Seriously though I hate when I’m out of control. This was a DNS server issue and my hosting provider has fixed the issue”. But hopefully you were all busy enjoying your weekend away from the phone or computer and didn’t even realize.
After having a really good run early last week two so-so runs: A neighborhood 4 miler on Thursday and a 6 miler at the beach on Saturday.
All ready for my 6 miles at the beach
just keep swimming
I think that part of the issue is that I’m still not feeling 100% since getting the flu 2 weeks ago. Between fatigue, coughing, congestion and this nasty nasal drip that’s been leaving me so nauseous I’m just struggling. But I really enjoyed the sun on my face and warmer than normal temps considering it’s February still! My hamstrings do get a bit irritated after each run but I recover well and by the next day I’m fine.
In other news Chester and Duncan just get cuter by the minute. Duncan started limping again today. I am starting to realize at 8 years old he’s middle-aged and gets sore and achy just like his middle-aged mom 🙂
Oh and my phone broke on Thursday too! I had it in my hand and was walking around the neigborhood to stretch my legs and scrolling through Instagram and all of a sudden the screen went yellow, then got black vertical lines and then the screen just died. It’s out for repair and they gave me a loner in the meantime.
Other than getting in that 6 miler this weekend, Mr. SOTSS and I went out to a local Mexican restaurant for some burritos and then we saw the movie Lion which was really good! We saw his daughter’s gymnastics meet this morning an then spent some time with the handsome doggie duo. And Mr. SOTSS has been teaching himself guitar so he practiced a bit.Â
Well, It’s 1am so I better turn in for the night. Just wanted to let you all know I’m still here! Still running, still eating sweets and still obsessed with my dog 🙂
This past Saturday I ran the inaugural Rock n Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon.
Shirt and race number: CHECK!
I had run their 10k in Brooklyn in 2012 and 2013.
2013 and a shiny new PR
2012!
Last year they canceled the 10k and let us know they were planning to make it a half for this year, so as soon as registration opened I signed up!
I enjoyed both 10ks and had fast (for me) finish times. My current 10k PR is from the 2013 one. I definitely recall logistical issues each year and also recall saying I was not really too fond of Rock n Roll much anymore but that all went out the window when the half was announced. =)
Here’s a little recap of the day:
I got up super early and got ready pretty quickly despite the fact I was under the weather. I’m still sick as of today. I haven’t been to a doctor but I’m guessing it’s a sinus infection and I might need to get to a doc soon. I was in Brooklyn by 6:00am and 15 minutes later I joined the rest of my running peeps for the 15 minute walk from where I parked to where the start was. Easy peasy.
But then things got ugly. We spent 10 minutes trying to figure out how to get to the corrals. It was now 6:40 and instead of filing into the corrals we were herded in the opposite direction to get on this ridiculously long line that would eventually get us through the security check/metal detectors. Unfortunately since the Boston bombings this has become a norm at many large races and I get that. But what I don’t get is that they had 8 metal detectors for 17,000+ runners. I’m no mathematician but that just seems like a poor ratio.
These are our feet waiting to get thru security
Needless to say there was a lot of commotion, crowding and waiting. The 7am start time came and went and we had no idea if the race was starting on time. There wasn’t a single race representative to give us any information.
Eventually we got to the corrals and had to climb through the fence to get to our designated corrals. We then waited and waited until finally 45 minutes after the original start the race had begun. The start was a wave start and we were about the 8th group to go.
Running peeps…mostly the usual suspects but Lisa’s sister Valerie flew in from Texas to join us.
Things did get better. The weather was perfect for starters—a crisp cool autumn morning. And the course was fairly fast (well except for miles 10 and 11 which I’ll get to in a bit).
