Bleh

How's that for a succinct (and 100% appropriate) post title?

We're in the throes of Delayed Intensification, and things are pretty rough. The Steroid seems to have had a reverse effect on her this time - instead of obnoxious, ravenous monster child, she's lethargic, and not eating. She's developed some ear pain, which seems to be unexplained, and just one of those things that comes with the territory. She's lost a few pounds since Friday already, when she had treatment. The inch of hair she's accumulated has started falling out.

Work is frustrating me. That's all I'll say for now.

I saw the PT again today, and he gave me the green light to start running again Thursday. Just 2 miles, but it's a start!

I'm thisclose to my 200th post! I'm planning something fun for my followers.... And only my followers! So if you're not, and you're just a creepy stalker, sorry, you're gonna be left out of rhe fun!

Weekend Recap

aka, hey! Look how much NON-EXERCISING I did this weekend!

First, if you're a new follower, Hi! And, even if you're not new, there are a couple tabs up top, that I've added - About Me (because I speak in code, Chris K?), Suck Less Challenge, and about Gabby.

Friday, I bailed on work early. Stopped at the market on my way home, and saw... this.

I mean. We don't really live close enough to the beach for that to really be okay..

There was a chemo trip for Gabby, that left her kind of...

all weekend. Bummer :(. It also has her hair starting to fall out again. And, I mean, you can know it's coming, and you could have seen it before, but it's never a pleasant discovery.

I also found this in the mail Friday...

Psyched. My PT follow up is Tuesday. The Ankle feels a billion times better already. I *think* I'll get to run, soon.

So that when I race here....



...on June 4th, I can beat my friend's husband. At least, that's the plan.

Speaking of My Friend, she's super duper pregnant, and ready to have a baby, like, any second. It was a shock to them - a SHOCK! - that at 3 months that baby is still pretty....

...floppy.

Anyway. We had this text exchange when discussing dinner Saturday...

Parenting lessons, take 1.

Saturday, we sat around all morning, and watched some random Netflix documentaries...

First up, Mount St. Helens: Back from the Dead (zombie volcano?!)
Followed by...

Oceans, by Disney Nature. The kids all sat down and watched this one, so winner!

Then, we hit up the farmers market, where the goat cheese lady recognized me AND called me over. Signs you eat to much goat cheese? When they specifically tell you they've got yours there.
The goat cheese was bought, and later, for dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Snork, stuffed into these...

and it was glorious.

We also had roasted beet salad with feta, and Russian pot-stickers, which I failed to get a picture of, but imagine a mix between wontons and real pot-stickers. Good stuff.

Oh. And, there was this...

And this, which I didn't eat and therfore failed to get a picture of...

Snork didn't believe that there's a finite number of times you can fold a piece of paper in half, and was irritated when the paper thwarted her...

Sunday, I got up intending to cycle for 90 minutes (!!!!). I got 20 minutes in, and bailed. I wasn't feeling it. Fail.

The H and I went and saw this...

And it was lovely.

The movie was pretty good, too. But don't take my word for it. I'm easily amused and rarely have expectations for movies.

We took the girls to Barnes and Nobel so #2 could throw a tantrum when we didn't let her buy random stuff. #3 showed me this...

Because that's what I need. It must be true, if the 4 year old says so.

I was going to take them for FroYo, but #2 wrecked it for me, so I pouted.

I finished reading this...

It was pretty good. I'm a little fascinated by Everest. However, unlike every.other.thing I get a little obsessed with, no part of climbing Everest sounds appealing, at all.

But that didn't stop me from then watching this...
Happy Monday!

Photo Friday

Hopefully, just a few visits should cure me. Definitely not a stress fracture (PHEW!), just some jacked up peroneal tendons. I've got a heap of exercises to do at home, some stretches, and I should be back to running late next week. And, good to go for the Corona del Mar 5K June 4th.

Psyched.

Three Thing Thursday

1. I really woke up today thinking it was Friday. I also woke up yesterday thinking it was Thursday. You'd think I'd learn. Bummer.

2. I have an appointment with a sports med clinic tomorrow morning at 7am. They're runners, I asked. Apparently, a bunch of you ALSO have wonky legs. I had no idea it was such a common theme! I thought I was defective. I may be, but at least not about this.

