Will you be tuning in? Even if you're not, I encourage you to visit Annie Clark's hilarious blog, "Kate Middleton for the Win." It's great for a royal giggle!
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Thursday, April 28, 2011
What am I going to drink out of tomorrow?!?
....my Official Royal Wedding Tankard has yet to arrive from across the pond! So, tomorrow morning when I wake extra-early to tune in to the "Wedding of the Century" I suppose I'll have to drink my morning coffee out of my regular decidedly unroyal mug. Humph.
Will you be tuning in? Even if you're not, I encourage you to visit Annie Clark's hilarious blog, "Kate Middleton for the Win." It's great for a royal giggle!
Will you be tuning in? Even if you're not, I encourage you to visit Annie Clark's hilarious blog, "Kate Middleton for the Win." It's great for a royal giggle!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Anonymity?
Last night I went to Happy Hour with a close friend of mine from college, during which I casually mentioned that I started writing a blog. I have not told many people in my personal life that I write a blog. I mean, what if I want to blog about them? Heaven forbid they read it!---eek!!
This particular friend, let's call her Lisa, has a fantastic blog that she's been writing for about five years now. Lisa is not only very smart and quick-witted, but also an excellent writer, and her blog, from what I can tell, is a very successful. Her one proviso regarding her blog is that she writes it 100% anonymously. No names are ever mentioned. No pictures are ever posted. She has a pseudonym, and everyone she references has one as well, a la "Mr. Big" in Sex and the City. Now, in her writing, she tends to discuss very personal topics. Though it varies, she writes a lot about relationships--with men, family, friends--and personal triumphs and tragedies. Things that, as a writer, one might long to share but, as a vulnerable human, one might prefer to keep confidential. She also has a very public and somewhat conservative job, so for her it makes sense to not have a public blog.
When I told her I'd been blogging, she was excited, but her first words were, "Change the title of your blog." At first I thought she was advising me that it wasn't catching or appealing enough, which--let's face it--it's not. But I quickly realized she was advising me to keep my blog completely anonymous, and that revealing my name was risky and a foolish and dangerous idea. Lisa told me that her blog used to be under a different name (still not her real one), and one co-worker knew about it. She wrote a post one day about another co-worker's voting strategy during an election, and the one co-worker "outed" Lisa's blog to the other. Lisa said she had to beg and plead to keep her job. Scary scary stuff.
Although I can absolutely understand her point of view, especially considering how traumatic that particular experience must have been, I still countered a bit. I told her, truthfully, I had tried originally to create a blog that was completely anonymous, but it had really been difficult. And not enjoyable. I was not/am not skilled enough to compose a story that has meaning to me without being able to reference some constant touchstones in my daily life. It also defeated the purposes and goals of actually writing a blog.
I started writing this blog for two main reasons:
First, I like to talk about health, diet, fitness and running. A lot. I have very few friends in "real-life" that run or enjoy discussing these topics, in all their minutia, the way I do. A lot of my friends don't work out much at all. It can be frustrating and lonely sometimes, when I put in a lot of time training and working out for a race, and a lot of my friends don't realize how big a time/energy commitment it is. I wanted this blog as a forum to discuss those topics ad nauseaum. Why bore my friends and loved ones with my exercise neurosis or my mile-by-mile race recaps when I can write it all down online?
Second, I wanted to share my thoughts with a community of people who have similar interests and/or have experienced the same things. From one point of view, I suppose I could keep a food journal, or an exercise diary, or actually sign-on to the Daily Mile once in a while and update my workouts. But, I wanted to delve a little deeper and share my experiences with others. I like hearing about fellow runners and dieters. I enjoy reading people's race reports as much, if not more, than I enjoy writing them. I like hearing about other people's struggles (both successes and failures) with their weight, or their diet or their PR for a race, or nursing an injury, etc. It makes me feel like I'm not the only person with those issues. lots of you have wacky knee problems, ITBS, tendinitis, etc.
Also, I like having a written record to hold myself accountable for my running, diet and fitness activity.
My girlfriend almost fell off her chair when I told her I not only use my real name, but I also have pictures of myself. She gave me many strong words of caution: Safety. Privacy. Defamation of character. Potential employers might google me and find my blog and see me as a liability, or my current employer might not like what I am writing and/or assume I'm writing on company time. She's not wrong, of course. Those are fair points and I should take them into consideration. But, I've googled myself and rarely does my blog come up. Also, I don't think the content is controversial....or at least, not controversial enough to warrant anonymity. Am I being irresponsible?
My current place of employment strongly promotes and encourages the use of facebook to further the mission of our organization. (Obviously, they don't promote using it for personal reasons on company time, but staff is encourages to have a facebook page.) We have several blogs accessible online related to our work. The people who write those blogs professionally, and handle our official facebook page(s), all have their own personal blogs. Several of them share their blogs through facebook, so even though I might not know certain colleagues very well through work, I've gotten to know them on a personal level by reading their blog. Heck, even our Executive Vice President has his own personal blog. He talks about baseball, bluegrass music, architecture and travel. I enjoy getting to know this other side of him, outside of the office. Lisa scoffed a bit that these people were being equally as reckless.
Admittedly, I'm a newcomer to the blog-o-sphere, so I am maybe not yet as familiar with all of the ins and outs of blog quality control. But I considered, almost all of the blogs I follow with maybe one or two exceptions, are similar to mine in that the authors publicly share their personal experiences. I see pictures of my fellow bloggers completing races, or contemplating what they (you, really) might wear on race day. I enjoy that familiarity, it's what makes the "blogging community" an actual community rather than silos of separate faceless entities. At least, that's my opinion. Even my girlfriend's blog is more interesting because I know her. I read about anonymous characters, but I can put real life names and faces with her stories.
I don't know exactly how I feel about this yet. It's hard to be objective, but I'm not sure I would be an avid reader of an anonymous blog without feeling some sort of personal connection to the author. As a writer, I believe that, if I were grappling with some deeper, darker subjects, I might prefer to keep my blog anonymous. But, I'm not sure my friend, having never actually seen my blog, understood the levity and light-hearted tone of SkinnyMaryMichael. I don't discuss anything tremendously deep or controversial. I think the heaviest debate would be a vegan diet versus the Atkins diet, or the Galloway training program versus the Hal Higdon one.....not exactly soul-searching debate. (Well, maybe for some. ;))
At the same time, I haven't shared the fact that I even write a blog with many people. I suppose, mostly, it just hasn't come up that often in conversation. I've told my mom, who has no idea how to find my blog...I'm not sure she 100% understands what a "blog" is. I told my friend Cassie, who also has a very cute [not-anonymous] blog, and I told one very close friend who thinks everything I write is fabulous....or, well....at least he won't tell me if he thinks it's rotten. Other than that, I haven't directed anyone in my real life to my blog. Part of me wants to wait until there's a significant amount of content actually written (I'm still sub-fifty posts). But maybe another part of me does want it to be a bit anonymous. Or at least not shared with people who wouldn't enjoy it or understand my motivation. The secret blog of Mary-Michael.
So, here are my questions to all bloggers:Did you make a conscious decision to blog publicly or anonymously? Have you ever regretted putting information on your blog, or experienced any repercussions from it? Any other input you have would be most appreciated.
This particular friend, let's call her Lisa, has a fantastic blog that she's been writing for about five years now. Lisa is not only very smart and quick-witted, but also an excellent writer, and her blog, from what I can tell, is a very successful. Her one proviso regarding her blog is that she writes it 100% anonymously. No names are ever mentioned. No pictures are ever posted. She has a pseudonym, and everyone she references has one as well, a la "Mr. Big" in Sex and the City. Now, in her writing, she tends to discuss very personal topics. Though it varies, she writes a lot about relationships--with men, family, friends--and personal triumphs and tragedies. Things that, as a writer, one might long to share but, as a vulnerable human, one might prefer to keep confidential. She also has a very public and somewhat conservative job, so for her it makes sense to not have a public blog.
When I told her I'd been blogging, she was excited, but her first words were, "Change the title of your blog." At first I thought she was advising me that it wasn't catching or appealing enough, which--let's face it--it's not. But I quickly realized she was advising me to keep my blog completely anonymous, and that revealing my name was risky and a foolish and dangerous idea. Lisa told me that her blog used to be under a different name (still not her real one), and one co-worker knew about it. She wrote a post one day about another co-worker's voting strategy during an election, and the one co-worker "outed" Lisa's blog to the other. Lisa said she had to beg and plead to keep her job. Scary scary stuff.
Although I can absolutely understand her point of view, especially considering how traumatic that particular experience must have been, I still countered a bit. I told her, truthfully, I had tried originally to create a blog that was completely anonymous, but it had really been difficult. And not enjoyable. I was not/am not skilled enough to compose a story that has meaning to me without being able to reference some constant touchstones in my daily life. It also defeated the purposes and goals of actually writing a blog.
I started writing this blog for two main reasons:
First, I like to talk about health, diet, fitness and running. A lot. I have very few friends in "real-life" that run or enjoy discussing these topics, in all their minutia, the way I do. A lot of my friends don't work out much at all. It can be frustrating and lonely sometimes, when I put in a lot of time training and working out for a race, and a lot of my friends don't realize how big a time/energy commitment it is. I wanted this blog as a forum to discuss those topics ad nauseaum. Why bore my friends and loved ones with my exercise neurosis or my mile-by-mile race recaps when I can write it all down online?
Second, I wanted to share my thoughts with a community of people who have similar interests and/or have experienced the same things. From one point of view, I suppose I could keep a food journal, or an exercise diary, or actually sign-on to the Daily Mile once in a while and update my workouts. But, I wanted to delve a little deeper and share my experiences with others. I like hearing about fellow runners and dieters. I enjoy reading people's race reports as much, if not more, than I enjoy writing them. I like hearing about other people's struggles (both successes and failures) with their weight, or their diet or their PR for a race, or nursing an injury, etc. It makes me feel like I'm not the only person with those issues. lots of you have wacky knee problems, ITBS, tendinitis, etc.
Also, I like having a written record to hold myself accountable for my running, diet and fitness activity.
My girlfriend almost fell off her chair when I told her I not only use my real name, but I also have pictures of myself. She gave me many strong words of caution: Safety. Privacy. Defamation of character. Potential employers might google me and find my blog and see me as a liability, or my current employer might not like what I am writing and/or assume I'm writing on company time. She's not wrong, of course. Those are fair points and I should take them into consideration. But, I've googled myself and rarely does my blog come up. Also, I don't think the content is controversial....or at least, not controversial enough to warrant anonymity. Am I being irresponsible?
My current place of employment strongly promotes and encourages the use of facebook to further the mission of our organization. (Obviously, they don't promote using it for personal reasons on company time, but staff is encourages to have a facebook page.) We have several blogs accessible online related to our work. The people who write those blogs professionally, and handle our official facebook page(s), all have their own personal blogs. Several of them share their blogs through facebook, so even though I might not know certain colleagues very well through work, I've gotten to know them on a personal level by reading their blog. Heck, even our Executive Vice President has his own personal blog. He talks about baseball, bluegrass music, architecture and travel. I enjoy getting to know this other side of him, outside of the office. Lisa scoffed a bit that these people were being equally as reckless.
Admittedly, I'm a newcomer to the blog-o-sphere, so I am maybe not yet as familiar with all of the ins and outs of blog quality control. But I considered, almost all of the blogs I follow with maybe one or two exceptions, are similar to mine in that the authors publicly share their personal experiences. I see pictures of my fellow bloggers completing races, or contemplating what they (you, really) might wear on race day. I enjoy that familiarity, it's what makes the "blogging community" an actual community rather than silos of separate faceless entities. At least, that's my opinion. Even my girlfriend's blog is more interesting because I know her. I read about anonymous characters, but I can put real life names and faces with her stories.
I don't know exactly how I feel about this yet. It's hard to be objective, but I'm not sure I would be an avid reader of an anonymous blog without feeling some sort of personal connection to the author. As a writer, I believe that, if I were grappling with some deeper, darker subjects, I might prefer to keep my blog anonymous. But, I'm not sure my friend, having never actually seen my blog, understood the levity and light-hearted tone of SkinnyMaryMichael. I don't discuss anything tremendously deep or controversial. I think the heaviest debate would be a vegan diet versus the Atkins diet, or the Galloway training program versus the Hal Higdon one.....not exactly soul-searching debate. (Well, maybe for some. ;))
At the same time, I haven't shared the fact that I even write a blog with many people. I suppose, mostly, it just hasn't come up that often in conversation. I've told my mom, who has no idea how to find my blog...I'm not sure she 100% understands what a "blog" is. I told my friend Cassie, who also has a very cute [not-anonymous] blog, and I told one very close friend who thinks everything I write is fabulous....or, well....at least he won't tell me if he thinks it's rotten. Other than that, I haven't directed anyone in my real life to my blog. Part of me wants to wait until there's a significant amount of content actually written (I'm still sub-fifty posts). But maybe another part of me does want it to be a bit anonymous. Or at least not shared with people who wouldn't enjoy it or understand my motivation. The secret blog of Mary-Michael.
So, here are my questions to all bloggers:Did you make a conscious decision to blog publicly or anonymously? Have you ever regretted putting information on your blog, or experienced any repercussions from it? Any other input you have would be most appreciated.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
My first "Virtual Race" aka There's-no-good-reason-for-me-to-be-dressed-like-this.
I spent Monday morning recovering from a severe Jellybean-and-Easter-egg-shaped-M&M's-hangover. My sugar intake Sunday was through the roof. (Although, I didn't measure it exactly, I'm sure it was incredibly high.) After enjoying a very unhealthy post-Mass Easter lunch at Maggiano's, an Italian Restaurant that's famous for their enormous portions, I opened my Easter basket (my mom still gets us Easter baskets) and tore into some delicious sugary treats. Nom nom nom....
Fortunately, I burned off a itsy-bitsy portion of my calorie intake on Saturday, but running RunwithJess's "Jelly Bean Race," my first-ever virtual race. I really enjoy the virtual race because it does not require me getting up early. I started my race around 5pm on Saturday. I suppose, in truth, the virtual race doesn't require running either, because I could have just said I ran 3.1 miles and not have actually done it. But, I did do it. Very festively, if not very fast. Easter Bunny ears were on super-sale at Harris Teeter on Saturday afternoon, so of course I bought a pair for my race. I was wearing them around the grocery store as I shopped and when I went to pay, the checker asked me if I'd like to wear them out of the store. So thoughtful! Of course I did....well, I tried, until I realized that the gale force winds were not exactly bunny-ear-friendly.
But, I did wear them on my Jelly Bean Run. My condo gym is usually empty--especially at dinner time on a Saturday, on a holiday weekend. I wore my blue sparkle skirt, the brightest pink shirt I could find, and some matching knee socks to kick off the springtime-y ensemble. The lack of people present certainly prevented any embarrassment I might have felt, however, it also prevented me from getting a good picture. I had to set the timer on my camera and take a picture in my house (which is why my snazzy picture is crooked and my laundry is in the background.)
I finished the race in a slow 34 minutes. I was planning on going a bit slower than my normal pace. For one thing, it wasn't a "real" race, and for another, I had hadn't run--or done anything cardiovascular for that matter--in over a week. Also, Friday I had printed out the Jeff Galloway training plan, in preparation for the Goofy Challenge. Galloway advocates intermingling running with walk breaks. I was intending, as I set off, to start implementing his suggested program. But, about four or five minutes into the run, I vetoed that plan. I was anxious to get going, and not in the mood to be patient. So, the first 15% of my race was much slower than the rest of my race. (Eventually, I still plan on training according to the Galloway method, but on Saturday, I just didn't particularly feel like it.)
Anyway, it was a fun run. It felt good to actually burn a calorie again, after my tattoo-induced exercise sabbatical. I'm a fan of the "virtual" race--as far as convenience goes, it can't be beat! It was a little lonely...but I'll be running an "actual" 5K this Saturday through Times Square, and I'm sure the number of people in NYC will more than make up for this solo outing.
Fortunately, I burned off a itsy-bitsy portion of my calorie intake on Saturday, but running RunwithJess's "Jelly Bean Race," my first-ever virtual race. I really enjoy the virtual race because it does not require me getting up early. I started my race around 5pm on Saturday. I suppose, in truth, the virtual race doesn't require running either, because I could have just said I ran 3.1 miles and not have actually done it. But, I did do it. Very festively, if not very fast. Easter Bunny ears were on super-sale at Harris Teeter on Saturday afternoon, so of course I bought a pair for my race. I was wearing them around the grocery store as I shopped and when I went to pay, the checker asked me if I'd like to wear them out of the store. So thoughtful! Of course I did....well, I tried, until I realized that the gale force winds were not exactly bunny-ear-friendly.
But, I did wear them on my Jelly Bean Run. My condo gym is usually empty--especially at dinner time on a Saturday, on a holiday weekend. I wore my blue sparkle skirt, the brightest pink shirt I could find, and some matching knee socks to kick off the springtime-y ensemble. The lack of people present certainly prevented any embarrassment I might have felt, however, it also prevented me from getting a good picture. I had to set the timer on my camera and take a picture in my house (which is why my snazzy picture is crooked and my laundry is in the background.)
I finished the race in a slow 34 minutes. I was planning on going a bit slower than my normal pace. For one thing, it wasn't a "real" race, and for another, I had hadn't run--or done anything cardiovascular for that matter--in over a week. Also, Friday I had printed out the Jeff Galloway training plan, in preparation for the Goofy Challenge. Galloway advocates intermingling running with walk breaks. I was intending, as I set off, to start implementing his suggested program. But, about four or five minutes into the run, I vetoed that plan. I was anxious to get going, and not in the mood to be patient. So, the first 15% of my race was much slower than the rest of my race. (Eventually, I still plan on training according to the Galloway method, but on Saturday, I just didn't particularly feel like it.)
Anyway, it was a fun run. It felt good to actually burn a calorie again, after my tattoo-induced exercise sabbatical. I'm a fan of the "virtual" race--as far as convenience goes, it can't be beat! It was a little lonely...but I'll be running an "actual" 5K this Saturday through Times Square, and I'm sure the number of people in NYC will more than make up for this solo outing.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Beef Stir-Fry Success!
I don't usually post pictures of my food. Mainly because I don't cook much food myself, and what I do "cook" (or throw together) is typically not attractive. But, last night I whipped up some beef stir-fry that not only looked pretty but was also quite tasty!
I had bought a pack of three top round steaks last week and eaten all but one. I find that when I try to eat less calories than usual, in order to lose weight, I tend to eat more meat than I normally would. I know the meat/protein intake is there because it's replacing carbs I'd be eating, but I'm not convinced that it's the healthiest way to be dieting. I worry I'm eating too much cholesterol and fat when I do this, and in general eating too many "heavy" foods. So, instead of just having a steak and a side-dish of some sort, I decided to chop up my steak and make stir fry. This became even easier when I found a bag of frozen stir-fry-ready veggies waiting for me in my freezer.
I didn't follow a recipe. I sliced my steak into thin strips and set them aside. Then I put some sesame oil into a frying pan (I don't have a wok) and added some garlic powder, pepper and soy sauce and set my stove on HI. I thought I had some hoisin sauce hiding in my fridge, but I couldn't find any. (As I said, I don't cook much, but my brother does. Very often. So, I tend to find my ingredients--that I've carefully preserved for months, sometimes years--go missing because Brian's had a culinary inspiration. Fortunately, that's also why I was able to find garlic power and sesame oil in my cupboard. :))
I put the veggies in the pan (mostly broccoli, but also mushrooms, onion, water chestnuts, carrots, snap peas, and a red pepper bit.) and stirred them up with the oil-mixture. I kept them going until they were almost hot and ready to eat, then I added in the strips of steak. At the last minute, I took about a tablespoon of peanut putter and added that in too for a little more flavor....The steak was already cooked, though it was still pretty rare, so I didn't leave it in the pan too long. Once everything was well mixed, I took it off the heat and put it in a bowl. It was delicious!
It was also really filling. I only used one steak (about the size the palm of my hand) and I had enough stir-fry for dinner last night and lunch today. So, I feel like I'm getting a few extra nutrients than if I'd had a steak with a side of veggies, as I usually do. I was proud that I had made something that was healthy, yummy and not terrible to look at. Maybe this will not be my last food-picture post. ;)
Happy Friday!
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| Blackberry picture (not as pretty as real-life.) |
I had bought a pack of three top round steaks last week and eaten all but one. I find that when I try to eat less calories than usual, in order to lose weight, I tend to eat more meat than I normally would. I know the meat/protein intake is there because it's replacing carbs I'd be eating, but I'm not convinced that it's the healthiest way to be dieting. I worry I'm eating too much cholesterol and fat when I do this, and in general eating too many "heavy" foods. So, instead of just having a steak and a side-dish of some sort, I decided to chop up my steak and make stir fry. This became even easier when I found a bag of frozen stir-fry-ready veggies waiting for me in my freezer.
I didn't follow a recipe. I sliced my steak into thin strips and set them aside. Then I put some sesame oil into a frying pan (I don't have a wok) and added some garlic powder, pepper and soy sauce and set my stove on HI. I thought I had some hoisin sauce hiding in my fridge, but I couldn't find any. (As I said, I don't cook much, but my brother does. Very often. So, I tend to find my ingredients--that I've carefully preserved for months, sometimes years--go missing because Brian's had a culinary inspiration. Fortunately, that's also why I was able to find garlic power and sesame oil in my cupboard. :))
I put the veggies in the pan (mostly broccoli, but also mushrooms, onion, water chestnuts, carrots, snap peas, and a red pepper bit.) and stirred them up with the oil-mixture. I kept them going until they were almost hot and ready to eat, then I added in the strips of steak. At the last minute, I took about a tablespoon of peanut putter and added that in too for a little more flavor....The steak was already cooked, though it was still pretty rare, so I didn't leave it in the pan too long. Once everything was well mixed, I took it off the heat and put it in a bowl. It was delicious!
It was also really filling. I only used one steak (about the size the palm of my hand) and I had enough stir-fry for dinner last night and lunch today. So, I feel like I'm getting a few extra nutrients than if I'd had a steak with a side of veggies, as I usually do. I was proud that I had made something that was healthy, yummy and not terrible to look at. Maybe this will not be my last food-picture post. ;)
Happy Friday!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Oldest Marathon, the Newest Half and the Goofy Challenge.
