No, Really? You? 7 Things and An Award

I've been given The Versatile Blogger award by Anne of the Asthma and the Gift of Running blog and I'm honored - thanks Anne!!

versatilely
ver'sa·tile·ly adv.
SYNONYMS   versatile, all-around, many-sided, multifaceted,
multifarious. These adjectives mean having many aspects, uses, or abilities: a versatile writer; an all-around athlete; a many-sided subject; a multifaceted
undertaking; multifarious interests.
adj.

1. Capable of doing many things competently.

That's me! So now to the good stuff.  As a result of this awad, I get to tell you 7 things about me.  Then I intend to share my good fortune with fellow veratilites. 


1. I lived in Bordeaux, France in 1985-1986.  While there, I needed a new bra.  A sales lady in the department store grabbed both of the girl in the middle of the store to determine my bra size.  It was a
perfect fit. 
2. I'm adopted.  I've known since I started asking where babies come from. I am special. I was picked. 
3. I'm a handyman.  I can unclog a garbage disposal, change a tire, replace a ceiling light. But don't ask me to kill a spider. I once blew up a family of black widow spiders with a can of bug spray and a match. Did you know that stuff is highly flammable? 
4. I can shoot.  Not basketball. A gun.  I won a BB Gun contest when I was 10.  I beat my older brother
and he hated me for it.  Heh heh heh.   I've won turkeys at Turkey Shoots and I can shoot Skeet - that's a blast!
5. I can still do a front hand-spring. (No that's not me and no mine aren't as pretty.  But that's not important.)




6. I'm an excellent cook if I do say so myself.  I make a mean lasagna, and EVERYONE loves my meatloaf.  They even ask for the recipe.  Moist, flavorful.  Delicious!
6 1/2.  Since 6 was kinda lame, here's another.  I've driven a semi-truck.  Just the truck.  16 gears I think? Didn't stall.  I was good.
7. The sailors about the U.S.S.Comfort washed my scivvies for me.  I was desperate.  I worked during 9-11 and there wasn't time to even do laundry.  My co-workers and I stunk in the beginning.

Now I get to pass the award on to other Versatile Bloggers and I'm going to try to not double tag.  Ready? 

Nicole
Erika
Chandra
Heidi
Ashley
Heather I think?  or is it
Caitlin or Colleen?  One of you girls! (Three sisters keeping in touch - way cool!) 
Melisa

Can't wait to read their 7 things!

H3LL YES!

I did it.  I ran 10.48 miles on Sunday.  Oh YEAH!  Baby!  I'm a Long Distance Runner!  

And I owe it all to the kindness of this community of running bloggers. Isn't it amazing? We virtually run  into people (Ha!  Pun intended!) we've never met before and yet develop friendships. The support and encouragement from fellow running bloggers in incredible.

For instance, last week I was crushed by my first double digit run. I was crushed physically and mentally. My confidence in my ability to run at all was shot. I had a 3.4 mile run scheduled the following day and I seriously doubted if I could run it. (Gratefully, that run was fine and the 5.4 run two days later was even better.)

Fortunately for me, the you guys came through. The advice was terrific!

Laura from  the Jog for Joubert Syndrome blog

Ashley from the Adventures of Running Mom blog

Anne from the Asthma an the Gift of Running blog

Heidi from Henniemavis's Blog

That Pink Girl (haven't figured out a real name yet) 

Nicole from the Runner Nic blog

Tara from the Colorado Runner blog

Rick from Marathon Man Runs Again blog

Al  from You Run? No really, you run? blog

Amanda from the Run to the Finish blog

Melisa from the Irish Blue in a Running Shoe blog

Based on the encouragement and experience shared by these folks, I decided to try that long run again. Here's what I did diffrently:

1. I drank water before bed.
2. I drank water when I woke up.
3. Got dressed and lubed up.  Even my left arm pit.  (Body Glide does look like deodorant after all.  It was weird having one slick arm pit and one not.  At least I didn't brush my teeth with it.)
4. I ate peanut butter and jelly oatmeal for breakfast a la Ashley.
5. I planned to run a 5.24 mile route I was familiar with twice. This helped with the mental aspect. I knew the route, I knew the hills, I knew what to expect.
6. I bought Vanilla Bean GUs based on Ricks advice but at the last minute chickened out on eating them. Instead I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cut it in four squares a la Two Gomers.  (One of the guys packs a meal when he does his long run. A sandwich, a banana, some cookies or something.  It's like he's having lunch on the run.)
7. I drank more water.
8. When I left the house it was 69 degrees and 97% humidity.
9. I put my water bottle and sandwich in my mailbox. Since I was running the loop twice I could stop at the mailbox and grab my stuff.
10. I ran the first loop and stopped for my snack. Guzzled 15 ounces of water and ate my sandwich in the 50 seconds it took me to walk back up my hellacious hill.
11. Started running the loop again.
12. Stopped for a drink at the water fountain at the park.
13. Made it back home. It was 78 degrees and 73% humidity.

I'm ordering an Ultimate direction water bottle online today from Zombie Ruunners. I decided to start with a handheld and move up to a fuel belt later. I'm not planning on running a marathon so the handheld should be fine. I like what I found a Dick's (thank's Al) but I wanted Pink. I know. I know. I just like pink and if I'm going to have to use it alot I want pink.  So there.  

And Rick, I think I can do the GU. I noticed that trying to eat bread with peanut butter on it is difficult when your mouth is dry and you are breathing hard. I was afraid I was going to inhale my sandwich, literally. The best part of my sandwich was the grape jelly. So I think the GU and I won't have a problem.

Seriously, runners rock!

Beeeeeeeep! Wonk! Wonk! Wonk! Public Service Announcement

(Cheesy Gatorade ad.  Do you know how are it was to find any kind of entertaining picture with the keyword "sweat"?)

It's that time again.  Especially here in the south.  When I ran Monday, it was only 67 degrees out but 90% humidity.  It was quite some time, maybe 25 minutes, before I quit sweating.  During my long run the day before, the temperatures got to 77 degrees and  70% humidity.  If this chart showed it, I'd bet it was in a caution zone as well, because I was definitely "fatigued" and dehydrated and ill and miserable and a host of other adjectives.

So this is your Public Service Announcement.  Watch the temperature and humidity and plan your runs accordingly.  Be patient with your body as you acclimate to the warmer temperatures.  

According to Jeff Galloway, once the mercury passes 65 degrees it's harder for our bodies to get rid of the heat we create from running and we sweat much more.  This also causes blood to move to the capillaries of the skin in an effort to cool down instead of remaining in our hard-working muscles so they're getting less oxygen and nutrients.  Lactic acid removal is inefficient since the blood flow through our muscles is reduced and we slow down.  We just do. Get used to it.  Run early.  Hydrate regularly.  Fuel properly. Do as I say, not as I do.  Otherwise, your runs will be like mine last weekend.  You have been warned.

Worst Run of My Life. Can I Quit Now? What Was Wrong With Me?

I think I had the worst run of my life.

I planned to run 10.3 miles.  My first double digit run.  20% more that my long run last week of 8.6 miles.

Had a fruit smoothie with an egg in it for breakfast an hour or so before I ran.

I had to stop at a drugstore for water after mile 3.

I stopped at an Urgent Care medical office for water after mile 7.

And that's when my iPhone music shorted out.  Seriously.  Must have been from the sweat.  Off, on, on in chipmunk mode.  Off, on, off really fast.  Couldn't do a thing about it.

I probably walked 1 to 1 1/2 miles of the thing.

Felt like I had absolutely NO energy at all.  I walked faster than I ran.  Hills obliterated me.

Made it home.

Drank 40 ounces of iced tea.

After drinking the iced tea I weighed 1 1/2 pounds less than when I started the run.

Took a shower and thought I was going to throw up.

Went to bed for 2 hours.

It was 77 degrees outside and very humid.

My clothes were sopping wet, wring-out-ably wet.  Disgusting.

I've lost 4 pounds in 3 days.  From 137.6 to 133.8.

What happened?  Am I ever going to be able to run long?

Replay of the Week

What a great week!  Here's the planned running, and my actual running.  I got it all in.  

