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My Apologies

Sep 30th, 2009
by gazelle.
10 comments

To basically everyone I know.

I have sucked this past month. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever had a consecutive 30-day period that was this hard on me. The stars aligned to bring me the most stressful month of work, a stressful month of school, and the last month of marathon training all at the same time.

I am fairly certain I did not handle it well.

I am usually pretty reliable & not very flaky, but the combination of stressors (yes, I’m making excuses) have caused that to turn into “usually pretty reliable & not very flaky.”

I like to think that I can deal well with the stressors in my life, and honestly I do okay a lot of the time, but this was not that time.

So – kick ass neighbors + PBR runner/brunchers – so sorry for Sunday. That was super lame of me, and you should all throw (very small) rocks at me. Also kick-ass neighbor the younger, I am mildly sorry about skipping our bike commute this morning, but the extra 1.5 hours of sleep seemed like a good idea at the time.

Anyone that’s called me & not had a call returned (relatives, friends, telemarketers) – I’m sorry ’bout that.

And anyone who now realizes that I can’t hold my liquor the way I could 10 years & 80 lbs ago – sorry to you guys, too. I’m not usually a hot mess!

I am hoping that this time next week, I will be a much more relaxed, stress-free individual who doesn’t have dreams that involve the following (all in one dream).

  1. Losing my running shoes
  2. Having a race start 2 hours early
  3. Having to do the swim portion of a triathlon naked
  4. Having to skip the bike portion of a tri- to fix a budget spreadsheet with multiple errors
  5. Having to run to Milwaukee because I missed my plane
  6. Accidentally pooping my pants right before the marathon
  7. Getting lost on my way to the start line
  8. Getting an “F” in my writing course, which was announced by the race director right before the start of the marathon
  9. Having the architect divorce me at the finish line because I didn’t make my goal time

Between the triathlon, the run to Wisconsin, the marathon, and my subsequent divorce, it was a very busy dream, no wonder I was so tired this morning.

So – please don’t hate me. I promise to be a better friend next week.

And y’all are invited over for Turkey-Day dinner. For reals. Let me know if you’re interested.

I hope that light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a train.

Sep 22nd, 2009
by gazelle.
3 comments

Of the four projects that I have due starting Thursday 9/24 & ending Wednesday 9/30, one is 95% complete. One is 80% complete. the other two are 50% or less, but are the smaller, more familiar projects, and ones that I worry about much, much less.

In other news, there is still wine left in North Portland, so maybe my stress management tools have improved since last January.

In other other news, it’s a damn good thing that there’s going to be a fun party this weekend. Thanks, Emily, for planning your wedding for the very weekend I would need it most! You’re the best!

One of those days

Sep 2nd, 2009
by gazelle.
8 comments

Yesterday was one of those days. I was cranky. I deliberately skipped my morning run in favor of an afternoon run – something about the Terwilliger hills perks me up. Probably because I am crazy.

BUT – wait! Backtrack. Monday night, I headed up to Vancouver (WA, not BC – that would’ve been a looong Monday night) to do a little hanging out with bride-to-be Emily.  I finally got to see the new digs (and annoyed the crap out of the architect when I got home whining enthusing about her built-ins and our lack there-of) and enjoyed the beautiful grounds (makes it sound very lady-of-the-manor-like, right?). A good time was had by all (or at least by me, I guess I can’t speak for her).

I headed h0me like a good girl, so I could get my 8 hours before my super early run. When I got home, of course I had to talk to the architect for a long time, ’cause we hadn’t really talked for like 24 HOURS! And that’s when I decided I’d do a post-work instead of pre-work run. I took some Advil PM and was out like a light! For 8 hours! I didn’t wake up once! That is completely unprecedented. I’m thinking of starting a new Advil PM addiction. Thoughts?

Anyways….Tuesday. I wanted to get to work before 8:30 (technically my start hours are between 8:30 & 9). I rolled in at 8:35 – so not late! Just later than I wanted. Stupid early train which caused me to miss my bus connection! Totally ruined the night before’s commute where I got home in under an hour! It was magical!

At work, it was just one thing after another. I was getting more & more stressed. And I knew a run would help. I just knew it!

So – guess what I did? If you guessed went home & had a mojito, then you’re right! Gold star!

I was in bed at 9:30, asleep by 10, because I needed to get that run in!

And I did. I got up & was out the door by 5:40. It was my first dark morning run pretty much ever. It was so nice to run along the bluff & see the sky lightening in the east, just sad that I missed the actual sunrise – I turned around to run home right before.

