"Here I Go Agaiiin!"

As if excitement over the Garry Bjorklund, our anniversary, and our first camping trip of the year this weekend wasn't enough, I added a bit more fun and excitement:

EEEEEEK!

Marathon #2. After hemming and hawing over plans after this weekend, talking with my coworkers today (and a tweet informing me the race was 90% full and filling fast) pushed me over the edge.
After this weekend, the party continues right through the summer. I might back off for a week or two and let all the "two 13.1's in a month" aches and pains work themselves out, and then it's time to roll.

Let the games begin!

"And So, It Goes..."

Half Marathon #7 is in the books.

This was one of the smarter races I have ever ran. I didn't go out too fast, I didn't get sucked in to anything, I just ran my race. 

Saturday morning was cold. I think it was colder than Thunder Bay, though having the sun helped. Being the dorky loser that I am, as it is my first race not on a "racing team" since 2010, and in honor of it being 10 years since I graduated from TC West, I borrowed an old singlet from high school and wore that. I got a lot of funny looks at the start line, but after 2 years of showing up in the DRC get up I'm pretty used to that. Some of the funny looks probably were because of the socks I had on my arms as well. I don't own armwarmers, and I thought I wouldn't want sleeves the entire time, so we sacrificed a mis-matched pair of knee socks from my sister's drawer for the cause. In the end, I probably should have thrown on a long sleeve anyway because I never felt warm enough to lose the socks. Between that and the obnoxiousness that are my pink-checkerboard Elixirs, I had quite the look going on.

I had the 1:45 until about 10. Then, I started feeling horribly nauseated. I even threw up a couple times, which was really fun. However, I didn't stop running at any point (though I did slow down enough to fall pretty off pace.) The only thing that I can come up with that caused it would be my old friend, Gu. Of late, I have been bringing 3 gels with me to a half--one for before, one at roughly 4-5, then one for 9 and beyond. However, due to poor packing and trying to ration my existing stash of such product, I only brought 2. This meant I picked up a Gu from an aid station when I knew I was going to need something more. It perplexes me, because I trained for my first two halves almost exclusively on Gu, and while it upset my stomach a little it never bothered me to the point of vomiting. So, why all of a sudden did that change?

Either way, I still came through the line at 1:46:58. That is a PR by 1 minute and 43 seconds. Nothing to shake a stick at, and I am proud of it. Frustrated because I had the 1:45 and it was my own gaffe that lost it for me, but improvement is improvement.

Now, with 3 weeks and change until Grandma's, time to keep working on refining speed. Also, I'd like to get another 10+ miler in, depending on how the calendar shakes out. I know I'm past a point of being able to really build up a mileage base, but I think it would be good for my confidence to do it. Also, there's a little pressure in that a lot of my (incredibly, holy cow, WTF Fast) new coworkers will be there as well, so I'd do well to not embarrass myself there. While I'm keeping my pipe dream of sub 1:40 in the back of my mind, I'm going to be realistic about my goal, too:

The "I know I can do this" goal: beat my Bayshore time

The "If I work for it, I'd like to" goal: 1:44:anything

The "If the stars align and everything is perfect that day, I'd like to" goal: 1:42

Here goes...

"Take a Deep Breath and Walk Through the Doors, It's the Morning of Your Very First Day"

I know, I lose about 50 adult points for my T.Swift quoting there. Oh well. That line was stuck in my head all of yesterday, so it seemed to be the most fitting for my title.


Anyway.

So, yesterday, the adventure began once again, as it was my first day at my new job here in Minneapolis. That was probably the least nervous I had ever been for a "first day", probably because I knew most of what I was getting in to this time. Not to say I wasn't, but compared to a lot of other first days, this was nothing.

I will say this: I have a very good feeling about this place. I can't put my finger on exactly why, but I just do.

This week there will be all about just getting me in the swing of things at the store--working the sales floor, learning their computer system, figuring out the basic day to day of how they operate. I was able to jump right back in on the whole "selling someone shoes" game, just 15 short minutes in to day 1. (I did have to quickly learn about some new shoes that DRC didn't carry, and on others I thanked myself for reading catalogs during slow times up there.) We had someone call in yesterday, too, so the fact that the new girl already knew shoes and just needed help on the first few register moments was really appreciated, and they let me know that.
What was also a huge, "Hey, you've got this" boost was having a sales rep friend of mine that I knew from the DRC days be one of the first people through the door yesterday. As I stood there devolving in to a "This is all new, what do I do?" pile of derp, he reminded me of where I was coming from and what I did there, and encouraged the new GM to just let me jump right in. Plus, just having a familiar face around for the first hour was super, super helpful, even if it was just a coincidence that he happened to stop by the shop that day. (So, Joey--if you happen to stumble upon this--thanks!)

So, 2 more days there this week. Then, right after we're both off work tomorrow, Brandon and I will make part 1 of the journey back to TC for Bayshore. It has me a bit nervous because the sleep you get 2 nights before a race is supposed to be the most important, and it's going to be a late night and early morning. It is, however, the better of our options, which would be to knock it all out in one go Thursday night and get in at about 6AM Friday, or wait and knock it all out on Friday, getting in who knows when and being stiff as a board from all that sitting. No, even with the short night, this is the best option. Plus, it gives me more time in TC with the family. That has me so excited--this whole "waiting 5 months between seeing my family" game I have to keep playing is getting so old. I miss them and it's hard being this far away. Maybe the move and closer access to the MSP airport will mean more flight trips back? I can only hope...

Whoa, Look What I Found...

Well--hi, there!


Once again, I have left writing in this thing to the back burner and set it aside for an extended stretch of time. Now, it is 5 months after my last entry, and to say things have changed is, well, a large understatement.

Let's get caught up then, shall we?

Part 1: "Frustrated, Inc"
The latter part of this winter was kind of an exercise in dealing with large amounts of frustration. While I liked my job, there were a lot of small things that were growing in to bigger things, and I was becoming pretty unhappy there.
Also, remember that lofty mileage goal I had set? I wasn't even close to hitting any of those numbers. It was plain and simple lack of motivation. The work unhappiness was spilling over in to that part of my life, and even though I tried really, really hard to keep the fact I worked in running specialty from spilling over in to my own personal running, it was starting to happen.
That said, I was biking a lot, and starting to do other strength training, so I wasn't losing a ton of fitness, but I knew I needed something else. So, I put my name in the hat again for the Garry Bjorklund in hopes that a second half on the docket might help, even if a part of me was hoping I wouldn't get in. Just like the year before, I couldn't fall asleep that night. I tried to lay there and just rest, but knowing the email was already in my inbox was causing my head to spin and spin. At 3AM, I gave in and went to check.

Well, there it was. I was in, and staring down the barrel of another crazy Grandma's weekend. Little did I know...

Part 2: "Impossible Things are Happening Every Day..."
The next day at work, my boss wanted to talk to me. He looked a little rattled, and immediately I was concerned it was bad news. It was, kind of, but for him. It was great news for me: One of our shoe companies was looking for a new tech rep, and they were interested in me.
Me. What? Since when am I qualified for something like that? I'm a small shop manager and a barely-average runner. Since when are people like me up for jobs like that?
Once my head stopped spinning, I talked to Brandon and my family, and we all agreed it was something I should pursue, especially considering my bosses were on my side and promised me either way I'd still have a job. After speaking with the sales rep, who I had already befriended, we got the ball rolling, and a week later I was headed to Minneapolis (in a blizzard, no less) to have the first interview with two company higher ups. The interview went well, and I was very, very hopeful.
However, the job would mean one thing: relocation. Specifically, to the Twin Cities. We knew we wanted to get there eventually, but we were still a few years out from heading that way. Were we up to moving sooner than we planned?
After talking it out, Brandon decided to put out feelers for a job. He, too, was approached by a company out of the Cities. Within a week, he contacted them, interviewed, and was hired. During that time, I had a second interview, and found out I got a third. Yes, now I was at three interviews in a month's time with no direct yes or no, and I now had the pressure of a spouse with an offer. Suddenly, the roles had shifted back to the usual "He has a job and she's along for the ride", rather than the opposite situation we had been expecting. What was going to happen, and what was I going to do?

Part 3: "What Hurts The Most, Was Being So Close..."
Interview number 3 came and went, and after I had a fourth, I learned that was it. The next time I'd hear from them, it would either be the offer or the "Thanks for playing" notice. I had two weeks to chew on it, imagining every possible outcome, good or bad.
During that 2 weeks, after much talking it out and thought, Brandon and I decided that the offer he was getting from his new company was too good to not accept. Whether or not I got the gig, we were going. We found a place, put in notices, and started getting things going for the move, all the while having our fingers crossed.
With just over a week to go before we left Duluth, and just about to head to Kansas City for a trip we had planned last winter, I finally got the answer. It wasn't the one I had hoped for. After 2 months, 4 interviews, and a lot of hoping, I was informed via e-mail that I did not get the job. How would I describe how I felt? Crushed. Terrified. Humiliated. Devastated. I just felt like a failure. Even now, a month later, writing about it again is bringing back that chest tightness and choked up feeling. Adding insult to injury, I was greeted at the door when I got home by Brandon with news on how I could file for unemployment. Yes, I know he was just trying to help. I'm not even going to touch the politics of benefits. A lot of that played in to the NMU/Tech dynamic of our relationship--The Tech grad had his job, and once again I was the unemployed NMU grad who didn't get her job. Having the first thing out of his mouth be about filing for unemployment just felt like a combination kick in the chest and knife in the ribs. It hurt.
I gave myself the evening to mope, mourn, and cry. I knew if I didn't just let myself feel it right away, it would end up being worse when it happened later.
Part 4: "I'm Moving On..."
On May 1, I finished my final shift at the store. My co-workers and friends were great, and sent me off with a lot of love, support, and celebration. It was hard to be surrounded by all that happiness when I was so torn up inside. I would love to tell you I handled all this with grace and positivity, but I struggled. I cried a lot, including at my exit interview. Walking away from my first "real" job, from a city that finally felt like home, from my first sense of security since I left home in 2003 and in to the unknown wrecked me inside. Even if I hadn't always been happy there, even if just as recently as 2 months prior I was wondering if I could take much more at work, and even with the constant reminder that I was heading to somewhere that offered more opportunity, leaving the security of the known and leaving a situation in which I was finally secure and contributing was terrifying.  I was constantly teetering on the verge of a meltdown, and I was really, really depressed. All I could do, though, was keep on keeping on, start looking for another job, and just move forward.
Part 5: "A New Day Has Come..."
May 4, we arrived in Minneapolis, and began getting settled. Naturally, one of the first things I did was find a running group, and I found one near our new place. Brandon and I went to a Tuesday night run, where I met another former DRC staff member and his wife. He told me that the store hosting the run was hiring and that I would stand a pretty good shot with my experience. I was hesitant about being at another store--maybe not getting the Tech rep gig was a sign that I needed to be done with the industry? I had put out applications for various secretary and receptionist jobs, but all it took was going to the Twin Cities 1 Mile to show me where I needed to be. It was the first time in years I was at a race in which I was neither running, volunteering, coordinating, or sponsoring. It felt weird and wrong. I wanted to be involved. I wanted to be a part of it again.
The next day, I sent them and another running store my resume. By the end of the weekend, I had interviews at both. By the end of the week, I also had offers from both. I accepted the offer from the store where I went to the group run, and tomorrow will be my first day. While the details aren't finalized yet, it will be very similar to what I was doing in Duluth.
It's funny. This chapter of uncertainty is coming to an end, but a new chapter is just beginning. So far, financial and employment worries aside, our first two weeks in Minneapolis have been great. We are in a wonderful neighborhood, right near a lot of parks and paths. Everyone has been friendly and welcoming. Even though I cursed the whole circumstance in moments of unhappiness, I think coming here was a very, very good thing for us.

So, that's what has been happening. Now, we have one big thing on the immediate horizon:

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Here's hoping half marathon #7 is indeed lucky.

Here's also hoping I will also consistently write here. 

Here's hoping and here goes...

"You Change, Just Like the Weather..."

Side note: I just got done power cleaning our apartment. It was getting to the point of needing it, especially after the Techie was camped out sick for two days earlier this week. I was about to tweet something, all proud of myself, when I saw this gem I had saved on my desktop.

Well played, some eCards. Well played.

Anyway, t-minus 1.5 days until the Duluth Renegades re-invade International Falls.

I'm excited--if it's anything like last year it will be a great weekend trip with some great friends. In terms of the race itself, I have some mixed feelings. I'd love to repeat or build upon last year's success, but I don't know how that will shake out. The field is going to be stronger (a few from our group are significantly faster than I am), and I think if I go in with any kind of expectation I'll psych myself out. Oh, and then there's that small detail of running both the 5K and 10K, which means an entirely different strategy. What that is, I haven't quite figured out yet. So, until then, I am going in with the mindset that I am having fun and logging some great miles with even greater friends. Sounds good, right?

Another thing I'm trying to figure out is just what to take and wear for this event. Cold weather running poses enough challenges in and of itself, but throw in that I'm running two races less than an hour apart, and I don't know exactly what weather I'll be dealing with, and I find myself thinking I should just pack all of my running clothes and make it a game-time decisions. Practical? Not in the least. So, scratch that idea and back to square one. 

Here is the latest version of the forecast: 

This is the warmest I have seen this forecast. Earlier this week, we were looking at a high of 0, with -36 degree wind chills. So, 14 sounds absolutely manageable, if not downright warm. I am thinking that the outfit I wore last year should be a good starting point, and bringing a complete dry change so I'm not standing around getting chilled. I'm sure in that abyss of a dresser, I have another set I could use...

So, here's hoping I don't freeze my gizzard off, and we have just enough fun that they'll allow us back in 2014!

2013, Week 2 recap

This week was an exercise in setting high expectations, and not exactly following through. I'm a little (OK, more than a little) disappointed in myself. However, if I look at 2013 as a full year project and not just nailing the tiny details week-in-and-week-out, I think I'll be far more successful.

Here's how it shook out:

(Once again, screen capped from my Athleticore log).

5 running days, 2 off days.

Running days: OK, so I didn't hit the 25/week I should to hit 100 miles/month. However, the running days in themselves were quite solid. Monday was a negative split run. Wednesday was 2-4-6-4-2 intervals with  equal recovery. Thursday, I ran with two guys from my winter running group (Renegades!), and while it was pushed maybe a little harder than I had originally planned I was surprised that I could still do it. Maybe I'm not as bad off for next week as I think...? Saturday was supposed to be an 8-10, but I just plain wimped out. It was icy, and I had people staying with me, so I cut it short so I could say I still did something. I'm still conflicted on this one.
Off days: Nothing to report. Just 2 days I straight up rested. The jump in mileage left me a little more sore than I was expecting, so stick/roller/soaking was done.


This week, I also decided to check back in with my eating and make sure I was behaving. I know that in training, what you do in the kitchen is often just as important as what you do in the gym/trail/workout area of choice. Sunday-Wednesday, I was doing really, really solid. I was coming in right around or just under my calorie goal*, eating lots of fresh fruit and veggies, keeping everything really balanced. I did feel kind of persistently hungry, despite the high fiber and solid amount of protein, though, which may have contributed significantly to Thursday and Friday. Those days... not so much.
Thursday marked 4 years in which my husband and I have been together. As per tradition, I made a pretty simple yet nice meal, and followed the only stipulation: we eat at the table with no added distraction. (One might argue that we should do that all the time, but I digress). We also had Key Lime pie for dessert, which is our favorite (and the pie we shared at our wedding). That slice alone tipped it over for the day, big time.
Friday was just my mind going, "well, you already messed up yesterday, and now it's the weekend. So, why not?". I stopped tracking after lunch, but if it was under 3000, I'd be shocked. It was, however, the first time all week I felt full. The weekend was a wash, as well, with hockey friends in town and many a beverage consumed. But, it's a new week, and another chance.

So, where that leads me going in to this week: well, I am "racing" this weekend. The same running group I mentioned before is headed north to International Falls, MN for the "Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run." Last year, the temp outside was a balmy -11 degrees F when we started, but it was my best race and highest finish to this point:

This year, I bit the bullet and paid the extra $10 to run both the 5K and 10K, and it looks to be just as cold if not more so. I am still unsure whether or not that was my most brilliant decision, but carpe diem, eh? So, with 9.3 racing miles down the chute, I think my weekday runs may be a bit on the short side this week, with one more interval/speed thing thrown in to get things moving. Also, I am going to start tracking again, but perhaps up the calorie goal and see how that works.

In closing news, you are also looking at Northland Runner.com's newest blog contributor! I haven't posted over there, yet, but it will be different content than this one. I'm excited for another project!
Have a great day, everyone!

*for a woman of my size, stature, and activity level who is looking to maintain her weight, not lose. Funny, everyone I talked to this week about tracking looked at me in horror when I said I was, but relaxed when I said I was just maintaining.

2013 Week 1 recap

One down, fifty-one to go.

Here's how this week went down:

(Screen-capped from my Athleticore log.)
5 running days, 1 "cross training" day, 1 off day.

Running days: Something about being home makes me put in some bigger-than-I'm-used-to mileage. It's nothing spectacular this time around, but it was bigger than what I did in the weeks leading up to this one. Monday, the clear exception, was an easy, short one as it was all we had time to fit in and it was my sister's test run after taking time off for a shin problem.

Cross training days: Goss family rule. It is "bad juju" to run on New Year's Day. The year one of us did ended in pretty bad injury, so we reserve that day to recovery, relaxing, and a walk if weather conditions/our conditions permit. It felt good to get out and move after all the junk consumed the night before. And, it felt good to also feel well enough to get out and move, unlike some years in the past. Am I growing up and learning some self control? I wouldn't take it that far, but I made some more mature decisions this New Year's Eve, and I'm proud of that.

Off day: I wouldn't quite call it that, but I didn't exactly get out and run, therefore "off". Instead, I unpacked, put away Christmas, and deep cleaned my kitchen and bathroom.


So, the week ends at 25.8. Only 23.8 of those fall within the new year, but I decided a 10 today wasn't in my best interests and opted to go off of the complete week. This is not a bad start to 2013's goals. Not in the least.
In the next few weeks I need to get a training program for Bayshore hammered together, and start finalizing what other long races I'll do this year.

Side note: I just realized that it is 4:55 CST, and here in Duluth it is still daylight! I am SO happy the days are starting to get longer again. I wasn't sure how much more I could take of it being pitch black by 4:45.
On to week 2!

Brushing off some dust

Why, hello there.

As usual with any kind of blogging hiatus, I had about 10 different points in which I was going to come back here and post and something got in the way. So, here I sit, 6 months since my last post, coming back to this.

I am not going to completely recap the last 6 months. For one, it's too much time to properly fit in to one post. Secondly, most of the people who would read this either follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or in real life, so you know most of the details. In case there are a few who stumble here who would like the blank filled in, here are the major points:

Running:
~I officially finished my first marathon. It wasn't the race I had originally signed up for, the Walker North Country Marathon, but rather the Thunder Bay "Miles With the Giant" Marathon. I just had fun with it, dropping any notions of a time goal after training wasn't anywhere near solid or consistent. Official finish time was 3:58:21. I had fun, and the bug bit hard, I am gunning to find marathon #2.

~Went back to Marquette and ran the half there again. 1:54:10, ran it as my last double digit before what I thought would be Walker. Not thrilled, but it was a solid training run if you look at it from that angle.

~I hit my mileage goal for 2012 on 12/20. 1000 miles. At a few points, it looked like it was not going to happen without some monster runs in the later months. What I discovered was that even just getting out for a half hour consistently helped me get there more than anything.

~I ran my first official, non-NMTC, trail race. It was the Harder'n'He!! Half Marathon, and it truly lived up to its name. Killer hills, rocky single track, lots of falling. So much pain, but it was pretty great, too.

Life:
~My store helped produce the Superior Man Tri this summer. Craziness. Pandemonium. Chaos. But, I learned so much. And, when I got to put the finisher medal on the final finisher--a 74 year old man--it made the whole thing worth it for me. I can't see a 70.3 on my schedule any time soon, but it was really neat to see all the behind-the-scenes of a Triathlon.

~Honeymoon out west. I fell in love with Portland, OR. Head over heels. What a fantastic city. I also got to see the city in which my mother was born (Port Angeles, WA), and run along both the Willamette River and the Puget Sound, as well as see an MLS (Go, Timbers!) and a CFL (Go, BC Lions!) game. Such a great adventure out there.

~ (Obligatory mention of married life). So far, so good. We still like each other, we're still having fun. It hasn't been without a few bumps, but it wasn't anything different than we experienced as a dating couple or an engaged couple. I'll tell you what, though--it is nice to have that wedding in the rearview mirror. The event was awesome, but I was so over the planning portion. It's nice to just be able to enjoy being together and going about our life. My new name seems to be a bit hard to wrap minds around. Mispronunciations, forgetting about the fact I hyphenated, not being sure how to address envelopes to both of us... oh well. It is my name, and I like that I represent two pretty cool families with it.




So, now that 2013 is here, what is on the docket?
~Two mileage goals. First, I'd like to consistently put in a minimum of 100 miles a month. I know if I knuckle down, focus, and make sure I get out consistently this will be easy to attain. I just can't slack. Secondly, I would like to hit 1500 miles on the year. I almost feel as if I'm shooting a bit high on that, but I'd rather aim high and miss than aim low and not feel satisfied. Besides, if I'm shooting for 1500, which is 125 miles/month, then it makes hitting 100 miles/month almost a given. So, either or.
~Crack 1:45 for the half marathon. I'm going back to Bayshore and may or may not be going back to Marquette. That goal has been taunting me since Bayshore in 2011, and I'd like to finally check that one off my list.
~Marathon #2. For a while, I thought I'd be heading west for this and running the Columbia Gorge Marathon.  However, a long look at the finances and a chat with Brandon resulted in me shelving that idea until 2014. I'm currently researching fall marathons in Michigan, so I can have my family at the finish line of this one. (Running my first in Canada meant that I didn't get a chance to talk to my family until a few hours after I ran, which I was not OK with.)

