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I Don't Want You......

To think you can just go out and run another marathon.

That was what my doctor said to me Monday. I went in for my 3 month check up and lab tests. My tests have all come in normal since we got my arthritis under control 3 years ago. And, they came back normal this time too. My doc also didn't find any evidence of inflammation in my joints. All good. He did agree to up my meds to the last dose before I started feeling "not normal." I am the best indicator of what my body needs and how it is reacting.

We discussed taking a course of prednisone and he side eyed me while asking when my next event was. It's just a mini TRI at the end of July. He hesitated to give me the steroids because he felt I would feel too good too fast and run out and do a marathon. Does he know me or what?!

For now we're going to try just increase my MTX dose by one pill and reevaluate in 6 weeks. If I don't feel back to "normal", he will start me on a low dose of steroids. I hope this works. I hate being on the 'roids. I get all stabby. I mean, more then usual.

I ran today for the first time since the half/full and felt decent. Not normal but not terrible. I'm hoping to get a short swim in tonight after work. I'm trying to get back into BEAST mode!! Only 2 months till my first TRI this season!

2012 Cleveland Marathon, 2:46:36

One of the better CLE shirts!

Yesterday, I ran what was supposed to be my second full marathon but ended up being my 6th half. I couldn't change my registration to the half, so my bib still said FULL. I was a bit self conscience about it.

The weather Sunday could not have been more perfect! If you were planning a day at the beach. For a run it was less than desirable. At the start it was 64 degrees and quickly rose to about 70 in an hour. By the time the half was over for me it was 75. (These had to be shade temps, my car registered 82 in the sun.) This may have been doable had it been overcast but it was full on sun! I don't know what the second half of the course looked like but the first half is almost all open. There were points in the course where 3-4 feet of the road was shaded and you could see all the runners make for that shade. To sum it up it was devastatingly HOT! I saw 4 runners go down in just the half. I actually stayed with one till the medics arrived. In all my runs I have never seen a runner go down. It could be that I'm just not that observant but I think it was JUST THAT HOT!

Pineapple good, Apple not so much.

This brings up an issue I have with the Cleveland marathon. While they have ambulances periodically on the course, there are only 2 medical aid stations. One at the start and one at mile 18. Akron has 14 and Detroit has 3or 4. At one point I saw random by standers handing out petroleum jelly and band aids. I can only assume that they were past runners or friends/family of current runners. The CLE marathon is sponsored by Rite Aide. Are you telling me Rite Aide couldn't set up a couple more aide stations with band aids and skin lube?
Cleveland Marathon needs to get it's shit together!



On to my personal experience.  I decked myself out in my dark blue skirt and matching tank with a cute light blue bra. I haven't seen pics yet but I'm hopeful. I also wore my hydration belt and have the chafing on my back to prove it. I was iffy on wearing it. I was 99% sure I wouldn't attempt the full and felt I wouldn't need it for the half. I was wrong! I was so hot that I needed water between water stations that sometimes weren't fully stocked. They probably were but had been wiped out by the runners in front of me.

The guitar SWIVELS!

At the point where the half splits off from the full, mile 12ish, I was practically tackled 3 times. The workers there did their jobs well in informing the full runners to turn right and not to continue straight ahead. I tried to give the international "dead" sign but some just didn't get it. One lady ran over runners to get me. I knew what I was doing and knew that while I probably had 15-18 miles in me, I did not have 26.2. At mile 8 I did think about just continuing on the full course till 15 and then just run the 2 miles back to my car. But at decision time I was so hot and salty I just wanted my popsicle, fruit and a shower, that I decided to just finish with 13.1. 



At the finish line I tried to refuse my medal, since I hadn't actually done the full. I was told that I paid for it, I have to take it. Turns out all the medal are the same for the half and full that it doesn't matter.

Pineapple upside down, YUM!

When I got home I immediately took a painful (chafing) and cold (great) shower. I then settled in to lounge around with coffee and a cupcake! Caffeine and sugar was much needed after that run! I did get a runner's hangover but Tylenol and a good nights sleep has taken care of it. All in all, I'd say this run comes in second to the 2010 The Perfect 10 Miler as the most painful race.

*I was a full 2 minutes per mile slower than this years Glass City half! Basically, my Full pace.
**140 runners were treated by medical staff, mostly dehydration and heat-related issues.
***3:44 into the race (about an hour after I finished) officials announced a red flag warning. Meaning, slow down due to the heat.

Catch Up

I feel like it's been forever since I've updated you guys.  Turns out, it was only a week. I haven't posted much because my life had been rather quiet on the dating and training front. I'm only dating one guy and that's been quiet, more to come on this. And training has fallen off and is virtually nonexistent.

Breakfast, fruit and open sandwich; toast, avocado, montjack, ham and egg!

