oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree

our first christmas tree as a married couple (cue the "awww, how cute")


wait, you can't see the tree.










now i'm making a weird face.









okay. now i'm cut off.








screw it. here's the tree!

it's just too darn hard to take a photo with it displaying how great it is lit up in all it's glory...

and apparently we're no good at the self portrait.

halloween 2008

we ventured out to a halloween party hosted by our good friends drew and mandy. in honor of them, we were the "drew and mandy fan club."
original. i know. but was it awesome? absolutely.


in case you were curious what the benefits of joining the drew and mandy fan club are, here you go: (they were printed on the back of the shirt)

• Special Welcome Package including the Drew & Mandy Secret Decoder Ring
• Discounts on limited edition Drew & Mandy T-shirts
• Backstage pass to the Drew & Mandy Dance-A-Thon
• Chance to win an all expenses paid weekend with Drew & Mandy
• Autographed photo of Drew & Mandy “At the Beach”
  

left to right: drew (the host, aka: mario from mario brothers), dave (aka: dj gute), and ben (yes, he's wearing a mullet wig)

the honeymoon

the honeymoon was awesome.

here are some pics (above, the cruise ship)

ben on the beach (in st. thomas)

us on the jet ski in st. maarten. and yes, i went full throttle.

exactly.

the rest...

okay. first of all. i know, i have been the biggest blogger slacker EVER.
with that said, i'm about to do a serious game of catch-up.
i promise to do better from this point forward!

first of all, for the rest of the wedding photos, go here:
www.bryanhoybook.com
on the bottom right, you'll see "client gallery"
then "jen and ben wedding"
the rest is history.
purchase some shots you like to help out my friend bryan (who also happens to be an AMAZING photographer!).
enjoy

wedding photos!

bryan was kind enough to select some photos to send along for the open house that my parents are hosting in harrisonville this weekend.
here is a little taste....

Wedding Photos

run a marathon....check.

yes, i have checked something off of that list you make in your head of all the things you want to accomplish in your life.
here's my short and simple recap of my first marathon experience...
julie, sara and i drove to minneapolis on friday. we took our time and stopped often to stretch our legs and to be certain we were staying hydrated.
we met up with kris and dustin that evening for a nice dinner.
saturday we woke up and did an easy 20 minute run and then headed over to the expo to pick up our packets. it was easy to get lost in there for a couple hours! i picked up a commemorative ss tech tee and a pint glass. plus a lot of free samples! then it was off to do a little relaxing in the hotel room. for dinner, we headed over to my friend dani's apartment. dani and i ran together at truman. she made us a lovely dinner of pasta (pretty standard), salad and even made an apple crisp for dessert! it was so nice to sit and relax at her place rather than fight the crowds at the local pasta joint.
we woke up early sunday morning to some light rain. by the time we headed over to the start though, it had temporarily stopped. we made our way over to baggage check, the port-a-potties and then the starting corral.
before i knew it, the gun went off and it was time to go. not more than a few miles in, it started to rain on us. just a light sprinkle. no big deal, right? then it started to downpour! it did this for a span of maybe 40 minutes. plenty of time to get completely drenched, have your shoes feel like they weigh a million pounds and for your arms/hands to feel completely numb. soon thereafter, my legs joined in on the numbness. the actual air temperature was probably 50 degrees, but when you're soaking wet, it feels much colder.
during the race i had two different bathroom emergencies. i mean emergencies that require you to have to stop and find a port-a-jon. i clicked my watch and the first cost me 59 seconds, the second 1:01. this also prompted me to stop trying to take any more energy gel or sport beans, as my bathroom breaks seemed to be directly related to this. i survived the rest of the way on water alone and the fear of having to stop again. my legs tightened up both times, making it difficult to get going again.
i really hit a downward pace around mile 17 and didn't really feel like i was rallying again until maybe mile 23. i was able to finish in a respectable 3:19. if you take my adjusted time for bathroom breaks, then 3:17. this time was my "i for sure want to hit this" time goal, but not necessarily the one that would make me overwhelmingly proud of myself. i feel like if i did another one, i could certainly run under 3:15, if not closer to 3:10. but that's just the competitive side of me coming out. maybe i'll never run another one, and that might just be fine too.
now, however, i can officially call myself a marathoner, for whatever that's worth!

got married, got on a boat, still running...

it is far too much for my brain to handle catching you all up. i'm not sure that any one has been waiting for my blog update on my training with any kind of anticipation, so if you were, i'm so sorry for the long delay.
first. i got married! yay! the running kind of went downhill that week, but who cares. in the end, i only took two days completely off -- thursday and friday.
the wedding was wonderful (of course). i couldn't have asked for a better day, better family, better friends. it was all i could have dreamed of and more. i look forward to catching up with everyone and looking at all the photos!
then sunday it was off to san juan, puerto rico where our cruise began. it was the perfect honeymoon. plenty of relaxation and yes, running. ben and i got up and ran every morning, either on the boat (if we were at sea) or on the islands where we stopped. i guess you could say we did our own island tours! we didn't really do any excursions. we just relaxed, hung out on the beach, walked through the little cities, and enjoyed our time together.
after the cruise ended, we stayed one extra day in san juan. i was glad to not have our vacation quite over yet. the hotel we were at turned out to be awesome and believe it or not, they were taping american idol the day we left! we tried to get a closer look but got quickly stopped by security. go figure.
now i am back in saint louis for one final day of recovery before i head back to work.
my next challenge ahead is the marathon this sunday!! a short workout tonight and then tapering all the way down.
wish me luck!

four weeks out: day 3 -- another solid workout

workout wednesday. today's workout was 1 mile at 15k race pace, 6 mile tempo at 10 sec slower that marathon pace, then 1 mile at 15k race pace.
i was a little nervous about this one coming off of a not-so-hot long run. i ended up feeling pretty good. i'm still sort of in debates with myself about what my goal marathon pace really is. it tends to range from 7:10 to 7:20, depending on my mood! secondly, i have no idea what my 15k race pace is, so i consulted the handy mcmillan running calculator. this is an awesome resource for all kinds of reasons. mostly though, i use it to determine my pace for workouts based on what my goal time is for the distance i'm running. i based it off of a 3:10 marathon (7:15 mile pace--right in between my "goal range"), which said i should be able to run 6:44 pace for 15k. sounds good to me!
with all that said, here's how the workout went...
first mile: 6:38 -- felt fast, but comfortable and controlled
6 mile tempo: 7:17, 7:25, 7:18, 7:11, 7:12, 7:29 for a 7:18 average
not quite sure what happened on that last one. i was thinking about the second fast mile i had to do and i think i relaxed a little too much. plus, that mile has a gradual up-hill that kind of sneaks up on you!
second mile: 6:29 -- i felt like that was smokin! ha ha. i did feel good. it was getting pretty dark and for some reason it's kind of hard for me to focus in on a pace in the dark. i knew it was going to feel a lot harder than the first one, so i tried to stay focused and keep pushing. i was still in control though and never felt like i was totally going to the well.
all-in-all i am going to say it was another successful workout.

i ran in my racer st's to get a little mileage on them. plus, the last time i wore them i got some blisters on the back of my heels so i figured i needed to break them in a little too. correctamundo. sure enough, two more blisters popped up. not bad ones though really. otherwise, i simply love the racer st. i will probably wear them for the marathon.

run: 11 miles
time: see above
shoes: brooks racer st (34)
week-to-date: 22

four weeks out: day 2

again, i was at the store until about 7:30. i did the last half of sara's run with her and then i added on a little more. the weather was really nice today. sunny and 70s all day, so by the time i ran it was maybe even upper 60s. at any rate, it was good. my legs didn't feel too bad. i felt like i ran a little more up tempo tonight, so the run may have actually been a little over 6. to make my life easier though, i'm not going to add the change.

run: 6 miles
time: 48 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (134)
week-to-date: 11

four weeks out: day 1

i cannot believe the marathon is only four short weeks away now. that means the wedding is only two weeks to go!
almost every night this week i am helping out at the store. matt and andrew are both gone for a conference so they are really short staffed. enter said stand-by employee.
tonight i didn't get to run until after 7 pm. sara was kind enough to wait around for me.
felt decent all things considered.

run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (128)
week-to-date: 5

five weeks out: day 7

long run. as expected, i felt terrible. i just could never really get into it. i called it quits around 18 miles. i know next week i will have to do my best to better prepare myself. it will be hard because it's a busy weekend, but i cannot have a repeat of today!

run: 18 miles
time: 2 hours 30 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (123)
weekly total: 51

five weeks out: day 6

ended up working from 8:30 - 2:30 and then again for another hour at 5 at big river helping with the sidewalk sale. as a result, i didn't really get to prepare for my long run like i would've liked. meaning, staying off my feet, drinking and eating plenty. i have probably set myself up for a poor run on sunday.

