WurstRun

Sometimes the WurstRuns are the best runs!
And no I'm not talking about bowel issues

...A celebratory dinner and a bottle of wine later, Reese's and I were expected to run a 5 mile race the this morning. Twas the WurstRun.



And it twas amazing...to say the least.

Weather: Perfect. Who doesn't want to run in a beautiful, cool place where humidity is unheard of!

Trail: Perfect. Only 1 real hill, and it didn't even take anything out of me because it was so nice and cool out!

Start: So naturally Reese's and I were super revved about running our first race since training started this summer and we were all geared-up. We were equipped with all the regulars that run with us, Garmin, BondiBand, iPod, and moleskin.

We started out strong at a 10 minute/mile pace...which terrified me. I don't like to feel tired and I knew if we kept up the 10 minute pace I was be EXHAUSTED. So naturally Reese's took off down the street while I stayed firmly at my 10 minute/30 second pace. Hmm...I'm pretty sure it's accurate to say she has a competitive side when it comes to running.

Mid-run: It's crazy what you learn during your first race. Apparently people just start running with you...people that you don't know. I was halfway into mile 3 and I notice a man running right next to me. Me being a 1 person per bubble kind of gal, I tried to speed up a little to get him out of my bubble. I mean seriously....get your own bubble.



So when I sped up...he sped up.

I slowed down....he slowed down. It was hard not to look over and say...

"Ok what gives dude! I'm trying to run a race here!"

Only thing was, I can't talk and run at the same time...it messes up my rhythm. So I gave it one more try at losing the guy with no avail. So I figure when God gives you lemons....or a random runner who is hell-bent on running with you... ya might as well make some freaking lemonade!

So we ran a good mile together and when one person sped up, the other followed suit and we quickened our pace to a 9.40/mile for mile number 4.

If this would have happened in any other setting, I would have kung-fued his ass thinking he was out for the big rape!

Crazy things you learn during your first race.

End: As I jogged towards the finish line Reese's cheered me on from the side lines, took pictures, and made me feel like I'd just run a marathon....only divided by 5 times the mileage. I finished my 5 miles in 52 minutes. I am super proud of myself JUST for finishing. I'll work on speed later.

Now I've always loved Wurstfest. So naturally I thought it appropriate to the run the WurstRun. What I didn't know is that Wurstfest would take it to an entirely new level of love and attachment. After the race you went to the nearest table and picked up a beer and sausage taco.



No joke! I mean it's my personal heaven. Cool weather, running, and beer! You just haven't lived until you've experienced this tripod of goodness.

Best of all, the greasy sausage won't go to your hips because, hey, you just ran 5 miles! Eat up. No chubby sausage lady here!



So now what?
So now back to life in Corpus. Keep training. I am officially signed up for the Austin 1/2 marathon in February.



Heads up Austin!

It was nice knowin ya Scottie

Last Day of Training
So yesterday was our last day of training with the precious Scottie boy. We had a happy work out though, did some weights, I watched Reese's do some crunches, all in all, it was a bittersweet departure from the sweet little trainer.

We found out 2 things about Scott during the last training session:

1. Scott does in fact have a sense of humor.
As Reese's and I were doing these step up-downs on a box thing (great description I know) there was a guy, imagine that! A guy in a work out room, who woulda thought. Anyhow, so this guy in shorts and a shirt that was torn so all the other guys could see how big his muscles were, came up right next to us to do pull ups.



Now, I do realize just how hard pulls are....come to think of it I don't know if I could honestly do 1 pull up on my own.

So he starts doing a rapid set of pull ups and starts to do the I'm-a-tough-guy-in-a-gym grunt. If you know at all by now you know what I started thinking at this point...



Grunting in public is not only distracting for others, but it has the potential to really ruin a female's workout when you stand that close to her and grunt. I mean come on, who's not going to burst out in laughter?!



You know, as if grunting while you lift weights or do physical activity will make you appear stronger. Suddenly he finishes his set of 30 pull ups and grunts off and mumbles something under his breath. But having Reese's as a part of my workout crew you can count on her to pay close attention to detail, and catch all those important mumbles people make.

This was his mumble.

"I'm f***ing strong"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

So obviously the theme for the rest of the workout (and probably for the rest of the week) was, "I'm effing strong." Note: If you're going to also use this theme for your day I request that you do so in a low, man-voice. Also be sure and growl a little....it really gives it the emphasis this saying needs.

Scott said that Reese's and I should get our personal training certificates and lead an exercise class...we could be called "Grunt and Sweat." Scott officially has a sense of humor and we love him for it.

Watch out Scott, we may just take you up on that and have the best workout class at TAMUCC.



Note: No girls under 135 pounds are aloud in the door....we don't like the skinnies.

2. Scott really is as sweet as he appears to be.
Scott proved his innocence once and for all when he asked what "fugly" meant. If you don't know...don't ask.

