In celebration of a new RoadID.

Here's the code so you can get $1 off your own RoadID order:  ThanksWendy779567

This is essentially free shipping!

New shorts!

Chatted with the guy ringing me up and distracted him to the point that he gave me 20% off the whole thing (two pairs of shorts), instead of the single item listed on the coupon!  Woo!

I got a size up from a pair I own (boo!  But it will make me feel more confident running on the streets- or with a local running club I may join- if I have nice-fitting, no muffin-top-y shorts).  They are Nike and have a pseudo-compression boy short (not just bun cover lining) inside.  I also picked up the Nike Pro compression shorts in black with a long, 7" inseam (and a larger size).  I have the bun shorts in red for under my tights and hiking pants- I use them exclusively as running UNDERpants (am no Kara Goucher) and love the fit and feel.*  Gear-related, too: purchased updated RoadID, with husband's info (new) and on a shoe pouch!

Anyway, 400 calories in 43 minutes felt easy today.  I may have to drop down to 40 minutes and see how I do tomorrow!

As a side note, some of this audience may be aware that after nine years of vegetarianism, I have become entirely vegan in my dietary choices as of this year (while working on the rest).  So far, I feel great!  I can get comparable protein and calcium to cow's milk from soy, almond, or rice milk; seitan has a whopping 22 grams of protein per serving (and I love it!), etc.  I'm eating almost all my own cooking and preparing everything from scratch, whole food style.  We keep Boca burgers and fake nuggets on hand in case there's no time to cook, but at least 80% of what I eat is my own cooking (or fruits, veggies, nuts, etc.).  Here was my post-run snack/meal:

 
A half cup of oatmeal (dry), made with water in the microwave.  Before I nuked it, I tossed in a handful of frozen strawberries and a tablespoon-ish of chia seeds, which are supposed to be awesome for you.  I munched on some raw almonds while it cooked.  Should be around 430 calories (ha!) and about 10 g. protein, plus some much-needed fat (crucial for injury prevention, I read).  Pretty good, no?  It took my gross calorie intake today to just under 1800, netting me about 1400, which is in the healthy zone!

*I can link to these, I think, if anyone wants me to.  Or photograph myself in them?

Am genius!

Why, yes, that IS a PBR tallboy can koozie (nicked from Whackadoo's) keeping the water in my Nathan bottle fresh and cold!  Why, yes, it ALSO kept said bottle from rattling in the beloved T-mill's bottle holders!

I did 400 calories in 43 minutes tonight (and Saturday: I skipped yesterday afraid of the storm and power outages.  I had wonderful and horrifying visions of flying backward off a suddenly dead, but beloved, T-mill into a suddenly dark garage full of ghoulies).  It looks weird to put it that way, but the weight loss program is better designed than the other programs on the machine, and it usually evens out to about 2.8 - 3.1 mi., which is my lower limit for a run, anyway.

Anyway, it was lovely both times.  I spent slightly less than half the time actually running (jogging?  trotting?), rather than walking quickly.  It feels better to run than walk, and better to run faster (though I can't go as fast for as long) since it seems to be a more fluid motion.  Am proud of myself (though mostly about the koozie).

And again!

Same routine.  How is it possible to feel like tonight was simultaneously easier (breathing controlled, better posture, more run than walk, less pain) and harder (low energy)?  Am taking tomorrow off to ponder.  Will return on Saturday with a time of 43:00!  Upping the tempo!

Have made tentative friends with the ghoulies in the garage.  There's a white spider that hasn't moved in several days and it comforts me to know it's probably dead.  Tonight, a moth and a lightning bug kept me company while hanging out on the door frame.

I have a route in the neighborhood planned, but this week was a fitness trial of sorts (rather crap out on the treadmill or re-sprain the ankle in the garage than miles from home).  Look for a new mapmyrun after I achieve said new route.  Or I'll just run my old routes at my mother's.

I did it again!

400 calories burned (according to the beloved T-mill, and it never lies), roughly 3 miles covered in 45 minutes.  Probably about 5-7 minutes of actual running, 10 on warm up and cool down, so 30 minutes of power walking achieved. 

Part of me is proud for slogging it out on the treadmill in oppressive heat and humidity amongst the spiders for two nights in a row.  The rest of me is kind of disgusted at how far the mighty Wendy has fallen (and peeved that the 15 lb. has not magically and instantly disappeared). 

