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Archive for May, 2011

May 31

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Runsploration: 100 Acres

I have been wanting to do a Runsploration here in Indy and today sought out 100 Acres for my first local Runsploration. It was the most perfect run.

100 Acres

The last time I was there was in early February. Ice covered everything. It’s one of the country’s largest art parks and was absolutely stunning in solitude and white. I sat alone on a bench, snow all around me, sorting through my life. At 92 degrees, today couldn’t be more opposite from a weather perspective. But that peaceful feeling found me once again.

This is what first greeted me as I stepped out of my car.

bouncing basketball hoops and loops

 And as I continued on, I had to pause to admire the beautiful lake.

Indianapolis Island

I have run through this area before, but I took the path less traveled this time. And as the poem says, it made all the difference.

running through the forest

Ducking under fallen tree

A Frame.

By this time, I was literally grinning from ear to ear. The temperature was at least 15 degrees cooler in the dark woods. I was bouncing up and down hills. Jumping over logs. Legs bursting through stray branches. I felt like I was flying. Or being chased. Or the star of a Nike commercial.

yellow!

surrounded by water

How do I get to that trail?

At one point all trails seemed to dead end. I could see another across the water and though I did consider running through the shallowness, I decided to turn back and find a different route. I followed a path that wasn’t nearly as obvious and was convinced I would be stuck in the woods, completely lost with only a FourSquare check-in to alert people of my whereabouts when I saw this:

sweetheart bench

 Clearly I wasn’t too far off track. When I finally emerged from the woods, I was giddy. It was the most fun I have had running in the longest time. And still, these things greeted me…

clearing

so much yellow

big art for a big park

Even being stuck in traffic on 38th Street for 23 minutes couldn’t bring me down after this run. And this feeling is what keeps me coming back for more. More miles. More sweat. More runsplorations.

May 30

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Running, push-ups and cake balls.

I am currently not training for a darn thing. The Chicago Marathon is months away. I have no other races on the calendar. And though I have flirted with the idea of doing the Carmel Half-Marathon on June 11th, I’ve yet to actually sign up. In the past when I have been “not training” I tend to run less. Go out for happy hour more. Pack my gym bag often and leave it in the back of my car for days at a time. My weight goes up a few pounds and though I love the mental break from marathon training, I don’t feel as good physically.

Not this time. I am not training, but I am still running. Last week I ran 21 miles. That total isn’t earth shattering but it represents 5 days of running. Add in 3 days with my personal trainer…I had a lot of laundry to do! But it’s summertime which means more skin, shorts and bikinis.

So, I am working pretty hard. Not just because I want to look good in a summer wardrobe, but because I am paying $300+/month for my personal trainer. That’s a lot of money to be spending on personal fitness if I am not going to take it all quite seriously. And I am starting to see results. I have lost 1.5% of my body fat by working with Sarah. It doesn’t sound like very much to me but she tells me it’s good. And the other day, I saw a picture of me with a bicep. I wasn’t even flexing and I had a bicep!!! Somehow, this woman gets me out of bed at 5:30am three times a week so she can kick my bum and make me sweat. Lunges. Squats. Planks. Man-push-ups. Suspension training. And lots of quality time with a medicine ball. I am sore almost every day of the week and I love her for it.

But I’m no supermodel and have plenty of soft parts. You see…nutrition is always going to be a challenge and Sarah is experiencing that first hand. I have the palate of a 7 year-old! When I sent her my food diary last week she wrote me back with “What are cake balls doing in there?” My response: “They’re delicious.” Her response “Yes, but why did you have 3 of them yesterday?” My response, “Why didn’t you?” And so far today, the only thing I have eaten is ice cream.

Double-Fudge Cookie Dough

She has her work cut out for her.

 

 

 

 

May 25

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Fired up.

Disclaimer: I don’t like to complain. Really ever…but especially over blogs, Facebook or Twitter. Because frankly? There are enough people doing that already and I’m a glass-half-full kind of girl. It doesn’t mean that all my posts are unicorns and rainbows. But it does mean that I would rather spit out positivity than otherwise. So I hope that today’s post doesn’t come across as me whining. That’s not my intention.

I am just fired up. Feisty. Put me on a soapbox in Speaker’s Corner because I have some things to say. Those who know me know that I am liberal. I’m progressive. I fight for equality whether that means for my 5th grade friend who was made fun of for rocking her heritage on the foursquare court or when I hear some ignorant comments made in reference to minorities. I don’t debate to play devil’s advocate but I don’t shy away from confrontational conversations either. And though I don’t wave my feminist flag often, I do carry one. And right now, I would raise that damn thing to the moon if I could. Because, quite frankly, I am fired up.

It all started on Sunday. I was at home, watching the Indy 500 Bump Day coverage on TV. For those non-race fans, it’s part of qualifying for the greatest spectacle in racing and this year, there was lots of drama. Danica Patrick hadn’t secured her place in the field of 33 and there was a rain delay. If the rain continued, she wouldn’t have another shot at qualifying. And because it’s Danica, this was a big deal. She’s a big deal. Now I haven’t always liked her. She’s a hot head. She’s got a temper. She’s not always the most graceful or professional and as a result, I didn’t think I liked her. And then I had the opportunity to go to the Andretti garage and talk with her team. I asked them if she had an attitude and they said “Of course she does. She is a woman in a man’s world. She wouldn’t have gotten this far if she didn’t fight every day for it. Temper? Of course. She has to. You can’t win races without some fire.” I got it. And from that moment on, my respect for her soared.

So here I am, watching the coverage and two men in the booth are discussing her predicament. The track seems dry and she’s in her car. They are pushing her to the start and she’s going to give it another go. The announcers are interviewing Dan Wheldon while video shows her getting ready to drive. One announcer asks “Everything is on the line right now for her. So what is going through Danica’s head at this very moment?” The other announcer says “She’s probably thinking about shopping.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME. This woman is the most successful female driver in IndyCar history. She races in fireproof gear with no ventilation, no circulation, on tracks that can reach 120 degrees, for hours at a time. She races at speeds well over 200 MPH. And she’s 5′ tall and 100 lbs. And you, mister announcer, have the gall to say that she’s thinking about shopping right before she goes out in her final attempt to qualify for the most important race of the season? Because she’s a woman. And that’s what women do. Women be shopping. Why not throw in that she’s probably scared she’ll break a nail. Or that maybe it’s her time of the month. I am sure he meant it as a joke, but it wasn’t funny. And as soon as I heard it, I screamed at the TV in such a rant, you might as well have renamed me Susan B. Anthony.

Danica courtesy of Track Chic's Photostream on Flickr

And to compound my fiery disposition, yesterday I heard this story: A friend of mine was dating a woman who is just plain sexy. She’s pretty and curvy and knows exactly what to wear to show off all the right parts. She embodies self-assurance and has spunk. One of this guy’s friends said to him “She’s sexy. But she’s in her late twenties and is already that curvy. You have to go for someone skinny in their twenties because you know long term, it’s only going to go downhill. And you don’t want to start when the girl is already curvy” Cue blood boiling. Now I was hoping this guy with his oh-so-profound advice was maybe a 21-year old frat boy who spent his time doing two-story beer bongs and shoving Taco Bell in his face late night. But no. He is in his thirties. And I am sure single.

My hips don’t lie, so I was inflamed with anger. Here is a woman that exudes confidence and sexiness. She’s the envy of many women who would die to look like her. She rocks those curves like Beyonce rocks a stage. And this man who, from what I hear is a former athlete and most likely isn’t exactly Hugh Jackman, thought he’d bring her down a notch. And in some circles of friends (unfortunately, probably a lot of them) it was acceptable to do so. Oh how I wish I had been there.

The double-standard for woman just plain sucks. I am not going to beat a dead horse here because you guys get it. I am really blessed to have surrounded myself with people who don’t think this way. And I hope that most people don’t think this way. I hope most people are kind and sensitive and love women for their fast-driving prowess and hourglass figures.

This is all very timely because this is race weekend  -where my house will be transformed into a hotel for many friends from all different circles. Where last year, I got so angry at someone for the things he said, that I stood up in the middle of Dairy Queen and lashed out in a long dissertation to him for disrespecting my friends and my home. I hope this year, everyone remembers to know their audience before telling an insensitive joke. To use words that are mature and intelligent rather than the ones that got you laughs when you were in their teens. To remember that just because you don’t find someone attractive, you never have to say that aloud. And if you want to make fun of someone for being incompetent, there are better words than “retarded.”

