No Sloshing

Monday: 0/TRX

Tuesday: NY and frigging cold.  I checked Strava and was admittedly a little jealous over the outside runs.  I couldn't even bear the thought of a walk with the wind whipping up my skirt, no thank you!

Wednesday: I skipped on down to the gym to take a run at lunch.  No sports bra.  Bloody hell, after reading Mike’s post about no socks, and admittedly snickering, remembering my problem forgetting sports bras and how I thought I had that problem fixed by always packing an extra.  Well shit…  So I wandered my way back to my desk, feeling rather dejected looking at all that beautiful sunshine and temps above 10 degrees.  

My co-workers had no sympathy or understanding why this was a problem.  Can't you just run without one? Ah, this isn't Baywatch, Jackass (obviously this one lives up to his nickname). The smarter of the two suggested I come to lunch with them, that will cheer me up.  Well why not…  

I did get my run in after I got home from work!   Fed the beasts, changed, donned on the old headlamp and off I went!  Yippieee!!!  I did a circle of sorts not being much more than a mile (ok sometimes as the crow flies) away from home.  The first mile in I was in an internal debate of just doing 4 and doing 6 on Thursday or doing the whole 6.  My legs were enjoying the run.  They really were, if they could talk I am sure they would have said don’t stop, ever.  They won and I took them on for another 5 miles.   I kicked myself a little for not just doing a lap around the track to better my Strava 10K challenge time.  It was a little chilly and I was really getting hungry, the handful of sea salt dark chocolate caramels I ate at 3:30 were just not cutting it!

Detroit Runner posted about this FitSnap app and I had down loaded it so I had fun taking a selfie and fiddling with the app to produce this.   Athletic narcissism at its finest…  

Thursday: 4.3  I had hoped to go to spin class.  My boss needed to talk to me.  Oh crap…  we lost the head of the Division, and then our Department head, and this mysterious, do you have 45 minutes to chat meeting pops up on my calendar during the spin class time.  Well, things are always changing, my boss is leaving to pursue other career interests, she has been here for 10 years and it is time, now that both her daughters are out of college, to pursue the career she wanted to when she left law school.  She also was clear, this is also something that has been in the works for a few months, nothing to do with the two recent departures.  Before giving me any real detail on her plans, she assured me this was the land of opportunity and I believe her.  My entire career has been built on stumbling into jobs, why should that change now?  I stumbled into the one I am in now. 

On June 3rd, the day before what was to be my  “Last Day Worked” a phone call changed that.  There had been some back and forthing with another colleague over a project I had worked on for my current division and this other division really needed my expertise.  Would I consider staying and working for someone I had never  heard of in the Legal Division.  Heck, what did I have to lose I already didn't have a job as of June 4, 2010.  Which was also the first time I ran the Bluff Point Twilight Trail run.

As I walked out to my car I agreed to take on this assignment, 3 months to write a divisional SOP and training on a law that was enacted in 1977 and just recently (the last decade) our government has has started enforcing (they found a gold mine in corporate fines). The project went along well, and as milestones were hit my "Last Day Worked" was extended a month at a time until 12/31/2010.  That was the date the 'good' layoff packages ended.  The next package was still good, just not as good, and the first wave didn't start until the end of March 2011.  A job offer made, accepted, then rescinded was quite the slap in the face.  An external job was down to final decisions, salary and start date being discussed. seemed like a good opportunity and I knew they couldn't meet my salary and I was ok with that, they were not so sure.  I did the math and if I could stay on until the new package kicked in it would be a net the same from the money I would "lose" for the severance package change and still be able to work.  It is easier to find a job when you have a job.  I ran this logic by one of my co-workers and she said “Go for it, what do you have to lose.”  Nothing I wasn’t already going to lose. 

My boss said, sounds good to me, and that was it.  Huh…  After the holiday shutdown and I was back to work, she asked if I would be interested in staying on this project and taking on other projects.  Sure.  She forwarded me the job posting and the offer letter, which was a grade bump too!! And now here I am, 3 years later nearly to the day with her telling me she is moving on and she couldn’t of gotten done what she has accomplished without me and she sees good things for my future.

Then she told me what she was going to be doing.  I have never worked for a woman who has been such a great boss and a great person, considering my shock first before sharing her excitement.  Kudos to her. 

The next three months as she transitions out will be interesting and slightly stressful.  I am looking forward to my Saturday long runs in the woods to pound out, think through and process what is going to be quite an exciting corporate roller coaster of decisions hopefully resulting on me taking on more responsibilities and stumbling into more interesting and eye opening projects.

