Runner Susan

I moved.

2006-01-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

I live here now! Come visit me!

Rowdy loves linguine & pesto . . .

2006-01-26T20:16:00.000-05:00

Squinty Pirate Poem

2006-01-26T11:39:00.000-05:00

Sent by my fellow martini-loving friend Kate, who can actually finish a martini

I like to have a Martini,
two at the very most;
three, I'm under the table,
four I'm under my host!

by: Dorothy Parker

Quail run killer hill training

2006-01-24T06:46:00.000-05:00

This morning's run was hill training . . . I think a good substitute for my long lost and dearly missed buttcamp *a moment of silence please*. 5.32 miles - here are my splits and an elevation chart. I'm not sure how these hills compare to others, but this is hilly for our area.

A super quickie post

2006-01-23T17:33:00.000-05:00

My official time for the 15k was 1:32:40. Bleh. I start speed work soon. Yay.

Here are a few pictures:

The not so sucky Too Cold to Hold 15k race report with the extra long title just for fun

2006-01-21T16:43:00.000-05:00

This report doesn't suck because I was fast, because I wasn’t. It doesn't suck because, despite the menstrual merriment, I enjoyed myself and ran for fun.* A very small revenge on Mother Nature, but I’ll take it. Aside from frozen appendages, the only other unpleasantness was that the water tasted like ass. I have serious suspicions that by the time my slow kind got around to the water stations they were siphoning from the local lake; which was a landfill in its former life.

I don’t have my official time yet, but here is what Garmina has to say:

Obviously, I haven’t figured out how to run the negative split way yet. I’ve got plans to start improving that downward spiral soon; along with some other things like speed work. It might also be beneficial if I stop cheating myself by cutting the workouts short by a mile or two. I became blatantly aware of this mistake beginning around mile six.

My friends, Linda and Kate, walked their first 5k. They did great and I'm glad they enjoyed themselves and are excited for the next race. It was a fun, fun day. I'll post official times and pictures later.

*Don't be fooled by this.

Yes, I am also aware of the trauma of semi-colon-ness.

No caveat, everything sucks

2006-01-19T10:24:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to do it. But, blogging is good therapy and I NEED to blog. PMS or not, I must feed my addiction in a shameless ploy to gain attention and/or sympathy.

Ok, first off - suffering from PMS on date night never ends well. It simply never does. When will I learn? It's always that bad. ALWAYS. I tried to be normal. I really, really did. Poor Michael. I really do not deserve this man.

On top of all of this, Wednesday's workout was another lame 4 miles - not 6 or 7 like scheduled. I swam a few laps and gave up for fear of drowning. I left a lot of snot in that pool. Swimming sucks rocks. Why I convince myself that I can swim is beyond any reasonable comprehension. My nutrition also sucks. I've cut my workouts short. I've gained 1.2 lbs. All of these things suck!!!

If all of that wasn't bad enough, I overslept this morning. I didn't get up until 5:45 AM. My alarm clock was in my workout bag and I didn't hear it go off. So no boot camp this morning. Speaking of which, our financial advisor says one gym membership has to go - so this is my last month at the Y. That means no more buttcamp. The F.A. does not understand my desire to remain bootylicious. There goes my Tuesday morning posting material.

Sucking in general doesn't suck, but this is just one suck too many.

I need wine. I need chocolate.

Do you feel my pain?!?!

Behavior Modification

2006-01-17T07:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a really awful day of food consumption, a blissful day of shopping and a lazy day of running. I must control myself and not let this obstinate naughtiness continue. Today's entry will be brief as I am following the 17th commandment Thou shall not blog with PMS.

I've started off the day right: a good butt camp and lf cottage cheese with coffee for breakfast. My weight is at 127 today. If I can behave myself, I know I can get into the 125 arena by the end of the end of next week, something I haven't been able to accomplish in over 2 years. Lunch will consist of some kind of chicken salad. After work I have a five-mile run scheduled.

