Runner at Large

Sometimes winter isn't so bad...

2009-01-10T06:21:00.001-08:00

We've just completed Week One of Nashville Marathon training. This morning we did five and a half.

Last evening, all weather reports had a snow system heading our way. Depending on who you listened to, our little town could, get anywhere from 1" to 8". And it would start any time from morning to late afternoon. Meaning the day was wide open for anything.

We decided to just get up and go first thing. No sense in waiting for nothing or everything to happen, so we were out the door at 7:00 am on a Saturday.

It had started snowing over night, and we had a coating. It was enough to be beautiful. Weekend mornings have to be some of the most peaceful times to run, and weekend mornings after a snowfall just take it up a notch. It was quiet, it was pretty, and it was brisk. The snow added a bit more resistance (meaning I'm a bit more sore) and it was just Ted, me, the snow, and another set of footprints from another early morning runner (we're guessing because, like us, it was in middle of the road instead of the sidewalk).

I complain about cold and wind with everyone else. But mornings like this, I want to take it all back and just enjoy the weather for what it is. Winter.

The Year In Review

2008-12-31T13:49:00.000-08:00

Well, it's done. My 2008 goal of running at least a mile a day is finished and complete.

Ted ran my final mile with me at 6:00 am this morning. It was uneventful and normal, despite my attempts to make it bigger than it was--reminiscing over past runs, discussing past races. But it was just a run.

As a review of my goal, I started thinking back over the past year at this accomplishment. People I've talked to seem quite impressed that I've done this--however, I think I've been very fortunate this year.

I wasn't sick this year. I didn't have to run with a fever, or pains, or injuries. The weather was never extreme, and when I did complain about ice or cold, I had treadmills to fall back on. The mile a day was merely an inconvenience, at most. But I did learn many things.

1) People are happy to help.
Without the folks on the catamaran cruise Ted and I took in May, I wouldn't have been able to maintain the streak. I was fortunate to have fellow shipmates who understood the importance of a commitment, and made sure I found land at least once each day to run. And in some cases, ran along beside me.

2) Rest days are important, too.
And I'm looking forward to a rest day tomorrow.

3) Not every run is fun.
Before I started this, I had good and bad runs. I had times I didn't want to run, but once I started, I enjoyed the run and was glad I had gone. This year, there were quite a few runs that were miserable. I didn't want to go, and once I got out the door, the run didn't get better. I've realized that not every run gets better, and some just downright suck.

4) You can do it.
Whatever you set your mind to, if the determination is strong enough, it can be done. It's not always easy, it's not always fun, and it's not always convenient. But it's possible and knowing you accomplished what you set out to do is great.

So here's to 2009. I don't have any goals in mind for this year. Nashville Marathon is in April, and training begins next Wednesday. My 30th birthday is in September, the exact same day as the Philly Distance Run.

I'll be there. I'll be the one in a crown and a tutu and "It's My Birthday!!!" in big puffy letters across the front of my shirt.

It will be a fun year!

With One Week to Go...

2008-12-24T05:30:00.001-08:00

I have 8 days until my 2008 resolution to run at least a mile a day is complete and deemed a success. And, with 8 days to go, I’m being tested and tried today.

My first plan of attack was to get up this morning and get the mile in. I figured that was simple enough--then go to work, leave at 2:00, come home, clean, prepare dinner, and be ready when my mother and Kevin arrive for dinner. Then it’s dinner, church, and back again for dessert and presents. I woke up at 6:00 am, dressed, went downstairs and out the door…and slid to the sidewalk. The sidewalks, the road, the grass…all a solid sheet of ice. The back alley was also icy, therefore drastically reducing my chances of running before work. I stomped and pouted back inside, but determined to not let a change of plans ruin my Christmas Eve, I altered them to instead I would shower quickly and head in early to work and run on the treadmill, thus getting myself back on schedule and ready to leave at 2:00. Proud of my ability to adjust quickly to changes out of my control, I was on the road to work by 7:00. Fortunately the traffic was very light and the roads were basically just wet. I was in at work by 7:30, logged on, and headed upstairs before anyone could see me with dirty hair and no make-up.

I set my gym bag up on the bench. And realized I forgot my running shoes. No biggie, I said. I wore older running shoes today (thank you to the nasty weather) and could wear those…for one mile it wouldn’t be a problem at all. Once again I defeated my inability of being flexible with a second plan of action. Until I realized I forgot my sports bra. Defeated, I slapped on enough make-up to make myself look somewhat normal and left.

This is where I stomped and pouted out of the locker room, through the gym, and back down the stairs to my desk, where I continued to sulk. Until I realized I would just leave early. I’ll leave around 1:30 today, get home, run quickly, shower, and be back on schedule.

Again, defeating inflexibility.

Happy Holidays everyone! Here’s to hoping your holiday is flexible and relaxing…and you fit in everything you want to!

Trials of the Treadmill

2008-12-13T18:11:00.000-08:00

There are things I strongly dislike. I strongly dislike ice patches. I strongly dislike heavy winds, cold rain, and drivers who don't provide a courtesy wave when you allow them to pull out in front of you (and you so obviously didn't have to). And I strongly dislike treadmills.

I have preached my detest of these machines many times. And yet, in the past few weeks, I have found myself back on them, staring out of the window of my office building into the dark late afternoon, iPod blaring, ignoring the fact that I was going nowhere.

My office building has a gym on the second floor, which I am extremely grateful for. There are treadmills, and when it is cold, and dark, and wet, and icy, and all-around miserable, I must admit, they make a great alternative.

I have slowly been working on increasing my tolerance of the things. I realize the great alternative they can provide, and there are instances when they are the lesser of two evils. I have been working my distance up, losing myself to my music and pushing my mind outside of the realization I am on a treadmill.

You know what the scariest thing is of all? I kind of enjoy it.

And some people say I'm nuts...

2008-12-05T05:29:00.001-08:00

A good, dear friend sent me this article, thus confirming that I'm not as crazy as everyone says I am... (my apologies for the length, but it's quite interesting)

Still running after all these years
by Stephanie Simon, The Wall Street Journal

Last month, my dad celebrated the 30th anniversary of his running streak.
In other words, he has run every day for 10,987 consecutive days. The last time he took a pass — he was feeling a bit sore after a marathon — was Oct. 30, 1978.
Obsessive doesn't begin to describe it.
When he travels overseas, my dad, who is 66, plans layovers so he can get in a couple miles around the concourse, lest he miss a day to the time-zone shift. During blizzards, he wraps his feet in plastic bags, pulls galoshes over his sneakers and screws in cleats for traction. Then he waits for a snowplow to pass his front door, so he can follow in the freshly cleared path.
My father, Dr. Harvey B. Simon, practices internal medicine in Boston and teaches at Harvard Medical School. Rationally, he knows that running 10 miles a day, every day, for three decades is not great for his ever-more-creaky body. He'd never advise his patients to do it. In fact, he's written several health and fitness books stressing the virtue of moderation in exercise. And yet ...
He's run with broken toes and the flu and a nasty infected heel and near-crippling back spasms. He goes out before dawn in every kind of weather; he's become such a fixture in the neighborhood that a couple times when a freak thunderstorm has rolled in, strangers have driven out to find him. They didn't know his name. They just knew he'd be out there, plodding away, and figured he might appreciate a ride home.
My dad isn't alone in this nutty obsession. The U.S. Running Streak Association lists 31 members who have been running daily for 30 years or more. The reigning champ is a running coach out of California by the name of Mark Covert. He hasn't missed a day since he was 17. He's now 57.
Every streaker has a story of inspired persistence — or, viewed another way, lunacy. One tells of holding his catheter aloft as he hobbled out after surgery. Another ran on a cruise ship — during a tropical storm.
Ronald Kmiec, a concert pianist in Carlisle, Mass., jogged for four days through severe chest pains, until his wife dragged him to the hospital. Turned out he'd had a heart attack. He was so determined to keep the streak alive, he asked the nurse to take him to a treadmill. She nixed that idea, and his streak ended one day short of 32 years. (Undaunted, Kmiec got right back on the road and completed his 35th consecutive Boston Marathon five months later.)
Why do they do this? All kinds of reasons. Some streakers say they commune with God during their daily runs. Others think through knotty problems at work. The run structures the day; gives a sense of order to a hectic life.
As streakers grow older, their accomplishment also represents a triumph over aging. You don't give in to aches and pains; you conquer them. You don't wallow in anxiety; you lace up your sneakers. You feel, if not invincible, at least indomitable, and it's not hard to see why; if you're still doing at 66 the same thing you did at 36, you must be doing all right.
My dad started running for health reasons after my mom ordered him to lose weight. He has a family history of heart disease, and he soon found that regular exercise kept his cholesterol and blood pressure under control. I'm sure that's one motivation for the streak.
But the main reason, truly, is that he loves getting out there in the first rays of morning, letting his mind drift, with nothing to do but take the next step. He started the streak, he says, because he got tired of spending every cold, dark morning debating with himself about whether to go out. "I figured, why waste time debating? I'd just go out every day," he says. "So I did."
When people ask why he doesn't take just one day off, he shrugs and says, "I like to run."
Asked how he's kept at it so long, he responds: "Left, right, left, right."
His stride, never all that fluent, has broken down over the last 100,000 miles to the point that he now has what the family politely refers to as a "distinctive gait." His hip hurts. He's slow. And still ... left, right, left, right.
When he hit 25 years, my dad talked about pulling a "Cal Ripken Jr.," after the Baltimore Orioles infielder who benched himself one day when he was perfectly healthy, putting an end to an incredible streak of playing in 2,632 consecutive games. Mr. Ripken had wanted to end the streak on his own terms, not wait for injury to force him out. My father said that sounded good. But I knew in my heart he'd never do it.
The streak is too much a part of him.
I worry about that sometimes. He's proud of his streak, and I think his running longevity — the fact that he's prevailed against injury, weather and all the rest — has strengthened his spirit. He's a born optimist, but the streak has made him even more confident, even more resilient.
What will happen when it ends?
On one level, I know that's a ridiculous question. The streak does not define my dad. He still practices and teaches medicine; he still writes and edits. He and my mom take art history courses, study music, volunteer, travel.
But still, I worry.
In running — in streaking, in particular — my dad has found an outlet to express personality traits that might otherwise stay submerged. He's a humble and reserved man, but his streak is such a goofy accomplishment that he's given himself license to celebrate it.
For his 10-year anniversary, he threw himself a 10K race — a "ten-athon." He carried the invitations on his runs, because he wanted to hand them out to all the friends he knew only by first name — fellow joggers who would fall in with him for a few blocks or a few miles every week. My dad made some good friends this way; there is a true camaraderie on the streets at 5 a.m.
When I was 8 or 9, I started running with him, too — after he'd put in 10 or 12 miles on his own. It was my best chance to spend time with him. When I flagged, he'd keep me going by recounting the latest Red Sox game in dramatic, play-by-play detail. I'm quite sure he made most of it up, but I was always riveted.
Running with me let my father indulge his screwball sense of humor. One year, we ran in a road race just before Thanksgiving, and though it wasn't supposed to be a costumed affair, my dad talked me into dressing like a chef, with a giant tin-foil cleaver. He put on a turkey costume and as per his instructions, I spent the entire 5-mile route a few steps behind him, waving the cleaver and shouting: "Come back here, you turkey!"
I haven't run with him for years, but he recently sent me a ratty T-shirt he found in my childhood room, from a road race we ran in 1983. I often wear it when I work out, and I think back with a smile on all those runs with dad.
The U.S. Running Streak Association requires members to run at least one continuous mile a day to remain on the active list. (It's all based on the honor system, but as founder John J. Strumsky Jr. asks, "What would be the point of lying?") The association also keeps an honor roll of retired streaks. As I glanced over it, the fourth-place entry caught my eye. Lawrence Sundberg, a retired schoolteacher from Farmington, Conn., had clocked a streak that lasted exactly 30 years — from New Year's Day 1977 through New Year's Eve 2006. It looked to me like he had pulled a Cal Ripken, and when I called, he said that was it exactly.
"With something like this, either it's going to end you, or you're going to end it," he said.
Sundberg said he spent six months mentally preparing for the end, and when the appointed day came, he was ready — though he did startle awake at 11 p.m. and briefly contemplate keeping the streak alive on a moonlit run.
In the two years since, Mr. Sundberg says he has missed just four or five runs. "I still go out at 5:30 a.m. most days," he said. "But I don't have to."
He's adjusted so well that I consider urging my dad to talk with him. But then ... my dad likes to run. He's happy out on the sidewalk at dawn. Left, right. Left, right

Rocked it.

2008-11-23T14:59:00.001-08:00

Let's face it.

Running the marathon is not easy. That 26.2 miles will be filled with excitement, fear, anxiety, happiness, pain, pride, and relief.

My cousins ran their first marathon today, through the Kids Run Philly Style program. And Ted and I promised early on we'd be right there with them, cheering them on. We pulled up to their house at 6:00 am, and everyone loaded into the van to make it to the race before the start.

Some things I noticed:
1) The weather was not suitable for the wheelchairs to complete the full marathon, so the field opted to do the Rothman 8K instead.
2) This year was the first year the marathon started in waves, which seemed to work from a spectator perspective, but it took my cousins almost a half hour to cross.
3) I'm not sure how many people were dressed as Thing 1 and Thing 2, but they seemed to be everywhere.
4) I saw the guy in the pink tank top and tutu and princess wand...I think it's the same I've seen in my magazines.
5) Two girls were running for the husband of one who was in Iraq. I made sure I told them "thank you". When I read that, suddenly the idea of running 26 miles seemed like a walk in the park.
6) My mother realized races aren't just tall, thin people in leotards. Races are made up of people of all shapes and sizes.
7) As Ted and I were waiting for the cousins, around mile marker 24, one lady stopped and asked if we could please cheer for her and asked if she could make it. We both responded with a full "Absolutely!" and she didn't look convinced. I smiled, and said: "This sucks big time, doesn't it?" She seemed to relate to that pretty well--"Yes, this sucks!" "But," I said, "You are so close. Don't let this pain take it away from you." She smiled and headed off.
8) It was cold. Very, very cold. I warmed up pretty quickly when Ted and I jumped in and ran the last three miles with them.
9) Just as Ted's family encouraged us at the end, I hope we had the same encouragement for my cousins. They seemed to pick it up a bit when we fell in beside them, and I got a great shot of my cousins with their older sister. Even their parents and my mother got into it, and we all ran together at the end, before branching off and letting them take the glory.

Congratulations to everyone who ran today! You are all rockstars!

Daring to Dream.....????

2008-11-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

Throughout life, many of us have goals we set for ourselves. We use these goals to get use through our daily life, and as a placesetter to give us a reason to work hard. But once these goals are reached, we find ourselves at a crossroad--now what? We either accept the accomplishment, or inadvertently set a new goal...and the entire cycle begins again.

A few years ago, my goal in the running world was reaching a distance past a 5K. Then it was a half-marathon. Then one day I held my breath, closed my eyes, and hit "submit", and suddenly my new goal was finishing a marathon.

Now I've done a marathon, and I'm looking for a new goal. I didn't realize I was, necessarily...I was content with the idea of running other marathons and leaving it at that. Then in some random conversation, the idea of Boston came up, which led me to checking qualifying times...

The qualifying time for my age group is 3 hours and 40 minutes. That's pretty fast.

But then somewhere in me I wonder if I can do it. I think I can never run that fast...then I think once upon a time I thought I could never run that far...so can I? Can I run that fast and at some point meet the qualifying time for Boston and actually earn a spot, something I never, ever thought I would be able to do?

I find myself wondering if this is a plausible goal for me...if this is something I can do and accomplish. When Ted and I ran Philly last year, we finished in 5:07 and change. Is it reasonable for someone to shave an hour and a half off their time?

The idea of qualifying for Boston is amazing for me, and as much as I think it's outrageous, I can't imagine not being able to do it, either...it's not that outrageous...is it?

Now here's a bad run...

2008-11-06T05:10:00.000-08:00

And I thought I'd experienced bad runs before...

(from the AP)

Jogger runs mile with rabid fox locked on her arm

Nov 5 03:27 PM US/Eastern

PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) - With a fox locked onto her arm, an Arizona jogger ran a mile to her car, where she was able to dislodge the animal, throw it into the trunk and drive to a Prescott hospital. The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said the fox, which later attacked an animal control officer, tested positive for rabies.
The unidentified Chino Valley resident told deputies she was on a trail Monday at the base of Granite Mountain when the fox attacked, biting her foot. The woman said she grabbed it by the neck when it went for her leg and it latched onto her arm.
Thinking the fox was rabid, she wanted to make sure it didn't get away so she ran to her car, where she was able to pry open its jaws, wrap it in a sweat shirt and toss it into the trunk.
The woman is receiving rabies vaccinations, as is the animal control officer.

When a Tooth Fairy becomes a Runaway Bride

2008-10-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

I love running. And I love when running becomes fun, beyond the official act of running (because, let's face it, as much as we love running, running isn't 100% fun 100% of the time).

I did a local Halloween-themed 5K today, that mentioned on the brochure there was a costume contest (there was no costume contest, I was the only one over the age of 10 who wore anything beyond run gear). And, truth is, I knew this would happen. I did this race 2 years ago, and the same contest was boasted and everyone showed up and beyond the pumpkins and colored leaves, it could have been any other race at any other point of the year.

But I felt like having fun, so I pulled the crinoline from my wedding (5 years ago) out of the attic. A little trimming and a bit of sewing later, I had this tutu-tulle object that made me feel like I was 5 years old again.

The goal was Tooth Fairy. I couldn't find a wand or tiara last minute, so I figured all white and my cloudy-puff would be fine. I no sooner stepped out of the car when someone yelled "Look! There's the Runaway Bride!" Okay, so I went with it. Someone from the YMCA (who hosted the race) started snapping photographs, and took a few where she made Ted look like he was hanging on to me and I was running away.

Lots of comments the entire way from volunteers and spectators. I felt slightly bad for the girl who ran my pace the entire time...she ended up beating me, but had to put up with all the comments of all the people about the tutu for 29 minutes. I'm sure she was slightly annoyed--I probably would have been had the tables been turned.

But it was fun. I enjoyed wearing it, and it really wasn't that hard to run in at all. The next race that encourages dressing up is the Gobble Wobble next month, and I'm wondering if I could pull off this look and be mashed potatoes or Cool Whip?

Sometimes rules have to be broken

2008-10-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

As runners, we have a list of "rules", so to speak" that we follow. These rules are based on past experience, advice from experts, or common knowledge. These rules help us run our best times, feel great during a run, and keep us healthy and injury-free. Especially when it comes to race day.

But sometimes, life gets in the way and the rules we keep are pushed aside due to circumstances usually out of our control.

For example...take this past week. Ted and I had a 10K in Hamburg on Saturday. Thursday evening (36 hours prior to race time), we find ourselves in the ER. Ted had abdominal pains. At 10:45 pm, I am waiting in the hallway at the hospital while Ted receives cat scans to verify the doctor's suspicions. And at 2:15 am, Ted is being wheeled away from me to the OR, where the surgeons wait to perform an emergency appendectomy.

This is where my list of pre-race rules begin to get tossed aside.

Rule #1. Be sure to get plenty of rest. I left the hospital after the surgeon told me Ted was in recovery and everything was fine...about 3:30 Friday morning. I head home, fed Curley (who was patiently waiting outside), called into work to say I would be out, called into work to say that Ted would be out, and crawled into bed at 4:00. At 7;15, Ted calls and groggily asks for a pair of socks and underwear and I, surprised that he was alert enough to use a phone, jump out of bed and rush up to the hospital. My day is spent sitting by his bed, watching him fade in and out, and take a quick 15-minute cat nap until the nurse came back for the routine vital check. Friday night I left the hospital at 8:30, and ran into our neighbors as I was getting out of my car. I climbed into bed at 10:00 pm, and Ted called Saturday morning at 6:00, making sure I was up in time to get the race. This brings my total sleep time in the past two nights to a whopping 11 hours.

Rule #2. Run easy, if at all, before a race, being sure to not to any strenuous activity in 24 hours leading up to the race. This is the part of my year commitment to run a mile a day that I was kicking myself. After leaving the neighbor's house Friday night, it occurred to me that I had not yet run my mile. So, at 9:30 Friday night, less than 12 hours until race time, I'm heading out for a mile.

Rule #3. Eat properly, including plenty of healthy carbs, vegetables, and food that has been tested previously. Never, ever eat something you have never before tried the day of the race. I stopped at a convenience store on my way in to the hospital Friday, grabbing coffee, water, a Nutri-Grain bar, and a Nature Valley peanut butter granola bar. Lunch was macaroni and cheese in the hospital cafeteria. Dinner was turkey breast in a lemon sauce, more macaroni and cheese, and broccoli. And a big, big pudding parfait that just wanted to hug me. Saturday--race day--I stop at the same convenience store for coffee and a Cliff Bar. They don't have Cliff Bars. So I grab a chocolate Power Bar, something I've never before eaten, and figure this will just have to do.

Rule #4. Ensure you can run the distance of the race, or more, before race day. Okay, so this has nothing to do with the fact that Ted had his appendix removed. But it was just one more rule that I hadn't followed--the most I had run in the past few weeks, was 3 miles.

The race was okay. I wouldn't have even gone if it hadn't been the fourth race in a series (turns out I was the only female to complete all four events, making me the overall winner, which was neat). At the hospital (where I stayed, still sweaty from this race), it occurred to me that I still hadn't finished calling people who were expecting Ted and I to be places this weekend, so I called Cassie, happy to tell her at least what was going on, and have her make a phone call for me (I didn't have the number...the whole weekend was a bumbling mess for me).

Bottom line is Ted is fine. He was discharged this morning (Sunday) and is up and around as much as you can expect with stitches and 72 hours post-op. And we're both looking forward to hopefully a normal week, with sleep and rest and everything as routine as possible.

Marathon Fever

2008-10-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

I love fall. I absolutely do. After months of hot, steamy temperatures, bright sun, and very little relief, the cooler temperatures are a welcome change. I love the colors of the leaves, the brisk air, and the "autumn sun", which is still beautiful and warm, but hardly as blistering as "summer sun".

It's this time of year that my urge to run kicks in. There are very few natural elements in the fall that hinder my running--winter is obvious snow and brutally cold temperatures. Summer brings heat and humidity, and while spring is definitely a welcome change from the dead of January, the increase in air temperature can cause problems (since I've decided my body is sensitive to warm temperatures, and going from cold-to-hot in running is not as pleasant as going from hot-to-cold).

