There is no crying in TRX

The calendar was wide open today.  This is nice but it also makes me a bit nervous.  What to do with these nerves, why go for a run.  Mike had mentioned a hill by a certain name, it started with a B, maybe I'd try it.  I think it is the one on Poquonnock?  Make a left at the bottom of the hill to stay on Poquonnock versus right on to High Rock?  I wimped out.  This was supposed to be a fun run and I really didn't want to run by the defense plant at lunch time.   After all this is my absolute favorite weather to run in, cloudy, breezy, teensy bit of drizzle, and chilly, let's see what Thomas had to offer, nice and flat and wait, is that a trail?  Oh goodie, wasn't Jeff the Detroit Runner just talking about the merits of being able to see the world differently when running? It is all about the journey in everything we do and experience.  

MG, I know you don't read this blog much; in the event you've tuned in --> thanks for the insight "Life unfolds as it is meant to."  We take a bit of everyone we meet forward in our life, and those brief interactions were certainly life altering for me.

Anyhoodles, I took the trail, (the road less traveled?) nice wide grass covered, me and a couple white tail deer had the crap scared out of us by each other. (hmm proper grammar?) There is a little pond back there (like I can remember the name of the 'green space' and nothing is coming up on Google).  At the fork in the trail I took a right, I'll go straight next time and see what more is back there.  The right took me back to the parking lot. Looking on the map could be a mile or so of trails to putter around on!!  Fun place to explore.  Of course the guys at work suggested this isn't a smart thing for a woman to do alone.  Well come run with me!  *shakes head*   Back out on to Thomas to run the familiar roads.  

I was feeling pretty good, quads a little sore, do I take the right and go back to campus or left and continue on with the rest of the Native American?  Yeah, left.   I felt fantastic!!  Will I pay for this tomorrow?  Who knows, and really who cares.  I spend Thur - Sun at a conference and most likely running on a flipping treadmill.  Not complaining, just a little unsure of what I'll be faced with weather-wise and outdoor running-wise in Dallas.  




Although Syracuse continues to remind me that the treadmill will help my speed and pacing...  Thanks buddy!  I'll wear my orange socks, maybe that will help the mind numbing boredom?  I am dreading this and REALLY need to NOT dread it and just do it.

Oh, so tonight was TRX.  The Instructor/Drill Sargent had quite an ordeal the past few work days with a crying contractor.  So she relayed the stories and well, it wasn't due to lack of diplomacy on her part.  I had a boss that used to say "Beth, don't die on the vine."  And this is exactly what was going on.  Don't take on more than you can handle and when you need to say uncle, for pete's sake SAY IT!!  (I never did die on the vine, it was far better for me to be over worked during my 20's, it helped to keep me out of trouble I found quite enough, and more found me, thank you very much.)

At one point both of us were groaning about our backs.  We just heard "There is NO crying in TRX, man up!!"  Well it is hard to maintain a plank and laugh, but we somehow managed!!  Man I've missed our little trio of trouble makers...  

I think Emily Dickinson said it best:

Yesterday is History, 
'Tis so far away
Yesterday is Poetry
'Tis Philosophy

Yesterday is a Mystery
Where it is today
While we shrewdly speculate
Flutter both away

Sincerely, 
Beth, reflecting on the past looking forward to the future, living in the present!

Thursday...

Missed Wordless Wednesday...  I was looking for an old picture of me in HS from track...  My mom gave me a bunch of old pictures, that one wasn't in there.  I'll have to hunt it up next time I'm visiting my parents.  My whole one track season in High School, or was it two...  oh what I should have learned when I was  young and not injury prone.

Wednesday I didn't run at work.  Weird for me.  But then I wasn't in NYC on Tuesday so there you have it.

Hubb called when I was nearly home and asked if I was serious about going for a ride, I said I was and would be home in 5 minutes or so.  He loaded my bike in the truck and when I got home I scrambled around  getting my things in order.  After the whole sunglasses debacle I'm getting better about putting things where they belong.

Oh the sunglasses, after running, I usually take off my watch, sunglasses, and iPod if I wore it and leave it in a specific spot.  Well I didn't do this for some reason and spent the better part of three days looking in the same spots for my sunglasses. Isn't that the definition of insanity?  Everything was all over the house, watch on the dining room table, iPod was on the coffee table, shoes in the kitchen (what?!).  I noticed a quilt had fallen on the floor and picked it up. Out of the quilt fell my sunglasses.  Huh.  I must have set them on top of the quilt precariously balanced on the radiator and well you can fill in the blanks.

We did the Sanctuary Outer Trail together; once in the camp ground he took off to do the Vin Gormley and the Sammy C leaving me to have an hour to just ride around.  I decided I just wanted to explore the camp ground and get a little more used to the bike, practice 'jumping' logs and laying off the breaks going down hill.  On the trail I took a nice tumble off the bike because my weight was too far forward and then side swiped a tree as I'm not quite one with the bike.  Watching him it is like the bike is an extension of him.  Even when we used to ride wayyy back in the olden days the bike was an extension of him, although now it seems more so.

