Yes, the marathon was the crowning event of the weekend, but I still have a few other updates!!
First off, Apple Cup! Huskies win 30-0! Went to the extended family tailgate before the game with my brother. It was cold and windy and I was the only one without a beer, but it was still fun to see everyone. It was a fun game to watch, too - I don't think I've seen the Huskies win that much since I started watching Husky football (in 2005). Go Dawgs!
Job related - One of my friends was really interested in the job I'm leaving, and she interviewed today and was hired! So I get to spend tomorrow (my last day) training her. That makes me feel a lot better about leaving, as I put in that extra effort to find my boss someone to replace me and make the transition as easy for him as possible. Now I am getting excited to start the new job on Wednesday! I'm not sure exactly what I'll be doing, but hopefully I'll have a better idea after my first day!
Also, I'm not sure if I mentioned this previously, but I applied for and got a full ride scholarship for the rest of the paralegal program!! That saves me about $4,000 right there!
Throwing in one running-related bit here - I've decided to go for a PR in Eugene in May, and just signed up! My legs have still felt remarkably good post marathon - I can walk fairly decently and I can even go down the stairs facing forwards! Will probably go for a swim tomorrow or the next day and then ease back into running this weekend - already can't wait!
Finally, please keep the friends and family of the police officers shot in Lakewood in your thoughts and prayers. It has been a very sad few months for police officers here in WA.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Seattle Marathon race report
Wow, this year has gone quickly... It was only a year ago that I ran my first marathon ever!! Now I am back with a race report for my second Seattle Marathon and third marathon total!
Background/training - I took a week off after the Portland Marathon and gradually built back up the mileage again. I didn't do too many long runs (a 16 and an 18) but my weekly mileage was higher and more consistent. I also didn't manage to fit in as much hill training as I would have liked, although I did get some more tempo runs in.
The race - I met up with T at the starting line (saw a few other people that I know too, Dan and Brad!). It was misting at the start but seemed like it was just going to be a dry, overcast day (aka perfect running weather). Everyone lined up, and off we went!
Miles 1 & 2 - Running through downtown under the monorail. The first mile was gradual downhill, and although the pace felt good, I think it was a little fast (11:10). We slowed down a bit for the second mile and just enjoyed talking and running. T wanted to go faster, but I told him that on this course, we'd end up passing a lot of the people who were passing us now later on in the race.
Miles 3 & 4 - Up and onto I-90. We passed a guy wearing a 30 pound Army backpack... yikes.
Miles 5-7 - Over the floating bridge and back. It was fun going out and seeing lots of the faster runners coming back - I saw Spencer and Brad already coming back on the bridge, and ran into Betsy for a minute as well. Once we turned around, the wind kicked up a little bit and I felt like I was running in mud, which was a little frustrating.
Miles 8-11 - Was pretty tired from battling the wind on the bridge, so we slowed down about 30 seconds a mile to regroup. My feet were starting to get a little tired and I was thinking that I really didn't want to keep going. However, I knew T would never let me quit, so I just stopped thinking about it!
Miles 12-14 - Saw my mom and uncle as we ran into the entrance to Seward Park, which was great. I took a gel at the first aid station and it really helped. We picked up the pace a little bit and ran strong. We decided that after mile 13.1, we'd take walk breaks at every mile marker. When we ran by mom and uncle again after exiting the park, my blister toe was starting to feel a little tender, so I sat down on the side of the road with them and attempted to put Blister Bandaids on. My feet were so sweaty that they wouldn't really stay on my toes, at which point I was like "crap... if this blister acts up I will never finish with still 12 miles to go!". But I put my sock and shoe back on and continued on. It hurt for about the next quarter mile, but then apparently was squashed into submission and felt fine. Whew!
Miles 15-20 - Legs were starting to get a little tight at this point, but still felt good - way better than during Portland at this point. We were running strongly during this point just going from mile marker to mile marker, and starting to pass a lot of people. We even passed someone that we saw coming out of Seward Park as we were going in (meaning they had been 2-3 miles ahead of us at that point).
Mile 20 - This is the mile that includes the infamous Galer and Madison hills (ugh!). We walked up Galer street (I managed to run it last year but given my lack of hill training this year I really wasn't feeling it) and then ran-walked up Madison.
Mile 21 - Definitely (sort of) appreciated the downhill during this point. A really chatty girl started running with us and babbling something about dogs in marathons... T talked to her but I was mostly just trying to keep my legs together on the downhill. She took off when we took a walk break on the first steep part of Interlaken.
Mile 22 - T and I actually ran this entire mile at a good clip. I think I mostly just wanted to be out of the winding around and around section of the course, and it was only gradual uphill, so it was tolerable. We were quite pleased when we made it to the mile 23 marker and had run strong since the 22 marker!
Mile 23/24 - Made it up out of Interlaken on this section. Artic Blast (from RW) was there cheering at the top of the hill on Roanoake, which was much appreciated. Then it was over the freeway and a nice gradual downhill to the mile 24 marker. T and I were commenting on how excited we got over seeing Porta Potties (all the mile markers are attached to Porta Potties).
Mile 25 - Under the freeway again and up a nice long hill to the Lakeview overpass. It wasn't a very steep hill, and we managed to run-walk it, but by this point our legs were definitely tightening up. We were still managing to pass a lot of people who were walking, which was cheerful.
Mile 26 - I feel like this is the worst mile of the Seattle Marathon. Right after the mile 25 marker, we turned the corner and went down several blocks of steep downhill, ouch. Then ran-walked up a gradual hill, down another hill, and walked up the last steep hill under Highway 99. We saw the Mile 26 marker and T took off sprinting for the finish. I kicked it in too, but still finished about 10 seconds behind him. I ran strongly across the field at Memorial Stadium and crossed the finish line feeling strong. DBF was there and it was great to see him!
Final time - 5:25:35. We ran a fairly big positive split, but that's probably because of the walk breaks we added in at every mile. I was definitely pleased with how T and I were able to keep pushing each other through the last few miles.
Rest of the day - T went home with his GF and DBF and I went to get nice juicy burgers and fries. Then I ate a pint of Ben & Jerry's (while in a bubble bath!), and DBF and I curled up on the couch in our pajamas drinking wine, eating pizza, and watching TV. I was impressed at how perky I was feeling right after finishing - for the whole hour or two after the marathon I could walk almost normally. I even managed to go up stairs at QFC and go down the stairs facing forwards! My legs got a little more sore later in the night, but definitely not as bad as they were after Portland!
Reflections - I was surprised at how strongly we were able to keep pushing in the later miles. I'm sure the walk breaks helped, but we ran quite strongly in between them, and I walked a lot less during this race than I did during Portland and maybe even Seattle last year. It wasn't a PR, but it was great to be able to run with T for his first marathon. I'd never run one with someone before and it was awesome to have someone to talk to and commiserate with and help push each other. I'd been really worried about pacing before (he's usually a minute or two a mile faster than me) but it was never an issue and everything worked out great! I can't wait for my next one. I am sort of half debating doing the First Call on Jan. 1 to get Marathon Maniac status, but the other half is wanting to take some time off and build up lots of good miles and go for a big PR at Eugene in May. I guess I'll see how quickly my legs recover!
Sorry that was so long, thanks for reading (or at least skimming!!). Pictures will come when they are up!
Background/training - I took a week off after the Portland Marathon and gradually built back up the mileage again. I didn't do too many long runs (a 16 and an 18) but my weekly mileage was higher and more consistent. I also didn't manage to fit in as much hill training as I would have liked, although I did get some more tempo runs in.
The race - I met up with T at the starting line (saw a few other people that I know too, Dan and Brad!). It was misting at the start but seemed like it was just going to be a dry, overcast day (aka perfect running weather). Everyone lined up, and off we went!
Miles 1 & 2 - Running through downtown under the monorail. The first mile was gradual downhill, and although the pace felt good, I think it was a little fast (11:10). We slowed down a bit for the second mile and just enjoyed talking and running. T wanted to go faster, but I told him that on this course, we'd end up passing a lot of the people who were passing us now later on in the race.
Miles 3 & 4 - Up and onto I-90. We passed a guy wearing a 30 pound Army backpack... yikes.
Miles 5-7 - Over the floating bridge and back. It was fun going out and seeing lots of the faster runners coming back - I saw Spencer and Brad already coming back on the bridge, and ran into Betsy for a minute as well. Once we turned around, the wind kicked up a little bit and I felt like I was running in mud, which was a little frustrating.
Miles 8-11 - Was pretty tired from battling the wind on the bridge, so we slowed down about 30 seconds a mile to regroup. My feet were starting to get a little tired and I was thinking that I really didn't want to keep going. However, I knew T would never let me quit, so I just stopped thinking about it!
Miles 12-14 - Saw my mom and uncle as we ran into the entrance to Seward Park, which was great. I took a gel at the first aid station and it really helped. We picked up the pace a little bit and ran strong. We decided that after mile 13.1, we'd take walk breaks at every mile marker. When we ran by mom and uncle again after exiting the park, my blister toe was starting to feel a little tender, so I sat down on the side of the road with them and attempted to put Blister Bandaids on. My feet were so sweaty that they wouldn't really stay on my toes, at which point I was like "crap... if this blister acts up I will never finish with still 12 miles to go!". But I put my sock and shoe back on and continued on. It hurt for about the next quarter mile, but then apparently was squashed into submission and felt fine. Whew!
Miles 15-20 - Legs were starting to get a little tight at this point, but still felt good - way better than during Portland at this point. We were running strongly during this point just going from mile marker to mile marker, and starting to pass a lot of people. We even passed someone that we saw coming out of Seward Park as we were going in (meaning they had been 2-3 miles ahead of us at that point).
Mile 20 - This is the mile that includes the infamous Galer and Madison hills (ugh!). We walked up Galer street (I managed to run it last year but given my lack of hill training this year I really wasn't feeling it) and then ran-walked up Madison.
Mile 21 - Definitely (sort of) appreciated the downhill during this point. A really chatty girl started running with us and babbling something about dogs in marathons... T talked to her but I was mostly just trying to keep my legs together on the downhill. She took off when we took a walk break on the first steep part of Interlaken.
Mile 22 - T and I actually ran this entire mile at a good clip. I think I mostly just wanted to be out of the winding around and around section of the course, and it was only gradual uphill, so it was tolerable. We were quite pleased when we made it to the mile 23 marker and had run strong since the 22 marker!
Mile 23/24 - Made it up out of Interlaken on this section. Artic Blast (from RW) was there cheering at the top of the hill on Roanoake, which was much appreciated. Then it was over the freeway and a nice gradual downhill to the mile 24 marker. T and I were commenting on how excited we got over seeing Porta Potties (all the mile markers are attached to Porta Potties).
Mile 25 - Under the freeway again and up a nice long hill to the Lakeview overpass. It wasn't a very steep hill, and we managed to run-walk it, but by this point our legs were definitely tightening up. We were still managing to pass a lot of people who were walking, which was cheerful.
Mile 26 - I feel like this is the worst mile of the Seattle Marathon. Right after the mile 25 marker, we turned the corner and went down several blocks of steep downhill, ouch. Then ran-walked up a gradual hill, down another hill, and walked up the last steep hill under Highway 99. We saw the Mile 26 marker and T took off sprinting for the finish. I kicked it in too, but still finished about 10 seconds behind him. I ran strongly across the field at Memorial Stadium and crossed the finish line feeling strong. DBF was there and it was great to see him!
Final time - 5:25:35. We ran a fairly big positive split, but that's probably because of the walk breaks we added in at every mile. I was definitely pleased with how T and I were able to keep pushing each other through the last few miles.
Rest of the day - T went home with his GF and DBF and I went to get nice juicy burgers and fries. Then I ate a pint of Ben & Jerry's (while in a bubble bath!), and DBF and I curled up on the couch in our pajamas drinking wine, eating pizza, and watching TV. I was impressed at how perky I was feeling right after finishing - for the whole hour or two after the marathon I could walk almost normally. I even managed to go up stairs at QFC and go down the stairs facing forwards! My legs got a little more sore later in the night, but definitely not as bad as they were after Portland!
Reflections - I was surprised at how strongly we were able to keep pushing in the later miles. I'm sure the walk breaks helped, but we ran quite strongly in between them, and I walked a lot less during this race than I did during Portland and maybe even Seattle last year. It wasn't a PR, but it was great to be able to run with T for his first marathon. I'd never run one with someone before and it was awesome to have someone to talk to and commiserate with and help push each other. I'd been really worried about pacing before (he's usually a minute or two a mile faster than me) but it was never an issue and everything worked out great! I can't wait for my next one. I am sort of half debating doing the First Call on Jan. 1 to get Marathon Maniac status, but the other half is wanting to take some time off and build up lots of good miles and go for a big PR at Eugene in May. I guess I'll see how quickly my legs recover!
Sorry that was so long, thanks for reading (or at least skimming!!). Pictures will come when they are up!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Finally Friday
Got to sleep in a little bit this morning and woke up to a cold but beautiful sunny day! I love the days in Seattle when the leaves have turned all golden and brown and the sun is shining... Mmm.
Got to see best friend today, that was fun - we are already midway through the third season of Dexter. It is quite intriguing, although there are moments in this season that are sort of slow and not really attention-grabbing, which is a bit different from the first season (which was suspense after suspense!). It just shows that you have to have an open mind - I saw the first 2 or 3 episodes of it and was like "I hate it, do I have to watch it?? Why are we watching it?" and by the 4th episode I was like "so... what happens next? Can we watch the next one?" Haha. That's my little non-running related tidbit for the day.
Yesterday I went for an early morning run in the light rain along the running/walking path through the park nearby (it's about a .4 mile trail). I did the first mile at an easy pace, then did 5 loops in 4:33, 4:27, 4:23, 4:16, and 4:00 for a bit of speedwork, and then ran another easy mile.
My legs felt a bit tired from yesterday's fast running, but I still had a great easy run in the sunshine along the Burke-Gilman trail. Once I got convinced myself to slow down a bit, it felt good to loosen up and stretch my legs out.
Went to the marathon expo tonight - I didn't realize the Westin was quite so far away from the start of the race (which was where I parked), so I ended up walking 20 minutes each way to get to the expo, but oh well. I got my number, chip, and shirt and then wandered around the expo with my mom and my brother for a little bit.
The shirts are an interesting color this year - sort of a teal color. I think it's quite pretty, but very girly - can't see many of the guy runners wearing them around!
I stocked up on BodyGlide and GU, finally got a 26.2 bumper sticker, and got a cute shirt that says "No run = cranky + moody". So true... my mom took one look at it and was like "you need that shirt"! Haha. So tonight is eating pasta, drinking water, eating bananas, and relaxing.
Tomorrow is the Apple Cup, and then potentially pizza and/or pasta for carb loading and then hopefully early to bed at DBF's (he lives like 5 minutes from the start of the race, which will be wonderful!).
Got to see best friend today, that was fun - we are already midway through the third season of Dexter. It is quite intriguing, although there are moments in this season that are sort of slow and not really attention-grabbing, which is a bit different from the first season (which was suspense after suspense!). It just shows that you have to have an open mind - I saw the first 2 or 3 episodes of it and was like "I hate it, do I have to watch it?? Why are we watching it?" and by the 4th episode I was like "so... what happens next? Can we watch the next one?" Haha. That's my little non-running related tidbit for the day.
