Let's play 20 questions

1.  What is the inspiration for your Loop name?
It was the screen name I choose for AOL instant messenger back in '98 when I was slurping copious amounts of ramen and being a geeky college kid at age 16.

2.  A/S/L/F (age, sex, location, family)?
32/Female/Atlanta suburbs/DH (Adam) and 2 Boston terriers

3.  When is your Loopiversary (date of your first blog on the Loop)?
Apparently I joined 10/16/07 and the earlier bloop I can find was on 3/20/10. The frightening thing is that I've been blogging on Livejournal since 5/9/01.

4.  How long have you been running?
Since I was in middle school. I ran track in high school, became a gym rat in college, fell off the wagon a bit in my early 20's, but haven't missed more than a week since 2006.

5.  What is your favorite distance to race?
Merrythong!

6.  Do you belong to a local running club?
Nope. I love running with people when I can, but I'm totally okay to rock it solo.

7.  Have you ever been to a Loopmeet or Loopfest?
Yes. Rehoboth, Shamrock, and Flying Pig. Couple of Loopmeets here in Atlanta too!

8.  Have you ever lost a toenail?
Yes. I've lost the same one 3 times. But they are all currently intact.

9.  What is your favorite post-race treat?
Y'all think I'm going to say beer or nachos. But actually I like to have my Pro Muscle Milk first.

10. What one piece of running gear is your must-have item?
My smile. Duh!

11. What socks do you wear when running?
Balega

12.  How do your knees feel?
Pretty good.

13.  If you could go to any one running destination/event, where.what would you chose?
Boston! (crosses fingers for 2015)

14.  Hot or cold--which is worse to run in?
Hot! I'll take cold any day. But I don't live in the land of polar vortex...And when it snows, I like it!

15.  If you have a running inspiration or mentor, who is it?
All my Loopsters inspire me every day.  But my high school track coach (an Ironman) told us that running is 80% mental. I still draw on that when I am having a tough workout.

16.  What is your running mantra? (If your answer is "I have no mantra" or something lame like that, you must answer "Da do run, run, run. Da do run, run")
"Stronger, longer, faster"
"Dig deep"
"You have to want this"
I like putting them on my race bibs!

17.  Are there any other runners in your family? 
My dad did some running during the 80's jogging craze, raced a 10K, and fell off the bandwagon.

18.  Roads or trails?
Greenways? I have only raced on roads, but I do most of my running on the boardwalks of my Greenway.

19.  What's the funniest thing that has ever happened to you on a run?
Funny haha or funny embarrassing?  I had to duck into a porta-potty at mile 25 of my 3rd marathon because I was fairly certain I had sharted. Fortunately, it was a false alarm and I went on to finish with a 9 minute PR.

20.  What is your most memorable running moment?
Seeing the finish clock as I came into the stretch at Rehoboth and realizing I had qualified for Boston.

How to train your QC: inspire her!

Whether you believe you can or you believe you can't, you're probably right. -Henry Ford

The long run always seems deserving of its own post. But I tend to skew towards the happy parts as that is my tendency in well, life. So as I out running for nearly 3 hours, I have a lot of time to contemplate the roller coaster ride of going long.

I leave work at 7:30p.m. last night and go down Old Alabama instead of taking 400 home because I want to stop at Riverside Pizza on the way home. It's $5.99 for a pepperoni pizza and they are ready to go 95% of the time. I pick up 2. One to split with Adam for dinner, one for my post-run snacking.

I eat 4 slices, drink a ton of water, eat an ice cream sandwich, and watch 2 hours of Big Bang Theory before heading upstairs. I get sucked back into an embarrassingly cheesy book I've borrowed for free from Amazon Prime called One Lavender Ribbon. Eventually, I try to fall asleep.

Toss and turn all night.

I take the dogs out at 5:00a.m. and feel extremely groggy. NPR drifting through the alarm at 6:00a.m. wakens me. Three snoozes later, I force myself to roll onto the floor. Feed the BTs, drink 3 day old refrigerator coffee, and slurp up a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with almond milk. Almond milk because it bides the time when I'm lazy and we're out of regular milk.

I put on my Brooks pink running skirt, grey running tank, and lace up my men's Mizunos.

 Fill my fuel belt with 3 Gu and 20 ounces of water. Take 2 Excedrin. Suck down an espresso Gu. It's go time.

While walking down the path at the Greenway, my right quad and hip are angry. My feet feel sore from getting used to the concrete floors they added during our remodel at work--that gross tile from the old Marshall's was surprisingly more supportive.

Hush up cranky body, do you know what kind of gift it is to run in 60 degrees in July in Atlanta?!

I know I have a penchant for being like Garfield when it comes to mornings.

