Vacation, Part Deux

The week back after taking vacation is usually pretty bad work-wise. Mine was no exception. Lots of stuff going on, things falling apart, the threat of city-leveling explosion... you know, all in a crappy day's work. I survived, but the stress of it all made me not want to do pretty much anything.

Back to the Vacation story.... where was I? Oh yes, we had landed in Seattle, and nothing bad had happened. It was almost lunch time Seattle time, and WAY past lunch time Duluth time, and so the first order of business was lunch. At IHOP. Which I hadn't had since I was in college oh so long ago. The Boy inhaled his food, and some of Aaron's food, and then some of Grandpa's food. I am no looking forward to when he's a teenager. Once we were all full and no longer grumpy, we made our way to Grandma and Grandpa Abramson's house.

The grandparents live in North Bend, which is where the TV show Twin Peaks was filmed. Which is pretty cool. The two older boys instantly named one of the two mountains near North Bend Buttcrack Mountain. That joke never got old for them. I wish I would have gotten a picture of it, but it never occurred to me to do that.

My first impressions of the Seattle area:

• It was warm. But not oppressive warm. When you got out of the sun for the most part it was quite pleasant.
• The trees are HUGE. Like insanely huge. Didn't know trees could get that big. And the ones I saw on the first day weren't even that big.
• The scenery was nothing like anything I had ever experienced, even in the Northwoods. I was in awe.

That first day Grandpa had gotten us tickets to the Day out with Thomas in the next town over. Which was cool, because boys love trains. And, well, it's Thomas. They had all done it in Duluth, but this one was way better. Albeit hotter. Some pictorial evidence:

 With Sir Topham Hatt

 Riding on Thomas

The view out the window at one point

The train ride itself wasn't too long, but the views were so amazing. Definitely worth it.

After doing the whole Thomas thing, we went to get ice cream at the local equivalent to Dairy Queen and then back to the grandparents house. I can't recall if it was an early evening or not, as we were all exhausted from getting up so early, the plane ride, and all the activity of the day. But we had some awesome pizza for dinner and it was really nice to get out of town. And Day Two of the Seattle adventure was yet to come...

The Rest of the Week's Runs

Running has been a lot harder than I feel it should be after taking not that long off. I don't know if it's the humidity, or running so early in the morning, or what. It's a bit disappointing to be going SO SLOWLY, but I need to cut myself some slack and just keep on going - eventually it will not be so hard. On Wednesday I ran 3.04 miles in 29:52, for an average pace of 9:49. On Saturday I got a bit lost (stupid dead end roads) and ran 3.95 miles in 40:09, for an average pace of 10:11. Here's to a new week and the change to improve! 

Miss Me? Also, Vacation Part 1

I know, I know. It's been almost a month since I've posted anything. I guess I needed a break from running AND from blogging. But that break is now over, and that means I need to find things to write about. Which shouldn't be too terribly hard.

One of the big things that happened over the past month's blogging hiatus is the hubby and I took a week's vacation out to the Seattle area. With all three monsters. No, we are not insane. Well, mostly not insane. I guess this blog is as good a place as any to chronicle the adventure...

In reality, the adventure that is the Vacation started about a week before we actually went anywhere for said Vacation. The weekend prior, Aaron and I went down to the Cities for his work and took my car since it has working A/C. Which means that it just had to break. The trunk decided that it just didn't want to open anymore, and the awesome engineers at Ford decided that a person doesn't really need to get in their trunk if the fob, dash button and key don't work. And the dealership couldn't get me in until the Friday we were leaving, at which point they said it wouldn't be fixed until the next week. So my car had a vacation at the dealership, and we all rode down to the Cities in a car with no A/C.

So, Friday was finish packing, eat dinner, load up the car and head down to a hotel near the airport so that we could catch a 7 AM flight. At the airport by 5 AM. Up at 4 AM. I think we were all a bit cranky, but very excited. The two youngest had never been on a plane before so it was all exciting and new. Our flight was delayed a half hour, which wasn't too bad. And once the plane was in the air, Aaron's two yahoos promptly fell asleep, and The Boy entertained himself for all but 45 minutes by reading books. He did end up sleeping for about 45 minutes of the 3 hour flight.

Notice the looks of exhaustion.

 

We flew Sun Country, which was surprisingly very nice. I felt like I had way more room than on pretty much any other flight I've taken (except for Midwest Express flights - does that airline even exist anymore? Those seats were SO HUGE!). And you got free soda/juice; they had snacks to purchase. The Boy got beef jerky. Those three hours flew by, even though it was a big more turbulent than I care for.

 

This is getting pretty long, so I'll end here. Don't want to bore you too much...

 

Yesterday's Run

After exactly a month off, I went for a short run on Monday morning. And, boy was it HARD! I didn't think I got that out of shape. Maybe the heat and humidity at the butt crack of dawn made things even harder than they should have been. But I got out, so that counts I guess. Yesterday I ran 2.51 miles in 24:29, for an average pace of 9:45. I just have to keep things going now... 

Where do we go from here?

Well, it's been a week. I'm pretty much back to normal, physically, and have been for a couple of days. I still have pain in my left quad, but that was there for a while before so I'm pretty sure it will take a while to get better.

Psychologically? I still feel really good about how I did in the marathon. I've gone through in my head what I could have done better, or differently.... But I can't go back in time, and so it makes no sense to do the coulda-woulda-shoulda game.

I've spent this last week catching up - catching up on sleep, and things that needed to be done like mailing thank you cards, and with spending time with those I love. That's the weirdest thing right now - the amount of time I have to do other things.

Next week, I'm going to start going to the Y again. Not sure if I'll do any running this next week, to try to give my poor leg a little more rest maybe. But I struggle with what I'm going to do next. I like having a big goal to work towards - it gives a reason to why I do something. I also want to try more new things, but am unsure where to start, what to do.

I can't become complacent, procrastinate. I need to keep moving forward.

I have over 500 miles under my feet so far this year - how many more will I be able to go?

And it's over

I am still a jumble of emotions today, two days after mostly running Grandma's Marathon. I feel like I need to put something down now so I don't forget some details.

The day started out cool and foggy, just like last year. The temperature was ideal. The humidity, not so much. I could tell when the humidity went down in that I was able to breathe more freely, and my steps were lighter and without as much effort. It wasn't very often that this happened, unfortunately.

I got a ride to the starting point with friends instead of taking the bus. This was pretty nice because it was way more comfortable and a lot less stressful. Plus I was with friends, so that was pretty cool too. Here's a picture of us before we head out on our way to Two Harbors:

We're looking way too happy considering what comes next

The area at the starting line was, to me, surprisingly large. There were plenty of port-o-potties so I didn't have to wait too long to get in and out. For how much space there was at the beginning I was amazed at how cramped it felt. The music at the starting line... left much to be desired. It wasn't the kind of pump-you-up music that I remember from the half in the previous years.

And then there was the race itself. I started out way, WAY too fast - the first 5-6 miles were at sub-8:30 pace. It wasn't that hard, but the extra effort at the beginning, when I was supposed to build up to a faster pace, really sapped my strength later on. The humidity did a number on me, but it wasn't as emotionally draining as it was last year. Probably because my cheerleader Ben stayed with me through the half way point. Which really helped me keep going.

Starting at Mile 15 I walked through the aid stations, just to make sure I was hydrating well and to give my poor, old, achy body a rest. Once in town, it was easier to get through between the aid stations but it was by no means easy at all. My body hit a wall around Mile 22, where the pain was just so intense I had to will myself to continue on.