Ted and I have three races in the next three weeks, and I've been following quite a few people training for fall marathons. I, however, am not one of those people training (although I do look very forward to training for Nashville beginning in January).

This time last year, we were at the peak of the Philadelphia Marathon training. This year, we plan on taking a new role in the race. We're motivators.

One of the greatest thing about having Ted's family down at the Philadelphia Marathon last year was how amazing it was for them to jump in and run miles 21-25 with us...words could not express what that meant and, even before the race, I would not have been able to comprehend the power that had.

So this year, Ted and I are paying it forward. My cousins, Jessie and Nick, are running Philly. They are juniors in high school, and part of the Students Run Philly Style training program with the Philadelphia School System. This will be their first full marathon, and I plan on being there for them as Ted's family was for us...backpacks, change of clothes, food, water, and a running partner when they need it the most. It will be a different side of the line to be on, but one I'm looking forward to.

Good luck to everyone running Steamtown and Chicago...and any other fall races!

Going off on a tangent...

2008-10-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

This isn't running related, unless the "running" we are referring to is associated with running for public office.

This is a plea to the Americans. I'm not going to use this to push my own political agenda or discuss my viewpoints/opinions. I've read alot about each candidate and I am trying desperately to come to my own opinion based on the issues that concern me.

What I find to be especially troublesome is how absolutely ignorant people can be, and how rude, mean, insulting, and unfair. I find it difficult to find information that isn't slanted towards one side or the other. I find it difficult to discuss issues and I find it difficult to get a basic, middle-of-the-road approach to who I want to vote for because of what they believe. People will take their political stance and they will run with it and they will bash the opponent--sometimes bashing the opponent more than they are supporting their own. I have read liberal news, conservative news, and mainstream media. It's all like this. And I'm fairly certain this isn't want our forefathers had in mind when they created this amazing country.

I really don't care who people vote for--I care for WHY they vote. It's still a bi-partisan government. No one person will go into office and force a million new things. It still gets voted on, it still needs to get approved, and it will still be debated and analyzed. All I want people to do is read on the issues and make an educated decision. Leave your personal opinions about the IQ of the candidates, the color of their skin, how well they talk, how well they don't talk, what they look like, and their religion out of the mix. We are voting on issues that affect our country, our economy, and our well-being.

We live in a great country, and because we live in a great country, people like me are allowed to post stuff like this. And because of this great country I could come up with a crazy, brutal attack on either party and shout it from the rooftops, and the worst that could happen is people call me crazy. But because we live in a great country, I think we owe it to everyone to show a little respect. A great debate, whether it's on national television or at the water cooler, is patriotic and I encourage it. But leave the name-calling, finger-pointing, and uneducated accusations out of the mix. We owe it to ourselves, our candidates, our forefathers, and our future generations to elect someone based on educated decisions and for believing what we believe, not electing someone just because they are or are not Democratic or Republican, are or are not male or female, are or are not black or white.

Will Run for Expensive Jewelry

2008-09-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly beginning to tick away my "dream" Marathons...Nashville was up on the list, and next April, I plan on participating in that, with my sights set on other "dream" marathons that may be on the horizon. One that may have just received the bump up to the top is San Francisco. Has anyone ran this race?

The main reason (not the correct reason, but a reason nonetheless) I chose this to be up on my list is the finisher's medal--a Tiffany necklace, handed out by men in Tuxedos...does it get any better, I always thought.

Apparently it does, because I just heard a little rumor that those men in tuxedos are really Firemen in Tuxedos. Firemen in Tuxedos with a Tiffany necklace for me. And I would get to pick which Fireman in a Tuxedo would hand me my Tiffany necklace.

I'm sold. I want to be there.

My next struggle is trying to convince Ted that he wants to be there, as well, but somehow the firemen, tuxedos, and Tiffany necklaces just don't hold the same power and longing for him as they do for me. I have another year or so to try to convince him otherwise.

Savoring this year

2008-09-20T09:10:00.001-07:00

As of today, I am entering the last year of my 20's. I have 365 more days before I enter the next age group, and 365 more days to savor the last year of being "young".

I'm not too concerned with being older, though. I don't feel like I need to hold on to my youth in any way, and I don't necessarily think I'm missing out on anything. The main issue with turning 30 next year is entering a new age group in races.

Alot of the local races Ted and I do are small-town races, with 20-50 participants. When the races are like this, the 20-29 age range for females is pretty thin. Most 20-29 year old females in these small towns are either pregnant, raising babies, hung over, still pleased with their youthful figures, or living off in the city. Because of this, I end up on the awards stage at alot of the races--with the only effort being that I managed to roll out of bed and show up.

The next age group up, however, is much more tough and competitive. I see alot of these women who could beat me to a pulp. They are strong, they are fast, and they are good runners.
And they intimidate me. And next year I'll be up against them, and I'll have to work hard if I want to earn a place on the awards stage at races again.

But I have a year for that. I loved my cake Ted got me---even though Giant referred to the cake as a "jogger"....

The Numbers Game

2008-09-15T13:18:00.001-07:00

I used to think high school teachers were just there to teach us a particular subject, and they were paid to promote their subject of choice. The English teachers used to say how wonderful reading is. Music teachers used modern music to prove their point that all music, at its basic, simplest form, is the same, whether it be Rap or R&B or Country or Classical. And my math teachers always threatened that math was everywhere.

I quickly decided to send my life in an opposite direction, hoping to avoid numbers as much as possible.

But , alas, they were right. Reading is wonderful. All music does stem from a basic beat. And, much to by dismay, numbers and math are everywhere.

I deal with numbers for a living--in marketing, there are P&Ls, gains and losses, ratios of success, comparisons, and so many possible formulas that I’m beginning to think Microsoft Excel was built around marketing specifically.

I still don’t like numbers that much. And they creep into parts of my life I do like and enjoy and kill any creativity or imagination. My sewing is based on yards of fabric. Cooking is based on fractions. Knitting is counting stitches and measuring pieces. And running is kilometers to mileage, heart rates, timing systems, caloric intake, energy spent, so on and et cetera.

The biggest number game with running that confuses me and frustrates me is that complicated formula that deals with how many calories I take in versus how many calories I burn from exercise versus how many calories I burn just my existing equals how much weight I lose/gain.

And I never seem to get the formula right.

I am not fat. I don’t claim to be, nor do I honestly look in the mirror and think such thoughts. I would like to be toner. I would like to be slimmer. I would like to run faster and I would like to be lighter. As it is, people are generally shocked when they do hear what I weigh and how I look. I understand that muscle weighs more, and as an active runner/gym attendee, I shouldn’t focus so much on the numbers on the scale and more on how my clothes fit. As a number hater, I would think I would welcome that idea.

But I can’t help but wonder how I can help my body reach is optimal performance peak. How can I find my truly ideal body weight--you know, that amazing point where you are what you are, you eat healthy, you aren’t chewing your fist off by 4:00, but you aren’t putting weight on. You are running your best, you feel great, and you look amazing. How many calories do I need--I don’t want to eat so many I gain weight, but I also don’t want to dip to where I have no energy, I’m dying for the next meal, and my body so much as looks at a piece of toast and hides it away for the rainy day it thinks is coming.

I tend to obsess with calorie counting. This cereal is this many calories, versus this many in the egg whites. I ran over four miles, so I get this cereal for breakfast because it has more calories. I’ve tried the basic, simple plan of this is the weight I want to weigh, this is how many calories I need, and this is my lifestyle and Bam! That should work. I should magically be happy and satisfied and get to the ideal weight, right? Well, it doesn’t seem quite so easy.

Maybe someday I’ll reach that magical plateau…that place mentioned above where I am in complete and total control and diet and nutrition are such a second nature that I can go back to the creativity and imagination I really love, and get away from this numbers thing.

An entirely new sensation...

2008-09-06T15:38:00.001-07:00

Because I find posting pictures on this thing as difficult as running after my favorite dippie egg breakfast, I'm going to stop attempting to organize the pictures more clearly. The top picture is the bike winner (you'll learn more about that at the bottom of the post). The picture to the right is our group AFTER the duathlon, and obviously after the rain starting (I don't think you can tell it's still raining buckets here...we just don't care). The picture below is Angela and I before the race...and the rain...

There are many things one can do leading up to the arrival of hurricane remnants. Some people rent movies and hunker down in their cozy homes, spending the afternoon with a bowl of popcorn. Others set out to spend the afternoon in malls or movie theaters.

Ted and I and Pete and Angela, our college roommates (she was my roommate at Temple, he was Ted's roommate at Drexel...which is how me met...all together now "Aw!") decided to welcome Hanna by participating in a duathlon up in northern Lehigh Valley. The duathlon consisted of a 2-mile run/8-mile bike/2-mile run. None of which were intimidating on their own.

Starting out, the weather was dry, but humid. It started to rain about a quarter into the first leg. By the time we reached the transition area (which humbly consisted of bikes tossed everywhere...we didn't need racks), the rain was strong and heavy. The bike was a 4-mile out-and-back on a rails-to-trails trail. Pete had pulled ahead of us during the run--Angela had fallen behind. Even so, we kept our eyes on Pete the entire time and Angela, who I think is the biker of the group, caught up to us pretty easily. The crowd was small, so for the final 4 miles of the bike race were just us, gathered in a group, laughing, dripping, and passing each other. We fed off each other's competitiveness and if one pulled ahead, the others hurried to catch up.

But the real fun began when we started the third leg.

I have never competed in an event like this. And I had absolutely no idea what my legs would feel like after climbing off the bike, and running. And I still can't describe it.

It was just the strangest, oddest feeling. I felt like I should be running through water, or with weights on my ankles, or that when Ted spoke, his voice should sound low and slow, as if in a dream. What surprised me even more was the time in the last leg was the same time as in the first leg--so I wasn't running nearly as slow as I thought I was. But wow--what a sensation whatsoever.

We braved the rain and wind to stick around for the awards ceremony, where I claimed 3rd in my age group and walked home with a glass mug.

Ted and I came home, and hurried up through town for the big bike race. I complained slightly about biking 8 miles in a hurricane; these guys rode 100 miles in a hurricane. The speed and talent of professional bike racers amazes me, and this annual event in our little town is one of the highlights of the year. (See picture above...the finish of the race was around 2:30 or 3:00...middle of the day...it was rough weather)

How long will this one take...

2008-09-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited that next April, Ted and I will be sporting our cowboy hats and boots (well, I'll be sporting the hat and boots, Ted will remain amused by it all) and landing in Nashville for the Country Music Marathon.

I'm thrilled beyond explanation about this. I have wanted to do this race for quite some time. My only concern is meeting the 7-hour time limit to finish the race...not because I don't think we can do it, but with music at every mile, as well as the CMT music mile, I'm afraid I'll be stopping every mile and listening to the music.

Training begins in January, and I'm looking forward to sharing every story as we travel down this road again!

The Unexpected Running Partner.

2008-08-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

When selecting a house to call a home five years ago, we were torn with the decision to pick a home with land on the outskirts of town, or a home in the borough, surrounded by neighbors and close to the library, grocery store, and restaurants. One would think that years of living in the city, avoiding neighbors, and shunning eye contact would only push us out to the country, but it actually made us yearn for a neighborly relationship and we selected the borough, choosing to engulf ourselves in community.

This choice proves to be a gamble, of sorts. You can only select your neighbors by their exterior, not knowing if the clean and well-kept house and yarn actually hides a meth lab or Susie Homemaker. We selected a house because we liked it, however, and lucked out. Our neighbors are, for the most part, friendly, open, and share much the same values we do. Our back yard is quiet at night, despite the broken down cars and unpainted porches of the house next door. But I'll take quiet over mess any day...I think.

And the quiet isn't guaranteed. Said Neighbor has pets. Said Neighbor has two dogs and unknown amount of cats. The cats tend to find haven in our yard, which is fine with us--not so much for Curley. One of the dogs continues to "just say hi" to us by growling and barking every time we walk up the yard. The other dog is as dumb as a brick, and chooses to spend nights running around the neighborhood. This isn't uncommon. The neighbor chooses to call the dog home by standing outside the back door and yelling for him three or four times. This, also, isn't uncommon.

What is uncommon is for me to get four houses down the street on my morning run and see Neighbor Dog, tags clinking on his collar, tongue wrapped around his head, running along beside me. "Onyx, go home." I'm met with happy panting. I run a little bit longer, Onyx keeping page, running ahead to stop and smell a tree, then catching up with me.

I turned around before I neared a busy road--I didn't have a leash for him, he was content with running into the street, and I did not care to start my day seeing the dog get hit. My new plan was to run home, put him back in the gate of the neighbor's yard, and continue my run. It was cool, I felt great, and I was ready for a nice, pre-dawn run.

I get to the house and Onyx obeys and goes through the gate into the yard. I turn around and head off in the other direction, crossing over a busy road to continue on back roads.

Clink, clink, clink. Pant, pant, pant.

Obviously, the conversation we had about staying in the gate slid right off his slippery tongue, or the morning made for a great run for another species besides myself. I wove my way up and down back streets, letting Onyx run beside me, behind me, in front of me, and zig-zagging across the street. I got dirty looks from people obviously ashamed that I would let my dog run loose, and came close to flagging down a passing cop to tell him to take the dog home. I finally called the run short...the fear of the dog getting hit ruined the run and I couldn't enjoy the temperatures or peace and quiet.

I got home and put the dog back in the gate. I told him to get a leash and he could run with me, but not before that. He looked at me with big eyes, his tongue hanging to his chest, and a look that mixed happiness of the run and confusion on why I would ever cut it short.

The dog got loose again, and spent the rest of the morning sitting in our back yard, panting and waiting for me to go on another run.

8 mph

2008-08-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ted and I went out last night for a quick 3-miler before dinner.

There was a police speed check on one of the streets on the route.

For years I have wanted to run at one of these, to see if it would pick up my speed and clock me.

I ran 8 mph. Uphill.

The car behind me thought I was nuts, but I got a good laugh at it.

I just wish I had a camera.

Sweet Relief

2008-08-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Nothing quite breaks a running blah than a cool, beautiful morning in mid-summer.

This was just such a morning. My little suburban-town bank read 60. The sun was coming over the horizon, and the humidity was just a memory. The new iTunes were loaded onto my iPod, and Guns & Roses and John Rich were waiting for me on the other side of the headphones.

I ran three miles today. And I enjoyed it. The air was cool and comfortable, and I found myself yearning for those cool fall mornings, where shorts and a long-sleeved shirt hardly feel like enough. There was just enough dew on the ground, just enough of a breeze, and just enough sun to make the run feel almost effortless.

But it is only the beginning of August, and southeastern PA has a good six weeks before the mornings are regularly cool and dry. So enjoy it while it lasts, because our summer dues aren't quite paid yet.

But for now, I'll take all the freebies I can get.

Sometimes Enough is Enough

2008-07-28T15:43:00.001-07:00

I always say I love running. I say it with the same enthusiasm exhibited from Cassie's son when he pointed out the lawnmower to me last time we were there. I find myself consciously making an effort not to talk about it to people I just met, and I view "Hi, my name is Maggie, do you run races?" as a perfectly appropriate greeting.

But today I don't like running. For the past week I haven't quite enjoyed running. I'm proud of my accomplishments, but don't look forward to runs quite like I have. Maybe my year-long running binge has caught up with me. Maybe it's the 20-mile week I had the other week. Maybe it's the weather. But for this week, I'm not enjoying running.

Don't misjudge me...I'm not throwing in the towel. I'm not looking to hang up the running shoes, or find a new hobby (although I have found myself completely engrossed in Project Runway, therefore I am convinced, much to Ted's dismay, that I should completely quit the 9-to-5 lifestyle and become a fashion designer). I still plan on running and I still plan on training for Nashville.

But for this week, I'm going to whine, I'll mope around, then I'll tie up the laces and push myself through the obligatory mile. And, I'm fairly certain, before I know it, I'll be looking forward to the next long(ish) run and will be back to the annoying, giddy self most people know me as being.

But for now, my name is Maggie and I'm a fashion designer.

Summer time...and the livin's easy...

2008-07-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so summer is in full swing in eastern PA, and while the living may be easy, the running is not following suit. The past week has been sticky, sultry, thick, and evening has provided very little relief. Even the backyard pool has turned into an oversized bathtub full of lukewarm water that is hardly refreshing.

My morning runs have turns from the blessed cool jaunts to continuations of the evening before...with everyone I pass giving me the same glazed-over look I probably have. It's that part of the summer I dream about the cool autumn evenings, and longer runs in 40 degree weather.

This is the kind of weather where I find myself not motivated to a single thing (including blogging, which can be proven my by three-week gap...yeah, sorry about that). Ted and I come home from work, throw something quick together for dinner, and plop down in front of the TV (which is new, along with the HD box and DVR, meaning no more commercials for Mr. Remote). Then we pull ourselves upstairs, and pray for the air-conditioner to kick in quickly. This is a small price we pay for a charming 100+-year-old borough home, but it's a price nonetheless. The morning comes, I get up and run, we go to work, and the routine starts all over.

It doesn't quite look like the heat will break any time soon...while the weather promises relief soon, the temperatures are still in the high 80s, and unless it cools down at night, the pattern of slow, staggered running will continue.

Every summer I seem to repeat this whine. Every summer we go through the exact same process at some point, and you'd think I'd be used to it, or learn how to accommodate myself. Oh I do learn...I figure out the best way for me to run effectively in this weather, then it's September and fall starts (and I welcome it) and then winter, and spring, and I forget what I taught myself the year before and another vicious cycle continues...me whining and moaning about heat and humidity, finally bucking up and figuring out what to do when autumn rolls around.

But I'm still out there, which is more than I can say for other summers. I'm still on my streak...six and a half months and counting.

So to all of you running in this weather--be careful. Be smart. To those of you who enjoy it--more power (and pass me your secrets).

So the sickness continues...

2008-07-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

A month ago this time, the question "Would you do another marathon?" left me slightly nauseous, and skirting around the issue.

So tell me why I found myself trying to figure out a way to get into the NYC marathon?

I never thought I would avoid marathons forever...I just figured the urge would come on a bit more slowly than it did...I had thought I would see it coming down the road, and not come around a turn and have it hit me head-on.

For a few days I avoided bringing the topic up with Ted...like a drug addiction, I thought if I ignored it, it would go away, and I'd never have to fess my madness to anyone. But it came out, and instead of disgust, Ted responded with a sheepish "I've been thinking about it, too."

We determined NYC wouldn't be possible...if I'm going to complete the year with my daily running, I thought it would be smart to put off marathon training until next year. In addition to that, the NYC marathon lottery was over and the charity organizations I could sign up with intimidate me (I'm terrified of not raising the money, and an $80 marathon registration fee turns into over $2000).

So the goal is Nashville in April 2009. If that falls through, I'll see what is involved in getting in the lottery for NYC next year, but that's the plan.

It's a disease. What am I thinking? Molli has told me the second marathon is the hardest...the first one you are just thrilled to finish. The second you begin to try to beat times and get cocky..."I did this before. No sweat." I figure I'll be kicking myself come Mile 20, but, like many other events in my life requiring the common sense I lack, I plow forward regardless.

On other notes, Happy 4th of July everyone!

Making a Comeback, yinz!

2008-06-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

In 2003, UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) dropped out as the main sponsor of the Pittsburgh Marathon, thus ending the annual tradition for the economically-depressed city.

In 2009, watch out Pittsburgh! The marathoners are once again taking over your streets for a 26.2-mile tour of this great city.

As a Pittsburgh-area native, running a Pittsburgh marathon would be a great accomplishment for me. I grew up outside the Pittsburgh area, but we still bled black-and-gold year-round like true Pittsburgh folk. We said "yinz" (when our mother wasn't around), we left important pronouns out of sentences, and we enjoyed going to the crick and drinking pop with our chipped ham. It makes me a little sad that my first marathon was in Philly and not Pittsburgh, but I'm excited to hear now that May 3, 2009 will be a great day in Western PA. The city is a great place--albeit a bit hilly, but that only is classic for the area--tough people, only expecting the toughest to show up to the game.

It appears the logistics are still being mapped out (literally and figuratively). The race course isn't yet set, and the cash prizes (as if any of us really worry about what the cash prizes will be) are yet to be determined. But what I do know for certain, the course will be beautiful, hilly, and will show off all the great sights Pittsburgh has to offer.

Who would've thought.

2008-06-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

As a runner, I tend to beat up my feet. As a female, I tend to be drawn towards shoes--typically the strappier and cuter, the better (and generally the worse they look on my feet). Therefore, you can imagine my surprise when I proudly took in my beat-up running shoes to the local running store for some advice, and the first words out of his mouth is: "You are wearing the wrong size."

Let me back up.

My years of running have generally been brought to you by the nearest athletic shop to me at the time. Dick's, Modell's, Foot Locker...as I moved away from urban malls and began new commutes, Sports Authority became the main hub of resource. However, while the new job and new commute has drastically reduced my gasoline purchases, it has not brought me close to any shoe store or athletic store of any kind.

There is a store in Doylestown that I have known about--however, when I was driving by Sports Authority day in and day out, it was hard to justify a 20-minute drive out of my way for a pair of shoes, especially when the pair I had been getting work fine. Now that I'm 20 minutes away from any store, I figured I may as well head up to Doylestown and see what they could tell me.

Apparently I wear the wrong size.

And my shoes, which I have proudly logged 350 miles, looked to him to be more around 500-600 miles (apparently I am a "pounder").

I informed him, politely but surely, that I have always worn a size 8.

"But not in Brooks." I mumbled something about black toenails and he looked at me and I shut my mouth.

And he brought me out the new Brooks shoes. In a size 8.5. Despite the fact they looked like boats, they were extremely comfortable and I had room to wiggle my toes.

I guess you learn something new every day. I left the shoe shop with a pair of shoes that fit, and as a reward, a new sports bra and a cute running top (half off, of course).

Why to finish a race

2008-06-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Ted and I received a race notification in the mail. Actually, it was a Quad Games series...four separate races. For the price of $50 a person, we could enter all four races. The races included a 10K trail run in March, a 15-mile bike race, a duathlon in September, and a 10K road race in October.

The 15-mile bike race was earlier this month. In the past two years, I think I've biked a total of 6 miles. But we figured it wouldn't be a big deal...the 10K trail run in March was small and didn't hold too much competition. We figurd the bike race would be much of the same, and we'd finish in a respectable place. Our goal time was an hour, which we thought would be very reasonable.

