The Running Red Sox Fan

Race Report

2006-10-15T09:03:00.000-06:00

Where to begin......

I headed down to Hartford on Friday afternoon with Work Friend and some people from her training group who were also running the race. We picked up our packets, drove the course and headed to dinner. We went back to the hotel to prepare for the race. My sister and son arrived later that night. We made some signs and then I went to bed. I changed NOTHING in my routine. I ate a light pasta dinner, drank like a fish all week and took my 2 Immodiums before bed time. I was feeling good!
Woke up, got ready and we all headed to the starting line. It was a cool 38 degrees out! Freezing!!! We went to the port-a-potties and headed over to the start. I met up with my Running Club Friend, who decided that she was going to run with a pace group....this now left me all alone to run this race. I was OK with that, I had gotten used to running and pacing myself with Running Club Friend, but I was prepared enough to do it on my own. I felt confident.

I was looking around for the Orange Hat, but she was no where to be found!

The gun sounded and off I went. It was cold, very cold. I had on a jacket and gloves. The first mile was pretty crowded, just kind of trotting along, warming up. Mile 2 came and went and once I got to mile 3, I had to pee again. I wasn't too concerned with this slowing me down. It was still rather crowded on the streets. I popped into a port-a-pottie, peed and off I went.

Mile 4 - Smooth Sailing - At this point I could see the winners of the half heading back to the finish.....whew-wee are they fast! Amazing.

Mile 5 - Going strong, feeling good.

My sister and my son were setting up camp at Miles 6 and 12, which were just across the street from each other. Miles 4 - 15 were a two lane street with runners headed out on one side, and headed back on the other.

Mile 6 - I see my sister and son, it was so nice to have them there. I didn't stop. I ran by, dropped my jacket and gloves and my sister handed me a pack of Fig Newtons. I have been training with Fig Newtons since the beginning, and usually eat them about an hour into my run.

I usually run with my head down, but since I could see all the other runners making there way back from the turn around, I was watching in amazement at how fast they were. It helped pass the time.

CELEBRITY ALERT - ....and no, I am not talking about Dean Karnazes, although I did see him too. Here I am between Miles 6 and 7, watching the ground and I look up.....and running right towards me on the opposite side of the street, I see an Orange Hat!! Could it be? Is it really her? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? As this "hat" starts getting closer to me, I realize that it is the one and only Running Chick with the Orange Hat. I give a little wave and a shout out "Hey Running Chick"....she turns and acknowledges.....I tried to get out a "Hey it's me, the Running Red Sox Fan"....but she was FLYING!!! She must of had wings on her sneakers....she was blur that whooshed before my eyes! She rocks!!
She must have been like who is this nut job yelling my name! But she's famous, so it probably didn't phase her. Just another one of her fans...!!

Still in between 6 & 7, I see Work Friend and her group, they were running at full force. They yelled out some words of encouragement and threw some love my way and kept on truckin'. (BTW - All 3 of them qualified for Boston) Keep in mind that the other side on miles 6 & 7 are miles 12 & 13.....these people were haulin' ass. A few steps down the road I see Dean, he has a huge crowd of runners with him. It seemed very annoying to me.....he's probably used to it.

Mile 7 - Still feeling good, enjoying myself and running at somewhere around an 11:30 - 12:00 minute mile. This is perfect. UNTIL...I feel like I have to go to the bathroom...hummmm.....what is going on.....I took the Immodium, just like I have been doing......ok,ok,ok....I am going to stop at the next port-a-pottie that I see. There was actually a surplus of port-a-potties along the course. Which was good.
I hop into the port-a-pottie, do my business and off I go. Now we all know that I have had stomach issues before, but I pretty much thought I had them worked out. At this stop, I didn't feel like it was anything major. No cramps, no feeling like I couldn't run with out having an accident, I just had to go to the bathroom. I just kept telling myself, OK, you just had to go to the bathroom, no big deal, it's a fluke, just keep running.
To be on the safe side, I called my sister,(good thing I run with my phone) asked her to go to the car and grab 2 Immodiums out of my bag.

Mile 8 - Rockin' steady, ate my Fig Newtons.

Mile 9 - Feeling good. There was a man in his drive way rocking some Bruce Springsteen Thunder Road....I started singing out loud. He was good.

Mile 10 - Chip time check. I was pretty much on target for a 5:40 finish. Still feeling good.

Mile 11 - A DJ rockin' KISS - IIIII want to rock and roll all niiight.....and party everyday!! good times. For some crazy reason I almost start to cry here. I was just feeling emotional....

Mile 12 - Stopped for a minute to drop off my fuel belt with my sister. My son saw me coming down the road and ran a little with me....awwww...he's the best!!
Grabbed the 2 Immodium and just tucked them into my shorts. I didn't feel the need for them just yet. I was still feeling good. I ate another Fig Newton, drank some water. I checked my time with the pace chart I had given to my sister and I was 10 minutes ahead of my goal time. Go me!

Mile 13 - Oh no......not again....I have to go to the bathroom. WTF. I go the bathroom and this time I knew it wasn't a fluke. This was the real deal. I took the 2 Immodium.

Mile 14 - Feeling OK

Mile 15 - Truckin' along and keeping my fingers crossed.

Mile 16 - Not so good. Diarrhea

Mile 17 - Diarrhea

Mile 18 - Diarrhea - I GU at this point. I wasn't feeling horrible just yet. I knew I needed to keep hydrated and get something in me. There was a crazy ass hill at this point. I walked up it, first time I really stopped to walk.

Mile 19 - Over the bridge. I spot a sign taped to the side of the highway....it says something like " RBF digs the Running Chick" (???? something like that)....now mind you, I'm by myself. I catch the sign out of the corner of my eye....and I say out loud..."HEY, I KNOW HER" ...not really, but kind of!! It was funny.

Mile 20 - Feeling like ass, but still running. At this point the course runs by the finish line, so I can see all these people finishing. So happy!
I start to cry, not because I am happy, but because I know I have 6.2 more miles to go and I am hurting. It's funny because my time at the 20 mile mark was something like 4:38 and when I ran a 20 mile training run (without diarrhea) I ran it in just about 5 hours.
Oh and by the way......who the hell thought this would be a good place to put a hill??? real smart....honestly. I walked up it.
I see Running Club Friend at this point heading to the finish line. We hi-five. So proud of her!

Mile 21 - Diarrhea - very very slow running at this point, really just a shuffle.

Mile 22 - Diarrhea
Walked very slowly and carefully from mile 22 to 23 because there weren't any port-a-potties around and I really thought I was going to go in my pants. It was BAD. I was actually with the marathon walkers at this point. Kind of discouraging. I must say that even some of the walkers were going faster than me.

Mile 23 - Walking...still no port-a-pottie. I told myself that the next port-a-pottie I find, I am going to go to the bathroom and just run like hell to the finish. No stopping.

Somewhere between Mile 23 and 24 - Port-a-pottie. HEAVEN!! I get out and just start running. I can run 2 miles...piece of cake. I just run and run and it was the longest 2 miles I have ever run in my life. I actually shouldn't even be calling it running at this point, but I wasn't walking, so it was running to me.

Mile 25 and a half maybe......A hill.......WTF. Just get me home.