run: 4
time: 32 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (105)
week-to-date: 33

**two weeks until the wedding!!**

five weeks out: day 5

i had a bad headache when I got home for work. i decided it was a good day to take off.

run:
time:
shoes: mizuno inspire (101)
week-to-date: 29

five weeks out: day 4

i felt like garbage today. i made it about three miles and called it quits. plus, there is a knot or something in my right calf that is killing me.

run: 3 miles
time: 25
shoes: mizuno inspire (101)
week-to-date: 29

five weeks out: day 3 -- good workout!

workout wednesday. this is the first of a few key workouts before the marathon. i was a little nervous going into it. 3 x 3miles at 5 sec faster than goal marathon pace, 1 mile jog recovery between sets. it's also a pretty high mileage workout.
i'm not entirely tuned in to what my goal marathon pace is. somewhere between 7:10 and 7:20.
Here's how it went:
first set: 7:11, 7:07, 7:04 = 21:22 -- felt pretty good, pretty in control
second set: 7:01, 7:20, 7:08 = 21:29 -- this segment of the path was VERY hilly, i tuned out a little on the second mile here
third set: 6:48, 7:02, 7:00 = 20:20 -- the first mile was mostly downhill, past that, i was surprised i was able to still maintain close to 7 min pace. it felt hard, but in control. i definitely couldn't run that pace for 26 miles, but a few seconds slower might be a reality.
all-in-all, it was a good confidence boost and made me feel like all this hard work is starting to come together. two more pretty tough weeks and then it's smooth sailing.

run: 14 miles
time: see above
shoes: mizuno inspire (98)
week-to-date: 26

five weeks out: day 2

easy run with sara. 5 miles. felt pretty good once i got started.

run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (84)
week-to-date: 12

five weeks out: day 1

monday night group run. it was a small showing due to labor day. but i was lucky because kris, sara, and new addition to the team, jenny showed up, so i had plenty to run with!
i was still tired, stiff and sore from the 20 miler, but i got through 7 miles.

run: 7 miles
time: 59 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (79)
week-to-date total: 7

six weeks out: day 7

long run this morning with the last five miles at goal marathon pace. i was planning on doing 20 miles, which marks my longest run ever, plus the five mile fast finish is the longest fast finish i've ever tried to do. two reasons i wasn't super confident about the run this morning.
we went out to castlewood early and julie, julie, kris and i got in about 6 miles before swinging back to pick up the rest of the group--which turned out to only be jess! then we headed back out. kris hasn't been feeling well and jess is just starting back into a training program, so they turned around early. the julies were running faster than i thought i was capable of, so i hung back a little. they turned early to do their fast finish on the roads near the park. i opted to just keep on the trail, so i turned around at 7 miles out. at the 2 hour mark, i tried to start picking it up. it felt pretty good in the beginning. there are no real mile markers out there, so you really have to rely on pace. luckily i caught up to mark (one of our masters runners) and he ended up running the rest of the way in with me. i was thankful to have him there because it helped me keep my pace up. i didn't really start to feel the hurt until the last mile. when i got back, i realized why. i had run my last 5 miles in 34:45. much faster than my goal marathon pace! i was glad i was able to do that, but i was also getting nervous during the last mile because i was thinking that there was no way i could maintain this pace for 26 miles! overall, i was pleased with my run. the soreness and exhaustion have already settled in. and even after a 2 hour nap (yes, my favorite part), i feel like i could use more. i guess that's the nature of the long run...

run: 20 miles
time: 2 hours 34 minutes 45 seconds (just to be exact!)
shoes: mizuno inspire (72)
weekly total: 48

six weeks out: day 6

i really wanted to sleep in this morning, but it just didn't happen. so i got up and got my run in early, which actually ended up being nice. for once i am starting to feel a little better on the runs. my legs have still been a little sore, but i've been trying to ice when i get the chance.
then it was off to help out at the store. it was really busy!

run: 6 miles
time: 47 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (52)
week-to-date: 28

six weeks out: day 5

i had a lot of errands to run after work today. it was my last 1/2 day for the summer. then it was off to work at the running store afterwards. knowing this busy day was coming, i forced myself to wake up early to run. well, i didn't get up quite as early as i wanted, so i only got in 4 miles. oh well.

run: 4 miles
time: 32 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (46)
week-to-date: 22

six weeks out: day 4

i didn't really feel like running when i got home from work today, but i forced myself to get out the door. i did a loop that i knew would be 6 miles so there was no backing out!
just feeling a little lethargic lately.
side note: no workout this week. it is a "down week" to refuel and re energize...supposedly.

run: 6 miles
time: 48 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (42)
week-to-date: 18

six weeks out: day 3

i had to go out to the running store right after work to help out with two high school team nights. so i ran on my lunch break. i got in 5 miles--but it was getting pretty warm. my leg felt a little stiff, but much better.

run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (36)
week-to-date: 12

six weeks out: day 2

took the day off. did a lot of icing. i'm hoping for the best tomorrow.

run: 0 miles
time: 0 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (31)
week-to-date: 7

six weeks out: day 1

group run tonight. the usual loop. my left leg was really bothering me. i may need to take tomorrow off as a precaution.

run: 7 miles
time: 59 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (31)
week-to-date: 7

seven weeks out: day 7

i didn't actually end up staying out that late. it was a long day and i was beat from the long run. i got up this morning and met a couple of the girls at FP. a new addition to the team, jenny, and julie, who was in the middle of her 22 mile run! i just ran a loop of the park with them. i felt okay, all things considered.

run: 6 miles
time: 46 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (24)
weekly total: 50

seven weeks out: day 6

i decided to do my long run this morning instead of sunday:
1. because it was sara's birthday and so she wanted to do the run saturday and we typically run together
2. it was the men's olympic marathon and i didn't know how late i would be up watching it (plus, we're watching it conjunction with sara's bday party, so it could be a late night)
we drove out to castlewood. lauren joined us for part of our run. we just did an out-and-back on the trails to make it 18. i actually started to feel pretty good for the last several miles and ended up back 3 minutes faster than when we turned around (and I swear we weren't really running slow at all on the way out). this run has given me a little bit of confidence.
i also tried out some new shoes. back to the mizuno's that i know and love.

run: 18 miles
time: 2 hours 16 minutes
shoes: mizuno inspire (18)
week-to-date: 44

seven weeks out: day 5

got up early this morning to meet up with kris and margaret. kris was doing her long run so margaret and i accompanied her for part of it. it was hard to get up that early, but i was glad i did when it was over! my legs are still tender, but i seem to notice it more when i'm not running.

run: 6 miles
time: 46 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (191)
week-to-date: 26

seven weeks out: day 4

i still didn't feel so hot today. i struggled through 3 miles. the insides of my legs (not quite the shin area, a little over from there) has been bothering me. i think that normally i run in a more firm shoe and that perhaps the adistar cushions are just too soft, thus causing me to rotate in a little too much--putting strain on my arch and consequently the insides of my legs.
i should probably look for another shoe to add into the rotation...

run: 3 miles
time: 26 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (185)
week-to-date: 20

seven weeks out: day 3

my stomach was really bothering me so i took the day off from running.

run:
time:
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (182)
week-to-date: 17

the wedding is coming...

today marks exactly one month before the wedding!!!
this photo is the one going in the paper so our parents can brag...

--the "shameless" advertising is obviously on purpose!

seven weeks out: day 2

i opted to do my workout tonight. i have to work at big river tomorrow and wouldn't make it over to FP in time to run with the other girls. so rather than wake up at the crack of dawn, i chose to do it today. besides, it worked out since i did my long run on saturday instead of sunday.
sara was gracious enough to give me some company as she did a workout of her own.
we went over to the river des peres path to do the workout. it has a good mix of hills and flats, so even though it's tough, it's a good kind of tough...if that makes sense to anyone but me!
the workout was:
3miles (at 10 sec faster than goal marathon pace)
1 mile jog recovery
2miles (at 15 sec faster than goal marathon pace)
1/2 mile jog recover
1mile (at 20 sec faster than goal marathon pace)

so, originally i was thinking that 7:20 would be my "goal marathon pace", so i wanted to run the first three miles at 7:10 pace. sounds simple, right? yeah right. i was WAY off pace. it seems i'm not a very good judge.
3miles: 6:39 (major oops!), 7:07 (better), 7:06
okay, so now i'm thinking, first of all, i hope that first mile didn't screw me over for the rest of the workout, and secondly, maybe i was too conservative on my first "goal" estimate and should have based it off of 7:15 pace.
2miles: 7:04, 7:00 -- much better.
1mile: 6:51
So all-in-all, i'm pretty happy with that workout. on the last mile, i could have really ripped into it, but i knew that wasn't the point of the workout, so i tried to stay controlled and comfortable with the pace.
my left IT band and hip flexor area were kind of bothering me so i'm going to keep a close watch on it.

