Finally got on the bicycle

Rainy again but did get out for my sorta long run this morning. Did 6.05 miles in 58:59. I was the only one out and about on the trails this morning, little chilly and a lot wet. After a quick breakfast, changed clothes and made myself get the bicycle out. Not sure of the exact mileage but I did ride the entire trail and then backtracked on the road to get back home so it should be around 12 miles. The Berryhill section was covered with mud in the usual area, got a little squirrely on the road bike when I first hit it because I tensed up. Relaxed after I got spattered with mud and started laughing at myself. You should see my socks!! Yeah, I looked hardcore ;-)
Had one car splash me with a rooster tail of water, I don't want to automatically think the worst but I kind of think she did it on purpose. No wave of apology, just a get off of my road glare.

It is thundering like crazy right now, just one rumble after the other. I don't think we're going to get any more flooding because this cold front is supposed to move through quickly.

Got in 17 miles this week running, finally feel like I'm getting my endurance built back up. Considering the Big Dam Bridge Duathlon on April 27th. Ok, looked at the website and it's limited to 300 particicpants, so just registered online. I'm committed now, really need to work on that cycling part.

Prescott run

Brrr, it's turning chilly again. Started out in the mid 60's this morning and was down to the low 40's with misty rain by the time I got home around 1300.

Ran at Prescott this morning on the frontage road between the Love's and the old truck stop at exit 44. Had to do a little bit of running in the parking lot to get 4 miles even but I made it. 65F, cloudy, a little humid but it still felt great to me, esp. after yesterday's debacle of a run. I had planned on getting a bicycle ride in this afternoon, but I'm such a wimp when it comes to cooler temps and the bike (both the bicycle and motorcycle). Maybe if I invested in some actual cool weather cycling gear I might actually get out and ride, ha-ha!! Did get the stitch in my right side that I have when I'm not hydrated enough but managed to run through it. I should have had more than enough fluids so not sure why it occurred this morning. Any ideas? Suggestions are more than welcome, I've only been running 1 year so I still have a lot to learn.

Since I wussed out on the bicycle ride I made a quick trip to the gym for a weight workout. There's only a handful of other women that use the free weights and machines. I think most of them do the body pump classes. It can be a hassle dodging the guys but I think most of them don't use that area because of the mirrored walls. That's my theory anyway.

Tomorrow is supposed to be cool and rainy again but I'm hoping it will be a little warmer than this afternoon.

Oh, 2 weekends ago I was in Sports Authority and overheard a conversation between 3 women that were complaining about the popularity of the running/fitness skirts. Evidently a fitness instructor had showed up in one to teach a class. That was the 2nd time this month I'd heard disparaging remarks about the skirts. Not sure why, the skirts show a lot less than my running shorts do.

Not doing the Cabot Spring Fling tomorrow, had planned on it earlier in the year but I'm not anywhere close to being ready for a 5k race yet after the stupid flu/bronchitis. Next year I'm definitely remembering to get my flu shot.

World's Largest Peanut!

Yes I saw the world's largest peanut on yesterday's run in Pearsall, TX! Actually according to Eccentric America it's now the second largest peanut. It's amazing the interesting things you see when you run in a different place away from the freeway. There is this absolutely beautiful house in Pearsall (hacienda style, gorgeous landscaping). Now if only yesterday's run was half as good as some of the scenery I would have had an excellent day. Warm day, very humid. I only had an apple and 1/2 a gatorade am for breakfast and it was not near enough fuel for a late morning run. Had a 4 mile pace run scheduled, turned into a "can I survive this run?" right from the start. Ended up taking 3 walk breaks and I have no clue on the mileage because it was very overcast and my garmin was not getting a satellite signal (qualcomm wasn't either). I'm assuming it was at least 4 miles because the total time was almost 45 minutes and even on bad days I generally have 10 minute miles.

There was a sign in front of the Chamber of Commerce at Pearsall advertising the Potato Fest car show and 5k race May 9 and 10. Couldn't find any additional info online, just a phone number to call. Surely they have web access, how are they going to get participants from outside the area if no one knows about it?

Today feels like Monday

Probably because it is my "Monday" this week. James had it rough yesterday, for some reason I was very short tempered and he was there so he was the one on the receiving end of my being snappish (that's a polite way of saying I was throwing some minor temper tantrums--let the apologies begin).

