Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Crazy things I want to do this year
I've decided I needed to do add some fun running events this year. Events I wanted to do last year and didn't get a chance to accomplish.
1. I heard of the Krispy Creme challenge. This event is Feb 4th in North Carolina. Sooo..seems that is too far to travel. So I'm gonna donate my $10 to get a t-shirt. Then I'm gonna run my own challenge here and have my husband tape it...I don't think I can eat 12 donuts and we don't have a Krispy Creme in ME so I'll have to use Dunkin' Donuts which are NOT the same at all...but that's what a CHALLENGE is suppose to be right? Hard? To push myself beyond what I think I can do. Run 2.5 miles, eat a dozen donuts, and run 2.5 miles back in 1 hour. We'll see. Gotta start eating some donuts! :)
2. Run a full Nude 5K during my 100 day running streak. So some time between now and April 11th. Gotta find a race or create my own on our private property.
3. Do a beer mile. Now this creates some logistical timing because all our tracks are on school property and alcohol and drugs are illegal on school property, so this one needs a little planning. I think I'll use the PBR's for this because I think I can drink 4 of them. I'm not expecting any specific time for this I just wanna see if I can do it.
Granted some of these are not healthy challenges but most of them could prove to be really fun. (except the throwing up of the donuts. :( "yuck")
Also, I turn 45 this March and in honor of that date I am going to run 45 miles! I am running my first 50 mile trail run in May so this will be perfect training. I'm hoping to do it close to home. Maybe a ten mile loop so I can have friends join me for part of the run if they want. Just a thought though. I may run it on the local trails. Not sure yet. But I am gonna try to do it.
This is what long, snowy winter days do to a person. They get you thinking of all the crazy things you think you can do....:)
1. I heard of the Krispy Creme challenge. This event is Feb 4th in North Carolina. Sooo..seems that is too far to travel. So I'm gonna donate my $10 to get a t-shirt. Then I'm gonna run my own challenge here and have my husband tape it...I don't think I can eat 12 donuts and we don't have a Krispy Creme in ME so I'll have to use Dunkin' Donuts which are NOT the same at all...but that's what a CHALLENGE is suppose to be right? Hard? To push myself beyond what I think I can do. Run 2.5 miles, eat a dozen donuts, and run 2.5 miles back in 1 hour. We'll see. Gotta start eating some donuts! :)
2. Run a full Nude 5K during my 100 day running streak. So some time between now and April 11th. Gotta find a race or create my own on our private property.
3. Do a beer mile. Now this creates some logistical timing because all our tracks are on school property and alcohol and drugs are illegal on school property, so this one needs a little planning. I think I'll use the PBR's for this because I think I can drink 4 of them. I'm not expecting any specific time for this I just wanna see if I can do it.
Granted some of these are not healthy challenges but most of them could prove to be really fun. (except the throwing up of the donuts. :( "yuck")
Also, I turn 45 this March and in honor of that date I am going to run 45 miles! I am running my first 50 mile trail run in May so this will be perfect training. I'm hoping to do it close to home. Maybe a ten mile loop so I can have friends join me for part of the run if they want. Just a thought though. I may run it on the local trails. Not sure yet. But I am gonna try to do it.
This is what long, snowy winter days do to a person. They get you thinking of all the crazy things you think you can do....:)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
New Year's Day 26.2 Miles!
Welcome 2012!
My husband and I drove to Boston to ring in the New Year in the big city. "First Night" in Boston! We had a blast. For 2 reasons; My husband has always wanted to see the fireworks over Boston Harbor (sort of a bucket list thing) AND I was going to run the Boston Marathon course 6 am on 1/1/12!
Tips for parking and eating in Boston for practically nothing:
1. Park OUTSIDE the city and take the Subway in. We paid $5.00 for overnight parking!
2. Walk or take the T when IN the city.
3. Why do people pay so much to stay in a hotel in the city. FYI: there are ways to travel for little or no cost. (Couchsurfing is one way) or HOSTELS are another. We stayed in a hostel when we went to the NYC Barefoot event and we stayed in a Hostel for this trip as well. For $60.00 a night you have a comfortable place to sleep. Instead of paying $2-$300.00 a night! Who wants to pay that! We were able to stay in Back Bay for under $100.00 a night. 40 Berkeley is the name of the Hostel. Would recommend this to any traveler needing a place to hang a hat for a night. (single rooms are about $30.00 a night).
4. Eat in Chinatown! We found a great place. Please see the pic. See that price? There was so much food we shared 1 plate! $5.50 for lunch oh yah!
Other cool things we did. Saw Suzanne Vega in concert in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory. Had a beer at the Barking Crab (a little bar and restaurant next to the Harbor while keeping warm to wait for the fireworks), stood on the wharf and watched the fireworks; WELCOME 2012!, had a weird conversations with some drunk guys on the subway, had 7-Eleven sandwiches and chips at 1:30am slept 3 hours and got up to meet at the finish line of the Boston Marathon course to catch my ride to the starting line out in Hopkinton.