Dinner? Sigh. Dinner will be tricky since tonight is date night. If I maintain a moderate alcohol consumption, I should have the ability to choose a healthy meal. (Translation: more salad - less wine - no fun). Tonight I will also attempt to follow the 16th commandment Thou shall not blog drunk.

Here's to a successful day!

Please, no more memes

2006-01-16T06:08:00.000-05:00

Updated:
Workout: Easy 2.5 mile run following Kenza on her motor-scooter, my battery wore out long before hers did. I'm not an evening runner - mornings are best for me.

Food: Bad, bad, bad. I must redeem myself tomorrow with an extra-hard buttcamp and 5 mile run!! I've been so good, but it was a tough day.
____________________

Struck by tragedy . . . Fifteen from Nano? Okay. Randomly selected.

Unwritten, Natasha Bedingfield
Lady, Lenny Kravitz
Rich Girl, Gwen Stefani
Hung Up, Madonna
Jesus Walks, Kanye West
Pretty Vegas, INXS
You Had Me, Joss Stone
Gypsy Flame, Armik
Pump It, Black-Eyed Peas
Naughty Girl, Beyonce
Vertigo, U2
American Girl, Tom Petty
La Tortura, Shakira
Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand
Istanbul, Bruce BecVar

Exposed

2006-01-15T10:08:00.000-05:00

It's amazing what a new pair of shoes (or two) and a good decongestant will do for a girl. I had a good run today. Well, no, not really. It was more of a run/walk, but when I was running - I was running at a decent pace and it felt good. Finally. The walking was to expel phlegm and prevent me from vomiting. I vomit easily. It's a gift. 9.26 Miles in 1:38:26, 10:37/mi, 1080 calories burned, AHR 170. The heart rate was still a little high, but at least it wasn't 188.

I was tagged by Naked to do another meme. What's in your Fridge? Seems simple enough. I didn't think of it as a big deal until I posted this picture. I feel really exposed. Leftovers, beer, soda. Who put that food there? Is this how I fuel my body?

I won't spread this meme, but I would be really interested to see what's in your fridge.*

*Especially the fridges of Iron Benny & Nytro, DCG, Bolder , and soymilk Susie. Umm, that's technically not spreading meme.

Wine, Sake, Sea Bass and Shoe Shopping

2006-01-14T19:45:00.000-05:00

Okay. Call me shallow. Call me slightly inebriated. But I think it is awesome that both pairs of my new shoes sparkle.

It's better to run and be lonely than not run at all

2006-01-13T07:13:00.000-05:00

Hypochondriac Susan spent some time visiting her physician friend yesterday. Her efforts to explain impending death as a result of heart explosion due to the snot-oxygen factor and freakishly high heart rate were futile; only ending with "Here's a decongestant, now go home."

Thank goodness I love running. For what other reason would I put up with tortoise pacing, abnormally high heart rates, and freezing temperatures? Alas, winter will be ending in a few weeks; it was actually only 39 degrees this morning, a pleasant temperature for a slow, four-mile run. I shouldn't complain. We've had a really warm winter - even for Dallas. I'm disappointed in myself, but have decided it's best to just run to run until I'm feeling better. I have expectations that it will make my ten-mile run this Sunday more enjoyable, albeit lonely because my friends will be passing me right and left. Actually, on most occasions I enjoy the solitude - it's just difficult pacing oneself. Perhaps this is where Garmina will come in handy.

Desperately Seeking Susan

2006-01-12T06:33:00.000-05:00

According to site-meter, if you type in these words into a search engine you'll somehow find my blog.

sexually active dog
susan porn
girls girls girls (I feel the need to add 'gone wild' for some reason)
strawberry twizzler stops diarrhea
tampon information
girl running naked
rowdy man kit
mud wrestling
and my personal favorite - Texas whore

I'm either extremely kinky, or I spend too much time blogging intoxicated - you choose.

Upper-body boot camp this morning - and much needed - but sadly, I win the Weenie award for lack of effort. Let's hope I can fit a 5 mile run in at lunch if I'm not at the doctor again.

