Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Its Getting hot in Herrrrrr

Holy soreness batman! Since the weather decided to be un-godly hot and humid, lovely heat advisory and to top it off I’m lazy and did not get up at 6am for my run. I had to head to the gym to run. First off here in the Low Country it hasn’t been below 90 in a very very long time, I think early June? I may be exaggerating but not by a lot. I have been able to run at anytime with no problem, reason behind it is that is has been dry. Like desert dry. Oh ha, that couldn’t last for long. It has heavily rained too many times and now you could eat the air it is so FLIPPING humid. UGH.






So I head to the gym, I brought my new shoes for XT as well as my running shoes. I want to try and see if they will help my shins and what not during it. Also I just don’t think I should be jumping and other activities in my running shoes. Aren’t they just supposed to be for running? I believe it will help keep down the wear and tear on them.





Or I just like them because they are pretty and bright. The Under Armour AU Running shoe. Ha, I just looked it up. It is a low profile running shoe to go with your natural running style. Hmmm. I wouldn’t run in them I don’t think. They are tight, need really thin socks and the toe box is big. The 7.5s didn’t fit so I bought the 7s. Really got them for $40.00 so, I was told I need to shop around find different shoes. Since I cannot get my Brooks GTS10 any more, why must they always “upgrade.” DUDE if it’s not broken DON’T FIX ITTT.



Anyways, I slammed on my ipod, which I need new head phone. Listened to some tunes. Dang, Eminem gets me running good. Angry music just makes me run great. So I clocked out 4miles as prescribed my DR. S.C. at and around 8:41ish. Then I changed shoes and began my XT. I did a bunch of core work with legs and some arms. Weighted lungs +100, weighted squats 45, crunches 25, bicycle 50 hold plank 45 sec repeat 2x, my favorite slider workouts (furniture moving sliders) plank walk forward and backwards and military crawl forward and backwards (feet on the sliders). Bent over rows, curls, some more crunches for lower abs. Ooo another favorite cardio pushup (without the push up) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s02aJhakLJw



I felt completely out of shape my friends, I know I did it to myself for not XT since IDK sometime in June. I was doing so good last month then the birthday came and I just ate icecream all the time and bags of candy and a whole hummingbird cake (made with real humming birds) I drank wine too often. Yeah. Pretty bad. Now I am paying for it. Maybe I should jump on the “get sluttie” band wagon. Is it too late??? Am I too far gone?!



Anyways I left shaking some the workout, so I know I did good. This morning I am sore for the first time in a long time. So I feel good and pumped, but still slept through my 6am wakeup call ha-ha. Oh well baby steps my friends baby steps.



Happy Wednesday Who’s ready for some TEAM USA!?!?!?

Friday, July 8, 2011

Rainy Caddy Shack Style RUns

(Written 7-6-11)

I finished "The Long Run" today. It was really a book I could not put down. I know I have been talking about this book for a few days, but dang. How much more inspired do you need to be? I know this guy will never be 100% but he still never let an obstacle block him. However painful the miles were he did them. I hate to think how painful the rest of his life his. Obviously he is not the only person who has been in these circumstances, but he is fortunate to of had his story heard. Whether he initially wanted it heard.

All day I had planned to run my 5 miles after work, since for the life of me I could not get up at 6am to run. Then the time came to come home. What did I do? I grabbed "The Long Run" glass of wine and chocolate. Ugh. I have been here for weeks doing the same thing! Not so great. But once I completed the book I don't know I just couldn't sit there all night. I had to run. it was just wrong to be lazy and down in the dumps for no actual reason. I felt ashamed.

I put puppers in her kennel, laced my shoes up, slapped on Mr. Garmin and headed out. It rained for about an hour after I had gotten out of work. When I stepped outside the apartment the rain had all but stopped. Just sprinkling now. I always loved running in the rain or right after a storm in college. It just always felt good, and usually it ended up being a group easy run, with the XC or track team that was always a good day. I made sure to run through every puddle and wet spot that was in my way. It was going to be one of “though” runs. I ran towards downtown Summerville, which is just like a Nicholas Sparks book/movie, really quaint. One day I will take my camera with me (all photos were found on Google images).





Though the sky still appeared that it could open up and all helllllll-o could break loose. I ran through the downtown past the courthouse. Traffic was bad, as it can be for the small area. People from the bank and courthouse were just leaving work still. Then I got to a park, I remember the Flowertown Festival was here. So I ran through that, mud and wet everywhere. Loved it. Finally Mr. Garmin beeped that it was time to turn around and head back. So I did…

The Goal: 5miles at 8:42m/mile

The Run:



Mile Time

1 9:44

2 8:23

3 8:32

4 9:07

5 8:32

.01 23:11

5.01 44:30

As you can see I am really good at pacing…NOT. Love I’m all over the place. The first mile though Mr. Garmin and I did not agree. I didn’t know if it got the satellites and for the first .75 miles it said my pace at 14:30 hmmm okay.

NOTE: When I went to look up images of dark skies, this is the first image that popped up on Google images. Interesting....




Who doesn't love them some Caddy Shack? Happy Friday!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

The Long Run with some easy times







For a while now I have wanted to read “the Long Run,” it has been on my list since I found it almost a year ago. My big brother, a DC metro officer, was in a serious auto accident. It was not on duty, but leaving work to head home. Out of everyone involved his injuries were the most severe. http://bit.ly/ok7WFN (I thank all the loopsters who said a prayer for him) I think I should of read the book then and there. It may have helped me and my family understands what he was going through better, what was going on in my brothers’ head. But I am reading it now. If only now I could have the relationship we once had, awh, but reading a book can’t not solve that other issue.






Side: My brother has fully recovered by Christmas and is now back on the streets patrolling to keep us safe.






Of course there are differences, Long’s injuries were more severe, his road to recovery was longer, and my brother was not an Ironman…No he was superman. To me atleast. In the end it was the same struggles.






So far I am about half way through, I’ve cried and laughed. If you have not read this book. You really should!






Running… Yeah I do it. I have a plan that I am sort of following, I am so far away from any of the races I have planned. Wondering if I should sign up for one, like late sept or something. I have been enjoying my running freedom with Mr. Garmin. Yesterday I got up at 6 am for my run, put on the iPod, and heavy Mr. G and just ran. I did not have to think about it, it was great! I am still so giddy over the fact that he will keep trace of how much I have run and how fast. I am McLov’n it!






I decided on a whole new route, I left the apartments and headed toward the shopping center we live behind. Ran by all the shops, McCalisters, Marble slab (I have been eating wayyy to much ice cream), Target, World Market, Kohli etc. then turned and ran through some empty back roads. It reminded me of my running in college. We did our long runs on back country roads, it was great. Then heading back into the community that is adjacent to my apartment community. It was a boring run, yeah. It was slightly fast. Did not mean for it to be, I just felt good. I think I was avg 8:30 again. Trying to hold it down at 8:46 so I can train up for a 1:30:00 Pikermi.






Today I have 5 miles, I could not for the life of me get up at 6am for the run so that means I have a 90+F run this evening…yay me!






Sunday, July 3, 2011

Birthday Blues and a great Gift!!!


My birthday was this past week…  I am not very fond of it these past two years.  I am very family oriented; I come from a large Italian family.  Family is friends, any chance we get we get together.  Anything we do is together.  The closest friends are the family.  This is how it has always been, I can tell my grandma anything and she has confided in me.  I am now 800 miles away from that sanctuary.  It is difficult.  I still escape to food.  For 10 days this is what I did, ate.  Bags of twizzelers, chocolate, pretzels, anything that sounded good, I ate it with out a care.  July may be ice-cream month, but it really should have been June.  I stopped in to Marble Slab wayyyy to many times. 

It really made me feel like junk in the end.  I did not run for 10 days.   I felt alone.  Which is so silly.  I have amazing friends and family down here.  Though I am not tied by blood or marriage to any one, these people are still here.  I have been with DBF for over a year and a half (1year 7months).  This is a big deal for me, his mom took us out to dinner for my birthday.  We sat, ate, and talked for hours.  I loved it.  Later, I sent her an e-mail thanking her for it, I expressed how it made me feel like I had family down here.  She responded with “you are family,” also that she is here for me and really would enjoy getting together more often.  I wanted to invite my friends over for dinner for my birthday, cook my families sauce.  Everyone was busy…or so I thought.  My girlfriend invited me over for a girls night.  Wine and hang out since she lost her job.  I get to her house late, couldn’t find a place to park all the while I am standing outside her house on the phone with my grandma telling her how I really haven’t celebrated my birthday (everyones too busy).  I was just so down.

I knock on the door.  My DBF answers…say wha?  I walk in and everyone yells “SURPRISE!”  I just stood there in shock, tears running down my face.  I have amazing friends and family down here.  I am so blessed to have this.   It was the best birthday ever, we made sushi and had wine.  Enjoyed each others company.  Everyone pitched in got me my own sushi making set.  I found out the the DBF and my best friend put it together and the DBF had my garmin sent there. 

So yes, this is right, I have my very own Garmin 405cx.  I love it.  Really trying to figure out what I want to name it.  He sure does have a mind of his own.  I have run 3 runs with it!   I feel so carefree !  I just strap it on and run!  Now more needing to decide which path I need to go.  I have also happily discovered that my “easy” pace is quite a bit faster than I thought.  I believed my “slow” running was in the 9min area.  NOPE.
8:10- 8:30  I vary a lot. 

What a happy surprise.  So since my birthday I have been back to me, running.  Though I don’t know if you guys have experienced this,  I am small = small wrists.  I put on the smaller band.  The Garmin still feels heavy and my arm swings in to my stomach sometimes.  Just have to pay attentions with my arm movement.  I hope I can get used to it. 

Well everyone, I hope you enjoy your independence day.