A New Way to be an Asshole.

I interrupt the Leadville Trip Posts with a Rant.

When I first started running, I always ran with my ipod. So, I get it. Running can really suck sometimes and music can trick your brain into thinking that you're enjoying it more than you are. It can also inspire and uplift you when you are struggling. I get it. The fact that I am too lazy to charge my ipod anymore or put new songs on it, doesn't mean I don't appreciate the boost that music can give to the oftentimes mundane task of running.

So, wear your headphones and enjoy your run. (Although, please, keep your music low enough that you can hear when someone or something is behind you and trying to get around. Cars, people, whatever. Be safe with your headphones, people).

Although, lately, I've noticed a new trend with running. As if we runners aren't annoying enough already, some runners are now running with their music playing OUT LOUD.

I'm sorry, but what universe do these people live in?

I encountered two people this weekend on runs. One of the guys was running a similar pace to me, so, I was stuck listening to his emo top 40 bullshit for about 15 minutes until I got so furious that I had two choices: Yell at the guy to turn that ear infecting bullshit off and appear to be a crazy person or turn off along another route to avoid him. I avoided him. See what I did there? I chose courtesy over being an asshole.

Even while climbing up Mt. Elbert, there was a girl be-bopping her way down the mountain blasting Katy Perry or something and drinking a beer from a bottle. I remember looking at Tanya and asking... "did I really just see that?"

I am starting to really get fed up with the lack of respect that people have these days. If you've been in an airport in the last year or so, I think you know what I mean. It's like the fucking Lord of the Flies there.

So, maybe I'm just an old fuddy duddy or maybe I just expect too much from my fellow citizens, but if you can't live without your music, can't you just shove some headphones over your ears and spare the rest of us? (I assume that these are the same people who also talk loudly into their phones while trying to make a transaction with a cashier. PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN AND TREAT THAT PERSON LIKE A HUMAN BEING, FOR PETES SAKE).

Obviously, I have lots of feels over all this. I better stop now, before this turns into an embarrassing bitchfest.

Bell Ringer 50K Rant

 UPDATE: So, the results have been posted online and it looks like all has been rectified. I'm not sure how it happened. But, I'm just really freaking glad it got fixed. I think it's pretty ridiculous that this whole ordeal went down the way that it did, but at the end of the day, they got it right (finally) and that's all that matters. I MIGHT take this post down... but, for now, I'm going to leave it up. 


I ran the Bell Ringer 25K this weekend, and I will post a full race report of MY race experience another day this week. Spoiler Alert: It was AWESOME until it wasn't.

After I had recovered from the race, I put on about 15 layers of clothing and headed outside to watch the 50Kers finish.

After 2-3 men finished, a woman came blazing up the steps. We were all cheering for her and watched her run up the hill (the finish to this race was just ridiculous) to the finish line. I was happy for her, but admittedly, a little disappointed that my friend, Meredith, hadn't been the overall female winner.

I didn't have much time to think about it though, because pretty soon I saw a familiar red shirt and blue cap start weaving its way through the woods and I started screaming my head off... It's the KoB, it's the KoB! So I ran over and started yelling at him. And then, right behind him was another guy. So, we started yelling at The KoB to run faster, there was someone behind him!!! He ran by our little cheering section and I started jogging/waddling behind him all the way to the finish. He even pussyfooted around on his way to the finish line. When he finished and turned around and saw a guy immediately behind him... he was... like... "Oh, I thought you guys were kidding."

And then he looked at me puzzled and said... "I've been watching my back for the last few miles... no one was behind me... where did he come from?"

We stood around the finish line for a little bit and then our friend and Sonofabitch, Jeff, finished. And he was pretty fucking pissed. He said that the guy that finished right behind the KoB had been let out of a Park Ranger's truck about a mile back.

I immediately was like... ohh... well, he must have just DNFed or something. Although, it did seem weird that he was running pretty hard on his way to the finish. And, if you had DNFed, why would you even run through the finish line?

After another minute, The KoB asked... where's Meredith? And I told him that she hadn't finished yet. And he was like... "ohhhh shit. She took a wrong turn." She had been in front of him the whole race and he had never passed her. So, he knew she had gotten off course.

Sure enough... a couple minutes later, she came up the hill and finished and she had gone the wrong way at an intersection. She ran on that wrong trail until the trail dead-ended and she realized her error and ran back to the intersection and got back on course.

Damn, it sucks, but ya know... it happens all the time and not just in trail races. How many times have you heard of the head of the pack runners either getting off course on their own or even being led off course by a the pace bikes that ride with the leaders? It sadly happens all the time.

When the awards were handed out, we found out a shocking discovery...

The Female Overall Winner had also taken that wrong turn. (Not the shocking part).
And a Park Official picked her up in a truck and dropped her off further down the trail ("where she would have been if she hadn't gotten lost" they said). She then hopped out and finished the race. And won.

I'm just going to let that soak in for a minute.

The Obvious:
If you ride in a vehicle during ANY part of a race. Ummmm... that should be an automatic DQ. You shouldn't even be allowed to have a finish time, let alone be the overall winner.

The Esoteric:
What trail runner actually ACCEPTS a ride in a vehicle and then just finishes the race and accepts her finish time and her award? WHO FUCKING DOES THAT? You know, I once got into a van during a race. And that race was a DNF for me. Anyway she was PISSED. She was pissed that she had gotten off course. Well, you know who else got off course and didn't get a ride? Ummm... the REAL Women's winner. The person who actually ran the entire way.

Honestly, I kind of understand the Park Ranger's error here. I mean, if you're not a runner... you might think that if they get lost, yeah, it's okay to give them a lift. It was the first year for this race and to my knowledge, none of the Race Directors or organizers are runners. They all work for the State Parks Dept. (which was pretty obvious during a lot of the race, but, more on that during my race report). So, I could see him offering her a ride. (And apparently others, too, since other people like the guy who finished after The KoB, did the same thing). But she took it. And she's not a first time trail runner. She has ran many trail races before. WTF?

I HAVE to believe, that she was just pissed and delirious and underfueled after the race to have agreed to accept not only a finish time, but the overall winner award. And I have to believe that she got home afterwards and was like... holy shit, what am I doing? I didn't win the race.

The Fallout:
The prizes for 1st and 2nd overall? A four night all-inclusive stay in CANfuckingCUN. I mean, if, the prize had just been like a pair of socks or something.... then, okay. BUT SERIOUSLY? CANCUN???? So, the person who was awarded 3rd place, truthfully, should be packing up a bikini and some flip flops. But, instead, she's stuck with a pair of socks and a plate.

The Insult to Injury:
The woman who was wrongly awarded and wrongly accepted the 1st female award, was also told by the Race Director, that they were so sorry about her getting lost, that they would comp her entry to next years race.

SERIOUSLY?????? I swear to god, it was like bizarro world at that awards ceremony. She was boo-hooing about getting lost and telling everyone about it, like she didn't understand that she was missing the entire point here. She was not the victim. She's going to Cancun, she didn't have to run any extra because she got lost, she got to hop in a truck and take a ride up the trail.

Even a couple of days later, I just cannot wrap my brain around this. 

If anyone reading this has any updates or clarifications about this story, PLEASE SHARE. I am really hoping that I just dreamed this whole thing or got some part of the story (like, the part where she hopped in a truck during the race) wrong. And I will gladly update this post with any information I get!!!

Coffee Talk: NYCM

When I first got into running, I was a Runner's World subscriber. After about 3 years of the same articles regurgitated over and over again: (Your fastest 5K yet! Lose weight to Run Faster! Winter Gear that is too Expensive to Actually Buy!), I cancelled the subscription. But, honestly, Runner's World was my only resource for goings on in the Track and Field world. As such, I became a pretty big Kara Goucher fan.

She had it all... she was fast, pretty, and had a "fit" body. She was the girl next door elite runner. And she was kind of the face of Elite Women's Marathoning.

Fast forward a few years and now I pretty much can't stand her. First of all, I am disgusted by Oiselle and it's CEO Sally. That's another discussion for another day, but, because of her sponsorship with them, I was quickly turned off of her. Second of all, I just stopped getting a vibe from her that she's passionate about racing anymore. This is purely subjective, but it just feels like she's all about the $ and the fame.

That being said, I actually find myself kind of sticking up for her after the NYCM this past weekend. WHICH MAKES ME WANT TO TAKE A SHOWER AND HANG MY HEAD IN SHAME. Yes, she cried on camera. Yes, she didn't live up to the hype that she created, and Yes, she had a bad day, and even without that, I don't think she would have ran the race that she claimed she was ready for. But, I kinda want to talk about all those things.

Crying after the race in an interview:
Okay, so, Yes... running is her JOB. Crying on the job is unacceptable and unprofessional. I completely agree with that. Have I ever cried at work? Not at my desk, but, I have excused myself to the bathroom and burst into tears MANY TIMES. Thankfully, I have that luxury of being about to jet off into the ladies room and compose myself before going back out to work. I don't have someone sticking a microphone and a camera in my face asking me about the terrible thing that JUST happened.

Is it inspirational that she cried? HELL NO.
But, is it something to criticize her for? I don't think so.

She didn't live up to the hype that she created:
We live in a hype-driven world. Pre-race should she have tempered her expectations? Absolutely. Should she have just said something like... "Oh, I really hope that my training has put me in a position to race well on Sunday, blah blah blah" without actually predicting finish times? Yup. Absolutely. But, again, this is her JOB. People (sponsors) want to hear that she's confident that she can do it. When a potential new client tells me, "I need this by 2pm on Thursday. Can you do it?" I don't say, well, with my education and experience I hope I can fulfill your needs. No. I say, "You bet. Let's do it." which brings me to the next point...

She had a bad day:
I don't know about you, but occasionally, I fuck up at work. Sometimes I tell a client that I'll have something for them by a certain day and it just doesn't happen. Or sometimes I just make a mistake. And as a professional, I have to man up and tell them that I didn't meet expectations and explain how I am going to fix it. IT SUCKS. But, it happens. And sometimes it's because I bit off more than I can chew, or because I promised something that just ended up not being doable.

I get it. She's an elite athlete, she gets paid to run. She has more natural talent in her pinky toenail than I have in my entire body. We want to think that she's just going to be able to bust her ass, keep her mouth shut, and perform. But, life doesn't always work like that.

I don't think she's an inspiration. I just think she's human. And even though I respect some other runners more... (DESI), her performance and post race interview from Sunday don't really affect the way I feel about her one way or another. And I'm kind of surprised by the hoopla that it's created.

Anyway, to reiterate. I am not a Kara fan and haven't been for awhile now. But Sunday didn't change that one way or another.

What do you think? Did Sunday change the way you feel about Kara? Do you like her? Have I missed the essence of the discussion entirely? Have you eaten as many fun-size Almond Joys at your job this morning as I have?

Let's Discuss.

Running: The Hobby

I am having a hard time getting back into running. Of course, I expected some of that. Running sucks when it's hard. But just because I expected it, doesn't mean it makes it any easier.

This morning while running, I started thinking about why I run. I've done many, many posts on that topic, so, I'll spare you another. But the two biggest things are that running makes me feel good about myself and I think the physical exercise keeps the black dog at bay. Running is not just my exercise of choice, but for the last few years, it's been a big part of my identity, as well. At it's core, running is my escape from the humdrums of life and my biggest hobby.

Now that I'm in my 30s, I find myself comparing to myself to my parents a lot. Every day, I look more and more like my mom.

 

 My mom's in the pink.

My aunt's in the white.

Yes, they are wearing matching rompers, but in different colors.

Yes, you could do that in the 80s.

I will never be as hot as my mom was, however.

She's had 3 kids in this pic and I've had ZERO and my 

body will never look this good. 