My plan for this race was to enjoy my updated playlist and new earbuds—and find a nice easy pace and treat this like a long training run. I started out a little too fast. It was hard not to. My first few splits were in the low 10s. But eventually I got closer to 11s. I noticed my hamstring getting tight around mile 5 but it didn’t really become an issue until the later miles. My breathing was perfect. I was so shocked that I never felt winded….especially being sick and all. I had taken a decongestant and some advil before the race. I am not a fan of being medicated during long runs but luckily this all worked out. I’m realizing that while my training is nowhere near as much as I’ve had for other marathons, it’s finally starting to pay off and my lungs are definitely endurance runner lungs again. YAY!
just keep swimming
Another hiccup….the water stops. I guess I’m spoiled with New York Road Runner events. Gatorade is given in Gatorade cups and water in plain white cups. And Gatorade always comes first followed by water second. You always know where to “fall in” to grab your fluid of choice. This wasn’t the case on Saturday. All fluids were in the same cup and each aid stop was set up differently. You had to make sure to hear what the volunteers were saying. Luckily they were all wonderful. I drank much more Gatorade than I normally do. I was trying to prevent my 18-mile muscle cramp situation again.
Overall the course was crowded but it wasn’t impossible. I never had it prevent me from keeping to my pace. I don’t know if the faster runners had the same experience or not though.
By mile 9 my hamstring was REALLY tight but still manageble. Then came the hills… one at mile 10 and another at mile 11. I slowed/walked a little lot here and also started to become a bit more tentative with my stride so as not to aggravate the hammy any more.
I picked up the pace a little for the last mile and finished in 2:25 with an average pace just over 11 minutes per mile. Perfect! Actually about 20 seconds per mile faster than I had anticipated.
Brooklyn’s course has plenty of spectators and fun signs and there are times where you felt the same energy as the NYC Marathon. That was a huge plus!
I met up with my peeps afterward and we walked the 15 minutes back to where my car was parked. We all parted ways and then it was home to prepare for Sunday’s race. I think the walking post race and the heated seats in my car helped keep my hammy happy. By the time I was home, showered, stretched/foam rolled I was feeling great.
bottle opener race medals seem to be all the rage.
the heat sheet brigade
So pros of this race:
•Fast course with two out and back stretches and some scenic miles in Prospect Park
•Great time of year for optimal weather.
•Lots of spectators
•Easy to get to by public transport
•Plenty of fluids and fuel at the finish
Cons:
•Not enough security equipment for 17k runners
•Poor communication with runners to let them know race was starting late
•Inconsistent water/Gatorade placement at fluid stations.
The logistical hiccups are really all easily fixable will hopefully be addressed for next year.
Have you ever run a large race with logistical issues? Ever run a race where they ran out of water?
Last I posted it was Monday and I ran a couple of miles in the rain just to smell the sweet honeysuckles…well life got a little less sweet and a bit more honey sucky over the next few days.
I found out a few things at work that made me go “hmm” and not in a good way.
Then yesterday morning after going to the dentist I felt super sick. Aches and chills and a fever. So I stayed home and laid in bed all day taking tylenol and wrapped up in a bunch of blankets.
my home sick buddy
By 5pm I started to feel better. I wanted so bad to join my local Staten Island runners at the park for National Running Day so I rallied and drove there and made it just in time for the start of their fun run.
The runners
Let’s Celebrate National Running Day
HA!
I ran about a mile to the start. The fun run ended up being 2.2 miles which, for me turned into a speed run! Their conversational pace is about 8:50-9:30 pace per mile. LOL!
Maybe I was still delirious from the fever but I managed to keep up (well I was dead last I think). They were all staying after for pizza but I just jogged the mile back to my car and took a few timer camera selfies although my phone can’t seem to focus for sh-t these days and got back under the covers and was asleep by 10pm.
and we’re off
selfie
some feathery little ones
My favorite spot in the park
sports bra muffing top! Now you know I keep it real =)
the phone fell twice trying to capture this gem. thank god it didn’t crack
This morning right after Duncan and I went out for his morning walk I noticed he was limping. It got progressively worse and by noon he wouldn’t go down the stairs and he kept picking up his front paw. The pit in my stomach started to get bigger as I watched him struggling to get comfortable. He kept picking his leg up even when he was laying down and it would tremble. He was licking his lips a lot too which is a sign he’s uncomfortable. So I finally called the vet and they said bring him right in. Thank god I work from home on Thursdays!
keeping the weight off of his leg waiting to see Dr. Caban
The good news is that it’s nothing serious. Vet prescribed some doggie Advil and some R&R for a few days. We still don’t know what he did to cause this but it’s probably a muscular strain. No dislocations or broken bones. I could totally commiserate with him because I know he must be thinking he won’t be able to go for long walks today. It’s like me not being able to run.
