solar squirrel

Where to start?  How about a random fact:  15 years ago today I was just finishing up my 2nd week in USMC bootcamp.  I remember it because it was Father’s day and a Sunday and it was our first trip as a platoon to church.  I remember standing in formation outside waiting to go into the church - deathly hot and sweaty and miserable - and having a realization.  I was only 17, but at that moment in time it had never dawned on me that there were unhappy, suffering people in the world.  That at that moment, there was someone else who was feeling just as miserable as me somewhere else in the world.  It’s hard to explain, but until then I never realized that there could be people suffering or dealing with a tough situation in which they couldn’t immediately resolve.  It was strange, and after that day I never went back to church on Sundays.  I preferred to stay in our barracks and write letters to my family and friends.  (You couldn’t do both - you had to choose what you would do with your free time on Sunday if you even got any).

Jump to today.  If you haven’t heard, I am going to have a baby.  The Dr. estimates that the due date is 11/14.  I’m hoping for 11/11/11, which would be pretty cool.  So as of right now I’m about 4 months along.  When I first found out I felt really trapped and scared and sad and mad and a few other emotions that I don’t even know how to explain.  It was a weird feeling similar to the feeling I had when I was back in bootcamp.  Like a weird realization / emotion / feeling that I had never felt before.  How selfish, right?  There are so many people who spend YEARS trying to have a child of their own…spend thousands of dollars and countless trips to specialists only to never succeed.  And there I was, mad because I wasn’t going to be able to finish training for my marathon, scared because I have no clue about babies or pregnancy, irritated because I was going to get FAT, annoyed because I would no longer have control of my LIFE or my MONEY or my TIME!  UGH!  I cried a bit the first few weeks.  I didn’t want to tell ANYONE.  (Obviously, Todd knew about 2 min after I knew - actually, I was in denial and thought the at-home test was wrong so I went to the Dr. that same day to confirm) [SIDE NOTE:  Why do people tell you congratulations?  It made me feel uncomfortable...even when I bought the take-home test at the grocery store the girl was like 'oh!  you think you might be expecting?!  good luck!']

So why, you ask, did I choose to keep the baby?  Well, the thought never crossed my mind until someone else brought it up.  I hadn’t even considered it an option.  Actually, I don’t think it is an option.  I have managed to snag a pretty evolutionarily fit guy if you hadn’t noticed.  And I am 32 now.  (I know, I know, I’m 29, but let’s be real for just a second)  And I am finished with my MBA.  And Todd has a stable job and is capable of supporting the 2 of us even if I didn’t work.  And we’ve been together over 5 years now.  I guess if I was ever going to have a baby the timing is actually perfect.  Added bonus was that I had managed to lose 12 lbs. and was the fittest I’ve been since USMC bootcamp.  So, I decided that everything happens for a reason and that this was just my time.

My weight gain so far is atrocious.  I’ve gained about 15 lbs already, which is NOT normal.  It’s because my activity level has plummeted and my eating has not changed.  I can’t help it - I’m constantly starving!  (Un)luckily I didn’t have any morning sickness.  There was a stretch of about 4 days where I felt pretty bad, but other than that I didn’t skip a single meal!  In fact, for the first 2 months I was eating multiple lunches and dinners.  At 13-weeks - my 1st Dr. apt. - I had already gained 10 lbs!  I guess this is what I get for making fun of fat people my entire life.

And let me also state that my friends who have recently had children are THE BEST!  I’ve gotten clothes and books and advice that is invaluable!  It’s especially helpful that these girls are marathon runners and triathletes.  They can give me advice on staying active and getting back into shape and anything pregnancy and baby related.

My running hasn’t been going very well.  I’ve only been managing one or two days a week at most.  The main reason I haven’t been going more often is because I’m just so tired all the time!  I think I might need to start running in the am when I have more energy.  By the end of the day I’m just exhausted and don’t want to do anything.  Luckily I’ve been sticking with my workouts w/ Larry.  We are still doing 2 days a week.  This is keeping me sane.  Todd and I also started biking on the towpath.  I go really slow and we don’t go far, but it’s fun.  I did go running today and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  I can still go a lot faster than most of the joggers on the multi-purpose trail (which isn’t saying much).  And I have enough endurance to run for an hour.  (I think I’m going to limit myself to around an hour of running until after the baby).

