4 miles, $400, and nice 14 miler

Tuesday I got up early, bundled up and did a quick 4 miler. Nice and easy, a little slow, but better than Monday's run. I think my feet just don't like the yaktrax or the snow. It's like running in sand and it's a lot harder and not fun. Plus, I totally get more dehydrated in the winter and start to feel like crap on a short run that shouldn't be a problem. I refuse to bring water with me for 4 miles, that's just silly.

I wish I could say the $400 was in donations, but it wasn't. I spent all day yesterday at the subaru dealership dealing with a check engine light that eventually cost me $400 to make it go away. By the time I got home I could have gone for a run, but a nap seemed like a better idea so I slept on my super comfy couch for 2 hours. It was awesome. Just what I needed.

This morning I woke up really late. First day of my vacation that I've slept past 5:00am. The sun was already coming up and the temperature was starting to rise just above freezing. Perfect for a long run, probably the last one before goofy. I was going to do 10, but felt so good I kept going and did just over 14 instead. The first 3 miles were a little rough, just getting comfortable and finding my rhythm. Then I felt great. Picked up the pace a little and cruised through the next 7 miles. The last 4 miles were great, at race pace, uphill, into a headwind, really pushed myself. I might do another 14-16 this weekend, but I don't really need to. About 2 weeks to go, I could do an easy 10 miler and then stick to shorter runs and rest days for the remainder of my taper.

Happy Holidays and happy running!

Slow, sluggish 6.5 miler

You would think after two days of rest my legs would be fresh and ready to run....NOPE. I went out this morning to try and do a long run, ended up just doing 6.5 miles because my legs felt like lead weights and I had no energy. Maybe it was because I didn't have my normal breakfast or maybe I'm coming down with a cold, who knows but it was not a great run. I just didn't have it in me today. By the end of the run I started feeling a little better, so maybe if I went longer I would have done ok, but I'd rather not over do it. I'll try again tomorrow.

Anyway, after my run I went to the bank to get checks for the cash donations I got at my wine tasting and then went to the post office to mail them out. I should be getting close to $3000 now. Very cool. Hopefully, after the holidays there will be more donations and then maybe a few more fundraisers and before I know it, I'll be over my goal and it will be race day. I can't wait.

For now though, I think I'm going to curl up on the couch and watch a movie with a hot cup of tea and nod off into nap nirvana for the afternoon. I might even enjoy some left over cheesecake from the party this weekend. Yum.

Rest won't kill me right?

I never thought it would be difficult to convince myself not to run, but I struggled with the decision yesterday. Thursday I was up late baking the triple chocolate cheesecake for the raffle winner and I had to wake up early to finish it with the chocolate ganache topping and decorations before going to work to deliver it.

Friday I took spin class and felt, meh or blah. Just didn't have much energy. Afterall, I probably only got a few hours of sleep. I took a nap in the afternoon and actually slept right through lunch and woke up in time for a quick early dinner before I went out with some friends Friday night. We went to a very cute place in Cambridge called Cuchi cuchi. It's decorated like a 1920s underground bar during prohibition. All the waitresses were dressed as flappers and the drink menu was very original. The drinks were creative concoctions that were most likely the drinks of the 1920s that inspired many of todays "cocktails". The origin of the modern mixed drink was actually back in the days of bathtub gin because the alcohol was so harsh they had to mix it with fruity juices to make it drinkable. I didn't have any because I was driving, but just reading the menu was intoxicating and entertaining.

I was out later than expected so I didn't wake up as early as I normally do on Saturday morning and I had so much to do to get ready for my wine tasting I knew that squeezing in my 12 mile run would be tough and the 20 miler I had planned for Sunday probably wasn't going to happen because of mother nature dumping a giant snow storm on the area. I felt really good about my 10 and 18 last week and with just three weeks to go before the Goofy challenge, I was torn - do my last long runs or taper early. I decided to taper early. I've never done back to back races like this and I figure the training is taking a lot out of me and I should rest and recover and allow my muscles extra time to repair from the training. But, making that decision was AGONY for me. I know I will be happy about it on race day when I run strong and cross the finish line but right now I feel lazy.

Anyway, the wine tasting was a success. I finished decorating the sugar cookies just as my first guest arrived. I cleaned up and brought out the cheeses and snacks and made some tea. We chatted and munched on the food as people arrived and soon we had a small crowd. The conversations were great covering every topic from traveling in foreign countries and encountering poisonous snakes and spiders to snuggies and whiskey snifters that remind the taster of bacon and every type of pork product at once. I handed out the thank you gifts(custom made magnets that say I'm supporting DFMC runner Alicia Leeman and mixed CDs of a few of my favorite running tunes) and raised a total of $120.

Sugar cookies count as carbs right?

OMG, my cookies came out so good. I made them with stone ground whole wheat unbleached flour and frosted them with all natural food coloring in the frosting and all natural sprinkles too. They're delicious AND free of chemicals and preservatives. :)

So, I got up this morning and turned on the news. "Coldest day of the week", "bundle up these temperatures actually suck the heat out of your body", "wind chills in the negative numbers", sounds like a great day for a run. It took some extra layering and extra guts, but I did it. 6 miles done, complete with Rocky theme song finish up the last hill with upper cuts left and right gutting it out up the stairs to my house! A hot shower has never felt so good.

