Gotta Run!

Moved!

2009-01-09T13:00:00.006-05:00

I've moved. Check me out here: www.maddyruns.com

Goal 1 for 2009... Check!

Follow Me Next Weekend

2009-01-04T20:26:00.002-05:00

If you would like to track my progress next weekend during the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge, please click here and follow me for the Half and the Full Marathon.

You'll need my last name and if you don't know it, look at my email address on my profile page you should be able to figure it out.

2009 Goals

2008-12-28T15:11:00.003-05:00

2008 was a pretty good year. I had some injuries and I've suffered from some general malaise regarding running lately, but overall, it's been a good one.
I have spent some time thinking about my plans for next year. They are:

I'm Moving

A new blog address. Someone made a comment that my blog address has been outdated for a while. Also, the RSS feed never, ever worked the way it was supposed to, so I am going to find a new home. Keep checking back. As soon as it's ready, I'll let you know where you can find me.

Mileage

Annual Mileage: 1,500 - I was on track for my mileage goal of 1,200 for 2008 until the middle of September and the wheels just sort of fell off. I would like to make my mid-distance mid-week run a little more consistent. That should be a big boost to get to that mileage goal. That's 125 miles a month.

Jazzing It Up

Regular Speedwork and Hillwork. Especially with my Spring / Summer Marathon in San Diego, I am going to need the hillwork. So I'm putting it out there so you can help keep me accountable.

Food

Eat like my life depends on it. Now that doesn't mean shoveling in whatever. My nutrition has taken a hit lately. I need to return to better eating habits that always seem to get lost in December. This goal includes reducing processed food, girl-sized portions and limit my visits to restaurants.

Welcome to the Gun Show

I have said for that last few years that after X race I am going to start weight training. This year I mean it. No Bull! so after the Goofy Race it will begin.

Wait, There's More...

I have not been very good at cross training and stretching, so I want to include a little more of that into my life. Some yoga, more biking, things like that.

San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon

My goal time for the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon is a new PR - I would like that time to be less than 5 hours. That's where the speedwork and hillwork are going to be essential to making that happen. My other goal for this race is to have the option run without a shirt. It will mean a lot

of core work, but I think I can do it. It doesn't mean I'll run in just a sports bra, but I want to have the option.

Then What?

I am thinking about a fall or winter marathon for next year. I want something close that won't require a lot of travel. There has been talk about a full marathon in Tavares. Clermont is in option, as is Marathon of the Palm Beaches and Miami (although that wouldn't be until 2010). I have plenty of time to decide, but I'm throwing it out there.

Wow! That looks like a lot, but I'm sure that if I work hard, I can accomplish all of these goals.

I would love your feedback.

Is Anybody Out There

2008-12-14T16:20:00.003-05:00

I have been terrible about blogging. I have been reading yours, just not commenting as I should.

I ran another half marathon - The OUC Half Marathon on December 6th. My time was slower than my time for the Orange Blossom Half, but for some reason, I wasn't terribly bothered by it this time.

I've gained a few pounds and I know it's easier to run when I'm less fat.

The Goofy Race is quickly approaching. My running has been going okay, but not as well or as far as I would like. I'll get through it though. I am confident about that.

At this point, I'm looking forward to getting the race behind me. It seems like I've been training forever and I'm ready to put it to bed and focus on other races.

I registered for a late spring /early summer marathon. I'll be running the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on May 31st. I am setting some goals for that race - other than to finish (which is my goal for Goofy).

I was in San Diego this week and I had a few really nice runs. I had planned on my long run before my flight yesterday, but after the Christmas party and too much time in big girl shoes, I really didn't feel like it. Today I'm feeling jet-lagged and I am pushing my long run to Monday afternoon.

Expect a more frequent posting schedule. Almost a month is too long...

Long Overdue :: Orange Blossom 1/2 Race Report

2008-11-17T08:56:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday, I woke up and I was pretty excited. For the first time since I moved from Winter Park, nearly four and half years ago, there was a race I was running that was 10 minutes from my house. The closest I have ever been was the 5K in Leesburg back in March.

I drove to Wooton Park along Lake Dora, picked up my goodie bag and wnet back to my car. The temperatures were cool and I was dressed for running. The croud was sparse. I would guess there were a little more than 100 runners and while there were porta-potties there were realy bathrooms in the park without a line. I made my obligatory bathroom stop and then headed up to Main Street. I met three women, a mother and her two daughters who were running together. I thought that was really sweet. They were really nice ladies. They are planning on running Disney's Princess Half Marathon and the mother wanted to see how much work she would need to do between now and March.

Very close to 7:00 AM The Orange Blossom Half Marathon was underway. The course headed West and made a loop then headed down Lake Dora Drive. We then cut into a neighborhood and headed back towards the West and made the same loop and headed AGAIN down Lake Dora Drive. I really prefer a point to point course, but I don't mind an out and back course either. I realized on Sunday that I don't like an "Out and Back and Out and Back Again" course.

Even with a small race like this there were a cast of characters. One person I really wanted to beat was an older man (later looking at race results, I figured out he was 71 years old). Now, I don't take any pleasure in beating old men, but there was just something about this old guy running in jean shorts that I really wanted beat. I finally passed him somewhere during the fifth mile.

I have added to and listened to the same playlist since July. I can judge where I am mile-wise by the song that is playing. Around the six mile mark, I felt like something was off. My Nike+ which isn't always very accurate was saying more than six miles. I was approaching a woman with a Garmin on. I asked her what it said. It was close to 6 1/2 miles. I told her I bet that at the end of the race it would read 13.6 miles.

We ran down the same road until we reached Mt. Dora. Apparently, Mt.Dora wanted nothing to do with this race. And we turned around over the chip mats and we headed back to downtown Tavares. I called this "Welcome To Mt.Dora, Now Get The Hell Out Point".

The legenth of the course played a mental number on my head. I don't know why, but I was struggling with knowing I was going to have to go further than I had planned. And I kept telling myself I was being silly, but it really affected my mental game.

Soon enough, somewhere in the ninth or tenth mile, The Old Man was coming up behind me. He was talking trash to me. It's so funny. I couldn't see him, but I could hear him coming. He was saying "Here I am!", "I'm coming up on you!" "I'm not dead!" and then he passed me. And I just couldn't keep up with him. It was hillarious. And good for him! He ended up finishing about four minutes ahead of me.

I think the out is always a lot better than the back. On Saturday my SPI Belt went MIA. I had it on the table (I know, not a good place for it...) and it was moved. although nobody remembers moving it or where it might have ended up. This played a negative part in my fueling plan. My tank was running low on fuel later in the race. I only brought with me what I could carry. One pack of Sport Beans that I took in about five miles in. Poor planning on my part.

My official finish time (13.6 miles) was: 2:30:43 My adjusted half marathon time is: 2:24:58.

I reminded myself that this wasn't a race I planned on trying for a PR and I really ran it to support a local race and to have fun.

Yes, I was annoyed that the course was longer than it should have been, but overall, it was fun. The weather was nice and there were plenty of water stops. I met some cool people, and hey, I was showed up by a 71 year old man.

It's all good.

When Did I...

2008-11-06T20:41:00.002-05:00

...Become the world's worst blogger.

My post have become really inconsistent and I think that sucks.

So, I'm back and blogging. I'm sure you've be dying to know what's been going on with me (not!)

I've suffered from a small lack of mojo. October was my second lowest mileage month for the year and half of the miles I ran for the entire month were run on one day.

All of a sudden I feel invigorated!

Sunday I planned on meeting my friend Cheryl in Winter Garden and run 12 miles with her. She was running 20 miles and I was going to run a portion with her. On Saturday I lent my car to my sister and I had planned on driving my husband's car. I was ready to go and the car wouldn't start.

I called Cheryl to tell her that I wouldn't be joining her. I went back to sleep. But don't think that I didn't get my run in. Sunday afternoon, while my husband was on his way to get a new battery for his car, I ran my scheduled 12 and I felt pretty good.

Tuesday, my sister still had my car and my husband went with our son on a field trip to Forever Florida. My plan was to run to the poll to vote. I left my house around 7:50 AM and headed out. I faced some challenging terrain including some wild uncut grass next to an orange grove. I felt really good about multi-tasking. I wanted to run and I wanted to vote. Check and check!

Today I had 6 x 800s on my schedule. I ran them on the treadmill and I really enjoyed it. It was the best run I've had in a long, long time.

This Sunday a lot of the local runners I know will be in Celebration at the 10K and 5K or both - You know who you are... I will not be there. I have always wanted to run that 10K. The very first 5K I ran was this race. At the time a 10K seemed like an impossible distance. Can you imagine running 6 miles?

I won't be there on Sunday because I will be running the Orange Blossom Half Marathon in my town of Tavares, FL. I felt like it was really important to support a truly local race. I'm not really going into this with any particular goal. I just want to go out and have a good time and get my long run with water stops.

I'm looking forward to it!

Runner's Roundtable

2008-10-29T17:27:00.003-04:00

I am getting back in the swing of things and ramping my training back up as I prepare for Disney's Goofy Race and a Half Challenge. I'm looking forward to improving myself over the next few months as I strive for 1,200 miles for the year and an awesome Marathon Weekend at the house of mouse.

Today, I was lucky enough to be an invited guest on the Runner's Roundtable Episode #7. I shared my Chicago Marathon experience with Petra and Charlie. Melisa was there in spirit.

Not only was the Chicago Marathon an amazing experience, re-living it again with my friends and sharing it was a lot of fun!

Hats Around the World

2008-10-25T10:28:00.003-04:00

My sister came to town a few days early for a conference she's attending at Disney. Yesterday we went to EPCOT. I decided to wear my pedometer - just to see how far we walked while we were there.

It was a total of 13 1/2 miles. I was figuring that it would be close to eight miles. I was surprised to see the end result. Now I know there is more benefit in walking than not doing anything, i.e. sitting on the couch, but this distance was really covered at a strolls pace.

I had a great time with my sister! We decided that as we made our way around the World Showcase, we would have our pictures taken with silly hats when we could find them.

Hats Around the World:

Nike Makes Amends

2008-10-22T20:08:00.003-04:00

This was posted on a Nike+ Forum today:

Hi all,

Nike is announcing today that it recognizes Arien O'Connell as a winner in last weekend’s Nike Women’s Marathon with the fastest chip time, completing the full race in 2:55:11. She shattered her previous time and achieved an amazing accomplishment.

Arien will receive the same recognition and prize, including a Tiffany & Co. bowl, the full marathon elite group winner received. Arien was unfortunately not immediately recognized as a race winner because she did not start the race with the elite running group, which is required by USATF standards. Because of their earlier start time, the runners in the elite group had no knowledge of the outstanding race Arien was running and could not adjust their strategies accordingly.

Learning from the unique experience in this year’s race, Nike has decided today to eliminate the elite running group from future Nike Women's Marathons. Next year, all runners will run in the same group and all will be eligible to win.

Nike has a proven track record of supporting athletes and we’re proud to be able to honor Arien and other athletes who surpass their goals and achieve great accomplishments.

Cheers,

Nike+ / Nike Running

Yay Nike! It just shouldn't have taken two days.

Congratulations Arien!

Nike = FAIL

2008-10-21T17:25:00.003-04:00

This article made it rounds on Twitter today. It seems that the woman who ran the fastest time didn't win because she was not registered as an "elite". What? I'm sorry, that's crap. If she ran faster than anyone else then didn't she win?

"At this point," Nike media relations manager Tanya Lopez said Monday, "we've declared our winner."

Okay, Ms. Lopez, you declared a winner but not the correct winner. You may have declared the top three elites, but clearly, Arien O'Connell ran a faster race.

According to Jim Estes, associate director of the long-distance running program for USA Track and Field, "The theory is that, because they had separate starts, they weren't in the same race."

Run Together? Well, Maybe Not...

If they weren't running the same race, then shouldn't there have been prizes for this other race?

It extremely frustrating to me that Nike, the top sponsor for this race chose to snub their noses at Arien O'Connell. What a missed opportunity for Nike to admit their mistake, or lack of forethought, and create an award for the fastest time, or something. If I were Nike I would be on the phone with Arien O'Connell right now making this right!

If I were in the marketing department of another shoe and clothing company, perhaps Reebok, Adidas, Sauconny, Asics, you get the idea... I would try to right Nike's wrong for them!

Nike, you still have a few minutes to redeem yourselves, but the clock is ticking.

Race Report :: Chicago Marathon

2008-10-16T22:01:00.006-04:00

A painted building on the Kennedy Expressway - Taken in the car.

Friday at the Expo with Charlie, Petra and my daughter, Chase.

After an amazing dinner (a recommendation from Runner Geezer 26.2) on Saturday evening joined by Petra, Charlie and his family, Melisa, her husband and their support crew, my family and I called it an early night. I had all of my marathon preparations taken care of, I packed the majority of our belongings and I was in bed at 10:30 PM.

Bill, Melisa, Charlie, Me, my son Stone and Petra.

I slept well and I only woke up once during the night. And when my alarm went off at 5:45 AM Sunday morning, I was ready to start the day.

I had a plan to meet Petra in the lobby of my hotel at 6:30. With one broken elevator, it took a few extra minutes to get down 37 floors. Petra and I walked to Charlie and Melisa's hotel. We met out front for a few pictures, spent a few minutes chatting and then we all headed to the port-a-potty lines. The lines moved really quickly and we made our way to the starting corrals.

It had been chilly for most of the week and I was prepared for some cooler weather. I bought a thermal underwear shirt and cut it up the front jacket style. My thought was use it for warmth for the first few miles. Before the race even started I had placed it in the corral fence. It was warm enough in a sleeveless shirt. I just didn't know how warm it would end up being.

At the Expo with Petra.

Petra and I said our good-byes to Charlie, Melisa and Bill, Mr. Irish Blue, and found our place between the 10:00 and 11:00 pace signs.

Soon enough we were on our way. Okay, so it took us about 15 minutes to cross the start line. But then we were moving.

The first few miles were a blur. We looked for my family as we crossed the first bridge around the 1.5 mile mark. My kids made signs and they were looking forward to cheering us on. We didn't see them.

The next bridge pass over the Chicago River was around the 2.5 mile mark. Again, Petra and I looked through the crowd, but we didn't see them. the course took us North through some really pretty parts of the city. We passed a band and during the middle of a song the singer stopped singing and said "Go Petra! Go Maddy!" Our names on our shirts absolutely made us feel like rockstars!

Near 6 miles, we saw a couple with laminated signs pinned to their back that said they were completing their 50 marathons in 50 states that day. I noticed that the man was wearing a Track Shack shirt. I spoke to them briefly, they are from Oviedo, just on the other side of Orlando. Petra and I congratulated them and moved on.

Soon we saw Petra's hosts and they took a few pictures as we went by. We continued on through Old Town and passed the restaurant where we had eaten the night before.

The miles were blending together and although I had slowed down a little bit, I was still feeling pretty good. We turned onto Hubbard Street and I told Petra that I thought it was a requirement that I looked strong on Hubbard Street. She agreed.

We soon made our final pass over the Chicago River. Finally, finally when I was parallel with my family I saw them. they had missed me also at their other two attempts. I yelled to them and they waved, I kept moving along. We had not prepared well with specific meeting spots. I had no idea until after the race that there would be 1.5 million spectators.

Petra and I made it to the half at 2:25:00 We were running the city and there was still ample amounts of shade provided by the sky scrapers. Once we made our way South the shade disappeared and the temperature soared.

Once we were out of the downtown area a woman was offering ibuprofen with small cups of water, I gladly took two. My groin, while noticeable, was not really bothering me, and I really wanted to keep it that way.

I knew I was holding Petra back and I told her to go ahead. She refused. She would get about 20 yards ahead, walk and once I caught up, she would start running with me again. Throughout the race we had walked each water stop. It was really just too congested to not walk. At this point I was looking forward to the upcoming water stops for an opportunity to walk just for a minute.

When we got to Mile 17, I said to Petra, "Single digits to go!" At one point again, I urged her to go on without me, she said no.

I could no longer take in the Gatorade they were offering. I had switched to water only. to this point in the race I had consumed three packs of watermelon sport beans. Between the beans and the Gatorade, my stomach had too much - not really sweet, just too much. I did take the Twizzlers, Skittles and Jolly Ranchers I was offered - more to keep my mind off of what was still ahead of me.

Petra was just a saint, an amazing friend, and a fabulous person. The poor thing, it seemed that every time she spoke to me, I said "What?" and she repeated herself. I was concentrating so hard on moving forward, I was having a hard time comprehending anything else. But throughout it all she stayed with me. And for that I am thankful!

Right at mile 20 there was a water stop. I was really having a tough time of it. Petra knowing that I had dedicated each mile to someone went into pep talk mode, just as I had gone face-first into "the wall".

"Who is mile 20 for Maddy?" Petra asked.

"My Mom." I said, as I burst into tears. I was really feeling like I had just had it.

Petra was so calm and explained to me that she knew my mother would be so proud of me and that I was setting an amazing example for my children. She also said that we were not only going to run this mile for my mom, but for Baby Isaac.

She grabbed my hand and I was pumped up. We continued on and over the next six miles I received nothing but encouragement and kind words from my friend.

Five miles to go, that's nothing, you do that in the morning before work.

Four miles left, piece of cake.

A guy a work with owns a loft at mile 23, he explained to me where it was and told me to keep an eye out for it. That entertained me for a half mile or so. I never did find it. Again I asked Petra to go on. She told me that she had stuck with me for 23 miles and there was no way she was leaving me for the last three. I was so grateful! It was HOT, I was struggling, but I had someone who would not give up on me.

Before I knew it we had one mile to go. Petra grabbed my hand and said that she would hold my hand as long as I needed her to. We were going to finish this thing!

We made our way up the biggest hill of course, which is really just mean turned onto Columbus Avenue. The finish line was right there!

We crossed in 5:14:34 - A PR for me and a PW for Petra.

I cannot thank Petra enough for her kindness and sticking with me for the entire race. Without her help and urging, I don't think this would have been a PR Race for me.

The Prize

After my second marathon, I know I am not done yet. There are many more marathons in me.

Chicago Marathon Results

2008-10-13T12:21:00.003-04:00

I will post a proper race report soon.

Finish Time: 5:14:34

A new PR although I was well off my goal.

It was HOT!

I'm Not Dead

2008-10-08T22:50:00.003-04:00

It seems that after my groin injury, I fell off the face of the earth.

I spent some time healing and resting. And then I got busy.

