Random Thought for Thursday

Back in April when we were in Boston for the marathon I had a delightful conversation with another runner at a bar. (We are now considered the founding members of the Apres Expo Drinking Club. Hopefully we will reunite next April, so if anyone would like to consider membership in this exclusive club just drop me a line.) Part of our conversation was a discussion based on the number of tooth "pik" flosser thingies we see on the street while on a run. Seriously, those little suckers are everywhere! Everytime I see one, I think of Moe in Boston and ponder exactly why it is that someone obsessed with their oral hygeine wouldn't also be a little concerned with the earth's hygeine and take the time to throw their gross little tooth pik into the freaking trash instead of on the ground. But I digress.

I do 99.9% of my running on a trail, so I rarely run on the street anymore. I did, however, take off running from home last week because I was short on time and needed to get one in. I had forgotten how entertaining running on the street can be! Not only did I see two tooth piks and the normal trash one would expect (I HATE litterbugs!), but also a CD, one pink knock-off-brand Croc, money, a shirt, a cassette case, a smashed GI Joe guy, and a glove. How does stuff like that get on the street anyway? One shoe? Seriously? What about the shirt? How does such random stuff like that get on the side of a street? Am I weird for wondering?

Tuesday

Gladys told me that she thinks Joseph is "failing."

"Why do you think that, Gladys?"

"Because he is really confused today. Do you think he could have Alzheimer's* or something?" she asked. Gladys is so damn cute it hurts. I hope someday, if the plaques and tangles attack my brain, that I am just like her.

*Gladys has a confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. She is the one and only reason I might wish to be 18 again...simply because this time around I wouldn't mess with the Journalism, er, I mean English, oh wait, I mean Speech Communication majors. Instead, I would study brain science. Alzheimer's is equally fascinating and frightening...and it is incredible to witness how the disease manifests in people with different personality types.


~~~~~~~~AND~~~~~~~~

I finally ran.

It hurt.

How can someone who just ran a marathon six weeks ago already be so out of shape?

Awesome Athlete

I love Kara Goucher. She is to running what Tiger Woods is to golf, or maybe even what Michael Jordan was to basketball...but if you were to run into Kara (like on the street in Boston!) she would stand there and talk to you. I can't think of any other sport where an elite athlete...the best of the best...would take the time to chat and take a picture. Besides being a quality person, she's also a workhorse. 120 miles a week! That's more than I've ever managed in an entire month.

Finally. I have found the inspiration today to actually go for a run.

(She even beat all the boys yesterday!)

Kara Goucher wins in Chicago, big goals await in Berlin
by Doug Binder, The Oregonian
Sunday August 02, 2009, 11:38 AM

More than 14,400 runners rocked while Kara Goucher rolled at the inaugural Chicago Rock and Roll Half Marathon on Sunday. Goucher, who is running 120 miles per week in preparation for the Aug. 23 IAAF World Championship marathon in Berlin, won the rac outright in 1 hour, 8 minutes, 5 seconds.

Goucher passed the last of the male challengers with more than two miles to go and ran alone to the finish. The race didn't offer prize money and Goucher, who was the focus of "Kara Cam" throughout the race, was the lone headliner.
"It was fantastic," Goucher said. "(Race organizers) kept me very busy but the people here were so friendly."
Goucher threw out the first pitch at a White Sox game on Saturday and used the half marathon as a training exercise. She gave chase to Deena Kastor's U.S. record of 1:07:34, but really wasn't focused on her finishing time.
"I thought I could run 5:12 (per mile) for the first half and 5:08 for the second half and then with a big kick maybe I could get (the record)," she said.Goucher, and her husband, Adam, were booked to fly out of Chicago Sunday evening for Europe. They will join other Nike athletes at training camp in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
How focused is Goucher's training? When her flight to Chicago was delayed by three hours last Thursday, she went to the Nike store located inside the Portland airport, picked up shoes and running clothes, and did a 40-minute run along Airport Way so that she didn't waste the extra time in the terminal.
In Chicago, where bands played at different points on the course, Goucher intended to use the race as a rehearsal for Berlin. But really, it was a vastly different sort of event.
"It's really nothing like Berlin," Goucher said. "People were talking to me until the fun went off."
But it became a chance to have fun and be a role model.
"There were a lot of young girls in the race, so it was nice to make a girl-power statement," Goucher said. "And all of the guys were very gracious."
Her next race will be much more serious, and Goucher believes she can be a factor in the outcome.
"I believe I wouldn't be running the marathon (in Berlin) if I didn't have a shot," she said. "If I run fully committed, I do have a shot."

TGIF Photo Friday & Ethnic Slurs

Gladys remarked (yet again) about how tan my arms are. Today, however, she added "You look like a little dago." HAHAHA!

