The Running Violinist

Have you heard?

2010-11-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

There's a new blog post up on the new site! In case you missed the news, we've moved to wordpress! Check it out at http://runningviolinist.wordpress.com (apparently blogger doesn't want to supply the link...)

We're Moving!

2010-11-06T12:44:00.001-04:00

Almost as soon as I started this little blog I thought about what it would be like with a different blog host. After a lot of changes on blogger, and quite a bit of frustration (post being deleted, photos being lost, freezing the computer...) it is time to move on. To Wordpress!!

That's right folks! There's a brand spanking new look for the running violinist on wordpress! Don't worry, all of your favorites are already there thanks to the internet fairies! As surely as Mr. Goat can shed his wings, he and all of the other post have already made their way over to the new site. So, reprogram your google readers, lace up those running shoes, and head on over! The next post will be on the new site!!

I am Thankful for: Friends

2010-11-05T07:00:00.001-04:00

I went and voted on Tuesday, and afterwards I made a stop at Starbucks before heading to work, and found this:

My first reaction was, "Christmas cups already?" (yes, I actually said that out loud) I remember the first TV ads for Christmas starting back in July. Perhaps you don't remember, but there's this little holiday called Thanksgiving in between Halloween and Christmas here in the U.S. It actually happens to be my favorite holiday for several reasons. There always seems to be a race, loads of great cooking, and at the end of the day you get to sit down with family and share a meal. I understand that this might not be the same reaction everyone has to Thanksgiving. Some might find sitting down with family hard or painful, and I understand that not everyone feels the same way about the holiday that I do. Over the last several years I have become very thankful of the blessing and people that have come into my life. So, instead of just making a list this year, I thought I would take a little time to reflect, and express gratitude for the things, and people who have touched me this year.

Friends:
I realize time and time again that I have some really awesome friends!

Angela Hansberger - I love how you find the beauty in small things, like the fog at the river. You make me think about the way I look at things & to find beauty everywhere. And thanks to you I have new respect and love for bacon :-)
Amy Fingerhut - To be honest I don't know where to start :-). Thank you for helping me find my own potential, for answering questions, and your honest opinions. I feel fortunate to call you friend, and grateful that I now know where all the best burger & cupcake locations are :-)
Mallory, Kim, & Betty - you are strong, wonderful, funny, amazing women who didn't let a little thing like cancer get in your way. You inspire me, and I feel privileged to call you friends!
Jaclyn - How can you go wrong with someone who runs the same pace and likes to eat! :-) In some ways I feel like we have known each other longer than 5 short months. Thanks for letting me hang with you
Laura S. - Your encouragement & support has meant so much! You've taught me how cool our side of town is, and that cheese dip is pretty awesome. I laugh when you run a route that I finished an hour before hand, and can't thank you enough for sharing Stephanie.
Tim L. & Ken K. - Thanks for all of the support, encouragement, and coaching "tips."
Jim & Carol - I get excited every time I see you! You make me smile, and there is no better way to start a run than with a hug from either or both of you!
Lori & Angela Holder - You remind me that running is fun, especially when it's followed by one of our breakfast outings to Highland Bakery!
to my friends on dailymile - I think dailymile is one of the best things I've ever found! All of the support & encouragement truly keeps me going.
to my Team in Training teammates - So many of you are like family to me now. I can't imagine running without seeing you. Things are not quite the same when I miss a GTS, although one might argue I'm not the same after a GTS depending on the topic of conversation during the run...
I have met some pretty great folks through twitter. It's one of the first things I check when I get up, and any chance I get during the day.

Acceptance

2010-11-02T11:25:00.001-04:00

In the next to last episode of Project Runway the designer who was out had a bit of a moment when they didn't know how to tell their family they had lost. There was fear, uncertainty, and lots of tears. And the first thing that came to my mind was I have so been there!

Growing up my Dad use to tell me that I had until my 25 birthday to make my first million dollars so that I could take care of him. There was one small problem with this plan. He wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer (I didn't discover this till much later), I on the other hand wanted to play the violin. I remember being in the 8th grade and having to decide between the International Baccalaureate program and the Performing Arts program at the high school I would be attending. There was no question in my mind, I was auditioning for the performing arts track. I signed up for an audition without telling my parents. They had mentioned that they wanted me to go into the IB program. I got into the performing arts magnet, and after playing in my school's soccer game I went up to my parents and proudly told them I had passed the audition. They were not happy. I remember the fight later after we had gotten home. They wanted me to do the IB program, and I was going to be applying for it the next day whether I wanted to or not. I would not be a musician, I would go into some kind of business. End of story. I vaguely remember walking into the school's office the next day and asking for the IB application. A nice secretary asked why since they had the paper work from the performing arts audition. I remember her very kindly explaining that I would get just as much out of the performing art track as the IB. I could take Advance Placement courses when I was older, which were almost equal to the IB courses, plus I was getting orchestra, which made me look well rounded to any schools I applied to for college. Someone I didn't know was on my side!

I remember getting into music school, and all through my first year my Dad kept telling me that I needed to pick a minor so that I would have something to fall back on when I failed as a violinist. He still didn't believe in me, and it hurt. The good news was at this point my Mom was at least behind me. Cheering me on through some of the hard things I went through in my early music career, giving me a hug and a shoulder to cry on when things or auditions went wrong. My Dad showed indifference. In April 2006 I called home one afternoon to tell my parents the good news. I was a month away from graduating with my Masters in Music and I had gotten a job back in Atlanta. My Dad was so relieved he said I could move back in with them till I got on my feet. I was stunned. He then said he was afraid that I was never going to find a job as a musician. At least we had gotten half way. In a strange twist I moved home, my Dad had a stroke 4 days later, and at the age of 27 I started taking care of my parents. Too bad I didn't have that million dollars I was suppose to have from being a lawyer or doctor. At least I was happy with my job, and I loved what I was doing!

Things don't always go the way we plan. I remember one particularly awful audition. I sent 15 minutes crying in my car before I could call my teacher to tell him how badly it had gone, and was bawling by the time I called my Mom to say I was coming home. It took hours, and countless hugs from my mom to admit what had happened. I was so afraid that my Dad was right, and that I had failed as a musician.

I have yet to win my dream job of an orchestra contract, but because I haven't it has allowed me to have some great experiences freelancing with other orchestras all around Georgia. Every job is an experience worth having, and learning from. I have a great teacher (yes, I have a Masters degree in violin, and still take lessons) who has helped fill in so many of the gaps I have in my technique. There is something coming, and I want to be ready. People tell me that I'm good. My teacher tells me I can play anything, and I never know what to say because deep down inside I'm still scared. What if I fail? It doesn't mater. Fear holds us back and keeps us from growing. I want to keep moving ahead. I'm happy, I love playing the violin, and I can't imagine doing something else.

Afternoon Tea

2010-10-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel like there is nothing more perfect in the world than a wonderful cup of hot tea. Admittedly I'm a bit of a tea snob. My favorites come from a tea shop in England, although fortunately the Fresh Market down the street carries a few selections so I don't have to spend an arm and a leg on shipping!

favorite cup for tea!

It finally feels like fall this morning. Not only is it starting to look like fall with the leaves changing colors, but this morning's 8 mile run was actually, wait for it, cold! I got home and could barely move my fingers :-). I loved every minute of my run this morning, despite the drivers on Peachtree that just can't seem to yield to people in cross walks. And after a wonderful haircut I feel ready to tackle the day. That is after my tea is done steeping. Because practicing the violin on a clear, crisp day with a hot cup of tea just hits the spot! Oh, and Lucy dog curled up at my feet is pretty nice too :-). It just seems like the perfect day!

new haircut. No FRIZZ!!

Happy Friday!

Taste of Atlanta

2010-10-28T11:43:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday I got to have a little foodie fun! My friend Jaclyn and I headed to the Taste of Atlanta festival and spent the afternoon eating. We might have done a little too much eating since I felt like I never wanted to eat anything again by Sunday evening at our Chicago team reunion where, yes you guessed it, we eat even more (needless to say Monday's run was pretty awesome since I was all fueled up!).

one of my favorite places was right up front. West Egg!!

you can't go wrong with a Nutella crepe!

you would have a line this long if you to were serving Fries with Parmesan truffle oil! It was that good!

still good despite losing an awesome chef

fried goat cheese ravioli made to order = yummy! Only problem, it burned our tongues

Iberian Pig. It was so good we went back a second time!!

cooking demo. It was in the sun, and we ended up leaving. Part of my motivation to go was not wanting to eat brussel sprouts that were being cooked

The smart people at Cafe Intermezzo were offering gift certificates for coupons. Took a slice of cheese cake & a $10 gift card for later

Who wants a cupcake?

2010-10-26T10:37:00.000-04:00

It was a crazy weekend, and it's carried over to the week. Needless to say I feel behind all ready, which means I don't have the fabulous blog post ready that I want. This is part of the reason:

leading the students in a little halloween concert. Like my hat?

all of the leftovers. Dear parents, what you don't take home gets given out during the week. They'll get the sugar one way or another (there are at least 2 dozen cupcakes left over, down from at least 6 dozen that walked through the door!)

At least I have a pretty view for this insane week! And I think there's only 1 stink bug left!!

stink bugs

2010-10-22T17:32:00.000-04:00

I've had a little project going on the past 2 weeks. It's called operation kill the stink bugs. See my violin studio has a little problem. It's been over run with stink bugs, and not just one or two here or there. I haven't actually counted, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had 2 dozen dead stink bugs. It's been a pretty big problem. What's a stink bug? This my friends is a stink bug:

They like light, and they especially like my curtains. There is usually

at least 6 of them crawling on the curtains most days...

There are a few things that make stink bugs difficult:

They fly. There's nothing quite like a 5 year old girl noticing that a bug is flying around during her violin lesson. Lets just say there are a lot of high pitched squeals being released these days, not just from the students...
Do you know how stink bugs get there name? They're kind of like skunks. They feel threatened and they release an odor. Dear stink bugs, it is so not cool to let that fly while I'm working!! My studio has not smelled right for weeks!
They creep me out (just being honest), and I really just want them to go away

Hence operation kill the stink bugs. I know they are getting in through the poorly installed air conditioner, and window.

Step 1: spray foam the cracks around the air conditioner

Step 2: recaulk the window. I can't do anything about the fact that the window doesn't sit in the track right. I know they are getting in because of someone didn't know how to install a window level or plumb (thanks for that)

I don't think I've had any new "friends" the past couple of days. Hopefully it stays that way!!

Success versus failure

2010-10-20T09:51:00.000-04:00

"There is no downside to winning. It feels forever fabulous. But there is no teacher more discriminating or transforming than loss. The great secret of athletics is that you can learn more from losing than winning. No coach can afford to preach such doctrine, but our losing season serves as both model and template to how life an go wrong and fall apart in the most inconceivable places. Losing prepares you for heartbreak, setback, and tragedy that you will encounter in the world more than winning ever can."
- Pat Conroy "My losing Season"

Success versus failure is interesting isn't it? With success you are on top of the world. You achieved your goal, nailed the interview, got the dream job. Failure brings you crashing down. Or does it? Success and failure mean different things to different people. I get a daily devotional from my church. This week's focus has been looking at how the desire to succeed can take over our lives. It's been an interesting week to think about how success affects our lives coming off a race where I didn't meet my goal. One might deem it as a failure. I don't. I also stand on the verge of having a completely full violin studio. In fact we are having trouble fitting everyone into a slot. Success that has me slightly stressed out. I've watched others try to figure out if they have meet with success or failure. What does it all mean? I've watched as some who have reached some of the greatest success in running, qualifying for the Boston Marathon, attack others who they have deemed not as worthy as them despite having their own qualifying time. They have been blinded by success.

Losing is an important part of life. We often learn more from our mistakes more than our successes. It's why I tell me students there is no such thing as a bad sound. One student admitted just yesterday that she didn't want to try something because she thought it would sound bad, because she was afraid. How do know if you don't try? The thought of losing can bring us to a crashing halt. In life we lose more than we succeed, but that's part of what makes success feel so good. The idea of finally making it over that hurdle we've been trying to get past. In playing the violin I learn more by what doesn't work. It's a puzzle that I have to solve. Once I solve it I move on to the next. It's how we grow and get better. So what's the next puzzle? And how will we handle it?

Purple Haze

2010-10-15T13:26:00.000-04:00

Maybe Mr. Goat knew that my fabulous friends on the Nike Team were headed to San Fransisco for their race. Whatever the reason, he's decked out in an awesome purple haze retro look today. It was too awesome not to share. Happy Friday everyone!!

I love cupcakes!!

2010-10-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

How about something lighter today? Maybe cupcakes?!!

I've had this odd tradition since July that I like to have a cupcake the night before a race. Doesn't mater how long the race is, I just like to have a cupcake. I mean it's important to fuel properly before a race, and everyone talks about carb loading. Cupcakes have really yummy carbs :-D. And frosting!

So I talked to my friend Amy about cupcakes in Chicago. Where should I go? She gave me two places to try, and then said if I didn't go to Sprinkles she would kill me. Okay, Sprinkles it is (you don't have to tell me twice). It ended up being a lot further from the hotel than I realized. A mile each way walking from the hotel to be precise. Good thing Mom and I went Friday!

Cute, right? Wait till you see what's inside! They had these:

mmmmm cupcakes! I got the pumpkin spice, which I had Saturday night, and this lovely chia with cream cheese frosting post race. I've heard a rumor that Sprinkles has been talking about opening a location in Atlanta. Dear Sprinkles, please hurry up! I'll bring friends!!!

And they had everything decorated for Halloween :-)

Chicago Marathon

2010-10-13T10:06:00.000-04:00

It's been a few days. Things are sinking in. Trying to fall asleep Monday night was a challenge since my brain decided it wanted to replay the entire race while I tried to fall asleep. Looking back on the Chicago Marathon it was a day full of strange things, and definitely a story of two different races. Looking back and going over things I am not hanging my head in shame. There is no reason to. I did not fail even if my time doesn't reflect what I trained for or what I wanted. There are lots of positives thrown in with many things out of my control. So here we go...

Miles 1 - 14
The morning got off to an interesting start. At first there was nothing unusual. I got up and got dressed, ate a banana, and moved on to a bagel with peanut butter. Half way through the bagel the first oh crap moment of the day occurred. I started having huge waves of nausea. I would sit for minutes at a time just hoping that I could keep everything down. I knew that if I threw up everything was over. Somehow I made it down to where the Team was meeting still with 1/2 a bagel in my hand. I knew I needed to eat it, but every time I took a bite I felt like I was going to throw up. Everyone assured me it would be okay, it was just nerves. In my head I really hoped they were right, but I wondered if there wasn't something already wrong. I had never felt this way before any race before. I carried the bagel half way to the start, and ended up throwing it away. Eating it was just not worth the nausea I got with every bite.

It took forever to get to Charity Village South and the Team in Training tent. We were excited that they were doing a private bag check for us until we realized how far it was (an even bigger problem after the race). Still we had a chance to sit down for a bit before heading over to the start. Fortunately we found an opening into the corral, which was a little tricky to find, and 30 minutes after the gun went off Jaclyn, Betty, and I were heading over the starting line.

I really don't remember much of my surroundings during the race. I had to really focus on what was going on around me because it was so crowded. Jaclyn and I stayed together for the first 3 miles or so, until I had to stop for the first of 2 bathroom breaks. Things were not happy, and I was worried that I was sweating very heavily rather early in the race. For 30 seconds I wondered if I would be able to get through the whole race, and then I told my brain to shut up. I got myself back together and back on course as quickly as I could and just tried to keep things together. I started planning out how to handle nutrition and salt since it was getting warmer out. I decide to change from salt every 2 hours, to salt every hour, which after noticing that the alert system had gone up to yellow by mile 9 turned out to be a smart decision. I was drinking a lot of water, which worried me a bit, but I knew that taking some salt would help. By mile 7 I knew I needed to eat something despite the fact that my stomach still wasn't happy and I wasn't hungry. If I didn't eat something I knew I would be in trouble later, and managed to get 2 shot blocks down right before the next water stop (they had a really nice flag system that made finding gatorade and water really easy once you got it down). To be honest despite feeling kind of bad I knew I was running okay, which was the really weird part of it all. I'm happy with the first half.

splits:
mile 1: 9:48, mile 2: 9:41, mile 3: 10:02, mile 4: 15:34 (stupid line at the porti-potties), mile 5: 9:35, Mile 6: 9:57, mile 7: 10:07, mile 8: 9:35, mile 9: 10:14, mile 10: 10:01, mile 11: 10:01, mile 12: 9:53, mile 13: 9:38, mile 14: 8:46 (what the heck!)

miles 15 - 26.2
To be totally honest I don't really remember much of my surroundings during the second half of the race other than some of the neighborhoods we ran through towards the end of the 2nd half. I tried to stay focused on my form, and I was having to watch the road a lot (I had forgotten how chewed up the roads in the upper mid west get from the winter weather). Somewhere around mile 15 it got sunny, and it never stopped. The problem was that there was hardly any shade from this point to the end. The little bit of shade that did cover the road cause everyone to immediately try and get in it, which caused all sorts of congestion problems. It ended up being easier to stay in the sun. At some point the warning system went up to red because of the heat (at mile 24 there was a sign showing the temperature as 98 in the sun). I realized I was getting hot, and I knew that if I could get from water stop to water stop I would be okay. So instead of running 11 miles the rest of the race became 2 mile races from water stop to water stop. At some point I started taking walking breaks, and then at mile 22 my stomach just didn't want to go anymore. All I wanted to do was throw up. Fortunately, I ran into Fran one of our Georgia Team in Training coaches who walked with for a bit.

I got moving, but by the time I got to mile 23 I was crying. It was hot, I felt bad, and all I wanted to do was finish. I couldn't quit, I didn't want to. And then I ran into a Chicago Team in Training coach named Katrina. I will forever be grateful to her. She ran the next two miles with. She listened, and we talked. I told her about Mallory and Bruce and how both had to drop out before the race. I wanted to finish for them (more tears there). We started talking about why I got involved with Team in Training. She kept me talking, which was a great distraction. At mile 25 we parted ways, and then I realized that once again that my stomach was my biggest enemy. And then I saw Bruce, Mallory, and my Mom. As much as I wanted to be running when I saw them, all I wanted at that moment was a hug. I think I scared the crap out of my Mom as I ran over. I was crying, and my stomach wanted to hurl, but I only had a mile. Bruce walked with me for a minute, got me settled, and off I went. The finish was right around the corner, just up the hill. I had finished countless training run up hills just like it, but I still ended up walking the top part. Half way up the hill a medic asked someone if they needed help. I didn't want any help if she was talking to me, and just ignored her. All I had to do was get around the corner and I was done. I don't remember speeding up. All I remember was a guy yelling Go Bonnie louder than I had heard all day followed by a very loud Go Team as I ran down the last 200 yards, and then I was at the finish line. I spent most of the finish shoot crying. It was huge, and took forever, followed by a very long walk to the TNT tent.

splits:
mile 15: 13:19, mile 16: 10:58, mile 17: 10:32, mile 18: 10:32, mile 19: 10:47, mile 20: 11:11, mile 21: 11:56, mile 22: 11:56, mile 23: 11:50, mile 24: 12:35, mile 25: 13:36, mile 26: 11:36, .2: 12:42

Somehow it's still a 2 minute PR. Not really happy with my PR time, but I'll take it

I think my Mom was really happy I finished after my mini meltdown.

She got me flowers :-)

For the most part I really enjoy the race. It was very well organized, and the flag system at the water stops made following my nutrition plan really easy. And the cheering all along the course minus just a couple of hard to get to spots was great. There were a few things that were really annoying. There was absolutely no runner etique going on. People would come to a halt right in front of you, walk on the left side, and come darting across right in front of people. I can't tell you how many times I almost got knocked over by someone else. The road was crowded from the minute we crossed the start line to the minute I finished. I ran an extra .7 of a mile just getting around people. Once the alert system went up to yellow the misters came out. Now I generally don't mind misters as long as I can get around them. I don't like my feet getting wet, but these misters decided that everyone needed to get wet whether they wanted to or not. Sometimes they have a hose going across the entire street, or a couple of occasions I swear they aimed them right at me. Not cool! They ran out of sponges, so the volunteers at the kiddie pools there were using just started flinging water at people with their hands. It landed on our feet (again, not so cool). At the first few bridges they had a carpet covering the metal grating to make it easier to run over. By the end of the race only a small part of the bridge was covered, and most of us had no choice but to carefully walk over the grating.

this helped me feel loads better! :-)

Despite it all I'm pretty happy about the race. I finished, didn't get hurt, and ran what I think was a fairly smart race. Do I wish things could have gone differently? Yes, but they were out of my control, and I could only adapt to what was going on and do the best I could. I'm really looking forward to getting back to running and training again. Marathon number 5 is done!

Sillyness, Craziness, and nerves

2010-10-06T10:01:00.000-04:00

Why hello Mr. Goat. You're looking a little green and goblin like today... :-). I personally like the purple, sparkly things coming out of his ears (they are a little hard to see). I just thought I would share a few things this morning, like this (our coach sent it this morning):

Every five minutes, someone in the United States learns that he or she has leukemia or lymphoma. Every nine minutes, another child or adult is expected to die from these diseases. Every year, survival rates are increasing through advances in research and treatment. We are making a difference! - Fact

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the Start line for the 100-yard dash.

At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back. Every one of them!

One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down, kissed the boy and said: "This will make it better." Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the Finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes.

People who were there are still telling the story. Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course.

Another cool thing from fellow mentor and friend Andy:

And this one is cool, but makes me super nervous:

It's been a pretty crazy week at work. I had one random mom let her son run through my group class Monday, and nearly knock me over while holding a $6000 violin that is on loan to me. After asking them to leave 3 times they finally left my class alone. And I think another student quit. I think his mom might be mad at me for asking her to finally follow the same make-up policies that all of my other students follow (it's been a problem for a while), or maybe it's because he doesn't practice and hasn't brought his violin to a lesson in 3 weeks..

Crazy, just crazy...

Race week

2010-10-05T10:02:00.000-04:00

It's race week. holy crap, holy crap, holy crap keeps running through my head. Not the most helpful running commentary to have going on in my head right now. Running 3 miles didn't really do much for me. It just wasn't quite enough, but I'm sticking to the schedule.

Monday morning I ran in my Mizunos just to make sure I was going to be happy about the shoe choice I've made for the race. They felt heavy, clunky, and my feet were not very happy. I was ready to take them off before I had even finished a mile. All signs point to running in my Newtons for the race to be the right decision, and I'm excited about it. I'm not excited about running in my Mizunos. At least one question has been answered!
I was looking back over my Dailymile training log on Sunday to discover that I've covered over 800 miles running and biking while training for Chicago. Am I ready? yes! Do I feel ready? umm...
I'm making a list, and checking it at least twice! Ask my sister or good friends you'll find out I have a tendency to forget things. Sometimes important things! So, I've pulled out my trusty Team in Training packing list and added a ton of things to it. I will not forget anything, I will not forget anything!
Our Team in Training coach asked for our goal times. Writing it down freaked me out a bit. Ah, taper, stop messing with my head. I seriously need to get over this!
I find it really funny that our hotel is on Wacker Drive in Chicago. In case you're wondering it's right on the river. Hmmm, wonder what was going on when they named this street... :-)

Fortunately I have a lot of things to focus on.I have a tons of things to practice and a new student to teach a trial lesson for. I hope I'm not totally out of it for the trial lesson. Focusing on normal stuff is not my strong suit on race week.

The great shoe dilema

2010-09-27T10:15:00.000-04:00

Mizunos or Newtons? Newtons or Mizunos? This is a question that has been running through my brain almost around the clock since my last 20 mile run. My head has said run in the Mizunos for Chicago. You ran all of your long runs in them. So what if they are approaching old age. You'll be fine! My ankles, and knees have said run in the Newtons, and by the way, get some new orthotics! So, I decided to listen to the ankles. They after all, will bear the brunt of 26.2 miles in 13 days. I got new orthotics a size smaller so that they would fit better in my Newtons (which run a little small), and decided to finally get the metatarsal support too. Holy awesomeness Batman! I tried them in my Newtons Friday afternoon and walked around a bit, and then ran my part of the Ekiden relay in them Sunday. No knee, or ankle soreness! Hmmm, can I run a marathon in shoes that have only gone 10 miles as their longest run? I've been running twice a week in them for a couple of months. They are definitely broken in, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to wear them, which makes me kind of excited. This is the first time that I'm thinking about running a race in shoes that I haven't done my long runs in. That makes me a little nervous, but I feel like I run better in the Newtons than the Mizunos. I really do think the Newtons are going to win, but something tells me the conversation in my head isn't over. That's the fun part of the taper right? So ready to be done tapering!

Now if I could feel like I'm not coming done with something... Oh taper, you drive me batty!

When Tuesday becomes Monday

2010-09-22T10:33:00.000-04:00

Yesterday wasn't the best day of the week so far, which was sad considering how awesome Monday was.

My Chicago bib number & participant guide came in the mail Monday!!!!! :-)

Well, at least until I got into work and discovered for the second time in 3 weeks there was no air conditioning. Grumble, grumble, grumble. If it were actually fall this might not have been a problem. However, summer is still here. Monday it was 93 in the afternoon, and Tuesday it was 95. Sigh... It took calling the maintence people twice over 2 days to actually get them to come out (I guess not having AC isn't a big issue for them). My student's were rock stars, and put up with temps in the mid 80s in my room all day on Monday, but after 10 minutes I was sweating on Tuesday, which is not a big deal, but I was inside, and I wasn't running.

So, the maintence guy finally shows up (apparently we are suppose to e-mail rather than call. Thanks for letting us know...) and asks if I would like for him to take a look at it right now, or if he should come back later. Dude, it's 95 outside, the sun is on my room, and I'm already hot & sweaty after 30 minutes. Guess which one I choose? After making the fun dieing noise for him, he said the compressor was giving out, and started looking at things. Then he noticed one the heat buttons was pushed down slightly (the unit was not installed correctly however many decades ago it was put in so part of the cover actually sits on top of the low heat button). I must have let someone climb on it. No, I had not thank you very much. Oh, well I must have let someone push down on the cover. Again, thanks for trying, but no. How about we blame someone else. And then it pops in my head that they had been out to fix the stupid machine 3 weeks ago. The cover had come off, and then slapped back on. Hmmm, wonder if that would be considered pushing down hard? In which case maitence men you messed up my AC by trying to fix it the last time. These people drive me crazy!

To top it all off I can't wear my good pair of glasses any more :(. After 3 years the anti-glare coating is coming off, and ruining the lens. I can't see out of the right lens anymore, and the headaches are driving me nuts. So, I'm currently wearing an older pair until I can get to the eye doctor Friday to get a new prescription because nothing can be done to save the lens. They have to be replaced. At least the guy at the store I bought the glasses from was super nice, didn't blame me, and gave me an estimate. While I was there I asking about prescription running glasses, and he was super nice and answered all of my questions. Apparently I am just too blind. Because of my prescription, and because of the shape of most athletic glasses I would end up getting really dizzy trying to wear them (he said that he got some, and his prescription is no where near as bad as mine & he gets dizzy from them). That doesn't sound like a good combination if you ask me. So, now I'm thinking about getting some contacts to wear while running, and then getting a pair of sunglasses for running. Having a headache from squinting while running is getting old.

I could use a little Westside Creamery treat right about now:

a little post long run treat on Saturday salted caramel ice cream!

And look what I found at Antico while waiting for my pizza!

love Alton Brown!
Needless to say my run this morning was not the greatest. It's alright because I made it up everyone of the crazy hills without stopping this morning. Here's to a better Wednesday! May it have never heard of a case on the Mondays...

The last big run!

2010-09-20T11:30:00.000-04:00

Saturday was a big day for the Team in Training Georgia Chapter's Chicago Team. Why? Because most of the team was running their very first 20 miler. That's right folks! We ran 20 miles on Saturday. I'll be honest, I wasn't really worried about the run. With one 20 mile run already under my belt I wasn't worried about the distance. I was a little worried about the course. We ran out at the river, which is a 20 mile course that I've never done in my 3 seasons with Team in Training. I hope I don't have to do again! Holy hills! I thought the other 20 mile courses were hilly, but this one had some doosies. There were a couple that were near impossible to run up. Jaclyn and I decided we were going to take it easy and not push. She was getting over a cold, and I had spent most of the week cursing ragweed, and trying to regain the ability to breathe through my nose. It was slower than my first 20 miler, but it still felt great, and I really think that's because we took it easy. There was no reason to push with the summer heat & humidity coming back. Now it's taper time! I can't believe there are only 3 weeks till the race!

The team before the run. All smiles & we smell pretty good too :-)

At the 3rd waterstop. Cruising along before the hills...

30 seconds before this was taken I mentioned how happy I was that our coach had stopped taking our picture... This is what I get for opening my big mouth :-)

Done!! Chocolate milk in hand! Life is good :-)

Most of the team post run. We still look pretty happy even if we don't smell as good... :-)

Chicago Marathon - looking back at summer training

2010-09-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

The past two runs have been full of glorious fall like weather in the mornings!! I can't believe it's already starting to arrive. It is a much welcomed break from the unrelenting heat & humidity of the summer. I honestly can't remember a summer that was hotter than this one. With the last big training run before Chicago scheduled for this Saturday it got me to thinking about some of the things that have gotten me through the tough summer months of training:

My CamelBak Fairfax 50-Ounce Hydration Pack,Black/Hi Viz!!Some friends have laughed when I've shown up to training runs with it, but it has quite simply saved me this summer. I love having my hands free, and having the storage for my phone, any gels I might need or salt packets. I really can't sing it's praises enough! It's just the right size for my mid week runs, and with water stops on Saturday's I've never run out of water on my long runs. It took a little bit of work to get use to drinking out of the mouth piece, but it didn't take long to get the hang of it.

I've been running quite a bit more in my Newton running shoes, usually 1 or 2 runs a week (and I always wear them for my speed workouts). It's taken me a while to get use to them, but I love running in them. I definitely feel like I'm much more efficient and running is easier when I'm wearing them. My orthotics are a bit long for them, so I need to get new ones. I thought about running Chicago in them, but I haven't done any runs longer than 10 miles in them, so right now the plan is to wear my Mizunos for Chicago, and then continue to break the Newtons in for future races. I'm excited about checking out the Newton booth at the Chicago Marathon expo too. I bet I get into a lot of trouble ;-)

I have discover Pilate's! I planned to a lot more strength training this time round, and tried a bunch of different things. I started out with the 100 push up, 200 sit up, and 200 squat challenges, and after finishing those moved on to other things. I could definitely tell my running was improving, but I got tired of the repetitions. My friends Amy and Laura talk about Pilate's all the time. In fact I'm pretty sure Laura is trying to take over the world by convincing everyone to try a Pilate's class. See Laura, I'm on to you ;-). I wish going to an actual class fit into my schedule, but my non-conventional work hours mean I miss all of the Mat 1 classes at the studio I want to go to. Fortunately I found a pretty good workout to do at home, and even after just a couple of weeks I can tell a huge difference in my running. What in the world took me so long to try Pilate's?

After 4 marathons it was time to move from beginner runner to intermediate runner. With the help of my friend Amy we created a brand spanking new training schedule that is only slightly different than the Team in Training schedule. This time running was balanced with an equal amount of cross training, more strength training, longer runs, and speed workouts. Now that the weather is cooling off I can tell it's all starting to pay off. I spent most of the morning bouncing around despite a 20 mile bike ride and Pilate's. What, I ran 10 miles yesterday? I have 20 miles to run on Saturday? huh? No biggie, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce :-)

I love being an orchestra musician

2010-09-12T15:41:00.000-04:00

What better way to celebrate September 11th then with a concert full of patriotic music! All American music, some of it centuries old, and other recent celebrating different parts of American history. You know it's going to be a good concert when the first piece, the national anthem gets a standing ovation & people are still cheering as you start the second piece. It ended with our Irish conductor spiritedly running around the stage with decorative hats and decorating various musicians. It was hard to keep a straight face and play off beats. Lets just say they didn't all stay on the off beats...

we had a good laugh at this one. Go from playing really soft to softer, but really loud (from E.T. flying theme)

I really love playing in Savannah, and I was pretty happy when it sounded like I was going to continue to be asked to come back. Score!! I think there are some very exciting things going on, and the orchestra is heading in a really great direction. Not to mention it's really fun playing under a conductor that is passionate about music.

It wasn't all completely about work, although it was a lot of playing (my arms feel like they ran a marathon, which is saying something considering all the hours I normal play during the day). There was some food involved. Hey, you have to fuel properly to play well right? ;-)

good old southern BBQ

The Tea Room. I got soaked with no umbrella (fortunately nothing got into the violin case) and walked pathetically into the tea room asking if they did sandwiches. They found me a table and a bunch of napkins to dry off, and replaced my soon to be destroyed shopping bag. Then I had a super yummy lunch of soup, sandwich, tea, and an assortment of sweets. My kind of place!

Reynolds Square, right outside of the theatre

I ended up brown bagging it for dinner Saturday night from a cute little french sandwich shop.

brioche, ham, swiss cheese, brie, with honey Dijon mustard topped with thin apple slices along with a salad. YUMMY!!

Now I just need to find new black trousers before my next concert. There was a lot of pulling them down because they kept bunching over my quads every time I had to stand up (which was a lot). Yay for strong marathon legs. Now I just need trousers that fit them!

hello again mr. goat

2010-09-08T11:13:00.000-04:00

Yes my friends, the plastic goat is back!! Today he's the king of the hill :-). My favorite are the fake flowers just peeking in on the left side of the picture. Hysterical!! I saw him at the end of my 10 mile run this morning. I'm working in Savannah thins weekend and decided to change my runs around, and did my long run this morning. I thought it would be a good day to kick off a very long day. Oh, and it's my birthday ;-). So, I'm working till 9:30pm tonight and trying to find time to pack. And somewhere in all of that there will be cake!!

Down the Home stretch

2010-09-06T14:21:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that there are only 5 weeks standing between me and the Chicago Marathon. It seems like we just started yesterday, and yet it was a full 4 months ago! The ability to finish 26.2 has never crossed my mind having run the distance four times before. I wanted this time to be different. I played with my training schedule, ran some extra miles, and trained with a purpose. I balanced running with speed workouts, lots of cross training, and strength training with the goal of getting stronger and starting to find out what I'm capable of.

So, this weekend I ran the first of two 20 mile training runs. Yes, that's right, two 20 mile runs. I was unusually nervous before starting. I had butterflies fluttering around my stomach, allergies trying to upset the butterflies, and then there was the bug I swallowed running 2 miles before the group run. But I have great friends who started putting my mind to easy. Jessica came over smiled and said I would do awesome. Angela reminded me that I was going to a super yummy dinner the next day, and Lori and Jim were at water stops doing what they do best, handing out water, high fives, hugs, and smiles. I ran with my mentee Jaclyn, and both of us starting thinking the same thing a third of the way through, "this feels really awesome, and kind of easy. Are we going too fast?" The beautiful weather brought new possibilities to both of us, mostly that we are a lot stronger than we thought. The weather this summer has battered confidence down. It's been mostly about surviving more than anything else. This was one of the best runs in months, maybe even the best 20 miler period (20 miles in 3:18 an average of 10:03 per mile). It gave me such a needed boost of confidence going into the final weeks of training. My teammate, and fellow mentor Andy snapped a few pictures while we were running:

the Chicago team before starting our run

heading down one of several hills with Jaclyn

Sunday a new confidence was growing even more after discovering that I'm 95% of the way to my fundraising goal! I simply cannot express how much it means, and what a difference the money is making.

the $10 challenge

2010-08-18T11:54:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, I am training to complete the Chicago Marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program on October 10. In addition to training to complete 26.2 miles I have also committed to raising $2500 that will benefit the Leaukemia & Lymphoma Society's patient aid and cancer research programs. I am getting closer to my goal, but I still need to raise a little over $500. So, I am asking 50 people to donate $10 between now and August 31, 2010. Together we can do this, and to make it a little more fun each donation of $10 will be entered into a raffle for a $50 iTunes gift card!

Interested? Just go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/chicago10/bgartley

$10 alone may not seem like a lot, but together the power of our money can save many lives!!

Breaking the rules

2010-08-16T11:55:00.000-04:00

I have this sum what silly rule that I made up after my second marathon. Never, I repeat, never sign up for another marathon until I finish running the one I'm currently training for. Um, yeah so my 2011 race schedule has 2 marathons on it already. While it's a bit of a silly rule put in place because I was just unexcited about marathons for a bit after my 2nd one I have a really good reasoning for what I signed up for!

