I promised updates. And I have them. PLUS video’s AND photos. Enjoy!

My run yesterday turned into just enjoying the snow falling. The peace. The quiet. Yes, it was a diversion from my triple A personality. Shocker I know. I took some photos. And shot a video:

Live from DC Snow Pocalypse update 2

It didn’t stop snowing till LATE evening. Like 10pm. Midnight perhaps?

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Woke to a white blanket. Nope, more like a white duvet cover. A very thick one at that. 23 inches. Felt like 50.

There is a pool under there!

It was 26 degrees and about 16 degrees with the wind chill. Downright cold. HOWEVER. The sun was out. And you know what that means? A perfect morning for a run. A few layers, and MicroSpikes.

Pardon the interruption, but let me just state that this run was ONLY made possible by MicroSpikes. No, they didn’t pay me to wear them. I bought them at REI. Worth EVERY penny. All 6000 of them. Check them out here: http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.html

Okay, back to the 2009 Blizzard update.

Front yard, wrap around driveway

Then it was down the trail. A self made trail.

Snowy trail

I was so happy to be running & enjoying the beautiful Winter Wonderland, all I wanted to do was take pictures and shoot video. This is where we need live or reality TV. Just sayin’.

Second diversion. The past 2 months I have been on recovery. Still training. But no set running miles. It had been a while since a “long” run, but I really wanted to “do 10″ miles. I know my body pretty well and the poor thing has learned to just be quiet and suck it up. LOL.

Back to business.

Congressional Country Club

It was FUN to run on the road. When else do you get a chance to do that? Okay, yes I will admit that I have been know to run on the road on sunny days. Remember my 36 mile long that started in Long Beach, CA in July? Yeah. I MADE cars get over. Today was a little different. Just me. The snow. Some ice. A few cars. Snowplow. And drivers who thought I was crazy. I think they wanted my autograph. Just kidding.

Snow filled wall.

I ran down to the end of the road. The road I usually ride (bike) on. It was a nice change. Did I mention how peaceful it was? And my MicroSpikes. Totally the bomb. A couple was at the end of the road. They needed a ride to the Metro. The bus service was closed again today. The sad part? NOT one person had offered them a ride. Makes me mad. I was only at 3 miles. I told them I would run back, get my truck and come back to get them. I started running back home. On the way, a H3 passed me. Thank god another person had compassion and gave that couple a ride.

So, I stopped to chat with a gentleman (Jim) shoveling. Nice to meet new people. Yeah, hard to believe. Me talking.

Avenel Country Club. Golf anyone?

Ran on. Almost got killed by a Honda Civic going to fast down hill, slammed on breaks. I dove into the snow bank (no joke) and almost got stuck myself.

Running up snow & ice filled roads was tough. But I did manage to run some 7:45 pace miles. THAT was cool.

Talked to another gentleman (Pete). He actually knew what an ultra runner was!! SCORE! We talked for a while. He said I DID NOT look my age and to keep up the good work. Aw, how sweet.

As I was running down a hill, a snow thunder “storm” came up. In my haste I left my ski mask at home, so my checks/face felt the FULL affects of it.

Snow Thunder!

Ran on. Snow plow almost plowed me over. The sun was shinning and it was just breath taking out.

Why people let a little snow, ice, cold temps stop them I don’t know. Their loss. Running outdoors in the winter is the best.

Tennis anyone?

Just look at that SNOW!!!

Hole in one! Snow in one! CCC

As I ran back home, I was thankful for legs to run. The freedom to run. The opportunity to be alive. To enjoy the moment. The feeling of working hard and being proud of it. Someone asked me why I run in the cold. My reply (in 140) was this: You realize that nothing can stop you. Makes you strong. The satisfaction of a run well done (when you peel off the sweaty layers). And that’s that. 11 miles in about 1.5 hours. Yup, slow. But you know. I had the BEST. RUN. EVER.

And here is a sweaty take! Enjoy!

