Thoughts

Posted on January 29, 2012 by scoopsontherun

I ran the Miami Half Marathon today, but before I post my race recap I thought I would share some of the things I was thinking about while running. Not in any particular order.

1. Why do women have to wear tutus when they run races?

2. Most porta-potties are made out of the best kind of plastic that can be recycled.

3. Wow, she really shouldn’t be wearing those short shorts.

4. That dude cheering us on is wearing some nice pajamas.

5. Of course the giant fat guy is offering us beer.

6. Ugh, that girl is annoying. I need to pass her now.

7. I hope the burger joint is open when I’m done.

8. These dudes screaming for us are gong to feel their hangover in about an hour.

9. Oh look, P. Diddy’s house. I wonder if J. Lo still owns the house on the other island.

10. Now she has a very nice ass.

Posted in Half Marathons, Races, travel | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Badassery

Posted on January 24, 2012 by scoopsontherun

My Miami countdown has begun. I have confirmed my seats on my flight, made the other necessary travel arrangements, and ripped a bunch of DVDs for my iPad (These were off DVDs that I legally own, I would never rip any DVDs from Netflix. Never.).

So far I have packed a swimsuit and a pair of running socks. I’m sure I’ll get around to putting things like running clothes and shoes in there but I can do that on Thursday evening. Why rush.

I am going to bring my tape measure because Gloria Estefan still has a restraining order with my name on it so I’ll have to stay 100 feet away from her. She doesn’t want to do the Conga with me after I let the rhythm get a little carried away the last time I was there.

Race-wise, I am looking forward to this one. I have wanted to run this race for a few years because I love Miami and this course looks incredibly fun with lost of great views of the water. I’m hoping to improve my recent race time so that I can get closer to my PR time from a couple of years ago. It would be awesome to have a PR but I’m setting a realistic goal here and I want to be happy about the race no matter what.

Proof that I am indeed a badass. When you get an award with that on it, it's real and you can never, ever take that away.

I’m going to bring my badass attitude to this race and mainly focus on the task at hand. I’ve got my race plan all in place and have my three goals set. While you know my ultimate goal, I’m keeping the other two sort of secret. That’s just how I am. There must be some sort of mystery to me after all.

My bib number is 28874  and if you feel like tracking me you can go here and I’m going to add the auto updates to me Facebook and Twitter feeds. You may hate me for that.

Post-race badassery will involve a beach, a few drinks with umbrellas in them, and some incredibly hot women. This is Miami, I am single, and I will enjoy this.

 

Posted in Half Marathons, Races, running, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s Winter – Maybe

Posted on January 17, 2012 by scoopsontherun

Well, it’s finally cold here in New York. Mother Nature told me in a rather stern manner that I could no longer wear shorts on my long runs. She broke my heart.

This past week was rather jam packed and I must say it was the kind of busy that I really enjoyed. I got to pretend I was super elitist and went to the opera not once but twice in one week. On Thursday evening, I went to see An Enchanted Island with Joyce DiDonato and some guy named Placido Domingo. Super, super fantastic and all of you need to go see this. I headed back to the Met on Saturday to see Tosca with Patricia Racette and Roberto Alagna. It is the infamous Luc Bondy production that still has some flaws but you can easily look beyond that with Racette. My goodness that woman can sing! Although I’m thinking some of the mermaids from An Enchanted Island can make an appearance at the start of Act III in Tosca to help move a certain chess scene along.

Going to the opera on Saturday meant that I had to move my usual Saturday long run to Sunday. Then I looked at the temperature on Sunday morning, compared it to Monday’s and decided to tackle my 14 miles on Monday instead. I am training for a half marathon in Miami not the North Pole.

Glad I did, while it was still pretty cold on Monday afternoon, I was able to at least shed my gloves and feel a little less bundled up. I got a good sweat on and while my time wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for I’ll take it. It hurt at points because certain body parts of mine always hurt when I run in winter no matter how much I warm up or stretch. I’m looking at you IT band area by my hip.

It was also nice, because it was a Monday and a holiday and the path along the West Side Highway was practically empty and it felt good to run all the way downtown and enjoy the view without having to watch out for crazy tourists. I really do think this is one of my most favorite places to run in the city.

At some point during my run, I think it was mile 10 or 11 I realized I could no longer hold off on getting myself a new pair of shoes. I knew I was hitting that 300-500 mile threshold but when it feels like you are really hitting the pavement you can’t ignore it any longer. Turns out I had actually the 500 mile threshold with my current pair. Wouldn’t you know it that served as the motivation to keep moving and finish that run — new shoes at the end!

Asics Kayano 18

My new shoes, they have bright pink and blue on them.

Since my gear was already stashed at JackRabbit I made a beeline to the store and picked up a brand new pair that is way more flashy than I normally get. Maybe I was hoping that their brightness would warm me up.

I like JackRabbit because they always have my size. I normally wear a size 11 and I can get the Asics Kayanos in a 10.5. I don’t think my foot is that big even though it does feel as though I have skis for feet at times.

