Kitty Post - Adventure at the vet office

Miss Independent


Here is our sweet girl, Miko, at the vet this morning. All three kitties went in for their annual shots and checkup. Normally our kitties are pretty shy at the vet, opting to stay in their carriers for as long as possible. Not Miko. She ventured out today, rubbing up on all of the corners of the exam table, jumping up on top of it all by herself. She's such a good little girl.

Here's a shot of her venturing out on her own. What you might notice if you click on the picture to enlarge it is that our two other cats (Beans and Felicia) have crammed themselves into the larger travel crate. That's right...the sworn enemies actually chose to be together. I guess if scared enough, kitties will forgive each other's differences and hunker down together.

Here's a shot of the typically 'macho' alpha kitties snuggling together. They look so embarrassed to be seen with one another. Hahahah! Busted!

As soon as we got home, these two got in a few hisses and swats at each other just to prove that they still don't get along. Whatever...I know the real story...they are both cowards!

The good news is that all three kitties are an acceptable weight for their size. Beans weighs between 14-15 pounds (down from 18 at one point in his life). Miko is about 11 pounds. Felicia is just under 10. I guess being vigilant at mealtime to ensure Beans and Miko don't get any of Felicia's food has paid off. That, and being in a larger house with stairs allows for lots of kitty playing, running, and climbing to work off the extra weight.

We go to Arbor Animal Clinic. I used to work there when I was in college, and they took great care of Beans when he was hit by a car as a kitten. We love them there!!

Pics are up!

Pictures from the Country Music Marathon are up. I made an effort to look happy at all of the cameras that I saw on the course, and it is evident that I'm the one in the highest spirits during the end of the race. The cameras were just one more thing during the race to distract me from the heat. If I wasn't going to PR, I definitely wanted to enjoy the race. The pictures are proof.

This is definitely the best shot of me during the race (somewhere during mile 19).



I think this next one is just past the 10k timing mat. I'm still running pretty fast here and didn't see the camera. I just took a peek at my watch.




This one is on the paved path between 15 and 16. The guy on the left with the white shirt is wearing an Austin Marathon shirt from this year. I chatted with him in the starting corral. He's from Florida.



I think this is somewhere around 19, right before I saw Sean.



This is the same area. Note the traffic circle with cobbles in the background. Also, I'm much happier than those guys behind me.



This is in mile 24 coming up the little hill after the pond. Love the fat ripples in my right leg. I'm gonna work on that this summer.

My Traveling Man

Beans is ready for his next trip. He crawled in the carrier twice
today and got comfortable. Maybe I should take him for a ride in the
car like dog owners do with their pups.

Keeping up with the Joneses. And the winners are...

Sadie and Chad! Chad was the fastest Jones man at CMM. I was the fastest lady Jones. Woohoo!

Another Post-Race Pic

Nashville Race Report

Here's the dirty...

Great night's sleep - When we arrived in Nashville on Thursday night, I had a horrible night of sleep. I woke up to every single sound (and there were lots of unfamiliar sounds in this hotel room). I'm used to sleeping with a sound machine that plays light pattering rain all night. On Friday night, I got into bed and had the thought...'Surely there's an app for that!'. So, I grabbed my iPhone, searched for a 'white noise' app, and downloaded it immediately(free). My iPhone was turned into a sound machine and played light pattering rain all night long. I slept like a baby.

Great start line - the start line was very well organized. We dropped our bags, used the portopotties, and lined up in corrals. I was in corral 3. After the gun went off, they walked each corral to the front in 1-2 minute intervals, removed the guard rope in front and counted us down to our own staggered start. It was awesome! I did not run in a crowd that slowed me down significantly ever. (It was 67 degrees, not 62 as forecasted)

Great first few miles in the shade - My plan was to run based on effort for the first few miles to determine exactly what finish time I would go for. The ultimate goal pace was 7:38, and I was hoping that my opinion of running easy and comfortable would be somewhere between 7:30-8:00 because the weather was going to be a little warmer than we thought.

Mile 1 - 7:21 (lots of downhill - I was thrilled to see this time because it felt so easy. I tried to slow down)
Mile 2 - 7:33 (more downhill - This was great. I felt nice and easy and the splits were coming better than expected)
5K split - 23:46 (The split for the last 1.1 was 8:51, uphill significantly the whole 1.1 miles.) This is ahead of 3:20 pace, but I was keeping the effort nice and easy.
Mile 3.1-4 - 7:06 (Slight downhill, then uphill during this mile. Sun starting to come out, but we're running mostly in the shade)

Sun came out - At this point we're doing an out and back on Music Row. The scenery is pretty and there are some trees to partially shade us.

