I saw this subject line in my drafts and thought, "what the heck??" My curiosity led me to remember that I need to remember to take my memory vitamins. (I took them today.)
I started the post below when Big Sur was 15 weeks away... We are now approaching 10 weeks! I was off to a good start (after the run below anyways), but have been seriously slacking on my weekday runs and cross training. No time like the present to fix that: today, I hopped on the foam roller and inflicted some much needed self-torture. Since the wicked dehydrated run described below, I've had a great 12 miler in beautiful Harbor Springs, MI, a sunny 15 miler in Punta Gorda Isles, a 12 miler on a 55 degree January Saturday in MI, and then an unexpected 16 miler back in PGI. This weekend my running will take me to Chicago - or I'll take my running there I guess.
I've been thinking about blogging recently, as I often do, and then today I realized, I'm pretty sure I just need to do it.
Signs:
1. I saw the "drink like a fish" yesterday.
2. I came across a fb message today (please don't use fb as a way to contact me -- it looks like I only see those messages every 1-2 months - woops) regarding a story for my high school newsletter due to someone coming across:
an article in Every Day Catholic written by a fellow UD alum after reading about our cause in
The Autumn 2011 issue of the UD Magazine 3. I received an email from Kerrie Kirkpatrick today regarding passing along the blog to hopefully lend support to someone in need.
4. A quick hello email from Dan's parents today.
5. Dan should be 28 today. (it's now 2/16/12 - good morning!)
I can't promise that I will be consistent with blogging through my training for Big Sur. I plan to make a strong effort to keep checking in! Denver is just 7 months away ... more details to come. I hope the running is going well for the marathoners who have started building their base mileage!!!
Once our eyes are opened to victories of all sizes, we can see them more easily in ourselves and in everyone else. There is no better feeling than to acknowledge someone else's milestones, especially the little ones that they haven't thought to celebrate. Remind them. - Kristen Armstrong
My victory: today I finished a blog.
Your victory: you signed up for a 1/2 marathon or marathon!! or you will :P
http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/denver/register For survivors of suicide: the victory begins when you get out of bed each morning.
http://thesurvivingproject.com/Happy Birthday, Dan. I love you and miss you everyday.
and here is where the last blog began:DRINK LIKE A FISH
Not a good idea for marathon training.
Big Sur is now 15 weeks away, so training really needed to start this weekend. Well my 8 miler today kicked my ass harder than most marathons. A very fun weekend led to a very dehydrated start to the morning - and entire day. I'm not sure why, but 8 milers seem to be quite notable in my running career - good and bad.
I remember my first 8 mile run. I can't recall which year it was, but I was in beautiful, Harbor Springs, pure Michigan. That run was great. Runner's high, plenty of sunshine, stunning views and quite a sense of accomplishment.
From there, my 8 milers seem to have taken a sharp turn for the worst. I set myself up on both occasions - you'd think I would learn.
First 8 miler bonk: Capitola, CA. My 3LG counterparts had just left following an amazing wine and
Free Willy - filled weekend. I was training for my first
half marathon - yea, 2,500' of elevation gain. Anyways, I decided my detox would be just to go sweat it out. It was a slow run, and suprisingly more comfortable than I would have expected. A nice refreshing stroll through Nisene Marks. Then I got home and my body forgot how to function. I needed to do laundry. This weekend also followed a hellish week of buying a new mattress and washing everything I own - thank you bed bugs. Fuckers. So I was now a regular at the laundromat and still had some bulky things to wash - I'm assuming that's why I went to the laundromat that day vs using the washer and dryer right outside my door ... or they were broken? or I was broken? Anyways I got there started the wash and went home - I all of the sudden needed to be horizontal immediately. I literally could not get off the couch. So this was what it felt like to bonk. Yikes. After a couple hours I managed to get up and drag myself back to make the washer to dryer switch. As I pulled up the little hill to my apartment and went to pull into my spot (kind of a parallel parking kinda deal) I decided to swipe the side of my neighbors mustang who parked behind me. wooooops. It was a little challenging to explain that I hit their car because I couldn't function - still not sure how that happened. The good news is, I didn't do any damage to their car, but just had to rub some marks off the paint. Just like new. I was extra careful when I came back from the laundromat with my clean clothes. I think I then just went to bed - only to wake up the next morning and not be able to find my pants. Seriously. Well I had my work pants, but I realized all of my jeans and other dark, cold/cold belongings were no where to be found. I seemed to have forgotten an entire load of laundry .... at the laundromat. I didn't exactly leave any wiggle room that morning so I had to go straight to work and hope that no one would take my clothes! Good news - I found all of my missing belongings in the same dryer I had left them in the day before. Dear Lord. Then I said - no more being so dehydrated before long runs.
That seemed to work out fairly well. I could usually sweat out whatever damage I had done the night before my Saturday morning runs and just be sure to stay well hydrated.
A couple years roll by and I seemed to lose my well-earned knowledge. This weekend began with a quick trip down to UD to drop Alex off, then a Thursday night college reunion in Columbus with Kim and Joe involving read headed sluts, followed by a Friday at
Z's welcoming Julie off the mega bus, and finishing on Saturday with Tom's birthday celebration at
Tom's. I set out on an 8 miler, knowing I was absolutely dehydrated. Did I take water? No, that would have been silly and required too much effort. I must say, it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day - outrageous for January. I was out there for a long time, but kept putting one foot in front of the other. I felt good, just slow and tired. Thought I was doing well actually, until I sat down when I got home. Any plans for any productivity - or anything other than watching everything on the DVR went right out the window. I think I was in bed by 8 or 9 and still couldn't even get out of bed in the morning for a 3 mile recovery run. Fortunately, no cars were harmed during this mini-bonk.
... and that's where I left off last time I tried to blog. My advice: stay hydrated and make sure you get your rest! Those 8 mile runs are more dangerous than you think.