Photo Friday isn't very exciting, but this is what I need to put out there this week. Maybe it will help me break out of some bad habits I've developed over the past few weeks.

Is that me? What? I'm a runner?? Interesting. Perhaps then maybe I should...oh, I don't know....run?

Friendly reminder to Self: This is what you look like when you eat whatever you want whenever you want (who eats a lobster roll at Fenway? Seriously?) and don't move much. Stop eating crappy food and start running. Chubbiness lurks...but it is 100% preventable.

Happy Weekending. Maybe I'll try to fit in a run....if I can remember how.

TGIF Photo Friday

It's hot. I don't know if the weather is keeping everyone quiet around the Ridge or not, but there hasn't been too much going on this week. Gladys did tell me this morning that she liked my tan (which I can thank Grandma's for), and when I put my arm up against her lily-white one, she mock-gasped and said "Good grief, I'm dead and don't even know it!" She makes me belly laugh every single day.

I don't have much time (why do I schedule meetings for Fridays?) so here's all I have today, a pic of Hubby and I getting ready for some seriously good food after the marathon last weekend. Just thinking about my steaming plate of wild mushroom risotto with crab sauce and buttered asparagus makes my mouth water. If I ever decide to write another blog I think it will be about food. And eating food. And maybe wine. Mmmmm.....

Oh, and if you want to see what Nic calls the Grandma Death March face, click here. Oy. On the running front: I haven't ran this week. My feet still don't look so great--I actually have one toe that is entirely purple. It is so weird! There is a Firecracker 5K here next weekend...so hopefully the fat toes will fit into a pair of running shoes by then.

Happy Weekending!

Grandma's Report (or "Dear Grandma: You're pretty...but mean.")

We arrived in Duluth early Friday afternoon, excited and anticipating a fun weekend full of things we love the best: running, running stuff, runners, and food. Things nearly got off to a rocky start when we were informed by the nice girl at the Sheraton's registration desk that we were actually scheduled to arrive Thursday, and therefore our entire reservation had been cancelled. I laughingly made a joke about the guy in Runners World who had slept in a port-o-pot the night before a race, but Hubby didn't even crack a smile. He didn't even actually breathe until the girl came back declaring we could still have the room after all. Whew.

We got settled and walked to the Expo in an air of nostalgia. Grandma's was the first marathon I ever watched Hubby run...before we were married and before I ever considered running for any other reason than to get away from something scary. (Grandma's, although not the year I went the first time, was also the very first marathon Hubby and his brother ran...back when they called themselves the Irish Striders and raced nearly every weekend thinking they were so cool...which they probably were.) The Expo was great, although jam packed full of people. Once we made our way through all the masses we went to Grandma's for an early dinner. Most of the other diners looked as though they had just run the 5K race or were carrying race packets for the next day. The atmosphere was fun and people were wishing us good luck as they walked by our table. I love runners. They are some of the nicest people around. I really think if you took a control group of runners and measured them against a control group of non-runners, the percentage of jerks in the runner group would be far less than the non-runner group. The world needs more runners.

The ambience was terrific as we left the restaurant. Volunteers were working on the finish line, runners were taking pictures, and there were people everywhere. You could just tell this was going to be a great race. And then, the fog rolled in. Suddenly I was freezing. Which meant I also started to panic, thinking my sleeveless singlet was not going to keep me warm enough during the race. We had been watching the weather all week and there had been little change in the projected high of 62 degrees, so I didn't even bother to pack anything else. Little did I know that my worry of having the wrong attire was going to be a bad joke.

Saturday morning, we left the hotel only to discover 65ish degrees and about a million percent humidity. Long gone was the fog and chilly air from the evening before, and in its place was a magnificent, bright, and cloudless sunrise. As we walked to the bus that would take me to Two Harbors, I reminded Hubby to look for Nic. I had told him on the drive to Duluth that he was hoping for a sub-3 and to look for a bright yellow shirt with NF on the front. I also tried to relay the plaid shorts story, but it seems blog humor doesn't translate well when trying to verbally explain it...nor do I think it translated well the third time when Hubby tried explaining it to Nic's dad! Anyway, I found out later that Hubby didn't remember Nic's name, but remembered the NF, which made him strike up conversation with these people at Knife River (around the five mile mark):

How about that?! Hubby was hanging out with Nic's fan club at mile five. He even caught a pic of this guy looking fast and strong:


Speaking of mile five. By the time I got there, I was absolutely drenched in sweat, thirsty, hot, and salty. After only five miles!! I knew this wasn't good, but I was keeping pace. Between miles six and ten, all I could think of was wanting a drink. Every. Single. Step. I knew from reading my race packet the aid stations were every two miles in the first half, but this didn't keep me from looking for water at every mile mark. I even daydreamed (hallucinated?) about asking a spectator for their bottle of water so that I could fill it up at the next water stop and carry it with me. Aid stations at every two miles is typically more than adequate, but it was hot. Really, really hot. I was so hot and thirsty I couldn't quiet my mind enough to get my breathing into a rhythm, nor could I think of anything else but getting that next drink.

