solar squirrel

Yesterday afternoon (4pm) I’m staring at my computer screen trying to figure out the SRU code that I generated for the DSP that I’m working with.  It is super exciting, let me tell you - and Marcus sametime’s me (sametime is like an instant messenger).  He tells me about this Hermes race that is going on for Cinco de Mayo at the Blind Pig downtown.  It looked fun - there was no predefined ‘course’ because it was like a scavenger hunt, and you had a ‘green card’ that you had to take with you to different checkpoints.  The person who got to all of the checkpoints the fastest was the winner.  It started at 7pm and we still had time to register, so we decided to leave work and meet there.

I registered us and got our map and our ‘green card’.  There were 3 checkpoints - to get to all of them and return back to Blind Pig was about a 4 mile run.  At each of the checkpoints you had the choice of either doing a shot, drinking a beer, or doing a Mexican hat dance (wtf is a Mexican hat dance??).  At 7pm they lined everyone up and then let a new team start every 10 seconds.  When we were up Marcus takes off at like a 6:30 pace (I was wearing my Garmin) towards the first checkpoint - “Tower 230″, I think it was named.  Marcus thought he knew where it was, but as we ran past some people sitting outside they were like “where’s your stuff?”…eventually we realized that we had passed wherever it was we were supposed to go - and we ran back - it took us a while to find the place, but we finally did and when we got there - without even thinking - we each did a shot of tequila.  Yea.  BAD MOVE on my part.  My stomach was burning as we raced out and headed towards checkpoint #2, The Clevelander.  (Did I mention that we  each got a fake mustache at checkpoint #1 - we must have looked SO RIDICULOUS!!!) We FLY there - go in and I basically KNOW that I will throw up if I do another shot or drink beer - so I’m like “I don’t drink” and they put this sombrero on me and give me some maracas and made me to a “Mexican Hat Dance” for 30 sec.  Omg - I am so sure I looked like a complete freak!!  I was wearing pink running shorts and a sombrero (and a fake mustache that I stuck to my shirt so it wouldn’t fall off) - need I say more?  Hell no.  Marcus does the shot - probably because he realized how ridiculous I looked and didn’t want to do the same!  Checkpoint 3 didn’t require drinking but we got a sombrero to carry back with us to prove we were there.  We hauled back to the Blind Pig and were greeted at the finish line with, of course, a Corona!  Ha!  I just wanted some water!! 

It was actually really fun now that I am writing about it - but my stomach felt awful.  Both of us were just like - uuuuggggghhhh.  The Spazmatics (sp?) were playing and it was a pretty cool time!  We stayed for another beer (and I asked a midget for a lime!!) and then headed out at about 10 pm. 

When I got home I took 2 tums and went to bed.  Tequila shots and road racing seriously do not mix.

We got 1st, 2nd, and 3rd!  Way to REPRESENT ladies!

Today was my first attempt at a duathlon.  I’ve done triathlons, of course, so I wasn’t too worried about dying, but I was not sure how hard I should go out on the first 5k.  Of course Elizabeth was going to go all out on the first 5k so I couldn’t run with her…and Janet wasn’t feeling quite up to par since she went to a wedding last night and was hung over…I was on my own.  I didn’t realize the race was starting when it did, so I didn’t even have my watch on - luckily the first mile I ran with Nick and he told me we were a bit under 7-min pace (I think 6:50).  A little after the first mile I pulled away from Nick and just tried to keep a good pace that felt decent.  I forgot how fast a 5k is over, before you know it the transition area was in site.  I finished the 5k in 20-something…I honestly don’t remember what the girl said(I think it was 20:20)!  I felt good, though, and Elizabeth was just getting ready to head out on her bike.  I screamed to her that I was going to catch her and these 2 old people who were watching laughed at me.  (For those who don’t know, if I ever get the chance to see Elizabeth in the transition area I always tell her I’m going to catch her…she’s always ahead of me, but sometimes I can catch her on the bike).

I did end up catching Elizabeth (and Todd) on the bike course.  (Todd was having bike issues…)  Going into the 2nd 5k my legs just felt like they were sooooo heavy.  It’s the weirdest feeling to run after biking - your legs just don’t work right.  I have no clue how fast my 2nd 5k was, but it was good enough to get me first female overall and I even passed a few guys on the run!  Woo hoo!  The one guy I was running with for a little while had passed me at the very beginning of the run and I caught him on the last mile and I was like “come on, we only have a mile left!”  he stayed with me for about 30 sec. and then fell back.  He was breathing pretty hard.  All in all a great race.  I felt pretty good the whole time and the best part was that me, Elizabeth, and Janet were the first 3 females!

This morning I was going to add the summer buckeye 50k to my race schedule.  The last time I tried to add it I couldn’t find the date for it.  Well, the summer site has been updated and they have the date posted - it’s the same day as the winking lizard 4-mile and the day before the off-road triathlon!  Darn it!!!!  So…now I’m torn.  I don’t know what to do - obviously there is no way that I’m going to be able to do all 3.  I mean, even doing Winking Lizard was going to be tough with a race the next day since I like to hang out at the street party and drink afterwards.  (The 4-mile run is not the problem…)  I promised Joe that I would do the off-road tri.  Plus, it just seems like it would be cool.

I guess I’m just going to have to think about this.  I refuse to miss the Winking Lizard run.  It is fun and lots of my friends who aren’t ‘runners’ do it.  I have done it every year since it started and I want to keep it that way.  So I guess that means that I’m just going to have to be a cheerleader for the summer buckeye 50k.  I’m going to be the BEST cheerleader EVER!  Actually…this may work to my advantage…the winter buckeye 50k was freezing cold so all of the guys had their shirts on - I bet during the summer one I’ll get to see lots of skin - BRING IT - (can we have small print on the registration form that says guys with big guts must keep their shirts on?)

I’M KIDDING!

So week 3 is almost over in my 6-week effort to watch my nutrition in hopes of getting faster.  The good news:  I’ve managed to drop about 5 lbs. so far.  The bad news: I’m NOT faster, and I look EXACTLY the same!!!!  What’s up with that?  I guess another good thing is that I really don’t have any desire to change my eating habits, so that’s good.  Blah.

Here’s last week’s training summary:

Mon: Run at lunch 4.5 miles.  45 min. bike class after work
Tue:  ugh…meetings ALL day so I couldn’t do anything at lunch - Roller-blading w/ Katy in Independence after work ~1hr.
Wed:  Run at lunch ~5 miles
Thurs: Run at lunch 6 mile route easy pace w/ Marina
Fri: Cycling class at lunch
Sat: rest
Sun: bike 18, trail run 8.

Weekly totals:
Run: 23.5 miles
Bike: 38 miles
swim: 0
other: rollerblading 1 hr.

Sunday is the duathlon.  I have absolutely no clue how I’ll do.  OMG…I am watching The Office and it’s an episode about a flasher - I am laughing SO HARD - it is seriously the dumbest show ever.  I absolutely love it.