TRAINING:

Shower rod

I still do my runs, they're just shorter. By a lot! My marathon goal for a this spring has ended and I'll be doing the half instead. I feel this short coming is due to a combination of  factors. 1) Boyfriend, and therefore a variable schedule. 2) Weather, it just wasn't conducive to long runs right when I got to 20 miles. 3) Medicine, I went down on my arthritis meds 6 months ago and am pretty sure that was the wrong move. My doctor told me I wouldn't feel the change for a 3-5 months but I'm feeling it now! I haven't had a true flair up but I'm also not as comfy as I was before the switch. I see him next week and am hopeful that he'll let me go back up one pill. It's absurd to think that one pill, 2.5mg once a week makes that much of a difference but it does.

I thought I'd get my TRI training back on track and took my bike out for the first time. Couldn't do much as the tires need air and the front brake isn't hooked up. I also went to the pool yesterday morning for some laps. But it was closed at my normal swim time due to school being out. I will now have to swim 4-7pm weekdays and fight with a lot of people for a lane. PS. I hate sharing lanes!

DATING:

clothes chute

Dating is obviously nonexistent, also. Yes, I have a BF. Do we go out on dates? Not so much. He's been really busy with work and we mostly stay in for dinner and a movie. It's not terrible. If it was December. But it's May and beautiful outside. He has assured me that his work will die down after May, so I just need to get through this month. Which may be more difficult than I thought. We rarely talk on the phone and texting is in short supply, also. Normally, I'm OK with this but when I don't see a person for a week I start to panic a little. I over analyze and think crazy shit. Shit I know is ridiculous but still hard to get out of my head until proven otherwise. This last week was especially rough. Let's just say I drank too much tequila, made an ass of myself and then "felt" a cool down between Tex and I. The cool down was all in my head, which I knew it was. I have since been reassured that "We're cool."




SPARE TIME:

Gaping HOLE!

Since I'm not going to see much of TEX on the weekends this month and training is low, I've taken up a few projects around my house. My parents came in this past Saturday and my dad built a door for my clothes chute. While the bath was in disarray I also repainted it, installed a shower rod, and took down the door to be refinished. The bath door is one of the three remaining doors in my house that need to be refinished. A project I started 3 years ago. I'm also replanting my flowers and will be fixing the gaping whole in the side of my house. If you think this is crazy and I should hire people to do it check out this friends blog and then talk to me.

I'm also reading Fifty Shades of Grey for y'all. People, it is horrendous. Like a car wreck you can't look away from.

Flying Pig Friends!! And Other Bits

OK, yeah, I stole it. But I have no money!

We are CRAZY sweaty! As I think I said before it was very humid that day. I'm hardly ever that sweaty after a 6 mile run.

I'm working up my motivation to REALLY get back into training. The weather has been pretty nice lately, so I'm hopeful.

I have officially decided to only do the CLE half and not the whole. I just don't think it's my time.

Also, I'm going to do you all a favor and read Fifty Shades of Grey. It will be extremely painful for me but I'm willing to take one for the team. I've read about 2.5 chapters and put the book away, vowing to never read such horrible writing again. But, I think to properly mock something you must know all of it. And I will finish it. For you all.

Flying Pig 10K

This past weekend I traveled to Cincinnati to spend some time with friends and to do the Flying Pig 10K!

The run was harder than I think it should have been. I walked a lot in last 2 miles. I can only assume it was because of the humidity and that I have been a bit lax on my running. I need to step it up! This is ridiculous.
My time was 1:11:45, 11:35 pace.

After the run and a brief nap it was all out Cinco de Derby!!! That's a cross between Cinco de Mayo and Derby Day!! Mint Juleps and Margaritas!  My second Mint Julep was more of a mint and bourbon than a Julep. I still drank it though! It was a fantastic time, even tough my horse (Liaison) never even came close to winning!

A Month

We are a month into a relationship with Tex. Which, incidentally, is the longest relationship I have had in a very LONG time. I know we are still in the "honeymoon" phase but it bodes well that I haven't been too annoyed yet. There was an incident over the weekend that could probably be called our first argument.

We were to meet up with a friend of mine and her husband for a night out. I feel I was clear on when we needed to leave my place. It apparently was not clear that after leaving we go directly to my friends. We had to make a few stops on the way to get baseball accoutrements  for his game in the morning. If it was just me that was inconvenienced I would not have been bothered. But, my friends had a babysitter and were waiting for us. It all worked out in the end with some adjustments. I will, however, remember this for next time.

He did make an effort to clean his place for me yesterday and I applaud him for it. His place is not as clean as mine and I have on occasion brought it up. Paul says that all guys are like that. But I don't remember my friends boyfriends being that messy. Perhaps, they just cleaned up better when company was coming. My mother suggests that I "help" him clean. I feel that that would set a precedent that I will  be VERY unwilling to continue with in the future.It should be 50/50.
I'll clean the bathroom if he cleans the floors (I hate this).
I'll do the cooking if he cleans up the kitchen.
Laundry for mowing.

Compromise. It works. 

(This is the first "flower" he's given me. He pulled it off a tree outside is apartment.)