Tapers and races and new goals, oh my!

Today: 9 miles in 1:13:59

1. I'm in full-on taper madness. 12 days until NYCM! This means I'm overly hyper about creaks and phantom pains, keep waffling about my goal time and race strategy, and all that good stuff. Although, the more marathons I do, the less I find myself obsessing over race logistics. Maybe that has more to do with the fact that I know New York City, I'm not dealing with any unknowns travel-wise, and I know what to expect from the expo, the starting line, and the finishing line based on the fact that I've run this marathon before.

2. Although my legs aren't completely full of creaks anymore and I have felt a slight spring to my step yesterday and today, I'm still waiting for the taper to do its thing to rest up my legs while maintaining the fitness I've gained over the past 12 weeks - indeed, longer than that, if you count all the slow-ass base-building miles I've been doing since May (!!)

3. I realize I haven't posted here in a while. I've been doing a lot more journaling - like the old-fashioned, pen-to-paper kind - and that fulfills some of my "must write" outlet that this blog gives me.

4. I was told the other day (yesterday?) that I seem more "bubbly" since coming out to San Fran. I think that might be the first time anyone has used that word to describe me. I think I like it. Something about this place fits me. I really think the fresh air and the ocean and the beautiful scenery and the pace of life and the people out here settle me. I'm high-strung and OCD enough on my own; it's nice to be surrounded by that which is not.

5. Reasons why having a Ph.D. doesn't make me a genius: last night I ran errands and could only find parking on a street where cleaning this morning started at 7. So, I had to get up early to move it - it actually made for a lovely morning because I spent sunrise at the beach - and parked it back in front of my building. Great, except it's the 4th Wednesday of the month, which means, guess what? Street cleaning from 12-2. Which I have marked diligently on my calendar to remind me. Of course, it helps to look at the calendar every once in a while (and not just the day planner). I saw the ticket after my run today - $55 to the man for being an idiot.

6. I always start having my post-marathon visions of grandeur at about this stage of the taper. I'm trying not to go too overboard with my planning. I do know that a-if NYC doesn't go as planned, I won't wait until Houston for a back-up, I'll probably register for Tucson instead so I'm not training for ANOTHER 2 months. I want to do the half in Houston and have a fun weekend with friends and not a stressful one. b-I want to focus on getting back into a strength routine and leaning up before training for Boston. I bought some kettlebells that my trainer-friend Chris is going to virtually help me learn how to use. I also think I will cut back to 6 days/week running and start swimming again on the off-day. There are public pools in the city that are $3-5 to use. I also am debating starting to run with a club. There are tons here - some more social and some more serious. I think I'm at a point in my running "career" that being around runners who are better than me to really push me would be a huge help. One of my friends out here is on a woman's racing team, which she likes, and that would fill that criteria.

7. My online running friends are starting to plan their 2012 race calendar, and it's super exciting to think about next year, but it also makes my head spin a bit because I'm not 100% sure where I'm going to be or what I'm going to be doing then. I know, technically, I never KNOW, but it's kind of weird to plan without a plan. The other problem is that I'm not financially in a place to be shelling out registration fees quite yet for races a year away. I guess what I should do is map out my general running goals and then figure out which races to do. I definitely want to do a spring and a fall marathon. I'm registered for Boston, so barring a decision to run that for fun and do a smaller goal marathon, that will be spring's race. Fall - who knows? I'm tempted to do Chicago and register for back-up a few weeks later in case the weather sucks. I definitely think I can still knock off time from my marathon PR this year, but it will mean a little more "big picture" focus instead of just winging it like I did last year. Maybe 4 marathons is not the way to go.

8. If I get to run on the beach in the morning, I always see this old guy all bundled up in a hooded sweatshirt, the hood tight around his face, under a windbreaker jacket. He always says - no, yells - "good morning" when we pass each other. Even though I'm expecting it now, it still scares the shit outta me. I'm all for greeting those around me, but I'm usually not yelling. It's nice, though.

9. I will be flying to NYC a week from today. Holy crap.

The equator has moved.

1. Today's (tonight's) run: 11.1 miles in 1:45.10. I was all depressed at how slow this was (but I had a good reason, see #2) before I logged it and saw a similar run on the 7th done at the exact same pace, only 2 bpm slower, in much much MUCH better conditions. Hooray for not sucking (even though it was still hella slow).

2. The temperature was 88* with a dew point of 81* at the start. I mean really, is this a rain forest? I thought monkeys were going to jump out at me from the trees when I was running through a wooded section of the bike path.

3. It's fun to wring out ~8 oz. of sweat from my singlet. Also fun? Being covered in tiny, disgusting gnats. The joys of running after the sun goes down: I can't avoid those cloudy swarms that hover over the path.

4. It's a good thing I love running so much because putting up with this weather crap wouldn't otherwise be worth it. I mean, I really did like the running part of my run. My legs felt good, I was trying to be cognizant of my posture and form, and I do like running at night when the fireflies are out. But seriously, MN weather is trying to kill me.

5. Running at night is fun, but it's a vicious cycle that prevents the hope of me ever running in the am. If I get done with a run at 10, that gives me only 7-8 hours before I'd have to wake up to be early enough to beat the heat. And, I have to shower, eat, and get the endorphins down before I have any chance of sleep. Last night that took until after 12. Thank god for melatonin.

6. I have to run in the morning tomorrow because I also have to run in the evening. Thankfully, it's my only double of the week.

7. I worked out this morning at the gym of the college down the street. There is NO A/C!!! I think it's corporeal punishment. Also, if I get annoyed in gyms with normal air circulation about people wiping down the machines after they use them, you can imagine how thrilled I am when there is a 20-min-old sweat angel on the mats because it doesn't just evaporate when it's this humid. Seriously, people, gross.

8. A plea to all of you: if you don't know how to use a machine in the gym, ASK someone how to use it. There was a girl there today using the cable machines while I was on the elliptical, and I swear she is going to kill herself one day by the crazy maneuvers she was attempting with the thing. Unless I'm just completely clueless and she wants to one day be in Cirque du Soleil.

9. Apparently I'm whiny tonight. Umm... something positive... I'm trying to hit a mileage PR this week: the big 8-0 (and I'm currently restraining myself from saying something how it's just my dumb luck that this would happen the same week it's so effing hot here. FML).

10. Wanda made her road trip debut last weekend and brought me to and from Madison without so much as a hiccup. Her locks are all wonky, though: there are 2 keys, one for the locks and one for the ignition (I guess one is called a valet key, but why wouldn't the valet need to both lock AND start a car?). I cannot open the trunk or the passenger side door with the key, nor can I lock the car with the key - I have to use the inside button to lock all doors and the trunk release. And, the glove compartment won't open but I don't have the key for it. I don't know what to make of that and could imagine this is the kind of repair that would cost a stupid amount of money for something that probably could be done super easily if I knew WTF I was doing.

11. I think I'm getting sleepy.

11.1. Good night you crazy kids.

Long run list

1. I ran 16.17 miles in 2:30.12 today.
2. I felt like horseshit the first 5 miles. Creaky and like I wasn't physically capable of running fast enough to get my heart rate past 143 bpm. That's slow, btw.
3. I finally felt good at almost an hour into the run. I love it when that switch happens.
4. Then it started to rain, and I ran in a steady downpour for the last half of the run. I cursed it when it started, but then remembered that I would much much MUCH rather run in rain than I would the crappy humid pea soup sauna that has been MN weather of late.
5. I don't know if I'll get through all 16 of my list items... because....
6. My dad is currently going over my resume and some documents I have to send a recruiter...
7. And then I have to incorporate his comments into said documents and send them to said recruiter... before...
8. We drive to Owatonna to pick up Wanda.... who is....
9. My very first title-and-insurance-is-in-my-name car!
10. She's a '92 Camry with 130,000 miles on her. Watch out, I'm mobile.
11. I'm then driving directly to the Cities for a friend's bday celebration tonight.
12. Then, it's off to Madison for the weekend.
13. By Sunday night, I will have run nearly 30 miles. That's a big list. No promises ;)
14. Maybe I'll make it! My dad just sent me his comments!
15. Job, here I come! Car, here I come!
16. Cue Mary Tyler Moore theme music (if I had more time, there would definitely be a You Tube video here.
16.17. Onward!