I PR'd Grandmas's Marathon

I redeemed myself from my train wreck performance in October 2007 at the Marine Corps Marathon. Although I didn't hit the "A" goal, I did meet the "B" goal and I couldn't be happier. I finished in 5:15:46, which is a 44 minutes better than my MCM time and a PR by 35 from my PF Chang's Arizona time. I had stomach issues when I woke up and couldn't eat anything and was reduced to eating ice cubes for the last 8-9 miles - not sure what the story was there. But even with the toasty temps, humidity, warm headwinds and stomach isisues, I still kicked butt. I'll write up a proper report after I sort everything out in my head.

If you haven't been to Duluth, you should. It is beautiful and a lovely town with something for everyone. I really like this place and I'm having a tough job narrowing down my dinner search. There are THAT many places!

Getting Nervous

So last night I had a terrible dream. A nightmare, if you will. I dreamt that I had an inner ear infection that caused me horrible balance problems and kept toppling over while trying to run the marathon. Holy crap! I normally worry about twisting an ankle while wearing my Kelly Ripa-esque heels or being plagued by foot, shin, knee or hip problem (who says you only have to check one box on runnig ailments?) but inner ear issues? Talk about an overactive imagination?!

So to borrow from Elizabeth, I have an "A" and "B" goal. My grand goal is to finish in 4:59:59. My back-up plan is to finish by 5:15. I'm excited, but apprehensive at the same time. The weather looks decent with a high of 64 and morning showers. I'll take it. Certainly beats the heat and humidity of the past several weekends. Off to bed for much needed rest, then morning flight, expo, then race day!

Tapering Is a Curious Thing

So my third marathon is now less than a week away. This morning was my last "long" run, although I called my 8-miler a short run. It had gotten to that. Eight miles, who knew it could feel so quick. And what's with this amazing performance this morning. I ran like I was part gazelle (I'll always be part elephant so indulge me in my weak belief that I could be part gazelle at the same time). I ran with little effort. It's possible that my run was due to the fact that I am in full taper and the body is not totally and utterly worn down. It could also be due to the fact that I was only able to run twice this week because of my demanding work schedule and I was thrilled to be able to squeezein a run. Or it could be because I wanted to hurry up before the so-called thunderstorms hit. Whatever the reason, it sure felt good. And it reminded me of why I love to run!

Here We Go Brownies!

Today was another fun Satuday in the CLE. We started with B's dance class, then headed down to Browns stadium to pick our seats. We had the option of full season ticket packages (which included the ridiculously over-priced license fee) or a 3-pack. We opted for the 3-pack and added a 4th game. The price was reasonable and got me excited about spending 4 Sunday afternoons having a beer and hotdog while watching the Browns. I love football weather!

We also hit up the Gordon Arts district for a trip to Room Service and Made in the 216. Picked up some cool one-of-a-kind items before heading back for a naptime! Perfect day!

Sticks and Stones

Sticks and stones didn't break her bones...rather, it was the climbing wall at day care that my little spider monkey decided to jump off of, then land on a ball, followed by breaking her arm and yelling "ouchie" over and over. So Tuesday marked our first broken bone. And what cast experience is complete without a trip to Mitchell's for blue (cotton candy) ice cream!

Happy 6th Anniversary

Hard to believe that 6 years have gone by since that day at St. Colman's Church and Windows on the River. It's been a wonderful ride :)

I Just Dropped One "Big Bar"

In an effort to shave minutes off my marathon time, I decided weight loss had to occur...realistic weight loss, though. I set a goal to lose 15 pounds by Grandma's Marathon. Today, I reached the 13 pound mark and dropped one big bar!!! That's right, I now get to use the 100 pound weight bar instead of the 150. Of course, the top "little bar" is all the way to the right, but I'm making progress and I'm darn close to that weight loss goal!