run: 10 miles
time: see above
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (182)
week-to-date: 17

seven weeks out: day 1

my typical monday night group run. kris and sara and i ran nice and easy. i needed an easy one after the long weekend! luckily, the weather lately has been in the mid 80's so it hasn't been crazy hot on the monday night runs in a while.

run: 7 miles
time: 58 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (172)
week-to-date: 7

eight weeks out: day 7

yesterday in hermann was awesome! i have such a wonderful group of friends and they really did it up for me. i got lots of fun "special" gifts (you know what i mean...).
we sipped on wine for the better part of the day. then headed out to dinner at one of the wineries. then the real fun began when we tried to find a bar that was open past 9pm! yes, hermann is a tiny, tiny town.
we ended up at this crazy bar called the sharp corner tavern.
we saw a woman put a cigarette out on her arm, a girl/girl/guy physical fight, and probably the worst juke box selection ever (though we still found a few classic rock songs to dance to).
we stayed in a cute little bed & breakfast that night and i got up in the morning and went for a short run with jess. julie was the only other person crazy enough to get up and run, but she went 8 and we only went 4!

run: 4 miles
time: 31 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (165)
week-to-date: 41

eight weeks out: day 6

since my bachelorette party began later today, i opted to do the long run this morning.
i met up with sara and allie at FP. we did a loop of the park (6 miles) and then back to the visitor's center to pick up jess. the first 6 miles were brutal for me. i just did not feel warmed up at all. after we picked up jess, we headed into clayton. shortly into the second section, allie turned off (she was only running 10). after we hit the corner of wydown and hanley road, i started to finally feel better. jess and i got rolling pretty good by the time we got to delmar and headed back towards the park. all-in-all, it ended up okay, i just had a rough start!
then it was off to hermann, mo to drink wine all day!!!!

run: 16 miles
time: 2 hours 3 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (161)
week-to-date: 37

eight weeks out: day 5

busy day for me today. 1/2 day at work, then it was off to lunch with alicia (we ate at almond's--it was great!), then over to the aveda salon to get my highlights redone (and to look a little more 'natural'), then i picked up margaret and we headed over to callahan's to bring my dress to get altered (yes, somehow we managed to get me stuck in the dress temporarily! as it turns out, you have to actually unlace the entire thing everytime!), then it was off to target to pick up some shampoo, etc, then aldi for some much needed grocery shopping (serious, all we had was milk and condiments in the fridge!). whew. let's just say, by the time i got done with everything it was 7:45 and the last thing i wanted to do was go for a run. so, i took the day off.

run: 0 miles
time: 0 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (145)
week-to-date: 21

eight weeks out: day 4

easy run with sara. definitely took a while to get into the run. i was feeling a little beat up from the workout!

run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (145)
week-to-date: 21

eight weeks out: day 3

workout day. i was originally going to meet the girls at FP and just do a regular run while they did there workout. however, after getting there, i decided that i should go ahead and try it, but just not go the complete distance. the workout was a 10 mile cut-down tempo (so each mile got faster). i opted for 7 miles--starting at 8:00 pace and ending at 7:00 pace, plus a warm up and cool down. here were my actual splits:
8:11, 7:44, 7:45, 7:40, 7:26, 7:09, 6:59.
overall, i was pleased. the idea was to get 10 seconds faster each time, but it is really hard to gage that. although, that is part of the toughness of the workout--mentally it is hard to make yourself run comfortable in the beginning. it feels really slow and easy!
i definitely did some serious icing of the knees when i got home. i am going to be stiff and sore tomorrow, but i'm still glad i did it. hopefully this is a good indicator that i'm starting to get back into the swing of things.

run: 9 miles
time: see times above
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (140)
week-to-date: 16

eight weeks out: day 2

took the day off today. i was feeling really exhausted. it was probably because i tried to jump right back into running. i hope to feel better tomorrow.

run: none
time: none
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (131)
week-to-date: 7

eight weeks out: day 1

group run day. i wasn't feeling too bad after my sunday "long" run, so i opted to do the long loop. i ran nice and easy with sara. i was a little stiff during and after, but not like i expected to be. i will definitely need to take it easy tomorrow.

run: 7 miles
time: 59 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (131)
week-to-date: 7

nine weeks out: day 7

today is usually a long run day. clearly that wasn't going to happen. i still met the girls at FP. i ran out three miles with them and back. all-in-all, i felt pretty good. my knee didn't start to get too stiff until right at the end. i will have to be sure to do some icing!

run: 6 miles
time: 47 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (124)
weekly total: 10.5

nine weeks out -- day 6

yesterday i was just too stiff and sore to try to run. this morning it was really nice and cool. my intention was to try 2 miles, but i just really wanted to enjoy the day, so i went down to francis, around and back for 3.5. i hope i don't regret it!

run: 3.5 miles
time: 27 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (118)
weekly total: 4.5

nine weeks out -- day 4

thursday. i decided to try to jog a little and see how the knee felt. it was a struggle to shuffle along for about 10 minutes. at least i got it moving though.

this is going to be a pathetic week of mileage, but i thought i'd include it anyway.

run: 1 mile
time: 10 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (114.5)
weekly total: 1

August 6th

the third day out from after the accident. i'm starting to finally feel a little better. my right knee is scabbing over pretty good and i have almost all mobility back. my left knee is a different story. the abrasions are starting to get better but extending and contracting are still pretty sore, especially when weight is applied (like walking). the abrasion under my chin is getting better. i'm just trying to keep them all covered with neosporin constantly because the last thing i want are big ugly scars from this! i really hope to be running soon....

ten weeks out: day 7 --accident day

today was a very long day. here it is, step-by-step.
i got up early to meet kris, julie l, julie b, and sara to carpool out to castlewood to start our long run before it got too hot. i volunteered to drive us out there. we get there and start off on our run. the julies and kris were running longer, so it was just sara and i. we got near the turn around point and i decided to take an energy gel. a few minutes later i realized when i reached in my little pouch on my water bottle belt to get out the gel that i lost my car key! sara and i looked for over 20 min before deciding that we just had to call it quits and run back (we still had a good 7 or 8 miles left to get back). so we get back and explain the situation to everyone. julie b had triple a so we called them to come out and at least unlock the doors. i don't have a spare key to my car because the spare got lost about 8 months ago and it is really expensive to get a honda key replaced. so i'm thinking i'm pretty much screwed. adam and his dad skip volunteer to drive me back out to the turn-around spot to look for the key.
so everyone else hitches a ride back with someone else and adam and skip and i head out to the trailhead that we turned around at. we get out there and start retracing my steps. about a quarter of a mile down the way we run into a couple who ask us if we lost a car key (it was obvious we were looking for something). they had just found it! what luck, or so i thought. we thank them profusely and climb back into the car.
we head back down the narrow state park roads back to pick up my car. then, before we could hardly react, a large black truck comes barreling around a tight turn, adam swerves all the way off the road, but the truck seems to not even see us and hits us practically head on. the next thing i know i'm tring to fight the airbag and crawl out of adam's car. a very nice lady in van who heard the accident immediately called 911 and two cyclists that were down the road came to assist. the three of us headed to the hospital in the ambulance while the tow trucks worked on cleaning up the mess. the young kid in the truck that hit us seemed unharmed and much to my dismay, not particularly remorseful. after getting checked out in the ER, skip, adam's dad came away with a few stitches in his shin and a lot of bumps and bruises. adam's ankle is about three times the size it normally is, but luckily wasn't broken. he is on crutches for now and is pretty bruised on his left side. he really took the brunt of the hit. i have a pretty nasty bruise on my left knee from hitting the dash and on both knees i have what feels like really really bad rug burn from the air bag. i have the same burn under my chin and i bit my lip. thank goodness for those airbags or we'd probably be dead. my neck and shoulders are stiff and it is hard to walk around right now, mostly due to my left knee. let's just say i probably won't be running for a few days.
looking back and trying to remember those moments just before the crash leads me to believe this theory in how it happened: as the truck came around the turn, adam reacted and swerved the car almost completely off the side of the road, as the truck was in the left lane. there was seemingly no reaction from the truck, not slamming on the breaks, not swerving. i would bet the kid was on his cell phone not paying attention. had we not been there, he may have still ended up in a wreck, just with the trees instead of us. i can only hope that he learned his lesson, though it seems he may not have.
now i'm left with two bum knees, a scratched chin, a sore left arm (they had to give me a tetanus shot), and all because i lost my key in the woods. i think i'm going to buy one of those magnetic things you can stick your key in and "hide" it under the bumper.
running was really starting to go well. i hope that this doesn't set me too far back.

