Stormy 4th

July 5, 2013July 27, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

This summer has been unusually cool and rainy…not that my fat, pregnant butt is complaining. At all. The skies here have been pretty spectacular. But yesterday…the skies opened up.

I love the 4th of July here in Kentucky. The Bluegrass 10K is my favorite run of the year. It’s usually brutally hot.

This year, it was 70 degrees and we were on a flash flood watch. All. day. long. Thanks to an old back injury, I can’t walk more than like half a mile at a time right now. So I didn’t even go cheer on the runners. Tragic.

BUT! A day off work is a day off work. And as soon as the pools opened I was there, despite the downpour. And I was the only one. (I felt kind of bad that the guards had to sit in the chair just for me, until one of them told me that they had been fighting over who got to sit because the other option was cleaning the bathroom.)

The swim was long and smooth and wonderful…aside from the fact that I have a completely irrational fear when I’m alone in a big, empty pool that somehow a shark will get in and attack me. ??? I know. One of the many reasons I could never do an actual channel swim in the middle of the night across the real ocean. I had actually completely forgotten about this until today, when I experienced a minor panic attacks during the first 1000 of my workout. It makes no sense at all.

But I really love swimming outside in the rain. Floating underwater listening to the drops land on the surface of the undisturbed pool most soothing thing in the world…until the guard walks over because he’s worried the pregnant lady just passed out in the shallow end.

Anyway, the rest of the day looked like this:

4 hours on the couch with the cat watching The Sopranos. And I baked some cookies.

There are worse ways to spend a rainy afternoon.

Happy 4th.

Aaahhhh

May 28, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

Yessssssss. Fiiiinally.

Monday we made my most favorite grocery store trip of the year: the trip to the Kroger on Chinoe Road to buy this season’s stock of sunscreen.

Monday was 85 degrees without a cloud in the sky, and at 11am the pool was empty. So, so beautiful. (I actually tried to swim Saturday, the very first day the pools opened, when it was cloudy and 65 degrees, and the water temp was also 65 degrees…I made it to 1000m before admitting to myself that it was completely miserable and got out.)

SUM-MMMMEEEERRRRRR

This dance ain’t for everybody…

May 3, 2013May 6, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

I actually haven’t been pushing anything at all, except maybe the massive carnitas burrito I made last night into my mouth.

Speaking of things that aren’t for everybody, it’s official, I am no longer running. I did two short runs last week, and all weekend had pretty horrible pain in my stomach, like where it was hard to walk, roll over, sit down…anything. Doctor said the ligaments were just strained. Miserable. So I was sure to make everyone around me miserable too.

So now, when I come across pictures like this:

radcliffeGE_doc200_0 paula radcliffe

…all I see is STAB. STAB. STAB. STAB. with each step. It’s a shame, I miss running, but I’ll be back soon enough.

For now:

That’s more my style anyway. I’ve been swimming 3-4x a week and walking to work every day. So far I’m a fan the new training schedule. It’ll be even more amazing when the outdoor pools open in like 3 weeks. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Weekend Run

April 25, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

I rail on Kentucky a lot. Because it is very weird in a lot of ways. But sometimes, it can be so perfect.

Okie dokie artichokie

April 9, 2013April 9, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

Someone else is happy that the sun is out.

In addition to the garden and general happiness, this time of year is usually when training starts ramping up for the season. Obviously, not this year.

So apparently now the baby is the size of an artichoke.

This explains why my training has been super limited the past 4+ months. And why there have been no posts about beer. And why, with my last half marathon, I had to stop to pee 5x. And why Vanessa and Emily were kind enough to join me for the second half of NYC.

And this:

I was preg during the Smokey Mountain half and didn’t know it. I’m blaming the baby for that sufferfest.

So what’s the plan? Whelp, no more Ironman races for me this summer. Or triathlons. Or half marathons (my abs after NYC were sore for like a week).

