Thursday, April 30, 2009

april 2009

april 2009 - temporarily relocated to kentucky which made the running situation interesting. lost my hill strength but continued to log mileage (though mostly on the treadmill). finally got fed up with reading everyone's (multiple) race reports and hopped in a 5k. won my first race but was too busy comparing myself to much faster runners to relish the victory. (continuously working on not being so hard on myself)

total mileage: 173.13
time spent running: 24:17:07
days off: 4 (2 planned, 2 not)
abs/yoga: 6 ab workouts / 0 yoga sessions
avg resting hr: 58 (only checked it twice all month)
avg max hr: 184.00
pushups: 590


now that we are 1/3 through the year, i remembered i had set out goals for myself in 2009 and thought i should have a checkup:

running
  1. run 3 marathons. still in progress, ran disney and registered for nyc later this year. still debating on what other marathon to do and when...
  2. sub-1:30 half. ran a 1:34 in disney (beat my goal of a 1:35-1:38). haven't been doing tempo runs since january, and am not feeling too confident on a sub-1:30 later this year, but i'm not giving up yet!
  3. sub-3:35 full. didn't really have a shot at this in disney since i was racing the day before, but pretty confident i can grab this later this year (current pr 3:39).
  4. pr in at least 3 distances. 2-for-3 so far (5k, half).

health/fitness related
  1. abs 2-3 times per week. was doing ok, now failing miserably.
  2. lose at least another 5 lbs. probably failing miserably. don't quite have a scale in the hotel to know for sure.
  3. truly avoid eating foods with soy. failing even more miserably. in my defense, having to eat out 2-3 meals a day does not help. i suppose this could apply to #2 as well.
  4. yoga once per week. was doing ok, now failing miserably.

non-running
  1. pay off my car loan. targeted to have paid off in april -- but paid it off in march! my one success.
  2. re-side my house and landscape the front yard (so i don't look like the redneck neighbor anymore). this has always been planned for the summer (the siding anyway) and is still "the plan" provided i am back home then. i'm missing out on spring planting but hopefully will be able to get a few things done in the fall. guess i'll have to be the redneck for a little while longer.
  3. spend more quality time with family and friends. i'd say this is going pretty well. i try to see my parents as much as i can and i've had some fun weekends with friends.

today was another warm run (75*) but luckily (??) there were accompanying 30mph winds to keep me cool. at times i felt like i was running in place but managed a few (slow) miles. legs felt extremely sludgy today - i think the calf aches are creeping up into my quads and making them heavy.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

(not-so) crazy eights

i was tagged again earlier this week by carlee of chasing forrest gump, and must play along with my "8 things". it seems my brain has already checked out for the day; i had a hard time coming up with answers for "things i did yesterday". perhaps it's because i didn't really do anything out of the ordinary?

8 things to which i'm looking forward:
1) the nyc marathon
2) summer vacation
3) possibly making a big (to me) decision
4) moving out of this hotel
5) running a new half-marathon pr
6) the kentucky derby (of course i'm going, i'm stuck in ky anyway)
7) retirement
8) christmas with the fam

8 things i did yesterday:
1) got up early enough for a morning workout (11.6 miles/30 min on the bike)
2) enjoyed a longer-than-normal shower
3) went to bed early
4) ate m&m's
5) 120 pushups
6) won some games of freecell
7) ran up the only hill around
8) got stood up for my 'lunch-date'

8 things i would like to do
1) run or bike across the us
2) live in the caribbean
3) eat m&m's
4) visit the philippines, the homeland
5) get a beach house
6) find a cure for my allergies
7) wear my hair in a ponytail
8) get a 6-pack (and still have #3)

8 shows i watch (/have watched in the past week, i don't watch much tv)
1) cash cab - while treadmilling
2) the early morning infomercials - while getting ready for work
3) deadliest catch (reruns) - while treadmilling
4) spanish soap opera - while dining at the mexican restaurant last night
5) that's all i have, and it was a stretch to get there. :(

running this week has been going ok. i've been doing easy runs since my calves have been sore but thankfully they are feeling a little better each day. it has been pretty hot here, as it seems to be everywhere else in the us - the temps during my runs the past few days were 86*, 73* and 80*. somehow tuesday's 73* run didn't feel any cooler than monday's 86*. plus, there are zero shady spots while running along the roads. bring on the farmer's tan.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

achy calves

week in review (4/20 - 4/26):
total miles: 33.17 (3 easy runs, 1 interval/speed day, 1 race)
time spent running: ~4 hours 34 minutes
avg hr: 168.80
off days: 2 (1 scheduled, 1 unplanned soreness)

it started out as an ok week with some added motivation from the boston marathon, but then the legs filled with sludge for the rest of the week. i took thursday off because i was just plain worn out and my legs were achy. friday was a quick, short, early morning run before work and a long drive home. saturday was the race with a few extra miles for warmup/cooldown, but not as many as i had planned. i'm not too good at enforcing the post-race cooldown/easy jog that i always say i will do.

no, i am not one of those girls who has to coordinate a running outfit.
this is the only tech t-shirt i have that i actually like (/fits)
(from the baltimore marathon '06),
and those are the only running shorts i had at my house (the rest are in kentucky).

