Lazy...and busy :)

Why is running always on the bottom of my to do list these days? I hate it, but at the same time, it's never enough for me to squeeze it in! Dang me! Here is my current week:

Monday - Packers in Monday Night Football, had to get home in time!
Tuesday - Had to bake cupcakes for the Halloween Potluck, buy decorations for it and rent a horror flick to play during. Yeah, it's great being the Chairperson (Ahem...sole member...) of the Social Committee at work!
Wednesday - Halloween! And got had to drop a friend off home on the way back from work and I didn't make it in the door until 8pm.

As I've said a million times, tomorrow is it! I'm gonna be good! I swear!

Boo on me!

I altered my workout plan last night and it totally back-fired on me! Of course, I was planning to continue my easing on in to my workouts in the gym upstairs with a little 30 minutes on the elliptical and treadmill again. But then my friend called and wanted me to meet him over on Michigan Ave. He was having dinner with his family up north when he called so I figured that gave me plenty of time until I had to meet him.

So, I decided to skip the gym and I'd walk all the way to Michigan (I work in the Loop)...go even farther north than where I had to meet him so I could pick up a few things and then circle back around to him. Figured it be at least a solid 30 minutes of walking.

Well, I headed out and within just a few blocks, I got sidetracked by a performance in Daley Plaza. Strike 1. I suck! But it was really cool...they were jump roping and flipping and doing all kinds of fun stuff! So, I stood and watched for about 10 minutes then got back on track. I realized I was starving, but I didn't want to eat anything big before dinner. Once I was across the river, I saw a Starbucks and headed on in to get a little sumthin' sumthin' in my belly. Strike 2.

I decide to call my friend to see how far out he is so that I can figure out how far off-course I can venture before I have to turn back. Turns out he drove down to Michigan Ave in rush hour traffic can was already there! Who the hell would have guessed?! So, I quickly walked to meet him and that was it. Strike 3. He gave me a ride home so I didn't even get in my usual 3/4 mile walk from the train to my house! I swear I had good intentions when I decided to skip the gym! I really, really did! Now I just feel guilty... :)

Ewwww

The workout yesterday sucked! Why? Because it was hard and it shouldn't have been! Augh! I hate that! I'm easing myself back in so I already knew I was only planning on spending about 30 minutes in there. I started on the Elliptical...but it was the Precor type, with elevation control, not the regular elliptical machines you see more often now. It has been years since I did the eleveation type. And it kicked my butt! I did only 15 minutes and I was sweating and needing to seriously get off before I got completely discouraged! So, I moved to the treadmill...to run, you ask? Nope! I walked. I walked for 20 minutes and was out of there. I wasn't joking when I said I was easing in to this, huh?! But hey, I had dinner plans, okay?!

My ultimate goal for the weeks in the off-season would be something like this:

• Run 3 times per week, twice during the week for 30 - 40 minutes, once on the weekend for a longer run of 5 - 8 miles. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that through the winter months, but I'll have to get creative! Your suggestions would be gladly accepted!
• On weekday running days, also do pilates DVD. Yes, I bought the Windsor Pilates a couple years ago and it kicks ass! At first you can't even make it though the 20 minute workout! Once I mastered that, I still could never make it all the way through the longer one!
• Cross-train twice a week. Do anything I please (that isn't running) for at least 30 minutes. The biggest challenge I think will be making sure I'm doing different things...not just one activity over and over. But this has the potential to be fun!
• On cross-train days, do a total body strength training circuit. I love lifting! If lifting burned fat the way that cardio does, I'd be 20lbs lighter! I'm going to have to make sure that I don't get carried away with this...just hit the major muscle groups twice a week. No need to gain lots of ground in the muscle department. I love watching the amount I can lift go higher and higher, but that isn't necessary right now...just have to concentrate on keeping my body strong and balanced.

That's the plan. Will it happen? Who knows! I'm going to gradually start working each piece in so that I don't burn out by next week! Right now, the focus is just getting used to doing physical activity again on a regular basis...since I've been pretty much the Queen Lazy-Ass for the past couple of months. I guess I thought I earned it or something from all that running...all I seemed to really have earned is about 6 pounds!

I'm excited...I need you all to hold me accountable though. Maybe I'll create some kind of log I can post weekly or something to show how its progressing. Hey...that is a mighty fine idea, Nicole!

I'm nervous

Well...I'll be honest here...since, you know, honesty is good. I haven't run a single step since the marathon. I think I was a little mentally defeated. Everytime I think about lacing up, I just get this feeling of dread about how uncomfortable running will be...cuz, you know, the last time I ran was in awful, yucky conditions. I can't seem to shake the experience from my mind.

