Guilted into 7 Miles

So running and having Georgia Tech Football Tickets is hard.  I'm not exactly sure how tailgating came to be, but whoever invented it should get a prize.  Last year whoever scheduled GT football games all at noon should have been shot.  This year, alumni must have used their money because most are scheduled for 3.  No problem to get a run in, right? 

Friday afternoon emails:
J: Do you want me to pick you up?
Me: Yes, what time? I have to run 7miles first.
J: 11.
Me: Ok

Saturday
The alarm goes off at 630.  Who is the insane person getting up on a Saturday at 630 I wonder, and hit snooze.  At 730 I figure out that I have to be out the door by 8 so I have plenty of time to take pictures (of course), run, come home and get ready.  Luckily I already have beer and cash.  Patted myself on the back for remembering to be prepared. 

Off for 7 miles.  It wasn't very easy start.  My legs didn't want to move.  They hurt on the warm-up and they felt like lead on the first mile.  My time confirmed that with the 15+ minute mile (yes, I was running, or so I thought).  I had already decided I wasn't going to the drug gas station so I would have to run up Macaroni Hill (the hill smells like Mac and Cheese).  I actually did it decently.  A little out of breath but nothing running on a flat wouldn't take care of.  A new Grand Opening of some restaurant was occuring. They had a DJ. He informed me over the loudspeaker that they would be open until 1 so I could come back and get a post run breakfast.  I crossed the road, so I would be on the other side of the road at the drug gas station and kept on going. Mile 2 was in the 12 somethings (the rest of the miles went between 12 and 14).

I have worn the same thing for the past 3 long runs (capris and a green shirt).  So when I got past the firehouse (home of the Scream Machine...it makes me laugh when I see the SM), I heard a man yell out, "You need to stop. Your butt is getting too small."   That added a kick to my step.  I was going to stop and take pics of some graffiti I like, but I was on a roll and realized I passed the art when I thought about it. 

My route wasn't totally laid out (why I love the Garmin) so I did a "What's down this road?"  Really I had no clue but when I got up a slight incline I came to this. 

The New Schools at Carver Mile 2.56. Photo by ALB

It was just beautiful.  I knew what it was when I saw it but just didn't realize where it was. The New Schools at Carver which are tops in the city.  The campus is awesome.  I think it is under the Public School System, but not really sure how it works...I don't hear people clamoring to go there but the graduation rate is in the 90s (which for GA, in general, is WAY about the average).  Anyway, I was still unsure of my route, so I ran twice around the track, which was all paved nice. I finished my tour of the campus and went back down the road I was on (it wasn't the main road to the campus).  I decided to do an out-and-back of the road I was on and turn earlier than the gas station. At a walk break, I hit this lady's house.  She is always outside.  She said I was inspiring and she is now walking.  Also asked if she should have water for me.  I thanked her but said that was ok.  I need to know my drink limits without her aid, plus if she puts out water and I'm not there, or I expect water and she's not there, what happens? 

For some reason, I got into another zone and missed the Post Office Turn so once again I was at the gas station.  The MARTA bus came and honked, because apparently it has to drive on the curb for 200 feet before it can stop at the stop (there was another stop across the street).  I turned and there the drug dealer was. I just put my head down, like I didn't know what was going on.  But really it was so cliche.  I think that bothers me more than the drugs...Guy in raincoat (no chance of rain) with a lookout guy on the corner, and everyone around frantically looking around.  The APD must have changed routes though.  I used to see them all the time on my runs.  I haven't seen them at all.  So I got passed that and the rest of the run was uneventful.  I did have to check why the flag was half-mast (Memory of Arlen Spector).

US Penitentiary Mile 6.44.  Photo by ALB

Got home, saw I burned 1200 calories, goofed off and  then got ready.  I figured I had 10 more minutes left to do stuff at 1050.  Of course J called at 1051.  I managed to get everything but a sweatshirt.  So woohoo!  Calorie free beer and a win!

Training or Beer?