I spent time getting ready for back to back trips and just as preparations were wrapping up, the fun got started.

Last Monday, I travelled to San Diego for my company's user conference. It was a full week of catching up with clients face to face and learning a lot about how people are applying best practices to their campaigns.

I managed to get a few five plus mile runs in around Coronado Island. It was nice.

I arrived back in Orlando Friday around 5:00 PM.

Saturday, I was back at the airport Saturday at 9:00 AM for our flight to Chicago.

We have spent the last several days in Wisconsin. Visiting with family, checking out some attractions and just relaxing.

Tomorrow we are headed back to Chicago to check out the city and then, apparently there is some race, I'm going to look into on Sunday. Ummm, yeah, the Chicago Marathon.

I have decided to dedicate each of the 26.2 miles of this race to my friends and family. Now, normally, I would include links where applicable, but for the sake of time, I just can't do it.

1. Adam Tinkoff - He reminds us all that a journey begins with a single step
2. Casey McGraw - This amazing girl is battling her second round of cancer.
3. Steve Runner - He has he sights on a marathon under four hours.
4. Nik - #4 - 4 Feet Running and a Bad Girl of Running (Can you say San Diego?)
5. Dan - Because without Dan, Nik would only be 2 Feet Running
6. Jeremy - I think I can convince him that a marathon is in his best interest yet.
7. Chase - My daughter, my light, is seven.
8. Charlie - He's sharing his first marathon with us in Chicago.
9. Melisa - Her perseverance has paid off.
10. Marathon Chris - She's 10 years older than me - and an amazing friend and inspiration.
11. Patty - My sister is my best friend and she's just awesome.
12. Stone - My son, my buddy turned 12 today.
13. Susan - She's running the Worldwide Festival of Races Pregnant.
14. Darrell - My husband - we've been married 14 years and he's a cool guy.
15. My Dad.
16. Ann - She's planning on walking the Disney Half Marathon
17. Shirley - Fit, Fast, Friend
18. David - Striving for better every time
19. Linda - My aunt who is sharing the day with my family while I'm running the Chicago Marathon.
20. My Mom - (Rest In Peace) She would be proud of me.
21. Greg a.k.a. The Road Warrior - Virtually running coast to coast while in law school.
22.Cheryl - She has a passion for running and has run many many long runs with me.
23. All the Bad Girls of Running
24. All the Bad Boys of Running
25. Tracy - She thinks she'll never run more than a 10k, but I know her better than that.
26. Petra - Without an email so many months ago asking if I would be interested in running the Chicago Marathon, my fall marathon might have been somewhere else, all by myself instead of in one of my favorite cities with my friends.
.2 Me - I made it this far and this one is all me.

Fish Out of Water

2008-09-17T20:14:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I made a mistake. My groin strain was feeling better. I was giddy with excitement on Saturday and I ran six miles. I was still feeling pretty good after my run, but there was some discomfort.

Saturday night we went to a small car show. We walked around a little bit, but not a lot. I was feeling pretty good. Sunday I started into my planned 12 mile run. After 8.90 miles I thought it was probably a good idea to call it quits. The pain was back.

I really wish I would have held back.

The new plan is to back waaaaaaaaaaay off. So, no running until there is no pain. I really want to be running, but I really want to run the Chicago Marathon. The way to get to the starting line is to get healthy.

I feel like I am prepared for Chicago. And I am confident that as long as I am healthy on October 12th, it's going to be a great race. The past few days, knowing that I can't run right now has made me very antsy. I need to cross-train to maintain my fitness. I have been feeling like a fish out of water.

So what's a fish to do? Get in the pool. Swimming with the pull buoy is the best option for me right now. The last two days have brought some questionable swimming weather. But today, I went for a swim. I was fighting darkness. I don't like to swim at night. I swam for a glorious 20 minutes. It feels so good to be active and when I am out of commission, I feel out of sorts.

I have been taking great care to be sure I am healing. I have been icing it several times a day, and taking ibuprofen as needed. I am resting. I am also going crazy.

In 24 days, I will be here:

And it's going to be AWESOME!

Catching Up

2008-09-08T20:36:00.003-04:00

My blogging has been slipping. Work has been busy, running has been busy, twitter has been easier (follow me here). Sigh...

My training has been going well. I have missed some of my weekday runs here and there, but nothing that makes me question my ability to finish the Chicago Marathon.

I've been feeling really strong lately, like I could run forever. Until last week.

I started feeling a little strain in the groin area late last week. Just a tinge of pain, but it was no big deal. After my 10 miler on Saturday, it was a little more noticable. Yesterday, at about mile 15 it was even more a little noticable. By the time I had completed my 20 miles it was just a little more than noticable.

I'm going to take the next few days easy. With 33 days to go, I need to be extremely careful. I need to be and will be healthy at the starting line on October 12th.

Hey Ladies...

2008-08-30T21:28:00.004-04:00

Get Funky!!!

If you are one of the gentlemen who read my blog, stop reading here and watch the video. You'll like it. The ladies will like it too, but the ladies have more important issues to attend to.

So ladies, now the gentlemen are occupied watching The Beastie Boys, I would like to invite you to join the Bad Girls of Running vs. Bad Boys of Running Challenge on Runner+ .

If you are not familiar with Runner+, it is a fun site to track your runs, meet other runners, set up and participate in challenges. And the great thing about it is, you don't need to have a Nike+ system to track your mileage.

As of right now, the Bad Girls team is smaller than the Bad Boys team and we really need to show these guys who's the baddest (and when I say bad, I mean the best) of them all!

Getting it Done

2008-08-18T22:19:00.002-04:00

Things have been going okay. I have not gotten as many of my shorter weekday runs as I would like. It's just been some crazy times. That being said, I still feel like I'm on track.

Saturday, I met up with my friend Cheryl and a few people she knew. I had nine miles scheduled and Cheryl (training for San Antonio) had seven miles scheduled. We decided to meet in the middle and run eight miles.

We ran a new route that was pretty hilly and it was pretty hot. Even starting at 6:00 AM. I'm looking forward to the cooler temps, if they ever get here.

Sunday I was supposed to meet Cheryl again. We were going to run 14 miles along Lakeshore Drive into Mt. Dora. We agreed to meet at 5:30 AM.

Saturday evening Cheryl called me and said that she wouldn't be able to meet me until 7:00 AM. I was fine with that, despite knowing it was going to be HOT.

Saturday night I changed the time on the alarm on my BlackBerry, which I always use for my alarm clock. The only problem was, I didn't turn it on.

At 7:10 the phone rang. It woke me up and before I even opened my eyes I knew it was too light and I had overslept.

Cheryl had planned on running and then going to church so she was on a pretty tight schedule. I told her I would never make it on time.

I went back to sleep.

The decision was made for me. The run would get done and it would get done on the treadmill.

I got up and drank some coffee ate a bagel. I decided to take the morning slow. I got dressed, grabbed the cooler and headed up to the Kangaroo for some G2 and 20 lbs of ice.

I got started and took it a little slower than normal. The idea was to get it done. I put on my shoes with less than 30 miles on them, hoping that the newer shoes would help keep any potential hip pain at bay.

I worked through the miles one by one. After seven miles I filled up my water bottle. Again after the next six and then there were only six miles to go. Six miles is a piece of cake.

When I had completed my run (3:02:30) I made some hot tea, grabbed a magazine and got in the tub. As the tub filled with cool water, I opened the bags of ice. The tea was a big help, I could have and maybe should have stayed in the ice longer. I stayed until my daughter's begging for me to get in the pool won out.

As I got into the pool, my husband said, the water feels good, but it's a little cold. My legs were so cold, I actually thought it felt warm.

I was supposed to head to San Diego tomorrow, but because of the Tropical Storm / potential Hurricane headed straight for us, I have cancelled the trip. I was looking forward to running my familiar humidity-free routes. Soon enough, I'll be there again.

A Chance To Win

2008-08-10T09:17:00.002-04:00

The British Bulldog is having a contest on his blog. He is giving away 5 copies of the Dean Karnazes book 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days.

Check out this link to his blog to read the rules.

And really, who doesn't like to win stuff?

A Hip Update And Weekend Runs

2008-08-04T22:05:00.007-04:00

On Friday Shirley and I exchanged a few emails regarding my hip pain. Over the course of the morning we developed a pretty good action plan:

Start rotating shoes

Run outside when possible

Do some core work

So Saturday morning,with brand new shoes, I headed to downtown Tavares for eight miles on the Tavares Trail. I felt like I was going slow as the day quickly heated up. I ended up running at a 10:11 average pace. Slower than I wanted to be, but I was still happy with the run.

And when I was done, there was no hip pain. None.

The plan was to run a little further twice on Sunday. But after going to New Port Richey on Saturday afternoon, I was pretty tired. Sunday morning when the alarm went off at 5:30 AM, I just couldn't do it. I slept for another few hours. That meant running outside was out of the question. It is just so hot.

I ran my scheduled 17 miles on the treadmill, again in my new shoes.

After my run still no hip pain.

After the previous weekend and the soreness I felt, and another suggestion from Shirley, I took my first ever ice bath.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

And you know, I think it made a huge difference. I lasted six minutes. I was shooting for ten, but my feet were so cold, I held out as long as I could, but six minutes is better than nothing.

Today, I ran my scheduled three miles, yes, on the treadmill, but I swapped out my shoes for the Nike Triax 11's that have about 240 miles on them.

I would like to get outside tomorrow for my run, which means it will be an early start.

With the hip pain gone, I'm feeling really good and strong.

Now to get going with some core work. It's going to happen this week!

700!

2008-07-31T21:37:00.004-04:00

Last night I reached another milestone.

July 30th, 2008 700.05 Miles Year To Date.

I decided to not run today to rest my hip that doesn't seem to want to play along.

I would think that I have more than 100 miles left on my current shoes. They have 189 miles on them. They are usually replaced around the 330 mile mark.

I was wondering today if my agoraphobic behavior (combined with my poor stretching habits)have lead to my sore hip.

I'll explain...

And it's just a theory, so please weigh in.

I have run all of my runs except two (Watermelon 5K and while I stayed at the Pop Century Resort at Disney World) a total of 10.1 miles. During the month of July, I ran just over 116 miles, 106 on the treadmill.

Is it possible that the treadmill is causing me to run with little narrower then I might run on the road? Causing the hip pain?

What do you think?

I would like to try to get at least one run this weekend outside - GASP! Can you believe it?

Things are Looking Up

2008-07-29T22:31:00.004-04:00

Just as I predicted, things have settled down this week. Which makes me really happy!

I was irritated with myself that I was not able to follow the plan to a "T", but I really feel like I am on track!

Saturday evening I ran eight miles on the treadmill. Most of the day was spent at a birthday party. Parties do seem to take up a good portion of the day. I had planned on running in the morning on the Tavares Trail, the alarm went off and I thought I could sleep another hour if I ran on the treadmill. I changed the alarm went back to sleep and an hour later I woke up again. It was then I remembered that Darrell was awake until the wee hours. He has not been sleeping well and the last thing he needed was the banging of the treadmill. I decided I would run in the evening.

You know what happens when you start adjusting the times on your longer runs, your run for the next day is automatically adjusted for you. When you finish eight miles at 9:45 PM, it's probably not a good idea to run a longer run at 7:00 AM.

Sunday, I got started on my quest for 16 miles mid-afternoon. We had a friend over and everyone went out on the four-wheelers. I took the opportunity to get some miles in. I got to 8.75 miles and crew rolled back in the house. I didn't want to be rude, so I stopped.

We went to dinner, made a Target run and for the second night in a row I ran at 8:30 PM - I ran another 7.25 miles - reaching 16 for the day. Not optimal - I would rather get all the miles in at once, but isn't the object here to get it done and get to Chicago healthy and prepared?

My legs have been sore since Sunday. I had three miles on the plan yesterday, but I was sore (and we needed groceries) I took a bye for the day. I had eight miles on the plan today. I got started and attempted to run through the soreness, but after four miles, I was done. Sore, sore, sore.

Tomorrow is another day and I'll try to get my mid-week-mid-distance run in again.

It's all good!

Remember Last Year?

2008-07-24T21:21:00.006-04:00

Remember last year when there was a worldwide mojo deficit?

Mojo in Florida? Nope!

Ohio? No Way Jose!

Across the Atlantic? Negative!

I certainly don't want to jinx anyone, but I am not feeling the same malaise I felt about this time last summer. I'm not having trouble with my running...

Well, finding the time to get it done. That's been an issue.

I've lost some sight on the light at the end of the tunnel, but I do feel like it's getting closer.

And don't get me wrong, I love my job. And overall it's really not stressful. Sure, it has it's moments, but what job doesn't? Last week and now this week, not only has there not been time to get my lunch run in, but at the end of the day, I feel so mentally drained, I can't run. And I've been staying up really late too.

That is so unlike me.

It just occurred to me that maybe the lack of my lunch time runs are contributing to the mental drain I'm feeling.

I have been able to get two abbreviated runs in this week. Not nearly what I need, but it's better than nothing.

Next week, I am going to schedule my runs - code name lunch - on my calendar so that I can get them done.

With 11 1/2 weeks until Chicago, I still feel like I am track, but I also realize that every run counts!

Enough with the pissing and moaning! The next post will hopefully be about how amazing my running has been.

All the Cool Kids are Doing It

2008-07-21T21:16:00.005-04:00

There has been a lot of buzz about one hundred push ups
Marcy's playing. So is Nik and a little birdie told me that Marathon Chris is getting rolling on the challenge today. Combined with a lot of people who I follow on twitter have mentioned it... I took it as a sign.

So, today is the day. Today I began my quest toward 100 push ups.

Here's the problem. I've got no skillz. Like none. I can't do a single proper form push-up. So I'll be turning this six week program into a twelve week challenge. The first run through the program will be the girl push ups. Which sucks, because I hate having to scale it back to something do-able that is lesser quality and called "girl push ups". Once I reach the end of the six weeks, I'm going to start over and do the program again doing "real" push ups.

Week One, Day One, Phase One is in the bag. Keep me accountable people!

For you folks joining me in Chicago in twelve weeks, look out! I'll be a push up machine!

This Week in Running

2008-07-20T21:19:00.002-04:00

I was thinking, for some reason, that summer would be low key and low on the stress meter. That has not been the case. I feel like since I returned from vacation, I have been trying to catch my breath.

Last week was particularly busy for work and it left little time for getting a run in. And then, at the end of the day I was so drained, I just couldn't do it.

This was stressing me out more, because the 14 miles I had scheduled for last Sunday didn't happen. It was one of those days that I just couldn't get it together.

Monday, I was getting back on track and I ran the three miles on my schedule.

Tuesday, nothing.

Wednesday, nothing.

Thursday after work I was forced with a tough decision. I really needed to go grocery shopping, but I also needed to run. Grocery shopping could wait one more day. I ran the seven miles I should have run on Tuesday.

Friday I finally made it to the grocery store.

I had big plans for Saturday. I was going to get up early and run my short long run of seven miles. My sleeping schedule has been sort of out of whack. I stayed up way to late on Friday night so getting up early enough to run before I had to take my daughter to a birthday party just didn't happen. I ended up running in the early evening on the treadmill.

It's been so incredibly hot that it's really better to be running in the A/C.

That meant that an early morning Sunday run was out too.

This was supposed to be my step back week with ten miles. But because I missed 14 miles last week, I decided to run 14 instead of 10.

I was starting to feel like the wheels were falling off my training plan. But after a successful running weekend, I feel like I am right where I need to be.

I need to work harder to get my shorter runs during the week knocked out. I see a light at the end of the tunnel for things to get back to normal at work - which is good and will give me some more energy to get my runs done!

Watermelon 5K :: Race Report

2008-07-11T08:49:00.003-04:00

It never takes me more than a week to get a race report posted, but the busy-ness continues. I thought summer was supposed to be laid back... I can definitely say that is a myth!

I wasn't planning on running the Watermelon 5K this year. With gas prices climbing, I thought it would be a silly idea to drive 60 miles round-trip to run 3.1 miles. I'm just far enough north of Orlando that it's almost not even worth it.

Then I got an email from my friend Kelly. I ran this race with Kelly two years ago and we also run the 2007 Winter Park Road Race.

Kelly and I used to work together. In the course of some re-structuring the company did in the spring of 2007, Kelly was promoted and I reported to her. Last July, when the company went into phase two of the re-structure plan, Kelly had the task of laying me off. Let's just say that made our friendship awkward.

I was never mad at Kelly - it came down to business and I wasn't exactly surprisedabout the decision my former company made. But I couldn't figure out how to connect with her.

To make things even more interesting, my old employer is a client of my current company, and my role involves working closely with my old company.

Maybe about six weeks or so ago I was planning dinner with my friend Casey I invited my friend Colleen and she asked if it would be okay if she invited Kelly. Of course I said yes. I thought it would be fun for all of us to get together.

Dinner was fun and we laughed, and joked, it was really like old times and it was just very nice. I don't know if that was the turning point or not, but not too much later - maybe two weeks, When I got that email from Kelly asking if I wanted to run the Watermelon 5K. To have a chance to run with an old friend, I said yes without hesitation.

Kelly and I met up in Apopka and rode to Winter Park together. we got there early enough so parking wasn't an issue. We ran into my friend Cheryl and the time flew by before the start of the race.

These races are really interesting. Apparently there were 3,000 + people there with skill levels that spanned the spectrum. We were lined up near the nine minute pace - although I wanted to be closer, because I knew that there would be slower people in front, it never fails...

The first half mile was shoulder-to shoulder. The route starts through a mid-century neighborhood with brick streets and cars parked randomly on the sides of the street. It was a bottle-neck and it took at lot of, luck skill and effort to bob and weave through the crowds. We ran past the tennis courts and a park, made a few more turns and we were in another neighborhood at the one mile mark.

I though it was funny that the cups for the water stop were Disneyland cups. Not Disney World mind you, but paper cups for a theme park 3,000 miles away. We moved through the neighborhood and up the hill next to the Winter Park High School 9th Grade Center. We turned in front and then down the other side of the 9th Grade center where we looped back. I saw Cheryl on my return. She was about 45 seconds behind me. I had an eye out for Kelly but I never saw her.

As I made the turn in front of the 9th Grade Center, I knew I was getting close, I would guess that there was 1/2 or 3/4 mile left. I heard a fire truck behind me. Kelly told me later that she was stopped so the fire truck could continue down the street.

I finished in a respectable 27:52 which considering the crowd and the heat, isn't too bad at all.

After the race we had some watermelon, which was amazing! We hung out for a little bit and I ran into the Running Geezer. He asked if I saw Shirley. I didn't even know that she was planning on being there. Kelly said that she thought she had seen Shirley. I had forgotten that the first time I met Shirley (2007 Winter Park Road Race) that Kelly was also there and had met her also. Running Geezer mentioned that it was only her second 5K ever, and Kelly thought that maybe we weren't talking about the same person. She realized that we were indeed talking about the amazing marathoner / triathlete who has not run many shorter races. I wish I had seen her too.

It was a lot of fun to get out there and run. I'm so glad I decided to run!

Where in the World is Maddy?

2008-07-06T19:55:00.003-04:00

It seems like vacation was a long time ago. Three weeks in this day and age is an eternity. Vacation was great! It was relaxing, and I feel recharged after a week at the beach.

My kids with their boogie boards

We headed to Ormond-by-the-Sea on Saturday morning after I went out for six miles. I was starting to feel scratchy throat and I was afraid I was getting sick. When I woke up Sunday morning, I knew I was sick, but determined to get my run in, I headed out for 10 miles. I got about a mile and half and I knew I would not make it to 10. I turned back and walked a lot of the way back. I let myself recover and didn't run again until that Thursday.

I figured that I would rather have a cold while I was at the beach than if I was working. By Wednesday afternoon, I was back to feeling like myself again.

At Ocean Walk in Daytona Beach
If you look closely in my right hand, you can see my Kleenex

We returned home the following Saturday and I had just enough time to get the house settled and the laundry done and then Wednesday, I was headed to San Diego for my monthly trip to the office.

My training schedule could not have worked out any better. My long runs were six and eight. I usually run to the Star of India and the USS Midway on Thursdays. It's just over six miles, so I ran it. Fridays I have been running to Harbor Island and down to Island Prime restaurant and back. It's about seven and a quarter miles. I headed past the Harbor Island Sheraton to extend my route and got just over eight miles for the day.

The weird thing about it is, because it was the first time I have ever changed days for my long runs, I felt like I skipped them. I keep reminding myself that I did run them.

My right hamstring has been complaining a little bit lately. Not that it's injured, but it has been making it's presence known. I have been using my foam roller, some ibuprofen, Icy Hot and some rest. I opted out of my hill training this week because of a lack of time, my attempt to stay healthy and the 5K on Friday morning (race report soon!).

I had six miles scheduled yesterday, but after a late night of watching fireworks, I knew that I wouldn't be getting up early to run outside on Saturday morning. I ran on the treadmill instead. I had 13 miles scheduled today. The plan was to get up and head to the Tavares trail for my run today. Last night my dinner did not agree with me. I had a terrible stomach ache. I was up until midnight. My plans changed.

I woke up at 8:45 AM and it was just too late to run outside. I decided to run 13 miles on the treadmill. I felt really good during my run. Things are progressing quite well for Chicago!

So now that I'm all caught up (well, as close as I can be...) I promise not to go so long without an update.

Rumors

2008-07-01T07:24:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post to let you all know the rumors that I have fallen off the face of the earth are greatly exaggerated.

Expect a detailed post soon - Maybe even tonight.

Vacation Here I Come...

2008-06-13T21:50:00.002-04:00

I am dropping off the grid and landing in beautiful Ormond-by-the-Sea for a week.

My marathon training for the Chicago Marathon will continue while I'm gone, but the rest of my time will be spent resting, relaxing and focusing on my family.

See you next week.

You Got Me! I'm It.

2008-06-11T20:02:00.007-04:00

Jade Lady tagged me, so check out my answers.

1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?

15 years ago I ran a lot. I wasn't into to tracking my miles or listening to music, I mean come on, Walkmans were HUGE compared to today's standard. I found that it was a way to maintain my sanity right after a break-up. (So, we got back together and we've been married for more than 14 years...) But eventually the running tapered off and eventually disappeared. 10 years ago I wasn't running in June, but in November I ran my first official 5K. With one week of training I made it to the finish line in 40:07. I must have kept at it, because the next January I ran my next 5K in 34:36 and a week later my 3rd 5K was 30:49.

Eventually the running went away again. There were several cameo appearances over the next or so years. And now with almost 3 years since the return of running to my life, I can't imagine my life without it.

2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?

My best race experience was the 2008 Women Run the World 15K at Disney World. I was preparing myself for a not so great race because I was coming down with a cold. I ran the first part of the race conservatively and turned it up the second half. I finished in 1:28:02 a 9:26 pace and I took 7:06 off my PR and course record.

I don't know that there has been a "worst" experience. Every race, and every run is a learning experience. I've learned things like:

Cotton is not your friend.

It's easier to run in cooler temperatures.

I can't control the weather.

Sometimes it's just not your day.

It sucks when you realize it's not your day at mile 3 of a half marathon.

3. Why do you run?

There are so many reasons why I run. I started running again to lose weight. I had fallen into some unhealthy habits and I wasn't exercising at all. I had also registered to run the 2006 Walt Disney World Half Marathon, so I knew I needed to train for it.

I also run to show my kids that you can do anything you put your mind to. And to set the example that exercising and being fit (or the quest to be fit) is important.

I like that running gives me energy clears my mind and just makes me feel good. My new favorite saying that I stole from a Nike commercial sums up how running makes me feel. "I got strong all day". And I think it's true.

4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?

I have gotten a lot of advice. My favorite piece of advice comes from my friend David. It's so simple but so easily forgotten sometimes, so it's nice to be reminded - "Listen to your body".

I don't know that I have gotten any bad advice. If it was bad advice, it was meant with the best intention and I probably politely listened and then filtered it out. Someone, who is portly, to say the least, told me they could never run because of what it does to your toenails - and this person loves her pedicures and my feet were disgusting. I bit my tongue and refrained from saying that I would rather be thin and fit with jacked up toenails that be a hog-body. Damn manners...

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.

This is always the hardest question. And over the past few years I have been tagged a few times and I feel like I'm running of surprising facts to share.

I don't like grasshoppers. One of my long run routes is covered with grasshoppers in the morning. There is a chain link fence and sometimes it is covered with them. Like the fence is black with grasshoppers instead of the silver color it should be.

There are also these yellow and black grasshoppers on the ground that look like they have escaped from a mad scientist lab.

It goes without saying, I didn't take this picture.

They're huge and really scary. I am always so afraid that one of those is going to jump on me. If that ever happens I would freakin' scream like a girl!

I'm not going to tag anyone this time around, but if you would like to play, then please consider yourself tagged.

1. Copy the rules (or your version of them), and the set of questions onto your blog post, provide your own answers, and then tag 5 new people.

2. Be sure that everyone tagged knows they have been invited to play, go to their blogs and leave them a special comment letting them know, and refer them to your blog for details.

3. Once they've answered the questions on their own blog, they should come back to yours to tell you.

An Awkward Conversation

2008-06-08T12:08:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, I ordered a few items from SwimOutlet.com. A few days later I mentioned my purchase to my mother-in law.

A little background...

My in-laws live next door to us

My mother-in-law wears hearing aids, but we were in the pool during this conversation so she had a little trouble hearing me.

I think she had a few drinky-poos on an empty stomach

.

Me: I ordered a pull buoy.

Mother-In-Law: You're getting a pool boy?

Me: No, no, P-U-L-L B-U-O-Y

Mother-In-Law: Oh. I was going to ask that you let me know when he was coming so I could get out the binoculars.

She was clearly disappointed.

Mother-In-Law: What's a pull buoy?

Me: It's like a piece of foam that you put between your legs to help you focus on your stroke.

Mother-In-Law: Wow! That sounds better than the pool boy. I want one!

And she wasn't talking about needing one for swimming.

Oh, my! Uncomfortable.

All I was thinking was - Change the subject, change the subject!

A few minutes later, my husband came up and I relayed the conversation to him. He was horrified. He said "Why would you tell me that?"

"Dude, I had to share the pain with you. I couldn't keep that all to myself..."

Awkward.

SwimOutlet.com sent my order - They must have walked it across the country. I finally get my stuff on Friday. It seems like it took a long time.

The plan is to include some swimming as cross training as I prepare for the Chicago Marathon.

I'll let you know how it goes.

A Little Bit Of Pain

2008-06-06T08:36:00.004-04:00

Training for Chicago officially begins on Monday. I'm not really expecting a whole lot of changes right off the bat. The mileage is pretty consistent with my base, the only difference is that this is regimented and not whatever I feel like.

Earlier this week my right hip started bothering me again. It hasn't been a problem and I don't know what to attribute the pain to. Yoga on Tuesday definitely helped, but it's still bothering me a little.

I opted out of running yesterday and I rode my bike for 40 minutes. I was shooting for an hour, but I had things that needed to get done around the house.

So sinister, like my aggravated hip...

My hip is feeling better, but it's still a little sore. This sort of pain usually starts when I need new shoes. My Nike Structure Triax+ 11's have 235 miles on them. I should get another 100 miles out of them. I do have my next pair, back to the Nike Structure Triax+ 10 - I got a screamin' deal on the Nike site, including free shipping - so I bought two pair and probably saved $40 - $50. Is it time to add a new pair to the mix and alternate between the 11's and the 10's?

Answers and Updates

2008-06-02T21:29:00.006-04:00

My last post got a few questions. I thought I would take a minute and provide the answers:

Jade Lady asked what made me decide to try yoga and what kind I'm doing.

I decided to try yoga for a few reasons:

I am not very good at stretching and I thought it might help.

POM has had some great success with racing after some yoga.

I tried some videos years ago and I liked it, but I never knew if I was doing it right, so I thought if I was in front of a teacher who would correct me, it couldn't hurt.

The class I'm taking is Prem Yoga. It's similar to Kripalu Yoga.

Debbie's doctor wants her to do some yoga, but she is worried about embarrassing herself. I say just do it. You'll feel so good at the end of the class! And, you'll be more bendy!

Charlie asked if I felt that biking was a good compliment to the running program.

I really do think it's a good compliment to running. It's so much easier when you're in shape and you're not worn out right off the bat. I have a bike trainer, so my biking has been done in the comfort of my living room after the kids go to sleep.

On a side note, between my treadmill running and my indoor biking, I promise I am not agoraphobic. Sometimes, you have to do whatever it takes to get those workouts in.

May was another record mileage month for me with 145.28 miles. I continue to feel good and I'm looking forward to getting official training underway next week.

My run today put me just over 500 miles for the year.

I was especially happy about reaching the milestone on June 2nd. My goal for the year was 100 miles per month. In February, due to a hectic work schedule and the flu, I logged 16.13 miles for the entire month. Even so, I seem to be just two days off of my original goal.

Vacation Plan

I am excited about our upcoming summer vacation. The second week of marathon training I will be in Ormond-by-the-Sea. We are renting a condo about a mile from where I lived from the time I was 12 until I was almost 17 when my family moved to Orlando. My plan?

Early morning runs on the beach.

Eat well. With a full kitchen, and a grocery store less than a mile a way, what's stopping me?

Relax.

Read a book. Maybe one that Running Geezer recommended.

Not work.

Did I mention, relax?

The Plan

2008-05-27T20:04:00.003-04:00

I feel like things are really coming together for Chicago. In less than two weeks, June 9th, training officially begins. Thanks to the incredible Shirley and her guidance, I have a training plan selected.

I am going to use Hal Higdon's Advanced I schedule. One of the goals behind running Chicago is to get ready for Goofy in January. This plan incorporates a short long run and a long long run, so it should be a good fit.

Things have been going well. Despite the heat and humidity, I have felt really good about my running. I have been quietly biking for the past few weeks and that, while not as consistent is fun and nice way to get some cross training.

Also, tonight I went to my first yoga class. I have some yoga DVD's that I tried a long time ago, but this was my first experience with an instructor led class. I really enjoyed it! I plan on making that part of my Tuesday routine. I feel really good after the class. I feel like all of my running-related tight spots have been loosened up. Ahhhhhhhhh.

Booked!

2008-05-21T19:11:00.004-04:00

Before training officially starts, I am happy to say that my travel plans for Chicago are finalized and booked.

This was the biggest stress factor of this marathon experience. And now that it's set, I don't have to worry about it anymore!

The whole family is traveling with me this time and everything just came together really nicely.

We arrive in Chicago (Midway) on October 4th. We are going to rent a car and drive to Madison, Wisconsin to spend a few days with my sister. I'm excited about this leg of the trip. She moved to Wisconsin almost three years ago and we have yet to make it to her new house.

We're heading back to Chicago on October 9th and we'll be staying at Hotel 71 on Wacker Drive. It's about a mile from the marathon start and just five or six blocks from the three mile mark and about eight or nine blocks from the 20k mark. Close enough where my family can see me a few times on the course.

We're heading back home soon after the race. Our flight leaves Midway around 6:30 PM that evening.

I am so excited about seeing so many friends in Chicago. Petra, Melisa, Charlie, Susan, David...

And I am so relieved that I have a place to sleep in the big city! By the way, if you haven't booked your trip yet, check out Expedia. I got a rockin' deal!

Another Good Week

2008-05-19T21:19:00.008-04:00

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever and a day. It's been eight days and that's quite a long time. I guess it's true that sometimes, something has to give...

The beginning of the week was a whirlwind as I prepared for my third trip in six weeks to San Diego. Early Wednesday morning, I headed to the airport and by 10:30 AM PDT I was in glorious Southern California.

I have gotten the hang of my three day trips to the west coast and I have done a fairly decent job of avoiding jet lag. After working until 5:30 PM PDT in the office on Wednesday, I headed to dinner with some colleagues. By 8:30 I was asleep.

Thursday morning I woke up at 5:30 and headed out on my run to the harbor. This is the route that takes me around the harbor, past the Star of India and the U.S.S. Midway. I make my turn and head through downtown and back to the hotel in Old Town. The total was 6.37 miles and I was back in just under an hour.

Thursday evening I walked to a little Mexican take out restaurant and I had an amazingly humongous burrito. It was $3.75. I ate half of it. That's how big it was. After I was done eating, I spent about 20 minutes in the hotel hot tub. It was so relaxing.

My room this time was right next to the "fitness center". The hotel I stay at is a little bit older. The rooms are clean and nice. I'm sure to stay competitive, the hotel added a fitness center. It's simply a hotel room that has been converted to hold a universal style weight machine, an elliptical machine, a treadmill and a recumbent stationary bike. As I drifted off to another early night to sleep I could hear the weights being slammed down. Ugh!

Friday morning I was out the door before 5:30 AM and I headed to Harbor Island. I had hoped to run the whole Island this time, but I only made the first half. I was worried about how much time I had. This time around I didn't see my duck friends. My total for the run was 7.54 miles.

Friday afternoon I was headed back to Orlando.

Saturday I wanted to take it easy. I wasn't jet lagged, but there was no need to push it. After dinner, I ran 3.25 miles on the treadmill.

Sunday morning I woke up early and drove to downtown Tavares. I parked in front of the Lake County Administration Building. My plan was ten miles. I ran on the "Tavares Trail" and I headed toward Lake Eustis and into Leesburg. I reached the five mile mark and I turned around for the return trip. I made the decision to leave my fuel belt at home and by mile eight I thought that maybe it wasn't the best decision. It's too hot to be out that long without any water. Next time I won't make that same mistake.

It was a really good week for me and for my running. I ended with a total of 35.41 miles. I'm hoping the good groove continues.

What a Weekend!

2008-05-11T21:07:00.005-04:00

Late last week I got an email from my friend Cheryl. We usually get together on most weekends to get out long runs in. She asked if I would be interested in running the I-Drive 5K Run I thought, why not... We both registered by last Saturday to take advantage of the price break.

The plan was to run the race and then get some more miles in after the race. I had such a good time running I-Drive with Irish Blue when she was in town, I was looking forward to another spin around that area.

Saturday morning I picked Cheryl up at 5:30 AM. I am not a fan of packet pick-up on race day so I wanted to be sure we were early enough to get out packets and stow the extra packet stuff back at the car.

Between the lack of traffic and nearly the entire route being highways, we were there in no time and had our packets in hand, numbers pinned in place and a potty stop by 6:35.

Race time wasn't until 7:30 and we were already begining to feel the heat of the day working it's way into the morning. Cheryl asked what I wanted to do. I told her we should run a two miles before the race to beat the heat after. She agreed.

We headed out and we returned in 19:19 with 2.08 miles under our belts.

We waited a bit and then lined up for the start of the race. It was realy getting warm.

The course went South down International Drive for and then we hung a left. At the first mile marker the Orange County Fire Department had their chopper parked in the median. It was cool to see it that close.

We then took a right on Universal Boulevard. We hit the water stop, went a little further and then turned back. On my way back, coming toward me, not yet to the turn around point, there were about 20 Orange County Firemen in gear running in formation. The leader had a flag and was calling a cadence and the firefighters following him were calling back to him. It was really cool to see. And when you consider the humidty it was something else.

I continued on and the course went past our first turn and then turned into the back entrance of Pointe Orlando. The end of the course was really strange because the last .1 mile was almost like an alley and there were speed bumps. The speed bumps kind of jacked with my stride because I was trying hard to avoid them. It was just weird.

It was so hot. The kind of race David would call a death march. I would totally agree with him.

My time: 28:15.

Did I mention it was hot?

After the race, I seriously thought I could have thrown up. I ate a bagel and a banana and I was feeling better. But... Cheryl and I decided it was just too hot to run anymore. We packed it in and headed home.

Yesterday afternoon, my family and I headed to my sister-in-law's house in New Port Richey. Becuase of the heat on Saturday I planned to get to bed at a decent time so I could try to get a run in before the heat was in full force.

I was out the door by 6:30 and I ran 6.03 miles in 58:23. It was hot, but there were some nice breezes coming from the canals and my brief minute in front of the Gulf of Mexico. It was a really nice, peaceful run. There wasn't a lot of traffic and not a lot of people out and about.

It was a nice way to close out the running this week and it was a great start to a great Mother's Day.

This coming week is another trip to San Diego! After the humidity I have felt the later part of this week, I cannot wait for my "Harbor Run" this Thursday!

Women Run the World 15K :: Race Report

2008-05-04T15:55:00.005-04:00

Late Friday afternoon, my daughter and I headed out to Wide World of Sport to get my race packet and check out the expo. On the way, I noticed the beginning of scratchy throat. Oh, no! I couldn't be getting sick!

