Friday, April 30, 2010

The Need for Speed...

The Summer of 2010 is officially the Summer of speed work!  I am not "officially" starting my Chicago Marathon training until July, and I am planning on using the next few months to dedicate to speed work.  Doesn't that sound like fun? 

I have been trying to do one tempo run per week and one interval session per week.  So far, I have done one tempo run and two interval sessions.  My second tempo run is tonight. Assuming I do this run, the first two weeks will be a success!

I would love to hear your favorite workouts to get faster!  I am doing 400's, 800's and will add mile repeats later. Any input is appreciated!

Brace Yourself...

So guess who has braces for the second time?  Yeah, that would be me.  Guess what, they are twice as expensive as they were 15 years ago too. 

The first day I did not think they were that bad.  You know, they were new.  I was expecting to be sore Monday evening and planned it as a rest day from running.  They were not sore at all.  I thought that this is going to be a breeze.  Um, wrong.  Yeah, yesterday I got to work and decided it would just be easier not to talk at all.  This is extremely hard for me because I talk ALL of the time and I like to crack jokes to my boss all day, and my job requires a lot of human interaction.  I emailed my boss (who I can see from my office door) and told him I was not going to talk today because my mouth hurt too much.  He busted up laughing.  Tuesday was the quietest day in my office's history.

Since I have had braces before, I thought this would be a breeze.  I thought who needs the wax they give you for soreness?  I have run five marathons and had braces before, only wimps use the wax.  Yeah, guess who has wax caked on today?  My mouth looks I tried to eat a candle.  And when the wax runs out, I just might have to.

I have been popping advil like they are Skittles.  Skittles, I really wish I hadn't said that.  Now, I want some and cannot have any.  At least I can still eat M&M's or at least I will be able to in a few days after the PAIN wears off when I bite into something.

I do think the braces are an excellent diet plan.  You have to remove the wax to eat and I am just not willing to do that.  Plus, it hurts to chew and takes twice as long to eat.  I may have been living off of Nutrigrain bars and Starbucks Frappachinos over the last few days. 

My friend Scott walked up to me on Wednesday and was popping popcorn into his mouth smiling great big.  I almost tackled him.  I have a feeling this is going to be a long two years...

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

A Wedding Story...

With our one year wedding anniversary just around the corner, I thought I would share a few wedding stories.

As you can tell from our wedding photos, Ken and I were married on the beach in Jamaica.  I obsessed over where we should get married for about a week.  I compiled a list of locations, cost, and reviews and utimately ended up with Jamaica.  This was my original plan the entire time, but I felt like a good amount of obsesses was necessary.  My favorite beach location is Puerto Vallarta, but I did not want to deal with having documents translated to Spanish, a blood test in a Mexican hospital, or being in Mexico for several days prior to the wedding.  Oh, not to mention, I wanted our photos to have that super white sand in the background.

Yeah, Jamaica is way different than Mexico.  Way different.  I am a little too high strung for Jamaica, period.  The moment we arrived in Montego Bay I knew Ken and I did not belong.  I do not roll well with the No Worries Mon saying.  Seriously.  I had no idea that we would be propositioned to purchase drugs at a rest stop on the way to the resort.  I had no idea that we would see houses that were smaller than my closet.  I had no idea I would see stray dogs running the streets and my heart would break.  I think I had tears in my eyes in the entire bus ride to the resort.  I wanted to go home right away. 

I knew our resort had a nude beach area, but I think I chose to over look it.  We were taken to our rooms (after the lady at the front desk snapped at me when I reached for the clipboard she was getting ready to hand me to fill out paperwork, grr...) and we started to check things out in the room.  WARNING, this next part is a little graphic.  I look at the map and tell Ken that at least we do not overlook the nude beach.  Right at this moment, Ken opens up the curtains covering the patio door and says, "Um, why is there an old man right there and why can I see his schlong?".  I instantly burst into tears.  That was the last straw.  Ken called the front desk and asked for us to be moved.  We were treated as though we were the weird ones who did not want to look at naked people during our honeymoon.  Whatever, we were reassigned to a different room that overlooked an area with fully clothed people.

That was not our last run in with the nude beach.  Ken and I wanted to get married on the beach and had no idea that the beach wedding area was right next to...you guessed it...the nude beach.  The night prior to our wedding, we were walking along the beach and found the wedding area and noticed it was right next to the nude beach.  Surely this will not be an issue right?  Um, wrong.  Little did we know that Ken and I would get the pleasure of watching a lady in a coral thong bathing suit bottom with nothing else on, walk out to the water during our ceremony.  Let's just say that the girls were not where God had intended them to be.  I am not sure how either of us kept a straight face.  I know we could not time that to happen ever again. We did have a good laugh about it afterwards.

So there are few of the stories behind our wedding in Jamaica.  Jamaica was beautiful, just not our destination to visit.  Maybe we will try the other side of the island in a few years?  Probably not.







Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Race Report: Go! St. Louis Marathon...

Wow, that was hard.  Who had the brilliant idea of running a marathon yet again?  Well, all said and done, it was not that bad I guess.  I am pretty sure if you had asked me at mile 22 if I were ever doing this again, you probably would have gotten a not so friendly hand gesture.  :)

Laura and I left her house at 4:50 am to meet up with her friends that were running the half marathon.  We picked them up and I drove us to downtown St. Louis.  The most amazing thing ever happened...I parallel parked!  I cannot believe it.  I have not even attempted this since my drivers test when I was 16.  Let's just say I did not pass that portion.  From that moment on I vowed that I would never live in an area where I had to parallel park.  I could not have done it without my friend Laura reminding me that you had to pull up parallel to the car in front of you or without my reverse sensors.  Those things are a must for this 4'10 girl!

Back to the race.  They have got to start doing a wave start.  There are way too many half marathoners not to.  It is too crowded for the first few miles.  I started off great.  It was a little warm though.  By the half way mark I had added on an additional .08 from weaving to get around half marathoners.  I was actually glad that the half marathoners broke away.  The course has rolling hills, but they are not as big as the hills I train on, so that is a huge plus.  The one thing I was not prepared to deal with was the heat!  It ended up being 80 degrees by the time I finished.  I have not run in this kind of heat all year. 

I was on pace for an under four hour marathon until mile 18 or 19.  The four hour pace group passed me around mile 16, but I noticed the pacer was going too fast, plus I started a minute or two after him.  I started getting the most awful leg cramps around mile 18.  I had never had anything like it before.  I would have to stop and walk and then run again.  It was horrible.  I felt like I was going to fall everytime I got a cramp.  It was so weird.  I had no idea they were from the heat until I spoke to a nice older gentleman who told me he had the same thing going on.  He told me he was drinking three cups of fluids at the aid stations but it was still not enough.  I figured that since he was twice my size, my stragegy of drinking two cups should do the drink for little me.  I couldn't possibly drink anymore or I would make myself sick. 

When I did not have a leg cramp and was able to run, I was keeping the pace under nine minute miles.  It was the walking that was killing me.  I guess this is what disappointments me the most, I was still able to run a decent pace.  I think it was around mile 22 when I decided I was not running another marathon.  I then realized that I had already registered for Chicago.  I thought okay, I will run Chicago.  Then, I realized that I am in for NYC next year.  Okay, I will run that too, and that is it, I thought. 

I crossed the finish line in 4:10:35.  I measured the course long on my Garmin as 26.39.  I think it is odd that I added mileage after the half marathoners split away.  I did not think I did any weaving after they broke away.  I was so glad it was over.  I always forget about how hard the last few miles are.  I guess I keep thinking the faster I get the easier it will get, but it is all tough. 

I do not think I will run this marathon again.  It is not my husband's favorite for spectating and if my number one fan is not happy, then neither am I. 

I took Monday off or work to recover and hang out with Kya.  My thighs finally feel better today.  I have been cursing the fact that we live in a two story house and our bedroom is upstairs, but it is all better now.  I will have a few photos to upload as soon as I get them from my camera.

Happy Hump Day!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

I got...

Or in the words of the NYC Marathon "Not Accepted", I guess rejected could seem a little harsh.  Whatever, I am in automatically next year.  I guess that is one advantage of being rejected three years in a row.  Alright then, well I guess November is open, perhaps I shall start that presentation about Ireland to present to Ken?  My 30th Birthday (I cannot believe I will be that age) is in November this year and I am determined to spend it in an excotic location i.e. not Kansas City!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

NYC Marathon Lottery Eve...

That's right, today is the Eve of the NYC Marathon Lottery drawing!  I can hardly wait.  Fortunately, a time line has been given as to when the results will be announced, so I do not have to make my day entirely about obsessively checking my credit card for the entry fee charge.  Okay, I will be honest, I still probably will check it a few times before they start announcing, just in case.  :)

My fingers are certainly crossed that I will get selected.  This is my third year applying and I am just not sure I can handle the rejection for a third time!  Pick me, pick me!!!

And Ken, this does not count as talking about the NYC Marathon.  You are choosing to read this, so it is out of my hands.  :)

Monday, April 5, 2010

Super Slacker...

That's right, I am totally slacking.  The only thing I have not been slacking on lately is doing laundry.  Ask Ken.  He came home from being out of town and had to put away so much laundry that he had to make three trips unstairs.  Now that is impressive.

I have kind of been digging this tapering thing this time.  I may have been taking it a little too far, but you know, you have to be careful! 

I did not manage to get in my last "long" run over the weekend.  Instead, I ran six on Saturday and six on Sunday.  I was hoping to do 8-10 on one of the days, but that just did not happen.  I think I am kind of glad I did not run the extra miles.  My little legs feel a little tired today.  I am pretty sure today will be a rest day. :)