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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Spring Marathon

Since running the Chicago Marathon, and then deciding not to run the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, I knew I wanted to try a spring marathon.  I learned so much training for Chicago that I feel can benefit me to reach my goals in the future.  The decision became not if I was going to run one, but which marathon I was going to run.

The marathons I was considering were....
  1. Flying Pig in Cincinnati
  2. Rockford (Rockford, IL)
  3. Chicagoland Spring Marathon
  4. Carmel Marathon (Carmel, Indiana)
  5. Illinois Marathon (Champaign-Urbana, Illinois)
And the winner is....




I signed  up for the Illinois Marathon for a few reasons:
  • It is flat (Flying Pig is too hilly to train for in Chicago)
  • It is at the right time of year (I wanted to give my legs enough time to recover before running the Madison to Chicago Ragnar Relay as part of an ultra team)
  • You get to finish at the 50-year line in the football stadium and watch yourself on TV doing so
  • I can most likely talk some of my friends into running it as well

Illinois Marathon....here I come!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Funny Things at Thanksgiving

On most holidays I get to see some members of my extended family.  This past weekend, I got to see members of both my mom's side and my dad's side on different days.  Since my brother moved to Colorado, going back to visit my childhood city is different.  There is no one to bug to go on a tempo run with, but that doesn't mean the trip isn't wonderful. 

As most people do, I love my family.  My mom's extended family is much bigger than my dad's, and is comprised of 23  people.  On Thanksgiving day, my mom's brother and sister came to visit, along with my aunt and 4 cousins.  Some of the following topics/comments were made on Thanksgiving:
  • One of my cousins in finishing her student teaching right now.  We had a funny conversation about names.  What would you call this name?  La-a.  It's La(dash)a.  Another variation is La-ia.  Although, it was sad to me when my cousin told me she had a student name Shithead, pronounced
    "Shitheed."  Would could possibly name a child that?  That is awful.
  • Many comments made from my Grandma about how windy the weather is.  My dad also informed me that Chicago is not named the Windy City for the actual wind.  Apparently it had something to do with politics, which I never knew.
  • My uncle said that the book "Run less, Run Faster" is a phenomenal book.  He's a big believer in it and thinks the training plan can get him to BQ this year.  We might run the same marathon in the spring.  I learned so much from training for the Chicago Marathon and know what I need to change this time.  I am not going to follow that plan, but will be making my own and starting in the next few weeks.  I'm excited for it to begin again.
Other things were discussed that had us laughing for many minutes, however, they all seem to escape me now.  The name comments were the ones that really stuck out, though.

On Saturday night my dad's parents and my aunt that lives in Chicago came to our house for dinner.  You must understand that my grandpa is EXTREMELY cheap.  He grew up in the Depression, which I think impacts his cheapness a great deal.  My favorite comment is below:

  • My aunt came back to my parent's house later that night to visit some more.  After discussing various things with my dad (nursing homes, traveling, cooking, and the like), I came in to talk to them.  My aunt told one of the best stories ever.
    • A few years ago, my grandpa asked my aunt if she wanted a burial plot for her birthday present that year.  My aunt, as she was re-telling the story, goes "Nothing says happy birthday more than a burial plot."  I just have to laugh. 

I love my family and all their uniqueness.

What is the weirdest birthday present you've ever received? 

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Hill Training in Iowa

On Wednesday, I packed my bags and headed west to Iowa for a long Thanksgiving weekend.  In addition to visiting family, I wanted to accomplish a few other tasks:
  1. Run the hills
  2. Sleep in every day
  3. Not eat my weight in cookies
Task #1: Run the hills
I ran 2 days while I was in Iowa...6 miles each day.  I ran the same route both days and ran it much faster the second day.  When many people think of Iowa, they think of flat, corn, and farms.  However, some cities located along the Mississippi River are very hilly.  I don't run with my camera/phone, but I wish I could have taken a picture of the massive hill I ran up.  Instead, here the elevation chart:

In case you can't tell, that would be a 350 ft+ incline from miles 3 to 4.5.  It was like running up a small mountain.  I live near Chicago, where there are no hills.  Contrary to what many believe, it is actually hard to run down an incline that severe as well. 

Task #2: Sleep in every day.
The only morning I got up early was Sunday (today) so I could pack and get ready to go to brunch with my grandparents.  Otherwise, I got a quality 10 or more hours of sleep every  night.  I also learned that when I was a baby I slept a ton.  Some things never change.

