This week in running: week 3

I knew that week 3 of half marathon training would be a challenge because I'd be traveling (for two of the three runs). I'm not great about running while traveling. Plus I really like my training group, so missing two days with them didn't sound all that fabulous (but a vacation did).

Tuesday

This run started off great. My running buddy and I were moving along at a great pace, and things felt right ... except for the fact that we felt like something was about to go wrong. We were right.

The wind that pushed us along in the first half of our run fought against us during the second half. This wind was the remnants of Hurricane Isaac, so it was rather beastly. And rude. Stupid wind kept pushing us off the path.

The water is pretty, but it added to the wind problem.

All of the fighting against the wind caused a few walk breaks, but really, I'm still pretty happy with the run considering the conditions. We finished in 1:02.  

Distance: 5 miles

Thursday  

This run is brought to you by the great state of Texas. My boyfriend is doing contract work in Ft. Worth, so I went to visit for a few days before we both headed to Kansas to visit family. 

He was working all day Thursday, so I had the day to myself and could decide when I wanted to run. I decided to sleep most of the morning away, so morning was out (as was running outside ... it's toasty in Texas). 

I hit up the treadmill for an early afternoon run, and it was extremely miserable. I'm not sure what was up, but I felt horrible (and nauseous when I was done). All I can say is that I did it; I ran for the 45 minutes on the schedule. That's the only positive.

Distance: 3.6 miles

Sunday

This was going to be my triumphant run in the third state this week. Notice: going to be. Sadly, it didn't happen.

Due to allergies (and asthma) and family activities, I did not run on Sunday. We had a jam-packed family day, and I wouldn't have traded any of it for running (as much as I love running).

I flew back to Florida on Monday, and I thought I'd run on Monday night. No dice. I was exhausted (and still wheezing from allergies). 

Distance: 0 miles (should be 5 miles)

I need help. Do I make up the run at this point? Or do I just skip it? If I have time on Friday, should I squeeze in some extra miles? Do you make up missed runs? I'm usually good about it, but I feel like I let this one go too long.

This week in running: week 1

I love the title of this because it reminds of “This Week in Baseball.” I have fond memories of watching that before every baseball game I attended growing up. I guess they used it as entertainment for the fools who got to the stadium two hours before the game started.
 

What up, fools?

But, I digress.

My half marathon training group started this week. We run together on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (6:30 p.m.) and on Sunday morning (7:30 a.m.) for our long run.

Tuesday

We met the coaches and each other did a short run to acquaint ourselves with the area.

It brought back bad memories from last year’s Women’s Half Marathon. This stupid pier was the least favorite part of the race: long, hot, no shade at mile 9. Yuck!
 

Pesky Pier

But, I conquered that thing (it was still hot with no shade). It could have helped that it was only a 2-mile run, not part of a 13.1-mile race. Watch out, Pier! I’m coming for you in a race!

Distance: 2 miles

Thursday

Our mission: run 22 minutes out and 22 minutes back. Our group stopped for water along the way because it was freaking hot. I think that is the hardest thing to get used to: the heat at 6:30 p.m.

I’ve run at night or on a treadmill the entire summer. There is a reason I do that: to avoid the big, scary ball of fire in the sky.

Distance: 3.5 miles

Sunday

I’m not a morning person … at all. Especially on the weekend. So, I was thrilled to meet the group for a 7:30 a.m. run.

But, it was SO much better than running in the evening. Not that it was cool by any means, but the sun was not as strong. And, I rocked out the run and had the whole day for fun stuff like Costco and car rides and walks with my dog.
 

Chloe's favorite weekend activity

The group of three I was running with made three water stops in our 50-minute run, walking up to them and walking just a bit after to make sure we swallowed our water before starting again. It wasn’t speedy by any means, but I’m happy with the results.

Distance: 4 miles

5 things I learned from my running group

Last year at this time, I was joining a training program through a local running store for my first half marathon. I hadn’t run more than 3.1 miles ever. I was nervous, scared and a little excited.

A year later, I’m joining the same training group for the same half marathon. I’m mostly excited, but still a little nervous. I still feel like such a new runner; I have so much to learn. But, I did learn some things from last year that I can apply to this training group.

1. Don’t be afraid to spend money on shoes.

I’m cheap (or frugal as I’m told sounds better). So, when my coach suggested buying some new running shoes, I was hesitant. I mean, he is a manager of a running store, was he just trying to make a sale? Could I really justify spending almost $100 on shoes? Would it really make that much of a difference? Was I really an overpronator that needed a stability shoe?

I kept running in my neutral, worn-down Asics because I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money. I thought they were fine ... until I finally broke down and spent money on a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11. Holy cow! These shoes were amazing! My weak ankle felt more supported, and they really helped my entire body feel better while running.

I love you.

Lesson learned: shoes are the most important and critical part of running. Spend money on a decent pair. Get evaluated and fitted by your local running store. Do it. It’s worth it.

2. Make it to running group as often as possible.

I’m proud to say that I rarely ever skipped a run on my training plan. Sometimes I didn’t make it to my training group, but I’d almost always make up the run on my own. So, that was great. What wasn’t great was running by myself.

Sometimes, a missed run meant a trip to the
craptastic gym. I may be smiling in this
photo, but I'm not that happy.

Sometimes I had legitimate reasons for missing a group run: getting stuck at work or being out of town. Sometimes the reason was laziness: I slept in on a Sunday instead of doing the long run with the group. It is not fun (for me, at least) to run 10 miles on your own. I need the group support, and as much as I dread waking up so early on a Sunday, I need to knock the run out early in the day.

3. Get more sleep.

This could just be a general life rule, but I think it’s extremely important when running. Feeling tired while running is not cool. Also I found that if I was exhausted, I’d be less excited about heading to running group after work. It makes for a long day, and the temptation to skip out on a run usually only happened with a lack of sleep.

4. Hydrate.

I’m a night runner when left on my own, and I usually don’t carry water with me on my runs. When I joined a group that runs at 6:30 p.m. in August, yikes! It’s really hot and that big, scary ball of fire is still in the sky. So, not only did I need to hydrate like crazy during the day, but I also found I needed to bring water to carry with me (and sometimes an extra bottle for the end). When in doubt, always have water available. The times that I really struggled with runs were the days that I lacked proper hydration. Just drink.

5. Don't forget your watch.

There's something to be said for running Garmin-less every now and then. When you're running timed speed intervals with your training group, that is not the time. I forgot my watch a number of times (usually because it was charging), and it was painful. Just as important as shoes are to running, my watch is pretty darn important, too. So, this needs to be a priority.

From nervous to elated

Yay! It's less than one month until my training group starts for the St. Petersburg Women's Half Marathon, and I'm super-pumped.

Funny. Last year I was in a much different position. I was a bucket of nerves. Why? 

• I was nervous that I would be the worst runner in the group.
• I was nervous that I couldn't keep in the first weeks. I didn't even want to think about week 10.
• I was nervous that I didn't know enough about running.
• I was nervous that I'd get left in the dust.
• I was nervous that everyone would hate me because I'm slow.
• I was nervous that my previously severely sprained ankle would give out on me.
• I was nervous my coach would yell at me and run me into the ground. 

Guess what? All of that nervousness was for nothing. Being a part of that training group was one of the best things I could have done. Why?

• Everyone was extremely encouraging and supportive.
• I was a slower runner, but I was never left behind.
• The first few weeks were tough, but I made it through them.
• My ankle held up great – especially after my coach recommended a shoe for over-pronation: my love, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11.
• It didn't matter that I didn't know much about running; I learned. 
• My coach never yelled at me; he was encouraging and supportive. We talked about my "speed" sometimes, but it was always in a friendly, joking way.
• I accomplished things I never thought possible, and I think the majority of it had to do with the support and training of this fantastic group. 

