Archive for the ‘I'm just saying’ Category

• Things I think about while I run

  Date: 2010.08.31 | Category: I'm just saying, Sports | Response: 0

  At the half marathon I saw a barefoot runner. I don’t understand how that can even be remotely comfortable. I wonder if the guy was also watching where he stepped as he ran. Was he dodging acorns and pebbles? Dips in the pavement? I would’ve like to question him about it later.

  There was also a guy running with a cast on his arm. I saw him at the 18 16-ish mile run too. I can only imagine how gross the inside of his cast is. Maybe it’s one of those waterproof ones so that he can attempt to flush out all of the sweat while training for a marathon.

  I had a pebble or something in my shoe, and I ran with it bothering me for about four miles before I finally stopped to fish it out. Retying my running shoes around eight miles proved to be something I wouldn’t recommend. Tie shoe. Run. Find that shoelace is too tight. Stop and retie shoelace. Run. Shoelace is still too tight. Stop. Rinse. Repeat.

  Around mile 11.5 there was a wooden deck on a bluff with steps, I couldn’t see where the steps led to but I’m guessing either a beach or a pier, or both. Anyhow, on the deck was a pair of high heeled shoes. But here’s the thing, I don’t know where the person who belonged to the shoes was. Had they been there all night? I wonder what size they were?

  The course was an out and back, which means that you ran for 6.55 miles and then turned around and came back. I watched for my brother to pass me for about thirty minutes before I actually saw him. It’s a good thing he had on the lime green knee-high compression socks that matched his t-shirt, there were a lot of runners with green shirts on, but only one with matching knee-high compression socks.

  Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can. Early into the run I passed over a Spiderman action figure on the path. I thought about picking him up, he’s probably never come along on a half marathon before. I looked for him on my way back but didn’t see him. Someone else probably picked him up and crossed him over the finish line.

  My feet ache. Do I need new shoes?

  I wonder I can finish in time to make it to a yoga class.

  Why am I getting stupid songs stuck in my head??? Tie A Yellow Ribbon ’round The Old Oak Tree? Or how about: Who Let the Dogs Out?  And then there was Saturday In The Park. Ugh.

• I did it (and I wasn’t last)

  Date: 2010.08.28 | Category: I'm just saying, Sports | Response: 5

   

  

   Well I did it, and I wasn’t last. I’m happy with my time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. My brother finished in 1 hour and 53 minutes. Do you see how much taller he is than I am??? He claims it doesn’t make a difference, but clearly he’s wrong.

  The run went pretty good. I’m a little surprised at my pace, because it’s a full minute and half per mile better than any of my long runs so far. Perhaps not having the dogs running with me made a difference? Or it could have been that I wasn’t trailing a kid on a scooter who needs to stop to ask me a question every block? Or maybe it was the fact that my sister-in-law and my nephew, Connor, came out and ran me in for the last minute. They pushed up my pace to a 9 minute mile! Whatever it was, I’ll take it.

  And to the guy who pulled me aside after the race to tell me that he tried to catch up to me at the end, but just couldn’t, THANK YOU! That was awesome!

• Fashionably last

  Date: 2010.08.27 | Category: I'm just saying | Response: 2

  It was on Thursday afternoon — as I’m eating my grilled cheese sandwich, a handful potato chips and Double Stuff Oreo cookies — that I realized that Saturday was only two days away, and on Saturday I am running a half-marathon.

  What am I doing eating chips and cookies????
  

  And then I made the mistake of checking out the race results for last year’s half-marathon, as well as the half from just a few months ago and saw that the times were shockingly quicker than I realized they would be. Now, all I can think about is how I might finish last.

  I remember the first 5K that I ran — I actually made my husband turn around and make sure there were people behind us. There were. I finished that race with my best time ever, it was something like 30 minutes 32 seconds. Of course, I’ve never broke that time since. And this year I can’t even run a 5K straight without throwing some walking in there — which drags my average pace down. However, put me on a treadmill and I’m good to go for miles and miles and miles. It’s the outdoor stuff that I can’t just find a good pace for and stay there.

  So here I am, fretting about being last. And quite honestly, I know I shouldn’t care about this, but I do. And it really doesn’t make sense in my head because last week when I ran the 18 16 mile build-up run with the Striders I was dead last from the start, and I did not care. Well, maybe just a little bit, but it wasn’t so much about the stigma of “being last” as it was the fact a that I didn’t study the route and I was very concerned that because I was away from the main pack of runners that I wouldn’t know where to go. Well, it all worked out, right? I mean, I’m obviously not wandering around the lakefront trying to find my way home.

