Wear it proudly

It's official.  I am a "wearer-out-er".

When I find something I like, or rediscover something I used to like, I tend to overdo it.  Or as I like to phrase it, I just "fully embrace" it.

Until I get a little burned out.  Then I take a break.  I'm quite fickle that way.

Case in point: Ironman.  I discovered triathlon in 2007, and in September 2008 I completed Ironman Wisconsin.  Zero to full throttle.  Then I needed a long break.

Right now my like is a little less extreme.  I like corn-on-the-cob.   Yes, pause for effect.   

Maybe it's because we never had a spring and we are only now starting to see the possibility of summer and nothing says summer like corn-on-the-cob.  Or perhaps it's because shucking the corn in preparation is one of the most relaxing, mindful activities I've experienced in awhile.

Or, could it be the treasure-hunt of picking the lost kernels out of my teeth afterward?  No, that is actually totally gross and unappealing.  Definitely NOT it.

So, I've had corn-on-the-cob with dinner for the last 3 days.  It is bound to die out soon, and I know I should try to pace myself but I clearly have some sort of mental illness that prohibits me from putting the cob down.  

I also joined a gym today, which I am hoping balances out the craziness of the above confession.  I use Living Social and Groupon religiously, and I now have a 1 month membership to Harbor Athletic Club, about 8 minutes from my house. For $20. I don't really need a gym in the beautiful warm weather, but here's the bonus - they have a boatload of classes.  I like to try new things...so, look for future posts to include updates on my antics in this brave, new world.

I start tomorrow.  

Madison Half Race Report

Another half marathon is officially in the books.

This morning was the Madison Half - which if you recall, was supposed to be the Madison Full.  As I've mentioned before...lesson learned.  A spring marathon is WAY HARD to train for in the midwest.  Between that, seemingly endless travel since December, and a very unfortunate 6 week hacking cough that I started to worry was becoming part of my persona, I found myself woefully behind on those precious long runs.

My training partner Julie suffered from pain in her left knee that at one point made it almost impossible for her to hobble back to her car - alone, in the winter.

So we opted for the half.

Overall, the training has really taken a backseat since making that decision.  I did run the Lake Monona 20k a couple weeks ago and it was one of the best runs of my life.  I averaged 9:13/mile, which for me is pretty much like saying I WON MY AGE GROUP.

Of course I did NOT win my age group.

Since I have no idea what that would feel like (and let's be honest, probably never will)...I am guessing the way I felt about my average pace is close to that level of euphoria.  At least for a historically slow runner like me.

At any rate, that was my highlight in training.  In the last 2 weeks, I ran 3 times.  Julie has been nursing her injury and recovering as much as she can with biking and shorter runs to build strength in her knee.

And that's the shape we were in when we bellied up to the starting line this morning.  Another lesson learned?  No matter how many halfs I've done, showing up to the race with less than optimal training in the bank is daunting.  Not comfortable at all.  Hey, maybe when I was 29...but folks, this body needs a bit more preparation and a bit less spontaneous hard work.

So we took it slow and steady.  Stopped at every aid station, high-fived the little kids, and laughed at the crazy signs.

A few favorites:

You don't really look good.  But you are running well. 

That's not sweat.  It's your fat cells crying.

Chuck Norris has never run a marathon!

I was chatty, telling a fellow runner I loved her shoes, which she told me she designed herself through the Nike customization program.  Very cool.

When I asked Julie if her knee hurt, she said yes.  I asked if she wanted to rest or stretch.  She replied, "I'm just going to deal with it because we are going to finish this mother-f@&!er"

The woman running next to us laughed out loud.  Later when we ran into her at the finish line she said it was exactly what she needed to hear at that point in the race. And it still made her laugh.

In short, we enjoyed ourselves as much as you can when you are running for a solid 2 hours.

We finished in 2:13.  Average pace 10:31/mile.  Yes, slow.  However, through the sweat and the ouch-ouch-ouch of the last few miles, then the WTF-Are-you-kidding-me with this hill at mile 12?...

