Updated 2009 Schedule

I have had to revise my 2009 Race Schedule, yet again.  But this time I think it's as close to 'final-final' as it is going to get.  No more triathlons will be added to the schedule, due to budget, travel and time constraints.  So my 'tri season' this year is about 6 weeks long- 2 OLYs and a sprint.

I found out that the 5 Boro Bike Tour is the same day as my desired spring marathon date.  My dad has tried to do the 5 Boro Tour the past 2 years, but for various reasons, he has not been able to make it to NYC.  It means a lot to him, so I am more than happy to add that to the spring schedule.  It's a fun way to see parts of New York City and the outer Boroughs that you can't normally reach on bike.

5 Boro Bike Tour Route Map

Because of this, and other scheduling conflicts, I have let go of the idea of a spring marathon.  I have been keeping the mileage up, and enjoying running more often (4-5 times/week) with a 2-ish hour long run on the weekends.  I think I will be able to keep this up without a 'looming' marathon.  This will also let me enjoy my 10-day California vacation in February.  

I have added a 5k and 2 10ks to the spring schedule, and will make the Brooklyn Half Marathon my 'A' spring race.  I am excited to teach myself to enjoy running fast again.

I also have to wait a bit more for final plans for a fall marathon, based on multiple friend's looming wedding plans and work travel.  I have taken on a new work project since the 1st of the year, and the timelines look to have me in Africa more than a few times in the later half of the year.

I am hoping Marine Corps may be the one.  The good thing is that I can 'defer' my guaranteed entry to NYC until 2010.

Why I love drugs...

...the legal kind. I already feel better. Placebo effect, 100%, but I will take it.

Last night I went to a class called 30-60-90 at the gym. It's a cardio/sculpt/interval class that I have heard good things about. I think I finally found the non-jazzercise gym class I have been looking for. I worked up an appropriate amount of sweat, got strength in, and am appropriately sore this morning (read: I can walk and sit on the toilet with no pain).

I feel so good in fact, I hit up yoga this morning. The doctor told me yesterday that 'being inverted' would help clear up my head (again, I love him and his homeopathic ways....). I have a late meeting today, so was able to take my favorite teacher's 8am class. He's great.


AND I did a non-wall supported forearm stand- I may just have to schedule late meetings every day (I will replace this picture with a pic of ME when my hair is a more appropriate-non-yellow color ha)


AND it's sunny out!

Infected.

I am officially infected in the sinuses. I love my doctor- he confirmed that I had a sinus infection by turning out the lights and pressing a flashlight into my forehead to see if my sinuses lit up- they didn't, meaning they were most likely full of fluid.

Then he did the same pressing into my cheeks- same thing, full of fluid.

He offered acupuncture or a prescription to treat the infection. Now if I even felt 25% better, I would have gone for the acupuncture, but considering it has been painful to make it through the work day with my pounding headache, and I have to fly in a week, I went with the Z-pack. Picking it up later tonight, because even though there is a pharmacy on EVERY corner of my neighborhood, it still takes 45 minutes to put a Z-pack, which is already in it's own package, into a envelope to then give to me.

I wandered home through the slush and icy-rain instead of going back to work. It was in the wrong direction, and I feel like ass. I tried to see a movie, but nothing started until 4pm or later.

So I am dying my hair instead. Dye on head, as I type. This usually does NOT turn out well.

An all time low :)

This weekend- I hit an all time low.

First, a little background. After my cable got shut off last month, I decided to see how long I could go sans-TV. The weekdays have been totally fine, getting my news-watching in at the gym, and not really missing much else. The weekends are what is tough. If it was a bit warmer, I could entertain myself by living in NYC- going on long walks in new neighborhoods or sitting in the park reading and napping. But 15-20 degree days don't lend themselves to napping outside.

So I joined Netflix. Figuring it would help not only the weekend boredom, but also motivate me to get on the trainer a few times a week (this is pre-recall of said trainer). Netflix has also started a new 'Watch Instantly' feature since I was last a member. There are 100s of movies and TV series you can now watch instantly on your computer. Now, these are not the newest releases, or the best-rated movies, but there is plenty to choose from.

