So, I thought it would be fun to start doing a drawing of runners up (I don’t know how to express “runners up” without a pun!). Surprise! I picked two runners up out of the hat, and both of them will receive a surprise package.
Get ready for another drumroll!!!
~Quadrathon you’re numero 2
~x-country2 you’re numero 3
I just got home from a 4 mile run! Running in 40 degree weather? Check! I can still do that, no problemo! I made a feeble attempt at running a couple days ago. I made it a whole 1.5 miles! Ha ha! It was 25 degrees and I was wearing my standard SF style capri running pants and just a shirt and a thin fleece. My lungs were really struggling to deal with the cold and I could feel them freezing up. I turned and came home once my lungs just couldn’t take it anymore. It felt a lot better today though, and I think my body will get used to it soon.
Getting used to running in the cold is a process, and I know I can get back to being good at it, I just have to work myself up to it. It’s all just conditioning
Don’t forget to review your running shoes guys! The next drawing is on November 26th!!! I just counted and so far there are 24 reviews this month. The chances of winning are high dudes! Yahooo!!! Free Shoes!
It is astonishing how quickly northerners become total wimps upon moving to a temperate climate. I know I sure have. I lived in Wisconsin for 25 years. I’m a champ at driving in 10 inches of snow. I can scrape ice off a window with the best of ‘em. I’ve got years of experience with layering to keep warm…but not a month after moving to San Francisco, and I was complaining of being “freezing” in 40 degree weather.
Jeez!
I am flying home Wednesday to spend two weeks with the ‘rents and all the rest of my homies. I’m so excited to see everyone and to relax…but I just checked the weather and it’ll be 31 degrees on Thursday!!! For the past week SF has been 75 degrees and sunny*. I think I’m in for a shock!
I hope I get my cold-survival-backbone back quick, cause I can’t live without running! I remember when I used to still go for a run as long as it was -5 degrees or above…Do you think I can still hack that?
I intended to do an 8 miler today to finally get in a long run, but time has been a little short, so I decided to just do a 4 miler instead. I plan to get up early and go to the gym quick before I head to the airport…we’ll see if that happens!
I popped on down to the track on Saturday and gave my borrowed Nike shoes a run for their money! You can read the novella-like reviews I wrote about them on their respective pages: Nike Women’s Vomero, Nike Women’s Structured Triax.
I had a lot of fun trying them out and I’m excited to learn about running in the process. I did a ton of research, scouring the internet for information about each model. It’s really interesting to me the ideas shoe companies come up with to solve runners’ various bio-mechanical problems. It’s also interesting how one person can love a shoe to bits and pieces and another person can hate them!
So, what have I been up to when I haven’t been reviewing shoes?
I’ve been running! I did another 720 stairs/strength training workout yesterday. It was awesome, again! I love getting super heated up and working super hard . I went for a 4 mile run this afternoon. I felt wonderful today. I was going fast and my body felt strong and full of energy.
The James Bond party was really fun. There was a lot of talk over whether Daniel Craig is hot. The basic conclusion? He’s a buthisface. Nice bod, but funny looking face. Once person suggested putting a bag over his head…ha ha! Personally, I just thought the casting was lame. Craig is kind of a neanderthal. Not the suave, quick witted Bond I enjoyed with Pierce Brosnan. Oh well. What do ya’ll think?
Yesterday I went to Niketown and borrowed 2 pairs of Nike shoes to review (Structured Triax & Vomero). I figured it would be fun to take them down to Kezar stadium and take each pair for a spin around the track. I got all packed up and walked to the stadium, excited to give the shoes a whirl.
When I got there, I saw that there was a kid’s football game going on - this made me think twice about doing the testing for my reviews since there would be loads of people watching me changing my shoes for each lap around the stadium…I figured I might look like a doofus.
Then I reminded myself that most people look like doofus’s most of the time, and that I should just have a little courage and give it a try. Yay pep talk!
I got to the stadium entrance, and there were ticket takers at the gate! Even if I WAS super courageous with my willingness to look like a nerd, it didn’t matter! No shoe testing today
Tomorrow morning though! I’ll be out there without any of them dang kids!!!
My only exercise today was my walk to the stadium. I’d guess it was about a mile each way. I think that is all the exercise I needed. My body has been feeling pretty worn out since another 4 miler yesterday. I was totally exhausted last night by 8pm. And was fast asleep by 10pm
Tonight’s going to be fun! I’m going to a James Bond party of sorts. The dress code is: Formal -OR- Wetsuits…Ha ha!!!
Have a good weekend bloggers!
And I’ll leave you with a very important question…
36 stairs x 10 stair cases x 4 loops = 1440 stairs traversed
1440/2 = 720 stairs traversed on an ascending incline
720 stairs climbed, and 720 stairs descended, was the second half of today’s workout. It felt soooo AWESOME! My body was totally ready for it and I felt strong, and happy to be huffing and puffing. I really want to start focusing on picking up my speed and getting to be faster, so I’m trying to incorporate track workouts into my weekly routine. The stairs are definitely going to be on the top of my speed work menu!
What I really need is a time keeping device. All this I hear about Garmins is tempting, but I think I might just stick to a stop watch for the near future.
