Nurse on the Run

Today marks my last full day here in Pennsylvania!!  My dad is coming tonight and we’re loading up the Uhaul to move me to NYC tomorrow morning/afternoon.  I figured that running my stuff up five flights of stairs would be enough of a workout for tomorrow, so I decided to shift my runs around and do my long run today since I still have the full day to myself and it’s better to a long run when you’re not about to climb into a car for seven hours…just saying.  I suppose it is fitting that my last run in Pennsylvania is a long run…let me get in one final run on my various routes.

I’ve been sleeping until noon the past two days (oops?), but the heat is quite nasty in the afternoon and ninety degree temps don’t really go well with 18 miles long runs.  Luckily I am capable of getting up early, I just don’t generally like to do it.  (I also have yet to kick my evening shift schedule…that’s gotta change soon!)  I meant to wake up at 6:45 and be running by 7:30, but I ended up waking up at 7:20 and hit the road a little after eight.  Close enough.  It was a cool mid-70’s when I started and ended up heating until about 90 at the end…at least it wasn’t a scorcher for the entire run.

Let’s review a few things about this lovely long run…18 miles of joy.

the route

I do most of my runs in two direction.  The first one is through the local neighborhood, which is full of hills and makes for a pretty good workout.  I sometimes hate my life running up the hills, but the down hills are so sweet and make me feel like a rockstar.  The other option is the Perkiomen Trail (I can tell you now since you can’t track me down and get me on an episode of SVU), which is a twenty mile trail about a mile from where I live.  It is fabulous, with a water fountain and bathroom 5.38 miles away (go garmin).  It’s lined with trees and is mostly a gravel path.  Since I run when most people are at work, I usually get the entire trail to myself.  This is nice in that it’s very peaceful and I get lost in my thoughts quite easily, but not so good in that I’m convinced I’ll be kidnapped…I suppose I survived!

My route today was a combo of both, starting with a six mile loop through the neighborhood and then heading to a six mile out-and-back on the trail.  Perfect, minus the fact that the way back from the trail is basically a mile long hill, but I conquered for the last time…take that!  I’m not so sure I’ll miss living here in Pennsylvania, but I will miss my trail.

the fuel

So, Honey Stinger Energy Chews have been my go-to for my past three marathons.  While I do like them and would recommend them to anyone, sometimes (especially late in the marathon game), I hate chewing.  I don’t want to chew anything, I just want to run.  This usually leads to me not eating them.  I’m jealous of people who like to use gels since I simply cannot swallow them.  Instead, they end up with me half-vomiting them on the sidewalk.  (Sorry neighbors!)  I decided to give them another try since it’s been awhile, and I spent nearly four minutes trying to suck down a gel before realizing that it just wasn’t going to happen.  Since I happened to be at home while doing this, I traded out my gels for some Honey Stingers…but I still didn’t really want to eat them.  I need to figure something else out…perhaps I’ll just stick to drinking Gatorade?  I’m a running gel wimp.

On the other hand, my big purchase yesterday was a Nathan Quick Draw Plus Handheld Water Bottle.  After my last two HOT HOT runs, I decided that I needed to take the plunge on this purchase.  Let me tell you…it was well worth it!!  I don’t know why I held off for so long.  It was easy to hold and run with for 18 miles (and this is coming from the girl who hates carrying anything while running…) and held enough water to last me between refills (about every six miles).  Invest in one if you don’t have one yet, you won’t regret it!  I enjoyed having water to sip throughout the run, which was really helpful, at least mentally, when the temperature started to rise.

the sights

I saw one of the regular people I pass on the trail…an older man who always wears blue gym shorts, a white tank top under a plain white t-shirt, and a blue baseball hat.  He always gives me a nod as he power walks along…so cute! 

