Time for a little patience...

Finally.

High school apps are in the mail. Our work is done. Time to wait.

The awesome thing is I get to model patience for my son. He must be patient as he awaits decisions; I must be patient as I coax and guide my body back to health.

After a few stutter-starts to my training plan, I think I'm finally starting for real. The plan is unconventional, as is my wont, but I think it will be effective for my purposes.

I was going over my training logs from a long, long time ago and was struck by how much cross-training I did and also by how frequently I did strength work. This was true both of my rowing logs and my old running logs. Stronger, faster, almost never injured...and of course, younger, but I'm thinking there is a reason why we keep hearing these words, "Want to prevent injury? Cross-train and strength-train and get some good body work done on a regular basis!" and "Oh, bummer you're injured? What have you been doing for cross-training and how often do you incorporate strength work into your routine? When was the last time you had a massage?" Many of us would truthfully have to say, "None and never and what's that?"

I'm going old school. Which is also smart school.

About two weeks ago, I started seeing a new bodywork guy who is awesome. Yesterday, I returned to my trainer to recommence strength-training after a 6-week hiatus. Yesterday, I also returned here...

You've seen it before...

blah blah blah...big hill...blah blah blah...

Sunny day made for awesome, leggy shadows...

I really am not picking my butt. And I do have clothes on...

even though I look like a pot-bellied naked person...

with a headphone cord.

I saw some spectacular sights...

See the hawk about to take flight from the top of the street light?

Whoa, whoa! Before you raise your eyebrow too high and wonder, "Isn't that a bit overambitious if you're taking it slow?" I didn't go long or hard for any of this. It was all chill and a beginning. And it felt really calm and really good.

My plan calls for running a maximum of three days a week, cross-training a minimum of three days a week, a little bit of strength work every single day, and bodywork (massage/chiro/ART) once or twice a week. All of this will ebb and flow...except the running part. MAXIMUM three days a week. For my body, I know this is where it is happiest. At least at this juncture in my athletic life.

As I sit here 2+ weeks out from my first race of the year...a sweet little 5K...I am excited to see where I can take it at the moment it is occurring. I am eager to see what a little patience can bring.

How is everyone else doing? Is training going well? Have you raced yet this year? What's coming up?

Breaking with (one week old) tradition...

I ran today.

I was going to not do squat all week and then have a killer weekend of brutality on the elliptical and the trails because that pattern worked out so perfectly last week. But it was gorgeous out today. And I had a hankering to run. And after deciding (in a totally delusional state late last night) that I need to run this race, of course I headed on over to Moeser.

yes, I always use this picture when I talk about Moeser...

because it very wonderfully displays what a total b*tch of a hill it is.

I would have looked like this today, but I had on yellow shoes.

And I've finally wised up to the fact that although black is slimming, 

it is really hot ...especially at high noon on a sunny day.

So instead I wore my hootchie-mama-on-a-hot-day outfit...

which, incidentally, keeps me honest about using my core for stability

because it is just a sports bra and booty shorts.

If I don't solidly engage my core, it is a beyond scary sight.

Thankfully, I now have a tan.

Even though I only had time to bust out one trip up and down...stretching things out at the top to equal 3 miles, I figured I was getting a jumpstart on 11 months of potential training. Nothing like being prepared, know what I mean?

And in other news...

Miss C has now entered The Dress Phase.

After 3 and a half years of violently shunning dresses, it is now all about the dress. If it isn't a dress, it doesn't get worn.

The nice thing is she is not slowed down or at all changed by the dress. Well, a little slowing down might have been nice, now that I think about it...

She still will climb anything and everything.

And even in a dress, she still ignores me.

There must be a dress ready to go at all times. She even must sleep in a dress. Not a nightgown...a dress.

I'm not even going to get started on the new situation with tights.


Did you ever have a favorite kind of clothing or article of clothing as a kid?
– In sixth grade, I wore this hideous acrylic argyle sweater just about every single day. Every. Single. Day. Much to my mother's dismay. I even had my school photo taken in the thing...because I forgot it was Picture Day and was, of course, wearing my favorite hideous sweater. I should see if I can scare up that photo...

Do you ever not work out for days on end in the hopes that your next workout will be awesome because you're so well rested?
– I am that delusional, yes.

