26.2 to Go

A Perfect Week

2012-02-26T17:33:00.000+01:00

I can't believe it. I certainly did it, but I can't believe it. I had a perfect fitness week. I completed every single training run, all my strength training, my cross train day (skiing FTW), & even the rest days. I got my new Brooks PureConnect shoes, Saucony Kinvaras, KT Tape, & foam roller in the mail. I even used the foam roller (still haven't had the chance to try the shoes yet). I used my BelieveIAm training journal every single day to keep my spirits up.

Today, it was the first long run of my training cycle. Sure, it was only 5 miles, but that's a big deal for me. Ever since the Epic Marathon Fail of 2011, I haven't been able to log serious miles. I think the farthest I've been able to run was 4.56 miles... not exactly exceptional. For me, today was a test of how much stronger my IT band has become. And the result? 5.1 miles in under an hour. Exactly what I used to be able to run pre-marathon.

It was running skirt weather, though I opted for long sleeves. I'm glad I did; the wind was wicked! I didn't notice it until I got to the main street; I spent the first 1.5 miles holding my hat on my head. Mr. X was out & about on his motorcycle, so he rode by & picked up my hat so I didn't have to worry about it anymore. I also wore a new sports bra, the Moving Comfort Fiona. It felt odd with my Garmin heart rate strap, but it held "the girls" in place. I look forward to the day when my body looks good in just a sports bra & running skirt. Maybe this summer?

5.1 miles in a skirt? I haz a happy.

And the best part? I think I could've kept going... & I feel great in the aftermath.

A perfect week.

Beware! The Funk (TF)

2012-02-21T15:52:00.000+01:00

What's wrong with me?

**long post warning**

It's a question I ask myself more often than I care to admit. If you follow my blog, then you know I've been using the BelieveIAm Training Journal. This is a new experience for me; I'm used to logging into web sites to track/analyze my fitness data. By writing it down journal-style, I've been able to notice trends, ask myself questions, & record random mantras as they come to me. And the major thing I've noticed since I started using the journal (1 FEB 2012) is this: What's wrong with me?

It's The Funk, which shall henceforth be known as TF.

How does TF start? It starts with a bad night of sleep. Maybe Mr. X is tossing/turning too much. Maybe I've woken up with one wicked night sweat & need a shower at 1 AM. Maybe Mr. X is ~~hitting~~ gently-&-lovingly nudging me because I'm snoring too loudly. Maybe he's the one snoring & I'm the one doing the gentle-&-loving nudging. No matter what, TF always begins with a bad night of sleep. I'm a morning person by nature, but one bad night of sleep can throw my entire body into a tizzy & causes my brain to veer directly into TF Zone 1. TF Zone 1 can usually resolve itself by taking a nap during lunch. Or by consuming an extra cup of coffee during the day. In extreme cases, it only resolves after a full night of sleep, which may or may not happen that same evening.

TF Zone 2 is often referred to as Danger Zone... not in the cool you-can-be-my-wingman way with an awesome theme song, but in the I-can't-seem-to-peel-my-fat-ass-off-the-couch way. Again, it starts with a TF Zone 1 classic: a bad night of sleep. The challenge of TF Zone 2 is that it strikes on the weekends. This means all that bad sleep drags itself into a day in which no actual movement is necessary. There's no "reason" to get off the couch... which is why it never happens. TF Zone 2 results in multiple naps & crazy tiredness, as well as ridiculous binge eating & showering at 5 PM (well past acceptable times-of-day for wake-up time hygiene).

TF Zone 3 is more commonly referred to as The Phantom Zone... not in the look-over-your-shoulder-for-serial-killer-Kryptonians way, but in the Hey-what's-that-weird-feeling-in-my-[insert body part here]-I-think-I'm-too-hurt-to-run way. TF Zone 3 is the point in which TF Zones 1-2 add up & result in mysterious injury. Maybe it's my ankle that feels unstable. Maybe my IT band feels "wonky." No matter what it is, I feel "out of sorts." This means no running for fear of more damage to whatever it is I think hurts. Keep in mind that I haven't done any exercise in TF Zones 1-2, so there was no way for me to hurt myself. I'm not hypochondriacal by nature, but in my mind, I'm a broken athlete who needs time to recuperate.

One of my favorite mantras is a bastardization of a line from Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Hank Rearden tells Dagny Taggart one of the reasons he admires her so much is because she observes no will but her own; no one can tell her "no" because she simply doesn't acknowledge the power of others over her person/actions. In my most recent re-read of Atlas Shrugged, I adopted the mantra "No will but my own" to get me through tough workouts. So how does this apply to TF? I have no idea. In the ultimate grudge match between my will & TF, The Funk wins. Every. Single. Time. I have no idea how to talk myself out of it, even though I find myself wanting to be talked out of it. I'm disappointed in myself every time I let TF win... but I keep repeating the same mistake over & over.

You can say I'm being too hard on myself, but lazy is just lazy at some point... isn't it? Running twice a week, while better than some, is not what I want. I want to stick to my training plan; it's the only way to achieve my goal of successfully running the half marathon in May. So why don't I? I just don't know... but TF has got me in its evil grip & I'm trying desperately to shake it off.

So what does this all mean? Here we go again... that's what it means. I have a 3-mile pace run scheduled for Wednesday. I'm setting my alarm for 04:30. I am waking up & knocking it out before I have the chance to talk myself into TF. At least, that's the current plan... until TF strikes again.

Worst. Ski Trip. Ever.

2012-02-20T08:50:00.001+01:00

You all know I love skiing. So for the long President's Day weekend, I made arrangements for Mr. X, the dogs, & I to travel to Garmisch, Germany. 3 full days of skiing. I found a hotel that takes dogs & had breakfast/wifi included in the price. I took half a day from work so we could leave early.

Then all hell broke loose.

Mr. X didn't get off work until 4:30 PM. We didn't get on the road until about 5-5:30 PM. It was late, but we were okay because we'd still arrive in time to get a full night of sleep. Right up until we got to the Austria/Germany border. There's a little road, E533, that cuts directly to Garmisch. And it was wiped out due to avalanches.

What. The. Hell.

So Mr. X figured out a way for us to navigate around the problem. Finally, all his Army training comes in handy.

When we finally got to Garmisch (about 11 PM), we set about trying to find our hotel. Which, according to Expedia, was in Garmisch. But it's not. It's 40k AWAY!!!! WTF? When we couldn't find the hotel, we called directly. The woman was shocked we were looking in Garmisch when the hotel wasn't anywhere near there. Then she asked if we had a GPS... which made me totally angry; a GPS is only as good as the address you put into it! And stupid Expedia has the wrong address for that hotel.

So at 11:30 PM, I was fed up enough to "call it." We had to hunt in Garmisch for a hotel that would let us bring our dogs in. It was about midnight when we got REALLY lucky & found one. It wasn't the nicest, but it was a place to sleep for the night. We lugged only our most essential gear to the hotel room & collapsed. It was a long drive.

Friday, we got our heads together & got to the mountain for skiing... way later than we normally would've got to the slopes (because we slept in & tried to get over our trauma). The powder was nice, but really loose. That meant lots of moguls to try & ski through, which is tiring on the legs. I ended up skiing some blacks...which shouldn't have been blacks but made me feel good about myself. Then I ended up taking a serious fall that wrenched my left ankle & calf pretty badly. But it was still nice.

Beautiful scenery

We had to check out of the hotel Saturday, so our weekend was definitely cut short. And you'd think that was bad enough, but our 4 hour drive took about 7 hours because of traffic... all thanks to avalanches in the Alps. We were miserable when we got home. We got pizzas from our favorite local place & called it a night.

On Sunday, we had to figure out what to do since our lovely ski plans blew up. We ended up heading into Vicenza to check out the Carnevale festivities. And this is what we found:

Not exactly the weekend we planned. We've got a ski trip planned this coming Saturday, so we're hoping for a much better day. Now I have to fight with Expedia about the big issue & probably log some running miles. I need to stick to my half marathon training schedule! But after all this, I confess: I'm feeling pretty lazy right now. And after all this, I think a bit of lazy is okay.

Loving Myself this Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T21:56:00.000+01:00

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day. I don't really "go in" for Valentine's Day. Truth is, I'm not big on holidays in general... except those fabulous All-American holidays of Thanksgiving & Independence Day. But in the spirit of the day, here's what happened to me:

Hermione, AKA LittleDog, killed a brand new toy. She does it all the time. And if you look closely, you can see it's actually caught in her teeth.

Killed it.

I finally got to use my BelieveIAm training journal for something other than chronicling my head cold! Keeping a training diary is a new experience for me. So far, it feels more gratifying than logging into some web site to track my training. I like it!


First day of 1/2 marathon training!

And while I don't really "dig" on the holidays, Mr. X is a whole different story. He loves them all. I think I could even talk him into celebrating Hanukkah or Passover, even though we're not Jewish. He loves holidays that much. Naturally, this resulted in the sending of the Valentine bouquet. And no, not roses. I'm not a big fan of roses. I love lilies & daisies. So I got lilies & daisies. This is a particularly lovely arrangement; all the white is so crisp & clean. LOVE IT!

There you have it. Valentine's Day 2012... I spent it loving myself with the first training run of my training cycle and an hour weight session with my trainer. Because you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else... or that's what I told myself so I wouldn't feel so selfish.

First day of Training Schedule! ...& a head cold?

2012-02-13T14:28:00.000+01:00

Today is the first "real" day of my training schedule for the Gardaland half marathon on 6 May 2012. And since it's Monday, that means a rest day. It's a bit weird, really... starting a training cycle with a rest day. But I'm definitely glad because I'm still suffering the ravages of the common head cold. I'm hoping I'll feel well enough tomorrow to start the actual running part of the training.

Since I spent the weekend with my nemesis, the head cold, I spent a lot of time watching movies & catching up on TV shows. I'm all caught up on Downton Abbey, Merlin, House, Castle, The Good Wife, & The Vampire Diaries. Yes, some very guilty pleasures in that list. I also watched the 25th Anniversary "The Phantom of the Opera at Royal Albert Hall." Phantom was the first musical I was ever really interested; I've been in love with the music since I was about 14 years old. I saw it on Broadway when I was about 15 or so... & have continued loving it. As such, I had no idea about this 25th Anniversary recording. The minute I saw it on Apple TV, I rented it. And since I was sick, Mr. X kindly gave me the TV for the entire day. It's about 3 hours of viewing, but 100% worth it. There were even appearances from Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber (yes, he's a Lord; I did my research) AND the original cast!!!

L-R: Sarah Brightman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Michael Crawford, Sierra Boggess, Ramin Karimloo

Ramin Karimloo plays the Phantom & Sierra Boggess as Christine Daae. Watching these two together, it's a whole different show. Seriously. I don't know if it's simply that I'm older & understand complex emotion or what, but these two actors brought something entirely new to the production. It was incredible!!!

So what did I do after I watched it? I got 2 tickets for Her Majesty's Theatre in April so Mr. X & I can see the show in London! Sure, it'll be the regular cast (i.e. not Karimloo & Boggess), but I think it'll be a great way to end our trip.

That's how I spent my weekend... sick & curled up with the Phantom. I hope you all had a better weekend than I did!

7 things

2012-02-08T08:14:00.000+01:00

Michael, over at Marathon After Fifty, tagged me with the Versatile Blogger Award.

So now what? The rules: list 7 things about yourself & tag 15 people/blogs when you're done. Let's see if I can do this.

I live in Italy. Why? U.S. military. My husband, not me. This does not explain my lack of Italian-language skills. It does, however, explain my ridiculous obsession with pizza.
My dream is to go to law school, pass the Bar, & become a practicing Lawyer. I am, however, almost 34 years old & already up to my eyeballs in student loan debt. So I'm learning/struggling to manage my disappointment.
I have no children. And no, I don't think you're kids are cute. Deal with it.
If I could have a dinner party with anyone living or dead, I'd invite Henry VIII, John Adams, Ayn Rand, & Steve Jobs. It would either be really interesting or Henry VIII would behead everyone... which would probably still be interesting.
For about 2 years, I was the host of the KindleWomen podcast, a podcast about eReaders & book reviews. I'm sad we're not doing it anymore, but I can't seem to find my passion for it. If I do, it'll start up again.
At my heaviest (approx 2009), I weighed 171 lbs. As of 1 February 2012, I was 148.8 lbs.
There are 7 Harry Potter books. Relevance: I flew to London, UK, just to see the 4th Harry Potter movie when it came out. That same trip, I almost passed out from over-excitement at Christ Church in Oxford, where some of the 1st Harry Potter movie was filmed. Yes, I am a fan.

So there you have it... 7 factoids about me. Now for 15 people...

Wearing My Threads - Nikkole, co-host of KindleWomen & fashionista.
Unruly Guides - from my KindleWomen days.
Jawbone Radio - Len Peralta does wicked awesome art. Like my tattoo.
SneakersBananasandSpears - My running guru, who never updates.
Boston or Botox - met Danica on DailyMile. She's awesome.
I Came to Run - I just enjoy reading this one...
See Becca Try to Tri - another supersweet DailyMiler.
Michigan Fit Mom - met thru #OpHardcoreFit. She skis & runs, like me.

I clearly don't know a lot of online people. But there you go. I actually did it. :D

Review: BelieveIAm Training Journal

2012-02-03T19:35:00.000+01:00

It's here! It's finally here! My very own BelieveIAm Training Journal.

I read about BelieveIAm on Mile Posts by Dorothy Beal. She got the Relaxed Hoody-Dress as a gift, but mentioned the awesome training journal. I checked it out online, but only just recently decided to purchase it.

BelieveIAm is a little start-up by Lauren Fleshman & Roisin McGettigan. They met in 2003, but started collaborating in 2010. BelieveIAm was born. The Training Journal is printed in the U.S.A & made with 100% recycled paper & vegetable-based ink (if you care about that sort of thing).

I ordered the journal without thinking about putting special instructions to protect the paper from the elements. Oftentimes, our mail shows up soaking wet & the contents can be easily ruined. So when I saw the packaging, I kind of freaked out.

Uh oh... is it safe?

I opened the package & was relieved. Nothing was wet or damaged. As I pulled out the Training Journal, a few "extras" fell out of the package. I was delighted!

There's a handwritten note & sticker!

I was surprised to find a handwritten note, as well as the inside cover signed by Lauren Fleshman. I'd seen lots of pictures of the training journal, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect. All I was hoping for was pretty & girlie. It's definitely both of those things.

So what to do with it? I combed through the pages to become acquainted with the format. There's lots of nifty-girlie drawings, lots of motivation, & a whole lot of inspiration. The drawings? They're called "Visual Cues." I don't want to give away the secret, but I will say I feel super-smart when I'm able to figure them out. ;D

After going through the Training Journal page-by-page, I started to think about how to use the journal. So the first thing I did was make sure I didn't lose the handwritten note. The personal touch of that note struck a chord with me... I can't explain why, but the note really "got" to me.

That's a lot of tape.

It's a Training Journal, so there should be some sort of training schedule... right? I manipulated my half-marathon training schedule into the smallest format EVER & put that in there, too.

Half Marathon 6 May 2012

I thought this would be a good idea to keep me motivated. As I was taping up my brand new Training Journal, I realized something: I'm going to use mine as type of scrapbook of my running exploits. My goal [again] this year to actually complete a marathon, so this would be a nice way to keep track of my activities. I'm going to print out photos & tape them in here, too. Let's be honest: I clearly love tape. I think it'll make a great keepsake of my running life in 2012.

I haven't used it yet, but based on the personal touches & the quality of the product, I'd recommend the BelieveIAm Training Journal to anyone looking for a new way to record their training. We're all used to the digital age; we wear our Garmins, log into our web sites, & record everything online. This is a more personal relationship with yourself & your running. And don't forget: there are personal notes. That's wicked sweet!

#OpHardcoreFit

2012-02-02T20:25:00.001+01:00

Have you heard of Operation Hardcore Fit?

You may have seen random tweets with the #OpHardcoreFit hash tag. That's because Megan at Watch MeGo Run, started it as a way to help people achieve their fitness goals. More support in the online world. Why? Because she's training for her first full-length marathon... & I know how challenging that can be!

Come & join the hash tag. I guarantee you'll meet new people & get lots of online support/motivation to reach your personal fitness goals.

For the Ladies...

2012-02-02T14:31:00.001+01:00

This one's for the ladies. So if you're a dude who gets creeped out by "girlie talk," I'd advise you to skip this post & come back another day. ;D

...Ladies, did you know PMS fatigue is a real thing? Because I didn't. Last week, all I wanted to do was lay on the couch & sleep. I couldn't haul my cookies off the couch for anything. I think the house could've caught fire & I wouldn't have moved. I was disappointed in myself; I'd had a great running week & felt like I was blowing all my progress. But I couldn't seem to force myself to have enough energy to walk down the stairs to the treadmill, let alone actually use the damned thing.

Then I realized I feel this exact same way at the same point every month... & I thought to myself, "Is this PMS?"

I don't experience crazy PMS. I'm a headache/slight cramping kind of girl. Nothing painfully crippling, no super duper mood swings... but over the past three months or so, I've noticed a complete need to sleep the entire Sunday before I start my period. Once I realized this, I started the internet research. I found out something interesting...

PMS fatigue is a real thing! From a nifty web site called PMS Central:

PMS fatigue results from changes in levels of certain hormones (estrogen, progesterone) and neurotransmitters (serotonin, beta-endorphins etc.) during the last phase of the menstrual cycle. Not all women will be affected by PMS fatigue, but for those who are, these rhythmical biochemical changes during PMS can result in both mental and physical fatigue. The good news is that the best way to deal with PMS fatigue is not to fight it! Listen to your body and rest. Let's face it ' when else do most women get the chance of a valid reason for snuggling on the sofa with a comfy cushion or staying under the duvet? PMS fatigue is part of the body's normal response to the changes that occur during PMS. Like any other signal your body may give you, listen to it and respond appropriately. Don't get frustrated, upset or angry that your energy and spark disappears for a few days a month. Instead, stay comfortable and rest as much as you can until PMS fatigue passes.

This is amazing! I thought I was being lazy. I thought I might be getting sick. I thought I didn't have enough will power. But it turns out it's just a normal form of PMS. That's not to say I'm overjoyed by this knowledge, but it's reassuring to know I didn't exactly fail & it's normal to feel excessively tired.

So I will forgive myself. :D

Pinspiration & Awesomesauce

2012-01-22T09:13:00.001+01:00

This week, this is me. I managed to get back on my 0430 wake up, doing the t-mill before work, & stuck to my meal plan very well. As far as fitness goes, I've done well this week. It hasn't been easy; I've felt like I'm slogging thru for some of the days. But at the end of the day, I've felt great knowing the most mentally-challenging part of my day was done before the day really even started. This week, I logged 12 miles (the most I've done since my marathon DNF), did 5 workouts, burned 1656 calories, & spent 3 hours engaged in some sort of physical activity. It was a week made of awesomesauce.