Friday: 0.  I've been looking for Spinning Podcasts and had hoped to find one and use it on Friday.  Well that didn't happen, finding a podcast, they exist, I am sure they do. Any suggestions?  I have some leads I just need to spend some time on this project.  Finalizing a data submission took up most of the morning and then trying to calm down a very excitable person about the errors and corrections on the data submission took twice as long as it should have.  All went as I expected it would, actually smoother than I expected, this totally threw my teammate into a tailspin.  Eventually she stopped spinning long enough to listen.  Hey, there WAS some spinning in my day!  The conversation ended with the usual comment on how can you stay so calm about this and keep track of all this data.  I dunno, I'm amazing? *snark*

The second Friday of the month is Fiber Fest, no not a baking class on bran, a group of knitters meeting at a local watering hole to knit, chat, show off projects, and drink.

It is called "Wingspan" a scarf consisting of a series of triangles, very addictive to knit, this is #3 since December 20th

Pretty nifty shape, wraps twice around the neck, warm and pretty!

Saturday: 15.4  The plan was 18 and some exploring.  Check on the exploring, I'm three short on the 18, I'll chalk that up to bad GPS signal and not lose any sleep over it, ok I won't but it is a nice thought, right?

Taking Greg's advice, not that Dave hasn't mentioned this to me a bazillion times, but what wife actually listens to their husband, I 'burped' my hydration bladder.  Huh, no sloshing.  Took a few miles to get used to the lack of noise.  I really didn't need to keep my ears peeled for anyone, not a great day to be on the trails for the bikers.  It was muddy, messy, and a looming threat of rain according to the forecast, the sky kept telling me a different story, well till it didn't all in all a perfect day to run on trails!  (well maybe not for the trails)

Tracking Trailis Runnerous Animalis (not my tracks, not even sure if these are running shoes)

I have no idea what changed, running started being fun and enjoyable again!  I hadn't realized how much it wasn't until well it started to be enjoyable again.  I'm sure I am not a statistical anomaly, well maybe in the fact I didn't actually realize I wasn't enjoying running for the past few months, not in the running isn't enjoyable.

My pace wasn't anything to write home about, lots of slogging, a few hikers and dogs to stop and meet, trying not to get my feet soaked until I absolutely had to, checking out the gutted deer along the trail, sliding in mud, and trying not to break my ass by slipping and falling.  It was fun, my knees are killing me at the moment, otherwise the rest of me is happy and I haven't even properly rehydrated with a beer and vitamin I, yet!

Saw this on a friends blog and thought, oh how appropriate!

I ran Burlingame, the main loop, a couple off-shoots and ventured on the North South Trail until it was too much asphalt.  And I really didn't relish running up the hill I turned around on when I was about halfway down, I can be wimpy and I own it when I am.  The rain kicked up a bit and tampered back down and kicked up and tampered back down; I knew when I got to the car I'd call it a day, my hips and quads were burning and I knew my knees would be chiming in with their own complaints later in the day.

I can't get any of the Strava thing to load... buggers...  Oh well, anyone else having this issue?  Maybe it is time for a new laptop for me?  (hey anything to get something where the C key works without me having to wiggle it would be nice!)

Sincerely,
Beth, may not know how to burp a baby but can burp a hydration bladder.

MCM Training - Week 10 - Recap

8 weeks till the Marathon!  Holy cow, how time flies. In 8 weeks from today I will have finished my 3rd marathon and sitting in the hotel bar drinking with my Marathon buddies, Maryann, Andrea, Gabe, and Erwin!!!  And probably a few other people the more social of our group have picked up along the way.

Erwin, Andrea, Gabe, Maryann, Me

Last year Super Storm Sandy bared down on the East coast, shutting down Washington DC October 29 - 30, the days after the Marathon.  Being stuck in DC with Maryann, Andrea, and Gabe was pretty awesome, Hubb was home with four dogs and no electricity.  I think by Wednesday it was pretty apparent Amtrak would not be operating and Maryann and I rented a car.  Andrea and Gabe flew back to CO on Thursday; Maryann and I drove said rental car taking her back to Princeton and then me on to RI.  

Andrea, Maryann, Sara, Me, Gabe, and Okan

Hubb and I had one night of lantern lit scrabble and then the power was on.  The thing that man puts up with always amaze me.  Then again his mother reminds me what a saint I am for dealing with her boy.  My mother's take on the whole thing: "You both met your match."  She may be on to something.

I digress...  today ends week 10 of training and my first 20 mile run of this training session.  I barely remember my first 20 mile run and even reading about it I still don't remember it in any vivid detail just bits and bobs.  Nice to see I haven't gotten THAT much slower in a year!!  Granted it was a different course...  whatever Beth, whatever.



Went out to Watch Hill and along Atlantic Avenue/Misquamicut beach and back home, parts of the Surf Town route.  Despite the narrow roads in some places it is a nice route to run.  I took a digger at about mile 11.5, you know, tripped on a piece of stand after navigating potholes and uneven asphalt and sidewalks the previous 11.5 miles, typical stuff.  I've fallen on the trails plenty of times, usually over something substantial like an actual rock or root sticking out of the earth, not for no apparent reason.  I dusted off the sticky sand best I could inspected the scrapes on my palms and right knee, nothing dire, just a little blood.  Fortunately the humidity has provided enough sweat to gather so I could wring my skirt out over the sandy and bloody parts and clean myself up a bit.  Thank heavens for small gifts, right?

In fact there was a lot of skirt ringing out and me wondering if I should have dug out a pair of running shorts, but I'd feel naked, but I wouldn't be carting around a pound or so of water... hmmm...

All in all it was a decent run.  I'm pleased, I started, I finished, in the immortal words of JoAnn, I didn't die.

Hubb had designs on riding Big River this a.m. he and his buddies arrived out there to find it lightening and thundering and raining.  Huh... they headed back to Burlingame where the weather was much more agreeable and rode. The weather out here is so wonky sometimes, seems like North of I-95 generally gets the brunt of the ugliness and the coast is saved.  Well other than hurricanes or what are we calling them now Super Storms...

We went for pretzel sammiches and beers (Wachusset Blueberry for me and Shandy for Hubb) at The Malted Barley and now I suppose I should attack that pantry...

Sincerely, 
Beth, thankful she was alerted to the healing and chromium replenishment attributes of beer!

To Do Lists

Between leaving work Friday and going back on Tuesday I have three things to accomplish:

1. Clean the pantry
2. Clean my junk room
3. Run my first 20 mile run of this MCM training plan

Three days, three things.  Not a very high bar?  Well, each of these will take ~5 hours, so yeah, three days three things.  

So, what did I do today?  House work, mowed the lawn, worked out my proposal and sent to the team for van decorations and shirts for the Bourbon Chase, and took an easy bike ride with Hubb. Full on avoidance mode.

Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow, no point in putting off the inevitable.  Why does this distance scare me so much? Probably because it can take me pretty far away from home. I mapped out a route on Boombridge over to Clarks Falls ~22ish miles, but not really sure where I can stop for water.  1L is probably not going to cut it with this weather.  I enjoyed the ride we took out there a couple weeks ago, not really recalling anything other than the ice cream place at the point Clarks Falls Road turns in to Woodville, probably won't be open at 8 in the a.m.!  Sure some of the roads are a bit narrow, however not really remembering too much traffic.  Maybe this will be the 3rd 20 mile run it will be dryer or I'll stash some water...

I'll run the route I've run the last two weeks, and go all the way down to Weekapaug Rd.  It gets me 19.7 miles (on the roads per Map My Run), figure the loop in the park is 1/4 mile, I can add on once I get back to my neighborhood to top off the 20. The goal is to kill two birds with one run the first 20 (and kill this anxiety) as well as the Strava challenge. I am going to allow myself some walking. I've never gone into a training run with 'walking is ok' thought I'd try something different this time.  Perhaps less beating myself about the head and neck?  Or with it being allowed I won't do it?  Be interesting to see how all this processes in my frayed synapses tomorrow a.m.

The afternoon may require starting on one of the 2 chores.  Although #2 became much less important as the visitors due for the weekend of the 13th have bailed.  Hmmmm...

Sincerely,
Beth, ready or not here the long run comes!

Miss Piggy

Hubb looked over at me a few minutes ago and said "Is it really Sunday?"  I had to break it to him gently *sneering* "Ah, yeah."  Ok so maybe it was sarcastically?  Really?  For someone who works for them self, how horrible could Monday possibly be?  Buller?

Friday I was able to get in a quick 6 miles at work.  OMG I so needed it after eating and drinking too much for two days in Manhattan, the beginning of the holiday season socializing, I'm not one to pass up hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.   It was quick, a 9:39 pace, so I could get back to my ever growing "To Do" list.

Friday's Run

My Garmin was not charged and the charger was not in my gym back so Map My Fitness on the iPhone it was to record this one.  This got me to thinking how different are the results from the MMF and the Garmin. Also am I slower or faster with the Garmin? Below is nearly the same route on the Garmin from Tuesday.  I took a bigger loop, on Friday, in a parking lot to get up to the 6 mile mark.

So not really to terribly different, for pace and mile, widely different for calories burned!

Friday night WWIII nearly broke out in the house as the Hubb wanted to see a movie.  I will watch anything and not be phased by it, Hubb, he is a movie snob and if it sucks I never hear the end of it.  After saying "Absolutely not, this never ends well." I reconsidered, he seemed to really want to go to a movie, "You pick the movie, and there will be no further discussion."  Quickly adding "We are also getting popcorn." We went to see "The Life of Pi" and didn't get home until after midnight. I was wired from the diet coke and popcorn, and had a hard time falling asleep, thankfully there were some Words With Friends people to keep me entertained.  This late night wasn't going to bode well for the next day, it never does, does it?

