Gnarly photo or race report?

What do you want?

Well, today you are getting gnarly photo

Day 2

A+E trip, 3 hours later no fractures thankfully.

I finished - but with this...

Procrastination

We're all guilty of of, but why does it always bite me in the ass?  Saturday was lovely weather.  bright and sunny with delicate wispy clouds and about 12*C.  Perfect cycling weather.  But typical me, i put it off.  There was so much other stuff i wanted to get done on Saturday.  And i got a lot done too. I was up at 7am, you think i could have fitted an hours ride in but no, i filled my day with other things like soil shopping and planting seeds.  Building a bookcase and baking some bread among other things.

So Sunday arrives and after getting back in to bed to read for 45 minutes - very uncommon for me to stay in bed, but it was so warm and cozy and i need to 'get in to' my book still - i get up to see its over-cast.  It was a little damp on the ground in the morning too, it must have rained just a little.  The temperature was cooler.  Again, i put off the ride, the day wasn't enticing me outside.  I had some recipes i wanted to try.  Mushroom pate - for Tuesday night when the girls come over and choux pastry.  I don't recall ever making it, maybe once before i couldn't eat gluten.  But now, when what you can't have you want more of, i really want to have gougere.  An éclair or cream puff wouldn't go down too badly either!

So it was 3pm by the time i started getting ready for my ride.  I mapped my route - it was a 20 miler this week - and packed my saddle bag that i hope i never need to use.  I carry a spare inner tube; pressurised gas to inflate; tyre levers; a patch kit; Alan keys; sports beans; £1; lip balm.  And today i packed my camera.

My ride took me in to Wales for 3 miles, in and out in a jiffy.

I moved my bottle cage from my mountain bike to my road bike - something i have been meaning to do for ages, as i don't need liquid on my 3 minute ride to work which i use my mountain bike for.  I strapped Sally on to the handle bars and locked up the house.

20 miles later i got home, elated and wondered why the hell i had put if off. I love being out there peddling the roads.  Even with big head winds on the return journey.  Even with a really painful hip and lower back.  Its damn fun and 80 minutes goes by pretty fast too.

Day 1

I'm on holiday this week.  Its lovely to have time off at home.  I love my job, i have mentioned this before and i'm likely to say it again too.  Its a great job.  But its also nice to be on holiday away from it too.  I chose my career because of its artistic and somandric* nature.  I have always enjoyed making things.  I used to make my own clothes - not very well, but i still wore them.  Actually, i say i have always been, but really, my memory is so very poor, i find it difficult to remember much of my childhood so really i am referring to my teens and older.  I have also always been interested in anything related to the human body and its functions.


Aspiring to become a silver smith, fashion designer, interior designer, garden designer, architect, handbag designer, greeting card maker and long distance truck driver, i ended up being an Orthotist.  Yes, i said a long distance truck driver.  After a trip to California at thirteen seeing those chrome adorned trucks, big enough to live in, housing a mini life on shiny wheels.  I wanted to cross the extensive barren country, stopping in dusty towns, eating apple pie in roadside diners with tumble weed blowing by.  Moving on to high-reaching cities, bustling streets and fast-food giants on every corner (not that i ever really aspired to eat at them). I wanted to sleep in my truck and drive the country over and over and over.  But mostly it was the chrome of the trucks.

But i ended up an Orthotist.  

And i'm really freaking glad too.

And i'm glad i'm on holiday.  Sitting at home, not feeling like i have to go somewhere to really make use of the time.  When working in America, i never felt this relaxed with taking time off at home.  In fact, i NEVER took time off to be at home.  With such a ridiculously pitiful amount of annual leave, there were no relaxing at home days. I would make every hour of those holidays work for me. I would always schedule my flights in the evening and work that day. I would fly home arriving late and work the next day.  No time at home to regroup.  But now, with 28 days a year as opposed to 15 (i negotiated a extra 5 days - i should have got 10 for the first 5 years - how anyone manages on ten i have no idea!) i sit here after quite a productive day; house viewings, a bit of shopping and an eight mile run quite content.   Tomorrow i plan on doing nothing more than a bike ride and making a blouse (we will see how that goes - just coz nothings planned...).  I have had the fabric for ages, and now its time to sew.



*

NaBloPoMo : Somandric - Pertaining to the human body.

Recover on the Climb!

That's what she said, mid-way through the spin class after a sprint section.  No rest, just straight on our feet climbing - supposedly recovering!  She was tough on us.  And to end was two sprints in a row as the ipod jumped so we missed the long slow climb.  Not that would be any easier to end a session with, but come on, 2 successive sprints, Bitch!

There was one guy in front of me and he was hot.  Not eye candy hot, just hot.  I opened a window about 20 minutes in, as did the instructor and this guy was steaming. I thought it would last a few seconds or so, but it was constant. It was crazy to see.  Everyone was sweating, but he was literally steaming, not just a little but like a power station.  True physics in action.

In review of last weeks training, i love this graph:

I accidentally ran every day.  It wasn't intentional, just happened.  Tuesday and Thursday were bricks, Wednesday was an easy TM run, testing out the knee, Friday was just a quick run, Saturday fartleks and Sunday my long run.

I rested yesterday.  And didn't run tonight.

Tomorrow though, back on that mill :)

Making marmalade. This is day one.  Poach fruit, boil pulp, squeeze out pectin and chop rind.
Day two is today, dissolve sugar, simmer until it will set - about 3 hours, jar.
Tomorrow, eat!!

There are many things i love about running, but up at the top of the list has to be cute
running skirts and new shoes.  I bought this skirt with the $75 gift card i won on Dailymile
(spare change for a sale 2nd skirt on sale too).
The weather was so lovely i wore it with no running tights.  Great day.

Curious about what this would say about my run yesterday. I did my usual route but in Fartleks. It ended up with an average pace of 8:10.  I'm doing a half marathon in 3 weeks, but i hardly think i will do a sub 2 hours. But, i wont be properly trained either.  This does state that my 10k time is actually over my personal best though. This makes me want to run a 5K to see how i would actually do.

Would you believe me if i told you i didn't realise how dirty my trainers were?
 I had no idea until i got my new ones.  They are a little white aren't they?!

As an Orthotist i find this very interesting (i look at the wear patterns of all my patients shoes), but even just a runner, its nice to be able to see what kind of runner you are.  These clearly show that i a a mid-foot runner.  There is basically no ware on the heels. The red arrows are to show that these areas are not worn, they just didn't have the blue on them. There is about 2mm of tread missing from these sections. I do love these shoes, i was properly fitted for them, but that was before i knew what kind of runner i was.  Though i have just repeated them (almost - new one are Cumulus 12 the old were 11's) but for my next shoe purchase i will investigate if there is a better shoe to provide mid-foot cushioning.  Until then, i need to dirty up my new ones so you can't see me in the dark!!

Telford 10K Photo

Telford 10K and Personal Best!

Today was the Telford 10K which is just under an hour from me here in Oswestry. My mum was visiting this weekend so it was super nice to have company for the ride there, the waiting around before and for someone to congratulate me at the end.

The weather was just fine. Cold and dry.  I wore my Underarmour tights, Sugoi skirt, an sleeveless top under an Underarmour cold weather long sleeved top. Hat and gloves too.

There was a decent crowd and a narrow start.  I sneaked in to a potentially selfish spot not very far from the front.  Its hard to judge the speed of a crowd and they had an elite sub 40 minute race earlier on so as i was aiming for 56 minutes i didn’t want to be too far back.  And I also didn’t want to walk for ages up to the start as i wanted to start my clock on the gun start to see what i could get, rather than on the start line.  What i actually did was press lap at the start line – or what i assumed it to be as there really wasn’t a defined line anywhere.

 

The start was signalled and i was carried along with the crowds. Feeling good and knowing i wasn’t sticking to my 9 minute mile pace – my race plan so to speak, i just went with it.  There was a big down hill at the start then two laps to the finish. My fist mile was 8:05 and i panicked a bit. I knew i couldn’t sustain this for another 5 miles.  I was being passed continuously and found it hard to slow down.  The second mile 8:23 and the third mile at 8:37 made me realise that perhaps i could maintain this pace till the end.  Mum was there about half way and took some photos. Its nice to have supporters on the side lines. 

I was feeling pretty good. I knew it was a flat course as i was coming to the second lap.  I really wanted a negative split and so i pushed. Mile four 8:25 and only 2 to go.  I picked it up some more. Now i was passing others steadily. Mile five 8:13 and i turned it up another notch.  Mile six 8:01 and running in for the last 200m – i LOVE this part as i speed up the whole way, i am running in long strides, faster than any other time i run, this is when i feel like a real racer, a real runner, an athlete .2miles @7:16 pace. 

FINISH    51:46 

Avg pace 8:16

Excellent, awesome, thrilled, stoked, joyous and surprised. I was hoping to beat the 56 minute as i knew it was a flat course, but i never thought i would get so close to the average pace of my 5K PB which was 8:11.

Is There Any Point?