I think the highlight of the race was when I saw my wonderful husband and The Boy on Superior Street. I knew about where they were going to be standing, so I started scanning the sidewalk when I got close. I started to panic when I didn't see them and didn't see them. And then, there they were. I'm starting to tear up right now just thinking about it. I know I would have started crying then if I had any tears in me, but there wasn't any. I stopped and gave The Boy a hug, and I think I said something like "This hurts so bad!" with a catch in my voice (little did I know Aaron was recording me coming up to them - but I should have guessed he would). Aaron told me he was proud of me and that I could do it, so I continued on, stopping to walk for a little bit a half block later because I couldn't catch my breath because I wanted to cry so much.

The last 2-plus miles were a blur, and then I saw my boys at the corner to the final stretch, which was a surprise because I totally forgot they were going to do that. I got my finisher's medal, and my shirt, and a flower, which was really nice and made me almost cry again. I quick got my gear bag and went to meet my cheering squad and then to go home.

Yesterday, the pain was pretty intense. My whole body ached. The refreshed chafing on my left arm was so tender I didn't want to move that side of my body. I had two strange blisters, one on each foot, but those didn't bother me too much. Stairs continue to be especially hard, in that my left quad is very VERY angry with me. And my right hip.

And how am I feeling about how I did? I am so proud that I finished, that I pushed through when all I wanted to do was curl up and die. I finished a lot slower than I thought I would, but then again I didn't really comprehend before the physical toll running 26.2 miles puts on your body. Now I know, and I feel so happy with just finishing.

But will I do it again? Not for a very long time, if at all. I am no spring chicken, and the time commitment it takes to train for a marathon is so insane. But I rose up to the challenge that I set for myself, and I was successful, and NO ONE can take that away from me.

 The Boy with the medal. He is very proud of his mama.

Saturday's Run

On Saturday, I ran my first full marathon, 26.2 miles, in 4:12:48. And now I need another nap.

T-minus

So, it is less than a day before the start of my first full marathon. And I am feeling... kind of excited, scared, anxious. Not too achy, which is nice. My sinuses are still a bit congested, but not completely horrible.

The last group run was on Tuesday. It was rather bittersweet. It is nice that I will now (in theory) have more time to do things other than running. But at the same time I am definitely going to miss the people and support that I got from the group. Especially my three amigos - Ben, Cassie and Mae. I don't think I would have made it this far without them.

Another pretty amazing thing happened on Tuesday at running group as well. Well, amazing for me that is... I volunteered to be interviewed for a segment on a local TV station about my training for the marathon! Historically, I would not have even thought about doing something like that - putting myself out there for pretty much the whole world to see. But now... now, I am embracing things that make me cringe, and it was actually kinda fun. And the head of my department at work saw it on TV and was like "Nice interview last night" and not even in a snotty way! For now, the story is still online:

http://www.fox21online.com/sports/feature/great-outdoors/runners-are-ready-go-grandmas-marathon

So today I took the day off from work, and I will be relaxing and trying to not get all crazy. But I got this - even if I don't meet my pie-in-the-sky goal I will finish, and finish strong. I will have challenged myself to something bigger physically than I have ever done before and succeeded. I will have completed this first leg of my journey that started the same day as this blog, on September 1, 2013. And I WILL be amazing.

Hell yes!

 

Tuesday's Run

Went to the canal, spit for good luck, then had a yummy beer. This run was just what my soul needed. I ran 2.74 miles in 23:53, an average pace of 8:44. I am ready. 

Anticipation

And, so, with less than a week to go, I am starting to feel the pressure. The need and desire to kick butt and take names on Saturday at what will be the biggest physical challenge I have ever attempted to undertake.

And I am so scared I feel like I'm going to vomit. And I still have this week to go through before the big day.

It is kinda hard to put into words why I am feeling so scared. I guess I can tell the story about last year and running the half marathon during Grandma's weekend.

Last year I also trained with the DRC marathon/half marathon training group. It was the first time I trained with anyone else - I had always done it alone with a bit of success. But with the group... my training was consistent. I was motivated to do more. I had the support of great people to push me along. I was getting stronger and faster. I won a 10k race, which was completely amazing.

And then there was race day. I felt the same fear and anxiousness last year as I do right now. I was in a worse place emotionally then, feeling like a complete failure and that I wouldn't be able to finish as fast as I wanted, or maybe even at all. I put on a happy face, though, and tried to will my way into a better frame of mind. It didn't work.

This depression from a race was, and is, just weird to me. Running has been my solitude, my mental and physical release, the thing that has helped me stay sane. But for some reason I am putting so much pressure on myself, that the very thing that I have come to love is causing me so much heartache and despair.

At the race I started out well, if not a little fast. It was really foggy and cool out, decent running weather (I don't do well in heat). I don't know how far I went before I started feeling like I couldn't catch my breath. Each step was a labor, oxygen not being able to get into my lungs and to my legs to move me forward. I started thinking about how it was true, that I was a failure and that there was no way I'd be able to achieve my goal. I started slowing down. I'm pretty sure I was close to tears at times. Some part of me compelled me to continue even though I didn't want to go on.

And then I finished. Slower than I had wanted. I felt defeated. I felt like a failure. I PR'd by over 12 minutes, but I felt like it was a sham. I was not tired. I felt like I did after a training run. I didn't leave it all out there.

And I was a mess for a while after that.

And now, this year, today, I'm starting to feel the way I did last year. Like a failure. Like I won't achieve my goals. Like I'm useless. And I don't know if I'll be able to snap out of it. Add to that a left quad that just won't get better and now a right ankle that is a bit achy....

Part of me wants it to be a week from now, so that it will be all over. Another part of me doesn't want today to end.

I am living in the anticipation of what will be.

Thursday's Run

Another easy, taper run. It was very windy and cool, with a rain starting towards the end. I went 4.12 miles in 37:41, for an average pace of 9:09.

Saturday's Run

The last Saturday training run is along the end of the race course, from the store to the finish line. It's helpful for people that are doing the race for the first time, to see where they need to go on that day. For me, it put a knot in my stomach thinking by the time I get to DRC that I will have gone almost 24 miles. 24 miles. With over 2 more to go. On Saturday I ran 3.84 miles in 32:26, for an average pace of 8:27.

Oh, the horror!

This post is going to be all about running. No other whimsical musings, not wedding/family talk - just running. Because for the next 9 days, that is pretty much all my life will be about.

*excuse me while I go find a place to hide and hyperventilate a little bit*

Alright, back to matters at hand. Now, when I say this post is going to be all about running, it will be in fact about something that I have not had to deal with up to this point in my running life. Something that is so horribly painful and disgusting that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

That's right - I'm talking about chafing.

You see, this spring I've been having a little bit of tenderness on the inner portion of my upper arms after long runs. I figure it's due to the fact that my guns have gotten a bit bigger and more defined with all the lifting I've been doing, and while running they are now rubbing against the seams of my tank tops. It was no big deal, just a little tenderness that would be completely gone the next day. That is, until last Saturday.

Oh, Saturday. My last long run before the marathon - 16 miles. No biggie, been there, done that. The weather, however, was not cooperating. Downpour rain when we went out. I've never been one to run in the rain, but I needed to get this last run in, especially since I missed to 20 miler the week before. So out I went.

Apparently, even with wearing tech clothes, the constant motion of my wet clothes against my fragile, pale skin was not a good thing. Pretty much every place there was a seam my skin was rubbed raw. My stomach. My right leg near my knee where the shorts ended. Under my right boob. Along my left collar bone. But, worst of all, are my poor arms.

