A fairly uneventful holiday weekend

At one point, my boyfriend and I were planning on driving to South Carolina for Thanksgiving to visit his family. Then, we decided that wasn't going to work. So, we stayed and celebrated by ourselves (with a begging dog named Chloe).  

Yes, this is too much food for two people.

Never fear. Chloe is here.

After we ate, we watched football the rest of the day as one should. Well, I did anyway. Somehow my boyfriend ended up in line for a good deal on a TV at Walmart. Not sure how that happened ... he went out to get gas in his car at halftime of the Cowboys-Redskins game and called telling me he'd be in line until 10 p.m. I didn't go because I didn't want to miss any of the game, although I wouldn't have minded missing the Kenny Chesney halftime show. Well, now knowing the outcome of the game, I wouldn't have minded missing that, too. It's rather painful to be a Cowboys fan these days. 

Thankfully, now I can watch the Cowboys' demise on a 60-inch TV screen. Yes, that is extremely big. Probably too big in my opinion, but I wasn't the one standing in line for 3+ hours to get it (so I'll probably keep my mouth shut on that).  

I feel like we didn't do anything else the rest of the weekend besides a few trips to the dog park and one to see Christmas lights.

These icicle lights are the coolest. A photo doesn't do them justice.

Oh, and last night we went out to eat at Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa with a friend. They have the absolute best oysters. I love raw oysters. Love them. I also love people-watching at the casino. I also love wine at the casino. With all of the love, we ended up staying there pretty late; by the time I got to bed, it was 2:30 a.m.

So waking up for our 7:30 a.m. run today was somewhat unfun. But that is really no different than any other day. Mornings and I just don't get along. 

But, I made it (we ran 50 minutes; 4.5 miles). And after breakfast, I promptly took a long nap. And, I really don't like naps. 

How was your holiday weekend? Did you cook? Did you do anything fun? Did you run?

Day 42 (Nov. 14)

Since I spent this past weekend in Kansas, I didn't do my long run on Sunday with the training group. Instead, I spent time with my family and recovered from tailgating and a four-OT Kansas State football game (yes, FOUR). K-State won, but man. My nerves were shot.


Woo-hoo! Victory after four OTs!



Losers! I'd post a picture of the winning team, but I sat by the visiting team's ramp.



My sweet purple shoes that I am certain contributed to a Wildcat victory.

So, after recovering from the madness, I decided to run tonight with my best running buddy, Caroline. Since I hated my 11-mile run, my main goal tonight for our 6-7-mile run (we did 6.5 miles) was to enjoy it. I was hoping it would go well since it is the last long (taper) run before the race. And, it did! I wouldn't say it was the best run ever, but it definitely wasn't the worst either. I mostly enjoyed it, and I felt good throughout.

The only real issue was my breathing. Not an I'm-exerting-myself-too-much-and-I-can't-breathe feeling, but more of a the-air-is-thick-or-the-neck-of-my-shirt-is-choking-me feeling. It was really humid, so that probably played into it. Also, it was low tide, and the smelliness of the bay could have played into it, too. I've got some leftover allergy issues from Kansas, so that may have been an issue as well. But, my fear is: it's nerves. Yeah, I know I said I was ready to rock this half marathon, and I am, but I've started panicking. Among my many, many fears:

• What if I can't breathe during the race?
• What if I sprain my ankle, leg, knee, toe, some other body part I'm not thinking of?
• What if I get sick before the race?
• What if it's too hot (I'm obsessively checking the forecast, and it looks kind of warm)?
• What if I'm not hydrated?
• What if I'm not fueled properly?
• What if I completely bomb the race after almost four months of training? (This is my biggest fear.)

So, now I'm freaking out as opposed to being excited. I'm so happy I joined my training group because I'd be nowhere near prepared if it wasn't for the group and my coaches, but ... it adds another level of pressure. I feel like people expect a lot out of me. "This girl's been training for months. She better not suck." Ack! I'm nervous. And worried. And anxious.

Day 15 (Sept. 11)

On the Saturday before long-run Sunday, I went to the University of South Florida-Ball State football game. I didn’t think making it to run Sunday morning would be a problem. I was wrong. After some beverages and going out after the game, I wasn’t feeling my best at 7:30 a.m. So, yeah. I didn’t make it to run with the group.

View from the $7 seats

Instead, I slept in. But, I did run my scheduled 5 miles later that day. I made the mistake of running in an area with a bunch of strollers and tourists and ended up getting frustrated. I ran super fast to get away from them, and as often happens when starting out running too fast, I tired sooner than normal. So, I didn’t run the entire 5 miles. But, I got the mileage in, and I figure that’s the important thing.  

Sunday is a treat

After my long runs on Sunday, I feel like a deserve a treat. I mean, I woke up early. I ran _ (anywhere from 4-11) miles. I think I earned this treat. So, I treat myself. This treat is nothing major, usually just watching some guilty pleasure on TV with a glass of wine, which suits me just fine.

A few weeks ago, “Jersey Shore” aired on a special night: Sunday. Fist pump! Yes, I am a regular viewer of this show. I tried to hide/deny/not talk about this for quite some time, but I’m out in the open now. I like this show, and I’m not afraid to admit it (anymore). GTL, baby!

This week, my treat: Cowboys vs. Jets game. I love the Dallas Cowboys, and I love Sunday night football. A fabulous combination (especially with a glass of wine) … or so I thought until I watched the game. Ugh.

This is a picure from last year. I was not smiling last night.

After the game, Tony Romo, quarterback of the Cowboys, said, “I’ve got to get better. That’s the bottom line.” Yes, Tony, you do. Please. DO. IT. A fumble on the one yard line, an interception and a bobbled snap all in the fourth quarter is totally unacceptable (you dumping Jessica Simpson on her birthday is also totally unacceptable, but that’s a different rant).

Maybe next week's treat will be less frustrating.

Slacker: update-wise not running-wise

I’m a bit (well, maybe more than a bit) behind in my running updates. I went to Kansas over Labor Day weekend for football and family time, and I promised myself I’d update while I was there. I broke my promise to myself. You suck, self! But, the important thing is I ran. And, I ran really well (so at least I don’t suck in that regard). I have notes, memories and photos to document these runs, which I will eventually do. Until then, here’s a beautiful photo of my time in Kansas.

I graduated from Kansas State, and there is almost nothing better than going to football games there ... except when they play as crappy as they did last Saturday (OK, it was still fun and exciting, and the crowd chanting “K-S-U Wildcats” at the beginning of the game in such thunderous unison still gives me goose bumps, and I’d still rather be there than almost anywhere else). But, the Wildcats looked U-G-L-Y (not their uniforms because purple is always beautiful)! A 10-7 win over Eastern Kentucky is … a win. But, they’re going to need to step it up when they play Miami in a few weeks.