On the road in Philly

I am away this week in Philly.  I had a break today and went to the Eastern State Correctional facility.  It was the first prison in the world (the prison is a US invention - just in case you were curious and we house more inmates that all of Europe combined) and housed such famous cons as Al Capone (until he was transfered to Alcatraz).  They have a fantastic audio tour, and I really enjoyed myself. 

As the busses are on strike today, I has to find a method of getting to the prison.   I asked the front desk for directions, and they commented that it was way to far to walk.  How far you ask?  35 minutes.  If we were in Europe, that would be a short jaunt.  I really enjoyed my walk today and it served for some nice training on my rest day.  I think that Philly would make for a great marathon city (it is already filled for this year). 

Not much else to add.  I miss the boys, and I am uploading my Halloween video.  I will be home soon eneugh and next week will mark the start of winter training.  It has been so nice to rest, but I am looking forward to a bit more structure. 

Here is a gargoyle from the building.  The outside of the facility was designed to deter would be criminals.  It was also fashioned like a castle (reminiscent of the monarchy and lack of religious freedom in England) to remind the early residents that they did not want to give up the freedom that they had sought in the US.

See - you learned something today :)

Happy Halloween 2009

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!  I thought I would share a shot from the archives. 

What not to wear: Gumbo Flats Race Report

I am still in full recovery mode from the marathon.  I have done a little running, some spinning, and a lot of swimming.  More than anything I have been resting.  I struggled at first with the rest, but now I am enjoying the time off my feet.  I can't rest completely, so I thought a little race would be fun.  I have heard a lot about the Gumbo Flats Pumpkin Run, and I knew that some friends were running.  I was reluctant to run as I feel sluggish.  Luckily, Deena reminded me that we run for fun.  I was sold, and I signed up for the 10K race later that day.  Thanks!!!

The race was fun! We lined up near the back as we planned for an easy run.  Two miles in we were both feeling great and decided to speed up.  We were running against the wind, but the coast was clear at the turn around.  We were chatting, and I just felt fantastic.  I had to pick it up.  I ended up running the last mile at a pace 2.5 minutes per mile faster than the first two miles.  No personal record, but it was great to just run and to run fast.  I did end up in the top third of my age group, so I was able to make up some good time in my last 3 miles.  I will take it. 

I LOVE running again (although I am still resting - I am going to take it easy for another week). 

Here is where the fashion intervention comes in.  Look at those pants!  I weigh about 5 lbs less than this time last year, but geez - the pants were just annoying and about ready to fall down.  I need to find something new, and I would love suggestions.  A tie draw string is a must!  I don't want Stacey and Clinton, from What Not to Wear, to jump out from behind a tree and flag me for a fashion faux pas. 

                                                                                                  

  

I am hoping that people thought I was wearing my Halloween Costume.  There was a lot of costumes at the race including some crayons, women running in togas (I would trip in about 3 seconds), a few devils, and a number of ballerinas (men and women equally).  Next year, I am running in some kind of wig. 

I am looking for a turkey hat for the annual Turkey Trot 5k. 

Enough about running (for now)- It was also a big week on the work front. 

Shortly after hearing about my prison chick award, I got a call from our local NBC TV station.  They needed someone to talk about imprisonment trends (we are up - not a surprise), and the person had to be willing to be live on the air at 5:30 a.m.  Sign me up - I frankly love the attention.  It was such a fun time (despite the 3:45 wake up call).  The hosts were thougtful, and I taped two 90 minute segments.  I had the prime spot right after the weather and before the pet of the week.  I am a geek, but I loved watching the weather man in front of the green screen. 

I haven't seen the clip, but I have received a lot of positive feedback on my appearance.  A lot of the people at the Y commented on my segment, and my chiropractor even called me out today.  Who knew all of these people are such early birds.  In case you are interested, here is some good reading on the topic I discussed.  I will be on our local NPR station on Monday, so keep your ears open St. Louis. 

I did have an upside of my outfit.  I designed this shirt in Chicago and it makes me happy.  Running for the boys. 

She has no words - really?

