mileage (pt. 1) + nature

despite last night's insomnia, i was able to do a good little run on the NCR trail. note to self: don't run at 1PM when the heat index is over 90-some degrees. the shade was a god-send. anyway, i had a little issue with cramping and breathing due to the humidity, but i did an easy 20 minutes. i have no clue how far i went, as i didn't pay attention to the markers, but whatever. my L leg is still annoying me, but it wasn't so bad that i had to stop; i just slowed down until i was comfortable. now's time for an ice bath. yee haw!

i took plenty of time after running to stretch and relax in the shade, and while i was doing so, a sizeable black and yellow butterfly fluttered by and landed on a bush right next to me. then a female cardinal flew back and forth between the trees nearby. plenty of other birds, as well as a number of insects, were chiming in, and a breeze was blowing small leaves across the tops of the high grasses. even though this was very close to Paper Mill Rd, you really wouldn't notice it because it was serene and quiet. this is one reason why i love running: the unending nurturing of appreciation for the life and beauty around you.

mileage and insomnia

this has been a poor week, mileage-wise. i'd overdone it with that wicked biking/running on sunday, so consequently i took monday and tuesday off to rest my very sore legs. then, wednesday, i got hit with a fever, which didn't break until thursday night. thus, i didn't get to train again until today. initially, it was a bit aggravating, but, thanks to brendan [h], i stopped worrying and just relaxed. sure enough, today's was a great workout. i just did 20 laps (1000m-0.6 miles) in the pool without stopping. sure, i won't have walls for push-off in the river (duh), but i'm still glad that i could manage it. i'm also very pleased because i figured out one reason why i'd been having trouble with freestyle; my breathing rhythm was off. it was much better once i fixed it, and even though it's still not very strong, it could still help me come race morning.

which, by the way, is only FIFTEEN DAYS AWAY. yikes. but yikes in a very good way. and funny thing--not only has laurie offered her good bike for me to borrow, but the shop was in fact able to fix my bike. from a dearth to a plethora. weird how that works.

and i can't sleep. it's weird. i haven't slept soundly this entire week, and tonight is the worst. i went to bed pretty tired at 10-ish and woke up at 12:30AM. i've been awake ever since. it's not all bad. haven't had warm milk to drink in awhile, and that's pretty yum. okay, that's weird, but whatever. i also have had time to relax and think about a few things like priorities and goals. i'm also creating something new: a life list of races/places to run. so far, i have the valley of fire [half] marathon*, the empire state building run-up, the army 10, the celtic solstice (here in dru hill park), the village of mata-solana (spain), and, by far the coolest on the list yet, THE GREAT WALL MARATHON. yes, that great wall. like i said, this is a life list, and it's bound to grow and shrink as the years go by. but i'm determined to enjoy life as much as possible, and adventure running is one of the best ways to do that!

*i'm bagging valley of fire for this year due to $$$ and the fact that i'll never be given the extra day off that i need. suck.

oh, and brendan [c] wants me to add the Death Valley marathon. that boy is insane. but if he dares me, i'll probably do it. i'm dumb that way.

:)

mileage with the truffers and reflections on my grandfather

it was so nice to have new running partners and new scenery this morning. we wound our way around mt. airy, and it was quite pretty, if not very hilly. the weather cooperated as well, with lots of sun and refreshing breezes. we ran around 56 or so minutes, and, as we took a turn that erika originally didn't intend to make, i'm not sure how far we actually ran. perhaps 4 1/2 miles? i think that's what was decided.

