Happy New Year and going Goofy

First of all:

Happy happy happy new year to all of you! I hope your 2013 will be as amazing as you hope it will be.

And, you know, all those things you have always wanted to do? You should go do them.

Second of all:

I have instructed the house sitter (house sitters rock!), and am gearing up to go Goofy. The planned race (or actually double race) next weekend. So excited! And really looking forward to meeting all of you.

As for the outfits (yes, Tracy, I do plan on dressing up), I'm going for the mermaid look for one race and the Queen of hearts look for the other one. :) 

Are you running in costume? If so, tell me about yours!

Preparing to go Goofy

Yeah, I know, I am acting like a 12 yo. Boo-freaking-hoo. Can you blame me? When you get the chance to race in costume - grab it! 

So, I plan on running the Disney World Half Marathon dressed up as a mermaid and the Disney World Full Marathon dressed up as the Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland). Why? Seriously, is that even a question?

As for the mermaid outfit - the costume had a long tight-ish skirt and a mermaid tail. I cut out the middle man (ha!), and attached the tail to the waist. And now it looks like this. Oh yeah, baby, sparkly shells on my boobs. 

I quit...caffein, that is

I quit. 

Caffein, that is. 

Cold turkey.

Quitting caffein cold turkey is not my idea of fun. Enough said.

Why? Well, kind of took a detour to this one. Had a dentist appointment a couple of weeks ago. I told my dentist I drank quite a lot of soda. And there he went: lecture on soda and tooth erosion. He showed me photos. Enough to scare the hell out of this self-declared Google self-diagnoser. So, I quit the diet coke - was drinking quite some glasses of that a day. Since I am not a huge fan of coffee (well, I do drink the occasional ristretto), quitting diet coke automatically implied quitting caffein. I figured, why not go cold turkey. That way I can save the Coca Cola and caffein for races and will benefit of its effects - more than I did while drinking caffein on a daily basis.

How did I do it? I had my dentist appointment on a Tuesday - late AM. I did have a glass of diet coke that morning. After visiting my dentist I did not have any more diet coke that Tuesday. I could feel the caffein headache (side effect of the caffein detox) kicking in. Had one glass of diet coke on Wednesday morning. That seemed to help the headache for a couple of hours. Kicked in full force in the afternoon - migraine headaches. Not fun. That glass of diet coke on Wednesday morning was my last glass before I went cold turkey. Thursday was awful - could not stay awake, the migraine headache didn't help. Friday was okay-ish. Did notice that I found it easier to get out of bed in the morning. Drank lots and lots of herbal tea during these days (regular tea has caffein in it). Saturday was awful again - ran in the AM and spent most of the afternoon on the couch. Sunday was not super, but slightly better than Saturday. Still had a mild headache. Same goes for Monday. Monday afternoon I started to feel better. After that - I have not looked back. Up to date. :) Did have Coca Cola during the ultra a week and a half ago - and did feel I got more of a kick from it than I did before. Had no problem at all not having any diet coke after that.

For now: I am glad I quit caffein. I feel it is easier to get out of bed in the morning, and feel more energetic. But that might be just me. ;) 

Caffein detox is not the most fun thing to do, but - in my humble opinion - it is worth it. 

Are you a caffein junkie? Would you consider quitting?

Marathon denim - Yay or nay

What I plan on wearing in tomorrow's planned marathon (if sucky Knee and Ankle let me):

Photo courtesy www.inknburn.com

Okay - your call: Marathon Denim - Yay or Nay?

Happy B-day Gran

Last Friday would have been my dear Grandma's 94th birthday. She passed away a month before her 90th birthday - four years ago.

*enter overemotional blog post* ;)

No, I'm kidding. I still miss her, especially since she and my mom have raised me together (with a dad being as pitiful an excuse for a man as my father is, those two women encouraged me to get my law degrees and to follow that silly heart of mine). That combined with the fact that I'm her spitting image...well, let's just say I'm reminded on a daily basis that she's still sort of there and with me.

*enter confession*

Well, to be honest - she is always with me in races and on long runs. Nope, I'm not referring to the 'I can feel her here' kind of presence. I'm referring to the 'she IS there' kind of presence.

Yep, I carry around a bit of her ashes in my hand held / hydration vest. And I honestly could not care less about the way others feel about that.

So, I guess we could state that my Gran is a marathoner. And an ultra runner. Not a lot of 94 year olds that can say that, huh?

Okay, for those of you that are still with me - and did not stop reading because of my freakiness...

Still training for this Summer's planned dream races. Being as easy on The Knee and The Ankle as I can. Careful with those suckers. And yes, I do spend a heck of a lot of time on the treadmill set at 15% incline.

That little voice inside

Lately, I've been dealing with this little guy - he keeps telling me that there's no chance in hell (pun intended) that I'll be race ready for that race this summer. The one I really really really want to do. The one I've been dreaming of. The one I've had nightmares of. The one I don't even dare sharing, because I'm afraid that will jinx it. Three and a half months left to regain my sanity and confidence. All while this little guy keeps telling me that my training schedule sucks. Big time. Even though I'm following a known plan (well, at least I try - if my body lets me).

The little b*st*rd (sorry...) just won't listen when I tell him I'm training my butt off here. I do need some time to take care of my body, though. All he wants me to do is train train train. And run a zillion miles a week. Just when I decided to push the 'train hard, but do take some time to smell the flowers and hear the birds' button. That red caped mini makes me feel bad about myself. And let's face it. Even though I can't run a zillion miles a week, running zillion miles a week still wouldn't shut him up. It would never be enough. And yes, there are other runners out there - training for that race - that are logging many more miles a week. I know that, little monster. There's always someone out there that is way better prepared than you are / has logged more miles in training. I've learned to accept that (well, okay, I'm still working on that).

There we go again: how many 30 miles / 50K long runs should I do in training? How many 50-mile / 80K races should I do preparing for that race? Or would doing several 50-mile / 80K races be too much? How many miles should a back-to-back weekend hold? 50? Or more? Or less?

Okay, Zen...

I guess what I really need right now is another little monster telling me to relax, to chill out, to exhale. Or a Mojito. A Mojito might work too.

Confession time again

After running a 50 miler 2 1/2 weeks ago and a marathon 4 days ago (and I went out too fast on that one - since target pace was 4-ish hours), I have another planned marathon this Sunday. Long story short: my legs = no happy campers at the moment. Yep, I'm screwed. Big time.

The way I'm handling this? I squeezed my butt in a pair of compression pants. Have my hopes set on those pants squeezing the yuckiness out of my legs. Sounds like a plan, right?

Since the brilliant plan of squeezing the yuckiness out of them might not work, I'd gladly take any advice you can hand me. So, bring it on!

Wordless Wednesday - Bringing sexy back

As from last night: In addition to the darn sexy night retainer, I'm now also sporting this super hot night splint for my freaking toe. Yeah, baby...guess who's bringing sexy back.

Yep...freakishly long toes...I know.

Abnormalities

Life has its own 'funny' ways of pushing you in 'your' direction. Its own ways of telling you that this might be the moment to take a left or right and to stop going into the direction you were going into up till that point. Its own ways of telling you that you are the one leading this life. Its own ways of telling you that it's about time to stop doing what others expect you to do. Its own ways of telling you that it's okay to act Heart over Mind sometimes.

Last Friday I had one of these moments. One of these moments where it just hits you. 'Something needs to change, and I'm no longer putting 'change' on hold'. And as much as that thought scared the sh*t out of me, it's comforting at the same time.

It comes down to one simple thought: I want, need, love to spend more time outside, doing what I love. A bit of time away from that desk. Even 10% or 20% more would be food for the soul. I feel that I am too young to ditch my love for the outdoors and sports. Too young to trade that for spending all of my time behind a desk. Even when people around you expect you to spend all of your time behind that desk. And tell you that not doing so would be 'an abnormality'.

I want the desk and the outdoors. Is that that awful, weird, bad? I don't think it is. Apparently some people do and don't think I should spend a couple more hours a week doing what I love. And that's when it hit me. Something needs to change. Life is too short to let others decide what's right for you. To let others tell you how to live your life. And that thought alone scares the sh*t out of me. Oh, I've already mentioned that, huh? ;) So, to find some 'peace' I did what every reasonable 28 year old would do: read Dr. Seuss. And drink Mojitos.

And guess what, Dr. Seuss was a wise guy. ;)

So, for now, I'm working on that 'Direction' thing. :) Oh, and Dr. Seuss is right about another thing: being You is kinda cool. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. :) Unless you're Khadaffi, Saddam, Osama, etcetera, in which case being 'YOU' isn't that cool. Just wanted to point that out...

Wordless Wednesday - What's on my playlist

I've been listening to the LMFAO song over and over again (I know...I'm a douche) - great song to work out on. Minor thingie is that I sing along. Long run and all - I sing along. Outside and at the gym. There are kids at the gym. And let's be honest - the LMFAO version isn't the most kid-friendly one. I might have to consider downloading Elmo's version and jamming it on my playlist...

Do you remember the day I placed 3rd in my AG?

Yeah...me neither. Since I missed the actual 'ceremony'. Heck yeah...

Rewind. Last Saturday. Running buddy John and moi met up to run a fun 25K race (Florijn Winterloop, Woudenberg, the Netherlands) together. I did a 5K hill work out as a warm/up and John had 24K on deck for the next day, so...we were going to LSD the heck out of this baby. Oh yeah, how slow can you go, baby. Of course, the excitement got to me and we ended up running the course at marathon pace-ish (for me, that is...John is super speedy).

It was fun running together, but the course ended up being kind of boring. There's only so many farm land a girl can handle on a 25K run. Then again, the volunteers were amazing - very well organized!

Finished the run in 2:11:49. Fun long run. Oh, and this is what we looked like at the finish line. I sure messed up those pics, huh?

Photo courtesy Wim de Bruijne

I ran out of the pink K-tape. Note to self: get new pink K-tape!

After the race, I chatted a bit with other runners and then hopped into the car on my way home. Might have stopped to get french fries. Just might have. ;) Threw my pack (with my phone in it) in the back of the car. 20 minutes later, my phone was ringing. Didn't bother crawling all the way to the back of the car to get it. Turns out, it was John - trying to tell me that I'd placed 3rd in my AG. What the bleep - I've never placed in my AG. I'm too freaking slow. Apparently there was an award ceremony going on. And they were looking for me. That's me...always late for the party. Luckily, John was sweet enough to get my prize, medal and bottle of wine for me.

Oh, and in case you were wondering whether or not 'slowpoke' has managed to turn into 'not so slow-poke' - no worries, there weren't a lot of girls in my AG. ;)

So, what's your story of the weekend?

Wordless Wednesday

Things I might consider wearing for a future race.

Photo courtesy B-skinz

Thoughts?

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...

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?

This IS the time and the place

Last Sunday night. We'd just returned from our trip to New York and I was having dinner with my Mom and a friend of hers. Chatting about the trip and how much fun we'd had. My mom's friend had recently lost her husband, so we talked about her husband's funeral. Out of the blue my mom's friend said: 'Oh right, I forgot to tell you. While you were in NY, S died'. (S being a classmate from elementary school - she lived in the same city I live in, so I ran into her several times after elementary school - last time must have been a couple of years ago).

'Shocked' doesn't even begin to describe how I felt at that moment. I wasn't close to her, just ran into her occasionally. While running errands or walking around town. But still...I remember her as an incredibly nice. A sweet girl. Close to her mom and baby brother. Had graduated Law School. Seemed to be enjoying life. A cancer survivor. Saddest part about this: she died while celebrating her 'I'm clear!' moment with dinner. Just like that.

This is one of those moments that's on my 'Things I don't get'-list. I can't even begin to describe how so so sorry I feel for her mom's and brother's loss. I wish them all the strength and support they need in the process of learning how to live with this loss.

This IS the time and the place

This is also one of those moments that made me realize that you have to live this life as fully as you can...every single day. I've said and heard 'This is nor the time, nor the place' or 'Maybe next week/month/year' too many times. This IS the time. AND the place. I've also heard 'There will always be another marathon/ultra.' way too often in the last couple of months. And yes, I do hope there will always be another marathon/ultra. But the sad news of S's passing made me realize that I should take every race in as 'THE marathon' or 'THE ultra'. Treasure any moment I'm out there running.

The same goes for wishlist races. These races where training/money/emergencies within your family aren't really an issue, I should no longer postpone. Neither should any of you. Who cares what the rest of the world might think of it. Collect memories. Precious memories.

If you want it, come and get it. And girl, do I want it!

Foto Friday - (Taper) Madness?

Memorizing the marathon course. Did you read yesterday's post on the 'here goes nothing, let's make a fun run out of this' thing? If so, you know the memorizing thing makes no sense at all. I'm a certified weirdo...

About that hair

The plus side of chopping of that waist long hair I was sporting:

1. Locks of love will make a rock star wig out of it. No doubt about that.

2. Less weight on the head.

3. Every single muscle in my neck area loves me right now. Uh-huh.

4. I no longer strangle myself in my sleep. (True story...)

5. Less. Shampoo.

However, there's also an 'okay this takes some getting used to' side:

1. I keep making the 'flipping your hair over your coat' move. But at the moment...my hair isn't long enough to 'flip'...

2. I keep using too much shampoo.

3. Brushing my hair... The strokes are a heck of a lot shorter. And it feels weird.

4. What the heck do I do with my hair for work outs? I used to rock the Lara plaid...but, obviously, that no longer does the trick. So, this weekend I experienced the joy of pony tails and sweat dripping off said pony tails. Yup. Luckily Paula came up with this brilliant idea - I did get some stares, though...

Weight loss

There you go, Locks of Love!

Makes me wonder, though: less weight = more speed, right? ;)

Apparently it's all in my head - The 'race pace' post

Confession: I used to be (no longer 'am') a strong believer that I could not run faster than 12K/hour (8 minute miles) on distances longer than 8K. This was something I truly did believe. Breaking 50 minutes at a 10K was something that seemed impossible to me. Then again, I hardly do any speedwork. With this ultra thing, I'm trying to focus on mileage instead of speed. So...how could I expect to ever break 50 minutes in a 10K?

Do you have an 'I can't run faster than that' pace?

I am actually trying to make a point here. Promise. ;)

I'd registered for the charity team of Hulphond Nederland at yesterday's Dam tot Damloop 10 miles in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Imagine 40K runners on one course. And the slower runners blocking the road instead of staying on the right side of the road (duh...common race etiquette!). But...on the plus side: the on-course support is amazing! :)

So, there I was: yesterday morning. At the start line of the Dam tot Damloop 10 miler. Goal?

Okay-ish: sub 1-30 - long run pace.

Okay: sub 1:26 - marathon pace.

Woohoo good: 1:23:20 or faster - new PR.

Absofreakinglutely amazing - not going to happen: 1:20.

The course was crowded. The weather was...interesting (rain rain rain like you've never seen it before! Seriously, believe me on this one...I'm Dutch...I know rain!). Due to the rain I couldn't really look at my watch: it was raining to a point where I figured my Garmin would be dead if I didn't cover it with my arm sleeves. I looked at my watch when I passed the 10K-mark, and at the finish line. Tried to hold a 'this feels comfortable, but not like I'm pushing it - do not feel the need to puke' pace.

Finish time: 1:18:06.

What the bleep!

Apparently that 'can't run faster than' pace really is in my head. Well, at least yesterday it was. But I'm not complaining. ;)

(And yes, I do realize that I'm nowhere near speedy and still slow, but I'm happy with this finish time. Little old slowpoke me. :))

Hi, my name is Silly Girl, and I'm an addict

Yep, I might have a problem...