Somehow, I made it to the half only a minute over my desired pace. The minute might has well have been an hour, though, because mentally I had already checked out. I knew there was no way I could run the second half with an even split. It was getting hotter, there was not one merciful cloud in the sky, and absolutely no shade on this otherwise beautiful and breathtaking course.


Nothing was working for me. Not the ipod, not the mantras, not the breath counting, not the silly games where I mentally tie myself to a runner ahead of me. Nothing. And then...THEN....I see the sign that says "drop out zone." I don't have any complaints about this well organized and awesome race, but maybe they could come up with something better than "drop out zone!?" To someone who is already struggling mentally, these signs were like handing the jail keys over to the inmate and expecting him to stay locked up. After seeing that sign, I stopped to walk for the first time. I also decided for the first time ever that I was going to quit without finishing. Yup, that's what I was going to do. I was going to DNF. I started to look for Hubby, knowing he would be somewhere near the half so I could tell him I was done.

Then the inner dialogue began. "DNF??? Are you crazy? Just because you can't make it to the finish line in a time you decided was "good enough," you're just going to quit? Man, what an ego. How about you be happy that you're healthy, and that you have two strong legs that even make it possible for you to consider going 26.2 miles. How about you be a little grateful that you get to travel and meet people and run fun races and be with your husband while doing it? How about you think what running actually means to you and why you really run in the first place? Do you run because you think you can set a record by finishing in under five stupid hours? Seriously?!Who cares? Give me a break, will ya, and suck it up and do this thing. Who the hell cares what time you finish in. It's the journey, man, not the destination."

After that jacking up, what else could I do but take a deep breath and start running again?

Unfortunately, that first walk made it easier to take another walk break at mile 15. And easier yet to take another one somewhere before 17. I also started drinking Ultima because of how much I was sweating, and all the bodies sitting on the side of the road were starting to freak me out a little bit and the last thing I wanted was to be one of them. The Ultima made my tummy hurt, which then made me wish I could vomit for the next several miles. I was so happy to see Hubby at mile 19 I stopped to give him a salty kiss. I was beyond caring how long it took me to finish but also wishing it would be over soon. I saw him again at the bottom of Lemon Drop Hill, right before the 22 mile mark. I think he must have given me a boost, because I actually ran all the way up that hill! After that, I really don't remember very much other than people shouting encouragement to "smiley," which apparently was me, but why was I smiling? I have no clue. I felt used up, burned up, and my feet were starting to feel as though they had been through a meat grinder.

I do remember the 25 mile mark and thinking that all I had to do was run another mile. I couldn't even talk myself into that, and took a walk break about half way into it. Finally, at the turn that would take us the last few tenths I was able to muster up enough to run across the finish line....where they announced my name!!! I'm so glad I was coherent enough to hear it! I've never had my name announced at the finish of a marathon. Cool.

The final damage: 9 blisters caused by wet feet from running through every single sprinkler and hose on the course, a severe case of monkey butt from sweating in places one shouldn't, sunburn because the sunblock was sweated off by mile 2, and a finishing time of 5:23:20.

But I didn't quit.

***

Burned,

Blistered,
But really happy. :)

Going to Grandma's

We're hitting the road at noon! We're going to stay in Madison, Wisconsin tonight (and meet up with a friend for dinner) then drive to Duluth tomorrow. Almost showtime!! I can hardly believe the spring has passed so quickly. Last night as I was trying to decide if the papercut on my thumb would affect my finishing time, I started to let my mind wander down the path of perhaps I haven't trained enough. In an effort to prove myself right and chuck the whole idea of even going to Minnesota this weekend, I looked at the running log. I have no idea when this happened, but I ran 120.7 total miles for May! That's the most miles I've EVER run in one month, and I'm at 368.4 on the year. That's almost as many as I ran in 2008 and it's only June! I hope that means I'm ready.


I also hope my knees don't hurt and that I enjoy the day, the run, the lake, the ambience and the experience. And I kinda sorta maybe hope a tiny little bit that maybe perhaps just possibly I could potentially break five hours. Whew. There, I said it. I'm putting it out there. If it's meant to be, I'll be one happy girl. If not, I'll still be one happy girl. I think I'm really going to like looking at the lake for 26 miles anyway.

Fast running vibes are coveted and I'll be back with a report on Monday.

If you have never seen this, take the time. The human spirit is amazing and inspiring. Happy Weekending!

