Winter Woes

February 3, 2013February 3, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

I have spent this past week daydreaming about the day that the outdoor pools open. I can’t help it.

We actually had some warm weather this week. 70 degrees on Tuesday…70!…which meant a nice after work run with Paul in SHORT SLEEVES…followed by this:

Of course. Complete with tornado warnings and severe weather sirens. Thursday was back in the single digits, and Friday we woke up to a light dusting of snow, and 8 degrees outside with a wind chill at -4. Hurrah.

Saturday morning we woke up to some pow-pow. First real snow of the season. Some were HAAAAPPPYYYYYYYYY.

Others were not.Did not want to come out of the coop…and pretty much didn’t all weekend. (I didn’t know this, but in the winter time a lot of chickens can actually get cabin fever from never wanting to come out of the coop. They do not like snow.)

I was scheduled to do my long(er) run of the week Saturday morning. Woke up to way too much snow and ice on the sidewalks. Which meant this.

9 miles on the treadmill at the Y. Baaaaaaaaaaarf.

I usually limit my runs on the treadmill to an hour/7ish miles. Max.

But with snow predicted all weekend and limited options, I sucked it up and JMFDIGDI. Broke the run up into: 2 mile warm up, followed by 2 x 3-mile efforts at a faster pace with a half mile jog in between the efforts and again at the end as a sort of warm down. So much easier to digest mentally.

And 1.5 episodes of Real Housewives of Atlanta later, I was done.

The rest of the weekend was hijacked by Gone Girl, which I started reading on Thursday and just finished this afternoon. So now I have my life back.

I won’t lie, I’m not too sad to see January gone. If it hasn’t been obvious, things here have been very slow. And cold. I’m ready for sun and gardens and thunderstorms and spring. One step closer.

Why did the chicken…

January 28, 2013January 28, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

Let me tell you what I dream of. I dream of a better world where chickens just lay their eggs, with shells, and don’t take part in cannibalistic infanticide.

The past few weeks we’ve seen a few more rubber eggs, which had me concerned, followed by…nothing. We’ve actually had a few days where no eggs have been laid, and many days with just one egg.

I was starting to freak, thinking dammit, it’s over, we’re going to have to send Romy to the big freezer in the sky…when I came across this:

It’s the middle of winter. You’re getting very few eggs from your flock, if any at all. They’re still in the stages of molting, or they’re just finishing up their last molt. …

Many chickens cease laying during molting as they need to channel all that energy — and all available protein — into growing out their feathers, which are almost purely protein (keratin fiber, to be exact).

Oh, Garden Betty. You’re good for more than just Xmas presents. Though, in addition to putting our coop to shame, she also makes me feel like a negligent chicken owner.

Our chickens are molting?

I’ve maybe seen a few extra feathers lying around, but no piles of discarded down or balding spots on the ladies or “crazed porcupine” necks. Nothing freakish.

This change did coincide with a few weeks of no sun, meaning it stayed dark until well past 8am, and a pretty extreme drop in temps (I went running the other morning–17 degrees out, felt like 3.) So it is possible.

Paul spoke with the woman at Southern States, who assured us that the feed we’re buying is infused with plenty of protein for winter. So…fingers crossed that I am just unobservant and this is what’s going on.

P.S. Thanks goes out to Uncle Joe for the opening picture.

Safety Dance

January 21, 2013 ~ meh ~ 1 Comment

This is what happens when it’s icy and dark until 8am and the sun doesn’t shine for 3 weeks (literally). Fuzzy Xmas socks that I normally sleep in, worn to work with my narsty old flats because my feet are too cold without them. Awful. On so many levels.

Despite the nastiness outside, I have refused to go back to running on the treadmill. Partially because every time I run on the treadmill my headphones shock me, so the whole time I am on there I’m in a state of perpetual anxiety. But mostly because the treadmill is boring. And inside.

So what does that mean? It means I’ve been breaking my hard rule and about running alone in the dark. And I justify it by bringing Spike.

I’m not sure how I convince myself that he will protect me, or at the very least deter someone from attacking me. Because a 15 lb mutt in a tiny jacket with a blinking light on his back is probably about as useful as a butter knife.

I do have mace, but I’ve been hesitant to bring it because I would guess, with relative certainty, that given enough time I’ll end up spraying myself or the dog or some innocent child walking to school in the early morning. I do, however, always wear my Road ID, so when someone finds my body at the very least they’ll know what allergies I have and who to call.

It’s time for me to re-evaluate my safety system. And for the days to get a little longer.

I’m ready for summer.

The Lull

January 10, 2013January 10, 2013 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

The post-holiday hangover. Dead Christmas trees littering the sidewalks. Holiday lights and ornaments still hanging in windows seem like desperate hangers-on. And on my run Saturday morning (first real run of the new year…whattup!)…

Snowman carnage. Misshappen, anorexic-looking snowman families with missing limbs. Everywhere.

