My predictions for The Half At the Hamptons....

It's officially race week around here.
This Fall I declared that the Hampton Half was going to be my A race for the winter, a great way to crank up some pre Boston speed work and, most likely, a chance to PR.

I think at this juncture we can all agree that training this winter has been odd.

15 mile runs on the treadmill, that is odd indeed

That certainly should not imply that I haven't been working very hard and putting significant effort into my workouts, because I have.

Quite simply, with so much indoor training and the subsequent reduction in challenging terrain I don't feel that I can predict my race outcome with the almost psychic ability I had last summer.

And not to (continue) complaining about (more) shit weather, but I think we can all agree that it's endless this year! Endless. ENDLESS.

This is special. BARF.

Hopefully soon the conditions really improve and I can get back on the roads. PLEASE RUNNING GODS!

Ahem. Anyway, back on point.
My current PR (2012, Great Bay Half, on a great weather day, running angry) was a 1:36:40
(oh and on a side note, I also met Eric at the GBH. So a PR and a good day in general!)
(And I also met Andy that day too because they do most things together....)
(OH! An that's the day I met Danielle too, but we had known each other for ages on the internets...)
My 2013 PR, on a hot but lovely day, on legs that (theoretically) should not have been fast was 1:37:15

So where am I at now...
I trained almost exclusively on the treadmill for my first half 3 years ago (which was Hampton! It's my Half-aversiry!) I believe I ran in 1:48 (this was the year now famous for sub arctic temps, horrific wind chill and the works. It really was a bit awful.) I hope that my winter of treadmill training leaves me a bit faster lo these many years later!
I ran Hampton again the following year for another 1:48- I used this run as more of a social outing on this particular day so it felt nice and easy. And the weather could not have been better!

Taking into account my finishing time a few weeks ago at the Mid Winter Classic I believe that a 1:40 is a very possible outcome. Realistic.

That is not my official guess though. IF the weather is decent- no frigid temps, no slushy roads, no driving winds I feel confident (perhaps unjustifiably) that I can pick it up a little. But not more than a little.

I predict a finish of 1:38:58 which will leave me wiped out, and possibly annoyed!
I will admit that I think this is a lofty goal and that none of the speed work I have been doing lately indicates that a sub 1:40 finish is in the cards. Screw it, I'm gonna dream big because why not!

Sp plan on that friends, I will run my 1:38:58- then, assuming I am not dying I will run a few more to make it a long run. And then we will all celebrate excellent races, the upcoming Spring season and fabulocity in general with beers and pizza!
And it will be awesome.

Counting down to 2014 and through my good choices of 2013!

Continuing on with my end of the year wrap up!
I really can't believe it is time to count down the last few days of 2013. Shit, where did it go?

So, I'm going to start with my list of good things that I learned and good choices I made in 2013.
There are 10 of these, and they are not in any particular order. Except number one. That's a winner.


10: BETTER CHOICES:
I have been known to make some pretty foolish choices over the years in my athletics which have sidelined me a few times. I am pretty bright though and pride myself on not making the same mistake twice (because that is the definition of stupidity, and is the definition of wasting your coaches time.)
So what brought about this change? A few things. One- as I said, I learn from my mistakes. Two- I had damn good guidance which brings me to our next good choice......

Yes, I still looked like this on occasion. Good choices are relative!
(also proving that I do NOT, I releat- DO NOT always photograph well!)

9: Hiring Coach Kelsey. A great choice. She made me walk the damn line. No more junk miles (well, fewer. I love junk miles...), no more avoiding cross training, no more obsessing over weekly miles. Total life changer. I think about where I am now vs where I was a year ago and I'm dumbfounded. I'm JUST as fit as I was then (or more fit) with NO nagging, repetitive injuries. Furthermore (and this is a big one) except for a month of so in the height of a training cycle when I know I need to be hitting 50+ weekly miles I don't care how many I'm doing. I can now see the big picture better- and the big picture contains more than constantly doing 50 junk miles a week for months at a time.