Mile 5 - 8:19 (completely uphill, nice and steady, I decided to relax the pace slightly to not over-exert on the early miles)
Mile 6 - 7:39 (mostly downhill, nice and relaxed. Saw Chad!!! The sun is out. Starting to get warm.)

Hills + Sun not a good combo

Mile 7 - 8:00 (some tight turns, narrower roads, a really slow lady was in front of me getting water, or otherwise this would have been 7:50 or so. For the first time, I knew that the temperature was going to be more than a factor than originally thought.)
Mile 8 - 8:16 (Uphill, our side of the road had less shade, it was heating up)
Mile 9 - 7:52 (Flat to downhill, felt okay, nice and steady, temp still rising without shade)

eased up - was okay with it - Once we got to the open city roads, the heat was becoming a factor for everyone. I knew that based on my effort for the first 10 miles that my body was going to have a really hard time cooling itself down much more. I was really hot. At every single water stop so far I had taken in Cytomax and water, and had poured water on my head/neck. There were half marathoners at this point who were suffering.

anyone got a pocket knife?
Mile 10 - 8:04 (Warmer. I started yelling at the spectators 'Pocket knife?' 'Anyone have a pocket knife or scissors?' After about 30 spectators a man jumps up at my question and offers his swiss army knife. I ask him to please cut off my pace bands. They were a burden to me at this point. It was a relief to let go of them and I just tried to enjoy the course from here on out.)

Karen and Pam! - Saw Karen and Pam somewhere during this mile. Gave Karen a big sweaty hug for being there and let her know how hot it actually felt running. They said I looked great. I told them I was just going for a good experience from here on out and was going to run easy but steady.
Mile 11 - 8:45
Mile 12 - 8:47 (Almost completely uphill. I was kind of jazzed that my splits were still under 9:00 while I was really trying to slow down and control my body heat. The pavement was beginning to be brutally hot and there was no shade at all.)

No walking the first half - People were walking everywhere and I desperately wanted to walk at this point. It was mostly about body heat issues. It felt better to cool off for a minute by walking instead of running and feeling my body heat steadily rise. I made a deal with myself to at least make hit to the half before I did any walking. I knew that I had so far to go, and walking would only make it take longer.

Mile 13 + .1 - 9:52 - My half split was 1:46 something, which is only a minute off of my PR for a half. Not bad at all, but it is not even close to what I wanted it to be today.

Elite waiting at a bus stop bench - Somewhere between 13 and 14 we look to the right and see an Elite runner waiting and stretching at a bus stop bench. Everyone I talked to after the race said that when they saw him, they felt better. At least we weren't the only person feeling like crap :).

7:32 (this is only a .9 split between 13.1 and 14)
Mile 15 - 9:21 (I walked for about a minute here at a water stop and through a water sprayer. It felt awesome to cool down.)

Passing and being caught - We got to a paved running path by the river which was totally exposed, but really flat. I started picking off people to focus on something other than the heat. There was a man pushing a wheelchair (similar to Team Hoyt), and that reminded me how everyone out there shared the same burden...some more than others. If he could run the course in the heat, I surely could too. Michael Wedel passed me and looked nice and steady. It was great to see him.

Mile 16 - 8:40

More passing - We got off of the river path onto the roads in the industrial park. The industrial area was at least a space with ponds, grass, and flat roads. We were near the Titans practice field. I passed lots of people who were fading. I knew that even if I walked the water stops to cool off, I was still running better than a lot of the folks around me.

Miles 17-18 - 19:45 During this part, there was a section where we were running uphill, into the wind, full sun, and were punished by having a clear view of a bank thermometer reading 78 degrees. Thanks for reminding us, though I was surprised it only read 78. That must have been in the shade because it felt like 85-90 degrees.

That band is pretty good - There was a fantastic band near the 18 mile marker. The beat of the song was exactly the tempo my feet were striking the ground. I gave them a big thumbs up and they waved back a supportive wave.

Mile 19 -8:37

Hot hot hot pavement - nuff said

Water stop walking - Still walking through water stops. It felt great to get the Cytomax into the body (thought the taste of Cytomax was making me gag at this point in the race). I also continued with water pouring down my neck and over my head.

Between 19 and 20 I caught Sean Braymen. I was so sad to see him walking. I walked with him for a good while and we ran for a bit together to keep him moving forward. He told me to go ahead and I did. This part of the course was uphill and where the half marathon course merged back onto the road. It was tight and crowded here.

