Sing-Song

I have a new job.
I haven't run much.
My new job is full-time.
My achy running knees have been bothering me.
It's all an adjustment.
I ran a whopping 5-mile long run Sunday morning.
Is it okay to mention I'm scared of 7th graders?
Elijah rode his bike with me on my run.
My kids will ride the bus to and from school.
It was a glorious morning run.
It's hard letting them go...and grow.
You may run 10, 15, 20 miles, but I had cherished time with my son.
I don't get to be so present anymore.
Maybe it's time to shift to a new hobby?
I do feel blessed. Uh huh, I do. That's right.
I like the idea of cooking sit-down-together dinners each night for my family.
Who wouldn't with such a family as this?
I might leave the running to the runners. You out there, Runners?

What we need more of in the world

Aye! There's only two more weeks until school starts. My summer has flitted by with packing and unpacking, driving and waiting, sorting and cleaning, swimming and biking, and more packing and unpacking. Start of summer seems so long ago, but I haven't much to show for the time. Perhaps I'm too hard on myself. Shouldn't I have a finished home? Shouldn't I be ready for my new job? Shouldn't those memory books for last year's class be done? Shouldn't I be logging more than 10 miles on long runs?

Fiesta Texas: Monday, August 4. The boys had free tickets they earned through a school library reading program. Tickets expire August 10, so time was pinching in on me. I dreaded the crowds (I haven't had much luck with Fiesta Texas), but I knew it wouldn't rain (again, not much luck with FT).

It actually turned out to be a pleasant day despite my grouchiness early on. One I relaxed and noticed there really weren't many folks there, I was fine. I think going on a Monday with a projected high of 106 F maybe kept some folks away. We stayed until 9pm, so we were plenty tired when we arrived home around 11pm (love eating Whataburger in the car on the way home).

The rest of my week was filled with work and not feeling well and mostly successful attempts to unpack the boxes from our storage unit. The storage unit is empty, so that's a plus, right? My house is a disaster though, but hopefully it will come together very soon.

DV left on Thursday for his boys' retreat weekend to Colorado. Friday, Elijah, Joshua and I got up early for a Geocaching Event at Dick Nichols Park (8-8-08 from 8am - 8:08am). Afterwards, we found a cache that had evaded us a few weeks back. Saturday we found yet another cache with my sister and niece, so it's been a successful caching weekend for us.

Saturday long run: Scenic/Mountain Bonnell. Well, Coach says "Mountain" Bonnell so I like to say that, too, but in his accent. Just saying Mountain Bonnell won't cut it; you simply must say it with a Burundi drawl.

I'm already tired of running on Lake Austin Blvd, but it was fine. I ran with Barb to the 5-mile turn-around point. We ran into Emily, Allison, and Gayatri there, so we all ran back "together." We didn't really run back together at all. Allison stopped for a bathroom break, and the other three kept going. I waited for her, and we ran along until we caught Emily, who didn't feel well and was walking. We caught back up to Gtree and Barb at the water stop on LAB. Even though I asked them to wait so we would all run together, they took off.

It's for the best as my knees were killing me. I had planned to run 7-8 miles, but Barb asked me to run 10 with her. I felt fine going out LAB and onto Scenic, etc. I didn't really start hurting until around 6-7 miles into the run. Allison was also hurting so we walked quite a bit the last 3 miles (probably half of those last 3 miles). My IT bands and knees really screamed about that run the rest of the day despite minimal stretching and soaking in Barton Springs. Ah, if there was only time for sitting around with ice on my legs.

We need more poetry in the world. Also, if anyone has seen my cat, Simi, tell her we want her to find her way back home.

Glow Hard

Lame, boring recap of past workouts.

July 19 was the Kids' Tri, in which I did the amazing distance of 200m swim, 5 mile bike, and 1.2 mile run. I tell ya though, that run was hard, really hard. Never underestimate a triathlon no matter what the distance. DV said it was hard, too, so it's always nice to know the fast folks feel the same as me.

I think the week before I met Allison to run around the 'hood and probably did 6 or so miles. I've been feeling really fatigued in my legs since the move, so some workouts have been difficult for me.

July 21 we did 700s, and Gilbert told us to do 6 at a slower pace. I went fairly slow, which was fine for me. I didn't even time them, and by the time the 6th one came around, I was pooped. It's been such a hot, hot summer, so running at 5:30pm has been fairly brutal.

July 22 - Total Body Sculpt at Lifetime Fitness. Ow. The entire hour and 15 mins I kept thinking, "I have do 800s tomorrow." It's a great class, but I seem to be sore from it for days...and it really is "total body."

July 23 was a fun workout, actually. That was the evening a crazy rain storm blew threw right as I was driving to running class (about 5:15pm). I knew the storm would keep tons of folks away. When I got to the track at 5:30pm, the rain had blown over and the sun was out. The air was thick with moisture, and the sun kept pushing the clouds aside determined to beat down on the few of us that made it to class. We were scheduled for 800s, which isn't a favorite of mine but don't do it often enough to truly fear it. Let me point out that Sarah and I were the only gals to show up. We ran most of them together, and at the start, 6 repeats seemed like a lot. We didn't think we could make ourselves go faster each repeat, but we somehow did. My last one was 4:44, which surprised me since I haven't been consistently running this summer. I really didn't think I'd be able to run that fast in the sauna we were dealt that day. I left really happy and proud of doing all 6 and doing them well.

July 26 - Blanco Out-Back Tri. I didn't do it, which was a wise move on my part. I cheered David, Linda, and Snowdene on (as well as DVs friends). I did a 45 min long run around 11am - just ran all around Blanco State Park. It was hot but lovely. It's a nice little park.

Later that day we drove to SeaWorld for a Cub Scout sleepover. What a nightmare. The SeaWorld counselor tromped us all over the park from 5:30pm - 10:30pm with minimal breaks. Familyvance was beyond exhausted and would have happily gone to bed at 8pm. However, SeaWorld had our sleeping bags and luggage held hostage. We finally were given permission to lay down around 11 or 11:30pm. We slept in the Shark Habitat, which sounds really cool but was really horrid. The closest bathroom was maybe 1/4 mile away, and we slept on the hard floor covered by thin, filthy carpet that thousands upon thousands of people walk on daily. It was a mixed blessing when the lights were turned on at 6am. I got to get off the hard floor, but I had to interact with our fellow scouts and the SeaWorld counselors. We headed off for more tromping around the park until about 9am, when praise God, we got to be regular visitors at SeaWorld who can stop and sit down and do whatever our hearts desire. I honestly think we walked miles with that slave-driver SeaWorld counselor. And besides, she wanted us to sing summer camp songs as we walked through the park. "Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas. Oy! Stomp bananas, stomp, stomp bananas! Oy!"

Monday, July 28 - mile repeats. I forgot my watch. I ran them slow, and I did 3, even though I probably should have done 4. They weren't anywhere near my past mile repeat times, but I didn't care. My legs were beat up from SeaWorld.

Wed, July 30 - 5 mile fartlek - 3 on/1 off, 2 on/1 off, 1 on/1 off and then repeat. I went to the 5:45am class, and I got to run with Gayatri and Leslie. It was a new fartlek experience for me as there was a large group we were to stay with (Group A). I think there were 12 or so folks in this group. The faster runners would turn back on the "easy" minute to the slowest runner to make sure we stayed as a group. The thought was really nice, and I don't know that I'm against it...just new to me. The group really should have been 2 groups b/c the speeds were a little too far spread out, especially during the really rough 3 mins "on." So maybe a A1 and A2 group is in order, but it really doesn't affect me right now as I'm an afternooner where we don't need no stinkin' groups...er...at least fancy organized groups with letters assigned to us.

Sat, Aug 2 - 8+ mile long run with Leslie and Gayatri. They started at Robert E. Lee, and I met them at LAB and Exposition. I felt fine other than some muscle in my right outer calf bothering me. It's been bothering me since SeaWorld or perhaps even the triathlon on the 19th. It was humid, but I still thinks it's easier to run in a humid morning than 105 degree afternoon. Gayatri ran 14 miles! Yea! Leslie did 12 miles. Yea! Glow hard, ladies!

Now I get to unpack more boxes that we brought from the storage unit. We are never moving again.

