18 miles in my brain

This past Saturday, I ran 18 miles, my final long run in training for my Marathon (3-26).  It was the first time I've ever run this far by myself--without any companion to chat with. I have a six-mile loop near my house known as the "Hilly Miller," and I parked my car along the course and did three laps around, so I could stop for GU, water and stretching a couple of times. This is my brain on an 18 mile run:

Mile 0.5: "Here we go....This is going to take quite a long time...I can't imagine training for an ironman or something. How would anyone find the time?  I supposed those people get up much earlier than me, so they'd be finished by 8:00am.  Here I am, just starting and it's almost noon...Oh well, that might be good. Hopefully that means the weather will warm up while I run.  I don't like running in this coldish-ness." 

Mile 1.0:  "Damn, forgot to set stopwatch on my ipod." (Immediately set stopwatch on my ipod.)

Mile 1.1: "Damn, again. Also forgot to tuck in my undershirt." (Stop briefly to tuck in my undershirt.)

Mile 2: "La la, this is great. Running feels so refreshing and spiritual. Truly lovely to be outside in the fresh air. I could just run and run forever!"

Mile 3: "I should intermittently do grapevines to give my knees a rest and simultaneously strengthen my inner and outer thighs to help with balance and stability.  Ray Lewis does grapevines, and look how agile he is!"

Mile 3.2: "Hmmm...grapevines take a surprising amount of effort to cover a surprisingly small distance. Think will stick to running for now. Maybe will try to reincorporate some grapevines at the end of my run."

Mile 4: "Love this song!! Bruce Springsteen! Thank goodness for my psychic-friend-ipod. Will play this at least three or four more times in a row.  Very motivated.  Could run forever!"

Mile 5: "I wonder if the lady on this street will be out again this weekend cleaning up her lawn. She must of thought I was a lunatic running past her every hour last weekend."

Mile 5.5: "Did not see lady...maybe the next lap.  Hate this last mile of my loop.  It's always so trafficy and the roads are narrow and I have to stop at crosswalks and pay attention in order to avoid getting flattened by an F-150.....Maybe during my second lap I will switch direction and get this annoying last bit over with first. That would also give me a different pattern of hills to run, since I'd be going the opposite of the way I normally go."

Mile 6: "One lap down, only two more to go! Hooray!"

Mile 6.1: "Oh darn, I forgot I was planning on switching directions.  I am going the same direction I was in my first lap.  Force of habit...oops. Maybe will change on my third lap, if I can remember.....If  I even decide to do a third lap.  Oh, stop it. You HAVE to do a third lap.  You are not going to be prepared for the marathon.  Do not even think of stopping as an option."

Mile 7: "How come, even when I'm running in a circle, I am ALWAYS running into the wind?!?! Dear Wind, Please cease and desist with your incessant blowing before March 26, as I have a race I need to run. I hate you. GO AWAY!"

Mile 8: "My ipod is on a shuffling streak of terrible songs....I seem to be getting one okay/mediocre song for every ten songs I forward through.  And, it's also annoyingly gravitating towards books-on-tape.  Books on tape are so great for long plane rides, but so inconvenient when they pop up on your ipod during a run.  You would think Steve Jobs would have thought of this and remedied that situation somehow."

Mile 9: "Sad, all the lacrosse boys are finished with their practice/scrimmage/whatever they were doing.  I wish they were still being cardiovascular, just like I am still being cardiovascular."

Mile 10: "Have to stop for a moment and stretch my legs...approaching the boring and trafficy last leg of my loop. Boo..."

Mile 11: "UGH...I wish it was my last lap instead of my second lap.  Maybe I will shorten my final lap a bit...16 miles?  That would still be a decent length for the training run...You are being a wimp, Mary-Michael. You finish the run you set out to do."

Mile 12: "DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!! My license is gone. GONE! It was in my running pants pocket and now it is missing.  It has to be somewhere along the route I just went. Will have to run the entirety of the route again now, regardless just so I can find my license.  Better go the trafficy way first...hopefully it wasn't run over by a Prius.  Positive is, I remembered to reverse my direction and I am now motivated (forced) to run the last lap."

Mile 13: "Should I tell the man walking his dog that I lost my license and that he should keeps his eyes out?....No, that's ridiculous...then what would he do, chase you down?  He had to be at least sixty years old, and he doesn't know where you're running...he could mail it to me, I suppose.  But, then again, wouldn't any rational person who found my license do just that without any instruction from me? Probably....Will not mention anything to dog walkers."

