Yay! I finally spent some time yesterday using Picasa to create a collage of special things/moments/people in my life to put as the new image on my blog. I'm really happy with it!!!
Yesterday, I was supposed to have a "mom's night out" with this meetup group I've joined. We were going to go to Shinto's steakhouse in Strongsville and I was gonna have sushi and a (strong) drink. But I got only ten minutes out of the neighborhood and I could hardly see in front of me (it had started snowing earlier in the afternoon) so I had to turn around and go back! BOO!
Well, that's ok, because I treated myself to a Left Hand Milk Stout at Edison's Pub in Tremont, while awaiting the delicious pizza I decided to pick up for me and Derek. Watching the snow was very relaxing (and of course the beer helped too!).
Tonight, I've got a yelp elite event at Visible Voice Books here in the neighborhood, so it looks like I will get some time to myself after all. And Derek's home today, so...perhaps a run? We'll see. Only nine days 'til my race ... YIKES!
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Mission: Semi-possible
I'm trying to figure out just how few training runs I can do and still be "ready" for the Jog into Spring 5K on April 9.
I did one run two weeks ago...then another one on Sunday. Well, let's just say they were both difficult and I couldn't run the entire time (duh).
The problem is, I'm still not sure if it's ok to take the baby in the BOB, so I'm waiting to do that. And I can't really get away that much, and I am TOO DAMN TIRED most of the time anyway!
Moms! How do you do it?! How do you balance running and motherhood? I need to know. Now that I have a "deadline," this is getting scary. I mean, I know I can finish it...but I'd like to do it comfortably, and I'd like to not have to walk too much.
Do I have to wait until she sleeps through the night before I can start running again in earnest? Is it bad for me to run on next to no sleep? Or is it necessary?
I did one run two weeks ago...then another one on Sunday. Well, let's just say they were both difficult and I couldn't run the entire time (duh).
The problem is, I'm still not sure if it's ok to take the baby in the BOB, so I'm waiting to do that. And I can't really get away that much, and I am TOO DAMN TIRED most of the time anyway!
Moms! How do you do it?! How do you balance running and motherhood? I need to know. Now that I have a "deadline," this is getting scary. I mean, I know I can finish it...but I'd like to do it comfortably, and I'd like to not have to walk too much.
Do I have to wait until she sleeps through the night before I can start running again in earnest? Is it bad for me to run on next to no sleep? Or is it necessary?
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Birthday 5K
Thanks to those who voted/commented on the 5K poll. I've made a decision! (Well, sorta.)
I subscribe to Active.com's newsletter, and the most recent one showed not one, but two races in Cleveland on April 9 (my birthday). So I thought, what better birthday present to give to myself than a 5K race?!!?
This gives me just about a month to "train," i.e., to run when I can and just hopefully gain a bit of fitness so that I can finish without passing out. (Yes, mom, if I really do feel like I'm going to pass out, I will walk. Duh.)
So now, the only decision left is which one to register for? Here are the choices:
1. Run For Your Life!
I subscribe to Active.com's newsletter, and the most recent one showed not one, but two races in Cleveland on April 9 (my birthday). So I thought, what better birthday present to give to myself than a 5K race?!!?
This gives me just about a month to "train," i.e., to run when I can and just hopefully gain a bit of fitness so that I can finish without passing out. (Yes, mom, if I really do feel like I'm going to pass out, I will walk. Duh.)
So now, the only decision left is which one to register for? Here are the choices:
1. Run For Your Life!
- Berea, OH
- 9:00 am
- $15 in advance, $18 on race day
- Promoting increased physical activity for children
- Also has 1 mile walk
- Independence, OH
- 9:00 am
- $15 in advance, $20 on race day
- Renee Roche memorial race
These both seem like they support a really great cause. My favorite half-marathon ever, the Cleveland Clinic River Run, starts in Berea, and it's really beautiful. I guess the only downside is that it's a bit far away (like maybe 20-30 minutes to drive there). Jog Into Spring is good because it's in Independence, which is right near where Derek works and we know how to get there easily (race-day worries are annoying, especially when you don't really know the area well). Looking at the course maps of both of these races, I'm pretty sure Run For Your Life is probably more scenic, but which could also mean more hills. Also, this race has a 1-mile fun walk, which Derek could do with Lorelei.
Hmmm, decisions, decisions!
In any case, I'm so glad to have a plan now. Maybe Lorelei's pediatrician will give us the OK to start using the jogging stroller soon, and I can take her out for a spin sooner than later.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Poll: How Should I Handle My "First" 5K?
Ok. This is getting ridiculous.
I need to run!!!
I was actually going to go today. I really was. But it hailed and snowed last night. So, after about a week of no snow (and just, oh, you know, massive flooding in the area), there's snow again. Dammit.
But I am really feeling hopeful because it's March, which just sounds ten thousand times better than February. And as I was reading Steel Springs' blog the other day, she wished everyone racing good luck. And I was like, "Huh. Remember when I used to race practically every weekend? What happened to that?!"
I mean, I know what happened, but still...
So I am gearing up towards running a 5K. I've had this in the works for a long time now, actually since before I gave birth. Make fun of me if you want! But towards the end of my pregnancy, I was seriously going, "Ok, I'll probably need to take six weeks off, so that's November-ish, so then December-January...I can probably race again in January or February!" Yeah, right. Even if I had the ability to train, even if the weather was great, even if I weren't tired out of my MIND ... etc.
So I keep stalling, and that's making me feel very bad. Not "bad about myself," like I should be doing more, but just ... not like myself, if that makes any sense. I need to be racing. It's a part of me that's missing.
Which brings me to this poll I referenced in the title: How should I go about this 5K? Should I diligently train and try to "race" it? Should I train a bit and then just try to run the whole thing? Or should I keep training to a minimum and then just try to finish it? Ha ha.
Vote please! (I guess I'll figure out how to put a poll up here somehow). And leave your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to hear what you think.
I need to run!!!
I was actually going to go today. I really was. But it hailed and snowed last night. So, after about a week of no snow (and just, oh, you know, massive flooding in the area), there's snow again. Dammit.
But I am really feeling hopeful because it's March, which just sounds ten thousand times better than February. And as I was reading Steel Springs' blog the other day, she wished everyone racing good luck. And I was like, "Huh. Remember when I used to race practically every weekend? What happened to that?!"
I mean, I know what happened, but still...
So I am gearing up towards running a 5K. I've had this in the works for a long time now, actually since before I gave birth. Make fun of me if you want! But towards the end of my pregnancy, I was seriously going, "Ok, I'll probably need to take six weeks off, so that's November-ish, so then December-January...I can probably race again in January or February!" Yeah, right. Even if I had the ability to train, even if the weather was great, even if I weren't tired out of my MIND ... etc.
So I keep stalling, and that's making me feel very bad. Not "bad about myself," like I should be doing more, but just ... not like myself, if that makes any sense. I need to be racing. It's a part of me that's missing.
Which brings me to this poll I referenced in the title: How should I go about this 5K? Should I diligently train and try to "race" it? Should I train a bit and then just try to run the whole thing? Or should I keep training to a minimum and then just try to finish it? Ha ha.
Vote please! (I guess I'll figure out how to put a poll up here somehow). And leave your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to hear what you think.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Taper Troubles
Oy vey.
Well, either what everyone says about the marathon taper is true, or I'm just paranoid about things feeling "off" that I am making it true. Either way...this week has been quite annoying in terms of feeling "healthy."
After the half on Sunday, I was dead to the world. Hurting everywhere, exhausted...nothing like the River Run 3 weeks ago or EVEN the 20 miler in Rocky River last weekend. I don't know what the deal was. I had mentioned I started feeling a little off on Saturday, but then I guess the half "washed it out" for the time being, but then the icky feeling came back with a vengeance.
Monday I felt stiff, groggy, and had a headache and jaw pain most of the day. Kept taking Tylenol/Advil/whatever for it, but I hate taking medicine. I was going to go to yoga at 6pm on Monday--which I've done before and has actually helped a lot after a long run or race--but then I had a baking mishap while making Derek anniversary cupcakes (Salted caramel filled chocolate cupcakes with dark chocolate frosting). Everything started off fine, but then when it came time to make the caramel...WTF!?!?!?! It took me three tries. Finally, I got it.
But by that point, the kitchen was a mess, I had chocolate all over me...and there was no going to yoga. Oh well.
Derek did enjoy the cupcakes immensely though...
Anyway. I was a little on edge from not doing ANY type of working out on Monday, even though I didn't have a run planned. Derek and I went out that night for our anniversary at Farenheit, which was fabulous.
The only thing wrong was that my head started feeling gross again, and I couldn't get the smell of that caramel out of my mind...and all those dishes that had to be washed when we got home...
I did, however, enjoy a glass of my new favorite red wine, InZINerator, a Zinfandel (not to be confused with its trashy pink counterpart, White Zinfandel).
I got exactly ZERO sleep Monday night, adding to the problems. By Tuesday morning, I felt so tired. I didn't know what to do about running, because I know I am tapering, but not that much, not yet! I still have to do up to 80% of what I was doing last week, maybe even more since I didn't really do high-mileage throughout the training. Ugh.