On Monday I posted that I do not have an official running event until April 30. But, I forgot--I've signed up for my virtual 5k, "Jessica's Jellybean Race," which must be completed this week. I'm hoping by Saturday my tattoo will be healed enough to be able to shimmy into my sports bra again to trot out my 3.1 miles.. (If I was a flower child, I would have burnt my bra then immediately gone to buy a new one. This is a difficult way to live!) I'm just realizing that I am going to probably have to do this Jellybean Race on a treadmill, since I don't have a Garmin and won't know how far I've gone if I run outside. That's a bit of a bummer. I usually find an approximate distance on mapmyrun.com, but an exact distance is more difficult. Am I going to eventually have to purchase one of these items? I haven't broken yet, but my resolve is weakening...maybe a thirtieth birthday present....although, I think I've already picked out too many of those. (see below.) ;)
In other news, my tattoo is healing fine--and hopefully quickly, as I fancy myself simply chock full o' vitamins! And, despite my penchant for binge drinking and my complete sedentary lifestyle for going on four days, I actually have managed to lose a few pounds. (Hooray!) I officially, for contest purposes lost 4lbs in the past two weeks. But, the day before my first weigh-in, I did gorge myself on pasta. with cream sauce. So, I have a feeling I started about 2 pounds heavier than I actually was. (I feel like a heavyweight contestant on the Biggest Loser, who throws their weight to avoid getting kicked off the following week.) Nevertheless, it was nice to see the lower numbers on the scale. I can't wait to actually voluntarily burn a calorie!
Also, this week, being the third week of April and thus the week of "Patriot's Day" for my northern brethren in the Old Bay State, marks the annual running of the Boston Marathon. Yes, the world's oldest and most famous marathon was held Monday. It's been an annual event in Boston since 1897 and this year marked the 115th running of the race. I did not participate, sadly, because in order to qualify, I will either need to age quite significantly, or decrease my marathon PR by over an hour. Qualifying time is 3 hours and 35 minutes if you're under the age of 35....Yowza. It used to be 3 hours and 40 minutes--not much better--but they just lowered it about 2 months ago. Those Bostonians probably heard I was dreaming of running it and wanted to make it much more challenging for me. But I will not be deterred from Beantown. Even if I have to wait until I'm 70-74 (the age bracket in which my current time would now qualify me) I'll always have the Boston pipe dream in the back of my mind.
In all seriousness, Boston is the most prolific marathon in the running community and I do hope that one day I have an opportunity to be able to run (and finish) the race. That's one of the main reasons why I race---to improve my time--so maybe,eventually it will happen.
The one surprising thing I did not realize about the Boston Marathon until I read it in the news yesterday, is that the net incline is actually a negative. That is to say, if you add up all the uphill and downhill runs, runners end up going downhill more often than uphill. I was really surprised to find that out because had always heard that the Boston course was famous for its hills (although I heard Baltimore was comparable, and the hills on that course are "wicked" brutal.) This means that, even though Boston is the oldest and one of the most famous courses, it's not a "world record qualifying course." I believe there is another stipulation regarding Boston's point-to-point course. The IAAF (the International Association of Athletic Federations) has determined that not running a race in a loop could give runners an unfair advantage regarding wind resistance.
I suppose runners know this before they register for the race and are thus mentally prepared for the fact that this race is ineligible for a record. But this year the winner, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, beat the world record by almost a minute. Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia set the current world record in 2008 at the Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:03:59. Mutai finished Monday's race in 2:03:02. (By the way, I would be ecstatic if my half marathon was 2:03:02....or 2:03:59, for that matter.) A 57 second different is pretty significant, and apparently the Boston Athletic Association is appealing to the IAAF to allow Mutai's record to be counted.
It will be interesting to find out their decision. I'm not sure how I feel about this...if I were Mutai and I beat the record, I think I'd want it acknowledged by the Federation that determines the records/record holders. But, then again, he did enter the race knowing it would not be a qualifying event. If I were Gebrselassie, I'd still want the IFFA to keep my record--and I'd argue my course was more difficult than the Boston course--but I wouldn't want an asterisk next to my record noting that someone technically/unofficially did beat my time. I cannot make my mind up on this conundrum...what do you think?
...
Meanwhile, 24 hours after the start of the world's oldest marathon, the world's newest half marathon was announced: The Disneyland Tinkerbell Half Marathon, held in Anaheim, CA on January 29, 2012. Although not as historic as Boston, this race promises to have just as much fanfare. After much ado--clues on Facebook, email blasts, etc.--the race was announced and quickly broadcast across the internet, and [I think] it was well received. Although the race, following the model of Walt Disney World's Princess Half Marathon, is geared toward woman, and I did hear a few comments from disappointed gentlemen who felt a little slighted. (To those gentlemen I say: Don't let the Disney marketing boss you around, you manly men! We can ALL be fairies for one day!....and, I'm sure Disney will gladly take your registration money regardless of gender.)
I like that Disneyland is getting a second race. I had an amazing time in L.A. and Anaheim when I went this past fall for their official half over Labor Day weekend. I would definitely go back for this! (Maybe not in 2012 for the Inaugural race, but eventually.) Another reason I continue to run races, aside from trying to improve my time, is to get fabulous pictures, and no race provides more photo ops than the Disney branded races. I am a little disappointed that the timing of the race is so close to the two Floridian races. (The WDW Marathon is January 8, only 20 days before, and the Princess race is held less than a month later.) I suppose there is only a small window between the holidays and spring-breakers, but that's a tight squeeze for a devotee, no?
As I said, I did not sign up for the newest race in the nation. But today, mere hours ago, I did sign up for it's older and more expensive cousin, the "Goofy Challenge." For those of you unfamiliar with this event, it's when a runner signs up to run the Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday and the Disney World Full Marathon on Sunday....Their marketing describes it as a 39.3 mile "adventure." Adventure is one way of putting it.
The first time someone told me about it, I thought it sounded ridiculous. "Why would ANYONE ever want to do that!?" I asked myself. Quite frankly, it's triathlon-level-expensive, and I would fly all the way to Disney World, make my family or friends tag along, only to find out I can't actually move my legs or walk the whole time I'm there? No thank you!
But then....something changed....I flip-flopped. The more I thought about it, the more I had the itch. Also, the more I looked at various races, I realized how unique the event actually is. To my knowledge, there is not a combination like this elsewhere. Obviously there are Ultra-Marathons and Ragnars, but this 1/2+Full combo is rare. I kept getting more and more intrigued. Finally, I decided I had to do it. It's a month to the day after my thirtieth birthday. What better way to celebrate (re: prove that I am still young, able-bodied and vigorous) than by dragging my loved ones to Florida, waking up 2 mornings in a row at 3:00 am (on vacation, on a weekend) and running two long distance races back-to-back? It certainly beats a surprise party with black balloons and a tombstone-shaped birthday cake! Anyway, for anyone interested in the Half, the Full or the CHALLENGE (as of right now I'm running alone) prices increase on April 25th. It's sure to be interesting....
In other news, my tattoo is healing fine--and hopefully quickly, as I fancy myself simply chock full o' vitamins! And, despite my penchant for binge drinking and my complete sedentary lifestyle for going on four days, I actually have managed to lose a few pounds. (Hooray!) I officially, for contest purposes lost 4lbs in the past two weeks. But, the day before my first weigh-in, I did gorge myself on pasta. with cream sauce. So, I have a feeling I started about 2 pounds heavier than I actually was. (I feel like a heavyweight contestant on the Biggest Loser, who throws their weight to avoid getting kicked off the following week.) Nevertheless, it was nice to see the lower numbers on the scale. I can't wait to actually voluntarily burn a calorie!
Also, this week, being the third week of April and thus the week of "Patriot's Day" for my northern brethren in the Old Bay State, marks the annual running of the Boston Marathon. Yes, the world's oldest and most famous marathon was held Monday. It's been an annual event in Boston since 1897 and this year marked the 115th running of the race. I did not participate, sadly, because in order to qualify, I will either need to age quite significantly, or decrease my marathon PR by over an hour. Qualifying time is 3 hours and 35 minutes if you're under the age of 35....Yowza. It used to be 3 hours and 40 minutes--not much better--but they just lowered it about 2 months ago. Those Bostonians probably heard I was dreaming of running it and wanted to make it much more challenging for me. But I will not be deterred from Beantown. Even if I have to wait until I'm 70-74 (the age bracket in which my current time would now qualify me) I'll always have the Boston pipe dream in the back of my mind.
In all seriousness, Boston is the most prolific marathon in the running community and I do hope that one day I have an opportunity to be able to run (and finish) the race. That's one of the main reasons why I race---to improve my time--so maybe,eventually it will happen.
The one surprising thing I did not realize about the Boston Marathon until I read it in the news yesterday, is that the net incline is actually a negative. That is to say, if you add up all the uphill and downhill runs, runners end up going downhill more often than uphill. I was really surprised to find that out because had always heard that the Boston course was famous for its hills (although I heard Baltimore was comparable, and the hills on that course are "wicked" brutal.) This means that, even though Boston is the oldest and one of the most famous courses, it's not a "world record qualifying course." I believe there is another stipulation regarding Boston's point-to-point course. The IAAF (the International Association of Athletic Federations) has determined that not running a race in a loop could give runners an unfair advantage regarding wind resistance.
I suppose runners know this before they register for the race and are thus mentally prepared for the fact that this race is ineligible for a record. But this year the winner, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, beat the world record by almost a minute. Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia set the current world record in 2008 at the Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:03:59. Mutai finished Monday's race in 2:03:02. (By the way, I would be ecstatic if my half marathon was 2:03:02....or 2:03:59, for that matter.) A 57 second different is pretty significant, and apparently the Boston Athletic Association is appealing to the IAAF to allow Mutai's record to be counted.
It will be interesting to find out their decision. I'm not sure how I feel about this...if I were Mutai and I beat the record, I think I'd want it acknowledged by the Federation that determines the records/record holders. But, then again, he did enter the race knowing it would not be a qualifying event. If I were Gebrselassie, I'd still want the IFFA to keep my record--and I'd argue my course was more difficult than the Boston course--but I wouldn't want an asterisk next to my record noting that someone technically/unofficially did beat my time. I cannot make my mind up on this conundrum...what do you think?
...
Meanwhile, 24 hours after the start of the world's oldest marathon, the world's newest half marathon was announced: The Disneyland Tinkerbell Half Marathon, held in Anaheim, CA on January 29, 2012. Although not as historic as Boston, this race promises to have just as much fanfare. After much ado--clues on Facebook, email blasts, etc.--the race was announced and quickly broadcast across the internet, and [I think] it was well received. Although the race, following the model of Walt Disney World's Princess Half Marathon, is geared toward woman, and I did hear a few comments from disappointed gentlemen who felt a little slighted. (To those gentlemen I say: Don't let the Disney marketing boss you around, you manly men! We can ALL be fairies for one day!....and, I'm sure Disney will gladly take your registration money regardless of gender.)
I like that Disneyland is getting a second race. I had an amazing time in L.A. and Anaheim when I went this past fall for their official half over Labor Day weekend. I would definitely go back for this! (Maybe not in 2012 for the Inaugural race, but eventually.) Another reason I continue to run races, aside from trying to improve my time, is to get fabulous pictures, and no race provides more photo ops than the Disney branded races. I am a little disappointed that the timing of the race is so close to the two Floridian races. (The WDW Marathon is January 8, only 20 days before, and the Princess race is held less than a month later.) I suppose there is only a small window between the holidays and spring-breakers, but that's a tight squeeze for a devotee, no?