3. The more I read about RNRLV, and the Skinny Runner hosted blogger/runner conference, the more I feel I NEEEEED to go.



PS. I'm making cookies this weekend. Who wants some?

Wordless Wednesday

1. Yes, I am working in the dark today. Just for fun. And, reading The Boring Runner. Because he's not boring.

2. After some MORE Google-fu, I found someone suggesting that their peroneal issues are due to one leg being shorter than the other. So I tested that theory out. And check this out... the offedning leg IS in fact about an inch shorter than the other. WTF, anatomy?!

Tantrum Tuesday

1. Last week, I skipped Suck Less program. Again. Looks like May is the month of Sucking More. I did cycle, Thursday for 45 min and Sunday am for an hour. It's still not really fun, but it'll do. And, I refuse to wear anything fun or look cute. No knee socks or running skirts for the bike. Just as a protest.

2. At least, until The Ankle stops being a brat.

3. Let's talk about The Ankle. I don't know what its problem is, but I am over.it. It's not swollen, at all. It's not bruised. All I know is I still can't run - I tried to jog an easy mile on Sunday before the cycle, but quit at a quarter mile. It wasn't even hurting yet, but it was definitely getting there. By the end of the day, I was limping.

3a. This marks over 2 weeks of resting it. No running. None. And it still sucks.

3b. I've tried icing, and no difference. I've been wearing KT Tape, but I'm not sure if it's helping or not...

3c. This is the offending body part:

Any part along that black line could hurt at any given time. Not all of it hurts, at once, but the pain moves. Shady, man.

3d. I thought the wedges were helping, but now they're not. I spoke too soon about my hidden medical talents.

3e. I am at a loss, and greatly annoyed.

4. This all is looking very, very shady for Corona del Mar 5K in 2 weeks. Unless you're my friend's husband and were planning on me kicking your ass. Then it looks really, really good.

5. Because I'm not running, I guess I should also be more careful about what I'm eating. Since I'm not training, no need to eat like I am, right? Bleh. Welcome back, SparkPeople.

6. I spent all of Friday, part of Sunday, and most of yesterday undoing a project that I just did at work. Why? Not because I'm stupid. But because my boss gave me poor directions. And despite me telling her, several times, that it was wrong, she insisted she was right. But she wasn't. Thanks, chick.

7. Outsourced and Human Target got cancelled?! WTF.

8. Remember how, back in March, #1 was supposed to spend a week on a pretty island? But I had to go pick her up because she got sick? That sucked.

8a. She was supposed to ride her bike to Newport Back Bay today for another 6th grade field trip. Except, today? This is happening...

Which is pretty much unheard of for SoCal in May. And, apparently, there are NO OTHER DAYS in the month before school ends that they will be able to make up the trip. WTF. Poor kid.

8b. This creeper has been creeping up my office window all day. I'm not sure where he thinks he's going...

9. Gabby was on a heavy dose of The Steroid last week, but it was only for the week. We have Monday through Thursday totally off of everything - no meds at all, no doctor. It's pretty great. But she woke up at 5am screaching about being hungry. Hello, delayed reaction....

10. My SIL invited us to meet her up in Yosemite in a few weeks. We can't. I'm sad.

Lest I be all whining and pouting....
1. My mom sent us some goodies that she made for the kids...

Why yes, those are my medals hanging on a plastic hook right next to my front door. Who needs a medal hanger? This girl. Are you listening, Allied Medal Hangers?

She hasn't let go of that cat for a second. She sleeps with it. Freaking. Cute.

2. This is pretty much the best thing I've ever had in my life.

3. I don't know. She's crazy.

Um. Hello, muscle.

I'm not really sure when THAT happened, but thanks, Brightroom, for capturing it....

TTT

1. I've been MIA from... everything, really. I'm in a funk. And it's starting to seriously irritate me, because I'm letting things get to me that just shouldn't. And, I haven't run in 11 days. Not that I'm counting.

2. I made some questionable shoe choices the last few days, considering The Ankle situation (which I've google-fu'ed and determined is peroneal tendonitis...). First, there was the slate blue dress from last weekend (HERE), that I decided would go great with these fantastic Michael Kors wedges that I got like 6 months ago, and have never worn... until I decided they would go perfectly with the dress.