Aside from lifting the ice cream spoon to my mouth, I’m going to keep wogging (walk/jogging) as long as I can. And I cannot wait for the outdoor pools to open next month. That is where I plan on spending most of the summer.

Oh, and I have been booted from my yoga class, per the instructor’s request, until August. So long, peacock. We had a good run, I’m sure we’ll be back at square one when I return.

New Exercise Regimen

March 25, 2013March 26, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

phone-streaking

A simple 12-step plan that ANYONE with the right attitude can follow:

Step 1: Since you’ve been a lazy bum the past week, decide to get a good solid swim in before work. Set alarm for nice and early the next day.

Step 2: When the alarm goes off at 5:30, decide that in order to really benefit from any exercise you’re going to do that day, you need more sleep. Decide you’ll swim after work. Re-set alarm.

Step 3: While at work, realize there is a March Madness basketball game in the arena next to your office at 6pm. Traffic! Make strictly objective call that getting stuck in traffic is really not worth the swim, decide to get home stat after work to avoid the worst of it and do a really good hour of TRX to make up for your lack of swimming today.

Step 4: Arrive home. Eat crackers. Eat goldfish. Eat ice cream.

Step 5: Sit on couch for just a few minutes to “unwind” (read: watch just one or two episodes of Weeds).

Step 6: Realize that it’s almost 7, you’re still in your work clothes, and you haven’t even thought about what you’re making for dinner yet.

Step 7: Frantically dig through dirty laundry for 10 minutes because you have no clean sports bras.

Step 8: Do 20 min of half-assed TRX, because now it’s like 7:30 and you’re starting to stress about how late it is. Barely break a sweat.

Step 9: Change into your PJs with no shower, because people who don’t sweat don’t deserve to shower. Ignore the fact you just spent 30 minutes wearing dirty workout clothes.

Step 10: Eat canned soup for dinner because now it’s 9pm and you have to go to bed early because you…

Step 11: Plan on swimming the next morning before work, since you’ve been a lazy bum all week. Set alarm nice and early.

Step 12: Repeat.

Neew Yooooooork

March 22, 2013July 29, 2021 ~ meh ~ 4 Comments

Last weekend I headed to the big city for the the NYC Road Runners Half Marathon.

The reason I signed up for this race was first and foremost to run with Emily…who, incidentally, did not get a spot in the lottery. Crap. Secondary reason for running it: to stay on a training schedule through the sad, cold, depressing months of late winter (which, up until about 3 weeks ago, I did). And because it’s freaking in New York City. And when you live in Kentucky, you grab onto any chance you get to go see your friends in NY.

Margaret! One of my New York friends, who was there for my last half in New York 2 years ago (when I wasn’t 5+ months pregnant).

This year was extra awesome because people who do not live in NY, including my sister and Joe, came out to play. It was a mini reunion. Which made the weekend so, so great.

269295_10151356636067196_1300496509_n An NYC weekend visitor all the way from LA, dealing with the cold and wearing one glove

But aside from me, most people probably don’t want to hear any more about how great my friends are.

Race Prep:

The night before the race we went to Buttermilk Channel in Brooklyn (fun fact: Buttermilk Channel is an actual place in NY Bay, sounds delicious), and my god it was good. And we may or may not have sat at a table next to Seth Green, results were inconclusive.

That night I stayed with Emily, who lives on the upper west side, about 3 blocks from the starting line. Clutch.

The race info said that the starting corrals would be closing at 7, with a start time of 7:30. That is a long time to be standing around in the corral in your running gear. Plus we didn’t get to bed that night till 11:30ish. So I decided I was going to chance it, sleep a little longer, and get to the starting line a few minutes late. 20 minutes of standing around in the cold sounded like enough for me.

The Race:

St. Paddy’s Day!! Alarm went of at 6, got up, drank a little coffee, ate some oatmeal, took care of business, and was out the door by 7. I was at the start by 7:05.

