wonderland

today was my first true ms150 training ride with the bcbsf cycling group. you know how dedicated we are when we agree to meet at 8am on a saturday morning. approx 15 people showed up for the fun; an excellent number for a long ride. we started at the publix on monument road, headed over the wonderwood bridge to the ferry, took the ferry across the water and continued towards amelia island. i stayed near the back, and spent most of the day with a smaller subgroup, moving around 15 mph. we ended up covering around 30 miles, the most i've ever done. the feeling of fresh air, sunshine, and interesting conversation made the time go by pretty fast. i don't think there is anything that could have made the wonderwood bridge any less painful. i definitely wished there was a small motor attached to my bike that i could just turn on for a few minutes...i've never been so jealous of motorcycles as i was on that bridge. one interesting observation - riding with a group is a full body workout. riding the bike is difficult enough for me, but then you have to add in all the hand and verbal signals, and you realize exactly how tough a group ride really is! imagine my relief when the small group leader I was with turned around and said "we're going to turn around and head back early, you can catch up with the big group if you'd like". yeah right! i will turn around early thank you very much!

ms150

today i registered for the ms150, a 150 mile bike ride from st. augustine to daytona beach to benefit ms. i am definitely nervous, as i haven't ridden my bike even a fraction of this distance. we are also required to raise some $$, which is usually harder than the training itself. i joined the team at bcbsf, so it will be great to meet a ton of new people in town and get some great exercise! now if only i can find some way to avoid the never-ending series of crashes i seem to enjoy due to my lack of ability to quickly clip out of my pedals!!

baldwin trail

so i've decided to think about registering for the ms150 with the bcbsf cycling team. in order to make a decision i arranged a bike ride with my friend amy this morning to get back in the saddle after a winter hiatus. we met at the baldwin trail, with a goal of riding 20 miles, at any pace we could hold for the duration. it was a beautiful morning, partly sunny and cool (for florida of course). as we took off, we discussed how neither one of us really felt confident in our ability to ride for 20 miles without complaining at least a little bit. we broke into stride after the first 1/2 mile, and started to get into it. around mile 0.8 (yes, that is correct), we came to a stop sign on the trail, prepared to coast right through it - afterall, there is never any traffic on the trail! at the last minute we spot a car coming around the corner at full speed, simultaneously yell "CAR!" and frantically clip-out of our fancy pedals. this is when we both also simultaneously fail to clip-out and fall in opposite directions, at the same time that the car speeds past us. my friend has a bloody knee but i am a skilled bike crasher so i land smoothly in the grass. we look over, realize we both fell at exactly the same time, and burst out laughing. it's going to be a long, hard day.

the remainder of the ride follows this generic pattern - 7 miles of rain, followed by 13 miles of wind. the last 5 miles of the ride were particularly difficult, as i began to feel that i hadn't eaten in weeks. our conversation turned to nothing but food, and i devoured that granola bar i left in the car a few weeks ago, even though it was mostly melted. it took every remaining ounce of my energy not to pull into the wendy's hamburger drive-thru on the other side of the street. i went home thinking that it's better to start out with a bad ride so there is plenty of room to incrementally improve. this is what we novices tell ourselves all year long. i think i'll sign up for that ms150 afterall.

total miles = 20.04

country music half marathon

in true slacker fashion, i find myself at yet another half marathon, looking back on the past 4 months and saying "man, i really should have run further/faster/more consistently before today". the good news is that we are staying at the marriott at vanderbilt university, and i'm pleasantly surprised to discover that the starting line is located in the hotel's front yard. no lines at the porta-potty for me! the race was very entertaining - 30,000 runners, bands every mile, beautiful nashville neighborhoods, and plenty of spectators! the highlight of my experience was meeting a really sweet girl in the last 2 miles of the run who was running her first half marathon, and was so overcome with emotion and pride that as she approached the finish line, she starting crying. i ran to the finish line with her, which made this race the most memorable finish for me (with the exception of the record-setting finish set by joe-the-puker at the river run a few months ago; not sure what could ever top that). finish the day off with a 2-hour nap and a post-race concert, and i'd call that a terrific saturday! my whole entire body hurts, yet i'm surfing the web in an attempt to find the next big event to register for. i guess a little torture is good for you now and then.