So the greeting 2012 with a 26.2 mile run...it was fun! Why? Every year for 8 years my friend and fellow Crow, Gary, has run the course on New Year's Day. He always invites whomever wants to may join him. Just for fun! And because when I ran the Boston Marathon in April there were so many people that I didn't remember what the course looked like! Also, I'm not running in the official race this year, yes I qualified, but I will be participating in other events surrounding the marathon weekend (which I will post info. about soon). That said... I started a little after 6am in the dark with about 30 other runners. Some from the Hopkinton Running Club and others from Crow Athletics. It was about 30 degrees and VERY icy. I decided to wear my VFF. A wise choice I think. I was able to enjoy the run and the scenery. It was a quiet run. I ran the first half into Wellesley with 2 runners from the Hopkinton Running Club. They were running my pace and it was nice to have the company. They were only running half way. So they gave me some directions and I set off to make my way to the finish.
(Pic was taken in front of Wellesley College)
My husband was suppose to be following me and finally found me around mile 14. I quickly gave him everything I didn't want to carry anymore and took off. I ran barefoot about a mile and then changed into my new slippers. Then decided that wasn't working and added toe socks with the slippers and that was fine. I also had part of a chocolate donut and water too)"yum" It was a fun to run heartbreak hill and actually SEE what I was running. Alone, not swerving past walkers or racers throwing up. Ran about the last 1.5 miles barefoot. It was sunny and near 40 degrees in the city and the road and sidewalks were dry.
Made it to the finish where my husband took a photo. Then we went to Starbucks for coffee and a pastry. The other runners were still there so it was nice to see them and catch up. After that we made our way to the North End to purchase Mike's Pastry as a gift for our friends who were watching the kids and then we headed home.
Again, WELCOME 2012...I hope this is a good year! :)
My husband and I drove to Boston to ring in the New Year in the big city. "First Night" in Boston! We had a blast. For 2 reasons; My husband has always wanted to see the fireworks over Boston Harbor (sort of a bucket list thing) AND I was going to run the Boston Marathon course 6 am on 1/1/12!
Tips for parking and eating in Boston for practically nothing:
1. Park OUTSIDE the city and take the Subway in. We paid $5.00 for overnight parking!
2. Walk or take the T when IN the city.
3. Why do people pay so much to stay in a hotel in the city. FYI: there are ways to travel for little or no cost. (Couchsurfing is one way) or HOSTELS are another. We stayed in a hostel when we went to the NYC Barefoot event and we stayed in a Hostel for this trip as well. For $60.00 a night you have a comfortable place to sleep. Instead of paying $2-$300.00 a night! Who wants to pay that! We were able to stay in Back Bay for under $100.00 a night. 40 Berkeley is the name of the Hostel. Would recommend this to any traveler needing a place to hang a hat for a night. (single rooms are about $30.00 a night).
4. Eat in Chinatown! We found a great place. Please see the pic. See that price? There was so much food we shared 1 plate! $5.50 for lunch oh yah!
Other cool things we did. Saw Suzanne Vega in concert in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory. Had a beer at the Barking Crab (a little bar and restaurant next to the Harbor while keeping warm to wait for the fireworks), stood on the wharf and watched the fireworks; WELCOME 2012!, had a weird conversations with some drunk guys on the subway, had 7-Eleven sandwiches and chips at 1:30am slept 3 hours and got up to meet at the finish line of the Boston Marathon course to catch my ride to the starting line out in Hopkinton.
So the greeting 2012 with a 26.2 mile run...it was fun! Why? Every year for 8 years my friend and fellow Crow, Gary, has run the course on New Year's Day. He always invites whomever wants to may join him. Just for fun! And because when I ran the Boston Marathon in April there were so many people that I didn't remember what the course looked like! Also, I'm not running in the official race this year, yes I qualified, but I will be participating in other events surrounding the marathon weekend (which I will post info. about soon). That said... I started a little after 6am in the dark with about 30 other runners. Some from the Hopkinton Running Club and others from Crow Athletics. It was about 30 degrees and VERY icy. I decided to wear my VFF. A wise choice I think. I was able to enjoy the run and the scenery. It was a quiet run. I ran the first half into Wellesley with 2 runners from the Hopkinton Running Club. They were running my pace and it was nice to have the company. They were only running half way. So they gave me some directions and I set off to make my way to the finish.
(Pic was taken in front of Wellesley College)My husband was suppose to be following me and finally found me around mile 14. I quickly gave him everything I didn't want to carry anymore and took off. I ran barefoot about a mile and then changed into my new slippers. Then decided that wasn't working and added toe socks with the slippers and that was fine. I also had part of a chocolate donut and water too)"yum" It was a fun to run heartbreak hill and actually SEE what I was running. Alone, not swerving past walkers or racers throwing up. Ran about the last 1.5 miles barefoot. It was sunny and near 40 degrees in the city and the road and sidewalks were dry.
Made it to the finish where my husband took a photo. Then we went to Starbucks for coffee and a pastry. The other runners were still there so it was nice to see them and catch up. After that we made our way to the North End to purchase Mike's Pastry as a gift for our friends who were watching the kids and then we headed home.