2009 Post Blizzard Run

Want to run faster? I have 10 tips for you. They will really help you.

#1) Leave your change, random keys, pens, and any other jingling thing at home.

#2) 40 degrees is not cold. 20 below is. Remember your body will get warm. Really, it will. Dress lightly. You probably don’t need ear muffs, 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, 1 jacket AND the parka. See you just lost 5 pounds.

#3) Race number goes on the front of your body, NOT your back (unless in some rare race they give you 2 race bibs and instructions to do so). By wearing your race number on the front it lets the race officials know that you are in the race and not crashing the party. We don’t need any more party crashers if you know what I mean:)

#4) If you must stop at the water stations, and don’t want to get pushed down by human plows please for the sake of all us, grab your cup and run till AFTER the stop. You’ll be able to run faster because you won’t have to pick yourself up off the ground.

#5) Start in the right corral. If you run a 6 minute pace, you know where you need to be. If you run a 12 minute pace, yes, you are in the corral that is further back. There is a reason. You don’t want to get run over by the speedy people. And second, it is not kind to the other runners who have to leap over you.  Call it “race niceness”.

#6) Arrive early. Not on time. You’ll save yourself stress of finding a parking spot, lines to the potty’s, and of course the starting line.

#7) You don’t need to eat every carb & protein in sight. Have a banana. Or a bagel. Skip the Egg McMuffin, donut,

#8) Water. Depending on the race distance, you generally don’t need to chug down a gallon of water before hand. All that will happen is you’ll be searching for a tree rather than the finish line. NOT a good idea. Hydrate during the week. You can’t cram hydration!

#9) For women only: it’s called running,  not a beauty pageant. Leave the makeup, perfume at home. Your fellow runners will thank you. Trust me.

#10) For men only: Wear deodorant, but not the whole stick. And please wear shorts that cover everything. I am sure you are proud of what’s underneath (as your sig other is as well) but for the love of god, we don’t want to see it. Trust me. Seriously. We don’t.

Now go run. You should be at least 10 pounds lighter. How’s that for a quick weight lost plan?!

Photo by a tai

I don’t watch much TV. In fact, I pretty much detest TV. Just not my thing. Okay, I do watch the Today Show. And yes I watch some shows on the TLC channel.

And somehow, I have been known to watch the Biggest Loser. I actually don’t care for the show. Before you right me off and send me hate mail, let me quickly state why.

A) Losing a lot of weight in a short amount of time is dangerous

B) A person should lose weight/get healthy for the sake of their health, NOT money

C) Weight loss should not be based on a game/winning money

D) Sends the wrong message to the general public

E) Get the facts correct (a marathon is 26.2 miles, a half marathon is 13.1 miles)

If you are still with me (and I hope you are) and for the sake of your nipples, read on.

Your skin is soft.  Running produces sweat. Combine the 2 and it looks like you have been shot. Twice.

You see, as much as I love snuggling up in a soft cotton tee shirt, they aren’t made for running. That’s why god made company’s like Nike, Lucy Activewear, Lulelemon, Brooks, Asics, and others to make “technical” clothing.

Why you should NEVER wear cotton to run in:

Reason #1) Cotton doesn’t wick your sweat away. Technical material does. It lets your skin breathe.  Cotton will get wet, and start to chaff your skin. I should note that yes, even “technical” shirts will cause men’s nipples to gasp, bleed. Tip, make Body Glide, Band Aids, Bag Balm or Vaseline your friend.

Reason #2) Once cotton is wet, it stays wet. It will cling to your skin. So if you are running in heat/sun you can’t cool down. Remember it won’t let your skin breathe. If you are running in the cold, you will work up a sweat and the shirt will become soaked causing you soon to get cold. It all goes back to that whole breathing thing. See,  you thought that only applies to life. Nope. Clothes have a life too:)

Reason #3) All the cool kids do it. See, peer pressure will get you every time!

