Gimme Fifty

Hey thanks for all the positive comments, FB comments and emails on yesterday's post :-)  I've been thinking about the runner's wave for awhile, and everything just clicked as I sat down to write it last night.

With that, I feel a bit embarrassed to write today's intended post...but that rarely stops me!  Lest we get too soppy and sentimental round here, I'll just write about something ridiculous today.  No, I'm not gonna write about snot rockets.  But how 'bout literature?  Hmm...that's a stretch.  Books.  There ya go.  Uncle Alan and Dad G., please step away from the computer.  I'm blushing already.
So.  Vacation reads.  I'm sure you all figured that I took my fully stocked kindle to Jamaica with me-naturally.  I managed to read 6 books in a week, which sounds impressive, but not so much when you take into account that I easily spent 3-4 hours a day on the beach.  James Patterson.  Danielle Steel.  John Grisham.  Good trash.  And then the series that suckered me in.
Fifty.
Shades, that is.  If you're still living under a rock, that would be the "Fifty" series by E.L. James-Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed.

I'd like to give all the credit to my cousin for sending me to these books, but I'll own up and admit that I chose them initially from the NY Times Best Seller list then finally bit the bullet and downloaded them when she sent me a facebook encouraging me to read them.
Wow.
I'll try for a PG summary before I get into my review.  The premise of the series is the unlikely romance between a recent college graduate and a late twenty something bajillionaire who happens to be into S&M and BDSM (Dominant/submissive).  Yep, whips n chains, handcuffs. All that jazz.  Into...pretty specific detail.  Book One deals with how they met, introduces their relationship and how it evolves, etc etc.  Books 2 and 3 get into the history of "Fifty Shades", or, Christian Grey, the Dominant, sexy bazillionaire, and , of course, how they end up.  Can they create a real relationship?  How does his past get in the way?  Does the fact that she's a virgin when she meets him color (haha) the way they relate to each other?  (duh, of course it does). 
Please don't think you're getting any type of high class literature with this read.  It's a cross between a harlequin and soft core porn married with a random twilight feel.  A good beach read.  A....holy crap this is extremely effed up so why am I turned on reading this? type of book.  I swear, I was on book #2 and the hubster looked over at the most inopportune time to catch a glimpse of um....boy part sized discussion (in lurid detail) and burst out laughing.  Haven't read it yet?  Check out this Ellen clip....it does a fair summary:

If you have read it, you're probably peeing your pants right now.  Honest thoughts?  Of course I'll give em!  If you're used to reading Jodi Picoult, don't expect some crazy revelation about life in this series.  If you're used to reading Twilight, expect a similar vein (hardee har har) but with much less clothing.  I'm eclectic-I'll read anything.  And if you want the bare bones truth (I'm full of 'em today)-I really liked it.  I thought the author did an amazing job of taking a risque subject and pulling it together in a real, readable story without making it all about sex.  Now, of course, there is a great deal of sex, but there's also a good story!  My one complaint?  She overuses words quite a bit....if I heard the word "apex" one more time, I thought I was going to scream.  But I suppose I'm expecting way too much from scenes that really have nothing to do with diction.  Just part of that word.  Errr.....(Dad, I TOLD you not to read!)
Of course, now they are making a movie (and who wouldn't?  Look at Twilight and Harry Potter!)  This will be interesting.  Not sure how you can make a film even R rated with this content, but goodness knows, Hollywood will try.  The big question is, who will play Ana (main female) and Christian (leading male)? 

Well, for my money, I'd like to see Robert Pattinson play Christian.  Not only for obvious reasons, but I really think he can pull off the hot as hell but elusive Grey.  He also has a certain arrogance that I think would work well.  Alot of Hollywood bloggies are pinning Kristin Stewart to play Ana, and I think she would work well, but I also think if you put those two together, it pigeonholes the whole series into being a Twilight spin off, which would really piss me off as a viewer.  You have a certain image of the characters when you read a series, and Pattinson and Stewart = Edward and Bella.  Sorry guys.  So who should play Ana?  I'm gonna go with Amanda Seyfried.  She's got that whole innocent young girl thing down pat.  Not that anyone asked me, but, I'll throw my two cents out :-)
Have you read the books?  What do you think?

