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August 31, 2005
Muted Post
I wrote a longer silly post but I can’t bring myself to post it. I don’t have tv right now so all of the coverage I get of hurricane Katrina is from CNN.com. It’s truly unbelievable.
In short, I had a bunch of appointments today (4), bought some sneakers, went swimming, did some work, and am going to see some PH kids tonight. That’s kind of it. I spent hours last night dealing with my summer pictures: downloading, uploading, sorting, and e-mailing. I know how Alison feels :)
I get tv tomorrow and am looking fwd to finding out more about Katrina. The whole thing is craziness. It's so strange to think the whole city is completely destroyed and people are referring to the conditions there as that of a "third world country" (cnn.com).
Posted by Audrey at 06:49 PM | Comments (1)
August 30, 2005
Fast Running/Adult Film/Modeling
So, I ran 4.88 miles (I mapquested the route) in 39:35 (T). That’s 8:06 min/miles. There is no reason to be running that fast. What was that Rob? Something about patience? I am sure it has something to do with being told I am slow, but, honestly, it also has to do with the fact that I knew exactly how far the route was and I knew I would be able to figure out my pace when I was done. Also, my running club is doing a speed workout tonight that I am skipping b/c I don't feel ready for speed workouts and b/c I like running in the morning-so it was good to get a faster run in. It felt fast, but it didn’t feel horrible or race speed or anything so that is encouraging. It was 20:54 out (uphill) and 18:41 back. The reason I know that is b/c I used the lap/split key on my watch. Boooyah! And, of course, it was drizzling. Welcome back to Boston…stop it, bad Audrey…look at your list of ways to embrace the place!!!!
After the run I got into my apartment and thought, this is fabulous, no one is here, it’s ALL mine!!, and took off my shirt. Honestly, I have previously had maybe two unexpected visitors in the whole year I lived here. Maybe 5 seconds after I took off my shirt, ditched it in the bathroom, and climbed the obstacles course (bed, chair, boxes) back to my tv room there is a knock on the door. All shirts are far away!! So I answer the door, sweating, and this guy about my age is there with an exterminator shirt on asking, “Do you have any bed bugs here?” I felt like I should say, “I don’t know. Why don’t we go check?” I mean, how random is it that someone showed up AND he was some random profession that needed to see my bed and I was barely wearing any clothing. It was very “adult film” like.
I also answered this ad for running models that my running club sent out. The ad was: “We are looking for non-professional models who are accomplished runners between the ages of 19 and 30 years old, all ethnicities, for a still photo shoot in the first week of October in the New England area for a major sports apparel and footwear manufacturer.” So I went. Why? I think it would be interesting. It pays well ($500 for the day) and I think it would be cool to have pictures taken doing what I love to do. I imagine regular modeling is way different than what today was like. I went running. Showered. Put on fresh running clothes. Put in contacts. Pulled my hair into a pony tail. Plucked my eyebrows. Put some cover-up on some blemishes and then put on matching socks and sneakers. I showed up a few minutes early and there was only one girl ahead of me. I filled out a form that asked my stats (my measurements-not my race times) and which sports I played and how experienced I was at them. I put that I did running, soccer, triathlons, weight lifting, and swimming. I put I was experienced at running and soccer (but no longer played) and just did my first triathlon and only did swimming and weight lifting in passing. They asked me to take off my shirt (I actually felt like SUCH a piece of meat) and then they took two pictures. [Yes, this is the SECOND time today I had my shirt off around other people.] They took one head shot and one full body shot. I think they call in a few weeks. Thoughts: I would have been interested in seeing more of the potential models/runners. Second thought, I could not take being a model. I hated the idea of my value for the project stemming from what I looked like. And I have bad skin and like doughnuts. I am not model material! This is the ULTIMATE having people judge you. I can’t take it!! But it was interesting nonetheless.
Posted by Audrey at 06:05 PM | Comments (4)
Embracing Boston
Set the radio stations in my car to Boston stations.
Leave Boston. Get my butt outdoors. Research places to go. **And then go.** (Get Outdoors New England has some good suggestions-like the one immediately below.)
Go to Dave’s Mega Maze. Be honest, who hasn’t always wanted to do this?
Research good places to run. I got some suggestions but I am bad at maps and never took the next step of finding said places. DO NOT run the same run I do all the time.
Go “leaf peeping” in September or October. Betsy? You reading this?? That’s why I moved to Boston! I am so there this year!
I am trying to decide how I feel about apple picking. Wine tasting? These are possibilities but I've done them both elsewhere and I am not sure how exciting I still find them.
Learn how and go cross-country skiing. (They have an intro package I found last year that comes with equipment, instruction, and ski time for $35).
Run home from the rest of the T-stations.
Go to Salem. I have wanted to go for over a year but didn’t quite make it. There is a haunted/ghost walking tour.
Find new, fun, non-library places to study/read. Any suggestions?
I had on here “run races in new spots”…but basically anywhere I race will be new so that’s an easy one to accomplish.
Decorate my apartment. I never decorated last year. I hate that stuff. I need to just power through it so I am not embarrassed to have people over.
I am open to other fun suggestions. Anything else I am missing? I am going to bookmark this blogging post so that I can reference it often. I hopefully start on my list this week...and anyone is welcome to join me on my adventures!!
Posted by Audrey at 02:55 PM | Comments (3)
August 29, 2005
You Pick the Topic
Realism vs Optimism
My dad told me I can’t qualify for Boston. He was not being mean, just realistic. If you look at my times it looks like a stretch, he thinks members of my family physiologically aren’t meant to be fast, and I get hurt a lot. My mom wants to know why I don’t just run with a charity if I want to run it so badly. I just don’t. I ran with a charity for my first marathon and it was great, and I would do it again, but not for Boston. If people want to run with a charity for Boston b/c it’s a great city and a great course, there is a charity in the Boston area they feel really strong about, or any of a number of reasons, I thing that is super fabulous and they have my respect. But I personally don’t want to. I want to qualify. My parents often have more “realistic” expectations about what is possible for me to accomplish than I have for myself, but I plan to qualify (or at least go out in a crashing blaze of running glory/agony) in 2006.
This morning…
…was humid. I ran at 6:30 and it was warm out already. I essentially ran 3 miles uphill followed by 2 miles and change downhill (I forget exactly how much over 5 miles the run is). My total run was 48:45. It’s one of my favorite runs near my parent’s house. There are some farms. It’s pretty solitary (which made me think…this is so different than running in a city with public transportation…if something hurts…it’s a long walk back). The only annoying thing about the run is that the roads are cambered to help drain water, so to avoid the camber I basically have to run on the line in the middle of the road. Then, on the main road which is busier, I can’t run in the middle and I have to choose: cambered blacktop or flat cement sidewalk? I went with the sidewalk. I also got a pretty bad side stitch that didn’t go away. I think I wasn’t hydrated enough. BUT, I am not going to throw another blogging tantrum (like when I decided to quit running and take up soccer and tennis). I think it will all be okay :)
Doughnuts
I had doughnuts for the first time in years this weekend. They were chocolate. They rocked. They are definitely going to be reintroduced into my diet on a more regular basis, especially as Boston has Dunkin Donuts on every corner. As I was driving back to Boston I was trying to think, are there other foods I don’t eat at all? The only one I came up with was soda. I think it’s bad for you and it makes me have to go to the bathroom even more than usual, so I have completely excluded soda from my diet. THAT item I don’t plan to take up again. But bring on the doughnuts (in moderation of course). I don’t think for breakfast, b/c I like to start out healthy, but definitely for dessert and stuff.
Boston
I’m back in Boston. I was definitely less than thrilled when I drove into the city. It was weird. I have NO IDEA why I am being so crazy about coming back. This weekend I made a list of ways to embrace Boston that I am going to put into effect immediately. I am going to make it a separate post in the next few days so I can reference it often (and so this post won’t continue on forever). AND, remember the mouse drama from the spring?? The good news is there were NOT mouse droppings all over my apartment-I convinced myself it would be disgusting in here-but I DID catch the mouse this summer!
Posted by Audrey at 07:17 PM | Comments (6)
August 28, 2005
B/c We're Siblings
Me: I’m tired.
14 Year old Brother: Me too.
Me: I woke up so much earlier than you.
Brother: I went to bed later than you.
Me: I ran more miles today (my 6 to his 0).
Brother: Yeah, but I ran more this week.
Me: No way, I totally ran more. Let’s count. Okay, 18 or 19.
Brother: 20. Like I said, I’m tired.
He got me.
(PS. He joined the cross-country team last week. That is his most mpw EVER, which I think is pretty cool-even though it was higher than mine!!).
Posted by Audrey at 04:58 PM | Comments (1)
August 27, 2005
Catching Up on ZZzzzzzs
Ahhhhh….I only slept 6.5 hours last night…BUT, I had no stress in my life and no interruptions from roommates. It was a great sleep. I feel so much better physically than I have the past couple of days. On Friday especially I was feeling like I did in college and HS-slightly less functional (though in HS and college I didn’t realize I was suboptimum function). Nowadays I always forget how being fatigued makes me feel until I am behind on sleep and catch myself taking longer to do tasks, running slower, making mistakes or forgetting things, and not understanding things I read or people tell me.
With that in mind, I was thrilled I got to leave DC earlier than planned and get back to NJ at a sane hour. I was also really happy to take a much needed break from the 4 hour drive and meet Blondie. She is almost directly on my route back north. I got to hear first hand about some of the things she blogs about (like jobs, family, and running) and ask questions I had (it was more interactive than blogging) and that was awesome. She is super friendly (and we drive the same car!). I love putting faces to names and I love that when I read her blog now I will know her a little bit better. The good news is I will hopefully see her in October when she is in town for the Tufts 10K. I think I may add that to my race calendar. (I feel cool for using the term “race calendar.”)
I called my Dad last night and we made running plans b/c I knew he would be asleep when I got home. He doesn’t usually run in the morning so he made that concession for me. We left the house at 7:30 AM and ran for 32 minutes before he turned down our street. I ran another 31:25 on my own on a different route. And guess what. There are crazy hills here too. Good thing I am in awesome hill running shape from my summer of varied of elevation :) The weather is absolutely gorgeous. It’s like fall here. There are leaves on the ground. The air is brisk. I. Loved. It. I might clock how far I ran later with the car. The whole run was on main roads so it’s a bonus to actually know how far the route was. It must be mentioned that running in NJ is gorgeous!!
And, I bought a house. Just kidding! But congratulations Beth!!
Posted by Audrey at 10:58 AM | Comments (3)
August 25, 2005
Work Hard/Play Hard
Right now I have a lot of work-but it’s my last week in DC and I have people to see!! And I have running to do! (Unless I’m hurt, I have to say I haven’t missed a run in years.) Suffice to say there hasn’t been a lot of sleeping. That’s due to the full schedule, but also to not really having a place to sleep and a noisy roommate last night. All that said, this will be brief.
I ran for 38:25 this morning. I wasn’t being lazy to avoid the hills, I just decided with the extra biking and whatnot to give my knees a break so I drove my car down to the Potomac and just ran along the flat C&O. One of my middle miles on the way out was a 9:30 min/mile. I guess I was going slightly faster on the way back to negative split. I am calling it 4 miles. It was blindingly sunny out. Then I went home to watch the news and the report stated that people were having trouble driving in to work b/c of the sun. See, I am not crazy.
Posted by Audrey at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2005
Professional Eliterunning Blogger Meeter
So I really like my new friends who I think are real-life friends enough that I can stop telling people I am going out with my internet friends: Nanda, Leilani, and R. We had dinner last night. For those not fortunate enough to know them in real life and experience their banter and chatter-they are all beyond interesting. Also, not that everything has to be a contest of course…but if we WERE going to make a contest out of it I think I am solidly in the running for having met the most elitebloggers: Nanda, Leilani, Becky, Jessie, if all goes well Blondie on Friday night, and I will hopefully meet Alison soon. I just think I'm the luckiest :) Anyone luckier than me in the blogger meeting department?
I woke up at 6 AM this morning and stripped my room of all personal belongings in under 10 minutes (I have to switch rooms in the house to accommodate the college kids moving back in) and headed to the pool. I swam for 30 minutes. My arm is finally recovered from the tetanus shot. It was so great to get back in the pool. I am going to try and swim at least once a week no matter what so that I don’t lose all of the swimming fitness I gained. I guess you could call it maintenance swimming. (At dinner I learned how to use my watch to count laps so that is extremely useful. Like I said, we’re super interesting :)
I got out of work on the early side and went on a mission. I wanted to take pictures of my new favorite memorial, the WWII memorial, I had an hour and a half to kill, this was my last block of free time, and the weather was gorgeous. I decided I had to go bike riding. It wasn’t even a work-out decision. I thought, “What do I feel like doing for an hour and a half?” The answer was simply bike riding. I rode really easy (except for the unavoidable hills of course). My pictures are pretty bad b/c it was so sunny out, but it was a gorgeous day to be living life if not for capturing it on film. Then I biked over to the gym, showered, changed, and biked (more like coasted) ¾ of a mile directly DOWNHILL to the restaurant. I swear I didn’t sweat on the way to dinner! After dinner Leilani and R offered numerous times to drive me home (Nanda metroed over). However, it was only two miles, I never really bike ride at night so that was exciting, I KNEW I would have to bike in the dark when I set out on my mission, and if I couldn’t hang for the whole mission-I shouldn’t have embarked! (I feel that way about luggage too-you shouldn’t take what you can’t carry!)
Now I have to go find somewhere to sleep in this house.
Posted by Audrey at 10:42 PM | Comments (4)
August 23, 2005
8/23/80
That’s the date I put on a fax today. I guess I have written my birthday so many times in my life that once I wrote the 8 and the 23 the 80 just came out of my brain into my hand. Once I realized what I had done I had to call the recipient’s receptionist, explain the situation (as best as you can explain it’s your birthday so you put 1980 on a fax), and ask if she wouldn’t mind changing the date on the cover sheet for me. I mean, other people have done this before I am sure. Right?? Right??
So yes, today is the 25th anniversary of my birth. It has been a good day so far. I went for a 40 minute run this morning. Downhill, along the river, and back uphill. I managed to end up at home at almost exactly 40 minutes even though the “back” part of the out and back was uphill. This was my first run in a new age group and I can feel my butt getting kicked already!
Tonight I am having dinner with my sister at an old college haunt (she goes to the same school I went to) that I want to visit before I leave. We also celebrated summer b-days at the beach in the beginning of August. ¾ of the kids and both of the guests (the bf and the gf) have birthdays in July or August so we had a family celebration. My main gift is luggage. I have reached the age where I need such things!! Today is pretty low key. I am very happy to spend it with my sis and I am glad to 25.