I have my new computer at last. I had been hankering for a new one for a while, my old one being so sloooow.  I love that my hubby considers computers as necessities, so i don’t have to wait for it to be a birthday gift or the like.  He bought me it months ago in the States and it was shipped over.  Its at least a year in the waiting, we were putting the purchase off till we were moving.

So i plug it in and BANG PUFF it blows up! Oops! Yes, it seems that i had forgotten to switch the Voltage to UK, as it had being bought in the USA.  In all honesty, i didn’t even turn it on, i simply flipped the wall switch that allows power to travel to the computer (you don’t have those on USA wall plates) so i didn’t think i would need to flip the switch until i was going to power the actual computer on. Shows how much i know about electricity and electrical goods.

So,  i purchase a new power brick thing for inside the pc, at a hefty price of 35 quid!  And now have it all working.  I installed that myself too, i may add.  Its a beautifully quiet pc. I don’t real know its on and i sit literally right next to it –  as you tend to do with pc’s i know, but its at ear height with no obstruction either.
I have never used any Windows online products, live messenger and the like, but its set to pop up when the pc is turned on.  So annoying, so i went to uninstall it all.  As i was uninstalling it it asked me about Windows live writer, do i really want to uninstall it?  It made me think, do I?

I’m a blogger user (obviously) but sometimes it bugs me when adding photos and stuff, so thought i would give Windows Live Writer a chance.  So this, unintentionally long and involved blog, nothing to do with Trainers or my bike, is the test post to see what i think. Is there any point in changing?

So to maintain the theme of being totally unrelated to trainers or a bike or in fact healthiness in any respect. For the photo test, i will use food photos, my baking.


SO far so bloody good!!  Loving all the things you can do with photos. Kudos Windows!

View Full Album

I can’t seem to title individual photos, but maybe i just haven’t found that yet.  But  the sequence above is when i stayed in the capsule hotel in Tokyo.  They do actually provide lockers for your bags, but i thought that given the price of the locker and the fact that you get no other secure place, you would be able to open and close the locker at will. But no, so i paid about 6 quid for 30 minutes, and annoyingly i was sitting round the corner from it the whole time.  So i decided to just leave it in my tube. It didn’t really bother me when i slept.  And the hotel doesn’t cater to many women, so i felt confident that it would be ok in the tube in the daytime, i just pulled the blind down over it.  Those are the pj’s they give you to wear, and i even used the communal showers and bath – though again, not many women, so i communed with only myself.  It was a really cool experience. I love sleeping in cozy spaces, and this was a high tech cozy space – very me.  I like sleeping in tents for the same reason, though quite the opposite: low tech.

Okay, so i’m convinced.  There is a point. Yes!

Cold and Happy

My sister and Jamie visited this weekend.  It was brief but enjoyable.  Due to the bad weather and that she comes all the way from Hull, they were here for 24 hours.  But in that time we visited Oswestry for a walk around and a few drinks, Whittington for dinner and drinks, and Shrewsbury for a wander and lunch.

I expected them earlier on Saturday, and i was feeling a bit lazy so didn't go to the gym in the morning.  But today when they left, it was sunny and bright.  I was going to head to the gym. I popped on-line and read a bit of FB and dailymile.  Everyone talking about running the cold just made me want to get out there in the sun and bitter cold.

It was in fact only about -4C but that's not too common here.  I donned my cold weather running gear, my while Gillette which worked so well keeping me just the right temp in Milwaukee and poked my nose out the door. Yup, it was bloody cold.  I did my usual route and it was so delightful, amazing to be outside running instead of the dreadmill. I enjoyed every step. It flew by and i was sad to end up on my doorstep once again.

The sun shone the whole time, not a cloud in the sky. I ran past crisp white fields with flocks of sheep grazing in their thick wooly coats. Through Whittington, past the castle with its frozen moat making the ducks waddle around.  Past where we dined last night as i had delicious bacon wrapped pheasant and potato gratin. I plodded on, careful not to slip on ice and snow. Occasionally running on the roads.  If not literally on my face, i was certainly smiling inside.  It was uplifting, energising, and yes, bloody cold.  And that's just how i like it.

Snow capped Shrewsbury.

It took me back to when i first started running.  Just this January back in Milwaukee, a life time a go it seems.  So many things changed, so much happened in between then and now.  Funny though, one thing still the same- my weight.  Probably more muscle and less fat, but still about the same.  But its cool, just saying.

3.9m 9:12 pace - though i gotta learn km as the treadmills are in that so... 6.3km at 5:42 pace

Race photos.