Got a flu shot Tuesday afternoon (the spell is broken; after getting my first flu shot I am no longer convinced that it will give me the flu -- but knock on wood), then did a measley 20-minute run by the Steelyard. I just wasn't able to continue; too many things felt "off."
Wednesday the headache still wasn't gone. I was getting really upset! My tooth was still kinda hurting too (I have never gotten my wisdom teeth extracted, and so sometimes I bite my cheek and it hurts for a little while but then the pain goes away. Dumb, I know, I should get them taken out, yadda yadda yadda. I probably will. In fact, I made an appointment this morning to see the dentist so I will see what he tells me). I made myself go running, not only because I am stubborn but because I honestly did think it would make me feel better. And it did, for a while. I did around 5 miles and even tried to pick up the pace a mile at at time for a little makeshift speedwork session. I decided not to take any meds all day, but then kinda gave up that idea around 6 o'clock when I had to go meet Derek and his boss for dinner at Outback Steakhouse. I wasn't just going to go and feel miserable; I wanted it to be a pleasant experience. I took some Advil...and...the headache went away and stayed away!!! YAY!!
I am thinking it was sort of like a migraine...I only get those at times of stress. Saturday could have been the "aura" because I was feeling weird and lightheaded...and then the half put it off and then it came back. Ugh. I hate migraines. I think the nausea is the worst part of it. Blecch. So what's the stress? I dunno...not knowing where I stand job-wise...while part-time is good, it's not what I really need in order to feel secure. Been waiting to hear back from a couple places so we'll see. Also, tapering is good put it is also weird...how much do I run, how many days do I take off, with what intensity do I do my workouts? It's all kind of a mystery.
Went to Hot Powerful Flow yoga today at Inner Bliss...it was awesome, just what I needed. I am planning on doing 10 miles sometime in the next few days - maybe tomorrow, because I just signed up for a 5K for Sunday (or maybe just running 6-7 before the race?), then cutting back next week to two runs of 4 miles and maybe one of 3 miles...and then the week after that maybe 4, 3, and 2? I don't know, I think I'll just wait and see what my body tells me. As so many running experts will tell you, less is more in these situations. I just don't want to lose fitness (hence the 5K and some other minimal speedwork to keep me sharp). But I guess it's all just a mental thing right now; the hard part is done...now all I can do is TRUST MY TRAINING!!
Well, either what everyone says about the marathon taper is true, or I'm just paranoid about things feeling "off" that I am making it true. Either way...this week has been quite annoying in terms of feeling "healthy."
After the half on Sunday, I was dead to the world. Hurting everywhere, exhausted...nothing like the River Run 3 weeks ago or EVEN the 20 miler in Rocky River last weekend. I don't know what the deal was. I had mentioned I started feeling a little off on Saturday, but then I guess the half "washed it out" for the time being, but then the icky feeling came back with a vengeance.
Monday I felt stiff, groggy, and had a headache and jaw pain most of the day. Kept taking Tylenol/Advil/whatever for it, but I hate taking medicine. I was going to go to yoga at 6pm on Monday--which I've done before and has actually helped a lot after a long run or race--but then I had a baking mishap while making Derek anniversary cupcakes (Salted caramel filled chocolate cupcakes with dark chocolate frosting). Everything started off fine, but then when it came time to make the caramel...WTF!?!?!?! It took me three tries. Finally, I got it.
But by that point, the kitchen was a mess, I had chocolate all over me...and there was no going to yoga. Oh well.
Derek did enjoy the cupcakes immensely though...
Anyway. I was a little on edge from not doing ANY type of working out on Monday, even though I didn't have a run planned. Derek and I went out that night for our anniversary at Farenheit, which was fabulous.
The only thing wrong was that my head started feeling gross again, and I couldn't get the smell of that caramel out of my mind...and all those dishes that had to be washed when we got home...
I did, however, enjoy a glass of my new favorite red wine, InZINerator, a Zinfandel (not to be confused with its trashy pink counterpart, White Zinfandel).
I got exactly ZERO sleep Monday night, adding to the problems. By Tuesday morning, I felt so tired. I didn't know what to do about running, because I know I am tapering, but not that much, not yet! I still have to do up to 80% of what I was doing last week, maybe even more since I didn't really do high-mileage throughout the training. Ugh.
Got a flu shot Tuesday afternoon (the spell is broken; after getting my first flu shot I am no longer convinced that it will give me the flu -- but knock on wood), then did a measley 20-minute run by the Steelyard. I just wasn't able to continue; too many things felt "off."
Wednesday the headache still wasn't gone. I was getting really upset! My tooth was still kinda hurting too (I have never gotten my wisdom teeth extracted, and so sometimes I bite my cheek and it hurts for a little while but then the pain goes away. Dumb, I know, I should get them taken out, yadda yadda yadda. I probably will. In fact, I made an appointment this morning to see the dentist so I will see what he tells me). I made myself go running, not only because I am stubborn but because I honestly did think it would make me feel better. And it did, for a while. I did around 5 miles and even tried to pick up the pace a mile at at time for a little makeshift speedwork session. I decided not to take any meds all day, but then kinda gave up that idea around 6 o'clock when I had to go meet Derek and his boss for dinner at Outback Steakhouse. I wasn't just going to go and feel miserable; I wanted it to be a pleasant experience. I took some Advil...and...the headache went away and stayed away!!! YAY!!
I am thinking it was sort of like a migraine...I only get those at times of stress. Saturday could have been the "aura" because I was feeling weird and lightheaded...and then the half put it off and then it came back. Ugh. I hate migraines. I think the nausea is the worst part of it. Blecch. So what's the stress? I dunno...not knowing where I stand job-wise...while part-time is good, it's not what I really need in order to feel secure. Been waiting to hear back from a couple places so we'll see. Also, tapering is good put it is also weird...how much do I run, how many days do I take off, with what intensity do I do my workouts? It's all kind of a mystery.
Went to Hot Powerful Flow yoga today at Inner Bliss...it was awesome, just what I needed. I am planning on doing 10 miles sometime in the next few days - maybe tomorrow, because I just signed up for a 5K for Sunday (or maybe just running 6-7 before the race?), then cutting back next week to two runs of 4 miles and maybe one of 3 miles...and then the week after that maybe 4, 3, and 2? I don't know, I think I'll just wait and see what my body tells me. As so many running experts will tell you, less is more in these situations. I just don't want to lose fitness (hence the 5K and some other minimal speedwork to keep me sharp). But I guess it's all just a mental thing right now; the hard part is done...now all I can do is TRUST MY TRAINING!!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
I Walk the Line
As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line
Even though Mr. Cash wasn't talking about running in this song...it works.
My reflective musing of the day is...there is always a feeling of "Walking the Line" with training. Why can I never choose between "pushing it" and "risking it"? We're always told to try harder, do more, leave it all on the _____________ (fill in blank: dance floor, course, field, whatever). Heck, we've all see The Biggest Loser.
But then there's an opposite voice saying don't do TOO much. Don't do 2 hard days in a row. Don't do hills and speedwork. Don't do a long run and then a race. Don't run on a mild injury; it might turn it into a worse injury. Blah, blah, blah.
It's "hell week." The last week of marathon training before the taper. Did my last 20-miler on Saturday, and I have a half this coming Sunday (Towpath Half in Peninsula, OH). And this week has just been six-milers every day.
Tuesday's and today's run were the same path: home to end of the Steelyard, then around the neighborhood for one more mile. Yesterday I ventured out to the Towpath and had a great scenic (and also hilly) speed session.
I have been nursing different minor injuries this month. Shin splints in the left leg (now almost completely better due to Kinesio tape and ice), now this weird pain in my right foot - like around my arch area, on the inner foot. Not plantar fasciitis, thank god, but still pretty uncomfortable. Do I rest? Or do I run? It's the last week of high-mileage, high-intensity training, so I just went for it. I can rest during the taper and hope that's enough to heal it.
Yesterday I started off taking it easy but then eased right into a hilly tempo run and felt great for the most part. I really felt that I was consciously "holding back" to not do too fast a pace. Good sign?
Then today I started off sluggish and blah, but by the end I just killed it. I was even planning on cutting it off at 5 miles because my foot was hurting -- but by the time came, I don't know if I was just numb or what, but it wasn't bothering me anymore so I added a loop around Tremont. A little over 6 miles.
But the whole second half of both of these workouts were filled with cautionary thoughts: is this too much? Am I going to be sorry on Sunday 'cause I expended all my energy today? Is it wrong that I ran a hilly workout two, well actually three, days in a row? Am I not looking towards the ultimate goal, which is running a comfortable (and hopefully faster than last time) marathon? Or is all this, in essence, like a "Last Chance Workout?"
When thinking about the arc of my training since July, I am probably doing the right thing by going a little harder when it feels appropriate because I spent a bunch of time in the "easy" training zone. I am definitely feeling more fit these days, and faster with more endurance and stamina. I ran the second half of all my workouts faster than the first this week, which should mimic the actual race. But I guess I just don't want to make a mistake or burn out. (Hmm, I guess this is where wearing a heart rate monitor throughout this process would have actually come in handy.) But hey, it's the last week, I guess it's supposed to feel like a lot, and I guess everything is supposed to hurt (Advil & Tylenol = my new B.F.F.s) and I am supposed to be super tired and therefore getting more sleep. I guess my lack of a job is sort of a blessing in disguise for this last grueling part of training. I don't know how I would have been able to handle both this week.