As I said, I did not sign up for the newest race in the nation. But today, mere hours ago, I did sign up for it's older and more expensive cousin, the "Goofy Challenge." For those of you unfamiliar with this event, it's when a runner signs up to run the Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday and the Disney World Full Marathon on Sunday....Their marketing describes it as a 39.3 mile "adventure." Adventure is one way of putting it.
The first time someone told me about it, I thought it sounded ridiculous. "Why would ANYONE ever want to do that!?" I asked myself. Quite frankly, it's triathlon-level-expensive, and I would fly all the way to Disney World, make my family or friends tag along, only to find out I can't actually move my legs or walk the whole time I'm there? No thank you!
But then....something changed....I flip-flopped. The more I thought about it, the more I had the itch. Also, the more I looked at various races, I realized how unique the event actually is. To my knowledge, there is not a combination like this elsewhere. Obviously there are Ultra-Marathons and Ragnars, but this 1/2+Full combo is rare. I kept getting more and more intrigued. Finally, I decided I had to do it. It's a month to the day after my thirtieth birthday. What better way to celebrate (re: prove that I am still young, able-bodied and vigorous) than by dragging my loved ones to Florida, waking up 2 mornings in a row at 3:00 am (on vacation, on a weekend) and running two long distance races back-to-back? It certainly beats a surprise party with black balloons and a tombstone-shaped birthday cake! Anyway, for anyone interested in the Half, the Full or the CHALLENGE (as of right now I'm running alone) prices increase on April 25th. It's sure to be interesting....
Monday, April 18, 2011
Spring has Sprung! (I hope) & so has an "Inky" situation.
Happy Monday to all! I am in such a cheerful mood today because, I believe, after several weeks of the weather flipping from warm and sunny to cold and brutal and back again, it's finally officially Spring. Bonafide Springtime! Hurrah! Seasonal Affective Disorder, be gone!
I felt it yesterday, as I relaxed on the porch with "The Help," the novel that's I've been devouring this past week, and the feeling is still around this morning. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and all traces of Saturday's torrential monsoon-esque weather have evaporated into a beautiful sunny day! Sunday and today would were and are perfectly beautiful days for a bike ride (f I actually owned a bike) or a nice, long outdoors run....
Unfortunately, I am out of commission on the physical activity/working-out front for the next few days, because Saturday morning, after much discussion and ado, my younger sister and I met in Baltimore to get matching tattoos. (My FIRST! Her second. But, obviously, her coolest.) I have been wanting a tattoo for over a year now. I officially decided I would get one as a "reward" after I finished my first marathon, the 2010 Baltimore Marathon, which is the reason I got my tattoo in Baltimore. My sister, who already had one small tattoo under her belt--or skin, in this case--really liked the design I chose and wanted to get the matching one. After some consideration, I agreed. And, actually, the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of us having matching tattoos. Unlike a husband or a significant other, with whom you might end a relationship, Anne-Elyse will always be my sister. Also, since I am cheap and probably would have procrastinated indefinitely on ever actually forking over the money for a tattoo, AE was a good motivator to actually schedule an appointment and get it done. It was a fun field trip we did together and an excellent excuse for some rainy-Saturday day-drinking!
The tattoo is script of a Latin phrase "Rarissima Avis" which means "A very rare bird," which is something that we both are. Above the lettering is a small bird that I helped pick out (although, Jim, my tattoo artist officially designed it.) Mine is on my right side. Jim informed me that, if you're a tattoo purist, the bird should be facing my front. But on my tattoo, he's actually facing my back. We decided that was okay. A.) I am not a tattoo purist. B.) The lettering-bird-balance looked better if the birds tale was opposite the capital-R in Rarissima, and C.) It's a "rare" bird, so obviously, he would be facing the wrong/different direction. He would not be just like a normal tattooed bird.
It did not take as long as I thought it would. It maybe took 15-20 minutes before I was done. But, the whole time, I was scared to ask how much longer, because I was worried I wouldn't like the answer! But it ended up being pretty quick and only a little painful. And, the finished product is something I am VERY excited and happy about!
As far as my fitness regimen, however, my tattoo's healing process has temporarily put a temporary pause on any sort of working out. (It's also put a pause on me wearing a normal bra, which has made dressing for work a bit of a challenge.) I am not supposed to sweat profusely, hence little to no cardiovascular activity, and I am not supposed to stretch my arms a torso unnecessarily, which counts out almost all of my strength training activity. While I enjoy the extra hour of sleep in the morning and the time I have to read and run errands in the evening, I do not like NOT working out. At all. Don't misunderstand, I enjoy the option of being lazy and skipping a working out if I so chose, but I really am frustrated by this forced restriction.
I am hopeful that all will be healed within a week. Two weeks maximum. Part of the reason I picked this particular weekend to get the tattoo was that I knew I wouldn't have any race obligation for two weeks, and even then I only have a 5K on April 30th. (The half marathon on May 7th might be, unfortunately, slower than I was hoping.) Right now I am just miss the luxury of the option and the feel of doing something difficult and strenuous ans sweat-producing! I just spoke to my sister and she's had to alter her sleeping "style" and not wear a backpack around her college campus. In the meantime, aside from the extensive bar-crawling on Saturday, I will be watching my diet to make sure I am balancing out my lack of calorie burning with a cut in calorie intake.
I felt it yesterday, as I relaxed on the porch with "The Help," the novel that's I've been devouring this past week, and the feeling is still around this morning. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and all traces of Saturday's torrential monsoon-esque weather have evaporated into a beautiful sunny day! Sunday and today would were and are perfectly beautiful days for a bike ride (f I actually owned a bike) or a nice, long outdoors run....
Unfortunately, I am out of commission on the physical activity/working-out front for the next few days, because Saturday morning, after much discussion and ado, my younger sister and I met in Baltimore to get matching tattoos. (My FIRST! Her second. But, obviously, her coolest.) I have been wanting a tattoo for over a year now. I officially decided I would get one as a "reward" after I finished my first marathon, the 2010 Baltimore Marathon, which is the reason I got my tattoo in Baltimore. My sister, who already had one small tattoo under her belt--or skin, in this case--really liked the design I chose and wanted to get the matching one. After some consideration, I agreed. And, actually, the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of us having matching tattoos. Unlike a husband or a significant other, with whom you might end a relationship, Anne-Elyse will always be my sister. Also, since I am cheap and probably would have procrastinated indefinitely on ever actually forking over the money for a tattoo, AE was a good motivator to actually schedule an appointment and get it done. It was a fun field trip we did together and an excellent excuse for some rainy-Saturday day-drinking!
 |
| The Perfect post-tattoo brunch: Bloody Mary (appropriate), Water & a $2 Natty Boh. |
The tattoo is script of a Latin phrase "Rarissima Avis" which means "A very rare bird," which is something that we both are. Above the lettering is a small bird that I helped pick out (although, Jim, my tattoo artist officially designed it.) Mine is on my right side. Jim informed me that, if you're a tattoo purist, the bird should be facing my front. But on my tattoo, he's actually facing my back. We decided that was okay. A.) I am not a tattoo purist. B.) The lettering-bird-balance looked better if the birds tale was opposite the capital-R in Rarissima, and C.) It's a "rare" bird, so obviously, he would be facing the wrong/different direction. He would not be just like a normal tattooed bird.
It did not take as long as I thought it would. It maybe took 15-20 minutes before I was done. But, the whole time, I was scared to ask how much longer, because I was worried I wouldn't like the answer! But it ended up being pretty quick and only a little painful. And, the finished product is something I am VERY excited and happy about!
 | |
| The first "reveal" in the oh-so glamorous ladies room of Max's pub. |
As far as my fitness regimen, however, my tattoo's healing process has temporarily put a temporary pause on any sort of working out. (It's also put a pause on me wearing a normal bra, which has made dressing for work a bit of a challenge.) I am not supposed to sweat profusely, hence little to no cardiovascular activity, and I am not supposed to stretch my arms a torso unnecessarily, which counts out almost all of my strength training activity. While I enjoy the extra hour of sleep in the morning and the time I have to read and run errands in the evening, I do not like NOT working out. At all. Don't misunderstand, I enjoy the option of being lazy and skipping a working out if I so chose, but I really am frustrated by this forced restriction.
I am hopeful that all will be healed within a week. Two weeks maximum. Part of the reason I picked this particular weekend to get the tattoo was that I knew I wouldn't have any race obligation for two weeks, and even then I only have a 5K on April 30th. (The half marathon on May 7th might be, unfortunately, slower than I was hoping.) Right now I am just miss the luxury of the option and the feel of doing something difficult and strenuous ans sweat-producing! I just spoke to my sister and she's had to alter her sleeping "style" and not wear a backpack around her college campus. In the meantime, aside from the extensive bar-crawling on Saturday, I will be watching my diet to make sure I am balancing out my lack of calorie burning with a cut in calorie intake.
 | |
| Sister Bonding....excuse my belly. |
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The importance of proper instruction.
CONFESSION: Monday night's spinning class was the first time I have worked out since last weekend's Cherry Blossom 10-miler. Although I have been trying to be more vigilant about counting calories and eating less-but-healthy, I have been on a bit of a lethargic stretch as far as fitness is concerned. Trying to get back on track, I signed up for spinning and Body-Pump on Monday afternoon. I only made it to spinning, but given my lack of motivation, that is a small accomplishment in itself.
I love spinning, as a form of exercise. I can sometimes talk myself out of working out as long or as hard as I should when I'm on my own, but in spinning, I'm forced to be there for 45minutes-1 hour, depending on the class--no excuses. Also, the level of difficulty is, to an extent, up to me. If I am having a great workout, I can crank the resistance knob up and really give myself some brutal strength training. But, if I just came from BodyPump or if I'm feeling weaker, I can take it easy. I'm still working hard, but just not as intensely. I was truthfully very happy to be back in the class, with one very notable exception: my extremely annoying Monday afternoon instructor, Mariele.
I have been spinning for almost three years now and I have had a variety of different instructors, ranging from the mega-motivational to the completely terrible. Monday's instructor, while always annoying, has grown increasingly terrible lately. She seems apathetic and not motivated--let alone motivational. I realize that I have never taught an exercise class--spinning or otherwise--so it's easier to critique than actually do it, but I've seen the good and the bad.
First, the BAD:
This girl has been teaching this class for as long as I can remember taking it, yet I have no idea what her name is--and she doesn't know anyone in the class. (I only found out her name was Mariele from looking it up on the cycling schedule.) She's young-ish (in her twenties), and never acts like she's very happy to be in the class or teaching the class. She shows up and she complains to the groups as a whole, as we are arriving and setting up. Not about teaching, but about something that's bothering her: the weather, the traffic, etc. I guess it's her attempt at creating camaraderie, but she's never talks as if she expects a response, thus she typically does not get one. Monday it was about the fees for running a half marathon and how she was NOT going to pay that much money to run a race. I'm not sure if she expected vehement agreement or not. Personally, I pay those fees to run those races, and training for those races is one of the reasons I'm sitting in her class. I did say, "Yes, races are expensive." (duh.) but was ignored. The general bad attitude and poor demeanor sets a negative tone for the class.