We will miss you sweet Scott.

The Coffee Shop Hop

What a Relaxing Saturday
So not running yesterday...wait, I did run yesterday. Hmm, then I can't explain why I felt so good today. Hm, fancy that.

So today was all about catching up on work. So I packed my bags and rode off into the distance via Black Beauty, my transformer. I wasn't in the mood to go to my typical coffee shop, Coffee Waves, even though it is A-mazing, and so Austin-like.



So I asked Black Beauty where we should go, and she took me here...



Agua Java. Cute. Has a night downtown feel to it, but after a few hours of writing there I decided to push on my tour for the perfect cafe where I can see the water. Amidst my Agua Java adventure, a man (late 20's, early 30's) passes by me, points at my seemingly short list of things I had to write about, and makes some remark like, "getting a lot of studying done are ya?" I laughed awkwardly and wanted to say that short list turns into 15 pages of pure magic on paper....rude man! Anyhow, I'm still not sure whether he was just making a bad joke or was being a little nit-picky to a complete stranger. I should hunt him down and ask him.

Orphan no More!

My Papa
So I'm one of those freaky kids who lovesss my dad, aka John Wayne and how marches to the beat of his own drum.

So when I received a photo of my father, who would live int he mountains 24-7 with no running water, electricity, or other people around, on a computer in a bar, checking his finances. I could only hope to one day be like him.



Winter Texans are Home-bound
John Wayne and....hmm what shall I call Mom? How about...The Irish Bride maybe? Lets try it on for size during this blog and if I don't like it anymore, the nickname will change.

Back to the story...so John Wayne and The Irish Bride



...have officially left the uncivilized area of the North Fork of the Flathead River, Montana, and are driving back to the Great State of Texas.

Hallelujah I'm not an orphan anymore!

Runner's Knee...sounds awful don't ya think?

How did I hear about Runner's Knee?
Last night I went to dinner with a few people from town and met a new couple who had recently run the Harbor 1/2. Yes...the race I should have been running, but skipped out on training a few weeks...whoops! Anyhow after I found out it was definitely hot outside and the sun was shining that day, I happily ate cheese and drank Dr. Pepper with my sister by the pool that day.

I'm SUCH an athlete...what can I say.

So anyhow, this cute little running couple told me how much they loved the 1/2 marathon (hubby) and the 6 miles (wifey) that they ran. Anyway, they told me they had never heard of runner's knee until it happened to the wife the day of the race.

So what IS it Already?!
Runner's knee, formally named patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS)...whew that's a mouthful, is basically awful pain in the knee cap from:

1) Overuse

2) Direct trauma

3) Misalignment

4) Problemos con tus patas

5) Weak thigh muscle...story of my life



I just looked this syndrome up, so yeah...just hearing "runner's knee" last night I assumed "ohhh, it's when you run 7 miles and your legs give out." Incorrect, I think that's just called "overdoing it."


Treatment
Where another piece of running gear of course.



Now don't worry fam, when I get to THIS point in my running career...



...when I'm sitting on the sidewalk cursing my knee...I'll just give up and go back to enjoying not sweating and pushing my heavy body down the street every night. Lol...come to think of it...WAIT! No! I almost gave up pre-knee injury, whew, gotta be strong!

Quick Question
So riddle me this...why do awesome volleyball players wear things to protect them from runner's knee? They're not running anywhere.

Running Gear is Weighing me Down I tell Ya

Weight
Weight is such a huge issue these days, I don't get why people make such a fuss and refuse to tell people....I mean, LIKE it's a big deal or something.



That there, what you just read above, was a joke by the way. If you thought for 2 seconds that I was going to tell you my weight you are out of your flippin' mind!



(lo siento por las palabras)

I WILL tell you however I feel heavier when I have my running gear on. Runners are crazy!

Runners are crazy enough as it is, who is their right mind would pay to run over 20 miles, AKA a marathon? So some of these already-crazy people just HAVE to take it to the next level of running craziness, by doing the unforgivable.

...Why do some people, you know you've seen them, run down the road with a full out FANNY PACK?!



It's still a fanny pack even if you slap a couple water bottles on it and say you're a runner...IT IS STILL A FANNY PACK....just say no!

Notice in the following photos, none of these people allow their faces to be in the picture. Hm I wonder why?



Obviously this model in Russia didn't get the no-fanny while running memo, and to add fuel to the fire put her dog in her fanny. What a fruit loop!



I wonder how many times that dog puked on the run?

Appropriate Running Gear
So I've decided on some appropriate running gadgets that won't weigh me down as much as usual. Oh yes, and these are all appropriate to wear in public and not shame your fellow runners...or yourself.

The Garmin...awwww


You've heard me talk about this magical gift from God several times now so I won't bore you.