Diary of the SuperSlow

Running has been a struggle. Moving has worn me down inside and out. We had a horrible time with our buyers showing up on our last day in the house. It turned into a nightmare that is too long to blog about at this time.

I didn't run for a week after the Saint and moving. Last Sunday I met Allison in the 'hood to run. We both were fine going slow and walking when needed due to each of us having ailments (her shin was busted and my IT bands/knees aren't happy with all the trail running and moving). I think we ran maybe 6 miles, could be more or less. I didn't really keep track of time or distance. It was my first 'hood run from the new house, and I briefly thought about having us run by my old house. I thought better of it knowing I'd get emotional.

Monday was circuit. It was hot and muggy after some rain passed through. Lunges always get me. I'm weak in the core and suffered through the core workout. I generally love circuit, but this week was not my favorite.

Yesterday was tempo. I haven't run a tempo run in months and the last ones I did were when I was in my best running shape post-3M half marathon. If I hadn't switched gears to train for the MS150, maybe I would have stayed strong. Maybe if I hadn't switched gears and focused on moving and trail runs. Maybe if it wasn't hot, and I wasn't carrying a blubber roll around my middle.

I was determined to run 3 miles, even though Gilbert wanted most of us to run 2. I knew if I dropped back down to a 2 mile tempo, that it would be hard for me to go back to 3 miles. I felt tired in the first 400m, but my pace seemed fine. Pace seemed fine through 3/4 mile where I slowed a tad bit. I was trying to push but stay within a decent range for someone very out-of-shape. Gilbert was standing at the mile 1 marker and said, "Jessica, just turn around and do a 2 mile tempo. You'll have extra miles in the cool down." I stopped and replied, "If I don't do 3 then I'll never do 3 again." He waved me on, and I went toward the 1.5 marker.

That 2nd mile has been the slowest in past runs, so I knew it would be again. I suffered a lot and had a pain that wasn't a stitch and wasn't anything I was interested in "running through." So I walked. I knew any decent time was shot after the first walk, so I just ran and walked a few seconds here and there the whole way back. I debated stopping my watch back at the 1 mile marker and calling it a 2 mile tempo so I could walk the mile back. I didn't do it though, and I ran back with intermittent walking. I ended up with a time of 32.34, which was actually faster than I thought it would be with all the walking I did. It's a true testament to the shape I'm in physically and mentally, and hopefully, I'll get faster next time.

Am I just plain out-of-shape? Am I tired from moving and trail runs as my legs have felt weak since then? Did I struggle b/c it was the first real hard run in the heat? Have I weakened mentally with all the slow trail runs and slow long runs and cookies?

No matter how slow it was, I'm happy to have done the 3 mile tempo.

I have a little over a week to train for the Hill Country Kids' Triathlon. I'm on a team with Elijah, and our team name is The Course is With Us. David and Joshua remain a team and kept the same name from last year - Team Bob. Boys will do 100m swim, 2.5 mile bike, and 1K run. David and I will do a 200m swim, 5.1 mile bike, and 1.2 mile run. Even though those distances are super short, it's still a killer to do a tri...especially when I haven't trained.

100th and 6th

Hey, this is my 100th post. Aren't I supposed to get a cake or something? Does a new house count?

Yes, we are in the new house. It's been a pretty hectic and emotional week as we closed on our beloved little house last Thursday and leased-back until Monday when we closed on our new house. We spent all of Monday moving and were rewarded with a new fridge installation along with two batches of brownies from friendly neighbors. Ah, we now relish the joys of unpacking.

I am a fairly anxious person. Perhaps not so externally anxious, but those who know me, know that I can fret over the unknown and pending change. I've been getting little sleep, and it's caught up to me. Yesterday reminded me of the weeks after having a baby. I wanted a nap so badly, but I kept getting visitors to see the new house. When I finally got my chance to doze off, a child called my name as he attempted getting orange juice from the top shelf of the new fridge (he christened the new fridge with a big spill).

Sunday we ran the third and final trail run in the Rogue trail series (the Saint). I was beyond tired, and my body felt it the first mile or two. I ran with Leslie A., and it was once again a fun and beautiful run. We ended up running faster than I thought we were going to run. I felt sluggish and even took a migraine pill before the run. David took a hard fall, but he ended up winning 2nd overall for the series. I got 6th place overall for the series...er...6th from LAST PLACE! Geesh, I know I'm extremely slow, and I know I ran those races for fun. But it's still sucky to see my slowness posted on the internet for the world to see. I try to comfort myself by saying, "Lots of people didn't run all 3 races," or "Think of all the people who slept in all those Sundays." Ya think it works?

I never did post about Day 2 of the MS150. For my own sake, I will be posting that eventually.

I have to start biking again and swimming as we may do a couple of triathlons later this month. Nothing big or fancy. The boys are going to do a kids' tri that has a team option with a parent (race separately but times combined). At the end of the month is the always fun Blanco Out-back Tri. Dust of the tri shorts, y'all.

May memories

I want to remember two really beautiful and memorable runs from May. I've settled with myself that I'll never go back and catch up on all the runs, workouts, and things of interest. In fact, I don't even remember much I want to share. I did write a tiny snippet about the Maze, so I'm covered there.

Mother's Day morning, I ran with Gayatri and Elizabeth, who were kind enough to join me even though they did their long run Saturday. We ran 6 miles along the north side of the trail from 1st street to Longhorn Dam. Details fade, but it was a glorious spring morning. G-tree and Elizabeth talked of seeing a Swan family the day before, complete with 5 baby swans. "What are baby swans called?" we wondered as we ran toward the dam. I secretly hoped we'd see those little puffs of downy fluff. I don't think I have ever seen a baby swan.

On our way back, I spotted swans in the reeds along the riverbank. We crept in and saw 5 darling baby swans (cygnets for you precise folk). They were brownish-gray with small, black beaks. It was the sweetest scene as the family nestled in the reeds. I felt it was the perfect start to Mother's Day. I haven't seen the swans or cygnets again since then, but perhaps I'll look a little closer next time I'm on the northeast side of the trail. I'm curious to see how the babies have grown and changed.

Mother's Day we also set out to find some tadpoles at Barton Creek down off Lost Creek Blvd. Joshua and Elijah kept a tadpole a piece (along with an accidental minnow), and I took a tadpole to the preschool for the kiddos. If you've never watched a tadpole metamorphosis, then you might want to jaunt down and get yourself a tadpole. I was more interested and fascinated than the kids, I think. Elijah named his tadpole "Taddie" and Joshua named his tadpole "Morphy." On Father's Day, we took Taddie and Morphy back home to the creek because they were now froglets.

Tiny baby Morphy


Elijah holding Taddie


Now, the other run I want to mention is perhaps one of the most beautiful runs I've ever done. I mentioned before that David took me to Dallas for a short anniversary trip to see the LA Galaxy play FC Dallas. We drove up Saturday and ate dinner at a really yummy, recommended restaurant called Cafe Izmir. Maybe some of you have been there. Sunday morning we woke up and drove to White Rock Lake to run. It was fun for us to run together where David had run his sub-3 marathon. We started out together on the concrete and asphalt trail as cyclists zoomed by. This trail is clearly more popular for cyclists than runners.

Once David realized I would be safe running alone, he took off in a blur. I had already pointed out wildflowers and made us stop to smell them and get a closer look. The lake was very lovely. The sky was clear blue with smears of white clouds as though someone ran a icing-laden finger across the sky. I stayed on the pedestrian trail whenever possible rather than the asphalt road. It was mostly shaded and just lovely. Downtown Dallas peeked into view around turns and up hills (which there weren't really any hills).

I did and out and back run while David ran the whole trail loop. I had to stop again for some flower admiring. There was a thistle that was over 6-feet tall. The pedestrian trail went through some grassy areas with flowers that were over 3 feet tall, so it felt like I was running in a field.

My chest was bothering me where my bra strap lays, so I tucked my shirt under and felt better. I ran this way until shortly before meeting up with David back where we started. As I walked toward him I pulled my shirt back down straight, and he asked me, "What happened?" I looked down at my white shirt to see blood and sweat swirled around. I was surprised. I had no idea I had been bleeding. My new bra had rubbed enough to make me bleed, and I was able to sympathize with running men who have sweaty-blood driplets from their nipples.