The official photos are out.  I don't like some but here are a few i do like.  About a mile to the end i hoped the crowds would be big and cheering so i took off my ipod in the hopes that someone would shout 'well done Stephanie' or 'good going Stephanie' but i didn't hear my name.  The crowds were crap and i almost wish i had been wearing my ipod to the finish line.

I SO need to run

On Tuesday i went to Doctors park to get a little trail running in.  I wanted soft ground and fun, like that last recovery run i did with the running club.  But it was not to be. I have only been there once before i and i parked in a different place to avoid paying the $4 it cost to actually use the park.  So i set off but couldn't really find the trails.  I went off path but ended up running on a river bed which was soggy and pebbly. I was no where near as much fun running in the woods on your own.  I look forward to having a group to run trails with when i get home.

My new Puma Haraka XC

And i will be using my new trail running shoes.  I wore then once before my HM and just for two miles. I ran in the park on the grass.  They are very minimal and i could feel the ground really well.  Its a much different feel to the cushioned shoes i wear normally.  But i'd like to get in to this minimal foot wear trend. It all makes so much sense to me.  I didn't wear them Tuesday as i was planning on running 5 miles and i know i have to ease in to them. Unfortunately i only ended up running 2 miles. I got all disappointed at he lack of fun and needed to get home to call my sister too.

So now its been since Tuesday that i have run. I have been busy renovating but i hope to get out today to run away some annoyance. I cut two fingers today, broke a pain of glass of a window i was re-glazing, and stood on my camera and broke the lens in/out function so its f**ked.  Not too thrilled about that at all.  It shouldn't have even still been open/on as i hadn't used it in at least 5 minutes and it normally shuts its self off.  Grrrrr

Chicago Half Marathon Race Report

Wow!  It feels great to finally finish a half marathon.  If you remember it was spontaneously signing up for the Great North Run that got me started running in the first place.  Now, even though i don't get to run that race, i have a HM under my belt.  A little earlier than my training plan had me ready for, but running 11.5 miles 2 weeks ago made me believe i could run the distance.  I didn't believe though, that i would be able to run it as fast as i did.  I had high hopes of hitting the 2:15 mark so when i came across the pace tattoos in the race expo i grabbed four: the 2:05 - for my Birmingham race, the 2:10, 2:15 and 2:20 as i didn't know what i was going to aim for.

The night before i decided by elimination.  2:05 was my Birmingham time.  2:20 wasn't a high enough aim.  2:10 and 2:15 were what i thought achievable so i went with 2:15 so that if anything, i would hopefully better my goals, rather then fail them.

Pace tattoo on my forearm.

I had a big steak and jacked potato the night before and as i had a little hangover belly i allowed myself two ciders. But i did make myself drink a ton of water too.  I didn't want to take this race too seriously, i was seeing friends who i see rarely and won't see for ages so just went with the flow.  I was in bed by 10pm though.

Everything prep'd for the next day.

Overly large 'medium' shirt.

At 5am my alarm went off, though i was already awake 10 minutes prior.  I got up, dressed and ate a small bowl of oats and yoghurt and drank a tall glass of water.  I mixed one of those hotel instant coffee sachets in to a couple of ounces of cold water and downed it.  Thankfully my wonderful husband offered to drive me down-town to the train that they had put on for the runners.  He dropped me off with the mobs of sports clad early risers.  I was getting really excited now.

I realised on the train that i forgot my shades and that really pissed me off. I rarely go outside in the sun without them, never mind run for 2 hours.  But i didn't let it spoil my mood.  I spent 30 minutes in line to use the porta-jon , ate my banana and by that time it was 6.45am.  The race started at 7am.

I ran a little to warm up and got in line in the 2:15 pace area.  I chatted to a couple of people, one guy had only ran a 5k before and when i saw him at mile 7 he said that that was the longest he had run ever - that's crazy! I hope he made it.

It took ten minutes to get to the start.  I forced myself to keep a slow pace, running over a ten minute mile.  I really wanted to run the race properly. A slow start, conserve the energy and have a faster second half than the first.  What actually happened was that there was barely 3 minutes between the first and second half split.  The that's just fine with me.  When i was hurting i was still running just a bit faster than the first half.

I had one packet of organic pomegranate chews and planned on drinking water at every station.  I ended up taking gatoraide 3 times and water 3 times and doubling up once.  It was warm out but with no shade and salt from the drying sweat it felt harshly hot.  I ran through a mister once and that was divine.

It was tough keeping pace. The adrenaline made me want to run faster, the crowds were spacious but everyone was running different paces so i just never settled in to a pace.  I checked my watch a ton. At the 8 mile mark i decided to push it a bit more.  I believe looking at my split stats that this just kept me on goal.

