Okay, I have ugly feet. But I painted my toes with lilac polish for Bloomsday!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
yeah, okay, I'm a sucker....
But how could I resist?
1. She's wearing Brooks shoes
2. It's on the west coast
3. The medal won't be shaped like a 5
Friday, April 8, 2011
belated Thursday report
Got home from work on Thursday and rushed out -- on our bikes. At first I felt a bit bad about forgoing a run for a bike ride... until the wind conspired to make my ride harder than I was prepared for.
Part of it, of course, is that I really haven't ridden a bike since last summer. And I've never been much of a cyclist. But hoo boy, that wind was strong coming off the water. I felt like I needed to crank really hard just to keep from being blown backward. And it doesn't help that I'm pretty much a giant sail on my cruiser.
Made it to Golden Gardens as the sun went behind a cloud, where it stayed for 15 minutes until we got cold and turned for home. And then by the time we got home it was glorious again. Oh well.
So no run on Thursday, but a workout nonetheless. I'm taking it. That's 4 in a row...
Part of it, of course, is that I really haven't ridden a bike since last summer. And I've never been much of a cyclist. But hoo boy, that wind was strong coming off the water. I felt like I needed to crank really hard just to keep from being blown backward. And it doesn't help that I'm pretty much a giant sail on my cruiser.
Made it to Golden Gardens as the sun went behind a cloud, where it stayed for 15 minutes until we got cold and turned for home. And then by the time we got home it was glorious again. Oh well.
So no run on Thursday, but a workout nonetheless. I'm taking it. That's 4 in a row...
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
tentative treadmill
Got home and couldn't bring myself to run in the blustery wind. But I still changed into my absurd spangly tights and a race shirt, and headed to the basement to run on the treadmill. Nothing fancy, just 5 minutes of warmup, then 5:1 intervals, speeding up as I went along. And then a 5-minute cooldown. Simple. And it was okay.
I also tested out the vibrating interval timer. Which really wasn't strong enough. I don't usually run with music anymore, anyway, so maybe I don't need to worry about my watch beeping. I have been told that the timer's alarm is Very Loud, so I'll try that next.
The thing that I won't want to jinx is this; it was my third straight workout. Now, I don't know the last time I strung together TWO workouts, let alone three. (Possibly the back-to-back half marathons in November?!?) And I know that three is a long way from being back on track. But it's a start. A good start.
I also tested out the vibrating interval timer. Which really wasn't strong enough. I don't usually run with music anymore, anyway, so maybe I don't need to worry about my watch beeping. I have been told that the timer's alarm is Very Loud, so I'll try that next.
The thing that I won't want to jinx is this; it was my third straight workout. Now, I don't know the last time I strung together TWO workouts, let alone three. (Possibly the back-to-back half marathons in November?!?) And I know that three is a long way from being back on track. But it's a start. A good start.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Galloway...
So I went to Bellevue this evening to hear Jeff Galloway speak. I was a little nervous beforehand, not knowing what to expect. I read his "Marathon" book when we first started running and we followed his training plan for a while (though found the Penguin more our style.)
There were 50 or so people there, Jeff was compelling and friendly, and people asked good questions. Of course, I didn't get around to asking about motivation... I think most people there were motivated, whether they were running their 10th marathon or just starting a C25K program.
A few things I thought were helpful:
• Jeff talks about the "lizard brain" - which just protects us, and tries to get us to stop when it feels under stress - and the "human brain" - which can override the lizard brain if needed. Running causes stress, so the lizard brain sends messages that tell us to slow down, that it's too hard, etc. So we need to consciously override it with our human brain. Or something.
• He pointed out that, as children, we're told we are failures if we take a walk break. We keep thinking that after growing up, so people feel bad about walking. When it really just causes less stress on the body.
• We were given free rein to eat sugar during our long runs. "Sugar cubes, gummy bears, hard candy. Simple sugar to feed your brain." A former Olympian just told me that sugar feeds my brain. Woot!
Then the new program director (coordinator?) of the "Seattle" program got up and talked about her belief in the Galloway method... even though she just started running 4 weeks ago. But she was enthusiastic and friendly. Still, it sounds as if most of the runs will be on the east side -- not very Seattle, really! -- so it's probably not the group for me.