Now, back to my all time low. This weekend I watched 6 movies. Wait, wait, that is not the all time low. 3 of these movies were recent Heather Graham movies....Wait, you may ask, I didn't know Heather Graham had any recent movies???? Yes, that is because I assume all three went straight to DVD, never seeing the inside of an actual movie theater.

Friday night, I started a flick called 'Miss Conception'. It was awful. However, it was much, much better and actually quite funny when I got home after a few too many beers and finished it at 2am.

Saturday, I actually made some decent choices: Superbad to cure the hangover and The Other Boleyn Girl before bed. I also watched another at some point, but it was SO good I can't even remember what it was....

Then yesterday, more awful choices. Adrift in Manhattan, which was surprisingly not too horrible, and I didn't even KNOW Heather Graham was in it until she showed up on screen.

Then it was Grey Matters. This topped the all-time low. I am not sure why I kept watching. It was like a car accident- I just couldn't stop watching.

So over the course of my weekend, Heather Graham was:

1. A British 34-year old woman who finds out she has ONE more egg left and must find a baby-daddy in 3 days,
2. A grieving Manhattan ophthalmologist who is separated from her husband and beds a 20 year old,
3. A female who discovers she is a lesbian only after falling in love with her brother's new wife.


I have absolutely NOTHING else to redeem my weekend. I ran a 5k tempo instead of my half marathon. Nope...nada.

Dammit.

I guess I should have made the 'C' goal actaully waking up and going out in the cold....

oh well. ha

Weekend Half Marathon

I am doing a half marathon on Sunday.  

Two years ago, this was my second half marathon ever.  It was SO SO cold before the start, my hands literally froze in little balls and I almost stopped at the medical tent after 1 mile to de-thaw.  I ended up finishing, dropped over 12 minutes from my previous half marathon time, completely suprising myself in the process - it was the first time that I actaully considered that I could become a 'runner'.  

This was before I started training with a running group- before tempo, intervals, or hill repeats.  I ran because I loved running, it was new and fun, usually between 14-20 miles per week.  I almost always ran outside, with a friend, at the friend's pace.  I didn't record how long the run took, or the average pace.   I had a paper training log with funny notes

That run remains my second best half marathon time ever.  

So my 'race' plan this weekend is to run 1.5 miles to the start, and just RUN.  After a year of struggling with aches and pains and worry about doing too much and re-injuring myself.   That fear is FINALLY gone.

Now I just need to find that place again when racing is fun, and find the pure JOY of running fast. 

That is my A, B and C goal for the weekend.

Random Musing before a Marathon-Meeting Day

1. I love mornings when 25 degrees feels balmy. Last night, walking to book club, it was so cold I started crying and decided I was over living in New York, where I had to walk everywhere and was moving. I changed my mind on my 4th glass of wine, 2nd cookie, amongst my great friends and actual intelligent conversation...Next month there will NOT be intelligent conversation, as we chose the cheesiest, girliest, novel we could find, Straight Talking by Jane Green (I read Mr. Maybe by her at an airport once and am obsessed and try to follow it's very deep life's lessons ha)

2. It is supposed to be 44 tomorrow!! I will be running OUTSIDE in the morning. Too bad it supposed to back down to the teens for the race this weekend. I still think I am going to wear capris, as my tights have been falling down during my long runs a bit and that would not be good if I am actually going to 'race' this race- which I may do (more on that later)

3. I just got this Valentine's Day party invite, love it! ha


4. Does anyone have any feelings on Lesotho?

....yeah, didn't think so. I'm having to perhaps develop an opinion on Lesotho in the next few days. Input appreciated.

5. Ha- I just had a coworker come in who was in Zambia for the past few weeks working on a new project on Male Circumcision (I work in HIV prevention), and he referred to the people who do the 'service delivery' as the snippers- HA oh man, I love my job (most of the time)