Sorta six, but not seven miles

2006-01-11T07:29:00.000-05:00

Today's run was a scheduled 7 miles. I'm still a little fatigued from buttcamp, speedwork and this damn cold. (Excuses, excuses) I ran 6.27 miles in 1:05:55 - 10:30/min miles. I burned 713 calories (Do I get to eat more?) and my heart rate was too high . . . 172 bpm avg/188 bpm max - I'm going to guess and say it's the snot/oxygen factor contribution from this cold. (Or maybe it's my torrid lesbian love affair with Garmin? Another excuse).

If you hang around Runner Susan or Shopper Susan long enough, you'll eventually pick up all her bad & good habits. My friends Linda and Kate went shopping last night . . . for Underarmour! Why? Because they have decided to walk the Big D half marathon in April. Go Linda. Go Kate. Stop by their blogs and wish them good luck with their training. I'm really proud of these girls.

Thou shall not tag another*

2006-01-10T15:15:00.000-05:00

Four jobs I've had:
1. Financial Manager
2. Chef
3. Housekeeper
4. Dog Trainer

Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. Dune
2. Catwoman
3. Dukes of Hazzard
4. Bolero

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Raven
3. Meet the Press
4. Super Tuesday

Four websites I visit daily:
1. Library of Congress
2. Several Porn Sites
3. Nick Jr
4. Meetup

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Meat
2. Whisky
3. Kiviak
4. Ice

Four places I've been on vacation:
1. Ismay, Montana
2. Jackson, Mississippi
3. Bogota, Columbia
4. Iceland

Four places I'd rather be:
1. Work
2. Fishing
3. Gynecologists Office
4. See above vacations

Four albums I can't live without:
1. Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits
2. All country music albums
3. That's all I listen to

Four vehicles I've owned:
1. 1978 Plymouth Horizon, which I'm still driving

* Thank you so much Kate, you know how much I love doing these . . . thou shall not spread meme.

Speedwork, buttcamp and a gloriously unholy alliance

2006-01-10T07:04:00.000-05:00

I love the holidays, but I am always glad when they are over so I can get back into a routine. You'll also be happy to know, that the running blahs are over and I'm excited about my marathon training beginning in February.

I'm feeling much better today, which means less whining. Last night was 2 miles of speed work, a 1/2 mile cool down followed by upper-body weights and 3 x 20 sets of devil scissor crunches (hard, hard, hard). This morning was cross-training with a killer buttcamp taught by lunge queen Karrie, followed by bosu ball abs. I'm expecting to be delightfully sore by the end of the day. My plan is to get a 5 mile run in tonight if possible.

Jennifer, from Decaf Please, mentioned that it would be great if Nano and Garmin had babies - wow, wouldn't that be the best. That got me and Kate thinking - what if Nano, Garmin and a cell phone had a threesome. Wouldn't that unholy alliance create the most amazing technological creation EVER!

So sad

2006-01-08T08:17:00.000-05:00

I cheated. Not really, but it sure felt like it. I cut my 10 mile run down to 7.74. I ran/walked at snail speed - 11:34 min miles. Even at that pace my heart rate stayed around 180. I won't let this cold beat me, however - it is doing a good job at slowing me down. Between the Wellness Formula and the Neti Pot, I should be back to 9:30's by next week's lsd.

Yesterday's workout consisted of sitting on my patio absorbing the sun and increasing my melanin level. Today will be 82 degrees and sunny; I plan on doing the same for most of the day. Until then, I'm going to google why I curl my right toes, and not my left toes, while I run.

Let's get the grossness over with

2006-01-06T06:19:00.000-05:00

Today's six-mile run was a delicate balancing act. The simple deed of dealing with the snot out-oxygen in was a little more complex than the routine hold and blow during a run. With my nose corroded completely with dried snot, the liquid snot had no choice but to form a lovely wall of mucus down the back of my throat preventing oxygen from entering my body. Portioning the intake and output was challenging, but you'll be happy to know, I managed. This persistent cold is most annoying. 6 miles at an average pace of 10:38 per mile, slow and snotty.

