Tube Socks and a Smile

Our running adventure started at 6am. Karen had obligations for the day and I was heading out of town, so it just made sense to start early. I must admit I got up earlier today than I EVER rise out of bed. The sun wasn't out yet and we were depending on the few and far between lights of Laskin Road until daylight. We went all over the place including the boardwalk and First Landing Park. It was sort of lonely the first 8 or so miles since no one in their right mind was out running yet. Once we hit the park, it was much better as we began to pass other runners. The only real obstacle we hit today was flooding in the park. Sure, my feet were wet, but we managed to re-route around the deepest part.

There were 3 things that saved the day today and made the run successful. The first thing was Body Glide on my feet. Body Glide is an awesome product that prevents and in most cases eliminates chafing. I always forget to put it on my feet so I don't blister. Today, I remembered. Feet did great. The second thing was GU. I decided before the run that I would ingest 2 today. So, Chocolate Outrage at mile 5 and Vanilla Bean at mile 10. I didn't necessarily need them at those moments, but I figured it was best to just do it so I wouldn't hit rock bottom and desperately need them later. They definitely fueled me today. The last thing and my most favorite were tube socks. When we started the run it was in the high 40s temperature wise. That's kind of chilly but once you hit a certain point, you get really hot. I wasn't really feeling long sleeves or a fleece. Karen had a brilliant idea. Tube socks on your arms until you get hot. It worked! I was able to keep warm in the morning and again on the boardwalk when the wind was ridiculously cold. I need to buy some of my own now. It was the greatest discovery ever!

So, we completed 16 miles in 3 hours 11 minutes. Not really fast, but we exceeded our goal and felt good at the end. To me, that's the most important.

HOT Yoga

In my marathon training, I need some sort of additional activity. I'm horrible at cross training but decided to integrate something new in my life. How about Yoga?

I purchased a package from a new, local yoga studio a few weeks ago and have attempted to participate in a hot yoga class each week. If you are unfamiliar with yoga, yes HOT indicates temperature. It's what they call a "flow class" meaning the class just flows through numerous poses in a 90 degree room. You end up sweating like a beast, but you feel so good!

My first class was pretty awesome. If you know me at all, the act of relaxation is not something that a) comes easy or b) is practiced at all. I'm a high stress, multi-tasking, schedule juggling fool! When I left that first class, I felt like I had never felt before. I was both energized and a bit on the loopy side. Also, I realized how much the stretching helped to relieve the pain from my plantar fasciitis. It was amazing. I could walk normal again!

Tonight's class was actually pretty successful. I landed all of my handstands and even achieved a few new poses. I only have 2 classes left, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to renew after the holidays. If you have an opportunity to practice hot yoga, may I urge you to do it!!! Your mind and body will thank you...

Weekend Plans

My boyfriend, Chip, travels alot for work. Sometimes the travel is to fun, exotic places and other times it is the middle of nowhere but normally it is only Monday through Friday. He left on Sunday for Philadelphia to be gone for the next 2 weeks. Well, he contacted me yesterday to tell me that he found a cheap flight for the weekend. I've never been to Philly, so I jumped at the chance. I'm heading North on Saturday after my run. I love history and am super amped about all the opportunities to visit the city of brotherly love. And the most important thing: PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS! That is the first thing we are doing. When I mentioned to my co-worker who is from Philly about my visit, his first question was "Geno's or Pat's?" I'm not from there so I wasn't sure of my answer. Upon contemplation I have decided BOTH! Why not? So, folks, I can't wait to share with you all the sites of Philly and my own cheesesteak determination.

Speedwork

In the last few months, my running partner has improved her speed and I am still, unfortunately, slow. So, I decided to start doing a little speedwork once a week. This started last week. My initial attempt to speed up my 3 mile run in the middle of the week went well and I was able to shave off a little more than 40 seconds a mile opposed to my comfortable and easy pace. Tonight, I acheived my best time yet and shaved another 7 seconds from last week. I am 11 seconds away from my goal. Perhaps that will be met next week.

At about the first mile, I discovered something was creating minor discomfort. I was in such a rush to change clothes that I left my bra on under my sports bra. Classy!

4 Months to Go

My running partner and I adventured literally all over Virginia Beach to get our miles logged for the weekend. Our usual running spot was under water due to Storm Ida so we had to find a route that would equal 13 miles. Karen took me on a lovely tour of neighborhoods I didn't know about and I fell in love with many waterfront homes. It was nice to be around civilization when the bathroom urge hit. I'm not a fan of the port-o-potty, so when Chickfila was in sight I made the stop. Later that evening when I was driving to Chip's I realized just how much of the Great Neck/Laskin Road area that we ran. WOW!

During the run, I felt pretty good with the exception of a few brief moments of weakness and fighting with the streetside debris that continued to get stuck in my shoe. At the end of the run, we had run about 13.2 miles. That is about .1 more than I have ever done before. Once we stopped, fatigue hit me pretty hard. I was worn out. Thankfully, Karen's husband serves as "Coach" and knows the details of what we need to eat immediately after, etc. Did you know Slimfast is the best recovery drink after a long run? I'm not sure if I really like them, but that was the tastiest "treat" I had ever had! And just think, we have four more months of training left.

Next week: my first attempt at 15-16 miles.

O Christmas Tree!

A number of locals shared a fantastic secret of Hampton Roads when it comes to Christmas trees. There's a wholesale company that sells pre-lit trees at a bargain price. The catch is it is cash only and their hours are worse than banker's hours. So, last week I made lunch plans to go with my bud's mom. After a little negotiation, I ended up with a great pre-lit 7 foot tree for $30! Yes, you read that right. I was pumped! So, today I decided to take it out of its box. Say what you want, but I'm leaving it out. I'm not going to decorate it until Thanksgiving, but this is one step done towards Christmas decorating. And, it isn't like people come to my house on the regular. No one will know except all of you...and the rest of the world if they stumble on this site.