A Water-Fight

This week’s recommended reading:

All Terry Pratchett books are amazing,
but I particularly like the ones about the witches. Book art found here.

Today’s Exploit:

After my big race we left pretty fast, before everyone was back and before awards. So I didn’t get the only award I’ll probably ever get from a race. But I had a water-fight with Eli and Cavan and that was better.

They have some foam water shooter things and a tub to fill them at. So I guarded the tub and they ganged up on me. 

We all raced around the lawn, which is amazing and even I can run around barefoot, and laughed like crazy and screamed when we were shot.  

They also really helped me fight off the post-run stiffness. And forget that my legs were jelly from  running up and down a mountain. (Which I haven’t had the chance to do since the last half-marathon race running up and down the same mountain.) 

We all ended up soaked, which was fine, because they were going boating and I had to take a shower. I had some serious dirt-tan from the dusty trail mixed with sunscreen.

I Won, With Help

This week’s recommended reading:

Reading it right now, Cover image found here.

Today’s Exploit:

I had my race this weekend.

At the start everyone is happy and excited.
And magically lined up in order of our race bib numbers (unintended).
And I stole these pictures from Catherine.

I did a half marathon in the mountains in Washington’s wine country. (Not that it makes much difference to me. I like the orchards, but my Mom would love it here.)

It took me years to finish because I was babying my legs to make sure I didn’t get cramps. Last time I ran here I got really bad cramps in my legs about half way through the race and had to hobble the second half of the race and hop across the finish line.

This time I walked up most of the hills and ran the level areas and declines. It was much nicer.

I had amazing views and many nice people and great volunteers at the aid stations and road crossings. 

And when I came to the end, I was getting some cramps and trying to keep my calves loose so they wouldn’t seize up.

Then Eli and Cavan ran up to meet me and told me I was being slow and to pick up the pace.

Eli ran with me for a second, but Cavan ran with me the last few turns into the finish. 

At the very end, with about 30 feet left he told me he was going to race me to the finish. And I tried, I really did, but my legs didn’t want to work for a sprint. 

At the end is more relief than excitement,
but having a finishing buddy helped.

I ended up getting 68/78 overall, and 1/3 in my age division. So that was pretty exciting.

It Wasn’t Lifeproof

I have a house! I get in trouble for calling it mine, but I do it anyway. 

Really it’s ours, but MINE is more fun. I sound like a Finding Nemo seagull.

Today’s Exploit:

I dropped my phone yesterday. I had just been thinking how amazing it was that I still had my original screen protector on it. And I had been taking it out of my case more because my charger won’t fit with it on. 

But yesterday, it was in the case, and I just got back from my run. 

I had my phone in my hand, I was walking. And then it bumped against my leg and then was on the ground. 

The lifeproof case isn’t so lifeproof here.

My screen is shattered, and the screen protector is what’s holding it all together. 

And naturally, being at work, I have no place nearby to go to get it fixed, replaced or find a kit to do it myself.

A Bad Run

My neighbor across the hall got a new puppy. 

I think he is a Lab/Poodle. He is so fluffy and cute and sweet, and I’m really jealous.

I want to steal him.

Today’s Exploit:

I am trying to get in shape for my race next month.

After today’s run I am getting pretty nervous. It was a rough one for sure. 

It took me 40 minutes to go 3.1 miles. 

That is a terrible time. My goal is 28 minutes for that distance.

Yikes. Luckily it only took me 34 minutes to get back, which is not the best, but at least it is an acceptable time for me. 

I really hope that it was a one time thing and that my runs will be getting better shortly, because 13.1 miles at that pace will take forever.

I am still looking forward to the trip and really excited to see my buddies who are no longer little.  And it’s not likely that the race will be worse than the last time I tried it, so it will be a fun trip full of tickles and ice creams. 

Lost in the Woods

I lost my fitbit. 

I thought it was gone forever and I gave up on ever winning a prize.

But then it came back today and I was happy.

The end.

Today’s Exploit:

I went for a run the other day. And H. decided to be nice and go with me. 

He is a little faster than I am, so I said he could go ahead if he wanted.

Then he said that he would run with me.