It’s not about being politically correct. It’s about not being offensive. And if you don’t know the difference, then you don’t care to. And that’s where the problem begins.

May 22

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My top picks for running gear!

This week, I received this message from a loyal blog-follower:

And she’s not the only one to ask these questions as it can be overwhelming. So though I have talked about shoes before, today we are going to tackle the topic of favorite running gear! From head to toe…

If you do end up training outside, it’s probably a good idea to have a running hat. When it comes to sun, and more importantly, rain, a hat will protect you and make you more comfortable. I typically run in the freebies given out at some races, but if you want to purchase one, you have plenty of options. Like this one.

Also important in the head gear department is some sort of headband to keep those stray hairs from becoming a nuisance. I buy mine at the drug store.

Goody wide-headbands

I find that sports bras are going to be a personal choice and finding a supportive one that keeps the girls in place without compressing your lung capacity is not always an easy feat! But one thing you definitely want to do is get one made from a wicking or dri-fit material. This pulls the sweat from your body. One suggestion is to look at TJ Maxx as I have found some great, high quality bras for $10-20. My latest find? This one from target. It’s a dream.

When purchasing a running top, you again want to go with something made from wicking material. There are all sorts of varieties including tshirts, sleeveless tops and running tanks. If you go to a running store, you’ll find brands like Mizuno, Brooks and Puma in addition to the regulars of Adidas, Nike and Under Armour. Regardless of brand, try to stick with something that is specific for running as they were designed to have seams in the right places, ventilation and overall comfort for a running form (like these!) Also, be sure to read the labels to make sure that the shirt is designed for the right temperature. You’ll notice some clothing specifically for cold weather running, warm, maximum intensity, etc. If you end up buying something that’s considered a base layer, I have found it may creep up and force you to constantly adjust if worn on its own. Try clothes on to determine if you prefer to wear something that’s more loosely fitted or tight. For the summer, I personally love running tanks with a razorback. If you’ll notice, just about anyone looks like they have ripped back muscles with a razorback! My favorite brand of running tops is Puma, but mainly just because I love their designs. If you know me at all, you won’t be surprised to hear that I try to look cute when running. And with all of the options out there right now, it’s not hard to do.

sassy

Now for bottoms. For the longest time, I only wore spandex running pants – whether those be full tights, capris or shorts. Mostly because I found that they tend to require the least amount of maintenance while running. Now I have incorporated Nike running shorts in my wardrobe and I love them. They have built-in underwear and seem to be a bit more breathable than spandex.

favorite shorts

Regardless of the type of bottoms you prefer, here are some things to look for. 1) A pocket. If you are running outside, you’ll typically need someplace to store your car or house key. Or maybe a gel. Or IBprofen. Make sure there is at least one pocket. 2) Again, wicking material. 3) Identify the seams and where they fall. I made the mistake of once buying a pair that had a seam running right through the middle of the pants. Horribly uncomfortable for obvious reasons. 4) Try them on and ensure they aren’t too big around the waist, or if they are, that there is a drawstring. Nothing is worse than your pants sliding down as you are running.

classic capri

Now…let’s talk about underwear. (Note, the P word which typically is used to describe female underwear is my most hated word. I don’t say it, nor type it. Got it?) If you don’t think there is value in forking over big bucks for dri-fit underwear, then you haven’t been exposed to extreme chaffing along your bikini line yet. Not only do they help avoid that, but they stay in place! Check out what I am talking about here. (And if you for some reason choose to run in the Under Armour thong feature on that link, please let me know so I can ask you why on earth you would ever think that’s comfortable.)

As for socks…try to avoid cotton. They hold moisture and could cause some bad blisters. Once again, dri-fit. They aren’t cheap but any running store carries them. You’ll thank me later.