Both the White Rock run and the Swan run were times I wish I'd had a camera. I don't do justice to the sereneness of those runs, but hopefully you've had a run just as stunning, peaceful, and full of beautiful nature. I think the White Rock trail would be perfect if it had an actual trail rather than concrete and asphalt.

So, I can't close this post without sharing a picture or two of the soccer game. It was really thrilling to see David Beckham play. If you can't spot him in the pictures, he's the one with the long-sleeved jersey. BTW, LA beat Dallas 5-1. Ouch!

Beckham Direct Free Kick (notice the time and score of the game)


Beckham on Defense

Fast and Fine

In the early morning sunrise, I met Ginny and Leslie for a Greenbelt run. The air was cool and refreshing, and the dew on the greenery along the trail sparkled in the sunlight and gently splashed against us as we ran by.

I adore that trail. I don't know why more of my friends won't run the trail with me. No one fell or got lost this time, so really, why not join me? I understand the desire to stay on the road for mileage, but my goodness, it's so dull sometimes. I am so happy that there are running buddies willing to try out the trail on a Sunday morning, so I don't have to run alone. It's hard sometimes to coordinate with my running spouse, and I appreciate those friends who will switch from the Saturday pavement norm to join me in the glorious nature spectacular the Greenbelt offers.

We had some mud and puddles this time thanks to yesterday's storms. We had some enlightening conversation about right and left-brain and how your brain works while running on a trail. Fascinating! Anyone who's run on a trail knows that zoning out just can't happen, and I learned today that both sides of the brain work hard while trail running. So it's good for your soul, your body, and your mind to trail run.

We chatted the whole run and had a fun time. Ginny runs T/Th afternoon, so I told her she'd probably seen David there. She asked what he looks like, and I said, "He's fast and hot." LOL. But seriously, I never really use the word "hot" to describe anyone simply because that's not from my era (my boys use it and it's so hilarious to hear a 6 and 8-year-old describe girls as "hot"). David is hot, mind you, but I prefer to think of him as "fast and fine." You gotta say fine with a really drawn out "I"...fiiiiiine (and maybe nod your head a bit while saying it. Try it!).

The Saint is next week, and I think Leslie will join us for that fun run. We also talked about adding in a trail run at least once/month for a long run or even adding it as a secondary run during the week. If I see Lake Austin Blvd. any time soon, I think I'll yak. I get so tired of those same, tired run routes. I am sad that I missed the Grove route this week as I've never done that one (minus the trail part, of course).

Next week is also our last weekend in this house. I don't think it's quite hit me yet even though I've been packing and prepping. David's taking down the tree house. I'm a very sentimental person, and this is the house where my boys were babies. This is the house of Familyvance. It's going to be hard to say farewell to it. I am sort of hoping it's so frantic next weekend and on Monday when we close and move.

My boys got their first sunburns yesterday. I think by their age, I'd become an expert on sunburns. Joshua actually wants a sunburn. It's like riding the bus to school. It sounds so fun until you have to do it every day.

I have a "girls' only" blog topic that I want to post. I'll have to warn the men that if they read it, they might regret it! Coming soon...

Saturday Morning Adventure

I couldn't let this morning's run go into the queue for this very back-logged blog. Barb and I met at 6:30am at Barton Springs to run on the Greenbelt. We looked forward to a nice change of scenery, and I wanted to practice for the Saint in a couple of weeks.

How can I express how pleasant it is to run off-road? I have tried to convince running friends to join me, but few have taken me up on the offer. It's so wonderful to be running along side greenery while hearing birds chirp and smelling the occasional flower blooming. It's also very fun and exciting to run on the Greenbelt.

We started off well enough with a map and some directions from Andre. Andre was starting later and he's faster, so I figured he'd pass us along the way and make sure we were on course.

Things went well until we were about 2 or more miles in and got a little lost. Once we saw the trail, we realized how obvious it was. But we were looking down and chatting, so we ended up on some high rocks. I heard feet running nearby, but I couldn't see anyone. I knew whoever it was I could hear was running on the trail we wanted to be on. I yelled at Barb, whom I couldn't see thanks to tons of huge rocks. I even told her that I thought it was Andre running by, and I'm pretty sure it was. Andre did indeed keep us on course.

The next excitement came when we approached detour signs to steer folks away from a washed out foot bridge. Maybe we are directionally-challenge (well, I know I am), but we got on a wrong trail here, too. We were being attacked by huge horseflies, and Barb cracked me up when she said, "These horseflies are so huge, they have saddles." That image still tickles me. Our wrong trail sent us to an office building, and I could hear the 360/Mopac interchange. Turns out that the office building is where Andre works. Too bad he didn't leave a note on the wall by the trail telling us we had gone the wrong way. ;o)

We had to turn back at this point without getting to 360 - time and water was running out. On our way back, Barb tripped on a very rocky section and fell really, really, really hard. It scared me how hard to she fell (she was behind me but the sound of her fall was not a good sound). Fortunately, she was okay...a skinned knee and a sore back. A little rest for us for Barb to get her bearings, and we were off again.

We are happily running along, chatting about how fabulous it is to live in Austin and have such a great place to run. A man approaches with three dogs, and only one dog is on a leash. I'm in front, which leaves Barb a little blinded. One of the unleashed dogs is small and in front and heads past me. I hear a horrible screech that I thought was from the dog, but in fact, it was from Barb. The dog had jumped up at her, and she thought it was a wild animal attacking her from the bushes. We had a good laugh about it once she was calm. I offered her to go in front, but she said she was fine.

Happily we are running again, albeit I'm going slower and slower. I catch my toe on the tiniest of rocks and fall really far for a really long time. Even Barb thought I fell in slow motion. I fell on a soft part of the trail, and skidded into the greenery. Another good laugh for us after we made sure I was fine and hadn't landed in poison ivy.

Soon thereafter, Andre and Paul come running past us. We chat with them for a minute or two about our adventures thus far. Andre confirms that it was them that ran past when we were lost in the high rocks. They speed off in search of a cool (and free!) swim at Barton Springs, and we slowly follow for our turn to dip our legs on the cool water. Of course, we went to the always-free part of the Springs.

Lessons learned:

Bring more water
Apply bug spray
Pack a tiny, but useful first-aid kit

We had so much fun. I hope more friends will run with us next time we are on the Greenbelt.

Short-n-Sweet

I had a fairly lame blog typed up, but it's not worth printing. To keep it short, familyvance has been swamped with house duties as we prep to list our house this week.

I still plan to write something further about the MS150 because I do want to remember it, even if everyone else has forgotten they wanted more details.

DV and I ran The Maze on Sunday, which is a very fun trail run that we ran last year. That race is so darn fun, but I am so out of shape for running. That 10K run was the longest run I've done in weeks and weeks. Barb and Allison ran with me, and we had so much fun. Trail runs are so fun (or at least this one is fun). The next race in the series is The Loop, and last year, it was so difficult for me. I said I'd never run it again, but I'm probably running it again.

I love power washing. I could be a professional power washer, I think. And if I didn't marry a handyman, then I'm married to one now. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Joshua loves Wilke

Wilke wasn't so bad. Honestly, there's not a work out I can think of that is harder or more painful than a few parts of the MS150. Wilke is steep and long, but it's over in a few minutes or less. Tempo is painful and often makes me anxious, but again, it's over with rather quickly compared to 165 miles into the wind.

I only did 4 up and 2 backward b/c I'm still in recovery-mode from the MS150. I do think this week will bring back my normal workouts. Joshua, who is 6 years old I remind you, did 6 forward Wilkes yesterday. Can anyone other than Gilbert and Joshua boast of doing the same number of Wilke repeats as their age?

The Maze is this weekend. We've been so busy getting the house in order to sell that we've kind of let that race go. I'm not ready to do that, so I talked Gayatri into running it with me as a long run and not a race (as if I "race" anyway). Hopefully it will work out that we can do it because it was really a fun run last year.

More Joshie-isms:

"I'm a good forgetter, so if you want me to forget something, tell me."

Correction from the previous post: "I love sports, bugs, sleep, and Star Wars." Ah...we surely couldn't forget Joshua's love of bugs.