sunday i had hoped to get in a nice run along my 'old' running routes back home, but i woke up with an incredibly sore back and tight calves. both gave me trouble immediately after the race (muscle soreness/tightness) but felt better after i jogged a bit and stretched. i had yardwork/house maintenance things to do all saturday afternoon and i'm sure that contributed to the continued soreness in my back. i kind of didn't want to be rushed to cram the 100 things i had to do before hitting the road for kentucky (again) so i let the soreness win.

my back is feeling better now but my calves are still way tight/sore. they are very tender to the touch, almost like they are big bruises (minus the black 'n blue). i've been gingerly easing into a normal stride on my runs this week and constantly stretch them throughout the day. i even gave them an ice bath yesterday. i used aron's method of getting in the water first and then had the ice dumped over my legs. much less painful than forcing yourself to jump into an icy bathtub. it does seem weird that they are so sore from a 5k though - could it really have been the hills and hard effort?

as i mentioned yesterday, i don't run with music (just a personal preference/too lazy to have yet another thing to remember to take with me on a run) but i know many runners do. jill over at jill will run has a coupon code for a download from hellasound. they just released a new running mix/track thing titled "how to turn around a bad day". it's not quite the same as paris hilton, but hopefully you can get by.

Monday, April 27, 2009

music to my ears

brian, my 5k-arch-nemesis, wants to embarrass me further by publicizing my sweet music collection. fortunately for me, since i don't run with an ipod/mp3 player, there's no way i can be embarrassed right?

i'll play along anyway... with the most embarrassing, why-did-i-ever-download-these songs on my computer. after all, if i had an active mp3 player these would probably have found their way on there:

ashley tisdale - "he said she said"

yes, the girl from high school musical. quality.

lil mama - "lip gloss"

how can you argue lyrics like "my lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss be poppin', i'm standin' at my locka, and all the boys keep stoppin'"?

paris hilton - "stars are blind"

she's versatile, doesn't limit herself to dvd's...

enrique inglesias - "do you know"

maybe he should've quit while he was ahead.

evan and jaron - "crazy for this girl"

a classic from y2k

so basically what my problem is that i'm still too hooked on pop music, 'cause i would probably still turn the radio up if these songs were ever actually played. pop and hip-hop are my style though, with the occasional country song thrown in. yes, i also have hanson, britney, jessica simpson, and nick lachey (did you know he made a solo cd? it's true), but i figured those were standard answers. come on, paris hilton has sooo much more talent.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

an apology

i hope you guys don't hate me too much.

man was i whiney. i am sorry.

i am feeling more accepting of my new 5k pr - cutting off 20 seconds is not bad for a short race, and now i am that much closer to a sub-21. i was disappointed because i thought for sure i could get sub-21 since my running is way more consistent then it was when i ran the 21:27 jan '08. like many have lectured me - a pr is still a pr, and i am happy to have pr'd.

i have this tendency to compare myself to runner's of deena kastor or paula radcliffe's caliber. let's be real, i'm not an olympic athlete. i know that, but i still wish i was good enough. i need to scale back and enjoy the victories i have in my personal pr's. i know i should never compare myself to others, but when it comes to running i don't hold back. i could care less about keeping up with the jones', and yet be so disappointed to fall short of the goucher's.

i'm sorry to have been so negative. i was disappointed in myself, but excited to have won the race at the same time. i am certainly not ungrateful for a pr nor for winning. i overhead a guy telling his wife "the first female was only 21:07" after the race, and i think that put a damper on things. yes, i am aware that typically the field is much more competitive, but for this race it wasn't as much, and i lucked out. hopefully i can continue to improve and fight for a "real" win against the usual speed demons i see at the races.

this apology also goes out to myself, because i need to quit de-valuing the talent and speed i do have and not take it for granted like some of you mentioned (lectured?) :). i do enjoy running and racing, and i am excited to have a new pr to chase down again soon. i think my body is rebelling against my piss-poor attitude yesterday - my calves are tight and my back is incredibly sore. they both felt that way right when i finished the race but i stretched and did a short cool-down jog to loosen them up and work out the soreness. i slaved away in my yard all afternoon so that may have contributed to the continued back-soreness but my calves? not sure there.

thanks for putting up with my whining and negativity yesterday, though i should've taken a chill pill and kicked it to the curb way sooner. i owe you all.

i just got a stat update on kevin - 44:03 at the 10k mark! come on kev, punch that ticket to nyc!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

earth day run 5k

i quit.

on tuesday when i found out i would, in fact, be in south carolina on saturday, i signed up for a local 5k. i could've signed up for the half, but for once i had a voice of reason and only committed myself to the 5k. i haven't ran 13 miles since the goofy challenge in january, and i know i am too competitive with myself to accept what would have definitely been a slower time. (not to mention a much hillier course).

so there i was this morning, ready to run a 5k, but still nervous as anything of course. let's come right out with it. i sucked. i did terrible. sure i pr'd, but it wasn't good enough. it was about 20 seconds faster than my previous pr, which was from when i was not running as much (~20-30 mpw then vs ~40-50 mpw now) and not doing speed work. so, i just really expected a lot more out of myself.

