Thursday, March 31, 2011

Into the wind. Thursday 13

Dear Diary,

13.  I should be reading chapter 9 and 10 in this book, but instead, I'm doing this.

12.  I am signed up to do the Country Music marathon as the first of four marathons in 10 days. The country music marathon is on April 30, and will undoubtedly be hideous, commercial, and crowded.  Plus, I HATE country music.  So why am I doing it?  Because it will give me Tennessee, state #13.  I don't plan to stick around for food or anything else, because the deep South scares me so.  So it's on to Ohio right after the marathon.  It is hillier than I imagined it would be.  I had hopes of breaking five hours - I don't think it's going to happen here.
April 30 - Country Western Marathon Elevation
11. RatBastard commented to a fellow therapist that some people had referred to him as "creepy".  I was startled, but then I remembered:
a) I normally just refer to him as RatBastard, or Mordac.  Not creepy.
b) Many of the people I have spoken with refer to him as creepy.  So it's not always about me.

10.  I am signed up to do the Flying Pig marathon on May 1, as marathon #2 of this debacle.  I have never been to Cincinatti before, but have been intrigued by this marathon since before I did marathon, when, indeed, I would have described my likelihood of ever doing one.  I understand that while in Cincinatti, I am supposed to try something called "a skyliner."  I may break my ban on hotdogs and have one at this place, especially after running 52 miles in 2 days.  This will give me Ohio, state #14.
May 1 - Cincinatti Course Profile
9. No word on the internship yet.  I understand that today is their deadline for deciding who to interview, so I will wait for the rest of the day, ignoring people and staring at my cell phone: ring, phone, ring.

8.  I'm signed up for the Wisconsin marathon as #3 in this experience, on May 7.  This will give me state #15.  I love that the marathon finisher's medal is a piece of cheese, and I love that they bill this marathon as "The Cheesiest."  Don't let the profile scare you.  Look at the numbers on the side, and also understand that I'll have five days of rest between marathons #2 and #3.  There's 40 feet between the highest and lowest points.  I think you have 6.5 hours to finish, and I might need them, too.   This, then, might represent a chance to break five hours.
May 7 - Wisconsin Marathon
7.  Yesteday I got to start doing my favoritist run EVAR again.  This is the one where I take off from home about 5:15 and run 2 miles uphill and then a long 4-mile gentle downhill, to where Sweet Baboo sit, with engine running and a Starbucks, to carry me back home.

6.  Finally, I am signed up for the Inaugural Kalamazoo marathon as the fourth marathon of my double-double in early May. This will be state #16.  The Kalamazoo marathon wanted to get people from every state for their first marathon, so they offered incentives to those who were the first to sign up from their state.  As planned by Sweet Baboo, I was the first from New Mexico.  So, the incentives: They are going to refund my entry fee, and give me a free pair of New Balance 890s, and all the fifty-staters get their own starting tent separate from the other marathoners.  Not a bad way to finish out this series.   I imagine new shoes will be nice to have; I imagine after 3 marathons my road shoes will be pretty flattened down.
May 8 - Kalamazoo Marathon
5.  Sweet Baboo bought me an early Mom's day present - he's still filling in for the kids that don't give me anything for mother's day (other than a grudging, 'whatever.  happy mother's day' after I've gone into graphic detail the pain of their birth.)  Anyway.  He bought me a Garmin 310XT.  I LOVE this thing.  It's smaller, and lighter (I'm fussy about things on my wrist) and it vibrates every mile, so that I don't have to keep looking at it, and when I get home, I just sent it down in front of my computer while I shower, and it uploads itself.

4.  In June, I'll be capturing state #17, Wyoming, the Bighorn Ultra.  It's a 50 mile race because I was stupid enough to wait until the 50K was full.  I figure that other than miles where I'm going sharply uphill, it's pretty doable.  Maybe not enjoyable, but doable.

3.  I discovered this week why I leave home before 7:30.  It's because, apparently, those people prone to get into accidents leave home at 8:00.

2.  Today I ran up a hill, into the wind, down a hill, into a wind, and on the loop I ran I was into the wind on the way out and into the wind on the way back.  How is this possible?  Because I live in fucking New Mexico.  That's how.  