 And every day I find my personality becoming more and more like my dad. When I was growing up, my dad was a hobby enthusiast. He was a member of a Spelunking Club and a Spoonplugging Club (also known as a fishing club). And he took us out camping and on the lake a LOT.

Spelunking Club.

My dad is second from the left.

He's always been interested in cars and when my brothers got older and interested in them, too. They spent MANY hours every week together working on old cars.

And now you know where I get my body from.

Stumpy legs and long torso. Thanks, Dad!

To get all therapist-y on my dad, I think a big part of him keeping busy and having lots of different hobbies and interests is for a couple of main reasons. One, he was drafted in the Army as a young man, and I think having 2 years of your life taken away from you to serve your country would put anyone's spare time into perspective.

Stationed in Alaska.

And two, he was the sole provider for my family and worked long and hard hours at a desk. He definitely worked/still works more and harder than I do, but, I too feel the need to do something with my life when I'm not at work.

Back in the day, visiting dad at the office on a Saturday.

Please note, he has a pic of me on the credenza behind him.

All the gratuitous photos and stories of my family to say... I've realized that running is pretty much my only hobby. I mean, sure, I do other things... I read and watch television and I enjoy cooking and yoga. I would love to hike and camp more often than I do now. And while travel is probably the thing I love most, it's not something that I can do every week/weekend (see: why I don't hike and camp as much as I would like to).  So, the fact that running has become such a chore for me, is kind of slowly sucking away at my soul.

Ahhhh the good ole days.

When my main hobbies included clomping around in adult shoes...

 

And hosting my dolls and imaginary friends

for tea parties.

When the hobby that makes you the happiest and feel the best about yourself, suddenly turns into dogshit, it's hard to get back on track. And it starts affecting your daily life.

All this navel-gazing to say... I think my mental focus on running right now needs to shift into a different direction. I'm going to try not to worry too much about GETTING BACK INTO SHAPE IMMEDIATELY. But, into trying to find enjoyment in running again. Getting back into shape and mileage and speed will all eventually come back.

I feel like I've written these sentiments in MANY posts over the course of the past year or so. And I know, it's boring. But it's something I'm really struggling with. It's not as easy as.... just run when you want! Because, honestly... I'd barely be running if that were the case. And whether I like it or not... I NEED TO RUN. I like who I am when I'm running a lot: I feel better, I sleep better, I work better, I'm a better partner and friend. But, I'm finding that maybe wrapping up so much of my identity into one hobby can be a dangerous game. I wonder if spelunkers have as many existential crises as I do?

Scrooge McScroogerson

Disclaimer: I'm about to rain all over the fucking happy day running parade. You've been warned.

So, if you're a runner and if you have an active email account (sales galore!) or frequent ANY running-related websites or blogs then you know that today is OMG:

~~**NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!**~~

This might surprise you, because I am a runner and I obviously enjoy running so much that I actually have a running blog, but honestly this "day" makes me want to throw up.

I mean, for me... Running Day is pretty much every goddamn day. Because, if I'm not actually running... then, I'm thinking about it or talking/bitching about it. It's just Wednesday! Which means, I do a double... I ran with my dog this morning and will run with The KoB tonight like I do EVERY Wednesday. 

What's next? National Take a Shower Day*? National Eat Lunch Day**? 

I get it. The idea of National Running Day is to promote the sport. Which, I am ALL FOR. But, isn't the best way to promote the sport to get out there more than just this one day? Don't you think people are more inspired by seeing dumbasses like me out there sweating my ass off every day on the sidewalk, rather than lacing up on this one day just cause everyone else is?

But, thousands of people will head out for a run today. And then tomorrow... what happens? Uh. We'll go back out and run again... cause that's what we do. It's called life as a runner.

Instead of being a bullshit "day" that marketers for stores, races, etc can use to increase sales, why can't it be a day to promote better running for our communities? Like, instead of after the group run that your local running store puts on this afternoon, buying a t-shirt that says... HEY LOOK AT ME, I RAN ON NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!... how about you call your councilwoman and tell her that you want water fountains on your local greenways? Or, lights! Or, a dirt path! Ask her how to get involved and how your community can make it happen. Sign up to volunteer at a race or for an organization like Girls on the Run. Donate money to your local running club (who, as an organization, promotes running year round! what a novel idea!). Do something that actually promotes the SPORT. Or, be like me, and just go about your running business like you do everyday. Because, honestly nothing promotes the sport of running better than having a whole bunch of runners out there everyday. We are the ambassadors for the sport and we don't need sponsors or corporations for help. Nothing pisses me off more than using something I love (running) to just sell a bunch of crap.

To be fair, it's not the spirit of running day that I'm opposed to. I mean, I love it. I owe a helluva lot to running. Running has changed/saved my life. And I LOVE to see people out running and love it when I hear about people starting to run for the first time! Because, I know what running can bring to a life. 

But, this day... National Running Day that is promoted by sponsors and used by marketers just feels so cheap to me. So, instead of wishing you a Happy Running Day... I'm going to wish you a Happy Wednesday, Runner.

*Sponsored by Irish Spring or Dove or some shit, of course.

**Sponsored by Subway or Arbys or whatev.

Base

Dude... ever since Eugene, I have just been OVER running. I mean, I guess that's bound to happen when you spend like 34 weeks or some shit training for a goal race (that just ends up getting sabotaged by GI distress/troubles). I figured that after a couple weeks of easy running that I'd be ready to get back on the training horse.

Hahahahahahahah WRONG.

Here's the deal.... you train all winter/spring for a goal race. You bitch and moan about the cold weather, about having to wear tights in April, etc... and then you go run your goal race and you come back and rest and lay around and eat Puffins and Pixie Stix for 3 days and then go outside for a run and it's a goddamn inferno outside. And just like that... you went from bitching about the cold wind to bitching about the hella awful humidity.

Everyday I'm like... okay... tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow I'll be excited to run! and then tomorrow comes and I'm all... fuck this running stuff. Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal*, but I am deathly afraid of losing my base. So, yesterday, in an attempt to make this week ANOTHER easy week with multiple days off, I emailed my Sensei**.

Dear Sensei,

How long does it take to lose your base after a race+recovery time+general lethargy time?

My Sensei assured me that if I take another easy week or two that it likely will have "an extremely small impact on your fall races."

Holla!

* It wouldn't be a big deal except at some point soon, I gotta start training for my September Marathon.

** Yup, I have a Sensei and a Coach. Two different people to answer my dumb ass questions and guide me through my training. BOOM, Bitches!

P.S.

Thoughts, comments, rants... Post Stumpjump.

-- I'm a little disappointed in the race shirt... it's the same EXACT color (different fabric) as last years. I guess this is the universe telling me that I don't need both of them anyway...

Umm.. Yeah, not kidding.

--You know what my favorite thing about trail racing is? No, not the feeding stations with Peanut M&Ms, Pringles, Fig Newtons, and flat Mountain Dew. No, not the trails. Not the nature or the scenery. Not the shade or even the peace and serenity. Hands down, without a doubt, it's the people. I've ran a bunch of road races in my life... and had a blast. But, the people in trail races are amazing. They are the most non-judgemental, most encouraging, most AMAZING people you'll ever meet. Think I'm a dumbass for running a marathon after a 50k? Yeah, well... that's being a pansy to these people. They are the baddest asses you'll ever meet. And most of them (at least in my back of the pack group) are at least 20 years older than me. And they run these ultras like it's their job... weekend after weekend. You'd think it'd be all Lord of the Flies out there...but there is an unflappable bond of respect and camaraderie out there.

--Plus, the guys are hot as hell. Bonus.

--I'm not going to lie. I'm still a little peeved about the grilled cheese fiasco.

-- Today I ran. For the first time this week. And while my legs felt surprisingly decent, my lungs felt like I was running a 5k. Um. And now my quads feel sore again. Not a good sign for Sunday.

--My finger. So, yeah, I fell on it and bent it in some funky ass way and it swelled up a bit and it's still a tad swollen and I still can't really grip anything (opening stuff is a real pain), but it's getting better.

--Last year, the Monday after the race, I threw up. I think it was from all the junk food during the race, all the drinking after the race, and all the junk food the whole next day. This year, I played it smart. I lightly fueled during the race, I ate a fairly decent dinner Saturday night (no booze! can you believe it?!) and went right back to my regular eating on Sunday. Monday, I woke up feeling great!

--I still haven't signed up for the Lookout Mountain 50 miler in December. I wanna do it. But, I'm scared of the 34 kazillion creek crossings. IN DECEMBER. Ugh. Such a pansy. I'm pretty sure I'll do it, though.

--The race packet this year was kinda interesting...

Goldbond??? Who told them I'm a sweaty beast???

So, yeah, shirt and a hat this year instead of socks (pretty sure I would prefer smartwool socks... but, whatev), a stumpjump sticker, a hammer gel, some cortizone-10 (really?), goldbond (really?), a sample of Nuun, and a Trailrunner magazine. Also as a finisher I got another medal (exactly like last years, except the ribbon is a different color).

--Had kind of an awkward moment when I realized that one of the guys from NIPPLEGATE (the one I had just met for the first time that day) was AT the race.. and recognized me (my face, guys. I wasn't showing my nipples again, I promise). Thankfully, the nips were not discussed and I was able to gush over his recent awesome race finishes (he's kinda awesome and hardcore... which makes the whole thing more awkward, cause here I am gushing over him and asking him for his autograph, and he's all... "remember I told you about XYZ at the beer mile?" And I'm all... "I was trashed out of mind, hell no, I don't remember," but, instead of saying that, I nodded and said.. yes, yes, I totally remember.) Sigh.

An Olive Branch

Political Correction Disclaimer:  Do people who ride bikes like to be called bikers or cyclists? Please, someone enlighten me. I fear that when I use one of the terms, that I'm calling someone the equilivalent of a jogger. Because I don't know the proper terminology, I'm just going to use the two terms interchangably throughout this post.

It's no secret. There tends to be a general animosity between cyclists and runners. Whether you like to admit or not, if you're a cyclist, you have some built up hatred for runners and if you're a runner, there's some pent up rage for the cyclists. In a perfect world, we like to think that we all get along as "road warriors," afterall, we should be kindred spirits... we love getting outside, enjoying nature, breathing in the fresh air, pushing our bodies, getting fit, and dodging shitty drivers that are constantly trying to take us out one by one.

But, a perfect world this is not.

To preface this, I have to say: I am envious of bikers. I admit that whole-heartedly. I'm a little resentful in the fact that I don't have the extra time or the extra income or the ass muscles to withstand hours on a bike to embark on a new hobby: cycling. I have full faith that I one day will, though. I do intend to at least dabble in the biking and possibly triathlon pool at some point in the next 5 years or so. But for now... I'm just jealous of the sleek bikes that they get to ride and the fact that they have bigger pockets in their apparel for nutrition and a holder for their water bottles on their bike!

I've always been friendly to bikers. Even if they're riding on the sidewalk and come barrelling through, expecting me to get over, while they take up the entire freaking sidewalk. I still generally say "hey" to them and give them a wave. Only about 40% of them say "hey" back. Bastards.

A couple of weeks ago, I was running with my friend C down Belmont Boulevard, which has designated bike lanes, along with on-street parking. Now, we were running at about 5:15 in the morning. It was dark. And we hadn't met a car yet. It was very quiet out. We decided to run in the parking lane (opposing traffic, of course), because the streets are lit and the sidewalks are not and we all know my proclivity to falling. It's a no brainer.

Now, there are some spots along Belmont where there are lots and lots of cars parked in the parking lane. So, when we encounter those spots, we swing out into the bike lane a little, but always head back to the parking lane as soon as we can.

We're running, talking about god knows what, and all the sudden I feel C grab my arm and pull me to the side, closer to her. And then as a bike whizzes past me I hear a girl in a super bitchy tone say, "SHARE THE LANE."