I start to cry at this point. I know the finish is just around the corner. I just want to be there.......make it all go away and get me there. PLEASE!! Someone help me.
I turn the corner to the finish, there is my sister, my son, Work Friend and her group.......YEAH!!! Work Friend and her group run down to meet me and run me in. I'm crying, I'm hurting and I need to go to the bathroom. My son runs me into the finish line.....he's the best and so friggin cute if I do say so myself!!! My sister is taking pictures and everyone is yelling my name. I get my chip removed and this game is over. The end.

Final Time - 6:25.

I know I shouldn't say this, but I'm going to anyways......I'm embarrassed. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I know I am a better runner than this. I have trained too many hours and too g-damn hard for this to be the end result.

I will on the other hand give myself a pat on the ass, because during this whole entire fiasco, NEVER, NOT ONCE, did it ever cross my mind to not continue on. It just wasn't an option.

The weather was a perfect, couldn't have asked for better, marathon day. There were a couple of points in the race where I was absolutely bone chilled, goose bumps, teeth chattering, body shaking freezing. I am going to say that had to do with me probably getting dehydrated from the runs.

I will also add that I didn't like being out on the route alone. I like having a running partner. I was good for probably the first half of the race, then I got lonely and wished I had someone near me to keep my spirits up and help me along. I know for this race, it probably wouldn't have helped much given my situation. Things were really out of my hands. There was absolutely nothing I could have done differently.

Work Friends friend told me that you can only run the race that you have in you that day............and I guess I just didn't have it in me.

Thank you! Hartford or Bust!!

2006-10-07T20:43:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who blogs about running, has read my blog, commented and has given me a tremendous amount of support over the past 5 months. It really means a lot.

It's funny because this all started about a year and half ago on a whim. I started walking, and that eventually turned into running. One day I googled tips on running and came across the Running Chick with the Orange Hat's blog. At this time I didn't really know what blogging was. I started to read her blog religiously for months. This lead me to other blogs linked from her web site and got me hooked on the world of running blogs. Her posts were amazing and gave me a wonderful insight on the world of running. She never knew this of course, because I was only reading and not commenting. She was so inspiring and made me want to go out there and just run!

....and that's what I did. I ran.

Fast forward to today....

I have had an amazing training process. I am doing things that I never would have imagined. Me, little ole', single mom, work her fingers to the bone, never has a minute to herself, always running around, working like a crazy woman, scrimping and scraping........ME, is running a marathon on Sat! YEAH ME!!! WOO HOO!!! GO ME!!

I have met some wonderful people along my training and would not have been able to do this without them.......and that includes YOU!

I am ready. I am ready to run this marathon. I have prepared to the best of my ability.

My goal is to finish. Period, end of story.

I wish that Hartford had a tracking system on the web, but they don't. I would have posted my bib number for friends (that's you) and family.
I will get my post race report out as soon as possible.

Wish me Luck!
I love you all!

Almost there.....!!!

2006-10-07T07:25:00.000-06:00

Since I wasn't running my 22 miler with my training group, my coach advised me to only run 21! woohoo.....honestly....what's one mile at this point. Well I soon found out that one mile is HUGE at this point!
I ran my 21 miler with a friend of mine and her training group. It turned out to be a rather warm, humid day. Yuck. We started out a little slower than usual, cuz that's what they say to do! and off we went. The group that we were running with had little water/fuel stops and aid stations along the way. It was just what we needed to get us through the run. We stopped at each one, some longer than others....to regain our composure, pick ourselves up by the shoe laces and keep our asses moving. There were points along the way where believe it or not, I got her through it and vice versa. I've never really run with a partner before, and I found that the support of just having someone else beside you is amazing. We talked some of the way and other times just knowing that she was there kept me going. It was a great support system for this verrrry loooong run.
At around mile 20, my left hip started hurting and running buddies knee was hurting. Other than that, we were feeling good.
I wish I could say that we finished strong, but we didn't. We were both dragging our asses and barely making a stride when we hit home base. BUT.....we finished, and that in it self is amazing.
We finished at 4:55 and that includes a bathroom stop at a hotel, and 7 water station stops and when I say stops.......I mean, we stopped. Not that I want to set a goal for my marathon, because my goal is really just to finish, but I think I can do it in 5:30......maybe. We'll see.

So it's been taper for me!

Last week I ran an 8 miler for my long run and then just ran for about 40 minutes twice. I am going to run 5 miles tomorrow and 30 minutes twice during the week.....then it's HARTFORD or BUST!!!

I am getting wayyy nervous. My stomach does flips every time I think about it...
which oh BTW, no stomach issues on my 21 miler, I took Immodium the night before and it worked out perfect!

I will post my final pre-marathon report late in the week to let you all know how I am feeling.
I haven't really had a minute to get online and read everyone's posts and updates...I will start reading and commenting today. I hope you all are having great runs!!

In a nut shell

2006-09-23T16:08:00.000-06:00

I have been trying all week to get a post out, but just haven't had time. Sorry.

Last Saturday, I ran the Nahant 30K. In a nut shell, the run went pretty good. Unbeknownst to me, the course was VERY hilly! It seemed like every time I conquered a hill, I'd turn the corner and there was another one, and it was bigger than the last. It was a killer. My ass was killing me. The last 4 miles of the race were flat, it was along the beach. As I approached mile 15, I was drained, the hills really took a toll on me. I made a mental note of a port a pottie at the 15 mark. By the time I reached 15 and a half, my "stomach" issue started to surface. Honestly....I just don't get it. Enough already. So I walked to the 16 mile where there was a water stop hoping that there would be another port a pottie. There wasn't! I ended up walking the rest of the race because I was literally going to crap my pants........again! I take that back, I ran the little tiny stretch to the finish because I was embarrassed that I was walking! My goal time was 4:15 and I ended up doing it in 4:37. Whatever. What are you gonna do?!

Some mistakes I made during the race:

*I didn't re-fuel - I thought the race would provide something along the course, but they didn't. I usually have my jelly beans and a granola bar.
*I only drank water - I never ever drink Gator-ade and I think I need to.
*I went out too fast - The whole race thing got me excited!

So that's it. I'm disappointed.

Tomorrow I am running 22 miles! OMG! Just saying it makes my stomach turn flips!
I am going to start off slow. I have been drinking gator-ade all week to get my stomach used to it. I am going to take an Immodium before I go to bed. I pray to god it works! I have also been hydrating all week and I've packed my jelly beans and granola bar. That's my plan.....let's hope it works.

Once this is over, it's TAPER BABY!! WOO HOO!!!

A crappy run!

2006-09-10T09:21:00.000-06:00

I didn't run the 25K last week. I got a little nervous and backed out. I ended up running on my own. I only got in around 10 because my sister called me to come home. There was a little problem with the contractor that is doing work on our house. Maybe I got in a little over 10....

So this week-end was my big 18 miler. This would be the longest distance to date.
The run started off GREAT, I even made a comment to some of my group members that, "I think this is the best run I have had all training".....ummmm ya.....can you say JINX????

We get to mile 6 and I can feel my stomach gurgling, so I run into a Starbucks, just to be safe.....what a nightmare....from that point on I pretty much ran bathroom to bathroom. It was U-G-L-Y!!!

I hit mile 13 and make another pit stop and off I went. I then begin to realize that that was the last of the available bathrooms. There aren't any more bathrooms until I hit mile 18! OMG, OMG, OMG!!! What am I going to do???

I make it to mile 14 and at this point, it's almost impossible for me to run anymore, I duck into the woods.......ya, that was fun!! Honestly! Does it get any lower than this???

