Different Race, Same Distance

I signed up for the South Shore 5k in Oceanside on March 9.  I was going to run a race while on vacation, either in Charleston or Hilton Head Island for the month of March.  A race on Long Island close to home is nice and easy.    Subjecting my children to all the tedious logistics that are inevitable with a destination race while they're supposed to be on vacation too just seems unfair.  There are no other commitments the morning of the 9th that would interfere either.  It is meant to be.  Plus, this race is raising money for the Little League teams that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

This morning I did 5 miles and the temperature was almost 50 degrees!  I can smell Spring right around the corner.  I'm still running blind (Day Seven of Pink Eye) and somewhat deaf (Eminem must always be cranked up)...

Trophy Wife

I picked up my trophy from the Long Beach Rec Center today.  It is a step above the medals and plaques that are usually given out for the age group awards in other races.  I love it!

The morning didn't look very promising for a run.  It was rainy and very windy.  Lucky for me, Pete wasn't feeling well (unlucky for him, I guess) and came home around 1:30 to "rest".  I was able to get a 5 miler in.  I went out with the intention of doing 7+, but I had a caffe mocha from Starbucks this morning - 'nuff said.  I thought I saw P. Diddy by the dry cleaner's.  Is that possible?  No entourage, which makes sense if he wanted to lay low.  I should have snapped a picture of him or his imposter.  

Possum Kingdom

6.58 miles on another 40 degree morning.  My eye was still red this morning so I took a chance and ran sans glasses or contact lenses.  I was on guard for Dead Possum so when I saw it, I wasn't too alarmed (LIE, I was totally freaked out).  It was no longer on the shoulder of the road, it somehow moved onto the grass.  Lucky for me that I didn't have my contacts because I could only make out the shape and whitish face, no gory details.  Seeing cars in the distance was somewhat of a challenge when I got to corners, but I have lived to tell about it.  Overall, my uncorrected sight isn't bad enough to forego running, but not good enough to make out gross encounters of the nasty kind.  Win win.

Dog Lane

8.29 miles in 40 degrees.  It started out overcast, but then the sun crept out at the end.  In the first mile I had to cross the street to avoid a giant dead (or was it?) possum.  Thank God I wore my contact lenses.  I was going to run partially blind without them because my pink eye was still going strong.  I surely would have stepped on the possum or be haunted by the closeup sight of it.  The distance felt good, but my toe bones started to ache.  That's happened a couple of times in the past.    I'm not sure what the diagnosis for achy toe bones is, but it passes.

I saw five dogs, three of which are worth mentioning, on one block in the next town over.  The first was an ADORABLE pit puppy (yep, I don't hate pits.  I actually think as puppies, they're the cutest dogs out there.  I just don't like it when they, or any breed, form gangs and roam the streets looking for human chew toys).  The pup was so cute I had no choice but to do a stop and pet.  Next I saw a beautiful white German shepherd.  A minute later I saw a man brushing his old golden retriever mix on the front step of their house.  The dog was patiently standing there during the primping.  She seemed to love the attention.

Long Beach Snowflake 4 Mile Run Review

I woke up this morning with my left eye almost swollen shut and red as a beet.  Ugh.  Pink eye.  I never had pink eye until I became a mother (thanks a lot, kids).  Not a big deal, right?  It's not pink foot or pink knee.  Running should be fine.

I found a perfect parking spot close to the Lindell Boulevard Elementary School.  Driving off at the end of the race won't be an issue.  I picked up my packet inside the gym at around 8:15.  As time went on, the gym got pretty crowded.  I went to the bathroom and recognized a couple to be the brother and sister-in-law of a friend.  I said hello, but noticed the SIL was kind of taken aback when she looked at my face.  My eye!!!  When I looked in the mirror, I noticed some crusting at the corner.  Totally gross.  Hopefully, I won't ever see her again in my life.