We had a different think coming.

Race day showed to be about 200 sponsored bike racers, teams, and a few families who had entered the abbreviated family race (which was just one lap on the 5-mile course, as opposed to the three the rest of us would be doing). The race started, and everyone took off.

Now, let me give you a little background to Maggie and biking. I always had a bike...growing up, I got my first 10-speed when I was in 5th grade, and I was thrilled that I had passed up the temptation for a pink 10-speed, and instead opted for the tough-looking black 10-speed (my toughness was quickly thwarted, however, when the tough looking bike caused me to talk back to my mom and landed me with the loss of a bike, as well as whatever social life a 5th grader thought she had, for a week). Never mind that I never knew how to use the gears--who needed gears when you could just peddle harder going up a hill? And just as I was getting comfortable with the bike, a massive wipe-out caused me to forever fear gravel and peddling downhill and/or around a turn. In my mind, a bike was best suited for the back alley behind the house, the quarter-mile stretch of road in front of the old farm house, or in one's basement (as long as you watched out for your little brother on the tricycle). It was not well-suited for biking and exploring and traveling...or racing.

Fast-forward to Ted and Maggie's great bike race. Somewhere along lap 2 we began to get lapped ourselves. When everyone else was finishing the race, we were beginning the 3rd lap. The pace car followed close behind me with its flashers, and I'm sure the occupants were placing bets on how far I'd make it before they had to pick me up. At one point, I tried to look like I really did know what I was doing and grabbed my water bottle--only to drop it and have to dismount to pick it up. Ted was on ahead of me...but waited faithfully for me to catch up (at one point I came to the top of the hill to see him standing by his bike and talking to the road guard).

When we finally finished, with a time of 1:07, we entered a very quiet finishing shoot. The only people around to cheer us through were the race official, the timer, and a helper or two. All other fellow racers had headed up to the refreshments, and were waiting, quite annoyed, I'm sure, for the awards ceremony.

Despite all this hassle, I still came in first in my age group.

This goes to show you--always finish a race.

Let Pictures do the Talking

2008-06-01T15:42:00.001-07:00

Got pictures from Molli of us running...the best ones are below. This is on Anse Marcel, after the largest hill we ran up. You can get an idea as to the severity of the hill (at least I thought) from below...and the wonderful views that rewarded us.

(above) the view of the port below....

(above) Tony and Ted following us...

Starting off...not quite sure what was ahead of us (in the far distance is a building up on a hill...we passed that building about halfway up the hill)

Maintaining the Streak!

2008-05-25T10:10:00.001-07:00

Yes, I did it! Amazed? I am.

Almost immediately during conversations with fellow shipmates, it was revealed about my running attempt and my thoughts to maintain it throughout the week. Everyone else on board (which consisted of a captain, first mate, and two other couples) were very encouraging and adamant about me maintaining the running pledge, and were very accommodating at ensuring a block of time was reserved each day for me to get my run in. One of the couples, Molli and Tony from Southern CA, even ran half of the days with us.

Molli took a camera and as soon as I get pictures of some of the runs, I will get them up. Essentially, the runs consisted of running through residential areas on St. Martin, on the beach, past a group of nudists on Tintinmar, through the upscale shopping district on St. Barths, and up a crazy steep hill on Anguilla (but we were rewarded with a spectacular view of the bay area, marina, and Caribbean Ocean once we reached the top). On a run in St. Barths, a local dog found us early on and ran along side us, ensuring we maintained pace, throughout the entire run.

I am not sure I could have maintained it without having the support I did. And knowing I have people now across the globe routing for me really secures my interest in ensuring I complete the resolution through 2008. If I can find 10 minutes while on a catamaran cruise to run for a week, I can find 10 minutes anywhere.

Maintaining the Streak?

2008-05-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

First of all, a big thank you to all who participated in the 1st Annual National Naked Running Day! The weather was definitely not on our side, but I hope everyone got something out of it. I decided to make a pact to leave the iPod at home for any run under 3 miles, but the watch I need (sorry...even I found myself struggling with that one).

Now on to the real task at hand...in 48 hours, Ted and I will find ourselves in St. Martin. We will be spending the week on a catamaran, enjoying islands and the sun and whatever other surprises may meet us there. It should be a great time.

There's just one thing.

I'm supposed to be maintaining a running streak this year. I made a pact to run at least a mile a day, and to this point, I have done just that. So what should I expect next week? Ted and I will try to run a mile every morning...but if I miss a day?

If I miss a day, I guess I miss a day. I can't let it ruin the vacation. But then what's the point of trying to maintain a streak if I shrug it off when it gets a bit complicated to fit into a schedule? Isn't that the main reason why a streak is so impressive--that it isn't always easy to fit a run into your day?

Believe me, I've gone through the scenarios plenty of times. What if I do 20 minutes of bicycles in our little room on the boat? What if I do 100 sit-ups and push-ups? What if I blow this week off, pick up when I get home and begin my "streak" over?

But nothing seems to sit right with me. The only scenario that will bring me peace is that I run a mile a day. In the morning. Before breakfast.

Time will tell how convenient this will be for me. I will be sure to let everyone know how that goes, and if the next title has an explanation point or a "not" in it...

Old School.

2008-05-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

Running is a simple sport. That is one of the reasons many of us chose it--we don't have to lug a bike around. No hockey equipment, no need to find a pool, no expensive helmets or padding (although I've determined maybe that should be necessary for some of us). We can just go out the door and there is our habitat--the open road, and we can go.

Oh...but wait. We need those special sneakers, designed for stability or motion control or low arches or high arches. Now we can run, right?

Oh, what about that shirt. You can't run in cotton--we need the really nice technical shirts. And we can't forget to make sure we eat our Cliff bar, and be sure to grab those gels...can't do the run without the gels. We can keep those in our water belt, which we absolutely need. And the expensive watch or other GPS device...we can't run without that.

Now we can run. Just go out the door and there is our habitat.

As runners today, we have it pretty good. We have alot working for us, and races cater to us, as well. They make sure there are water stops set up, snacks at the end, music, and how many of us complain about a race if the goody bag isn't up to par? I'm guilty of it.

Sometimes I wonder if I've forgotten the reason I started to run in the first place. Okay, the reason I started running seriously is because I got jealous of a runner Ted was eyeing up years ago and wanted to show him it was no big deal; that I could do that. But in high school, running was simple. I could do it. I didn't need special skills, I didn't need expensive clothes...I had a pair of sweatpants and I had a sweatshirt and I had sneakers, and so I was good to go. I didn't even time myself or keep track of how far I ran. I just went. Trust me, I love the perks running has now. I have no intention to give up any of the products that make me run well, prevent blisters, prevent burn-out, and all the other aids we have. But when you think about what we have now, and what runners had years ago, it really makes you appreciate their talent.

The other day, I was re-reading some of my previous blogs. I noticed that I had mentioned meeting Amby Burfoot at the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon and wishing I had asked what shoes he wore. Most likely he would have told me, we would have laughed, and I would have walked away shaking my head, wondering "How can you run in those?"

Truth is, he did. And so did everyone then. And not only did they run in shoes we scoff at today, they did it faster than many of us can imagine running today, and without energy bards and energy gels and water stops and iPods and Garmins. They ran because that's what they did, and their shoes weren't all kinds of supportive and they weren't pumped full of Red Bull and they weren't waiting for the next Gatorade stop or band along the course.

I have somewhat of a challenge for everyone. I'm making Monday May 12th Maggie's National Naked Running Day. Okay, not really, but let's all try something...when going out for our run Monday, let's leave the watches behind. Let's leave the iPods behind. Let's dress as simply as we can--an old T-shirt and shorts will do just fine--and just enjoy the run for what it is.

Let's just go out the door and into our habitat--the open road, and we can go.

My New Most Favorite Race Ever

2008-04-27T10:00:00.001-07:00

Since I began racing in 2003, I have experienced a large variety of races. I have gone to small, community-focused 5Ks, where 30some people get T-shirts, race bibs, and then shuffle to the finish line. I have also experienced large, tens of thousands of people gathering to run a race through the streets of a city, and experience a life moment together. Each race has its perks, and each race has its cons.

However, I have never come across a race that seems to capture the good parts of each race experience and eliminate the bad.

Ted and I drove up yesterday to the expo and to pick up our race packets and bibs. The first nice surprise was the ease of parking. The second nice surprise was the upgrade of the standard race shirt to a nice windbreaker (we look tough).

The expo was nice--it wasn't crowded when we were there, and there were just enough vendors. I found my long-awaited 26.2 magnet for my car, and got an autographed book from Amby Burfoot (it wasn't until after we left the table where he was sitting that I realized I really wanted to ask him what shoes he wore when he won Boston in 1968).

Race day was perfect. It was overcast, cool, and we didn't experience any traffic on our drive in. I had spoken to Reba and we had planned to meet up prior to the race. Despite the large crowd of people that had begun to gather outside the school, we were able to find each other. Of course, I had just checked the bag, with my camera in the bag. So I didn't get a picture of us, so I had to do the next best thing:

Okay, so it doesn't really do either of us justice, but it gives you the idea.

The race had sold out at around 4,000 entrants. For a smaller race, this particular course had more excitement and music and crowds than most of the larger races I have done.

There were bands along the course, I even caught a few Bon Jovi and Frank Sinatra tunes. A particular spectator rode his bike to various spots of the course, and cheered and cheered and cheered. The best line? Way to wake up and say "I'm going to do it!"

I was expecting more hills, also. The few hills on the course were quick and relatively painless. We had decided to hang with the 2:20 pace group, and probably hovered between the 2:10 and 2:20 most of the time.

The end of the race was a stadium finish, and Ted and I were able to pull in a finish of 2:19:50some, chip-time. A painless shuttle bus ride back to the parking, and a quick ride home, and we have nothing but a few blisters, a nice jacket, a pretty cool medal, and pleasant memories of this one. All the good things about the small races, with all the good things about the large races. All bundled into one great race, which the the Lehigh Valley and Runner's World should be proud.

Definition of Obsessed...

2008-04-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

Merriam-Webster defines obsessed as "to haunt or excessively preoccupy the mind". Most times, the word obsessed is used in basic conversation as a judgmental term..."he's obsessed with her", "you're obsessed with cleaning", or "she's obsessed with chocolate". Some times the phrases are accurate, other times it's a gross overstatement.

Today I realized something--the terminology relates to my idea of running or my basic fitness.

My running streak for 2008 is still on track. This morning, however, during my morning run, my toe caught the edge of the sidewalk in town. And down I went. I was coming down from a hill, so my speed was high and my concentration, as it is most of the time around the end of a longer run, was off imagining my life as an astronaut or some other imaginative make-believe story I tend to think up on runs. I fell, and I slid, and two thoughts immediately entered my mind:

1) Pause the stop watch so I don't get an inaccurate time, and
2) Good thing I decided to change into shorts, or I would have ripped my favorite running pants!

Never mind the layers of skin now on the sidewalk. Never mind the blood I now have running down my leg and saturating my sock. Never mind the fact that the Lehigh Valley Half is days away. I was concerned about my time and thinking about my pants.

I hobbled home, bathed in hydrogen peroxide, found bandages big enough to cover my now very sore knees and hand, and gathered my bags for work. Ted stopped me at the door:

Ted: Is that your gym bag?
Maggie: Yeah...
T: Are you crazy?
M: No...but...
T: Maggie--you can't walk and your hand is bandaged up.
M: But...

Bottom line is that Ted won the argument, and my gym bag stayed at the house. On my way to work, I found myself growing concerned about my lack of gym time this week.

That's when I stopped myself. Am I becoming obsessed? Am I letting what originally was to be a healthy hobby turn into a hobby actually doing more harm that good? The idea of taking a few days off to rest was absurd to me. The idea that by running on sore knees or going to the gym leading up to a half marathon didn't mean potential injury to me--it was just something I was to do.

I decided, briefly, that I may be obsessed, although I'm not sure why. It's not that I have to win. It's not that I have a stellar physique that needs constant maintenance. It's not that I don't allow myself the occasional treat and overindulge in ice cream or a good margarita. But that didn't necessarily sit right, either. I know plenty of people who run more than me, or spend more time in the gym than I do, or eat more salads and vegetables and less processed food than myself. My true obsession is not in how far I run, or how fast, or how often I go to the gym, or how many crunches I can do. Rather, my obsession lies in the routine of my day. I go to the gym Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. By not going to the gym today, I have upset my routine and set things off schedule. I won't be at the gym three days this week--I'll only be there two days. This bothers me more than not getting a work-out in, and therefore doesn't make me obsessed with fitness.

Instead, my next blog should probably discuss the definition of OCD...

They do it this way, I do it that way.

2008-04-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year. On a normally quiet 6-mile run tonight, Ted and I saw a pack of 25-30 bikers, a handful of runners, a number of kids out playing, and quite a few walkers. It's the time of year when most people get the itch to break out of the hibernation zone, stretch their legs, and vow to get back in shape.

It's also the time of year that I begin to think exactly the opposite--I am looking forward to the Lehigh Valley Half being over so I can hang up the distance runs and return to the easy 3-mile-mornings to get me through the sticky summer months.

I tend to do my best running beginning in mid-September. From then through about this time, I'm great. I can rack up miles and miles and look forward to each run (for the most part). As soon as the weather starts to get warmer, however, I begin to dread the longer runs and would rather take advantage of the sunny evenings in other ways.

Fortunately my resolution to run a streak this year will keep me motivated through the summer (as if the bikini isn't motivation enough--and why don't they make bikinis for runners, so we don't have to buy two different sizes, a smaller-sized top, and a larger bottom, accomodating the runner booty? But that's another time and another blog...). I look forward to the morning runs again and reducing my distance for a few months.

Then, when everyone else decides it's smart to stay inside on cold, dark evenings, I'll be out and racking up the miles again.

Welcome to the World

2008-04-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Last week was a bad week.

This week is a good week.

Last week I was frustrated with alot.

This week things are making more sense. Curley is absolutely fine. We ran 8 miles on Sunday and I felt strong and happy. I feel like I am more certain at work and more comfortable, and spent a few days in the gym, working out alongside my boss (nothing bonds you quite like that.)

And Robin had her baby.

While Robin was in labor, a former co-worker of mine was in a hospital in Philly, dying of a stage 4 cancer. Circle of life--days come, days go. To everything there is a season. And I'm sure there are alot of other songs to quote along those lines.

Besides the 8 miles we ran Sunday, I did another 4 this morning and we're aiming for 10 this weekend. It's a quick increase from 6 a few weeks ago, but I feel okay with is, and am confident it will all be okay.

Maybe it's time for a change...

2008-04-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

Our lives are a complete polar opposite from what they were two weeks ago. The first change is that due to family issues (that were not our fault, but nonetheless are just as stressful), Dave has moved back in with his mother. This was not a smooth transition, and has left many hurt feelings and stressful conversations, which could have been avoided. While it is straightened out at this point (for the most part), it caused quite a deal of stress and tension for a few weeks.

The second change is a more positive one--I have received and started a new job. I began this week and while it has quite a few perks that I will enjoy (including a free gym membership with their corporate gym in the building...BIG deal!), and the return to actually thinking and using my brain, which has caused me to arrive home exhausted and wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed. The job itself is great and I can't wait to get moved into my office (once it is finished) and to the point where I don't get lost on the way to the bathroom or wonder who that was again I passed and answered "Good!" when they asked me "How is it going, Maggie?". But until I reach that, I will not only have to learn a new industry and method of madness, but also the small things we most often take for granted.

Then, as if this wasn't enough, Curly decided the other night to have a nightmare, which I misinterpreted for a seizure. She was fine, and is fine, but it caused a rough evening and even rougher next day as I fought the certainty that I would be coming home to a dead cat. Again, for the record, it was a nightmare (she was hissing and puffed up and shaking--it was terrifying).

With everything going on, Ted and I have not been focusing on running as much as we should be. The Lehigh Valley Half is at the end of the month, and we have not ran a foot past 6 miles. We shrug off our evening training runs, and I probably wouldn't have the energy to complete them if we were to try. I'm still running my daily mile, but we need to step up the distance if we are going to consider having fun at the half-marathon at the end of the month.

That is why tomorrow we're attempting at a morning run. Maybe evening running is old news--maybe we've been so used to going it's a chore now, and doesn't hold the excitement any longer. So we'll try the run tomorrow morning, and either it will work and we'll refresh our energy and interest, or we'll realize how nice we had it with evening runs and refresh the routine with a new appreciation.

What I get for having "Blog-Friends"

2008-03-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Marcus has provided me with a challenge. I need to join in on the "six word memoir" game. He calls it fun and challenging. I had agreed with challenging, until I came up with my memoir and now I think it is fun, as well.

This was new to me, so here are the rules to this game:
1) Write your own six word memoir
2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4) Tag at least five more blogs with links
5) Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Six words seems like alot...until you try to come up with one. What is my memoir? What do I want people to most remember me by, in six words? I'm a great wife. That's four. I'm an awesome friend. Again, that's four. I rock the world. Four...

Then it hit me. Because it's a running blog, and that's what you all know me as (and quite frankly, probably don't care how good of a wife I am to Ted or how awesome a friend I am to Cassie, or what the world really thinks of the way I rock), then my memoir should be about running. So here it goes:

Philadelphia Marathon. Need I Say More?

Does that count? Too bad.

Okay, so because I play by the rules, here are my five bloggers that are now required to participate, all because you left comments at one time on my blog and welcomed me into your world. :-) 1. Charlie 2. Ron 3. Blyfinn 4. Lifestudent 5. Reba

(P.S. I think I may be participating in one of the first-ever blog chain letters, but I promise you, if you chose not to participate, you won't have bad luck for 5 years, your true love may still call you tonight, a wish may still come true, and something good may still happen to you in the next 5 minutes)

Cold? What cold?

2008-03-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

My mother has recently moved to the Philly area, and is tutoring at a learning center. She always has endearing stories from the kids she works with, but the one she told us the other night was classic. And it was one that we all can relate to...mainly because we've been on both sides of this story before!

In the middle of the session, she reports this young kid looks up at her and starts on the following conversation:

Kid: Do white people feel the cold?
Mom: Why do you ask that?
K: Well, my mom and I were driving on a cold day and we saw a white person running and he was wearing shorts. I asked my mom and she said white people don't feel the cold.
M: I feel the cold. Members of my family feel the cold. I don't think skin color matters--we all get cold and we all get hot.

She went on to explain that when you run, you tend to feel warmer, so maybe the runner was sweating and feeling warmer than he would have had he not been running.

This reminded me of a "Boondocks" comic a few years ago, where the two boys are huddled together at the bus stop wearing parkas and hats and scarfs, and a man is running by in shorts and a tank top. The one boy looks at the other and says "White people."

I know there have been times when I've seen someone running a race or just a training run in flurries or windy conditions or just down-right inhumane cold, and they are wearing very little. One race I do actually gives out an award for the runner that is least dressed! And it has crossed my mind on if they feel the cold and realize just how miserable it is to be outside in pants and sleeves, let alone shorts! On the other hand, I have also been that runner...running in poor conditions wearing not as much as I should be, and thought other drivers were probably laughing, while I felt absolutely fine, maybe even a bit over-heated.

My response? I would just show one picture of the winners of most marathons and the clothes they are wearing, regardless of the weather.

Is this for real?

2008-03-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, I have thought and rethought my decision to run at least a mile a day for various reasons. At the beginning of the year, I thought it may possibly be a bad idea because I wondered how much rest I was providing my body. Then I began to think it would be a good idea, and I would try to beat my mile time and try to become a faster runner. Then I again began to second guess the decision, as my mile time increased, but my distance times decreased and became harder.

But I guess persistence pays off...or something like that. Ted and I ran a 4-mile race this weekend. It was a smaller race, with my age group consisting of about 10 other runners. It was a hilly course, and quiet. The race ended coming up a long hill, with the finish immediately at the top. Ted finished ahead of me, and was cheering me on.

The time was 36 minutes.

36 minutes!? For 4 miles? Are you kidding me? That's exactly what I asked Ted as I ran by. Actually, I think it was something more along the lines of "This clock is so off".

The time got my fourth in my age group and a PR that shattered my other times. The time was amazing--I normally would have done it in 41 minutes, give or take. (Especially since our pre-race dinner consisted of nachos, hot dogs, and soft pretzels at the Phantoms hockey game Friday night).

So now I am crediting my A-Mile-A-Day philosophy, and running the mile with a renewed energy. My mile last night clocked in at 6:55/mile. Granted, it's a pace that I couldn't keep up past the mile point, but I'm doing it and I couldn't be more pleased.

Star Sightings

2008-03-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Marcus wasn't the only star I saw during my recent gallop in New York...

Tuesday morning I got up and routed out my run for the day. It was a beautiful morning, cool but not frigid, and sunny. I decided to end up around Rockefeller Center. A few years ago, while in New York, I packed up our corporate logo signs and froze my fanny out for a few seconds on CBS's Early Show, providing some free press and a chance to get my smiling mug on TV.

I wasn't quite so enthusiastic this year, but was curious to see what NBC was like, compared to the Early Show. I was expecting a much larger crowd, and was thrilled to realize I could stand at the window of the studio and watch Matt Lauer interviewing someone about the economy. The interview didn't interest me nearly as much as Meredith Vierra standing off to the side, and I decided to stick around a bit longer when I realized they were ready for an outside shoot.

Within minutes, all four anchors were in the Plaza, with two other people I didn't recognize at first...then they introduced them.

I LOVE Biggest Loser. I find that show to be very motivating, and would love five minutes with Bob the Trainer. If I actually wanted to get some crunches in, I'd pick Jillian.

Therefore I was thrilled when I realized the mystery people were Jillian Michaels and Bernie, the latest non-Biggest Loser.

I should mention here that when standing at the plaza in the crowd, there are two sets of barricades. One set surrounds the open area where Al and Matt and the others stand, the other set surrounds the first set. I was standing by the second set, as I was just running past, and when I realized it was Bernie and Jillian, I began to climb and straddle and do everything short of jumping over the barricade to get a better look. The entrance was clear on the other end of the Plaza, and I didn't want to lose the shot of seeing them to walk around.

A security guard finally came over and asked if I wanted to go inside. I said I didn't want to walk the whole way around and I was fine. "Ma'am, the entrance is only over there." (My excitement at seeing famous people wasn't going to hindered by the fact that for some reason I was a "Ma'am" and not a "Miss", but minor flaw on her part). No, really, I assured her. I'm fine.

