September 29, 2004
Back from Greece
We got back from Greece late Monday night and it was a wonderful adventure. Santorini island was our favorite, with its unique red and black beaches and breathtaking views from just about every vantage point. The history, food, sights, and cats (yes, lots of them!) kept us engaged all week. Running on the roads would have proven treacherous, as my Athenian friend warned, "Pedestrians have no rights here." So, my new hubby R. and I found some less beaten paths in both Athens and Santorini. Our hotel in Athens was next to Lykavittos hill ("hill of wolves"), on which rested an old monastery. It was a short trail run to the peak, but from it you could see the entire city all the way out to the sea...the perfect spot to watch the sunset. My favorite run in Santorini R. called a "death march". We had set out for a ~45 minute run, but 2 and a half hours later, we barely made it to breakfast with our blood sugar levels at rock bottom. We traced the cliff side on a cobblestone path as the sun began to rise. The morning clouds made way for a clear view of the nearby volcano and all surrounding parts of the island. As we ascended northwest toward the highest point then to Oia, a stray dog that we named "Doggie Dog" led us for much of the journey. We made several stops along the way, at churches, interesting plant life, and to take in our surroundings. The trip back was less pleasant, as we only had one PowerBar to share and were absolutely starving.
I could ramble on forever about our honeymoon, but I need to catch up on school and get to sleep soon since I head back to work tomorrow!! I'll finish up with a quick summary of the past two days of running. Slow but strong. I'm looking forward to getting in more consistent training now that wedding planning is done. Whoo hoo! Tuesday I ran for an hour easy. And today's workout consisted of: 10 min warm up, 5 x 4 min hard intervals with easy 2 min jog, and 15 min cool down. My legs were beat up, but I felt a great sense of accomplishment at the end. Hopefully I'll return to Wednesday night track workouts again soon.
Posted by Leilani at 10:24 PM | Comments (1)
September 20, 2004
Crazy Weekend
As you may notice, I neglected my entries the past few days when things got busy for the wedding. Even with all our out of town guests and family, I managed to sneak in some alone time for running and biking on Thursday and Friday. The wedding went off without a hitch and my melodramatic family behaved themselves on Saturday. I was very proud of them. I will post a link to the pictures when our photographer is finished with them.
So, it's a new week and I'm now a Mrs. Yay! R. and I are leaving for Athens and Santorini, Greece tonight. Oh yes, and we will run. Two of my friends are stationed at the Embassy. T. said he'd take us out on an Acropolis run. We hope to finish our errands early today and go for a long run at Burke Lake Park. The weather is gorgeous in the DC area, and my legs are dying to hit the trail before jumping on the plane. Hopefully, a run report later today...
Posted by Leilani at 10:59 AM | Comments (1)
September 15, 2004
Running + (coconut shrimp + clam chowder) = nausea
I don't know what I was thinking when I ate such a 'healthy' pre-run lunch today, but it wasn't my first time. My brother and his family were in town for my wedding this weekend, and they wanted to try the Crabhouse. Two hours later, I would regret my choice as the nausea set in about 30 minutes into my run. It was a tough run to start off...my breathing was labored, legs felt so slow. I managed to gut it out for an hour without vomiting, but I realized that I need to be more disciplined about my food choices prior to runs. I've eaten tacos and sausage before marathons in the past, and those ended up being bad, bad races. Now that I've committed it to paper, I hope I'll listen to my own advice.
My blood sugar must have been low late today because I had a second bout of nausea and a headache, even after eating half a Power Bar. I was relieved to get that workout over with and some chow in my belly.
Posted by Leilani at 11:57 PM | Comments (1)
September 13, 2004
Another Recovery Day
I wish I didn't have to be at work so early, so I could split up my workouts. I prefer to lift in the morning and do my running/cardio in the afternoon, the perfect way to decompress after a long day at work.
Since my legs were still sore from Saturday's race and sitting all day, I ran easy but strong for 30 minutes (~7:45 pace), and I also did the elliptical for 30 minutes. My legs felt looser afterward...a huge relief. Then, I headed to the chiropractor for electro-stim and an adjustment. He said my hips were tight, which was expected. I'm looking forward to getting in some quality miles tomorrow, so long as my legs cooperate.
Posted by Leilani at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)
September 12, 2004
R & R
Well, today I didn't get a chance to workout, but I don't feel too guilty because my legs and lower back are quite sore from yesterday's race. After the race and my massage, my fiance and I drove down to VA Beach to hang out with my family for the evening. Today my Marine Corps Reserve unit held its annual family picnic, and as the Operations Officer, I thought it was the correct political thing to do to greet and mingle with all the families. It ended up being another gorgeous fall-like day; I even saw some skinny shirtless high school boys running around the park. Of course, I wished I were running too. Okay, so I'm kidding myself about not feeling guilty.
My family and I played a bunch of games with the Marines/Sailors and their kids, like Jenga, Connect Four, and Battleship. It was the first relaxing day that I've had in a long time, since I've been seriously stressing about the wedding and work deadlines in recent weeks.
Now we're back home and just finished cleaning in preparation for my brother's arrival tomorrow. He and his family from Ridgecrest, CA (Mojave Desert) were sightseeing in Boston this weekend before driving down my way. Off to bed soon, but I'm going to do a couple sets of push ups and pull ups, so I don't feel quite so guilty for being a slacker.
Posted by Leilani at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2004
A Perfect Race and Massage
Today was my first real race after combatting hip injuries and taking most of the summer off from running. It was a women's trail half marathon at Fountainhead Park. I couldn't have asked for a more pressure-free race and perfect weather. By arriving early, I beat the bathroom line and had time to stretch well and even get out some tightness in my piriformis with my trusty foam roller. Then, I wandered the parking lot to try to find my friend J who also was running the race. We made it to the start line together, but I knew she was going to be way ahead of me.
The course was comprised of two out and back portions, with the first part being hillier and rooty and the second part being longer. It reminded me a lot of the 6-mile endurance course we had to run at Quantico, except the latter had climbing and crawling obstacles and with a 30 lb pack, rifle, helmet, Camelbak, two full canteens, camoflauge uniform and Gortex boots (more support for my weak ankles). Anyhow, I got a strong start and was excited to be running again. I enjoyed being in nature, and the cheerleaders sprinkled throughout the course were a huge morale booster. I didn't spend much time at the aid stations since I carried my Camelbak and a Vanilla Bean Gu, though the Conquest beverage I sampled was quite tasty. Since I was a bit worried about ending up in crutches just in time for my wedding next week, I was sure to take the downhills and rooty areas conservatively.
During the race, I chatted with a few nice women who train with other DC area groups. They kept me motivated and on decent pace during the middle miles and passed with about 30 minutes to go. Since I started training regularly a few weeks ago, my longest run was 10 miles, so I expected to bonk. Although my cardio was spent and the hotspots on the bottoms of my feet were painful and bloody (note to self: trim those toe nails!), my legs felt strong. My goal was to finish in the 2:10 - 2:20 range, and I did it in 2:21. Yay! I was ecstatic and relieved to be finished. After the race, the organizers had fabulous treats like watermelon, cake, and a chocolate fondue fountain with fruit, along with the usual post-race fare. I definitely plan on doing this race again next year.
I didn't stick around for awards because I had to rush off for my post-race/pre-wedding massage at 1:30. It was very relaxing and helped easy tension and stiffness in my back and lower legs. Hopefully my legs won't be that sore tomorrow.
Posted by Leilani at 10:31 PM | Comments (2)