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Cool spring morning rush
Ebullient boys on the stairs
Regret fills my heart

Saturday, March 28 – Rosedale Ride

Marc & Dianne were already planning to do 40. Sarah and I had dropped down from 63 to 40 after realizing we are very busy moms with other things going on that day that we not only had to do but also wanted to do. 40 is nothing to be ashamed of, but we had a bit of a time convincing ourselves of that.

Was anyone outside on March 28? Well, if not, I’ll tell ya. A cold front blew in overnight. It was in the low 40s with a wind chill in the 30s. I can deal with cold. It’s not as fun to ride your bike when it’s cold as it is to run when it’s cold. It’s doable though, and your body does eventually warm up (if not your toes). The real issue this morning was the wind. Not a little wind either.

A few photos for your viewing pleasure.

I have never ridden in such wind before. It was not fun the way this ride is supposed to be. At the first stop (which we hadn’t planned on stopping at), Marc tells us they are doing the 20-mile route now. Sarah and I look at it each other. This is supposed to be fun, right? Are we having fun? No. Why do we need to kill ourselves and do 40?

We chose the 20 (22.9 actually), and it was (in the wise words of Sarah) one of the best decisions we’ve made in a long time. The back stretch of that ride was slow and so windy.

I made up new lyrics to a bunch of songs to make us laugh while we struggled to pedal. Sarah joined in and came up with some goodies. Enjoy, and I hope you sing along.

Bob Seger – Against the Wind

“Against the wind…I’m colder now but still riding against the wind.”

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Christopher Cross – Ride like the Wind

“I’ve got such a long way to go…
to make it to Samsung parking lot.
So I ride…ride in the wind.”

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Patrick Swayze – She’s like the Wind

“She hates wind in her face.
She’s pedaling but going no place.”

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Bette Midler – Wind Beneath my Wings

“Did you ever know that I can pedal
and not get anywhere at all?
I can ride faster than a snail
when the wind blows like a gale.”

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The Village People – YMCA

“We are riding in the W-I-N-D (insert hand movements)
Oh yes, we’re riding into the W-I-N-D.
It blows from the front.
And it blows from the side.
No matter which way we go, it blows.
Because we’re riding in the W-I-N-D
Oh yes, we’re riding in the W-I-N-D.”

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The Association – Everyone knows it’s Windy

“Who’s blowing me back while I fiercely pedal?
Who’s tipping my bike over sideways?
Who’s bending down to knock me clean off?
Everyone knows it’s Windy!”

So, in honor of the Wind, we stopped at Wendy’s for my usual half-n-half soda (half coke, half diet coke). Well, I had to get a picture for the ol’ blog. Sarah snapped this brilliant photo…

You are the Wendy’s beneath my wings.

Sunday, March 22 – 50 mile ride to San Marcos with Sarah, Dianne & Michelle. There were some very slow-going spots due to a combo of wind and inclines. We finally got to San Marcos about 45 minutes later than planned.

Dianne’s hubby Marc was waiting with their son, Alex. See, I’m not the only family who has to swap out workouts and take turns and do all sorts of somersaults just so both parents have a turn to train.

Dianne and Michelle had only planned to ride to SM, so they were blissfully loading up their bikes while Sarah and I stretched and braced ourselves for the ride back with Marc. The ride back was much more pleasant and much less windy, and we finished that same distance 30 minutes faster.

This must be the race meant for me!

Fat Ass Trail Run

I don’t miss the long runs.
There’s no time in my day to miss them.
Sarah and I have been cycling toward Rosedale on March 28.
It’s hard to get back in gear.
All of our long rides,
I’ve wondered how I rode 25 miles in the middle of a triathlon.
Man, I was in shape then.

So, dv laid out his goals for the world to read (whoever might the world be?).
I shall do the same, but I warn you. If you are here to read about running goals, you might need to hop off the track.

