January 2012
30 posts
2011 in running
2011 began with a run — the first 5K I ever ran without walking at all!
Resolution Run 5K and Polar Bear Dive — 1/1/11 31:03 — 10:01 pace
In January, 5K was the farthest I’d ever raced and 5 miles was the farthest I’d ever run at one time.
2011 ended with a run — an amazing sunset 4-miler on my favorite trail to finish the year on a high note.
New Year’s Eve 4-miler —...
December 2011
39 posts
Spent
Welcome to the floor. I’ll be here all day.
Remember when I ran a marathon less than a month ago? Nah, me neither.
Today, FOUR MILES put me on the floor.
I ran with CrossFit Tony again and we both had trouble — him with his knee, me with my lungs and stomach. Looking at the numbers, it was a decent run, but we both felt like crap while running. Neither of us had run since our great...
Prepare to cry
A beautiful little video about running and the power of the human spirit. Makes me want to run.
My arms still hurt from yesterday’s vaccines, and it’s windy and raining like hell outside. I may have written this blog post from my cozy bed:
On Vaccines, Health Risks and Overcoming Fear
Shh. Don’t tell anyone.
I can haz vaccinations?
This was my morning.
That’s SIX travel shots, people! And I’m not even done! I go back in a week for two more, then again in three weeks for three more.
Luckily, they gave me apple juice. It was delicious. I will resume running when my arms no longer feel like lead due to multiple viruses coursing through them (or something — I’m not a doctor).
Hope everyone had a wonderful...
Nothing like a good run!
I’ve secretly been afraid that my best running days were behind me thanks to my stupid foot and lackluster post-marathon runs.
But this morning, I had a FANTASTIC run! I met a new running buddy, Tony, at the CrossFit event I went to at Meg’s box last weekend, and we pushed each other during an awesome six-miler.
Tony said he hadn’t run in a month and a half, and I...
Bringing 'em back
My foot hurt pretty significantly after Monday’s 5-miler and it was NOT COOL. Some rest and ice seemed to cure it, but still… I’m not down with this insubordinate foot.
I might’ve jumped into new shoes too quickly, so I brought back my marathon shoes for today’s run. It was like coming home.
These shoes have taken me far, baby. We’ve done beautiful things...
A little trip.
More details here. But, basically:
New Zealand
Australia
Thailand
Laos
Vietnam
Cambodia
Portland, Oregon
ICELAND
I don’t really know where to go after Iceland. But watch that video. Does it even matter?
A painful lesson
Today I set out to run 5 miles — my farthest distance since the marathon — and I was feeling good about it.
As I started running, I immediately felt “slow.” I was running under a 9:30 pace, which I don’t consider slow at all, but I felt oddly heavy compared to my mostly effortless-feeling pre-marathon runs.
Then disaster hit during mile 4 — a horrible, dreadful, crippling...
How to work a holiday brunch
1. Fill your plate with delicious pancakes and bacon, then clean it. Repeat. (Check.)
2. Position yourself near the mimosa-making station to ensure easy access and no fewer than three drinks. (Check.)
3. Regale your friends with groundbreaking new ideas regarding foreign policy, the environment and the global health crisis. (Err…)
That’s pretty much it. Success!
Also,...
Adventures in Crossfit: My first WOD
Meg invited me to a Toys for Tots event at her box Saturday morning and today I can’t move my body.
It hurts so good.
About 40 people donated 157 toys. Woo-hoo! I pitched in two toys and won a t-shirt in a raffle at the end of the event. I never win things! There is in existence a super-awkward picture of me lunging through a giant tire while wearing the shirt; hopefully Meg can track it...
I ran!
My post-marathon motivation to run is seriously lacking. Today I was determined to run, and it wasn’t raining, so I had no excuse.
I busted out new shoes to make it exciting.
I’ve been hoarding two brand-new pairs of Brooks Ghost 3 shoes in a closet ever since I went nuts over an online sale. I basically got two pairs of my very favorite running shoes — in PURPLE! — for the price...
I left my favorite pair of jeans at my mom's house
…and they’re my fave because they’re one of the only pairs that actually fits.
I’m trying on many others and they’re all anywhere from one to three sizes too big.
I found an old belt and put it on in an attempt to keep some jeans up, and the belt doesn’t even have enough holes to cinch tight enough.
I don’t have a documented weight-loss story like many...
Where in the world should I go?
That is the question I must answer. Someone please get me a giant map of the world… and some darts.
Check out where I am in my planning so far: Itinerary Indecision & Shiny Travel Things
Also, I made business cards (even though I don’t have an actual business) to hand out to folks I meet as I travel.
The info side (yes, “runner” is a big part of who I am!):
The...
Travel planning, swimming, etc.
The legendary Athens Classic Marathon is on November 11, 2012.
That’s just a fun factoid I came across while trying to figure out the itinerary for my year of travel. Interesting… : )
Also, I swam today for the first time since I did the triathlon in September!