I went outside at 8:45.  It was gray and misting, but at least it wasn't freezing rain.  The temperature was about 40.  I was happy to see the FLRRT truck.  They are great with starting on time and posting the results fairly quick.  We started at exactly 9am.  There were clocks at each mile.  Mile 1 I hit around 7:50.  A surprise because I thought I was cruising a bit faster.  I got to Mile 2 at 15:xx and Mile 3 at 23:xx.  I knew this was not going to be a PR day at that point.  The last half mile of the race I thought I would sprint to the finish.  Wrong.  Suddenly and for no apparent reason, I started gagging and dry heaving.  Lovely.  Talk about being a total disaster.  What the fuck?  If it's not coming out one end, it's coming out the other.  Too much information?  Such are the highs and lows (well, I guess just lows) of running.  I kept going to the end, praying the whole time there were no race photographers.  I can see it now.  They post my closeup on Facebook or the local patch, red eyes and the "I'm gonna hurl" face.  That would be reason enough to consider moving far, far away.  I finished in 31:09, 2nd place in my age group.  Eh.

This is what my left eye looked like.  At least the swelling went down.

Nice blue cotton race shirt.

Packet pickup inside the Lindell gym

Start and finish on the bay

What's a walkman?

5.2 miles in 30 degrees at 8am.  My iPhone started playing the same songs as yesterday, but in reverse order.  I'm still not used to using it as a walkman.  That's right, I said it!  I still use that term to describe any portable music device with a delivery system to the ears, or as I like to call them, "headphones".  My 11 year old just looks at me funny when I say "walkman".  I remember running with my chunky, bright yellow Sony walkman and fumbling it often because it was so big and awkward to hold, even with that strap.  All I needed were my new wave mixed tapes and I was set.  I do think the iPod was one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century.  They're so lightweight in comparison to my old school Sony.  And downloading almost any obscure one-hit-wonder?  Fantastic!  But,  I also can't help being nostalgic once in a while.

And how a propos that my last song today was...

February Race Is On

I signed up for the Long Beach Snowflake 4 Mile Race this Saturday.  Long Beach is even flatter than My Town, if that's possible.  If the map I looked up is correct, none of the race is on the boardwalk.  Thank you!  Hey, I love the beach as much as the next person, but running on boardwalks can get pretty tiresome pretty quickly.  And windy.  Right now the forecast is 38-40 degrees with a 70% chance of rain.  Hopefully, the rain won't start until later.  I will get my race on for the month of February!

I'm going to send a letter to Mr. Jim Morris, Bearer of Bad News from the Wampanoag Runners Club, to plead my case for a race shirt.  I don't really need any more race shirts (my Target running "dresser" is overflowing), but it's the principle.  Dammit.  Janet.

Midday 6.35 miles in a windy 34 degrees.  I actually had to remove large debris (recycling bins) from the road so cars wouldn't swerve to avoid the debris and hit the runner, me.  Felt great throughout.  Maybe those 2 days on the dreadmill weren't really that dreadful, after all.

Boo, OFTM!

4 miles on the dreadmill.

Jim Morris from the Wampanoag Road Runners Running Club sent out another email update today.  They are canceling the Old Fashioned Ten Miler altogether.  They could not come up with a new date.  He went on to say that we will not be reimbursed the entry fee.  Okay.  That was expected.  Oh, and he will NOT mail out the t-shirts.  Wow.  Where's the dislike button?   Dori Ingalls from the Mad Marathon in Vermont mailed me my race shirt, as well as an extra for Pete.  This was 5 months after the race, no less!  Then again, this is also a woman who greets every runner at the finish line with a hug.

OFTM Postponed due to weather

A room with a view

I woke up around six this morning, but didn't get out of bed until a quarter to seven.  I got dressed and went down to the hotel lobby for the free breakfast.  I passed a window on the way down and did  a double take.  I expected to see snow, but the wind made it look like Antarctica out there.  The race director sent out an email yesterday advising us that we would be notified by 9am if the race was going to be cancelled.  So far, nothing.  After breakfast, I stepped outside to see what it was really like.  I discovered very quickly that it really sucked.  Now, I was secretly praying that it was going to be cancelled, because I know Pete was going to pressure me to run this no matter what.  Usually most elements don't bother me, however cold wind in my face I can do without.  I got back to the room, happy to find Pete not too anxious about heading out either.  He said we should wait until 9.  No argument here.

