Category Archives: Running

Randomness

Today I went for a run.  I’m trying to start wearing shorts for this activity (today was actually a skirt I had gotten at Target).  I ran for 2 miles really fast (for me), averaging a 9 minute mile for the first 1.5 miles.  Then I realized I was dying, and really needed to slow down as I have a half marathon this weekend where I need to average 11:20 miles…and that’s pretty fast for me.  Why was I running so fast?  Well, I realized I was using a bigger stride.  And using it somewhat naturally.  Huh.  Except my lungs started killing me.  Oops.

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Sorry for the blurriness—took this from my car window (while stopped at a light)—that will be the location of the race expo.  You can see the go! Marathon and Family Fitness Weekend poster.  Plus, how gorgeous is that sky?

Stuff my trainer and I talked about yesterday:

The weather on Saturday and its awesomeness

How he rolled his ankle stepping off a treadmill the other day and almost cried

***note to readers:  I find that people often say to me, “hey I thought of you the other day when I”(choose one)…”fell down the stairs,” or “tripped over my own feet in front of a crowd of children” or  “fell off a table” or  “fell really slowly while holding a violin and crying out the entire time”.  I am not sure why this is…***

How he’s much happier now that he’s single (even though she dumped him…he claims he was passive-aggressively bringing that on)

Chuck Norris jokes such as: Chuck Norris wears sunglasses not to protect his eyes from the sun, but to protect the sun from Chuck Norris…and maybe some that aren’t fit for this blog.

Time to teach the children!

Lord of the Rings

Friday night was AWESOME.  Lord of the Rings:  Fellowship of the Ring on the big screen at Powell Symphony Hall with the SLSO playing the music.  It was like watching the movie but with the music turned up extra loud!  They had subtitles on the movie so that even when the music was a bit too loud you could still easily follow the movie.

There were some “artifacts” from the movie in the lobby.

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I was a little frightened of the ringwraith.

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Hobbit feet!  Where is the hobbit???  Frodo???

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I believe this is Gimli’s ax  “and my axe!”

I sat with my friend Laura for the show.  We LOVED it!  The hall was completely sold out.  The audience really seemed to respond well.  So much fun!

After the movie, we went to Demun Oyster Bar.  Chris and I split an order of grilled oysters—I’m not sure how I feel about them.  They were okay, and they tasted a bit like the ocean…which sounds good in theory until you remember how the ocean tastes after a wave pulls you under ONE too many times and you are very thirsty due to having swallowed too much salt-water—they tasted a bit like that.  Oh well.  The ambience was wonderful though and I would definitely return.

 

Saturday was CRAZY.  I already mentioned the bootcamp and the 9 mile run.  Around mile 6/7 we came across a group of larpers.  You can follow that link to learn more.  I had heard of this sort of thing but never seen it—people in costume fighting with wooden swords.  I thought I was hallucinating! except that Jen saw it too, and Mike did as well (it was one of the first things he said to us when we ran into him—“did you see the larpers?”…well, after “I was hot so I took off my shirt”).

I was planning to go to the Ballet that night, but I was just TOO exhausted to sit through a show.  Instead I went out for some drinks and snacks with my friends Sarah and Melissa.  We hit up Sage (try the key lime pie martini), Yemanja Brasil (caipirinhas and empanadas), and Riley’s ….quite the night!

 

Sunday was for relaxing and buying some compression socks!  I woke up several times during the night Saturday because my calves were hurting me.  I decided to FINALLY use my groupon to Big River Running Company to get compression socks (which I am wearing right now).  They are very tight knee socks, basically, and they feel great.  I also went on two different walks just to try to relax my legs (and cardio).  The temperature got into the 80’s.

Tomorrow:  back to work!  I have a full day of teaching ahead of me.  Tomorrow night is the NCAA Men’s basketball final, and I’ll be glad to watch that after a long day of work.

How was your weekend?

Oh what a day

I wanted to do a long run today in Forest Park with my friend Jen.  She asked if I wanted to attend her boot camp class outside first—so YES we did a boot camp class outside, then 9 miles.  Was it easy?  Um…no.  A really tough workout.  I seriously wouldn’t have made it through without her, but I felt fantastic afterwards.