ing georgia half marathon

today was the ing georgia half marathon, in atlanta. for some reason i actually thought it would be a good idea to drive to atlanta the day before, and drive home immediately after the race (without a shower!?) i really believe that i must have been hit hard in the head. it's 6-hours one-way, and i'm experienced enough to know that after completing a half marathon, your legs are virtually useless for hours--so why in the world did i think it made sense to jump in the car after crossing the finish line?? i will probably never know. anyway, i did make it home safely, and i did finally get to take a shower...although the ride home was nothing to write home about. the race itself was great, there were so many runners, we did the same staggered start as the peachtree road race, and nancy ran with me the whole time! she is truly my hero- she hadn't ran in weeks, much less trained for a half, and just decided to do it with me anyway! i would recommend this race because it was fun, had lots of spectators, and good scenery.

2007 river run 15k

i love it when a plan comes together! the old crew managed to find a free weekend, and everyone came down to jax for the river run! we had so much fun, especially at the after party at my house...nothing beats a great dinner and red wine after a long run, followed by hilarious laughter as they broadcast the finish line festivities - namely "joe the puker" and his big debut!! :-) the only thing that could have made this weekend more fun is a few pieces of furniture at my place. "check out my new house, isn't it great?" "yeah really, i love the lawn chairs in the family room with the tv on the floor, that's really a nice touch".

mayberry trails

running on trails is so much better than running on pavement! the air seems cleaner, the workout is tougher, and you get to take stretch breaks when you come across a nest of owls. what could be better than that?! today was my first day running with the northville road runners club. such a nice group of people, friendly, outgoing, and a variety of different levels. i of course needed to run with the slowest members, but they didn't mind my pace or my need to walk, and i enjoyed the conversation the entire way. such a great way to start a saturday! i ran approx. 3 miles on hilly terrain which was challenging but a great workout. after the run we headed to joseph's, the local coney island, for the "special"- two eggs, 4 strips of bacon, a pile of hashbrowns and two pieces of toast-- for less than $4. you can't beat it! after a quick stop into a clothing boutique on our way back to the car, we headed home to clean up my sister's wounds after tripping and falling down a hill. next up, a trip to the spa for a much needed 60 minute massage. why can't all days go like this?

martians

the martian half marathon was coooooold!! it started out around 43 degrees, but after a few feet the wind really picked up and we got a little misting of rain about halfway through. i was so cold i never really broke a sweat. i'm glad this race was flat because i was definitely not prepared. i was tired, sore, and weak throughout the entire run. the only motivation i had was my family every couple miles cheering me on from the sidelines. other than that, there were virtually no spectators and it was a very quiet run. i would do this run again, but next time i will train more. i need to really get my butt in shape. the good news is that i did set a personal record for the half. the bad news is that the time is still really bad. oh well, i wasn't meant to tryout for the olympics!

river run

as expected the river run was quite a challenge. this year it was even more scary because a number of people couldn't make it over the hart bridge and were laying on the side of the road, being attended to by the emergency medical crews. the problem was that it was so hot, much hotter than its been in the past few weeks. every water station i passed i grabbed a few cups of water and threw them on my head. this made for incredibly discusting race photos, thats for sure! i also think we got there too early and should have sat down. instead we stood around, looking for friends and stretching our legs. i think my legs were too tired from standing so that i felt real bad immediately after starting. i knew it would be a bad race when about 1/4 mile into it, a man running with his dog was running in front of me, and the dog decided to lighten his load mid-run-- right into my path of travel! thank you 1 million times ashlee for shoving me out of the way!! overall, the run was good, we finished and went to wendy's for hamburgers afterwards. haha! that's what you get for having them as a sponsor- 2+ hours of looking at wendy's signs will make you crave hamburgers like never before! i guess that's probably called selective advertising or something. it seems to be effective.