The BondiBand



Ok yes, when you first put it on you feel a little silly, but after a 5 mile jog and there's no sweat dripping into your eyes, you'll sport it with pride.

iPod Shuffle

It's itsy-bitsy and fits comfortably on the back of your shorts while you run.

Shoes

I feel like shoes weigh the most, but hell I guess you gotta have them to run.

Last but not least...
Don't forget to strategically place water on your route so you don't pass out mid-run. Be careful with this idea though, I couldn't find my water bottle last night on my run so I was parched. It was either hidden in some grass....or the homeless man got it. We shall never know.

Me and my Mueller

2nd Long Run Complete
Last night I completed my 2nd long run in my 1/2 marathon training.

Yogged: 5 miles


No, not naked, but that would be hilarious. Note the nudist on the right is wearing his heart monitor. Running naked is only funny until somebody dies of a heart attack.

Yogging Pace: Glacial

Walked: 1.70 miles



Pace: Slow but happy to not be running.

Blisters: Minimal (minimal ONLY because I wore my Moleskin...hmmm I love my Moleskin)

Post Run
After I was back in the safety of my own apartment, I collapsed in a sweaty heap and recovered from an evening of visibly unhappy running. If you've ever run in public, it's not fun to have people turn and look at you while they're driving, inevitably to giggle and make fun of the fact that you look like you're dying. So naturally I try to look alive as possible when I run...and THEN let the look of death sink in after I'm home and the doors and windows are shut!

Post Shower
After a full recovery including 3 glasses of water (I love water weight, so easy to gain yet so easy to lose), a shower and a few cuss words along the way I sat down in my comfy chair to get some work done.

Now take a look at this chair! Doesn't it look comfy? i could lounge in this for hours and accomplish absolutely nothing!



Sadly, I don't have that chair. I have this chair.



Looks fun doesn't it?

But then look at THIS chair? This would be ideal for me. Talk about getting some serious multitasking done all in one chair?! I could see this as a good Christmas or birthday gift. Not a joint gift of course...us December babies deserve 2 gifts each year just like the rest of ya!



So when I stood up from MY chair, I realized my knees hated me...LOATHED me. Crippled has whole new meaning after standing up from my chair last night. So I've been rotating my make-shift knee brace from knee to the next every 30 minutes to attempt to sooth my knees angry disposition about life.



Why might you ask do I rotate my Mueller from one knee to the other? Well my friend, I am too cheap/broke to purchase two Muellers. These babies are like 12 dolla! And 12 dolla will definitely make ya holla.

Today the knees are better, not fabulous, but better. So I will see if they are up for a 3.5 miler this evening...wish me luck!

Books

Nerves are the Devil
I'm the queen of being totally prepared for things like school, exams, work and workouts (like long runs because I've been following a running schedule that prepares me for long runs at the beginning of each week), but I have this amazing ability to let fear and doubt take over my mind...every time something big is coming up...it has yet to fail.

Maybe I need to read this book.



Speaking of Books...
So speaking of books, I recently finished Memoirs According to Kathy Griffin...



I know...it's taken me long enough! I like to start several books at one time and either take a year to finish them all...or just all out stop half way through when a book gets boring and move onto another.

You could say my imagination needs constant stimulation... look, a butterfly!

Whoa. Ok, so Kathy is my favorite and I just can't get enough of her! Yes she's totally crude, rude and inappropriate, but come on! Who else will give you that brutal honesty these days? We should be besties lol...I could be her next Paris.



So my next book
I will start tonight, and finish in...hmm 9 months maybe, and is titled The Long Walk.



I saw the move based on off this book, "Seven Years in Tibet" with the delightful Brad Pitt when I was younger so I know it's a good story line, and based on a true story so it's even better!

Anyhow, it's just too bad Brad couldn't sit next to my bed and personally read me the book as I feel asleep at night...wow that would be my dream come true for sure! Of course I would request he wore his costume from Troy.



You KNOW he wears it around the house for Angelina!

We all have a Favorite Author
Ya know a favorite author of mine is The Pioneer Woman, and yes, she writes cook books. An I love to cook, so it's a good fit for the two of us. Today she was Tweeting away and mentioned, jokingly, writing a new book about her newest workout routine....jogging to the cattle guard and back. She believes there will be no audience for this publication. Girl! I wasn't called Mowgli because I was a prim and proper city lady who jogged down the paved sidewalks! I got to jog down a solid slab of DIRT and a pack of 6-9 dogs (depending on who made it without being killed that week via Parvo or my mom accidentally backing over them with the burban (aka: the blue death mobile). I would DEFINITELY read that book. Wouldn't you?

God save the Queen!

Ignorance isn't always bliss....it Ruins People's Lives!