Mile 20 - 9:51

Walking with Rogue friends - Shortly after walking with Sean, the marathon course passed by the Titans stadium where the half marathoners were finishing and where we would be 10k later. I saw Karen and Pam again and they said I still looked good. Well that's good, because I felt like crap.

Just ahead I spotted Jon Alter and was sad to see him walking as well. I pulled up next to him and asked him if I could walk with him for a while. He accepted my invitation and after the race told me he was glad to see someone familiar. We walked together for a little bit uphill and started running again to get to the next water stop. We walked through the water stop and I started jogging again downhill to get back some momentum. I thought Jon was right behind me, so when I felt myself chafing between my legs, I pulled over to the side of the road to apply some Aquaphor. I thought Jon would catch me and we would run together for a while longer. Not so.

Miles 21 and 22 - 19:19

I was on the last out and back section of the course, running uphill on my side, when up ahead I recognized Chad coming back the other way. I didn't want to see him because I wanted him to have a better race. However, I then saw that he was running with Keith. Oh no! They both were not going to make their time! Even though it was sad to see them, I was glad they had come together to get through the last miles. They both looked like they were suffering less than everyone around them and I know the last few miles were faster for the two of them together than they would have been apart. I gave Chad a huge sweaty hug in the middle of the street.

Hey, I look better than that person - From this point on I felt like crap, but I looked better than most everyone else around me. I kept looking at folks, thinking 'I look better than that person. I can do this. Just stay steady, walk the water stops to stay cool, and keep running in between.'

Mile 23 - 9:18
Mile 24 - 9:44
Mile 25 - 9:57

Last mile got me under 3:50, but a crappy poker hand - At 25 I saw that I could finish under 3:50 if I stayed steady and didn't walk. I knew I could do it. I skipped the last water stop and ran the tangents. Pam and Karen and one of the half runners from the north group were cheering at the .5 to go point. Karen was running with another Rogue runner just ahead of me (can't remember his name, but he had a big tattoo and a dyed mohawk). She let him go and turned around. When she saw me, she said I still looked good and asked me to close the last bit. I told her no, I was just going to run steady. She was good and coached me by saying it's still good practice to finish with a close. I admitted that I wasn't going to close because I was trying to finish with a good poker hand. AAAGGH!! She laughed, rolled her eyes, and told me to go ahead. I was going for 3:49:33, 3:49:44, or 3:50:00 at least so I would have 3 of a kind. Unfortunately, I didn't have the heart to slow down any more, so I finished in 3:49:28.

Mile 26 + .2 - 10:49

Medical folks worried about me - Immediately after I crossed the finish line, my temp spiked and I looked and felt like crap. The medical folks could tell I wasn't right and asked me if I was okay. I could barely move, but I was still standing. I said I needed ice. Ice, please. I'm really hot. The medical lady sprinted over to the cold sponge area and ran back to me to squeeze it over my neck. I kept walking (If you want to call it that) and could barely pick up water or sports drink. Another medical lady asked me if I was okay and I told her 'Yes, I'm just moving slow'. When I got to the trash cans filled with ice and Cytomax bottles, I seriously considered climbing in. If I was less coherent, I probably would have. Instead, I braced my hands against the sides of the trash can and fantasized about taking a dip in the ice. I stood there staring at the ice for a good minute or so until the lady handing out Cytomax started talking to me....I must have looked funny.

Me worried about me - I started getting pinpoint headaches in my head and worried that I might be having a stroke. Seriously. I almost sat down, but thought if I sat down I would not get back up. I just kept shuffling through the finishers chute, knowing that if I was in really bad shape, my body would take itself down to the pavement on its own.

Slowest walk ever! I shuffled through the finishers chute to get to the drop bags. Thank goodness Chad was at the bag drop, because it had already taken me 30 minutes (at least) to get that far.

Sunburn (after sunscreen) I was wearing 45 spf, waterproof, and a hat, and still managed to burn my face. Oh well.

Well, that's the long and dirty. Thanks for reading. I love running in the heat, just not racing in it. It was great running fast paces early and having them feel pretty good. I wish the weather could have been more cooperative. I'm thankful that I let go of my goals early and really enjoyed the race as much as I could. I'm proud of my finish, especially now that I see how the rest of the race field fared.

I have now run 10 marathons and am satisfied that I am a smart runner who can find successes in every race.

