Catching up with things

Oh, home after a long vacations means . . . chores. I've spent the last couple of days unpacking and rearranging, but happily we only had a foot or so of snow and ice on the driveway, compared to last year's 4 feet (and no power), so we didn't have THAT particular shock waiting for us.  Just lots and lots of laundry, items away, piles of mail to deal with, errands and other things.  Tom went straight back to work = (   Luckily, I don't have to face that until Thursday.  Ahhh.


Yoga:  I'm back!  I went to class yesterday, it was horrible and I'm so happy!


Race Report:  In the works


Google Analytics <---- do you use this?  I don't, much, because well I just don't really understand it care.  One of the things it shows, though, is how people find/come to your site.  A whole bunch of my traffic (such as it is) comes from Beth, she's my number one (should be number 2, but I digress) referral source.  Thanks, and Hi, you people!  I only mention this as a lead-in to the search feature, which shows what people type into the google search field to bring them to your site.  My favorite 3 searches that led people to my site:


3. i run 5 miles daily and three hours later i start to eat and can't stop (yeah, don't I know it!)
2. lazy dress girl (you've found the right place!)
and
1. thick tits (um, really? have I EVER posted about tits?  Thick ones?  hmmmm . . . )


Anyhow, now I'm sitting on the couch procrastinating when I should be working on my chore list (go to the bank, boxes to be emptied . . . ) and, apparently, I have been tagged!  Ooooh, I'm someone now!  So awesome Pam has tagged me with some questions to be answered.  I'm not sure which ones I'm supposed to answer, as she was fielding two requests, so I'm just going to answer the ones I want.  Or, keep answering until the couch gremlins kick me off, or the bank closes, or I manage to haul my lazy ass away, whichever comes first.


What is your #1 indispensable running accessory?  #2?


Ok, my answer is exactly the same as hers.  Number one?  Gary the Garmin.  I honestly don't know if I would have kept up the running habit if not for this.  My stats are less than impressive, but man I loooove to know how much I ran, when, how fast, all organized into a calendar with reports and all kinds of statistical manipulations, oooh, heaven.  And it always provides a decent reality check.  If it weren't for Gary I might think I'm some kind of speed demon (you mean people actually run faster than me?  How is it possible to go any faster?), but I look down and see that 13:23 pace and Oh, yeah, that's right.  Number two?  That fking ipod.  Running without music just seems so pointless.  Bringing me to the next question . . . 


What do you mostly think about when training?


First of all, I really don't ever "train" in the purest sense of the word.  I try to run far and not die.  I might have a "training schedule" but that's really more of a mental game for me, as a schedule provides me with some kind of inspiration to at least get out there.  When I don't have a "training schedule" I easily do what I am doing right now, which is nothing.  The avoidance of something.  When I'm "training" I'm just running for distance and do no real speed work, long run, tempo run, none of that shit.  I just plod along.  What do I think about?  NOT MUCH.  I always listen to music, the same damn playlist (more or less) for 4+ years.  I sing along and don't think much.  My mind wanders, goes blank and sometimes I'm like, I'm here already? and can't remember the last mile run.  This is bliss!  Sometimes I think of, and write, blog posts in my head.  Truly, if all the blog posts I've written in my head were actually written and published in reality, this would be a prolific blog!  Granted, there would probably be a lot more google searches for how to shit on the side of the road and wipe your ass with a rock and other topics best left unexplored, so this isn't a bad thing.  But . . . 


Most embarassing running moment?


SKIP THIS SECTION IF YOU'RE QUEASY or, more importantly, YOU KNOW ME IN REAL LIFE, JUST SKIP IT!!!  The tricky part of this question is the "most" part, because pretty much ALL of my running moments are embarrassing in one way or another.  I'm NOT someone you want to run with.  I spit, fart, sneeze, twitch and fall over at the least provocation.  I have GI issues.  I used to have major bladder issues, which led to awkward moments (thank you! surgical intervention).  I sing (and can't carry a tune in a basket), dance (and am a huge klutz) and sometimes unwittingly shout out loud for no reason whatsoever.  I would constantly be embarrassed if I paid attention to myself.  But I don't (denial is a way of life!).  Looking back, my MOST embarrassing moments all have to do with shit (surprise!).  Two things come to mind.  One happened in the Death Valley Marathon (and will be exhaustively recounted in the mythical Race Report) and the other?  Really?  Here goes . . . a few years ago, when I was still a relative newbie runner, I had MAJOR runner's belly (makes me look positively anti-fecal nowadays, which is so not true!), like 2-3 poos every time I ran, no matter what.  Back then, my most indispensable running accessory was toilet paper, wads of it.  This particular time I went for a run before work, had multiple bad "moments" trailside, came home, sat on the bed, got undressed, into the shower, dressed and then in the car and off to Marin.  The bed?  White comforter.  The problem? What I left on the bed.  Yes, unbeknownst to me, I left a fking Rorschach pattern of poop stain splat! on the comforter.  Tom, he takes a damn picture of it! and emails it to me, saying Do YOU know what this is?!?  My heart just fell plop to the bottom of my stomach, o man I was soooooo embarrassed.  Truly shamed.  I made Tom delete the photo right then and there and promise, promise, promise! never to mention this incident again, which, bless his heart, he never has.  (just, I suppose, so I could go on line! with it, and announce it to the public at large!  Oh, anonymity!)  I washed the comforter myself when I got home.  I'm lucky to have a great guy like Tom!  leading to . . . 


Is your sweetheart supportive of your extracurricular active activities?  How?


He could not be more supportive.  I am blessed in my partner for sure (see above).  From the moment I came up with the idea that I (of all people) was going to get athletic, he has been 100% supportive.  He goes to all of my races, he listens to all of my blather about running, he cheers each of my accomplishments, laments my failures, helps me plan routes, backs me up on long runs, picks me up on the side of the road when I call for a ride home, defeated, and cheers me for what I did run.  He thinks me running at an 11:00 pace is superfast, reads my blog, brags about me to friends, commiserates with the struggle, allows me to back down.  Just perfect, wonderful and amazing support.  Thanks, Tom!


Do you send Christmas/Holiday cards?  Why or why not?


Fuck no.  I'm lazy and have few friends.  I love getting them, though!


What's your proudest moment of 2010?


I have two.  Finishing the 50k was huge because, hey! 31 miles is nothing to sneeze at! and the other is finishing the Death Valley run because I was hurting big time and would have been totally justified in dropping, but continued on.  I'm a quitter and I'm a wimp and not to giving in to either of those qualities was a personal victory.


Lastly,
Running goals for 2011?\


Oooh, I'll really have to think about this and will probably do one of those Year End Posts that's all reflective and goal oriented, etc.  I think I did one for 2010 and will have to go back and see how I fared.  Anyways, at this point I can think of a couple concrete things.  I want to run well over 1000 miles in 2011 (I think I ran something like 800 this year.  I really, really need to improve that number to be able to complete my second goal which is, run some more 50Ks.  I want to get really comfortable with that distance, and maybe try for a 50 miler in 2012.  


That's enough.  I'm off the couch, to the bank and post office!  What fun!