Saturday was nuts, I over committed myself and was able to accomplish two of three events, the third was a pipe dream and on my way there I realized I would probably be lousy company and called off and went home to go pass out in exhaustion.

Sunday, long run day!  Woot!  Wait, no... we had a brunch in the middle of the day.  I needed to get in my long run.  I am off my training schedule and really didn't even check for what my mileage goal WAS for the weekend.  I got in 12.  6 before a brunch with the in-laws and 6 after the brunch with the in-laws.  This was time to test a few things, running twice, running in the dark, running after gorging myself at a foo foo buffet brunch.  I consumed: half a dozen oysters, half a dozen shrimp, two eggs benedict, fruit (there had to be something healthy, right?), pastries, ham, sausage, two desserts, I did limit myself to one mimosa, had to show SOME restrain!  Piggy piggy, I know...  it was SO GOOD!!!

We arrived home around 3:30 I got out for my run about 4 p.m. just in time for the sun to start going down and test out this whole business of running in the dark.  I really really dread running in the dark in my town, not because it is unsafe but because the drivers are nuts and don't pay attention (daylight or darkness).  So, yeah, it is unsafe in that aspect. When I left I thought, well the Tue Fri test with the running route was interesting what would the results be if I ran the same course I ran this morning.

The pace was 10 seconds slower, not bad considering what Miss Piggy ate, oh yeah and she had no GI issues, maybe a belch or two but nothing of note!!  The elevation was what surprised me, off by 30 feet? Really a drop in the bucket...  I was just glad the mileage was the same!!  I didn't check the Garmin too terribly much, it was dark and raining, so not really easy to see for run, the second.

Do you consistently run the same courses and notice variations in what data is captured by your GPS watch or other means of tracking?  If you don't track, then why not?

Sincerely,
Beth, eating and drinking and running her way through this holiday season.

Turkey Trot (and catch up)

Spending a week away from my adult home, in my childhood home was nice.  The down side is it does cause one to get behind on things like eMail and blogging, oh yeah, and current home chores.  I left with a critical yard clean up weekend on the horizon.  Apparently, I was missed, Hubb took care of his own laundry and did one hell of a job with the fall clean up of the yard.   Meanwhile, as I was busy not being home, I did keep up on my running, and even ran a race while I was in SE MI!  As to eMail, I was behind before I went away I may never catch up, oh well...  Kinda like when I was in Grad School and just starting out after graduation, if the bill came in an envelope with red lettering, it meant last possible chance to pay this before what ever was shut off, those got paid first. I'll follow the same protocol and look for the notes with the red flags!

Just cause it is flat, doesn't make it any less pretty!!

Southeastern Michigan is flat, it really is.  A whopping 71 feet of elevation gain on the dirt roads by my parent's farm and 88 feet of elevation gain for the Ann Arbor 5K Turkey Trot.  In comparison the Mew's Beer & Gear 5K course had 152 feet of elevation gain.  A hill is a hill, right?

Cute Shirt!  Love the look on the turkey's face!!

I ran with Cyndi and her Daughter.  Well Cyndi and I ran together her daughter took off with a goal to beat her last years time, and she did!  She bettered her time by nearly a minute!  Cyndi is just getting into running and we ran walked the course.  Studying the pace elevation charts for the RI and the MI race,  the pacing with Cyndi seemed was much more consistent while we were running, but then there was a HUGE hill in the beginning of the RI race.   (you can click on the images to see them full size)

MI race - Ann Arbor Turkey Trot 5K Pace Elevation

RI race - Mew's Tavern Beers n' Gear 5K Pace Elevation

So who knows how to make a comparison between the two?  Or if there even should be a comparison made?  Both races were run with different goals.  I ran the RI race with an expectation of using the last hill to gain some progress on my 5K PR.  I ran the MI race to spend time with my friend and to encourage her.  At one point she said "Beth, say something encouraging."  I said "Your lapping everyone on the couch."  "Just think this was Rod's first 5K in 2009."  That helped, I think.  The suggestion to count backwards from 100 going up the last hill, which was a pretty steep hill, wasn't too helpful.  I meant for just me to count out loud and she joined me, making the hill worse...  alas, communication, I think I recall a previous race with a little bit of miss-communication in it!  Two data points don't make a trend so don't go jumping to conclusions on my ability (or inability to communicate), okay?