Results
3:49:28

13th in my age group (30-34) out of 283
72nd woman overall out of 1,692
351st overall finisher out of 3961 finishers

That doesn't even count the number of folks who started and DNFed today.

Not bad for a hot day.

Race Report Coming Soon

I'll post something in the next day or so. In the meantime, here's a preview -

Great night's sleep
Great start line
Great first few miles in the shade
Sun came out
Hills + Sun not a good combo
eased up - was okay with it
anyone got a pocket knife?
Karen and Pam!
No walking the first half
Elite waiting at a bus stop bench
Passing and being caught
More passing
That band is pretty good.
Hot hot hot pavement
Water stop walking
Walking with Rogue friends
Hey, I look better than that person.
Last mile got me under 3:50, but a crappy poker hand.
Medical folks worried about me
Me worried about me
Slowest walk ever!
Sunburn (after sunscreen)

Readyfornap

Hot hot day! 3:49:28

Readytorun

BFD

Breakfast for dinner...our secret weapon. Easy to digest. Pasta/rice
at lunch. Eggs, hash browns(the best I've ever had), gluten free
muffin, tea. We're at a great place near Vanderbilt called Fido.
Reminds us a lot of Austin Java.

Travel Buddies

Silver Lining

Our team has been watching the forecast get warmer and warmer for Saturday's race morning. It was going to be 56 at the start, then 58, then 60. Then, the weather forecasts started talking about wind. Heat and wind? No fair!

Well, this morning I looked at the forecast and it is predicted to be 70 degrees at the start, warming up from there. Are you f-ing kidding me??? I would laugh, except that the wind is also now predicted to be stronger and stronger . Finding the silver lining in the clouds (that aren't even going to be in the sky on Saturday) has been difficult, but I think I see a little shimmer through the gloom and doom of the forecast.

Mother Nature doesn't know that I tend to run faster with a bit of wind. Pair warm weather, my ability to sweat, and a breeze...should feel a bit like an air conditioner, right? Silver lining, indeed. It's not the 'ideal' 48, mostly cloudy, and no wind, but it just might be okay.

Prep School

Today and tomorrow are going to be the most important days before the marathon on Saturday. I will be putting the final touches on the preparation that I've been doing for months.

Physiologically -
I'm going to rest. I'm getting 8-10 hours of sleep each night. I'm not doing unnecessary chores or activities on my feet. I'm actually working from the recliner most of the day in compression socks just to have that 'little something extra' feeling in my legs.

Mentally -
I'm reviewing the course maps. I'm focusing on my goal time and what it will take to get there. I'm building my pace band. I'm visualizing myself running well, trying to feel what it is like to be smooth, confident, and ahead of pace.

Nutrition -
I've been really careful about food/water intake this week. Chad and I have our own plans for eating in Nashville because we have a pretty solid routine going for us before long runs. I hope to eat scrambled eggs, home fries, and fruit as my evening meal before the marathon. As a back-up, I can always eat a Chipotle bowl, and will likely eat it for lunch if we don't go eat pasta (which I don't eat anymore).

What will the next two days have in store?

Today - work from recliner, laundry, grocery store, dry cleaners, check in online for flight, pack suitcases, healthy dinner, lots of water, in bed early.
Thursday - sleep late, work from recliner, healthy lunch, lots of water, leave for airport, flight to Nashville, check into hotel, in bed early.

MIA - hip hurt, heat, health

I've missed some workouts. I've been doing my own thing lately with this sore hip of mine. I missed Saturday's run with the group because my hip was still achy. Sunday I ran on my own and it felt pretty good. I only managed to get in about 8 miles, but I'm okay with it. Yesterday I loosened it up some more with an easy three. So, why wasn't I there this morning? It is part of my super secret strategy to combat the warm weather we are about to feel in Nashville.

I've been sleeping in every morning and running on my own in the afternoon warm weather now for about a week. I've got 7-10 planned for today during the hottest part of the day. I'm gonna sweat and feel very hot and uncomfortable. I'm even wearing black to maximize the warmth. Actually, every day that I have done this has helped make the next run feel more comfortable. I'm getting the extra hours of needed sleep, focusing on hydration during the day, and getting used to running in the heat in the afternoon.

It's looking to be 60 degrees at race start and 75 at the finish. Umm...that's a little warmer than my preferred race temp, but I'm hoping that these afternoons at 85 degrees make the race feel cooler by comparison. At the very worst, I've gotten a full night sleep (8-10 hours) for seven days in a row.

