lake chatuge

i didn't do my long run this week. i don't have a great excuse -- it rained when i wanted to run and when it finally stopped i didn't feel like it anymore. i'm coddling myself by saying thursday's 12+mile interval workout is good enough.

josh and i went for a weekend getaway to the ridges resort on lake chatuge with plans of boating, horseback riding, wine tasting, hiking, and that long run of course.

however --
a) it rained/thunderstormed the entire time.
b) i forgot my wallet and therefore had no id to prove i was of legal boozing age.

i'd also managed to forget a book and the past 6-months of runner's world magazines that i haven't read yet, so we basically went out of town to watch tv.

michaelee's chocolate cafe

while it rained saturday morning, i got in 10-mins on the recumbent bike and 30-mins on the elliptical in the resort gym sauna. we lunched at michaelee's chocolate cafe in "town" and around 5pm the rain stopped briefly enough to squeeze in a short run along the lake before dinner.

we had dinner at the oaks (the restaurant at the resort) where the hostess was amazingly horrible.

pop quiz:
you are working the hostess stand at a restaurant. couple #1 has a 7:30 reservation and arrives at 7:30. couple #2 has an 8:00 reservation and arrives at 7:45. who do you seat when a table opens up at 8:00?
a) couple #2
b) couple #2; you are confused as to why this is even a multiple choice question

anyway, the hostess was not a reflection on the oaks restaurant as a whole. our server was great and the food was tasty.

the deluge resumed during dinner and we had to run back to the hotel while dodging lightning bolts. the rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful other than watching vcu upset kansas and kentucky take down unc. when we got back home sunday afternoon it was cloudy and chilly (where did you go 70 degree loveliness?) and i continued to cop out of my long run.

overall if you're looking for a weekend getaway, lake chatuge in hiawassee, ga (2-hrs from atlanta, 2-hrs from chattanooga) would be a good spot if the weather cooperates.

the sun pretended to make an appearance after we checked out

---

psa: bq questionnaire
sean is a bq-hopeful looking for a little encouragement and advice. he's conducting a bq questionnaire and hoping to get input from runners who have qualified for boston. it's 10 questions and you can answer as brief or wordy as you want. if you're willing to give your $0.02, email him at "dearjtd@gmail.com".

Read More

cupcakes and marlene

for some reason i've avoided virtual races in the past, but apparently if you put food in it i'm much more likely to participate.

i entered the popular cupcake marathon, even though i can't even eat the grand prize.

yeah i couldn't get the image to print larger. not winning.

so... i made my own logo (you know i can't resist ms paint). attention bakers, this image is copyrighted, but i'm willing to sell it in exchange for dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, bean-free cupcakes.

i wasn't a very good racer. i didn't head out for a run thinking 'ok, this is for the cupcakes'. it was more hindsight (/jason's prodding) that i even remembered to enter my data on the official spreadsheet. nevertheless, i logged my 26.2-miles and then some so i think i should definitely win a prize.

[non-existent attempt at a segue]

the marlene
aka how to make goal marathon pace (gmp) feel easy.

thursday evening i did the marlene. last week we did similar speed workouts and she started talking trash. when she posted this week's workout i first thought she was nuts, but then i decided to take on the challenge. i'm coming after you marlene.

the workout:

• 800@5k, 1600@10k, 3200@gmp (no rest in between!)
• 1000 recovery (i did 0.65? we'll call that even)
• 3200@gmp, 1600@10k, 800@5k

my splits:

• 3:17, 7:04, 15:49 (hmm that wasn't too bad, i'm glad i gave this a shot)
• finally. i can stop for a second.
• 15:54*, 7:07**, 3:17***

*still not too bad
**started to notice the wind a lot more. dug deep to hang on 'cause i knew marlene had posted strong mile splits.
***i hate you marlene. seriously, this one was rough!

Read More

sunday mishmash

oops
this was supposed to be a "cutback" week. it ended up being the second highest mileage week of this "training plan". of course i've been averaging 35miles/week so it's not all that hard to do. check out these impressive runs:

• monday - off
• tuesday - 3.25 easy
• wednesday - 8.25 track workout
• thursday - 2.85 easy, stellar marathon training here.
• friday - 4 easy
• saturday - 13.65 long run
• sunday - 5.2 easy, ran to earth fare for a few things

no sugar challenge update
one of the guys from the no sugar challenge ran a half-marathon this weekend, in 1:10:58!! after ~19 days of no (non-natural) sugar! his previous pr was 1:13 about 4 months ago.

experimenting
i've been dealing with a few health issues for over three years now. i've always heard that milk is an inflammatory food and combined with the fact that my prescriptions aren't working (other than prednisone, no thanks) i've decided to try going non-dairy to see if that makes a difference. yes, in addition to cutting back on sweets, crazy i know! who have i become?

the only slip i've made so far was when eating out saturday night - i had a little feta (typically made from sheep and/or goat milk) in my dish and i figured since it wasn't cow milk it would be ok. dairy is dairy though. cheese will be the hardest. oh and ice cream. definitely ice cream.