Go to http://www.wordle.net/ to make your own :) I must be from the valley as I noticed that really was one of the most included words on the blog.  It did make me smile that poop made the list.

Photo Funday

A fun new slideshow for the family :) For my running buddies, I took some photos during a short jog this weekend.  Enjoy! 

Make sure to click on the music icon.  I will be back soon with more Halloween updates,
a report from my NBC morning news appearance, a 10K race, and more :)

**I forgot to mention that we did not pick the Steelers jersey :) Jacks was assigned to this team.
We requested the pack, but no luck.

I am prison chick of the year

My student sent me this photo today.  We were discussing the problems of using normative controls in the prison environment.  It is great when they listen to lecture and find examples in books, articles, or media accounts.  This is the first time a student has sent me a picture. Hillarious. 

More good news.  I am getting a research award in November.  I was voted best young prison scholar (there is a more formal name for the award, of course).  Oh yea!  The competiton for this award is tough, so I was very excited to be notified. 

Thanks for the comments on the new header picture.  I took the photo in Illinois as a storm was coming across the downtown St. Louis.  Welcome to the new readers!

A quick update on running.  I have only run once since the marathon, and I am getting squirrely.  That said, I am going to do my best to rest and cross train for another week.  I have been hurting, and I think now is the time to recoperate.  I have so many ideas for 2010, so I will be back with a tentative schedule shortly - I do know it will include a 70.3 event and another marathon (Marine Corps, OBX Marathon, or Detroit Marathon).   Anyone need a running partner? 

Photo Sunday: American Gothic Style

Here is a cutie picture from our trip to the apple farm a few weeks ago.  So funny.  I was so happy to see the sun again today - I am pretty sure it has been on vacation for about two weeks.   I hope everyone had a good weekend!  For the first time this year, I really had no planned work outs for the weekend.  I ended up going to spinning and then did a nice (shorter) run.  Good stuff. 

4 minute negative split

I am not sure where to start with this report.  I seem to read a lot of reports that either describe breakthrough races or flops.  I had neither.  I prepared very hard (I just checked and I am over the 1,000 mile mark for the year), and I raced.  I didn't PR, but I came close.  Exciting huh.

The good news:  I didn't poop on myself.  Seriously, I saw someone with poop all over their leg at mile 22ish - poor woman.  Jason kept asking questions about how I knew it was poop, etc.  Trust me people. 

I will give a bit of a linear race report, but nothing really new.  Here I am at the start.  Super sexy, I know, I look enormous!.  I bought the hat at the Sugoi tent the night before, and it was fantastic.  I ended up wearing the yellow shirt the whole time, so I don't really have any offical pictures.  It was about 32 at the start and warmed to about 42.  I think that one of my biggest challenges of the day was mentally battling the weather.  I had ran in rain and heat, but it has been about six months since I trained in the cold.  My hands never warmed up, and I wore the gloves the whole time. 

The start was crazy.  There were clothes flying everywhere!  I got hit with a sweatshirt.  There were 14,567 women and 19,041 men who finished the race, so you can imagine the crowds.  Luckily, Chicago has the race down like a well oiled machine, so everything went really smoothly. 

The gun went off and we crossed the line about 17 minutes later.  I think one mistake I made was lining up a bit far back.  Throughout the marathon, I felt I had to weave around people to get ahead.  Luckily, the first two miles went pretty smoothly.  With a ton of runners my Garmin didn't work very well - one minute it would say I was running 3 minute miles and 12 minute miles the next.  I tried to go by feel and not to get sucked into by all the excitement. 

Holy cow people - people everywhere.  I was esentially running with or surrounded by more people than live in the town I grew up in.  I was getting warm around the 3-4 mile mark, and I had to stop to take off one of my layers.  Overall, mile 3&;4 were really slow for some reason. 

I got back into a groove, and I really enjoyed miles 6-8.  We went through fantastic neighborhoods and ran right by the SPARTY BAR - there were a ton of fellow spartans on the road that day - good people!  This neighborhood also had drag queens and tons of charisma.  Love it people!! I ran pretty well through here.  I was a bit off my pace, but I felt like I was working.  At no time did I think that I was having an easy day. 