We ran around Forest Park (6 miles) then we added on a bit more.  On the last mile we ran into my trainer Mike, who was just starting his run for the day (though oddly was already hot enough to have taken off his shirt…hmm…).  When my Garmin hit 9 miles, we walked the rest of the way back to Jen’s gym where we had parked our belongings and my car.

After that we hit up a crepe place and ate what was likely entirely too much whipped cream.  Yum! 

I’m tired…so tired…and would do more blogging but instead will go to bed.  Let me fill you in later on caipirinhas, a wedding, and LARP (live-action-role-play) in the park.  Or not.  I might forget Winking smile. (and for the record, I was an observer of the larping, not a participant.  I may like Lord of the Rings but I don’t want to live it.

Deep thoughts

I ran over 93 miles this month, can you believe it?  (Probably).  Which met my goal, so that’s awesome.  Today was more of a run/walk/sprint type of thing as running for too long was hurting the back of my ankles.  Oh, note to readers:  if you own running tights with a zipper on the back of the leg, it’s possible after running in them for a long time that zipper will have left a painful mark/scab on the back of your ankle.  And then if you forget and wear them again a few days later, it will continue to hurt.

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Now I’m sitting around drinking some coffee before I get a haircut and then teach.  With the coffee comes some speculation…

Every time I meet with Mike (my trainer) he asks me what my plans for weekend are.  Even if it’s Tuesday and the weekend is seemingly a bit far away.  I know it’s because he is simply making conversation, but sometimes I feel like I need to have an interesting answer or else he’ll be disappointed in me.  (Yes, I shouldn’t care.  And it’s not as if he has that many interesting weekend plans either.)  However, this weekend I do have exciting plans.  Chris and the rest of the symphony started rehearsing for the upcoming Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the Ring) movie performance, which I am going to see this weekend.  (If you are a regular reader, you already know this.) 

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Before the movie there is going to be a display of some “artifacts” from the movie in the lobby.  It should be quite the evening! 

I think this is part of the future of orchestras.  As a classical musician I am always concerned with showing other people how great the music I love is.  One of the biggest venues people have to hear orchestral music is through movie soundtracks, and (in my opinion) the best movies have great, orchestral soundtracks.  Some movies use classical music which has already been written(think of Also Sprach Zarathustra in 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Barber’s Adagio in just about everything) and other movies (more likely) require new music.  Anybody who wants to poo-poo on this style of music needs to remember that even well known classical composers such as Shostakovich and Phillip Glass wrote for the movies.  And I would think that Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven would have been movie composers as well, if they were asked and if it put food on the table.  Besides which, just like music can be for entertainment, so are the movies, and sometimes movies are even considered art as well.

My point (I guess) is that firstly, movie music can be played in a concert hall, and secondly, that the “common man” can appreciate classical music if he appreciates the movies.  I read today (sadly) that the Syracuse Symphony’s season has been canceled.  My heart goes out to the members of that orchestra. 

My heart goes out further to the negative people who wrote in the comments who, like far too many people in the world today, can’t see a future full of hope and brightness, full of music and laughter, and perhaps, full of love and peace.  Instead they see the world as a place where only a few can, or SHOULD succeed and the rest are left to wither and…what breaks my heart…how can anybody be okay with this?  I saw a billboard last year that said “had enough of hope and change?”  I believe it was encouraging people to vote against the democrats…and I thought…wow.  How can anybody ever have enough of hope?  Hope is part of what makes us different from the animals.  Hope is what keeps us going.  Hope is why we pass on knowledge to the children.  Hope is why we strive to make the world a better place each day.

ANYWAY.  I know I went off on a little bit of a tangent there, but I wanted to get that off my chest.   I have been increasingly frustrated with the news of the world lately, but HOPE keeps me moving forward and continuing to do what I can in my life.  And that means teaching violin, running, attending concerts, playing weddings, enjoying time with friends…and that is what I will continue to do.