Cheers all!
Posted by Audrey at 03:45 PM | Comments (9)
August 22, 2005
Tidal Basin Pleasant at Sane Speeds
Brent had a great post today where he revisited his 2005 goals to see how he was doing. The answer, better than me! After reading his goals I revisited my own. In the running/exercise realm I have only achieved a few of them. I backed off when I was injured this summer instead of exercising through injury. I do core exercises twice a week. But alas, I no longer lift twice a week (though I do swim now-can I swap goals?). I haven’t PR’d at a single distance. I still eat too much junk food (but honestly, I think that is going better.) Hmmm… perhaps the last quarter of 2005 will see at least 1 PR? One can only hope (and train :)
My run this morning was great. I need to clarify what I wrote earlier this week about running around the monuments being annoying due to all of the necessary stops. It CAN be a good experience if you pick the right route. For example, today I ran around the tidal basin which is partially shaded and about 3K. There are no stoplights or streets to cross! And it’s beautiful. The annoying part is running there from work, but, while not ideal, is not too big of a hindrance on life. Also, whenever I ran around the tidal basin in the past I was usually sprinting. It was much much much more enjoyable at the speed I was going at today.
My total run was 40 minutes. I felt great. The weather felt like spring. The sun was SHINING brightly off of the tidal basin. I had to put my visor on sideways to block the glare! I always start out at dawn, never bring sunglasses, and then regret it as it gets brighter. It’s kind of annoying that I always do that.
I momentarily considered swimming tonight b/c I am bored and all of my new housemates (undergrad friends) are moving in (and I am less and less belonging here) but I think I will scrap it and go to bed early. I haven’t been sleeping enough and it was hard to drag myself out of bed this morning. Ahhh…Bed….
And, while unconfirmed (I am too shy to ask for some reason) I am pretty sure at least one my parents has found my blog. To them I say, Happy Anniversary!!!!!!! 30 YEARS!! Wahoo!!! I know the best part of it all is the 4 wonderful kids, yes?
Posted by Audrey at 06:09 PM | Comments (4)
August 21, 2005
Monuments Cooler Than Freedom Trail?
I am already feeling sad about moving away from DC/VA. I love it here. It feels like home. I drove all over DC for my job this summer so I know the city even better than before. I also found some new places to explore in my free time. I was getting super nostalgic when I was running yesterday, thinking that might be the last night time I ever ran on that particular trail. I even got sad today when I saw my two bikes stores as I was driving by them! And my sister and brother now live relatively near here, and my grandparents live in NC. It’s hard to tear myself away. (Just for reference, I have lived here for 6 years plus this summer, so…6.25 years.) And Boston is COLD! It is no fair I had to live through the hottest DC summer on record to move back there for the winter!!
I didn’t mind leaving before b/c I was ready for a huge change socially and professionally, and even geographically-at the time at I had lived here for 6 years straight. Also, life was kind of not great b/c I had just had repeat foot surgery and I had a literal infected hole in my toe, I had knee pain (when I walked), I had a broken heart, and I needed to just GET OUT-yes, even though the toe and knee were coming with me on my journey. I just wanted change.
But now that I have lived in another city and had the chance to return, it just feels different. I am not sure if I don’t feel the same way about Boston b/c I haven’t had the chance to get to know it and "my place" the way I do here, if I don’t live in the right spot in Boston for me to fall in love with the area, or if Boston is just not the city for me. I am going to go into this year with an open mind. It did take me a while to settle into VA/DC (and settle into life in general) after graduation, and I imagine this year in Boston will go much more smoothly than last year. Also, I really haven't found super great places to run in Boston. I think they are all far from where I live. I will have to work on that. I guess I was injured (or it was snowing/blizzarding) for most of the year.
I also know I can technically move wherever I want after this next year of school-I just have this educated guess it’s going to be in Boston. We’ll see though. There’s no use in getting all worked up about it this early in the game! Of note though is I cannot wait to get back to my apartment in Boston. It’s still like the Real World here, albeit with 6 strangers (instead of 7) and none of us hooking up. But putting 6 weird people together (myself included) who don’t know each other has not been “a blast.”
I am writing this next part in my blog to keep me honest. Tonight, after I e-mail in THE project (maybe one more hour of work!) I am going to do my knee exercises and some sit-ups. I will do them, I will do them :) Trying to get psyched up here!!!
Posted by Audrey at 05:35 PM | Comments (6)
August 20, 2005
Happy Runner
It has been a full day already. I am onto my second job of the day (I think I am finally in the homestretch of a project), I have run about 6 miles, I did my laundry, and I have taken a cat nap. I still have a lot more today (it’s an Alison-esque day where it is me and my laptop all day long) but I have started to check things off of my to-do list. Soon I am allowed to go outside again :)
I woke up at 6:30 AM and was on the road by 7. I ran downhill from my house and did a loop over the Key Bridge, along the Potomac, over Memorial Bridge, along the other side of the Potomac, back into Georgetown, and up the monster hill back to my place. It took 54:45 and I only had to run down my street an extra 15 seconds. I was pretty mystified I got the loop so close to my desired run time. Honestly, I might have run a little less than 6 miles b/c I was just trotting along not too hard, but that’s totally fine with me. That’s the longest I’ve run since March. Nothing hurts. It was humid out, but not too hot. I don’t typically carry water on any runs under an hour 20 or an hour 30 or so and that’s not usually a problem for me, even in the heat. I was fine today too. Along the Potomac I ran past hoards of runners training for the marathon using the Galloway method. I have no idea what mile they were at in their run but I heard watches beep and then people remarking, “Okay, that was definitely the shortest minute of my life!” There are so many people training here it’s a fun environment to be in.
Back to work for me…happy weekend…oh yes, shameless plug:
Check out my brother’s website… http://aworldofhelp.com/ you can ask questions about anything (it’s especially good for IT stuff) and also answer other people’s questions. The more you post (as an asker or answerer) the more points you get. The more points you get the better chance you have to win prizes like Visa gift certificates. PLUS, the website is new so you can get whatever username you want-unlike every other service where I am something like Audre8432 Don’t forget to register before your first post (like I did) so you can get points for your post. Also, check out the fitness forum, as you all will be the most savy in there. There are lots of points to be had for answering those questions. I would suggest you read the information I supplied on calf strains-except you had already had to suffer through my day by day account :)
Posted by Audrey at 11:22 AM | Comments (2)
August 19, 2005
A Plan
Well, it's 1 PM and I haven't been to the doctor yet so that is an encouraging sign. I may make it the whole day (knock on wood). Compared to some real injuries my arm doesn't hurt, but compared to some other shots I have gotten my arm is quite sore. I think that is normal for a tetanus shot.
I went biking this morning for 1/2 an hour. I would have liked to have gone farther but I didn't have the time. I started out going uphill and was rewarded with a 5 minute straight downhill on the way home that was fabulous. I went somewhere new and it was really pretty.
