training

10 miles felt like home.

| cheriarmour

Yesterday, Super Bowl Sunday (WOOO WHAT A HALFTIME SHOW, but that’s another post,) I’d cleaned, and was laying on the couch watching the first season of Girls…

Girls

Side note:  I’m not sure how I feel about Girls yet because there are just so, so so, many uncomfortable scenes.  Lena Dunham is naked the entire first season, there is a crack incident, and the entire incident where Jessa is kind of getting involved with the Dad she’s babysitting for completely made me so uncomfortable.  More on them later.

Okay, so finally, with a ton of episodes of Girls finished, I had a choice.  I could either take a nap, or venture out and do my 10 miles in yesterday’s beautiful weather.

To be honest, I think I was a little scared to run 10.  I hadn’t run 10 since my marathon flop in October (where I barfed 18 miles into the race), and I was really concerned that my stomach might start hurting again, and I’d begin to lose motivation for the race.  But I suited up, filled up my water bottle, and off I went.

It was a beautiful day, and this was one of the first sights I encountered in the 60-degree weather.

photo (15)It was really freaky.  Last week, we got a good bit of snow and ice, and despite the fact that most everything was melted by the time we hit 60 yesterday, there were still areas that hadn’t been touched by light, and this little stream, House Creek was frozen to this milky white color.  It was so weird, I had to stop, just a few miles in.

I suffer from gastritis, and one of my fears is that it may flare up in the same way it had in October.  But I was careful with my tummy, only eating a PowerBar fruit smoothie pouch before, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine in the hours and days before, and my stomach thanked me kindly.  But the nicest part, after I got over the initial, paralyzing fear that I might get sick mid-run again, was that 10 miles felt just like home.  Was it easy as pie, no way.  But it was almost as if my body had retained some memory of having run that distance before, and it was so much easier than the first time I ever ran 10.  It actually felt good, and I’m starting to believe and trust in my training a little more.  Next week is 15, and here’s to 15 feeling like home as well 🙂

How did your run/workout go this weekend?  

That time I stalked a bartender…

| cheriarmour

I took a little break on Saturday, so I hope you guys didn’t miss me a ton.  Happy Superbowl Sunday!

Okay, so this weekend, thus far, I taught a gorgeous Zumba class, took the most killer nap that has ever existed with the dog, ran, and stalked a bartender.  Let me explain.

Zumba was beautiful.  Class was packed, and it was one of those classes where I sorta felt myself getting emotional because of how joyous the class seemed like they were.  I truly, truly hope the class can feel what I’m giving to them.

The Zappos Delivery.

Let me say this.  I have ruined nearly every gift that Austin has given me.  Not on purpose, but my propensity toward curiosity has ruined everything.  When he bought me my Garmin, I bugged him until he gave me the present before dinner on that birthday.  During our engagement, I asked so many questions that he started taking his iPad with him everywhere because he was afraid I was going to snoop on his purchase of my engagement ring or on his credit card statement.  Good call.

Well yesterday, this box randomly arrived at my apartment.

photo 1But Austin’s name was on the package.  My antennae went up.  I sent him a text.

“That wasn’t supposed to get delivered there!  It was supposed to go to the office.”

So I played it cool.

“Should I put it somewhere for you?”

I was hoping it was nothing and he’d tell me to open it, and that’s how I’d know it was a regular package.  But he asked me to set it aside for him, and Michael, the best friend, made me swear not to snoop.

FINE!  So he’s come to pick up the package, and now I have no clue what it was.  More on that, if it turns into anything later.

Moving right along!

How I stalked a bartender.

For weeks, I’ve been trying to hunt down the bartender that made a drink for me last summer, just before we got engaged.  It was a toasted coconut martini, and we had it at the place where we had our first date, just weeks now before we got engaged.  It was delicious, and I’d like to feature this drink at our wedding.

I called around to the place, the Rockford, a number of time before one of the bartenders told me that the bartender that I was looking for was now working at a different bar.  So I changed my running route to go right by the bar where he was working, and chatted with him about the recipe, which he gladly gave me.

Yes, I’m a creep, but I got what I wanted!

photo 3

 

Finally, on my run, I caught sight of this.  I think they’re calling these “knit bombs” and ladies around the city are knitting and decorating the trees, bus stops, and bike racks.  Do you guys have anything cool going on like this in your city?  Cause I’ll tell you what, this definitely put a smile on my face while I was plodding through a few rainy and cold miles.

So I’m pumped, I’m expecting a pretty decent crowd for the Superbowl.  Who are you going for this evening?  The Broncos, the Seahawks, or Bruno Mars?  What are you drinking?  And what are your plans?   

 

 

Here’s what! What three things are you obsessed with today?

| cheriarmour

I dedicate this post to none other than Bravo Andy.  If you know anything of me, you know that I love Bravo, and Bravo Andy is seriously my American Idol.  I think we were separated at birth, because our senses of humor are strikingly similar.  But I’m going into far too much detail about my Jewish brethren, let’s get on with it!  At the beginning of each broadcast, Andy does his “Here’s What” segment, which involves him telling us what three things he’s obsessed with that day.

So here’s what!

1.  Butter London Nail Polish in Pimms.photo 2 (4)I have been looking for a good quality yellow polish for a long time, and I just haven’t found the right shade for my skin tone.  I finally researched, and found this color on Amazon.  Once I found out that Ulta carried the polish, which runs at $15 a bottle (whew!) I bought it last night, and gave myself a much-needed mani.  The color is gorgeous, and is bringing a lot of sunshine to an otherwise crappy weather situation.

photo 3 (3)

2.  The Netflix app for iPhone.  I have been a big fan of Netflix for a long time, however, I figured something really really cool out.  Yesterday, after I taught Zumba, I was dreading having to run 5 miles for marathon training because I just wasn’t comfortable doing it outside.  A lot of the trails and side roads are still really icy here, and I didn’t want to risk slipping and injuring myself.  So I got the bright idea to download the Netflix app, and watch a movie while I plodded through 5 miles. 

photo (1)I’ve seen ‘Flight’ before, but since I’d liked it so well the first time, I decided to watch it again.  The movie is fantastic.  Seriously.  The previews were a little deceptive, although the story is based around this pilot, the plot deals more with addiction and less with flying than you’d think, though this movie seriously has one of THE best flight scenes I think I’ve ever seen.  But if addiction interests you whatsoever, please watch this.

3.  This dog. 

photo (14)Coco is the tiny girl wonder who came into our lives a few weeks ago.  She’s an absolute doll, and I’m having a blast spoiling the heck out of her.  We’re still working on potty problems, but honestly, nothing makes me happier than waking up in the middle of the night and peeking down at the edge of the bed to see her curled up.  She is SO good.  If she doesn’t stop crapping on my floor though, I’m gonna cook her for dinner!

I kid!  She’s great!

So, on this icy Friday, what three things are you obsessed with?  Feel free to send me pics of your dogs too, you know I love a good dog pic 🙂 

 

 

Snow Day + Interval Training

| cheriarmour

The schools in our county are out again today, and I’m feeling for the teachers and parents, who I’m sure are going a little stir-crazy, but the side roads are still kind of sketchy.

So for those of you who are northerners that are reading, I am a transplant from Brooklyn, NY, and most of my family is either there or in New Jersey now. I know you guys might be dumbfounded on how 2-6″ of snow can cripple a state or a city like Atlanta, but very simply put, our secondary roads haven’t been plowed, and it makes it really dangerous for a lot of folks.

As far as Atlanta is concerned, Atlanta and the larger state of Georgia largely ignored the forecast, didn’t cancel schools prior to the weather event, and then everyone was released from work/government jobs/school at the same time, creating that horrific gridlock. One of my best friends had to sleep in a school. Thank you to all the teachers, the security guards, the bus drivers, and the cafeteria ladies that worked wayyy overtime to take care of folks, you are incredible. As for the higher-ups in that metro area, you get a HUGE side-eye from me for endangering literally millions of lives.

Moving right along. 

photo 1We actually got a decent amount of snow, and for someone like me, whose neighborhood is kinda woodsy and hilly, the ice is still pretty bad.  It’s also really annoying to try to get your dog to poop in the snow, fun fact.

photo 2So instead of going to work, I largely stayed in until I had to venture out for some soup and coffee.

photo 3So since the snow started on Tuesday night, I ended up taking a rest day on Tuesday because a lot of the gyms were closing early, and it just didn’t make sense to try and bang out intervals in the ice.  So yesterday night, I made myself a little cheat sheet, and ventured over to the gym to do some interval training.  But how was I going to do this distance interval without a track?

photo 4

 

Enter Garmin 610.  What good is a fancy watch if you don’t use all the features?  So I changed the distance interval to a timed one, and banged them out.  I honestly have never used the interval featured on the Garmin 610 because my training has been more about just getting mileage in and not necessarily focusing on strength or speed (not a great thing, because the end of a marathon gets ROUGH).   This time, I’m focusing on more than just the long run, and I’m sorta loving it.  The coolest thing about doing a timed interval is that you rack up some serious mileage without realizing – over the 6 intervals I managed to squeeze in 5 miles without like, staring at the distance ticker on the treadmill.  Very nice!

photo 5And after working out, the husband-to-be took me out for dinn, which consisted of a small salad and some sweet potato fries, one of my favorite indulgences!  Still fries, but not necessarily as bad for you as regular fries.