So...week in review/upcoming weekend:
Monday 10/5 - Off (Yoga)
Tuesday 10/6 - 6 miles (Steelyard)
Wednesday 10/7 - 6 miles, 2x2 miles @ tempo (Towpath)
Thursday 10/8 - 6 miles (Steelyard)
Friday 10/9 - 4 miles
Saturday 10/10 - Off
Sunday 10/11 - Towpath Half-Marathon (8:00 am)
Editorial comments: I might switch the 4-miler tomorrow out for yoga instead, and then run my "traditional" easy 2-miler on Saturday to loosen up the legs for Sunday. I figure I need a good stretch tomorrow, and I can give my poor arch a break. Maybe it'll also help me feel more refreshed for Sunday. I am going to try to "race" this half, as opposed to just use it as a training run, because it is still 3 weeks out. Well, I will play it by ear and see how I feel. I'd really love to use this race as a gague for how I might do on marathon day! The last half I did (2:17:30) was unusually fast for me, and that was a net downhill course, so we'll see if that was just a fluke or if my training really has been working its magic. :) This course is supposed to be flat as well...yay!
Will update with a race report on Sunday (if I don't have something to blab about sooner)!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
I survived....
...my last 20-miler of training!!!
Pretty much because I'm lazy, I'm going to cut and paste an email I just sent to my running buddies Louise and Maria that sums up my feelings at this point:
I did 20 today. My last one! I know 4 weeks out is pretty long but some sites/books say the "conservative approach" is good for people with minor injuries (like my shin splints) so whatever, I'll go with it. I have a half-marathon next weekend so I didn't want to do the 20 with only 2 weeks to go. I guess I could have added 6 or 7 to the race next week (like you were gonna do)....but oh well :) I'll probably keep my weekly training the same until the last 2 weeks, because I haven't been running an enormous amount of miles during the week anyway, and just shorten the long run.
It's funny, because when you do your 2nd or 3rd really looong run it does somehow get a bit "easier"...although I was delirious for like the last 3 or so...knew I could do it but don't know how it happened. Finally the end appeared. Mentally it was tough, but also easy because we know we can do it!!!!!! By the way I tried out GU Chomps for the last two long runs, and I really like them, even better than Clif Blocks. I think the gel is just nasty and doesn't always agree with me. I also tried the Extreme Sports Beans with Caffeine...nom nom! They are good.
Oh also I heard something really good from a running website that says you should think of your 16-20 milers not as the first 16-20 of the marathon, but as the LAST. It's more similar to the last part because our bodies are already so fatigued from all the training. This was a relief to think about today, because after 20 I was like "there is no WAY I could run 6 more right now!" Haha.
So...yeah.
I pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon (holy crap, is it 6:30 already!?) resting my feet on a bag of ice and water. It really helps!!!
'Til next time.
Pretty much because I'm lazy, I'm going to cut and paste an email I just sent to my running buddies Louise and Maria that sums up my feelings at this point:
I did 20 today. My last one! I know 4 weeks out is pretty long but some sites/books say the "conservative approach" is good for people with minor injuries (like my shin splints) so whatever, I'll go with it. I have a half-marathon next weekend so I didn't want to do the 20 with only 2 weeks to go. I guess I could have added 6 or 7 to the race next week (like you were gonna do)....but oh well :) I'll probably keep my weekly training the same until the last 2 weeks, because I haven't been running an enormous amount of miles during the week anyway, and just shorten the long run.
It's funny, because when you do your 2nd or 3rd really looong run it does somehow get a bit "easier"...although I was delirious for like the last 3 or so...knew I could do it but don't know how it happened. Finally the end appeared. Mentally it was tough, but also easy because we know we can do it!!!!!! By the way I tried out GU Chomps for the last two long runs, and I really like them, even better than Clif Blocks. I think the gel is just nasty and doesn't always agree with me. I also tried the Extreme Sports Beans with Caffeine...nom nom! They are good.
Oh also I heard something really good from a running website that says you should think of your 16-20 milers not as the first 16-20 of the marathon, but as the LAST. It's more similar to the last part because our bodies are already so fatigued from all the training. This was a relief to think about today, because after 20 I was like "there is no WAY I could run 6 more right now!" Haha.
So...yeah.
I pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon (holy crap, is it 6:30 already!?) resting my feet on a bag of ice and water. It really helps!!!
'Til next time.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
And the countdown begins....
Just thought I'd check to say...ONE MONTH 'TIL THE MARATHON!
WOO HOO!!
Did another strong six-miler today...felt great. Hey, maybe there IS something to say about the PowerBar, as I had one today and yesterday before my runs and felt really energetic. Hmm.
Also - I watched The Hills and The City on DVR today! Yess! I love those shows.
That's about it for now. Dinner with Rob and Claire tonight at Prosperity. Oh, and I made banana nut muffins again because I am apparently obsessed with baking. Here's a pic of those and of the buttermilk biscuits from last night.
One more thing...I made a "pact" with myself to have no alcohol for a full month leading up the marathon. But I want sangria! At Prosperity! Tonight! Boo. I guess we'll see how my willpower holds up.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Scamville
Greetings from the land of Unemployment.
I have been getting SO FRUSTRATED lately about the lack of response to jobs that I KNOW I am qualified for...even too qualified...but what really kills me is the growing number of scams that are just insulting and make me question even searching for a job online.
I realize there are a number of scams out there, particularly in admin/office jobs on a certain oft-used site...if any of you are new to the job search like I am, this story might help you. (By the way, this story is just one of MANY weird scams I have become in contact with, but the only one that seemed valid at the time I applied.)
I recently applied to an ad that simply said "Secretary" (Cleveland) which did not seem phony at all in the original ad, mentioned hours, per-hour salary, and a little bit about the company. But then it got weirder.
I got an email shortly after I applied asking me to take a test to narrow down the selection process due to the large number of people who had applied. This didn't seem too weird. It asked different multiple-choice questions about my personality at the workplace. Then there was a second part which said was a test of following directions and recognizing layouts, browsers, and online advertising trends. Because the original ad said they were a web-based company, I believed them, even though I was wary about giving any personal info. I was instructed to "validate" three website forms, and then answer specific questions about the second page of each site (after I had given my email address). Naively, I did as instructed, but stopped when asked for anything more than my email address. I figured I didn't pass the test because I wasn't willing to give more info, and just clicked out of it.
The next day, I got an email which seemed like a real response from a woman at a certain company (I will not mention either name), with the subject line that matched my original email response to the ad exactly, saying that "from reviewing my resume, it is clear that I am qualified for the position and that I have been shortlisted for the position." She asked me to email more information about myself, including what time would be best for me to interview. She also said that I would be required to take a credit check, the results of which would not impact hire, but would validate my identity. She then provided a link to a free credit report site. (!!!)
Aside from never having to take a credit check for a job, I also realized that throughout this whole process, I had never sent them my resume. I also looked up the company, which didn't seem to actually exist, because the website domain from which the woman's email was sent just went to a site of other links. Plus there was no phone number at which I could reach her. I deleted the email.
I have since gotten FIVE EMAILS from five different parties (HR representatives, recruitment agencies, random individuals) asking me to take different kinds of "competency tests" to help them with the process due to "overwhelming response to the position ad"...all with the same subject line I had originally provided. Most of them included typing in your email address, home address, phone number, etc. This, I realize, is partially my fault for giving my email address, however, it's a catch-22: you have to "put yourself out there" to get something, while at the same time, you don't want to be too exposed to scams like these.
I already have sent my resume to multiple people; my information is just out there. Most online jobs I apply to then send me to a second-party job site, like "Direct Job Source" or "Employment Source" which then ask me to fill out my stuff again, and then bombard me with questions about whether or not I was interested in furthering my education at the moment. Once, before I knew better, I made the mistake of saying "maybe, if I had more information" and then was literally harassed for two weeks from a representative at a local community college, saying she was simply "responding to an inquiry" that I had made. She even sent me a card in the mail (she got my address from the job-search website). I was only able to get rid of her calls when I emailed her telling her I was not at all interested in the school. I felt like a bad person. But this is crazy!
PLEASE be careful when applying to any secretarial position.
On another note...I had a group interview/info session the other night for a tutoring position. It went well...it was mostly a Q&A/fill out an application and leave your credentials with the director type of thing, but still, I felt ok about it. I sent the requisite "thank you email" to stand out a bit. So we'll see.
As for training this week, I feel that I have returned! Took Monday off from running, because I was super sore from the Half (and because a rest day was in my schedule - yay!) and went to Kripalu Yoga (a new one for me, very relaxing). Tuesday and Wednesday, took to the treadmill - not at a gym, but at a fitness center in the basement of one of my landlord's other buildings - free access! Watched the news one day, the VMA pre-show the next...gotta love distractions like that, plus NO HILLS on the treadmill! As my shins have been acting up, I thought I would "tread" on a softer surface for a couple of days. Did 6 miles both days, but for yesterday's speed workout, I made part of it a tempo run at half-marathon pace (which was a lot harder now that my half-marathon pace is 10:30ish!). Today is 5 miles, tomorrow's a rest day, and then Saturday...my first 20-miler!!!! It's supposed to be really nice and cool on Saturday, which is a big relief.