But these shoes are extra special, supposedly. They are the NYC Marathon shoe. They have NYC written on the back, the NYC Marathon logo on the tongue, and just in case I get lost running the marathon course I can always take out the insole and look at the map.

Asics Insole

See, I have a map just in case I get lost on the marathon course!

Overall, I’m happy with the shoes and happy with my training for this half. I have been able to almost all of my mid-week training runs and did not miss a single long run. I feel some much better going into this half than I did going into the Nap to Sonoma Half.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to PR but I do feel I’ll get closer to that mark that I have been getting farther away from the past few half marathons that I ran. If I can do better than I did at my excuse me I’ll run Grete’s Great Gallop Half Marathon I’ll be very happy.

Now I start my mild taper. I’ve got an eight mile long run this weekend and don’t run anything more than four miles next week.  I’m looking forward to this race, big time.

Posted in Half Marathons, Races, running, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reflections

Posted on January 9, 2012 by scoopsontherun

No, this is not a let’s take a look at what we did last year post. Done that, sort of. This post is about the fact that last January I only ran four times. That’s right, four times. One of those run was at the beginning of the month, two were in the middle, and the last was near the end. None was longer than three and half miles. No worries about over training here.

Part of this was due to the weather, we got walloped with a lot of snow and my neighbors are not that great at clearing their sidewalks. That provided me with a very good excuse — safety concerns! Then there was the simple fact that it was cold and there was snow. None of this had anything to do with me being lazy. Not at all.

So far I have already been out running five times with two long runs of 10 and 12 miles each. We will not mention that the weather has been in the 40s most of the time and that I actually do have a half marathon I’m training for.

I don’t have any major races planned after the Miami Half. I did not get into the NYC Half Marathon and I my charity group is not participating this year so I have a bit of a hole in my calendar that I’m looking to fill up.

Just please let this climate change keep things warm for a bit longer, at least for this weekend when I have to run 14 miles.

Posted in Half Marathons, Races, running | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Warm Thoughts

Posted on January 4, 2012 by scoopsontherun

Miami Beach circa 2004. See how warm and inviting it looks? Also, the entarnce is kind of shaped like a wine bottle.

In 23 days I will be landing in Miami where it is expected to reach 70 degrees today as opposed to New York where today’s high is supposed to be 42 degrees. Thinking this makes me happy.

I’ve got this old photo above my computer monitor at work that I took from one of my trips to Miami Beach about eight years ago that serves as a reminder that there are warm places in winter and those warm places are serene and warm. Oh, I mentioned warm already?

I do have to admit that I wimped out yesterday evening and did not go running in favor of having a brownie in the warmth of my home. But alas, this only means I absolutely must go running this evening before I have more brownies. I will be wearing my Asics beanie that you can find in the Gear section of my site. That beanie was one of the best Christmas gifts I got last year and it makes me feel all warm and snuggly when I wear it.

This is the medal I'll get when I finish the half marathon. That makes me happy too. Note the sparkly bling.

Today also triggered my excitement for this trip. It has been about seven years since I have been to Miami and well it’s warm there. All of my travel arrangements have been made and now I’m starting to plan some of my non-running related activities which will most likely involve alcohol and a beach.

My training is going well with two long runs under my belt and some speed work being added to the mix this week. In fact, tonight might be a good time to do that speed work so that I can get out of the cold faster!

Thankfully, it will be warming up a bit this weekend for my 12 mile long run which will serve as my first test of where I’m pace-wise so I can assess if I’m on target for getting close that PR.

I also need to start practicing my drinking technique for this trip as I desperately want to PR in that department as well.

A special shout out to the person who found my site by searching, “can’t see beyond the end of one’s nose.” I don’t know what you were looking for but I’m hoping that when I hit drinking PR I won’t be able to see beyond the end of my nose.

Posted in Half Marathons, running, travel | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2011

Posted on December 31, 2011 by scoopsontherun

I don’t celebrate New Year’s Eve or the New Year. I think it’s stupid and really just 1. A group of people afraid to get older and 2. A group of people who just want to get drunk.

For some reason, however, I do feel like looking back and taking stock of what happened this past year. For me, it was mostly a year of loss. I lost an uncle, three co-workers, a dear friend, one of my dogs, and helped another co-worker during the loss of her brother. These deaths were spread out through out the year so it seemed as though as soon as I was coming to terms with one death another one happened.

While there was a lot of loss I met a lot of wonderful people who have filled my live with great joy and re-connected with others. One in particular practically saved my life when I first moved to New York at the start of my sophomore year of high school. She provided me with a safe space to deal with a lot of things at that time of my life. I honestly do not know how I would have gotten through that time without her. It was great to meet her as an adult. I didn’t get a chance to thank her for all she did to help me but I think she knows.

Running and I had an up and down year — mostly down until about mid-August. Because of this I only had one PR this year, but if you are going to PR let it be in your marathon. I may have missed my overall time goal for the marathon but an 11 minute PR is not too shabby at all.

As this year is also the start of my 40’s I’ve promised myself that I would celebrate it as long as I possibly can. I have a trip to the opera in a couple of weeks to see my favorite soprano and again for her cabaret performance in March. It’s ok to consider a March concert a belated December birthday gift right? Then of course there is my trip to Miami at the end of January.

