Whew...one blog a month. I'm exhausted.
My lovely children continue to grow and flourish in spite of my lackadaisical parenting skills, which is wonderful. They have been (knock wood) quite healthy this year aside from the occaisional sniffles. The twins are fat and sassy, saying new words every day. They are all about looking in the mirror and talking to the "other baby". I'm pretty sure that when each one looks in the mirror he identifies his own reflection as his brother.
Lily adores 4K and asks every morning "Do I have 4K today?!?". Friday is her least favorite day because there's no 4K on Fridays. I'm so glad she likes school, it makes everything easier.
Now. For the Crazy Pants:
I have decided to run a marathon. Specifically the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon on 5/20/12. My training starts January 1! I'm intimidated and excited all at the same time. I'm doing Insanity right now (which is "bananas, yo" in the words of Shaun T), and am thinking it will make me a faster runner. Lots of plyo for speed :)
My friend Laura is debating signing up as well. I'm not counting on training with her, though. She's not an all-weather kind of runner, and will likely be treadmilling it for the most part. Me? I LOVE winter training. LOVE IT.
So there it is. In print. I'm going to run a marathon. Along with a couple of 5Ks and half marathons in my training schedule.
May the force (or the Schwartz) be with me...
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Running in the N.E.W
This morning was the perfect run. I went long, and not fast at all. It was civil twilight when I left the house, and the sun rose into a clear blue sky. It lit the trees into firey shades of orange, red, and gold.
If you know me, you know I'm a cold weather runner. You can have those hideous sweatfests that are August runs, I'll take a 35 degree morning any day of the week. This is my perfect time of year. No snow, no ice, just frost and my breath in the air. A pair of cheap gloves, a smart-alecky hat, and I'm on my way.
There is something wonderful about Northeastern Wisconsin. In the spring and summer it is 1,000 shades of green, like no place else in this country (and I've lived all over it). But autumn? Autumn is special. In September and October, northeast Wisconsin explodes into a rainbow of color. The farm fields turn golden, and then are tilled under, releasing the smell of fresh earth. The trees begin changing with little peeks of color, and then WHAM! It's a crazy collage of beauty, with little brick churches, red barns, and deer dotting the landscape. This morning the visual beauty was heightened for me by the smell of woodsmoke and damp leaves. As I turned downhill by the little brick church in my neighborhood, fields bordered by trees spread out before me, terminating in the sparkling water of Green Bay.
Today I feel lucky to be alive and a runner in this place. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face...and over 12.42 miles, that's a lot of smiling.
One of these days I'm going to photograph my favorite routes and post them. One of these days...
If you know me, you know I'm a cold weather runner. You can have those hideous sweatfests that are August runs, I'll take a 35 degree morning any day of the week. This is my perfect time of year. No snow, no ice, just frost and my breath in the air. A pair of cheap gloves, a smart-alecky hat, and I'm on my way.
There is something wonderful about Northeastern Wisconsin. In the spring and summer it is 1,000 shades of green, like no place else in this country (and I've lived all over it). But autumn? Autumn is special. In September and October, northeast Wisconsin explodes into a rainbow of color. The farm fields turn golden, and then are tilled under, releasing the smell of fresh earth. The trees begin changing with little peeks of color, and then WHAM! It's a crazy collage of beauty, with little brick churches, red barns, and deer dotting the landscape. This morning the visual beauty was heightened for me by the smell of woodsmoke and damp leaves. As I turned downhill by the little brick church in my neighborhood, fields bordered by trees spread out before me, terminating in the sparkling water of Green Bay.
Today I feel lucky to be alive and a runner in this place. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face...and over 12.42 miles, that's a lot of smiling.
One of these days I'm going to photograph my favorite routes and post them. One of these days...
Monday, September 26, 2011
A Pissy PR.
So after a week of zero athletic effort, I set out to PR in the 5K on Saturday morning at the Eastbay Rib Mountain Half-Marathon/5K for Special Olympics.
It was a very foggy, miserable kind of morning. I was a little worried we were going to be stuck in a rainstorm (my dear husband was doing the half), but the sky cleared and it was a beautiful 47ish degrees at the start. The sun even came out and lit up the trees on the side of Rib as we crossed the bridge. It was lovely.
I should preface this by saying that typically I'm a 10-min-mile kind of a girl. My previous 5K PR was 30:20. I have also never barfed due to exercise. Ever. Never ever.
This was the first running of this race, so it was lightly attended. About 175 half-marathoners and about 180 5K run/walkers. There was no chip for the 5K, so my time is the one from my Garmin.
We were off right on time, and I was feeling pretty good. I started passing people and thought "Huh. That's odd. I don't pass people."
But it kept happening.
The course is flatish, straight, and out-and-back, so you can see everyone ahead of you. I kept gaining and gaining. It was weird. My GPS chirped. My mile split...8:50.
WTF? I do NOT run sub-9s.
So I kept on, still feeling good...pretty scenery. I see the leader coming back, but I can also actually see the turnaround at the same time. A novel experience. I blow by the water station (really, do you need water on a 3 mile run when it's 45 degrees? mais non) and am thinking "Holy crap. Still passing people and I can see the park we came from!"
Chirp. 8:40.....whaaaaaaa?
At the mile 2 marker, I started to feel like I was going to barf. Like really going to barf. This had never happened on a run (Never. Never ever.). I slowed to a walk for about 30 seconds. Then I thought to myself "NO. You will NOT just STOP. You will finish running, you pansy ass."
So I picked it up and kept on, somewhat slower.
Finishing time? 29:30. Finishing distance 3.2 miles. The course was long. Bastards.
I could have finished sub-27 if I hadn't blown up at mile 2. I was so NOT expecting that to happen. I might have been sub-29 if the course had not been long. So these are my pissy things about my PR. Still, it's a PR and I proved that I really can run faster than previously thought.
My husband? 2:10, and he walked most of the last 2 miles because his knee went "NO. NO! NONONONONONONONONONONONO!!!!!" at about mile 11.5. Jackass.
A few things about the race:
1. The start/finish is in a very nice park in Wausau. Plenty of parking.
2. The course is really beautiful. Especially at this time of year. The last little bit is on a windy train through the park, which was neat. Watching the finishers come in through the trees was kind of cool. Good police presence on the roads near the park, and the traffic lane on one side of the road was blocked off for us. I believe the course was open to traffic on Rib, but don't quote me on that.
3. Starbucks, Eastbay, GU, Subway, and Qdoba were sponsors. What does this mean?
a. Free (awesome!) coffee/tea at the start and finish
b. High quality finishers shirt (cotton for 5K and tech for half)
c. Free GU (and not a crappy flavor!) in your goody bag.
d. Free Spenco slides and insoles,queso and chips, and sandwiches at the finish
4. The had the Spicy Tie band! Those guys are awesome!
5. There were a number of Special O athletes giving high fives at the finish. I think that's great.
I don't have anything really negative to say about the experience aside from the course being a tad long. It's not like I was trying to qualify for anything, though, so it doesn't really matter. My husband is on the state Special O committee, so he knows the organizers. We suggested porta-johns and garbage cans nearer to the start. It was kind of a hike to go pee before the start, and I had nowhere to toss my water bottle when the start buzzer went off.
Put this one on your calendars for next year, people. I think I'll do the half next year. It'll be a nice tune up for the Whistlestop Marathon!
It was a very foggy, miserable kind of morning. I was a little worried we were going to be stuck in a rainstorm (my dear husband was doing the half), but the sky cleared and it was a beautiful 47ish degrees at the start. The sun even came out and lit up the trees on the side of Rib as we crossed the bridge. It was lovely.
I should preface this by saying that typically I'm a 10-min-mile kind of a girl. My previous 5K PR was 30:20. I have also never barfed due to exercise. Ever. Never ever.
This was the first running of this race, so it was lightly attended. About 175 half-marathoners and about 180 5K run/walkers. There was no chip for the 5K, so my time is the one from my Garmin.
We were off right on time, and I was feeling pretty good. I started passing people and thought "Huh. That's odd. I don't pass people."
But it kept happening.
The course is flatish, straight, and out-and-back, so you can see everyone ahead of you. I kept gaining and gaining. It was weird. My GPS chirped. My mile split...8:50.
WTF? I do NOT run sub-9s.
So I kept on, still feeling good...pretty scenery. I see the leader coming back, but I can also actually see the turnaround at the same time. A novel experience. I blow by the water station (really, do you need water on a 3 mile run when it's 45 degrees? mais non) and am thinking "Holy crap. Still passing people and I can see the park we came from!"
Chirp. 8:40.....whaaaaaaa?
At the mile 2 marker, I started to feel like I was going to barf. Like really going to barf. This had never happened on a run (Never. Never ever.). I slowed to a walk for about 30 seconds. Then I thought to myself "NO. You will NOT just STOP. You will finish running, you pansy ass."
So I picked it up and kept on, somewhat slower.
Finishing time? 29:30. Finishing distance 3.2 miles. The course was long. Bastards.
I could have finished sub-27 if I hadn't blown up at mile 2. I was so NOT expecting that to happen. I might have been sub-29 if the course had not been long. So these are my pissy things about my PR. Still, it's a PR and I proved that I really can run faster than previously thought.
My husband? 2:10, and he walked most of the last 2 miles because his knee went "NO. NO! NONONONONONONONONONONONO!!!!!" at about mile 11.5. Jackass.
A few things about the race:
1. The start/finish is in a very nice park in Wausau. Plenty of parking.
2. The course is really beautiful. Especially at this time of year. The last little bit is on a windy train through the park, which was neat. Watching the finishers come in through the trees was kind of cool. Good police presence on the roads near the park, and the traffic lane on one side of the road was blocked off for us. I believe the course was open to traffic on Rib, but don't quote me on that.
3. Starbucks, Eastbay, GU, Subway, and Qdoba were sponsors. What does this mean?
a. Free (awesome!) coffee/tea at the start and finish
b. High quality finishers shirt (cotton for 5K and tech for half)
c. Free GU (and not a crappy flavor!) in your goody bag.
d. Free Spenco slides and insoles,queso and chips, and sandwiches at the finish
4. The had the Spicy Tie band! Those guys are awesome!
5. There were a number of Special O athletes giving high fives at the finish. I think that's great.
I don't have anything really negative to say about the experience aside from the course being a tad long. It's not like I was trying to qualify for anything, though, so it doesn't really matter. My husband is on the state Special O committee, so he knows the organizers. We suggested porta-johns and garbage cans nearer to the start. It was kind of a hike to go pee before the start, and I had nowhere to toss my water bottle when the start buzzer went off.
Put this one on your calendars for next year, people. I think I'll do the half next year. It'll be a nice tune up for the Whistlestop Marathon!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Good-Bye, My Friend
On Saturday evening, my friend Nicki was thrown from her motorcycle after a freak encounter with a bird. She died on Sunday, after giving the gift of life and healing to countless people as an organ donor. She never wore a helmet, and fully understood the implications of that choice.
She was 32.
She leaves behind a husband and son that loved her very much. It was obvious how much she loved them, too. Her workstation at the hospital was covered with pictures of her family, including a calendar made special with her son's face.
Nicki was one of the most vibrant people I have ever known. She lived every moment of her life to it's fullest. She was perpetually smiling and laughing. Her laugh was amazing. Full throated, head thrown back, total abandon. She loved to party, hang out with her friends and family, and most of all? Ride her motorcycle. She loved that bike. She worked two jobs to get it, and she rode it whenever she could. She dreamt of Harley Davidson tattoos...hell, she even married a man named Harley.
It gives me some comfort to know she left this life doing something she loved, riding down the road with someone she loved. Live fast...die young...and leave a good-looking corpse.
I will always miss her. But even though I'm crying today, I know that in the future when this grief has dulled....I'll think of Nicki, and I'll smile.
RIP Nicki. We all love you.
She was 32.
She leaves behind a husband and son that loved her very much. It was obvious how much she loved them, too. Her workstation at the hospital was covered with pictures of her family, including a calendar made special with her son's face.
Nicki was one of the most vibrant people I have ever known. She lived every moment of her life to it's fullest. She was perpetually smiling and laughing. Her laugh was amazing. Full throated, head thrown back, total abandon. She loved to party, hang out with her friends and family, and most of all? Ride her motorcycle. She loved that bike. She worked two jobs to get it, and she rode it whenever she could. She dreamt of Harley Davidson tattoos...hell, she even married a man named Harley.
It gives me some comfort to know she left this life doing something she loved, riding down the road with someone she loved. Live fast...die young...and leave a good-looking corpse.
I will always miss her. But even though I'm crying today, I know that in the future when this grief has dulled....I'll think of Nicki, and I'll smile.
RIP Nicki. We all love you.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
You'll Never Know if You Don't Tri
So I did a triathlon on Saturday. Yeah. It rained the whole time, which isn't that big of a deal (you know, with that whole swimming in the water thing), but it makes for a lot of wet, dirty gear.
The pros:
1. It's something different, for when you're burned out with always running, running, running.
2. It encourages more well rounded fitness (swimming is hard, yo).
The cons:
1. You need a crapload of stuff to do a tri. Bike, swimsuit/wetsuit/trisuit, bike shoes, running shoes, optional socks or quicklaces, swim cap, goggles, towels, gels, bike helmet, bike tools and spares, gear bag.
2. It's so complicated. You have to think about each stage and it's unique fueling/hydrating needs.
3. If you're really going to train, you're looking at a major time commitment.
4. Swimming in open water with 20 other people? Yeah. It sucks.
5. Biking with no clear destination gets a little boring, and that much time on a bike? Hurts your va-jay-jay.
6. I can't express the amount of dirt that was in all my gear. I know some of that has to do with the rain and the transition area, but holy moly was my stuff dirty.
Bottom line: I'm glad I did it, but I have no desire to do it again. I might to the Cloverleaf Lakes Tri again, just because I'm sort of from there and my friends do it. I will never, never sign up for a larger tri. Tri people are nuts. They are SO focused and obsessed with being tri people...it's really intimidating. I know people feel that way about runners and racing, but I've always found the running community to be really welcoming and friendly. Not that the tri people were unfriendly, plenty of them were nice, but I could sense their irritation with the newbies when we were in the water. I exercise to clear my head, but the tri just cluttered my brain with logistical nightmares. Not very relaxing!
My 9 miler on Monday, though? It was awesome beyond belief. It was 45 glorious degrees at sunrise and I felt great. First mile was almost 12min, but it's up a huge hill and I wasn't warmed up. I ran every mile faster than the one before, culminating in an 8:47. The last half of my run was all sub-10s. I was so happy. At the end of it I felt centered and happy...uplifted. At the end of the tri I just felt....wet.
Ok. I just got off a third shift and I'm fading fast. Gotta get some sleep, and maybe a little hiking/walking later!
The pros:
1. It's something different, for when you're burned out with always running, running, running.
2. It encourages more well rounded fitness (swimming is hard, yo).
The cons:
1. You need a crapload of stuff to do a tri. Bike, swimsuit/wetsuit/trisuit, bike shoes, running shoes, optional socks or quicklaces, swim cap, goggles, towels, gels, bike helmet, bike tools and spares, gear bag.
2. It's so complicated. You have to think about each stage and it's unique fueling/hydrating needs.
3. If you're really going to train, you're looking at a major time commitment.
4. Swimming in open water with 20 other people? Yeah. It sucks.
5. Biking with no clear destination gets a little boring, and that much time on a bike? Hurts your va-jay-jay.
6. I can't express the amount of dirt that was in all my gear. I know some of that has to do with the rain and the transition area, but holy moly was my stuff dirty.
Bottom line: I'm glad I did it, but I have no desire to do it again. I might to the Cloverleaf Lakes Tri again, just because I'm sort of from there and my friends do it. I will never, never sign up for a larger tri. Tri people are nuts. They are SO focused and obsessed with being tri people...it's really intimidating. I know people feel that way about runners and racing, but I've always found the running community to be really welcoming and friendly. Not that the tri people were unfriendly, plenty of them were nice, but I could sense their irritation with the newbies when we were in the water. I exercise to clear my head, but the tri just cluttered my brain with logistical nightmares. Not very relaxing!
My 9 miler on Monday, though? It was awesome beyond belief. It was 45 glorious degrees at sunrise and I felt great. First mile was almost 12min, but it's up a huge hill and I wasn't warmed up. I ran every mile faster than the one before, culminating in an 8:47. The last half of my run was all sub-10s. I was so happy. At the end of it I felt centered and happy...uplifted. At the end of the tri I just felt....wet.
Ok. I just got off a third shift and I'm fading fast. Gotta get some sleep, and maybe a little hiking/walking later!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Seven is My Lucky Number (I Guess)
Went out for a 7 miler on Sunday. It was about 60, sunny, with a slight cool breeze. I tried a new route that the hubs suggested, and Voila! A happy run.
It's about friggin' time.
I was really worried that I was going to overheat, just based on the intensity of the sun. It was seriously the loveliest run I've had in....well....about 3 months. I averaged 10:30s, which is all I really wanted, and I felt strong the whole time. I really needed a "win" on Sunday, and I got it.
Soooo....next weekend is training with my friend Joanne. An 8 mile run, and a 20ish mile bike. Why, you may ask?
Because I am signed up to do a triathlon on 9/3. What the hell was I thinking. Oh yeah...I was thinking about the race shirt.
Damn race shirts get me every time. (I love the race shirts)
It's a little creepy, actually.
It's about friggin' time.
I was really worried that I was going to overheat, just based on the intensity of the sun. It was seriously the loveliest run I've had in....well....about 3 months. I averaged 10:30s, which is all I really wanted, and I felt strong the whole time. I really needed a "win" on Sunday, and I got it.
Soooo....next weekend is training with my friend Joanne. An 8 mile run, and a 20ish mile bike. Why, you may ask?
Because I am signed up to do a triathlon on 9/3. What the hell was I thinking. Oh yeah...I was thinking about the race shirt.
Damn race shirts get me every time. (I love the race shirts)
It's a little creepy, actually.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Mommy Hasn't Been Here in a While
Yeah. Blog fail. Oh well. It's not like anyone's reading this thing!
Back to training and bike commuting, and after a few trying days with a flat tire, it seems to be going well!
The Jerabek Challenge was this last Saturday, and my goal going in was to run the whole hot hilly thing with no walk breaks. I accomplished this goal, and took about 2.5 minutes off last year's time. I was still slow, mind you, but less so than in the past.
While I was slogging 10s through the Jerabek, Kim (Life in the Twin Lane) and Rachel (Running in Real Life) were posting sub-2 hour half marathons in Chicago. I'm not worthy.
My October half training has been painful. I feel slow and heavy. The 6lbs I've gained don't help with this, I'm sure. It's partly the heat, partly a lack of motivation. I'm just not enjoying my runs, and they don't give me the same exhiliration they used to. I'm pining for beautiful cool fall days, and hoping I can hold out until then...slogging along, getting my miles in.
I signed up for my first triathlon on 9/3. A small event in the town I went to high school in. Here's hoping I don't fail miserably. My boss's boss talked me into signing up for a duathlon with her 9/18. I haven't officially registered yet, but I promised I would, so I will. Now I just have to figure out what a person wears to compete in a triathlon...and a duathlon (which should be easier to figure out :).
I need food mojo. We've been making fabulous healthy meals for the family, and I've been eating them. In addition to every junky thing I can get my hands on. If I wasn't working out continuously, I'm sure I'd be up 20lbs. Sigh. I really wish I was one of those people who didn't have to constantly battle the scale. I wish food didn't call to me.
The other awesome development in my life? I am grinding my teeth into dust while I sleep. My new bite guard is being made as I write. So now I am about to be 34 (8/31), gaining weight, and about to be wearing a bite guard.
That's a lot of sexy, people. I hope my husband is ready to handle it. He's down about 50lbs, BTW, and looking better than ever. Asshole.
Back to training and bike commuting, and after a few trying days with a flat tire, it seems to be going well!
The Jerabek Challenge was this last Saturday, and my goal going in was to run the whole hot hilly thing with no walk breaks. I accomplished this goal, and took about 2.5 minutes off last year's time. I was still slow, mind you, but less so than in the past.
While I was slogging 10s through the Jerabek, Kim (Life in the Twin Lane) and Rachel (Running in Real Life) were posting sub-2 hour half marathons in Chicago. I'm not worthy.
My October half training has been painful. I feel slow and heavy. The 6lbs I've gained don't help with this, I'm sure. It's partly the heat, partly a lack of motivation. I'm just not enjoying my runs, and they don't give me the same exhiliration they used to. I'm pining for beautiful cool fall days, and hoping I can hold out until then...slogging along, getting my miles in.
I signed up for my first triathlon on 9/3. A small event in the town I went to high school in. Here's hoping I don't fail miserably. My boss's boss talked me into signing up for a duathlon with her 9/18. I haven't officially registered yet, but I promised I would, so I will. Now I just have to figure out what a person wears to compete in a triathlon...and a duathlon (which should be easier to figure out :).
I need food mojo. We've been making fabulous healthy meals for the family, and I've been eating them. In addition to every junky thing I can get my hands on. If I wasn't working out continuously, I'm sure I'd be up 20lbs. Sigh. I really wish I was one of those people who didn't have to constantly battle the scale. I wish food didn't call to me.
The other awesome development in my life? I am grinding my teeth into dust while I sleep. My new bite guard is being made as I write. So now I am about to be 34 (8/31), gaining weight, and about to be wearing a bite guard.
That's a lot of sexy, people. I hope my husband is ready to handle it. He's down about 50lbs, BTW, and looking better than ever. Asshole.
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