"Who's faster, you or Nate?" (Nate is Joshua's guitar teacher and runs in the 5k/10k class)

"Who's faster, Nate or Daddy?"

"Who's faster, Daddy or Bernard?"

When your knees rule the roost

Monday at Gazelle class, Gilbert stretched my legs and IT bands and showed me some strengthening exercises. He says I have no quad and butt muscles, and of course, I'm "weak in the core." My left IT band hurts when running, and my right hurts when cycling. I'm wondering now if my right knee is something else. Anyway, Coach said that my right leg was "a mess."

I've taken the week off from any strenuous exercise. My leg muscles felt like I had lifted weights after Monday's stretching with Gilbert. Tuesday, Joshua's T-ball team played their 2nd game. Go Mets! Joshua's got the best slugging percentage on his team. I'm not sure I actually know what that means, but I wanted to be an obnoxious T-ball parent and toot my kid's horn. David and I are far too quiet at games. We simply stand out in the crowd of screaming parents and coaches.

Wednesday I ran an easy fartlek at class with Sarah (Allison and Barb were ahead of us about 100 meters). My knees protested pretty much right after our warm-up. I did 4 (maybe 5) sets before walking during the "easy" minute. With 1 more set to go, I had to give up on running all together. I had caught back up to Sarah, and she kindly walked back with me to Runtex (almost a mile). Ice, Compression, and Elevation at home. Rest on Thursday and today.

Tomorrow is the Rosedale Ride. Sarah thinks we'll be on our bikes for about 5.5 hours for the 63.1 miles. The weather should be pleasant, but there's a small chance of rain. I really am not interested in cycling in the rain. I am, however, excited about the ride and am looking forward to riding with Sarah since she won't be able to do the MS150 due to her sister's surgery.

I will ask Sarah to take a picture or two of me on my bike to post here. If you want to see me on my bike right this very minute, you can look at pics of me at the 2006 CapTexTri.

Want to see Sarah? Look how cute she is (she's the one with the red hair). :o)

Snippets

"Long" run on Friday evening - 60 mins.
Left knee hurt within 15 minutes.
Unbearable.
Switched to a fartlek with 2 mins fast/1 min walking to keep my knee from hurting.
Ran hard though (had to in order for me knee not to hurt).

No cycling this weekend.
Resting my IT bands.
Exercises to strengthen muscles near IT band aren't easy.
Foam roller, aka Torture roller.

65-mile Rosedale Ride this Saturday.
Gulp.
Easy running this week, if any.
Really up to the knees.

Ice pain. Heat IT band.
Ah, that is the answer.

MS150 in less than 3 weeks. Yikes.

Still Recovering from Spring Forward

I jokingly "wrote" a blog in conversation with David the other day:

I ran, blah, blah, biked 30 miles, two flats, Enchanted Rock, how much crap can can one tiny house hold?

I think there might have been one or two other snippets in the original, but the concept is the same. It doesn't really matter if I write in this blog or not. It doesn't matter if I give detailed reports of my running or cycling or anything. I'd like to recap for my sake, so if I ever look back and wonder how I did with running/cycling, I'll have a record.

My IT bands have been hurting since I added in the cycling after 3M. Two Saturdays ago, I met Elizabeth, and we ran approx 7 miles on the trail. We met at 1:30pm b/c our Davids ran in the freezing morning with the Gazelles. We ran on the east side of the trail up to Longhorn Dam during a rowing competition. The trail looks so different when it's packed with people watching a rowing competition.

Two Sundays ago I did a 30-mile with Sarah and friends. I had a flat before we even started biking. At 4 miles into the ride, "Blowout!" (say it like the dad in A Christmas Story). I had no tube with me and sent the others on down Mopac (we started from my house and were doing Mopac and Veloway). DV came and rescued me, changed the flat properly, and drove me back to the Veloway so that I could find my group. I found them and enjoyed the rest of the ride. Later that day I tried to ride for another 15-30 minutes, and I could not sit on the seat. My butt was so very tender, I literally could barely sit. But I forced myself.

I've been attending Gazelle class. We did a horribly painful core workout the first Monday of spring break. I suck at plank and should probably do plank every day. Last Wednesday it was the ladder workout at the track (600m, 400m, 200m). I usually love this workout but it was hard to do this time. I know we started out too fast (geesh, will I ever learn?), but I quickly fixed that on the very first 400. My knees held up through the 3 sets.

Two weeks ago was circuit and fartek, two of my favorite workouts. Few folks love circuit, but I do. I do remember this being a crazy weather day with extremely strong winds. We all felt like we could lean into the wind on the back side of the track, and it would hold us up. Fartlek on that Wednesday was the 4-mile loop again, which we enjoy much better than running around Auditorium Shores.

I was planning to do my long run last Friday, but I changed my mind after my knees were jolted into pain at Enchanted Rock. We took the boys last Thursday, and it was a fabulous time. David and I were in pain coming back down the rock - him with his shin and me with my knees. I figured I'd hold off on a long run or possibly run a little on Saturday. Saturday came and went with no running b/c I really need to rest up for the longer bike rides. It's exhausting doing long runs, long rides, 24-7 kids, work, cleaning out our house and prepping it to sell, etc.

Sunday (just two days ago! see how fast I can recap?): 50 mile ride with Sarah, Lynette and Lonny. I was nervous and my stomach hurt. I am always like this when I'm doing something for the first time. I had never ridden the route we had planned (Old San Antonio Road - basically riding from Austin to San Marcos and back). I also had never biked more than 30 miles.

It was really a pleasant experience overall. The weather was superb and the terrain very do-able. The wind could have easily made this ride difficult, but there were only a couple times the wind blew hard enough to challenge us (er, me). We didn't take a break until the turn-around point in San Marcos. We all visited the restroom of the Sac-n-Pac and ate an energy bar. Between miles 34-40 I was really struggling. It was mostly mental though. My right knee smarted, my neck, arms, and hands hurt, and I felt like the other 3 riders were going so fast and riding with ease. I was grateful when Sarah (aka, SpeedRacer) pulled into a convenience store for a potty break at mile 40. It was just the boost I needed. I just needed off the bike for a few minutes. I stretched my arms, neck, legs, and hands. The last 10 miles were enjoyable, so I have faith that I'll get through the MS 150 knowing that I can get off my bike at the frequent stops. When we finished the ride, Lynette said, "Okay now we eat lunch and then get back on the bike for another 50 miles." She was referring to what will happen on Day 1 of the MS 150. Gulp.

I did not attend Gazelle class yesterday b/c T-ball has started up again. Joshua is a Met again, and their first game was last night. He did great. He played 3rd base the first inning and made the throw to 1st a couple of times. He had 2 RBI singles and one awesome 3 RBI triple. He got a new bat, and I think it's making a big difference.

I've just finished a good book, and I recommend it: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (yes I can take a break from The Complete Jane Austen, lol).

Just a Thought

Have you ever tried to think at least one nice thought about every single person you see in a day? It's not so easy. You might be in traffic and see lots of drivers. Perhaps you work somewhere with hundreds of people that you pass walking here and there. Maybe you really don't like someone that you see almost every single day. However, it's a simple exercise that can show you how negatively you think.

I do this exercise every so often, and I'm amazed at what I'll think about a total stranger. Some examples are: "That's an ugly shirt," or "He needs to brush his hair." Those thoughts seem harmless enough, but why can't my one and only thought about that person be something positive and happy? Why is the first (and sometimes only thought) something negative?

Sometimes this exercise is harder when you know someone, especially if you aren't fond of that person at all. Many years ago, I didn't like a co-worker. In fact, I thought I hated this person. Hate is such a strong, strong word. I tried this exercise and couldn't come with anything. I could usually comment on someone's clothing ("That's a nice shirt" or "What a pretty color blue."), but I couldn't even let myself do that for this person. I finally resorted to picturing this person as an infant, sweet and innocent and totally loved by a mother. I was a new mother at the time so seeing this person as my own child brought forth a flood of loving feelings. I suddenly felt differently. Someone out there had loved and might still love this person the same way I loved my son.

It's an interesting exercise that I believe helps me be a happier person in general. I should probably do it every day, all day. I wonder who of you will try it?

On to boring blah, blah, blah...

