Are you a Long Distance Runner?

Last week didn't turn out quite like I had planned. I was going to get out and run before our Thanksgiving meal. I never made it. Friday, I wanted to get a few miles in before we headed to Sarasota. I remembered Thursday afternoon that I was supposed to go check on my friend's cat while she was out of town. By the time I got home from checking on the cat, I didn't have time. We needed to be on the road no later than noon. So maybe when we got home Sunday I could get some miles in. Nope. I was exhausted.

This is turning into a better week already. Only one minor snafu. I forgot I had a doctor's appointment this morning, which means I couldn't run in the afternoon like I have been doing. I should have gotten up this morning to run, but I really didn't think about it until it was too late.

The doctor's appointment was just about becoming an established patient. It occured to me that now that I"m not in Orlando most every day for work, I didn't rally have a doctor.



The tech weighed me, measured me (I'm a half inch taller than I thought) and then he took my blood pressure and resting heart rate. While he was writing the results on my chart he said, "Are you a long distance runner?"

I thought for sure my necklace clued him in. He said he hadn't noticed my necklace. I told him I was indeed a long distance runner and asked him how he knew. He said based on my blood pressure and my resting heart rate, he knew something was up. My blood pressure is 100 / 68 and my resting heart rate is 64 beats per minute. This running thing must be working.


Tomorrow I'm headed to the Track Shack to pick up my race packet for the OUC Half Marathon. I'm getting excited about the race for a few reasons. Marathon Chris and her husband will be running the race also. I hope I can see them! Susan will be running the St. Jude's Marathon in Memphis at the same time. Shirley will be running the Las Vegas Marathon Saturday morning also. Even though we'll be at separate races (with the exception of Chris) we'll all be running together. I will be wearing my Pray for Elijah band during the race to celebrate his birthday!

The weather looks like it will be a little cooler than last year. With a low of 62 degrees and a high of 79 degrees, it's gonna be great!

Takin' it To the Streets

One of the things I learned while training for San Francisco is that I really like to run my long runs outside. Let's face it, I'm not a machine and three, hours give or take, is more than I want to spend on the treadmill. Don't get me wrong, I do love my treadmill, but outside is pretty nice too.

Saturday I had 14 miles to run. Friday afternoon I was trying to figure out where I could run those 14 miles. Last time I ran the Tavares Trail I went out four miles. I know that less than three miles further, where I would then be in Leesburg and on the sidewalk, or by the airport where there is road construction and no sidewalk. It wasn't what I wanted to do.

I decided to call my friend Cheryl. We roomed together in San Francisco and we have run many long runs together. Cheryl is training for the Disney full and she told me she had 16 miles to run. I was faced with a decision. Run 14 miles by myself or add two additional miles and run with Cheryl. I opted to run with Cheryl.

We went to the Seminole Wekiva Trail and ran from Lake Mary to Altamonte Springs. I started slowing down at about mile 13 and stopped to walk a few times. Sometimes I feel like I can run forever, other times, not so much. Which leads me to believe that I might have been better off sticking with the 14 I had planned. But the company was nice.

I was debating running the Thanksgiving 10 miler in Deland tomorrow. But I have decided not to. We made a last minute decision to visit with some friends near Sarasota over the weekend. We'll be leaving hear Friday afternoon. That means I will rearrange the remaining runs on my schedule for this week. Tomorrow morning I will most likely run my 14 miles intended for Saturday. Somewhere. Outside.

There has been very little talk about the OUC Half. It is rapidly approaching. A week from Saturday. I will be running it, as will Marathon Chris. Anyone else going to be there? Last Year it was like a summer's day. 81 degrees when I finished. It was a disappointing race. And I never got into a groove. By mile three I knew I was in store for another difficult ten miles.

This year, I'm hoping for cooler temperatures and finding my groove before mile three.

BAM, I'm Tagged!

The amazing and incredibly talented Lisa , and the equally amazing Marathon Chris tagged me, so I owe everyone a meme

So, here are the Rules:
• Link to your tagger, and post these rules on your blog.
• Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
• Tag 5 people at the end of your post by their names and links to their blogs.
• Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.

Random Facts:

1.) Even though I was never a goth chick, I have loved black clothes since I was about 15. And while I own my fair share of pink, blue, green and even brown items of clothing, when I'm shopping, I am always drawn to the black. My six year old daughter told me I need to see Stacy and Clinton because I have too many black clothes.

2.) When I was 17, I dated a Canadian Free-Style Snowskiier who, a few years later, would go on to win a Silver Medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.