I’ll have to do a separate post to recap my race in Fargo, but it was pretty fun.  I finished in 2 hours and 14 seconds.  If I wouldn’t have stopped so many times to pee I would have been well under 2 hours.  I felt good the whole time, but definitely don’t want to do another half marathon while pregnant.  Even though my stomach isn’t that big and I don’t look really look like I’m pregnant, I sure FEEL like it.  I get out of breath WALKING up hills I used to do sprint repeats on.  When I’m running a 9-min pace it feels as difficult as a 7-min pace used to feel.  Looking back that’s what was wrong w/ me at the St. Malachi race (see my previous post).  I felt heavy and couldn’t breathe.  IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW IS A 9 - 10 MIN PACE MILER AND WOULD LIKE SOME COMPANY PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!  I COULD SURE USE SOME COMPANY THESE DAYS!

So that’s the story, kids.  I’ll try to post more often.  (I know, I know, this time I mean it Brian!!!)

And I’ll leave you with a photo.  This was taken today, so it’s the most recent insight into my new look - enjoy!

18 weeks and counting!

I had a few rough weeks there while I was sick.  Even though I took an entire week off from running, I was still dealing w/ a dumb stuffed up nose which caused my outdoor running to be quite miserable since I was not able to breathe normally.  The past two weeks have definitely been better and I think I’m finally back on track. Here’s an overview of the past 2 weekend’s races:

Youngstown Half Marathon Recap

Went into this feeling pretty good.  I had a goal of repeating my best time on this course (1:45:38 / 8:04 pace), which I did back in 2008, before my IT band injury.  The conditions were ok, but not great - there was a lot of snow / slush / ice.  It wasn’t too bad, though.  I guess I’m just getting used to wet, slippery running!  Several of my friends were at this race, and Todd decided to tag along too.  It sure makes it fun when tons of your friends are doing a race - esp. when they are all so fast!

Lining up at the start I turned on my Garmin and of course I got a warning that I had a low battery!  Argh!  Oh, well - I saw a few of my friends and figured I could try to just run with them to keep my pace.  The signal to start was given and we were off.  I decided that I would focus on just doing an 8-min pace or feeling comfortable, no faster.  This strategy works well for me.  I was running relaxed and not pushing it too much.  The mile markers were completely off.  When my Garmin said we were at mile 4 the race mile marker said 3.  It went like this basically until the last couple miles.  The markers were a mile off the entire time!  I double checked w/ several people around me and they had the same error.  I just kept running with the same few people, back and forth.  The up-hills they would get in front of me, and on the flats and downhills I would catch back up.  (I have def. not been focusing on hills as part of my training).  The miles ticked off pretty easily and around mile 10 this girl tried to take me on an uphill.  I still had plenty of energy, so I didn’t let her pass me and I picked up the pace a little to create more of a distance between us.  At this point there was a girl in teal that I had been watching the whole race.  I decided I wanted to pass her.  I caught up to her and ran w/ her a little bit.  The end of this race is just mean.  It’s a lot of uphill, so I just stayed with her for the climbs and tried to get a lead during the flats/downs.  About a mile left I think I finally lost her.  I felt awesome and had plenty of energy at the end - which is good because the end is uphill too!  Finished with a PR for this course with a time of 1:43:12 / 7:53 pace.  Over 2 min faster than my best time!  I got 2nd in my age group - which is funny because the 3rd, 4th, and 5th girls were all behind me by only a few seconds.  My finishing kick paid off

Here are the splits from my Garmin:
mile 1:  7:48
mile 2:  7:44
mile 3:  7:27
mile 4:  7:52
mile 5:  7:31
mile 6:  7:47
mile 7:  7:51
mile 8:  7:44
mile 9:  7:51
mile 10:  8:08
mile 11:  7:53
mile 12:  7:36
mile 13:  7:48
Finishing Time:  1:43:12
2nd place in my Age Group

This weekend was St. Malachi, which I haven’t done for several years.  I think the last time I did it was in 2008.  I didn’t realize it, but my time this year was only 1 second slower than my time in 2008.  That’s hilarious!  I was pretty disappointed with this year’s results, not because of the time, but because of how I felt.  I had nothing left.  The first 3 miles were good, and then I just fizzled out.  I guess I don’t know how to run a 5-mile race.  I think maybe I started off too fast…not sure, but I just felt really heavy and tired.  I don’t like the new course.  I liked it better before when you got to go over the bridge and you finished on an uphill.  The footing was terrible - pot holes everywhere and ice patches.  All of my friends did AMAZING, though.  I can’t believe how fast everyone is getting…it’s pretty awesome.  I finished w/ a time of 35:16/7:03 pace.

Other than running I’ve been really keeping busy at work.  Things are moving so fast and sometimes I can’t keep track of everything that is going on.  I have to write everything down and make notes for myself or I will completely forget something.  I have a calendar that I write in and I’ve started to rely on it to remind me of different appointments and meetings that I have in addition to using it to keep track of my to do list, which has grown beyond manageable.  Thank goodness for running or I would be such a stressed out psycho mess!