Task #3: Not eat my weight in cookies.
I love my mom's sugar cookies.  I did my best at only eat a few every day.  This is a vast improvement...usually I just eat whatever I want.  I don't know the total amount of cookies consumed, but it was less than in past years which is a major success.

Some quality conversations were also had...and a lot of funny comments were made.  I'll share those tomorrow.  I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Do you like to run hills?  This year, I am going to love hills.  In the past, I've always hated them. 

Monday, November 21, 2011

Geriatric Unit? No, noon at the gym.

I almost always work out at my gym in the late afternoon or early evening.  I can count on one hand the number of times I was at the gym before 10 AM in the past 3 years.  Given the fact that I go to the gym at the same time (more or less) every single day, I see the same people.  They include:

  • Ultra bike guy that ran the Chicago Marathon last year who always comments on me running it this year.
  • Girl who is on the elliptical for over 2 hours every single day.  One word for her: why?
  • Stinky man who only walks on the treadmill and wears Nike shorts from the 1980s.
  • Young guy who can't figure out what college he likes, as I've seem him wear Stanford, South Carolina, Cincinnati, and Florida State gear.
  • My friend's mom who always says hi
  • Man that bikes and wears black spandex and a neon pink shirt
  • My favorite guy who ran his first half marathon this year and always runs the Shamrock Shuffle
I honestly wonder if people think about what they wear before they go to the gym. 

Today, though, I went to the gym at noon.  We had early out at school and then conferences late afternoon through the evening, so I knew if I was going to run, it had to be around noon.  What did I notice today?

  • It felt like I was in the geriatric unit.
  • I was the youngest by about 50 years.
  • I've never seen so many people working out in bedazzled sweaters and black stretchy pants in my life.
  • 99% of the people had white hair.
  • I was the only person running on the treadmill.  Everyone else was walking.
Although the differences were evident, it was good to see different people.  I saw a cute old guy that I sometimes see at school at the gym.  He addresses me always as "here's that wonderful 5th grade teacher" even though he has never seen me teach.  He's just a genuinely nice man. 

It was nice for a change, but I think I think my normal group of people better.

What is the weirdest outfit you've seen someone working out in before?  The bedazzled holiday sweater takes the cake for me. 

Sunday, November 20, 2011

10, take 2

Back in the summer, I posted 10 random things about myself.  I thought it might be interesting if I did it again.  So, here are 10 more interesting things about yours truly.

  1. I can name all 50 states in alphabetical order.  We had to learn a song when I was in 5th grade for a musical that listed all the states in order and I can still recite it.  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut....
  2. There are two types of people: those that have a ton of somewhat close friends, and those that have a small group of really close friends.  The second applies to me.
  3. My favorite meal by far is breakfast.  
  4. When I lived in Ohio, my friend K encouraged me to start a blog.  She had one of her own.  First, I started to read a few blogs, then, with her help one night, my blog came to be.  I am so glad she encouraged me to do so, too.
  5. My favorite kind of Gatorade is blue.  My least favorite is fruit punch.  I like grape better than lemon-lime.
  6. In the summer I made a list of goals for myself to accomplish in 1-2 years, 5 years, and 10 years.  So far, I have completed 1.5/15 for my 1-2 year goals.  
  7. It takes me 50 minutes to get ready in the morning.  My morning routine includes: showering, getting dressed, packing my lunch, packing my gym bag(s), eating breakfast and checking my email.  
  8. In high school, I was a varsity letter-winner 3 years for basketball.  In the past 3 years, I have touched a basketball 3 times.
  9. I have glasses and contacts, but wear my contacts every day.  
  10. People often tell me that I look 5 or more years younger than my actual age.  
What is something interesting about you?  Do we have anything in common? 

It's Been Too Long

I had not run with my running club on a Sunday morning run since before the Chicago Marathon - over a month and a half ago.  It had been way too long.  I've missed seeing my friends running on the trail. 

Why did I not go for 6+ weeks?  Sleep.  Although marathon training runs started at 6:30, and post-marathon Sunday runs start at 8, I still could not mange to get out of bed.  I live 30 minutes from where we meet, which means if I don't drag myself out of bed by 7 AM I won't make it.  Today I was determined to make it.  I wanted to get in a quality run with my fellow club members. 

I wasn't sure how far I wanted to run, or even what pace.  When we set out, I thought 6 sounded good.  8:30 pace felt good.  Then, I got talked into running 10 miles at a progressive pace, having our average be 8:15 at the end, with a mile or two under 8:00/mile pace. 