I thought the expo was lacking. Last year there were some big brands with floor space. Champion, who is a pretty big sponsor was there last year and absent this year. New Balance, which was a big favorite with my daughter last year because of the opportunity to play Dance Dance Revolution was also MIA.

There were a lot of smaller brands there, such as my friends from Running Princess. And there were other girly brands there too who had some super cute stuff.

By far the booth with the most action was the Bondi Band booth. As you all know, I am a big fan of my bandannas, but I was lured in and I bought two Bondi Bands, one for me and one for my daughter. I didn't wear it today, but I'll try it out soon. I bet that 30% of the runners today had Bondi Bands on. Amazing! I am going to see if they can find some pink camouflage material and I just might make the switch. Stay tuned...

Friday night and all day yesterday I was on a steady stream of Airborne and Zicam (I should have gone with the nose swabs, the dissolving tablets are tough to choke down)

This morning, I was up just before 4:00 AM. With a 6:15 AM start, I knew I needed to leave here no later than 4:30 AM to beat the road closures and be sure that I had time to stretch and get ready.

I arrived without incident, made my first port-a-potty stop and then began to wander around. I ran into my friend Angie who I ran the last 10 miles at the DeLeon Springs Half Marathon. We talked a bit and then realized that the port-a-potty lines were growing quickly. We got in line and when we were done we made our way to the start. We had to snake our way through the 11:00 minute milers and found our place around the 9:00 minute mile pace. We said our "good lucks" and when the race started, we parted ways with Angie taking quite a lead.

Because I have not been feeling the greatest, I decided to take the first half of the race cautiously. I was moving at a decent pace, but I wasn't pushing too hard. After the turn around near Wide World of Sports we hit the four mile mark. The volunteer called out 38 (something, I can't remember the seconds). I was feeling really good. I thought I could be on pace to not only get a PR, but come in at the 1:30 mark, which was my #1 goal. I decided to pick up the pace a bit.

On days that I have not been running, I have been walking on the treadmill at a good clip (5.0 MPH) at an incline of 8.0 - 10.0. That really helped me to cruise up the off ramps and other inclines that have slowed me down in the past.

We made our way through Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) and around the boardwalk. We passed a group on the beach participating in a sunrise yoga class.

The course goes through a back area at Epcot and then you pop out into England in the World Showcase. It was really all a blur once I was in Epcot. Before I knew it I was almost all the way around the lake. I remember smelling the Jasmine in China and the next thing I knew, I was headed toward Spaceship Earth. At the nine mile mark, the volunteer called the time and I thought that the PR was within grasp.

I was almost there .3 mile to go and then I really started moving.

I crossed the finish line in 1:28:02 (chip time).

A New PR by seven minutes and six seconds!

I missed Leana today. Next time we'll have to make a plan to meet up before hand. But the race almost snuck up on me this time.

*******************************

Before the race started this morning, it was announced that the 15K is being replaced with a half marathon next March. The Princess Half Marathon. Registration opens tomorrow. I'm all over it!

I was thinking that the Minnie Marathon Weekend would be replaced by a co-ed race. It is just being replaced by a more marketable franchise. Princesses trump Minnie all day long.

Record Month and Duck Redux

2008-05-01T19:34:00.007-04:00

I am excited to report that April 2008 was a record mileage month for me. I ended the month with 123.9 miles during the 30 days of April. This tops my previous record of 109.54 miles in September 2007.

I have been feeling really good and I am looking forward to keeping the momentum going!

Shirley and Irish Blue, - aka- Melisa both asked how I knew the difference between a male and a female duck, becuase of the "Harbor Island Incident"

When I was little I loved to go to the park and feed the ducks. - Okay, okay, I still love to feed the ducks. When I was small, my mom taught me the difference. She also told me that ducks were partners for life. I don't know if that's true or not, but something I remember...

Male Duck

Female Duck

Sunday is Disney's Women Run the World 15K. I emailed our friends at Disney Sports earlier this week about the 2009 races. In their reply they said that this year would indeed be the last year for the Minnie Marathon weekend. I was assured that there would be additional races added. This makes me a little sad. after three years, they are pulling the plug on one of my favorite races.

When I started thinking about it, I decided it must be financially motivated. They're leaving a lot of money on the table by marketing the weekend to women.

I'm sure the race they replace this one with will be a co-ed race.

One more month of running for the fun of it. In June, official training for Chicago begins! Yay!

Keeping Going, The San Diego Report and a Stern Warning

2008-04-27T16:41:00.004-04:00

The health and fitness challenge my company is having is going well. My team is in third place, hopefully our points from this week will push us even closer to top.

One thing this challenge has done has kept me moving. I am approaching a record month for mileage. I will have a full report on my miles May 1st. Stay tuned!

My flight to San Diego left Orlando at 6:30 AM EDT Wednesday morning. I had a layover in Houston and I was able to sleep most of the way to Texas. I even slept some of the way from Houston to San Diego. I arrived in San Diego at 10:30 AM PDT.

It makes for a long day because I work until 5:30 PM PDT in the office. I got checked in to my hotel by 6:00 PM and around 6:45 PM I went out for a run. For the first time ever, I set the Nike+ on my iPod to time and I selected 30 minutes. I wanted to keep it short because I had my heart set on a harbor run in the morning.

I gotta tell you, choosing the time setting really sucks. I never really think much about the time. I just do my thing. I figure most songs are about four minutes, but it doesn't really register. When the five minutes completed announcement came on, I was a little disappointed. That's it? it's only been five minutes? Are you kidding me?

I had picked my Old Town route that I have only ever run on the early mornings. I didn't think about that fact that at dinner time, the sidewalks would be packed with people headed to eat some of the best Mexican food North of the border. I weaved my way through the crowds and up and around Presido Hills golf course. It wasn't exactly an out and back course, but I was able to time it almost perfectly to get back to the hotel in 30 minutes.

I was feeling sluggish and tired from the travel, so I called it a night and I was asleep well before 9:00 PM.

My alarm was set for 5:15 AM PDT and I was out the door soon after for my harbor run. The temperature was in the mid 50's and there was no humidity. It really felt nice. I ran my usual loop past the Star of India and the U.S.S. Midway and through downtown back to my hotel. It's just about six and a half miles. Thursday I made it back two minutes faster than my first trip out this month. It was a new harbor run PR!

That day I had lunch with a co-worker and fellow runner. He asked if I had run to Harbor Island. I told him I had not. He told me how to get there and suggested I check it out.

Friday morning the alarm went off and in no time I was out the door and headed toward the harbor. I didn't know exactly how far Harbor Island was and I needed a few extra minutes to check out of the hotel so as I ran the first couple of miles I contemplated heading to Harbor Island or just sticking to my regular route.

When I got to the point where I needed to either turn right for my route or left to head to the island, I decided to be adventurous and to the island I went.

I didn't have enough time to run the whole Island but I did get a little distance. The view from this side of the harbor was breath-taking. I could see the ships that I had run past on Thursday with downtown San Diego in the background. A cruise ship was entering the harbor. It was spectacular!

I passed two male ducks next to a bush. "Quack quack quack. Quack quack quack". I said to the boys.

I kept going and almost forgot that I had seen them. On my way back the bushes were rustling. As I passed, a female duck jumped out and started chasing me, quacking her displeasure. A stern warning indeed. Did she have babies she was keeping me away from? Or was she jealous that I spoke to her men friends? I told here I was leaving and I kept moving and she dropped back. It was really funny.

This run turned out to be just over seven miles. In three days, I ran over 16 miles. It's always a great way to start the day!

Friday night I took the red-eye through LA back to Orlando. I was able to sneak three miles in last night.

And I am hoping to get a few more in tonight, but I need to get moving before it's too late!

Busy... Busy... Catching Up

2008-04-20T12:48:00.005-04:00

I really don't like going more than a week without posting something... and here I am, working toward a week and a half.

I have been trying to keep up with the blogs and posting comments when I can.

I feel like I have been busy. I have been busy with work and this Wednesday I'm headed back to San Diego for a few days. I have also been working hard to make sure I'm getting seven hours of sleep each night for my contest points. I guess it has taken time away from other things, like writing blog posts.

Tuesday I worked in my remote remote office. Which means instead of working at home, I work from a variety of coffee shops around Orlando. I had lunch plans with my friend Colleen, so after I dropped the kids off at school, I headed to Panera in Altamonte Springs. After lunch I headed to Starbucks in Maitland at the Sheraton North because I had a few meetings.

My next stop was Track Shack for some new shoes. My hip had been bothering me. Apparently, my shoes are good for 325 miles and not much more.

I have been running for the last year or so in the Nike Air Structure Triax+ 10. The new model, the 11, was recently released. I spoke with the gentleman who was helping me about my current shoe, what size I wore, how many miles they had on them and how I was feeling.

He went in the back and came back with the new Nike Air Structure Triax+ 11, and a pair of Asics. He went into the back again and came out with a pair of Mizunos and a pair of New Balance. We went through this process several times ruling out shoes for one reason or another. Finally, we had narrowed our choices down to the orginal Nikes and the Original Asics. I tried one on each foot and then switched. I ended up with the Nikes. It was one of the best shoe buying experiences I have ever had!

My New Kicks (picture courtesy of Zappos)

And don't you just LOVE running in new shoes? It's so refreshing! And it feels so bouncy! This week I have reduced the life of my new shoes by 10% - 33+ miles on the 11's already!

My son's class went to the National Training Center on Friday to compete against six other schools in track events. Stone ran the mile in a respectable 9:09. Here's the thing, he came in fifth place, but I couldn't be prouder if he came in first. He never stopped to walk once. He paced himself and stayed strong the whole time. I was so glad to be there to cheer for him. It was really great!

The NTC Track

And finally, I ran nearly twenty miles this weekend. Yesterday I ran 9.45 on the unofficially named Tavares Trail along Hwy 441 across from Lake Eustis and all the way the Leesburg. It was a nice cool morning and I made the distance in 1:32:52. I felt pretty good about that time.

This morning, I met up with my friend Cheryl. She's running the Country Music Half Marathon next Saturday and she was looking for some support on a ten miler. I told her that I would go, but it might be slow going. I completed 10.48 miles in 1:59:18. Slow going indeed. I didn't figure our trip to EPCOT yesterday afternoon into the equation. We walked and walked and walked...

Despite the miles over the past two days, I feel pretty good. My legs are a little tired, but not awful. I felt good enough to play tennis for a few hours this afternoon.

Shoes and Shock

2008-04-10T21:09:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, my company announced a contest. A Shape Up contest, in which participants can earn points daily by:

Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables

Seven hours of sleep

Relax for at least ten minutes

Exercise for at least 30 minutes

Take care of yourself - Drink water, floss teeth etc...

The challenge officially began on Monday - and to date I have earned all of my points!

Sunday I ran ten miles. I would have normally taken a break on Monday, but because of me desire to get all of my points, I ran anyway. So on Tuesday, my legs were pretty tired.

So, guess what I did?

I ran.

Wednesday, I also ran.

Today...

You guessed it, I ran.

I think I need some alternative cross-training to give myself a break for a day. But still get in some sort of exercise.

Biking is an option.

Well...

In January, I bought a bike, a Trek Y5,- and she needs a name, right Susan? While I have ridden it a few times, I still don't have the shoes for the clipless pedals.

Swimming is an option.

Well...

The pool wasn't maintained to summer standards and now, my husband says he needs to "shock the shit out of it". I'm pretty sure that's a technical term.

My plan?

Get some shoes and get some shock and give my legs a day of rest.

Maybe I need a pull buoy too, huh?

13.1 Miles in San Diego

2008-04-04T17:56:00.003-04:00

No, I didn't run a half marathon, but over the course of two days I did run 13.1 glorious miles in the early California morning.

Because my trip was a short one it was pretty easy for me to maintain East coast hours. Wednesday night I was asleep before 9:30 PM and It felt likeI was sleeping in when the alarm went off at 5:15 AM. I was out the door at 5:45 AM and headed toward the harbor.

Disclaimer: I totally snagged this picture from www.shelterislandsailing.com

When I was out in December, I finally found the harbor and if I remembered correctly, I thought it was somewhere between 6 1/2 and 7 miles.

I thought I knew the way, but I missed a turn. When I got to the next block I knew I needed to backtrack. I made my turn and then it started to look familiar. I ran through a little industrial area that is a one way street and before I knew it, I was two turns away from being at the harbor.

It's so pretty and peaceful there. I'm surprised by how few people are out, there were a handful of other runners, and a lot of homeless people still sleeping - (A friend calls it bums.com) I ran past the Star of India and past the U.S.S. Midway. The path continues along or you can, as I did, breakaway to the city.

I ran up a block and took a left. This street goes straight through the edge of downtown and through Little Italy. It then turns into another one way street. I take a right on Washington Street and then a left to head to Old Town.

Yesterday my iPod told me 6.57 miles in 1:02:25.

I ran the same route today - although there was no need to backtrack because I knew where I was. My iPod reported 6.56 miles in 1:04:17.

There is a possibility I was a bit slower today. Although I did have to wait at a significantly more stoplights this morning.

It was wonderful to get out there and get a great start on the day.

One of the things I love about coming to San Diego is my morning run. That and looks of astonishment when my co-workers find out that I have been up so early and run what they consider a ridiculous distance.

My employer will require me to make at least seven more trips to San Diego this year. (No complaining from me about that!)

I am looking forward to more harbor runs!

My Bandanna

2008-03-31T21:50:00.005-04:00

In January of 2007, I invited a bunch of my friends to run the Lady Track Shack 5K in Winter Park. The proceeds from the race help to cover the costs of mammograms for under-privileged women in Central Florida. I wanted to run this race as a tribute my mom, who had breast cancer and passed away in October of 2001.

I wanted to find a way for us to show our solidarity and a way to show that we were running as a group, even if we weren't running together. I have run with bandannas for a long, long time and while I was out and about one day, I found the, now infamous, pink camouflage bandannas. I bought enough for the whole crew and a few extras, in case someone decided late in the game to run with us. I ended up with several extras.

I liked the pink camo because it was girly, but tough.

I have worn one of those pink camouflage bandannas at every race I have run since then.

Saturday morning after I had gone back to my car to drop off my race packet I was headed to meet Chris someone behind me called "Maddy?"

It was my friend Janice who was training for the Dublin Marathon with Team in Training while I was training for San Francisco. She said with that bandanna, she knew it had to be me.

David was also able to find me Saturday morning after the race, he didn't attribute it to the bandanna, but I would bet it made me easy to spot in the crowd. At 5'2, I'm probably pretty easy to miss, but with some pink camo on my head, it's easy to find me.

Jim spotted me too, thanks to the bandanna. And my friend Angie, who I ran the majority of the DeLeon Springs Half Marathon with came over and said, I knew it was you because of your bandanna.

Rest assured peeps, those pink camo bandannas are here to stay. At least until they are thread bare. Then what? Maybe I should see if I can get some more...

*****************************

Early Saturday evening, the sore throat I was feeling when I woke up Saturday morning was developing into a full-blown cold. With many, many doses of Airborne (yes, I truly believe it works) I am feeling a little better. I eeked out 3.25 miles yesterday and 4 miles today for a total of 101.20 miles for the month.

Year to date I have run 220.33. Even with a miserable February (just over 16 miles - for the entire month) I am still on track for my mileage goal of at least 1,000 for the year.

Winter Park Road Race / Simply Stu Relay :: Race Report

2008-03-29T20:37:00.007-04:00

I knew it would be an early day today, so last night I wanted to get to bed early. I had a hard time falling asleep, which is unusal for me. I can sleep virtually anywhere, anytime. I laid down around 10:30, which was later than I wanted to, and while the 10:00 news was still on, I did fall asleep.

My alarm was set for 4:45 AM and then I hit the snooze and at 4:50 AM I got up and got ready to go. I mildly concerned that my throat was a little sore, but it wasn't that big of a deal. By 5:30 AM, I was out the door and on my way to Winter Park.

With little traffic, I was in the parking garage on the corner of Canton and Park in less than 45 minutes. I was meeting up with Marathon Chris at 6:45 AM.

I never made it to Orlando this past week so I planned to pick up my race packet this morning. I had plenty of time get my packet, get my number pinned on, take my stuff back to my car and meet Chris on time.

The start line was in a different spot this year. Last year it was on a side street and this year it was right on Park Avenue. It caused a great deal of congestion for the first quarter of a mile or so and it was hard to get around people who weren't moving as fast as I wanted to go.

The course winds through a high-end residental area and it is really, really pretty. There were several people in their driveways watching, waiting for friends, or maybe just amazed by the 2,000 people tearing by.

The first two miles were right around a 9:15 pace. I created a new playlist last night and the music was helping me keep a decent pace. I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, I would have a chance at a PR.

Mile three was a little slower, about 9:30. I started doing the PR math in my head. Would I be able to do it?

By mile five I thought a PR would still be possible, but it might be close.

I was starting to feel a little struggle from within, but I tried my best to push past it. As we made our way back to Park Avenue, I pushed myself hard. At the same time I tried not to look at my watch.

I crossed the mats but it wasn't enough.

My chip time was 58:17. Ten seconds slower than my PR... Ten seconds.

I grabbed two bottles of water and headed to the other side of the finish line to cheer for Chris. I didn't wait long because she was right behind me with a brand new PR!

Chris and I went in search of the post-race food and I grabbed an orange slice and half a bagel. As we walked we ran into David. We chatted for a bit and then we parted ways.

Then we saw Jim, who, like Chris, got a brand-spanking-new 10K PR.

Overall, I'm pleased with my race today. Sure, I would have loved to have gotten a PR today, but I made the decision that anything under an hour would make me happy.

Next year, I'll be faster.

Team 330 :: SimplyStu Relay Team

2008-03-28T19:06:00.006-04:00

This weekend is the SimplyStu Triathalon. Susan who is recovering from a Peroneal Tendon tear and has not been able to run, mentioned she was feeling unprepared for the event.

Susan

Susan has been able to ride her awesome bike Daisy, but was feeling unprepared for the swim. I commented on her blog post that maybe we could form a relay team. I thought that maybe my 10k could count as a double event.

That's me, but you probably knew that...

And then the ball started rolling.

Susan liked the idea. Ran the idea past Shirley and then Susan asked Petra who is also recovering from injury, and practicing in the pool, if she would be interested in swimming this weekend.

Petra

Petra said yes.

And just like that we had a triathalon relay team.

Susan suggested we get a number. And we became number 330 or "Team 330".

Why 330?

Because we're 3 chicks in our 30's.

Oh, and by the way... We rock!