8: Backing wayyyyyyyy off on the racing. I didn't have a lot of extra cash to blow this year what with Boston AND NYCM costing me a mint. And in all honesty.... I might do fewer races in 2014....

This little medal cost me hundreds of dollars. F'n worth it. Hmmmm strange priorities.

7: Realizing that I do NOT need to PR at every distance: It is just a nice recipe for constant injury. This is a lesson I actually learned in 2012 but implemented successfully this year with good results. I PR'd at the distance I cared about and trained for!

6: Doing an Ultra. I discovered that I can do it! I discovered that perhaps, 26.2 is more my jam....

See, After a 50K I look close to death. Blerch.

5: FINALLY figuring out how to eat during a marathon. THANK YOU running Gods (picky bars) and a year of trial and error. This one is HUGE.

4: Only having 1 goal for my "A" race. It kept me from doing any negotiation with myself. It was BQ/PR or bust for Smuttynose and it worked like a charm! I think I can pull this off maybe twice a year as it was a pretty significant physical/mental effort!

Angie is holding me upright. That's what happens when your legs fall off at mile 25!

3: Realizing that I can't do an "A" race every month. Duh. What a shock. This is another lesson that I learned in 2012 to be honest. I definitely applied this amazing concept until October when I did all the races and quit running. ....it was bound to happen....

2: Applying to be on the Oiselle Team, and being accepted! After meeting so many Oiselle athletes in NYC this Fall I really feel that I'm running with the right people. They are a serious but FUN group of ladies, and they love, love, LOVE running and racing. I loved talking to some of the elite woman- they are SO fast but were so down to earth and friendly- a real pleasure to converse with. I have enjoyed my time with Oiselle thus far and feel that it is a group of people, and a company that I believe in and can picture myself with for a while.

1: Deciding to marry my super wonderful exclusive dating partner. The best choice ever! My feeling is that if you have the opportunity to marry your best friend you should. I'm petty excited to tie the knot in 2014 and to spend the rest of my days having hot athletic dates with him and looking at his sexy physique. We really do have ALL the fun!



Love!

Boston Marathon, mostly in pictures.

Prior to last Monday I had some epic blog shit planned for post Boston. Multiple posts, hundreds of pics (which I have!) serious details of all the shenanigans (of which there were many!)

After last Monday I almost decided to say screw it and not blog at all, since there is a big part of that day that I'd prefer to forget forever......

But.... There was a big part of the day that was awesome. Not to mention that you only get one "First Boston..."

I decided to meet myself in the middle and do a teeny tiny recap.

 

 

My first look at the finish line on Saturday!
We then ventured to the expo which was PACKED...
I need to remember NOT to go at Noon on Saturday next year!!

My family (and internet friends!) made a group of 16 at the (winning) Sox game!
It was a cold but awesome Sunday.
This was my first game where I drank exactly zero beers and ate zero fried dough...

Apparently I am smaller than I think I am!!
6:30 AM bus line stretched for miles but they load you right the eff up.
The Boston Marathon is a well oiled machine!!!

Just a little interlude here. After my epic nerves pre Hyannis I decided to chill the hell out. I was totally cool. No nerves at ALL. I really prepped myself to be all "It's just another race. No big deal. Be cool..." And I really was. For 3 hours at athletes village I popped a squat on a cardboard box all homeless person style, wrapped my huge sweatshirt around my body and legit zoned out.

Luckily I tuned back in early enough to stand in a 30 minute porta potty line and make friends with some really fantastic people.

15K Going strong!
15K is a point in the race where I tend to get grumpy...I always feel like that is a solid number of miles and that I maybe should be done? HAH! Good luck with that...

Showboating in Natick!
It was at this point in the race that I started to feel good.
I had been running really well, but the crowds got HUGE here and my legs felt terrific.