And so I’ll cuddle with him just a little more these next few days (if that’s even possible!). He’s relaxing comfortably now since the first dose of meds. I’m hoping tomorrow morning he’ll be feeling even better.
finally able to sleep soundly
I’m going to take today as a rest day as well and shoot for another short run tomorrow.
So what’s new with you? Did you do anything special for National Running Day? Did you know tomorrow is National Donut Day?!!!
If we all tossed our troubles in a bowl we’d probably take our own troubles back. My troubles are nothing compared to so many others (both friends and strangers).
I went for a run this morning and that’s what popped into my head.
rainy run
I woke up this morning and just felt crappy…AGAIN. I’ve been feeling crappy for a few days now. There’s the rotator cuff tendonitis that’s just been so painful lately even causing me to wake in the middle of the night. And then my entire right quad/groin/knee area that’s sore and bruised from the latest treatment I had from Doctor Wonderful Williams this past Tuesday. Add on Spring seasonal allergies that have been giving me dizzy spells, headaches and nausea (TMI: thanks to the nasal drip!) And yes, I’m sure this post is sponsored partially by P.M.S. too (more TMI). My lower back has been hurting which is often that telltale sign. I don’t really get bitchy at least.
I’ve been trying to get extra rest and just cuddle with the doodle hoping this will all pass since i have a busy weekend including a half marathon on Sunday. Luckily I’ve been working from home the last couple of days since our office is in the process of moving and we won’t be settled in the new space for a few more days.
bye bye cubicle…gonna miss this actually. Our new space is “open concept”. No more partitions…
But I’ve been curious to see how the knee is doing and even though I felt so crappy and it was raining I got myself together and headed out for 4 miles on my lunch break. Good news is the knee is doing SO MUCH BETTER! I felt the usual twinges in the first 1/2 mile but then it felt so good I actually forgot about it for a bit. And no pain at all upon stopping. Woo Hoo! Dr. W. said on Tuesday he felt I only needed another 1 or 2 more sessions. So while all my other maladies made me grumpy and cranky this morning I’m so grateful that the knee is progressing and rather quickly in the grand scheme of things. I’m hoping once I give my shoulder the proper attention it’ll get better as well.
I know you all don’t come here to read about my illnesses and injuries but more for the cute dog pics…so here….Duncan in every angle imaginable.
staring down my peanut butter toast
and stretching his hip flexors
Working on tight quads
Get off Facebook please
I’m excited to head into Sunday’s race feeling a little more confident in my knee. While I won’t have a repeat of last year’s PR at the Philly Love Run, it’ll give me a good idea of how I’m doing and what my plan will be for the following weekend. The NJ Marathon offers an on-course training run on April 5th. There’s a 10 miler and a 20 miler. While I’m pretty sure I’m going to drop back to the 1/2 and only need to run the 10 miler, I am still contemplating starting out with the 20 miler group and trying for at least 15-17 miles. I know, I know. probably not the smartest. I’ll see. One day at a time.
I think that part of the issue is that I’m still not feeling 100% since getting the flu 2 weeks ago. Between fatigue, coughing, congestion and this nasty nasal drip that’s been leaving me so nauseous I’m just struggling. But I really enjoyed the sun on my face and warmer than normal temps considering it’s February still! My hamstrings do get a bit irritated after each run but I recover well and by the next day I’m fine.
We saw his daughter’s gymnastics meet this morning an then spent some time with the handsome doggie duo. And Mr. SOTSS has been teaching himself guitar so he practiced a bit. 
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