i'm so glad that i took yesterday off. i'm no longer feeling like junk, and i look forward to tomorrow's swim+bike workout. however, i am not looking forward to this wednesday. my dad and i are running the harrisburg mile. normally, that's a fun, great race. but my grandfather passed away on the race day last year. dad had signed up but didn't want to do it, but my mom insisted, saying that grandpa would be pissed if we didn't do the things we enjoy on account of him. so dad and my uncle did it together, and it was so good for them both. this year, my dad and i plan on running it in memory of grandpa (he was there to cheer me on at xc and track meets as often as he could), and i don't know how i'm going to hold up. i'm already in tears right now, in part because i can't believe that it's been a year. grandpa and i were very close, and i'm so thankful to have been a part of his life. also, seeing my dad struggling and in tears just rips me apart; last year, i could barely handle the fact that my father was in so much pain. i think that, as a defense against inner collapse, he allowed his military face take over, and while he did cry and everything, he held so much inside. but i know my dad better than that. i do know that grandpa would smack us both for being so sad, and what lifts me from the grief is this memory of him from a few years ago. he had this bucket had that he wore everywhere, and he had this sort of really goofy grin that he'd show when he wanted to be silly. my grandpa wasn't much for showing his emotions at all, but when he did, it was fantastic. remembering him in that hat always makes me laugh; that's how i want him to stay.

i miss him.

yikes, mileage

a stabbing in my neighborhood: yikes. anybody know positive ways to handle this sort of thing? i'm going to keep doing what i'm doing, with more care and an extra glance over my shoulder, etc., but any extra advice would help.

so that makes this feel a little superficial, but i don't want to be all paranoid and all that. anyway, i bagged the trail race i thought i'd want to do because my right leg woke me up in the middle of the night. instead, i went up to NCR and just did 35 minutes, easy. surprisingly, my legs felt very fresh. the weird part was that i felt as though i was carrying a 2x8 across my shoulders. seriously. after all that swimming, my shoulders feel so wide, and it definitely affected my arm carriage. but, it didn't take terribly long to get used to it, and i'll just be stretching a lot and get somebody to massage my back every so often. all said, i'm very excited for the triathlon. awesome.

bumps, heat, success, and mileage

so i am the legend of the fall. falls. many falls. toby and i went for a hike with cj, courtney, four of their friends, and three other dogs, and we were out for about an hour and a half. wouldn't you know though, that i can't go a whole year without him injuring me. such was the case on sunday when he pulled me down a hill, and i scraped up my left forearm. awesome, toby. awesome.

monday, i attempted to make up for sunday's missed swim+bike workout by going for a run+bike combination. i had a good, short 20 minute run, but unfortunately, i was poorly hydrated and had eaten too close to workout time. consequently, i nearly passed out once i returned to the start. that was a tiny bit upsetting, but i worked hard, i tried, and that's that. at least i was able to do something.

yesterday's workout was much better, by far. a 30 minute swim was slated, and i did a ladder of lengths (not laps). i surprised myself because i was working so hard, but i completed it without numerous breaks. i took maybe two 1 minute breaks, a few 15 or 30 second breaks, and then the other recovery time was spent with the backstroke (or what passes for it, considering my experience). i did approximately 40 lengths (!) of the apt. pool, and that probably only translates to about 20 or 25 of a real pool. but, i still did it. yeehaw!!!!

today was the american visionary art museum's pet parade. i only heard about it because i'd accidentally left my radio alarm on, and npr did a short little blurb about it. so toby and i went to federal hill, and we had a blast. it'd take too long to describe it, so i'll just include a few pictures.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

:)

mileage, calendar

yesterday i worked on a training calendar that should take me all the way to the valley of fire half. i used a variety of sources, and it still needs to be more specific, but at least i got off to a good start by doing the 35 minutes slated. i ran with brian and duke and focused on a) safety in the heat, b) good form for efficient energy expenditure, and c) use of topography to my advantage (that just means running hills well). my core work paid off even more than i ever thought it would because my posture was excellent, which, in turn, kept my chest open for better breathing, even when i was tired. the fact that i even noticed the strength in those muscles is a good sign--people often underestimate the impact of abs on fitness; they just want the 6-pack. but anyway. brian and i and the dog did the loop by his house, and i extended it by 5 minutes by charging up the hill on bond st. ugh. even though it's a bitch of a hill, i was able to stay focused and speed back down, finishing strong just beyond brian's house. i'm really excited at how focused and disciplined i was, especially since yesterday was not good and that i was nervous about running in heat. yee-haw!

adventures in the mundane.

