Go Gu!

I have a new best friend and it is GU Energy Gel. Gu is the goop that eats like a meal and is the secret force behind many a runner's unflagging energy. I did my last long run (8 miles) yesterday before the half-marathon this Saturday. At the halfway point of my run, I tore open a packet of Vanilla Bean Gu and sucked it down.

Ka-ping! I was off. My energy remained high for the rest of the run and I finished the last quarter mile at a sprint.  Gu is touted as a "Carbohydrate Energy Gel" and it's also packed with caffeine. I was still wired hours after my run. But I'll most certainly be noshing on some Gu during the half-marathon on Saturday.

I know you're probably all sick of reading about it, but this is the last week so bear with me. I can't help but be worried about the race. The early forecast is for rain, 20-mph-winds and temperatures in the low 40's.  That's going to make an already challenging run that much harder.  I'm concerned about finishing in perfect running weather--can you imagine what headwinds will do to me? 

My running partner has said the throngs of runners and the excitement of the race will help pull an extra couple miles out of everyone they didn't think they had. Although I'll take any finishing time, I'd really like to run under a 9 1/2 minute pace, regardless of weather conditions.

At this point, training is all but over. I'll do a quick 4-5 mile run tomorrow and maybe an easy 3-mile run on Wednesday and then chill until Saturday.  On the bright side, after running my 8-miles yesterday I woke up today with absolutely no side effects. No stiff joints, no aching back, nothing.  I couldn't even tell I had run the miles. That's a big change from earlier this year when I believe I slept for 5 hours straight after running my first eight and popped Advil for a solid 24 hours.

My mind is fuzzy this week. My attention is already on the race on Saturday and everything else is a distraction.  But I do have a few work and home related items to take care of before I go and I best get to them. One of my tasks is to clean out an area sporting store of all available GU. Go GU!

Cal-i-for-nia Here I Come!

On my way way out tomorrow for the annual Cat Writers conference, held this year in Foster City, California. People chuckle when I tell them there is such an event but think about all the cat books out there- care for kittens, medical books, breed specialities, etc. and you'll get an idea of how broad the field is. I'm in the minority as a feline humor writer, which suits me fine. I've attended the conference for the last 2 years and am always amazed at the number of assignments I leave with.

My schedule is packed the 3 days I'm there so I'm not even bothering to take the laptop which likely means no new blog posts until Monday.  Plus it's just another item to lug along. I always convince myself I'll pull my laptop out on an airplane and do work and it has yet to happen. I read, I eat, I sleep--usually in that order.

I'm a backup presenter for the event but am hoping I'm not called upon. I've presented the last two years and am looking forward to attending this year as a nameless, faceless guest. But if someone cancels last minute, I'm going to take my "Johnny Can't Brand" book and walk the group through a rough-and-tumble DSI exercise.

Changing topics completely, I finally had a good run last night - 7 miles and went strong to the end. I was getting worried as my last 4 runs have been horrid.  But I wore a brace last night on my left knee which helped with stability and I woke up today with no pain--unusual for me after a longer run. 

And that's all in the life of Dena. Calm...unruffled...it's a nice change of pace.  Say a prayer my luggage doesn't join the land of the lost. This 3-oz rule (which for the record, I find close to useless--I think our country has gone WAY overboard on the panic route) is killing me. My face creams alone are 8 oz. and don't even get me started on hair care products. These days, lost luggage=bad hair.  Yikes!!! =)

Dena

11 Miles, Krispy Kreme, & Fish

I ran 11 miles today but I'm not feeling joyous. I crapped out about mile 8 and walked/ran the last 3. My running partner Royce said this is called "running it out," and as long as one still finishes the run, it counts.  I suppose, but I'd be a lot more pleased if I had managed to run the whole thing. Kiawah is in 4 weeks and I want to run the half-marathon, not run/walk.  I've had some bad runs lately.  That's because I'm not getting enough pavement time. It turned cold here the last couple of weeks and I found it hard to make myself leave the house in 40 degree weather (and the dark) to run.  But I'm going to have to step up my game plan if I want to finish this race with a respectable time.

The bright side of today's run is that Blair picked me up afterward and revived my spirits by feeding me Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Nothing like a doughy lump of sugar to get your blood pumping again. We indulged in the seasonal limited availability Pumpkin-Spice doughnuts. I strongly suggest you swing by and pick some up.

Had a lot of fun in Krispy Kreme watching the kids. One little girl about 5 walked in with her family and brother, who was maybe 7. She raced to the doughnut window, turned, and with an urgency in her voice one might hear from an adult if the home were on fire and they were trying to get everyone out called, "JOHN!! HURRY!...Sprinkles!!" 

A lot of dads were there with their kids and I eavesdropped on conversations about the best way to wear the paper KK hat and whether jelly doughnuts were better than chocolate. When we left, I mentioned to Blair how sweet it was to see dad's spending a Saturday morning, taking their kids out for a special treat.  Blair pointed out the majority of those  dad's weren't wearing wedding bands, begging the question if this was the dad's "weekend" visit with the kids. Still a nice outing for everyone but kind of makes me sad...

Okay. Fish. We have heard your words and are dramatically scaling back our plans. We'll start with a small tank and freshwater fish.  No mortgaging the house to buy an 80-gallon tank until we're sure we're in it for the long haul. Thank you all for putting the fear of God into us.

And that's it. My reward for having run 11 miles is I don't have to do jack for the rest of the day. (Hey--maybe there's the motivation I need to get outside and run more often.)  

Hope everyone is enjoying stellar weather like we are...close to 80 today. It's one of those days that make you happy to be alive.

Although that could also be the sugar from the doughnut talking...

Please Send Drugs

Ow.

Ow.

Ow.

Today should mark a triumph in my life but I'm in too much pain to enjoy it. Almost. Today, for the first time ever, I ran 10 miles.  That is the good news.

The bad news is that...ow...I hurt. Everywhere. My knees hurt, between my shoulder blades hurt, my butt hurts.  I am going to make the Advil company rich if I keep popping the tiny brown pills at the rate I have been for the past 3 hours.

My neighbor Royce and I drove into Greensboro and had a beautiful run in and around Battleground Park. We ran the first 6 miles at a 9:15 pace and finished the ten miles at a 9:30 pace.  Pretty good for a newbie like me.  I was REALLY tired by mile 9. I almost stopped, but ego intervened. I wanted to be able to tell people I'd run 10 miles. "I ran 9 and three-quarters," just doesn't sound as good. So I huffed and puffed and informed my knees they would just have to suck it up for the last quarter mile. I was never so grateful to stop running.

Now I've got to do that plus 3.1 more miles for the actual race! I'm going to run 11 miles some weekend in November and see how that goes.  I think I'll feel better if I start out slower. We started at what was probably a 9-minute pace. That's okay to run 5-6 miles but I lost energy near the end because I went too fast in the beginning.

I'm heading into Greensboro tonight for a dinner. Looking forward to the company but not the drive in. My plans for the day are shot. I had a list of things to do but I got home from running, showered, and went back to bed.  I may drag my weak and feeble body into the family room to watch TV but that's about as high as my goals extend for the day.

YIPPEE!!! I DID IT!!!!  (Ow, ow, ow...)