Category Archives: Running/Fitness

It’s Been One Week

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I ran a half marathon yesterday. Today I didn’t go into work. Not because I need to recover from the race, but because I need to recover from this week.

Well, the last week and three days.

Last Friday my girl Steph flew into town. Since then my budget and liver have both taken the most severe of beatings.

Let’s recap! I can’t believe how long this is going to be.

Friday was the final Blues home game, where we celebrated Steph’s birthday and her arrival into town, met up with bunches of fun peoples, and just enjoyed the evening.

Saturday was a Blues meetup for the final game of the season, some spectacular company, an unexpected introduction to a boy, and several rounds of delicious, delicious beers.

Sunday, being Easter, I actually spent down with some of my family, who are awesome, and then there was an unexpected late night ice cream date (!!!!). Yep, a date. I’ll call him Goalie Cop, since he is both of those things.

Monday I met up with my marathon girls for beers and to watch the Cardinals game, and we sat around laughing and drinking and joking about just how poorly all of us were going to do on this race, given how much all of us had slacked off on our training.

Tuesday two of those marathon girls came lifting with me. That’s right. We actually did work out. Go figure, right? But then we had cocktails and watched Goon, and we spread the love of the movie to Goalie Cop.

Wednesday was another date night (!!!!) followed by a meet up for the first games of the NHL playoffs, which kept all of us out late. Thanks West Coast. Thanks a lot.

That’s when shit starts to get crazy.

Thursday was round one, game one for the Blues playoffs. It was the first playoff game of any kind I had ever been to, and guys? I love playoff games. So very much. After the game, the marathon girls (sans one) and I went to a bar where it was ladies’ night and successfully killed 17 martinis between the three of us. No big deal.

Friday was the Cardinals Home Opener with April, which was followed by too many Irish Carbombs at the bar after, but I got to meet Miranda (WHICH WAS AWESOME) and seriously, even though we stood in the rain for hours, it was all so worth it.

Saturday led to some traipsing around the city looking for appropriate balloons and naps, but then more tailgating and the second Blues game of the weekend.

Yes, those are tall boys.

We did great and actually went home and to bed that night. Go us, right?

Sunday we got up far too early and went out for marathoning. Steph and I realized that we had incorrectly thought the race started at 730am. Nope. 700. At least we were there on time. The race itself was ok. I ran with Steph, who was dealing with stress fracture issues, so we didn’t finish at a time I’d expected, but I’m ok with it. We spent the entire race discussing hockey and quoting Cool Runnings, which was thoroughly entertaining to those around us. Now, however, it’s time to focus on Ragnar.

Highlights of the race? Around mile eight and a half, running through the SLU campus, Steph and I at the same time started batting at each other. Why? Because standing on the side of the road were Blues captain David BaCkes and goalie Brian Elliott. We definitely yelled “Let’s go Blues!” at them and got in return some head nods, waves, and smiles. Being that I’ve loved BaCkes for just about forever, I swooned a bit. Running while going weak in the knees is difficult.

AND THEN. Then there was Mile Nine. The bestest mile in all the land. Not only were we floating because of having just seen two Blues, but then we got to the Darth Vader balloon, under which April, one of her friends from grad school, and Goalie Cop were standing to hand us frosty Budweisers. Yeah, we had a beer stop during our run. Best. Idea. Ever. Mile Nine was a good mile.

After the race there was the delicious lunching, the epic napping, and the staying up far too late to watch West Coast playoff hockey games.

And now here I am. Sitting at home, having done just about nothing productive (besides taking Steph to the airport). It’s noon.

I am exhausted and swooning my ass off and wondering just how much of my budget I’ve trashed this week and already missing Steph and wishing April could have stayed longer and finding myself beyond fucking hopeful about this guy. I will elaborate later as I don’t want to jinx this, but allow me to just say quickly that I don’t think this one’s going anywhere any time soon. Not if I have anything to do with it, anyway.

Phew. The upcoming week seems almost boring in comparison to the last.

Until Friday, when I head up to Chicago with April for a reunion with the girls we went to Vegas with last year.

Shit shows. I’m getting really good at them.

Life is really fucking good.

I’m Walking on Sunshine

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Last night Erratic posted what she thought were ten boring things. She likes these lists, and this particular list of hers made me grin like an imbecile when she said:

“I am ridiculously happy. Not just the house shit, just everything. Perfect job, perfect boy, soon to be perfect house…shit is just awesome right now. I am much funnier when everything sucks, I realize this. Sorry about the cheese…”


Allow me to add my own cheese.

Guys? Things are good right now.

Things are STUPIDLY good right now.

I have been absolutely CRUSHING things at work lately. TWO presentations this morning went off with spectacular feedback. I am feeling comfortable and confident in my role, even with the added juggling of the priorities that it’s given me. My coworkers are awesome, and my boss trusts and respects me as a scientist and quality manager.

My writing has gotten some much bigger attention lately, to the point where not one, but two different Blues blogs have asked me to join their ranks. One I turned down, one I’m highly considering. Not to mention the fact that even right now with Aerys there have been opportunities to be a motivator that has in turn motivated me. Having my Blues in the playoffs helps.

The running thing, after my week long mental break, is better than I imagined. The race is Sunday, and last night I officially signed up for the Disney marathon. My marathon buddies are all in town, and they’re quite possibly some of my favorite people ever. Sunday’s race is going to be my bitch. Full stop.


My sister texted me the other day to tell me that she felt her baby move from the outside for the first time, and I’ll be damned if I just absolutely cannot fucking WAIT to meet that new niece/nephew.

The friends I have are the coolest people on the face of the planet. I have been out of my apartment and/or with friends every single day for the last few weeks, and though it is exhausting, the laughter and happiness that has been ever-present in my day-to-day life has made me so grateful to have them. Planning girls’ nights with Ali and Alison, looking forward to seeing April this weekend, having the marathon girls with me this past week, Sunday night dinners, Game of Thrones watch parties, Blues meetups, and knowing I FINALLY get to meet Miranda on Friday has me over the fucking moon.

And then. Then there is the one thing that I’m just going to tease you all with for right now, the thing that has me probably the most giddy out of all of these things. I am not going to go into details just yet, but I promise to update soon. I cannot WAIT to tell you about this.

You guys hate me right now, I am aware of this.


Oh, and I’m wearing absolutely kick-ass earrings today.

I am quite honestly drunk on happiness.

Running on Empty

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I do not know what the hell is wrong with me.

Don’t jump to conclusions. I am feeling fine right now when it comes to things in general, but I cannot get my fucking head straight with this running bit.

I have taken the last week off from training. The entire last week. It feels like it’s been the last month, and going back over my training schedule, where I actually track everything I do, it nearly has been.

March was shit for training, April is starting to look like it’s not going to be better.

That’s…..probably not so good what with the half marathon in a week and a half.

Surprisingly enough, when it comes to THIS race, I will be ok to just finish it. I know how horrible March was, I know how rough the last week has been, and so if I don’t get my goal time? Welp, ok then.

I know that this has a lot to do with the fact that I am EXHAUSTED. The insomnia is back never left, work’s gotten super busy which wears me out all day, and sometimes I just can’t even imagine doing anything besides laying on my couch when I get home.

This is rough.

I don’t want to get past this race, past Ragnar, and resent training. I am hoping that taking this week off for my physical sanity, my focus, will help.

Running is fun. I want it to stay fun.

No more time goal for this one. Possibly not one for the next one.

And dammit, if I want naked ice cream nights and a nap, then so be it.

Not What it Seems

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I am aware that for all intents and purposes, all over social media, I am one of those obnoxious “You can do it!!” type runners. Like so:

I’ll “like” people’s statuses about completing races, offer my services to friends when it comes to sending motivating emails (much like Miranda does for me), forward along my running/workout schedule as a template for someone looking for their own way of organizing fitness, comment on blogs, etc.

However, for all the benefits of this level of physical activity, and believe me there are TONS of benefits, there are some things that suck. Lots. For example.

