Running on the Brain

As I head into my 32nd birthday which happens to be on the exact day of the Nashville Marathon that I was SUPPOSED to be running, I'm naturally a little bummed to be sitting on the sidelines (although I'm wicked proud to cheer on my dad, sisters, boyfriends and pals).

So let me just take a few seconds to pat myself on the back. When I made this life list, it was April of 2007 and I hadn't ever done longer than a 5k race at that point (although I was training for my first half marathon). I put run a full marathon as my number 1 item on this life list... and here's where I stand today (even without that stinky hilly thunderstormy marathon this weekend):

2 full marathons (2007 Marine Corps in DC and 2008 NYC // PR = 4:28:14)
6 half marathons (3 in 2007, 1 in 2008, 2 in 2009 // PR = 2:05:07)
1 7.5 miler (PR = 1:15:00)
2 10Ks (PR = 55:31)
2 5-milers (PR = 46:44)
6 5Ks (PR = 26:12)
1 Sprint Triathlon (PR = 1:30:24)

THAT'S EXACTLY 20 RACES!!! I can't believe the world's most unathletic and clumsy girl has accomplished so much. Two stress fractures over the years is a small price to pay and with the new custom orthotics I'll be fitted with next week, hopefully the next three years will be with even less injury!

So, I guess I'll get over sitting this one out. But don't think I'm not spying a whole list of triathlons and running races for the rest of 2010 as I recover and try to regain my fitness level back!

Out to run 3 measly little miles. Although with two months off, its actually pretty tough. No wonder so many runners still don't think they can run a full marathon (you can! you can!).

HAPPY RUNNING!!

Tuesday Duathlon

Well... I'm back! Finally healed (at least I feel like it) from my SECOND tibial stress fracture in the last 3 years of my marathon career (the first happened after I finished my first and was two inches above my current one). Last night I did a 5K run with a decent 9:24 pace and then immediately after did a 20 mile nice bike ride on some serious hills through Waterville, Perrysburg, Maumee (Sidecut Park is SO pretty), up the crazy Fallen Timbers memorial hill and then back home.

As far as the running, I felt great. It was the perfect crisp weather and the sun was shining and glorious. My leg and ankles felt fine but I was huffing and puffing and sweating as if I'd never run a day in my life. I'm kinda flabbergasted at that. My last run before I ended my training for the Nashville Marathon (which is BTW this weekend -- so excited to cheer on my sister on her second full, boyfriend at his first (which he blames me for!) and dad on his first half marathon!) was on February 18. So basically its been two months since I've really run. But why do I feel so out of shape? I used to be able to pick up 5 or 6 miles easily after 3 or 4 months off! And this time, I've actually been swimming hardcore several miles a week anyhow! I'm pretty irritated and as my birthday looms on Saturday wonder: is this old age?!? Let's hope its a fluke and will subside soon because there are a lot of road races and triathlons I have my eye on this summer.

Anyhow, despite feeling so outta shape during my run portion of my workout, I'm still awfully proud of myself. I feel like I'm finally feeling like myself again!

Back on the Google Reader Bandwagon

This post is dedicated to my little sister... who mentioned to me yesterday that she literally goes to my blog everyday to see if I post. I wonder how much time she has wasted in the last 10 months of my sporadic blog career? Anyhow, I'll try to do better.

It started this morning. Well before I usually even begin work around 9, I like to spend an hour watching the Today/GMA shows and eating my breakfast and getting the sleep out of my eyes. I force the beau to not leave the house unless my two feet have hit the carpet because it would be too easy to just lull around in bed for half the morning. Therefore, I'm up at 7:15am and I spend the time I would previously have used primping and commuting to work -- being a total couch potato. No mas, mi amigos.

Whether its household tasks or a short bike ride or just reading the blogs that have taken over my bookmarks or the endless tabs I always have in my browser (I have an average of 20-30 webpages open at any time with articles that I want to go back to and read). I will henceforth be more productive with my mornings... and hopefully, with my blog posting too! My vacation is over... I have a ton of new clients for my own business here and I'm officially detoxed from my Boston/NYC overload from the past few years. I even usually go to bed around 11. Do you even recognize me, people?

So if any of you actually remember a post from a while ago, I had picked up the lovely Google Reader tool. I think I stopped using it around the time I also killed my former laptop. This morning... I updated it with all the new blogs I check. And deleted all the old cruddy ones I never really liked (and the blogs that have gone defunct in the last two years). And I'm freshly updated with new posts whenever they come in... no more checking and re-checking blogs that haven't been updated in a while. And while I added to google reader, I deleted from my bookmark. I have enough crazy articles and favorite pages to keep up with that I don't need those bookmarked as well.

I highlllly recommend that you all get a google reader for your blogs. It basically lets you know how many posts you haven't reviewed from all your fave sites. I honestly don't know how I survived with out it for so long but I can tell you it wasn't very efficient!