I had fun riding around the camp ground and going fast, I really really liked going fast.  Found where one camp trail hitches in to the North South Trail and a way around one of the hills I really dislike, but then that means I'd miss a down hill I'm sort of getting the hang of.  Decisions decisions.



My legs were pretty spent, from Tuesday and I was just tired. I felt much more comfortable on the bike after my little solo tour. It was time to head back to the truck.  Caught up on WWF and Scrabble just as Hubb appeared. So that worked out well..

I really like the speed I can get on the roads and enjoy the challenge of the trail.  Hubb has two bikes, the mountain bike and a fat tire bike.  I may think about a road bike.  Suggestions?

Today was a rest day.  I'm tired.  Tomorrow is the Twilight Trail Race at Bluff Point, this will be my fourth year running that race.  The first two years I ran the short loop.  Last year the long and the long again this year. Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces out there and a familiar trail!

Sincerely,
Beth, glad to just take it easy today

Riding a Bike. It's Just Like Riding a Bike!

Ever heard the expression "Just like riding a bike, you never forget."  Well by golly it is true.  A month or so ago I dusted off my old Bontrager, Hubb gave it some TLC and today Hubb took me out for my first mountain bike ride in oh 15 years.  The last trails we rode consistently were Maybury State Park,  Island Lake State Recreation Area, and a little of the Potawatomi (Poto) in Michigan.    Hubb got back on the bike November of last year in an effort to "keep up with me"!  

Bike all tuned up and oiled I took it for a spin in the neighborhood to make sure it shifted correctly and the breaks worked.  All was fine, and as I remembered.  How amazing my hands just knew what to do to shift in and out of the front rings on the left the back rings on the right, front brake left brake.  It was all good. The little boys jumping things on their bikes waved at me, the dorky old lady with a big goofy grin on her face.  

Off to Burlingame to do the Sanctuary Outer Trail (the red one on the bottom of the map).

He was obviously well versed in the trails in Burlingame, I know them from a runners perspective, very different than biking them, obviously.   The first hill came up quick!  I managed to the top, downshifting correctly.  When we got to the 'third right' to stay on the Sanctuary Outer Trail, again, I couldn't believe we were there already!  He laughed at my amazement.  Thanks hon...  Overall, we went slow, I could sense when a hill or something tricky was coming up and he warned me ahead of time. Things just came up quicker, again, obviously my running pace is slower than my riding.  There was a little walking up hills, a few screams as I felt like I was going to fall off the bridges and actually did on a couple.  This produced a few laughs out of Hubb, once he determined I was ok.  He offered one piece of advice otherwise only amazement that I was doing so well.  The only advice was "Sit back on the seat over the roots."  Damn that helped A LOT.  

About 3/4 a mile down the Vin Gormley I called it quits, time to turn around.  My butt (sit bones specifically) hurt and my legs felt a little rubbery.  My lungs, now they were ready for more, more, more, more.

Speeding along the root and rock free parts was lovely.  I may never be a hard core jump over stumps and logs and rocks mountain biker girl, but the trails (and the mud) are certainly something I love.  A new seat will be procured and my sit bones will be happier.  Yes, I had on a good pair of bike shorts....

After we got home Hubb took a spin around on my bike and said "You really need a new bike.  They are so much better now." Huh...  new seat or new bike?  

Sincerely,

Beth, opting out of the Sunday long run for a short (7.5 mile) bike ride

Musings on a Monday

Hubb was asking me about Strava last night.  Something about QOMs / CRs or something and what did I use to track my runs other than the Garmin?  He isn't quite ready for tracking his rides, competitive, he is very very much, but to own up to it?  I'm a little dubious…   I know a few people who use Stravat and Rhody Seth mentioned you can track shoes.  So, yeah, I signed up last night.  Thanks for the follow Michael.  I can sync with my Garmin, so very cool, quite pleased with that.  I spent the evening downloading and adding in the shoe data for my post MCM race data.  That is when I switched to new shoes.  This is a pretty cool program, I still need to really spend sometime and poke around.  Definitely a data junkies paradise!

I have the Map My Fitness app on the iPhone and I've used that when I forget my Garmin or I haven’t charged it…  that is OK, but nothing I’m really attached to.  I did find I could load my Garmin data but then there was really nothing to do with it, so, yeah, kinda pointless...  I use it more to see what my few MMF friends are up to, and give them some encouragement.  Then there is Daily Mile, Map My Run, and a boat load of other apps I think Nike has one.  I was a little dubious starting yet another tracking devices...

I've seen this nifty graphic in blogs and wowza, so easy to pull into my blog.  None of the cropping and pasting and rigmarole with the Garmin graphics.



So cool they give you the code to down load into a blog.  Nifty!!

Not even a whole day with this and I'm digging it.  I've only spent an hour looking at this so, all y’all experts happy to hear your advice, comments, and/or suggestions smart or smart assy.