My weight is back down to the low point during the month, so hopefully my nutrition efforts will keep it manageable through Saturday. I'm feeling as good as I can feel with a less than ideal taper situation, so I'll just have to roll with it.

Thursday we travel. Friday we rest, packet pickup and scout the course. Saturday we run. Eeeek!

Awesome! We'll take it from here.

First, a big congrats to all of my friends who ran Boston yesterday. Some were running to PR. Some were running to finish. All were there to enjoy the experience. I hope you all got what you wanted out of the day. It was exciting to track everyone online and watch the 5k splits tick away.

Now it is our turn. We're going to Nashville for all the same reasons...to PR, to qualify for Boston, to run a strong race, to see what is left in the tank.

So, a music change. I might have hinted at this before, but I don't really care for Country Music. Sure there are songs that are classics that I know the words to and there are a few contemporary songs that I can stand to listen to now and again, but running a marathon with country music bands all along the course might just be the perfect example of modern day torture. Saturday will be a test of my mental toughness, trying not to let the onslaught of country music affect my run...it can only make me run faster, right? to get away from the music?

Instead of a traditional running song to get you going on this Nashville marathon week, I thought some superhero inspiration might get you pumped to run. Superman's Theme - John Williams.

what is left in the tank??

AAAhhhh!!! Tracking has been great. I really hope our fasties have enough left in the tank for a good finish. I've been tracking their 5k splits and the runners who have now passed the 30k mark have lost 15-40 seconds in the last 5k compared to their previous splits. The hills are upon them.

Hang in there everyone! For those of us spectating, deep breaths people! It is the moment of truth. Can't wait to see the 35k and 40k splits!

Marathon Monday

The Boston Marathon gun is going off right about this time today. I personally know at least 30 people who are running there today. I finally admitted yesterday to Chad that I was a little jealous. I was supposed to get to run Boston again this year. Had I run the race I wanted to in St. George in October, I'd be lining up with Tara in wave 1 and getting to enjoy the perfect running conditions today. It obviously was not meant to be. I have even technically qualified to run Boston this year, but the timing was too late to register.

I'm excited to run Nashville this coming Saturday. Will we have the awesome weather that Boston is getting right now? No. Will we get all of the cool running shwag that all of the Boston folks get to bring home? Probably not. Will I get a PR? I better. My PR is 3:37. I've been training for a 3:20. The hip has calmed down for the moment. I will not be running faster than easy pace until Saturday's race so as not to encourage any more hip flare ups.

Am I worried about not making my goal? Sometimes. I've been channeling my friend Tausha since yesterday. She was battling severe foot pain towards the end of her training before CIM. It was doubtful whether or not she would even toe the line. Did she? You bet! Did she run a good race? You bet...she broke 3:10 (though I think her foot was broken when it was all over)! I keep reminding myself that I've put the work in. I've run the miles. There is no reason to not go for my goal. If the day unfolds differently than I hope, then so be it. I will be patient, listen to my body and adjust only when it is ultimately needed. Hopefully that time never comes.

Regardless of how I run in Nashville (or Portland in October), I'm qualified to go Boston next year. The only things left to be determined are if I start in wave 2, wave 1, whether I'm not pregnant and run with a goal, whether I'm pregnant and run easy, whether I'm pregnant and don't run, or whatever situation unfolds. Those are things to look forward to deciding next year. No matter what it is a win-win-win for April 2010.

Plus, until 2010, I still hold the Jones family record time for Boston. 3:37:21 :) This is the only family marathon record I hold for marathons that Chad and I have both run.

9 days away...

and my damn hip has flared again. Lisa says it is inflammation and will go down with rest. I ran 3.5 miles today and have 0 miles planned for tomorrow. At this point, I'm ready to start focusing on the trip instead of worrying about running with pain. It is about a 5 out of 10, but I can feel it when I run, walk, and sit. One Advil knocks it out for a few hours, and it has been suggested that I do a little Advil treatment for a day or so to encourage the inflammation to go down.

After the marathon, I'm taking some time with absolutely no running and will build back up the strength in my legs to be more balanced. GRRRR!!!

Debbie Downer

I freaking cried at office hours. I had an emotional reaction to something that happened in my running past and could not control my tears. What I can say about it right now is that I'm incredibly sensitive to certain moments and events that have occurred in my life. One of them involves a former training partner of mine.