The first marathon cost all of $35. It was a post event special for next year's race, and honestly, how do you turn down a $35 marathon? For those not familiar with marathon prices the race entry for my next race (the Chicago Marathon) was $125.
The second race I signed up for was $30 off. Apparently some of my father's penny pinching ways have rubbed off on me. Now if you had to choose between $95 and $69 which would you choose? Yes, it's over a year away, but it's in a city a really enjoy running in (Savannah), and so many people I know are talking about doing the event. It was hard to pass up!

Normally I might be freaking out about this. Two more marathons? I'm strangely at peace with all of this. First, it gives me a chance to take some time to just focus on my running. Yes, I realize that not everyone wants to sign up over a year in advance for a race, but I'm working on planning some goals, and having some firm dates gives me a chance to plan. One of those goals is qualifying for Boston. I'm pretty far off that goal at the moment, and I think some time really focusing on my own training will get me where I want to go. I'm excited to run Chicago in 8 weeks (especially coming off a strong run this morning) and seeing where my training has taken me.

Anyway, that's where I am at the moment. Plus I want to do some shorter races too :-)

Stop the negative

2010-08-10T16:22:00.003-04:00

My violin teacher and I had a really good talk at my last lesson. The week before I had gotten very frustrated that things were not as good as I thought they were. I get frustrated pretty easily sometimes and it generally has very little to do with what is going on at the time. It actually goes back many, many years to teachers and people who have convinced me that I am not good enough.

For years I studied with violin teachers who constantly told me that I was no good. I had no business trying to pursue a career in music. Instead of helping me and showing how to fix things they would put me down or tell me that I was going to fail. When I had problems with something, no mater how hard I worked, the voice in my head said I would never get it right because I wasn't good enough.

I started applying to grad schools, and ended up having some rotten audition experiences. I was nervous, and wanted to make a good impression. On one particularly bad experience I was taken aside to a room, and told that I really had no business applying to that school, and if I so desired I could take some teacher training during the summer if I had to, but I really needed to learn how to play the violin. I spent the rest of the day in tears. I was no good and a failure.

I eventually got into grad school and started working with a violin teacher who believed in me, and saw the potential others didn't. With his encouragement things started to turn around. I started to believe in myself, and then I walked into one of my required classes. It was never actually offered, so I had to sign up as an independent study. I was given a syllabus and told to do the reading for each week and we would discuss it when we met. Half way through the semester I was being told that I was stupid and was use to having other people do things for me because I couldn't read the teacher's mind. See he didn't actually want me to do the readings he assigned. He wanted to go through the music encyclopedia and create list based on what we were studying and research hundreds of individual pieces (I might also mention at the time I had a 3.95 GPA. No one had ever done anything for me, nor had anyone ever considered me stupid). I always went to the bathroom after our meetings to cry before heading back to work. I felt worthless and no good. (A year ago it came up in a discussion with my mom. She was furious). This same instructor also tried to take away my small scholarship that the music school had given me, but my violin professor fought him and even got me more money. To this day I am incredibly grateful for what he did for me, and for standing up and believing in me.

Things got better for a while after grad school. I had a job teaching private lessons and was getting steady freelance work as a violinist. I was living my dream, and loving it. In the back on my mind I knew I wasn't good enough. I wanted to get better as a violinist. I knew that there were things that still needed work. So, I started taking lessons with my current teacher. Around the same time some things started happening at work. Students started leaving. What was wrong with me? It was implied that I must be the problem. And then the recession. There was a huge drop, not only in my studio, but the entire school. I was blamed for all of it. It was my fault that things were getting bad, and then totally unreasonable things were said to be the matter with me. I felt worthless, and no good. I struggled when I played assuming whenever I couldn't get something right it was because I was no good. I never did enough to help my parents, and what I did was not good enough. We went on a family vacation to Italy (after another disastrous audition), and I was in charge of the map. Was I sure I really knew where I was going? I never said the right thing. Everything I seemed to do was wrong, which didn't help the fact that I was miserable from the audition.

Fast forward to last week's violin lesson. My frustration had nothing to do with what my teacher was trying to help me with, and everything to do with the sense of worthlessness that I couldn't shake. I couldn't do what he was asking because I was no good. I know that it isn't true, but so often I am told that there is something wrong me. I only hear the negative. I crave positive feedback and encouragement and feel flat when it doesn't come. And then one day last summer I came across a site called Operation Beautiful. The title of Caitlin's book says it all "Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way you See Yourself One Post-it at a Time"

I've only just started reading the book, but it is incredibly inspiring to read about women how have battled their demons and won just by changing the way they think from negative to positive. It is time to stop hearing the negative and to reprogram the way I think to the positive. My violin teacher started really. He told me that I have a gift with hearing intonation. "What good is the gift you don't use it? 75% of the musicians out there would kill to have this gift. You are the only one who stands in the way of your potential." It ends today!

63 days

2010-08-09T06:00:00.002-04:00

"So much in life seems inflexible and unchangeable, and part of the joy of running especially racing is the realization that improvement and progress can be achieved" - Nancy Anderson, runner

It would have been so easy to give up during Saturday's run, which would have been a huge shame considering how the 1st 3/4 of the run went (felt incredibly strong). See 3/4 of the way through the run I tripped. The sidewalk was a little messed up and I didn't quite get my foot high enough to clear the raised part. The next thing I knew I was headed towards the ground. My old soccer instincts kicked, and I rolled to my left after my right hand slammed into the ground. Soccer rolls work great on grass! Not so handy with cement. Sitting on the sidewalk with 5 other freaked out teammates I had a choice. I could go on, or I could quit. Quitting never occurred to me. After a minute I hopped up and got everyone going again. It wasn't easy, but I did it. A marathon isn't easy either, and I wouldn't stop if the same thing happened during the race.

It's hard to believe how close we are starting to get to Chicago. My aunt sent me this a couple of weeks ago when she was in Chicago:

I keep it next to my bed conveniently right by my alarm clock so that I remember why I'm getting up before dawn to go for a run. 63 days is all that stands between me and the Chicago Marathon. I'm getting so close with my fundraising too, but I still need your help. In the next 54 days I need to raise $1038 dollars. A donation as little as $5 can make a huge difference in the life of someone diagnoised with cancer by giving them the information they need from a patient care information packet. You can help by going to my fundraising site. Thanks!

Spazzing

2010-08-04T10:50:00.000-04:00

I think I might be going crazy. Okay, maybe I should say I feel like I'm going crazier since I'm already a little bit crazy. I feel like I'm spinning in circles with no end in sight. Between training, practicing, teaching lessons, fundraising, and helping out my parents there never seems to a minute free. It's part of the reason I haven't written in a bit.

I had been working really hard on some things while I've been practicing. There are two pieces that I am suppose to memorize and I'm having the hardest time getting it done. It's dawned on me that part of the reason is that I'm so stressed out about them. Well, apparently I missed a few other things. My first lesson in three weeks was yesterday, and I got frustrated that things were not as good as I thought they were. I want to be pushed so that I can continue to get better. I wouldn't pay several hundreds of dollars a month if I didn't feel that way. I was tired, and speaking emphatically was only making me more frustrated because I didn't understand. It didn't help anything else go well yesterday
I had to open up another day to teach lessons start in the fall because my schedule is finally full! Yay for more work! The problem is that I am now swamped at a rather crazy time. And then there's the bit about rescheduling Thursday students that I didn't originally have when I started accepting orchestra jobs. Never a dull moment!
I don't think I've ever trained for a race with this much purpose or intensity. I always train for the races I run, but this one is different. I'm logging more miles than ever before with all the running and crossing training, and logging several strength training workouts a week. It's making me very hungry, and very tired. I always forget how tired I get when the mileage starts getting really high in the peak training weeks. It almost always affects my violin playing because I'm so tired it's harder to get the practicing I need in, and I tend to miss things that only end up making my violin lessons frustrating. Getting up at 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning to try and avoid some of the heat is wearing me out...
To help with fundraising I've been working at the consession stand that Team in Training Georgia works at the Braves games. While it's helping me reach my fundraising goal it's also an extra 8 hours a game on my feet, which makes training challenging (thank goodness for cross training!!). It is also a job within itself. But I'm within a $1000 of my goal!

Sorry, it's not a very interesting post. Things are kind of crazy, and there never seems to be enough time at the moment. Hopefully I'll have more exciting things down the road!

A short trip to Charleston

2010-07-26T10:21:00.000-04:00

Since we were a short 2 hour drive away we went to Charleston for a day. First up Drayton Hall. I think it's rained almost every time we go (it's not my favorite plantation, but I don't mind tagging along to make Dad happy)

the old rice patties

Mom got her bottle tree (she's wanted one for 2 years now)

Mom and I both wanted to go into Charleston afterwards, which isn't what Dad had decided we would do, but we talked him into it. We made it down one street :(, but at least it was at Battery Park so we got to see the bay, and some of the pretty, and very expensive houses.

we got some treats. I think Dad enjoyed the cookie stop

It might be too much house, but can't you see me here? :-)

Fripp Island

2010-07-23T12:47:00.000-04:00

A week at Fripp Island, SC in pictures:

everyone rides around on a suitcase right?

waiting in the check-in line

the view from the back porch

another view

big black furry dog + water = the good life!

the wonder dog, classic doggie paddle

Johnson Creek Tavern (my favorite for a low country boil!). They decorate with the dollars people leave behind (and sometimes leave fun messages on)

sunset from the house

Crabby Pelicans and Salty Dogs

2010-07-22T07:00:00.002-04:00

I promise I haven't fallen off the face of the planet. :-) Last week I was at the beach with the family. My parents have been renting a house on Fripp Island, SC since I was in elementary school. The last time we were there was 2 years ago when I was training for my second marathon. It was hot! Really hot, and being the beach, it was humid. I couldn't even make it 3 miles. This time I was going to make it, and ended up having an awesome week of running! After biking and driving around the island I had a little fun on my 6 mile run with some of the house signs. Here we go!

The street we were staying on. No irony at all here...

what can you do other than laugh?

Marco? Has anyone seen Marco?

deers (the natives!) and salty toes...

It was a pretty awesome turn out point! Morning sunrise :-)

This is one of my favorites. I kept thinking of the twitter band of salty bananas for some reason...

And across the street (not making it up!)

Sums it up pretty well don't you think?

2010 Peachtree Road Race

2010-07-06T07:00:00.004-04:00

This year's race was a bit of a mix bag for me. Getting to the race was a blast. After getting up at 5 am and eating my sister, her friend who was visiting for the weekend, and I all jumped on MARTA to the start line. We got our picture taken a few times along the way, and then I started running into friends. First, my friend Renee who I had seen in ages. It was great to catch up with her. Then Rachel got my attention (I'm not sure how long she had been yelling. I got up at 5, I was little tired...), and then a whole mess of Team in Training friends!

Believe it or not I actually had a plan going into the race. I wanted to take advantage of the 1st 3 miles that were downhill. It would give me a chance to get warmed up without having to work too hard, and it I would have a good time base going into the hills. After that I could sprint to the finish. The best part was having friends and my coach from last fall on this part of the course. I stop for hugs!! ;-)

Splits: mile 1 9:09, mile 2 8:39, mile 3 8:36

Ah yes, the hills. The second half of the course is pretty much all uphill. Fortunately I've been running the hardest one at least once a week for the last several weeks, so I knew I could get up the darn thing. It's a two part hill that goes right in front of the hospital and has earned the name "Cardiac Hill" (not only because it's in front of the hospital, but there have also been several heart attacks). My parents were waiting to cheer me on at the flat part between the two inclines. I knew running up to them that I was starting to get into trouble

(not my favorite picture, but it gives you an idea of what's going on)

I got up to the waterstop at the top of the second incline and walked through it, drinking half the cup, and dumping the rest on my head. I knew I was starting to overheat, so I tried slowing down. I knew I had one more major hill to get up before things got a bit easier. For the better part of the next mile I had to run/walk. I didn't have a choice. I was too hot, and between waterstops. I was mad at myself for half a minute, and then the light bulb went on. I needed to focus on what was going on. I needed to cool down. It didn't mater how much time it took, I had to do it. After getting across the highway overpass the street is finally shaded for minute, and I was able to start running again, and make it to the next waterstop. I wasn't so worried about drinking water. I had a sports drink with me, and I was actually worried that I had been drinking too much. I took one sip, and then dumped the almost full cup over my head and the back of my neck. After that I started cruising. I kept telling myself it didn't mater about my pace. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I don't know when things started to pick up. It was rather gradual. All I know is that I didn't feel like I was running. I felt like I was flying. I didn't feel rushed, or out of breathe. It was the most amazing feeling. I got to mile 5 and looked at my watch for the first time and couldn't believe it when I saw 48:00. I had 12 minutes left to match my time from last year. Heck I could do that. I hit 12th street, 2 blocks till the turn. Next thing I knew I was zooming pass Margaret Mitchell's house and turning onto 10th street. It was all downhill, and that's when the sprint started. Despite almost running straight into a lady who decided to walk across the street right in front of me I cruised home to the finish a full minute ahead of last year's PR in 58:15!

Splits: mile 4 10:10, mile 5 11:02, mile 6 8:32, .20 2:07 (a 7:16 pace!)

Sprinting to the finish

post race group shot

Looking back I wish I could have miles 4 and 5 back. I know I did the right thing, I just wish things had gone differently. I'm feeling much better about my training for Chicago. It's been hard doing runs this summer, and I've had to slow down a lot to deal with the heat and humidity. I spent the rest of the day with a headache and sneezing my head off before heading to the Braves game with my family. They lost, of course (they always seem to loose when I'm there), but there was an awesome post game concert by Yacht Rock Revue (they were also at the race finish area), and fireworks. So much fun singing along! Oh, and I had ice cream. That seemed to fix everything :-)

Fourth of July

2010-07-02T14:26:00.000-04:00

I would have to say that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There's just something about a holiday that centers around eating food that makes it really awesome in my book (I do enjoy seeing my family too, it's not just about eating!). And then there's probably my 2nd favorite holiday, the 4th of July. When I was younger I was a bit of a history nut. I loved reading books about the early leaders of our country, and the colonial period. We use to visit my grandmother who lived outside of Charlotesville, VA and would often go visit Williamsburg. I loved it! And then there were the fireworks out on the lake. Lots of good memories! Like the time I got bronchitis while we were at my grandmother's house. I promptly gave it to my brother. See, I'm nice like that ;p. This year the family is going to the Braves game, which they will probably loose because I am there. As an added bonus there are fireworks after the game!!

Since 2007 my new tradition is running the Peachtree Road Race. There's nothing like sweating it out with 55,000 of my closest friends. It's not an easy course (1st 3 miles are downhill, the last 3 miles are uphill), but it's such a fun race. It's a people watchers dream! You would not believe the costumes (my favorite remains the guys in speedos running with flippers inviting everyone to their pool party). Last year I finally made it in under an hour. This year it looks like it might actually cool enough enough that I might have a fighting chance to beat last year's time.

2008 PRR

2009 PRR

How ever you choose to celebrate the holiday just remember what it's about. The birth of our country. So, run, eat, and be merry. Thank those who continue to keep our country safe.

The goat

2010-06-29T10:35:00.000-04:00

I've been very amused by a house up the street for some time. It had been on the market or for rent for quite some time. Someone finally bought it not too long ago and started doing some improvements along with taking out a tree from the garden in the front yard. It's important to say that I live in a neighborhood that is on the outer edge of Buckhead in Atlanta. Certain parts of Buckhead are pretty upscale and fancy. While our neighborhood is not the super fancy part of Buckhead it's still a nice family section of town. Some people have pretty glass globe in their gardens, stones, or statues. Landscaping is taken seriously by some and there are some pretty fancy yards and gardens.

One day I was driving to work and I saw this in the garden of the afore mentioned house:

Yes, that's right. It's a goat. I had no idea that such things were used as garden decoration. It is rather funny. And then I started to notice that it wasn't always in the same place everyday. You see, the goat moves!

(he was a little shy today)

I'm so glad I have picture proof now so that I don't sound crazy. And so it is, the continuing saga of the plastic goat. I wonder where he'll be tomorrow (there was a suitcase blocked by the pillar. If he's going on vacation I hope he has a good time!)

Desserts for a cure

2010-06-26T13:32:00.000-04:00

Whose Dessert is Best?
Dessert cook-off

Do you have what it takes?
Do you have the best cookies in three states? Or a cake that’s to die for? Come show off your cooking talents in our dessert cook-off. Or perhaps your skills lie in eating. We need tasters! Because we have to know who has the best cake, cookies, etc. Bring the whole family and enjoy an evening of dessert sampling, beverages, and fabulous raffle prizes while helping us find a cure for cancer!

What:     Dessert cook-off benefiting Bonnie & Katie for Team in Training
When:     Thursday July 22, 2010
Where:    515 Overbrook Dr., NW
    Atlanta, GA 30318
Time:     7:00 - 9:00 pm
Other:     with a dessert $10
    general admission $20
    kids $10, 3 & under free

Humidity

2010-06-17T14:35:00.000-04:00

I have never been a big fan of running in the heat and humidity of the summer. I over heat really easily. One year on a mission trip I over heated so badly that I spent the evening in the bathroom unable to even keep a salad down. There's a similar story from soccer conditioning in high school. I feel silly carrying water with me on 3 mile runs, but at this point in the year I get nervous of what might happen if I don't. Funny we were talking about just this very topic on dailymile yesterday (sign up! it's free and awesome!). Here are a few of my tricks for the summer heat & humidity:

I always carry my own water on all of my runs in the summer, even for Team in Training runs that have waterstops. As a former girl scout I'm always prepared. Plus, you never know what might happen during a race. Best to bring what you need. Plus, there are these fabulous sugar free electrolyte drink tablets called Nuun (since I'm cavity prone I don't do Gatorade also known as a sugar bath for your teeth. Plus I went to Florida State. We're not big fans of gators...). Just drop one in your water and it creates a fabulous electrolyte beverage to carry along!
Salt - I'm a heavy, salty sweater (that might be a little more than you wanted to know). I learned after my first marathon that salt was going to become a very good friend. During the summer it's a salt packet 30 minutes before a run, 1/2 way through, and coaches have suggested after the run. It's not unusual for me to take additional salt packets during the run. It just depends on the day.
Dri-fit - "cotton is rotten" is a favorite phrase of out TNT coaches. Dri-fit is your friend. Love it!!!
visor or sweat bands - got to keep the sweat out of the eyes. Plus if you're dumping water over your head the visor keeps it out of your eye with a better chance of getting more of the water where you want it. This often makes me look like I've jumped in a lake (my mom has asked upon my return home if I just took a shower. No mom I just went running...)
Ice bath - seriously, there is nothing better after a long run in the summer heat (I know I'm weird. I like ice baths). Not only do you cool off, but it helps your legs recover from all of the hard pounding.

