This Week has Been a Joke

This week has been a true example of Murphy's Law at work. Like, it has to be a joke, it's been so rough.

First, I came down with a cold the minute I finished my last long run on Sunday. I've been given prednisone for my asthma, but don't want to take a decongestant or cough medicine because of hydration issues I've had in the past. Plus, I think maybe the prednisone is giving me foot and leg cramps.

Our lovely cool front teased me with a return on Wednesday only to completely disappear. Warm weather is back, and it looks like race day is going to be warm and sunny.

Yuck.

Wednesday, I accidentally spilled Chipotle all over the kitchen and injured the crook of my knee with the vacuum when I was cleaning it up. Because of course I did.

I mean...why. Just why.

Whyyyyyy

I've been having muscle cramps in my sleep (and all I can think is that they must be related to the Taper Bogeyman or prednisone or something) and I couldn't decide all week if I should risk an easy run with my cold and wheezing to lubricate my legs, or keep resting. I finally ran Thursday, which resulted in more foot cramps (the kind where your toes curl in like claws and you have to manually pull them apart for relief).

Please ignore all the weird autocorrects here and focus instead on the fact that the cherry on top of this week was seeing a car on fire where I usually park to go on my runs. And also, foot cramps.

The good news is that the run gave me a feel for my legs. They feel fresh! My lungs are a mess right now - no amount of albuterol or prednisone is fully clearing them at the moment - but running actually made them feel better. (Sorry Mom, please don't freak out, I promise not to die on Sunday.)

Also, Jess and Jenn got me some good luck race day/birthday bling and I know it's going to bring me luck and good vibes on Sunday!

When your legs get tired...run with your heart!

I also recall running this race pretty sick one year and feeling surprisingly great on race day, so I'm hoping to just have a repeat of that experience.

Basically, this week leading up to A1A has been harder than the entire training cycle (it's almost laughable, really), but I'm still feeling pretty confident in an I know this race is going to happen so none of this even matters kind of way.

As of tonight, training is officially over and race weekend is upon us. Wish me luck!

ABK

PS: It's my birthday today, so happy birthday to me! A great gift would be clear lungs and sinuses come Sunday. Thanks in advance.

Weekly Workouts 10/10-10/16

Monday: Because I took Sunday off to give my legs extra rest, I didn't feel bad about squeezing a run in on an "off" day. The weather finally broke - it was 72 in the morning - so I went out for four miles in the evening.

Funny story: while paused at a stoplight, I heard my name. Elizabeth was driving by! So funny!

I started out much too fast and really paid the price for it. I need to remember to moderate my pace better on training runs!

Tuesday: It's been awhile since Elizabeth and I worked out at school! I put together a little circuit using some moves I've seen on Instagram and it turned out to be a really solid full-body workout.

Wednesday: Our last run before the Sanibel 10k! My goal was to take it very easy, even if that meant walking...which it did. We did 4 miles at about 10:16 pace, not including two times we walked a bit and I paused to stretch my right calf. (One of my walk breaks was because I had a weird stomach-cramp and thought I might need an emergency bathroom stop! Yuck!)

lol...there's a bug right in the middle of my forehead!

I actually felt really good and solid after this run, and the next day my legs felt excellent!

Thursday: Rest! I did some downward dog and planks, but nothing that would count as a workout.

Friday: Rest - race day tomorrow!

Saturday: The Sanibel Race for FISH 10k! I'd been looking forward to this race, but it just didn't go my way. I missed all my time goals. More on that later this week.

The highlight of the day, of course, was that Elizabeth enjoyed the race and did really well! I don't know if she's hooked on racing yet, but she's agreed to run a half with me in January!

Sunday: Rest and recovery.

ABK

Take That, Taper!

After Tuesday's run sent me into panic-mode, I was excited but also nervous to run Friday. I was really hoping all those mystery pains were just a fluke.