"Whoa". I said. "I didn't even see her!" And there's a good reason for that... because it's 5:15 am and pitch black and she didn't have a light on the front of her bike. I immediately got pissed at her bitchy tone. SURE, I was in the bike lane a little, there were cars in the parking lane. So, yeah, technically I was in the wrong. My bad. But dude... it's 5:15 in the morning. There were no cars out. There was still plenty of room for you in the bike lane. Bitch.

It really pissed me off that she took such a bitchy tone with us. How many times have bikers ran me off the damn sidewalk and do I ever shout SHARE THE SIDEWALK to them??? No. I get over and let them go on their merry-freaking-way.

Then, this past weekend, April and I were running along a greenway and there were tons of bikes out. We seriously heard "On your left" about a zillion times. Which is fine. I'm all about the warning! Nothing freaks me out more than to have a biker sneak up behind you like a ninja. A lot of them were even being friendly and saying "hello" back!

Until about 6 miles in... "On your left" we heard. We scooted over to the right and the biker passed, we stayed to the right and about 10 seconds later we heard... "On your right" and 1 second later some chick flew past us on the right, I started to move over to the left confused as to why she was passing on the right, when we were hugging the right side already, when her cycling partner whizzed past us on the left. WTF?

Now this area of greenway is VERY wide. Plenty of room for her and her biking buddy to both pass us on the left with no problem. Even if they wanted to both pass on the right... okay, it would have annoyed me, but I would have gotten over it. But to SPLIT us and announce that you're coming on the right, when in fact you're coming on both sides???? Not cool, my friend. Not cool.

I feel like cyclists don't generally respect or like runners and vice versa. And it's a shame, because there truly is room for all of us. Bikers, can't we come together... and be friends? Sometimes us runners are wrong and sometimes you cyclists are wrong. It happens. Neither of us are perfect. Let's make a pact to be friendlier to each other. Afterall, it's the walkers with unleashed/long leashed dogs we should all be hating.

What's the deal??

As you very well know (since I talk about it all the time), I have made a running come back. During my hiatus, I gained a few pounds...ahem 20 ahem ahem. Of course I wasn't thrilled about the extra pounds, but I kept telling myself...

Hey, don't you worry, April, you're about to kick it up into hardcore training mode again and you'll bring sexy back where it belongs because all that weight is just gonna melt away.

Fast-forward to week 3 of marathon training...the weight is NOT melting away. I'm running, I'm cross-training and I'm lifting weights. I've always heard that once you reach a certain age, your metabolism slows way down and it becomes much harder to lose weight. I'll be turning the big three-oh in November and I fear I have reached that age. damnit damnit damnit! See, I've sorta been lucky...I think I have pretty high metabolism and although I do eat mostly healthy, I definitely splurge more than my fair share. Up until now, when I've gained weight, I was able to start losing it after about a week of amping up my work outs. I know that muscle weighs more than fat and all that, but I feel like I should be seeing the results by now.

Another thing about me...I am not a dieter. I don't like that word and I very rarely do any kind of fad or popular at-the-moment diets. I did do South Beach for a minute, but eh...like I said...I'm not a dieter. I have friends who are chronic dieters and it looks miserable. If I notice that my eating habits have been less than healthy, I will make a conscious effort to minimize my intake of sugars, fried foods and white carbs, but that's about it. But I mostly do that because eating a lot of junk makes me feel sick after a while. And as a side note...I do feel like my diet is pretty healthy. I eat tons of fruits, veggies, fish and whole grains, however I also love chocolate, pizza, and beer. I just don't like guidelines and restrictions. I've never done very well with people telling me what to do. (Yeah, ok, I have issues, but that's not what this post is about.)

Recently, when Amy told me that she was going to try and eat a little bit better so that she could loose a couple of pounds, I was SHOCKED. Why? Because she was running 70 MILE WEEKS!! It seems to me that a good and reasonable reward for running 70 miles a week would be the ability to eat whatever the hell you like and still look like a waif. So. Not. Fair. So, I guess I'll have to splurge much less than I'm used to if I'm gonna shed these pounds. I'm just not happy about it.

Rules of the Road

For those of you who don't know by now... I live in an urban area, which means I run in an urban area. I run on sidewalks and deal with cars, pedestrians, cross-walks, leashed dogs, bums, and other runners on a daily basis. It's good, actually. Well, it's good when I'm not throwing up the middle finger at a jackass driver who almost runs me over when I have the right of way. And it's good when I'm not running from a bum who is yelling at me. But generally speaking... I like being a city runner.

Even with the crazies that are out at 5-7am, there are almost always lots of other runners around and I enjoy saying a friendly hello, giving a smile or nod, or my personal fave... the ole hand wave to my fellow running peeps.

And now that it's the new year, that means there's an onslaught of new runners on the roads. And I feel like now is a good time to reiterate some basic running courtesies. (Because it's come to my attention that some of you new runners are some rude sonsabitches).

First, sidewalks work like the road. Stay to the right. Maybe some of you newbies are european and you're used to running on the left or left center and maybe some of you are rude europeans who don't make room for others while you are running on the left. In the grand scheme of things this isn't a HUGE deal... but's something that I constantly notice.

Second, when you run with your group of 12 people (thats YOU Vandy ROTC) or when it's just you and your running partner... be aware that common courtesy is to either single file it or at least make an attempt to run in the grass or something when you come upon another runner. I mean, seriously... isn't this common sense? Nothing pisses me off more than to be ran off the sidewalk by some self-obsessed, not paying attention pack of pricks.

Third, I have no issues about being passed. I realize that people run at different paces than me and even different paces on different days. No big deal. (This is one of those reasons that staying to the right is a nice courtesy). But what does piss me off is when someone runs past me and then immediately moves right in front of me and slows down. WTF? If you are going to pass me... pass me and keep going. Don't pass me and slow down. I had a dude do this to me this morning and it was like.... he FLIES past me... moves over to the right, right in front of me and then slows down to where I'm forced to pass him. Why???? If he were doing some sort of intervals... then he should pass me and stay to the left. Not pass me and then essentially cut me off. Bastard. I hope you enjoyed me drafting you for the next half mile that I went out of my way to do. Don't mess with my pace, bitches.

Fourth, if you have to stop and stretch some random body part every tenth of a mile... then maybe you should take your ass to the track. Seriously, I understand if you are Ramboing it and trying to work out an injury or whatev. I feel ya... but, good lord. You're wearing me out with your stopping and taking up the WHOLE sidewalk while you stretch out your calf or whatever. And then I have to pass you, and then you pass me and stop and stretch again. Ugh. At least move it to the grass. Ya know?

Fifth, I love dogs. I do. But if you own a dog and you run with that dog or even walk that dog on the sidewalk, then keep it's leash at a shortish distance. Don't give the dog 15 feet of leash to work with so that he come over and sniff my shoes and make me dance around him like an idiot to keep from stepping on him or getting tripped by the leash. Your dog is safer on a short leash... trust me... some of those bums look hungry.

I'm sure from time to time we get into our zones or whatever and forget common courtesies (me included), but in general... the world is an easier place to exist in when people take the time to think about OTHER people sometimes. Overall, my running experiences are awesome. Most of the other runners are friendly and courteous... but it's those few who aren't who give us all a bad name.

Anyway, to all you new West End/Hillsboro Road/Belmont Blvd runners... welcome! And be careful to watch out for the Blue PT Cruiser.


Feel free to peruse various other postings I've done on the subject of running in the city...
Memo to Nashvillians
Does Whistling Ever Work?
My First Finger (same link as Blue PT Cruiser).



I promise I'll quit complaining at some point...

Technology hates me

May I please just vent here for a moment? I am telling you right now that electronics and all things technological hate me. These things that are supposed to make life so much easier and fun have ended up backfiring on me every single time. I spend so much freakin time trying to trouble shoot that sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it to invest in cool toys.

Computers, DVD players, TVs, every MP3 Player I've ever owned and my RS200sd Polar Running Computer (preferred fancy name for my heart rate monitor/running watch) are just a few examples of cool technology that have it out for me. Today, I am fighting with my Ipod Shuffle and my computer. I've downloaded some new running songs and obviously, the next step is to actually get these songs on to my Ipod. But for some dadgum reason, Itunes isn't detecting my Ipod. I had this problem a few months ago and it turned out to be the USB ports on my computer. Well, since then I've had my computer totally reconfigured and rebooted, which seemed to have solved my issues. But I guess it wasn't a permanent solution cause it's all screwy once again.

In addition to no fun new tunes on my run this afternoon, I also will not be able to tell exactly how far and how fast I went (unless of course, I want to pull out my shaky math skills...but who wants to do that?) thanks to issues with my Polar watch. It's been telling me that I'm running like a 15 minute mile, which I know can't be right. So I replaced the batteries and still no luck. I guess I'll have to send it in to the Polar fix-it people.

ARGH!!!! Am I the only one?!?

Keeping it Real

I like to think of myself as a positive person. It's something that I have to work at and be mindful of, but for me, it works.

Positive thoughts + positive speech + positive actions = Happy and productive April

Now obviously (unless you're the Dalai Lama or something) it's near impossible to be emit these positive vibes out into the world 100% of the time, but hey-I can at least try. That's why I've really been struggling lately with blogging on a consistent basis. I know that this is a running blog and injury is something that often comes with the sport, but I've been battling some injuries for quite some time now. They are relatively minor (shin splints, IT band), but are still causing me enough pain that my training has taken a serious blow.

Anyway, when I look back over my posts from the last few months, I see that a good number of them address my injuries. To me this isn't positive. It's whiny, complaining, woe as me kind of material and I just don't like it. So that's why I refused to blog unless I had some nice, uplifting stuff to talk about.

And well folks, that just ain't happenin. I have been able to run short distances-3-5 miles without any major hurting (even though my knee feels achy for days afterward), but anything over 6 miles, downright sucks. It hurts-bad.

My instinct is to tell myself to toughen up and run through the pain because really, mentally, I'm all there. But when it doesn't subside and I can't even walk for the next two days, I realize that um, maybe that wasn't the brightest idea.

So, I told Amy about my anti-negative blogging plan and she (as she usually does), straightened me out.

Amy: Nooooo dude, you gotta keep it real!! You have to blog about that stuff because all runners deal with it at some point or another. We have to blog about the ups AND downs of running.

me: But I wanna be hardcore! How can I have a blog called 26point2ers when I can't even run more than 6 miles with out wimping out!?!

Amy: Yes, you can. You just can't right now because you're injured. You have to let it heal completely and build your mileage back up before you attempt long runs.

And she's right. I hate it when she's right. Well, actually, I just hate it when I'm wrong (which rarely happens).

Now let's address the bottom line. I have a marathon in 6 weeks. I haven't run more than 13 miles at a time. We all know that it's just not gonna happen. It would be super dumb to try and run a marathon that I haven't been able to fully prepare for. It makes me just sick, but I really think that's the reality. Excuse me while I throw a temper tantrum....I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

But I've paid for the race, bought my plane ticket, planned to stay with friends and have been working so hard to raise $2,500 for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. So I'm going. Yes, I am. I am going and I am going to start that race (Marine Corps Marathon). I might have to run the half, but I will be there.

Bittersweet

The good news:

I got some new shoes! Check it:Mizuno Wave Inspire 4s. Say word, son! Now I've got 2 brand new pair of running kicks, which is awesome because now I can alternate. From what I've read, this is a good thing because it minimizes injury due to the fact that the shoes fit you differently. You aren't striking the ground at exactly the same angle, every step you take. Sounds good to me. The best thing about these shoes is that they cost exactly $1.80!!

I use a Cashback Discover Card and you can either get cash back (duh) or you can take it in gift cards from companies that partner with Discover. Most of these companies actually up the amount of your Discover cash. Foot Locker is one of these partners and they offer $25 for every $20 in Discover Bucks. A great way to get new shoes, isn't it? So I requested my cards:

I got them pretty quickly and went straight to footlocker.com to do a little shopping. With my gift cards and a promotional discount code that I found online, my total came to under two bucks. Very sweet.

Now for The Bad News: I ordered these shoes on 6/16/2008. I was placed on the backorder list 4 times and finally got them yesterday. Let's figure out how many days that is...That's 65 days, folks. I guess I wasn't a priority cause I got them so cheap. Here is what I have to say to Foot Locker:

I think you get the picture. Gonna try out the shoes tonight...hopefully they'll get a better review!

Give me a break

Shin splints are the devil, I tell you. I'm on the bench- sidelined again. All I want is break from all the breaks!! Is that too much to ask? I just wanna RUN. So yep, the shin splints have slowly crept back up and have been increasing with each mile I run. I've been stretching well and doing exercises to strengthen the muscles around my shins and it ain't working. It sucks. Finally, I admitted to myself that I was going to have to go with my last resort and take a few days off. It was pretty obvious that this was gonna have to happen when I met Amy for a planned 12 miler last weekend. I didn't run anywhere near 12 and only managed to do 4 total and nearly half of that was spent walking. I was going to take 2 or 3 days, but I fear it's gonna take longer than that because just everyday walking is painful.

It's week 7 of my marathon training and I'm behind. I just keep thinking...what if I fall so far behind that I fail to train sufficiently? What if I can't run the marathon? What if I never heal? What if? What if? What if?

I'm gonna try to amp up the cross training and strength training, but I am so scared of losing my running fitness. Sorry to whine and vent so much, but ARGH!!!!!! That's all I have to say about that.

Let's try to end this post on a positive note, shall we? I'm proud to announce that I'm still moving right along on my hundred pushups challenge and I am really kicking ass, y'all! Go me! I finished the first two weeks fairly easily and worked my way up to 5 sets totaling almost 50 in one workout. Week 3 is a significant step in difficulty. Repeating the second week is recommended if you are unable to do 16 consecutive pushups on the 2nd test. Well, last night, I did that test and got to 18 before reaching exhaustion. Two weeks ago, I could only do 8! To reiterate my previous point, Go me! So tonight I'll start week 3, which is 15, 12, 12, 10 and at least 15 on the last set.

Well, I reckon that's all for today. Just remember to think of poor, poor, pitiful me while you're out there pounding the pavement (I suggest that you don't pound too hard, though, or you'll end up like me).

Wired

I had a physical yesterday. Now I'm not usually one to go to the doctor unless there is something really wrong with me-and also requires a prescription. Some people go for every little thing...sore throat, little fever, whatever...but not me...I wait that stuff out. I know what the doc will say...rest, plenty of fluids, vitamin C, blah blah blah...I don't need to pay a $25 co-pay and sit in a waiting room for an hour to hear that. No way. (Not to mention the fact that I'm a wimp and I hate getting stuck with needles).

However, I decided to go ahead and get a full check-up because I've been feeling really tired and zapped of all energy lately (and everyone told me to). I also figured it was a good idea to find a general practitioner in Memphis because I haven't done that since moving here.


So I went, said "Ahhhhhh", had some blood drawn (I was so brave and even treated myself to a milkshake for my courageousness), got a chest x-ray taken and also got an EKG, which is all that their full physical entailed. I'll have to wait for the tests to come back from the lab on some stuff and my x-ray looked fine, but I did have an irregular EKG. They said that my heart rate slowed at certain places and that this could be due to the fact that I'm a runner and runners have slower heart rates because their hearts work more efficiently, but that it was probably a good idea to make sure.

And then they wired me.

For 24 hours, I had to wear a Holter Monitor. Basically, this is a portable machine that is worn and records heart activity, including any irregular heartbeats, which I have been experiencing for about 6 months or so. I had all these electrodes attached to my chest, stomach and sides with wires connecting them all to a small box that I wore on my waistband.

I also got a little journal, in which I was to record any palpitations, flutters or irregular beats. I had 4 yesterday. I went back to the doctor's office this morning and had it removed and now I just have to wait. They said they'll call in a few days to let me know the results.

I'm not really nervous about it, for some reason, which is very unlike me. Maybe it's because I doubt their credibility and knowledge of the human body. This belief is due my conversation with the nurse.

Nurse: Why did you come in today?

Me: Well, I figured it was a good idea to get a check-up, especially since I'm training to run a marathon in October. And I've been feeling exhausted lately...

Nurse: Oh wow, a marathon? I could never do that. I'd be so tired. (yes, she really said that, as if it were only her that would be tired after running 26.2 miles)

Me: Yeah, it was tough, but very rewarding. I did get a stress fracture from running it though...

Nurse: Mmmm Hmmmm. That's why we tell people that running is bad for you.

What the crap? She's a freakin medical professional! That's just SHOCKING. It's so shocking that I'd like to dedicate a whole post to it tomorrow. Now it's time for some research.

Running in a Sauna

I have to question my sanity. What the hell was I thinking when I decided it was a good idea to train for a marathon during the summer months?

In Memphis?!?

Not smart.

I guess I forgot how miserable it was. True...it was really important for me to run for MMRF- I've been planning on doing that for over a year, but I'm a wimp and running in 90+ degree weather just plain sucks. And the humidity? Yeah, I can run in the early morning or at dusk, but the air is so thick that I feel like I'm in a sauna. I can't even take a deep breath and um, breathing deep and running kind of go hand in hand. My first summer in Memphis, I swore I was developing asthma...and then fall came around and just like magic...my breathing returned to normal. I felt like Superwoman!

I've still got a run to get in tonight and honestly, I'm dreading it. It's almost 8:30PM and weather.com says that it's 85 degrees with 73% humidity...and the "feels like" temp is ninety-freakin-five. I gets no love.

Alright, alright...I'm done with my rant. Sorry to bring you down on a Friday evening, folks, but damn, its hot.