We got the email at 7:51.  The subject read "OFTM POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER":

Good morning Runners, 

With the safety of our runners and our volunteers in mind, we’re postponing the running of the 18th Annual OFTM until a future date and time. A forty-five mph high-wind advisory coupled with a few inches of snowfall would surely create some treacherous running conditions and rather than risk injury to our participants, we’ll reschedule for another day. 

The Board of Directors for The Wampanoag Road Runners will meet immediately to consider alternative dates and will notify all registrants via email once this date is determined. Additionally, this information will be prominently posted on our website; http://www.wampanoagroadrunners.org/. 

On behalf of all the Wamps, I thank you for your continued support and will see you at the starting line at a date and time to be determined. 

Best Regards & Be Safe, 

Jim Morris 
Race Director

Pete is even willing to come back up at a later date, if our schedules permit.

Once again, the running gods are on my side.  They knew I wasn't ready for this race and kindly rescheduled while also giving us a nice family weekend away.  I checked the Long Island Race Calendar.  There's a 4 miler in Long Beach next Saturday.  I'll still be able to get a race in for February!

5 miles on the dreadmill.

Two Cousins Fish

Easy 3.91 miles, 36 degrees.  My reward?  Huge bowl of delicious lobster bisque from Two Cousins Fish Market in Freeport.  I highly recommend their fish (and bisque) and you would be helping out a local business hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.

Race day tomorrow.  There is now a winter storm warning for the area with a prediction of up to 8 inches of snow.  Race temperature should be around 23 degrees.  Warmer than the Brrrrooklyn Hot Chocolate 10k.

NYCRuns posted on Facebook that a high school junior from Bronxville placed second at the Millrose Games Women's Mile with a time of 4:27.  Amazing.

Reeva Steenkamp

I did a 30 minute tempo run on a 45 degree sunny morning.  I did not get mauled by the two wanted pit bulls.  I did see a cute black lab puppy.  After two consecutive days off, my legs felt like they were dragging for the first ten minutes until I got into my groove.  I'm looking forward to the long weekend!  Snow is in the forecast.

Reeva Steenkamp

Oscar Pistorius was arrested for murdering his girlfriend, South African model, Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria.  Pistorius had both of his legs amputated from the knees down as a baby due to a congenital condition.  He is a runner who competed in the 400 meter track event at the London Olympics.  His participation drew some controversy over whether his prostheses gave him an unfair advantage (I happen to think so).  Authorities say he is no stranger to domestic violence.  Not only was his girlfriend a beautiful model, but she also was outspoken on the issue of violence against women.  There are a few places on this planet with which I feel a soul connection.  They are New York City, Italy, and South Africa.  I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Capetown and safari at Mala Mala in 1996.  It is an absolutely beautiful country with people who are as diverse as they are amazing.  So sorry about this unnecessary tragedy.

Now what?!

Okay, so maybe that vicious dog on my last post wasn't a pit bull.  Maybe I just randomly picked a ferocious looking dog to justify my fear of running yesterday.  This real pit bull

doesn't look so bad, right?  The police never found the fugitive dogs.  They think they went home.  I guess that's reassuring, kind of not really.

So my excuse for not running today?

Stomach bug.  Sunday Santos was complaining of a headache at my mother's.  He was fine the next day.  Last evening after dinner, out of the blue, he ran frantically back and forth to the bathroom with a belly ache.  He was getting sick every which way until 11pm.  Right as he settled down and fell asleep, the virus decided it was my turn.   I have enough of a problem running uninterrupted on my own.  I don't need any assistance from a virus, coffee, ice cream the night before, etc.  I wasn't taking any chances.  Excuses are like...belly buttons?  Tempo run tomorrow,  for sure...unless...

The plus side is I will be well rested for my "fun run" on Sunday.

Who Let The Dogs Out?

No run today.  Helicopters flying overhead yesterday and today.  Why?

"Two pit bulls attacked four people in Lakeview Tuesday night and are still on the loose, according to Nassau County Police.

The first victim, a 16-year-old male, was walking on Parkside and Cedar Road around 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 when two pit bulls, one brown and the other black, attacked him, report police. He suffered injuries to his left arm. 