My smile is thanks to my training group.

If you're thinking about joining a running group, do it. If you're nervous, it's OK. Just give it a shot. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Are you in a running group? Do you love it? Are you thinking about joining one? 

Ready to rock

I got an email for my training group for the Women's Half Marathon. I got all excited, and then looked at the date it starts: August 16. 

Darn. That's still a long way away. 

I'm ready now. Nice change of pace from my nervous-as-heck attitude last year.  

My running confidence has really improved. 

So much so that I'm still debating (and leaning more toward doing it than not) doing a local halfathon challenge (four half marathons between October and March, in addition to the Women's Half Marathon in November and the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in February).

And, I'm really looking forward to it. And, not nervous. Or concerned about my abilities. 

I want to decrease my time. Not "just finish." 

Bring it on. August, are you here yet?

Things I realized today

Since I'm home alone during the week (my boyfriend works out of town), I have a lot of time to think (for some reason, I still can't get my dog to talk to me). As you probably guessed, me thinking is a frightening thing. In my thoughts today:

• I love running outside, but I need an out-and-back path. If I miss my training group (like I did both nights this week due to pesky work), I run around my neighborhood (usually – see below for the exception). The problem: my neighborhood has a 2.5-mile loop. I hate getting back to the beginning and having to run past it. It's too easy to call it quits early. Even if I don't, I'm still bitter about running past the start and having to come back. Silly, I know, but I'm silly.
  
• I still hate the treadmill. After working late and missing my training group today, I felt like the treadmill was the safest option to run. This is because I forgot about the face-of-the-sun temperature of the craptastic condo gym. Running in this temperature with no fan is not safe. Even though I didn't like it, the run is done. And, in another three months, I'll forget how much I really hate the craptastic gym and treadmill and do it again.

• The only show I watch religiously each week is "Jersey Shore." This is sad and pathetic, and I'm embarrassed. But, at 10 p.m. EST, I was by my TV to watch.

A Bieber birthday and a run

J4CU8RZAF6YZ

Happy birthday, Biebs! Yes, I am a 30-something woman that likes Justin Bieber. I’ve got issues. This may not be the biggest of my issues, sadly.

Oops. This already happened.

Aside from a Bieber birthday party (I kid, I kid), I had my last training group run before my half marathon on Sunday. It was 40 minutes of pure sweat. It was hot and humid and disgusting. Aside from that, the run was fabulous.

I really don’t have a particular time goal for this race. Well, I kind of do. I’d love to get the same time as my half marathon three weeks ago. So, a 2:33 finish is fine by me.

Looking like a complete tool, but I was happy with my time.

The forecast concerns me a bit. I’m trying not to worry about it, but a 40% chance of rain and windy conditions are worrisome. Also worrisome is this race’s start time: 6 a.m. I’m not a morning person. I can handle waking up by 6 a.m., but being somewhere and being functional by 6 a.m. is another story. I apologize in advance to anyone I run into there. I will most likely be out of it and perhaps grumpy. Sorry.

I will recover when I get this sweet piece of metal in my hand.

That, friends, is why I chose to do this race. Believe me; it wasn’t that pesky 6 a.m. start time.

My recipe for speed: cold weather

I went back to my running group last night for the first time in two weeks. I ran on my own for a week and HATED IT. I missed my group in a serious way. Then, I didn't run the next week. Oops. A few others took a break, too, because our coach emailed this: "Everybody running still? Getting ready for a big race? Need any tips???" Oops.

I was really afraid that taking a complete week off from running would render me unable to run a mile. Seriously, I thought I would struggle and huff and puff. Thankfully, I was wrong.