Weekend Fitness Frenzy

Since I didn't do squat all week...partially due to a 3-day migraine :( ... and partially due to lack of motivation and energy post-migraine, I decided to do what any normal athlete would do...

too much on the weekend.

I was going to run a little bit on Friday. But... I had an active 3-year old in tow all day and some painful internal struggling to power through. By bedtime Friday, I knew I had to do something on Saturday...and I had already half-committed to a possible run with a friend on Sunday... maybe... meaning I was facing a weekend fitness frenzy...at least by my standards.

By late Saturday afternoon, things finally calmed down on the homefront. I headed to the gym at around 5 o'clock and settled in on the StairMaster for a little warm-up. Twenty bored minutes later and totally up-to-date on the Blake Lively/Ryan Reynolds nuptials, I closed my People magazine and stepped off that machine and climbed aboard the elliptical. Fifty super sweaty and soulfully satisfying minutes later, I had firmed up my Sunday running plans thanks to my smartphone and was done working out for the evening for which my shell-shocked quads thanked me. All in all, it was a very productive session.

When I awoke on Sunday, I was a little concerned about the state of my quads given the run I had in mind. I was planning to meet up with my running buddy who is always up for awesome challenges. I love running with her because we have good conversations and both relish training on demanding terrain.

We planned to meet at high noon...because we like to make things harder. We set off to run the same loop as last Sunday, but this time we did three loops plus a little extra in the middle of each loop...which brought my total for the run to 9.6 miles. She did more. I was a waste product after the 9.6.

Below are photos of my two very favorite parts of this route...the photos were taken in the spring when everything was green so imagine instead of the green (except the eucalyptus) it is the golden brown typical of California at the end of summer.

This little 'gateway' is at the crest of the BIG hill. 

I love turning the corner that precedes it and seeing this opening...

 and when you pass through it, the valley opens up at your feet :)

After climbing the BIG hill, you run a bit around the rim of the valley, crossing to the other side.

You then descend on this road.

This view always makes me think of The Road to Endless Possibilities.

With each loop it was getting hotter, but it never got unbearable. Then I dropped an awesomebomb right as we approached our final 1.4 mile descent... kombucha on ice in my car at the finish. Roserunner got very excited and announced the arrival of her second wind and started picking up the pace. I grumbled and flailed and couldn't match anything faster than a determined plod until the downhill began.

We got to the bottom. I was a salty mess. I usually drink a big bottle of Nuun before runs like this one...but I had forgotten to set it up before I left the house :(  Instead, I followed my car-ride kombucha with Nuun at home. And while I tend to take ice baths following long runs (yes, 9.6 is long in my book), I've been opting for warm epsom salts baths lately. I don't really know why. And I don't really know what difference I would feel versus an ice bath. But the epsom salts deal seems to be very comforting and my muscles do feel pretty happy right now.

I'm thinking next week I might shoot for a double-digit run...not sure how that will fit into the Don't Run, Run Faster training plan...perhaps if I, once again, don't do squat all week and just save it all for the weekend... 

*****************************

And we have a victor...

the random number generator at random.org says...

28

which translates to...

Lisa from Mom to Marathon!

Congrats to Lisa on winning the Endorphin Warrior Training Bracelet...and many, many thanks to all who participated in the giveaway :)

The Shadow Knows...but what are those?

I ran my favorite trail loop today.

I did it twice plus added a little spur halfway through the first loop to bring the total mileage to sevenpointsomething miles (7.1 or maybe 7.2...I don't know). It was beautiful out, but there were lots of dogs. Lunging, snapping, yapping dogs. Lots of apologies were extended to me.

As long as they don't bite me or trip me, it's all good, I said with a smile.

But here's what I don't get...

We're out in the pristine wilderness...well, fairly pristine anyway...and I'm seeing all these little, brightly-colored packets on the side of the trail. There are probably 8 or so in the 3 miles that is the loop. Red, yellow, blue, green... What are these things? I asked to no one in particular because at that moment I was totally alone. I slowed to get a better look.

Sh*tbags.

