Someone posted a link to this commercial on Runner's World and I thought it was hilarious!! And unfortunately so true...especially the girl trying to cross the street. The only other thing I would add is trying to sit on the toilet without having to use the wall or sink for support :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-hCuYjvw2I
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
First Bike Ride of the Year
Yesterday was too nice to spend inside....55 degrees and sunny when I got out of work! It was an off day for me running and I had planned to do a yoga class, but didn't want to waste the day. I decided to dust off my bike and take it out for the first time since last fall. I'd really like to get 1-2 sessions on my bike every week to strengthen my quads and get some crosstraining in. If Lance Armstrong can excel at my sport then I should give his a try!
My nice easy bike ride turned into Tour de Wind on my way back home as I battled some strong headwinds, but it was great none the less. I rode just under 12 miles around the river and enjoyed the sun and warmth. I am definitely no Lance, but I had fun anyway!
My nice easy bike ride turned into Tour de Wind on my way back home as I battled some strong headwinds, but it was great none the less. I rode just under 12 miles around the river and enjoyed the sun and warmth. I am definitely no Lance, but I had fun anyway!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
When Geese Attack!
Last night was my first track workout of my training schedule. I was a little anxious about it because I think the couple track workouts I got in last fall contributed to my calf issues. I decided to drive over to Brookline and run at a public track there. My schedule had 8 miles total with 5 x 600m repeats. Well I am slightly Type A and don't like 600m repeats....I don't like running 1.5 times around a track! I much prefer running in intervals that will get me around the entire track (400m, 800m, even 1600m!) so I changed the workout to 5 x 800m repeats.
I started out with a 3.25 mile warm up around Jamaica Pond. I have never been over there to run and it was really pretty...a nice change of scenery. But I learned a valuable lesson....don't get too close to Canadian Geese when they are nesting! Those things are nasty...they would chase me off the path, hiss at me, and go absolutely crazy if a dog came anywhere near them!!
I was happy when my warm up was over and made my way back to the track....all I had to worry about there was dodging lacrosse balls that were thrown astray during team practices. My 800m repeats went well...they are supposed to be run around 5k race pace but I haven't run a 5k in a year so I don't really know what my current pace is. I did them in 3:26, 3:30, 3:29, 3:35, and 3:32 which ranges from a 6:41 - 7:05 min/mile pace. I followed each repeat with a 400m recovery jog and ended with 1.25 miles for a cool down.
Overall I felt good. I like track workouts because they are quick rather than long and drawn out like a tempo run. You know you will only be uncomfortable for a couple minutes and then you get a break. I am looking forward to doing more track workouts this training since I cut them out last fall after my calf injury. Next time I will be prepared for those darn geese!!
I started out with a 3.25 mile warm up around Jamaica Pond. I have never been over there to run and it was really pretty...a nice change of scenery. But I learned a valuable lesson....don't get too close to Canadian Geese when they are nesting! Those things are nasty...they would chase me off the path, hiss at me, and go absolutely crazy if a dog came anywhere near them!!
I was happy when my warm up was over and made my way back to the track....all I had to worry about there was dodging lacrosse balls that were thrown astray during team practices. My 800m repeats went well...they are supposed to be run around 5k race pace but I haven't run a 5k in a year so I don't really know what my current pace is. I did them in 3:26, 3:30, 3:29, 3:35, and 3:32 which ranges from a 6:41 - 7:05 min/mile pace. I followed each repeat with a 400m recovery jog and ended with 1.25 miles for a cool down.
Overall I felt good. I like track workouts because they are quick rather than long and drawn out like a tempo run. You know you will only be uncomfortable for a couple minutes and then you get a break. I am looking forward to doing more track workouts this training since I cut them out last fall after my calf injury. Next time I will be prepared for those darn geese!!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Feeling Strong!
Last week was a great running week. After the half marathon on Sunday, I wasn't sure how the week would go. I ran some easy miles towards the beginning as recovery and my legs were feeling good.
On Thursday I picked up the intensity and ran an 11 mile tempo run. If you've been following my blog you have seen that all my tempo runs have been windy and my last long run included 50 MPH headwinds. Thursday was no different! I set out along the river and planned to run 2 loops taking me past my car to grab a drink if needed. As I started on my warm up, I was being blown backward.....this was not a good sign! I realized that my planned loops would have me running the majority of the LT miles into the wind....you have got to be kidding me! I quickly started thinking about ways to avoid this wind and luckily I found a way. I finally caught a break on a tempo run and only had to run the last mile into the wind! The tailwind was helpful too making the 6 LT pace miles at an average pace of 7:57....not bad!! I finished with a 2 mile cool down.
On Saturday I ran my first 20 miler of this training cycle. I decided to meet up with some friends running Boston to run with their charity teams. I got to Fitcorp at 6:45am...too early for a Saturday!! It was cold (26 degrees) but sunny and the winds from Thursday and Friday had died down some. We loaded onto school buses and rode out to Framingham to about the 7 mile mark of the Boston Marathon. Getting up early was so worth it to have water stops every 2 miles and not have to carry my own water! As I started out, I was feeling good. I had to really be careful and conscious with my pace because I kept trying to run too fast. I ran the first half around an 8:55 min/mile pace and I was feeling great. I turned onto Comm Ave and started up the hills....still feeling great. I started picking up my pace slowly over the next couple miles and hit the last 5.5 miles at an average pace of 8:27. Overall my pace for the 20.5 miles was 8:40....my fastest long run ever! I probably pushed it a little too hard, but I was feeling so good I just wanted to keep going!!
Back at Fitcorp while stretching, it was fun to hear the first time marathoners talking about their first 20 miler. I remember how excited Janette, Steph, and I were when we finished that run this time last year. Coming through Wellsely, I was runing behind a group of three girls....a blond and two burnettes (just like us) and they were gabbing away (again, just like us!).....it reminded me of my girls and how great it was to share that experience with them.
On Easter Sunday, Bryan and I slept in some (much appreciated!!), headed to church, and then out to brunch. We took it easy during the day doing some much needed spring cleaning around the house. Later in the afternoon we headed out for a recovery run together. I told him it would be a slow run and that I was planning 5 miles. It was such a beautiful day out and Bryan decided to run the whole thing with me.....that's the longest he ran in a while so I was very proud of him!
I am definitely feeling stronger now than I have at this point of training in the past. I have a recovery week on my schedule for this week and I am very excited about it! Things are going well now, but I need to make sure not to push too hard on the long runs and leave my marathon on the training course.
Total miles for the week = 54.15 miles
On Thursday I picked up the intensity and ran an 11 mile tempo run. If you've been following my blog you have seen that all my tempo runs have been windy and my last long run included 50 MPH headwinds. Thursday was no different! I set out along the river and planned to run 2 loops taking me past my car to grab a drink if needed. As I started on my warm up, I was being blown backward.....this was not a good sign! I realized that my planned loops would have me running the majority of the LT miles into the wind....you have got to be kidding me! I quickly started thinking about ways to avoid this wind and luckily I found a way. I finally caught a break on a tempo run and only had to run the last mile into the wind! The tailwind was helpful too making the 6 LT pace miles at an average pace of 7:57....not bad!! I finished with a 2 mile cool down.
On Saturday I ran my first 20 miler of this training cycle. I decided to meet up with some friends running Boston to run with their charity teams. I got to Fitcorp at 6:45am...too early for a Saturday!! It was cold (26 degrees) but sunny and the winds from Thursday and Friday had died down some. We loaded onto school buses and rode out to Framingham to about the 7 mile mark of the Boston Marathon. Getting up early was so worth it to have water stops every 2 miles and not have to carry my own water! As I started out, I was feeling good. I had to really be careful and conscious with my pace because I kept trying to run too fast. I ran the first half around an 8:55 min/mile pace and I was feeling great. I turned onto Comm Ave and started up the hills....still feeling great. I started picking up my pace slowly over the next couple miles and hit the last 5.5 miles at an average pace of 8:27. Overall my pace for the 20.5 miles was 8:40....my fastest long run ever! I probably pushed it a little too hard, but I was feeling so good I just wanted to keep going!!
Back at Fitcorp while stretching, it was fun to hear the first time marathoners talking about their first 20 miler. I remember how excited Janette, Steph, and I were when we finished that run this time last year. Coming through Wellsely, I was runing behind a group of three girls....a blond and two burnettes (just like us) and they were gabbing away (again, just like us!).....it reminded me of my girls and how great it was to share that experience with them.
On Easter Sunday, Bryan and I slept in some (much appreciated!!), headed to church, and then out to brunch. We took it easy during the day doing some much needed spring cleaning around the house. Later in the afternoon we headed out for a recovery run together. I told him it would be a slow run and that I was planning 5 miles. It was such a beautiful day out and Bryan decided to run the whole thing with me.....that's the longest he ran in a while so I was very proud of him!
I am definitely feeling stronger now than I have at this point of training in the past. I have a recovery week on my schedule for this week and I am very excited about it! Things are going well now, but I need to make sure not to push too hard on the long runs and leave my marathon on the training course.
Total miles for the week = 54.15 miles
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Motivation
I was very excited when the newly improved Natick Mall, now called the Natick Collection (fancy schmancy!) opened last year. In addition to a Nordstrom (great shoe selection!), they added a Lululemon Athletica store which carries mostly yoga clothes, but also other workout things. I have heard amazing things about their clothes and I was in need of new yoga pants. I got my yearly bonus from work last week so I decided to splurge on them. My "fit expert" helped me decide between two pairs of pants and marked them for hemming (who knew you could hem yoga pants!).
I came out of the dressing room and Bryan (bless him for shopping for yoga pants with me!) found a pair of shorts he wanted me to try on. Okay.....let's stop right here and think about this. We are in a store full of tight clothing so take a guess at what type of shorts my dear husband would want me to try on :) They are tight, short, and.....well what else is there to say about them! After he convinced me they would keep me cooler than my usual Nike Tempo shorts when running in hot weather, I considered them. However, I had already put my normal clothes back on and didn't want to change again to try them on. He made me promise that when I picked up the pants later in the week that I would try them on.
I came out of the dressing room and Bryan (bless him for shopping for yoga pants with me!) found a pair of shorts he wanted me to try on. Okay.....let's stop right here and think about this. We are in a store full of tight clothing so take a guess at what type of shorts my dear husband would want me to try on :) They are tight, short, and.....well what else is there to say about them! After he convinced me they would keep me cooler than my usual Nike Tempo shorts when running in hot weather, I considered them. However, I had already put my normal clothes back on and didn't want to change again to try them on. He made me promise that when I picked up the pants later in the week that I would try them on.
So today I was back at the mall (sorry - the collection) to get my pants...I kept my promise and tried on the shorts. Feeling a little self conscious yet surprisingly comfy in the soft shorts, I stepped out of the dressing room and again was complimented by my fit expert....like they would really tell you they look awful and your a$$ is hanging out!!! But I decided to get them (mine are in black)....Bryan will be so happy when he reads this :) I'm still not 100% sure about them and need to try them on at home with my running sneakers and tank top (to get the full affect of the ensemble of course!)
I'll tell you one thing, I will think about them everytime I am tempted to eat a cookie (who am I kidding....5 cookies) instead of my whole grain carbs, veggies, and protein. Now I have to go do some squats and lunges....... :)
Monday, March 17, 2008
I'm famous!
This picture was in the Standard Times, the New Bedford local newspaper. I'm in the top center with a light purple shirt on behind the two guys in blue!
Also, at the finish line I was interviewed by a reporter for the paper. I made it into an article about marathoners' stories. I don't want to post the link for privacy reasons, but here's my part...
Sarah, 27
Boston
Boston
Sarah wasn't entirely happy with her 1:46:51, but it should help her get on track for other races.
"I was a couple minutes short of where I wanted to be, but that's all right," Sarah said. "I'm doing it as a training run for marathons."
The research engineer, who dropped four minutes off her time here last year, used a GPS watch to stay on course.
"It tracks by satellite," Sarah said. "It tells pace and splits and everything. It's good feedback."
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Half Marathon PR and Disapointment
Today I ran the New Bedford Half Marathon. As I said in my last blog, the forecast was for rain, snow, and wind. Luckily (I guess) there was no rain or snow, but lots of wind....I would have preferred rain or snow!! I got to New Bedford, registered, and did some stretching....so far I was feeling good. I ran into Steph and Dawna who were also running and it was great to see friendly faces.
I ran a 1.5 mile warm up with a couple strides to wake up my legs and got in the starting shoot. I was hoping to pace at an 8:00 min/mile for a 1:45 half marathon. I started out feeling good and settled into a comfortable pace. Just after the 3 mile mark, the first of the major hills of the course starts....about a 0.5 mile climb. The next couple miles were through neighborhoods and mostly flat, which was much appreciated after the hill. Then we headed out towards the water....miles 4-8 still were going well and my pace was on track, but I could feel my legs getting heavier. Then the wind hit....that's when things started getting rough. By mile 10 the wind was really getting to me and I started slowing down some. I was doing the calculations in my head to see if I still had a shot at coming in under 1:45 and around mile 11.5 I realized I wasn't going to hit that goal. My legs started feeling like bricks and I mentally broke.....even though I knew I would still get a PR for some reason I mentally just gave up. At the start of mile 12, the second major climb began and I was done. I actually stopped and walked for about 5 seconds......thinking to myself "what the frick are you doing.....run!!"
I finished in 1:46:38 (watch time....they didn't have chip time so I am going with this instead) and 1:46:51 (gun time). That's a 4 minute PR.....I ran 1:49:35 at the same race last year!! While I am really excited about the PR especially since I ran it coming off a 47 mile week, I can't help but be disappointed...not because I didn't hit my goal (I'm confident that I could run sub-1:45 with a proper taper), but because I mentally gave up. That's not me.....I don't do that.
Oh well, what's done is done.....at least I have the PR to show for it! Here's my mile splits from my Garmin if you are interested. You can see exactly where the wind kicked in and where I mentally stopped.
7:56
7:57
8:01
8:17 (first major hill)
7:58
7:56
7:51
8:05
8:03
8:16 (the headwind was brutal and relentless from here on out)
8:19
8:20
8:35 (the last of the hills and the end of my mental strength)
6:45 (for the 0.1....at least I had some kick left in me!)
I ran a 1.5 mile warm up with a couple strides to wake up my legs and got in the starting shoot. I was hoping to pace at an 8:00 min/mile for a 1:45 half marathon. I started out feeling good and settled into a comfortable pace. Just after the 3 mile mark, the first of the major hills of the course starts....about a 0.5 mile climb. The next couple miles were through neighborhoods and mostly flat, which was much appreciated after the hill. Then we headed out towards the water....miles 4-8 still were going well and my pace was on track, but I could feel my legs getting heavier. Then the wind hit....that's when things started getting rough. By mile 10 the wind was really getting to me and I started slowing down some. I was doing the calculations in my head to see if I still had a shot at coming in under 1:45 and around mile 11.5 I realized I wasn't going to hit that goal. My legs started feeling like bricks and I mentally broke.....even though I knew I would still get a PR for some reason I mentally just gave up. At the start of mile 12, the second major climb began and I was done. I actually stopped and walked for about 5 seconds......thinking to myself "what the frick are you doing.....run!!"
I finished in 1:46:38 (watch time....they didn't have chip time so I am going with this instead) and 1:46:51 (gun time). That's a 4 minute PR.....I ran 1:49:35 at the same race last year!! While I am really excited about the PR especially since I ran it coming off a 47 mile week, I can't help but be disappointed...not because I didn't hit my goal (I'm confident that I could run sub-1:45 with a proper taper), but because I mentally gave up. That's not me.....I don't do that.
Oh well, what's done is done.....at least I have the PR to show for it! Here's my mile splits from my Garmin if you are interested. You can see exactly where the wind kicked in and where I mentally stopped.
7:56
7:57
8:01
8:17 (first major hill)
7:58
7:56
7:51
8:05
8:03
8:16 (the headwind was brutal and relentless from here on out)
8:19
8:20
8:35 (the last of the hills and the end of my mental strength)
6:45 (for the 0.1....at least I had some kick left in me!)
Total time = 1:46:38 (avg pace 8:07)
Total weekly miles =47
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Butterflies
Although my stomach is filled with pasta right now, there are also some butterflies in there flapping around. Tomorrow I am running a half marathon and I'm nervous about it. My marathon training has been going well so far and I am feeling strong, but this week my legs have been a little sluggish.
After my 18.4 miles last Sunday I took a nice yoga class Monday night to loosen up. Tuesday was an easy 7 mile recovery run....it was so great to actually have sunlight after work because of early daylight savings time - I loved it! Wednesday was a 13.5 mile medium-long run....after working 9 hours! The first half felt really good, but then the wind picked up, the temps dropped, I started getting cold, and my stomach started cramping up :( I finished the run, but slowed down a lot. Thursday I ran 4.1 miles with my work running group over lunch. Friday was a rest day and today I ran an easy 5 mile recovery run followed by 8 x 25 second strides.
So tomorrow is the half marathon....weather.com is forecasting rain, snow, and wind....great! I would love to run it in 1:45 (8:00 pace) but we'll see what happens. Obviously the distance doesn't scare me, but I'm nervous about my pace. Coming off of almost a 50 mile training week, I know I'm not at my best. I'll just see what tomorrow brings and if I fall short remind myself of the race I am actually training for!
I'll let you know how it goes!
After my 18.4 miles last Sunday I took a nice yoga class Monday night to loosen up. Tuesday was an easy 7 mile recovery run....it was so great to actually have sunlight after work because of early daylight savings time - I loved it! Wednesday was a 13.5 mile medium-long run....after working 9 hours! The first half felt really good, but then the wind picked up, the temps dropped, I started getting cold, and my stomach started cramping up :( I finished the run, but slowed down a lot. Thursday I ran 4.1 miles with my work running group over lunch. Friday was a rest day and today I ran an easy 5 mile recovery run followed by 8 x 25 second strides.
So tomorrow is the half marathon....weather.com is forecasting rain, snow, and wind....great! I would love to run it in 1:45 (8:00 pace) but we'll see what happens. Obviously the distance doesn't scare me, but I'm nervous about my pace. Coming off of almost a 50 mile training week, I know I'm not at my best. I'll just see what tomorrow brings and if I fall short remind myself of the race I am actually training for!
I'll let you know how it goes!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Back At It
First I want to thank everyone for the notes I received last week about my Grandpa.....its comforting to know so many people care.
After my 9 day hiatus from running, I jumped back into my schedule last week and picked up exactly where I left off. Maybe not the smartest decision (probably should have eased back in), but I felt good none the less. It was a pretty high mileage week with lots of windy days....my favorite :)
Last Monday I took the day off from work because I was exhausted from all the travel the week before. Bryan and I slept in, relaxed on the couch, and started to clean up the mess that was our house....think skis, boots, and clothes everywhere! I headed out for a run that afternoon and covered 9.5 miles with an average pace of 8:57. Although I was not properly hydrated (I think I had more coffee and wine over the weekend then water!), it felt good to be out there and I took it easy, didn't worry about my pace, and just ran.
Tuesday was a 4 mile recovery run and man did I need it! Monday's run left me sore (mainly my inner thighs oddly enough??). Again....starting with a 9.5 mile run after 9 days off maybe wasn't the wisest decision.
Wednesday was a tempo run of 11 miles with 5 at my LT pace. Why oh why do my tempo runs always have to be windy?? I did a 3 mile warm up which was much needed to loosen up, followed by 5 miles at LT pace (8:02, 8:03, 7:58, 8:07, 8:08), and a 3 mile cool down. Take a guess which miles were INTO the wind? And of course it started raining at that point too! I walked in my house exhausted, but so glad that the run went well and was OVER!
Thursday was a crosstraining day so I did a 75 minute yoga class to stretch out and Friday I took as a rest day too....my left calf was a little tight so I wanted to give it an extra day of rest. Saturday was pouring out so I moved my long run to Sunday. Saturday I did 7 miles on the treadmill (averaged 8:51 pace)....I have I said how much I hate the treadmill??
Sunday morning John and I met up at Fitcorp for an 18.4 mile run.....although I think it should count as more miles than that since we were being blown backwards a few times!! The wind was so strong for the first half of the run that it would actually take your breath away....I heard later that the wind gusts got up to 53 MPH in Boston that morning -- Yikes! Both of us were struggling some during the first 7 miles, but then something clicked as we started back up the Comm. Ave hills in Newton. We both started feeling better and I think I finally got into a rhythm. After 12 miles I decided to pick up the pace some so John and I split up. I was very happy to finish the last 5 miles at 8:43, 8:29, 8:34, 8:29, 8:26, and 8:33 pace. My legs were feeling good, but my low back was stiff. I think running into the wind affects my posture. I just laid on the floor for a couple minutes when I got back to Fitcorp....a hard wood floor never felt so good before! I got home and sat in a frigid bath of 45 degrees for 13 minutes (while guzzling my coffee with two shirts on and a pair of socks!) to help my muscles recover faster....I don't know if the ice bath or the run is more painful but I really think it helps with soreness the next day :)
Overall it was a good week back! Total miles for the week = 49.7
After my 9 day hiatus from running, I jumped back into my schedule last week and picked up exactly where I left off. Maybe not the smartest decision (probably should have eased back in), but I felt good none the less. It was a pretty high mileage week with lots of windy days....my favorite :)
Last Monday I took the day off from work because I was exhausted from all the travel the week before. Bryan and I slept in, relaxed on the couch, and started to clean up the mess that was our house....think skis, boots, and clothes everywhere! I headed out for a run that afternoon and covered 9.5 miles with an average pace of 8:57. Although I was not properly hydrated (I think I had more coffee and wine over the weekend then water!), it felt good to be out there and I took it easy, didn't worry about my pace, and just ran.
Tuesday was a 4 mile recovery run and man did I need it! Monday's run left me sore (mainly my inner thighs oddly enough??). Again....starting with a 9.5 mile run after 9 days off maybe wasn't the wisest decision.
Wednesday was a tempo run of 11 miles with 5 at my LT pace. Why oh why do my tempo runs always have to be windy?? I did a 3 mile warm up which was much needed to loosen up, followed by 5 miles at LT pace (8:02, 8:03, 7:58, 8:07, 8:08), and a 3 mile cool down. Take a guess which miles were INTO the wind? And of course it started raining at that point too! I walked in my house exhausted, but so glad that the run went well and was OVER!
Thursday was a crosstraining day so I did a 75 minute yoga class to stretch out and Friday I took as a rest day too....my left calf was a little tight so I wanted to give it an extra day of rest. Saturday was pouring out so I moved my long run to Sunday. Saturday I did 7 miles on the treadmill (averaged 8:51 pace)....I have I said how much I hate the treadmill??
Sunday morning John and I met up at Fitcorp for an 18.4 mile run.....although I think it should count as more miles than that since we were being blown backwards a few times!! The wind was so strong for the first half of the run that it would actually take your breath away....I heard later that the wind gusts got up to 53 MPH in Boston that morning -- Yikes! Both of us were struggling some during the first 7 miles, but then something clicked as we started back up the Comm. Ave hills in Newton. We both started feeling better and I think I finally got into a rhythm. After 12 miles I decided to pick up the pace some so John and I split up. I was very happy to finish the last 5 miles at 8:43, 8:29, 8:34, 8:29, 8:26, and 8:33 pace. My legs were feeling good, but my low back was stiff. I think running into the wind affects my posture. I just laid on the floor for a couple minutes when I got back to Fitcorp....a hard wood floor never felt so good before! I got home and sat in a frigid bath of 45 degrees for 13 minutes (while guzzling my coffee with two shirts on and a pair of socks!) to help my muscles recover faster....I don't know if the ice bath or the run is more painful but I really think it helps with soreness the next day :)
Overall it was a good week back! Total miles for the week = 49.7
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
My Grandpa
In reality, this is the part of last week I have really dreaded writing about. Last Tuesday, February 26th, while I was in Utah my Grandpa passed away. He was 90 years old and lived an amazingly full life. Although my family saw this coming, its never easy to lose a loved one. I have been very lucky to have all 4 of my grandparents up until this point. Fortunately, all his 6 kids and many of his 15 grandchildren were able to come visit with him, tell him that we all love him, and say goodbye.
.JPG)
My grandpa was one of the funniest people that I know. I feel so lucky to be his oldest granddaughter and was able to spend so much time with him while growing up. The picture above is from my wedding in 2005.....I was his only grandchild he got to see get married and I am honored he was able to celebrate that day with me. I have so many funny stories and memories about him that I will be sure to share with my kids one day about their funny Great Grandpa P. One of the traits that my Grandpa possessed was the ability to speak what was on his mind. Although this sometimes got him in trouble (especially with my Grandma), this is something I greatly admired about him.
This loss was definitely hard on me and being in Utah made it worse. I didn't get to say goodbye, but I am grateful that my last memory of him was at Christmas 2007 where he was the life of the party. Bryan and I were able to change our flights around to head back east early. It was nice to be at his memorial service with my entire family (and 195 other people....Gramps was well loved!). Although we were sad about his death, it was fun to share stories about him and hear his kids (my dad, aunts, and uncles) talk about things I had never known.
Being back at home and back to life has been hard too. Are we all supposed to just go back to work and move on with our lives? I find that I want to keep talking about him and thinking about him....maybe more often than I did when he was alive. I went for a run on Monday and for some reason after about 2 miles I just started crying.....running often brings out various emotions in me and that day I just felt like crying. I know Grandpa was with me on the run.
So God, please take care of my Grandpa. We all know he can be a lot to handle sometimes, but he is one man you definitely want to get to know! Tell him that we all love him and miss him very, very much.
.JPG)
My grandpa was one of the funniest people that I know. I feel so lucky to be his oldest granddaughter and was able to spend so much time with him while growing up. The picture above is from my wedding in 2005.....I was his only grandchild he got to see get married and I am honored he was able to celebrate that day with me. I have so many funny stories and memories about him that I will be sure to share with my kids one day about their funny Great Grandpa P. One of the traits that my Grandpa possessed was the ability to speak what was on his mind. Although this sometimes got him in trouble (especially with my Grandma), this is something I greatly admired about him.
This loss was definitely hard on me and being in Utah made it worse. I didn't get to say goodbye, but I am grateful that my last memory of him was at Christmas 2007 where he was the life of the party. Bryan and I were able to change our flights around to head back east early. It was nice to be at his memorial service with my entire family (and 195 other people....Gramps was well loved!). Although we were sad about his death, it was fun to share stories about him and hear his kids (my dad, aunts, and uncles) talk about things I had never known.
Being back at home and back to life has been hard too. Are we all supposed to just go back to work and move on with our lives? I find that I want to keep talking about him and thinking about him....maybe more often than I did when he was alive. I went for a run on Monday and for some reason after about 2 miles I just started crying.....running often brings out various emotions in me and that day I just felt like crying. I know Grandpa was with me on the run.
So God, please take care of my Grandpa. We all know he can be a lot to handle sometimes, but he is one man you definitely want to get to know! Tell him that we all love him and miss him very, very much.
Where to start?
I've been putting off writing an update since so much has gone on the past week. Last Friday I needed to do my long run because we were leaving for vacation on Saturday morning. Did I mention that it was snowing all day too?? Although its not optimal, I split the run up and did 7 miles in the snow at lunch and 10 miles on the treadmill (my longest TM run ever!) after work. It was definitely tiring but I averaged a 9:00 min/mile pace for the 7 miles and 8:47 min/mile for the 10 miles. Running uphill in the snow is funny.....my feet kept slipping as I was trying to run up so it looked like I was running in place!
On Saturday Bryan and I took off for a ski vacation in Utah. We had a great 4 days of skiing....the first 2 days we got about 2 feet of fresh powder and the second 2 days there was not a cloud in the sky. I had hoped to get some runs in, but my legs were shot after 6 hours of skiing for 4 days in a row! Plus the beer and hot tub were calling my name when we got back to our room every night :) I'm not even going to begin to tell you all the food we ate during the week....hey, we needed the fuel to ski!
Here are some pictures from our trip!
On Saturday Bryan and I took off for a ski vacation in Utah. We had a great 4 days of skiing....the first 2 days we got about 2 feet of fresh powder and the second 2 days there was not a cloud in the sky. I had hoped to get some runs in, but my legs were shot after 6 hours of skiing for 4 days in a row! Plus the beer and hot tub were calling my name when we got back to our room every night :) I'm not even going to begin to tell you all the food we ate during the week....hey, we needed the fuel to ski!
Here are some pictures from our trip!
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