My knees are really hurting after my long run yesterday with Elizabeth and Barb. We did the Lollipop route (7 mile version). My left knee was hurting so bad near the end that I was limping a bit after stopping to stretch it. I tried the dreaded foam roller (that thing hurts like hell!). I won't be biking today as I missed the morning ride with Sarah and Co., and David took my bike for it's tune up. I will try to get to FitLife for an extended stationary bike ride. I really should probably rest the knees today though.

Christina asked yesterday on the status of the Jedi Robe. I'm ashamed to say I've done nothing further. My poor child has forgotten about it, I believe. I have so many projects for Spring Break, but finishing that robe is at the top of the list.

I'm registering for the Rosedale Ride on March 29 in prep for the MS 150. It means I'll miss my kids run the Dillo 1K. I'm scared of that ride, but I think I'm more scared of the MS 150. What in the world was I thinking? I'm not positive I can ride 160+ miles, even if it's over the course of 2 days. At least my new Butterfly will make it more pleasant.

Anyone going to the Kite Festival today? March already? I see trees budding and I spotted bluebonnets yesterday. Spring is my favorite season. I'll be treating you to my favorite poem in a few weeks.

Running and Choking

Won't Erin be proud of me? I actually ran so hard that I wanted to puke. Although, there were factors that helped that along other than me running super hard. Aw, shucks, thanks for the cheers in advance.

I got to class late. Sarah was even later. I had talked her into a 3-mile tempo if the first mile was a warm-up. First mile wasn't a warm-up. Before the first 1/4, I said, "This sucks already." We said maybe 10 other words the entire tempo. It was uncomfortable the whole way, and I wonder if warming up would have made a difference.

I swatted a ton of bugs in the 2nd mile. Sarah was fine as she was a few steps behind me, and I blocked the bug walls for her. I did have some phlegm caught in my throat at one point through the bug wall, and I almost stopped to gag. Nothing like will-power to get you through the tough spots. I just remember all the swim legs of my triathlons when I'd get choked up but just keep swimming. Swimming and choking. I guess a little scarier than running and choking.

I could hear Sarah's steps behind me, and I felt obligated to pull us through since I was the wise-gal who talked her into a longer tempo. I also couldn't slow up or she'd fly by me and leave me in the dust. She modestly says that I pulled her along, but you watch out, cuz Holmes is getting f-a-s-t.

I don't have my watch handy, but my overall time was 29.11 for 3 miles. Mile 1 was 9:49, Mile 2 was 9:51?, Mile 3 was 9:30. I did want to puke for a brief few seconds after I finished. Does that count? Or should the puke feeling last longer? I'm new to all this pacing and running fast biz. If I truly ran tempo hard, is a few seconds of barfishness acceptable?

I didn't think I'd beat the 29.30 from last time b/c of all kinds of reasons/excuses. Now I need to work hard to break 29. When I think of that, I get fuzzy inside. Then I remember the Fast Girls ran 26 and 26.30 last time. Once again, I resolve to lose 10lbs and get faster, lol.

Happy Thursday. Don't forget to vote.

Butterflies

Would you spend $75 on a butterfly? Probably not, but I did. I could have bought the $180 butterfly or the $146 butterfly, but I won't spend that much on a butterfly. That $75 was some of the best money I've ever spent. Here's a picture of my butterfly:


Yes, yes, it's a bike saddle. Mine actually looks slightly different, but oh, it feels so good. I can't even express how much happier I am with this saddle than my old one (which came standard on my bike). I mean, I can express it, but I'm going to spare you talk of how awesome this women's specific saddle is for specific women's anatomy. Anyway, if you are a woman and have a bike and don't have a Terry Butterfly saddle, go get one! Thanks to Carol for telling me to buy a butterfly. :-)

Friday I ran 7 miles around my 'hood. It was a little rough, but I finished strong. I think it was just a bit boring for the last 4 miles. The first 3 I ran as Elijah and Joshua biked. I'm happy to get a decent long run in...first one since 3M.

Saturday was Marathon Kids, and Elijah and Joshua finished their marathons. Saturday is also the day I bought my saddle, and the day Sarah saved me from buying new bike shoes and pedals that I don't really need. I did see the loveliest turquoise bike jersey at Jack and Adam's. I'll be sporting that and a new helmet very soon. Saturday we also attended the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet for Pack 395. Elijah earned his Wolf Badge, and he is now a Bear rank. Go Elijah!

Sunday, I biked 30 miles. I was set to bike with Sarah and Michelle, another woman from our St. David's MS150 team, but Sarah was suffering from food poisoning. I didn't get the message until too late, so I wasn't able to coordinate with Michelle. Fortunately, David was able to ride with me.

It was so hard at times. The wind was horrible, and I was so happy to hear David agree (as did another cyclist). We rode from our house through the neighborhood and over to the Mopac loop. We were planning to do that loop twice, but the wind just wore me down. We ended up doing two Veloway laps instead of the 2nd Mopac lap.

On the second lap, I got a flat. Boo! On the bright side, I really needed to practice changing a flat by myself. So, okay, David helped, and in fact, I wouldn't have been able to even loosen the knob thing that keeps the wheel on. He was barely able to loosen it. I did do a lot of the work myself, and I think next time, I might be able to change it on my own.

We finished back through the neighborhood. David finished with 26 miles, and I rode around for another 4 miles. Surprisingly, my legs weren't sore after that ride. I did wake up with sore shoulders and neck.

Today I did 3 very easy mile repeats at Gazelles. I didn't want another hard work-out after my long run and bike this weekend.

Sorry this is a little boring. I have nothing to report on the sewing front. I meant to sew some this weekend, but we were busy, busy, busy. That's likely to remain the status quo as T-ball is back in session and DV is training for the Cap 10K. Sometime soon I should start fundraising for the MS150.

Blah, blah, blah

Yowsers, I didn't realize it had been so long since I wrote. Something in our fridge stinks, and yet I can't find the source due to nasal congestion. I'm not congested enough to not smell it though. Oh, the irony.

No sewing whatsoever has been done since my last report. I think Joshua has actually forgotten about it, but we have a 3-day weekend which will include finishing that robe. I need to add the sleeves, hem everything, and add a fastener at the neck. Sounds simple, but I'm sure it will vex me.

Running...no good long run to mention. My family did the Cupid's Chase 6K a couple of weeks ago. David blogged about it a bit. I ran with Elijah and Joshua. They were amazing and finished the entire 3.7 miles. As DV said, 3.7 miles is a long way for a 6 and 8-year-old.

The next weekend I meant to do a long run, but David ran early and I volunteered at the Marathon Expo. Marathon morning I was at the Gazelle Water Stop and then went to the finish to cheer. Allison and I ran from the finish to mile 23.5 where we found Staley. We ran in with him, so I am counting that 4-5 miles as my long run (weak, I know). I was supposed to bike last weekend as well, but I didn't. Tsk, tsk.

My routine that I am trying to stick to is as follows:

MW - Gazelles
T/Th - stationary bike at the gym (at least one of these days)
F - running or off
Sa - long run or bike
Su - long run or bike

Monday Gazelles was hills, and I felt rather tired. Tuesday I biked for an hour at the gym. My right knee keeps bothering me, so I really should tend to it. It's just not hurting enough to force me to pay attention. Wednesday was fartlek, and I felt tired and heavy. I have felt that way since 3M, and I guess adding in biking is the cause. Thursday was too busy to do anything, and with my allergies, it felt nice to take a day off.

Today I'm hoping to do my long run, so I can sleep in tomorrow before Marathon Kids. If for some reason I don't run tonight, then I will meet my friends at 7am for a 7 mile run. Sunday, Sarah is coming here, and we'll bike 25-30 miles from the house down to the Mopac loop and Veloway. It won't be the flashiest ride, but we need the miles. I'm looking forward to the ride b/c I should have a new seat and shoes, as Sarah and I are shopping tomorrow. Finally, my butt might have some relief.

David found a funny blog yesterday, and I stayed up late reading many of the posts. Take a peek at it, if you are so inclined.

Oh, David also found this fabulous photo of me and Joshua from the Cupid's Chase 6K (did I mention David won 1st in his age group and 10th overall?? And that was after being really, really, REALLY sick for 2 weeks). If my eyes aren't closed in a photo then David's eyes are closed. We make quite the pair.