So, go buy a few technical shirts, shorts, socks, sports bras (women only, but men if you want to, go knock yourself out!) and your running body will be transformed. You may even run faster:)

Here is your happy running body. Your nipples will thank me. Trust me.

PS:  I am probably leaving out a few key facts as I try to warn the world before they go out to run.

PSS: Biggest Loser, here is an open invitation to you to have a certified running coach be a part of your program. I am just saying….

Photo by Broma

I am totally excited to feature something that I love! Pushups! Yes, you read that right! Steve Speirs has started a craze called 100 pushup challenge.

Pushups are a fantastic way to build upper body strength, plus core strength. They are also a great way to see how strong you can become in just weeks!
So, please join me in “100 pushup challenge”.   Head on over to www.hundredpushups.com

Take the initial test (make sure you receive clearance from your doctor first). The plan Steve has laid out is easy to follow. So don’t let the number 100 scare you!

The cool thing is that you can do pushups ANYWHERE! You don’t need a gym. Just a floor and YOU! If you want to have some killer arms, then you have to get on the pushup band wagon! Oh and let me or Steve know you are joining in the craze! You will be glad you did!

Photo by MikeBaird

Thursday! Off day from running. Double ride day. Legs get ready!

Went out for a quick spin. Well, let me rephrase that. I thought it would be a quick spin. It was not. Legs wanted to spend more time sleeping I think. They missed the memo that they had to ride. It was quite warm out and it only got hotter as the ride wore on. The cars had very grouchy drivers this morning. I became so close to being road kill, I almost re-thought the whole riding thing. Even the deer were afraid. Didn’t see one! The hills seemed hiller then usual. Is that possible? So much for another PR.

I rode 25 miles in 1:38. Must. Do. Better. Next. Time.

Now on to some iron love (aka weight lifting). That always lifts my spirits. Not that my upper football body needs it, but it feels oh so good to lift!

The day was indeed HOT. The last thing I wanted to do was to go on another ride. But that was the plan! So, back on the saddle I went. I did pick a semi flat route. Didn’t want to totally melt on hills at the start ya know! So, I did hills at the start and end. Still melted.

Rode 32 miles in 2:03 (15.6mph)

Goodbye bike. I will miss you. I leave tomorrow for CA. You will be in my thoughts!

Photo by Eleaf

Today was a mixed day. Started off by jumping in the pool. If I swore, I would swear that I get slower each time I swim. Water was pretty warm this morning. It is fun to swim and see the sky though. I always pray that the birds don’t bless me, if you know what I mean! In the end, swam 1100 meters in 42 minutes. I’ll take it. Ironman here I come. Dead or alive!

Then it was on to a run #1. I needed to run 10 miles, but work projects in the morning kept pushing my run later & later. So I only had time for an hour run before dashing off to a meeting. To say my run was from hell, would be an understatement. I could not get going to save my life. Perhaps I did drown in the pool this morning and just didn’t know it! Being hot+humid only made matters worse. In the end, I ran 6.5 miles in an hour. Slow. Hell. Let’s move on.

Run # 2) So, after my meeting, I was by one of my favorite trails. Although this is a fairly tough trail, I still needed more miles. And, let’s face, it couldn’t get much worse then run #1! I arrived at the trail and when I stepped out of my SUV, I was hit by the 88 degree sun and heat. I was really hoping that the trails would be cooler. And, you know what, they were! Score! I was running happily along and then I noticed something. Luscious red raspberries. Score! I stopped, stuffed my mouth and slowly ran down the trail. Then I spied some more. Double score!  I had all the berries to myself. I was in heaven. Sorry bears, but thank you for sharing. It made my day. I really wanted to make jam as well, but that will have to wait. In the end I ran 3.5 miles in 36 minutes. VERY SLOW. BUT. Heaven on earth due the yummy red things. So I am happy.

