many people are going to be able to make it. The location is a bit farther out in VA than we usually play, so it would be more of a special favor to me that people come. And because there is a drive involved people will also have to drink less. Not that it would be a deal breaker for my friends, but everyone deserves to have a good time as they see fit. Not to mention that the drunker you are, the better the band sounds, ha! My parents are definitely coming down from NY for it, which is awesome, and anyone else that can make it will just have to be icing on the cake. If you can read this, consider yourself invited. Email me at PamsKnickers@gmail.com or comment here if you want more info.
3. I am an EPIC FAIL at time management this week. I have 2 papers and several readings due for class tonight at 6:30 pm. As of this moment, neither paper is finished and the readings are completely untouched. I have a feeling I will only be turning in one of the two papers tonight and not getting to the reading at all. I think I got too comfortable with this relaxed class schedule in comparison to summer's four week intensity. I suppose it is good that this happens now, so early in the semester, rather than later. I'll need to make sure I devote some time this weekend to finishing this week's work as well as whatever is needed for next week. Sigh.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wordless Wednesday
If I thought I could take a decent picture that remotely conveyed the level of happiness I am experiencing right now, I'd do it. Instead, here's a picture of my present to myself at work. Helps remind me why I'm smiling.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
track tuesdays
Another Tuesday, another track workout. I was late getting out the door this morning so I wasn't able to do a full warmup, but I did manage to swallow some Gu and a bunch of water before getting down to business. After a half mile warm up, the plan was 6x800m repeats with 400 m recovery. I still feel some lingering soreness from Saturday, but nothing that made me alter my effort or the number of repeats. My usual running partner wasn't there this morning, so it looked like it was going to be just me and the CAR superstars. Luckily I ran into an acquaintance from a previous workout and we ended up sticking together for the duration. The first repeat felt good, but I was worried that I might have started too fast. The second one was definitely too slow. It took me the final four to really get into a groove and find a somewhat consistent pace. Here are the results:
3:39 (oops), 3:51 (ew), 3:47 (meh), 3:44, 3:43, and 3:39 (yay!).
I think I could have done a couple more had time and coach allowed. I'm torn because I feel like I should be more spent at the end of these workouts but I also need to make sure I can get in at least two more decent runs before Saturday's 20. Am I not trying hard enough? Something to consider. What are your, dear followers, experiences with track workouts? Do you go balls out and want to puke at the end? Do you feel like you have a little left in the tank? What is the "correct" way to experience speedwork? I know there are some speedy experts reading this and I can't wait to hear what you have to say. CAR ladies, great job this morning, you always inspire me to kick just a little harder!
3:39 (oops), 3:51 (ew), 3:47 (meh), 3:44, 3:43, and 3:39 (yay!).
I think I could have done a couple more had time and coach allowed. I'm torn because I feel like I should be more spent at the end of these workouts but I also need to make sure I can get in at least two more decent runs before Saturday's 20. Am I not trying hard enough? Something to consider. What are your, dear followers, experiences with track workouts? Do you go balls out and want to puke at the end? Do you feel like you have a little left in the tank? What is the "correct" way to experience speedwork? I know there are some speedy experts reading this and I can't wait to hear what you have to say. CAR ladies, great job this morning, you always inspire me to kick just a little harder!
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