It wasn’t my best run, but it wasn’t torture either. And, I ran 4.5 miles. No issues. Well, it was freezing! Yes, I know I usually say it is freezing when it is a blustery 62 degrees (which, for Florida, really is chilly – trust me). But, I’m serious this time. It was actually close to freezing temperatures during our run. And windy. And this made my shins go numb (I foolishly wore capri pants). But, the cold weather made the run easier because: (1) I run so much better in cooler weather; (2) as mentioned, my shins were numb (no feeling, no pain); and (3) I wanted to go inside; hence, this made me run faster.

After the run, my feet were in need of hunting socks (I don't hunt, but I'm a wimp when it comes to cold) and a heater.

The 4.5 miles included a 10-minute warm-up, intervals of 4x5 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy, followed by an 8-minute cool down. My first set of intervals was fast (for me) – I saw a 9 at the front of my pace (single digits – yes!). They slowed somewhat after the second set. But, I’m happy to be back with my group, and I’m happy to be running again.

Thanks, running, for keeping me from doing something drastic

Man, the last few weeks have been aggressive. Well, mainly work is aggressive. But, I see the end, the beautiful end. I have two glorious weeks of vacation. I'm elated beyond elated. Seriously, without this break, I could have done something drastic. Like quit my job. With no backup plan. Uncool, Jina. Uncool.

This could be a bit dramatic ...

Amidst all the madness, I kept running (well, I skipped a few long runs, but always make it to my weekly speed workouts). And, I'm thankful I did. It's probably the only thing that kept me from doing something drastic earlier. Like quit my job.

This week's runs:

• Tuesday: Oh, you pesky intervals. But, I don't hate you as much as I used to. With four intervals (4 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy), I pushed it pretty hard ... I think. I brought my Garmin, but somehow turned the GPS off. Smart. So, I don't have numbers for how I did. Just my feeling, and I feel like our group did well.
• Thursday: Oh, you pesky tempo run. I think I now hate you more than intervals. I'm just not good at choosing my tempo pace. I feel like my running partner and I started off fast (maybe too fast), and slowed down toward the end. I say "I feel" because I forgot my Garmin. I didn't even have a backup watch. But, after estimating our distance and knowing we ran for 50 minutes, I don't think we did too shabby. Again, I say "I think" because I'm an idiot that forgot her Garmin.

My weekend running plans:

• Saturday: Oh, you pesky progressive run. It's not the run that I have trouble with, it's the timing. My boyfriend works out of town during the week and comes home every weekend. Weekends are our time. Saturdays are for dog parks, shopping, Mexican food, walks, movies, whatever. Running usually doesn't fit in. But, I'm trying to make it a priority to do this run. I can do it Friday or Saturday. I just have to do a progressive 30-minute run. Surely, I can fit that.
• Sunday: Oh, you pesky fun long run. This is early in the morning (7:30 a.m., ugh), but my boyfriend sleeps late so it isn't doesn't interfere with our time. And, I actually usually really enjoy this run. Scenic route along the water, early morning air and Derek Jeter's house (I'm still a little irritated I haven't seen him yet). This week, we're running 10 miles.

Where have all the good boy bands gone?

Jina's back, alright! Sorry, that's my lame attempt to get a boy band song into my blog. I heart boy bands. *NSYNC is my ultimate favorite, but the Backstreet Boys will do in a pinch.

Ahem, so I am back to my running group. My week of rest was nice and needed, but it was nice and needed to be back with the group, too.

We had some new runners. One is my speed (poor girl), so that's nice (for me anyway). We ran a total of 45 minutes with four, 4-minute hard intervals followed by a 3-minute jog to recover. It was cool, pleasant and awesome. I love runs like this.

I had the dreaded race recap with my coach. We talked about my horribly slow time (my words, not his) for my first half marathon. As much as I try to not be disappointed, I kind of am. He wasn't. I still kind of am. He said to just go for my goal on the next race. Smart guy. Probably why he's the coach.

My last training session was really about just learning how to run. I mean, I couldn't even run more than 3 miles when I joined the group. This time, I know I can run. Now, I just need to become a better runner. So, that's what I'll do.

