Two weeks until my race...actually, two weeks until I am recovering from race day. That means I'll wake up feeling like I got hit by a Mack Truck in a hotel room in Montana. If I'm not ready by now, I'm not going to be, but you know what?
I'm ready.
This morning, Cameron and I woke up at 4:41 AM before the alarm went off (that never happens). Since Cam sleeps diagonally across the bed with her head on the pillow beside me, I already had one foot on the floor when I woke up. As I trudged over to my phone to check the time, I figured I might as well hit the gym early and get in my 5 miles I should have run yesterday. Instead of running yesterday, I was busy helping my new roommate move in, putting together a new grill/patio furniture and running errands.
I couldn't think of a better way to start my day than a good run.
I threw on a pot of coffee before heading out the door, as Cam rolled her eyes at me and groaned sleepily (I swear, she acts more and more like a human every day).
As I was running, I started thinking about this year...I was thinking about how I never thought the marathon would get here and the whirlwind my Winter/Spring/Early Summer has been. You know when you're little and you always say you're a half year older than you really are (or round up to the next year)? It seems like time passes so slowly when you're a little kid, but it's exactly the opposite. I feel like I blinked in January and now, it's almost July.
Tomorrow, Cam turns a year old! I can't believe it - told you how quickly time passes.
Anyway...those are just my random thoughts today.
Happy running!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Kindness of Strangers
I haven't felt particularly inspired lately, but yesterday, something happened to me that completely changed my day.
As most (if not all) of you know, I'm from the South, and if there's one thing we pride ourselves on, it's our hospitality, kindness and overall goodwill. That's not something I see very often here in Washington. D.C. is in a sort of "no man's land" geographically - I wouldn't call it the North by any means, but there's not much Southern about the city either. An old friend of mine once wisely said: "Washington has the charm of the North and the efficiency of the South."
C'mon, you guys are smart...it shouldn't take you very long to figure that out. Aha! I see the lightbulb going off now.
Yesterday, I left work late as usual, and as I was walking out, it began to drizzle. I didn't carry an umbrella in to work yesterday but a little rain never hurt this girl! I wasn't going to melt, so I walked on, actually enjoying the fine mist on my skin. The further I got away from my job (and any sort of shelter), the harder it began to rain. Now, my work isn't very far from Metro, but in a complete deluge, a few blocks seems like 3 miles. By the time I reached 7th Street, I was soaked to the bone and a rather unhappy camper. I stood on the corner waiting for the "WALK" signal with my head down and droplets of rain running down my nose.
"You look like you could use a friend," a voice said from behind me. About that time, not one but TWO umbrellas covered my head. I was in the middle of an umbrella sandwich, flanked by a lady with a hot pink umbrella on one side and a polka dot umbrella on the other.
"Yeah, I could use a friend with an umbrella," I said, smiling. And on we marched to Metro, a multi-colored canopy above my head.
I might not have gotten those ladies' names, but I will never forget how their small gesture changed my whole attitude. Thank God for the kindness of strangers.
Happy running!
As most (if not all) of you know, I'm from the South, and if there's one thing we pride ourselves on, it's our hospitality, kindness and overall goodwill. That's not something I see very often here in Washington. D.C. is in a sort of "no man's land" geographically - I wouldn't call it the North by any means, but there's not much Southern about the city either. An old friend of mine once wisely said: "Washington has the charm of the North and the efficiency of the South."
C'mon, you guys are smart...it shouldn't take you very long to figure that out. Aha! I see the lightbulb going off now.
Yesterday, I left work late as usual, and as I was walking out, it began to drizzle. I didn't carry an umbrella in to work yesterday but a little rain never hurt this girl! I wasn't going to melt, so I walked on, actually enjoying the fine mist on my skin. The further I got away from my job (and any sort of shelter), the harder it began to rain. Now, my work isn't very far from Metro, but in a complete deluge, a few blocks seems like 3 miles. By the time I reached 7th Street, I was soaked to the bone and a rather unhappy camper. I stood on the corner waiting for the "WALK" signal with my head down and droplets of rain running down my nose.
"You look like you could use a friend," a voice said from behind me. About that time, not one but TWO umbrellas covered my head. I was in the middle of an umbrella sandwich, flanked by a lady with a hot pink umbrella on one side and a polka dot umbrella on the other.
"Yeah, I could use a friend with an umbrella," I said, smiling. And on we marched to Metro, a multi-colored canopy above my head.
I might not have gotten those ladies' names, but I will never forget how their small gesture changed my whole attitude. Thank God for the kindness of strangers.
Happy running!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Swimming Laps
I've been woefully negligent in updating my blog. Truth is, I can't blame my server this time or travel...I really don't have a good excuse. Call it the doldrums of training or the heat of summer (supposed to hit the century mark today), but I've been a total slacker. Oh well.
Let me see if I can catch you up to speed.
After my travels to Korea (I still owe you guys one last post), I hit a little speedbump with my training. Either I couldn't get out of bed or if I did, I didn't sleep well enough to get a good run. Then, Memorial Day Weekend came along, and yes, I ran...but it was hot and I certainly didn't push myself hard enough. If I were in a pool, I wouldn't be drowning, but I wouldn't be swimming laps either - let's say I was "treading water" with my running. With roughly a month to go until the Missoula Marathon (admit it, you guys thought I'd never get there), treading water just wasn't going to cut it. I needed to get back on track. And fast.
