Back By Popular Demand

I would love to say I haven't posted because I have been super busy, but I really haven't said anything because I haven't had anything to say. I know this is odd for me. However, when I stop to think about what I've been up to, maybe I have been busy. Oh well.

Monday night was boot camp and yoga. Led by someone who had been in the military and actually gone to boot camp, I was honestly expecting more of a workout. I mean, yeah, we ran a mile (with no walking, thank you!) in flight formation, but that really wasn't so bad. Especially since, hi, I'm a runner. Anyway, went to yoga afterwards then came home.

Tuesday I had planned on swimming, but the weather looked iffy, so I got on the bike instead. This was the first time I had really tried to get in an honest to God bike workout, not just trying to put in some form of cardio. I did 35 minutes on the "Alpine Pass" setting with the resistance somewhere between 6 and 8 (depending on how it felt and the bigger hills), and came out to about 15 miles. My quads were burning but it was so worth it! Afterwards, I had my lovely Polar body assessment... apparently, I am walking around in a 26 going on 31 year old body, with the possibility of going down to a 26 going on 20 year old body. I have great flexibility and nice calm blood pressure, but a horrible VO2 max and not a whole lot of strength. Between lifting weights, swimming, running, biking, and yoga, you'd think I was the most in shape person ever, but not so much.

Thursday, however, I think I might have met the most in shape person on the planet. Our boot camp instructor for the evening, Kaleigh, has to be the fittest person I have ever met. This girl could do mountain climbs, weights, and all the ab work in the world with her sunglasses still on her head and without breaking a sweat. This girl is unreal, the total picture of what healthy and in shape is supposed to look like. She's got to be like 22. I'll tell you right now that I wasn't in that good a shape at 22, and there's a pretty good likelihood that I never will be, even if the Polar assessment says it's possible. But it won't be for lack of trying.

I think the scale is finally catching up to my food intake. It is always kind of an eye-opener to see that you are carrying around 46 lbs of fat - makes you think about all the chicken wings, Zaxby's, brownies, and beer you're inhaling. And while I would love to chalk my 4 lb weight gain up to getting more muscle, I am pretty sure that's not the case. As much as I want to eat well, and have already mentioned that I run better when I do, I know that I go through phases where I am on a steady diet of junk. I try to blame it on PMS, but that only lasts a week and my junk food binges can go on for like two months. I am lucky I have low cholesterol and blood pressure and I need to enjoy it while it lasts, but more importantly I need to make it last longer and make it work for me while I am trying to work out, be healthier, and go the distance. And folks, nutritionists aren't kidding when they say that Diet Coke isn't good for you - one gulp will kill my craving for water all day. I just won't want it when I'm drinking soda - I just want more Diet Coke!

It's going to be hard to break these habits getting ready for Peachtree, but it's necessary. I am afraid to be dehydrated in the concrete jungle on the most crowded, scorching day of the year in Atlanta, and I am afraid that when combined with a low glycogen store from not enough good carbs, I am going to have a mental and possibly physical meltdown that will turn this lifelong dream into a grueling torture fest. I don't want that. I have looked forward to this so much and for so long that I don't want anything to ruin it. The same thing goes for the marathon - as we get closer and closer hydration and nutrition are going to become more and more of a performance factor for me. While I'm not trying to win any medals for finishing first, I am trying to go the distance with the least amount of misery involved. Why not prevent it by eating well, drinking water, and getting back on the wagon? So, after eating at three of my favorite North Georgia culinary empires - the Varsity, Henry's, and Buckner's - it really is going to be time to get serious. Again. For real. Finally. I just need a way to be held accountable. Any suggestions?

Getting ready for Peachtree is also going to involve some hill training. I want to charge up Cardiac Hill the same way I charged up the hills for the ING Atlanta 1/2, and since there aren't any hills in Northeast Florida to train on, we get to do the man-made variety - bridges. So, without further ado, here is my planned run for tomorrow, starting and ending at Panera so I can treat myself to a well-earned souffle: (*note, this isn't 100% exact, but it's darn close)

A Girl's Gotta Have Priorities...

B, when you read this, please don't immediately respond with "pay off debt".

You can usually tell a girl's priorities from looking at her. I remember my mom telling me as a very little girl that she got her hair done, our neighbor got her nails done, and women who could got both done. She would have laughed at me in college - I had my hair done, nails done, eyebrows waxed and car washed. (Yes, I was spoiled. And I have had a few at-home disasters on all of those that I *do not* want to recount here.)

But now I make my own money (and some of B's) and sometimes I really have to ask myself if I need all that. Or any of that. If you were to see me now, my toenails look like hell, my fingernails are overgrown (for me, at least), and my eyebrows are seriously out of control. I don't even have plans to hit the summer sales. And, according to my friend Michelle, my hair is looking like I don't need the highlight and haircut I had scheduled for next week, leaving me with some money I can spend on whatever (*sigh* Or paying down debt).

So, I have a dilemma - do I put it towards a bike, or towards some new running shoes that are better suited for my foot issues than my stability shoes? Decisions, decisions. I guess this tells you where my priorities are at!

Hot Run In the Summer

So, at the request of one of my readers (go to her site and DONATE!) I am going to add in a handy Map My Run link for today's long run - which, depending on who you ask (iPod, mapmyrun.com, or exact science) was between 4 and 4.41 miles:


I'm definitely a hot weather, summer all year long Florida girl, but I hate it when I am running - that's about the only time I want it to be 55 degrees! We got up at 6 but didn't make it out until 7 - that's not going to work for me as the runs get longer. I need to get an earlier start... Man, I miss when Saturdays were about sleeping in.

Speaking of Saturdays, since I have now complained about Friday, allow me to get in my 2 cents on Saturday. I LOVE my Saturday routine in the fall - get up super early, long run, breakfast, shower, errands, NAP, football, beer (which is really just pre-drinking for the early Sunday Jaguars games). I am so looking forward to getting back into that swing of things here in a few months. But, in the meantime, I'm going to spend today in St Simons Island with the fam. Hopefully I can squeeze in a nap by the pool!

Viva Las Vegas - A Sigh of Relief

It looks like Devine Racing is taking care of business in Vegas (finally!). I have read a few things, but this article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal made me feel better.

Woohoo!

If you want to keep up with the latest on Devine Racing - which will hopefully be taking a turn for the better - click here.

My Love/Hate Relationship with Friday

I have always been a fan of Thursday. I was born on a Thursday, good TV comes on Thursday, in college it was the start of some people's weekend (everyday was a weekend for me, though - but I managed to graduate somehow), and it's the last day of whining because everyone loooooves Friday. And really, how could you not? It's the last day of the work week. The first night of the (actual) weekend. It's date night, high school football, movie premiere, pay day (for some), "Let's all go have a few beers 'cause it's Friday" day.

However, even with all that, I am still not a fan of Friday.

I am an obsessive person. I get on a roll and I won't stop. And if you look at my workout calendar, I am on a roll. Swimming, running, boot camp, yoga - going, going, going. But Friday is a rest day, as B likes to keep reminding me, and to further drive that point home, it's the eve of the Sabbath - and I go to a Jewish gym. They close at 5 pm and open Saturday at 1 pm. Almost forcing me to take a break. If I went to any other gym, I'd be dragging it to a spin class, yoga, lifting weights, something! But I am limited to: running (no thanks - tomorrow's my long run), tennis (that's at least a maybe!), or the neighborhood pool (I am not wearing a Speedo racing suit and a swim cap there, sorry). And even if I try to plan something outside, it's June in Florida - almost guaranteed to rain me out this afternoon.

*sigh* Maybe I should get a bike after all. Or a Wii Fit...

My Golf Shoes Are A Croc

I have been meaning to at least mention this to my golf buddies (Dad, Mike) but instead I will blog about it. I'd totally forgotten about it until I sent around this pic of B and Darcey commented on the Crocs:

Are you ready? This is a momentous occasion for me, even if I can't afford them (or need them) right now:

CROCS MAKES GOLF SHOES!!!

OMG, how psyched am I? And they are super cute, maybe even cuter than my orange Adidas with the embroidered flowers.

- vs -

Hmm... I like them. Golf Girl doesn't. Crocs are good for golf - and lots of other things! - but there is a pretty huge personal divide between Croc lovers and loathers. But wherever you stand on style, you can't argue that they are pretty darn comfy!

Training Schedule - Updated (For Real This Time)

Okay, made some modifications to the 16-18 mile stretch to throw in a short run in between. Should have me caught up to B by September 13. I think I can handle that.

Not 100% positive that the JDR Bridge Run and the Tour de Pain are going to happen - I figure one of them will, at least, but I think I'll just sort of see how it goes. It's mega hot that time of the year and both of those races are exhausting, much less back-to-back in the middle of marathon training and still having to run more to keep up with my long-run mileage. Anyway, for your viewing pleasure: