Don't Get Any On Ya

Adding the ricotta to my la-la-la-lasagna

Last night I ran quarter-mile repeats- this week's workout said that I should only run 6 this week, which was good because I had to run some errands last night. Next week it says I should run 16 though, so I'll be paying for last night's puny workout. I also had the pleasure of seeing my brother at the gym last night. He's been a member for several months now, but usually arrives a bit later than I do and uses the weight machines in areas that I haven't even stepped foot in the entire 3 years I've been a member at Boston Sports Club.

After the gym, I went to the grocery store in anticipation of our weekend ski outing to Sunday River. I made a lasagna and stromboli to bring up with us, so we'll get to use the little kitchen in our condo for activities other than mixing drinks. We're heading up to Maine tonight with our friends Brad and Jenny, so the next time I post hopefully it will be to celebrate the Patriots victory! I don't have any runs planned this weekend, because skiing with my husband and Brad is like being in basic training, as their goal is to get "first lift" and they have to be coerced into taking a lunch break. 3 days x 8 hours of skiing=my weekend workouts. Have a great weekend! Go Pats!

House of Pain

Last night I had a quick workout on the elliptical machine and then headed over to Bella Sante for my massage. I don't get massages on a regular basis; usually just when I have a gift certificate I get the basic Swedish one because it's the cheapest. This time I decided to pony up the extra $5 and got the deep tissue massage, which is described as: "A deep pressure version of our award-winning Spa Massage works to fully relax the muscles and relieve muscular tension." I've been feeling a lot of tension in my back and shoulders, so I thought, Bring it on. Prior to getting started, my masseuse told me just to speak up if he was "killing me." In college, my karate sensei usually would demonstrate self-defense techniques on me because I could handle the pain, so I wasn't worried... 20 minutes into the massage, Darryn had my neck, back and shoulders loose as a goose, and then he moved onto my calves. Apparently they were a lot tighter than my back muscles, because any relaxation I felt quickly melted into searing pain as he worked through the knots. I tried to be a trooper about it, but I realized at one point I was biting the cushion that surrounds your head when you're on the massage table. Poor Darryn got the message when he was massaging my left calf and my right leg started kicking up and down in agony. He gave me some pointers on stretching and lo and behold, today I feel a lot better. Overall, it was sort of the emotional equivalent to getting a [insert body part here] wax. You don't want to do it, you know it's going to hurt, but afterwards you're happy you didn't wuss out.

Tonight are quarter mile repeats.

Looking for a Good Run?

For the past 3 years, Nick and I have participated in Boston's Run to Remember. It's a 5 mile or half marathon course that starts & finishes on Seaport Blvd in South Boston. The half marathon course takes you through downtown and along the Charles, and is a fun and scenic run. The race is extremely well-organized. There's a running Expo the day before the race where you can pick up your numbers & t-shirts, as well as discounted running gear. Also, after the race there is a TON of food- cookies, bagels, chips, juice, fruit, etc. Not bad for $50. It's sponsored by the Boston Police Department and Boston Police Runner's Club and "benefits Kids at Risk Programs throughout the City of Boston." Anyway, the point of this post is that registration is open and usually fills up, so if you're interested in running a fun race for a good cause, you should register soon. The only bad part is that they take photos of you while you're crossing the finish line, and 13 miles later- no one looks good. (See below.)

Motivated Monday

Yesterday I ran for 40 minutes, and it was the first time since the beginning of the year that I had to wait for a treadmill to free up and there was still a line when I finished my workout. Today I have 30 minutes of cross-training, which will hopefully see me on an elliptical machine and not some other gait simulator.
This morning I had a contact lens checkup at Mass Eye and Ear. I arrived half an hour early, and my doctor actually saw me when I got there, which was completely unexpected, yet appreciated. I thought I'd sit there for at least 40 minutes paging through old magazines. Also, I had to get a new ID card on my way out to update my last name, and that took all of 3 minutes. Not only is the medical care top-notch, but in my experience, the hospital is very well-run. In other words, you should donate to Team Eye and Ear!
Tonight, after my run, I am getting a deep tissue massage at Bella Sante in Boston. My neck, shoulders and back are taking a beating from the longer runs on pavement, so I decided to use the gift certificate I've been holding onto since my birthday last July. Nick gave me a gift certificate for 2 massages and the first one was heavenly, so I'm looking forward to a relaxing time tonight.