The run seemed hard to me, but I think that is beacuse I'm not used to running in the morning.  I do 95% of my runs in the mid or late afternoon/early evening and 8 AM is far different.  But, I am so glad I got to run with the group.  It was not the group I trained with for Chicago, and I didn't know a few of the guys, but it was a good time none the less. 

Could I have started my Sunday any better?  I don't think so. 

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Three Things Thursday

1.  It went from being incredibly nice outside to bone-chilling cold in a few days.  Tuesday I ran 10 miles with shorts and a long sleeve shirt on.  Today?  6 miles in my winter running tights, long sleeve shirt, jacket, and gloves and  was still cold.  I need to get used to this cold weather...it doesn't appear to be going anywhere as winter is just around the corner.

2.  I've made up my mind...I am going to run a spring marathon.  I am not sure what month I want to target or even what race or where I want to run, but I am doing it. 

3.  I'm trying to formulate my goals for the 2012 season.  I have many, but I need to really focus on a few, otherwise none will get accomplished well.  I need to think some more about them...so many choices.  So many things I'd like to try. 

Monday, November 14, 2011

Random Thoughts on and about WDD

Today is World Diabetes Day.  Many people celebrate this day, or the day they were diagnosed.  I don't celebrate either.  It is just another day in my life.  In a recent card, I was encouraged to take part in the Big Blue Test.   

I had to go to the website to see exactly what they wanted me to do.  I knew it related to exercising and testing my blood sugar, but that was all I knew. 

The premise of the test is to test, exercise for 14-20 minutes, and then test again.  Theoretically, my blood sugar should be lower because I exercised.

Here's what they don't know or get: I really don't like it when my blood sugar drops when I exercise.  Also, I don't know the last time I exercised for only 14-20 minutes.  Don't get me wrong...I think that is a great goal when you start exercising.  But, for me, I feel like I am beyond that in my exercise routine. 

Anyway, I did complete the Big Blue Test.  Please note that my meter is still set an hour ahead...I have not changed it yet for Daylight Savings Time.

Before running blood sugar:


Before running snack:

Chocolate Chip Clif Bar (no bolus)

A little less than one hour (7 miles) of glorious running outside on a trail later...

I wore blue for World Diabetes Day when I was running.

Post-run blood sugar



I really, really wanted to keep running, but it was almost dark, and I do not run outside on a trail when it is dark by myself.  It is just not safe.

I drove to my gym to do some more cardio, which included:
  • 1 mile running on the treadmill (8 miles total for the day)
  • 1 mile on the elliptical
  • 1 mile on the stair master
  • 8 miles on the stationary bike
My post-cardio gym blood sugar was:


Other stuff....
  • Can someone please explain to me why people are not honest?
  • I am extremely disappointed in person/people (see above) for not being honest.
  • These are not people/a person who I interact with on a daily basis (thankfully).
  • People who are not honest and kind are people who I don't want to interact with.
  • Now that I learn more, things are starting to make more sense.
  • It is their loss more than mine.
I think it is only fitting to close this section with a saying that my dad and I joke about: I am wonderful...if I do say so myself.  One must say it with her nose in the air, though, and in the snottiest tone possible.  And then "uh, huh" after done speaking the words.

Back to today....

I did tell my homeroom students that it was World Diabetes Day, and that they all were celebrating it because they were wearing blue, which is part of their uniforms.  I, on the other hand, was wearing purple.  They liked it more when I told them about National Cookie Monster Day.

A student then told me the following: "A friend of mine told me that he heard that if you play 3 hours straight of Wii you'll get diabetes."  To which I replied, "you friend misinformed you." 

At least tomorrow is Tuesday, and Tuesday is always better than Monday.


Friday, November 11, 2011

In the mail...

The old way of communicating via letter in the mail has rapidly decreased since the Internet was born.  Why would someone hand-write a letter when typing an email and sending it to the recipient immediately is so much more convenient? 

My mom loves "real mail."  So much that when my siblings and I went to college she hand-wrote a letter to each of us every single week for 4 years.  After college, when I moved to Ohio, my mom continued to write me, just not as often.  Then, when I moved to Illinois, she reverted back to her old ways and sends me something in the mail at least once a week.  Some weeks, I'll get a two things. 

I once asked her why she enjoyed "real mail" so much.  Her response was that it showed how much someone appreciated you because they gave up their time to do something for you, for nothing in return.  Plus, most mail is boring or bills, so having something nice come is wonderful.