Another thing that has helped w/ the stress relief is our hot tub.  I am still in love with it and go in it almost daily.

Todd hot-tubbing it!

It sure makes going out in this freezing, messy crap a lot easier when I know that when I’m done I can get warmed up and stretched out.  Of course, anyone who is willing to brave the elements and run with me gets the hot tub privilege  too!

Gonna try to post more often (at least weekly).  I feel like I have so many neat things to share (like tons of updates about the reef tanks!!!!!!), but not enough time.  Ughhhh….I’ll keep trying.

Quick pic before heading out for the evening - notice my crimped hair!!

Today finishes up my 2nd week of marathon training for my 16-week program which ultimately will end with me getting a PR at the Fargo Marathon on 5/21. My goal is to do Fargo in 3:30 or better and I am confident that by following a training program I will have no problem doing just that! I have been reading ‘The Competitive Runner’s Handbook‘ on my new Kindle (thanks, Todd!) and using one of the training programs from it.  Bridget is also doing this same program.  It’s more mileage that I’ve ever done - which I think is a good thing.  Most of the runs are at an easier pace, which makes them more do-able.  I’m targeting 5 days a week running, plus my 2 days a week with Larry as well as fitting in swimming and spinning whenever possible and bootcamp once per week.  It’s not easy, especially with the snow and frigid temps we’ve been having.  I hate, hate HATE the treadmill, but I’ve had to resort to using it for several of my runs during the week.  I’m fortunate enough to have Lifetime Fitness right down the street from work which definitely makes it easier.  Still, it’s really tough to do well at training, friends, relationship, work, and family.  Something has to give.  I wish I could do it all, but I don’t know if it’s possible.  Add to that the fact that 2+ hours of my day are spend driving and it makes my days so tight on time.  I guess you just have to decide what your priorities are and go from there.  Which sucks if things are all high on the priority list.  Maybe I should think of my life as an operating system and I’m the processor…only one task can have me at once…unless you’re talking parallel processing, which is getting too nerdy for a blog post about marathon training. ;)  [Nerdy friends, feel free to comment on this one!]

When I don’t have the motivation to get my workout in I think about my awesome friends who are doing it - some of them with husbands and children AND jobs and I stop feeling sorry for myself and suck it up (cupcake).

Here is how the past 2 weeks have played out:

Week 1:
Mon - bootcamp
Tue - 8 * 2-min of 7:00 pace.  1-min recovery (6 miles total) [TREADMILL]
Wed - 6.5 miles easy [SAND RUN PARK]
Thurs - 5 miles trails w/ CRTR
Fri - 5 miles [TREADMILL]
Sat - 4.5 miles [SAND RUN PARK] sucked - too snowy, bad grip. & 1-hour workout w/ Larry
Sun - 15 miles 8:17 pace

Week 2:
Mon:  2 easy miles & Zumba Class (1 hour)
Tue:  5 long hill repeats 2 miles warmup and 2 miles cooldown. [GARFIELD RES]
Wed:  PT w/ Larry (wanted to run…ran out of time)
Thurs:  5 miles w/ CRTR on trails
Fri:  9 miles [SAND RUN PARK]
Sat:  1 hour with Larry & 6 miles @ 8:47 pace (felt tired)
Sun:  13 miles @ 8:15 pace [RIVERVIEW RD]

In other news we decided last minute to go to Mega 80’s this past Friday and had a blast (even though the band wasn’t very good).  Highlights of the evening included me screaming at the top of my lungs that the band sucked and booing at them (!!) then acting like every song was my FAVORITE song and freaking out - everyone was laughing at me and people were staring…oh boy…, getting photos with the back of some bald guy’s head, crashing a 21-year old guy’s B-day party and riding in their limo, pigging out at Paninini’s after a night of dancing and then crashing at our $39 hotel room downtown.

For some reason I really liked this guy's head!

Morning of marathon - quick picture before heading to shuttles

I have just a few min to post a quick summary of how the race weekend went.  I’ll try to get a longer post in (mostly for my own sanity to try and figure out what the heck went wrong) later on in the week when I have more time.

Some background:  I ran towpath in October 2010 and had terrible stomach issues, but still managed to get a very slight PR.  (Ran a 3:37 - took about a minute off of my best marathon time).  I figured why not try again and see what I can do at a race where I don’t have stomach issues.  I was going to do Boston, but it sold out too quickly.  Then I was going to do the Winter Run for Regis 50k - but that ALSO sold out before I could get registered.  I wasn’t planning on doing AZ, but Brittany out of nowhere sends me an email asking me if I want to do a marathon.  We on a whim and in the matter of about 20 min. decided to sign up for Arizona Rock n’ Roll Marathon.

The training program that I used was already too long for me to start from the beginning (mistake #1) so I just skipped ahead to make it fit where I was time-wize.  Oh - and then there is the little problem of me only running AT MOST 3 times per week.  I think the highest mileage week I had was when I did my 20-miler.  I hit 31 miles that week, I believe.  The rest of my training (running-wize) was definitely sub-par.  NOTE TO SELF - THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR RUNNING WHEN TRAINING FOR A MARATHON!!!!!!

Day of the race I was feeling good.  I had energy and didn’t anticipate any stomach issues.  I started off not even looking at my watch, just running on feel to make sure that an 8-min pace was comfortable.  It was, and I was averaging around 7:54 for every mile and feeling good.  Breathing was relaxed and the pace felt easy.  I think I drank too much water before the race started and so around mile 9 I stopped to use the bathroom.  At this point I was ahead of the 3:30 pace group, but by the time I was out of the bathroom they had gotten in front of me - but only by about a minute or 2.  HERE IS WHERE I MADE BIG MISTAKE #2 - I tried to catch up to them.  I thought it would be easy because they weren’t too far ahead.  Well - that was super super SUPER dumb.  Even though I only picked it up a little bit, I think I messed myself up.  I had about 2.5 miles where I went a little faster than I should have.  I think the times were 7:22 and 7:12.  I caught 3:30 pacer around mile 12.  I stuck with them until 18 and then I slowly started to fade farther and farther away.  By mile 20 I decided that I would just try to keep a steady pace on my own and gave up on a 3:30.

Here is where it ALL fell apart.  My back was KILLING ME.  Lower back hurt so bad and the pain was radiating around to my lower abs as well.  I have no idea what was wrong, but the pain was insane.  I didn’t even realize it, but I started to walk.  Then I stopped and bent over to try to stretch.  I probably stopped about 10 to 15 times between miles 20 and the finish.  Around mile 23 I was SOOOOO tired - I stopped to get water and stretch and I was so out of it that I threw my used cup in what I thought was the garbage - but then when I got a concerned look from the volunteer I realized that I had accidentally thrown it in their clean water that they were using to fill the cups!  Ooops!  I apologized and told them I was really tired.  They were nice about it at least.

I think the lowest part of the race was mile 25 where I thought either my toenail fell off or the top of my toe just decided to come off of my foot.  It was the most intense sharp pain ever!!  It stopped me to the point where I couldn’t even walk right.  I sat down on the side of the road and took off my shoe and sock, expecting to see a ripped off toenail - but it was just a giant blister that had popped.  (sick, I know).  At this point the 3:40 pace group had already passed me and I didn’t care what my time was - I just wanted to be DONE.  I was thinking I probably wasn’t that far off from Bridget, so I would just sit there and wait for her and we could finish together.  Well - I sat there for a while…watching all these people pass by.  Then I guess I had a moment of realization [HELLO YOU ARE AT MILE 25!!!!!!!] and picked my sad self up and hobbled for a bit and then just gritted my teeth and squeaked out probably the slowest mile of my life to finish with a chip time of 3:46.  BLAH.

I told myself at mile 22 or 23 that I would never do another marathon again.  Well - I think that this has now turned into a challenge.  I am frustrated and mad and DETERMINED.  I am going to get a PR this year.  I am going to actually train and do some high mileage and get the time that I am capable of getting.  I will do that in 2011.  No more fooling around.

I had SUCH a great time with Brittany and Bridget.  I think the only way we could have had a better time is if we would have all done great at the race.  We had so much fun laughing at ourselves and commiserating, though.  We all had bad races, which made it easier to accept.

I now have focus and determination, which I didn’t quite have before.  I’m excited to see what I can do!

Posing like a freak at my Halloween / Birthday party (this was right before getting in the hot tub)

I cannot believe how quickly time is flying by!  My last post was over a month ago.  I’ve managed to steal some time away from everything to write some long-due updates.  Here is a brief summary of the past month:

Running:

• Took 2nd overall female team at Akron Roadrunner Marathon with my sweet F^5 Team.  (Five Fast Femme-Fatale Freaks!)  I got my award in the mail the other day - sweet!!
• Ran a PR at towpath marathon despite having AWFUL stomach issues and stopping 4 different times for the bathroom (one of the times I even waited).  Todd was SO AWESOME and ran with me and even waited for me at the bathrooms.  He kept me going even though I felt horrible.  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful guy!!!  Averaged sub 8-min pace up to the last 4 miles.  Took 2nd in my age group with a time of 3:37.  I am bound and determined to break 3:30 next marathon I do.
• Signed up for Rock and Roll marathon in Phoenix, AZ.  (Shutout of Boston AND the winter Buckeye 50k and decided on a whim to do it w/ my girl pals Brittany and Bridget! - there is still room for one more girl if you are down for a fun weekend email me!!!!)
• Training-wise haven’t been doing much.  Going to start back strong to be ready for 1/16.  Will do separate post about marathon training.
• Other running races include Homerun for the Homeless (Thanksgiving day) and Fool’s 50k on 3/26.