1) last week, i left the headlights on. cue 'groan' as i discover my gaff upon leaving work. luckily, i get a jump and am able to make it home. later, the car starts sufficiently despite its protests, so i deem it safe to drive to PA. i drive during the day so as to not use the headlights, and i go with the radio off and the windows down to save the extra juice, just in case. fast forward to today when the car coughs and sputters and only starts once i begin to pray because i can't have a broken car. i made it to work and then went to the shop immediately afterward in order to get it fixed. it was much cheaper than i thought it'd be, considering that the shop is part of the dealership, and they also did a great job. the car is good.

2) on friday, i logged a few miles running up in lebanon. it made me miss running in the country. lebanon is far from being the 'burbs, and it's so quiet and peaceful. i think i must have done 3 miles without even thinking about it. took the obligatory dip in my parents' pool afterward. it was a great run.

3) saturday was the hixson family reunion. it's kind of unfortunate because, for all that my cousins and i gripe about it, it is something really special that not every family has, and this year, attendance was at an all-time low. to get an idea of what i'm talking about--my grandfather has six living sisters, each of whom is married and has at least two children, and those children are also married and have at least two children. taken at the bare minimum then (i cannot for the life of me remember who's who and stuff), that's ... 60 people? throw in my grandfather's contigent, and that's about 90 people. attendance on saturday? 28. sure, my dad and i were still the hecklers in the back row during the "family entertainment hour," but i just wish more could have shown, which would have delighted my grandfather. the man is 84, after all.

4) saturday night, i met up with corey shepler for dinner at a tavern in kleinfeltersville (little itty, bitty town east of lebanon). i haven't really talked to corey in ~10 years, and while driving to the tavern, i was a little nervous... would we have anything to talk about? would we even get along? how different are we now? as it turns out, neither of us would shut up for the whole time, we laughed for hours on end, and while we've definitely grown, our friendship seems to have picked up exactly where it left off in 1997. and apparently, i should still be called "catherine the great." corey still won't tell me what that means.

5) on sunday, i was exhausted. i'd been trying to sleep on an uncomfortably firm mattress and having nightmares, so i basically crashed on the couch as soon as i got back from the early service at st. andrews. since there was no time for workouts on saturday though, i did jump in the pool with half an intention to get laps and drills in. the breathing drills went surprisingly well, and even just the small bit that i did helped me to get a better feel for form. THANK YOU, BRENDAN! however, after only a few laps of freestyle, i wanted to fall asleep. not good while swimming. my dad was out with me, and he said to just bag it; he knows that when i get frustrated, i push too hard and then ruin my workouts and my entire day. he was right. i made myself just let it go. and then i slept on the couch again.

6) today was fine. car issues aside, i was happy because i got to work with some good kids, and i appreciated their politeness and independence. i was still tired, so i took a nap, and then i headed to brian's place to use his treadmill. i didn't go to the gym or run outside for an important reason--i wanted to run in my tri outfit, to see if it would chafe, ride up, etc. that's not something i really want to do in public. running in public in a bra and shorts is one thing. running in public in a bikini is quite another. but i digress. i did 2 miles and might have gone further if i had not been insanely bored. even with my iPod and gilmore girls playing on the tv, i just couldn't run another step. it's something about brian's basement... anyway, the outfit worked out surprisingly well and was supportive and comfortable. now all i have to do is decide which i like better--the bra top or the tank top...

i'm tired again. hopefully i'll be able to sleep without having any nightmares.