Now I am at work and have a few moments to myself. I spent it researching races. I picked a 10 miler in MA in November. This is good b/c I have plenty of time to train. There is no rush. The weather should be very conducive to running. It is a club race so other people will be going (not that I know many of them, this is true). I feel better now that I have a goal that I am not "behind" for (like marathon training, etc) and that I actually have a goal so that I am not planning things week by week. Now I can train in a non-haphazard fashion. However, I am unfortunately realizing I don't know how to train. I tried to find training schedules for 10 mile races and they have people running less far on the weekends than I like to run and more times during the week than I usually like to run. I think recovery time between runs is key for me. So do I devise my own schedule using the on-line ones as a guide? OR, do I try this new approach and run more often, but less far. Hmmm...I just have no idea what would work since I haven’t trained specifically for a race except for a marathon. For all of the other races I have just run long on the weekends and then winged it on race day. I also have never had a real speed work plan. Well, I have a whole 5 weeks before "training" for that kicks off so I don't have to worry right this moment. I think I should also cool it on the racing for a while too (not that I can afford it in MA...the races there are all more than in DC where a whole lot put on by the DCRRC for $1.)
As for this weekend, I have lots of school and work stuff planned. It should be fairly time intensive. It's also my last weekend in DC. Besides night hiking with Nanda (weather permitting), I also plan to ride my bike down to the mall and take some pictures of everything. Bye DC!!
Posted by Audrey at 01:22 PM | Comments (3)
August 18, 2005
What would be an Audrey month w/out a visit to the doctor?
11 AM Conversation
Audrey: Mom, what are the guidelines for needing a tetanus shot?
Mom: After a tetanus shot you are good to go for 10 years-unless you get a bad injury. Then you should make sure you have had a shot within the past five years. But Audrey, you’re probably out of network down in DC. I don’t know if your insurance will cover it.
Audrey: How rare is tetanus?
Mom: Pretty rare.
Audrey: What happens if I get tetanus?
Mom: You die.
Audrey: Don’t you think I should get one??
I drove to work and went running on the National Mall (which you have to do if you have never done it before, but really isn’t all that great b/c there are so many lights and street crossings). I was about to shower at work so I was taking items out of my gym bag. The bag has this mesh stuff on the front pockets. Consequently, the front pockets are not enclosed. I drag this bag everywhere and put it on the floor at the gym, in the pool locker room, in public bathrooms, on the ground when I travel, etc. In short, the bag goes a lot of places and the stuff in the mesh front pockets is probably not the cleanest. As I am taking toiletries out of the bag I start bleeding from my finger onto the bathroom floor and my gym clothes. It appears I cut my finger on my razor (which doesn’t have a cap on it b/c I just keep it open in my bag). I then shower, got dressed, and tried to pack up my stuff without bleeding on anything else. It was a challenge. The cut is not really that bad, but the very first thing I thought was that the razor is most certainly disgusting. (For the record, I did shave using the razor, but then I threw it out!) I had some things I HAD to do for work during business hours so I did those, and then I called my mom to get her opinion on the tetanus shot situation and find out exactly when my last one was (this is when it is great to be 24 and your mom still has your immunization records on hand!) It turns out my last one was in early 95. I finished up my errands for work and in the afternoon headed over to the ER for my shot. FUN TIMES. I don’t think I can swim tomorrow b/c my arm is sore, but the tradeoff is I won’t die from tetanus.
I was running this morning even though the final summer racing series race was tonight. Um yeah, I probably shouldn’t be racing anyway b/c of my recent attitude and hamstring situation, but the main reason I didn’t go is b/c I would have spent all day being stressed about getting out of work on time. My schedule is so up in the air that that actually makes me more anxious than the actual race (and since I am not going to be a professional runner and would like to start a career at some point I opted for work over racing tonight). Anyway, my hunch was right, and I didn’t get home from work until 10 PM (I went from the ER back to work).
It has been a LONG LONG day. The good news is that a guy I met on an errand today was very cute and he and I both did “the look back.” That’s when you’re walking away from each other and one of you looks back at the other. But if you BOTH look back, you see the other person looking back too and it’s kind of awkward. It’s good, b/c you know the other person is looking back, but bad, b/c it’s awkward, b/c what good reason could either of you have for looking back at the other!! But then I realized the sheet of paper I had just delivered to him said “Audrey [Last Name], Intern.” So he probably thinks I am in college and therefore off-limits. That is completely NOT awesome!!! But I did get the look-back, albeit prior to him thinking I am 19. Oh yeah, during the interaction I had to ask him to spell his name three times b/c I am a moron. Well done Audrey…
Ok, I have to go shower and clean my cut finger…
Posted by Audrey at 11:19 PM | Comments (2)
August 17, 2005
Body Glue
I had to be at work early today (7 AM) so I didn’t have a chance to workout before work. I actually still have some work to finish up (from home) but I wanted to take my bike out while it was still daylight so I left at a normal time. I biked through Rock Creek Park and when I popped up back into civilization I found myself in a really pretty part of DC I haven’t been before. I like to think I know DC well so that was pretty weird-but also very cool. I biked for about 45 minutes.
I also have a pretty new sun phobia that is reaching even greater proportions. A couple people I know have recently gotten skin cancer, including my friend who is 27 and got it last year. I am all about running/exercising at the bookends of daylight to avoid too much sun, and I am a big sunscreen user. That’s one of the reasons I belong to an indoor pool here and I wear a visor during all of my errands for work (cute, I know). I am writing about all of this today b/c I just switched from SPF 30 to SPF 45. The difference-it’s like rubbing glue on my body. The stuff is thick. It’s so heavy I think it makes me slower. Well, kidding, but it is noticeably heavier than the lower SPF.
That’s it. No more ramblings on the love/hate relationship for a while…
Posted by Audrey at 08:27 PM | Comments (4)
August 16, 2005
Mad at Running
To begin my separation from running…I went running for 40 minutes this morning. It was a good run too. I ran normal speed. The temperature was okay. I had no idea where I was going to run before I started. I just headed downhill to where there are a few options. On my run I decided that I am mad at running. Isn’t that weird that I am mad at an entire sport? I am convinced “running” doesn’t like me. It has done lots of great great things for me that I won’t belabor right now, but it’s also done some not so good things for me recently. I wanted to have a good run this morning to kind of prove I can do it and that if I decide to cut back it’s my choice to stop running-not running beating me. (Which makes no real sense since one of the reasons I would stop is b/c I think running doesn’t like me-ie. my body isn’t meant to run a lot). I can’t believe I have made running into a person that has intentions….
If I had to guess about the future months I don’t think I’ll stop running. But it would be nice for the running injury gods to be a little more favorable towards me :) I can’t believe I am complaining now that I CAN run when I COULDN’T run for so long…even though I did complain then too…[and my apologies to anyone with more serious sports injuries reading this; this must be pretty annoying to read.] I am just tired of being a continuous ball of injuries myself. Maybe I need a small amount of actual coaching advice? At the very least I do need to change SOMETHING.
Posted by Audrey at 08:28 PM | Comments (6)
August 15, 2005
Eliteblogger Defecting?
It looks like, with one race to go, I mathematically won my age group for the summer racing series. And why did I win? For no other reason than b/c I showed up. I beat a handful of people (and people my age beat me but they aren’t in the series b/c they are not official club members) but the main reason is b/c I showed up and ran the most races. SEE, just exercising makes me a winner!!! Ok, that was so lame. But anyway, just leave your house (and don’t get hit by a bus or car or I will feel horrible) and see what happens. I honestly feel like just showing up for stuff is the best thing you can do in a lot of different areas of your life. Of note is that I better enjoy it while I can since next year I enter the 25-29 year age bracket and I will get my butt kicked swiftly each and every race. I feel like the 25-29 age bracket is extremely competitive everywhere. But I say BRING IT ON!!!