Yesterday I went for an early morning run in the light rain along the running/walking path through the park nearby (it's about a .4 mile trail). I did the first mile at an easy pace, then did 5 loops in 4:33, 4:27, 4:23, 4:16, and 4:00 for a bit of speedwork, and then ran another easy mile.
My legs felt a bit tired from yesterday's fast running, but I still had a great easy run in the sunshine along the Burke-Gilman trail. Once I got convinced myself to slow down a bit, it felt good to loosen up and stretch my legs out.
Went to the marathon expo tonight - I didn't realize the Westin was quite so far away from the start of the race (which was where I parked), so I ended up walking 20 minutes each way to get to the expo, but oh well. I got my number, chip, and shirt and then wandered around the expo with my mom and my brother for a little bit.
The shirts are an interesting color this year - sort of a teal color. I think it's quite pretty, but very girly - can't see many of the guy runners wearing them around!
I stocked up on BodyGlide and GU, finally got a 26.2 bumper sticker, and got a cute shirt that says "No run = cranky + moody". So true... my mom took one look at it and was like "you need that shirt"! Haha. So tonight is eating pasta, drinking water, eating bananas, and relaxing.
Tomorrow is the Apple Cup, and then potentially pizza and/or pasta for carb loading and then hopefully early to bed at DBF's (he lives like 5 minutes from the start of the race, which will be wonderful!).
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wishing for turkey Wednesday
As most of you probably know (and are probably sick of hearing about), I've had some upheaval in my work life yesterday afternoon and today. It has been super stressful, but I feel like I've already discussed it to death, so no more on that here.
I was super stressed when I got home from work last night, so Mom convinced me to skip the gym and go eat pizza and go shopping for new work clothes. She bought me two cute dresses, two sweaters, a shirt, and a pink sweater dress that goes over black leggings and black ballet flats. So cute!
On the other hand, that means I definitely need to hit the gym tonight. Once I actually get there I'm sure it will be good and help me de-stress. I'm planning on 5 or 6 (to make up for yesterday's) with the middle 3 @ MP, and then an easy swim after.
Aside from that, still drinking water and checking the weather (so far so good). I am attempting to keep myself distracted from all the other stressful stuff by thinking about running, so hopefully it'll work out!
Other than that... just continuing to help clean up and get ready for Thanksgiving. I might go up to Trivia tonight, but that is doubtful. I am being pretty lame this week socially!
I was super stressed when I got home from work last night, so Mom convinced me to skip the gym and go eat pizza and go shopping for new work clothes. She bought me two cute dresses, two sweaters, a shirt, and a pink sweater dress that goes over black leggings and black ballet flats. So cute!
On the other hand, that means I definitely need to hit the gym tonight. Once I actually get there I'm sure it will be good and help me de-stress. I'm planning on 5 or 6 (to make up for yesterday's) with the middle 3 @ MP, and then an easy swim after.
Aside from that, still drinking water and checking the weather (so far so good). I am attempting to keep myself distracted from all the other stressful stuff by thinking about running, so hopefully it'll work out!
Other than that... just continuing to help clean up and get ready for Thanksgiving. I might go up to Trivia tonight, but that is doubtful. I am being pretty lame this week socially!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tapering Tuesday
On the menu for tonight is 3 easy miles and an easy swim. I am sooo tempted to make it 4 miles, or at least 3.5. 3 doesn't even seem like it counts as a run anymore!
I've started checking weather.com and accuweather on a daily basis now, and so far the forecast for Sunday is cloudy/mostly cloudy with a high of 47/48 and only 10% chance of precipitation. Keeping my fingers crossed that stays that way!
I have a bit of a stuffy nose this morning, so I'm continuing to chug vitamin C and water and maybe even buy some garlic to ward of any colds or flu this week!
Got an interesting pep talk from my best friend last night regarding the marathon. He said he didn't understand why people would run them just to finish. I'm sure his point of view would be offensive to some people, but it actually made me think about things and it was quite motivating. I mean, yes, I've trained for the marathon (and pretty well lately, knock on wood), but I certainly could be training a lot harder. So, why am I not? Sure, it would take more time, but I could also be better at time management. It seems that I've committed myself to finishing marathons, but not yet to RACING them or taking huge chunks off my time. It was just an interesting conversation, and it made me motivated to continue building my base and also focusing a lot on speedwork and getting faster after the Seattle Marathon.
But, first things first, I'm supposed to be tapering now, so I'll do that, have a great marathon, and then get back to work after a short break. I also plan on continuing to cross train (swim/bike) as well as adding in strength training and hopefully yoga (assuming I don't kill myself the first time I try it - klutzy and inflexible doesn't really sound like a great recipe for yoga, but I've heard such great things about it that I think it's worth a try!).
Other than that, just working and trying to get things ready for Thanksgiving (yum!).
I've started checking weather.com and accuweather on a daily basis now, and so far the forecast for Sunday is cloudy/mostly cloudy with a high of 47/48 and only 10% chance of precipitation. Keeping my fingers crossed that stays that way!
I have a bit of a stuffy nose this morning, so I'm continuing to chug vitamin C and water and maybe even buy some garlic to ward of any colds or flu this week!
Got an interesting pep talk from my best friend last night regarding the marathon. He said he didn't understand why people would run them just to finish. I'm sure his point of view would be offensive to some people, but it actually made me think about things and it was quite motivating. I mean, yes, I've trained for the marathon (and pretty well lately, knock on wood), but I certainly could be training a lot harder. So, why am I not? Sure, it would take more time, but I could also be better at time management. It seems that I've committed myself to finishing marathons, but not yet to RACING them or taking huge chunks off my time. It was just an interesting conversation, and it made me motivated to continue building my base and also focusing a lot on speedwork and getting faster after the Seattle Marathon.
But, first things first, I'm supposed to be tapering now, so I'll do that, have a great marathon, and then get back to work after a short break. I also plan on continuing to cross train (swim/bike) as well as adding in strength training and hopefully yoga (assuming I don't kill myself the first time I try it - klutzy and inflexible doesn't really sound like a great recipe for yoga, but I've heard such great things about it that I think it's worth a try!).
Other than that, just working and trying to get things ready for Thanksgiving (yum!).
Monday, November 23, 2009
Marathon week Monday
Luckily my blister from the last post seems to have cooperated nicely (knock on wood!). I ran a hilly treadmill run on Thursday (3 miles) and a great 5 mile tempo run around Green Lake on Friday night. It was so windy during that run that there were whitecaps on the lake!
Took Saturday off, and then ran 9 with T yesterday on the Burke Gilman. It went a lot better than last time, which was a relief. We still sped up a bit too much during the second half, but it'll be easier to control that getting splits every mile. I'm not used to having someone to talk to while I run, so it definitely made the hour and a half fly by quicker than normal.
Going for an easy swim tonight at the gym, and then a few more easy runs this week before the marathon! Going to the expo on Friday and the Apple Cup on Saturday - I'm glad that's a 12:30 game and not a night game!
Took Saturday off, and then ran 9 with T yesterday on the Burke Gilman. It went a lot better than last time, which was a relief. We still sped up a bit too much during the second half, but it'll be easier to control that getting splits every mile. I'm not used to having someone to talk to while I run, so it definitely made the hour and a half fly by quicker than normal.
Going for an easy swim tonight at the gym, and then a few more easy runs this week before the marathon! Going to the expo on Friday and the Apple Cup on Saturday - I'm glad that's a 12:30 game and not a night game!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Dear blister - please go away!
I think I must have wrapped my blister-prone toe wrong last night, as the seam of the Bandaid dug into the skin between that toe and the next toe. Needless to say, ouch. I had to stop twice during my treadmill run to take the shoe off and try and coax it into submission. Please send "calm down" vibes to my poor toes!
I am planning on another ("hilly") treadmill run tonight and then a run around Green Lake tomorrow, so I really hope it starts cooperating soon.
I think during marathon week I'll try to do a blog post every day (not that there are tons of people sitting around begging for updates haha!) just for fun.
Sunday is attempt #2 at a long run with T - I think we'll do 8-10 sloppy miles on the Burke Gilman. Then it's off to Qwest Field for the MLS Cup. I really hope the rain holds off that day so I don't end up with the flu before the marathon!
I am planning on another ("hilly") treadmill run tonight and then a run around Green Lake tomorrow, so I really hope it starts cooperating soon.
I think during marathon week I'll try to do a blog post every day (not that there are tons of people sitting around begging for updates haha!) just for fun.
Sunday is attempt #2 at a long run with T - I think we'll do 8-10 sloppy miles on the Burke Gilman. Then it's off to Qwest Field for the MLS Cup. I really hope the rain holds off that day so I don't end up with the flu before the marathon!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tidbits
In non-running related news:
- I got a full scholarship for the rest of the paralegal program. There were 3 available, and I applied and got one. That saves me about $3,000 over the next 6 months!
- Grandma is out of the hospital and hopefully back to normal.
- I got a full scholarship for the rest of the paralegal program. There were 3 available, and I applied and got one. That saves me about $3,000 over the next 6 months!
- Grandma is out of the hospital and hopefully back to normal.
- Black Crowes concert at the Showbox last night was fun. They sounded really good live! (minus the migraine headache I started to get during the last hour or so... bad timing! Rock concerts and migraines don't mix!)
- I cannot wait until Thanksgiving! Turkey, mashed potatoes, buttery dinner rolls, fresh broccoli and carrots, pumpkin pies (oh wait, I don't like pumpkin pies... oh well!), ice cream, wine... (oh wait, marathon 3 days later... that'll be fine right?) and football! Mmmm.
- Also, Trivia Night at Mick's (although difficult and expensive - $10 for Trivia??) was fun. Delicious food (rosemary chicken with mashed potatoes and veggies) and good scotch!
- Sports tidbits:
- Tyrone Willingham is in line for a coaching job at San Jose State. Why? The WAC must really not care about football (either that or they've totally conceded to Boise State).
- Nick Holt is on the list of potential head coaches for UNLV... hope that one doesn't end up happening!
- UCLA basketball loses to Cal State Fullerton in 2 OT at home... was that just a fluke or are they really pulling a USC/Notre Dame/Michigan/Oklahoma move?
- Speaking of which... bye bye USC, ND, Michigan, and OK! Just hoping that Oregon doesn't make it to the Rose Bowl. Thank you Stanford for keeping them from any hope of an NC!
- Brady Quinn fined $10,000 for his illegal hit in the MNF game... on top of his already awful performance. Ouch.
- Apple Cup prediction - if UW doesn't win, there will be hell to pay.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Taper time!
I finished my last long run over the marathon course (down Interlaken, Madison, and Galer to Lake Washington boulevard and then back up over all the hills - along with TONS of other people also intelligently running the course ahead of time) yesterday, so now it's time to taper! (Again!)
It was a fantastic run, despite being cold and wet. I got to the end and never really got tired. My legs weren't sore yesterday and they're not sore today. I made it up Galer street without a problem (although I HATE going up Madison right after it). I'm glad I ran Interlaken again, because it gets so demoralizing to keep winding around and around on that pedestrian trail thinking you're almost there when you're not!!
It's 3:50 PM and it looks like night time out... eww. Forecast for the next few days is cold, rain, and wind. Ick. Think I'll stick to the treadmill until the wind dies down at least. Looks like we won't be quite as lucky weather-wise for the marathon this year as last year and the year before!
My plan for this week is off, 4, 5 (tempo), off, 4 (hills), off, and 10 on Sunday. I am so looking forward to eating tons of mashed potatoes, turkey, and dinner rolls next week!
