Running Shorts

Check!!!

Day 1 of the bar exam is complete.  Tomorrow is essay day!!!  YEAH!!!!!!!!  :)   At this time tomorrow I will be running.

Rethinking the ironman finish-line kiss

So you know how everyone finishes an ironman and picks up their children and then hugs and kisses their significant other in celebration?  Yeah.  Totally gross.

I just started dating a runner.  He basically ran all night as part of a relay team for the ultra and I showed up this morning and ran 10 miles before my volunteer shift.  Sometime after my 10 miles and before I changed we found each other and honestly, we were both TIRED and GROSS.  Kissing was hilarious/a lot of effort/not clean!  AND I AM NOT PRISSY!

In random other sidenotes for the day the new guy noted that I must have lots of good race shirts since I've been racing 8 years longer than him.  I was like..not really.  1) They get gross and you have to ditch them  2) It's only in the past few years that they've started giving out women's sizes I can actually wear 3) wicking race shirts are a relatively new phenomena (and I don't wear t-shirts as much as my guy friends do).

The ultra runners are insane.  I mean really truly crazy.  I was at a water stop handing out water to people on miles 75, 85, 94, etc.  They are an interesting/odd, mostly male bunch.

I don't do want to do an ultra!  And the recreational people hanging out outside or running are vultures for free water!  It was hard to say no b/c it's so hot out, but they need to plan ahead and carry some H20.

My run in the heat started at 8:05 pace and eventually settled around an average of 8:30 pace by the end.  I ran 9.48 miles in 1:20:11 which is 8:27 min/mile pace and then I ran a slow bonus 6 minutes to bring me up to 10ish miles for the day.

I am about to get in an ice bath.  Purchasing ice was the usual.  Go to ice machine in store, pick up three bags of ice, go to register, see passed out woman on floor.  I did my ex-EMT thing which basically consisted of asking the register people to call someone; asking the woman hopefully pertinent questions about what happened, her day, and medical history; and being calm.  The being calm, along with giving some initial direction to the situation, were really the main things that I did.  Not that I can completely tell, but I think the woman will be fine.  Now I am going to use my ice, shower, and take a nap.

Stress check?

I feel confident that I'm not going to score in the bottom 14%ish for the state (failing).  And then I don't.  Waiting to take the bar is awful.  I'm done studying.  Kind of.  The general advice is to accept that you can't learn it all and I've long ago achieved that state of zen.  I accept that.  It's just that the embarrassment I'll feel from failing (and any effects on my career-everyone I know passed the first time) will be a much higher price to pay than the financial cost of taking the bar again.  Not to mention I'm not 100% clear on how failling would affect my current job (I start next month) since I'll be unlicensed.

So in the spirit of not sitting around my apartment dwelling on this further I'm driving to a 24 hour running race site tomorrow (the race is already underway) running a few laps to get in my long run and then volunteering.  I need to be around people.  They will ask about the bar but that's okay.  It won't last long as the dying ultra runners and relay teams quickly distract them.

This time next week I'll be in New Jersey on my way to DC on my way to OBX.  ROAD TRIP!  It will be a true vacation with nothing to do but read books, workout, party, and sit in the sun.  My parents have a blender at the beach that they bought when I was supposed to visit last summer while on a liquid diet (I never made it b/c I decided traveling would be too awful).  I am going to put that blender to much better use this summer :)  Alright, I'm off to read some law stuff before heading to bed early.

HAhahahahahahahah

I just got invited to go with a few local triathletes to (and participate in) IMFL 2010.  It was a shocking question.  Can I do an IM??  I guess I technically maybe could.  However, my level of desire for that is approximately 0.  I don't want to train night and day for an IM.  I don't want to trash my body.  I want to race (running and short triathlons) fast and often.  I just don't want to do an IM.  PLUS, I don't want to pay a coach and I have no idea what I'm doing.

It was very thoughtful of my friend to invite me.  He remembered that I wanted (please note past tense) to do an IM in 2010.  Florida would be a good choice b/c I can't do Lake Placid in 2010 b/c I can't go this weekend to sign up in person b/c I have to the bar exam next week.  Things changed though and I don't feel like it.  Maybe someday.  This reminded me of my other plans...having a baby in 2011.  The plan was IM 2010, baby 2011.  Yeah, I'm so not on board with that anymore.  TOOoooo sooooon.  As they say, life is what happens when you're busy making plans.  So true.