This is me on the Sunday of the Cleveland Marathon this year.  I will drink my coffee from this mug daily until I fit in those shorts again (assuming they don't sell at the yard sale, which is fourth of July weekend!  Come and buy all our stuff!).  Click for the super mug detail.

I did it!

I have "run" tonight!  I did the calorie-counter/weight loss function on the T-mill (roughly 3 miles over 45 minutes, so a lot of power-walking with some jogging mixed in), and I feel good (ankle appears to have healed- details below)!  I have been lax about running and swimming since about this time last year and am now lethargic, pudgy, and stressed.  Some of these things have other roots, but running will help ALL of them.

Here are the sources of the 15 lb. weight gain:
-got fired
-got engaged
-started new medication (is it too ew to mention that it's birth control known for causing minor weight gain?)
-started new (!) job, teaching high school (joyfully and maddeningly stressful)
-got married
-rescued a kitten (not really a factor, but she's super-cute!)
-moved to another county
-planned a wedding
-nursed desperately ill (with pneumonia) husband back to health
-got desperately ill with pneumonia
-sprained ankle and broke toe in April


Am taking June off and am back on track for my goals of shedding the dreaded weight (and lethargy, and complaints about said weight- it bugs the Writer).  I'm going to think about running the Columbus half (mid-October) and have the weight off by then.  I'll be going off this particular birth control at the end of the summer, and will try to have my mileage up to 20-25 mi./week by school starting (mid-August).

I leave you with a kitten:

race report: covered bridges half marathon

Date/Time: June 6, 2010, 10:15 a.m.
Weather: 60ish and raining hard
Distance: 13.1 miles
Net Time: 2:05:55
Pace: 9:37/mile
Gun Time: 2:07:45 <- Got stuck behind hordes of people and a *car* at the start
Age Group: 118/186
Overall: 1121/1771

Just realized that my watch didn't save my mile splits. All I remember are:

Mile 1: 10:23
Mile 8: 10:15 (because of the big hill)
Mile 13.1: 9:20

My fastest mile split was 9:01. There were a few close to 9:30 and a few close to 9:45 as well.

What a gorgeous race course! In spite of the pouring rain, I enjoyed scooting around the Vermont countryside, through covered bridges and past little children in galoshes. I highly recommend making a weekend of it, and would love to see more of Vermont next time I run the race. I also ended up a walking cartoon, as I was freezing after the finish, shirt procurement, food procurement, beer procurement, and walk to the car (all in the rain). I put on the footie pajamas that were in the back of my car along with my rainboots. The Cabot Creamery store customers must have thought they were hallucinating.

Krista, who graciously came up to cheer for me, explored Woodstock, Quechee, and Hanover with me yesterday. We unintentionally drove most of the race course, which made me laugh when I ran it today. We also bought lots of local goods (wooden spoons, lavender mint shea butter, cheese, jam, and ice cream), then finished the day with pasta at Salubre Trattoria and a walk around Dartmouth's campus.

What I Thought of the Race:
1) Needs more organization and support with respect to parking / leaving. Not enough volunteers understood what was going on, and it took forever to leave because no one was directing traffic in the parking lot.
2) The crowd support was decent (great where it was, but definitely dispersed).
3) The electrolytes at the water stops tasted funny.
4) Having a clock at every single mile marker was great.
5) The musical accompaniment would be better if they were more "pump you up" songs (think "Eye of the Tiger" or "Panama" instead of "You Are My Sunshine).
6) Post-race Harpoon IPA is delicious.
7) Post-race traffic is the opposite of delicious.

Things to Note for Next Year:
1) Getting a hotel in White River Junction is ok--it's an easy drive to Quechee Gorge Village.
2) Get dropped off at the start, especially if it's raining. Taking the bus at 8:30 a.m. only to wait from 8:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. sucked.
3) Realize that the parking lot is a half mile uphill from the finish instead of getting lost and wailing in a hypothermic way.
4) Always pack an extra hat, plastic grocery bags (for shoes) trash bag in your running bag.
5) Make sure your running bag is waterproof.
6) The drive up from Boston takes 2.5 hours (in the sun on a Saturday). The drive back takes about 4 hours (in the rain on a Sunday).