I saw Jason at mile 9.  I have no idea how I saw him (and I never saw him again).  I screamed, gave him a hug, and left him with one of my layers.  It was so great to see him!  I kept on truckin - thinking I would see him at the half. 

A little bit later, I felt a little sick and stopped off at the bathroom.  Big time drain, and I really didn't need to go that bad.  Ugh.  As I said before, the good news is that I didn't have an accident (my worst fear).  Olympic Bronze medalist Deena Kastor also took a potty break, so I don't feel so bad. 

I was a bit bummed when I hit the half as I knew I was going slow.  It was going to be tough to PR.  To be honest, I just didn't think I was that far off.  I kept on looking at my watch, but my superior math skills failed me. 

My goal thoughout training was to maintain a strong second half, so I started breaking the race into two mile segments.  I tried to tough it out and to keep it as close to my goal pace as possible.  It was tough, but I really worked hard.  I don't remember much.  Here are a few things -

     ** Somewhere around mile 16, I remember trying to remember the words to American Pie.  I hate that song, but JP used to sing it while we rowed, and it is long so I thought it might keep me busy.  No luck. 

     **  I heard Thriller, and I was tempted to do the dance - I did dance with a volunteer to Single Ladies by Beyonce

     **  Mel - I saw someone in your green shirt.  How I longed for at least one friend on the road :)


During the last 4 miles, I just wanted to be done.  I was trying hard to be as tough as I could, but I knew my day was not what I had hoped.  I did a pretty good job, and I am really proud of my negative split. 


When I saw the 25 mile mark, I started RUNNING - I wanted to be done and to see Jason.  I just weaved and ran like a crazy person, and I maintained a pretty good clip.  I am in the yellow down below. 

I crossed the line with relief.  Whew.  Next to me, a few younger ladies commented - thank god that is done, now we can get on to having babies.  Hillarious.  I think that the Chicago marathon is a 'bucket list' event for a lot of people. 

THE END

I am happy to report that I did accept a cup of the 312 Urban Wheat Ale made by Goose Island in honor of the Cranks.  We were also offered fruit, water, and bagels.  Nothing fancy.  I felt OK at the end, but I was hurting like crazy yesterday.  Everything was sore. 

I do have some suggestions for future Chicago Marathoners:

1. 
   
   Stay downtown and plan to stay a day after the race.  It was hard to rush back home, and I didn't get to see as much as I wanted.  Fantastic city!!! 
   
2. 
   
   Make a very specific plan to find your spectators.  It is nearly impossible to find people during and after the race.  Go as far as to designate which side of the road you will be on.  I would not bring small children to watch the race. 
   
3. Get a seeded spot or start closer to the front if you are fast.  I was bogged down at each water station.  I carried a small bottle so I didn't need to stop, but you are heavily swayed by the momentum of the group. 
   
4. HAVE FUN!!  I am kicking myself a bit for being so serious.  So I didn't rock the race.  Does it really matter?  I am just so competitive, and it is hard to shut it off. 
   

What next - that is for another post.  I know I trained hard, and I have more in me.  I do want to thank Jason for being the best cheerleader.  It was so great to have him there.  My parents watched the boys who had a fantastic time.  Thanks to Carrie and all my running buddies this year.  I have come far!!!  More adventures ahead. 

How we roll

I know.  I need to write more, but I am so sore (my fingers are just fine - so no excuse, I know).  I just finished up my congratulatory ice cream, and I am back on the healthy wagon tomorrow.  I have a few more pictures to share, and I will work on my race report ASAP.  To be honest, I am still letting it sink in, and the more I do, the more happy I become. 

There are so many possible titles to my race report.  I have chosen a good one, but I was thinking about calling it WTF happened from mile 2-4!!  or do not pause to potty :)

Here we are at the BRASH (Brooks Running Athlete Support Hospital) tent with our new friend Klinger.  Don't we look fabulous!!  I think this is Christmas card material. 

Here is Jason getting trigger point therapy.  He is the best expo goer.  We tried all the samples and signed up for all of the freebees.  He bought way more stuff than me, but I love race shopping - there was a lot of that.

