I just sat down with a bowl of Bubbies sauerkraut and Chris' homemade beef jerky, a glass of red wine, and Julie & Julia. I spent the beautiful fall Saturday photographing Heather and Alvaro's adorable twin boys (Angel & Xavier). I was only able to photograph for an hour because the boys were exhausted. I had so much fun though! It was great to see Heather (may have been 10 years?) and meet her husband Alvaro. They are such a beautiful family and are great parents!
After the photoshoot I met Chris, Timmy, Christin, and Martin at our new crossfit gym location to see if I could be of any help. I basically stood there while holding the equipment so it would not fall down. After taking Chris to the hardware store to get some nails for the equipment (or something) I stood around some more (playing Words, facebook-ing, messaging KDKA) until I started to feel bad/worthless enough and decided to leave. I was going to head home but decided to head to Beaver Valley Mall to get Barb and Graham's baby shower gift for Barb's shower tomorrow. I needed to feel productive and really did not want to go home to do nothing but sit inside and waste the beautiful day away.
Knowing I needed to blog about the happenings of the week I decided to pop in Julie & Julia in the DVD player to motivate me (for those of you who have not seen the movie, Julie blogs about cooking 524 recipes from Julia Child's cookbook in 365 days). The movie compares how Julie and Julia are similar. I got to thinking about how I am like the two of them. For those of you who know me AT ALL know I am not a cook. It is not that I cannot cook, I just don't particularly care to do it. So, obviously that is not how I am like them. Still searching... I finally found our connection. We all three have wonderful husbands. I could/would not ask for a better life partner than the one I married in July. He will do anything for me without a question. If I am having a melt down (as Julie often does while cooking) he will talk reason and if I tell him I want to become a professional photographer (like Julia telling her husband she wanted to become a cook) he is nothing but supportive. I am very fortunate to have the love of my life and best friend beside me!!! (enough cheese yet?)
Now, onto why I started this blog to begin with...
I did not work out as much as I would have liked to this week. I went to crossfit on Monday and sprinted 6x400s on Wednesday. At Crossfit I was able to do 3 pull-ups (kipping) WITHOUT a band for the first time EVERRRRRRRRRRR!!!! I have never been able to do a pull-up (not even when I was a child) so I was very excited! When I started going to Crossfit (in January 2009) I was only able to do a pull-up by jumping off a box. If I had been more consistent in attending Crossfit I am sure I would be able to do a lot more but I am getting there. Slowly, but surely. As for the Sprints – I wish we were still doing 200s. I thought sprinting 200 meters was bad until I sprinted the entire time around the track. I completed the 400s in 1:37, 1:50, 1:48, 1:48, 1:55, and 1:54 (an average of 1:48.6). Chris had wanted to me to complete the 400s in 1:45 (I am a little disappointed with myself) but I did them nonetheless.
Thursday, I spent my day off (November 11 – THANK YOU VETERANS!!!) with KDKA in Squirrel Hill eating sushi, spending money we do not have at Avalon Exchange. Thursday night was spent eating king crab legs, ice cream, and cake at the Cornmans for Jenny's birthday. Friday, I was too tired to do anything but come home and try to nap.
I hope to finish editing the photos of Heather and Alvaro's twins' pictures by next week/post. I will share them with you when I do!
Until then, CHEERS!
alyson
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Fr-Fr-Fr-Fr-Friday
I just got home from work, sat down, popped in Avatar, made a cup of tea, and I am talking to Chris until we are meeting at the Sewickley YMCA to participate in a swimming relay (from 6:30-7:30) to raise money for the YMCA scholarship fund for individuals who cannot afford a membership. I need my vegging time!
This week went by surprisingly quick for me. Not really sure why but I am not gonna complain! I had a pretty good week. Monday I went to Crossfit. We did a max effort snatch (3-3-3-1-1-1). I was only able to use the female bar (35 pounds) because I am weak but I did it nonetheless. Gotta start somewhere, right? We then completed a WOD (workout of the day) of: 10 box jumps, 1 clapping push-up, 9 box jumps, 2 clapping push-ups, 8 box jumps, 3 clapping push-ups, all of the way down to doing 1 box jump and 10 clapping push-ups. I am not able to do clapping push-ups but I was able to real push-ups the entire the workout which for me is an accomplishment. I completed the WOD in 7:20. Tuesday (Chris' birthday) I was lazy and did not run (I was supposed to run 12x200 meter sprints). My knee was still bothering me a little and I did not want to push it. On Wednesday, I went to Crossfit again where I did a max effort pistols (5-5-5-3-3-3) using a rope to help keep my balance so I could get up and down. The WOD for Wednesday was a 15 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of 7 dead lifts and 7 push presses with dumbbells. I dead lifted 65 pounds and I used 10 pound dumbbells for each arm to do the push presses. I completed 14 rounds plus 5 dead lifts. I was pretty pleased with this work-out as Chris and Timmy completed 11 to 12 rounds. Granted, they are lifting much heavier (I should have added more weights) weights but it is all relative, right? And yesterday I met Chris at the Quaker Valley track and I completed the 12x200 meter sprints I was supposed to do on Tuesday. I felt much stronger! Obviously a good sign. I completed the sprints in 46, 46, 47, 48, 46, 45, 47, 48, 46, 46, 46, and 44 seconds with an average of 46 seconds. While I was in the middle of the workout people started to show up for a middle school aged girls Arsenal soccer game. While running one of the legs I heard a kid yell “Go lady. You can do it!” I know I am 28 now but when did I become a lady? I mean, being called a “mam” is one thing but a “lady?” I don't know, but that sounds a little bit older to me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the kids cheering me on. I will take any encouragement I can get!