I started with some dynamic warmups and stretches. Then, I began my run at a slow, easy pace. I had a random mix of music playing, and I just concentrated on letting myself warm up. It was chilly and had just finished raining, so the weather was comfortable and clear. I felt good.

The two drops in pace around mile 2 were when my ankle "blipped" a teeny bit. I was able to figure out the cause and still finish strong!

A couple times, I did notice a...blip...in my ankle, but I quickly realized that what was causing it was a kind of "flopping" of my foot; as long as I maintained form, I felt great! So great, in fact, that my "30 minute test run" became five miles and included the bridge. I just didn't want it to end!

I finished feeling like I had showed taper who's boss!

Music of the Night came on toward the end of my run, and I began composing an essay in my head about the symbolism of the Phantom vs. Raoul. I mean really, the entire thing is about innocent, "pure", childlike love versus lust. Which probably isn't news to anyone who's a fan of the musical. Anyway, my thesis was that Christine chose the wrong man at the end, because choosing Raoul shows us that she's stunted due to her father's death and has never fully matured into an adult woman.

But, choosing the Phantom alone would have been all about lust and fulfilling fantasy and desire, without any solid emotional foundations, which would have doomed the relationship. So really, she should have just chosen both and had some brother-husband style polygamy going on. Right?

Taper is literally making me crazy, guys.

Except in this case, it was Phantom of the Opera.

Am I the only one who mentally writes literary essays while running?

Sunday I ran the second 10 miles of Kristin's first 20-miler for my last long run. I changed how I had tied my new shoes so they had a firmer grip on my heels, and it worked like a charm; I didn't have any pain, and it was so rewarding to be there for her through that milestone!

So much for sticking with a 12:30 pace. I'll do better next time!

We celebrated with breakfast at Skillets. Usually I go for the gluten free waffle, but I really wanted to try an omelet this time...which was fine, because Kristin's husband shared some of his waffle with me, so I had the best of both worlds!

I had this huge southwest-style omelet and grits, plus 1/4 of a chocolate-chip pecan waffle. YUM.

After breakfast, Matt and I drove to Cape Coral to check out the race route and parking situation. It's going to be pretty tricky for spectators to meet me on different parts of the course, but we have a week to figure it out so that hopefully I can at least see people a couple times on each loop.

Those blue areas are water, so it's basically impossible to cut through the middle of the course or take a shortcut.

This week, I'm planning two easy, shorter runs. I talked to Megan a little bit about what I should plan this week, and I've decided that three days of rest sounds good, especially because I'll still be up on my feet all week teaching.

(We also have two volleyball games, but that means we only have one practice, which will be easier on my legs and feet since I'm allowed to sit during games if I want, even though I rarely do.)

I'm so excited! I feel like training for my second marathon is finished and was successful! I didn't get injured or sick (fingers crossed...I have 7 days to go)! With that accomplishment under my belt, I feel pretty good about race day! Even if it doesn't go as planned, completing training itself is a pretty big deal.

Speaking of plans...I've already set my pace goals, but here are my other goals, broken down:

A: Break 5:20 (follow my pace goals as outlined in this post)

B: Break 5:30

C: PR (break 5:41)

And of course, finish upright and uninjured, and preferably at a run!

Does your mind go to weird places while you run?
How was your weather this weekend? We've had tons of clouds, wind, and rain, but it's still fairly warm. I've resigned myself to a warm race, and I'm hoping I'll be able to power through.

ABK

Well, That Run Sucked

Tuesday I ran after volleyball. It was the worst run I've had in months.

Take this post with a grain of salt...I'm officially tapering.

I met Elizabeth straight from practice so I didn't stop home. I had my running bag with me, but after being away all weekend I'd emptied it out to clean things, so I was missing my headband, my phone armband, and my good running socks.

During practice, I was jogging around gathering volleyballs and felt a sharp twinge in my left knee. Then, I got a weird, achy feeling in that butt cheek.

