A runner's blessings

I’m thankful for the ability to run.

I’m thankful for the desire to run.

I’m thankful for no running injuries.

I’m thankful for running friends.

I’m thankful for a great running group.

I’m thankful for knowledgeable and encouraging coaches.

I’m thankful for Brooks shoes. 

I’m thankful for bad runs because I always learn something.

I’m thankful for my running supporters.

I’m thankful for awesome winter running weather.

I’m thankful for Bondi Bands (I’m a sweaty girl).

I’m thankful for the condo's craptastic gym (I can’t believe I just typed that). 

 I’m thankful for many incredible local race options. 

What are you thankful for running-wise? 

Six things for surviving the sun on the run

Being a pale-skinned, major sweater, I avoid the sun as much as possible. I'm a night-time runner mainly for this reason. But, there are times when running in the sun aren't avoidable. Hello, the majority of races!

So, even the girl that runs in the dark as much as possible needs a plan of attack for the scary, giant ball of flames in the sky. Here are my six must-haves for making runs in the sun bearable.

1. Sunblock

This is a non-negotiable item. I have pale skin. I live in Florida where it feels like the sun is sizzling my skin (and it probably is). I must have a strong sunblock and preferably one that doesn’t run into my eyes when I sweat buckets while running.

It took some experimenting (and some painful, watery eyes) to finally find the one. And, I’m in love.

The one

When applied properly, I’ve never gotten a burn, and it doesn’t run into my eyes. What more could a running girl want? Oh, it also doesn’t feel greasy or heavy. It does make you shiny, though. Oh, well. There are things worse than shiny ... sunburned, for example. 

2. Sunglasses

Sunglasses are a must for me. I have sensitive eyes, and I’m a big baby if I don’t have sunglasses. I don’t have sport sunglasses. I just use one of the six pairs I use on a daily basis (As mentioned previously, due to being a big baby when I don’t have sunglasses, I have plenty of backups. I always seem to be sitting, stepping on or crushing sunglasses, unfortunately. Due to this, I buy cheap sunglasses. So, I’m a little nervous about spending big bucks on a sport pair.)

For the most part, the cheapos do the job. They are big and block the sun (my main requirements). Occasionally, I have them fog over, but I deal with it … for now. I may take the sport glasses plunge someday.

3. Bondi Band  

I normally have trouble with hair bands being comfortable, staying in place and actually blocking some of the massive amounts of sweat coming out of me. The Bondi Band is different: it’s comfortable; it stays in place; and, it blocks so much sweat (I’m a sweaty girl).

Bondi Bands (and medals) make me happy.

This delightful device helps bunches with the sunblock-running-into-eyes problem because it blocks so much of the sweat that would normally run down my face.

They come in fun colors and some have fun sayings. No matter what they look like, though, this is something I won't be running without.

4. Tech shirt

These things are the greatest invention. Remember the days of wearing regular T-shirts for working out? They’d get so sweat-logged and heavy. It was disgusting. So, you can bet that all of my running shirts are tech shirts. 

I’m still working on finding an absolute favorite, but my current favorite is the Under Armour HeatGear short-sleeve T-shirt. It keeps me really cool, and it is a decent length. It doesn't hurt that it's one of my favorite colors.

5. Water bottle

Water is a necessity when the temperatures are hot. I have two water-carrying options: handheld bottle and the water belt.

I use one or the other on most of my summer-time runs. I know some people don’t like to carry anything when running, but I really don’t mind this Nike bottle (I think it is discontinued). It has a strap and a case (so you can stuff things inside: keys or GU Chomps are my favorites). The downside: it really doesn’t hold that much water (less than 10 oz.). So, unless you’re not running a long distance or you have options for refilling it along your route, I’d recommend the water belt.

This Nathan Speed 2 Waistpack is perfect for long runs. It has two, 10 oz. bottles, plus a zip pouch (that I usually fill with keys and GU Chomps). It sits low on my hips, and I really don’t notice it since it stays in place while running.

6. Brain 

I take my brain with me on every run; I just need to remember to use it when it comes to the heat. Never keep pushing if you feel too hot, dizzy or nauseous. Stop. Walk some. Get in the shade. Drink some fluids. No run is worth serious health issues.