And he did for a little.

But then he decided to go on ahead, and didn’t tell me that he decided to do this.

I came to an intersection after he’d left me in the dust. I picked a way and trudged on, yelling for him every few minutes, with no response. And grumbling and worrying that I took the wrong path.

So I went back, and went down the other path for a ways, before deciding that we had missed each other when going back and looking, so I went home to see if he was there.  

Turns out he wasn’t, so I went back to the trails and did another loop and went miles and miles up the original trail I chose. I stopped to ask everyone I met if they’d seen him, but no one had.

Finally I gave up and went back down the trail to get some more water. I got back, after about a 9.9889 mile run to find him walking back from the house to find me. 

He’d gone all the way to the top of the trail, 9.5 miles round trip, and back. He must have come down while I was doing the other loop. And he waited and waited and waited for me to come back, because he didn’t have a key to go home. 

In the future, if he runs with me, I will make sure to specify that going ahead is fine just as long as you make triply sure that I know you are going ahead. 

Going Running, Again

Oni Devil, the cat that won’t cuddle Cupcake, cuddling me when I’m trying to sleep:

She is 2.1 inches from my face, sitting on my chest.

Today’s Exploit:

I am going to run another half marathon. This is my first race since the full one, except that color one with Cupcake. But this is the first long one. I’m excited, and nervous because last time I got cramps and had to hop across the finish. 

I have been following my marathon training plan, and am at the 6-8 mile stage. Last week I had the worst run in the history of ever, so I am nervous for this week. Although the previous week I had a super duper run and could have kept going. 

I am excited to see Eli and Cavan, because they are awesome kids and I have missed them so much. Also, they are going to be giants, and probably taller than me. 

This is what they looked like last time I saw them. That was 2 years ago.

Aren’t they adorable? I probably can’t call them adorable any more. They’ll have to be “handsome”.

Racing Colors

I have been reading so many books lately. They are silly and not well written free books on my phone, but I can’t tear myself away. I don’t understand it. I have so many books for my Kindle that I consider it my own personal library, but I have been ignoring the good books available there for the silly ones I found. 

Today’s Exploit:

At the end of August I did a 5k with my sister. She chose it and signed up for it without my coercion, which is a minor miracle after the half marathon drama. But she wanted running motivation and to celebrate finishing her school. She’s now a real nurse, I don’t know if she’s taken her final test yet, but she’s looking for jobs. 

The race she chose was in San Antonio, in the hottest month of the year. I think she’s trying to get me back for that last race. But I agreed since I never thought she’d run with me again.

It was a color run, where they throw powdered paint at you to stain your clothes, underclothes, skin and hair. It was pretty fun, even though it was Texas hot. The people throwing paint though it was hilarious to throw it at my face and at Cupcake’s legs. 

Afterward we raced to New Braunfels to look at a house, covered in powder and sunscreen and sweat. The lady showing the house didn’t even blink when we got out of the car. However she did ask us several times if we were sure that we weren’t twins. 

We got many stares at IHOP, too, because Cupcake just HAD to have pancakes after the race. 

Also, I still have paint powder in my car from throwing water bottles in the back seat, and having to dig around for my money at the restaurant. 

The Long Wait at PJ’s Marathon

It’s snowing! And snowing, and snowing. 

Today’s Exploit:

My family took some pictures while I was running, and then jogging, and then mostly walking my marathon:

We're just waiting

"This is boring, why do we have to wait?"

See that pink and blue speck? That's PJ in dire need of sunscreen.

Waiting some more, this is taking forever!

Look it's blue - Oh rats, not her. More waiting.

Do we have to wait until she gets here? She's taking forever!

Finally!

Letdown

The day after my race, the big marathon one, I had a very difficult time moving. I did moderately okay if I kept moving, but if I sat still for more than 28 seconds my muscles froze. I would then, to my family’s delight, have to hobble around bent nearly double for the next 3-5.2 minutes until they un-froze.

Thankfully that was the worst day, but then I had to go to work where the roughnecks got to make fun of me for walking like an old man for the next 3.27 days.

Today’s Exploit:

I was really excited for my new class to start, really exited because I though it would be about business management. The title contained the words “Career Management”, so I was sure that this one actually might help me a little.

While I enjoy getting good grades, I now have a 4.0 in worthless English classes. I say “worthless” because none of the papers I received 100% on would have passed my high school English teacher, Mr. Patrick, without being slathered in red ink with a note saying “Re-write or fail”. Probably they wouldn’t get a passing grade from my middle school English teacher, Mrs, Babel, either. (I now beg for criticism at the beginning of each class, and so far have not received anything other than “Good Job” or “Nice work”.)

But I digress.

I was excited for a business class. 

But naturally, that excitement was dashed when I got the email saying I needed to take an assessment for my UNIV___ class. 

Wait.

UNIV does not equal business. UNIV equals general university class.

And “Career Management” does not quite equal “Business Management”.

Crap.

Another goal setting class.

Maybe this guy will have higher expectations and I won’t ace the class. Maybe he’ll actually have some suggestions for me. 

Maybe.

I May Update This Blog, Someday

I started this post 7 days ago. It then spent 4 days unsaved on my desktop with a few unexplained numbers in it, followed by three days with the same content saved as “untitled” in my blog folder.

Today’s Exploit:

I had some vacation just before Thanksgiving. While part of the reason for vacation was my parents’ visit, the other part was to run a really long ways.

A REEEEALY long ways.

I ran a marathon, the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Antonio, to be exact. That’s 26.2 miles. And I really wanted to do well for my first one, but I kind of tanked just over half way through. 

Things were going well, and I finished the first half at least 30 minutes faster than my other races. But then I started getting cramps. First in my right calf, then my left. Then they got worse. And when I tried to walk it off I’d get cramps up thigh, and going up any hill that didn’t immediately make both calves so tight I couldn’t reach my toes meant my hamstrings were going to cramp. 

Therefore I walked most of the second half, and took almost 6 hours to finish, 5:49 to be exact. That was an hour and 49 minutes longer than my goal time. 

Stupid cramps.

Anyway, I didn’t come in last, so there’s something.

Rankings:

148/207 Women 25-29 yrs

2448/3111 Overall

Photos with Boys

More running pictures at Evergreen Trail Runs!

Today’s Exploit:

On my last day I remembered to take out my camera. And I made Eli and Cavan sit still, mostly, for pictures with me.

Cavan:

The crazy face

The tickle face

Normal!

Eli:

Oops, a finger. That lens is in the wrong spot!

I said, "Don't move!"

A good one!

It’s hard to get them to sit still. They wiggle and giggle and want to take pictures of everything. 

Oopsie

I just finished The Glass Blower of Murano. I am now fascinated by glass works and Italy. Amazing.

Today’s Exploit:

I had some awesome pictures of my buddies to post today. But then I let my camera battery die and the charger is trapped in the bedroom of the trailer. Maybe tomorrow?

PS Here’s proof that I ran, and ran, and ran up the horrible mountain.

And then I finished and couldn't sit down because I'd never ever get up again. Plus, Eli had something really important to tell me (Eli is hiding behind his mama).

The photos were taken by Yumay Chang for Evergreen Trail Runs.

The Magical Up-Hill Race Loop

Traveling messed up my sinuses. I haven’t been able to breathe properly since I got back.

Today’s Exploit:

I signed up for another race. Another half-marathon. 

I don’t know what I was thinking, but then, the last one wasn’t so bad...

I should have known better when I signed up for a trail run on a mountain. Even a mountain that I had run on before. A year makes your mind hazy and the hills don’t seem so bad and the elevation is just a whisper. When really the hills were nearly vertical climbs and the elevation means you wheeze while walking that flat spot and suffocate on the hills.

A recount, for future reference:

Mile 1: Ack! it’s all up hill. It never ends. Note to self: find more hills to practice on in the flat desert of South Texas.

Mile 2: I give up, I’ll never be able to keep up with Catherine. I need to catch my breath and PS the hill still never ends.

Mile 3: I hate mountains and trails and hiking and running, Oh, wait! I see a level bit of trail!

