Thursday, November 08, 2007

Miscellaneous Thursday Stuff.

I've started my off-season marathon training. I find myself in the position of having signed up for four marathons in four months. 'Cause that's the way I roll. Some say driven. Some just roll their eyes.

Tonight, I used the "workout mode" on my Garmin for the first time today. It was pretty easy to program, and I programmed in an interval workout as follows:
Five-minute warmup walk - Then this sequence repeated 3 times:

  • Fast Jog 1/4 mile
  • Fast Walk 1/8 mile
  • Fast Jog 1/2 mile
  • Fast walk 1/4 mile

"Fast jog" by the way, is what Msr. GarMEAN calls the pace I've been aspiring to.
Yep, I hauled ass, only to be nagged by Garmin, which sounds a little tinkling, trilling noise when you're going too slow, and flashes SPEED UP! briefly on the screen.

Obviously, I don't know what happens if you're going too fast (are you KIDDING?)

I liked training with GarMEAN, although it was another startling reminder that I really, really need bifocals. I just can't read anything close with my near-sighted glasses on anymore. I did manage about a 9:30 pace on a couple of those intervals, which is great, but I didn't realize it stopped recording my run immediately when the workout was over. Maybe that's a setting I can change, but I ran about a half mile before I realized it was no longer recording.

I also wore my new trail shoes today for the first time. They are what I can only describe as breathtakingly ugly.

As in, every time I look at them, they take my breath away and make me forget how tired I am, as I think, "Holy cow, those are some ugly shoes." But, they're pretty confortable.

Then it got very, very dark, and I couldn't see any more, so I kind of shuffled that last few miles back to my car. Oh, and because I had to listen for the Garmin, I ran without music.

Diet-wise, I've been a good girl this week, except for what I suspect was a moment of PMS weakness when a kid in my classroom showed up selling fundraising candy.

I just wanted to help out, you understand. So I did, a Reeses' and a Snicker's worth. Hey, the kid is trying to earn enough to go to Italy. What else could I do?

...

16 comments:

  1. So the rule is if you buy it for a good cause AND you wash it down with a Diet Coke without any witnesses, the calories don't count. It really is my mom's rule, but I have been using it for years.

    Those shoes need a very bold person to pull them off. I suspect you are just the gal! Brooks are always comfy though. u

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  2. Anonymous6:39 AM

    Oh my god.

    Those are crime-against-humanity ugly. Who thought those polka dots were a good idea? Huh? Huh? Raise your hands where we can see them.

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  3. Sheos are amusing and make me smile. If they work the way you want them to, than all's OK. Like the colors.
    How was it running without music?

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  4. 4 marathons in 4 months. Honestly, I think this IS really stupid, besides being unhealthy. Your body needs recuperating to live up to its full potential, you are not a pro-athlete. No wonder you feel burned out. And might I predict a stress injury soon.

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  5. Hey, I made and consumed a few brownies last night! We NEED chocolate in our lives...especially as a reward for running in butt ugly shoes. Good thing it was dark out for most of it! :-)

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  6. Oh, yikes! Those shoes really are breathtakingly ugly. Thank god you had the peanut butter cups to make up for it.

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  7. Oh, don't worry about me too much, Cousin. It would more worrisom if I were one of those marathoners who do things fast. You know, like running and stuff. But I don't. I do a walk/run thing, 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off. WOrks well for me and really limits the amount of stress I put on my legs.

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  8. You can have the Reese's guilt free now - did you hear the good news? It shows up on the list of foods that do NOT contain high fructose corn syrup! :D

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  9. My eyes! My Eyes! ;-O

    Niiiiice! (well, not so much) I can say that they must be T-H-E most comfortable shoes ever. (the shoe equivalent of "well, she has a great personality")

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  10. those shoes probably scare off animals on the trail. those four marathons will make you a maniac. which i'm sure you want. you can change your garmin to show only 1 or 2 things at a time. this is what i do, since i have a pair of 'old guys eyes'.

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  11. Yikes!

    Eyes.Seared.Forever.

    Stay tuned...

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  12. GG-
    I had a dream last night that I saw you at a race and you were a size 2!! You had on these hot short shorts and sunglasses..You looked cool-but a little too thin!
    :)

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  13. I used the workout mode on my Garmin one time and got so annoyed at it telling me to SPEED UP that I just about threw it in the ditch. I thought better of that idea and simply turned it off instead. Now I just use it for reference for how far I've gone, how fast (or slow) I'm going.

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  14. swtrigal, that's hilarious. I don't think I've been a 2 since, um, the 6th grade. The smallest I've been since I started high school was a 5, and I was an inch shorter!

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  15. I HAVE seen that Malcom in the Middle - it's a great one. And those shoes are HOT!! Far from ugly. Wear them proud!!

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  16. Anonymous3:49 PM

    Call me weird, but I love those shoes. I would actually pick them if they had my size!

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