Fo-dee!

Technically, I already topped 40 miles in a week during this training season, but it was the week before July 4, so it doesn't really count -- the week had long runs on Sun and Sat, and then the following week was only about 20.  So the two weeks averaged out in the mid-30s.  But this morning we had tons of running at camp.  I ran with Joy the whole time and she was wearing her Garmin.  Before class started I asked if she'd be up for a bit of running afterward whatever mileage I needed to get to 2.9 (for 40), or 3.0 (for 40.1, over 40!).  She wasn't enthused but we had a warm-up run, then a warm-up, then a repeat of the same run.  So within 15 minutes I'd already done a mile.  We were in teams of about 5-9 doing stations and 2 of the 4 stations we did had lots of running.  We hit 3 miles just before we finished.  Woot!  I feel like I'm getting serious now!  9 weeks from Sunday... feeling great when I run, having major foot pain when I wake up, having mild foot pain periodically during the day. 

And to keep the good news going, when I got home from work yesterday, I saw our new windows were in and the painting work was done.  Now it looks like there's just a bit of exterior work to finish up.  The good part is it looks like it will all be done in the next few days, which is perfect because the AC's cousin is coming to visit from Italy next week!  I don't know her as well as I know the others, she actually didn't make it to our wedding b/c she was in school in Perugia, but Jordan visited her for a few days after the wedding.  And of course I've met her during our other visits, but it will be nice to have her here for a little while. 

We actually have tons of stuff happening next week.  Is it sad that one of the many "events" is watching the Bachelorette finale?  I am so ashamed to watch that show.  But I think hubby is actually enjoying it as well.  He asked me one day last week when the finale was.  He thinks she should and will pick Chris.  I think she should pick Roberto but will pick Chris, but part of me thinks she might not pick either of them, which is a shame b/c they both seem like genuine and nice guys -- the two I picked as the best on the very first night!  Anyway, there's also a fun happy hour, a trip to the circus with my godson (and his parents and older sister), Martina and Jordan's visit, one half of our next-door neighbor couple gets back into town Saturday -- hoping she'll get to meet Martina so they can swap some Southern Italy stories! -- one of my best friends has her birthday, we have a 20 mile run followed by breakfast with "Double D," one of my oldest running buddies who moved away in January, and then a party for the running team I'm on.  So having a quiet weekend this weekend is probably a good idea! 

My to-do list:
Breakfast with friend and give her our Sweden and St. Petersburg maps and guidebooks for her trip next week
Get my new running shoes ready, plan out outfit for Sunday's run
Find the gel inserts I used in my wedding shoes and see if they can fit in my fave work shoes to alleviate heel pain
Write a thank-you note and send the gift card to the guy who changed my flat after the race
Write a letter to my grandma
Order some pictures and frame them for our stairwell (after construction is done, we'll be able to rehang stuff on our exterior walls) (the stairs between our first and second floors are all pictures of us from various events/places, they go chronologically and go up through right before the wedding)
Call my 4-5 best friends, I need to catch up with all of the ones who don't live here
Watch a netflix dvd (Changeling, with Angelina Jolie, turns out the AC already saw it, so I can watch solo)
Check our neighbors' house and make sure it's ready for her to come back next week
Start Xmas shopping online (I know, it's irritating to start this early, but I'm much happier if I am done by early Nov., and I also have the added incentive of being able to bring a large amount with me to the marathon and give it to my parents to take with them when they drive so we won't have to pay to ship it or bring tons of luggage when we fly home for Xmas)
Work in my closet -- put away all laundry, do laundry, clear out dry cleaning refuse, organize clothes the way I like, possibly purge some things
Change linens
Find school supplies for charity drive organized by running friend -- I think we have all kinds of random notebooks under our guest bed.

Well, that was boring!  But at least I feel on top of the list now. 

High mileage week

We had 6-8 easy on the schedule this morning and ended up at 7.1, though the pace wasn't as fast as it felt -- 8:49 or so counting 2 short water stops.  There was a big group this morning b/c we ran the first 5+ miles with the White Rock training group, which is just starting out.  The best part may have been that I wasn't the only female -- Tom's wife ran with us, so I got to talk to her for a while.  Today is their 4th wedding anniversary, though I found out they were together 5 years before they got married -- someone else who shared our no rush philosophy.  It may be living in or near the Bible Belt, but it seems more common here to meet people who date for a few months and then get married.  Anyway, the 7.1 today puts me just over 37 for the week.  I wonder if I'll eke out 3 miles over the next 2 days to hit 40 for the first time this season! 

Toward the end of the run, we parted ways with the Rock group and we went to the track for some extra mileage (Rebecca came with us but she can handle the extra mileage b/c she and Tom just did a half-Ironman a couple weeks ago).  The track was Tom's idea and so awesome -- I've missed the track a lot in the last few months, though I'm sure I'll get sick of it again soon when we start going regularly.  So Tom and Bandana-man (Robert, I confirmed) were up front at the track, and I ran with David, and eventually Rebecca fell back and joined us.  It was only 3 laps and the pace was pretty good and steady.  Actually closer to my race pace than it should have been, which is scary because it didn't feel 26-miles-sustainable.  But it felt good today. 

The construction work on our house appears to be drawing to a close.  We're getting a couple more windows replaced, and there are a couple paint touch-ups that need to be done.  It will be so nice (and safer!) to get the grill out of the living room and back onto our balcony.  The AC bought corn on the cob yesterday in hopes we'll be able to grill it soon. 

And my cupcake streak is officially over since I ate the last one yesterday.  But there is no way I'm still dehydrated from Sunday, so it's possible I've lost a pound in the last week.  Crazy!!! 