i could come up with plenty of excuses/explanations for sucking, but it doesn't make me content with my performance...
  • i ate a "grilled chicken salad" for dinner last night from the grocery store (aka 4 nibbles of chicken)
  • it was 80+ degrees
  • i haven't ran a hill since moving to kentucky
  • maybe doing 300 pushups this week (my arms and core have been feeling it) wasn't the brightest idea
  • maybe i'm tired from workouts earlier this week?
  • my sixth toe was extra weight
  • the 90 cookies i ate this week may or may not have had some sort of negative effect
anyway. i know i pretty much hate 5k's. they're just too short, and feel like death. somehow i can handle a 7:11 pace for 13.1 miles no problem, but i would rather die than hold a sub-7:00 pace for 3.1 miles. i hate 'em, but signed up for one anyway. figured i might as well see what kind of shape i'm in, and i haven't had a chance to race since disney so i was itching to go.

uggh i feel so pathetic. now that i'm thinking about it, i hated myself after the last 5k i ran. maybe i should just never run one again...
mile 0.0 - (downhill/flat) oh this isn't so bad. glance at pace - 6:15. let's pull back. this feels pretty good. pace - 6:45, that's not too bad, oh here's that high school girl who was trying to show-off before the start, adios amiga. pace - 6:37, man i can't believe this feels ok.
mile 0.4 - holy crap a hill? this badboy is steep. i don't know if i remember how to run these. nope definitely don't. pace - 8:00, wtf! ok just push it up the hill but don't waste all your energy. why are you passing people? conserve! pace - still sucks. yeah your pace sucks but conserve! ok crested the hill, pace back around 6:40s, not too bad, that hill sucked though. wonder how it'll feel in a few minutes...
mile 1.00 - dude calling out splits knows my name (i'm so famous), not sure how though. 6:46, not too bad considering the beastly hill. ok this is starting to not feel good anymore. did i go out too fast? should i have eaten a real dinner last night? i was just too lazy to stop for food. maybe i should quit eating every sugary substance in sight 24/7... now there's a concept.
mile 1.30 - why did i think this was a flat 5k? what was i thinking. oh look, another hill. good thing i have been training along the flatness of the ohio river and holiday inn express treadmill. yeah that's probably really paying off. why did i sign up for this? less than two miles to go, i think i can make it.
mile 2.00 - still running uphill, this one is freaking long, but at least it's less steep. pace - barely in the 6:50s. no one is calling splits but the watch says 6:58. terrible just terrible. oooh a water stop (it was more for the half-marathoners at their mile 12) i could totally go for a cup of water maybe i'll stop. it's freakin hot out. i want to walk. this hurts. what's the fun in running hard. it hurts.
mile 2.50 - oh finally i think the hill is almost over. i want to walk. i should just drop out of the race. no, that's pathetic, it's only 3.1 miles you loser. once you get to the top of this hill it's flat to the finish. i don't care i just want to quit. my lungs hurt. my legs hurt. it's hot. i should've stopped for water. who's passing me? oh good, some dude. i'm ok with that. don't slow down, push it and keep up with him. use him as a rabbit. oh forget it dude, run on, i just want to drop out. maybe i drained myself on that first hill...
mile 2.80 - "oh is that the first female?" you spectators sound so confident in identifying my sexuality. thanks for the ego boost. if i can ever get rid of my buddha belly i'll run in a sports bra to make it easier for you. no point in looking at my pace, it sucks.
mile 3.00 - uggh i can't believe i have to go all the way up to that light and then turn for the finish. this sucks. i can't even pick it up for a finishing kick. my legs are tired.
mile 3.04 - oh sweet, i don't have to run all the way to that light. just turn and home stretch. come on fatty pick up the freakin' pace you are almost done.
mile 3.10 - i am never doing this again.
mile 3.11 - holy crap what did i do to my lower back?
brian, you win. whatever. i don't think i'll ever improve on my 5k like i want to.

splits:
[mile - pace, avg hr]
mile 1 - 6:46, 180
mile 2 - 6:58, 195
mile 3 - 6:51, 199
mile 3.1 - 0:30, 199

clock time - 0:21:07
overall - 13/358
gender - 1/200

my hr data looks normal for a 5k effort - almost maxed out, so maybe i did give it a good try. i didn't have anything for a kick. i don't know if that's from being tired/lazy or from leaving it all on the course. i'm leaning more towards not-giving-it-my-all at the end. i know i ran hard because i lost muscle control in the last mile, but still it's "not good enough" for me. (yeah i know, i have this issue with being too hard on myself, blah blah blah.)

i'm thinking that part of my problem is my super craptacular nutrition lately. today's "race" gave me the kick in the rear that i needed to get back on track. just because i run 40+ mpw does not mean i can eat 4, delicious, chocolate chip cookies every night. i hate counting calories but it worked for me in my training for disney and kept me honest about eating a variety of foods, so it looks like i'm going to have to start doing that again.

sorry for my excessive whining. winning a race is awesome, i just know that it wasn't a great effort on my part - i lucked out on the slower-than-normal field of competition. i'm hard on myself and disappointed that i didn't do a lot better. i really expected more from myself. i can't even get myself too excited about first-overall because when is the first-place female slower than 20-minutes?

anyway. this race quite possibly had the most awesome prize for overall winners - a free pair of brooks shoes! i just have to go by the local store and pick 'em out. i also scored two pairs of adidas running socks just by asking the guy at the award table. (then found out they were part of the raffle prizes, whoops, oh well). of course i have no photo proof of my "win" because as usual, i went to a race alone since i have no friends. (does anyone else ever go to a race where they don't know anyone? i seem to do this 99% of the time. including driving to south bend, indiana alone to run a marathon alone. who does that?)

i guess i'll have to keep running at least recreationally to enjoy my new socks and shoes.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

dead legs

as soon as i lifted my leg into the first stride of the run, i knew it was going to be a slow run. from the holiday inn express, weighing in at a combined weight of 482 pounds, ms. right and left legs! they face off against their competitors sore core, cardiovascular system and whatever else is semi-functioning today. ding ding ding.