I am one of the few people in the world that still write letters to people.  Although it does not happen that often, I always enjoy doing it.

This week I was delighted to receive a letter back from the person who got my World Diabetes Day postcard.  Her note was so nice.



In addition to sending her my postcard, I also wrote her a note.  The person I got is the president/owner/person in charge of a female diabetes exercise organization.  I was so happy to get to send something to a person who values exercise as much as me.  Getting real mail does brighten my day!

Do you enjoy "real mail?"  Do you send any out, or are you an email-only person?

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Reflections

Do you ever go back at old blog posts an re-read what you wrote?  I do it occasionally, but not as much as I would like. 

This week I feel like I've had a lot of time to think about my running, and races, in 2011.  I've pretty much taken the entire week off of running (only logged 13 miles since Sunday) due to being sick and my leg hurting.  I'm hoping it is nothing major and just magically goes away on its own. 

Last December I wrote a post about some goals I wanted to accomplish in 2011.  They were:

1.  Run a marathon.
2.  Run 2 half marathons, including the Quad Cities Half.
3.  PR - in the 10k, ideally the 5k, and half marathon

Reflections...

1.  Run a marathon.
Training for a marathon takes a lot of dedication.  The marathon is tough, though.  You train for months for one day.  Things can go great, or they can fall apart.  For the most part, I had a wonderful experience.  I wouldn't trade the Chicago Marathon this year for anything in the world.  I've wanted to run a marathon for the past 4 years.  I am glad I got to accomplish that goal in 2011.  I'm looking forward to perhaps another or 2 in 2012.  We'll see....

2.  Run 2 half marathons, including the Quad Cities Half
I ran 3 half marathons (Sam Costa - 1:40:14 in March; Rockford in May - 1:40:43; and Benefit Classic - 1:43:31 in September).  I didn't end up running the Quad Cities because of its proximity to the Chicago Marathon.  Unfortunately, I got slower with each half. 

3.  PR in the 10k, ideally in the 5k and half marathon
This was the year where I set a PR in virtually every race distance: 5k, 4 mile, 15k, half marathon and full marathon.  Although, 2 - the 4 mile and marathon - were given PRs as I had not competed in any other races those distances before.  I also automatically PR'd in my 2 duathlons this year.  I think what I am most proud of is not that I set a PR, but by how much it was set.  I took 2:20 off my 5k time, 3:37 off my 15k time, and 2:53 off my half marathon PR (previously set in 2009).  I didn't end up running any 10ks this year.  It is not a distance that I particularly enjoy. 

*  *  *  *  *

Last year, I could have never predicted that I would run like this in 2011.  I exceeded what I thought I could achieve.  If you were to tell me last year that I could run  a 5k in 20:12...I would have just smiled at you and thanked you for the compliment, but not have believed it.  Belief in oneself is critical in running.  Part of my problem with racing is that I don't fully believe I can run at the pace I want to (see: half marathons x3 this year). 

What happened when I was told by someone else in September that they believed I could run a 20-minute 5k based on my track workouts?  It happened.  Someone else believed in me, which transferred to me believing in myself. 

What happened when I ran to prove something to someone?  I told myself multiple times the pace I was going to run - and ran it, almost to the T. 

What happens when I line up for a race and want something, and hope that my training was enough?  Self-doubt creeps in.  I don't run very well.  I don't PR. 

Starting to pick up on the pattern? 

Going into 2012, I need to believe in myself more.  I need to trust my training more. 

I don't know what 2012 will bring, but I'm looking forward to another running and racing year with new challenges and races. 

Do you know a single factor that dictates your success or failure in races?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

22 years of diabetes....and counting

I was diagnosed with diabetes on Halloween, a fairly comical holiday to be diagnosed on.  This year, my diabetes turned 22.  In some ways it is hard to imagine that I have had it so many years.  Other days I wish it would disappear, if only for a run, or a full day, or weekend to see how my life would be different.  Unfortunately, that is not happening in the near future.  Over the past 22 years, diabetes has taught me some great life lessons.

1.  Nothing is impossible.
My parents told me that when I was diagnosed with diabetes the doctors were skeptical of participating in organized sports.  So, what did they do?  Let their daughter, who loved sports, play every single one.  Over the course of my lifetime, I've played soccer (7 years), softball (5 years), volleyball (2 years), basketball (10 years total; 4 years AAU), track (4 years), and cross-country (3 years).  I've been "competitively" running for the past 4 years, including my most recent accomplishment of conquering the marathon.  I am excited to find out what lays ahead for me next year, and those to come.  If I want to achieve it, I'll make it happen one way or another.