Run. Walk. Stretch. Repeat...

And it's driving me crazy! I'm still having a bit of an issue with my calves and shin splints and so that's pretty much what I've had to do during my runs. I start off slowly...running or walking until I'm warmed up...I usually won't let myself walk for more than 5 minutes because it makes me feel like a slacker. Anyway, then I stretch very well, paying close attention to the problem areas and I'm off running again for a mile or so until I feel the dull ache slowly creep up my leg. And of course that's when I stop and walk again...and the cycle repeats. I think that I could run through the pain, but I'm pretty sure ignoring it is what got me in this mess in the first place. It's not bad, I guess...I'm still getting exercise, but people- I have a marathon in 16 weeks!! I am sorta kinda freaking out here! Although I'm a bit behind, I know I have enough time. That's not really the issue. I'm just nervous that they won't heal or get any better anytime soon...and then I will be out of time. Jeez...I don't even want to think about how long it would take me to walk/run a marathon. Blah.

In addition to the healing/time factor, the more off schedule I get, the less likely I am to get a PR. I guess I should focus on the positive. I'm running this marathon to raise money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation...the most important thing is raising the money and actually finishing the race. And I'm positive I can do that.

And oh yeah...I'm blaming my problems on Foot Locker. I ordered my new Mizunos at the beginning of June and they told me that they were on back order and I wouldn't get them for two weeks. So I'm waiting, waiting, waiting...and I get yet another email saying that they were STILL on back order and I wouldn't get them until mid August! That's like 2 and a half months to get a pair of new shoes. I just know that cushy new shoes would make my shins feel so much better. I'm totally boycotting Foot Locker from now on.

My First Finger...

Dear Motorists Driving around Mid-Town around 6:00am,

Normally, we get along pretty well. I make it a point to obey the traffic signals and only after diligently checking all possibilities do I ever jay-run. Occasionally… one of you will cut me off when I have the walk sign as you’re trying to turn. And most of the time, I don’t let it bother me.

Sometimes though… I give you the ole index finger. That’s right… I emphatically point at the cross-walk sign that gives me the right-of-way to cross the street. I know, it’s a silly gesture, but there’s lots of cars around and I just don’t have the nerve to actually do anything else. Particularly, since you’re in a big metal car and I’m out completely unprotected.

This morning though… one of you got me worked up.

Let me set the scene:

I was cruising up Blakemore… getting ready to cross the intersection of 24th. I had the walk sign (no blinking, mind you, full walk sign). When I stepped off the curb and onto the streets, there were no cars in the lane to turn right(I looked over my shoulder to check) and there were no cars in the process of turning left. I had it made. That is, until the bitch in the blue PT Cruiser decided to turn left. And it wasn’t like she decided to START to turn left and then stop to let me proceed. No, she started to turn, saw me running and continued to turn, making me stop to keep from plowing right into her car (which, now in hindsight, I totally should have done).

Seriously. I had to abruptly stop to keep myself from running into her car.

What. A. Bitch.

It was at this point, that I did something I’ve never done before while running. I gave her the finger. No, not the emphatic index finger. The you arrogant, traffic violating, bitch, that if I weren’t running and you weren’t driving a car, I’d stick my foot up your ass while reading you the section and code of the local traffic law that gives me the freaking right of way middle finger. I guess you could call it an emphatic middle finger. And… as I recall, there were a few expletives that accompanied the finger. I don’t regret my actions. She was not abiding by the law. Nevermind the fact that she could have killed me.

So, this letter is written to the rest of you that witnessed this little… occurrence. I’m sorry if I offended you with my gesture, or my language. But, I was pissed and right. And now that I’ve broken the seal with the middle finger, I can’t promise that I won’t use it again.

So, violate your traffic laws wisely when you see me out running.

And Blue Pt Cruiser lady… I’ll be watching for you. Next time, I’ll kick the shit out of your car.

Have a nice weekend,
Amy.

Me and Waking Up Early...

don't really get along too well. Actually, that's not entirely true because I sort of go through phases. If I get into the habit, it's easy. No big deal. But once that habit is broken...it's bad news. Yeah, I realize that this is just the way it is with broken habits...but I honestly think it's worse for me than other people. Especially when it comes to waking up.

Amy once wrote a post on how to wake up early. It's a good post with some really helpful tricks on getting your ass out of bed. But none of that stuff--turning on the lights, sleeping in my running clothes, putting the alarm clock across the room--none of it helps me. I drink so much water during the day that I have to get up at least once during the night to go to the bathroom. And because of this, I've learned to do things in my sleep quite well. I'm also a really heavy sleeper and have never had a problem with going back to sleep if something really does fully wake me up.

I'm notorious for resetting my alarm clock for a later time. The snooze button is just way too annoying for me. When I was in Boston, I scheduled a wake-up call at 5:45 AM. Well, as it turned out, I just wasn't ready to get up at 5:45 AM. I wanted to sleep until the last possible minute, so I picked up the phone and set a whole new wake up time. I mean seriously. That's ridiculous. I'll even reset it for 5 or 10 minutes later rather than hit snooze or God forbid-get up.

This little problem is something that I try to overcome everyday. And some days, I actually succeed. Today was one of those days, which is awesome because now I have time for gardening during the last few daylight hours, watching American Idol, Pilates and doing a little work.

And here's another benefit to working out first thing. It wakes me up and gets me all energized for the day! I just love it! I'm looking forward to tomorrow's morning run. Wish me luck.

On a side note-check out the right hand column of the blog...I finally added my training log and daily runs so now I can't lie to you about completing those 15 and 20 mile weekend runs. Just kidding! I would never lie to you.

In case you've missed us...

Amazingly, Amy was able to squeeze in a good post about her recent long run, but I think I can speak for the both of us when I say:

A vacation would be so great right now.
Early Retirement would be even better.

I could totally be a stay-at-home puppy mom. All this working can't be good for me. I haven't even run in the past two days. And the rain has returned. Blah.