going non-dairy is a big challenge when you're already also allergic to soy and nuts.

road id
i have a (one-time) $5 road-id coupon that expires march 31st. if you don't have a road id already i strongly advise getting one! they start at 19.99 and are a great just-in-case tool to have on runs and rides.

edited to update: coupon has been claimed. but a road id is still a great thing to have! (i am not being compensated to say that)

Read More

dear speed: be my friend

i love my flats

i had an amazing run wednesday. somehow i managed to coerce myself into running to the track for some speedwork and didn't cut it short. i was feeling pretty good throughout the repeats though so i never really wanted to quit. maybe that means i should have pushed harder?

fast-running and i are still getting reacquainted. i've had some fear toward intervals and tempo runs for over a year and have avoided them at all costs. lame i know! since i'm already enforcing the rules on myself with my nutrition, i figured i could be the boss about some speedwork too.

the workout: 2x800, 1xmile, 2x800 (with 0.20mi recovery jogs)
my splits: 3:24, 3:26, 6:55, 3:19, 3:13 (avg pace for the whole workout 6:45)

the last time i did a workout and averaged a similar pace was uh, february 2010 (i told ya, avoidance at all costs). hopefully this is the confidence boost i need to make amends with fast-running and her boyfriend heavy-breathing; we need to become bff's again like we were in 2008 (yikes, that was three years ago).

i haven't raced in forever, so i'm not entirely sure what my training paces should be. i just kind of guessed at these. i'm pretty sure i'm not in 3:20 marathon shape if you consider these yasso's.

Read More

sugar, ah honey honey

about a week or so ago i learned of the "no sugar challenge" from caitlyn. two of her (crazy) friends have decided to go 30 days without any sugar and are documenting their journey over at no sugar added: a 30 day challenge. they're both runners, both work in fitness/education, and they've recruited a few friends to do the challenge with them. they started march 1, and are successfully halfway through. check them out, learn something new/form your own opinions, and join in if you dare.

one thing i learned is that honey is on the "forms of processed sugar" list and i have to say i disagree with it being a "bad" thing. sure it can potentially spike your blood sugar like any other sweetener, but i don't consider "made by bees" to be a (bad) process. it irks me a bit how "processed=bad" is thrown around regarding food in general. technically boiling water, baking, grilling, and freezing are all processes, are they not?

i'm getting off topic. the nsa guys are not taking things to this extreme; that sugar list was not even created by them. they're simply eliminating non-natural sugar from their diets and i think that's admirable.

[edited to add/emphasize: they are eliminating non-natural sugars. fruits are natural "sugar" and therefore still part of their diets.]

i am definitely not ready to go completely sugar-less, but their challenge has motivated me to (finally) put the cookies down. i switched to kashi cereal instead of honey bunches of oats. i know that's still not great, but i can't quite quit my cereal habit yet. i'm reaching for bananas and oranges instead of walking to walgreen's for a fix. even more significant is my willpower at avoiding the chips and candy that are somehow in every aisle. i'm surprised they don't try to display a few in between the lettuce heads too.

Read More

the lazy song

although almost over, today is my half-birthday!

this is not as exciting now that getting older is not as cool as it used to be, but nevertheless, we must still celebrate.

unfortunately i don't have a big piece of m&m cake in real life, just in my ms paint life.

(hey buddy, you know you want to hire me, i'm the next cake boss!)

in honor of this almost-national holiday, bruno mars wrote a song:



obviously that is not bruno mars, but the song is real. go here if you want the full song.

josh even remembered, although it wasn't until 5:22pm.

(instant messenging at work)
fixing typo's takes too much effort, we do know how to spell

no running today. i didn't sleep well last night and am concerned i might need a little extra rest after sunday's 17-miler. if there is one thing i learned from 2010 it's to not overdo it.

Read More

signs of spring

longer daylight (7:30pm!)

trees and flowers in bloom

people investing their tax returns
this is not my former co-worker, south carolina has many rich, wise investors

has anyone tried out the ntc app since tuesday? my doms finally subsided today (sunday) just in time for a long run. i'm hoping the lunges can substitute as a tempo run because i definitely did not do any sort of speed work all week. in all honesty, i have mastered the 4-hr marathon pace over the past year.

• monday - off, lazy
• tuesday - morning run (4.5mi), ntc leg sculptor workout
• wednesday - morning run (5.16mi), super sore legs
• thursday - sloooow evening walk (1.4mi). still sore
• friday - late morning run (9mi), legs achy but improving
• saturday - warm lunch run (7mi), lingering soreness
• sunday - mid-morning long run (17.35mi), different kind of soreness

finally a 40+ mile week! (44.41 to be exact).

marlene, let me point out that it was 78 degrees today.