There’s so much awkwardness here.
Swimming is hard, people. I can swim from one end of the pool to the other,...
DNF vs. DNT
I’m just gonna put this here.
I recently found the post in which I first wrote about signing up for this marathon. I registered wayyyyyyy back in March, back before I’d ever run any race farther than a 5K. In fact, I think the farthest I’d ever run at that point was 7 or 8 miles.
I had no clue how fast I’d be able to run 26.2 miles (or if I could even physically run...
The new normal
This morning I flung myself out of bed and went to my gym for a vinyasa yoga class. I am now one of those people who has the luxury of just doing random crap like that on a weekday, so feel free to hate me.
The truth is that it’s been a little tough to hammer out a routine, or a “new normal,” as I call it, now that I’m not working an 8-5 job or training for a race....
First post-marathon run!
“The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen.”
That quote was featured on the sign of a local business that I run by on the way to my favorite trail, and it couldn’t have been more perfect to mark my first post-marathon run.
This whole week, I’ve done absolutely nothing for exercise. I’ve sat, I’ve slept, I’ve shuffled around my townhouse...
Reflections on Marathon Training: What I Did Right
In case you’re interested, I just recapped what went well in my marathon training here:
Reflections on Marathon Training: What I Did Right
In other news, my legs finally feel back to normal and I’ll probably do a short little run this weekend. And sometime soon, perhaps even next week, I’m trying Crossfit. BLAME MEG.
Back to regular posting soon. Until then, sleeping...
My First Marathon: Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas
On Sunday afternoon I stood in the Mandalay Bay parking lot with my mom, eating a banana and keeping an eye on the porta-potty line so I could jump in before it got too long.
The sky was perfectly clear and the Las Vegas sun reflected off the gleaming hotel, bathing the entire race start in golden light.
Suddenly, it hit me: “I can’t believe I’m about to…”
“…run a marathon?” my mom finished...
Dig
Since I won’t have my full race recap up till Wednesday, and since I’m currently watching Antiques Roadshow in my hotel room with my mom and Don while waiting for Rob, Chris and crew to get ready so we can tear up Las Vegas (hurry, guys!), I figured I’d post another marathon tidbit.
I uploaded my Garmin splits today and was kind of blown away to find that mile 26 — the very...
Marathon Post No. 2 of MANY
I found some Brits before the marathon!
Yayyy, Rob and Chris!
Most people I “knew,” Tumblr and otherwise, who ran RnRLV did the half-marathon, so it was nice to see a few familiar faces at the start of the full. Congrats on killing it, guys!
Marathon recovery update: I ate solid food for the first time this morning — hash browns and a waffle via room service — and it was gooooood....
4:15:10
Sorry for the post-marathon disappearing act. Greetings from the medical tent!
I’m not there anymore, but I spent several hours doing things like “trying to warm up” and “attempting to stop vomiting.” I threw up SIX times after I finished, y’all. That’s one time for each of the toughest miles of this race.
I’m actually weirdly proud of that...
Runner tracking UPDATE
Between 4 and 9 p.m. Pacific (and hopefully not much later) today…
Follow my marathon splits on The Twitter:
@Edger @COrfan01
Follow my marathon splits on The Tumblr:
rfgr26 — and if you don’t already follow the lovely Claire Orfanos, that’s a MISTAKE.
After 9/9:30 p.m., follow my post-marathon ramblings and imminent intoxication on Twitter:
@devonamills
Or just sit there...
THE BIG DAY and runner tracking
Oh hey, my first marathon is TODAY.
Wow, the window of my hotel room is dirty.
The marathon starts at 4 p.m. Pacific and I hope to be done by/before 8:30-ish depending on when I cross the start line! I’m in corral 8, which I moved up to at the expo since I’m aiming for a 4:15 finish.
I signed up for runner tracking that will text seven splits to five people of my choosing. My mom,...
Last run of marathon training!
Wow. I can’t believe this little two-miler was my last training run. The next time I lace up my Ghost 4s, it’ll be to run 26.2 miles in Las Vegas!!!
I just ran at a comfortable pace. Easy breezy.
I’ve loved marathon training for the past 19 weeks. It helped me deal with the stress of quitting my job. It also helped me get through a really sad breakup and an even sadder death...
Answering Oliver: Deciding to Quit & My Last Day...
Today I wrote about everything that led up to making my big decision and what went down on my last day of work: Deciding to Quit & My Last Day of Work.
You’ll find that the past few months have been extremely emotional for me, and maybe you’ll wonder, “How the eff did this girl train for a marathon during all this?”
When you channel your frustration, your uncertainty...
Marathon Goal Pace
First of all, THANK YOU for all your kind words about my news yesterday! Leaving work turned out to be very emotional — I cried several times, completely unexpectedly — and it was so great to have your support.
Now, here’s the scoop on my first run as an unemployed person / first run of December / second-to-last run of marathon training:
My plan was to run an easy four miles at marathon...