I knew that we had a water stop set up at mile 15, so I pretty much walked there, being ever so careful not to walk too fast. At this point, the cramps in my stomach were sooooo bad, that I started to dry heave because I didn't want to crap my pants!!! It had to come out one way or the other......!!! I know, TMI, sorry, but it was THAT bad.
What an awful feeling. Honestly, I have never in my life felt like that before.
I get to the 15 mile water stop and hitch a ride back to the starting point.
I have never been so mad at myself. For once in this crazy running/training program, I really was having a great run.....then this had to happen. I was truly feeling like a "real" runner, until I almost crapped my pants, then I felt more like a 2 year old child!

The only thing different that I did for this run was that I took two Aleve before the run. My knee has been hurting since my last long run and I needed something. Everyone in my group was chalking my stomach issues up to this. I know, never try anything different before a long run......Lesson learned!

About my knee....The pain is a small section on the inner right knee cap, it feels like a really really bad bruise, but there is no bruise there. I rested it all week and it started to feel better, but after yesterdays run, it is KILLING me. Icing it doesn't help, so I am going to try and wrap it. I can't get hurt now......no way.....the marathon is right around the corner.

I am running a 30K on Saturday. I'm nervous, but I'm not backing out. I have to do this. This will be my second to last long run before I start to taper.....woohoo!!

I have the 18 miler and then a 22 miler, then that's it......back down to 10! I can't wait. I just want to run this marathon already!!

Busy, busy, busy.....

2006-09-01T09:23:00.000-06:00

I know it's been awhile since my last post, but things have been really busy for me lately. On top of trying to keep up with running 4-5 times a week, football practice has started for my son. He practices 4 nights a week and by the time we get home, it's late and we have to eat and shower and just get things done......I know you all understand.

Since my last post, I have run a 10 mile long run, a 16 mile long run (which by the way, I knocked 10 minutes off from my last 16miler, yeah me!!) and a 10 miler.

Things are going good.

I bought new sneakers which are working out great. I switched from Brooks to Saucony, not for any apparent reason, just because the running shoe guy brought them out and I liked how they fit.

I have stopped running with gum......the only difference I have felt so far is that my jaw isn't hurting after my long runs!

I have to be honest here, I really just want this marathon to come and go. I am beat. I feel like I have been training FOREVER. I know I am getting better with my running, and I can definitely see the results on my long run, but a whole nother' month of this ......ARGHHH!!! I just want it to be here.

I have a 15 miler on the schedule for this week-end, and my club isn't meeting due to the holiday. I have decided to run a 25K, and not just any 25K, but one that has 16 HILLS total. Honestly.....I don't know what I am getting myself into, but I think I'm up for the challenge! We'll see.
It's suppose to rain so that ought to be fun, running hills in the rain...woohoo, shoot me now!

OK, I've got lots of catching up to do and commenting. I hope everyone has a great long week-end, and happy running!!

Half Way There!

2006-08-06T16:13:00.000-06:00

This week-ends run marked the half way point in my marathon training. This week-ends run was also 16 miles! Now if my math is correct, 16 isn't half of 26 and by my calculations, we should only be running 13 miles. Half way my ass! Speaking of which, my ass is probably the only thing that isn't hurting on my body right about now! My quads are screaming and believe it or not, my jaw is killing me. I chew gum like it's going out of style on my runs and seeing as I was running for almost 4 hours yesterday it got a major work-out.

Onto the run, I had a great start. I kept up with others in my group for approximately 4 miles. I am usually by myself, so this was really good. I was feeling good, legs were doing just fine, it was nice. At around an hour and 15 minutes into the run, I GU'd. For the first time. I am no longer a GU virgin!! woohoo! Sorry peeps, it's not all it's hyped up to be! I had the vanilla. I tore open the pack and just squirted the whole thing into my mouth and washed it down really really fast with water. It was gross. It was hot from being in my fuel belt and I didn't like the smell of it. I guess I was expecting this big burst of energy after I took it, but that never happened.
My mother met me at mile 12 with a nice cold Vitamin Water (my new favorite thing to drink) a frozen water and a banana. She filled my water bottle as I tried to get down at least half of the banana, and off I went. I was feeling good up to this point, when at like mile 13 I started to struggle. My feet were on fire, the sun was out in full force at this point and I had to walk. I was trying to run to land marks and then take a walk break, but it kind of turned into a walk/run to the finish. It seemed like I was never going to make it back to the meeting area.
The last half mile, I ran straight through and once I finished, all that I could think of was that I could never in a million years run another 10 miles to complete a marathon.
NEVER EVER, not in this lifetime. 16 miles was friggin' FAR! I had not one single ounce of energy left in me to even pick up my feet and walk to my car, never mind probably another 2 hours of running!

I wanted to run the 16 miles in 3:30, but of course I didn't, I clocked in at 3:50. I feel like I am the slowest person on earth running. Once again I was the last person to complete the run in the whole group. I swear to god if I even come in last in the marathon, I'll be pissed. But at the rate I'm going, that seems to be my M.O.!

So I guess it's a good thing that I'm only at the half way point, this gives me another 2 months to work on my running.

14 loooooooooong miles

2006-07-26T18:52:00.000-06:00

So ya, I did it. I ran 14 miles! 14 looooong ridiculous, took every ounce of energy out of me, miles. Honestly...it was ridiculous. I can't get over the fact that I did it. Let me start at me arriving down the Cape. First thing my friends and I do is map out the route that I am going to run. So as we are driving, I keep thinking and saying out loud how far this is......that I can't believe how far 14 miles is. So as we are making note of my mile markers we get to mile four, then mile five and six...at around six and half, I was beside myself at far this was and said that I was just going to turn around at six and a half and do a half marathon. I knew I was only cheating myself, my friends could care less when I turned around, they would still be sleeping while I was running. So I continued down the road another half mile and EXACTLY at the 7.0 mile mark, which is also my turn around point, is THIS:

(I hope you can see the picture!!) testing 1,2,3.......

OMG - That SO means something!!! The picture is kind of small, but the sign reads: Marathon Seafood. Can you imagine.......and I was going to turn around at six and a half miles. THIS SO MEANS SOMETHING!! That's all I kept saying the whole ride back to the hotel! My friends were like...ya Aimee...this so means something. It means you are effin' crazy for running that far! Who runs that far for "fun"!?? They really didn't understand that it DOES mean something. It wasn't just a "sign" for the seafood restaurant...it was a "SIGN"....if you get my drift!

Onto the run. I get up at 6:30, on my girls week-end mind you, and off I go. I was feeling good, running good until about mile 4. I forgot what my mile 5 marker was and I felt like I was running forever and never going to hit it, and the next thing I know I was at mile 6. You would think that would be a good thing, already at mile 6, but nope, I kind of psyched myself into thinking I was running way too long and my legs started to get heavy. Finally, I reached it, mile 7, Marathon Seafood! woo hoo. At this point, I had already stopped at gas station to refill my water bottle, and while I was there, I decided to take a seat on the cute little bench that they had out front to take a rest! So there it was mile 7, and all I kept thinking about was how I was never going to make it back, it was a loooong ways back to where I came from. I even contemplated calling for a ride to come and get me, but I didn't, instead I took a minute (or 5, or 10...) and sat on this little seaside wall and tried to eat my sport beans....let's just leave that at YUCK!!!