Worst Movie Ever

Why shouldn't you see this movie? (beat) Because, I said so.

Like the title says, yesterday I watched the worst movie ever. I slept until 11, cleaned the house and then sat down to watch TV. I was sick of ESPN's Winter X Games and NESN's seemingly 24 hour Super Bowl coverage, so I flipped to HBO and saw that "Because I Said So" had just started. I sort of figured the movie would be bad in a "that was so cheesy, but mildly entertaining"way; like "The Holiday" or other chick flicks. I also figured that you can't go too wrong with Diane Keaton. Unfortunately, you can; and now those are 2 hours I can't get back. And, to my delight, the Washington Post called it the Worst Movie of 2007!

Tonight is a 40 minute run at the gym.

Sleeping In

Thank you to Uncle Billy & Aunt Kim for their generous donations! Also, I want to wish Uncle Billy and my cousin Taylor, Happy Birthday!

Let me start out by saying that I wish I was wearing that random guy's coat from the previous post yesterday! It was cold! I had on spandex pants with a lined running pant over them, and 3 layers on top: including a bad ass Under Armor top, as well as, a hat, gator, and gloves. I cannot recommend these gloves enough! My hand are always freezing cold in the winter, and yesterday, running in below freezing weather, they were warm. I got them for $19.99 at Marathon Sports, and recommend them to anyone who's looking for a good running glove.

Yesterday's run was a 16.2 mile loop from FitCorp at One Beacon Street. We ran down Beacon Street, hung a left at Cleveland Circle, ran around the reservoir, ran past the Boston College dorms and took a right onto Walnut Street in Newton. The 8.1 mile marker was somewhere on Walnut Street and from there we hung a right onto Comm Ave to loop back to One Beacon. We got to run up Heartbreak Hill again, which was good practice. I just keep my head down and it's not too bad. Thank goodness there were a lot of Gatorade and water stops set up for us, because to demonstrate how cold it was, the water in my fuel belt froze and I couldn't drink from them for most of the run... As far as gel goes, I brought a Power Bar gel and another Clif gel, and while the Clif gel was awesome, I couldn't open the Power Bar gel. You're supposed to be able to rip the packets open with your teeth, but after several failed attempts I had to give up. Nick told me that he had the same problem with them, so they are officially off the list. I finished the run in 2:44, came home and slept for almost three hours!
Last night we went to our friend Brad's surprise birthday party that his girlfriend Jenny hosted for him. It was a fun time, but we left around 12 because my feet were tired and Nick was getting up early to go skiing today with my brother and another friend of ours. I was debating going with them, but I decided to sleep in and woke up at 11, which I haven't done in years, so I guess my body was trying to tell me something. Today's a rest day and Dwayne (my cat) and I are just hanging out.

Brrr!

Tomorrow's "high" is 33! Maybe this guy I saw walking around Boston this afternoon will lend me his jacket?

TGIF

Last night I spent 30 minutes on what seemed to be a bastardized version of an elliptical machine. It was slim pickings for machines last night and I had to take what I could get. This thing looked like one of those old sketches that people might have drawn before there were airplanes (minus the crude wings attached to it.) Anyway, I tried to find it's name, but it just said "Cybex" across the front. I just did a Google search, and it turns out I was on the Total Body Arc trainer. It also turns out that I was wrong in thinking that I was on an elliptical machine, because there's an article explaining why the Body Arc "gait simulator" (you learn something new everyday) is FAR superior to the elliptical machine. Well, maybe I have a lot to learn about gait simulators, but I felt ridiculous on this contraption...

Tomorrow is 16 miles... yikes!

Wednesday re-cap

My 2 favorite workouts are the long Saturday runs and Wednesday's quarter mile repeats. Last night's repeats were good- the time goes by so quickly when it's broken down into 2 minute intervals. This time I forced myself to do a full 10 minute cool down, and it really made a difference in terms of how I felt afterwards. Last week I didn't get my heart rate down enough and was convinced I was going to have a heart attack. This week was much better; it's an interesting workout because even though I'm moving for so long, I don't feel out of breath at the end, which is why I probably felt I could skip most of my cool down last week. Tonight is a cross-training night.