Tomorrow I have 19 on the schedule, wowza.  It is 8 weeks out from the AZ Rock n' Roll Marathon.  What exactly was I thinking signing up for another marathon so quickly, and then being 99% committed to one on April 27th in KY?  I may need to be committed, that is if I don't end up injured. Feh, I think I am slow enough to not get injured, it is speed no distance, right?  Shhhhh.... just let me believe it is speed, my mother will assure you no one can convince me there isn't a Santa Claus and to just let me live blissfully in my own happy place.

Saw a beautiful sunset on my drive through NY, along the Southern Tier expressway.

Chautauqua Lake, New York --  November 19, 2012

Sincerely,
Beth, in her happy place, plotting the 19 miles for tomorrow!

Getting My Legs Back!

Monday's run my legs felt like lead, it was awful, and I kept kicking my right ankle with my left shoe, that was a lovely bloody mess on my now 'recovery run' Brooks.

Sunday I went to a running store in Providence to have them take a look at the shoes I trained in, the Asics had about 400 miles on them and the Brooks about 250.  I ran the marathon in the Brooks and they gave me fits with the shoelaces becoming tight at the top and loose at the bottom?  Weird.  Anyhow.  I plopped down my bag o'shoes and he took a look at them.  Declared both shoes to be appropriate for my supination. However, based on the wear pattern on the Brooks they are too firm and based on the wear patterns on the Asics, perfect for me.  So hey, cool, I like the Asics much better.  I bought a new pair and will pick up a second pair with the next version is released in a few weeks.  I like to have two pair of shoes to alternate between.

I wore the new Asics and a new running shirt today.  Old running skirt, which is now too big and I guess I need to buy more, darn.  Possibly I was in the groove due to the new duds or possibly my legs were just ready to run again.  It also could have been the boy runners giving me the thumbs up for being out there in the cold and wind.  Oh it was WINDY alright.  I ran up hill into the wind on the start of my run and downhill into the wind on the end of my run.  I was really feeling good and my time shows it. Not my best 5K time but hey, I didn't fall apart!

I'm ready for a long run over the weekend and have a race on Sunday.  Think I'm getting back in the swing of things after my first Marathon adventure.

Sincerely,
Beth, getting her legs back

Commitment = Improvement?

Once upon a time, in my teenage years, my father sat me down to have a little talk with me about commitment and finishing things. Starting something with the intention not to commit to finishing it was something that rubbed my father the wrong way.  I can understand that, mostly.  I am quite certain there was another message in there, or maybe that wasn't the message, in any event I walked away with "Start as you mean to go on." rattling around in my head for over 30 years.  Gosh, I'm old.

At the end of the Newport 1/2 Marathon:

Medals, hey I earned them!

When I ran the Providence 1/2 marathon in May I was satisfied with having bested my last 1/2 marathon time by over 1 hour (finish time 2:17). Training and focus pays off!  While training for the Providence 1/2 marathon I craved a bigger goal, a marathon.  Part of training for a marathon is getting in long runs.  I thought it would be appropriate to find one or more races a month corresponding with my mileage.  Somehow, and I'm not sure how it transpired, I happened upon the Jamestown, RI half marathon in July and that worked with my mileage charts.  What I also noticed was it was part of the "United Healthcare Triple Crown"  I have wanted to do another race series, I enjoyed Off Rhode Racing's 4th Season Trail races immensely.  Digging into the website a little more I discovered I had already run leg 1 in May, in Providence, this was leg 2 and leg 3 was Newport in October.  Well there is a fine how do you do!  These miles work in with my long runs and are part of a series.  I signed up.

Sweet, eh?  

I reported on Jamestown back in July.  It was a good race.  I didn't run it as fast as I had wanted to (2:21), but hey you'll have that.  I've logged two 20 mile runs under my shoes and the Newport 1/2 worked out perfect for my taper period.  Woot!  Saturday there was a special pasta dinner for the 245 of us who participated in all three races, I totally spaced on it and didn't go.  Oh yeah, I never did report back on the calming the overactive mind session I attended on Saturday, another time, I'll recap.  In any event, I went into Newport Sat afternoon to pick up my bib and the goodie bag. Holy cow, it was down at the yachting center, so no parking.  Had I actually been thinking in a focused manner, I would have parked at that first lot and walked the 1/2 mile down to the yachting center and not drove around like the unfocused space case I've become.  To say it was chaotic in Newport would be kind.  Who knew Newport is still hopping in October, plus there was a seafood festival.  Grrrr...  Wonder why packet pick up wasn't at the hotel as it has been for other races... well not my decision to make, right.  Oh and my bib number wasn't there, someone else had 3346... oh well...  I know I've picked up the wrong bib prior so what goes around comes around.  As long as the chip worked, I'm good!

Bummer not a logoed bib.