I was the very slowest in the group training for Boston 2006...always the caboose at every single workout. It is the group that taught me the most about mental toughness. My MGP was always 8:00 miles (3:30 marathon) and all of the other women in my group were running much faster than me. Despite posting slower marathon times than me, a few of them would consistently kick my ass on workout days. In Boston on Marathon day, we were sitting on the bus chatting about what corral we were going to be in and who was going for what time. There were gals who were planning to 'just run a 3:45 to requalify', even after training like animals all season to try to PR. I could not believe they were going to put in all of the hard work throughout the season (running sub 3:30 paces) and not go for their goal. I told them what I thought...that they were crazy to not go for at least a 3:30, because I sure was and had been chasing their fast butts all season. I told them how fast I thought they were and that if someone like me could go for 3:30, then there was no telling how well they would run. 3:45 hadn't even been a thought all season during those hard mile repeats.

During the race, one particular training partner of mine came flying past me (and Chad, who was running with me) at mile 22-23. We cheered for her, acknowledging her great race, and the look on her face was something I'll never forget. It was fantastic to see that she changed her mind and decided to go for her goal. Her final time was 3:31 something (a huge PR by 12-14 minutes I think).

A few weeks later the team had a get-together and she approached me. In the most genuinely thankful words I have ever heard, she wanted to tell me how much it meant to her that I had told her she was going to run fast that day. She thanked me for telling her to go for her goal. In no way would I ever take credit for what she did, but it meant so much to me that I had in some way had an effect on her great Boston experience. She did the work. She ran the race. She had an awesome day all on her own.

What hurts me to say, and what makes me emotional about these events is that this woman found out that she was sick with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and has been fighting since soon after that race. She is a fighter and will continue to try to beat the lymphoma, but her Boston experience and her conversation with me afterwards has completely altered my way of thinking when it comes to goal setting.

I will always go for it. I will not settle for just good enough. I will respect my own words of advice to my friend and go for my goals, even when it would be easier to be satisfied with less. The words of encouragement that we give each other, the words of gratitude that we share with each other go beyond the moment in which they are spoken.

Every time I hear someone underestimate their own potential or performance, I cringe. I have a gut reaction. I get defensive. I get upset to think about how my friend might not have gone for her goal and would not have experienced such a fantastic day. Anyhoo....today it made me cry. I sobbed the whole way home. I sobbed in the garage. I'm welling up right now thinking about that day.

Music Change - Boston Week

After the not so subtle suggestion to change the music on my blog from an unnamed reader, I've themed this week's music in honor of all of my teammates running the Boston Marathon this weekend. Hope you guys like it!

Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline

Where's Waldo? Where's Sadie?

Our weekend at The Masters deserves a separate write up, but I wanted to share these screen shots with you. There are no cameras or cell phones allowed at Augusta National, so we weren't able to take pictures or do any kind of live blogging or updating during the day.

We recorded the weekend on our DVR, so at lunch I looked for us on the TV. Of course, I knew exactly where we were for which players during the day, so it's not like I had to hunt every single frame.

This should be a fun game...Here is a shot of the crowd watching the 7th green, 3rd tee, and 2nd green (off screen to the left). We were in this spot for a while on Saturday watching some of the fun pairings play through. This shot on CBS was a quick pan of the course while Mickelson was standing on the 3rd tee. (He's the player in the black pants.) Can you spot us? hehe...of course I can!



Here's a close up of the screen...Where's Sadie? Look back at my previous post of us driving to the to see what I'm wearing. I bought a souvenir hat to complete the ensemble.



Surely in this super close up you can spot me...



Give up? Center right white shirt, scarf, straw hat.

Here we are at the 16th. I know we're in this shot, but I can't pick us out. We are on the left of the water hazard, halfway up.

Here's another shot of the Perry/Campbell pairing at the 16th. We are to the left of the tree in this shot, just below the walking path.

Here's what I look like today.

Look for me on TV at the Masters!

Look for us on TV today

We're going to be at the Masters today. Chad is wearing a UT hat and
a navy wind shirt (under it is a white polo for when of warms up a
little. We're going to be all over the course.

Carolina veggie plate

French fries, cole slaw, and fried corn on the cob (I swear!). I
ordered banana pudding (fruit) to make sure it was a well-balanced meal.

Some of the other 'veggies' I could choose from were mac and cheese,
beans (cooked with ham bone), carolina hash (pork), and BBQ fried pork
skins. Love it!

Chad's First Carolina BBQ

Big Joe Basket

Weight - uncovered by the diary

I'm starting to accept that my weight gain really is caused by hormone fluctuations. I have tracked my weight and cycle day now for many many weeks, and it is starting to show a pattern, with a fluctuation of 6-8 pounds. Thank goodness that Nashville weekend coincides with some of my 'skinny' days in the cycle. Now, I just need to do my part in watching my nutrition while we taper.