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I wanted to end on a lighter note Winking smile  I love despair.com.

Where are your doughnuts?

I usually do the weekly shopping on Tuesday after I meet with Mike at the gym.  Today was no exception.  Usually I get a mix of fruits/vegetables, meats/fishes, breads and rice, some milk, cheese, coffee, etc.  I’ve been trying to do better using up the stuff I freeze and the cabinet stuff, so today I mainly just got fruits/vegetables, some pork for a planned menu dish, coffee and some deli meat/cheese.  As I was unloading my stuff onto the conveyer the woman in front of me says, “Wow, I should have you shop for me with all that healthy stuff!” and the cashier says “Where are your doughnuts?”  I laughed, knowingly.  After all, the doughnuts are at the restaurants!  The healthy food is at home.

Keep in mind, this came after a week where I think I have actually gained three pounds…it’s amazing how in the morning before you PR on a half marathon you can be bothered that you weigh more.  After all, I wanted to lose weight this month, not gain…even if it is just a couple of pounds…even if you “carb-loaded” the night before.  THEN Mike tells me he is trying to “cut 10 pounds” for the half marathon so he will be very grouchy the next two weeks.  Of course…10 pounds in two weeks, that’s healthy right?  I suppose we have different half marathon goals—his is 1 1/2 hours (probably secretly less) whereas mine is 2 1/2 hours, and I can’t run as well if I am starving myself.  But that certainly made me more likely to buy a ton of vegetables at the store! 

So there I am in my gym clothes at the store, as usual…and I’m loading up on broccolini (is that even a real vegetable?), broccoli, spinach, carrots, etc.  And thinking how if MIKE can lose 10 pounds in two weeks, surely I should be able to lose a few pounds and fit into that pair of jeans in the bottom of my drawer that I am continually ALMOST able to button (and somehow still run 11 minute miles for the half on April 9), and my cart is SO full of healthy foods that the cashier actually comments on it…then I suppose I am doing something right…right?  And the scale is just a number, and certainly shouldn’t be the thing that makes me decide whether I feel good about myself or not.

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So I get home and make a large salad with a delicious new honey mustard dressing I’m trying out, and tell myself that the only snack I am allowed between now and dinner is a fruit…and we’ll just have to see how that goes.  I followed a very strict diet from January through November of last year, and since November I have gained approximately 3 pounds, which is actually pretty great (especially since I am in much better shape overall) but now it is so hard to follow a strict diet because I just don’t have as much incentive.  After all, most of my wardrobe fits and looks great, I can do a ton of workouts, I can run 4 to 5 days a week…I’ve run 92 miles this month (1 more to go to meet the goal!)…and honestly I’d rather be a little stronger than thinner…I guess I am still convinced that everybody is looking at my fat and judging me.  (Do people ever do that?  Am I alone in this fear?) 

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This is what I need to do to beat 2:30 in the half marathon.  I want to shoot for 11 minute miles.  If it’s not too hot, if I don’t get cramps or side stitches, and if I don’t have to stop to use the bathroom, I know I can do it. 

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I can’t remember the last time I had one of these…years…does anybody remember the Boston Crème Donuts at Presti’s (anybody from ye olde alma mater of CIM, that is)?  

Damn.  Now I really want a doughnut!  Unfortunately I didn’t buy any at the store.  Guess it’ll have to wait.

Inaugural Alton Half-Marathon (recap)

Saturday, March 26, 8:00 am, Alton Riverfront Park.

I initially signed up for this race for two reasons:  one, it would be a good test of my pacing for the Go St Louis Half two weeks later, and two, the course was very scenic, crossing the Mississippi River on a bridge and running alongside the river much of the time. 

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I didn’t sleep well the night before, but I got up at 5:30 am.  Alton is about 45 minutes away and I hadn’t picked up my race packet/shirt yet, so I wanted to allow plenty of time.  Also, the weather was cold and I just didn’t know what to expect.  Snow was in the forecast for the afternoon and rain in the morning, but luckily it wasn’t raining at the time, and even luckier the rain held off.