One positive, my pores are nice and clean :-). Sadly the summer often means I have to run slower, but then running slower helps your endurance. Maybe it's mother nature's way of helping me finish my marathons in good shape. Dear God, please let it be cool and not humid for Chicago!

Another Year

2010-06-15T11:43:00.001-04:00

I always seem to get nostalgic this time of year. It seems like so many things happen at the end of May or in June. May marked 4 years since I graduated from grad school in Milwaukee. It was marked 4 years since my Dad's stroke. I remember him coming home from the hospital and watching the World Cup 24 hours a day while I cooked, cleaned, took care of the dogs, worked, practiced, and took care of both parents. I have to admit that I'm not really excited about the World Cup this time around. As a former soccer player myself I find that kind of sad, but I can't help thinking back to what was going on the last time the tournament happened. I'm sorry World Cup, it's me, not you. (thankfully things are better now. My parents still need help. There are ups and downs, and I'm here to help)

Two years ago this week I went out for a Saturday run with a good friend who helped me discover my love of running. Nothing fancy, just a nice moderate run to get ready for the Peachtree Road Race. When I got home my parents were on the phone with my Uncle Clyde who lived in San Diego. At first I didn't realize how odd this was until I started to hear some of the conversation. (calling the east coast around 10:00 AM was odd considering the time difference) He had pancreatic cancer, and in 48 hours was having surgery. He wasn't expecting to make it through the surgery, but if he did he was going to fight. At first I thought that it wasn't a big deal. That is until I started doing a little research on pancreatic cancer. Then I started to get worried. It's hard to catch because there aren't symptoms specific to it. They present as symptoms that could be a dozen different things. It's an incredibly fast growing cancer, and is the #1 leading cause of cancer death (99% fatality rate in the 1st year alone). I went off to some teacher workshops the Monday of his surgery with my phone in front of me the whole day. By lunch time he had made it through surgery and was recovering. Everything had gone well, and everything looked good. I wish I could say that it stayed that way. Everyone was on edge. There were frantic and hysterical phone calls from other family members early in the morning. After a second surgery we thought we were good. There was even talk of what his chemo treatments would be and when they might start. Sadly, things went down hill. In three weeks it will be the 2nd anniversary of my Uncle's death.

As one of my friends says "it's best to make lemonade out of lemons." Which is why I was in a Team in Training information meeting 4 days after my Uncle's death. I was tired of cancer. My Aunt had beat breast cancer. My grandmother survived colon cancer. There have been other cancer scares as well. There had to be something I could do to make a difference. Team in Training presented the perfect opportunity. My friend was running the San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Marathon, Team in Training was participating, and my Uncle's sons lived there. It was the perfect fit. The best part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is that they share their research. All of the drugs developed by LLS through Team in Training dollars have been FDA approved. Gleevec has been approved for treatment in several different cancers including stomach and certain types of breast cancer. The others have started or are starting research and trials for treatment in other cancers

This year I'm taking on the Chicago Marathon, and continuing to raise money to find an end to cancer. I want to raise $3000, and I'm 10% of the way there. Maybe you can help me get there. Check out my fundraising site for more information.

When an injury can be a good thing

2010-06-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

Until Wednesday I hadn't had a violin lesson in a week and a half. It has been completely frustrating. Never mind that I had not even touched my violin until this past Sunday. I played for a whole 5 minutes, and then put the violin down in pain. It was one of those "yay I played for 5 minutes!!!" wrapped into "holy crap does this hurt." Why? Well it all goes back to the finger smashing that occurred two weeks ago. Even after taking a day off and feeling better the combination of smashed fingers and repetitive motion of pounding away on the violin was too much for my poor second finger. There have been a lot of tears, and frustration. For a whole week I did not touch the violin. All that hard work of the past several weeks went down the drain.

After a little experimenting I figured out that I could indeed play my violin again. It meant being super careful. I have to work super hard to make sure I wasn't pressing too hard, something I needed to work on anyway. It's forced me to be more aware of several things I needed to work on. So, with great trepidation I went my my violin lesson Wednesday night. In past experiences teachers have not always been very supportive the first lesson back after an injury. It's always my fault for not practicing enough despite the pain. That didn't happen Wednesday. If fact my teacher actually noticed that I was using the injury to my advantage by slowing down, and paying much more attention to what I was doing. Plus he encouraged me to continue doing the same thing as the injury healed. I felt like he was jumping up and down saying "yes, yes, yes, this is the right way." And, to top it all off he actually said this was a very good lesson despite the fact that I had only really practiced for three days. Keep it slow, and then challenge yourself with a faster pace to see if the skills continue, then slow down and fix any form problems (sounds eerily like speed drills in running if you ask me). That's how things would continue to go in the right direction. My biggest struggle has always been the balance between speed and technique. I often sacrifice the technique to have the speed I need in a piece. Once again my violin and running worlds are colliding with each other.

I will admit that my favorite part of my lesson was finding out that MY BOW WAS BACK FROM SPAIN!! All fixed and pretty after a forte night of traveling and repairs (it didn't call, or write, or bring back a present). The bow maker is an absolute genius! He saved the gold winding (gold, by the way, is currently going for $1200 an ounce), and only charged me for the labor. Somehow he managed to rewind the gold backwards starting from the top of the winding, tuck it back under the leather which he didn't touch and secure the top end. All of that is backwards from the way a winding is normally done (usually the metal is applied first starting at the bottom and tucked under at the top. Then the leather is applied on top of the bottom end of the metal winding to secure it). It cost half of what I had saved. Plus, he rehaired the bow, re-cambered the bow, and made it all shiney and pretty. God bless him! I would have paid more, but my violin teacher wouldn't hear of it. Honestly, if anyone is looking for a really awesome bow at a good price I would be more than happy to pass his name along. If I ever win the lottery I'm going to buy 10 more of his bows. They are that good!

So, now it's on to getting reacquainted with my bow and violin speed intervals. Oh, and lots of ice still...

Wordless Wednesday - post run walk with the doggies

2010-06-09T10:06:00.000-04:00

A new beginning

2010-06-07T11:43:00.000-04:00

I don't really talk about where I work on the blog (you never know who is reading), but today, today I am very excited. I took the morning off of trying to practice and most of the things I would usually do because I needed to clean. And not just clean the house, but I needed to clean my studio space in the house. Why? Because tomorrow my home studio officially has it's very first student! (granted they are lessons I donated to an auction, but you have to start somewhere).

My studio, well technically it's the basement. I have a nice private entrance from the back of the house. The only thing is that I share space with the exercise equipment and the dogs. The desk is now free of tennis balls for fetch and dog bones. I suspect it will work better that way! The space is all clean and dusted. The new area rug is down, and the dehumidifier is now on (it's a basement in the south!).

I'm honestly very excited. This is something I have dreamed about for years. Last summer after getting incredibly frustrated with my current situation I decided it was time to start setting things in motion. I got my website set up, and did some advertising. I got lots of e-mails from people interested in lessons, but they were only nibbles, no bites. I need to get some things in order this summer to see if I can continue to grow, especially after the schools start back in the fall. Having a studio at home and working for myself is what I've always wanted, and would take care of some of the other things that have been so frustrating in the past year. So, here's to a new beginning. It's starting small, but it's only the beginning. There are more chapters to come to this story!

Oh the joyful bath

2010-06-03T15:57:00.000-04:00

Recovery is a big thing. Recovering from hours of practicing, long rehearsals, and concerts. Oh, and then there are the runs. Most post long run days involve an ice bath, especially in the summer. But what about those days when things are a little sore, but an ice bath is over kill? Enter the Joyful Bath Co.! I found them on twitter a few weeks ago, and thought I would give them a try. What makes Joyful Bath special you ask? Well, the creator (or chief mixologist is her official title) is an athlete. She gets it! All of the bath salts are made from natural products with no perservatives. Music to my ears!! And, well the bath salts rock! I got a large jar of Ginger snap:

I love ginger, and these are labeled as releasing bath salts to help perfect for post workout soaks. Plus they come packed in cornstarch packing peanuts. What's so great about that? They dissolve in water, and they are great so people with itchy skin. To be honest I'm not sure which I love more, the bath salts, or the cornstarch peanuts. They both make me one happy runner after a bath!

Not sure yet? What if I told you there was a way to try them free? Every Wednesday is bathday on Twitter. Just follow Joyful Bath Co on twitter and look for the magic tweets (they usually start after 11am). Rochel gives away 2oz free samples of all of the different scents. It's a win-win if you ask me!

These will definitely be coming with me on freelance jobs and to the Chicago Marathon!

ice, ice baby...

2010-05-31T12:21:00.000-04:00

I feel like I have an excuse for everything violin related at the moment. Oh I was sick for three days. My fingers got smashed. And now I think I've bruised one of my fingers. It sounds small, but I can tell you from experience it's not a lot of fun. I got halfway through one of my pieces Saturday and started noticing my second finger was not happy when it touched the violin. Currently I'm typing this with one hand while icing the offending finger. I thought it was getting better yesterday and re-scheduled my lesson from today to Tuesday morning. Now, well the stupid finger hurts more now than it did all day yesterday. It's super sensitive every time I touch something or even brush it against anything. I'm tired of making excuses for myself. It has overshadowed my awesome 20 mile bike ride from Sunday, and my first attempt at mile repeats this morning (and you will think I'm crazy for saying I enjoyed them despite how hard they are!). It stinks that this just keeps happening right when things are going really well with my lessons. Yet again I have had to stop playing. Frankly it's just as bad if not worse than not being able to run. I swear I'm not accident prone (although my teacher my argue with that one). So, it looks like I might be canceling my lesson, which stinks! I'll just need to work on getting everything else on the to do list done...

Catching up

2010-05-29T12:11:00.000-04:00

Um, so it's been a while since I've written. Yeah, sorry about that. Things have been a little crazy...

The front window in my bedroom is being replaced. I'm currently sleeping in one room, and getting everything I need out of my room. Tuesday I moved furniture since they ordered the wrong type of window, which can't be returned so that I would have access to a window that does open & close in case of an emergency. Then they decided to trim out the other window the same as the new and I had to move things all over again...
The room I'm sleep in doesn't have a 3 prong grounded outlet for my computer. I do have internet, which is more than I can say for my bedroom when I climb over everything to plug it in (I have a powerbook G4 laptop) and actually try to get to what I need to get to done. So, I either have internet, or a plug...
I was helping my mom trim our neighbors tree on Thursday. It's growing into the roof of our house and has a vine growing up that's trying to take over. I pulled the tree over to the window so she could trim it, and she proceed to smash 3 of my left fingers while trying to get to a branch. She ran off to get ice leaving me stuck (my shirt had gotten caught in the window, and I could get the grabber I was using out of the tree) with ants climbing all over my right arm. So now I have three smashed fingers and some ant bites...
I still have about 20 pages of music to memorize. My teacher thinks it's great that I have more time to practice except that I had to move furniture all day on Tuesday, and now have 3 smashed fingers that still bother me when I play. I think out of the 20 pages I have 4 memorized. This is going to take a while...

The good news is that I can run again!! And I'm pretty excited to go biking with some friends Sunday morning. I got my bike checked out, fixed, and adjusted (the seat was about an inch too high) during the week. Plus I went and played with shoes at the Big Peach Running Co Thursday morning, and have some awesome new bath salts for post long run soaks! Lots to share once I get everything working. Now I just need the painters to come do their job so my room can have blinds and curtains again... Fingers crossed for Tuesday!

germs, germs, and more germs

2010-05-20T14:56:00.000-04:00

I feel like I am always saying I'm sick. It all started a week before the 2009 Nike Women's Marathon. Enter cold number one. 8 months later I am still battling germs. I feel like I've had at least one cold a month. It just never stops. Part of the problem is probably the fact that my students walk in for their violin lesson and then cough all over me. Despite the large can of Lysol that sits in my studio the germs just keep winning. Maybe it's my body's way of telling me it's time to slow down.

When I walked out of the house yesterday I had every intention of doing my 10 mile long run. After 2 1/2 miles I knew that was never going to happen. I felt like I couldn't breathe, so I turned right and headed home. While there were lots of good things about the 5 mile run, but I was worried I was getting sick again. I wish I had realized before I left the house. I spent the rest of the morning coughing, which my stomach wasn't able to handle, and then a possible fever settled in. Not what I wanted. It meant taking time off from both running and my violin. My arms felt like they were made out of lead.

The good news is that after napping all morning I'm finally starting to feel better. No more fever, and no more coughing. I'm hoping that I can join the group for our 3 mile run Saturday. I'm ready to run again! Now I just need to get through 3 violin lessons this afternoon...

moving forward

2010-05-17T10:55:00.000-04:00

Sometimes moving forward isn't always comfortable. It means going outside of that box that we've gotten so comfortable in. To get somewhere new it often requires us to stretch ourselves, and put ourselves in a situation that isn't always comfortable. For years I've struggled with playing in tune and getting a good sound out of my violin. While teachers have pointed out what was wrong, they didn't always explain how to fix it. So, I did what i thought was right. Instead of playing in tune I focused more on making sure my hand was in the right spot and comfortable and then tried to get everything in tune. The more I work with my current teacher, the more I discover I was wrong. In all fairness to my past teachers, many of them came from teachers who expected them to figure things out on their own. They teach the same way they were taught. Things have changed a great deal not only in violin playing, but also teaching in the last 20 years. There have been many times when I have felt slightly dumb for saying that I don't know something. I have two music degrees and there are basic techniques that I struggle with. And then something just clicked...

A couple of weeks ago I had an audition. In the two weeks leading up to the audition I was starting to get "it." It's not about being comfortable all of the time. It's about doing things right and really focusing on doing them right every time. So, I'm a bit sore at the moment, but you wouldn't believe the sound coming out of my violin. My teacher says I had my "break through" moment. I wasn't even sure how to respond to all of the nice things he said about my violin playing. The majority of my lessons through college were the exact opposite. At one point I was almost in tears after being told that my sound was beautiful. Then he told me it would feel uncomfortable and to go memorize my piece. Sure no big woop. It's only 14 pages long... I'm not a great memorizer, but if I can figure out how to make a beautiful sound, then darn it I'm going to figure out how to memorize this piece (for the record I LOVE the piece!!).

It's been four days of being a little sore (I need to relax more) and uncomfortable (goodbye old box), but I think I'm going into my next lesson with an even better sound, and 1 page memorized. Maybe he'll ask for the other piece... :-)

And We're off!

2010-05-16T15:34:00.000-04:00

It has been a crazy, crazy week! But out of all of the days Saturday was definitely my favorite. Not because it was Saturday and I didn't have to work (although I spent the afternoon practicing, e-mailing, and calling on work related stuff), but because of a morning full of Team in Training awesomeness!

The Chicago support staff @kick-off Mob style

Andy, myself, Julie, and our coach Cruger

Saturday was the first group training session (GTS) for the Chicago team. I've only been looking forward to this since March when I got the e-mail saying I had been chosen to be a mentor. So, to say I had a nervously, excited tummy that morning was an understatement. It was doing cartwheels. After a coaches clinic overview of helpful nuggets of information ("cotton is rotten!") we went out for a 3 mile run. Who turned the humidity switch to on? And who said that it was okay? I was dripping by the time I got back. I had merrily bounced around to various runners on the team. I started with the faster group and kept them on the course since none of them had gotten a map, and then switched to some of the newer runners.

But my favorite part of the morning came later. As some of you may or may not know the Country Music Marathon pulled runners of the course because of tornado warnings the day of the race. That meant that not one of our Georgia Team in Training runners got to complete the marathon. They all got medals and times for whatever distance they completed, and took what had happened in stride. Enter the wonderful staff of TNT. While some of the runners were trying without success to find a marathon the TNT staff noticed that there was a 20 mile run scheduled for this weekend. Then the brilliant idea of adding another 6.2 miles for the CMM team started. And we all got to cheer them along. Granted it wasn't the best weather. No one really wants to run 26.2 miles in 70+ degree heat and extremely high humidity, but they did it. It wasn't easy for them, but no one left until they were all done. Some ran the last 6 miles with them, others stood at spots towards the end to help run people in. It was an amazing sight. I get teary eyed looking at the pictures every time. It was truely a great moment, and a fabulous way to kick off the season! I love spending time with my Team in Training family!

Newton Running Shoes: 1st impressions

2010-05-13T10:45:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back I was in Savannah for a performance. I went for my usually Saturday run and explored parts of the city. The further I ran the more I started to notice that I was having trouble landing mid foot. It was frustrating. The more I thought about it, and the more I talked to other runners on dailymile and twitter the more I realized that my shoes were getting in the way. Don't get me wrong, I loved my Mizunos, but something just wasn't right. So, that weekend in Savannah I decided that I would finally try out a pair of Newton Running shoes. It never hurts to try.

Fortunately there are a couple of stores in Atlanta that carry Newton Running Shoes (this sadly does not include my favorite Big Peach), so I was able to actually go to a store, get fitted, and actually try the shoes out before buying them. I couldn't believe how light they were! Seriously, I felt like I was bouncing around the parking lot as I was testing them out. I could tell that they were much different than my Mizunos, and I knew that it meant paying much more attention to how I land when I run. After much debate about what size I needed I walked out with a pair of 10 1/2s. Normally I wear 10s, and the couple of times that I've worn 10 1/2s didn't go well (1st time I tripped over my own feet and busted my chin. 2nd time I had knee problems from the shoe's being too big). They assured me that Newtons run small and that it wouldn't be a problem. So, two days later I took them out for a test run and knew instantly that the 10 1/2s were a big problem. I felt like I was running on a slip-n-slide. While I was having an easy time of landing on mid-foot my feet were slipping all over the place inside the shoes no matter how tight I tied them. The store said that I could return them if I didn't like them, so I headed over the next day to see if I could exchange them for a pair of size 10s. They took them right back and handed me a pair of 10s no questions asked! Score!