I ran for 30 minutes today, stopping 15 minutes into the run to stretch everything. I felt fine. I have no idea what is going on with my body and why I get these weird injuries every few days. It’s kind of strange. I am starting to think about maybe chilling out on the running (not giving it up, just running less times a week with no speed work and no long run) and picking up some different sports-maybe soccer or tennis. I’ll have to see. There is a tennis league in Boston I was looking at last year and I think I could probably find a soccer team that needs players. I used to play on a soccer team in DC when I was 23 and that was awesome, just not compatible with a whole lot of extra running. I could still run at the time, but I couldn’t do long runs on the weekends b/c we would have games I couldn’t be tired for (b/c I wouldn’t play as well and b/c you are more likely to get hurt if you are exhausted). I guess I could work out some sort of schedule where I was doing long runs in the middle of the week-but I still don’t think it would be a very good idea. I am not sure what I am going to do, but my focus on running is killing me here! I am always hurt and I miss other sports.
On the flip side, it’s harder to play other sports at this age. I would have to drive far for practices and games. I would be committed to a schedule that is out of my hands. You can’t travel on the weekends as much b/c you have to be around for games. I don’t know. Just some stuff to look into as I think about the fall.
I know, this entry is all over the place. I am excited about running and talking about next summer-but in the next breath am talking about switching my concentration to something else. I have no idea why I have recently gotten so nostalgic about other sports. With the exception of soccer for the season I mentioned above and some intramurals in college, I have been just running for 5 years (except for all the cross-training when I am hurt :) I guess I’m antsy for a change?
I played soccer for 9 years and never got bored of that, but that was slightly cyclical. I had anywhere from a few weeks to a few months off each year and I also wasn’t hurt as much so it didn’t drive me as crazy. Or maybe soccer was my true love sport? Does anyone else have a sport they miss that they just can't do anymore b/c we are older and it doesn't fit in with life?
I have only played tennis recreationally but I really like it and if it wasn’t the same season as soccer I would have loved to have played that in HS. Whatever I decide, though, I am not going to stop running without a future sports plan. I bet I could play tennis AND run though...hmmm...unless I got hurt from running again...I am rereading this entry and I think I it's pretty clear I need a break or change or something :)
Oh, I also swam for 30 minutes after work. Things are so weird in DC right now. There is less traffic than normal and the pool was deserted. I feel like everyone must be on vacation right now.
Posted by Audrey at 08:23 PM | Comments (3)
August 14, 2005
I Don't See My Parents Acting Like This At a Wedding...
I am so tired right now. When I am tired I can’t read or write very well so you’ll have to excuse me. I am at the airport trying to get onto an earlier flight than my scheduled one. The wedding was fun. We managed to fit 6 people in a hotel room last night (and had to tell one girl we didn’t have room for the guy she met at the wedding to also shack up with us). Okay, I didn’t personally have to tell the girl that as I went to bed the earliest at 2 AM and everyone else who was awake and talking/partying/hanging out in the room had to deliver the news. But it makes for a good story. I also woke up with gummy bears in bed with me. Apparently I missed some game involving tossing them-at me. It was a particularly lavish wedding and so so beautiful and the bride and groom (and their families) did a great job of putting everything together. The pair was teary-eyed during their vows, the toasts the Dads and the maid of honor and best man made were funny AND sweet, and my undergrad friends remain a riot. I was even dragged onto the dance floor. I can only hope there was no filming of that. I have decided that videotaping should NOT be allowed on the dance floor. There was also a bar made entirely of ice! I also decided that we as a group are so vain. The guys were so into their outfits too! Hey, check out my new suit. Do you like the three button look? Does my shirt look too wrinkly? (That kid ironed 3 times!) Do you think a tux is “too much” for the wedding? On my end, I forgot a brush. Not to worry-one of my guy friends (with no hair) had two. Anyway, it was lots of fun.
Oh, about my running…I didn’t make it before my flight. I woke up early enough, but the idea of running alone in the pitch black of DC didn’t sit well with me. I haven’t done it before and I was kind of nervous. I decided to go to Boston Sports Club once I landed and while I was waiting for check-in time at the hotel. My friends were out in the city somewhere and it seemed like a lot of hassle to get out to where they were (playing boche somewhere) just to turn around and head back to the hotel shortly thereafter. Also, I realized I didn’t have a purse and had to buy one before the wedding. (While shopping I unknowingly looked at a $650 Prada purse. I was shocked. I had NO IDEA they were so expensive. The one I ended up with was $35 but I did have some despairing moments when EVERYTHING I saw was in the hundreds of dollars range).
My run was not good. I ran for 25 minutes instead of 6 miles. I could feel my hamstring with each step so finally decided to stop. I could have biked or lifted or something but it seemed like punishment to make myself do cross-training I don’t like when I couldn’t run. Um, bad attitude, yes, but hey, I indulged my bad attitude and left the gym to go purse shopping (which is hardly a fun use of time either). My leg feels better today but I can still feel my hamstring a tad. I am going to try running again tomorrow. I am going to do something exercise-wise when I get back to DC today. Swimming? I have no idea if the pool is open. I’ll check on that…
I hope I can sleep on the plane!!! If I could sleep through the gummy bear pitching I should be able to sleep anywhere, right?
Posted by Audrey at 01:58 PM | Comments (1)
August 12, 2005
Weekend Prep and Running Psychosis
Hello all. I’m just finishing up some work and starting to think about tomorrow morning. The plan is to get my run in before I go to the airport to head to Boston. I have a super early flight so I will definitely be running in the dark. I have been in touch with some friends in Boston and the friends traveling to Boston and I am getting excited to see everyone. It IS a lot of traveling for two days, but hey, you only live once, right? And I can’t spend all my time working out and/or on my computer :) Also, I do need to mention I then have to return to DC for 2 more weeks. Then I move to Boston. And then in October I have to head back to DC for another wedding. The scheduling of the weddings did not sync with the schedule of my life at all!
I hate writing about injuries b/c I feel like that’s all I write about, but my hamstring hurts today. I don’t know why. I woke up this morning and it’s sore. But it’s only sore on one leg-so is it delayed muscle soreness or a strain? When it’s asymmetrical soreness i think it's more likely it’s an injury. I am sooo annoyed. I guess I’ll just see how it feels tomorrow while I am running. The foot thing cleared up nicely so maybe this will too. I am so paranoid about being hurt these days I am driving myself crazy. I can completely see why they have sports psychologists.
Okay, back to work!!! Have a great weekend.
Posted by Audrey at 03:08 PM | Comments (2)
Bike Maintenance for Runners
From R of Leilani and R. R-All of us tire challenged runners thank you.
I tried to post this as a comment but kept getting rejected for "questionable material". Compared to my usual material this is G and it is G...perhaps it is all the stems and nuts that got rejected. :-)
Here are some tire pointers:
1. A tube and a tire are different. The tube goes inside the tire and holds the pressurized air. When the tube is punctured or lacerated you get a flat. There are tubeless tires as well but we need not worry about that here.
2. When you go out on a ride anywhere take at least one spare tube with you, a patch kit, tire lever, and a portable pump or frame pump. The tube and lever can be rubber banded and carried in your jersey, bag, or taped/tied to the frame where you can leave it till you need it. You can even take a spare tire with you if you like, they fold up nice and small and will fit either in a jersey pocket, bike bag or tied to the frame.
3. For the non-mechanical or forgetful types, rubber band the directions for changing the tube to the tube/tire lever in a small plastic bag.