In addition to these main clothing items, there is a host of other accessories you may consider. For instance, fuel belts. When going for a long run, fuel belts give the ability to have water whenever you need, plus include a little fanny-pack for you to hold gels or jelly beans or whatever. On those hot days it’s a must. There are a few different kinds and you can find these at any running stores or online. One version is a bottle that straps to your hand for you to carry. This would annoy the hell out of me. So I tend to use either the belt that has one bottle version that rests against your lower back…

Or one that has between 2-4 pockets for smaller bottles to carry around your waist. The nice part about this type is that you can mix in different forms of fluids (Gatorade and water, for instance).If you are looking for a watch to keep track of your splits, a good old Timex Ironman one from Target will do just fine. But if you are going big time and want a GPS watch, you can’t go wrong with the Garmin 305. It’s the older version so is clunky (like wearing a mini PC on your wrist) but the satellite is reliable and it’s great to always know your pace. You can find these on Amazon for around $130. You may not think it’s necessary…but you won’t regret it for one second.

And lastly, if you saw my Mini Marathon outfit, you may have noticed my compression sleeves. I used to see people wear them and wonder why you wouldn’t just wear a long-sleeved shirt instead. But after racing in them, I found that I love them. They are light weight, they keep your arms warm and they are easy to manipulate. Hands cold? Pull them down over your fingers. Getting a bit warm? Take them off and tuck them in your fuel belt. I love them.

So these are my favorites. What are yours? Leave me your top picks in the comments section below!

May 15

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Sunday ramblings.

It’s Sunday which means that my brain is working overtime at juggling all the thoughts that tried to poke through the surface during the week, but were suppressed for more pressing things. Here a few of them.

The temps have risen and so earlier this week, I started the process of getting my body adjusted to warm weather running. I ran downtown – through White River State Park and the zoo. I don’t love running downtown because the routes I take are just me against the sun…no shade anywhere in sight. And as a result, I barely survived this four-miler. Welcome to summer. 

I didn’t eat sweets for 5 days this week. I made a pact with my friend Michelle that we’d give up all cookies, candy, desserts, ice cream, donuts, etc for the majority of the week. On Friday, there were two boxes of delicious, freshly baked, donutty goodness sitting behind me at work. And while the fragrant sugary smell wafted to my desk, I ate greek yogurt. According to my coworker, no sweets = grumpy Meggie.

Speaking of Michelle, she ran her first marathon today! And not only ran it…she conquered it! With a finish of 4:20:54, she rocked the hell out of those miles. I am so insanely proud of her. To think she did her first marathon in about the same time as I did my 6th! She is amazing. Congrats, Michelina.

So proud of Michelle!

Apparently, when you live in a house that’s almost 50 years old, you’ll have a lot of rotten wood. This week a handyman came to fix it all which is the good news. The bad news is that we now live in something that resembles a crack house with boards of fresh wood all over it. I guess I should probably get to painting.

I met with an investments guy this week. God I am old.

For the month of May, I instituted a rule that I can’t wear pants to work for the entire month (read trousers for any Brits out there…otherwise, this is an entirely different rule). There’s no rhyme or reason to this rule…but it’s only dresses and skirts for me this month. I live a crazy life, people.

Do you play Words With Friends? I used to be really obsessed with it. Like play games while driving, blow drying my hair, when I wake up in the middle of the night. Now I really can’t be bothered and find it more of an obligation then a fun little time waster. Yet, I can’t stop playing! I keep accepting game requests. I wish I was a quitter.

On Wednesday, the lady who checked in my car rental this sort of hit on me… I think? As I was dropping off my car, she said “Girl. You are wearing that dress. And if it makes a woman look twice, you know you look good.” Guess I am sticking with Hertz from now on.

My personal trainer has now decided that since I am not currently in marathon training, she is going to amp up our workouts. Great. Thirty minutes of heart pounding, sweat pouring strength training. Sometimes to the point where I can barely get dressed afterwords because that requires putting my arms over my head. And when you combine my traveling schedule with my workout schedule, it means I don’t shower at home except for on the weekends. I miss water pressure.

It’s May in Indy. What a fun time to live here. The Indy 500 is coming up and we always host a big party the night before. The backyard trees are full of paper lanterns. The keg is floated by 11pm and we bring all our different circles of friends together for one epic May evening. And then the next morning, the house looks like a minefield of sleeping bodies, who all wake up to cinnamon rolls, bloody marys and mimosas before we caravan to the track. It’s one of my favorite 36 hours of the year and I can’t wait!

Indy 500 2010 (that tattoo is fake)

I finally updated my book blog. And there is one book I need you all to read. Unbroken. Please read my review and then read this book. This is non-negotiable.