(if you didn't place your bets on the legs, you're a moron.)

my legs were seriously heavy, tired, and slow. my lungs did ok, my hr was normal for an easy run, but my legs were dragging. perhaps i should have stretched more after yesterday's run or taken an ice bath... too late now. i thought i'd get in 7-8 miles but (after a mid-run pit stop) i settled for 5. not a big deal, i can swap today with tomorrow. i was a little out of it mentally too, almost ran into a parked car. those things jump out of nowhere. i happened to snap out of it just in time to realize the car was there and step to the side.

i saw the first active kentuckian today - some chick out running! whoa, didn't know anyone around these parts knew what exercise was beyond getting up to grab another beer. i waved but got the shaft in return. whatever kentucky girl, it's not like there's even a song about your type.

i was fed up with my stupid, enormous blister/tumor/sixth toe today (it's grown even more), and decided to woman up and drain it. i got a sewing kit from the hotel desk, sterilized the needle with hot water from the coffee maker (ghetto but what can i do), and took a stab at it. how the heck are you supposed to do this? i poked like 91 holes in it, smushed it, blotted away some blister-juice, poked at it some more, and it still didn't look any smaller. my ankle started hurting from being propped on my left knee so i decided that it was still so big because of all the extra/loose skin and covered it up with a "blister bandaid". here's hoping i did a good enough job, it's not like there's a hospital around here and i don't think i can handle self-amputation.

wednesday (4/22) pm run: 5.2 miles, 43:53 (avg pace 8:26), avg hr (155)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

the boston bug

i guess the excitement and wonder of the boston marathon got to me a little too much, and i over did monday's easy run. the legs were a bit tired for tuesday's i-pace intervals. on monday i overestimated what was on schedule but i was thoroughly enjoying myself so i just kept going. the distance was fine, it was picking it up for the last two-miles that probably didn't help me too much today.

monday (4/20) pm run: 9.3 miles, 1:21:11 (avg pace 8:43), avg hr (162)

today, tuesday, i had 5x4-minutes "i-pace" (~6:25 mile pace) with 3-minutes easy. usually in a first rep i don't feel "it" yet and i get through it easily. not today. set 1 - barely talked myself into the full four minutes. ahh a sweet rest period, although still chugging along at about an 8:34 mile pace. those rest periods are never long enough. into set 2, talked myself to 1-minute, then 2, etc etc. during break #2 i decided i'd just do 3 sets today, told myself it'd still be decent. survived set 3 although i was having some trouble swallowing my saliva or something and i was being one of those annoying people who makes noises while they run (trying to clear my throat). during the break i noticed i wasn't even to 5-miles yet so i forced myself into set 4. almost found out what it's like to puke while running. survived though. after the final break i knew i couldn't ditch out on the last rep, whether or not i puked. i'm not sure where the overall feeling of crappiness came from 'cause i've done faster intervals before, but i hope it doesn't come back to visit me again anytime soon.

tuesday (4/21) pm run: 9.5 miles, 1:14:34 (avg pace 7:50), avg hr (169)

Monday, April 20, 2009

Sunday, April 19, 2009

lazy sunday

week in review (4/13 - 4/19):
total miles: 47.90 (5 easy runs, 2 interval/speed days)
time spent running: ~6 hours 45 minutes
avg hr: 164.85
abs & yoga: 3 ab days, 0 yoga
off days: 0

thanks for all the well-wishes and good-lucks for my sisters. they both ran their entire races and finished strong. my older sister ran about a 31:00, which was (i believe) 2-3 minutes better than when she'd run 3.1 miles on a training day. my younger sister was running with a friend so she said she was holding back a little 'cause her friend is a little slower/less competitive. i think she finished in the 32:00's somewhere. (neither of them told me their exact times but that's ok.) they've both come a long way from not running/exercising regularly and i am so proud of them both.

i said i was going to take it easy today and just do some cross-training. i hopped on the bike for 30 minutes (10 miles) and read most of my may runner's world. i stretched a little, did some core exercises, and decided to go for a light, easy run. i kept it easy but ran longer than the originally planned 30 minutes (not complaining though).

for the first time in a long while, i lounged around the rest of the day. i didn't go anywhere, other than to get food, and took a glorious nap. it was nice to be lazy and not driving somewhere.

sunday (4/19) am run: 5.5 miles, 49:22 (avg pace 8:58), avg hr (150)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

the bone collector

what do you do about blisters? i've been having a blister/small tumor growing on my right pinky toe for probably a little over a week now. it won't harden and it won't go away on it's own. of course it hurts near the end/after a run so obviously i know why it's there, but i don't know how to fix it.


i bought some "blister" band-aids and tape today to try, but i'm open to other suggestions. it hurts (kind of like a burning/stinging feeling) when i quit running, but isn't too bad while running so, of course, i continue to run. it's enormous so i really don't see myself voluntarily opening it...