I was wearing a pair of shorts that are kind of loose for practice, so when I got to the park with Elizabeth and realized I didn't have my armband, I had to fit my phone into my back pocket. It bounced and jiggled and basically pulled my shorts down the entire run. So I was mooning traffic for half the run. I knew this wasn't going to be a good one.

If you Google-image search "worst run ever", a bunch of race pictures come up of people who look totally fine...I'd hate to somehow find my picture with that tag!

I have a persistent knot in my back that started aching; we were going to do 5 miles and I decided to see how I felt after three.

My calves were rocks by mile two.

Then, as we were nearing mile three, I started getting sharp, shooting pains in my inner-right ankle. (I think I was overcompensating for the knot and the achy butt cheek and the bouncing phone, and ended up running with some weird gait that cause ankle pain.)

So we called it at 2.8 miles. I couldn't even finish three. I know this was just a bad day with myriad factors I can work around next tine, but taper makes me hyper-paranoid and now I can't stop thinking about every single ache and twinge!

It was also one of those runs that made me step back and go, oh right, things out of my control may happen and then this race won't...so it's time to walk on eggshells and not get cocky!

This week we have our second volleyball game, and then I'm traveling for work Friday, so I may not run again until the weekend. Maybe that's a good thing. But I don't want to taper too drastically!

Wednesday, to take my mind off it, I cooked the giant eggplant a student brought me. (Those of you who follow me on Instagram saw the picture of it on my desk. My principal - whose daughter is in my homeroom and plays on the volleyball team - got it from a friend but doesn't eat eggplant, so her daughter brought it to school for me. The kids spent all day touching it and carrying it around like a baby. Middle schoolers are weird.)

My kids' reactions were priceless, but to be fair, it is a weird thing to see on a teacher's desk!

I used this recipe (whose author, I just realized, is named Ali too. Weird) and made eggplant parmesan.

I've never made it before, and it was a hit! Matt and I are both super happy with it. It takes a ton of work, but it makes a lot and it's so yummy!

Oh hey blurry crazy-face!

Plus, all that cheese is a great comfort food while I'm emotionally crazy tapering.

Please tell me everything is going to be okay! I have 10 days before the marathon and I'm freaking out!

Thoughts on my new blog layout? I want it to look more centered, but not cluttered!
ABK

Thanksgiving Weekend

As usual, Matt and I had a very busy Thanksgiving!

We started the festivities Thursday at Matt's dad's house, then stopped by his cousin's for dessert. We finished with dinner at my parents' house.

Meal #1 - I had a tiny helping of everything to save room for later! I like that Tammy always has ham at Thanksgiving so I don't have too much turkey.

Matt had three slices of pie at dinner #2. THREE.

Selfie break!

Thanksgiving #3, plus the homemade chocolate pecan and blueberry pies my mom made. I also splurged and had GF cookie dough ice cream at our final dinner.

Post-dinner coffee and games.

Friday we had our fourth Thanksgiving at Matt's mom's. She made roast beef, so we weren't completely overloaded with turkey.

Playing Fill or Bust and Matt's mom's.

Saturday, we met Jenn and Tommy for lunch and then went to Mote Marine. I haven't been in years, but it was the first place I ever saw manatees, so I blame it for my crippling fear of sea life. (It's actually a research aquarium, so the exhibits are not only educational to visitors; they also allow marine biologists and other scientists in Florida keep our ecosystem flourishing.)

Sea turtles, lion fish, sharks, sea dragons, and sea horses! (The males were all pregnant, and watching them try to swim with their huge bellies was kind of hilarious.)

We used the "two finger touch" to pet some baby sharks, sea cucumbers, sting rays, and more!

Saturday evening I went for a five mile run while Matt longboarded along with me. I realized that last time I ran 20 miles, it took a full week to recover. This time, I felt ready to run again Friday but didn't have time; my legs felt fresh and light Saturday, and I kept a steady pace easily.

Sunday, after a stop for lunch at Matt's mom's and a stop to see Brittany, we finally came home. Groceries bought, laundry done...I guess that means the weekend is over, but it was blissful while it lasted!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, US friends!
How was your weekend?