So folks, how are you making out with this weather?  Anyone still out of school today?  Anyone iced in?  Anyone perfectly dry?  

 

 

 

Forgiveness

| cheriarmour
menzies500x310
via Runner’s World

If you’re a runner, surely by now you’ve heard of Meg Menzies, the runner and mother of three from Virginia, who was struck and killed on a run earlier this week.

From the looks of things, it seems like she was doing everything right.  She was running against traffic, wasn’t running in the street, when an allegedly intoxicated driver crossed the white line and hit her.

And on Saturday, bunches of us are running our miles and dedicating them to the mother of  three, who lost her life on Monday.

It really freaked me out when I read about this and got me thinking.

A little over 2 years ago, one of my campers was killed when the driver she was riding with failed to negotiate a turn in the middle of the night.  He escaped, with a .09 BAC and a broken wrist.  She did not, and was consumed by flames when the BMW caught fire.

It really, really bothered me for months, and I went so far as to reach out to her mother, who seemed glad to talk and share about Remy, who was nothing short of a firecracker.  She loved it when I played Beyonce in class, she wore this jangly Tiffany’s bracelet all the time, and once screamed at us for making her clean her room.  So I looked up the kid who’d killed her.  And found that he was still being held in a prison in Norfolk, coincidentally, an hour from where we’d camped that summer.

I thinking of writing him.  I’m not still super angry.  Or sad.  But I do bet he doesn’t feel great in the least about what happened, and I do bet it could be interesting to talk to the guy who spent his last few moments with my girl.  I totally forgive him.  I already had when I realized he would have to spend the rest of his life thinking about how Remy had passed.  But I want him to know that.

The first time I ever had my heart broken.

| cheriarmour

This isn’t exactly what you think.

But here’s why I had it on my mind.

Wednesday night, it was still too cold to run outside, and I got the bright idea to head to the Y, where they had a track where I could try a track workout that I’d been eyeing from the girls at ToneitUp.

Track

Oh.

Just kill me.  15 times around was a mile?  I started with a few time around to warm up, about 5 minutes, and then launched into my interval workout.

Cupid's Cardio

 

The fun part of the interval, was that part of the way through, this guy decided he wanted to try to keep up with me.  I totally kick his butt.  It’s fun to do that, I’m sorry to admit.  In total, I spent about an hour on a track that took 15 times around to make a mile.   And I’m feeling it!  I am so so sore.

But was I was making my way around this teeny tiny track, I started to think about track, and the first time I ever had my heart broken.

When I was in 7th or 8th grade at Crestdale Middle School, I decided I wanted to join the track team.  My dear dad woke up early with me every morning, and took me out to a freezing cold outdoor track around the corner from the house at the Siskey Y, and trained me.  At tryouts, which lasted for 2 or 3 days, I had my events, and I was spanking the sprints.  But the coaches decided to try me at the 800 (two laps around the Olympic track), and that’s when things fell apart.

This is so embarrassing, and I can honestly say I’ve never told this story out loud to this day.

I knew nothing of endurance, or conserving energy for the second lap, so I shot out front like a cannonball when the gun went off.  But as we rounded the curve for the second lap, I was exhausted, and went from scorching the rest of the team to coming in dead last, gasping in the freezing cold.  It was mortifying, and I’m sure the coaches laughed themselves home.

The next day, I was cut from the team.  I was heartbroken.  But it was a great lesson cause I’ve been rejected from like a million other things in life, and it really won’t kill you, as bad as it feels at the time.

But suck it suckas cause I run marathons now.  And that’s really all I have to say about that.

 

Stress Dreams.

| cheriarmour

I’m no stranger to the stress dream.

When I was in high school, I used to repeatedly dream that I was being attacked by dogs, and that my report card was straight Fs.

Once, in college I dreamt that my transcript was full of Fs and that I had run a bunch of red lights, which led me to wake up in a sweaty panic because my parents would take my car away had I ran all those red lights and gotten those tickets.

As of late, I still dream that all my teeth fall out, that I show up late to teach a class, and that I start my iPod and instead of Latin music, calming yoga music pipes through the speakers.

But the worst of all these stress dreams is the running stress dreams. The dreams where I show up late to a race, panicking about whether I can catch up to the sweeper.  The dreams where I realize my marathon is only a month away and I haven’t started training.  Those kinds.