It's taken some adjusting, but I've been running in the Newtons for a couple of weeks now. For those who aren't familiar with Newton running shoes they have a lowered heel, and have more cushioning on the fore-foot (they call them "lugs") to promote a fore-foot strike. While I was looking at the shoes someone argued that they force your foot to land a certain way. Trust me, they don't "force" my foot to do anything. My foot can do whatever it wants, and does! I can certainly tell that I'm getting stronger each time I wear them. The more I wear them the more my pronation problems go away, but I have to slowly work them into longer runs. I think I wore them too much last week, and my knee started bothering me a little. go back and forth between the Newtons and my Mizunos is causing a little bit of a problem. Now I notice just how heavy my Mizunos are and how raised the heel is. It's driving me nuts, but I know I'm not ready to do all of my runs in the Newtons.

I have a lot of respect for the Newtons. Are they the shoe for me? To be honest, I'm still not sure. I find them very interesting, and I can definitely tell that the switch to a shoe that lets me land on my fore-foot is helping! I like than they are low on my ankle, and that foot doesn't feel encased in the shoe. They breathe really well (I can see my feet through the mesh :)), and the toe box is wider than my Mizunos so there is plenty of room for my toes to spread a bit when I land. I have to be very focused when I run though. Do not assume that you will always land where you want when you run. If there is one thing I've learned from my violin playing that carries into running it's that you have to stay focused on what you want to accomplish in order for it to happen. Just tuning out is where things can go astray. I'm looking forward to running in them again this weekend (I took a little break this week). So far the first impression is favorable, although to truefully answer what I think about the Newtons is going to take more time, and more runs, which I'm looking forward to!

experimenting

2010-05-10T09:43:00.000-04:00

I am a schedule person. I get up at the same time 5 days a week, practice at the same time everyday, and teach lessons during certain hours. I like order. So, if you give me a schedule that says run four days a week that's what I'm going to do (and clearly I love having a running schedule). But this week I tried something different. I didn't start out to only run 3 days this week, but because of the weather that's what happened, and I have to say I'm kind of intrigued by the idea. I feel like I have a ton of energy (there's a new idea), and that I'm look forward to my runs even more than I already was. So here's what I'm going to try for at least a couple of weeks:

Monday - speed work. It rotates between tempo runs, 400 yard, and 800 yard speed intervals (this morning it was 7x400)
Tuesday - cross train and strength train
Wednesday - run (it will be my long run for a little while)
Thursday - cross train and strength train
Friday - the holy day of rest
Saturday - Team in Training group run (affectionately know as GTS)
Sunday - cross train and strength train

This morning's run was awesome! It was getting harder to recover on the last couple of intervals, but even after the mile I had to run to get home after I finished I felt like I had tons of energy, and could keep going (maybe I need to push more on the intervals). Plus I'm excited to put some yoga back into the routine. Yesterday's 60 minute yoga workout kicked my rear a little, but I got all the way through it, which is something I've struggled with on this particular yoga workout (it's yoga for runners. a combination on strengthing poses and flexibilty). I can feel that I'm getting stronger, and I'm pretty excited about it! Plus tomorrow is fall season kick-off for Team in Training, which means this morning was officialy my first workout towards the Chicago marathon! So excited!

Maybe you could help me get started on the way to my goal: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/chicago10/bgartley

Right around the corner

2010-05-05T06:00:00.001-04:00

Do you ever have that feeling when you just know something big is coming? You don't know what it is, or when it will come, but you know something is on the way. I've had that feeling since Wednesday after my audition. I don't know what it is. I don't have anything planned, but I just feel like something is coming that's going to make a huge difference. I have that feeling while I'm running these days too. Like something is about to sneak up on me.

So, I'm doing my best to get ready for whatever "it" is. My teacher and I had a great talk at my lesson Monday. He assured me that while there are still things to work on that I'm on the right track, and I am good enough to be a professional violinist (this is something I've struggle a lot with over the past year). He found out some things about the audition committee from my audition last Wednesday that made him really angry. Needless to say, I will no longer be doing that audition. I am starting to look for other auditions in the region while I continue to work out some of the kinks I have in my technique. There's no time like the present to get better!

I'm going through the same thing with my running. I had a fabulous time running the Big Peach 5k this past Saturday despite coming off a cold. It was a new 5k PR (26:55), which placed me 14th for my age group and an average pace of 8:30 per mile. Um, yeah didn't know I could run 3 miles on hills that fast. I got lots of great feed back from my Team in Training coaches, and I really feel like I'm on the right track with my running, which is really awesome since training for the Chicago Marathon starts next Tuesday!!!! Hurray!

Some of my fabulous Team in Training friends

Katie, Elizabeth, myself, and Lori

A race photo where I look like I'm running!!

(sorry about the super white limbs, I'm a morning runner...)

Message Monday

2010-05-03T06:00:00.003-04:00

Are there days were you feel like you're not worth anything? Or days that you just don't feel beautiful? We've all been there to some degree or another. Last summer when I was a bit down I came across a website that made me smile. It's called Operation Beautiful, and it's mission is simple. Leave a sticky note somewhere telling someone they are beautiful. Society today puts so much pressure on outward apperances. Beautiful hair, face, and clothes. But what's inside is just as beautiful as what is outside. In fact it's easier to have outward beauty when you have a strong inner beauty. And who wouldn't love to come across a note telling you that you are beautiful?

And then my twitter friend Debbie had a fabulous idea, message Monday. So, we've decided to start an operation beautiful mission twitter style. With our profile pictures. You don't have to be on twitter to do it. Maybe you could leave a note somewhere or change your facebook photo. The point is to let everyone know how beautiful they are just the way they are. You don't have to change a thing!

The day after

2010-04-29T11:12:00.000-04:00

Four months of work came to a conclusion yesterday. Much like getting ready for a major race, there is a lot of build up and anticipation to auditions. Am I really ready? Can I follow my plan? Will I make my goal? Unlike races, the outcome of an audition is only partly in my hands. It's my job to do the best that I can and make a compelling case for myself. The ultimate decision is out of my hands. The committee has to like what they hear, and want to hear more. I have to prove that I am a good fit for the orchestra that I'm auditioning for. The goal, to make it to the next round of the process (most auditions have at least two rounds), and ultimately to win the audition.

The day got off to a rough start. When I woke up I thought I was feeling better, so I laced up my new running shoes and headed out for a short 4 mile run. When I got back I was still feeling okay, although getting rather cold (we later discovered the heat is not working). Feeling cold would shortly lead to chills and eventually my laying on the couch under a blanket staring at the TV. I didn't want to move. Some Advil would eventually get rid of the chills, which were followed by feeling like I was on fire. It wasn't the way I wanted to feel, but it was what I had. Much like the weather on race day it was out of my hands. I had spent four months getting ready for 10 minutes. I had worked so hard, and gotten so much better. I had battled some of my inner demons, and was starting to feel better about myself as a violinist. Before leaving to teach my two students of the day I was in tears. I felt awful, and I needed that to change fast!

Teaching ended up being the best decision. I relaxed, forgot that I was feeling awful, and just had fun with my students. That plus more Advil, and more food made me feel human again. So, when I got to the audition and was asked if I would be willing to go early I a little reluctantly said yes. Two thoughts came into my head. First, I had just taken more Advil and eaten and wasn't running a risk of the fever coming back at the moment. Later might be a different story. Second, they tend to put all of the better players together in the later group. I might have a better chance of advancing out of the first group.

The audition itself was in the opera's orchestra pit in the hall that they use for performances. While that may sound completely overwhelming I actually really like it. The sound is great, and it makes me feel a little bit more at home than just a random room with a great big black curtain hanging right in front of me (because of the pit I never saw the black curtain, it was too high for my line of sight). This group chose not to hear a solo in the first round. Before this would have thrown. This time I was ready. I focused, thought about my tempo, and ignored the fact that my heart was pounding. The result was the best start I've ever had in an audition. I focused on what I heard right out of the violin, not the sound coming back to me from in the hall (although I did catch a bit and have to say it sounded good!). I knew if I started the second excerpt well then I would be home free once I got going. Again I focused on my tempo, was my bow in the right place, and started. It was great! I was so happy with it. I had expected the next excerpt would be heard in the first round. It was the really big, and the most challenging piece in the excerpts. It started great. A few notes were out of tune, but I fixed them as I went along. I was relaxed enough that I could fix them! They choose not to hear the last excerpt. I was disappointed, but they seemed to be racing through the first group. There were a few bells going off in my head, but I thought I had made a pretty good case for myself. In the end no one from the first group was advanced to the second round.

I called my teacher and told him how it went. I was actually very happy despite the frustration of not being advanced. This group is known in town for holding auditions and not filling positions. It was a good experience that will get me ready for the next audition. I celebrated getting better with a cupcake :-). After everything that had happened yesterday I felt pretty good. Now if the heat would just get fixed I might start feeling even better!

Audition week

2010-04-26T11:43:00.000-04:00

and que the freak out :-)

In some ways getting ready for an audition is very much like getting ready for a race. Every ache freaks you out. This weekend I was pretty freaked out. I spent most of it with an ice pack on my left wrist while trying to figure out what was bothering it so much. I didn't think I was squeezing, but then I'm nervous, and slightly stressed out too. This morning I got off to a sore pre-practice warm up of scales and started thinking. My shoulder is sore and stiff too. Why is that happening? And then I looked right under my nose to the back side of my violin, and the answer glared right in front of me. The shoulder rest! It had been uncomfortable for a while. Why? Because it need to be adjusted higher (spring weather means no sweaters or high collared shirts...). I felt the difference right away. My wrist is still sore, but everything feels better and more relaxed when I'm playing. I just need to be careful until Wednesday night when the real nerves kick in.

And of course I have another cold. Taking lots of vitamin C, taking some time off of running :(, and getting some extra sleep (I went to bed at 9:30 last night). Just as long as I can run the Big Peach 5k on Saturday. Oh, and do well on my audition :-)

The next chapter

2010-04-24T10:00:00.002-04:00

Have you noticed something new on the blog? Maybe on the right hand side? Go down a little. Maybe a little more. There it is! Look a Team in Training box :-). Believe it or not training for the Chicago Marathon is just a couple of weeks away! In part because of my family's history with cancer, and because I just love to run I'm back for another season with Team in Training mentoring for Chicago. I couldn't be more excited! But I need your help. Please consider making a donation towards the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as I train to help find a cure for a cancer. No donation is too small, and all are greatly appreciated! To see my full site you can go to: http://teamintraining.org/ga/chicago10/bgartley

Thanks!

Savannah

2010-04-21T13:17:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness, what a crazy weekend that was!! So, crazy that I've had trouble getting the blog to cooperate too. oh the craziness ;-). It was a long weekend filled with lots of rehearsals, and lots of pollen. In fact I was having all kinds of allergy problems with one of the rehearsal spaces too. Not really what I needed since I was going to have to spend a large amount of time out in the pollen anyway. I survived though, and despite some slip ups in Beethoven's 9th Symphony (we played Symphony 1 & 9) it was a lot of fun. It's been a while since I've had a freelance job. I had forgotten how much playing with orchestras was. So much fun!!!! Here are a few pictures from the weekend :-)

a view from the hotel patio onto Bay street

cause even a violin needs a good chair to rest on :-)

my favorite lunch spot!

they had a Susan B. Komen 5k Saturday morning (I had to jump in &

out of it as I ran Saturday morning)

like a good part scottish girl I found the Presbyterian church ;)

couldn't help this one

I always go out dressed like Scarlet O'hara. Don't you? ;-)

I'm freelancing in Savannah this weekend!

2010-04-13T09:54:00.000-04:00

I will admit that I was not so excited about my gig yesterday as I am today. Yesterday morning was filled with lots of frustration. For three weeks I waited for an e-mail response that never came. I didn't know where I was staying. I finally gave up on the e-mail even after sending another (it was finally answered late yesterday afternoon) and started looking for a place to stay in Savannah. All of the group rooms were gone. Strike one. The closest place I could stay and not spend my entire paycheck was the airport, which is at least 25 minutes away from the rehearsal space. Strike two. The room I found was still $100. Strike three. I booked it anyway, partially out of fear that I wouldn't be able to find anything else at a lower price that wasn't "questionable." At first I wasn't really happy, but then I started thinking about it and things didn't seem that bad. I kept looking though. Maybe, just maybe I would find something better. Then a couple of my twitter friends suggested looking on hotwire.com. All of the sudden the heavens opened up, a ray a sunshine beamed down, and the angels started singing. Okay not really :), but one of the choices from my search was a 4 star hotel in historic Savannah for only $4 a night more than what my room by the airport was going to be. Major score!!! I'm so excited!! I haven't spent a weekend in Savannah in who knows how long. I drive through most summers on the way to the beach house my parent's rent, but I just cruise through without stopping. I keep reminding myself that this is a work trip. I have 4 rehearsals and a concert:

rehearsal Thursday 11:00am - 1:30
rehearsal Thursday 7:30 - 10:00pm
rehearsal Friday 12:30 - 3:30
rehearsal Friday 7:00 - 9:00
concert Saturday 8:00 - 10:30

Is it just me or are a lot of these schedule during prime eating times? :) I have a couple of goals for myself:

play my best
relax
enjoy local food spots (avoid Starbucks :p)
go for a run & enjoy the local gardens

Since I have a room to myself I can also practice during breaks because the audition is getting closer and closer. Good news is that things for the audition are going really well now (I guess I just needed to hit the bottom). I need to keep the momentum going! But, I'm still going to enjoy myself some too :)

Have any restaurant or running suggestions for Savannah? I would love to hear them!

violin & running not so different

2010-04-09T08:00:00.002-04:00

Sometimes it's funny to think about how different two things can be only to discover they really aren't that different. It blows my mind sometimes how similar running and playing the violin can be.

running has the whole barefoot vs. shod (shoes) debate. In violin we have the great bow hold debate, french vs. german (I'm a french girl)
long and slow are the name of the with weekly long run. Slow is the best way to learn things in music
want to get faster, add a speed workout to your weekly run schedule. want to play faster. better crack out that metronome and start doing some faster practicing in that music
breathing right is really helpful
strength training helps you keep your form for longer
focusing on form and technique can make you more efficient
proper nutritution and hydration are important
the weeks prior to a race/audition can make you go through every emotion possible (and then some)

A few differences:

in running you taper your miles before a race so your legs can rest (affectionately know as the taperworm or taper monster). It can bring out our more colorful personality traits. There is no such thing as tapering for auditions or concerts. If anything, there is cramming...
you can run in just about any kind of weather within reason. violins don't like being outside and react, sometimes violently, to weather changes (I've had pegs shoot across rooms before)
you can fix things as you go during a marathon. auditions and concerts are like the 100 yard dash. you only get one shot to be perfect

I've got just under 3 weeks till my audition. Last week I was in tears while working on my excerpts. This week I find them oddly relaxing. Go figure. The good news, every excerpt I played today was perfect on the first run through. That's a huge step forward. You only get one shot on audition day.
Oh, and look what jumped into my violin case :)

In search of peace

2010-04-07T14:22:00.000-04:00

My violin lessons haven't been going well lately, or at least that's my perception. Of the last four lessons I've had I've cried through two of them. Sometimes I've even gotten defensive, but mostly I'm not enjoying myself. What's going on? I have an audition April 28th that I've been working on since December. No matter how hard I've worked nothing seems to be good enough. As I was leaving my lesson last week my teacher said things were getting better. Thanks, could you mention that before my self-esteem completely tanked? In between sobs on Monday I told him I felt like I wasn't any good (he told me that wasn't true). I'm hard on myself. I have been trained to seek perfection at all times. There is just one problem, perfection as a human is next to impossible. We are imperfect beings. Admittedly my teacher said that his criticism probably isn't helping, but I needed to get my head out of the dark place it's settled. I don't like picking my violin up at the moment. I would rather do almost anything than practice. On Sunday I spent part of the afternoon running around the front yard barefoot while playing fetch with one of the dogs. It was so freeing. All the weight came of my shoulders and I felt like I was a little kid again. It was something I desperately needed.

So, my teacher gave me something to work on. Clearly I am only seeing the negative in my playing. Not so helpful. So, instead I am suppose to make a list of things that I like or do well, and then list what I need to work on.

When my teacher asked what would make me happy I said running barefoot outside. He told me to find that same feeling while I'm playing. We'll find out how that went tonight, because lucky me I get to have two lessons this week...

Pace vs. Heart rate

2010-03-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

So, this morning I finally managed to successfully export my first speed workout with my Garmin watch. I was surprised at how easy 6x400 felt and totally annoyed with all of the beeping my watch did telling me that my heart rate was too high. I've figured out my past tempo and long runs with the Mcmillian pace calculator, but that's not how this speed workout was programed. The Garmin workouts are calculated with heart rate zones. I can't tell you how hard it was to slow down enough to get my heart rate low enough to stop the beeping in zone 2. So, which is better, a speed workout done by pace or heart rate? I've only been running with a Garmin watch for 1 1/2 months, so I'm still a little new to this even after 3 years or running...

Runiversary

2010-03-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

from my 2nd Peachtree Road Race 2008

Do you know what you were doing the last weekend of March 2007? I do! I was getting fitted for the right pair of running shoes for the very first time. After checking my bank account that Friday I noticed my check for my very first Peachtree Road Race had cleared (back in the good old days when things were done by paper & you didn't have to wait for the servers to crash before registering...). I had actually started running June 2006 after my parents started having major medical issues (they're issues that run in the family too), but had stopped when the weather got colder. Now I had no excuse. I took my Nikes out of the box and ran 2 miles on the treadmill without stopping. It was the first time I had ever been able to run 2 miles without stopping. So, I set up a training plan and 150 miles, and a dead treadmill later I was running my very first race (I should mention it was a very old treadmill that sadly did not get replaced because I was the only one using it :( ).

Fast forward 3 years, 3 Peachtree Road Races, 4 marathons, and a multitude of 5 & 10k and 1/2 marathons. Wow, what a difference 3 years makes! I actually started calling myself a runner last year. I think it finally fits. I love running!! I go crazy when I can't run. I'm starting to get rather addicted to strength training and cross training too. I've been doing the Speirs squat, pushup, and situp challenges (I actually paid for the iPhone apps. Steve these things rock!!) and they have already made a huge difference in my running. And my garmin Clyde has helped too :).