Winter Park Road Race

2008-03-24T20:57:00.004-04:00

This Saturday is the CNL Bank Winter Park Road Race This will be my third 10K race. I ran this race last year and and bested my 10K PR from the Disney Classic 10K on October 8, 2000 by more than ten minutes.

Last year I completed the race in 58:07. I was thrilled to be under an hour. So this year, will I be able to keep it under an hour? Will I be able to do better than last year? We'll see...

I am excited to meet up again with Marathon Chris on Saturday morning. We met up last year before the Winter Park Road Race and the plan is to meet up again.

David will also be running in Winter Park this Saturday. I hope to see him also. I missed him at the Winter Park 5K in January. David, Look for the Pink Camouflage Bandanna. You'll find me.

*****************************

Last Saturday morning, I got up at 5:30 AM. My six year old daughter had snuck into our bed to sleep. If she gets caught, she is sent back to her own bed. Apparently, I made too much noise and sleeping beauty woke up. "Mama" she whispered.

"What?" I asked.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to run" I told her.

"Where are you running?"

"I'm going to Winter Garden."

"How many miles are you going?" She continued to question.

"I'm going ten miles." I answered.

"Oh.".

"Now go back to bed" I told her.

She laid back down, closed her eyes and was soon asleep again.

I thought it was pretty cool and a little amusing that to her, ten miles is just another run.

My Better is Better Than Your Better

2008-03-20T18:56:00.003-04:00

Have you seen the new Nike commercials?

The competitor in me LOVES them!

The first commercial has some of the best "in your face" comments this side of "your momma" jokes. Which one is your favorite?

The second commercial features "List of Demands" by Saul Williams. I liked the song so much that I downloaded it before my run this afternoon.

Who's Reading?

2008-03-19T21:29:00.004-04:00

The wonderful Jade Lady posted some questions on her blog, inspired by a comment left by Peter. I thought I would post her questions here with my answers. Feel free to leave your answers in a comment or post them on your blog.

1. Does your significant other (or best friend) actually read your posts?

2. If they don't, do you ever feel like saying to them - just read my blog?

3. Do people tell the Internet secrets about themselves, even deep dark secrets?

4. Do you have a secret(s) that you wish you could share with others in your blog, but haven't mustered the courage to do so, for whatever reason?

1.) No, my husband does not read my blog. He knows it's there, but he doesn't read it.

2.) I understand that a running blog just isn't his thing. I write my blog and read other blogs, and when he's on the internet, he does his own thing. Like look for parts and ideas for his classic Mini Cooper. The point is, we have different online interests and it doesn't hurt my feelings.

The Super Cooper

3.) I'm sure people tell the internet deep dark secrets and post pictures of those deep dark secrets too. Benjamin Franklin said "Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead". The internet isn't exactly private. Have you Googled your name lately? You should.

4.) Hmmmm. I don't know that I have secrets that I want to share. I'm sure there have been things I have edited or omitted. But did you really want to know that I ate Easter candy for dinner tonight? Probably not.

Vote for Shirley For Team Evotri Round 2

2008-03-15T13:01:00.004-04:00

Our good friend Shirley is entering for sponsorship with the Team Evotri Making the Team 2 Contest.

Check out her application here.

Shirley and me at The DeLeon Springs Half Marathon

Please take the time to vote for Shirley by sending an email to vote@evotri.com and put the address to Shirley's Blog - http://humbletriathlete.blogspot.com - In the subject line.

GO SHIRLEY!

Running with a Friend

2008-03-11T22:01:00.004-04:00

One of the benefits of living near Orlando is that it's not only a vacation destination, but a big draw for conventions and tradeshows. That means that because we are all over the world, sooner or later, people end up in Orlando for either fun or work.

Last night I had the pleasure of running with Melisa, A.K.A Irish Blue who is in town for a tradeshow.

I picked her up at her hotel and we headed to International Drive. I-Drive is your typical tourist strip filled with endless t-shirt shops, restaurants, a go-kart track and Wet 'n Wild.

We ran just over 3.5 miles and had a great opportunity to get to know each other better and really just have fun. I thought it was particularly cool because Melisa has also registered for the Chicago Marathon. I get to run with the amazing Ms. M. twice this year.

After our run we headed back to Melisa's hotel. We went to the lobby and asked a guy to take our picture.

I had a great time! And I'm looking even more forward to Chicago to run again with my friend.

**************************

Disney Update

Stop hemming and hawing peeps.

Goofy Race and a Half Challenge = Full
Half Marathon = Full
Full Marathon = 50% Full

If you were even considering the full, now is the time to get registered before it's too late!

Last Minute 5K = New PR

2008-03-08T10:31:00.004-05:00

I got an email from Alta Vista earlier this week about their upcoming events. I was surprised to see a 5K scheduled for this morning right across the lake from me in Leesburg.

I thought about it for a while and decided to register for the Spring Fling 5K

I decided that I would go just see how I would do. I didn't want to jinx myself by putting it out there, so I just kept the race to myself. The only person who knew I was running this morning was my awesome husband.

Last night we had quite a storm and a tornado watch that lasted until 2:00 AM. I was concerned about any lingering rain that my effect the race this morning. Other than strong wind that blew right through us, the weather was fine. temps were in the low 60's.

The out and back course went through the Palmora Park neighborhood. I would guess that most of the homes were built in the 40's or 50's all the houses were well maintained and the homes on the lake were amazing. Quite honestly, they don't build them like that anymore.

I felt pretty strong the entire race and worked to keep my pace strong and steady. Of course, I started out too fast and slowed a little bit. The second mile was my slowest of the day, but I picked up the pace for the last 1.1 and beat my PR by 14 seconds.

My new PR: 27:12

I was surprised by the number of senior citizen runners. I met a very nice lady who has run in every Disney Marathon since the inception. I would guess she was in her 60's and she totally smoked me. She told me that her best time ever was about 10 years ago and it was 19 minutes. Wow! That's fast!

I stuck around for the door prize drawing a I won free lunch at The Way Cafe in Leesburg. Apparently, they have the best clam chowder this side of Hyannis Port. I'll have to post a review when I go.

I'm excited about my new PR. It's been a while since I have had a new PR and I was beginning to think that my fastest running was behind me. The race today proved (to me) that I still have it in me to push myself. Bit by bit.

The Marketing Behind Running

2008-03-05T22:23:00.005-05:00

What happens when Honda is the title sponsor for a marathon and has final approval on the creative?

The agency, Rubin, Postaer and Associates along with artist Andy Mueller put together a clever outdoor and print campaign that got L.A on the streets.

Read the article here.

***************************

SPOILER ALERT

Soon we will be seeing new "Sound Mind Sound Body" print ads from ASICS in Runner's World, Men's Health, InStyle and Spin. For a sneak peak click here, here and here

Bonus points if you can tell me what ASICS means. Correct answer will appear in my next post.

I'm Back!

2008-03-02T14:22:00.004-05:00

Guess who's back?

Back again.

Maddy's back!

Tell a friend.

(Inspired by some Eminem song)

February was a miserable month mileage-wise for me. The beginning of the month was busy and I was having a hard time finding (or making) the time to run.

The middle of the month brought me to San Diego for business and I was able to only run a little more than three miles while I was there.

And then the flu.

It was frustrating to have the desire but not the ability. The lack of miles was not due to a loss of mojo, but rather the chest congestion and coughing that kept me away.

This past week, I was able to get in six miles. My days are feeling busier and busier - I may need to revisit the early morning run to make sure I am able to get my runs in. I didn't sweat it too much last week because I wanted to be sure that I was healthy.

Today, I feel like it's as good as it's going to get and with some races ahead, including the Winter Park Road Race in less than a month I was feeling like I needed to get back to it.

My run, on the treadmill (David will scold me for staying inside on such a beautiful day)started with some doubt. It had been a while since I had run long. Had I lost any fitness? How far would I be able to go without feeling like I was going to die?

I went into the run with a goal in mind, but I was leaving it open to see how I felt. I ended up reaching the goal I set for myself. I ran ten miles in 1:28:29. I was feeling it when I was done. After logging my run on breakingthetape.com and checking out some of my Nike+ challenges, my quads were really feeling those ten miles.

I took some sage advice I received last year from David and I stood in the cold pool for about five minutes and followed with a cool(er) shower.

I'm excited to feel healthy and for being able to complete those ten miles today. I am looking forward to the rest of the year and all of the races I have planned. Now the plan includes staying healthy and continuing the quest to faster race times!

What the...

2008-02-20T21:55:00.004-05:00

I wrote my last post on Friday evening while I was at the airport in San Diego. My plan was to get home and get a long run in over the three day weekend. I was on the red-eye and actually got a fair amount of sleep on the first leg of my trip to Atlanta. I also slept most of the way from Atlanta to Orlando. I don't do well with disrupted sleep. My plan was to lay down for just a little while when I arrived home.

I was so excited to see my family. It was a long trip and I was happy to be home. I said hello and layed down for a nap. I ended staying in bed for a little longer. I had a fantastic flu virus accompanied with some lovely chest congestion. I was in bed for four days. Four days!

I'm feeling better today and I expect to continue to improve daily. I hope to be back running before the end of the week.

This has put the Sarasota Half Marathon in question. I could run it and probably run an okay
race, but it's not really what I want. I may sit this one out wait until the Winter Park Road Race and then ultimately work toward an amazing 15k at the Minnie Marathon Weekend.

Where Has the Running Gone?

2008-02-15T20:00:00.004-05:00

Last week I had hoped to get some miles in before I headed to San Diego. It just didn't work out that way. It was really important to me that I was available to spend time with my family before I headed out, as this was going to be a longer than normal trip. It didn't rank very high on my weekend priority list.

Monday morning I woke up at 3:15 AM EST to get to the airport for my 7:00 AM flight. This put me in San Diego just before lunch time PST. I checked into my hotel and walked to the office. It's about a half mile walk. I worked in the office for the afternoon and later than evening several people from my company went on the conference sponsored Harbor Cruise. It was absoultely amazing. We were in the San Diego Harbor for two hours. I had dinner with some industry superstars and I was able to spend a good bit of time with members of my team that I don't see very often. It was a great experinece.

I didn't get back to my hotel until later close to 11:00 PM PST - It was about a 22 hour day for me. Needless to say, Tuesday morning, I opted out of my run.

I spent all day Tuesday at the conference. In the evening we spent about two hours at a reception and then it was on to dinner. Another late night...

Wednesday morning I was a part of the keynote panel. No chance I could be late. I needed to be at the conference before 8:00 AM. Another day, no running.

Thursday morning, I was finally getting into the swing of being on the West coast. I got up and went for an easy run. Just a little more than 3 miles. My back has still been slightly uncooperative and I really didn't want to push it. It felt good to get out there and get to it!

This morning, I got up and even got dressed and ready to hit the road but, with the temperature hovering in the mid 40's I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

I understand that sometimes life gets in the way of running. I don't like when that happens. Although it's a part of the cycle. I hope to get a long run in this weekend - maybe on Sunday and then get things back to normal.

One of Those Weeks

2008-02-07T21:28:00.000-05:00

It has been one of those weeks where I feel like I don't have time to breathe, let alone run. In fact, the only time I have run this week was Tuesday when I ran with the 4th and 5th graders.

To add to it, that spot on the my back that required a visit to the chiropractor the week before last, was still bothering me a little bit. I went back to see her today and I think she got that rib head back where it belongs. Trips to the doctor eat away at my time and prevent me from being able to get my runs in.

I should think about moving back to my early, early morning runs. I used to get up around 4:45 AM and get 5 - 7 miles in before I headed to Orlando. You would think that with the nearly two hour daily commute ( about an hour there and about an hour back - gotta love rush hour) takend out of the equation, I should have a lot of time to run, but that time spent in the car has been taken up with other tasks.

This has also been a week of late meetings. I had a meeting yesterday that ended at 7:00 PM. A meeting today that ended at 6:45 PM. It doesn't happen often, and it never usually happens on back to back nights, but this would be the week for it.

I am in desparate need of a shopping trip. I am going back to San Diego on Monday to attend and present at the Email Evolution Confrence. I will be speaking on a panel about email marketing and blogging. When I was in the agency world I was the priciple contributor to an email marketing blog - we'll be talking about why email marketers blog and share information about the field.

I would really like to have something new for the trip. For the first time in, I don't know how long - maybe a year - I have all ten toenails. I might go with an open toe shoe and a pedicure on Saturday.

Hopefully, things will calm down sometime between now and Monday morning, and I will be able to get some miles in.

My Kind of Town...

2008-02-05T21:18:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about a fall marathon since December when I decided to stick to the half in Sarasota. There had been some ideas thrown around between some bloggers. Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco... There was no final decision. And then late last week with little discussion a plan was put into place.

The incredible Petra asked if I would be interested in registering for Chicago. The funny thing is, I had been thinking a lot about Chicago over the past few weeks. Of course being featured in the Spirit of a Marathon contributed to my wanting to run there, but also, I lived 40 miles outside of the city until I was 12. I have an aunt close by and my sister lives about 2 1/2 hours away. It would be nice to have my family cheer for me!

Early this week I registered. Chicago will be my fall marathon. Petra will be there too. As will David and Irish Blue (a.k.a. Melisa).

I think it will be an amazing race! And the more the merrier! Who else is in?

Click here to register. You know you wanna!

******

Today was the day I talked to the 4th and 5th graders at my kids' school. It went really well and they were interested in what I had to say. I took the comments I recieved and shared them with the kids. I showed them my medals and I even ran a mile with them.

I had to stay strong becuase I told them not to start out too fast. However I was not about the schooled by 11 year olds. I ran that mile in 7:10. It felt good and it was really really fun!

I would highly recommend finding some tough kids to run with! It'll make you strong!

G2 :: The Review

2008-02-02T17:40:00.001-05:00

I heard a while back that Gatorade was going to try their hand (again) at another lower calorie alternative. You can find some background about why their first attempt failed and why they feel their on the right track now here.

I had really forgotten about the announcement, but I was reminded today. My son has been playing in a Davis Cup style tennis tournement for the past few weeks. Part of our routine includes stopping at the Kangaroo Express and picking up some Gatorade and snacks.

Today when I headed back to the cooler all of the Gatorade sport-type bottles were gone (there's only so much shelf space). In their place were the new G2 bottles.

While I was frustrated that the tennis player would not have his sport bottle, I was interested enough to give the new G2 a try.

I grabbed the orange flavor because it's my favorite (ever since the iced tea flavor was discontinued in 1993... Apparently, I was the only one who liked it. ). I have to tell you, I was expecting to be disappointed. I thought for sure it wouldn't be good. I was wrong.

It's delicious! Despite the lighter color, if I didn't know it had half the calories of regular Gatorade, I wouldn't have known the difference.

I really liked it. I try to pay attention to my calorie consumption (most of the time). And unless we're going to tennis, or I'm running a long one, I hate to waste calories on beverages. So, while there are still 100 calories in a 32 oz bottle, it's better than the 200 calories in a regular Gatorade.

My, what could I do with the difference in calories? Half a Three Musketeers Bar? Hmmmmmmm.

100+ Miles and Takin' it to the Streets

2008-01-31T20:50:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy week.

I feel like it has been non-stop since Saturday.

I was going to meet Cheryl and her friend Alan at the West Orange Trail on Sunday morning for a ten miler. Carrell had a client deadline that he had to meet, so I ended up not being able to make it. Sunday afternoon I ended up with 13 miles on the treadmill.

The days have flown by one after another. I wonder where the time goes.

I carved out some time on Monday, Wednesday and today to get some running done. I ended the month with 103 miles. Any month that I get more than 100 miles in makes me happy. I have a feeling as the second half of the year arrives and I train in earnest for the Goofy Race and Half Challenge I will have some months with well over 100 miles.

Today I ventured outside (Gasp! During the week!) I have a decent hill for a driveway and it's about 1/10 of a mile long. I ran several repeats and then headed out towards Hwy 19. I realized that it was probably not the smartest move at 3:00 PM and the private school around the corner was letting out so there were cars everywhere. I swear the guy in the Volvo wagon was aiming for me...

My Driveway

Since Saturday I have been experiencing stomach cramps when I run. I can't pinpoint what the cause is or what is different from what I have been doing. It hasn't been awful, just uncomfortable. Does anyone out there have any ideas about what may be causing the cramps and any way I can convince them to stay away? I would love to hear about it.

I was pretty sure that I was going to run another 5k this weekend at Universal Studios, but I have changed my mind. I'm still on the fence about the Lady Track Shack 5k but I am headed to San Diego early the next morning and I want to be sure I have a good day with my family before I'm gone for nearly a week.

Last week the PE teacher at my kids'school sent me an email. Each spring the 4th -8th graders particpate in a track challenge at the National Training Center. I have been asked to speak to the 4th and 5th graders on Tuesday morning about running and how to prepare for their challenge in April. On Thurday morning I will be speaking to the 6th - 8th graders. I'm very excited about it. And I have definitely won "cool points" with my kids. Any thoughts on ideas to share there? Bring it on!

Park Avenue 5k :: Race Report

2008-01-26T21:30:00.000-05:00

What?

Race Report?

Yes.

It has been an absolutely crazy week. With little time to for some of my favorite activities, such as running and blogging.

The slowing down this week on the running front was probably a good thing. I ended up at the chiropractor on Tuesday morning. I had a rib head out that was causing me some minor pain in my back. I think a little rest (weather I wanted it or not) was just what I needed.

Last Saturday I decided to register for the Park Avenue 5k. I ran this race in 1999. There were approximately 1,259 finishers that year. There were more than 2,600 finishers this year. In less than ten years the field has more than doubled!

I arrived in Winter Park this morning at about 6:40 AM. I called my friend Cheryl when I got parked and she happened to be walking right toward me. We headed up to the starting area and she picked up her race packet and then got her kids signed up for the kids race after the 5k.

Soon we lined up at the starting line between the 9 minute mile and 10 minute mile signs, just where we should be. I wish it was just that simple for everyone to line up appropriately.

While we were waiting for the race to start, Marathon Chris and her daughter found us and said hello. Chris was nice enough to take a picture. She wished us luck and just a minute later the race officially started.

It took some time to cross over the starting mats. And Thanks to Chris, there is video that shows just how many people were there.

It was shoulder to shoulder for a long time About a quarter I saw a woman ( maybe late fifties, early sixty)take a digger on the brick street. I was on the sidewalk, because there was a little more room to pass the slower peeps. I did see a few people help her up, which was nice of them.

It stayed tight and crowded until after the first mile. But it never truly wasn't crowded. Near the two mile mark, a candidate, whose name I don't remember, for a position I can't recall, was set up on the side of the road with music playing from his bus and he had a nice little cheer station set up. He was also offering donuts to runners. Weird huh?

The crowd, while thinner, was still pretty thick. Cheryl moved ahead and I just couldn't get up to where she was. We had stayed pretty close together for the majority of the race and the last mile we were separated. I just couldn't get past the crowd and Cheryl's lead continued. Ultimately, Cheryl finished 27 seconds ahead of me. She was waiting at the finish line with a bottle of water for me.

My Chip Time: 27:55

I feel pretty good about that time. As I mentioned I ran this race in 1999 with half as many runners. I was 26 years old and my time was 34:36. I have become a much faster runner.

And while this wasn't a PR, it was 29 seconds off my PR, and the second fastest 5k race I have ever run.

After the race Marathon Chris met up with me again. She had her iRiver with her and we recorded a contribution for The Extra Mile Podcast. After eating some fruit I headed home.

One of the most amazing things about running a race, regardless of the distance is the great feeling of accomplishment for the rest of the day. Because first thing in the morning, you did something!

The Five Mile Headgame

2008-01-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

A five mile run works really well into my Monday through Friday daily routine. I can get it done during my lunch break and have enough time for a quick shower. - Thank goodness I work from home, because no one really knows that I either have my hair in a towel or have a wet head for an hour or so. - We'll keep that our little secret.

And while I'm not currently expereincing any mojo problems, when the lack of mojo does present itself, I can almost always (but not every time) work my way through it.

It goes something like this...

I really should run today.

Sigh...

I change my clothes and get some water.

I get started and before I know it, I have a mile under my belt.

Ugh, still not feeling it.

Mile two is done. Come on Maddy, another half mile and you can stop if you want to.

Okay, now your half way done. Do you really want to quit now?

No, I can go to three miles. I can at least round it out to the next mile.

Two miles to go now. I'm starting to feel this thing.

Whoa, four miles completed. There's only one more to go.

One more mile? That's not far. I can do that.

And before you know it, I've completed five miles and off to the shower I go.

It always makes me feel better when I run and it just that easy (or difficult, depending on the day) to get my miles in.

A New 2008 Challenge

2008-01-19T12:53:00.000-05:00

Jamie the Diabetic Runner has created a new challenge for 2008, with two different options. The DR1K which is a challenge to run 1,000 miles in 2008. And the DR5H, a challenge to run 500 miles this year.

I have signed up for the DR1K. And will run another year of the Tinkoff 1000.

This doesn't mean I'm running 2,000 miles this year. I will just be keeping both logos on my sidebar to remind me that I have a goal of at least 1,000 miles for 2008.

Care to join me?

Race Pictures

2008-01-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

The jury is still out on if I will actually purchase any pictures from the Disney Half Marathon. After a little "Print Screen" magic, I will share with you some crappy resolution pictures of last Saturday morning and some of my thoughts behind them.

About five miles in on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. How unfortunate it is to sweat in pink. Nasty...

I didn't get a castle picture this year. My timing put me right behind a few groups of camera hogs.

Just past the 12 mile mark. It looks like I am going to fly all the way to finish. I was feeling really good.

And lift off!

Yelling "I love you Pinocchio!".

Finished!

Walt Disney World Half Marathon :: Race Report

2008-01-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

If you missed the Pre-Race Report, check it out here.

Warning: You may want to get a snack. This is a long one.

I mentioned my pink skort in my pre-race report. It was a recent purchase. I actually received it this week, ran a quick 2 1/2 mile test run and I knew I was in love. I decided that it would be a part of my race attire for Saturday morning.

I have run in the past with my extra fuel belt pouch clipped to my waistband when I have decided to leave my fuel belt at home. With nine water stops planned for the race, I was confident that my fuel belt would be more of a hassle than a necessity. I did want my extra pouch for my room key, a Clif Bar, my new favorite, Clif Shot Blocks. As I crossed the mats at the starting line I felt the pouch fall off. I looked behind me and the 10,000 people running toward me helped me make the decision to say goodbye to my race nutrition and just keep moving.

It seemed that people spread out a little quicker than last year. By the two mile mark there was enough space to move relatively freely. The route was peppered with Marching Bands, a Steel Drum Band and DJ's. Near the 2 1/2 mile mark, the DJ was playing Rick Derringer's Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo. This really made me smile. Not that I'm a huge Rick Derringer fan, however, that's the ringtone when my sister calls (long story behind that one...) It made me feel like she was there cheering for me. I will take the support any way I can and justify as I see fit!

I hit the 5k mat at 31:02. Not bad...

This year there was a slight change to the course that I don't remember from past years. In the Magic Kingdom parking lot, runner were split into two groups and then joined up about a quarter mile later. It was up to each runner to decide which way to go. The choices were "Disco Drive" and "Headbanger Highway". A guy about 50 yards in front of me actually jumped when he realized he was headed toward Disco Drive and headed down Headbanger Highway. I chose Disco Drive and had a quarter mile of Disco Inferno. Burn baby, burn!

The runners were joined again as we approached the Ticket and Transportation Center. There was a lot of crowd support in this area and it's nice to have people cheering! The next landmark was the Contemporary Hotel. Just before we passed the hotel we ran under a bridge that is the channel for the lake. What an engineering marvel that is. Last year I ran on the sidewalk through this part of the course. This year, a security guard was on the sidewalk yelling "Stay off the Sidewalk!". Okay. I stayed on the road.

A few more minutes and we were on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. This is the place with the most energy. The crowd is huge and everyone is cheering. It was great! There were a lot of runners stopping to the side to take pictures of Cinderella's Castle. I can only imagine what it must be like for someone who has never or rarely been to the Magic Kingdom. As an annual passholder on and off since I was fourteen, I realize that while I still find it magical, I'm probably a little jaded to the magic.

We turned toward Tomorrowland and into Fantasyland and right through Cinderella's Castle. We made our way to Frontierland and across the 10k mat. My split: 1:03:08. I was pretty sure that I would not match my time from last year. I remembered being really excited that my 10k split was less than an hour the year before (58:51)

The course crosses the railroad tracks and runners head "backstage". I was looking forward to this, because in the past there were bananas near the water stop. This year, no dice, err bananas. I was getting hungry.

It was nice and breezy on the back road that would lead us past the Grand Floridian Hotel and Spa. A lot of crowd support here. I recognized some people from the Ticket and Transportation Center. It's funny how some strangers stick out in your mind.

This part of the course had the nicest volunteers at the water stop. They were cheering and even reading our names off of our race bibs. I must have been called Madeline 50 times ( I was definitely called Mad-a-line once...) which is sort of funny, because other than my dad, my sister and my boss, no one really calls me that any more.

After the volunteers the most memorable part of this area was being passed by a guy wearing a black Speedo, a red cape, shin guards and a Roman-style helmet. Funny. I remember starting to struggle a bit at this point a year ago. I continued to feel pretty strong. I crossed the 15k mat in 1:35:47. Now I knew for sure that I would not beat my time from last year. My 15k split in 2007 was 1:31:51. A three minute and 36 second difference.

The big difference this year over last is I felt more consist ant for almost the entire race. I felt myself start to struggle just past the 11 mile mark when we began to climb an overpass after running an on-ramp about a mile before. Once I got to top of the overpass, I dug deep because I knew that was just a little more than a mile to go.

We hit the last water stop and then we were inside Future World at EPCOT. We ran to the Seven Seas Lagoon where Geppetto, Pinocchio and Aladdin (not sure how he fit into the picture...) were cheering for us. As I passed, I yelled "I love you Pinocchio". I was starting to feel silly.

I was getting so close. As I ran past the choir (one of my favorite parts of the race) I new there was less than 400 yards to go. And then I saw the finish line! I pushed to get the clock time at less than 2:17. I was close, but finished with a clock time of 2:17:05. Oh well. My chip time was 2:16:22. Three minutes and 34 seconds slower than last year.

I am extremely happy with my time. I ran this race on a much more crowded and challenging course one minute and 22 seconds slower than my first half marathon of the year a mere six days before.

I'm really happy about the consistency. I'm still reflecting on what it all means, but I'm really pleased.

Three years in a row. My Trifecta.

Walt Disney World Half Marathon :: Pre-Race Report

2008-01-13T11:52:00.000-05:00

In effort to avoid a huge crowd at the Expo, like Marathon Chris I headed to Disney's Wide World of Sports on Thursday night.

The line for packet pick up wasn't too bad. I was second in line and I quickly had my race number. I was disappointed to see that I was in Corral B. Last year I was in Corral A and I assumed based on my time from last year that I again would be in Corral A. To make sure I was in the right place, I waited in line at Runner Realtions.

The woman who was at "the window" said that there was little she could do for me without proof of time. I tried to explain to her that my 2:13 time from last year led me to believe that I did not need proof this year. Luckily, someone from the local running store who happened to be at the De Leon Springs Half Marathon was working in the adjecent booth. I had spoken to her Sunday morning.

I underdtand that the lady who was helping me was simply following the rules, but I really wanted and felt like I should rightfully be in Corral A. I asked this lady if the woman next to her would vouch for my time in the race on Sunday if she could please move me into Corral A. She agreed and thank goodness, my new friend, said that based on my result from Sunday I could move to Corral A. A sticker was placed on my race number and that was that!

Friday night, after work, my family and I headed out to Walt Disney World. We decided to eat before we got there. Last year we ate at the Pop Century resort, and while the food was okay, it just wasn't what I wanted. We talked about heading South of Disney property to a restaurant on Highway 192. However, we decided to stop at the new Winter Garden Village. We went to Uno's and I decided on the Chicago Classic, which is a deep dish pizza with sausage, sauce and cheese. I have been a big believer in sausage before a race. I don't know if it actually helps or not, but it seems to make me feel pretty good the next day.

We checked into Pop Century around 7:30 PM - there was no line, which was nice. Last year I waited for nearly 45 minutes when we arrived at 5:30 PM.

I was feeling tired, so as soon as we got the room I began getting settled and preparing forthe morning. I got everything laid out and ready to go so it would be a quick process to get out the door in the morning.

I decided that I couldn't keep my eyes open for another minute. My husband took the kids to the arcade at the hotel and they played games and were silly for quite some time. They returned to the room at 10:45 PM and while I had been asleep, it was never a deep sleep. I woke up when they came in and we said our good-nights and I was again asleep.

I had a wake-up call, the room alarm clock and my BlackBerry alarm set for 3:05. The wake-up call came first and I was able to shut the other alarms off before I woke my entire family.

I was out the door at 3:30 AM and walked to the waiting bus that drove us to the EPCOT parking lot / staging area. Even with all of the people there it was a little lonely by myself. I had a trash bag with me which I sat on as I watched a live band play. I wondered if they had been up all night...

I waited in line for the port-a-potty and then headed toward the starting line. When I arrived in the corral area it was 4:53 AM. With still more than an hour to wait, I sat in Corral A on my throw away $4 thermal shirt (I had a pink skort on and I didn't want to get dirty). I met a woman from Tampa and we chatted for about forty minutes to pass the time.

Waiting might possibly be the hardest part of the race.

Race Report to follow

Best Intentions

2008-01-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

My Race Report for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon will be posted either later today or tomorrow - It is still being prepared.

This morning my 6 year old daughter and I planned on cheering for my friends who were running the Walt Disney World Marathon. We woke up at 6:00 AM (just as the race was starting)and we headed out the door.

Last night I spoke to Marathon Chris and we decided that the best place to be would be Animal Kingdom. I planned to get to our spot, near the big yellow dinosaur, by 8:15 AM.

We were almost to the Animal Kingdom parking lot, no more than three minutes away, and my daughter threw up. She has a history of getting car sick, but it's been a long long time since it has happened.

Needless to say, we never made it to Animal Kingdom to see the race. We had to turn around and head for home.

At about 8:40 AM I called Chris (how awesome is technology that you can talk to people while they're running!) and let her know that we weren't going to make it, but we were cheering for her (and Marathon Jim) virtually.

Last night my daughter and I put together some posters to show our support.

And with the text, email AND web results all gummed up, we are anxiously awaiting Chris' posts on her and her husband's final result.

Saturday is Almost Here!

2008-01-08T21:06:00.000-05:00

All of a sudden, the Disney Half Marathon is almost here. If you want to track me here's click here to sign up. **If you need my last name it's a part of my email address on my profile page** Let me know if you're tracking me. I would love the support!

I've been checking the weather and I have some concerns about the potential rain. The forecast is calling for scattered thunderstorms on Friday and a 30% chance of rain on Saturday with "few showers".

It got me thinking that I may need a "RAIN PLAN" And if I don't, those running on Sunday including Marathon Chris, Leana and Cheryl.

I found the following information on about.com here

Wear a Hat
A hat with a brim can be your best friend during a rainy run. It will keep the rain off your face.

I'm going to bring a hat. I will still wear my pink camouflage bandanna and hope I won't need the hat, but at least I will have it there if I need it.

Dress in Layers
If it's cold and rainy, you may need to wear a couple of layers. The most important layer is the one closest to your body. Make sure it's a technical fabric such as polypropylene or CoolMax, which wick water and sweat away from your skin. Your outer layer should be a wind- and water-resistant jacket or vest for an outer layer. Don't wear a waterproof rain slicker because it will trap moisture and heat.

The forecast is a low of 62 degrees and a high of 77 degrees. Not exactly cold. I am going to scour the stores for a light weight water resistant vest or something. If you know where I can find one, please let me know.

Don't Overdress
This is one the biggest mistakes runners make when heading out for a rainy run. Wearing more layers will not keep you dry. Unless you're running with an umbrella over your head, you will definitely get wet. If you have tons of layers on, you will just be wearing more wet, heavy clothes. Dress for the temperature, as if it were a dry day.

I'm going to get wet if it's raining. I won't overdress. That's not my thing.

Use a Garbage Bag
If you have to wait outside before the start of a race, a big trash bag with armholes cut out can help you stay dry before you. You can take it off and throw it to the side once you get moving.

I am going to bring a few contractor bags with me. One to sit on and one to "wear", should I need it.

I ran four miles today and felt really good. I could have gone father, but I am trying to take it easy this week so I can recover and be ready for Saturday. The plan for the remainder of the week is to take it easy and still get some runs in tomorrow and Thursday.

Oh Yeah... I Went There...

2008-01-06T18:26:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all who left comments regarding my quandary about running the De Leon Springs Half Marathon. I appreciate all the support and concern.

In the end, I decided to go for it. I registered early Friday morning and there was no turning back.

My plan was to run a few miles on Friday afternoon, but I ended up getting really busy and it just didn't happen. We were headed to stay at Walt Disney World Friday night and I really needed to get my worked day wrapped up.

On the way to Disney I took a look at my BlackBerry and saw I had a stray email from Shirley. In my reply to her, I mentioned that I was planning on running in De Leon Springs. She replied and said she was also planning on running in De Leon Springs today. It was nice to know that I would see a familiar face in the crowd.

This morning I woke up at 5:00 AM and quickly got ready to head out the door. Thirty minutes later I was in the car and headed to Volusia County.

I was concerned about finding my way. I had a general idea about where I was going, but once I got to Highway 17, I wasn't sure where I needed to go. I have never been to De Leon Springs before. I had good directions, but it was dark. I was able to find my way to packet pick up and the start area with little incident. * I only had to turn around once *. This is one reason I prefer to pick up my race packet early when possible. That way, on race morning I will know exactly where I am going and what I'm looking for. It takes away a lot of the stress.

I had plenty of time to spare. I picked up my race packet and then returned to the warmth of my car. The temperature was hovering at 50 degrees. I had a clear view of the sole ladies' room in my rear view mirror and as a line began to form I waited my turn (I was third). Later the line was much, much longer.

After I twittered, I made my way to start line at 7:45 AM for the 8:00 AM start. I met Lorraine from the Track Shack and chatted with her and her neighbors for a few minutes. Then I heard "Maddy!" from behind me. Shirley was there with her husband Dave. It was nice to finally meet the man behind the camera and Shirley's support crew!

The race started and we headed out on a hard-packed limestone road. We ran past De Leon Springs State Park and continued on. This was an out and back course and quite honestly, there really wasn't a lot to look at. There were fields and trees. It was pleasant enough, but it could have been maddening.

Right around mile three two women behind me were talking as they caught up to me. They didn't pass, but continued to chat and I joined in the conversation as well. The three of us ran together until mile six. At that point, Susan jumped ahead and took an impressive lead. Angie and I continued to run together. This was Angie's second half marathon. Her first half marathon was OUC in December. It was really nice to have someone to talk to. The course only had a few turns and a few of the roads went on and on and on. It really wasn't a big deal. Somewhere around mile eight a freight train rolled past. It was quite a long train and it was a memorable part of the race. I wish I had counted the cars. Like I said, it was a really long train.

The second half seemed to go really quickly and before I knew it, we were at the 12 mile marker. We had just over a mile to go. I was encouraging Angie to keep at it. She was on track for a fantastic PR.

We were back on the limestone road and we had on turn to get to the finish line. I had it in sight. I crossed in 2:15:01.

I feel like I took it pretty easy. I didn't push myself too hard and I will be ready to conquer Disney next Saturday.

I'm so glad I decided to run this race. After OUC I wasn't feeling like a particularly strong runner. The race today really helped boost my confidence. It made me feel more like my old self. And while this wasn't a PR, it was still a great race!

After the race there was a raffle sponsored by Fleet Feet. There were lots of goodies to be won. Fuel Belts, Runner's World Calendars, T-Shirts and Gift Cards. I was excited when my number was called and I won a $20 gift card. I can't wait to go shopping. I'm thinking socks... Yay!

Should I?

2008-01-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

The DeLeon Springs Half Marathonis this Sunday. I'm thinking about running it. I really need to decide quickly.

Finishing it is not an issue. The fact that the Disney Half Marathon is a mere six days away is my only concern.

I have run half marathon races with eight days between them. The second race of those two was my half marathon PR. Now, I'm not expecting to PR at Disney, although it's possible I don't see that happening for me. It takes several miles for the crowd to thin out and get into the groove.

The course in DeLeon Springs is reportedly pancake flat, which would be nice.

So, should I?

Looking Forward :: Looking Back

2008-01-01T18:02:00.000-05:00

In 2007 I set a goal to run 1,000 miles. I figured that it would be accomplished by the middle of December. I completed those 1,000 miles on December 29th and then added to it the next day for a total of just over 1,010 miles for 2007. Many thanks to Adam for providing the inspiration for a goal to shoot for!