My other spotting on the trail was at my second water break to refill my water bottle.  Another older man in a mismatched running outfit (turquoise shorts, almost pink singlet, white hat) came up by me and asked how far I was running.  I told him eighteen miles and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head!  Love it.  He said he used to be able to run that far, but his knees couldn’t hold up for any more than six miles now.  I hope mine last for awhile!

the splits

Wednesday, September 1
18.12 miles in 2:23:47, avg pace of 7:56
Splits:  8:09, 8:09, 8:27 (mile long hill!), 7:52, 7:51, 7:51, 7:42 (downhill!), 7:57, 8:03, 7:53, 8:00, 7:53, 7:53, 7:50, 7:51, 7:44, 7:51 (last mile long climb!), 0:48 (avg pace 7:36) 

Sounds good to me!  I told myself to take it easy at the beginning considering how my last two runs haven’t felt good at all.  I eventually fell into a pace and was fairly consistent overall.  For the last mile long climb, I keep telling myself to power up the hill for the LAST TIME.  Not so fun at the end of 18 miles, but I made it. 

the end

I’m done!!  Just need to pack up the Uhaul and I’m OUTTA HERE!  The current plan is Pennsylvania –> NYC –> Western PA (stop at uncle’s as I drive my car to Chicago) –> Chicago (weekend home with family and friends!) –> NYC on Tuesday.  Here we go…

It’s been a busy time here!  I’ve been back and forth to NYC a few times trying to sort out an apartment and work stuff, but today I was finally approved for my apartment (not that I was worried, but now it’s official).  I’m moving in on Thursday and all that jazz.  In the meantime, I took an overnight trip to the glorious state of Maryland for some band nerdiness.  For those who don’t know, I was a proud member of the Mighty Sound of Maryland, the marching band of the University of Maryland.  I played the trombone.    It was fun to go back and see the little freshmen and other people who are carrying on the traditions that I took part in.  I was also able to catch up with some people who I marched with!  Good times.

During the drive to Maryland, I was able to accomplish lots of car dancing (my band buddy who I drove with has some great tunes!), which was glorious.  I also spotted this vehicle with bumper stickers that made me scratch my head.  We actually passed it early on so I couldn’t snap a photo, but it zoomed by us about half an hour later and I nearly fell out of my seat (as best you can in a car…) and asked Julianne to pull up next to it so I could take a picture.  Do you spot the irony in these bumper stickers??  Runners may understand…

Hm…..

Let me know what you think!  I thought it was funny…

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It has been annoyingly hot again lately!  I suppose it doesn’t help that I don’t wake up at the crack of dawn to go running and instead head out when it’s 95 degrees.  Do as I say, not as I do.  I nearly didn’t make it on Monday, but today I was smarter and took some water with me…and it was uncomfortably warm by the time I was done!  Cool water is so much more refreshing than hot water, that’s for sure.  I do love summer, but I’m definitely over heat wave #783! 

Monday, August 30
5.05 miles in 39:05, avg pace of 7:44

This run felt much worse than it looked…I had positive splits the entire time!  Maybe that was the problem?  I need to run slower some days, that’s for sure…especially when it’s hot out.

Tuesday, August 31
5.08 miles in 41:35, avg pace of 8:12

This was a MISERABLE run.  So hot.  However, I did feel a little better than yesterday, perhaps due to the slower pace.  I took water with me and it didn’t help too much.  I was actually supposed to do eight miles, but I decided to play it smart and only run five…I’ll switch it up later in the week when it’s either cooler or when I’ll run earlier in the day.

Time to pack some more…NYC on Thursday!

When some people say that they don’t like running, they say it’s because it seems boring.  Putting one foot in front of the other for a few minutes let alone a few hours may seem daunting to people and not very exciting.  After all, you’re doing the exact same thing over and over again.  In high school, one of my friends joined the cross country team for pre-season, which started two weeks before school actually started.  She ran with us for a week before she left to join the swim team instead.  I was always excited when my non-running friends wanted to join cross country, so I was a little disappointed when she told me, “Susan…you’re going to think this is crazy, but running from place to place is just too boring.  I know that doesn’t make sense because I’m going to be swimming laps in a pool…but it’s just how I feel.”  Or something along those lines.  I guess it’s just a matter of what gets you lost in your thoughts and doesn’t make it feel like work.  For me, that’s running.  For others, it may be swimming.  Or biking.  Or yoga.  Whatever it may be.

However, there are times when running is anything but boring.  Let’s take some classic examples that have happened to me in the past couple weeks.

• People honking. Yes, I understand that I’m not wearing a shirt (it’s summer, okay?), but whenever anyone honks at me, I’m 97% convinced that means I’m about to be hit by a car.  This drops to about 40% if you yell out the car window and about 17% if you’re on the trail on your bike screaming at me.  (Teenagers are weird.)
• Mom reading to her child while running. Whatever it takes to get kids out and running, right?  Earlier this week I ran past a mom who was reading a paperback novel to her twelve-ish year old son.  Although they weren’t running fast, at least they were out there being active!
• Running into a tree. Yesterday when I was running, I either misjudged the distance between my head and the tree branch, or I’m just that bad at limbo-ing.  Not going to lie…it was probably the second one.  And it hurt.
• Not to mention the mailbox. Yes, last week I almost lost the side of my face to a mailbox.  Take my advice and don’t stare at the gorgeous Lamborghini that drives by.  (Side note:  Young man driving said car…why are we not friends??)
• The shooting range. One of the trails I run on runs past a shooting range, which happens to be right next to signs on a giant fence that read, “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.  KEEP OUT.”  Before I knew a shooting range was right down the road, this made for some very nerve-wracking and hurried runs.
• Good conversation. Let’s face it.  Good talks are had on runs.  A good running buddy can make runs fly by.

Have you seen anything crazy on your runs lately?  I’m sure you have some good stories! I bet NYC is going to be full of good running stories…hopefully sans shooting ranges. 

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Lots of running the past few days!  I’ve been running fast despite continuously telling myself to slow down.  The fact that the temperature has dropped certainly doesn’t hurt, plus I’m not working so I’m not on my feet forty hours per week running around like a nut.  The cut back week is also quite lovely.  I ran 42 miles last week, which sounds like a lot more than it actually felt like.  “Only” 35 miles this week!  IT band feels good…knock on wood.

Wednesday, August 25
8.04 miles in 1:01:50, avg pace of 7:41

When I got back from this run, one of my roommates asked if it was raining outside…no no, I’m just that sweaty.  As a side note, running 7:20 miles at the end of a run is really fun.  I like running fast…especially when it doesn’t feel like it. 

I also went to yoga after this run since I haven’t gone in FOREVER.  I usually like this instructor for her Wednesday evening class since she normally does a very relaxing class, but it wasn’t my cup of tea this time.

Thursday, August 26
12.07 miles in 1:33:24, avg pace of 7:44

I had to go up to NYC for more pre-moving stuff (it’s lots of fun, I promise), so I take the train through Princeton since driving to NYC doesn’t sound like fun.  I still had a bunch of stuff to give back to James, so I headed to his apartment on my way back and dropped it off.  He needed to run 12 miles and that happened to be my “long” run for the week, so we ended up running together.  I haven’t run with anyone in a longgggg time, and it definitely made the 12 miles go by pretty quick!  However, before we started I said, “I’ve been doing my long run at like 7:45 pace…that needs to stop.”  Oops?  I totally take the blame for this since I was setting the pace at the end.  Is this marathon pace?  It doesn’t necessarily feel like it, but who knows.  It would be lovely if it is, I just might need someone to come drag me the last few miles.

Friday, August 27
5.03 miles in 39:17, avg pace of 7:48

My legs felt like lead after yesterday’s run, but apparently I didn’t run like my legs were made of lead.  Not going to lie…I’m enjoying sub-8 minute miles seeming “easy.”  That being said, tomorrow shall be a rest day.

I suppose it’s Friday, which doesn’t mean much to my non-working self right now, but happy weekend to the rest of you!  I can’t believe the end of summer is drawing near…

Friday was my LAST DAY at my first nursing job, which if you’ve been around Nurse on the Run for a little while, you would know what a joyous occasion it was!  In typical fashion of my hospital, my floor was closed so all the nurses were sent to the other floors to work.  I headed to one of my less favorite floors (cardiac…just not really my cup of tea), but I had a pretty good group so I couldn’t complain.  Although honestly, I don’t think anything was going to bring me down!  Lots of people stopped by to say goodbye and wish me well, and I got a nice card and cookie cake (yummm!) from everyone, so that was really sweet.  For the record, I spent two and a half hours battling with pharmacy to get the medications I needed, but nothing was going to bring me down!  Around 10pm I nearly started dancing down the hallway with a huge smile on my face, and then I gave report at 11pm, marking the END of my time at this hospital.  I swiped out and was DONE. 

What a feeling.

I headed to one of the other floors to chat with some of the nurses I worked with (and who I’ll miss!  They’re great!), and then I headed to one of the local bars with a few of the nurses.  We had a lovely time while drinking beer in our scrubs.    (Also, I had a virtual drink with Jeri!!  I can’t wait to have a real drink with her!)  I really did work with a lovely bunch of ladies, and I’m going to miss them.  You build relationships with your coworkers and learn to trust me and help each other, which is soooo important, especially in a field such as nursing.  The facility might not have been the greatest, but I did learn from some amazing nurses.

