Category Archives: Running

Half Marathon, Marathon & Anniversary

Posted on October 18, 2010 | 12 comments

Happy Monday. How were your weekends? Mine went by in a blur. I sort of feel like I didn’t even have a weekend.

So in immediate exciting news… I just registered for the 2011 Boston Marathon!!! Yippeee! I’m so0 excited and nervous at the same time. There were some issues with the registration page, but thankfully someone on twitter passed around a link that worked. Any other bloggers out there running Boston next April?!

Now on to some race recaps. Yesterday was the Sun Half Marathon and Bay State Marathon in Lowell, MA. I ran the half and my friend, Lauren ran the full in hopes of qualifying for Boston. I’ll start with my race first:

Sun Half Marathon
We drove the full marathon course the day before and I got a chance to see most of the half course as well. It looked pretty flat and not too intimidating. Lauren and I woke up on Sunday morning at 5 a.m. and began our prepping – eating our bananas and Larabars, drinking water and Gatorade. And rotating bathroom turns (sorry, but I’m being honest).

We picked up our other friend running the marathon, Gabby, and headed to the Tsongas Arena around 6:30 and had no problem parking. We waited inside the arena for as long as possible and then went to the start. I thought the half and full marathoners would start together, but they separated us out a bit. I was slightly behind and to the right of the marathon group. So I said goodbye and good luck to Lauren and Gabby and went to my half corral.

The race started and somehow the half marathoners got out ahead of the full marathoners. Lauren and Gabby waved to me as I passed. I started trotting forward at a slow, but comfortable 8:37 minute pace. The start of the race was extremely congested. Then about 2 minutes later I heard my name and turned to see Lauren flying towards me. I picked up the pace a bit to stick with her and we ran together for probably half a mile.

After a few minutes, I realized that Lauren was just moving way too fast for me. I had trained a little bit for this race, but I was nowhere near her speed, so I waved her on and wished her good luck. And I prayed that she would slow down a bit and save some of that energy.

All alone now, I kept chugging along. I was moving pretty fast and I had a feeling that my speed would not last. I also knew that I had two loops of the same course to look forward to… or rather not look forward to. I do not like repeating parts of a course. I like it when I don’t really know what’s coming next and we start at point A and end at point B with no repeating.

My first loop was pretty speedy. Here are my stats:

Mile 1 – 8:25
Mile 2 – 7:53
Mile 3 – 8:09
Mile 4 – 8:12
Mile 5 – 8:08
Mile 6 – 8:04

However, as we entered the loop again, I think I was feeling kind of down about the fact that I’d have to do it all over again. And my lack of training really started to show. I ran the second loop MUCH slower:

Mile 7 – 8:29
Mile 8 – 8:36
Mile 9 – 8:43
Mile 10 – 8:44
Mile 11 – 8:42
Mile 12 – 8:44
Mile 13 – 8:47
.13 – :56

Total mileage – 13.13 in 1:50:39. Average pace – 8:25 minute miles.

So yeah – as you can see, the second half was a rough one for me. But I was happy with my pace and time overall considering my lack of training. It’s actually my slowest half marathon time yet, but I’m not beating myself up about it.

After my race ended, I grabbed a few snacks and headed back to the car to change, clean myself up and put on some warmer clothes. Then I headed back to the finish area to wait for Lauren. Briefly, here’s how her marathon went…

Bay State Marathon – Lauren’s Race
As I mentioned, it was a crowded start and I think that really frustrated Lauren. She was in BQ mode and was flying past people, trying to weave around the slower runners. We met up during the first mile and then she took off just as we passed the first mile marker.

She told me that she then proceeded to run sub-8 minute miles for about the first 8-10 miles of the race. That is SUPER FAST! One of her splits was around 7:30!! Eekk.

And so can you maybe guess what happened? She used up all her energy and by the time she hit Mile 22 things started to go downhill. She became nauseous and dizzy and then she actually got sick. She tried to drink water and Gatorade and refuel, but to no avail. Her split between 22-23 was in the 11+ minute range and those last few miles felt unbearable.