No clever, witty anecdotes this time

Running, sewing, Valentine's Day brouhaha...irritating manufactured holiday.

I've got allergies (who doesn't in Austin, Texas?).

I've felt puny all week, but I toughed it out and went to class Monday for 800s at Zilker. Warmed up and cooled down to and from Runtex so proly got 4 miles or so total. I was supposed to do 4 800s, but Coach said we could cut it short since dusk was upon us. I felt like a wimp for quitting and actually started to go do my 4th one, but my running partners for the day told me we'd get a good run in on the way back to Runtex.

Tuesday - puny again but super-motivated and energetic after school. I must have inhaled some speed on the way home as I was cooking and doing laundry and cracking the whip on the boys. We went to the gym where I biked for 45 minutes and then watched them at Hoop It Up. Back home for more speed-induced craziness of more cooking, cleaning, boy-tending, Evite-making, and Valentine party-prep finishing. One would not have known I didn't feel superb.

Wednesday - Exhausting day at preschool. Party days generally are. Still feel puny. How many times can I say puny in one post? It's just the best way to describe me thus far this week. I read and slept during Elijah's piano lesson when I should have been looking for a new bike seat and shoes. I really didn't want to go to class tonight, but I did. I know that sometimes running makes me feel better when I'm sort of sickly. I was dreading 400s even though it's my favorite work-out. I didn't know if I had it in me today to do 10 fast repeats. Like Andre, I thought I'd at least show up a do a bit of the workout. I had to show up today because Sarah was returning after a week and a half absence. Turns out there was a Lacrosse game on the track field, so Bernard sent us to do Fartlek. My group did the 4-mile loop, and it was a great work out.

Fyi, the Congolese girls need some running clothes. If you want to get them something or donate, let me know. Meg is going to find out sizes. I just don't like seeing them in the same hand-me-down clothes for running - and they aren't even running clothes (or in Bijou's case, exercise clothes). They are such great girls, and a new pair of running shorts will thrill them.

I had some clever and witty anecdotes to share, but I'm too tired to remember them right now.

For those interested...I'm still sewing the Jedi Robe. I made even more stupid errors, but I've fixed them all. I haven't sewn since Saturday, and Joshua didn't pester about it until today. If I don't finish it soon, it's going to become an Albatross.

Rather long 3M report

I promised some 3M details and figured I had better follow through before time gets away from me yet again. It is almost silly to write about it 2 weeks later, but write about it I shall.

I went in with a plan and finish time goal. I printed a pace band out since my David wasn't going to able to run with me. I chose a pace that I thought was doable - a 10:30 pace. I know, I know. That is super slow, but I've never paced in a race ever, and face it, I'm slow!

I arrived super early and wandered around looking for some Gazelles. There was no line at the toilets, so I took advantage of a probably as-of-yet-unused toilet. I saw Staley and a few others. Gilbert made me put my long pants on to stay warm. I found Leslie and then eventually Elizabeth and David A. They had seen Gayatri and Barb warming up. I did also find Erin, who was beaming about warming up for the first time ever in a race.

I was so happy to finally find Gayatri and Barb as it was approaching 6:45am by then. They were done warming up, so I did a little jogging about. Sundeep took some photos of us, and we waited until the last minute to hand off our jackets to him. The sunrise was lovely. The horn blew. We were off.

I knew to take it slow the first mile. I hadn't run the first 5 miles in any training runs, so I was not sure what was ahead. I just planned to stay on my 10:30 pace and look for Sarah at the corner of Mesa and Spicewood Springs. I ran with Gayatri and Barb for perhaps 1/4 mile before I started speeding up. Mile 1 marker came and my time was 10:19. Remember that time as it's quite serendipitous. I was happy to see that...not too fast and not too slow. I felt great and happy.

Mile 2 had a water stop...actually before. So many folks around me were stopping. No way was I stopping that early for water. Mile 2 was 10:31. I remember telling myself to slow it down and not get going too fast. There was also a lot of passing and being passed as people found their pace.

Fairly early in the race I told myself, "Stay on target. Stay on target." We have a lot of Star Wars in this house, so I heard Red Leader's voice to Luke in my head. I just needed to focus and stay on my pace plan. At this point I was really looking forward to seeing Sarah. Not having David or the boys there was a sadness, so I really wanted to see Sarah's face cheering for me.

A friend and former Gazelle ran by me around mile 3 - Tina. She is such a great runner. She was picking her pace up as she passed me. She had realized she'd been dawdling and needed to get a move on if she was going to reach her goal (I believe her finish time was around 1:45). Mile 3 time was 10:01. I had sped up, but I felt fine.

I passed the 2nd water stop as well. I didn't want to lose time and didn't want a goo this early. I saw Elizabeth and David walking the wrong way. I called out and Elizabeth said she wasn't doing well. She'd been sick with a stomach bug the week before. Shock and disappointment for her hung with me for a few minutes. She was hoping to do a 2 hour race, and I really think she would have done it if she hadn't been sick.

I saw Sarah before she saw me. I could see concern on her face as she focused on people running by trying to find familiar faces. I called out to her and waved both arms. She smiled and cheered. My emotion at seeing her caught me by surprise. A lump formed in my throat as I rounded the corner onto Spicewood Springs. I didn't realize how much I was looking forward to seeing someone I loved and who loved me. It's nice to have anyone cheer for me, but now I know it's crucial to have someone dear to me there to cheer me on.

Mile 4 time 10:00. I still felt fine. Of course, it's all downhill, which I knew but didn't really know because I hadn't run this part of the course before. Mile 5 time was 9:27. I said to myself, "What the f--- are you doing?" I felt fine. I didn't think I was running that fast. Later I learned from Gilbert that I should not have run that particular mile that fast. I should have known that mile was there and to take it easy. However, I never ran that part of the course b/c Gazelle half-marathoners started at mile 5 of the race during our training run.

I stopped at the water stop between 5 and 6. I had taken my goo at the mile 5 marker. I walked while I drank some water, then I was off. I continued my mantra: Stay on target. Stay on target. I was thrilled to be feeling so good and being doing it. I was doing it!

Mile 6 time was 10:41, which includes water stop. Mile 7 was 10:27. I dreaded the bit on Burnet Road. Burnet Road is horribly dull and long. After seeing Sarah, my next goal was to get through the relay exchange area and half-way point. After that, I wanted to get past Burnet and to the coffee shop at Guadalupe and North Loop where Sundeep was waiting. I was pleasantly suprised to hear someone say, "Go, Jessica!" on Burnet Road. I looked over to see an old school friend, Julie, and her fiance (perhaps hubby by now). What a sweet boost! Julie is also a former Gazelle, and I have known her since since elementary school.

I really pushed it to mile 8. That is the only mile marker I thought took too long to arrive. It was the only time I thought, "Where is that &%@ mile marker?!" I planned to take another goo there and get water. Mile 8 time was 9:53. I took goo and water and headed off to mile 9 and the joys of leaving Burnet Road behind.

North Loop was okay. I did a lot of "Stay on Target" chatting here. Staley ran by telling me how great I looked and how good I was doing. At the time, I had no idea why he was passing me. Of course at home after the race I read the Gazelle forum and found out he had passed out at the start. Staley is amazing. He looked great and passing me was effortless for him. I told him, "It's getting harder," to which he replied, "We've been here before." Good words at a good time. Another unexpected boost to pull me along. Mile 9 - 10:31. Fairly good since there are some up hill spots on North Loop.

Sundeep also didn't see me until I called to him. He seemed surprised to see me. I approached the 10 mile marker and was furious to see the water stop 10 or 20 feet in front of the marker. Good grief. Can't they put the stops either at the marker or right after the marker? Mile 10 time 10:40, which includes a water stop.

When I got on Duval, I knew I had it in the bag as long as I stayed on a 10:30 pace. In hindsight, I wonder if I should have pushed more here since it's downhill. At the time, my conservative nature kicked in, and I planned to run 10:30 until the last mile when I would push it. Another friend found me during this time, Karen. I had cheered for her at mile 14 of the ARA 30K. She came up behind me and stayed with me for a while, chatting. I kept telling her I couldn't chat and had to focus, but it's hard not to keep up a bit of conversation when someone is talking. It was another nice boost, but I was glad to send her along ahead and sink back into my brain and my Stay On Target Mantra.