Back on my feet, and off I go. At this point, I was mentally exhausted, however, my feet and legs were just fine. At mile 8 and a half, I stopped at a CVS and replenished my water and grabbed a Reeses peanut butter cup.....I know, it's no Gu or Cliff bar or Sport Beans, but it's what I wanted. I could only get one "cup" down so I sat outside the store and drank some water. So that was another, oh I don't know.....10 minutes. I was doing anything at this point to not run.
I know this story is going on forever......so I keep running and running and running and now my hips are hurting, and you know, "the hips don't lie"....so I walked a few, then I ran a few...blah blah blah. Honestly, this WAS the never ending run.

End results - 7 miles took me exactly 1:30 - 14 miles not so good, it took 3:20.

I figure 25 minutes of that was walking and my wall and CVS breaks, BUT none the less I ran 14 miles. Yeah me!

Let me just say that it beat the shit out of me. I was suppose to run easy on Monday, didn't do it. I was suppose to run tonight, speed work, didn't do it. I am sitting here writing about running with absolutely no desire to get off my butt and actually do it. I have 10 miles scheduled for this Saturday. I hope not running according to the schedule doesn't throw me off that much on Sat.

BTW, my goal time was 3 hours, maybe next time!

10 miles and lots o' questions

2006-07-16T11:30:00.000-06:00

The shins are a whole lot better. The resting and ice helped.

I ran with the club yesterday, 10 miles. A looong, hot, mentally challenging, unmotivated, grueling 10 miles. I stopped and walked a few times, because I could feel the shins twinging. Since this was my first long run in 2 weeks, I didn't want to push it with the shins. I was going to cut the run to 7 miles, but once I got to the 7 mile mark, I figured what's 3 more miles.......so I kept on running/walking. I lost track of my time because my watch was doing some crazy stuff....but I think it took me somewhere in the 2 hour 15 minute mark....I think.
I haven't tried the Gu yet......I'm ascared!! I took like 2 bites of a Cliff bar about an hour and ten minutes into the run. I could barely get it down, even with water. My body wanted nothing to do with food at that point. I think I'm going to try jelly beans next week.

Next week-end I am off to the Cape for a long week-end. I have a 14 miler scheduled. The first thing I am going to do when I get down there, is to map out the route I'm going to run. I like running in different places, for some reason when I get away from my usual route I run a whole lot better. Let's see how Cape Cod running treats me, hopefully better than yesterdays run on the Charles!

Questions:

Is it "normal" to stop and walk for a minute or two during your runs (all distances)? I feel like I stop/walk often, I just want to know if people are continuously running 5, 10, 12, 14 miles at a time without stopping?

and,

I am struggling with speedwork, it is doing a serious number on my shins. Does hill training build enough strength in your legs to cut back on speedwork? I can do hills like nobodies business, but speed work......fuhgetaboutit. Do I have to do speedwork?

One more thing.....I have a picture I wanted to post here, but I don't know how to do it.....HELP. How are you all getting pictures posted to your blogs? I really am computer savvy, but for some reason I can't figure this picture thing out!

Ouch!

2006-07-06T18:56:00.000-06:00

I have shin splints!!

I was suppose to do 10 miles last Saturday, and could only get through 5! I had to walk back to the car, it wasn't pretty. I tried to run through it, but I started to compensate for my shin pain and my hip started to hurt. I just stopped and walked back. No need to throw my hip out too.

I am taking this whole week off of running, icing, elevating and resting my left leg. I think I have been hitting the speed work a little too hard and that's what trigger the shin splints.

This coming Saturday is a 12 miler......I'm going to pass on it and pick up my training on Monday.

This stinks!

7.5 mile Road Race

2006-06-25T14:21:00.000-06:00

I'm back, San Diego was amazing. This wasn't my first time there, but it never gets old. I love it there. The weather could have been better, but I'm not complaining seeing as it hasn't stopped raining here since I've been back. I kept my word and got my running in SD. It was awesome. I ran a couple days and got in my long run which I am going to estimate to have been approximately 7.5 or 8 miles. It was a nice sunny morning, got a little sunburn on my shoulders and ran entirely along the beach....ahhhhh....!! It was great. After the run I had a nice frozen Pina Colada waiting for me by the pool. My friends thought I was crazy for getting up and running, but I was glad I did it.

This week I kind of slacked off on my training.....like I said it's been rainy and muggy and just gross here. I only ran once this week on Tuesday for about 3 miles.

Today I ran a 7.5 mile road race. Seeing as I only ran once this week, I didn't think I was going to be prepared, but I was, well...I finished anyways. I don't have my official chip time, but my watch clocked 1:31 when I crossed the finish line. That was with one porta-pottie stop and I walked during the water stops. I'll post my official chip time once they are available. Did I mention that it was pouring rain for the first 30 minutes of the run......then it was off and on with a lingering drizzle. Rain sucks! I think I may have mentioned that once or twice in previous posts. It seems like all it ever does here is rain.....Doesn't mother nature know that I NEED A TAN!!! Enough already.

So that's it on the running tip. Things are going good. I think I'm going to invest in some new sneakers this week. I went to the running store last week-end and I bought one of those fanny pack looking thingys with a water bottle attached to them....you know what I mean. I got the one where the water bottle is on the back. It's really not my thang....but I had to put hydration before my fashion needs. I nearly died of thirst last week-end on my long run. I have to learn to prepare better.....live and learn! So now I have my "fanny bottle" and I also bought some GU, which I haven't tried yet. I read that you should use it if you run over an hour, so maybe on my next long run I'll give it whirl. I just stuck with the vanilla, I figure you can't go wrong with vanilla. It feels kind of gross in the packet, I don't know if I'm going to be able to swallow that down. I'll try anything once so if it's not for me, on to something else.

Two Posts in One! 5 miles - 7 1/2 miles

2006-06-04T10:10:00.000-06:00

So I had this big long post ready to go last week and when I hit the button to save it...I got a big error message/time out and lost the whole thing.
It went something like this:
I ran 5 miles on Sunday 5/28/06, I am not disclosing the time. I swear I am faster, I don't know what's happening to me!

I bought a new car. (I actually bought it 3 weeks ago, I just kept
forgetting to tell you)

I am off to San Diego next week....no, no, no silly, not for the
marathon...just to party like a rock star and get my sun on. I will be
there 2 days after the marathon, so I won't even be able to cheer everyone on.

I also want to give a big shout out to A.Maria, Runner Susan and everyone else running on Sunday. Rock n' Roll Baby!!!

Today's running 6/4/06.......I just finished running 7 and a half miles! This is my longest distance to date. It was a good run. There was a little drizzle the whole way, which was fine, it keep me cool. My dogs are barking right about now. I have a tender spot on the bottom of my left foot. I hope it doesn't amount to a blister. So yeah...I ran 7 and a half miles. I feel good about that. Actually, I was suppose to run it Sat. morning with my training group....but I had a little too much to drink Friday night after work and could not lift my head off the pillow when my alarm went off at 6:45 yesterday morning. I was actually very proud of myself for not blowing it off all together. I didn't have much faith in myself to run that long of a distance by myself...but I did. Yeah me.

I am off to San Diego on Tuesday. I can't wait! I sooo need a vacation. I have already planned my running schedule while I am there. I have promised myself I would not blow off the training schedule just because I am away. I am actually looking forward to running in new surroundings, in the sunshine and near a NICE beach......not the crappy east coast ones that I run at.
I will miss my long run with the training program again next week, because I will be away. I'm OK with that because I am focused now and am able to do the long runs on my own, considering that we are still on the "short" end of the long runs.

