Three Things Thursday

This kid has the WORST luck.
We went to #2's end of year vocal concert last night, and left Gabby with our neighbor, her BFF's mom. Somehow, Gabby managed to fall at the playground, and land on some mystery thing, gashing her leg open.

7 stitches later.... It looks like this. <- warning, that's kind of gross.

This poor kid, man. Karma owes her one.

On the bright side, at least she's well enough that she can run around a playground. It could always be worse.


Race  Schedule
Updated my Come Run With Me! page... Mojave Narrows Half... that was a questionable Scwaggle impulse buy. I'm not 100% sure I'll run, and for $22 I'm not super heartbroken over it.


I might have gone a teeeeeeeeny bit Disney crazy. It's not my fault. Wine and Dine is my Coast to Coast race this year. Goofy - that was a no brainer, it's the 20th anniversary of the Marathon, and if I'm running the Marathon, might as well do the whole weekend.... Tink, I plan on running every year to maintain legacy status. I'm not really sure how Disneyland ended up on there, but Becka's running, so OBVIOUSLY I am too.

Anyway. So 5 Disney races in 5 months. That's a lot of costuming pressure!! Flights look pretty ridiculous, too. I'm confident the Food and Wine Festival after party and 20th anniversary bling will be worth it, though.

Also, I added a tiny local 5K 10 days after I run Seattle.

What could possibly go wrong.


Counting Down....
2 days until I see Shannon at Wet n' Wild 5k!
9 days to Seattle....
28 days to Disney World...
45 days to San Francisco...

Zoinks.

PCRF Western Round Up - Wordless Wednesday

Skipped my run last night (story of my life....) because I got out of work super late. I was already working a later shift, and getting out late would have put me running until, like, 9:30, and I wasn't interested in that. Plus I was starving. Anyway. Woke up this morning intending to do my scheduled 10x400. Did 1 (in 1:57, and it was COMFORTABLE, wtf me?). Stopped before I puked in that hot, hot room. And ran 3 miles at MGP, 10:54. That was easy.
***************************************************************************

On Sunday we attended a PCRF event for cancer kids and their families.

There was an In n' Out truck. So it was obviously the best thing ever.

I guess the kids had fun too.

"Mom. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY HI EVERY TIME!"

I feel like writing about running...

almost as much as I feel like *actually* running.

Which is, practically not at all.

I ran a whopping 21 miles last week. I skipped my Thursday 9. I bailed on half of my 16-20 (well, roughly half - I made it through 11.5ish crappy miles). I skipped my Sunday recovery run.

Burnout.

12 days. I suppose I'll survive.

PFTW, which is kind of laughable, because... I laughed at it.
Monday: rest (<- this is my specialty)
Tuesday: 10x400, 8 miles total
Wednesda: Yoga? Maybe?
Thursday: 7 easy
Saturday: 11, last 2 at MGP
Sunday: 3

I did rope a new running friend into my Saturday run, and we got to hit some trails, which I... pretty much walked, because I'm a loser. Who does that, invites people to run, and then... doesn't run? Me. That's who.

Annoying, because the miles kind of flew by (ironic, since my pace was BS). And the conversation was good. And the company was great. I just felt like isht, the whole time. Lame.

Sorry, K!

******************************************************************
Saturday, we attended OC Barbeque Fest - a barbeque competition benefiting Kristie's Foundation. Kristie's Foundation is a local organization that provides support and assistance to families of critically-ill children.

We've gone to several Kristie's Foundation events, but there's not a whole lot that I love more than food.

Smoke mac and cheese with bacon?? Delicious.

There's also a great (free!) kids zone, with face painting, tattooing, video game truck, cupcake making, petting zoo... tons of things.

Giant velcro wall.... Duh.

This might be my most favorite picture EVER.

IT'S SO FLUFFY!

***************************************************************************
Misc photo dump...

Guitar + bike riding. Fascinating.



About 3 seconds before that poor tiny rooster got manhandled. Sorry, rooster. Also, why is that white thing all poodled out? Is it a chicken?? No idea.

THIS one is about 3 seconds before Gabby tells Mr. Snork that her dad could put this together better than he can...

You know what's super NOT awesome? Hiding your progress report because you decided to stop doing ALL work in the third trimester. What a long, un-fun summer she's about to have.

Here's a riddle for you....

If a runner doesn't run on National Running Day, is she still a runner?

I really didn't want to run yesterday. My legs were still tired, I was getting out of work kind of late, and 10 miles just felt like a lot of running when I'd really rather sit on my bum and eat cake and watch tv.

But I ran. And it kind of sucked, and it took 3 or 4 miles to really warm up, but I ran.

My legs were tired. My feet kind of still hurt (that's new, and wtf, feet?). My favorite sports bra is now too big, and chafes - I knew this, but I didn't want to believe it, so I thought I'd try it again. Mistake.

10 miles total, 8 at MGP.