apparently, i must not have enough drama in my life

...if i have to be upset about my swimming. stupid thing is, yesterday, one of my friends sent me some advice, i looked at a website he recommended, and the rest of the day was great. i carefully read everything and tried to implement one or two points when i headed out to the pool in the afternoon. turns out, i'm not as terrible as i thought, form-wise. of course, i still have a lot to work on, but at least i know i'll be able to breathe. according to brendan h. (and he seems to be my most involved advisor, so i think i'll stick with his tips), i just need to focus on time in the water and doing a few form drills regularly. i think i can handle that.

of course, buoyed by my success,* i devoured the july issue of runners' world after getting out of the water. that's not so smart after a workout. i was so excited and psyched after the swim that i decided it was entirely necessary to throw in a run before the day's end. so i didn't do just a long, slow run. i felt compelled to do a tempo run. my R leg still gives me issues, but nothing was so bad that i couldn't run through it. i skipped doing any core work afterward because i was desparate to get home and ice down. and this is where i took some more rw advice... i sat in an ICE BATH for twenty minutes--legs completely covered by extremely cold water and a good amount of ice cubes. i have to admit though... as tough as the run was, my legs feel relatively good today, which is usually not the case otherwise... i HATE when they're right about stuff like that!

workout totals:

swim--10 laps** each, breaststroke and freestyle
alternated types: e.g., 2 laps BR, 2 laps FR, etc.
took small breaks between each type
goal next time is to do 4 laps without stopping

run--forced to use treadmill (long story)
5 min walk warm-up
5 min 5.5mph warm-up
5x3 min up tempo (90% race pace)
1 min break between each (6mph)
5 min 5.5mph cool-down
5 min walk cool-down

i'm going to insert one change-up run per week, either fartlek, interval, tempo, or hill, just to build some of those fast-twitch that keep me going in the last few meters of the race. woo!

*and yes, the pun is completely intentional. welcome to my world of bad jokes.
**still not sure of the meter-age of my pool at the apartment. i forgot to see how long i was in the water, which, for now is what i want to pin-point.

phobia

i've realized that i have a most unfortunate fear, especially given my goals of completing a triathlon and running the 'valley of fire' half-marathon. here it is, in all it's irony: i'm afraid of running alone. it's not so much the personal safety issue as it is the health problems that scare me. it stems from two frightening experiences, the first happening in the summer of 2005. i was running with the pacemakers (again, thank you, irony), and it being deathly hot and humid, as it is wont to be in baltimore that time of year, i started to have what is similar to an asthma attack. i couldn't breathe, and my chest was closing in on me, and i almost passed out in a sketchy area of waverly. not awesome. i was then helped by those i can only describe as wonderful good samaritans. the other experience was last summer, at the rockville twilight trot. once again, it was hot and humid, and i completed the whole race, despite feeling terrible the whole time. i finish, feeling worse than i did during the race, sit down, and next thing i know, i'm coming to in the shady grove hospital ER with an IV pumping something into my arm. i have to hand it to the races who are very well organized, especially with emergency medical personnel at the ready.

anyway, those two events were scary enough that now i'm afraid to run outdoors by myself in the summer. my schedule is different enough from my running friends' that i don't have the luxury of having running buddies all the time. and, sadly, there's not a term that specifically identifies a fear of running. here are the closest ones i can find:

algophobia--fear of pain
asthenophobia--fear of weakness
ponophobia--fear of fatigue, especially from overworking (maybe the nearest i'll get?)

some of the most intriguing fears listed on this website have nothing to do with my running issue:

arachibutyrophobia--fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one's mouth
ballistophobia--fear of missiles
celtophobia--fear or dislike of Celts
homilophobia--fear of sermons
papaphobia--fear or dislike of the pope or papacy

two things: first, i have cross-checked my source, and these are professionally diagnosed phobias. second, my fear is certainly not clinical, and, related, i'm not trying to make light of people whose lives are massively impacted by such genuine, crippling fears. what i am doing is just being curious about the incredible variety of fears and the manner in which they shed light on our own psyches.

what do you fear?

marathon/running shirt suggestions

this is an off-shoot of kim's request for shirt opinions. it's probably adding to the confusion, but i can't help it. some of these are so true/ridiculous/hysterical that i HAVE to list them.