Read More

vegetables

today i tried a new-to-me restaurant for lunch. i drive by the place once a week when i go for my allergy shots and they have "veggies" in their name so i figured hey, it must be somewhat healthy right?

i walked in and the menu was definitely meat-'n-three, but i gave them the benefit of the doubt and thought surely the (actual) veggies are still ok. meat-'n-three's are like cracker barrel - the majority of the "vegetables" are really carbs - fries, mac 'n cheese, rice and gravy, pasta salad, etc. i was hoping for some 'real' veggies that perhaps hadn't been soaking in butter for 3 days.

i inquired about the "squash casserole" since i have food allergies and the owner brought out a frozen tray of "squash casserole" with the ingredient list covering more than half of the tray (i would have ran, but my legs still hurt terribly).

i'm sure you catch my drift here

needless to say there was soy in the squash casserole, but i didn't want to just walk out so i ordered the fruit, broccoli and rice, sweet potatoes, and corn. those all seem normal right? can't screw those up? ha!

"fruit"

typical fruit cup-fruit

"corn"

you were thinking it was mac 'n cheese weren't you. i don't blame you.

"broccoli and rice"

umm. where is my broccoli? heck, where is the rice?

to make your own version: take 1 piece of broccoli and cut it up. add a spoonful or two of rice. drench in 3 gallons of nacho cheese. add mysterious ingredient to give it a brown-color.

"sweet potatoes"

i could see the cinnamon/spice flecks in them.

and you wonder why america is obese...

don't worry. when you all come down to run the spinx half/full marathon i won't make you eat here.

Read More

super doms

don't worry, i haven't been out on a long run this whole time. i just wasn't in the mood to hang out on the computer after work. i did get in 14+ miles on sunday though.

anddd then i was super lazy on monday and didn't workout. very productive.

please note the enlarged view of my stomach.
it is not a preggo-belly.

on tuesday however, i hopped right out of bed at the sound of my alarm and ran 40 minutes/lifted 20 minutes (legs and abs) before work.

knowing there was more rain in the forecast, i needed to rise early again wednesday or else i'd make excuses. i pulled it off and shuffled slowly for 5 miles, but i did beat the rain. my legs were (/are) so freakin' sore from tuesday. all day at work i walked around like i had a stick up my rear and had to use the handicap stall so i could raise/lower myself with the handrail when i drank too much water.

(i was going to draw a person with a stick up it's rear, but it was looking too much like a dangling turd.)

back to the leg workout...

i did the "leg sculptor" program from the nike training club (ntc) app. umm, they sure better be taut and toned because it hurts to sit.

the workout was 3 sets of this circuit for 15-minutes total:
side lunge - 1min (i did 30secs each leg)
squats - 1min
squat jumps - 30secs
ski jumps - 30secs
around the world lunge - 1min (again, 30secs each leg)
split jumps - 30secs
rest - 30secs

no weights required, but i'm sure you could add them if you were feeling adventurous.

nike training club is a pretty decent app - there's little-to-no equipment required and the workouts range from 15-45 minutes. plus, it's free! [i'm just sharing the info, i'm not being compensated for talking about ntc]


ps: take this running survey and be entered to win a $50 gift card to roadrunnersports.com!

Read More

love is in the air

spotted at the local walmart
ladies, be kind to your husbands

after two days of torrential downpour, noah has docked his ark. off for a sunday afternoon long (?) run.

Read More

february 2011

february 2011
total mileage: 106.11
time spent running: 15hrs 52min
days off: 14 (aka half the month!! yikes)
avg temp: 52.54
trip(s) of the month: long weekends michigan and dc, and got in 'long' runs on both trips!

• this month's mileage sucked. i'm blaming it on the flu-plague, but there were also too many lazy days that i could (should) have done without.
• i did beat the alarm clock battle a few days, hopefully that will continue. i am not going to get stuck running at 6pm for another south carolina summer - too hot and too humid.
• i only lost about 1.5lbs, but i never quite got around to setting a goal number for the month like i did in january. need to step it up in march, let's go with 3.6 (or more).
• still haven't gone back to the wedding/honeymoon wrap-ups. whoops.
• realized i need to toss more clothes and buy new ones that don't look 10 years old/dorky. i did some shopping but i'm still debating on the shirts (i'm too lazy to try on clothes at the store so i just buy them all and return the stuff i don't want).

come run south carolina!
need a fall half- or full- marathon? registration is now open for the spinx run fest (10/29) in greenville, sc. the marathon course is usatf (aka bq) certified (in case that still means something), and both courses have rolling hills.

the half and full both finish with a lap around the warning track of fluor field, modeled after fenway park and home of the greenville drive (minor league affiliate of the boston red sox). registration starts at $53 for the half, $63 for the full. avg temps in late october range from mid-40's to mid-70's.

this race is a "hometown" race for me (about 20min drive), so come visit! i can offer a free place to stay, airport shuttle, race shuttle and tour guide services.

you could be here!

ps josh: i just invited the whole internet over.

Read More

national m&m day

it's the most wonderful time of the year. that's right, it's national m&m day again!

thanks to marlene, i'm hereby declaring it world m&m day, taking it beyond the us border and welcoming all m&m lovers to join the celebration.

i think he's gonna eat gary

ps: another successful early am run today. it was short because i hit snooze a few too many times, but i'm perfectly content with just getting out for a few sleep-running miles at this point.

Read More