Perrie Cataldo, the next American Idol?

Idol was only "eh" last night. Let's face it- Charleston, SC gave Simon plenty of opportunity to roll his eyes. Oh, and it turns out Perrie Cataldo, the single dad I liked so much from Tuesday's episode, has a bit of a past, but for now he still has my vote. The guy can sing.

Wednesday Quarter Mile Repeats...

Anyone who watched tennis in the 90's knows the terrible sound that followed her swing...

I have the quarter mile repeat workout again tonight. It will be the same schedule that I posted last Wednesday. After everything was said and done, it wasn't that bad, but it's a long time to spend on a treadmill without getting kicked off during busy season. Last week was OK, so hopefully even more people have already forgotten about their resolutions. Last night I did another 30 minute hill workout at level 10. The workout was fine, but the guy next to me was basically the Monica Seles of the elliptical machine. That is, he was a grunter. He must have been at a very low (if any) resistance level, because his feet were flying around so quickly he looked like the Road Runner. Every once in a while it would just be too much for him and he'd run his hands quickly through his hair to shake out the sweat (gross) and make some terrible guttural sound. He got off the machine about halfway through my workout, but then didn't wipe his machine down... Come on, people! It's cold and flu season! Be courteous.

American Idol was pretty good last night- but I liked the San Antonio auditions better. Last night, my favorite was the single dad who's son was his mini-me.

2 Thumbs Up

Thank you Pete & Tammy for your donation!

Yesterday I ran 40 minutes at the gym and then met my friends for the movie. "27 Dresses" was actually good. There was a lame montage, and even though it was sort of like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," as far as romantic comedies go this was pretty funny. Tonight is my 30 minute cross-training, so I'll probably hop on the elliptical machine again.

Superbowl Bound!

Many thanks to Cullen and Nell for their generous donations!!

Yesterday was a rest day, and earlier in the afternoon we went to Bob & Gina's house to watch the Patriots beat the Chargers. My friend Vince is a San Diego fan, so it was fun to have some rivalry in the room. Then I took off around halftime to go to my book club meeting, and I got to watch the last quarter of the game at my friend Jen's house. Since this month's pick was "One Hundred Years of Solitude" Jen made black beans, rice and burritos with mojo sauce. Ole! They were awesome. I linked to the recipe because the mojo sauce was especially good- not too spicy, but very flavorful. Earlier in the day I made 2 football cakes and brought one to each event, which I like to think brought the Patriots good luck! I'm hosting book club next month and am leaning towards choosing, "Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography" because I can't get enough of his Cruisaziness.

Today I'll go to the gym for a 40 minute run and then meet up with some friends to see 27 Dresses, for which I have very low expectations.

It Started with a Pomegranate Martini

and ended with several Bud Lights.... After dinner at Lucca, drinks at the Purple Shamrock & Black Rose and getting in around 2 am, my 6:15 wake up call didn't go so well this morning... I skipped the group run, but ran on my own around Southie for an hour and a half. I figured, last time we did the 10.5 mile run I did it in 97 minutes, so this is probably comparable distance wise. It was so cold running by the water that there were ice chunks starting to form in my fuel belt water bottles, so hopefully I don't come down with a terrible cold or anything. I missed running along the marathon route and will remember how boring today's run was next time I'm tempted to skip again. The highlight of my run was about 55 minutes in when I tried the Strawberry Clif Shot. This tasted so much better than the GU- and not just better, it actually tasted good. Good as in, if you put it on top of some vanilla ice cream you wouldn't have known you were eating an energy shot. Tomorrow is a rest day!

Many Thanks!

I received donations from my friends Leah and Candice yesterday! Thank you!!! The total raised so far is $760.00- and thanks to my generous friends and family I am more than 25% to meeting my goal (and it's only January!)

Last night, I enjoyed my "rest day" and a fun dinner with Sharon. Tonight's workout is a light 40 minute run, and then Saturday is a 10.5 mile run with the FitCorp crowd. It will be the same route as 2 weeks ago- from the Woodlawn T stop back to One Beacon Street. The weather is a high of 35, so it's going to be pretty chilly out there. Oh, and wish me luck with this week's GU flavor- Lime!