Fortunately, I had my new running shoes to keep things bright (another pair of Mizuno Wave Riders). 6 miles, no music, no podcasts, no buddies, in the cold. And it was nice.

So, a new year. New races?

So far this year I am signed up for one race: the NYC Half Marathon.

I signed up to run with a friend, who wanted someone to pace her to break 2 hours. It was a lottery. I got in, she didn’t. I mainly signed up for the trip to NYC, so I’m still going. We’re still figuring out who will actually use my number.

But in terms of BIG races, nothing on the docket yet. I was a little burned out after Hawaii, and to be honest don’t really have the $$ to do another race of that magnitude. But I’m giving myself until March to make a decision about another 70.3.

I would really like to improve my running speed, finally do a real half marathon PR, and maybe sign up for a few fun open water races (that, hopefully, I would actually get to race.)

Other than that, work is busy, just putting my head down and hibernating until spring arrives.

Hello, 2013.

Ho-Ho-Horrifying

December 14, 2012 ~ meh ~ 1 Comment

gross

If I’m going to suffer, I’m going to make sure everyone who is subjected to this vision of me running by suffers too. Oh my god. Where did my chin go.

Work has been super busy this week, so I’ve had an extensive “recovery” for a race that really shouldn’t have required a lot of recovering (I’ve run a total of 2 miles). Fortunately today is our holiday pot luck at work, which means a heart healthy lunch is just around the bend. Last year people brought chitlins and chicken livers.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Holy Smokies

December 10, 2012May 6, 2013 ~ meh ~ 2 Comments

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Welcome to Pigeon Forge.

Yesterday I ran the Smokies Half Marathon. I signed up for this race for 3 reasons:

It was nearby (3 hours from home)
It was the right time of year (I love fall/winter races)
I once read on article about how beautiful the Smoky Mountains are in an airplane magazine and have wanted to go there ever since

The race webpage described it as a run “in the hills of east Tennessee in mid-December, just north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.” I envisioned a small-town run through the misty foothills. Sounds good to me.

Originally Paul and I were going to head up early and rent a cabin for a nice relaxing weekend, but then work exploded all over my life and we couldn’t leave early enough on Friday, so we just got a room at a local hotel and drove up Saturday.

Someone wanted to come with.

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The morning of the race we woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the mountains.

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The weather was very warm, but nice in the early morning. The pre-race scene looked something like this:

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Santa hats everywhere! (Hi Mom!)

Since he forgot to bring his running shoes and couldn’t sign up to run last minute, Paul decided to volunteer. He donned his volunteer uniform with pride.

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There is one road that runs the 13 or so miles from Sevierville (race start) through Pigeon Forge (where we stayed) all the way down to Gatlinburg. It is a busy road lined with tourist attractions. The course was an out-and-back along this road.

The fact that when I was originally looking for rental cabins in the area I had trouble finding one that did NOT have a heart-shaped tub probably should have tipped me off that where we were heading was not what I had envisioned when I signed up. It didn’t.

At 8am sharp we took off, a sea of Santa hats and beards (I didn’t wear mine, too itchy.) One by one we ticked by the wonders of the Smoky Mountains and Pigeon Forge.

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Not exactly what I had expected. Will have to make it back to the mountains some other time.

Physically, the run was kind of awful, and for no particular reason. Despite the fact that we were in the Smokies, the elevation wasn’t bad at all (mostly rolling hills, which is what I’m used to training on).

The first few miles seemed longer than usual, but I was keeping a (mostly) OK pace and figured I could hold on to it/bring it down as I warmed up. Miles 5-9 I got into a groove and felt good. Mile 9 the verping started. Mile 10 started a downhill to flat to the finish line, but the verping got worse and I started to really feel it in my back and legs. Mile 10.5 I blowed up real good. …and the rest was ugly. Tunnel vision, borderline vomiting…it took me a good few minutes after the finish before I could talk. I just felt awful.

Final time: 1:50:20. What. Way too painful for that result. But sometimes that’s how it goes.

The good news is by the time I finished, Paul had made a new friend and really found his place in the volunteer village.

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Attractions we missed on this trip included: the Dixie Stampede Christmas Show, the Biblical Times Christmas Dinner, Lumberjack Feuds, and any of the many, many indoor water parks lining that strip. But the (more) good news is…we can always come back!

And yes, that is the Titanic museum from the pictures along the route, shaped like the Titanic colliding with an iceberg.

More detailed race report (about the course, aid stations, parking, etc) to be posted here shortly.

P.S. I placed 8th in my AG. That is a personal record for me on any run ever by like an order of magnitude. Maybe I should consider entering more races with less than 800 people. The sad news is if I were a dude, I would have placed 5th.