Goal pace felt totally easy, even on pissed off, tired legs. While no one was in the gym with me, I sang along - out loud - to my iPod. Logic = if I can sing, I'm not working too hard.

We'll ignore that I'm still playing all Lemonheads, all the time. Still.

When I got home, I calculated that I'd run 51 miles in the last 7 days, including Yasso 800's for the first time, a 5k PR, and a PDR at 22 miles.

Well, no shit I'm tired and my legs hate me.

So today, National Running Day or not, I'm not running. It's a rest day, the end.

That's really all I've got. Oh, also, I woke up this morning, showered, and decided to hack 6 inches off my hair. You can't even tell. It's like a neverending stretch of hair. WTF, head. That's really it. The end.

PFTW, and Corona del Mar Scenic 5K Recap

Last week....
Wednesday: 5.6 crappy blah miles at Back Bay
Thursday: Magic Yasso 800's, 10 miles
Saturday: CDM5k
Sunday: 22 miles, easy pace*

This week...
Tuesday: 10 miles, 8 at MGP (weirdly, that's roughly my easy run pace...)
Thursday: 9 miles easy
Saturday: 16-20 miles, easy
Sunday: 3-5 easy recovery

*This run was tough. I should not have pushed my Yasso's so late in the week. Oh well. 22 miles got done, and I didn't die. I DID almost puke afterwards - got home, sat around for a few minutes, and stood up to shower, and it got a little sketchy, but I managed to not puke. Karma, I guess (foreshadowing). **********************************************************
CDM5k. I love that this is a smaller race, down the street. The men's and women's races are run separately - men's at 7:55, women's at 8:25. The H wasn't running this year, so we left our house just after 7, and - for the first time in 3 years - had trouble finding parking. Note: if you get there before 7, you can park on the beach, down the hill from the start line. If it's after 7, you'll probably have to park across PCH. Still, not too bad - maybe half a mile away.

Going in, I had a sub-30 goal - I toyed with trying to race this one, but the course is super hilly (there's one part labeled "Killer Hill"). Snork wanted a sub-30, and sub-30 would be a PR for me, too, so we decided I would pace her to sub-30, and kill two PR's at once.

There was also a little bit of competition with Snork's husband, who really, really wanted to beat me (he beat me the first year, and I beat him the second). But because we run at separate times, it's super tricky - I had no idea what time to beat! (Spoiler, he killed it and beat me a TON).

But secretly, I kind of wanted to hit 28:xx. I threw that number around a little bit, and Snork was adamant about not hitting it. But she's faster than she thinks ;). I told her not to look at her garmin, just to follow me.

#1 was running, and said she wanted to take it easy - she didn't feel like racing it. She was just there for the food. Obviously, she's my child.

So, race started on time. I lined us up towards the front, and ran the first mile pretty conservatively - which is easy, because the first .5 is a slight uphill. Snork asked what I would do if I got tired, and couldn't hold the pace. Um. I guess I'd tell her? lol

All of the miles have giant mile markers, and the race has volunteers standing at each one announcing times. Our goal pace was 9:38, for sub-30, and we came in mile 1 at 9:12.

Mile 2 has some small uphills, but also plenty of downhills - plan was slow and steady up the hills, and kill it on the downhills. Success, mile 2 8:57.

Mile 3 starts with Killer Hill. I told Snork shortly after we passed the 2 mile mark, we could walk a portion of Killer Hill, as long as she held our current pace until we get there. She was obviously working hard, and didn't have much to say, except, "You do whatever. I'll follow". Ha.

We walked about 30 seconds in the middle of the hill, and Snork asked for another few seconds after that. Maybe 40 seconds of walking, then we ran the rest of it, and destroyed the downhill on the back of it.

There's another steep but short hill around mile 2.5, that we walked for about 15 seconds, but then ran in the rest, and sprinted in the last .1

.1, 7:34. HA.

Official time, 28:11.

Snork did so great. I'm so glad she listened to me and didn't check her Garmin, because I don't think she would have run that race if she knew what pace she was at. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

She immediately started almost-puking, which means, I think, I did my job. I also mentioned something about how if I ever puked after running, I might just STOP running, forever. Karma.

Mr. Snork, that dude finished in 26:47, I think. I felt pretty good at 28:11, but I don't know that I could have pulled out 26:47. He beat me, this time.

#1.... she started near us, and was just ahead of us at mile 1. And then she decided it was, in fact, a race, and finished in 25:19. Blah blah natural talent blah.

Just after Mile 1, downhill!

The one and only time I've seen this girl with a heel strike. Apparently running slow is hard for her.

Oh, look. Freakish natural talent. 

Finish line.

Another race, another AG award.... 3rd in her NEW age group.

This is why we run this race every year. Yeah, the course is nice, the race is well run, it's a fun race overall.... but, breakfast burritos, scones with lemon curd, pizza, pita and avocado smash, parfaits, chicken tacos, and creme brulee?! Win.