Mile 11 - 10:33
Mile 12 - 10:26

I was starting to feel dizzy and debated taking water at mile 12. I had taken half a goo around 11.5, more out of something to do rather than really needing fuel. I stopped at mile 12 water stop thinking I would sip some water and then really get going and try to run a 9:30 last mile. This is also the first time I looked at my pace band. For mile 12, I should be at 2:05 to reach my goal of 2:17. The clock on top of the mile marker said 2:05. Yikes! I better get in gear. That timing goof was the first sign of not being quite right.

I was dizzy the entire last mile. Running through campus was torture. I don't know why I was dizzy. Later, Gilbert tried to say I didn't have enough long runs (hah!). Bernard scolded me for waiting too long to start my goos. "You can't get that nutrition back," he wisely told me the day after the race. I wondered if my vertigo was a factor. Needless to say, I didn't run a 9:30 last mile. That last mile I just tried to forget being dizzy and forget that the clock was ticking away on my goal.

Last year, my David told me he hated running on Trinity. I know why now. You can see the finish line the whole way, but it's so far away. Too soon for a sprint but too far to keep shuffling along. It was like a house of mirrors as I ran forward, but the finish line never got closer. I had a brief moment of wondering if David and my boys would be there. David had said they might be if he woke up without a fever. I had to shake that thought away so I wouldn't set myself up for heartbreak if/when I didn't see them.

The finish got closer. The crowds grew thicker. People were cheering, but I couldn't hear them. I tried to scan them for a familiar face - any familiar face, but I couldn't spare the energy. Some man was trying to out-sprint me, so I picked it up. I could see the finish line clock and watched it tick through 2 hours 16 minute and then into 2 hours 17 minutes. I was missing my goal! I told myself to sprint and just get there before it turned to 18 minutes.

Mile 13 - 10:36 (includes that last water stop)
Last .1 - 57 seconds

I got my chip cut off, took a bottle of water, and dizzily walked to get my medal. "Medal me," I said to best looking girl standing there. I went on down the chute to the food and saw Kenny Hill standing there. I must have looked rather disoriented, because he asked, "Who are you looking for?" I babbled something, and then I wisely stood there talking to him. It was only then that I realized that I had beaten my goal time by 2 minutes. I had been fooled by those mile marker clocks. It's funny how your brain works in the last miles of a race. I knew the entire race that those clocks were gun time and to ignore them. But at mile 12 and 13 and 13.1, I forgot all that and panicked that I was somehow not going to do it. My brain didn't even try to be logical; in it's warped state, it just trusted those wretched clocks.

Final chip time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

If I hadn't stopped at that mile 12 water stop, I could've been 2:14 something. Foiled!

I was and still am so proud of myself. I paced myself, all by myself. It gives me much confidence to try it again in a future race.

I am also quite proud of My Girls. I hope they don't mind that I post their times:

EEL, aka The Fast Girls

Elizabeth - dropped out due to illness, which was wise and rather brave on her part.
Erin - 2:01.30 - just missed her goal of sub-2 but how super fast is she!
Leslie - 2:07 - so dang fast!

My 5k/10k Girls:

Barb - 2:19 - Ms. I-just-want-to-do-under-2:30
Gayatri - 2:21 - Another Ms.-under-2:30

For all you fast folk out there, congrats on your super fast race(s). But just know that we may be slow, but we work just as hard as you. And even if some people think that running only qualifies if you are under a 9 minute pace, I'm pretty sure We are Runners.

Oh right, remember that 10:19 first mile? Well, my overall pace was 10:19.

So, my David was indeed too sick to come to the finish. It's the first race ever that he wasn't there to cheer me on. It was weird for me. I have no photos of me in this race except the crappy Sport Photo pictures. Here's one of my finishing:

Smokin'

I haven't felt like writing, which is odd after a race in which I, for the first time ever, paced myself. I mean, I've had other races where I "paced" myself at basically my slow long-run pace. I've done triathlons where I ran the run portion in what I expected to run. I have never run a race like I did 3M. I did it by myself (my pacer fell ill), and I did it 2 minutes faster than my goal.

But I just didn't want to blog this week. Elation lasted into Monday, and still I had no desire to blog. Every time I thought about this blog, I got itchy and irritated. Sunday afternoon I was excited to list my split times and talk about the race. I will write about it later to preserve my memories before they fade into grocery store runs, school activities, spelling words, 100th day projects, Jane Austen novels, appointments for this and that, flu virus, fever virus...

Fevers. Maybe my peevishness sprouted from my children and David being very sick for days and days. Somehow, I escaped it. I erected a 3M shield to block any germs or negative thoughts of germs and said the shield could collapse at noon on Sunday. Well, shields are holding even through a week of serious illness at the preschool I work at. Children and teachers galore are out sick with Type A Flu (of course the flu that can get you even if you got the flu shot). In fact, our school is closed today due to so many teachers having the flu. There simply aren't enough of us healthy to fill the classrooms. Somehow, my shields are still holding. I wonder if vertigo sends out a barrier bubble or something?

So my kids were sick. David was really sick. I've never seen him that sick. It was very strange going to a race and never once seeing him or my kids. I knew I wouldn't see them, but it was still odd. There was no one to take a picture of me on the course (other than crappy Sport-Photo people). The only candid shots I have are the ones Sundeep took of me, Gayatri and Barb before and after the race. Ah, but after seeing the Sport-Photo ones, I probably don't want a candid shot afterall.

Fevers are gone. Family is healthy...mostly. I'm not sure David is healthy, but he's getting there. I think Familyvance is looking forward to Spring. Blessed Texas is sure to deliver.

Smoking. I have been wanting to write about smoking. I grew up with parents who smoked. In fact, my mom may have smoked while pregnant. I disliked the smoke growing up, but I've grown to despise it. I can smell cigarette smoke a mile away. I smell it in my car if the person driving in front of me is smoking. That startles me as I'm wondering where it's coming from. I hate going to my mom's house now even though she has tried so very hard to cut back on smoking in the house (and cut back in general). The smoke hangs on everything. Everything reeks of old, dank smoke. If you walk in her house even for a few minutes, your hair and clothes will smell like smoke - and she doesn't even have to be smoking at the time.

I need to say here that she has gone to great lengths to remedy that b/c Familyvance stopped visiting. She washed curtains and smoked outside, etc. It's much better now, honestly. Although, I still can't stand the smoke.

Gayatri and I smelled smoke on the trail Wednesday during our 4-mile easy-effort tempo (or recovery run, whatever you want to call it). I looked everywhere, craning to see who the f-dash-dash-dash was smoking on the hike-and-bike trail. I could not see the person, so I don't know how far away the culprit was. It fired up my peevishness, and I ranted for a good half-mile about smoking. Poor Gayatri.

Here's an interesting thing I heard Dr. Oz of Oprah fame say the other day: Children growing up with smokers basically are "smoking" 1 in every 4 cigarettes their parents smoke. Hmm...if that is true, I grew up "smoking" since I was born - maybe 1/2 a pack a day? Isn't that a staggering statistic? I don't know how he got that number. We've always heard that second-hand smoke is horrible, and I've inhaled tons of it.

I've often wondered why I have trouble breathing when I run "fast." Sometimes it's due to being out-of-shape. Other times perhaps I'm pushing too much. But over time, it's consistent. No matter how much I've been running and training and doing speed-work, I still have trouble breathing...more so than it seems my counterparts. I watch runners excel doing the same amount of running that I do. I know genetics plays a huge role, and I know I'm not genetically inclined to be a runner (made for comfort!). I just wonder if all that smoke for 18+ years affected me. I know really fast runners who grew up with smokers, too. So who knows.

I look forward to the day when smokeless cigarettes are invented. If people want to smoke, good for them. I just don't want to smoke with them.

Foiled for 3M?

Waagghh! David is now sick with the virus my boys have/had. Elijah is well now. Joshua is on day 3 of his fever. Somehow, I haven't gotten it, and I'm hoping I don't until at least noon on Sunday. The real problem is that David was going to run with me, encourage me, keep me from slowing down (even though in the world of runners I already run super-slow), and try to get me to maintain a set pace for the entire run.