last night after work i did a t-pace/interval-y run: 20 minutes easy, 5x6minutes @ "t-pace" (7:02/mile) with 1 minute rest, 10 minutes easy. it went alright, nothing exciting. i got in about 0.85 miles in each 6 minute set.

friday (4/17) pm run: 8.2 miles, 1:04:11 (avg pace 7:49), avg hr (169)

today, saturday, i woke up and my right arch was a little achy. i figure it's from favoring that foot and trying to not aggravate the blister more than i already am, but i know that's still not a good excuse. it's supposed to rain tomorrow so i wanted to run outside today in case i get stuck on the treadmill/not running tomorrow.

i headed over to one of kentucky's state parks a few miles from the hotel because their website says "4.5 mile mountain biking trail, hikers welcome". the trails are supposed to be open april-september but there were still "trails closed" signs up. i ignored them. not safe, i know, but i took my mace with me.

these trails were tough. some of the climbs were really steep and i had to stop and walk them. my time/average pace were slower than normal but it was a tough run with all the hills. it was a beautiful morning - mid-50s* and sunny - and i tried to soak it all in. of course, i forgot my camera. less than a mile into the run i literally ran into some deer! i'm sure they startled me more than i did them, and i stopped to watch them for a minute (like 15 feet away from me). one was snuffing at me and stomping one of her (no horns) hoofs on the ground. i said ohh crap i hope you are not about to charge at me. she took off across the mountainside and i couldn't help but admire her ability to not trip and fall over the roots or uneven terrain. i totally would have.

shortly after seeing the first few deer i spotted this... (my arm for size comparison)


of course i'm gonna pick it up and run with it for 4 miles. i need something to throw at whatever animal ate it.

mace in one hand, bone in the other, i picked up the pace because i did not want to suffer the same fate as whatever this creature was. (joy, please tell me it is not a human bone.) when the climbs made me tired, all i had to do was look down at my left hand for motivation to keep moving. i saw a few more deer and thankfully, no bears or wolves or mountain lions, etc. there were some gorgeous views as the trail wound through the mountain-y area and through the openness of a former ski-resort. everytime i exited the woods to cross the deserted ski slopes i felt like a wild animal about to be hunted by man in the open field. ok, maybe the bone was getting to my head.

it was a scenic run and i wish i had brought a camera. i'm not entirely sure how it's a "mountain biking" trail as it's a single-track trail with huge drop offs to the left or right and some squeezing between trees, and i don't know how anyone would haul a bike up some of those hills. originally i thought i might run the trail twice for a 9-miler but it wore me out (plus there was the whole bone and who ate the animal that it belonged to factor) so i cut it short. i'm sure my legs/right foot could use a shorter, lighter day anyway.

saturday (4/18) am trail run: 5 miles, 48:02 (avg pace 9:36), avg hr (168)

Friday, April 17, 2009

a family affair

just a quick but huge shoutout to two of my sisters - running their first 5k's (/races ever) tomorrow! unfortunately i can't make it due to being stuck in kentucky but i will be cheering for them from afar.

my big sis & i doing something random in annapolis last april

my big sister - who started weight watchers awhile ago when the doc said she was becoming pre-diabetic and has been doing awesome at eating healthily, working out, and shedding pounds ever since. i set her up on the couch-to-5k program and she killed it, never missing a scheduled run. she's become addicted to running like me and sometimes even goes out for a non-scheduled run. like most of us runners, she's also already looking ahead to future races before even completing the present one!

my younger sis and buddy on easter of this year

my younger sister - who has been running casually on and off for a couple of years asked me for a training plan for her and a friend to train for the cooper river bridge run (a 10k). their plans for that race and trip to charleston fell through, but they found a local 5k to run instead and the price was lot friendlier to their college-student budgets. she's showing true runner traits as well - she likes to go for a run to relieve stress and wears a running/sport watch even when dressing up.

good luck sisters!! :o)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

product review: sugoi verve shorts

not long ago i was contacted by the good people at outside pr in regards to a sugoi shorts review. prior to this i had not heard much about sugoi, but they looked like they knew a thing or two about athletic clothing on their website. luckily i have an open relationship with my current running shorts and i knew they wouldn't mind if i started wearing sugoi around them. it was an offer i couldn't refuse.

sugoi produces award-winning cycling shorts, r+r socks (race + recovery), running shorts, sports jerseys, bibs, vests, swim suits, jackets, and other clothing specifically designed for racing, training, layering, and casual wear (from their website). browsing their site alone made me want to get up and workout!

as i browsed, i wandered from running into the cycling gear section. looking and reading about the cycling gear makes me want to seriously take up biking instead of solely my piddly commutes to work. don't even let me click on "accessories" - recovery socks, arm warmers, ooh la la! entranced by all the high-tech gear i staggered into the "custom" area, where you can design your own workout/racing gear! super sweet. i just may have to experiment with that some more.

so anyway, back to the shorts.

the front/side

i received a coral pair of sugoi's "verve" shorts. they were amazing. they are a cute cut/fit and i love loud (bright) running clothes. the fabric is very light and airy, and the sizing is normal - none of that "it's a size small but would really only fit one of my legs" business. the underpants/lining inside the shorts was a different material than i'm used to, but still comfortable. it stayed dry and did not cause chafage along the elastic bands like some of my other shorts (ahem nike) do. there are convenient reflective strips on both legs, which will certainly come in handy for those pre-/post-daylight runs. inside the shorts is a pocket the size of a credit card. there are also two pockets on the side/side-butt that velcro shut. at first i thought they were pockets for someone else to put their hands in if they were facing you and hugging you/going for a butt-grab. of course this is not quite how they are advertised on-line, but maybe they can still be used in that way, i didn't check. officially they are "quick draw" pockets to store running fuel. how cool! sugoi must've known my addiction to gu roctane.

