in the double digits

it's been kind of a long, busy week. thursday i stayed up too late. friday, sk8 had an extra ticket to bloc party, which was great (she also gets the superstar award for getting her, me & the rookie arcade fire tix for face value on craigslist - go sk8!). the only downside was that it was at a new venue way up on 175th and broadway, which is pretty much the other end of the earth from where i live. (well, if we're talking planet manhattan).

the venue and the show were fantastic - it was seated venue, which i like because i'm old now and i like my personal space. and unless there is some really wasted jackass near you, you're probably not going to get covered in someone else's beer or vodka tonic. the bands both rocked - it was the first rock show in the venue, which has recently been restored and is beautiful in that regal, old-school sort of way.

the show got out a little after 11, which i thought would put me in bed at my goal time of midnight. this of course, was not to be. the a train, when it arrived to 168th was 1) already butt-to-butt packed with hipsters, and 2) running local. bud light was in the air and everyone was a chatter. thank christ for my ipod, which kept me sane for the 142-block trip.

by the time i got home, i was aiming for in bed at 12:30 (plan was to get up at 6:15, eat cereal, then go back to bed until 7:30). except there was a beeping. it was 4 short beeps, 5 seconds apart...over and over and over again. i was beside myself not knowing how the hell i was going to possibly get to sleep. i thought at first it was from inside my apt, but no - it was coming from somewhere else. aaaaaaaaaargh. miraculously though, because it was a high-pitched noise i could muffle it by having my blanked up over my exposed ear (it's down) and so was more or less able to sleep.

at 8 rand picked me up (the rookie has moved north, and cap was on vacation) and headed up to the park. we had a time restriction this morning, had to be done by 10:30. i am officially behind the advanced schedule, which is like 13-15 miles. because of the time, and my not speedy pace, we decided to go do somewhere between 10 & 12.

it was nice out and the first full loop went relatively quickly chatting with the rookie, who was taking it "easy" (aka running slow with me) cause of quad muscle issues. we took a goo/block/water break, and then only had 45 minutes left, so decided it would be prudent to just do another 4. plus, we have the scotland run tomorrow which is a 10k, so we'd be getting some miles in then too.

when we got around the west side i saw a familiar looking figure walking north - demps! we chatted, i introduced him and the rookie, and then we had to press on. it gave me a little burst of energy, which i needed at that point - thanks handsome :) exchanging more stories, we completed our four, which felt pretty good. the brooklyn 1/2 marathon is coming up and i did not want to be struggling for that, and i know i could have done another three should it be called for.

look for me in my kilt tomorrow out with the scots...

today's mileage: 10.0
season mileage to date: 84.985.7*

*due to bad math on prospect park run - i only added the uphill repeat, not the downhill, which means an extra .8!

!Blackberrys are good for something!

Wow so you should know that right now I am on a train on the way back from ct and am posting this from my very evil blackberry, hence the caps - they are auto and I don't know hoe to turn them off.

Yesterday was a very irritating day. I was irritated because I left work just late enough to miss practice. I was tired and cranky in general. And there were a few other things, some little dumb ones, some bigger annoying ones, that all added up to me being in a crap mood when left the office. This was further irritated my a jerk driver from nj almost killing me on the way home from work.

It was dusky when I got home, but I knew I wouldn't be able to run today so I decided to brave the east river afterhours. It turned out to be not scary and quite beautiful. With arcade fire's first album pounding in my ears, a coolish breeze off the river and the lights falling on the city, I ran and ran and ran.

I ran past the manhattan, to the brooklyn and finally turned around at the seaport (which by the way still smells a bit of fish). I adore all the bridges lit up, and the skyline from the river made me heave the "I love my city" sigh.