Did a weight workout yesterday at lunch, it's been way too long and I was having to use lighter weights to try to build back up. Couldn't even do my normal 300 lbs on the leg press machine so my ego is a little bruised. I am sore this evening, wasn't bad this morning but I have gotten stiffer this evening. Rode the marin bike to the gym for a warmup and then rode for just over 8 miles afterwards, it was all I had time for and honestly just between us it's all I could handle yesterday. Grrrr, I have got to get it together and get some saddle time in. Part of the bike trail was underwater so had to use some very busy streets to get back home. That was very scary!! Too many people do not want to share the road. Most everybody in the Saturday morning group is scared of motorcycles but I would rather be on my motorcycle in traffic than the bicycle.

Today's run was a nice easy 3 miler on Crescent View Rd. That's usually a pleasant run, beautiful scenery and very little traffic. Trying to build my base back up, March's miles are pitiful--34.7 miles and part of that was the half marathon. Boo-hiss on the flu and bronchitis!! Anyway off to bed, didn't sleep well last night and I would like to face the Texas I35 corridor well rested.

Sunday

It feels odd being home on a Sunday night but I am glad that we get an extra day off this week even if it means we'll be running a day behind getting home this coming weekend. We have the day off today because G.M. plants get nearly any day that somewhat resembles a holiday off. Never mind that Easter is on Sundays, they usually get the Friday before and the Monday after off with pay.

Finishing this Monday morning.......Sunday's run was 5.5 miles accompanied by James on his bicycle. Was whistled at once, yelled at once--not sure what the girl was yelling, she waited until just past us before she started. Made 1 attempted pitstop at a convenience store where there was a waiting line for the bathroom. A somewhat large woman came out and told the 2 teenage girls waiting in front of me that if they wanted toilet paper they were going to have to let someone know because she had used it all up. WTH? 1)She used up the paper so she should be the one to tell somebody 2)Why in the world did she find that so funny--she was acting like it was hilarious. Oh yeah, did I mention there was one employee with a very long line at the register? I gave up and made a stop at Walgreen's which was another 3/4-1 mile away. If I hadn't been so frustrated with the tp incident and thinking clearer I would have had James guard the men's room for me.

Today's plan is to get in a weight workout at the gym and a bicycle ride before leaving for the week. I haven't done weights in about a month so tomorrow will be interesting.

Do Not Drink This!!!!!

A&W Sunkist Float. This stuff is so addictive, it's like a liquid creamsicle. Do not open in a moving vehicle though, I've had 3 bottles in the past 2 weeks and every one has fizzed over the top. I so have to get to get back to a healthy eating plan.

Saturday morning ride

James and I rode with the Bike City group ride this morning. It's normally 12 miles but it was cut a little short because the Berryhill Park bike trail section was covered with mud in the usual spot. Anytime there are heavy rains that section will get a thick layer of mud in a couple of different spots. Several people have gone down on their bikes there. It wouldn't be so bad if it was a straight section but this occurs where the trail curves. I hit it a couple of times while running this past winter and I was having to penguin walk to get through it without falling. Petra called me yesterday afternoon to ask if I wanted to go to the Little Rock River trail this morning but I'd already read that it was flooded in several areas on the NLR side and I needed to get some housework done that had been piling up while I was sick (still need to get to the cleaning but soooo not motivated).

James test rode a 2006 Marin Venezia road bike this morning and we ended up putting it on layaway at Bike City. He had been test riding several different bike brands and decided that he liked the gearing on the Marin bikes better than the Specialized. It was a tossup between the Venezia or an '08 Portofino but the Venezia has better components so he shouldn't need to upgrade for quite a while. I'm lusting after the women's Treviso that the Marin rep. had sent into the shop (he's spending several days in AR starting tomorrow to try to get other bicycle shops to carry the brand) but I need to keep my Portofina for now to try to get more proficient on the bicycle. The Treviso retails for $1,140 so definitely need to do my learning (read mistakes) on the cheaper bike.

Mr. Tom did join us this morning, this is the first time since he had taken a spill on his bicycle last fall. He told me today that he ended up having to get 14 stitches. We also had a family join us today with a couple of younger girls--a 9 1/2 year old and an 8 yr old. It was their dad's birthday and he said that he wanted them to ride with him this morning as his b-day present. They did really good, although the 8 yr old tired out towards the end so I rode with her at the back of the group.