Day 44 (Nov. 17)

Sadly, this is my last training group run for the Women's Half Marathon.

The run: an easy 3 miles. It finally cooled down some, so this run was pleasant. Not sticky, sweaty, nasty like Tuesday's run. It gave me hope for race day (Sunday), but I think (when I write "think," I really mean I know because I've been obsessively checking the forecast for the past week) the temperature and humidity are supposed to creep back up by then. Boo!

Aside from almost getting hit by a car, this was a fairly uneventful run. When I write "almost," I really mean almost. As in, if we didn't jump into the grass and wave our arms to stop the car we would have been smushed. Uncool right before the race. Well, uncool anytime actually.

So, that's it. The end after almost 4 months of training.

I'm sad. I love this group and our trainers. But, I'm also extremely happy with my accomplishments. When I started I hadn't run any farther than a 5K. On Sunday, I'll be running 13.1 miles!

Day 43 (Nov. 15)

It's taper time!

So, tonight instead of our usual pesky intervals, we just ran 3 miles. An easy 3 miles. And, I'm OK with that because it was stinking hot. And humid. I sweat. A lot. Boo!

If it could cool down or at least be less humid for the race, that would be awesome!

So, this taper thing isn't too bad. I didn't kill myself with intervals. I had an easy, enjoyable run. I got home from my training group early. Then, I relaxed with Chloe. You know, I didn't want to put any undue stress on my legs. And, she's the perfect taper week companion (well, she's pretty darn perfect any week).

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 41 (Nov. 10)

On the training plan for today: 5K time trial. Being a super-slow runner, I wasn't terribly excited about this. But, since I'm in Kansas visiting family, friends and a Kansas State football game, I could run it on my own and suffer any humiliation internally and non-publicly.

My dad took me to a trail that I tried out the last time I was here and found to be fairly non-hilly for a Kansas trail. Yeah, everyone seems to think Kansas is flat. They are wrong.

My dad decided to ride his bike from the 1970s with me as I ran. He let me get a head start, and I started off fast (for me). Things were quiet and cool, and I felt really good (I think my mega stretching after the painful Tuesday run did wonders). After awhile, I heard a rattling behind me that I knew had to be my dad's rickety 1970s bike. It was kind of nice having him behind me – not because of the noise, but because it was a push to keep going.

I turned around when my Garmin got to 1.5 miles. I got to a good turnaround point, and I figured I'd make up the extra 0.1 mile at the other end of the trail. I was still surprised at my speed (I just feel silly using this word), but I kept it up because I felt pretty good.

I never really mention my time (because its ridiculously slow), but I'm really happy about this. My 5K time trial result: 32:04. This beats my most recent best 5K time by almost 2:30! I realize an average 10:20 pace is not really something to brag about, but it's a huge improvement for me. And for this extremely slow girl, it's actually pretty fast.

Oh, and I found out why my dad's bike was so noisy: he couldn't get the kickstand to stay up, so he rode 3.1 miles with his kickstand dragging the ground.

Day 40 (Nov. 8)

Man, I was still sore from that pesky 11-mile run on Sunday. The thought of doing a 55-minute run with six, 4-minute hard intervals just about put me over the edge.

So, when our coach told us to ignore our training plans, I was pumped. When he said to run for 55 minutes with no intervals, I was super-psyched. It was when I started running that I became unhappy. Every stride hurt. My back was tight. My calves were tight. The entire run. They never loosened up. This run was not fun in almost every way.

I ran the stupid 55 minutes. I did not like any of the 55 minutes. But, at least we didn't have to run intervals. I think I would have flat-out refused. Not just ran slow or walked. As in, sit down on the road and not move.

This is a simulation, but I envision it looking exactly like this.

See the disgruntled look? The I'm-over-it look? The sitting on the road and refusing move? I think I captured it perfectly.