the back
man you can't even tell how enormous my butt is.
i love these shorts even more now.

i wore the shorts for my 9.2 miles of intervals tuesday. they were pretty much awesome (the shorts, not the intervals). normally i get distracted during a run by the (not-so) fabulous bunching-up of shorts between my legs and i am constantly adjusting them/pulling the shorts back down. not sugoi! not once did i have to adjust or un-bunch them, and my avg pace was 6-seconds/mile faster than the last time i did the same workout. conclusion: sugoi shorts make you faster. (and don't annoyingly bunch)

i sweated like a beast during that run. my tank top was soaked and sweat dripped from my hat as i stretched and did a few abs after the run. the shorts, however, were not drenched or suctioned to my skin, which happens occasionally on long or hard runs in warmer temperatures. sugoi's shorts are quite effective at wicking away moisture and keeping you cool and dry.

things i hate about most of the other shorts i usually run in:
  • bunching action of the fabric between my thighs, occasionally resulting in chafage.
  • no reflective-ness (i think i own one pair with reflective-something-or-others on them)
  • inadequate pocket, or no pocket at all (seriously, at least put a pocket in there for my key)
  • getting sweaty and sticking to me in weird ways
somehow sugoi invented shorts that satisfy my needs in all of the above issues. i was pleasantly suprised with these shorts being a notch (or 4) above my others. the sugoi shorts whooped all my other shorts butt's, hands down. no bunching, no chafage, reflective strips for safety, handy pockets, and moisture-wicking. looks like i need to go shopping! ('course, if i happened to find recovery socks or something on the front porch one day though, i would not object)


nothing like new running gear to help keep me motivated in the day-to-day grind:

wednesday (4/15) late pm run: 4 miles, 34:48 (avg pace 8:42), avg hr (163)
went out for pizza and beer (i had water) with some of the guys from work even though i really wanted to get in my full run. figured i should at least go with them once since i shafted them the past two weeks. i was still a little full when i hopped on the treadmill but thankfully there were no stomach cramps or digestive problems. i cut the run short (/swapped with thursday) because i didn't want to be on the 'mill all night long.

thursday (4/16) pm run: 8 miles, 1:08:32 (avg pace 8:34), avg hr (160)
after wednesday's run (and the numerous treadmill runs before it) i needed a break from the ol' rubber strip. i braved the wilderness and ran outside in this small, small town. it wasn't so bad, the people weren't too rednecky and some even seemed normal. a few too many loud muffler-thingys on cars that have no need to emit such a noise, but surprisingly, no honks. (i'm ok with that though, thanks.) the weather has been rainy and chilly lately but today was gorgeous - 66*, sunny, and breezy. it was a good run in a decent area, but i still can't wait to get back home to my old routes!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

earth to lindsay

i did the wrong stinkin' workout!

now that i realize i did the wrong one, i distinctly remember being so relieved two weeks ago when i looked at my training schedule and saw that i would never have to do the 2x(10x200) workout again. 20 intervals are just no fun.

for whatever reason, i thought it was the plan for today and i did it again. perhaps that's why my legs felt so jello-y. i survived though and even improved a little from the last time.

the workout: 20 minutes easy, 10x200 at "r" pace (0:44) with 1 minute easy recovery, 10 minutes easy, 10x200, 10 minutes easy

last time (4/3): 2.5 miles of intervals in 14:30 (avg 200m 0:43 / avg mile pace 5:48)
today (4/14): 2.5 miles of intervals in 14:16 (avg 200m 0:42 / avg mile pace 5:42)

tuesday (4/14) pm run: 9.2 miles, 1:12:11 (avg pace 7:50), avg hr (176)

i ran yesterday too - it was slow and the legs felt heavy and sluggish. i hate when they feel worse after a day off. seriously, what's up with that.

monday (4/13) pm run: 8 miles, 1:08:25 (avg pace 8:33), avg hr (168)

Monday, April 13, 2009

easter weekend: broken toes, bad allergies, terrible dancing skills

week in review (4/06 - 4/12):
total miles: 29.73 (4 easy runs, 1 interval day)
time spent running: ~4 hours 16 minutes
avg hr: 161.25
abs & yoga: 1 ab days, 0 yoga
off days: 2 (1 scheduled, 1 too tired & no time)

the week started off well, but with the insane amount of driving i had to do and activities of the weekend i was setback a little. i'll settle for almost-a-30-mile week i guess.

thursday i drove back down to south carolina and slept in my own bed. glorious. i got in a decent 9-mile run friday morning on my old routes and savored having a safe place to run. the hills killed me (thanks treadmill) and the pollen was terrible. my eyes were watering, nose running, and skin itching. when i got home, i wiped my arms and legs off with a damp paper towel and it turned yellow from all the pollen. geeze trees, get a room will you.

i popped a pill to help my allergies subside, packed a bag, and drove to beaufort (near charleston) for my ol' running buddy kt's wedding. both are towns you should visit. charleston is bigger and more commercialized/touristy, but beaufort is beautiful too. anyway. got to the beach house in beaufort, hung out with friends for a bit, and headed over to the rehearsal dinner downtown (where i ate some bruschetta that -whoops- had crab on it).

