Three Things Thursday

1. Taper madness: I'm pretty sure that I'm driving everyone around me crazy. Including moi. A little over a week left and the questioning myself and my training is kicking in big time. Oh, and - of course - I'm checking the weather reports (yep, several) at least three times a day, and do I now know the course by heart. No kidding. Shoot me a question about the elevation profile at mile 8. I'm probably able to answer it.

2. Running skirt: Guess what the cat dragged in? No, I'm kidding. Dutch customs was kind enough to release one skirt I'd ordered at RunningSkirts.com. I wanted to test drive it before the marathon, so I wasn't too happy to find out that Dutch customs was holding on to it.

Yeah, yeah, crappy photo. I know. Get over it.

They are still holding the Chocofleurs runningskirt hostage, though, so, the whole 'dressing up as a chocolate' plan might not work out after all. As Zoe pointed out on the Silly Girl Running Facebook-page, they are probably prancing around in it. ;) I hope those fleurs make their butts look huge. ;)

3. Spring weather: I'm taking back everything I said about the beautiful spring weather. We're in the middle of Monsoon 2011 - as we speak. What the bleep!

3a. Throwback Thursday: My grandfather and a tiny moi. I still don't master those Carnegie Hall piano skills, by the way. ;)

MIA - What happened to the hood?

They are gone. And there wasn't a lot to begin with. (Well, not gone gone, but just not as 'out there' as they used to be.)

For the male readers: you might want to stop reading this post...a.s.a.p.. Just warning you. Wouldn't want to traumatize you. Or make myself lose whatever dose of atractiveness I have left...

Morgan already discussed this little problemo on her blog a while ago (check out her (hilarious!) post here). Runner's boob loss. Yup (you wish you'd stopped reading now, don't you?). It's about what's in (or under?) the hood. More specifically, about the lack of it - in my case. Even more specifically, I'm what Shakira was singing about when she referred to breasts as 'small and humble'.

Okay...I'm pretty sure that I've just lost half of my followers and all of my male followers... ;) Way to go, Christel. Way to go.

It is a problem, you know! Well...sort of, anyway...

Okay, on a more serious note, since I picked up running a little over a year ago, my fat percentage has dropped significantly (you know the 'thin on the outside, fat on the inside thing' - I guess that applied to me - scary!) and I'm happy with that. But, with the fat percentage dropping, the same happened to my cup size. What the bleep! There is still something in the hood, but 'voluptuous' wouldn't be the word to describe it. Guys talking to your breasts instead of your face? I truly would not know what you mean.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not (really) complaining here. Because, A. I'm not a huge fan of breast implants (unless you're talking breast reconstruction, of course). B. smaller breasts are quite handy when it comes to running. They don't bounce up and down as much as their big sisters do. ;) C. I can sleep comfortably on my belly. Not that I do, but if I ever wanted to, I could. And D. if everything else fails, there are always push up bras to add to the bra collection! Yeah, baby!

But still. Some female runners don't seem to have this problem and are running around with skinny bodies and Pamela Anderson sized 'cupcakes' in their sport's bra. The way the world works.

I guess Mother Nature was thinking 'small and humble' thoughts when she created me. ;) Wish she had applied that same philosophy to my feet (size 10.5 running shoes...). And to the junk in my trunk. ;) I'll just have to work with what I've got here. ;)

Any thoughts on the dropping fat / dropping cup size combo?

You know you're a runner when - the 'Groceries' post

This is what your shopping basket looks like on your weekend trip to the grocery store. (And yes, my fridge was already stuffed with veggies...noodles aren't the only thing I eat...duh...). How did the nice lady at check out respond? Well... 'Isn't the first nice and crispy day of spring the best day to restock your pantry for summer?'. Uhm...I just nodded and didn't correct her. I think she would be shocked to hear that this is a two weeks supply of taper time food (noodles for dinner!). Carb loading, baby! :)

Honking doesn't turn me on

It doesn't.

In fact, despite of what some men might believe the same goes for most women: we do NOT get turned on by honking. On the contrary.

Okay, I won't go all 'men are pigs' on you. Because, A. I kind of like men, and B. I would be insulting the pigs. And there are a lot of great guys out there. Just wanted to point that out.

So, on a more serious note, I do NOT have a problem with men in general. It's just the honking, the 'hello, hottie', the 'Phieuw-ieuw' (uhm...whistling?), the cars pulling over, the cycling next to you and talking to you at the same time, and the butt grabbing kind of men that annoy the heck out of me. When I'm running, that is. It's not just annoying actually (I can handle annoying), sometimes it's down right creepy.

Example: yesterday's 15+-miler took me through a forest. I was running next to a somewhat busy road, but still...trees everywhere. Beautiful. And then a car with four guys in it pulled over, honking, started driving next to me at my pace, and the guys were yelling at me ('need a lift?', 'nice legs', 'hello, hotness'...the usual 'funny' stuff). And then it hit me. There weren't a lot of runners and cyclists at the trail I was on. And the cars were driving by fast. If these guys would drag me into their car, no one would know. I was creeped out. And up to that point I felt safe. Those guys took that away from me. Literally. Last night I had a nightmare about what ditches one could drag and drop a body into. Needless to say that I didn't get a whole lot of sleep.

Does the outfit matter?

When I told one of my co-workers about this incident this morning, her reply was 'were you wearing a running skirt?'. Yes, I was (and I was also wearing a long sleeve, hat and compression socks - fully covered), but does that justify the pulling over and following me? In my opinion, it doesn't. Plus, whether I'm wearing a skirt or shorts or tights, it doesn't really matter anyway: the honking continues. Apparently a girl on her (long) run is an extreme turn-on to some guys. And considering all the sweating, burping and farting that's going on when I'm on my long run, I don't get that. But that's not the point.

Feel turned on if you feel like it. It's fine with me. I just have one teeny tiny request. Please don't express it in a way that creeps me out. And that involves (endless) honking and pulling over.

To all the good 'non-creeping female runners out' guys out there: please tell those 'honking and pulling over' types to drop the act. ;)

Long Legs on the Loose Runningskirts.com running skirt giveaway!

Want a new running skirt? Need a new running skirt? Check out this kick-#ss giveaway! Long Legs on the Loose running skirts giveaway

Friday faves - Favorites for the weekend

1. The temps aren't chill-tastic anymore! Goodbye winter coat! So...I'll get the chance to walk around in my Vibram Five Fingers all weekend! Except for the running part of the weekend of course... My calves would hate me if I'd do a long run in my Five Fingers at this point. 2. Sunday is supposed to be nice and sunny. Thank the running gods for spring weather! 3. I'm having sushi for dinner tonight. Enough said. 4. I've uploaded Meb's Run to Overcome to my e-reader to read this weekend. I might even start reading it tonight. :) 5. There is a fresh bottle of Mojito cocktail-mix waiting for me in the fridge. :) 6. The Runningskirts.com Chocofleurs strappy tank top that Hiphardlopen has send to me, and that I'm actually wearing at the moment is the new addition to my 'favorite running tops' list. Comfy! 7. It's Friday. How I love Fridays! :) 8. And I'm having sushi tonight. Oh, I already said that? ;) Good luck to everyone racing this weekend! Kick-ass PR's! :)