By the way, I ordered some Kinesio Tape yesterday for my shins...this seems like it's a big deal right now, used at the Olympics, and my sis-in-law, who is a Physical Therapist, says it's great for rehabilitation because it promotes blood flow around the injured area. Will report when I get it!
Tonight, dinner at Johnny Mango's in Ohio City with Claire! Will also report on that!
I have been getting SO FRUSTRATED lately about the lack of response to jobs that I KNOW I am qualified for...even too qualified...but what really kills me is the growing number of scams that are just insulting and make me question even searching for a job online.
I realize there are a number of scams out there, particularly in admin/office jobs on a certain oft-used site...if any of you are new to the job search like I am, this story might help you. (By the way, this story is just one of MANY weird scams I have become in contact with, but the only one that seemed valid at the time I applied.)
I recently applied to an ad that simply said "Secretary" (Cleveland) which did not seem phony at all in the original ad, mentioned hours, per-hour salary, and a little bit about the company. But then it got weirder.
I got an email shortly after I applied asking me to take a test to narrow down the selection process due to the large number of people who had applied. This didn't seem too weird. It asked different multiple-choice questions about my personality at the workplace. Then there was a second part which said was a test of following directions and recognizing layouts, browsers, and online advertising trends. Because the original ad said they were a web-based company, I believed them, even though I was wary about giving any personal info. I was instructed to "validate" three website forms, and then answer specific questions about the second page of each site (after I had given my email address). Naively, I did as instructed, but stopped when asked for anything more than my email address. I figured I didn't pass the test because I wasn't willing to give more info, and just clicked out of it.
The next day, I got an email which seemed like a real response from a woman at a certain company (I will not mention either name), with the subject line that matched my original email response to the ad exactly, saying that "from reviewing my resume, it is clear that I am qualified for the position and that I have been shortlisted for the position." She asked me to email more information about myself, including what time would be best for me to interview. She also said that I would be required to take a credit check, the results of which would not impact hire, but would validate my identity. She then provided a link to a free credit report site. (!!!)
Aside from never having to take a credit check for a job, I also realized that throughout this whole process, I had never sent them my resume. I also looked up the company, which didn't seem to actually exist, because the website domain from which the woman's email was sent just went to a site of other links. Plus there was no phone number at which I could reach her. I deleted the email.
I have since gotten FIVE EMAILS from five different parties (HR representatives, recruitment agencies, random individuals) asking me to take different kinds of "competency tests" to help them with the process due to "overwhelming response to the position ad"...all with the same subject line I had originally provided. Most of them included typing in your email address, home address, phone number, etc. This, I realize, is partially my fault for giving my email address, however, it's a catch-22: you have to "put yourself out there" to get something, while at the same time, you don't want to be too exposed to scams like these.
I already have sent my resume to multiple people; my information is just out there. Most online jobs I apply to then send me to a second-party job site, like "Direct Job Source" or "Employment Source" which then ask me to fill out my stuff again, and then bombard me with questions about whether or not I was interested in furthering my education at the moment. Once, before I knew better, I made the mistake of saying "maybe, if I had more information" and then was literally harassed for two weeks from a representative at a local community college, saying she was simply "responding to an inquiry" that I had made. She even sent me a card in the mail (she got my address from the job-search website). I was only able to get rid of her calls when I emailed her telling her I was not at all interested in the school. I felt like a bad person. But this is crazy!
PLEASE be careful when applying to any secretarial position.
On another note...I had a group interview/info session the other night for a tutoring position. It went well...it was mostly a Q&A/fill out an application and leave your credentials with the director type of thing, but still, I felt ok about it. I sent the requisite "thank you email" to stand out a bit. So we'll see.
As for training this week, I feel that I have returned! Took Monday off from running, because I was super sore from the Half (and because a rest day was in my schedule - yay!) and went to Kripalu Yoga (a new one for me, very relaxing). Tuesday and Wednesday, took to the treadmill - not at a gym, but at a fitness center in the basement of one of my landlord's other buildings - free access! Watched the news one day, the VMA pre-show the next...gotta love distractions like that, plus NO HILLS on the treadmill! As my shins have been acting up, I thought I would "tread" on a softer surface for a couple of days. Did 6 miles both days, but for yesterday's speed workout, I made part of it a tempo run at half-marathon pace (which was a lot harder now that my half-marathon pace is 10:30ish!). Today is 5 miles, tomorrow's a rest day, and then Saturday...my first 20-miler!!!! It's supposed to be really nice and cool on Saturday, which is a big relief.
By the way, I ordered some Kinesio Tape yesterday for my shins...this seems like it's a big deal right now, used at the Olympics, and my sis-in-law, who is a Physical Therapist, says it's great for rehabilitation because it promotes blood flow around the injured area. Will report when I get it!
Tonight, dinner at Johnny Mango's in Ohio City with Claire! Will also report on that!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
So much for taking it easy
Hey! Well, a couple of exciting things to report.
First of all, I did my 14-miler on Sunday. Now, the great thing was that Claire agreed to run with me (she is training for the River Run half and had to do 8 miles that day- and ended up doing 10!), and that we went to the Rocky River Reservation (my favorite place to run now! So wonderful and serene, with an all-purpose trail that winds through the park for about 13 miles. At times, you feel like you're in an actual forest, and you even spot deer while running. Amazing, and so different from my other running experiences!). Another point of good news was that on Saturday I went to Target and got a Nalgene hydration backpack, which worked really well and had a big enough zippered pocket to hold ALL my essentials - phone, ipod, keys, ID, cash, gels - without needing extra pockets in my shorts or whatnot.
The bad news? The weather. It was already warm and muggy when Claire and I headed out at 8 am. By the time I finished, three hours later? It was brutally hot and humid and I can't believe I continued on like I did. If I were watching myself, I would have been like, "girl, STOP! It's not worth it!!" But at the end, as usual, it was. :) Then Derek, Rob, Claire and I went to Lucky's for brunch - YUMMMMMMMMY!
Monday was a rest day - thank god, because I could barely walk down the stairs. (In fact, I've heard that on a really hot and humid day, when your perceived exertion is so much greater than normal, it's the equivalent of more miles than you had actually run. So...maybe 16? Ha ha.) I returned that Amphipod fuel belt for a full refund, which was excellent. Then Monday night, had a great long chat with Kim, who I miss a lot! But right as I was winding down for the night I started to get a weird "twang" in my right lower calf (Soleus? Achilles? I dunno). It just came on all of a sudden. It wasn't just twitching, it was painful, almost like spasms of pain, even when I just lightly brushed my hand against my leg. Yuck.
So against my will, I took Tuesday off too, which made me feel like a lazy ass all day, BUT was all for the better. I iced it, spent a lot of time on the couch, and then went to Pilates with Claire for a good core workout. :) During the afternoon, spoke to Trish, which was also great because I miss her a lot too!!!! We talked about lack of jobs (me) and apartment hunting (her).
Today, I went back to Rocky River in the early morning (like 7:30) to run there again, and had such a great run. I just had a lot of energy. Maybe it's 'cause I had a crazy Powerbar this morning. I dunno. Also saw another family of deer! I feel like a deprived city girl breaking free. So, um, yeah, I should have maybe taken it easy today, being as my leg had JUST started to feel better and was not 100%...but then what's that? A huge hill? What? Well, just do it. Oh wait, what? I'm going much faster than I should be, but I can't help it because I'm loving it? Oh well. Everything was fine in the end, I stretched well and will keep a close watch of my leg to make sure it's not going to start spazzing out again.
Then I also found out how to sync my phone to my blog...so that's what the "Test" post below was about. Methinks I will be sending mobile photos and comments more often now!
Oh yeah, and Derek and I are SUCKAS when it comes to food this week. Even though I made a huge pot of ribollita and a huge bowl of potato salad yesterday...We went out to eat. Our new favorite restaurant (or at least mine) is Farenheit! So good. I had the Black Cherry salad (with black pepper balsamic dressing, roquefort cheese, and toasted pecans) and the Truffle pizza with pepperoni, olive oil and basil. Derek had a chilled soup and a smoked sushi-grade tuna with this amazing rice and micro greens. Of course we had to share two pitchers of Sangria too. Oh, and banana cheescake. (Are you kidding me?) So good.
First of all, I did my 14-miler on Sunday. Now, the great thing was that Claire agreed to run with me (she is training for the River Run half and had to do 8 miles that day- and ended up doing 10!), and that we went to the Rocky River Reservation (my favorite place to run now! So wonderful and serene, with an all-purpose trail that winds through the park for about 13 miles. At times, you feel like you're in an actual forest, and you even spot deer while running. Amazing, and so different from my other running experiences!). Another point of good news was that on Saturday I went to Target and got a Nalgene hydration backpack, which worked really well and had a big enough zippered pocket to hold ALL my essentials - phone, ipod, keys, ID, cash, gels - without needing extra pockets in my shorts or whatnot.
