Four for Friday – the “Move on Dude” edition

1.  Not going to lie..I’ve been in a funk this week since Sunday’s DNF.  And not in a good Rockafeller Stank Funk Soul Brother kind of way.  I am so happy my run buds did well but seeing their finish line pics and hearing about their accomplishments is tough.  I need to just get past it.

2.  I am excited about starting training again with all its new plans and races.  The lingering sense of sucking will go away I know.  I want it to go away now though. 

3. There’s always stuff to make you laugh and realize…”Whatever Dude, Move on.”  For me, laughter is a big cure all.  I am not very introspective so laughter is my med.

http://heyrunnergirl.tumblr.com

 

4.  Vacation is creeping up..thankfully.  I plan to do what I want and to me that means enjoy time with the hubs and our awesome friends who are coming with us, work out, run, golf, horseback ride, shop and enjoy margaritas by the pool.  Or margaritas while I golf.  Or margaritas with breakfast.  Or margaritas.

Are you going on vacation?  Anywhere fun?

Mississauga Marathon Race Report – the tale of a quitter

I really don’t think I have ever quit anything.  I mean, I quit a few jobs when I was younger but felt terrible about it.  I have never given up on a project, a hobby, a round of golf, a run or a workout.

Sunday a lifetime of not quitting was broken.  There is no celebration of a PB, no feeling of satisfaction for all the hours of training I put since November, no medal, no cheers, nothing.

The race started off fine.  The day was beautiful and the course itself is fantastic.  We had a group of full and half marathoners who did awesome.

I never really felt ‘great’ or in a groove but kept on with plan.  The hubs was out on the course and kept checking in on me.  Around the 19km mark, my breathing just felt off but I was still on plan.  By the time I got to the 25km mark it was just all bad.  I told the hubs to meet me at 30km and I would assess how I felt.  At 30km, I could barely keep my breathing under control.  The hubs had his asthma meds which I took a hit of and we planned to run 1km to see if it helped. 

It didn’t.  I then decided to stop.  I truly thought about what that would mean and that I would have to live with it so it wasn’t easy.  I am sure I could have lumbered in but 11km of walking is a long time…

So I quit, I DNF’ed, I stopped, I chucked ‘er in.  I know this is just a race and I get to do this – no one is forcing me.  But quitting is just something I never thought I’d do. 

So there you go.

The other cruddy thing is I actually got a really good race shot by the hubs and now have a bad day to associate it with.  Crud.

I’ve wallowed in some stupid self pity since Sunday.  And then today signed up for 2 10km races, a 10 miler and the Detroit Half Marathon in the Fall.

A DNF is a good motivator apparently.

April Recap

KMs Ran: 236m

# of spin classes/cross training:  10

#Rest Days: 6

# of yoga classes:  5

Favourite April workout: Our group 35km run on the Mississauga Route was probably a highlight for me not only because it was a good run, it was a lot of fun being out with everyone and having the support we did.

Favourite piece of training equipment: I do almost all of my running outside but did use the treadmill for my speed work during April.  At first I felt kind of guilty but it was more a mental challenge staring at a blank while while trying not to die. 

Current Reads:  Running and Philosophy.  A marathon for the mind:

A first-of-its-kind collection of essays exploring those gems of philosophical wisdom runners contemplate when out for a run.  Topics considered include running and the philosophy of friendship; the freedom of the long distance runner; running as aesthetic experience, and "Could a Zombie Run a Marathon?"  Contributing essayists include philosophers with athletic experience at the collegiate level, philosophers whose past time is running, and one philosopher who began running to test the ideas in his essay.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure:  Hmmm other than the serious amount of vino on my Bday, there hasn’t been too much indulging of late.  I guess the yoga I have been doing is an indulgence as all that hotness doesn’t come cheap.  (twss)

Current Song:  Chelsea Dagger – an oldie but I love it.

Current Wish List:  To give all I truly have during Sunday’s race.

Current Bane of my Existence:   My brain, specifically my running brain that puts all these doubts about the marathon in my head.  My pumpkin is a scary place to be people….

Fav Recipe:  Seared tofu with Green Bean and Asian Coconut Sauce  I of course embellished and added in green onion, mushrooms and bamboo shoots.  Loved.this.

Current Blessings:  I was able to come out and cheer on the hubs and some friends at a small race on Saturday.  It was awesome to see the hubs race at a fast pace.  He was diagnosed with asthma recently so that has been worrying me…cause that’s who I am.  He still busted out a 5km time of 21:30..with no real speed training for it…….

 

My other friends set PBs and had some age group winning done. 

Current Excitement/Freak out:  You figured I’d say the marathon which is this coming Sunday.  But no…the excitement is our upcoming vacation post marathon which sorely needed due to my current freak out which is how busy I am at work.

So, that’s it…another training session almost done.  The final test to happen on Sunday.  Stand by folks…