I ran my fair share of races in 2007.

January

Disney World Half Marathon

Clearwater Beach Half Marathon

Lady Track Shack 5k

February

Outback Distance Classic 12k

March

Winter Park Road Race 10k

April

IOA Corporate 5k

May

Women Run the World 15k

October

Nike Women's San Francisco Marathon

Phediiidations Worldwide Half (concurrent with marathon)

December

OUC Half Marathon

In 2008 the races will continue. The only race confirmed at this point is the Disney Half Marathon on January 12th. Will there be a full marathon in 2008? That has yet to be determined.

I plan on working some trail runs into my schedule this year. We have several acres of land and there is an track we ride ATVs on. Everytime I'm back there I think it would be pretty challenging to run that. It's pretty sandy and there are several hills. The theory is that it will make me stronger and maybe, just maybe, faster.

I am excited to find what 2008 will bring. I am looking forward to every moment of it.

Share Your Motivation

2007-12-24T10:55:00.000-05:00

My sister Patty is my best friend. I remember as a kid, fighting with her like cats and dogs. My mother used to say we would always have each other. She was so right!

Patty has become intrigued by this running, run /walk, treadmill thing. She thought she might feel a little better if she had a daily exercise routine. A challenge she faces living in the north is that it's dark in the morning and dark before she leaves work. She got a mack treadmill and has been using it regularly for a few weeks.

I teed up the possibility of having her join me for the Women Run the World 15k in May. I have sent her a Couch to 5k program and a 15k training program. I think she can do it and she wants to do it. Yay!

I want to put together a goodie basket for her with some essentials, such as good socks, body glide, sport beans, and a book with motivation. Motivation from my friends.

This is where I need your help. Please leave me a comment or email me with some motivation to share with my sister. My goal is to get 365 pieces of advice (tell your friends or post on your blog too!) to put in a spiral-bound book. I will share the final result with every contributor.

Please include funny, serious, silly, scientific or whatever you like.

I want to show my sister as much support as I can. And I want her to see that everyone of us is behind her and are rooting for her!

Thanks in advance!

Quest for the Harbor

2007-12-13T20:42:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of September, I made my first trip to San Diego. When I went out for my morning runs, I stuck mainly to the Old Town area because it was suggested by the front desk clerk at my hotel and it was pretty close. My last day in San Diego in September I made an attempt to find the Harbor. I wanted to see the water, but the route I had planned on the tourist hotel map led me to a freeway onramp and I was unsure how to get to there. I ended up doubling back and headed to Old Town afterall.

Yesterday morning, I was unsure if I could find the harbor and I wasn't sure I had time to look for it. I headed to the familiar Old Town. I ran just over 4 miles through Old Town and the Presidio Hills Golf Course. It's a little cooler here than I expected it to be, but I was comforatble in my long sleeve tech shirt (now I'm really wishing I would have run the reindeer run last Saturday for another long sleeve shirt)

This morning I was determined. I was going to dind the harbor. A few people at my office gave me directions, and then I planned my route on Google Maps so with little effort I navigated my way through the streets. When I arrived at the street where I had planned to turn, traffic was backing up becuase a freight train was lumbering along. I continued down the street I was on. I figured the train would have to pass me soon. I kept going and the train was still there. Eventually the train had passed, but I wasn't sure where I was. I decided to turn on the next trhough street. I asked a man if I was on the right track and he told me I would need to take a left and I would be there. I had found the harbor!

I ran down to the USS Midway and then circled back and passed the Star of India.

It was an amazing, wonderful run. I returned to the hotel with a smidge more than six miles in 56:57. A 9.27 pace. I feel some speed returning

Race Report :: 8 on the 8th - errrr 9th

2007-12-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

I thought about the Reindeer Run, but it just wasn't to be. I had waited all week debating back and forth about registering. As it turned out, it was probably a good thing.

Friday night, in preparation for my trip this week, I had an appointment for a haircut - I lost three inches, but if you didn't know, you couldn't tell. I didn't get home until about 9:30 PM

Because my husband had plans on Saturday morning (He's only held off on any sort of Saturday morning plan since at least May) I was home and I thought I might do a little house cleaning and run about ten miles as a part of my 8 on the 8th. At 10:45, I remembered my son had been invited to a birthday party that started at noon. That meant no run for Saturday morning.

Before I knew it, the day was gone. I knew that the Race Director, the awesome Nancy was following the on or about rule. So today, Sunday, would be my day.

I jumped on the treadmill just past 10:30. It was heating up and the room was getting hot. My plan was that I would run at least eight miles and ten if I was feeling it. By mile three I had decided that I would be done with eight.

Half way point

I had my husband snap a picture for an "official" race photo. When I run on the treadmill, it is almost always in a sports bra and shorts. But, I have to tell you, no one needs to see that. The photo has been censored for sensitive eyes.

When I reached the 6.5 mile mark, I kicked up the speed a little bit. I felt I had it in me to go faster and I wanted to get the first seven miles run in less than an hour. I bumped up the speed one more time and finished the eight miles in 1:07:42.

There really isn't a lot to report when you run on a treadmill. The TV was on, but I was listening to my iPod. I know that a lot of running friends have a certain amount of "dread" for the treadmill, but I don't mind it at all. Although it does make for a drab race report

8 on the 8th

2007-12-06T08:24:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to post about this for quite some time, but sometimes the day gets away from me. I'm sure you can relate...

Non-Runner Nancy has come up with a virtual race for this Saturday(or Friday, or Sunday...), "8 on the 8th". I'm planning on participating. I may work it into the Reindeer Run in Maitland, partly because Marathon Chris will be there and partly because I am a total sucker for long sleeve race shirts, technical or not. My only concern is that it will probably take me close to an hour to get to Maitland and It just seems like a long way to go. it's really not, but I have a "to do" list that is 8 miles long. I could run those 8 miles, get ready for my day and drink a few cups of coffee in the time it would take me to get to Maitland and run that 5k. But the shirt is long sleeve... Decisions, decisions.

If you are running long this weekend, check out Nancy's blog and let her know you're running. Or go to the Runner's Lounge and check out the 8 on the 8th lounge group.

Disappointment...

2007-12-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I ran my first official half marathon since January. If you missed it, you can read the full race report here. Since that time, I have run about 800 additional miles, I have run a 5k, a 10k, a 12k a 15k and a marathon. As you may remember, while I was happy with finishing the marathon and setting a benchmark, I was not totally thrilled with my time of 5:19:11. My knee-jerk reaction was to pick a new marathon and smash that time to pieces.

I know that one of my personal "areas of improvement" is to quell my knee-jerk reactions, because they may not always be the best ideas.

I was really disappointed with my performance yesterday. And I have been trying really hard to put some perpective around this, but it's hard. It does not escape me that a little less than 2 years ago, I was thrilled to run a 2:24:07 in Sarasota and now I'm disappointed by 2:19.

I did not meet my goal yesterday. The 2006 OUC Half Marathon was ridiculously hot. I struggled through a lot of the race and finished in a disappointing 2:17:38. I wasn't even shooting for a PR (2:08:43). I just wanted a time faster than last year.

With a chip time of 2:19:17, I didn't quite make it. Boo.

There are a few variables. Note, these are variables, not excuses.

The course was different

I expirimented with a Japanese steakhouse dinner

My weight is a little higher (no more than 5lbs)

I'm a year older

So, what went wrong?

I don't really know. I do think that training for the marathon has resulted in me becoming a slower runner.

I took a step back and decided to re-evalute my goals.

What is that I want?

Yes, I do want a faster marathon time, and I don't believe I have run my last one.

However, my biggest goal that I have wanted for the longest time is to run a sub two hour half marathon.

I have decided that I am not going to run the full marathon in Sarasota. I am going to train (hard) for and run the half marathon on March 2nd.

I am also going to spend the next five weeks working hard toward my Trifecta Disney Half Marathon.

My Plan?

I want to commit some time researching nutrition - I know I can do a better job in that department. I could stand to drop a few more than a few pounds...

I want to do some core training - I know I'm weak there.

I want to do some weight training - I've been talking about it since the beginning of time and I have yet to take action.

I want to get a little more serious about my training and run a better race.

As far as my next marathon? It will be the final leg of the 2009 Goofy Race and a Half Challenge. Will I PR in the full that weekend? There is a possibility.

OUC Half Marathon :: Race Report

2007-12-01T20:32:00.000-05:00

I was starting to get excited about the OUC Half Marathon. This would be the third time I have run this race. Each time I have run this race the course is different. The course this year was closer to the course the race followed the first time I ran it in 2000.

Last year for the beginning of December, the weather was extremely warm. In the low eighties when I finished the race. This year was warm, but comfortable.

I had my alarm set for 4:20 AM. I had agreed to pick up my friend Cheryl between 5:00 and 5:15 AM. Cheryl ran the Spacecoast Half Marathon last Sunday and decided to run the 5k today.

We ended up in the parking garage downtown at 6:00 AM for the 7:30 AM start. I thought it would take us a little longer to get parked, although I would always take being early for a race over being late any day.

Cheryl and I met up with some of the Team in Training peeps, and as we were checking in our bags, we met up with Marathon Chris

Chris, me and Cheryl, post race

Chris and I said goodbye to Cheryl and made our way to the start area just before 7:30. Once the race started it took us about a minute and a half to cross the mats and get on our way.

Chris and me showing off our "Pray for Elijah" Bracelets - Not punching each other

Chris and I ran together for the first half mile or so. We then said our good-byes and good lucks and I moved ahead.

Right after Chris and I parted, I passed a runner with a homemade race bib pinned to her back. It said:

My age is
78
Try to pass me!

Based on the race results, she was the oldest female runner in the race today and finished in a respectable 2:32:58. She also took 3rd place in the Women 65 and older age group. Congratulations to her!

Once the course turned onto Hillcrest, which is a brick road, I moved to the sidewalk and ran there as much as possible. While the city of Orlando loves to use bricks as a "traffic calming device" they are tough on the knees and because of their uneven nature, have the potential to cause a runner to take a digger.

Before we turned off of Hillcrest, there was a lone woman, in her late 70's or early 80's watching in awe as we passed. I wished her a good morning. She smiled and said "Keep up the good work." She made me smile.

The good news is, there was a good amount of shade, throughout the course. While there was never much of a breeze, the shade provided a good bit of comfort.

After the halfway point, the course turned onto Michigan Street. A busy road without much shade. The traffic was piling up on the other side of the median. An ambulance was working it's way through the cars with sirens on and the horn honking. The drivers were confused about where to go and the ambulance was so loud! My hope was that the ambulance would arrive at it's destination in a timely manner and that their destination was not a runner.

Michigan Street was my least favorite part of the course.

We then turned onto Delaney Avenue. It is a tree lined street with older homes. OPD was in full force directing traffic and keeping runners safe. A handsome silver haired motorcycle officer was at a small intersection watching a very furry long haired cat stroll toward him against the flow of the runners. I asked him if he was directing that cat. I think he chuckled.

We were headed toward my old neighborhood. The neighborhood I lived in when I was 20 years old. The neighborhood I lived in when my then boyfriend, now husband,and I broke up and I was broken-hearted. In order to maintain any level of sanity a broken-hearted 20 year old may have, I was running 2 - 3 miles a day, in the heat and humidity of the summer. I was transported back to that time in my mind. Not so much the sadness I felt at the time, but the relief I got from running on these same streets.

We worked our way closer and closer to the finish line. And once we hit Robinson Street, I knew we were so close. Just before the mile 13 mark I heard "Go Maddy!!!" Not far behind me, my friend Terri was running and rooting for me. I'm sure she recognized me from my Pink Camo bandanna.

Just a few minutes later, I crossed the finish line.

My Chip Time: 2:19:17

Thoughts, disappointment,observations and next steps in my next post.

After the race, Cheryl found me. She finished the 5k in an awesome 28:37. After I had some water and a bagel, Chris found us. -Chris ran an amazing race for a new PR - Check her blog for details! We spent some time in the beer garden and Chris and Cheryl celebrated the day with an ice cold draft beer.

We headed to the lake for a few pictures and then we headed home

Are you a Long Distance Runner?

2007-11-28T21:09:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-21T08:03:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-11-19T20:31:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-13T19:49:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-11-06T21:22:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-04T21:25:00.000-05:00

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.

Recovery and What's Next

2007-10-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

By Wednesday last week, I was running. A super easy run that was just a little over two miles. The soreness had greatly diminished, and I was feeling the need to move my body. It was really nice.

I can't remember the last time I ran only two miles. But I can remember feeling quite accomplished when I had worked my way up to two miles when I started running again two and a half years ago. Funny how that works.

Sunday, after I got notification that Chris had reached the five mile mark, I thought I would run "with her" virtually for an hour. I ran seven miles.

This week I thought I would pick up the tail end five weeks of the intermediate half marathon training program I have in preparation for the OUC Half Marathon on December 1st.

I had also planned on running the Holiday Halfathon the next weekend, but I may change my mind. This is the race I set my PR on last year, so a part of me really wants to see if I can run it even better, but...

On January 12th, I will completing my Trifecta, the third consecutive Disney Half Marathon.

How it's possible that training for a marathon can even allow a person to gain weight is beyond me, yet running more than I ever had has added some extra pounds and that makes me unhappy. Apparently I am not alone in this phenomena. P.O.M. experienced the same results and she's doing something about. Check out her Holiday Weightloss Challenge. I have a sneaky feeling that if I was a wee bit lighter, I would be a wee bit faster. I have joined the challenge and I'll let you know how that goes.

I have mentioned before David's maddening marathon comment. To paraphrase, he says that the marathon is so maddening because when you run one, you want to see if you can run one better. After a week and a half, I'm already wondering.

The logical choice would be Disney in 2009. However, I am contemplating the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge and wouldn't be expecting a marathon PR. Plus, it's more than a year away. I can't wait that long.

I'm on the hunt for a spring marathon and I need to find one quickly. I considered the Country Music Marathon, a flat course, but registration for the marathon is closed.

Another option, and maybe the most agreeable for my family is the Knoxville Marathon. If I counted correctly, It's about 20 weeks away. Plenty of time. I'll need to reach out to Terry to see how "hilly"it really is.

Does anyone know of any other Spring marathons, preferably flat and within driving distance to Central Florida, I would love to hear about them.

San Francisco Women's Marathon :: By the Numbers

2007-10-27T21:10:00.000-04:00

I finally took the time to analyze my final numbers from the race. And while it wasn't anywhere near my goal, I'm still pleased with my results and I'm looking forward to a new PR sooner, rather than later.

Final Time: 5:19:11

Overall Place: 2,169 out of 4,671: Top 46.43%

Sex Rank: 1989 out of 4,266: Top 45.55%

Class Rank(age group): 342 out of 701: Top 48.78%

******

I have never purchased the professional photographs from a race until this week. Other than one picture from last years Disney's Half Marathon, I have always looked like I'm struggling. Even at mile one of a 5k. Amazingly, the pictures from my marathon, even as I approached the 25 mile mark show me smiling and having an amazing time!

Early on

Somewhere around mile 24

Almost there!

What a great race!

I am a Marathoner

2007-10-23T22:07:00.000-04:00

It was an amazing weekend! We arrived in San Francisco without incident. I was concerned about 40 people traveling together and my biggest fear was people not being able to get their act together at baggage claim. My fears were unnecessary. And before I knew it we were checked into our hotel.

We went to the race expo. Which was an interesting experience. The race was sponsored by Nike and instead of having vendors at the expo, participants were directed across the street to Niketown. to purchase their Nike race souvenirs. It was pure marketing genius from Nike.

A few days before the race, Runner Girl Leana was kind enough to forward me an official race email that I had not received. The email had a few last minute tips and an email address to send a picture of the people we were running for. Casey made the big screen at the expo.

When we returned from the expo, I was pleasantly surprised to find a dozen beautiful roses sent to me by my family to wish me luck and say how proud they were of me!

Saturday was a laid back day and I was up early. I sent Jamie a text message to sadly bow out of our run. With a planned trip to Alcatraz, I didn't want to spend too much time on my legs.

Sunday I woke up about 15 minutes before the alarm was going to go off. I got up, got dressed and headed out. There was the usual bag checking and the irrational need to pee 500 times before the start of the race. Our hotel was less than a block away from the 4:30 pace group and we made three trips back.

While waiting for the race to start a beautiful tall blonde walked by and I instantly recognized Leana. We talked, took a picture and even had an opportunity to run together for a little bit.

There were so many runners. I started with the 4:30 pace group. I had them within my reach as we passed the Golden Gate Bridge, and just like that, they were gone. The course climbed ad climbed. The hills were really tough. We made a turn and we were looking down at the Pacific Ocean. It was absolutely breathtaking!

At one point the 4:45 pace group had caught and passed me. I ran with them for a while and then they were gone too. We made our way through Golden Gate Park and out to the Great Highway. Just before the 18 mile mark, the 5:00 pace group was right behind me. I struggled to keep them behind me for about a mile and then I decided to join them too. Before we were at mile 20, I was struggling to keep up, and then they were gone too.

We were headed toward the back side of Lake Merced this part of the course went on and on and on. There was little crowd support during this stretch, but I had a personal pick-me-up at mile 21. There were two women cheering as runners passed by. With my name on my singlet, they both said "Go Maddy" and then they gasped and started screaming "MADDY!!!!!!!!!!". As it turns out, these women were former co-workers at my last company. They are identical twins and their brother was running the race. What a pleasant surprise to see friends when I was struggling a bit.

After the loop around the lake we were back on The Great Highway and on the home stretch. The last two miles were surreal. There were so many people on the side of the road, cheering and calling my name and giving me encouragement. I feel like my pace picked up those last two miles.

I crossed the line and received my finishers medal, a Tiffany necklace.

My final time was 5:19:11 - 49 minutes slower than my goal. While I was prepared for the distance, I don't think I was totally prepared for the hills.

So what does that mean? It means my next marathon selection will be on a flatter course, because I'm totally hooked!

Tick Tock Tick Tock...

2007-10-17T20:25:00.000-04:00

... That's the sound of the clock ticking. I feel like I still have so much to do before I leave my house at 3:30 AM on Friday morning. I'm sure that would be a piece of cake for our lovely Susan but really, if you think about, that's almost Thursday in California. 7:00 AM cannot get happen soon enough for the plane to take off and I'm sure I'll be snoozing all the way to Salt Lake City.