The running took the dark cloud over my head away and I arrived back home a serene girl.

yesterday's mileage: 5.8
season mileage to date: 75.7

just call me captain

it's official - i'll be fundraising captaining for fall. but! before you call me a total lunatic, i'm probably not going to be running. i might be running on my own, and i'll certainly go to practices and what not, but i'll just get to run for fun vs for training. i'll just be helping out with the fundraising aspect of things.

i'm not sure which event i will be working on (fall season is so big that each event will have a fundraising captain). there is a small chance that i will run the san fran 1/2 marathon, but for now i'm just going to play it by ear. with my luck, simply because i want to take a season off, i'll actually get in the ny marathon by the lottery...and then i'll have no choice but to run.

stay tuned...

roxie v treadmill: roxie 1, treadmill 2

finally, the treadmill didn't kick my ass.

nor did i do any ass-kicking, but i held my own, more or less. it still doesn't feel good - i feel like i run much harder on the treadmill. no, this doesn't make sense, but i do know my shin splints were killing me this morning. and i only did the bare minimum - 3 miles - before declaring myself done. but some is better than none, and if necessary i am ready to go into battle again.

then, feeling extra motivated, and having the potential company of my coworker & pal D (actually, we'll call her tri because she is also a fellow tnt-er training for the triathalon), i went to a 7 am yoga class this morning. the studio is very conveniently located at the end of my block, so i could pretty much roll out of bed and go.

i haven't been to a yoga class (a real one) in ages, so i was a little nervous about both my strength and flexibility. the class was only 6 people, which was great, and i actually felt like it was the perfect speed and difficulty level for both where i am and for 7 am. the class was an hour, and definitely got this gorgeous day of to a great start. i left feeling limber, and had a dumb "it's a beautiful day" grin on my face the whole bike ride to work.

and now that i've been so well behaved, anyone want to hit a garden for a beer or two after work today?

yesterday's mileage: 3.0
today's cross-training: yoga
mileage to date: 69.9

do-goodin'

saturday night, my friend euroskip and i headed out for an evening of driving around the city. we volunteered for a group called rightrides. basically, they give gals a free & safe ride home on saturday nights (vs walking or taking the train home alone), and we were one of the three driving teams.

so we picked up our zip car around 11:30 then headed out and about the city, driving to-and-fro the city and various brooklyn hoods, picking up various gals and bringing them right to their front doors.

it was fun. euroskip and i have similar music tastes and had come prepared with tunes - our goal was not only to be efficient (read speedy) drivers but the driving team with the best music. it's also entertaining to out at 3:30 in the morning completely sober.

highlight of the night? driving across hudson, this girl starts puking out of the side of her cab. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewe. euro, ever the photographer, snapped a picture of the very unhappy looking girl and the sullied cab. good stuff.

i got to bed around 5:30, and needless to say, i was very very tired when my noisy neighbors woke me at 10 or so. i had a lot of fundraising captain stuff to do, as well as run (i was going to go for 8 miles). of course the day didn't go as planned.

i spent most of my morning going through our participants webpages, checking out who potentially needed a call. there are a lot of people so this process alone tooke me a good amount of the day. it was at this point that i got really exhausted and decided there would be no run. i departed the coffee shop for the comfort of sweat pants and the couch and made my calls.

the people i actually spoke to actually seemed to be glad i had called, and i was able to clear up some questions about recommitment and what not. everyone else...avoided my call. i now know what it feels like to be a telemarketer. i think most people avoided the unknown number that came up on their screens. ah well, at least i tried.

and the exhaustion of saturday night made me sleep like a log and not drag my butt out of bed this morning. so that means...you guessed it. the treadmill. just a little longer and i might just be able to run outside even if i don't get out right at 6...

wish me luck.

out-of-bourough experience

jesus what a cheesy title. if couldn't guess we did not run in manhattan today. today we were off for a little adventure in brooklyn to prospect park.

remember when i remarked something like "hurts-so-good" about the sprints & 70+ squats? i totally take it back. beginning thursday, i got more and more progressivly sore, and by friday morning i was wondering how i was going to survive a prospect park run, which in last season's experience was more difficult than central (visual: me with a pouty face).

luckily for us, rand was driving, so cap, the rookie & i piled into the car per the usual, just a few minutes earlier than usual. we sure are spoiled. i was extra tired today...the boys chastizing me for continually yawning in the back. i whined back sleepily.

as we went through the nutrician clinic, it warmed up, and the sun came out, i was gradually happier to be out and about. i was still sore as hell, but happier. we found sk8, who sadly for her, due to unusally speedy trains had arrived a half-hour early. we waited for the bulk of the manhattanites, discussed mileage, grumbled at the rumor of hill repeats, and the rookie entertained his fan club. after a while it was time to start the run. beginners were to do two loops, intermediate & advanced three. i was going to see how it went but was mentally prepared to be okay with two loops if i was tired. sk8, who's been resting an injury was down for two, and the rookie was pressing for three.

about 1/4 mile out sk8 started limping a bit. the general rule i go by vis-a-vis aches and pains is: if it hurts so much that you literally can't run normally, it's time to stop. she toughed it out for a few, and then decided it wasn't happening and decided to go back. it's a good call - at this point the season was still salvagable if she rested and it didn't get worse, whereas pushing could exacerbate it to the point of a season down the drain.

oh, i forgot to tell you about the repeats. prospect park has one long-ass hill that is .4 miles long. i hate it. so in today's run, once we reached the top, we would turn around and go back and run it again, one repeat per loop. so each 3.4 mile loop was magically transformed to 3.8 miles. not to mention the rest of the park is also hilly, so it makes for a more challenging run in general.

i finished the first loop except for the last hill repeat with the rookie, and then we met back at the picnic tables for a water break (sadly the bubblers are not back on yet at the park). took off again for loop two and somewhere in the middle i was sore enough to decide on two straight loops. the rookie wanted more miles so he repeated the lower part of the loop for an extra mile-and-a-half or so, and i finished the run with a few fun gals i have hung out with a few other times.

at the end of the run i was definitely stiff but feeling good. i hung out stretching, waiting for the rookie and rand, and the bk coach lisa remarked that i was totally speeding up the hill. my response: me?? i guess i must be a bit faster than last season, which makes me happy.

we caught a ride back, and then the rookie and i had brunch at one of my favorite little-known outdoor dining spots - a little polish diner with a unexpectedly cute backyard. the garden was open and we found a sunny table and had a relaxing nosh al fresco. did i mention the spring makes me happy?

today's mileage: 7.68.4
felt like: 10.0
actual season mileage to date: 66.166.9

i hate sprints

actually, its a love-hate relationship. when we're doing them, at first i hate them. then i get in a zone, and it actually becomes one of those it-hurts-so-good kinda things.

so last night we did the drill that i hurt myself doing last season. essentially, a coach stands in the middle of the 102nd st transverse. we sprint from one side to the coach, recover to the other side. repeat. until they say stop.

this all went really well for me until we got back to the starting point at 90th street and we had to do squats and lunges. that was *not* fun. or at least i knew it wouldn't be fun today.

and sure enough, every time i get out of my damn chair today i feel like i'm 72 & a half. ow. despite this i'm going to try to run in the morning with one of the girls from work...hopefully the soreness will be gone by then...or i'll really be owing at you.

yesterday's mileage: 4.0*
season mileage to date: 58.5

*estimated not very exactly. will revise in the near future.

and the worst mentor of the year award goes to...

i know, its been a while and i have no good excuse.

so lets go back to friday. when we had a disgusting blizzard. all day we were chattering...would practice be cancelled? snow day? it was so gross out. cold.
sleaty. icy. the tri-team had their practice cancelled....but their coach isn't crazy.

the rookie, sk8 and i were all debating. then i got a call from cap with what amounted to be the deciding factor: there was to be no ride in the morning. urg. mentor-guilt kicked in. what to do? what to do? if anyone of the three of us had insisted on us going to practice (and yes, i realize, that would be *my* job as resident captain), we would have gone. but the thought of having a crappy run on the icy, windy westside just seemed silly. plus the rookie doesn't have insurance and with his luck he'd probably break something. so we decided to skip. and it did hurt. last season i never skipped practice outright. i missed a few because of vacations and work events, but never ever skipped, even when it was pouring. so the guilt was at a record-high because of the "mentor factor" but we promised we'd make up for it on sunday...

...except the thing is that saturday was st. patrick's day.

no i'm not irish. not even close (i mean, i might have a speck on my dad's side, but i don't think so - and i'm kissable enough without it anyway). but i ended up playing ringleader to, when all was said and done, a random crew of about ten of us hitting the few non-cheesy irish bars in the 'hood. sk8 and the rookie were a part of the guinness-infused madness, which ended up being a...um...10 hour marathon of it's own when all was said and done.

i woke up a tired and cranky girl sunday morn - er, afternoon, and there was no way in hell i was running 10 miles. at first i thought, i'll do 4-5 at least. sk8 was a good runner and headed off to the park early. i nursed my hangover for most of the day, then watched a movie. uuurg. i felt like a useless slug.

the good news is that the debauchery has kicked me in the ass enough to do a few things:
- cut out some of the alcohol (good so far)
- cook more (good so far)
- stick to the schedule (less than good, but after i recover from last night's beating, i will be back on track)

roxie & the return of the spirit tee

today something happened that reminded me that one thing i didn't blog last season was the account of the "misbehaving party".

the misbehaving party is the season wrap up, the everyone has a few (read: gets drunk) and gets jiggy with everyone we've been training with all season. so it was the phoenix, honolulu and disney crews, all fueled with a "all you can drink for $30" special. you knew the night was bound to be interesting.

towards the beginning before most people (not demps - he gets the award for most effective use of the open bar) were plastered, we had a little awards ceremony. the coaches give all sorts of awards, from most improved, to great runs, to good attitudes etc. some are serious, some are funny, some are based on fundraising.

as the ceremony went on, i kinda figured i was going to get something, but then as the pile got smaller and smaller, i thought...hmm i guess not. and really for the first time, my secretly-competitive self didn't mind. i had come to tnt, ran that marathon for bouv and had a freaking amazing time doing it.

the last coach award was the big one - the most valuable player. as ramon says - "this person embodies what tnt is - from the running to the fundraising - we're talking about the whole package. so the person that is getting this award, so first off not only did she sign up to run this crazy marathon, but she got two of her friends to join with her, and they don't even freaking hate her."

at this point, demps starts wildly shaking my shoulders and people are looking at me, oooh. he's talking about me!

he goes on to talk about how much money i raised, and that i was always smiling and how i sold my butt (and how it was a nice butt) and a bunch of just really nice things that are still making me blush. demps was adorably excited, picked me up and swung me around, and i had a ridiculous grin on my face as i went up, gave a booty-shake for effect and thanked and hugged each of the coaches.

i don't think i could have been happier winning an...oscar? like i said, it was already such a sweet victory to have made it over the finish line, but i really felt like it was a testament to bouv too - for inspiring me to do what i never thought possible, and to get mvp just said that i kicked ass for him.

but i'm not done yet. after the coaches, schwecky (our social captain) gave the award for most spirituous. i was only half-listening because i thought i was done for the night, but...the bum girl won that award too, which meant that i would get to keep the spirit tee for the season that i had helped decorate.

the rest of the night was a blur of whisky drinks, dancing and general merriment and drama. but what happens at the misbehaving party stays at the misbehaving party*.

and the point of all this, aside from bragging that i am *so* tnt? well the point is that today i got the spirit tee in the mail at work. i wasn't expecting it, and it's funny, i've been thinking about steve more than usual lately, i'm not sure exactly why. to see the collage of photos i had put together made me both happy and sad. i showed the syrup crew and told them about bouv and managed not to cry about it.

i can't bring myself to delete steve's phone number out of my phone. nor his e-mail address. i know it's silly and ridiculous, but part of me feels like it would be erasing a piece of him somehow. but i'm okay with keeping those things around for a while. bouv, whether in name or spirit, always sparks a smile.