So, where do I go from here? I'm working on speed and biomechanics. After finishing "Born to Run" I've been walking around the house barefoot to see what my problems are. My left ankle needs some help. After a couple of weeks of strength work my pronation problems are getting better. I've been working on my stride for a year now (I'm a mid foot striker and proud of it!), which has helped tremendously. I'm thinking about trying a more minimal shoe, but I'm not sure yet. I've already moved down from the super corrective, highly padded shoes I use to wear (I never really felt like it helped and I never got more than 200 miles out of them). I'm also almost done with the Speirs challenges. I'm not sure what to do next for strength training. Anyone have suggestions? I know p90x is popular, but I'm also a musician who doesn't make much, so money is very much a factor in everything I do.

I'm pretty excited about what's going on with my running. I'm super excited about running the Chicago marathon this fall! So, here's to another a great year of running!! To quote my favorite running store "may all your best miles be covered by foot!"

2009 Nike Women's Marathon

2010 ING Georgia Marathon

2010-03-22T10:15:00.000-04:00

It's been a fun all ING Georgia weekend. It got started with a trip to the expo on Friday afternoon with my good friend who talked me into running marathons (honestly it's not hard when I'm running. I loose brain cells when I run), followed by another trip to the expo Saturday morning to help at the Team in Training table with one of my Nike mentees, and then the race. It's all ING Georgia, all the time :-).

look what I got at the expo!!!

I thought about the race all week. I've been getting faster. Would I be able to run my new pace for 13.1 miles? Would I finally get to the 2 hour mark? And then it occurred to me that a plan might be a good idea. This would be my third ING Georgia ( full in 2008, half in 2009). I know the course well. So, I decided that I would treat it like a Fartlek run. Beg your pardon, a what? See fartlek runs are awesome in my small opinion. Pick a distance, short or long, and pick up the pace, then relax once you've gotten to the object you've picked. Lots of people like to pick an object like a tree, telephone pole, etc. and run like the wind.

So, how did my little plan go? he he he, well it turned out to be more of a tempo run. I found my friend and fellow Team in Training Laura in our corral (it's the first year I've actually been able to find my corral!!). It was great having someone to run with! We settled into a nice 9:30ish pace, backing off a little on the uphills, and going with flow on the downhills. I have to say that I've never seen the early miles so full of people before. It was packed until the 1/2 seperated from the full, which is where Laura and I parted (she ran her first full!!). I was a little worried that I had gone out too fast, and thought about easing off a little, but once I started grabbing a water cup to toss over my head to keep from over heating I stared feeling much better. That and it started to move from a drizzle to rain, which didn't bother me one bit. I was glad to get rid of the humidity. In the back of my head a small voice was saying you need to take some salt and a few sports beans. By mile 10 I was cruising at a run time of 1:30 when I knew I needed salt in a bad way. So, I had to stop and walk for a minute to fish out a salt packet and crack open the sports beans (fruit punch is not my favorite now). I wish I had paid more attention. I know I lost important time for my poor planning, but it couldn't be helped. But once it all started to work into my system things got much better!! I finally made it to the finish in 2:05:13 (a PR by 6 minutes), just 5 minutes off my goal and an incredibly hilly course. I'm pretty happy about it since it's even faster than I ran the first 1/2 of my marathon last month. I guess all of those squats, lunges, sit ups, and push ups are working! I have a 5k in May and a 10k in July to work towards and training for Chicago officially starts for Team in Training in May. Why wait though? I want to keep working on my speed and keep getting stronger for Chicago, and use my shorter races as a way to see how things are going. If it's not broken why fix it right?! I feel like I'm moving in the right direction. I have some biomechanics to straighten out (left ankle it would be so nice if you stayed in line with my foot and knee!), but after a week of working on my form I'm already seeing results. On to Chicago!! Watch out, here I come!!

Running on Memories

2010-03-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

There were balloons in our Sunday School class on Sunday. Balloons aren't really my favorite thing (the noise they make when the pop scares me), but one of the guys thought it would be really fun to bust one open for the helium. Announcements definitely would have been interesting. My first reaction was my Uncle use to do that all the time. I remember my Grandmother's birthday the summer after my 7th grade year. We always went to the same Chinese restaurant across from some of the UVA fields in Charlottesville. My Uncle Clyde's wife Leysia had walked over to talk to my sister and I, noticing how beautiful my smile was now I that I no longer had braces. She turned her back, and my uncle got his hands on the balloons. I never knew my Uncle really well, so I was surprised when he started opening balloons and talking after a mouthful of helium. It was hysterical. The more I've heard about my Uncle, the more I've come to discover that this was just his way. Fun loving, a little bit crazy, and enjoying life. I really admire that. I loved hearing stories of the crazy things he did at his memorial service. I learned a lot about him that I never knew.

This weekend would have my Uncle Clyde's birthday. It seems fitting that I'm running a half marathon this weekend. I run a lot of races in memory of my Uncle. It just seemed like the right thing to do after he lost his very brief battle with cancer. This weekend also marks another anniversary. A year ago I was on the way to the same race (ING Georgia 1/2 marathon) when I learned that a friend unexpectedly passed away the day before. She loved to run even if she didn't run as much as she wanted too. I often find myself wanting to tell her something I think will make her laugh, or wanting to send her a note to see how she's doing only to remember that she isn't here anymore. I can't bring myself to take her out of my address book. She reminds me of my Uncle Clyde. Always smiling, bubbly, and full of life. So on Sunday I'm running the ING Georgia half marathon (I so wish I had time to run the full) in memory of Clyde and Jen. I hope it will be a day full of fun and laughter. I think they would have enjoyed that.

Left to right: Kim, Jen, Peter, & myself

I'M RUNNING THE CHICAGO MARATHON!!!!

2010-03-16T10:37:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited I'm shaking at the moment. Oh my goodness!!!! I'm going to run the Chicago Marathon, and I get to do with Team in Training as a mentor. Have I mentioned I'm really, really, really excited? I could go run a marathon right now. Okay maybe not, but I feel like I have enough energy to go run one. I've been bouncing off the walls all weekend thinking about if I would get picked to be a mentor or not. It's totally turned around my week. If I wasn't shaking out excitement so much right now I would be bouncing off the walls.

You know you want to join me right? ;-) Check out the Team in Training website for more information and tell them I sent you. It will be a blast!!

New favorite

2010-03-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Someone please get me to step away from the Sweaty Band website. NOW!!! I picked up one of these super cool headbands at the Big Peach Running Co during the week after eyeing them for a while. My brain was telling me how cute I would look in my ING Georgia race pictures with it on (current race day forecast calls for rain. HA!). I put it on before heading the the Team in Training GTS and fell in love! It is so cute, and it kept the sweat out of my eyes (I don't glisten). So, I started thinking about how great it would be to have a few more of these little gems. Now I can't stop looking at all of the different styles on the website. They have a green polka-dot one!!!! (green is my favorite color!!) No Team in Training one though. Hmmm, although there are some cute purple bands. Hmmmm. There is some serious trouble than could be gotten into with this site...

Sometimes you just have to let go

2010-03-13T13:35:00.001-05:00

I have a problem. I like to be in control. Who doesn't for that matter? However, I've learned over the past several weeks that my control problem is getting in the way. Sometimes it takes giving up the control to get where you need to go. Running or playing the violin.

I've struggled with spiccato for as long as I can remember. I always thought it was a bouncing stroke. I learned a few things at one of my lessons a few weeks back. It's not a bouncing stroke. Spiccato in italian means short, which just happens to bounce because we're always go so darn fast when we use it. OHHHH. Hmm, that explains a few things. I also learned I try to control it too much. Well, that's because I was trying to make it bounce. Duh. Unfortunately, that just makes things worse. If I try too much it just gets really pecky, like chickens pecking at feed (not really what I was going for I have to say). And because I'm trying so hard and controlling it so much I get really tight, and then tired, and then sore. Turns out if I let go of the tension, and don't try and control things so much I'm actually kind of good at spiccato. Who knew? :) Letting go when I'm playing my violin has been a huge struggle. It's the opposite of the way one of my teachers taught me, and because I of that I got hurt really bad in high school. Letting go is hard. It's uncomfortable. It means taking risks and trying new things. Some may work, others may not, but it never hurts to try. And slowly I'm getting there (the video taping has helped grumble, grumble).

With running, well I tried to control my pace a lot. I wanted to hang with the fast kids and run fast all of the time. Unfortunately, the path to speed involves slowing down. Now I do one speed workout a week and run all of my other runs at least a minute slower than I use too. The difference is huge! My 6 mile run earlier this week felt easy, and I never had to stop to walk or catch my breathe. I just ran at a nice comfortable speed and enjoyed the small lakes forming in my shoes from the rain (ah the memories of high school soccer games in the rain). Long distance running is still something I'm learning, and yes I'm saying that even after four marathons. I'm still learning. Letting go and enjoying the run has helped so much the last 4 weeks. It's not about the pace, and my endurance has skyrocketed because of that. I'm actually really excited about my half marathon next Sunday because of all of this. I can't wait to run and see what happens.

So here's to letting go. May I continue to get better at it because I kind of like being a little more relaxed

Happy, Happy tummy

2010-03-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'm in food heaven. It may take me a while to come down too. Oh my goodness!! If you live in Atlanta and haven't been to Woodfire Grill you need to get a reservation. NOW! I have been dying to go to Woodfire for months all because of one of my favorite shows, Top Chef. It did not disappoint!! I was fortunate enough to have my parents take me, all I had to do was be the DD, a role I do not mind. I have gotten many a good meal this way (and since I don't drink I'm a cheap date :)). We got there early and sat out in the bar area while they finished getting the table ready, and then they lead us to our PRIVATE ROOM!!! Yes, that's right, we had a little room all to ourselves!! I wish I had pictures, but taking pictures in restaurants isn't really my think. More power to you food bloggers. They were beautiful plates that would look lovely on the blog, but really, I'm a runner. I admire momentarily and then dig in.

What kind of awesomeness did I have for dinner? Well, I started with a mixed baby lettuce salad with a light buttermilk dressing, feta cheese, and an onion cruton with bacon jam. Oh bacon jam, I think I love you. It sounds so weird, but it a wonderful, smokey, bacony piece of heaven. And I didn't share one bite of it! Then I had the duck. More awesomeness!! The duck was slightly salty with smokey greens underneath and beets with a chocolate glaze. It was heaven in my mouth!! I also got some sunchokes to go with dinner too. Covered in mint and pomegranates, they reminded of a really awesome light and refreshing green tea. But I have to say the duck with the smokey greens were my favorite!! The whole thing was finished off with a marscapone cheesecake and some counter cultures decaf coffee (my favorite from Octane, which I need to get more of). Oh happy, happy tummy. I wish I could eat at Woodfire everyday, or maybe once a week. Or really I should go get a lottery ticket...

A fond farewell to Nike+

2010-03-11T11:00:00.001-05:00

Dear Nike+,

It's been awhile since the last time we went for a run. I hope you're enjoying your new home with my sister. I think you'll have fun in Florida. We've done a lot together. 3 marathons, 4 half marathons, and a whole bunch of 5k & 10ks. We've done a lot over 2 1/2 years. Sometimes you didn't tell me the truth. Sometimes you didn't work like you were suppose to. Maybe you wanted me to feel good about my pace and how far I was running. We've had ups and downs, but now I have a new friend. I hate to say that I'm running even better with my garmin watch Clyde, but I wouldn't be able to move ahead if you hadn't gotten me in such good shape. I enjoyed the challenges, and the graphs. It's time to move on. Despite the fact that I enjoy seeing the mileage we've done together, it's time to move on. So thanks for the good memories, and great runs. I'll never forget them.

Orchid fun

2010-03-09T13:08:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh orchids! I've been planning this post ever since my parents said that they wanted to go to the Botanical Gardens this week. See, I have a small yet expensive problem. I love orchids! Every time I go to the gardens I come back with a new orchid :). I will hem and haw about spending money on just about anything, but I can put $30+ down for a new orchid in a heartbeat. Yes, I have a problem :) :) :). Right now I have four really healthy orchids in my teaching studio, and I'm proud to say that I can even get them to flower again. Three of them I've had for about 3 years now. Don't ask me how this has happened, but apparently I am good with orchids. So, since I now have to spend an arm and a leg on my bow I left my wallet at home for our garden trip (think of it like freezing your credit cards. If you don't have it you can't use it!), and brought my camera instead. Enjoy!

My poor bow :(

2010-03-08T13:50:00.000-05:00

I am so upset with myself right now. I guess the only good thing is that all of this happened right at the end of my lesson yesterday instead of at home, work, or rehearsal. What happened? The winding on my bow came loose. What? The solid gold winding on my best bow came loose as I was wiping it down yesterday. I should explain that a bow's winding comes in two parts. First a metal winding (although student bows are often plastic), which is typically either silver or gold. The better the bow, the more expensive and heavier the winding (gold being heavier than silver). Second is a leather piece that goes at the base of the metal winding for comfort while holding the bow.

Maybe I gripped it too much, or maybe I started wiping lower than normal. I don't know. All I know is that half of the winding is nice and tight, and the other half. Well, it's not so tight. I don't trust anyone but the maker of my fabulous bow to fix it. I've heard too many horror stories (and I'm a little worried one shop might try and steal it. Sad, but again I've heard stories). There are just a few problems:

The bow maker lives in Spain, so I have to ship the bow to him. This is normally not a problem, but it's international shipping. It also has to be insured (because it's an expensive bow), and it can't just sit in shipping trucks and planes. All of this adds up to roughly $180 each way. Hopefully a few other people need to send bows too (crossing fingers!!!!)
Did I mention the winding is made out of gold? Yeah, gold. While a gold winding is a good sign of a really nice bow, it's also not cheap to replace. Again fingers are crossed that the winding can be saved. Otherwise it's big bucks to replace.
Since it's going over I'm getting my free rehair too. Might as well. I've owned the bow for 2 years now and this will be the first rehair. Michael uses the best materials he can get his hands on, and it shows. (and I'm grateful for that!)

To be honest I'm not sure if I'm more freaked out that I messed up my bow, or how much it's going to cost to get it back up and playing. There is no question that it cannot be used at all in it's current state. Fortunately my teacher has a bunch of Michael's bows so I can borrow one. It's still a fabulous bow (I should say that I would buy 10 of his bows in a heartbeat if I had the money), but it isn't my bow, and I'm not very excited about using. It's a little stiffer, and a little heavier, and did I mention that it isn't mine. I'm going to do some baking later. Maybe that will help. Or maybe some speed training on tomorrow's run. Although chocolate sounds good now too. I just miss my bow. I feel like one of my arms is missing...

All things Pumpernickel

2010-03-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

I have become obsessed with all things pumpernickel. I can't help it. So, instead of buying pumpernickel bread, or eating tons of pumpernickel bagels I decided to try my hand at making pumpernickle (cause that's what you do when you're obsessed right?). Who knew it would be so hard to find a recipe. At least it was until I came across a gold mine in my parent's kitchen called "The complete book of bread." Jackpot!!! Not only does it have a pumpernickel recipe, it has two pumpernickel recipes. So, I tried out the Pumpernickel Rye Bread recipe:

Ingredients:
3 packages dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water 105-115 degrees (it calls for warm wafer. I'm assuming they mean water...)
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups pumpernickel rye flour (which I couldn't find so I used dark rye flour)
3 to 4 cups bread flour

combine the yeast & water and stir to dissolve. Then add molasses, caraway seeds, salt, oil, & rye flour. Beat about 100 strokes (or in my case cheat & use the mixer...). Add bread flour a 1/2 cup at a time until dough is stiff and cleans the sides of the bowl
knead until dough is smooth
1st rising. Place dough in greased bowl & cover with plastic wrap for 1 /12 - 2 hours (poke to test, dent will remain)
Divide into 2 pieces (can skip if you want 1 big loaf) and let rise 10 minutes. Place on opposite corners of baking sheet
2nd rising. cover and let rise for 45 minutes
preheat oven to 375. Stab loaves 10 -12 times with skewer and bake until browned (40 - 50 minutes)
cool on metal racks

2nd rising

mmmm pumpernickel!

Result: It's good bread, but it taste more like rye bread that happens to be brown than pumpernickel. It's also a little bit heavy. Seeing as it's already half gone I'm guessing people are enjoying it anyway :)

All in all it was a fun way to spend a Saturday. Especially after a good run in my new Dailymile tech shirt :)

If you can't laugh...

2010-03-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

Last night at my violin lesson my teacher told me I had a good sense of humor about things. Playing the violin isn't easy. Everything must be perfect. The fingers have to go down at the right time to match the speed the bow is going, and well the other 10 things going on at the same time have to be perfect too. The problem? I'm not perfect, and after a while the over analyzing, and picking takes a toll. Honestly, if you can't laugh at something you're going to go crazy. And who better to laugh at than yourself? I wish I could say that I do this in every part of my life. It certainly wasn't happening when I was washing dishes last night (I greatly dislike doing the dishes, yet I somehow always end up with that job...), but that's something I want to work on.

I will admit that I didn't do a whole lot of laughing last week. Watching the Olympics late into the night has taken a toll. Add a hurt arm, and a flat tire into the mix all in one day. There wasn't a whole lot to laugh about, and it was hard to look at it in any other way. But isn't there always something to be happy about? Right now I'm happy that my arm is itching like mad. Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but whenever something gets better it itches, at least for me. And I had a good lesson for not being able to play for the better part of a week. I understand things better. I know what is going on when I'm playing. I'm listening and paying attention to what I'm doing and I'm getting better! I'm looking forward to going to work this afternoon and playing with students. And my teacher told me he thinks I'm a good violinist. I just need to pay more attention to what I'm doing. I feel much lighter. I feel like laughing. So here's to a little more laughter in our lives! I hope you laugh today! :)

Pace Yourself

2010-02-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday I tried my very first speed workout with my Garmin watch. 4 x 800, which is a 1/2 mile or two laps of a 400 meter track. It was rather challenging. I had no idea how fast I should run during the speed intervals. Fortunately my dailymile friends had some good advice. One of them even gave me a link the Macmillian Pace calculator. All you have to do is plug in a distance and time, and it calculates what pace you should be aiming for on different types of runs. I learned that I'm not very good at pacing myself. I shouldn't be pushing myself so much on all of my runs. Now I have a target pace for short runs, speed workouts, medium runs, and long runs. I can already tell it's making a difference. Instead of being tired and barely making it through runs at top speed I now feel comfortable during runs and still feel like I can go further after I finish. I need to pace myself.

