Friday Night Thinking...

I thought I would include pretty pictures of my bruise and scars.  (and you can see the impressions of the lovely knee-high fishnets I had on all day today.)  

I went shopping after work tonight - for some furniture and some other stuff at REI.  Then I went to the running store to get some shoes, but they were closed.  So I will go tomorrow.

I did not run all week.  I am scheduled for a 17 mile run this weekend. I guess I will wait until Sunday.  I think this is the "do or die" run for my marathon training.  If I can't do it, I am going to plan on running the half marathon in Anchorage.  If I can run it, I guess I will know that I should continue with my training for a full marathon.  Right now I am plagued with doubts and aches and pains.  

I look at the counter on my side-bar and think - this should be something I am looking forward to, not dreading.  But every time I see how few days are left, I just feel so much pressure.  I don't know how I can be ready for a marathon in 50 some days.  

I got an e-mail from my marathon mentor this week.  It was meant to motivate me I am sure.  It had just the opposite effect.  She said she heard I was having doubts and she said "shame on you." and that people in MUCH worse shape than I finish marathons.  Great.  

I will go out this weekend and do my level best to run 17 miles.  Some of you say that discouragement is typical half way through the training... I hope that is all this is.  

Thanks for your encouragement and understanding.  

First Bike Ride

Today was my first bike ride of the season.  I decided to ride my bike to work to:

a) get exercise (other than running)

b) save gas.

The ride TO work is approximately 8 miles downhill followed by a half mile uphill.  The ride home, as you might imagine, is exactly the opposite... with the steepest grade in the last 2 miles.  It was a good ride with the exception of me hitting the curb and flying into the grass.  Thank God it was grass, or I would have been hurt.  My legs are getting pretty gnarly looking with scars and scrapes and bruises from all my misadventures... not very becoming on a 50-something woman!

I am trying to fight extreme discouragement over my running.  I thought I would take the week totally off and try to get my hip to stop hurting and other things healed up.  I actually have an open wound all along where the bottom of my heart rate monitor strap was on Sunday.  I have no idea how that happened because I have worn that thing a million times and never had the slightest chafing.  The run on Sunday just sucked all the way around.  

Sorry to be such a complainer.  I just tried to call another member of my fund raising team "blisters for sisters", and she said she is in a bad mood and would call me tomorrow.  What?  Some people wonder why they are lonely?

OK, now I have crossed the line from complaining to outright bitchiness.  I took my estrogen tablet, and hope to feel human again soon.  But first let me say:  I am going to watch American Idol tonight and I fully expect little Mr. Dreadlock Rasta-Man to go home tomorrow.  What is he doing there?   

Sunday 10 miler

This is a picture of the South Platte River - which I ran beside this morning.  

Do you want to know the truth?  I had a pretty miserable run.  My left hip hurts so bad.  I kept taking walk breaks, but I swear they don't help anything, they just slow me down and make it harder to get a good pace going again.  

I actually enjoyed my 15 miles last week more than I enjoyed the 10 today.  Even though I had my cute new outfit on... and that usually makes a run more tolerable.

I honestly don't know how I can run a marathon in just 7 weeks.  

I am going to take a nap now and hope when I wake up the world looks like a friendlier and less painful place.

Friday Night Self-Portrait

Because apparently I never tire of showing you my new clothes and how dirty my bathroom is!  I think this is going to be my marathon outfit.  It will look great when they take me off the course on a gurnee - ooooops!  Where's that positive attitude?  I meant to say, it will look great as I cross the finish line with my arms in the air!  And I can tell my family to look for me in the "sorbet" top!  

I ran only 4 miles last night.  I went out in a singlet and skirt - without realizing that the weather was going to change - the wind kicked up to like 30 mph.  I am not even exaggerating.  It was crazy.  I still had a nice run, it was just a little bit shorter than I anticipated.

The weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow.  If it is snowing, I will postpone my long run until Sunday.  My long run this week will only be 8 to 10 miles.  I was leaning towards 10, but I am feeling very tired and have hip pain.  I will see how I feel tomorrow and how the weather is.  

Must.... Stop.... Complaining....

Today I am again happy to be a runner - but today was a day off. I am looking forward to running tomorrow. I will try to get 6 miles in before work. That should be good. I really should take some clothes and my gym bag to leave at work and run to work. It is about 8 miles. I could do that, as long as I took a shower after I got there. I have a make up bag and brush and hair dryer and curling iron in my desk - for days when I bike to work (which I haven't done since last summer).

The picture above was something that I thought was funny on my run on Saturday. Mind you, I had just completed 13.1 miles (and had still 1.9 miles to go) when I came upon this bike trail espresso stand. Really, it is on the bike trail - not the road. It is only accessible by bike or foot. It was packed with spandex wearing bike riders. I am sure it would be fun to take a leisurely bike ride and stop for a cup of joe along the way. I think I know a J-mom who would really like it. Not to suggest that she is anything LIKE a LEISURELY bike rider.

Today I was meeting with the director of nursing in my office and mentioned something about running. He said "oh, you're a runner?" And I was so happy that I had fresh meat to tell all about training for a marathon!!! Everyone else is sick of hearing about it. And I was thrilled there was still at least one person in the hospital who hasn't heard me talk about it.

Looking forward to 6 miles tomorrow!

3 Miles Today

I took the afternoon off work.  Oh, it was glorious.   I ran 3 miles at noon - which was HOT.  I usually run early in the morning, so it was quite an adjustment to be running in the mid day sun.  I got to visit with a friend who was coming though town - that was nice.  Then when I decided to take a nap, my neighbor decided, with all his hillbilly friends, to take out his dirt bike and let the dog bark and chase the dirt bike around the cul de sac.  Well, the nap never happened.  But I am glad that the weather is nice enough for these crazy activities to be going on.  

Tonight, the Tivo is all ready for American Idol!!  Woo Hoo!  I have turned into a real american!  I watch TV and actually look forward to it!  Funny that I find this both sad and encouraging at the same time.  Sad because, well, it is just sad.  Encouraging because I have spent my life always moving, always doing, NEVER sitting still.  

I am looking forward to a short long run on Saturday.  8 or 10 miles.  That's all.  Long enough to be fun, not long enough to be painful.  

You know what I am really looking forward to?  June 22, 2008 - the day after my marathon.  When I hop on a train to go to Denali National Park to stay at a Lodge for 2 days.  AFTER my short marathon career is OVER. 

I have a triathlon in August and I cannot wait to train for it.  Especially the biking and swimming.   I may just walk the running part.  I have had it with running!

Day after 15 miles

I am actually feeling optimistic today.  I am not hurting too bad from the 15 miles.  The blisters I thought I had yesterday were temporary, and my feet are fine.  I have a bit of a sunburn on my neck and that is about it.  Oh, and I also have the lovely tan that ends above my ankle where my socks hit.  

The skirt is cute, no?  It is comfy and feels great.  It is long enough so that I don't feel like a woman who doesn't realize she is in her 50s (and so are her legs!)  I ordered a shirt in the pink color of the trim on the skirt - it should be in this week some time.  The color is called "sorbet", doesn't that sound good?  The visor was painful to buy because I am still mad at Pearl Izumi for that asinine runner vs. jogger ad campaign - but I really liked the visor the best.  It has good sweat absorption and it is comfortable.  

I just can't believe that I am optimistic today.  Yesterday I thought there was no way I was going to be able to run one more inch than 15 miles.  But then I remembered that 2 weeks ago, I hit the wall at 9 miles and barely made the 13.1 miles at the half-marathon.  So, maybe it is in the realm of possibilities that I will run 17 miles in 2 weeks!  Holy Moly!  How did this happen!?!?!?