Thursday, April 2, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Honey vs. Allegra Weekend
Friday – A day of good food! For lunch I met Lisa at Matsuri for sushi. Mmm mmm. For dinner Steve and I checked out Thai Basil in Chantilly. We started out with the steamed dumplings, spring rolls, and a round of Sapporo – all were delish. Steve ordered the green chicken curry and I got one of the specials which was seafood atop a spicy lo mein-like noodle. Tasty and very generous servings. I was going to order the coconut ice cream for dessert but the service was kind of slow (the place was packed) so we decided to call it a night.
Saturday – Steve was out with his new two-wheeled girlfriend so after the gym and Target, I strolled around Grand Mart in Sterling. Not as big as the Grand Mart in Glen Burnie, but it still has a decent selection. Picked up a bottle of the best margarita mix ever and finished my outing with a visit to the health food store. One of the guys at the gym mentioned that he had been taking a tablespoon of local honey (honey made by the bees in your ‘hood) for his allergies. As of this weekend, Giant was still waiting for the insurance company to approve my Allegra prescription the doc submitted to them last week Friday. Since I’m rationing my few remaining pills, I figured I’d give this honey thing a go since I usually have some on my oatmeal pancakes every morning anyway. I haven’t taken a pill since Friday and so far, no problems with my allergies. Of course, it has been raining the last few days so I’ll have to see how things go now that it’s no longer raining.
That night we went to Helen’s for dinner and some quality time with the family. My two picks for the NCAA championship are out so I’ve officially kissed my $5 buh-bye.
Sunday – A day of chores, chores, and taxes. I did get to work on the shrug that I’m crocheting. It’s a little chunkier than I’d like because the yarn I’m using is el cheapo from Michael’s but it’s fine for a first attempt.
Saturday – Steve was out with his new two-wheeled girlfriend so after the gym and Target, I strolled around Grand Mart in Sterling. Not as big as the Grand Mart in Glen Burnie, but it still has a decent selection. Picked up a bottle of the best margarita mix ever and finished my outing with a visit to the health food store. One of the guys at the gym mentioned that he had been taking a tablespoon of local honey (honey made by the bees in your ‘hood) for his allergies. As of this weekend, Giant was still waiting for the insurance company to approve my Allegra prescription the doc submitted to them last week Friday. Since I’m rationing my few remaining pills, I figured I’d give this honey thing a go since I usually have some on my oatmeal pancakes every morning anyway. I haven’t taken a pill since Friday and so far, no problems with my allergies. Of course, it has been raining the last few days so I’ll have to see how things go now that it’s no longer raining.
That night we went to Helen’s for dinner and some quality time with the family. My two picks for the NCAA championship are out so I’ve officially kissed my $5 buh-bye.Sunday – A day of chores, chores, and taxes. I did get to work on the shrug that I’m crocheting. It’s a little chunkier than I’d like because the yarn I’m using is el cheapo from Michael’s but it’s fine for a first attempt.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Back to school
Not really, but it kinda feels that way. I just signed up for a swimming class on Saturday mornings at the rec center near our house. Bubble, bubble, bubble.
I also told a co-worker that I'd take a hip-hop cardio class with her on Monday after noon at this studio in Vienna: http://www.born2dancestudio.com/. I have three cousins who studied dance and unfortunately none of that talent rubbed off on me. Anyone care to join me? It's a guaranteed good laugh.
I also told a co-worker that I'd take a hip-hop cardio class with her on Monday after noon at this studio in Vienna: http://www.born2dancestudio.com/. I have three cousins who studied dance and unfortunately none of that talent rubbed off on me. Anyone care to join me? It's a guaranteed good laugh.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
3:59:50
It wasn't pretty, but it's done. We managed to slip past the finish line just shy of the 4:00 hour mark. Steve and I leap-frogged one another for the first 17 miles, after that it was a team effort. After getting through a series of hills between miles 23 and 24 in Anacostia, my heart felt like it was going to burst. Steve realized around mile 24 that if we pushed it, we could finish with a sub-4:00. (If my brain hadn't stalled, I would have had the sense to push a button on my watch to show the elapsed time since we crossed the starting line to realize this as well - thankfully his brain worked.) We ran mile 25 hard and sprinted the last 0.2. Thanks to Steve for pushing me through that last bit - I'm not sure I could have done it without him.
Highlights from the race:
- A series of motivational sayings written in chalk on the road around the DC waterfront. My favorite: You're a pirate. Yar.
- The female cop in Anacostia yelling, "Girl Power. You boys are doing all right too."
- Students from Howard University blaring music and dancing along the side of the road.
- The sign that said, "Your feet hurt from kicking so much a$$.'
A few pics from the weekend:
Highlights from the race:
- A series of motivational sayings written in chalk on the road around the DC waterfront. My favorite: You're a pirate. Yar.
- The female cop in Anacostia yelling, "Girl Power. You boys are doing all right too."
- Students from Howard University blaring music and dancing along the side of the road.
- The sign that said, "Your feet hurt from kicking so much a$$.'
A few pics from the weekend:
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
T-3
What to do next? Three days til the race and I’m tossing around ideas on what to train for when I’m done with National. Yes, I could opt to not train for anything but (a) I need something to occupy myself for at least a portion of the time that Steve is training, and (b) I need some kind of goal to justify my eating. Some options and their likelihood.
A fall marathon (likelihood 99%) – While I’m almost certain that I’ll do a fall marathon, I have no idea which one I can do since I don’t know my training schedule at work yet. I’m at the mercy of the customer so whatever dates they decide on factors into my decision. I figured it doesn’t hurt to have a few races in mind so here’s my short list for each month.