2.  Life is hard and not always fair.
Growing up, I always asked why I had diabetes and not my parents or my brother or sister.  I hated the fact that I had to have it and deal with it every day.  It took me a long time to accept the fact that it is not going away anytime soon, even thought I was diagnosed with it at such a young age.  Is it fair that I have this disease?  No.  But, fair is just a 4-letter word. 

3.  Life is also entertaining and fun.
I've had my fair share of low blood sugars.  Growing up, I was low much more often than high.  Although I've had some scary lows, some lows are just ridiculous.  It is in these times where I look back and just laugh about them.  For example, I was trying very hard (while low) to explain where a store was located.  It was near a restaurant called "Cheeseburger in Paradise."  Instead of saying the actual name of the restaurant, I kept referring to it as "Cheesecake in Paradise."  At least I was close, right?!?  Just as sometimes I can laugh at my lows, it is important to have fun in life.  I know when I am stressed out it does bad things to my blood sugars.  A balanced life is important.

4.  Attitude is my choice.
I could be pessimistic that I have a disease that there is no cure for.  I could be upset that the general public thinks of diabetics as overweight people (type 2).  I could be frustrated that diabetes often flies under the public radar and doesn't get enough funding.  However, I choose not to harbor those feelings and have that attitude.  I've accepted that diabetes is a part of me.  It does not define me.  I can live my life the way I want, or I can let the disease control me.  I choose the former.

5.  Habits are important for success.
Every Monday through Friday, I wake up at the same time.  I eat more or less the same breakfast and lunch.  I work out at the same time everyday.  I consider my body a fine-tuned machine.  Daylight savings time causes me to go crazy, and my body is still adjusting to setting back the clocks last week, but it knows what to expect.  The more you do something, the easier it becomes.  While training for the marathon, I ate the same thing before every long run and my intake during long runs was pretty much the same.  Every Sunday for over 4 months, my body got used to the same routine and habit.  And guess what?  On marathon day, my blood sugar couldn't have been even better.  It was quite a success.

6.  Motivation comes from within.
The past year I've been working hard to make my A1C (average blood sugar over 4 months) higher.  In the spring, I decided I wanted to make this a reality for myself.  I knew that if I had higher blood sugars than my training would be better.  My goal was to raise it from the low 5's (5.3) to the high 5's.  I knew that I could run better, which was my main motivation for wanting it higher.  In October, my A1C had climbed to 5.8.  I couldn't have been happier.  Now, I am motivated for it to stay there. 

7.  It is OK to fail.
Diabetes can take its toll on you if you let it.  Some days are easy to manage, where blood sugar numbers will be in the 100s with very little effort.  Some days, it takes all of my might to raise my blood sugar, and then lower it from the excessive carbs to raise it.  To the uneducated person, it would appear that I fail at diabetes those days.  They are not pleasant, but they are days that I learn more about my body and my attitude.  The good thing is that the sun always rises and I get to start tomorrow over.

8.  Diabetes and people are unique.
My diabetes is far different from a lot of other people's diabetes.  If you are an athlete, the condition is far different from the non-athletes.  Even within the athletic diabetes community our conditions and treatments vary.  This summer I went to Washington and ran in a relay with 11 other diabetics.  One thing that shocked me was the food they consumed (quantity and quality).  Their food choices do not work with my diabetes management or my diabetes, in general.  After that trip this summer, I realized just how differently people treat their diabetes.

9.  Do what you want.  Make the most of life.
I cannot tell you how many times I've gone to eat a cookie and someone has said, "oh, she can't have it because she is diabetic."  My typical response is, "actually, I can."  I like to eat cookies.  It is the junk food item that I love (I don't like a lot of other desserts).  If cookies are available to eat, and I want one, then I am going to do what I want and eat one.  I do what I want, not what others tell me.

They've come such a long way with diabetes technology in 22 years.  I can remember when I was first diagnosed my meter was huge - a small book - and I had to take the strip out halfway though, wipe it, and then re-insert it back in the machine for the final reading 2 minutes later (I think).  Diabetes is easier to manage now, but I'm still waiting on that cure.

I was searching for some picture to put on this post and came across this.  I thought it was pretty funny.  Maybe I'll wear it on November 14, for World Diabetes Day.