That's what they were. I guess the dog people figured that just bagging it was enough. At least that way no one would step in it, right? And then who wants to carry that sh*t with them while they are walking in nature? No one. So just leave the little giftie scootched up on the side of the trail but in plain sight...sort of decorative-like. News flash: That is NOT cleaning up after your dog. Carry the sh*t out, people.

Though I might seem peeved by this, it didn't disturb the awesomeness that was my run.

I felt strong and fluid the whole time. I held off some guy who tried to sneak up on me as I headed up the monster hill on my second time around... without even trying. And I practiced running in my sports bra...because it might be really hot again at Hood to Coast, and I don't want that to be the first time I expose my soft white underbelly to the universe. Here's what I noticed:  Running away from the sun is the best. Your shadow looks long and lean like a gazelle. I am going to confidently state that my shadow looked HOT. As I mentioned on DailyMile, shadows are awesome...no unsightly details.

It looked better when I was running. I swear.

The view oncoming hikers and runners had was decidedly less hot. To them, the unsightly details were visible...

Showing my wrinkly, hippogut and my shiny forehead. 

Grimacing because the sun in blasting my eyeballs.

Do you like my "Don't-Shoot-Me Orange" sports bra? 

You can get one at Target :)

A must-have if you plan to go hunting in your underwear.

The run was my third workout in 24 hours. No double-days of running for this chiquita...if I'm going to screw up my hip, I'm going to do it in the race and not before! I'm very curious to see how my alternative (or lack of) training plan will pan out next weekend. But not only am I curious, I am excited to see how it works! Less than a week!

Fun Five

One.

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Dinner last night was at Fenton's (did you see the movie Up? well, Carl and Russell's fave ice cream place is a local spot...Pixar is very close by). Sundaes all around...I took a 'pass' knowing that at least one kid would not be able to finish. Three people had vanilla ice cream. Three people had whipped cream. Two people had marshmallow topping and two had chocolate fudge. One person had peppermint ice cream, and one person ate all 4 maraschino cherries. I was the cherry-eater. Yeah, dessert for dinner. Sometimes you just have to say, "What the heck?"

Two.

After eating sundae remnants, I met up with RoseRunner and did hill repeats. Ha. We ran up a hill and then repeated...once. So up the hill two times. Doing something twice = repeat.

this one...it's my favorite

Next week, we're shooting for a three-peat. You know what that means? Yep...three times.

Three.

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I climbed with Tarzan again this week. And we got in trouble. Well, actually he got in trouble. He was doing dangerous things, and the gym manager ran over and spanked him...verbally. It was pretty freaky. He was 'speed' climbing, and I could not keep up with him on belay. There was way too much slack in the rope. If he'd fallen, he could very well have cracked his head open...for real. Meanwhile, my instructor-turned-friend was over to the side beating on her chest and silently doing Tarzan yells to the point where I was stifling laughter so hard it hurt.

Four.

My longest workout in months occurred on Wednesday. Two hours of nonstop cardio, HR zone 2...or maybe zone 3. I'm so old that the HR thing gets me kind of confused. It felt pretty amazing, but I sure wish I could run outside for that long. I really miss being outside! Away from Gaggy Perfume Lady next to me on the stairmaster who started coughing and sputtering extensively mid-workout. I was trying to figure out if the coughing was from her own perfumery or because maybe...ummm...I was the one who was stinking? Well, if it was me, I surely got karmic payback when Patchouli Girl hopped on the elliptical next to me at the very end of my workout. Who the f*ck wears patchouli anymore? Stoners back in the 70's used that potent biz to cover up the smell from all their pot-smoking. I'm guessing that I now probably know who has access to weed should I ever need to score some.

Five.

Today is the last day of school. This is the first time I can recall being excited about it since I was in school myself. I usually dread having all the kids home all day for days on end. Days turning into weeks. Weeks turning into months. Whining refrains of "I'm bored." Bickering ceaselessly. When I put it that way, it starts to sound so unappealing :P  Okay...the good parts... no homework! No need to get to school on time! Leisurely days :)  

Now I just need to come up with some fun activities that four kids between the ages of 3 and 13 will all enjoy. Lots o' luck is what you're saying, I know. 

