A Hodge Podge Weekend

So, last week I finally caved and bought new running shoes (Nimbus 12′s).  They finally came last week, and I literally drooled over their existence for 5 minutes.  Then I decided to take them out on their inaugural run; a christening of sorts.  3 miles in 24:00 later, I was kicking myself for not switching sooner.

Now I own every color of Nimbus 12'my life is complete

My current shoes are only slightly worn out

Where was my funky foot pain?  I had partially convinced myself that I had a stress fracture or neuroma forming on the base of my foot (that’s the hypo-chondriac physical therapist in me overanalyzing everything again).  It was like heaven breathed on my feet, swaddling them in a million blankets of wonderful Gel.  I am pretty sure my feet smiled.

On Saturday I got to run my very first training run with one of my best college buddies, Jess, in the Cleveland Metroparks.  It really put my North Coast “favorite training places” to shame.  But that’s probably because my favorite training places include the following:
1) Running 0.9 mile circles around a condo complex
2)  A jacked up treadmill at my clinic
3) A park that after August requires you to swallow at least 1,000 bugs per hour run
4) A bike path to Nowheresville, Ohio that has zero restroom facilities and at the same time infinite restroom facilities when I can choose my own cornstalk.

Nonetheless, the run was so epic that we totally forgot to take pictures or even document it.  6 miles chock full of Lake Erie wind and a gabfest of catching up will do that to you.  I can’t wait until we can do it again!

Since I don't have a picture of our epic run, this picture can sub in. Another epic time, just involving a bachelorette party and crazy dance skills.

Sunday led me to Downtown Cleveland for a Free Cavaliers Game.  *helpful hint always become fans/friends of your favorite products, sports team, and cheeses online as they will often reward you with free shiz*   The Cavs decided to win.  I had amazing company complete with Wolfpack.  I munched on the best Buffalo Mac N’ Cheese ever.  And Mike rejected a homeless man that only wanted beer.  All in all, epicness was contagious.

He loves the Cavs

Having a No Pants Party

Yeah we were pretty close to the court...thanks Cavs Promotions!

I need to work on my self-portrait abilities...case in point, my camera angle is making me and hubs have huge chins. Leno style.

I plan to continue to rock being epic the rest of this week.  A little over 8 weeks until Glass City Half Marathon i’m going to kick the living crap out of this stupid race if it takes me crawling across the finish line bleeding with Gu’s dripping out my mouth like a zombie total awesomeness ensues….

Happy Running!  And “happy running” means enjoy your run.  Don’t make anyone think less of their abilities to run a few steps, a mile, a 5K, 10K, half, or full whether it be on the road, on trails, in the snow, in the mud, or through a giant vat of macaroni and cheese.  grow up and rejoice in the human gift that is the ability to put one foot in front of another and do it fast enough that you no longer can maintain one leg in stance.  because that, my friends, is the definition of RUNNING.

I have a shoe problem

So I finally caved.

My feet are drooling...or wait, is that just a blister popping?

My feet and knees had enough of my last pair of trusted Asics Gel-Nimbus 12′s.  So I caved and finally purchased a new pair.  Of the same shoe.  This will make my 3rd pair of Nimbus 12′s in a little over a year.  I may or may not be having a love affair with this shoe.  It’s like my security blanket for my feet.  My thoughts are: when something works, why fix it?

However, I do have a gift certificate to Second Sole that is burning a hole in my pocket.  I am planning on purchasing a pair of racing flats so that I can rotate shoes and use the flats specifically for races and the Nimbus for training runs (hopefully extending their life).  My question is, which of these shoes should I choose? If money were no object and I was planning on Forrest Gumping it for several years, I would have them all.  Yes, I really do have a running shoe infatuation.  Some ladies love heels, flats, etc.  I just really love me some athletic footwear.
1)  Asics Gel-Blur 33

2) Brooks Pure Flow

3) New Balance 890

thoughts? input? cheese?

Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Running! 

Om Nom Nom

Is it bad that after you’ve just run 9 miles in the freezing cold in 1:15:51.86 (to be exact) that all you want to do is:
1) Eat the donut you’ve been eyeing all day
2) Take a nice hot shower after said donut

This probably cancels out the 1,000+ calories burned on my run...oh well!

Favorite part of today’s run: random old man eyes me up and says “If you keep running like that, you’re going to lose weight!”  wtf does that mean?

Happy Running!

Race Recap: Blizzard Breakfast

This past Saturday I decided my racing hiatus needed to end.  I hadn’t run a race since the Eastside Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, and it was really starting to nag at me.  Racing keeps me honest with my training and it keeps me motivated.  Without having a race to look forward to, I tend to not “push” myself or keep my sights set on my goals.  Thus, the Blizzard Breakfast became my target.

This was the first “Prediction Run” I have ever done.  Basically, you pick your distance, estimate your finish time, and run without a watch or ever knowing where you are on the course.

No Garmin=Sad Eli.

I selected the 7 Mile option and predicted at 58:45 which broke down to a 8:23 per mile pace (to simulate Glass City anticipated pace).  Hindsight is always 20/20 because had I known the course would be pancake flat, I probably would have changed my prediction.