Hey, are you getting my e-letters or RSS feed? If not, you should:)

Photo by mwri

The last few days have been, um, a little tough. And I don’t mean the training. I am talking about life. Sometimes things happen that make you go “whoa, where did that come from?”. So, yes, I had just a few things make me, shall we say frustrated?

Ramon met me at 6am for a long ride. Already the sun was out and it was hot. Talk about a sweat fest. OMG. It was a hot ride.

We had planned to only ride 70 miles. BUT we were feeling so good, that we decided to keep on riding. We basically did a century of Maryland and DC. We rode from Potomac to Bethesda to the DC National Zoo to Georgetown then past the Pentagon to Alexandria to Mt. Vernon. And then back again. In the end we rode 91 miles in 6 hours. Maybe Lance will have some more competition in the near future!

I think it helped release some frustration. But not all. I took a 5 mile walk later in the day. That was enjoyable. Almost 200 miles (run+cycle) for the week. Now, that is something to celebrate!

Photo by SC Fiasco

One word to describe today:  ”rushed”. Yesterday a very crazy day and it just carried into day. Got to go with the flow!

I got up at 4:00am and rushed to hit the trails. I was supposed to do run 2 miles easy, 6 miles at 7:40 minute pace, then cool down with 2 easy miles. Well, that didn’t go over well with my legs. So I ran 2 miles easy, then the next 8 miles at around an 8:10 pace. Managed to finish in 1:32.

Saw a few deer. The ducks thought I was going to steal the worms for breakfast & quickly let me know who was boss of the trail.

Rushed to jump into the pool. Only had time to swim 600 meters in 18 minutes.

Rushed home. Rushed to get ready. Rushed to finish packing. Rushed to the airport. Told you the word of the day was rushed!

On my way to Traverse City, MI.  Going to learn all about tart cherries. Sweet. Let me rush there!

Photo by Gushaboy500

Still celebrating America’s birthday via the outdoors. Birthday suit not required.

Today: long ride day. Wasn’t entirely sure how I would feel after my long run yesterday. But much to my delight my legs felt fine after 3 miles. I rode a semi flat course. Few hills. But nothing bad.

I also could not get over at the weather! I have lived around the DC area all my life and I do not remember the last time we had a July like this. Today the weather was cloudy and the sun stayed indoors. Indeed rare. I’ll take it.

People were still in a bad mood. I play a little game and see how many people I can say hi to before I get a human response. A bark from a dog doesn’t count. Yet.

Rode 60 miles in a little under 4 hours. Ironman here I come!

Photo by Randy Son of Robert

So. I was riding yesterday during high traffic hour. Not the best time to ride I know. But hey, I had my @sarahstanley t-shirt on, so it was a promo ride at least.

As I was coming up on an intersection, I decided to take go through the parking lot & not wait at the light. Sweet! I bypassed all the traffic. And was even lucky at the 2nd light. Double sweetness! Its nice to be on a bike!

So, I bet you are wondering how in the world am I going to turn this into a thought driven post. Good. Glad you are wondering:)

The thought is this. Do we see potential things ahead & avoid them or think we are smart enough to drive (sorry for the pun, couldn’t resist) right through them?

Life is made up of smart and unwise detours. Some help us. Others don’t. Sometimes we don’t always see the traffic light ahead. Or we see (or feel) a “red flag” and go on the same course anyway. Its how we USE the detours that life presents us with that makes the us the person we are.

Trust me. I have wished many times that I saw the red light ahead & didn’t turn around sooner. Its hard to see up ahead sometimes. But if we learn how to use detours for good, we will be able to make wiser AND smarter choices in our life.

As I was making the detour on the bike I was thinking how good it felt to be missing that light. Because I took a few seconds to stop & think about the future (even if it was only a few minutes) it was a wise choice.

You see, I avoided an accident. If I had gone on ahead, I would have been stuck (and yes, also upset). It doesn’t always turn out like this, but when it does, well, it rocks. Bottom line? To learn & use detours for good. Oh, and its good to be a bike.

Photo by josefstuefer