1) i like the running armadillo. i don't know why.
2) so true, so true... :D
3) this is more of a running workout emphasis, but if you know the term, it's pretty funny
4) the chickens ARE on a shirt!!!
5) ahhh, yes.. the arrogance of cross country runners *

* may not apply or be helpful at all to those who aren't fans of off-road running.

anyway, i might have just added too many ingredients to the pot of shirt choices, but i thought these were at least mildly amusing. what does that tell you about my sense of humor?

:P

mileage and such

i've been taking it easy this week because it seems as though my right leg is having a good time messing with me. sometimes, the lateral muscles in my knee flare up. or, the tendons above and/or below the knee cap kick in. occasionally, it's the hamstrings. at times, my quadriceps join in the fun. WTF!!!

obviously, it's entirely frustrating, and i'm hoping to get into a pool anywhere just to do some non-weight-bearing work. i'm also being really diligent about RICE, wrapping, and taking ibuprofen for once. i'm usually quite negligent about that sort of thing because i hate taking medicine and being relatively inactive. anyway, i'm taking my time and going slow and steady.

so the actual mileage:
6/5--stat. bike @ the gym, 9 miles (equals 3 miles running) for 30 min., stretched
6/7--run 3 miles for 30 min. w/ Brian, Duke & Toby; took a few breaks for the dogs' having to do their business

core:
6/5--Adam's ladder: 10 push-ups, 9, 8, etc, Russian Twists: 1x25 no weight, 4x25 w/ 10 lbs, Crunches: 5x50, Hyperextensions 5x20
6/7--none

no swim work yet :-\

blue moooooooooooon, i saw you running aloooooooone... well, not alone. but you were running. HA!

that was so much fun. around 5-ish, my desire to go was weak, but a two hour nap took care of that. :) anyway, because there was a parking issue, i dropped my car at the baja fresh lot and rode a u-haul van over to the race. no lie. fifteen of us crammed in the back (no seats) and a helluva a lot of trust in the driver... awesome. once i was there, i almost literally ran into kim and todd. then i ran over to the "registration" desk (really, it was just a 'hell, it's cool that you're here, have a glow stick' desk) and appropriately bedecked myself with glowsticks.

so far, you're thinking, okay, no big deal. park, meet friends, get a glow stick. yeehaw. but think of it this way: 600+ people with glow sticks galore, hung around necks, wound into hair, strapped around ankles and in shoelaces, etc., etc. and it was dark. and there were severe storms to the north--far enough away that we escaped the ran, close enough to see quite a bit of lightning. AND because it was still so hazy and humid, the moon was this deep orange-red. *AND*, as promised, there were plenty of beverages and snacks, to include some amazingly good watermelon.

it was cooooooooooooool!!!!

i had so much fun running with kim, todd, caryn (kim, did i spell that right?), and doug, although i have to be honest; kim, you and i have to get better about running together regularly! there's so much to talk about!!!

but anyway, for all who missed it, the blue moon run was awesome. next on my list: dreaded druid hills. any takers? :)

miiiiiiiiiiiileage

okay, so i biked today, ~11 miles. that's about the same as 3 2/3 miles running. yay.

mileage

well, seeing as how i fell asleep about twenty minutes after getting home from school, i decided to skip the gym. instead, i went for a little jog with toby. he's not in tip top shape for runs, so we just did ~1 mile. yeehaw.



i'm still sleepy.

:)

today was a good day.

1) i cleaned the kitchen. like seriously cleaned. comet with bleach and everything. didn't clean anything else, but my kitchen is hella clean.