ortega

we did it!! this race is by far my favorite. there is a drawbridge at the beginning, which has virtually no incline/decline, a nice run through the neighborhoods, brief views of the water, a tough overpass near the end, and a relatively flat return to the finish. the best part about this race was the post-race power bars provided by the local bakery. ortega is such a cute neighborhood, and the scenery is outstanding. i was extra lucky because my boyfriend felt bad that i was running alone and jumped in at the last minute to run with me. he is the best! the funny part was that near the end when i wanted to lay down instead of finish the race, he was the one who had the energy to finish and motivated me to continue! we crossed the finish line holding hands, it was a great way to end the race. two more weeks until the river run. given my inability to run this race very well, i'm more nervous about the river run. at least ashlee will be there to run with me!! that will make it much better!

pounding on the mill

so the goal today was to run 5 miles...ok so really it was to cover 5 miles, i didn't expect to run the whole time. especially since the rickety old knee was howling the day before. since the temps were in the 40s (for FL that is not acceptable!) i headed for the hotel treadmill with low expectations. to my surprise, it was actually a great ride. now i'll admit the first mile was slow, and at times painful, but once i warmed up i felt like i could go forever. i cranked up the ipod, put a towel over the display, and stared out the window. 58 mins later, i was done and dad had a subway italian bmt sub waiting for me. what a great day. i know i'll be able to complete the ortega run, just need to start working on the hills, those bridges are a real deal breaker.

as an update, i can't believe i'm not sore after running for an hour. normally this would put my body into shock, rendering me useless for 3 days with the exception of lifting weights and doing situps. not this time! i have full mobility, and am ready to go. my plan is a solid 4 hours of cruising through the mall. we'll see how well i do!

run while you gab

my friend came over bright and early this morning (ok so it was only 7am) to go for an easy run. my heart rate was already high due to the neighbors rooster making his call while i stood in the driveway testing the temperature. COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!! scared me half to death. so we ran/walked for about 45 minutes, covering less than 4 miles. i seem to have pulled a leg muscle so hopefully i can nurture it for the day and get back to running tomorrow. the weather has been cool and rainy, so it makes for good running. we decided to do the ortega 5 mile run in a few weeks to get ready for the river run. must...log...more...miles. the half is right around the corner. it's not even 10am and i'm already feeling like i need a nap.

back on track

after spending a few boring days in radcliff, kentucky, i came home to cool weather- perfect for running! i didn't have high expectations for my run, given that i lived on oreo cookies, fast food hamburgers, and diet soda for the week, but i gave it my best effort. i actually did pretty good! 3.12 miles in just over 30 mins. i'm meeting a friend in the morning to log some more miles, afterall i will be staying in the same hotel as my dad next weekend and he has already brought up the challenge of beach running...claims he'll be able to beat me for sure. ha! my money's on him anyway. ahh well, i'm not in it for the fame. i'm hoping this rain stops soon so that we can drag the bikes out too, that would be excellent! two more days and its back to radcliff for me, which means running on the treadmill in a room big enough for only a treadmill. its like a prison for atheletes. just 5 more weeks until the river run, i need to pick up the pace.

hanna park

i checked out the mountain bike trail map before we left, and listened to the advice of experienced riders "stay on the easy trails your first time". and i'm not afraid to admit that i started off on an expert path! ha! i laugh in the face of danger! ok, so it wasn't that difficult, but that was only because i was traveling at such a slow speed, half of the bumps i couldn't get over because i wasn't going fast enough. that all changed with time. before long i was moving fast, jumping over roots and narrowly missing a chance to plunge into the river. we rode the trails for about an hour, ended up at the ocean for a few, then rode back to the truck. all in all it was the best entertainment i've ever had for $3 bucks! now the only problem is finding time to go back. next time i'm definitely bringing a camera to capture some of the tight trails. what a great park!

