Month: February 2010

We look great

sitting around the table on a late Friday night with the gals (and guy) from my past, dissing politics and singing some tunes.  We all are sitting here thinking about how brilliant we all really are.  I mean, we can frame and argument like no others.  Bring on the science and data babe, I am there with you.  Social justice issues are some of the most prevalent conversations of the evening.  What is clear to me though is this…..we are drunks.  Period. Notable quotes of the evening include “you look like death walking.” “Is there actually a beer left?” “We really need to do New York.”  ” There are totally more children in foster care than are in loving families.”  “Where were you birthed?”

I am looking at a table of perhaps 7 empty bottles of wine (not to mention of the empty bottles of beer).  At least the buttons and widgets I put up don’t affect the “whole wide world”.

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Feeling groovy.

What?  I know, crazy title.  I try to keep up with catchy phrases and sometimes flop (see example above)  So, the training continues.  I can’t believe I am still in one piece.  The icy cold blasting 5 mile run of a couple of weeks ago seems like a century ago.  I really felt the cold and struggled again to breathe, but we made it in one piece and were able to bloody mary celebrate afterward which made the entire thing worth it.  Then on to the rest of the week…sunday off  (hangover).  Monday, run outside solo (so boring I thought I would die) but was met by neighbors at the end of the ride with chicken tortilla soup and a margarita.  So very nice.  Tuesday, swim (getting boring)  Wednesday, evening 5 K run that was heinous beyond all measure.  K totally went off on the “coaches” and I think we were both just short of bailing.  Luckily we got a bit of a pep talk from the trainer who had let us down earlier with all of his talk of “LEAVE NOTHING ON THE PATH DURING THIS 5K”.  “YOU SHOULD BE TIRED AFTER THIS!” I am thinking….duh, I am tired walking to the car, let alone running a 5 k with a bunch of crazies in February on the Chicago lakefront.

Anyhoo, we made it.  Thursday, swim (yawn).  Friday, Saturday off then a 6 miler on the lakefront Sunday.  Fabulous fun run.

The mid-week run is tomorrow morning.  I am hopeful this one is better than the last.  My body is taking a beating here.

Lakefront Hell, winter runs

Last week I saw an online post from fellow former athlete K. She mentioned she had signed up for the Chicago Endurance Sports Spring ½ marathon training. I couldn’t believe it. How could she possibly sign up for something without me. Where is the love? Where is the camaraderie? I immediately thought, “there is no flipping way I am signing up for that.” Three minutes later I was on the phone with K trying to figure out how much I needed to pay and when it was starting. So I go from a couch potato who hasn’t worked out in months one minute, to a person in training for a ½ marathon the next minute. K mentioned that the training would start on Saturday morning, with a 3 mile run on the lakefront. Reminder folks. It is February.

Showed up Saturday, the windiest day of the year to run on the lakefront. K informs me that the run is 4 miles, not 3. GREAT. The entire thing was pretty much a big flipping joke as I could barely walk into the wind let alone run. But who am I kidding, I really can’t run in the sun with no wind. This is a run/walk program. 3 minutes run to 2 minutes walk. I swear though, that pacer wasn’t checking her Timex enough because I KNOW she had us run for more than 3 minutes at a time. Felt lucky I didn’t slip and fall on my ass, but in the end I still felt like I had.

But wait, there is more to the training. From that Saturday hellish activity I ran again Monday and Wednesday and swam Tuesday and Thursday. My beluga moves in the pool would have impressed Phelps.

Saturday’s 5 mile run nearly killed me.  I seemed to struggle with too many layers, tightening lungs from the cold air, and tired legs all around.  Curious wonders and questions about why our noses run so much in the cold were topics of the day.  But, we did it.  On to another week.  Next Saturday is suppposed to be 6 miles.  Hmmm.  We’ll see.