1. Today I registered for my first ultramarathon. I will be running the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail 50k on March 8. I am very excited. It is just 20 minutes from my house and should be beautiful.
2. My pathophysiology class is comprised of about 45 second degree nursing students, 45 traditional undergrad nursing students, and 45 human science students. Today, our professor conducted an informal survey to see who was in class. The results?
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
two items of note
Posted by poodle at 5:48 PM 3 comments
Sunday, November 17, 2013
OBX marathon recap
After this race, the marathon has officially become my favorite distance. It used to be the 10 miler or half marathon, but this race has converted me. I may never go back.
Emily dropped me off at the race start and I stayed warm wrapped up in a yard of fleece fabric that I had bought at Wal-Mart the night before. It was totally worth the $3 I spent on it.
Miles 1-5 (7:44, 7:42, 7:45, 7:46, 7:50)
I had planned on starting a little slower than this, but I get excited about racing and forget to go slow. Emily met up with me and ran along side me while she refilled my water bottle and took my arm warmers from me. All the other runners were totally jealous that I have better friends than they do.
Miles 6-10: (7:50, 7:50, 7:53, 7:50, 7:49)
Totally uneventful. We ran around the Wright Brother's memorial where Emily refilled my water bottle yet again. She is invited to all of my marathons from now on.
Miles 11-15: (8:15, 8:09, 8:49, 7:54, 7:53)
Miles 10-13 were through the woods on a dirt road/trail. This portion was significantly more hilly than I had expected. Right when we entered the woods, I caught up to the guy running in front of me. He saw me and immediately sped up. I don't think he wanted to be passed by a girl. I let him go ahead, since I had plenty of time to catch him again. (Don't worry, I did. I whizzed right past him when we left the wooded section and never saw him again. And I might be using the term "whizzed" loosely.) Usually I love trail running, but I have never been so happy to get out of the woods and see solid ground. That part was tough.
Miles 15-20: (7:55, 7:46, 7:54, 7:51, 8:02)
At this point, I started to get really excited that I my pace had hardly slowed at all. I was sure I would hit the wall and be crawling at the end, but I kept finding people in front of me that I wanted to pass, so that kept me going. (In the last half of the race, I passed more than 15 men and 10 women and was passed by exactly 1. This guy here:)
Miles 21-26.2: (8:04, 8:19, 8:38, 8:39, 8:54, 8:48, 8:36)
At mile 21, we turned and headed west right into a nice strong headwind. Then at mile 23 we ran over a bridge that I totally underestimated. It was steep and long and totally destroyed me. Luckily Emily was waiting for me at the bottom of the hill and ran the last 2.5 miles with me. Don't worry, that's not cheating. She signed up to run the Southern Six, which is the last 6 miles of the race. She didn't feel like running all six, so she started at the bottom of the bridge instead.
Posted by poodle at 6:43 PM 4 comments
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Clarendon days 5k/10k pictures
Remember how one of my favorite things about running in Pacer's races is the free pictures? They just posted the pics from my race a few weeks ago and since I know you all love seeing running pictures, I am going to be so nice and share them with you. I know, I know. Your day just got so exciting.
Posted by poodle at 9:37 PM 2 comments
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Lately
So I know you have all been on the edge of your seats wondering if I got a perfect score on my pathophysiology exam. I did not. I missed two stupid questions. And I mean it when I said they were stupid questions. I had the answers to both written on sheet but I didn't read carefully and got a little cocky and forgot to double-check. Dang.
Last week I taught my health promotion class and it kind of made me miss teaching. My topic was screening and prevention of chlamydia. Pretty exciting stuff. I taught them all about expedited partner therapy and STD testing programs in DC public schools. (Did you know that students can get tested at school, free of charge? They just pop over during home room.) Unfortunately, I spilled my water bottle on my laptop the day before my presentation so I had to use an iPad. I know that all the cool kids love the iPad, but I have never really been that cool, so it shouldn't be too surprising that I do not love the iPad. So if anyone is looking to buy an iPad mini, I'm your girl.
My marathon is in exactly 4 weeks! Two weeks ago I ran 19 miles (the last nine were the Clarendon days 5k and 10k). It was the fastest 19 miles I have ever run, so that made me feel pretty good. Yesterday, however, I had 16 miles scheduled. I got really hungry at mile 12 and just happened to be passing a Five Guys, so I stopped for a bacon burger and coke. It was simultaneously the best and worst decision ever. A bacon burger has never tasted so good, but running those last 4 miles with it sloshing around in my stomach was less than pleasant. I am going to call that one a major fail.