I did the math and my traveling schedule is at least at 60% right now. I am really lucky to have a job that takes me across the country talking interactive marketing with some fantastic clients. Vegas. St. Petersburg. Scottsdale. San Francisco. And I get to spend the majority of this coming week in Orlando! (And no, not Disney. I have never been to Disney before but the thought of screaming children on a sugar high will keep me far away). But I get to travel with a new little friend tomorrow – my new wireless card! You might find it sad that I am so excited about this…but it means no more Boingo hotspots. No more hotel wireless charges. No more trying to close deals on my iPhone in an airport.

And lastly, today I went to see “Bridesmaids.” Honesty friends….it’s hilarious. Multiple times, I had to stuff my sweater over my face to cover my loud cackles. It will be one of those movies I see over and over. You should too.

May 12

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Miracles in London?

I want to go back to London. I know…I know. You guys are sick of hearing about it aren’t you?

Yes, I love the city. But tonight, I want to go back because it when it comes to Parkinson’s Disease, it was a place of hope. I went there to run a marathon in honor of my dad, grandpa and everyone else who suffers from PD. But I could not have predicted what a reward that experience would be. Never before have I been surrounded by people who understand the disease. Who care about it because someone they love is also suffering. People who can recognize symptoms immediately. People who chose to train for 16+ weeks in the cold winter. Who ran every weekend for hours at a time so they could be ready to wear the PUK blue proudly while running 26.2 miles on April 17th.

Being there made me feel less helpless. It wasn’t like I had the power to heal my dad or those wonderful people I met that weekend. I couldn’t turn back the clock on health. But I could run in honor and support of people like my dad. And I could raise money for an amazing organization that’s mantra is “We can beat it.”

But now it’s back to reality. Where my dad fell multiple times on Sunday because he can’t walk. Where he’s lost 6 lbs (down to 125 lbs) because he can’t swallow. Where on Mother’s Day, which just wasn’t a good day for him, he pointed to a plate and looked at my dear, sweet, care-taking, patient mother and asked her “This is a plate, right?”  Where just this week, the doctors said that though his condition seems bad right now, it’s the best it’s going to ever be. There are no more miracles.

I think there might be miracles in London. Don’t believe me? Watch this video that the Parkinson’s UK Foundation created from the London Marathon weekend. I am interviewed in it and if you want to see what it was like running that race, being a part of that family, walking down those stairs at the reception and feeling powerful against something that renders me powerless…this video will show you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3iNQ5fSkpk

And tonight, I want to go back to my happy place.

May 7

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Mini-Marathon 2011 – A Review

I did it! 1:56:10

Pre-Race

Let me tell you the details. We woke up at 5:30am and our friends met at our house to carpool to the start. We parked at my work which was great because that meant we could stretch, use the loo and talk with some of my running coworkers before the race began. Our walk to the corrals was kind of comical: We dropped Wes off in Corral P. Caleb in Corral M. Matthew in Corral F. Me in Corral D. Matt in Corral C. JD in Corral A. For those that haven’t run this race before but are interested, a word of advice: send in some sort of seeding proof so that they place you in a corral that matches your pace and you don’t have to wait for ages to get to the start line (Trust me, I learned that lesson quickly when I was in Corral X my first year!)

The race started soon after. No time to stress. Or over think. Or chat with those around me. However, using my iPhone as a music source meant I was still getting awesome texts from friends at this point. My friend Brian told me “You are a beast. A total inspiration.” And there it was…my new mantra.

My game plan was simple: run under a 9:09/mile pace as long as I could, aiming for that 2 hour mark; drink water when necessary; no iPod until mile 6; ‘Finding Nemo’ fruit snacks at mile 6 and 10; and absolutely no walking. So off we went. There was a garage band about every half mile, a few people “saving” us with their religious words of wisdom and even a group of cloggers who were dancing their heels off to “Single Ladies” sung by the Chipmunks (true story.) It was crowded, but I was actually in a good spot given that I was generally slower than the majority of people in my corral, which meant it was up to them to pass me and I could just focus on running a straight path. My splits were agressive: 8:44, 8:44, 8:45 and so on. I made it a game…at each mile, I calculated my deficit. If 9:09 was the time I needed per mile to achieve my goal, then I was banking about 25 seconds/mile. I was hoping to use these extra seconds later in the race if necessary. At mile 4, I saw all of my friends. They cheered loudly and I was so ecstatic to see them that after I passed them by, my GPS watch read an 8:15/mile pace. Oops! Guess I got a little excited.

Mentally, I always split this race into 3 chunks: Before the track; Track; After the track. The first chunk was flying by and I was never slower than a 9:00/mile pace. Right before the track, I ran into my friend Wes. He decided to run with me for awhile and we took on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway together. He’s faster than me and I didn’t want to slow him down…so after about a mile or two, he carried on ahead. It was lovely to have his company for a short while. By this time, I had turned on my iPod, eaten fruit snacks and saw a woman vomiting along the side of the course. Some people hate the track because it’s quiet, no shade and seems to go on forever. But I like it. And the high school cheerleaders surrounding the course were surprisingly entertaining to me in their cute costumes and loud chants.

After the track, only about 4 miles to go and I was tired. Nothing specifically hurt, but I was nervous my speedy splits were going to catch up with me. I wanted to slow down but mentally knew I could keep the intensity going for the end of the race. Or so I hoped. Though I hadn’t trained for 13.1 miles, the fact that I faced double that distance 3 weeks ago meant that I was really strong mentally. And it was my brain, not my legs, that took control of this race.

At 10 miles, I once again saw my friends. Their burst of energy was inspiring. More fruit snacks. Some water. The end was near.

Miles 11 & 12 went along well and with only one more mile to go, I assumed I was home free. I knew my 2 hour goal would be achieved at this point, I just wanted to finish strong. But dear god! That may have been the longest mile of my life! The signs telling me that we had 3/4 mile to go, 1/2, etc. did not help. It was a neverending mile and people were flying past me. Apparently they had a lot more left in them than I. JD was towards the end, cheering me on and I ran fast and hard through that finish line. 1:56:10. I was elated, yet exhausted. Like almost throwing up exhausted.

I found my husband and the rest of our friends in the finisher’s area. JD completed the race in 1:22:51 (190th place, out of 35K)!!! He’s amazing and received an extra medal for being in the top 500.

Finishers.

My favorite part of this race is the number of people that run it. It’s so much fun to rehash the race with people who went through the exact same thing and I am so proud of everyone. Blake, Adam, Wes, Ted, JD, Matt, Matt, Caleb, Stef, Matt, Justine, Brian, Wes and so many others. We did something big today…and I would not have wanted to share it with anyone else.

ExactTarget crew. #ETRUN

Afterwards, my typical post-race illness ensued. Without fail, after I run a race, my body decides to make my life hell. Stomach cramps. Chills. Pains. I have lied on the floors of restaurant bathrooms in the fetal position. I have spent entire post-race celebratory meals in the loo. Sprawled out on the kitchen floor, writhing in tummy pains. Usually unable to eat and really just begging for a bed with lots of blankies. Today was no different. We managed to get lunch, but since then, I have been in bed, in sweats, hoping this goes away soon. Ah well….such is life.

One final note, the race tracking from the Mini today was awesome. I loved that you guys knew my times before I did. Posted on both FaceBook and Twitter, I felt like you guys were all there with me! So many Tweets and messages of support – I feel very loved. Thank you.

What a month of racing…

May 4

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Lucky number 6

I am flying home from St. Petersburg right now with a sunny disposition. It’s hard not to be happy when I spent the last two days in gorgeous Florida. I had really fantastic client meetings. The weather was 80+ degrees and cloudfree. I took a stroll around a lake and saw a baby turtle on it’s mama’s back as the two went for a swim. I saw at least a dozen dolphins loop their sleek bodies out of the water and back in, occasionally even seeing a tail fin. I walked through soft white sand, letting it pool over my bare feet with each step. And I sipped a margarita while watching the sun drop into the ocean as it set, illuminating the sky with hues of pink and orange. I’m sunny.

Clearwater beach

And when this plane lands in Indy…it probably will be raining. No complaints from me — everyone else does a good enough job of that anyways. But with less than 3 days before the Mini Marathon, it is time for a game plan.