Yesterday, I took the first step and joined the gym that opened up in my office building...and that gave us an absolutely ridiculous rate! There was no excuse not to sign up! It's small and well, honestly, the potential that one of my co-workers may see me naked in the locker room scares the bejesus out of me! But, overall, its a great situation. I can lift weights during lunch and then get cardio in right after work. Which means I can get a full workout in without getting home at 9pm! This is very, very good!

I packed up all my workout gear this morning and then almost walked out the door without it :) That's how long its been since I went to a gym straight from work! But, I'm excited to get going again, this time with new goals in mind. And I'm nervous that its going to suck and I'm going to hate it. I guess only time will tell...

Portland 2008

I admit it...I'm not quite over the fact that Pinkowsky couldn't acknowledge an iota of blame for the Chicago "Fun Run" debacle! So, I think I've figured out a way to turn my sour feelings around. I'm going to run the Portland Marathon in 2008 instead of the Chicago again. Portland is my hometown and I'd love to have all my family and friends on hand to cheer me on! The two races are only scheduled a week apart so I could still train with a Chicago group next summer without getting off track!

This idea has totally got me psyched to get my butt back in gear! Now, I just have to figure out how to keep it in gear over the winter...do I really have to have daily meetings with the dreadmill? I see no other way! At least the off-season will give me time to work on strength training and I'll be sure to cross train so I don't burn out on running like I did this summer. I want to start the next training season in 5 times a better place than I was this year! I hope I stay this excited when I have to hit the gym later... :)

Vegan Baking

Sunday begins the official start of the vegan baking experiment. My friend and I have been talking for months and months (and months!) about opening a cafe/bakery specializing in vegan, organic, gluten-free, etc items and yet it's always been just talk. But not anymore! This weekend we have officially scheduled a date to get down to the nitty-gritty and see how tough this vegan baking can be! On the menu:

Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/ Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Green Tea Cupcakes w/ Green Tea Glaze & Almond Flowers
Cinnamon Scones w/ Cinnamon Icing

I've been excited all week! I don't know how I'll make it to Sunday without exploding! I love to bake and I love a challenge, so I can't wait to see what is going to happen! I'll post pics (if I remember the camera) when we get going! Now if only we could find some taste testers... :p

Post Marathon Weight Gain???

Okay, so I'm writing about this here in hopes that someone will raise their hand and say this is completely normal! Basically, since I cut back (and eventually completely stopped) my running about 6 to 8 weeks ago, I've been gaining weight at a pretty steady (and fairly scary) rate. Now, at first I thought it was probably due to the fact that I was still "carb loading", yet not "carb burning"...aka running :) Therefore, I wasn't alarmed in the least bit when I saw the needle on the scale move up a couple notches.

About 3 weeks ago, I finally came back to reality and started eating like a normal human being. Stopped eating lunch out every day. Cut back on all the pasta I'd been loving so much. Basically, got back to the way I was eating before I started all the training. Well, since then...I've managed to gain even more weight!!! Now I'm freaked out!

Please, someone tell me this is some normal whacked out reaction of my metabolism from not running anymore! Tell me that it will regulate soon and things will return to normal! Or do I seriously have some weird hormonal/chemical imbalance I should have checked out by the Doc? And before anyone throws it out there, No, I'm not pregnant :)

Seriously though, if anyone has experienced this or has any insight whatsoever, please let me know! Before my clothes stop fitting! :)

It finally happened...

I seriously pulled a muscle! Not from running, mind you. From bowling! How do you do all that running and never really get too sore and then manage to do yourself in at the bowling alley? This is ludicrous! Or however you spell that!

I wrecked all kinds of havoc on myself out there Friday night! My left hammy is sore, the bridge of my right foot hurts, my right shoulder is tired and I broke a nail! Bowling is dangerous. I think there should be warning signs posted around!

All in all, it was a great time though! I've only bowled a few times in my almost 30 years and it was so much fun! Granted, I suck...but who cares! My lone goal was to score over 100. It was not attained :) But, I did manage to increase my score each game! My highest was 93...I won't get into what the first score was! We only bowled 3 games though because, well, that was all we could afford! On a Friday night, it was $38/hour to bowl! We could have gone to the movies for cheaper and longer! When something costs more than a night at the movies, you know there is a problem!

I'll have to be sure to go back...before noon on a weekday. That's when its only $8/hour. Yeah. Right. :)

A New Kind of Running

So, it's over. Weird. All that time, money, planning, worrying...and just like that, it's over.