Afterwards I bought Galloway's latest book, called "Mental Training for Runners: How to Stay Motivated" -- because it seemed a bit serendipitous. We chatted while he signed it ("Stay Positive, Sunny!") but he refused to divulge the location/theme/anything, really about the new secret Disney race. He did say that "it's in a new location". Wil guessed that it will be a cruise marathon, like the Penguin's. Who knows.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading the book; hopefully I will be inspired!
There were 50 or so people there, Jeff was compelling and friendly, and people asked good questions. Of course, I didn't get around to asking about motivation... I think most people there were motivated, whether they were running their 10th marathon or just starting a C25K program.
A few things I thought were helpful:
• Jeff talks about the "lizard brain" - which just protects us, and tries to get us to stop when it feels under stress - and the "human brain" - which can override the lizard brain if needed. Running causes stress, so the lizard brain sends messages that tell us to slow down, that it's too hard, etc. So we need to consciously override it with our human brain. Or something.
• He pointed out that, as children, we're told we are failures if we take a walk break. We keep thinking that after growing up, so people feel bad about walking. When it really just causes less stress on the body.
• We were given free rein to eat sugar during our long runs. "Sugar cubes, gummy bears, hard candy. Simple sugar to feed your brain." A former Olympian just told me that sugar feeds my brain. Woot!
Then the new program director (coordinator?) of the "Seattle" program got up and talked about her belief in the Galloway method... even though she just started running 4 weeks ago. But she was enthusiastic and friendly. Still, it sounds as if most of the runs will be on the east side -- not very Seattle, really! -- so it's probably not the group for me.
Afterwards I bought Galloway's latest book, called "Mental Training for Runners: How to Stay Motivated" -- because it seemed a bit serendipitous. We chatted while he signed it ("Stay Positive, Sunny!") but he refused to divulge the location/theme/anything, really about the new secret Disney race. He did say that "it's in a new location". Wil guessed that it will be a cruise marathon, like the Penguin's. Who knows.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading the book; hopefully I will be inspired!
ran today
Woke up this morning and decided to run. It helped that we had slept well, but also that we just got out of bed and into our running shoes. We decided just to go out to the lookout -- but of course I took off a little too fast for what is, essentially, the first run of the season. Still, even a short run is better than no run. So that's my mantra for the next couple of weeks.
Jeff Galloway is going to be speaking tonight in Bellevue; I've decided to go. Not that I need to be convinced about the run/walk method! I would, however, appreciate a little extra motivation. I signed up for his email newsletter and was sent an article on motivation. Nice. My favorite quote:
So, clearly, regularity is what I need.
Jeff Galloway is going to be speaking tonight in Bellevue; I've decided to go. Not that I need to be convinced about the run/walk method! I would, however, appreciate a little extra motivation. I signed up for his email newsletter and was sent an article on motivation. Nice. My favorite quote:
Regularity is important
While it is possible to miss several workouts and still survive the race, most exercisers who try this drop out of the program. The longer you wait to return to exercise, the more negative messages you receive, which can keep you from getting out there. If this is your problem, put “regularity” at the top of your list of commitments. Hint: On the “bad” days, just get out for 10 minutes.
So, clearly, regularity is what I need.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
recommit... how?
You’ve heard it from me before… “it’s a new month, so I’m going to focus and get back on track.”
But have I? Nope. Not for a long time. Heck, it’s been a month since I last blogged. I don’t know why, but I just can’t seem to get back on track.
Part of me has this silly idea that my lack of running is tangentially related to my new job. Insane, right? I mean, I’m working at a running company, surrounded by runners, in a place so run-friendly that it’s both acceptable to take a break in the middle of the day to go for a run AND to attend meetings in your sweaty workout gear.
However, I feel intimidated by my peers. They are faster and fitter than I am, and I know many of them don’t consider me a runner. I overheard a colleague – a very fast guy – say, “NO, Oprah didn’t RUN a marathon. She COMPLETED a marathon.” Given that Ms. O was almost an hour faster than ME, I wonder if I even “completed” mine? And sometimes we talk about “fitness runners” in uncomprehending tones. “Some people are happy just getting in their 15 miles a week.” Umm, okay…
I live in some fear that I will find myself forced to run with my colleagues one day. My colleagues who are MUCH FASTER than I am.
Perhaps I should point something out here. Other than Wil, I have only ever run with one other person: Lindsay. I’ve never run with anyone else I actually know. Sure, I’ve run lots of races surrounded by strangers. I’ve even chatted with people throughout races. But with two exceptions, I haven’t run with friends. Why? I guess I worry that they’ll see how slow, ungainly, awkward I am as I galumph along. I worry they’ll laugh at my jiggly bits. I worry I won’t be able to keep up. I worry that I can’t run anymore. I worry that they’ll think less of me.
Now, the rational me knows that’s all stupid. But even as I type that, I hear myself say “but a lot of it is true. I am jiggly. I am slow. I often can’t keep up with people.”
Obviously I have a lot tied up in this.
I look back over this blog and over my running scrapbook, and I marvel at how far I have come. Not that many years ago I pooh-poohed the idea of running a marathon. Now I’ve run three. (BTW, the evil voice just said “COMPLETED” in a nasty, sarcastic tone…) I’ve run 14 half marathons and a few 5 and 10Ks. I keep adding to my running charm bracelet with glee – and it gives me such pleasure to look at it an think back about the races, the accomplishments.
But still… what happened.
On Thursday I ran in Boston – not far, not quickly, and I got lost enough that I had to stop to look at the map pretty often. But it was still good to run a little.
I saw a blog the other day called B’s Fit Journey. The woman had mentioned her shoes so I tweeted about her blog. Her blog was really moving, really inspirational. She lays it out there – she posts photos of her progress, which seems so brave, so audacious. You’ll note, of course, that I am not posting photos. :)
I also read a bunch of race reports from the WDW Princess Marathon… and a lot of them mentioned meeting up with people for the first time – people they’d met on discussion boards. It made me feel wistful and miss the community of runners. Not that the Disney Running community is right for me anymore, but it was nie reading the discussions and “meeting” other runners. Of course, when we were at the races I was too shy to talk to anyone! (Dork!)
Sometimes I think about it C25K program. What if I started it again? What if I really could stick with a program?
I need motivation. Obviously events aren’t enough! (See my Mardi Gras race report!)
I’m about to write a survey for work – “why do you run?” – which will contain questions about what motivates runners. So hopefully I’ll find something to motivate me!
But have I? Nope. Not for a long time. Heck, it’s been a month since I last blogged. I don’t know why, but I just can’t seem to get back on track.
Part of me has this silly idea that my lack of running is tangentially related to my new job. Insane, right? I mean, I’m working at a running company, surrounded by runners, in a place so run-friendly that it’s both acceptable to take a break in the middle of the day to go for a run AND to attend meetings in your sweaty workout gear.
However, I feel intimidated by my peers. They are faster and fitter than I am, and I know many of them don’t consider me a runner. I overheard a colleague – a very fast guy – say, “NO, Oprah didn’t RUN a marathon. She COMPLETED a marathon.” Given that Ms. O was almost an hour faster than ME, I wonder if I even “completed” mine? And sometimes we talk about “fitness runners” in uncomprehending tones. “Some people are happy just getting in their 15 miles a week.” Umm, okay…
I live in some fear that I will find myself forced to run with my colleagues one day. My colleagues who are MUCH FASTER than I am.
Perhaps I should point something out here. Other than Wil, I have only ever run with one other person: Lindsay. I’ve never run with anyone else I actually know. Sure, I’ve run lots of races surrounded by strangers. I’ve even chatted with people throughout races. But with two exceptions, I haven’t run with friends. Why? I guess I worry that they’ll see how slow, ungainly, awkward I am as I galumph along. I worry they’ll laugh at my jiggly bits. I worry I won’t be able to keep up. I worry that I can’t run anymore. I worry that they’ll think less of me.
Now, the rational me knows that’s all stupid. But even as I type that, I hear myself say “but a lot of it is true. I am jiggly. I am slow. I often can’t keep up with people.”
Obviously I have a lot tied up in this.
I look back over this blog and over my running scrapbook, and I marvel at how far I have come. Not that many years ago I pooh-poohed the idea of running a marathon. Now I’ve run three. (BTW, the evil voice just said “COMPLETED” in a nasty, sarcastic tone…) I’ve run 14 half marathons and a few 5 and 10Ks. I keep adding to my running charm bracelet with glee – and it gives me such pleasure to look at it an think back about the races, the accomplishments.
But still… what happened.
On Thursday I ran in Boston – not far, not quickly, and I got lost enough that I had to stop to look at the map pretty often. But it was still good to run a little.
I saw a blog the other day called B’s Fit Journey. The woman had mentioned her shoes so I tweeted about her blog. Her blog was really moving, really inspirational. She lays it out there – she posts photos of her progress, which seems so brave, so audacious. You’ll note, of course, that I am not posting photos. :)
I also read a bunch of race reports from the WDW Princess Marathon… and a lot of them mentioned meeting up with people for the first time – people they’d met on discussion boards. It made me feel wistful and miss the community of runners. Not that the Disney Running community is right for me anymore, but it was nie reading the discussions and “meeting” other runners. Of course, when we were at the races I was too shy to talk to anyone! (Dork!)
Sometimes I think about it C25K program. What if I started it again? What if I really could stick with a program?
I need motivation. Obviously events aren’t enough! (See my Mardi Gras race report!)
I’m about to write a survey for work – “why do you run?” – which will contain questions about what motivates runners. So hopefully I’ll find something to motivate me!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon Race Report
Up early, had our bagels, and then walked the mile or so to the starting area. I always love the walk to the start of a big event -- seeing the other runners, in ones and twos, all heading the same direction. Most people are quiet, but a few groups are chatty. Some are in singlets and split shorts, others in full sweats. Everyone has a mixture of determination and nerves on their face -- even if they're trying to hide it.
The morning was crisp and cool - but as the sun rose, it was a gorgeous, perfect blue sky. Later when we were in the corrals, John Bingham called it a "no-excuses day". Lovely and cool, no wind, no rain. Gorgeous.
This was my first opportunity to check our the Brooks VIP Porta Potty -- boy oh boy, how awesome is it to have clean, fresh toilets with lines of, say, 4 or 6 people rather than hold-your-breath stinky porta potties with 40 people in line in front of you?
The Brooks Gurus (including Carlos, above) and many local running store folks staffed the area, offering coffee or Gatorade along with GU Chomp "appetizers" and mints. Very nice -- very Run Happy!
At one point the attendant for the men's toilet asked the line of 8 or 9 men if "anyone just needed number one", telling those folks they could just go in. I looked at the men who remained in line and thought, "Hmm... I feel I know too much about these men."
We chatted with the gurus and the HQ team, nibbled on Chomps, and did a bit of stretching. Then it was time to go to the corrals.
First we went to the front -- spotting Scott Jurek and the 3:30 pace group, resplendent in their Brite Green "I ran with Scott Jurek" Podium Ts. We cheered them off, and then headed back to our corral -- 17 out of 21 -- and climbed the barricade to get in. One overly bright (or overly shadowy?) image later, we started to move up towards the start line.
When we got to the start line, there was a strange pause. Not sure why, but it felt as if we had a lot of time to chat with the Penguin. I wanted to say "We're going on a cruise with you in Alaska!" but then felt like a dork.
And then we were off, into the perfect morning. The first part of the race was a bit "industrial" -- we spent a couple of miles running past warehouses and along train lines. Not super scenic. One of the few things I remember was a band playing "Summer of '69"... and two women chatting:
We then turned and ran through part of the Garden District -- first running along Prytania, then hairpin turning on to St. Charles. The houses were gorgeous, the roads were broad and flat, and it was beautiful... except that I kept watching my feet because the pavements were a bit broken up.
I haven't said much about the actual RUNNING yet... So far, things were going okay. We were running our usual 5:1s, running at our usual pace, and my knee wasn't hurting too much. The stretch along St. Charles (which makes me think alternately about Anne Rice and "Princess and the Frog"...) was long and pretty shady (and of course very pretty), so it wasn't until we made the turns to go under the big overpass around mile 8 that I thought, "Well, this is starting to suck."
But we carried on. It was a little sad to see the nearly deserted "relay exchange area" -- what had once clearly been full of runners was now a holding pen for only a couple of dozen, all worrying that their relay partner had dropped out, or something.
We approached the French Quarter, running along Decatur past places we had wandered around the day before. One huge highlight: a man with a megaphone calling out runners. Two women in crazy matching mardi gras jester outfits were running along in front of us, and the megaphone guy deadpanned, "Oh, man, how embarassing that both of you showed up in the same outfit." Awesome!
A tiny bit farther along and we came to the other HUGE highlight -- the Brooks Running Dude straddling the course. Gorgeous! Love the Dude! (and the other dude in the picture, of course!)