I think running makes me crazy

aka, I had a great run last night, and now all I want to do is run run run run run.

 

Sooooo. Yasso 800's. 10x800, 400 RI. Goal pace, 9:20 (or 4:40 800s).

If you don't know what Yasso 800's are, here's a fancy link that describes it. Essentially, in theory, the pace you can run ten 800's in, consecutively, is roughly the time you can run a marathon in - except in hh:mm, not mm:ss. So, mine are geared towards a 4:40 marathon finish. (I don't know that this is actually my goal, but let's pretend).

Anyway, goal was 4:40. Actual: 4:37, 4:31, 4:31, 4:35, 4:35, 4:28, 4:26, 4:30, 4:30, 4:21.

I KNOW.

Under almost every other circumstance, I pretty much hate 800's. I also hate 1600's, and 200's. I basically dislike anything that's not a 400.

But last night, like effing MAGIC, I wanted to keep doing them. They didn't suck, they didn't feel hard. And, because I'm math challenged, I accidentally ran an extra mile in my warm up/cool down (PSA, 7.5 + 2.5 =/= 9).

Awesome.

**********************************************************************

Margot has a really interesting post up, about confidence, dreaming big, and how awesome you ARE vs how awesome you THINK you are. Check it out HERE.

***********************************************************************

This weekend will be my third running of the Corona del Mar Scenic 5K. It was the first race I did, before I even really started running, back in 2010. Snork and I "trained" super hard (as in, we jog/walked the course a few times, and spent hours yapping while leisurely walking on the treadmill, and fascinated by all the weight we didn't lose). In 2010, my time was 37:xx, and I WAS STOKED. In 2011, I had basically taken a month off of running after PCRF with some ankle funk, and PR'ed with 33:05.

This year, I'm (hopefully?!) pacing Snork to a sub-30 PR. My current PR is 30:54 (I think?), and that was set back in October or November. Snork's current PR is 33:XX, BUT Snork's sneaky fast, so I have some vague secret goals that I'll keep in mind. I think it'll be a day of shiny new PR's, sparkly skirts, and delicious food <-- gourmet food tent for finishers, draw #1 for this race.

I had some vague notions to try to really PR there, but it's a tough course, and I'd rather try a PR on something more conducive to, you know, PRing. Plus, it'll be way more fun to run with a friend.

Anyway, if you're there (but I don't think anyone I know is running?), I'll be the one in sparkles.

Goal A: Sub-30
Goal B: PR
Goal C: Don't puke 



Ummmm. Hi.

Hey!

So, I'm still funkish.

I've had a couple of really good runs...

1. Newport Back Bay with Snork and K, my PCRF friend Jordan's girlfriend. 10 super easy pace miles a week ago last Saturday (so long ago!). Followed by 6 miles on the treadmill for 16 - it was FINE.

2. Then, a few days later, I ran 8 miles with 4x1600, goal pace 9:05. Actual splits 9:05, 9:01, 8:53, 8:40. <-- I KNOW.

3. Thursday night, I ran 18 miles, easy pace, after work. Not ideal, but we were leaving soon after work Friday for our weekend road trip, so I needed to get this done. 

4. Saturday morning, Rose met me at our hotel at 6am for 6 easy miles. She's the best running friend ever. Great run, we stopped to pet a horse (pony?), hiked up a giant hill, and ran back to my hotel. I don't get to see her often, so this was rad. 

So. Yeah. I don't know. The runs have been good. But I skipped one last week. I should be running tonight, but I didn't, and I'm saying it's because I'm tired from the weekend. It throws off my schedule for this week, but I'll figure it out.

Modified PFTW: 

Wednesday: 9 miles, Yasso 800's <- gross.

Thursday? Friday?: 9 miles easy

Saturday: CDM 5k

Sunday: 22 miles

I'm just kind of over it, I think. The running is fine, I feel fine, I just don't feel like doing it. Super lame. Bah. Just 25 days left, I guess, then I can be as laaaazy as I want. For awhile.

****************************************************************************

Backtracking, part 1 - last weekend (last LAST weekend, before Memorial Day), #2 participated in the local Junior Games - like a giant, districtwide field day. #2's events were some ball toss and..... the 800!

It was A BILLION DEGREES AND I AM NOT EVEN EXAGGERATING.

This is a for real screenshot from my phone.

I didn't even know that was a thing. 

I don't know anything about the throwing stuff, except that she got a ribbon, and seemed to have good form? I don't know. 

Her 800 event was in the middle of the day - 1 pm - and she was tired, hot, cranky, and not well hydrated. But, she came in about 5th overall.

*******************************************************************
Backtracking, part 2. Big Sur is freaking beautiful. San Francisco is HILLY.

************************************************************************

Backtracking, part 3. Remember how, last year, Gabby was bald? And then, in grew all these beautiful golden brown curls?

I guess she didn't like them....

Grrrrr.