We already all know I like beer.  We also know I really hate my commute on Thursdays.  To go 30 miles takes somewhere between 60 and 150 minutes.  Usually running gets cut out of the mix.

I'm into week 2 of training. It should come as no surprise I have missed both Thursday runs.  Last Thursday I couldn't find a parking space by the gym (2 block limit with street lights is a requirement since a carjacking occurred there), and there was free beer at the pet store.  "Oh, I'll go at 5am," I told D.  Set my alarm and at 745 the next morning I woke up to my friend calling me about something.  I sat in my chair all day at work and prayed no one would ask me a question.  I don't know what a Farmhouse Saison is, but the pet store served up quite a kick. 

The rest of the runs from last week were ok.  I have to find a new 6 mile route.  It might be just cutting the gas station corner out of the mix.  Too many drugs on the corner (and I got offered some this time)!  So this week I did a fartlek and a 5 mile run.  I don't think the 5 miler went ok. 2 trainers asked me if I was ok.  I was...just walked a little more than I wanted to...HR is still getting too high (I know, slow down).

Thursday, well I had a Groupon to go to the Atlanta Botanical Garden for the Fest-of-Ale.  So D and I did that.  Can I say I thought it was a total rip-off?  It was pitch black (it did say bring a flash light, but come one...put up some white holiday lights).  I mean even with a flash-light, you couldn't see scarecrows.  They ran out of beer (the plus was they had good beer).  We were there less than 30 minutes, because parking only cost us $2.  But it was $18+dollars with the Groupon.  Can you imagine paying $36+ for this and then being asked to buy beer ($5 or $6 depending on which line you got in)?  Needless to say, this is my PSA that I found the whole thing to be a rip-off and I don't need to go back.  It would have been cheaper and more fun to go to the bar down the street. 

Apparently we weren't the only ones who felt ripped off.  The couple behind us were very eloquent with, "That fucking sucked."

Tomorrow, 7 miles on tap.  And then Sunday. 

SPIbelt Review on a 6 Mile Run

So awhile ago, several people commented on my stupidity lack of remembering to carry ID with me on my runs.  While sometimes it is ok to forget, it shouldn't be when I seem to find the places to run where someone has died, due to unnatural means.  So it isn't good that I forget.  Several people (Delane and Elizabeth) kept telling me I needed to run with a phone and/or ID.

And I started remembering.  But my compression pants have no pockets, so my phone (I still don't carry ID) has to go in the pants.  Last half-marathon, that was a pain, as they kept falling deep down the leg.  And my sweat would also cause the phone not to work a lot.

Because someone got attacked in a totally different part of Atlanta, I went and got a Road ID.  If you find me by the side of the road, you know I live in Atlanta, have contact lenses, and to call my husband or brother. I bought it and it works fine (it doesn't turn off my Heart Rate Monitor).  But still that phone issue.

So along come OpenSky.com.  I have not yet figured out their pricing structure.  They had SPIbelts for $18. So I put 2 in my cart.  My bill was $24.  With shipping it was $29.  They sat in the cart for a couple of months.  The price stayed at $18 with me paying $29.  I finally decided I needed to get these (D one too).  Ordered and arrived.  (The pricing thing has happened with some other items too...I don't have coupons, so I don't get it).

I went for a 6 mile run on Saturday.  As I tried to remember how to get ready for a "long" run, certain things came back.  I didn't want that damn phone down my pants.  "Oooh  I have a new toy, the SPIbelt."  I put it on, and immediately thought, "No way in hell will this work. The clip will ride up, the belt will ride up...I'm going to be cut up."  I put it on and made the belt snug. It was over my pants, so ok.  I did a few jumping-jacks and no movement.  Ok. Put my phone and $2 in there, and off I went. 