Had a nice little 4.1 mile run at work today.  For some reason I had convinced myself it was rainy and chilly outside.  It was when I left for work, and even on my walk to the fitness center it didn't register it wasn't raining.  I even checked the temp, partly sunny 59F with 95% humidity and WNW wind at 8 MPH.  Still I just HAD to wear my long sleeve shirt from the Ice Age 50.  As I ran up the first hill I was greeted by a very wimpy car horn.  One of my co-workers driving back to site.  Oh goodie, I can tease him about his girly car horn.  It went something like this “ahem, excuse me” “beep” and his big burly hand waved out the car window.  Tee hee…  Because yeah, he commented,  Beth are you ALWAYS cold? It was a little warm for long sleeves.  And you really don't wear pants do you...  Oh stuff it Gar, stuff it and turn up the heat, please!!

Nice run, three days in a row, I’ll probably take tomorrow off and go on a hike with Gizmo, he hasn't been out of the house in a while.  Although Gus has been sticking like glue to me since I got home last Wednesday… poor guy, he must have missed me, maybe he needs a hike?  Feh, tomorrow is another day, depends on who is the most pitiful when I get home from work.

Gus, watching me leave for work last Friday, he does pitiful well, doesn't he?

Catching up on current events I found a story in National Geographic on Mount Everest http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/06/125-everest-maxed-out/jenkins-text?src=longreads  got me thinking about nature and trail running and endurance.   Somehow I expected that people trained for this feat of endurance and was surprised to learn that 90% of the climbers aren't experienced and expect they will summit.  I guess if you are forking over $30K - $120K you are coming at this from a different expectation level?  4,000 people have reached the summit and the author went on to say it makes it mean a little less than it did 50 years ago.

4,000 people really isn't that many people, far less than complete marathons and ultras.  Got me to thinking about my two marathons in 90 days, my 5:09 and my 5:01, I am incredibly proud to have these times.  I did it, and it felt great don’t get me wrong, but really isn't this kind of like the more people who summit Everest make the prize that much less.  I recall back to a blog post from The EJN Show, about finishers medals and tourists in races.  I’m incredibly torn up inside over this…  I’m not fast by any means, I need to put in the effort and I will be.  It is enough to just have done it? Or not?  I think about the Gansett Marathon, the only means of entry are qualification.  I like that.  Those are some impressive runners, and with only 3 marathons in the state of Rhode Island, adds just a touch more prestige to qualifying and running in it for those folks striving to run a marathon in all 50 states.

Yeah yeah, I get the ‘you are lapping everyone on the couch’ thing.  I love my friends who think I am amazing, special, inspirational.  I love even more the ones I've been able to inspire or support to do things they've only dreamed about doing. (ahem LN)  Either physical or life changes.  But deep down inside of me I wonder, should I even call myself an athlete?  Am I a problem with the runners of today?  Am I tourist in races? To someone who finishes in the top 10 or 20 is my presence an annoyance? I don't need a medal for a 5K but that was a cool medal for the St Pat 5K in Providence... Then I think back to my second lap on the Ice Age 50 ½ marathon.  There were 50K and 50 Milers passing me cheering me on.  Oh you better believe I cheered them on!  

5K Medal...  nifty? no?

Oh good lord, do I need to go to Sports Therapy?  Maybe I need to suck it up buttercup and just do it and not worry about anything? Any of you feel like this?  I can’t possibly be alone, can I?  It’s ok if I am.  

Ok enough of that whiny girly horse crap...  The other part of this article was about the litter, both garbage and human, as in bodies and excrement along the trails.  Oh my…  I've often wondered about the process of climbing a mountain and what gets left behind, I was thinking more of gear, things shoved in the cracks in a rock to harness ropes too, that sort of stuff, not bodies, feces, or even trash.  My hubb rides the trails I run and if he ever found a discarded GU package that could be by a remote chance mine, there would be words, and vice versa.

And I kind of stop musing at this point... and pause in wonder...  I can't imagine having the privilege of climbing to the top of the world and leaving behind those sorts of traces of my presence...  I get that we all have to eat and shit and we die.  But wow.  Fortunately it isn't out of control and can be cleaned up.

Over my vacation things got all out of sorts, I misplaced my nip bottle and found it when digging for running clothes at the gym... that and just a 'few' Hammer Gels my cousin horked for me...  thanks Tobi!!

Someone used my desk at work and readjusted everything and nosed around in the box where I keep my illegal space heater.  Fortunately I don't have to deal with going to Manhattan this week, because wowza it would be car, train, bus, train after the disaster on Friday afternoon.  When exactly would I sleep?  Feh, it is what it is and can all be righted!!

Sincerely,
Beth, kinda whiny, apologies, and really geeked over Strava!

A Run Down Memory Lane

Work got a little chaotic today and I didn't get out for a mid day run, so after work it was for a fun and very windy 3.6M around Bluff Point.   As I was heading out another runner was heading in.  I asked how the run was and how the wind was.  He ran clockwise and said when he turned the corner at the bottom it was a freeze fest.  I always run this one clockstupid, I like to finish with the down hill.  We chatted about the pros and cons of running the 'big hill' as he calls it first.  There is much more of a long climb if you run down the 'big hill' and your legs are tired for that last climb. I'll have to try it clockwise and see how it feels...

I think there is more of a challenge in the clockstupid direction.

The wind is coming right off the water for the first 1.5ish miles, a bit chilly!

I love this trail, sure the section I did was wide and not technical, sort of a Playskool's My First Trail dirt and crushed stone, a few rocks sticking up here and there.  I do venture off to the side trails on the East side and over to Haley Farm to get my fill of rocks, roots, and mud.

When I run this trail I nearly always think about the first time I ever ran it, June 4, 2010, the Twilight Trail Run.  The second race I had ever run.  48:19, I thought I might die by the end of the race.  My time for that same race the next year was 47:26.  From that day, June 3, 2011, forward pretty much every Friday afternoon I was out on that trail running further and further until I finally ran the whole damn thing.  When I run it these days I recall fondly the rock or tree or hill I would force my self to run to before I could walk again.  It is a nice reality check for how far I really have come since my decision to become a runner in January of 2010 and my decision to get serious in May of 2011.

Do you have a route or a trail or even a race that is this sort of milepost or memory lane for you?

Sincerely,
Beth, skipping down memory lane

Chasing Skirts

I was poking around on the internet for a sparkly running skirt.  I thought maybe it might be fun to wear a sparkly pink running skirt for the Jamestown Bridge 10K next weekend.  I see the gals in their sparkly skirts in the bazillion St. Patrick’s Day races I ran, they looked like fun.  From what I remember of this race last year it was fun and there was even a guy dressed as a bunny rabbit!!  Anyhoodles,  I had no idea where they purchased such things.  Then I saw a post about sparkly skirts and I checked out the referenced website and well now I’m tooing and froing on the purchase of this.  I'd spend more on a few after work cocktails with one of my gal pals in NYC and I’m getting all wigged over $30 bucks?  Sometimes my internal dialogue doesn't make sense to even me.  I can’t imagine what Hubb deals with on a daily basis. 

So this prompted me to google “sparkly running skirts” there were pages and pages of blog posts and articles about skirts.  I was a little surprised people were so emotive and verbose about this apparently very controversial topic.  Wow.  I used to run in shorts or tights and that was ok and somehow I stumbled upon running skirts.  I can’t remember how but I fell in love with them from the beginning and have nearly completely switched to skirts. They are fun, they have pockets -  LOVE pockets – they fit nicely, and the don't ride up or bunch.  It all really is a matter of personal preference, what the individual is comfortable in they will run their best and enjoy the race!!  Not really sure why women running in skirts is such a big deal or controversial.  

Some men wear skirts, mostly kilts, I've seen a few pink tutus...  Back to kilts, I saw quite a few of them over the bazillion St. Paddy’s Day races and a few during the Marine Corps Marathon last year.

MCM 2012 Firefighters

Occasionally you may see a hamburger...

Nice Buns!! - Gansett Marathon 2012

I will be purchasing one in pink, a sparkly skirt, not a hamburger.  The next decision is bright pink or a muted pink?  OR Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us?

Tomorrow is a 1/2 marathon trail race.  After all this skirt talk, I'll probably wear tights, the prickly things were pretty plentiful when Gizmo and I went out to check out the Big River trails.  But who knows, as Miss Scarlett says, "Tomorrow is another day!"

Gizzy is good for about a 4 mile hike in the woods, which is probably more like 5 for him because he takes side trips here and there and then has to catch up.  We went two miles out and back, very cool trail, running or mountain biking.  Hubb nearly has me convinced to dust off the old Bontrager and get it tuned up.  These trails seemed much more my former biking ability levels, so maybe.  

Presently, Lord Giz of the Mo is at my feet snoring rather loudly, he was quite happy for an adventure that did not include the youngest members of the pack and to show me how to run the trail.  For a 12 year old boxer boy he is very spry!!

  

The brief hike along the first 2 miles of the 13.1 mile course was great, it really is a lovely trail and I imagine the deeper into the woods it goes the more lovely it becomes.  Very much looking forward to tomorrow!  Thanks for the encouragement Michael!  I'll probably be DFL PLEASE don't let that hold up any of the post race festivities, although, maybe make sure I am out of the woods before the last person leaves?  HA!!

Sincerely, 

Beth, the mostly skirt wearing runner

Perspective

Jackass came in this morning with the usual Monday morning banter. Of course, he asked about my race this weekend. I said I thought it started at 10 it started at 9. And like with anything he pull some Seinfeld reference! Yep, you guessed it Jean-Paul!!

Jean-Paul The Marathon Runner

Friends just put things into perspective, don’t they?

I’m still incredibly bummed to miss race 2 of a 5 race series and be out of the running for having competed in all of them like I did last year. Now I will put the race START time on the calendar also and be more diligent about checking the start time BEFORE I go to bed.

So to answer the question, Will she break a running rule? Nope! No race no new stuff. Although I am going to look for the Run Yaktrax for trail running. Those look a little better for running and I’ll run in them before attempting a race.

