I'm Glad I'm Not Famous

I truly believe that every time I go out on a run, I learn something.  Either something about myself, or something about life, or something about the temperature at which Honey Stinger Waffles will freeze.  

That's right, today I learned that when it's 32 degrees outside, you shouldn't put your Honey Stinger Waffle in the pocket of your handheld, because between the coldness of the air, and the coldness of the water bottle, the darn thing will freeze. 

So that's #1 that I learned today:  Don't let your fuel source freeze while you're running in the woods! 

Thing #2 that I learned today:  When you put your gloves and  your buff in the pockets of your running jacket, people will do a double take as they pass you, because it looks as if you have an extra set of boobs.  (Or, in my case, a set of boobs) Granted, it also looks as if your boobs are around your waist, but they're pretty darn perky for being so low! 

Thing #3 that I learned today:  Never, ever run without your phone, because if you do, when you get home and start blogging about frozen waffles and glove-boobs, you will have no photographic evidence. *sigh*

Thing #4 that I learned today?  This one's a big one.  I am so glad that I'm not famous.  Holy moly. 

Picture this, if you will. (Or don't, if you scare easily.) Out of shape 35 year old woman with glove boobs trying to run up a hill while eating a frozen waffle.  Then add to that mental picture the fact that her nose is all stuffed up/snotty due to the freezing cold, so she can't actually BREATHE while running up said hill (because she's trying to chew), and then, boom.  It happens.  Snot bubble.  

Now do you understand why I don't want paparazzi following me around?  I mean, really.  It's  bad enough that I'm sitting here typing this, but can you imagine if there were photographic evidence? Has there ever been a snot bubble on the cover of People magazine?  Would US Weekly be calling?  I just can't imagine.  

Fortunately for me, you have to (if you're in to that kind of thing), because there's not actually any evidence that any of this really happened. 

Maybe I just stayed home today and watched the series finale of Psych.   Who knows.  

Was your run paparazzi worthy today? If not, want to be my running partner? It's snot so bad, you know. ;-)

Full Disclosure

I started this blog to talk about running. Not just my running, but running in general.  Other than complaining about the weather and talking about the surprise birthday party my husband threw me, I pretty much try to stick to running.

There's obviously more to my life, and in the past few days, I've been thinking a lot about something that happened on Saturday - something that I won't share on this blog, but that was kind of "big."   So instead of writing about the run I had on Saturday (really, really good run!), or the run I had yesterday (fairly crappy, but at least I finished and didn't punk out), I've been avoiding my blog because what I've been feeling/wanting to talk about is not something that I'm willing to share with the internet.

There are certain parts of my life I'll never talk about online, as I'm sure there are millions of things that millions of bloggers won't touch, either.  Of course, some people will talk about anything, even admitting publicly to stealing (Georgia HM Bandit, I'm looking at you!), but I guess I'm just not the type who is willing to bear all.

It does make me think, though, about blogging in general, and the permanency of the internet, and what people post without thinking (or maybe they are thinking, but just aren't that smart - again, see link above!).   Maybe one day I'll want to tell the "whole story," but I don't know when that one day might come.

When you blog, do you edit yourself, or do you bear all?  

Countdown to Cherry Blossoms

Despite the 8 inches of snow that we got Sunday/Monday, I am hopeful.  Spring will come. Temperatures will rise.  Flowers will bloom.  I will run without gloves.  Weather.com is helping me be hopeful.  Look:

Those are Spring-like temps, right?  There are little drawings of the sun and everything! 

One of the sure signs of Spring in the Washington D.C. Metro area is the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run, which this year will be held on April 6th.

Held every year since 1973, this race now draws tens of thousands of runners, including some very elite names.  Katherine Switzer was the women's winner in the inaugural race with a time of 1:11:19. Since then, winners have all run well under an hour.  This is a fast race.  In 2012, a Kenyan by the name of Allan Kiprono was the overall winner with a time of 45:15.  Feel free to say "Holy shit" out loud.  It's ok.  

I ran this race last year, hoping to just finish in a time that would not get me "swept."  I was in the purple corral, which, if you're wondering, is the very last one.  Seeding times go like this: 

I managed to finish in front of some of the green corral-ers (I have pictures to prove it!) and squeaked across the finish line in just under 2 hours.  I was thrilled, since that race was my first "long" race ever, and I had never run more than 9 miles prior to that day.   I think I will be in the green corral this year, but I'm not sure.  I might start with the purple people eaters no matter what, so I'm not sure if I care what my bib says.  Anyway.  I digress. 

This race lets you run  past hundreds of cherry trees while they have their gorgeous white and pink blossoms, and if the sun is shining, it's a glorious sight.  In fact, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC starts tomorrow.  (See - Spring IS coming.)  