Ten minutes later, police say, the same two pit bulls attacked a 54-year-old woman who was walking on Pinebrook Avenue and Parkside Road. She also suffered injuries to her left arm.

Then, at 6:50 pm, the two dogs attacked a third victim, a 24-year-old female, who was walking on Pinebrook Avenue and Tyler Road. She suffered injuries to her left leg and right arm.

The last attack occurred at 7:01 p.m., in front of 33 Clinton Ave. Officers say the two dogs attacked a 29-year-old woman, who suffered injuries to her face, left arm, right arm and left shoulder.

All the victims were transported to an area hospital to seek treatment for their injuries.

Speaking to News 12 outside her home Wednesday, one of the women attacked by the dogs, Kashina Sylvester, said she had been getting out of her car when suddenly she was approached by the dogs. 

"I said 'Go home' and all of sudden, I'm being mauled by two dogs ... They started biting at my jacket and then one chomped down on my thigh and I went down."

Sylvester was then bitten on her face, arms and shoulder.

An intensive area search for the dogs was coordinated and conducted Tuesday night utilizing Bureau of Special Operations Officers, Emergency Services Unit, Aviation Unit, Fourth Precinct Patrol Officers and Town of Hempstead Animal Control Officers, but they were unable to locate the dogs at this time.

Authorities returned to the area Wednesday morning to continue the search, which they said will not conclude until the dogs are found.

The dogs were both wearing collars. One still had a piece of chain attached to its collar. Officers request anyone who may have information regarding these dogs to contact the Fourth Precinct."  by Tara Conroy, the local Patch

Lucy Legs

Ran 5 miles on a gorgeous, sunny 45 degree afternoon.  My knee felt fine.  I have been wearing a soft brace on it all day.   Sunday's forecast in Foxboro is 28 degrees with 20% chance of precipitation.  Not bad.

Lucy Liu is on the cover of Fitness magazine for the month of March.  She, of course, never had food issues (they never do), but says running is the quickest way to lose weight.  Thank you, Ms. Liu.  She loves the way her legs look as a result of running.  Without any weight training, running will define your quadriceps and calf muscles to look long and sinewy, even if you have short Asian legs like Lucy and myself.

During my last pregnancy, my weight peaked at 162 lbs.  I weighed 155 lbs. 6 oz. two days after I gave birth to my 6 lb. 10oz baby girl at the end of the summer of 2011 (I had always heard that a mother could lose up to 20 lbs. during childbirth.  I lost the exact weight of my daughter, not an ounce more or less).  Once Baby Girl was 6 weeks old I started running again.  I lost 45 lbs. by the spring.   Running does a body good.  Pass it on.

Oops, I Did It Again...

I ran 8.55 miles up on the north shore.  My last long-ish run before the 10 miler next weekend.  I didn't know what to expect as far as snow and ice conditions so I wore my Yatrax as a precaution.  Again, most of the run was on asphalt and concrete.  There were some snowy patches and I took full advantage of them when I could.  After about 5 miles, the trax began to hurt.  The strap was digging into my instep.  I'm not sure if it was because I was wearing them over my Adizeros which are pretty thin and lightweight.  The springs underneath were bothersome too.  I just did a little research and apparently I risk breaking them on asphalt and concrete.  Uh oh.  I will bring them up to Foxboro, but will likely not wear them unless the entire route is covered in snow.

I had to make a pit stop around Mile 4 so I ducked into Bed, Bath & Beyond.  This put me on the main road which had no bike lane or sidewalk available.  I wound up running a hundred yards in the yellow painted island in the center of the traffic.  Not recommended for the faint of heart.  This happened again around Mile 7.  There was not enough room in the center so I had to just sprint before oncoming traffic caught up.  Spring can't come soon enough.

I checked the Hal Higdon 10 Mile Training program.  In both the Advanced and Intermediate plans, he has you running a minimum of 10 miles before the race.  Oops.  It seems I'm doing things a little backwards these days.

Ice feels really good on the knee, by the way.

Winter Wonderland

Nemo left about 12 inches of snow by the morning.  I wore my Yak Trax for the first time and set out on a 5+ mile run at around 1:30pm.  It was a comfortable 30 degrees.  Most of the run was on concrete, but when I hit icy or snowy patches, I was glad to have them on.  I'm not sure if running on the concrete will ruin them.  It was tricky navigating the huge puddles on the streets at each corner and there were more than a few people who didn't shovel their sidewalks (tsk tsk).  My sneakers were pretty soaked by the time I got home.  Overall, it was a great run.  The white backdrop was a breath of fresh air (check back next week when it's black slush and I'm cursing all things winter) and the temperature was perfect.  No iPhone, but this song seemed a propos.

Sno Haus, the local ski shop, is having a huge sale this weekend.  Up to 80% off.  I got new snow pants for $117 (marked down from $135) and a new black Bonfire jacket for $120 (originally $239).  I do love a good deal!

Fun secret pockets

Nemo Is Omen Backwards.........

Top Ten Reasons Not To Run Today:

10.  Rain
9.    Sleet
8.    Snow
7.    Cold
6.    Damp
5.    Icy
4.    Blustery
3.    See answers 10-4
2.    Baby Girl feeling Blah
1.    If Baby Girl feels Blah, Mommy feels Blah

I spoke with my mother this morning to make sure she and my father had everything they needed for the blizzard.  She mentioned that she recently got a rooster comb injection (an injection!  Of course!).  I find this very odd since she doesn't read my blog and I did not bring this up.

Cock-a-doodle-gross

3.91 miles in 30:10, 27 degrees.

I may finally get to use my Yaktrax this weekend.  We're expecting 12-18 inches of snow starting tomorrow evening.  Blizzard conditions.  I am very happy my 10k wasn't this Saturday.  More snow on Valentine's Day too.

My knees have been feeling a little funny the past few weeks.  Today I can feel the same sac of liquid above my left knee that was there a few months ago.  I will try icing it later.  I'm not a big fan of icing because well, I don't like to be cold.  I really don't want to go back to the orthopedist again, though.  I had knee problems post Baltimore marathon.  It got to the point where I was shuffling around like a 90 year old.  I went to the doctor and he gave me a choice.  He could treat my knee with the red flap of skin on top of a rooster's head (um...whuh?).  Rub it on my knee?  Make me eat it?  Seriously?  Bleccch.   Is there a farm for these "castrated" roosters?   Awful.  I mean who came up with this remedy?  Was Farmer Joe sitting around with an inflamed knee when his favorite rooster sidled up to him and started rubbing his head against it?  "Hmmm, that feels good!"  The next thing you know there are a bunch of bald, bachelor roosters (because what chicken in her right mind would want to be seen with a bird  like that?)  aimlessly roaming the coops.  The other option was a direct cortisone shot.  I got the shot.  It hurt, but less traumatizing than fiddling with a rooster extremity.  The next day my knee felt brand new, better than rooster cooties, but still not ideal.  Ice it is.

Vitamin E and the Lazy Runner

6.35 miles at 7am in 30 degrees.  The run started off great.  Pink skies to the east.

Yesterday I had some annoying chaffing from the bottom band of my sports bra.  I will now share my ancient Chinese secret.  I put some vitamin E on it overnight and this morning...voila!  'twas healed.  I have been using vitamin E on scars, scrapes, and cuts since I was a teenager.  I buy a jar of the capsules, prick a hole in one and squeeze out the magic potion onto the open cut.  It may not work overnight, but after a couple of days your skin will be good as new.  It even works on scars.  This is not a secret, you say?  Okay.  How about baby powder magically removing sand from the beach?  That's more like an ancient Mommy secret.