At the 10-mile point we turned onto Esplanade for a straight shot to the park. I had been getting slower and slower, so when we hit 10 I decided that I needed to walk. The rest of the way. Weirdly enough, we had kept up a fast(ish) pace for the first 10 miles, so if we had even done a little running we would have hit close to our normal time range. But we didn't.
Esplanade is another pretty, shady street lined with big, gorgeous houses. We passed Degas's house, for example. Some cute cafes. And a water stop manned by Hash House Harriers... all wearing red "dresses". Awesome. Every time I see the HHHs I think that I need to find a slow and happy group near here.
As we made our way towards the park, we started watching the full marathoners -- who were still 10 miles from their finish. I didn't envy them AT ALL. But interesting to hear "coaching" in a pace group.
Finally, we entered the park. Again, it was thrilling to be so close to the end. I pitied the full marathoners who still had NINE MILES to go. Yikes! We started running -- especially after someone near us asked a Team in Training coach how far we were from the finish, and he said "it's just on the other side of that building... plus maybe a couple of hundred yards."
Bliss! joy! We started running, passing a surprising number of people, and then grabbed hands and ran across the finish line. Wil got a shout out (lucky!) but other than that I don't remember much.
There was plenty of food and snacks (as usual), though we both thought how much more organized the post-race food at the NYC Marathon was. "Here's your bag." Boom, boom, boom. We ate fruit cups and bagels, had our first Snickers Marathon bar (which tastes just like every other "energy bar", I'm afraid), and chugged down some water.
One of the local bands was playing on the big stage, and there was a nice vibe, but we decided that we would just head back the few miles to the hotel. (Bowling for Soup? Nah.) So we walked back along the course -- down Esplanade, where we whooped and cheered for the remaining runners, telling them that they were less than a mile from the finish, etc. We turned to walk through the French Quarter and decided that we should stop in for a Hurricane at Pat O'Brien's. It wasn't very crowded on the patio yet -- after all, it was before 11am -- but most of the people there were in their running gear, wearing their medals. We had that lovely "Ooh, congratulations!" exchange with several groups of folks, which is always wonderful. I do love the community of runners.
Looking back, it was a fun race. I wasn't anywhere near trained enough, however, and the hurty knee didn't help. So, yes, it was a new PW (other than the self-imposed walking half marathon at Disney World the year we did the Goofy Challenge). But the course was pretty, we saw way more of New Orleans than we would otherwise have done, and it meant we had a great, relaxing remaining week of vacation. So while I plan on running more (running at all... ahem...) before my next half, I still feel good about the Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon.
We somehow missed taking a photo of ourselves with our medals, but we did take one of our cocktails...
Result: 2:47:22
Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon 2011 Map
The morning was crisp and cool - but as the sun rose, it was a gorgeous, perfect blue sky. Later when we were in the corrals, John Bingham called it a "no-excuses day". Lovely and cool, no wind, no rain. Gorgeous.
This was my first opportunity to check our the Brooks VIP Porta Potty -- boy oh boy, how awesome is it to have clean, fresh toilets with lines of, say, 4 or 6 people rather than hold-your-breath stinky porta potties with 40 people in line in front of you?
The Brooks Gurus (including Carlos, above) and many local running store folks staffed the area, offering coffee or Gatorade along with GU Chomp "appetizers" and mints. Very nice -- very Run Happy!
At one point the attendant for the men's toilet asked the line of 8 or 9 men if "anyone just needed number one", telling those folks they could just go in. I looked at the men who remained in line and thought, "Hmm... I feel I know too much about these men."
We chatted with the gurus and the HQ team, nibbled on Chomps, and did a bit of stretching. Then it was time to go to the corrals.
First we went to the front -- spotting Scott Jurek and the 3:30 pace group, resplendent in their Brite Green "I ran with Scott Jurek" Podium Ts. We cheered them off, and then headed back to our corral -- 17 out of 21 -- and climbed the barricade to get in. One overly bright (or overly shadowy?) image later, we started to move up towards the start line.
When we got to the start line, there was a strange pause. Not sure why, but it felt as if we had a lot of time to chat with the Penguin. I wanted to say "We're going on a cruise with you in Alaska!" but then felt like a dork.