As a preview to the race report, here is a picture of the masses.  Look in back to see all the runners coming.  Jason went to 6 different locals to cheer for me, and I only saw him once (and he didn't spot me at the other locations).   Just crazy.  Also notice all the different states of dress.   You know it is freakin cold when the elite are wearing hats and mittens. 

Photos of the Expo

The race report is coming soon.  The end of my fall 09 season has been a bit like the Cards baseball season - I tried really hard and had some amazing moments, but sometimes your best just doesn't get you a PR on that day.  I am OK with that for now (although I will come for you again soon marathon gods).  I got into running to stay fit and have fun, and I have definitely accomplished that goal.  Here I am at the expo at the fantastic Brooks MASH display.  Thanks again to Frayed Laces for hooking Jason up with a gait analysis.

He loves his new Brooks shoes and wore them all day on Sunday :)

 

Brrrrrr

Just a quick update from chicago.  It is crazy cold here - I still have no idea what to wear, but I bought a fantastic winter hat.  Shorts are still in, but I am not sure how many layers on top. 

All of my fellow runner bloggers may be jealous, but I got to meet frayed laces.  She was great, and got Jason hooked up at the Brooks tent.  He got to have a full gait analysis, and he is all hooked up with new shoes.  He mentioned doing a half at the expo, so I hope a race is in our future. 

I have to go back to tracking the Ironman world championships - what a great race.  More tomorrow. 

Happy Race Faces

I am a little distracted today, so I will share a quick photo from the tri last weekend.  Here is Deena, me, and Tara.  We participated as a team in the local Rec Plex tri.  It was a cold morning, but it was shared with a ton of local friends.  Even two of the neighborhood swim team members (12 & 17) rocked the race.

I know my shirt is a bit gross, but it is really fantastic.  It is Under Armor and is reversible - one side for colder weather and one side for hot.  I was going to wear it this weekend, but I was pretty hot with it on my 5 mile race.

I am off to Chi town tomorrow, and I am feeling better.  Still pretty stiff, but I have high hopes.  No more pity party for me.  Next time I am feeling like this, please feel free to come over and tell me to snap out of it.  Y'all are way to nice.

I have to send a special thanks to some of my students who sent me good luck emails today.  You are the best.  I will be sporting the spartan green on Sunday to represent the team.  Can't wait to sail in November!!

Cranky me

I deleted my earlier cranky post. YES, I will be running in Chicago. I have spent the money, and I will be there. I will just have to take the day as it comes and be smart. Right now I smell really sexy with my Bengay perfume. It has taken the edge off. I actually feel better when I move around - dumb desk job.

As a note of inspiration, I got this email today about our running group being featured on TV. In the Fall (and last summer), I trained with Fleet Feet. The local public radio station filmed us throughout the training. The video brought back such fond memories - this is why I run - for fun, for the challenge, and to meet friends. Check out the short video - it was so nice to see Kristen's smiling face and all my running buddies. The full length video comes out in two weeks. I will post more details soon.

The Spirit of Chicago

Take the time to watch this and you will understand why I am so excited about Chicago.  The marathon is so humbling, and I am ready.

To be completely honest, I have been a bit worried about Chicago.  I had a rough long run this weekend, and I just found out that I have bronchitis.  The good news is that I have meds, and I know I will be ready in a little over a week.  I have been doubting my preparation a bit, partly because I have done this before, but just hearing the opening words of this movie has me inspired.  I am going for it.  I may crash, but it is time to learn to race.  I am also not going alone :) I am just thrilled that Jason will be coming.  No worries about getting to the airport by myself.

If you want to track me - go here - http://www.chicagomarathon.com/CMS400Min/Chicago_Marathon/spectators_volunteers/index.aspx?id=510  You don't have to be a Verizon subscriber.

Goodbye Summer

Where did it go?  I thought I would share a great memory from the end of summer.  At the end of Labor Day, ouu local water park goes to the dogs.  We have never attended this event, but it was pretty fun.  I never thought for a moment that they would let us use the tubes and the lazy river.  As you can see, it went over well with the whole family. 

