Summer Classic 10 Miler

Yesterday I ran in the Summer Classic 10 Miler in New Albany. As it is in the rest of the country, it was blazing hot right from the start and there was very little shade on this course and, in my opinion, not enough water stops.

I started off pretty conservatively with the first two miles in the 8:00s. Then the times started to go down into the 7:00s. At the first turn I was told I was in 14th place by two different people and that's how I counted it myself. So I took it as a mission to hunt down as many women as I could. I caught one before mile 6 and then I caught two more at mile 7, where I turned my fastest mile 7:08. It took me two more miles to hunt down another and in the last mile I passed one more, who passed me back in the last 100 meters. By my calculation I was the 10th female finisher but the final results I was 12th. I don't know how I missed them, but maybe there weren't too female looking.

Anyway, my final time was 1:16:41, which is a 7:41 pace. That's a PR for me and I'm pretty excited about that. I also finished 3rd in my age group and got a plaque. Dave and my dad also ran the race.

Today kicks-off training for Chicago. I'm pretty sore after the race, but I'm going to stick to the plan and see what goodness comes from it.

Thursday Thoughts

Welcome to the most interactive fun you can have on the internet! Okay, maybe not the most fun, but still fun. First today, mad props to the husband for creating my new header. Secondly, let's get the fun rolling.

1. What is the saddest book you've ever read? Happiest?

2. What is your favorite book you've ever read?

3. Are you going (or have you gone) on vacation this summer and where are you going?

4. If you had a 4 day weekend this weekend, where would you go and/or what would you do?

5. What's the most embaressing thing that's ever happened to you?

Public Service Announcement

This is my right foot.



This is my left foot on plantar fasciitis.



Any questions?

Thursday Thoughts

1. What television show(s) are you a little embarrassed to admit that you're watching?

2. What character of TV are you most like?

3. What reality show can you not do without?

4. Do you watch any game shows? If yes, which one(s)?

5. Which TV show do you wish they would bring back?

And Now the News

This is going to be a totally random post, so bear with me.

• Dude, could it be any hotter? Yesterday was around 95 degrees so I thought it would be a good day to run intervals with some high schoolers say around 4:30 pm. He he! We made it three 400s and one 300 before the kids called it quits. I ran a total of 6 miles at a very slow shuffly pace, but my intervals rocked. I ran a 1:19 and a 1:22 in two of my 400s and I beat our best sprinter in one of the 400s and the one 300, and I almost caught one of our boy sprinters. Guess they don't quite understand what the term repeat.
• Sarah Reinertsen is going to be in the next Amazing Race.
• I reached a milestone: 750 miles on the year.
• I think I might have plantar fasciitis. I'm going to see the doctor next week about it, but I have no plans to reduce my running and training starts in two weeks.
• The Boston Athletic Association came through. I was not happy about getting a medium-sized shirt at the Boston Marathon after my entry had a small shirt. So I sent a letter to the BAA with suggestions like only giving the shirt size people ask for or putting the shirts in the grab bags so that you get the size you asked for. And yesterday I had a package in the mail with a small Boston Marathon shirt. A big thank you to the BAA.

Okay, so I guess it wasn't really all that random. :)

Thursday Thoughts

I've noticed a big spike recently in the number of hits I've been getting to this site, so let me explain Thursday Thoughts for those newbies. I write a series of questions; you answer them in the comments. Okay, I guess that wasn't that hard. Please comment. I love the comments. They're fun! Even if you just found this site from a search engine (and good gosh there are a lot of you out there hitting me through searches), participate!

Let's get it started!

1. If you could meet one famous person who would it be?

2. What is the worst date you've ever had?

3. If you were going to a deserted island and could only take three things with you, what would you take?

4. Who is the best looking guy and girl in Hollywood?

5. What did you have for dinner yesterday?

I know it's not contagious....

You know when you go to the doctor's office and it seems that every one in the waiting area has the flu and they're sneezing and coughing and snotting and of course, you're only there to see the doctor about something that does not involve being sick? You sit in the waiting area hoping they'll call you back quickly so you don't catch whatever everyone else has?