ANOTHER side note. I cruised thru the 1/2 in about 1:42 and felt very very good about that. I was having to slow down to grab hydration- it was pretty warm compared to what I'm used to but a beautiful day. I was so happy that my Dad was at mile 18.5 with snacks and my bottle of Scratch. He jumped onto the course and ran for a bit, passed me my stuff, was happy that I was ahead of schedule and then gave up and decided not to bandit. Hahaha. Go my Dad!!

 

I did slow down up the hills but had NO idea I was climbing heartbreak until I saw the giant, chalk heart at the top. My freaking hill training paid off BIG TIME! I was tired but knew I still had some gas in the tank. All the crazy drunk boys yelling "run bird girl" "marry me bird girl" at BC were quite motivating and helped me get my pace back down into the low 8's. And sorry boys, this bird girl is taken!!

And thanks to Crow Athletics for asking me to be on their team here at Boston- I looked for other crows but they are hard to find in big crowds! (I saw some real crows... but no human ones, haha!)

Getting into the final stretch!
At this point I knew I was going to PR but I really wanted to try to push for the finish.
I tend to fall apart in the last 10K, but this time I cranked it the hell up!

Pushing thru the last mile or so.
Kicking ass.

A HUGE pack of my family was at the Pour House very close to the finish.
I still had the energy to show off for them!
And I WAS SO HAPPY to see them there!!

Flying :-)
And in the last few feet none the less.
Crossed the line in 3:31:42. Solid PR and decent BQ.
I WAS PUMPED. And sunburned. Old sunscreen FAIL.

I'm gonna end the story here.
We all know what happened in the next few hours and days....
It makes you feel lucky for what you have, and I have a LOT to be thankful for!

Oh Gosh.. It's RACE WEEK!!!!

Well, well. Looks like it is time to tackle the Infamous Boston Prep 16 miler.

All together now: "UGHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Nothing like narrow single track sprinting on icy roads and a monster hill at mile 11 to really put a spring in your step, right? (FYI to the naysayers out there, yes this race is run on a road. add a little snow- or a lot- and an absolute clusterfudge of humans and yes, it becomes single-file-run-for-your-life excitement!)

You son of a bitch...

Actually, my feelings about this race are not that negative. I'm rather looking forward to racing again, it feels like it's been a dog's age... It is also the first race of 2013 for me, which is mega exciting!

I am also using this as a legit training run and looking to get a few extra miles in for good measure (per Coach Kelsey's orders, of course!)

I hope to be able to sneak in some mileage at Marathon pace or better. Remembering the legit bottleneck for the first few miles of last years race leads me to believe that I'm in for a slow start.

I'm ok with starting slow, easing into Marathon pace until mile 11 (mountain) then cranking thru the last 5K or so like I'm on steroids and heading for an Oprah confessional. I also want to practice race nutrition and all that boring silly crap that I'd usually just overlook. I am a changed woman, very responsible and attentive to my own needs. *ahem*

I also hope to look fabulous throughout, per the norm.

(FALSE.)

Anyway. This weeks workouts have been scheduled as kind of a mini taper which I am quite enjoying. 2 days off! No long run Friday! I plan to enjoy it while I can since I imagine it will be all work and no fun next week....

The Epic 2013 Race Schedule!

Now that 2013 if officially here it's time to talk about ALL THE FUN THINGS that are in the plans!!

After running more races that was good for me in 2012 I fully plan on more of the same for this year. Well.... Maybe not quite.

The awesome thing about 2013 is the number of new adventures that are already in the plans. I'm excited. Big surprise there.

Here are the "big" races that I have on the schedule so far. Boston is noticeably missing, only because I have already overtalked it into the ground, and plan to do so as it draws closer. There are also some other random races that haven't made the cut for today's list because they are just too damn boring. :-)
So here are a few of the most adventurous races that are officially on the to do list!

 

 

This Monster is next on the agenda.
It's going to be a Hyannis training run for both Eric and me and I don't expect to enjoy it- HAH!!!