That being said, I’M FREE!!!  I know that I could have just quit my job six months ago, but sometimes you have the pay the bills and gain some experience, so I’m glad I stuck it out like I did.  It wasn’t easy, but I have learned so much in the past fifteen months and I’m a better person (and nurse!) because of it.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

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Never fear, I’ve still been running!  It’s going to be interesting to see how my running turns out because I swear there’s a direct correlation between how terrible my job was and how fast I would run.  The worse my job was going, the faster I would run!  It’s true when they say that running is great for stress relief!

Let’s take it back awhile.  On Thursday, I did my long run for the week because the weekend was going to hold crazy apartment hunting and such.  I mistakenly thought that it was going to be cooler out, and I didn’t even think about taking fuel with me.  Actually, I thought about it, then I was like, “Oh, I can run 16 miles without it.”  FAIL.  Don’t do this!!  You need to take something besides the two water stops for a sixteen mile run!  Especially when it’s in the 80’s.  Why I’m making these rookie mistakes while training for my sixth marathon is beyond me.  Lesson learned.

Thursday, August 19
16.06 miles in 2:06:04, avg pace of 7:51

Please note that this does NOT include the five minutes where I literally laid down on a bridge and stared at the clouds, wondering how I was going to make it the three miles I had left to get home.  The sky was very pretty, in case you were wondering.  Here’s to better runs…

Fast forward to Sunday, where I ran eight lovely miles on one of my favorite routes.  The hills at the start kinda kill me, but that means the second half is downhill…gotta love it.

Sunday, August 22
8.05 miles in 1:02:53, avg pace of 7:49

This week is a cut back week, which is nice because the runs are shorter, therefore giving me more time FREAK OUT about moving to NYC in a week.  Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it’s almost here!  In the meantime, I’m soaking up some runs on my local runs.  It’s a little nerve-wracking to me to have to find new running routes…going into “automatic” mode makes zoning out during runs much easier.  I’m sure I’ll be a pro in no time, however.

Monday, August 23
5.24 miles in 40:01, avg pace of 7:39

It was raining.  The temperature dropped 25 degrees.  Hello, glory.

Tuesday, August 24
5.05 miles in 37:59, avg pace of 7:32

You try running slower when it’s 65 degrees!  So awesome!  That being said, I should probably start wearing more than my shortest shorts and a sports bra to run in, although from the number of honks I received, I don’t think anyone was complaining.  Just saying.  What a lovely run…the cooler temps definitely make running a little more bearable.  Can’t wait to run in NYC!

Alright, caught up on the running aspect.  Soon I will catch you up on the rest of life…it’s been a little crazy here, and the fun isn’t going to stop anytime soon! 

On the other side of the finish is the start of something new.

I’ve been waiting for this day since the first day I set foot in my hospital.  For the record, I can’t believe what I wrote in that post!  My job has been ANYTHING but relaxed, and most days it’s just insane.  People ask me why my job is so stressful or why it makes me cry, and I really can’t explain it unless you’re a nurse, and even then, unless you’ve been a nurse with a miserable job, you might not even understand.  The nurses I went to school with mostly seem to enjoy their jobs, while all the new nurses I work with question their career choice on a weekly (if not daily) basis.  I believe this goes to show that it must be where we work, not the work that we do, as all six (or more) of us couldn’t have made the wrong career decision.

That was a bit of a tangent.  Today is my LAST shift at my job.  I will turn in my hospital ID tag and retrieve my nursing license from the nursing office.  I will give report for the final time.  I won’t call pharmacy again for missing meds or scream on the inside because the ER sent my admission up without faxing report first.  At 11:30pm tonight, I will be a happy, happy girl.  You should all have a virtual drink with me!

I’ve been saying goodbye to some people through the week…people who won’t be working tonight.  I am a little sad about leaving the people I work with, as many of them have helped me become the nurse I am today.  They precepted me, gave me a hug when I cried in the med room, answered my eight million questions, drew my blood cultures for me, and reassured me that everything I went through in the past year was normal and that one day it would “just click.”  I’m not sure it’s totally clicked yet, but I have become a more confident nurse and have come a long way in the past fifteen months.  I strongly believe that being a new nurse is one of the most difficult jobs in the entire world, as you know so little yet are expected to know so much.  Time doesn’t stop when you’re overwhelmed and lost.  Sometimes, you don’t eat dinner, go to the bathroom, or have time to breathe…and then a patient wants a refill on their water. 