"Well, we don't like you standing here."

Okay, so I decided to walk around and go inside, where I obviously was supposed to be. I hurried over, seeing that the interview was now over and while the four anchors high-tailed it back into the studio, Jillian and Bernie were taking pictures and signing autographs and meeting with people. I was wearing my Philadelphia Marathon shirt, and was certain that I would be a prime person for Jillian to talk to. After all, we share the same interests. Granted, she's more into the blood-type of training than I am, but we both understand the final result and the work it requires.

Alas, my marathon shirt must have been a poor choice, as I'm sure it intimidated the poor girl. She chose not to come talk to me, and instead walked inside with Bernie.

The surprise? Jillian Michaels wears 6-inch heels.

The truth? She still could probably kick my ass.

The Torturous Mile

2008-03-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Ted and I follow the old saying "Early to bed, early to rise" quite literally. We are normally in bed by between 9:00 and 10:00 most evenings--weekends we may try to live it up a bit and push it closer to 11:00. We like to be awake during the week by 6:00, weekends closer between 8:00 and 9:00. In fact, if I sleep in much later, I tend to be angry, feeling like I lost part of the day to a useless task.

So, with that in mind, here I sit, 10:30 at night, in New York City, in a cushy little hotel room where, if I lean back against my pillows right now, I can look out my window and see the JVC Globe in Times Square and the lights of the HUGE LCD screen (no, building). Most normal people my age would be out and about, with a free ticket to buy drinks for their friends at the trade show, all on the company's dollar.

I passed up dinner at an Italian restaurant to come back to my room and indulge in room service, followed by my obligatory mile run. My first free moment of the day came at 10:00 this evening, and a mile run outside was not what I had in mind. I bit the bullet and did the treadmill. And realized, yet again, how much I hate the treadmill. Two minutes in and I'm swearing I'm finished, not sure how this 10:30 min/mile I'm groaning out can possibly be harder than the 8:00 min/miles I've been yanking from somewhere when I'm outside.

So tomorrow morning will find me up and out on the streets of New York. I love running in the city. I love the feeling that I'm exploring, I love the puzzle of figuring out where I am going and getting back, and I love the portrayal I have of a native (most times on these runs I am stopped at least once and asked for directions...and three-quarters of those times I can actually answer them!).

The sad thing is the traveling is part of my job I like the least. I am tired of dragging booths and signs around, lugging suitcases and bags of laptops, wires, cell phones, and who knows what else on trains, and having to argue my case with new supervisors who don't understand the business, don't trust me to do my job, or both. I have dreaded this trip for awhile, and I'm thanking my lucky stars it's only a two-day trip and I can go home tomorrow.

Back to my normal routine if early bedtime, early alarm, supper at 6:00, and routine television shows. If variety is the spice of life, then you could say that I like my life dull and bland. But I like it, and that's really all that matters.

Why Runners Are Great

2008-02-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

A while back, Tom on The Running Lounge had a post related to runners and Human Resources. If I recall it correctly, I remember the post referring to how, in a nutshell, runners make great employees.

As I embark into the scary world of Monsters, Headhunters, and CareerBuilders, I keep finding myself thinking back on that post and relating it to me. I have noticed many positive qualities that I believe make runners valuable employees (both ones that I may have made up and ones that others have confirmed). The trick is trying to decide if these qualities come from being a runner, or if we are runners because we possess these qualities.

As a runner, the first thing I tend to do when making a connection or good first impression is hope and pray the other person is a fellow runner, and find the first opportunity to sneak a clue in that only another fellow runner could pick up. I hate blatant facts, and I’m not one to walk in and say “Hi, I’m Maggie and I run obsessively.” Rather, I’ll wait and jump on the first chance to slide that in. I have had this opportunity at many tradeshows, events, and association meetings, and have experienced everything from the glorious, instant connection when the other person responds with “I run, too! How far do you run?” clear down to the polar opposite, where the other person glazes over and comments “Why someone would do that is beyond me” or “How fast do you run? Even I can run an 8:00/minute mile.”

Runners tend to be a determined folk. They understand the importance of goal setting, and reaching multiple mini-goals before the big final goal. They can appreciate the tenacity of pushing through a grueling task, and understand the need to do so. They know there is a place and a time to sit down and cry and doubt everything from the goal at hand to your sanity, and that’s okay, but after a few minutes they understand that you pick yourself back up and keep going. And they have experienced the intense thrill of the final big race day, and knowing all your hard work was worth it and they return a few days later, ready to do it all over again. And they are the first people to question why something isn’t possible…as Ted likes to say about me, “The best way to get Maggie to do something is tell her she can’t.”

At the risk of being extremely stereotypical in such a politically correct world, I’m going to say that I believe runners do make great employees. But I’m going to take it a step further. I believe runners make great civic servants. I believe runners make great committee volunteers. I believe runners make great youth leaders. I believe runners can improve the world and make great examples. And I’ve been keeping that in mind as I hunt for the next chapter in my life, hoping I can relate my running experience to a possible good fit in the career place.

The Best-Laid Plans.

2008-02-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

I have held a driver’s license for 12 years. In those 12 years of driving, I have one speeding ticket to my name. My record is squeaky clean. No accidents. I’ve never even so much as been in an accident.

Until today.

My commute to work is only about 15 miles, but it is full of lights and traffic. Obviously, the earlier I leave, the better off I am.

Today’s plan was to leave very early. I had hoped to be at work by 7:30, get a lot accomplished and out the door by 4:00. I would scurry home, change, and run six miles, ending at Ted’s office in time to ride home with him. This was all so I could get home and hunker down in lieu of the pending snowstorm we are supposedly to get.

Then I get rear-ended. By a suspended-licensed driver who isn’t driving her car and, at the time of this posting, has yet to submit insurance information to the police (we kind of all know where this is going, right?).

Visually, her car was much worse off. It was obviously totaled, compared to my chipped bumper and mangled muffler…I could still drive mine (although it did hit “hot rod” status quickly with the muffler now trash).

However, according to the insurance adjuster, the car isn’t legal to be driven, so for up to $25/day, my insurance company will cover a rental. $25/day doesn’t get you much at all. But it runs.

Needless to say, my nice long run is out of the picture. With each minute that pass, my back and neck feel tighter and stiffer, and I’m just not sure a long run would be as “nice” as I want it to be.

So, moral of the story is…run before leaving for work in the morning, drive carefully, and if your license is suspended…don't drive.

How to Add to Office Whispers.

2008-02-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

I am happy to report that seven weeks into 2008, I am still right on track with running at least a mile every day. The jury is still out on how it will ultimately effect my running (my miles have never been so fast; but my long runs have never been so hard). However, I am doing it and I will continue to do it for the remaining 45 weeks. Because that is what I said I would do.

With that pep talk out of the way, the resolution has forced me to be creative about the time I find to run. Some days are obviously easier than others. Other days require me to slip a mile run in somewhere and just bathe in deodorant and perfume upon my return—just in time for my afternoon meetings.

I work for an office that doesn’t necessarily care if you select a healthy lifestyle. Some companies reward employees with on-site showers, insurance discounts, gym memberships, so on and so on.

My company took the on-site showers and expanded the men’s restroom. And the last thing the HR secretary ever told me (before they laid her off) was “I don’t know” to my question on if our health insurance provided a gym membership discount.

With all that said, you can imagine the whispers and stares I’m sure I probably get as I sprint down the hallway and through the parking lot to my car in my little running tights, cursing that I forgot at least a baggy sweatshirt that day.

Yes, my “When can I run?” runs are currently being held over lunch. I drive to a local park, run a mile around a block in the area, and drive back. Upon my return, I quickly shuffle my way back into the bathroom, bathe with a number of baby wipes and deodorant, spritz and sprtiz with perfume, then calmly walk my still-sweaty self back to my office, where I plug in my hair straightener, fetch my lunch, and complete my pre-run appearance.

No one has ever said anything about my lunchtime jaunt, although I can only imagine what the employees are all talking about, especially those that walk into the ladies room to see a sock laying on the floor, or underwear peeking out from a bag, with me quickly changing inside the stall, half the time falling over into the walls, and once terrified because I almost accidentally flushed my iPod.

(Editor’s Note: Best Luck Marcus, on Sunday’s Ugly Mudder Trail Run. I saw the “steps” on the race course were condemned by the city of Reading…therefore, I think Ron Horn said there’s another bushwacker hill to climb…good luck and um…have fun?)

Is Green the new Black?

2008-02-08T05:42:00.000-08:00

It seems that everyone is going “green”. Our church impliments green initiatives wherever possible. Recycling is now the cool thing to do, and Dave seems to think if he leaves his cell phone charger plugged in, he is single-handedly ruining the environment (yet will leave his TV and lights on all night long). Styrofoam is becoming the new profanity, and I can now say I love to shop at thrift stores with pride—because instead of being cheap, I’m now being “environmentally conscious”.

It’s not a surprise, then, that I saw the running community heading in the same direction, with The Greenteam, runners who also want to make a difference and save the plant. I believe in saving the environment. I’m not as gung-ho as I probably should be—I’m a bit more cynical and tend to question how I am making a difference by the small decisions I make, but I do try to make an honest effort where I can, and when asked should we save the planet or let it crumble, I'm all for saving it. (With that said, I refuse to accept a paperless society; I will print everything three or four times and file it away in three or four places, according to subject, date, recipient, etc.) But I do understand the importance of not being stupid, so I decided to check out the site and see what it was all about.

Basically, it is a microsite from Runner’s World, and gives runners the options for organic nutritional bars and recipes, and spins off on basic running advice (training plans, shoe guides, etc). The most interesting part of it, however, was the section on “Green Races” (and I didn’t think they were referring to the St. Patty’s Day marathon, but turns out that one is considered a “Green Race”…quite fitting).

So what makes a race “Green”? Running is already one of the most environmentally-friendly activities—it requires very little financially, there is no extra electricity or power required, no gas or diesel, and limited garbage (shame on anyone tossing their gel wrappers to the side of the road…oops, shame on Maggie).

To truly be a “Green Race”, initiatives include having recycling containers along the race course, organic T-shirts and food options, sustainable race bags (they make great options for carrying your groceries home), recycled paper for the flyers and entry forms, email versus postal whenever possible, and bike police instead of pace cars.

It’s an interesting concept. And perhaps I should be a bit more aware of what I do—one of the biggest attractions for running is being outside. My favorite runs are on back roads in nature, or on trails. The quiet and solitude is terrific, and I would be the first to admit the horror of it should that all disappear one day. I will supplement my retirment one day by winning races in my age group (it's easy when there are two other 90 years olds), so I plan on running outside for quite a few more years (God willing). I’m also a big advocate of if you like it, support it. So maybe it’s time I stop being blind, stop telling myself one person change things, and step up and decide to help preserve nature so I can continue to enjoy it.

You Want to be Like Me.

2008-01-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

I market things for a living. Right now I market technology solutions. In the past, I have marketed books. However, it doesn't take a marketing genius (such as myself, of course) to realize the best way to promote something you wish to draw an audience to is to place something inspiring or encouraging on the front. If you want to market clothes to a younger audience, the models must be cool and hip and the epitome of what that audience wants to be. If you want to market make-up to a 40+ crowd, your model should not have wrinkles or blotchy skin. You want to entice your target market by showing them exactly what they can look like or be when they use your product.

The other day, I received a packet of race applications in the mail. The first few were for more trail runs in Reading (a 15K? a 30K? Let's all take a moment and laugh, especially those I've spoken to and heard about my stories from a measley 7-mile Pretzel City Sport trail run the other week). Then I saw the Holy Grail of race applications. It was for the 2008 Valley Forge Revolutionary Run. It was black and white, and appeared to have been photocopied by an intern standing at the machine. But despite the grainy appearance, there was no denying the picture of the runners--and right in the middle were Ted and myself.

The marketer was being marketed. The sad thing about this is I looked more like Quazi Moto climbing the stairs to the bell tower than an experienced runner--and I think the picture was taken around mile 1.

Just as you want your make-up ads to reflect a beautiful face, and your diet pill ads to show a beautiful body, you also want your race ads to portray beautiful runners.

Eh-hem. Thus brings me to my next question--what took them so long? (insert smiley face here, because we know we all want to look like Maggie running!)

One for the Books

2008-01-20T12:39:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a list of items they wish to experience. I am no different. However, as a runner, my list varies a bit. I still have the basics--I want to have kids, I want to see the Great Wall of China, I want to lay on the beach in Brazil, I want to see the Great Pyramids. But I also have items that classify who I am--I wanted to run a marathon (check!), I want to run a race and place, I want to run a trail race.

I have now completed the trail race. And, six hours after I finished, I still am not sure how I feel.

Ted and I went to Reading and ran the Chilly Cheeks. We had been training in a local park on technical trails, and felt we were pretty prepared. Our mileage wasn't real high for a 7 mile run, but we knew the distance. We had the trial shoes and we had dressed in layers (the wind chill in Reading this morning may have been single digits, and I'm being generous). But we weren't prepared for the race itself. It definitely wasn't for the faint of heart.

We were fortunate whereas there was no ice nor water nor mud. There was some snow, but just enough to add to the experience without hindering performance. The race started on a road, went down a hill, around a turn onto a trail, and....UP. We stopped when we saw the crowd of people, half walking/half crawling, up a long, steep hill.

The rest of the trail was like that. Steep hills. Long downhills. Some straight and flat, but most of it was anything but. Many points throughout I was able to stand at the foot of the hill and look straight up. The trail zig-zagged up the hill, and the line of colored coats and hats wound up the hill. My calves burned, my butt hurt, and I questioned my sanity at quite a few places.

Halfway through, at the second water stop, were cups of Yuengling. It was cold, it was carbonated, and it was delicious. We kept moving, up more hills, over trees, down rocks. Ted and I both stumbled and slid on more than one occasion, but we picked ourselves back up and kept going.

The phrase of the race was when Ted turned around and informed me (and the three people between us) "I'd rather be running the marathon." He was met with agreement from everyone between me and him. At the top of the next to last hill, we rolled over a thick wall onto the road and started heading back to the finish.

The last hill was actually one of the redeeming factors of this race. We heard the crowd before we saw them...then we looked up, and then we saw them. Dave was waiting for us at the top. This hill was very short compared to the others, but it was straight. Ted and I literally crawled--funny thing was, I don't remember really bending over to crawl over this hill, that's just how steep it was. That part was loud, it was exciting, and it was fun. Afterwards we had a hot breakfast, Irish band, and dancing.

Would I do it again? I don't know. I'm sick enough to....I'd eventually forget the pain of it all, and just remember the last 5 minutes. On the other hand, it may just be one of those things I experienced once and we'll leave it at that.

An Addition to the Runner’s Medicine Cabinet

2008-01-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

“Have you run yet today?”

That was Cassie’s question to me Sunday during the opening prelude in church. I shook my head, and explained that we are all fighting colds and I opted to rest this morning and would probably run later that afternoon.

“That was what I wanted to ask you—what will you do if you’re sick?”

I shrugged and told her I’d cross that bridge when I got there…the problem was, I was already there. For a few days the cold had shifted around from my chest to my head to my throat and back. I had run through it all…I figured a mile wasn’t hurting anything, and I could hardly quit a week into the resolution. But Ted and I are training for the Lehigh Valley Half in April, and I won't make much progress at a mile a day.

So I sat in church, sniffles and all, trying to wonder if I was feeling tired due to the illness or lack of sleep or both. And Cassie’s words rung in my ear—“If you are sick, you shouldn’t run. You can miss a day or two…”

Not everyone is so lucky as to marry someone whose personality is so much different from your own that you are as compatible as color opposites on the color wheel. That is Ted and I. And I am even luckier where one of my best friends is about as similar to Ted as one can get.

This is one reason Cassie is such a dear friend to me. Not only do we get along great, and have a blast doing it, but she is my female equivalent of Ted…my voice of reason and the grounded factor to my ditzyness. And here she is, explaining to me what I should already know—if I’m sick, I shouldn’t run. End of story. (I still opted for a mile Sunday, but still took Cassie’s advice and bypassed the 6 mile run on the training schedule).

But Sunday night I knew I had to do something. I knew the congestion would play a large factor in a good night’s sleep that night and a good night’s sleep was exactly what I needed if I was going to fight this and get on with the training.

Enter God’s Gift to the Medicine Cabinet—Vicks VaporRub.

Growing up, my brother and spent the months of November through March sharing the vaporizer. It would spend a week or two in my room, then move to his. The smell of hot Vicks in the bedroom was a staple and when I close my eyes, I can still see the jar of Vicks and the small butter knife my mom used to spread it in the vaporizer. I even had a T-shirt devoted to when things got really bad and my chest was smothered in the stuff—it had permanent grease marks on the front and smelled like…well…Vicks.

Sunday night I lathered myself up and slid on an old T-shirt. The cool tingly sensation took me back instantly, comforting me, as well as enabling me to breathe openly and freely (and sent Ted reeling to the other side of the bed). And, like magic, Monday morning I could feel the cold entering it’s final stages and I’m happy to report a full recovery is on the horizon. Mental or not, it worked and that's all I cared about!

I have now promoted Vicks VaporRub for the inevitable winter colds to the “What’s in my Medicine Cabinet” list, right beside Advil for sore muscles, petroleum jelly for chafing sports bras, band-aids for the blisters, and countless knee and ankle braces.

Dave's Scale

2008-01-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

At some point in the past year or so that Dave has slowly been moving in with us, a scale arrived. I’m not sure if it first came during his weekend stays early in the fall of 2006, or if it arrived as the situation turned more permanent this past summer. Regardless, at some point, a scale arrived in his back bedroom.

We didn’t first hear or know about this scale until a week and a half ago when Dave come into the kitchen and announced that his scale told him he has dropped X% of body fat.

“Wow, congratulations!” Ted stated.

My response was a bit more direct. “You have a scale?”

I have never owned a bathroom scale, and the only time I allow my eyes to fall on any sort of weight range for myself are on the few doctor’s visits over the course of the years. In high school, we had a bathroom scale—the kind where the dial has to be leveled out from time to time for a pure reading and a person only had to rock back and forth to drop a pound or two from the dial. The best April Fools’ joke was to reset the scale so it started out 5 or 10 pounds below or above zero, substantially adding or subtracting from an individual’s weight. The only problem with that is I often forgot I did that, so I ended up being the receiver of my own joke most of the time.

Dave gingerly informed me I could use his scale…obviously uncertain about how the statement could have been twisted and misinterpreted by the sensitive female psyche. So after dinner that night, I trudged upstairs quietly and pulled the scale from the back bedroom and into the bathroom.

What looked up at me from the floor was not the old scale I had been used to. This scale, with its screen not much smaller than most computer monitors, had more buttons and symbols and formulas on it than I had ever seen. In one of the most humbling experiences of my still-young life, I called down to Dave and asked him how it worked.

“You just step on it.” Was his response, delivered in the “duh” way only a 17-year-old boy can.

I kicked off my slippers and slid onto the scale, rocking back and forth until I felt I was standing evenly on the scale, balancing my weight effectively for a true reading. Then I quietly slid off the scale, returned it to the room, and slunk back downstairs, informing Ted and Dave that I was fat and dinner was heavy. “Did you wear those?” Ted asked, eyeing at my comfortable layers of pajama pants and sweatshirts. “Well, yeah…” I replied. How much can a sweatshirt weigh, anyway?

The next day, after my run and before dinner, I pulled the scale back out. The shower was running and I had decided, just before hopping in, that I should weigh myself just to see what may have transpired over the past 24 hours. “I lost seven pounds!” I yelled downstairs, and threw a robe on to inform the boys face to face that I wasn’t fat after all and the dinner, and maybe the cozy clothes, did attribute to the previous reading.

This has unleashed a monster. I am now obsessed with my body’s ability to fluctuate by a 1.5-2 pounds. I wake up in the morning—I weigh myself. I run—I weigh myself. I eat dinner—I weigh myself. I shower—I weigh myself. I dry my hair—I weigh myself. I am as fascinated by a 2-pound weight gain as I am by a 2-pound weight loss.

I think I should probably get myself on a regular routine (as in maybe once a week and not once every half hour) of weighing myself and tracking a more accurate reading system. But for now, I am having a good time seeing how much weight I gain from drinking three glasses of water and then how much I lose again by peeing it out.

New Year Resolutions 2008

2008-01-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

Like millions of other people, I spend December 31st trying to think of resolutions to carry through the upcoming year. Most of the time they flirt with weight issues, better eating, so on and so on. Other times they touch on responsibilities—I will make more of an effort to send weekly correspondence to my adopted soldier in Iraq. I will give more to our church each week. I will try to be more patient with people. Once in a while they discuss work ethic—I will try to recapture the fire in my work that I have lost in December. I will work harder and make more of an effort to stand up for myself and I will delegate when necessary and appropriate. But more often than not, they are running related. I will improve on my mile per minute average. I will run X amount of miles this year. I will run a marathon.

This year was a bit harder. I really don’t have much of an interest on improving my mile per minute average—sure, I want to be a faster runner, but let’s be honest about it. I hate speedwork and won’t necessarily put the dedication into it that I should. I’m not so great with long-term goals, so saying I want to run 1,000 miles in 2008 may not be the best resolution for me. And I did the marathon, so I’m not sure I can make that a true resolution. So what is left?

Running every day.

I mentioned the idea of running at least a mile every day last year around this time. This year I’m serious—one mile, every day of the year, at least. Doesn’t mean I won’t run more—I have races planned, I have longer runs scheduled. But no more do-nothing days—on do-nothing days, I will run a mile. Dave asks what will I do when it rains? I will run. Ted mentioned snow—what then? I will run.
366 times this year (leap year—go figure) I will run.

Why the Holidays are perfect for running

2007-12-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

In the midst of this holiday season, it's important for the runners of the world to remember why they run--why it is important, and why we must maintain focus in the hustle and bustle of the
season.