TGIF Photo Friday

Happy Friday! We've had the Regional Director here at the Ridge all week, so not much happening but meetings. She's still here, but how could I miss Photo Friday? Here is the first thing I found this morning: a picture of "all us grandkids," or at least those who had been born by 1975 or 76. There are 15 of us total, so there were still a few more yet to come. Any idea which one I am? (Hint: the goofiest looking one!)

This little jewel showed up on Facebook a few weeks ago. That's me when I was 15 or 16 years old, hanging by my partner's neck and touching my foot to my head. Crazy, huh?

Fast forward to June 2009. Guess what's in a week!?!?!? I've had a very easy week of running, since I've been coming to the office early and staying late it would have been hard to fit it in, but I think the rest is good. 10 miles tomorrow, a couple of short runs next week and then we're off to the races. Happy Weekending!

(Hubby's) Race Report

I only have one negative thing to say about today, so I'll just get it out of the way first. 6am is mighty early for a race to start! It's not often I see 4am on the alarm clock. I have no idea how people get up that dang early every day. It's inhuman.

With that being said....

Today has been a great day! We stayed in South Bend last night (because of the heinous start time) and what do you suppose happened first thing this morning as we were leaving the hotel? We ran into Laura at Absolut(ly) Fit. It was almost surreal, as I had just been telling Hubby that she was running today and he asked me if I knew what she looked like. I told him that I thought she would have on a Marathon Maniac shirt and probably a running skirt based on photos of previous races I've seen on her blog. Just a handful of minutes later, Hubby saw a girl standing at the counter of the hotel wearing the described outfit. He's sharp, that one. It was her alright, and she is as adorable in person as she is in her pictures! We introduced ourselves, I wished her luck and we were off to the start.

Hubby was more nervous than I've seen him for quite sometime. He tied his shoes seven times! I was worried he would start out too fast due to the pent-up energy and anxiety but once he lined up at the start he seemed to relax, even if just a little. I waited for the gun to go off so I could start my watch, then took off in the car for Notre Dame Stadium, where the finish line is. I met up with my running partner at the stadium and we took off on our bikes.

The marathon course was great for spectating from a bike. We were able to see him at several places and were thrilled every time to see him on pace for his desired finish. At the 15 mile mark the course made a loop, so that the 20ish mile mark was in the same place. We decided to hang out there until Hubby came back, and were able to see some other runners we knew, including Laura. I hope she had a good race...she sure looked strong at the 15 mile mark and with no signs of passing out!

When Hubby passed us again, he was still right on pace. Yay! We rode our bikes ahead and waited for him at mile 25. He had slowed a little, but still looked as good as anyone can after running 25 miles. Feeling quite sure there was no way he couldn't qualify at this point, we took off for the finish line....but he beat us there! I easily found him (he's taller than most runners, so he's pretty easy to spot in a crowd) and to say he was happy is probably an understatement! Not only did he qualify, but he did it with 18 or so minutes to spare. Just to be safe, I guess. :)

We're home now. Hubby is happy, we're going back to Boston, and all is well. (Moe! We have another AE meeting at the Lenox next April!) Now I have to go run because I have no other time to fit it in this weekend. So I'm wondering? Since I rode my bike all over the marathon course this morning, and I'm running this evening....does that mean I'm doing my first brick?!?

Foto Friday

Where did the week go!? I can hardly believe it's Friday already. This week at the Ridge has been annoyingly busy, but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) it's been busy in a mundane kind of way, rather than a someone-put-poop-in-the-garbage-disposal kind of way.

Tomorrow Hubby runs what will hopefully be his Boston Qualifier (send good running vibes!) I'm taking my bike and plan to cheer him on at as many mile markers as possible. He's awesome, and because I think so, today's pics are all about how much fun we have.

This is us having a picnic at a park last summer. I set the timer on the camera, put it on the picnic basket, and here we are! We're such dorks, we take pictures of ourselves all the time.

A few years ago we took a bicycle trip through North Carolina, which was fantastic! I think we were on Ocracoke in this picture.

We have been going to Boston for the marathon for the past eight years. Hubby's birthday is on April 19th, which means we are always in Boston for his birthday. (Once the marathon was even ON his birthday.) Three years ago for his birthday, this wonderfully awesome and thoughtful wife actually scored some Sox tickets. The reason I'm so wonderfully awesome is because they were playing the STINKIN' YANKEES....which happens to be Hubby's favorite team (his only flaw I've found so far). I even let him wear his STINKIN' YANKEES shirt!!! (Luckily it was cold and he had to wear his jacket. Hee!) Anyway, here we are with the Green Monster.

Here we are in Chicago in 2003, the morning before my first marathon. His sister is on his left and that is a friend of ours on the far right....he had helped the three of us train and get through that first marathon. Our time was 5:55!!! His was something like 3:20. See why I think he's so awesome?

And speaking of running! My 21 miler went well. Slow, but well. Knees are feeling better and I'm starting to feel the anxiety of knowing I'm running a marathon in two weeks. 13.6 on the books for tomorrow, after Hubby qualifies of course!