The bad news? The weather. It was already warm and muggy when Claire and I headed out at 8 am. By the time I finished, three hours later? It was brutally hot and humid and I can't believe I continued on like I did. If I were watching myself, I would have been like, "girl, STOP! It's not worth it!!" But at the end, as usual, it was. :) Then Derek, Rob, Claire and I went to Lucky's for brunch - YUMMMMMMMMY!
Monday was a rest day - thank god, because I could barely walk down the stairs. (In fact, I've heard that on a really hot and humid day, when your perceived exertion is so much greater than normal, it's the equivalent of more miles than you had actually run. So...maybe 16? Ha ha.) I returned that Amphipod fuel belt for a full refund, which was excellent. Then Monday night, had a great long chat with Kim, who I miss a lot! But right as I was winding down for the night I started to get a weird "twang" in my right lower calf (Soleus? Achilles? I dunno). It just came on all of a sudden. It wasn't just twitching, it was painful, almost like spasms of pain, even when I just lightly brushed my hand against my leg. Yuck.
So against my will, I took Tuesday off too, which made me feel like a lazy ass all day, BUT was all for the better. I iced it, spent a lot of time on the couch, and then went to Pilates with Claire for a good core workout. :) During the afternoon, spoke to Trish, which was also great because I miss her a lot too!!!! We talked about lack of jobs (me) and apartment hunting (her).
Today, I went back to Rocky River in the early morning (like 7:30) to run there again, and had such a great run. I just had a lot of energy. Maybe it's 'cause I had a crazy Powerbar this morning. I dunno. Also saw another family of deer! I feel like a deprived city girl breaking free. So, um, yeah, I should have maybe taken it easy today, being as my leg had JUST started to feel better and was not 100%...but then what's that? A huge hill? What? Well, just do it. Oh wait, what? I'm going much faster than I should be, but I can't help it because I'm loving it? Oh well. Everything was fine in the end, I stretched well and will keep a close watch of my leg to make sure it's not going to start spazzing out again.
Then I also found out how to sync my phone to my blog...so that's what the "Test" post below was about. Methinks I will be sending mobile photos and comments more often now!
Oh yeah, and Derek and I are SUCKAS when it comes to food this week. Even though I made a huge pot of ribollita and a huge bowl of potato salad yesterday...We went out to eat. Our new favorite restaurant (or at least mine) is Farenheit! So good. I had the Black Cherry salad (with black pepper balsamic dressing, roquefort cheese, and toasted pecans) and the Truffle pizza with pepperoni, olive oil and basil. Derek had a chilled soup and a smoked sushi-grade tuna with this amazing rice and micro greens. Of course we had to share two pitchers of Sangria too. Oh, and banana cheescake. (Are you kidding me?) So good.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
We (don't) want the Funk
Wow, woke up this morning after having many weird dreams and just.did.not.want.to.run long!!! I went to bed semi-early (10 pm) and set my alarm for 6:15...promptly shut it off and went back to sleep for an hour and a half. Finally got out of bed, did normal pre-long-run stuff (PB & J, hydrate, a bit of coffee) and then signed on to Monster.com to update my profile a bit and make my resume public. I don't know, maybe it was all the stress about the job search and maybe I shouldn't have done that work stuff right before my run. I just wasn't in the mood. But I got ready anyway and Derek even said he'd run the first mile with me, then turn around at Steelyard Commons and run home.
Got my ipod ready, got my gels and phone and keys and ID and cash (I'm beginning to feel like a crazy bag lady with pockets and pouches and fanny packs instead of bags, it's really annoying) and strapped on my new Amphipod double-bottle doohickey...and almost IMMEDIATELY the pouch started bouncing and then when I went to adjust it, one of the bottles fell out. Then, I tried tightening it and putting it up higher, but then my elbows kept banging into the bottles because they stick out to each side. WOW. I got TOTALLY frustrated, and even (I'm not proud to say this) threw down my visor, pouch, and ipod and pretty much had a hissy fit. (Derek is the most patient husband ever, and didn't freak out at me for freaking out, he just tried to calm me down. Thank you, honey. :))
This is not the first time I've had a major freakout at nothing while training. But, when you try so hard during the week, and on the weekend, to prepare and do everything right (get to sleep early, not drink alcohol, etc.), the last thing you want to have happen is some minor inconvenience that COMPLETELY affects your run. I was really upset about my Camelbak getting stolen, and I thought this Amphipod would be an ok substitute, but it's just not. And I'm annoyed at myself for listening to the guy at the store who said that the hydration backpacks are really only for cycling. I don't know, but I'd rather have the weight distributed among my shoulders and back than only on my lower back, with these bottles getting in the way and not even staying in place. Then of course I remembered that women's bodies (uh, hips/butt!) are not built like mens', and of course this dude at the store wouldn't have realized that while he could wear this thing anywhere he wanted, I have certain curvature that wouldn't allow for that. And I know I could have just carried the bottles, but that's annoying too, and I am the type of person who just needs a lot of water during these runs, especially in the summer.
The last time I had a nervous breakdown was around the same point in my training for Phoenix. My training had taken me just past the half-marathon distance, but I was not yet comfortable with that 14-16 mile range, and I felt like I just couldn't do it. Derek was there for that episode as well, when he met me in Central Park and ran the last 5 miles with me. I don't know, there's something about breaking through that barrier to the "long" runs and then getting comfortable with running them every week. Now Bob Glover and some other competitive marathoners who have made training guides don't think long runs are actually long unless they are 18-20 miles. Most "commoners" would say anything over 8 is long. For me it starts to get tricky at 10 and up. Last week I was scheduled to do 15 but stopped at 11.5, mostly because my family had plans (we were at Walloon and had to go into town) and I didn't want to hold them up. This week I am saying I want to do 14 (not sure I can jump up to 15). But I just couldn't hang on today. After that whole freakout, Derek gave me another lightweight backpack to use, which was ok, and we started running, but my heart wasn't in it. So we turned around together, and then I did another 2 or so on my own for a total of 4 miles for today. Tomorrow we shall try again. But it's supposed to be 92 tomorrow, which is why I felt extra pressure to do my long run today. Oh well.
I guess I'm just not having a good day.
Got my ipod ready, got my gels and phone and keys and ID and cash (I'm beginning to feel like a crazy bag lady with pockets and pouches and fanny packs instead of bags, it's really annoying) and strapped on my new Amphipod double-bottle doohickey...and almost IMMEDIATELY the pouch started bouncing and then when I went to adjust it, one of the bottles fell out. Then, I tried tightening it and putting it up higher, but then my elbows kept banging into the bottles because they stick out to each side. WOW. I got TOTALLY frustrated, and even (I'm not proud to say this) threw down my visor, pouch, and ipod and pretty much had a hissy fit. (Derek is the most patient husband ever, and didn't freak out at me for freaking out, he just tried to calm me down. Thank you, honey. :))
This is not the first time I've had a major freakout at nothing while training. But, when you try so hard during the week, and on the weekend, to prepare and do everything right (get to sleep early, not drink alcohol, etc.), the last thing you want to have happen is some minor inconvenience that COMPLETELY affects your run. I was really upset about my Camelbak getting stolen, and I thought this Amphipod would be an ok substitute, but it's just not. And I'm annoyed at myself for listening to the guy at the store who said that the hydration backpacks are really only for cycling. I don't know, but I'd rather have the weight distributed among my shoulders and back than only on my lower back, with these bottles getting in the way and not even staying in place. Then of course I remembered that women's bodies (uh, hips/butt!) are not built like mens', and of course this dude at the store wouldn't have realized that while he could wear this thing anywhere he wanted, I have certain curvature that wouldn't allow for that. And I know I could have just carried the bottles, but that's annoying too, and I am the type of person who just needs a lot of water during these runs, especially in the summer.
The last time I had a nervous breakdown was around the same point in my training for Phoenix. My training had taken me just past the half-marathon distance, but I was not yet comfortable with that 14-16 mile range, and I felt like I just couldn't do it. Derek was there for that episode as well, when he met me in Central Park and ran the last 5 miles with me. I don't know, there's something about breaking through that barrier to the "long" runs and then getting comfortable with running them every week. Now Bob Glover and some other competitive marathoners who have made training guides don't think long runs are actually long unless they are 18-20 miles. Most "commoners" would say anything over 8 is long. For me it starts to get tricky at 10 and up. Last week I was scheduled to do 15 but stopped at 11.5, mostly because my family had plans (we were at Walloon and had to go into town) and I didn't want to hold them up. This week I am saying I want to do 14 (not sure I can jump up to 15). But I just couldn't hang on today. After that whole freakout, Derek gave me another lightweight backpack to use, which was ok, and we started running, but my heart wasn't in it. So we turned around together, and then I did another 2 or so on my own for a total of 4 miles for today. Tomorrow we shall try again. But it's supposed to be 92 tomorrow, which is why I felt extra pressure to do my long run today. Oh well.
I guess I'm just not having a good day.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Not Half Bad
Greetings from Slackerville.
Man, I have been sitting at this computer for roughly three hours now...mostly to update stuff on here. It has felt like the longest day EVER, probably because I got up before the sun rose and made Derek an egg-and-cheese sandwich - yum! (Had one myself later). Drove with him to work, then did 6 miles on the Erie & Canal Towpath in Independence. The body didn't feel awesome, but the mind did...it just felt great to do an early morning run, before the heat struck, on a serene trail.
Yesterday's speedwork session was awesome though, and I thought I'd share. Now on Tuesday, I had to do 6 miles and since I didn't have the car, I couldn't drive to a scenic spot, sooo I decided to do what I call the "two bridges run" -- Tremont to Downtown and back, via two different bridges. Let me say, it was HORRIBLE. I've done this run before, and it was fine, but Tuesday's heat and humidity were god awful and I felt as though I would melt within the first mile. But sometimes, ya know, the first mile hurts but then you fall into a rhythm. Nope. The entire. run. suuuuuucked! I even got back to Tremont and it was only 5 miles and I was like, "WTF?" so I had to run more. Ugh.
But I digress. Wednesday's speed session called for 4-6 x a half-mile @ 5K-10K pace, 5 miles total including warmup and cooldown. I was apprehensive about this because I had slept in, AGAIN, and didn't want to face that heat once more. HOWEVER. It was breezy and there was NO humidity so it was great!!! And here's the best part: my splits shocked me! In a good way. I usually consider 5K pace for me around 9:50 - 10 min/mile, and 10K is more like 10:30 min/mile. So I was expecting times of roughly 5:00-5:15, with the hope of not falling on my face by the last repeat (i.e., pacing myself properly to not go out too fast during the first two or three and not have enough energy left for the last ones). I know that, with intervals, you need to keep a consistent pace and make sure that your last repeat has as much "push" as the first. I also had in mind that I should have the feeling that the last one really HAD to be the last one, and not really "store" that much energy at the end. Otherwise, it's not really a workout, right? ;)
So here were my splits:
1 - 4:29 (uh-oh, reign it in!)
2 - 4:33 (hmm...that didn't feel that hard)
3 - 4:32
4 - 4:32 (whoa, that's even!)
5 - 4:25
6 - 4:17 (giving it a bunch more but not ALL-out)
I am thinking that perhaps the park was slightly under a half-mile all the way around...I did not have the Garmin with me but I looked it up on g-map pedometer and it said 0.52. I bet they measure from the curb, though, which accounts for a little shorter time. All in all, though, even if it was a little short, it would be spot-on with where I wanted to be...and if it was accurate, even better! It's amazing how much easier it is to do this workout, by the way, after doing the same thing a few weeks earlier with full miles. Now I kinda like half-miles. ;)
Rest day tomorrow, good thing, because I need to get bloodwork done in the morning, and that needs to be on an empty stomach, so that's not the greatest recipe for a run afterwards. On tap for tonight....STUFFED CABBAGE! My first time, but not my first experience with Jewish (well, Polish) cuisine. Pictures to follow, perhaps.
Man, I have been sitting at this computer for roughly three hours now...mostly to update stuff on here. It has felt like the longest day EVER, probably because I got up before the sun rose and made Derek an egg-and-cheese sandwich - yum! (Had one myself later). Drove with him to work, then did 6 miles on the Erie & Canal Towpath in Independence. The body didn't feel awesome, but the mind did...it just felt great to do an early morning run, before the heat struck, on a serene trail.
Yesterday's speedwork session was awesome though, and I thought I'd share. Now on Tuesday, I had to do 6 miles and since I didn't have the car, I couldn't drive to a scenic spot, sooo I decided to do what I call the "two bridges run" -- Tremont to Downtown and back, via two different bridges. Let me say, it was HORRIBLE. I've done this run before, and it was fine, but Tuesday's heat and humidity were god awful and I felt as though I would melt within the first mile. But sometimes, ya know, the first mile hurts but then you fall into a rhythm. Nope. The entire. run. suuuuuucked! I even got back to Tremont and it was only 5 miles and I was like, "WTF?" so I had to run more. Ugh.
But I digress. Wednesday's speed session called for 4-6 x a half-mile @ 5K-10K pace, 5 miles total including warmup and cooldown. I was apprehensive about this because I had slept in, AGAIN, and didn't want to face that heat once more. HOWEVER. It was breezy and there was NO humidity so it was great!!! And here's the best part: my splits shocked me! In a good way. I usually consider 5K pace for me around 9:50 - 10 min/mile, and 10K is more like 10:30 min/mile. So I was expecting times of roughly 5:00-5:15, with the hope of not falling on my face by the last repeat (i.e., pacing myself properly to not go out too fast during the first two or three and not have enough energy left for the last ones). I know that, with intervals, you need to keep a consistent pace and make sure that your last repeat has as much "push" as the first. I also had in mind that I should have the feeling that the last one really HAD to be the last one, and not really "store" that much energy at the end. Otherwise, it's not really a workout, right? ;)
So here were my splits:
1 - 4:29 (uh-oh, reign it in!)
2 - 4:33 (hmm...that didn't feel that hard)
3 - 4:32
4 - 4:32 (whoa, that's even!)
5 - 4:25
6 - 4:17 (giving it a bunch more but not ALL-out)
I am thinking that perhaps the park was slightly under a half-mile all the way around...I did not have the Garmin with me but I looked it up on g-map pedometer and it said 0.52. I bet they measure from the curb, though, which accounts for a little shorter time. All in all, though, even if it was a little short, it would be spot-on with where I wanted to be...and if it was accurate, even better! It's amazing how much easier it is to do this workout, by the way, after doing the same thing a few weeks earlier with full miles. Now I kinda like half-miles. ;)
Rest day tomorrow, good thing, because I need to get bloodwork done in the morning, and that needs to be on an empty stomach, so that's not the greatest recipe for a run afterwards. On tap for tonight....STUFFED CABBAGE! My first time, but not my first experience with Jewish (well, Polish) cuisine. Pictures to follow, perhaps.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Two Weeks in Review
Well, I'm back! Not that I've been "away" for THAT long, per se, but the last two weeks have been crazy. Not that I couldn't have blogged, but...I chose not to. For whatever reason. Let's recap:
Saturday, July 18: Weird Ale Fest going on at Lincoln Park; was gonna go, but didn't. Ate at Dish with Claire and Derek for lunch and then at the Bistro on Lincoln Park for dinner.
Sunday, July 19: Taste of Tremont! People were trying to explain what this was to me, and they were like, "All the restaurants come out onto Professor Avenue, and you can buy stuff..." I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like a STREET FAIR! And it was glorious! Tried Edison's Pizza for the first time, which was actually very good. Also, Derek had the loaded chips from Farenheit which he loved.
Week of July 20: Study, train, study, study, train, train, study, cram, pratice test, train, study.
Friday, July 24: Drive over an hour to Ashland, OH to stay at a weird hotel the night before the NTE/Praxis-II exams (yes, I had to take those even though I've been teaching for 7 years. Go figure). Figured out where the exam was to be held (at Ashland University - nice campus!), got some mango sorbet at the supermarket and watched What Not To Wear and Say Yes to the Dress in the hotel room ;)
Saturday, July 25: Exams at 7:30 and 10:30. Busted outta there and came home. Stuffed my face with delicious rolls from Blackbird Baking Company (which we had gotten in this week's large CSA package from Fresh Fork Market), drank some gatorade, and then...ran 2 miles downtown to the Winking Lizard's A Shot in the Dark 4-mile race! I love night races. It started at 5:25, so I left around 4:45 from the apartment to make sure I made it there in time to use the restroom and find the starting line (uh, no problem there; there were burgers grilling and Chumbawumba playing, not to mention that most people were drinking BEFORE the race - not my way to get a PR! ;)
The course was really great, we went through Ohio City and part of downtown. I saw bits of Ohio City that I had never seen before which was awesome. The only part(s) that were a little annoying were 1) there were not one, but TWO bridges involved - but of course I was thinking about the NY marathon and how this is just good practice for that!, and 2) I had to listen to two women talk about ovulation, and trying to get pregnant, for the middle 2 miles or so (that gave me the motivation to run faster to avoid hearing this conversation). I mean, does anyone else feel as though people talk about the most personal things during races that, like, nobody else really wants to hear? I don't know.
Started strong, kept it going through the middle, and finished VERY strong. A great race overall, although I didn't PR. But I am still happy that I rocked those bridges and I ran negative splits!!! That almost never happens. I was definitely reigning it in at the beginning, which is why that probably happened. But I usually have trouble pacing myself at the start because I get so excited and end up running at least one min/mile faster than I intended. Actually, for this race I was very shocked when I saw 10:40 for the first mile because, based on the huge bridge and the fact that I was trying to go slowly, I thought it was going to be around 11:30 for that mile.
Mile 1 - 10:40
Mile 2 - 10:36
Mile 3 - 10:13
Mile 4 - 9:39
Finishing Time: 41:08, 108/144 women 25-29. Hey, maybe I'll place better in these races next year....when I turn 30!!!! Yikes!
And on to last week...
Monday, July 27 - Put together IKEA bookshelves! All by myself! Wow!
Wednesday, July 28 - Sent my Ohio state teacher license application out, finally (although they have to wait to process it until my Praxis scores come in in 3 weeks - D'oh!), and then went to the airport to DETROIT! Becca picked me up and we drove 4+ hrs to Walloon Lake, Michigan. Paradise...pictures to follow (perhaps - I forgot my camera!! But Amy brought hers).