And then we were off, into the perfect morning. The first part of the race was a bit "industrial" -- we spent a couple of miles running past warehouses and along train lines. Not super scenic. One of the few things I remember was a band playing "Summer of '69"... and two women chatting:
"Summer of '69" ... that's Bryan Adams, right?"
"Honey, it's a cover band."
We then turned and ran through part of the Garden District -- first running along Prytania, then hairpin turning on to St. Charles. The houses were gorgeous, the roads were broad and flat, and it was beautiful... except that I kept watching my feet because the pavements were a bit broken up.
I haven't said much about the actual RUNNING yet... So far, things were going okay. We were running our usual 5:1s, running at our usual pace, and my knee wasn't hurting too much. The stretch along St. Charles (which makes me think alternately about Anne Rice and "Princess and the Frog"...) was long and pretty shady (and of course very pretty), so it wasn't until we made the turns to go under the big overpass around mile 8 that I thought, "Well, this is starting to suck."
But we carried on. It was a little sad to see the nearly deserted "relay exchange area" -- what had once clearly been full of runners was now a holding pen for only a couple of dozen, all worrying that their relay partner had dropped out, or something.
We approached the French Quarter, running along Decatur past places we had wandered around the day before. One huge highlight: a man with a megaphone calling out runners. Two women in crazy matching mardi gras jester outfits were running along in front of us, and the megaphone guy deadpanned, "Oh, man, how embarassing that both of you showed up in the same outfit." Awesome!
A tiny bit farther along and we came to the other HUGE highlight -- the Brooks Running Dude straddling the course. Gorgeous! Love the Dude! (and the other dude in the picture, of course!)
At the 10-mile point we turned onto Esplanade for a straight shot to the park. I had been getting slower and slower, so when we hit 10 I decided that I needed to walk. The rest of the way. Weirdly enough, we had kept up a fast(ish) pace for the first 10 miles, so if we had even done a little running we would have hit close to our normal time range. But we didn't.
Esplanade is another pretty, shady street lined with big, gorgeous houses. We passed Degas's house, for example. Some cute cafes. And a water stop manned by Hash House Harriers... all wearing red "dresses". Awesome. Every time I see the HHHs I think that I need to find a slow and happy group near here.
As we made our way towards the park, we started watching the full marathoners -- who were still 10 miles from their finish. I didn't envy them AT ALL. But interesting to hear "coaching" in a pace group.
Finally, we entered the park. Again, it was thrilling to be so close to the end. I pitied the full marathoners who still had NINE MILES to go. Yikes! We started running -- especially after someone near us asked a Team in Training coach how far we were from the finish, and he said "it's just on the other side of that building... plus maybe a couple of hundred yards."
Bliss! joy! We started running, passing a surprising number of people, and then grabbed hands and ran across the finish line. Wil got a shout out (lucky!) but other than that I don't remember much.
There was plenty of food and snacks (as usual), though we both thought how much more organized the post-race food at the NYC Marathon was. "Here's your bag." Boom, boom, boom. We ate fruit cups and bagels, had our first Snickers Marathon bar (which tastes just like every other "energy bar", I'm afraid), and chugged down some water.
One of the local bands was playing on the big stage, and there was a nice vibe, but we decided that we would just head back the few miles to the hotel. (Bowling for Soup? Nah.) So we walked back along the course -- down Esplanade, where we whooped and cheered for the remaining runners, telling them that they were less than a mile from the finish, etc. We turned to walk through the French Quarter and decided that we should stop in for a Hurricane at Pat O'Brien's. It wasn't very crowded on the patio yet -- after all, it was before 11am -- but most of the people there were in their running gear, wearing their medals. We had that lovely "Ooh, congratulations!" exchange with several groups of folks, which is always wonderful. I do love the community of runners.
Looking back, it was a fun race. I wasn't anywhere near trained enough, however, and the hurty knee didn't help. So, yes, it was a new PW (other than the self-imposed walking half marathon at Disney World the year we did the Goofy Challenge). But the course was pretty, we saw way more of New Orleans than we would otherwise have done, and it meant we had a great, relaxing remaining week of vacation. So while I plan on running more (running at all... ahem...) before my next half, I still feel good about the Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon.
We somehow missed taking a photo of ourselves with our medals, but we did take one of our cocktails...
Result: 2:47:22
Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon 2011 Map
Saturday, February 12, 2011
New Orleans...