Rarely does she ask if anyone is new to the class or new to spinning. I feel bad for those who might be. It would sour my taste for the activity. She came into class Monday and announced that she had made a new mix for the class. (Well, that's exciting.) But then preemptively apologized for it being bad: "If you don't like it, deal with it." Hmmm....ok, thanks. I guess that was appropriate because the mix wasn't that good.
She doesn't ever tell the class what to expect or what's coming next, which makes it extremely difficult to gauge how much resistance one adds on or takes off through out the class. (My wrist got a good work out loading and unloading resistance because I had no idea what we were doing next.) It's also mentally frustrating not to know the "schedule" of the class. If you haven't taken spinning before, this might be a bit difficult to understand, but typically the instructor has a schedule of different bike workouts they take the class through (sprinting, climbing a tall hill, rolling hills, etc. So, if you know you're going to increase your resistance a total of five times, you can find a pace and a resistance-level that is right for you.) About ten minutes before the class ended, Mariele announced, "If you haven't figured it out by now, we're going to be doing jumps until the end of the class." Well, no. I had not figured that out. Obviously my psychic abilities were a bit off that afternoon.
When I left the class Monday, I felt worn out and in a bit of a bad mood. Granted, it was the first truly cardiovascular activity I'd participated in since my last race, but I just felt like I hadn't had a good, fun or satisfying workout. Sure, my heart rate was up and my legs were tired. But it hadn't been enjoyable or relaxing and I didn't get any of the mental perks I normally get from spin class. If she didn't teach the class at such a convenient time and location for me, I would stop going.
Cut to the Saturday before the National Marathon: I wanted to do something besides a long run that weekend to keep my body in shape, but not tax my joints too much. I ended up heading to the local gym by my house for their morning spin class. It was one of the BEST classes I've ever been to and it was 99% because of the instructor.
The GOOD:
I got to the class and the regulars all knew one another and were chatting as they set up their bikes. The instructor knew EVERYONE's first name. Everyone! She saw I was new and immediately came over to introduce herself to me and ask if this was my first time spinning. I really appreciated the extra attention and the warm welcome! Her name was Cindy and her class was amazing and super fun! Even though it was a short class (45 minutes) I worked harder in that class than I normally do. I'm sure that's partially because it was my "last chance" workout before the marathon, but it was simply such a enthusiastic class I wanted to work harder. Her attitude, and the entire class full of happy people, made me feel like I had just walked into the first day of kindergarten.
Cindy prepped the class every time she was going to mix up the schedule. If we were doing a long climb or interval training, we knew it. I never got the feeling, as I often do in Mariele's class, that she's making up the agenda on the spot. She also timed her mix perfectly to the activity we were doing. (We weren't listening to a slow song during a sprint or a fast, up-tempo song during a long hill climb....something Mariele never bothers to concern herself with.) Also, after every song that was unique or rare, she would explain when she first heard it, and why she chose it for spinning. It was not only little interesting tidbits, but it also took my mind off of whatever I was doing on my bike.
It was a fantastic class. I left feeling positive and as if I'd accomplished something. I am disappointed that my schedule hasn't allowed me to go back on a Saturday morning since then, and I can't wait. I am hoping I can make it back for a few more classes before I move from that area. I wish I had known about how great this class was long ago! Does anyone have really great instructors? What do they do that sets them apart? what about the really horrible ones?
I love spinning, as a form of exercise. I can sometimes talk myself out of working out as long or as hard as I should when I'm on my own, but in spinning, I'm forced to be there for 45minutes-1 hour, depending on the class--no excuses. Also, the level of difficulty is, to an extent, up to me. If I am having a great workout, I can crank the resistance knob up and really give myself some brutal strength training. But, if I just came from BodyPump or if I'm feeling weaker, I can take it easy. I'm still working hard, but just not as intensely. I was truthfully very happy to be back in the class, with one very notable exception: my extremely annoying Monday afternoon instructor, Mariele.
I have been spinning for almost three years now and I have had a variety of different instructors, ranging from the mega-motivational to the completely terrible. Monday's instructor, while always annoying, has grown increasingly terrible lately. She seems apathetic and not motivated--let alone motivational. I realize that I have never taught an exercise class--spinning or otherwise--so it's easier to critique than actually do it, but I've seen the good and the bad.
First, the BAD:
This girl has been teaching this class for as long as I can remember taking it, yet I have no idea what her name is--and she doesn't know anyone in the class. (I only found out her name was Mariele from looking it up on the cycling schedule.) She's young-ish (in her twenties), and never acts like she's very happy to be in the class or teaching the class. She shows up and she complains to the groups as a whole, as we are arriving and setting up. Not about teaching, but about something that's bothering her: the weather, the traffic, etc. I guess it's her attempt at creating camaraderie, but she's never talks as if she expects a response, thus she typically does not get one. Monday it was about the fees for running a half marathon and how she was NOT going to pay that much money to run a race. I'm not sure if she expected vehement agreement or not. Personally, I pay those fees to run those races, and training for those races is one of the reasons I'm sitting in her class. I did say, "Yes, races are expensive." (duh.) but was ignored. The general bad attitude and poor demeanor sets a negative tone for the class.
Rarely does she ask if anyone is new to the class or new to spinning. I feel bad for those who might be. It would sour my taste for the activity. She came into class Monday and announced that she had made a new mix for the class. (Well, that's exciting.) But then preemptively apologized for it being bad: "If you don't like it, deal with it." Hmmm....ok, thanks. I guess that was appropriate because the mix wasn't that good.
She doesn't ever tell the class what to expect or what's coming next, which makes it extremely difficult to gauge how much resistance one adds on or takes off through out the class. (My wrist got a good work out loading and unloading resistance because I had no idea what we were doing next.) It's also mentally frustrating not to know the "schedule" of the class. If you haven't taken spinning before, this might be a bit difficult to understand, but typically the instructor has a schedule of different bike workouts they take the class through (sprinting, climbing a tall hill, rolling hills, etc. So, if you know you're going to increase your resistance a total of five times, you can find a pace and a resistance-level that is right for you.) About ten minutes before the class ended, Mariele announced, "If you haven't figured it out by now, we're going to be doing jumps until the end of the class." Well, no. I had not figured that out. Obviously my psychic abilities were a bit off that afternoon.
When I left the class Monday, I felt worn out and in a bit of a bad mood. Granted, it was the first truly cardiovascular activity I'd participated in since my last race, but I just felt like I hadn't had a good, fun or satisfying workout. Sure, my heart rate was up and my legs were tired. But it hadn't been enjoyable or relaxing and I didn't get any of the mental perks I normally get from spin class. If she didn't teach the class at such a convenient time and location for me, I would stop going.
Cut to the Saturday before the National Marathon: I wanted to do something besides a long run that weekend to keep my body in shape, but not tax my joints too much. I ended up heading to the local gym by my house for their morning spin class. It was one of the BEST classes I've ever been to and it was 99% because of the instructor.
The GOOD:
I got to the class and the regulars all knew one another and were chatting as they set up their bikes. The instructor knew EVERYONE's first name. Everyone! She saw I was new and immediately came over to introduce herself to me and ask if this was my first time spinning. I really appreciated the extra attention and the warm welcome! Her name was Cindy and her class was amazing and super fun! Even though it was a short class (45 minutes) I worked harder in that class than I normally do. I'm sure that's partially because it was my "last chance" workout before the marathon, but it was simply such a enthusiastic class I wanted to work harder. Her attitude, and the entire class full of happy people, made me feel like I had just walked into the first day of kindergarten.
Cindy prepped the class every time she was going to mix up the schedule. If we were doing a long climb or interval training, we knew it. I never got the feeling, as I often do in Mariele's class, that she's making up the agenda on the spot. She also timed her mix perfectly to the activity we were doing. (We weren't listening to a slow song during a sprint or a fast, up-tempo song during a long hill climb....something Mariele never bothers to concern herself with.) Also, after every song that was unique or rare, she would explain when she first heard it, and why she chose it for spinning. It was not only little interesting tidbits, but it also took my mind off of whatever I was doing on my bike.
It was a fantastic class. I left feeling positive and as if I'd accomplished something. I am disappointed that my schedule hasn't allowed me to go back on a Saturday morning since then, and I can't wait. I am hoping I can make it back for a few more classes before I move from that area. I wish I had known about how great this class was long ago! Does anyone have really great instructors? What do they do that sets them apart? what about the really horrible ones?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Race Report - The 2011 Cherry Blossom Ten Miler
I've been trying to hunt down a statistic that states how many of the Cherry Blossom Ten-Miler participants are local versus how many came from out of town. Thus far I've had no such luck finding this information on the worldwide web, and I'm not curious enough to count all 15,000 participants and divide them up, so if anyone knows the answer, please fill me in!
I do know that, next to the Marine Corps Marathon in October, it's probably the most popular race in DC. Originally established as a springtime training run for marathoners preparing for Boston, the race now attracts a crowd of 15,000 participants, including some major celebrities of the running world! I didn't know this, until I read the blog of elite local runner, Chris Sloane. (FYI, if you want a fast-action race report from the elite runner crowd, read his here. Just reading it got me excited--as if I was reading about a horse race from the horse's point of view!)
I was most certainly NOT in the elite crowd, by any stretch of the imagination. While those gentlemen were hoping to finish in under fifty-five minutes, I was hoping to finish in under ninety, a feat that I did not accomplish. (I finished under 100 minutes, but not under ninety....maybe next time.)
Anyway, on to my race report:
Race-day morning, after a solid five hours of sleep, I woke up bright and early at 5:00 am and got ready to go. I have a bad habit of wandering aimlessly in the mornings, so I was glad my girlfriend Katie was staying with me, or else I would have dawdled and putzed around for extra minutes instead of venturing out to the race. Katie and I were both wearing our fabulous pink "sparkle skirts" for this occasion and, if I do say so myself, we looked mighty spiffy boarding the metro next to other less-sparkling runners.
It felt so relaxing to take the metro downtown after last weekend's driving debacle at the marathon, and since we got on at the end of the line, we had actual seats. (Win!) The metro was not too crowded at all, considering how many people were running. Even when we got to Metro Center, the main transfer point from all the other metro lines, it still wasn't too bad!
We got down to the Mall around 6:40am--still plenty of time to deliver to Cassie her bib and Dtag, check our bags, then get to the start. But strangely, as we were walking down to bag check, someone made an announcement that bag check would be closing in seven minutes. Seven minutes?!? Yikes! That put a spring in our previously leisurely step! In hindsight, I'm almost 100% sure they were just trying to move people along and that they would still actually take your bags if you showed up after the seven minute cut off, but if that was their plan, it worked!--We made a dash straight to bag check!
Bag check was organized by our bib numbers, so Katie and I split up to check our bags. Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw her until after the race. I checked my phone and promptly lost her in the sea of runners. As I was checking stuff, I found Cassie and delivered her bib and shirt to her. We checked our bags and stood around trying to look for Katie for a few minutes. (One would think, with a sequin hot pink running skirt, she would not be that hard to miss! But the place was packed and it was quite a large sea of pink among the runners.) Eventually, we gave up and headed to the start. We were in different waves and as I stopped to get a cup of water, I turned around and I'd lost Cassie too. Argh--no friends at the start! Boo.