ABK

20 Miles Done...Bring on the Pie!

As you guys know, I was unluckily rained out of this run Sunday, but I was fortunate that we don't have work the Wednesday before Thanksgiving because it meant I could make it up without much delay.

Much, much better weather. But check out that wind.

It was really hard to wake up this morning. The temperatures dipped, so I slept until 4:30, which ended up being a mistake. Even once I was up, it took forever to get moving. I sat on the floor in our dressing area (where the coffee pot is since the kitchen is still a hole) and had coffee and my poptart, and then just sat there for awhile. The past week must have really caught up with me.

Finally, I got out the door. I had a Gu in the car (PB, with caffeine); my plan was to start running around 5:30 and I didn't start until six.

Most of the dips in pace were due to pausing at crosswalks. I decided not to stop my GPS when waiting to cross.

I had a good route in mind, and the first loop was perfect. I kept an extremely steady pace and stopped around mile 5.7 to have my first Gu (Salted Chocolate, caffeinated) and water and to take a bathroom break. As the sun began to rise, it was pretty cloudy at first, so things were still cool and comfortable.

6 miles in and feeling fine!

As usual, once I started running, things felt good. I listened to Heather Dubrow's podcast for the first loop and it was such a perfect distraction. I tried listening to "Death, Sex & Money" but found it boring. After the first loop, I switched to music.

Guilty-pleasure-TV meets podcasts. This was like listening to friends gossip and made running really easy.

At the end of the first loop (which was 9 miles), I veered into the neighborhood I've been running recently to add two miles. When I exited the neighborhood and stopped at my car briefly (Gu #3, Chocolate Outrage, caffeinated), I realized how much warmer it was. The wind had picked up a bit, too. I grabbed my sunglasses and headed back out for the second loop.

Mile 10.5 or so. Halfway there!

From this point on - mile 11.5 or so - the headwind was tough. I could feel it affecting my asthma, and breathing was a pain. But at least the wind meant the day still felt cool despite the sun! I was starting to feel some little pains, but I knew I was nearly there and just had to dig deep.

At mile 15, I had my final turn-around. The wind disappeared. Suddenly, there was no shelter from the sun. The last four miles were brutal. I stopped at the park (mile 16.5, Gu #4 - Lemonade. No caffeine and definitely not a flavor I'll have again. I was hoping the citrus taste would get rid of the cloying sweetness of the other Gu, gum, and Lifesavers. Nope) and had some water. A lot of water.

I should've started the run earlier and avoided this mess.

I actually didn't regret chugging water at that point. I walked a little and then just decided to get it done and ran most of the rest of the way. By this time, my left knee really hurt (definitely IT band pain) but the rest of me felt good, just tired. And my mouth felt disgusting. It was pretty distracting!

I stopped my GPS at 20 miles and walked the last quarter mile back to the car.

Then I chugged a bottle of water the size of my head.

I walked a little during mile 16 after I stopped for a drink, and then at mile 18.5 for a little bit. I'd like to avoid that on race day, though.

I'm really pleased with my pace on this run. I didn't pause my GPS at any stoplights, and while moving my pace was always in the 12:20 range (although it dipped into the low 12s at some points, which wasn't smart planning on my part). I paused it during my bathroom break at 5.7 and at the car pitstop at mile 11, but all the times I had to stop at crosswalks and didn't pause seemed to even out those discrepancies.

I think I meant this more as a "20 miles!" sign and less to mean peace haha.

I am definitely ready to eat my weight in pie and enjoy taper from this point out. I'll be taking it easier this coming Sunday, and then I have one more long run (8 or 12 miles probably) before race day!

Can anyone recommend a not-too-sweet gum with long-lasting flavor?
Do you watch Real Housewives? I unashamedly watch OC, BH, and NY.