The Course:  Double loop course (3.5 miles) around Perrysburg.  Mostly residential through neighborhoods.  Flat as a pancake, minus 1 incline (wouldn’t even give it the honor of calling it a hill).  Minimal crowd support.  1 water stop that we hit 4 times.  Great turnout for being a race-day sign-up race only (>200 runners).

How I Felt:  I never felt horrible.  I felt comfortable at my pace, leading me to think I probably ran only a little faster than my projection.  I felt like I had a ton left in the tank and probably could have pushed it much harder.

Fun Random Happenings:
1) Confusion–during my pre-race pit stop, I listened to a woman grunt ALOT and when I came out of my stall, she felt the need to tell me “wow, I really had to PEE!”.  Sure you did, lady.
2) A 50-something year old man wearing Vibrams who I was beating by over a quarter mile, magically started beating me around the 5 mile mark.  Can we say cheater?!  I saw him cut off about a half mile and when I finally passed him the second time he laughed, saying “Haha! I cheated!”  Why brag about that?  Just follow the rules, respect your fellow hard-working non-cheating runners.

The Result:  Ummm…remind me never to predict my pace again.  Although if predicting makes me run fast, I’ll take it.  I finished in 55:55.00 (7:59/mile pace)!! Holy balls, I’m getting faster!  Can we say I totally needed this motivation?!  Can I say holy balls again? Yes! Balls!

I have been making running look perfectly effortless like I’m only leaning sideways not even running whatsoever since 1985.

Happy Running!

P.S.  Today Mike got the last of his stitches out.  He is nearly mended now!  I am sure he will wind up with some scarring, but I am excited that he can finally return to working out, running with his totally awesome wife, and playing soccer again.  Life, as I know it, is finally  getting back to normal.  Thank goodness.

Sunburn is Possible in February

I am pretty sure there has to be some of sort of thing as “global warming” due to how mild this winter has been.  As long as the ice caps don’t totally melt causing global flooding, I am ok with it and its influence on my outdoor running.  Believe me, I don’t argue when Blizzard Bill Spencer tells me it’s going to be nearly 50 degrees out in Northern Ohio on a Wednesday in February.  Inside I think: “Yahoo! I can show off my extremely pasty white legs to the whole world so they can vomit at the sight of them in shorts again weather!”

Case in point:  my legs and stomach during a June Race.  Usually by June most people have a brownish hue to their skin.  Not me.

Anyways, I decided to be extra motivated today with my long-ish run.  Since I am planning on running the Blizzard Breakfast 7 mile Prediction run this Saturday, I decided against just running a 9 mile run.  Instead, I decided to run with my Garmin (love of my life) but not look at it in order to simulate not knowing my pace.

I don’t know if it was the fact that:
1) I was wearing a long sleeve shirt with my shorts for God knows what reason (it was 50 degrees out)
2) My right foot was screaming “ow ow buy some new shoes you freaking idiot”
3) there was mud seeping through to my socks causing an unpleasant sensation from my brilliant idea to run through the grass
OR
4) my mantra of: “the sooner you finish this, the less likely you are to have inevitable sunburn”

But…somehow when I got home, I was horrified/disgusted to discover my Garmin read the following:

No wonder my face was probably resembling a melting blob of chocolate.

FYI: this is what melted face looks like

My splits were even more horrifying:

I am completely offended with myself now.  Where did this disgusting pace come from?  I never train this fast, nor do I particularly enjoy making my face melt.  Oh well, guess I just needed some warm weather to jump start my speed.

Only problem is, I was going to predict my finish time to be around 58:40.  Now, I am not so sure.  Help please!! What should my goal time be for this Saturday’s race??

Happy Running!

11 Random Facts About Me

I got tagged in this fun little game by Jess aka mojamala2.wordpress.com and Amanda aka therearetwosides.com and now am obligated to do the following:

The Rules:

• Post these rules
• You must post 11 random things about yourself
• Answer the questions set for you in their post
• Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
• Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
• No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Facts About Eli:

• I am obsessed recently with painting my nails.  (current color: black like my mood I even had a co-worker say my nails change color daily.
• My husband thinks I’m weird that I always eat rice cakes.  Every day.  Whether I need to or not.  He thinks they smell like dirty feet and farts.
  
• I used to be in ballet for 6 years despite my well-known inflexibility.  Without it, I think I would need a more supportive running shoe then I already do.  It’s a good thing I quit because I obviously became too tall (with friends that make me seem taller haha)
  
• Some days at work I eat pickles as a snack.  Yum, sodium!
• I absolutely hate mushrooms.  Thinking about them makes me nauseous.  Mushrooms are the creation of satan’s garden. (best underwear ever ps)
  
• I am secretly self conscious of my growing “mr lumpy” on the inside of my knee.  Mr. Lumpy=bone spur.
• My favorite dance move is “the running man”
  
• Someday I want to take a class in order to learn how to decorate cakes.  I am obsessed with watching baking competition shows.
• My husband swears I have the nose of a bloodhound since I can smell all of his farts and when the garbage begins to smell. Case in point, this picture.  Also most unflattering picture of my from the year 2009.
  
• This year I came out of soccer retirement (of 2 years) to start playing in Men’s Open.  I missed playing.
• I have spent the past 8+ years living away from my family and I have missed them every single day and wish I lived closer.

Jessica’s Questions:
What are you wearing? swishy pants, a v-neck, and a sweater.  because i spilled macaroni and cheese on my dress pants.
What is your dream race to run? one that I can PR in! but i have really wanted to do an OBX race.
Where is your favorite vacation spot? Outer Banks of NC (OBX)
What was your last dream about? i think i was running…
Would you rather be too hot or too cold?  too hot because when i’m too cold my fingers and toes turn blue never to be warmed again.
If you had to listen to one song on repeat forever what would it be? “I’m Sexy and I know it” wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle!
What was your favorite school subject? (Do not say recess) art class
If you could go back to school would you study the same things or pick a different major? i would do the exact same thing, love it!
Are you an Apple fan or Android fan? what ez techn0l0gy who haz teh techn0l0gy?!
Any tattoos or piercing? Are they visible? only pierced ears…i play it safe
Favorite alcoholic beverage? a margarita

Amanda’s Questions
If you could only eat 1 food for an entire week what would it be? pizza!
What color pen do you like writing with? black because i’m forced to at work.  otherwise if given an option i would choose something colorful
What is your favorite piece of running gear?  Or exercise gear? my Asics Nimbus 12′s, never leave home without them
If you had to change your name what would it be? don’t know but not as long, it was hell learning to write my full name
Where would you live if $$ wasn’t an issue? East coast, along the beach
What kind of pets do you have? None apartments blow
What is your #1 favorite blog to read? there are far too many i enjoy to pick a fav politically correct answer
Favorite type of restaurant to eat at? Mexican
Favorite celebrity? Male–Chris Evans, mostly due to level of hotness
Left handed or Right handed? Right-handed
If you are married/co-habitating: What side of the bed do you lay on (picture yourself lying down, what side are you on? Always on the right side.  Yet, when I sleep alone I am sprawled across the entire thing.

Sadly I do not have a lot of blogger friends that I can tag in this entry, so I’ll leave my questions up for discussion in my comments.  Yes, that is cheating but no one ever said I play by the rules!

• What deodorant do you wear?
• What is your favorite thing about yourself?
• What is the worst smell in the world?
• Favorite brand of running shoe?
• Favorite place to go shopping?
• What would be your “perfect day”?
• Why doesn’t McDonald’s sell hot dogs?
• What is your favorite childhood memory?
• Are eyebrows considered facial hair?
• If a professional chef were to cook you dinner, what would you request?
• How are you planning on spending Valentine’s Day?

Remembering to Breathe

**disclaimer notice: this entry may be slightly emo, slightly sad, and contain a lot of reflection/analysis as opposed to my typical style of sarcastic, running related content**

remember to breathe. and everything will be ok.

some days don’t go as planned.  some days start out as ordinary days.  some days wind up changing you whether you want them to or not.  and today was one of those days.

my hubby was travelling to Canton this morning as he was supposed be leaving for a road trip with his professional soccer team.  i kissed him goodbye, told him to be safe, and told him to keep me posted as the weather was less than wonderful.  in fact, it was a downright awful mess of slushy, slippery snow (darn living off Lake Erie).

i drank my coffee, just as i do every morning.  got dressed just as i do every morning.  drove to work just as i do every morning.  got my charts in order and ready just as i do every morning.  and then i got a phone call from my mother-in-law.  and one right after from my brother-in-law.  this was not typical for my mornings.  so, slightly concerned, i answered.  mike was in a car accident.  he got hit by a semi.  for a brief second, my world came tumbling down.  i imagined every possible horrible thing that loaded statement could contain.  i broke down in front of my co-workers.  stuff like that doesn’t happen to us, we are unbreakable, we are united, we are best friends, we are each others beginning and end and everything in between.

then mike called.  he was frantic, he stated he was in an accident and was bleeding but had to go because the police were showing up.  again, i broke down.  where was he bleeding from?  what was going on?  uncertainty clearly is the 2nd worst thing in the world; playing mind games with yourself being the 1st.

i soon found out he was taken to the hospital.  he was lucky.  he was able to climb out of his car through his shattered window.  he was covered in blood, but all wounds were superficial.  only 2 spots required stitches.

my husband is the strongest person i know.  i have to believe he was being watched over.  i just have to.  i need mike around more than he will ever know.  seeing him so vulnerable was gut-wrenching and broke my heart.  but at the same time, i am so thankful that he is ok.

I just want to end by thanking everyone for their prayers.  prayer is a strong, if not the strongest act a person can do.  mike is going to be fine.  i am going to be fine.  but life, as we know it, has changed in a way.  i can’t put my finger on it, but i know each and every moment i cherish with my husband will hold new and special meaning.

HAPPY LIVING.