Fortunately, I was standing right next to my wave group. I was still outside the corral and couldn't figure out how/where to actually join the runners in my wave, so I had to squeeze myself through the dividers into the corral start--MacGyver-style pre-race! Although it was windy, the weather was bright and sunny--much better than Saturday, when it was cold and pouring rain. I tried to get as close to the front of my wave as possible, as it was clear the course was going to be crowded with people. Everyone was so excited and in such a great mood!
The race started at 7:40 am officially, but I don't think I actually crossed the starting line until around 7:50 am--plenty of time for me to take pictures of the Washington Monument and the sun rising as I waited. (pictures are forthcoming. :)) When we finally did cross the start, it took some time to get moving. The crowds of runners were really crammed in! It was difficult to speed up beyond the pace of the herd. Had I not been trying to be under ninety minutes, I probably wouldn't have minded, but I wanted to start at a pace that was a little faster than my typical comfortable pace and really challenge myself. It was hard if not impossible with the masses and I wasted a lot of time and energy trying to dart around people or zig-zag in, out and around people in an attempt to get more space to myself. At one point, I saw someone's ipod and headphones they'd dropped, but it was too crowded for anyone, even a good samaritan, to try to pick it up....I would have been stampeded! I felt bad for them. They probably didn't even notice their ipod was missing until much further along in the race.
Sometime between crossing the start line and hitting the Mile 1 marker, I realized I forgot to set my stopwatch. (I was truly a big space cadet before this race!) I immediately set it, while trying not to trip over other runners, and I just figured I'd subtract five minutes from my time whenever I checked it. As it turns out, this race was pretty high tech for a ten-miler, in that it had mile markers that were clocking the gun time as I ran past. After last weekend’s marathon, I've come to have a greater appreciate mile-markers along the course. Although, being unused to a ten mile race, I kept calculating miles as if I was running 13.1 and not 10. At mile 5, instead of thinking I was halfway through, I definitely said to myself, "Oh, seven more miles to go!" See? It was a space-case day for me.
Also before I hit mile 1, I saw a pack of elite runners making their way back down Independence Avenue. (re: Mile 5...wowza!)
The first five or six miles of this race were lovely....running around the Tidal Basin, the Lincoln Memorial, down next to the Kennedy Center all surrounded by the cherry blossoms at their peak bloom! It was really beautiful and a fun cardiovascular way to sight-see! However, it was very difficult to take any pictures though, because it was so crowded. It did not really lighten up and spread out until we circled back past the Tidal Basin and headed to the dreaded "Hains Point" a long, quiet and infamously boring part of the course. (Hains Point is also a feature on the course of the Marine Corps Marathon and the Jingle-All-the-Way-10K and thus is particularly despised by DC runners.)
Luckily, the crowds were at least a little bit lighter, so it was easier to get into my stride and enjoy the scenery and snap some pictures. Unluckily, my knee was causing me a bit of pain. My IT band was hurting and my knee felt like it was making a popping sound and tightening up. Ugh. I was unsure if this was a result of trying to run a bit faster than I usually do (probably not because, although that was my intent, I think it was too crowded for me to succeed), or a result of doing this race only seven days after finishing the marathon. I was guessing the latter. I also realized that I didn't take any of my usual pre-race drugs (imodium and aspirin) and I hadn't needed to use a bathroom since I first woke up in the morning (possibly dehydrated?). Mentally, I started to worry that I was ill-prepared for this race and shouldn't be running it, but I did my best to block out any negative thoughts from my brain...I was just hitting mile seven and I still had three miles to go! (Three, Mary-Michael’s brain--not 6.1!)
I stopped at a medical tent and picked up some Bayer. I figured, even though I was almost finished with the race, it could really only help my knee situation. At the bottom of Hains Point (Mile 8) There were 2 guys with a sign: “Yuengling and Oreos!” A strange combination? I wasn't sure, but they weren't offering it out to the runners as we past, so I figured it was just for their friends....or an evil taunt, either way I wasn't in an Oreos and Yuengling mood quite yet.
As we past Mile 8, I realized that my watch and the mile-marker both had me at about 80-ish minutes. I realized, even if I sprinted past everyone, I'd still not make my 90 minute goal. I was disappointed, but determined to make it as close to my 90 minute mark as I could. I really enjoyed the last two miles of that race. Even though my knee was hurting, I was still full of energy and able to pick up the pace. I'm not sure if the crowds were collectively slowing down or if I finally had enough room to move, but I was able to pass what felt like a LOT of people with relative ease AND still get some good pictures in! (Don't quote me, but I believe 2,000 of the 3,000 Japanese Cherry Blossom trees that were gifted from Japan to the US are actually planted on Hains Point, so there were PLENTY of prime photo opportunities!)
There was a small incline as the course came up past the Tidal Basin one last time, but I didn't notice because the course was full of loud and excited spectators and I was eager to get to the finish and not slow down. Then the last quarter mile dash to the finish line was all downhill. I LOVE that!! I broke into a sprint and zoomed down and across the finish line! I was feeling so excited and energized!
The finish line was very efficient. They kept runners moving toward bag check and the food/medal areas, so it was quick and easy to grab my stuff from bag check. I found Katie really fast and we went to pick up our medals and meet up with her parents, who are hilarious and were super-excited for us. Her mom, who I’ve only met once, gave me a huge hug and announced she had gotten a picture of me running to the finish line. Yay!
When we had first registered for the race, they'd asked if we wanted to pay extra to receive a finisher's medal. At first I was against this, because it wasn't a half or full marathon, and thus didn't warrant a medal. But then I thought, "What if the medal is super-awesome and I regret not getting it?!" So, I ordered one to be on the safe side, also figuring, it might be my only opportunity to run this race. Ordering the medal was a great decision! It's very cool, includes the date and is appropriately smaller than a half or full marathon medal.
We found Cassie shortly after and snapped a few pictures of the three of us in our sparkle skirts, with cherry blossoms and DC landmarks in the background, then headed off to a well-earned brunch at delicious Front Page!
My official time was 98 minutes and 36 seconds (A 9:52 pace). I would really like to focus on my speed work and try it again to see if I can make a 10-miler under 90 minutes.
Race Pros:
-Beautiful scenery
-Cheerful runners
-Enthusiastic and plentiful spectators
-Great T-shirt and medal (at least this year)
-VERY well-organized and efficiently run race. (major props for having the metro open over two hours before the race starts!)
Race Cons:
-Crowded, crowded crowded! I really cannot imagine how the MCM manages to fit 30,000! people on some of this course. It must be really tight in some areas!
-Packet pick-up was in one place, insanely crowded and had an astounding line. A race this size should definitely have more than one location (or day) for packet pick up.
Read my pre-race report here and my Cherry Blossom poetry here!
I do know that, next to the Marine Corps Marathon in October, it's probably the most popular race in DC. Originally established as a springtime training run for marathoners preparing for Boston, the race now attracts a crowd of 15,000 participants, including some major celebrities of the running world! I didn't know this, until I read the blog of elite local runner, Chris Sloane. (FYI, if you want a fast-action race report from the elite runner crowd, read his here. Just reading it got me excited--as if I was reading about a horse race from the horse's point of view!)
I was most certainly NOT in the elite crowd, by any stretch of the imagination. While those gentlemen were hoping to finish in under fifty-five minutes, I was hoping to finish in under ninety, a feat that I did not accomplish. (I finished under 100 minutes, but not under ninety....maybe next time.)
Anyway, on to my race report:
Race-day morning, after a solid five hours of sleep, I woke up bright and early at 5:00 am and got ready to go. I have a bad habit of wandering aimlessly in the mornings, so I was glad my girlfriend Katie was staying with me, or else I would have dawdled and putzed around for extra minutes instead of venturing out to the race. Katie and I were both wearing our fabulous pink "sparkle skirts" for this occasion and, if I do say so myself, we looked mighty spiffy boarding the metro next to other less-sparkling runners.
It felt so relaxing to take the metro downtown after last weekend's driving debacle at the marathon, and since we got on at the end of the line, we had actual seats. (Win!) The metro was not too crowded at all, considering how many people were running. Even when we got to Metro Center, the main transfer point from all the other metro lines, it still wasn't too bad!
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| Those white gate-things is what I had to squeeze through to join my corral. |
We got down to the Mall around 6:40am--still plenty of time to deliver to Cassie her bib and Dtag, check our bags, then get to the start. But strangely, as we were walking down to bag check, someone made an announcement that bag check would be closing in seven minutes. Seven minutes?!? Yikes! That put a spring in our previously leisurely step! In hindsight, I'm almost 100% sure they were just trying to move people along and that they would still actually take your bags if you showed up after the seven minute cut off, but if that was their plan, it worked!--We made a dash straight to bag check!
Bag check was organized by our bib numbers, so Katie and I split up to check our bags. Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw her until after the race. I checked my phone and promptly lost her in the sea of runners. As I was checking stuff, I found Cassie and delivered her bib and shirt to her. We checked our bags and stood around trying to look for Katie for a few minutes. (One would think, with a sequin hot pink running skirt, she would not be that hard to miss! But the place was packed and it was quite a large sea of pink among the runners.) Eventually, we gave up and headed to the start. We were in different waves and as I stopped to get a cup of water, I turned around and I'd lost Cassie too. Argh--no friends at the start! Boo.
Fortunately, I was standing right next to my wave group. I was still outside the corral and couldn't figure out how/where to actually join the runners in my wave, so I had to squeeze myself through the dividers into the corral start--MacGyver-style pre-race! Although it was windy, the weather was bright and sunny--much better than Saturday, when it was cold and pouring rain. I tried to get as close to the front of my wave as possible, as it was clear the course was going to be crowded with people. Everyone was so excited and in such a great mood!
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| Look how happy everyone looks! |
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| Orange Wave. |
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| My bodyguards. |
The race started at 7:40 am officially, but I don't think I actually crossed the starting line until around 7:50 am--plenty of time for me to take pictures of the Washington Monument and the sun rising as I waited. (pictures are forthcoming. :)) When we finally did cross the start, it took some time to get moving. The crowds of runners were really crammed in! It was difficult to speed up beyond the pace of the herd. Had I not been trying to be under ninety minutes, I probably wouldn't have minded, but I wanted to start at a pace that was a little faster than my typical comfortable pace and really challenge myself. It was hard if not impossible with the masses and I wasted a lot of time and energy trying to dart around people or zig-zag in, out and around people in an attempt to get more space to myself. At one point, I saw someone's ipod and headphones they'd dropped, but it was too crowded for anyone, even a good samaritan, to try to pick it up....I would have been stampeded! I felt bad for them. They probably didn't even notice their ipod was missing until much further along in the race.
Sometime between crossing the start line and hitting the Mile 1 marker, I realized I forgot to set my stopwatch. (I was truly a big space cadet before this race!) I immediately set it, while trying not to trip over other runners, and I just figured I'd subtract five minutes from my time whenever I checked it. As it turns out, this race was pretty high tech for a ten-miler, in that it had mile markers that were clocking the gun time as I ran past. After last weekend’s marathon, I've come to have a greater appreciate mile-markers along the course. Although, being unused to a ten mile race, I kept calculating miles as if I was running 13.1 and not 10. At mile 5, instead of thinking I was halfway through, I definitely said to myself, "Oh, seven more miles to go!" See? It was a space-case day for me.