Do the Wave

During a long run, you have plenty of time to think.
About how far you've come.
How far you have left. 
About what you can achieve.
And about those frightful "obstacles" ahead.
In terms of miles on your feet....loops completed....races run....goals conquered....hills...traffic....wind...the sun in your face.
About your feet.  How they propel you forward most days without complaint.  About your behind....how it works as a powerhouse to get you up those hills and how damn good it's going to look in spandex if you would only stop sitting on it and eating that extra cookie :-)
About your upcoming season.  Where you want to run, what your "A" race is, your goal for your next run and how you're gonna kick it's behind because, well, after that last hill you just ran up, anythings possible.
About your family, friends, job, and "outside of running" life. The report that's due on Tuesday.  The car payment that needs to be made.  The deck that needs painting.  The chicken defrosting in the fridge, waiting to be turned into something delicious with the random contents of your fridge...oh right, and the groceries that need to be bought.
And somehow, in that 90 minutes of thought....your legs turning....your mind spinning....your tunes playing-safe in your own little zen world....
You see another one.  One of those crazy runners who swear up and down that a 10, 15, 20 miler is a good way to spend a Sunday morning instead of watching cartoons or stuffing their faces with pancakes (c'mon, we'll do that when we get home, after sitting in a freezing cold bathtub).  Someone who, like you, is ticking off the miles and measuring how far they have left in their journey to the next great thing that someone else would say is impossible.  That's a word neither one of us know. 
And in silent recognition, we look each other in the eye and lift a hand in friendly sentiment.  A small smile crosses our faces.  And we move on.
A simple wave on some levels.  But a true understanding of the beauty of what we do and how lucky we are to be able to breath in the fresh air, work our lungs, heart and legs, and to embrace the true spirit of what makes running so wonderful-it is, all at once, an individual and community pursuit.

That's what I remember when I have a bad run.  When it's not going the way I had hoped.  Over the years of living in a small neighborhood, I have come to make several running "wave friends".  Tri-guy.  Speedy sister.  Shuffling old man.  Sweatpants Sue. Pink compression tights girl (I resonate with her!).
Do I actually know these people?  Nope, not at all.  We see each other on a weekly or monthly basis, in different loops, at different points in our run.  I have no idea if they are triathletes (well, except for the guy that's always decked out in IMLP gear.  I suspect he is, lol), marathoners, or recreational joggers.  But I do know that they love what they do.  And that the feel of the sun on their face, the lactic acid in their legs and the final sprint to the finish at the end of a long run brings them the same satisfaction that I have.
Yesterday, I saw a few of these friends.  And then, at mile 9.5, when I wanted to stop more than anything in the world, I looked over to the left as I crossed my last intersection and saw my favorite one.
It wasn't sweatpants Sue.
It was my real best friend-the man I married.  Finishing up his last half mile, the same expression on his face.  He waved.  And I finished that last half mile strong, picked up the pace and met up with him, as we ran to his finish.  Then, hand in hand, with the exhaustion of a hard, honest effort, we walked home smiling, together.
That's what it's all about, folks. 

HIM training week 8: The Great Debate

After a "week off", it's back to the grindstone.  Back to work.  Back to laundry.  Back to running errands.  And back to training!  3 weeks till Buffalo Half.  10 weeks till Musselman.  Yowtch.
And of course, I have to go and hurt my foot.  No one says I like to play it safe, right?  With the residual sea urchin calamity still a factor, this week in training was interesting.  I implemented a bit of the run injury protocol and subbed in an extra bike and water run for my tempo run, but still managed to pull off the speedwork (6 x 400) and long run (10 miles).  So how was my week?
The Stats
Swim:  5050 yards (2 swims)
Bike:  91 miles (3 rides)
Run: 15 miles (2 runs)

You suck, sea urchin. But you're cute...kinda.

