Six Months

Sep29

Six months. Six long months of drudgery and slogging. Six months of terrible morning runs was what I did before I finally figures out how to have a fantastic morning run. Or I should say fantastic morning run first thing in the morning.

If I had my way, I would probably do all of my running at night. I just like it better then. I am awake and energized and evening runs are relaxing. However, this year I actually trained for races and because of doing long runs on the weekends of more than six miles, this was going to necessitate getting up to run early. For a time, I was able to get away with doing evening runs and still feeling fresh enough to run on the weekend early in the morning.

However, as marathon training progressed with longer runs on Fridays as well as the usual long run on Saturday mornings, morning runs were being necessitated on Fridays. And earlier in the week as well since I had to get to work and work super long hours. So it was up early to get the miles in. And it was not the most fun thing to do. Continue reading →

Go Away

Sep26

unrelentingI am officially in taper mode for the Chicago Marathon and of course, I’m restless. This is a time when I need to be taking it easy with my intensity in the miles I still have remaining as well as the cross training that I am doing. Things that for a person like me, are much easier said than done.

I have chatted with a few people and gotten some great advice on what to do during my taper. It shouldn’t be so hard, considering that I did a taper before the Green Bay Half Marathon I ran in May. However, I didn’t really feel a need then to “chill” during taper because I had already so many half marathons. Continue reading →

Women and the Bags

Sep24

She gets on the train and it is the height of the morning rush hour. She has already hit three people squeezing into the very crowded car. Those she has hit give her dirty looks and others just stare in wonder. What the hell does she need to carry around with her that requires three purses on a daily basis?

Ladies, you need to explain something to me and the rest of the world. WHY do you need to carry multiple purses with you? Is it a fashion stately you’re trying to make by carrying a couple of Coach or LV bags around? It cannot possible be for utility. You may think it is but I, along with the rest of the world, do not believe you. Continue reading →

I’m Sorry

Sep22

Hey Dude,

How’s it going? I’m about to go run a few miles while you’re off to go do whatever you plan to do, but first I think I owe you an explanation and maybe even an apology.

It is really not all that interesting that after going to certain places at generally the same times, you start to see the same people. So it is no surprise that we have run across each other quite often given how often we go to some places. After a while, “normal” people will actually start to talk to those people they see often and maybe even become more than just someone you see, but possibly friends.

Continue reading →

It’s Getting Real

Sep18

running shoesSunday I ran a 14-mile cutback week run long run. I was supposed to run it on Saturday, but having been dealing with a cold that just won’t settle in my body or go away and dealing with crappy work hours, I have been exhausted. So exhausted that I ended up sleeping for a really long time on Saturday. Clearly I needed the rest and the me of now gladly took that extra rest. Months ago, I would have tried to push through it, but now I really “get” the importance of rest to make myself perform well.

Anyway, I think my 14 mile run was probably the best one yet of my marathon training season. Probably because the temps were really cool (yay!) and I felt rested after taking a rest day on Saturday. During my run, I did get rained on quite a bit. About half an hour into my run, it started to sprinkle. Then when I had reached the halfway point, it really started to rain. Fortunately, there was no lightning so I could continue on in my run. As for the rain, it actually felt wonderful to run in it. It had me getting anxious about a winter run through the snow. That is something I have wanted to do for a long time and I’m hoping this winter I have that chance. Continue reading →

We Need to Talk

Sep12

smashed_and_broken_heart-1505“We need to talk,” JC said as I was walking back from the basement with a load of laundry. He’d been in a bit of a mood lately, and I wasn’t sure what was going on. Normally I just let him go through whatever it was that was bothering him, but lately, his mood was driving me nuts.

“Mom, can I play with the Wii and Isla wants a cookie. I told her no, but she insists you will let her have one,” said Ryan, my 5-year-old. Ryan and Isla, who is 2 and 1/2 are staring at me anxiously. Suddenly I am feeling like I have way too much on my plate, but those days only happen when I am actually at home trying to catch up things, which is not very often. I am a neurosurgeon so a lot of my time is spent at the hospital dealing with patients and cutting into their brains. I enjoy the work and it actually is a kind of escape from the mundane of being a wife and mother to my immediate roommates. Continue reading →

Boyfriend

Sep9

Sometimes, I am a really awful person. Most of the time I am not, but when I “decide” to be awful, I go full-fledged awful person. One of those times was a few years ago when I was dealing with a friend who is extremely religious.

I am not religious. While there are religious people out there who are not about trying to shove their beliefs down my throat, too often I run across too many who want to do just that. Seems I am around those people a lot, including close family members. At times, it makes me wonder if they think they will “change” me by doing their evangelizing.

Continue reading →

Running and Music. Music and Running

Sep7

September 7th was a 20-mile run. I wasn’t even nervous about it. In fact, I was looking forward to it. A few weeks ago, I was freaking out about 17 miles. After I finished the 17 miles, 18 and 20 were just no big deal to me.

This 20-mile run in addition to getting used to being in my feet for so long was also special because I did it solo and with no music. I normally run with music, but since I discovered a few weeks ago that my music player wasn’t going to last, I thought I should do at least one really long run without music. And the 20 mile run seemed like the perfect run to do this on for a couple of reasons.

One, it was sufficiently long so that I would have more of the marathon experience. Second because I was going to be starting my run well before the sun came up and for safety reasons, it would be better to be fully aware of my surrounding until sunrise.  Continue reading →

Out of the Ordinay

Sep5

Perhaps it a sign of growing. Or maybe just a sign that I’m ready to finally do what I should have been doing all along. Whatever the cause, this year I’ve done some things that are just not me. And I’m okay with stepping outside the box.

It all started in June when Man of Steel finally came out. That was a good weekend. I ran four miles at race pace on the Friday the movie came out before heading to work. Though work wasn’t all that exciting, I did have after work to look forward to because I was going to see the movie. I have been waiting FOR MONTHS for this movie to come out. Granted, it was nice to see another movie with Henry Cavill in it. But I was also excited because it was a Superman movie. Most people don’t know, but I am a Superman fan. I always have been. As a kid, I watched the Christopher Reeve movies and even at times watched the old tv show. Continue reading →

Feel Today? No Thanks

Sep4
Overplayed Music

just kidding! i’ve never started to despise a song

For a very stupid reason, I have been listening to a lot of Ingrid Michaelson lately. I had gone several months without listening to her because I was busy wearing out other artists. Some of her songs had been staples in my running playlists, but eventually I moved on to other songs that would get me moving at a good pace and keep me going when it would start to get hard.

Anyway, she is one of my favorites and I like her songs because they say a lot of things that I can’t seem to find the words to say. I am sure I need to further explore why I like her music, but for now, I’m sticking with the lyrics thing. Anyway, yesterday her song Be Ok came on and there is a line in it of “I just want to feel today, feel today, feel today. I just want to feel something today.”

Continue reading →