I did have a nice, yet slow, 6 mile run and followed that up with a trip to the beach with Hubb and 3 of the 4 dogs. The beach was nice, not too many people, we missed the get up and go for a walk on the beach crowd and were early for the let’s go for a walk on the beach after lunch crowd. Don’t worry too much about the one left home alone. He had a special treat, going hiking with me, which he LOVES his ‘mommy and me time’ plus I let him wander and he just likes to be doing something. He was a little disgruntled that Hubb was joining us. The look on his face when I had him get into the truck was one of “Really? Do we have to bring HIM with us?” We went out to a local trail where Hubb could work on some things with his mountain bike and Gizmo and I could hike. Gizzy was happy when Hubb took off in one direction and we went in another.

The trails were nice with a fresh covering of snow to clean everything up.  The hunters were out so we donned our orange!



Safety Dog!!

Sincerely,
Beth, who will be writing the START times on the calendar!

The world didn't end, huh....

Friday I committed to an End of the World Run, 12.21K, anywhere, anytime, any place.  I like those because you do have to commit and honor the commitment. It had been raining like hell for days, so what a better time to hit the long trail at my most favorite place on earth!?!?!  Friday was the last work day for the year for MOST people, being stingy with vacation time I am not wasting a vacation day for 12/31 and will go in.  It was just me and Gdogg in the office, both of us dragging in with the same excuse "the alarm went off at 6:30 and I thought there is no way it is 6:30 it is still dark"  a dark raining day, perfect way to start off the end of the world, right?

Around noon, the sun started peeking through, by 1:30 it was looking wonderful, I skipped out of work in my running gear and was on the trail by 2:10.  I noted the entrance was flooded, high tide and all the rain, and the lower parking lot was flooded, and I KNOW this means the lower trail will be flooded...

Huh, are those whitecaps?

So what do I do? Yes, I take off on the lower trail.  It is cold and windy and the sun has started to disappear.  When I get to the flooded part I debate, 7 miles with wet shoes or no?  I turn around. And take the trail backwards figuring I'll do an extra loop in Haley Farm to make up the miles, to reach 12.21K  It was a lovely run, a few nice muddy spots and rather enjoyable.  Then I figured the tide must have receded and I could go left and not right once I was back on the main trail.   Then I did a quick calculation and knew I needed another 1/2 mile to get to 7.6 mile to be at 12.21K...  I thought, well I'll just do a loop around the parking lot to make up the lost miles from the flood.  My brain decided that I'd do a little out and back on the main trail and then finish up at the trail head...  I think, well was I thinking?, I think, I was avoiding the inevitable flooded area.  It was still flooded, I plowed through, water up to my knees halted the running and I was more wading.  The women standing on the other side of the flooded part debating to walk across or not decided that I was 1) crazy and 2) their boots weren't tall enough to wade across.  We all laughed as I emerged from the water.  They asked "Isn't that cold?"  I replied that yes, yes it was, but it felt good.  The sad part about this is, all the wonderful mud I collected on my shoes and legs was now gone... poop...

Route...

I squished my way back to the trail head and clicked off the Garmin at 7.63 miles (7.58 is 12.21K).  Rummaged around in my gear bag to find some dry warm socks and drove home, satisfied, and a little chilled to the bone.

Friday night was a Secret Yoga session at a beautiful building down town.  It was a bank, and just has such a wonderful vibe inside, and a beautiful cupola letting in the moonlight.  We all placed our mats in a circle around a bowl of lit crystals and did our yoga practice.  It was 90 minutes and team taught, I'd never been to a team taught practice.  I hadn't met any of these Yogis before and the leader welcomed me and asked how I found out about Secret Yoga.  I said "I received an eMail."  Technology a wonderful thing, isn't it?  Keeps us close to the ones we love and allows us to meet new people along the way, people we may have never met before.  It is also not such a good thing for keeping secrets, eh?

I left practice feeling centered and ready for a new beginning, if, in fact, the world did not end on the 21st of December 2012.

Waking up Saturday morning, I was, yes, alive on the 22nd, the day after the world was to end, unfortunately not quite feeling my perky jump out of bed and greet the world self...  damn...   Hubb and I had a trip into Manhattan planned and I wasn't going to miss it!  I pulled myself together and we went on our adventure. By Saturday night it was blatantly obvious I was under the weather, welcome to my bones, chest, and neck some sort of ick and ache with a side of laryngitis, whoopiee twang...

A day of rest on Sunday and I'm feeling better, still with the laryngitis.   I want to run, I also want to get better.  I haven't been sick in a long time and what ever ickies befall me tend to land in my throat and chest, which is pretty critical for running...  I'm erring on the side of caution. I put in some miles tomorrow a.m. I have a Santa hat, just perfect for the season!  Ding dong here has a marathon in less than a month and needs to be healthy AND trained....

Sincerely,
Beth with 7 more running days and 2 races left in 2012!!!

OUCH!

Today was my last long run before the marathon.  In one week from now I will have run my first marathon.  I am so excited, I'm not really that apprehensive.  I've trained for this.  I set out a decent training plan and mostly followed it.  As of today I've logged running nearly 350 miles and at a 10 min mile pace that is nearly 60 hours of running.  This does not include my walking or any other cross training.  Is this enough?  To finish respectably, yes.