5	3	Rest / XT	5	Rest / XT	3	Rest	8	19
5/3	3.4		5.2		3.4		8.56	20.55

And the 8.67 miles? My longest ever. Ever and ever. Next week will be even longer. I spent 2 days psyching myself up for it. I was fairly worried. Why? What if I got cramps. Did I eat the right things for breakfast? What if I experienced a "code brown." If you run over 60 minutes you're supposed to drink water. I didn't have a water bottle. Was I going to dehyrate and faint? 8.56 miles after all. (Notice I keep repeating the .56? That is HUGE! More than 8 miles. I could almost even justify rounding to 9 miles!) I didn't take any chalk blocks or goo. Don't have a fuel belt. And I ran 8.56 miles! 

Sun  8.6 miles  84:52 min 9:54 min/mile

And for everyone snickering over my measley 8.56 miles, let me remind you that I am injury prone.  I've never gotten this far because I usually become injured first.  Femoral neck stress fractures, blah blah blah.


Monday? Tried for an easy 3.4 miles. It's hard to slow down now that I have more than the one speed. (Slow and not so slow.) The 5.2 was decent on Wednesday. Friday was good. Sunday's 8.56 miles at under a 10 minutes pace was awesome. I was strong until the end. Energetic. I smiled at all the dog walkers at the park. I did run into a friend and stopped to chat for 5 minutes or so. But then I continued on. I think from that point until the end of my run was all up hill. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. Look.

But I ran it. All.The.Way. Any pain? Small amounts of pain the the butt from the piriformis thing. I also have some tendinitis in my foot that isn't going away but wasn't caused but running. And it usually isn't noticeable when I run. It was just a tad bit on this one LONG run. Hey - I really do have a long run now. Go me!

So, did I ice bath afterwards?  


NOT!

My Running Playlist. What's Yours?

This is my current running list.  Classic rock, Rock, Country, Alternative, Pop, Christian.  Absolutely, under no circumstances, will I listen to that Justin Beaver kid.  I'm definitely not into Rap, either.  Music affects my running pace.  I really don't listen to the words as much when I'm running as I do in other settings.  For all I know, some of these songs may be totally inappropriate.  (Do I sound motherly there?)  I choose songs based on how fast the beat is and I like it if they have a "pounding" feel to them.  The stronger the beat, the faster I go.  Maybe that's why I'm running faster -- I have a great playlist!  That's it!!  Ok.  Not.  But it is something to think about.  What about you?

Name	Artist
According To You	Orianthi
Ali In The Jungle	Hours
All the small things	Blink182
Allstar	Smashmouth
Baba O'Riley	The Who
Bleed It Out	Linkin Park
The Boys Of Summer	Don Henley
Cheater Cheater	Joey + Rory
Check Yes Juliet	We The Kings
Come On Get Higher	Matt Nathanson
Disarray	Lifehouse
Face Down	The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Fight Like A Girl	Bomshel
Fireflies	Owl City
Flirtin' With Disaster	Molly Hatchet
Free To Be Me	Francesca Battistelli
Good Girls Go Bad	Cobra Starship
Gotta Be Somebody	Nickelback
Harder To Breathe	Maroon 5
Hips Don't Lie	Shakira/Wyclef Jean
How Far Do You Wanna Go?	Gloriana
How Far We`ve Come	Matchbox Twenty
I Do Not Hook Up	Kelly Clarkson
I Gotta Feeling	The Black Eyed Peas
I Run For Life	Melissa Etheridge
I Run For Life	Melissa Etheridge
If You're Going Through Hell	Rodney Atkins
It's Your Life	Francesca Battistelli
It Happens	Sugarland
Juke Box Hero
Keeping Me Guessing (Acoustic)	Francesca Battistelli
Let It Rock  (Feat. Lil Wayne/ Clean)	Kevin Rudolf
The Middle	Jimmy Eat World
Party In The U.S.A.	Miley Cyrus
Rebel Yell	Billy Idol
Renegade	Styx
Rock And Roll All Nite	Kiss
Second Chance	Shinedown
Shake It	Metro Station
Sugar, We're Goin Down	Fall Out Boy
Survivor	Destiny's Child
Use Somebody	Kings Of Leon
What Hurts The Most	Cascada
Wild At Heart	Gloriana
You Belong With Me	Taylor Swift
You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth	Meat Loaf