Being on the front lines has it’s pluses and minuses.  I’ve been yelled at by patients, families, and doctors.  I’ve been proposed to by old men and had patients tell me I’m their favorite nurse.  Shifts have passed where one patient tells me I’m terrible and the one next door tells me I’m an angel.  I’m not going to lie…I smile a little when a confused old lady turns her head and whispers, “You’re really pretty.” 

For whatever reason, many people recommend getting medical/surgical floor experience before moving onto a specialty.  I’ve seen an incredible range of diagnoses, so I know a little bit about a lot of different things.  However, I’m ready to move into a specialty and jump from a community hospital to one of the top hospitals in the country.  I have no idea why they even decided to interview me, let alone offer me the job (my mother says I don’t give myself enough credit), but I feel truly lucky to have this opportunity and can’t wait to see what’s next.

After all…it can’t be worse, right? 

When I was in Atlantic City this past weekend, I handed one of the girls my camera to take a picture, and she immediately said, “Wow!  This is such an old camera!”  I don’t know whether it was all the scratch marks on it or the fact that it’s not as slim as the new cameras, but it’s not even that old!  My lovely camera is from 2006…okay, I guess that’s old by camera standards.  I’m super cheap so I’ve been putting off buying a new camera, but there is a spot on the lens that I can’t seem to get off no matter how much I try to clean it.  Check it out below:

Black smudge right above the rooster!

And above the cruise ship!

Perhaps it’s time for a new camera.  This is where I turn to you, my blogger friends.  If you’re a food blogger, you’re definitely more in the know when it comes to cameras.  If you’re an everything else blogger, you probably take plenty of pictures as well.  What type of camera do you have?  While I would love a super nice camera, I just don’t think it’s practical for me since I just throw my camera in my purse and go!  Maybe one day.  I’m looking for a point and shoot that takes nice pictures.  I have a Sony currently, so I might want to stay with that so I can keep my memory cards.  (Then again, I think you can get them pretty cheap these days.)  Let me hear your thoughts!

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I woke up this morning thinking that I only had to run four miles today, which I don’t even consider to be much of a “run.”  It takes me nearly that long to warm up and get into it!  That’s what I get for running marathons, I guess.  Also, it takes me a little over half an hour to run four miles, and I can do anything for half an hour whether I’m feeling it or not.  After I got dressed to run, I had a funny feeling that four miles wasn’t quite right.  Checking the schedule, I realized that five miles were on deck for today!  Although it was only one mile more, I was a little let down.  My little stroll turned into a real run!  Well, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was making it out to be…another run to check off!

Wednesday, August 18
5.22 miles in 40:41, avg pace of 7:48

It was actually a little cooler today, with weather.com saying it was in the 70s!  It’s still humid as can be and I was literally dripping sweat when I got home.  I’m ready for some cooler days (not COLD, but cooler) as these runs are getting longer!  Soon, soon.

I had such a weird run today!  I thought it was going to go well since the temperature was supposed to be a little cooler, which was true since it was in the 80’s instead of the 90’s, but the humidity is still in full force, especially since it stormed last night.  Eight miles was on the schedule, which is one of my favorite distances to run because it’s long enough that you can get all warmed up, but you’re not super tired at the end of it.  (Or at least…that’s just me!)  I headed out and immediately was quite toasty, while my legs felt a bit tired.  I never judge a run by the first mile, but I just wasn’t feeling it!

Let’s just say that the run didn’t get much better…I hit the hills and it took all my willpower to get up them!  I kept thinking to myself, “Why didn’t I decide to run half marathons?  Or 10ks?  Maybe I’m over this marathon business…”  Honestly, plenty of people run 10ks and they’re quite content with their lives.  I pressed onward hoping my legs would wake up and think that running is a fantastic idea, but that never happened…

Until mile 6!  I have no clue what happened after mile six, although the temperate felt like it dropped a little (this was probably all in my head), and I checked my Garmin to find that I was running a 7:20 mile…what??  I was just slogging on the hills at 8:30.  Running was suddenly effortless!  Clearly nothing magically changed after six miles, but I felt glorious for the last two miles of my run.

