Just Plodding Along

Whelp marathon number 9 happened and it was awesome! On a side note, if someone asks you what number marathon this is and you can't remember without looking at your blog have you done too many?  I highly recommend the Twin Cities Marathon. Even if you don't have your own cheer committee (I had my own cheer committee!!), there are tons of spectators on the course, it is beautiful and everything was perfect. Unless you don't train very much and then you will have full body melt down at mile 20. But we will get to that.  Just take all my money. The expo is a nice size. It is not super huge but has enough stuff to be interesting and plenty of items to throw you bills at. My favorite part was the dressing room I used. Runners, we love the john.  Smelled better than the ones on race morning. My friend was super nice and drove me through the entire course on the way to the expo. It was fun to know where I was in the race and know when the turns and hills ...

I am coming to town. Whelp it's that time. Time to pack way too many things so when I pick my suitcase up from baggage claim the poor people I am with have a moment of panic that I am actually staying for months instead of days.  I swear I'll leave on Monday The high's in Minneapolis are projected to be in the low 60s. I am excited and confused at the same time. Our low's here in El Paso have not even reached the low 60s yet. What does that feel like? I don't remember. Are the snow boots and parka overkill....? I am so excited to maybe go a whole day without breaking into a heavy sweat. It will be so refreshing. I feel ready to run. Excited to do one of the top 10 marathons. Excited to visit my friends. One thing I am not excited about, this: Photo credit: Star Tribune The protest planned for the marathon I am a bit worried that things could turn ugly. I do not want my friends out on the course spectating if things turn violent or disruptive. I mys...

This happened this week.  Short hair don't care. After like two years of pretty long hair it was time for it to go. I feel so light and free. Maybe I can run faster now..... Sunday was my last long run with my training group because next weekend I will be running a marathon!. So up the mountain we went. Those tiny dots are my peeps charging uphill for about 3 solid miles And up and up and up and then down we went for 13 miles. And they freakin killed it. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the people you are coaching kick butt so totally and completely! They are gonna kick so much butt race day. One of my runners caught this pic of me flailing about but super happy to be going downhill with only about four miles (and one giant hill) to go. I think I am waving. Or running with jazz hands. Who doesn't love a good jazz hand.  The best part of our run is this view because it means it is pretty much all downhill to the finish. After our awesome...

Last week I finally got a long run in. Started way, way, waaayyy too early and did six miles before I met up with my half marathon training group which meets at 6 a.m. So yeah too freakin early. Art installation by UTEP. Early morning rainbow.  There is something kind of magic about being out and about while the rest of the world sleeps. Empty streets and silence. You know what is more magical? My nice warm and comfortable bed. But the marathon scares me so long runs at the crack of dawn must happen.  I think doing my long run this way was the smartest thing I have done in awhile. The last twelve miles were awesome because I got to run with some of my favorite people and they made the miles fly by. Mentally so much easier than rolling along by myself. Now for everyone who had to hear me complain about being tired and sore the miles may not have flown by as quickly. Downtown El Paso as scene from my sloooowww run up the back side of Scenic Drive. No big deal...

So just realized my first fall marathon (I am signed up for three cause I am an idiot who can't stop registering for races) is only 28 days away. Solid. Let's review. The last long run I did which was 14 miles was July 18th. And then a week later I went through the great tendinitis scare of 2015 thinking for an entire weekend (I still feel like I should be able to sue someone for emotional distress on that one)  that my tendon was torn. Only to find out that it was just a really wicked case of tendinitis.  Took about four weeks off to recover. Went and did a relay which was totally fun but wiped me out cause I am now old and staying up for pretty much two days straight when I am usually in bed by 9 p.m. every night takes me a week to recover from. Sad. And then last week I went to do a long run but over slept and only got 9 miles in. It is still pretty much a non-stop inferno here and if you are not out the door by 6 a.m. for a long run you are too late. Okay ...

Running is revolting against me. First I found out that the Green Mountain Relay might be cancelled due to a lack of teams signing up. People sign up! How could you not want to run through Vermont?!?! Like seriously, who doesn't want to run here.  Then my April trail running adventure in Ruidoso got cancelled.  Then I found out that the hubs can't come on the Zion adventure. So I am flying solo on this one, well until I meet up with my awesome Zion companions. I then failed to get into the NYC marathon through the lottery. Will try again next year.  But since I have decided that what I really need is a marathon with the best cheering crew ever. So in October I am headed to a marathon that is conveniently located near my bestie! I am super excited for Twin Cities shenanigans with some of my favorite people!