I have to say, I'm incredibly proud of myself for this past week. I'm a goal-driven person; I'm the kind of gal who enjoys crossing items off a "To Do" list. I strongly believe that as adults, continuing to develop & achieve goals are incredibly important to mental well being... so as not to feel that there's no point to life. So setting the goal to get back on track this week was something I felt I had to do. As the pic says, I knew I could do it... but would I do it? Knowing I didn't fail myself makes me feel good... there's no other way to put it.

And since it's Sunday, I get to relax! Well... really I'm spending the day cleaning. But it's still a bit of time off.

Hope you're all enjoying your Sunday!

HBEs. Meat. Storage.

2012-01-16T11:22:00.000+01:00

I don't talk a lot about what I eat. Mostly it's because I'm not an adventurous eater. I stick to the same old things all the time because it's reliable & I know I can't screw it up. Personally speaking, it's a great way to stick to a meal plan & helps me to plan for the week.... plus, I save a lot of money by preparing food at home & bringing it to work with me. As such, I spent yesterday (Sunday) doing some of the prep work I usually do for the week. Here are my tricks-of-the-meal-plan trade.

1. Hard Boiled Eggs (HBEs). I eat about 8 eggs a day, for both breakfasts & "in betweeners." HBEs are a fast & easy way to get a dose of protein. Another thing I love about HBEs are transportability & lightness on the stomach. I suffer IBS, so I only feel top notch when I'm eating foods that don't weigh heavily in the belly. And no, I don't eat yolks. I eat way too many eggs & that would kill my cholesterol...also, I've never liked HBE yolk. Gross.

4.5 dozen eggs in a stock pot

2. Ground Turkey. This is my go-to meat source for lunches; my lunches trend toward ground turkey, brown rice, & mushroom stir fry. All prepared in advance, naturally. If I don't have ground turkey prepared, I can substituent...you guessed it! More HBEs. If I have leftover meat from the night before, I'll often eat that for lunch as a treat. But mostly, it's about prepared Ground Turkey.

2 lbs of ground turkey...a bit more than I usually prepare for a week

3. Storage. I lovelovelove the fact we can now by super-cheap "tupperware" at the grocery store. You never have to worry about losing lids, it's completely dishwasher safe, & when it gets gross, throw it out & buy more! On any given Sunday, my fridge is completely full of containers. And Mr. X hates it because he hates trying to fit them all in the dishwasher & putting them away in an organized fashion. For me, they're a lifesaver.

Side note: also good are sandwich-sized baggies of the Ziploc variety. Small enough to fit snacks & not over-indulge if you put treats in them.

Ziploc, Gladware... cheap tupperware is awesome!

I'm not a nutritionist. I'm not a professional dietician or anything of that sort. These are simply my tricks that get me through the week to help me stick as close to my meal plan as possible. It's not always easy... sometimes there's nothing I can do but eat a bag of Doritos & call it a day. But when fresh & healthy food is grab-&-go out of the fridge, it makes it easier for me to stick to my goals. All it takes is a couple hours on a Sunday to get it all together. And since I'm normally racked out on the couch on Sundays, it's a much more productive way to spend that time. When people ask me how I've been able to lose weight/stay fit, I always refer back to these tips.

Now go buy some storage!

Skiing Saturday!

2012-01-15T09:08:00.005+01:00

When in doubt, get on a bus trip to drive you to the ski areas with snow!

While the Italian Alps are known for being a fabulous ski region, we haven't had any snow within driving distance. So I decided to get on a ski trip, sponsored by our "Outdoor Recreation" shop on post, to get to some snow. It's a great way find new places to ski & not have to spend my own money on gasoline (super expensive in Italy). And since I own my own gear, it's just the price of the bus trip & my lift ticket.

On Saturday, I woke up at 0400, walked the dogs, & got myself ready for the trip to Kronplatz. First off, it's a 3-hour drive by bus. And since I'd just woken up, I couldn't really get back to sleep. All I had for breakfast was a Clif Builder bar (chocolate mint, yum!) & a 16 oz coffee. We rolled up to the lifts at about 0830. Then it was an entire morning/afternoon of skiing!

Look at my awesome tracks!

Haz a happy

What did I learn on this ski trip?

First, Kronplatz is my new favorite ski area. Huge, wide open runs to make a newbie feel comfortable, a little bit of challenge in the blue without being extreme, & fun little lodges for hot chocolate. And I didn't fall down at all during the day, which also helps make it my new favorite.

Second, next time I'm taking my Camelbak. I only consumed 1.5L of water during the day... & yes, I kept count. Even at 26-29 degrees, I sweat a lot while I'm skiing. If I'd been smart (or not crazy tired), I'd have consumed some Gatorade when I got home. But I fell asleep on the couch instead. So next time, it's Camelbak on the slopes. Because without hydration, I feel like I spent the entire previous day intoxicated instead of on the slopes.

Thirdly, skiing is excellent cross training. I already knew this, but as I work on proper skiing form, I feel the work in different leg muscles. As I've previously written, I've been struggling with "finding the fun" in fitness activities. Skiing perks me up, works my body, & motivates me. I just wish I could do it every single day.

Now it's back to the regular routine... at least until the end of the month! Hoping to drag Mr. X to Kronplatz later this month.

Pinspiration

2012-01-13T14:33:00.002+01:00

I started off the week in a positive way. I stuck to "clean eating" on Monday & Tuesday, mounted my t-mill Monday after work, & hit the gym with my trainer for more jumping on Tuesday.

So why did I fall apart on Wednesday?

I could blame it on bad sleep. I could blame it on circumstances, like my propensity for always binge eating on the first day of any separation from my husband. But the truth? I just didn't feel like it. I'm super tired of my stupid IT band always acting up & annoying me. I'm tired of the same old thing I do all the time. I'm tired of always eating the same stupid foods. Feeling uber-negative with no control over stopping my negativity, which can/does happen to everyone at some point. The problem/challenge of being a self-motivated person is that when we get negative/depressed, people tend not to notice & don't help us get out of the doldrums (at least in my experience).

Then Today happened. It was getting near lunch time & I had my "clean" lunch, but I was getting myself to a place mentally for eating out... yes, eating crap even though I brought all my food for the day.

In a seemingly unrelated story, I was also bored & surfing the interwebs... & I finally spent some time on Pinterest.

Here's the deal with me & Pinterest: I've had absolutely zero interest in Pinterest. All my friends go on & on about how they found "this recipe" or "this outfit idea" on Pinterest. Let me be clear: I could give a crap. I participate in enough social media to make my head explode & I don't need to add another web site to feel obligated to log in, pin stuff, communicate, have the best board, etc. And I've voiced this opinion very loud & very proud.

Today was the ultimate in boredom. That's the only reason I ended up surfing Pinterest. And in the process of surfing, I found this:

WOW! For some reason, this really rocked my socks. I ate my clean lunch, then headed out for a 30 minute walk around post. And you know what happened? My stupid IT band stopped bothering me so much, I was in a better mood, & I finally felt warm after being chilly all morning. I topped it off with my last cup of coffee for the day & felt great about it.

It turns out all I needed was a little bit of Pinspiration.

Trusty Treadmill Happy

2012-01-07T16:14:00.002+01:00

Friends, I've been struggling with running. When I first started running 2.5 years ago, I started by doing the C25k program... all on my trusty treadmill. I had no problems waking up at 0430 & jumping on the treadmill. As I added more & more miles & the weather changed to spring & summer, I discovered the joy/fun of pounding pavement.

My poor trusty treadmill began to collect dust in my basement.

And now? It's 25-30 degrees at 0430, dark as hell, & 100% creepy/spooky outside, typically with increasing fogginess. All those add up to miserable running conditions; I'm a total wimp. And my trusty treadmill? Still collecting dust in my basement.

So in the grand effort of my 2012 fresh start, Mr. X & I "redesigned" my little t-mill area. It's a shared space; his man-room is on the other side of that fabulous Ikea shelving unit. I even left a little area open for my laptop so I can watch DVDs without my glasses while I'm running... though I can't hear them (something I didn't account for in the design, so now I need speakers). Surrounded by some flowers, remnants of my sorority life (ΣΣΣ FTW), weights, yoga mat, & my awesome skis in the polka dot bag, it's a much happier little running area for me.

This week, it's back to waking up at 0430 to log some miles. The first week is the hardest week, but I'll get it done. Until spring/summer, when the pattern will repeat itself. :D

Treadmill, Skis, Golf clubs, weights... I look more hardcore than I actually am...

Fresh Starts

2012-01-07T10:40:00.000+01:00

I can't honestly say I'm the biggest fan of New Year's "festivities." For quite a few years, we've done nothing to celebrate in a big way... it's just not for us. However, I'm not a hater; there is something I like about it all... the idea of a new year is the chance at a fresh start.

Everyone deserves the chance at a fresh start. Sometimes we need a new job or career change, maybe we need to reassess our life choices (starting a family, ending a relationship), or maybe it's the traditional statement "This is the year I stick to the diet." With a new year comes the opportunity to wipe the slate clean & start over.

I'm addicted to starting over. I constantly clean out my closet, delete files from my hard drive, & start reading new books (99.9% of which I finish, by the way). I always want to buy new furniture in order to reinvent my living room (but I never do it). I go thru iPhone & Kindle cases like crazy, just for the change of pace. A whole new year is like crack for me; I brainstorm a butt-ton of things I'd like to accomplish, even if I get unrealistic about it.

For 2012, the list is as follows:

Finally consolidate my student loans
Kiss goodbye to the very last of the credit cards
Get my car repainted & detailed
Put away my laundry when it's clean (left over from 2011)
This is the year I'll get down to 140lbs or a size 6, whichever is more reasonable for me (I honestly don't know)
Finish a half marathon
Finish a marathon (left over from 2011)

Fairly reasonable, right? I think so. 2012 won't be without its challenges (military lifestyle=challenges 24/7/365), but I'll muddle through. And it starts now. :D

Sometimes you need a break...

2011-12-26T08:48:00.001+01:00

...so I took one! It's been about a month since my last post. Since then, I gave up on the Runner's World Inaugural Holiday Running Streak, got clearance from my physical therapist to start running again, worked on stretching out my pernicious IT Band, found a running buddy, & went skiing for a week in Austria (my real winter love...).

Let's talk about the skiing, shall we?

First thing you have to do on a long trip is pack the car. Unless you decide to get your nails done & leave all the packing to your husband.

Love the Murano: fits everything AND has comfort!

Then you have to get to the hotel. In this case, a fine hotel choice is Familienhotel Loipenstub'n in Brixen im Thale, Austria. As part of SkiWelt, it is a great location to start at if you're interested in quiet evenings... & they allow dogs at breakfast!

Hotel Glamour Shot

Once you're at your ski destination, you actually have to ski. Even if there's ice. Even if your husband gets lost somewhere in between the 91 lifts of SkiWelt. And even if you've had a few lovely Kaiser beers.

Girlie fashions on the slopes. Always gotta rock it girlie-style.

Horrid ski form, but having fun!

Getting closer to "the lean" whilst working on skiing form.

When on the ski lift or in front of restaurants & Ski Schools, it's important to take ridiculous photos while trying to hang onto your camera & freezing your butt off.

Mr. X prefers ninja skiing, I guess.

Sometimes while skiing, you get hungry. So you have to go to dinner. And you're so tired from a day on the slopes, you end up wearing a ridiculous outfit that focuses on comfort & warmth instead of fashion (or even matching).

The scarf is a bit of Doctor Who overkill, I think.

And finally, when you've got your dogs with you on a ski trip, it's important they get to play in the snow, too.

He can fly!

Big Dog loves the snow. Little Dog, not so much.

So, my friends, that's how you take a month off of blogging. By enjoying yourself, doing some skiing, letting dogs frolic in snow, & wearing ridiculous clothes to dinner.

And now we return to our regularly-scheduled program. Of running. Big 2012 plans. That's what's next. :D

Night Running

2011-11-26T10:45:00.001+01:00

Day #2 of the Runner's World Inaugural Holiday Running Streak. I was able to leave work a bit early, so I made it home in time to run outside. I geared up in my cold weather stuff, but I was much smarter this time; I left the beanie hat & gloves at home to avoid overheating. Sadly, my tights were in the laundry. I wore some old Army PT pants Mr. X bought me when I first started running. They don't fit properly, so I wouldn't say they're the most comfortable pants to run in. The crotch area is way too droopy to be comfy. I kind of look ridiculous.

Look into the light!

Almost as an afterthought, I grabbed my Petzl Tikka XP2 headlamp. I've never been a fan of running in the dark, but I think I have a new found affection for night running. It was a lot of fun to be out & pounding pavement... & I'm glad I took the headlamp with me. It was a bit dark in some areas & the strength of the light kept me from falling off curbs or into ditches. It was about €50, which is about $65, give or take a few dollars each way. The light even has a "flashing" setting, so it can strobe light to let people know where you are. I wore it over my regular running cap, so I didn't feel it bounce around or shift at all. And it's purple/white, so it's a bit more feminine looking than many of the others I found. And since I was cheap about it, I thought the price was okay.

Even though the RW Running Holiday Running Streak only obligates me for one mile a day, I ended up running 2.24 miles... just to see if I could do it. And I did it! Now that it's the next day, my knee feels a bit wonky. I can't lie about that. But I'm planning some yoga a little bit later to stretch everything out. I'm hoping that'll help the wonkiness. But night running: I think I like it!

Pulling it back together. I swear.

2011-11-25T09:24:00.001+01:00

Finally got to see a physical therapist about the knee problem. PT doesn't think it's my knee; he thinks my hip flexors aren't strong enough. So after providing me with a few special resistance bands & exercises, I'm cleared to run... so long as I take it easy & don't go extreme.

None of this anytime soon...

Essentially, I'm going to spend the next few weeks rebuilding my base. Probably on my t-mill, just because it's cold & I don't like running in the cold. I was recently inspired by Dorothy Beal over at Mile Posts; she described her t-mill area & how awesome it is... & it got me thinking about how sad my little area of our basement is set up. So while I'm at work, Mr. X is cleaning up his part of the basement so I can move the t-mill & make it a happier place to be. We're also going to set up a mini-gym so we can both cross-train (P90X or yoga, perhaps?). The plan is to grow the area slowly & with as little expense as possible. It's definitely a plan.

In the meantime, have you heard about the Runner's World Inaugural Holiday RunStreak? The idea is to run at least one mile, starting on Thanksgiving & ending on New Years' Day. It's the perfect thing to help me pull myself together & get back to running & fitness. In that spirit, I ran my first mile in two weeks a solid hour before Thanksgiving dinner. I only had time for one mile, but I think this is an excellent way to help me rebuild strength in the wrecked leg. If you're on Twitter, follow hashtag #RWRunStreak. I'll be there.

...& then I screwed up.

2011-11-17T07:24:00.001+01:00

You'd think I'd have learned by now...

Last week was awesome. I met with my trainer (for lower leg workouts), started the 100 push-ups challenge, & did some running for the first time since the marathon. My Sunday run went very well. I was in such a good mood when I got up Monday, I dressed super-nice for work. That's not unusual for me; I like getting dressed in fancy work clothes. And when I started running seriously, I gave up all my fantastic heels in order to preserve my legs. Yes, I switched to flat shoes 24/7 & had all my summer pants hemmed to match.

I never did that with my winter work wear.

So Monday, when I felt awesome & positive, I decided it would be a great day to wear my hands-down favorite pair of heels. Great Jessica Simpson Oxford platforms. I freaking LOVE these shoes. And naturally, it was a huge mistake.

I was fine all day. Great day at work, great dinner at home. But by the time I was getting ready for bed, I felt like I had a spike going from front-to-back straight thru my knee. I had to elevate it to sleep & dosed myself with Motrin.

I've been "uncomfortable" ever since. Not pain, exactly, but the knee cap & muscle in the back of the knee doesn't feel quite right. I've got an "assessment" scheduled with a Physical Therapist tomorrow. I'm really hoping for some good news.

On the Road Again...

2011-11-13T11:31:00.001+01:00

I probably should've waited for approval from a doctor... but I couldn't help myself. I had to get out & run! I woke up at 0630 & wasn't brave enough for the 37 degree morning. I have an over-developed fear of running in the cold since Venice.

Instead, I made my super-healthy breakfast & waited for the sun to come up. Around 0930, I thought it was warm enough & got ready for my run. It was my first run dressed somewhat properly for the weather.

What I wore:

Brooks Nightlife II Jacket

RunningSkirts RunLove longsleeve shirt

Kalenji tights

Kalenji gloves

Beanie hat

Newton Lady Isaacs

I didn't get the clothing quite right; got a little too hot for the hat & gloves. Luckily, the jacket has some big zippered pockets, so I was able to take them off & stow them away. The rest of it was good, though, & I didn't get cold at all. It was my first time wearing tights, too. I've always tried to avoid tights. Like most women, I have an aversion to all things spandex. But it seemed like the right thing to wear under the circumstances. I'm glad it worked out.

The run went very well. I noticed I was running pretty quick, so I kept trying to hold myself back. Here are the results:

Smoking it!

I was tempted to run to 5 miles, but I thought I'd already pushed my knee far/fast enough. Maybe another mistake: I decided to try a new style of running. Instead of 10/1 intervals, I'm working on taking a walk break every 3 miles. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

All in all, it was a great Sunday morning run. I got home, did Week 1 Day 3 of the 100 Push Up challenge, & hit the shower. I couldn't even stand how I smelled! Hoping tomorrow I wake up with no knee pain.

Pics you haven't seen

2011-11-09T10:19:00.000+01:00

Apologies to MarathonFoto. Yes, I "borrowed" these photos. I have no intention of buying anything from the epic failure that was my first marathon attempt.

The official marathon photos are finally up for viewing. I really wanted to see these photos. And having seen them, I think the photos tell a nice story... which I'm going to share with you right now.

Before the race, this was me. Super happy & freezing my tail/knees off. A previous coworker was also running the race, but I cut him out of the photo. That's his shoulder.

Ready to go... Gu'd to the hilt!

Being that cold, all I wanted to do was run. So here I am, actually running.

Yeah, I waved. So what?

Actually doing some running

At the 25k mark, the pictures are very revealing:

Biting my lips...not good

About to run to Volunteer for help

About 1k later, I ran to the volunteer for help.

Why share these photos? Because they make me feel better about the DNF. I'm over it now... I logged my first mile since the marathon last night (10:23 pace, WTF?), so I'm getting back on track. But I like looking at these photos; it helps me to know I made the right choice when I asked for help. It helps to know I didn't cave... I was seriously hurt. I've got proof! :D

What Hope Looks Like...