Don't worry, though. Next week I am running the Somerset Elementary 8k. I am planning a 10 mile warmup, then the race (about 5 miles) then jogging the 5 miles home. That will be my last tough long run before my marathon. I may also do the Marine Corps 10k, assuming the race still happens with the government being shut down and all. Luckily active military are still working, so hopefully the race will go on. (Can we talk about that for just a minute? The government just shut down? Is that even allowed?)
After November 10th I am very excited to start aerobic threshold training. It basically means that on all of my runs for 3 months I am not allowed to let my heart rate rise above 150 beats/minute. Which likely means that I will be running really slow. And will probably have to walk up hills. But supposedly, over time, the pace at which I can run without elevating my HR will get faster and faster, and make me a faster runner overall. Yay! And I get to have an excuse to be slow. Woot woot!
Posted by poodle at 7:35 PM 5 comments
Sunday, September 29, 2013
what a day
The most amazing things happened yesterday
1. I ran in the Clarendon Days 5k and 10k, and received my favorite race shirt I've ever gotten.
2. Joe showed up after the races with Dr. Pepper AND Gatorade! My two favorite post-race drinks.
3. I ate the most delicious brunch buffet. I usually am not a fan of buffets, but they had biscuits and gravy, so I went for it. They are a very close second to Loveless Cafe's biscuits and gravy. Definitely the best I've had in DC so far.
4. I found out that I have $150 of credit at the bike store from my last bike purchase! Yessss!!!
5. I got a perfect score on my latest pathophysiology practice test. Hopefully the same thing will happen on the real test tomorrow.
Posted by poodle at 12:41 PM 4 comments
Friday, September 20, 2013
diva women's half marathon race review
Well, this was without a doubt the worst race ever. I am still annoyed by it, and it's been a whole week.
On Saturday morning, we left Erica's house at 5:45 so that we could make the hour-long drive out to Leesburg. We were told that we had to be in the parking lot by 7:15, so we should have been there in plenty of time. Unfortunately, the race coordinators failed to notice that there was only one road to the winery where the race started, and that road was exactly one lane. The last 7 miles of our drive took an hour and a half, and we didn't park until 8:30. (The race was supposed to start at 7:30. Needless to say, it did not start on time.) Nevertheless, we smiled and posed because everybody knows that whether or not it's going to be a good race, the least you can do is look good in pictures. (Can you tell that this is my favorite running tank?)
The half marathon finally started at 9:00. I was still in line for the porta-potties, so I didn't start until 9:10. The race was on a small, gravel country road, which was gorgeous, but also meant that if two people wanted to run next to each other, there wasn't enough room to pass. I spent the first 4 miles of the race weaving around people or walking behind large groups trying to find an opening. Kind of annoying. At mile 5, I finally passed the 10-minute-mile pacer.
Posted by poodle at 8:04 PM 3 comments
Friday, September 13, 2013
things I have learned in three weeks of nursing school
Posted by poodle at 7:45 PM 3 comments
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
First day of school
The first thing that I learned in nursing school is that water fountains are clearly too low-class for us, so we obviously had to upgrade to Brita Hydration Stations. Thank heavens for that.
As a former teacher, I totally judged all of my professors on their teaching skills. Luckily my pathophysiology professor is amazing. I am pretty sure everyone else in the class is terrified (he comes on pretty strong) but the second he started talking I knew I was going to love this class. I also sort of judged my abnormal psychology professor when he stumbled into class and then broke three pieces of chalk trying to write his name on the board, but then he started talking and is actually really funny so I forgave him for his inability to properly use chalk. It can be tricky, I know.
Riding my bike to school wears me out a little bit more than I thought it would. As it turns out, biking with a heavy backpack is significantly harder than biking with nothing. I am still pretty excited about it, though. Plus, the dean of the nursing school stopped me to tell me how great he thought it was that I biked to school, and bragged about how since he has his own office he can ride his fancy expensive bike without worrying about it getting stolen. He didn't offer to let me park my bike in his office, though. Bummer.
