Wednesday, October 31, 2012

No More Training

Till next year at least.
I actually was only 2 burpees shy of 6.
For the past two years I've taken time off after my last big race. My first year I just stopped. Last year I did boxing for a month.This year is no exception. After a full week of pure laziness I've started Cross Fit. I had my first class yesterday and now can not lift my arms. It feels good! I'm in the fundamentals class, which is for beginners. We do the same workout as the normal class but at a slightly slower rate.

7min AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
-5 Thrusters (squat and move bar up on rise)
-5 Box jumps
-5 Burpees

I think I'll like this style of work out but I don't think I'm going to actually join. It's not worth the money to me. It's crazy expensive. And, I can do most of this at home. I just have to get a few things.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

P.M.S.!!

Post Marathon Syndrome!
What did you think I was talking about?
Anyways, I've got it bad. I feel so bored and blue now. It probably didn't help that I read a book that was so utterly depressing, I went to bed after finishing it. Ok, not that bad but I was seriously mislead by the commercials for the movie and the fact that the title contains the word Perks! It is not perky!!

I've been so blue, I momentarily thought about moving home to Toledo. Momentarily!! Then I put in apps for Cinci. I think I'm just bored with my life here. And running/racing was holding me together. Now I don't have that.

Well, I suppose I can start looking for next years races.

Can I get some punctuation?!
Update: Already feeling crappy today. And I get this:

Background, We had a short text session yesterday. That's it. I got that after he called and I had no idea who he was. In my defense he was a low talker, I only saw his name once and I was in the middle of something for work. Plus, he was already on the way out since he texted at midnight and again at 3:30am. 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Columbus Marathon



This past weekend I traveled 2 hours south to Columbus for it's marathon. It's only been three weeks since the 1/2IM and doing a full marathon was going to be rough. I REALLY wanted another full marathon under my belt and was mentally prepared to do it this weekend. The weather was perfect, maybe a little chilly to start with but clear, sunny (when it came up) and in the low 60's.

Tearing open a GU
I had a good start and felt great. The first 10 miles were perfect and I only stopped at medical to get some Vaseline for my arms. Around 11 I took a break and walked just a bit. And I hurt. My left leg and right hip. My knee also ached when I walked. It was odd, though. Nothing hurt when I ran, only when I walked. I thought about the full. I knew I had another 5-8 miles in me but the fact that I hurt when I walked worried me. I decided to call it a day after the half. I want to be able to run next year and so I didn't want to do permanent damage by continuing on. I might have 8 more in me but I knew I didn't have 13.


After collecting my things I hobbled back to the hotel. My knee/leg ached all day yesterday but it feels normal today. Almost everything feels normal. My quads are sore and I'm tired but that's it.

I think one of my best1
Columbus marathon put on a great run. The first half had a lot of cheering sections, was adequately stocked with water and GU and went through pretty areas. I don't know about the second half but since it went though OSU campus I would assume the same. My only issue with the set up was after the finish. You get corralled into a small fenced in area. It's impossible to move and I found it extremely annoying. I just wish there had been more room. I would definitely do this run again, though.

Side note: I did not do this run alone. I had friend who was attempting her first full marathon and she killed it!! 4:29:30!! Awesome job!!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

My 32nd Birthday


This is a recent text convo with my sister. I remember saying they were bothering me. Then before I knew it she reached up and grabbed them off of me. I don't know what I thought she was going to do with them but that was not it! It was funny for me too..... You know, after a day or two.
This happened at my 32 birthday party. Frat Bros and Sorority Hos! Great party!! My early 30's were were a redo of my early 20's. In my 20's I was to busy with college and grad school to do much partying. Well, to do as much as I apparently want to do.
I'm basically blogging this so I never forget that birthday.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

OH GOOD GOD!!

My last three days in the dating field have been doozies!

Mark5.0 contacted me on Tuesday via POF email. If you don't remember, he's the "homeless" guy from Akron. The email was grade schoolish and contained the word "boobies." He's since been blocked and the email deleted. Had I known this was going to be in a post I would have made it a picture to share. At the time I thought it was just an anomaly.

Then, yesterday I was contacted by virgin Brad. We had met via Match, emailed and then texted.....




Actually, almost all my tops are low cut. It's a rare shirt that adequately hides the girls. My bosoms are glorious and I'm not going to hide my light!










At first I thought this could be fun, kind of a Mrs. Robinson thing. But, after thinking it through he seemed to be rather needy. And I am not good with needy. I mean he sent me a full body non-naked mirror pic and asked if he was fat! NEEDY!! I let that one go quietly. It's been 3 weeks since we last spoke and I got a text from him last night. I wasn't doing anything so I answered.
Big mistake! Huge!