ABK

Embracing Taper

My last half of the year (scheduled so far at least) is this weekend. I'm excited for it and I'm trying to plan for a smart race. Two key factors are informing my decisions this week.

1. Spring has truly arrived. Seemingly overnight, temperatures have jumped up into the high 80s and the humidity is creeping back up as well.

This weekend's forecast.

2. The huge bridge I'll have to cross twice early in the race is daunting, to say the least.

My quads already hate me for this.

After the 5k on Monday, my right butt cheek and my right calf were really tight. The muscles were knotted up like crazy! I realized that this week's plan to run my local bridge as many times as possible was kind of stupid.

It's time to taper.

I returned to the golf course Wednesday for a very easy shakeout run of just two miles.

My calves were killing me the entire time.

I eschewed a four-miler across the bridge for a flat, easy course with Kristin instead.

It's funny how much easier a run is when you've got a buddy with you!

I'm drinking lots of water, using my foam roller and Stick, and basically taking it easy the rest of the week. It's time to get my legs into racing condition. They need to rest!...And I think they've kind of earned it.

Do you taper?

Are you racing this weekend?

Has spring arrived for you yet?

Go wish Lizzy good luck at the LA Marathon this weekend! She'll be dealing with super warm weather, too!

ABK

Weekend Update

 Ohh, how I miss the golden days of Weekend Update on SNL!

This cold I've been battling has had the weirdest progression. One day I feel fine, the next day my throat hurts, then my throat feels fine but my sinuses are a wreck, then my sinuses feel fine but my lungs are all tight...

I had a really fabulous run last Thursday with Kristin that reminded me that even though I'm really resting more than tapering now, I'm still capable of running. This was a good mental boost, because I cannot run with a cold in my chest. My asthma is too difficult to control. I'm gasping for breath just sitting around.

So mentally, yes, I'm a little freaked for the marathon. But I know my body can do this as long as I'm not sick by next weekend. Colds are only supposed to last 14 days, right?

Anyway, I took a nap Friday and then slept til noon Saturday...so at least I have the resting part of taper/sickness recovery covered. We saw Matt's dad Saturday and finally made a big house purchase we've been talking over...rugs!

Matt really likes shaggy rugs, so we got one for the bedroom. It's finally starting to feel comfy in there!

We went for a big, patterned rug in the living room.

We've been wanting rugs for awhile and I feel like these are kind of important purchases because they're brand new and decorative...I think we're finally figuring out what style we like for the house.

It was a good thing I got all that sleep Friday/Saturday because I woke up super early Sunday to go cheer for Kristin and Mari at a half marathon. I was originally thinking of running while I waited at the finish line for them, but my lungs weren't working well enough.

At the park pre-race!

And they're off!

I had spent Saturday night making a sign. The pink side said "KRISTIN & MARI EAT 13.1 FOR BREAKFAST!!!" and on the back I wrote "BEAST MODE: ON! YOU'VE GOT THIS!" I spun the sign so the majority of runners saw the general message but flipped it when Kristin and Mari passed.

Matt watched a terrible movie while I got my craft on.

I took up my post around mile 6. A few runners wanted pictures with the sign. It was awesome to hang out and offer support; I was sad I wasn't running, but happy to still be involved. After a few weeks of cool weather, today was surprisingly hot really early on; by the end of the race it was in the 80s and I heard there wasn't much water on the course. So in short, this was a hard race, but Mari and Kristin finished strong!

I'm so proud of both of them, and I'm reminded that spectating can be just as rewarding as running. I definitely teared up a few times as I watched runners dig deep and finish what must have been a truly brutal half.

True story...but we still went and had brunch afterward!

Now I'm looking at two more days of a work before break, and just six days until the marathon. I feel...resigned? Like, yes, I will do this and I know I'll finish it. But oooh boy do I wish my health and my confidence were where I want them to be right now!

Any words of comfort for my likelihood of kicking this cold in time for the race?

Any positive words of advice? (This is a strictly #nonegativethoughts zone right now because I need to pump myself up!)

ABK