A while ago someone in one of the Runners World Online Forums asked if there were any "lazy runners" out there.  People who love running 5, 10, 15, 20 miles, but in every other area of life, they're lazy shlubs.  Of course, I assumed this question was directed at me and me alone.  I was annoyed that this total stranger was exposing me to the (Runners) world.  He went on to describe two types of runners:  the Type A Runner and the Lazy Runner.  The Type A runs because he has all of this Type A energy bursting at the seams and he needs to release it somehow.  The Lazy Runner runs for the pure joy of it.  He doesn't want to walk over to the garbage can to throw out a diaper (preferring the 3 pointer from the bed), but he runs every day because this is what he loves and who he is.  This is who I am.  I love bounding out the door in my Adidas for an hour and a half and returning with that feeling of accomplishment and the "runner's high" that makes you feel invincible, if only for an hour after.  When it comes to Real Life Lazy Arse Me, forget it.  If I could lie around watching The Golden Girls marathons House Hunters International or Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations all day in my pajamas with unlimited popcorn and Milk Duds... I choose this.   I look fondly back on those days when I was younger and mastered the art of torpidity.  I was good at it.  Even now, it takes a lot out of me to go downstairs and get my bowl of ice cream and glass of milk after I'm already in bed.  The kids are much better at this feat.  They're spry.  Their legs don't mind the countless trips up and down those damn stairs.  I'm tired just typing about it.

And yes, I've perfected the 3 point shot from the bed.

5 And (Maybe Not) 10

Another day off yesterday.  I don't like taking two days off in a row, but it was too complicated to work out the runs with Pete gone.  I was able to catch up on much needed sleep though.

I did 5 miles this morning in 28 degrees (he's back).  There was light snow again last night.  I took it slow (the more consecutive days I take off, the stiffer I feel) and enjoyed the beautiful morning.  I was thinking that I might not be ready for this 10 miler in two weeks.  My mileage has been somewhat low and I haven't run 10 miles since January 5 - yikes!  The 10 miler I ran last year in Long Beach was right off of a half marathon.  I PR'd and felt great.  I don't see this being a repeat performance.

I'm looking for a March race.  We will be driving down to Florida (Oh Lordy).  I found a 5k in Charleston on the way down and one on Hilton Head Island Easter Saturday.

And yes, Blog did have another makeover.  Thank you for noticing.  I tried to add some photos, but apparently Hawaiian palm trees and the Pacific Ocean were inappropriate for a NYC Marathon themed blog.  Whatever.  Until I figure out how to resize my Brooklyn Bridge photo, this is what we have.  I like it.  Do you?

Go Ravens!!!

I got my Footnotes magazine from GLIRC.  For a local running club, their magazine is pretty legit.  And...they even welcomed me in it!  I'm a fan!

No run today.  I was up until 3 watching The English Patient and then Baby Girl woke up at 7.  I tried to have her go back to sleep, but she was not having it.  That's my story, the end.

Superbowl Sunday!  Go Ravens!  Why?  I love everything Baltimore after last October's marathon!  Go Orioles!  Go Edgar Allen Poe (Well, I've always had a thing for Poe)!  Go The Wire!  Go ...um...um...Go Inner Harbor!

Hooky Friday

I missed writing yesterday's run!  My first day skipped since I started.  Sniff, sniff.  I guess I was tired.  I went up to my mother's and ran 6.12 miles in 32 degrees.  I did almost the same route as last time.  The first hill seemed harder.  I loved the run, though.  I love looking at all of the beautiful homes.  Lots of new construction, but the older ones are more my style.  I love the charm.  Yes, I admit it.  I have actually ducked into Open Houses while out running.  I would try my best to go unnoticed, but I'm usually sweaty, out of breath, and oozing adrenalin.  As the Princess or the Pauper would say (Can you tell I have three daughters?), "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."  I digress.  Back to my run.   One house's garage was completely in ruins from Hurricane Sandy.  I was surprised that it had not been cleaned up after all this time.  It looked very dangerous.  I watched "Infested" on Animal Planet last night, so I can only imagine what is living beneath all that debris (shudder).

I took my time and finished at 53:43, an 8:46 pace.

Halfway up first hill.  Objects may appear flatter than they actually are.

Poor garage.

Last year I wore my watch (regular sports watch, no Garmin) during every run.  I wound up racing almost all of my practice runs.  Bad idea for marathon training, good idea if I wanted to get injured.  The mileage is more important than timing.  I started running sans watch, except for tempo runs or if I'm on a time constraint (i.e., Grandma's left alone with Baby Girl, both of them watching the clock with bated breath).

Today's 19 degree run was local.  I decided to do a tempo.  Sav was left in charge of the younger three,  another time constraint.  3.91 miles in 30:56.  More importantly, no one was crying when I got back.  Yay!