17/365

Day 17: Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Wok Star
August 25, 2009

Stir-fried a TON of veggies tonight because I miss them. A weekend of carbo-loading is not healthy. Right now, carbs are simply a vehicle to transport meat or veggies to my mouth.

On the plus side, today was the first day that I did not feel as if I was starving all day and did not eat all day. I also can finally travel down the stairs and walk for more than 3 blocks at a time without my legs stiffening up. Progress. Tomorrow I attempt my first post-race run (but probably only 1.5- 2 miles, at like a 10 minute mile pace). If this goes well, I would say recovery is complete.

16/365

Day 16: Monday, August 24, 2009

Penciled In
August 24, 2009

Sometimes there are not enough hours in the day. Sometimes there are too many. It's a bit like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, except if you lay in the wrong bed, the bears eat you. Details. . .

Ragnar Update

Results of the Ragnar Relay were posted today and the team said a collective "What?! How did that happen?!" because we did not finish last. we came in 3rd to last (214 out of 216) but not last. And granted, it was all about finishing and none of us would have been surprised or had hurt feelings if it had been last, it's kind of nice not to be last. We averaged 10:12 miles-- not too shabby for first-timers.

I don't know if I would do Ragnar again. I would like to, but it is a lot of work to organize a team and its a pretty serious time and financial commitment. We'll see.

New running goal: finish the Monster Dash 5K sub-30 minutes. So far my best 5K time is 32 minutes, so I feel that this is TOTALLY doable. Training starts. . . well, not today.

Ragnar: By the Numbers

This past Friday/Saturday I ran as a member of the Made in the 80's relay team for the Ragnar Great River Relay. What a rush! I can't even really describe how amazing it was in type, so if you want to hear the stories you may just have to call and/or take me out for a drink sometime and I can tell you about men in pink spandex, car alarms, hills, Ragnar 911, sunset and sunrise running, and some of the tiny towns we were in. But, as an overview at least, I present with with Ragnar Great River Relay, By the Numbers, 2009. Enjoy!

12: Number of people on my team.

1: Of my teammates that was male (Thanks, Steve!).

195: Miles to run between Winona, MN, and Minneapolis, MN following the river on the Wisconsin side and crossing over into Stillwater.

33: Hours to complete the race.

2: Hours of uninterrupted sleep I got in those 33 hours.

13.9: My total mileage for the weekend.

4: Loaves of bread Van 2 (my van) consumed.

3: Pairs of socks I muddied and bloodied.

There isn't a whole lot more to say, or maybe I am still just too tired to say it. Plus, it's kind of complicated and confusing I guess. Perhaps, later I will post a "frequently asked questions" entry about it. But I think I need to nap again. Oy, the muscles, they are hurtin'.

15/365

Day 15: Sunday, August 23, 2009

The Spoils
August 23, 2009

The tee, the finisher's medal (which is also a bottle opener!), and my race bib.

14/365

Day 14: Saturday, August 22, 2009

I Am Not Ashamed
August 22, 2009

Yes, I drank a beer out of a straw while I was in the shower. No, I am not slipping into the dark depths of alcoholism. I was, however, in so much pain that a full bottle of beer was too difficult to lift to my lips and it was the only way to celebrate/dull the pain after Ragnar. I did it. I drank a beer in the shower.

13/365

Day 13: Friday, August 21, 2009

He'll Fit Into Those by the End of the Race
August 21, 2009

Not only does this gentleman fill out those shorts and then some, he far exceeded our team expectations. We all thought Tubby McTight Pants here would be painfully slow and this would be a perfect opportunity for us to pass another team.

Turns out, they weren't even a 12 man team like we were. They were a 6 man Ultra team, but still running the same 195 miles. Not to mention, this guy really moves. I redubbed him Tubby McMarathoner.

P.S. His whole team either wore these pink lovelies, or a too small blue Speedo. And perhaps even more surprising, these were certainly not the most interesting or outrageous running get ups at Great River Ragnar.

12/365

Day 12: Thursday, August 20, 2009

Oh, the Miles
August 20, 2009

These shoes and I have seen some pavement. I took this commemorative photo on the eve of my biggest running race to date, on the off chance that they (or myself) did not survive.

I hate that I get emotionally attached to objects. I was thinking about replacing these running shoes, and am now having second thoughts because I make up images in my head of my shoes feeling left out whilst I jog about the lake with a new pair. Why do I do this to myself?

11/365

Day 11: Wednesday, August 19, 2009

INTRUDER!
August 19, 2009

Discovered this little friend in the kitchen, let my roommate's boyfriend chase him around the house for a bit while I Googled "How to get a bat out of your house NOW." Obviously this picture is really not great, as one does not get up and close and personal and spend a lot of time adjusting for minimal available light when your subject is a rabid bloodsucker.

10/365

Day 10: Tuesday, August 18, 2009

No Sugar, Please. Bit Just a Splash of Philosophy, Thanks.
August 18, 2009