kt and i have talked about our 'wedding day runs' for awhile now, mostly ever since she got engaged. well somehow she managed to fall out of bed in the middle of the night thursday/early friday morning and break the two little toes on her right foot! our pre-wedding 10-miler was scratched, and i know she was disappointed knowing she'd miss out on running in barbados over her honeymoon. she took it all in stride though and hobbled proudly down the aisle in her stylish boot.

saturday was the wedding day and the weather could not have been more perfect - blue skies, light breeze, 74*. kt's sister called while we were en route to the wedding and told us the florist hadn't shown up, could we stop somewhere and pick up a bouquet. the wedding site was pretty much 20 minutes from any type of store but we passed a few grave sites and were tempted to stop. figured it might be bad luck though, so we sped on and found a bilo (grocery store). as soon as the florist had whipped up a quick bouquet, we were back on the road speeding to the "church" and got another call saying the florist had just shown up. go figure. we pulled up a few minutes late but kt had delayed the ceremony for us (so she claims anyway).

thankfully everything turned out perfectly, and seriously what an awesome location!

the reception was a blast; i even got to whip out my dance moves to soulja boy.
yes, clearly we are white girls who don't really know how the moves go. after the reception i had to hop back on the road again for a late night drive home. caught a few hours of sleep in my own bed again, ran around like a chicken with my head cut off sunday morning trying to get a few things done, went to my parents for easter lunch, and hit the road again to come back to good ol' kentucky.

over the weekend i received "sub 4:00" from kristin of unathletic runner and am excited to have a new book to fill my less-than-exciting evenings here at the holiday inn express. huge thanks to kristin for having the giveaway, even if i won by default.

then i found out i won one of the prizes from felice of the happy runner's giveaway too! i guess all my whining about never winning blog-giveaways paid off. ;-)

Sunday, April 12, 2009

1360-mile weekend

in the *@#&$(#% car.

did some running, but not as much as i would've preferred.

reunited with pollen and accidentally ate shellfish, but did not go into anaphylactic shock. thank goodness.

learned that google reader maxes out at 1,000. i turned my computer on briefly today and it just says 1,000+, so forgive me if it takes all week to catch up.

i'm back in lovely kentucky and actually ready to get back to my home-away-from-home-schedule. hope everyone had a good easter weekend!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

ending the streak

...but vowing to stay on track. no excuses.

after 13 days and 80.74 miles, i'm taking tomorrow off. (mostly because i'll be on the road for 7 hours.) my legs couldn't be more excited. my left leg (shin-ish region) is still a little achey, but i ran a short, easy run today to round out my 'back on the wagon' streak.

wednesday (4/8) pm run: 4.1 miles, 36:11 (8:49 avg pace), avg hr (156)

this is just random, i can't stop watching it.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

i've decided small towns are no longer "quaint"

so... i needed to mail something to reebok today. i so wrongly assumed i could go to the local post office like any other "normal" town but no, the po was closed from 11-2.

although i don't really get the impression i would've been able to have my stuff packaged anyway, and i wasn't too confident in the service.

there probably aren't even enough people in the town to use all those po boxes.

i know i said i'd "get on it" nutritionally this week but i've only done a halfass job so far. i haven't had any cake or cinnamon rolls, but i can't resist the yummy chocolate chip cookies at the hotel after work. the running is still going (12 days straight), so at least that makes up for a bite or two of the cookies.

my legs have been tired and a little sore/achey (in general) monday and tuesday. i probably won't have time to run thursday so i'm planning on a short, super easy run wednesday, and taking thursday off.

monday (4/6) pm run: 5 miles, 44:45 (8:57 avg pace), avg hr (151)

i gave in to my legs and forced myself to run extra easy. it's hard (for me anyway) to slow down on the 'mill because i just want to get the miles over with already. after the short, recovery run i ellipticized for 10 minutes and it actually felt kinda good. (i've never been a fan of the elliptical, i'm too awkward on it.)

tuesday (4/7) pm run: 9.5 miles, 1:15:10 (7:54 avg pace), avg hr (164)

this was a tough interval day (tired legs), but i kept pushing myself through it and dangling my upcoming 'day off' in front of me.

the scheduled called for these intervals by time (4 minutes at interval "i" pace with 3 minutes rest) and i decided to go with it instead of translating it to distance. i roughly did 1000m+ in the 4 minutes of i-pace (avg mile pace 6:26), completed all 5 reps, and didn't cut the cooldown short.

now head over to the happy runner and check out her 200th-post giveaway!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

cigarettes and jean shorts - for elite athletes only

week in review (3/30 - 4/05):
total miles: 47.51* (5 easy runs, 2 interval days)
time spent running: ~6 hours 40 minutes
avg hr: 162.57
abs & yoga: 2 ab days, 0 yoga (don't see this changing anytime soon)
off days: zero, zip, nada. needed to punish myself.

*slight improvement from last week's 14.63

ahh a much better week. i forced myself onto the treadmill everyday after work, and even got in a 'long' run today. feels good to be back to running decent mileage. next target: nutrition. easier said than done with my 32 sweet teeth.

saturday (4/4) pm run: 4 miles, 34:13 (8:33 avg pace), avg hr (161)

legs were mucho tired and a little achey from friday's intervals (and probably the fact that the intervals totaled 9.2 miles), so i just did a short and easy run. we tried going down to keeneland to watch some horse races but apparently they only take cash at the admissions gate and don't have an atm you can actually find. who carries cash ever? hello, american express.

view from the top of the carew tower

sunday (4/5) afternoon run: 10 miles, 1:19:14 (8:55 avg pace), avg hr (158)

finally, a 'long' run. a short-long run, but double digits are a rare thing in my training log lately. huge thanks to runner leana for the running-location recommendation! after hanging out in cincinnati for most of the morning/afternoon, j and i drove over to lunken airport to run on the bike/running path that leana recommended. it was a great path (98% pancake flat!) and the weather (72* and sunny) was gorgeous. (although, they are forecasting snow tomorrow.) there were a bunch of folks out running, walking, biking and rollerblading.

we saw a handful of people working out in jeans/jean shorts - not sure what was up with that. i mean a) jean shorts should not be allowed on a man period and b) hello chafing. there was also a dude smoking and biking at the same time, and near the end of my run i saw a guy run/walking who stopped for a smoke break. maybe if i take up smoking and wear jean shorts on my runs i'll get faster. anyway, if you are ever in cincinnati, the path by lunken airport is a great 5-mile loop for running and only a few minutes from downtown. it's not lit though, so don't go when it's dark. thanks again leana, this was the most enjoyable kentucky-area run thus far and will be hard to top!

Friday, April 3, 2009

we now return to our regularly scheduled program

you've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.

- george horace lorimer
i've had an easy transition to actually-working five days a week (though i'm sure i will miss my off-fridays dearly) for about 11 hours/day, and still having energy to run. making myself go to bed at 10pm helps - i've even started to wake up naturally at 5:30 so i get to work on time. i know, how exciting. i'm definitely not complaining. the hours are longer, lunch is almost non-existent, but the work is plentiful so i don't have to sit and twiddle my thumbs like i did back in the office. obviously i'm still digging the jeans/t-shirt attire; i totally wore one of my marathon shirts in earlier this week.

i forced myself to re-hitch a ride on the running wagon and am now going on 8 days straight. (last week was so crappy, i logged more mileage on monday and tuesday alone this week.) i'm not aiming to have some incredibly long streak, i just need to get myself safely away from the hole i dug. however, i am still desperately slacking nutritionally. hopefully i'll clean it up (for the most part) this weekend and crack the whip monday. i've had a few not-so-lovely stomach aches lately and i know it's from all the crap i keep plowing down.

wednesday (4/1) pm run: 6.26 miles, 53:42 (avg pace 8:34), avg hr (162)

nothing exciting - just an easy run on the hotel 'mill followed by 10 minutes on the bike.

thursday (4/2) pm run: 3.52 miles, 30:00 (avg pace 8:31), avg hr (157)

this was an 'optional' workout day but i figured i'd go for a few easy miles and continue my little streak. there was a dude on the tm when i went down to run, but he said he only had about 9 minutes left so i pedaled away on the bike (10 min) while he finished up. the bike is positioned so that you can see the tm's dashboard, and when i sat down he cranked up the speed a little. swoon.

just kidding, at least he was running. a few minutes into my run and a super bad rain storm rolled in. i could hear the thunder and rain over all the noise of the treadmill and tv. i had briefly considered running over at the high school a few miles away, so i was glad my confinement to the tm paid off for once.

friday (4/3) pm run: 9.2 miles, 1:11:58 (avg pace 7:49), avg hr (164)

like i mentioned, my diet has been less-than-spectacular all week, and extra worse today. i had a delicious, warm, gooey cinnamon roll at 6:30am, moist homemade chocolate cake at 9, cheesecake for lunch, and chips/dip and donuts sprinkled globbed in between for my afternoon snack. (and yet i wonder why i can't seem to get rid of my buddha belly. it's a mystery.) i felt 20 pounds heavier with each bite, but i deserve it for being such a sucker for sweets and chocolatey goodness. yes, i still have my food allergies, but i know they won't kill me so sometimes i suck at being good. :(

anyway friday was interval day. as i shoveled junk food in all day, i was a little worried about how i'd hold up. since i had cake for breakfast and lunch, i had a slice of (pepperoni) pizza around 3pm to ensure i at least had some nutrients. ...riiiiight. so i fueled terribly, but i survived. definitely won't be fueling like this again though.

the plan: 20 minutes easy, 2x(10x200 repetition "r" pace with 1 min easy), 10 minutes easy after each set. (my r-pace for 200m is 0:44)

i was quite intimidated by the "2x10" part, but figured i'd get through the first set and try to do as many of the 2nd set as i could hang on for. i got competitive with myself and completed the workout as prescribed, what a good feeling!

1st set - 0:45, 0:44, 0:45, 0:42, 0:45, 0:43, 0:45, 0:41, 0:45, 0:42
(avg 0:43; mile pace 5:49)
2nd set - 0:41, 0:45, 0:42, 0:44, 0:42, 0:45, 0:42, 0:45, 0:42, 0:45
(avg 0:43; mile pace 5:46)

all-in-all, it feels good to be back in a routine and logging normal mileage. i wish i could run outside more (/ever) but i'll have to savor that on the weekends when i have the time to drive somewhere populated and runner-friendly (sidewalks/shoulders).
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