http://www.coj.net/Departments/Parks+and+Recreation/Recreation+Activities/Hanna+Park/Bike+Trails+Map.htm

cabin fever

day two of being home alone without a car- the day went pretty well. i was supposed to run 2 miles according to my river run training plan, but my legs were too sore. i ended up walking 2.8 miles at a moderate pace. it was such a nice day outside, and it felt good to stretch my legs. after returning home i realized how hungry i was, so i hopped on the mtb and rode up to the sandwich shop. a cool 30 min ride (roundtrip) and a yummy sandwich was just what i needed! six more weeks until the river run, i really need to get running.

biathalon training

one rule i have: if someone offers to run or bike with you, don't turn them down! you never know when you might get another chance. our first adventure involved kayaking down the river. we headed out against the current, and found a new canal to explore. while i'm always worried about snakes, i wasn't worried about the baby gator that was sunning on the riverbank. good thing i didn't see him at first, i'm not sure i would have enjoyed the afternoon as much. thankfully i wasn't informed about the gator until after we left the canal! sometimes its ok to keep a secret. after the kayak ride, we rode the bikes a few miles to the sandwich shop. i'm getting used to clipping out of the pedals, but its still difficult. the biggest issue now is that i love riding my bike, and i want to be able to ride offroad. so....what else did i do but headed back to the bike store and bought 2 new mtb's! we pick them up tomorrow, i can't wait! i'll be breaking my arm soon enough.

the great outdoors

i had some extra energy today so i headed out for a run. the river run training plan doesn't actually start for another 2 weeks, but i wanted to get into the routine early. so i ran 2.66 miles, which ended up being more like a walk with some intermittent running. ha! overall it was pretty painful, but i didn't mind. when i got back to the house, i didn't want to go inside so i dragged the kayak down to the water and started paddling. since its winter, there aren't any boats around and the river was very still. i tried to find some kind of animal to watch, but there was nothing. i got pretty bored so i just paddled back home. ahh well, at least i tried. i only lasted 23 minutes.

it's not a railroad track anymore

i managed to talk my boyfriend into getting a shiny new bike of his own, to match mine. what a great idea! we drove out to a nice stretch of bike path, formerly a railroad track, and rode for almost an hour. its a nice path, newly paved, and we had the place to ourselves due to the cooler weather. not even a little flat tire could slow us down! i decided to sign up for the katie ride for life. i'm going to ride the 30k. let's see how well my persuasion skills are working and see if i can't talk someone into riding with me!

bike vs. me

who do you think won? today was my first official ride on my new fuji roubaix, an extremely generous christmas gift from my boyfriend. after strapping on the fancy shoes (another gift from this generous man!) and the helmet (thank goodness for nice neighbors), i found myself happily clipping into my new eggbeater quatros (didn't ever think i would open all the gifts this year)! anyway, i turned on the garmin and headed for the road. i managed for 3.5 miles in about 20 minutes, including some slow intersection approaches and the occasional stop to pick myself up off the incredibly hard seat. everything was great- i got to fly down the street on my fast new red bike, the sun was out, the weather is warm, and i rode down some streets i wouldn't normally travel on, so i saw some new sights. after a while i got thirsty so i headed back to the homestead. upon crusing up the driveway, i activated the breaks and turned off the garmin. i was just about to hop off when it hit me...i'm still clipped in to the pedals. as expected, the answer to the question in this post- the bike won. my happy self fell over and onto the cement like some idiot trying to make a room full of people laugh at her ignorance. well, that idiot happens to be me. now i sit on the couch, rubbing my knee and wrist, and trying to figure out how long i should wait before i hop back on.

beating the wind

it looked like such a great day, sun was out, temp was mid-60's, the perfect morning for a long(ish) run. that is, until i got out on the road and met...mr. wind. mr. wind is not my friend. here i thought i was running a great mile, long strides and fast pace. then i looked at my faithful garmin (which appears to have repaired itself by the way), only to find out that i was running at the same pace that i can typically walk. yikes! nevertheless, i made it 5 miles in an hour, felt good and enjoyed the experience. one month left until the next half, i need to really focus these next few weeks if i'm going to make it!