Lucky for me, the Friday clinical was cancelled so instead I have class all day Mondays and Wednesdays and clinical all day Tuesdays. Which means no class Thursday or Friday! It will be great to have a 4 day weekend to use to
After my first day, I am not regretting my decision to go back to nursing school, so I think that is a very godo sign.
Posted by poodle at 8:47 PM 4 comments
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Summer is ending
It's okay, though, because I have checked everything off of my to-do list for nursing school. Plus, it was kind of reaching the point in the summer where I felt like my brain was turning to mush from not using it. I am pretty sure that shopping for the perfect backpack does not constitute brain use.
Don't worry, though, I have been filling my days with lots of running, lots of eating, and lots of hanging out with Sammy. He thinks it's pretty fun.
On an unrelated note, I have been making homemade frozen strawberry lemonade all summer, and it is delicious. Sammy gets really jealous when I don't share.
Last weekend I went down to Luray, VA with a friend who was competing in a triathlon. I was a teensy bit jealous that I wasn't racing. But then I remembered that I have lots of races coming up so I really have nothing to be jealous of. I also remembered that I am poor and cannot afford to pay for another race right now. It was really fun to watch and cheer her on and made me excited to do some more triathlons next year.
Posted by poodle at 9:50 PM 3 comments
Thursday, August 01, 2013
upcoming races
Because I know you are all on the edge of your seats wondering what race I am going to run next!!
Up until last week, I was only signed up for the Diva Women's Half Marathon in September and the OBX marathon in November. That is clearly not enough races (running is fun, but racing is at least 180x more fun than just running.) So here is my race calendar for the next couple of months:
Clarendon days 5k AND 10k: This is a Pacer's event, which are always very well-run. I am planning on using it as one of my "speedwork long runs". My plan is to wake up early, run 10 miles from my house to Georgetown, then hitch a ride to the race start and race the 5k and 10k back-to-back. I am pretty sure I will feel like dying by the end, but that's kind of the point.
Somerset Elementary 8k: Just a nice little local race to raise money for the elementary school. The entry fee was really inexpensive and I feel pretty good about supporting local education. Plus, I really love small races. Win-win!
Diva Women's Half Marathon: Nothing too special about this race, but I needed a half-marathon to run, and this one was on a Saturday (which I prefer) and was close to home. And small-ish.
OBX marathon: Nice and flat, hopefully not too windy, and hopefully I can PR again.
Marine Corps Turkey Trot: I usually don't LOVE 10k's (I prefer longer races) but I ran this last year and it was one of my favorite races ever. So I am signing up again.
There is also a possibility that I will run the Baltimore Half Marathon or the Baltimore Marathon Relay. That's not set in stone, though.
AND I am trying to convince Bexie that it would be really fun to run in a Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving morning. She is concerned about getting dinner finished on time. (Priorities, I know...)
Posted by poodle at 12:10 PM 4 comments
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
just in case you were wondering
Bacon-wrapped jalepeno poppers are an excellent pre-run snack. I had two of them right before my run today, and felt awesome.
Also, homemade jalepeno poppers are way better than frozen ones.
Posted by poodle at 9:10 PM 1 comments
Two things
I recently made a Texas sheet cake for a barbecue I went to. While it was a huge hit, everyone kept complimenting me on how good my "brownies" were.
Yesterday at the gym, all of the treadmills in front of the mirror were taken, so I couldn't stare at myself and admire how fantastic my hair looks after going 3 days without washing it. Instead I was forced to stare at the trainers. Bummer.
Posted by poodle at 10:37 AM 1 comments
Sunday, July 14, 2013
diamond in the rough triathlon race recap
I completed my second ever triathlon on Saturday up in Perryville, MD (North of Baltimore right on the Chesapeake). They had an international distance and sprint distance - since I only signed up 2 weeks ago and hadn't been in a swimming pool in over a year, I decided to go for the sprint.
I snapped the stinking valve off of my bike tube while I was pumping up my tires the night before the race, so I got to spend the evening changing my very first flat tire. It was harder than I thought it would be, but now that I've done it once, I feel much more comfortable going out on my bike knowing that I can handle it if I ever get a flat tire.
The morning of the race, I woke up extra early to make sure I got up to the race on time. When I was halfway there, I realized I had forgotten my bike helmet, so made an emergency stop at Wal-Mart to pick one up. (It's hot pink. I kind of love it.)