Maybe that’s why I run long distances…the further I go, the better I feel!  (Generally speaking…)

Tuesday, August 17
8.05 miles in 1:03:47, avg pace of 7:55 (last mile in 7:09…what??)

I guess I don’t hate running after all and I’ll stick to marathons for now.    I’ve heard people say that if you don’t feel like running, head out for a mile and if you still don’t like it, turn around and go home.  I’ve never actually stopped after a mile, so that just goes to show getting your foot out the door is half the battle.

How do you push yourself through hard runs?  Walk breaks?  A mantra?  Let me hear it!

While some of you spent your weekend at the Healthy Living Summit in my (favorite) city of Chicago, I was living it up in Atlantic City, New Jersey with the girls!  My college roommate, Sara, planned a girls weekend in Atlantic City for a couple college friends and some girls she knows from her post-college life in DC.  I’d never been to Atlantic City before, but I’ve heard stories, and let’s just say that the weekend didn’t disappoint!

While the stories are going to stay in Atlantic City (if you know what I mean), I will share a couple pictures with you!

  After battling Philly traffic (of course), I spotted this sign!

I hit the beach IMMEDIATELY with my friend Karilee, as both got there earlier than everyone else.  It’s no Costa Rica, but it was fun to lay out and catch up a little!  Soon enough it was time to meet up with the rest of the ladies, so we headed to our hotel and got ready for dinner.  After a late dinner with some super strong martinis, we hit the hotel bar and casino for a great night out!

Out with the ladies the first night!

I’m no gambler, but I watched a lot of people play blackjack and lose some money…it was crazy how some people would walk up to a table, throw down $200, lose it all in one hand, and walk away.  Yikes!  It was a fun night and we headed home a bit on the late side.

Saturday was a glorious day as well!  After getting everyone out of bed, we headed to the beach to lay in the sun!  Not much is to be said about it, other than the weather was perfect…sunny but not too hot!  Love it.

Ah, the perfect pose.

Like a kid in a candy store. 

After a fun day in the sun, we headed back to the hotel to get ready and head out to one of the downtown casinos for the night!  Definitely a fun night, and as Sara put it, the last of the appropriate pictures were taken at 12:04am, and the rest of the night stays in Atlantic City!  Sara introduced me to sweet tea vodka and lemonade, which is a fantastic drink!  Here are some blog-appropriate pictures of our night of fun:

3/4ths of the FAB FOUR.

Oh, that’s why women wear heels…

Cute picture of all the ladies…watch out, AC!

Great night with the girls!  There was discussion of making this an annual trip, which I’m totally up for.  Fantastic way to forget about it all for awhile and just have fun.  While there wasn’t anything too healthy about this trip, it was great for the mind, which is important as well.

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Feeling the effects of the weekend, I went for a short four mile run when I got home on Sunday.  It was a little bit drizzly out, and my legs were tired!  Good thing four miles is…only four miles!

Sunday, August 15
4.03 miles in 32:11, avg pace of 8:00

I must have been sleepy this morning because I didn’t get up too early, but lucky for me, I got canceled from work for 3-7pm, so I had some extra time to run.  Of course, when you go running at 1:30pm, the heat index is 95 degrees!  I don’t necessarily mind the heat, but I’m soaking wet with sweat when I got home…what a sweaty mess.  Apparently the heat didn’t get too much too terribly since I still had a lovely run.

Monday, August 16
5.06 miles in 39:23, avg pace of 7:47

I do love summer, but I was picturing a fall run while I was running and got a little excited about what’s ahead!  Gotta head into work for 7-11pm…we call it the “princess shift”…away I go!

I’m not sure if I’ve said this before, but I think I was meant for longer distances.  Seeing as I ran a marathon without having run for nearly a month beforehand (although lots of swimming and biking was done), this is a pretty safe bet.  I like longer distances and although I have yet to master the last few miles of the marathon, overall I like to run far.  If I must say so myself, I can run fair somewhat quickly.  Short runs, which I consider to be anything less than five miles (for myself…as long as you’re out there, more power to you!), don’t feel comfortable to me since my legs tend to finally warm up after about four miles.  I’m pretty good about getting into a zone, and I think my mind is a black hole…I don’t know where the time goes!  No idea what I think about either, although here’s a glimpse into my mind during my long run today:

• Singing Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok”…classic.
• “A prisoner got loose!!” – I run by a shooting range, which happens to be next to all the signs for the local correctional facility…that’s a bit unnerving…no wonder I run so fast!
• I’M GOING TO NEW YORK!!
• Old softball cheers from my softball playing years (random, hm?).
• Sometimes, I randomly put my arms out and pretend I’m an airplane…hasn’t worked yet.

