Wordless Wednesday

Things I might consider wearing for a future race.

Photo courtesy B-skinz

Thoughts?

Three Things Thursday

1. B-U-S-Y: It's the season to get busy. This is the time of year that things get kind of crazy at the firm. More work load = less time to blog. Sorry about that. :) Not that you're missing out on anything interesting with less posts on this blog. ;)

2. Effing knee: As I've already mentioned in Monday's post, I have some knee issues (PF) since I've spend 2 hours working through case files a week ago...on my knees. Do not try that one at home. The horror! My PT laughed at me and told me spending hours on your knees is a pretty stupid thing to do. Yeah, thanks. I know that...now! So...uphill speed walking on the treadmill (great mountain marathon work out...boy, does it get your heart rate up!) and cycling it is. Road running = angry knee at the moment, so I'm sticking with the dreadmill for the time being. Fingers crossed on this one.

3. 2012 vs 2011: I've told myself that it's okay to start planning 2012 races, even when the Knee is bothering me right now. And boy, it's fun to plan! Fun runs, city marathons, the Swiss Alps, and a dream race I don't even dare talking or thinking about. Are you already planning your 2012 races? Any tips on races I should try to work into my schedule? :)

Peee-ace bunny Galore - How to mess up race photos with your pants down

The Ugly

Last Wednesday I spent 2 hours working on a case...on the floor....on my knees. I was working my way through a heck load of case files and somehow figured that the floor was a much better place to do so than my desk would ever be.

Boy, I could not have been more wrong. Apparently my knees are NOT made for spending 2 solid hours in the same 'on your knees' position. Ouch. A couple of hours after finishing working on the case files, I went out for a 7 1/2 mile / 12K run, and 'bam'...ouch...hello PF knee pain! At least I know what caused it. Then again...knowing that, doesn't cure it.

The knee felt a-okay on Friday, but - doing the wise thing - I opted on taking it slow on last Saturday's planned Half Marathon (Linschotenloop, Linschoten, the Netherlands). Making a nice marathon pace tempo run out of it. That worked out fine, and the knee felt okay till the 16K / 10 mile mark. After that it started bugging me again, but I could still run on it - relatively painfree too. It must have been the adrenaline, because after finishing the knee got angry. Angrier and angrier. Took a rest day yesterday, K-taped the thing and plan on cycling my way through the next couple of days. My PT is working on it and will check if I can try running on it again this weekend. Will this kill ultra plans for next year? Oh yeah, I've already convinced myself that that's the case. Hmmmpppffff...

The Fugly

I paced running buddy Gert to his new half PR on said half marathon. Without him knowing I was doing so. He must have hated me for the last couple of miles of this half. Plus, 10 miles in I had to pee. Big time. Jumped into the bushes, used Gert for stabilization (oh yeah, I'm classy like that) and spent a couple of minutes rearranging skirt/underwear/tights. Tangled up mess! Oh yeah, Gert was ready to kill me when we crossed that finish line after 1:48:56. Without the pee-thing, that would have made a great marathon pace tempo run. Then again, considering the whole slowpokie thing...this will propably never be my actual marathon pace. Uh-huh. ;)

Oooh, and I messed up his race pics. And mine. Yet again.

I actually look like a somewhat normal person in this one. Half of the other runners laughed at my outfit, though. Dutchies aren't ready for running skirts...

18K in, I was going for the happy girl look. Uh-huh...'Goofy's little sister' would be more accurate...

Full Moon or 'What I do on weekends'

Last Saturday Night. Full moon. A fun group of runners. 'Santa's little Helpers' picked as a theme for this theme run.

That's moi on the right. On the left, yep, that's a guy. In a dress.

A full moon trail run = A heck of a lot of fun.



Courtesy of Fred & Marianne

The 13K Lordie ran on Saturday, combined with the 24K he ran yesterday (Sunday) made one tired doggio. :) He snuck his way on my side of the bed while I was in the shower...

Doodling outside the lines - Zalando webshop review

This post might just be interesting for readers from the Netherlands/Europe, but does have something in it for all of you out there! :)

We all know the 'established' running gear webshops out there: Runningwarehouse.com, Rei.com, Lululemon, etcetera. For the Dutch readers this would be: Hardloopaanbiedingen.nl, Hardloopcentrum.nl, Run2Day.nl, and so on.

A webshop that doesn't have 'buy your running gear here!' written all over it (yet!) is Zalando. That's why I was extra excited when they contacted me and asked me to review their webshop and the brands they sell.

So, since I'm an official IceQueen (okay okay...bring on the jokes...), I ordered a warm baselayer for winter: the Columbia Heavyweight Baselayer - half zip.

This thing puts the T in Thermo. Warm and toasty.
The webshop

The Zalando webshop is easy to browse around in. When you're a trail oriented / mountain running oriented runner, make sure you also search under the brands tab. The Columbia, Patagonia, TNF and Salomon running gear won't show up when you click on the 'running gear' tab. So, if you'd like running gear from those brands, just search by brand. Worked for me!

The gear

Unlike most online running gear shops, Zalando doesn't stop at the usual brands (i.e. Asics, Nike, Adidas, Saucony, etcetera). They also sell Columbia, Patagonia, The North Face and Salomon gear. And that's pretty unique. I'm a fan - I love those brands! I think it's a huge plus that Zalando thinks outside the box on this one.

Ordering

Easy peasy. Just add the stuff you like to your cart, and fast forward to check-out.

Payment

Also easy peasy. They take Ideal payment and credit cards.

Delivery

Took a bit longer than stated. The shirt I'd ordered was in stock, but it took over a week to be delivered. Also, the track & trace option was a bit of a hassle.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the Zalando webshop and the number of brands they sell. Be sure to check out their website and shop around a bit! You won't be disappointed!

About the 40-miler that wasn't

The Plan: To run a 40-miler in Belgium on November 27th. Hilly race. Extra fun, while Paula would be there with me. Oh boy, I was looking forward to this race!!!

Training: I ran several marathons in preparation for this 40 mile baby. Did lots of hillwork.

How it turned out to be: Well...The day before the race, the flu kicked in. Not just a cold, nope...the big old flu. And it kicked in big time. Result: I spent a week in bed (hence, the not blogging for a week). High fever. And obviously did not run that 40-miler. And felt awful about that. Am still feeling kind of awful about it.

So, here's what the brain says: wise call. The flu isn't a mild case of the sniffles. You should not race while trying to beat the flu. It would have been a truly stupid thing to do tip toe the start line. And yes, it doesn't matter that it was a 'I really want to do this one' race. The flu = no racing.

But here's what the heart says: This was a 'I really want to do this one' race! You're such a weak pussy for not sucking it up and tip toeing that start line! And spending a week in bed - you have lost all of your fitness!

Yep, the funny way my mind works...

Did you ever miss an A-race due to flu/injury/etc? Are you a 'mind' or 'heart' person on racing while dealing with flu/injury/etc?

The Flu Blues

Spending a week in bed with the flu (not just a cold...nope, GP diagnosed it as the flu...woohooo...) doesn't do anything for you mileage. Enough said.

Any tips on battling this effing flu asap?