 We haven't even met! I did try to reason with him and tell him he needed to talk so someone in a professional capacity and that I wasn't qualified for this. I suggested his parents and then sent him the phone number of a crisis hotline.





And then this email happened today!

What in my profile says " I enjoy whips and making men my bitches!" This is seriously the 2nd or 3rd guy that's asked this of me!

WHAT IS MY LIFE?!?!?

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

I May Have Made a Tiny Miscalculation

DEATH

It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. My sister will attest to the fact that on occasion I have been known to make mistakes. I may have overestimated my ability to recover and/or underestimated the wear and tear the 1/2IM would take on me. Three weeks does not seem like adequate time to recover from the 1/2IM and then run the Columbus Full Marathon!

My thinking was, "Well, I would have just trained for and completed 70.3 miles, 26.2 should be easy peasy!" What I did not factor in were the hills and how damn hard 70.3 really is. I've taken a week off and allowed myself to do nothing and eat what ever I wanted. This included, ice cream, brownies, pizza, burgers, 2 pieces of cake, bread, and banana pancakes. Ok, the banana pancakes really are not that bad but I had them with an egg, bacon, and toast. A little much, no? Time to reign it in!!

And Baklava!!
I started running again this past Saturday, just 2 miles. It was not good. I've had this nagging tight left calf. It's not so much the muscle as what I believe is a tendonythingy (would you believe I actually got my masters from a medical school?). It's gotten better over the week but still irritates me once in awhile. Yesterday, while lounging, I rubbed my left calf with my right foot. Not too hard but not too gentle either. And the damn thing cramped! I ran again this morning, again only 2 miles. The first mile was great, the second was pitiful. My legs felt sluggish, my feet dragged a couple of times and my cadence was way off. I'm still going to plug away at this and hope that Saturdays "long" run will be nice but I may have to pull out of the full. It's killing me.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

1/2IM PICTURES!!!!


I purchased two pics. One for me and is in the form of a certificate. It includes the race logo, my pic, my finish time, and my split times. My mom also wanted one but hers is just  the finish pic.


Clearly crying in all run pics!


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Still a Little Sore

Recovery Sock
Sunday: Compression socks all night. Everything hurts, like I've been hit by a truck! And, you should know that I do know how that feels. Stairs are impossible and walking is a chore. Sitting hurts, walking hurts, lying down hurts. Nothing is comfortable. I have no viable legs and can't hold anything in my hands.

Monday: Stairs are still a bitch. Getting out of the car takes effort and a few seconds to get everything working again. My legs only go straight, can't bend them. I feel like I've been hit by a Smart Car. So tired, but can't get a comfortable position to sleep. Difficulty doing my hair.

Tuesday: Still in compression socks. Only my legs hurt now. I can now curl up on the couch and find a comfy sleeping position. Hands are now back to normal.

Wednesday: No compression socks. I look normal on stairs now, even though it still hurts a little. I only hurt when I stretch. All muscles feel as though I've been lifting a little too heavy for me weights. Therapeutic massage scheduled today.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Pocono's 1/2 Iron Man Recap


The sun rose at 7am Sunday. I rose at 2:30am. My plan was to get up at 4:30 but after needing to pee I could not fall back asleep and just tossed and turned for 2 hours. I ate a bagel and took a banana to eat later before the swim. My mom drove me to the drop off zone where I and my two gear bags would be bussed to the swim start at Second pond. We had very few spectators for the swim, as the available parking was minuscule. Once there, I set up my transition area, visited the porta potties, stripped off my outer before race layers and got into my wetsuit. This time it was not that hard of a struggle and I actually got the crotch to a comfortable position. After dropping off my green morning gear bag (it contains dry warm clothes that would be bussed to the finish for us), I headed down to the swim start. I was in wave 9 and was supposed to hit the 64 degree water at 7:30. Instead, we got a late start and I went in at about 7:45.

I'm so happy I got a wetsuit before this. That water was freezing and it was quite a shock even with the suit. There were some people who swam in sleeveless wetsuits and some who swam in just swim suites! CRAZY!! I stuck my head in during the 4 minute warm up and it took my breath away! I hung back and started at the back of my wave. I didn't want to deal with the crush of bodies and 30sec would not be that big of deal. The swim was hard. I'm not going to lie. I kept waiting and hoping for the first turn, that would be about half way. I did pass several people that had started in waves ahead of me and it helped bolster my mood. After the halfway mark I started getting passed by waves that started after me. Passed is to nice. I was practically run over. How do you not see a swimmer in front of you? At this point I took in some water, which tasted strangely salty. It could have been the snot pouring out of my nose or the spring fed pond had some dissolved minerals in it. Through out the swim I battled calf twitches in both legs. They never fully cramped but it was bothersome. Swim Time: 43:58, cat place 4/6. Predicted: 48:28

T1 did not take as long as I thought it would. I quickly stripped out of my wetsuit, threw on my shirt and sleeves, and dried my feet for my socks. And then I had to pee. Normally, I just let it go during the swim if I have to. But, I couldn't do that with a wetsuit. Well, I could but I hear it's impossible to get the smell out. My goal for the swim was 1, to finish and 2, to not pee in my wetsuit. Check and Check! So I had to visit the porta potties again before I headed out for the bike. T1 Time: 10:45.