 

This is my "A" Race.
Boston is supposed to be my FUN race dammit! FUN! MEH!
So this is where the smack is going to get laid. BOOM! (trash talk..)

In order to keep things interesting this is the post Boston destination.
AS AN ULTRA TEAM.
I'm seriously excited for this because nothing says fun like an Ultra Relay!

Calm down, I AM NOT doing a Tri. That would be ridiculous.
(And I am known for my good choices.)
Eric, Kate and I have formed a Half Ironman Relay Team.
ERMAHGRD. We could not be more pumped.
There will definitely be a LOT of blog chatter about our training escapades for THIS one.
It's already a Sufferfest in my basement. Quite a party.

Looks like it is going to be a busy winter and Spring indeed. I'm REALLY looking forward to the new experiences! Last year was a great year for trying all kinds of crazy new things and this year is taking it to a whole new level of absurdity. Can't wait!

More insane choices...

Why are there back to back posts about crazy choices?
Strange decisions made by seemingly logical women?
I feel a sudden frantic need to line up some health insurance, or at the very least, locate the nearest urgent care facility. OH NO!

As soon as I agreed to this I dropped my Running Friend (the one who is not Danielle) a text which indicated that I had needed to be talked into this absurdity... Guess I'm a liar?

As you can see it does not take much into talking me into something that could be quite physically detrimental to self. Have any of you met me? I am NOT coordinated. Trail running sounds like certain death and I just can not believe that I did not put up a fight....

Here is is. The BIG Event.
Another quality text from my Running Friend pointed out that the best thing about this race are the M&M's at the aid stations. To which I countered that there will also be free beer!

This will be quite an adventure. A big day in Big Pimpin' training.
Watch out New Gloucester. Looks like we're gonna take over your town with our hot as hell outfits, compression socks and ass kicking attitudes....

Great Bay Half Marathon!!

Clearly this picture is worth 1,000 words because simple verbiage could not do justice to the EPIC fashion that we Mainers display. Thanks to the Danielle from Ooh Breathe, Just Breathe for hooking me up with the layers. Cos man, it was damn cold at the end of that race!

OK. For those of you who just want to stop reading now and move on with your Easter Sunday here it is:
My OFFICIAL TIME for the dreaded GBH: 1:36:40
115th place, 4th age group, 15th place woman..... SHOOT!

Yes, you read that correctly. ONE hour THIRTY SIX minutes (THIRTY SIX! SQUEE!) And FORTY EFFING SECONDS!

And as we say, BOOM goes the DYNAMITE.

I probably need to say no more, but say more I will.

I threw all my crap, sans warm clothing into my car and left. And still arrived late. VERY late...

Just take a look at all that crap in my car before we move on....

I was excited to meet Danielle, as mentioned, because we only know each other on the internet (the internet is where I am cool. she is cool in person too!) She had a couple friends in tow who are insane and training for an Ironman. Hardcore shiz. Since we had approximately 30 seconds from the time I graced Newmarket with my presence to the race start we left the chatter for later and hit the ground running. (next time, I will attempt to be less of a late arriving jerk. I simply do not have my act fully together...)

OK y'all. You know the feelings that I've had for the GBH since last year. We don't have a warm, cuddly relationship. I pretty much got it in my head that the GBH sucks giant, hairy balls... Giant, hairy, smelly, SWEATY BALLS!!! Sure, I'm in good shape right now and felt like a PR was possible but maybe not so much on the side of the fricking mountain. UGH!

I started off at a much more brisk pace than in previous Half's but I have been working on that and it was part of the PLAN..
At mile 0.5 I passed the 8 minute mile pace group and knew I had it in the bag.
OHHHH! Let's all laugh about that now becasue at mile 0.5 I know that I have nothing in any bag, the bag is still empty. EMPTY! (but I did know that as long as they didn't pass me, a PR was a guarantee.)

So I ran the damn race.