Wheat update...I've been eating wheat-free for a couple of weeks, and I can tell there has been a significant improvement in my GI system. I'm eating oats, so it's technically not a totally celiac friendly gluten-free. Eating wheat-free is sometimes difficult, especially when you are a carb-craver who is used to her eating patterns. Think no traditional pasta, bread, cupcakes, most cereals. Poor Chad hasn't been able to go to Carrabba's in a while.

However, rice and corn are pretty easy to find with all of the tex-mex food in Austin. Also, good ol' potatoes have filled some of the void. Our breakfast-for-dinner pre-long run ritual is working well, and I can usually make a meal with eggs, breakfast potatoes, and fruit.

Test Drives 2,3,4,5

I'm feeling better about my hips. I can run again. I can run somewhat fast again. All of it with no pain.

Test Drive 2 - 6 miles Monday. Nice and easy. Felt pretty good.

Tuesday - I was supposed to run, but I didn't. Not because of my hip, but because I was completely unmotivated. I lost my mojo, baby.

Test Drive 3 - 3 miles Wednesday late morning. Felt really good.

Test Drive 4 - 5.5-6 miles Wednesday afternoon with Tara. Felt good, and knowing that I ran 9 miles for the day gave me great encouragement.

Test Drive 5 - 9 miles this morning - 1 mile easy, 7 miles 'steady state', 1 mile easy. My goal was to keep my mile times under 8:00 as long as it felt comfortable and strong. The first mile on the trail was rough. I had an optical migraine starting to flare up in my right eye, so I was having trouble seeing the trail the first few miles. All of my mile splits were under 8:00, with most of the time around 7:50. I'll take it, especially with the uneven surface and the humidity. No hip pain at all, though I felt a little 'wanky' the first couple of miles.

Music Change - Marty Stuart

When you go to Nashville, you've got to go to Opryland, right? Chad is a country music fan (I knew this going into our marriage), and he can sing the lyrics to more country songs than you would ever need to know. Anyhow, we're doing the whole tourist thing in Nashville after we run, so we're going to a show at the Grand Ole Opry. According to the website, the shows play Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights. We won't be there on a Tuesday night, Friday night is the night before the marathon, so probably not the best night to be out and about late at a concert, so Saturday is the night we're going.

Yeah, there is the post-race concert that we can get in for free. We may never go back to Nashville again, so to miss out on the Opry would be like going to NYC and not seeing Times Square.

Marty Stuart is the only person listed on the schedule right now for the 25th. As it gets closer to the date, they will finalize the rest of the artists performing that night. Regardless of who plays, we'll have fun saying that we've been to the Grand Ole Opry.

Masters Week!

We're going to the Masters!

But you need some background info here...since we have known each other, Chad and I have not been in town on Easter weekend. It's not like we travel any more than the next family (though we do go lots of places). We will just happen to miss Easter for the fourth year in a row.

In 2006, we were in Boston at a Red Sox game on Easter Sunday before Marathon Monday. This is the game where I got hit by a foul ball in the hip.

In 2007, we were in NYC visiting Tara and Wade. Here we are in Harlem on Easter Sunday.

Last year we were on our honeymoon in Paris. We ate pastries at the plaza at the Louvre, took a boat tour on the Seine, found the statue of liberty, ate crepes, and took it easy.

Boston, New York, Paris, Augusta...Chad would argue that the cities are getting better each year. I'll take Paris every year, but I'm excited to go to The Masters, too. :).

Test Drive #1

The last time I ran before this morning was Wednesday, a short 3 miler with Tara where I knew something was officially wrong with my hip. I've done zero miles since then, gotten my massage, done my stretching and the pain had significantly decreased.

I ran 3 miles this morning super easy and so far everything feels okay. During the run there was no pain, but I could feel my hip ready to talk to me at any moment. There were a couple of times where other joints tried to start hurting, but I think that is just the three days of rest working themselves out.

So far so good. If there is no pain the rest of the day, I might shake it out another mile or so tonight to keep the muscles loosening up. I don't plan to push hard at all this week. I'll go to office hours to talk to coach, but other than that, I just hope to get back to 40-50 miles this week. It should be doable, even breaking the miles up into small chunks to get it done. All of it depending on no pain in the hip. I feel much better knowing that I ran 3 miles :).