1. Complete 3 projects that have been looming over me for months and months. Complete them by May 15.

2. Rosedale Ride on March 28 – 65 miles

3. Rogue Trail Series:
May 3 – The Maze 10K Trail Run
May 31 – The Loop 10K Trail Run (they scheduled this early this year just for me, I’m sure!)
June 21 – The Bluff 10K Trail Run (um, sounds scary for clumsy folk)

And now, the Pièce de résistance:

4. Clean up my poems and write this summer. I won’t be working. I’ll have hours to compose while my kids swim and play. I am always writing in my head, so my big goal is to put pen to paper. Even if no one ever reads them. Yup. Maybe one day, I’ll go to a writing workshop. Or a bunch of workshops. I think they call that an MFA.

My 3M experience is forgettable. I’m happy for Sarah as she did fabulous.

We rarely had a training run where both of us felt good. One week, I’d be feeling superb while Sarah struggled. The next week I was whining (as usual) while Sarah was strong.

It didn’t matter the distance or terrain. It didn’t matter if it was thick and warm or crunchy and cool. We ran at odd times to accommodate our odd-mom schedules. There was one long run where we both felt like crap. We met at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon as that was the soonest we could both meet. We advise anyone to avoid running at 1pm on a fairly empty stomach.

I wasn’t as dedicated this year. I didn’t run as much or train as long. I started out fine, and Sarah and I had a race plan. I think it was between mile 2 and 3 that I knew something was wrong with me. I shook it off and thought I’d feel better after a Gu at the 5.5 mile water stop. I didn’t really feel better at all. I think I whined a bunch. I slowed us down from our race goal. At mile 7 I got quit dizzy and pulled out. I sent Sarah on with instructions for the rest of the race. She didn’t want to leave me, but I didn’t want to mess her 1st half-marathon up for her.

I walked a bit and thought I could catch her. Each time I ran, I’d feel nauseous and as though I was running 400s rather than a snail pace. It ached everywhere. I saw Linda cheering between mile 8 and 9 and almost quit as I asked if her car was nearby. Then I thought of David. He’d finished already. He’d given fibers of himself he didn’t know were there (I’m not saying that b/c that is what he told me after the race, I’m saying that b/c that is what I knew at the time he’d done). I thought of him jogging back down the course to meet us, looking for me, seeing Sarah, hearing her say I was not well and back further, him running along and not finding me.

I kept going. I tried to run. I walked. I made it to Duval and started to cry. I hung my head as I passed cheering Gazelles hoping they wouldn’t recognize DV’s lame-ass wife. By this point, I knew David was close. I tried to stop crying. Tried to stop feeling sorry for myself for feeling sick and sucking. Then I saw him. He was running on the sidewalk toward me. I couldn’t hold back my stinging tears anymore. The woman next to me gave a surprised look at my sob as I wiped my eyes and shielded my face from the world.

He knew already that I wasn’t well. He’d passed all of my running friends: Erin, Barb, Gayatri, Leslie, and Sarah. He saw me struggle, saw me pull out and dry heave, heard me lament about the first 10 miles, and heard me whine. He stayed with me until the last 200 meters where he pealed off to avoid crossing the finish line again with his chip.

Even after the way I felt, how I struggled, how I wanted to quit from feeling sick and dizzy and weak, I felt like I didn’t try hard enough. Isn’t that funny?

No race ever has been that hard for me. I am glad I finished. I hate that I took so long to do it. I don’t want to hear cheer-me-ups or any such nonsense.

Let’s all clap for Sarah as she finished her first half-marathon! Now we are on to training of the Rosedale Ride on March 28.

Ah, running. What can I say?

Humid, sticky long run last Friday morning with Sarah, Barb and Leslie A. Felt like a moist spring morning. Doesn’t G-tree dislike me saying “moist” or was that someone else? G-tree, here’s a “moist” shout-out for ya.

Circuit is still one of my favorites. Can’t get used to this Texas weather even though I’ve never lived anywhere else. Wanted fewer clothes running on Friday. Wanted more clothes Monday night at the AHS track for circuit. Perfect weather for running today, and I see some cold air is on slate for tomorrow. Maybe this year I’ll finally purchase decent running tights??

A perfect time this afternoon with my boys. A bit of whining on their part for going to the trail (really, it wasn’t me whining for a change). Once they settled it that we were going to the trail to bike and run, they were fine. We headed out the NE side of the trail to the 5 mile marker and back. I wanted a short tempo run, but it’s always hard with kids in tow (they were on their bikes).