The first half of my workout was at the gym pumping some serious iron! I am kind of amazed at my increase in strength since I started. The amount of weight I can lift with my legs on various machines has quadrupled in the last few months! Quadrupled! Honestly, it kind of embarrasses me to be so strong… I worry that people might start comparing me to Hulk Hogan. No, not really. Ha ha!
Today was my first workout since my 12 miles of torture. I think it was good to rest for two days. I was contemplating going out yesterday, but my quads were still pretty sore and I figured it might be better for my body to have a break. I started to get kind of anxious and annoyed last night…I realized it was because I missed running. Sooo addicted!
What are your favorite speed workouts? I need some ideas!
Check out my race report for the DSE Embarcadero 10K and the 5.8-ish miles after at the Shirt That Races! I ended up running 12 miles, the most I’ve ever run!
Guess how old I’ll be the day I run my first marathon!?!
26.2(5)! I didn’t realize it until after I finished my marathon shopping…is that weird or what?
So which one did I pick? rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble! (That was a drumroll…not a wrestling match or a thunderstorm!)
Why did I pick it? Well, initially I was thinking I should wait til later in the spring, but then I started looking at marathon training schedules (thanks Alisa!) and realized that I’ve basically been in training for the past few months laying the ground work. I think 16 weeks of training should be enough for me to finish without feeling under-trained (fingers crossed!). Thanks to Lauren and Girl on Top for their advice to stick to a run with more support…that advice convinced me not to do a trail run. Thanks to Lisa for her advice to pick a run that excites me to keep me motivated - I’m super stoked to run in wine country…mmmm!!! Thanks Laurel for reminding me to pick something flat! And last but not least, Frayed Laces, Death Valley marathon was second on my list…I think I’ll do it next year! But happy birthday when it comes around You should come to SF and do Death Valley with me!
So, any advice?
What would you have done differently in your first marathon?
What should I eat during the marathon itself… I normally only eat whole grains & fruits & veggies, and I thought maybe there is a creative alternative to powerbars & gu Can I just eat nuts & raisins?
What’s all this I hear about bodyglide? he he!
Thanks guys!
In other news, I’ve been steady with training. Today I’m resting. Yesterday and the day before were 4-milers and tomorrow I’m running a 10k race with the shirt that races!
Living in San Francisco is a dream come true for me. I moved here from Wisconsin in February 2008 without a job or a place to live. Within a month I was set up with a job and an apartment, but my exercise schedule took a hit during the transition. This week TiaRT is all about transition, so here’s my story of keeping up with running during my move.
Before I moved, I got up every morning at 5:30 threw on my running gear and braved snow, ice and arctic temperatures to drive to the gym and work out for an hour and a half. I was super fit, had healthy eating habits down pat and felt great about that aspect of my life. When I moved, it all fell apart. I was having a great time, partying a lot more, going out to dinner all the time and was still figuring out how to get my daily dose of exercise into my day.
My commute to work was 30 minutes there and 30 minutes back by bus. It drove me nuts that I had to waste an hour out of my day - I could be running during that time! (I know it isn’t a bad commute as far as commutes go…but it still mad me mad!) So I decided to start running home from work. It was about a four mile run with three huge hills that kicked my butt. I started getting back into shape, and without even thinking about it, I was forming a good base for marathon training.
For me running is one of the keys to getting through life changes and transitions. There is nothing else that regulates my body, mind and emotions the way running does. The results of running are similar to the results of meditation and it helps me focus, relax and remember what’s important in life.
Running has been a constant through all my life transitions for the past nine years. Sometimes I’ve run more, sometimes less, but I always come back to running and find solace in it.
I did an eight-miler to the ocean this morning - and it wasn’t too bad. It’s funny how in just a couple weeks eight miles can go from being extremely hard to just sorta hard . Towards the end of the run I was feeling tired, but in the last half mile I picked up the pace a little and felt like I could have kept going. I started thinking about what a marathon would feel like…3 eight-mile runs stacked on top of each other with another two-mile dollop on top . It sounds kinda terrible. But in a good, challenging sort of way.
Ocean View:
The sun today was warm, a nice change from the past week of rain we’ve had. I ran to and from my gym last night to do some strength training and it was so cold and rainy out that I almost decided to turn around after a couple blocks - then I remembered that I’m from Wisconsin - and I should stop being such a baby about cold!
I voted too! It was super fast and easy, no line, lucky! San Francisco has all kinds of crazy propositions that everyone votes on also. Here are a couple:
I voted No on changing the name of the sewage plant to be named after George Bush (I like the idea in theory, but I think it is a waste of money in reality).
I voted No on de-criminalizing prostitution. (I like this idea in theory also, but I wasn’t convinced that turning SF into a hot bed for sex tourism is a good idea).
I voted No on Prop 8, which would ban gay marriage.
There were 23 San Francisco propositions and 12 California propositions. Some of them were worth a crap ton of money (one was $10 billion…yaoza!). A little overwhelming! My roommates and I held a study session before voting so that we could get a grasp of all 304 pages of the voter information pamphlet!
I picked two runners up out of the hat, and both of them will receive a surprise package. 
I am kind of amazed at my increase in strength since I started. The amount of weight I can lift with my legs on various machines has quadrupled in the last few months! Quadrupled! Honestly, it kind of embarrasses me to be so strong… I worry that people might start comparing me to Hulk Hogan. 