Extra cardio:  3 miles rowing, 1 hour kickboxing
Strength:  2 full body, 2 abs sessions
Week low: Without a doubt, the sea urchin foot.  Lame.  I suppose it's good I'm not technically injured (my legs and body feel awesome), but I'm still a bit worried about that foot.  I've been soaking it every night and it's feeling a bit better (I was able to run on Friday and today) but at about mile 8 during today's ten miler, I got some wicked shooting pains through the arch and it made the rest of the run miserable.  Hopefully this goes away soon, or else I'll need to re-evaluate my half goals.
Week high:  Without a doubt, bike hill and speed work.  I know I'm getting much stronger on the bike, which rocks.  I also feel much better during the longer rides and am much less tired during the 2-2.5 hour rides.  Next week starts brick workouts (running off the bike)...should be interesting!
I'm feeling good about my half iron training, but less so about the half marathon.  I think my 12 miler next weekend will tell me what I need to know in order to make a good Buffalo goal.  I just need to remember that this is my "off" year-I'm enjoying the training, but not killing myself.  It's all good.
How was your weekend?  The hubster and I had a pretty low key few days-sleeping in, getting some spring cleaning done, and a nice cook out last night.  The rest of today will be filled with some DVRed movies (Oh God! is on right now), some coupon clipping, and snuggles.  Life is good.

Cinco this!

Well, well, well...made it to Friday.  Even though the week flew by, there's something about a post vacation week that's always gonna be stressful-no complaints at all, just a note :-)

What's on tap for your weekend?  The huz and I have a decent amount of springy home chores to do, a football game to attend, and some nice hammock relax a maxin (I hope, depending on weather!)  I'm also crossing fingers hard core that I can get a run in...I pickled my foot last night in vinegar (thanks Grandma Dorothy!) and it feels a bit better today, so we'll see.  I know in my heart I can run a half marathon even if I take another week off, but aside from some reassurance, I adore my long runs and haven't done one in over two weeks....might sound lame, but that's withdrawal in my book. 
Let's not forget tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo....I did all my crazy drinking in Jamaica, but I might get wild and make my version of Mexican food....ya know, with some random salsa, corn, and whatever else sounds Mexican-ny.  I amaze myself with my low standards sometimes :-P 
Seems fitting to do a five things Friday to honor the "holiday" this weekend, so here goes.....
5 things I'm loving this week
1.  My own bed.  Sounds simple, and it is.  You never realize how much you love the little things at home until you leave for a week.  My bed is so soft and comfy....it's just too bad it comes with an alarm clock.  Also, in this category....my lil fur child.  This girl has not let me out of her sight all week and has pretty much let the huz and I know that we can never go one vacation again.  I promise, Roo (fingers crossed behind back).

2.  The sight of Lilacs- It means that spring really is here.  Note that I said the sight, not the smell.  I actually can't stand the smell of 'em, but they are pretty to look at, and quintessential Rochester.  I keep asking the hubs to de-scent our Lilac bush in our backyard...so far, no dice.
3. Mother Nature- Think I'm joking?  not in the least.  The Caribbean sun was nice for sure, but this week in Rochester has been pretty awesome.  Spread of temps between 50 and 80, sun, cool cloud patterns, and an epic Thunderstorm last night.  Who needs the same weather everyday?  How boring.
4. My bike workouts-since I've been forced to take a running hiatus (damn sea urchin) I've been working on bike speed and hills.  Yowza.  The latter is humbling, but I know it will help my season immensely. 
5. Spring Cleaning-Don't call bull$hit on me....I'm not joking.  But I'm talking about more than clean windows and dusting off the patio furniture (though both those are on the agenda for this weekend!).  Spring cleaning....old clothes.  Old emails.  Unsubscribing from "junk"-whether it be email alerts or toxic facebook people.  Downgrading my contacts on my cell phone.  I'm not saying that anyone I cut out was "bad", just not the healthiest for me right now.  And I feel lighter and happier not being tied to things/relationships that don't work for me in my life right now.  Does that make me a bad person?  I hope not!
What a strange list :-)
What are you loving this week?

TTR or RTT?

I guess I've done quite a bit of thinking about triathlon/running during my vacation.  I semi apologize with double promises to get back to some recipe-ing (that sounded weird) and other topics very shortly.  Good?  Good.
Now, onto more random musings on training.  I might have touched on the subject of Training to Race or Racing to Train before, but I don't think I've spent any significant time on it, so here goes my 5 minute ramble.
What the heck am I talking about? Well, in the world of running and triathlon, there are two (well, kinda 3)camps.
1.  TTR's:  Train to race.  These people sign up for a race (or multiples!) and diligently train (hopefully) in order to accomplish whatever their goal is on race day.  They might be nervous, but they love the thrill of racing and "pedal to metal" feeling of the gun going off and crossing the finish line.  They aren't a huge fan of training, but do it as a "means to an end".  They aren't gonna jump on the bike and do a two hour ride or bust out a 10 mile run for $hits and giggles...unless it's for a darn good reason.
2.  RTT's:  These are the strange birds.  They tend to sign up for races merely so they have a reason to train, but they love training just for training's sake.  They might hop on the bike for a random 50 miler or head out for a 15 mile run with no race on the calendar...and may sign up for a race merely so they have an "excuse" to train.  As in "Oh, I have a half marathon in a month so I need to get that 14 mile test run in" instead of "Oh, I just feel like running around my neighborhood for the heck of it for 2 hours.  No biggie".  You get alot less eye rolls that way, even if people secretly think you're nuts for calling a 14 mile run "fun".
3.  The happy mediums-A good mix of both.  They enjoy racing and training.  They might thrown in a few random training sessions for no "good reason" but generally follow a training plan when they are prepping for a race, and when they aren't, engage in other activities. 

So what kind of runner or triathlete are you?  I think it's no secret...I'm #2, all the way.  I think, if possible, I've gotten even worse over the years.  I signed up for my first marathon to say I did 26.2  Same with my first half ironman and ironman.  Why did I sign up for more 70.3's and 140.6's?  I love to train!  Some people call the 6 hour ride or 3 hour run the necessary evil....I freakin love it.  Wish someone would pay me to do it...or that I could be independently wealthy :-P
Aside from loving to train (and yes, I will go ride 50 miles on the trainer for sheer giggles, go ahead, call the funny farm)...I don't like racing.  Most of the time.  Whew.  Got that off my chest.  I can pull off faster times training in most cases (I'm a freak), races are expensive, and I'm a lazy a$$ who would rather run at 10am than 7am thankyouverymuch.
But mostly...I'm still nervous of failure.  How lame is that?  I'm running in the Buffalo Half in 3 weeks and I've been sidelined for the past week because of this silly sea urchin crap.  Lame.  And now my inner self is warring with my outer self about doing the distance well.  Notice, I said "well".  I know I can run 13.1 miles.  But if I paid the money to do it, I want to rock that race! 
Looks like someone needs a shot of self-confidence.  You should see me when I taper.
Anyone have any tips about how to get over this fear of mine?  I love training, but this season I am having such a hard time motivating myself to sign up for races!

Show some spine

Woah, are we halfway through the week already?  It seems that the post vacation frenzy has had one benefit-time is flying!  How's your week going?
I'm afraid I have a mini sob story this week. Last week was a rest week, right?  I think I did fairly well.  The hubster and I obviously got in quite a bit of swimming (hello beautiful ocean!) and beach volleyball...aqua aerobics, and yes, I hit the gym 3-4 times for a quickie speed sesh.  Not bad.  No biking, obviously.  So...I should be rarin' to go, right?  Buffalo Half is in 3 weeks...
And I'm on the (sorta) run injury protocol.  AKA, water running and biking.  Lame-o.  Nope, it's not my knee.  Or my piriformis...it's....this guy:

Sea Urchin....protector of the ocean floor!

Pretty, right?  Well, I would agree.  But so much prettier when he's not underfoot...literally.  Yup, day #2 of vacation....open water swimming....stopped halfway through for a breather...stepped on a sea urchin.  lame.  And it hurt like hell, but after the initial sting, I went on my merry way and forgot about it.  Well, my foot continued to hurt for the rest of vacation, but I chalked it up to my crappy flip flops.  Until Monday, when they still ached.  Right on the left arch of the foot.  Plantar Fasciitis?  Nope.  Sea Urchin spine!  The hubster took a look and I have 3 spine segments embedded in my left arch.  Gee-ross.  So, I whipped out good ole Web MD who told me to soak it, try to tweeze out the segments GENTLY, and if I couldn't get them out, to soak my foot in vinegar....apparently the spine will dissolve within a few weeks, and if it still hurts, I can go to a doc to get it taken out.
Boo.  I was able to pull my double jointed tricks and get out a decent amount last night...and then soaked soaked soaked.  If anything, it's more painful now than it was last week, but I'll keep perfuming it with vinegar (so sexy) and being careful this week-hopefully it goes away on it's own.
Truth?  I feel pretty bad-ass that I ran 9 miles on sea urchin spine.
And just a little bit crazy.
Hopefully it goes away soon, though.....I have a 10 miler this weekend I would like to try at half marathon pace.  (fingers crossed).
As always, I manage to keep it interesting, right?
Have you ever had a crazy brush with wildlife? 

Bucket time

The danger of going on vacation....you have plenty of time.
Time to think.
And rest.  And rejuvenate.
Which leads to more thinking.
And plotting.
And plenty of perceived energy.
So...the bucket list grows.  Especially when you bring Runner's World AND Trail magazine to the beach.
Poor hubster.  I'm so lucky he doesn't mind my whims :-)
Along with a gorgeous tan, plenty of play time, and wonderful meals, I got excited during this trip.  And that hasn't happened in awhile.  Since 2010, to be exact.  (Now, lest you judge me, all things related to this post have to do with fitness milestones, thankyouverymuch.)
In 2008, there was my first marathon.  And first Half Ironman.
In 2010, there was my first Ironman. 
In 2011, a PR in the marathon, half marathon and Ironman.
Now what?  I've kinda been hanging out there without any kind of goal.  Need to fix that!  So, in typical Rae overboard fashion, I started a fitness bucket list....10 running and tri goals to keep me busy for quite awhile!  Want to know the extent of my madness?  Check it out!                                                                    


Norseman "swim start"

1. Mind the Ducks Ultra - This ridiculous race has intrigued me for several years, and I think it's a worthy 2013 goal.  It's a 12 hour race....see how many half mile loops you can complete in that time.  Crazy?  Yes.  But I think this will be my first Ultra next year!
2. Leadville 100 miler - Whatcha think, brother in law?  2015, maybe?

3. Grand Canyon-Rim to Rim
4. Kona Ironman.  Every triathlete's dream.  Maybe when I'm 50.  or 60.
5. Boston Marathon - I'm 25 minutes away from qualifying.  Wonder what I can do if I'm not Ironman training?  46 marathons to find out....
6. Trail Marathon - Definitely a must do before #2.  And probably more than that :-P
7. International Marathon - Sorta torn between Rome, Athens and Sydney.  Maybe I'll win the lotto and do all of 'em!
8. Norseman - The most sadistic 140.6 possible.  Check it out.  Then give me a ride to get my head examined.  Anyone else find it a bit hilarious that this is substantially cheaper than Ironman?
9.  Run a marathon in all 50 states.  I've done 3.  Gulp.  Anyone feel like hosting a runner?
10.  Ragnar Relay.  I need 11 people as crazy as me.  Any takers?

Vacation Racing?

Goal #9 is obviously a crazy goal that will take some time...but at least I can fit in some of the other goals within it- Leadville (Colorado), Boston (Massachusetts), Kona (Hawaii), Trail Marathon (plenty of states!).  Sweet.  However, it's also the one I have a shot at making progress towards this year.  The hubster and I are already planning our next vacation (crucial when you get back from your last one, right?) And we've decided that a long weekend in October is mandatory, preferably somewhere in New England where we can check out the pretty foliage.  And then I found this dangerous site.  Find a marathon based on your travel dates...Muahahaha.  Now the real question is...do I want to go to Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire....or screw the scenery and cross of 3 states by going to Missouri?  Such the dilemma.

Anyone else have a crazy fitness bucket list?  Or should I just not go on vacation anymore to save myself from...myself?