Happy Running to All.

4miles. 47.10

2006-05-23T08:30:00.000-06:00

I am SO better than that...4 miles in 47.10...UGH. Can you say SLOW??? I am telling you, this running schedule is totally kicking my ass, and I’m not sure why. Prior to joining the training program, I was running 3-4 times a week, so this is nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps I am pushing myself harder and not just running at my leisurely pace. I think that’s it...I’m pushing myself. I like that. Pushing is good, in moderation...because I am friggin’ exhausted. I was sound asleep on the couch one night last week at 7:00pm. Honestly...

The training is going good. My schedule is a little off this week. I didn’t run yesterday, I had bigger fish to fry, like the Sox/Yanks game. I had tickets to the game last night and didn’t want to fall asleep by the 5th inning, so I pushed my schedule up a day this week. I will run tonight, Wednesday, Friday, and do my long run on Sunday. The training club isn’t meeting this weekend due to the holiday. Next week, I will back on their schedule.

This weeks training consists of a hill(s) workout. Not too bad, my only motivation is knowing that running hills will maybe, kinda, sorta, possibly, firm up my ass. Hey, what ever works to get me up them, that’s what I say! It’s a mind game people!

Happy Mother's Day!

2006-05-14T08:17:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure how it is in your neck of the woods, but it has been raining for days here.......and not your normal May showers, I mean torrential down pours. It's friggin' ridiculous. I hate the rain.

I was so proud of myself yesterday. My alarm went off at 6:30AM, I look out the window at the down pour that is taking place and I did not once think about bailing on my marathon training. I went, got dressed and headed out the door. The training group had sent an e-mail out on like Thursday stressing that "runners run in the rain" and that they would only call off the run if it was lightening out. Who are they calling a runner??? They must have me confused!

On the Sat. schedule, it had the red group doing a 3 mile run.....OK fine, I can handle that, no big deal, even in the rain. I get there and the red group leader says, "you have a choice, you can either do a 3 miler or a 4"....WTF. Now I'm feeling like she's guilting me to do 4, but I don't want to, I only want to do 3 and I'm already soaking wet from standing in the rain for a whole 2 minutes.....can we just start already. Both routes start off the same, the 3 just turns off earlier than the 4, so I'm running with some people and their asking me which one I'm going to do...I just tell them I'm going to play it by ear. I'll decide when I get to the turning point, if I turn, I'm doing 3 and if I don't I guess it'll be 4.
By the time we got to the turning point, I was drenched, soaked to the bone, my glasses were foggy and wet, I was running in puddles and wet up to the knees......so I turned.
The run itself was fine, I clocked in at 30:35.....I must of been hoofin' it because of the rain. Nice.
It looks like I will probably only be posting once a week....on the week-end.
My training schedule is running on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. So far so good.

I hope all you Mother's out there have a wonderful day!!

Day 1

2006-05-06T07:56:00.000-06:00

Today was the first official day of my marathon training. yeah!! I got up at 6:30AM, mind you I haven't seen 6:30AM on a Saturday in gawd knows how long, so I dragged my butt out of bed, got dressed and off I went. It is a really nice day out, perfect for running around the Charles. I get there, they had a sign in process, a little bit of a seminar type deal, and then the 3 mile run to figure out what color pace group you will be in. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that I was going to be in the red(=SLOW) colored group.

So lets tawk about the run.......let me just fill you in a minute.....I haven't been running in 3 weeks. My uncle was sick and past away suddenly a little over three weeks ago at the very young age of 57. It's been a very emotional and trying time, and I just haven't been running. I have known I was going to sign up for this particular training group months ago, and their meeting spot is in Cambridge at an American Legion Post. The same American Legion Post that my uncle that past was the Grand Poohbah/Commander at. He ran the place, as well as being a fireman for 30 years. So we had been talking about meeting there and blah blah blah blah......and then he gets sick and dies. So today I go there, and I had to kind of prepare myself to be there, but it didn't work, all I could think about was my uncle. My family is very close. It was terrible. I did everything not to cry, because I didn't want these people to think I was some kind of whack job joining their group. So I pretty much held it together.......until the run. I'm feeling good, I have my i-pod, I'm running at a good pace......and seeing as I haven't been running in awhile, I forgot what songs I had updated my i-pod with....all of sudden, Melissa Ethridge's I run for life comes on (my uncle died of cancer, as well as my grandmother) and I just about lost it. I love that song, and it has never really had an effect on me before, I just kind of liked the sentiment, but today boy....let me tell you, it knocked my socks off. It actually inspired me. I ran a good 3 miles, a little slower than usual, 35:10 but none the less a good three miles. I really just felt great to be alive and healthy. Kind of put things in perspective........

We meet on Sat. mornings and they give us a schedule to follow during the week. Not too bad, I think I can handle it. The people seem really nice and try to make the training fun. I like that. So we'll see. Here's to new beginnings!

Do Over!

2006-04-28T17:00:00.000-06:00

So ya, it's been awhile. My apologies.
I HAVE been running, as well as blog reading; I just haven't been posting and commenting. Please, don't take it personal....it's me. It's all me.

Since being shut down at work and the start of baseball season, I've just been....well....a little preoccupied. Sorry!

Enough of that already.....Today was the big day. You might ask, "what big day?"..well today was the day I officially signed up for my marathon training!
Oh Yeah. WooHoo. It's my birfday. Go Mamma Go.

My original plan was to run the Philly marathon, but that has since changed. I am training with a group that plans to run Chicago, but I may end up doing Hartford. It would be the same training schedule seeing as there is only a week or two difference between the races. A few factors come into play in making my decision, but that's a whole nother' post.

My main reason for this post is to say .......HEY RBFer's - I have officially signed up to run my 1st marathon....Do you hear me??? MY FIRST MARATHON!!!!

Perhaps my posts will be a lot more interesting, as they will (should) be filled with "real" running trials and tribulations. Heehee. I don't want anyone to get their hopes up though.....I am still slow as snail, but making progress. Slow and steady wins the race. That is my mantra for my MARATHON training!!!

Shut Down.

2006-02-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hi it's me....I'm alive (just in case anyone was wondering!!). So, I usually do ALL of my bogging from work, creating posts as well as reading all of your wonderful blogs and commenting. New Flash.....I came back from NYC and they had shut down access to blogs at my office. Effers. The horror! Hence the reason I have not posted, commented or even read a single blog in about 3 weeks. I know.....I could do this all from home, but who has time for that??? Honestly, when I get home from work the last thing I want to do is get on the computer, seeing as I work on one all day, and to get on the computer at home, I have to literally beg, plead and bargain with my son to get off. So here I am on Sunday morning checking in and posting. This will prolly have to be my designated blog time, which means I will be down to once a week blogging, reading and commenting. BOOOO! C'est la vie!

OK, so I left off around Valentine's Day....I went to NYC that week-end. We got snowed in and had to stay an extra day. Kinda fun, kinda inconvenient. You would've thought NYC had never seen 20 plus inches of snow before, the city pretty much shut down. I didn't do any running in NYC.
I got back and continued with my running schedule, however, I have to move it indoors, and you know how I LOOOVE the treadmill. I cut down to running 3 days a week instead of 4.

I have started a major diet, so we'll see how that goes in conjunction with my running. I hope the pounds just fall off!!!
That's about it. Nothing too exciting.
Peace!

i-pod Running List

2006-02-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

So this is the latest and greatest update of my i-pod running list. I just changed it up and I'm not liking it so much. Any suggestions would be great.
I throw in a little Army Cadence to keep my pace and footing so when it says AC, that's what it is.

AC
Check on It - Beyonce
Bring Em' Out - T.I and Jay Z
Dancin' with myself - Billy Idol
All the Small Things - Blink 182
AC
Dream Boy/Dream Girl - Johnny O
Sugar, We're Going Down - Fall out Boys
Black Cat - Janet Jackson
AC
We Don't have to take our clothes off - Jermaine Stewart
Turn Me On - Kevin Lyttle
I Don't Care - Ricky Martin
AC
Dirty Diana - Michael Jackson
You've Got the Look - Prince/Sheena Easton
Baby I'm a Star - Prince
AC
I'm a Bitch - Meredith Brooks
I like Big Butts - Sir Mix A Lot
Dirty Water - Standells
Party Your Body - Stevie B
Seven Nation Army - White Stripes

Total Run Time - 1 hour 30 minutes

Now mind you, I have about 2000 songs in my i-tunes library and I cannot get a running list together to save my life. I used to only run to Army Cadence, but have since incorporated music. I've found that just because I like a song doesn't mean I want to run to it.
What is everyone else running to????
HELP!!!
Just some FYI, I don't like techno/house/electronica......just not my style!!

Effin' Groundhog

2006-02-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

Effin’ Groundhog. 6 more weeks of winter...that’s all I need. Although, this has been a very mild winter, so I shouldn’t be complaining too much. I just want to be able to stay outside and run. I have to be honest with you; the cold has really put a damper on my running. I use to be out 4-5 times a week running and since the temperature has dropped my ass has been slacking...seriously slacking. I just can’t get motivated in 10-20-30 degree weather, and I hate the treadmill.
We haven’t had much snow, but we are famous for getting a mid-March snowstorm in Boston. Not something I look forward to. It’s just depressing. I need to move to Miami.

I am off to NYC next week-end. I would love to maybe get in an early morning run around the city (weather permitting). We’ll see...I suspect I will be too hung over to do anything. Who am I kidding, this is a single girls week-end, all I’m going to be doing is eating, drinking and having fun! Running will be the last thing on my mind! Unless of course I meet the (running) man of my dreams (seeing as it will be Valentine’s week-end, the week-end of luvas in NYC) and he whisks me off to Central Park for that early morning run!!! Wishful thinking I know... I’ll just stick to the eating and drinking…..that always seems to work for me.

Pretty freaky!!

2006-01-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

OK – So just play along with me for one minute.....

I went to see a psychic a few days ago and at the end of our session, I asked her about my running and how she sees me keeping up with a schedule, training..blah blah blah. She then proceeds to ask me if I am having a knee problem..(see previous posts!) and I say "why yes, I am". She tells me I need to stop running through the problem and if I don’t it will have a big impact on my running. So don’t you know, the next morning I wake up and my knee (the back of it) is killing me, because the previous day (same day I saw the psychic) I ran about 4 miles and did some hill work, all with an aching knee. Pretty freaky!! She also told me to buy new running sneakers, but I am waiting until April for that. That’s when my current pair will be approximately a year old.

I have decided to give the knee a rest for a few days, and believe it or not, it is feeling a whole heck of a lot better.
I am going to give it a shot tomorrow with a 4 or 5 miler……..

Now I know what all you non-believers are saying...."Aimee, have you lost your freakin’ mind?"……and yes, that is quite possible, BUT she also said some other things that were on point. Who am I to defy the words of wisdom of a woman I have never met before, who doesn’t know me from a hole in the wall, doesn’t know my medical history...(kind of sounds like a comment section in blog world doesn’t it!!) I’ll take all the advice I can get.

One more thing - I have been refraining from commenting on the whole Red Sox debacle....I am beside myself. They are making such a spectacle of themselves and The Nation. They ought to be ashamed. Eff Theo!

Bad Blogger

2006-01-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

I know, I’m a bad blogger, very bad blogger.
No rhyme or reason why I haven’t been blogging, I just haven’t...my blog, I can do what I want!!
I HAVE been reading, commenting and keeping up on the latest and greatest running blogs.
I’m not going to back pedal back to my last post, I’ll just pick up with yesterdays run.
I went running for 35 minutes. The back of my right knee is feeling a little “off”. Not sure what that is, but something isn’t right with it. It doesn’t hurt, it feels like something is being pulled or stretched. I will focus more on stretching that area next run.
I am hoping that the nice weather here in Boston stays a little longer, running on the treadmill just doesn’t work for me. Outside is where I need to be!

Next up for me is to start looking at some local races to run and work on setting some PR’s.

Holiday Running

2005-12-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I wish you all health and happiness for the New Year.

I feel like I have been eating non-stop for weeks now. It has got to stop. Immediately ....or, well...at least after this weekend!
There will be no New Years resolutions for this Running Red Sox Fan. I just plan on continuing down the same fitness path that I have been on. Running on a regular basis and “trying’ to maintain a healthy diet, as well as my occasional visits to the gym.

I haven’t been running as much as I would like over the holidays. I went running the Friday before Christmas, and then not again until yesterday. I’ve come to find out that it is extremely hard to run while either A- being drunk or B- being hung over....bad holidays....bad, bad, bad holidays!

I went to the gym last night and got in 3 miles on the treadmill, they went as follows:
Mile 1 – 10:53
Mile 2 – 11:38
Mile 3 - 12:00
Not too bad for someone who has been indulging on anything and everything I can get my hands on and drinking on top of it....not too bad, if I do say so myself.
I will be back at the gym tonight hopefully getting in 4 miles.
So that’s it...that’s all I got for running news.
Oh, and the Achilles is STILL sore...but still doesn’t hurt when I run!

Moving is good!

2005-12-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

I went running yesterday for the first time in almost 4 weeks....and boy am I feeling it today. My back is killing me, I think my form was off, because - yeah, I got form! My "form" was off because some people didn't shovel their sidewalks and I was tip-toeing around on the ice trying not to kill myself. Effers. I slipped a couple of times and twisted my ankle. I had to stop a minute and shake it off, I really thought I did some serious damage, but I was fine.

The Achilles is still sore, strange thing is, it doesn't hurt when I run. I thought it might feel irritated today, but it doesn't, so that's a good thang.
I really missed running for 4 weeks, it was such a nice feeling getting out there yesterday with my i-pod and just moving. Moving is good!

My left foot

2005-12-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

I did something to my left Achilles…not sure what, and not sure when it happened. When I flex my foot and point my toes to the ground, that’s when I feel it. Not like an excruciating pain, but more like a really bad bruise. I don’t remember hitting the back of my ankle or it hurting while I was running…so I’m not sure what’s going on with it. It’s a mystery. I figure instead of running on it and possibly making it worse, I would rest it for a minute. I haven’t been running in 8 days, which is more like 11,520 minutes….but who’s counting! Even with the 8 days rest, my foot is still tender.

The weather here is sooooo cold and now it’s snowy and icy on the roads. I think I am going to start back with some weight training at the gym. I know myself, and I cannot run on the treadmill for really long periods of time, I am going to have to start mixin’ it up at the gym.