Both arms, but more so my left than right, look like I was attacked by some crazed lunatic with 60 grit sandpaper. There was no blood initially, but man did my arms sting when I started sweating from cleaning house Saturday afternoon.

And there's no relief. Putting on deodorant - pain. Sweating - pain. Wearing a shirt - pain. Putting on lotion - pain. And to make matters worse, after Tuesday's run my left arm was rubbed so raw that it did start bleeding.

So, now I am wearing a ginormous band aid on my owie to try to get it to heal quickly and not be in extreme pain every time I think about moving. And I will now be slathering myself, everywhere, with Body Glide in 9 days so that, no matter the weather, I will not have to endure this agony every again.

The things I do to myself. But in the end it will be all worth it.

I hope.

Saturday's Run

The final long run. The subject of this post. 15.92 miles in 2:20:02. Average pace 8:48. Not too shabby.

Tuesday's Run

And now the beginning of the taper. My left quad has been bugging me since the last hell Martin Road run, which seems like it was forever ago. And Tuesday was no exception. I just hope whatever this nagging ache is will be gone soon. The run was to be 6 miles easy. I ran 5.83 miles in 51:57, for an average pace of 8:55.

Thank you for your patience

Holy cow. I did not realize that I haven't put up a post since May 25. Well, I kinda did, but it honestly doesn't feel like it's been that long.

So here I am. Miss me?

If you, my humble reader, didn't know, I got married last weekend. On May 31. 5/31. Yes, it was done on purpose. And how was it, you ask? It was awesome. Do you think I'd say otherwise?

The day started out with rain. Torrential rain. I was staying at my friend, and maid of honor's, house. Which has a steel roof. So once the rain started I was up with no possibility of getting back to sleep. Which is fine, because I wanted to go for a run in the morning to wish my fellow running group peoples good luck on their long run. That Saturday was supposed to be my last 20 mile run before the marathon and for obvious reasons I had to not do it. I wasn't happy about that, but in this instance getting married was WAY more important than running. And, of course, it rained while I was out on my run so I got pretty wet.

After hearing a lot of "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be getting married?" statements, I went back to Inga's, showered, ate breakfast, and then went to get my hair all did. And, man, did the hair person do an AMAZING job! I don't know how many times I heard that day how cool, beautiful, awesome, etc. my hair looked. I felt so pretty. Everything was going right on schedule too, which was really nice because I hate being late.

After hair it was back to Inga's to get dressed and eat lunch before heading up to Gooseberry Falls State Park. I should have known something was up when I had issues zipping up my dress when I put it on. And, no, it's not because I had stress-binge-ate too much in the previous weeks. But the zipper went up, and I thought nothing of it.

Flash forward to eating lunch. While inhaling my grilled cheese sandwich, I realized I hadn't put my shoes on yet. Grab shoes, put on, bend over to buckle - RRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPP! Oh shit. The zipper had pulled apart. In a panic I went upstairs to try to get the zipper to go down again so I could zip it back up. After way too long and Inga using a pliers, we realized the zipper was toast and we had to resort to Plan B. Why didn't this happen one of the billion times I had tried on my dress previously, I will never know. But the flash decision was to sew the zipper shut because there was no way a new zipper was going to go in on time.

So, there I was, close to bawling my eyes out, cursing the stupid dress and for being too fat and for my dumb luck and wanting to crawl into a hole and die.... And my two amazing friends Inga and Kris talked me down from the ledge and reassured me that everything was going to be OK. The only problem was that there was only one Inga to do the sewing, and it was taking a long time to make each stitch (the fabric was really nice, zipper - not so much). Kris called in the cavalry, name of Christine, and with a beer in my hand, two lovely women with needles, and an hour and a half, I was officially sewn into my wedding dress. And, of course, there's a picture to prove it:

Yes, I am smiling in this picture. I owe these two people so much.

 

I was late to my own wedding, not like they were going to start without me or something. And Aaron.... he was so handsome, like a dream, so understanding and caring...

 

The rain held out until after the ceremony was over thankfully. We got some amazing pictures (and I've only seen a few of them) and had a good time with our family and friends. Dinner at Valentini's was AMAZING (if you're in Duluth you NEED to go there - amazing Italian food). The cake was so good too. And then there was the pub crawl...

 

Instead of a traditional reception we invited our friends and family to join us on a microbrewery pub crawl down Superior Street in Duluth. And it was so much fun. The highlight of the night was the special small batch beer that the brew master at Carmody's made especially for us - Wedding Night Porter. It was a cherry-vanilla-cardamom porter that tasted of heaven.

 

I know there was more that I could write about, but this has gone on long enough. Suffice it to say that Saturday, May 31, 2014 was a day that I will always remember, and was quite possibly the perfect wedding day for us.

 

And so I am now Mrs. Erin Abramson. Which is just perfect.

 

May 27 Run

Since there are quite a few of these, I'm going to just do a quick summary of what went down. This day was a time trial, and my left quad was not happy with me after the long hilly run the previous Saturday. 6.01 miles in 50:39, for an average pace of 8:26.

May 29 Run

6 mile easy run in preparation of the (supposed to be) 20 mile run on Saturday. 6 miles, 53:22, average pace of 8:54.

Wedding Day Run

Ran from Inga's house to Brighton Beach to say hi and bye to my running peeps. Oh, and I wore my new running shoes, which are so awesome and comfy. 5.71 miles, 51:14, average pace of 8:58.

Tuesday's Run

This was a goal pace workout of 2 miles goal pace, 3 minutes jogging x 3. Running friend Ben and I ended up cutting the last 2 mile goal pace short because we were extremely hot and dehydrated. 6.21 miles, 55:17, average 8:54 pace.

Thursday's Run

Did not happen. It was supposed to be hill repeats on 7 Bridges Road, but I came down with some sinus-head-cold thing after the wedding, which by Thursday had morphed into a chest cold. And I was not about to run up and down a hill, in the rain, not being able to breathe. So I didn't run. So be it.

 

Number 100!

It's hard to believe that this is my 100th blog post. It seems just like yesterday that I started this journey...

And it all started because I wanted to change, to challenge myself. I will admit that I have been slacking a bit lately in trying new things, in challenging myself. But I've been a bit busy lately.

It's just 6 days until I marry my partner, my best friend, the one with whom I want to spend the rest of my life. It's not an instantaneous thing, this whole wedding planning. Even if it is the non-wedding of weddings. And planning takes time, unfortunately.

It's a 27 days until I run my first full marathon. And I want to do my best, so training is something that takes a lot of my time and effort. It's not just running - I'm lifting and doing core work. It's exhausting on every single level. But the results I've seen are nothing short of amazing in my eyes.

And then there's the rest of life. The Boy, and the other monsters that I've grown to love. Work. Play. And sleep sometimes.

It's exhausting, but it's my life. And I can honestly say that I've never been happier. Is it perfect? No, I'd be delusional if I said it was. But it's pretty stinking awesome.

Thursday's Run

Thursday was an easier run than Tuesday, but it felt a lot harder. It probably didn't help that it was horribly hot outside either - when you're used to running in close to freezing or colder weather, when it gets to be in the 60s F and 70s F it's almost unbearable. But I finished, and my average pace for the workout was about the same as the last time I did it, so even with the immense amount of sweating I did alright. The workout on Thursday was 15 minutes brisk and 5 minutes jogging, repeated 3 times. On Thursday I ran 6.95 miles in 60 minutes, for an average pace of 8:37. Not too shabby.