And, so this post isn't entirely me talking at you, I leave you with a picture. Me crossing the finish line at Thunder Bay, officially adding my name to the ranks of those who completed 26.2:

And, I promise--somewhat more consistent posting in 2013.

"It's a New Life for Me, and I'm Feelin' Good"

Ladies and gentlemen, this happened:

Our wedding, much like every race I have ever ran, was completely worth all the stress, all the work, all the sleepless nights, all the everything. It was worth it because it was amazing. I could talk about the week leading up to it--the parties, the lack of sleep, the over-caffeination due to said lack of sleep, the panic when we found out we might have to wait until the following Monday for a marriage license (and the sweet relief when we were able to get it), but then I would be here for days. I will just say these things:

~I have an amazing family. I really do. They worked their asses off for a year and a half to pull this off, and I will forever be in their debt for that.

~I have truly great friends, who I could never live without, and being able to celebrate with them just made the whole event sweeter.

~Trail running, I feel, adequately prepared me for tearing 1/4 mile through the woods to where we hid our car while wearing a wedding dress and sparkly ballet flats. Mercifully, I didn't fall for once. 

~I am FINALLY Brandon's wife. I have only been wanting to be able to say that for the better part of 3 years, and I am still beside myself happy that I wasn't dreaming this time and we actually are married. 

Unfortunately, while I was in TC gearing up for our wedding, this happened:

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Massive, catastrophic flooding here in Duluth. Damage in the millions of dollars, tens of millions. Parks, roads, homes, businesses destroyed. It was killing me being back in MI in the sunshine and seeing this on the news, knowing that this time while I was watching coverage of a disaster, it wasn't unknown locations and anonymous faces I was seeing. I could point out every place I saw. I knew the things I was seeing. My new home was in trouble, and I wasn't there to help. Furthermore, my groom was still there. Thankfully, my friends and co-workers were OK, Brandon made it out (though he did have to caulk the wagons and ford a few rivers to do so), and both my homes in Duluth (the apartment and DRC) are OK. The trails are going to need some help, though, and I have my name on a list to do so. Life in Duluth goes on, and it will all be OK.

(Also, if you're in Duluth--there will be a benefit concert next weekend for flood victims as part of the Twin Ports Bridge Festival. $35 daily pass/$60 weekend, and all proceeds on Sunday go to a long term flood relief fund. Good music for a good cause = very much yes.)

Lastly--this is officially underway:

Hello, marathon training plan! Thanks, little sister!

In short--despite the chaos of a week ago, life is about as good as it gets right now. I'm married. I'm in marathon training. I'm back to my pretty awesome full time job. I have everything I desperately wanted 2 years ago. Life is so good.

"What If It All Goes Right?"

My last race as Lindsey Goss is in the books.

1:48:48. My first half in which I did not PR, but 7 seconds away from doing so? I'm more than OK with this, especially when you factor in the week that has been.
Before the race itself, tied in with packet pick up, is the Essentia Health Fitness and Health Expo. For us at the store, it's been weeks of getting ready, 3 days of pricing, sorting, and packing, and then 2 days of shoe slinging chaos. I worked somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 hours in the 2 days leading up to the run, and was at nearly 50 including the rest of the week before.
Yeah, I was tired.

Race morning wasn't too hectic. I had the forethought to get my packet right away Thursday and pack everything that night, including a drop bag to leave at DRC so I could clean up and change there rather than fight my way back from my apartment. Wake up call came at 4:00am, but I was already awake at 3:45 and just fighting it. I had some coffee, and toast with this stuff (which might be one of the best discoveries I have ever made):

Source

So good. I also had a small pouch of that which I ate on its own about 45 minutes before the run started. 

I will say this: I have never prepped nor ran a "bigger" race without my family there, and I really, really wished at least one of them was with me yesterday. I was a jittery, sleep-deprived, emotional basketcase. I lose 2 points in the "being an adult" category, but it's the truth.

I made it out on one of the first busses from the DECC to the starting line. True confession time: I cry before every race over 10K. It's odd, I have no explanation for WHY it happens, but it does. So I was the crazy lady with her headphones on, sitting in the 1 person seat in the back of the bus, quietly crying like a 3 year old for the entire ride. 

I was not a fan of the starting area, to be quite honest. I understand why they have to set up the way they do, and I will not cut them down for it, but I wasn't a fan. Sweatbags had to be dropped by 6:00am, so in the name of not literally chilling in just my race singlet and shorts for the next 45 minutes, I sacrificed one of my old cotton race shirts in the name of warmth. Also, they wanted us to be in the starting area by 6:15, and I wasn't sure where and how to go about warming up so a warm up was non-existent. Also, being that I was standing near the edge of the chute, I was constantly being pelted by people flinging shirts, bottles, and empty gel packets. (Pigs.)

This was nice: when they said the race started at 6:45, they weren't joking. 6:44:52, things kicked off. True to form, I had no idea anything started--the crowd started cheering and moving forward, so I went with them. I was about 1:40 back from the line. I was slightly bummed in that my Garmin seems to be punking out and wasn't holding a satellite connection until .1 out, so my splits weren't going to be right. That may have worked in my favor--I just glanced to see what my pace was from time to time and trusted the course mile markers. PS--balloons? Genius idea. You could see the markers quite a distance away. I was a fan.

I felt pretty decent up until mile 9. Gelled it at 6, alternated water and Powerade until 10. Between 8 and 10 I kept running in to my old boss from back in Marquette, and we agreed that we'd be good training partners for each other if only we were still in the same town. She finished about 2 minutes ahead of me clock time, but all things shaking out with gun vs chip time we finished with the exact same time. 

Anyway, I hit my usual wheels off at mile 9. I could tell I was slowing down significantly and I was not feeling good anymore. Though, I must have been hiding it well, because this picture does not show a woman who feels bad:

(This is coming by DRC and high-fiving all my co-workers. 2.6 to go.)

The last bit reminded me a lot of the Cherry Festival races, in that you're going through downtown and there are people everywhere cheering for you. Brandon waited for me at DRC, then biked down to catch me at the finish line, where even though I was rolling 8:40's by then I eked out a decent finish.

I should note here that as I came around on to Railroad St, a certain Journey song that I have adopted as my power anthem came on my iPod. I finished my last race as Lindsey Goss with "Don't Stop Believing" playing. It was perfect. 

The clock said just over 1:50 and my Garmin said just over 1:47, so I knew I was in the high 1:48-low 1:49 range. Brandon was tracking me on his phone and had my official time ready for me after I crossed. 

I was very, very happy to be that close to my PR. Training this spring was not the best, so to be able to match last year's times at this level of fitness is a good sign that something had been going right in there somewhere. 

Overall conclusion: I would definitely run this race again, with this stipulation: I will not run it again as long as I'm working at DRC. It's too much with the expo and race weekend store traffic to throw that all in. I'd like another crack at it when I'm rested and had good training under my belt. Also, going to work right after a race like that is just plain no fun. It was a good thing I was in the back just checking stuff back in to inventory, because I was one grouchy, nasty little lady.

So, with that--the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and my last race as Lindsey Goss is in the record books:

Marathon training starts Tuesday, and life as Lindsey Goss-Maurisak starts on Saturday. Bring on the next adventure!

"My Kind of Crazy"

Highlights from this week:

~Marathon training plan is officially in the works, courtesy of my sister, and will be kicking off post-marital shindig.

~NMTC Finale:

Photo courtesy Eve Stein

   In which it was uphill both ways, I ran a somewhat decent race (if not just had a fantastic prowl through the woods with a co-worker's wife/new friend), and left with a full pizza, a rather large tub of hummus, a bottle of tea, and this little bad-boy courtesy of the series finale prizes:

Heck yes, little Brooks flask!!

~I had a man who was an ordained minister of the church of Dudeism offer to marry a coworker and me, and then proceeded to flip his shit when he found out of my impending shindig and offer to officiate. Dude. Where were you a  year ago?? (Kidding. KIDDING! Pastor Carolyn is the best, there's no one else I'd rather have running that show. It would just be hilarious, that's all.)

~More new kicks!

   Brooks PureGrit before Taisha and I went and played in Hartley:

   Brooks PureGrit after Taisha and I went and played in Hartley:

Hooray, mud!!

So, here I am, on a quiet Sunday morning. I'm sipping my coffee before heading out for a 7 mile run, staring down the barrel of two crazy weeks. At the halfway point of the madness is a finish line. At the end is the beginning of the rest of my life. (OK, ew, that last one was cheesy. Sorry about that.) Along the way, there will be a 55 hour work week, a 3 hour bus ride and 3 hour flight, 2 smaller parties, and not a  lot of sleep. Either way, it's going to be madness. It's going to be fun. I'm ready to get this started. 

"You've Gotta Get A Little Mud On The Tires..."

One of the definite perks of my job is that day when a vendor or company rep asks for my size and hands me a piece of gear. The best of the best are the times when that happens and it's a pair of shoes.

Case in point, yesterday. Our Saucony guy was kind enough to give me a pair of Kinvara 3's. And they were pretty.

Despite all of my initial reservations about using a neutral shoe when I am a serial over-pronator (I mean, I'm a past user of motion control beauties like the Saucony Stabil and the Asics Foundation), I decided to take them out for a little spin that night.

Did I mention that little spin was the NMTC race in Superior? Did I mention that course had mudpits mid-calf deep.

My pretty shoes did not say clean long. However, I think a little mud adds a certain "je ne sais quoi" to them.

Coming up, I'll tell you the story of how a serial over-pronator ran a 3 mile race in a pair of neutral shoes and walked away to tell the tale.

(Photo credit: Eve Stein)

Off to breakfast with a co-worker! Have a great day, all!

"Don't Stop..."

One month to go.
One.

Whoa.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are almost there. So, I'm going to stifle any of the complaints that I had, hold in the thoughts--good and bad-- that I have been having, and just hold on to that. We are almost there.
It's like we've hit mile 10 of a 13.1, and we just have that last 5K to go. I know I can get through that 5K, as hard as it can be, as harrowing as it can be, even with my brain and my body just going crazy. I can get through that last bit, I can get through this last bit. All I have to do is do that same thing I've done after mile 10 of 13.1.
Keep your head up.
Stay positive.
Be strong.
Soak it all in.
Hang in there, it will be worth it in the end.

And this:

"I'm Chillin' on a Dirt Road"...

I think I've officially fallen in love with trail running. I know I've said that before, but I truly think it's for real this time.
Over the last 2 weeks, I have only run on the Lakewalk once. It has been SUCH a refreshing change of pace for me. Moreover, it's reminded me so much of being a silly high school kid, "bushwacking" through the back part of the school property with my best friend, just having a ball. It's helped me tap in to that deep, inner part of why I love this sport.
I tend to get too caught up in the numbers. Mileage logged. Pace during the run. I am definitely starting to loose sight of why I do this sport in the first place. Running on those trails, it comes back to me. I am definitely going to have to keep these trail runs up, despite the ever present danger of falling and scraping something (because heaven forbid I have some kind of visible scar in my wedding pictures. We wouldn't want me to, you know, actually look like myself or anything... that's another rant.)

I have also been doing the NMTC Spring Trail Series runs this year. That has been a really fun and awesome experience so far. Last night's was especially crazy--4 miles and change back in Jay Cooke State Park with lots of rolling hills and one massive one that made me bring out every profane word in my arsenal. Even some of the crazy shirtless boys at the front had to walk this monster. All that aside, the spirit of fun, camaraderie, and joy is present at these events, and I am really, really glad to have the chance to go out and run them this year.

In other exciting news, and in the immortal words of McLovin, "Oh my god, it's IN!".
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have officially turned in my registration form for my first marathon. In a double whammy of "holy crap", it also was submitted using my married name. Yes, she legally doesn't exist yet, but Lindsey Goss-Maurisak is registered for the Walker North Country Marathon on September 15.  To add to the excitement, and to make awesome use of the second entry that I had won, my co-worker will be running her first half-marathon there as well.  It's going to be awesome and I cannot wait!

That's what's new and good around here. Enjoy the day!

"Frustrated, Incorporated"

Well.
For 2 1/2 brilliant weeks, I was starting to feel OK about Grandma's training. I was starting to feel OK about going in to marathon training. I was thinking maybe I was actually being someone of worth at my place of employment. Maybe, maybe, this was all going to work.
Then, cue plague, pt 2.
It started hitting on Friday. My 12 mile run was marked with disgusting coughing spasms and stops for the all-classy "snot rocket". I made it, but in no good time, and not feeling the best afterward.
Saturday arrives. I'm coughing like I'm a stage 4 emphysema patient. Probably not fit to be in public, but there I was behind the counter at DRC, battling Tent Sale crowds. Despite my co-worker's pleas, I stick out the entire shift.
Sunday--same. This time, I call in, hoping ANOTHER day of laying around on the couch, once again leaving my coworkers hanging.
Monday--same! Not feeling bad, aside from the incessant hacking, I go to work and about my business, but was sent home.
So, I broke down, and for the first time in years I went to the doctor. Despite my deep, complete fear of doctors and the entire healthcare industry, the woman I saw was fantastic. She narrowed it down to 2 possibilities--either an atypical bronchitis or RSV. We're throwing a Z-pack at it, and one more day of being a lazy, worthless, co-worker letting down, hacking pile of useless, and hopefully this will do the damn trick this time.
Is my frustration showing at all in that last sentence? Because that was my intent. I'm beyond frustrated at myself and the situation. I feel like I should just tough through it, keep training, be at work, do all the housework, be the supergirl. I feel that is the expectation, and I'm letting others and myself down by not hitting it. It's leaving me incredibly, incredibly frustrated and angry.
So, body: listen up. This whoe non-functioning thing is no longer an option. It's time to get your act together. We have stuff to do. We have a job to do, we have a race to train for. It's time to knock off the sickness routine and get back to it.

"Hello again, hello"

I know. I disappeared again.

I've started about four or five different posts, only to close the page, delete the contents, or completely forget where I was going with the post. I also got tangled up in trying to do my first more-or-less "sponsored" blog post, which has been harder to tackle than I thought. I promise that one is coming by the end of the week.
So, forget content. Forget flow. I'm just going to verbally explode on the screen and hit post. Sound OK? It better.

So, I have completely abandoned the training plan from the Grandma's site. It just wasn't working for me. Maybe it's just my horrible time management, or any other of a million excuses, but I didn't like it. I'm now back on the "completely winging it" plan, which has always been more enjoyable for me.
I did have a few setbacks toward the end of March. First, after trying to squeeze 6 days of training in to 4, my calf decided to give me a giant middle finger. I'm still not sure exactly what happened, but it felt like a giant knot that was getting pulled tighter and tighter with every step I took, even just walking. I took a few days off to let that work itself out (with lots of help from my BFF's the foam roller and heating pad).
Just as that resolved, I got KO'ed by a bug. Again, not quite sure what it was, but it felt a lot like the flu I got last year. That took another 5 days to shake itself out, and my lungs are just now starting to not feel full of gunk.
My first week back on the run was also back on my home turf--good ol' TC, MI. I went home for a week to hack through the rest of the big shindig details. It was 5 days of super-productivity. And, it always amazes me how easy getting a run in is when I'm with my family. It is truly a home that revolves around it. So, in the midst of traveling, planning, visiting, a shower, and everything else that came with that week, I put down a (decent for me) 26 mile week. Behind from this point last year, but all things considered, I'll take it.
This past week, coming back home, I was determined to keep on this roll. I got in a 25 mile week, which again is decent if not behind from this point last year. I finally got in a double-digit run on Saturday before work, which was good for me mentally if nothing else. I'm also thinking that it might not be bad for me to practice the feeling of running long like that and immediately hightailing it to DRC, seeing as that's what will happen at Grandma's. (Oh, the joys of working run specialty. It's not all fun shoes and chatting up other runners.)
So, I'm feeling good about how the Grandma's training is to this point. I do need to start thinking ahead to Walker pretty soon here, though. Right now, I'm 20 weeks out, which is the standard starting point for most marathon training plans. However, with a half-marathon in 8 weeks, a wedding in 9, and a honeymoon soon after, I have a lot to work around.


In other fun news, the first round of marriage-shindig presents have arrived via bridal shower and caravan from Michigan to Wisconsin to Minnesota. Among these, from my fantastic soon-to-be-in-laws, a blender. I have been wanting one since I lost mine in the Great Breakup Apocalypse of '08, so I'm beyond excited it's here. Buy stock in produce, friends. It has been SmoothiePalooza here since Sunday and I don't see it stopping any time soon.

OK, time to be off to work. Have fun!

"We Made It Through Another Week"

Week 2 of GBHM training in the books. And, ladies and gentlemen: I hit the target mileage.

Source

27 miles in the books. It's still pretty low, I feel, but I'm on to something.

I did make a few tweaks to the plan this week, though: I took the 5 and the second 3 on the plan and combined them in to an 8, thus giving me 2 days off. This week felt very manageable, even if the 3-6-8-6 right at the end felt... rough.

Other notable points from this week:

~First run in shorts (Tuesday)

~First noticeable tan lines from running (a band on my legs from where my capris end and my socks start)

~TMI Warning: First use of the "Stow-N-Go" feature on my new North Face bra. Conclusion: handy, but not for the shy or modest woman. You are reaching down your shirt. A lot. In public. And it is awkward as heck. But, it held: my cell phone, my ID, my debit card, and varying amounts of cash as the evening progressed. And, it all stayed and felt secure, even if I did have a strange looking 3rd bump on my chest.

~SO much time at the store. Between the fun run we put on Sunday night, the sports bra clinic we had on Wednesday, all the UMD kids being gone for break, I was there a lot. 

So, on to week 3:

Already, I'm plotting how to make this work. We're most likely going to the Cities on Saturday and Sunday, and as I have learned with hockey trips, it's just better to have those as off days. (Last years disastrous ending to the evening after I ran a 10 mile race in the morning and then spent the day tailgating and hanging with hockey fans taught me a lesson: don't do that.) I have a few ideas on how to make it work, we shall see what plays out. I do know this: I will hit 32 on the week. I need to do some serious catching up on my mileage (I'm still only at 186 on the year), and I know that if I play my cards right and manage my time properly, I can and will make it happen. 

"It's been one week..."

One week of Grandma's training in the books.
I had decided to use one of the training plans offered on the website. They're 15 week plans, so it fit perfectly.
Or so I thought.
Week 1 was a straight 7 days of training. Uhhh... right. I went in to it with the best of intentions, to see what my body would do with 7 straight days of running. What I soon learned was not that my body could not handle it, but rather the life I lead right now does not allow for 7 days a week of running. I have learned that I have times set aside for running on some days, and on other days that time has to be set aside for other responsibilities.
I battle a lot with the idea that I'm not a real runner, or that I'm a bad example of a runner. However, if it comes down to having clean dishes or clothes or food in the fridge or hitting a mileage goal, at this point in my life I have to choose that first option.
Week 2 looks a bit more realistic:

Very realistic. I am much more hopeful for week 2.
Here goes nothing... again.

"So, Here Goes..."

Sunday night, I could not sleep. I tried every trick in my book, but it was just not happening. I had spent the day working on things for this June Shindig we're having, and my mind was just racing and not going to quit.

Around 12:30 or so, I decided to just get up and mess around on the computer a bit more. When I checked my e-mail, I noticed a billing receipt.
Uhhhh....?
I had forgotten that February 27 was the day the Garry Bjorklund Lottery results were announced. Apparently, when they said February 27, they meant "the second that clock hits 12:00:00 immediately following the date of February 26." When I recognized the amount I was charged, I realized what had happened. I had a spot in the half.
8 pretty much sleepless hours later, this little gem showed up in my mailbox--

Aw, thanks, guys!

So, one more thing in the middle of June.

Here's where I am with it: I am going to properly train for this race. I was lucky enough to be given the spot, which means someone else didn't get one. It would be unfair to myself, that person, and the race itself for me to not do this right. I will make sure I am in good shape and fully prepared come race day.

However, while I plan on training properly and not wasting the race, I am not going to all-out race it. This run will be about:
1. Experiencing what it is like to participate in a Grandma's Marathon weekend race.
2. Making sure I still get a run in during the madness that is Grandma's Marathon weekend.
3. Having as much freaking fun as humanly possible.

If I had to say a time, I will say that I'd like to be in around 1:50. It's still respectable for a recreational runner like myself.

The bride outfit is in the works. I have been given a blinking light ring to wear, and my co-workers and I are researching apparel and an option for a veil.

So... here comes the bride.

PS--what does the groom have to say about this? "Cool," was about all I got out of him, along with, "don't get injured."

"So We Planned it All Out For the Middle of June"

4 months to go...

Source

OK, not really, but it does feel like time is speeding up the closer that we get to June 23. I also keep having moments of, "Holy crap, this is actually going to happen. There is actually someone who is willing to do this, to legally bind themself to this hot mess for better or worse." Wow.


I will also know by Monday if I am in the Garry Bjorklund or not. If I am, maybe I should play up the bride thing just a bit, just to keep the race-related pressure off. Brandon re-earthed this picture:

Source

It has come up a few times, but I keep saying no because:

1. It's $1756.00. My ACTUAL wedding dress was $100. No.

2. Custom fitting and consultations in Seattle. I don't plan on being in Seattle until after this race and the shindig are well over. No.

3. With all due respect to those who like them, but I just can't do a running skirt. I can't. I've tried them on in the store, and I just don't like the look. (Though my co-workers thought I looked adorable in this skirt-capri thing we got in a few weeks ago.) So, no. 

Not that it's not a cute idea, or not that it's something that is totally ridiculous (I know of a couple that got married mid-Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas--that would be a perfect time for this dress). In my situation, though, probably not the best call. 

If I do decide to do this, maybe I'll just find a dollar store headband veil thing. That way, if I decide I'm being too ridiculous or show-boaty, or if it annoys me, I can rip it out and chuck it in the garbage at an aid station and not be out too much. This is, of course, if I even get in the darn race. To be honest, I'm not expecting an entry. Then again, I never expected to actually make it to the planning and execution of a wedding ceremony, or find someone willing to spend the rest of their life with me for that matter, so nothing is impossible I suppose.