What has diabetes taught you?  Or, if you are not diabetic, how do you think you would overcome diabetes?

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Hot Chocolate 15k Race Report

"He is able who thinks he is able."
-Buddha

Official Time: 1:08:27
Pace: 7:21/mile
Overall Place: 595/13,359
Age Group: 32/999


I had one goal for the Hot Chocolate Race yesterday: to run to prove something.  The time leading up to the race was not ideal, as we hit traffic going into the city and then couldn't find a parking spot.  I got out of the car at 8:05 just so I could make it into my starting corral on time. 

The 5k race, which started at 7:40, was still starting.  Many runners had not crossed the start line when I got to the starting area.  Apparently, they had to re-route the 5k course which took some time and caused delays. 

Soon after all the 5kers left, the 15k runners got in their spots.  Runners were supposed to line up on the street, but since I got there late I didn't and just jumped the fence.  I was in good company, as I saw a few other runners going the same thing.

I got to start in Corral A based on my running times from this year, which made a huge difference.  It only took my about 20 seconds to get to the start once the gun went off and although the first 1/2 mile was a little congested, I had no other issues the entire race.

My goal was to run between 7:20 and 7:25 miles for the race.  I thought this was a rather ambitious goal, given my lack of speed training the past month, but knew with my motivation, it was possible.  I decided to run with my music this race, too.  I haven't been running with my music but thought it would be nice.  I am glad I had it as there were not many people out on the course for the middle 7 miles. 

The first 5k went by and I was feeling great.  I ran it in 22:10.  At that point, I knew I should slow down a little bit so I would  not die at the end.  We were going into a headwind that wasn't pleasant, too.  However, Foster the People and Pitbull provided me some motivation to stay strong.

I crossed the 4 mile mark at 28:58 and my pace started to catch up with me.  One thought of self-doubt crept into my head, but then I refocused mentally, reminding myself of all the miles I put in this year and why I wanted a major PR.  Thinking to myself...imagining someone else telling me..."you are not a good enough runner"....made me run faster. 


Before I knew it the race was 2/3 of the way over.  I crossed the 10k mark at 45:19.  The end was close.  By mile 8.5, I knew I could break 1:10.  Pitbull came back on my ipod and my goal was to finish the race while he was still playing.  I was so happy when I crossed the finish line and saw 1:08.  I met my goal.  I ended my running season on a good note. 

Once again, this race has provided me with the confidence I need going into the winter (off-season).  Next year I will come back a stronger runner.  I've been on a remarkable journey this year, and am excited to see what next year's races will bring for me.

It also helps to have extra motivation to run.  This race was purely fueled by someone else's decision/words.  Although I really wouldn't recommend running a race motivated by someone else, it worked for me.  Running is a gift that people give to themselves.  So although I ran because of a comment and not for myself, I am glad the end result worked out the way it did.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Lots of Random Stuff

This post will take bullet-point form because there is too much stuff going on inside my head to write a coherent paragraph or two.

  • My mileage for October was:
    • Running - 147 miles
    • Biking - 108 miles
    • Walking - 6 miles
    • Elliptical - 2.8 miles
    • Stair Master - 3 miles
    • Weights - 7 times
  • My favorite race of October was the only one I did - the Chicago Marathon.  I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
  • Today I did my last long run before Saturday's Hot Chocolate Race.  It was an 8 mile run.
  • I am rather pissed off with a recent event (see also: motivation to PR like there's no tomorrow on Saturday).  This 8-mile run was supposed to be done at an 8:30ish pace, but I did it with an 8:00 average. 
  • Running always makes me feel better.  However, after today's run, I was just as pissed off as when I started it. 
  • I rarely get pissed off.  Especially for more than a minute or two. 
  • Last night I was so pissed off I couldn't sleep through the night and woke up multiple times.  Let me remind you that I am a person who needs a lot of sleep.
  • One of my friend's gave me some good advice that helped me. 
  • November is National Diabetes Month.  If you don't follow any diabetes blogs, you most likely don't know this.  I don't do much at all to celebrate it.  In essence, I celebrate it by living my life the way I want to live everyday.
  • I plan on tapering for the race starting tomorrow. 
  • Tomorrow I think I'll run 4 miles, and 3 or 4 on Thursday.  Friday I'm not running at all. 
  • My mom is coming for the weekend.  Sometimes only mom's can make the world right again.
On a more positive note, at least the sun was shining today.

Hope your week is going better than mine.