Looking forward to another kick-ass weekend and wishing one for all of you as well :)

The Idiot and the Labyrinth

Ever since our filming adventure/striptease run, RoseRunner and I have been talking about getting together again for some radical hill running. She's way faster than I am, but I'm willing excited to do nasty inclines others tend to shy away from. Or maybe it's my scintillating conversation that has attracted her to me. Quite possibly, it's a kind of bonding over hip issues. Or maybe she enjoys the feeling of superiority one gets when one hangs out with an idiot (see comment #64).

When she read about my long run the weekend before last, she emailed me promptly..."When can we do this?" We decided on today. 

Unfortunately, my ill-fated Bay to Breakers run-from-hell-with-a-wooden-leg put a damper on things. While my calf is no longer seized up, my Achilles tendon on that left side still feels 'crunchy.' Or maybe 'crackly' is a better word. I was so bummed to email her that I needed to bail on our Thursday rundate :( 

Her reply... 

We don't have to run.

She said this. Really.

We don't have to run.

Imagine that.

She presented me with a list of possibilities, and we settled on a hike. Because she is so nice and I know she just returned from a killer hiking vacation to Zion National Park, I took her somewhere special.

The Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve is one of the many fabulous open spaces in the East Bay Regional Parks system. Located in the Oakland hills, it contains a network of trails and old roads...and a labyrinth located in an old quarry. 

If you're ever in the area and are looking for a free and interesting outing, hiking down to the labyrinth is a great option. The trail is not too challenging...even young children can do it (but it takes about 42 times longer with kids). Getting from the parking lot to the labyrinth is about a mile of rolling hills on some paved but mostly rocky dirt road. There are real bathrooms and trail maps at the parking lot in addition to a water fountain. 

View of the labyrinth from an overlook at the side of the dirt road...

...and on the other side – technology! 

I've never seen such a collection of satellites!

In the center of the labyrinth, people leave offerings.

Some of it looks like trash...I wonder if some of it actually is trash...

or if the trashy stuff holds some deeper meaning other than being too lazy to pack it out.

Obviously, Cinderella is not trash. But that water bottle in front of her... it's full.

Perhaps it was left as an offering to rain gods...or to slake the thirst of a weary traveler.

Rainbow puffball.

Definitely not trash.

Random tissue under rock behind it? Hmmmm....

I know this picture sucks. The cigarette butt is in the shadow.

I'm thinking it was some smoking-labyrinth-walker's last ciggy before quitting.

After walking the peaceful, meditative path smoking that last cigarette, the smoker placed the finished butt in the offering cache in the hopes the quitting would be for good. Maybe.

A strange little illustration of a crowned fox flanked by hounds wearing animal hats (are they pig hats?) somewhat obscured by a hand-written note saying I don't know what, both anchored into the 'altar' by an empty glass bottle...all of significance to someone. Or not.

Money.

RoseRunner and I talked about this.

Is the fact that the money is still there a testament to the sacredness of the space? 

Or that one dollar is not worth stealing from an altar? 

What if it had been a twenty? She said, "It wouldn't be there."

I'm inclined to agree, but what do I know? I am an idiot.

We left an offering...well, she did. 

A stick of gum.

After wandering around the labyrinth and speculating on the altar contents and how awesome the regional park system is, we meandered up and around and over some more trails...

...where we discovered another labyrinth!!!

A baby one :)

We were again struck by the beauty of where we are fortunate enough to live and get to run and hike...

Look at all those roads and trails!

And how perfect our weather is for being out of doors...

Did you really just take my picture? Shit. 

The sun's all in my eyes and I'm making a weird face...

you are such an idiot.

And then we walked back to the parking lot on a different trail...

Lined with poison oak...beware!

Idiot!

And we saw lots and lots of large dog families....meaning they were large dogs AND lots of dogs in each group. "If you have one dog, you have five" became the refrain. Not exaggerating.

We made it back to our cars and kept thanking each other for being so flexible and okay with hiking instead of running. It started to feel almost like Chip 'n' Dale, the overly-accommodating chipmunks...but in a good way.

And we made plans for running killer hills again :)

2012 Zazzle Bay to Breakers Race Recap: The good, the bad and the ugly...times 3

**Warning: there is a photo of a naked person in this post. 

'Parts' have been pixelated and are small, but I'm warning you anyway**

Update: The person in the photo found my blog while searching the internet for naked 

Bay to Breakers photos and has left a comment.