I got a donation in the mail yesterday from an old family friend, Julie Minervino. Her husband Butch passed away a few years ago from cancer and was treated at Dana Farber. His name will be on my singlet for sure and I will definitely have him in my heart and mind as I run. Thank you Julie!!

6 miles done, now it's time to make cookies

Took a couple of rest days after the weekend. I figured 28 miles in two days (and a resting heart rate of 70bpm) meant I earned some rest. My resting heart rate was still a little high this morning, but not 70bpm. So, I eased into the morning with some tea and my favorite breakfast and then some more tea and just one more cup of tea before going out into the bitter cold for a quick 6 miler. And it was very quick. My legs were ready to run even if my brain wasn't quite there yet. After the first mile I warmed up and climbed my favorite hill and turned around and came home.

Now, I'm really excited because I found all natural plant food colorings and sprinkles to make sugar cookies with. So, I'm going to make the dough this morning, run to the grocery store for a few things while it chills in the fridge and then roll, cut, and bake like crazy this afternoon so that I can decorate (and eat) them tonight.

Tomorrow I'm having lunch with an old friend that I actually reconnected with thru my fundraising efforts. I haven't seen her in years and I'm so excited to catch up with her and maybe do some shopping together. Then I'll be baking again. Time to make the chocolate cheesecake for the winner of the drawing. I'll deliver it Friday morning, along with some cookies as an added bonus. :)

18 miler - DONE!

What a great day for a run. A little cold, but sunny and gorgeous out. First few miles were rough getting warmed up, but the middle 12-14 were good. The last 8 miles were into a strong head wind and uphill. They're my area's version of the newton hills. 4 hills one right after the other and the last one is a real bitch. I sruggled a little on the last hill and walked a little towards the top, partially because I was spent and partially because there's a nasty blind corner at the top and I didn't want to get hit by a car.

So, last week I sent a thank you note to the Tewksbury Police Department because they have been really great about pulling over speeders on one of the roads that I run on and making it safer and they must have got the message and appreciated it because this morning I saw 6 of them! Then about a mile and a half from my house I think I saw the entire Lowell Police Department. Not sure what happened, but there was a VERY bad accident. They had the road closed and the car was peeled open like a banana, the driver already gone hopefully ok. I ran past and said good morning to them. The unmarked car that was pulling up as I ran past all gawked at me as I ran by. Not sure if they were checking me out or if I wasn't suppose to run thru the area. Anyway, I made it home and the last 2 miles were my fastest. I was thinking hot shower and hot tea and then some pizza. Uphill into a headwind was nothin for me with that on my mind.

One more weekend of back to back long runs and then it's taper time for the goofy. I felt pretty good today so I hope next weekend goes well. If it does I'm it perfect shape for the race and should destroy it. Looking forward to kickin back during the holidays and tapering and just enjoying some time with friends. I need to send out my cards with my DFMC info in them tomorrow. Maybe I'll get donations from the friends that haven't already donated. That's all I want for Xmas. :)

Sunrise, snot-cicles, and some spinning

In case you can't tell, I love alliteration. Anyway, I'll start with fundraising because yesterday was a pretty exciting day. I closed out the triple chocolate cheesecake drawing and made a grand total of $485!!! This just proves it, people like chocolate better than pumpkin. :) It was extremely successful and I'm thinking of doing one more drawing and making it winner's choice. Anytime, any flavor, any cheesecake the winner wants, I'll bake it and deliver it. We'll see if there is enough interest for a third drawing.

On the training front, yesterday was a rest day because I've got a big weekend planned. Good thing is I'm already halfway done with it. I ran 10.5 miles early this morning. Left my house at 6am and off I went. It was COLD! weather.com said in the teens, but "feels like" single digits. And let me tell you from first hand experience, it definitely felt like single digits. I had two pairs of pants on, multiple layers on top, gloves AND mittens and my bum still froze. I filled up my water bottles with hot water and they were cold before the halfway point of my run. Imagine if I didn't fill them with hot water, they might have froze solid. Still my body must be made for running because I kept moving and finished averaging a pretty good pace even stopping twice to walk while I opened my gels to make sure I didn't drop them or get them all over my gloves. Got home, yanked off my sweaty clothes and changed into dry clothes and went to spin class. Didn't actually do the strength class they were teaching, just maintained about 80-90rpm and worked at probably 70% to losen up my legs and make sure they're ready for my run tomorrow. I stretched extra long after class and then made a big mistake - went to the grocery store STARVING. I just needed bananas and english muffins and I ended up spending $50 on all kinds of food.

Tomorrow is an 18miler. I'm hoping it's a little warmer, but not raining or snowing. PLEASE Mother Nature, give me a break this time. I'll still run in whatever she throws at me, and I will consider it "a good training experience", but I'd prefer good conditions and a relatively easy long run over something epic that sucks bigtime and makes me question my own sanity for even running in it in the first place.