Training:

• I’ve been very consistent with my workouts with Larry.  I have been working out with him for 30 min on Wed evenings and for an hour on Sat. am w/ Brittany (buddy sessions).  I am continuing to see incredible results.  My upper-body has never been this cut and my abs are starting to become more defined.  Now if I could just get that flab to go away on my butt!!  Larry promises me that we’ll get rid of it…I’m not holding my breath.
• I’ve only been able to make it to cycling class one day a week on average.  I’m hoping to try to increase this, but it’s really tough with my work load right now.  It’s probably time to break out the trainer…
• Swimming has been AWFUL (you reading this Brian???).  I’ve probably only managed to swim 2 or 3 times in the past month.  Not good.  Need to be more consistent, but when I swim at Mayfield I get home SO late…
• My eating has been out of control.  Literally.  I am amazed that I am not a 400 lb. giant.  Since towpath I’ve been lazier and way piggier.  I used my birthday as an excuse, but seriously - you can’t eat like a cow for a whole month and now I’ve got Thanksgiving and Christmas as an excuse.  I’m going to need to just get some self-control.

Life / Family / Work:

• Work is going well.  We have so much fun.  We’re starting to have our own lingo and mannerisms.  It’s so cool to see us evolve and become successful.  The highs have definitely been more frequent than the lows lately and it’s really awesome to be working doing what I’ve always wanted to do.  RENEWABLE ENERGY IS SO FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!
• Life in general is good.  Time feels like it’s going faster.  It’s weird.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that I’m so busy at work, but I can’t believe how fast time goes by…
• Our deck is finally done!  We built a 400 sq. ft. wooden deck in our backyard and it is AMAZING:

Looking down on the deck during Halloween Party

• Speaking of the Halloween party - here is a link to the photos.

I’m going to be keeping my blog more updated from now on, so stay tuned for more madness from the life of the Solar Squirrel!  (Which, by the way, I am now the proud owner of a mini solar squirrel!  Stay tuned for a blog post about it!!!)

I have hesitated to write this post, but I guess I shouldn’t put it off any longer.  I have day dreamed about this post…the day when I was able to confidently state that I was back to running.  Well - the time is here.  I am still dealing with meniscus pain, but it’s so mild and it doesn’t interfere with any activity so I’ve decided that I should make it official.  I AM BACK!

Today I ran the SARC Buckeye Half Marathon and felt awesome!  Set a new PR for myself for the half marathon - I believe the time was around 1:37.  I’ll post an official report as soon as I know the exact results.

Over a year ago, in July of 2009, I was training to do a fall marathon in 3:30.  During what should have been an easy 6 mile paced run, I had to stop and walk due to pain.  Here’s the post in case you’re interested.  That started an 8 month long journey through the first real injury I’ve ever had.  My recovery officially started in June, after I saw Dr. Keyes - who BY THE WAY IS A MIRACLE WORKER - and he fixed me up!  Since June I’ve been pretty conservative with my running, having done most of my runs around a 9-min or slower pace with the Smiths.  I really think this was key to my recovery going so well.  Running with them forced me to go slower than what felt ‘normal’ to me aerobically.  I think that this was instrumental for me not re-injuring myself.

Here’s my come back song from Scooter to make the event ‘official’.  Please listen to just the first 30 seconds of this song if you’ve never heard it.  Scooter is so freakin’ awesome!!!!!!!

Tribute to our fans - Tour 2006

I’ve slacked so much these past few months on my blog I just decided to make a post that covers the majority of what has been going on lately.  My running has slowly been getting better - not nearly where I was 2 years ago before the IT Band injury - but definitely getting there.  I’ve managed to lose about 10 lbs., too, thanks in part to running again and in part to my 2 days a week with Larry my personal torturer.  I haven’t been this small for a while and it’s GREAT!  My clothes are all loose and I’m feeling awesome during my training.  I just hope I can keep it up once winter comes.  (I think I will).

Quick break to just say that Dr. TIM KEYES IS THE BEST!!!  If it weren’t for going to him and getting ART (Active Release Technique) on my IT band who knows the shape I would be in right now.  Probably the fattest I’ve ever been and incredibly out of shape.  If you are having issues with your IT Band and you haven’t tried ART I highly recommend that you do!  I took 8 months off of running and thanks to Tim I am confident in saying that I am BACK!