*however, i am open to base forms of encouragement to dish...such as bribery.

positive spin...

i'm not going to lie - ever since i got ramon's description of the work out this week, i was scared of more sprints on wednesday.

i've been doing a lot of thinking about my training, and what to do about running the advanced. the thing i've been most worried about is not my pride - i'm not worried so much about being last, or working hard and getting red exercise face all the time - as much as pushing too hard and getting hurt. since i'm become addicted to running, and there are probably future marathon's on tap, i'm even more wary of injuries. mostly my damn shin splints, which have been increasingly sore over the last few weeks.

and so yesterday, i decided to downgrade from "remedial advanced" to "advanced intermediate." more positive right? so the idea is i'll run intermediate on wednesdays, and keep with the advanced mileage on saturdays. as long as i feel like i'm working hard and improving, i should be good.

and so yesterday, sk8 & the rookie upgraded to the intermediate so we were able to run together. well, sk8 and i did - we're a little slow for the rookie, and he ended up ahead with a faster pack. our workout was about effort levels - alternating between level 3 and level 2. level 2 is your typical run - you can hold a conversation with out heaving breaths. level 3 is a deeper breath, and you can still talk although not without a little more work.

we were running 6 lamp-posts "on" at level 3 and 2 "off" at level 2. warm up from e. 90th to 102nd street, then start the work out which ran us down the east side of the park, around the lower loop, and back up to e. 90th.

it was fun running with sk8, because except for little spurts at the beginning, we haven't really. the distraction of gossiping and also just having the general support of someone by your side helps a lot. as usually i was worried about holding sk8 back (she is in kick ass shape) but we seemed to find a good pace we were happy with. it was also beautiful out, the first run in the park sporting shorts and short sleeves. it was a gorgeous night for a run, and even though wednesdays are ass-kicking, i was as usual happy to have the excuse to be outside.

the rookie mapped out the route, and it turns out to be 5.2 miles. sweet.

yesterday's mileage: 5.2
season mileage to date: 54.5

obsessed much?

i know most of you think i am bordering on obsession when i talk about doing yet another marathon (nyc) with tnt. any thoughts you may or may not have had about me having an addictive personality should thoroughly be dispelled by now.

tempting: the running, going to san fran for the 1/2 marathon, staying involved, having an "activity" that also means a lot to me personally, a big season (over 700 people!)

less-than-tempting: committing to something now that takes place in november, training in disgustingly hot & humid july/august, generally not having a rest since starting this marathon craziness.

what oh what is a gal to do? deadline is tomorrow. i need to think on this...

off topic: need a pup to call your own?

a good dog for a good home. see below, and if you're interested, email me, i'll send you the contact info.

"Deja needs a home. She is an extraordinarily gentle, sweet, and loving 3 1/2 year old pit bull mix who bonds immediately in a non-anxious way, is beautifully leash-trained, housebroken, and desperately eager to please. She's a wonderful, wonderful dog who would do so beautifully in a home where she could be someone's devoted pet. I am fostering her for the moment but need to place her as soon as possible; she's a dog who would prefer not to share her people with another dog, and unfortunately, I'm already spoken for.

I can't say enough lovely things about her, but I'm eager to get her into a home where she can begin living a better life, and Buddy can go back to having the run of mine. Thank you so very much"

coney island cross-training

i usually try to run on sundays but yesterday, in a celebration of impending spring, daylight savings and shaking-off winter claustrophobia, we decided it was time for the first bike ride of the season.

i had to be at my pal euroskip's apt in the 'burg at 10:30, or around there. having closed out the bar (only because of daylight-savings, of course. the crif dog chaser...well there was no excuse for that), it was a little bit of a challenge. once i got outside though, i was happy i did.