Usually on Fridays I am able to come home and enjoy a rest day but Chris and I are meeting at the YMCA to swim (as I mentioned above). At least it is for a good cause. Besides, I need to burn off the left over Halloween candy and chocolate cake I ate during the past week! Tomorrow, I hope to get another Crossfit workout in (Saturdays are usually pretty tough) and set up the equipment (if it is delivered) in our new gym. Otherwise, I hope to show KDKA the Southside/Squirrel Hill area. Possibly hit up a wine bar I have been wanting to try out for some time. And on Sunday, I have a photoshoot with two friends of ours, Barb and Graham. They are expecting their first child (a son) on Christmas Eve so I am going to take pregnancy photos of them. I am excited to do this! I talked with her today and she seemed excited as well. Maybe I will post some of the photos I take on my next entry!
Have a good weekend! Stay warm and I hope you enjoy the extra hour of sleep we get on Sunday! :)
This week went by surprisingly quick for me. Not really sure why but I am not gonna complain! I had a pretty good week. Monday I went to Crossfit. We did a max effort snatch (3-3-3-1-1-1). I was only able to use the female bar (35 pounds) because I am weak but I did it nonetheless. Gotta start somewhere, right? We then completed a WOD (workout of the day) of: 10 box jumps, 1 clapping push-up, 9 box jumps, 2 clapping push-ups, 8 box jumps, 3 clapping push-ups, all of the way down to doing 1 box jump and 10 clapping push-ups. I am not able to do clapping push-ups but I was able to real push-ups the entire the workout which for me is an accomplishment. I completed the WOD in 7:20. Tuesday (Chris' birthday) I was lazy and did not run (I was supposed to run 12x200 meter sprints). My knee was still bothering me a little and I did not want to push it. On Wednesday, I went to Crossfit again where I did a max effort pistols (5-5-5-3-3-3) using a rope to help keep my balance so I could get up and down. The WOD for Wednesday was a 15 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of 7 dead lifts and 7 push presses with dumbbells. I dead lifted 65 pounds and I used 10 pound dumbbells for each arm to do the push presses. I completed 14 rounds plus 5 dead lifts. I was pretty pleased with this work-out as Chris and Timmy completed 11 to 12 rounds. Granted, they are lifting much heavier (I should have added more weights) weights but it is all relative, right? And yesterday I met Chris at the Quaker Valley track and I completed the 12x200 meter sprints I was supposed to do on Tuesday. I felt much stronger! Obviously a good sign. I completed the sprints in 46, 46, 47, 48, 46, 45, 47, 48, 46, 46, 46, and 44 seconds with an average of 46 seconds. While I was in the middle of the workout people started to show up for a middle school aged girls Arsenal soccer game. While running one of the legs I heard a kid yell “Go lady. You can do it!” I know I am 28 now but when did I become a lady? I mean, being called a “mam” is one thing but a “lady?” I don't know, but that sounds a little bit older to me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the kids cheering me on. I will take any encouragement I can get!
Usually on Fridays I am able to come home and enjoy a rest day but Chris and I are meeting at the YMCA to swim (as I mentioned above). At least it is for a good cause. Besides, I need to burn off the left over Halloween candy and chocolate cake I ate during the past week! Tomorrow, I hope to get another Crossfit workout in (Saturdays are usually pretty tough) and set up the equipment (if it is delivered) in our new gym. Otherwise, I hope to show KDKA the Southside/Squirrel Hill area. Possibly hit up a wine bar I have been wanting to try out for some time. And on Sunday, I have a photoshoot with two friends of ours, Barb and Graham. They are expecting their first child (a son) on Christmas Eve so I am going to take pregnancy photos of them. I am excited to do this! I talked with her today and she seemed excited as well. Maybe I will post some of the photos I take on my next entry!
Have a good weekend! Stay warm and I hope you enjoy the extra hour of sleep we get on Sunday! :)
Monday, November 1, 2010
Boo...
I am sorry to say that I was unable to finish the second of my "twelve half marathons in 12 months" challenge...
The alarm (well Chris woke me up with what sounded like an alarm clock) went off at 645 on Saturday morning. We got up, bundled up, and were out of the door by 7:30. The race was in Moon Twp so we got there in no time. I had originally thought the race started at 8 but we waited around until 8:30 to start. It was pretty chilly! We had to scrape ice off my car before we left and pump the defrost full blast to keep the windows from frosting. Luckily, this time I did not have to dig for my scraper under three beach chairs and the beach blanket from our Labor Day weekend Ocean City trip like I had to the first time I needed it. Anyway, we got to the church (St. Phillips) around 7:45, picked up my packet, used the restroom (having to go to the bathroom during a run is almost as bad as this knee pain), and relaxed a little before the race started. Waiting around for the race to start is the hardest part. I am already nervous to begin with but seeing everyone else there who I am running with/against only intensifies my anxiety/nerves.
The race started promptly at 8:30 (here is the map of the run). There was a 5k and a 10 mile race. I was feeling great during the 5k loop and continued to feel pretty positive until about mile 4.2. My left knee (that has been giving me problems) was starting to hurt a little when I saw Chris at the point where the 5k runners turned in to finish and 10 milers kept running. I was feeling very positive and thinking I could definitely run another 10 miles. It wasn’t until just after the 4 mile mark that the knee pain started to become unbearable. It is the strangest thing! It goes from there being hardly any pain to excruciating. It feels like my knee is just going to break in half or tear if I run another stride. Luckily I had Chris' cell phone with me (he had mine so he could browse the internet while he patiently waited for me) so I called him to pick me up.
I only blame myself for the knee pain. The last time I got out for a long run (when I didn't last more than 4.5 miles) I was doing a pretty good job rolling out my IT Band with a foam roller consistently Unfortunately, I got out of that habit about as fast as I got into it. I had planned on rolling it out after my workouts last week but once I got in the house, I got sidetracked with something I needed to do/or would have rather been doing. My knee throbbed for most of the day after the race and didn't feel too well when I tossed and turned while sleeping but felt a lot better yesterday. It has only seemed to cause me pain if I put too much pressure on it, stand on it for too long, or allow my leg to hang without any kind of support underneath it.
However, I was able to stick to my training/working out schedule last week. I did all of the workouts I was supposed to do on their scheduled days. On Monday Chris and I did 8x200 meter sprints. Our street is pretty flat and straight so we were able to do them right in front of our house (I am sure we looked crazy to our neighbors – I am not really sure many people in Beaver County workout because I get lots of “you're crazy” looks). I completed the sprints in 39, 48, 47, 50, 51, 49, 53, and 47 seconds with an average being 48 seconds. I went to Crossfit on Tuesday and Thursday. On Wednesday I did 10x200 meter sprints in 46, 48, 46, 49, 45, 48, 48, 50, 48, and 46 seconds with an average being 47 seconds. So, despite the disappointing run on Saturday I am proud of myself for sticking to the workout schedule I had for for all of last week.
After Chris picked me up during the race, we headed straight to the REI in Robinson to shop for some five fingers. The first thing Chris said to me when I got in the car was “we need to get you some five fingers. That will help you so much.” He even said he used to have the same knee pain I have had but ever since he has been running in his five fingers he has not had any problems. I first tried on the Treks. They were a little snug but unfortunately they didn’t have the next size up in those (surprisingly I need the bigger size – I have small feet and usually need the smaller sizes). Then I tried on BIKILAs. They were almost impossible to put on. These shoes fit like gloves so I have to spread all of my toes wide for each toe to fit in their designated location. This is much harder to do than one would think! Our toes are so used to being squished together that they do not want to spread easily and for some reason the BIKILAs were much harder to put on then the Treks. Anyway, after finally getting my left foot in the “shoe” (took me about 5 minutes – it was getting a little embarrassing) I was able to put the right one on almost immediately. The BIKILAs felt better than the Treks but Chris was afraid the BIKILAs have too much traction on the bottom compared to the Treks which could end up defeating the purpose of buying the five fingers to begin with. Since I could not make a decision, we shopped a little at REI (found myself a nice down winter coat) then went to Barnes & Noble to look for engagement calendars we like to use for training/daily schedules/work schedule (I bought an Andy Warhol one for my personal life and a Zen one for work – I figured I would need to be reminded to “Zen out” more often at work than I would at home). Once we got home (Chris and I both get very overwhelmed while shopping so we did not last long) I hopped into a warm bath with Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets while Chris browsed the internet (his favorite thing to do) for five fingers. Knowing how much I love the color pink he found the BIKILAs in hot pink and orange. However, I did not end up purchasing anything yet but I think I am leaning toward the BIKILAs because they felt the most comfortable AND they are hot pink (obviously!!).
I will let you know if I end up purchasing them and what I think as I start to run in them. I am actually pretty excited to give them a try! Hopefully running in the BIKILAs will also help some of this knee pain that is causing me so much trouble.
Happy November and Monday! I hope you have a fabulous week!
Alyson
The alarm (well Chris woke me up with what sounded like an alarm clock) went off at 645 on Saturday morning. We got up, bundled up, and were out of the door by 7:30. The race was in Moon Twp so we got there in no time. I had originally thought the race started at 8 but we waited around until 8:30 to start. It was pretty chilly! We had to scrape ice off my car before we left and pump the defrost full blast to keep the windows from frosting. Luckily, this time I did not have to dig for my scraper under three beach chairs and the beach blanket from our Labor Day weekend Ocean City trip like I had to the first time I needed it. Anyway, we got to the church (St. Phillips) around 7:45, picked up my packet, used the restroom (having to go to the bathroom during a run is almost as bad as this knee pain), and relaxed a little before the race started. Waiting around for the race to start is the hardest part. I am already nervous to begin with but seeing everyone else there who I am running with/against only intensifies my anxiety/nerves.
