IT Bands Suck

Week 12: First Half Marathon Training
Goal Total Miles: 23 miles
Actual Total Miles: 20 miles

Yep. Short. No excuses. Just short.

Ok, one excuse. After that awesome long run last week with the pink ladies I couldn't walk on Monday. Yes, I was a bit sore on Sunday after my run, but on Monday it was seriously sore. My week consisted of - rolling, icing, compressing, elevating, stretching and Advil-ing.

By mid-week I was able to put together three short runs at best. I babied my knee so I could run the Hot Chocolate 15k in Atlanta on Saturday. I ran. I didn't run well, but I did run. I'll post a full recap in a couple of days, but needless to say I can say I crossed the finish line without blowing out my knee. I guess that's what you call success.

I really don't know where my running mojo has gone. I think it might be nerves more than anything. Running has really become a mental challenge for me lately. I need to embrace this as a test - a mental exercise.

MoJo Go Go

Week 11: Half Marathon Training
Goal Total Miles: 24 miles

Actual Total Miles: 27 miles

Well, I think I may have made up those 3 miles I slacked off on two weeks ago. That makes me feel better. I'm not sure why, but it does.

This week I lost my running mojo. I started the new year off right with a commitment 10k New Year's morning with 10 other local runners. I even ran with the boys for miles three to five. I held my own even if I couldn't keep up with their pace at the end. I secretly think they sped up so a girl wouldn't beat them. :)

But my scheduled runs on Thursday and Friday were absolutely torture for me. I put them both off until the last possible second - as in there's only 45 minutes worth of daylight left so you better put your shoes on and get to it. I hated every moment of both of those runs. I just didn't want to do it, but I did. I tell you, my running mojo has a way of leaving just when it is needed the most.

Sunday's long run was a lot of fun with four ladies, all dressed in some form of pink, which was totally unplanned. Twelve miles at a 9:38 pace is a new record for me. I'm hopeful that I will be able to pull out an even faster pace for my race next week. But I can't count on any pace right now thanks to a very unhappy right knee. Yep, the whole run on Sunday my knee was angry with me. It felt like my knee strap that I continue to wear after fighting through runner's knee earlier this year was rubbing the outside of my knee in a weird place. Somewhere between miles nine and twelve, I either stopped thinking about it or it was numb.

Monday morning was not fun. I was really uncomfortable. My research says it is probably an IT Band issue. I do have pain sometimes in my right hip/bum area and this pain is on the outside of my knee, hurting more when I go downstairs instead of up. Perfect timing for an injury with a 15K coming up this Sunday and a half the next Saturday.

I've been RICEing and rolling the heck out of it to see if it will help. I've seen some improvement between Sunday and today (Tuesday). I did take the day off today and I will attempt to run on it tomorrow morning or afternoon. Fingers and toes crossed I'll be functional tomorrow.

Last Long Run of 2012

Week 10: Half Marathon Training

The fearless threesome at mile seven.

Goal Total Miles: 23 miles
Actual Total Miles: 24 miles

I'm slowly but surely making up those five miles I missed in Week 8. So far so good with my new Garmin 410. I had a little trouble getting it set up for my first run, but it was total user error and not a problem with the watch itself. While I have no idea what I'm supposed to be watching for when it comes to my heart rate, it is an interesting piece of data to have and a nice way to track how many of those Christmas calories I'm burning.

This week's long run was a threesome for the first seven miles. Faith, my 5k partner in crime, is training for the Princess Half and she is up to seven miles on her long run. It was awesome to have an extra on our route, despite the crazy cold wind that was blowing at 20 mph. Those last three miles with the wind in my face were not fun, but as Andrea often reminds me, "you can't control the weather on race day." Well, I've practiced in the wind now.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

I was one of those annoying kids who woke my parents up crazy early every Christmas. I'm sure they hated me.

As an adult without children, I enjoyed sleeping in on Christmas morning and then I treated myself to a quiet run throughout the neighborhood.

I loved seeing all the surprises Santa had delivered while I was catching some extra Zs. In my brief four mile loop I saw a trampoline, an awesome purple bike and a dad and daughter doing a little target practice with a new bow and arrow. I had a number of Christmas surprises in my lifetime. Probably one of the best was when I was four or five and I received my first puppy, in a basket, with a bow - a dachshund that I named Ginger.

This year, Santa brought me a Garmin Forerunner 410 with a heart rate monitor. I'm pretty psyched to upgrade from my MotoActv, which has decided to have an attitude lately and add a heart rate monitor into the mix of data. I think I read hundreds of reviews about the 410 before making a decision. You know, sometimes too much information is a bad thing. Some people love the touch bezel while others thought it was the dumbest thing ever created. I came to the conclusion that the touch bezel wasn't that big of a deal for me and if I hated it, I'd send it back. This review was a huge help for me in choosing the right watch for me.

And while I've not written a movie review recently, we've been seeing films like they are going out of style. I think for the first time we won't be scrambling to see a film when the Oscar nominations come out in January.

Happy Holidays!

Let's Go Pats!

Week 9: Half Marathon Training

Goal Total Miles: 18 miles

Let's Go Pats!

Actual Total Miles: 19 miles

Well, I made up a mile this week on last week's total. I thought I'd be able to make up a few more since this was a scheduled low mileage week, but travel plans and work commitments prevented this. C'est la vie.

I love football. High school football, college football, pro football - I love it all. I love good defense. I love hard hits. I love seeing the QB sacked - well, anyone other than Tom Brady. That's right, we're Patriots fans. The husband is from Boston, so it's expected. 

We took a weekend road trip to see the Pats play the Jacksonville Jaguars. Without actual tickets to the game, we figured we could easily find a couple of great seats by trolling the tailgating area. It took an hour or so, but we managed to find a nice lady trying to get rid of a couple of awesome seats. 

I cheered on handsome Tommy and the poorly performing Patriots defense to a down-to-the-wire victory drinking a couple of fancy liquor drinks out of plastic mason jars. Cute, right? 

Epic Fail

Week 8: Half Marathon Training

Happy 11th Birthday Ren!

Goal Total: 22 miles
Actual Total: 17 miles

Yep. A whopping five miles short this week. It just goes to show you that having a running partner makes a huge difference.

It was horribly foggy this morning and we just didn't feel like it was safe for us to be out and about on the roads. Safety first - right? So, my long run was shortened to a solo six miler around my neighborhood. Bah humbug.

I did see this cool sign that a family had made to wish their eleven year old a very happy birthday. I don't know if the sign rolled down with the garage door, or if they put it up there to surprise Ren when he/she pulled into the driveway. And how cool is the name Ren, by the way?

The Dirty Snowman

Week 7: Half Marathon Training

Goal Total Miles: 21 miles

Andrea and Frankie - two thumbs up!

Actual Total Miles: 21 miles

That makes two weeks in a row meeting goal miles. That has to be a record, right? 

Each run was faster than the plan suggested - well I think it was. My watch screwed up early in my run on Thursday, so I really don't have any idea of what pace I was running. So much for speed work. After I pouted like a five year old, I got over the fact I couldn't track my pace and just focused on getting in the miles for the day. My MotoActv has an attitude - and it needs an adjustment.

This week's holiday photo bomb is of Andrea and Frankie the Dirty Snowman. This lawn ornament was probably white at one point in its existence, but this guys is a long way from white now. I guess you really can't launder these blowup decorations. Frankie teaches us a valuable lesson about being selective when it comes to choosing the right holiday blowup character for your yard. One day, not to far down the road, Frosty won't be white anymore and you'll either have to trash him or continue to drag him out every year and face the embarrassment of a dirty decoration on your lawn. 

I'm guessing next year, that santa bear will be sporting a nice gray hue. At least Frankie won't be alone.  

Holiday Running

Week 6: Half Marathon Training

Vintage decorations rock!

Goal Total Miles: 20 miles
Actual Total Miles: 20 miles

Right on track. My speed work really helped my 5k time on Saturday - do doubt. I kinda look forward to those mid-week runs on the schedule. However, I really shouldn't make the mistake to run really hard on the day before a long run day. My legs really hated me on Sunday afternoon - and today.

Andrea and I have decided that we are going to take a picture with someone's holiday decorations each week on our long runs. Our first picture is of me in a johnny boat with a snowman circa 1971. What you cannot see is the blue lights they have placed under the boat that represents water when everything is illuminated.

Despite the fact I was sitting next to a snowman, I was sweating like it was July. Where did the winter go?

My Personal Turkey Trot

Gobble, Gobble!

Week 5: Half Marathon Training
Goal Total Miles: 15 miles
Actual Total Miles: 16 miles

Whoo hoo! I exceeded expectations this week in spite of the turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, corn casserole and cobbler I put into my body this week.

Blow up lawn ornaments crack me up. It seems that every holiday now has blow up decorations. I think I've seen every version of Christmas blow ups available. This Halloween I saw a giant blow up spider on a lawn. But I'd never seen a turkey before - until our long run last Sunday. Yep, a blow up turkey. Full out gobbler. Awesome.

I also appreciate that the family included Veteran's Day in their display by adding the American flag and the Air Force plaque (which you can't really see here). This house is on our normal 10+ route, so I'm kinda excited to see what they bust out with for Christmas. I mean, if you invest in a blow up turkey, you must have some serious commitment to Christmas decorations, right?

Light More Homes 5k

We rock Christmas socks

Light More Homes 5k 
November 17, 2012, Macon, GA
25:50 - 3rd in age group

I love a cute race shirt. If it is a tech shirt - even better, but to me if I spend $20, $25 or in the case of this race $30 - on a race it should have a cute shirt to offer participants. In spite of the expensive entry fee, the shirts for this race were absolutely ugly. There's really no nice way to say it. While it was a tech shirt, the very large gray fabric with black, red, yellow, green and blue primary colors and a list of sponsors a mile long on the back will be going to the very bottom of my running drawer.

The money is going to a good cause (Habitat for Humanity), so the shirt really shouldn't matter. But what this organization failed to realize is that the 300 people who ran this race and got this shirt would probably wear it in public and advertise your organization year-round if it were somewhat attractive.

Note to all race organizers - post a picture and the measurements of the shirt on your registration site.

Faith and I wore festive holiday socks for this race. Have you ever tried to find pink Christmas socks? I mean, red and green would clash horribly with my hot pink shoes so those weren't really an option. I did find two pair believe it or not and I'm wearing the others in December for the Reindeer Run.

As far as my time is concerned - the clock said 25:41 when I crossed the finish line. They posted 25:50 as my official time. My watch said 25:45. I guess the truth lies within there somewhere. The course wasn't easy - two laps of the same route with three large hills. I'm not a fan of running the same route twice, especially when there are challenging hills. I mean I ran them once - wasn't that enough?

I think I may skip this race next year and spend my money on a turkey trot somewhere.

Week 4: Half Marathon Training
Goal Total Miles: 19 miles
Actual Total Miles: 20 miles

See, I told you I'd make up that mile I was short on last week.  I'm listening to an audio book right now while I run - Defending Jacob by William Landay. I'm lucky to live in an area where you can check out audio downloads to your iPod from the library. The only downside is that you have 14 days to finish listening to it, which can be challenging if your book is 50 hours long. I find that days when I have to long run alone, it helps keep my brain busy and I don't look at my watch as often.

I Run For: Crack Dip

Top Left: App State wins.
Right: Roxy and I enjoy the Greenway.
Bottom Left: Kev and I during pre-game festivities.

Week 3: Half Marathon Training
Goal Total Miles: 18 miles
Total Miles: 17 miles

Yeah, I'm a mile short this week. I didn't map out my long run quite right.  I'll make it up next week. Nothing more to see here.

We went to my favorite part of the world this week for a family reunion/tailgate/Appalachian State University football game. Family reunions that involve sports, alcohol and food are the only type of family reunions I want to go to.

My contribution for the event included a simple pasta salad, crappy box brownies, and my signature tailgate crack dip. Just make it - you'll find out why it's called crack dip. Be sure to have lots of crackers on hand. You'll thank me later.

Tailgate Crack Dip
16 oz sour cream
1 packet of Fiesta Ranch dressing mix
3 oz bacon bits (the real kind in the bag)
1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 to 3 tsp hot sauce (optional if you like hot stuff)
1 green onion sliced thin (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Mix everything together and refrigerate for 24 hours. I like to serve it hot if I'm at home. Just heat in the oven at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Add a little extra shredded cheddar on top before you put it in the oven for extra yumminess. Enjoy!

Source link to original recipe that I've gussied up for my own taste.

Cotton Pickin' Cotton Picker!

This is a John Deere Cotton Bailer. 

Week 2: Half Training
Goal Total Miles: 17 miles
Actual Total Miles: 12.5 miles

Yep, that 14.5 miler killed me last Sunday. I wasn't prepared for the distance. I hadn't built up to that distance. I wore my legs out - period. Those extra six miles I ran last week will have to apply to this week. It all counts, right?

Today's long run was interrupted by this cotton bailer. We had to stop our watches and make our way to a church parking lot to let this darn thing pass. If you are dying to know how this thing works, here's a video of one in action - not the same model but it does the same thing. You know you run in the country when a cotton pickin' cotton picker interrupts your run.

Birthday Run

Happy Early 43rd Birthday Andrea!

Week 1: Half Marathon Training
Goal: 17 miles
Achieved: 23.5 miles

Half marathon training officially started this week. I have a print out from Smart Coach on Runner's World that is coffee and food stained as I review it daily over breakfast. The weekly mileage doesn't scare me. The long runs don't scare me. I really need to not focus on how fast I'm running and just focus on taking care of business.

The weather is crazy. While you would think it is cool in October in Georgia - it isn't. Thank you global warming. It's humid and still 65 degrees in the morning. I shouldn't complain since it was 80 in the mornings most of this summer, but still - the leaves should be yellow and I should be able to unpack my sweaters from under my bed.

This is me in an ice bath post 14.5 miles
with my Click protein drink on ice

My running partner, Andrea, wanted to celebrate her 43 birthday by running 43 miles this week. She and her husband both accomplished this feat, although he planned and started with a full 7 days to get his miles in. Andrea is a procrastinator believes in a good challenge, and decided to give herself 5 days to get her miles in. So we set out today to do 10 and then it turned into 12 which turned into 14.5.

Yes, I do love her - my legs might not after tomorrow, but she's that much closer to her goal of 43 miles by Thursday, November 1. I am proud to be a part of such a journey.