So, as a gift to all you runners, here are Maggie's Top 10 reasons why we must continue to run
through the end of the holiday season, and how I maintain my focus and inspiration:

10. Egg nog. Drinks made of eggs and heavy cream--as delicious as it is, it is definitely one
of the thicker, heavier indulgences I have. I can (for the most part) bypass the cakes and
cookies--but I love this seasonal drink with a passion.
9. Family. We all love our families (don't we?)...at the same time, I find the visiting and
socializing can be stressful and can quickly turn into a contest over who has done the most in
the past year. The stress can lead to food (or egg nog, or wine), and everything combined can
wreak havoc on my mood, attitude, and figure--therefore, a good run before or after (or both)
can help relieve this pressure for me. Plus, quite often, there are family members I see only a
few times a year. I, personally, don't want them to see me stressed and crazy...and feeling bad
about myself.
8. New clothes A. No one wants to put on the new pair of pants they've waited 6 weeks for to
find they are a bit tight...and I want to enjoy Christmas...not stress about my butt being too
big or my stomach protruding more than normal...
7. New clothes B. If presents aren't fun enough, taking the new running shirt or shoes out for
the inaugural trek can be as exciting as returning to a warm house and drinking egg nog--guilt
free!
6. Pictures. I'd be looking at them all year. Enough said. (and this year Santa brought Ted a
camcorder...again, enough said).
5. Resolutions. Every one makes New Year's Resolutions, and the majority (myself included)
involve some sort of weight loss. If you are anything like me, a week off from running can be
detrimental to the endurance and I, for one, do not want to be mistaken for a "trendy" runner,
just starting running, which will die off in a week or so.
4. Spring races. Already I have races planned for January, February, March, and April. And
they will be here before I know it.
3. Sleep. Along with the hustle and bustle and stress and craziness comes alot of running
around and lack of sleep. By maintaining activity, I sleep well and soundly, staying at my
best for the next day.
2. Energy. Ted always says that I do the most after a run. After a good run, I will buzz
around the house, cleaning and baking and taking care of everything I need to do. The good run
allows me to maintain my energy level, allowing me to take care of the ever-growing chore list.
1. Lights. Very little takes my mind off of the weather or darkness of a late-night or early-
morning run in December as the Christmas lights up around town and down the streets. It's my favorite part of running in December, and I always feel sad when January rolls around and it's
just another typical winter run.

Merry Christmas, and enjoy this last week of the holiday season! 2008 will be here before we all know it, and I look forward to hearing of your running adventures--and sharing mine!

The Allegory of the Cave

2007-12-18T06:13:00.000-08:00

One of the all-time worst subjects I ever was required to take in college was psychology (how ironic that I hated it so much, I had to take it twice). Out of those two semester classes (each taken at two very different schools by two very different professors), one story stuck with me. That is Plato's analogy, The Allegory of the Cave.

If memory serves me correctly, one of the theories offered in this description was that humans will grow so accustomed to their current environment that change of any sort is not welcome, and can be downright painful, even if the change is a positive one. The comparison Plato makes is a group of people who are held prisoner in a cave for some time. They create their own environment and comfort based on the position they are in, and create their own fears and logic on why a life outside what they have is better. In this case, they view shadows of their guards, creating the illusion the guards are much bigger than they really are.

When finally freed and brought up into the sun outside of the cave, the bright light is too much for their tender eyes, and instead of waiting for their body to adjust to its new surroundings, they long to be returned to the prison from which they came.

I love trying new things, and I am a firm believer of taking what you have and going with it, and not yearning for the past or wondering "What If". However, a big downfall I also have is my comfort zone. I'm not one to deal with change, and will put off any change as long as I can.

At the risk of sounding extremely shallow (because in the great scheme of things, this new change in my life is about as minuscule as the pine needle stuck in the hardwood floor that I cannot seem to get with the vacuum or dust brush or my fingernails), I am trying right now to apply this allegory to the fact that the Cool Running website announced they were merging with Active Trainer. I have known this for some time, and I am almost through the denial stage. My bookmarked favorite is still "Cool Running", and I had refused to transfer my data. I am now at the point where I must do so, and I must move forward with this. I panic that my data won't transfer over, and get ill about the idea of losing years' worth of stats. Is this new site better? I think so--it has training routes, claims to be easier to use, integrated maps for planning runs...but I refuse to allow myself to grow accustomed to it--to learn it and find out how to use it. I don't understand why I can't keep using my old (albeit ancient) Cool Running log and running map to mark out my own routes.

But now I must learn to do just that. I will try to take my own advice and move forward, accepting this change that has been handed to me. I'm not happy with it--I knew how to use Cool Running. I don't know how to use this. I feel silly, and I still can't figure out how to pull up reports on running, or to see how many miles I've ran in the past week, month, or year. I desperately keep checking Cool Running's website, hoping they will decide to return to their log for users, and I need to remember this is probably better, and to let myself adjust.

A Runner's Wishlist

2007-12-11T05:25:00.000-08:00

With the holiday season quickly approaching (almost too quickly...I think I was just saying I could eat anything I wanted because I just ran a marathon...), many of us good girls and boys are putting together our seasonal wish list for the Spirits of the Season--be it Santa Claus, Dominic the Donkey, or--as Ted's father in South Philly used to tell him--the Septa bus driver.

The runner's wishlist can tend to be a bit different than the normal person's (I use the term "normal" quite literally here). I got a jumpstart on my wish list by purchasing new kicks and a new headphone set for my iPod ahead of time. Ted oh-so-thoughtfully suggested that maybe he should wrap up the empty shoe box and empty headphone box anyway, but I gently reassured him my List of Favorite Wishes still has plenty for him to pick from. Some of the top picks? (enjoy my shameless plugs for products where I am benefiting absolutely none by listing them--a marketer's dream).

1) Brooks HVAC Seamless Running Top: I'm sold with this top and the special cuffs that can wrap themselves around my cold little fists while running. How genius is that!? Forget the mittens and gloves that are usually being carried by mile 3 anyway...with this neato shirt, warm hands can be revealed easily, and re-wrapped when they get cold again!

2) Trail shoes: I have no idea what consists of a good trail shoe, but I know I am going to need one. A few races I have my eye on for the upcoming year include not only the Lehigh Valley Half, but a January and February trail run in Allentown. Why? Because I enjoy getting dirty when I run, and I enjoy trail running, and this just looks like fun (I could still be grossly misled, however).

3) Fluffy Boots: These oh-so-cozy boots look like some of the most comfortable things I have ever seen. Known also as apres-ski boots, I think they could also be quite defined as apres-cold-morning-run boots.

4) Turtle Fur: (now there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one) I don't know if a neck gaiter would actually be comfortable to wear while running--I have visions of myself drooling and breathing all over it, creating all sorts of condensation that only causes my skin to get wet and cold...but the idea is worth a try, isn't it?

5) Nike+ Running Shirt: Or any Nike+ product is fine--if it holds my iPod for me, and keeps the headphone wires under control, I'm sold!

But, in all honesty, like most runners, I'd be happy with a warm pair of gloves, a new pair of socks, and another year of my strength and health so I can keep racking up the miles.

Happy Holidays, everyone! May all your running wishes come true!

‘Tis the Season

2007-12-06T11:31:00.000-08:00

‘Tis the Season for many a wonderful thing—beautifully decorated houses, cheerful faces, amazing sales, thick and creamy egg nog, the wonderfully chocolaty chocolate covered Oreos and other goodies given to me by my vendors at work, carols sung by the mistletoe, rosy red cheeks…

…frostbitten fingers, moonlit runs, runny noses…

…and bundling myself up so warm and cozy before leaving the house for my pre-dawn runs that a half mile into it I’m begging for places to stash my clothes. I’m not used yet to this weather. I complain every other month about not being used to the weather. When it was 40 degrees I was overdressing. Now that it’s 18 when I go outside the past few mornings, I look more like Ralphie’s little brother in the Christmas Story trying to run in his snowsuit than an experienced runner. I’m never ready for this brisk cold, no matter how much I try to remind myself how quickly I warm up once I get started. At 5:00 in the morning, my brain isn’t listening to any reasoning as I shiver in my 100+ year old house, while Ted still slumbers peacefully underneath the down comforter, with thoughts of sugarplums dancing in his head. It’s as much mental as anything when I pile sweatshirts and fleeces, trying to warm up in general and prevent my body from forcing itself back into bed.

Ted is still enjoying his recovery time. I have a feeling his recovery time is going to be milked as long as possible, while I couldn’t wait to get back out. Will power is a strong trait, and it’s a very powerful and odd feeling when 50% of you wants very much to go out into the dark, brisk morning for a nice run, and the other 50% of you wants very much to head the other direction into the dark, and return to the layers of blankets and pillows and burrow down for another hour or so of sleep. Fortunately, most of the time, the run wins.

In two months, I’ll be complaining about weather some more. Two months from then, as it gets warmer, I’ll complain about not being used to the heat. It’s a vicious cycle and, unfortunately, the Eastern PA weather does not typically repeat itself, so nothing can be expected. Each season is different each year—two years ago, we had a foot of snow now. This time last year, I think I may have been wearing shorts still?

Regardless of the weather where you are, enjoy the runs. Each season has its perks for me, as a runner, as well as its downfalls. But each run continues to maintain the same perk, regardless of the temperature—and that is all I need to focus on…not the chapped skin I’m developing from rubbing my nose raw with my gloves or my chapped lips from licking them while running…or the realization that really, I have another 3-4 months of this.

Recovering in Beantown

2007-11-27T13:58:00.000-08:00

Everything associated with the recovery process from last Sunday’s marathon was as expected—soreness, stiffness, and inability to do anything more than scoot down a flight of stairs. But the hunger caught me off guard. I was not expecting to feel hungry past Sunday…or Monday…or Tuesday. In fact, by Wednesday, I had come to terms with feeling hungry, and decided to make peace with it, as long as it lasted through Thanksgiving. And sure enough, Thanksgiving dinner must have supplied me with the last of my depleted calories, and I finally feel as if I’m back on a normal eating pattern.

Thanksgiving morning we did our annual Thanksgiving 5K, only this year we recruited our neighbor (Roger’s wife), Ted’s sister Jillian, her boyfriend Kevin, and Kevin’s sister and brother-in-law. My time was the worst 5K time ever for me, but it was okay. I was still sore, and my big toenail is living its last days. But tradition is tradition, so the 5K was on.

After the 5K, I noticed a table of run announcements from Pretzel City Sports. Two of the trail runs caught my eye—Chilly Cheeks in January and Ugly Mudder in February. The descriptions sounded great, and I am extremely curious. If you’ve completed one or the other, let me know if it is worth it…

Currently, I’m in Boston on business. I have my runs scheduled around conference sessions and booth duty, and look forward to getting back into a regular routine of training runs.

But I do have one question—how long can I use the marathon excuse to pull in free calories? Boston Crème Pie? Eh, it’s okay—I ran a marathon two weeks ago. Egg nog on Christmas Eve? It’s okay—I ran a marathon a month ago. Extra cake at Ted and my 50th Wedding Anniversary? It’s okay—we both ran a marathon 46 years ago…

Pain is Temporary--Pride is Forever

2007-11-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

(I saw the title of this blog on a sign around Mile 18 today at the Philly Marathon and it got me through the rest of the race...I was going to entitle today's entry as "Who knew chicken broth could be so amazingly good?" but thought this was more appropriate)

First of all--TURTLE ROCKS. Go to http://www.blog.shoreturtle.com/ and tell him so now. Knowing where he would be and seeing him cheer and ring the cowbell helped so much. We saw him once at 12th and Arch, once down on Chestnut Street, and again at the art museum. I only wish I would have thought to find out where he would be after the race so I could thank him in person!

We were very nervous about Ted's knee. He had decided he wanted to run it, so we bought him a new knee brace, a better one than what he had been doing. Saturday we went down to the expo at The Liacourus Center at Temple University (my alma mater). Overall, the expo seemed to be a better experience than last year, except for the long line to get to the race bib pick-up.

Bedtime was early Saturday night, and Sunday we got to the city around 6:00. At the last minute, Ted decided to wear his old Drexel hockey practice jersey, which sparked more attention than anything else we could have selected. Our pace time started out pretty good--we were averaging around +/- 10:00 minute miles. Ted's sister, Jillian, and her boyfriend, Kevin, were waiting at Sweetbriar Drive, and ran with us up the hill into Fairmount Park, then promised to see us over around mile 15.

The course was changed up this year--the whole time in Fairmount Park, I was watching for the separation of the marathoners between the half-marathoners. It never happened, and at one point, I actually looked around to be sure there were other marathoners around with us.

There were two parts of the race that had me concerned--the first was when the half-marathoners were to finish and the marathoners would keep going. The second was heading down Kelly Drive towards Manayunk, seeing the other runners so close to the finish. Neither deterred me; if anything, they encouraged me to keep going.

We met up with Jillian and Kevin, and Dave, around mile 15. Because I have a tendency to sweat something fierce, I had packed along a change in shirts at that point. My shirts were already soaked, and I was pretty chilly. I quickly put on the new, clean shirts, and Ted and I headed up towards Strawberry Mansion (another change in course, but since I didn't run this last year, it didn't confuse me too terribly). Jillian and Kevin joined us for this part of the run, too, and ran with us until it looped back down to pick up Lincoln Drive. And Ted and I started towards Manayunk.

I had heard amazing things about Manayunk. Beer. Brownies. Crowds and cheering. Angels, trumpets, and streets of gold. The beer and brownies were true. I thought I heard angels and trumpets, but no one else did, so that is up for debate. I'm assuming once we got out there, the crowds had retreated back to their warm houses, because no one was out. I took the cup of beer...when else am I going to drink beer and miles 19 and 21?

I started really hurting around mile 17. The leg cramping started around mile 20, and I stopped a few times to stretch out, and fortunately it never escalated into anything too serious. Ted's knee never once gave him a problem, and he kept his strength up (which is amazing in itself, since his last long run was 17 miles about 6 weeks ago...from that point on, he's been resting and running small distances in hopes his knee would be fine.

Anyway, Jillian and Kevin met us again at mile 24. "I've never been so happy to see you!" Ted yelled, and it really was the truth. It's amazing to see people cheering for you, and when they come out and run a little, it really does help you carry through. Dave and Ted's other sister were waiting around mile 25, and they jumped in and ran as far as they could (almost to 26) before they jumped back and waved good luck to us, and we kept going.

I'll never forget that last .2 miles. It felt like it was just Ted and I and the crowd. Emotions kicked in, and it was hard to breath with the lump in my throat. And I think I had the perfect picture shot...no one was around us when we crossed, so I'm hoping for a prize photo!

We got the medals (which are nice and were placed around our neck instead of handed to us!), but had to hunt down a heat blanket...I ended up having to ask the police manning the emergency care tent for one. We got our food, met up with everyone one last time, then headed home.

Our finishing clock time was around 5:15. I think it took us about 8 minutes to reach the start, so chip time was maybe about 5:08? 5:10? Either way, it was everything I could have imagined it to be. We were hoping for 5:00, and willing to settle for 5:30.

So now here I sit, with a marathon under my belt, something I never, ever would have guessed my entire life. I'm extremely proud, only a little sore, sporting a beautiful black toenail, and now that I have almost a full mushroom pizza in my stomach (and not one ounce of guilt), I'm going to settle myself on the couch with a book and count the minutes before I fall asleep.

And with one week left...

2007-11-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

This time next week, I'll either be:
1) Ecstatic, on cloud nine, clutching my finisher's medal in one hand and my soggy bib number in the other
2) In more pain that I may ever have experienced
3) In and out of consciousness from exhaustion
4) In and out of sobbing fits from the extreme pride
5) All of the above.

I'm hedging my bets on Option 5.

Today was 8 miles. Tuesday will be 4 miles, Wednesday will be 2 miles...then rest until the big day.

During the run this morning, Ted's knee started giving him problems again, so he's taking the week off and hoping for the best Sunday, but expecting the worst.

Ted's older sister Jillian and her boyfriend Kevin were over for dinner, and revealed their plans to be all over the course to cheer me (or me and Ted) on. Kevin is an Ironman (Hawaii Ironman) and has done Philly, and knows Philly's course, so he said he knows where he needs to be to get me through it. Shoreturtle will be around, and Dave will be hanging out, as well.

I'm expecting the emotions I'm feeling now to only escalate throughout the week. Right now I'm excited. Very, very excited. Two hours ago, I was scared. Very, very scared. Yesterday I was doubtful. Who knows what two hours will bring.

Mainly I'm anxious. I know kind of what to expect. But I just want to be there and started and running.

And I simply Can Not wait to write my next post, hopefully with a big I DID IT in the subject.

Here's to Sunday! Wish me luck...

And the results say...

2007-11-05T05:47:00.001-08:00

Ted had his MRI last week, and the results came back, denouncing the original diagnosis of a torn meniscus, reducing it to a sprain. So Ted decided his training is back on, after a 2-week rest, and Sunday we got up and did 12 miles in the brisk autumn morning.

Having a natural athletic build, Ted was able to complete the 12 miles, feeling only minor aches and pains (the aches and pains associated with any mortal attempting to run 12 miles after a 2-week hiatus). But his knee was fine, or seemed fine. As we were gathering firewood later that afternoon, he mentioned he felt sore in his knee, and we ended early so he wouldn't overdo it.

As of now, he thinks he's going to go for it. Hopefully the distance will be okay for his knee, and I'll just add Aleve to the fuel pack filled with gels and water and Gatorade. The traditional 5K Thanksgiving race may be questionable, although I am tempted to register any way, and if we walk it, we walk it.

But the bottom line is it looks like Ted is back on for the marathon, which is creeping ever closer.
The best part about yesterday's run, however, was Ted admitting that he was surprised at how much he had missed running, and how he enjoyed being back. "I always said I ran just for you," he told me. "But I didn't realize how much I enjoyed it until now. Look at what you've created."

*sniff, sniff* I'm so proud!

A Very Busy Weekend OR Being a Slave to Nature OR Let the Taper Begin!

2007-10-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

There are some blog entries where I struggle to find an appropriate topic and/or headline. Then there are the entries where I have to cut parts out. This is one of those weeks.

I knew, going into our weekend, everything was scheduled to the minute. There was no room for flexibility or last-minute mind changes. Friday night was supposed to be nice, quiet, early-finish kind of evening with Jack and Robin--the newly-weds who are now three months pregnant. Saturday morning I would get up early, do my 20-miles, and at 1:00 be at the church for set-up for our youth group's Halloween party. Saturday night was the youth group's "Sleep Out So Other's Can Sleep In", where we would all crowd around a fire in the church's parking lot and sleep outside, raising money for the homeless. Sunday is a town breakfast, a fund raiser for the volunteer fire department. It is, essentially, $7 for all-you-can-eat grease and fat--delicious grease and fat. Any run after that breakfast would be border-line masochism.

The first problem with my finely-tuned plan was that a newly-wedded, pregnant couple, Jack and Robin still know how to have fun. 12:30 saw Ted and I waving good-bye to them, and 10:00 the next morning saw Ted waking me up. "It's only raining lightly now if you wanted to run."

The 20-mile run for the day was out--so I opted to reschedule my training plan to run 12 this weekend and next weekend do the 20. I changed and began to prepare my water belt--when Ted and Dave informed me I was not running anymore. It was pouring--Pouring!--with rivers running down our side street. But I was dressed and determined--although not enough to beat out Ted and Dave. So after some discussion, they talked me into running Sunday. And I decided if I were to run Sunday, I may as well do my 20-miles then. So I took myself upstairs and washed my pre-run lubricated body.

The rest of Saturday was busy, but unnecessary to report on. To give you a clue, it consisted of 2 hours of pre-schoolers and Halloween costumes, then a midnight bedtime in a tent on a church parking lot for a 7-hour night of sleep, with the 5:00 AM run being out of the question.
So Plan D it was--a run beginning no later than 2:00. Following the borough breakfast (does that make me a masochist? I think it might).

20 miles.

And I did it.

It was painful--I went through a series of aches and pains throughout the entire run, which, while it took me under 4 hours to complete, I was gone for four and a half. I left the house with a Cliff bar, two gel packs, and a baked potato. I lost a gel pack somewhere along the way, and never got to my Cliff bar. The last three miles consisted of stretching every 5 minutes, and learning the true definition of "So Close, Yet So Far Away."

I am still asking myself the same question I have been for the past five months. Can I do the marathon? I think so. I did 21 miles (which was the true distance of yesterday's run). Could I have done another 5? Yeah, I think so...would I have if it had been the actual marathon? You betcha. Would I have been in more pain than I ever realized possible for a run? Oh yeah.
But, I did it, and the taper has now begun. I'm still nervous about the marathon--everyone is convincing me I'm ready. I hope they're right.

But let the taper begin...

And then there was one...

2007-10-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

First, Dave gets a stress fracture, prematurely ending his cross-country season and, as it is now, preventing him from running either the marathon or the half marathon in November.

Then, Ted's knee begins to bother him. He wore a knee strap, which didn't seem to help, and as of lately, has worn a knee brace, which seems to help a bit more on shorter distances. The symptoms? Knee pain when he hits distances of 12 miles or more. Stiffness after that, thus preventing him from finishing long distances. Sunday he had to gimp through the last 5 miles of our 18 mile run, while I ran ahead and got the car to come back and pick him up.

After that run, he promised to go to the doctor and have it checked out. Today was the appointment.

Verdict?

A torn meniscus, and next step is to schedule an MRI. The doctor said do not aggravate it, meaning no long runs. Ted said he will keep running shorter distances...anywhere from 5-10 miles is fine. He said he's doing it, if it means he has to walk the last 10 miles--the doctor said she couldn't say at this point a definite "yes" or "no" as to if he should run it. He said unless they tell him his leg is going to fall off, he's running it.

He confided in me last night he thinks this will be his last marathon, regardless of what happens. I didn't say anything--I plan to keep running them. He said he feels like he's more of a half marathon kind of guy...he doesn't like the time commitment for training and I think while he doesn't mind the distances, he isn't as dedicated to marathons as he is to the mid-distance runs we do.

So that's what we know now. I'm not sure how I feel--I was so excited to run the entire thing together. The main thing is this is teaching me the respect you need for these runs, and these distances. It isn't something to mess around with--I should be stretching more before I go out. I need to stretch more when I come back. I need to take weight training more seriously. And I need to listen to aches and pains more and take the recovery time as serious as the running time.

Firsts

2007-10-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

So I have returned, safe and sound, from the little jaunt in central Florida. Disney World and Animal Kingdom were fun, MGM and Blizzard Beach were funner, but the little 10K run Ted and I did was the greatest of all.

In all the pictures (Ted carried the camera with him during the race...he said if all these people could carry MP3 players, bottles, and such, he could carry a camera), I'm in the maroon shorts and red bandanna. Ted would speed up after me, then wait and get pictures. Then speed up and repeat. I guess he did a 10K of fartleks.

