Ah yes, Friday. The one night that I know that I plan to put carbs on the dinner plate. When I trained for my first marathon, this dish (which I saw in Cuisine at Home) appeared often on Friday nights before my long runs. I'm not a huge fan of shallots, so I cut back on those just a bit.
You'll need: 1 shallot, minced a handful of tarragon leaves 1 pound shrimp (the original recipe calls for medium but small shrimp increase the amount of shrimp per bite; I also use cooked shrimp if I'm in a hurry) 1 28-oz can of whole tomatoes crushed red pepper flakes (to taste) salt (to taste) linguine for serving crumbled goat cheese olive oil
Cook the pasta according to your tastes. Saute the shallots in oil until softened. Add the red pepper flakes, tomatoes (with their water), and tarragon and simmer for ten minutes. Season with salt. (If you're using raw shrimp, add and cook until pink.) Plate pasta, top with sauce and sprinkle with goat cheese.
I decided against attending tonight's Holiday Light Run and, instead, opted for a short run in the comfort (read: warmth) of my apartment complex's fitness center. There's a part of me that wishes that I had gone, but there's another part of me -- the part that is desperately clinging to the little sanity that is left -- that is pleased that I did not run in tonight's weather. But, I digress...
My indoor runs involve a special kind of sensory overload, so I created a new running playlist to keep things interesting at the gym.
"X Gonna Give It To Ya" - DMX "Mortal Combat"- Theme from Mortal Combat "K.I. Feeling" - Theme from Killer Instinct "Sandstorm" - Darude "Pump It" - Black Eyed Peas "Blind" - Ke$ha "Take It Off" - Ke$ha "Only Girl (In the World)" - Rhianna "One More Time" - Daft Punk "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" - Daft Punk "Givin' U All That I've Got" - Robin S. "Rude Boy" - Rhianna "One, Two Step" - Ciara "Welcome Home" Coheed and Cambria "Through the Fire and the Flames" - Dragonforce "Whatever You Like" - T.I. "Remember the Name" - Fort Minor "Oops, I did It Again" - Britney Spears
I tested this list during today's run, and there is a nice mix of awesome guitar solos and fist-pumping beats. Plus, who doesn't love DMX's love of barking?
The second of my December races is in the bag, and I have one more running-related event to go.
I spent most of last week checking the weather for the slightest chance that the rain would miss DC -- or, at the very least, not rain in the morning. DC did get its rain, but it never was more than a light drizzle during the race.
I decided to take a cab to the starting line, which worked out well once I flagged one down. (I really don't understand DC cab drivers. I want to give you money, and you just have to drive me to my destination. Don't you want money?) I arrived at the starting line with ten minutes to spare and had some time to stretch and figure out a race strategy.
Spoiler: Don't stop running.
There were more than 4,000 race participants today, so it took some time to cross the start check-point after the official call. I imagined how beautiful the run would have been on a clear day. But, even with the rain, there's something amazing about running on a cold and rainy Sunday morning with that many other crazy people.
The first half of the race felt a lot slower than I planned, and I felt like kicking myself when I reached the 5K checkpoint with 37 minutes on the race clock. Today's race was never about winning; honestly, five-minute miles only happen in my dreams. But, I still felt like I didn't perform as well as I could of in the first half.
During the second half of the race, I made a decision to quit BS-ing and give it my all until I crossed the finish line.
My race by the numbers:
Net time: 63:49
Gun time: 68:47
Average pace: 10:17
Age group: 255/383
Women: 1476/2537
Not bad. Not bad at all...
Before the month is over, there's one more event on my calendar.
It isn't a race, but it's certainly one of the most awesome ways to go a-wassailing that I've ever seen:
Thank you for being you. Because even when I think I've factored in any and all possible delays and leave with what I think is enough time to make it to my destination, you still shine, run trains every 19 minutes toward Shady Grove, and create a need to sprint to the race with just enough time to dash across the starting line so that my timing chip is able to record my results. You are the best.
With love,
Alisha
Okay, fine. It actually wasn't that big of a deal, and I got a great warm-up before the race...
..which went extremely well. There were approximately 500 runners from what I could tell from the registration list, and so many went the festive route and ran in fantastic costumes. I -- totally waiting until the last possible minute to think of a costume and giving up -- decided to go the warm route. I'm very happy that I made the decision to pick up a light jacket from Fleet Feet last Thursday. With the newest addition to my running wardrobe, running in today's below freezing temperatures wasn't a problem at all. Plus, I finished with a time with which I'm very happy. I'll post the official time once PR posts the results.UPDATE:My chip time for the race was 31:14:8, which works out to be an average 10 minute mile. Of the female runners, I placed 130 out of 327 and 15th in my age group.
I have a six-mile run planned for tomorrow and my usual speed workouts in preparation for the Jingle All the Way 10K on the 12th. (Running addictions are the healthiest addictions, I'm sure.) By the end of the month, I'll start final preparations for my second round of marathon training -- and desperate prayers that the mid-Atlantic region avoids Snowpocalypse Now, Redux.
1. We admit that we are powerless over our character flaw and that our lives seem to others to have become unmanageable, but we sort of like it that way.
2. We have come to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity, and that power’s name is Runner’s High.
3. We have made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the pursuit of the perfect Runner’s High and to travel near and far in our quest for the perfect race and a new PR.
4. We have made a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves, and find that we need to increase the mileage on our long runs, intersperse our training with fartleks and tempo runs, do a track workout now and then to increase our speed, add cross-training to our weekly routine and always get enough carbs in our diet.
5. We have admitted to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our shortcomings that we have occasionally taken a day off from training, indulged in fried foods, failed to consume at least eight servings of pasta per day, failed to use the most up-to-date heart rate monitor and that our fridge contains nothing but beer and running shoes.
6. We are not entirely ready to have all of these character flaws removed until we qualify for Boston one more time.
7. We humbly ask others to lighten up and get off our case with respect to our character flaws so that we can go out for another run.
8. We have made a list of all persons we have harmed and are willing to make amends to them when and if they find the time to accompany us during our weekly 20-mile run.
9. We have made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when doing so would interfere with our training.
10. We have continued to take personal inventory of all miles run on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly basis according to each shoe worn, as well as to constantly monitor our heart rate, respiration, fluid consumption and leg turn-over rate during our runs and when we were wrong have promptly taken the necessary steps to get back on track.
11. We have sought through visualization to improve our running technique and ask only for strength and endurance when next we hit the wall.
12. We have had an awakening as a result of these steps and have redoubled our training as we have tried to carry this message to non-runners everywhere and to practice these principles throughout our training.
I completely checked out of work on Monday (both mentally and in the Holy-cow-it's-the-holidays-and-I-get-to-go-HOME sense) and took a train to beautiful New Haven, CT. Yes. Beautiful. In fact, when the British landed in West Haven in 1779 and were forced to march through the city (because the colonists awesomely decided to destroy every bridge leading into New Haven), the Red Coats decided not to burn the city because of its beauty. They, instead, decided to torch Hamden. But, I digress...
It's so wonderful to be home! Yesterday included a three-mile run, a Yale hockey game, and a trip to BAR where Nate, Jane, Mark, and I enjoyed a delicious, delicious mashed-potato and bacon pizza and Toasted Blond beer. OM NOM NOM NOM. (At some point before I leave, I'll also visit Claire's Corner Copia for Lithuanian coffee cake.)
But, the highlight of this trip so far was getting my daddy to commit to running a 5K with me and introducing him to the joys of running. We ran a mile today, and he did extremely well! My dad has never been much for cardio, but has spent the last decade or so working on strength training exercises with the free weight set we've had for as long as I can remember. Tomorrow, we're going to run again --- but I'll add on three miles to keep my weekly mileage where it needs to be in the weeks before I start seriously training for my next marathon.
By the way, does anyone have any brilliant ideas for my costume for the Santa Shuffle 5K? I'm thinking that, for the first time, the "sexy" versions of costumes might actually be appropriate (with running tights and a base-layer, of course) I'm thinking elf. Or reindeer. I think I need at least one shopping trip while I am home.
It’s been four weeks since I crossed the finish line in Baltimore, and I’m ready to commit to a second marathon. I have a date (March 20, 2011), a race (Yuengling Shamrock Marathon), a goal (shave one hour off the Baltimore Marathon time), a new pair of running shoes, and a colorful training schedule that will carry me until the race in March
Race recovery went well, but not having a set running schedule after months of having running be such a huge part of my life prior to October 16th felt strange. I loved the extra time, but I definitely felt antsy on more than one occasion. But, the antsy-feeling meant that I had more time to think about how I could approach the next couple of months and set some fitness goals.
Daft Punk said it best: “Work it, make it, do it, makes us harder, better, faster, stronger.”
My newest training spreadsheet is divided into two phases. Phase One started earlier this month and will take me to the last week of December. The goal here is to lay the groundwork to build a better body and increase my speed. Mixing speed workouts with strength training and longs runs of seven or eight miles has worked out well so far. (I’m starting to find that a nine-minute mile pace is comfortable for more than a few minutes. Sweet.)
To add spice and make all of this work worth it in the end, I decided to run shorter races to keep me on the path to reaching my speed goals. I’m most excited about the Santa Shuffle 5K Race – but only because I’d get to dress up as a holiday character. There’s also Jingle All the Way, a 10K where I would get to wear bells while I run. Both races are in December, and I’m also looking into races in 2011. (Most importantly, I’m trying to justify flying to Orlando for the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February. It would be against my love for all things Disney Princess if I didn’t run this race. And, we wouldn’t want that.)
Around the last week of December, I'll start my official training with long runs starting at 13 miles. Winter training will bring its own set of challenges, I'm sure. In any case, it should be a rockin' good time.
There'll be more updates along the way -- more hilarious running stories, recipes, and kick ass playlists.
This blog began with a tl;rdr post, and I will close this chapter of my blog with one.
I gave it my all today, and I crossed the finish line after approximately five hours of running through the streets of Baltimore with more than 22,000 other crazy people working toward the same goal. Running today was the most unifying thing that I could have done. You hear stories about how friendly and encouraging fellow runners are. You hear stories about how entire neighborhoods come out to cheer on the runners. Then, you’re in it; you’re at mile 18 struggling to run up the millionth hill of the course (seriously, by the time you’re at mile 18 and every hill before that was “your last one,” it feels like the millionth). Someone in the crowd tells you that you can make it, and you feel like nothing in the world can stop you.
So, full recap:
I was a bit in denial about this weekend’s events from Monday to Thursday, and I did my best to pretend like today would be like any normal day – you know, the kind of normal day when I wake up and decide to run 26.2 miles. After work on Tuesday and Wednesday, I completed fantastic three-mile runs faster than I had ever run at any point in my training. On Thursday, restlessness set in because I forbade myself from doing anything: no cycling, no strength training, and definitely no running. So, I did laundry instead – mostly because I needed to clean all of my running gear.
I spent about five hours in my office on Friday before coming home to do one last check that I had everything that I would need for the weekend. The last thing that I would have wanted was to get to Baltimore and realize that I forgot…oh, say…my shoes.
I met Steve at Union Station to catch at 3:25 MARC train to Penn Station. We arrived an hour later and took a cab to M&T Stadium for registration and the Expo. After picking up our bibs, awesome shirts, and bag of swag (which included, among other things, a gift card with a very large balance to a swanky sunglasses shop), we walked around a bit to check out the Expo.
Steve and I split after the Expo, so that I could check into my hotel before meeting a friend for dinner. I managed to snag a room in the Radisson Hotel. My room was incredible, and I had way too much space for just myself.
(This was only one side of the room. I had a second bed, a small entrance area, and an awesome bathroom.)
After checking in and watching a bit of Law and Order, Nirosha took me to Sabatino’s, a great, family-owned restaurant in the city’s Little Italy district. (I don’t think that I’m ready to give up the ability to eat large quantities of carbs with little remorse.)
After dinner, we headed back toward my hotel. My original plan was to meet my parents for a bit before I turned in for the evening, but they once they arrived, they decided to head straight to the hotel, and we planned to meet before the race.
I managed to fall asleep quickly and woke up before my alarm. I got dressed, packed up my things, had coffee, water, power-ade, and two thin bagels with peanut butter. My parents met me in the hotel lobby to drive over the starting area. I arrived at 6:45 and took the first of five pre-race bathroom breaks. Walking over the starting line, I had a great conversation with an older runner who had done the Baltimore Marathon three times. We parted ways so that I could take the second of five bathroom breaks. After, I met up with Steve.
Then, then were three more bathroom breaks. And a lot of waiting.
Finally, the National Anthem. Countdown. Starting pistol. Waiting to move. Moving.
As I promised myself, I started the race slowly. By about mile four (through the very beautiful Druid Hill Park), I was ready to pick up the pace a bit. I felt like I could run forever – or as long as there was an unlimited supply of water, Gatorade, and energy gels. By mile 13, I started to feel the reality of running but it was nothing more than “Oh. I still have to run a lot.” Steve and I separated near the halfway point because I felt that the best thing for me was to slow down just a tick so that I could make it to the finish line. At mile 15, I ran into my mother. (My dad and younger brother had gone back to their hotel room – which was very close to that mile mark – and just missed me.)
At mile 18, things started to suck.
Hills. Hills as far as the eye could see. And, I could only think, “It hurts, and it’s still hurting!” But, thank goodness for strangers and fellow runners reassuring you that you can make it.
I rejoined Steve shortly after I cleared “the last” hill. We ran for a bit, but near Lake Montebello, I went ahead. There were so many times when I wanted to quit, but each time, I decided to walk it off and keep going. I ran into Katie near mile 21 for some much needed words of encouragement. Then, a little voice inside me said, “Fuck it. You’re going to run. You’re going to finish. And you’re going to like it.”
Toward the end, I ran into a huge group of DC friends who had come up to cheer Steve, Nicole, Jason, and me on. Further now, my parents were waiting.
Then, the finish line. Final time: 5:33:38. Total distance: according to my pedometer: 27.122 miles. Average minute-mile: 12.
When I crossed the finish line, I felt like this on the inside:
On the outside, I felt like someone encased my legs in cement.
I made my way to the runner’s area where I received my finisher’s medal and a metallic blanket. So many shiny things! I walked around for a bit in an attempt to get the feeling back in my legs. (To be honest, walking around is still really hard.)
I feel incredibly proud of my accomplishment. (And so proud of Steve, Nicole, and Jason!) I set this crazy goal back in June. I didn’t think that I would go through with it. But, I ran. I ran in (probably) deathly heat. I ran in the rain. I ran when it was absolutely gorgeous. I bruised toenails. I strained muscles. I sacrificed skin. I thought about quitting. I decided to keep going. I crossed the finish line.
So what’s next?
I’m planning on running a second full marathon in 2011, and Philadelphia is looking pretty good. In the meantime, there’s the Disney Princess Half-Marathon in February and a host of other events around the DC area in between.
I’ve completed my first journey to 26 miles. I’m ready for the next challenge. Thanks for reading. Thanks for your words of encouragement. Thanks for believing that I could do this.
I have a little less than 36 hours to go, and I have so many feelings -- excitement, fear, anxiety. I love all of it. My bag is almost packed. I'm ready for this!
Look for a pre-race post tomorrow. Until then, I'll direct you all to this site, which will allow you to track my on-course progress and see the results of the race:
By the way, if anyone wants to be at the finish line ready to play any version of this theme from the Final Fantasy series at the moment I drag myself across the finish line, I would certainly appreciate it.
I booked my hotel reservation. This is it. This is real. (Well, I suppose that this has always been real. It just feels more real now that I'm starting to make concrete plans to travel to Baltimore.)