The race started promptly at 8:30 (here is the map of the run). There was a 5k and a 10 mile race. I was feeling great during the 5k loop and continued to feel pretty positive until about mile 4.2. My left knee (that has been giving me problems) was starting to hurt a little when I saw Chris at the point where the 5k runners turned in to finish and 10 milers kept running. I was feeling very positive and thinking I could definitely run another 10 miles. It wasn’t until just after the 4 mile mark that the knee pain started to become unbearable. It is the strangest thing! It goes from there being hardly any pain to excruciating. It feels like my knee is just going to break in half or tear if I run another stride. Luckily I had Chris' cell phone with me (he had mine so he could browse the internet while he patiently waited for me) so I called him to pick me up.
I only blame myself for the knee pain. The last time I got out for a long run (when I didn't last more than 4.5 miles) I was doing a pretty good job rolling out my IT Band with a foam roller consistently Unfortunately, I got out of that habit about as fast as I got into it. I had planned on rolling it out after my workouts last week but once I got in the house, I got sidetracked with something I needed to do/or would have rather been doing. My knee throbbed for most of the day after the race and didn't feel too well when I tossed and turned while sleeping but felt a lot better yesterday. It has only seemed to cause me pain if I put too much pressure on it, stand on it for too long, or allow my leg to hang without any kind of support underneath it.
However, I was able to stick to my training/working out schedule last week. I did all of the workouts I was supposed to do on their scheduled days. On Monday Chris and I did 8x200 meter sprints. Our street is pretty flat and straight so we were able to do them right in front of our house (I am sure we looked crazy to our neighbors – I am not really sure many people in Beaver County workout because I get lots of “you're crazy” looks). I completed the sprints in 39, 48, 47, 50, 51, 49, 53, and 47 seconds with an average being 48 seconds. I went to Crossfit on Tuesday and Thursday. On Wednesday I did 10x200 meter sprints in 46, 48, 46, 49, 45, 48, 48, 50, 48, and 46 seconds with an average being 47 seconds. So, despite the disappointing run on Saturday I am proud of myself for sticking to the workout schedule I had for for all of last week.
After Chris picked me up during the race, we headed straight to the REI in Robinson to shop for some five fingers. The first thing Chris said to me when I got in the car was “we need to get you some five fingers. That will help you so much.” He even said he used to have the same knee pain I have had but ever since he has been running in his five fingers he has not had any problems. I first tried on the Treks. They were a little snug but unfortunately they didn’t have the next size up in those (surprisingly I need the bigger size – I have small feet and usually need the smaller sizes). Then I tried on BIKILAs. They were almost impossible to put on. These shoes fit like gloves so I have to spread all of my toes wide for each toe to fit in their designated location. This is much harder to do than one would think! Our toes are so used to being squished together that they do not want to spread easily and for some reason the BIKILAs were much harder to put on then the Treks. Anyway, after finally getting my left foot in the “shoe” (took me about 5 minutes – it was getting a little embarrassing) I was able to put the right one on almost immediately. The BIKILAs felt better than the Treks but Chris was afraid the BIKILAs have too much traction on the bottom compared to the Treks which could end up defeating the purpose of buying the five fingers to begin with. Since I could not make a decision, we shopped a little at REI (found myself a nice down winter coat) then went to Barnes & Noble to look for engagement calendars we like to use for training/daily schedules/work schedule (I bought an Andy Warhol one for my personal life and a Zen one for work – I figured I would need to be reminded to “Zen out” more often at work than I would at home). Once we got home (Chris and I both get very overwhelmed while shopping so we did not last long) I hopped into a warm bath with Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets while Chris browsed the internet (his favorite thing to do) for five fingers. Knowing how much I love the color pink he found the BIKILAs in hot pink and orange. However, I did not end up purchasing anything yet but I think I am leaning toward the BIKILAs because they felt the most comfortable AND they are hot pink (obviously!!).
I will let you know if I end up purchasing them and what I think as I start to run in them. I am actually pretty excited to give them a try! Hopefully running in the BIKILAs will also help some of this knee pain that is causing me so much trouble.
Happy November and Monday! I hope you have a fabulous week!
Alyson
Monday, October 25, 2010
I'm still here...
I am sorry I have been so bad about keeping up with this blog! Here are my excuses:
1)I had to write/finish our thank yous for all of our wonderful wedding gifts.
2)Being sick
3)Finding it hard to write
4)laziness
Do those sound okay? Anyway, my new goal is to blog once a week. I am starting a new training program with Chris this week! Hopefully I will be able to follow it/stick to it. No, not “hopefully” I WILL stick to it!!! So, that will make it easier for me to have something to talk about every week.
So, let's see what has been going on over the past month...
I have been pretty slack with my training for my half marathons. I have run a few times and have been going to crossfit when I am not “too tired.”
Last week (October 16th) was supposed to be my second half marathon. Unfortunately, since my birthday weekend, I have had a terrible cough that kept me up at night. Needless to say I wasn't getting enough sleep at night and had no energy throughout my day to do anything when I got home from work but to sit on my couch and write a few thank you letters. I took off the Thursday before the race in hopes of getting rest before the race but that did not help.
Luckily, there is another race this weekend on Saturday (October 30th). It is only a 10 mile run but Chris is going to meet me at the finish and run the last 3.1 miles with me! I am a little nervous about this race as it is a small one and my fear of finishing last is always on the back of my mind (hahaha). But I am excited nonetheless.
I will update everyone on Monday after the race.
Talk to you then,
Alyson
1)I had to write/finish our thank yous for all of our wonderful wedding gifts.
2)Being sick
3)Finding it hard to write
4)laziness
Do those sound okay? Anyway, my new goal is to blog once a week. I am starting a new training program with Chris this week! Hopefully I will be able to follow it/stick to it. No, not “hopefully” I WILL stick to it!!! So, that will make it easier for me to have something to talk about every week.
So, let's see what has been going on over the past month...
I have been pretty slack with my training for my half marathons. I have run a few times and have been going to crossfit when I am not “too tired.”
Last week (October 16th) was supposed to be my second half marathon. Unfortunately, since my birthday weekend, I have had a terrible cough that kept me up at night. Needless to say I wasn't getting enough sleep at night and had no energy throughout my day to do anything when I got home from work but to sit on my couch and write a few thank you letters. I took off the Thursday before the race in hopes of getting rest before the race but that did not help.
Luckily, there is another race this weekend on Saturday (October 30th). It is only a 10 mile run but Chris is going to meet me at the finish and run the last 3.1 miles with me! I am a little nervous about this race as it is a small one and my fear of finishing last is always on the back of my mind (hahaha). But I am excited nonetheless.
I will update everyone on Monday after the race.
Talk to you then,
Alyson
Thursday, September 23, 2010
13.1 #1: COM-PLETE
Katie, Chris, Martin, and I left Saturday morning for the Dam Half race. We stopped in State College (race was just outside of there in Mifflinburg, PA) for lunch and a Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary was nothing to write home about but I had a delicious Chicken Cobb salad (filled with real greens not iceberg lettuce– my favorite). After lunch we headed to the Best Western close to Lewisburg. The hotel was very nice and I was very disappointed to see they had an indoor pool and hot tub as I did not bring my swim suit with me. The one time I did not follow my number one cardinal traveling rule: always bring a swimsuit. It would have been relaxing to sit in the hot tub the night before the race. The boys were able to enjoy it though. As we were trying to find the hotel we saw a sign that advertised bingo on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 6:30 so we decided to test our luck. It was 35 dollars per person (two would have to pay the 35 but the other two were free since we were new) all you can play until 10:30. Didn’t sound like a bad deal if we were willing to stay there all night (which we were not) so we headed to Lewisburg. What a cute town! It reminded me a lot of Sewickley but a little bigger. We walked around a little, grabbed dinner, and Chris and I had a glass of Shiraz (a good way to hydrate before a race :-P) at a local restaurant/bar in town. Food wasn’t fantastic but it is hard to go wrong with big glass of red wine. After dinner we headed back to the room. Chris and Martin “picked up chicks at the pool” while Katie and I laid in bed and played Words against each other.
My alarm went off at a way to soon 6:00 am Sunday morning. Of course no one really got out of bed until 6:30 but we were on the road at 6:50. I am not sure about anyone else, but I get extremely nervous before any race I run in. I have no idea why. It is not like I am actually competing in these races. I am just terrified that I am not going to be able to finish or come in last. We got to the park around 7:30ish to pick up our packets (packet pickup was Saturday night 6-7 and Sunday morning 6:00-7:45). When it was my turn to get my packet/number the woman handing out the packets asked for my last name. When she asked for my last name I first said “Brantley” then immediately corrected myself saying “Cornman.” The woman was sweet and said to me “It sounds like Congratulations are in order because it seems like you are a newlywed.” I sign Cornman at work all of the time but really haven’t had the chance to introduce myself as a Cornman yet. I thought the hardest part would be getting into the habit of writing it not saying it (still find it hard to call Chris my husband. I think I even referred to him as my boyfriend recently. Haha!).
While we were waiting for the race to begin I asked Chris if he would run with me. He kinda laughed and said he would for a little. But as the race started he and Martin took off close to the front of the pack while I hung back and just took my time. As I was running (maybe within in the first mile) I spotted a woman (Phoebe) wearing five fingers. I asked her how they were treating her and we got to talking. We ended up sticking together the entire race. A huge help! I am not sure if she realizes it though (Thank You Phoebe). It is nice to have someone to talk with who turns out having a lot in common with you. I have been on the fence about purchasing a pair of five fingers but I think may have to now. Phoebe told me her husband (who also wore his for the full marathon) got her into them because she was having a lot of Achilles pain. Her husband did some research for her to find out what the cause for the pain she was experiencing and discovered the five fingers. Phoebe said that since she began wearing the five fingers in April, she has not had any more problems with her achilles. She pretty much sold me! However, I think she wished (and I think she would agree) she had a shoe with a little bit more cushion (she mentioned looking into getting herself a pair of Nike Frees when she runs trails) for the terrain we were running on. I found it humorous all of the questions people asked her about them as they ran past (or we passed). Always the same, “how do those feel on the trail?” Quite an obvious answer I would think. But she was very nice when answering the questions people asked.
I ran most of the race which I was impressed with myself for doing. I really only walked when I got to the three hills we had to climb and when the path became too rocky to run comfortably (and safely) on. Now it is time to talk about these hills. I really do not think anyone would be able to run up them. They are almost vertical and keep going and going and going and going and going. The first two were the hardest for me. Not sure why but the last one (and by far the hardest/longest/steepest) was a little easier for me. Maybe because I knew the end was near or because there was an aid station right before where I was able to hydrate with water. At the bottom of the hill there was a banner hanging in between two trees at the beginning of the trail that said “Stairway to Heaven” and there were little fake grave sites with skulls and cross bones (really wish I had my camera with me). Just as the hill crested there were rocks you had to climb up and down. Of course the downhill on the rocks was much harder than climbing up because you really had to keep your balance or you could fall.
After that last hill, there was about a mile of downhill until the finish. Most of it was spent walking because it was still relatively rocky. Plus, the outside of my left knee started to hurt again. But I finished in 3:45:54.70. My goal was to finish under 4 hours (MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!). Even Chris was surprised when I came around the bend. I guess he didn’t feel too good (he finished 2:28 and Martin 2:24) throughout the race (especially at the last hill) so he wasn’t expecting me for another hour. It was nice to see the surprise on his face which made me feel a little better about my finish.
After we finished I got a plate of chicken, noodles, and veggies for the road as there was a Steelers game on we absolutely had to watch. We stopped in State College on the way back to watch the game. We watched the game at Damon’s because it was the first/closest bar off the exit. I was too full from eating my to-go plate of goodies that I didn’t eat anything BUT I had a Bloody Mary (delicious) and a blue Margarita. After burning around 1200 calories (probably more because of the hills) I thought it was only fair to have two alcoholic beverages. I also made Chris promise me I could get an ice cream. So I made Martin drive us back to campus to go to The Creamery (where I haven’t been) to get an ice cream cone. Unfortunately, the line was too long so we stopped at a Sheetz on the way home where I got a Snickers ice cream bar. It wasn’t what I imagined but at least I got ice cream.
We got home around 7:30 Sunday. I was limping pretty badly because of my left knee pain but I rolled my IT band out immediately. I didn’t sleep too well on Sunday night and did not feel well on Monday (still limping). But by Tuesday I felt %100 better. The only things bothering me on Tuesday were my calves. So overall not too bad.
13.1 #1 is now behind me. I had a lot of fun running the race and I am excited for number 2. I hope to get out for a run today (supposed to be 89 today – first day of fall? Hmm).
Alyson
Thursday, September 16, 2010
13.1 #1 approaches...
I haven't updated this thing for a while. Sorry!
Not much has changed. Chris and I have been pretty busy the past 3 to 4 weeks.
Our schedule:
August 28-29 – moved into OUR new house! (saying “our” will never get old)
September 3-6 – Ocean City with friends for Labor Day weekend
September 10-12 – Cleveland, OH for Christopher's (cousin) wedding
Needless to say, there has been a lot of drinking, staying up late, and more drinking which results in me having no energy during the week. I am not sure about you but I normally do not catch up on my sleep until Thursday of the week after a crazy weekend. Sooo, unfortunately I have not been running/training as much as I would like to (maybe have run twice since my last blog :-/). It is not that I am not taking this challenge seriously. We have just had a busy end of August and September.
I did make it out for a 5 mile-ish (just under 5) run Tuesday with Katie (i.e. KDKA – moved to Pgh from Chi-town in August). I felt pretty good during the run. The outside of my right knee did start to hurt. It was not until after we finished the run did I realize how sore it was. Chris seems to think it is my IT Band. That actually reminds me that I need to roll it out when I get done writing this. Anyway, I also think another cause could have been my shoes. I wore my old Asics GT 2120s (because I couldn't find the ones I usually run in) for the first time in about 9 months. I have had the things for years (still wear them but just for walking around) and they have a lot more cushion in the heel compared to my Nike Free 3.0s (they are hot pink and anyone who knows me knows I love anything pink) which I love. I felt like I was wearing cement on my feet! The Frees force me to run on my forefront (a more natural movement) because there is not much cushion on the heel. The cushioned Asics allows me/runners to heel strike (a BIG no no) while the Frees do not (at least not as much). Chris has been trying to get me into a lighter shoe (recently has been pushing 5 fingers) for a while now and it wasn't until I actually gave them a chance that I could feel a difference.
Anyway, I am pretty excited for my first 13.1 this weekend! The race is on Sunday so we are leaving Saturday morning. I am excited to be around the State College area again. It looks like Penn State is playing Kent State on Saturday at noon. So, no need to rush up there to partake in any of the tailgating festivities (no offense Ashley :-)).
Ohhhhh, and I have already signed up for halfs for 2010.