But the worst of all the stress dreams came after I got off the plane from Atlanta, and laid down for what was supposed to be an hour-long nap.  I was asleep instead for nearly 3 hours, and apparently worked through the entire REM cycle because the dream I had seemed to last forever, and it was completely, completely bananas.

In the dream:  I was running my usual, but by myself this time on Monday evening in a pair of Vibram 5-Fingers.  Pictured here for reference.
w148-hero

The terrain was more naturey than it usually is, and I was running through rivers and woods and over logs and all of that.  I was running, in the Vibrams and jumping tree branches and logs and all that.  All of a sudden, as I was running through the river, a fork that had been littered into the water goes into my toe, and punctures it deeply.  So for the remainder of the run, I’m crawling as my toe bleeds all over the place and I try to get folks to help me call 911. I woke up from that terrifying nap with a horrible pain in my toe, like I’d fallen asleep weird and somehow managed to cut circulation off to it – but no blood.  Yikes!

Do you ever have stress dreams?  Describe some of them! 

Orlando Runchat! This one’s interactive! #runchat

| cheriarmour

I blog to you today from Orlando, where my youngest sister, and the maid-of-honor at my wedding, currently resides.  I’ll have to let you guys know how a run in pretty temps in the middle of winter works, but I must say, I’m really looking forward to it, especially with the prospect of possibly running another marathon in the spring is lighting a little bit of a fire under my bum.  I’m still not sure on Rock n’ Roll, but I’m really seriously thinking about it.  I think I’m truly addicted to the feeling of crossing the finish line, and each time I’ve run, having Austin at the finish makes it so much sweeter.

But enough gushing about my boo. ::cues Usher and Alicia Keys::

I love this style of blogging that I’ve yanked from my friend, Olive, who’s also a fantastic local blogger.  So before I launch into this fun running themed version of “Would you Rather,” please note that  ALL Would You Rather Running Style Surveys were created by Cori at olivetorun.com.  Got it?  She’s awesome ps, check her out!

Onto the good stuff!

#1. Would you rather run in a thunderstorm or a snowstorm?

Absolutely a thunderstorm.  I think because thunderstorms are usually warm, and running in the rain totally makes me feel like a badass.  I’m almost hoping that it rains a smidgen tomorrow in Orlando so I can capture that feeling.

#2. Would you rather breathe through your nose or breathe through your mouth?

Nose!  My mouth will make my throat all sore I think!  Especially in cold weather.

#3. Would you rather do 100 squats or 100 crunches? [Now take a break and go do them. ;)]

100 crunches.  But full disclosure, I’m writing this from my sister’s bed, and I haven’t done my crunches.  I will do them tomorrow, after my run, promise!

#4. Would you rather have a baked good for dessert or an extra serving of your favorite entree?

That’s really tricky.  It depends on the entree.  No it doesn’t.  Who am I kidding.  I’d rather have dessert for dinner.  Maybe a giant freshly baked cookie and a cup of milk to dip it in?

#5. Would you rather run on a treadmill for an hour or run around the same street block for an hour?

Around the same block for an hour.  I bet I could find  a trail on that block!

#6. Would you rather have a headache during a run or a side stitch?

Oh a headache for sure.  I think the further I run, the more the headache would kind of wear off.  A side stitch literally feels like someone is stabbing you, so no thanks.

#7. Would you rather have a rest day on a work day or a day off?

Is either allowed?  I like to run on work days because it’s an awesome destressor, but I love to run on a day off because what else am I gonna do with a day off besides watch Bravo?  All I like to do on Sundays is vacuum, run, watch tv, and snuggle with my husband-to-be.  Nothing else.

#8. Would you rather be a race director or a race volunteer?

I value the work that volunteers do.  But I think one day, I’d love to direct a cool race.

#9. Would you rather spend your money on running gadgets [HRM, GPS watch, Headphones] or running shoes?

I don’t spend a ton of money on running shoes, but I once owned this incredible pair of Nike Headphones, which were stolen out of my car when I was parked near NC State during grad school.

Headphones

I have not since found a pair of headphones as good. Totally taking suggestions.

#10. Would you rather run in a relay or do the run portion of a distance triathlon?

Oh, a total relay. I have been wanting to do one for literal years!!

Okay, so your turn.  Which would you rather? 

Veggie Dinner

| cheriarmour

20140101-214730.jpg

Veggie dinner is my technical term for the kind of dinners I usually go for on nights after NYE celebrations. Too much cupcakes, too much champagne, and too much of a bellyache that next day.

So the day after too much celebrating, I’ll stir fry up so veggies, throw some eggs in there, and I swear, it tastes just like Chinese food, without the greasy stomachache after. Light on the cals, and light on your tummy!

What’s your go-to post celebration meal?