I was waiting in the finish area watching as 3:40 passed and then I was just hoping that she was okay. I was so relieved when she ran into the finish area. She saw me and started apologizing for not coming in under 3:40 and all I wanted to do was hug her. Instead, I screamed that she was awesome, it was totally okay and that she needed to run her heart out to the finish. And she did.

She finished in 3 hours and 45 minutes. A personal record and a pretty freaking fantastic time if you ask me!! I know she was disappointed at first, but then she realized that now she’ll be able to watch me run Boston instead and cheer me on with my husband! She was also pretty relieved that she didn’t have to start training for another marathon in December. 🙂 I luv ya Lauren – you did awesome yesterday!!

Lastly, I do want to mention that the post-race food for the half and full was AMAZING! Soup, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips and mini candy bars. It was the best I’ve had so far.

So that was our intense race weekend. We drove home from Lowell, MA and I arrived back at my parent’s house and ate a big bowl of homemade soup my mother had made.

Then Hubby arrived at my parent’s house and we packed up our things to head home. Before we left, we each had a piece of anniversary cake that my mom made for our two-year wedding anniversary!

Looks like a mini wedding cake, doesn’t it?! It was delicious. Thanks Momma!

Happy Anniversary Hubby – I love you and can’t wait for many, many more anniversaries to come!

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Posted in Races, Reviews, Running, Travel, Uncategorized

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My Realistic Half Marathon Plan

Posted on October 15, 2010 | 5 comments

I’m going to be completely honest on this one – I am not in the best shape for this half marathon. I made a training plan, but then really only ended up running 2-3 days a week. So I decided that I need to be realistic in my expectations for the Sun Half Marathon this Sunday in Lowell, MA.

Taking a look at my past two half marathons, I ran a 1:49:14 and a 1:46:00. That is about an 8:20 and 8:05 pace respectively. That’s simply not going to happen for this one. I am surmising that I might be able to run a consistent 8:30-8:35 pace (please note, even this could be too fast for me). So my goal time for this upcoming race is between 1:51 – 1:55. I’ll be using it more as a training run than anything else. I want to slowly work my way back into marathon training mode, so when I officially start training for Boston in December my body won’t be shocked.

Also, I wanted to share the pace band I created for Lauren.

I laminated the strip of paper and then you wrap it around your wrist and tape it. So while most of the time, you’ll be watching your Garmin or stop watch, you can then look quickly at the pace band to see where you are supposed to be and adjust accordingly. Like I said, I didn’t really use my band until around the 22 mile mark.

So – does anyone know someone else running the Baystate Marathon this weekend?

We are leaving tomorrow around 11-12:00 p.m. to head out that way, hit up the expo, drive the course, find the start and finish, and then have some pasta dinner. It’s time to get pumped up!! I’m not even running a marathon and I’m psyched!

Hope you all have a good weekend! And goodluck to any other marathoners out there running this weekend. 🙂

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Posted in Running, Travel, Uncategorized

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A Weekend of Exhausting Fun!

Posted on October 12, 2010 | 3 comments

Good morning all. Happy Tuesday. How many of you had to work yesterday? I did and I felt like I was the only one! And there was even a fair happening in the street outside my office – talk about torture!

So I’ve been MIA for a bit because I’ve been so crazy busy. On Friday, I headed upstate for my friend Jess’s bridal shower and bachelorette activities.

On Saturday morning before all the events started, Lauren and I ran 8 miles together. Her last long run before the Baystate Marathon the 17th. I still felt like I was slowing her down a bit (don’t kill me for writing that Lauren – she gets so mad when I say it), but I at least felt better for this run and not so exhausted. Here are our stats:

Mile 1 – 8:55
Mile 2 – 8:54
Mile 3 – 8:46
Mile 4 – 8:36
Mile 5 – 8:28
Mile 6 – 8:23
Mile 7 – 8:48
Mile 8 – 8:54

Total mileage – 8.06 in 1:10:17. Average pace – 8:42 minute miles.

