Lower your expectations and SUCCEED!

I hate to even attempt to make some sort of goal or prediction for tomorrow's race. This is my first LONG distance race and only my SECOND official race ever.

In May I ran a 5k in 28:18...this is slow by many runner's standards, and still I thought I was going to die. That's when I conceded that 3.1 miles just isn't "my distance" (I call this a naive runner's cope out). I now fear and respect the 5k.

According to some time predictors/calculators, I should finish the 10 miles in under 1:40. Hah. HAH. Seriously, I don't think it will go down this way. I honestly expect to hobble over the finish line closer to 2:00 (putting me in the very back of the back according to last year's results for this race). But hey, I have done ZERO speed training prior to this race so what should I expect? SLOW and STEADY (but mostly slow), that's what.

The whole purpose of this race is to introduce myself to this distance in a "race" environment. The mini in April will have more hills, MANY more runners and 3.1 extra miles -- but it will be good to have this one under my proverbial belt.

As an aside, I am really, VERY excited about this run. UNUSUALLY excited. So excited that I dared to wear pants with an elastic waistband to work. OMG.

What Hurts Today - Dec. 23

My right knee:
Same story, different day. It's just punishing me (retroactively) for my long run a couple days ago. I've had much worse.

My left foot:
I've got pretty little blisters on the tippy-top of each of my toes. Thanks, new shoes. Oh, I can't stay mad at you, new shoes! You are so fly-i-i-i-i. I'll even forgive the stylistic misspelling of your name.

Fueled by Krispy Kreme and Lil Wayne

I'm new to the world of distance running, so the concept of supplements is foreign to me. My knowledge of proper pre-aerobic eating/drinking habits is limited to the following:

• Avoid dairy
• Go easy on the booze (this was a particular challenge for some of my lax teammates...ah, memories)

And then I started stalking running blogs and discovered this whole new world of gels, hydration belts, sports beans and other edible materials of questionable consistency (read: goo). My cousin, a cyclist, further confirmed the benefits of performance enhancing products and made some recommendations. So, I caved and grabbed a couple packs of Shot Bloks for my New Year's Day race. I'll let you know how it goes.

It's a win/win situation: either I will legitimately experience a Hulk-like-shirt-ripping energy boost or I will THINK I am having Hulk-like-shirt-ripping energy boost. Either way I'm ripping my shirt.

Or not...it's going to be cold and my jacket is new.

Weekly Wrap Up

Monday: 4 mi
Tuesday: Rest (ice storm = house bound = no workout!)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 8 mi
Saturday: 3 mi (crosstrain)
Sunday: 1hour fartleks (UGH)

Runnin' Song of the Week: "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" - Lady Antebellum

Gym Pet Peeve of the Week: Middle-school football coach who takes his workouts too seriously (more of Hubs' pet peeve than mine)

Hubs' Inspirational Thought of the Week: "I'm never going to get you a video game ever again." (in reference to my overzealous post-Christmas Tomb Raiding)

Post Christmas Run

Merry Christmas everybody! My dog just drank coffee spiked with Irish Cream! Hooray for drunk puppies!

Anyway, Hubs got me some sliiiiiiiiick Nike gloves that I just had to break in today. I've been on the hunt for the perfect running route close to my house, so I decided to try one out to get ready for the Hangover Classic.

We'll call this route Dreary Residential Out and Back:

Distance: 8 miles
Terrain: Sloping hills, crappy sidewalks
Temperature: 44 degrees
Playlist: Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Pit Bull (always PB)
Unfortunate Song Stuck in Head: "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time (On You)"
Morale: Meh (too many yard inflatables makes me a wee bit downtrodden)
Pace: See blog title

This route was ok. It wasn't the most exciting scenery, and I did get lost (I kid you not) but my legs felt really good. Overall, it was a good run.

OH! Looks like this is my turn...

I'm an overplanner and control freak. Because of this, the notion of embarking on a 10 mile run in an unfamiliar area is kind of panic-inducing. I'm less worried about my pesky IT band, but more worried about getting LOST.

Sure there will be other runners to follow, but what if I get distracted by food or music or shoes or purses or clowns or doggies or balloons or cars or soccer balls or other streets or whatever? WHO KNOWS what may happen!?

So I was scoping out the Hangover Classic race route on Street View (my new addiction) to better acquaint myself with the course when I stumbled across something VERY STRANGE:




There is a message written on the road (in yellow), directing someone (ME?) to "HOSS." Hoss happens to be one of my high-school buddies who lived downtown, so I found this to be particulary amusing. I laughed and laughed and laughed.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the message does not read "Hoss" but "HOGS." Ah, ok. Not quite as strange (this area is famous for the stockyards). I am kind of bummed it doesn't actually say "Hoss."

Regardless of what it says, THIS is the exact sort of thing that could get me all distracted and ultimately lost in my own city.