Lewis and Clark 2009

Just a quick report on the half marathon last weekend (also our 12 wedding anniversary). 

Remember last year?  Yep, I ran through a hurricane last year.  It was to be my first marathon, but they called the race at mile 10.  Luckily, I was able to regroup and ran my first marathon exactly one year ago in Dayton, Ohio.  I will always remember how I felt that day.  Whenever I have a bad run I remember the hurricane and realize that I can run through most everything.    



The race started on a great note.  I travelled to the race with 3 local neighbor ladies.  Jody and I were using the run as a training run, and the other ladies were going for a PR.  In fact, it was one of the ladies first marathon, and she qualified for Boston.  On the way there, she had a lot of questions, and she was totally unaware of her Boston qualifying time.  I have chatted with her a number of times on the running path, and I knew she was ready to rock it.  Sure eneugh - she ran a fantastic race. 

We got to the race on time, used the port o let, and headed toward the start.  They had a DJ this year, and it was a nice addition.  We ran into about 10 running friends and chatted to pass the time.  It was great to see everyone. 

Race start - My plan was to run a solid, steady pace in preparation for Chicago.  My plan was perfect.  Jody and I chatted the whole way and ran a negative split.  Not much to report from the race other than it was a bit warm (80ish), but NO RAIN.  It was just so fun to run the race, and it gave me more confidence for Chicago.  I really need to run more half marathons - what a perfect distance.

Race Finish - I am happy that I stuck to my planned pace on the run.  At the same time, I am a bit bummed that I came within seconds of my best time.  The goal of the race was not to 'race' but to train, but the good finishing time is a nice testament to the training (I ran 30 miles during the week before the race).  After the race, I got a quick piece of Great Harvest Bread and some water.  Jody was great, and she took my medals home for me.  Yep, I was not done - 5 more miles for me :)

The Path - Yes, I am crazy and I ran after the race.  Two years ago at this very race, I ran my first half.  I remember running next to a group who was running 18 in prep for Chicago.  I remember thinking they were crazy, and I couldn't fathom adding on 5 extra miles.  What a difference a couple of years makes. 

Here lies the problem.  I thought it would be great to run the last 5 on the same path as the marathoners (the Katy trail was open to the public during the race).  I figured a few miles out and back - no problem.  I trotted for a while, but soon people were cheering for me.  I felt like a fraud!  I kept on explaining that I was just cooling down, and then I took off my number.  I felt strange turning around.  People were cheering (even without my race number) and noting that I was one of the first women.  Seriously, do I look like I can run a 3 hour marathon!!  I was happy to run into Holly on the path.  She was running the full and we ran Dayton together last year.  She was having a tough day and I was happy to turn around and join her for a bit.  After that, I just ran to the buses, via a quick off road detour, so I wouldn't come near the finish.  I really could have ran the full deal that day - maybe next year. 

Off to the buses - We all pile on and the bus driver questions - anyone know how to get to the parking lot?  Seriously - yep, he had just started his shift and had no idea how to get back.  Luckily, we were all from the area and could help out.  I was lucky eneugh to sit next to a nice woman who gave me her extra popsicle.  They really need to serve ice cream at the end of every summer race - perfect ending. 

Goggles

Here is Carter at the first day of swim classes.  He scares me to death in the pool - no fear!  Luckily, he is with the experts that keep him surrounded.  Now that they both take lessons together, I get a full 30 minutes two times a week to read.  Let me tell ya - it is the small things in life.  More soon......I have a race report to write.

BTW, if you have a second to leave me the name of your favorite running, training, nutrition, or general non-fiction book - that would be fantastic.

My Big Boy is a Triathlete

Yes, we have another triathlete in the family, and I could not be more excited. Jacks completed the JCC Labor Day tri this weekend. It includes a 100 yd swim, 3 mile bike, and .5 mile run. That is a lot of work for most adults let alone a 7 year old.
We have been training off and on for the past few weeks. You have to sign up for this race really early as it fills up quick. It is run really well, and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area. Here is a very simple slideshow. Each child got their own volunteer, and each helper was very kind. The bike was the toughest part, but he is ready to sign up again next year.