…and cold it was. 23 degrees. When I arrived the sun was just starting to come up and the corrals were totally packed with people wearing green (I wore black and pink, oops). And everyone was absolutely. freezing.

They let me into the corral, even though I was a little late. Plenty of people were still showing up.

Race went off at 7:30. I crossed the starting line at 7:40 (and I was in the front half of the crowd.) The course was one lap around the park, spitting us out around 64th Street and into downtown, through Times Square, all the way down to the tip of the island, cutting east, and finishing on Wall Street (I can’t find the map online, too lazy to keep looking).

the starting line

The first 6 miles through the park was mostly spent defrosting. Cups of water at the aid stations were frozen over with a layer of ice, and spilled water and gatorade on the ground around the aid stations was also turning to ice. Cuidado.

My toes were numb the first four miles, and my fingers didn’t fully get feeling back until mile 8. Fortunately, Superman was there to save the day.

As we left the park I came across the best gift I’ve ever received mid-race (even better than the DJ blasting Pitbull at mile 8 of the run in Hawaii): Emily and Vanessa waiting to join me for a few miles.

I was so, so happy (if you can’t tell from the above picture). Needed the moral support. We ran out of the park and straight into what was probably my favorite part of the run: Times Square.

Very Vanilla Sky. And yes, 29 degrees over an hour into the race.

Once we got out of the park, the course flattened out which, for someone who hasn’t been training in over a week (me), was awweeeesome. Emily and Vanessa stuck it out along the south part of Manhattan, then hopped out as we approached the Financial District.

IMG_20130321_083740 the chute

And then it was over. The finish line was a madhouse.

Those are just runners. It was also windy and really, really freaking cold.

I’ve never been so happy to be hit in the face with the hot, piss-flavored subway air than I was when we entered the Wall Street station. The rest of the afternoon was spent in sweats and compression socks, in the heat of Emily’s apartment, eating baked goods from Levain Bakery and watching Bravo.

I flew out that evening. Sad.

Thank you to everyone who housed me and/or came and supported me on the run. It was such a wonderful trip, these runs are always such a good time. Can’t wait for the next one.

Sights from a run

March 6, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go? I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away.
~h.c.

February Failure

March 5, 2013March 5, 2013 ~ meh ~ 3 Comments

February Fitness was largely spent doing the above. That’s really all there is to it. But here are my monthly totals anyway:

Yoga: 4 hours + two semi-successful peacocks (I am temporarily suspended from attending my normal yoga class and have been trying to find a reasonable alternative, but that’s another story for another time)

Swim: 17,500 yards / 5hrs 30min

Run: 60.5 miles / 9hrs 15min

Geesh. Not really a ramp up from what I normally do, but…whatevs.

I cut 2 of my longer runs short this month due to feeling less than stellar. Even so, not too worried about the half marathon. But I did walk to work a whole bunch of times (4 miles round trip), which maybe might count for something sort of.

BUT!! To counter all of this, one of my masters swimmers broke 100K yards of swimming this month, so I will take that as a personal victory (this guy would literally come to the pool 6 days a week and swim up to 7K BY HIMSELF. what.)

There’s always next year.

Weekend

February 25, 2013March 26, 2013 ~ meh ~ 1 Comment

This picture is so creepy. Yes, we are the weird neighbors that the kids dare each other to ring the doorbell.

The girls have had a change of heart the past 2 weeks. I don’t want to jinx it, but we’ve been consistently getting big, beautiful, fully-shelled eggs. It’s wonderful. This one had a few calcium deposits on the shell, maybe they don’t need all of those oyster shells? Whatever.

Helping Paul get his work done. Always.

Dammit. My pretty blue shoes. That mudhole just looked like dirt.

Sunday morning pancakes. I haven’t made pancakes in forever, I never think to. They were delicious. I ate 4.

So yes, things here are HAPPENING.