Just 3 weeks ago I ran my 6th marathon and Saturday will be my 6th Mini Marathon in a row. (Lucky number 6 baby!) During my 2nd rendition of the Mini, I was so disappointed in my awful race that I almost refused my finishers medal at the end. And last year, I ran my best half time of 2:00:11. It was only 6 days after the Illinois marathon (there’s that 6 again) and I was injured. I had no race strategy – just wanted to run well and enjoy.

But on Saturday, my strategy is quite simple – get under 2 hours. And I have NO EARTHLY idea if it will happen! I haven’t trained for 13.1 miles – I have trained for 26.2 Granted, that means I will be mentally ready for this short little jaunt. I just don’t know if I can run a 9:09/mile pace for 13 miles. But mama’s gonna try. Mama’s gonna try real hard.

*And for those that are interested in tracking my progress, my splits will be tweeted and Facebooked live during the event. So follow @meggiehd to see how I fare.

And it very well may be raining on Saturday. So my advice to those who haven’t run a race in such conditions is 1) wear a hat (to keep the water off your face). 2) Bring a trashbag or poncho to stand in at the start. No need to get unnecessarily wet before you start running. 3) Bring extra clothes & shoes for afterwords. You’ll be cold and damp and will want fresh, dry garments. 4) Relax. I once ran a half-marathon in pouring rain. I had to wring out my clothes every mile and my shoes were full of puddles, which made me tense up, holding my muscles awkwardly. As a result, I was so sore the next day- more than normal. Let your shoulders relax and make peace with the rain. Otherwise you will pay for it after. 5) And lastly, BodyGlide the hell out of yourself. The hell out of yourself! With wet waistbands and socks, you’ll easily get chaffing.

Best of luck Mini runners. Looking forward to 13.1 with 35,999 of my closest runner friends.

May 1

Good runs and bad ones.

Yesterday, I wanted to run 10 miles. That didn’t happen. It was just a bad running day.

I am not currently following a training schedule but when I used to train for half marathons, I always did a 10-miler the week before the race. So it just made sense to do the same this weekend, given the Mini Marathon is next week.

Friday night, I carb loaded with a meal of rice and Cadbury Eggs (3 of them, for those who are counting. They were on sale.) My alarm was set for 6:30am on Saturday with the intent to get out on the Monon Trail by 7:30am. I expanded my patio yesterday and wanted to get an early start on my run so that I had the full day for my project.

But when I woke up, I just wasn’t feeling any of it. I slowly got up and ready. I lazily ate breakfast and by the time I got to the Monon it was 8:15am. My running partners (Matt and Bob) had already left so I was going at it alone.

While I was standing on the deck stretching, I saw a group of models doing some photo shoot. None of them had shirts on…just a scarf that was strategically placed over their head and covering (sort of) a couple body parts. So of course I had to delay my run to watch. It appeared that I would do just about anything to distract me from this 10-miler. But finally, after there was nothing left to do but run, I picked up my feet and started moving.

modeling shoot?

The first 1/2 mile felt great – I ran fast and I ran hard. The weather was perfect. The Monon was packed. But it was soon apparent that I felt awful. I had nothing in me. Nothing. I got 1.5 miles in and started to walk. Clearly, 10 miles wasn’t happening.

Luckily, I saw my friend Michael at that point and stopped to chat. It was decision time – do I forge ahead and try to get more miles in, or stop now? I succumbed to my laziness and turned around. I ran with Michael the last 1.5 miles for a whopping total of 3. A far cry from the 10 I had hoped for.

I am well aware that there are good days and bad days of running. Friday was a great one. I did a 4 mile tempo run at an average 8:38/mile pace. But yesterday, my legs were wiped. Sure, I can blame it on the fact that my personal trainer kicked my bum last week with lunges, squats and all sorts of other leg exercises. And I did just run a marathon a couple of weeks ago. But mostly, I think it was mental. I just didn’t want to run. My mind was elsewhere. Probably on the big patio project I had looming. And maybe on the work trips I am going on this coming week. But quite simply, I just sabotaged my own run through negative thoughts and a lazy attitude.

And with the Mini next week, you might think that having a very painful 3 mile run would concern me…but I actually feel ok. I’ve been at this long enough to know that sometimes you can do everything right and feel awful, or everything wrong and feel great. It was just one bad run. And luckily (knock on wood) I have never had a bad “running day” on race day. Let’s hope I can say the same after Saturday.