run this amazing day

Okay, it's super full-disclosure time.  (This will be long). I had IT band surgery in 2006.  I didn't really start running again until 2008.  My first 5K post-surgery was on 10/14/08, and I ran a 32:45 and wanted to die.  I signed up 2 days before the event and was bib number 13.  I think less than 100 people ran it, and while I wasn't dead last, I was alone.   Ugh, done. Since then, I've run a handful of races around my various injuries - stress fracture, other IT band issues, weird foot mystery no one ever figured out.  I've also had a DNS for 3 major races (10M, 13.1, 10M) that I've done 80% of the training for and gotten injured within 2 weeks of the race.  Running and I have a love-hate relationship.  I love running, and it hates me IN THE FACE. The second race I ran post-surgery was a Turkey Trot (November 2008) up in PA.  My sister and her friend were running it, and my only goal was to finish enough ahead of her that I could ...

1. Sometimes I think my dog is defective.  We have to show him his food most days to get him to eat.  He isn't great at retrieving - if you throw a toy he was playing with, he looks at you like, "Why'd you throw that?" with sad little eyes, and he's a water dog that is scared to swim because he doesn't like his feet not touching the ground.  Sigh. 2. I like tee-shirts that say funny things.  One of my favorites says, "Pants." 3. I'm trying really hard to like greek yogurt, but it's just not going all that well. 4. The weight I've settled at is a solid 30lbs less than I was in January, but still about 10lbs more than I was when I graduated college.  This is okay.  I get to eat ice cream now.  And I made peace with my thighs a long time ago . 5. Last night I was putting away clothes, and I saw one of my winter running hoodies with the thumb-holes and the zippy pockets stuffed in the back of the closet.  Sigh.   6. I can't...

1. SUPER-GROSS WARNING!  Skip ahead if you don't like gross things! My  super sweet elbow road rash hasn't been healing that well.  It feels like it is burning most of the time, and I bought different antibiotic cream that had pain killer in it, which didn't help at all.  However, yesterday afternoon when I took the bandage off to clean it, and again at 4am when I couldn't sleep because it was hurting, I discovered that my body has been using the cream to make some excellent greeny-brownish yellow goo.  It doesn't smell (sign of infection), but it's super disgusting.  However, there's a deep gash in one corner that is still leaking blood/goo, and I'm wondering if I should've gotten a stitch or two to hold it together.  It bled pretty constantly for about 24 hours after the fall, and has been a slow leak ever since.  I've been really diligent about washing, air-drying, and re-bandaging this week, but water touching it (in the shower, for examp...

I have a very faint memory of trying Gu several years ago, and immediately spewing it on everything within 15 feet of myself.  Since then, I've been hesitant to try it again, but with my longer bike rides, I've felt the need to mix up my nutrition a bit.  I can only eat so many jelly beans before my stomach tries desperately to punch me in the face (not sure how that would work, hmmm....). The nice folks over at Gu sent me a mixed box of stuff to try, and I suckered in some Gu-virgins to test it out.  The day the box arrived, I was super excited and wanted to try it out right away.  This was when Julie was visiting, so we decided that we would suck one down and then head to the gym to run.  I know this isn't exactly the intended purpose of Gu, so just hush.  We each tried one - I had a "Chocolate Outrage" and she had "Vanilla Bean."  She really liked the vanilla, and I was surprised to LOVE the chocolate - it tastes like brownie batter (in a good wa...

After a really nice bike ride yesterday morning, I settled down to work for a few hours.  Or, did I?  Wait, did I mention that my work computer won't turn on and they can't fix it for a week and I couldn't get into my backup until it ran a disk repair that took over 24 hours and finished up just MOMENTS ago because my computer died while it was running a backup and borked the universe?  Right.  Grr. Anyway.... Around lunchtime, I headed over to Spokes, because they are always nice there and don't make fun of me for not knowing where the brakes are and there's a really cute dog that walks around.  I dropped my bike in for a tune-up with the repair dudes - they are definitely dudes, not guys or men or boys - because my front brakes making an awesome noise after Sunday's crash - turned out there was a big piece of metal sticking out the brake pad and touching the wheel.  While that was going on, I walked over to learn about pedals.  I figured that sin...

I went to bed Saturday night full of beer and cookies.  Not the best recipe for a long ride the next morning.... Sunday morning I got up late, headed out late, but had lots of little plastic packets of squishy sugar and some tunes playing from my bento box and felt ready to go!  I headed up the MV trail, turned around at the detour mess, and immediately - THWACK! - felt something hit my helmet.  What's that!?  Angry noise from the creature trapped!  I immediately freaked, skidded to a stop, and started ripping everything off my head - my sunglasses exploded (dratted removable lenses), my helmet went flying, hairties fell out, and a little bumblebee buzzed angrily on his way.  Thanks to the runner who stopped to watch the show and laugh so hard you were snorting - glad I could make your morning. I continued south, and a few miles later got hit pretty hard by a large fuzzy bee in the clavicle.  About 10 seconds later, another one to the tricep - wh...