And it was PERFECT. I zoned out and daydreamed for about 7 miles, no lie. At mile 7-ish it occured to me that I still felt excellent and could run faster. So, I did. And I passed the 7:30 pace group about 1.5 miles later. SNAP.

Around mile 11 or so I met Danielle coming the other way movin' right along with her hair looking annoyingly perfect (I need tips) we high fived and she yelled out words of encouragement, to which I responded with some sort of grunt or groan or non-word word. Talking and running at the same time- not a skill I have (or, my manners are just crap?)

I finished. (I could have kept going... hmmmm) I saw the clock and, like the cool, smooth, has shit together girl that I am BURST into tears like a complete tool. So there I am at the finish, on the grass, head on knees weeping like a silly little school girl..... I need to work on my fabulocity because that isn't cutting it!

All my newfound friends finished right in the 1:48 range which is just insanely fast. (I think they might have had a fight on the way home about who beat who and such...?) We ate pizza. Put on 1,000 layers. Drank a beer. Talked about how the internet rules our lives. It was fun.

And THAT was the story of how I KICKED GBH in the face and scored a 9 minute PR.
CRAZY....

Ready to kick Great Bay in the FACE!

As the title of my post suggests I'm prepared to even up the score with the dreaded GBH.

Unless I'm not...

OH I AM....!!!

Maybe.....

Excellent oscillation there, no?
I'm about as ready as I can be, and took an easy week in an attempt to repair whatever funky thing happened to my right leg during last week's 10K. (I hope this is the last I'll need to speak of that little issue and that it does not rear its ooooogly head today..)
I hope to get thru it feeling a helluva lot better than last year.
Preferably under 3 hours.... (I kid, I kid. Kinda.)

Wish me luck.... Speed. And neverending logic and reason (lost cause.)

Cohasset 10K, a story in pictures

Instead of a logical little pre race shake out run my cousin Evan and I went hiking. Then unicycle riding...
Some epic pre-race fashion....

Snagging a little pic with the finish...

Pre race, cool and cloudy...

Big crowd = bright shirts so we could find each other!

Walking towards my family after finishing in 44:01- PR big time....

Evan nailed his 1st 10K with a 48:38- CRAZY FAST! (his Dad is my running Uncle!)

Out of order (oops!) About a quarter mile after starting- passing by my terrific family!

Shoot, look at the kid flying thru the finish!!

DONE! YAY!

Me: 44:01, 82nd overall, 3rd Age group (30-39)

Evan- 48:38- 210th overall KICKASS First 10K!!

What's next??

In the spirit of royally overdoing it I managed to get myself into a bit of road racing hot water... Or scheduling hot water? Either way, I'm pretty pumped to run the Cohasset 10K by the sea with my super cool bestest cousin on April 1st (no foolin...)

After that... I've decided to do it again. The stupid hilly GBH. GBH and I are in a fight. It did not treat me well last year but I intend to have my way with it in the twenty-twelve..! I'm in pretty good shape- but that means nothing against the epic struggle against the constant and rolling hills, dirt roads, more hills and general hatred. I'm pretty excited (and I really am...)

So two decent sized runs 6 days apart. I believe the vote has been that this is both awesome. badass and insane (I tend to agree, but am leaning more towards legendary and amazing. obviously!)

I am having a week of doing whatever I want in the running department, since I have a free weekend. Logically, that meant a 10 miler (which was a hilly mo fo...) in 82 degree heat (in MARCH! WTF? but awesomeeeeee.) We'll see what the rest of the week brings!

Quincy Half Marathon

This was my first time running the Quincy Half- adding to the collection of new races on the list for the legendary 2012 race schedule.
I felt good heading into the weekend- I am in the best running shape that I've ever been in (ever, ever) didn't have any major issues with the things that cause me trouble (hamstring, shin, etc) and was generally feeling like it would be a great day for a run!

(take note of the fact that once again- ZERO pics. I hope to scam some from others as this race had some of the prettiest ocean scenery that Ive had the pleasure of running by...)