Training Plan with Notes

The changes I have felt and witnessed in my own body and mind have been amazing on this soon to be 18 week journey culminating in me finishing my first marathon.  Truly a challenge I am thrilled to have taken on and hunger for the next one.  Any suggestions on my next marathon? next challenge? next race?

My pace was slow today, I was feeling a little, honestly, hung over.  Even the pic Hubb snapped of me in my "Never mess with a woman who runs 26.2 miles for fun" tech shirt showed me to be a little "delicate" as one of my British friends calls it.  Although my shirt is really a mauve not a purple so maybe it was the lighting?

Hubb "Should you really be wearing that shirt yet?"

I ran my usual long run route.  Said HI to the ladies stoop sitting sipping coffee and smoking their cigarettes.  The little old man was shuffling across the street to pick up his Sunday paper, no dog, I wonder if the dog just wasn't into going out on this crisp fall a.m. or if he expired.  Kinda the same old same old, not a lot to report on.  One other runner, lots of cars, no bikes.

When I trained for the Providence 1/2 marathon I ran in May, I would post my route as a rorschach test, while not an inkblot sometimes it made interesting figures and people enjoyed pitching in guesses.  My purpose was to talk about Lung Cancer and who I had dedicated my loop in the park to.  I still do that loop and still think about and meditate on someone I know with or has passed from lung cancer or someone who has a loved one with or has passed from lung cancer.  I dedicated this loop to the last name I've added to my list, a new friend had an Uncle who passed from Lung Cancer, quite quickly after diagnosis.  This disease touches so many people in so many ways.

See anything? The loop in the park is just to the left of the green bubble.

This afternoon my massage therapist friend came over to the house to work on me, mostly my legs.  She arrived at 3 to the chaos that is our house with four dogs barking and jumping all over the place.  She is not unaccustomed to dogs and took it all in stride.  The fearsome foursome also joined us for my torture, er massage, session.  There were a couple of screams and yelps that upset the dogs a bit.  These were prompted by Amy releasing my bound together IT band and hamstring.  I was ordered to sit on ice as soon as she left.  GLADLY, that HURT and I could feel the pressure release.   What surprised me most was the fact my toes stopped cramping up.  Holy cow, she worked all that bound up fascia up and down my legs and hips from the PF and the compensation my muscles made as I was recovering from the PF.  Who would have thunk this was the reason my toes were cramping and flipping me off!!

Amy mentioned she reviewed my PF treatment plan with the trainer for the CT Sun Women's Basketball team.  She is their massage therapist.  I run in some pretty impressive circles, eh?  She said the trainer wished his athletes were so diligent with recovery from injury.  If only he could get the women to follow the plans he laid out for them they would see results and here is this pure ammature plugging along and seeing actual results.  I felt pretty smug, wouldn't you?

The dogs did their best to keep an eye on Amy and also win her over with their charms.  Love them!

I've been frothing at the the mouth to run Bluff Point, I think I mentioned it rained all day Friday.  I did take my eldest dog out there.  I've never taken anyone out there, it has always been my place.  Half way through the trail it dawned on me this has always been just my place.  I was happy to share it with Gizmo.  He loved the one one one time although was getting pretty tired by the end of the trail.  We saw some beautiful sights and he seemed to sniff some interesting smells.  Slowly the sun came out making it an even better trip.   I did want to splash through the mud and puddles.  I tried to remain dignified, it was difficult.

View of the swamp just before the first uphill.

View of the LI Sound, sailboat in the distance.

The last downhill

There were a few runners on the trail.  I was so jealous. After the marathon you can trail run again, don't risk injury, don't risk injury!!!

On the last downhill from all the rain the trail was pretty beaten up.  I caught the glimpse of a runner behind me, bright green shirt, nice!  Making sure she can be seen!  Two thumbs up.  I maneuvered Gizmo to the more rutty part of the trail, giving her the best part of the trail for THE best part of the trail.  She passed, we exchanged hellos and thank you's.  I said "This is the best part of the trail, isn't it?" She said "Yes, down hill and near the end."  then we both heard it, CRACK, the tell tale sound of a dead tree falling in the woods. The at least 5 inch in diameter dead tree, fell, she instinctively put her hands over her head, the tree, missing her head by inches, caught her left foot.  She fell.  I rushed up "Are you OK?"  She got up, stopped her GPS, looked around, disgusted at the forming scrape on her left shin, and answered "Yes, I think I am fine.  Do you have a cell phone?"  She was going to call her husband.  They were staying at the Marriott and he ran part of the trail with her and was going back to the hotel.  No luck getting ahold of her hubb.  We walked out to the parking lot.  Chatting about running.  She was one week out from the New Orleans Half Marathon and was wondering if what felt like a broken toe or two were going to cause her to not PR that race.  I told her was training for my first marathon and while wanted to run the trail, didn't for fear of injury.  She said "Totally hear you there."  Ooops sometimes I need to think before I speak!!