Saturday's Run

Oh, the long run once again. And once again this run was on the super duper hilly roads north-ish of town. Unfortunately, my intestines were not having anything to do with running yesterday morning, and so it was a pretty crappy run, pardon the pun. There were no catastrophes, but there is probably nothing worse that trying to move yourself up and down hills when your insides are cramping so badly that you want to curl up in the fetal position. I did finish. And I only walked up one block of the last steep hill. I didn't break any records but I toughed it out, with the help of my friends. On Saturday I ran 15.36 miles in 2:26:43, for an average pace of 9:33.

Something old.....

10 days. Until the BIG DAY.

And, no, I'm not talking about the marathon. That's a month away.

Holy crap. It's a month away.

Breathe....

So, yeah, remarkably calm about the wedding. Now freaking out about the marathon. If it's not one thing, it's another....

Anywho, back to the topic of the wedding. Specifically, traditions surrounding weddings. Even though we are going the non-traditional route (only inviting immediate family, no reception, minimal fuss), there is a part of me that insanely clings to some of the traditions involved with weddings. Like the cake. And I've been thinking about the whole something old, something new tradition as of late.

Aaron would probably joke that I'm the "something old" being brought into the ceremony. Which is true, but doesn't really fit the role the tradition refers to. And pretty much everything I'll be wearing is new. And there is a lot of blue going on. And borrowing something just feels weird.

But there is this part of me that feels like I need to cling to some sort of tradition... even if it doesn't make sense.

And then there's the part of me that thinks that none of this stuff matters, that all that matters is that  we get married and start a new phase in our lives together. And really isn't that the most important thing of all?

Tuesday's Run

I don't know why I thought Tuesday's run was going to be shorter. I apparently can't do math anymore. Tuesday was a goal pace workout - 1 mile GP, 2 minute jog, 1 mile GP, 2 minute jog, 2 mile GP, 5 minute jog, repeated twice. Just the goal pace running was 8 miles. But I think I now have a good idea what an 8:30 pace feels like, since we were pretty spot on at 8:30, give or take a little bit of speeding up and slowing down from hills, etc. Considering my actual goal pace is 8:40, I did pretty well. But then it was only 8 miles... On Tuesday I ran 9.42 miles in 1:22:03, for an average pace 8:42.

SPRING!

The problem with taking so long between posts, is that all my inspiration dissolves into the chaos that is my brain right now, and I forget what I wanted to write about. So this will be a mishmash of various topics.

At the forefront of the goings on in the Great White North is that spring is finally here! As proof, I shall provide photographic evidence:

It's the green thing in the center of the picture

 

If you don't know what is in the picture, it's the start of a tulip that I discovered earlier this week. The Boy and I planted 7 bulbs last fall, and it appears that all 7 survived the winter and the squirrels and are in the process of becoming flowers. We got a variety pack of bulbs, so the colors are going to be a surprise, which is kinda fun. I sort of hope that they are blooming before the family arrives in two weeks...

 

Aaron moved the last of his stuff from his rental, and now our house is stuffed to the gills. But it's another step, a big one, towards our life together and so it's a relief that it's finally done. Plus, paying a mortgage and utilities on one place helps a lot.

 

Last, but definitely not least, it is now 2 weeks until the big day, the day when I take that big step and marry my other half, my sweetheart, my love. We're down to the final little details, finally, and so far everything is falling into place. I'm trying to make a list of the stuff that still needs to be done, but when I sit down to write it down my mind goes blank. And I am surprisingly not overly stressed out about it all; so far no panic attacks or extreme binge eating episodes. I am happy and (mostly) calm, and I think Aaron has a lot to do with that. His attitude is that we just need to get hitched, the rest of it doesn't matter. I slightly agree with him about that, but I want to look good in the pictures too.

 

And then there was the running....

 

Tuesday's Run

This week was supposed to be a recovery week after Saturday's long run of 20 miles. I say "supposed to" because in reality, it was just as hard, if not harder, than previous weeks. On Tuesday we did ladder fartleks - 1 min run, 1 minute jog, 2 minute run, 2 minute jog, 3 minute run, 3 minute jog, 4 minute run, 4 minute jog, repeated three times. The fast parts were averaging between 6:30 and 7:30 average pace, which is pretty awesome. On Tuesday I ran 6.94 miles in 60 minutes, for an average pace of 8:38.

Thursday's Run

And then there was Thursday. The dreaded hill repeats. Fortunately for my glutes and hammies it's been an extremely wet "spring" so we were relegated to doing the workout on Seven Bridges Road. Not that Seven Bridges Road is easy at all, it's just a lot easier than going up and down a ski hill. For proof of the elevation changes, here's what the Shiny told me I did on Thursday:

Up and down three times

 

As my friend Ben likes to say, those poor runners in Nebraska are missing out on all the fun. We did this run once last year in running group, and I ended up walking the last little bit the second, and final time, through up the road. This year, I was tired on the last time up, but I ran the whole way. Ben and I both did much better this year. Which proves that our training is really clicking this year, and hopefully will continue on through to race day, which is now only 5 weeks away! On Thursday I ran 7.74 miles in 1:08:45, for an average pace of 8:53.

 

Today's Run

Long run Saturday. And I really felt it. We started out too fast, again, and were struggling a bit at the end. Not as bad as last Saturday with the 20 miles, but still not optimal. We are going to really try to go out slower in the beginning next Saturday, to see if we can finish stronger. Overall it was a pretty good run. Today I ran 16.13 miles in 2:21:14, for an average pace of 8:45. Just 5 seconds slower than my goal pace! 

 

Long runs and head colds

I was planning on making a post about Mother's Day, and how grateful I am to have not only my amazing little boy, but now two more awesome boys that will soon be my stepsons...

And then I got clobbered by a stupid head cold, and I can't be bothered to do much at all.

Maybe next time.

And now for what you've been waiting for....

Saturday's Run

Saturday was the big kahuna of long runs, the one that is the closest to the race while training. And I will admit that I was scared of the idea of running for 20 miles, by far the longest I've run in one go ever. Just the idea of that distance is extremely intimidating. Especially considering I've mentally broken down on shorter runs in the past. And I must say I am extremely grateful (there's that word again) that I have three really good friends to run with, that help me get through the miles with mostly laughs and songs and jazz hands. And despite the sore feet and ankles for the next day or so, I feel like I've conquered this mountain, and it feels really, really good. On Saturday I ran 20.14 miles in 3:01:17, for an average pace of 9:00. I may just be able to do this thing...

I am so not dirty. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

The English language is a curious thing. On one hand, a shower is something you do to get clean. On the other, it's a party for a female that is either a) getting married or b) having a baby. So one has to question: is this use of the term "shower" for a party implying that soon-to-be married ladies or soon-to-be mothers are inherently filthy and therefore need a group of people to get together to make them clean?

I digress.

A while back my bridesmaids (which is another term that I find degrading but have to use so that people know what I'm talking about) convinced me that I NEEDED to have a bridal shower, that my life wouldn't be complete without one or something. They probably didn't put it that way, but hindsight is a fickle thing, you know. I agreed to go along with their shenanigans and last Sunday was my little bridal shower party thing.

My two requirements for this shindig were there needed to be good food and socially acceptable brunch time alcoholic beverages. And it was going to be small, with only a handful of fun women that wouldn't be upset that I didn't want to play any lame games. And I must say it was a win on all possible levels.

I could go on and on and on, but I won't. But I will say that I have some AMAZING friends. And swipe some pictures from Facebook from the event, just because.