The race was pretty awesome. We swam in the Chesapeake, and the water was incredibly choppy so after about 30 seconds I was already pretty pooped. Don't worry, after I got warmed up I felt much better. I also realized that I am not a huge fan of the wave start since throughout the whole swim I would take about 3 strokes and then plow into somebody. But it kept me from getting off course like I did last year!
I learned from last year and actually ran to the transition zones instead of taking my time and walking. Apparently that's what you're supposed to do when you're racing.
I think this was the most fun I have ever had in a race. I decided that I am going to do a half ironman next spring. I think there is one in The Woodlands that happens to be the same week as my break from school! If I can find one out here, though, that would be even better.
Posted by poodle at 5:22 PM 2 comments
Thursday, July 11, 2013
marathon training and other things
So this is week 1 of official marathon training. It turns out that after taking a month off from any speedwork, I am not as fast as I was a month ago. But don't worry, I still have 17 week left. Half of me thinks it's really fun and exciting to be training again and half of me wants to die.
I just bought these new running shorts, because they are really cute and they were on sale ($7!!!) and we all know that 1) I can't pass up a sale and 2) I always think I need more running clothes. Too bad they make me look like I peed my pants. (I didn't. It was just humid. Good thing I'm not easily embarrassed.) I guess I'll have to just wear these to the gym and as a swimsuit cover-up. No biggie.
On another note, I recently made this macaroni and cheese, and it is the best macaroni and cheese I have ever eaten. Step aside, Kraft. (Oh, wait. Kraft was never my favorite. Never mind.) So make it, and love it, and you can thank me later. I also added lots of chopped vegetables to add a little bit of healthiness to it.
Also, is anybody else's mind not at all blown by this little mathematical tidbit?
Posted by poodle at 5:50 PM 1 comments
Sunday, July 07, 2013
what i've been up to
Since school ended, I have been trying my best to enjoy my very last ever summer off. (Sad. But not that sad.) I have made sure to fill up my days with lots of fun. So here's what I've been up to:
1. Lots of reading. I headed to the library last week and checked out a few book, and am heading back again this week. My favorite so far has been The Running Dream. It is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. I also read Cutting for Stone (excellent, after a slow start), Playing for Pizza (just okay), Mindless Eating (fascinating), and The Last Time They Met (I didn't like it until the last page, but then I changed my mind). I am currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. If anybody has other recommendations, let me know!
2. Practicing French braiding my hair. Trust me, I need practice.
3. Signed up for a triathlon next weekend! It is a really short one so I haven't trained much besides my regular biking/running that I always do, plus I have been swimming laps at my friend's pool. I am pretty excited about it and might be ready for a re-match against Ryan next year. Maybe a half ironman? Now that I am in better shape I think I might be able to beat him... This is also why I want to learn how to French braid. French braids are the best triathlon hairdo ever.
4. Practicing my new commute to school! It is 45 minutes door-to-door, which might sound long, but the metro would take an hour and 15 minutes (assuming all of the trains/busses came on time. Which, let's be honest, will never happen.) Plus, the metro puts me in a bad mood. Biking does not. This will be for the best.
5. Buying a lot of crap that I will need for the fall. (A bike lock, a waterproof backpack, scrubs, a lunch box, etc.) Going back to school is expensive.
6. This week marks week 1 of official Outer Banks Marathon training!! I put together a nice training plan and am very excited to see how this race goes. My goal time is 3:25. I think I can do it. I snuck in a tempo run last week even though I was technically still "recovering" from my last marathon. It gave me an excuse to run on the treadmill instead of outside in the blazing heat we've been having. I might die.
Posted by poodle at 7:15 PM 2 comments
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Utah Valley Marathon race recap
Posted by poodle at 4:54 PM 5 comments
Friday, June 07, 2013
recipe recommendation: one pot wonder tomato basil pasta
If you haven't already tried one-pot pasta, you really need to. It involves cooking pasta in broth, along with tomatoes, veggies, and other spices. You only use one pot in the entire cooking process, and don't need to strain the pasta. The starch transfers to the water and creates a nice flavorful sauce. For some reason, I find straining pasta to be unreasonably burdensome, so I was very excited to try this recipe.
Posted by poodle at 6:55 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
happy national running day!
I am running my fourth marathon on Saturday! And, for the first time, I signed up for McMillan Pro (at a whopping $1.99/month) and started following a real training program.