- September: Lake Tahoe, Jungfrau Marathon ( Switzerland )
- October: Venice (Italy), Dublin (Ireland), Baltimore, Long Beach
- November: Athens ( Greece ), Chicago , Richmond (only if my schedule makes it too difficult to travel), New York
- December: Honolulu
Since our 10 year anniversary is in May and someone whose name I won't mention didn't look at the calendar when he committed to participating in a weekend-long training trip, I want a vacation out of whatever race we decide to do.
Trail race (likelihood 50%) – It’s a running event but it would require me to get over my fear of running downhill on a trail. Sure uphill is hard on the ticker, but downhill scares the snot out of me because I’m afraid that I’ll trip over a tree limb and hurl myself into rock or tree. If I did run a trail race I’d probably keep it to a half-marathon or shorter.
50-miler (likelihood 30%) – Okay, the likelihood is probably closer to 20% when I start thinking about how much it hurts to run a marathon. I wonder if the pain associated with a 50-miler is twice as bad? The only way I could see myself doing a 50-miler this year would be if it was on the road and not a trail run. I’ve said this to a few runners I know and they all think a trail run would be easier on the body. Probably true, but remember my fear of flying through the air in the woods.
Fitness/Figure/Bodybuidling contest (likelihood 2%) – I only put this on the list because I’m intrigued by the discipline that people who compete in these have and not because I actually see myself doing it. I hate being judged on my looks and that’s pretty much what these competitions seem to be. BTW, I should note that I know nothing about how these events are judged. I know that I've looked at enough magazines that report on these events and I can't tell what made the winner better than the rest of the pack.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Post-Race Rituals
As part of my ritual, I have a series of things that I do after a marathon.
Massage: If I were rich, I’d have a massage therapist as part of my entourage. Some people don’t like the idea of some stranger touching them. “Not I” said this duck. Bring it. I have two therapists that I rely on: Lori and Mary. Both are petite women who are slightly taller than me but about 20 lbs lighter, but who both can knead the golf balls out of my calves as if they were sore losers of a strongman competition. A massage seems to do wonders on any other day so you better believe I’ve got one scheduled .
Chiro-crackment: That would be a chiropractor appointment for those of you who had difficulty understanding my ESL-ness. Doug, my chiro-cracker friend makes sure that my hips and back aren’t out of whack and causing me to walk like Quasimodo. He also stretches my IT band (tissue on the outside of your leg that runs from your knee to your hip). It hurts like a mo-fo while he’s doing it so I end up calling him plenty of dirty names, but I end up feeling much looser when he’s done. I also have to apologize for the name-calling so that (1) I can continue to come back and (2) so that this 6’4” bodybuilder doesn’t squash me like a bug.
Pedicure: After assessing the damage to my poor tootsies and after my muscles are loose enough that I can reach my toes, I give myself a pedicure. I know I could pay someone to do this, but I guess I’m cheap when it comes to certain things – especially things that I’m perfectly capable of doing myself. Despite having more bottles of nail polish than Steve and I have finger and toenails combined, I will however treat myself to a new bottle of polish. Or two. This race's colors are the classic I'm Not Really a Waitress and Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey.
Pig out sans-guilt: It’s no secret that I have a big appetite. You’d think that after a marathon I’d be hungrier than normal, but surprisingly I’m not. (I do really hope that the folks running the National Marathon have the jumbo soft pretzels available again after the race. Those rocked.) Since Steve is also running National, our post-race feast has yet to be decided. We may go for the tried-and-true Chipotle, or perhaps we’ll venture into burger territory. Whatever we decide on I can tell you that it’s probably one of the few times I’m not thinking about whether or not what I’m eating is clogging my arteries.
Massage: If I were rich, I’d have a massage therapist as part of my entourage. Some people don’t like the idea of some stranger touching them. “Not I” said this duck. Bring it. I have two therapists that I rely on: Lori and Mary. Both are petite women who are slightly taller than me but about 20 lbs lighter, but who both can knead the golf balls out of my calves as if they were sore losers of a strongman competition. A massage seems to do wonders on any other day so you better believe I’ve got one scheduled .
Chiro-crackment: That would be a chiropractor appointment for those of you who had difficulty understanding my ESL-ness. Doug, my chiro-cracker friend makes sure that my hips and back aren’t out of whack and causing me to walk like Quasimodo. He also stretches my IT band (tissue on the outside of your leg that runs from your knee to your hip). It hurts like a mo-fo while he’s doing it so I end up calling him plenty of dirty names, but I end up feeling much looser when he’s done. I also have to apologize for the name-calling so that (1) I can continue to come back and (2) so that this 6’4” bodybuilder doesn’t squash me like a bug.
Pedicure: After assessing the damage to my poor tootsies and after my muscles are loose enough that I can reach my toes, I give myself a pedicure. I know I could pay someone to do this, but I guess I’m cheap when it comes to certain things – especially things that I’m perfectly capable of doing myself. Despite having more bottles of nail polish than Steve and I have finger and toenails combined, I will however treat myself to a new bottle of polish. Or two. This race's colors are the classic I'm Not Really a Waitress and Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey.
Pig out sans-guilt: It’s no secret that I have a big appetite. You’d think that after a marathon I’d be hungrier than normal, but surprisingly I’m not. (I do really hope that the folks running the National Marathon have the jumbo soft pretzels available again after the race. Those rocked.) Since Steve is also running National, our post-race feast has yet to be decided. We may go for the tried-and-true Chipotle, or perhaps we’ll venture into burger territory. Whatever we decide on I can tell you that it’s probably one of the few times I’m not thinking about whether or not what I’m eating is clogging my arteries.
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