after a few bike-issues, euroskip, sandman (gal) & i took off from the 'burg towards prospect park to pick up colindo (boy). it was so gorgeous out and it was so fantastic to be crusin' out on the bi-cycle again. i haven't been on a good bike ride in a long time, even pre-winter, and between zooming around and the spring fever, i was giddy and felt like i was 12 years old.

colindo was being a sleepy-head and was going to catch up with us, so we zipped through the park and on to coney island parkway, which is a straight shot to the beach. there was a little breeze and shiny sun and all we were missing was a boombox strapped to one of our bikes. the lights can be a little annoying on the parkway, but having a bike-lane makes it that much safer (esp. for us non-helmet-wearking rebels. i know, i know, but i like the wind in my hair. i'm not kidding).

colindo was not far behind, so we took some pics and locked up the bikes while we waited. it was measurably colder now, especially in the wind but still cold in the invigorating-sorta-way. a walk on the beach, a walk on the boardway, an italian sausage & a trip to the aquarium later, it was back to the bikes. we were going to originally take the train back, but then it took them all of two seconds to convince me to fight the cold and ride.

even with a headwind, it was still fun. i love the golden hour - just before sunset when everything looks a little celestial, so despite the cold it was quite enjoyable.

we finished off with hot drinks and a a little nosh back in park slope...yum.

miles biked: 19

spring is in the air

i do confess, it's making me a little loco. or at least more than my usual.

8:00 am saturday, rand picked up me and the rookie on the usual corner (it is such a lifesaver having a ride) and off to the park we went. it was perfect out - a little chilly, but you could tell that spring was a'creeping up.

we learned that we were actually a little ahead of what was on the schedule, and so we were supposed to run one mile more than last week. this would have been 9 for me, but i was feeling a little "eh" from some bad dinner choices the night before (pepperoni pizza, chicken wings, cheese fries & beer - while i really need to buy that marathon nutrition book, i'm fairly certain none of these items would be allowed) so was opting for 8. the rookie was feeling ambitious and doesn't like to run alone so we decided on 2 middle loops for 4-miles.

even though i've got the distance on him, the rookie runs faster than me. i'm not sure he *should* be faster than me or not, as i am a slow-poke and he is a beginner. i get very conscious about my pace, alternatively wanting to push a bit more and keep the company, but also knowing that i have to keep my own pace. one thing i've learned (and continue to learn, if you read about last saturday's run) is that you do have to run you're own run, and saturday's aren't about speed.

the first loop was easy, as it always is - i told the rookie he could leave me if i was too slow at any point. i learned my lesson from last week and insisted on a water break in the middle. cat hill part two was icky, but it always is, and i had visions of wednesday's practice to make me realize it wasn't *so* bad. after the hill, the rookie started getting all speed demony, so i told him he could go ahead if he wanted, but he ended up hanging around. once we hit 102, i was pretty happy there was only 2 more miles.

the last two, we both perked up a bit, exchanged hospital stories (him: concusion and before i knew it, we were only had about a 1/2 mile to go. almost done. i did feel a little guilty for *only* doing eight, but i felt good afterwards. we caught a ride back down town, and so ends another gts.

saturday's mileage: 8.0
season mileage to date: 49.3

beers make the hurt go away.

yesterday's commute north to the park brought on the rage. it was partly my fault, i admit.

it all started when i left my comfortable spot on the 6 train to hope on the 4 at union square. i should have known better - my gut screamed "don't do it! it's a trap!" and sure enough. the 4 takes off out of the station slower than my grandma (no offense nonna). [expletive!] this slowness induces an anxious, unsettled, twitchy feeling i can't stand. i get it when i'm in a car that's not moving. or when i'm waiting in line too long for something dumb.

after painfully and slowly riding up to 42nd street, a 6 (a different 6 that was behind the original one) rolled in across the platform, so i switched yet again. my bag was particularly stuffed with winter gear so i was hoping for a seat. nope. then at the next stop, someone right in front of me got up. as i let the person out and went to sit, this woman in a fur coat twice my size (the coat, not the woman) steals my seat. [expletive expletive!] i growled and glared in her general direction but she had no shame.

