Running Shorts

I got my valentine's day present!

For years I have wanted to sign up for one of those valentine's day races where you and your sig other race as a team.  And we're signed up!!!  It's a 5K and I don't exactly feel zippy but I guess I am going to concentrate on racing my way into shape, wearing fun red clothing, and racing with J4 (not that we will actually run together b/c that's not how we roll).

Yesterday we had a good long run out and back along the Mt. Vernon trail (12.8 miles) and then J4 and I went to the Newseum which may be the best museum I've ever been to.  People were moved to tears and the museum has tissues for patrons in the 9/11 exhibit.

Tonight J4 and I are meeting my sister and her bf and one other friend for games (pool, skee ball, darts, shuffleboard) at a local bar.  I also spent part of the day studying b/c I need a specific certification for my job.  It's actually pretty interesting but I can't believe I'm studying again!!!!!!

Training time

I hit up the track tonight for the first time in FOREVER b/c I am IN TOWN!!  My club was supposedly there but it was a giant mish mosh of people and I didn't see anyone I knew (and only guys faster than me anyway) until I was finished.  I ran 4X800 by myself in the 3:08-3:15 range and it felt pretty awesome to run fast.  J4 stopped by the track on his run and we ran back home together.

I am just so stoked to train.  On the planes home I read Duel in the Sun about the Boston Marathon and then the new book about the Hansons Brooks Project.  I just want to RUN!!!  And I want to run another marathon again.  Kind of.  I mean, I felt ROUGH at the 1/2 a week and a half ago and I really didn't want to run a marathon as I was finishing up that race.  Prior to that I thought maybe I would I would do a fall marathon this year (Richmond in November?).  But if I don't race until the fall I can't run Boston until 2014!!!!!  What what??  So nuts.  Also, the summer is hot here (J4 and I had to cut some of our runs short for safety) so maybe it's better to train for a marathon in the winter.  Not that I even know why I want to go back to Boston b/c the 15 downhill miles to start the race killed me.  But I do-of course.  Anywhoo, I am currently stoked to train hard.

Hawaiian Aleutian Standard Time...

...is not the same as Eastern Standard time.  It's three AM in Virginia and I'm awake eating pop tarts and duty free chocolate.  So while tomorrow is going to be rough, I'm happy to blog!  Here are some pics from our vacation.  We really did go in the water in HI but most of those pictures are on disposable waterproof cameras yet to be developed.  One additional note, J4 and I also DID run on Ali'l Drive in Kona (and Beth, we ate at Lava Java-twice!), though I am having trouble working with that pic at this late hour so it's not included.  That run was pretty awesome though.  Enjoy (and forgive my blunders if I get any of the geology wrong):

Just watching the volcano.  No big.

On cooled lava with the volcano in the background.

 

Volcanic activity at night.

At the summit of the Mauna Kea volcano at sunset.

There was an earthquake on Sunday.

(Very) post lava flow.

To prove we saw green and not just cooled lava:

Before sunrise on top of Diamond Head just outside of Waikiki.

Surviving HI

Injuries

Sprained thumb (J4-surfing)
Sore sternum (A-surfing)
Coral scrapes on feet (A-surfing)
Black sand in scrapes (A-visiting black sand beach)
Shoulder bruise (A-surfing)
Scratched eyeball (J4-surfing?)
Sore sides of feet (A-snorkeling)

But all gained through a bunch of fun activities!  Of the water sports I liked surfing best; J4 liked snorkeling.  I thought snorkeling was cool, but I was a little freaked out by the fish and coral.  Really.  Plus my flippers were tight which my feet did not like and I got really cold.  But I loved surfing.  J4 and I took a lesson off of Waikiki beach (the lesson was given by a crazy person) and we were with all of the other beginners on the island who were surfing and standup paddle boarding.  The water there is calm unlike on the North Shore which has crazy waves this time of year and is popular with people who know what they're doing in the water.

On Oahu, while I liked our hotel and being near restaurants at night, I liked getting out of Waikiki beach-where we and 8 million other people were staying-to see various parts of the island.  In addition to snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, I liked the North Shore (where it's apparently okay to just pull over on the side of the highway, park, and get in the ocean), Diamond Head, and our day trip to Kailua, HI.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that all over the island all beaches are public and there are public shower facilities.  On Friday, J4 and I hiked up Diamond Head and then went to Kailua to go kyaking.  Afterwards we drove to a park, left the car there, went running (hot and humid!), jumped in the ocean, rinsed off in the outside showers, changed in the changing rooms, and easily-and cleanly-went to lunch and to catch our flight.  It was awesome.

Last night we flew to the Big Island and drove to Volcano, HI, and went to see Kilauea (the volcano) glowing at night and then steaming this morning.  (Admission was free b/c it is the National Park's 100th birthday and it is Volcano Awareness Month.)  This afternoon we checked into our hotel in Kona, HI.  Hey, if you aren't going qualify for the triathlon word championships you have to take yourself there!  We were upgraded into a ridiculous suite b/c of my hotel status and we're staying in tonight to rest up and enjoy the suite!!!  I'm torn b/c I want to explore but I also want to sit in the hotel room and on our balconies.  :)  Pics of stuff forthcoming.  They are on regular cameras and disposable cameras and iphones and need to be consolidated!

Houston 1/2 Marathon

SAD PANDA.  I was disappointed not to PR.  I felt fit until a week ago, pre-food illness, and I trained HARD over the past few months.  Instead of besting my previous best, however, I rolled through today's cool and awesome finish line with a 1:36:19.  My PR from my hot and humid Labor Day VA Beach 1/2 marathon is 1:35:23.  Today stung.

But hey, even the pros didn't PR!  It's HARD TO DO (i tell myself)!  :)  I felt okay at the beginning and at mile two I shockingly passed a jogging Joanie.  At mile 6 as my bonk started (I didn't eat as much as usual last night or over the previous 4 days b/c I still feel a little sick) she passed me back with authority.  This was, of course, until just after the nine mile turnaround when she turned around again and ran back towards me after seeing a friend she wanted to run with.  She was out for a stroll this morning!

From around six miles on I was grimacing b/c my legs burned a little and I was bonking.  My race also did not consist of even pacing.  I had a "just under 8 minute mile" in there around mile 11, but the damage simply doesn't look so bad (to me) b/c I had a lot of earlier miles at 7 min/miles.  The last three miles I told myself to HOLD IT TOGETHER/PULL IT TOGETHER.

The highlight of this race for me was the final stretch where you turn onto the same long finish that the trials competitors used yesterday.  Today there were US and Texas flags lining that stretch and it was awesome to run through those.

So it was what it was.  Immediately post-race, a time I usually do not want to eat, I beelined for the race breakfast and had eggs and bread and sausage.  Audrey.  Food.  Need.  I got my sweet WOMEN'S-SPECIFIC finisher's tech tee and headed back to the hotel where results were already on-line.  This race was pretty great in the organization department.

I probably won't be back next year-we chose Houston b/c the trials were going on-but I will be at other 1/2 marathons and I will continue my fight for every second of speed :)

Olympic Trial Spectating

I am exhausted (and I didn't even run!) but just a note to memorialize the day.

This morning J4 and I (and every other runner in Houston) were up early to watch the Olympic Trials.  We were all goggly-eyed as we watched Shalane and Kara run around the corner right in front of us and then do strides back in forth mere feet away as people non-stop snapped camera and cell phone pics of them.  [They are just the tiniest people ever!]  Occasionally J4 would toss his camera to me and I would take pictures of him with other elite runners he recognized (the non-trials competing ones).  We saw two sprinters he is fans of and Brian Sell (3rd place in the trials in 2008).  [Brian wished me luck in my race the next day!]  J4's facial recognition for elite runners is unbelievable.  He was definitely the right person to stand next to at the race as strangers were listening to him reading from flotrack.org's continually updating feed and they were asking him questions about who was in the lead when the runners were out of sight.  He is also someone you want on your side if you're running.  My normally quiet boyfriend will cheer you on by your nickname or the state you're from, chant your college cheer, and/or yell happy birthday (if it's your birthday).  We definitely got a few smiles and chuckles from today's "back of the packers" and it was fun for me to watch the race with someone who knew more than me (or most people there) about the competitors.

Kara and Shalane pre-race (photo credit J4):

The Trials are just so cool to watch b/c you are literally RIGHT THERE and have an upfront and perfect view of the competition.  The loop course is amazing as you see the runners often and with the men's and women's race going on simultaneously there is always lots to watch.  Besides the elites, I really enjoyed watching the runners who were just happy to be competing in the OLYMPIC TRIALS!!  We did see a few tears, of course, from a couple of people who dropped out.

As for my upcoming race: In the food realm J4 has been good to me a I regain my strength from my food poisoning.  Last night my dinner showed up completely fried and he switched dishes with me (I don't eat fried food even when I'm healthy) and right now he is out picking up dinner for us b/c i don't want to walk around anymore before my race.  I am toasted from today.

I can eat more now though, I am getting less and less dehydrated, and a night of good sleep has left me feeling a lot better.  Due to the food poisoning I lost the confidence I had in my ability to run a fast race tomorrow, but I honestly also have a different perspective.  I am SOOO HAPPY to quickly be so far from that low (low) night on the bathroom floor that I am thankful for my health and tomorrow will be a good day.  But no pre-race excuses!  I am certainly going to go out and try my hardest and I am going out at goal pace until my body lets me know otherwise that's a bad idea.

A last note...I am in the first corral tomorrow.  Yup...I was a lot worried about something that turned out to be a non-issue.

Mile 9:

well i'm ready for vacation

I'm headed out soon and I can't wait to get away.  I've been working a lot which hasn't been so bad...EXCEPT...I spent Tuesday night lying on my hotel bathroom floor violently ill and Wednesday also in the hotel convalescing from food poisoning.  OMG.  I have been hurt before, but I've never been as sick as that.  In a way my body is kind of amazing b/c it quickly reacted to make sure the toxins got out of my system.  In another way, god it was awful.

So I'm at (below) race weight!  But I'm really weak.  I lost 4 pounds.  I still can't eat much and don't have an appetite and I'm just...well, weak.  My 4 mile run this morning was hard.

And with that J4 and I are off to Houston, TX (to run a 1/2 marathon?!?), and then HI!

HI!

I'm tapering.  Since I last wrote I've been running with my morning group and w/ J4.  That was fun while it lasted (the duration of my vacation).  On Friday I ran in Philly by myself which was probably good since I could run as slowly as I wanted to!  :)  Plus, I really like running in Philly.  Yesterday's run w/ my running club was awful.  It was the worst route up and down every hill in Arlington, VA, and I told J4 no less than 10 times over the 8 miles how much I hated it.  Today we rest.

It's so exciting J4 and I will be in Houston, TX, in on Friday!!  Then, a week from tomorrow, we'll be in HI!!!!!!!!!!  I'm going on vacation and it's different than x-mas vacation where my co-workers all know that everyone is kind of sort of around.  Here, plane tickets are purchased, hotels (with hotel points!) are booked, and I am leaving the continental US!

The New Year is Off to a Good Start

J4 and I have a lot of really wonderful and healthy quotes from living together that he'll kill me for sharing with you but the best of which is probably, "It's not nagging if you're right."  I won't share who first spoke that gem, though it hardly matters as we both like to throw it out there now!  Things are going well.  We've both been on vacation and/or working from home/sleeping at random times (one of us is usually asleep) which has been laid back and has given us a chance to take turns putting the apartment together.

Yesterday my body said THANK YOU AUDREY for the rest day!  I needed some sleep and my legs needed some not running.  Today I joined a few people from the morning run crew for an afternoon run and it was a really good run for me.  They (all guys) were going to do a tempo run and I was prepared to be dropped once that started but I managed to keep up with one guy and he and I generally held low to mid 7s.  I was running controlled and I very happy with those times.  Plus, this group likes to stop a lot (for water or stairs they don't like to run up) so that gave me a chance to regroup with them.

And now I really will start tapering more!  Back to work tomorrow.  It has been a great vacation with some much needed time off and at home.