When we got near the trailhead, we were about 0.2 miles from the end, there was her husband.  He saw her with me and another woman and our dogs and the blood running down her left leg and said "Oh honey what happened?"  She had kept it together very well until then but really wanted to break down "I nearly got killed by a tree falling." I could hear her voice crack.  He comforted her and eventually realized they had RUN to Bluff Point and shouted, "Hey, can you give us a ride?"  Of course, no problem.  Loaded them and Gizmo up into the car and we chatted about running and injuries and that she would just tape up the toes and run next weekend.  Atta girl, don't let this near death experience get you down.

Her husband asked if she was planning on wearing heels to the wedding they were attending.  Really?

I never asked their names, I do have their phone numbers from her trying to get ahold of him.  Maybe I'll text them and see how she is doing.  Guess I could ask if she wore the flip flops or the heels?

This is why I don't run without my phone.  I had a nasty tumble on the Vin Gormley trail that shook me up bad enough to keep it with me.  Not that anyone would have been able to find me, but at least I could try!!??!

Stats:

Slow but steady

Sincerely,
Beth fully in taper mode

Mud Part Deux

Running a looped course is like trying to run from your problems, it really doesn't get you anywhere  you end up right back where you started.   Isn't that how it works, the harder you try and run away from something the quicker you end up right back in its lap?

I ran a different loop of Bluff Point tonight and still ended up at the same place.  Go figure.

The dogs licked off a lot of the mud...

My mom has Lung Cancer.  She is 5 years post diagnosis. 15% of people with Lung Cancer make it 5 years.  That is a shocking and sad statistic that has not moved since Nixon declared war on Cancer in 1971. It is important to note the Breast Cancer 5 year survival rate climbed to 95% at the 5 year mark.  My mom's mom passed away with Breast Cancer in 1976 after a 2 year battle.  Way back then Cancer was discussed in hushed tones in the back of the room.  Now, Breast Cancer is out there, Save The Ta Tas, Pink Ribbons...  it is always in our face.  People donate, they care, oh you have Breast Cancer, "I am so sorry".

I remember telling the first person outside of my immediate friends my mother had Lung Cancer.  His first question was, "Is she a smoker?"  I had no idea how to answer that question or what drove it.  My mom smoked until she was 40.  She quit in 1984, it was torture for all of us, especially her.  Smoking is a bitch of an addiction to kick. Statistics say that 20 years post quitting your chances of developing Lung Cancer are that of a non-smoker.  I said "She was." and the conversation ended at that point.   The smoking stigma slapped me right in the face.  I had no idea what had just happened, NO IDEA. I stopped talking about it and only to my closest friends.  It wasn't until 2011 that I started to wake up and talk about it, more and more and more.  Now it is a main topic of conversation.

A bit of history on my mom, January of 2007 my mother starts having these awful pains in her back and shortness of breath.  Doc ordered an x-ray, nothing.  Her smoking history wasn't considered, she was technically a non-smoker, so her primary care physician prescribed painkiller after painkiller   Nothing worked. The pain was so intense and constant nothing was numbing it, nothing. Eventually the question of Cancer came up.  Why is this the LAST thing considered?  From January 07 - July 07 the tumor grew around her ribs and spine pinching nerves (the pain she felt) to a whopping 8cm when it was finally diagnosed as Lung Cancer.  I am blathering towards the why this has me all twisted up at the present time.  Next week by this time we will know if that bastard tumor, which has been dead for the last three years, remains dead.

I came home from my run muddy and crying.  Hubb called me when I was about a minute from home, too late for me to even attempt to pull myself together.   My poor hubb can't understand me through my sobbing and just looks so desperate to help me.  He did say, "Well at least you are muddier than yesterday.  So maybe I'll believe you, this time."  That garnered the giggle it was meant to. I had so hoped he would be off at his evening commitment so I could just collapse on the kitchen floor and have the dogs demand their dinner.  I don't like to explain myself, I just like to be left alone until I am feeling my normal sarcastic smart-ass self and then live on, avoiding talking about whatever...  That poor man, God love him, I know I do, just sat there trying to figure out what was going on and be supportive to this hot muddy mess standing in front of him.  Seriously, I'd rather have the dogs deal with me, they would just lick my tears (and my muddy legs) and breathe their stinky wonderful dog breath on me and eventually one of them drags over a toy as if to say, OK, enough, let's play and most likely box me in the face!!!  We would play and wrestle there on the floor till I felt better.

Hubb just said, "Hon, it is OK, your mom is more energetic and positive than she was this time last year, everything is fine. All is fine.  You had me worried there for a second."  And he suggested that I was a little muddy and ripe and wouldn't a shower feel good, he turned up the hot water heater.  A super hot shower, hmmmmmm....

So crying and running doesn't work so well, you become more of a mouth breather and erratic ..  oh well, at least I felt like I was beating something evil out of me through every footfall, as erratic as they were.

All in all the run helped, I got to splash through a couple puddles, I didn't want to do all of them, MCM is happening in less than 4 weeks, I cannot be injured and that includes blisters. First rain post MCM and I'll be hitting ALL of the mud and the puddles.  After all I am a 12 year old boy disguised as a middle aged woman.

Stats:

Summary

The loop from yesterday starts and ends at the green dot but through the green area....

Yeah, lacking consistency.  The trail was so beautiful.  