With the chaos of picking up the race bib ringing in my head I did focus on get up early enough to leave the house by 6:30 a.m. which WOULD get me to the parking area and shuttle busses by 7:15, PLENTY OF TIME.  Well, not so much.  Getting to the parking area took an extra 30 minutes.

Traffic everywhere, the theme for the day, apparently.

I managed to get through the porta potty line and on a bus before 8.  The whole time I'm wondering, if  the bib mix up and the excessively long time to get to the parking area could this be some sort of a bad omen?  One of my fellow Team Lung Love runners is sidelined due to an injury from coaching his kids soccer game.  I want to run MCM!!!  Back to the "Start as you mean to go on."  I kept on keeping on.  I have to get in at least a 12 mile run, and 13.1 was the race length, perfect, no?  After getting dropped off and figuring out where the chute was and being thankful I was NOT in the porta potty lines at the race start, I was in the chute, re-tying my shoes when I noticed everyone was moving. (we've been discussing the lack of focus and scatter brain, right?)  Oh crap, the gun went off.  Oh well, they are walking the start is pretty far away, I need to tie up my shoes and get my Garmin started.  The race is chip timed so it only matters when I cross the mat.

It sprinkles a little at the starting line, feh, whatever, the weather was kind of up in the air anyhow.

Warmer than I expected, but WINDY, so glad I wore long sleeves.

Last night Hubb asked how many people were running the race, I think it was close to 3,000 or maybe over.  There were a lot of freaking people.  I was never running alone that was for sure.  The scenery was beautiful and the other racers were great.  With my delayed start I did need to navigate some walkers and deal with the run/walkers in the first 1/3 of the race.  Usually by the 1/2 point people find their groove and those people who run their hearts out then walk then run again are behind the middle of the pack runners and we can just run along happily.  I walked a few of the water stops, or maybe all of them, again that whole scatterbrain thingy acting up again.  My mind was all over the place as I was running and there were people all over the place.  Look way up ahead in these pics the line of people never seems to stop. It was a perfect tie in to the chaos in my brain.  I never did look behind me but I imagine it was more of the same.  Amazing.  I reminded myself this is why I am participating in races to get used to running around people and dealing with the chaos and trying to stay focused on my goal.  I am much more used to it now!!

Fort Adams loop, windy nice water views.

Water and Wind

More along Ocean Drive, beautiful course.

When I hit mile 10, running amongst all the opulent mansions, I realized that I really could PR!  Leaving work on Friday Jackass and I joked around and I said, "Oh I'm trying for 2:09"  Well I damn near hit it with 2:10.  Which is also 7 minutes off the Providence race results!  Woot!  Commitment = Improvement?  I tried to keep on a good pace for the last three miles.  I managed mostly (see splits).  My chip time may vary a bit from the Garmin time as I did slow down during a few waterstops and I think the Garmin stops, while the chip just keeps on ticking.

Actual race start time was to be 8 a.m.

What I did notice about my splits were how up and down they were.  I need to see if this factored into the terrain?  It does appear I focused for the last three miles, and sort of lost it a bit on the flat level straight away to the finish.

Stats:

Summary

Route

Splits

Elevation / Pace - sort of resembles a scattered brain?  Can you see when I finally saw the finish line?  I really sped up!

Sincerely,
Beth who completed the United Healthcare Triple Crown series... "Start as you mean to go on."

Focus, Focus, Focus

Quick catch up on Friday, Yoga Detox!  I was scattered and bumbling into Yoga, muttering 'focus focus focus' to myself when Heidi said "Hey, Beth we are having a session on balancing the overactive mind next Saturday, think that might help?"  My reply: "focus focus focus, huh? oh yeah, yeah, I think so!"  At this present moment I can't think of what was going on other than realizing that I had to be up at 4:30 a.m. to get myself together to volunteer for a local breast cancer walk.  This is year number seven of the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation Walk Across SE CT TBBC Foundation for more information on this wonderful foundation.  They give 100%  of donations received to research!  I've been volunteering for the Traffic and Safety committee for now the third year.   The Traffic and Safety people are so important to keeping the participants safe in any walk or run.  I appreciate the volunteers at the races I run, this is the least I can do.

Yoga was good, once I got focused on the task at hand.  We did a lot of hip opening poses, which was nice prep for this Sunday's 20 miler!  Of course the Friday Night Yoga Chickens were up to their usual antics.  At one point Heidi instructed us into Child's Pose and to put our hands on our butts.  Debbie named this the Ass Asana.  Yeah, it as funnier at the time.  We closed Yoga with a nice Oooooommmmm all feeling much more centered than when we ventured into class.

The walk on Saturday was great.  The weather could not have been more perfect.  It was a long day, so very worth it.

