Running Shorts

Key race preparation

Know the distances you are racing.

I just checked out the distances for my tri this Saturday.

.93 mi swim/27.25 mi bike/10k run

Good to know.  I also checked out my 2007 results from the race.  I believe this was my first International distance tri.  It'll be interesting to see how this year compares.  In 2009's favor is my greater experience with biking, swimming, and triathlon as well as my current running fitness.  In 2007's favor is the inclusion of biking and swimming in my training.  We shall see.  I am going to go swimming now though b/c I am a little nervous :)

When running starts to come between friends... :)

Friends were stopping at my place to meet up before we all headed over to Earthfest.

One friend to Audrey over the phone:  We need ice.  Do you have any at your place?

Audrey:  I literally just poured all of my ice into the tub.

Friend:  Okkkkkkaaaaay.  I guess, uh, we'll pick some up.

Just keeping it real.  :)  I was 10 miles into my 10.9 mile run today and it was soooo hot and my legs were hurting when it hit me-I needed an ice bath.  I felt much better after it.  Except I was also in a hurry so I was making, stirring, and drinking an electrolyte drink while I chilled (pun intended) in the tub.

I ran a little over 4 miles to one of the free weekly races here in Boston, won the 2.5 mile race (there was a woman from my running club ahead of me but she was in the two loop 5 mile race-she's wicked fast), and then headed 4+ miles back home.  It was hot.  I ran a 17:33 for the race which is 7:01 min/miles.  The course might be short.  No one really knows. 

Then I ice bathed and went to Earthfest!  Wooohooo!

Moving on

I haven't been too excited to blog.  I had a whole post written about how my heart isn't into triathlon at the moment and I don't see the point of racing if I'm not going to train in 2/3 disciplines and I'm afraid of dying on my bike.  Then I was reading a triathlon magazine from the winter that didn't get forwarded to me in Virginia so it's been waiting for me and I decided triathlon has some redeeming qualities (ignoring the hall of fame inductee who was killed in a bike accident).  I'm glad I only have two more triathlons this year.  One next weekend and one in late August that I have free entry into b/c of a deferment from last year.  Both are international distance.

I haven't been respecting the races or the sport.  I'm not too busy to train-I just don't do it.  I didn't train and that makes me feel like I don't deserve to be on the starting line.  It's mostly b/c I'm afraid of biking and I don't think that's going to change for a few years until I move to a more rural area.  Even then I'm not sure I'll be a huge fan b/c I've come to realize how dangerous biking can be.  My accident wasn't caused by a car.  It's just not the safest activity to bike as fast as we all bike.  [I met a 25 y/o from my hometown this week who also has metal plates in his face from a bike accident-his are around his eye orbital].  It's a bit hard to feel this way b/c so many people I know are getting excited about entering their first triathlons right now and I also feel out of place among the more experienced triathlon and cycling people I know.

Also, I want to be a multi-dimensional person.  I really can't stand talking about triathlon and running most of the time and I want to make sure that I have other things going on in my life that I care about.

Running, however, is going well.  I'm racing/doing a long run tomorrow that I'm excited about.

The bar

I was excited about the first picture b/c graduation took place in the building I used to swim in.  I ran into my mom in the locker room.  People watching us take the photo were like...ummm...that's not really the best backdrop.

 

Here is the moment.

 

And here is a close-up of the floppy hat.  I love medieval clothing.

 

Now I'm studying for the bar which so far consists of me going on a duck boat tour with my sister, excessively posting pictures on facebook, and going to my first track practice in three years.  After this post I'm going to buckle down for a couple of hours.  For reals.

Camp

Well hello.

I ran the hilliest 9.4 miles of my life this morning in Maine across either 2 or 3 islands (B how many islands did I hit if I went to the store where we got butter?).  Then I stretched and put my feet and ankles in this to ice them:

 

It was the coldest ice bath I've ever experienced.  Cold is great and I have a hard time getting my tub cold enough for adequate ice baths-but I was so afraid of actually hurting my feet in this very New England temperature water that I only dunked them in 3 times for about 15-20 seconds each.  Chilly!  And beautiful.  The weather was perfect for running (I had brought summer and winter running clothes b/c I didn't know what to expect).  I spent the rest of the weekend in long sleeves, a puffy vest, and winter coat-but from 7:30-9 AM it was about 50 degrees out and I (slowly) cruised along the hills in shorts and a tank top.  It was pouring at 4:30 AM but, again, things were all systems go by the time of my run.  Now I'm back in Boston where it's warmer :)

RunningShorts, JD, MS

It is done!

I took an extra special picture just for you blog readers.  I don't have it yet as my sis took it...but I was thinking of you.  Fam celebrations continue tonight which should be fun.  Laaater.

Solitary celebration

My law school celebration took place this morning during my outdoor swim and trail run.  It was a treat having hours to spend outside on such a gorgeous day with nothing else I was supposed to be doing.

So I celebrated this morning.  And...um...with all of the champagne I've had over the last week.  So my celebration has been outdoor sports and champagne.

A moment of vacay

Sandwiched between taking my car in for an oil change and exchanging my sneakers and now cleaning in anticipation of my family's arrival tomorrow I snuck out to go mt. biking for an hour.  I go pretty slowly but I think I'm better than last year on the same trails.  My balance is better, I can make it all of the way up the hills without stopping or tipping over, and I didn't fall.  Those are positive things.  The trail looked really dry compared to how I remember it.  Markedly dry.