Joshua asked for a stop at a lovely little tree patch before the wooden foot bridge east of The Four Seasons. There’s a little art statue thing that we admired. About 20 ducks were having a river party, and Joshua looked like a model lazily leaning against a gorgeous tree in its fall party clothes. The squirrels were like kittens scampering up for food. Some kind soul had left some peanuts on the statue, which we we tossed to them. I really think I could have petted them if I’d wanted to. They came closer when we did the “Tchk-Tchk-Tchk” of kitten and cat calling.

So, we took about a 5-minute break during my tempo run. I think that says a lot about what kind of runner I am. I don’t know many folks who pay much attention to the stunning scenery offered at Lady Bird Lake. If they do, most are too serious to actually stop. That stop Joshua requested today was the highlight of my run and my day.

I’m running a little bit more now. Maybe 3M. Maybe not.

Two notables during my “long” run this past Saturday.

The first highlight came before I even made it to Runtex, and that my friends, is heated seats. Our new-to-us vehicle is super fancy with all the bells and whistles, and one of those whistles is coming in real handy on cold mornings. My bottom cringed when I sat on the cold leather as I headed out. With a little flick of my finger, I turned the heating on to high. Ah, what a great invention, and decadence I’m happy to claim in our car. It might give new meaning to “hot cross buns” on those early mornings during marathon (or summin like that) training. If you don’t get the “cross” part, then I’m sorry for you.

Second highlight was running with Erin for 4 miles – a meager warm-up for her race the next day but a long run for me. I had wanted to run longer but the lure of running with someone (and a friend!) kept me at 4 miles. Which was fine. I also saw Gtree and Leslie after their long run. I love seeing those smiling faces. Makes me almost want to train for 3M. Almost. I’m not there yet. I’m licking my lips and thinking about it.

Sunday morning I was Captain of the St. Andrew’s water stop. My dear, sweet friend Sarah came to help me captain all the BlueCru kids and parents.

It was a really great experience, and I always love cheering at races. I had some wistfulness watching runners go by. Part of me wished I was running, but a larger part remembered how bad of a race I had last year (all my own fault).

I ran 5 times last week, which is a record for me since starting my full-time job (the one that pays b/c I’ve had a full-time job since Jan 14, 2000). Keep me honest folks. Make me keep it up. Looking forward to Circuit tonight. Yeah, I do like Circuit. I really do.

Joshua as John Chisum, and Elijah as Harry Potter.

I thought living vicariously through my husband would keep me a fit and a happy runner. Oh, I’ve continued to run so as not to fall totally to the wayside, but for some reason, my plan hasn’t worked.

I remember a long run in the summer – a 10-miler – where my knees started hurting again. That was around the same time that I started working full-time. We had recently moved, and with all the changes (and aching knees), I just stopped caring about how far I ran, how fast I ran, how often I ran. I had to readjust my priorities with less free time but the same busy family (and I mean busy).

I admit I haven’t done a good job of finding time for running. Excuses abound, but Americans today have more leisure time than ever before. So there is really no good excuse for why I have not found time. Motivation is a different story.

Well, there’s nothing like clothes fitting tighter. Nothing like that dreaded visit to a retail dressing room where the mirrors are set up in the cruelest way to show every part of your body that you normally (and thankfully) can’t see. And those lights! To sell more, I would think stores would find lights that softened and enhanced rather than pointed out all the glaring evidence of too many cookies and too much stagnation.

Visits like that for me make me want to eat a bunch of fresh out-of-the-oven oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Exactly the wrong thing I should do, right? Right. I know it. We all know it. It’s just that cookies are so darn good. And my favorites are oatmeal, so really, it’s healthy. Uh-huh. Really.

No more watching David cut full minutes off his PRs. No more hearing his alarm at 5am each day while I curl back under the delicious covers. It’s time to push away the Coca-Cola Classic. It’s time to count the calories and up the miles. It’s time to make use of that monstrosity of a gym I give money to each month. Who’s with me? Bueller? Bueller?