Voskos Greek Yogurt

Yeah, I'll admit to being lax on veganism. It is something that I ideally strive for, but there are some things in life that I'm just going to choose to eat. I've had some suspected trouble with wheat these days, so my diet was soon to become way too restrictive and I've been loosening the reins to revert back to 'vegetarian'. (BTW, I'm going to be celebrating 10 years of vegetarianism at the end of May...woohoo!)

I've been eating selected dairy products that I deem 'worthy' of eating. If I see a product that offers a low calorie, high protein, low sugar snack, I'm interested in trying it. I'm a believer in no rBST/rBGH-free so you won't catch me buying just any dairy products.

Greek yogurt is one of the dairy products I have been choosing to eat. These days, there are many more offerings of greek yogurt in the grocery store, but the brand I tried today is far and away the best tasting greek yogurt that I've had. I didn't have to add any sweetener and the 'tanginess factor' is not too harsh.

Voskos Greek Yogurt - I tried the Fig flavor. YUM!!! Think sweet fig newton meets tangy cheesecake. It was 160 calories, 11 grams protein, no fat, and is completely fruit juice sweetened, so there is no added sugar. I bought it at Whole Foods on Lamar, but I can't remember how much I paid for it.

If you're used to Yoplait or Dannon (fake and nasty sweet), this yogurt may be a shock. You will have to adjust your tastes. The ingredients are pure and simple - Grade A Pasteurized Skim Milk, Fruit Juice Concentrate (Pineapple, Peach, Apple, Pear), Fig, Tapioca Starch, Citric Acid and Live and Active Cultures.

Pain in the ass

Pain in the ass, literally. When I went for my massage today, Lisa said that I might have blown out my glute muscles on my right side. Those may not have been her exact words, and no, those aren't technical terms, but basically we're talking about some possible strained glute muscles. If it is not that, then it is likely that my hip is a little out of place due to the inflammation and muscle tightness on my right side and it is probably compressing a nerve to cause the pain. Either way, I was a champ during the massage and took the pain like a pro.

The solution for now? No running at all for three days (suggested by Lisa and agreed on by me and then by coach). Fine by me :). I'm perfectly fine not waking up at 5:30am on Saturday morning to run 25 miles. Do I think I'm missing out on the most crucial workout of the season? Nah. I've already put a ton of work in so far this season. Three days of no running will help any potential muscle strain calm down, so that hopefully I'm running again next week.

I'm going to ice bath each day, followed by heat. I'm also going to do a few suggested stretches to help the area relax. Yeah...I get to sleep in on Saturday!!!

Scrrd

I'm scrrd. The newest ache and pain feels different. It came on suddenly Tuesday night (not during running). It's in my right hip (where I had SI issues in 2007). It doesn't feel like muscle pain and I can feel it when I run, walk, or even stand on one leg and bounce up and down without leaving the floor. Not good.

I hope rest and Lisa's massage techniques work, otherwise I'm going to need to borrow the magic band-aid.

:(

Bring on the vacations...

I love to travel. As much as I am a homebody here in Austin, I love a good trip. There's something about arranging the details and going somewhere else. Including this weekend, we're only in town three of the next seven weeks! That's my kind of schedule.

Here's what we have in store...

• This week - 2 1/2 more days of work, long run Sat, then begin to taper (peak phase!). My mantra? Make it to noon Saturday, make it to noon Saturday, make it to noon Saturday...
• April 6-12 - 4 day work week, fly on Friday to Augusta...we're going to the Masters on Saturday!!! Look for us on TV. If we wear a weird color shirt or an easily identifiable hat, we'll let you know, but there aren't any cameras or phones allowed on the course, so there won't be any live blogging.
• April 13-19 - 5 day work week, 10 mile run on Saturday, easy peasy. Enjoy weekend in Austin, hoping for beautiful weather.
• April 20-26 - 4 day work week - leave for Nashville Thursday afternoon, Marathon on Saturday, don't return until Monday night. Yay Nashville! We've got tickets to the late show at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night, a Nashville must. After the marathon Saturday morning, we've got the rest of Saturday, all day Sunday, and most of the day Monday to be tourists.
• April 27-May 3 - 4 day work week, sleep in every day! So freaking excited to sleep!!Weekend after marathon - enjoy weekend at home!
• May 4-10 - 5 day work week, sleep in every day! Leave for Maui on Saturday!
• May 11-17 - Maui vacation! Sleep, sun, books, walks on the beach! Yay, yay, yay!

We're very lucky to get to do all of this. Not bragging, just really excited that all of the vacations are so close together this beautiful time of year.