4. When you notice you have a flat do not continue to ride or you will warp the rim. Walk the bike to a nice safe shady flat spot and remove the tire using the wheel release. If the back tire is flat then you will have to lift the chain off of the rear sprocket and remove the tire.
5. Take a careful look at the tire to start with and try to find what caused the flat. Glass and thorns are the number one culprits. If you find something stuck in the tire remove it and keep track of that spot as that is where you will find the damage on the tube. Also, note the damage to the tire itself.
6. Use the tire lever to separate the tire from the rim on one side. Find the stem and remove the stem nut. Push down on the stem top and pull the tube out of the opening between the tire and the rim.
7. Keeping track of where you found the puncture or tear in the tire, pull the rest of the tube out of the tire.
8. Locate the damaged part of the tube. If you can't find it you can use your portable pump to inflate the tube and look for where the air is escaping. If it is a puncture or small slit you can use a patch to repair the tube or you can just replace it. If you repair it pump it up a bit to ensure that it is not leaking and then deflate it again.
9. Whether you decided to replace the tube or repair it do not re-insert the tube into the tire yet. First inspect the inside of the tire and rim carefully and ensure that there are no foreign or poky objects in there as they may pop your new/repaired tube. Doh! Also, if there is a big slice or puncture in the tire you cannot just put the tube back in as it will bubble through the slice or puncture when you inflate it and pop. If the damage is large enough use your patch kit, or a piece of old tube or a wrapper of some sort to block damaged area from inside the tire. This will prevent the tube from bubbling out when you inflate it.
10. If the tire damage is minimal or you have covered it then put the tube stem back through the stem opening in the rim and put the stem nut back on. Carefully place the tube back into the tire making sure not to twist it.
11. Once the tube is in, use your fingers to put the tire wall back into the rim saving the part near the stem for last. Be very careful that the tube is not pinched between the tire and the rim as this will pop the tube when you inflate it. Lastly put the tire wall under the stem back in being sure not to pinch any part of the tube stem area.
12. Visually check both sides of the tire for any pinching. When tube is properly in place pump the tire up about 80% and re-inspect it for any tube sticking out. Pump the tire up the rest of the way. If there is no gauge on your porta pump then pump it till it is very firm. (Get to know how your tire feels when it is filled to spec using a gauged pump and then you will have a real good idea how much to put in).
13. Put the wheel back on. If it is the back wheel then you will have to put the chain back on the sprocket.
14. All done in less than 10 minutes. Practice this at least once at home so you are familiar before being out on the road.
Posted by Audrey at 02:59 PM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2005
Bridge Crossings
Before 7:30 AM this morning I had crossed the Potomac River (and went back and forth between Washington DC and Virginia) 4 times-twice by car and twice by foot. I drove from where I live (DC) into VA to get to Ohio drive (DC) and parked there. Then I ran across Memorial Bridge, along the Potomac (VA), and back into DC along the 14th Street Bridge (I think that’s the last bridge’s name). I had to add about 10 minutes to it but ultimately I ran for 39 and change. It was 6:45 AM and already hot and sunny out. It was a good run though and I am excited to start building my mileage up a bit more than previous weeks. I don’t feel tired or anything. My foot feels fine. I went right from Ohio Drive to work and showered, changed, and ate breakfast there (I brought all the fixings for oatmeal-oatmeal mix, plastic spoon, and plastic bowl.)
After work I rode my bike to the bike store. I noticed earlier this week the valve on the back tire was broken which means the tire has to be replaced (Though I only suspected this and did have to confirm via phone with the store before I went). The guy at the store changed the tire and simultaneously taught me how to change it. It is the fifth time someone has showed me how to change a tire. I still think it’s complicated. I confided in the guy that bikes scare me. For example, what if I got a flat during a race? What if what happened to my bike right now (the tire was REALLY flat while I was riding it to the store) happened 2 weeks ago at the tri? I find relying on more equipment than just myself and my legs a bit stressful.
Posted by Audrey at 06:39 PM | Comments (4)
August 10, 2005
7 Times a Week is Nothing
This morning I warmed up for about 15 minutes including a mile downhill. I was looking for mile markers so I could start my pseudo-workout but I couldn’t find them in the overgrowth so I decided to just run 2 minutes hard, 1 easy, 4 times. I was going a little faster than 5K pace. I wasn’t sprinting but it was definitely hard enough that I was looking at my watch waiting for the 2 minutes to be up. Then I jogged uphill home. The whole thing took 38 minutes. It made me so happy to get some speed into a run. Also, my foot feels okay today. It actually felt better after my run than before. Because of my foot hurting yesterday I ended up switching my workouts around and taking Tuesday as the non-running day instead of Wednesday. It either worked or my foot didn’t really have much wrong with it anyway. Who knows. I also broke out the ice pack again at work during the day. This is the EASIEST injury in the world to ice. The knee is so hard-but the bottom of the foot…Ahhhh…
I am also a moron at 6 AM. I got dressed and packed all the extra stuff I take with me when I drive somewhere to run: keys, wallet, phone, water bottle, change for parking, and a towel. I walked out to my car where I remembered I had planned to run from the house today. Brilliant.
After work I did some things that will allow me to go to bed without guilt tonight. I did an hour and a half of work for one of my paying jobs and then I went to the gym to do some core stuff and foam roll. I have a tendency to procrastinate both things and I feel great I did them both. I also stopped by my friend’s housewarming party which I would have felt badly about not doing. Now I can read my book and People magazine with my conscience at peace.
Randomness:
-On vacation this weekend there was a front-page article about a woman who was in a vegetative state after entering the hospital for bunion surgery. She had a bad reaction to the general anesthesia. My parents are very against me having bunion surgery which I was considering this winter when I was having such a bad time with my foot and they both mentioned the article to me. (My foot is 100% better now that it’s summer and I have running shoes that fit and can wear flip-flops).
-Last week my partner and my boss and I were discussing what people in jail did with their time and whether or not inmates can workout seven days a week if they want to. My boss said something like, “Who works out 7 days a week?” Then she looked at me and asked, “Oh my god, do you work out seven times a week?” I replied, “Um…well…sometimes more than that.” Then, in an effort to look normal, I added, “I mean, if you’re training for a triathlon [which they both knew I was] there are a few different sports and you have to do more than one a day.” The truth is I do double sessions (and so do you people reading this!) a few days a week even when I am not training for a tri. I like to b/c it often works out time-wise (it’s hard to do cardio AND stretch AND lift AND do sit-ups AND do knee exercises AND foam roll before work) and it is psychologically better to know you only have little pieces in front of you rather than a monster workout. I actually don’t think it’s weird at all. If you are doing a full body workout there are so many components to it (with some at the gym and some outside) then it is easier to break it all up. I am guessing I work out 10 times a week. Anyone (or everyone) else over 7? Though I do know some of you prefer the single daily workout. I think just from reading your blogs I can put people in the appropriate category of single or double!
Posted by Audrey at 09:07 PM | Comments (7)
August 09, 2005
Runner/Geisha
I woke up this morning at 2 AM, probably b/c I went to bed at 9 PM. I had an orange, played around on the internet, and sent some e-mails. Then I slept from 4 AM-7 AM. I actually felt great sleep-wise when I finally got up at 7. I hit the gym which was depressing b/c I was supposed to be running. However, the ball of my foot hurts when I step on my foot (well, when I walk, not when I step ON my foot) so I thought I shouldn’t run. (That was one of the things I was googling last night-my foot injury). I biked the uphill 1.5 miles to the gym, ellipticalled for the first time all summer for 15 minutes and then indoor biked for 15 minutes and then biked home.