3.) My shoulders (or something back there) are double-jointed and if someone pulls my arms behind me, my elbows can touch.

4.) I get freaked out if a bathroom doesn't have a window and I turn the light off before I open the door. I always feel like I'm going to get trapped in there.

5.) I have had my belly button pierced on three separate occasions. The first time I was 21. I kept the ring in until I was five months pregnant with my son. Unfortunately, I left it in too long and had a nasty scar. I had it pierced again when my son was 18 months old (He's 11 now). It never healed correctly and I took it out about six months later. The scar remained, so about a year and a half ago, I had it pierced again.

Now I have to tag some peeps.

David
Leana
Tall Girl Running
Lizzie Lee
Akshaye


It's your turn!

Seven Whirlwind Days

I would like to believe that I usually post more than once a week, and I have been meaning to write about my run on Saturday since, well, Saturday but after everything else is done, I have just been exhausted.

Thanks to the amazing Shirley I have a solid training plan for Sarasota that accounts for my two upcoming trips to San Diego, and the OUC Half Marathon and the Disney Half Marathon.

Saturday, I was planning on 12 miles. Friday night I set the alarm and was prepared to be up at 6:00 AM. When the alarm rang there was some confusion. My darling husband, who has not been sleeping well as of late, thought that it was a weekday. When he realized it was Saturday he asked me why I set the alarm. I reminded him that I needed to get my run in before we headed to New Port Richey for his sister's birthday party. When he told me that he had not slept well, I made the decision to head to the Tavares Trail. I don't think that's the official name of the trail, but I don't what it's called or if it's an official trail.

I started downtown across the street from the County Courthouse and headed towards Highway 441. The "trail" runs along 441 across the street form Lake Eustis. I wished for my camera, because it was really beautiful. As I continued on a Bald Eagle flew directly over my head. The Eagle was chasing a smaller bird who was carrying a fish. The smaller bird dropped the fish in the grass between me and the highway. The Eagle circled back around but couldn't find the fish and after a nano-second, gave up and flew away.

I was really enjoying being out in the 50 degree weather. As I ran on, I began to worry about the time I had been gone and what time we were supposed to leave. After four miles out, I turned back. Eight miles for Saturday.

Sunday morning I made up those missing four miles on the treadmill.

This week, things are going as planned, more or less. My daughter had a cold last week, my son had it over the weekend, and guess who has "scratchy throat" today?

I have had my share of Airborne today, tea and Popsicles trying to soothe my throat and I'm trying to avoid the dreaded runny nose.

I cut my six mile run short today. I ended with 3.25 miles and I may get those missing miles in tomorrow - depending on how I feel.

Ugh.

It was a GREAT Day!

Last week, in an email with Marathon Chris we talked about scheduling runs on the calendar. I tried it out today and it worked like a charm.

I hope that most days I am able to stick to my plan to get my run in during the afternoon.

I ran the five miles my schedule called for and it was awesome! I really felt amazing. I don't know if it was the cooler weather, or what it was but I was feeling speedy.

As always, the Nike+ and the treadmill disagreed. My iPod said I ran 5.02 miles in 45:01 an 8:55 average pace. The treadmill said I ran 5.20 miles in 44:54 an 8:38 average pace.



And as icing on the cake, Paula Radcliffe informed me, that I have run my fastest mile to date, well, since I replaced my Nike+ transmitter in July anyway. Woohooo!

Like I said. It was a GREAT day!

The Next Big Thing

I got a lot of great suggestions for a spring marathon. Akshaye suggested Atlanta, but from what I remember from David's race report from earlier this year, it was pretty hilly. Just what I'm trying to avoid The second time around.

Speaking of David, who PRed in New York today, he suggested Miami or Tampa. I thought about Tampa for a few days until I realized that I was traveling for business that day. Tampa is out.

I spent some time looking at online race resources including marathonguide.com (Thanks Shirley!) and runningintheusa.com. and chose a few marathons that looked good.

And the winner is...



Sarasota!

I was planning on running the half there anyway, so the date has been saved. I ran the half there two years ago and the course was flat, with the exception of the Ringlng Bridge, and pretty darn fast.

My run this weekend never happened, partly because I thought I would officially start my training tomorrow.

I like having a plan. I didn't think I did before, but maybe that's what I had been missing.

I am hoping that I have learned from my past training mistakes and this one has a quicker end result.

I will keep you posted. End of Daylight Savings Time = So Sleepy.