Live Strong and Prosper

People who have run the Boston marathon before have a lot of advice for marathon newbies. One particular bit that I've dismissed time and time again is to find someone at your pace and chat while you run to make the time pass. I really dislike talking to other people while I run and it's even worse to have 2 Chatty Kathy's next to you; however, I'm willing to make an exception for Lance. We can talk about how "Soak up the Sun" is the most annoying song ever and get to the bottom of that pesky Olsen twin rumor.

Lance Armstrong to run the Boston Marathon

Quarter Mile Repeats

Surprisingly, this workout went by really quickly! The treadmill has a manual function where you can set workout goals by either time or distance. In this case, I choose time and once the total time you plan to run is plugged in, you can then set mini-goals. (See chart below.) The only snag was that you can only set up to 10 mini-goals per workout, so I broke it down to 3 24 minute larger workouts and set the goals according to where I was on on the chart. I actually felt pretty good afterwards, but next Wednesday I'm going to dedicate more time to my cool down. My breathing felt a little funny still once I got home, and Nick had to convince me I wasn't having a heart attack.
Tonight is a rest night and I'm having dinner with my friend Sharon at Bangkok Blue.

Let's see how this goes...

This is my quarter mile repeat shedule for tonight

Sitting around, minding my biz

Milo Turk

How funny was that Milo Turk on American Idol last night? I almost fell off the couch when he started singing, "No sex allowed!" A quick Google search shows that this guy was just performing an established act. It was the first time I saw it though, and it was hysterical (especially the look on Simon's face.) I'm not a huge American Idol fan; however, I do try and watch the audition shows, because the terrible people are funny and it's heart-warming to see the talented ones get a yellow (golden?) ticket and celebrate with their families.

Anyway... I decided to skip the comfortable bike for the elliptical machine last night. I did 30 minutes of "rolling hills" at level 10 (out of 20.) Level 10 wasn't terribly difficult, but it wasn't easy. Level 20 must be like trying to pedal through cement. Tonight I am going to take my wind sprint workout to the treadmill. I think it will be easy to program, but let's hope the high speeds don't throw me off the thing! In high school, my friend's dad was on a treadmill and he tried to take his sweatshirt off while still running... He fell off the treadmill, landed on his back and had to reassure the staff that he hadn't in fact suffered from a heart attack as was originally suspected, but was simply a victim of poor judgement.

Sweet Potato Fries

Last night I planned to meet my friend/gym buddy, Leah, at the gym for a workout and dinner. I ran at a light pace for 40 minutes (6.3 mph for 20 minutes and 6.1 mph for the next 20 minutes.) Then we went to Elephant & Castle for a fun dinner. This is a great pub with excellent food- I've had several menu items here, but always go back to the veggie burger. They top their burger with a spicy tomato mixture and the patty is made from scratch. I hate it when I order a veggie burger at a restaurant and it's just a reheated Boca burger or something... The highlight of the meal though is the sweet potato fries. Delicious. The best veggie burger I've come across in Boston is at Houston's. E&C's is very good, but tastes like cardboard compared to Houston's. This is all the opinion of a non-vegetarian though, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Anyway, tonight since the roads are very icy and I'm still dressing my wounds from last Wednesday's dust biting, I'm going to do my 30 minute cross training tonight and then do my sprints on the treadmill on Wednesday.

Rest Day

I had a headache for most of the day yesterday and wasn't able to really do too much. I think it's because I didn't drink enough water on Saturday after the run and drank a few Labatt's during the Pat's game. I have been trying to drink more water during the day, but sometimes it's hard to remember- especially if I don't feel thirsty. But like my book likes to point out: If you wait to drink water until you're thirsty, it's too late.
I did manage to go to EMS, and although they didn't sell the spandex I was looking for, I did get 2 different kinds of running gels to try instead of GU. I have high hopes for the Clif shot- their bars actually taste good. And while I do enjoy regular Power Bars (cookies and cream, especially!) I just have a feeling that the Clif will go down easier.
Tonight I'm going to do a 40 minute light run, and tomorrow I was going to do a FitCorp hill workout; however, Boston is being blanketed with snow now, so I'll probably stick to the treadmill this week.

GU or ew?