Racing these past few months hasn’t been very consistent.  I ended up doing the Pirate Tri (sprint) at Lake Metroparks.  I realized that I just don’t want to spend the ridiculous amts. of $$ triathlons typically cost.  I may do Portage Lakes, but unless a triathlon is less than $50 chances are I probably won’t be doing it.  This past Thursday I did the Twilight Trail 8k sans my original ‘Two Trail Freaks’ team mate, Elizabeth.  Instead I ran on a team with Bridget and we decided to call ourselves ‘2 Slow 4 Elizabeth’ since - in reality I really am too slow to be on a team with her!!  Plus, that name is just hilarious.  I was less than 2 minutes slower than the last time I did the race.  I had a time of 38:42 this year.  In 2008 I had a 37:01.  I guess that’s not all that bad considering I took so long off of running and I felt pretty good during the race and had enough energy at the end to pass the two girls who were in front of me.  I really can’t wait to be back into better shape and be faster and have endurance.  It’s just going to take time, though…I’m just SO THANKFUL that I’m able to run again!!!

Today I ran the longest I’ve done in well over a year:  18 miles.  And it was HOTTTTTTT!!!  I ran with Bridget and Addy (Addy for the first 6 - she was in the Bob stroller while we pushed).  Let me just state for the record that I was a sweaty disgusting MESS!  I CANNOT believe how much sweat poured off of me today!  We are talking dripping off and drenched clothes.  I brought my insulated container filled with a gallon of ice water plus a water bottle filled with gatorade AND I DRANK ALL OF IT!!!  Yes - the entire gallon container and my water bottle!  And I was STILL thirsty afterwords!  Bridget and me ran together for almost the entire time and then when we got to 14 I just decided I wanted to be done so I picked it up a little.  I think my last 2 miles were the fastest of the entire 18, mainly due to the sheer fact that I just wanted to be done running and get out of my soaked, nasty clothes!  I’m definitely excited to have completed 18, though.  Because running is so mental this is a nice next step for me after so long without running.  I’m confident now that I am a runner again!

We are building a deck in the backyard.  It is coming along nicely and I can’t wait to have it completed and ready for lounging!  We’re planning on also getting a hot tub which I’ve pretty much wanted my whole life.  I am so excited for this winter to come now!  Running in the winter is just SOOOOO cold, and now after I’m done running I can look forward to sitting in a luxurious spa!  I think it will really help me stick with my running over the winter.  Oh, and PS:  If you run with me over the winter you are also more than welcome to come back to my place afterwords and go in with me!

Photo from Will and Kate’s wedding.  Brian had two dates because Sharon didn’t have a date and Todd was in Poland for work.  Lucky guy!!!

Me, Brian, and Sharon at Will and Kate's Wedding

Some progress shots of the deck.  Here is one of the earliest before we excavated half of the yard and drilled all of the post holes.  BTW, if you have rocks in your yard good luck using a power auger.  Doesn’t work very well and you have to do it the old fashioned way with a manual post hole digger.

2-person auger for drilling post holes

It was pretty neat when they delivered the stuff for the deck.  This guy brought a lift to haul the stuff down the driveway!  Awesome!

Getting materials delivered

It’s crazy how much we had to dig out!  Todd took the sledgehammer to two of the concrete stairs leading off the back porch.

Progress shot of holes and excavation

Holes dug and posts in place with concrete drying

Posts in, working on the beams then the joists!

Shot showing joists nailed together

Nailing the joists together with those stupid plates was terrible!  If we knew then what we know now we would have ordered different types of materials.  It takes forever to nail all the nails into those plates and it’s so annoying!  Me and Todd both got blisters from hammering so many freakin nails!

You’ll have to stay tuned for pictures of the finished deck…

Just a quick post to recap my week of trying to get back to being fit and a quick side note:

Has anyone else noticed a strange increase in the number of people holding cardboard signs standing on the side of the road (typically at an intersection where there is a stop light) begging for money / assistance?  Well, in Akron, where I live, I can tell you there has been an EXPONENTIAL INCREASE in people who are begging on the side of the road.  I’m not sure I believe most of them, though.  The one day I was driving in Cuyahoga Falls and I saw a younger girl and then about 1/2 mile later on the same road a younger guy.  Seriously?  They were probably around 19 - 22 at the oldest.  Dude!!!  You are young and strong!!!  Go get a job as a server or landscaper!  The money is great and it’s fun work!!  Then there are the more pathetic-looking one’s who stand down by where we live in the valley.  There are 2 or 3 different people who stand in the same place at the intersection where Merriman crosses with Portage Path.  The one guy does look pretty pathetic - but he looks strong - like he could definitely do some type of manual labor job if he was REALLY desperate.  The thing is - I don’t think these people actually WANT a job.  I think that they are just happy standing on the side of the road with their crumply cardboard sign and waiting for someone to give them money.  Argh…I don’t like to give them money, though, even though I feel bad for them.  I want to help them find a job or give them food or talk to them or listen, but I don’t know if it makes sense to give them money. 