2011-11-03T11:07:00.000+01:00

My friends, I think this is what hope looks like:

Paris Training Schedule

If you've been following/reading my blog, you know I've been fighting some serious post-DNF depression & injury. I saw my doctor first thing Monday morning after the marathon & it didn't make me feel any better about my situation. I spent the entire week in a ridiculously large knee brace that didn't fit under any of the dress pants I own... so I had to revert back to "fat pants" I wore 2 sizes ago... yet another blow to my self esteem. Saturday was my birthday & the shame spiral continued. I drank a bottle of very nice Valpolicella wine, ate half a birthday cake, & feasted on chips & onion dip.

And when I woke up on Sunday, I decided it was time to deal with the reality of my situation. Which meant jumping right back on my proper meal plan & arranging sessions with my trainer. I did both of those things. My trainer developed a "mat plan" so I can work on my upper body & core strength while not using my legs at all. It felt GREAT to get back to the gym Tuesday night & be normal for a change... though it was strange to hobble into the gym with that ridiculous knee brace over my capris. During this 2nd week, I've noticed I've had a lot more mobility & range of motion, so I was looking forward to seeing my doctor for a follow up...

Which happened yesterday. And it went awesomely. And I'm very excited. The most important concern I had was a meniscul tear; she no longer believes this to be the problem. Doc believes it's my IT Band & a wicked case of Runner's Knee (patellofemoral pain).

And why did I suddenly have these issues when I've never experienced them before? Doc believes it was the cold weather & my inexperience in dealing with the cold weather while running. Her opinion: with a bit of physical therapy, adequate stretching & cold weather gear, & rest, I'll be "up & running" (& skiing) by December with no problem.

My response to this most-excellent news? I immediately wrote out a training schedule for the Paris Marathon. It takes place on 15 April 2012 & I want to be ready for it. But in case I can't physically make it to Paris, I'm looking for other local races I can get to.

I'm just super-excited at this point. I'm not injured nearly as badly as originally thought, I'll be skiing in December with my brand-spanking-new pink skis, & my marathon dreams are not over. And I get to go shopping for cold weather running gear... it's officially awesome time!

Race Recap Part 2: The Aftermath

2011-10-28T14:10:00.002+02:00

Seems like I told the whole story of the 2011 Venice Marathon in my previous post, doesn't it? Well, this is the story of The Aftermath.

What a total crap day!

The Aftermath of the Venice Marathon has been rough on me. I finally relaxed enough to go to bed & woke up at 0300 screaming in pain. I'd tried to move in my sleep & it felt like my leg separated at the knee. I made the executive decision to get to work on crutches... yes, I own crutches (ankles hate me). I gimped off to work, proudly wearing my race gear... because Hey! I ran 16.45 miles of a marathon, right? When I got to work, I had to rehash what had happened to me... & it was hard to not be emotional about it because I was still very upset about the entire ordeal & my DNF.

I saw the doctor first thing in the morning. I had to tell the story over & over again, which got a bit annoying after awhile.
The first thing we both observed was the color of my feet. Having 2 different colored feet is usually a cause for alarm.

Gots me some sausage toes...& desperately need a pedicure!

The crazy thing is that I didn't even know I was that badd off until I had to strip down for the exam. In an educating experience, I finally learned what swelling really looks/feels like. Because I definitely had some! I was informed I could have a Meniscus Tear. Doc shippped me off to Xray, ortho (for a new knee brace with more support), & the pharmacy to get a prescription to take the edge off the pain. The drug was the funniest thing of all that day:

I can barely walk & this may cause dizziness????

And that's been my week. Gimping around with a huge, itchy brace & one crutch to stabilize my weight for my other leg. Next week, I'll have a follow up & request an MRI & physical therapy.

Where does that leave me? I'm not sure, but I'm trying desperately to stay positive. Been exchanging tweets with other injured athletes, trying to gain perspective & inspiration.

I spoke with my trainer about a modified program to keep my strength & build my core/back without using my legs. As soon as I'm cleared, I plan to start swimming to retain my aerobic capacity. And I'm already planning an amazing comeback for the Paris Marathon, April 15, 2011.

And I can't forget ski season!

There are folks who would advise me to not plan anything until I know for sure how bad my knee is... but my brain just can't operate that way. I'm a goal-driven adult, so I need something to strive for. Plus, wallowing in shame/guilt/self-pity gets old pretty fast. Done with tears, done with the sad. Now it's all about getting my knee healthy, adjusting my diet to meet my lack-of-movement, & getting back out there. That's what I'm learning in The Aftermath.

Race Recap Part 1: Venice Marathon 2011

2011-10-26T09:47:00.002+02:00

Ready for a long post?

Sunday. D-Day. Race Day. If you follow me on Twitter or DailyMile, then you already know the end of the story. This is the beginning/middle of the story.

Wake up call at 0515. And this is me at 0515 on race day.

Just before shower; hair monster!!

Everything laid out & ready to go!

I always wake up early enough for a shower; I find showers calming & it helps me get the fuzz out of my head in the morning. After my shower wake up call, I got myself together & drove to Stra, the starting point of the race. It was easy to do because I'd been so meticulous about laying out every single thing I'd need for the race. I got there fairly early, even after a small detour (wrong turn). When I got there, I checked the weather outside my car & for the rest of the day.

Baby, it's cold outside!

Expectation for majority of race

It was far too early & cold to head to the start of the race, so I decided to stay warm & relax in the car. I could've gone for a cappuccino, but I was worried about how that would affect my stomach; I don't drink coffee before runs. Instead, I popped in some music & brought the nerves down.

RELAX!!!

Around 0730, I suited up & headed for the starting area. I understand Italian, though I don't speak it very well. There were quite a few volunteers out to help direct the crowds. There was also signage... in English.

Partenza - Departure point... THE START!!

I couldn't resist snapping a shot of Porta Potty city. I made sure to use the "facilities" early, before the crowd got too big & they got too nasty.

Your friend, the porta potty.

I stayed dressed & held onto my bag for as long as I reasonably could. At only 40 degrees, it was rough to be outside with no real protection against the weather. I was sporting my specially-purchased RunningSkirts gear. I'd planned this outfit the moment the RS Fall Line premiered & was super excited to finally wear my new clothes.

Ready & excited for the big day!

But I wasn't quite expecting the reaction I got. People were staring at me. To be fair, that's not unusual in the Italian culture per se, but it was excessive enough to notice. In fact, fellow runners actually ID'd me as American immediately, which is a big No-No for military stationed overseas... something I never even thought about when I picked the race outfit. Too late to worry about it, I enjoyed my brightness & 2 friends found it very easy to find me in the crowd. Bright clothes = easy-to-see.

The starting area, Villa Pisani, is gorgeous. In fact, the whole first 1/2 of the marathon took place along Rivieria di Brenta, which is a beautiful way to do any race. I was in the last corral, which messed with my brain a little bit. I tried to ignore it & enjoy the amazing landscape. It was all very amazing & I enjoyed every moment of excitement in the starting area... except for seeing guys lift their shorts & rub BodyGlide-type stuff all over their bits-&-pieces. That wasn't pretty.

Walking to the corrals in front of Villa Pisani

Trying to get into the crowd in Corral #5

The real problem I had was the cold. I was not prepared for how the cold was going to affect me. I didn't think about how long I would be waiting before the start of the race, so I had no gloves or leg protection against the cold. And while I love RS Compression socks, they were not warm enough to wear with my Newtons on Sunday... so by the time we finally started walking to the starting line, I couldn't feel my fingers or feet/toes. No exaggeration. When I started running, I had icicles for legs & ice bricks for feet; every step hurt, much like when you try to walk after your feet fall asleep. Every muscle was cold, even though I'd jumped around & tried to move to stay warm. But my body was tighttighttight. It was not a great start.

I started my Garmin a few steps before the starting line. I was focused on warming up, so I figured I'd start timing & get my head in the game. It wasn't until about the 5k mark that my feet started to get some feeling back... I was finally warm by the 5 mile mark. I made sure not to run too fast; I was determined to run "my race." Very early, the 6hr pacing group passed me. One of the dudes grabbed my arm & tried to drag me with them. He was very good natured, so I didn't get too upset. I simply pointed at my Garmin & the pacer immediately understood I was running intervals. I ended up passing them!

At that point, my whole race plan became about keeping the 6hr group behind me because I knew the course maximum was 6 hours. And I didn't have to run fast at all to keep them behind me; I was running comfortably. I was talking to people, waving at spectators, flagging down the photographers to make sure I got pictures... I was really enjoying the entire thing.

Right until Mile 11. That's when I felt something was "off" with my right knee. During a walk break, I even tweeted about it!

At the halfway point (13.1 miles), I called my trainer & she advised me to start walking more than I'd planned. Which I was already doing. I lost so much time, the 6hr pacing group caught up to me! I knew they were also doing a Run/Walk combo, so I figured I'd be safe if I stuck with them. But at 16.45 miles on my Garmin, I saw a bright orange race volunteer & ran straight for her. My knee didn't feel stable; it didn't feel like it would support me any more. I felt wobbley & since I've never had/experienced knee issues, I was terrified. I was hysterically crying from pain & emotion & the only words I could get out:

Me:"Please help me. I need help right now."
Race Volunteer: "Ah, English. Do you want to finish?"
Me: "No. I just want to go home."

Keep in mind I'm sobbing hysterically the entire time & only speaking broken English.

At that point, she jumped on her walkie-talkie to call an ambulance. Then she & another volunteer pulled one of the banners off the fence line to wrap me up in; they didn't have any foil blankets. I called my trainer, still sobbing hysterically, to let her know I'd DNF'd, where I was, & where I was going. Safety first, right? In about 10 minutes, I was loaded into an ambulance & taken to the infirmary station... approx. 4ks away... which means I'd almost made to the infirmary by running!

The story is depressing after that. I was wrapped in foil & fleece, shuttled to the finish line for the bag drop (which was exceedingly humiliating), then had to make my way back to my car. At the starting point in Stra. At that point, I had 2 strokes of good luck: I got a seat on the bus for the hour+ ride to Stra & the bus stopped right in front of my car so I didn't have to walk anymore. I got in the car, called friends to let them know I'd made it & I'd check in when I finally got home. With expert use of my car's Cruise Control, I made it to my hometown, where I picked up a pizza & trekked home... still crying, by the way. I didn't stop crying until the next day.

I want to give a shout out to the race volunteers/ambulance crew who helped me. I was alone, couldn't get enough Italian together thru the pain, & female. And when I handed myself over to them for care, I never once felt unsafe. They handled a hysterical female calmly & with compassion. I felt safe because they made me safe... & I can't give them enough kudos for being so awesome.

That's race day. Total Fail. But I have no regrets... & you'll read why in the next post! :D

My 1st Expo

2011-10-22T18:17:00.000+02:00

This weekend is going to be a "first" weekend: My first expo & my first marathon. I'm getting ready...

Today was my first expo. I got together with my trainer & a friend to pick up my race packet & shop the stalls. A few friends & I departed around 0800 for the hour drive to the expo.

I am Superman!

Thanks to my handy-dandy GPS, whom I call "Nigel," we got there just before they officially opened.

I clearly have no ups.

The first thing I did when we got inside was get my race pack. Since it was right at the beginning, I wanted to get my bib early to beat the crowds. And I did!

On line for my bib!

ZOMG!

Holy Crap I'm running a marathon!

After I picked up my bib, I bought some swag.

Zip up Sweat Shirt & Polo Shirt (to wear to work proudly on Monday!)

Then I found a butterfly person. Not sure why/how she was affiliated with a bank, but she was!

Runner's World... in Italian! So all I could really do was grab my typical "Thumbs Up" shot.

The expo itself was way smaller than I thought it would be. In fact, we were inside the building for less than an hour. It wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be. After we hit all the stalls... where I didn't buy anything because Newton Running was not there (I wanted to cry), we stopped at the outdoor cafe for a brioche. Because carbo loading is fun!

Reading the fine print

2011 Venice Marathon: my bib

Next on my list of things to do: pick up last minute supplies. So I did.

Found everything I was looking for

And finally, I re-purposed my RunningSkirts mesh bags & got all my gear together for tomorrow.

After all that running around (no pun intended), I chowed down on prosciutto, bread, & cheese... watched the latest episode of The Vampire Diaries, Nightmare Before Christmas... & took about an hour long nap.

And now, in the final hours before bedtime & the start of what will probably be one of the longest & most gratifying days of my life, I've got some final thoughts. I have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow. But I know I'm going to make it 26.2 miles. I spent all summer working towards this goal. And I can't change that training. All I can do is get up tomorrow, get dressed, & go the distance. So that's what I'm going to do. Am I nervous? If I'm honest, I really don't know... I'm focused on making sure that I have the mental fortitude to get up when the alarm goes off. Once I've won that battle, I'm 70% closer to winning the war.

See you at the finish line!

Final Countdown

2011-10-21T18:20:00.002+02:00

Either you get it or you don't.

Now it's time for sushi!

Emotional Conundrum

2011-10-17T20:58:00.002+02:00

I'm in such a weird mental space today. After running a nice 9.5 miles yesterday, I feel a bit differently about 26.2. Is it weird that I feel daunted & uncaring all at the same time?

Daunted: 26.2 miles is a long way to run.
Uncaring: But I made it 16 miles. That's also a long way & I did it just fine.

Daunted: Mr. X is away for training & I feel all alone.
Uncaring: But I've got a couple of great friends coming to take pics & pace me if I need some support, so I've got support even though Mr. X can't be there.

Daunted: The weather is so cold/warm, I have no idea what to wear.
Uncaring: Eh. I'll run in my sports bra if I have to. I'll look cool in a skirt/sports bra combo... who cares about the muffin top?

Daunted: I've been sick for 2.5 weeks & my lungs might not be fully recovered.
Uncaring: Eh. I'll walk it if I have to. I know I can make it 10 miles... who cares if I have to walk the remaining miles so long as I can finish?

In fact, the only thing making me paranoid is parking for the Expo on Saturday. Yes, I'm that person. So now I'm wondering: is this type of daunted/uncaring conundrum typical for first-timers? I feel like the amount of miles I logged to get this far are more important than the race... that the training miles are a much better show of my commitment than a medal/t-shirt/finishlinepicture ever will.

Of course, I'm saying this 6 days before the marathon. And I'm 100% sure I'll be singing a different tune once that medal is around my neck & I've got photographic evidence of my finish. But for right now, I feel daunted & uncaring. It's confusing yet comforting.

Yes, it has been a weird day.

Breakdown: Week 19 & I'm back on my feet

2011-10-16T17:50:00.000+02:00

Here's hoping it's not as bad as it looks.

Monday: Columbus Day. I'd just spent the previous week completely & utterly sick with some sort of ebola virus that made its way around our community. So I have no idea why I thought I'd be able to run, but I gave it a shot since I had the day off & I thought I was doing better then I actually was. I made it about 1.3 miles (15 minutes of running) & turned around at my walk break to head home. All told, I rand 1.69 miles before I had to walk the rest of the way. My nose was running, I coughed up a lung, & my chest hurt... either from sucking cold air or actual illness. I made it home, quite a bit worse for wear, showered, & fell asleep on the couch. So much for Monday.

Tuesday: Still impressively sick, I started a new job. Doesn't have anything to do with running, but it was an important day. And I was still under the weather, so it was a very rough day. Obviously, I did NO running. Quite a bit of walking, though, to get all my employee paperwork filed.

Wednesday: The most challenging day of the week. I felt better... much better. I coughed only slightly & slept through the entirety of Tuesday night. In fact, I felt quite like I did on Monday. So what did I do? I bought some hair dye (Feria Chocolate Cherry)& STAYED HOME! That's right. I purposely dyed my hair after work to force me to stay home & continue to heal. Sounds a little crazy, but I knew if I had nothing to do after work, I'd end up trying to run & set myself back again. Good news: the color is lovely!

Thursday: Moment of truth. I felt good, so I hit the road after work. I don't like being out after work with all the cars, but it's my only option. I was determined to keep my running pace at 12 minutes, but I didn't succeed. In fact, my average running pace was 11:31, 4.5 miles in 52 minutes... not at all far off my normal. I was very happy, though I confess to huffing-&-puffing at the very end. It was a good run, to be sure. Again, my chest hurt, but I think that was from sucking in cold air... I need to get used to that again.

Friday: Day off of running. I didn't want to push my luck, especially considering I woke up with no soreness whatsoever (which made me feel much better about my marathon prospects). Plus, BigDog had chemo. I spent my evening at the vet with him.

Monty thinks RW is a pillow

Saturday: What a strange day! I did no running, deciding it was better to be safe than sorry.

Got my nails done.
Bought groceries.
Broke a nail (yes, after I'd gotten them done).
Bought skis for Mr. X & I... & a car roof rack so we can fit extra people/gear in the car for day trips to the mountain.
Made carb-friendly lunch.
Updated my iPhone to iOS5 (which took a ridonkulus amount of time).
Got a call to race back to the nail shop to get the broken nail fixed.
Continued to work on updating all the iOS5 info... because Holy Crap it's a long process!

And I was laughing the entire time. The broken nail thing really sent me into a giggle fit. I have no explanation why, but I thought it was hysterical; I think I needed a nap, but I didn't get to take one. And I packed my Camelbak for my planned Sunday run.

Sunday: Goal was at least 8 miles, according to my training plan. I wanted to hit 10 miles, even though that's "more" than taper suggests. But I figured I'd been out of the running game so long, a few extra miles couldn't hurt. I was also determined to sleep in, so I didn't set an alarm.

I woke up at 0730; it was 39 degrees out. Way too cold for a running skirt... since I don't have anything else to wear, I decided to wait a couple of hours before heading out. When I left the house, it was 0930 & still a bit chilly in the shade w/a bitter cold wind. I took my time & forced myself to run slow. To accomplish this, I took the "scenic route." Which really means I got a bit lost on the back roads. And this is what I found:

About 2 miles from our house, just behind the city!

Moments like these, I love living in Italy... it's always easy to find accidental picturesque areas.

My mid-way point was the Army base (which is why we're in Italy). Thanks to my little detour, it was just over 4 miles when I got there. Did a little "woot" & turned around to head home. And saw this:

Next task: learn to ride horseback!

How did I miss this on the way out? I soooo want to go horseback riding.

I kept running, right past the turn to my house. I really wanted to log 10 miles. But at about 8.5 miles, my right knee started to feel a bit wonky. So I called it at 9.5 miles, which took be right to my house. I can live with missing half a mile. Had my favorite Gatorade G2 Fruit Punch, a super hot shower (turned my skin red), had lunch, & took my post-run nap.