Mile 14: "Still no sign of license. Why is my ipod only playing slow ballads and I'm-not-even-sure-why-I-own-this-song songs?? Doesn't it know I am in need of some extra-motivational music at this moment?!?"

Mile 14.5: "Why is it always my left leg and foot that causes me pain and grief? My right leg is always fine and my left leg gets every ailment known to runners. AND whats-more, the stupid running-store consultant didn't shed any light on that! All he really said was that my right arch collapses and I should buy $100 custom-made insoles from him to correct that. Ha!--Fat chance, Bucko! Why would i buy insoles from you that are ridiculously over-priced for my one foot that actually works right?!  I was not born yesterday, running-store salesman!"

Mile 14.6: At this moment, my left ankle completely buckled and I stumbled forward, nearly crashing to the ground....I think I hit a rock, but still.) "Grrrr....you see? Stupid, cursed left foot! Like that movie with Daniel Day Lewis...'My Left Foot.'  Except, I think that is actually a very serious movie, based on a true story.  Should not make jokes."

Mile 15: "Still no sign of license. But, there is a runner girl--a fellow runner, out to enjoy the sunshine and feel the pavement under her feet! Hooray--comradeship!

Mile 15.1: "Humph...runner girl, whose legs looked as if they could easily come up to my shoulders, has bolted off looking fresh, energetic, comfortable and athletic. I feel like a sore, tired, sweaty, stubby, chubby runt-runner, who is over-dressed in the now-quite-warm sunlight.  And, I still can't find my license! Wish I could telepathically inform the runner girl to look for it as she bounds ahead of me..."

Mile 16: "Have lost sight of runner girl....she must not be running the Hilly Miller sequence in the same way I am. I am going to have to stop and walk for a minute. Maybe the next uphill..."

Mile 16.3: "Small victory--only had to walk for about 30 or 45 seconds, then felt refreshed and ready to go!....or at least ready for my run to be over...I've been running for over three hours now.  Hmmm...maybe I'll get back to my car and find a message from the boy I like...three hours is a long time to be separated from phone in the 21st century...."

Mile 17: "Almost done--yay! Should try to do grapevines now that I'm almost finished with my run. I can give my knees a break..."

Mile 17.001: "Nope, grapevines after 17 miles is definitely a mistake....still no license..."

Mile 17.8: "Thank you, ipod! How did you know just what to play right now! I am so re-energized with this song, I am going to sing-along. I don't care who hears me!"

Mile 17.9: "Oh, damn it. I was so engrossed in my song/singing, that I lost focus on this last part of the run, which is where I tucked in my shirt and where I think I lost my license. I'm an idiot. I should take ginkobaloba or something herbal to focus better and not get distracted."

Mile 18: "Hooray! The end! I finished my long training run all by myself! Unfortunately, my last six miles did not yield a license..."

Not to worry, I ended up getting in my car and, as I was pulling out, i saw my license, about 100 yards or so from where I started running.  Thank goodness! Although, having to look for my license was a great motivator for finishing my last lap in its entirety.  What do you think about when you're running?  How do you keep going during the long not-fun parts when you feel like it will never end?

Just for fun Friday...

Oh goody---a fun questionnaire that doesn't require much thought! Perfect for a lazy Friday blog-post. 

• (A) Age: 29 & 3 months. 
• (B) Bed Size: Full
• (C) Chore You Really Dislike: Dusting
• (D) Dogs: My family has two older dogs that live with my dad , but I'd like a doggie of my own...
• (E) Essential Start To Your Day: Brushing teeth
• (F) Favorite Color: Orange, Pink, Purple, sometimes Green....
  
• (G) Gold or Silver: Platinum!
• (H) Height: 5'5"--almost.
• (I) Instruments You Play: I played the Tuba in middle school and can play 3rd-grader piano. Poorly.
  
• (J) Job Title: Blogger.  In reality, working on a title upgrade of some sort ASAP. 
  
• (K) Kids: None, but hopefully eventually.
  
• (L) Live:DC-Metropolitan area.
  
• (M) Mom's Name: Robin
• (N) Nicknames: M&M
• (O) Overnight Hospital Stays: None, thankfully.
  
• (P) Pet Peeve: Expensive hotels that nickel and dime you.
  
• (Q) Quote From A Movie: "I'm shocked--shocked--that there's gambling in this establishment!"
• (R) Right or Left Handed: Lefty--sinister.
  
• (S) Siblings: 2 younger siblings--brother & sister.
  
• (T) Time You Wake Up: Anywhere between 5:30am and 10:00am.
  
• (U) Underwear: preferred.
  
• (V) Vegetable You Dislike: cooked spinach. let's eat slime. 
  
• (W) What Makes You Run Late:I'm always late, without any provocation.
  
• (X) X-Rays: most recently my foot & knee for potential running injuries.
  
• (Y) Yummy Food You Make: I make amazing deviled eggs, homemade mac& cheese, and peaches & cream pie. 
• (Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Elephants and quirky cats (not cutesy cats, just oddball ones.) 

Self-Sacrifce

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent.  For us Catholics, Lent is the 40 day period of self-sacrifice, reflection and deprivation before Easter. (and why most people use the Tuesday preceding to be completely gluttonous--"Laissez les bons temps rouler!") Its purpose is to commemorate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, resisting the devil's temptations, before he began his ministry.

I am not currently a very good or practicing Catholic, but I do like the concept of Lent.  I like taking the time to try to deprive oneself of something important and valued and to test one's will-power.  I believe it makes us appreciate how much we have available to us on a regular basis.

Having said that, I should also note that I am absolutely terrible at giving things up for Lent. Awful.  Last year I tried to give up cheese.  I don't think I made it one day. Not ONE day!  I really am not sure how I would live without cheese.  I was insane to try.  I've heard of people giving up sweets (or--heaven forbid--sugar all together!) and I cannot imagine. Especially since now is the prime-time to pick up my favorite candy: Easter Egg Peanut Butter M&M's.  A girlfriend of mine gave up fried foods (& another one gave up Mexican) but, though I love both of those things, I don't indulge in either very often.  It wouldn't be a sacrifice.

Things that would be very hard for me to sacrifice:
Coffee/caffiene
Sugar
Drinking/Wine
Cheese
Meat

Things it would be moderately hard for me to sacrifice:
Dining Out/Happy Hour
Sushi
Panera
Subway
Vapiano
One specific type of Dessert: Nutella, PB M&M's, etc.

Things it would be easy for me to sacrifice:
Hard Liquor/Beer
Crab Dip/Crab Pretzels
Chinese Food
Mexican Food
Sex (should be a piece of cake if my dating status continues as placidly as it has been.)

What I usually do, to ensure complete and total failure, is to try to sacrifice everything on list 2 & 3, to make up for not sacrificing anything on list one.  This will most likely be the outcome this year again....If anyone out there is actually vigilantly sacrificing a beloved treat, I applaud your efforts and your willpower. 

Finally, I stole this from Mark Shea's blog because it made me giggle:

Win some, lose some...

Cardiovascular WIN of the day:  I just got the super-secret-early-registration email for the Las Vegas Rock & Roll Marathon.  It's the bargain-basement price of $121 (plus the $10 in cursed fees) for either the Half or the Full.  I think doing the Half would be a wiser decision, because I will still need to have energy and stamina to go out and dance all night shortly after getting my medal.  But, temptation got the better of me and I signed up for the Full....it was the same price as the half, due to this super-secret-sale, and I will have just completed the Richmond Full Marathon less than a month earlier.  I think I'll still be in Full-Marathon shape, barring any unforeseen injuries or problems.  I can always downgrade, but I didn't want to sign up for the half, then decide I would rather upgrade and end up paying an extra $30-50.  So, still undecided, but at leas tI'm signed up.
I'm very excited!  I was googling the race today--people can get married while they run, at the "run-thru" wedding chapel.  How crazy?....How ultimately Viva Las Vegas.
Best of all, the race is 4 days before my 30th birthday--what better way to close out my twenties than a brisk run down the Las Vegas strip??

PS - I want to do this race dressed as a Running-Elvis!:

Cardiovascular FAILURE of the day:  I was planning on not running this evening, but to cross-train and weight-train with an hour-long BodyPump class followed by an hour-long spinning class.  I love both classes, because they take place right after work, and are an easy way for me to fit in two hours of working out without having it actually feel like two hours of working out.  Also, it protects my poor knees from the harshness of running on consecutive days.  But, while I remembered most all of my gym essentials that I usually forget: sports bra, white socks, hair ties, etc. I forgot my sneakers--a rather essential element to working out in public and not an item I can quickly pick up at the sports store en route to class. I'm annoyed with myself and disappointed.
I usually wear my running sneakers to work a la Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl," but as we are expecting a monsoon-style rain this evening, I wore my boots and completely forgot my sneaks.  I'm pretty sure I would get several double-takes if I strolled into spin class in my wellies and gym shorts.  I would make for quite a sight!  I will now have to pay full-price on the metro to go home (at peak-of-the-peak-fare time) which I detest doing, only to try to replicate a similar long workout at home.  It's harder....there's no instructor and once I get home, my motivation begins to lag.  Cross your fingers that I can construct and complete some semblance of home-workout...I only have 19 days until the National Marathon....dun, dun, DUN!

Let's book it!!

Happy FAT Tuesday, everyone!! I actually, for better or worse, had a very "skinny" Tuesday, believe it or not.  I did a great morning Ab workout, ran 4 miles (doing some much-needed work on my speed) and settled in with a light dinner to watch my very FAVORITE episode of Sex & the City--The Final Episode.  (I cry every time Mr. Big shows up in the hotel in Paris....ahhhh....love love Mr. Big.)

"I am a person who is looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love."

Anyway, back to my blog....This spring, my Alumni Weekend is the weekend of April 17.  (My college did not have a football team, but we have a killer lacrosse team, so instead of homecoming in the fall, we have Alumni Weekend in the spring.) It will be the first Alumni Weekend I will be able to attend in several years, because since 2008, I've had work-related travel that always falls on the same weekend.  So I'm thrilled the stars seemed to have aligned--I'm free that weekend! I got the brochure in my mailbox today, and the lineup of events is surprisingly fun-filled and all-inclusive.

My only small concern is that my college is a very small liberal arts college so, with every year that passes since graduation, I feel as if I know less and less faces around campus.  For that reason, I always approach AW with a little trepidation.  I worry now that I've become so far removed from college, I won't have as much fun and/or I won't feel as connected.  I graduated in 2003 and most of my close friends from college will not be attending.  Of those that are going, the majority will be bringing their husbands, babies and fetuses in tow...which means, they most likely will not be sharing a cheap hotel with a lushy 29 year old.  This typically also means less drinking (no drinking in the case of the pregnant ladies) less dancing and earlier nights.  I don't like that part of growing up...Alumni Weekend should be a complete reversion back to college age antics, right?  drinking until all hours of the night, dancing on tables at the frat houses, watching 40-year old men relive their youth by sliding off rooftops on mattresses....Hmmmm....even if that doesn't happen,  hopefully, it will still be a fantastic time regardless! 

This year, it should be especially interesting because, it just so happens that AW coincides with the Blue Ridge Parkway Marathon & Half Marathon, which takes place only a few short miles down the road.  I've been itching to run this since I found out about it last winter, and I cannot wait to sign up!  (Actually, I can wait because obviously I waited until this week when the price goes up.)  Best of all, I think I've convinced at least one of my sorority sisters to run it with me. Hurrah!  It will be her first half marathon, which makes me extra-excited. (It'll be the fourth time I'll have run with a first-timer!)

Anyway, this week I'm taking action. No more procrastinating. I'm registering for the race and booking the hotel tomorrow.  Hopefully I'll find a roommate with whom to be debaucherous.... stay tuned....

Miami Assessment

Before I left for Miami two weeks ago, I created an ambitiously healthy list of my goals for the trip.  I did not stick to them all, but I think I did a decent job of not over-doing it the ways I have in the past.  (Sidenote: I also got an offer to stay at the Miami River Inn when I come down for the marathon next January--apparently it's right by the start line! Yay!--Hopefully they'll remember me, when I call them to reserve a room next winter.)


Here is my diet assessment:

First goal: No more than 1 alcohol unit per day.
Grade: C.  I'm giving myself a C because about half of the days I had two or more, but half of the days I stuck to one. On the few nights I had to buy dinner for myself, booze was so expensive ($9 draft beer and $14 Pinot Noir) that it was easy to stick to just one.  My wallet wouldn't let me over-do it!  But, sometimes during the cocktail hours I found myself so wound-up from the stress of the day (we are going, going, going most of the day and it's hard to slow down,) and so thirsty (it was Miami, after all) that one small glass of wine would not cut it.  I had to go in for a second round.  To my credit, I never drank wine that was brought around to our table, and I only had more than two drinks on our last evening in town.  We had purchased the alcohol for two events, and could only return some of it (we couldn't return the bottles that had been on ice.) So, because it would have all gone to waste, the remaining staff members on the trip, including me, polished off a good portion of the leftovers. Even then, I still did not have too much, but definitely more than 3 to 4 glasses. I probably should have given myself an F-grade, since I rarely stuck to just one glass, but overall I think I showed restraint.

Second Goal: No hotel room munchies.
Grade: C.  I did buy two (TWO!) big bags of Peanut Butter Easter-Egg M&M's.  But, I shared them with the group...so, I did NOT consume both bags in their entirety. (This doesn't sound like much, but it's a great feat of willpower for me.) The only other items in my room were low-fat protein shakes (for breakfast) and 0-calorie Vitamin Waters.  Compared to the chocolate covered pretzels, chips, etc. that I normally have on hand, this is exemplary.

Third Goal: Limit coffee.
Grade: A-.  I officially cannot do this and be a functional human being.  There were no coffee makers in the rooms (a hotel pet peeve of mine) so I had to buy a $3 cup of coffee at the hotel bar. I have a problem with this, so I tried to skip my morning coffee.  By 11:30am, my head would not stop throbbing.  I could barely focus on meetings.  I quickly GPS-ed a Starbucks for an emergency pit-stop.  (Fortunately, my boss is a Starbucks fanatic as well, so this was not a big inconvenience.)  I know many people tout the merits of a caffeine-free existence, but unless I'm carrying a baby, I'm going to continue to fuel this addiction.  I did try though, and I surely suffered. So I gave myself a higher grade. (I'd be such an easy grader if I was a teacher!)
 
Forth Goal: Only eat dessert (or really any of the food) if it looks and subsequently tastes REALLY delicious!!
Grade: A!  I actually did this!  I stayed away from the desserts I don't like.  If I tasted something and it wasn't what I wanted, I stopped eating it...including the over-cooked filet mignon I was served for dinner Saturday night.  Also, in contrast to previous trips of this nature, the salad courses were always really delicious and varied (Not just a house salad, but some really interesting options with a light dressing!) So, I filled up on salads frequently. Hooray!
 
Fifth(ish) Goal: Try to workout.
Grade: F.  I worked out one morning. Just one.  It was all I could muster.  I was on my feet a lot, so I hope that balanced things out a bit, but most mornings it was all I could do to rouse myself in time to shower and be in the lobby on time. I'm not surprised because that's how these trips usually turn out, but I think that's why being extra vigilant about my diet is even more important when traveling.

The beautiful & historic Biltmore Hotel (would be even more beautiful with in-room coffee makers....)

All in all, I was proud of myself.  I enjoyed the good food and social atmosphere without overdoing it, the way I have done in the past.  Now I have to be even more vigilant as the National Marathon is less than three weeks away....

Getting caught up!!

I'm back (somewhat sadly) from sunny warm Miami! It was definitely wonderful to get out of the cold, exceptionally windy Mid-Atlantic region and into the warm sunny perfection that is South-Floridian weather.  I will be posting a few blog-entries that I wanted to post while traveling, but I didn't have time, so stay tuned....

Java Head: Site of Dinner last Sunday. Beautiful.

I am happy to report that I did not do [too] badly diet-wise in Florida. There were some caloric indiscretions, but I think for the most part, they were thoughtful, balanced and usually worth every calorie. (Yes, there were Peanut-Butter Easter Egg M&M's involved, but, they were utterly amazing.  The egg shape means more peanut butter in the PB-to-Chocolate ratio, and they are, in my opinion, absolute candy perfection. I can't help myself!)  Otherwise, during my trip, I had a small protein shake for breakfast most days, a larger lunch (no alcohol at lunch for me, thanks!) and usually a small and/or carb-free dinner of salad and fish. I did indulge in 1-2 glasses of wine at dinner, but that was it.  And with an hour of cocktails before dinner, it's hard to not have anything.  The only exception was the staff party on the last night in town--that involved more drinking and eating, less sleep and lots of much-needed rowdiness.

Exercise, on the other hand, was a different story entirely--non-existent, unless you count the 16 hours I spent on my feet each day.  (That has to be burning something, right?)  I might also include calories burned by the ridiculously heavy laptop I had to lug to several events....I thought it was going to pull my shoulder out of its socket! It made an ipad is sound more and more appealing...

Now, I'm realizing that I only have 23 days left to prepare for the National Marathon (EEK!) and I need to crack down and work on my strength and speed, so I don't get swept off the course before the finish!  I did 1.5 hours of weight training yesterday (Body Pump and 30min of Abs-of-Steel) and also a quick 1.5 miles run on the treadmill to get my body back into the swing of things.  This morning I did a different, more strenuous ab workout, and I'd love to be able to go on a longer run this evening, but I completely forgot I said I'd be my girlfriend's "plus-one" to her office party tonight, so I won't have time for any cardio.  I will also have to be careful not to over indulge tonight.  The clock is ticking....with the exception of tonight and possibly St. Patrick's Day, I will have to be exceptionally diligent for the rest of this month.  Cross your fingers, we are counting down!!