We had a great run and a fun morning.

Plus - get this - they give you a medal whether you are fast or slow! 

So with medals-in-hand we hobbled over to the Great Dane Pub and had a couple of beers for breakfast.     

Let summer begin!

25 on 25

As it turns out, the end of the world wasn't May 21.

It was May 25.  Or, the last day of Oprah.  

It's all people want to talk about.  25 years of Oprah ending on May 25.  That isn't a coincidence.  

I will admit, the end of Oprah's show is the end of an era.  She redefined the talk show, increased the overall intelligence of many with her book club, introduced us to the real side of many famous people (which in some cases like Tom Cruise kind of became a PR nightmare for the celeb), and between her favorite things and her giveaways...showed us a sort of glamorous life on a regular person's budget.

It won't be the last we see of her.  Mark my words - she will end up in politics.  Some joke that Oprah has more money than God and that may well be true but I would also argue she has more dreams and ambitions than a lot of us.  Or, perhaps, she just has the guts to go after them.  

I haven't really watched her in years, but when SNL spoofs on you...you are pretty solidly ingrained in the culture of America.  I still catch the occasional clip or interview on YouTube.  She is like an old friend, always just there...until she's not.  

She raised the bar for women, and for that I am grateful.  She brought grace and poise and sophistication to daytime TV, and for that we should all be grateful.  Love her or hate her, she is a true success story.  She wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth and yet she has impacted the lives of so many.  I am pretty certain there is nothing but silver in her utensil drawer now.

I am looking forward to what's next...as I'm sure she has it already figured out.  That's why we admire her.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Well...

Hello again.

Turns out the world did not end this weekend, work is starting to temporarily slow, I'm training (not less, but differently)...and I'm back on the laptop staring at the blogger screen.

Things are moving in my world.  Change is in the air.  It's about to get interesting.  Trust me.

In the meantime, my doggies are back in the little pink house with me...and somehow that makes things more right in the world.  I missed them.  That's an understatement.  I hadn't seen them in a year because they were in the custody of their dad, and getting them back was pretty amazing.  They didn't forget me, which was my absolute worst fear.  In fact, within minutes they navigated the house and rekindled their love-hate with the cats as if they were never not here.

And Annie follows me around as if she has never spent a day away from the backs of my legs.

It's so fascinating how that works.

A few more updates...

This weekend instead of running the full marathon in Madison, I'm running the half.  I have learned 2 things from this journey:
1) Training for a spring marathon when you live in the Midwest is HARD.  Really hard.  And really COLD.  All the time.  COLD.
2) Training for a marathon when you travel for work 2 out of every 4 weeks a month is HARD.  Really hard.  There.is.never.enough.time.

Yes, I am disappointed that I did not punch through the wall and get to this week in taper mode, but I am also certain that I will come back to fight another day.  Perhaps this fall.

So I'm towing the line for the 13.1 this Sunday.  Not my first, surely not my last...and I'm looking forward to it.

I missed hot yoga over the course of my recent work traveling and tonight I went back.  It was MARVELOUS.  That sense of calm - well, if you know me in a face-to-face, real live breathing person sort of way - you probably wouldn't recognize me after a hot yoga session.  I believe I actually walk and gesture like a graceful swan.  Charitable and overflowing with love and generosity for every single living thing on earth.

Now in general, I would argue I am a pretty nice person.  I can be passionate, excitable, loud, opinionated, sometimes impatient, and emotional.  After yoga - I am frickin' belle of the ball - all manners and smooth and flowy.

I attempted and really liked Pilates.  My friend Carolyn teaches out of her home and it was super cool.  First, she is brilliant.  She knows how to work those machines and she has a brain full of about a thousand exercises I think.  She taught me a few, commented on my already-aware lack of flexibility, and offered to teach me despite of it.  I am so excited.  This last 6 months has been eye-opening.  TRX (remember WTF), Yoga, and Pilates.

What's next?  Buckle up.

That's a decent update for tonight.  I have a lot more to share...one step at a time.