I haven't always been good at pacing myself. Okay, I'm still not really good at it. This week has been no exception. Friday I strained some tendons in my left arm. I pushed myself and kept practicing despite the fact that my arm hurt. Big mistake. I know better, but I wanted to do better at my lesson, which I eventually ended up canceling because my arm was bothering me too much to even play. I needed to pace myself. I always feel like I push myself to meet the expectations of others instead of pacing myself and making sure things are right. Before my senior year in high school I was at a summer program when I ended up severely straining my left forearm tendon. I still had concerts, and an audition coming up and I kept going. I did 5 concerts in three days. It landed me in physical therapy for the next four months trying to get rid of the pain. I missed the audition, and my college auditions didn't go well. I pushed, and I had bad technique.

Fast forward to grad school. One day I was walking from the library and a lovely gust of wind turned my violin case into a kite. I strained a tendon in my right shoulder three days after my graduate violin recital hearing (thank goodness it was after the hearing!). The doctor I saw gave me a note to all of my music teachers. He didn't want me to push, and he was going to make sure no one else pushed me either! I had to take a week off. My violin teacher wasn't happy at my next lesson (he was out of town when I hurt my shoulder so I at least had a break from lessons), but I had paced myself and was pain free and working hard toward my recital which was three weeks later.

You would think I had learned my lesson after all of this. Even when I'm not hurt I still push. I feel like I disappoint people a lot when I'm not at the level they want me to be, or doing what they think I should be doing, but I've learned that it's more important to do things right than to have all of my pieces up to tempo, or anticipate what people think I should be doing. It's better to do things right than to push and only do them half way. I keep reminding myself of that. Yesterday I practiced for the first time this week. An hour and a half all pain free. I didn't get to everything, but what I did do was good. I've set a foundation for the week to build off of as things get better. I keep reminding myself that it's more important to make sure things are right than to push myself with the amount of material or speed. This week I'm focusing on pacing myself!

Overwhelmed and frustrated

2010-02-21T16:29:00.000-05:00

Right now I have ice on my shoulder and wrapped around my left wrist. Things were going pretty well earlier in the week. I finally found the right spot for my chin rest so I can hold my violin without messing up my shoulder. It also means I can get around the fingerboard much easier, which means I play better. Things were sounding really good. And the came Friday. I put an IKEA bookcase together and apparently did in my left shoulder and wrist. I couldn't play at all on Friday. It still hurt yesterday, but I practiced anyway. I felt like if I called and canceled my lesson I would be in big trouble. Today I was doing okay. Still a little sore but getting around. I'm pushing myself. I know what I'm doing is wrong. My lesson last week didn't go well. I feel like everything is suppose to be up to tempo, and perfect. I can't seem to get there, and it's making me very frustrated and inpatient. It makes me feel like I'm never going to get to where I want to go. I've messed my left wrist up pretty bad before. It took 4 months of PT to be pain free after a serve tendon strain. My doctor thought it was tendonitis, the hand specialist he referred me to rolled her eyes. I know that I shouldn't be playing when it hurts.

So, I've stopped, which is incredibly frustrating because I have so much to do. But I know that I'm never even going to get to the audition if I don't stop and take care of things. I'm sure tomorrow's lesson is not going to be great, but I can't help that or worry about it right now.

I'm going to take the dogs for another walk, make some white bean chicken chili for dinner, and wish I had a chocolate cupcake instead

No more knots!

2010-02-18T10:27:00.000-05:00

This morning the knots in my calves disappeared!! While this may not sound like a big deal, it a huge step forward. I started noticing after my first marathon 2 years ago that I get a lot of really bad knots in my calves after a run. I would stretch and use my massage stick, but I could never really get rid of them. Until this week. I have done more squats, push ups, lunges, and sit ups than I have ever done in my life this week, and I can tell they are making a difference. I suspect that the combination of squats, lunges, some awesome stretching, and my massage stick have made the difference. Despite a less than stellar run this morning (everyone has a bad one from time to time) I currently do not have any knots in my calves! Despite some tired legs from strength training it feels really awesome. If this is a sign of what is to come, I'm pretty darn excited!

On a completely unrelated topic, I found a few things yesterday that I wanted to share:

The New York Times had an article yesterday about figure skater Tanith Belbin. She talks a lot about her struggles with eating and how it affected her training. I think it's so brave to share such an important message. I started running as a way to get healthy, and to try and avoid the health problems that have plagued my parents. Within the last year I started making small changes to how I eat so that I can be an even stronger runner. I think that's part of the reason this article has been on my mind so much. How you eat can play a huge roll in how you feel.

The other is a video made by a fellow Team in Training member about her honored hero. It is so beautiful and moving. There were a few tears while watching it.

Strength Training - It's not just for runners!

2010-02-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

I hit me this morning as I was doing my post run strength training that it's been exactly a year since I started adding push ups, sit ups, and other such exercises into my regular fitness plan. Recently I rearranged things to go back to some more traditional strengthening exercises, and I immediately noticed a difference, in my violin playing! Yes, I said my violin playing. Not that it isn't already showing up in my running, but you wouldn't believe the difference it can make in other walks of life as well. A lesson I realized yesterday as one of my students and I were on the floor of my violin studio doing push ups. She busted out 4 of those bad boys (she's only 7!! I should also mention that I don't actually make any student do push ups. She brought it up).

So what's so great about strength training?

Posture, posture, posture! If you can't stand up straight it's going to start hurting at some point. It's the sad reality and one of the primary reasons I got hurt in high school right before all of my college auditions (can you say really bad timing!!). Even the smallest adjustment, or strengthening can make a difference
Those push ups sure do make my arms stronger! Which is a really good thing cause I have all of these audition excerpts that require the bow to bounce, which needs some serious arm strength when you on the 5th one and still have 5 more to go...
Musicians are like athletes. Don't want to get injured? Get those muscles stronger and make sure you're using them the right way!! (same goes for runners)
Are you tired after that 3 hour rehearsal or concert? You have to hold that instrument up some how...
Hills? What hills? (okay this is clearly a running one)
You'll be ready when you end up in a push up contest with a 7 year old!

Snow, Snow, Snow (and finding pretty colors)

2010-02-12T17:52:00.000-05:00

The snow has come to Atlanta!!!! I've been as giddy as a school girl since it started, which, while slightly distracting, has been rather helpful. I'm suppose to find pretty colors in my audition excerpts (I am not kidding!). Not the easiest of things since excerpts are a small part of a piece taken out of context. Think of them as a musical quote. Without context it's hard to find shapes and color (colors serve as a way of adding layers and musical interest. In a way it's exactly what it sounds like. Different moods in music bring out different colors associations and phrasing). Not only did I start feeling more secure, but I felt like I was at least starting to find some colors and phrases in the music. I actually felt happy after I finished each excerpt, which is a new feeling. I still expect to be picked apart at my lesson on Monday, but I at least feel like I've caught up to where I was at the end of last week before leaving for Florida. I like being happy when I play. I have to say it was a pretty awesome feeling, and I sound pretty darn good!

And since I'm so giddy over the snow here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

just starting

proof there's just a little bit

okay, so it's more of a muddy, slushy mess than anything

2 hours later

who threw that snowball at me, and where did it go?

the forest behind the house (okay really there are tennis courts and a golf course back there)

So far I think we have about an inch, and it's still coming down. Hopefully the Team in Training GTS will still happen Saturday morning so we can all go running in the snow!!! Especially now that I finally feel like I'm kicking whatever I came down with after the race Sunday. Hope you're having fun in the snow where ever you are!!! (and the Olympics start tonight!!!!!)

Tallahassee Marathon

2010-02-08T11:24:00.000-05:00

I had a really awesome weekend while I was down in Tallahassee for the race. Friday night I got to see one of my best friends from college. As usual we ended up back at her house playing Wii golf with her husband and my sister. I'm a little rusty. The commentators for the game said I was having a "brain boo-boo" at one one point. If only they knew the half of it.

Turns out I had a pretty big "brain boo-boo" when it cam to packing my race gear. Saturday morning I got up to go for a short run and discovered I did not have my running capris for Sunday morning. Hmmm. My TNT staff coordinator is reading this and rolling her eyes. She sent my the packing list from Nike. I printed it out, and was checking things off. I still failed (head hanging in shame). I had plenty of shirts for the race, but not anything to wear on the lower half. Bit of a problem... Enter Sports Authority to save the day!!!! I found an awesome pair of Nike running tights to wear. I was worried I would end up being too warm, but I really, really liked them. Turns out it was a very happy accident. (I should also say that the Sports Authority saw my tweets on twitter about my trip and sent a kind note saying how glad they were that they could help and wished me luck on my race!)

Sunday morning got here fast. I went to bed early Saturday partly because I was tired, and partly because I wasn't feeling really well. In all honesty running the race may not have been the best decision, but it's what I decided to do. It was windy. Really windy and cold. The starting temperature was somewhere around 40 with a windchill of 34 (and in case you're wondering Tallahassee is in Florida...). I debated if I should wear a long sleeve shirt or not. In the ended I went with it. Another smart decision that I would appreciate later in the day. So, dressed, feed, and ready, my sister and I headed out to the start.

the start

Mile 1.2 I couldn't feel my fingers or toes

I had a lot of fun for the first 10 miles. I thought about friends, and honored heros from Team in Training. I made mental pictures of the course to help me on the way back to the finish. (2 favorites came back to back. The 2 ponds filled with red and green algae where I pretended the trash was really birds, and the retention pond and industrial buildings. It did look like much, but I really liked it). I meet some fun people along the way. A half marathoner in these cool plaid running shorts who was encouraging everyone after they made the turn around. After the half split I met Don. This was his 70 marathon. I started talking to him because he was wearing a 2008 San Francisco Marathon shirt. Since I had just finished Nike out there in October I thought we would have some things to talk about. It was fun having someone to chat with for while. He also suggested running on the dirt path/trail beside the bike path we were on so it would be easier on the joints. So, thinking about my friend Angela, I ran a couple of miles on the dirt trail, stepping over rocks and sticks, and thinking maybe running on the dirt wasn't so bad if all trail were like this one. At mile 10 I passed the first guy headed back to the start. I'm pretty sure he won the race because the next group I saw behind him was 2 miles back (and yes he looked like he could be from Kenya).

Things were going pretty well until I hit the turn around, and that's when it got really windy (I'm thinking at least 15 mph wind gust) and cold. Plus I haven't run more than 14 miles on a completely flat surface. My hips were not so happy. But I wasn't going to stop. Don caught back up to me and we chatted some more until I had to stop at mile 17 to get my water bottle refilled. I also started eating a few pretzels. This wasn't anything new. I've done it lots of times on Team in Training runs and been perfectly fine. I don't know if it was because I wasn't feeling really great, but my stomach did not like them. I was so hungry during the race (I eat more than I ever had even though I had to force it down at points), but my stomach was incredible unhappy. Mile 18 was probably the hardest of the race. I really wanted a Team in Training coach, but there wasn't one. I had to be my own coach. So, I thought about what my coaches would say. I thought about my friend Jim and I remembered the orange wristband he had given me (I also wore my Nike finisher necklace). Could I finish? Hell Yeah I could. That little wrist band got me the last 6 miles home. I just put one foot in front of the other. I started getting back to some of the mental pictures I made for myself earlier in the race. I started counting my foot steps. I tried to ignore the fact that my stomach was trying to revolt (the thought of throwing up might make me feel better crossed my mind) especially in the last 2 miles, and then I turned off the trail. The next thing I saw was the very top outline of the football stadium. I was sooo close. within 1.5 miles. Someone said there was no crying in marathoning. I yelled back that that wasn't true as I was forcing back tears. I was sooooooo close, and it hurt so much. By the time I made it to the track at mile 26 I was bawling. I hadn't been this emotional in a race in a long time. I had thought a flat race might be a good thing. I had no idea how hard it would prove to be. The weather was brutal. It reminded me of my very first marathon (2008 ING Georgia Marathon). I could see the finish. My sister was there yelling and cheering me on. I was bawling. I had nothing left. For the first time ever I did not sprint to the finish, but I finished!! And I PRed. My garmin Clyde (who happily beeped my mile splits, which actually really helped keep me focused) showed just over 4:50, with the race clock showing 4:57. Early in the race it looked like I might finish somewhere between 4:15 and 4:30. I'm actually really okay with my time. Sure it's not what I wanted, but something really awesome happened. I didn't let myself down mentally. I wasn't always positive, but I didn't let myself wallow in disappointment as time slipped away or my stomach failed me. I think considering how I felt on the course my time is pretty awesome.

almost there. bawling my eyes out

I made it!!!

I'm looking forward to my next race after I recover. Thanks goodness it's only a half marathon :). I loved the Dailymile Speirs challenge so much that I'm working out a plan to add more strength training into the mix. I don't have any regrets from the race, I wouldn't do anything differently. I'm quite proud that I ran 26.2 miles almost completely alone for most of the race (there was no cheering on the course outside of the waterstop volunteers). It makes me feel stronger. I don't feel like my marathon race times have caught up with my shorter races (although early on my splits we're awesome!), but that gives me something to keep working towards.

Introducing.....

2010-02-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

So, apparently it's cool to give your Garmin a name. I had to think long and hard on this one. I couldn't just give it any name. I wanted it to mean something. And then it hit me. I had the perfect idea! See I am a die hard fan of Team in Training. They are my second family, not just because I see them just as much if not more than some of my own family, but because they are some of the best people I have ever met. And then I started thinking about why I joined Team in Training. I don't like cancer. It has visited my family too many times (3 to be exact), and the last time it took someone. My Uncle Clyde passed away from cancer the summer of 2008 and four days later I signed up for Team in Training. So, in honor of my uncle I present:

My Garmin Clyde (and just to get this out of the way, yes my name is Bonnie, and I run with a Garmin named Clyde. There!). Clyde and I are on the way down to Tallahassee for his first race Sunday morning. I'm sure he's up to the challenge :) Go big or go home right? :)

1st run with Garmin

2010-02-04T10:07:00.000-05:00

The Garmin has arrived!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I'm not excited at all if you can't tell ;p). I was so nervous that it wouldn't come on Wednesday because UPS only said that it was in Atlanta and in transit, but not out for delivery. Way to make an impatient lady stress UPS :).

Originally the Garmin was going to stay in the box until after I complete Sunday's marathon. HA!! My friend Kristen said she would have gotten it right out of the box and gone for a run. She's a smart lady :). I did in fact take it and the heart rate monitor out for a "test run" this morning. That's when I realized that Nike+ hasn't been completely honest with me. I had to run a little further than I did yesterday with Nike+ get all 3 miles in, and the Garmin says I wasn't going the same speed that Nike+ says I run. That's okay. Nike+ was a great way to get started with running. I can't wait to start playing with some of the features on my Garmin. That of course means I need to figure out how the thing works in the first place. I've read the manual 3 times now. I'm still not sure I have it all figured out yet. No worries. Usually I figure most electronic things out just by playing with them.

Apparently there is a tradition amongst runners to name their Garmin device. The very first thing I got on my Dailymile post this morning was what was my Garmin's name. I don't have a clue. I'm not big on giving things names. I mean the dogs have names, but my car and my violin are nameless and will remain that way. So, what should I name my Garmin? Any ideas?

A look back

2010-02-02T09:39:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about the past a little bit. I started this blog while training for my 3rd marathon. Now I'm about to run my 4th. A look back:

2008 ING Georgia Marathon - my very first marathon. I fell on my 15 mile training run, which sidelined me for a while. Then I proceeded to twist my left knee, which is when I discovered I needed orthotics and became a die hard Big Peach Running Co. fan (they figured it out immediately. My old store completely missed it). Time 5:46 Weather: cold, 25 mile per hour wind gust, and down right miserable. But I finished!
2008 San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Marathon - my first event with Team in Training. If you're thinking of doing a full for the first time this is the way to do it! I really wish I had! I learned a lot. I didn't get injured (got some bad shin splits & had some shoe issues, but no injuries!). Time 5:04 even after pulling my left calf muscle at mile 17
2009 Nike Women's Marathon - 2nd race with Team in Training. I had wanted to run Nike since I first really started running in 2007. The first half wasn't bad (2:16 with all of the hills!), but I cramped up bad during the second half and ran out of fuel. Was disappointed that I missed my goal time (4:30), but looking back it was a good learning experience. Cold and windy. Time 5:00. Didn't really deserve a PR, but that's what I got

I can't believe that I'm getting ready to run my 4th marathon. I don't know what to expect. I've learned a lot over the past three. I'm stocking up and bringing extra fuel for the race. Thanks to my chest cold my legs are super rested and relaxed. For Nike I set a goal time for the race. I'm not doing that this time. I've learned my lesson. I've been fortunate to PR in all of my races in 2009, and broke some good time barriers. My 10k PR (59:17) is now under an hour, and I'm in better shape now. Same story for the 5K (27:33), it's under 30 minutes and was early last year. I finally ran a 1/2 marathon, so I have a time in that now (totally backwards I know, but that's just the way I work). My best races have come when I don't pay any attention to my watch and just run and have fun. So, that's the plan for Tallahassee. We'll see what happens...

(the Garmin Forerunner comes Wednesday. SO STINKING EXCITED!!!!)

The Hay is in the Barn

2010-01-31T14:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems technology is just not on my side today (Saturday). Our DSL is not working. No one in the house can get online. (since you're reading this you know it's now working again :))

Saturday morning I went for my last long run before next week’s marathon. It was really great going back to a Team in Training GTS. I got to see my coach from Nike who reminded me of a few things that would help next Sunday (like if I get tight for goodness sakes stop and stretch this time). Plus I got to see friends for the first time in a long time. It was really nice despite the gross weather. Cold and rainy was not really the weather I wanted after getting over a chest cold, but I had an awesome run with one of my Nike teammates who is a run/walker. It meant I got a nice relaxed run that wasn’t too fast. I might have also gone ahead and ordered the Garmin Forerunner 305 that I’m rewarding myself with. Oh, and I scored free 2^nd day delivery. Sweet!! The Garmin will be here Wednesday. It might go for a run on Thursday…. It’s going to be hard to leave it in the box until the race is over with. Plus my Nike+ seems to be having issues with distance again.