So I got some decent pacing into that run and felt pretty good afterwards. I haven’t trained as strictly as I would have liked for the half marathon I’m running in conjunction with Lauren’s full, but this run made me feel a little better.

After our run, we headed to our friend Jess’s bridal shower at Apertivo Bistro in Schenectady. She got a ton of great stuff and I really enjoyed their food. I chose the chicken maria for lunch.

It was very good. Others at the table had the personal pizza and that looked amazing as well.

After the shower, we all headed to our respective homes to freshen up and I might have taken a little nap. I had to be rested for the evening activities! And we had so much fun – good thing I napped.

Her MOH did such an amazing job with everything! Look at this spread:

And here are some of our girls with the bridey…

We danced the night away and finally called it quits at about 2 a.m. and headed back to our friend’s apartment for some snacks and bed.

On Sunday I headed back to NYC, feeling less than stellar and possibly like a cold was coming on. I think I’m wearing myself out. The month of October has been, and will continue to be, pure mayhem and my body feels like it’s revolting. I just need to make it through this Sunday though – I don’t feel like running a half marathon with a cold.

So that brings me to Monday. I went to work (and scowled at the people enjoying the street fair outside my office), and then forced myself to go for a run after work. I swear I don’t think it’s actually a cold – I think it might be allergies. But whatever it was, it was all located above my neck, no coughing or respiratory issues, so I felt it was okay to run.

And actually, running really helped last night. I think it cleared out some of the junk that was in my nose (sorry I know that’s really gross). My stats from Monday night’s run:

Mile 1 – 8:53
Mile 2 – 8:39
Mile 3 – 8:38
Mile 4 – 8:49

Total mileage – 4.03 miles in 35:12. Average pace – 8:44 minute miles.

Not too bad considering my stuffy head and runny nose. After my run, I made dinner (stir fry – yumm!), vacuumed, did the dishes and then promptly passed out fell asleep at 9:45. My body just gave out.

And now it’s Tuesday already. How was your weekend and your Monday off – if you had it off?

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Posted in Restaurants, Running, Travel, Uncategorized

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5K Race, 12 Mile Run & A Baby Shower

Posted on October 4, 2010 | 8 comments

Holy busy weekend. It went by so fast that it left me spinning. The next two weekends will be more of the same I think.

On Friday, I took the train home, hung out with my parents a bit and then went to bed early. Saturday morning was the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 5K run in Albany. A bunch of my girlfriends and some of their family ran or walked the race. We took the requisite group shot at the race.

I’m the one with my face hidden in the shadow! It was soo sunny outside that day. I was a little nervous about this race because I haven’t been running all that much. And I know how competitive I am. I want to PR in every race and sometimes that is just not possible.

We started the run going up a hill and already I knew that it was not going to be a fast run for me. My legs were very heavy. The first mile felt okay. The second mile felt like it took 10 years and then finally there was only 1/2 a mile to go. I finished with a time of 24:36 and was not entirely pleased with that. However, I have no one to blame but myself for not training more.

After the race, I headed back to my parents house to quick shower and get ready for my friend’s baby shower. It was held at the Century House in Latham, NY. She got a ton of stuff!!

Our group of friends gave her a Jeep running stroller and a maternity massage. That way she can get back out there running with us and bring the baby along! The food was really good, but unfortunately I totally forgot to take a photo. But here is a group shot of our girlfriends.

Wow – I am soo short! The shortest in this photo with the gray and black dress on.

Saturday night I went out to dinner with a few friends to Mexican Connection in Saratoga. A friend of mine bartends there, so we hung out with her and ate some delicious food.

Then on Saturday morning, I met up with said bartending friend (Lauren) to go for a 12 mile run. Lauren has been training for the Baystate Marathon (Oct. 17) and so this was the start of her tapering. I was nervous going into this run that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with her. And indeed, it was pretty tough.