This morning was no different. The coffee had yet to kick in nor had the 40mgs of caffeine in that espresso Gu. The first 4 miles, I slogged. Since I couldn't get a kick to save my life, I just shuffled fast. I thought of the Loopsters that ARE morning people--Speet, JJ, FreeSoul to name a few--and wondered how the heck they get up 3 hours before my bellyaching time.

I run up a small hill to cross the road just before the 4 mile marker. This section is the furthest FT and I have run together and I needed his comeback mojo to slap me across the face. I'm not a spiritual person, but I suppose the running gods were listening. I came flying down the other side of the road fully caffeinated.

Whew!

RP and I were texting last night about my run today. I thought about taking my own advice along the sunny stretch of mile 5 and smiled wide. My mind wandered to other Loopsters--the HTC team that's slowly starting to build in anticipation, KEK and KRG who are tackling their first ultras this year, and Col. Cupcake, who never fails to give me a hard time about not hugging him enough in Rehoboth.

I ran a little bit further than mile 5 and stopped for a vanilla Gu and selfies at the turnaround.

 
I ran back down the open sunny stretch and felt the urgent gurgle of my stomach. A wide open field on one side and a barbed wire fence on the other. No choice but to book it for the next mile and a half. I rode the crappy roller coaster the whole way there--speeding up with each pang. Normally I enjoy a good lollygag at the intersection coming back, but I flew up the hill to catch the light.

To those at the Fowler Park ladies room this morning, my apologies.

I filled up my water bottles at the pit stop and went sloshing back down the path. Nothing much to note in miles 8-11. I was feeling more awake and ticking off the miles, so well, progress.

As I got to mile 11, I stopped for another vanilla Gu, but no selfies. One more out and back and I would be done. I had a vague idea of my pace thus far because I had stopped my watch, but I was forcing myself to avoid looking at any of my splits until I was through. The fear of going too fast or too slow is avoidable if I just run by feel. And who am I to put limitations on my running?

But I started to feel worn out and desperately in need of that second wind when I started plodding through mile 12. How in the world can Mild, Kraig, Kynan, Laura, Gumbo, John Wayne, etc. run races of 100 miles over mountains? I started to call myself a sissy, but then quickly tried to rearrange my thoughts into focusing on my own accomplishments. I'll let them inspire the bejesus out of me, but I won't compare myself to them. 

A little wind picked up in an open patch and my wandered to thoughts of Shamrock. Lisa fighting hard through those final miles. Shivering at the start with Angie and Jenster. Misti's awesome tutu--full of life and fun--just like her. Seeing smiling Erin just running her bazillionth race of the year. The smiles of Sass and Mrs. Sass as they accomplished amazing feats.

Of course Timber comes piping through my ear buds right at this time and I cannot help but to actually laugh out loud at mile 13. Like #jillison is right there running with me and Sweet Mags is ready for a dance battle.

I refill my water bottles again and jaywalk across the street to the path. My runner math gets wonky and I'm having in inconceivable time trying to figure out how I have almost 8 miles left, but I'm on pace to run a sub 2:40 20 miler. (My potty break added nearly an extra mile.)

The sun is rising and starting to break through the trees. I think about my sunrise 10K with Dave, RP, and Kraig. Gosh, I cannot believe it took me so long to get my dumb@ass to a Loopfest. I'm also super thankful that I got to be roomies with Peg on my first adventure. Her palpable excitement that night will forever remind me to race with my heart.

I'm headed for the open stretch again. I feel a little whiny now that the sun is making things warm. Another smile breaks when I hear Jesus is Just Alright. My dad has gotten to know the keyboardist from the Doobie Brothers and just so happened to have dinner with him last night. Most of my playlist is top 40, but the Doobies are one of the few classic rock infiltrators.

Okay Carissa, you can muster through another 10K. 

I approach the last turnaround--mile 16--with a terrible pain growing in my left shoe. I take a guess that my shoe is too loose when I tug on it a bit. So I pull on the laces around the center of my foot and retie my shoe. Salted caramel Gu time.

Run, run, run. All the way back... Geez, 21 miles is far. I wish Wendy's was open at 10am. I could really go for a Frosty after this. Still need to go to the grocery store today. I really should stop and find out what the Greenway maintenance guy's name is. Hey, there's the guy on the bike that clearly forget deodorant. What else do I need to add to my HTC packing list? 

I often see geese on the open stretch, but it just so happened that What Does The Fox Say? started playing as an alternative homage to Roger.

Is it creepy how much I think of my internet friends while running? 

As I get past the last road crossing, I know I'll be out of the sun soon and that I have less than 4 miles to go. A girl passes in the opposite direction that looks like the winner of the half-marathon I ran on the Fourth of July. She's running hard. It looks enticing. I pick up the pace a bit.

I crest over a small bridge and there is a guy stopped about 20 paces ahead of me. He looks back briefly as he eases into the pathway. He's wearing a knee brace that comes undone briefly and he awkwardly fixes it while running. I come within about 5 paces and stay on his heels for about 2/10ths of a mile. He's running probably an 8:00 pace, but I just want to pass him. I quash the feeling until I know I can give us a bit of distance once I pass.

Then I pass him.

A surge of adrenaline keeps me plugging away and I feel incredibly good. Mile 19 buzzes and I am amazed at what is happening. 2 miles is too far to kick too hard, but I relax my shoulders and let my legs do the work. I ease up just a tad at mile 20. Just 5280 feet to go.

The last mile is a blur and then it is over. I hit stop on Penelope and my body. I feel fuzzy, salty, sweaty, sore, and satisfied. 

Jackson Hole, I don't know what plans you have for me. You might humble the bejesus out of me as I flail about at elevation. You might be mediocre as HTC and a week of Yellowstone chips away at my endurance. Or I might come slay you--I believe I can.

What had happened last week

Last Monday, Adam and I happened to have the day off of work. We went out on the lake for a little jet-ski fun:

Late in the afternoon, I got a phone call from my LRS that my Brooks Ravenna 5's had arrived.

I was content to pick them up Tuesday, but Adam thought we'd have enough time to go grab them and then dinner. So we had Tex-Mex (hello nachos!) and then he sweet-talked me into seeing a movie since we had a free movie pass to burn. I like Melissa McCarthy and dumb comedies, so we went to see Tammy.

My review: good thing we had a free movie pass to burn.

Tuesday, I coerced myself out of bed and out on the Greenway for my long run.

Then I mowed and edged my lawn:

I spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out between the refrigerator and the sofa:

Wednesday, I put in 3 miles on the treadmill after work because I didn't have the forethought to bring my running clothes to work with me. I picked up the house a bit and straightened the guest bedrooms as my father-in-law, brother-in-law, and his wife were coming to town.

Finding a Super Bowl 2013 Bud Light under one of the pillows in the guest bed is proof that?
A) I suck at housekeeping
B) The 2013 Super Bowl Party got interesting
C) I need to have more house guests
D) All of the above

Thursday was the kickoff party for the charity event my store hosted this weekend. If you are in the market for awesome outdoor furniture... I can help!

The party last until around 8:30pm and then I met my BIL, SIL, and Adam for dinner. I fought waking up to run on Friday.

But I finally got up and ran 4 miles before work. Tried to at least get a little bit of healthy stuff in at lunch since we were gorging ourselves nightly:

Saturday, my boss let me scoot out an hour early and I used my time wisely waiting for the family to get home from their adventures at The World of Coke and The Georgia Aquarium:

Sunday, I had the mindset of 6 easy if it hurt, 6 with 4 tempo if I felt okay. I didn't even look at my goal times. I shed my tank when I got to the Greenway and felt as comfortable as one can in the low 80's with shade. I eased into the first mile and then pushed the pace.

I am still experiencing some wonkiness in my left hip, but I actually don't feel it much when I run. It's most noticeable when I start walking after sitting or lying down. I decided to head to the pool yesterday afternoon for some therapy with my SIL:

My "training schedule" is all effered up because I decided to bump up my long runs. So I'm thinking of doing this week as a cutback week. I did 6 today and it was definitely on the eh side. Depends on how my body feels come Wednesday if I decide to do 20 or 6 on Thursday. Being ahead of schedule gives me a little leeway and I'm thinking I might could use the rest:

We the Runners Half Marathon RR (AG bling!)

I haven't posted in 2 weeks. I had lost my mojo somewhere.

Every time I ran the last week of June it was absolutely awful. My legs hurt, my lungs hurt, my heart wasn't in it, and it was hard. 8 minute miles that felt ridiculously easy in January were ugly.

This cutback week was supposed to be rejuvenating. Instead, I questioned not only how I was going to make it to marathon day, but how I was going to make it through the next minute of running.

In retrospect, I had 2 circumstances that were forcing the issue of suck in my running:

1) Heat and humidity=harder effort

2) My store is undergoing a remodel and let's just say that communication, planning, and execution have been spotty at best.

Enter last Sunday. I ran after work, getting in 8 miles at around 6pm. There had been signs placed at various spots along the Greenway advertising a race on July 4th for weeks, but I never really paid them much attention because I assumed was going to be working. Just past the second mile, I caught notice that there was a half marathon offered according to the sign. I contemplated this for another couple of miles working out the possible details in my head.

Could I be one of those runners who runs a race as a part of a training run and runs a few miles before or after to complete the mileage?

I weighed on it for a bit, posed the question to Loopville, and found myself standing in a LRS store the next day handing my credit card over for said race.

That Monday, I actually went to my main LRS first to return/exchange my Adidas Boosts. I decided they were too marshmallow-y and ended up ordering a pair of Brooks Ravennas. And like an addict, I ordered a pair of men's Wave Elixirs on Amazon because I can no longer find a women's pair in my size.

Wednesday, I scooped up the Wave Elixirs from the door step when I got home from work and proceeded to run 3 miles to break them in a bit before Friday's race.

Thursday, I worked and drove to the LRS to get my bib number on my lunch break. I made pasta on Thursday night and made every attempt to get into bed before midnight. It was the most willy-nilly I have ever been about a race to date.

Friday, I actually snoozed the alarm once because I was still sleeping so well. I eventually got up, drank a bit of refrigerator coffee, and had a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios. I put on my running clothes and headed to the Greenway, just like it was any other regular training run.

I got there around 6:30a.m. and the race was at 7:30a.m. Not wanting to just sit in my car, I headed over to the start area to scope things out. I realized I forgot my iPod so I went back to my car to grab it and take a faceless selfie.

I sat on the curb near the track by the starting line for awhile. I couldn't believe my luck with the weather.

A guy came up and started talking to me named Scott. I guess it's hard to look intimidating while plopped on a curb half-asleep. We discussed running, obviously. He just started last year and was training for his first full this fall. I let my obsession slowly slip out. We discussed time goals a bit--I knew there was a little bit of a lie when I guessed I'd be running around a 1:45.

We parted ways to use the porta-potties and then I decided I should maybe try to do some warm-up business to get in at least a mile before the race. 16 on the docket meant that I could run 1 before and 2 after. I was 90% sure at the time that I was just going to say to heck with the final 2 miles when I hit the finish mat.

I shuffled around a the parking lot for a total of a mile and then meandered over to the start line "corrals". There were 4 signs. I got near the 1:45 half sign and saw about 20 runners in front of me. Scott was right there and said hey, maybe I'll run with you! He was running the 10K and we were discussing a similar pace so I nodded and said, "sure!"

 Three. Two. One. Go!

We shot out down 200m of the track and into the parking lot that leads down to the Greenway. I feel relaxed, strong, and oddly good from the get go, but Scott went out even faster. I give myself about a half mile before I check out my pace on Penelope.

7:15. Derp.

I pull back and as much as it pains me, let a few people pass me.

Star-spangled shorts and I played rabbit and hare for the first mile and a half. I'd pass him, he'd pass me, blah, blah, blah. Just past the first water stop, I took the final lead and didn't see him again. There was a runner (the kind of stride and build that only other runners know) who was about 10 steps ahead of me for awhile. She was running about 7:40-7:45 pace and I stayed tucked behind her for a bit. But she started to inch closer to an 8:00 pace and I decided to pass her.

The 10K runners turned around first and I saw that Scott was only about 30 steps ahead of me. I gave him a high five and continued towards the first 13.1 turnaround.

As I neared the end of the Greenway (love, love, love running on my training route!), I saw the first females come pass me. I counted 8 in front of me and not too many dudes. But I don't really care about the dudes while racing. Must be something evolutionary about that...

I didn't pass anyone again until I got to the 10K turnaround spot. Things remained relatively uneventful as I headed back to where to 10Kers peeled off for the finish. I plodded on with the half-marathoners and started to try to pick off people if I saw them. A dude with a 50 miler shirt on was starting to fade by mile 8 and a girl wearing a tri suit was (#7) was my next target.

Single rant: The very last water stop before the final turnaround was manned by four volunteers, but none of them were handing out the water. It was just sitting on the table. I'm running 13.1 miles, I can totally grab my own water. However, when I reached the stop going the other direction, I had to dodge other runners because they weren't standing on the right side. I mumbled something out of frustration (and out of character) as I grabbed my water. Totally a first world problem, I know...

Anyway, I had seen that there were exactly 6 females in front of me at the turnaround. The top 4 were not really within my reach unless they faded badly and I kicked it hard for the last 5K. But there were 2 that were about 2/10ths of a mile ahead of me. 5K left was still too far for me to kick, but I did try to push the pace.

When I reached mile 12, I started pulling in closer to #6. She was slowing, but not significantly. However, I knew if I could stay close to her, I could probably outkick her up the final hill. I knew that we'd have to go up a hill in the final half mile (home course advantage!) and I was still feeling like I could push it. So I held back until we got a few steps into the hill and then I passed her.

I heard my name being called over the speakers as I came through the parking lot. That extra gear kicked in for the final 200m as I flew toward the finish. I knew I had a new PR and probably was going sub-1:40!

I crossed the finish line and the woman I passed in the final stretch came up to me. We started talking and she was relieved that I was only 32--she was 37. We chatted for quite some time as we walked over the awards area, enjoying our ice towels and bananas.

I hung out through the 10K awards, took a break to sloooooowly run 2 more miles around the parking lot, and finished up in time for the half awards.

First place in my AG!

Oh hey mojo, there you are!