Now, back to the grind...training, looking for jobs (sent out 2 more resumes this week), etc. Roasting beets as we speak, actually! Always better to multitask. ;)
Saturday, July 18: Weird Ale Fest going on at Lincoln Park; was gonna go, but didn't. Ate at Dish with Claire and Derek for lunch and then at the Bistro on Lincoln Park for dinner.
Sunday, July 19: Taste of Tremont! People were trying to explain what this was to me, and they were like, "All the restaurants come out onto Professor Avenue, and you can buy stuff..." I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like a STREET FAIR! And it was glorious! Tried Edison's Pizza for the first time, which was actually very good. Also, Derek had the loaded chips from Farenheit which he loved.
Week of July 20: Study, train, study, study, train, train, study, cram, pratice test, train, study.
Friday, July 24: Drive over an hour to Ashland, OH to stay at a weird hotel the night before the NTE/Praxis-II exams (yes, I had to take those even though I've been teaching for 7 years. Go figure). Figured out where the exam was to be held (at Ashland University - nice campus!), got some mango sorbet at the supermarket and watched What Not To Wear and Say Yes to the Dress in the hotel room ;)
Saturday, July 25: Exams at 7:30 and 10:30. Busted outta there and came home. Stuffed my face with delicious rolls from Blackbird Baking Company (which we had gotten in this week's large CSA package from Fresh Fork Market), drank some gatorade, and then...ran 2 miles downtown to the Winking Lizard's A Shot in the Dark 4-mile race! I love night races. It started at 5:25, so I left around 4:45 from the apartment to make sure I made it there in time to use the restroom and find the starting line (uh, no problem there; there were burgers grilling and Chumbawumba playing, not to mention that most people were drinking BEFORE the race - not my way to get a PR! ;)
The course was really great, we went through Ohio City and part of downtown. I saw bits of Ohio City that I had never seen before which was awesome. The only part(s) that were a little annoying were 1) there were not one, but TWO bridges involved - but of course I was thinking about the NY marathon and how this is just good practice for that!, and 2) I had to listen to two women talk about ovulation, and trying to get pregnant, for the middle 2 miles or so (that gave me the motivation to run faster to avoid hearing this conversation). I mean, does anyone else feel as though people talk about the most personal things during races that, like, nobody else really wants to hear? I don't know.
Started strong, kept it going through the middle, and finished VERY strong. A great race overall, although I didn't PR. But I am still happy that I rocked those bridges and I ran negative splits!!! That almost never happens. I was definitely reigning it in at the beginning, which is why that probably happened. But I usually have trouble pacing myself at the start because I get so excited and end up running at least one min/mile faster than I intended. Actually, for this race I was very shocked when I saw 10:40 for the first mile because, based on the huge bridge and the fact that I was trying to go slowly, I thought it was going to be around 11:30 for that mile.
Mile 1 - 10:40
Mile 2 - 10:36
Mile 3 - 10:13
Mile 4 - 9:39
Finishing Time: 41:08, 108/144 women 25-29. Hey, maybe I'll place better in these races next year....when I turn 30!!!! Yikes!
And on to last week...
Monday, July 27 - Put together IKEA bookshelves! All by myself! Wow!
Wednesday, July 28 - Sent my Ohio state teacher license application out, finally (although they have to wait to process it until my Praxis scores come in in 3 weeks - D'oh!), and then went to the airport to DETROIT! Becca picked me up and we drove 4+ hrs to Walloon Lake, Michigan. Paradise...pictures to follow (perhaps - I forgot my camera!! But Amy brought hers).
Now, back to the grind...training, looking for jobs (sent out 2 more resumes this week), etc. Roasting beets as we speak, actually! Always better to multitask. ;)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Doing Nothing, Well
It's been a little while since my last post -- I guess I've been "doing nothing well," as some of my fellow teachers used to say about kids who wouldn't behave. ;)
But seriously, I have been spending my days doing the following things, more or less in this order but with some variety:
This has pretty much been satisfying for the most part, even though I am really doing not much of anything. I think it's the joy of summer vacation. A lot of people plan trips to new places, go to the beach, go explore the great things a city might have to offer during the summertime (damn you NYC and the High Line among so many other things I want to do and see!), but I worked myself so much into a stupor this past year that I am content to do pretty much nothing.
Don't get me wrong, I am very excited to go to Walloon Lake, Michigan at the end of this month (more to come on that) or for a VERY brief visit to New York for Heather's wedding at the end of August (wish I could stay longer!). But I pretty much don't feel like I need to make any other major plans right now. My life, for the last year or even two, has been filled with excitement, stress, change, etc. (moving twice AND getting married!) so I am fine right now. I would say I like being lazy, but marathon training and lazy don't really mix, so I will say I am being active physically and mellow mentally. Hmm, that doesn't sound great either. Oh well. But I am happy.
Training schedule for this past week has been as follows:
Monday - Off
Tuesday - 3 miles (I ran this one easy on the Ohio Erie Towpath, and then had a rather invigorating pilates session at Studio 11 in the evening)
Wednesday - 5 miles, with 2-4 x a mile @ 5k - 10k pace. This was a GREAT workout, and I enjoyed it far more than I expected. (I usually dread speedwork.) Ran a mile slowly to warm up until I got to the Steelyard path, then did my first fast mile @ 9:08, which was TOO FAST for my 5k pace, but it was mostly downhill (plus I saw some sketchy dudes on bikes so I thought I would pick up the pace...just kidding Mom). Then cooled down for a mile, and did the second fast mile @10:40, a little slower than 10k pace, BUT I noticed on my Garmin that I spent a good portion of this mile at just around 9:53 pace, which is great for 5k. What killed me is that humongous hill--the same one that got me shooting down at first, really pulled the brakes on my speed at the end. Still, I am glad for that split because I usually struggle up that hill. :) Then cooled down for a mile on the way home.
Thursday - another easy 3 miles
Friday - Off!!!!
Saturday - 13 miles
Sunday - 3 miles.
I may switch Saturday and Sunday, and substitute the 3-miler for this "Skinny Bitch" class at the yoga studio Saturday. I don't usually like changing the schedule around, but this class is awesome and I haven't gone to it in a few weeks. I've heard it's often good to change around your workout; once you reach a weight-loss "plateau" it's good to vary the exercises you do and stuff. Plus I need upper-body and core work and this class takes care of that for sure! Speaking of which, I am annoyed that since marathon training I have actually gained 2 pounds! Arggg! I am hoping it's just that I've built muscle tone...and not that I've been overeating as a result of overrunning...haha. I looked this up online and actually found an about.com blog written by Christine Luff, one of my former TNT coaches! She is awesome so of course I had to read it.
Anyway, that's about it for now. Oh, one more thing -- Derek and I signed up to be members of Fresh Fork Market, a food co-op, in order to support local agriculture. We get our first package tomorrow! More on that later!
*Note: I did remember sunscreen on my Wednesday and Thursday runs!
But seriously, I have been spending my days doing the following things, more or less in this order but with some variety:
- Get a mediocre night's sleep; drive Derek to work or sometimes sleep in
- Drink coffee and make fun of the Today show; eat something; talk to Mom
- Run a short to medium distance, more often than not in heat and humidity
- Kick self after forgetting to wear sunscreen and then vowing to do so next time*
- Shower and put on something "normal" (i.e., NOT pajamas or running clothes)
- Eat lunch while watching Netflix DVDs
- Attempt to get some part of the apartment looking nicer, in spurts (e.g., putting up 2-3 framed pieces of artwork; obsessively scrubbing kitchen floor)
- Take a walk/do something productive outside (like go to the West Side Market, walk around the neighborhood, or read on the balcony)
- Change back into pajamas and take a nap
- Pick Derek up from work/cook dinner
This has pretty much been satisfying for the most part, even though I am really doing not much of anything. I think it's the joy of summer vacation. A lot of people plan trips to new places, go to the beach, go explore the great things a city might have to offer during the summertime (damn you NYC and the High Line among so many other things I want to do and see!), but I worked myself so much into a stupor this past year that I am content to do pretty much nothing.
Don't get me wrong, I am very excited to go to Walloon Lake, Michigan at the end of this month (more to come on that) or for a VERY brief visit to New York for Heather's wedding at the end of August (wish I could stay longer!). But I pretty much don't feel like I need to make any other major plans right now. My life, for the last year or even two, has been filled with excitement, stress, change, etc. (moving twice AND getting married!) so I am fine right now. I would say I like being lazy, but marathon training and lazy don't really mix, so I will say I am being active physically and mellow mentally. Hmm, that doesn't sound great either. Oh well. But I am happy.
Training schedule for this past week has been as follows:
Monday - Off
Tuesday - 3 miles (I ran this one easy on the Ohio Erie Towpath, and then had a rather invigorating pilates session at Studio 11 in the evening)
Wednesday - 5 miles, with 2-4 x a mile @ 5k - 10k pace. This was a GREAT workout, and I enjoyed it far more than I expected. (I usually dread speedwork.) Ran a mile slowly to warm up until I got to the Steelyard path, then did my first fast mile @ 9:08, which was TOO FAST for my 5k pace, but it was mostly downhill (plus I saw some sketchy dudes on bikes so I thought I would pick up the pace...just kidding Mom). Then cooled down for a mile, and did the second fast mile @10:40, a little slower than 10k pace, BUT I noticed on my Garmin that I spent a good portion of this mile at just around 9:53 pace, which is great for 5k. What killed me is that humongous hill--the same one that got me shooting down at first, really pulled the brakes on my speed at the end. Still, I am glad for that split because I usually struggle up that hill. :) Then cooled down for a mile on the way home.
