Hilton Head Island

I got up early this morning and ran 3.4 miles to the Cross Island Parkway Bridge and back to the hotel, a total of 6.84 miles.  Surprisingly, there weren't a lot of runners out on the bike/pedestrian path.  The path is alongside the road, but parts are hidden by palm trees and bushes so you don't feel like you're on top of the traffic.  It's very pretty.  I wish there were these paths everywhere.

I used the Map My Run app again.  I made a "pit stop" and wasn't sure how to pause the activity.  I wound up recording two separate runs.  Annoying.  It's also a pain to stop and resume the app when taking pictures.  I decided it's good for assessing the mileage on new routes, but I won't be using it on my regular runs.  I want to just run without worrying about technology.

Interesting sign about the area

Reeeally interesting sign about the area

When I returned, the family rented bikes.  Pete had a trailer attached to his for the two little girls, Sana had her own bike, and Santos and I rode tandem.  We decided to get something to eat in the Sea Pines area at the end of the island.  We biked 10.66 miles total.  It was worth it.  The Salty Dog restaurant had fantastic fresh fish and the outdoor seating on the water was perfect with all the kids.  We also saw three alligators.  I was surprisingly calm.  

Atlanta or Atlantic?

6.14 miles at a 9:05 pace on a somewhat full stomach (Not recommended).  The first two miles were within the in-laws' gated community.  There are some really cute beachy cottages.   After pretending that I might actually live in one of them in the future, I ran two miles down A1A to the Jungle Trail entrance, turned around and came back to the house.

I used the Map My Run iPhone app for the first time.  I liked it.  At each mile a pleasant female voice (who sounded suspiciously like Siri) told me my running time, the mile marker, and my pace.  Cool.

I have recovered from my Marine Corps Marathon debacle.  I am now considering either the Atlanta Marathon or the Atlantic City Marathon, both in October.  I read reviews for both on MarathonGuide.com.  Both marathons got mostly favorable reviews.  According to everyone, the Atlanta Marathon is hilly.  I checked out two elevation charts.  The data on them differed from each other.  Hmmm.  On the first chart the hills did not seem too steep, not the case on the second chart.  The one thing possibly dissuading me from the Atlantic City Marathon is the headwind, a seemingly unavoidable issue on the ocean.  I have some time to decide since neither of them are considered "Big City Marathons" so there are no registration constraints, other than the ones I create all by myself.

Just Another Wednesday

Pete's stepmother, Nancy told us that someone in their gated community saw a black panther walking on the property recently.  I knew there were Florida panthers roaming the state, but they are rare.  Per my research two nights ago (because I research stuff like this), there has never been a known attack on humans by a Florida panther.  But a black panther?  Well, I've seen that face eating scene from "Apocalypto".  Not pleasant.  However, I'm not sure about the reliability and validity of Nancy's "source".  I took my chances and ran the Jungle Trail (Did Black Panther look at a map and see the name Jungle Trail?  "Hey, this might be a good spot!") solo today.

Part of the run is along busy A1A.  No real danger of being jumped by a face eating cat.  The Jungle Trail, the majority of the run, is a quiet dirt road along the Indian River.  I used to worry about alligators, but now Black Panther lingered in the back of my mind.  I was happy to see a lot of people out and about on the trail   Mostly families bike riding with a few walkers here and there.  They all looked happy and were in one piece.  A good sign.  The 6.75 run in 66 degrees turned out to be very pleasant.  Not a care in the world, or so I thought...

I brought along my own water bottle, Fido.

Indian River, or as I like to call it Yet Another Body of Water for Alligators to Hide In River

Jungle Trail

I returned to the cottage pool where the family was hanging out and passed the imaginary baton to Pete who attempted the same route, but cut it short through the Captain Forster Preserve..."watch out for big black cats!", I warned.  For some reason, he wasn't too concerned.  I cooled off and checked my email.  The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) folks sent me an email saying they expected the marathon to sell out shortly and encouraged me to keep trying to register.  WHAT THE CRAP?!?!  I totally spaced on this race (Again!)!  My wonderful children scrambled out of the pool and we booked back to the house where wifi was available.  It was 1:30pm.  Registration opened at noon.  I attempted to access the Active.com site.  They had the difficult task of overseeing thousands upon thousands of entries and wannabe entries.  I kept getting a message about the overwhelming demand and to wait while the page reloads in 3 seconds...in 11 seconds...in 8 seconds, etc.  Finally, a little after 2pm I accessed the page only to discover the race was closed.  If I doubted whether I was meant to run this race in the past, I am now certain.  This is not my year for the MCM.  Last month I missed registering for the Quantico 17.75k race which would have given me guaranteed entry.  That sold out in a couple of hours, as well.  Now I missed the big one.  

Okay.  Since MCM technically was my Plan B, on to Plan C...(sigh)  First, I need to have my brain reprogrammed to "Marathon Mode", or better yet "Register Mode".  It's amazing that I ever successfully registered for a race before in my life.  Amazing.

Head Like A Hole

I LOVE these videos!  I know you can relate!!

I have been getting ocular migraine headaches on and off since I was seven years old.  My first one occurred during the Memorial Day parade in my hometown.  I was supposed to march with my Brownie troop.  Instead, when we passed my street, I found my mother and went straight home where I hid under my pillow for the next twenty-four hours.  My migraines are brought on by many different triggers including bright sunlight, dehydration, stress, and/or caffeine.  The first symptom is blurred vision, similar to what your television screen looks like when your digital cable goes wonky.  After that, it's all downhill.  I have extreme nausea from the blurred vision causing a Puke-a-palooza, if you will.  Lying under the covers is the only thing I can tolerate.  The headache usually lasts throughout the night and then the next day I have a "hangover headache",  a dull, lingering throbbing but my vision is restored.  They are truly debilitating and something only fellow migraine sufferers and their loved ones can relate to.  Luckily, I don't get them too often, maybe 3 times a year.

Today we had lunch at my in-law's beach club.  I had a delicious garden salad and a cup of "decaf".  When the waitress came by to refill my cup, I asked if it was decaf to double check, as is my routine when eating out.  "Oh, no it's not.  I didn't know," she answered.  Great.  I felt okay, so I didn't make a big deal about the mistake.  I finished my lunch without thinking twice about what happened.  Until...

...I went out for my run about an hour later.  I was planning on running a 6.75 mile trail along the Indian River.  After  the first mile, I noticed my vision start to blur.  Oh crap.  I decided to push on hoping it would pass.  At 2.2 miles, I decided it would be better to turn around rather than get stuck on the remote trail.  Once I arrived back at my in-law's I chugged two and a half bottles of water and gulped down an orange.  This only made me feel nauseated.  The blurry vision had subsided though.  I got lucky and was able to stave off a potential disastrous dinner with the family.

Lesson:  It is better to remind your waitress about your caffeine woes ad nauseum than to sit through a meal with your in-laws and children ad nauseum.  Figurative barf beats literal barf.  Always.

Under Pressure

Another run on the dreadmill.  4.25 miles in 35:39, an 8:23 pace.  We were at a hotel in Charleston, South Carolina (which is not next door to Southern Pines, North Carolina, by the way) this time.  The dreadmill in their exercise room was very basic.  No frills.  No TV attached.  There was a mirrored wall in front of me.  So that's what I look like when I'm hanging on by a thread having fun!  I was going to run 5 miles, but we had to check out and I knew Pete was most likely annoyed because he was annoyed the day before.  Not fun running under pressure.  Now I'm annoyed just thinking about him being annoyed because I'm running and he's with the kids who are also likely annoying him, thus mounting a great deal of undue pressure upon me.  (sigh)

Gym-boree

Even though we are in North Carolina, it is still only 39 degrees at 9am.  I only brought warm weather running clothes so off to the hotel dreadmill I went.  I'm not a big fan of the dreadmill, as you may have guessed by its nickname.  Usually,  gym dreadmills are facing blank walls or the televisions don't work.  It is essential to have a distraction because running in place for an extended period of time (which is more than five minutes) is about as exciting as watching paint dry.  That is kind of a lie.  Truth be told, the dreadmill earned its name because it is a hell of a lot harder to run on than running in the great outdoors.  Today's run at an 8:15 pace seemed to require twice as much effort than an 8:15 pace in my neighborhood.  Maybe the monotony plays a part, but I give people credit for being regular "dreaders".  I have heard of people doing their long twenty milers on them!  God bless.

The LifeCycle at this gym had a television attached to it that actually worked!  Nice surprise.  The family didn't really know what to do with themselves when I was at the gym, especially since the hotel pool was out of commission (sigh).  The kids took turns stalking visiting me, but a gym is not exactly an ideal playroom for toddlers.  Too many hazards.  After repeatedly correcting them and giving them the best evil eye I could muster while simultaneously trying to tempo run without being flung into the wall behind me, they finally got the hint and left me alone (for the last quarter mile).

5 miles in 41:19, an 8:15 pace.

Sitting In A Car For Thirteen Hours With Four Kids Is...

...everything you imagine it to be and so much more!

Pete had to work all day yesterday so I didn't run. I figured I'd get it in today. Nope. We were up at 4:45am to start out first leg of our vacation. Four and a half hours to the Baltimore Aquarium.   Great place for kids. My son was in heaven.  Shark tanks are super cool.  We left Baltimore at 1pm and arrived in Southern Pines, North Carolina at 10pm.  No run, again. The good news is nobody abandoned ship at the first rest stop in sight (Not like that was even an option. Too many witnesses, obviously...).

I will now sleep for twenty-two hours, or until check out in the morning...so we can get back in the car to drive to Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston better be the next town over. Just sayin'.

I have to sneak a run in tomorrow morning.

The Music-less Providence Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon Bandit

5 long, slow miles on a sunny 43 degree morning that felt windier than it probably was.  Still no music.  I went through Junk Drawer #1 and could not find the Krazy Glue to repair my iPhone armband.  I actually sifted through the drawer and made a little pile to throw out (Thanks, Emerging Runner's Wife).  Pete, if you're reading this...just kidding...

Junk pile includes a random birthday candle, price tags, stickers, torn plastic wrappers, and lots and lots of caps that look suspiciously like Krazy Glue caps.  No actual Krazy Glue tubes.

Even after a little purge, the drawer still looks like this.

Okay, enough about my junk drawers.  I'll save that for my Pete Is A Hoarder blog.

I used to be a music dependent runner.  If my iPod battery was dead or back in the Dark Ages when I had some mechanical problem with my walkman, I would forego the run altogether (Yep).  Until last August when I ran the Providence Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon totally unprepared.  By totally unprepared, I mean I even forgot to register for the damn race!  I signed up for a bunch of races in early May and I must have lost track.  Fast forward to August.  We were vacationing in Martha's Vineyard without ferry tickets to get off the island (Oops #1).   I went on the race website to see if I could pick up the packet on race morning.  There was an option to check your race number or status.  When I entered my name...>poof<  Nothing (Oops #2).  Huh?!  This is like the day before the race, which at that point was sold out!  Seriously?!  Now what?  Well, I'll just run the race anyway, I guess.  I was in the middle of my Baltimore marathon training and the race was part of our vacation plans.  We had a hotel reservation in Providence, but that's about it.  

I had never heard about "running bandit" before.  Running bandit is basically running a race without paying the registration fee.  Our Massachusetts friends whom we were with talked about it like it wasn't a big deal.  Lots of people ran the Boston Marathon as bandits.  Our friend, Dana, did it more than once.  The organizers, in fact, expect it.  Okay, I'll run Providence bandit.

We managed to get off the Island of Martha and arrived at the Providence Marriott pretty late at night.  I just passed out from travel and "bandit" anxiety and exhaustion.  Pete stayed at his brother's in Newport.  The next morning he had to drop our dog off at a kennel very early and then come to the hotel room to watch our kids while I ran.  He was late.  

I was up early.  After I got dressed, I discovered my iPod battery was dead (Oops #3).  Great.  I went back to bed thinking I was going to miss the race altogether.  Not so lucky.  Pete knocked at the door at 7:15am.   The race started at 7:00.   I flew out of bed and out the hotel lobby.  Luckily, the starting line was across the street from the hotel, or so I thought.  It was actually diagonally across the street, down the road, and around the corner.  I mistakenly followed a guy who I thought was late too.  He was going someplace completely different.  I asked some security, found the start, and started my watch.  I caught up with the back of the pack runners after another ten minutes or so.  

The course ran through the city, up some hills (I don't remember reading about any hills...), past Brown University, mansions, more hills (More?!), a lake, hills (C'mon...?), etc.  At one point, when we running past some upscale row houses, a runner asked a spectator couple if he could use their bathroom.  They agreed.  Never saw that before.  

This was my first Rock 'N Roll race.  Apparently, the Rock 'N Roll franchise has a bad rep in the running community for being very commercial.  I just chose this race because of the location and it fit into my training schedule.  There were a handful of bands,   not as many as I expected.  They were okay.  Mostly cover songs.  I thought I was going to be miserable without my own music, but I actually enjoyed the run.  I liked being aware of the race atmosphere and was preoccupied with sightseeing.  I like running races in new cities.  I can't think of a better way to see it all.  The last couple of hundred yards were uphill (Surprise!).  I crossed the finish line and my watch read 1:51:xx.  I was happy with the time considering it was unexpectedly hilly and my very late start.  No, I didn't take a medal (That would be really crappy).  I did drink a couple of cups of Gatorade during the race, but it was August for heaven's sake!!  The post-race party was packed and not very Kid Friendly (It's all about Kid Friendly these days).  I found my family back at the hotel and we went out for brunch with my brother-in-law's family at the The Cheeecake Factory next door.  I had the best omelet (Spinach, onion, tomatoe, and Swiss cheese) EVER.

Since this experience, I have found that I truly enjoy my quiet runs.  I like having a clear head, listening to my footfalls, and being completely cognizant of my surroundings.  I like my music, too.  It depends on my mood.  

Oh,  I also try to make more of an effort to actually register for the races I want to run.  

The Best Little Hoar(d) House in Texas (aka, New York)

The velcro that holds my Yur Buds iPhone arm band together fell off as I was heading out the door today.  Annoying.  I have to krazy glue it once I find the krazy glue in Junk Drawer #1 (We have 3.  Please tell me we're not the only ones with more than one.).  The drawers seem to be backless pits filled with screws, brackets, nails, and everything else Pete thinks he may need one day and can't afford to buy at Home Depot.  Or maybe he's planning on donating them.  Those are the usual hoarding answers I get from him.  He is one box of scratched vinyl Bread records away from me calling the A&E or TLC producers for a hoarding intervention.  I digress.  I couldn't find the krazy glue.  Maybe my lovely neighbor has some we can borrow.  Hint.  Hint.

Pete relaxing in the office.  Just kidding.  I have no idea who this man is.  Our house doesn't look like this (yet), but our attic, garage, and parts of the basement are filled with crap I've never seen my husband use in the almost 14 years (yikes) we've been married.

The library emailed me last night that my  Advanced Marathoning book arrived.  I read one page and already I love it.  I photocopied the 18 week 55 mile peak plan and already taped it to the refrigerator (3 rolls of tape in Junk Drawer #1).    According to them,  it is best to have a base of minimum 25 miles per week (preferable 30+) before attempting the program.  I'm glad I've been running 30 mpw for the past few months.  Bring it on!

5 miles on a gray, damp morning in 36 degrees.

A Shimmering Light

I looked into hotels in and around the Fairfield race.  The Fairfield Inn, where I stayed twelve years ago for a wedding, is right down the road from Jennings Beach where the race begins and ends.  It is already sold out the night before the race.  The other reasonably priced option is the Marriott Courtyard in the town of Shelton.  The hotel is twenty minutes to the Fairfield train station where they will have shuttle buses taking the runners to the start.  Perfect.  They had an "advanced booking deal" for $99 per night.  Sounds good.  Oh, there's a catch.  You have to pay in full up front and you can't cancel.  Well, you can cancel, but you lose all of  your money.  Well, that's a shitty "deal", n'est-ce pas?  Of course, in typical Me fashion, I realize this after booking the room.  Luckily, when I immediately called the reservation people, they allowed me to change it.  I am now paying $10 more, but we have the option to cancel with no penalty up to 24 hours before check-in - the normal way.

Alicia and I are already getting giddy.  Mostly giddy about the race, but also a teensy giddy about just hanging out together.  Since our early twenties (Like, two years ago...cough...cough), this will be the first time we are flying solo, no husbands and no children in or out utero.   PARTY!!!   We will miss them dearly, but try to make do.

No run today.