run: 15 miles
time: 2 hours, 2 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (113.5)
week-to-date: 46

ten weeks out: day 6

this morning was the cross country kick off in forest park. i got suckered into running. it's been a while since i've done a 5k on the grass. also, i've been doing marathon workouts, so i knew it was going to be a shock to the system--and boy was i right! i still ended up around 6th or 7th overall, but only ran 20:46. the grass had not been cut in some parts of the course, so it was shin high at least in some areas! anyway, with a warm up and cool down, i got in at least 6 on the day.
then that evening ben and i had our first day of marriage prep class (required by the catholic church). it wasn't too bad.

run: 6 miles
time: 20:46 for 3.1, plus warm up and cool down
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (98.5)
week-to-date: 31

ten weeks out: day 5

I haven't taken a day off in a while and today seemed like a good one. i spent most of my afternoon (after work) doing wedding errands. i got the flowers ordered and the wedding bands ordered, plus our cake samples will be ready next week. then it was off to help kris and dustin move into their new place. by the time all that was over, i was exhausted and it was 10 pm. a good time to choose not to run, i think!

ten weeks out: day 4

feeling a little stiff and tired from the workout. just did an easy 4.

run: 4 miles
time: 32 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (92.5)
week-to-date: 25

ten weeks out: day 3

workout day.
let me start off by saying it rained almost all day here. so of course, the workout was in the rain. i met kris and sara at FP. the rain itself wasn't so bad and actually felt pretty good. it was all the puddles we had to run through that was the bummer. i really wanted to try to stay with kris the entire time this week and i managed to pull it off. i got really bad workout stomach afterwards, but overall, i was pleased with the workout. it was 2 min hard 1 min easy for 6 miles. plus mile and a half warm up and mile and a half cool down.

run: 9 miles
time: 1 hour 8 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (88.5)
week-to-date: 21

ten weeks out: day 2

waited to run until 7:30 pm with sara. it was STILL really hot and really sticky. it felt like running in a sauna the entire time. we ran down to wilmore park and back. it was nice to mix it up a little.

run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (79.5)
week-to-date: 12

ten weeks out: day 1

we flew back from michigan early this morning. ben and i both went home and slept for another hour and a half before heading off to work. i was surprisingly productive at work considering the lack of sleep! then the group run that evening at the store. i ran with kris and julie. they tend to get rolling pretty good sometimes, but i was able to hang with them. luckily, it wasn't too blazing hot.

run: 7 miles
time: 55 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (74.5)
week-to-date: 7

eleven weeks out: day 7

it was hard to wake up this morning! i finally got going on my long run at about 8:30. the weather was cool and a little breezy. there was a paved bike path right down the road from our hotel that goes along lake michigan for about 25 miles. i decided to do a long out-and-back. i ran out for about 56 minutes and then turned around. i got back a little faster, so i added on a few more minutes just to make sure i ran a full 14 miles. it's hard to judge what pace i'm running sometimes, so even if i'm feeling pretty good, i generally go off of 8 minute pace. i ran 1 hr 52 min. during the middle i felt some twinges in my left leg around the hip flexor/it band area. it kind of worked itself out, but i need to keep an eye on it. i wasn't used to running this long on the pavement so i blame most of it on that. all in all it was a long run to do by myself, but i got through it okay. then it was off for some fun on the lake. it ended up being much warmer in the afternoon so we went sailing, jet skiing and tubing. it was great fun! i've never done any of those things so it was a day full of firsts. i'm sure i'm going to be sore from holding on for dear life to the inner tube...

run: 14 miles
time: 1 hour 52 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (67.5)
weekly total: 47

eleven weeks out: day 6

ben and jeremy were running a one mile road race this morning in charlevoix, mi. i got in an easy 4 miles before we headed over to the race. it was a lot of fun. they have a big festival that weekend so there were tons of people lined up to watch the race. jeremy ended up second and ben ended up third. pretty good considering the high caliber of race entrants! then the rest of the day we went out on the lake and just hung out with franko, linden and desi. it was too cold to really get in the water, but it was still nice to relax.

run: 4 miles
time: 32 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (53.5)
week-to-date: 33

eleven weeks out: day 5

ben and i left for michigan early in the morning. we arrived about 8:00 or so and his buddy franko picked us up from the airport. by the time we got back into detroit and kind of settled we were ready for a nap! about 3 i finally got going to get my run in. luckily the weather was much cooler there, so it was a pleasant 78 degrees when i went for my run. i did 6 miles with 10 x 20 second pick ups in the middle. despite all the traveling, i felt pretty good. i think i'm starting to feel like my old self again on these runs.

run: 6 miles
time: 47 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (49.5)
week-to-date: 29

eleven weeks out: day 4

ran from the office again this morning. i didn't feel as bad as i thought i might considering the quick turn around from the workout. i got in an easy four then it was back to the grindstone of work.

run: 4 miles
time: 32 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (43.5)
week-to-date: 23

eleven weeks out: day 3

workout day!
as it turns out, sara and i were the only ones able to make the workout so we chose to go in the neighborhood instead of driving to FP. we left from my place and did a warm up towards carondolet park. we started the fartlek before we got there, then did two loops of the park and a little more. then cooled down the rest of the way home to make it 8 miles total. the workout was 3 min hard/2 min easy. once i got past the first two i started to feel better and ended up having a pretty good one.

run: 8 miles
time: 63 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (39.5)
week-to-date: 19

eleven weeks out: day 2

i ran before work this morning. another busy tuesday ahead with the track series this evening for work. i was not really ready for such a quick turn around since my last run. i started off pretty easy. my legs felt pretty dead from the heat yesterday, but once i got going, it got a little better.
we had a huge storm blow through last night. it woke me up. really strong winds, they were saying 80-90 mph on the news! rain came along with it, so there was a nice break in the weather this morning. i'm sure it won't last long though.

run: 4 miles
time: 32 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (31.5)
week-to-date: 11

eleven weeks out: day 1

the typical monday night group run. not too many folks showed up. probably because the temperature was about 99 degrees at 6pm. it was very very very very hot! i was going to run the 7 mile loop and was glad that sara showed up. we wore our fuel belts to help us along, mostly because it's so hot. otherwise, i would only wear it for a longer run.
the first half i actually felt pretty good and got rolling. i was really starting to feel like my old self again. by about 10 min. before i was back to the store though, i really started to feel the effects of the heat. my legs started feeling really heavy and i was beyond drenched in sweat. sara took the smarter route and hung back to a more reasonable pace. the effort for me felt significantly harder than what my watch said when i got back. i guess that's what the heat will do to you!

run: 7 miles
time: 58 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (27.5)
week-to-date: 7

twelve weeks out: day 7

we got in late last night from traveling back to st. louis. i was tired! the long run was at castlewood though, and that always makes me happy. i tried out the fuel belt today. it worked well and i was happy to have it with me. it was blazing hot, of course. luckily, the trails are pretty shaded. i ran with kris, julie and sara. kris and julie went longer, sara stopped at 80 min and i decided to add on a little more to make it 90. we were rolling pretty good for almost the entire first half of the run. i would say well under 8 minute pace. i don't know exactly how far i ran, so i'm going to call it 11.5, which i think is close!

run: 11.5 miles
time: 90 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (20.5)
weekly total: 36.5

twelve weeks out: day 6

got up and went for a 5 mile run around harrisonville. felt pretty good this morning once i got going.
then it was off to work on the wedding invitations. my dad and i worked on the formatting for the better part of the morning (we're both perfectionists) and then it was off to his office to print them out on the nice xerox machines.
then we went back over to the track to watch ben run the distance medley relay. again, they won pretty much uncontested.

run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (9)
week-to-date: 25

twelve weeks out: day 5

two meetings at work and then it was off to kansas city. i arrived about 3:30 and got in a quick 4 miles in harrisonville. i decided to try out the new shoes that ben got me from the adidas rep. they worked out well. i could tell immediately that my legs felt better.
then my mom and i headed up to olathe, ks to meet my dad and watch ben and the guys run at the club track championships. ben did well--2nd to jeremy in the 1500 and easily won the 5,000.

run: 4 miles
time: 32 minutes
shoes: adidas adistar cushion (4)
week-to-date: 20

twelve weeks out: day 4

took the day off today. i was going to make my day of this week friday, but life got busy today and it just didn't happen.

twelve weeks out: day 3

workout day. met kris & sara at FP. the workout was a fartlek: 4,3,2,1,1,2,3,4, with equal rest between. it was pretty ugly, but i got through it. i am going to be one sore person tomorrow though, i can already tell. the first workout back after any break is always rough. i knew i just had to get through it. the nagging cough is still around. i hope it goes away soon.

run: 6 miles
time: 43 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (287.5)
week-to-date: 16

twelve weeks out: day 2

well, somehow i managed to get my non-morning-person butt out of bed this morning and run before work. it was a miracle. i almost crawled back under the covers twice, but the lingering voice of the weather man from the night before promising me that it would be 65 this morning got me going. it was probably a little warmer than that, but anything feels cool after the 95+ it's been lately. i was a little stiff at first, not used to the quick turn around, but once i got going, i felt okay. well, my legs felt okay that is, as the cough is STILL here. i've been trying to run on the grass as much as possible lately, just to help the legs out a little as i try to jump into training again. i knew it was going to be a long day at work, then headed out to the kids track series that we're putting on. didn't get home until almost 9. sheesh.

