Continuing Lawn Mower Saga and missed my bike ride!

I had a great run yesterday. Felt good and strong and didn't break down along the way except maybe during the long uphill stretch. And, just think, we did 8 instead of 9! Aren't we tough? Wouldn't you know Homer forgot to doublecheck the mileage since he was sidelined with an injury? But we did it and all the better and tougher for it. I felt good yesterday and woke up at 6 this morning disappointed to see the sky and hear the thunder. However, I was very exhausted today and hung in bed for a LONG time. Then, I worked on some wedding stuff, and then I went and bought a new lawnmower since I took the old one to be fixed after the run, got home, and it was worse off than every. The new LawnBoy more is awesome and much easier to push than the other one. I think I'm gonna contact them and suggest a new marketing tool for them! I justified spending the money on my second lawnmower in less than 12 months because it is an cross training tool for me!

I hope I can either ride my bike or swim tomorrow. I have given up running on Mondays as my body can't take running two days in a row.

Blog blahs

Mandy says she's having trouble thinking of blogs. It looks like she isn't the only one because there haven't been too many the last couple of days. Maybe we should blog about what we are eating today in preparation for our long run tomorrow! Or what we have planned for the weekend???? Or what we think about, was it Christa, getting thrown off of her own treadmill???? I can't even think of anything to say either--this is getting bad, huh?

Getting ready for cold weather

Now, I'll bet that title gave you a start, didn't it? Meanwhile at least one of us (me) is sweating like a pig on every run she takes. But, I am worrying about what I am going to wear in the Twin Cities Marathon. Sally says it won't be "that" cold because they don't usually have their first frost until Halloween but I am leery of trusting the weather like that. Just thinking of the difference in the temp in the two years I ran Chicago has me pondering what I'm gonna wear. I've run in two or three cold races and I was a little chilly. You don't realize how much ventilation is built into these running shoes until you run in the winter and feel that cold breeze on your toes! And, despite having 5 layers on my torso and being fairly warm in most places, my fingers were frozen in the half marathon in 12/05. I've read somewhere that there is something you can put on your shoes to keep out the breeze so I need to find out what it is. And, someone told me my hands would be much warmer if I wore mittens rather than gloves so I need to look for some of those. He was a guy who grew up near Chicago and ran frequently, and, when it was real cold, he wore ski gloves to run in.

I'm not trying to get you guys to worry because I'm figuring Chicago will be a bit warmer than Minneapolis, don't you think? And last year in Chicago when it was so cold, the marathon was about two weeks later than it is this year so all should be fine with layers. Minneapolis just seems like it is much farther north but I'd better go look at a map.

God gave me an extra day of rest

My plan for today was to swim. No weights. Wanted to see if it was the swimming or the weights or the combo of the two that made my back so sore a couple of weeks ago. I decided not to set the alarm clock as I worked til 930 last night. I woke up to the sound of thunder. Dozed off again and thought I might bike instead but still was hearing thunder. Then looked outside and saw the ominous clouds so I decided that I should snooze a little longer, take it easy, and MAYBE swim tonight? I am tired so maybe this is a good thing--a little more rest never hurt anybody, right?

I missed my friends. I had a nice time getting away in Dallas but didn't get to read your blogs or run with you on Saturday. Or even maybe get in a bike ride early this morning. Mind you, I probably needed a change of pace. I did nothing on Wednesday and most likely will do nothing today but will be back in the saddle tomorrow, I presume! Must mow the yard at some point.

I did run/walk around 5 miles Thurday morning in Dallas. It was overcast so not too hot even though I started later than I should have. Saturday was a different story, about the heat, for sure. The plan was to drive out to White Rock Lake and do the 15 out there. There is a Marathon in Dallas by that name so it sounded like a plan. It's only 9 miles around the lake so I new I'd have to figure out how to do more. And, they said they had a group run beginning at 7 am but I didn't want to start that late as I HATE the heat. But, I failed to reset the alarm on my phone from the Sunday before and didn't even wake up until 615 am!!!! And, White Rock was 39 minutes away! But, I was determined to get it done so off we went. I had found an old Jeff Gallaway book of mine and I reread it on the plane and in Dallas and it was truly very helpful to me. Mainly about doing the LSD--Long Slow Distance, that is. I know, Mark has been preaching about that to us but it was going in one of my ears and out the other. But, I had been having the awful back pain which got really terrible earlier this past week so I wanted to take it easy so I could finish the mileage. And, I knew it was going to be hot and lonely out there, and tempting to stop once I got around the 9 mile lake. So I ran as slow as I could. And, I took in more calories than I usually do--ate PowerBar during the first hour, and then had a gel and Sport Beans. And Endurox recovery drink when it was all over.

So, I did it slow and easy. And, amazingly, I felt SO much better as I ran. Almost no soreness in my legs and very little shortness of breath. And then the heat began to mount. I wanted to do 5:1 intervals for the first 9 miles but gave up around mile 8. Wasn't even able to do 2:1's. Almost went in the men's bathroom but caught myself JUST in time! Made it back to my starting point, got a new bottle of Propel and decided I would walk the last 6 miles. We decided to try to walk with the dogs which I thought was fine until I realized that I was way ahead with the ShihTzu and couldn't find Howard and the Golden Retriever. This fiesty little ShihTzu wanted to run and keep up with all the bikes on the trail. So, we turned around and found that the tired, pleasantly plump Golden Retriever was resisting moving and had plopped down in the middle of the trail, much to the chagrin of the many runners and bikers. So, I forged back on to the trail alone. I walked most of it with a few jogs here and there when there was downhill or shade. And thank goodness for water fountains along the way as one bottle of Propel was about a third of what I needed. And they had sprayers that you could spray yourself with to cool down which was nice. So, I guess I finished about 11:15, proud, not too sore, with Howard saying it really wasn't that hot outside. Now, he was sitting in the car with the airconditioning on with the two dogs so I don't think he gets a vote on this one!

But, I was worried that I'd only do 9 miles and then feel compelled to try to do 15 sometime during this week so I'm VERY glad it is over and done with! And, I'm proud that all of you managed to do your 15 even in the rain! Actually, I think that the cooling effect of the rain may have been a blessing even if it did mess up your shoes. And my pretty new shoes got messed up, too, as there were segments of the path at White Rock that were muddy and under water and I had to slosh through to get around the low spots. Shoes and socks not looking so good. But, it is an awesome place to run--really two roads and a path to choose to run, walk, or bike on but it was FULLL of people and a little scary with many, many bikes.

I think I am a Mississippi girl, through and through!

Blogger boredom

Well, I'm just doing this blog so there will be one of there for someone to read because there aren't any on there for me to read. Since I have no life and reading blogs is a big part of my daily entertainment, I am bored!!!! I do worry that I am missing lots of your blog names in my reader but I keep going to the MM site and can't figure out which ones I have and which ones I don't. I know I don't have Floyd--Debra mentioned that you have one--what is your blogger name so I can put it on my list?

I am pretty bummed out about having to do three of the upcoming long runs on my own. And not neccessarily in fun or cool (as in temperature) places. This weekend, I'm gonna have to gut out 15 miles in Dallas if they aren't flooded everywhere--they've had daily rain forever I think. On June 23rd, I'm planning to go to New York to meet my son and his wife to be to check out wedding plans and places so I'll have to do that one up there. And, on August 25th, I'll be getting my makeup and hair done for their wedding that night! Don't think I want to be limping or exhausted for such a glorious occasion so I don't know what I'll do about that one. Maybe I'll do it on the Monday or Tuesday after I get home. I'm leaving on the Wednesday before the 25th so doing it early isn't such a good option either. And, you know, I DO depend on being with y'all to survive these long runs so I'm now pouting big time. But, we are marathoners, and I'll figure out something.

I'm pretty flattered that Mandy appears to be shocked that I am into the second half of my first 100 years of life. And she wonders how old I am. Now, I'm not one of these women who is ashamed of her age because I am grateful and happy to be alive and well! I have lots of friends who've lost siblings at a far younger age than I am so I celebrate getting older each year with gusto. I am doing the Half Marathon at Disney next January to celebrate my double nickel birthday--let's see if Mandy can figure that out. I know she can. And, I am old enough to be your mother, Mandy! My oldest son is 28 and I was finished with medical school when he was born! So there.

Oh, the joy

I'm astonished that I am enjoying this year in Marathon Makeover as much as I am. For two reasons. I remain proud of myself that I am exercising regularly, striving for a goal, and getting fairly fit. And, this is a BIG thing as, when I don't have someone to meet, or a reason to exercise, I usually DON't. For the first 50 years or so of my life this was my pattern.

And, the second thing that is so fun and good for me? I love all the new people that I am getting to meet and know. People who I probably never would have had the opportunity to ever be around even though we most all live in this metropolitan area. And people to meet and exercise with and go out to eat with and be friends with. And be a support group with. Oh, what bad grammar I am using--my old English teachers would certainly not be proud.

I actually am and was a VERY shy person. As a child I was painfully shy. I'm better now but still not too good at making conversation with people I don't know. But, somehow, knowing that we are all part of this marathon family, I feel like we all have something in common and are all rooting for one another and there for one another.

For some reason, today's run wasn't too bad, I didn't think. 8 miles still isn't anything to sneeze at but it seemed quite doable compared to last week. Several of us did the run at the Rez, and it sure was nice to be finished when we got back to the Y rather than having to go another 5 or so miles up to Campfire Circle and back! And, I switched back to my 2:1 interval because my back was sore before I even started, and I did NOT want a repeat of last week's physical challenge. Jody, Suzanne, Debra, and I sat down in the grass at the Y and stretched and talked for a few minutes and then went for breakfast together which was nice. And, we three girls are going to meet in the morning to ride bikes which will be a treat. You see, I've never had anybody to ride bikes with before, and I usually will not go to the trouble to take my bike out to the Rez to ride although it is a much more protected place to ride than in my neighborhood. Because, once I leave my immediat neighborhood, I have to share the road with cars and trucks and that is scary!!!!

Enough going on and on. But, isn't it impressive now that we not only say and think that 8 miles is a short run but that it seems "easy" compared to that 13 miles we did last week and the 15 we gotta do next week?

And now we have to listen to Mark and Clark fight for bragging rights about their butts.