The firsts I experienced in this 10K:

1. My first 10K. I've done 5Ks, 8Ks, 10-milers, and halves. I've never, ever ran a 10K race.

2. Smoking and Running. In all my years of racing, I have seen alot. But I have never witnessed someone standing, waiting for the start of the race, quickly sucking down a Marlboro. Hey, if it works for you, then carry on. I only wish I would have known if the smoker had beaten me or not.

3. Fireworks. At the start of the race, after the National Anthem, all race participants counted down from 10. At zero when the start gun officially announced the beginning of the race, two streams of fireworks lit up the still-dark Florida sky. Not much makes me literally gasp. This did.

4. Stunts. Part of the 10K route took us through MGM Studios, and through a front-seat look at the new "Lights, Motors, Action!" Extreme Stunt Show. While we ran through, a cameraman filmed us, allowing the runners to view themselves on the big screen hanging in middle of the set. Cast and crew cheered us on as we entered and continued into MGM.

5. Post-race recovery snacks. Oranges, bagels, bananas...sure. Spicy beef empanadas? Not quite what I had normally eaten following a run. But Disney does their own things, and in very Disney style, they know what works and what people like. And spicy beef empanadas? Delicious. Along with that, we also got strawberry and mango salad and kiwi and custard roll--all part of the promotion for Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival.

6. Theme-park related run. Okay, so I realize this is kind of a cheap "Hey look at this for a first!" first. Not many people are fortunate enough to have run a race that weaves through any theme park, let alone some of the most recognizable parks in the country. I know how lucky and fortunate I am, and I would highly encourage anyone to take advantage of running a race of this kind. The Disney Marathon in January has to be amazing. (The picture to the right is me with Epcot in the background--the end of the race course led runners directly underneath the silver "Spaceship Earth" feature.)

And, finally, here we are with our finishers medals.

Originally, I was going to comment on how warm it was for the race...how hot and cooked we both felt. Then I heard about the Chicago Marathon, and read Turtle's blog entry about his experience, and I really don't feel I can comment on the heat there anymore. I'm glad we stayed healthy, and I'm glad Turtle was healthy throughout the event.

Good Luck!!!!

2007-10-04T09:44:00.001-07:00

This is just a good-luck shout-out to all those running the Chicago Marathon on Sunday--especially to my buddy Turtle who I know has been working extremely hard for this, all while selling his house and moving (while most psychiatrists may recommend not to take on two such stressful tasks at once, Turtle has proven that it can be done!) and Tom who has been working hard, as well, while setting up a new website for runners to congregate and share advise and stories (check it out! Runnerslounge.com....very cool!) I can't wait to hear all about your stories, especially Turtle, who has been helping me through my marathon training by convincing me I'm not crazy when I start to wonder what the heck I'm thinking...

As for me, I will be running right along with you Sunday morning--although in a different geographical direction. Ted and I leave tomorrow night for Orlando, and Sunday we will be doing the Race for the Taste 10K at Epcot. I'm excited--there are finishers' medals! And at the end of the race, we will be able to taste test culinary delights at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival--including Strawberry and Mango Fruit Salad with Cilantro from Chile, Spicy Beef Empanadas from Argentina, and a Kiwi and Custard Roll from New Zealand. Plus the registration fee includes a park ticket to Epcot or Animal Kingdom.

So I'm excited--not only for my little vacation, but to hear all about the Chicago Marathon and how everyone did! Best wishes to all participants--and in the spirit of all my favorite Adam Sandler movies--YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

The Accidental Run

2007-09-30T09:24:00.001-07:00

16 miles was our long run assignment for this week.

Our past few long runs have been completed by running through neighboring towns, so we decided to change it up a little and give the Perkiomen Trail another shot. Not only did we decide the surface would be better for Ted's knee than blacktop and sidewalks, but quite frankly, the route we had been doing was growing old, and I could use a change.

We studied the trail online, and came to a conclusion. From the online trail map, the closest thing we could get to 16 miles (without going over) was 15.75. We decided that was close enough, and the plan was to drive to Oaks, park one car, then drive up to Crusher Road in Green Lane, and have it a Point A to Point B run.

We left the house around 5:30, and about an hour later, we were at Green Lane, stretching (and shivering), and ready to get started. The weather was cool and crisp, the sun had just started coming up, and the trail was beautiful with the changing leaves and the orangy hint of dawn.

We stopped about an hour and a half into the run and hit restrooms and filled up the water bottles. We also decided to check the map along the trail to determine how many miles we had run and how many we had to go.

That was when we realized that what you see online is not always the case.

The map along the trail informed us that the distance from Crusher Road to Oaks was not 15.75, but rather 16.75. But no choice we had, and we kept pushing forward.

And we did it! It's nice to think we almost did 17, and didn't mean to, and we were okay. We're really sneaking up on the 20 mile mark, and each week, I get more and more confident that we can do this--I mean really do this.

And it's wonderful and I'm enjoying every single painful moment of it.

In it for the long haul

2007-09-23T08:17:00.001-07:00

There was a time when breaking the "longest ever" run record was a personal achievement, and one that was followed by a day of lounging around, doing nothing, because you had already accomplished all you could ever imagine for the day.

The more I get into marathon training (and we are now half-way through the training schedule), the more I realize the longer the runs get, the less of a big deal they are to me. Today Ted and I ran 15 miles. Up to this point, my longest ever run had been 13 miles, so I was expecting to feel the difference and have it be a bigger deal.

As I sit here, I realize when getting into distances like that, a mile or two increase or decrease isn't going to matter. In some way, I wish I felt I could make a bigger deal out of the two extra miles we ran today. On the other hand, there is a sense of relief to realize I have reached a point in my training where a mile or two is just a mile or two, and not the commitment it is when the training first begins.

As a side note, the halfway point of training has also meant my running partners are feeling the stress. Dave spent all week on crutches because of an undetermined injury...he is much better than he was this time last week, but an MRI on Tuesday will hopefully determine the culprit, something with the X-Rays could not do. And Ted is on the couch, getting ready for an afternoon of football, with the Eagles decked out in their vintage blue and gold uniforms, with ice underneath his knee. The pain for him, he says, is behind his knee, and I'm not quite sure if he should treat it as a knee injury, or as an IT band issue...thoughts?

But we're tough, we'll manage, and all things considered, we feel good. There has never been talk of not running, and we've learned that motivation to finish can include two Advils and a bag of ice as well as it can include a cup of coffee and waffles, and all is well.

What Grinds My Gears

2007-09-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Vermont is A LOT COLDER than Eastern PA this time of year? Sunday morning we woke up to find temperatures flirting with 40 degrees...not like 43 flirting with 40. Like 37 flirting with 40. This is alot different than our "Brr-it's 55 outside" mentality.

But we got up and left the hotel for our fun little "5K in Vermont" adventure. The race was to be a smaller race, on a self-described "fast-and-flat" course, and I realized that Vermont's standards to "fast-and-flat" are probably different than my standards. It was a flat course...there were some tiny bumps that you could feel, but nothing like "Woah". Ted finished the race in 25 minutes--I was 28 minutes--a PR for both of us. Dave got first in his age group--the kid who got second in his age group was 2 seconds behind him, so it must have been an interesting race to the finish.

I have run alot of 5Ks, an 8K, a few 10-milers, and a half marathon. Only a few of the 5Ks have I actually stuck around to watch the awards ceremony, and even fewer of them have I actually had the opportunity to participate in. But one observation I have learned is that those who receive "Overall Winner" prizes are typically exempt from age group category prizes...so if you are the overall male winner, you don't also get to collect a 1st place award in your age group.

This was not the case for this particular 5K. The overall male and female winners were some serious runners from New Hampshire--they knew each other, they were wearing matching uniforms, and I think they had a coach with them. And once they finished, they went on to run the course another two or three times before arriving back JUST IN TIME for the awards ceremony. They both set course records, and while I don't know his age, she was 24. So she fell in my age group (19-28) and received the 1st place award overall, as well as the 1st place award for the age group. There was the 2nd place winner, and the 3rd place.

And guess who came in 4th place (and with more than 4 people in my age group, how about that!). And guess whose gears are ground because in most races, she would have been able to walk up and proudly claim the 3rd place prize. Granted, the 3rd place prize was a Mountain Dew water bottle or something, but still--it's sheer principle. I think they got a certificate, too, and that certificate would have been proudly hung up where all could have seen it.

So Dave graciously suggested that he give me the tote bag he got for 1st (1st Place in the age groups received a tote bag, a fleece vest, and a T-shirt). He said that as a guy, he can't carry the tote bag, and that I would get more use out of it than he would. "And since you probably should have received a prize..." So I walked away with a sympathy prize from my gracious brother-in-law, but also with a fun experience of running a race in Vermont that doesn't happen every day.

And a personal best...that is worth celebrating, too!

Flexibility of Training Runs

2007-09-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of having a high school senior live with you (and there are many joys) is you get to tag along to college visits. If you are lucky, the high school senior will pick colleges in interesting locations. Such as Vermont.

Dave has an interest in the University of Vermont. The school meets the criteria he has been using when looking at colleges, such as major choices (right now it’s between environmental engineering and nutrition, maybe Spanish), activity requirements (cross country and triathlons are almost as necessary as the majors), and the school must fulfill an interest to study abroad. I informed Dave there must be a million schools between here and Burlington (VT, not NJ) that meet such standards.

“Oh, yeah, and I like New England.”

So this weekend, the three of us are headed up north (about as straight up from where we currently are and still be this side of the border) to check out the University of Vermont. It really should be a fun weekend—the Ben & Jerry’s factory tour is on our to-do for Saturday, along with the college visit. And for $20 at Ben & Jerry’s, they’ll give you a T-shirt and a pint of ice cream.

And Sunday we are scheduled to do 10 miles. And we were going to run there (I’m talking past tense and we haven’t even left yet...enter flexibility). But last night, while Dave was plugging through chemistry, I was working on a wedding present (for the friends that got married in June…could be a Happy One Year present), and Ted was surfing the World Wide Web, he found a 5K race Sunday morning. And results from the year before show a smaller turn-out (about 150), and age groups where the winners ran in times reasonable for us to run in—it’s pushing it a bit, would be PRs, but not unrealistic for what we have been running shorter distances in.

One of the great things about running is running in races in other towns, states, even regions. So there was no question about it—our training schedule would have to be a little flexible (although I’m not sure flexibility means trading in your 10-miler for a 3-miler). I contacted the race organizer, found out that we can still register on race day (we’re just getting our butts there early so I get a T-shirt), and not only will we be able to run a race in Vermont, but we’ll be able to test out how a pre-run dinner of Ben & Jerry’s affects the run itself.

The Web is a wonderful thing.

Associating by dissociating

2007-09-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my own personal experiences with running are inspiring enough and entertaining enough to warrant a blog post worth reading. Other times I have to go searching for such inspiration. And lately, well, the runs have been normal, and when my recent issue of Runner's World showed up in the mailbox, I immediately began to search for an article or comment I could relate to, and comment on.

The article of inspiration in this month's issue has to do with the argument of associating one's self, or dissociating one's self. There are few types of runners--those who pay close attention to their internal signs (i.e. muscle weakness, fatigue, breathing, heart rate). Then there are those who play closer attention to pace clocks, time, and distance.

Then there's me.

I can not focus on anything related to the run. I have tried both methods--the first makes me start to imagine a sore muscle or makes me realize that I'm feeling tired or having breathing issues. The second makes me aware of how far I've run, thus leading me to imagine I must be tired.

I must be a third group, who totally removes themselves from the run. My mind completely wanders--from work issues to weekend plans to daydreaming about a number of topics. I have become very good at completely blocking out parts of my run and realizing that I don't remember turning down a certain road or running by a certain park--I just did. The good thing with this method? I was able to lose myself in running, and run farther than I could if I thought about it. The bad thing with this method? I trained myself to become an extremely slow, comfortable runner--I wasn't aware of my pace, so more times than not, I jogging at a light pace and not pushing myself.

Running with Ted helps bring me back to reality. We'll talk on the run, he'll ask what our time is, and we'll talk about the course and what we think of it--especially if it is a newer, longer route. The good thing with this method? I have become faster. I have more endurance, I am increasing my mile per minute average, and I am learning I can do things as a runner I never realized I could. The bad thing about this method? Sometimes I miss my lost "me" time...there aren't very many moments in a normal day when I can imagine I'm a famous movie star or picture myself as a tour manager for a hot band (of course, the lead singer ALWAYS has the crush on me, and I'm destined to break his heart).

But having a 27-minute 5K run as average over freak accident? I think I'll trade in my daydreams for that.

The best way to learn something about someone...

2007-09-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

...is to take them on a 12-mile run.

This is the first run all summer where Dave joined us. With a three-day break from cross-country due to the holiday weekend and a marathon registration with his name on it, it was good timing (and a much needed long run). We left at 6:00 Sunday morning.

Along the route (which took us through 6 towns, past three fire stations, two porta-potties, and one big state park), Dave learned more about Ted and I and our bodily functions than he has learned in the past four months he has been living with us. He quickly realized that all bets were off--farts were allowed, as were snot rockets and loogies. No worries about drinking out of the same bottle or complaining that someone dripped sweat. He learned not to comment that something was on my shirt--or I may just inform him it was a nose-blow went wrong.

And by the time we reached the porta-potties along mile 9, Dave was right with us as far as open conversation goes. We found out he and Ted had a shared fear of bloody nipples, and both admitted to removing their shirts during a run just to calm the fears--not necessarily because they are hot.

The run was great. I could have gone a little farther...and again, renewed my confidence in the marathon training and my ability to complete the race.

Although who knows where conversations may lead with another 14 miles tacked on...

Not quite sure how this happened...

2007-09-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

I am not what most people would describe as fast. I'm not sure I would even classify as average. Typically when a race begins, I'm at the back, wondering why pace groups don't go beyond 10:00/min mile.

But something has happened. A change is occuring, one that amazes me and has me questioning my pace for upcoming runs.

I am getting fast.

The past three or four times Ted and I have run our 3 miles, we have been coming in under 9:00/min miles. One time we flirted with 8:30. I try to run slower; I try to keep it the runs slower, especially during the longer runs. But I always speed up, and we come in with a time flirting with my best times.

Tomorrow we have 12 miles. Our 10-mile last week rivaled our Broad Street time. I am very curious to see how I am going to do these longer distances compared with my half marathon time from last November.

As for why I am getting faster, it's really anyone's guess. I wish I could tell you the secret ingredient--I wish I could inform everyone exactly my trick to get fast. I can't. I don't know why I'm doing besides just running faster---but it's really pretty cool and I'm loving watching my average pace time drop on my coolrunning.com running log.

But you know--as soon as I enter 5K, I'll be back in the 10:00 min/mile range...

Racing the Sun

2007-08-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

If there is anything worse than hot, sticky, humid weather, it's hot, sticky, humid weather AFTER a week of cool and rainy days.

We had our long run scheduled for this weekend, and we decided to get up and go before church. Ten miles. Saturday was sticky and nasty, and felt all the worse since we had slightly adjusted to cooler weather.

This time the early alarm clock worked, and we were out the door by 6:00. It had rained overnight, so the air still had that wet feeling to it, but the sun wasn't quite up yet to make it steamy.

The majority of this run takes us down 2-lane "pike" roads (old toll roads, now typically the to-and-from routes from town to town). This is the road that got us last time we tried to do a long run in town. This run was much easier, and we credited the early start to that.

About four miles in, Ted reminded me we needed to be back into our town and off this road by the time the sun was really up above the horizon. The temperature would increase, as would the humidity (or so we feared). So our long run turned into a race...against the feared oppressive temperatures and failure to complete the run.

We made it back. We finished this 10-miler in about the same time we did Broad Street last May--and our route is a lot hillier than Broad Street. If someone had told me that I was in as good shape now as I was then, I'm not sure I would have believed them. But apparently I am--we are--and that meant a lot to realize that.

I think the best thing about this, besides having a great long run, is that, for the first time, I finished thinking "I can do this marathon thing." I admit, I had some real doubting moments earlier. A few really hard (yet short) runs caused me to wonder how I could ever do four or five times that amount. Yet while I was tired and felt the strain after this run, I honestly could see where I had it in me to run the 26.2 miles, and I feel confident that I'll get there.

A Whole New Week

2007-08-21T05:19:00.001-07:00

Why is it when life gets busy, the first thing that gets pushed aside is more than likely the most important thing to keep you on track? Running is the one activity that keeps me grounded, reduces my stress, helps me sleep, and just renews my confidence. So when life gets crazy, why is that the first thing that gets shifted or moved around or put on the back burner?

Last week Ted and I were craft gurus at our church's Vacation Bible School, which was held in the evenings after work. And my dad was coming over the weekend, and the house was no where near ready for company (family or otherwise). Ted's grandfather passed away last Sunday, and on top of that, the humid temperatures hindered any sort of excessive running before the Bible School commitment, and afterwards it was just a bit too late to get any sort of good run in. I did what cleaning I could between dinner and Bible School, and left lists of chores for Dave to do during the day.

Unfortunately, the running was what took the hit. We got out twice last week, and totally ignored the 10-mile run we were supposed to do on Saturday. With my father in from Pittsburgh, who is normally an early riser, I had wanted to be up and out the door by 6:15 for the run. When we still hadn't gotten up at ten till 7, I suggested to Ted we bypass it. I didn't want to leave my father for half the morning (I could already hear him stirring around in the front bedroom) and we had big gardening plans for the rest of the day. The past week had already been a lousy running week, so we finished it off likewise and promised for a nice successful running week starting now.

And so far, so good. We went out last night, and despite the rain, the cooler temperatures (almost chilly) felt good. We had one of the best times ever on our little loop--one of those runs where you think "Why can't I do that in a race?"

So it's nice to have a normal week again, where we can commit ourselves to good runs, quiet evenings, and catch up on movies or groceries or whatever everyday activities got brushed aside. And return to activities that should never have been ignored in the first place.

Jump! Jump!

2007-08-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the weekend for jumps.

Jump #1--Temperatures

Okay, so technically I guess this would be more of a fall. But it's still a move, and maybe it could be considered a jump down. The 90+ degree heat of the past few weeks moved out Friday, and Ted and I woke up Saturday morning to beautiful, barely-60 degree weather. And a long run calling. With T-shirts. :-) The urge for naked running finally passed!

Jump #2--Long Runs

Up until this point in marathon training, we have only run as far as 5 miles. We were supposed to do 7 miles one day, but it was a miserable, hot, humid, sticky day and we only did 5 that day. So Saturday was 9 miles, and everything was lined up for no excuses--the weather was gorgeous, the day was quiet, we felt good. I treated Ted to a run on the trail...not the trails I like, but the old railroad-converted-to-running-trails. Which I have learned I have quite the love-hate relationship with. I loved the cool air, the shade, the colors of the flowers and the trees. I hate the monotony of it. And not knowing exactly where I am, so I don't know exactly how far I have to go. All in all, the run was good. We averaged a good pace for us, despite definite peaks and valleys in the run. So I feel positive about the 10-mile we have looming in our future for this weekend...

Jump #3--Dave's Triathlon

Dave competed in his third triathlon this weekend. Why is this such a big accomplishment? Ted promised him Cold Stone ice cream after his third triathlon. Ted isn't one to go back on his promises--Not like Dave or myself would let him in this case!

Jump #4--The Concert

One of the greatest things about training is the increased recovery time. And fortunately, by Saturday night, any hints of a long run which was increased about 45% longer than we were used to had disappeared. Ted and I pulled on our boots and hat (well, I pulled on my boots and hat...Ted isn't quite the cowboy...but did enjoy wearing mine most of the evening) and had a guitar-strumming, country rock kind of night to Big & Rich at Musikfest in Bethlehem. We had treated ourselves and purchased amazing seats, and they only got better then security backed off for the last two songs, and allowed the crowd to rush up front. After many concerts of sitting up on the top and watching this occur from a bird's eye view, Ted was prepared and saw it coming, allowing us to get a jump start and position ourselves right up front. This allowed me not only to swoon over my guitar-picking hero, but to get pieces of the smashed guitar after the show, along with an autographed picture (handed out by stage hands, but whatever).

Never Say Never

2007-08-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite reasons for running has always been "You never return from a run feeling worse than when you left". I may leave for a run moaning and groaning, and I'll whine the whole way through it, but typically when I return, I'm happy I did it.

Until Saturday.

Ted, Dave, and I went to Sea Isle City for the weekend. Saturday morning we were scheduled for a measly 5 miles. Dave was doing the 10-mile island run, so Ted and I got up early to get our mileage in before he was awake. I wanted to wake up at 7:00 and go.

We got up at 8:30.

At 8:30, the sun was already high and hot. But it was 5 miles. We have done that recently, we have gone farther than that recently. It shouldn't have been a problem, or even a hindrance. And I could eat all my boardwalk food that night guilt free.

Let me say, I have NEVER loathed a run so much in my life.

The route I had planned had us leaving the house, turning right and running 9 blocks down to 69th Street, then up to Central, back to 29th, then up the boardwalk to the house. And it's flat in New Jersey. It shouldn't be a problem.

I think I would rather be running on a treadmill.

At least a treadmill would have been in a climate-controlled area. I'm used to running routes where you just go. Running in Sea Isle--every street is marked. So you see the street signs slowly counting down--69th. 68th. 67th. The. Whole. Way. To. 29th.

We made it back. We walked and allowed ourselves that luxury to help get through it. The boardwalk was a little better...more to look at, the ocean is lovely, however, there are many more people in much better shape than I out at that time, also running, and looking like they've never broken a sweat in their life. Meanwhile, I'm huffing along, barely picking my feet up, soaked from sweat and water I've dumped all over myself.

And all for five miles.

Even when we returned to the house, I wasn't happy I did that. Half an hour later, I was still thinking how miserable it was and how it would have been great to just relax on the beach for that time.

So I was a bit jaded from my old philosophy of "You never return from a run feeling worse than when you left."

The only bit of joy I had from that run? Filling it in on the run log. So, when all else fails, the run log is there, holding you accountable.

The Itch.

2007-08-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

The weather this week in the Philadelphia region is wicked. It's hot, and as the week goes on, it's humid. Monday was hot. Ted, Dave, and I ran 5 miles at 8:00, and it was actually pretty pleasant--the sun had set enough and humidity was low.

But each day has been increasingly more and more humid. And our runs have gotten later and later.

The 5-mile run on Monday was very nice--it wasn't hard and we ran at a nice, comfortable pace.