It was a nice 6 miler – although I’m always so very slow that early in the morning. It takes me about three miles to warm up.

Mile 1: 11.27
Mile 2: 11:10
Mile 3: 10:41
Mile 4: 9:59
Mile 5: 9:59
Mile 6: 10:40

I’ve decided to pretend that this was some kind of 4 mile tempo run – in my revised marathon plan, my easy miles are supposed to be about 10:30-10:45 & tempo miles between 9:45 & 10, so the last four miles totally count. The first two are my pre-warmup miles, I guess! :)

Anyways – great run more or less, although the first 1 mile, I was debating how few miles I could get away with, but after I warmed up, I was just sad that I didn’t have more time!

After a quick shower & 1/2 of a banana (first half consumed pre-run), I hopped on my bike for my first ride of the Portland September Bike to Work Challenge.  Go team! I am going to try to bike to work a minimum of twice, possibly three times each week. Now that I now it’s possible to do a pre-work run and then bike in (and although I felt like I was dragging, I was a little faster today than last week), I think I could, conceivably, ride in every work day for the rest of the month – 15 more days. We’ll see how that goes!

Today is much better. Not sure if it’s because of all the early exercise endorphins, the half-caf that wasn’t, or just that week is nearly over, and a 4-day weekend awaits, but I’m not complaining! Now I just need to get to the pool!

Confidence Restored

Aug 30th, 2009
by gazelle.
2 comments

Today was my 2nd 15 miler of my marathon training – although in the original schedule, it was supposed to be my first 20. Funny how you’re forced to be flexible.

I did a 15 on July 26. Total time was 2:59:25 (avg pace 11:58). You know, a bit slow, but it was 1 million degrees.

Then, three weeks ago on August 8, I did a 16 miler. Total time was 3:06:24 (avg page 11:39). Better – it was cooler – but still not really where I wanted to be pace-wise for my long runs (I’d like to be around 10:45 for those – or 30 seconds slower than my planned marathon pace).

Two days after my 16 miler, I did my last track workout, and just today downloaded the stats for that:

5 miles total, 52 minutes, 10:32 pace.

Warmup, 1 mile, 11:23

3×10 pushups; 1/4 mile (2:34, 10:23 pace)
30 crunches; 1/4 mile (2:41, 10:45 pace)
3×10 tricep dips; 1/4 mile (2:39, 10:41 pace)
3×10 incline pushups; 1/4 mile (2:50, 11:17 pace)

800#1 – 4:11 (8:23)
recovery 1/4 mile – 3:08 (12:35)
800#2 – 4:12 (8:23)
recovery #2 – 3:01 (11:48)
800#3 – 3:57 (8:

Cooldown, 1 mile – 11:37

Technically, I was going for five 800s, but felt NOT RIGHT after the 3rd one, so I went home. And then, of course, it turned out that I’d tweaked my knee & pulled a muscle.

My run last weekend was a slow 10. And my great 5 on Tuesday was followed by a crappy (but fast) 2 on Friday.

I wasn’t sure what to expect today.

I certainly wasn’t expecting the fantastic run that happened!

JM & I started out ahead of E & the Ambitious One, and right away I could tell it was going to be awesome. I could also tell every time we started going faster than 10 minute miles – that’s when I could feel my knee.

We hit the turnaround at mile 7.5 (love trails that have the mileage marked) sooner than seemed possible, and although we did end up with a couple of pitstops along the way, our overall pace was pretty good. I didn’t have Leo programmed to do auto-splits at the mile markers, but the fancy graph my Garmin software makes shows us super consistant at the 10 minute mile mark.

When we hit 13 miles at about 2:13, we both had 1/2 marathon PRs!

The overall run was 2:36:27 – in other words, almost 25 full minutes faster than our last 15 miler (which also had many untimed walk breaks, and some hallucinations). I feel great, too. No knee pain. No groin pain. I mean, I’m tired, but I feel SO GOOD!

Final pace: 10:25, and if I’d had to, I could’ve gone further – which is exactly how I like to feel after a run. I only have two more long runs before my marathon taper starts – 18 miles on Friday and 20 the weekend after. Then I’m down to 13 & 10 & then I think there’s a 26.2 scheduled.

For the first time in three weeks, I’m feeling pretty good about my ability to not only cross the finish line, but cross it & feel good about it, too!

And, to top off that great, great run, we headed to brunch at Cricket Cafe, where the four of us met up with Jen (who’d run to the cafe) for the best bloody marys in town (so far) and a great brunch. You know it’s a lot of food when a bunch of runners needed to go boxes after (well, not me – although I did leave some of the eggs).

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