What are your running must-haves for the sun? Did I leave something off the list? Tell me.

Seven hours later ...

I probably shouldn’t bring in photos when I get my hair colored. I always leave disappointed.

After 7 hours (yes, 7 long, mind-numbing hours), my hair didn’t look like the stupid picture.

I understand it’s hard to exactly replicate a photo, so I’m not mad. I could even like my hair; I’m not sure.

It just doesn’t look like the photo. Of course, I don’t look like Carmen Electra so that might be a big part of the problem (maybe all of the problem).

Yeah, so not me.

Apparently, my hair has a lot of red in it. When I was coloring it dark, I guess it always did have a reddish tint. It always washed out so fast, I barely remembered it though. In an ironic turn of events, red is the hardest color to lift out of your hair when trying to go lighter.

So after those 7 grueling hours, I’m left with hair that’s way more red than I intended. Sometimes I feel that it looks orange, but others are assuring me that it doesn’t (I think they’re just being nice).
 
I’m not sure if I don’t like it or it’s just taking some time to adjust to this lighter color.

Kinda orange, no?

Oh, well. I can live with it for eight weeks when again the colorists will descend on my hair in their second attempt to make my hair look like the photo. I’d do it sooner, but in an effort to keep my hair on my head, I’m giving it time to heal. The stylist suggested waiting “as long as I could stand it.”

Until then, I‘m left with more carrot- than caramel-colored hair.

I think I’ll just go running. A ponytail and a Bondi Band hide most of it. 

Women's Half Marathon, St. Petersburg, Florida, Nov. 20, 2011: race review (Part 2)

I woke up at 5 a.m. on race day. Normally, I hate waking up early. I wouldn't say it was my favorite thing this day either, but I was happier than most days.

First thing: toast an English muffin, spread with a little peanut butter and slice a half a banana on it. Second thing: eat this.

Due to the aforementioned car starting problem, as soon as I ate my runner's breakfast of champions, I headed out with my dog to see if my car would start (oh, and to let my dog go to the bathroom). The car started! My dog went to the bathroom! Hooray on both accounts!

Knowing my car would start made the morning a little more relaxed. Of course, I thought that even though it started that time, it may not start the next time. Sheesh! I always think of something to ruin my relaxedness.

After getting ready (handy that I set out the clothes the night before and packed everything I needed ... I should do this every day) and after Chloe wished me luck, I headed out the door.

I still left in enough time that, if necessary, I could call a taxi. I was a little nervous starting the car, but thankfully, it started without issue. Whew!

Since my running buddy, Caroline, lives close to the course, I parked at her house, and we walked to the start line (probably about a one-mile walk). We left her house at 6:30 a.m. for a 7:00 a.m. start time, and even with a stop at a porta-potty on the way in a park (not a race porta-potty, thankfully; this one smelled like cinnamon and had hand sanitizer) and a stop for a quick photo, we made it to our corral by 6:52 a.m.

This was just enough time. I didn't get nervous about not making it, but I also didn't have too much time to stand around and get nervous about the race. Although, one thing did trouble me: I started sweating on the walk there. Yes, a walk. Before sunrise. I was afraid bad things were to come.

I was extremely impressed with the organization of this race. About 7,000 runners fit easily into their corrals for an on-time start. Almost three minutes after the horn to start the race, Caroline and I crossed the start line to "Going the Distance" (I love some Cake. I'm glad the race organizers do, too.)

The first few miles were a breeze. The street was crowded, but it wasn't too difficult to pass someone if necessary. There was a ton of fan support at the start, so that helped pass the time, too.

Miles 4-5 got a little hot and boring. We ran through a neighborhood with little crowd support. But, we did hit our first water stop of the day, and we ran into the race photographers. I tried to keep my vow to myself: look happy in all of the photos. I started off on the right track.

Even though you can already see my shirt is soaked with sweat, I'm still happy (or pretending to be). Caroline is still really happy, too (I love this picture).

I don't really remember being that happy from this point in the race forward. Oh, wait. I was happy when I saw Caroline's husband and parents. That was fun. But, that was probably the last memorable happy time during this race. We kept trudging along until we took our first walk break (about the 6-mile mark). It was then we decided if we wanted to finish, we needed to walk some. It was freakin' HOT and HUMID, and it was barely 8 a.m. Oh, and it's November!