Despite my extreme lack of training this winter, and the fact that the last three runs I've had have been horrible, awful, and no good, I'm really looking forward to this race.  (I also have Annie in my head now, and a little birdie is singing "The sun'll come out, tomorrow...")   

Are there any races that mean SPRING to you?  

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

What a week!  This past week was my highest mileage week since October (not that that's saying much).  I finally feel like the lethargy that gripped me this winter is lessening.  Unfortunately, my body is resisting the extra movement, and I've got a few aches and pains today that remind me that I can't quite go from 0 to 60 in 5 seconds.

So, the Good from this week:   A really easy/good run on Thursday, and a few nice sunny, warm-ish days.  

The Bad:   A really crap run yesterday that left me feeling sore and achy, and then having to cut my "long run" short today due to the sore and achy from yesterday.  When you're limping by mile 4, you know it's just not gonna happen! 

The Ugly:  Snow.  It's coming.  Again.   Go ahead, ask me how I feel about that. 

Yup.  Just like Miss Detox says, I've HAD IT.   OFFICIALLY.  

But Spring IS coming.  Eventually.  We just have to hold on, right?  Right.  

Wacky Winter

Earlier this week, I ran in a tank top and capris and I was a sweaty mess.  (It was awesome.)  Today I looked more like this:

(Plus gloves)

28 degrees plus strong gusts of wind made for a pretty chilly run.  But I ran at a local park that I don't get to very often, and it was a nice change.  

Not only was I happy to have a good run, but I was glad to be "scoping out" the paths at this particular park, because it's where the Endless Summer 6 Hour Run will be this July.  (More about that in another post!)

I will say, though, that I am glad that this crazy cold snap is only going to be a day long, and we'll be warming up again tomorrow.  I think I may have said this a time or two (or two thousand), but I am ready for Spring! 

I'm also (finally) starting to get excited about the races that I have coming up.  3 weeks from Saturday, I have a 5K and then the next day I have the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler.  I have no business running either of those races, but I'm starting to think that I'm going to be ok regardless.

Shoes

I like pretty things.  I mean, what girl doesn't, right?  I'm not talking about frilly dresses and spiky heels (though, they have their place in the world, too), but I like things that are pretty or interesting to look at.  

Unfortunately for me, I have particularly picky feet and all of the "pretty" running shoes that I've tried in the past have caused me issues.  So I've stuck to my plain old Brooks Ravennas, which, while wonderfully perfect for my feet, would never have been called pretty.  (Sorry, sweeties, but you didn't want to be crowned Miss America anyway, right?) 

Brooks Ravenna 3 (my first shoes!)

After two years of running and being a loyal Brooks customer, somehow the pretty shoe fairy must have noticed that I needed a little pick-me-up.  The Ravenna 5s are out, and oh my!  Look! 

Aren't they gorgeous?  I can't wait to get my hands on these shoes.  Of course, I have to wait, since my husband got me the 4s for Christmas this year, and they hardly have any miles on them at all.  So it would be wrong for me to shell out $100 for another pair of shoes right now, right?  (Not rhetorical - I'm looking for someone to argue with me here!)  

*sigh*  But.  I will be getting these shoes.  They look fast, don't they? =)  

Do you care what your running shoes look like? Are you brand loyal? 

Fun In The Sun

Oh my goodness, what a day!  It was 64 degrees today!  Sunny! Warm! Gorgeous!  Yes, I'm using lots of exclamation points! I don't care!

Today was one of those days where I could have run forever.  In fact, if I hadn't had to get back to the house by a specific time, I'm not sure when I would have stopped.   As it was, I had time for 6 miles.  It was pure bliss.

I went to the park (finally getting our annual pass, which we usually get in January!), and did one loop around the paved path and then decided to explore some of the unpaved paths that wander around the park.  Parts were too muddy for me, but other parts were just great.  I truly think that I could be a bad-ass ultra trail runner, if I could just control my pure terror at the idea of snakes.  It's very hard to really enjoy your surroundings when your brain will not stop playing the "Root or snake?"game on a loop.  Dear God.

Fortunately for me, there were no snakes today.  Just a ton of fun.  Ok, and some trepidation (I really hate snakes).  But mostly fun.

I almost feel bad about the nasty things I've said about Mother Nature lately.  Almost.  

Here's hoping this weather sticks around for awhile! 

Still Hibernating

I swear, this is the longest, most annoying winter in the history of the world.  Or at least in the history of me.  I feel like I've been hibernating.  My mood has been low, my weekly mileage has been low, my weight has been up...  And I haven't been blogging because I'm tired of listening to myself complain.   That, and I feel like my brain is asleep and I haven't been able to come up with anything interesting to talk about.

I need it to be Spring.