I'll try to only say this once: Holy Mother of 8 pound 6 ounce baby Jesus, was it freakin' hot out. I spent most of the afternoon reading in bed, drinking gallons of water and try to store up air conditioning in my blood.  We headed up to the race around 7:15, and stayed in our parked, A/C-running car until about 7:40.  I had frozen water in my handheld and steel in my veins.   I am not pretending this is a good idea. I bumped into MCM Mama just before the air horn went off! She looked ready to rumble. All I wanted to do was survive, so my goal was to not burn out in the first mile.  I looked down a few times and saw 8:xx on my Garmin, and reeled it in.  First mile went by pretty evenly: 9:29.  I walked through the water station, and dumped two cups of water on my head.  FAIL: this made my left earbud stop working.  Awesome.  I started to feel warmer right before the second mile mark, and my IT band started pulling a bit.  Hit the ...

1. Some days I wish I was the kind of person that had one of those houses that looks like a museum, that is cool and quiet except for ticking clocks, and has furniture people are afraid to put their feet on.  My house looks like a triathlon barfed all over it, and then a few dogs came in and shook hair everywhere.  All my furniture was gifted or donated except one piece, and there are curtains hanging up on exactly one window.  And I love it. 2. I don't know of anything that has ever brought me as much peace as watching a puppy sleep. 3. I don't like fish because of the texture.  Weird slippery strangeness. 4. I hate it when people are late. 5. Work is getting more and more busy, and I'm so happy in my job. 6. The hardest meat to remove from my diet is chicken.  I never noticed how much I ate it everywhere until I started looking more carefully at the meat I eat.  And to be honest, I'm not sure if I'll let it go.  But I like how aware I ...

1. Bondi bands!  Someone very nice at Bondi Band sent me two to try out - one is a shinier fabric, one is more stretchy.  I've tried them both, and they both kick butt at my #1 pet peeve - hair flying in my mouth while I'm running/cycling/etc.  I've been wearing one under my helmet while cycling to try and prevent swamp-helmet-head, and I totally heart it. This is a pic of the one I've been wearing most often: So cute!  Shiny peace signs! Sadly, I don't have one to give away (unless someone wants one that's been stretched out by my fat head and sweated in), but Bondi Band gave me something even better: a coupon code just for you guys! Buy 3, Get 1 FREE: use coupon code ONE. Buy 5 for $25: use coupon code FIVE. We just won't talk about how many of these I need to own.   2. My big news:  I'm going to run the Crystal City Twilighter 5K on Saturday night.  My first post-ITBS actual running race!!  I'm more excited than I probably should be ...

In my house, we do something to the puppy called "scootling the booter."  I have no idea why I started calling it this, but basically, the puppy runs up to you, you scratch both side of his back legs (near his booter), and in his absolute joy, he will burrow into your crotch until he is completely upside-down and drooling and sneezing with delight.

Today would have been my second wedding anniversary. I think the only way I want to recognize it is with a quiet moment, realizing that we are both much happier in our individual lives than we were sharing them.  We've gotten to the other side.  I could always see the other side when I was in the middle of it, but I could never see how to get through.  Turns out it's the same way you get through anything tough - if giving up is not an option, than fighting through - saving yourself - is all you have. If I could send a message to this girl, it would be:  you'll get through this.  I know you think that you are trapped, and that there is no way out, but you will find your way.  Lean on your friends and they will help carry you through.  One day, your life will be full of peace and love and for this you will know to be thankful.

OKAY!  No one has been anxiously awaiting the giveaway winner more than me!  Mostly because I never get to be on the very exciting side of going to random.org and hitting the button.  WHOMP!  PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS!     I totally asked everyone why they were awesome on a whim, but this was SUCH a great round of comments!  I love hearing why everyone is awesome.  I think you guys are all pretty awesome because you read my blog, which can be summed up as "whine whine whine IT band bitch moan bike grumble grumble bike stretch food food food."  You guys, major props. Some of my favorite comments: LPT: "... I'm currently awesome because I have a bruised jaw, a swollen face, a side braid, and I'm wearing shorts (that are possibly too short) to work today.  It's like the 1980's punched me in the head ." Dash: "... I am awesome, because like you, I cuss like I just stepped off an 18-wheeler. "  How did you know? Liz: " Who do I have...

First of all, I'll tip you off.  All of you Fast People with your "my legs were so tired I only did 12 miles in 65 minutes" and your "GIRL I KNOW I'm so sad about my 16:00 5K time" can just skip this first part and jump down to the pictures.  Puppies!  Cute!  Sparkly things!  Just skip on down. On Friday, I decided it would be a good idea to do a tiny bit of speedwork.  I have no idea why.  I'm not really back up to a weekly mileage where I can put in speedwork, but if I have to do one more walking-on-IT-band-eggshells-2-mile run, I'm going to stab myself in the kidneys.  So, speedwork it is! I haven't done any speedwork in about 6 weeks , and my running - and my approach - has changed a lot.  Hmm.  But rather than consult a pace chart, I figured I'd just wing it.  That's me, little miss planning.  Quarters sounded good (they always do - in my head, I'm going, "How much can it ACTUALLY hurt to run really fast for less tha...