It's a cable car :)

The Lead-Up

The Good

My training has been going so well for the past several weeks. I've been consistent and diligent. My cardio base is getting really solid. I've put in some amazing hill runs with the idea of going into Bay to Breakers feeling like the Hayes Street Hill ain't no big thang. This was accomplished :)

The Bad

My left calf was feeling sore and super tight for a few days but only during running and walking down stairs. I had to extra-minimize the amount of running I was doing. No amount of rolling, Sticking, icing, or massage seemed to be making a difference, but I kept doing those things anyway. Additionally, something had been feeling 'off' in my mid-back and hip/pelvis. Things were feeling inflamed. I chalked this up to hormones...because they are a great scapegoat.

The Ugly

Awesomely, there was no lead-up ugly :)


The Day Before   


The Good

This year's expo was easy to get to on public transportation with a three-year old, easy to find, easy to navigate and appeared more interesting than last year's by a long stretch. But I didn't do any exploring.

Happy girl on her first trip on BART

The Bad

By the time I found the bib pick-up area, my number on the board and the line for my number, aforementioned three-year old was pretty done. Granted it was lunch time, so no expo exploration other than a quick trip to the Nuun booth to say 'hello.' The meltdown began as I tried to exit the premises. Must touch all the balloon sculptures. Cannot walk. Carry me, mommy. Somehow we made it back to the BART station in one piece. But the trains were loud...

sooooo loud, mommy

The Ugly

Transferring trains was most upsetting. She didn't want to get off the train even though we were going to get on another one. She let the world know she was not happy with this arrangement by cleaning the floor of the platform with her body while hollering, "don't wanna get off! don't wanna get off! let me onnnnn! let me onnnnn!" It would have been comical...but it wasn't.

But I had the bib, we made it home, we got lunch and were able to relax. Whew.

And the next day was...

Race Day!!!

The Good

Things were great right off the bat! Of course, because of the title, you know they didn't stay that way.

I didn't oversleep. My pre-race prep at home went off without a hitch. Parking at the train station was easy. I was on time for the train and even ran into some good friends while waiting :)

Nothing like seeing costumed runners at the crack of dawn waiting for the train!

I got a boo-hisssss for looking like a 'serious runner.' I assured the hecklers that it was, indeed, a costume. And anyway I had the samurai hair-do and a sparkly headband on... the combo = costume. At least to me it does.

I was so busy chatting with my buddies that I didn't take anymore awesome costume pics...but there weren't a whole lot this year anyway, or so it seemed. However, right as we parted for our respective corrals, I had the first naked runner sighting...

You can biggify this if you really want to...but I did pixelate the 'parts' 
...nothing we haven't seen before...
fortunately, this year was not as cold as last.

There were LOTS of naked guys this year as compared to last...probably a function of the nicer weather. But there were very few women despite the mild temperatures, just LOTS of guys.

The scene at the start was your typical giant race starting line zoo...

I tried taking pictures but was having a hard time with the camera...as evidenced by the next two photos...

I put the camera away with the intention of taking it back out after the Hayes Street Hill. Also, as I mentioned before, there just didn't appear to be that many cool costumes at this point, which might have been due to the fact that I was in Corral A and with the faster runners. Or maybe I was just oblivious.

Best Points of the Day:  I felt amazing going up the big Hill. I wasn't fast, but I was strong and steady. I credit this to all the Moesers I've been running. To top things off, my hip was feeling GREAT. When I crested the hill ahead of my previous time while feeling fantastic, I had high hopes for improving on last year's finish. 

Shortly after I flew down the short descent from the summit that precedes a mile or so of fairly flat terrain, I felt that sense of elation and optimism quickly fade.

The Bad

Within moments of hitting the 'flat' stretch right around the 3-mile mark, the stiffness I've been having in my left calf flared with a vengeance. I kept thinking it would loosen up, but by Mile 4 the stick of rebar that had implanted itself in my lower leg extended all the way up and into my hamstring. I stopped to the side and attempted to stretch and massage it out...to no avail.