-Being “rungry”: This is basically when you’ve kicked your metabolism up to the point where you are ALWAYS hungry. Eat until you’re full, sure! Be prepared to be hunting down the next meal within two hours or so though. Prime example. This morning my friend Timmy emailed me asking for my guacamole recipe. Upon receiving that email, my hunger kicked so far into high gear that all I can think of, still, is getting guacamole into my face. Did I care that it was 10am, which is traditionally not the time for delicious, delicious guacamole? No. AND THEN. Then my coworker decided to bust out with, “You know, I wish I was sitting on a patio, drinking a margarita.” WOMAN, are you trying to KILL ME? At 1115 I couldn’t take the yowling stomach anymore and went and heated up my lunch. An otherwise satisfactory lunch of leftover chicken fried rice has left me ENTIRELY UNSATISFIED and dreaming of chips piled high with the avocado-y goodness. Or a turkey sandwich piled high with it. Or a spoon piled high with it. Essentially, I will heretofore be unhappy with my state until guacamole gets into my system. Full stop. OMGUACAMOLE.

-The blisters: Yep. My poor little footsies are a bit worse for the wear at this point. It’s gross. I will spare you the graphic details, but just know that I have sworn off pedicures until at least three weeks after my Ragnar in order to save the poor pedicurist from what would surely be a frightening experience.

-The breakouts: Not face breakouts. Guys, when I workout, I wear a sports bra. When I workout, I sweat. When I workout, that sweat likes to stick around under my sports bra. Um…ew. Some weeks are worse than others, but still, it’s not the most fun situation. Looks like I’ll be sticking primarily to racerback tank tops for a bit.

-The boobs: Let me be clear here. I’ve never been what you might call “voluptuous” up top. I’ve got hips and an ass that could knock over just about anything, but disproportion has been a fact of my life for as long as…..well, since I got boobs. It was a source of SEVERE self-consciousness when I was younger, and every once in a while I still get those “dammit, I wish I had big boobs” cravings. Becoming comfortable in my own skin to the point of liking my own chest was one of my biggest emotional accomplishments a while back. I know, and knew going into this crazy workout thing I’ve had going for a while now, that the decreasing fat on my body during these workouts was going to make what little curve I had just go right on away. And they have, in spectacular fashion. I don’t think a single one of my bras fits correctly anymore, and those fuckers are EXPENSIVE to replace. Pretty sure I’m going to end up concave here before too long. The thing is? That curve that’s running away from my chest? It’s repositioning itself right back on my booty. Because MORE disproportion is what I needed, right? I mean, really, I can wear a pair of jeans that’s totally tight around my hips and butt and yet still stick out a good six inches from my waist. NEAT.

-Being sore/tired: I’m always sore. I’m always tired. Granted, this might be because I’m running constantly it seems like, and that tends to, oh I don’t know, tear muscle fibers. I am going to do hill sprints and lift today. I know that tomorrow is going to include me limping around work like I spent far too much time on a mechanical bull. And what am I going to do tomorrow? What any normal person would do: run twelve miles. The smartz. I haz them. It’s a constant that is manageable, but aggravating at times.

Even with the negatives involved, yesterday’s run (one of my best in a LONG time) and how I feel today have reinvigorated me. They’ve reminded me just how AWESOME it feels to get to the end of something and go “fuck YES I did that.” The time I spend with my running shoes and a long stretch of road is something I absolutely cherish. It’s MY time, no one else’s.

It’s my release and my joy and my happiness.

That. That is why I run.

The Long and Winding Road

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Twenty-seven days. I am 27 days away from my next half marathon.

I am at an incredibly interesting juncture at this point, both mentally and physically. Going into any race both of these aspects are super important, and I’m finding that this time around has been an incredibly different journey compared to last time.

Mentally the whole thing has been a struggle. It’s somewhat fascinating, I suppose. I went into training knowing that I could finish the race. I’ve done it before, I will do it again. I’ll do it again at least three more times this year, actually. That knowledge, and probably cockiness, made the mental blocks I have faced/am facing so totally unforeseen that they’ve been some of the biggest challenges I’ve come across all year. I’ve been hit hard with some significant funks which have at times caused an inability to even make it off my couch, let alone out my front door. You all know this, as I’ve written about it.