The first 3 miles were all down hill and the bike was basically uneventful for the first 20miles. At one hour I had done about 16 miles. This is the fastest I had ever gone. If I was able to keep it up I might finish the bike ahead. Um, that did not happen. My left calf was a source of irritation for most of the bike. I got off at each water stop to take in water, Ironman Perform, and some food (bananas or pretzels). My stomach was empty and had started to growl, GU would not hold me over. While off the bike I took the opportunity to stretch the legs a bit. After mile 20 the course gets hilly. There were probably 3 or 4 that were complete bitches to get up. There were also some that on their own would have been no big deal  but when strung together with small and large hills were excruciating. I rode up every hill. I may have stopped and given my legs a break but I never walked my bike up! I'm very proud of that. The down hills were amazingly fast and I was actually scared several times. I was going so fast on some of them that I knew if I hit even a small stone my race was over. But, it was exhilarating! At the end of the bike I saw my mom and her cow bell! Bike Time: 4:25:34, cat place 6/6. Predicted: 3:38:24.

T2 started rough. The dismount guy kept yelling at me to dismount NOW! Dude, I have 3 feet till the line. I'm gonna ride all of that! Then I couldn't find my number to rack my bike and get my shoes on. I had to have a volunteer find it for me. Thank god, he was there. I was almost in a full on panic thinking I had put my run gear in the wrong spot on Saturday. Luckily, he found it and I was able to change socks and shoes quickly. T2 Time: 5:19.

The run was bad. From start to finish. As soon as I took off I knew my muscles were not in good shape. My lower back had started to ache and was actually starting to seize up. The entire back of my left leg was also tight. At about mile 3 I thought about laying in the grass and trying to get everything to relax a bit. Then, I thought I'd never be able to get back up. Better not stop. I continued on in the run doing a run for 5 minutes then a walk for 30-40 sec. For the first half of my run a lot of runners were heading back and were passing me on my way out. Let me just say that almost every runner that ran past me gave me encouragement. Be it a wave, a smile or a "You got this." Every single one of them helped me to continue and finish. At the turn around/halfway point my back had loosened up but my left leg was still tight. I continued on at my run/walk. Miles 5-11 were very lonely. There were no other runners near me and the spectators had either left or hadn't come that far out of town.
I will not be eating bananas for awhile!
 Mentally, this was challenging. I kept telling myself, "If you can just get back into town you'll be fine." Then the big blow happened at mile 8/9. My right calf twitched. Then my left twitched. I knew that a full cramp was not far behind the twitch. I ran until one twitched and then I walked till it felt better. And I repeated this until I got to mile 12.9. By this time I was back into town and passing spectators and finishers on their way home. All gave encouragement and told me I was just around the corner from the finish. How could I walk in front of these people? I couldn't. I ran in the last 0.2 miles! Well, what felt like running but was probably some sort of zombie walk. I'm sure it did not look pretty. My mom was right before the finish line and I burst into tears the minute I saw her. I remember yelling, "I hurt so bad!" at her. I crossed the finish in tears. Of joy. Of pain. I almost had to go to medical since I was "wheezing". I assured them it was only because I was crying and I'd be ok. Run Time: 2:59:09, cat place 5/6. Predicted: 2:43:14.

I cried four times after finishing. Most of them happened every time I looked at my medal. I believe, shortly after finishing, my mom asked if I would do another. My reply was, "Of course! But not this one." I am 99.9% sure I will do another next year. I'm leaning to Steelhead. I'm, also, 95% sure I will never do a full Ironman. If I did I would have to wait till my mom was incapable of hurting me. She's absolutely forbidden a full. If she had it her way I wouldn't do another half. I understand. It has to be hard to wait for your child when she's an hour late and not knowing if she's been hurt. To watch your daughter stumble and cry in pain. But, I am thankful that she was there. To calm me. To help me to remember to Glide my neck for my wetsuit. It helps to get through the hard spots when you know someone is expecting you at the end. I'm also thankful to my sister, my father and my friends. All pushed me in training and had to listen to me vent my frustrations and fears. Final Time: 8:24:53(includes transitions), cat place 6/6. Predicted:7:10 (does not include transitions).

