Posts Tagged ‘running in pittsburgh’

I have spent the past three months focused on this one day…

 

Tomorrow!  Thank goodness, too, so I can move on from speed work to bigger and better things… 

I just hope my anxiety doesn’t make me choke.

And I will say, the race doesn’t feel the same as it has the past two years because I am feeling a little burnt out from some of the things that have happened with work. 

If I had to leave my position, for any reason, would I come back to run the race?

The Chief and I were talking about this the other day, and we decided that yes, I probably would come back to run, because that’s just the type of person I am.

Every 5k I’ve ever ran I’ve gotten mayja race anxiety…

This weekend will be no different

 

In fact, I can already feel the race anxiety hitting me hard.  I’ve been workin the speed for months.  In fact, that is all I have been doing, running wise, with a few “easy” runs here are there…

 

My parents taught me if I want something, I have to work for it.  Damn, I never thought they’d be so true about this. 

 

All the anxiety I feel is only increased by the fact that I’ve got not only my name, but my professional name on the line.  No bets have been made, though I may add some fuel to my internal fire and ask the CPD to wash my car after the race.  Just kidding!

 

I have been working the past 3 months for this race.

 

I didn’t think I could go faster.  So I did.  I didn’t think I could run longer.  So I did.  I didn’t think I could wake up after a 16 hour work day and bust out 5 miles of speed work.  So I did.

 

I don’t think I will win.  So I will.

The first race of the 2010 racing season was not bad…  I’d love to say that all the speed work I have been doing is making me wildly faster.  Let’s start from the beginning, though…

 

 

Not certain where exactly New Brighton was, I used my moms GPS (which she had left in my car from a few weekends ago) to guide me to the starting line.  It actually took me along the Ohio River Towns of Sewickley, Ambridge, Aliquippa.  Not a way I normally would have drove to get to this place (my parents are about 20 minutes north of here). 

 

When I arrived, I noticed one other runner parked to the side, so I knew it was going to be a small race.  I was fine with that, too, because I was excited to run through their business district. 

 

The race course kept things interesting.  We ran through their park along the river, over a bridge along the other side of the river, up a hill to the turnaround point, back across the bridge (fun!), and then through the business district.

 

I dropped my car keys twice (pre-race jitters).  The roads were horrible and need paved(!!) there was seriously a half mile stretch I slowed down so much  because I was scared of falling!  I think slowing down a bit that second mile (came in at 10:38) allowed me to run my last mile in less than 8:00.  My first mile was full of “getting my car keys and swearing at myself”.

 

I finished in 27:00 which is average for me… The rain held out which was nice as well.

 

 

Before all of the key dropping, though, we were heading to the starting line when a girl I immediately “knew” came up to me and said “I knew you ran races!!”.  It was a fellow LA Fitness member.  Our paths cross constantly in the early mornings at the gym.  She was very nice we started to talk about races, and the one’s she’ll be running, and the one’s I’ll be running.  She was super-speedy, though and finished way ahead of me. 

 

Similarly, I’ve had a few people find me through their standard Google search of “Pittsburgh Marathon” which is strange because I’m not running the Pgh Marathon.

 

Small world, eh??

I am happy to say that I have a good feeling Race Season has officially begun in the Burgh!! 

 

St. Patty Day 5k is this morning, and I could not be happier!  Rain, schmain!

Off to charge my dusty Garmin, bust out my favorite jacket (IN BLUE!), and tie up my sneaks!

Back later!!

I just had to go out and run yesterday, I had all of my “needed” gear, and I actually enjoyed freezing my ass off.  Crazy?  Yes.

 

It was Eight Degrees when I left yesterday.  I could feel all eight degrees.

 

There was no base layer-and-wind coat.  It was full on layers.  My first layer was the typical base layer.  My second was the warmest pants I could find.  Coupled with the warmest jacket I could find that had a hood.  Two layers of socks and gloves, YakTrax, headband with ear warmers, and my “Hotties” hand and foot warmers.  Crazy.  My fingers and toes were still cold.

 

What did I forget?  Tissue.  My nose started running and I had to use a glove.  Sorry, gross, I now.  Mid-point in my run I realized it was freezing as my eyes were watering and which I blinked, my eyelashes were frozen.  My only option was to turn around and get home. 

 

My nails are a disgrace.  That was on the agenda yesterday ha.  I came home, promptly showered and made brekkie for Jared and I.  Jared is making his way through the ham, slowly but surely. 

 

 

I made Oatmeal Pancakes using:

• 2 Cups Oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• Few dashes salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup water
• Cinnamon
• Dash salt

I simply combined everything in a bowl, let the oats sit for a few minutes to “soak up” some of the liquid.  It made about 10 pancakes.  They were filling and delicious.  Easy, too.  You definitely need the cinnamon, otherwise, they will be bland.  I didn’t enjoy the PB too much, and was too lazy to unfreeze any berries.

Jared enjoyed all of the ham, eggs, and a few of the pancakes.  We have some leftover which I will nuke this morning at work…

 

I also made lentil soup last night!  It was just okay…

 

 

I added about 1.5 c chopped carrot, 2 onion, with 10 cups water, a hambone, bay leaves, and lentils.  It simmered for about 2 hours until the lentils were tender.  I was hoping it would taste like my favorite Progresso Lentil Soup, but it didn’t.  It was good, not great.  In fact, I wasn’t a fan of the hambone at all.  I added it to try to get Jared to eat it.  He didn’t finish his mug.

 

I made a grilled sandwich for me which included roasted red pepper and two slices of reduced fat Cabot cheese.  It was good and the addition of the pepper gave it some interest.  I finished my soup, and liked it by the end.  I saved the other soup in hopes of a future reheat.  We’ll see.

 

Oh Monday.  Why are you always here so soon!?