You wanna know something else annoying? Hail damage. Why is it that hail damage looks worse on pasty-white winter thighs than it does on tan summer thighs? Huh? Why? It's just wrong. It's the same body. Another 2006 goal: rid body of current and prevent future hail damage.

Ready for the most grossest of all? Last night I decided to swim instead of run. All the pool lanes were full of hopeful resolutionites. While I waited in the hot tub for a lane to open, I witnessed the most absurd occurrence. Senior Water Aerobics. That in itself is not grotesque (although, it does provide for a frightening locker room). The grotesqueness occurred after the instructor wheeled out a cart of water noodles and the senior ladies giddily held them in front of their bodies pretending to possess giant penises. During my voluntary lapse of blindness, I heard the lady next to me gasp "OMG, did you see that?". While I certainly hope my senior years are sexually active, I pray to god I'm mentally sound enough to spare the public any such aquatic humiliation.

Home Again

2006-01-05T09:12:00.000-05:00

Oh god, it's good to be home! I missed my husband, my house, my dogs and just my family being together. Don't get me wrong, it was great to visit with my Indiana family, but I am a homebody. Travel doesn't always suit me well (unless I'm on a beach with a book and a margarita). I'm a creature of habit and it's good to be back in a routine. Finally, I can get back to blogging. I missed you guys.

My dad is recovering very well from his heart surgery; this makes me very happy. My brother and sister's families are doing well. Their kids are growing fast - this frightens me somewhat because it means I'm growing older. I gave my mother blogging lessons, which was comical, but she's doing really well. I have my doubts to whether or not she will keep it up - but we'll see.

I have yet to do any running this year, but did have a killer workout session with my sister at her gym on the 2nd. I was very surprised at what a good class it was, especially since it was in the middle of Nowhere, Indiana. I learned some really great killer ab moves and some disturbingly good rotator cuff strengthening moves. I'm actually a little puzzled with the latter, this guy was big on strengthening the rotator cuffs . . . Oh well, my sister and I had a great workout and my arms and abs are still sore. This workout was then followed by a mall workout with Amy. Susan showed great restraint and only spent $14.00. Go Susan.

My regular running workouts begin tonight. I'm so excited about this upcoming year and ready to get my training going.

Reflections & Resolutions

2006-01-01T08:32:00.000-05:00

What an interesting Blog World we live in. In July of 2005, I started blogging to document my training and consumption in order to lose weight and complete a marathon. Go figure: I weigh exactly the same that I did on Jan. 1, 2005. However, my goal to complete several marathons was sucessful, slow, but successful. I finished 2005 with 909 miles; I'm thrilled with this achievement.

Some of my goals for 2006 include:

Obsess less about my butt jiggle and overall body shape
Drink fewer martinis and less wine (before race day)
Complete the Austin Half Mara in February in 2 hours
Run the Big D Half Mara in April in 1:50
Run the San Diego Mara in June in 4:30
Run the Las Vegas Mara in December without a hangover and in 4 hours
Spare Rowdy the indignity and only play dress-up with him on the holidays
Eat less than 5,000 calories a day, document my food and fuel my body properly
and finally and seriously, lose 15 pounds.

This world has become so much more than a training and consumption log. An amazingly addictive and powerful tool of communication. A blogging world of friends where eyes don't roll nor heads nod when I begin to converse about marathons, martinis, colons, or semicolons. A world of virtual runners that support, motivate and coach me every day. A world I am thankful to be apart of and look forward to in 2006.

Many wishes for new PRs and safe runs in for all of you in 2006. Cheers.

Indiana Girls

2005-12-31T11:16:00.000-05:00

At home in Indiana visiting my family for the holidays. Kenza and I with my brother's girls. My dad is recovering from minor heart surgery. I've done little running and plan on a lot of shopping.