Have you ever run with someone and you just know you are holding them back?

Well that was this run. I had to ask her to slow down a few times. And I could tell the difference in our breathing and exertion of energy. I was really struggling and Lauren was just out for a nice easy jog. It made me feel completely out of shape. And made me nervous for my half marathon in two weeks. Although I can always use the half marathon as a training run to help me get back into shape for marathon training coming up in December.  Anyway – here are our stats from the run:

Mile 1 – 8:19
Mile 2 – 8:42
Mile 3 – 8:40
Mile 4 – 8:39
Mile 5 – 9:04
Mile 6 – 8:52
Mile 7 – 9:12
Mile 8 – 8:45
Mile 9 – 8:56
Mile 10 – 8:59
Mile 11 – 9:10
Mile 12 – 8:51

Total mileage – 12.01 in 1:46:17. Average pace 8:51 minute mile.

I’m sure this is much slower than Lauren has been running. She is trying to qualify for Boston so we can run it together next April and I know she has been working really hard and working on her speed. But I’m telling myself that it’s her taper time and me slowing her down a bit won’t really make a difference at this point. We are running 8 miles together this coming Saturday, so I’m mentally preparing myself now.

After our Sunday run, I took the 2 p.m. train back to NYC and then did laundry and passed out fell asleep early.

And then all of  a sudden it’s Monday and I’m wondering where the heck my weekend went! I have a feeling that the month of October is going to leave me exhausted!!

How was your weekend?

P.S. – I can’t tell you how excited I’m getting for the NYC marathon runners (and for my friend running her marathon on the 17th)!!!

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Posted in Races, Restaurants, Running, Travel, Uncategorized

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Happy Friday…and I Might Have Pink Eye

Posted on September 24, 2010 | 6 comments

Good morning all. Today is a mixed up day. I’m super happy it’s Friday – I’m actually kind of giddy. The bad news is that I woke up this morning and could barely open my eyes. For the past few days, I’ve had some redness, but this morning was just ridiculous. The light in our apartment felt like it was burning my retinas and the thought of putting contacts in actually made me cry.

So I’m rocking my glasses again and made an appointment with my eye doc to figure out what is going on. I’m leaving on Sunday for a work conference in Florida and I can’t be walking around with bloodshot scary eyes. That just won’t do.

Despite my eye issues, I managed to suck it up and force my contacts into my eyes to go for a run yesterday. Here are my stats:

Mile 1 – 9:13
Mile 2 – 8:50
Mile 3 – 9:11
Mile 4 – 9:03
Mile 5 – 8:58
.22 – 1:51

Total mileage – 5.22 miles in 47:08. Average pace – 9:01 minute miles.

I wasn’t too thrilled with my pace, but I have to keep reminding myself I’m slowly getting back into training and shape.  My question to other runners out there is: Can you run with glasses on? I’ve never tried, but I don’t think that I could. I think they would bounce around and make me dizzy.  

For dinner last night, I wanted something really quick and easy. So I made a tuna-melt and had some grapes on the side.

It was actually exactly what I wanted and filled me right up. I hadn’t had one in soo long, I think I forgot how much I like them. Do you ever do that with some foods?

After dinner, I will admit that the rest of our night was filled with t.v. We watched that new reunion show that just came out and thought it was pretty decent. Then I watched Grey’s Anatomy and didn’t hate it. And finally we capped off our night with some good ole Jersey Shore. I know – it’s so embarrassing that I watch it. I just can’t help it.

Today should be pretty busy. I have a bunch of things to wrap up at work before I head to the conference for three days next week. And I can’t believe that by the time I come back to NY, it will basically be October! My October is going to be crazy and fun: a baby shower, a 5k race with friends, a bridal shower and bachelorette, I’m running a half marathon while my friend runs a full (trying to qualify for Boston!), and last but certainly not least my two-year wedding anniversary with Hubby!