Today I had my annual. You know what I'm talking about ladies....the most hellacious 15 minutes of every year. The waiting room was packed with women and ALL of them were pregnant. For an hour, AN HOUR!, I sat there with the walls closing in on me and my lungs collapsing and just hoping that I would not catch what these other women had.

Finally I was called back (thank goodness) and all I kept thinking is let's get this over and quickly. Then, I got the pressure lecture. As I approach my 30th birthday, in two years mind you, I continually get this lecture from everybody I know. This is how it goes..."You know, you're almost 30 and it gets harder to pregnant after the age of 30 and I wouldn't want you to regret anything." But my doctor took it one step further. She said that we should be thinking about trying now. WHAT?! First of all, isn't it my decision? And secondly, isn't 30 like the new 20? Am I really that old?

A few weeks ago I was late, like several weeks late. And I FREAKED out! I went into the grocery store, approached THE aisle and looked around to see if anyone is watching me. Let me back up...I went to a grocery store in another town so it was less likely that I would know anyone there. Ha! I grabbed the pregnancy test, hid it under my arm, and approached the self-checkout. I quickly scanned that sucker, paid for the purchase, and stuffed it into my purse. I got home, peed on that stick, and waited shaking like a leaf. I was relieved when the test revealed I was very not pregnant. No denying that. A week later I still hadn't started my period and I started to get worried that I had done something wrong with the test or it was too early to have done the test in the first place. So, I took another one and was again relieved to have it come back negative. Obviously, this episode is a definite sign that I am SOOOOO not ready.

I don't need anyone to tell me I'm getting older. I realize that. I am not happy that 30 is knocking on my door. But, I don't feel almost 30 and I certainly don't look almost 30. And I don't understand why 30 is this magical number that determines my fertility. Right now, I'm not ready. I mean, scares the 'shiznit out of me', not ready. And no matter how many times people give me the pressure lecture, my mind is not going to change.

Go Speed Racer Go!

Dude! I did some fast running this weekend.

I started with 6 miles on Saturday morning with the group. But, no one I usually run with showed up so I had to run with Bridget and Brian who are way faster than me. Bridget kept talking to me and the only way for me to hear her was to keep up with her. The faster she talked, the faster she ran. And she kept saying, "let's chase down that person." As we were finishing the 6 miles I looked at my watch and freaked out! I did the run in 41:41. That's sub-7:00s folks!

Then on Saturday afternoon I did the Columbus Running Company's 1-Mile Dash. I had done a one mile race several years ago and had done a 6:15, so I was hoping to do a little better this time. I really wanted to do under 6:00, but it was really hot and I was feeling thirsty and I didn't know if that was going to happen. There were a ton of high schoolers at this race, which made me really nervous. The race was point-to-point with one turn and seemed a little downhill. I came through the quarter mile in 1:23 and came through the halfway point at a 5:40 pace. Although my lungs were not burning and I felt like I wanted to push, my legs just wouldn't go any faster. I crossed the line in 6:02. I think I won my age group, but the results seem to be a little screwed up. It has me in the 15-19 age group and the 19-24 age group. I don't think they gave out awards and I didn't stick around to find out. I'm pleased with the results.

Thursday Thoughts

Hey! Hey! You know the drill. I ask the questions; you provide the answers. Let's get started.

1. What is one goal you'd still like to accomplish?

2. What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?

3. What is one memory you have of the Fourth of July? (And if you're not from America, pick a holiday native to your country.)

4. What is your favorite candy bar?

5. Have you ever been in a musical or play? If yes, what play/musical and what role did you have?

What the Hail?

I haven't really been paying attention to the weather in the rest of the country the last couple of days (why would I watch the news? Wimbledon is on!), but the weather in Ohio has been crazy stormy for about a week.