Also before I hit mile 1, I saw a pack of elite runners making their way back down Independence Avenue. (re: Mile 5...wowza!)
The first five or six miles of this race were lovely....running around the Tidal Basin, the Lincoln Memorial, down next to the Kennedy Center all surrounded by the cherry blossoms at their peak bloom! It was really beautiful and a fun cardiovascular way to sight-see! However, it was very difficult to take any pictures though, because it was so crowded. It did not really lighten up and spread out until we circled back past the Tidal Basin and headed to the dreaded "Hains Point" a long, quiet and infamously boring part of the course. (Hains Point is also a feature on the course of the Marine Corps Marathon and the Jingle-All-the-Way-10K and thus is particularly despised by DC runners.)
Luckily, the crowds were at least a little bit lighter, so it was easier to get into my stride and enjoy the scenery and snap some pictures. Unluckily, my knee was causing me a bit of pain. My IT band was hurting and my knee felt like it was making a popping sound and tightening up. Ugh. I was unsure if this was a result of trying to run a bit faster than I usually do (probably not because, although that was my intent, I think it was too crowded for me to succeed), or a result of doing this race only seven days after finishing the marathon. I was guessing the latter. I also realized that I didn't take any of my usual pre-race drugs (imodium and aspirin) and I hadn't needed to use a bathroom since I first woke up in the morning (possibly dehydrated?). Mentally, I started to worry that I was ill-prepared for this race and shouldn't be running it, but I did my best to block out any negative thoughts from my brain...I was just hitting mile seven and I still had three miles to go! (Three, Mary-Michael’s brain--not 6.1!)
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| Blossoms blossoms EVERYWHERE! |
I stopped at a medical tent and picked up some Bayer. I figured, even though I was almost finished with the race, it could really only help my knee situation. At the bottom of Hains Point (Mile 8) There were 2 guys with a sign: “Yuengling and Oreos!” A strange combination? I wasn't sure, but they weren't offering it out to the runners as we past, so I figured it was just for their friends....or an evil taunt, either way I wasn't in an Oreos and Yuengling mood quite yet.
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| I ran on that side of the river last week during the National Marathon. |
As we past Mile 8, I realized that my watch and the mile-marker both had me at about 80-ish minutes. I realized, even if I sprinted past everyone, I'd still not make my 90 minute goal. I was disappointed, but determined to make it as close to my 90 minute mark as I could. I really enjoyed the last two miles of that race. Even though my knee was hurting, I was still full of energy and able to pick up the pace. I'm not sure if the crowds were collectively slowing down or if I finally had enough room to move, but I was able to pass what felt like a LOT of people with relative ease AND still get some good pictures in! (Don't quote me, but I believe 2,000 of the 3,000 Japanese Cherry Blossom trees that were gifted from Japan to the US are actually planted on Hains Point, so there were PLENTY of prime photo opportunities!)
There was a small incline as the course came up past the Tidal Basin one last time, but I didn't notice because the course was full of loud and excited spectators and I was eager to get to the finish and not slow down. Then the last quarter mile dash to the finish line was all downhill. I LOVE that!! I broke into a sprint and zoomed down and across the finish line! I was feeling so excited and energized!
 |
| Quick-Pic while sprinting toward the finish. |
The finish line was very efficient. They kept runners moving toward bag check and the food/medal areas, so it was quick and easy to grab my stuff from bag check. I found Katie really fast and we went to pick up our medals and meet up with her parents, who are hilarious and were super-excited for us. Her mom, who I’ve only met once, gave me a huge hug and announced she had gotten a picture of me running to the finish line. Yay!
 |
| Finished! |
When we had first registered for the race, they'd asked if we wanted to pay extra to receive a finisher's medal. At first I was against this, because it wasn't a half or full marathon, and thus didn't warrant a medal. But then I thought, "What if the medal is super-awesome and I regret not getting it?!" So, I ordered one to be on the safe side, also figuring, it might be my only opportunity to run this race. Ordering the medal was a great decision! It's very cool, includes the date and is appropriately smaller than a half or full marathon medal.
 |
| Hi Michelle! "Let's Move!" |
We found Cassie shortly after and snapped a few pictures of the three of us in our sparkle skirts, with cherry blossoms and DC landmarks in the background, then headed off to a well-earned brunch at delicious Front Page!
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| Cheers! My first 10-miler in the books. |
My official time was 98 minutes and 36 seconds (A 9:52 pace). I would really like to focus on my speed work and try it again to see if I can make a 10-miler under 90 minutes.
Race Pros:
-Beautiful scenery
-Cheerful runners
-Enthusiastic and plentiful spectators
-Great T-shirt and medal (at least this year)
-VERY well-organized and efficiently run race. (major props for having the metro open over two hours before the race starts!)
Race Cons:
-Crowded, crowded crowded! I really cannot imagine how the MCM manages to fit 30,000! people on some of this course. It must be really tight in some areas!
-Packet pick-up was in one place, insanely crowded and had an astounding line. A race this size should definitely have more than one location (or day) for packet pick up.
Read my pre-race report here and my Cherry Blossom poetry here!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
An Indecent Proposal
Last night, after having overdosed on an unnecessary second helping of pasta, I was conversing with a male friend about April, my personal month of health, and how lately I was feeling a bit unhappy with my weight and figure. As I've heard from a few people, he told me to "Go run another marathon." I hear that a lot, most often from people who do not work out or worry too much about their weight. What is sometimes difficult to explain to a non-runner, is that training for a marathon can really screw up one's diet. At least, in my case, it can. Also, it's not an excuse to consume whatever I want ,whenever I want, in whatever amounts I want.
For instance, the week before the marathon, a runner is not supposed to over-train or put too much stress on their muscles. At the same time, they are supposed to be increasing their carbohydrate calories a little bit, which goes against all the dieting rules I have ever ingrained in my mind. Likewise, the days/week following a big race like that the body is supposed to be recovering. One can't exactly just jump on the treadmill and slide back into the old routine. Well, I suppose some people can, but it's rare and for the average body, not advisable. (My date last Friday looked at me like I had two heads when I told him I went spinning a mere four days after my race.) Also, my body gets concerned, involuntarily and completely separate from my mind, that I might at any moment force it to run a marathon again, and therefore it wants to consume as many calories as possible "just in case." My point is that just because one can run a long distance and/or completes races doesn't mean that person can gorge themselves on mountains of unhealthy foods without limits, or consume vats of wine with gay abandon....which is what I have been doing for the past ten days.
I need to get my diet back on track--pronto!
This particular friend I was chatting with last night struggles with some body image and weight issues of his own. I know his job requires him to work dinners and cocktail parties in the evening, making evening workouts or light dinners virtually impossible.
After our discussion, we came to the conclusion that since we talk on a semi-regular basis, we should be accountable to one another for our diet and weight loss goals for the next several weeks. He proposed a [very ambitious] 20 pound weight loss goal in six weeks. But, while 20 lbs is my ultimate goal, I do not think I could lose an average of 3+ lbs per week without a severe depraved lifestyle change. Also, I think HE would look anorexic if he lost that much weight....But on the other hand, I do like an ambitious goal, because even if I don't reach it, I will be more likely to push myself rather than go easy on myself. Also, I know I'm competitive and I know this guy can--and probably will--lose weight relatively fast. Knowing that will give me the push I need to stick with a stricter regimen.
In short we proposed to attempt to lose as much weight as we could, up to 20 lbs. He said in six weeks (May 18) but I say in eight weeks (June 1). I weighed myself today and I came in at a discouraging and unappealing number--but a good place to start. To further motivate me, I just received an email from the Frederick, MD Half Marathon reminding me that I only have one month until the race. (Soon!) And I'm hoping for a sub-2 hour PR on this course, so I will need to focus on that pretty intently this month. Fingers crossed.
So, here I am, six days into the "Month of Health," and beginning a diet with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. I should note that I don't follow any specific "diet" plan. My two big (and hard to follow) rules include avoiding alcohol and not eating after 7:30 pm, and I'm already thinking of days/events during which I will need to make an exception. My smaller, less enforced rules include staying away from candy & really processed sweets, trying to get 7-8 hours of sleep per night and strongly second-guessing any "splurge" foods (just because there are cupcakes in the conference room does not mean I want cupcakes.)
I'll keep you posted on how this little contest/diet works. I have yet another Happy Hour this evening (the second of THREE this week), but I plan on only going for a short time, and refraining from more than one drink....knock on wood.
Cherry Blossom Race Report is in the works. If I can extract myself from Happy Hour at a reasonable time, hopefully I can post it tonight!
For instance, the week before the marathon, a runner is not supposed to over-train or put too much stress on their muscles. At the same time, they are supposed to be increasing their carbohydrate calories a little bit, which goes against all the dieting rules I have ever ingrained in my mind. Likewise, the days/week following a big race like that the body is supposed to be recovering. One can't exactly just jump on the treadmill and slide back into the old routine. Well, I suppose some people can, but it's rare and for the average body, not advisable. (My date last Friday looked at me like I had two heads when I told him I went spinning a mere four days after my race.) Also, my body gets concerned, involuntarily and completely separate from my mind, that I might at any moment force it to run a marathon again, and therefore it wants to consume as many calories as possible "just in case." My point is that just because one can run a long distance and/or completes races doesn't mean that person can gorge themselves on mountains of unhealthy foods without limits, or consume vats of wine with gay abandon....which is what I have been doing for the past ten days.
I need to get my diet back on track--pronto!
This particular friend I was chatting with last night struggles with some body image and weight issues of his own. I know his job requires him to work dinners and cocktail parties in the evening, making evening workouts or light dinners virtually impossible.
After our discussion, we came to the conclusion that since we talk on a semi-regular basis, we should be accountable to one another for our diet and weight loss goals for the next several weeks. He proposed a [very ambitious] 20 pound weight loss goal in six weeks. But, while 20 lbs is my ultimate goal, I do not think I could lose an average of 3+ lbs per week without a severe depraved lifestyle change. Also, I think HE would look anorexic if he lost that much weight....But on the other hand, I do like an ambitious goal, because even if I don't reach it, I will be more likely to push myself rather than go easy on myself. Also, I know I'm competitive and I know this guy can--and probably will--lose weight relatively fast. Knowing that will give me the push I need to stick with a stricter regimen.
In short we proposed to attempt to lose as much weight as we could, up to 20 lbs. He said in six weeks (May 18) but I say in eight weeks (June 1). I weighed myself today and I came in at a discouraging and unappealing number--but a good place to start. To further motivate me, I just received an email from the Frederick, MD Half Marathon reminding me that I only have one month until the race. (Soon!) And I'm hoping for a sub-2 hour PR on this course, so I will need to focus on that pretty intently this month. Fingers crossed.
I'll keep you posted on how this little contest/diet works. I have yet another Happy Hour this evening (the second of THREE this week), but I plan on only going for a short time, and refraining from more than one drink....knock on wood.
Cherry Blossom Race Report is in the works. If I can extract myself from Happy Hour at a reasonable time, hopefully I can post it tonight!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Cherry Blossom 10-miler: Race-Eve Report
Happy Monday Tuesday and cheers to the 39th Annual Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, my first-ever 10-mile race! It was a really great race and did much to drown the bitterness I had left over from last weekend's National Marathon.