October 16 – Buffalo Creek in Butler, PA
November 21 – Cleveland Fall Classic in Cleveland, OH (obvi!)
December 4 – St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis, TN.
I am having a hard time finding any 13.1s close by (western PA) in January and February. If anyone knows of any, please let me know!
I will update after the Dam Half. Hopefully I survive :)
until next time,
acornwoman.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I should be packing...
I just got back Sunday from a very relaxing vacation in Topsail, NC with the Cornmans (my in-laws – sounds weird to say that). All I did was lay by the ocean and read books (I finished 4!). Needless to say, I was too busy relaxing to run much. I went on a 45 minute run on Sunday (our first day there). I was hoping for 90 minutes but dayyyyamn it is gets hot down there early. And I thought it was humid/hot/sticky in Pittsburgh before we left! But hey, at least I got one in, right? I also went to the local gym where we were able to get day passes. I was hoping to be able to do a crossfit workout but none of the machines were compatible with doing a crossfit workout. So I just did a stair climbing machine for like 20 minutes. I forget how much I do not like the gym. The only thing I miss about going to a gym is the pool and classes. I forgot how imtimidating the guys walking around with cutoff shirts are.
In other news, Chris and I bought our first home!!! It is in Harmony Township (in between Ambridge and Baden). We closed on Monday and are uber excited to start our life together in a place we can finally call our own.
Which brings me to yesterday's run. I was planning on running in Beaver (where I work). I know a good 5.25 mile loop there but we had a staff meeting at the end of the day at our main building in New Brighton. I had stuff to drop off at the house (we are moving the small stuff throughout the week and the big stuff on Saturday) so I just went straight to the house after the meeting to unpack what I had in the car and ran around our new house. I felt pretty good the first 40 minutes but started to really slow down (and for those of you who know how slow I normally run I mean really sloooooooooooow) for the last 20 minutes. The run was not very scenic but relatively flat (and by flat I mean as flat as Pittsburgh can get). A lot of concrete which really hurt my feet and legs. But I ran for a full hour which I have not done since before our wedding. I know I will have another two hours to run in The Dam Half but it is still a good start.
I have 25 more days left until my first 13.1. I am hoping to be able to run for at least 2 hours (around 10 miles – see! I told you I was slow) before the big day! I plan on running again on Thursday. Maybe running another hour but I will just see how I feel. I definitely need to find a good area to run close to where we are going to be living though because yesterday's route is not going to cut it long term.
until next time,
cornWOman
In other news, Chris and I bought our first home!!! It is in Harmony Township (in between Ambridge and Baden). We closed on Monday and are uber excited to start our life together in a place we can finally call our own.
Which brings me to yesterday's run. I was planning on running in Beaver (where I work). I know a good 5.25 mile loop there but we had a staff meeting at the end of the day at our main building in New Brighton. I had stuff to drop off at the house (we are moving the small stuff throughout the week and the big stuff on Saturday) so I just went straight to the house after the meeting to unpack what I had in the car and ran around our new house. I felt pretty good the first 40 minutes but started to really slow down (and for those of you who know how slow I normally run I mean really sloooooooooooow) for the last 20 minutes. The run was not very scenic but relatively flat (and by flat I mean as flat as Pittsburgh can get). A lot of concrete which really hurt my feet and legs. But I ran for a full hour which I have not done since before our wedding. I know I will have another two hours to run in The Dam Half but it is still a good start.
I have 25 more days left until my first 13.1. I am hoping to be able to run for at least 2 hours (around 10 miles – see! I told you I was slow) before the big day! I plan on running again on Thursday. Maybe running another hour but I will just see how I feel. I definitely need to find a good area to run close to where we are going to be living though because yesterday's route is not going to cut it long term.
until next time,
cornWOman
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Número uno
Soooooooooo, I have picked my first 13.1 to run... The Dam Half in Mifflinburg, PA (near State College). I am getting pretty excited for it. It will be my first trail race. Needless to say, it will be a difficult one but scenic. Fortunately, it is expected to walk for some of this race. At one point (toward the end of the race) the elevation changes from 1400ft to 2100ft in between miles 11 and 12. But what goes up must come down, right? Quite honestly, I am just hoping to finish this under 4 hours.
I just got back from a 5.5 mile run with Martin (a friend of ours). Unfortunately, we did not make it the whole 5.5 miles but we ran most of it. It was difficult to do with the temperature being 95 and what feels like 100% humidity. Luckily, I was smart enough to bring my camelback and the route I picked to run was pretty shaded. I was feeling pretty good until I had to use the restroom (númeron uno) at the bottom of War Memorial trail in Sewickley. For those of you who know the city of Pittsburgh well, hills are impossible to avoid and Sewickley is no different. I can normally run up the trail, which is a gradual uphill to Sewickley Heights, but normally I would run this trail at the beginning of a run not toward the end.
But, enough excuses. The point is I finished and I am still proud of myself for at least getting out there and doing something. I am excited I have started to run again. I forgot how much I enjoy it. I hope to run a few more times this week (4 or 5 miles). I would really like to run a complete 90 minutes on Sunday morning. We shall see....