All in all, Week 19 started off badly & ended okay. The marathon is 7 days away. I'll be posting a lot of photos from the expo & the race. And by this time next week, I should already be done with the race. I think I'm going to make it, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I'm going to keep running this week to keep the nerves in order. I'll keep you all posted!

11 Days...

2011-10-12T18:55:00.000+02:00

Yowza. The 2011 Venice Marathon is 11 days away.

If you've been following the blog, then you know the past few weeks have been practically non-existent training-wise. Life got in the way, as it often does. I got sick, found out my dog has cancer, & got sick again. That means my longest training run was 16 miles on September 11th. And as I write this, I'm still a bit under the weather (in my lungs).

Here's what I know: people have run marathons on less training. People "wing it" all the time with marathons. I've been chatting with some folks on DailyMile, so I know it's completely possible. But I'm not sure I feel it's completely possible... & endurance running is as much a mind game as a physical one. Can I whip my body back into shape? If I can stop coughing up icky stuff, yes I can. But can I get my confidence back? ...I have no idea.

I sincerely hope I feel well enough tomorrow to run tomorrow. I would like to come home from work & log my standard 5 miles. That would help to build me up, buttercup. My body is playing a race against the calendar. I hope my body wins.

It Just Got Real

2011-10-10T20:56:00.001+02:00

Just got this email. I'm freaking out! If my lungs felt better, I'd feel better about all of this...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Breakdown: Week 18 & no running

2011-10-09T14:27:00.001+02:00

Yes, you read that right. No running. There's some sort of virus going around the community, which I caught last Friday. I spent the majority of the week at home, on the couch, in pajamas. I only went to work for about 10 hours the entire week. So, no running.

The question becomes now: can I whip my body into shape in just 2 weeks? I've got friends telling me I absolutely can do it, but I'm having an internal panic attack about Venice.

It's been 8 days of just laying about & feeling crappy. I'm feeling much better today, though I've chosen to continue my rest today. The current plan is to hit the road tomorrow for a run. I'm thinking about 8 miles, even though that might not be the wisest thing since I've been off the road for so long. But I just want to get out there, feel strong, & enjoy my sport.

For now, I'm watching online coverage of the Chicago Marathon 2011. I'm getting revved up! :D

Breakdown: Week 17 & it's all falling apart...

2011-10-03T18:40:00.001+02:00

I suppose I should've seen this coming... this is my second attempt at running a marathon. At least I've made it this far this time...

I got in 5 miles this week. Just 5 miles. Everything has been about Big Dog. And on Friday, I started getting sick... so I missed my 20 miler on Sunday. It's so bad, I actually went to the doctor today. She verified I've got whatever "ebola virus" that's going around the community. It seems to run its course in 5-7 days, so I should be feeling better soon.

I really don't want to give up on the Venice Marathon. But I've missed 2 long runs, quite a few base runs in between, & now I'm sick. The real question is: can I pull myself together in time? I have no idea.

I'm going back to being sick now. :(

Review: Petzl Tikka XP2 Headlamp

2011-09-30T09:59:00.000+02:00

Over the summer, I developed into an early morning runner. I was fortunate enough to have employers who understood my marathon training & provided me time to complete those early morning runs. But I have a new job, so that means running after work. And also, winter is coming...

Holy crap, it's dark outside!

I'm a Jersey Girl at heart, so running in the dark by myself gives me the willies. So I went on a crazed search for a headlamp to keep up my early morning/after-work-in-the-dark runs. Price became an issue for me; I was astonished by the cost! After about a month of trying to be cheap, I finally caved & spent the money on a Petzl Tikka XP 2 headlamp.

I have no head!

The first thing I noticed about this particular headlamp was the price. It was €50, which is about $65, give or take a dollar either way. The next thing I noticed was the name Petzl. Running friends have recommended Petzl, so I felt good about the purchase. As you can see, the packing is quite detailed; the battery life, distance, & functionally of the headlamp are listed quite clearly. The back of the packaging also has the weight of the lamp listed (88g including batteries). It's water resistant, so it'll hold up if I manage to get caught in the rain. Also nice: it's compatible with lithium batteries, which opens the product up to rechargeable batteries. If I end up using this a lot, that'll save me battery money in the long run.

I wore the headlamp over my usual running hat. I'd grabbed it as an afterthought, but Mr. X was glad to see I was running with some light. When I got out there, I was glad I had it with me; it shines really far & helped me not fall off a curb or into a ditch. With (or because of) the hat, I didn't feel it bounce around or move; the brim of the hat may have held it in place. Overall, I was very happy with the power of the light. I even got honked at by a truck... I figure it's because I accidentally shined my light right into his eyes or something.

So far, I'm pleased with the Petzl Tikka XP 2 headlamp. The price was right, the power of the light is great, & it didn't bounce or feel heavy. I'm sure I'll be using this a lot as the evening dark gets longer.

When It Hits the Fan...

2011-09-29T13:28:00.000+02:00

You simply never know when an emergency is going to rear its ugly head. And that's what Mr. X & I have been dealing with since last Wednesday with Monty... aka Big Dog.

Last night, we returned to the vet's office, this time for an ultrasound. The prognosis is "okay," which is to say that treatment will help him. He can never be cured, per se, like in humans. After a very personal discussion in front of our doggie oncologist & vet tech, we opted for a cycle of chemotherapy. This means 6 weeks of recurring appointments & meds for Big Dog. It's a decision we can live with morally/ethically while not totally bankrupting us.

So where does that leave me health/running wise? I've been able to maintain my weight of 149-150 lbs (depending on how much water I've managed to consume) even while eating like total crap. Honestly, we've got 6 pizza boxes in our fireplace waiting to be burned... food hasn't been a real concern for the past week. I've cancelled all my personal trainer sessions for the month of October because the majority of my evenings are going to be given over to Big Dog's appointments.

This all sounds uber-depressing, but it's actually not. In my head, I'm already tinkering around with a schedule that will allow me to keep logging miles, do weight training with dumbbells at home, & complete the marathon I've worked towards all summer. The Venice Marathon has a course maximum of 6 hours; I think I can make it. Sure, I wanted to finish in under 5 hours as my original plan. But right now, the focus has to be on getting to the finish line. I've got a lot on my plate for the next month, so a healthy goal readjustment is not a bad thing.

That's where I'm at right now. Now that we've got a medical plan for Big Dog, I can mentally focus on myself & getting to the next target. Those 2 targets are: completing the marathon on 23 October & getting the scale to 143 lbs. With the decision of doggie meds behind me, I know I can move forward.

Breakdown: Week 16 & only 7 miles

2011-09-26T14:22:00.000+02:00

Normally, my breakdowns are done by day so I can describe what I've gone thru during the week. For Week 16, not so much with the running, so it's not really "worth" it to do that sort of breakdown. Instead, I'll explain my situation.

I logged some t-mill miles Monday & headed off to the gym on Tuesday for my routine weight session with my trainer. Tuesday evening, Mr. X & I noticed our Big Dog wasn't really interested in food. He was also limping slightly; we figured he'd slept on it funny because he was able to walk it off.

Wednesday, I came home from work & was going to log a few more t-mill miles... but I had the house to myself (Mr. X was on a 24-hour shift) & got lazy. Figured I'd take advantage of having complete control of the TV remote. So I made a small dinner & loafed around. Big Dog needed a nail trim, so I did that... after which, he finally decided he was hungry & ate a bit. When I let him outside to use the bathroom, I saw his back right leg: it was the width of a golf ball. It was incredibly swollen & icky looking, but with no visible trauma. So I loaded up Big Dog into the Murano & headed to the veterinarian.

Now, one of the very cool/worst things about Italy is their wonky business hours. Commercial business usually has crap operating hours, but medical facilities are open in the evening. So, taking a dog to a vet at 7 PM is no big deal here... it's routine. The docs took one look at Big Dog's leg & put us in a room immediately.

There's more to the story... lots of tests, 2 more visits, 8 different needle puncture sites... but the short of it is that Big Dog has been diagnosed with lymphoma. We've got 2 more tests this Wednesday to help gauge where the disease it at, but we're obviously dealing with a lot of stress right now. This is our first time thru this type of ordeal, so it's pretty tough for us. Needless to say, I'm not logging a lot/any miles right now. Eating properly has flown right out the window because neither of us want to cook or have any real appetite. 

I'm going to try & pull it together this week & log some miles. Saturday is supposed to be my big 20-miler, but I'm going to play it by ear. Maybe I'll be up to it, maybe I won't. But this whole thing completely sucks.

Monty in the Garden
Monty as a puppy

Breakdown: Week 15 & Sickness Strikes!

2011-09-18T17:02:00.001+02:00

Week 15: in like a lamb, out like a lion. Damn it.

Monday: a nice rest day after the 16 miler. Nothing about my legs felt right, so I was surprised how much a day of rest affected me. By the evening, I felt very recovered. I also had a metabolic test & found out I'm just under "average" metabolism. It's a slight improvement; it's nice to know my body is getting more efficient in burning calories.

Tuesday: the usual weight session with my trainer. We worked upper body because my legs were still tired. I also discovered my shoulders/upper arms were tired, too! Probably from how I was holding my body during the LSD on Sunday. I was feeling great!

Wednesday: 5 miles on the treadmill. This dark-all-early-morning thing is really bothering me. It makes me glad I've got a treadmill to continue keeping my fitness level up.

Thursday: Started off with a full fitness assessment, including VO2. I love these assessments; they continually show progress. While I still need to lose another 7-10 lbs., they will be the final pounds to lose. According to the assessment, I'm a "well-trained athlete." That felt super good. :D

In the evening, I had another weight session with my trainer... this time, we worked legs. I even wore a RunningSkirt to the gym because I was feeling so good. It was great!

Friday: Another 5 miles on the treadmill before work. The run was great; I wanted to go farther but I decided to err on the side of caution... knowing I had another LSD on Sunday (18 miles). Then the day turned weird. By the time I got to work, I had a ridiculous migraine & all the accompanying symptoms, like nausea & issues with light. I started downing as much caffeine & drugs as I could stand to try & help the pain. I felt okay after lunch, which was good because I had a dinner function to attend in the evening. And it was fun!

Saturday: rest & carbo loading for the next morning's LSD. Yes, I was a bit hung over from Friday night's function, but I pounded some Gatorade & was doing fine. I even steam-cleaned the carpet, mopped floors, & dusted our living room. I was on fire... until about 5 PM & dinner. Mr. X & I were watching a video & I thought to myself "I feel like I'm on fire." Then the coughing fits started & lasted all nights. I was even sweating behind my knees. I felt like I got hit by a bus & my head was going to explode. And the worst part? Insomnia. Because I kept coughing, I couldn't fall asleep. I know it was about 1 AM before I could relax enough to rest. And when I did fall asleep, I woke up in clammy night sweats.

Sunday: Honestly? I woke up at 8:30 AM. I couldn't handle the LSD at all. I was exhausted, my chest was sore from all the coughing, & my throat hurt from ... well, from whatever made it sore. I sounded like I'd just smoked 2 packs of cigarettes in rapid succession. I was miserable & felt horribly guilty for missing the run... & all that carb loading I did for no reason.

This coming weekend is our 10th wedding anniversary. That is more important to me than an 18 mile run, so that's why I ultimately decided to skip the LSD run on Sunday. I did not want to get sicker than I clearly was. The problem I have now is how to make this run up. Because we're going away next weekend, I will not have the opportunity to run it next weekend. So I think, on Monday after work, the treadmill & I are going to have to hang out for a few hours. Or if the weather is cool enough, I'll hit the road & do my usual country loops a few dozen times. It's going to be rough, but sometimes, you're just sick & can't run. And family is always the priority. So I'll have to figure out how to make this work.

Looky Looky!

2011-09-14T13:30:00.001+02:00

Just arrived in the mail today...

Nuun & Zensah! Already tried the Nuun Strawberry Lemonade. And I love it! Used still water this time, so no crazy explosions.

Zensah calf compression sleeves: my second set. I need to buy more in fabulous colors.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Breakdown: Week 14 & the Creepy Dark

2011-09-11T11:55:00.000+02:00

Monday: Labor Day ... what a strange name for a holiday. It implies actually doing labor, not taking the day off. As such, I jumped on the t-mill to do the first real accessment of my ankle/calf injury. I ran for about 20 minutes, just over 1.5 miles, when I felt it start to tighten up. I decided to call it a day & rest. Good thing, too; within 1 hour, I was in pain & popping Excedrin.

Tuesday: The first day I woke up with absolutely no pain since "the accident." The problem was lunch... fairly confident the chicken I had for lunch went bad. And I didn't realize until halfway thru eating. In fact, it was Mr. X. who realized it might be bad. About 3 hours later, I started to feel awful. I ended up cancelling my weight session. But honestly: who can work thru a touch of food poisoning?

Wednesday: First road run since "the accident." I woke up at 0500 & realized it was still wicked-dark outside. Totally unprepared a "creepy dark run," I hopped on my t-mill. Probably a good idea anyway, considering I was still accessing the left calf. At first, I was horribly stiff & felt not-so-great. But when I hit the 2nd interval, it was smooth sailing. I felt great! The only thing that wasn't great was the boredom... I used to be able to zone out on the t-mill. But now I'm so used to running outside, it's a bit boring for me. I popped out 5 miles at a 9:29 pace, but that's my footpod-to-Garmin estimation, which I don't always rely on. At any rate, it was 45 minutes of running, which makes me better off than I was. 

Another big achievement: I ate "clean" the entire day. So Wednesday was 100% awesome for me.

Thursday: First thing's first. I ordered a new RunningSkirt... I finally ordered the Sparkle Hearts print. Yes, I have an addiction. I'm dealing with it. ;D

The evening was spent at a weight session with my trainer. Just so nice to get back into my regular routine!

Friday: Another dark morning. Mr. X was supposed to wake up & run with me so I wasn't alone in the dark... but he didn't budge when the alarm went off. So it was another t-mill run for me. One hour of running at a 10:04 pace. Since it's t-mill miles, it looks way more impressive than it actually is. But it felt good, which is what counts. Then I blew all the good work by going to dinner in the evening. Pizza... my ultimate weakness.

Saturday: A day of rest before LSD Sunday. And believe me, I rested! After a short trip for groceries & lunch (yes, another slice of pizza), I parked my butt on the couch & proceeded to take about 3 naps. It was like my body said, "Time to store up the sleep!" I also developed a massive headache; I'm sure that contributed to me having "the sleepies." Around 1700 (that's 5PM, people), I pulled myself together, took a hot shower to help my headache, & gathered all my clothes for LSD Sunday. That includes my recovery clothes... so  the only thing I have to worry about is waking up & running.

Sunday: LSD... the moment of truth. Alarm went off at 0545; I wanted to start between 0615-0630. Mr. X followed in the car to be my Waterboy (which is what I'm calling him from now on, btw) & personal security agent. This time, I left directly from my house; it's tough to find a place to run 16 miles safely here... there are crazy cars/drivers everywhere. That's why I focused on getting out the door as early as possible.
Starting off early, focusing on avoiding cars
I started off very strong. In fact, Mr. X couldn't find me for awhile because I was 2 miles ahead of where he thought I'd be. I was covering 5 miles per hour & feeling very good about it.
Jumping for joy at La Rotunda
I was smoking the run without really trying... & feeling great about the entire thing. All was awesomesauce until about Mile 12. That's when my legs started to really feel the run. I started singing to myself... out loud, by the way, just to keep my head in the game. Mr. X kept a closer eye on me & we developed a highly sophisticated method of communication so he'd know I was okay:
Thumbs up: probably means "F" off in Italian; clothes are clinging to me
At this point, it was all about putting one foot in front of the other. With 1.5 miles left to run, I threw Mr. X the Camelbak (it was bothering my back) & took off.

Or at least I tried to... by my legs were screaming at me. What I didn't understand at that point is that I was beginning to cramp. I thought I was just being a baby & toughed it out. Until Mile 15.6. I could not go any farther; I was crying but no tears were coming out & in more pain than I'd originally realized. Mr. X met up with me... & we walked it out. Right up to 16 miles.
After the run, still feeling the cramping.
There are some runs where you feel like a superstar. There are some runs you suck at. And for this one, I feel like a superstar. Sure, I didn't end strong, per se, but I ran 16  miles before most people had breakfast. I ran fast enough to impress Mr. X. And I even learned what cramping in the hammys & calves feels like, so I know what to watch out for next time. I think it was a great way to end my week.
16 miles complete!
Now comes lunch (Hurray, Mr. X is cooking), a nap, & recording a new episode of the KindleWomen podcast. Yes, it's going to be a long day. But I just survived 16 miles; I think I can handle it.

*edit: I lost my sunglasses on this run. When I stopped at the water point, I took my hat off to rinse it out... & my sunglasses were resting on the brim. In my run-induced haze, I completely forgot they were there. Now I need new sunglasses. I haz a sad.* 

Review: Nuun (Kona Cola)

2011-09-08T11:33:00.001+02:00

One thing about me is that I like to immerse myself in whatever I'm obsessing about at any given moment. As such, I follow a number of running blogs (see my Blogroll). Recently, those bloggers ran Hood-to-Coast as a team, sponsored by Nuun. It's pronounced "noon," by the way. I didn't know that until recently.

I'm a particularly sweaty individual; if I'm not careful, I could end up in a world of hurt after a tough workout. In fact, that's happened to me before. I'm always on the lookout for ways to hydrate smartly. Gatorade G2 is great, but a little bit sweet/salty after a long run. So after seeing all these great ladies talk about/run for Nuun, I decided to give it a try.

I love & miss Coca Cola greatly, so I figured the first flavor I'd try should be Kona Cola. And this is what it looks like:

Old packaging, same product

The tube has a lot of information on it, like this:

Directions!

Nutritional Factoids

When you open the tube, the safety seal is popped. This made me feel a bit better about consuming something that had come shipped in an envelope (via Amazon.com, not Nuun):

Popped seal, for your safety!

At this point, I decided to smell inside the tube. Just to see if/what the tabs smell like. Answer? Gummi Coke Bottles... which I also love, but smelled a bit too sweet for something I was about to drink. The most important thing, though, was the tabs didn't smell gross.

Now, how to drink it? I'd read that Kona Cola Nuun + fizzy water = kinda like Coke. As a fizzy water addict, it made sense to me! I grabbed a 0.5L bottle from the fridge & went to work. Just one problem, though:

Tablet is too big for the bottle!

For other people, this might be too big a challenge to overcome. Not for me! Since there's a split right down the center, I pulled out a knife & cut the tab in two. It made a powdery mess of my countertop, but not so much that I wouldn't do it again.

The real reason I wouldn't take this course of action is this:

Kona Cola + Fizzy Water = TOTAL MESS!!