I’m sure there was more since I was running for fifteen miles, but like I said…my mind is like a black hole sometimes.  I never listen to music when I run (especially on the trail…), but somehow I’m not bored.  I must be a runner…let’s check out the stats.

Friday, August 13
15.13 miles in 1:56:42, avg pace of 7:43
Splits:  7:47, 7:52, 7:55, 7:53, 7:46, 7:56, 7:47, 7:42, 7:42, 7:31, 7:36, 7:36, 7:31, 7:33, 7:44, 0:40 (7:31 pace)

Well, that was a pretty good run.  I don’t think I could hold that pace (especially not 7:30’s…) for eleven more miles, but time will tell.  IT band is feeling good so far, so I’m holding out hope that this training cycle will go well.  56 days til the Chicago Marathon…yikes!

What do you think about when you run?  Do you listen to music?  Are you a black hole like me?  Do you chat it up with your running buddies?

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I’m off from work today (yay!) in order to head to Atlantic City, New Jersey to hang out with these pretty ladies:

Karilee, Sara, and me!

My college roommate, Sara, planned a girls weekend in Atlantic City with a couple girls from college, as well as some girls she met post-college.  It will be a weekend of beaching (hopefully the sun will come back!), gambling (only a little), and a couple nights on the town!  It’s no Healthy Living Summit, but I’m pretty sure I’ll have a good time. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Today marks a GREAT day…it’s my dad’s birthday!  For those of you who don’t know, I have the best parents (ever)…I will fight you on that!  My dad turns the ripe young age of 63 today, and since I’m not home to celebrate with him, we celebrated this past weekend when I was home.  Since my dad is really hard to buy for (what dad isn’t?), I went with the staple idea and took him to a Cubs game for his birthday!

Of course, my dad, being the person that he is, said, “Oh, well maybe I’ll root for Cincinnati…”  Probably a better idea since the Reds won…it’s hard to win when you don’t score any runs.  “The Cubs were quite anemic today,” reported my father.

Some pictures:

Dad and me at the Bean in Chicago!

Post-Boston Marathon!

  Matching Cubs shirts!

fun facts about my dad

- He’s an architect, mainly designing laboratories and university buildings, all over the US and in Canada!
- Between being an architect and having traveled a lot, he makes a great tour guide.
- He hates eggs.
- He can fix (or attempt to fix) most things, which is why I call him when anything breaks (or when I have no clue how to check the oil in my car…or put air in the tires).
- He knows the most random facts…and I have no idea how!  That being said, Jeopardy is still not his forte.
- He sends me newspaper clippings that remind him of me. 

How awesome is your dad?  Probably not as awesome as mine, but tell me a fun fact about him anyway! 

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Running is not something my dad and I share in common, but he does come out to many of my marathons, usually wearing a yellow or orange shirt so I spot him in the crowd first before he spots me!  Too funny.  Anyway, running has been interesting these past two days…yesterday I was about ready to give up on running, while today was fabulous!  The difference?  About twenty degrees.

Yesterday, I slept late (oops?) and was going to skip my run altogether since it was super hot and I didn’t feel too great, but at 12:15 I decided I might as well just squeeze it in…I can run four miles any day!  Well, yes, I can, but at 12:15 when it’s 95 degrees and humid, it’s just not going to be pretty.

Wednesday, August 11
4.03 miles in 32:26, avg pace of 8:03

I was drenched in sweat and ended up drinking Gatorade (which I rarely drink) when I got home because I felt like I needed it.  It’s funny how sometimes I feel like I can rock eight miles in 95 degree heat, but four miles seems like forever on other days.

My running clothes are so gross.

Running today was another story…I woke up to gray skies and a little bit of a drizzle, which made for a lovely run!  The temperature dropped to about 75 degrees, and while it’s still humid as can be, running with a slight spitting of rain and no sun made for a really enjoyable run.  I hate the feeling of sweat dripping down my forearms (it feels so weird!), but otherwise the run flew by…gotta love it.

Thursday, August 12
7.1 miles in 55:52, avg pace of 7:52

August 12th??  Since when is it mid-August?  Time is FLYIN’!