Yesterday morning I ran a 14 mile run with the FitCorp crowd, and was powered by Linda's awesome shrimp scampi from Friday's dinner. I got really lucky with the weather-sunny and pretty warm for the middle of January. It only got really chilly about miles 6-10 while we were in the Chestnut Hill/Newton area. Basically the course took us from One Beacon Street (right near the Park Street T) down Beacon St to Cleveland Circle, and then hanging a left at CC, we ran around the Res and up to Centre Street in Newton- which was the 7 mile marker. (Originally I had thought we were going to run down Comm Ave.) The course was fast and since it was so early in the morning, we didn't hit too much sidewalk traffic.

A couple weeks ago, I bought several packets of GU to practice eating while on my longer runs. I had never had GU before and I bought 4 flavors thinking that I could find the least offensive and stick to that in the marathon. Yesterday, I debuted "Orange Burst" knowing that it would probably taste like cough syrup. At mile 7 I fished the GU out of my fuel belt (that's right, I rocked the fuel belt too) and couldn't open the packet because I couldn't move my hands that well because they were so cold. So, like the running animal I am, I ripped the packet open with my teeth. For those unfamiliar with GU, it's exactly like it sounds. A flavored blob that's the consistency of baby snot- thick and mucous-like, but not runny at all. I knew that I had to get used to eating this stuff, so with my water bottle in one hand I stuck the packet in my mouth and pushed the contents into my mouth while trying not to taste anything. It hit my stomach with a thud and for a minute I was scared I was going to throw it right back up. I chased it with water and got shouts of encouragement from people running opposite me: "Oh yeah! The GU! GU! GU! GU!" They must have recognized me as a first timer from the repulsed look on my face. I have to say though that it gave me the kick I needed, so hopefully next week's Lime flavor will go down better. Or, at least I'll know what to expect. In the end, I finished in 2:29 and felt good with the exception of my feet. Today I'm going to EMS to buy a new pair of spandex to replace the pair I tore in my fall.

Yesterday was a Rest Day

My book gave me the option of 30 minutes of cross-training or a rest day, so with my knees still bandaged, I chose rest day. Instead I got a haircut, which was relaxing. At work we receive a 15% discount at Aveda, which is a little bit fancier than where I'd normally go to get a haircut, but the discount evens things out more or less. The best part is the head, neck and shoulder massage- makes me wish I needed a haircut at least once a month.

On Saturday I'm doing a 14 mile run with the FitCorp group. 14 miles is a mile longer than the farthest I've ever run, so wish me luck! The weather for Saturday looks awesome- 46 degrees and sunny.

Woman Vs. Street! (Or, the Worst Bear Grylls Impression You've Ever Heard)

So here is my first video for the blog! Some back story on this. Tonight was my first wind sprint workout and since someone told me that the track in Southie was lit at night, I thought it would be much better running there than on a treadmill. I jogged the 10 minutes to the track only to find that it was not lit at night. Seeing as how the track is not in the nicest part of town, I figured I would do my workout along the way back towards a better lit/safer area. Everything was going smoothly- I was sprinting for about 2 minutes, than walking for about 2 minutes. Around my 4th or so sprint, I tripped in a pothole, fell flat on my face (in the middle of the street no less), tore open my spandex pants at the knee and consequently gashed open my knee. Yes, I am that graceful. I managed to finish up my intended 10 sprints and recoveries with a jog home, but it was a little painful. Below is a photo of my knee and above is my dramatic video enactment a la Bear Grylls from "Man vs. Wild." Also, next week I think I'll run on the treadmill.

I want to ride my bicycle

Last night I had 30 minutes of cross-training on my training schedule, and per my book's recommendation, I hopped on a stationary bike. Since I never ride the bike, I just selected a hill workout that looked good, leaned back and pedaled. The seat was reclined, had a back and arm rests to it and was a little cushiony. At first I thought that I must have been doing something wrong because I was too comfortable, but everyone around me was doing the same thing I was, so I leaned back, flipped the channel to E! and had an enjoyable 30 minute workout watching "Britney Spears: Fall From Grace." At the end of the workout, I had worked up a decent sweat and had enjoyed watching old footage of Justin Timberlake's corn rows and bad wardrobe choices.

"Help me bring sexy back."