run: 4.5 miles
time: 36 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (281.5)
week-to-date: 10

twelve weeks out: day 1

well, it's official. marathon training has begun and i am completely unprepared.
time to throw myself into it, raspy voice, cough, out-of-shape legs and all.
ran with the group run from the store. i started off with kris and sara, but they were going to do the long loop (7) and i wasn't sure i was up for that. i turned off and ran on the grass in francis. i did two and a half laps essentially. my legs felt out of shape, but okay--like i could keep going. my core felt like it was dying. i had a side cramp from coughing almost the entire time.

run: 5.5 miles
time: 43 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (277)

week of July 7

monday 7.7
skipped today to give the hamstring a rest.

tuesday 7.8
ran an easy 3 miles, mostly on the grassy loop in francis. felt okay, but i went short because i didn't want to press my luck!

wednesday 7.9
didn't run. i had a long day at work and a doctor's appointment afterwards that lasted forever. what is it with the waiting over 2 hours just to get in! what's the point in even making an appointment.

thursday 7.10
did the grass loop around francis, this time twice around to make 4.5 on the day. legs feeling okay, but now i've caught the cold that ben had. yeah, thanks a lot.

friday 7.11
ran out at queeny park. haven't ran here in a long time. i thought it would be fun. then i remembered how hilly it is! i got in a slow 50 minutes. I'm going to call it 6. it was really hot too, which didn't help. the cold is really starting to develop now, making it hard to breathe.

saturday 7.12
really feeling bad today, going to take the day off. did manage to make it over to ellie's first birthday. it was a carnival theme and tim and angela really went all out!
jnet was in town and i felt bad that i wasn't really up for anything but a night with me and the nyquil.

sunday 7.13
met the group at FP. i knew i was going to need to start of slow. the congestion is better, but now i have a really bad cough and a raspy voice. luckily sara didn't mind starting off easy with me. once we got into the run, my legs started to feel better and we finished it off at a respectable clip. we ran 65 minutes, and i'm calling it 8.

weekly mileage: 21.5
shoes: brooks defyance (271.5)

week of June 30

Monday 6.30
stayed home from work. pretty much slept all day.

Tuesday 7.1
tried to go to work this morning. could only make it a half day. went to the doctor later that day.

Wednesday 7.2
found out i have a really bad bladder infection. after one dose of antibiotic i am already feeling better. ran an easy 3 miles.

Thursday 7.3
on the road to recovery. ran an easy 4 miles

Friday 7.4
helped out with the store's first ever one mile road race. it was a huge success. then i tried to get in a quick run before helping to tear down the finish line area. i got in 4 miles.
at some point during the day i aggravated my left hamstring. it hurts pretty bad.

Saturday 7.5
tried to go for a run and got 2 minutes down the sidewalk and my hamstring hurt so bad i had to stop. i tried to walk a little but it still felt terrible. i went back home and did some abs and arm stuff. ben tried to massage it out a little when he got back. i think it helped some, but there is definitely something wrong.
later we drove to peoria for sarah and mike's wedding. it was a good time.

Sunday 7.6
again, i tried to run, this time in peoria. it was still a no go. i took about an hour long walk (because ben was still out running). i did a little stretching. i'm starting to feel concerned. also, for some reason, i really feel like i need some new shoes. these brooks just don't seem to be doing the trick for me.

weekly total:11 miles
shoes: brooks defyance (250)

week of 6.23.08

while i'm just trudging along trying to get back into the swing of things, i'm just going to post my running log weekly. if anything else interesting happens, i'll try to let y'all know!

Mon 6.23
group run at the sc store
run: 3 miles
time: 24 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (219)
week-to-date: 3
biking: 1 hr, 30 min (45 each way, to and from work)

Tues 6.24
run: 4.5
time: 36 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (223.5)

Wed 6.25
unmotivated, didn't run
did spend the better part of the evening working on cleaning the old place. we'll still have a few more things to get out of there on sunday.

Thurs 6.26
really unmotivated and not feeling so hot, didn't run

Friday 6.27
ran 4 miles after work

Saturday 6.28
easy run, 3 miles

Sunday 6.29
got in 45 minutes and thought I was going to die. later that day i found out i was running a mild fever. no wonder i haven't felt good.

weekly total: 20 miles
shoes: brooks defyance (239)

week of 6.16.08

took yesterday off. after being out REALLY late on saturday, then driving back to st. louis early, i was wiped out. i just couldn't find any motivation to get out the door. we were going to swim over at the rosario's, but a storm blew through so that was out. we watched the us open golf tournament on tv instead. yay for tiger!
i did double duty today. i biked to work and then ran at the group run. my legs are stiff and sore now though! i just did two loops around francis and back, making it about 4.5. it was all i could muster. i think i'll take the day off again tomorrow, just to recover a little more.

run: 4.5 miles
time: 36 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (190.5)
week-to-date: 4.5
biking: 1 hr, 30 min (45 each way, to and from work)

6.17.08
Day off

6.18.08
felt very tired and run down today. legs just didn't want to go. ran with sara.
run: 4 miles
time: 32 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (194.5)
week-to-date: 8.5

6.19.08
pretty much the same as yesterday. ran with sara.
run: 3.5 miles
time: 30 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (198)
week-to-date: 12


6.20.08
felt a little better today. ran with kris.
run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (203)
week-to-date: 17

6.21.08
finally starting to feel like my old self a little. ran with sara down to wilmore park and back.
run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (208)
week-to-date: 22

6.22.08
had an okay run out at castlewood. ran with julie and jess and they really get rolling sometimes. plus, the run was VERY hilly. the flat section we normally run on was under water so we had to go on the part of the trail that takes you up into the hills. some nice views at the top though! my legs are going to be sore from this run, i can already tell.
run: 8 miles
time: 64 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (216)
weekly total: 30, in 6 days

6.14.08

took the day off yesterday. today I went out and it was HOT! very, very hot. i got in just over three miles. felt okay. not awesome, but not terrible either. headed to indianapolis later to watch jeremy and carter race.

run: 3 miles
time: 24 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (186)
week-to-date: 11
biking: none

6.12.08

biked to work today. then it was off to yoga that night with julie. she is learning to be an instructor and was kind enough to offer a free class to the racing team. it was great and i hope we can continue this!

run: none
time:
shoes: brooks defyance (183)
week-to-date: 8
biking: 1 hr 30 min (to and from work)

6.11.08

took yesterday off from running. i am trying to run every other day, then a few days bike as a supplement.
today was just a run day. i ran down to francis and met kris, then together we did just over 30 minutes through the neighborhoods. i didn't feel great, but i did feel MUCH better than monday. i hope this progression continues!

**congrats to my good friends em & jason on the birth of their first child (yesterday):
sierra, 6 lbs, 15 oz, 19 inches. 8 days early!!

run: 5 miles
time: 40 min
shoes: brooks defyance (183)
week-to-date: 8
biking: none

6.9.08

rode my bike to work today. it was the first day of riding from the new apartment. it didn't take me too much longer in total, though i think i was moving pretty slow this morning still from the race. got home and did an easy 3 miles with the group run. it was painful. i am sore and tired. i think my strategy will be to run every other day possibly and see how that works out. then next week i'll try to get back on a schedule. later that night i worked on some wedding invitation ideas, hung out with my friend alicia and talked to gayle on the phone. a good night for girl time!

run: 3 miles
time: 24 min
shoes: brooks defyance (178)
week-to-date: 3
biking: 1 hr 30 min total (45 min each way, to and from work)

6.7.08 -- race day

race day. didn't sleep too well. i got up almost every hour to go to the bathroom! at 7 am it was already 77 degrees and 80% humidity. yikes. by mile 4 i stopped looking at my watch. at mile 6 i started to really lose it and was getting a little delirious. at mile 8 i just completely shut it down. the course is a big out and back loop, so i had to get back one way or another. i very very very slowly jogged it in from there. the heat and humidity just really got the better of me today. never in a race have i been so happy to see the water stations. i did a pretty good job of cooling myself down and consuming water once i "shut it down" so by the time i got back, i wasn't in too rough of shape.

am i disappointed? of course. but i'm at a point in my life now where it's not worth it for me to dwell on a bad race. it just happens. the circumstances were mostly out of my control. there was nothing i could do about the way my body reacted to the heat. i am going to take a down week or two and then start to build up my base. i'll look for some fun summer races to jump in possibly.

run: 2 mile warm-up, 13.1 miles
time:
shoes: brooks defyance (175), brooks racer st (23)
week-to-date: 32

6.6.08

travel day. when we got to kansas city, i did a 20 min shake-out run with the girls. then it was off to a pre-race pasta dinner.

run: 2.5 miles
time: 20 min
shoes: brooks defyance (173)
week-to-date: 17

6.5.08

another day of moving stuff from the old place to the new one. hopefully there are only about two more smaller trips left.
easy 3 miles for the run.

run: 3 miles
time: 24 min
shoes: brooks defyance (170.5)
week-to-date: 14.5

6.4.08

workout day.
2 mile warm up. 4 mile tempo on the track along with practicing to take gatorade (big thanks to carter for handing out the cups). it was hot and humid. welcome to summertime in missouri.
then just a one mile cool down.
i felt kind of empty and i could feel the dehydration in my muscles. the pace overall felt manageable. kris and i averaged 6:42 pace.

run: 7 miles
time: see above
shoes: brooks defyance (167.5)
week-to-date: 11.5

6.3.08

i was TIRED today. big time. the past weekend and moving has really caught up to me. i went home a little early from work and slept for two hours. got up and helped ben with speedwork. came home and took and ice bath and then went to bed!
no run for me today. my right achilles and shin area have been bothering me and it's to the point where it is starting to make me nervous. i decided to stay away from the pounding today and ice it up. let's hope it feels a little better tomorrow.

run: none
time:
shoes: brooks defyance (160.5)
week-to-date: 4.5

6.2.08

ran with the group run. easy 4.5 with meaghan. my legs feel heavy and tired. i'm going to cut back this week and see if it helps.
after that i went over to the old place and moved another car load full of stuff. i'll be happy when everything is in place.

run: 4.5 miles
time: 35 min
shoes: brooks defyance (160.5)
week-to-date: 4.5

6.1.08 -- moving day

if you read the previous post, you'll know why the 7:30 wake up call was rough. we got in at 3 am, but i knew if i didn't get up and run with the group, it would be much more difficult later in the day. i got in 10 with the group, but it was a tough run for me. the first half i stayed with the group. after we turned around (we did an out and back through webster groves from the south city store), they started to gap me a little. then i had to stop for an emergency bathroom break. after that i was really on my own. i did feel better after the pit stop, but not awesome. it was a warm morning and the sun was really beating down. i got some water at the park and that seemed to revive me a little.
then it was back home for a much needed 1.5 hour nap. then we got up and ben headed off to do the radio show and i started packing up my car for round one of many. our good friend rob was kind enough to come over with his truck and help us move the big stuff after the radio show was over. there is still a lot yet left to do, but the big stuff is in the new place, so that's good.
i'm sure the rest of it will be drug out for most of the week. but at least we don't truly have to be out of our old place until the end of the month.

run: 10 miles
time: 1 hr 20 min
shoes: brooks defyance (156)
weekly total: 44

5.31.08

woke up to a pretty nice morning. ben and i headed out the door for a run. he ran with me for the first half--showing me around the IUPUI campus, the track, and then the canal path. then it was on my own for the rest. my legs still feel pretty beat up, but it was nice to have a change of scenery.
then we came back and got jeremy and carter and headed out to grab some breakfast and kill some time. we walked around downtown and did a little shopping too. i really like the downtown. there was a lot of commerce and a lot going on. also, it seemed very clean, which is always good!
finally it was time for the track meet at 9:30pm. yes, pm. it was great though because as soon as the sun set, the wind died down significantly and it was all but ideal running/racing conditions. we saw some cool races: M/W 800, M/W steeple and M/W 1500. carter ran a PR in the 800 with a 1:52 and jeremy ran a PR in the 1500 with a 3:44. then we finally got out of town at about 11:45pm. luckily, jeremy downed two dr. pepper's and ben had one, so i wasn't too worried about letting them take the reins on the driving!! we got home safe and sound around 3 am.

run: 6 miles
time: 50 min
shoes: brooks defyance (146)
week-to-date: 34

5.30.08

worked half a day and then headed home. got in a short run over to the store. then ben and i did our walk through for the new apartment. then we picked up jeremy and carter and it was off to Indianapolis. they had some huge storms there that night, but nothing that really hit the city it seemed. looking forward to hanging out in downtown indy the next day.

run: 4 miles
time: 32 min
shoes: brooks defyance (140)
week-to-date: 28

5.29.08

no run today. busy trying to get everything packed up for the big move. plus, i had to clean out the car for our trip to Indianapolis the next day. then it was off to the cardinals game with brian and lizzy.

run: none
time:
shoes: brooks defyance (136)
week-to-date: 24

5.28.08

workout day. julie picked me up and we drove over to forest park a little after five so we could mark the course. we walked the two mile road loop with the wheel and marked off every half mile.
for the workout i did 4 x 1.5 miles with .5 mile jog in between. it was on the VERY hilly road loop course, so it was tough. the pace was supposed to be goal half marathon pace. i wanted to hit between 6:40 and 6:45 pace to see how that felt. it was tough, but i came close on most of them.
1st: 9:55 (approx 6:37 pace) --a little fast on this one
2nd: 10:02 (approx 6:41 pace)
3rd: 10:06 (approx 6:43 pace)
4th: 10:13 (approx 6:48 pace) -- really died on the last 1/2 mile, i was 6:43 at the mile, then the last uphill just killed me and i fell off the pace
overall, not too bad. i will be interested to see how i recover.

run: 11 miles -- 1.5 mile warm-up, 7.5 miles with the workout, 2 mile cool down
time: see workout breakdown above
shoes: brooks defyance (136), brooks racer st (10.5)
week-to-date: 24

5.27.08 -- Catching Up!!

Okay, I've missed basically a week of my running log, so I'm just going to post it all on one to save myself some time!

Wed 5.21:
got a terrible migraine while i was at work. tried to do the workout and only made it 800m into the warm-up jog before i had to call it off. went home and tried to sleep it off.
run: none
time:
shoes: brooks defyance (93.5)
week-to-date: 12

Thurs 5.22:
easy run with sara. originally i thought about trying to do the workout, but quickly decided against it! the weather was bad and my legs and body were stiff. we ran out laclede station for an out-and-back run.
run: 5 miles
time: 40 min
shoes: brooks defyance (98.5)
week-to-date: 17

Fri 5.23:
day off from work. ben and i got up and i struggled through 4 miles. then we left for jefferson city to watch the missouri state high school track meet. the weather was pretty good. mostly overcast and a little windy, but the temperature was pretty ideal. that night ben and i went out to dinner and met up with some of my old truman teammates: beth, kasye and jill. it was nice to catch up with them. the pizza place we went to was good too!
run: 4 miles
time: 32 min
shoes: brooks defyance (102.5)
week-to-date: 21

Sat 5.24:
since i was planning on running the memorial day 5k on monday, i decided to do my long run on saturday. i left the hotel and ran just over 4 miles to the trailhead of the MKT trail. it is a rails-to-trails path. there are mile markers so that was helpful. i got in 14 total, with the last 5 at 7 min pace (straight into the wind!). overall, i felt okay. i recovered a little better this week after 14 than i did the week before. then another full day of the state track meet. after an hour rain delay, the sun came out and it was close to perfect weather. if you're interested, bigriverrunning.com has full video coverage (and commentary from ben) up. there were some pretty fun races!
run: 14 miles
time: 1 hr 48 min
shoes: brooks defyance (116.5)
week-to-date: 35

Sun 5.25:
got up early and met the group at forest park. since i had already done my long run, i just did an easy 6. i was pretty sore at first, but i just forced myself to not shuffle and ended up feeling somewhat decent. it started raining mid-way through, then pouring for most of the run. at least it was warm out so it didn't feel so bad. then it was off to do the radio show (you can listen soon to the podcasts on bigriverrunning.com) and then to evelyn's (ben's youngest sister) high school graduation party.
run: 6 miles
time: 47 min
shoes: brooks defyance (122.5)
weekly total: 41

Mon 5.26:
memorial day 5k. woke up to thunder and lightning. not a good sign. luckily, the rain finally stopped in time for the races. i ran 19:50. decent, but nothing to write home about. i felt like i just couldn't go. more like i was doing a tempo run than a race. i guess i can't expect too much since i've been half marathon training. it was nice to get in a solid workout though in a different setting.
run: 2 mile warm up, 5k race, 2.5 mile cool down
time: 5k - 19:50
shoes: brooks defyance (127), brooks racer st (3) --breaking in my new racing flats!
week-to-date: 7.5

Tues 5.27:
longest day ever at work. the day just drug on and on. however, i did get to go have lunch with my long lost friend from truman--alicia. we had all our business classes together and were the perfect pair for group projects--both overachievers and hard workers! it was nice to see her and catch up.
my run was garbage. i struggled through 5.5 miles. i'm starting to not feel so confident about the workout tomorrow.
run: 5.5 miles
time: 46 min
shoes: brooks defyance (132.5)
week-to-date: 13