Afterwards, Bill adjusted my bike and the bike James put on layaway and we went for a short but faster ride since I didn't get much of a workout with the group. I'm starting to get the hang of adjusting the back gears but for now I'm just leaving it in the middle ring on the front (my bicycle has a triple).

Frustrating week

Blech, I'm glad my work week is over until Monday afternoon. I leave out Sunday with a stop at W. Memphis to fuel my truck. Well guess what, my fuel card didn't work. Call in to dispatch to find out what the problem is only to find out that my dispatcher didn't show that I'd cleared medical Friday afternoon. End up sitting for 5.5 hrs until somebody came in to work that had the authority to call my d.m. at home to verify that yes, I was telling the truth that I was cleared for work. All that over an antibiotic prescription.

After fueling I was then supposed to go to the Memphis yard and pick up an empty trailer that supposedly was being saved for me. You got it, no empty there. Several more calls to dispatch later and find out that my trailer is now on the way to Ft. Smith. End up spending the night in Memphis--that is usually not a good experience, the truck stops off of Hwy 78 tend to be rough places. I didn't have any problems this time but I stayed at the new Love's that's just off of I240 and their security is good right now.

I end up sitting until 1300 Monday afternoon before being sent on to the Nashville drop yard to look for empties. Again, no empty trailers so I end up spending the night there. Didn't sleep well because there were trucks dropping and hooking all night and it was very noisy. I'm sent to a trailer repair shop Tuesday morning and FINALLY get an empty.

After all that I was very frustrated and NEEDED to run so got in 4.28 miles after I got to Pulaski and checked in. Great run, saw a large flock of wild turkeys (approx. 13 hens with 1 tom). Tried taking pictures with my phone but it was overcast and didn't turn out clear. I'm ok during my runs but still having major coughing fits afterwards. I think it may be because of all the pollen/allergens in the air right now irritating my lungs.

Skipped my runs on Wed. and Thurs because of running behind 24 hrs. Wanted to get home as soon as I could to get in some bicycle training this weekend. And because of the heavy rains midweek, several of my usual running spots in Texas had water over the roadways. The Mt. Vernon rest area frontage road was especially bad Wed. morning.

Not sure what my exact mileage was on Friday's run. Forgot to bring home my garmin and mp3 player, we're having to park our big trucks 15 miles away and didn't want to drive all the way back for it last night. James had also forgotten his sports watch so I was just out of luck on having a way to time it too. I think it was at least 3.5 miles, was gone 49 minutes. That included my warmup and cooldown walks and a bathroom stop at a gas station.

pity party over

Ok, now that the antibiotics are starting to kick in, I'm through feeling sorry for myself (and I'm sure everybody's tired of reading my whining). Today is the first day that I've actually started feeling normal, thank goodness. Got a 3.3 mile run in this evening and it felt sooo good to be moving again. We had to buy a new receiver for our directv service so went ahead and upgraded to the dvr, yay!! While we were going through the setup screens I was getting so antsy to get out the door before it got dark because I was determined to go for my first run in 13 days.

New music for today--"This Gift" by Sons & Daughters. Had to go to 4 stores before I found it in stock at the NLR Barnes & Noble. Was resigned to buying it online when I found it finally.

Bronchitis=No running

Finally got over the flu but then developed bronchitis. Absolutely, positively no fun. I haven't been able to get a run in since the 1/2 mary and I'm getting very antsy. Every time I see somebody out running, I'm like that's not fair, I want to run. Right now though every time I try to breathe deep I start coughing. Went and got a prescription for antibiotics this morning and have been dealing with the medical dept at work all day. Anytime I go to the doctor (doesn't matter what kind) I have to notify medical compliance and wait for them to clear me. It's a huge pain in the butt, one of our friends believes they do this so we won't use our health insurance and just pay out of our own pocket.

I WANT TO RUN!!!!!

If there's any bright side to this, I did lose 3.5 lbs. Hopefully by Sunday I'll be able to get out on the road.

Official times of LR 1/2

gun time--2:19:38
chip time--2:16:01
overall place--1075/2180
division place--89/248
gender place--457/1439

still sick, so going back to bed. just had to feed and walk little El. Hopefully a full report with pics later.

Little Rock 1/2 Marathon

okay, I'm still sick so if this is a tad incoherent, I apologize in advance. Also everybody has probably moved on and are tired of the Little Rock half/full reports, but, hey, it's my blog. Ugh, that sounded petty.

