Heckling Steve Scott

One of the best things (and there are many, many good things) about SDTC's rock and roll marathon training program is that, even though the herd runs year round, nothing results in good blog-fodder like a SDTC Saturday morning long run.

Notable moments from Saturday morning included:

• Betty heckling motivational speaker, and renown middle distance runner, Steve Scott, when he told us about hitting the wall at mile 21 and having to slow to a 9:30 to 10:00 pace, and then the moment of silence that followed as people turned to see "who said that?"
• Realizing that day-glo-neon-lime-green is the incorrect choice if the goal is to blend in with the crowd when heckling Steve Scott (e.g. bummer dude...SLOWING to a 10:00 pace MUST BE JUST AWFUL! which I guess is true if you're used to running a 5:00 pace, but when motivating, you should remember your audience...)

It's a lousy picture, taken into the sun, but can you spot Betty and Mik in the photo? Yeah...we blend....

• Hearing other runners echo Betty's comments....clearly we were not the only ones thinking this. 
• Running on the coast out of Carlsbad State Beach. I LOVE this run. It's quite a drive to Carlsbad from La Mesa and every year on the way there, I wonder "why am I driving this far to run?" and every year, when I get there, I remember why.

I never get tired of this...

...or this (taken after the run)

• Running 6:25 miles in about an 1:03 (10:07 ave pace). Next week is the Super Run 10K. If I can do that next week, it'll be a 10K PR. 
• Collecting some more rocks for Elsie, who has a new grandbaby (CONGRATS!) and a cold, so she didn't run on Saturday...you'll have to ask her what she and PK do with the rocks, but I hear it involves warming them and a massage.

Mik said, "this one fits in the palm of my hand!" 

Just before this we were lying down on the rocks to see if we could get a good massage in... a surfer walking by was both very confused and quite entertained

• Putting our legs in the very, very, very, effing cold ocean...it's just like an ice-bath...right?

Kat and Betty go first 

Betty and Kat may look like they are smiling, but really they were just gritting their teeth 

Accidental shot...but here's the view beach from the ocean.

• Having breakfast at Honey's in Encinitas...a tradition. I completely don't get how it works, but we always manage to get a table there.
• Learning that an effective way to remember a password is make it an insult to a person who is bugging you. That way you get to type it in repeatedly, but not actually say it... GENIUS!

Mik, Kat and I registered for the Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon yesterday morning, so that'll be my next 1/2 Mary. My primary goal is to train for this one (really train) and to continue getting faster and stronger, and most importantly, to stay healthy and uninjured (imagine that!) 

Have a super week everyone!

Hair

Over the years, we've all had lots of...oh shall we say...conversations of the "personal" nature with fellow runners...and especially through our blogs.

• We happily discuss the trials and tribulations of our intestinal tract and running with complete and total strangers.
• We boast about being able to shoot snot rockets with enough force so as to clear the running path and NOT spray fellow runners OR
• We fret about not being able to shoot snot rockets with enough force...
• We acknowledge that, when a porta potty, or other public restroom is not available, we will willing go "anywhere" if the need is great enough;
• We admit that when a public restroom doesn't have any toilet paper, there are acceptable alternatives;
• We share the optimal places where one really should put GLIDE so as to avoid chafing.

I'm pretty sure, I've blogged about almost all of these topics in the last three years.
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A few weeks ago, Mik's mother contacted, Betty, and Elsie and me a couple of weeks ago and asked us to join her at a surprise birthday dinner for Mik.  We, of course, accepted the invite.

.Mik's mom went all out with the decorations. 

All I had was my iPhone camera...but there was a definite cow theme...

Mik's  mom also had some Lilja's HeiferWeisen posters for us...she had them specially shipped from WISCONSIN! because, apparently you can't get HeiferWeisen here. Mom went to quite the effort to get the posters for us... An effort which involved calling the owner of the brewery, AND explaining the Hefferblog, (I have NO idea how she did THAT)...

And apparently Mik's mom can be very persuasive, because the owner even figured out a way to send us some actual BEER... which we didn't drink that night, but we will at some point, yes we will...

Any of you had this beer before? We love the cows!

And cow balloons

And the cow napkins...

Anyway, given our proclivity to discuss JUST ABOUT ANYTHING, it won't surprise any of you to know that during Mik's birthday last week, the pinnacle of the dinner conversation was...

HAIR...

Betty: Why do women wax to get rid of unwanted hair?
Alice: Yeah...and why do men not wax? Anything? Even when they need to?
Mik: As we grown older, why does hair start growing in places that we really don't want?
Betty: Like my chin, for example...

For answers to all questions that require some knowledge of science, we turn to ex-biology teacher and resident phone-a-friend, Elsie, who gave us a rather thorough on the biology of hair growth which involves something about cell division.

Elsie saying something like: "are you following me here girls. This cell division talk I'm giving is really, super important STUFF!"

Alice: So...why do the hair cells keep dividing even once I've plucked them out, but
Elsie: That's because you hadn't gotten all of it, and to do so, you need something like a laser
All: oooooohhhhhhhhhh!


(Dramatic pause...then)

Betty: So... years ago, my husband was not growing hair out of his nose and ears. Why have the cells from his widow's peak migrated to his nose and ears?

Elsie: (in an email the following day, explained it to all of us) Yucky fast growing facial hair in women — hirsutism to get techinical, — affects more than 20 million Americans and is a pain! The hair usually grows on the upper lip or chin and you are lucky if it's not also on the cheeks, chest, tummy or back. Facial hair is more visible in women with dark hair (that would be you….)

In most cases, the condition is genetic (another thing to blame your parents for) BUT sometimes there may be a medical reason - it can be a sign of a hormonal imbalance with the male-type hormones (androgens/testerone) overpowering the female–type ones (estrogens). This imbalance may occur to some degree as women enter menopause (as in the second 1/2 of your forties).

About your husband…..get him a good trimmer and offer to help him : ) Take pictures! Ear and nose hair is controlled by male hormones. Aging men can get excessive ear and nose hair for the first time when their bodies start to produce less female hormones to balance the male ones. Men can easily grow 1cm of hair a month (about 1/2 inch), which means trimming is required.

So there you have it...all you needed or wanted to know about hair growth, even if I still don't understand the whole migration issue...

Perhaps on next weekend's long run I'll find someone who can explain it to me...

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Hey! Congrats to everyone who ran this weekend including Irene and Penny who ran (and finished together) the Carlsbad 1/2 Marathon yesterday! It was a fabulous day for running and I can't wait to read their race reports

I know that many of you are living through an "udderly" ridiculous winter. I suggest a vacation. It's been beautiful here! !

Hospitality Point - Saturday morning...

The Cramps and Traditions

One of the signs that the spring semester starting is that I'm also starting with the SDTC's Rockin' and Runnin' Training program. This will be my fourth year running with the group. I'm pretty excited about it because I feel like I'm starting the season in better shape than I've ever been.

The first "real" long run starts at Hospitality Point and heads toward Crown Point and back. I don't know how many are registered with the program this year, and I'm not really very good at estimating crowd numbers, but I'd guess there were at least a few hundred runners at Hospitality Point at 7am. It's really quite the scene.  

Runners are grouped according to pace time and are given group names after different rock bands (get it, 

Rockin' and Running - training for the Rock and Roll marathon...ha ha ha). Anyway, the "A group (several of whom are headed to Boston in April) run 7 min/mile pace or faster are called "Tears for Fears." The B Group (7:30 to 9:00 min/mile) is called KISS, and the C group, of which I am a part (9:30 min/mile or slower) is called...

THE CRAMPS.

Yeah, I know. It's a little insulting, but I don't mind. I'm a proud C group member...and it certainly does give us the opportunity to make snarky comments... For example, at Tuesday night's track workout, Coach Paul was reminding everyone to "not go out too fast on a speed drill or..." and then he paused dramatically, which gave Betty and I the opportunity to say "you'll get CRAMPS," which definitely entertained those near us...I suspect this will become our mantra this season.

Anyway, the little out and back run was lovely. THE CRAMPS were supposed to run for 40 minutes, but I can't see driving out to the beach for only a 40 minute run at this point, so Walter and I decided to run for at least 50 minutes, or 5 miles....which brings me to the first big news of the season. Walter decided to join the club again! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I have yet to question him on his thoughts about being a CRAMP.

(I'd include an embedded map here...but the Garmin Connect website is down for maintenance tonight...so no map today...sigh...I can, however, include my time and stats from Daily Mile - 5 miles, 51 minutes, 10:13 pace)

The other big news of the morning is that BBJ decided to be one of THE CRAMPS this year. After three years of running with the B group, he's decided to just take it easy with us back of the packers. I have no doubt he'll have more fun. All I know is that running with Walter and BBJ will either make me faster, or it'll kill me. 

Day 1 - Four years ago (Alberta, Betty, Clarence, Edith, BBJ and Me...it was rather chilly that morning!). I have no idea where Elsie and Mik were...

Day 1 - Saturday - Mik, Elsie, BBJ, and I have done this four years now, Kat is in her third year, and Walter...he's our newbie). Betty was in Tahoe this weekend.

We took off with the first sub-group of the C group pack and I listened to Walter and BBJ talk about Aztec Basketball for awhile. When some of the C group turned around (they were running for 40 minutes), we continued for another 10, but we weren't alone. There were a fair number of C group runners who, for whatever reason, had decided to run for more than 40 minutes....

So here's where I almost lost my life and got taken out (and I don't mean on a date) by a B group runner who wasn't watching where he was going...

Whenever we run an out and back route, you almost always, eventually, cross paths with faster runners. Either they are headed back as you are still headed out OR they are passing you from behind. In other words, you need to be aware of who else is running around you AND you have to share the road.

I know, I know... Imagine having to share.

In any event, as I was running over a particularly narrow part of the route, I could see a group of B group runners coming toward me...running pretty much 3-4 abreast on the sidewalk. In other words, taking up the whole friggen' sidewalk...so I moved as much to the right as I could...running on the curb, feeling like a gymnast running on a balance beam. I figured the 40-something, 200+lb, 6foot+ LARGE guy coming toward me would see me and either move in FRONT of, or BEHIND the 20-something, female he was trying to impress...

But, as he got close and closer (20 feet away, 15 feet, 10 feet...), I could see that he was NOT looking forward. When he was about 5 feet away from me, I yelled out "HEY...IN FRONT" and I stuck my hands out in front of me, mostly to see if I could maneuver my way around him and keep my balance as I stepped off the curb and into the street (THANK GOD there's a bike path there...and there wasn't a cyclist in it!).

To say the least, he was startled and pretty quickly apologetic, but he still shoulda been watching where he was going and not the pretty girls...

In any event, I probably knocked the air out of him since my extended hands probably hit him in the gut. I'm sure, after that, he looked decidedly uncool to the 20-somethings.

The rest of the run was relatively uneventful (I would HOPE so)...and afterward, we continued the tradition of mimosas at World Famous. (Rest assured Irene...we have PLENTY of breakfasts in front of us!)

YUM!

Post run crew - Kat, Mik, Elsie and Walter

We have been having some unbelievable January weather here this weekend!

Hope you all have a grand week...I'm going back to work tomorrow. It's been a great winter break for me and I admit to being pretty sloth like this weekend (a little tummy flu I think), but it's back to the grind tomorrow. I'll keep you all posted!

There are worse places to be

I'm down to my last week of Winter break, so I'm gonna make it a good one. This morning my car drove me down to Mission Beach for a run. I ran 4 miles/10:58 ave pace... Actually, my pace was all over the place. It took me awhile to warm up and settle in. Then I had to stop and pee, which slowed me down. I feel like, on these shorter runs, I want to be closer to a 10:30 pace, but after Saturday's long run, I just wasn't feeling it.

On the other hand, who cares if you run slow?...

After running, I went and sat for awhile at the beach. (Actually, I'm writing this post from the beach, which is giving me some interesting verb tense issues...) I said "hello" to a couple of kids who were visiting from Vancouver for a lacrosse tournament, and laughed at the tourists who think it's warm enough to go in the ocean today when the air temp is about 55F and the ocean temp is about 58F... On the other hand, one of the Vancouver boys told me that he had 10 inches of snow in his front yard, so it's all relative I guess...

Crazy tourists

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

6 days, 3 runs, 2 rides

Ooooohhhhh...look at me! Look at ME!

Two posts in less than one week. I freekin' ROCK at this blogging-thing.

You'd think that since I am still on Winter Break that I'd have PLENTY of friggen time for bloggin' and FBn' and Twitter'n and such, but you'd be wrong. I've been one busy girl. For example, today I

• Took down the Christmas decorations (yes, I know it is January 7...whatever)
• Typed up 85 cast bios for the program for the Jr. Theater play that Turbo's will be a part of in March. 
• Finished up one syllabus and started another
• Called the cable company and got them to replace the DVR box that is NOT working
• Called the treadmill store and got them to send over a technician to repair my broken treadmill (only three years old and luckily, still under warranty).
• Delivered overnight gear to DramaGirl, who is spending the night in the school gym for some ASB thing-y.

Sounds like quite a vay-kay, right? I swear, it never ends around here. Also, I discovered today that we probably have mice in our walls AND the dishwasher soap dispenser isn't working correctly, so that also needs to be fixed.

Did I mention that I think we have a cat or a possum in our attic AND the termites are back.

In short, I am exhausted, and I want to blame my (air quote) vacation (air quote).

Luckily, the weather has been WONDERFUL and in the last week I've gotten some really fabulous runs/rides in this week.

If you'll remember back to my last post, I ran on about 3.5 miles on Saturday and rode 22 on Sunday. Then...

Monday - Lake SMP - 5 miles/10:16 pace

Monday at Lake BP...which was so full of water that it was OVERFLOWING...Shall we even say it was swollen, thus we renamed it Lake SMP (I'll let you figure out what the M stands for...I'll bet you can. I know my readers...).

I ran with Mik, Betty, and Elsie. This is Mik's backside, which is what I usually see when I run with her. The good news is that I was running fast enough to even get this shot after three miles...

Mik laughed at me because it is January here, and we were running at dusk, and I was still warm enough to run in a tank top.

Tuesday - 22 mile ride/14.5 mph pace

Mik and I rode the next morning...from Fiesta Island (two laps), then out to the tip of Hospitality Point, which is where I took this picture.

We love San Diego

The road to the tip (of Hospitality Point...for pete's sake)...we saw wild cats and lots of birds...and then some bird feathers next to the wild cats...hey, cat's gotta eat...

Some pix of Ocean Beach

At the end of Sunset Cliffs...say, is there cold weather elsewhere in the world right now? I can't remember

A word about the bike ride...we were getting ready to ride around Fiesta Island and ran into Coach Paul, who I just KNOW never knows who I am, but when I say "Hi Paul," he fakes it really well. Anyway, we were THRILLED on our first loop of Fiesta Island when we passed Paul and his two riding buddies since Coach Paul is a local running HERO and in college ran a sub 4 minute mile or something crazy like that...in any event passing him was unique.

On the second loop he and his pack passed us...only by this time I think there were about seven of them. Apparently, one of the pack came pretty close to me (or I to him, which is quite likely as I was expecting only three guys to pass me up, and there were seven), anyway, right before the pass, I felt a hand on my ass...

Let's just say, I've never yet felt someone's hand on my butt while riding.

Apparently, in the world of cycling, this is OK?

In any event, I didn't hit him, so I guess it is...who knew?

Wednesday (let's just say after four days of running/riding, I figured I needed a rest day...and I did rest. I think I woke up at 11:30)

Thursday - 3.6 miles/11:09 pace

My excuse is that there are a LOT of hills around here...

So...that's been my week. First SDTC run is tomorrow morning, so I took another "rest" day (so to speak, see above) today...and since I just accidentally hit "publish post" so I guess I'll stop writing now.

This is what happens when you kinda, only sorta set goals...

Here are my numbers from 2010

Running - 578.7 miles
Cycling - 154 miles
Other (probably the elliptical) - 142.09
Total Miles - 875.04

In 2009, I ran and cycled 982.14 miles. My goal was to do a combined 1000 miles this year, but THAT didn't happen. I could chalk it up to injuries and be only a little bit accurate, but it would be more accurate to say that I just didn't do it. It was one of those goals I kinda made early on, then sorta forgot about it. That's the way it is with goals that you kinda, sorta, set for yourself, you kinda, sorta reach them.

So...I didn't reach a 1000 mile goal, but I did have a couple other running and cycling accomplishments this year.

• I had another great year of running with the herd (Betty, Elsie, and Mik, you all are the greatest running partners EVAH!)

Pre-race festivities...in San Francisco. Top of the Hyatt...isn't that where everyone goes for a pre-race, pre-dinner snack?

• I FINALLY SUCCEEDED in talking Walter into running a 1/2 marathon with me, and he did at the Long Beach 1/2 Marathon.
• I completed the California Dreamin' Triple Crown -- 
• The Surf City 1/2 Marathon where I learned that NOT training for a 1/2 marathon is a VERY BAD IDEA 
• The San Francisco 1/2 where I got to meet up with a bunch of blogger friends thanks to Penny, who was also our savior and picked up our bibs and gear for Surf City.
• The Long Beach 1/2 which I got to run with Walter and the Herd, and dispite the dismal bag check, I had a really, really, really good time.
• I PR'd at the San Diego Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon, breaking the 2:30 mark (2:27:37)
• I PR'd in the OFT'-RUN 4 MILE DISTANCE at the End of Summer Fire Run (38:53)
• I managed to break the 5K - 30 minute barrier twice this year. The first time at the Carlsbad 5000 (29:54), then again in November at the Shelter Island 5K (29:53).
• Mik and I endured a torrential downpour as we completed our first organized bike ride the Gran Fondo in April.
• I completed my own kind of Tri (three events, three cities, three days) which included a 1/2 marathon on day 3 (Surf City 1/2) and survived, but I'll never do THAT again (yeah right).
• I managed to get through the whole year without a major injury!!!! (I'm blaming the stress fracture on 2009...which is when it started!), so maybe I have learned something after all!
• I rode in a hot air balloon

Up, up in the air...in our beautiful, our beautiful...baloooooooooon (yeah, only a few of us will know that song).

• I spent one more year married to the most wonderful man in the world, and I continued to enjoy my two kids become two really reasonable teenagers...

The crew

So, to start off the new year right, Mik, Betty and I went out for a ride/run this morning. Mik and I rode and Betty ran. It was a beautiful (if not cool) morning before the storm.

Mik and I at the 1/2 way point of our ride. I like how Mik looks celestial here...

Mik and Betty back at the car with the Coronado bridge in the background

We found a little coffee house in Coronado...which made ENORMOUS mimosas...

...and really good muffins (one place where a large muffin-top is a VERY good thing)

And a rather eclectic reading list...I mean isn't The Early Days of the Power Station Industry on EVERYONE'S reading list?

As we ate our breakfast, we talked some about our goals for this year. I've already registered for the 53 mile Gran Fondo (pray for no rain this year...PLEEEEZE) and the Napa to Sonoma 1/2 Marathon in July. I'll be starting my fourth year with the San Diego Track Club's Rockin' and Runnin' program, so I'll likely be running the San Diego Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon again in early June. 

I told Betty and Mik that one of my goals is to run a 1/2 marathon in 2:15. I think I can do it this year if I stay healthy. I'd also like to shave a couple of minutes off my 5K time.

Betty asked me this morning if I had any personal goals or resolutions this year as her "bucket list" is about a mile long. Is it bad that I don't? I mean, I'm not a perfect person. Lord knows I could drop a few pounds, but that seems like such a chicken-shit resolution. I mean, it's a good goal and all...and I don't want to put down anyone else who is making it, but for me it would be like the 1000 mile sorta-goal I kinda made last year. 

In truth, I feel like I'm in a pretty good place right now. I'm just happy to be running, and teaching, and being a mom and a wife and a daughter and a friend. 

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a fantabulous 2011!