Thank you, Uncle Sam.

Hello there my lovely. Can't wait to pick you up tomorrow.

Marathon Goals

With the release of the new application process for the Boston Marathon in 2012, the BAA just pushed me to finalize my goal of the marathon. 3:35. I think that's the only way I will possibly have a chance of registration for 2012.

A lofty goal. But I would rather push the pace and try my best than run comfortably for 3:50 and wonder 'What If?'

Why, hello there 8:10 marathon pace workouts for the next 6 weeks...

File Under: Best Girlfriend Ever.

Yes, those would be Bacon-Chocolate Chip Pancakes...

Inspiration

After a craptastic, freezing morning run, the streets of NYC provide a daily dose of inspiration.

I still do triathlons (sort of)

Last night I swam 2900. It was the longest swim since Clearwater and I was pleasantly surprised I was able to mentally stick through a killer race-pace set. I think running fitness really translates to my swim coming back faster than I think.

On that note, I am still a triathlete. While work travel will limit my race schedule the second half of 2011 ,I still have a few big items on the horizon.

• In a few weeks I will head to camp with the team, where I will do these things:

-Run 20 miles on a red dirt road
-Race a sprint and watch my super-star roommate tear it up in a draft-legal race.
-Swim lots of miles in a sweet pool.
-Ride 100 miles.

• Then I will run a marathon. Note, I said 'run' as I haven't yet decided if this will be a 'race.'
  

• Two weeks later, pending my recovery from marathon, I will attempt a HUGE OLY PR (10+ minutes - I'm aiming high ha) at the Nautica South Beach race in April. Then I will drink my face off and sit on the beach with 30 teammates for two days.

• Then I will be all in for Eagleman. This race took the wind out of my sails last year and was a nasty intro to 70.3 racing, but I have learned a lot, and am committed to not letting the race break me this year.

Public Service Announcement

If you don't know, now you know...

'The Office'

Yesterday was one of those Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days. The kind of day where you want to bang your head on the your desk, over and over again, but the only reason you don't is because you're too vain and your boyfriend is coming this weekend and you don't want huge bruises on your forehead.

The result of this bad day included taking a second day off of running last night (letting a sore foot heal up on my rest week), eating way too many mini chocolate chips while watching the Biggest Loser (oh the irony, there was a chocolate temptation challenge), and passing out in my clothes, lights on, at 10pm. This morning, I knew my day from hell meant today was going to involve lots of e-mail, phone calls and busy work in anticipation of a Friday deadline. In addition, it was 'feels like 6' outside when I left for work. So I went with my go-to outfit:

Long wool tunic, jeggings, and Uggs. My office is casual. As in, half-the-people-wear-lab coats-and-sweat pants casual. Except my jeggings were MIA, so I wore my most comfortable skinny jeans (which were newly washed, thus not so comfortable). Then:

I waited 30 minutes in the 'feels like 6' weather for a damn bus. Oh well being early to work for some quiet time. 7 express buses passed while I waited. I should have walked the three extra blocks to the damn express stop.

I was too busy for the last 3 hours to go to the bathroom. When I finally got a chance, I almost had an emergency situation because I went to pull down my jeggings (ie no zip) and forgot I had real jeans on. Close to a disaster :)

And now, as I drink my daily diet hot-chocolate (sugar free, with water and a spash of skim) and snack on almonds, dreaming of my marathon race weight, someone is making a Stouffers Lasagna in the pantry.

fail.