In non-baby related news, I killed my track workout last night.  I ran the whole thing solo.  The weather was pretty crappy and for the most part the faster runners in the club (and me) came out to track.  The fastest runners and the middle group that I'm in had different workouts and with no one else my speed in attendance I was on my own.  5X1000.  For the first 4 intervals I beat my goal time (4:20) by 10 seconds.  For the 5th I was over by 1 second.  Ooops.  I got tired.

OFF TO STUDY!!!

Hurts so good!

SPORtS MASSAGE!

I was due.  The massage hurt.  But not too much.  I think it was good to hopefully preventatively clear up some things that feel a bit nigglish but don't hurt.  In good news, my achilles seems to be feeling fine post-half mary for the first time in weeks.  My treatment consisted of 6 days off from running pre-triathlon which didn't quite seem to kick the problem (but maybe helped?) followed by a week of regular running, around the clock anti-inflammatories during that week, and plenty of icing including a VERY cold ice bath on Sunday for 12 minutes.  I didn't take any anti-inflammatories on Sunday night (and the previous ones had worn off by this morning) and I woke up fine!  Well, relatively.  My muscles were crazy sore (the route I did was hilly and I've been running exclusively on flat stuff for over a month to appease the ankle and achilles gods) but my achilles feels fine.  So I took one anti-inflammatory today (instead of 4) b/c I have anxiety about stopping :) but I'm feeling good in the achilles area.  YEEEEEEEEAH.

EDIT:  Um, I actually forgot the other treatment for my achilles which is admittedly weird but it wasn't until I started doing this that I got better.  I sleep on my stomach b/c IT'S AWESOME.  (I even have special pillows for people who sleep on their stomach.)  But when I do that my achilles is all squooshed up b/c my foot is flexed.  So I turned my pillows and top sheet around so I was sleeping with my foot against the headboard/wall so that my achilles was stretched out for at least a little bit until I moved.  Alternatively, I let my foot hang off the bed just so the achilles wasn't all squooshed and then tight in the morning when daily life activities (walking) required it to stretch back out.  So if you do that you too will cure your achilles problems.  Maybe :)  Also, this works out well b/c I sleep alone.  Good luck explaining this sleeping arrangement to your partner!

My run was awesome!!!

After a brutal 10-miler, a triathlon run bonk, and a cab ride home from my last long run I was starting to get a little worried.  This morning I took some precautions: an early 6:07 AM start time, elecotrolyty fluids stashed at the start of the loop run, and a NEW ROUTE.  I broke out my "Running in and Around Boston" book by Greg Wilmore that I bought 5 years ago when I was a Boston newbie.  It was gratifying to see that I've covered a bunch of the routes in the book and that I now understand where in metro-Boston all of the routes are.  As part of planning the route (Wilmore's run #23) I got into a text message convo with a running friend (I had questions) who lives near my destination and suddenly I had a running partner for my half-marathon-a running partner who knew the route and was willing to run at my pace.  He hasn't been running long distances recently and he really likes company when he runs so he was fine with our speed (which turned out to be 8:25 min/pace).  Booyah!

DID YOU NOTICE OUR PACE???  If I had run that at my last half marathon race I would have beat my time!  Confidence=marginally restored.

Then I had some ice bath goodness of course.

AND, I forgot to mention that B is running again!  After her knee surgery and PT she is back on the road.  YEAh!  We are planning an October 5K...um, with Patrick Dempsey.  But I am FOR SURE going exclusively to support B :)  Hehehe.

You know you're hanging with ironwomen when...

Woman #1:  How far are you biking after the swim?

Me:  I'm not.

Woman #2:  How far are you biking today?

Me:  0 miles.

Woman #3:  Thank god I'm tapering...it will be so nice to finally be done working out before 4 PM on a weekend.

We swim

Woman #3:  How far are you biking today?

Me:  Oh I'm not.

Walking to Parking Lot

Woman #3:  Are you SUUUURE you don't want to bike?

Me:  Nope.  But I'll drive next to all of you and hand things out of the car like in the Tour!

Woman #3:  Are you running now?

