Title: Happy
Fave Line: "Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth, because I'm happy"
Miles logged: 0.0
Fave Line: "Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth, because I'm happy"
Miles logged: 0.0
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
Music Monday: Unbelievers
Artist: Vampire Weekend
Title: Unbelievers
Fave Line: "But who's gonna save a little light for me?"
Miles Logged: 0.0
Title: Unbelievers
Fave Line: "But who's gonna save a little light for me?"
Miles Logged: 0.0
Sunday, February 16, 2014
It's Almost Here: The Marathon Show TV
If you don't listen to The Marathon Show podcast, you are missing out. It's much more professional than this blog and there's a lot less bitching and moaning too. After over 1 million downloads in 2013, the host has been working to get produced for television. And it's almost here! The pilot for The Marathon Show Television has just been released. Check it out here!
Miles logged: 8.75
Miles logged: 8.75
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Running on Ice is Dangerous
Yet another winter storm has come through Dallas. I really can't wait for this crap to end, but no more so than this lady:
Miles logged: 4.5
Miles logged: 4.5
Monday, February 10, 2014
Music Monday: Love Don't Die
Artist: The Fray
Title: Love Don't Die
Fave Line: "If there is one thing that's true, It's not what I say, it's what I do"
Miles logged: 0.0
Title: Love Don't Die
Fave Line: "If there is one thing that's true, It's not what I say, it's what I do"
Miles logged: 0.0
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Welcome Winter Olympics!
Winter has really hit with a vengeance. We had 2 more days of winter weather last week, with the potential for a third coming tomorrow. As you can imagine, it's been pretty crummy outside. I opted for the gym yesterday for a light workout and hoped to get a long run in today, but I just can't get myself motivated. It's cold and wet, though there is no rain. I had enough cold and wet last weekend and have no desire to get out in it again so soon.
So instead, I've tried to be productive around the house--cleaning, laundry, cooking for the week, but I'm also lacking motivation for that. I really just want to curl up on the couch with a bag of potato chips and watch the Olympics, but they aren't broadcast during the day. I love the Olympics; I love to see the best athletes in the world compete in sports that I will never even try (much more so in the winter games vs. the summer games). My husband and I went to Vancouver a few years ago and spent a few days in Whistler ('10 Olympics). We're not snowbirds, so we were there in August and it was one of the best trips we've had.
I'm not loving all of the negative press and terrorism threats, though there are a few humorous things that have surfaced on the internet. The Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion made this video, which I love!
Miles logged: 0.0
So instead, I've tried to be productive around the house--cleaning, laundry, cooking for the week, but I'm also lacking motivation for that. I really just want to curl up on the couch with a bag of potato chips and watch the Olympics, but they aren't broadcast during the day. I love the Olympics; I love to see the best athletes in the world compete in sports that I will never even try (much more so in the winter games vs. the summer games). My husband and I went to Vancouver a few years ago and spent a few days in Whistler ('10 Olympics). We're not snowbirds, so we were there in August and it was one of the best trips we've had.
I'm not loving all of the negative press and terrorism threats, though there are a few humorous things that have surfaced on the internet. The Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion made this video, which I love!
Miles logged: 0.0
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
What Should I Wear?
As the temperatures drop, I never know what to wear for a long run outside. My summer uniform is a tank top and shorts. Beyond that, I always end up with one layer too many or too few and am frustrated during my run. Runner's world has come out with a "calculator" of sorts to help you decide what to wear based on the running conditions. A few inputs and the site will spit out a recommend outfit. Check it out:
Monday, February 3, 2014
Music Monday: Can You Do This?
Artist: Aloe Blacc
Title: Can You Do This?
Fave Line: "I know you think that you can move, but can you groove the way I groove"
Miles Logged: 0.0
Title: Can You Do This?
Fave Line: "I know you think that you can move, but can you groove the way I groove"
Miles Logged: 0.0
Sunday, February 2, 2014
The Texas Half Marathon Race Report
While all my friends were running in Miami, New Orleans, and Huntington Beach this morning, I was running in this (pink is ice and blue is snow!):
Thankfully the starting line had covered parking and a nice warm waiting area. Oh, and I must mention this--NO LINES for the toilets. I'm not sure how that is possible, a lot of people probably stayed in bed this morning! And I kind of wished that I had too. The conditions really were as miserable, as you could expect from the forecast above. The wind was brutal and it felt like we ran into it for a large portion of the race. The rain started just as we went outside to line up at the start but at least it dropped off to a drizzle fairly quickly. The poncho didn't do me much good with the wind whipping everything around; it was really just like I was wearing a trash bag sail.
The race course was not "mostly flat" as the website touted. There were no tough hills, but the first 5 miles were up and down, not challenging, but not flat. I didn't pay too much attention to the scenery because I had my head down trying to make myself (unsuccessfully) aerodynamic as I ran into the wind.