Arrived last night just as the sun was setting -- it's one of those places where it gets really dark, really fast after the sun goes down...
Checked in to our home for the next four nights -- the St. Louis Hotel, in the French Quarter. They're renovating the main lobby, and the temporary reservations desk felt a Very Temporary, but the staff was friendly and we were taken up to our room on the back side of the hotel, away from the gorgeous, candle-lit atrium (hosting noisy events Friday and Saturday night), so that we would have a quieter room.
Room 222 was nice enough -- though I wasn't too thrilled about the "smoking area" immediately outside our window... Until we noticed "it". You know how those big HVAC units in hotel rooms are always noisy? Our room had this percussive rattle -- one I could feel in my chest more than hear, if that makes sense. Well, I thought the rattle was coming from it. Until Wil tried to turn it off. And I realized that the noise was coming from the ceiling... that the light fixture was rattling. As was the picture on the wall. And the lamp on the table.
We walked around and into the courtyard outside our window... and noticed that lucky room 222 was located immediately underneath a massive ventilator -- probably the one for the entire hotel. Wow. We just looked at each other and Wil started packing up. I called the front desk, said that "gosh, we seem to be under a really noisy ventilation system and the whole room is vibrating."
Somehow, I think I'm not the first person to complain about 222... they asked if we minded stairs (nope), and told us that someone would meet us outside room 327 -- "Go out into the courtyard, up the stairs, and along the landing." Five minutes later we were in 327 -- and were amazed at the difference in noise levels. Sure, we could hear the occasional horn from the street (though we were still facing inward), but this room is otherwise nearly silent. What a relief.
(I should quickly point out that the staff was friendly and gracious and didn't push back at all -- and the location is great. And did I mention the gorgeous atrium? Amazing...)
We unpacked, got settled, and then headed out to wander the French Quarter. We drank hurricanes (umm, is it just Kool-Aid and rum?), ate catfish po' boys (don't judge), listened to some jazz, and generally meandered.
This morning we're heading out to the expo and then for some low-key sightseeing. (Natchez steamboat, here we come!) I managed to hyper-extend my left knee on the uneven cobbles last night (BEFORE drinking the hurricane, I should point out!) so work up with a swollen knee... hoping that will feel better by tomorrow :)
Checked in to our home for the next four nights -- the St. Louis Hotel, in the French Quarter. They're renovating the main lobby, and the temporary reservations desk felt a Very Temporary, but the staff was friendly and we were taken up to our room on the back side of the hotel, away from the gorgeous, candle-lit atrium (hosting noisy events Friday and Saturday night), so that we would have a quieter room.
Room 222 was nice enough -- though I wasn't too thrilled about the "smoking area" immediately outside our window... Until we noticed "it". You know how those big HVAC units in hotel rooms are always noisy? Our room had this percussive rattle -- one I could feel in my chest more than hear, if that makes sense. Well, I thought the rattle was coming from it. Until Wil tried to turn it off. And I realized that the noise was coming from the ceiling... that the light fixture was rattling. As was the picture on the wall. And the lamp on the table.
We walked around and into the courtyard outside our window... and noticed that lucky room 222 was located immediately underneath a massive ventilator -- probably the one for the entire hotel. Wow. We just looked at each other and Wil started packing up. I called the front desk, said that "gosh, we seem to be under a really noisy ventilation system and the whole room is vibrating."
Somehow, I think I'm not the first person to complain about 222... they asked if we minded stairs (nope), and told us that someone would meet us outside room 327 -- "Go out into the courtyard, up the stairs, and along the landing." Five minutes later we were in 327 -- and were amazed at the difference in noise levels. Sure, we could hear the occasional horn from the street (though we were still facing inward), but this room is otherwise nearly silent. What a relief.
(I should quickly point out that the staff was friendly and gracious and didn't push back at all -- and the location is great. And did I mention the gorgeous atrium? Amazing...)
We unpacked, got settled, and then headed out to wander the French Quarter. We drank hurricanes (umm, is it just Kool-Aid and rum?), ate catfish po' boys (don't judge), listened to some jazz, and generally meandered.
This morning we're heading out to the expo and then for some low-key sightseeing. (Natchez steamboat, here we come!) I managed to hyper-extend my left knee on the uneven cobbles last night (BEFORE drinking the hurricane, I should point out!) so work up with a swollen knee... hoping that will feel better by tomorrow :)
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