Today was my second 20 mile run.  I had a stretch of 23 miles.  I ran 20.5 partly because I was running, ha, into logistical issues with parade goers in our little town, streets being blocked off and parade watchers putting up chairs.  Instead of fighting through that frustration I took the hill to home.  I ran up the hill at nearly a steady pace!  I think all the people lining up to watch the parade were a bit of an encouragement?

When I got home and guzzled down my chocolate coconut water while walking up and down the block something on the back of my right shoe caught my eye.  Blood?  Wha?   New shoes attack again (dress, not running), I had a little blister thing I put a bandage on and well the rubbing on the sock and the back of the shoe, wow, there was a lot of blood, I'll spare you those details.

Of course this needed to be documented!  While I was taking the picture a neighbor came up and said "Hey, Beth I hear you are a marathoner!  Congratulations!"   I corrected him and said in three weeks, hey, lets not count our chickens before they hatch, right?  He said it was rather impressive and wished me luck!   Sweet guy.

Well that is gross.

The run was good, really good.  20.5 miles in 3:56!

I kept pretty consistent through the run it was tiring and parts frustrating, all in all I got out of my own head about running while I was running and let my thoughts take over on other matters.  I haven't figured a solution for world peace, yet, but there is always hope, right?

On my run back into RI from CT one of the bikers who hang out on the bridge was grinning ear to ear and said "You go girl" and held out his hand to give me a fist bump.  Rock on dude, thank you!  That was a good lift nearing mile 14! Never underestimate the power of giving someone encouragement, even someone you don't know.

It was a beautiful cool, sunny, fall day, perfect for a run.  A few walkers out, a couple other runners and the usual bikers.  Really nothing much to report about the run.  I think I am fairly tired.  But it goes to show you what a little focus does for a person.  My last 20 miler was 4:16 with a pace of 12:47 pace.  Think how much better my 1/2 at Newport will be Sunday after a Saturday Meditation session?

Stats:

Summary

Route

Splits - Mile 17 - 19 were a little tough the rest pretty consistent!

Pace / Elevation.  Kinda explains mile 17 - 19, eh?  HILL!

Sincerely,
Beth, satisfied with today's run.

Lonely Run

I goofed off on Saturday.  Slept in, really slept in.  After sleeping through the night.  So not much to post about.  Although I did finish my socks and pick out a new yarn and pattern, but this is a running blog not a kintting blog and well I don't want to be accused of false advertising!

And now on to something you may really like.

My long run plan this a.m. was going to be to run to the beach run a 5K with a friend and run home, which would total 13 miles, 12 was on the schedule so we were good with mileage for the long run.  Woke up to pouring rain, I love the sound of it drumming down on the copper porch roof just not that heavy drumming down on my head.  Ugh, I don't really want to deal with a race in the rain and potential blisters, since I now seem to be getting them, WTF?  Begged off the 5K plan and set out to start running when the rain lightened up and looked to be a gentle rain.

Rain!  That means bright clothes - check!  Then let's do this thing!

A fellow Team Lung Love member is running a 1/2 in Maine this weekend, so we ran our 1/2's together, in a manner of speaking.  Maine looked as dreary as Rhode Island from the picture she posted on FB.  She was smiling like the champion she is, love the always positive outlook and attitude!  You go girl!  Hopefully she fininished her 1/2 in less time than I did!!  (2:28)

While I was reviewing my stats and Hubb was asking some interesting questions about the data I collect and what it tells me I realized that I didn't do my loop in the park.  I did stop and snap a picture in the park, there were people doing what I think is Tai Chi in the mist.  Looked peaceful.

Tai Chi?  Wilcox Park

I just ran on through admiring the flowers and totally forgot to hang a right and do my loop.  How long have I been doing that loop and I forgot, really? Beth, really?  Wow... yeah, hope it was a joyful distraction to cause you to lose focus like that, impressive, actually.

Traffic was kind this morning, stopping way before I reached the cross walks to get over in to CT.   Thank you drivers, are my rantings paying off?

What I did run across, ok bad pun, were 2 runners and 2 walkers wearing dark clothes, really people it is rainy and cloudy, this is a windy hilly road and your not visible.  What are you thinking?  Obviously NOT!  I will give them credit enough they were running / walking respectively against traffic, so there is that little bit of common sense.  I was happy to see two bikers dressed brightly. LOVED the womans Elmo shirt, bright red and perfectly hillarious! At least I think it was Elmo, well my distracted mind thought it was so that is good enough for me, for now.  When I got back to RI, and was in town, there were two runners dressed brightly, KUDOS!!!

I could see them WAY off in the distance, as could the drivers!

I enjoy all the regular things I see on my runs.  Look forward to them actually.  I've run by the high water markers and evacuation route markers for many months now.  Today I decided to see how tall I was:

Nearly 10 feet tall!
Well when I run I certianly do feel tall and proud (look a little dorky, hey I own it)!!
OORAH Semper Fi, baby!