We kept going. Hit the next water stop hard. I took water (sometimes two or three) from each stop (The water stops were plentiful and well-stocked. I am extremely grateful that this was the case. Thank you, Women's Half Marathon organizers). I drank some and poured the remainder on my head.

I think miles 8-9 (I may be off on my miles because I was somewhat delirious from the heat)were the toughest of the course. It involved running The Pier. No trees. No shade. Out and back. Extremely hot. I almost had a meltdown when I realized we had to run around the stupid thing as opposed to turning around in front of it. This was really probably only an additional 0.1 mile, but this explains my level of hate of this portion of the race. We ended up walking a portion of this stupid pier, too. Maybe our longest walk break of the day. Stupid, stupid pier!

After the stupid, long, hot pier, we headed up to downtown St. Pete. At this time, we saw our coaches (both guys; they probably felt like pimps) and yelled at them, so that was a nice distraction. It was fun and all smiles until I realized they were finishing the race. Then, I got angry and bitter. I wanted to be them, but we still had 4 miles to go. Ugh!

The coaches saw this; we did not for another 4 miles

I knew that we were headed to Tropicana Field (home of the Tampa Bay Rays), but I didn't realize that we weren't taking a direct route there. So, when we had to turn to run around a lake in a park, I almost had another meltdown. I was also literally melting. I was hot. Really hot. As in, getting dizzy hot.

After more walking and more water, we dragged ourselves to Tropicana Field. I should have enjoyed this. I love baseball in a serious way. I love the Rays in a serious way. I should have been super-pumped that we got to run around the warning track of the stadium. I DID NOT CARE. I just wanted this race to end.


On the field at a much, much happier time

We walked some in Tropicana Field and some outside of it. Down to our last two miles, I thought I felt a surge of energy. I was wrong. Or it only lasted 0.5 mile. We walked some more and ran some more.

Thankfully, we ran into another coach at about the last mile of the race. She finished the race (in 1:44, no less), and then kept going out to find people in our group and run them almost to the finish line before she ran back for the next group. This was the sweetest thing ever and exactly what we needed. She had us running and running at a pretty good pace for the last mile. As she left us, she said the finish is just around the corner. She lied about that (or our ideas of "just around the corner" are different). But, we finished, and we finished strong!

My official time: 2:48:26 (Oh, my gosh. I am slow, but not that slow. Except on this day). I was really hoping for a  2:35 finish, and based on my training runs, I could do that (of course, our long runs were on 60-degree mornings with no humidity, and this was an 84-degree day with high humidity). I really think the heat and humidity were to blame. My body felt great. I was prepared. Nothing hurt. I just felt out of it. Dizzy. Nauseous.

After about the 6-mile mark of the race, I started feeling disappointed. I wanted to run the entire thing. I wanted to feel good throughout the race. And, things were falling apart fast. I had this feeling the entire race until the finish. Crossing the finish line strong really made these feelings go away (somewhat). I guess I'm still kind of disappointed, but hey, it was my first half marathon. It was unseasonably hot and humid. And, I finished. And got a cool medal. I now remember that this is part of the reason I signed up for this race.

It's so big and shiny! And, it has a detachable charm that you can add to a necklace or charm bracelet ... still haven't decided how I feel about that.

After getting our bling, we headed to the post-race refreshment area. First stop: ice bags. Oh, this felt glorious on my head and chest and neck! I finally could cool down.

After sitting on the asphalt (sitting on the hard ground never felt so good) applying the ice bags for awhile, we decided hit the snacks. I really wanted an orange. They didn't have oranges. But, they did have bananas, frozen strawberries, granola bars, pretzels and yogurt. I took some for later, but couldn't even think about eating anything at this point. All I wanted was liquid. So, I drank more water and more Gatorade along with more water and more Gatorade.

We finally found Caroline's parents and husband and got the cameras out!