Me:  Nope!  I'm going home!!!

Woman #3:  (Somewhat wistfully? :)  Well, enjoy the rest of your day!!

-----

On the ride home I decided I decided I truly didn't feel lazy.  I ran 7 miles yesterday.  I'm running a half marathon tomorrow (training, not a race).  I'm NOT lazy.  I'm GRATEFUL I'm not ironman training :)  I have zero desire to train for one right now and I didn't feel like biking for two hours today.  I realize that's a far cry from my previous 2010 IM plan but that's the way it is.  And, honestly, I'm not sure how I could have a career and train for an IM.  I spend SOOO much time sleeping just from running!!

It's also good for me to swim with triathletes like I did this morning.  When I swim with my running teammates I feel pretty confident and I can definitely hang.  This mostly stems from the fact that I can swim :)  The triathletes schooled me.  I was in the pond with a recent male Kona qualifier, two women training for IMs, and a woman training for sprints and olympics.  All of them could swim loops around me.  It's humbling and it reinforces that if I want to improve at the sport there is a lot more that I could be doing.  (Or maybe I will never get better at swimming?  I guess I don't know!)  I was very much at the back of the pack.  Well, it's more accurate to say I could barely see the pack!

It's actually probably good I didn't bike with the women.  I'm very self-conscious about people having to wait for me b/c I'm slow on the bike.  I realize someone has to be the slowest in a group but I ride so infrequently I'm not sure how the whole regrouping thing works.  With my tired legs and lack of training it would not have been pretty and I would have just been stressed being with people looking to get a quality workout in.  So I came home, slept for four hours, did some practice essay questions, and am about to watch a movie :)

Neeeeed lunch

I feel like I talk about my accident all of the time.  Sorry!  However, besides the fact I'm still dealing with dental work and mental blocks (a triathlete who won't bike?  what?) I missed almost the entire 2008 running and tri seasons so it seems like it's been sooo long since I've done each thing I'm now doing.  Like, for example, running in the heat.  Except for the 80 degree GW 10-miler in DC, I forgot how awful it is!!  It was about 75 degrees when I left the house today and I was very motivated to get out the door b/c waiting was only going to make it hotter.  I have no desire or need to acclimate to heat.  I just want to enjoy running and I don't enjoy it when I'm hot.  I ran 7 miles at 8:55 min/mile pace.  It felt hot and not great.  I tried to remind myself that heat does affect performance, in me especially, and I am not in awful shape.  I feel much better cardiovascularly than after my 6 days off.  It took a few runs for me to get back in the running groove.  Now I'm just chilling.  I'm pretty bored.  I've hit the point of diminishing returns in my studying.  It may be time to clean up my place.  I even took out a calculator around 2 AM and tried to crunch some budget numbers.  All signs point to the fact that starting work will be a good thing.

Our alternative work schedule pond group

The pond was glorious.  The guys I've been swimming with have been going sans wetsuits for more than a month (b/c most don't have wetsuits) but today everyone was sans wetsuits.  It was awesome.  It's just an amazing feeling swimming without one.  I don't think I've been in the pond without one in almost two year years (b/c of my accident early in the '08 season) and maybe ever (b/c I used to swim alone so much when I was a new swimmer) so this was really cool.  I'm not going back this season!  Maybe I'll wear one in October if I'm still swimming outside :)  I also rocked my school tri jersey (the one in the profile pic at right).  I figured I'm not going to race in it anymore so I should get some use out of it.  I like it!  Plus, this way I have more tri clothes in the rotation :)

Hot up here

I went running today.  It was good.  It was 80 degrees at 7 PM.  It was hot!  I don't think I could ever live through another DC summer!!!  I miss it-but if I think Boston is hot...sheesh!  I am not made for DC.  I need a seasonal job where I can work in different locations depending on the time of year.  I'm so over studying for the bar.  I wish the test was tomorrow to be honest.

A guy with a girlfriend is hitting on me which grosses me out (i've met her!  she's cool!)  and there is a good chance the guy I'm trying to flirt with is gay.  Never a dull moment.  Well, that's not true.  Studying for the bar gets pretty dull.  That's why I'm BREAKING OUT OF THE APARTMENT and headed to the pond with my running peeps tomorrow.