A return to strength

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Over the past several weeks, I’ve allowed myself to wallow in a bit of self-pity, which is at least part of the reason I haven’t blogged lately. Here’s a sampling: Oh poor me, I can’t run. Oh poor me, I hurt my hamstring again. Oh poor me, I didn’t get to run the Atlantic City Marathon. Oh poor me, I’m losing fitness. Am I serious with this attitude? I’ve had one of the most incredible years in terms of running and especially triathlon. Here’s a rundown of the highlights:  I ran 50 miles. I qualified for Boston (and am registered …

Lessons from the Boston Marathon: Adjusting to the growing popularity of running

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 Registration for the Boston Marathon is almost as difficult as qualifying for it.   Last year, I dragged my feet in registering for Boston, and missed out when the race closed in early October. Having learned my lesson, I was on the computer, ready to register at 8:58 a.m. on Monday, October 18.    And, I’m glad I did. The race closed just 8 hours after it opened, leaving many who had qualified without an entry slot in the race.  Ouch. I’m feeling their pain. I remember very well my disappointment of last year .  But, what can we learn from this? For one, it looks …

Making the best of the off-season

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 I’ve been involuntarily thrust into off-season due to the aggravation of my bicep femoris (one of my hamstrings) during the Vermont 50 several weeks ago.  My initial reaction to off season? It’s hell on earth. It’s a prison. It’s worse than being dipped in hot tar and feathered. Okay, maybe not the last one.  Suffice to say, I don’t enjoy this part of the annual training plan. But, that type of thinking is not very positive or productive. So, I’m turning this frown upside down, and I’m going to make the best of this early entré of off season.  It is my hope …

What will I learn today?

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About a year ago, I met with my University’s public relations guru, Barbara. (She is a media coverage rainmaker!) She had heard that I was training for my first Ironman, and that I would be raising money for a scholarship during the process. She wanted to help me promote the scholarship. We had lunch, during which she asked a series of questions about my athletic and academic history, about the training, about my motivation for raising money for the Iron Scholarship. At one point she asked, “Has this training helped you be a better teacher?” At the time, I said …

This is what we do: The Vermont 50

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  “Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond what we thought we could do. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about.” ~ Pattie Sue Plumer, U.S. Olympian Race morning… We stayed in a hotel that smelled of cigarettes and flatulence. The cigarettes were from the people who had the room before us. The flatulence, well, I guess we have to own up to that. John and I joked as we fell off to sleep, “At the starting line, people are …

The first time finish line

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I’m addicted to the first time. You know: The first marathon. The first triathlon. The first 50k. The first ironman. And, this weekend, my first 50-miler: The Vermont 50. Crossing the finish line of any race is exhilarating. The feeling of accomplishment, of achieving a goal that you’ve set and steadfastly worked toward. Only you made it happen for yourself. Of course, finishing feels wonderful no matter how many times you’ve done that race before. But, hold up a minute. When you cross the finish line of your first attempt at a new event, the feeling is absolutely and overwhelmingly …

Stumpy’s Marathon: A 10 year old’s birthday party

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In the process of training for the impending Vermont 50, John and I have completed several organized trail races. There are definite advantages to entering races, even if you are just doing the race as a training day. For example, the excitement of a race day along with running in a completely new place can help break up the monotony of training. I just love the feeling of waking up on a race day morning, and the excitement of wondering what’s around the next bend in the trail. Another key advantage is aid station support, which means you don’t have …

Who is a “real” runner?

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Yesterday at the gym, I ran into an acquaintance, who has done marathons and triathlons, including an ironman. During the course of our small talk, he made an off-hand comment, “I think you’re not really running if you aren’t doing an 8 minute mile.” Oh, reeeee-aaaaa-lllll-yyyyy? I’d like to see him maintain an 8 minute per mile pace over 50 miles of rugged single-track trail that climbs 9,000 feet. I vehemently disagree with such arrogant and condescending pronouncements of who is and is not a runner.  However, I figured in the interest of a quick conversation, I wouldn’t argue the …

Labor Pain Endurance Run: A Labor of FUN!

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My husband John spends time on the internet looking for crazier and longer races. He succeeded in finding us a doozy to celebrate Labor Day Weekend: The Pretzel City Sports’ First Annual Labor Pains 12 hour endurance run. We managed to talk Tracy, my sister-in-law, into the craziness. Tracy’s plan was to use this race as training for the upcoming Atlantic City Marathon, October 17, during which she WILL qualify for Boston 2011 (oh, yeah baby – we will have quite the Boston Posse!). Our approach to this race was quite relaxed. In fact, I didn’t even commit to doing …

My bucket list isn’t getting any shorter…

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Despite the fact that I have been systematically checking things off my bucket list (marathon, ultra, Ironman, and so on), it continues to grow. The newest addition? Thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. The latest desire is a result of a training run that John and I took last weekend along 20 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Apparently, the bucket list is a little bit like knowledge: the more you know, the more you realize you want to know. The more we do, the more we realize we want to do. We had traveled to Vermont seeking a training weekend in preparation …