Tuesday's Run

Tuesday was another goal pace workout - 1 mile warmup, followed by 1 mile at goal pace and 2 minutes of jogging repeated twice with a 1 mile cool down. It was a lot colder than I expected, so I way under-dressed. The run itself wasn't too bad though. On Tuesday I ran 4.19 miles in 36:59, for an average pace of 8:50.

Thursday's Run

Today, well, was rotten. Rain started just before I was to head to running group from the Y. If it was a couple of degrees colder it would have been snow. Since Saturday's run is going to be 20 miles, Coach decided it was OK to just get out there and do something. I tried to do at least 4 miles, but after a little bit I was soaked to the bone and just wanted to get warm and dry. Today I ran 3.6 miles in 29:52, for an average pace of 8:17. I am so glad I brought a towel with today.

Time flies, or something like that

So, yeah. It's been well over a week since I posted to my blog. My life has been pretty crazy, and when things get crazy certain things fall the the wayside. Like blogging. And apparently cleaning.

For expediency, I feel bullet points will suffice to recap what's been going on in the last week plus.

• There was more snow. The less said about this the better.
• There was running. More will be said about that below.
• I assisted Aaron while he was DJing a wedding. AND I got paid for it. It was pretty awesome.
• I hung out with the future siblings-in-law. And ate peanut butter waffles. And drank mimosas. The Lowry is a pretty awesome place. And it was good seeing everyone.
• I went shopping with Aaron to get the last bits for him for the wedding. I was mildly disappointed with Macy's.
• I rested. Not enough, but I did.
• I worked. Too much. While watching dirty movies at the stinkiest place in the region. But the contractors were pretty nice so it wasn't too bad.
• I didn't sleep enough. Or run on Tuesday.
• It rained. A lot.
• I helped Aaron move stuff, as much as I could.
• I didn't have a panic attack from the sheer quantity of stuff that was moved to our house.
• I realized that it is now the month in which I'll be marrying my true love, my other half. And that is so awesome that I find myself dancing from the joy of it all.

That's all I could think of right now. I'm tired and exhausted and happy and scared and so many other feelings and emotions it's insane. But life is really, REALLY good right now.

 The Last Week in Running

Thursday, April 24
So, yeah, bad weather. So no specific workout, just got out there and ran. My feet got completely soaked. My shoes weighed like 20 pounds. It was not pleasant. I ran 4.28 miles in 39:18 for an average pace of 9:10. Gross.

Saturday, April 26
This long run was LONG. And HILLY. How hilly, you ask? I stole this from friend Cassie, one of those that suffered with me:

Yeah. That's hilly.

 

The surprising thing for me was that the time seemed to fly by, even though it was pretty torturous. I definitely felt it for the next four days - I didn't feel back to normal until late Tuesday. On Saturday I ran 18.89 miles in 2:55:40, for an average pace of 9:17 pace.

 

Thursday, May 1

As I said before, I didn't run on Tuesday - not only did I not feel normal-ish, I had to work late and so I just didn't have time to run. On Thursday was a goal pace tempo run - 10 minute warmup, 40 minutes at goal pace, and 10 minute cool down. It was very VERY hard to speed up at all to goal pace, but I think we were pretty close. I haven't downloaded the data yet to really check. I am very glad this was a recovery week though. On Thursday I ran 6.79 miles in 60 minutes, for an average pace of 8:50.

 

Saturday, May 3

Another Saturday, another long run. Where last Saturday's run was super hilly, this run was super flat. We ran out to Park Point, which is about as flat as you can get in Duluth. And the Army folks were doing their two mile run test thingie, which was kinda funny when you're running 16. I made a point of cheering them on. I don't think they appreciated it. Oh, and I forgot my shiny, so I ran sans-Garmin, which was kinda sucky and liberating at the same time. They say that it's good to run without a watch sometimes, whoever they are. Mae had a watch, though, so I got a time and distance. Today I ran 16 miles in about 2:20:00, for an average pace of 8:45. And I felt pretty good the whole time, and after. Nice. 

Obsession

I am probably like pretty much every other runner, or person that considers themselves a runner, out there and has been obsessed with this year's Boston Marathon. Not just because of what happened last year, but also because of how amazing American distance running is becoming once again.

I have been reading tons of articles, some new, some old, about running marathons, and the people that run marathons, and pretty much anything I can find right now about marathons. Something one person wrote really struck a chord with me. This guy, Mike Cassidy, finished the New York City Marathon with Meb Keflezighi in 2013 and he wrote an article about it that I found on letsrun.com. (http://www.letsrun.com/news/2013/11/time-life/) I hope he doesn't mind my blatant theft of his words, but what he wrote was so eloquent that I have to repeat it here:

I’m a believer that running brings out the best in people. Running inspires. Running unites. Running uplifts. By pushing us to our limits and across them, running takes us to places we never thought possible—or even real. A good run can turn a dark day bright and make a bright day shine brighter. Performed on the scale of a marathon, running can transform communities and change lives.

I could not have said it better myself. Running, in and of itself, is a very selfish sport, but it has the ability to be so much more. I have met some amazing people running. I have accomplished so much because of my running. This time of year it has the ability to take over my life, and in the end I am so much better because of it.

I joke about Boston qualifying in my first marathon, but when I think about it, really think about it, finishing in under 3:40:00 is indeed possible. And after what I've seen and read this week, if I do Boston qualify, I want to be a part of it all and I will try to sign up to be a part of the Boston Marathon in 2015.

First things first - I need to get through this week's training schedule.

Today's Run

Today's group run was a time trial - where you get assigned a bib and are timed to get an idea of where you're at. The time trial distance was 6 miles, and I was hauling ass on the way out, to the tune of 3 miles in 23:30. But when I turned around, it was like someone put the brakes on my legs and I just couldn't keep going. I was disappointed to say the least. Today I ran 6 miles in 47:59, for an average pace of 8:00. Good thing a full marathon is about sustaining a manageable pace, not going as fast as possible...

The worst thing

I honestly think there is nothing worse than stepping on a clear lego when thinking you've successfully navigated your way through the minefield that was once your living room. I love the idea of legos, and the skills they reinforce and grow, but in reality they are pretty much awful.

My poor dogs are not happy today.

It has been a crazy week, and a crazy month, and it is officially less than a month and a half until the Big Day. I am trying not to stress too much, and mostly succeeding. Big things to figure out - hair and other girlie stuff, outfits for the boys (the little ones, not the big one - his is all figured out), finalizing dinner details, other little things. And oh yeah, figuring out who will be officiating the whole thing. That has turned out to be a big mess, and hopefully will be finalized soon.

But at least my running has been pretty awesome. Speaking of which....

Tuesday's Run

There was no scheduled run on Tuesday with the group because there was a group dinner that night. Running buddies Cassie, Mae and I decided to get together before the dinner to whip out a workout. We did sub GP fartleks - 1 min fast, 1 min slow, 2 min fast, 2 min slow, 3 min fast, 3 min slow, 4 min fast, 4 min slow, repeated one more time. And the fast parts were super fast - fastest was about 6:44 and slowest was still 7:40 - way faster than the pie-in-the-sky goal pace of 8:40. Tuesday I ran 4.74 miles in 40:12, for an average pace of 8:28.

Thursday's Run

Thursday was back to normal for the group run. This one was tempo work - 1 mile GP, 2 min jog, 2 mile GP, 5 min jog, repeat on the way back. This run was super hard for me; it had snowed the day before and there was a ton of slush on the ground, and I got very little sleep the night before. Every step was a struggle, but I finished. And my GP miles were pretty much right on - between 8:20 and 8:40. So even though I was just not feeling it, I rocked the workout. Thursday I ran 7.31 miles in 1:03:26, for an average pace of 8:40.