MTCM plans are coming along.  Hubby ran 6 miles this morning, in preparation for his 10 mile race that day.  One cousin who isn't running the full due to a knee injury (and her husband who is), and her parents (my aunt and uncle) made hotel reservations at the same place as my folks.  Adam, maybe Zach, and Drina are staying somewhere else, and then we're right by the finish line, but we'll all be in St. Paul, so it should be easy for everyone to be together a lot.  We may cancel our hotel, at least for part of the time though, and stay with another cousin who is running the race as well.  She offered, but we'll have to confirm she'll have room since my other aunt and uncle (her folks) are also coming to cheer.  And we'll also have to see if it's pet-free -- I don't think I want allergy issues in the days right before the race.  I think we'll stick with our hotel though for the night before the race.  It will be so nice to be able to walk back to the hotel right after the race, it's only about .2 miles.  But it would be nice not to have to spend the money for the extra nights of hotel.  Becca Runs Boston did a list on her blog today of things she's coveting and she listed the Garmin that I think I want -- the 405CX.  If I saved $200 by not needing a hotel on Thurs and Fri nights, that would be like half the watch!  We're really trying to be careful of our discretionary spending since we blew the budget in Sweden and Russia a bit, and since we're already saving for our next vacation -- back to Italy next year.  With the in-laws hopefully, in which case we'll also have a short stop in Paris.  If the in-laws don't come along, then we'll probably either do Italy/Paris, Italy/Stockholm, or Italy/Egypt.

More pain...

I almost feel like my heel pain is getting worse instead of better.  I ran a few easy miles after 1 fast mile at camp today, all with Joy, and it feels like my heels are throbbing now even though I iced.  I need to get more religious about doing the stretches and strengthening exercises the doc gave me.  I should also try taking tylenol (allergy to Nsaids).  Until then, I don't really have a right to b!tch.  Adam said he's feeling fine physically, just struggling mentally, while I'm doing fine in my head, just hurting physically.  It's going to be a challenge for both of us to make it through the next 9.5 weeks feeling strong! 

My cupcake diet ends today.  Last one is sitting next to my desk, waiting for the right moment. 

I don't think I like the new patterned running shorts.  I've seen lots of people wearing them lately, and I can't get it out of my head that it looks like these people are wearing boxer shorts. 

Not much else to report.  It got down into the mid-70s again this morning, which was nice, but I was still dripping wet when I got home.  I don't think I can wear my cutest black & white shorts for MTCM.  They just get too wet.  I may try wearing my birthday outfit from last year this wknd to see how that works for me.  Only 15 miles this wknd, which will be a nice little step down.

Cupcakes = Weight Loss?

So despite the obligatory new year's resolution to lose a few pounds, my weight has been fairly constant since New Year's Day -- constantly about 2-3 pounds higher than it was that day.  Except lately on Sundays of course; even if I drink a lot of water during a run, going 18 miles in 78 degreees and 85% relative humidity means I'm going to lose at least a few pounds, but those few pounds are always back by Monday or Tuesday.  But it seems the last few days now I've regularly been seeing my NYD weight or just below that.  Strangely enough, I've also eaten tons of sweets the last few days.  I'd say I am generally a healthy eater but I also eat A LOT.  But Sunday I had caramel brownies, alcohol, and 2 cupcakes.  Yesterday, 2 more cupcakes.  Today, 1 cupcake so far but it's not even 11 a.m. yet.  Isn't it weird how that works? 

Anyway, it was only 74 this morning apparently when we started our run and it was awesome to feel what a difference 5 degrees can make!  We had our first race pace run after a warm-up, which meant I ran alone more than I usually do.  It was me and 4 others this morning.  We warmed up together to about 1.5 and then started race pace.  Tom and Bandana-man were out front, David and Tony behind them, and me behind them, but only by a minute or so.  I u-turned about half a block early, which meant David and Tony caught up to me at the water stop just past the u-turn and I ran most of the way to the next water stop with them.  They started to pull ahead but a woman in one of the groups we were passing completely wiped out in front of them and they stopped to make sure she was okay.  It was at one of those points where we'd crossed a street so the pavement had kind of a slope and then rise after we cleared the intersection and she must have hit it wrong because she went down face-first.  Her group stopped as well and she said she was okay.  Anyway, when David, Tony and I got to the water stop, Tom and Bandana-man were just getting there as well from an extra little courtesy loop they did to wait for us.  On the run back I mostly ran with Tom and he was talking about the Chi Running book that he'd also mentioned last year.  He was focusing on the part about imagining a string running from a fixed point in front of you to your heart and feeling it pull.  Similar to the Galloway bit about the rubber band imagery, but I couldn't get into it today.  I tried for a minute and then asked Tom how you could keep looking at the fixed point without worrying about tripping over the slackened string, and I said I couldn't imagine a bungee cord or something because that would pull on my heart too much.  He laughed but I hope I didn't destroy that running strategy for him permanently...

Today's run really felt good though, despite the lack of conversation for about half an hour.  With water stops and my shortened route, I still did about 6.8 at about an 8:40 pace average.  The other really good part today was that my new Sunday-chafing spot (under my right arm, about an inch below my armpit, 1-1.5 inch square) finally seems to be pain-free.  It just keeps getting better and better! 

Houston marathon lottery opens today.  I'm not signing up but part of me wonders if I should.  It might seriously be my best shot at Boston, if only there wasn't a major vacation right before taper-time (and if only that vacation didn't involve my eating about 100 Christmas cookies!).  It's too hard for me to train after mid-December I think, though I've never actually tried.  It seems hard enough to be in training for White Rock, which was always mid-December and often meant missing out on drinks at holiday parties.  This year WR is a year earlier than normal, Dec. 5, so there will be more time for holiday fun for people who don't have to worry about Houston.