  As I was whining to my husband about it this morning, he reminded me of his wrestling record from his high school sophomore year: he won 6 out of 30 matches.

  Sidenote: How does he remember this stuff??? He knows what weight he wrestled at for every year, what schools Muskego High School beat, who went to State, what his record was, how many students were in his graduating class, etc… And it’s not even high school. Nope, some history thing will come up and he’s all “we learned that in the 7th grade.”

  Anyhow, his record was 6-30. I can’t remember what his point was. Oh yeah, “Honey, you’re just starting out.” And then he went on to a wrestling analogy while I let the dogs out.

  So let’s hear it, am I being ridiculous? Would you care?

• Miles run: 16-ish

  Date: 2010.08.21 | Category: I'm just saying | Response: 3

  I’ve survived the Badgerland Striders Build-up run, although I only did about 16 miles rather than the 18. There’s nothing like planning, and packing your stuff, and laying out your outfit, and then waiting for your group of runners to take off only for the guy in charge to say: IT’S HOT AND HUMID OUT THERE, which reminds you that your Kool Tie which you bought the night before, and carefully soaked in a bowl of water for 30 minutes this morning, was STILL IN YOUR CAR. The car that was parked on the other side of a ravine.

  So, I did what I’d expect each of you would do. I ran to my car, fished my car key out of my Amphipod belt, rescued my ticket to a reduced heart rate, and then sprinted back to the starting line. And everyone was gone. Gosh darnit! Luckily there was another lady who was late for the race who ran up just as I did so we ran together for awhile, the whole time I’m telling her my walk/run system and how I just listen for the RunKeeper lady to alert me in my earbuds that it’s time for the next segment …. waiting … still waiting …

  And that’s when I realized that in my haste I’d forgotten to start my activity on RunKeeper. I figure I had run a good .50 to .75 of a mile already, not counting the run to my car and back to the starting line.

  The first six or so miles was all on the Oak Leaf Trail, in the shade, and I did pretty good. I was dead last, but still I was doing pretty good. All of that changed once I hit the War Memorial and had to run behind the Summerfest grounds through some park that I didn’t even know existed, turning right at the red lighthouse, and then up Erie St. into the Third Ward. Wow, was it hot! And I’m not even going to mention the parking lot attendent’s tent that I thought was the rest stop tent. Oops. $20 to park your car?? That’s CRAZY!

  The route then doubled-back to the War Memorial, through Vetrans Park, and back to the War Memorial. It was on my way back that I ran smack into the Arthritis Foundation’s 5K Run/Walk to Milwaukee Irish Fest. Ohmygosh. I was afraid someone wouldn’t pay attention to the space in front of them and run right into me!

  Once I safely made it back to the rest stop tent (again) at the War Memorial, I waited for Jennifer to walk by so I could wave before I finished up the 1816-ish miles. Thankfully she did NOT snap a picture of me. Oh gosh, I’m sure I looked like a sweaty mess.

  Instead of running around the lagoon, again INTO the 5K-er’s, I opted to get back on the Oak Leaf, finishing out my run in the shade rather than the hot sun on Lincoln Memorial Drive. My iPhone battery died at 14.16 miles, so I have no idea what my true mileage is, but I’m calling it 16.

  I’m happy to report that it’s now 4:21 p.m. and the only part of me that hurts is the outer bottoms of my feet. Why? I don’t know, I’ve never experienced pain there before. I’ve got some lovely chafing on my back from my sports bra. Fun times.

  Coming up this week I’ve got three easy six mile runs. Unless I decide to run one of the half-marathons next week Saturday. I guess I’ll make that decision on Friday.

  Before I end this I want to tell you about Lake Park, where the run started. I used to live just a few blocks away from here, and I would ride my bike or roller blade around quite a bit. One day I roller bladed down to the lakefront and then realized that the only way to get back was to go up one of the hills. Well, I was pooped, and roller blading up a hill was just not going happen. Option B was to walk up this staircase.

  

  And so I walked up this staircase, hanging on to the railing for dear life because I was still wearing my roller blades. Today, probably 16 or 17 years later, I was wondering why didn’t I take my roller blades off and carry them???? It made so much more sense!

• 51#

  Date: 2010.08.20 | Category: I'm just saying | Response: 2

  

  Guess who weighs 51 pounds? She doesn’t look that big from this angle, does she? She’s doubled her weight since June. DOUBLED! I sure hope she’s full grown pretty soon, they stop growing at six months old — RIGHT?

  

  And she’s still got a little head. Little head, little dog. Right?

  

  However, her body takes up the entire back seat of my Honda Civic. And what’s with all of those freckles?