Today's Run

Another long Saturday run, another round of craptastic weather. 34 degrees, rain. I was soaked through and pretty miserable early on. The way out had a hard head wind, which made it even better. But I made it through, even though the last mile was all me mentally willing my legs to keep moving. And another PR - today I ran 17 miles in 2:33:05, for an average pace of 8:58. Cassie thinks we should adjust our goal pace faster. I think she may be smoking crack. :-)

A breakup letter of sorts

Dear John (I mean Motorola),

We have had a long and tumultuous relationship, and I'm sorry, but I just have to break up with you. I know, you are the third boyfriend and our total history isn't totally on you.... Especially the second one that got struck by lightning, that one is definitely the faulty surge protector's fault. But things have to end now.

I will admit that you were a very good boyfriend for the most part. You kept me entertained on those nights when it was just the two of us. Heck, you were even game to entertain many people on occasion - that's a special kind of guy. But there was that one time when you forgot the record "Grey's Anatomy" for me, and that can never be forgiven.

I have decided to move on, to let you go and entertain some other lucky girl, or boy, or family. It's better this way and I think we'll both be happier in the end. I just can't afford to shell out that much money every month just to be with you. Especially when there are less expensive and free options out there.

Dear Motorola, it's not you - it's me. I'm sorry. I will be taking you back to Charter tomorrow.

I hope you have a great life, and I will miss you.

All the best,
Erin

Thursday's Run

After Tuesday's awesome run, I was excited to go out again on Thursday, albeit hesitant with the scheduled run as it was written out. Turns out the start of the run was supposed to be 3 minutes brisk running, not 3 miles as was written. My running friends and I decided that 3 minutes wasn't quite long enough, so we ended up doing 1 mile. So Thursday's workout was 1 mile brisk, 3 minutes jog, followed by 1 mile at goal race pace and 2 minutes jog repeated 3 times. I am pretty proud of how closely I got to my goal pace of 8:40 - we hovered around 8:15 to 8:30 in the 1 mile runs, which Coach said was pretty good. And the workout wasn't too hard. On Thursday I ran 5.12 miles in 43:40, for an average pace of 8:32.

Saturday's Run - The BIG ONE

Last year I trained and ran the half marathon at Grandma's. The longest run I did for training for that was 14 miles, which pretty much kicked my butt. Yesterday's long run was up the shore, and was 16 miles. It is an understatement to say that I was scared and intimidated by this distance. But that's what running friends are for - they help you out and keep you going when you feel like you're going to quit, they do jazz hands with you on the mile and tell you "You can DO IT!" And, of course, in typical Duluth fashion, the weather was pretty crappy on Saturday morning - wind in our faces on the way out accompanied by ice pellets that did an amazing job of exfoliating every single visible pore. Needless to say the way back was MUCH better. And I did it - I ran 16 miles and it wasn't too bad. I figured out that Shot Bloks are pretty good and I think that's going to be my fuel of choice for right now. I figured out that wearing compression socks after my shower really helped keep my calves from feeling like complete ass. And I figured out that my running friends are pretty much the awesomest people ever - Mae, Ben and the newest of our group Cassie are pretty great people. But now what torture are we going to have to endure NEXT Saturday...

It just looks cold, doesn't it?

Today's Run

Even though I was pretty exhausted and a bit achy, I stuck to my schedule of going to the Y to lift and get an easy run in on the dreadmill. And I was pleasantly surprised that after 10 minutes of kinda torture the rest of my run was really good. Until I stopped. Then my legs were like "WHAT THE HELL WOMAN!" Nothing a lot of stretching didn't cure. Today I ran 3.1 miles in 30 minutes, for an average pace of 9:40. And I am so glad tomorrow is a day off.

More tea bag wisdom and awesomeness

So, it's been a while since I got a different tidbit of wisdom from my tea bag, so when I got this today I decided I needed to share:

Love has no fear and no vengeance.

I also want to show off my favorite button, which is proudly displayed behind my mug: I do, in fact, eat, drink and sleep awesome. Especially after yesterday's run....

Yesterday's Run

So, the thing I really want to write about today is yesterday's run. Normally, I try not to go on about my runs because, well, most people find it boring. But yesterday... Yesterday was pretty amazing. Even though I felt like a pile of garbage (woke up with major sinus/sore throat/earache nastiness that took tons of advil to make me feel even remotely close to normal). The workout was 15 minutes brisk and 5 minutes jogging repeated three times. The furthest I've gone so far this year in 60 minutes was just under 7 miles and so I proposed to my running friends that we try to get farther than 7 miles on that workout. We were just flying on the brisk parts of the workout - one mile split was 7:50, another 7:52... And it felt GOOD. It was definitely a hard workout, but everything just clicked and it was awesome. It's days like yesterday that reaffirm my passion for this crazy sport and helps me believe that I can run 26.2 miles, that I can finish in my pie-in-the-sky time of 3:40:00, that I am amazing. Yesterday I ran 7.16 miles in 60 minutes, for an average pace of 8:23. Hell. Yes. :-)

That's right, I said suck it.

I am getting sick and tired of making blog posts about the weather. I really am. I really REALLY am. But the weather this winter has been pretty much the opposite of what it needed to be to get some good outside training done. AND it's been really hard for me emotionally and spiritually as well. Between the epic snows, and the epic cold, I have been done with winter for quite some time. As anyone that knows me or reads this blog should know by now.

And then....

And then yesterday happened. It was downright awesome out, relatively speaking. The sun was shining, the snow was melting... the high was somewhere in the 40's F, which felt like 70F after the past few months. The boys played outside without jackets, and managed to get super muddy, which was easy to do with all the snow melt and the fact that they're boys. I was actually hot last night when trying to sleep, even with the setback thermometer set to 60F, so I ended up covered in just a sheet most of the night. It was GLORIOUS.

Today was more of the same. And to celebrate the awesomeness of what is the end of the winter (or else) we grilled burgers for lunch today. By we, I mean I gave the reins to Aaron, since I suck at grilling burgers.

Ignore the white crap in the background

 

And those were some of the best burgers I have had in a very long time. Yes, I had two of them they were that good.

 

I think I may be grilling chicken for dinner on Wednesday.

 

Yesterday's Run

Yesterday's long run was pretty nice weather-wise, not too cold but not warm enough where I was sweating to death from wearing my jacket. It was a long, easy run, only 95 minutes this week. In that 1:35:00 we ran 10.43 miles, for an average pace of 9:07. And apparently the coach is going to be changing things from the prescribed training plan soon and we will be starting the major mileage on the weekends soon. I am scared and excited.

Today's Run

Being Sunday, I went to the Y to lift and then did a little bit of easy running on the dreadmill after. Lower body focus on the weight lifting, and 30 minutes at 9:40 pace for 3.1 miles. Overall a good day. 

I got nothing

Between life, and work, and sinuses, this has been one heck of a week. Needless to say, I don't really have much to put down in writing. Amended: I don't have much I WANT to put down in writing. I guess there's a big difference.

Except this darn snow needs to just go away. Seriously.

This Week (so far) in Running

So, on Sunday this week I redid my strength tests at the Y for the ActivTrax program. I probably should have done them a month or so ago, but, you know, busy. I was pretty impressed with how much I've improved since last October - not just strength-wise but also the decrease in percent body fat and increase in muscle mass. Anyway, after that I hit up the dreadmill for an easy 30 minute run. At my 9:40 easy pace that was 3.1 miles. And it wasn't so bad.

On Tuesday I was just in a really bad place emotionally, and I had to force myself to go to running group. I'm glad I did, but it was definitely not my best performance. The workout was supposed to be 2 miles at goal race pace, 3 minutes jogging repeated 3 times. After the snow on Tuesday morning and my overall fatigue I ended up only doing two reps. Oh, and I forgot my watch at home, so this is just an estimate. I ended up doing about 4.5 miles in 39 minutes, for an average pace of 8:40. Which is my goal race pace, so I did my faster runs a bit too fast. One of these days I'll get my pacing down pat...

And now, today. Today is Thursday, and I should be out at running group. But there's (supposedly) going to be a monster snow storm tonight into tomorrow. And my sinuses have been absolutely horrible pretty much all day today.  I know these are just excuses, but I really couldn't justify going out for what would probably be a short-ish run today. So, another week with only 3 runs. Assuming I get out on Saturday.

I still have some time... I think....

Freedom

It's amazing how freeing it is to have an extended period of time by yourself, when you're pretty much constantly with other people.

And, ultimately, how utterly boring.

The Boy is with his dad until tomorrow night, and Aaron is working tonight and then leaving for a conference right after and will be gone for a few days.

I know I should be productive, but I can't be bothered. There's chores to be done, and stuff to be gone through to make more room, but I just can't get it up to do ANYTHING.

I haven't been this lazy in a LONG time, and, in a weird and sadistic way, feels really, really good.

I'll do all this stuff tomorrow.

Today's Run

There was no running on Thursday because it was the Kindergarten Roundup at The Boy's soon-to-be school that night.  As I've said before, I love running but I love The Boy more.  And this is huge - my baby is starting school in the fall!  Anyway, today was the long run of the week - 1 hour, 50 minutes.  First off, I forgot to wear my compression socks, and my calves are letting me know that still hours later. Other than that the run was really good.  It was warm out, we were going at a really good, easy pace, and there was a lot of good conversation.  Today I ran 11.75 miles in 1:50:00, for an average pace of 9:21.  Almost 200 miles so far this year!

Small things

I have been spending a lot of time the last few days thinking about three words. Three simple words that, in reality, should not be so powerful. Three simple words, when taken in the concept of a marriage, or in any relationship, carry all the power in the world.

Trust.

Faith.

Hope.

I will be the first person to admit that it takes a lot for me to trust someone. There have been many times when I have placed my trust in someone only to get burned, or hurt, or have my heart broken almost beyond repair. To open my heart again to trust Aaron was both the hardest and easiest thing I have ever done. Hardest from those seeds of doubt that come from being hurt before and not wanting to be hurt again. Easiest in that he has earned my trust with his words and his deeds, with the love we have for each other.

Which leads to the next word: faith. To have faith in another person is to blindly believe in their goodness, their humanity. Faith that he will do the right thing in that moment, for both people as individuals and as a couple. Faith in the fact that it will all turn out OK in the end. Having faith in a person is much more difficult for me, much more so than being able to trust. Faith is unquestioning, when I always have questions. This is the word I have been thinking about the most; I don't know if I have truly had faith in Aaron all along, but spending a long time thinking and soul searching over the past few days I have come to the conclusion that, yes, I do have faith in him. It is a weight lifted off my shoulders to fully realize I have faith in him.

And with this faith, I now have hope. Hope that we will have an amazing life together. Hope that our whole family will be happy and healthy. Hope that, no matter what is thrown our way, we will persevere and be stronger on the end.

Three small words. But with a huge impact on my life.

Today's Run

Another cold, windy run. It's almost April, so hopefully things will turn around soon... Today's workout was another speed one, 25 minutes brisk, 10 jog, and finish with 25 brisk. The run back was HARD, straight into a freezing wind.  But overall it was a pretty good run.  Today I ran 6.92 miles in 60 minutes, for an average pace of 8:40.  Conveniently my goal race pace :-)

A love letter of sorts

Dear City of Duluth Public Works People,

I know it's hard to do a thankless job, one that has more people giving you the one-finger-salute rather than a friendly wave.  It is especially difficult in a winter like this one, where we've gotten about fifty billion feet of snow (give or take, I gave up measuring a long time ago) and the freeze-you-to-the-bone cold, where even the heartiest of winter folk are saying "Enough already!"

I am taking this opportunity, albeit on my personal blog, to say how much I appreciate what you do.  It was made especially apparent this morning on my group run at the crack of dawn.  You see, with the 6 inches of wet, heavy snow that we got yesterday, I was extremely pessimistic about the potential state of the Lakewalk when I got up this morning. I don't even think my road was plowed before really late last night.  But when we started our run, and got to the actual Lakewalk (the sidewalk and bridge to the Lakewalk are another story) we were pleasantly surprised to find actual pavement.

That's right - the Lakewalk was plowed to the point where there was very little snow left on the asphalt, and where there was ice it was in the usual suspect areas.  And it wasn't even just in the heavily traveled areas by the lake; the path was pretty much clear all the way to SuperOne.

So I would just like to say "Thank You."  Thank you for going out there and plowing the Lakewalk, even though it's a thankless job.  Thank you on behalf of all the crazy folk that still go out and run when it's freezing cold outside.

You guys rock. Keep up the good work.

Today's Run

I think I got spoiled on Thursday when it was so nice out.  This morning had wind chills below 0F again, and I could just not warm up at all. Good thing it was a long, easy run, and a recovery long run at that after last week's 1:45:00 run.  And we did a good job of keeping it slow and easy too.  Today I ran 9.45 miles in 1:29:09 (my watch wouldn't connect to satellites this morning and so I started a bit after everyone else in my group), for an average pace of 9:26.

Happy First Day of Spring (kinda)!

It's been a couple of days - miss me? Things have been pretty hectic the last couple of days, and I feel like I'm coming down with some sort of plague or another, so making a post was pretty low on my priority list.

The calendar says it's officially the first day of spring, which is pretty awesome. The feet of snow on the ground and the forecast of a couple of inches more tomorrow say otherwise...

Weather aside, I am excited for this spring to get going. I want to see green. I want to hear birds other than the cawing of those damn crows. I want to plant herbs and vegetables. I want to be able to send the boys outside to play in the yard and not spend hours bundling them up. I know they are looking forward to playing in the creek and digging in the dirt and doing other boy things.

Most of all, I am excited to be starting a new chapter in my life. All the planning stresses aside, getting married to the most amazing, kind, caring, and loving man is going to be the highlight of this spring. And with just over two months to go, I am finding myself especially calm today, and overjoyed with the possibilities of the future.

I just hope this feeling lasts. Being stressed out sucks.

Sunday's Run

I can just hear it now - "What?!?! Erin ran on Sunday?!?!" I realized a while ago that I really need to add at least a fourth day of running each week, and since I go to the Y on Sundays to lift I figured it would be a good opportunity to get in a short, easy run.  So this past Sunday I did my lifting and core work, and then hopped on the dreadmill for a little bit.  On Sunday I ran 2.07 miles in 20 minutes, for an average pace of 9:40 (about a minute slower than my goal race pace). It was surprisingly easy, and I was only normal tired when I was done.

Tuesday's Run

Now, Tuesday was a pretty crummy day weather-wise.  The forecast was for at least a foot of snow Tuesday into Wednesday, so when I woke up in the morning I decided there was no way I was going to make it downtown with the crazy amount of snow and had given up on making it to running group. Well, the snow-pocolypse didn't happen, and there was no way I could justify not running because of 2 inches of snow on the ground, so I packed up The Boy, dropped him off at his dad's, and went to running group. The workout for Tuesday was supposed to be speed work, but you just can't run fast with slushy mushy snow; the workout was modified to just "get out there and run 40 minutes and don't freeze to death." So that's what I did.  On Tuesday I ran 4.51 miles in 40 minutes, for an average pace of 8:53. The path was pretty gross, but I made it back safe and sound.