Peace and happy running!

BQ Foto Friday

I love this picture. It was taken at the finish line of the Chicago Marathon the first time Hubby qualified for Boston (maybe 2001?). He ran something like 20 marathons before he hit his qualifying time, so it was an awesome moment. Next week, he is hopefully going to qualify for next year's Boston at the Sunburst Marathon. (He missed re-qualifying in Boston last month by four minutes). Please send fast running vibes, as I'm not quite sure what I'll do with him if he misses by four minutes again.




And this....THIS....is the cutest Halloween costume EVER! (the wee one is pretty darn cute, too)

Running update: The 17.6 last weekend sucked. My knees have been killing me and it's so disappointing to actually be in shape cardiovascular-wise, but have so many aches and pains that it isn't even fun. I've been doing yoga, massage therapy, icing and anything else I can think of this week. Two slow runs this week showed definite improvement with the knee pain, so I'm hopeful I can get through the 21-miler scheduled for tomorrow. Then it's TAPER TIME!

Happy Weekend!

Monday Nuggets

We had a new resident move in last week and I don't think she's shut up since she got here. I'm not kidding, this woman defies description. Chatterbox, Mouth of the South, or even Windbag don't even come close to painting the picture. I have never in my life heard a person talk so much but say so little....I'm not sure when she breathes!! It's unbelievable. To make matters worse, she has this incredibly grating and squeaky old lady voice that reminds me of a cross between a munchkin and the witch in Snow White. It's bad. Really, really bad. Other residents avoid her and won't let her sit at their lunch table, Gladys has actually gotten up and walked away from her, and I have a headache because she's been sitting outside my office door all afternoon. I have a feeling she might be the subject of future posts....

***

Pearl isn't coming home. After the episode involving her weapons of mass destruction, she was admitted to a geriatric behavioral unit and they have informed us her dementia has progressed to the point she needs to be in a secured facility (specifically for dementia patients). I know it is what she needs, but I'm sad I won't be seeing her great big purse parked outside my office anymore. I might even miss being threatened with the meat tenderizer, too.

***

We lost a resident this morning. Obviously this is a really hard part of the job and I'm always sad when someone dies. While I feel terrible for her family, today, for her...I feel joy. This woman had been married to her husband for 70 years. They got married nine days after they met because they were so in love with each other. You could see the love they shared, by the way they looked at each other, spoke to one another, or how one would put out a steadying hand for the other. I've read articles about Broken Heart Syndrome in which spouses die in rapid succession. I believe it to be a very real thing. This resident was not ill and had no underlying medical conditions, but her husband died two weeks ago. Tragic for the family, but yet a beautiful and poetic ending to their love story. Incredible.

***

I haven't talked much about my marathon training, but it's getting down to crunch time. Today I am exactly five weeks and five days away from Grandma's Marathon. I ran a successful 21-miler on Saturday, at a pace that would make me a very happy runner on marathon day if I were able to sustain it for those last 5.2 miles. It's a strange event, though, and who knows? I'm just putting it out there that someday I hope to say I ran a marathon in four-something, because that sounds waaaaaaay faster than five-something. My IT band is aggravated again, but I'm going to yoga and stretching, stretching, stretching. I think I can limp it along.

Whole Lotta Love

"I think you've probably been beautiful your whole life," 97 year-old Freddie just said to me.

"That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me all day," I reply.

"Well, you are beautiful," he kind of sighs before continuing, "Here I am with all this love in me and I've got no way to get it out."

***

Because I'm getting too old for sibling torture and because Teh Big Bro asked so nice, here are a couple of pics from the Mini Marathon. Unfortunately, I was so busy basking in my PR glory that I forgot I should have been capturing the moment, so this is pretty much it.

(The start kind of reminds me of a Jimmy Buffett concert, only the music isn't as good and the only questionable thing you smell is ben-gay and biofreeze.)

This is my family after the race. We had walkers, runners and some walk/runners. It was great watching everyone finish and catching up after the race. Two of my nieces also participated but are missing from the picture. They had to leave as soon as they finished because the younger niece's prom was that same night. What 17-year-old girl runs a half marathon on the day of her prom!?! MY niece does...in 2:13 no less! (No cream puff girly-girls here!)

The Greatest Spectacle in Running

The One America Mini Marathon kicks off the month-long celebration of all things Indy 500. There's nothing quite like Indianapolis in the month of May, whether or not you're even an Indy Car race fan, and the Mini Marathon couldn't be a better way to get the party started. The Mini is the largest half marathon in the country, with 35,000 participants cueing up at 7:30 yesterday morning awaiting their turn at a lap on the famed Indy 500 racetrack. This was my seventh Mini, and Hubby's millionth (or something like that). Each year is just a little different, but the festive atmosphere is always the same. As we wait for the start in our corrals (there are 26 of 'em!) the local news channel is interviewing participants, John Mellencamp (he's from Indiana, ya know) is blasting from speakers, fans are packed in like sardines and hundreds of black and white checkered beach balls are volleying from runner to runner. Suddenly a strong voice can be heard over the melee...and an Indiana State Trooper is singing the obligatory "Back Home Again in Indiana" to signal it's almost race time. He isn't Jim Nabors, but he did a pretty great job all the same.

After the gun went off, it took me a little over ten minutes to get to the start line (Hubby, or Mr. Fast-Seeded-Runner as I like to call him, only took 45 seconds). It took the people in the last corral nearly 40 minutes! The start is crowded, and I have to say it's annoying to me that people lie about their estimated finish time just so they can start closer to the front and then are IN MY WAY because they are walking right from the beginning and not only are they walking but they are doing it THREE ABREAST so that it is impossible to pass. So mile one was a little hairy, but after that I found myself settling in with people at my pace...which was...remarkably...about 9:30. I decided I was going to try to maintain the pace for as many miles as possible. I didn't know how long I could keep it up, but before I knew it I was in front of the Speedway (mile six-ish) and I was still feeling strong.

Running on the track is the hardest part of the race for me. I do think it's awesome to run over the yard of bricks, and for a race fan or someone who has never been to the speedway it would probably be a great life experience. However, having been to the 500 lots of times, to the time trials even more, and drunk at Carburation Day more times than I should have been, it loses some of the luster. That's why I find running on 2.5 miles of pitched pavement with nothing but empty bleachers as scenery kinda boring. The good part of the track, however, is when you exit... all of a sudden you're at mile 9!! And for me, I was at mile 9 still running 9:30s!

I'm not sure what happened between miles 9 and 11, but somewhere out there I finally left the self doubt on the side of the road and allowed myself to believe I could actually finish a half marathon averaging less than 10 minute miles. Somewhere after 11 but before 12, I knew without any uncertainty I was running my best half marathon ever.

My IT band injury never even bothered me (amazing). I was tired, but felt good. I was running to some crazy mantra I had been repeating in my head since the track and suddenly there was Hubby, screaming my name and to "go, girl, go." I could tell he knew where I was. That was all the motivation I needed to find my last bit of energy reserve and finish hard.

Oh, how I love a PR!!! (who doesn't, right!?) Offical time: 2:06:30, which is 7:06 better than last year, and 5 minutes better than my previous PR. That's a 9:40 average pace! What a great day for this back-of-the-pack runner...and to make it even better the Mini has turned into quite the family affair. I had more than ten various family members also participating. What a blast.

Carrie
Bib 4013
Females 35-39
FiveMile 0:47:08
TenMile 1:35:55
RunnerTIME 2:06:30
GunTime 2:16:49
PACE 9:40
SEXP 3441
OVERALL 10757

Weekend Update

I ran another 5K yesterday. It was a race put on by a local hospital where my sister-in-law works and she was the head of the planning committee. We wanted to be there to support her, so Hubby even pulled out a pretty quick race although he ran Boston five days ago! I didn't run as fast as I did last weekend, mainly because my nieces were running and one of them was having a little trouble. She went out too fast, so when I caught her she was holding her side and not feeling so hot. I stuck with her trying to help her through the side stitch. Running with her made the race that much more fun, as I don't often have the opportunity to run with my 17-year old niece. Later, I was thinking that I should have just run my race because I started out thinking it would be easy to get another PR since it was such a small race (how fun would that have been to post two PRs in two weeks?) But...who cares? My niece will be going to college before I know it, and she is definitely one of my lights. What could have been more important at that moment than running with her? Nothing, and I loved every 29 minutes and 30 seconds of it.

Today I went 10.2. Notice I didn't say today I "ran" 10.2, simply because I was a BIG WEINER and had to walk. It was so hot that at one point I thought it was raining because I felt raindrops on my arms only to realize it was the sweat dripping off my head. It also didn't help that I worked in the garden all day yesterday and my glutes were killing me from all the squatting, my mental focus was terrible, and after about three miles I realized this was the third day in the row I was running and I never run three days in a row. Lots of mental chatter and bad self talk ensued. I believe this is officially the worst run I've ever had. Period.

Next Saturday is the One America Mini Marathon, where I ran a half-marathon PR last year (which I ended up besting three weeks later at Notre Dame). Obviously I would love to PR again, but after today's run who knows. It all comes down to how you feel on that day. Hopefully I'll feel fast!

Love those Dirty Waters

How I love Boston! I love the food. I love the places to go and the things to do. I love the food. I love the T. I love the people watching. I love the food. I love how everyone says "Bahstin" and "wicked good" and that they sing Sweet Caroline at Fenway. But most of all, I love the food. No, just kidding....most of all, I love the Boston Marathon.

I'm sure it's easier for me to say I love the marathon because I've never had (and never will have) the opportunity to torture myself on hill after hill from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, but being in Boston during marathon weekend is amazing. That city absolutely comes alive for this race. The atmosphere of the city is incredible, and the support of the marathon runners is unlike anywhere else we've ever been. This is the seventh time Hubby has run Boston, and every year I feel the same way. It's incredible.

Friday we flew out on such an early flight it shouldn't have been legal, so we were in Boston early enough for breakfast. We went to one of our favorite breakfast spots on Newbury, traipsed along checking out Niketown, people, and the flagship Life Is Good store until we had wasted enough time to go to the Expo. I always enjoy the Expo...but this year I got to pick up a packet and a race shirt, too! (Any race that lets you try on your shirt to be sure it fits = awesome. I have more race shirts that don't fit than Carter has liver pills....whoever Carter is...)

The Expo was fun and great. We saw Bart Yasso and Frank Shorter and met Kathrine Switzer who was putting the hard sell on us to buy her book, but my favorite part of Friday came later as we were walking back to our hotel and we ran into her on Boylston Street:

Kara Goucher is a class act. She was so nice, down-to-earth and personable. She even asked Hubby if he had any course tips for her since he'd run it before!

Sunday was the 5K and just like you could expect from a BAA race, it was the best race I've ever run. It was a bit too crowded to run very fast at the start, but other than that it was fantastic. Running through the streets of Boston and finishing on Boylston at the marathon finish line was just damn cool! All the finishers got medals, they announced names at the finish line, and the snacks were great. Oh yeah, and I got that PR. 27:55, a flat 9-minute mile pace. Yippee! :)

Monday was a blast. I walked Hubby to the Common and waited with him until he boarded the bus for Hopkinton. About 10am my cousin (who lives in Cambridge) met me and we took the T to the 16.8 mile mark in time to see the elites racing. Amazing! After they ran by, we passed the time cheering and clapping and anxiously awaiting Hubby. All of a sudden he was there! He looked great and threw us his gloves and some kisses. I tried to get a picture of him, but I was too excited....so here's my cousin while we were waiting for him. Isn't she adorable!? We had so much fun.

As soon as he passed us at that stop, we took off to the T and made it to Cleveland Circle (about 21.5 mile mark) with about ten minutes to spare. He still looked great, even though he had just come off of Heartbreak Hill. After he passed, we ran back to the T and were lucky enough to have a train waiting, so we made it to Commonwealth Ave just in time to watch him turn on Hereford. His gait had changed considerably and he looked exhausted, but he was still smiling and blowing kisses. He's the one in green (with his head blocked by the tree branch!):

Afterwards, we met in the Public Garden. I think he looks tired, but happy!


Of course as the evening passed, he couldn 't help but dwell just a tiny bit on having missed re-qualifying by 4:02. He has already started checking out fall marathon options to remedy that.

Has anyone ever run Philadelphia or Richmond? Sounds like we get to go on another trip....

And she's back

Better late than never? I did make it to the half marathon on March 28th. I ran 2:26:01 (11:09 pace). It was cold and windy. I should have posted a race report, but I didn't feel like it. Still don't, really.

I've been in a bad spot. The kind of spot where you feel like talking to no one and doing nothing. This is a hard thing for me...the eternal optimist, the glass half-full girl, the person everyone in my college sociology class called Pollyanna. I should be able to adjust my rose-colored glasses and move on, but instead, not being able to talk myself out of a funk just makes it worse.

It is amazing that the things most likely to help me work through sad stuff are the last things I feel like doing....when I need it most. Soooo. Trying to dig out of the hole here... I made myself do yoga for an hour last night. I made myself read a chapter in the book "Broken Open." I hugged every single resident today. I'm making myself write.

I can't even think what to write about or why I'm in such a funk. There really isn't any one reason. I guess it's just a lot of little things like the phone ringing at 4am, crappy families not taking care of their elders, and missing my sister. Usually the little things don't add up to one bad sad scary Carrie, but sometimes I don't let my coping skills do their job. I stop letting things go and just keep piling it on. Why do I do that? I've read the books. I know better.

So, here's what I think the deal is. I already have this precarious pile of shit I've refused to let go of for some unknown reason....and then people start dying. I know I work with old people and that they are going to die. But knowing that doesn't make me miss them any less when they are gone. And no matter what, you are never, ever, ever ready to walk into someone's apartment and find them dead on the floor. And having to tell their family? Yeah, well, they don't teach you how to do that in Assisted Living 101.

Lucy died, too. I'm happy for her, because she was ready...but, I already miss hearing her gravely voice. We have another resident on hospice and they've called her family to be with her tonight, so tomorrow probably won't be very happy, either. (At least that will be the magic number three everyone here keeps yakking about.)