When I dropped the half-pieces into the bottle, it was a complete disaster! It fizzed over... waaaaay over, kind of like at the end of a Diet Coke/Mentos video. It doesn't sound like much, but I was super annoyed at my own stupidity. If I'd thought about it, I'd have seen that one coming.

Once it was done overflowing, I was able to finally taste Kona Cola Nuun for the first time. And you know what? It tasted like a gummi Coke bottle! Which is to say, it tasted exactly like how it smells. Mr. X tried it & freaked out; clearly not a flavor for him. I thought it was okay, but after the fizz-over, there was no carbonation left. So all I had was flat, previously-fizzy water that tasted like gummi Coke bottles. Is that bad? No, not at all. But it wasn't quite what I expected. In truth, the Kona Cola is a bit sweet for me... which is saying a lot because I love sweets.

I've got more Nuun on the way, so I'll have the opportunity to try out different flavors... with less fizz-over. I'm particularly looking forward to trying Strawberry Lemonade. I've got a 16-miler on Sunday, which'll be my real test: me vs. Nuun for (re)hydration. I'll keep you posted!

Hitting Rock Bottom & Cheering About It

2011-09-06T18:13:00.001+02:00

Friends, I think I'm hitting rock bottom. I hit my weight goal for August & fell of the nutrition wagon. I ran 14 miles, then had a hard time focusing on any training whatsoever. Just when I'm getting my act together & gearing up for the big 16-miler, I have "the accident."

And today? Today, I was stupid enough to eat probably-spoiled chicken for lunch, resulting in horrible stomach cramping & probable... well, G.I. issues. This, my friends, has to be rock bottom.

So why am I happy about it?

Because it can only improve from here. And that's a comforting thought.

So instead of a weight session, I'm going to cook some FRESH chicken & ground turkey for my weekly meals, make some new rice (better safe than sorry), boil more eggs for breakfast, hopefully avoid emergency bathroom breaks, & celebrate the fact that tomorrow is a new day to start fresh. :D

Breakdown: Week 13 was unlucky!

2011-09-05T10:52:00.002+02:00

Semi-disaster strikes...

Monday: Day off. Bored.

Tuesday: Popped off 1.5 miles as a t-mill warm up before my weight session with my trainer. We worked legs & it felt awesome.

Wednesday: 5 mile run @ 11:17 pace. It was my first "real" run in a week. And it was my first run in my new Newton Lady Isaacs. I gotta say, I lovelovelove the new Lady Isaacs. The pink is fabulous!

See the new shoes?! Awesomely pink!

The only issue is the pink rubbed off when my socks got sweaty. But it was a great run. Putting on the new shoes made me realize how worn out my old Newtons really are... it's no small wonder my feet hurt so badly.

Thursday: At this point, everything was smooth sailing. I was loving life, loving the new shoes, & right back on schedule... & gearing up for the 16 mile run in 3 days.

Then the accident. Either the cleaning lady used too much soap or someone sprayed something that made the floor really slick, but I slipped in the bathroom. I don't want to rehash the entire thing, but you can read about it here. My evening weight session was greatly reduced; I couldn't really stand properly & handle weight.

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Rest, Ice, Compression, & Elevation (RICE). And a bit of depression & self pity. I always knew injury was a possibility. It happens. But I never expected it to be this way... something I had no control over that was a direct result of someone else's actions. And so I sank... the couch was a boring & miserable place to be all weekend. I watched all of the extended director's cuts of The Lord of the Rings. I even watched the majority of the special features/documentaries about the making of the films. I also watched a documentary on iTunes called The Elephant in the Living Room, all about the exotic animal trade in the United States & how people actually keep lions/tigers/bears at pets! It was a seriously depressing weekend for me.

Looking into the future, I know I made the right decision to rest the entire weekend. But I'm the kind of person who feels like a failure when I can't stick to my plan. It's difficult to be used to activity, then have this type of thing happen. I'm going to come back slowly & hopefully be able to run the 16-miler this coming Sunday, only a week off my schedule. We'll have to see how it goes...

Be Responsible with Yourself

2011-09-04T07:44:00.001+02:00

A friend called on Friday evening. When I told her about my "accident," she wisely told me I should take it easy... that time off now means being able to complete the ultimate goal of the marathon in October.

She was & still is 100% correct. I've spent my long weekend almost entirely in pajamas on the couch watching Lord of the Rings (those extended versions can kill a lot of time!). I varied between compression, elevation, & rolling it out. I thought it was working pretty well.

Mr. X & I went to our favorite vineyard Saturday evening, which required me to ditch the PJs. I thought it would be good to walk a bit & assess how I felt. Answer? Still not okay, but not nearly as bad as it was. But the calf still needs some rest time, so Sunday will be exactly that.

The current plan-of-attack is to start logging miles Monday. Just a bit to see how I'm doing & assess the situation. Hopefully, I'll be great & be back in my usual routine this week for the 16 mile run on Sunday... since it was supposed to be a lower-mileage run, I decided to put the LSD there so I don't miss it.

It feels like a good plan... like I'm not missing anything & still being responsible with my body. I haven't exactly been responsible with my diet; not totally bad, but not totally good, either. Sunday is back-on-the-wagon day for me. Back to being responsible.

Small accident, medium problem

2011-09-02T18:12:00.001+02:00

I had a bit of an accident at work on Thursday. I was in the bathroom & the floor was slick. My shoe caught in a funny way & I slipped. I hit my ear on the stall; I put my hand between my head & the stall. Slammed my glasses right into my upper-ear-cartilage thing. My legs would've went out from underneath me if I hadn't caught myself. The only thing I was able to pay attention to was the pain in my ear & head. I didn't pay any attention to my legs... the typical "focusing on the most immediate pain first."

A few hours later, I thought to myself, "wow, my left ankle/calf doesn't feel right." It got progressively worse as the afternoon turned to evening. I wrapped it up for my weight session Thursday night & did all my shoulder exercises in a seated position. I was in a lot of pain.

Friday morning, much the same. I wrapped the ankle & decided to hang out on the couch the entire day. I popped the extended BluRay versions of Lord of the Rings. It has been a long day of doing nothing. I've been miserable all day, thinking about missing my 16 mile run this week. I have no idea what's going to happen next. I think it's just a pulled muscle, but I'm not entirely sure. I've never trained for a marathon before, so I have no idea what an injury like this means in the middle of training. So I'm hanging out, trying to see when/if I feel better. Maybe I push the 16 miles to next Sunday? I have no idea what to do.

And yes, the ear still hurts. Wearing my glasses is not pleasant... every time they slip & I have to adjust them, it hurts. I hit pretty hard, I guess. Hoping Saturday is a better day.

Rough Wednesday

2011-09-01T07:33:00.001+02:00

Wow... normally my Wednesdays are pretty easy. As my first "real run" day of the week (i.e. not on a t-mill), I get up at 0500, run 5 miles, go to work, get hopped up on Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla coffee (thanks for putting that in grocery stores, btw), then come home & relax.

Yesterday was not that kind of Wednesday.

For 2 days, I'd been working on an average of 4 hours a sleep a night. Not for any reason, I just had trouble falling asleep. I am convinced the most frustrating thing in the world is lying in bed hoping to fall asleep. My Tuesday weight training session? 4 hours of sleep. My Wednesday 5 mile base run? 4 hours of sleep. 

The problem really started when I got home on Wednesday. Our lawn needed to be mowed. BADLY. It was about to be designated protected forest area if it didn't get mowed. Little dog had to "bound" thru the grass just to get to the potty spot. It was bad. As the lawn-mower of the family, I knew it had to get done before the expected weekend rain. So I got home from work in a tired stupor, changed clothes, & mowed the lawn.

For those of you who don't know, mowing my lawn is the equivalent of walking a mile. I know this because I measured it one day when I got my Garmin 405. An entire mile. In 90 degree heat. After 4 hours of sleep & a 5 mile run. Exhausted does not adequately describe how I felt last night.

So what did I do? Rented "Paul" on iTunes, convinced Mr. X to pick up pizza, & relaxed on the couch. I could barely move off the couch anyway... that's how sore my legs were last night. It was pretty amazing, actually.

The most important part of the evening: going to be bed at 2200 (10 PM) & falling to sleep almost immediately. It was lovely happy ending to 2 rough days. Well rested = happy Bonnie. :D

Challenge Completed!

2011-08-31T11:12:00.000+02:00

On August 1st, I set a goal for myself. I decided that by the end of the month, I'd weigh under 150 lbs. It didn't matter how far under, so long as the scale came in under 150 lbs.

It's August 31st, & here is the result of my clean eating plan:

I freaking did it!!

I lost 7.2 lbs. in the month of August. Woot! And if I hadn't spent the weekend "cheating," it might actually have been lower... but that doesn't matter. Because I did it.

Now I have to figure out the next weight loss challenge. I'm not sure what a next "realistic" step would be, but I've got my eyes set on 145 lbs. As time goes by, I'll keep you posted! But know this: I'm not done. I will continue to eat "clean" & see what happens... because so far, the results have been awesome.

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New Arrivals

2011-08-30T21:51:00.001+02:00

Shirt, new Lady Isaacs, & pink speed laces. life is good!

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Breakdown: Week 12... & I took a [mental] week off.

2011-08-28T12:35:00.001+02:00

*yeah, it doesn't rhyme. 12 doesn't rhyme with anything useful.*

Week 12. There's not much I can say. I think I needed a mental break from all things involving running.

Monday: A nice rest day after my 14 miler. I was fine, just a little tired.

Tuesday: BROKEN! Delayed onset muscle soreness. Super pain. Ended up being another rest day.

Wednesday: I did 30 minutes on "ye ole' t-mill." It was about all I could manage after all the soreness.

Thursday: Mr. X returned after being away for a month, so I focused on his return.

Friday: Since Mr. X came in late on Thursday, we had date night on Friday. I had planned to run, but relationships come first! Good for me, I stuck to my eating regiment for an entire month right up until Friday night... so it was hard to feel badly about enjoying a nice evening out with the hubby.

Saturday: Lawn care day. I mowed less-than-half my lawn & the lawn mower broke. Again. In a fit of frustration, I yanked really hard on the starter cable. I re-potted two of my larger plants. It was a nice, relaxing day. Then I went to see Fright Night. I freaking LOVE David Tennant. And Skittles. Yes, I ate a bag of Skittles. And came home with a headache, which I attributed to sugar overdose...

Sunday: A lesser run of 8 miles. At least it should've been. But remember that lawn mower situation (& the headache I thought was from sugar)? I think I pulled a muscle in my shoulder/neck region. I've been applying Icy Hot all morning. I'm hoping it'll work itself out & I'll be able to get out & run. The weather is lovely today, so I might even be able to run outside. If not, I'm hoping to feel well enough to pop a few miles out on "ye ole' t-mill." Just to get the blood flowing. *Edit: Got 6 miles in on Sunday. T-Mill run to get the juices flowing & help get my brain back into running. Success!* 

That's Week 12. I'm observing a trend: after a serious long run (i.e. 14 miles), my body definitely needs recovery time. And that's okay, so long as I figure out how to deal with it in a better fashion. I was fine Monday, but had a total mental breakdown when I woke up Tuesday & realized I was hurting. I'm sure I'd have hurt less if I'd gotten up & moved around a bit. So for Week 13, I plan to log some miles & make sure to keep moving after the long run (which will be Week 14). That marathon is right around the corner & I want to be ready for it! 

Am I turning into this guy?

2011-08-24T13:15:00.000+02:00

This video is making the rounds on the interwebs right now:

So now I wonder... am I turning into this guy?

"Rocky" Moment

2011-08-23T09:05:00.004+02:00

Sure, it's not running the steps in Philadelphia... but it's still cool.

Taken by running buddy as I closed in on 14 miles

It's true; you never regret the runs you take... only the runs you skip. It's tough to wrap my head around, but I ran 14 miles... and that was my Sunday! The human body is an amazing thing.

Breakdown: Week 11 wasn't exactly heaven...but it wasn't bad, either!

2011-08-21T13:29:00.000+02:00

So here I am. Week 11.

Monday: Recovery day. Bored.

Tuesday: No weight session. Bored.

Wednesday: First run of the week. 5 miles at 11:18 pace. Pretty smoking! I was making an effort to run faster, so the end was pretty tough. I had to walk a little extra, but I was very happy with the result. Pace runs are a new thing to me, so I'm figuring it all out.

Thursday: Weight/Nutrition session with my trainer. We worked arms, back, & shoulders. We also talked a lot about my nutrition; it's a challenge to eat enough to run without overeating. I finally understand how some people don't lose weight when running a marathon. Again, it's a learning process... & it's working! I'm very close to my August goal.

Friday: I decided to take the day off work, so I was able to sleep in. I headed out for my run at 0630, about an hour after my usual weekday time. Wow, what a difference! The minute I stepped out the door, I knew the run was going to be difficult. It was wicked humid. I got in 5 miles at a pace of 11:25. Not bad considering how icky it was outside. Also, I walked less... also a positive development. I wonder how this run would've been if I'd started at 0530...

Saturday: Rest day in preparation for the long run. I spent the day strictly adhering to my eating plan, cleaning the kitchen, & cutting up all the fresh veggies I'd purchased for the week. I packed my gym bag, made sure to set out all my running clothes, packed the Camelbak full of nutrition, refrigerated some Gatorade G2, then got really nervous. And had trouble sleeping. And tried to relax...

Sunday: LSD (long slow distance). 14 miles. And my stupid Morton's Neuroma was hurting from the moment I woke up... I made a running date with my friend Paola, which was a new experience for me. I knew I couldn't do my usual loop; too many loops would make me lose my mind! So I linked up with Paola, who has been trying to log more miles in preparation for her next marathon in October (Marine Corps Marathon FTW). I stopped off to buy a cooler & ice for the secret Gatorade G2 & banana stash I had in the car. And ice for my Camelbak. While trying to get the ice to break up, I broke a nail. Not an auspicious beginning to the run. I forgot my camera, another big disappointment because I'd planned to take a lot of pictures.

We set out & my foot was screaming at me. I was running way faster than was reasonable for me. At some point, I think I went numb... then right back to pain.

LSD Results; way too fast at the beginning

I missed the water refill area, lost a piece of my Camelbak, found the piece on the double-back to the water refill, & tried Gu for the first time (it was odd). And yes, I ran 14 miles. In just under 3 hours.

Remembered to grab a shot of the Garmin; see the pretty cooler in the back?

So there is is... Week 11. I spend Saturday night panicking about the LSD. I did the LSD, even thru all the foot pain. I fueled properly, took my nutrition the right way, & lived to tell the tale. On to Week 12!

Negative Nancy & the Moment of Doubt

2011-08-19T18:11:00.000+02:00

*one bright spot: doesn't this sound like a Harry Potter book title? Woot!*

Trying to run a marathon is no easy feat. I've always known that. But right now, in Week 11, I'm having a total mental breakdown over my ability to be able to pull this off. Everything I read, everyone I talk to, makes me feel like there's no way I can do this!

Examples:

"You have to run 'this' many miles a week in order run a marathon."
"You need to eat 'this' kind of food or else you won't be able to run a marathon."
"You have to run 'thisexactstyle' in order to run a marathon."
"You're not running properly if you're heel-striking/don't heel strike."
"If you're not clocking at least a 10:00 pace, then you're not really running the marathon."
"If you're getting blisters, then you're running wrong."
"If you're getting blisters/sore muscles after the LSD, then you're wearing the wrong shoes."
"What program are you using? Well, that's not the right program! You have to use this program or else you'll hurt yourself!"
"Running is bad for you & our bodies weren't designed for that type of abuse."
...& my all-time favorite way for others to spread negativity: "You're wasting your time, trust ME. I've done a marathon & it wasn't worth it at all."

When I started the C25k program (March 2010), I ran solely in Vibrams, so I've never been a "heel striker." I don't know that I've logged 30+ miles in a week... ever. I've reduced my caloric intake & focused on proteins, not carbo-loading, for weight loss. I got a blister after my 12 mile run in sweat-soggy socks & shoes. I even chafed on that same run. My legs are achy when I'm done, even though they recover by the next day (thanks to rest, ice baths, & Motrin). I need naps to recover from long runs. I do my long runs using the 10/1 Run/Walk method, trying to keep a 12:00 pace.

So here's my rant: why does everyone think they know better than I do? I am not a marathon expert by any means. My history with injury proves that point. But I think I know my body. I know what I can handle... or at least I did, right up until this moment. I usually under-sell myself in that regard & don't push myself hard enough. Why can't I just run, do my training, & see what I'm really capable of?

Right now, I've got all of this negative stuff floating around my head & it's dragging me down. I've got 14 miles on Sunday & I'm genuinely thinking, "I've been training wrong this entire time & there's no way I can do this." How in the world am I supposed to run 14 miles? That's insane! And now, all the Negative Nancys have turned me into a crazy person.

Question of the day: how do you deal with the Negative Nancys in your life?

When the mail is a frenemy

2011-08-18T13:53:00.000+02:00

I'm originally from New Jersey. I spent many summers, including some great college years, down at The Shore. And one of my favorite things from The Shore is salt water taffy. Today, I received this is the mail:

I couldn't help myself; I dove right in...past the Kindle replacement (screen broke in June), past the book my mom sent me, & past the digital copies of Blu Rays my parents send because they don't use the codes. 

My mail is now my frenemy. Wikipedia defines a frenemy as "a portmanteau of "friend" and "enemy" that can refer to either an enemy disguised as a friend or to a partner who is simultaneously a competitor and rival.[1] The term is used to describe personal, geopolitical, and commercial relationships both among individuals and groups or institutions. The word has appeared in print as early as 1953." 

My mail is now my nice friend who brings me packages of sweet & salty goodness... diabolically destroying my meal plan.    ...but I don't care. It's so yummy!!! There's something about candy from childhood... like those paper dots or the wax Coke bottles with nasty-syrupy-sugar-goo inside of them. It's awesome.

Question of the day: what's your favorite candy from childhood?

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Review: Honey Stinger

2011-08-16T19:30:00.000+02:00

I've been trying out new types of nutrition during the LSD (long slow distance) runs. For normal people, it would be a trial/error experience. But the problem is that I tend to stick with what I know. That means I don't try out a lot of new things. Additionally, I've got a wicked-sensitive digestive system (IBS, thank you very much), so I'm super fussy about what I'm willing to put in my stomach.

With that in mind, I did a lot of research into what types of nutrition is out there. Everyone uses Gu & stuff like that, but I was concerned it might to heavy for me. Then I found out about Honey Stinger. It's made with honey as a sweetener, so it purports to be gentle on the system.

The first item I tried out were the Honey Stinger Organic Chews . I got the caffeinated Lime-Aid flavor, mostly because I like lime-flavored candy. I figured it couldn't be that bad. And I wasn't wrong. I love these things! Easy & smooth to chew. Tasty & easy to eat. It's a bit tough to eat as many as I need to, but I think that's about me learning how to eat & run rather than the product itself. Here's the nutritional info for an alternate flavor of the chews:

I can't figure out how to fix the stupid rotation!

With that in mind, I set about trying the Honey Stinger Organic Waffle. I opted for the vanilla flavor, mostly because it sounded good. It's a bit tough to eat while I'm running, though. It's a bit on the big side & took quite a few bites to get down... & a lot of water to wash it down. It tasted great, just like a fantastic cookie. But about 15 minutes after I ate it, it wasn't sitting to nicely in my stomach. I'm not sure they're the best for me for running... but I can easily see wanting to eat these as a yummy cookie snack!

Overall, I'd recommend Honey Stinger, though I'd stick with the chews & not the waffle. For me, it's about the ease-of-use with the chews. Both products taste great, so no worries there... but if you're looking for easy, then the chews are the way to go. I will definitely be ordering some more... including new flavors!

Getting there...

2011-08-16T07:26:00.000+02:00

Women retain water. That's the reality. And that's okay. Because this result is still awesome.

I'm getting there! :D

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It's Official...

2011-08-15T16:00:00.001+02:00

I'm halfway there!

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Breakdown: Week 10 HALFWAY POINT!!! :D

2011-08-14T13:10:00.000+02:00

**yeah, it doesn't rhyme. So sue me. It's the halfway point & I wanted to celebrate!**

This turned into an unintentional easy week. And that's perfectly okay since it marks the halfway point in my marathon training. I'm working a 20 week program; longer than others might choose to do, but I decided long ago that I'm the turtle, not the hare.

Monday: Ah, the recovery day. I felt so terrible I considered calling out of work sick, but I didn't. I swore I'd go to work for at least half the day. When I got there, the most amazing thing happened... I had a cup of coffee & suddenly had pep in my step! At lunch, I decided to walk around the Post & ended up logging a mile. It felt great to stretch the muscles out & get the blood flowing.

Tuesday: The first day of my new/revised eating plan. It was rough, simply because it requires a lot of planning. I didn't exactly wing it, but it's a lot more veg than my sensitive digestive system is used to. Looking forward to seeing the results.

Wednesday: My first actual run following the long run. And I struggled the entire time. I managed 4.1 miles at a 12:53 pace. Not good at all. I think some of the issues involved were a change of sneakers & the nutrition... in working with my nutritional intake, it's a delicate balance between what I need & what it feels like I need. I'm trying to lose weight, so I really need to be careful regarding carb intake. It's a learning process... 

...as in I learned afterwards that I read my meal plan wrong & I'm supposed to have my cereal bar before my run. Silly Bonnie. I'll get it right next time.

Thursday: An unexpected rest day. Normally, I'd be with my trainer & do some weights. However, a friend needed a ride after work, so I went to help her out. I was happy to help; as I spend more time focused on myself for the marathon, it's important to remember I've got friends out there who still like spending time with me, too. I think we're planning a nature walk soon... :D

Friday: Another base run, this time with my cereal bar eaten pre-run. And wow, what a difference! 4.5 miles at 11:46 pace. Could I have been faster on the 3rd interval? Probably. Could I have run the entire 5 miles? Most definitely. But I had a big day at work & had to get going! It doesn't happen often, so I didn't mind cutting it a bit short. Also, I got a blister on top of my previous blister... it's possible my shoes, after 157 miles, are already worn out. Other folks would be annoyed about such a short life span. I, however, am super-psyched to have logged 157 miles on a pair of running shoes! And since my Newtons work for me 100%, I don't care how expensive they are. When you find something that works, you stick with it!

Saturday: Uh oh. I had a wee-bit of a breakdown in the nutrition on Saturday. The morning went great, but then I went to a movie. I ate a bag of Skittles. The moview (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) went great with Skittles. But not being used to eating anything like that after 5 days, I got a bit of a tummy ache & substituted dinner with saltines. Not purposefully, mind you... it just happened that way. 

Sunday: 8 miles... makes me feel like I'm in an Eminem video. And how did I handle it? Didn't set my alarm, like an idiot. So once again, I got up much later than I should've... & started out much later than I should have. And remember, I only had a bag of Skittles & Saltines for dinner. But overall, the run went okay. I tried to start out painfully slow, as a long slow distance run should be, but I seriously suck  at keeping a pace. I held it together on the first loop, so that wasn't too bad.

As the run went on, I tried to keep my running pace at 12:00, but struggled at the very end of the 2nd loop.  I also tried the Honey Stinger Waffle for the first time. I didn't like it. It tasted great, don't get me wrong... but didn't exactly sit nicely in my stomach. I think that affected my 2nd loop, but that's also why I tried it for the first time on a "shorter" long distance run, just in case. I don't think I'll be up for trying this type of nutrition again.

So that was my week. Not too shabby. Did some running, ate properly... except for those Skittles. 

Anyone out there know if I can use Skittles as nutrition during a run?

New Running Tee

2011-08-11T12:37:00.001+02:00

Look what finally came in the mail today....squeeeeeee!!!!

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Clean Eating: Week 1

2011-08-09T06:34:00.000+02:00

Week 1 Results

2 solid pounds lost! Right on. Ad I amp up the mileage, going to have to  focus on eating the rights types of food together for fuel. Difficult, but not impossible. 

Week 2 is on! :D

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10 Lessons Learned

2011-08-08T11:44:00.000+02:00

I'm about 24 hours removed from my 12 mile run yesterday & I've been reflecting on the experience. I was a miserable human being yesterday; that certainly shows up in my Breakdown for the week. I was a mess physically & mentally. Now that I've got a modicum more distance from the run, it's a bit easier to look at the whole experience with the right perspective. Here are my lessons learned, with much less negativity than I was throwing down yesterday.

1. Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition. I did not eat well on Saturday. I'm not sure I had enough fuel in my tank when I started out Sunday. I don't think I ate enough during the run. The only thing I couldn't really control was my water consumption; I just ran out. When I head out for my 14 miler on 21 August, I'll make sure I don't make these mistakes again.

2. Long Runs + New Gear = Miserable. I've always known this about running sneakers, so what on earth made me think my Camelbak would be any different? I should've been running my base runs with it to get used to the weight... which I will be doing from now on. My plan is to run with it on my Wednesday run, which is about to turn into my recovery run. Fridays, my new pace run day, will be sans Camelbak. I'm hoping this plan will help me adjust to the weight of a full Camelbak bladder.

3. Wear the right socks. I'm not sure how to solve this problem, but my clothes were so sweaty that they were actually dripping during the last 1/3 of the run. My socks/shoes were even making that squishy waterlogged sound. I have no idea how to fix this problem, except maybe to wake up super early... though that won't solve humidity issues. But maybe the problem is in the socks; I'm going to start looking for socks that can withstand my sweat to help keep the blister action down. As it stands, I have a slight, but deep, blister on my right foot. No really big deal, but I'm all about avoiding annoyances when possible.

4. Stay Mobile. When I got home, I took a cold bath/hot shower, had breakfast, then immediately passed out for 2 hours. And then stayed on the couch for the rest of the day. It might have been better for me to stay mobile, just by walking around the house or stretching every hour. Will try this method next time.

5. Yoga must be done. I used to love going to Yoga. I'm not a "namaste" kind of girl, but there is serious value in yoga & the types of stretches offered. I stopped going because the classes I can take are too strenuous (vinyasa-style is real cardio). However, I have DVDs at home geared toward flexibility & yoga-for-runners. I need to start doing those to help my achy body. Even done once a week, I know I'll feel the benefits.

6. When in doubt, take Motrin. I should have done yesterday, but I got in this whole "I can't move a muscle" mentality. I should've taken some Motrin with breakfast; it could've helped me the rest of the day.

7. Have a cuppa. As I learned Monday morning, sometimes one cup of coffee is all it takes to pep you up & put you in a good mood. I should have imbibed Sunday for added perkiness & relaxation.

8. Start early/Run slow. I slept in & started too late. When I started my run, I started off at what felt like a normal pace. Big mistake, especially in the humidity at 0700 & the added weight of the Camelbak holding me back... so I kept trying to get my legs to move faster than they reasonably could under such conditions.

9. Adjust the Virtual Partner. I love the Virtual Partner on my Garmin 405. It helps keep me in line on base runs. But when you forget to adjust it for the long run, you try to maintain the wrong speed for 12 miles. Then you just give up speed at all because you've got nothing left to run on & end up walking just as much as you're running. I'm a Run/Walk girl, but I think I was walking way too much, even for me. I think it's because I ran too fast at the beginning. Next time, I'll make sure to reset the VP to a reasonable speed I can maintain over time for real results.

10. Music might be okay. As I've stated before, I don't listen to music on road runs. That's because I end up running to the beat of the music & not my own natural rhythm. But on a long run, maybe some music wouldn't be all that bad. Or even a podcast... just to have something to listen to & refocus my mind away from the run. I'm not sure about this one yet, but I might try it again this Sunday (8 mile recovery?). I'll have to make a determination later in the week.

So those are my lessons learned from all the mistakes I made this week. I'm not saying I could've taken the "suck" out the aftermath, but there were things I could've done differently to affect the outcome. I will be working on these areas; hopefully the 14-miler on 21 August will not be so mentally debilitating. I expect to still be physically exhausted, but hopefully I won't have to sleep for 12 hours straight to recover. ;D

Breakdown: Week 9 & not feeling fine...

2011-08-07T13:51:00.000+02:00

My first week back after vacation... & it was challenging.

Monday: Waking up for work was rough. All I could think about was taking a nap under the Maltese sun & snorkeling. I had to drag myself together. But there was a bonus to the day, being the first day of the week and the first of the month. I liked the symmetry this provided me, so I set a goal for this month. It'll keep me focused & motivated.

When I got home from work, I jumped on the treadmill for a nice 50 minute run. My treadmill is 100% UNreliable for time/distance calculations, so I got in the habit of using my Garmin & footpod for my stats... which is great until I realized I hadn't charged my Garmin & the reported pace was completely wrong. I decided to guess-timate my distance & used the standard from previous t-mill runs. It was a bit of an icky run at the end of it, but I got thru it & started Week 9 off the right way.

Tuesday: The second day back to work & the post-vacation glow was completely gone. It drives me crazy that it's next-to-impossible to hold onto the laid-back vacation brain for very long. When I got home, I decided to make a protein shake before heading off to the gym for my routine weights session w/my trainer. Miraculously, I remembered to put the protein powder in last, so I ended up with a great shake that wasn't clumpy (which is what I usually end up with). I enjoyed my 8 ounces, went to the gym for an hour, had dinner, then crashed. Total exhaustion.

Wednesday: My first post-vacation road run. Firstly, I was a bit unnerved by the fact it was still a bit dark outside. I completely forgot the sun is rising later & later, so it made me wish (once again) I had a doggy running partner (I loooooong for a doggy running partner).

Secondly, I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I wouldn't have predicted it would hurt so much. Not my legs... my legs were ready to move. My lungs, however, entirely rebelled against me. My legs were moving way faster than my lungs could pump oxygen, so my pacing was waaay off at 12:21/average over 56 minutes (4.6 miles). It didn't help that I started off faster than I wanted, but I always seem to have a problem with that. The silver lining is that I got it done & didn't quit when it got tough. The rest of the day was a challenge for me, though. I needed a post-run recovery nap, but I was at work all day! :(

Thursday: Not too much exciting happening here. I went to the gym in the evening & did arms/back/shoulder session with my trainer. Pretty typical stuff for me. The blender wasn't clean, so I didn't have a protein shake pre-workout. I had a larger lunch than expected, so I guess that's why I felt okay.

Friday: Getting up at 5 AM for a run is tough. It's even tougher when you're doing it alone. Normally, Mr. X gets up at 0450-0500, so I've got someone there saying, "Come on, get up, you know you'll be upset with yourself if you don't." To add insult to injury, I was working with a horrible night of sleep... which included waking up after an extensive night sweat, so my hydration was all messed up. All things considered, it should've been a rough morning.

But it wasn't! About 5 minutes into the run, everything just fell into place & I was flying down the road. I ran 5 miles (15 minutes running, 1 minute walking) in under an hour at an overall pace of 11:20. That's not bad considering I could barely keep it together Wednesday. I was super-pleased!

Saturday: A total day of rest... well, except for all those little errands. It was Mr. X's last day in town for the month (away for work, you know how that goes), so I ended up eating an incredibly bad-for-me lunch. I was determined not to hate myself for it, though, & spent a lot of time reflecting on the next morning. I also made sure to lay out all my gear in advance; it's always easier when there are no excuses.

Sunday: My 12 mile run. Officially the longest distance I've ever run. In my life. For me, it was one hell of a milestone to finally surpass everything I'd done previously. I woke up late, so it was off to a bad start. I ate nothing but crap yesterday, so I wasn't properly fueled. And it was my first run with my Camelbak. All of those things equaled out to an overall pace of 13:32 over 12 miles.

As soon as I started running, I knew something was off. I overestimated how fast I could/should go on my Virtual Partner on the Garmin. Then all I could mentally focus on was the ice & water sloshing around on my back. And holy crap, a filled Camelbak is heavy! I had no idea. I was a mess on my first loop.

My second loop felt stronger, but I'm not sure if it was or not. I fueled up with Honey Stingers Organic Chews Lemon Lime flavor. Maybe that helped, but I got into the groove on the second loop. Towards the end of the 2nd loop, I realized my Running Skirt was sticking to my legs; it was literally dripping with sweat. Ugly stuff... my legs were soaked & it was getting into my shoes.

The third loop. The final loop. I was walking just as much as I was running by this point. Just needed to get through the final few miles. What started to amaze me was how annoying everything can be when you're soaked with sweat & your knees feel like they're grinding together. Every little thing annoyed me... from the movement of my now-empty Camelbak to the sloshing of my skirt. I could even hear the squish of my feet inside my socks because my feet were soaked through. I was not feeling very good, inside or out.

When I hit 12 miles, I didn't even care. It made no difference to me at all. I timed the whole thing out wrong & ended up about a mile from my house. Which I had to walk back. Which made me want to cry. I ended up sitting down at a bus stop just to give my legs a break. I bent over at one point, convinced I was going to vomit. I had no water left.

I'm not entirely sure how I actually made it home, but I did. And I still didn't care about having just finished 12 miles. I went straight to the refrigerator, grabbed my Gatorade G2, & started a cold bath. It was another first for me. I didn't put any ice in; I could barely move, so I had to work within my means. I also realized I had a blister (another first) & had to deal with that. I soaked in the cold water for about 10 minutes, then took a hot shower to warm back up. It was so refreshing! Got dressed, had some breakfast, then took my post-run nap. For two hours. I was a straight up mess.

I'm awake now & having some lunch. I can't seem to stomach a big meal, so I'm doing a munchy kind of thing just to get some calories in. I'm also trying to focus on eating good calories instead of running to get Burger Kind or something... though I'm not sure I would be able to drive at this point.

So, what did I learn this week?

1. Make sure to properly fuel the day before the long run. If you screw that up, the long run will be a complete nightmare.

2. Don't try out new gear on the long run. I didn't think about how the Camelbak was going to affect my run. It completely screwed with me. It would've been smarter to run my base runs with it to get used to the weight. I'll probably do that from now on.

3. Cold baths are awesome. Seriously. My legs felt immediate relief when I got into the water. I will be doing that again.

On to Week 10!

5 AM I AM IN YOU!

2011-08-05T09:50:00.001+02:00

This is the way to start a Friday!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My new Running Mantra

2011-08-04T10:54:00.000+02:00

I read a lot of books. Granted, I have a podcast devoted to (e)book reviews, but I've always enjoyed reading. Lately, I've been getting thru "rest days" from exercise by reading about running. I know that sounds a bit like overkill, but it helps me pass the time while holding onto the feeling that I'm still doing something active.

All the marathon-training-focused books I've read mention the importance of having a mantra. Check the running web sites; they're in on the mantra thing, too. It's a strange thing to me. I'm not really into the so-called self-help movement, though I understand the power of motivation & motivational speakers. So I've tried this out & the only mantra I've ever said to myself while running is "Your body is a machine."

However, I think this would be more effective....

New Month, New Goal

2011-08-01T10:02:00.000+02:00

Monday morning.

I haven't done this in awhile, so I figured I'd get real. It's Monday and it's the first of the month. That makes it a perfect day to (re)commit to a goal. So here it is:

On 31 August 2011, this scale measurement will be under 150 lbs. Even if it's 149.9 lbs, I'll finally break the 150 barrier.

It's full-on committment time... not just to the scale goal, but to my marathon training. I have to get serious & actually log miles. If I don't, I'll never be able to finish the marathon. Having just come off vacation, I'm ready for some serious athletics. August is a good month to combine my scale goal with my marathon goal. Let's do this! :D

Breakdown: Week 8 just couldn't wait...

2011-07-31T17:41:00.000+02:00

Monday: Still on vacation. We spent the entire day on a boat, cruising around Malta, Gozo, & Comino. The weather wasn't so nice, so I didn't do much swimming or sun worship. However, the trip was lovely.

Tuesday: I was happily engaged in sun worship, reading the latest Runner's World magazine...
Reading: my favorite activity while sun-worshipping
...wherein I read an article by Jeff Galloway... which discussed running whilst on vacation. The guilt set in & I hit the hotel gym. I was going to run 5 miles, but about 4 miles in, a dude jumped on the treadmill next to me. There were other machines open, but he was determined to use the one directly next to me. Then I smelled the garlic & alcohol coming out of his pores & realized I wasn't going to last until 5 miles. So I called it at 4.5 miles. It's a typical base run for me, so the only disappointing thing about it was Mr. Funky-funktasterson.

Wednesday-Sunday: Wow... can you say Lazy?! Wednesday was our last day in Malta, so I devoted my whole day to Sun-Worship. I did some swimming, so at least something athletic was happening. Thursday was an all-day travel day, & I ended up sleeping in on Friday & Saturday. Sunday was a bit different. I engaged in the time-honored tradition of "vacation recovery," i.e. laundry, putting away toiletries, & stowing the luggage. Very depressing. And I did it without air conditioning (we're still all messed up temperature-wise from Malta), so I worked up a sweat. Not exactly activity, but absolutely necessary.

I also weighed in on Sunday. I managed to go on vacation & not gain any weight! Totally fabulous news. I don't feel like I have to "start over" just because I over-indulged on carbs during vacation... not that it was all my fault: Malta has a lot of Italian influence, so I ate more pasta/pizza than usual. Not as much fish as I'd have liked, though. I feel like I need a detox.