i got off early at 86th because i could not deal with the subway any more. and the last idiot i had to deal with was the person who was getting on the train and stood directly, smack-dab in the middle of the doors. i mean seriously people, WTF?! how many times do the conductors have to say it: LET THE PEOPLE OFF THE TRAIN FIRST. it's faster. it's more considerate, and god damn it is simply the right thing to do. so please kindly get the hell out of my way. thanks.

after all that nonsense i was ready to run off some steam. i was not however ready for the torture that ended up being training last night. i am advanced only by distance, not capable of keeping up with all the speed-demons that make up the rest of the advanced group, who literally have nicknames like "the gazelle". ~sigh~

anyway, we were basically running breaks again. run hard 97 - 90, recover down to 82, run hard down to 72, recover 72 back up to 82, run hard to 90, recover to 97. repeat. oh, and there was a warm up from 90-102 then back down to 97 before the fun began.

that was the first work out that i really really despised. i hated the sprints. i hated my shin splints. i hated that i was cold AND sweating. i hated that i was actually saying things in my head like "go deep" and "come on, you got it!" and "you can *do* this." gross. and i hated that i was so far behind everyone else. i felt like the little kid running after her friends like "hey guys! wait up! wait for meeeeeee." except i couldn't breathe enough to shout. oh what an angry day.

however, when all was said and done...it was a damn good excuse to go drink a few beers. and so we took our smelly selves down to a tavern where we enjoyed 10 pitchers of yuengling and played pool. sk8 & i took on the rookie and paco, and yes, the ladies one.

beer beer and more beer. i didn't manage to get any pizza so after it all wound down, the rookie, cap & i hopped a cab back downtown, and it was *burger time*. what's better than a late-night guilt-free burger topped off with a night-cap and a game of pool? not much, my friends, not much.

yesterday's mileage: 5.8
season mileage to date: 41.3

Bone Marrow Registry Part Deux - no blood required!

lookie here, there isn't even any blood-letting. go get swabbed. everybody's doin' it.

Thursday, March 8, 2007
5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

NY Press Building
333 7th Ave (btwn 28th and 29th)
14th Floor

What happens at a Bone Marrow Registry Drive?

You fill out the registration and consent forms and have a cheek swab which will then be tested for tissue types. Then, your anonymous data is put on the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and the Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW) registries with your tissue types. Doctors of many blood cancer patients search these registries to find potential matches for a transplant.

gym skippin'

i'll confess right now. it doesn't take much for me to skip the gym.

i hate the gym - at least for running. it's hot. and crowded. the people are annoying. the tvs are at bad angle's to the treadmills which result in an awkward crook in my neck (ps - you can keep the short jokes to yourself thank you very much). and most of all, i hate the treadmill. the treadmill is my enemy, my nemesis. i'd *almost* rather be tickle tortured than run on the treadmill. and yet despite all of this i was going to go to into battle with the treadmill last night. i was whining about it. it was cold and i was all set to go...and then i got side tracked.

instead i ended up having a few magic hats with a pal. magic hat is a vermont beer. i thought at least if i was going to drink instead of run...the beers would be from bouv's vermont.

okay, i know that is TOTALLY lame and does not make it "okay" but...but...at least my heart's in the right place?

miles run: 0
magic hat's consumed: 4
level of guilt (1-10): 7*

*would be an 8 if it were not for the vt beer

run rookie run

the rookie writes too. check it:

twenty six point dos

breakfast skippin'

yesterday was yet another gts (group training session) and ride-less this week, the rookie, cap and i decided to split a cab up to the park. we are oh so decadent.

it was a gorgeous morning - one of those that smells like spring and makes you want to go shopping for sundresses. the spring season was there, heading out for a long run, and i ran into coach christine! we both yelped and gave each other a big hug. she's not coaching our season because her baby is due the same day as san diego and she couldn't bear to train all of us and not see us cross the finish line.

mileage options for this week were:
beginners 4-6
intermediates 6-8
advanced 8-10

it was at this point of debating mileage that i remembered i didn't eat breakfast. argh. i don't always eat breakfast before the smaller runs, but another thing 6 and above, i at least like to have a little something in my tummy.

sk8 & the rookie were both going to do 6, which would have been the full loop, so i couldn't run with them because i wanted to do two middles. another mentor was debating if she was going to run with the advanced, but they are very very fast, and i knew that there was no way i was keeping up with that crew.

so i decided to wing it, and headed out with a group that was doing the 6 but i figured i'd split off. i didn't have my ipod so i was not thrilled with the prospect of running all those miles alone but one must do what one must do.

i ended up joining up with a smaller group of gals and shortly after, ramon came by on his bike and yelled "has she shown you the tattoo on her butt yet?" i glared at him jokingly and said he was killing my credibility. he grinned and kept going on about how i had already reached my minimum when i auctioned my butt off and he "didn't want to get x-rated, so ask her about the picture!" i'm going down in tnt history for sure.

so the gal i was running with ended up being a track gal - she used to do the triple jump and she was a sprinter. it was good to run with someone who pushed my speed a bit, but i was also conscious of holding her back. on the flip side, she actually said it was good for her to hold back because she is used to the shorter distances and was trying to pace herself.

between the 5th & 6th mile or so, we started talking about why we were doing the run and so i talked about bouv. it was right around the time i was starting to feel a little tired and hungry (and in my own head, whiny), but talking again about how this whole running madness began...well, i've got a bit of an angel on my shoulder to keep me at it.

it was the rookie's official practice, and he and beck both ran six miles and were looking a.o.k. afterwards. i ran off to have brunch with a few mentor groups, and it was good to meet some more teammates. one gal is going for $50,000!! awesome.

saturday's mileage: 8.0
season mileage to date: 35.5

3 seasons of tnt

so tonight i'm headed over to yet another team in training meeting...this one for fall season.

the crazy continues!

this would be for the season that includes nyc, san fran and chicago. this is the largest with about 700 people. as you know, i've registered for the nyc marathon, so we'll have to see. three marathons in a year? seriously? i’m i should probably just wait to see if my knees make it through this one but you know how i like to bite off more that what most sane people chew.

the thing that scares me the most about that season is the weather. i would rather run in sub-zero than 90+ degrees and humid. the thought alone makes me want to retch. or pass out. or retch and then pass out. the saturday practices would probably be manageable, but wednesday after work when the sun has been beating down on the pavement all day? ick.

and yet – still i go.

breaking news!

the rookie is in!

bag watching is peligroso

so as i said, i had bag-watch duty last night. one might think this is the easiest thing in the world, but you try being one of two people checking in and checking out a 60+ runners eager to leave. with all the chatter, i'm quite certain people thought i was 1) partially deaf or 2) a little slow between the amount of times i either mis-heard someone's name or said "sorry, what?".

the other danger is the store-staff, wieldingly seemingly harmless coronas. i had seen an empty corona bottle before, so wasn't really surprised when the make-shift cooler came out. and you know i never turn down a beer...and sooo...ramon was kicking everyone's ass over there at the park. i thought they'd be done by 8ish, but it wasn't until after 8:30 and three beers later that people started coming back. so add those beers into that equation and i'm pretty sure everyone thought i was even ditsier than before.

and the last hurrah was a big group of us headed to brother jimmie's for some grub and pitchers. it was good to actually have time to talk to some of the participants, and i actually remember the names of the three girls the rookie and i were chatting with.

it was a successful night...until i realized when i got home that i had left the attendance sheets at the bar. (groan) luckily for me, i called the bar, told them where to look and they found them under the table - the sheets had slipped out of my bag. thank christ.

so cap, don't worry (but you are allowed to give me grief) - attendance will be done tomorrow after i retrieve the sheets from the ues.