In for the Long Run

November 13, 2012November 13, 2012 ~ meh ~ Leave a comment

Now that I’m actually signed up for a race (that is 4 weeks away…) it’s time to start throwing some longer runs into the weekly routine.

Saturday was a non-running day, aside from a 1.5m jog around downtown Lexington as part of a relay for Big Blue Crossfit, of which my friend Mary is a member (she asked me last second if I could fill an empty leg of the relay, I said sure).

It was a COMPLETELY GORGEOUS day in Lexington, and after a nice bike ride downtown, a yoga class, and the relay, I was ready to go be productive.

But before that, Mary suggested that we stop for a beer at a local pub with the rest of the relay team, where there were a bunch of Irish dudes watching the Ireland-Russia rugby game (Mary’s a big time rugby player/coach.) And because I have no social life, I said sure why not.

Enter: accidental day drinking.

Before I knew it it was 10pm and I was heading home still wearing my running clothes and not having showered from my 9am hot yoga class or the run…which was probably pretty awesome for everyone else in the bar.

Sunday: 9 mile run on the docket. Yeah, right. Most of the day was spent on the couch like this:

Finally, at 4:30, after nap #2, I dragged myself off the couch, pulled my running shoes on, and headed out the door.

The first 3 miles felt absolutely horrific. My stomach was sloshing, legs were heavy, I was verping every 2 minutes…it was gross. But I just kept reminding myself it didn’t have to be fast, I just had to finish it. I turned on a podcast and did the best I could to just zone out.

As the sun dropped the winds picked up and clouds started rolling in, making for some pretty spectacular skies.

Before I knew it I was actually moving along at a solid clip feeling a million times better than I had all day long. About an hour and 20 minutes later I walked back through the front door feeling like a new person. The difference in how you feel before and after those runs is really amazing.

Almost always worth getting off the couch.

Cooped Up

November 8, 2012November 13, 2012 ~ meh ~ 1 Comment

Morning walk with the Dud. Enjoying what’s left of the fall leaves as the morning frost becomes a daily occurrence…

As I mentioned, a few weeks ago we were hit with the cold part of Frankenstorm. No snow, but forecasts of temperatures in the low 30s with high winds prompted Paul to further winterize our chicken coop.

Ha, right. I wish. Coops like these make me feel a little (or lot) inadequate.

As you might remember, a few weeks ago we took our coop from “summer” coop:

…to “winterized” coop:

Then we had the egg problem, prompting us to further insulate:

Then 2 weekends ago, the storms arrived. With what we had, we did what we could to protect the girls from the icy winds predicted over that weekend.

Yes, there it is. Our winter chicken palace.

As you can see, we (read: Paul) pretty much just boarded the whole thing up…in a very stylistic manner. The only part not completely boarded up is at the end where the feeding trough is, making it really dark inside. Doesn’t seem to bother the ladies, though. They’ve both been laying earlier in the morning and NOT EATING THEIR EGGS! Score.

This turned out to be good timing, seeing as how on Sunday, after a cold, cloudy morning that seemed to be bordering on snow flurries, it started to thunder and lightning. Then this happened:

Big, fat hail. Wtf. Fortunately the girls were safe in their fortress. Here’s to hoping that’s the last of the coop updates till spring.

Big Decisions

November 6, 2012 ~ meh ~ 2 Comments

It was a cold but beautiful morning to vote. Headed to the polls straight from the pool after morning practice. The last presidential election we were living in San Francisco. We got up early and walked around the corner in our jammies to vote as soon as the polls opened so we wouldn’t be late for work. Different crowd, different election, same vibe at the polls. There is something to be said for being part of the process.

It’s been a long time, but it’s happened again. After a tenuous year, I have fallen back in love with running. I don’t know if it’s the colder weather (which, by the way, has gotten much colder…first frost of the year was yesterday), or the fact that I haven’t done anything too long yet, but this weekend I did 5 miles on Saturday afternoon followed by 7 miles on Sunday morning…with no pain. I am hoping that I’ve finally shaken whatever it was that was plaguing me this whole past year (knock on wood).

While riding that high I compulsively signed up for the Smokies Half Marathon in December…because it’s always easiest to make these commitments when you’re sitting on the couch in your sweats.

The race is in Seiverville, TN, which is right next to Gatlinburg. I’ve never been to Gatlinburg, but Paul’s has been talking about going since we moved to Kentucky.

I didn’t realize until after I signed up that it is a Santa Hustle. Pictures of the starting line last year look something like this:

My mother’s personal hell (she has this inexplicable, aggressive aversion to those Santa hats.) The race packet comes with race uniform: Santa shirt, hat, and beard.

Also, in most pictures, it’s snowing.