So that was Week 8. Not much progress, but at least I'm well rested. Ready to get back on the wagon, do some marathon training, & eat the right foods again. Let's see how I do! 

Breakdown: Week 7 while I'm in heaven

2011-07-24T18:49:00.000+02:00

Running whilst on vacation is hard. Just hard. There's no motivation to do anything except drink adult beverages & lay in the sun. So that's what I've been doing...

Monday: Packing day & taking the dogs to the kennel. I spent the afternoon at the beauty shop getting all pretty-fied for my trip.

Tuesday-Saturday: Malta, baby...Malta. Weather is sunny, a bit windy to keep you cool, & in the 90s all day long. The only physical challenge I've faced is avoiding sunburn. And staying hydrated while on open-top bus tours of the island.

Sunday: Guilt finally got the better of me. I hit the hotel gym for a quick 3.5 mile run. It's just too hot here to run outside & I'm not waking up early enough to run in the morning. So I figured a treadmill would be an acceptable substitute. I'm glad I did it, too. It was nice to work out some of the toxins (i.e. adult beverages) I've been putting into my body for the last week. I followed up my run with some swimming in the Mediterranean, sun-worship, & reading some trash novels. It was epic.

The plan is to run a little bit each day until we return home... which is Thursday & makes me sad. How you not be sad to leave a view like this?

View from our balcony.

So... where am I?

2011-07-22T18:48:00.000+02:00

On vacation... in Malta! Don't know where it is? Google it.

I need to get back to my workouts; the hotel has an awesome gym. But I'm on vacation & lazy! So until I'm back on track...

Enjoy!

Breakdown: Week 6 thrown in the mix

2011-07-18T09:22:00.000+02:00

Another week, another breakdown!

Monday: I'd missed my long run the previous day, so I spent the entire day feeling the weight of guilt. I resolved to hit my treadmill after work, & I did! A solid 5 miles in about 52 minutes; the results mirror the best day of road running I've had. I felt good about it. Bouncing back was important to me.

Tuesday: Thanks to the treadmill the day before (& probably crap form whilst running on it), my right ankle was achy all day. If I'd thought about it, I'd have worn sneakers to work. But I didn't, so it annoyed me the whole afternoon. In the evening, I went for my routine training session.

Wednesday: Back on the road at 0530 for my usual "base" run. I put one foot out the door & instictively knew it was going to be a rough one. It was like running in a steam room; the humidity was at about 62%, which doesn't seem like much, but there was no wind at all. So the air was just sitting there. The results were a less-than-stellar run.

I was trying to keep my moving pace (my 15 minute intervals) at 11:15. I think the real issue was the first interval. Once again, I came out super fast & it left me with nothing in the tank by the 5th interval; see how I fell apart? With nothing in my stomach, I started feeling nauseated & wished I'd had a bit of nutrition with me just to keep me going. Chalked this run up to a "lesson learned" experience; going to wake up a bit earlier to shove a cereal bar down my craw. :D

Thursday: My trainer thought it would be a good idea to work on sprinting (aka "fartleks," which I can't say with a straight face), so we hit the track. At 1830. For those not familiar with 24-hour time, that's 6:30 PM in 90-95 degree heat. I was not a happy camper. All told, my sprinting distance was about a mile & my legs felt it. My shins were screaming at me. After that was over, we went inside to work some arm weights... but I totally crapped out. I was not well, even after about 4.5L of water. I do not handle heat well at all. I went home & Mr. X took care of me by plying me with Gatorade G2. But I knew it was bad when I woke up at 0200 with cotton mouth & craving more G2. Something went horribly wrong... I just don't know what.

Friday: So after a horrible night of sleep, I decided to err on the side of caution & skip the morning run. When you perform at a certain level, you instinctively know when your body isn't "right." When I woke up, the first thought that came to mind was how badly I needed water. Not a good sign. So I had another G2 with my breakfast. Only then did I start to feel a bit better. I also knew my ankle was in pain. Not achy, but twinges of actual pain. I grabbed the ace bandage for some all-day compression therapy. I knew that was the right call; in about 10 minutes, I had some relief. Got a hair cut, had sushi with Mr. X, & called it a day. There are days when our bodies say "Enough is enough." The wise individual is the one who recognizes & observes that.

Saturday & Sunday: Even after wrapping it up, the ankle pain did not subside. I'm not sure what I did to it, but I suspect a bit of tendinitis... or I landed wrong during the sprinting sessions. Either way, I spent the majority of both days with my ankle elevated. By Sunday evening, I didn't feel any pain at all, which was a good sign.

For the next two weeks, I'll be on vacation. I'll have all the time in the world to run & exercise. I'm not worried about "catching up." The only thing I'm concerned with is keeping my body together so I can make it to the marathon. I do not want to "fake it." It's time for commitment... & time to make sure I don't get so obsessed that I end up hurting myself.

Social Media Overload

2011-07-13T16:07:00.000+02:00

I'm a gadget junkie. I have no idea how these things work; I'm a user, not a designer. Hand-in-hand with gadgets comes social media... which I also enjoy. I jumped on Twitter very early on, though I didn't latch onto FaceBook for quite awhile.

Now we have Google+. I received an invite this week & decided to jump in. The result? I feel like I'm in social media overload. Between Twitter, FaceBook, DailyMile, 2 blogs & 1 Podcast, I think I've finally reached the breaking point. I can't take any more social media.

Will I commit to Google+? Not sure right now; it feels exactly like FaceBook, but just on Google. The community is so small, I don't see a lot of my normal contacts on it. I'm trying to create a Running "circle," but there simply aren't many people I know using it just yet.

So feel free to add me to your Circles. I'm there, waiting for the whole thing to pick up steam. :D

Breakdown: Week 5 & almost alive...

2011-07-11T11:37:00.000+02:00

Week 5 of marathon training is complete.

Monday: Hello, rest day & Happy Birthday America! I'd run 7 miles the previous day, so I was glad to have a break. I wasn't hurting per se; I think I just needed a mental break from all the fitness. There was an Independence Day Celebration on post, so we spent the day just relaxing & being proud Americans. We also hit up my favorite local gardening center... I've got some plants to dig up & re-plant.

Tuesday: My trainer decided it would be a good day to try out the TRX System. It was a killer-fabulous workout. I went home feeling like I'd really had a great workout.

Wednesday: 5 miles in 54 minutes. That's a 10:55 pace. I couldn't have asked for a better way to start my day. I'd decided to try my hand at a pace run & had more success than I'd have thought possible. I also realized I'd put more than 100 miles on my Newton Lady Isaacs. It was a most excellent day.

Thursday: An unexpected rest day. My trainer had to cancel, which turned out to be lucky because my husband had a work dinner he didn't tell me about until noon. On the day of the event. So the universe worked itself out, I guess.

Friday: As runs go, not that great. My husband had the morning off, so he came out to run with me. That's nice, right? Well, I came out of the gate way too fast & was not doing well by the end of the run. I called it at 4.5 miles, even though I was aiming for 5, just for sheer exhaustion. It as an 11:20 pace overall, so I wasn't quite as slow as I thought. But I felt awful.

Saturday: Rest day, which involved cleaning & watching "Lost" on Blu Ray... no, I never finished the series, so I'm in a marathon session of finally finishing it.

Sunday: My long run day was blown to hell. After a day of watching tv & cleaning, I woke up & was completely unable to look all the way down. I had no range of motion with my neck & shoulders... stiff necks are the worst!! I did it to myself, I know, but when I woke up at 0620 for my morning run, I could barely reach the alarm to shut it off! I decided to skip the run for the day... & then spent the rest of the day watching "Lost" & feeling guilty for wimping out.

Was it the right decision? Probably... but I felt badly about it for the rest of the day. It led to a shame-spiral of eating crap the entire day. Weird reaction to not being able to work out & I do it every single time my body holds me back. I guess my brain goes into the "What does it matter since I can't run" mode & I completely blow it.

Week 5 is over & I can't say I'm not disappointed with how it ended. The only thing I can do now is start Week 6 off strong, which is what I plan to do. Details in the next Breakdown!

Review: Running Skirts

2011-07-08T20:21:00.000+02:00

If you've spent any time reading this blog, you know I'm a huge fan of Running Skirts. A few weeks back, I saw on FaceBook they were having a sale; I can't remember the exact details, but for a certain dollar-amount purchase, you got a free logo'd yoga mat. Since I wanted a new yoga mat, it seemed like a good time to place another order with one of my favorite gear companies.

First thing about Running Skirts you need to know is that the shipping takes a bit longer than you'd like. Mostly because when you order your new cute skirt, you want it immediately. It usually takes about 2 full weeks for me to get an order. And that skirt (or shirt, if you've ordered one) comes packed in its own little drawstring bag:

Need a bag?

Pretty useful, right? I've never figured out how to reuse these bags, sadly. I fold my skirts for storage & my shoes don't fit in them. At some point, I suppose I figure something out.

This time around, I ordered 2 skirts, 3 shirts, a Sprinter Stick (for recovery), & my free yoga mat. Well, I didn't order the yoga mat per se, but it came with my order. Here's all my pretties:

So many pretties!

Only 2 shirts in the picture because the other one I ordered is back ordered right now. These are actual skirts, the version with the trunks underneath. They're great for my week day runs, worn with a bit of BodyGlide to keep my thighs from chafing while rubbing together. For long runs, I wear the athletic skirt version, which have spandex shorts underneath.

To give you an idea of the material, it feels like a swimsuit to the touch. If you're like me & sweat buckets after 2 minutes of any movement whatsoever, you'll be thankful for that. It's lightweight & can take a beating. I don't feel gross when I'm done because the material is capable of handling the sweat.

The best thing about these skirts are the pockets. Not enough apparel is made with good & useful pockets (I curse my suit skirts... they need pockets!) for my phone, keys, money, & nutrition. Running Skirts have a pocket on each thigh that secures with velcro. That might not seem very secure, but nothing jiggles around.

The only problem I've had with the pockets is that as I've lost weight, my phone weighs the pockets down so much that I moon everyone behind me. If you need to alter your skirt, this blog shows you how. At some point, I'm going to get brave & try it.

Speaking of size, let's talk about it. This is the tag from one of these skirts:

Fairly true to size

For reference, I wear a Size 8 pant from Ann Taylor Loft. So in my Running Skirt (with trunks), I wear a Size 3. A bit snug right now, but I figure I'll shrink into them. BEWARE: the athletic skirt model is sized differently, so you'll be a different size in that skirt.

Running Skirts offers more than just skirts, by the way. There's cold weather gear, dresses, headbands, hydration packs, nutrition, & even fun jewelry to express your running passion. I'm loving the running tees; I love wearing tees with my favorite things on them (my Doctor Who tee is quite worn out), so these casual tees are great new additions to the store. There's even an iPhone app for you to shop on the go!

So you want to try them out? You can order online at http://www.runningskirts.com. If you'd like to try them on before you buy, you can visit the Skirt Bar at various events around the United States or visit the flagship store in Encinitas, CA. You can also use the Store Locator function on the web site to find a local retailer near you (U.S, Canada, & Malaysia). If you're in Europe, scroll to the bottom of the web site & there's locator info for you too! The European web site for shopping online is http://www.runningskirts.eu/. BTW: I ordered my plaid skirts from the EU site... because I couldn't get them anywhere else & they were glad to help me.

There's not much else I can say about Running Skirts. I love 'em & have to thank Mecca at SneakersBananasandSpears for introducing me to this great product. These skirts are awesomely cute & perform their function beautifully. They're serious athletic wear with girly-ness thrown into the mix. I hope you try them out!

Fashionistas in Running

2011-07-07T14:54:00.000+02:00

So there I was, bored out of my mind when I saw that my favorite running product, RunningSkirts, had a video linked on its FaceBook page. It's a great video from Runner's World about the changing fashions in women's running clothing. I don't know if I agree with absolutely everything said in the video, but I'm glad we're trending towards more feminine fitness fashion.

I love girly fitness clothing... as far as I'm concerned, way too much of what we wear is masculine in nature. Our bodies are different & we should have clothes that fit our bodies. Also, I've always had short hair. So if I put on a hat & have "the girls" severely restricted, I'm sure there are times I don't even look like a girl! I like the idea of wearing clothes that make me feel good while I'm working out; for me, it's motivation.

And I like to look like a girl. ;D

Looking like a girl!

Pacing Run FTW!!

2011-07-06T14:28:00.000+02:00

Oh yeah, I'm posting this! Normally, I don't post results of individual runs during the week. I run my base during the week, so the results aren't usually remarkable. Until today.

I've decided that Wednesday mornings will be pacing runs for me. I don't do speedwork, so I figured it'd be a great way to pick up the pace & work on getting a bit faster. I didn't expect such a great result. Feeling good (mentally) all day long thanks to this run... of course, my legs hate me but they'd better get used to it! :D

Back to the Drawing Board...

2011-07-05T09:18:00.000+02:00

...might seem like an odd thing to say after a week of training that looks like this:

http://www.dailymile.com/people/KindleWomen#ref=tophd

Nope, that's not the issue right now. Week 4 went well & I have no complaints.

Today marks the start of Week 5... yes, my training weeks begin on Tuesdays because my long training runs are on Sundays. This morning, I jumped on the scale & did not like what I saw.

So why/how did I fall off the wagon? Oh, this is easy.

Mistake #1: I became complacent. I figured I knew what to eat so I'd eat it. WRONG. When you get complacent, you think, "Oh, I can have that small piece of cake." But what you don't realize is that you've said that 3 nights in the same week. Complacency = laziness for me.

Mistake #2: I figured I'm running all these miles & I have to make up the caloric difference, so I can basically eat whatever I want. I've never been a binger; I don't gorge. But I do enjoy cake/sweets. I figured there wouldn't be too much harm because of the caloric load I have to consume to exist & lose weight at the same time. The problem is that if you stop paying attention (see Mistake #1 above), then you don't realize you're taking in way more than you need for the day regardless of caloric burn for the day.

So here we are. It's Week 5 & I'm rebooting my eating plan. I've got alarms set to remind me to eat my snacks (I often forget to eat my "snacks"). I'm back on Livestrong using the MyPlate function & iPhone app to track my daily caloric intake. I know it's the right way for me to be. My body loves the eating plan & it's much easier on my sensitive digestive system. For the next 2 weeks, it's total commitment... kind of like a cleanse of sorts. I'll make sure to post my progress during the reboot.

Breakdown: Week 4 is out the door!

2011-07-03T11:53:00.000+02:00

I was determined to bounce back after the horrors of Week 3. I'm not entirely sure if I succeeded...

Monday: Couldn't have started off worse if I'd tried. I wanted to get up & hit the 7 miles I was supposed to do the previous day. But I was still exhausted... how is that even possible? But I was, so I stayed in bed until my alarm & got ready for work. It was my last "big day" at work for awhile. Having just changed leadership, we've had a few big events. Today marks the end of those, so I should be back to normal in the mornings.

Tuesday: My trainer couldn't make it, so I didn't have my usual training. I did, however, run 5k on my treadmill after work. A friend told me I should lower expectations & commit to 20 minutes. When I hit that point, I decided to round it out to a solid 30 (or so) minute 5k. Felt much better after that.

Wednesday: Ah, the early morning run returns. This was my usual run, but I was running against the Virtual Partner on my Garmin; the goal was to keep my overall pace (including walk breaks) to 11:30. I succeed, so it was a great morning. I felt a bit broken after, though. I wore my compression socks to work & had them on all day. I'm certain that aided in my recovery.

Thursday: Wow. I was supposed to have a normal session with my trainer, but my stupid gall bladder decided to hate me. I couldn't get a hold of my trainer, so I basically stood her up & spent the rest of the night feeling guilty about it. I went to sleep early & woke periodically to the sounds of thunder & rain. It was more relaxing than it should've been.

Friday: Me-1, Duvet-0. My alarm went off & I almost rolled over. But I didn't. I violently threw off my covers, brushed my teeth, took my Prilosec, pulled on my RunningSkirt, & headed out the door. I ran the normal route at an overall pace of 11:38; I was holding back a bit because I didn't want to feel badly the rest of the day. I also had a great evening with the hubby, so it was a great day from top to bottom.

Saturday: A planned rest day full of grocery shopping, gardening, & cleaning. The worst part for me is always the grocery shopping. I hate grocery shopping, even when it's in cool Italian grocery stores. Then I had a fun lunch of frozen pizza; not the best thing at all, but it was tasty. I spent the afternoon gardening & lawn mowing. Gardening counts as fitness, but I don't usually include it in my fitness schedule. My flower beds/containers needed some love, so I spent some time sunning myself & getting some yard work done at the same time. I enjoyed the down time.

Sunday: I woke up at 0630 & said (out loud), "I do not want to get out of bed." 3 seconds later, I violently threw myself out of bed, brushed my teeth, pulled on my running clothes, shoved a cereal bar in my pie hold & got out the door. It was about 0700 when I left, so I was concerned about the heat. Not to worry; it rained overnight & we had another cool morning.

I tried to keep my running pace at 12 minutes or under. I usually start off any run going way too fast, so I really tried to hold back on this one. About an hour into it, I busted out the Honey Stinger Lime-Aid Chew. Sure, they're organic & I poo-poo such things. However, I've got a digestive system that hates me. All the recommendations of this product say the natural ingredients are much easier on the stomach, so I gave it a go. And I was pleasantly surprised! The chews are caffeinated, which is what attracted me to them in the first place. They were tasty & easy to chew/swallow; downing the prescribed 5 chews was easy. I ate 5 because I didn't have that long to go. I reached my 7 mile mark & ended the run nicely. After a nice breakfast courtesy of Mr. X, I relaxed a bit. Then I had to clean because we're hosting a BBQ! I'm off to clean myself up & be presentable. Here's my Sunday Long Run times:

Thanks a Lot, Dread Pirate Roberts!

2011-06-27T13:42:00.000+02:00

In the inimitable words of the Dread Pirate Roberts, I guess I'll have to get used to disappointment.

My disappointment is sadly self-inflicted. I spent the weekend feeling exhausted & spent the majority of it re-watching Lost S1 on Blu-Ray. With a lot of naps thrown in. This would normally make for a most excellent weekend, but I had some running to do & I didn't do it. I didn't run Saturday to make up for Friday, & I didn't wake up early enough on Sunday to get out & run before the 90-degree heat took over. The only productive thing I did was Saturday, which took the form of cleaning the top floor of my house. The entire top floor, so that's something...

Now I'm engaged in the time-honored tradition of the "make up." I'm trying to figure out how I can get those 7 miles squished into my schedule... & not really seeing a window at all. And the truth is that I should let it go & forgive myself. Everyone misses runs/exercise now & then. I know my own body & patterns; I know this is going to happen once a month. So why don't I have the mental fortitude to fight it off?