It felt better to run than to walk...so that was good :P but every time I tried to push my HR over 145, the wooden deadness of my leg would transform into shooting, searing pain from my Achilles tendon up to just under my buttcheek. I kept things slow and steady and every so often made an effort to crank it up a notch... but it just wasn't happening. My struggle to survive superseded the desire to photo any more of the event...big-time blogger let-down :(

source

I should have worn a pirate costume because I felt like this guy. 

He even has the wooden leg on the same side.

The Ugly

Running downhill and witnessing everyone around me open it up and blow by me as if I were standing still felt so lonely. 

Also, this is when I saw all the naked men's butts. Butts, butts and more butts. Lots of butts. 

Feeling fit and powerless is really frustrating. Finishing a race and not feeling tired just flat-out pissed me off.

And the kicker...

Getting passed by goddamned Gumby at the finish line was quite the tragi-comic moment. About this piece of the experience, I am rendered speechless. 

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I'm borrowing this photo from rachelhop.com. She took it last year. If I had seen Gumby right there behind me...well, it wouldn't have made any difference. I was already stumping along as best I could :(

The finish stats are as follows:

Time.... 1:14:01  (9:56 pace)    4 minutes slower than last year 

In the top 22% of overall finishers, top 11% of all female finishers, and top 11% of women in my age group. Not as good as last year...which does bum me out a little...but it could have been worse. Finishing upright and with no residual injury is always a good thing. And it was kind of fun...sort of. If running with a wooden leg is ever fun.

And look what they gave me for my efforts...

I started laughing so hard.

And no, I didn't drink it.

It felt like a really long, hard week...again.

This girl's smile celebrating her first popsicle made it all worthwhile.

I'm not as cute as she is.

I spent a lot of time looking like this...

 A lot of time...see? 

Different day... really.

You can tell it's later in the week because 

the bags under my eyes are markedly more pronounced.

Here's what happened...

Monday:  The previous week had taken its toll...I was exhausted and had a migraine. My birthday run the day before in the hot sun and getting lost and all that was an extra-exhausting way to finish out what had already been a solid training week. I had a climbing date Monday evening and decided to hit the elliptical for 30 min @ HR 130-140 first.  30 min cardio + 90 min climbing = 120 min.


Tuesday:  I still had a migraine but had "hills" on my schedule. Following my morning stint as preschool chauffeur/chaperone, I somehow rallied that evening to tackle my first-ever Double Moeser...

Look... it's a camel!

each hump a 700+ climb, total distance was 4 miles

Honestly, I don't know how I did this one, but did it I did. 4 mi running = 52 min.

Wednesday:  Revisiting 100 minutes of exciting cardio @ HR 130-140, changing the scenery by going from one machine to another...you know...so I wouldn't get bored. 30 min elliptical/20 min StairMaster x 2 = 100 min.

Thursday:  Utterly spent myself mentally and physically in a one-hour climbing session during which I managed to complete two 5.10c routes that seriously kicked my butt in every way. Instead of having the courage to tackle the tempo run on my schedule, I reluctantly dragged my bike out of the garage when I got home to make an attempt at some small cardio something and ended up enjoying 40 minutes of a gorgeous day while easy-pedaling on a flat trail just enough to break a sweat and loosen up my tired legs. 60 min climbing + 40 min bike = 100 min.

Friday:  Tempo time. Having a very full day with a preschooler in tow and then dealing with a kid being picked up from the airport while all the other kids needed to be put to bed kind of put a damper on my excitement for the tempo workout. Once I realized that I wouldn't be able to start it until 9 p.m., I decided that I would see how it worked on the elliptical...sooooo radical, I know. HR supposed to be Zone 4...I am new to all this HR stuff. Zone 4 for me used to be 175-185, I think. So I went into the workout thinking that was what I needed to hit. So. F*cking. Stupid. Thankfully, I decided early on to just do what I could with the workout and not dwell on the numbers. I spent the whole 33 minutes of the tempo part just under 160. Which, it turns out, is actually what it should have been for a 49 year old woman! Go, me :) Need to remember that I am not 28 anymore.  43 min cardio = 43 min.