Sunday started out to be a beautiful day, I don't tend to have a lot of the problems other people do with running in warmer temps this time of year--probably because I do part of my training runs in Texas during the winter so I'm used to running in cooler temps one day, then 60-80 degrees the next. But like I mentioned earlier James had already started getting sick and in hindsight I think I was starting to come down with it too. My appetite was way off Sat. which was odd because I tend to snack a lot when I'm nervous.

I wore my skirtgoddess running skirt, which totally rocks by the way. It has these awesome mesh pockets that are kind of offset on the sides. Perfect for carrying small items without them being in the way.

James kind of caught me in an awkward pose here, there would have been a better pic but a guy stepped right in front of me when he snapped the picture.

View of the crowd and the River Market area

Ready, set, go, not! I started near the back so that went on for several minutes.

The first 6 miles went great, was right on my 10 minute mile pace that I wanted to keep. The only problem was a lot of the walkers that had started up near the front were wanting to walk 3, 4, sometimes even 5 abreast so that was creating some major traffic tie-ups. I can relate to wanting to stay together but usually if you stay to the right with no more than 2 side by side things will clear out by mile 2. I knew that I hadn't ate enough the day before so my plan was to alternate water and gatorade at each water station. In hindsight I should have had gatorade at most of the stops.

Miles 7-8 I started to feel a loss of energy but was able to keep running okay. Mile 9 I began to slow down and had to start with walk breaks near the start of mile 10. Those walk breaks kept getting longer and longer!! My legs felt great, my breathing was fine, just no energy and I was starting to have chafing from my socks on the tips of my toes. One of the aid stations at this point was giving hard candy so that gave me a little boost but mostly dried out my mouth so that gave me the incentive to push hard for the next water station. Pretty much everybody around me at this point was doing like me and having to take walk breaks but for a lot of them I think it was the heat getting to them. Lots of red faces.

Mile 11.5-12 I started having the sharp pain in my right side that I always get when I haven't hydrated properly. It's not quite a stitch or a cramp, just a very sharp stabbing pain and it's always in the same place. So that meant I walked quite a bit on that section. I basically had to pick an intersection/sign/person to run to, then another landmark to walk to in order to get through it and my toes were really starting to throb by now. I caught up to a couple of women that were discussing that they were on track to finish in the 2:15 range instead of 2:30 at around mile 12.5 so that gave me incentive to keep running for the finish line. I was sooooooo happy to finally see that finish line that I didn't even notice what the clock read when I crossed it. Had to ask James afterwards.

I survived my first 1/2!!!!!

Interesting sights

-guy with a belt of stuffed monkeys

-a couple of women dressed up in Super Girl and Wonder Woman outfits

-lots of running skirts (yay!!) also overheard a conversation between a couple of girls commenting on them and saying they would never wear one and then I passed them in my cute skirt ;-)

-lots of shirts with neat sayings on them that I can't recall now because my brain is fried from being sick

I'm sure there's more that I'll recall later when I no longer have brain fog.

After I finished we didn't stay long because

1) we have a new puppy that needed looking after

2) James was sick (now that's a supportive husband that will get out and stand around for several hours while in that condition, I'm not sure what I did to deserve him--love you babe!!!)

3) I had to drive to Cullman, Al to deliver first thing Monday morning (only made it to Tuscumbia, AL before going to bed).

Several of James' friends said I was tough to be able to run 13.1 miles then drive almost 300 miles afterwards. I love that!!!

I ended up throwing up after getting home and showering after the 1/2. Just thought it was the stress of the race but it was a precursor to coming down with full blown flu symptoms. There is not a whole lot that's more miserable than being sick, having to work and not be at home in your own bed.

Here I am writing and grumbling about being sick when there was a guy that died at the finish line of the marathon, Adam Nickel. It definitely puts things in perspective so enough griping for now.

belated 1/2 marathon results

This is a late update but my gun time for the Little Rock 1/2 marathon was 2:19:38. Chip time is showing the same right now but they are having some issues with correcting/updating the website with correct times. Quite a few people are showing incorrect chip times right now. Hopefully will have a longer update later but I am dealing with the flu at the moment. James started getting sick Saturday and I was hoping to not get it but here I am sick too :-(

Nervous

The Little Rock 1/2 marathon is less than 24 hrs away. I have been on edge all week, poor James is just ready for this to be over with. We're going to the vet to get Elsie checked out and then go get my bib and goody bag. Woo-hoo, my first race expo!!!