Bumblebee, Wildebeast & a TRC Explosion!

Last night as I was methodically laying out all my running gear for this morning, I got this reaction from Hubs: “ You’re not really going to run tomorrow morning, are you?”

Me: Ummmm…..YEAH. (rolling eyeballs in disbelief that he would even insinuate that I might miss a long run!!)

I may have not been the best decision I’ve made in a while, but certainly not the worst either ;) I was feeling better – although not 100% yet. But I wasn’t going to miss another run.

The thermometer on my car was promising ~ 74 degrees ~ the best starting temperature we’ve had in a long time. Yes, it is already that warm in the dark at 6am. But for us, that is a real TREAT.

Our Tumbleweed Running Club exploded this week with the addition of several new runners! And can you guess….of course, they were all female. Yep, Pat remains the lone male of the group….today accompanied by FIVE other women. Other men on the canal must either envy or pity him ~ not sure exactly which! Luckily today there were no ramblings about female issues, crotch sweat or irritating husbands….just general banter about running and life.

The first portion of the run felt pretty good in general. I could tell early on that my breathing was going to be an issue. I had soooo much nastiness in my throat from being sick all week, that it really made it difficult to get my breathing under control. Then, combined with the fact that I ramble way too much on group runs (note to self: talk less, run more) it went downhill pretty fast. At the turn around point at just under 3 miles, it really hit me.

I made it to about mile 4 before I had to fall back a bit. We were running in two groups: three of us up front, the other 3 a little ways back. My intention was to fall back and join the other group, when I got attacked.

I was LITERALLY hit in the back of the head by the biggest BUMBLEBEE I have ever seen. You know, the huge black/blue ones that look like small aircraft? It hit the back of my pony tail, and then continued to swarm around my head. I tried dodging it, but it wouldn’t give up. So I did what any runner along the canal would do: I RAN.

I would run a bit ahead, and stop to catch my breath…..and then there it was – back in my hair!!! I must have smelled so good that it just couldn’t resist chasing me. Or, my all black running outfit may have made me look like the Queen Bumblebee….I’m just not sure.

So this thing won’t give up on catching me, so it was time to seek help. So I yell for Pat ~ who is not too far ahead of me ~ that I am being chased. And what do you suppose my running buddy does?

He laughs…and then goes on to yell back a story about how in the wild, bumblebees chase, and I quote – “the weakest wildebeast” – from the pack in order to attack it for food once it separates from the group. While still dodging the bee, I yell back to him that he’s full of crap and that it’s LIONS that chase wildebeast, and not bees. Oh, and by the way ~ did he just call me a weak wildebeast? Yes, he did. See what I tell ya ~ good running buddies are hard to find. I’ll have to take this issue up with Pat again on a future run ;)

So I ditch the bee finally~ but it didn’t help my running. I somehow made it to the 6 mile point where the group was going to stop. Pat and I had planned to run a couple more miles at the park to hit our 8 miles, which I still opted to attempt even after the lousy six miles.

So we ran about a mile around the park, and then it was time to let Pat move on. My breathing still hurt, my side hurt, my legs were tired ~ and although I didn’t mention it to Pat (I figured I had whined enough already) I had the slightest twinge of a cramp in my left calf muscle. So Pat went on and I planned to walk around the park back to my car.

So I walked a bit, stopped and stretched my calves, and felt marginally good enough to pick up the pace just a bit. So I reverted back to the old days and the Pokey Shuffle. There really isn’t a more accurate way to describe this ~ it’s really just a shuffle. Slightly faster than a walk, but definitely not a run. Not even a jog. But it got me through, and I shuffled around the park until I hit my 8 miles. I am getting more number-stubborn every day apparently ~ there was no way I wanted to come up short today. The splits ended up being pretty decent for the majority of the run ~ actually faster than last week. Not sure how that happened, but I’ll take it.

I still feel pretty decent, although my throat is a little more sore this afternoon ~ almost certainly from all the huffing and puffing this morning. In retrospect, it may not have been the smartest move to attempt so many miles today after a week of the sickies…..but you know, I’ve never claimed to be the smartest runner out there.

So the TRC is back in full action, with a great group for fall training! All six of us from today, plus Lisa and Eileen will all be running the RNR Half Marathon in January. I’m completely sad that I won’t be able to run with the group next weekend since we’re gone for fall break, but I’m looking forward to the coming weeks and more great miles!

And looking forward to settling up with Pat for the wildebeast comment….


Happy Running!

Apparently, I'm Average

I'm a number-geek, and this bothers me.

I got a C. I'm "Average."

I should have gotten a B and been "Above Average."

I'm talking about WORKOUTS. Workout COMPLETION, to be exact.

I have had 18 training workouts on my schedule so far for the month of September, and I've missed 5. So I get a 72% for the month of September. Fudge. That's actually a C-MINUS.

Had I not been sick this week, I would have gotten an 84% and been a little more pleased with myself.

Nooooooo, I'm not a compulsive number junkie ~ why do you ask? Me thinks I may have been hanging around with Lisa a bit too long now. But nooooo....I can still run somewhat uneven mileage and feel good about myself. So I'm safe.

And in case anyone asks, of course I included tomorrow's long run in my completion totals!!! DER.....it's going to be the highlight of my week :)

Sicko

My great workout streak has been broken this week, compliments of a nasty throat virus and my kids. You guessed it ~ mom and dad now have the bug.

I missed my short run last night and will try again tonight and see if I can at least squeak out a couple miles. I was really trying to keep the mileage streak alive ~ even at a low level ~ but it just may have to wait for next month.

This week I'll settle for one short run and a good 8 miles again on Saturday.

AH-CHOOOOOO!!!!!