1.  I had the unique pleasure of having my annual physical exam today.  Here are the order of events:
1) Nurse, who has known me for ten years, calls me back.  First stop: the SCALE.
2) I step on the scale.  She jots down 148.  
3)  We go into the exam room, where she opens the computerized charting system to enter my information in...and...
then she hesitates.  Looks at the chart. Looks at the paper she jotted down on.  
The chart, which has last year's weight, says 178.
"Did I measure you at 148?"
"Yes."
"You've lost thirty pounds since last year?"
"Yes"
Now, what made this such a momentous occasion is that every single EVERY SINGLE year I have had my physical exam during the annual uptick in my weight. After I put on my winter weight.  So his chart for me, over the years, said
165...160...170...158...165...160...165...170...178...148.

Oh, yeah.  That's right. I impressed my doctor.  He was all happy before at the drop in my resting heart rate.  
ohhhh yeahhhhh.

....

11 comments:

  1. Being from Cincinnati, it would be my pleasure to take you to Skyline where you can enjoy the chili without breaking your ban on hotdogs.

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  2. You HAVE to do Skyline chili, no hotdog eating required. (and to look like you know what you are doing, turn the plate so that one of the short sides is facing you)

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  3. I want to weigh 148, maybe it is time to do a marathon, or 4.

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  4. I hope you enjoy the TN marathon.. I live here,and am a runner, but have never run this marathon b/c of all the horror stories I have heard.. so.. enjoy!:))

    Congrats on your weight loss.. amazing!

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  5. i think i'd love that drop from 9k to 4k in the bighorn, but not so sure about the rest. :)

    i love my 310xt too! although after having it for two years i JUST figured out the ant thing. tanita also has this cool scale thing that measures water, etc, and it connects to the garmin too - maybe that could be your father's day present to sb!

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  6. I'm doing the WI half - don't be too surprised if you are accosted by a bloggy admirer :)

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  7. Sweet, sweet victory. Congratulations.

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  8. It's one "t" Cincinnati.It's ok. Lot's of n's, not so much t's. (I graduated from University of Cincinnati)
    You must have Skyline Chili. But don't think of it as any sort of chili that you are used to.

    Then have Graeter's ice cream as dessert!

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  9. Anonymous8:12 PM

    First of all congrats on your weight loss! Way to go girl. I also live in Tennessee and did the Country Music half marathon last year. It was great! People out in their yards sipping mimosas cheering for the runners. All kinds of live music during the race. I hope you enjoy it, I sure did. Do be careful in Ohio. I hear Cincinnati has a horrible bed bug problem.

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  10. Being from the Greater Cincinnati area, you must get Skyline. You can get a 3-way which is pasta instead of a hot dog. My personal choice! You also have to have their oyster crackers. For some reason theirs always taste the best!

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  11. The Pig is great. I've run it the past 2yrs. Bring a lawn&leaf bag if the weather is crap...not the little trash bags..go lawn&leaf for the drawstring "skirt" effect. And don't listen to the hype, you can find parking nearby..I think we were close to 6th street in a garage (maybe 4-6blocks away?)..arriving entirely too close to the start time for comfort.

    Do NOT get sidetracked or encouraged by the half runners coming screaming down the hill on the other side of the road. They are NOT to be trusted...your "downhill" is far, far away.

    Write this on a piece of paper & put it in your pocket, read it about mile 9...yes, this will stop going uphill...

    The tulips & irises in the gardens as you're climbing make a decent distraction.

    You'll go by an old nursing home at some point & there will be nuns. They're SUPER cute.

    Look for the awesome party at about mile 15 where you go back into suburbia (right after a cursed few up&down rollers) at a left-hand turn...hilarious college kids that are already drinking/drunk!

    You'll run right by Graeter's Ice Cream..little oldy towne center looking area (right side)..it will probably smell like heavenly waffle cones. Resist.The.Urge!

    Also, the Baptist oranges around Mile 21 are the BEST things you'll ever come across. (little, sweet old ladies from whatever Baptist church it is right there buy & cut their own oranges & hand them out..they're DE.LIGHT.FUL)

    Shortly thereafter, there will be gummy bears...about mile 23 on the right side...townhomes I think...these, too, are like God's gifts.

    Don't buy anything in the merch tent, it goes on sale in a week.

    I wish I was running it again this year! Have so much fun & don't pull anyone's pig tails..they get kinda touchy about it. There are some GREAT views on the course.

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