And it gave me the overwhelming urge for fall, to get back to the cool mornings and long runs.

As seasons change, I trumpet about how this is my favorite season for running. In April, Spring is my favorite! Come September, Fall is my favorite! But as years go by, I realize that Fall is my best season, performance-wise. I can run much easier when the temperatures cool, and my body reacts alot more favorably to a 10 degree drop in temperatures versus a 10 degree increase. And I recall, quite fondly, long runs last fall, with just enough chill in the air to keep the body temperature at bay.

And I'm ready for that to come back! I'm ready for long runs again. But I can't do the long runs the way I want to do them until the temperatures drop a little.

So for now, we'll keep with the training schedule, doing the mileage we are supposed to do when we are supposed to do it, hoping to be rewarded in six weeks' time with cooler temperatures--and longer runs.

Maybe there is something to this iPod thing…

2007-07-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

I work for a technology company. I get excited about new versions of popular software, I get cheap thrills when my company announces a new tech-savvy product, I put bread on the table by learning about these technical advances and promoting them, and I get my kicks out of seeing what my developers can create with out-of-the-box software.

But I am not an “everyday techie”. Meaning simply, I don’t run out and buy the newest technical gadget on the market.

Nor do I run out and buy the middle-age technical gadget on the market.

In fact, I’m just now learning how to use my new iPod.

And when I say “new iPod”, I mean Dave’s discarded old iPod that he has had for years, and has recently passed on to me, since he has moved on to bigger and better.

I had been using an MP3 player that Ted won at a company Christmas party three or four years ago. It held a whopping 15 songs and didn’t even get me through my half marathon without beginning the playlist over. But it worked, and still does, and I was never prompted to go out and buy anything different.

But I think I love my iPod. I find myself wanting to load anything and everything onto it. Even if I don’t necessarily truly enjoy the music, I need to load it…because it fits. And I can. I have downloaded TV shows that I never would even think to watch. Just because I can.

So when I read a blurb in my most recent issue of Runner’s World about a guy who creates a weekly podcast, and loads it online for runners to listen to during their long run—kind of like a virtual running partner—I quickly logged online and downloaded the podcast to my iTunes (I won’t tell you how long it took for me to figure out how to do that, but it wasn’t as long as it took me to figure out how to get songs from iTunes to the iPod, and I would still be figuring out if Dave hadn’t taken over and saved the day…some tech-geek I am).

I haven’t even listened to the podcast yet, but I’m assuming it is good (if it wasn’t, I don’t think it would be featured in the magazine…isn’t everything the media prints true and good?). If you are interested, it can be found at www.steverunner.com.

Did I mention another one of my favorite pastimes is inviting people over for dinner, and making a new recipe I have never tried before? I guess directing you to a site where I haven’t even listened to the material is the same thing…so if you don’t like it, or if it offends you, I am in no way represented by this character, and I am just sitting here innocently, probably trying to figure out how to delete this post.

10K in the Happiest Place on Earth

2007-07-25T05:53:00.000-07:00

Ted and I are now in week two of marathon training, and it has been a quiet, uneventful week. Ted got new shoes, and so far, everything is right on track. This is his third pair of new shoes in five days. The first two new pairs didn't work--one pair he learned as soon as he stepped out the door. The second pair took him 3 miles to find out. I have to return those today--SHH. This third pair are Asics, and we have a run scheduled for tonight. So we'll see if these are winners or not.

We have also booked a trip to Orlando in October...and it just happened to fall over the weekend of the Walk Disney World 10K. It's the Race for the Taste, and the run goes through Epcot and the parks. At the end of the run, runners are treated to a food and wine festival by restaurants in Epcot, a finisher's medal, and a ticket to a day in Epcot or Animal Kingdom.

Of course we registered. Duh.

Dreams

2007-07-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

Ted and I have officially started marathon training.

And with the official start of training comes the onset of my running dreams.

I often dream of running, but especially when training and/or races are on the mind. And, like my imagination, the dreams are not simple, basic dreams. There is a story, or suspense, or action, involved.

Here is an insight to Maggie's mind on some of the better, and more repetitive, of my running dreams:

1) The Basic Running Dream--This dream I have often when I'm deep in a training schedule, or had a series of not-so-good runs. In this dream, I am normally in the town where I grew up, and I am running around town. The catch? I don't get tired. I don't get winded. I run, and I run, and I'm going fast, and I'm going far. And, in my dream, I'm thinking This is awesome! I should be tired now, but I'm not!

2) The Broad Street Dream--I have this dream within a week or two of Broad Street, each of the past two years I've participated. In this dream, I'm running Broad Street. The catch? I get lost. Now, for those of you who are familiar with The Broad Street Run in Philadelphia, it is like any other big run--virtually impossible to go off the path. Especially since the path is a straight-shoot down Broad Street in Philly. But in this dream, I'm off on the side streets and not sure how to get back. I can hear the people cheering, and it's getting dark, but I keep making wrong turns and remain lost.

3) The Marathon Dream--I've had this dream twice, as well. The first time was when I first realized that I could do a marathon, that it was physically possible for me to train and complete the race. The second time was last week, when we were resting up for the beginning of training (nice excuse for a few days off, dontcha think?). In this dream, I am running the Marathon. I assume it's Philly, but there is nothing specific in my dream to point that out, so maybe it's best if I say I'm running A marathon. Anyway, I'm running, but the race is not just any road race--it is Marathon meets Amazing Race. Participants have to run the full 26.2 miles, but they need to find clues along the way, and gather items. In this dream, I am always just a little behind a group of people, and catch up to them on an especially hard clue. We're working together to solve the clue, and I realize I know the answer. Once I come to this realization, I find the next clue (secretly, without anyone knowing--it is a race, after all). I find it, take off, and win the race. Well, I won during the first dream. The second time I had this dream, I'm not sure what happened because I drifted into a dream about sports cars and hockey.

Sports cars and hockey??? Where did that come from...

He Swims, He Bikes--and He Kicks Butt!!!

2007-07-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

Dave completed his second triathlon over the weekend, and Ted and I were there for support. We weren't able to watch his swim, but the bike and the run went quite well--and it was fun to be on the other end of the race for a change.

He was using Ted's bike, which is a mountain bike, and really didn't stand much of a chance next to the thin, $2000 road bikes that were there. But he held his own and did well.

The tri was set up that the swim was held at a pool, and the participants swam in groups of six, so there was a rest after that portion. Then, to spread the participants out a bit, they did an 8/10 mile run, then the 12-mile bike, and ended with the 5K.

Whatever time he lost in the biking portion of it, he made up for the 5K. In fact, during the transition of biking to running, he looked Ted and said "Now it's time to kick ass."

As he was finishing the 5K, a group of about 10 people were maybe 2 seconds in front of him. He rounded a corner where Ted and I were waiting...Ted told him to open it up, to start his sprint, that there was a bunch of people he could pass if it pushed.

He passed all the people, and revved up the crowd, who had kind of came down off the high of watching the winners cross about 5-10 minutes prior. Not only did he pass the herd of runners, but one of the runners (seen in the photo to the right in the white T-shirt) is his doubles partner from his tennis team, and pushed it when he saw Dave passing him. They have a healthy competition, and while the kid beat him in the swim and bike (thus placing ahead of him overall), the 5K victory was all Dave really cared about. It was a good neck-to-neck race, which Dave was thrilled about winning, and impressed us. Because he always is ahead of us in races, we never saw him actually finish, and it was really something to watch, especially a finish that close and exciting.

We told him later we were proud of him, regardless of how he did. He told us it meant alot to have us there and hear us cheer as he went past (something he never experienced, again, since he's always ahead of us). And it opened up talks about next year's triathlon...hm...

Local 5Ks

2007-07-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

I love seeing events in my small suburb community grow, while at the same time not reaching the point of insanity so many small-town events tend to reach.

Every year, we run in a local 5K. Every year, more and more people are registered, and the event gets bigger. But it never feels like it's bigger--I have never attended this event and felt nostalgic to the "good old days" when the event was small and you could make it to the start in a reasonable amount of time.

This year was no different. There were more people than last year, but it felt healthy...not obese. Ted asked if I would mind if he pulled ahead--he wanted to see how fast he could run. Of course I didn't mind, I told him. But I didn't expect him to pull ahead BEFORE we reached the start. He had found an old neighbor of ours who runs, and wanted to see if he could keep that pace. Turns out Ted pulled ahead of the neighbor and finished in 26:50 or something. Dave finished in 22 minutes, while Maggie pulled up the rear with a 29:10.

I was disappointed with my time. The week prior, Ted and I had been running 28s, even flirting with 27s on a few runs. I was excited for this race, hoping for a PR. While the weather wasn't quite the heavy oppressive heat it had been earlier this week, it was very soupy. I didn't really think "Boy it's hot out", but running in it felt very hard, almost like there was a natural resistance.

After the race, Dave jetted off to his evening gig at the YMCA and Ted and I ate pizza and waited for the results.

The winner did it in 15:11.

Although as I get older, I have realized there is one positive thing to come of it...the older I get, the more likely I am to place with the time I'm running in! One of these days, I'll dominate my age group.

Midnight Running

2007-07-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

The big joke of the weekend was how Ted and I left for a run Saturday night, and came back Sunday. (Okay, so the big joke was really funny only to me...Ted and Dave just don't have the same sophisticated humor I do).

We were scheduled for a run Sunday morning. Saturday night we were watching a movie, and I leaned over and whispered to Ted, You know it's going to be hot tomorrow morning. Ted nodded and was quiet for a second. We could go after the movie...

I didn't say anything, but a few minutes later asked him if he was serious. He nodded. And that is how we found ourselves lacing up our shoes at 11:50 Saturday night. We were only doing 3 miles--we have a 5K on Wednesday, and just wanted to maintain that distance for now, since training starts in the next few weeks, and we'd have plenty of time for long runs in the future.

I made Ted wear my reflective vest, and we set out. It was very quiet, we only saw a handful of cars on the way. We were extra cautious...I was leery of crazy people or drunk drivers, but we had no problems. The temperature was a comfortable 70, which was nice without the sun beating down.

We went at a fast pace. I think adrenaline was kicking at the beginning, and I never slowed down. It felt good to run fast, and I found myself imagining doing that pace the whole way through the marathon (yeah, right).

I was very glad we decided to go at that time, especially when we woke up Sunday and it was already 80 at 8:00 in the morning. And the memory that made! Anyone can say they got up at 7:30 Sunday morning to run. Not everyone can say they ran at midnight the night before.

And the few cars that did pass us...I think I would pay to hear the conversation inside the car at that time.

Not Running Related--But Just As Frustrating!!!!

2007-07-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

I am on the hunt for a new white blouse. And one would think I was looking for something as odd and off-the-wall as a white jumpsuit.

I currently have a white blouse, however, it was a hand-me-down (or up) from a 12-year-old girl, who has since grown into her once large-boned body. Said white blouse fits me perfectly--except it is cut for a 12-year-old girl, not a woman.

I have scoured stores upon stores for a white blouse. Yesterday I was THIIIIS close to stopping a sales associate and asking her if I was being unreasonable and pretending white blouses existed. My list of requirements isn't too much to ask for, I wouldn't think. Loyal blog readers, please let me know--am I being totally high-maintenance with this?

1) White Blouse must be short-sleeved. This does not mean 3/4-length sleeve, sleeveless, short-sleeved because the sleeve is rolled up and buttoned, puffy little-girl-meets-adult sleeve, or sleeveless with lots of white fabric strips hanging down the arm. Just short sleeves.

2) White Blouse must come to my waist. This does not mean white blouse has a black belt and fabric that continues to your knees, nor does it mean white blouse is gathered with a drawstring at the waist, nor does it mean white blouse doubles as a belly shirt, nor does it mean white blouse gets tucked in and therefore is attached to a body-suit type bottom, nor does it mean white blouse is long but made to tie at my belly button. Just come to my waist.

3) White Blouse must be fitted. This does not mean pulled by a ribbon around the back, buttoned at the sides, nor does it mean it is long and hip-hugging. At the same token, I don't want it to hang on me. A little fitted around the waist would be ideal, thank you.

4) White Blouse must be a dressy material. This does not include linen, wool, velvet, cashmere, nor any other material that would not be suitable for summer. A silk or stretchy material would be great. NOTE: This also doesn't mean gauze. Yes, white blouses exist where the description includes "Gauze". This is the equivalent to see-through. If I want a gauzy blouse, I'll wrap myself in a bandage.

5) White Blouse must be white. Not silver. Not Cream. Not Grey. Not Beige. Not Nude. Not Tan. Not White with Silver Thread. Not Taupe. Not Opaque. WHITE.

6) White Blouse must be my size. Although yesterday in Macy's, when I did see one remaining blouse that fit requirements 1-5, I never so badly wanted to be a 2XL in my life.

I'm not quite sure what I'm doing wrong. Any of the specialty clothing stores I regularly shop at does not carry such an item (i.e. Gap, Old Navy, Charlotte Russe, Ross's). Any of the basic department stores are too simple, carrying items that have no shape (i.e. Boscov's, Kohl's, Walmart).

Being a woman is hard--if Ted wanted a white shirt, he'd pull up in front of the first department store he ran across, go in, go to the shelf, pick up his size, proceed to the check-out, pay, and leave. All in the time it takes for me to find a parking spot.

I don't think I'm being overly picky. But until said white blouse is made and carried by local retailers, I will continue to hunt, and wear a white blouse made for someone 15 years younger than me.

It just amuses me that if I was scouring for a white shirt with pirate sleeves and elastic neckband with black belt that I could wear as a dress or a shirt that was see-through, I would have so hit the jackpot. But a simple white blouse is obviously too much to ask for.

Redemption Run

2007-06-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

Ted and I ran this week. We ran Tuesday night. And I'm just now able to begin talking about it, thanks mostly to the run this morning.

Tuesday night, Dave had to work at the local YMCA where he's been spending much of his time. He started at 8:00 that night, so Ted and I rode along with him, and ran home (It's almost an exact 3.1 miles).

The temperature, I noted, as we ran past a bank, was 89. The humidity was stifling. The run was one of the worst ones in a long time, and we both felt it long before we reached the front porch. And long after.

I hated it, and wanted to pretend the run never happened. We were going to go out again last night, but downpours suggested otherwise, so I got up this morning to run 4 miles. The rain had cooled the air down to a manageable and realistic 70, and the humidity did not smack you as soon as you stepped outside. Regardless, I made myself extremely aware of my pace, and stopped myself anytime I felt like I was picking it up. I wanted the run to be steady, instead of pushing myself the entire time.

It was still sticky, and I was still soaked when I got back to the house. But I came in a few seconds under my goal time for that route, which I was very happy about! And it put running in a whole new light after Tuesday's jaded attempt.

I am in desperate need of new shoes. My New Balance's aren't quite what they were. I want to go to an Athletic Shoe Shop in Doylestown and have someone look at my feet, and assign me a brand to wear, so I continue to put miles on my New Balance's until we get up that way. Maybe this weekend...

A Whole New World

2007-06-26T05:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the sheer beauty of this country amazes me. Ted and I arrived back from Montana on Sunday...it was a busy week, with a trip to Yellowstone, a run in the park, and sight-seeing...all before the big wedding day of Jack and Robin.

While this picture is not on a run, but rather on the Beartooth Passage on the way to Yellowstone, it provides a good idea on what we saw. We ran on some biking trails in a park near our hotel. The mountains were visible from everywhere...it was beautiful! The thinner air caused only slightly slower times...the real culprit was the delays in arriving in Billings. The original 10:30 pm landing was changed when we didn't take off from Philly until midnight...thus leading to spending the night in Minneapolis' airport and arriving the next morning, exactly 12 hours after our original land time.

The area is absolutely beautiful. Our run allowed us to see many of the local animals. Fortunately, it was limited to those smaller than us, and those who did not view us as dinner. Unfortunately, this category included snakes, which did cause our little run to be cut extremely short, thanks to me. I'm not exactly a snake person. Mice, rats, spiders, I'm fine with. Snakes--nope.

Looking forward, I have found another marathon training plan that I think seems good and manageable. I'm looking forward to having a schedule again, something that tells me when to run and how far to go. And after a week of late nights, restaurant food, and way too many beers, I could use a good kick in the butt to get started. There is a local 5-K in a few weeks that I had wanted to do pretty well in, which means I have to start picking up the pace and forget about the easy jogs I've been doing.

Back to the whole point of our trip to Montana--the wedding. Isn't she a beautiful bride?

Trick or Treat Trail Runs

2007-06-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ted and I did run this weekend--despite the 90+ heat we are now enduring (I forget what I was saying last January...something about "when does summer start" or something...). We decided to leave around 7:00 for the equestrian trails by the Green Lane Reservoir. We have run these trails before, and I absolutely love them. They are quiet, serene, peaceful, cool, and yet exciting enough to keep my mind and imagination at bay.

However, these trails like to remind you the next day just who is in control. A 3.5 mile trail run sticks with us alot longer than a romp around the neighborhood. It is truly a full body workout...not only do we push ourselves forward, but we are also going side to side, dodging rocks and sticks. That's why I like to call it the Trick or Treat Trail Run...or should it be Treat or Trick. Last night, it was a treat. This morning feels more like a trick.

My next update should be interesting--Ted and I leave tomorrow for Montana. Robin and Jack are finally getting married, and we have to be there to ensure it really happens! Ted is excited about running in Billings...he has mentioned it on numerous occasions, and I am thrilled that he plans on incorporating that into our little mini-vacation. Maybe I'm starting to get through to him...

And I wore flowers in my hair.

2007-06-11T07:45:00.001-07:00

Last Monday I walk into the office, thinking "Here's to another week." 24 hours later I find myself on a plane to San Francisco for the rest of the week for a conference. Talk about flying by the seat of your pants!

However, visiting cities has it's perks...like hill workouts I could not dream of in Philly. The concierge gave me a few running routes. The one I chose on my one free morning was a relatively flat (even for Philly standards) out-and-back along the Embarcadero and through Fisherman's Wharf. After a beautiful view of seals in the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz (as beautiful as a prison can be), the runner was to turn around and return to the hotel the way they came.

Maggie saw a runner heading up Hyde Street when she turned around. Hyde Street is about as classic of a street in San Francisco as you can get...it runs right above Lombard Street, the crooked street (unfortunately I didn't realize that until after the run). Did I want to attempt that? I looked up the hill...and up the hill...and up the hill. Should I? I decided not to--then at the last minute thought "When am I EVER going to get a hill workout like this again?" So I take a deep breath and head up.

And it killed me. I soaked the street with my sweat and the locals got a good laugh, I'm sure. But it was worth it--makes any hill workout I have here look like mere speedbumps. Along the way back to the hotel, I passed a farmer's market. I pulled money out of my shoe pack and treated myself for a fresh California-grown peach. Delicious!

The rest of the trip was fun, as well. Cable cars and an evening at Haight Ashbury.

While not running related, Saturday Ted and I enjoyed the 92.5 XTU Anniversary Show at the Tweeter Center...thanks to Ted's co-worker who hooked us up with the best seats ever!

And who knew David Akers could rock out with Troy Gentry (Montgomery Gentry), as well as kick field goals and 3-pointers!?

(That's Akers there on the white guitar, with Montgomery Gentry...)

Adventures of Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

I followed through on my threat to run Friday morning. Ted decided that, since I was working from home on Friday and we were driving out to Pittsburgh that night, he would like some extra sleep in the morning. So my early morning run had to be postponed until 7:00. Not my ideal time, but I bent a little. The sun was up, and it was already getting warm. About mile 2, I didn't pick my foot up the whole way and ended up doing a spread eagle in front of the elementary school. In classic Maggie style, the spread eagle wasn't embarrassing enough so without thinking I quickly move into a stretch pose, as if to make it look like "I meant to do that, really."

Two skinned knees, two scraped thighs, two torn-up palms, and one bruised ego later, I was on with the run. I considered turning around, but figured I wasn't cutting much time or distance off my 5-mile loop by turning around at mile 2, so I kept going (after ensuring I didn't have blood running down my legs at all).

About mile 3.5, I cross in front of another elementary school, where I normally would turn and head down a busier street towards home. It was the height of the school-time commute, so the crossing guard was out in operation. "You going straight?" he asked as I approached the intersection, the one I would normally turn on and head home. However, I was feeling saucy and felt bad refusing his services, so I nodded and he headed out into the intersection to stop traffic and let me cross. I thanked him, wished him a pleasant holiday, chuckled that there wasn't a car in sight, and headed straight instead of turning. This lead me onto back streets I had never been on, and added a nice little scenery change for the rest of the run home.

My time for that run wasn't great--but it was a fun run and a true treat.

The rest of the weekend consisted of lots of driving, my 10-year class reunion, and a bike ride and picnic with friends at Valley Forge yesterday morning. I hadn't been on a bike in probably a year or so...Ted loves to bike, I am not a big fan. I think it frustrates me because I think that because I run, I will have an easy time biking up hills, and I don't always. But this was nice. We had a good ride, and it felt good to do some cross training for once.

Hopefully this week will be a productive week as far as evening runs go. Ted admitted yesterday he was tired of being a running slacker, and that we need to start picking it up again. He wants to get back to the point of doing 20 miles a week comfortably, and stick with that through the summer up to the time we have to start training for Philly. I like that, and promised to encourage us both to stick with it. We need to. I need to.

After all, what's the point of running all winter, only to lose the body come bikini season?

The Lifecycle of a Runner

2007-05-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Despite running for many years, I have only recently discovered a trend in my lifecycle as a runner. It starts with the birth--a new training schedule, a new pair of running shoes or an article of running clothing, a new season, or just a new wave of energy and excitement for the sport. It slowly grows--you increase your mileage, you break in the shoes, you ride the wave. There are plateaus and small bumps along the way, but nothing too major. You peak, typically on race day.

Then you plummet.

I am, right now, on the plummet.

Ever since Broad Street, Ted and I have been kicking each other's butts out the door, and more often than not, giving up before we reach the porch. When we do go, generally it's like jumping into a cold pool--you hold your breath and force through it until it begins to get comfortable.

Last night was one of the odd nights when we actually made it beyond the front porch. We went right after work, so to avoid any excuses why we shouldn't go (both the American Idol and Lost finales were last night--there would have been an excuse). The air temperature was warm--for 75, it felt a lot warmer in the sun, and cooler in the shade. It was rough, and we couldn't figure out if it was because we were so uninterested or if the weather was taking a toll.