2) i got a job. yeah, i already teach, but lord knows that a teacher's salary is NOT the most awesome. so, i'll be tutoring part-time two miles away from my home. so super convenient, easy for me (who knew that the prior experience from hell would pay off!), and good for my wallet.

3) i bought toby a tire. yes. a real tire. it's mountain bike-esque, but about eight to ten inches in diameter. it's great because i can stuff it with treats, and he can chew it, roll it around, etc. he loves it.

4) i have more goals. more sado-masochistic goals. granted, these are far-flung aspirations, but there's nothing like hoping. i hope to run two marathons (or halves, depending on my physical state), and the most exciting parts are the locations. the first is the Valley of Fire Marathon in Las Vegas, NV. it's in a national park out west, so just imagine that. that's in november. the second (AND THIS IS SO COOL!!!) is the Great Wall Marathon. i mean, holy shit! it's in may and is about 80 miles west (i think) of beijing, and there are marathon tour packages as cheap as $1,070. can you believe that?! man... if i can somehow squirrel away about $2000, then i could probably DO BOTH MARATHONS (or halves, as the case may be.)!!!!

care to donate to the cause?

:)

!!!!

i have a bike! i have a bike! i have a bike! i have a bike!!!!

did i mention that i have a bike? as it turns out, my old road bike that i thought had made it to the big trash heap in the sky was really in my parents' garage. go figure. all it needs is a new set of tires, a handlebar upgrade, and some general clean-up. obviously, that is sooooooo much cheaper than a brand new bike. it'll be going into the shop this week, and it should be ready by the time i go back up to PA for memorial day weekend.

so what does this mean? this means that i can actually afford to do the triathlon! i was really nervous for awhile there because tri equipment is quite expensive, and my funds just weren't at the level necessary for a good bike. now if i make tris a habit, i'll eventually invest in a quality machine, but for now, this is definitely providential.

checklist--i have:
1) brand new helmet
2) suit(s)
3) bike
4) shoes
5) places to swim/ride/run

checklist--i need:
1) cap
2) goggles

this is so awesome. i am so freakin excited, and now i can't wait to get into this.

oh... incidentally, i'm going to try to save some $$$ to do the valley of fire marathon in las vegas this coming november. yeehaw!

:D

the Great 2007 Bay Bridge 10K...

that nobody ran. d'oh. yeah, casey and i both woke up at 4:30 to drive all the way from canton and owings mills, respectively, and after hanging around for 45 minutes, we found out that the race was cancelled. after i woke up at 4:30. and drove 50 miles. and used up 50 miles worth of gas. and woke up at 4:30. SUCKS!

however, casey and i made the best of it and still ran around the park a little bit, our faces against the 30+ mph winds. plus, the race directors gave everybody a bitchin amount of food since they couldn't really do much else with it. those guys were really cool--they understood that people didn't care as much about paying $30 for no race as they did for not being able to race at all. besides--we all got our really nice (REALLY NICE) gym bags, so it's not like the money was totally wasted.

as for the intangibles, i got some great pictures, which i'll get to in a second. for one, this is the first time i've ever really hung out with casey outside of school. we had so much fun, and she's really a great girl. yay! also, the park and the bay were so beautiful. i think my most worshipful moments are captured in solitude in nature. at this point in my life, it's not so much the four walls and some pews that do it for me. despite the nearly gale-force winds, the pre-dawn stillness was both filling and calming.

pictures!






the chesapeake, pre-dawn









chesapeake buoy











sunlight slips over the water










sunday morning, 6 may 2007













30+ mph winds--they really are holding me upright













bay bridge at oh my god'o'clock in the morning











like true runners, we braved the wee hours of the day to run, to take hold of the challenge, to better ourselves by pushing beyond the limits, to grab as much free food and beverages as possible when the race was cancelled and then go back to bed.






me and casey; albeit a little disappointed because of the lack of the 10K, we still had a great time. we're definitely coming back next year!