There will be more trips to the opera this year, something that I haven’t done enough of in the past couple of years.  I also plan to enjoy my running more this year. I want to get close to my old PRs in many distances if not outright get some new ones.

So there you have my end of 2011 post.

Posted in running, travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Big 4-0

Posted on December 27, 2011 by scoopsontherun

Today is my 40th birthday and I’m probably one of the few people who could care less about that number. I have friends who freak out if you even mention that they are getting older by a minute let alone a year.

I on the other hand look forward to getting older as I believe that we all get better with age. With each passing year I think I am becoming a more complete person and I find that incredibly exciting.

There are no bucket lists for me. Sure there are things I’d like to do and places I’d like to go but there is no timetable and if I accomplish those things great. If not, no biggie because there is a good chance that something just as fulfilling happened in its place.

I’ve got some fun things planned for the upcoming year that includes more running (still undecided about the marathon), more trips to the opera, and more merriment in general. Let’s have fun with this new decade!

Posted in running | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Teddy C 15k Recap

Posted on December 17, 2011 by scoopsontherun

Just a quick recap of today’s race, my first long run for my Miami Half Marathon training.

Going in my goal was to either PR or get close to it. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go due to the cold I had last week which limited my running a bit. But I was sticking with my goal but decided not to put too much pressure on myself. I also realized on my way to the race that this would be my last one as a 39 year-old so I had a reason to just enjoy it for what it was.

The race was super crowded, I think at one time it had reached capacity and the NYRR re-opened registration. Nice for those people who got in but it made for a very crowded first couple of miles.

This was only my fourth 15k race and, admittedly, I’m still learning how to race this distance. I know I went out too fast, I think may have been due to the large number of yellow bibs entering the last corral late and being surrounded by their speed threw me a little bit.

Shortly after the third mile I noticed that my pace was beginning slow down and at that point I knew I went out too fast and that a PR would be hard work. I stuck with my plan and just enjoyed running in the great weather we had today.

At about the six mile mark I tried to do the math and thought if I pushed the last three miles I could possibly get that PR. I did pick up my pace a bit and felt really good about it but alas, there would be no PR, I missed it by four minutes. But I’m not disappointed in the results. Sure I would have loved to PR and maybe I could have pushed just a bit harder but this was second best time for this distance and I improved my time from the Colon Cancer Challenge 15k this by four minutes, so for that alone I’m pretty satisfied with how I did today.

This is an excellent start to my training for the Miami Half Marathon and now I know where I have to focus on things if I want to go for that PR in Miami, which just might be my first race as a 40 year-old.

Posted in Half Marathons, running | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ted Corbitt 15k

Posted on December 15, 2011 by scoopsontherun

I hope to do you proud Ted. As in run the race well, not um, actually doing you. That would be weird for many reason including the fact that you're dead.

I’ve got my first “long” run for the Miami Half this weekend and I thankfully combined it with the Ted Corbitt 15k in Central Park.

I’ve only ran three 15k races before and I’m not too sure how I feel about this distance. But, as you know, I’m giving this another go. The one and only other time I ran this particular race was two years ago and it was mother fucking cold! The official starting temperature that day was 27 degrees but I think with windchill it was close to 16 degrees.

I never got comfortable during that race and that actually put me off winter races for a bit. I think I only did one winter race last year. But over the past year I have become a better winter runner and even enjoy it.

Thankfully the temp for this year’s race is supposed to be a balmy 43 degrees. I like that temperature, it’s good running weather.

I didn’t do too much running last week because I had a bit of a cold. That’s not exactly how I wanted to go into my first real training week. My goals for this race is to either PR or come close to doing so. In the three 15k races I’ve done, I’ve never done better than my first one. If I can get close to that time I’ll be happy.

I want to like the 15k distance, I really do and I’m, hoping that Teddy can help me out that.

 

Posted in Half Marathons, Races, running | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Chicken Twins!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by scoopsontherun

My training for the Miami Half Marathon has officially started. Yesterday, I ran five miles in the dark. I don’t like winter, can we please have daylight savings time back? I have a 15k race on Saturday, the Teddy C 15k (Ted Corbitt 15k) in Central Park. I figure if I give the race a lovely nickname that will improve my chances of getting close to a PR.

***Vegans may want to close their eyes and stop reading at this point***

Chicken Twins! You see that one lonely yoke on the other side? He wants to be friends with the twins.

More importantly, this past week has been a bounty of chicken twins. By chicken twins I mean the more appropriate term of double yokes in my jumbo organic eggs from FreshDirect. But I like calling them chicken twins better.

Any way, the chances of getting chicken twins in your dozen eggs is rare, at least in my life it is. I have a call in to Martha Stewart to find out some real facts but so far in this dozen eggs all but three egss have been chicken twins. What are the chances of that happening!?! It’s like I’m getting two eggs for the price of one. What a wonderful yokey bounty!

I hoping that I’ll have some chicken twins left for Saturday morning at that they give me amazing power for the Teddy C 15k.

Posted in Half Marathons, running | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment