I had so much fun hanging out at camp with Thing 1 earlier this week. It was nice to watch her interact with her friends, make some new ones and embrace new adventures, all while shrouded in a probably toxic/certainly stinky cloud of sunscreen/bug spray blend. I jumped at the chance to chaperone because I’m enjoying that fleeting but ever so sweet window of time where she still wants me around. I guess I haven’t embarrassed her. . . yet. Inevitably I will because I think as parents we all do at some point. But for now I’m enjoying the view from that “window” before it slams shut oh at least thru the teen years I’m guessing.
Camp Algonquin has seemingly been blessed by the weather gods. Although rain was forecast for everyday except for Monday they’ve had none. Until today that is. The skies were already growing dark when I got home from dropping her off at the bus. By 9 they were ominous enough to turn on the TV and see the tornado warning. Towns were listed with the exact time the “tornadic rotation” was scheduled to pass thru. And there it was “Camp Algonquin 9:17″ Ugh I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so worried. All I could do was wait. Thankfully nothing touched down but conditions are still favorable for tornados so here I sit, growing grayer by the minute.
My workout: Yesterday I did a pleasantish 5-mile tempo run. Today a very distracted and BBTN weight workout. And I’ve been pretty good about continuing with the hip-opening yoga poses and ham/glute strengthening work. Knock on wood, no major complaints to report.
Good luck to my tri girls! Two of my friends are doing their first triathlons this weekend. I’ll be thinking of you both and sending lots of rock the course thoughts. I’ll never say never, but I think it would be a cold day in blazes before I ever did a tri. Let’s just say I’d need a long season of remedial swimming before I’d ever give it serious thought. I’m quite sure my current dog paddle wouldn’t get me very far. I am in total awe of all of you who tri!
by: Marcia | Friday, June 19th, 2009 | 
My next 10k is sneaking up on me. I ran this inaugural race last year and, although my time was no where near my PR, I managed to win my age group. It was an innocent enough looking course, a perfunctory loop around a newly finished park then veering off into a nearby subdivision. What I didn’t know until it was upon me, was that the course turned ornery and winding, in a corkscrew sort of way, when we got into the subdivision and beyond the view of whatever spectators there were. And as if one circuit of this roller-coaster madness wasn’t enough, those of us doing the 10k needed to lather, rinse and you got it, repeat.
It wasn’t the surprise inclines or the stifling wet heat that blanketed us runners that morning. What stands out in my mind about this particular race is that it was a turning point for me in the way I run races. Coming off of my first-ever age group win just a month earlier I was quite hopeful for a repeat performance. The final straightaway after we got out of hillville was cobblestone. Great.
So as I’m cruising in, trying not to snap an ankle and hopeful I’d secured another age group victory, I was passed. By not one but two women running together. That’s right, punked. Dusted. Picked off. They parted around me like the Red Sea and left me wheezing in their wake. I do remember passing them back on the corkscrew but didn’t give them another thought.
Turns out, until their little caper on the cobblestones, I was in 2nd place: OVERALL for women. If I’d been the slightest bit tactical I could have anticipated their surge and at least tried to fend them off. I settled for 4th overall and a big slice of humble pie with my finish-line Gatorade.
So this year I’ve got a score to settle. My goal is to have something left for that final straightaway. And be more cognizant of those around me.
This week’s training: I completed an uneventful but humid 10-miler on Sunday.
And yesterday’s speedwork was promising: 800m, 4x400m, 800m. I managed to take myself to the almost pukey but sunny side of sub 7 minutes/mile on the 400′s, a pace this old lady hasn’t seen in some time. Hopefully it’ll payoff on Sunday.
by: Marcia | Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 |
me with: