That is the exact type of runner I've always said I am not.
I am, however, a morning person in the sense that I almost always, without fail, wake up chipper and chatty. You can get me up at anytime of the morning no matter how little sleep and I will be nice. Deal breaker is a screaming child waking me up demanding something like warm milk NOW! Or wanting to know EXACTLY what we are going today at 5 am. But Carmella and I worked things out pretty quickly when she was 2 and now, no matter what, the first thing she will say to me is "Good morning Mommy!" in a very happy voice. 5 am is much better with the sweet pleasantness than screeching harpy demands. And let's just say I am lucky that Beau always sleeps in. He is most definitely NOT a morning person.
Despite my cheery and chirpy morning nature I do not bound out of bed with tons of energy. And here I will tell you that Carmella does. It boggles me how her feet can literally hit the floor running in the morning. There is no padding sloth like movements with Carmella. But with me there is.
I must ease into it.
Or so I thought.
I have been quite surprised that within 10 minutes of waking and barely having a half (full, of course!) glass of water I am out and running. I didn't think such a thing would ever be possible. Admittedly, I still have my doubts. And today I worried about it.
I meet Sam in about an hour. I will have been up for an hour and 15 minutes by that time. I am worried I have f'd it all up. What with having given my body over an hour to adjust being awake at this ungodly hour and even actually eaten something. I am worried the run will be pot.
Oh, why am I up?
You ever get seized with remembering something in the middle of the night and you bolt out of sleep, adrenaline fueled and ready to rush out and rectify whatever it is that you have forgotten but have suddenly recollected? And yet, there is absolutely nothing you can do it about because it is too gosh darn freaking early in the morning?
No? Yeah, well, you are lucky all you organized, never forget stuff, sleep like a rock people. Bastards!
What? Oh, well I remembered that I have forgotten to pick up Carmella's fired clay pieces from her art class. I think they were ready last week. I should have picked them up.
No, no, I am sure they are still there. So yes, it is dumb. And I am up and might have possibly sabotaged my run. Worse, I am suppose to be being quiet--something I most definitely terrible at--because my getting up and running annoys Ryan. I wake him up. So the less time I am awake pre running less chance of me waking him up. I have already turned on lights, opened cabinets, gone out to my car, gotten water etc. I am sure he is up there in our bed going what the f? Not to mention the alarm still hasn't gone off. . . Have I mentioned that I actually almost always wake up before the alarm. The alarm is just back up.
Yeah, I know. Rambling. It is 4:15 A.M in the freaking morning. Only moths, coyotes, raccoons and opossums are up. Not even the paper person has come yet. So nonsensical rambling, ranting is what there is. I am trying to be QUIET! Sheesh.
Last week's workouts:
Sunday: 62.4 mile hilly as all get up and down bike ride. Good, tough stuff.
Monday: 5 mile run at the Grn Way with sprints and recovery pace will kids rode bikes. 2000 yds swimming during adult swims at pool.
Tuesday: 2000 yds swimming. First day of getting up early. Later, 9 miles running (2 on trail).
Wednesday: 6 miles running with Sam.
Thursday: 8 miles running.
Friday: 4 mile run on treadmill: Breakdown: 8:50, 7:06, 6:53, 7:18 or something like that in 30:18. Too lazy to go and check log. Later met up with Beth for super hot and slightly less hilly but still pretty darn hilly ride around Roswell. I mean RosHELL ;) 37 miles.
Saturday: Legs were toast. Tried to run. Nada. 2 plus miles of walking and being completely irritated but consoling self that it was fine to take a rest day and that tomorrow would be a better day. Tried to rally with bike ride. Tire was flat. Hole in tire. Workout Gods clearly conspiring against me. Decided to drink beer at the pool and be fat instead. Much better. Less effort.
Totals:
Run: 32 miles
Cycle: 99.4 miles
Swim: 4000 yds
Walking: 2 miles
Sunday: Workout Gods still conspiring. Ipod dead. Potential thunderstorms. Whatever. Ran pissed off for 10 miles because I had no tunes. Felt like I was so slow but it wasn't so bad at an 8:20 ish pace. Must have been the threatening black clouds that loomed overhead and the thunder booms that made me pick it up a little. Have I mentioned that it is hot and sticky and yucky here already? But now that is June I might actually turn the AC on. It will be great to sleep without sweating.
For those that care I have pictures and video from Carmella's swim meets and dance recital. I will try to get them up. No promises. Still trying to figure out how to get everything done with kids not in school: Mommy, what are we doing, we're bored, can we go to the pool, go to jumpy place, can we go to some one's house, can we have a party today etc. . . How the hell do those women that home school get anything done? I don't have the filter that will allow me to ignore them and get stuff done. Mmmm, maybe I should go back to making them take naps?
Showing posts with label Sam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sam. Show all posts
Monday, June 02, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Day 2 and I still have running partner
I have to admit.
I was worried.
I know I can be a bit intense. A little too enthusiastic at times but Sam was there waiting just like yesterday at 5 am on the dot as I came running down the hill.
So yay!
I didn't scare her off.
At least not yet.
And this was even after I mentioned yesterday at swim practice about getting up even earlier and running 10 miles. She laughed and said yeah, maybe. I didn't press it about marathon training. Ease her into it. Plant the seed. Let it germinate. . .
We did the same run today, a few minutes faster. It was much cooler this morning and a little rainy. Very nice. I tacked on 2 miles after she left me and I was only a little scared of kidnappers, coyotes and raccoons. So 8 miles for me around an 8:50 average pace.
We aren't running again together until next week. Hopefully time apart really does make the heart grow fonder and doesn't let her brain come to its senses.
I was worried.
I know I can be a bit intense. A little too enthusiastic at times but Sam was there waiting just like yesterday at 5 am on the dot as I came running down the hill.
So yay!
I didn't scare her off.
At least not yet.
And this was even after I mentioned yesterday at swim practice about getting up even earlier and running 10 miles. She laughed and said yeah, maybe. I didn't press it about marathon training. Ease her into it. Plant the seed. Let it germinate. . .
We did the same run today, a few minutes faster. It was much cooler this morning and a little rainy. Very nice. I tacked on 2 miles after she left me and I was only a little scared of kidnappers, coyotes and raccoons. So 8 miles for me around an 8:50 average pace.
We aren't running again together until next week. Hopefully time apart really does make the heart grow fonder and doesn't let her brain come to its senses.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
10 Year Anniversary
10 years ago I started running. Not certain of the exact date but I know it was end of May beginning of June in 1998.
I started slow, very slow. I couldn't run a mile in its entirety. I would have to stop and walk. So I went by time. I would run/walk 20 minutes in one direction and then turn around and come back. By the end of June I able to run for an hour or 6 miles. In November I ran the Atlanta Half Marathon. I finished in around 2 hours.
And for the past 10 years I have been running solo. But now, after 10 years of running, I have gone and gotten myself a running partner.
I am so excited!
Her name is Sam and she has 4 (!!!!!) kids. Ages 10 to 1. She was a runner and has even done some triathlons. But has gotten out of shape since baby #4. Her 6 year old was in Carmella's class last year and is on the swim team with her. She also has a 3 year old and a 10 year old.
Yesterday at swim practice she approached me and said "I need to talk to you." Immediately I look around to see where Beau is and ask, "Uh oh, am I in trouble?"
She said maybe. And then said she sees me running all the time. I immediately relax having had this conversation before about how far and how often and how crazy I am.
But that isn't the conversation we have.
Instead she tells me that she wants to run and needs someone to run with, but it has to be early. My heart almost leaps out of my chest with love for this woman. Someone else, who lives close to me, that wants to run at the butt crack of dawn? Be still my heart.
Before she can even finish I say "I can meet you in at the front of your neighborhood at 5 am tomorrow. Can you run 5-6 miles?"
She hesitates, saying that she is only up to 4 miles but is certain she can do a 9-10 minute mile (her best half time is 1:53). I say that is fine-- if you can run 4 miles you can run 5 or 6. I assured her the pace would be fine. My body has no desire to run fast in the morning and I need days to run that pace anyway. I can go hard other times and besides, she will get faster. I told her that so long as she can go for about an hour we are good.