I talked to someone from the bike store and they said, "Oh, you're back?  Why weren't you at the ride last night?"  I explained and they swore it was a different route and much better.  Eh.  Not for me.  I like the woods right now.  It's not risk free in there, but it feels good even though it was so weird how dry it is.  Maybe I am just used to going at 7 AM when it's cooler and there is dew and stuff.  It was close to noon today.

Anyway, it's beautiful out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  But why do I still have chain marks on my leg even after showering?  Hmmm....

ahhhh

My podiatrist put something on my foot so strong that it burned a hole through all of the bandage padding and my sock!!!  It really hurts!  Basically the wart is still there so he put crazy strong stuff on it and then he's going to do something to it (not clear on what) to get rid of it in two weeks.  As I was leaving he reminded me...Don't forget to take today's treatment off in an hour!!!  That was clearly enough time for it to burn through everything.  He told me after the visit two weeks from now I won't be able to run for a few days.  Hmmm...really?  Well, you can.  It depends on how high your pain threshold is.  Since my foot has hurt with every step, running or walking, for months I figured I was golden.  HOWEVER, if the treatment two weeks from today is going to hurt more than this I'm not so sure I'm going to be on the running bandwagon.  I already think I'm giving myself ankle tendinitis from compensating from the wart pain and running weird.  Eww.  Apparently another option is to just CUT IT OUT which will leave a pretty deep pock mark (and be sooo gross) and I won't be able to run for weeks.  My podiatrist is totally on board w/ not going that route.  He's an athlete himself plus I'm sure as a podiatrist he's seen plenty of psycho athlete patients.

I think I set a new Audrey course PR this morning.  I'm not sure if this is THE PR of my usual run, but it's minutes faster than I usually run it.  I think I did my first tempo run ever this morning.  Sweet!

I bought new sneakers.  Unfortunately, even though the box said 9 on it the shoes inside were 8.5s.  Must be returned.  Siiigh.  Add it to the list.  I am an errand machine.  B wanted to know how vacay was.  I don't feel like I'm on vacation!  Because I've been away I have so much to do.  Like get acid put on my foot.

I WENT SWIMMING.  This morning.  It took a little longer to motivate than I had hoped but I knew I had to go before my drs appointment b/c I didn't know what he was going to do to my foot.  Last time, for example, he put something on it that I wanted to keep on as long as possible.  Anyway, that's enough about my foot.

Oh, and I ordered a new Road ID for running as I can't find my last one.  I was trying to decide if I should put my stomach med on it.  I opted not to, but I did e-mail my emergency contacts (mom, dad, sister) and told them what I'm on b/c apparently abruptly going off it causes withdrawal symptoms similar to alcohol withdrawal.  Sweet!  I think I freaked them out with my "in case I'm unconscious here is my drug that causes withdrawal symptoms" e-mail.  I just figured someone should know what I'm taking.  I'm not in a situation like my mom and dad who share every piece of information with each other or my grandma who had my aunt, a nurse, who was extremely familiar with her goings on.  If I was unconscious and away from my local hospital no one would know what's going on with me.  I live a solitary life sometimes :)  Similarly, my friends and I and my sister e-mail when we have dates or before I go off into the woods to bike and then we e-mail when we get home.  You need someone to have your back!

OH YEAH...I would be remiss if I did not mention the conversation I had with a school tri teammate I ran into at the running store.  He told me about a group ride tonight.  I told him that I don't go anymore (after participating in the past) b/c I don't like the route and the cars.  He said...oh yeah, some guy from our school got hit by a car last week.  Siiiigh.  I don't know who it is or how he is.  It's just not good bike riding around here.

i'm back

Boston is freezing.  So was NJ.  My run there was lovely even though I could have used gloves at the beginning.  There is a one mile uphill start through some gorgeous scenery, but you have to beware of cars and be ready to jump into the woods should any come at you too fast on the single lane road.  After that the remaining 4 miles home are through what is a mix up farm country and suburbs. I then tacked on my family's standard 4 mile "into town loop" for 9 total for the day at about 9 min/miles.

Then I had to go through some stuff from HS and throw out anything that wasn't saveworthy.  My mom is trying to thin the garbage from the house.  Most of it was soccer mementos.  The sport was kind of my whole life/identity back then.  I've also been thinking about HS a bit b/c my high school principal e-mailed me on Friday to say congratulations on my graduation.  He sat next to my parents at a dinner last week (my little brother was the male scholar-athlete from my town's HS) and my parents filled the principal in about all of their kids.  The principal has seen all four of us go through the school over the last 15 years.  It was nice of him to go out of his way to do that-the e-mail was lengthy and very thoughtful-and it was cool that the e-mail reached me on my last day of law school.  Hearing from someone who knew me way back when made me realize how different my life is from what I thought it would be like when I graduated 11 years ago.  According to the senior edition of my HS newspaper in 1998, which I found yesterday, I predicted that 15 years from then I would be: "Married to the sweetest guy coaching my two children's soccer games on the weekends."  Even if I got pregnant today my first kid wouldn't be old enough to play in 4 years!!!  And no guys are sweet!

I thought I'd be living in NJ as a businesswoman (I didn't really know what kind or what they did but I saw my Dad go to a business office every day and that seemed like a good plan), married, with two kids.  I never thought I'd be in BOSTON, unmarried, and a lawyer.  It never even occurred to me to be a lawyer until the fall of 2004 (during the first two weeks of my two year public health program-nice timing Audrey) when it just hit me.  And here I am.  I like how things are...but if there's anything to be learned from my HS predictions: I shouldn't even try to anticipate what things will look like in another 11 years...when I'm *39*!

And I hate swimming.  DON'T WANT TO GO.  I'm going to suck at my triathlon.  I will probably go tonight though because of athlete guilt :(