Thursday - another easy 3 miles
Friday - Off!!!!
Saturday - 13 miles
Sunday - 3 miles.
I may switch Saturday and Sunday, and substitute the 3-miler for this "Skinny Bitch" class at the yoga studio Saturday. I don't usually like changing the schedule around, but this class is awesome and I haven't gone to it in a few weeks. I've heard it's often good to change around your workout; once you reach a weight-loss "plateau" it's good to vary the exercises you do and stuff. Plus I need upper-body and core work and this class takes care of that for sure! Speaking of which, I am annoyed that since marathon training I have actually gained 2 pounds! Arggg! I am hoping it's just that I've built muscle tone...and not that I've been overeating as a result of overrunning...haha. I looked this up online and actually found an about.com blog written by Christine Luff, one of my former TNT coaches! She is awesome so of course I had to read it.
Anyway, that's about it for now. Oh, one more thing -- Derek and I signed up to be members of Fresh Fork Market, a food co-op, in order to support local agriculture. We get our first package tomorrow! More on that later!
*Note: I did remember sunscreen on my Wednesday and Thursday runs!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
How many Clevelanders does it take to put together an Ikea bookshelf?
Hey! It's been awhile since my last entry, partially because I've been going crazy trying to get this apartment looking "decent" for my mother's visit TOMORROW, and partially because I was away for the weekend. Derek and I went to Troy, Michigan, to visit his parents and sisters. We had a great time. I did my long run of 8 miles (at least part of it) on the beautiful and serene Clinton River Trail, and it felt great. I wish I could run all of my runs on trails and not on city streets.
Which brings me to today's run. It felt good for the most part, but it was a little bit hotter than last week. The breeze was nice, however, especially over the Lorain bridge (also known as route 10) that goes east into downtown Cleveland. Here's what it looked like: Tremont/Lorain Bridge
The map says it was 4.2 miles, but my Garmin Forerunner said 4 pretty much exactly (in fact, I had to circle the block once more to get to 4 miles). Oh well, no biggie, just as long as I'm logging around the right amount.
Mileage for this week is as follows (by the way, in case you're wondering, I'm following a 16-week training program outlined by Bob and Shelly Lynn Glover from their book The Competitive Runner's Handbook) :
Monday - Off
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles (with 3-4 long-hill repeats)
Thursday - 4 miles
Friday - Off
Saturday - 10 miles
Sunday - 3 miles
Total Mileage: 25 miles.
I am also going to try my best to do some "core" work as well as strength training/flexibility (pilates, yoga, weights). I figure I have the summer free, why not make the most of the training? Plus I have a tendency to get (minor) injuries...I want to make sure that I protect my muscles and stretch often, and also build core strength so that I don't get any more back pain - what a nuisance.
In other news...Derek and I went to Ikea on the way back from Michigan! We got some stuff for the apartment but plan on ordering a few bigger bookcases online. I'll keep you posted.
Which brings me to today's run. It felt good for the most part, but it was a little bit hotter than last week. The breeze was nice, however, especially over the Lorain bridge (also known as route 10) that goes east into downtown Cleveland. Here's what it looked like: Tremont/Lorain Bridge
The map says it was 4.2 miles, but my Garmin Forerunner said 4 pretty much exactly (in fact, I had to circle the block once more to get to 4 miles). Oh well, no biggie, just as long as I'm logging around the right amount.
Mileage for this week is as follows (by the way, in case you're wondering, I'm following a 16-week training program outlined by Bob and Shelly Lynn Glover from their book The Competitive Runner's Handbook) :
Monday - Off
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles (with 3-4 long-hill repeats)
Thursday - 4 miles
Friday - Off
Saturday - 10 miles
Sunday - 3 miles
Total Mileage: 25 miles.
I am also going to try my best to do some "core" work as well as strength training/flexibility (pilates, yoga, weights). I figure I have the summer free, why not make the most of the training? Plus I have a tendency to get (minor) injuries...I want to make sure that I protect my muscles and stretch often, and also build core strength so that I don't get any more back pain - what a nuisance.
In other news...Derek and I went to Ikea on the way back from Michigan! We got some stuff for the apartment but plan on ordering a few bigger bookcases online. I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Training Time
I started training for my next marathon this week (New York City folks!!!!) and so far, so good, although it doesn't really start getting "weird" until the double-digit long runs start taking over the weekends. That's when I resign myself to finishing my 15-miler or whatever, taking a shower, getting a burrito bol from Chipotle (which Oh My God, HAS SO MANY CALORIES!!!!), and watching America's Next Top Model reruns all day.
But that's not happening yet. This week, I'm just doing/did the following:
Monday - Off
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles (2 miles @ tempo)
Thursday - 4 miles
Friday - Off
Saturday - 8 miles
Sunday - 3 miles
Total Mileage: 22 miles.
I've been using google's gmap-pedometer to create routes around my new neighbhorhood, although to be honest, I really hate running on sidewalks. I've been able to get to a couple of paths here and there, but there just not as accessible as in Madison (where it seemed like everywhere you turn there's another continuation of another bike/running path) or in NY (hello, Central Park and Riverside Park!). I know about the Cleveland Metroparks, but they are not within walking/running distance so I'm going to have to take a couple trips in the car. But when our friends in the area took us to one in Rocky River, I was amazed at how beautiful it was, and how the paths stretched on for miles and miles. Those parks will be worth it for long runs, I'm sure.
Also, nearby (about 1 mile away) there's this development called Steelyard Commons, which was put there fairly recently and has a Target, Staples (yay teacher supplies), Best Buy, Old Navy, Home Depot, Wal-mart (my soul dies each time I set foot in there), Starbucks, and, as fate would have it, Chipotle! Anyway, all this stuff was constructed on the site of an actual steelyard, and there's a paved bicyle/running path that curves down along the side of it and then winds behind it. Apparently this turns into 30-something miles of bike path, called the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath. It's pretty cool. I've only ventured a couple of miles down it, but I'll try more on the longer runs. The added bonus for this route is that there is a huge hill that you have to run down to get down to the Steelyard area...and thus, will need to run back UP to finish. :) Do I see some long-hill repeats in my future? Yes, I do.
Also, our landlord just gave us this addendum to our lease granting us access to the fitness center in one of his other buildings downtown, which is great! This means that I don't have to suffer through the winter as much. Plus, I do like the treadmill for the sake of having headphones on without worry, and a water bottle you can just sit next to you, plus it's a little easier on my legs than pavement :)
In other news, Derek and I plan on visiting his family in Detroit for the long weekend (Derek gets tomorrow off!), so that'll be fun. It's always nice to be surrounded by family :) And my mom visits next Wednesday! Look out, Cleveland...
But that's not happening yet. This week, I'm just doing/did the following:
Monday - Off
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles (2 miles @ tempo)
Thursday - 4 miles
Friday - Off
Saturday - 8 miles
Sunday - 3 miles
Total Mileage: 22 miles.
I've been using google's gmap-pedometer to create routes around my new neighbhorhood, although to be honest, I really hate running on sidewalks. I've been able to get to a couple of paths here and there, but there just not as accessible as in Madison (where it seemed like everywhere you turn there's another continuation of another bike/running path) or in NY (hello, Central Park and Riverside Park!). I know about the Cleveland Metroparks, but they are not within walking/running distance so I'm going to have to take a couple trips in the car. But when our friends in the area took us to one in Rocky River, I was amazed at how beautiful it was, and how the paths stretched on for miles and miles. Those parks will be worth it for long runs, I'm sure.
Also, nearby (about 1 mile away) there's this development called Steelyard Commons, which was put there fairly recently and has a Target, Staples (yay teacher supplies), Best Buy, Old Navy, Home Depot, Wal-mart (my soul dies each time I set foot in there), Starbucks, and, as fate would have it, Chipotle! Anyway, all this stuff was constructed on the site of an actual steelyard, and there's a paved bicyle/running path that curves down along the side of it and then winds behind it. Apparently this turns into 30-something miles of bike path, called the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath. It's pretty cool. I've only ventured a couple of miles down it, but I'll try more on the longer runs. The added bonus for this route is that there is a huge hill that you have to run down to get down to the Steelyard area...and thus, will need to run back UP to finish. :) Do I see some long-hill repeats in my future? Yes, I do.
Also, our landlord just gave us this addendum to our lease granting us access to the fitness center in one of his other buildings downtown, which is great! This means that I don't have to suffer through the winter as much. Plus, I do like the treadmill for the sake of having headphones on without worry, and a water bottle you can just sit next to you, plus it's a little easier on my legs than pavement :)
In other news, Derek and I plan on visiting his family in Detroit for the long weekend (Derek gets tomorrow off!), so that'll be fun. It's always nice to be surrounded by family :) And my mom visits next Wednesday! Look out, Cleveland...
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