I went to work and at the end of the day managed to track down Nanda for a spontaneous pool session. We went to my indoor pool where she showed me how to pool run and I showed her what a pull buoy is and how to use one. While working out we talked about what most athletes talk about when they get together-guys. Apparently weddings are good places to meet people, and I have an edge b/c I have literally been assigned to entertain a specific guy this weekend.
The bride e-mailed me to tell me this kid’s date bailed on him and asked if I would “keep an eye on him” b/c I was “friendly” and “easy to talk to” and “know more people than him there.” I can read between the lines though. She was buttering me up but what she REALLY meant was can I keep an eye on him b/c I am “single.” The guy has actual friends at my table (according to the bride) (and they are all more friendly and fun than me) but I was given the assignment I am SURE b/c they are coming with dates and I am not. Whatever, I am not too worried. I have definitely had to do worse things in my life :) And FYI, I am not sure of the exact role of geishas, but I meant I am taking on the entertaining role, not the sleeping with role! In all seriousness though, it's a fine line to walk b/c at this age every person you talk to (especially when there is alcohol involved) might think you're hitting on them. It's a giant mess!!
Posted by Audrey at 09:52 PM | Comments (1)
August 08, 2005
Negative Split-No Problem
Like Barb, I negative split my run today. I cut the hill out of my run (not on purpose!! It just happened to be where I parked!) and I ran along the C&O which is pretty flat. I ran 20 out and 18:07 back. That is impossible (for me) to do during any runs from my house which involve a 1.5 mile uphill at the end on the way back. Today I was running pretty hard on the return so that was fun. I also crossed paths with Jessie. I think she was beginning her run and I was finishing up. I really like seeing people I know on the trails. It makes the city seem smaller and it hardly EVER happens to me in Boston. (The answer is obviously more runners I know should move there-and then of course follow me to wherever I move next). Good job Alison!
Running Logs: After reading Chelle's recent post-it's so cool she A) hit 1,000 miles for the year and B) knows she hit 1,000 miles for the year-I want to keep a running log. So what do people suggest: electronic vs. traditional calender? if electronic does that mean Word? Excel? Something else? do i record just miles, workouts, and times? do i include my FEELINGS? the weather? What's in your running log?
Posted by Audrey at 01:24 PM | Comments (7)
August 07, 2005
Sharing The Ocean
TIRED. I just drove 6 hours home from the beach. I drove all of it b/c on the way out my sister almost drove us off a bridge into the ocean. Consequently, I found the long drive and traffic on the way back more relaxing as the driver.
As for the swim, the water was colder than it has been for a few weeks (65 degrees) so I assumed that was why no one else was swimming. I hopped on in with my goggles and swam for about two minutes. I looked up and saw that I was swimming through a slew of jelly fish. Eww. Gross. So I stopped and tried to avoid them and watched the next wave wash them all away. I started swimming again. Unfortunately, the next wave brought more. They were ALL over. I tried to decide what I wanted to do. They didn’t appear to be stinging me. I started swimming again and after the next wave brought more I freaked out and tried to decide how exactly I would know if jelly fish were on my face.
I got out and sat on the blanket with my dad. As we were watching the ocean some dolphins surfaced about 15-20 feet from where I had been swimming. My dad explained that dolphins don’t attack people but PLEASE, if a dolphin came up next to me while I was swimming I would be hard pressed to sit there and debate if it was a dolphin or a shark touching me. I would definitely be second guessing myself. And even if I had the presence of mind to definitely decide, oh yes, this is a dolphin, I doubt I would continue swimming. It’s a WILD dolphin for goodness sake. In short, other animals asserted their dominance over me in the ocean today and I lost.
I headed to the pool with my littlest little brother and I swam some laps while periodically stopping to check and make sure he was still above water somewhere. Then he and I practiced flip turns. He agrees with me that we both did a pretty ugly job. My Dad and I also biked 8 miles this morning.
We had dinner around 2 PM and then my car of people…sis, her bf, and myself…headed back to real life.
Posted by Audrey at 10:03 PM | Comments (2)
August 06, 2005
Will Run for Waffles
I ran from 6:10 AM until 7 AM this morning. In my opinion that is the absolute only time to run here (though we definitely see people running at other times of the day-including noon). The sun wasn’t completely up yet, so while it was unbearably humid it was not too sunny and the actual temperature wasn’t too horrible. Plus, I feel kind of hard core running in the semi-dark :) Since it’s a long run for me as I build back up I probably shouldn’t run too hard, but hey, I felt like it. I would like to get faster and the run wasn't super long anyway. So…I pushed myself. It felt good. I was definitely ready to stop at 50 minutes. I have no idea how far I went. I went into the house, rehydrated, put down a few towels and did the sit-ups and knee exercises I didn’t do last night. I flat out hate doing both of those things. I was sitting there trying to psyche myself up for them and told myself to just power through them. I did, and then my Dad made me a WAFFLE for breakfast-from a waffle maker. Do you know how long it’s been since I had a waffle? All summer since I have no toaster or pots and pans. Long live the waffle!
At the beach I tried ocean swimming for the first time. It was kind of cool. I had my goggles and I swam back and forth in front of our “spot” on the beach a few times b/c I was skittish about really doing a workout for any real distance. I was a bit self-conscious in front of all the people playing in the ocean (though I realize they probably could care less about me) and I was nervous about getting back to the starting spot. I also didn’t know if I should be out farther from shore than the people playing in the ocean. This is going to sound SOOO naïve since all I did was swim in front of our “spot” but it didn’t seem THAT traumatic or hard so I think if I did an open water swim surrounded by other swimmers I would be okay. Tomorrow I am going to go to the beach earlier before it gets crowded and actually swim a bit more. Not much more to report...
Posted by Audrey at 05:02 PM | Comments (1)
August 05, 2005
Every Good Runner Carries Mittens With Them
Today was/is a good day (it’s still early!). I am at the beach with my family (plus one person-my sister’s bf is here too). My brother and his gf should be here later tonight so it’s a full house. It’s hot here, but it is not too bad at all on the beach and the water is about 77 degrees. LOVING IT.
I walked in and my dad informed me has a story that is blog worthy :) He was at work and he really wanted to run but he forgot socks. For SOME REASON-I’m not exactly clear on why-while he didn’t have socks he did have running mittens with him (this was in the past few weeks and he lives smack in the middle of the heat wave we are having). So he put the mittens on his feet and went running. He said it was fine and not that weird except for the thumb part of the mittens sticking out of his shoes. Then my Dad and I were sitting on the sofa and I said something to the affect of, “Oh, well you’re a runner and…” He interjected, “No, no, I’m someone who runs, not a runner.” I just looked at him and he looked at me and finally he said, “Ok, after the mitten incident maybe.” Also, I have succeeded in firmly planting the idea of a tri in my Dad's mind. I can tell he is seriously considering it b/c he asks a lot of questions. The only condition so far is that it has to be a pool swim. I am going to keep working on it...
I have a swimming question. I am going to swim in the ocean tomorrow but I don’t know which way to swim. When you do open water swims are they typically against the current? With the current? Half against the current and half with the current? Is there no standard?
I am going to do my knee exercises tonight (my mom and I are going to share my ankle weight) and then some sit-ups. Other than that it’s a rest day. I also learned a lesson about wetsuits. I got this surfer type shirt to wear when I go in the ocean so that I don’t have to worry about my bathing suit moving around (bikinis are not great for oceanwear) or getting sand burn/rash. It’s tight when I put it on on the sand, but in the water it’s too big. From what I hear wetsuits are the same way, right? Much looser in the water? That’s why they are so small and hard to put on out of water? I think I got it.