Mile 4: Oof. Forgot to eat on that monstrous hill I just climbed. I REALLY hope I don’t get a migraine. I have another 6 miles before I get to another aid station. (Lack of oxygen means it never occurred to me that I had the option of going back to the last aid station that was 1/2 a mile back.)

Mile 5: Well, I’m pretty sure I’ll be climbing for ever and ever and ever, but at least it’s not quite so steep. Shoot, I just got a blister.

Mile 6: I made a FRIEND! Yay! She’s doing better than me and she hasn’t run in a long time. This was her way to “get back out the door”. 

Mile 7: The three amigos passed us, and another lady caught us. We are now the three amigas following the three amigos. But we like their pace and we like walking up the hills.

Mile 8: Ooh! Cramp in the calf, I think I’ll walk a minute. Ooh! Cramp in the other calf. Stop to stretch.

Mile 9: We really are going to climb into the clouds. I think this mountain’s magical and our entire race loop will be up hill. PS the cramps are getting worse.

Mile 10: Aid station, woo hoo! And they claim it’s all down hill from here! They gave me a salt tablet and an orange slice maybe the cramps will go away.

Mile 11: They lied. I still have to go up hills. But now walking makes my quads cramp and running makes my thighs cramp. So I have to half shuffle and try really hard not to cramp and make myself fall off the mountain. 

Mile 12: I’m pretty sure that the 50 mile group is going to beat me in this race. At least it’s pretty. "Shuffle shuffle grunt (cramp) shuffle"

Mile 13: I see people! And the cow bells! Yay! The kids are there to give me high five, and I’m turning away from the finish, oh no! another cramp. Ok, it’s only 20 more steps, I can do this. CRAMP! ENTIRE LEG! AAAHHHHH!

I hopped across the finish line and had 5 people attack me to make sure I wasn’t hurt. And then I nearly got tackled by a 4 year old, he wanted to give me a hug and didn’t care if I was stinky and sweaty and salty and falling over on my own.

Amazingly enough, the only part that I wasn’t smiling and having a good time was that 4th mile when I had the migraine scare. The rest was torturously fun. And I got 5th place in my age group. Out of 8, but still...

The Big Update

I have acquired a new follower while I was away. Huh.

Also, the new version of Blogger is strange. 

Today’s Exploit:

It is hot here. Yesterday when I walked out of the trailer to go for my run I felt like I was stepping into the oven after baking some cookies. Texas likes to try to knock you off your feet every time you step out the door. 

In other news I have been running, swimming in the river with big rocks and scraping my knees, running, exploring San Marcos on my bicycle, running, writing English essays, running, being frustrated with school, running and baking in this horrible oven of a state. 

How long has it even been since I last posted? Probably years.

I am getting ready for my second half marathon, I will be running with my friend Catherine. It also means that I will be seeing my buddies Eli and Cavan and escaping the inferno for the moderate temperatures of Washington. Yay!

And Then We Saw the Crazies...

unicyclefootball.com

Evidentially this has been going on for 7 seasons.  I’m not sure if that means years, or bursts of madness, or reasonable weather for outdoor activities. 

Today’s Exploit:

My sister came to see me for a week.  

She wore sun dresses and sandals and complained about being cold.  

I almost smacked her.  It was 70 degrees out.

I also forced her to run with me.  

We ran through the trails by my house and down the road toward town.  And then she had sore feet, but I made her run some more anyway, because I’m ruthless.  

Also I was trying to make her ready for a half-marathon.  

We did have some adventures as well, though.  

Like the day we went and walked around downtown San Marcos.  

We went and got some frozen yogurt with divine blackberries and juicy bubbles that I can’t remember the names of.  And we went walking to see what was to be seen.  

We went to a running store and tried on some feet gloves, and bought some hot pink shoelaces for my neon blue and yellow shoes.  We also saw who was playing at the music hall, but didn’t go to a show.  And we kept walking until we discovered some sort of party under some steel market tents.  

Have you ever heard of Unicycle Football?  

Me either.

But we watched it.  There’s even a website.  And they had a pretty good crowd of hippies, or hipsters.  Whatever they’re called.  

You’d think just riding a unicycle would be enough of a challenge, but some crazy had to go and try to play football on one.  

Madness