And at 4:54 am I bounded out my door, sans ipod, with Lola and my pocket knife and ran the 3/4 mile to meet her at the front of her neighborhood. As I ran I worried that she wouldn't be there. I was nervous that I would have to run in the scary morning dark all by myself. And let me say, that yesterday? When I ran at 10am for the 2 miles I ran in the woods during my 9 miler I sprinted because I was so freaked out by the possibility of rabid coyotes and raccoons. So yeah,running alone in the predawn dark is just not something I want to do. At all.
But as I came down the street there she was: standing under the street light with her dog waiting for me. See, not only do I have a running partner but so does Lola! How great is that?
And we ran the entire hilly loop and she did great! No walking. Just chatting the whole time. The miles flew by!
And now, I am thinking that, in a few weeks, I bet I could convince her to get up at 4:30 and we could do 10 miles. And yes, I have already thought that by the end of the summer we can get up even earlier and get a jump on marathon training. (No, she hasn't said that she wants to run marathon but I can tell. She will want to.)
Of course, she did mention that they might be moving in 6 months back to Canada but whatever 6 months of morning runs is plenty of time for me to get over my fear of the dark and possibly even recruit another running partner.
I started slow, very slow. I couldn't run a mile in its entirety. I would have to stop and walk. So I went by time. I would run/walk 20 minutes in one direction and then turn around and come back. By the end of June I able to run for an hour or 6 miles. In November I ran the Atlanta Half Marathon. I finished in around 2 hours.
And for the past 10 years I have been running solo. But now, after 10 years of running, I have gone and gotten myself a running partner.
I am so excited!
Her name is Sam and she has 4 (!!!!!) kids. Ages 10 to 1. She was a runner and has even done some triathlons. But has gotten out of shape since baby #4. Her 6 year old was in Carmella's class last year and is on the swim team with her. She also has a 3 year old and a 10 year old.
Yesterday at swim practice she approached me and said "I need to talk to you." Immediately I look around to see where Beau is and ask, "Uh oh, am I in trouble?"
She said maybe. And then said she sees me running all the time. I immediately relax having had this conversation before about how far and how often and how crazy I am.
But that isn't the conversation we have.
Instead she tells me that she wants to run and needs someone to run with, but it has to be early. My heart almost leaps out of my chest with love for this woman. Someone else, who lives close to me, that wants to run at the butt crack of dawn? Be still my heart.
Before she can even finish I say "I can meet you in at the front of your neighborhood at 5 am tomorrow. Can you run 5-6 miles?"
She hesitates, saying that she is only up to 4 miles but is certain she can do a 9-10 minute mile (her best half time is 1:53). I say that is fine-- if you can run 4 miles you can run 5 or 6. I assured her the pace would be fine. My body has no desire to run fast in the morning and I need days to run that pace anyway. I can go hard other times and besides, she will get faster. I told her that so long as she can go for about an hour we are good.
And at 4:54 am I bounded out my door, sans ipod, with Lola and my pocket knife and ran the 3/4 mile to meet her at the front of her neighborhood. As I ran I worried that she wouldn't be there. I was nervous that I would have to run in the scary morning dark all by myself. And let me say, that yesterday? When I ran at 10am for the 2 miles I ran in the woods during my 9 miler I sprinted because I was so freaked out by the possibility of rabid coyotes and raccoons. So yeah,running alone in the predawn dark is just not something I want to do. At all.
But as I came down the street there she was: standing under the street light with her dog waiting for me. See, not only do I have a running partner but so does Lola! How great is that?
And we ran the entire hilly loop and she did great! No walking. Just chatting the whole time. The miles flew by!
And now, I am thinking that, in a few weeks, I bet I could convince her to get up at 4:30 and we could do 10 miles. And yes, I have already thought that by the end of the summer we can get up even earlier and get a jump on marathon training. (No, she hasn't said that she wants to run marathon but I can tell. She will want to.)
Of course, she did mention that they might be moving in 6 months back to Canada but whatever 6 months of morning runs is plenty of time for me to get over my fear of the dark and possibly even recruit another running partner.
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