Last night's workout

Last night I ran 40 minutes. The first 20 minutes were at 6.2 mph at a 1.5 incline. The next 10 minutes were 6.2 mph with no incline and then for the remaining 10 minutes I dropped down to 6.0 and then after each minute dropped a tenth of a mile per hour that had me finish at 5.1 mph with a 2 minute cool down. Tonight's workout calls for 30 minutes of cross training. My book suggests using a stationary bike, but I really hate riding the bike... I'll try and give it a shot though if there's an available one when I get there. The gym is packed lately and I'm eagerly awaiting early February when most people's New Year's Resolutions seem to fade. :)

First Long Run is Out of the Way

First off, thank you to Mom for her generous donation!

Thanks Mom! (Seen here with her friend Carol)

On Saturday I ran 10.5 miles with the FitCorp crowd. We took the T to Woodlawn (2nd to last stop on the D line) and ran back to One Beacon via the marathon route. You had the option of meeting other runners at FitCorp (located at One Beacon St) or meeting everyone at Woodlawn T stop. I took the bus to Copley and the D train that I caught coincidentally had everyone who had met at One Beacon. There were about 100 runners; in other words, a train full of spandex, water belts and Vaseline-d body parts.

The run was awesome and I did my best to take my time and not try and keep pace with the fastest group (which appeared to be some folks running for Liver Research. They were also followed around by a guy recording their training and the T ride down.) For Heartbreak Hill, I just kept my head down and it wasn't bad at all, but we'll see what happens after 20 miles vs. 6 or so. I finished the run in 1:37:37- so about 9 minute 24 second miles, which is faster than I should have been going for my long run. Next week is a 12 or 14 mile run, and I'll try to keep my time a bit slower.

Sunday was "rest day" and Nick and I went to Costco and Jordan's Furniture. Jordan's in Reading is only slightly less fun than Disneyworld. They had a trapeze school, liquid fireworks, and a giant animated Wally that ate a Yankee player. Tonight, per my schedule is a 40 minute jog. Nice.

Quick Note

I finished the "4 Months to a 4 Hour Marathon" last night and realized that how I thought I would have to train vs. how I will have to train is quite different. For example, I was planning on doing my longer runs at "marathon pace" while the book explains that in reality I should be going a lot slower than that. woo hoo! The book explains that there are 5 different workouts and while the longer runs are at a slower pace, the shorter ones are where I'll build up my legs through quick bursts of speed. My favorite workout is the 5th one though- rest day. The author says that this is the most important workout of them all and that it's worse to miss a rest day than a long run. Sounds good to me. All kidding aside though, this book is a real motivator and even goes so far as to point out that if Oprah can run a marathon without stopping- so can you!

I'd also like to say "hi!" to my friend Jen Smith who is training for her first half marathon! Good luck, Jen!! :)

Tonight's run

Tonight I ran 3.5 miles- the first 2.5 at 6.8 mph at a 1.0 incline and then the last mile at 6.6 and 1.5 incline. I had wanted to run a bit more; however, I just wasn't feeling it. I have to remember to bring a snack with me for the afternoon, otherwise I'll run out of steam. Tomorrow I will try and do some cross-training (maybe the elliptical machine) and then on Saturday I am going to do a 10.5 mile run that's organized by FitCorp. As part of Team Eye & Ear I get to take part in these long runs on Saturday, hill runs on Tuesday night and different lectures on nutrition, etc. Plus you get a t-shirt! Not too shabby.

Happy New Year!

I hope every one of my 3 readers had a good New Year's Eve! Yesterday I ran another 7 miles at the gym. This time my pacing was better and I didn't have to change my original goal settings on the treadmill. The first 3.5 were at a 1.0 incline at 6.8 mph and then the next mile was at 6.5 mph with a 1.5 incline and then the last 2.5 miles were at 6.5 mph with no incline. Total time=62:49. I was worried that with all the new gym members that come after Jan 1, that the staff would begin enforcing the 30 minutes per cardio machine rule, but the gym wasn't as packed as I had thought it would be. I'm still working on getting a concrete schedule here, but in the meantime, please enjoy some photos from Christmas!

Nick enjoying the man chair
My mom & dad in blue

Linda & Joe with some of their presents
Dwayne & Lily just hanging out