Look What I Got!

Look at this beautful road bike!  It's mine!!!! I love it!  I bought it on Saturday and picked it up last  night. When I got home it was raining and dark so I took it for it's first ride tonight.  I did fairly well with the shifting all things considered. I plan to go clipless at some point but glad I didn't start that way. It came with cages on the pedals and I didn't even dare use those tonight!  I took a fairly easy route for a 10 mile ride. I can see I need to get back in bike shape but had a blast.  You will be hearing a lot more about my new baby in the weeks and days to come that is for sure! I am already planning many summer rides.  But first there's April vacation........! I already have one route mapped out (in another state) but not positive I will be up to the distance. 

I loved the guy who did the basic fitting of my bike last night.  He didn't talk down to me as the gray haired lady who must just tool around the block.  He had lots of questions about routes I like, when I like to ride, with friends or alone.  I had just come from my swimming lesson so the old triathlon came up. Why do I keep telling people?  It must be my insurance that I do in fact do it!

When I was driving home from school to ride my bike I was surprised to see snow on the mountain.  It was chilly but not terrible.  Perhaps it was just my euphoria from being on the bike that kept me warm.

Here's another view of the snowy mountain taken on my run after I put my bike away!  Yes, I did a brick!  Even though I had a long transition my legs were still tired. I can see I am going to have to do many of these before the end of June.  But yay me for finally getting out there on the bike and throwing running into the mix too!

I'm tapering my runs for my half this weekend although I know I will swim tomorrow and probably will do a short bike ride again. Friday I will totally rest.  

My Little Boo Boo Gets Bigger

Remember when I told you I fell while running in DC with Emily.  I called it just a little boo boo on my knee.  I continued to think that but....... it wasn't completely clearing up.  Last Friday I put a band aid on it to keep it away from my pants more than for any other reason. It felt stiff when I bent but didn't hurt or interfere with running.

Saturday it was itching a lot and I thought..........."Oh good, it's healing."
Finally I couldn't stand it and took off the band aid and it was all bumpy.  That brought to my mind when I had medical tape on my arm (IV) at my colonoscopy and that was all red and bumpy.  I ignored that but again? Well it just got bumpier and itchier so I thought I should go to the doctor today and let her look at it.

She may have gasped when I showed it to her.  It is infected which I had no idea. I thought all the redness was related to the reaction to the band aid. Plus the doctor told me it was a severe reaction to the adhesive and I was to NEVER NEVER use band aids again.  Really?  It would only get worse so no I guess I won't.  I have some topical antibiotic cream to use but if it gets worse or not any better I am to hightail it straight back there.

As usual while I was there I got many many compliments from my doctor on my fitness and how I was a role model for so many people.  I do love my doctor. I love to leave feeling good.  We did have a discussion on the way society undervalues teachers and doctors.  She is not making a big living as a general practitioner and since she is a partner pays for her own health insurance and all that. I never thought about that but all doctors are clearly not raking in the money.

Back to my knee - I am basing my outfits the next few days on how loose they are around my knee.  I want this cleared up quickly!  It hasn't bothered me but my mind can certainly turn that around and make me think I am about to lose my leg.  Heal knee!  Heal!

I have been wearing pants in public as I do

not want to scare small children.

Running........ Easter........ Jax

This was a cold but good running weekend in Vermont.

I did my long run on Saturday because of Easter and other conflicts on Sunday.  T and I went for 12, my last long one before my half next weekend.  It was hard to know how to dress but I think we hit it right.  The miles were pretty painless. At that point the sky was blue and there was not much wind.  I had plans of going for a bike ride later but that didn't happen.  As we were nearing the end of the run instead of feeling dead and ready to be done like I usually do I started picking up speed.  My last mile was 10:02, a good deal faster than the previous miles. I felt great and it gave me some confidence for my half next weekend.

A gorgeous day to be running back in Vermont

Sunday was a 3 mile pace run.  I am loving these pace runs and need to keep them up when I am not seeing them on a training schedule.  I felt especially good about this one doing it the day after a long run and liking the results.  My miles were 9:18, 9:47 and 10:02.  Some day I am going to get that third mile in this series under 10!  The first 3 are basically uphill - some quite slight but it is a good place to do  a pace run.

Yesterday I spent several hours making a purchase which I will share later this week!  Jameson helped me out.  Today he came for Easter dinner so of course I have some pics of Jax. Some of them Jameson shared with me from a fun time at the beach near his house early on Saturday.  Some are when Jax was visiting our house and the cats. He loves it outside because he can be off the leash and run around like crazy but I am not so sure he likes it inside our house.  He just wants to play and those darn cats just don't get it.

Just a cute picture.......I mean really! I asked Jameson

if he staged this picture and he said no!

Playing at the beach.

Got to love those ears!

Easter - Jaxon has gone outside and Rocco tentatively tries

out his bed.

He looks like he's about to nod off but he could never do

it. I think he was too afraid he would miss something.

Workouts this week = A Mixed Bag

Monday's run was awesome and I already filled you in on that! Success

Tuesday's morning swim made me wonder if I would ever get the whole swimming thing. Nothing seemed to click. Fail

Tuesday night I went to my swim lesson where I continued to feel rather less than a stellar swimmer.  But I didn't have to feel that way as long as usual because the lesson was cut short when the pool was closed for awhile. Why?  A kid vomited in the pool.  Ewwww.  For sure. Fail

Wednesday I had a speed workout - last big one before my half next weekend. I did it on the treadmill as usual and it went quite well. Success

Thursday morning - back in the pool.  I spent a good deal of it feeling again like a less than stellar swimmer.  I was concentrating on: 

• a stronger kick - I have the kick of a 5 year old
• not crossing midline with my arms
• getting my face straight down in the water and not trying to look ahead
• having a quicker cadence with my arms
• trying not to think about drowning

I found that I was exhausted after one lap.  I guess it will get easier but it hasn't yet. I guess I feel like it is one step forward, two steps back some of the time. Fail
(although I have been watching how to learn to swim free style videos which a month ago made no sense to me whatsoever and now I totally know what they are talking about)

Thursday evening - this was when I had a bike ride scheduled.  I got my bike rack on and I was going to ride while my winter tires got changed.  Wed. after school it was freezing and raining and I couldn't imagine riding my bike the next day so I didn't get anything ready when I came home.  Thursday it was snowing - a fair amount on my car - and windy and freezing so I still didn't feel like riding my bike. And I didn't.  Instead I caught up on my WWF games as I waited for my snow tires to be removed.  It wasn't very aerobic but it was fun. Fail

Where has the woman gone who was willing to ride her bike in this?

A Last Run in DC

Running with Emily = better times for me!  Her very slow is my fast.  If I was running with her on a regular basis I truly think my times would improve!

Getting ready to head out!

I guess I didn't get my fill of this during the race Sunday.

We had to find another runner to get a picture. Tourists 

were absent at this point in the day.

Monday morning there wasn't much time before I had to catch my plane.  But we did find the time to fit in one more run!  We ran to the Lincoln Memorial for a glorious morning sighting of that wonderful monument almost completely absent of tourists and then turned around for a quick run back for a bagel stop and on to Ems.

A wonderful way to start the day

 a run with your daughter on a 

beautiful morning!

Loved it!

 I threw my clothes into my suitcase with one quick change.  No time for a shower!  I ran out and grabbed a taxi and made it to the airport in plenty of time.  I hate to be late but I was willing to take a chance to get that one more run in with my daughter.

Then a quick flight to Burlington where I got picked up by my favorite son and had lunch and then took a short walk with him and my favorite dog in the world!  It wasn't even noon and I had spent some great time with both of my kids who live hundreds of miles apart!

A quick trip to DC but well worth it!  I'd love to run this race again some time. Who knows?  Maybe there would even be cherry blossoms!

DC Randomness

The first day I was in DC Emily and I picked up our race packets and did a little damage at the Expo.  Great bargains especially on Brooks stuff!  Then we hurried and just made it to see The Hunger Games.  We had decided if we got there great but we weren't going to make it a priority.  Well, it worked and we both enjoyed it a ton.

DC is always about eating as well as running. Here are a few of the good things I ate.

Peanut butter and banana panini - don't judge.  It's the best.

A new find - Roti maybe? Excellent!

Frozen yogurt with lot of hot fudge after the race - well

deserved.  Outstanding!

Delicious cupcakes from Baked and Wired.  It's vacation for sure!

When I am in DC with Em I am always amazed at how much walking we do. I love to walk but it seems to tire me out even more than running.  We estimated at a minimum walking of 8 miles, 6 miles and 5 miles on 3 consecutive days.  That is on top of running and racing.  I also rediscover that when I visit DC walking aggravates my heel more than running.  Most of the time I wonder which heel it is that bothers me because it isn't bothering me.  But when I walk a lot I need no reminders. 

After the race I visited first The American History Museum and made a quick pass through a display I hadn't seen.  But it was so crowded I left and visited the American Indian Museum which wasn't crowded at all.  I enjoyed it a great deal.  Then I decided to walk back to Ems. I love passing the White House on the way.

The Air and Space Museum - just because it's pretty

 I did not get lost this year unlike last year when I walked back from the St. Patrick's Race.  Yay me!

 I was back at work today and rather than missing two days I felt like I had missed 10.  It was rather overwhelming to say the least. Then I had to leave early to go to the oral surgeon - fun times.  But tomorrow I can do some catching up, please.  

Cherry Blossom Ten Miler Race Report

A photo I got a random stranger to take.

It doesn't show my very cute skirt.

Today I ran the the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler minus the cherry blossoms as well as minus the heat that caused them to peak so early.  It was actually a great temperature once you were running but before was cool and after was freezing cold OMG freezing cold. All that sweat produced over the running of the ten miles was not fun once you stopped. I found my way to the bathrooms at the Washington Monument and changed my clothes that thank God I had brought.  I was still freezing though for a few hours until there was quite a temperature shift.  I did NOT use the toilet in the bathroom as it was beyond gross. I then attempted to use a port a let but way beyond gross. So I held it!  But what has this got to do with the race?  On to the race report....

There were many many people making their way to the start early early this morning. There were no taxis around and it looked like we might be walking the whole way when one stopped.  So once there we had time to use the port a let and check out bags but no pre race picture with Emily :(  as Emily's wave was an early one and off she went all excited to meet her goal and a bit nervous to get it checked in.  You'll have to stalk her blog to hear about how she did. I got back in the port a let line but finally decided I really didn't have time so went to the start.  Let me back up a bit.  In this huge city far from home with 17,000 racers plus spectators milling around I saw two people I knew.  The first one was a friend of Emily's who recognized me from when they did the Wineglass Marathon two years ago.  Then as I was getting into line to start I saw this girl who I think must be my personal ambassador to welcome me to DC.  I don't really know her and have had two brief "sightings".  Last time I was in DC we saw each other as we were  crossing the street (is that okay lingo for big city roads?) running in opposite directions near the Washington Monument.  A quick " Are you........ and a hi" and we continued on our runs.  This morning there she was again with a big smile and a quick hi amongst the huge crowd.  Always fun to see a familiar face!

So I got into line still fairly clueless as to how this whole wave thing worked as there were various colors all around me.  I wasn't sure when we started until someone near me clued me in.  And then the crowding began.  The first mile felt really slow as you just couldn't move. There was no point to pass people yet as there were just too many and it felt like I should just let it shake out.  I remember thinking after mile 3 it was finally better although by no means did it ever go away!

One of many times seeing the L incoln Memorial.

Before I knew it we were crossing the bridge running past the Lincoln Memorial on our way to Virginia. The Lincoln Memorial was very present in the beginning of the race.  I was still in what felt like a jogging pace but thought I'd like to pick it up.  I knew I hadn't tapered but I didn't want to not try at all.  I didn't see my first mile split but figured it was in the tens. Once I started paying attention they were in the 9s and I worked hard to keep them that way.  The pacers drove me nuts though.  I kept seeing 10:00 pacers and did not want to be behind them.  So I would get past them only to see more. Did they start at different times?  That was the other thing about the waves. It was hard to find people to judge your time by.  Often I find someone and try to stick with them but that didn't seem to be working.

On our way back across the bridge- I like races where you meet other runners.

Pictures aren't great but I was running!  

As I said we went by the Lincoln Memorial several times and that rocked.  I loved the crowd enthusiasm as went under the bridges - being as noisy and echoey as possible.  The miles weren't speeding by in fact at Five Miles I was feeling quite tired and didn't know if I had a second five miles in me at the same speed.  (foreshadowing)  But I wasn't ready to quit.  I didn't think I'd PR this race but I wanted to be respectable.  Who doesn't?  Then we were going by the Jefferson Memorial - I can't say how much I love the sight of this memorial and sight of Thomas Jefferson from so many angles.  This definitely helped put me back in a happy place. Next on to Haines Point. I remember thinking - "good now I'll know how to get to Haines Point."  Well, maybe not.  It got VERY crowded again and then I realized I was in the middle of the 10:00 pace group.  NOPE!  This needs to change so I picked it up and tried to stay ahead of them.  That was one of my most motivating things in this race - staying ahead of those pacers.

TJ was cheering me on.

Haines Point - pretty without cherry blossoms

Done!

I remember thinking Emily must be long done - yep - but I needed to keep "pouring it on."  When I got to mile 7 I thought about my last 3 miles at home.  The next to last mile is my favorite one and I tried to bring those positive feelings to this race.  I didn't die.  I kept up the pace I was running.  I could see that I was absolutely going to be under 10 minutes a mile, no problem.  Who doesn't love 10 mile races?  Great distance!  Then came a pesky hill near the end and surprise there was my girl cheering for me near the end.  It wasn't easy to find racers in this crowd!  I finished, went and got my medal and a little food and then all I could think about was changing my clothes!

So here are my stats from my Garmin. I haven't been able to find race results yet.  The official pace for me will be a bit slower.



1:37:48 for a pace of 9:40.
My first two (crowded) miles were my slowest plus at that point I wasn't sold on racing. Then it kicked in.
Mile 1 - 10:06
Mile 2 - 9:50
Mile 3 - 9:25
Mile 4 - 9:25
Mile 5 - 9:39
Mile 6 - 9:35
Mile 7 - 9:45
Mile 8 - 9:36
Mile 9 - 9:41
Mile 10 - 9:45

I know that every time I looked at my Garmin it seemed to be between 9:30 and 9:45 and that definitely made me happy!  I was sweating like  a pig even on this cold day so I knew I was working hard.

One of my favorite moments - on Haines Point an older man was running beside me and said:
"You can tell you're a serious runner."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yes, your legs are in seriously good shape."

I choose to think he wasn't hitting on me (he was quite old even in my world) and that it was the compliment it sounds like.

Okay just found the results.

73/234 in my age group.

4791/9699 women 

Woot Woot. I'm happy!

All in all a fun race that leaves me wanting to race more ten milers.