So now my strategy is under construction. I will have to do it on my own, which will be hard for someone who's only ever successfully paced herself for 3 miles. I don't quite know how to pace for 10 additional miles - at least not at the pace I want to run for the race.

I never ran track. I never ran cross country. My first running coach was Gilbert. Before that it was just me and some advice from friends who did run track or cross country. David has inspired me as he's improved so much and runs so well. I hope that inspiration can pull me along tomorrow morning since the fleshly David will more than likely be at home, sick in bed.

I've been a little sleep-deprived this week due to the illnesses, but I've tried to eat well and rest when possible. David let me sleep last night while he tended to Joshua (and was up most of the night, it seems). I still was awake b/c it seems, like most moms, I'm a light sleeper. I didn't have to get out of bed though which makes all the difference in getting back to sleep.

It will be an interesting 3M. I hope I'm 100% - no vertigo, no sleep deprivation, no fever...just ready to run the best I can. Oh wait, and have fun. Can't forget that.

Things I Learned Today

I cannot parallel park a car that has no power steering.

When my child is getting over a fever and wants to go to the grocery store with me, tell him no.

Getting up and moving seems to do better for vertigo than staying in bed and reading.

I still can't choose a proper pork roast.

I can buy an already-cooked honey roasted ham.

I don't like Wal-Mart even at 7:45am on a Wednesday.

Holmes nicknamed David "Varsity" which means I must be Elementary School PE, but she still insists I'm "JV."

Hot baths can actually be too hot, especially when your feet are really cold.

It's better to send your peevish spouse out for a run then have him cook the dinner.

Shape Magazine is full of "hot girls" according to one 6-year-old I know.

An imaginative 8-year-old I know created a Star Wars/Spongebob mix called Sponge Wars. He even rattled off character names.

Running in the cold weather with friends is something I look forward to doing.

Hearing Gilbert say "rowing" reminded me of the Chinese cooks sing "Fa la la la la" in A Christmas Story (Gilbert said "roaring").

400s is still my favorite work-out even though my knee smarted.

Some women have husbands that grab and grope them all the time, according to JB and Sandy in the morning.

I very well may not be prepping properly for the MS 150. I suppose I should do more biking and less running?

Dizzying Long Weekend

I've been battling vertigo all day. It was bothersome yesterday and less so on Saturday. Today has been rather uncomfortable. For those who don't know, vertigo isn't about heights. It's about the being dizzy (and thus, nauseous). My patience with this nuisance of a "disease" has grown thin.

All day I have had spouts of vertigo and nausea. I googled vertigo and found some exercises that are supposed to help for those with Benign Positional Vertigo (which is what I believe I have). David helped me with the exercises that consist of laying down, tilting your head and rolling your body and then sitting back up. We figured out it's my left ear that has the problem, but aye, those exercises were horrid in that they caused the vertigo and major nausea. I'm supposed to do them three times/day, and hopefully in 10 days (or less!), I'll be well. I'd like to think that I'll be feeling better before 10 days. I will do the exercises again tonight and hope for the best.

Now, running with vertigo is really interested. Saturday, my long run was a short 7 miles. Within 1/2 mile, I was spinning and had to stop and brace against a tree. Gayatri and Snowdene were with me and encouraged me to walk, but I wasn't going to let the vertigo win. I wanted to do this run and build confidence for 3M. I had a few more brief episodes of vertigo during the run, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

I ran a two mile warm-up, and then the next 3 miles I ran a target pace for the 3M half. I think that pace is the slowest I'd like to run b/c I really feel like I could run it faster. I just don't know how to run with pain (you know, the regular pain of running hard). I worry I'll give up and slow down, but I'm going to do my best to not let that happen. The final two miles were a nice slow jog with Gayatri and Snowdene. We finished with 4 strides, and then I got my IT band massaged (had to lay down on the table which brought on the vertigo). The masage gals told me not to ice an IT band but rather treat it with heat. Doh! I've been icing it all week, so now I'll switch to heat and won't feel so guilty about my hot bubble baths that feel so darn good after a long run in cold, cold weather.

Sunday we visited the Capital with Elijah's Cub Scout den. I haven't been in years and years, and it was a neat trip. I think the highlight for the boys was the cool water fountain out front (south side of the capital). Gaby introduced that fountain to me a couple of summers ago on a long run. The water wasn't cool or tasty then, but it was water. The weather was lovely, and I always forget how beautiful the capital grounds are. Very picturesque. In fact, a Mariachi band was getting photographed on the grounds with the capital dome in the background.

Today I suffered through trying to be productive with vertigo. I debated going to class. David told me my goal was to be healthy for next Sunday's race. On that advice, I chose to run for 30 minutes around my 'hood rather than drive down to Austin High. I got a few dizzy spells running, so it as probably wise not to drive, especially in rainy weather with slick roads. I tried to visualize the race next week, and so far, I still am optimistic.

Off to put a heat compress on my knee/leg and try to avoid getting dizzy. Thank goodness for a wonderful husband who is picking my boys up from the neighbors, going to the grocery store, and making dinner. Now if I could just get him to make dinner while wearing his baseball pants...

Made for Comfort

Aye, I started this post days ago...Elijah's birthday, in fact. Here's what I had:

I just registered for 3M a few minutes ago. For the girl who strongly dislikes road races, it is a gutsy move. Even gutsier, I'm trying to find someone (anyone?) who will pace me to a faster race than I would do alone. I'm optimistic right now and hope that holds for the next 2 weeks.

Saturday long run was a preview of the 3M course. We met a bunch of half-marathoners at Runtex and carpooled to Mario's Deli on Anderson Lane and Shoal Creek (mile 5 of the course).

And that's where I stopped. And honestly, would it really matter if I finished the post or just posted it as is?

Well, for the two people out there who actually read this (me being one of them, I think), I'll go ahead and do a quick finish of our Saturday long run and my week.

Saturday long run was a preview of the 3M course. We met a bunch of half-marathoners at Runtex and carpooled to Mario's Deli on Anderson Lane and Shoal Creek (mile 5 of the course). I rode with EEL, aka Fast Girls, and Gayatri. EEL is my new nickname for Elizabeth, Erin, and Leslie.

The run was fine (10 miles). Weather was awesome. The slants on the streets sucked, and I was trying to avoid getting my IT band all fired-up. Gayatri and I stuck together a ways behind The Fast Girls. We saw Tina as we approached Runtex and chatted for many minutes. It was good to see her (former 5k/10k Gazelle). She's training for AT&T and is running 3M. I'm hooking her up with EEL for our next long run and 3M b/c she's around their speed (a tad faster though). EEL will be good company for Tina, and Tina will be a good pacer for EEL.

I stepped in a dog poop on my way to stretching. So typical. It was all over one of my shoes and even in the little holes on the sole (the holes under the heel for cushion). That sort of spoiled my stretching, so I didn't get the best stretch. I did enjoy talking to Linda about boxing and running. I would so not be a good boxer. She said the funniest thing to me when I commented that a particular stretch felt like work. She said, "You are made for comfort." Oh, Linda. So wise you are. Anyway, if you are curious, the stretch I gritched about it is Warrior's Pose. My quads always complain during that one.

My knee acted up last weekend perhaps from the slants on the roads, the lack of good stretching, or just for grins. I have been icing it and my leg daily, and we'll see how it goes during tomorrow's 7 mile run.

Monday was Elijah's 8th birthday. No running class for me as we were celebrating the birth of the Sweet One.

Tuesday I rode a super fancy stationary bike at Fitness Life for an hour. My friend, Jennifer, freaked out when I put in 60 minutes. She was punching in 30 minutes thinking I'd be doing the same. Alas, I can't drive a car for the MS 150. After 10 minutes of cycling, my right knee was really hurting. I said some prayers and thought good things, and it went away. I need a good leg massage and lots of ice.

Wednesday was Fartlek. I enjoy fartlek though I wish we had done a trail loop instead of around Auditorium Shores. But we do what coach tells us to do, and I wanted to run with a group.

Oh, Wednesday and today I woke up with vertigo again. I took Thursday off to do some much needed stuff around our house. Does anyone else feel like exercising every day (especially for long periods of time) causes you to ne