If my foot is feeling any better, I will join my running club at the in-door track tomorrow night.

That’s all I have for running news…….pretty boring, I know.

Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

2005-11-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

I thought I would jump on A.Maria's 100 things band wagon.......Enjoy!

100 Things about me!

1 – I do not have a middle name
2 – My favorite food is a tuna fish sandwich
3 – People think that I am funny...I don’t see it
4 – I am told that I can tell a good story
5 – I’m not sure that I can come up with 100 things to tell you
6 – I LOVE Beer – Bud Lite to be exact
7 – I am addicted to Diet Pepsi, I sometimes drink 2-2litres a day!
8 – I love to sing even though I have a terrible voice, and always sing the wrong words
9 – I also love to dance
10 – My favorite cities are Seattle, NYC and Vegas Baby!
11 – I use to live in Seattle
12 – I go to Vegas every year, sometimes twice a year
13 – I have 1 older sister
14 – Her birthday is on Christmas
15 – She is the only person who knows I have a blog
16 – I am ridiculously obsessed with Barry Manilow
17 – I have traveled all over to see him
18 – I served in the United States Army
19 – I was stationed in Alabama, California and Washington
20 – I do not support the war, however, I support our troops
21 – I love love love shoes
22 – I have so many that I’m embarrassed to tell
23 – I once bought 12 pair of shoes in one day
24 – I am a Parrot Head
25 – I hate being cold
26 – I obsess about getting a nice tan every summer
27 – I think everyone looks better with a tan
28 – Yes, I am well informed about skin cancer...no lectures please
29 – I wish I had someone to run with
30 – I know I would run more often and faster if I had a partner
31 – Two years ago, I had my right foot reconstructed
32 – It is being held together with screws
33 – I also had Osteomyelitis of the left fibula when I was 15
34 – That left me with 16inch scar on my leg
35 – It has since shrunk to 11 inches
36 – I am struggling to get to 100
37 – My favorite holiday is Valentine’s Day
38 – I have spent the last 10 Valentine’s Days alone
39 – That’s right folks, I am single
40 – By choice
41 – I have a 12-year-old son
42 – I told myself I wasn’t going mention him in my running blog
43 – He is the love of my life
44 – I have traveled all over the US and Europe
45 – I love reality TV
46 – I want to go on The Amazing Race
47 – I am 5 foot 9 and love to wear high heels
48 – I am an Aries
49 – My sister calls me Amada, that is not my name
50 – I sometimes tell people I meet that my name is Roxanne
51 – My real name is Aimee
52 – No, I am not French
53 – I have a bad habit of biting my nails
54 – I’ve recently started to sprout gray hair, I am devastated
55 – I will do what ever it takes to cover them
56 – I am hoping that running helps me stay young
57 – I lie about my age
58 – Not because I am ashamed, but because I feel younger than I am
59 – I am 33
60 – I believe that everything happens for a reason
61 – I do not believe in love at first sight
62 – I also do not believe in “soul” mates
63 – I am a very independent woman
64 – I think this intimidates men
65 – I will never settle for less than what I think I deserve
66 – I am a proud Bostonian
67 – I LOVE the Boston Red Sox
68 – I am pissed that ticket prices went up again this year
69 – The Red Sox organization takes advantage of fan dedication
70 – I went to game 2 of the World Series
71 – It was amazing
72 – I am also a Patriots fan
73 – I have a really heavy Boston accent
74 – I like to drop the eff bomb to get my point across
75 – It’s not very attractive
76 – I do not know how to cook very well
77 – I can however, bake
78 – I love to take pictures
79 – I have boxes of photos that need to be organized
80 – I just recently purchased a digital camera
81 – I am obsessed with teeth, they are the first thing I look at when I meet someone
82 – I was heartbroken when I heard that Nick and Jessica split up
83 – The chances of me actually dating Nick Lachey have just increased...heehee!
84 – I don’t think that anyone should get married before the age of 30
85 – I don’t really like chocolate, I am more of a vanilla person
86 – I have 3 tattoos
87 – I only run in pants
88 – I am late for just about everything...(fashionably)
89 – I think everyone should have a passport ready, because you just never know!
90 – I always say I am going to cut my hair off, but never do...it’s way too long
91 – I put no limits on the amount of money I spend on myself...I work too hard and deserved everything I buy.
92 – I have been at my current job for 8 years
93 – It’s not the best job, but I like it. It has enabled me to purchase a home, a car and to travel several times a year.
94 – Once my son goes into high school, I will make some career changes
95 – I have a cat named Elmo
96 – My favorite song ever is “Shake you down” by Gregory Abbott
97 – I DVR Regis and Kelly, Oprah and Ellen everyday
98 – My favorite TV show is Lost
99 – I wish I were 30 lbs lighter

Drum Roll please....

100 – I plan on training to run the Philly Marathon next year!

Rain, Sleet, Turkey.....and (maybe) A New Pitcher!

2005-11-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ran 3 miles last night. The new orthodics gave me a blister under the arch of my left foot. OUCH! The socks that I had on didn’t help the situation, seeing as they were on the thick side and irritating the arch.

The weather here in Boston is supposed to be UGLY on Thanksgiving Day. They are predicting rain/sleet and cold temperatures...not so sure if I want to run in that kind of weather. I know that I have been planning to run this Gobbler Race since September, but I think I may bail on it. I am not one to brave the elements for a fun run!

Did anyone see Oprah's favorite things episode yesterday? She had these new running shoes from Nike on the list.
They are supposed to be worn with no socks...hummm not so sure how that would work. I was just wondering if anyone has tried them out or knows anything about them.
They come in some fabulous colors and we all know that stylish trends are what makes us better runners, not comfort and fit!! ;o)
Just curious.
Anywho...if I don’t run the Gobbler Race, I will definitely get in a 5 miler on Saturday whether it’s outside or on the treadmill at the gym. I am going to have to work off some of the 10,000 extra calories I plan on consuming on Thanksgiving!

Now for some Red Sox news……2 words for ya….. Josh Beckett.

Nice move, I’m liken’ it. Just curious as to who's making the transactions……Larry???

Still Running....

2005-11-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

So yeah……I’ve been running. Not as much as I’d like to, but nonetheless, running. Things are busy this time of year at work and just preparing for the holidays. The weather is holding up here in Boston, so I am still running outdoors. Not sure how I feel about the new orthodics, they are a little big longer than my old ones. I think I just need to do a few more runs in them and then re-evaluate.

So that’s it, nothing new and exciting on the running front. Oh…..I forgot, I am running a race on Thanksgiving Day. Good times. Should be fun. I know the route very well seeing as it is taking place in my old stomping grounds where I grew up. I’m looking forward to it. I am trying to get some of the family out to cheer me on……we’ll see…it’s pretty early in the morning.

Question?

2005-11-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

OK, so I feel like such a heel...here I am giving people nutritional advice like I know what I am talking about. I mean a month or two ago, I did go to see Sports Nutritionist Nancy Clark speak. Doesn’t that qualify me as an expert???
The thing is, I am good at giving advice to other people and supplying them with healthy tips, but my own eating habits are, well....let’s just say...not so healthy according to Nancy Clark. It’s not that I gorge myself on junk food all day. I am just not consuming the right foods that I need to make me a better runner. At the session with Nancy Clark, she could not stress enough about “eating to run, not running to eat”. Honestly, my intentions when I first started this whole running thing were to maybe lose some weight, and yes....run to eat. Who knew I was going to enjoy running and try to take it to the next level.