(It's true, they did).

Then this...

3. But THEN!! It was like the heavens smiled upon me, when I read that a heel wedge is suggested for recovery to help stabilize the tendons, or something. Obviously, I missed my calling as a doctor. I'm like a natural.

Wordless Wednesday

Weekly roundup, plans, and pictures

Last week, I didn't really have a plan. I kind of intended to do what my body felt like it could do.

Apparently, that was not much. My ankle is being shaaaaady. I tried the stupid bike in the gym, and that was... okay. It was boring. I got sweaty. It'll do, I guess.

So, my original schedule for this week was going to be:
Monday: Suck Less
Tuesday: 3 miles, easy
Wednesday: Suck Less
Thursday: 3 miles, easy
Friday: Suck Less
Saturday: 4 miles, easy

It's looking more like:
Monday: Suck Less?
Tuesday: Birthday Cake for #2
Wednesday: Suck Less? Yoga?!
Thursday: Bike of Boredom?
Friday: Suck Less??
Saturday: Run/Bike of Boredom, whichever I can take

I'm all registered for Corona del Mar 5K on June 4th, where I intend to smoke my competition (aka, my friend's husband). Well, that *was* the intention, but The Ankle? Shaaaady.

Anyway, lest I be all pouting and whining, my weekend was pretty fun!

Gabby started Delayed Intensification (DI) on Friday with a BANG. 4 types of chemo, a lumbar puncture under sedation... and was all smiles when I got home and she showed off her Hello Kitty sunglasses :D


I would have been melted into a puddle of woe-is-me.

I went shopping ALL BY MYSELF on Saturday, to the farmers market, the magical Ross by my house, and Sprouts - my three favorite places to be. I almost picked up this fuschia prom dress....

But I refrained. I'm still not sure why, it's stunning and I need it. I'll wear it everywhere.

I wound up with this much more practical (aka, BOOOOORING) slate blue number..

Mother's Day got me this card from #2... I *am* a good typer.

We spent the day shopping and wandering Orange County, and came home with... a car that drives on walls and the ceiling...

Had a super late lunch, so we had dessert for dinner, because I'm REALLY working for that Mother of the Year award.

And I made a ginormous, ugly, REALLY good chocolate cake for Tuesday.

Phew. Happy Monday!

Photo Friday

Time Out: Target

Following this...
The H: Are you ready to walk with us and listen?
Gabby: No.....

Mmmhmm.

I tried cycling at the gym for the first time last night. Holy cow, you guys. That is BORING. I side-eyed The H the entire time, while he ran.

It won't stop me from trying to get in an hour or so tomorrow.

Other new things I'm playing with?

We'll see how that goes... hiking this weekend looks sketchy, at best.

If you haven't already, go support EMZ!! She's crazy, and amazing.

Have a great weekend!

I Can't Afford the Actual Race Virtual Marathon Report

Thanks to barefoot crazy person Neil Z for organizing. That dude ran a LOOOONG way in total barefootedness. Impressive!

So, I split this run over the two week period provided, 4/17-5/1. Did you know 5/1 is International Barefoot Running Day? I sure didn't!

Anyway, my runs were training runs, then the PCRF Half on May 1.

4/21 - 5 mi, 54 min
4/23 - 6.2mi (Jelly Bean 10K!), 1:10:24
4/26 - 4mi, 41:38
5/1 - 13.25 (PCRF Half), official chip time 2:32:53

Total: 28.45mi (because I'm an overachiever), 5:18:55.

Three Things Thursday

1. The Ankle came back after the PCRF Half (recap HERE), and with some attitude. It seems to be settling down a little now, and I'm hoping to get some hiking in this weekend... and start training for Corona del Mar next week.

2. Gabby starts this "Delayed Intensification" round of chemo today. It's super, duper intense looking. I dislike that. We've been pretty lucky so far, that she hasn't had any major effects from anything, so fingers crossed that this continues.

3. #2's birthday is next week. On her wish list? Sugar, graphing paper, a kimono, a mini-fridge. Thanks, #2. That's super helpful.

Wordless Wednesday

PCRF Half Marathon - Recap

Bleh.

This is going to be super long, grab a coffee. Or tea. Or water. And probably a snack.

I trained for this race with Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation's VIP program. It's similar to the TNT program we're all familiar with - you fundraise, they coach and motivate you through the training and race day.

I'd had this race on my radar for awhile - mainly because registration was reasonable, and it was literally down the street from my house. As in, we ran directly across the street from where I live.

I found out about the VIP program from SkinnyRunner, and jumped on it. We were just getting out of the hospital, and Gabby's diagnosis was still very new, and I felt like I needed to take some type of ACTION. Everything else was just happening around me, this I could grab on to and run with.

Anyway, I followed my training to the letter. I listened to my body, and moved around training days or rest days as needed. I ate consciously. I hydrated. I did my speed work.

I was ready. I felt great heading in. Carb loading done right...

I earned a free hotel night across from the start/finish line, and planned to stay there alone the night before. We did a test run in San Diego, the weekend before, and it was mass freaking chaos, so the kidlets got to stay home this time.

I bailed on the VIP pasta dinner pretty early to get my stuff together and hopefully get to bed at a freakishly reasonable time.

Note the Luna bar displayed prominently. Foreshadowing.

It kind of worked. In bed at 8:30. Watched the royal wedding (32 channels, 2 showing the wedding? Really?), until it put me to sleep around 9:30. Tossed and turned all night. Woke up a billion times because apparently I can't sleep when it's.... quiet. Or something.

Got up bright and early, got everything together, had cofefe, got the hair up in a reasonable way so that it wasn't touching me. Grabbed my Luna bar (breakfast!), and headed out... Got to the elevator and realized I forgot chapstick. Ran back... and this is where things began to fall apart.

I left my Luna bar in the room, and didn't realize it until we were at the start line.

Knowing I couldn't just run empty, I downed a Pineapple GU.

I saw Sarah Soon-To-Be, and wished her luck... then got this tweet from her later:

(How'd you do?? I totally didn't even register that was you at the start until you'd walked away -sorry I was so short!)

Heh.

I lined up where to 2:20 pacer was mingling about...

But then, when I looked over 5 minutes later, he was MIA.

He was waaaaaay back there. Waaaaaaay past the 2:00 pacer that was... also behind me.

(Also, note the BLAZING WHITE HOT SUN. Already. It's 6:50am.)

Hm.

There was no scooting back there, now, so I just kept far over to the side, and ran a comfortable pace.

I saw my cousin just before mile 1... She was one of the awesome volunteers that got up super early to help direct runners :D

She's on the left - she even conned a friend into waking up super early with her :D.

I was just cruising along. I felt great. It was definitely warm, so I was expecting to be HOT by the back half, but so far, so good.

I had some chafing I started to feel around mile 2... in an outfit I tested! WTF, clothes?! That's not cute.

Miles 1-3
9:47
10:07
10:35

I saw The H at just past mile 3 (remember, how we live directly across the street from the course...). I stopped to chat with him for a second, and told him, then, I needed to slow myself down. I felt GREAT, but I was going too fast. I had taped some paces to the back of my bib (2:20, 2:25, 2:30), and was ahead of the game, significantly. He said the 2:00 pacer had JUST passed us. Later, he said he was really surprised to see me so early.

Oops.

Anyway. Like I said, I was still feeling great. As evidenced by my stupid happy grin while running uphill.

Also of note? How red my face is. It was probably in the 70's by this time, and only 7:30. Luckily, the wind hadn't started yet (foreshadowing!).


A few miles later, I'll kind of regret not turning left here...

Miles 4-5
10:30
11:15

And then it sucked.

Around mile 6, we hit a series of overpasses (okay, so, like, 2, but they seemed ginormous). The 2:10 pacer passed me around mile 6.5, and that was fine. I certainly had no business being in front of them anyway.

(Okay, so I took that while driving yesterday, but it's one of three that we ran over).