He was particularly excited about the performance T that came in the race packet (it is all about the free schwag). He wore it to school on Tuesday and brought the medal to school today. Good times.

 

Make a Smilebox photobook

Here is a video of the swim - first out of the water :) We have already been chatting about a family team tri, and the J man will do the swim. 

Ironman Louisville 2009

You are an Ironman!!!! A big congratulations to all who competed yesterday, and thanks for letting me share in the fun. A thanks also goes out to my parents for hanging out with the boys for the day, so I could hang out, volunteer, and spectate in Louisville.

I have made a small slide show of pictures from the day. I had a crummy one time use camera (remember what pictures used to look like), but I think you can get the general idea of the race.

I was stationed in the transition area in bag pick up from about 11-5:30. You can see the lines of bags in the photos. It was my job to give people with numbers 600-700 their gear bag (these bags include shoes, running shorts, and everything for the marathon portion). I picked this row since it had Carrie's number. It also was at the front, so I could watch all the athletes come and go. It was an easy job and such a fun way to help. Not surprisingly, people were a bit disoriented coming off the 112 mile bike, so we had to physically steer a few people toward the changing tents. I screamed for all the people I knew and yelled for all the St. Louis racers (there were over 10 representing the Big Shark, Ghisallo, Maplewood Multisport, and Sunset Cyclery teams). I even saw a man from my specific St. Louis burb. I am sure he thought I was crazy screaming -

Hey #xxx (from my town) - you are going to be an Ironman today!!!

After my volunteer gig was up, I wandered around the course. I was lucky to run into Carrie on the run (she is really blurry in the picture). She rocked her first Ironman in 12 hours!!!!!! It was great to encourage complete strangers and to watch the spectators. The finish line was fantastic! Overall, I wasn't as impressed with all the fancy bikes and super fast racers that I got to see. I was blown away by all the every day people out their rocking it and doing their best.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

From a volunteers perspective (who knows nothing about Ironman) here are my suggestions for all the future Ironman:

1) Mark your transition bags. Pink and lime green tags, ribbons, or electrical tape work well. There are a million bags and it really helps to make your stand out. You think you will have it together coming into transition, but you will not.

2) Wear something distinctive. It is hard to pick people out as a spectator, even if you know them well. Wear a team jersey or something unique that people can relate to. I saw some great Big Ten jerseys (go state) - I so want one of these! I also saw South Park outfits and a man ran the whole marathon in a tie-dyed shirt! I even saw someone come off the bike in a cotton shorts and basketball shorts. Whew, not comfortable. The run shirts with kids hand prints and cancer survivor got me choked up each time.

3) Get your family a shirt :) I could not get enough of the crazy families and friends that came out to support the athletes. I love the team shirts, wigs, and matching signs. I saw people run a few blocks with friends/family screaming support. Live out loud people!!!

4) Have fun! A guy came stumbling in at about 5:30 and screamed - what! I am not first? To which I replied, you are not last! You do know what they call the last person who crosses the line at the race right? Ironman

5) Write something fun, unique, insightful on your athlete information form. They sure read them. It was really fun to hear the stories about participants who had lost weight, had completed 20+ ironman distance events, were moms to 5 kids, and one woman noted that her most notable accomplishment was that she was damn pretty.

Did I sign up?

NOPE. I am frankly not ready, but I have started developing a plan. I volunteered with a woman who had done the event last year as her 4th tri ever. It can be done on a years training, but I want to be truly prepared for the race (if that is ever possible). In fact, if I sign up for one, I want to do more than one (if that makes sense). I want to enjoy the journey, and lets face it - I still fall on my bike :)

Take Me out to the Ballgam

Happy Weekend. I am here in KY and finished a great 18 mile run this morning. Just an FYI - there are no flat roads in KY. None! Good workout, and I am ready to spectate and volunteer tomorrow.

Yes, you get a priority registration spot if you volunteer for an Ironman, but I will not be in that line. At least not this year. It is going to be a HIGH of 75 tomorrow - does it get any better for racing?