Until next time,
cornWOman
I just got back from a 5.5 mile run with Martin (a friend of ours). Unfortunately, we did not make it the whole 5.5 miles but we ran most of it. It was difficult to do with the temperature being 95 and what feels like 100% humidity. Luckily, I was smart enough to bring my camelback and the route I picked to run was pretty shaded. I was feeling pretty good until I had to use the restroom (númeron uno) at the bottom of War Memorial trail in Sewickley. For those of you who know the city of Pittsburgh well, hills are impossible to avoid and Sewickley is no different. I can normally run up the trail, which is a gradual uphill to Sewickley Heights, but normally I would run this trail at the beginning of a run not toward the end.
But, enough excuses. The point is I finished and I am still proud of myself for at least getting out there and doing something. I am excited I have started to run again. I forgot how much I enjoy it. I hope to run a few more times this week (4 or 5 miles). I would really like to run a complete 90 minutes on Sunday morning. We shall see....
Until next time,
cornWOman
Monday, July 19, 2010
here goes nothing...
Challenge: complete a half marathon a month
I came up with a brilliant idea yesterday while I was sitting at home while my husband, Chris, was out for his weekly long run (3 hours) - he is so dedicated! I was feeling guilty because I was not out there also, so I started to think of ways to motivate myself to keep running. Soooo, I said to myself “why not run a half- marathon a month?!” So, here goes nothing…
For those of you who’ve known me for most of my life; you know I used to hate to run. I could never comprehend why people decided to spend more than 1 minute, let alone hours, of their day running. I have always participated in sports that involved running like lacrosse, basketball, softball, and soccer. I am an athletic person (Dad’s side) but I had other things I was doing while I was running. I tried in high school to run as I had friends and twin sisters, Cameron and Melissa, who ran on the cross country team. I never made it more than 1.5 miles at a time. I would get terrible shin splints, be short of breath, and get just plain bored.
It was not until the winter of 2007 that I decided I would like to try this running thing I kept hearing people talk about. I had gained a few (is 10 a few?) extra pounds after college and needed something other than just doing the elliptical for 30 minutes at the gym. Chris, who has been running since he was a kid chasing his sister on her bike, helped me come up with a running plan where I could start small and build my way up. 13.1 miles was not even a thought in my mind. I was just hoping for 1 mile at a time at that point. I started by running for like a minute then walking for like 3 minutes then running another minute then walking another 3 minutes and so on. I eventually got up to being able to run 30 minutes at a time. The key was Chris telling me I did not need to run fast and reminding me my goal was just to run for as long as I could. I think that is what really changed my opinion of running. Realizing I did not have to win the race to enjoy it.
My first race was the Gasparilla Distance Classic 5k (Cam and Chris ran a 15k) in February 2008 in Tampa Bay, FL. Cameron was living down there at the time and Chris and I went to visit her. The race just so happened to be the weekend Chris and I were visiting Cam. I remember the conversation I had with her very well. She said, “There is a race the same weekend y’all are going to be in town so why don’t you do the 5k?” She must have asked me on a good day because I accepted the challenge. I remember being so nervous I would finish last, because when I say I am slow I mean sloooooooooooow. After I finished I was ready to conquer the running world – runners high? I think so!
I continued to run after my first 5k and but was unable, and a little afraid to run more than 35 minutes at a time. As a side note, I prefer things to be divisible by 5, so running 34 or 36 minutes was just out of the question. Feeling stuck where I was, I to challenged myself a little more and decided to start training for a half marathon in the Fall of 2008. I just love Chicago, and my family who lives there!, so I decided to run the Chicago 13.1 in September of that year.
Chris and I made the trek there by car on a Friday. We went to the Expo downtown on Navy Pier on Saturday with my cousins Katie and Brie (Chicago cousins) to pick up our race packets. In my opinion the best part of running these races are the t-shirts you get AND THE MEDAL!! It was raining on Saturday and did not stop on Sunday. Hurricane Ike had just hit the coast and made its way up through the states to Chicago just in time for race day. When I say it rained the entire race I am not exaggerating. And I wouldn’t even say rain, more like a downpour! We were drenched by the end. Our clothes actually started to foam because we think the water mixed with the detergent from our clothes. But I FINISHED! I finished 2:22:00!!! Much faster than I had anticipated!!! I just wanted to finish before 3 hours, which is when the “slow bus” picks up people who are not on a pace to finish under 3 hours. I was terrified of the “slow bus”!!!
The next race I completed was the St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis, TN in December 2009. I ran with my sisters, cousin Katie, cousin-in-law JR, and friends of Melissa’s from STL as a part of a team to raise money for St. Jude. We all had so much fun. No one had trained for it. I do not think I had even run a mile in two months before the race, but everyone completed it. My favorite part of the St. Jude Half Marathon was running through the St. Jude campus and seeing the kids who are there getting treatment and hearing them cheer everyone on! So emotional and inspirational! We all plan on doing it again in December and I cannot wait!
So after all of that, I would like to run my first 13.1 of 12 in September. I am not sure which race I would like to run but I am excited to start this adventure.
Official training starts today. Here goes nothing…
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