Sorry Sue and Paul

2005-12-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've got to do it. I'm bumping Gmap Pedometer to #3 on my list of world's greatest inventions. I have a new love. I got a Garmin Forerunner for Christmas. It is an amazing, wondrous invention. Today was my first run with her. She performed spectacularly. More than I can say for myself. Somedays you just gotta be glad you made it out of bed and on the road. Look at the pretty, pretty charts it makes (not my slow pace):

Now look at this one, oh so pretty:

And it does so much more, so much: maps, splits, virtual partners. Go and get one now. Sell your soul if you must. You will be glad you did. Now I will always know what my splits are . . . how did I ever live without her? I haven't figured out how to make it backlight the entire run. Can it do that?

I have a feeling Nano is jealous.

The people have spoken, and a half it is

2005-12-26T14:15:00.000-05:00

At least for now. I really am glad about this decision. My main focus is on the Austin Half in February, and The Big D Half in April. My goal is to finish the Austin Half in under 2 hours and the Big D in 1:50. Both attainable goals if I train properly and incorporate a little speedwork. My ultimate goal is to run another full marathon this fall, perhaps Las Vegas, as I understand this is a really challenging Boston qualifier.*

I ran 5 SLOW miles on Saturday and felt hints of shin splints, my sign that I need new shoes. I've only had my shoes for two months. Huh, I can't believe I'm complaining about getting new shoes. I hope all of you had a happy holiday.

*And by a really challenging race I really mean, a really challenging weekend shopping at Ceasar's Palace and playing craps and drinking martinis** until 5AM.

**And by martini's (plural) I mean one before I start admiring the fraternity boys wandering around Caesar's Palace wearing togas and being hauled off to bed by my long suffering slightly more alcoholic friends.

Oh come all ye playful

2005-12-21T16:45:00.000-05:00

My friend Kate introduced me to the concept of the Fantasy Wishlist. I could get used to a world filled with these:

A daughter who cleans her room before I actually have to take a stick in to whack the things nesting in the corners.
Super-hero running legs.
My own petting zoo - with room for a llama and baby goats.
A personal shopper at Nordstroms who would lead me to the secret stashes I KNOW they're hiding from the common folk who must look for themselves.
Real Fashion Police. Oh, come on, people! Paris Hilton? That alone is worth an arrest.
A husband who doesn't find it necessary to classify the refridgerator. And it's not just alphabatized - it's also subcatagorized by food group!
A dog that comes with her own cleaning team to trail behind the "happy pee."
Someone to kill the cheese-grating madman who makes mincemeat of my ovaries. Hell, while it's a fantasy list, a world without PMS would be nice.
A hangover-free martini. Or five.
To be a driver who doesn't scare the hell out of my passengers.
To not have to use the term "international sales meeting" to cover my blogging addiction at work.
An Ethiopian baby who runs faster than all the other babies. Or just runs, since that would be fairly impressive in a baby.
The Swordsy girl's breasts.
One day where I don't have to hear either ESPN or Hillary Duff on the television.
That the bathroom across from my office would suddenly start smelling like roses insted of like...bathroom.
Oh, and since this is a fantasy list - world peace would be nice too.

Decisions

2005-12-20T11:24:00.000-05:00

Okay people. It can’t all be poop and breasts and dogs with happy pee. Occasionally, I do obsess about my first love, running. Between the stress over Kenza’s eye, the distractions of daily life, and the shiny, shiny baubles tempting me EVERYWHERE I go, I’ve been able to ignore a decision I really must make.

To half or not to half – that is the question.

From the end of last year through this October, I’ve run three marathons. I’ve trained for these, I ran them (albeit slowly). I’m proud of this.

But I’m just not sure I have it in me to do a marathon again so soon. I really want to – now that I’ve established that I can do it, I feel I’ve set a precedent I should follow. Doing a half seems like cheating. But my body tells me every day that I am not ready for a full marathon.

The Austin Marathon is only 60 days away, and I really must make a decision soon.