Last Wednesday Dave, Dad, and I went out for a run and about half-way into it, as far away from our car as we could be, we got caught in a storm. We were running around the golf course and thunder had been rumbling for a while, but it was a low thunder and it seemed far away. But, the alarm sounded at the country club indicating lightning had been seen and for the golfers to come into the clubhouse. I was worried about the lightning so we stopped under a gazebo right by the course. Then the skies opened! It POURED and lightning CRASHED all around us and we were pelted with hail. The golf course marshall came by on a cart and I thought he was going to pick us up, but instead he said "that's gotta suck!" Thanks a lot buddy! We waited under the gazebo for probably 20-25 minutes and then went on with our run.

Monday Dave and I went to Kroger (grocery store) to pick up supplies to make tacos and bean dip. As we checked out, Dave realized we had forgotten the Tostitos, but we had already paid for our purchase so I told him we'd just stop on Meijer on the way home (we live right next to the Meijer). The skies were starting to look ominous so we headed to Blockbuster to get a movie and then on to Meijer. As we left Blockbuster it had started raining and continued as we got to Meijer. We purchased our Tostitos, but it was too late...it was storming and it was a big storm. I had been watching the weather map all day and there had been several tornados spotted outside of central Ohio. The weathermen had said those same storms were going to reach us around 6:00 and it was 5:45. Damn weathermen! Dave and I contemplated making a run to the car, but it was lightning pretty good so we decided to wait under the canopy of the building. The wind started picking up and shopping carts were rolling themselves through the parking lot. Then a loud crack of thunder and I freaked enough to run back into the store. The sky started to lighten in a few minutes so we headed back outside to try to make a dash for it. We thought too long, however, and then lightning literally struck in the parking lot and I jumped out of my skin and immediately back into the store. Finally, several minutes later Dave and I sprinted to the car and lightning hit across the road just as we made it to the car. Funny enough we both ducked. Yeah, like that was going to save us!

And yesterday we celebrated the un-Fourth of July. The Fourth of July has always been my favorite holiday but not so much this year. Yesterday I was awoke with the rumble of thunder around 6:00 and realized this would be the first Fourth of July I wouldn't be running a race. The thunder rumbled all day and the rain pounded down. No race, no parade, no fireworks. At least I got to bed early. The fireworks have been rescheduled for tonight. Of course, the weather is beautiful today...just in time for me to go back to work.

I'm still running

I know I don't talk about my running a whole lot anymore in this blog. Not much to say, really. Left, right, left, right, repeat. But I have been putting in some good miles. In June I totalled over 120 miles for the month and even got a couple 1000 yards of swimming. So, I may not talk about it, but I'm still running.

To My Love

Bet you thought this post was going to be about Dave....it's not.

During the summer of 1992 I learned how to play tennis. I first learned the rules of the game and how to score by watching the French Open and Wimbledon on TV. Then I took lessons from the parks and recreations. As you may or may not know, the summer of 1992 was the year Andre Agassi won Wimbledon. And my love began.

In high school I would say I was a fan of Agassi. I had posters on my wall with him and his long hair and cut off shorts. And I loved watching him on TV with his wild antics. When Agassi fell in the rankings and played the challenger tournaments and came back as a whole different player, that's when I went from fan to admirer. It's almost deeper than admiration...I would have to say I have a deep respect and love for Andre Agassi. I love watching him play. He's a textbook player. He's classy on and off the court. He's respectful and has gained the respect of players and fans around teh world. Andre Agassi is tennis personified.

Last Saturday Andre Agassi announced he was retiring from tennis at the end of this summer, with the US Open being his last tournament. My heart sank. I knew the end was inevitable and I knew it was coming soon, but I guess I wasn't prepared enough. Last year I traveled to New York to witness the US Open firsthand. I absolutely LOVED being at the US Open, but unfortuantely, I wasn't lucky enough to get to witness Agassi play in person. And now the end is near and I probably won't get to see him play in person.

Today I spent the day watching Wimbledon and I watched Agassi play his last match at Centre Court against Rafael Nadal. The match was pretty lopsided and not great to watch as an Agassi fan. At the end he blew kisses to the crowd one last time and I cried. My heart has been broken. I feel like I've lost a close friend.

On behalf of the many fans and admirers out there, thank you Andre.