So friends, I ask you: when the issue is mental & not actually physical, what techniques do you use to push thru & get the miles in?

Breakdown: Week 3 was crappy for Me!

2011-06-26T19:53:00.000+02:00

Monday: After the long run on Sunday, it was a much-deserved rest day. I finally figured out how to deal with these days... if I can't run, I'm going to read a book about running! I managed to finish Dean Karnazes' "Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss." It was a "vignette book," so it made for quick reading. Very enjoyable & helped get me through the doldrums of no physical activity.

Tuesday: Hit the gym, as usual, with my personal trainer. It was a leg day, so we hit them heavy. I wasn't up for the interval circuit-type training, so we focused directly on heavy lifting. And as usual, I didn't get sore after the fact.

Wednesday: The first run of the week. I was concerned because I felt a bit stiff out of the gate, but I warmed up to it pretty well. I changed my R/W intervals to 17/1 & maintained an average of a 11:24 pace. I was satisfied with the effort. I'm trying to up the mileage a bit during the week, so being able to run a bit faster would be very helpful to my cause.

Thursday: My trainer is out of town, so this became a rest day by default. Sure, I could've done my arms/shoulders/back on my own, but I decided to maximize my day by resting & cleaning up a bit around the house. Plus, my legs still felt a bit smoked from the previous morning.

Friday: It was a big day at work, so I decided to skip the morning run. I had to spend a lot of time outside, so I didn't want to run in the morning & get overheated... because if I get overheated, I stay overheated. Instead, I went to work & had a great & successful day.

Saturday & Sunday: I completely fell apart. There's no other way to put it. I'd planned to make up Friday on Saturday; I didn't. Instead, I cleaned the upstairs area of my house. Figured that was okay because I'd be running on Sunday. Well, I forgot to set my alarm & didn't wake up nearly early enough to run for an hour & a half. I was simply wiped. I understand why... to be honest, ladies understand this type of thing can happen once a month (the only description you're going to get). I did the math & realized I always feel like this at a particular time. Now that I understand that, I will fight it off next time.

Week 4 is going to be a fresh start for me. Back on the eating plan, back to the running, & I plan to add yoga back into my routine. Also, Mr. X is coming home; I'm sure that'll help cheer me up. Onto Week 4... it's gotta be more productive than Week 3!

Review: Road Runner Sports

2011-06-22T21:06:00.000+02:00

Going into "long runs" means having nutrition while you run... or that's what all the running magazines & blogs tell me. I tried to order from Amazon, but many of the storefronts wouldn't send the products to me in Italy. So I decided to try out Road Runner Sports for the first time. I've browsed the web site quite a bit, but never really had a need to buy anything from there. But since they were willing to ship nutrition to an APO address, I was willing to try it.

The box arrived today & I was very excited. The box was clearly marked. The box was also perfectly sized for carrying. And it made it all in one piece, which is often a challenge when shipping to APO.

Exclaiming to the world: I am a Runner!

Now it's time to pop the box open. I was pleasantly surprised.

Bubble wrapping!

Very well wrapped! And the bubbles in the bubble wrap were huge... made for good popping action after the fact. All of the nutrition was packed into the bubble wrap, so it arrived intact & in perfect condition. A side view of the packaging:

To call Road Runner Sports a comprehensive running store would be grossly understating the amount of merchandise they carry. Since I'm sizing down all my clothing, I decided to give the Women's RSS Velocity Capri Tights. These are my first pair of tights & I think they run a bit small; I ordered a size up based on the reviews. This is what they look like:

Size Large

Reviews said the calves were pretty small... after trying them on, I must agree. These are also lined, so that's nice. The size sticker left a nasty glue residue that I'm not sure will come off in the wash; I imagine it melted in the heat. No one's fault, but still annoying. I am a bit miffed there are no pockets. Where, exactly, am I supposed to put my phone? They might end up as gym-wear due to lack-of-pocketses (damn you, Gollum).

All that aside, Road Runner Sports appears to have many great options in running shoes, apparel, hydration, watches, recovery, fitness gear... well, you see where I'm going with this. A bit of everything. Road Runner Sports even offers a "Daily Treat," very similar to Amazon's Deal of the Day, on whatever products they've decided to put on special-sale.

And finally, the actual nutrition I purchased. Taking the advice of the numerous blogs/magazines, I purchased a variety of brands & styles.

Nutrition: I haz it!

I tried to pick a lot of variety, not knowing what I'll like the most. And this isn't even all of it; there are some more of the Honey Stinger brand coming (chewies). As you see, this is the problem with ordering this stuff online. Sampler packs simply don't exist... or at least they don't where I was shopping. So I picked up a bit of everything. I was glad to find the Gu Sampler; at least it gave me options. I have high hopes for the Jelly Belly Sport Beans. After all, who doesn't like jelly beans? I chose Clif Bars & Honey Stinger because of the all natural aspects of each; I've read they're easier on some people's stomachs... hoping that'll work for me (stupid gall bladder).

Still on the way from Road Runner Sports in a separate package: more Honey Stinger stuff & some visors. I <3 visors.

My biggest challenge now is to figure out how to use nutrition. I don't want to overdo it. I'm sure I'll figure it out.

As for Road Runner Sports: all I can say is "Holy Running, Batman!" They've got absolutely everything & will ship it all to APO. As a military family member, that alone gives me a happy. There's also a "VIP Family" program; for $1.99 (the first year, $25 the following year), you get free shipping for the year, special VIP pricing (listed on the products, next to the regular price for comparison), & 90 day money back on any product you try & don't like. The only issue I have with that is the program is on "auto renewal," so you have to manually cancel it should you want to withdraw. But honestly, if you're a running & ordering nutrition online, why would you? Take it from me: shipping costs are a bitch. If you know you're going to order multiple times, even a $25 membership fee will pay off in the end.

So far, I'm very happy to shop Road Runner Sports. They offer a wide range of everything for runners. They ship everything APO. Free shipping for a year at a membership fee of $1.99 (for the first year). I will definitely be shopping again!

Breakdown: Week 2 flushed down the loo!

2011-06-20T07:22:00.000+02:00

*as time goes on, it's going to get harder & harder to make the breakdowns rhyme*

I made it through Week 2! Here's the Breakdown...

Monday: Right to it, then! Got up at 0530 & was out the door by 0545 for my first run of the week. I'd skipped my Sunday run, so starting the week off right was important to me. Average pace of 11:24, so it was a very good morning for me.

Tuesday: My typical Tuesday evening with my trainer for a leg weight session... except I think she was trying to break me. By the end of our hour session, I actually said to her, "I think I'm going to cry." And I wasn't joking. I'm not even sure how I made it home; the drive is fuzzy in my recollection. It was hard core.

Wednesday: Following that hard core evening was another early morning run. I was holding back, mostly because I was running on "lead legs." Average pace was 12:11, but I was proud just have made it to the end.

Thursday: Rest day, hurray! I struggle with rest days because I get bored. I was very glad for this one. I had a work dinner in the evening & it turned into a very late night.

Friday: My late night meant I decided to stay home from work. So my run started after 0800. This was bad. I was still exhausted & it was getting hot. I couldn't eek out 4.5 miles, so I called it at 4 miles. Funny enough, I was running an average pace of 12:08, so it wasn't as bad as it seemed during the run. My Garmin wasn't making a good satellite connection, though, so I hope it's accurate. In the afternoon, I caved & mowed the lawn, so I ended up with the extra 0.5 miles (big yard) I didn't get in the morning. In the evening, I stuffed my face with sushi & felt great.

Saturday: A makeup session with my trainer for arms/back weights. I made the mistake of going to the gym after getting a hair cut. It made me itchy. But I got the workout in, which I'm super happy with.

Sunday: My first actual long run... & I almost slept thru it! Alarm went off at 0530, but my body did not want to get out of bed. So I went back to sleep & got up at 0700, shoved a Kashi Cereal Bar down my my throat & headed out the door. For 6 miles. Holy crap. Reverted to 10/1 intervals (10 minute run/1 minute walk) to make sure I could sustain the 6 miles. Not surprisingly, the last 2 miles were a serious challenge.

I was holding steady until the 11th interval; that's when I started to struggle. But I pulled it together to finish it out. Spent the rest of my Sunday sleeping it off, eating more than I probably should have, & recording a new episode of KindleWomen.

Week 2 flushed down the loo.. onto Week 3!

My Addiction...

2011-06-17T21:19:00.000+02:00

Dear Readers,

Hi. My name is Bonnie & I have a problem. My problem? Buying running gear. I buy a LOT of running gear... or at least I feel like I do. Part of the problem right now is that losing weight always means buying new clothes. And good athletic gear is very expensive. The nutrition/fuel piece of the running equation is also very expensive; Jelly Belly Sport Beans are not cheap! And since I have to order everything & have it shipped to Italy, my costs are pretty high.

I'm hoping to get over this stage, but I don't think I ever will. Whatever hobby I get into, I always end up taking it to the extreme. Running, as a hobby, forces a lot of changes on the body. As such, I'm buying way more things than usual because it's changing my body structure.

All in all, I think I'm going to have to learn how to sew just to tailor down my running skirts from RunningSkirts. You've seen me in these before; all my photos happen in running skirts. Unfortunately, they're almost all too big for me now to be able to use the pockets... which is my hands-down favorite feature of the RunningSkirts product. I've got some recommendations on how to add an elastic band or drawstring to them to help them last longer. That's a project for next weekend.

In the meantime, I have to stop buying more running gear! At least I'm not buying more shoes... I did that for a long time because I could never find the "magic" pair. Now that I'm running in Newtons, that problem seems to be solved.

And now, I'm off to learn how to sew. This will NOT be fun.

Rest Days

2011-06-16T17:26:00.000+02:00

As a person learns all about the sport of running & getting in shape, one hears a lot about "rest days." These are days to give the body a break & allow itself to heal from the crazy workouts we put ourselves through. And yes, rest days are critical to success; by taking a rest & healing, we reduce our chances for injury. A lot of folks use rest days as an opportunity to sleep in & relax. Rest days are for enjoyment.

So why I am so miserable?

I hate rest days. I loathe rest days. Not in principle, of course. I understand the absolute need for healing. But I'm so bored! I end up with nothing to do & it makes me feel lazy. Then I stress about every single food item I put in my mouth. Next, I end up shopping because I'm tired of stressing about food & want to focus on something positive... which invariably leads to me spending money I didn't really want to spend but my boredom got the best of me & I did it anyway. Just today, I spend almost $200 on "nutrition" for running so I can fuel up during the Long Runs. Yes, I was that bored.

I'm going to have to figure out a way to be better with my rest days. Maybe I'll read more... we're about to reboot KindleWomen, so it's not the worst idea in the world...

Defeating the Duvet

2011-06-14T14:45:00.000+02:00

*Thanks to Ben on DailyMile for the title to this post.

I did it. I got up at 0530 & was out the door by 0545 on Monday. I felt the need to make up for the run I skipped on Sunday. I understand that feelings of guilt aren't necessarily productive... that I shouldn't be too hard on myself... but I didn't have an excuse. Nothing happened except for my utter laziness. So I got my act together & headed out Monday morning.

Looks like running this early in the morning is good for me! I wasn't sure what to expect; I'm still figuring out my body in the new schedule, but I seem to have done okay. I even shaved a bit from the previous Monday run with Mr. X. I've seen some steady progress, so I'm very happy with the results. And I was on a make-up run, I'm mostly proud that I got myself out of bed, defeated the duvet, & got my butt out there.

Breakdown: Week 1 Done!

2011-06-13T10:02:00.000+02:00

I did it. I got thru Week 1 of an acutal marathon training cycle... just barely. Here's the Breakdown:

Monday: I've already reported on this one, but I want to reiterate... this run kicked me off in the right way. Blazing pace for me, & I've tried to maintain the pace the entire week. Felt great to run with Mr. X. Running Buddies are awesome!

Tuesday: A day with my trainer. We always do leg weights on Tuesdays. She turned it into a circuit-training event, so I was definitely smoked. For the first time, I was actually sore.

Wednesday: I woke up still sore, so I took the day off. Yes, I cheesed out.

Thursday: For my warm up, I ran an interval-style run. 1 mile on the track at a 10:15 pace, then walked a lap, then decided to run a 2nd mile at a 10:33 pace. After all that, I met up with my trainer for arms/back/abs with weights. I was exhausted by the time I left. Also... doing abs with gall bladder issues is not the best thing for a person.

Friday: Another day of rest. I was just uber lazy.

Saturday: Ah, the day I tried to outrun Mother Nature herself. I decided I had to run in the morning because I'd missed Friday. I looked at the sky; it was black on one side, but I figured I could make it. Here's how it went:

Pretty good stuff for me! I was able to maintain the speed I'd been running with Mr. X. Of course, about 0.5 miles from my house, the skies opened up & I was completely stuck in the rain. At least it helped cool me down.

Sunday: The worst day of my week. I was meant to do my first "long run." By the standard of my program, the first long run was 4 miles, so this was really just a regular loop for me. I woke up & didn't have it in me. I went off to a BBQ, didn't overeat or anything, & had some soup when I got home. I kept telling myself I'd get it done, even if it meant running on the T-Mill... but I completely fell apart. Plus, it was in the 80s, which is way too hot to run outdoors for me. So I crapped out... but I made the run up today (Monday 13 June)... but you won't read about it until next week's Breakdown.

And so it begins.

2011-06-07T20:26:00.000+02:00

It's "Get Real" time. Monday launched my marathon training program. And as always, I decided to pop off some photos commemorating the inaugural run.

Overly-excited about my Garmin

Mr. X decided to run with me after work, so I had to wait for him. I was pretty excited, though. It was energizing to finally get started on something I've been planning for a long time. When he got home, he changed clothes & we headed out.

About to pound some pavement!

Mr. X & I don't usually run together. He has to hold back quite a bit consider our height (i.e. stride) difference. But it was nice to have a buddy; I even ended up with an average pace of 11.30 over 4.5 miles! That's really quick for me. It was motivating. At the end of the run, I tried to run his pace, but it was simply impossible; my little legs simply do not stretch as far.

Post run w/Mr. X. Gots my runners high.

It was a great run & a great day.

This is how NOT to be successful...

2011-06-06T15:24:00.000+02:00

Complete self destruction in 3... 2... 1...

Oh yes, my friends. I fell off the wagon pretty hard. Something snapped in my head & I've been messing up my diet for about 2 weeks now. No diet. No exercise. I took about 2 full weeks off from being responsible. The result? Full on gall bladder attack! I don't want to go thru surgery just yet, but I'm so stupid that I decided to eat all the foods that would activate the damned thing.

So where am I? Right back at square one, folks! And this time, I've got gut pain. Oh what fun...

Today is "officially" Day #1 on my quest to complete the Venice Marathon. I will run after work & I'm hoping the weather will hold so I can run outside. I think the treadmill work killed my motivation, leading to my self-destructive 2 weeks. I see blue skies outside, so I'm crossing my fingers for the best. I've got my Garmin all charged, 1.5L of water infused, & I'm getting my mind ready to go. Time to get back on the wagon & work for my big-fat-goal (BFG FTW!).

Sugar & Spice & Everything... Water Retaining?

2011-05-29T21:23:00.000+02:00

Since I'm a gal & I get to talk about whatever I want to talk about here, I'm focusing this post on the importance of Scale Avoidance (S.A.).

Huh?

Ladies, there's one week a month in which we should all engage in S.A. It varies from woman to woman, but I can safely say this week is my week for S.A. There's absolutely no good reason to jump on & be disappointed when the girly body is simply doing what the girly body does.

How did I spend last week? Doing a whole lot of nothing. I didn't run much, kept to my weight training, then blew it all on Saturday. Sunday was a run outside... lovely weather. Then it was Doggie Bath Day!

Hermione & Monty

Looking forward to a good week of training, running, & getting it back together. And having clean dogs is always nice!

Meeting a Goal

2011-05-24T09:05:00.000+02:00

Last week was my "hell week" at work. I was running a conference, so I spent the majority of the week running around doing work-type stuff. I tried to get up at 0430 for T-Mill Burns, but I just couldn't pull myself out of bed. As such, there was only one run this week!

Decidedly NOT Awesome, but as expected.

This was no less than I'd expected. I knew the week was going to be rough, so I decided to focus on maintenance & diet. I knew that if I veered off the eating plan, that would be more damaging than not being able to exercise. I did very well; I didn't even eat the fabulous cake everyone was talking about at the close of the conference! I packed my own snacks so I didn't nibble on conference food, & during the evening dinners, I ordered off the menu or ate smaller portions of the things I know I shouldn't necessary have at dinner (i.e. carbs, a tough thing to avoid at dinners in Italy).

I'd planned on a nice run on Sunday, but Mr. X. & I goofed off. I think I was still in conference-recovery-mode, so we went to the local Sunday Market & walked around. Then we visited our local Garden center, wherein I spent even more money on flowers. So Sunday afternoon became about sun worship; I was outside planting & trimming & maintaining my garden.

Now it's Tuesday. The day of truth for me. It's "Weigh Day." End result?

Still gots some nice toes!

I did it! I maintained, which means I met my goal for the week. It's good to have realistic goals you can actually achieve... because when you meet those goals, it's a boost to your confidence. I didn't expect too much of myself during a week I knew I couldn't control. By setting a realistic goal, I feel way more successful than if I would've tried to stick to my regular plan of running/weight training & the meal plan.

Now it's back on the wagon for this week. I already had one good run on Monday, so I started the week off the right way. In other news, it's the Victoria's Secret Semi Annual Sale right now! There are a few bona fide bikinis I'd like to buy... that'll definitely keep me on track this week!

Week in Review

2011-05-18T23:57:00.000+02:00

2 weeks ago, I had a nice Saturday in Venice. We all remember the result; I gained back 3 lbs. I was okay with that because it taught me a lot about my limitations. My limitation is: I don't get "cheat" days. I have to make the effort to stay on track so I don't slip.

I got right back on the wagon this past week. I stuck to the eating plan & did a lot of exercise.

See? I log my exercise at DailyMile. I'm a big fan because it's very social & I'm sent a "Week in Review" email at the close of the week. I can see I had a fabulous week.

Curious about the result?

Please note I finally had time for a proper pedicure. ;D

OH HELL YEAH!!! I was able to make it all better... & I've been sticking with it. This week is "hell week" at work: 2 days of conferences with all the foodie treats, cake, desserts, & wonderful Italian food you can imagine.

And I've eaten NONE of it. Not even the cake everyone told me was one of the best cakes they've ever had. Not one bite. All thanks to this photo.

My goal for this week is to maintain. I don't have much time for exercise due to the work schedule, so I've set the realistic goal to maintain this [general] weight... always have to account for normal weight fluctuations, but I refuse to regress a la Venice.

Wish me luck!