P.S. Caroline: these shirts are reflective!

Day 39 (Nov. 6)

I hated almost everything about this 11-mile run, including:

• I ran almost the entire 11 miles by myself. My coach ran with me for about one mile at the beginning, and then I was on my own for the entire time until the last ½ mile when my assistant coach ran to the finish with me.
• My lower back hurt. Bad. I haven’t really run into much pain throughout this training, so I guess it all hit on this run. Gee, thanks.
• It was a mental battle from start to finish. I just wanted to give up. I had to talk myself out of quitting almost the entire 11 miles.
• I did not see Derek Jeter! Come on, dude. Why couldn’t you step out of your house and wave or just drive by?

Showing your face could have saved my run.

As much as I hated it, I guess there were some good things:

• I ran the entire way. I stopped a few times to stretch (to try and help my pesky stiff back) and to get water, but no walking. I was worried even stopping to do those things would ruin my rhythm (not that I really had any). But, I was able to stop, stretch or get water, and keep going.
• I ran faster than I expected for running by myself. I kept the same pace as I did running 10 miles and what I *hope* to run during the race.
• I felt great toward the end. My back loosened up, the end was in sight, and I felt stronger those last two miles than I did the previous 9 miles.
• My last mile was my fastest mile!

So, this was it: the last long run before the race. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself knowing that. I wanted it to be the best ever. And, it wasn’t. But, I did it. I ran 11 miles, and I despised almost every second of it.

Daze of activities

Sometimes I wonder if I have too many activities. This is why:

Sunday: long run with the training group (7:30 a.m. ... yuck)
Monday: off
Tuesday: speed workout with the training group (6:30 p.m.)
Wednesday: beach volleyball (7:00 p.m.)
Thursday: speed workout with the training group (6:30 p.m.)
Friday: softball (7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m.)
Saturday: off

These are all my scheduled extracurricular (hello, high school) activities. It's not all that I do (workout-wise or otherwise), but these are all the things on my calendar.

Sometimes I think I should cut down. I could maybe see cutting softball out ... it's not my favorite, and I still hold a grudge against it for severely spraining my ankle a few years ago. But, we're currently in first place (we've never even came close before ... like, we're always last), and I like to win. Hmm ... so I might stick it out for awhile longer.

I love volleyball, but sometimes I get irritated at some people that play (OK, one in particular). I'm competitive, so I understand the desire to win. But, one dude takes it too far. He stoops to being a bad sport and using cheap tactics to try and get the other team to mess up (making a loud noise when someone goes to spike ... crap like that). But, overall, I enjoy the people that play, and I love the game. Hmm ... so I might stick it out.

Source

Due to my almost daily love fest about my running group, you know I'm not giving that up.

So, I guess I'll keep everything. I'd probably end up doing something unproductive if I didn't have them. I kind of need the group motivation and competition, too.

What's your weekly schedule? Are you busy every night of the week with extracurricular activities?

Day 37 (Nov. 1)

It's race month! When I looked at the training schedule today, I didn't have to flip months to get to the race. It's in November! Now weeks away as opposed to months. And, I'm excited! Not nervous. I'm sure that will come, but as of now, I'm ready to run this thing!

Our training group plan today: run 55 minutes with five, 4-minute hard intervals with 2-minute jogs in between the hard intervals, and the remaining time is a cool down. My legs felt a little stiff to begin, but loosened up throughout the run. We had a strong wind at our backs to begin, and I think it made me super-fast (well, super-fast for me is probably what most people consider a slow jog). When we turned back, and we ran into this wind ... yeah, not so fast. But, overall, it was a good run.

Now, for randomness in bullet style:

• Do not believe the difficulty rating on those pumpkin patterns. The past few years, I've done what they consider an easy pattern, and I agreed with their rating on those (one pumpkin on a scale of one to four with one being the easiest and four being the most difficult). I thought the next logical step was to do a two pumpkin difficulty rating, and I was SO wrong.