The weather report gave me a bit of pause (in a good way- because what kind of idiot wouldn't love running on a gorgeous day?) The pause that I felt was due to the fact that the warmest day for a long run this year has been upper 40's for me. And the temps were projected to skyrocket into the 70's! Phew. Taking this into account I abandoned my PR consideration- knowing that pushing it that hard on the first hot day of the year would lead to certain internal chaos: as in, projectile vomming. Also had the chance to pair up with my running friend who wanted a push to a PR and after completing 180 solitary miles over the past month having a pal sounded premium. So friendly running it was (proving my point yet again that friendless running is silly. time passes by much quicker on the road when you have somebody to punch and swear at when running pisses you off...)

It was cold at the start (relatively. it was probably 50) But as predicted it warmed up super fast and WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! The course was lovely- a few miles of ocean views which I am a complete geek for, and then your basic Quincy suburban town/city/whatevs. A few rolling hills but nothing to get too bothered by. The one scary thing for sure were the water stops- complete clusterfudge-itis. Snap, super scary traffic jam crap. (being that I never stop for water I was able to avoid the mess rather handily- but have rarely seen such hydration chaos!) I suspect that since the race had doubled in size from last year they were simply unprepared for the quantity of parched runners. (and this is my only complaint/comment. other than that the race seemed well organized!)

I scampered away from my RF at mile 11 (there was NO chance of a PR for anyone at this point so it was a good call..)  I scooted thru the finish in 1:51:31 which I was fine with- the first mile of the race was such a bottleneck that it took close to 10:00 so taking that into account I felt just fine about my results. I also was pretty lost as to how to eat before such an early start and felt a little less energized than usual- something to think about for the future. I finished somewhere in the 500's which was fine too. (I think I passed close to 150 some odd people in the last two miles. yikes.... I did make a pretty kickass final 2 mile dash though which made me feel good- had gas left in the tank and all that fun stuff. Life's a leg of lamb people, and don't you forget it!

There was a good amount of eatable food at the end, which I actually ate since I was FREAKING STARVING! I did not vom upon my shoes. I did not punch running or my RF in the face. Nor did I GET punched in the face, which is always a good thing. Got a medal. Was disgusted by the flotsam and jetsam in coconut water (ewwwww.) Was glad that I was not in the group of people who were just finishing up when I left- like, 2 hours later. UGH! Sat on the curb and got a horrible cramp in my hip. Decided that I'm too old to sit on curbs... decided that I'm too old to run (kidding here.) Ate a sandwich. Went home. The end.

And that was that. 3rd Half of 2012 IN THE BOOKS!

Big Plans

What am I doing on Sunday October 14th?

OH YES I AM!

CRAZY.

The big 4-0

Looks like I'm going to have no problem cashing in on a 40 mile week. (all I need to do is run 3 miles today and cha-ching! it's in the bank...)

Officially, this will be my highest mileage week EV-AH. Since I have 5 planned for today- and a Saturday rest day it appears that 42 will be the grand total.

It was a LOT of legit hill work. (all my daily mile friends already know this- I've been wailing and moaning about the HILLS every day!) Everything has been done at about an 8:15-8:30 pace which is well within my confort zone.

After the 7:30 m/m 10 miler last Sunday I re-determined that speed like that is mose certainly NOT easy for me. Bottom line, if I want to become faster in the Half I'm going to have to dedicate some time to real speed work.... Which I do NOT enjoy... BLAH...

I feel good about the mileage that I accomplished this week. I'm a little tired!

Race Report! 16 miles in Derry, NH

Major delayed reaction on this race report from last Sunday.
I'm sad, I CAN NOT find my camera and a race report minus pics of me looking smokin' hot is like a fricking day without sunshine. Or oxygen.

I was nervous before this race. Like, really nervous.
I literally had to haul back and bitch slap myself into a better head space. (incorrect use of the word literally. but in my imagination it was oh-so real.)