Happy weekend all.
Posted by Audrey at 05:25 PM | Comments (5)
August 04, 2005
Unnecessary Heat Freak Out
Well….so I was a little freaked out by the heat. I think I told some people at the race it was the hottest temperature I have ever run in (I don’t know the exact race time temperature) but I may have run in similar temperatures a handful of times in North Carolina. However, it most certainly (by at least 10-15 degrees) was the hottest temperature I have ever raced in. Also, I currently usually train in the morning (75 degrees) versus nighttime (90 plus degrees).
Honestly, I think I let the temperature freak me out more than necessary. At three o’clock I was outside (temperature 98 degrees) and changed my goal time to under 24 minutes while telling my partner at work that people that run in this heat are morons. But honestly, by race time it didn’t feel that badly out. However, I was still very worried about going out too fast and being hot. I ran a 23:48ish. My first mile was 7:40. I had a good finish/kick (I wanted to get in under 24) and I didn’t feel too badly after the race at all. I don’t think I am going to be sore tomorrow. Because I didn’t feel really badly either during the race or now I don’t think I pushed myself hard enough. My main gauge of if I was pushing hard enough remains-did I ever feel like walking during the race? The answer is no. But I did have a good time and now I have a better idea of how fast to run in a 5K (faster than today!).
I went to the race with my “moving” friend I mentioned before. He finished in 19 and change-I can’t remember what exactly. That was kind of cool b/c I have heard from his roommate (a mutual friend and my freshman year RA!) that he is fast so I wanted to see him in action. He actually didn’t really race it. Also, I started the race more quickly than him (b/c he was not taking it seriously and was talking or singing or otherwise not paying attention) so I was in front of him for maybe ¼ mile. When he passed me he ran with me for a second and was singing or other such nonsense. I thought, “Oh my God, is he going to sing next to me for 20 plus minutes??” Not to worry, he made a joke to the group and moved on up ahead. Whew! [I am sure he is reading this right now but I already told him how glad I was he sped up and ran by me!]
Posted by Audrey at 10:23 PM | Comments (3)
Weather Update
From weather.com, in DC:
97 degrees, feels like 98. Humidity 32%.
Posted by Audrey at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
August 03, 2005
5K Fear
I’m racing in a 5K tomorrow tonight that's part of the summer racing series. The most important thing to say about it is that it’s not going to be pretty. My PR is 21:42 (April 2004) and at that time I was running more miles and doing speed work. I am no where near the shape I was in then. I am kind of scared for the race mostly b/c I know it’s going to physically hurt whatever time I end up with. I am actually anticipating the pain and am nervous for it. I am pretty sure this is going to be one of those races where halfway through I think-why am I racing? I like just running so much better. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I have run a 5K since April 04 except for the tri. All I remember from the April 04 race is how much it hurt last time (I was trying, and succeeded (!) to maintain the place I was in-2nd for women). That’s the ONLY thing in the entire world that possessed me to run that hard since I was so uncomfortable. The other problem besides fearing the pain is that I have NO IDEA what time to shoot for and what pace I should run. From my recent 4 mile experiences I know I die if I go out in 7 min pace..but what pace SHOULD I go out at? Ughhhh…it’s going to be so ugly and painful (and probably mid-90s). But, in true happy runner fashion, I say bring it on!!! (Addendum: I just put my 4 Mile time in one of those race calculators and it says I should be able to run the 5K in 23:11. We’ll see about that…I think I can do better…).
My swim this morning was good. 29 minutes and change. I got passed a million times by the two guys and one woman I was sharing a lane with. Um, it’s b/c I was working on technique. Yeah…. Right now it is so gross out. Hot and gross. I have to go buy a bathing suit for the beach this weekend. I also have to buy shoes for a wedding (not mine). I HATE buying shoes b/c my feet are a such a mess and I don't like heels. What a great way to spend the evening! Anyway, have a good night all.
Posted by Audrey at 05:41 PM | Comments (4)
August 02, 2005
Combating Boredom
Today’s run was good. I ran for 40:00:46. It’s a dumb game but recently (just this past summer) I have been trying to stop my watch before a complete second elapses beyond my goal time. There is absolutely no reason I am trying to do that. None.
I ran from my house and found some new places to run including some Rock Creek Park trails I don’t feel comfortable running on alone before consulting Nanda, my Rock Creek Park expert (the trails are over by her place). I also found the historic C&O canal behind Georgetown’s M Street which leads into the C&O canal most people run and bike on. It was kind of cool to find some new places today since running from my house has recently been driving me crazy. I am beyond bored with the options immediately surrounding where I live (at least the options I can run on alone). As for the actual run, it was 74 degrees and felt really nice. It was humid, but not as bad as later in the day and I don’t think I was going too slowly. Right now it is 92 degrees.
On my way to pick up dinner I dropped a full Nalgene water bottle on my bare foot. It bruised immediately and hurts to touch, but it doesn’t hurt when I walk so I think all is good. I am not worried about it.
Um…nothing much else to report…I am actually pretty bored this week. It kind of scares me how easily I get bored these days. I blame it partially on me being somewhat used to being busy (so when I hit the lull it's worse) but also on not having a television!! (and the DVD playing options that go along with that...) I miss movies!
Posted by Audrey at 07:44 PM | Comments (4)
August 01, 2005
Bizarro World
My mom e-mailed me to ask for my knee exercises b/c her Patellae Femoral Syndrome (PFS) is acting up. She first got hurt a month or so ago on a biking vacation where the participants were unexpectedly biking 40+ miles a day (the brochure hadn't explained correctly and all of the participants were surprised). Anyway, she has PFS in both knees now. She took a few weeks off but now she is on vacation and started biking again and the knee pain is back. I called her and had a discussion about knee exercises, ankle weights, ibuprofen, and icing. She is also not training for anything so I suggested, hey, why don't you take some time off until you get better. She declined that suggestion. I REFRAINED (using every ounce of gumption) from saying, see, do you understand where i have been coming from these past couple of years??...My parents have asked me time and again what the big deal is about continuing to run...But it sounds like my mom is going through something similar to other athletes' often fanatical attachment to certain forms of exercise.
As i am very familiar with, tendinitis is a stubborn thing to shake (though my mom's pain is in a slightly different spot than mine). However, I am optimistic about her injury b/c knee exercises have helped me by day 2 of starting them. i told my mom the best exercise (over the phone) which doesn't need an ankle weight, and I am going to bring my ankle weight down to to the beach and show her the rest this weekend.
My run this morning was great. Running in the humidity is getting kind of old-but at the same time I was mourning summer's end b/c it was noticeably darker when I got up this morning at 6. I ran for 39 minutes-it was only 39 b/c i negative split my run! I drove to Iwo Jima this morning so I had to end by going up the hill the Marine Corps marathon ends at (it's a monster) but the "out" part of my run also included a fairly big hill so i think it evened out. Then I grabbed a towel and some water and stretched next to the monument. It was just getting sunny (partly due to clouds, not just the approach of fall) and it was an amazing way to start the morning.
Finally, Murderball was a great film. I don't want to give anything away but: I laughed, I cried, and I learned medical stuff. I highly recommend it. (My friend liked it too).
Posted by Audrey at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)