• This thing was a PAIN. I hated transferring the pattern. I hated carving it. I hated looking at the end result. I will stick to one pumpkin designs from now on because I am remedial. Or, the pumpkin pattern creators are liars.

Yes, I screwed this thing up in a major way. Normally, I'd toothpick pieces to stick that I accidentally cut out. Normally, I'd scoop out more of the insides to make it brighter. Normally, I'd clean up my cuts to make it look sharper. I. DID. NOT. CARE. I hate this pumpkin and the process of carving it.

• Although the jack-o-lantern was a bust, I thought my dog looked adorable. This made up for all my frustration.

• Jessica Simpson is pregnant! I actually let out an audible squeal at work when the news was confirmed. I love this girl (not in a scary-stalker kind of way; more of in a she's-my-favorite celebrity kind of way). I'm so excited. Really.

Day 36 (Oct. 30)

I didn’t think a 10-mile run could be better than last week, but I was wrong.

This week’s run rocked, and I knocked it out in 7 less minutes than the week before (I think I also cut 7 minutes off my drive to our meeting spot due to running late). Thanks extremely cool weather! Oh, and thanks previous 12 weeks of training.

This was especially awesome because I didn’t go to sleep until 2 a.m. due to Halloween fun at the senior prom with a bloody twist-themed party. Much like the week before, I had a vow to only have two beers and leave by midnight … I stuck to the two-beer rule. But, darn! That party was so fun! I kept extending the time we were going to leave. It ended up being 12:45 a.m. by the time we left.

(On a side note: after the initial fear of looking like a panda or raccoon, I ended up looking less like a cute, cuddly animal, but still not really frightening ... and perhaps still like a panda. I’ve never really been anything scary for Halloween (it was a big no-no growing up).)

Then, I did not account for the excessive amount of time it would take to de-bloody-twisty me. That hair color spray turns what was once soft, freshly washed hair into a crispy, rats’ nesty mess. It took thorough brushing, then washing, and then gobs of conditioner and a comb to get my hair back to normal. Not to mention washing off all the face paint that didn’t want to come off. So, after all that madness, I went to sleep in the wee hours of the morning to wake up less than 5 hours later.

This is where cutting time off my drive to our training group meeting spot came into play. Since I didn’t want to wake up after less than 5 hours of sleep, I kept delaying it. Well, I delayed it too long. And, I turned what is normally a 22-minute drive into a 15-minute drive. Thanks, cops, for being somewhere other than on my route.

After arriving in a frenzy, the run was so peaceful and enjoyable. A little chilly at first (near 60 degrees to begin the run), but that’s perfect (for running purposes only). There was also a breeze, which helped to keep things cool.

Again, I must express my love for the GU Chomps. I’m so happy I found these delicious little nuggets of energy! They’re easy to eat and help me avoid that choking-unable-to-breath feeling of the energy gels. I pop a few along the run, and I’m good to go.

And go I did (for 10 miles)! I felt great throughout the run, even with my faster than usual pace. I started to tire a little bit toward the end, but I guess that’s to be expected.

It was a great run, but I still did not spot Derek Jeter. I’ve got one more long run (11 miles next week) to see him. It’s your last chance, Jeter. Show your face. Step out of your house. Drive by. Something.

Day 35 (Oct. 27)

This run sucked. I really don't have much to say about it except that I hated it.

We ran 55 minutes: 10-minute warm up, 30-minute tempo run and a 15-minute cool down. OK, maybe I was being a little harsh. I liked the warm up, but I definitely hated the rest of it.

I don't really know what went wrong. Except it was hotter than usual, and I didn't drink enough water. Oh, and I felt nauseous. Sounds like a recipe for a great run.

Since this run bit, I didn't take any photos or want to remember it in any way.

So, I'm including a happy photo. Today, we dressed as a pack of Zorros at work. It rocked.