Mile 6-8
11:50 (GU and water stop)
10:48
12:18

Ouch.
Around mile 8 we turned into a trail through Mason Regional Park. It was hot. The air was dry and just... like... sitting. We were running INTO the sun, and the wind. The wind started. I considered puking, a lot. The 2:20 pacer passed me some where around here. We leapfrogged for a mile or so, but he pulled ahead on an uphill, and I just couldn't hang. I. Was. Done.

9-13
11:56
12:27
12:45
12:55
13:52

Yep. There were a handful of big-ish hills (overpasses), the underpasses I'd been training on, which never phased me before this, but seemed totally insurmountable today.

There was one, right at mile 11... there's a fork in the road - go left, under a road (and then UP the other side), on the race course, or... to the right, no incline, right out to the street and quit. It. Was. So. Close.

Obviously I walked a good chunk of mile 12. It was uphill, nothing significant, but steady, and... I just had nothing. I watched the 2:30 pacer breeze past me around 12.5.

The VIP Coach (Coach D) met me with about .25 left, and ran me in. She's the nicest chick ever, but in all honesty? I wanted to backhand her. There was a lot of yapping about how great I looked (lies), how strong I looked (also lies), how great I was doing (liiiiies). I just didn't want to hear it, I certainly didn't feel like I could pace with her in, and I most definitely didn't feel like I was doing anything particularly well right then.

She ran me in, and I didn't even look at my time. Not a single glance. I grabbed a water, and an apple, found the VIP tent, and sat my ass down. There was food, and beer, and margaritas, and I seriously considered puking, some more, at the thought of any of that.

Chip time - 2:32:53. Not the 2:20 I wanted. Not the 2:25 I thought was realistic. Not even the 2:30 I thought might be not challenging enough.

I definitely left EVERYTHING out there. Largely, because I made mistakes - I ran too fast, too early, I forgot my breakfast, I didn't know the course - I'd heard it was flat and fast, in previous years, but apparently the course changed this year. The elevation profile posted by OUaL from her Garmin...

There were also things just working against me - the heat, the WIND. We were running into a 15-20mph headwind for pretty much the entire second half of the race, after the turnaround at mile 8. I had no clue the second half was uphill.

But, considering all of these factors, I'm kind of okay with it. I'm disappointed that I failed to execute the plan I had. I'm pretty happy with my time considering how spectacularly I bombed. I walked probably 1/2 of miles 8-13.1, and still finished just 2 minutes off of my C-goal. Something to keep in mind, I guess.

I spent a significant amount of time Sunday (mainly from miles 10-13.1, and for 12 hours after) wondering why I would do this, why I would PAY to do this, and what was I freaking thinking signing up for more of these.

I'm over that. I spent an hour last night putting down my training plan through the Disneyland half.

I was kind of worried that I'd just be a miserable mess, running 13 miles without Disney characters to keep me entertained. But I wasn't, I was a miserable mess for 5 miles because I failed to execute my plan. The running, the course, the lack of Disney, all of that was fine. Again, I ran without music (I normally do when I'm running outside), and had no issues. I carried my handheld, and considered losing it a few times, but I'm pretty sure that's only because I was pissed off at everything at that point. I stopped to re-do my hair, once. Who does that in a race!?

The race itself was well organized - start and finish lines were easy to navigate, water stations were well stocked - mile 11 offered to dump water on us, it was that hot :D. The course was pretty dull, not really any course support, but that didn't really bug me. Just an observation. If screaming people are your thing, this probably isn't the race for you. If you don't mind running through random neighborhoods and cute parks, this might be a good choice. There was one complaint about the course - around mile 10.5, we transitioned from a neighborhood onto a bike trail, and were funnelled through a gate - like, a 3 foot wide gate. Single file style. Weird.

Packet pick up was easy, and the finish line expo was fun - especially if you have kids. Face painting, petting zoo, giant bouncy things. Gabby was able to go, and had a blast. THAT was really what turned my morning around - I was incredibly pissy after my performance, but seeing her, there, surrounded by people who just did amazing things to support cancer research for children.... Indescribable.

This didn't hurt, either.

So, what's next?

I've got Corona del Mar 5K June 5th, and City of Cypress 10K in July. I plan to spend the next 2 months focusing on speed, with easy long runs on the weekends. I don't intend to PR at Disneyland. I know next time I *race* a half, I'll kill it. I'll be patient :D