Here’s something else:  have you noticed that they are only there in the spring / summer?  I have.  I don’t ever remember seeing them in the winter - or on any crappy-weather day for that matter.  I don’t know…I just thought I would put the statement out there and see if this was happening anywhere else other than by me.

Here’s a recap of the week’s training:

Monday: Bike 1 hour
Tuesday: Rest (gonna get to the track not this Tue but next!!!)
Wednesday: Bike 1 hour
Thursday: Run ~7 miles on trails 9:30 pace
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 1 hour workout w/ Larry the torturer
Sunday: 10 mile easy run w/ Bridget, Addy, and Steve

Going to hit the pool this week!!!!!!!

I’ve been trying to post on Sundays since it seems like the day that I have time and don’t mind sitting down in front of the computer.  I just realized that I don’t have anything really exciting to write about - but here’s a recap of the high’s (and low’s) of the week:

• Thursday:  Went to see Dr. Keyes and he told me that my knee was feeling really good and that I should go ahead and start increasing my running / training.  This was news that was skeptically received by me since I’m going on a full year of being injured, but it was exciting nonetheless! 
• Friday:  Went out with Brittany for dinner and drinks sort of as a ‘last single girls night out’ since she’s getting married in 2 weeks.  Had a great time - went to Lola’s for the first time (for dinner - I”ve been there for drinks before) and had an AWESOME meal.  We finished the evening at this Chocolate Bar where we both ordered ice cream concoctions larger than our heads, justifying it by stating that we would just burn it off during our personal training session the next day.
• Saturday:  At 9 am I had my weekly hour-long personal training session with Larry - a.k.a. my personal torturer.  He decided to have us do a pyramid of sprints with arm exercises in between. (Among some other fun torture exercises).  I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest and Brittany sort of turned white and almost barfed.  We were both DRENCHED with sweat when we were done, but of course that didn’t stop us from going to get breakfast!  The rest of the day Saturday I hung out with my mom and sisters and we made dinner and watched The Brave Little Toaster and sung along with the songs and argued about which appliance was who.  It was fun.  For the record I am not the freakin’ vacuum cleaner!  And Gretchen is DEFINITELY the blankey.
• Sunday:  Today Todd and I met Steve and Bridget at Boston Store for an easy 9 mile run.  They brought Addy in the Bob stroller and we took turns pushing her while we ran.  I found that for some strange reason my IT band didn’t act up as much while I was pushing the stroller and the only thing I can think is that it has to do with me not flailing my arm as much.  (Since I was holding onto the stroller it kept that side of my body more stable).  So - open invitation for anyone who has a running stroller:  I’ll run with you and push!  (Disclaimer:  must be flat terrain).  It was a good time and we managed to maintain a pace a lot faster than 10-min miles, which was the goal (I think we were at 9:40??)When Todd and I got home we were welcomed with a super nice surprise! (Not!!!)  Our 110 Gallon Reef Tank had decided to start leaking again (Todd sealed the leak when we first got the tank…) and Todd ended up spending about 6 hours (he’s still working right now) removing ALL of the fragile corals, live rock, snails, invertabrates, and fish to other temporary storage locations as well as draining the tank.  It is seriously my worst nightmare.  At least it was a slow leak and it happened on a Sunday when we were both home and had the time to figure out several temporary storage spots and get everyone moved safely.  I would say we had about 45-50 different animals total in that tank, possibly more.  Worth several thousands of dollars, by the way.  (No, that is NOT an exaggeration.)  Not a great end to a weekend, but it could have been so much worse.  I just feel terrible - it is going to be SO MUCH work to get things back to where they were with the tank.  I am pretty sure we will sell the leaky one, which we bought for $800.  (Obviously, we will sell it to someone who doesn’t want to use it for water).  If you know anyone who wants a really pretty tank and stand for super cheap let me know! 

Here’s a quick recap of the workouts this week:

Monday - Bike 20 miles
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Bike 1 hour (Lifetime Spin Class)
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Run 4 miles (7:49 pace)
Saturday - 1 hour personal training
Sunday - 9 miles easy run (9:40 pace I think)

I’m planning on swimming tomorrow pm.  BRIAN IF YOU ARE READING THIS LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE GOING!!  WE’RE GONNA DO A MARATHON LADDER IF SO!