The run was a bit hot.  I started later than usual (945) so the sun was out.  So were all the people hanging at every convenience store near my house...and most I didn't know existed.  I ran down to the prison.  The "mural" or "pussy painting" as my friend eloquently called it has been removed.  Some art thing in Atlanta, and the whole city gets colorful paintings of children, and my 'hood gets a grey, black, and white thing of a naked woman, with full bush walking with a dog or a wolf or some crap.  I guess you can see I thought it was hideous, especially at 7am, driving to work...I don't want to see bush.  But it is now gone, so yay. 
Here is a picture of the much better looking wall to me (I get beauty is in the eye of the beholder...but this crap was ugly, not to mention not what the painter turned into the city...and you know how I don't like processes to be broken/not followed.).

Painted-over Mural of the Pussy Painting,  Photo by ALB

 So that was my first time taking something out of the SPIbelt.  I should have paid attention to where I put my money because it flashed and I shouldn't be flashing money in public even if it is just $2.  I ran down to the tracks, and a train was there, so I turned around and went down a road I hate running on because one has to takes one's own life into her hands...no sidewalks, narrow road.  But I got to the road that is big and wide and ran down that.  It was very busy. Lots of people loitering, waiting for buses and walking places.  A few comments about my ass (both for and against it).  My run was slow, but steady. It did get faster when I was chased by a dog.  He was not neutered (if you aren't my friend on FB, you know this is something that is a major issue with me).

Considering I ran 6 miles in June, I knew it would be tired.  I turned and ran down another wide road.  This road had lots of dog walkers on it.  From what I could see, either the dogs were neutered or female.  AND LEASHED!  Yay.  I was now on mile 4.  The SPIbelt felt a little like it was tilting (hanging low in the front, high in the back).  I checked and the belt was still around the back of the pants, so no issue.  Perhaps just a bit tightening.  By now I had made a big Lolipop loop and was coming back to the stick part.  Mile 5 the wheels came off my legs.  They just shuffled their way home.  But the belt stayed in place.

So I got 6 miles on the legs and a new accessory that I will use.  Woohoo.

Disclaimer: SPIbelt didn't pay me anything for this review.  Neither did OpenSky.

Slowly Coming Back

I kind of took a hiatus from blogging, because I took a hiatus from running.  It started with a really bad race.  Not in terms of my time...but it was the 34th Something 10K in June.  And they ran out of water, in Georgia, in June.  OK, so I'm very thirsty, and D and I go to get T-shirts and they didn't have those either.  It killed everything.  And we had to walk a mile back to the car.  So Quik-Trip was my saving grace that day.  Having race people practice 34 times and get it wrong is just argh...but I know I'll be there for the 35th because I was 2 seconds off a PR, D got a PR, so there you go.  I'll just continue to bitch about it.

Then we fostered a beautiful girl Elsa from the county pound.  I didn't really like the pound vet, and I thought that  Elsa needed a really special family and that should be us.  I couldn't imagine never seeing her again.  So we adopted her.  Yes, first time out and I was a foster failure.  But seriously, look at her.

Photo by Eve Sadler

Then my dad informed me he had been sick.  He is fine now, but let's just say don't email potentially life altering news to people, and not understand why they may get upset.

A bunch of other little stuff, and basically my summer was spent drinking and caring for dogs.

Then running bud A and her husband J decided they really liked Elsa. And Elsa is HW+ with a 2 year old maniac (McMenamin) in the house.  After a lot of soul searching, tears, and tough decisions, we knew Elsa would have a better life with A and J. Plus they live down the street so we get to see her.  Plus they use the same vet that we do.  Basically everything I wanted in an adopter for her came in the form of A and J.  And they love her to pieces (as does their 8 year old daughter).  So we are back to 2 dogs, Scuttlebutt and McMenamin.

With a date of 10/8 looming as a start date for training.  In August I managed to get my shoes on twice to run.  I think in September I got them on 6 times.  So far in October, I have gotten them on 4 times for 20 miles.  I bought a Spibelt to motivate myself.  I'm going to have to look at my Camelbak. I know for a 10K, I can't rely on others, so I certainly can't do it for 26.2 miles.  

I'll give a review of my Spibelt soon.  I think it will work.