As i neared the end i really picked it up. I wanted to finish strong, knowing i was close got the adrenaline pumping again which gave me a boost.  The crowds were SUCKIE!!  Yes there were folks there, but they were't supportive.  They waited until their friends or family passed and ignored the rest of us.  I was very disappointed, and glad that the excitement of finishing my first HM was enough to turn on the adrenaline pump.  As you can see from the numbers i really tried hard at the end, and i passed a load of folks,  Only a few of us were really pushing for a strong finish. Everyone else just kept on moving.  I prefer my finish technique.  I may not be fast the previous 12.5 miles but i sure as shit will try to look it for the last .6 mile of the race.

And then it was over.  A bottle of water, a finishers medal, a dropped cookie which i grabbed for Jeff but then didn't want in my race picture, a granola bar also for Jeff tucked in my skirt out of sight, photo, banana, and then trying to find Jeff in the heat and blinding sun with sore legs.

What a fantastic morning!!!

I loved it.  

13.1 miles 2:10:44  (or Sally says 13.2 in 2:10:42)

3ish miles and the Zoo

I headed out early-for-me at 8.30AM.  So I have a tender medial heel - apparently!  Not sure what that's all about but i had to hobble a bit at the start of my run, but got in to a rhythm after about half a mile.  That said, i wasn't  really feeling it this morning.

I set out without a plan, took a different way, but an area i know well, i just wanted to go with the flow, see where i ended up (i always pre plan the route).  But my legs were just not so happy to be moving that fast.  They felt heavy.  This is my first experience of heavy legs and now i know what everyone means.  I tried not to think about it and decided that i would just mix it up today. I spotted a smallish hill on route and decided to run hard up it.  Then around the corner once i had recovered, i did some farklets block-stylie.  Ran fast for a block, jogged for recovery for a block. I only did a few of these but it all helps eh.  Then i happened to run down the hill that i did my hill workout on the other day and decided that i should do two repeats as fast i i could bare and still run after.  Success.

I got home and jumped in the shower to get ready for my day out.  Considering how crap i was feeling running, it sure does feel nice to think i got it out of the way, didn't wimp out even with a decent-ish excuse of heel pain, and that i really worked hard to make it not suck.  I think i will pat myself on the back for that one.

I always seem to go to the zoo in the winter.  4 years ago when Laura visited, it was snowing when we were at the Milwaukee Zoo.  Today Lonna and I met at Racine Zoo.

 We had a lovely day out, our last meeting for a while.  I met her through facebook and we became friends. She lives south of Chicago though.  But we tried to meet up as much as we could.

  Racine doesn't really have much to offer, neither did the Zoo.  We wanted to go to the RAM but its Monday and it seems that Monday is the day off in Racine, especially museums.  Hence our trip to the zoo, the pickings are that bad.

 I did find us a lovely lunch spot though; Out of the Pan.  We both had salads and hot drinks to warm our hands.  We then took a walk down Main Street and browsed a few shops.  I will miss our photo-taking outings.

Three in the morning.

Nope, that was not what time i got up, that would be 6.50AM.  I missed the end of the Canada vs Sweden Curling by one end, i just couldn't keep my eyes open, but thats besides the point. I'm stoked Sweden won, i used to live there and it holds a special place in my heart. I love Swedes.

No, it was merely a reference to the 3 miles i ran this morning. To duplicate my post from DM " I ran my heart out. The there-and-back is straight but hilly; shallow long hills in both directions. It got to the point, on the return half way up the long hill, i've got my arms swinging like a marching band drummer on speed, i'm huffing and puffing hard; i have no breath left for that quick exhalation needed to do a farmers blow, therefore leaving me with snot and cold-wind tears running down both sides of my face. Pretty huh? Great run though - still the pace won't be accurate coz of the map. But it had to be close to a 10 minute mile. Finished up with some strength stuff."

Then: "Went through the basics, lunges, reverse lunges (1st for these, saw them in a magazine last month, then Kerri mentioned them so i thought why not?), a load of arm stuff. i like the: stand, flex hips to 45 and do triceps extensions a lot more than any other way, i had forgotten about it till today. scissors with the ball, ab crunches and calf raises. 

And Stretch...

Oh yeah, i finished with cold bath water running down my clave's for a few minutes, before and after i showered. I think it helped as i noticed a difference from one leg to the other before i did the right side."

So i wanted to see how much difference there was between the up and down hill within mile 2. Surprisingly little difference, but i did allow myself a 45 seconds stop-clock breather at the turn point. But the return is all up hill, a shallow one, but still a hill.

