WoW

Notice the mileage on the right?

I'm very disappointed that I might not reach 100 miles this month. I mean, really? I started off with a marathon and even THAT couldn't get me to 100 for another month? Sheesh. And yes, I did the math just to see what it would take to actually GET to 100 this month. If I really, really push it this weekend, it just might happen. June doesn't start until Monday, right?

What is wrong with me? Who plays that kind of game with a mileage log? Silly Pink Girls, that's who.

I've been feeling very run down lately. My energy has just been zapped. I don't know if it's the heat, stress, poor diet, what. Sunday night I didn't sleep well. Again. I tell you what, my beloved biscuit just isn't doing the trick these days. So I did something I almost never do. I called Bahama Mama at 4:33 am and bailed on her. We were supposed to swim, but the though of another hour and a half of sleep was just too tempting for me.

I hang my head in shame. I'm very sorry friend.

Sweet Mama forgave me though and she and Kelly joined me Monday night for Ladies' Night at the store. We ate, got massages, shopped a little (me, yet another pair of Nike Tempo shorts - I know, it's a full fledged addiction, call TLC) and won stuff! I got a pink Bondi band and a case of Muscle Milk. I don't know why my arm looks so ginormous in this photo. I promise it is the angle; I don't have Popeye forearms.

I'm staying hydrated. Bought this new water bottle because it is spill proof. I have 5 boys in training right now and they've knocked over my Nalgene twice with their game of "Fish Ball." Fish Ball involves throwing a Koosh ball from the far corner of the room and seeing how many times you can make it into the empty fish bowl in a minute. The record is 9 in case you were wondering. You weren't? Oh. This is my life.

This is my first Camelbak bottle. The color is precious, of course. It only holds 25 ounces vs my Nalgene 32. That's not a big diff. But I'm not sure I care for the bit and sip strategy. I'm not 9. I really don't want to have to bite the straw. So hmm. This is the temperature and humidity it was when I returned from my Tuesday night run with my group. Basically, hot. This is why I'm trying so hard to stay hydrated! (that's 90 Or 32 C at 8:30 at night) Summer has arrived in Texas fosh.

This morning I met my girls at the track for our first speed workout of the season. Wild Women of Wednesday. WoW. Yes, I know I'm missing a W. It's implied. Ha! All abilities, all paces. One marathoner in training, one new mom returning to running, one girl just coming back from a long break and the rest of us somewhere in between. All with the common goal, to get faster. 'Cause, you know, fast girls have the best times!

I was very disappointed in my Magic Mile time. I was a wheezing and struggling to breathe in the humidity. I'm sure I could have pushed harder but it is what it is. I'm not used to running fast anymore! My time was 8:18 and this time last year I was pulling 7:56 in the same humidity so I really can't use that as an excuse. Marathon training has made me s-l-o-w. But not for looooong.

I'm putting together some short but sweet speed drills. Taking suggestions!

HOLD UP. Stop the presses! I just realized Monday is the 31st. I ignorantly thought 30 days hath May. Great news - I just might make it to 100 after all! (great news unless you think about the fact that I have no idea how many days hath May!) Night y'all!

Weekend Recap

This was an exhausting week.

Work was busy, after work was busy and I was just plum worn out by Friday afternoon. Hubs and I napped after work we were so worm out!

Friday began with a good swim. I did 24 lengths of the pool. A lap is back and forth, is that correct? So, 12 laps? It was easier this go- round, but certainly not easy! I'll get the hang of it eventually. (maybe) Calling all Emily Posts. What is the pool etiquette on the fast lane? The gym pool has two lanes and then an open area for classes. Should we be in the open area since we are slow? They don't have classes that early so that's not a concern. Please advise - I don't want to a rule breaker!

Being tard didn't stop me from setting my alarm for 4:30 am yet one more time this week. I met my girls for a quick 5 miles, then parted with one girl, gained another and busted out 6 more miles. See, Jenn is training for the Alaskan Marathon. She needs company for her long runs and like they did with me, my cru is taking turns getting in a few of her miles with her. Helps to break up those long runs! I did 11 with her and then headed downtown.