Monday Ramblings

That must be what my boys hear every morning when I grace the bathroom scale with my presence. I think the thing hates me ~ just like Garmin does. Hey.....maybe there is a conspiracy among electronic devices in my household??? You know, it's a definite possibility. I might need to launch an investigation.

The scale eased up on me a bit this weekend with a pound or so drop....which I will take with supreme gratitude. I have been exercising a ton (well, a ton for ME...maybe not other crazy people that I know....) and have been eating well, and all I can seem to do is maintain. Apparently my body really, really likes the weight it is at and doesn't want to drop down any further. So we are at a battle of wills.....with me chugging along each week just hoping to see the tiniest of losses. I won't babble on any more about what a difficult process weight loss is ~ I've whined about it way too many times before. So I'll be quiet and go eat some more carrots...

That was Ramble #1.

Ramble #2: Running

I had a mediocre workout week last week ~ one short run and one weight lifting class. I broke my streak of mid-week runs on Thursday night when my youngest son ended up at the emergency room with croup. Yeah, you can Google it ~ it's a stupid childhood illness that usually affects kids much younger than a 4 year old ~ so it was just dumb like that my little guy got it. We spent 5 hours at the hospital so that he could get a breathing treatment, and then called it a night. It was exhausting and sure FELT like a workout.....so maybe I should count it anyway ;)

Saturday morning was a group run with Eileen and Christina, and it went pretty well. I had 7 miles on my schedule; Eileen had 8 and Christina had 5. So we ran 5 miles together along the canals, dropped off Christina, refilled water bottles and Eileen and I headed out for a few more laps around Tumbleweed Park. I love Eileen to death, but I think she tried to kill me :) This was her *low mileage* week following a 14 miler last weekend....but was a BIG mileage week for me. I hadn't run that far since the Valley of the Sun HM in March, so my body sure felt every mile of it! It was a bit hotter than I would have liked, and my legs just felt tired. I thought for sure I would be crazy sore the next day....but to my surprise, I felt great! I can definitely feel a difference in how my body recovers now, versus a year ago. All good stuff...

Ramble #3: Proud Mom Moment

My older son's football team has been getting a lot of publicity around Chandler, including the newspapers and an online publication called the Valley Sports Ledger. The Ledger is dedicated to kids's sports in the Phoenix area. Last week, his name was mentioned in a printed article ~ and this week his picture made the team highlights. He's the defensive lineman, just about to nab the quarterback. Not necessarily his best side, but you get the picture ;)

Yup, he gets all his athletic abilities from his mother. Happy Running this week!!

ORN: 8 looooong miles

Running at the Office

Would that not be just the coolest office layout EVER?? Micheline sent me a link to the full article ~ asking me when my company was going to invest in this stuff. AWESOME. I need to start sucking up to my boss big time ;)

Until then, I will sit on my butt, talk on the phone, solve employee problems, juggle our finances and keep us legal each day.......instead of burning calories. *sigh*


On a positive note ~ I made it to Body Pump yesterday!!!!!! [jumping up and down with big happy grin] I took an opportunity to work at home another day this week ~ since my office was mostly empty, and there wasn't anything that I was working on that I couldn't do from home ~ and then took a little side trip to the gym while little T was in preschool ;) Yep, where there's a will, there's a way. I feel like a blob of goo if I don't get a weight lifting class in each week. Yes, Nat ~ I'm serious. I am totally addicted.

I'm paying dearly for it today though, as I think I may have been a little over-ambitious with my weight loads yesterday :) I'm pretty sore ~ all over really, but especially in my chest and shoulders. Oh, and my legs. Oh, and my abs too. See.....weight lifting is FUN FUN!!! ;)

Tonight I'm on schedule for a short run, which may not be pretty given my current state. We'll just have to see how well the ol' legs hold up. Then tomorrow it will be serious rest for a long run on Saturday.

Pat is trying to get a team together for this crazy Mad Mud Run. It reminds me of playing *Oozeball* in college....i.e. mud volleyball. But I'm older and much wiser now....so I dunnnnooooooo. My main concern is who would push my butt up and over that wall?????

a little negativity...

...... goes a LONG way!

Not much to ramble about today ~ other than a great midweek short run last night ~ 3 miles with a big, fat negative split on mile 3. I mean BIG. Like almost a minute per mile negative BIG.

Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about.

Again, still just patting myself on the back for getting a midweek run done, so indulge me for a while until this becomes a habit, will ya??

I'm in a bit of grief that I don't think that a trip to weight lifting class will materialize tonight ~ darn kids ~ but I am plotting to see if I can work from home tomorrow and squeeze it in. We'll see what happens. I love me some weight lifting....gotta have it!!!!!!

It's also nice to see the mileage numbers in my side bar actually increasing for a change. Apparently this happens when you actually start running ;)

Check out them legs!!!

Somedays I really wish I looked like my shadow.....check out them super model legs!!! And look how TALL I am!!! Awesome!!! It must be Pat's expert on-the-run photography that makes me look so good. It's the only way I'll ever get legs that long in this lifetime ;) Can you guess which shadow is mine??? (I love stealing pictures from Pat)

Great run this morning with the TRC ~ 4 miles along the canal, plus another 2.4 at Tumbleweed Park with Pat. Weather was relatively good again, and my legs and energy held up nicely. I'm still on the high of getting back into the swing of running, and I'm over my garbage-disposal-style of eating from the past week. The goals this week include 2 short runs, a weight lifting class, and one other XT endeavor (probably a quickie Tae Bo session) ~ and of course, a week wouldn't be complete without a long run on the weekend. Seven miles this week ~ BRING IT!!!


ORN: Long Run ~ 6.4 miles