Today's Run

What a difference two days make! Today was really nice out - sunny, warmish, no snow. So back to the speed work! Today's workout was 15 minutes brisk, 5 minutes jog repeated 3 times. Today I ran 6.95 miles in 60 minutes, for an average pace of 8:37.  Definitely speeding up!

Briefly

A few things I learned today:

• Younkers sale prices + Goodwill coupon + lucky find in sales rack = Awesome steal
• Binge watching "Parenthood" is pretty depressing.  But that show is AMAZING.
• Running 105 minutes is exhausting, so much so that I straight passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.  When I didn't even want to fall asleep.
• Flowers are EXPENSIVE!

Overall, it was a really good day today.

Today's Run

While driving to running group, I realized that today's scheduled run was a little more than two minutes shorter than the time it took my to finish the half marathon last summer.  That was pretty heady - that a TRAINING run was barely shorter in time than what it took me to finish a RACE.  And this isn't the longest I'll be running before the full marathon this summer.  It's hard wrapping my head around that concept.   Today I ran 11.45 miles in 1:45:00, for an average pace of 9:10.  A little too fast for an easy, long run, but it felt pretty good.

Optimism!

You will never guess what I saw today....

Look very closely...

 

Do you see it? That green stuff? On the ground?

 

That's right - it's grass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ok, granted this was growing right next to a pipe that's been carrying 120F+ wastewater all winter.  But it counts, right?

 

I am taking this as a sign that spring is finally here!  If only in limited places.

 

Today's Run

Today's workout was 15 minutes jog, 30 minutes brisk, and we only ended up doing a 5 minute cool down (was supposed to be 10).  But running friend Ben and I totally rocked the brisk running with an 8:20 pace for the first full mile and an 8:10 pace for the second full mile that we decided we could cut it short.  That, and I miscalculated where we should turn around and ended up back 5 minutes early.  But it was an awesome run.  Today I ran 5.63 miles in 50:00, for an average pace of 8:53. 

If I could control one thing...

Waking up to it snowing - again - this morning was, to put it bluntly, crap.  I am so done with winter.  It can end any day now. Yes, I realize I live about 9/10ths of the way to the North Pole, but enough is enough already.

I am sure the people further south agree with me.

And, yes, I know I can't control the weather.  It is not something that I should get overly anxious over.  But it's either the weather, or wedding planning stuff, and the weather doesn't give me mini-panic attacks.

So weather it is.

Suck it, Old Man Winter.  I'm done.

Don't we have enough already?

Yesterday's Run

Yesterday was glorious and amazing, on so many different levels.  First of all, no snow.  Bonus.  Secondly, nice temperature. Thirdly, mostly clear pavement, with minimal puddles.  Awesome.  And last, but not least, I totally kicked major butt.  Yesterday's workout was more speed work: 5 minute warmup, followed by 800 meters at goal race pace, then 2 minute jog with 1200 meters at race pace, then 3 minute jog with 1600 meters at goal race pace, and then repeat one more time on the way back.  I will admit that for the faster parts I went faster than my ultimate goal race pace of 8:40 (the average pace needed to finish the full marathon in 3:40), but I felt really pretty good averaging between 8:15 and 8:30.  Was a lot hard on the last 1600 meters, but I still felt so good when I was done.  And I am super duper jealous of the Shiny of my new running friend Cassie - apparently they make a new Garmin where you can program in the workouts, and it tells you when you're supposed to change pace, AND it tells you when you're going too fast or too slow... Oh well, just need to save up for another fancy toy.  Yesterday I ran 6.58 miles in 57:50, for an average pace of 8:47.  And, if I didn't mention it before, my NEW shoes have over 100 miles on them. Already. Looks like I'll need to save up for new shoes soon too....

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe

When I bought my house a year and a half ago, it was the perfect little house for me and The Boy.  It was in a good neighborhood, the yard was really nice, it was just big enough for us and our stuff.  Sure, there were some less than desirable things about it, like the sewer that needed to be replaced right away, and the ugly plastic cabinets in the kitchen, but it was livable, and more importantly it was home.

Now.... well, now it's still home, but on those days when chaos reigns it feels like the walls are closing in.  It feels like the stuff is crowding in on me and I just can't breathe.  And don't even get me started about the mess.

This house isn't ideal anymore, but it is still home, and we're making it work for now.  There is no doubt in my mind that we'll have to get something bigger sometime soon (boys don't stop growing after all), and when the time comes to move out of this house I will definitely feel sad.  I will mourn my first house.

But I will be moving somewhere that fits my new family, this rowdy bunch that have moved into my life, and my heart.

Today's Run

Today was a long run on the Lakewalk.  With the warmer weather some of the snow has been melting, but with no where for the water to go, and the cold temperatures at night, there was a LOT of icy patches on the run this morning.  Running partner Ben and I even ventured out into the road to run, it was that precarious. But the run was good.  Today we ran 9.57 miles in 1:30:00 (yes - 90 minutes today!), for an average pace of 9:24.  This was the first week I ran more than 20 miles in a very, very long time, and it was pretty good.

Dear, sweet chaos...

Looking back, having one kid is easy. It's more than easy, it's practically heaven... Compared to having three monsters that want to eat your soul.

I will admit, I'm probably exaggerating a little bit. But not really. I was told by a very wise man that having three kids is like having the makings for fire - one is the fuel, one is oxygen, and the third is the ignition.

Very wise indeed.

I think my biggest hurdle with this new dynamic is that it's instantaneous big kids. There's no getting used to the new dynamic with a tiny baby, having a couple of years to gain coping mechanisms for dealing with the beasts.

But then again there's no late night feedings or excessive poopy diapers. At least I have that going for me.

Thank the heavens for running and running group. I think that is the main thing keeping me sane. That, and Barbado's support, because this is old hat for him.

The poor bastard. :-)

Yesterday's Run

Yesterday was another interval training run - 10 minutes jogging, 1 mile brisk run, 3 minutes jog, 2 mile run, 5 minute jog, 1 mile run, then cool down jog to the beginning.  Unlike Tuesday's run, yesterday's run was AWESOME!  I felt good during the run, and even after.  And even though there was a lot more jogging with this workout, my running partner Ben and I went slightly farther in about the same, time, which is just, you guessed it, awesome.  Yesterday I ran 6.56 miles in 61:00, for an average pace of 9:17.  And now for tomorrow's long run...

It's confirmed - I am DEFINITELY crazy

It's ten weeks into the running group training program, and things are definitely getting more intense.  Granted, last year I was following the half marathon program and not the full marathon program, but even my running group friends admit this year is just MORE.

Today is one of those days where I am questioning the wisdom of signing up to do a full marathon.  My feet hurt.  My knees hurt.  I am just exhausted.  And tonight was only 60 minutes.

Will I be ready to do a 20 mile training run?

Will I be ready to actually do this thing?

Today's Run

As I said above, today's run was a total of 60 minutes - 25 minutes brisk, 10 minutes jogging, and finishing with 25 minutes brisk.  Even with slightly slick footing, and it getting pretty dark in the end, I ended up running a total of 6.54 miles, for an average pace of 9:10.  The brisk pace on the way out averaged about a 9:00 pace, and the brisk back averaged closer to 8:45.  So yay me!  But I still feel like I've lost my mind...