Sincerely,
Beth, the hot mess.

Mud

I peeked outside this afternoon and noticed it was looking damp.  Big Grin!  MUD!  I muttered something about "Woo hoo muddy run and Boy Wonder just smiled and said you really are crazy."  Duh....

Had a few things to pick up the grocery store, we were out of salad.  We go through nearly a pound of mixed greens a day, between Hubbs daily salad snack and dinner, yep that is about right.  Got the groceries (daily W.I.F.E. duties = done)

Off to Bluff Point!  Giddy up Vinnie!


I called Hubb and let him know I was going running on the trail.  He mentioned I hadn't been there as frequently as last summer.  I know, I am miserable, not running it weekly.  All he could say was "Enjoy your four wheeling."

It was a lovely wet run, not as muddy as I had expected, but then I didn't motor through ALL the mud puddles, while I love them, I do have a Marathon coming up in less than 4 weeks.  *bites nails*  Probably should avoid injuiries!!

When I got home, salad greens in tow, I was met with:

"Hon, If your story is that you were out running in the mud your shoes should at least have a little mud on them."

"Love, they do have some mud on them, I'm just so fast they don't have time to gather mud."

*chuckle chuckle*

The trail was wet rather than muddy.  I came home Thanksgiving morning WAY more muddy, and WAY more wet as the trail was flooded.  I think that is what he was expecting?

It was a great run.  Just running, not looking at my Garmin, just running, not even thinking much.  Well except for the long slightly inclining straightaway, my Godsmack Voodoo straight away.  For some reason the dulcet tones of Sully Erna guide me up that section more often than not. While Sully wasn't singing in my ear my mind was taking in the beauty of the fall woods nearing dusk.  Oh yeah, and hoping I didn't trip on a stick or twist my ankle on a rock.  Wouldn't that suck, less that 4 weeks away from MCM and I'm taken out by nature?

Stats:

Not a bad overall pace.

Well I really need to concentrate on NEGATIVE splits
but hey this run was for the love the joy the awesomeness of rain and mud!

Y'all have seen the trail before...

Sincerely,
Beth, who may actually sleep through the night tonight, fingers crossed!

Whiskey, My Friend, My Love

I think I may have been a little drunk when I woke up this morning or just exhausted...  The drinks were a little strong last night, no complaints, and I had a very stiff night cap when I got home at oh 10 p.m. probably could have passed on the night cap.  Oh Jack how you tempt me so....

This is how my Wednesdays go.  A little off from a long day on Tuesday. I wore one of my new dresses so I looked good, as my work husband says "Look good feel good."  Busy day, full of action items from the last meeting on Tuesday and other things I need to get moving on.  I worked from home in the afternoon because hubb was off to The Cape to spend a couple days with his family and the dogs are used to having someone around plus the young ones are crated when we aren't home.  While all they do is sleep in the crate and they don't really seem to care, it bugs me.

Crates and dogs.  I've read that the crate is actually a good thing, it is far less stressful for the dog because they don't have to make any decisions on what they are going to do once the two legged pack members leave the house.  They just go to sleep until the two legged pack members arrive home.  I think there is truth to this.  The elder dogs are a bit stressed because some how something that was on the counter is now on the floor and they then get a tap on the tushie because of it.  Dogs do not understand consequences to their actions.  They do know if there is a dog food tin or a soup tin on the floor they are getting a tap on the tushie but the fact THEY counter surfed and brought down that tin escapes them. Plus they are a good place to keep unruly Father-in-laws.

I finished up what I wanted to accomplish for work, fed the dogs and then went for a run on my favorite trail, yep, Bluff Point.  I love that trail.  Did the short loop 3.6 miles, in 35 minutes, not bad time.  I felt like I finally have my legs back. It was awesome.  I also used the Dirty Girl Gaiters a friend sent me.  

I was a little suspect on how these would work and what sort of looks I would get on the trail.  As for the looks on the trail, so what.   The guys that stare are staring at a hot sweaty chick, and I'll just go with that thought.  I doubt they are looking at my ankles anyhow, they are male.  Loved them, the gaiters, not the looks from the guys (ok yes, I like that too, I'm a girl whaddya expect?).  Back to the gaiters.  First, they kept out the dirt and the rocks and the stones and the other niggly trail bits that always seem to get caught in my shoes.  Second, they totally look super cute with my new trail shoes.  Can you imagine them with a pink running skirt!  Woot!  Third, the sweat wicking fabric seemed to keep my ankles cooler, I only noticed this on my cool down walk and my drive home, hey added bonus!

My run was great.  Really great.  My heel is feeling so much better, between the icing and the spikey ball roller.  Now I have a little shin splint action happening in the left shin.  If it isn't one thing it is another.

My awesome massage therapist is gifting me a special foam roller and a DVD to help with my PF and probably the rest of my muscles.  She is awesome!  I need to find a super special gift for her, hmm, better put my thinking cap on!

Tomorrow is a work at home day and a rest day, so you won't hear much until my race report from the Blessing of the Fleet 10 miler in Narragansett, RI on Friday night.

Thank you for tuning in!