Even though the race didn't go as I wanted it, there were a lot of great things about this race:

• Extremely scenic, beautiful course. Sometimes I forget how beautiful it is since I live and run here all the time.
• Well-organized race. Everything seemed to go the way a race should.
• Well-manned and plentiful water and Gatorade stations. This was a lifesaver on this hot day. I really don't think I could have finished without the many, many water stops.
• Great crowd support. It was pretty awesome hearing people you don't know yell your name.
• The Bondi Band did the job! I love this thing! It stayed in place (no headband ever stays on my head), and it prevented sweat from going in my eyes. Amazing!

Really, the only negative things I can think of had nothing to do with the race itself:

• HEAT AND HUMIDITY (Oh, did I mention this before?!?)

I'd definitely do this race again ... on a much cooler day. And, I'm looking forward to my next half marathon in February, when it better be cooler.

Women’s Half Marathon, St. Petersburg, Florida, Nov. 20, 2011: race review (Part 1)

Well, because I’m being extremely wordy, I decided to break this review in two. Part 1 chronicles the day before the race (race expo, preparation) and Part 2 will chronicle the actual race and aftermath.

I keep hearing that solid sleep two nights before a race is important. So, I took this to heart and slept a glorious 11 hours on Friday night. If there’s one thing I can do, it is sleep!

So, after getting my bearings, hydrating incessantly and watching a little “Beverly Hills 90210” (this show, the original version, still rocks), I decided to hit up the race expo.

I basically live in St. Petersburg (technically, I’m in Clearwater, but St. Pete is right across the street), so I knew where I was headed: the spiffy Renaissance Vinoy Resort. Visiting Major League Baseball teams stay at this hotel, so I’m familiar with it due to my stalking autograph-seeking.

After picking up my race bib (very cool that they were personalized) and goodie bag, I followed signs to the T-shirt pickup area and expo.





Not only is it cute, it contained lip gloss and Chomps (two of my favorite things)

Cute shirt, but as with most running shirts, it is too short (on me)

I’ve never been to a race expo, but I thought this one rocked! I loved being able to see all of the cool running gear I’ve seen online or in magazines in person. I had my second stint as a cover model (as an intern, I rocked the cover of Produce Merchandising magazine) and got to pose for Running Women’s Magazine (I keep waiting patiently for this photo to be posted. I am still waiting. Still somewhat patiently. When they do post them, and if mine is not too hideous, I will post it here).

My supermodel days: the cover shot for Produce Merchandising magazine

For a nasty, sweaty girl like me, the Bondi Band booth was a welcome sight. I’ve wanted to try them to help with my sweat-dripping-into-my-eyes problem. So, I grabbed one (in purple, of course). When I say grabbed, I mean I picked it out and paid for it (not that I grabbed it and ran).

Save me from my sweatiness, oh Bondi Band

After the expo, I headed to Target (while hydrating incessantly) to grab toothpaste. Toothpaste is one of those things that I always stockpile. I usually have two to three tubes in reserve. Somehow, Saturday morning, I couldn’t find any. I finally found a dollop in a travel tube that I eeked out. After grabbing toothpaste and many other items (darn you, Target), I headed out.

Next stop: Olive Garden to pick up my pre-race meal. Problem: my car died pulling out of the Target parking spot. PANIC! I tried for what seemed like hours (realistically it was probably 5 minutes) to get my car started. All the while, my main concern: How am I going to get to the race tomorrow (behind this concern: How do I get home? Who do I call? Where am I going to have my car towed? How much is this going to cost?)?!? Finally, the car started. Whew!

I pulled into a to-go parking spot at Olive Garden and left my car running. With the keys in it and the windows down. I was unconcerned for two reasons: (1). My car is crappy and (2). The Olive Garden door holder opener and the 532 people waiting for a table were witnesses to anyone wanting to steal my piece of crap car (sorry, car, I love you, but you’ve seen better days).

I made it home, pondered options for how to make it to the race if my car wouldn’t start (finally decided on a taxi there and a ride home with a friend that was coming to the race), ate my dinner, laid out my race outfit, filled my water bottle, packed my Chomps, charged my Garmin and called it a night. I made it to bed by about 10:30 p.m. for a 5 a.m. wake-up call. Not bad.

I had a dream that I ran a fabulous race, got my medal and adoration from my many fans (like I said, this was a dream). I was a little irritated when I woke up that I had to run another half marathon.