Front of shirt I just bought
I also want to say that all the volunteers at this race were amazing! At the bike water stops they asked what I needed and brought it to me. Every one directing traffic at corners gave encouragement. The volunteers on the run water stops were the best, though. They were always ready with what ever I needed, gave me a mileage report, informed me how long I had until the course was closed, and always had a smile. And all this for a girl who was one of the last runners out there! I think 3 others came in behind me before they closed the course! I, also, think the directors of this race did a great job! The course was beautiful and seemed well planned. Maybe a bit too hilly. But, would anyone want to do an easy 1/2IM?



Back

Afterwards, I took an ice bath followed by a soak in the hot tub. I've been wearing compression socks for three days now. My calves still ache. Well, my whole body hurts and if they made a compression sock for every thing, I'd be wearing it! I hurt but it's a good proud hurt!

Overall: 1047/1099. 14 of the 1099 DQed, including a pro. 30 of the remaining 1085 DNFed, also including a pro. I was 1047/1055 of those who finished. Not bad for my first time.

Update: 10/05/12, I've analyzed the data from my Garmin, Mile 12 of the run portion took 29 minutes!!! 

Calm Before the Storm

Ok, calmish. After my freak out on Thursday, I became relatively calm. There was nothing I could change and I could only hope that the training and prep work I had done would get me through.

I started off Friday with a brief 2.5 mile run. Mostly to keep my legs loose but it probably helped in keeping me calm. I had a minor "irritation" that had to do with getting gas and ice but once I had the car packed and my mom and I were on the road everything felt in it's place.

Stroudsburg, PA is about 6.5-7 hours away from my place. The drive was very scenic and uneventful. Once we arrived in town we checked in unpacked and then head off for Athlete check in. I originally wasn't going to do this till Saturday but i felt I would be better off to get it out of the way and be able to pack my gearbags early. At check in they tag you with a wrist band that needs to stay on all weekend. It felt like a badge of honor! I loved wearing it and tried to have it showing at every opportunity! I also picked up my race packet, 3 gearbags, and my swag bag. The swag bag kind of sucked! It contained brouchers, area specific coupons I'll never us, a small Aquaphor (love), a GU, a short sleeve race tech T, a small water bottle, and a Lee can cozy. The Akron half and full marathons give out better swag! At least give us a jacket!

By this time my mom and I are starving and she's noticed quite a few signs for Petrizzo's Restaurant and it happened to be a half mile down the road. Since it was Italian I could get some carbs in and my mom could enjoy some speghetti. How could that be a bad choice? I'll tell you. It took 20min to get some one to take our order. When I asked to have a chicken breast added to my garlic and olive oil pasta I was told it would be the full price of the grilled chicken dinner ($11). WTF? A breast of chicken is $2, maybe! The waitress must have registered our shock because she offered to fanagle something for us. When our salad came out the dressing was orange french. My mother and I like the red french. I was so hungry I didn't care and ate it. My mom asked the waitress if the Russian dressing was red and if not, what else there was. Apparently, the waitress did not like this because she got a little testy and asked, "Do you really hate it?" To which mom replied, "Yes, yes I do." The list of other dressings was rattled off so fast my mom (and I could see it in her face) almost asked for a repeat. I'm glad she didn't, I'm sure our food would have had a bit of spit in it if she did. In the long run food was not worth the trouble.

This was just the begining of our food problems. Evey time we ate there was an issue. But that was the funniest and worst one.

I packed my gear bags once I got back to the room. I had to drop off the bike and the bike and run gear bags Saturday by 5pm.

Saturday, we drove out to the swim start, looked around, felt the water and dropped my bike. After that we drove the bike course. The course was kind of confusing at first. The cue sheet wasn't quite correct but we figured it out. In the car the course didn't seem that bad. There were a few "Sweet Baby Jesus!" moments. Like, when I had to come to a complete stop and allow a flock of wild turkeys cross! Can you imagine flying around the corner on your bike and hitting a turkey?!!?! Or, when I came to a complete washout of the road! But, the course for the most part was beautiful, peaceful, and quiet.

It wasn't this deep, maybe 4feet.
The run course was a pretty straight forward out and back. Yes, the out was almost all up hill but the run back would be all down. Should be easy!

I then did the athlete briefing. This consisted of instructions on transportation, swim cues, and other important messages. They, also, addressed the washout on the bike course. They were not rerouting and instead it would be a no pass zone. We were instructed to ride single file down and up two sand ramps they had constructed for the race! "You've had a year! Why didn't you just change the route? There's a road just before that allows you to do this!"

After this, I basically done and we headed off for dinner and then a soak in the hot tub.