First off, if any of you reading this ran Chicago or know someone who did, I hope you or they are doing well and recovering from the race, or any race that weekend for that matter. One of my friends ran Twin Cities last weekend and I heard that one was a bitch too! I hope all of you and your running-loved ones are well :)
However, more exciting than any marathon (for me anyway), is that one of my best friends of 16 years and his wife gave birth to their very first little baby on Wednesday. Look at this thing! He's perfect!
That's my new little buddy, Hamish. Pronounced HAY-mish and not HAM-ish as I made the mistake of doing before being called a "Bloody American" by my aformentioned best friend Mark. Apparently, Hamish is Scottish for James, just so ya know. I prefer "Hamlet" myself, and therefore that's what Auntie Laurie will be calling him.
So here's another random thought. I learned a valuable lesson for all you marathoners out there. Whatever you do, do NOT go bowling right before a marathon, especially if you haven't done it in a few years.
Look at that form! 
Who else is singing the bowling song from Grease 2 in their head right now?!?!
"We're gonna scoooore tonight, we're gonna scoo-oo-ooore toni-iiight..."
Who knew I had all these unused muscles on the side of my left leg and booty? Apparently, after the release of the ball, putting all your weight on one leg can make those muscles very sore after a couple of hours. Especially if you have had a few beers and don't notice it. Who said BOWLING is not a sport!?!? Pfft!
"I need Icy Hot" = Sport.
Speaking of beer, there seems to be a lot more of the devil's brew here in Taper City. I don't know where it came from, but it seems that there are a lot more functions with beer the past two weeks. Maybe the fact that I don't look tired and haggard from waking up at 3 am to run an un-Godly number of miles makes people want to hang out with me out more. Whatever the reason, I've been fairly good and since my bowling night, I am definitely back on the wagon. The race is 8 days away (eek!) and I really don't need to be carrying around a bigger beer gut than I already have on Sunday. The day after the marathon is a different story though. I mean, we will be on vacation after all.
Speaking of vacation...I cannot WAIT! People ask me all the time if I am excited about the marathon. And I am, but honestly I am more excited about the weather. I know it sounds weird, but when you live in a place where it is between 82-92 degrees and 80% humidity for about 10 months, a little crisp weather is like the Loch Ness Monster or Britney Spears' underwear. You've heard of it, but since you've never seen it, you aren't sure if it really exists.
And check this out:
This is the predicted weather for race day! It doesn't get any better than that folks. Especially since I have been running in 82 degrees and 80-90% humidity for EVERY run for the past FOUR MONTHS! I might need to run in a fur coat. Keep your fingers crossed for me that this will not change too much in the next week.
I am also soooo excited about seeing another season besides summer and lukewarm summer. I love autumn so much! I miss the changing leaves (or any leaves that aren't palms), the smell the wood burning, pumpkin patches, bundling up in something other than tank tops and flip flops. It's by far the best time of the year.
All in all, I just can't wait to return to Columbus. We originally had planned to run Chicago this year (dodged that bullet), but instead settled on Columbus since it was my first and we wanted to do a smaller race. However, we had other reasons as well. Columbus is where Jeremy and I met, fell in love and lived together the first year we were together, 8 1/2 years ago. We just love the town so much and can't wait to run our first marathon together (my first EVER) through all our old haunts, through the OSU campus and past our old hood. It's really going to be something else :)
AAAWWWWWWW.....
Anyway, now that the sappy stuff is over with, back to the business at hand.
The taper has been fine. I ran a few shorter runs last week and this week. My long run last Saturday was a slow, easy 12 miles through the Miami Half-Marathon course (if you thought my running pictures were pretty you should see THIS course). Then this morning I had my last "long run" for Columbus with my Miami training group. They had 16 scheduled and I met them at the halfway point and ran the last 8 miles in, nice and easy, with the back of the pack. I even got to sleep in till 5:15am today!!! Better than Christmas!!!
I think I will do about another two shorter runs this week (3-5 miles), two gym days and that will be about it. I can't believe it's almost here!
10/01 - 10/07
Tuesday, 10/02 - 5.6 miles/54:36 - 9:45 pace (soooooo hot this day)
Wednesday, 10/03 - Gym, lift, abs
Thursday, 10/04 - 3.76 miles/33:14 - 8:50 pace (kicked my ass)
Saturday, 10/06 - 12 miles/2:22:00 - 11:50 pace (nice and easy)
Sunday, 10/07 - Gym, lift, abs, 30 minutes elliptical
Total Weekly Mileage: 21.36
10/08 - 10/13
Monday, 10/08 - 5.6 miles/55:05 - 9:50 pace
Wednesday, 10/10 - 5.8 miles/55:57 - 9:31 pace (
Saturday, 10/13 - 8 miles/Forgot my watch, but it was slow.
Total Weekly Mileage: 19.40
Days 4 - 5: Santorini!
1 year ago
8 comments:
woo hoo! sounds like a good plan. i had no idea you were going back to your old stomping grounds ... how fun is that!
our airstream will be parked in the nationwide arena lot near the finish - but again, we are not actually staying in it - we'll be at the Hyatt on Capital Square ...
have a great run! columbus was my first marathon & i am so excited to be going back ... i have such great memories - had such a great race & loved every minute of it. its' nice to be really able to visualize the run as well when you're familiar with it! i know you'll have a great race - you've done the training. now its game time.
good luck!!!! see you on the other side. maybe we'll bump into each other at the expo -
Awwwwwwhhhhh what a cute little munchkin!! They're little dolls when they are that small as long as you don't have to take care of them :P Yeaaahhh waking up every 2-3 hrs to feed is not something I'd want to go back too. Can you tell I'm done having kids? :P
I'm surprised about the bowling bit. Good to know, good to know. I guess it is a sport after all, huh?
Time is near chica!!! I can't wait! I'm excited for you! ;D ;D ;D
Speaking of BS . . .yeah did you see those pics from this past week of her getting out of a car without undies for the 3589237593837657843 time? YIKES!!!
Cute baby--thanks for enlightening me on the proper pronunciation, so that I don't sound like an ignorant American. :-)
You seem to be enjoying your taper! I'm glad your first marathon wasn't Chicago 07. I'm looking forward to cutting way back on the miles this week.
what a cute little boy - a perfect distraction from the taper madeness. I'll skip the bowling alley, thanks for the advice!
It doesn't sound weird that you might want to go to cooler weather - makes complete sense to me, naturally. One of my exes is from OH and went to OSU and we spent a lot of time there, not that I remember much. There was a lot of drinky-drinky going on - like your taper city but much worse.
I guess the Miami Half course would have been nice if it wasn't POURING rain...not that I'm bitter but I didn't enjoy those puddles at the start.
Enjoy your Sunday.
So far so good as weather goes!! Awesome, I'm sure you're going to rock your first marathon. Does your husband will act as a pace bunny?
That little boy is so cute, definitely way better when you can give them back to their parents when they start crying! Enjoy Auntie Laurel!
I was looking to come down your way for the ING marathon at the end of January, I want one marathon a year and Las Vegas is in 2007 not 2008... lol So, hopefully the hotels downtown will come down and I will go!
Cute little baby! "Hamish" BTW is the name of Andie McDowell's fiance in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" -- I remember the name.
Are you nervous? Excited? All of the above? You are going to totally rock it! And think of all the beer that will be drunk AFTER the race. I don't even drink beer, but I drank 2 schooners (big ass cups) of beer after! It just seems to really hit the spot.
You're going to rock Columbus for sure and we do like our beer up here. ;-)
I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for you. Hope we run into one another, but if not, have fun, enjoy the race, Ohio, and the vacation.
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