5.20.08

today i rode my bike to work. it was an odd day where it seemed warm, but the breeze was almost cold. it wasn't too bad for riding though. i met kris for a run. luckily, neither of us felt good so she was okay to take it easy. i am feeling pretty sore and just tired. probably from the long run still, plus yoga and then the biking on top of running. tomorrow i'm going to take the metro to give my body a small rest. i'm not sure how the workout is going to go, given the state of exhaustion that my legs seem to be in.

run: 5 miles
time: 40 min
shoes: brooks defyance (93.5)
biking: 30 min to work, 30 min home from work
week-to-date: 12

5.19.08

why is it that mondays at work always seem to last forever? i was very tired all day.
ran at the group run with sara. we did the 7 mile loop. i was pretty spent from the long run the day before, but made it through, slowly but surely. then it was off to yoga class. i was glad i went. it felt good to stretch things out and release some stress and tension.

run: 7 miles + 1.5 hr yoga class
time: 58 min
shoes: brooks defyance (88.5)
biking: none
week-to-date: 7

5.18.08

long run this morning at castlewood. woke up with a little bit of a stiff neck headache, but was thankful for so much sleep! we had a great group for the run. me, kris, julie, sara, eliza, c.j. and two other guys. let me just say again how much i love running at castlewood. we had a really good clip going and i just felt good. it was one of those days where i could have run forever. i've only done a long run this far a few other times, so it was nice to have a good one and feel confident.
we soaked in the cold creek afterwards and my muscles were thankful for a little "icing."
then it was back home for some chocolate chip pancakes...mm mm good.
ben and i went over to the store to set up the sidewalk sale and then headed back home and washed the car. it was the first nice day in a while so i wanted to take full advantage. then we went downtown for the radio show. i got to be his co-host because matt wasn't back yet from his bike ride. it was kind of fun, but i'm pretty sure i have no future in radio broadcasting!!
then we got back home and watched the adidas track classic on espn. then i mowed the yard and ben and i did some core work. finally, dinner and relaxation time with the two hour season finale of desperate housewives. what a great show and a good weekend.

run: 14 miles + core work
time: 1 hr 48 min
shoes: brooks defyance (81.5)
biking: none
weekly total: 49 (in six runs)

5.17.08

woke up too late to get in a run. today was sarah armstrong's bachelorette party! cardinals game at noon. we had those tickets that include a nice buffet and bar service, plus awesome seats. i got to meet a lot of her hs friends that i had always heard about. i had a great time, but two days of drinking beers in a row, plus very little sleep was not a good combination for me! i went to paddy o's with them afterwards and then headed back home on the metrolink. i got back home around 7 and ben was kind enough to make dinner and feed me some gatorade. we were both wiped out so we went to bed at 8:45pm!

run: none
time:
shoes: brooks defyance (67.5)
biking: none
week-to-date: 35

5.16.08

yay for friday! it's been a long week. the sun is finally out here in st. louis and i wanted to leave work so bad. at any rate, after work i met kris and julie b. out at grants trail for a run/mini workout. felt a little stiff still, but after about 15 minutes i finally started to loosen up and ended up having a pretty good run.
afterwards katie m. picked me up and we headed over to robust wine bar (awesome place, by the way!) for sara's graduation party. it was so great to meet her whole family and spend some one-on-one time with katie too. something we haven't really gotten to do much of. after robust we headed over to bar louie in the central west end. let me just say that we got a killer parking spot for a saturday night! the boys met up with us after the cardinals game. probably stayed out too late, but i had a blast.

run: 7.5 miles with 10 x 20 sec. pick-ups/1 min rest in between, in the middle of the run
time: 57 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (67.5)
biking: none
week-to-date: 35

5.15.08

i knew it was going to be a rough one (as far as running), but i didn't know it was going to be this bad. yikes. i struggled through 4 miles. it wasn't pretty. my legs were stiff and i felt empty and exhausted. that workout really took a lot out of me!
then i did a monster trip to the grocery store. it had been a long time. it was easy to fill the entire cart! we should be well stocked for a while...

run: 4 miles
time: 34 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (60)
biking: none
week-to-date: 27.5

5.14.08

today didn't start off very well. i woke up late and was VERY tired all day. i was even nodding off at the computer at work! when i got home i took a short little 20 minute nap and fell into a deep sleep with a dream and everything. then it was off to do a workout. i biked over to dubourg's track to meet the team, but there was a youth track team out practicing and they had tons of kids. lyons suggested we head over to the river des peres bike path and do it there.
the workout was 3 x 2 miles, 5 minute recovery between sets. it was a little tougher on the bike path because of the hills, but i was thankful to get an opportunity to have to push hard on the ups since hills are not generally my friend. julie was out ahead, and then eliza and kris and i really worked well together. through each of them we kind of took turns owning the pace. it really worked out for me. i would not have had as good of a workout without them! as it turns out, the way we started made us do two sets that were against the wind and more uphill and only one with the wind with more downhill--go figure. at any rate, here were my splits:
1st: 6:36, 6:30 = 13:06
2nd: 6:18, 6:19 = 12:37 --you can tell this was more downhill!
3rd: 6:21, 6:32 = 12:53 --the last mile here was really tough
(approx: 2 mile warm up, 2 mile cool down)
overall, i was very pleased that i could come off of a shit week of running and still pull out a decent workout. the true test will be how my legs recover off of this.

to top of the night, ben and i headed over to the tin can for a burger and some trivia. i didn't stay the whole time because i am wiped out! man their burgers are good though....bacon, carmelized onions, provolone cheese. mmmmm......

run: 10 miles
time: (see splits above)
shoes: brooks defyance (56) --i had planned on doing this in flats, but not being on the track, i didn't want to risk injury...
biking: 10 minutes to the track!
week-to-date: 23.5

5.13.08 -- rain, rain, go away...

what? do i live in portland again? it has rained almost non-stop for as long as i can remember...or at least it seems that way. this weather is starting to get ridiculous.
kris and i went for an easy run and managed to fit in part of it before it started to rain on us. i think there is rain in the forecast for the rest of the week! we may have another episode like the flood of 93....

run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (46)
biking: none
week-to-date: 13.5

5.12.08

last week was kind of a wash as far as my running and such goes. i ran a few days later in the week, but mostly i was just a mess! so, i'm just going to leave it be and not rehash the details. i am on day 4 of some new medicine for my stomach and it seems to be helping. the ultrasound and blood work all came back normal. good and bad i guess. good because i don't want some kind of major problem, but bad because it still bothers me. we'll see how the progress of this new medicine goes. i might look into seeing if my insurance will cover a nutritionist to see if changing my diet might also help.
as for biking to work, it has been on hold due to the constant flow of rain and thunderstorms. not feeling super confident on the bike right now, i don't want to then put myself in a situation of riding in a thunderstorm!! ben has been taking me in the morning and then i either catch the metrolink or brian gives me a ride home. i hope the sun comes out again soon...
i went to the s. city store's group run. a lot of people again tonight. i ran with sara and kris, but before-hand, i had run just over 20 minutes (ran from home to the store) so in total, i ran 67 minutes. then afterwards, sara and i walked down to southtown yoga and tried out the beginner class. it was very good and the instructor was very patient with us. i am not very flexible at all! i hope it is something i can add to my routine. it was also a really nice stress reliever. i felt much better about things when it was all over.

run: 8.5 miles + 1.5 hr yoga class
time: 67 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (41)
biking: none
week-to-date: 8.5

5.7.08

meeting with the caterer this morning. it went well, but made me realize there are a lot of small details about the reception that i have not yet taken the time to think about!
then ben dropped me off at work.
i have not been feeling well again (hence all of the doctor appointments). my weird stomach thing is back with a vengeance. i have had zero appetite and it gets worse when i do eat. with that said, i have coincidentally been not eating much, but still trying to exercise just as much. not a good combo. i'm sure it's why my legs feel like garbage and i have no energy to want to do anything. when i got home from work today (took the metro home) all i could do was lay down on the couch. then ben and i went to the race operations committee thank-you dinner for the marathon. it was nice. we ate at a restaurant on the hill (the italian part of st. louis). tomorrow i get an ultrasound done just as a double check. i will also be trying some new medication. let's hope for the best.

run: none
biking: none

5.6.08

rode to work again. had to leave really early because it was a board meeting morning. then i had to ride over to the doctor's office again. then after work i rode home. it was book club night, so after being home for about 40 minutes, i biked over to ann's house. it was a good group. then katie was kind enough to give me a ride home.
my legs are VERY sore from all this riding. i'm realizing that i need to ease into this "bike everywhere" thing. no running for me today. ITB and calves are ridiculously tight.

run: none
week-to-date: 5
biking: 2 hours

5.5.08

first day of biking to work. not to bad, took about 30 minutes. went for a run after work. legs felt pretty dead. then i biked over to the doctor's office, then out to the south city store for the tail end of their cinco de mayo celebration.