Why go Downtown Dallas on a Saturday morning? To run a 5K of course! Y'all know I've been mentoring a Learn to Run group and Saturday was their very first 5K. This was a pretty small race so fortunately it wasn't crowded and they could really focus on running strong. We are currently at a 6:1 run/walk ratio, but at 6 minutes they were chatting away. So, I didn't tell them it was time to walk. AT 8 minutes I offered a walk break and they were SHOCKED it was time to walk. I let them in on my little secret and they cracked up. All of them ran strong the entire race. I was so excited for them! Here I am with a few of my class members. They did GREAT! I crossed the finish line with the ladies in red and pink. They came in just over 36 minutes and I am so very proud of their progress. Way to go ladies!

As excited as I was to witness their joy I was equally excited to find that Tiff's Treats was there and quickly snatched up a warm chocolate chip cookie in my sweaty little paw. What is better than fresh cookies - delivered?!?!

After the race I cleaned up and laid down for just a minute...and woke up 2 hours later. Guess all those miles and lack of sleep finally caught up with me. Oooh, but it felt good to finally get some rest. Hubs was at a seminar for work so I had the house to myself. Bliss.

At 4 I headed over to the Rec center to watch Bahama Mama's sweet baby girl, Kristin, in her dance recital. Oh they were all just too precious! She did a great job. I'm so impressed with the dance instructors who can get groups of 3 year olds to all stay on stage much less perform a routine! Of course, then as now, I'm pretty easily bribed with the promise of a sparkly dress. So maybe that works for little ones too.

After supper we headed to Hobby Lobby to pick up some supplies for a wedding shower we are having at work. And you know what? They are starting to put out the Fall decorations. FALL PEOPLE! It's still May. Good golly Pete that's early!Hope y'all had a great weekend. I promise that I'm reading your blogs if not commenting as much as I should. This week doesn't look like it's going to be any slower. My goal is to get this house picked up and in some sort of shape. I'd be ashamed if anyone stopped by. Stuff every where!

I'm only exaggerating slightly. I won't be named for hoarders anytime soon, but still. Messy house, messy mind. I've got to establish some order.

Have a great week!

White Out

I really do have the best friends ever.

Like ever ever. For reals.

Frequently I arrive at my desk to find small gifts left for me. Usually, they are pink. I do have, ahem, a penchant for pink items. I especially love pink office supplies. They are just so consumable. Last week I returned from vacay to find this pink white out tape. Which is pretty must just awesome. I don't know why my hand looks so tan. Must be the lighting. Anywho. Sometimes I wish I could just white out large portions of my day. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. It's a lot of fun and I clearly work with only the best. I love my extra activities. It's just, some days I wonder how I'll FIT all that fun into one day.

I don't have any fewer hours in my day than anyone else. And trust me I get far less done in one day than most. Today I arrived home from work around 6:30. Not so late. But it overwhelmed me to think I'd be heading to bed in less than 3 hours. Less than 3 hours to get in a workout, dinner, pick up the house a bit and maybe schedule some time to actually, you know, relax.*

I wonder what it would be like if I actually WAS training for an Ironman. (instead of just a sprint tri, a baby sprint at that) What if I had kiddos to care for? What if, like many, I worked two jobs?

I started to feel very blessed about that almost 3 hours. See, it's all in the perspective. You gotta choose to look at it the right way. Not less than 3 hours, almost 3 hours.

Much better.

Now that I'm all chilled out, I'm ready to hit the biscuit, get some z's and hit the trail running tomorrow. 'Cause anyone can sleep until 6 but I choose to get up at 4:30!

*for my relaxing activity I made a chocolate pie. To all those with whom I work- stop by and please eat some tomorrow!

Swimming, or Something

Today, I jumped into swimming!

That's an exaggeration. I slowly lowered myself into the cool, cool pool water at the gym, drew a sharp breath at the iciness and began what must have looked like to those above water, a desperate attempt to save my own life.

