Call Me Mrs. Maybe

Latest Workouts:

Saturday: 9.5 mi/ 1:34:21 - wicked hot even early
Monday: 3.85 mi/ 37.26 - raining

Who's the dork with the fanny pack under her boobs? 

Long run Saturday was a bit more painful than last week. I struggled most of the way. I don't know why. Maybe it was because we left an hour later than usual. Maybe it was because there was no cloud cover and by 7:30 it was 80ºF. Maybe it was because I was PMSing. Who knows. But I just didn't feel as strong as I did last week.

Maybe it it was my new running belt that I trotted out for the first time on Saturday morning. I looked at 100 different types all week and if I had just made a decision and ordered one on Monday I would have had it in time for my long run on Saturday, but I screwed around and waited until the last minute and had to make do with what they had at Dicks Sporting Goods. I could have just run without one, of course. I did last week, but I had it in my head that I needed a belt and I was going to have one.

Dessert Shroom

It's an okay belt. It holds stuff. The problem is I can't figure out where to wear it comfortably. I started off with it on my waist, but it kept bouncing or creeping up and it drove me crazy. So I tightened it as much as I could around my mid-section and it was comfortable there, but I looked ridiculous (see photo evidence). I used it again this morning and tried to wear it lower on my hips but it didn't stay put. Maybe one day this week I'll figure it out.

Today's "recovery run" was supposed to be 2 miles, but it felt so nice out this morning with the rain and the cloudy sky, I just did as much as I felt like at whatever pace I wanted. It was more than 2 miles, but it was a good run. Check out this weird mushroomI spotted in my neighbor's yard. It looks like flan or creme brulee to me.

Long Run Fun

Latest Workouts:

Saturday: Long Run - 9.8 mi/1:40:38

We are still smiling post-run!

Monday: Recovery Run - 2.56 mi/ 23:45


While looking at "the plan" on Thursday afternoon for the impending long run on Saturday, I started to freak out. I'd not run farther than 7 miles all summer, and that was in NC in July where it was cool and lovely. Not in Georgia where it is hot and muggy all the time. Thank goodness I have a wonderful neighbor, Andrea, who is a superwoman, marathon runner. She invited me to tag along with her on her l2 miler. I only needed to do 8, but decided to stick with her as long as I could.

Love my Pro Compression socks

I never thought I could run 10 miles (I did run an additional .2 to make it an even 10, but I'd shut my watch off by then so it didn't track it). I certainly know that I couldn't have done it without Andrea. We had fantastic weather at 5:30a and I loved having company. If I had to do 10 miles alone, I'm pretty sure I would have gone bananas. We are both chatty, so the conversation kept my mind off the actual mileage.

I came home, soaked in an ice bath for 10 minutes, drank some low fat chocolate milk, and slid on my Pro Compression socks for the rest of the afternoon. Sunday morning, my legs felt great. No soreness in my legs of any kind. The tendinitis in my feet is bothering me today, but I plan to soak my tootsies in an ice bath this afternoon so maybe it will help.

Brooks Pure Cadence

I was pretty proud of myself all weekend. I needed to run that far for a number of reasons, the most important being my mental state. The self-doubt that I could actually run 13.1 miles is fading into the background quickly.

The short recovery run on Monday was used to break in my new Brooks Pure Cadence. I love the pink color, although I think the pink socks and pink shoes might be a difficult combo to pull off, so the next sale they have at Pro Compression, I think a pair of black and white socks will be in my basket.

Movie Review: Bernie

This movie is actually a true story of a Texas funeral director who befriends a wealthy widow and ends up killing her. While that's the general plot, there's so much more to this story. Jack Black, who is genius in this role, plays Bernie and Shirley MacLain plays the widow. Black's performance is award-worthy. Director, Richard Linklater's documentary style approach to this scripted dark comedy makes you feel like you are one of the towns people enjoying some juicy gossip. Incredibly funny in so many ways, this is a quirky film that will tug on your heart strings in unexpected ways. Free Bernie! A-

Compressed

Yesterday's Run:
3.68 mi/ 32 min

I know I didn't post Saturday's run. I'll sum it up for you - it sucked. I was slow. It was hot. I just didn't feel like I had any energy. I ran 2 miles, walked a full mile and then ran another 2.5. It just wasn't my day. But Monday's run made up for that. I've been told that the bad runs only make you appreciate the good ones even more. That is true. For the first time since early June, I ran close to my typical 5k pace on a regular weekday run.

I've never been so thankful to see 8-somethings on my MotoActv. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever run faster than a 9 min mile again. I was pretty much convinced that it wasn't going to happen. I know none of this is rational, but it was starting to bring me down. Yesterday's run helped my confidence.

Today I purchased my first pair of PRO Compression socks. My dad had a circulatory disease, so I'm quite familiar with medical compression socks. These are not those ugly, white, smelly socks like I remember. These are pink and awesome and on sale. I've read so much about them but they just weren't in the running equipment budget at $50 a pair. Today they were half off - score!

I think I will start wearing these as a recovery aid until I start seriously training for my half or until it gets under 65 degrees on my morning runs. But they may be too cute to wait to wear.