That's what this past week has been for me. I've worked hard to rededicate myself to my training schedule and reestablish my wounded work ethic, in addition to putting in the necessary miles. Sometimes it's more than the miles - it's the attitude with which you run that's important.
Sunday marked the first 20 mile run in my training, and thank God, it was a (slightly) cooler, overcast day. I set out from my apartment for the Mount Vernon Trail thinking I might run a loop or wuss out before I reached Mt. Vernon, but no, I made it all the way! After a few weeks of slackerdom, I had no idea that I would actually reach my destination. Now, I'm not saying that I ran it fast (slow would be the understatement of the year), but actually finishing was quite an accomplishment. In all honesty, I still had some "gas in the tank" at the end of my run, which is a very good sign!
I have one more 20 miler before race day, and I can use that run to work on my speed and pacing. I need to figure out when I should use my energy gels, where I should conserve energy and when I should go all out.
Running this race "blind" (without having seen/run the course before) will have its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages are easy to name. I won't know what to expect; I won't have landmarks; I'll be traveling across the country to the race; I'll be running at altitude...the list goes on and on. But a major advantage is that the course will be new to me, and I will be exploring the whole time. Anyone that knows me is well aware that I'm infinitely curious, and that may be a big plus since I've never run this course before.
This weekend, I'm running the Lawyers Have Heart 10K in D.C. Saturday morning, then running 13 miles on Sunday. I am really looking forward to my runs this weekend. You know you're wired differently when 13 miles seems like a Sunday stroll to you. I guess that's just being in the marathon mindset.
Over the next few weeks, I will begin developing a packing list and do my final shopping for race day. My plane ticket has been purchased, hotel reservation made, days taken off work, etc., so it looks like I'm actually going (you know it's not real until you are standing in the airport wondering what you've gotten yourself into)! I still haven't found the perfect shirt for the marathon, I need to buy energy gels, new socks, possibly a lightweight pullover...you know how it is. If given the opportunity, I would buy three possible outfits for the race, but I'm going to try to use some self control.
I'm rambling now...but you can see that I have a lot to do before I'm sneakers on the ground in Montana. It should be an interesting few weeks - stay tuned.
Happy running!
Let me see if I can catch you up to speed.
After my travels to Korea (I still owe you guys one last post), I hit a little speedbump with my training. Either I couldn't get out of bed or if I did, I didn't sleep well enough to get a good run. Then, Memorial Day Weekend came along, and yes, I ran...but it was hot and I certainly didn't push myself hard enough. If I were in a pool, I wouldn't be drowning, but I wouldn't be swimming laps either - let's say I was "treading water" with my running. With roughly a month to go until the Missoula Marathon (admit it, you guys thought I'd never get there), treading water just wasn't going to cut it. I needed to get back on track. And fast.
That's what this past week has been for me. I've worked hard to rededicate myself to my training schedule and reestablish my wounded work ethic, in addition to putting in the necessary miles. Sometimes it's more than the miles - it's the attitude with which you run that's important.
Sunday marked the first 20 mile run in my training, and thank God, it was a (slightly) cooler, overcast day. I set out from my apartment for the Mount Vernon Trail thinking I might run a loop or wuss out before I reached Mt. Vernon, but no, I made it all the way! After a few weeks of slackerdom, I had no idea that I would actually reach my destination. Now, I'm not saying that I ran it fast (slow would be the understatement of the year), but actually finishing was quite an accomplishment. In all honesty, I still had some "gas in the tank" at the end of my run, which is a very good sign!
I have one more 20 miler before race day, and I can use that run to work on my speed and pacing. I need to figure out when I should use my energy gels, where I should conserve energy and when I should go all out.
Running this race "blind" (without having seen/run the course before) will have its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages are easy to name. I won't know what to expect; I won't have landmarks; I'll be traveling across the country to the race; I'll be running at altitude...the list goes on and on. But a major advantage is that the course will be new to me, and I will be exploring the whole time. Anyone that knows me is well aware that I'm infinitely curious, and that may be a big plus since I've never run this course before.
This weekend, I'm running the Lawyers Have Heart 10K in D.C. Saturday morning, then running 13 miles on Sunday. I am really looking forward to my runs this weekend. You know you're wired differently when 13 miles seems like a Sunday stroll to you. I guess that's just being in the marathon mindset.
Over the next few weeks, I will begin developing a packing list and do my final shopping for race day. My plane ticket has been purchased, hotel reservation made, days taken off work, etc., so it looks like I'm actually going (you know it's not real until you are standing in the airport wondering what you've gotten yourself into)! I still haven't found the perfect shirt for the marathon, I need to buy energy gels, new socks, possibly a lightweight pullover...you know how it is. If given the opportunity, I would buy three possible outfits for the race, but I'm going to try to use some self control.
I'm rambling now...but you can see that I have a lot to do before I'm sneakers on the ground in Montana. It should be an interesting few weeks - stay tuned.
Happy running!
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