Sounds like my running buddy T's ankle is all healed up, so he'll be running the marathon with me. It'll be interesting, I'll have to focus insanely hard on keeping my (much slower) pace instead of getting caught up in too quick of a pace during the early miles! That's even more important than usual given the nice little pile of hills at the end!
Work has been going pretty well lately - just busy, and there are a ton of little things that I have to learn. It will probably take me ages and ages to get all the nuances down. But I'm trying!
Off to Trivia Night at Mick's later tonight - I've never been to their trivia night, but I love the restaurant, so hopefully the trivia will be excellent too!
It was a fantastic run, despite being cold and wet. I got to the end and never really got tired. My legs weren't sore yesterday and they're not sore today. I made it up Galer street without a problem (although I HATE going up Madison right after it). I'm glad I ran Interlaken again, because it gets so demoralizing to keep winding around and around on that pedestrian trail thinking you're almost there when you're not!!
It's 3:50 PM and it looks like night time out... eww. Forecast for the next few days is cold, rain, and wind. Ick. Think I'll stick to the treadmill until the wind dies down at least. Looks like we won't be quite as lucky weather-wise for the marathon this year as last year and the year before!
My plan for this week is off, 4, 5 (tempo), off, 4 (hills), off, and 10 on Sunday. I am so looking forward to eating tons of mashed potatoes, turkey, and dinner rolls next week!
Sounds like my running buddy T's ankle is all healed up, so he'll be running the marathon with me. It'll be interesting, I'll have to focus insanely hard on keeping my (much slower) pace instead of getting caught up in too quick of a pace during the early miles! That's even more important than usual given the nice little pile of hills at the end!
Work has been going pretty well lately - just busy, and there are a ton of little things that I have to learn. It will probably take me ages and ages to get all the nuances down. But I'm trying!
Off to Trivia Night at Mick's later tonight - I've never been to their trivia night, but I love the restaurant, so hopefully the trivia will be excellent too!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Hello November (and hello treadie!)
Apparently we are not as lucky this year as last year, with sun/clouds and warm temperatures up until December. Today and yesterday have been dark, rainy, windy, and cold, and the 10 day forecast doesn't look much different. Time to bust out the running tights and running jacket!
Normally this weather wouldn't be enough to make me hit the treadmill, but now that Daylight Savings Time has come around, it's dark when I get off work and I won't run by myself in the dark! I've been managing to survive the treadie so far this week, but tonight I'm going to go run around Green Lake for 6. The outer loops should still be pretty crowded at 5 or 6, and they're right along main/busy roads, so I feel more comfortable with that than anywhere else at night. Then Sunday I'm doing 16 on the Burke Gilman, for a total of 30 miles this week. I'm doing a two week taper for Seattle, so here is what's up for next week:
M - Swim
T - 4 miles
W - 7 miles (hills)
Th - Swim
F - 5 (tempo)
S - Off
S - 20 (marathon course)
Total - 36
And then the two weeks after that will be taper time! Can't wait.
As for non-running, I have a midterm in paralegal class this weekend, so I'll feel better once that is over with! I'm excited for college basketball to start soon!
Normally this weather wouldn't be enough to make me hit the treadmill, but now that Daylight Savings Time has come around, it's dark when I get off work and I won't run by myself in the dark! I've been managing to survive the treadie so far this week, but tonight I'm going to go run around Green Lake for 6. The outer loops should still be pretty crowded at 5 or 6, and they're right along main/busy roads, so I feel more comfortable with that than anywhere else at night. Then Sunday I'm doing 16 on the Burke Gilman, for a total of 30 miles this week. I'm doing a two week taper for Seattle, so here is what's up for next week:
M - Swim
T - 4 miles
W - 7 miles (hills)
Th - Swim
F - 5 (tempo)
S - Off
S - 20 (marathon course)
Total - 36
And then the two weeks after that will be taper time! Can't wait.
As for non-running, I have a midterm in paralegal class this weekend, so I'll feel better once that is over with! I'm excited for college basketball to start soon!
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