In order to run the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, you have to enter a lottery in December and get chosen to run. A lot of people do not get entry, although with 15,000 runners yesterday that was hard to believe.
My girlfriend Katie who lives up closer to Baltimore came down on Saturday afternoon to go to packet pick-up with me and so we could head to DC together on race day. I was a bit surprised (and somewhat annoyed) that packet pick-up was only on a Saturday and not Friday, when almost everyone is downtown for work anyway. And it was only in one location: downtown at the National Building Museum. While I adore the NBM, I have to trek downtown every day via the metro for work, and I wasn’t especially enthused about having to go down in the middle of a Saturday to pick up my race packet.
There was also a Capitals game going on 2 blocks away as well as a lot of Cherry Blossom spectators visiting the city, so I thought it would be crazy to attempt to drive and hope I’d miraculously find parking for under $20. (It would not have happened.) Considering the “Jingle-All-the-Way 10K,” which is a much smaller race, has packet pick-up for TWO days (Friday and Saturday) and in multiple locations in DC, Maryland and Virginia, it did not make sense to me that this very famous race with so many participants only had one location on one day and for a very short window of time--yet another DC-ism with which I will be eternally befuddled.
There was also a Capitals game going on 2 blocks away as well as a lot of Cherry Blossom spectators visiting the city, so I thought it would be crazy to attempt to drive and hope I’d miraculously find parking for under $20. (It would not have happened.) Considering the “Jingle-All-the-Way 10K,” which is a much smaller race, has packet pick-up for TWO days (Friday and Saturday) and in multiple locations in DC, Maryland and Virginia, it did not make sense to me that this very famous race with so many participants only had one location on one day and for a very short window of time--yet another DC-ism with which I will be eternally befuddled.
Due to my strong aversion to switching trains, Katie and I took the metro to the closest stop that did not require transfering and walked from there. It wasn’t a long walk and, at the time we got on the train, the sun was shining and the weather was fine. As we popped out of the metro though, we found that the sun had vanished in favor of quite a vicious rainstorm. Neither of us, masterminds that we are, remembered an umbrella or a raincoat, and by the time we’d trekked to the NBM, we were soaked and freezing. Fortunately the rain had stopped by then. Unfortunately, the line for packet pick-up was out the door of the museum.
I couldn’t believe it! Although the line was not as horrific as it initially appeared, it was still ridiculously long. I think we waited in line for about an hour or so to pick up our bibs. (I don’t even wait in line that long to ride Space Mountain, my favorite ride, in Disney World!) We picked up Cassie’s race bib too, since she was coming straight to the race from Baltimore on Sunday morning.
We picked up our super cute race t-shirts and strolled around the expo for a bit. There were some good races we mentally added to our to-do list: The Malibu Marathon being at the top! (the medal is inticing!) We also saw the booth for the “Maryland Double.” They were displaying last year’s medals, which are very awesome, but I was hoping for a sneak peek at this year’s bling…no such luck, I’m afraid. I’ll be in suspense for a little while longer.
Neither one of us was in a real “shopping mood.” There were plenty of booths and lots of stuff to peruse and buy, but after waiting in that bib-pick-up line so long, we both felt a little spent—and hungry! We walked over to Clyde's in Chinatown for some beers and an early dinner. It was only 4:45pm, maybe we'd make it to bed early tonight?
Dinner was yummy--Clyde's is a sure bet for tastiness--but I was envious of all the Caps fans filling up the bar. I wanted to be getting drunk and rowdy at a hockey game, instead of limiting my beer intake to two. (Nevermind the fact that I'd been out every night the previous week....how quickly I forget!) We ordered desserts to-go, so we'd have something carbby to look forward to once we got back home and settled.
We made a quick stop at the grocery store for morning bagels and some Viatmin Water (on super-sale for 75 cents--hurrah!) Then came home to devour our desserts, watch "House" for a couple of hours and get some rest so we could be awake in time for our race!
I have to say, spending the day before a race with other runners makes me more excited for a race, but it also makes me more nervous about it, because it becomes more of my focus than it would be otherwise.
A full race-report to come....stay tuned. I'm looking forward to hearing how others enjoyed the race as well. I've already read a few interesting race reports.
We made a quick stop at the grocery store for morning bagels and some Viatmin Water (on super-sale for 75 cents--hurrah!) Then came home to devour our desserts, watch "House" for a couple of hours and get some rest so we could be awake in time for our race!
I have to say, spending the day before a race with other runners makes me more excited for a race, but it also makes me more nervous about it, because it becomes more of my focus than it would be otherwise.
A full race-report to come....stay tuned. I'm looking forward to hearing how others enjoyed the race as well. I've already read a few interesting race reports.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Poems for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler
Race-Day Haiku:
My first ten-miler.
World-famous Cherry Blossoms.
Monuments, then brunch!
Race-Day Limerick:
Ten miles 'round the Mall I will go.
The cherry trees will be quite a show!
With their blooms in full-blossom,
It will surely be awesome.
Called "The Runner's Rite of Spring," did you know?
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Month of Health--No Foolin!
Happy Friday Everyone! Thank GOSH it's Friday. I cannot remember a week during which I've drank so much in consecutive nights in a row that didn't involve a vacation. Well, that is a lie...I do tend to have an alcoholic week from time to time, but weeks that could rival this week of gluttony are few and far between. I cannot wait for my hangover to disappear. There has been no working out this week, since the marathon. Not even an Ab workout, which I can usually find time to squeeze in during even my busiest schedule. And I haven't been home early enough to get any grocery shopping done, so I've been living mainly on beer and wine, restaurant food, and whatever canned goods or preserved items are in my cupboards. (soup and boca burgers mostly, which probably isn't the most terrible choice, but my body is certainly craving something fresh and vegetable-like.)
Fortunately, today is the start of a new month, and a month I am officially dubbing the "Month of Health" and an unofficial month of frugality. I know it's April Fools Day, but I'm not joking....I need to get myself back into the habit of eating right, getting enough sleep and maintaining a regular gym routine. For some reason, when I slip up in one area, my habits in all areas tend to unravel. I like having an official "month" too because it's a small, seemingly-attainable time frame to focus on. For instance, instead of telling myself to never have crab pretzels--Ever--I can merely forgo crab pretzels for 30 days. Diet and fitness goals seem more feasible for me in the short-term.
To kick off the month of health, I have just "signed up" for my first ever "Virtual Race." It's a 5K: RunwithJess's "Jelly Bean Virtual Race." It sounds interesting, because technically it's just a 5K run, which I would do on a random weekday, but it has a sense of fanfare to it, because someone has proclaimed it to be a "race." Also, it's free--wonderful news for my frugality...or cheapness. It has a candy-theme, which could be dangerous, but jellybeans aren't a weakness of mine, so that should not be a difficult temptation to overcome. Besides, since it's a virtual race, I think there's very little chance of me being given jelly beans or other promotional goodies at Packet Pick-Up. ;)
Jess, the race organizer/inventor is giving away prizes...prizes for running, but also prizes for best costume. I'm very curious about this because, being my first virtual race, I will not be running with a group or with an audience that would see and appreciate my costume. Do I wear an Easter Bunny outfit around my neighborhood as I run? I mean, I would probably do it, as I have very little shame. But, is that is what is supposed to occur? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole "virtual race" idea. Have you ever done one? In costume?
I'm also (very healthily!) running the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in D.C. this weekend. In order to register, one has to be chosen in a lottery, so I am very excited about the opportunity to run it. I am still feeling a little weary of downtown D.C. and getting myself there for the race, but I am hoping a good experience during this race will rinse out the bitter taste in my mouth left by last weekend's National Marathon debacle. I'd like to try and get a good time, since it will be my first 10-mile race, but I have a feeling the sun rising over the Tidal Basin surrounded by Cherry Blossom trees in bloom will warrant too many photo opportunities to even hope of making a good time. The race is on Sunday so, somewhat frustratingly, I have to trek to the Building Museum on Saturday to pick-up my race packet. Normally this would not be a big deal, but the Cherry Blossom Festival and parade are taking place Saturday, so DC will be packed to the gills with tourists. No easy-in, easy-out packet pick up this weekend. I also get to see, and run with, my two girlfriends who I have not had much opportunity to spend time with in the past few months....another reason to be excited! Between race, packet-pick-up and two more dates, I'm expecting this weekend to be a busy one. (Thankfully, my date tonight gave up drinking for Lent, so I can remain alcohol free for the first day of the month of health and not feel awkward about it.)
Fortunately, today is the start of a new month, and a month I am officially dubbing the "Month of Health" and an unofficial month of frugality. I know it's April Fools Day, but I'm not joking....I need to get myself back into the habit of eating right, getting enough sleep and maintaining a regular gym routine. For some reason, when I slip up in one area, my habits in all areas tend to unravel. I like having an official "month" too because it's a small, seemingly-attainable time frame to focus on. For instance, instead of telling myself to never have crab pretzels--Ever--I can merely forgo crab pretzels for 30 days. Diet and fitness goals seem more feasible for me in the short-term.
To kick off the month of health, I have just "signed up" for my first ever "Virtual Race." It's a 5K: RunwithJess's "Jelly Bean Virtual Race." It sounds interesting, because technically it's just a 5K run, which I would do on a random weekday, but it has a sense of fanfare to it, because someone has proclaimed it to be a "race." Also, it's free--wonderful news for my frugality...or cheapness. It has a candy-theme, which could be dangerous, but jellybeans aren't a weakness of mine, so that should not be a difficult temptation to overcome. Besides, since it's a virtual race, I think there's very little chance of me being given jelly beans or other promotional goodies at Packet Pick-Up. ;)
Jess, the race organizer/inventor is giving away prizes...prizes for running, but also prizes for best costume. I'm very curious about this because, being my first virtual race, I will not be running with a group or with an audience that would see and appreciate my costume. Do I wear an Easter Bunny outfit around my neighborhood as I run? I mean, I would probably do it, as I have very little shame. But, is that is what is supposed to occur? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole "virtual race" idea. Have you ever done one? In costume?
I'm also (very healthily!) running the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in D.C. this weekend. In order to register, one has to be chosen in a lottery, so I am very excited about the opportunity to run it. I am still feeling a little weary of downtown D.C. and getting myself there for the race, but I am hoping a good experience during this race will rinse out the bitter taste in my mouth left by last weekend's National Marathon debacle. I'd like to try and get a good time, since it will be my first 10-mile race, but I have a feeling the sun rising over the Tidal Basin surrounded by Cherry Blossom trees in bloom will warrant too many photo opportunities to even hope of making a good time. The race is on Sunday so, somewhat frustratingly, I have to trek to the Building Museum on Saturday to pick-up my race packet. Normally this would not be a big deal, but the Cherry Blossom Festival and parade are taking place Saturday, so DC will be packed to the gills with tourists. No easy-in, easy-out packet pick up this weekend. I also get to see, and run with, my two girlfriends who I have not had much opportunity to spend time with in the past few months....another reason to be excited! Between race, packet-pick-up and two more dates, I'm expecting this weekend to be a busy one. (Thankfully, my date tonight gave up drinking for Lent, so I can remain alcohol free for the first day of the month of health and not feel awkward about it.)
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