What was missing on this run was my shadow.  I love running with her, sometimes she is in front of me urging  me on, sometimes she is right beside me keeping pace, other times she is behind me, most surely pushing me on wards.  I love running in the rain, it is peaceful and exhillarating, I did miss my shadow.  I tried to see if I could see her in the puddles, not so much.  Alas, the sun did come out a few hours after I ran so I took my shadow and two of the dogs (and their shadows) to the beach.

Gus and Gizmo and their shadows

Stats

Feh, it will do.

Totally forgot the loop in the park!  Gahhhh

Pacing / Elevation  A little scattered, I'll have runs like these.  All in all I felt good.

Splits

Sincerely,
Beth, looking forward to running with her shadow again, soon!!

LSD

Yesterday someone asked "Who is doing LSD tomorrow?" I love that phrase Long Slow Distance.  Somehow making it OK for the long run to be slow gave me a little more encouragement to be positive about my long run and to, most importantly, take it slow.  Slow and steady gets you to the finish line.

I left the house before 7:30 and walked to the end of the block, already for my new goal: 20 miles.  I would truly be a distance runner when I got back to my home, wow!

I took it slow knowing that I had hobbled a bit yesterday with the PF, yeah that and I did run a 5K race at a decent pace Sat a.m. plus a 3.5 trail run on Friday.  Instead of setting myself up for failure I took it in, ahem, stride and knew that these two events pre-long run were going to present me some over use challenges with this PF injury I continue to nurse as it slowly gets better.  It IS getting better, just slowly.  PF can be beat, or maybe managed.

Everything felt fine before I left the house and pretty much during the whole run.  Porta potty break at Green Haven Marina mile 4.5ish, what am I going to do if they remove this for the winter.  YIKES!!!  The view at the end of the second out and back was stunning as usual.  It was a gorgeous day. Started out a little wet and as the sun woke up the puddles dried.

My heel did start to ache around mile 11 and I fought changing my gait as I knew that would cause other problems. This part of the run there are some steep up hills and down hills so not unexpected.  Keep on keeping on as nothing was in PAIN.

I did have ONE knee tweek when I stopped for water and Gatoraide (mile 13).  This was a pretty lengthy pause maybe two minutes and I stood still for part of it to refill my water belt bottles. 20 or so steps to get everything back moving again and I was fine to continue on.  Only 7 more miles to go.

The usual run back in to RI from CT.  I avoided any incidents at the gas station by crossing over a block or so before.  Seriously drivers we aren't targets, the only points you'll get for hitting us are the ones on your drivers licence.  Oh that and a potential manslaughter charge.

As I would get tired and frustrated, this seems to come and go, weird, or maybe not?  Anyhoodles, my thoughts went to the people in my life. I thought about my friend Marie who also had her very first long run today.   Thought about my BIL and the 250 lb man chasing him and keeping him keeping on.  Thought about Don running a 1/2 this a.m. and how the hell does he run so fast.  Thought about Ann and wished all to be well, it will be, someone just needs to worry and I've nominated myself as that person.  Thought about my husband how he made it a point to stay home until I got home in the event I called desperate for him to pick me up.  Thought about my parents and all the hell with the rebuilt of their house after the fire on December 26th and what a lousy piece of crap to be handed to still not be in their home.  Thought about Cathy and Joe  running for the Brookfield Zoo, go team Pride Rock! Thought about JoAnn, I did not die, and how the hell is her Iron Woman training going, and wouldn't it be nice for my biggest hill to be a boat bridge.  Thought about Wade (unmentionable), Rod he will run again, Sheila how much YARN does she have...

All of these thoughts seem to happen at just the right time, comparing and contrasting the challenges and success these folks experience with my current reality.  We ALL have "opportunities" and we all have chosen to deal positively with these "opportunities".  Impressive.  Perhaps this goes back to peace, and being at peace internally and the positive impact that has on the external world?  Hmmmm....

Just before I got home this guy was cheering me on.  Thanks pup!  I always say "Hi" to all the pups I see when I run.  Dogs are so happy when they are out on a walk, out on a run, or out riding shot gun!

I had aimed for 4 hours to complete the run, I completed in 4:16 (well 4:22 elapsed time).  I'm not going to pick on myself for the 16 minutes (or the 22 minutes).  Krikies 20 miles is tough, tough, tough.  Guess this makes me tough, tough, tough?

Stats:

Overall Stats

I like this because is shows elapsed time.  That and elevation - JoAnn!!! 

Pace / Elevation  -- Stops noted, this makes up the 6 minutes of non moving & elapsed time!

Splits

Route - pretty funky looking, eh?

Sincerely,
Beth who did it!  Damn I really did it!