However, it was very cold, and colder by the river.  Where the entire race was, except the part where we ran over the bridge, where it was even colder and windier. 

I wore my ear covering headband, a fleece jacket with a tank underneath, long tights, and little gloves.  I wish I had worn bigger, warmer gloves, and a long sleeve shirt, but otherwise I was okay.  Oh, and maybe a skirt or shorts over my pants.  I planned to take pictures during the race on my phone, but it was just too cold to use my phone much. 

It wasn’t quite as windy when the race started, though.  I arrived at the site around 6:45 am.  Parking was super easy as this was a small race—I picked up my bright yellow long sleeve tech shirt, some brochures, a plastic cup, and my race number.  I decided to hang out in my car until about ten till 8 (with a couple of port-a-potty stops).  It didn’t seem too cold outside, so I thought I should get out and walk around a bit.  I almost left my gloves in the car! 

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The race was only gun timed, not chip timed, but there didn’t seem to be more than 200 or so people there, and I’d estimate it took about 3 to 4 seconds to get started, so that wasn’t a bit deal.  My goal was to run approximately 12 minute miles and to run as much of the race as possible, preferably only walking the water stations.  Basically we ran from the park to the bridge, over the bridge, south for a few miles, back, back over the bridge, south again for a bit, and back to the park.  The double backs weren’t quite as exciting, though it was fun to see the faster runners heading by.  There were 5 or 6 water stations, and I walked through them all, and only walked a little longer three times (going back across the bridge, and then trying to eat two Gu’s). I was towards the end of the pack the whole time, but I was surprisingly okay with that—especially as I realized I was definitely going to p.r.!  I thought a smaller race would be lonely, but compared to training runs it was still really fun!  I was never alone and was always within sight of several other runners, and the water station people would always cheer me on.

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I tried to take a picture on the way back over the bridge.  Meh.

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Found these pictures elsewhere.  The first is the Clark bridge, the second a view of the Alton lock and dam, which we ran by after we crossed the Mississippi again, back in Illinois.

There were a couple of things that weren’t good:  first was right after crossing the bridge.  There was a distinctive manure smell blowing in for a bit, and I was having trouble with that.  Then the wind really picked up and by the time I was crossing the bridge back my wrists were practically numb.  I was really struggling then, but knew it would be a little better off the bridge.  I had looked forward to the bridge crossing but hadn’t anticipated the strong winds!  And it was better off the bridge, though still windy.  I knew I would feel warmer in my car with the heat on, so I just forged ahead.  I also wasn’t able to eat my second gu very easily due to my hands feeling numb, and never bothered to try to eat a third one.

I did the first 10 miles in just under two hours (within seconds) and I could not have been more on my 12 minute mile plan.  I considered kicking it a bit more in the last three miles, but didn’t want to give it my all—I wanted to save something for the race in two weeks, and make sure I would be able to keep running this week. 

My time was 2:36:57, a new PR (personal record)!  That’s over a 10 minute improvement since Phoenix in January, and I couldn’t be more pleased.  

After the race there was a tent with water, bagels, chips, and bananas.  I had a bagel and water, stretched a bit, sat down, and then decided to head to my car to try to warm up.  I was SO cold!  I waited for 10 to 15 minutes before driving home, where I promptly crashed in bed for the rest of the afternoon.  I didn’t feel too sore at all, and I think that’s because I didn’t push myself that hard and treated it more like a long training run, which was absolutely my plan. 

Success!

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You can see the green/white finish line behind me.

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This was my first medal that didn’t just have a plain ribbon, kinda fun!

The race was sponsored by the Alton Telegraph, and there was a nice article in the paper afterwards.  I did briefly chat with the woman they mentioned who had just had surgery on her eyes, though she didn’t mention then that the surgery hadn’t worked.  She was a very positive person, just as the article makes her sound.

I know I can run this faster—particularly because I feel FINE today—my legs are a bit tired, but nothing like after the Phoenix race where they were completely spent.  That tells me I can do better in two weeks…fingers crossed for 2:30 or bust!