It's official, I am no swimmer.

I mean, I can swim. I can dog paddle, frog paddle, backstroke. I am a skilled floater. I not a danger to myself or others in the water. But I'm not a Swimmer. I've never been schooled in how to cut through the water efficiently. How to execute the different strokes with ease. I don't even know the right names. Or, apparently, how to breathe.

Yes, my biggest challenge today was breathing. I'm not sure when to come up for breath. Or how! I mean yes, I know when it is time to procure more oxygen. Just not the finesse of the timing.

Nor do I know anything about pacing. (is there such a thing?)

I arrived prepared with my oh-so-colorful Dolphin Ugly swimsuit. They didn't have a pink suit in my price range so I went with a suit that looks like a rainbow threw up on it. It sure lives up to the Ugly name.

I had my Speedo swimcap made specifically for long hair and my pink goggles. I was ready. At least I looked the part. Oh, why oh why did I put off swimming until just now??? What WAS I THINKING? Who is this person and why does she think she can complete a sprint triathlon???

It was a humbling experience to say the least. And I started off pretty darn humble, believe me. I knew that swimming would kick my rainbow tail! (the fabric is glittery too BTW) Man I'm worn out from just 45 minutes in the pool. I don't claim 45 minutes of actual movement because once I reached the edge of the pool I'd cling to it for dear life, my multi-colored chest heaving, gasping for air. My glasses not on my face, I was blind to all but what was right in front of me. At one point I thought Bahama Mama was in front of me when in fact, she was right next to me. I'm practically blind in case you didn't know. I thought the dark stripe marking the lane was her. Ooops. She kept an eye on the clock and let me know once we'd met our goal. (side not, not sure WHAT to do for the race. Do you wear your contacts in the water?)

Long ago I lost count of the laps we "swam." All I know is that swimming is the total body workout I anticipated it would be and that I'm not thrilled about the prospect of getting lake water in my mouth.

I've got a long row to hoe. Er, um, swim.

What have I gotten myself into???

Any advice you got, I'll take it. Goodness knows I need it!

What's Next?

What do you do now?

At the conclusion of any good training program there lies the question, "What next?" Some people talk about the Post Marathon Blues. Your focus for months is on this one race. You put your heart and soul into it. And then you cross that finish line.

And like that, it's over. What now? You need a new goal!

I'll admit. Since Sunday I may have been looking for another marathon. I may have found a race in Rochester MN later this month. I may have looked up airfare to Rochester MN. I may have even consulted my pal Hal about a training program for a marathon less than 4 weeks after a marathon.

And then I came to my senses. I had such a good race and I'm lucky for that. I shouldn't push it. Sigh. On to another goal!

As much as I'd like to run a Fall marathon, I won't. It's hot here in Texas, really hot. I don't want to train in the heat again. And, as appealing as a Fall race sounds, so does having some free time. Time to sleep in a little, time to go to the batting cages, time to spend with Hubs, time to just lie in the back yard.

I've decided that this will be the Summer of Speed. I've never been a quick one and marathon training has certainly made me even slower. Injuries have prevented me from speed work AND distance training. I had to pick one. I'm getting stronger every day so, why not get FASTER every day too?

So here you go. My Summer of Speed Goals.

• Swimming - great cardio while giving those legs a rest (from the pounding)


• Speed work - putting together a group track session each week


• Strength training - muscles, muscles, muscles!


• Svelte - gonna get my weight down just a bit


• Swiftness 5K PR - I'd like my number to start with a 27.

I'm keeping my mileage low. Keeping my workouts short, but intense. I'm gonna hit my 5K PR and return to distance training stronger, faster and rested. 'Cause, there is a December/January marathon with my name one it!

(Good golly Pete that sounds far away!)

Flying Pig Race Recap

Four days later and I'm still smiling.