So i'm pleased.

I did good today.

I am now on a bit of a drive to loose weight, as i have actually put weight on. You see i wasn't concentrating on that in the hopes it would naturally fall of with the increase in exercise. But why should it be easy, huh? Also, a girl, any girl has a limited amount of motivation or will power, if you will. I didn't think i could concentrate and put forth enough effort to tackle and achieve two goals. So i put it all in to the exercise. Now that that comes easy, since my attitude has one-eightied and the will-power tank is full, i think i can tackle the weight. I have a good start because i am exercising already, now i need to look at what i consume and portion control. I have a good idea but...

Since working out i have gained 2lbs. I know that isn't a lot, and that is an average of many weigh-in's, but consider that with the last 82 miles i ran, 14 total hours worth of exercise, over 28 work outs, i have GAINED 2 freaking pounds!

I know its muscle weight, or at least i hope so, but it really irks me that i've gone up and i don't feel like i have lost any size, which i probably haven't. In fact, i noticed that my boots were tighter on my clave's. Thats just not cool dude! So, I can't just do these easy runs, as much as i enjoy them, and unfortunately it was an easy habit to slip in to. I know i have to do runs like today, hard runs, hills and speed work.  And i know i will enjoy them all more when i can run faster and further than i do now.

Oh i almost forgot.  When i got home I had a text from Bryan.  He said "Seeing you running made me buy only one doughnut instead of two. Thanks."

<3 it!

Later!

Road ID and Hill Workout.

Road ID

Recently I have been seeing everyone talk about Road ID which i personally think are a necessity. Last year for my friends birthday in June i bought her one.  I also bought myself and my mum one. I didnt go the expensive official Road ID way, i am always in the look out for a cheaper way of doing things, and i really didn't like the idea of having to put on a wrist band every time i want to run. Well i wasn't running then, but cyclists need them too But anyways...

These little beauties only cost me $4 a piece. You can have more lines of info, i just didn't have much else to put on it. You can choose colour, shape etc. They are actually made for pet tags, and yes, as you can see they can get scratched, i'm not sure how that happened, but i assume my bike. So i'm sure they would hold up just fine for runners. I don't feel it on my shoe. Its just perfect. Though next time, i will get the 1.5" instead of the 2" as it sure would have fit every thing on just fine.

I put Name, Hubbys cell phone, parents home phone, Blood type, My celiac disease status and insurance company.

Here is where i got mine from, but i'm sure you could get it done any where they do pet tags.

Hills

Yesterday was my first dedicated hill workout.  I warmed up for 1/2 mile till i found a hill, then ran up it at almost full speed. It was a 30 second run, arms flying, quick leg turnover.  And then a gentle 1.20 jogging descend.  The hill wasn't that steep and was a block in length.  I think i did it about 17 times, i lost count so just divided the time/loop in to the 30 mins i did it for.  Again, its my lungs that prevent me from going faster and longer.  My legs hurt just going from sitting to standing after Wednesdays strength training, and every step once i was running was sore on my adductor's.  But once i started the hill session, it got better, or rather i was concentrating on other things so it went away in my mind.  Yet at the end it wasn't my legs that were feeling it, but my lungs.   

So i am actually looking forward to my next hill session.  I am going to find a steeper hill though, see if i can get my legs to hurt. - Is that the idea?

Snowboarding and my first 5 miler

Grand Geneva ski Resort

4/10 but only because of the terrain park - which i used!  Or it would be a 1/10.

I was getting bored after 2 hours of the slopes. I almost decided to quit but it seemed like too much of a waste, 2 hours on the snow and an hour drive there and back.  But it really isn't much of a hill to keep the interest up. The steeper more challenging parts of the hill were too short and i couldn't link more then two turns, which isn't enough time for me to get a groove going. I fell a couple of times as i was getting the feel again but really i found it all too easy, and boring.  You see, repeating: 1 minute to descend, then 2 minutes to go up, one minute down, 2 minutes up etc.  2 hours can seem like a long time.  That is when i started thinking of the jump.

Then as i start to hook up my bindings at the top of the run i notice that i don't have a strap, the major one, that goes across the top of the foot.  So i had to go down the hill with no attachment. I had no control on my frontside and nearly fell.  But thankfully, even with no strap, i managed to descend the hill with out falling. You see, that is how easy it is!  Unbelievably i found the strap, screw and nut all just sitting right under the chair lift about 50 yards up the hill.  Thank goodness it was a quiet day on the hill.

I would turn the sound off, or lower it, the wind isn't fun to listen to, and i haven't worked out how to get rid of it.