So it’s almost June and my fitness goals for 2010 haven’t really materialized.  It’s been a slow start to getting back into running and getting over my almost year-long IT band injury.  About a month and a half ago I finally decided to try ART (Active Release Technique) w/ Dr. Tim who has performed near miracles on several of my running friends.  I figured that I had nothing to lose and made an apt.  He told me that after only a few sessions with him I should be nearly pain-free.  This didn’t sound possible - but amazingly after only 3 sessions with him I am back to running nearly pain-free.  Unfortunately last week I decided to try some speed / tempo work and the pain came back after my first 2 miles.  I must have been pushing it too hard and honestly the towpath isn’t really the best place to do speed work since there are a lot of uneven spots and it’s hard to navigate through them.  I did 1/2 mile as a warmup and then was going to do 3 ‘tempo’ miles of around 7-min pace. (With rest in between of course).  I guess this was way too aggressive of a goal because I almost died the first mile (6:50 pace) and then only a little bit into the 2nd mile I started to feel pain.  ARGH! I ended up with a 7:10 pace for my 2nd mile and then decided to just run a comfortable (8:35 pace) back home.  What this taught me:

1.  I need to be ULTRA CONSERVATIVE with any attempts at ’speed’ training

2.  I need to get back to see Tim so that I can work out whatever kinks I’ve still got

3.  I need to realize that it’s been almost a year of being injured and I’m not going to just spring back to where I was…This is probably the most difficult thing to deal with…knowing that I’m MONTHS out from being in the shape that I used to be in and not being able to visualize the end result of the slow road to fitness recovery.

In addition to trying to get back into running I’ve also been working out with a personal trainer every Saturday for an hour.  I do ‘buddy’ sessions w/ Brittany and our trainer, Larry - a.k.a. my personal torturer.  I don’t know where he comes up with the torturous things he has us do…but they are INSANE.  With the exception of last week EVERY session leaves me 100% exhausted and feeling like I was just taking part in a Fight Club scene.  He’ll show us what we’re going to do and we just look at each other like ‘are you kidding me??!!  We have to do 20 of those???!!!!!  I can’t even imagine doing 1 or 2!!!’  It’s good, though, and I can tell that it is definitely complementary to my running and biking (and swimming when I make it - I KNOW BRIAN I NEED TO GET TO THE POOL!!!)

Lucky for me I have several running pals who are willing to run with me (shout out to Martini Mike) and are helping me get back.  Running alone is not for me and I am someone who really needs a companion - which is what has made getting back into running shape so difficult for me.  (Most of my SERC friends are just way too fast).  Plus I have a fear of going out for a run and then having knee pain and having to walk back…which I wouldn’t want to make someone put up with.

So that’s where I am.  I’ve been trying to get to the gym during lunch but that hasn’t happened for several months now due to insane work loads and the inability to even take a lunch.  I have seen that this has started to take a toll on me mentally and I am going to make an effort to start hitting the gym again and take a lunch break.  Fitness is a huge part of being healthy and without your health you DON’T HAVE ANYTHING.  I refuse to go down the same path that happened when I was working at Aclara - which I believe ultimately is what caused my IT band injury.

Last week was the official end to my MBA experience at Case.  The diploma ceremony was very nice and the weather was gorgeous.  I’m glad that I went.  Afterwords we had a nice dinner at home with my family and Todd re-enacted giving me my diploma so that my grandma could see it (she couldn’t make it to the diploma ceremony).  Todd put on his old cap and gown and hood to present mine to me - it was hilarious!!!  (Sorry - I’m not posting the pictures!!)

The weather today is awesome and Todd and I just got back from a bike ride to Peninsula and back.  (Of course this wasn’t enough exercise for Todd and he had to go back out for a run…such a show-off!!)  I am too sore to run after yesterdays personal training/torture session so I didn’t go with him.

I need to get better at tracking my workouts so here is this week’s recap:

Mon- Spin Class @ LT - 1 hour
Tue - speed/tempo (ran 3.5 miles - had ITB pain )
Wed - rest (badmitton playing in the back yard w/ Todd)
Thurs - rest
Fri - 6.5 mile run ~8:35 pace
Sat - 1 hour personal training session
Sun - bike ~20 miles

This week I’m probably going to hit the pool at least once because I really need to work on my swimming - plus it’s just a great recovery activity.  I’m looking forward to doing some  outdoor swimming this summer at LT also.  Brian - if you are reading this let me know if you are going to hit the Highland Heights pool because I’ll plan on meeting you there a few times too!!

I AM planning on doing the Twinsburg duathlon on 6/6 which should be an easy entry into this year’s race season.  Let’s hope my IT band holds up!