For those who are not familiar with McMillan Running, it is a website run by Greg McMillan who is both a running coach and exercise physiologist. He provides explanations, both from a coach's standpoint and a physiological standpoint, justifying all of the workouts he recommends. So, as a sucker for anything backed by scientific evidence, I totally bought into his program.
After signing up, I had a little chat with Greg (well, technically, I read a blog post he wrote, but it felt like we were talking) during which he said that most runners have PR's slower than what they are capable because they only set goals that they know they are capable of accomplishing. So he recommended setting a goal that I may or may not be able to achieve. So I decided I was going to try to run a sub-3:30 marathon. Maybe a little extreme, considering my current PR is 3:55, so I will have to run this race almost a full minute-per-mile faster than my last marathon (which was only 12 weeks ago), but I am going to give it my best shot. I figure the worst that can happen is that I don't finish in under 3:30. And having a real goal made my training so much more fun. (Actually now that I think about it, actually training for real made training so much more fun.)
Some of the highlights from my training:
- After only 2 months, my tempo pace (the pace at which you can race for 1 hour) dropped from 7:45/mile to 7:15/mile. Tempo runs are probably my favorite workout of all time.
- I finally understand why people wipe down the treadmill after their workout, since I do actual workouts on the treadmill now.
- I have learned to LOVE treadmill running. Not for every day, and definitely not for long runs, but speed workouts are awesome.
- I ran Yasso 800's a couple of weeks ago. (Yasso 800 is a workout developed by Bart Yasso, editor of Runner's World. According to him, a workout of 10 x 800 m with a 400m jog between sets can predict the marathon time you are capable of. If you can do all 10 800's at 4:00-minutes each, you are physically ready for a marathon at a 4:00-hour pace. If you can do them all at 3:30-minutes each, you are ready for a 3:30-hour marathon.) I finished all ten at just under 3:30-minutes.
Posted by poodle at 7:01 PM 2 comments
the bomb-dot-com
My teaching career officially ended last Friday (unless you count proctoring and giving exams, which I do not). I have to say, I was sad to see it end. The group of kids I taught this year was my favorite group since my first year teaching. Mostly because they thought that I was the "bomb-dot-com" (their words, not mine) and I pretty much felt like a celebrity every time I walked into the room.
Posted by poodle at 4:16 PM 2 comments
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Items of note
1. I have almost finished training for the Utah Valley Marathon June 8. My taper starts this week. This is the first time I have actually followed a training schedule, and it has done wonders for improving my running. I am hopeful that I can finish this race without dying. All of my long runs have incorporated some sort of speed work, and, while I am exhausted and perpetually hungry, I am very excited about this marathon (PS - anybody who wants to come cheer me on for the race will be handsomely rewarded with lunch or ice cream. And my love and gratitude. Whichever is more important to you....)
Posted by poodle at 12:25 PM 3 comments
Monday, April 29, 2013
Nike Women's Half Marathon Race Recap
So, last week's Parkway Classic was one of my favorite races ever. One that I will definitely be running again (probably annually). The Nike Half Marathon, however, is a race that, while I enjoyed it, it was probably a one-time deal for me. I got the necklace, I am happy.
Posted by poodle at 5:23 PM 3 comments
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Parkway Classic 10 miler
Last week, Erica and I ran the George Washington Parkway Classic 10 miler. The weather was perfect (sunny and 40's) and the race was beautiful. We started in Mount Vernon and ran up the GW Parkway to Alexandria. I am pretty sure this race will become a yearly tradition for me - it was one of my favorite races ever. Gorgeous course, just the perfect amount of rolling hills, very well organized, and a different course from most DC races. And as an extra perk, all of the race photos are free!!! (Courtesy of Pacer's Running store, who organize and run the event.)
Posted by poodle at 7:14 PM 2 comments
Monday, April 01, 2013
miles
For your viewing pleasure, a graph of my mileage (running) for the past six months. I think it's pretty obvious when my marathons were.
Posted by poodle at 4:46 PM 5 comments
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
birthday do-over
Posted by poodle at 7:34 PM 3 comments
Sunday, March 17, 2013
marathon race report
Sorry, guys. No video of me crossing the finish line this time. So sorry to disappoint.
Posted by poodle at 6:13 PM 7 comments