My last trip across the country gave me an opportunity to catch up on the podcasts I am so far behind in listening to. If sleep does not come, I will be accompanied by Steve, Adam, Kevin and the crew and Marathon Chris. I couldn't ask for better company!

Saturday morning I am going to meet up with fellow Team Elijah member Jamie for an easy 2 - 3 mile run through San Francisco. How cool is that?

Sunday morning, I will be on the look out for Runner Girl Leana and I hope I can meet up with her! If not there's always January at Disney.

I spent some time this week creating my "own" singlet for the big day.

I'm running this race to honor my friend Casey (in case you hadn't heard). I also wanted to pay tribute to others who have won their battles with cancer, those who are still fighting and those who lost the battle.

I. Am. So. Excited!

Six Days!

2007-10-15T20:22:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's almost here! In less than a week I will run past the Golden Gate Bridge, run along the Pacific Ocean and complete my first marathon!

I'm ready to tackle it head on and I'm not nervous about the race at all. The weather is another story. The forecast calls for Sunny and a high of 62 degrees. I couldn't ask for better weather! As silly as it sounds, what does one wear to run 26.2 miles with temps in the high 50's and low 60's? Will a long sleeve tech shirt work under my TNT purple singlet? I don't want to be too hot either.

I have heard that after the half marathoners split off and we head along the coast that the breeze can be chilly. Any confirmation on that(Shirley?)?

I know some of you will be in San Francisco this weekend. If you would like to try and meet up, email me (address on my profile) and maybe we can get together to say hi and for a picture.

I would say to just look for me, I'll be in purple, but as the largest TNT event, so will approximately 5,999 others.

For the seasoned veterans, Chris, Susan, Petra ,David, P.O.M., Shirley and others... Is there any last minute advice you care to share? I sure would appreciate it!

I hope to post while I'm in San Francisco, but we'll see how I feel.

The Amazing Thing About Running

2007-10-10T21:47:00.000-04:00

On Monday night I went outside with my daughter, each of us with a jump rope in our hands and we took turns jumping rope. Now, if you haven't jumped rope since you were a kid, I would highly recommend it. If you have the honor of being joined by a child, it's even that much more fun.

Now here's the thing about jumping rope. It's really hard work. I started thinking about being outside, enjoying the evening and playing like a child. But what I really was noticing was my lung capacity. I was able to jump for quite a while.

If I were not a runner, or active in some way, I'm sure I would be ten jumps in and then I would be exhausted.

The amazing thing about running is that because I run, I can jump.

On Tuesday night I went to the Dolphin Hotel at Walt Disney World to meet Marathon Chris, Shirley, and Adam for The Great Dolphin Run. We went a bit more than four miles at an easy pace and shared great conversation before, during and after the run. Who knew we would be just a few feet from Steve Ballmer?

On my drive home, I thought the amazing thing about running is that because I run, I have made some really great friends with similar interests. If I didn't run, I would never have been with those great people last night.

What a gift.

About That Fundraising...

2007-10-04T21:25:00.000-04:00

When my friend Casey was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, this past spring, during her last semester of college, my heart went out to her. I wanted to find a way to help her. I offered hanging out with her during her chemo treatments, she politely thanked me, but never took me up on my offer.

I knew, from my mother's battle with cancer, that she ultimately lost, that the treatments can be rough, there is just something about the process of going to get chemo that can be worse than the chemo itself.

After some thought, and an advertisement in Runner's World, I decided that I would step outside my 13.1 comfort zone and honor Casey by running a marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma's Society Team in Training.

My commitment included not only training, but fund raising as well. My marathon is just a little more than two weeks away. My fund raising deadline is next Thursday. I have $685 to go. Almost $100 a day. Yikes!

Thank you to everyone who has donated to my cause. It means so much that my friends have supported me and my goal. Not only financially with donations, but with your kind words and encouragement when I really needed it.

For those who have thought about it or are just tuning in, now is the time! Click Here to go to my donation page. There is no donation amount that is too small.

I will be grateful for your support. I will also jump in for your cause, whether it's supporting your charity of choice, buying Girl Scout cookies (Thin Mints, anyone?), popcorn from the Boy Scouts, I'm in!

Some Other Great Reads

2007-10-02T21:42:00.000-04:00

18 days!

The time has come to clean up my sidebar. There are some bloggers who have just fallen off. No posts in a month. Some have been silent for even longer. What is the proper amount of time before I give up on these bloggers ever returning.

There are also some additions that I need to make. Why is it that making changes to the template isn't nearly as enjoyable as writing a post?

I have found a lot of these, if not all of these blogs through comments left on this and other blogs. If you haven't read these, I highly recommend them. And if you're lurking, please leave a comment so I can find your blog too.

Pieces of Me
P.O.M. eats Kashi and yogurt for breakfast (my daily morning meal), she's tapering for the Long Beach Marathon, she often has a song of the day, and she's really entertaining.

Running Alone But Together
Lizzie Lee is documenting her marathon journey. Seattle on November 27th, while her daughter will run the Bangkok Marathon on the same day - 7,440 miles apart.

Run to Finish
Amanda is running the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco on October 21st. She writes about her training, NASCAR and the Biggest Loser - one of the best shows on TV.

Runner Girl Leana
Runner Girl Leana, from the Great White North, eh, is running the Nike Women's Half Marathon, and six days later, she's following me home to Orlando to run the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13k at Disney's MGM Studios in Orlando. She'll be back in Orlando for the Goofy Race and Half Challenge in January. How cool is that?.
Looking at her past races, in January we will have been at 3 of the same races. Women Run the World, Minnie Marathon 15k last May, San Francisco in less than three weeks and the Disney Half Marathon. I think it's really cool that our paths continue to cross doing something we love.

I haven't run since I went big on Sunday. I was planning on taking tomorrow off and adjust my schedule a bit. I was planning on five miles today and I just got too busy. Tomorrow is another day and I still have a little wiggle room in my training schedule to get my runs in and continue the taper.

As you know, Petra is tapering too in preparation for Amsterdam. Today I sent her another Nike+ Challenge. Because we are runnung on the same day, I thought it would be fun to see where we end up mile wise after our respective marathons. The name of the Challenge? The Great Pickled Herring Challenge. Are you wondering why? Click here to find the answer.

Let the Taper Begin and Marathon Chris Saves the Day!

2007-09-30T18:08:00.001-04:00

I found out early in the week that I would not be participating in the Team in Training group run on Saturday. My son was scheduled to play in a tennis tournament. It's so important to be there for him (He won 3rd place - Yay!), I thought maybe there would be a way to make up that long run on Sunday.

I knew it was going to be tough. I also knew I would struggle through it if I were on my own. How was I ever going to get my 20 miler in?

On Monday, I told my friend Cheryl that I was not able to make to group run. She said that she wasn't either. Cheryl is running the half in San Francisco, so her mileage requirements are less than mine. I think she had ten on her schedule.

Over the course of some emails with Marathon Chris I discovered that she was running Miracle Miles 15k on Saturday but wanted to get her miles in for the weekend. At one point the Seminole Wekiva trail was brought up.

I was on to something!

From the meeting spot on Lake Mary Boulevard one direction is supposed to be an 11 mile out and back route. I asked Cheryl if she would be interested in going that distance. She said she would.

Chris was thinking 7 or 8 miles. I was thinking it would be close enough.

I had a plan in place! I met Cheryl at 6:00 AM or so. We hit the road at about 6:15 and we were back at the meeting spot at about 8:25 AM. My iPod says that 11 mile out and back was actually 12. I was a little later than I thought, but I found Chris patiently waiting for the second leg of the journey.

What a great run. We talked the entire time and kept a really nice pace. It was great to get to know her some more. It was really comfortable and I found the camaraderie amazingly helpful as I approached my 19th mile.

When we reached the cars, my iPod was reporting 22.73 miles total in 4:11:45. I never stopped my iPod so the time included a bathroom break at mile six, refilling my new fuel belt - that I love, by the way...

I'm a little sore right now and I'm a little tired, but it was an awesome, awesome run.

Look out San Francisco! Here I come!

****

News to note:

The Orlando Sentinel published an article about my trip to San Francisco to race for Casey. Click Here to check it out!

Better than Nothing...

2007-09-26T21:20:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, I was supposed to meet the Team in Training crew for another hill run in Clermont. I started out with plenty of time to make the 5:30 AM meet up. A few miles down the road I realized that I had not grabbed my arm band for my iPod. I thought, momentarily, about running sans iPod, but I desperately needed credit for those miles for the current iPod Challenge with Petra, Charlie, Robert and Greg. I returned home, grabbed the arm band and I was on my way. The closer I got to the turnpike, the more I realized I was never going to make it. At 5:25 AM I was still two miles from the turnpike, I knew that if I would be left behind and that particular trail is really, really dark.

It was not meant to be. I headed home (again) and went back to bed for a few hours. It was Darrell's birthday and he had planned to ride his motorcycle with some of his buddies and then we were headed to his parent's house for a birthday party.

A little while after Darrell and the boys headed out on their motorcycles, I jumped on the treadmill. I was able to get in a little more than 7 miles when Darrell returned. We needed to be at his parents earlier than I thought. So I cut my run short.

Seven miles, better than nothing...

Sunday, I bought my marathon shoes. Nothing new. The trusty Nike Air Structure Trix 10+. I thought about ordering them online, but I wanted to be sure I had them for my upcoming long run this weekend. I looked at RoadRunner Sports and was dismayed to find that the shoe I love is now "endangered".

Nike is going to discontinue them. Boo Nike! I hope I like the replacement as much as I like the current model.

So far this week my runs have been good and really nothing special. It's turning into a great week.

I am running my final twenty miler this Sunday. Wish me luck!

Red Eye + Jet Lag = Not Good

2007-09-19T18:46:00.000-04:00

Thursday night I was sure I would bounce back quickly.

Not so much.

I had high hopes, even knowing that the one hour time difference from my past frequent trips to the Midwest left me feeling out of sorts for at least a day.

When you combine my inability to quickly adjust to a rapid time change, with a red eye flight - I left San Diego Wednesday night at 10:30 PM PST and arrived at the airport in Orlando at 9:30 AM EST on Thursday morning, my 20 mile run planned for Saturday just did not happen.

This weekend calls for 15 and we are back in Clermont for hills. It will probably be about 13 miles instead. The following week I have one last 20 mile run before the taper begins.

I would like to be getting more miles in than I currently am. I still feel like I am / will be ready for San Francisco, but as Susan says, sometimes life happens.

I am staying positive and working hard to get my runs in. There is a certain amount of adjusting going on. With the new job, I am working through what works best for me. Is it lunchtime that is the best time? Early morning (used to be my only option) or after the work day is complete?

Maybe it's a combination of all of these, depending on the day...

It's all good my friends, all good!

I'm Home!

2007-09-13T21:22:00.000-04:00

I haven't been the greatest about replying to my email. There have been several emails from my friends congratulating me on my job and due to the preparation for my trip, I just ran out of time to reply. So thank you all for your encouragement, support, well-wishes and thanks for being my friends!

I spent three days in San Diego with my new company and I was able to get two five mile runs in. I have yet to update my sidebar or upload my iPod info, but I'll get there.

I was staying in Old Town which is a tourist district with some historical areas, museums and restaurants. Both days I passed through there, nothing was open except the coffee shop. And a lone person mopping the outside Mexican tile.

Fred's in Old Town

The weather was beautiful. I would guess it was never more than 65 degrees while I was running. And no humidity! It was pure bliss!

Yesterday I thought I would head out to the harbor. I had a tourist advertising map that the hotel gave me when I checked in and I thought I could figure out how to get there. I couldn't find it, it was dark and I got scared. I headed back to Old Town instead. It was still a nice run!

My new company is incredible! They did an amazing job of making me feel welcome! They are truly wonderful people and I'm proud to be a part of their team.

Saturday calls for another twenty mile run. After my red eye flight I am hoping to get enough rest to be able to hammer that long run! I'll let you know how it goes!

Where I Run

2007-09-08T14:27:00.001-04:00

I brought my camera with me this morning for my long run on the South Lake Trail in Clermont, Florida.

I have been thinking about this for quite a while, but two weeks ago when we were out there, I forgot it at home. Last week we were at the Seminole Wekiva Trail in Lake Mary, and while it is very pretty, it's just not very interesting.

I didn't take any pictures until we were about six miles out because we got started at 5:45 AM and it was D-A-R-K!!!

This is Skyview Drive. Big hills are an oddity in Florida, but Clermont is full of them, this might be the biggest one.

The Payoff! When we get to the top of the hill we hang a left into a cul-du-sac and get an awesome view of the sun coming up over Lake Apopka. You can see it glistening on the horizon The sun is coming up a bit later, so unfortunately we were on our way again before it was in full effect. It's still a beautiful sight!

Me, Cheryl and Yamille. Notice the condensation on my camera lens. It was heating up!

The course is filled with rolling hills. When I got to the top of a hill in the far distance, I could see hot air balloons. You probably can't see them (maybe if you click on the picture?) but trust me they're there. Pretty cool!

This was around mile ten. It's a pretty good representation of what the trail looks like. Another part of the trail follows Old Highway 50 and is now the gateway to a lot of developments. There are some new oak trees and a lot of brick walls and fences.

The hills are extremely tough for me. It wasn't my best run of all time. I chose not to finish the remaining few miles that were scheduled. We go right past our cars. And there is a water stop there. It's just too easy to be done with it. And I was struggling toward the end.

I hope you enjoy this little snapshot into my morning.

Best Week Ever

2007-09-02T10:24:00.000-04:00

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the "Best Week Ever" But, last week would definitely make the top 10 list!

In non-running related news ::

I was offered and accepted a job! It was the #1 on my list and I am so incredibly excited about it!

My official start date is Thursday and next Sunday afternoon I will be headed to San Diego for a few days. In running related news it will be the second time this summer that a member of our running crew has been to San Diego - Although I will not have a long run scheduled while I'm there. A few five milers and an eight miler. I think it'll be awesome!

On with running news!

Because I had missed a few long runs while in my unemployed funk, the TNT running coach suggested that I back down from the intermediate plan. That put me at a 17 mile run for yesterday. And that was my plan...

We were at the Seminole Wekiva Trail again, this time headed toward Sanford for the first leg. I was running with my friend Jim, who is training for the Dublin Marathon on October 29th. He was running his scheduled twenty miles. He said he wasn't looking forward to the last half of the run which would be mostly on his own.

Jim and I have a similar pace, and honestly, I wasn't looking forward to my turn around point which would mean the last three or four miles would be on my own. I told Jim that if I was feeling good I would run the twenty with him. I was actually feeling great, we dug deep and at the end of the run my iPod said 21.09 miles.

We had some great conversation and it was a really nice run. At the end there was little talking, but there was a nice peaceful camaraderie between us.

Yesterday, by far, was my longest run ever. And it felt great!

I was having some concerns if I had it in me to complete the distance. Without a doubt, I now know that I do. I think that I may have readjust my goal. I never stopped my watch or my iPod at the water stops - those 21 miles took 4:01:00. We'll see on race day how that all shakes out.

Back on Track

2007-08-26T20:45:00.000-04:00

It was a good week!

I am more and more feeling like the funk is gone. My mojo is back. The blues have disappeared. Any way you look at it, I am back on track.

I wanted to bring my camera with me on my long run Saturday morning. We started out at the beginning of the South Lake Trail and headed out in the pitch dark at 5:30 AM. We ran into Clermont and got to our turn-around point at the top of a hill on Skyview Drive and saw the sun coming up in the distance over Lake Apopka. It was breathtaking, and worth the 6 plus mile run to see it. and the 6 plus miles back.

I ended my run at 12.7 miles. I thought about extending it out another two miles, but I decided not to push too much, as the hip is finally feeling better and I'm just getting back into the swing of it.

I am looking forward to this coming week. It's going to be a good one. Running and otherwise.

******
Nike+ Challenge

If you are on the Nike+ system (Petra, Greg, Robert and anyone else) and would like to participate in a private challenge please either post a comment on this post or send me an email (address on my profile) I'm ready to start a private challenge on or about September 1st - Most Miles in a Month. Let me know if you're in.

An Awesome New Blog

2007-08-24T15:41:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share a new blog I found, Philly to LA on Foot. Road Warrior is documenting his virtual journey across the country while attending physical law school in New Hampshire.

What I like about this approach is the way he is conquering goal by putting some meat around it by tracking on Google Maps.

Check it out! I'm adding it to my sidebar.

Where Have I Been?

2007-08-20T11:43:00.000-04:00

Shakin' the Funk. That's where.

I have been reading your blogs, I just haven't commented. And for that I am sorry.

Last week I was still feeling anxious and was having a little bit of a hard time focusing while running. The weekend was extremely busy getting the kids ready for the first day of school.

After we dropped them off this morning I came home and ran 10.6 miles. I would believe the funk has lifted and I am back to feeling like my old self again.

I missed a few long runs and I'm feeling like my training plan will need to be adjusted. I don't think I want to go down to the beginner's plan I have, but I'm not sure I'm able to continue on the intermediate path. I may work off of my own hybrid plan somewhere in the middle of each plan.

My hip is feeling much, much better. With 61 Days to go until the Marathon, I'm sure things will stay on the right track.

And David, I think you're right - a massage is much needed.

Well, You Know...

2007-08-09T11:35:00.000-04:00

Things are not going as well as I had hoped.

I could not bring myself to run intervals last Thursday as I had planned. I settled with a tempo run and it was fine. Friday I ran too, but was really distracted. I had 18 miles scheduled for Saturday but my hip is bothering me again and I figured I would get my new shoes and run on Sunday.

I did get the new shoes, but Sunday I got just past the two mile mark and called it a day. It's safe to say I am fighting the funk.

My son has been at tennis camp from 9:00 AM - 1:00PM all week and driving him back and forth (all nine miles) has messed with my schedule. One would think that with more time on my hands, I would have more time to run. I just haven't been feeling it.

The good news is, the hip is feeling a little better. I am starting to feel better. Tuesday I ran 6.5 miles that really helped to clear my head. Yesterday. distracted again, I stopped after 3 miles.

How I've been feeling

I have 16 miles on Saturday followed by a fund raiser car wash - For those of you in Orlando, it's at the 7-11 on 17-92 and 436 from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Bring your car by, donate to a good cause and we'll wash it!

Right now, I'm feeling like things are on the upswing. I don't think I've strayed too far from my training plan. I need to get my hip and my mind healthy and I think I'm getting there.