This was a good race. By all accounts. The Pig People organized a great race and the people of Cincinnati put on a good show. I'd recommend the Flying Pig Marathon to anyone. As mentioned in a previous post, the Expo was fantastic. (and I normally don't care for Expos) Afterwards  Joy and I went to Noodles and enjoyed a pre-race meal of pasta. We found a Target too since I had already consumed an entire six pack of large bottled waters that day. Hydration!

Not wanting to tire myself out too much, we headed back to the hotel to rest up. I barely even remember Saturday night. I'm sure we watched tv. I'm sure I read blogs. I'm sure I fussed with my race stuff. I went with the impeccable taste of my readers and wore the hot pink and teal for the race. I securely fastened what had to the largest timing chip I've ever seen to my shoe.And then attempted to get a good night's rest. When my alarm went off I shot out of bed and sprang into action. Mostly I coated my entire body in Body Glide. I knew the rain was going to be my biggest obstacle of the day. I met Joy outside her hotel at 5:30 and we headed over in the pouring rain to the start. Fortch we had purchased pig ponchos at the Expo. There were so many ponchos and trash bags that morning! Lightening lit up the night sky and thunder shook the stadium. Thankfully, I follow The Flying Pig on Twitter, so I was getting updates that the race was still on schedule. The lightening was 20 miles away and moving Southward.We lined up in our respective pace groups and then we were off! Sweet Bahama Mama had offered to me her Garmin for the race. I eagerly accepted the loan. I've never run with a Garmin before, and since I was alone, I really wanted to stay on top of my pace. And boy howdy was it hard to keep a decent pace! I felt so good I just wanted to take off! Plus, I think there is something about rain that makes you want to hurry. Glancing down I'd see a sub 11 mile and I would remind myself to save it for later. I'd sure need it.

Around mile 6 my kinesio tape just plum fell off. Too wet for too long. I had prepared for this so I pulled over under a tree, dried off my leg best I could and re-applied my back up tape. This took me about 5 minutes or so. I rejoined the group just in time for the steepest hill of the race. Whew.

Let's talk about hills, shall we? The race promotes as mostly downhill. If you peek at the elevation chart, you'll find a steep hill from miles 5-8, but then it indeed IS downhill from there.

Lies, lies I tell you! After the steep hill there are many more smaller hills. This was a tough course. Call them rolling all you want, but you still have to go UP them to do DOWN them. Ugh. Laura concurs, she should know, she ran it too!

Anyway, my new kinesio tape fell off again right before mile 10. This was not good. If my knee was going to make it all 26.2 miles, I needed that extra support.

I tried not to let it get to me mentally. I reminded myself that I'd been strengthening my knee, working on it for months. The tape was just a crutch. But I haven't done a long run without that magical tape since October. It was just unknown. Plus, my hip was seizing up causing me to change my gait. I had to focus on keeping my stride consistent.

Around mile 11 I saw a bright spot of pink duct tape on a bridge. It read "JOY" in black marker. This was the tape I made for my friend Joy who was running the Pig too. It made me smile to know that Joy had already been there before me so I kept on trucking. (my pink tape fell off before mile 1...wet + tape = apparent mess)

I didn't take photos along the course - too much rain for my phone. I tried to pick my head up and take in my surroundings. Mostly I kept my eyes on the road trying to avoid the really big puddles. We ran by a lot of churches and I did manage to see a precious little girl dressed for her First Communion. Oh she was so pretty! That was a blessing to me at that moment.

Mentally, it was a rough time. I'm used to running with friends and this time I had no one. I tried to strike up conversations on several occasions, but no one was having it. The rain was pretty much constant the entire race and they were all focused on the task ahead. Thankfully, it only rained supa hard a few times. Mostly it was just a constant rain.

I worried about my hip. I worried about my knee. I worried about the huge blister I could feel forming on the bottom on my foot.