I can just hear Hubs on the other end of that phone call:

bb: I'm lost! Come get me.
Hubs: What? I thought you were running in the race?
bb: I was but then...there was an arrow...
Hubs: Well where the heck are ya?
bb: Uhh...erm...hmph.
Hubs: HUH?!
bb: There are hogs.

Thoughts for a Tuesday morning

I watched a little "Brooke Knows Best" this morning before I went to work. I refuse to believe that she dresses herself and thinks "Man, I look REALLY good in this belly shirt and pleat-mini. My earrings even match the design on my top!"

Well, that would certainly make me run faster...

Ah, Map My Run...what hath thou wrought?

Thanks to Map My Run and Google Street View, I've found a great (albeit potentially hazardous) run that I'm going to try out Friday. My newly discovered route is a little rustic...it's 95% sidewalk free; cutting through a nice rural strip of the county. It's relatively flat, but can be narrow at certain spots.

Oh, and there may or may not be a goat-monster in the vicinity.

There is an old Kentucky legend that talks about a monster that is half-man, half-goat that lives a few miles from my house. My new run takes me right through goat-man territory. I am undeterred.

Hey, I'm sure that Mini in April will cause me a lot more pain than a goat-monster gnawing on my ankle. BRING IT.

Christmas List: Late Entries

Under Armour is the way to my heart:














Not only am I one of the slowest runners on the road, I'm also probably one of the least fashionable. But DANG that jacket is sharp.

And I'd totally pull the socks over my pants.

Hopefully I'll get some new cold gear for Christmas, considering I have that New Year's 10 miler coming up. Oy. It's supposed to warm up in the next week, so I'm optimistic about the weather on race day, but this IS Kentucky...our weather is...erratic.

What Hurts Today and Mutant Toe

My little toe on my left foot hurts today. I'm on week 1 of my new shoes, and suprisingly, haven't had any blisters until today.

And while we are on the subject...one of my dearest friends has a freakishly odd pinkie toe...I say "freakish" with love. Check 'er out (mutant-toe on the left, normal toe on the right):
















As you can see, it doesn't ever touch the ground. It's sort of elevated. When I called her to ask for her permission to feature the mutant-toe in this blog (I ain't gettin' sued for this nonsense), she explained that the toe is in fact more susceptible to blisters because it doesn't fit in shoes correctly. I thought it would be impervious to injury! It's magical!

My friends and I kind of worship the toe...it's a sign of advanced evolution, I think. At least that's what we tell her.

Happy Place

I was hoping to get 6 miles in yesterday, but the gym was SO FREAKIN' HOT that I only did four. I've never seen the back of my head sweat so profusely. Strike that-- I've never actually seen the back of my head.

I want to get it back today (Sunday is usually a good gym day because it's not that crowded).

I really dislike treadmill running-- it makes me think too much. This got me thinking about my running stages:

0-1 mile: Legs just waking up...probably still adjusting my iPod. Once I find that perfect song, I'm good to go.

2 miles: PAIN! Can't breathe...feet hurt...How far have I gone? How FAR? Two miles? Seriously? LAME.

3-4 miles: Normal breathing levels are returning. Starting to feel good.

5 miles: Kind of blurs with mile 4 and 6. Goes by pretty quick.

6 - 8 miles: HAPPY PLACE. I feel great. Legs, lungs...I feel like I could go on forever. I am a runner! Look at me!

8+ miles: The great beyond. I'm not sure what happens now...I'll let you know (hopefully before April 25th).

Well, time to upload a new CD to my iPizzle...I've rediscovered the first Ashlee Simpson CD. Don't judge.

Weekly Wrap Up

Monday: 4 mi
Tuesday: 6 mi
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 2 mi
Friday: 3 mi (crosstrain)

Runnin' Song of the Week: "Nice" - Chris Brown

Gym Pet Peeve of the Week: Smelly Guy (if people think you are smelly in a crowded gym...dude...too smelly...)

Hub's Inspirational Thought of the Week: "I'm not good at this game [providing an inspirational thought]. So I quit."

What Hurts Today - Dec. 19

My left calf:

It's been a bit wonky lately. In all my years of lacrosse (and soccer before that) I never once got a charlie-horse. And then about two months ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling...it was my brain saying "BB, something CRAZY is about to go down." And then BAM! my first charlie-horse in my left calf hits me like a sledgehammer.

My brain:

Both the Hubs and I have headcolds. Just in time for the holidays!

Hi there

My name is BB and I am a part-time runner. This is my blog.

As the title suggests, I run really slowly. I am not a racer. I do not strive for personal records. I just try to finish.

I plan to use this blog as a way to chronicle my training for a mini-marathon in April. I also have some other 5k races along the way. Ultimately I want to run a full marathon in 2010.