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!"