This is the first race that I've run since I got my Garmin. And how interesting it made the race. First of all, it helped me from going out too fast in my first couple of miles. Then it helped me to maintain my pace during the rest of the race when I got lazy and wanted to slow down. I wanted to keep my pace under 11 minutes per mile. When I signed up, I was hoping for a PR, but figured the race conditions would keep me from one. And well, I kinda made one, but that's a long explanation.
As we ran past the mile marker for the first mile (which was laying on the ground, as they all were), my Garmin read 0.87 miles. Pretty significantly off, but I thought that maybe I hadn't started it right at the start line or the wind had blown the marker down the street a bit. Miles 2-7 were all off as well, but overall maintaining a tenth of a mile discrepancy. And then it got worse from there. The mile 8 marker was placed around mile 7.5, but mile 9 was only a quarter mile off. Then mile 10 was half a mile off and that's the way we went for the rest of the race.
According to my Garmin, I finished the race in 2:11:31. A PR by 8 minutes for me! BUT, the distance was only 12.51 miles--0.6 miles off from a half marathon distance. Had this race gone the full distance, I would likely have made a real PR. Everyone was talking about this at the finish. I kind of feel like I was robbed of something. None of us that run these races ever wants to cheat, part of the joy of the finish line is knowing you earned every inch of the 13.1 miles.
All in all, I am a little disappointed about the incorrect mileage on this race. But it was well organized, was a nice change from running at White Rock Lake, had good bling and finish line food. If they can correct the mileage thing, I would run the Texas Half Marathon again next year.
Miles logged: 12.51
Thankfully the starting line had covered parking and a nice warm waiting area. Oh, and I must mention this--NO LINES for the toilets. I'm not sure how that is possible, a lot of people probably stayed in bed this morning! And I kind of wished that I had too. The conditions really were as miserable, as you could expect from the forecast above. The wind was brutal and it felt like we ran into it for a large portion of the race. The rain started just as we went outside to line up at the start but at least it dropped off to a drizzle fairly quickly. The poncho didn't do me much good with the wind whipping everything around; it was really just like I was wearing a trash bag sail.
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| Pre-race: warm and dry |
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| The unofficial starting line |
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| The actual starting line |
This is the first race that I've run since I got my Garmin. And how interesting it made the race. First of all, it helped me from going out too fast in my first couple of miles. Then it helped me to maintain my pace during the rest of the race when I got lazy and wanted to slow down. I wanted to keep my pace under 11 minutes per mile. When I signed up, I was hoping for a PR, but figured the race conditions would keep me from one. And well, I kinda made one, but that's a long explanation.
As we ran past the mile marker for the first mile (which was laying on the ground, as they all were), my Garmin read 0.87 miles. Pretty significantly off, but I thought that maybe I hadn't started it right at the start line or the wind had blown the marker down the street a bit. Miles 2-7 were all off as well, but overall maintaining a tenth of a mile discrepancy. And then it got worse from there. The mile 8 marker was placed around mile 7.5, but mile 9 was only a quarter mile off. Then mile 10 was half a mile off and that's the way we went for the rest of the race.
According to my Garmin, I finished the race in 2:11:31. A PR by 8 minutes for me! BUT, the distance was only 12.51 miles--0.6 miles off from a half marathon distance. Had this race gone the full distance, I would likely have made a real PR. Everyone was talking about this at the finish. I kind of feel like I was robbed of something. None of us that run these races ever wants to cheat, part of the joy of the finish line is knowing you earned every inch of the 13.1 miles.
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| The only photo I took during the race
The second half of the course was mostly on a paved trail through a nature preserve in Las Colinas. Every half mile or so, there was some piece of workout equipment, pull up bar, sit up machine, etc., but it was too cold to take my gloves off and get a photo. I wish my husband was running with me, because we would have stopped at every station to take hilarious pictures. Sorry guys.
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| Post race: cold and wet, but happy to get my medal! |
Miles logged: 12.51
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Here Comes the Texas Half
It's the eve of my first race in 2014 and I'm sitting here, wondering if I'm actually ready. My training really hasn't been what it should have been for a half marathon. I've struggled with both motivation and the weather, but no excuses, I have 13.1 to run tomorrow!
The race is the Texas Half and I ran it back in 2012. They've moved the race from White Rock Lake in Dallas to Irving. The race starts and ends at the Irving Convention Center--read flushing toilets and a heated place to wait before the race begins! Which, if you've seen the weather forecast, is a really good thing. Looks like the freezing rain won't arrive until later in the day, but this is the race morning forecast.
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| Raining and cold. YUCK. |
There was no expo for the race, just bib pick-up at the local sporting goods store. Since Eddie can't come cheer me on, he wanted to go to packet pickup with me.
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| My co-pilot |
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| Race Swag |
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| This wasn't in the race bag, but I think I'm going to need it... |