However, I have been here before. This level of disinterest won't last, and eventually I'll pick up the cycle again at the birth stage, and love every minute of the training. But for now, I'll work on pushing through this slow death of the cycle. Tomorrow I am going to try an early morning run to try and stay on track, but also change it up a bit.

Have a good Memorial Day weekend, and take a moment to pay respect to those who gave their lives so we can eat our burgers and run our races and speak freely.

Keepin' it real--Inda 'Hood

2007-05-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday’s Netflix movie greeted us with Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G Indahouse. I enjoyed Borat, so I figured we’d try this 2002 alter ego of Cohen. The DVD slip informed us this was a movie that lasted 1 hour, 28 minutes, so at 6:00 pm, while outside it stormed, we popped the movie into the DVD player.

Forty-five minutes later the doorbell rang. It was Roger from next door—Can Ted come out and help me with something real quick? The rain had stopped, and Roger asked if we had gone out for our run yet. We shamefully admitted that no, we hadn’t…and Roger responded with maybe I’ll run with you when you go later.

We stared at him—he had been talking about running before but was never serious. This is the guy that said running hurt his knees, and then later confessed he had been running in hiking boots. He then purchased a pair of running shoes and said it made a big difference, but hadn’t been out that much.

Ted helped him with whatever it was he needed help with, and came back over and we started Ali G back up again. Twenty minutes later the doorbell rang again. Ted answered, and all I heard was Roger’s in running shoes.

I have a thirty minute window, Roger informed us. So Ted and I changed and we headed out. It started off very slow. I was unsure of Roger’s fitness level—he works construction and looks like a very fit guy, but looking fit and having the ability to run for 30 minutes can be two different things. I did not want to get at the farthest point possible and have Roger decide he just couldn’t go any more. But he did good, and we all stayed together. The pace was slower than Ted or I probably would have done, but it was still comfortable, which was probably good since this was Ted’s first real run since Broad Street.

So that is how Ali G, which was supposed to last 1:28 according to the DVD sleeve, ended up lasting three hours. And I wonder if Roger is sore today.

Ode to Running, By Maggie

2007-05-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

Some people ask me, “Why do you run?”
It seems hard on your body, and doesn’t look fun.”
The response isn’t as easy as I want it to be,
Though hard to explain, the reasons are clear to me.

I run for the extra cookie I secretly ate last night,
I run because my favorite jeans just feel a bit too tight.
I run to see sights I normally wouldn’t see,
I run just to spend some quiet time with me.

I run to achieve a goal I just made,
I run so I don’t lose the registration fee I paid.
I run because it keeps me feeling fit and fine,
And for that high I get when I cross the finish line.

I run to appreciate the rain and the snow,
I run when the temperatures are high and low.
I run because running clothes can be so cute,
And the races give away some really cool loot.

I run because my work day was a little too bad,
And you never return from a run feeling sad.
I run because I never thought I could,
And the races I now run I never thought I would.

It’s hard to explain, you just have to know,
And it doesn’t matter how far you run, or how fast you go.
So next time they ask “why you do that I haven’t a clue,”
I’ll simply smile, nod, and say, “Because I do.”

Recap of Broad Street

2007-05-07T06:08:00.000-07:00

First the good news...I shaved 5 minutes off my chip time from last year. I am thrilled to pieces about that!

The race was good for all three of us. Saturday we got up and headed down to the Expo at Lincoln Financial. It was handled very well--I was quite impressed. They let people inside in waves, so a few minutes waiting outside meant you could walk around the expo without bumping into people and being stuck in crowds (because there is enough of that Sunday at the start line). Ted and Dave both found items at the $10 Only booth...Dave found a shirt and Ted grabbed a pair of shorts (and fortunately decided at 9:00 that night not to wear them..."I think I'd make a big mistake..."). I was also happy to see a discount code coupon in the Philadelphia Marathon brochure for registrants running Broad Street...so guess where we'll be come November?

We went to bed early Saturday night, and the alarm went off at 5:00 am Sunday morning. I grabbed a quick shower and ate a bowl of cereal and a left-over pancake (butter only). Ted ate a Cliff bar and Dave packed one for the road. Traffic wasn't bad--we were one of the first on the scene of an accident on the expressway, right behind the first cop, and I'm sure that backed up alot worse than we dealt with (the fire trucks and ambulances were coming up behind us).

At the Stadium, we were able to jump on an express train, and by the time we reached Olney, the windows were steamed, everyone was sweating, and the cool, fresh air never felt so good. Ted ran into an old hockey buddy, and Dave and I left our sweatshirts and pants with him to throw in the bag for the bag check and headed to the Porta-Pots. We just made it through the line and out of the track area at Central when the wheelchairs started. Ted had told us he'd meet us by the first bus, and the crowd was so thick and heavy, I told Dave that if it starts, to just go without us and we'll see him by the Awards stage afterwards. I was able to find Ted okay (fortunately) and we hurried into the crowd in time to start the processional to the start. We crossed 5 minutes after the start, thus starting Ted's first big road race.

I was extremely excited for the race this year, and it didn't disappoint. My favorite part? City Hall. The crowds are amazing there, the band is wonderful, and the cheering between the tall old buildings right before City Hall is magnified by bouncing off the concrete walls around us. It felt like it was a fast race this year, and each mile marker seemed to come quickly. Ted's father and a few family members were in South Philly to cheer us on, which was great around that 8-mile marker! We raised our hands and crossed the finish line, and I didn't hear the announcer calling the names (Dave commented on it, but I missed it).

Ted loved it, Dave loved it. And I couldn't be happier. I was nervous they wouldn't enjoy it--I was afraid they wouldn't like the crowds, or the distance. But I'm thrilled to hear they both had a great time, and neither can wait for the next challenge.

Although I did hear Ted mumbling last night as he looked at my running magazine and ran across an ad for the Philadelphia marathon..."26 miles...ugh!" I gently reminded him that four months ago, he was commenting "10 miles...ugh!"

All Ready Already!

2007-05-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

(Ted and I running Valley Forge Revolutionary Run on April 29th...I need to learn to run taller and stronger and not to look like death, especially in the first mile...)
And the clock ticketh on. We are now within 48 hours of Broad Street. I won't wash my hair again until Sunday after the race (much to Ted's dismay).

But I am going to have a fun new pair of shorts to wear! A few years ago, one of my Mom's old friends gave me a pair of Adidas running shorts, that are styled like they ran right out of the 1980s. They are maroon, with the old-school Adidas logo, with underwear brief and loose legs, which are very short. And believe it or not, I love them! I ran out in them the other night to test them out (they were a little small when I first got them, so I stashed them in the back of a closet and re-discovered them the other week). They fit me, and I feel like I'm running in nothing at all! (Or what I would imagine that feeling like). Pictures of me and Broad Street will show me in my circa-1980s running shorts. I feel like pulling out tube socks to wrap the look up.

My newest thought to ponder for this race? What do I do with my gel packs while I run? My circa-1980s running shorts have no pockets (nor do they have room for pockets), and I am not bringing a water belt or any other device equipped with storage units. I guess I will carry my gel packs in my sweaty little fists until it comes time to use them.

I am so excited. This time last year I was a bundle of nerves. This year I am excited. I want to beat my time from last year, and feel quite confident I will. I want to enjoy the run this year, and again, believe it will be so. The weather looks like it will be identical to last year, and I can't wait!

Good luck to everyone participating! Enjoy it...don't stare at Billy Penn the whole way down Broad Street, he doesn't get any bigger for the first four miles. And don't worry--the Porta-Potty lines really go faster than it seems.

Good luck, have fun, and we'll swap success stories come Monday!

Why You Don't Run In Church

2007-04-30T05:34:00.000-07:00

Angie is one of my best friends, who I have been very close to since the first day of kindergarten. (She now lives along the Eastern shore with a husband and two babies). Growing up, we were both very good girls. However, one could probably argue that I was the instigator in most of our adventures. Our 20+ mile walk from her house to my house? My idea. Chasing the boys around the playground in elementary school? Guilty. Running blindfolded in the church? That was probably a great game I thought up, as well.

The first mistake is that Angie's church had a gymnasium. We grew up in a little town where churches kept their doors unlocked and no one bothered them. So one Saturday afternoon, an innocent game of basketball turned into an adventure in the sanctuary.

It started out as a simple "trust game", the kind where one person is blindfolded, and the other guides them around, tells them where to step, and what to do. After a few minutes, we ended upstairs in the Sunday School rooms. Right outside the Sunday School rooms was the sanctuary.

My first mistake was thinking that I knew what I was doing when I really didn't (a mistake I still make quite often). I was blindfolded, Angie was leading me. My second mistake was thinking I was funnier than I really am (another mistake I still make). Angie's instructions? Keep walking. My interpretation? Maggie-you-are-going-down-the-middle-aisle-so-you-have-plenty-of-room. Not true. I start running, thinking I'm funny and this is cool and isn't this great, and I hear Angie running behind me. And I felt the wall.

The moments after the impact are shady, at best. My first thought that I remember was "Thank God the cartilage didn't bust up into my brain and kill me". But a trip to the doctor's office later confirmed that yes, my nose was indeed broken, and no, nose cartilage can't be jammed up into your brain and kill you.

Fast forward to present day. For the most part, the breaking of my nose does not hinder my routine. And the small piece of bone you can feel on the side of my nose makes for a great conversation piece (again, here's me thinking I'm funnier than I am). The downside to having a unique nose bridge? I don't breathe through my nose very easily. I am a mouth breather.

Ted always says I make him feel tired. I sound like I'm dying long before I actually am, and if I allow myself, will actually feel like I am. I like to think it's part of my secret, a way to psyche out the competition...no one sees the huffer-and-puffer at Mile One as being a true threat. Little do they realize...hahaha. Broad Street is mine! :-)

Revolutions and Revalations

2007-04-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

It surprises me what my body is capable of.

Ted, Dave, and I did the Revolutionary 5-mile run this past weekend at Valley Forge. Described as a "challenging" course (meaning "hard"), we prepared ourselves by incorporating hills into our daily runs, which isn't hard to do, where we live.

I felt as though I was flying through most of the race, regardless of the terrain. I pushed through parts where I previously would have taken a breather. I passed people that previously would have passed me. And I even lost half a lung at the water stop by trying to drink and run at the same time.

At the end, I felt I truly had given my all. But I don't recall when I improved that much, or when hills had been not quite the big deal they once were.

Overall, the race was great. The support was surprising for the location, which was nice. The Health Expo, which was after the race instead of the day before at packet pick-up, was a pretty good deal. Alot of free stuff, and after that race, I don't think anyone had any questions about whether they should take something or not...everyone felt like they earned it.

I've realized I'm capable of so much more than I was giving myself credit for. Phrases I used to use to give myself an automatic out (i.e. "I am not a hill runner", "I am not a fast runner") are slowly slipping from my vocabulary. I've learned I can push myself and succeed, and a little hard work goes a long way.

Fuel In, Fuel Out

2007-04-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

Every runner, for the most part, understands the concept of fueling the body. It's general health class knowledge that what you put into your body is ultimately what is going to generate your energy level for the next few hours.

Ted and I are in desperate need of a trip to the grocery store. That is why last night, our pre-run fuel-in dinner consisted of greasy cheeseburgers and baked beans. It was only a 4-mile run, but not even 50 feet into it, I felt the wrath of the grill raking through my body.

The run itself was terrible. As great and as easy as the 10 miles was on Saturday, this 4 was the opposite end of the spectrum. We grumbled through it, we whined, we pitied each other, we half-heatedly encouraged one another. The wind was also a huge factor in the run, and the only thing worse than running up the hill on 2nd Street in town is running up the hill with wind hitting you in the face, and a group of firemen standing outside the fire hall (and you know you can't stop or even appear to be the least bit tired).

But despite how terrible we felt, despite how horrible the wind was, and despite how absolutely embarrassing the final time turned out to be, I was glad we went. I still felt good, and it really drove home the saying that you always return feeling much better than you left.

Is "being prepared" enough?

2007-04-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine training for months, hard work, long runs, countless blisters--only to run the 26.2 miles in this weather! It really drives home the fact that you can be as prepared as you want to be--but on race day, you are ultimately at the mercy of Weather and the Elements (sounds like a bad rock band, doesn't it?). Good luck to everyone running Boston today. That ivy wreath will be well-deserved--even more so than normal!

On my own home front, Ted and I did a long run Saturday morning, which was almost literally the calm before the storm. Saturday morning was beautiful--it was sunny, warm, and we ran in pants and T-shirts. There were no signs of the looming storm and it felt like the start to a beautiful weekend. We did 10 miles, with hills incorporated in it. It was my first 10 without walking. Ted's first 10 ever. It felt good.

The run was my favorite kind--slow, steady, scenic. I had mapped out a new route and we ran it...it was on back roads where neither of us had been before, and it was adventurous. It was the kind of run I felt convinced marathon training will be easy if it is anything like this, that I could have gone on forever. We averaged about 10:30 minute miles, not great, but steady, so I can't complain. I'm hoping Broad Street will be a bit quicker of a pace--with the smooth course and race-day adrenalin both playing for us.

I had packed the post-it note with the directions for the run in my windbreaker pocket, but stowed my windbreaker about 2 miles into the run when it got too warm for it. I stuffed it behind a bush at a local elementary school, and was about a block away when I realized the post-it note was still in the pocket. We decided to wing it, and figured we wouldn't get lost, but just off track, at very worst. We were fine.

The rest of the weekend was spent painting the bathroom. This week will probably be a lighter week of running, with the Valley Forge 5-mile coming up next weekend. It will be the first race of the season--I'm looking forward to it!

Changing Seasons!?

2007-04-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

I think I'm being outrun.

Ted, Dave, and I ran in Valley Forge over the weekend. We are gearing up for the Revolutionary Run on the 22nd, and decided to run the trails in the park, just to get an idea to what the course may be like (after comparing the map, and what we ran, I don't think we followed the course at all). Dave pulled away pretty early, like he always does (the kid is a machine, I tell you). Ted pulled away shortly after and I never could catch him.

That's when I came to the realization just how much maintenance my body needs to keep a certain fitness level. Ted can do one short run between long runs and be good to go. I need at least two, one of which occurs within 48 hours of the other. I was proud of where he's gotten...far way from the days last summer of complaining and whining after two miles. I was proud, had a sense of ownership, and encouraged him.

And I was annoyed.

Then I was annoyed that I was annoyed. I was jealous that he could do that, I was ashamed that I couldn't, I was nostalgic for the days that I could, and I wanted desperately to be up there with him.

Which made me decide that I needed to step it up, that Ted had raised the bar and I was going to need to work a bit harder to be on his level.

However, there is one small difficulty to doing this. Being a creature of habit, I fall very quickly into a routine and have trouble breaking this. My routine? Running in the evenings and sleeping in the mornings. That is why Monday morning's alarm clock was met with a reset, and the un-spring-like temperatures didn't help (to keep with today's entry title, I think seasons are slowly changing and in the future we'll be swimming on Christmas and the Aussies down under will be building the snowmen).

Last night Ted and I ran a short, easy 4-miler. We didn't eat before we ran, just came home from work and left. I had a great run. Ted's was shaky. He kept the pace good, but he said he was sore and felt tired through it. And I realized how different our running styles are. I've gotten accustomed to running at night, but my body still responds best to not eating much before a run, where Ted seems to do best running within a few hours after eating a meal.

So maybe I'm not being outrun after all. Maybe I've just discovered how our bodies respond differently, and what we each need to do separately to have the best run together. And we're both realizing that what works for him to run, doesn't work for me, and vice versa.

Or maybe I just need to wait and see how the runs this week and the weekend work for us.

Body vs. Brain

2007-04-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

Runnersworld.com recently had a poll posted on their website that went a little something like this:

During long runs, what gives out first--your body or your brain?

The results when I looked were almost even, with body leading brain by something like 53% to 48%, or something along those lines. I had initially voted "Brain", but then really got to thinking about the response.

Does my "brain" go first during a long run? At what point does it decide it's done motivating me and begins to make me focus on the coffee at home, or the pool waiting, or the list of chores I have to accomplish that evening? Or does the body really go first, sending the signal to my brain that it is done, which causes the brain to think of alternative activities I could be doing at that very moment? Screw the chicken or the egg--the real question is the body or the brain?

I've come to the conclusion that the brain and the body are really a conspiracy teamed up against my will. My will has a go get 'em attitude and if will alone were a factor, I would already have marathon after marathon under my belt. The will makes me forget the pain my body experiences, and the doubt my brain chips in, when it comes to training. At this very point in time, all I remember about Broad Street last year and the Philly Half this past November is the excitement, the fun I had, and the overwhelming sense of pride at completing the races. That is my will--screaming "Let's do that again!"

Now that training is underway, my body and my brain are beginning to see how far they can push the envelope. I think the two tag team...one day my body decides to be sore and tired and uncooperative. The next, my brain decides to issue an "I need something cozy and comfortable" alert. And between the two, my will hardly stands a chance.

Until it relies back on how race day feels.

At least my body and my brain let the will have its moment in the sun...and at least, as much as they may fight, at the end of the day, the will does win the battle.

One Big Congrats to the World's Newest Driver

2007-03-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite commercials is for a credit card offering immediate rewards for points earned. The commercial shows a girl running, while one of the few Spice Girl's hit songs "Wannabe" blares out of an accompanying car window. The car follows the girl, down roads, through a field, and down a flight of stairs. The whole point is why wait for your rewards points to get what you want (in this case, obviosuly an MP3 player).

I think this is a great idea, but Ted has no interest in driving maybe 5 mph while I run and listen to music, despite my arguments and pleas and promises to leave the Spice Girls out of the mix.

Now, maybe that Dave has his license, I can start working him on the idea...

The Comfort of Knowing

2007-03-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a stepping stone for Ted. Saturday morning's 9-mile run was somewhat hilly, one of those hilly runs where it would be easier to run Broad Street's 10-mile course as opposed to this 9-mile course. We ran it, it didn't kill him, and I think it finally sunk in that he can do the Broad Street Run and enjoy it. So now he's a bit more relaxed about the race and is a bit more confident.

So this morning, I came in and registered my little running trio for the race. I'm pretty proud--I feel like the coach whose kids are ready to go off and do what they learned!

The Definition of "Presumptuous"

2007-03-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Did anyone else hear the celebration going on Sunday morning in PA? Ted broke the 6-mile barrier. Dave, Ted, and I got up Sunday morning for a pre-church run. The final distance? 7.82. I was pretty proud of them--I'm not sure when Dave's last distance run was, but one may have thought he did this everyday. Ted did good, too, for it being a run almost two miles farther than his farthest so far. (go ahead--say that three times fast)

I came in to work this morning and opened my email. There was an announcement for the Philly Marathon. Along with a 25% discount code if I were to register before the official registration opens on April 1st.

"Special offer for 2006 participants, " it said.

*gulp* I said.

But I didn't delete it. It's there and I'm seriously considering it. I have mentioned before the plans my little running trio has of conquering the Philly Marathon in November. We talk about it, and Ted has gone so far as to tell his co-workers of his plans (which is pretty much all but a confirmation for him). I think I would really like to do it. I know I would, I'd love to. I think it would be a lot of fun, and what an experience. And I know I could, which is a pretty cool feeling.

However, it really is dependent on Ted and Dave's participation. As long as Dave does it, Ted will. As long as Ted is training, it will be easier for me to get out and train.

But is it a bit too forward for me to register now? It's practically eight months away, to the day. Or would that seal it and make it all the more real instead of a "someday" type of conversation?

I wonder if I can request a bib number...I don't want to be the dork with bib number "20" or something out of 15,000....

Regardless, I thought I wouldn't have to battle this decision until October. Now I have two weeks.

It's not what it looks like, Honest!

2007-03-15T05:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those runs where you look at the total distance, and you look at the time, and you want to scream because the way you feel when you finish versus how you actually did on paper say two totally different things? Then you calm down and convince yourself you need a new time watch because the one you have is obviously broken.

That's what last night was like.

While out driving with Dave this past weekend, Ted thought he had discovered a new 8-mile running route. Turns out it isn't quite 8 miles, but more like 5.7 (I'm not quite sure how he got the 8-mile in the first place...he broke this news that he thought he had measured wrong before we left the house last night). With Ted's confession, we decided to run that new route last night anyway, with the possibility of tacking on an extra three miles at the end to increase the mileage and bring the total up to 8-9.

It was a funny weather night for running. Because it was so warm yesterday, our heat never came on in the house, so it was colder inside than out. This phenomenon offset my body thermometer, and Ted had to talk me into leaving the long-sleeve shirt at home. It was warm on our run, and it felt sticky and soupy. Not as bad as I know it can get (and will get), but sticky and soupy just the same, and in the middle of March, just a little stickiness and soupiness can make a lot of difference.

The topography map I've included is a pretty good summary of the run and how it went. We started out with the intention of chalking up 8 that night (keep in mind Ted has yet to break the 6-mile barrier...there will be celebration in Southeast Pennsylvania when that happens). So the pace was a light jog to start out. Until about mile one, where we begin the downhill descent, and naturally picked the pace up.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Dave is about the only one of my readers who knows this route, has run is, and can appreciate the hill at the end of the first mile...by the train tracks, D. He knows this hill, as it has caught up with him a few times, and it is one I like to call a "wine hill" because you don't realize what it is until it is too late. Now Dave, look at how that hill is recognized on the topography map, and look at how the rest of the hills are recognized on the topography map. I'll let the pity party begin this weekend).

So, as I was saying, we were moving pretty good until mile 3. The scenery was nice, and the road winded around behind an old quarry, farmland, and a few houses. It was like another world set back away from our little borough. Peaceful, quiet, and very picturesque. Mile 3.5 on was brutal, and showed no mercy, and met us coming out of this nice run like a brick wall. Ted made an executive decision to not add the little bit on at the end and just go home. At that point I was glad he did...although, let the records show I would have down the additional 3, since that route is fairly flat.

This morning Ted's hurting. It hurts to stand, Mags. He told me this as I was getting ready to head out the door in the morning. Hurry up so I can go back to bed a little. I know he'll be fine and ready for a longer (and flatter) run this weekend. His recovery time has improved drastically, and I would be surprised if he was still sore this afternoon.

I feel good about how I felt after the run. The saddest hurdle to get over is that the distance is hardly anything to brag about, and our time is hardly anything to brag about, but the way we felt made all the difference in the world to what sort of work out it had to be. And I guess I'll give my watch another chance.