But, the more things change the more they stay the same! As I am sitting here writing this, Pearl came in to let me know she was robbed last night. If I don't do something about finding her 15 dollars and costume jewelry, she's calling the sheriff first thing in the morning. Aha!!
Things are getting back to normal....

Running Review

I hope I don't jinx anything by saying it appears the dreaded treadmill season is over! Thank goodness, as I was starting to have doubts about running a spring marathon. Anyway, it was 65 glorious degrees here today...perfect for a 10.2 mile run. I also did 6.8 on Tuesday and a quick 2.2 speed/hill work out on Thursday. Not quite 20 miles this week, but that's ok since I'm racing a half next weekend.

My pace this week consistently hovered between 10:40 and 11 minute miles. I'm always a slow runner, but usually not quite that slow. I'm not sure what that is...maybe just getting used to being outside again? I'm also struggling with a tight IT band. Again. That's such a bummer, because I felt certain taking two months off after the Portland Marathon would help straighten that sucker out. I guess maybe I should have kept going to yoga, or at least been a good stretcher at home (I wasn't.)

That's the update from here!

Updates

Last week Rock Ridge hosted our company's regional training, so we had ten people from all over the US hanging out with us and enjoying all that our small town has to offer, which isn't a whole lot. Hosting is exhausting, and mega time consuming, but the upside was the valuable training and the reaffirmation that I work for an incredible company. It's awesome to spend time with such positive, uplifting, and creative people....all of whom really love old people.

Everyone also claims this industry has been (and will remain) unaffected by the state of our economy. I have to wonder how that is possible, but that's what the experts are saying...so I'm going with it.

In Resident news: My little 102 year old had a heart attack. She wouldn't get out of bed and told the WorkerBee to "go away and leave me alone so I can die today." Well, she didn't die...quite the contrary. She's recovering quite nicely and should be home soon. Incredible.

Gladys claims some shyster came to Rock Ridge and took her picture, charged her $75 for the photo, and never delivered it. I'm guessing something like this actually happened to her at some point in her life, but it totally cracks me up to hear that little sweetie use the word shyster like it's the queen mother of all dirty words.

Maude threw a WorkerBee out of her apartment over the weekend. Maude's family has asked that we give her assistance with bathing, but apparently Maude disagrees that she needs help. She told WorkerBee "I'm getting ready to turn 98 years old! Don't you think I know how to have a bath!?" She has a point.

In Running News: Even with all the company we had last week, I still managed to have a 24-mile week, with half of that mileage coming from a 12-miler on Saturday. The weather looks as though it will be cooperative for some nice runs this week, too. I spontaneously registered for a half marathon on the 28th (Hubby always runs it as a Boston trainer), it's a tiny little race...but should be a great training opportunity. I'm excited about the possibility of this race helping my performance at the Mini on May 2. I've never run a half before the Mini, so I'm hoping it speeds me up a bit. I'd sure love a PR....

That's all!

Boston Excitement

The BAA is hosting its first-ever Boston Marathon Weekend 5K....and I'M IN!!!!!! So, why is this exciting? Let me count the ways....

1) How about because it finishes on Boylston at the marathon finish line?? HOW COOL IS THAT? Ok, so not as cool as crossing that same finish line after 26.2, but for a runner like me, this is the only way I could ever run across the Boston Marathon finish line at all.

2) Part of the 5K course runs the same course as the women's olympic marathon trials last year, which Hubby and I were so lucky to get to watch on the Sunday before the '08 marathon. I think there is something reverent about running the same streets as Joan Benoit Samuelson, not to mention the best women marathoners in our country.

3) I'm running a race. In Boston. The day before the oldest marathon in history.

4) I should run a PR. This is simply because I have only ever run one other timed 5K, and I'm thinking the excitement of running on Commonwealth, turning onto Hereford to finish on Boylston Street is pretty much going to carry me faster than a stinkin' 29 minutes, which is the time of my only other 5K.

5) I will actually be running a race all by myself with Hubby as my fan! This NEVER happens. Because we both run, we're usually both, well running. He's running the marathon on Monday, so had no interest in the Sunday 5K. (Pussy.)

6) Have I mentioned finishing on Boylston Street? At the marathon finish??? As if that isn't enough awesomeness, the finish is only a handful of blocks away from my most favorite breakfast spot ever. There will be a plate of lemon ricotta stuffed challah bread french toast with my name on it. And don't even think about forgetting the blueberry coulis topping. (and for once, I'll have actually burned a few calories before consuming a bajillion)

I am totally thrilled to be a participant in the Inaugaral BAA 5k, and have already started to interject things like "I sure hope I'm ready for Boston in April" into my daily conversations. You know, just to sound cool.