Again, WELCOME 2012...I hope this is a good year! :)
Thursday, December 29, 2011
"Minimalist", "Bareshoes", "Barefoot shoes" whatever! They all suck!
Ok not all barefoot runners may understand this; while many are figuring how to transition INTO a minimalist shoe of some kind so they can run barefoot....I'm trying to figure out how to get through the winter wearing the least amount possible on my feet. Barefoot is best! Does anyone think it is just as hard to go back the other way too? Barefoot into minimalist? I can't get my Merrell's or my VFF to feel right?! My husband can't believe how uncomfortable shoes have become for me. I have to put them on and just sit in them and then just walk in them for about 10-15 minutes just to get the feel for them. "yuck" While the world is talking about what minimalist shoe is best, how does this one fit, how does that one feel. Well, I think they all suck! I wear them because I have to. They are, like so many have pointed out, a tool. If I want to go trail running in frozen earth, in 19 degree weather I better have something to protect my feet. But after my runs I am so happy to sit and take the retched things off as soon as possible. So that's my rant. I have chosen to live in a climate that going totally barefoot, OUTSIDE, for a portion of the year is just stupid. ( Yes, I have lost the end of 2 toes and several toenails from frostbite) I have learned...so I do my best to carry on...but I still don't like shoes...and they ALL suck! If you see me running along and I'm wearing a minimalist shoe, (that's what I'm going to call them, because they are not BARE in any way!), and I'm actually smiling, it's because I'm RUNNING. And as long as I can do that I can smile.
Re-reading this post actually made me laugh...I guess I will never be a minimalist shoe tester! HAHA, give me a free pair of your minimalist shoes that I will never wear so I can tell you how much they suck! HAHAHAHA!
Re-reading this post actually made me laugh...I guess I will never be a minimalist shoe tester! HAHA, give me a free pair of your minimalist shoes that I will never wear so I can tell you how much they suck! HAHAHAHA!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Barefoot Running Events 2011
I was trying to figure out why I was so tired these last couple of weeks. My normal runs of 5-8 miles 4-5 days a week have turned in 4 mile runs 2-3 times a week. I looked back in my running log and this is what I found: ( No wonder my body is saying, "Hey T you need a couple weeks off!" )
5k's:
5/1 - Barefoot 5K (Barefoot Running Day)
5/21 - Coral Gables 5K , FL : 21:25 2nd in AG
5/28 - Barefoot 5K; (Pineland Farms Trail Running Fest.) 24:03 3rd Female
6/15 - Back Cove 5K Portland, ME :
11/20 - 3 mile Brewer HS Turkey Trot, Brewer, ME : 20:49 1st in AG
10K's:
8/7 - Lobster Festival 10K, Rockland, ME: 46:57 2nd in AG
5 Miler:
9/17 - Lobster Dash Beach Run, Ogunquit, ME 35:44 2nd in AG
Half Marathons:
3/27 - Run for the Border 1/2, Portsmouth, NH: 8M VFF/4mBF
6/26 - Rail Trail, Augusta, ME: 1:40 16 (PR)
7/24 - Old Port 1/2, Portland, ME: 1:44 4th in AG
8/6 - Monadnock 1/2, Jafferey, NH: 1:58:04
9/25 - NYC Barefoot Running Event, New York City: 14 miles around Gov. Island.
Marathons:
4/18 - Boston Marathon, Boston, MA: 4:01:16
10/16 - MDI Marathon, Bar Harbor, ME: 3:56:57
On a side note this is just about half the events I participated in in 2011: There were 12 OTHER events I did in minimalist footwear or snowshoes. Including 1 other marathon and 2; 50K's.
Looking forward to 2012! :)
5k's:
5/1 - Barefoot 5K (Barefoot Running Day)
5/21 - Coral Gables 5K , FL : 21:25 2nd in AG
5/28 - Barefoot 5K; (Pineland Farms Trail Running Fest.) 24:03 3rd Female
6/15 - Back Cove 5K Portland, ME :
11/20 - 3 mile Brewer HS Turkey Trot, Brewer, ME : 20:49 1st in AG
10K's:
8/7 - Lobster Festival 10K, Rockland, ME: 46:57 2nd in AG
5 Miler:
9/17 - Lobster Dash Beach Run, Ogunquit, ME 35:44 2nd in AG
Half Marathons:
3/27 - Run for the Border 1/2, Portsmouth, NH: 8M VFF/4mBF
6/26 - Rail Trail, Augusta, ME: 1:40 16 (PR)
7/24 - Old Port 1/2, Portland, ME: 1:44 4th in AG
8/6 - Monadnock 1/2, Jafferey, NH: 1:58:04
9/25 - NYC Barefoot Running Event, New York City: 14 miles around Gov. Island.
Marathons:
4/18 - Boston Marathon, Boston, MA: 4:01:16
10/16 - MDI Marathon, Bar Harbor, ME: 3:56:57
On a side note this is just about half the events I participated in in 2011: There were 12 OTHER events I did in minimalist footwear or snowshoes. Including 1 other marathon and 2; 50K's.
Looking forward to 2012! :)
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