This has shifted part of my focus, which has affected my physical training.

Physically there are parts of this running bit where I am still struggling. A lot. My long runs have either been nonexistent or cut down by a couple miles or delayed. My shorter runs aren’t anywhere close to where I’d like them to be. All of this has stemmed from mental blocks, and because of them I am not where I feel like I need to be physically. Not even close.

Today my girl Lo posted about how running is such a mental game, and she’s one hundred percent correct about that. This is going to be the fight I face for the next four weeks.

I have written and spouted and commented and tweeted about just how determined I am to look these challenges right in the face and overcome Every. Single. One of them. Yet I am still struggling with them. Looking ahead, I have three weekends to get my ass into gear. Those three weekends are as of now open enough to where there will be no excuses.

Finishing this race is my goal. Well, more accurately I suppose, finishing this race with a new PR time is my goal. Full stop. Getting to that point, though, is going to take me accomplishing other smaller yet entirely doable goals.

  1. Get all my workouts in. There is one day that I can see on my calendar coming up that this might be a challenge, but no more excuses. I feel like the entire past month has been LACED with excuses, which just makes me feel horrible. If I can’t even focus my energies and will-power towards training now, how on earth will I make it through this race (and Ragnar in June, and the halves in October and November, and the full in January)?
  2. Try harder at keeping a consistent and healthy diet. Earlier today I read a post on Workout, Eat, Repeat, and it was a glaring reminder that the way I’ve been eating (and drinking) lately has been so very much not conducive to, you know, HEALTH. It’s very easy for me to say “oh, I’ll run it off later,” but as Cheryl points out in that post, the stuff I eat is actually meant to be FUEL for what I’m doing, not just a way to make myself not hungry anymore. I always do better when I have a written out menu, and that’s what I’m going to be working on a lot over the next few weeks.
  3. Stop drinking during the week. Usually I don’t as it is, but I need to keep up with that. There will be one night (an all-inclusive Blues game at the beginning of April) where I know this will cease to be a goal, but other than that it’s time to stop. I know I’ll feel better because of it, and I know my workouts will be more beneficial to my body.
Three goals, four weeks, a world of improvement to be accomplished.
It’s all possible. It’s always possible. Right now it certainly seems like a long way to climb. It is terrifying. Yet I know when I get through all of this, I’ll be able to look back at this post and say, “I did this. I faced those challenges, and I won. Now, what else can I accomplish?”
I must believe.
Thanks definitely go to Josey’s mom for sending me this video. It was just what I needed.

It’s Your Decision

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The biggest challenge right now is convincing myself that is ISN’T going to hurt when I go out there.

This week wasn’t the greatest. I ended up taking Thursday AND Friday off from all workouts. Way to go self, take a mental health break from your mental health break. Neat.

Physical pain and mental pain have both run rampant (heh) when it comes to my workouts. The only way that mental block is going to go away is going to be getting rid of the physical barriers. That’s why I bought new running shoes on Friday.

I’m hoping that they will be fully broken in by the time the half marathon rolls around.

Some days this running business is really difficult.

This is all nonsensical babbling, I know. *sigh*

Work It Out

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My friend Miranda sent this to me yesterday.

She could not have sent this to me at a more perfect time as all of my workout attempts this week so far have been so awfully abysmal that all I could do Tuesday when I got home from running was break down sobbing.

It is incredibly frustrating to head out for an eight mile run and get all of two and a half miles before the various painful body parts start screaming so loudly that the only physical option is to turn around and walk home, trying your damndest to not start crying before you get into the safety of your own apartment.

Mental note: Get new running shoes ASAP.

However, now it’s time to make it work. No matter what.

Five weeks, three days.

In an unrelated sidenote, it’s been two years since Kelly died. I still feel like I catch glimpses of her at work nearly daily. I miss her. So, so much.