Do you have any exciting plans for October?! I almost forgot that my one-year blog anniversary is also in October. I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for almost a full year already. 🙂

Alright all – have a good Friday and have a great weekend!

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No Excuses Run and Rice Pudding

Posted on September 21, 2010 | 5 comments

Good morning everyone – happy Tuesday. We made it past dreaded Monday. My day was pretty busy yesterday, plus I had my guest post on Legally Fit. I was at an offsite meeting from about noon until 5 p.m. yesterday. By the time I got home, I definitely did not want to run.

I had some good reasons to scrap the whole running idea – I was exhausted from my hectic day, I hadn’t had a good lunch or much food throughout the day and I hadn’t hydrated well at all.

But then I decided those were all just excuses and I could manage a 4 mile run if I went at a slower pace and didn’t push it. No excuses!!

So I ran along the East River and attempted to use Garmy, but he wasn’t locating satellites quick enough and I was too impatient to wait. So I ran what I know to be about four miles, but I have no clue on time. And I felt so much better after I did my run. I was so happy I didn’t blow it off.

How do you get yourself motivated to run or exercise after a long and tiring day?

I was really just trying to remember the post-run relief and how great I would feel. I knew I would be so happy if I got out there and so mad at myself if I didn’t.

After my run, I made some soup for my still-sick Hubby and then decided to join him and had some soup myself. Then our evening was spent flipping back and forth from the football game to Dancing with the Stars. I’m not obsessed with the show, but I was interested.

I was also craving some kind of dessert. However, being that we still do not have an oven, I was limited by the options that can be made on a hot plate. I decided to make a Rice Pudding recipe from the Happy Herbivore website. It actually turned out pretty well. I only had skim milk, so I used that instead of non-dairy milk.

The final result…

It was totally yummy and made me very happy. I originally planned to go to bed early last night and get up super early and run this morning, but as usual, that did not happen. I may give it another shot on Thursday.

Today is another busy day. I’m in training all day and have a dinner date with a friend after work. I honestly don’t know where September went. Between vacation, travel, training and events, I feel like I’ve barely been around. And it’s true – I figured out yesterday that if I add it all up, I’ll only have spent about 8 days in the office in the month of September. Kind of crazy.

Anyway – have a good Tuesday all!!

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Posted in Recipes, Running, Travel, Uncategorized

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Check Out My Guest Post!

Posted on September 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Happy Monday all! I’m super busy today, so it’s really good that I have a guest post over on Katie’s Blog at Legally Fit. Check it out! I talk about my running slump and how I’m SLOWLY working my way out of it finally. 🙂

While you’re there, be sure to check out the other bloggers that have contributed to Katie’s “The Many Faces of Running” guest blogger series. It’s truly awesome to hear about other runners’ stories, accomplishments and overcoming running setbacks and challenges. I’ve enjoyed the series so much, I had to ask her if I could participate. Thank you for allowing me to contribute Katie!! And thanks for coming up with such a great series. You rock!!

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9 Miles – Check!

Posted on September 19, 2010 | 2 comments

Good afternoon – happy Sunday. I hope you’ve been having a good weekend. I’ve been having a low-key weekend with my sick Hubby. I’m praying I don’t get his cold.

Yesterday I woke up early and was nervous and excited to head out for my first longish run in a long time. I left around 8:30 and ran a solid 9 miles. My Garmin was still locating satellites for the first 1/2 mile, but as I got closer to Central Park it finally picked me up. Here are my stats:

Mile 1 – 8:55
Mile 2 – 8:20
Mile 3 – 8:48
Mile 4 – 8:45
Mile 5 – 8:40
Mile 6 – 8:49
Mile 7 – 9:25
Mile 8 – 8:54
Mile 9 – 7:26 (.83)

Total Garmin mileage – 8.83 in 1:18:08. Average pace  8:51 minute mile.

Overall, I was very happy with that pace and time. My return to running has started off slow and I’m okay with that. I don’t want to push things too much. I felt pretty good throughout the whole run, but was definitely still moving slower than usual. It felt strange to be passed SOO much by runners in the park. And I got a little jealous when I saw all the teams training for the marathon together. But that will be in the winter/spring. So I’ll try to enjoy this down time.

I have a 3 mile run on my training plan for today, but I may just take it as a full rest day to give my legs some time to rebuild. I don’t want to push it.

Hubby and I also watched “It’s Complicated” this weekend and it wasn’t too bad. It was a little different than I expected, but entertaining.

Today will be filled with cleaning and laundry. I’m also trying to create an album on Snapfish for our Ireland trip. It’s a bit more complicated than I thought, so it’s taking a little longer than anticipated. I’ve widdled down our more than 1,000 photos to about 600, but I’ll still need to get it even smaller for the album. But I’m afraid that if I don’t do this now, I never will. I love having printed albums. I know that most people have gone totally digital, but I still love looking at printed photos. Call me old fashioned.

Anyway – have a great Sunday all! I’m dreading Monday. 😦

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Posted in Running, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation

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Finally Friday and Finally A Book Review

Posted on September 17, 2010 | 5 comments

Happy Friday all!! I was pretty busy at work this week, but the first week back after vacation is always rough and it seems to have taken years to get to Friday. Thank goodness it’s here!!

So far I am doing pretty well with my half marathon training plan. I headed to the gym yesterday after work because they skies were looking ominous and when I was about a block away from the gym is started pouring! It was insane here. The floor of the women’s locker room at the gym actually flooded a little bit. But I ignored the minor flood and hopped on the treadmill for a quick three miles in 26:26. Don’t worry – there was no water near my machine. 🙂

The skies were clear when I emerged from the gym after my run, so it worked out perfectly.

This weekend we have no major plans. It’s going to be the last weekend that Hubby and I will have together for a while because of conflicting travel schedules. So low-key sounds perfect.

Before I leave you on this fine Friday, I offer you a little book review that is looong overdue. Here you go – enjoy – and have a great weekend!

Once a Runner

By: John L. Parker, Jr.

I have to first tell you how I came to select this book. I was spending my lunch-hour browsing around Borders downtown. I had stopped in to pick up a specific book and then the comfort and expansiveness of Borders sucked me and I started lingering in the Fiction/Literature section (always my drug of choice). As I slowly walked from shelf to shelf reminiscing over previously read and much-loved books, and eyeing some new release here and there, a book on a shelf just above my head caught my eye and seemed to jump out at me. The cover had the outline of runner. I stopped. Reached up. And pulled down “Once a Runner.”

Not all that strange you say? Well, it just so happened that I was going through a little running rut at the time and had been struggling to force myself to get back into a running routine after my last marathon. The title described exactly how I felt: I was “once a runner,” but wasn’t so sure anymore. I felt that fate had placed that book in my line of sight, so I bought it.

I didn’t get around to reading it for quite some time, however. I think because I knew I’d feel a little guilty once I dove in. And I did. The narrator of the book, Quenton Cassidy is a collegiate runner at fictional Southeastern University and he is hard-core. Even my 20-mile pre-marathon training runs don’t stack up next to this runner’s training.

Admittedly, I felt like a lesser runner almost immediately. Chalk it up to my running rut circumstance or my less than speedy times, but it seemed that Quenton was there to show me what a real runner was—and that wasn’t me. I think this made me a little resistant to the book at first. But finally, about halfway through I dropped the jealousy and guilt and found myself gladly accompanying Quenton on his most difficult training runs.

And shockingly, I understood just how he felt on many of those runs. Parker was able to articulate those strange and intangible feelings that runners face on particularly trying runs and even on amazing runs. Soon I found myself wanting to put on my running shoes, sign up for a race and share in Quenton’s experience.

This book is considered a cult classic in the running world. It was originally rejected by many publishers and Parker took to selling it out of the back of his car at races and meets. But it was an instant hit with runners and a buzz began to develop. Eventually, it was picked up and printed officially by a publishing house.

I won’t say that this book changed my life or the way I look at running. I’ll just say that it renewed some excitement in me and reconfirmed that all the sweat and pain is really worth it in the end. Not just because I might set a new personal speed or distance record, but more importantly because of those wonderful indescribable feelings you have after you finish a run that takes you to the brink and back, and shows you exactly what kind of person you are on the inside.

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200 Posts and Half Marathon Training

Posted on September 16, 2010 | 9 comments

Yay, I’m finally hitting my 200th post. It sure took long enough. I used to be an everyday poster, but the past few months have lagged a bit. But I’ve reached 200 nonetheless!

I’ve seen other people do some fun stuff for their 200th post, but I can’t really think of anything cute or entertaining at the moment. So I will dedicate my 200th post to getting back into running. As I mentioned, I started off by running 3 miles on Monday night and, despite the consistent rain, it felt really good. My body missed it. And I think I had enough of a break where I’m truly ready to get back to it.

So on Tuesday, I drafted a half marathon training plan. Afterall, my half marathon is a very short 5 weeks away. And no, that’s not typically how long I would train for a half, but it’s all I’ve got so I’m making do and praying that my faint muscle memory from the Poconos Marathon may help get me through this. So here’s my schedule:

Yup – it’s pretty tough to see. Here’s the link to the Google spreadsheet. Basically my long Saturday runs will be 9, 11, 12, 8 and then 13.1 on race day. So essentially, I’m praying I can run 9 miles this weekend. 🙂 We’ll soon find out.

On Tuesday after work I forced myself to run a full 5 miles and boy did it hurt. I could not manage to run under a 9 minute mile. I have some major work to do.

After the tough run, I made a quick and easy dinner on the hot plate. Yes, we STILL do not have gas.

No real recipe on this one. I cooked the pasta and then made a sauce with mushrooms, grape tomatoes and peas using chicken broth, white wine, butter, a little lemon juice and some shredded cheese.

I thought it had a nice little kick and was very tasty and filling. I’ll end this post with a few things I learned while in Ireland…

  • “Cheers” can be used to say hello, goodbye and thank you.
  • Small, compact cars are the optimal choice
  • Always carry an umbrella, it can be sunny and bright one minute and downpour the next. And then be sunny and bright again.
  • If you don’t want to drink a full pint, simply ask for a “glass” of whatever beer you drink. It’s the same as a half pint. (I’m sure people already know that, but I never knew it.)
  • Many people in Ireland were greatly affected by 9/11. On numerous occasions, when people heard we were from NY they began talking about how saddened they were by 9/11 at great length.
  • An Irish breakfast typically includes a fried egg, bacon, sausage, a fried tomato and sometimes beans.
  • Blood pudding is sometimes included in an Irish breakfast and it consists of  a combination of animal blood, suet, grains, raisins or currants, and spices, which cause the resultant sausage to look either deep purple or black. It’s also not liquidy.
  • Potato pancakes are a surprisingly filling meal and quite delicious.
  • Ketchup tastes a little off in Ireland – a bit too tomatoey.
  • They love cream, butter and full milk…as well as ice cream.
  • In some of the bigger cities, the teenagers and college students were often very scantily clad on the weekend. It was kind of shocking.
  • Apparently, we witnessed a Gypsy wedding while we were there. We were visiting a church and watched as people filed in dressed like they were ready for Halloween. It was a sight to see.
  • When you “buy a round” with people, it means that however many people in your group, is the number of drinks you’ll be having. Ex. If you buy a round for 7 people. Then those 7 people will buy a round back. There is no way of getting out of this. The point: think carefully about the size of your group before buying a round. 🙂

I think that’s all I can come up with for now. I’m already getting nostalgic about our trip and can’t believe it’s really over already. Anyway – have a good Thursday!!

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