Mileage dilemma

Sunday I have a five mile race but fifteen miles on the training schedule. 

The question is what to do and how to do it?  If it were just fifteen miles I would get up early, hit the road and be back just as the boys were waking up. 

This looks Awesome!  I might attempt.

The two time problems here are; 1.)This race does not start until 10am.    2.) It is Super bowl Sunday… in New York.  It messes with the whole schedule.  How can I get those miles in when Pete has to go to work and there is a possibility that we will be watching the Giants at a party later that evening?

I don’t usually do any significant warming up before a race but I think a couple of miles before the horn goes off are in order for me. 

What should I do?

I think it is winter

I am informed by my calendar that it is January.  Actually it is late January, in fact in case you were not aware this is the end of January.  But let me tell you that it did not feel like January this week here in the Mid Hudson Valley.  Maybe it did last weekend, it did snow.  But yesterday I saw crocuses popping up and a third day of 50 degree weather.  There is not a pile of snow to be seen. 

Getting dressed I feel as confused as those crocuses.  The past two Sunday mornings I have faced single degree weather.  My layers seemed to outnumber the temperature.  My water bottles froze.  I couldn’t even take the dog because her paws were too cold on the road and she was limping thirty seconds in!.  Since then I have enjoyed the shorts and long sleeve combo twice this week!



The cold outfit.  Ski hat and long johns included.



In the laundry I just separated I have long sleeve tech shirts, tights, long johns and sweaty hats.  I am about to add two pairs of shorts.   Shorts in January are unheard of for me since I run only outside.  This time last year there were several feet of snow on the ground and it was all about layers. Last year  I found the perfect layers and am good to go in almost any temp.   BUT I LOVE SHORTS!  It is just that it gets confusing.  And to be honest causes more laundry than I need!

Today was a happy medium 32 degrees and sunny.  Seasonal?  I guess.  Who knows anymore. 

Its eight degrees out there!  EIGHT DEGREES!!!

What to do?  Treadmill not fixed yet.  Ten miles written on my calendar. 

This is not going to happen!

Don’t I have tomorrow off?  Why yes I do.  This is a three day weekend!

Go back to bed.  Your body could use the rest. 

Is it Friday Yet?

Today I went back to work after a nice relaxing ten day vacation. 

It was nice to hear and share holiday stories.  I even felt relaxed as I answered e-mails and faxed a few Transcripts.

The heat was as expected, not working on the coldest day of the school year so far but hey I dressed warmly on purpose and I had a nice hot cup of coffee and some Canoli my secretary had brought in.  Life was still good. 

Then someone mentioned we had a faculty meeting after school.  Grrrrrr! I planned on running, despite the cold.  An hour lost and the boys will be home from school.

Attend said meeting where budget and other depressing topics are discussed.  Thoughts wander during statistical presentation of tax levy and 2% tax cap implications, (I guess I can run the neighborhood after dark, right)

Drive home figuring out the rest of the evening.  Temperature on car reads 23 degrees.  Still contemplating run. 

Hit pothole= flat tire

Get out of car, 23 degrees plus wind chill

Call and wait for husband to rescue, resist urge to cry. 

Realize it is too F-ing cold to run after dark today

Drop car off and resume evening activities, cook dinner, Cubscouts.

Attempt stretching and Elliptical workout with six year old hanging on me while watching The Biggest Loser.  No Excuses?  I am trying here!

Abandon attempted workout after husband loses patience on third grade homework, multiplication and division emergency (tears)………

Someone please put me out of the misery of this day!

I need a day off. 

Hey ya never know

I just finished my application for the NYC Marathon Lottery. 

It will be three months until I know if I make it in but at least I won’t forget! 

I also registered for the Long Island Marathon on May 6th so I know for sure I have a spring Marathon. 

Then, since I had my debit card handy...

 I signed up for the Danbury half in April and the other local races I had been thinking about. 

Official training starts now!

Ya gotta be in it to win it right?

New Years 5k

Calli and I after the 5k

I decided to run my regular 5k route, also known as “race the school bus” because I did not map out anything else out and it was getting late.  It has some significant hills that I seem to forget will SUCK at the 5k pace.  But since I had Calli with me it only made sense to run on the left side of the road against traffic.  Besides running uphill at a good clip is good strength training right?

Knowing this route I made an attempt to track my splits with my watch but they are not exact. 

Mile 1-8:04  in the neighborhood and out onto the shoulder of the main road.  One quick doggie pit stop.

Mile 2—7:39 Straight shot out, mostly sidewalks in the village no problems at the crosswalks. 

Mile 3+.1 – 8.33 Hairpin turn down towards the creek, Calli decided the middle of the road was as good a place as any to do her business.  Picked it up the last half mile and up THE HILL. 

Final time 24:16

Note to self: Heather next time you run a virtual 5k, leave the dog at home and reverse this route!

2011 by the Numbers

NYC Half-times square - mile 8
Run for Think Pink Rock's-Breast Cancer Research
I raised over $1200 in six weeks!

#of Races run this year-12 

Wow! I only ran 6 in 2010

1 trail run, 2 very big races,2 virtual races, 5 local runs, 2 big local races

or

1 Marathon
2 Half marathons
4 10k's
2 5k's
3 five Miler's

Number of picture cards I received at Christmas 44

I hate taking them down!

# of ornaments I just took off the tree-  Lets not get crazy, I have no idea

# of Medals-3

nyc half and Atlantic City Marathon and a local age group

# of PR’s- 5-Half, 10k, 5k, 5mile, Full (lol)

# of Shoes in the rotation-4

# of Miles run -  1074

Total miles logged-1127

# of Baseball games attended with the boys-6
2 Yankee,2 Hudson Valley Renegades,1 Washington Nationals, 1 Baltimore O's (vs Yankees)

# of Letters of Recommendation I wrote for my seniors 41

# of college applications processed -275

# of times the weather changed unexpectedly- ? Where the heck do I live? It snowed the day before Halloween and I ran in shorts on new years eve!   It s nearly 60 degrees out there today and I went skiing yesterday!

Eight miles in the morning

Put my snow pants right over those shorts!

# of other things I am trying to do as I write this post- 3 - make a lasagna, laundry, put away Christmas

# of times the tooth fairy visited the boys-10

# of Bags of Cub scout popcorn polished off- Don’t ask

Happy 2012!  I will run my first 5k of the year when  the husband gets home for the Gym.