By the time I had made the long treck to Derry I felt fine about things and was ready to run like normal people. If normal people were to run 16 miles over hill and dale that is...

It was COLD. Like, maybe 3 degrees at the start and I got that full-body seizure like shivering going on even though I headed for the start at the last possible second. Due to my late arrival at the start I was fairly well trapped up against what looked like a sea of backs and elbows (all I could see from my short vantage point...) I noticed that the road conditions were complete crap- lots of snow and slush, basically enough clear pavement to form a single file straight line on.

Y'all can imagine how the first few miles played out. Bumper to bumper traffic and no way around it. I made it thru the first mile in OVER 10:00 which filled me with horror, and fear that I would finish in 4:45:09. I managed to chill the heck out- mostly due to the fact that I feared that running like an idiot thru the slush for the first 5K would do nothing more than burn out my legs. I was spinning my tires like crazy as it was, very high output running for slow speed. SUCK-OH.

Around mile 4-ish the road opened up and cleared off. I was finally able to zone out into my happy running place and run normally for about 7 miles. I had warmed up, things felt good, I was congratulating myself for being fabulous in every way. Ahem.

I had been warned about the killer mile 11 hill and it was a bit of a monster. I had a little trouble breathing (thank you whooping cough for that chunk of scar tissue which impeded my wind on occasion. nice, really nice.) BUT I fought thru it and ran thru the HM split in 1:47 ish, not too shabby.

Sure, I could have done without those last 3 miles but it wasn't all bad! The crowd had really thinned out and for the first time all day I was able to avoid a constant flow of snot rockets, spit and other bodily fluids. Yuck. My feet hurt a little, and I was hungry. I had crammed a little bag of pretzles down my bra (handy place to carry things!) but couldn't be troubled to get them... I actually crammed quite a few things in with my boobs- pretzles, a few m&m's, cough drops, tissues- ALL this between my poor not-even A cup ta-tas! Go me! The poor girls got kinda scratched up from all that junk though so I may need to rethink this little arrangement?

Anwyay. I ran those last 3 miles like a boss because I was SO ready to be DONE. the left side of my head was all "NO problem rock star! Can't wait to do it again! Blah, blah, blahr-de-blahr..." The right side of my brain was more like "you are insane woman. and a jackass. get a normal hobby. you idiot." Conflicting emotions, per the norm.

My official time was 2:10:23. My GPS said that it was long- 16:2 miles, and that I ran it in 2:09:03 but whatever, it made no difference to me.

I did have fun (crazy old woman) It was long and hard (that's what SHE said) I could really feel the effects of the snow/slush covered road in my feel/ankles the next day but wasn't too terribly sore (thanks to my post race cwx tights frozen veg outfit, I'm sure!)

Little break now before hitting up the Half at the Hamptons in February... Phew!

In which I show you how to dress for success!

It has been a hard week to stay at my fighting weight. Between the mileage, the snow shoveling and having a tiny nervous feeling about Sunday's race I was a bit off my food...
I tried to rectify this disaster by having a whole loaf of bread, freshly baked (NOT by me!) with beer and currants. Hot damn, if that wasn't fricking delicious!


It gets cold here sometimes and I work outside allllll day which is just fabulous when it is 10 degrees. So, I dress for success, as you can see in the picture below. Lookin' good, good lookin'!

I don't feel that the above photo does justice to what I have on. Here it is: hat, scarf, sexy socks. Three pairs of pants (three! for reeeelz!) thermal, fleece, vest. And a dirty pink coat which I put on post photo op. And no, I don't go commando in the barn but I'm not about to show y'all my knickers... Come on! Looks like I must carry around about 20 pounds of clothing!

Now that you are all jealous of me and my fan-tab-ulous outfits let's recap this week's running insanity.

I was trying to keep the mileage under control and was pretty successful. I WAS finding myself to be much more nervous about this 16 mile madness than I had anticipated. I pretty much had to haul back bitch slap myself in the face and get a grip. I mean, GAHD! What's the big deal here? I'm gonna be fine. What could happen?