An Amazing College Professor
My Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2 professor is the epitome of the "college prof." Carefree, somewhat foul-mouthed and EXTREMELY intelligent. Oh and don't let me forget she's EXTREMELY German so the accent-alone keeps me awake during class.

Not only does she provide students with an impecable interpretation of the body and it's unending number of funtions, but she also gives students an experience with a different culture. LOVE IT! What else is college suppose to be about? Sorry Greeks...I just never got into the frat-tastic way of life.



Wait....People can work at a University....and be....stupid?
So after experiencing my beer-drinking, motorcycle-riding, foul-mouthed professor and her never ending knowledge about the systems of the body, I was shocked



....wait....

my mind was BLOWN when I found out there is a person to works at the university...even worse, an advisor! Someone who is in charge of guiding students through the academic process, I've decided, most likely has the genetic deficiency known as Downs Syndrome. She has single-handedly lead me in the opposite direction that I want to be going...in my education at the moment. She's done so my contradicting....herself. I think the information she shares with people is just whatever she feels like pulling out of her ass that day. So if I do not in fact enter my desired program in the spring 2011 semester...I will take her job. The end.

No worries dear reader. I have a plan. A good friend of mine once told me that if you walked into a building to take care of business and people refused to care...yell at a pitch that is as high as you can get it...and someone will fear that you are about to partake in a shooting...and they will help you. :) Running Off the Reese's, we will see if you advice works tomorrow morning or not.

My first Long Run...Complete!

Sweatin' It

During my 2 months of easy-peasy, happy-go-lucky yogging the streets of Corpus Christi I've kept an iffy running schedule...and more often than not gone awry from that schedule. But this past week....October 4-10, I have stuck to a fabulous 12 weeks, 1/2 marathon schedule by Hal Higdon.



The same schedule I trained with 2 years ago for the 1/2 marathon...sadly, I made it to 8 miles and got sick. Hopefully this year will be better!

So when I woke up this morning at 3:30 a.m. freaking out about nursing school, I chanted my lemonade mantra for a few minutes then thought, hey! Why not do my first long run this morning before my day starts?! My nerves set in though, what if I couldn't run 4 miles outside without dying? Welp...lets try and find out.

6 am 7 am

73°F 74°F

Humidity: 90% Humidity: 87%

I can officially do ANYTHING in these weather conditions!



The BondiBand saved my Life
I am proud to say I ran 3 miles without stopping this morning, walked 1 mile, then finished strong with 1 final mile, after that I walked my tired booty alllllll the way home.

Today's Stats:
- Time: 01.12.37
- Distance: 5.42 miles

So when I looked in the mirror and took off my BondiBand



I realized I looked like I had taken a dip in the ocean on my run. So now I am officially a fan of the BondiBand. It actually stops all sweat from entering the vicinity of the face! BondiBand for president!!

I like a hint of Vodka in my Lemonade

When life gives you lemons...



That's a fabulous saying if you ask me. When life gives you lemons...don't be a sour puss...make some freakin lemonade.

So when life kind of sucks (Aka: you don't know whether you have uprooted your life and taken out student loans to become a nurse in Corpus Christi-when in reality you don't know what your future holds until NOVEMBER...when the application committee decides if you're smart enough to be in their program) the lemonade saying can be a little easier said than done...as most of you know.

Considering this saying is a little easier said than done, I'm considering adding 1 very important ingredient to the lemonade mixture....vodka!



Just kidding! ....sort of.

So my new saying, to get me through what once was my favorite kick-off to the holidays month of October, is "make lemonade."

Make lemonade make lemonade make lemonade. Though I would much rather throw in the towel and just get a big girl job with my first degree....or just sit on my new couch and get fat agh!




I must get those thoughts out of my head...

Make lemonade make lemonade make lemonade. Whew... I'm ok.

So the next time I'm in the library, walking down the sweaty streets of Corpus or in the middle of Target and I have a nursing school/quarter-life crisis I will start chanting my new saying...and subsequently make people surrounding me believe I am an lunatic...maybe I'll throw in a rain dance with my lemonade chant just to really seal the lunatic deal for people around me. Can you imagine people's faces?

Hm...I think I like this saying better...



Hello! Yummy.

Ok. I'm done freaking out...for now. Onto more Important things.
I've been a good little runner for a while now, and by good I mean sticking to my daily running regimen, I still suck at running...that I don't think I will ever outgrow.

So! I signed up for the Wurstfest 5 mile run on October 30th. I am SO excited! If you have never been to Wurstfest I suggest you add it to your bucket-list.



It's THE 10 Day Solute to Sausage...game over! You've got to go! It's amazing. German beer, German food and people in German outfits.

After my race on the 30th I will run over, wait, who am I kidding? After 5 miles I'm going to have someone drive me to the nearest Wurstfest tent and find...


DAS BOOT!!! Omg I can taste it on my lips now!

Sweet dreams all!