So it was either go home or try the jump.  I had big balls that day and refused to waste the $20 on just 2 hours on the slopes - slopes being the perfect word. Certainly not a mountain!  See the movie i put together below. The hill really is nothing to talk about.  The second jump attenpt is on film.  The boys in the film were so sweet.  They were doing the same jump and always waited for me, egging me on, cheering. It was cool they hung out with me.  The 4 jumps took me about another 1.5 hours, with hanging out with the boys and watching them, so felt good leaving then.  And i got what i was looking for, an addrenalin rush.  And realised that is what i love about snowboarding, when you just have an awesome run, where you feel like your advancing.  I was not getting such a thing from the slopes.  But that jump - hell yeah, that WAS FUN FUN FUN!!!

Tuesday was my 5 miler.  I think that DM route planner - which is a google app, is not accurate.  I mapped it out and it said 4.92 miles but i ran it in 48 minutes so it can't be right - i most certainly didn't run a 9.45 pace.  I can't wait to get my Garmin.  The run was nice, i drove to the lake front and ran up and down Lincoln Memorial Drive.  There were only a few others out there.  I guess everyone else is wimpy in the winter, as in the summer it would have been busy, even in the week. i speed up for the last bit, and was really happy with the run till i saw that i probably didn't run 5 miles that i really wanted to.

Yesterday i did 40 minutes of strength training.  I used a magazine workout with weights, my ball and a lot of sweat.  I hurt today - the good pain :)  

Chatty Tuesday

Well what a FANTASTIC weekend (not that everyday isn't a weekend for the unemployed)  Friday i did some speed work. I warmed up with a mile jog then I set my ipod to buzz me every 30 seconds, and on that mark, i would run fast, then the next 30 I walked to recover.  I did this for 15 minutes and in that time, i only had to take 2 whole minute breaks. I then did another 1/2 mile cool down jog.  I seriously need to do speed intervals more often, to increase my lung capacity.  Friday night we went out with friends for sushi.  And that was the start of the weekend food debacle.

Every time i go out to eat i wonder how much people care that i am gluten intolerant.  I explain my situation, often saying its an allergy, so people who appear to have no clue as to what im talking about, take me seriously.  Depending on what type of place it is, i will say, 'so i can't have soy sauce' or 'so no toast' or the like, if its a flashy place i expect them to know.  So i told our waitress about the soy etc. and ordered my food.  When it arrived, the roll i ordered looked like it had fake crab in it; which i can't eat.  So when i checked, the waitress asked the chef and it turns out the crab was real, but they add soy sauce to the roll innards.  Well didn't i say no say sauce?  er Yes, yes i did, in plain English..  So i get another one on order, lump crab with no soy sauce and a $4 up charge for the lump crab.  Delicious. In the mean time, i pull the fish off the top of that roll and my companions eat the rest - free food!  And i wait for my replacement.

Saturday we drive to Chicago to see friends and their 5 month old boy Sam.  OMG how cute. I am so so so broody (and have been for 2 years - this doesn't help)  We head out for lunch once Sam has been bundled up, take a stroll down the road to a lovely place with loads of beers but no, they don't have any GF beer :(  I ordered a bun-less burger (as always stating why) and when it arrived, well of course, it was in a bun.  So i have to wait, while everyone else is chomping down on fries, steak sandwiches and breast milk.  5 minutes later i get my food, it was delicious and i rarely miss the bun when i do that. The evening is spent playing with Sam, catching up, a little glass of wine and bed by midnight.

Stupidly though, after our 2 hour lunch with a Scotch coffee, i accept more coffee at 6pm and i couldn't sleep till 1am.  Then, as we are sleeping in a loft with sky lights over the kitchen/living room, i am awake with Sam at 5am and then 7.30 with the sun. I get up at 8.30 STARVING as we only had lunch, as late as it was. I got up and intended to eat a protein bar i had bought, but apparently i didn't read the ingredients too well as i looked again and it had oat flour in it. Thumbs down, guess i'm running on empty then. 

9.30 comes around and Brady is awake enough to come out running with me (he was up at 5am with Sam).  We did a brief walk to warm up and set off on our 3 miler.  He was a great pace man. We were running a touch faster than i normally do, he is speedy and it was certainly a slow run for him, but he was pushing me.  I could talk for the 1st mile then then my sentences got shorter and shorter.  Eventually to one word answers and in the last 3/4 of a mile - nothing.  He made me speed up to get through traffic lights a few times.  But that man can sprint on a whim, i maybe picked up my pace by 30 sec/mile!