My question for all you RBFers: Is it really going to make that big of a difference in my running if I change my eating habits?

I’d also like to give a shout out to djgoldnboy. I am luvin’ the mile tracker you sent to me. I hope that's thanks enough!!!

One other thing….I never thought I would see a day when I got excited over new orthodics for my sneakers! I just picked them up...can’t wait to take them for a spin.

Trick or Treat???

2005-10-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

I say treat! Bye Bye Theo.

5 Miles!

2005-10-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

I ran 5 miles today...Oh yeah! It felt good.

Last night when I went to bed, there was about 2-3 inches of snow on the ground - to my surprise, when I woke up this morning, it was gone, all gone, AND it was 70 degrees out. That's New England weather for ya!

So, I decided to go up to the beach and run. I mapped out a 5 mile route with my cah. It seemed soooo long when I was driving it, I kept thinking to myself "whoa...this is really really fah.....am I going to make it?" So I pahked my cah at the opposite end of the route. If I wanted to get home, I had no choice but to run to the end, that's where the cah was. (a lil' Beantown humah for ya...honestly though...that's really how I tawk!)

Off I went. I started off at a slower than usual pace, and kept it the whole way. At least I think I did. My watch shit the bed at around 19:00 minutes into running, so I had no way of keeping track of my time. Note to self: Buy new watch, a good one, no more 10 buck chuck that only lasts 3 months - oh yeah....and get some body glide. Under my arm, tricep area.....is on FIRE! OUCH!
Back to the run....I was running at a good pace, feeling fine, things were good. I made 2 water stops, which I walked through, and for a split second, and I mean split, I stopped. Not because anything was bothering me, or because I was tired, or winded, but because in my head, I was thinking that I should of stopped by now. Who did I think I was running 5 miles and not stopping? Just as soon as I stopped, I did a mental check - Legs good: Check - Breathing good: Check - Hydrated: Check..THEN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STOPPING FOR??? I kicked it back up into running mode and off I went. End result: 5 miles 1:02. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!
This was the longest distance I have run to date, mileage and time wise. I just may take my co-worker up on the 10K that she's been bugging me to run. I'm going to check in with her tomorrow to find out when it is. I think that if I start a 10K training routine, I'll be ready around January. We'll see.

I am signing up this week for a 4miler on Thanksgiving Day. I hope it's not snowy. I'm not sure how I am feeling about running in the cold/rainy/snowy weather. I think I may have to go back to the treadmill for the winter....BOOOO!! My running club uses the Tufts University track in the winter, I'm going to see if they have open hours to the public. That would be better for me. I get bored on the treadmill, and I find that I run slower on it.

I think I need to change my eating habits to those of a runner.....but that's a whole nother' post! I'll save that for next time.

Fall Running

2005-10-26T18:17:00.000-06:00

I got out of work early today and decided to take advantage of what little day light was left outside. What a great day for running. It was a crisp, brisk fall day. Not too windy or cold, and the sun was shining!
I ran my usual route, however today it seemed so unfamiliar to me. What a difference running in the daylight makes! The leaves are beginning to change color and fall to the ground. (I made it a point to go off track and run through piles of wind blown leaves!) The smell of fireplaces burning lingered in the air. I love fall! I'm not sure if it was the time of day, or the weather conditions, but there were runners everywhere. I'm not use to that. When I run at night, I usually see 2 or 3 other runners.
I ran longer than usual tonight. This was the probably the best I have felt running in a long time. I didn't want to stop. My legs were good, breathing was good, i-pod music was good....so I just kept on running! I am not sure of the mileage, but I ran a full 50 minutes, and I felt good. I would of gone a little longer, but it was getting dark, and I have some errands to run tonight. There's always tomorrow...

work, work, work....

2005-10-23T11:31:00.000-06:00

I must confess, I have not been running since Tuesday. I am working on this HUGE project at work, and it has pretty much taken over my life. I have been going in at 7:30am and leaving at 9:00pm.....I am exhausted. I run at night, so by the time I leave work, it's too dark and rainy. I know I could run today, even though it's freezing out and raining...BUT, I am a little (well, a lot) hung over today. After my exhausting week at work, I had a party to attend last night and I tore it up. I so needed those 12 beers and 1 martini! Believe me when I say, I am paying for it today.
Perhaps today will be used as a rest day and I will run tomorrow. It's funny, but I feel bad not running for 5 days. My body needs it, and my mind needs it as well.

Scary, outside and in.

2005-10-17T20:54:00.000-06:00

Tonight's running only lasted approximately 30 minutes. The street I run on was unusually dark and creepy tonight. Not sure if it was all the Halloween decorations on the houses or maybe it was the fact that I was running along side of a cemetery! Whatever it was, it had me running about a 10:20 mile.........maybe I should run dark creepy roads more often! I also changed my running playlist on my i-pod, so that had me picking up the pace a little too.

Yesterday, my runner friend at work qualified for Boston. Yeah...... I am so happy for her. Yesterday was her 3rd marathon, and she's only been running for about 2 years. She has challenged me to a half marathon in March! YIKES!! I don't know what to do. I know it's 5 months away, and I know that at some point I have to break out of my 3/4 mile comfort zone. It's just real scary to set a goal like that. I told her I'd have to get back to her. She's relentless, so I know she'll keep hounding me until I say yes! She has been after me to run a 10k, she claims that if I am able to run 4 miles, 6 will be no problem! Umm ya....easy for her to say lil' Miss BQ! I really do need to start extending my mileage. I have yet to run the 5 miler with my new running club, because I am the slowest one and already feel like a loser! Honestly, I so do not fit in with this running club. These people all have and or are training for marathons. Then there's me, trotting around the track, barely able to breath, sweating like a pig, sometimes stopping to catch my breath before I pass out........and that's only at mile 1! I swear, just the warm-up puts me over the top, then they expect me to run! The nerve.

Hi, It's me.....The Running Red Sox Fan

2005-10-15T17:42:00.000-06:00

Hello RBFers,
It's me, The Running Red Sox Fan. I know what you all are saying.......The Running who???? We don't know you, get outta here! Seriously though........I know all of you, (well, maybe not all........and maybe I don't REALLY know you), but I feel like I do! Running Chick with the Orange Hat, A.Marie, Susan, The Chocolate Runner, Flatman, Jeff, Aprile Anne. The list can go on and on, and I would link your name to your sites, but I haven't got a handle on this blog stuff yet!
A little about me: I began running the beginning of the year. It started off slow and I hated every minute of it! As time went on, I began to LOVE running. I don't want to fool any of you, I am by no means a "real" runner. I can barely run an 11:00 mile, I am not preparing to run a marathon and the longest distance I have ever run is 4 miles. I know that is many of the RBFers warm-up run, but it is HUGE for me! I try to run at least 4 times a week and I have joined a running club that meets 2 nights a week. I have run 2 5K races my official times being 35:34 and 33:28. That's it, those two races are my claim to running fame! TAAH-DAAA!!
I plan on blogging a couple times a week, so I hope you come by and visit. You have all been such and inspiration to me and my running.
I am now going to go and do what I have wanted to do for months now.........leave you all comments, and link my site!!!
Happy Running to you all!

Testing 1,2,3.......Is this mic on???

2005-10-15T17:29:00.000-06:00

It's official........I'm a blogger!