Saturday:  Not sure exactly why I wanted to 'go long' on this workout...long wasn't on the schedule. I had a climbing date and so was already at the gym. I had the window of time free of responsibility. I took advantage of it. 90 min climbing + 30 elliptical/20 SM/30 elliptical @ HR 130-140 = 170 min.


Sunday:  Long Run time.

That incline should look familiar...you just saw it twice on Tuesday.

One of the hardest runs I've ever done, primarily because I was not in the headspace to tackle it. It had been a very difficult 18 hours leading up to the moment I walked out the door. Thankfully, I took it slow and followed the HR format...holding it to 130-140 (it did jump into the 150's on that uphill and slip down into the 120's on some of the downhill). I forgot to turn on my garmin for the first little over half-mile. The run was intended to be 9.7, but I started 45 minutes later than intended and it was getting dark. I ran through neighborhoods I've never run through (only driven) before.


– Hello, Mr. Drug Dealer lurking under the freeway overpass...oh, I'm sorry... I mean Mr. Drug User. Sorry...I got you confused with your supplier there at the end of the dark tunnel :P

It was kind of freaky...not so awesome coming upon someone while he's shooting up. And by then I was tired. The guy with the loaded shopping cart and the loaded pants (yes, you're understanding that correctly) ranting to himself and waving his arms wildly cinched it. I made the call.

– Hi, honey...

Ten minutes later I was safely ensconced in my minivan with my husband at the wheel, driving back to suburban Shangri-La and my awesome pink carpeting. I was and am beyond fine with "just" 7.9 miles.

Later this week I want to share a bit more information about my "revolutionary training plan for invalids." I am really fortunate to have a friend who was interested in creating this with me. My primary objectives for the training cycle involve minimizing ouchy pain (as opposed to the beneficial pain of hard work) and feeling solid about my training. I hope to feel confident and strong as I head into my next few races. We'll see how it goes.

One lump...or two?

Or maybe they're more like humps...

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After my ambitious and successful workout week capped by my happy birthday celebration (with hoopty cake!), I awoke Monday with a vicious migraine...which I didn't mention in yesterday's post...denial :(  I think I've said before that when I get a migraine (usually once or twice a month) it will last for 2 days. There's nothing I can take or do once it's there except ride it out. Needless to say, I was pissed. I really wanted my awesome last week to serve as a springboard into my training plan. I think the migraine was at least partially responsible for my 5-hour sofa-rafting on Monday.

I was able to somehow rally that evening to go meet one of my climbing partners. It felt good to get off of the sofa and out of the house. I even ran into my oldest stepson at the gym! It was nice to see him...we don't see each other often enough. Anyway... my partner and I climbed for roughly 90 minutes after which I decided to muddle my way through a little bit on the elliptical. Those 30 minutes were probably the clearest I felt that whole day. Take-away from the experience: working out almost always makes you feel better.

When yesterday started off with Day 2 that same nausea-exhaustion-migraine and no hope of holing up in the house all day (I had volunteered to serve as a driver/chaperone for Miss C's preschool trip to the Little Farm), I actually cried. Then I did what I do... I soldiered on. Once home after the field trip, I passed out on the sofa for two hours before I needed to go fetch kids from their schools. I started fretting about my workout while on this drive. "Hills" were what the schedule called for... "6 x hills". For the next couple of hours, I worked out a rationale for bailing on any sort of workout. Then I convinced myself that some StairMaster work could sub in. (Recalling yesterday's take-away). Then I realized that I really wanted to just be outside in the fresh air...but I knew that I didn't have the mental capacity to go up and down any hill "6 x" last night.

Instead I opted to run a hill twice. It's a hill near my home. Quick and easy to get to; long and hard to run. In the past I've  referred to it as 'Honey Badger Hill'? That's because you need to just not give a s*it that it is really f*cking hard and just do it anyway.

Granted it was a run/walk...with walking a good bit less than half of the first trip up and a good bit less than a third of the second trip up. But I did mostly run it. Approximately 4 miles with a 700+ ft. climb over a mile each time up. (See images below). Even with some walking, I'm calling this workout "badass."

Two humps for me, please :)

because I don't know how to take a stretch of uphill on my Garmin read-out and make a mirror image, I must give this image credit to Patrick Mahoney.

one mile up, one mile down, one mile up, one mile down