run: 5 miles
time: 40 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (17)
week-to-date: 5
total biking: 1.5 hours

5.4.08

long run day. we met in forest park at 8am. i ran with eliza, julie, jess, eliza's friend lindsey, julie b., and c.j. we did the clayton loop (about 9 miles) and then headed back into the park. today served as a workout day, with a "fast finish" long run. so after the 9 miles, we were supposed to do 3 miles at race pace. well, it didn't exactly go well for me, but it was my first fast finish. let me tell you, it was HARD! i did the last three in 20:31 and it was a struggle. my legs felt pretty dead and my body just felt empty. i hope it was just an "off" day and nothing more. it is just my second week of really getting the mileage up so my body may still be a little tired from that.

run: 12 miles, last three at 20:31 (avg of about 6:50 pace)
time: 87 minutes
shoes: brooks defyance (12) -- probably retiring the wave riders, trying out a new shoe today
weekly total: 44

5.3.08 - Day of Errands

today was the first opportunity i had to have most of the day on saturday with the car to run errands. i took full advantage of this. in the morning i took ben to the south city store and helped him set up for the sidewalk sale. then it was off to meet amy (old truman teammate) for breakfast at first watch (i got the bacado, pretty standard for me -- omelette with bacon and avocado topped with salsa). amy was in town for a friends bridal shower so it was nice to take a couple hours and catch up!
then it was off to get my eyes checked and FINALLY order some new glasses. my glasses had not been updated since my freshman year of college (fall of 1999). soon i will get to relieve some strain on my eyes from staring at the computer all day at work! i am also trying out some new contacts that apparently have more oxygen in them?! they feel good i guess.
after that i went to maplewood bike shop to get a new bike! i spent two and a half hours there, but found a winner. an entry level lemond (etape). i also got the clip in pedals and shoes. i will definitely have to practice getting in and out!
after my bike i was back at the south city store to get ben. we ran to target to get a little treat for lilian (brian & margaret's little girl), and then it was off to her birthday party (she turned two on may 1st). at this point it was about 6:30 and she was already out for the night!! we still enjoyed our bbq food and of course the company of those still present at the party.
finally we headed home, put in a movie and then off to bed.
as a result of the very busy day, i took the day off from running. not necessarily by choice, but maybe it was good that i didn't have time to fit it in to give myself a little break.

run: none
time:
shoes: mizuno wave rider (356.5)
week-to-date:32

5.2.08

met eliza and julie at fp and we did a loop + some extra. in the middle we did 10 by 20 seconds hard, 1 minute easy. it was really windy, but i didn't feel too bad. we actually ran for about 52 minutes. i know it probably wasn't quite 7, but it was more than 6.5. for the sake of my log, i'm calling it 6.75. then it was home for a little "me" time. ben went to the cardinals game with the boys so i rented two movies i knew he probably wouldn't want to see: atonement and 27 dresses. yes, i watched them in that order b/c i knew atonement was pretty dark and i didn't want to end the night feeling depressed!

run: 6.75 (with 10 x 20 seconds hard, 1 minute easy in the middle)
time: 52 minutes
shoes: mizuno wave rider (356.5)
week-to-date:32

5.1.08

pretty typical day at the office. after work i headed home and mowed the yard. then it was off to the south city store to get in a quick run before the racing team meeting. when i first started my run today i was not having a good one. i was by myself and feeling pretty tired. luckily, i met up with steve (one of our master's runners) in francis. we had a nice conversation and i ended up running longer than i probably would have and at a much better pace! after the meeting i talked to my mom. the surgery went well with my grandpa, so now we just have to see have the recovery process goes.

run: 5.75 (1 mile to francis from the store, 3 laps (1.25), then 1 mile back)
time: 43 minutes
shoes: mizuno wave rider (349.75)
week-to-date: 25.25

4.30.08 -- playing hookey

today i didn't do much work, or really any at all. this morning ben and i went to church at st. cecilia (where we're getting married) and then met with our priest afterwards. father vatterott is a really neat guy. he is a runner (perfect, i know), pretty young, and seemingly about at liberal as you can get from a catholic priest. a good match for ben and i. we had to take a test called the 'focus test' that is one of the many requirements before getting married in the catholic church. it is a compatibility test. some of the questions were a bit strange, but i guess it will be interesting when we get our results back in a couple weeks. father v assured us that no matter the outcome, we could still get married!!

then it was off to gus's pretzels for a quick snack. if you've never been, you MUST go. it's a great little local joint right near the a-b brewery.
once i got to work it was about 11a. i checked my email, and then it was off to the cardinals game with jeff and brian. we got free tickets from our rep at the hyatt-union station hotel. great seats, good game, and my first ever footlong bratwurst.

then it was off to do a workout with the girls. we were going to do 400s on the track, but when we got there, some high school soccer tournament was going on so we had to scrap it. julie went on to do the 400s on her own at a track near her place. kris and i opted for a progressive tempo around francis park. it is approx 1.25 miles around. we decided to start out kind of conservative, and then to drop down about 15 seconds each lap.
first loop: 8:32, approx 6:50 pace
second loop: 7:55, approx 6:20 pace
third loop: 7:30, approx 6:00 pace
i got a little excited there between the first and second loops, but all things considered, i felt good and strong.

afterwards ben and i met up with matt and katie and the store's new brooks rep for dinner at the tropicana market. tasty food and an outdoor patio.

when i got home talked to my mom for a while. my grandpa has to have surgery thursday. he has been getting some numbing, and in some cases, almost a paralyzed feeling in his limbs. they think it is due to some pinching or something in his third vertebrae. please keep him in your thoughts while my family continues to hope for the best.

run: 2 mile warm-up, three loops around francis (approx 3.75 miles), 1.5 mile cool-down; i'm calling it 7
time: 52 minutes
shoes: mizuno wave rider (344)
week-to-date: 19.5

4.29.08

whew. long day at work. very tired from yesterday!
met kris, jess and eliza at forest park for a run. sara joined us for part of it. my legs felt a little dead, but mostly my stomach was really bothering me. i'm going to investigate some different doctors in the area.

run: i'm calling it 6, even though i'm sure it was more like 6.25 or something.
time: 50 minutes
shoes: mizuno wave rider (337)
week-to-date: 12.5

4.28.08: Brigette Schutzman Festival of Miles

The Brigette Schutzman Festival of Miles
(photo of brigette on the left with her slu teammates)
what a really neat event. big river running and st. louis university put on this event in honor of brigette, who was a slu cross country/track runner that was in a horrific car accident on new year's eve. You can read more in the post-dispatch article or on big river's site. the event was set up to raise money for the family's medical bills. it began with a touching speech from ben, then brigette came up and spoke. there was not a dry eye in the stadium. then she took a walk of about 25 meters completely unassisted. the crowd went nuts! then the races began with a junior high boys mile, junior high girls mile, high school wheelchair mile, womens mile, masters mens mile and an elite mens mile.
i got suckered into running the womens mile. this is the first time i have ever run a true mile (in high school i ran 1600 meters, in college i ran 1500 meters -- the later typically referred to as the 'metric mile'), so with that said, i was certain to pr! anyway, maureen and julie took off (they are much faster and in better shape) and i went with jess (who was pacing to run 5:40) and eliza. i hung on until the start of the third lap. they started to distance me a little and i was afraid the others were gaining on me. the back stretch was very windy so there was a lot of expended energy. i hung on and managed to run 5:48. not too bad considering the fact that i did nothing to prepare for it!
the men's elite mile was pretty cool too (see photo of neville miller winning on the right). they had hoped for a sub-4 mile attempt, but the conditions were cold (low 40s) and really windy (gusts up to 18mph). the race was still really exciting and very close at the end.
big river will have video up soon of all the races, so look for that if you're interested.

run: 6.5 miles total, 2.5 warm-up, one mile race: 5:48, 3 mile cool down
shoes: mizuno wave rider (331), raced in my fila corsa sette's
week-to-date: 6.5

4.27.08

long run out at castlewood state park. first of all, i love running at castlewood. it reminds me of the great places i got to run in portland. it's also so nice to get off the pavement now and again, especially for a longer run. the meremac river had flooded a few weeks back and was still really high from all the rain that we are continuing to get. part of the trail we typically run on was completely washed away! i was still able to get in several good loops. i had wanted to go 12, but decided that in light of the mile race tomorrow, i'd just do 10.
then it was off to work at the store again. this working seven days a week business is really beginning to tire me out. i hope i won't have to make a habit of this.
then ben's last indoor soccer game was tonight. yes, he formed an indoor soccer team. it consists of mostly runners and their last soccer experience came in grade school. you can imagine how good they are and how entertaining it is! as luck would have it, they played a team equally as awful as they are for their last game and tied, 4-4.

run: 10 miles + core work
time: 80 min
shoes: mizuno wave rider (326)
weekly total: 49.5 --big week for me!!