My total mileage for the week was 20, all done in the confines of my basement on my new lovah, the dreadmill. GRRRR! Better than nothing fo' sho'!

So. By this time tomorrow I'll be all done with the madness and about to watch some serious football. I hope to finish feeling better than like SHIT and without falling down in the ice and snow, shattering my kneecaps and dreams!

Wish me luck friends, wish me luck....

Smutfest Recap

Bet you all thought I was still running since I'm so damn late with this recap! But no, I'm still here ready to fill you in on all the gory details paired up with some of the worst running pictures in history thanks to my Dad (who is usually quite a good photographer. We shall blame the camera, the odd light in the dome, or- more probably- the fact that I was so damn fast that the camera couldn't handle me. Yeah, that's it...)
Before we get into the wonderous world of photos here's the stark facts about this little sprint. I really loved running on the track- not gonna lie. The temp was perfect (although I was sweating like a pig. not that pigs can even sweat but STILL.) It was a novel concept to have no worries about potholes, ice, giant hills, 30 MPH winds, dinosaurs, rapists, 18 wheelers, rabid dogs- yeah- all those things that I try NOT to encounter. I ran at a pace that felt good and never got out of breath or pissed off. Usually there is a point in a Half when I'm just like "Dude... This feels like such a bucket of assholes..." and I never got to that point. And I did NOT throw up which was the highlight of the whole experience.
Anyway. On to the good stuff. Ahem.

We drove to Milford. It was 3 hours away, just like everything else in the world. My Dad decided to come which was good- we always have fun on roadtrips and have a lot of snacks. And my Dad pays for the tolls which is a perk. You can see a blurry little me in the above picture. I ran past my poor Dad 68 times (count em. sixty freaking EIGHT.) and I showboated every time. Are we surprised by this may I ask? Doubt it.... Oh, by the way? I'm not gonna apologize for my white pasty legs. Avert your eyes and remember that I live in Maine and do not tan.

It looks like I barely have any friends to run with but the truth is that it felt like a constant chase. Anddddd there is nothing I like better than the feeling of chasing down ill advised people who are slower than my sorry ass self. That dude in orange probably was up about 20 laps on me but we can pretend for a minute that I was about to soundly beat him. This, I believe, is in the last 10 laps when the FAST boys had gotten the hell off the track and it was just me, the slower dudes and the chicks.

Why am I fist pumping? Actually, the question is WHY am I running in the outside lane when there is NOBODY else around? DUH. SIGH. Hope I didn't do that too many other times like a big dumb dummy. But HEY- I was showing a little Jersey Shore style love to the finish because I was about to WIN!

OK. I can hear you all say "Yeah Right" but NO REALLY. I really did win. I know.... Gatorade called me IMMEDIATELY and offered to sponsor my fabulous self and insure my ghostly white legs. My fame has spread throughout the world like a highly contagious disease.

I won beer. I'd like to say.... A win is a win is a win. (and a PR is a PR is a PR.) In no way am I having delusions of grandeur here people, my time is NOT the kind of time that would hold up for better than one millionth place at a bigger race- but bottom line- I was the fastest girl out there on that day and that's that! 1:45:32. Best time for me by 8 whopping seconds (no hills!) I need to shave about 20 minutes off of that to run with the rest of y'all but (as they say in the sticks) IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!

I do not lie when I say that the best part of the day was feeling quite well after the fact and not hurling on anyone or anything... Good times, good times. Oh. It was also nice winning beer. Have I ever mentioned that I like beer?

And now! Counting down to the VERY hilly and VERY cold 16 miler on Sunday. I'm not scared (yes I am...)

OH! A little PS: People have asked if it was boring and laborious running around the track and no, it was most certainly not. The time flew by, and since it was almost impossible to know what lap you were on all the time it wasn't like "oh there's mile one" then 40 hours later "there's mile two." It was shockingly easy, fast, and entertaining- who would have thought!