All in all though, it was a great run (even with no sustenance).  Off the top of my head my splits were 9.45, 9.51, and 9.something for a total of just over 29minutes (because i didn't see it, i can't remember what he said).  I am THRILLED with that.  My legs could have gone lots further but my lungs were shot. I like that i know its my lungs, not my legs that are tired, but they do seem like the hard thing to workout. So that was my tempo run as that's my goal for the 5K in 3 weeks: 30 minutes.  Now i need to learn to push myself like he pushed me. I really liked having a pace man. I am definitely going to find running partners in the UK.

Brady is covering Sam puke on Bethany's boob - Classy.  ;)

We were all starving so headed out for breakfast at Moonshine.  Really nice place, great staff, when i ordered my breakfast (with no toast please...blah blah..) he said no problem, sure, i'll guard it, no worries. When it arrived, for the 3rd time in a row, it arrives with food i can't eat.   Toast stuck on top of it. I always get nervous that they just take it back in, take off the toast and re-serve it to me.  But i didn't get sick so...what can i say, it was tasty.  Back to the house for a little Olympic action and then drive home.  

We planned to go out to dinner with Jeff's Mum as she is going to be in Florida for the next 3 weeks and is only back the day we leave for Asia.  We went to Crawdaddys which has an actual GF menu.  How about that!  I ordered the jambalaya and you guessed it, when it arrived it had 2 pieces of bread stuck in to it.  I mean, come on. I know we were being slightly excessive eating out 4 times in a row, but really, don't any chefs read the tickets?  Thankfully, i assume that they have a big pot of jambalaya going it was quite quick to receive my new GF plate of food.  And boy was it tasty.  And it was big enough for two meals. It didn't even look like i had eaten any when she took it away to box it up.  Man, they are big portions.

This is a mega post, so i will add the snowboarding stuff tomorrow.

I'm now off to run a 5 miler.  1st time ever.  Nice and easy pace.  Last week i missed my mile total by 3 miles! Gotta keep on top of that, not to happy about it at all.

Valentines Day Dinner

It was 3 years ago that i proposed to my husband.  Yes i did it on Valentines Day.  This was because i thought that was the only day i could take him out for a fancy meal to his favourite Milwaukee restaurant, in fact, Milwaukee's nicest restaurant; Sanford, with out letting on what i was going to do. 

I bought him a watch and had it engraved with 'Marry Me?' on the back.  I had to arrange my table and have the watch there, as it would never fit in my purse.  So all the staff knew, that was kinda weird.  My sister told me that i had to just 'get it out of the way', or i wouldn't enjoy my meal.  When i'm excited or nervous i can't eat. And you don't want to leave the food at Sanford on your plate, too nice and way too expensive not to finish.  

So that is what i did.   We ordered and got drinks.  I slipped my hand under the table and there it was, as planned, under a napkin, the boxed proposal.  I gave it to him, at the same time i sad some lovey dovey words and asked him to marry me.

I had it engraved for two reasons.  One, as a reminder for life, a token to keep.  And two, in case i got so nervous and couldn't speak, the watch could at least ask for me.  But on the night i wanted to actually say it. It was a little unnerving as the table next to us were quiet and i assume listening. I'm not that great with words and not that romantic so i doubt he [on the next table] was given any tips on how to make a marriage proposal.  No verbal treasures to write down from me. I was boring and safe, a resturant, on valentines day. you can't get more or a stereotypical proposal than that.

  

But in my defense. Food is his big love, Sanford it AMAZING and I PROPOSED! 

He said yes, of course. xxxx 

I LOVE YOU JEFF, YOU ARE MY WORLD.  

On a small side not, i didn't run yesterday, i looked after my poorly hubby and watched the Olympics all day.  Today i'm hitting the slopes of Sunburst WI.

Bike Run Bike - 12 miles of joy :)

Yesterday i decided i wanted to run somewhere new.  So how does one do that? Cycle somewhere first of course.  So i took Oklahoma Ave out to the KK river parkway. I cycled 4 miles to get there, which took longer than i had hoped - i'm rusty on the bike, my glutes were burning up!  I then locked up my bike and ran the route below which is 3.5 miles than cycled home.  It was great to do all that. I loved how i was far from home and there was no way i could cut it short in anyway (not that i have intentionally done that).  It was a really nice area to run, a few gentle hills and no traffic, just me and the snow.

DM says i burned around 1000 calories. I may have to do this everyday as i'm not loosing any weight. I know they ay it takes a few months to really notice a difference though, but i'm impatient.  And i need to watch what i eat more, as always. I have been trying to portion control, but i have a big appetite now i'm working out. Ah the battle of the wills.