No more "scheduled" runs. No more distances I must get to. Freedom.

YES! Now I can just run to run. Run when I feel like it. For as long, far, short, fast, slow as I want. This is going to be great! Time to get back to the basics and remember why I wanted to do this whole marathon thing anyway. I'm actually excited for my first "freedom" run. And let me tell you, I don't get excited to run very often! I'm thinking I may wait for that nice cool, crisp, sunny Saturday coming up. And just run until I stop. It's going to be great.

Wow...

I didn't realize at the time that I wrote that last blog what had really happened at the marathon. Turns out my decision to stop wasn't so bad after all...they actually canceled the race about a half hour after I had called it a day. Conditions were too hot and they had run out of ambulances to help people who needed it! They straight made people turn around and walk back...I'm glad I did it when I was close to the start area instead of way out west.

The worst part is that race officials are denying that water stations were out of supplies! Can you believe that? What reason so us runners have to lie about it. And how would so many of us have the same story if it were not true? Worst of all, he is blaming the runners for taking TOO MUCH water on a day where the temps were 88 degrees while runners were still going?! Are you kidding me? This race director has absolutely no class! I realize these conditions were off the charts, but please do not lie about what really happened? Canceling the race? I understand why they had to do it. But lying about the water stations? Uncalled for!

And there are some runners saying that they didn't see any stations without water...maybe that would be because they were closer to the front of the pack? Ya think?

I still want to run a marathon, but now I'm not sure that I want to give my money back to the same marathon that is denying their role in the failure of the event. Maybe it would be best to find another city to run it in? I guess I'll get that all figured out in a few months!

Again, to everyone who completed the marathon on that brutal day, my hat goes off to you! You are amazing! And to those family, friends and spectators who brought out water and hoses and whatever else you could find to help us out, you are life savers. Literally! I hope you know how much you helped us all!

DNF

Yes, its official. I Did Not Finish. And I wish I could say I was trucking along with all my might when the course decided I was not fast enough and turned me back, but no. It was me. I made the decision to quit. Ironically, I think it was right where they make the people not clocking a fast enough time turn around...but it turns out that was quite a bit after I passed that mark.

So, why did I give up? Well, first of all, it was hot as hell. And then, de ja vu, the water stations ran out of water! Seriously, you have people running a marathon in 80+ degree weather and you don't have a back up plan for water stations running out?! Ridiculous! But most of all, my feet hurt...bad. Those ugly, nasty calluses I developed during training and that I hated so much because they kept me from being able to wear all my cute summer shoes...turns out they were there for a reason. They have almost fully gone away during my lack of training here at the end and I paid the price for that today. My feet were killing me.

I got to the half way point and I said to myself, "Self, is it worth it? Is it worth the suffering you are about to endure for at least another two and a half hours to get that medal?" And the answer was no. So, I veered off course and headed back to Grant Park. Defeated.

Am I upset? Not really so much, surprisingly. Even though I really was hoping to finish today, I think I'd already written it off way back in my mind somewhere. I truly do not feel bad. I wish I had the 30th anniversary medal instead of one I'll get in the future (Because I will keep trying until I beat this thing!), but other than that, I'm really kind of happy I'm not still out there...dying. To everyone who did finish...I commend you tremendously! It was not pretty out there and you didn't even let it phase you! You are my hero!

I guess this means this blog is not over yet...on to the 2008 Chicago Marathon!

This is it

Right after I write this, I'm going to go to bed. I'm going to wake up way too early and head out into the heat. I'm going to run the marathon. In 88 degree highs. I'm not even sure of my strategy at this point, but I know I will be out there. And I will do whatever I can to make sure I cross that finish line. This is it.

Big sigh...

My lack of blogging is primarily due to fear. Fear of the marathon. Yes, kids, its finally here. Sunday to be exact.

At first I was scared because the most I've run any given week for the last 6 is twice. Yeah, burnout is a bitch. But, I figured I'd just go out on marathon day and have a good time. Run, jog, walk, skip, whatever. Enjoy the crowd and have fun, ya know? No big deal.

Well, there is a new fear brewing...the weather is forecasted to be 88 and sunny that day! What the hell? Did someone forget to tell them this is October? In Chicago? Yeah, we are talking we are about to break a record high. Seriously. Now, I'm thinking its not going to be fun no matter what. Being under trained and having heat stroke? That I may not be able to convince myself to suffer through?

So, now, I don't even know what to do. Great.