And then it hit me. My hip wasn't hurting. My knee wasn't hurting. I could feel what I thought was a blister, but it wasn't hurting. I was feeling so strong! I had set 3 goals before the race. 1. To beat my last marathon time of 5:46, 2. To come in under 5:30 and 3. To come in under 5 hrs. I did the math and realized that I was certainly going to beat my first 2 goals. I was pumped! I was still a little worried about hitting "The Wall" either physically or mentally, but I had no valid reason to think that I would.

I had this.

The crowd support was amazing! I can't believe how many people came out in that awful weather to play music, beat drums, blow horns, holler and yell. What a GREAT CITY! Around mile 22 one lady handed me water and looked me right in the eyes. She said, "You can do this. I know you can do this."

Her firm words shook me to my core. At a time when most of us are doubting our own abilities, how could she be so sure? She'll never know how much I needed to hear that right at that moment. I am so thankful for her confidence in me. If I were a crier, I would have cried. Further down the road an older man with a drum kit sat under and awning and beat out a cadence. I thanked him. A church group handed out sliced, peeled oranges. Normally I'm oogie about food prep. Honestly, I would have picked up an orange off the ground at this point!

I had been neck and neck with a race walker in a dress the entire race. I was determined not to let her cross that finish line before me. And you know what? That race walker (in a DRESS) sprinted towards the finish line! I let her go. I just enjoyed this finish. All those months, all those miles, all for this. I finally crossed that finish line on my terms. Strong and smiling. (note, I went further than 26.2 miles!) I didn't care that I didn't come in under 5 hours. I still PR'd and I was still pretty pleased with my time.

I accepted my medal, got some Gatorade and water then stumbled around looking for someone to remove my chip.

There was plenty of food post race. Bag of Fritos firmly grasped in my claw, it was over. Just like that. And I was so pleased.

All smiles post race.

This is what a marathon finish is supposed to be. The definition of elation. There are many theories as to what causes the Runner's High. Up to this point, I've never experienced it. And while I didn't during the race, I sure did after. For me it might have been prolonged lack of sufficient oxygen to the brain. I was so excited post race, I was ready to sign up for another marathon! I wanted to feel this feeling again! This is why we run. No matter the distance, it's that feeling of accomplishment. That sense of knowing that your own two legs got you there.

I'm ready to do it again!

Pleased little Piggy

5:12
Beat my first two goals and I'm pleased as punch. Full race recap later, perhaps after I've had a good night's sleep! Thank you so much for your comments, e-mails, tweets and prayers. Each and every one was felt today!

Flying Pig Expo

Usually, I eschew expos.

But I heard this one was pretty good. Giant potty good. Plus, there was a pretty good possibility of a plethora of pink. Count me in.

This expo was so well organized. I didn't wait in a line for anything. The merchandise was all cute and I walked away with a pink pig hat and the cutest green ls tech tee with pink pinks flying across the front. Yeah, I'll have to wait a while to wear it, but seriously, what girlie girl doesn't love pink and green together?

We were greeted with a flock of adorable pink pig balloons.Thought this shirt was hilar! From Moving Comfort.Charmin was there in full force giving out 6 packs of toilet paper. OC Joy and I had to pose on the giant potty. Yes, we are on a big potty. What we won't do for the blog!Isn't kissing a pig supposed to be good luck? No? Huh. I finally snagged me a pig balloon for up close and personal and whattya know? He's missing a wing!

We snagged Noodles last night and plan to go again today. And again, and again. We also made our way to Trader Joe's. So J that some of y'all can go anytime. Why don't we have these in Texas???

That's about all we did today, sleep in and visit the Expo. Remember, I'm a skilled rester. Oh yes, and pee. I've had more water in the past 2 days than most people drink in 2 weeks. No joke. I will NOT be dehydrated that is certain. We'll head out for supper in a while then shower then hit the biscuit to get some z's for the long run tomorrow.

There is a 90% chance of thunderstorms. BUT there was a 70% chance of thunderstorms this morning and it only sprinkled. So, you know, maybe all that pig kissin' I did will pay off.

Doesn't matter. I've set my mind to have a good time no matter what.

Although, I did purchase a Pace Tat for a 5 hr race. We shall see...