I also had a really good chat with a friend who has qualified for the Boston Marathon before, and gave me a few pointers. I need to add and change a few things in my training to start working on getting faster. I’m totally excited about training after I recover. I have a ½ marathon coming up in March, so I need to figure out a recovery and training plan. I think working towards Boston is going to be a lot of fun! It's going to be a challenge and it might not be so fun some days, but I like a good challenge.

Music or no music

2010-01-27T09:56:00.000-05:00

This morning I overslept. Apparently 8 minutes to me is 30 minutes to the rest of the world. Oops :). Fortunately, there was an e-mail from my race next week waiting in my inbox this morning. Ah, yes I officially feel like a huge slacker now. (for the record I did do a stationary bike hill program for 30 minutes, so I'm really just being overly dramatic, but I still feel like a slacker). One of the things in the e-mail was a reminder of the waiver we all signed when we registered. In other words, no headsets. Oh well. I've never used headphones during a race (I'm assuming that's what they mean with headsets?), but I had thought of it for this one. Now before I open this can of worms let me say that I get both sides of the argument. Race directors want to make sure runners get announcements, and runners want something fun to listen to when the going gets tough. I get it, really I do! All of the races I've done have been pretty big events. The streets have been lined with people cheering (if you've ever run the Peachtree Road Race you know what I"m talking about). Some races even have music provided on the course. The Tallahassee Marathon is the first truely "small" race I've ever done. And by small I mean only 700 of the 1200 available spots are currently filled. Yes, there is a max of 1200 racers. The last marathon I ran had 20,000 racers... It's a bit of a difference. Now, you should also know that I usually run with other people. The only races I've ever truely done by myself have been a few 5k or 10ks. A bit of a difference from a marathon.

So, the question is now how to entertain myself? I have friends who play word games on long runs. I am not someone who is good with those. My teammate/friend that I ran with in San Antonio and myself decided we would play one of these games around mile 15 of the race. We choose an alphabet game and decided to name cities. It went from cities, to states, and then countries. I loose brain cells when I run. Or maybe the ones I have just stop working because I was awful at the game. I started counting footsteps over and over again, which worked much better for me. Maybe it's the musician in me who is use to having a steady beat to play to. On the 20 miler for Nike we analyzed the houses we were running past. There are some interesting styles in Atlanta. It was highly entertaining. One problem, the Tallahassee Marathon will not be going past many houses. It goes out along the St. Mark's trail, which is pretty, and has lots of trees, and well, no houses. I would like to say that I'm pretty good at staying mentally tough. Heck, I'm a musician who spends 2-3 months getting ready for auditions, second guessing myself, and stressing about every little detail for 2 minutes of sheer terror (maybe that's not the best way to look at it). Some how I feel like I need a plan to keep myself entertained during the race. Maybe I should start a sing-a-long? (I do sing to myself sometimes) Then I can entertain myself and my fellow runners. I don't know. They might might not find that amusing...

Are you a dire hard music listener? or do you go without? Got any fun ways to occupy your time while running long distances? I might need a few suggestions....

Bouncing, Bouncing, Bouncing

2010-01-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

I'm bouncing off the walls :). I don't know where all of this energy came from. I guess the germs are going away! I decided to start the day off with some yoga to see if I could calm down some. HA! (oh, and what's a taper? ;p). I am so stinking excited about going for a run tomorrow. I don't think I've ever gone through such an emotional taper before. Seriously! I've been happy, frustrated, on the verge of tears, and everything in between. I will even admit that there was a little voice in my head saying that I wasn't going to get rid of the germs in time to run the race. Classic taper talk (or pre audition talk for that matter). I'm glad it's going away now! Now it's seriously time to start making list and deciding what to wear race day (see previous post). I miss my Team in Training race packet. It seriously has the best packing list ever. I always forget things when I travel. I've never forgotten anything when traveling with the Team. Can't wait to sign up for another team event!

Pick a shirt

2010-01-23T13:38:00.000-05:00

I had great hopes for this morning. I wanted to run! I didn't. Instead I spent the hour before I was suppose to leave hacking up a lung. So, instead I went back to bed where I preceded to cough for another 1/2 hour before finally falling back to sleep. To say I'm frustrated is a bit of an understatement at the moment. I really am trying to be patient and let myself get better so that I can run a marathon in 2 weeks. So, instead I'm starting to make a list of things I need to go get at the Big Peach Running Co this week, and trying to decide what the heck I'm going to wear on race day! Oh, and I'm currently avoiding both Facebook and Dailymile. I'm so glad my friends can run. Really I am. I just can't read about it right now. I promise to come back soon!!!

Back to the important things. What to wear race day (I am a girl, and a dork ;p)? Here are the two tops I"m considering:

1. It took me awhile to remember the last race I ran wearing something other than a Team in Training singlet (2008 Peachtree Road Race). This one is not a Team event. I doubt anyone else will have a Team shirt, which I admit is part of the appeal (everyone should know about Team in Training!). It also has my name on it. It's nice to have people cheering for you by name...

2. My last marathon was the 2009 Nike Women's Marathon. It didn't go so well (huge understatement!). The phrase redemption race has been thrown out there for the Tallahassee Marathon. I've worn this shirt on almost all of my long runs.

So there are a lot of feeling behind both shirts. Even though the race is in Florida I will probably have another shirt underneath. I still have lots of time to decide, but I don't have much to do other than sit around, cough, and think today. Thoughts on which shirt I should wear?

Ready, set, go for audition training

2010-01-22T15:14:00.000-05:00

Ah, Richard Strauss you make me go crazy sometimes! I mentioned in my last post that I'm getting ready for an audition. The afore mentioned audition isn't until the end of April, and like most auditions there is Strauss on the menu. Most people know the Strauss waltzes. This isn't the waltz Strauss'. Oh no. This is a Strauss writing at the end of the 19th century when composers were starting to push the boundaries into what we call "20th century" music compositions. For example the one Strauss piece that is almost always on the audition for major orchestras is a tone poem called Don Jaun. It's the war horse orchestral excerpt of the violin world. Thankful I'm not learning that one (although I have). No I'm working on an excerpt from his opera Der Rosenkavalier. Whenever I do the first read though of this I totally freak out. It's taken me a week to really "understand" what is going on in this excerpt. And then I listened to it. It's really lovely, and dramatic, and, well hard. It jumps all over the violin, goes into the highest registers, and has accidentals galore. What's an accidental you ask? It's just what it sounds like, something that doesn't normally belong. But, it's there, and I have to figure it out. I think I've got the 1st page under control now. Too bad it's still painfully under tempo. Ahh, well that's why I'm already working on music for an April audition (besides the fact that there are 10 excerpts to learn. Most auditions only do 4-5). It's like learning to run the 100 yard dash perfectly 10 times in a row and winning every time. No pressure. It has to be perfect. Perfect rhythm, perfect intonation, perfect bow strokes, well you get the point. I'm not perfect. No where close, which is why I struggle with this part of the music world. I wish there was another way to get into an orchestra. I have to say that I really like a lot of the excerpts. They are powerful, dramatic, delicate, passionate, and fun. I think I can do a lot with them. So, for now I'm attempting to be perfect, or at the very least consistent. After all the more consistent I am, the better things will go when I'm standing in front of a giant black sheet shaking, and trying to play perfectly in one try.

Getting Antsy

2010-01-21T10:24:00.001-05:00

I am slowly going stir crazy. I haven't done much since Sunday. Usually the taper isn't a big deal for me, but this time I'm going crazy. I guess I really needed some rest after the 20 miler because I've been sick ever since. At least the fever is gone!! And I'm slowly able to breathe through my nose again! It's sad when an hour of practicing a violin knocks the wind out of the lungs. Not the best thing for someone getting ready for an audition. This morning things area feeling better so I tried a 20 minute yoga workout. It was nice to stretch the legs out again. It would be even better if I could go for a run. Maybe Friday if not, hopefully Saturday...

I also keep looking at what I want to get for my "reward" for finishing my 4th marathon in 2 weeks. I can't stop looking at it, and I really want to get it :). Plus I found it for 50% off. What do you think?

It's taper time

2010-01-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

The race taper is an interesting monster. All of the hard training is done and it's time to rest and recover so that the body is ready for race day. Rest at the moment is not a problem. For the second marathon in a row I am sick after my 20 mile run. I'll spare the ugly details. I have not done much over the past couple of days. The good news is that my low fever seems to be gone and even though my chest is heavy and I'm super tired I feel like I'm headed uphill. Hopefully, I'll be back to running later in the week. I'm itching to go, but I know it's more important to rest and get rid of the germs! I actually canceled all of my violin lessons (only the second time for being sick) today. Hopefully I'll be back and moving Wednesday. Fingers crossed and hoping for the best!

Oh wind, why must you visit all of the time?

2010-01-16T15:19:00.000-05:00

This morning I ran 20 miles.

All on my own.

In a way you could call it two major accomplishments, running 20 miles, and running it all by myself. It wasn't always pretty (I got quite a few looks upon walking into Starbucks post run...), but I did it. I was pretty calm before I started, a major improvement from my last 20 mile run. I jumped when my alarm went off and got ready so fast I actually got out the door sooner than I had planned. First thought, man it's warm! Okay, for the record it was only in the low 40s, but after 2 weeks of running in freezing temperatures and windchills this morning was like a heat wave. Dang it. How in the heck do I dress for this? Yeah, I haven't been really good with that one lately.

It wasn't my best 20 mile run. There seems to be this unwelcome tend of wind on my long runs lately.

16 miles - cold, windy
18 miles - freezing, super windy
10 miles - freezing (ice & snow), super windy
20 miles - warm, super wind, rain last 2 miles

It's nice to have warm temperatures. Now I just wish the wind would go away. I really don't need resistance training on my long runs. But now the fun starts! It's taper time!! Woo hoo!! Two weeks of lower mileage. Even though today didn't go as well as I hoped I still feel like I'm in really good shape for the race. I can't believe it's 3 weeks away...

A much needed haircut!

2010-01-14T16:05:00.000-05:00

I got my haircut yesterday!! I tried out a new salon near my house (Ambrosia) for a couple of reasons:

they've got a lot of good curly haircut reviews
they use all natural products
It just looked really cool from the photos. Relaxed and eclectic. My kind of place!

Plus as an added bonus I called for an appointment Tuesday and got one for Wednesday. Major score!! And the stylist actually listened to what I was saying about my hair!! He asked what I didn't like about it, and took a lot of time just looking at it to see what my crazy curly hair did. The end result (note my own styling may or may not resemble this in the future):

This was the first time I had ever had a dry haircut. This was mostly so he could see how my hair reacted as he cut it. I have to say I actually really liked it before he even washed it! Granted I had to put my glasses back on before I could see what was really going on, but it's pretty cool. He even explained what he was doing (and I actually understood!) so that I would have an idea of what was going on. It was completely free form. He didn't cut a certain length into it, he just cut the hair the way it wanted to go. And he did it all with a razor (first time for me). It was pretty cool to watch.

I also got to have my scalp analyzed because the Phyto representative was in the salon doing consultations. Bonus! I think I may try out some of their products now that I know what can help this itchy, dry scalp of mine. If anyone is interested in trying the salon let me know (I highly recommend it!). I have some referral cards that can save you 20% on a service.

Do you DailyMile?

2010-01-12T09:31:00.002-05:00

Haven't heard of DailyMile yet? Don't worry I only recently discovered it myself. For a long time I've been using the Nike+ system. Over the holiday break I started noticing a tend with my Twitter feed. People were commenting on their workouts from something called DailyMile. Okay, that's cool, but what the heck is it? I set out to investigate!

DailyMile is pretty cool, dare I say even addictive. It's Facebook for the exercising crowd. You can either manually enter your workouts for cycling, running, swimming, yoga, cardio, and so much more or you can sync your workouts from several of the popular tracking devices on the market (I can sync with my Nike+ sportsband). You have friends who can comment on your workouts or post thoughts, cool little motivation gifts, community groups (Team in Training Georgia has one!), and challenges you can participate in against other DailyMile users. And to top it all off this week they started sending out weekly training recaps to your e-mail inbox. Mine said I did an awesome job of training last week. Thanks DailyMile!

I can see why Nike+ has tried to make some of the changes they started. Problem is they are no where near as good as DailyMile currently is. I still have to log into Nike+ to look at the graph of my run (that's something that DailyMile doesn't do), but I love the community on DailyMile. Whether someone is just starting out, been training for a while, or is a running rockstar, everyone is super supportive and encouraging. My kind of place! So, pop on by and check it out!

New alignment

2010-01-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

I got tired of sliding around when doing a yoga workout. See after my Dad's stroke 3 1/2 years ago I leant him my yoga mat so that he could do his PT exercises at home and asked to have it back when he was done. 3 1/2 years later I have no idea where the mat has gone to. So, I went and got a new one Saturday. I have been eyeing the Lululemon website for ages, and I decided this week that I wanted one of their align yoga mats. It's awesome!! Not only did I not slide, but the mat has alignment lines running down and across so that you can make sure your poses are lined up correctly. Genius! Can you tell I really like my new mat? ;) After my marathon (in 3 weeks -- eek) I want to try out some of the free classes they do in the store. (the buckhead store that I went does them on Saturday mornings). In honor of my new mat I actually paid for the yogadownloads.com 60 minute yoga for runners class. It kicked my rear end! I ended up having to take a short break and modifying some of the planks to make it through the whole class. I really like it though. So, all in all two good purchases for the weekend. Yoga has made me feel so much stronger as a runner. It really has helped strengthen my legs a lot. Plus I'm doing more stretching and hopefully preventing injuries! A win win situation in my book :)

Snow reminds me of how it all began...

2010-01-08T14:11:00.000-05:00

It snowed in Atlanta today. A whole 1/2 inch. The entire city is in a slippery holding pattern. See, despite all of the ice storms we've had the city only has 4 salt/sand machines. Yes, that's right. Only four. Doesn't seem quite right. After spending 2 years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for graduate school I find all of this highly amusing. Schools started announcing closing Wednesday evening ahead of the weather "event." I remember walking to class in blizzards in Milwaukee. What a difference a few years and several hundred miles make.

See snow and running go way back for me. I first starting running in March of 2006 after taking a fall and messing up my shoulder and couldn't practice. This was a bit of a problem because I was 3 weeks away from my graduate violin recital. So, to deal with all of the stress I laced up my running shoes over spring break and went for a run. It was about 5 degrees out with an inch or 2 of snow. It was magical. I don't think I even made it a mile :). But I loved it. It made me feel better, I wasn't nearly as stressed out, and it actually made my shoulder feel a little better (or maybe that was all in my head). So, tomorrow I "only" have to run 10 miles. I'm kind of hoping there will still be some snow on the ground. In a way, it's almost like going back to the beginning, except I can run further than a mile now :)

had to make sure we had everything we needed for the "storm"

some were not as concerned :)

The Joys of Cookbooks

2010-01-04T13:38:00.000-05:00

Sunday night I watched Julie & Julia. Whenever I watch it i have a strong desire to go out a buy Julia Child's cookbook and start making my way though it. Although with my family history of heart disease and high blood pressure I would probably only make it halfway through. I think it has something to do with butter...

Anyway, I started looking at my cookbooks and my long neglected copy of "The Joy of Cooking." I've never really gotten into ever since I purchased it close to 10 years ago. I was curious as to what kind of "treasures" it might have inside. Flipping through it before falling asleep I only got as far as beverages and drinks, but I did find some "interesting" things inside. Anyone up for Sauerkrat or clam juice? None for me thanks. The meal planning section was like looking at something from 30 years ago. It made me smile, but gave me no desire what so ever to go out a make a tomato aspic for lunch today (so sorry to disappoint). There are some interesting things in this little gem though. Like a complete calorie, fat, and protein breakdown on the ingredients used in the book. Oh, and apparently in 1975 (the edition I have) there was already a concern about "soft drinks" and nutritional things to serve your child for lunch. I guess things haven't changed as much as we thought. I'm curious to look through more of it. I'm sure there are other amusing things hidden inside. I'm actually rather curious about the bread section, although it is all the way in the back.

Till the next installment...

I deserve a treat

2010-01-03T11:51:00.000-05:00

Do you treat yourself after a race? My past "treats":

2008 ING Georgia Marathon - shopping spree at favorite store
2008 San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Marathon - long sleeve dri-fit shirt (finish shirt was cotton :( ). It's one of my favorite winter running shirts (it's fleece lined!)
2009 Nike Women's Marathon - another long sleeve dri-fit running shirt
2009 Atlanta Half Marathon - a new higher tensioned massage stick

So, what will my "treat" be for the 2010 Tallahassee Marathon? I've been thinking about this very question quite a bit over the past week. It's hard training for races in the winter (it's cold out there even here in Atlanta). Plus, I've been training on my own for this race. Just me and my iPhone on my long runs. So, I've been thinking that a nice "treat" might be in order. For the past 2 1/2 years I've been running with the Nike+ system, and I'm to the point where I'm ready to try and qualify for Boston. So, I've been thinking about getting myself a garmin training watch as my post marathon "treat."

What do you think? Do you have a training watch that you use? What kind? I'm looking at a couple, but would love to hear what you think!

:) A runner's high :)

2010-01-02T11:44:00.000-05:00

This morning I ran 18 miles all on my own. It was freezing out!!!! (25 degrees with 25 mile an hour wind gust I would guess). I'm so glad I didn't look at the windchill before heading out this morning. It struck me while I was out running that I'm just out running 18 miles. No one was forcing me to. I don't have to run a marathon. I choose to do, and I can just run 18 miles. That's huge!!!!!!! You have to understand, I did not like running when I was a kid. I played soccer from the 3rd grade all the way through high school. Pre season conditioning was my least favorite thing to do. When we had our timed mile the first practice of the season I was the very last to finish, huffing, and puffing the whole way, and just squeaking in under the time limit. Running was not "my thing." Now sprinting on the other hand. Well, I loved to sprint, which is why I probably spent most of my soccer career as a wing player. Set me loose and I was off. Just don't ask me to run for long!

Flash forward to today. Today I ran 18 miles because I could, and I did it in just under 3 hours. Now that I can feel my fingers and toes again I feel pretty awesome, and a little bit sore. It's a nice runners high. I hope it sticks around a while. If not, I've got a 20 mile run coming up in a two weeks :).

It's not about pace, it's about fun

2009-12-29T16:50:00.000-05:00

I've discovered something on my last couple of runs. The less pressure I put on myself run a certain speed or finish in a certain time the better the run is. Saturday I ran about 15 miles. No pressure to finish in a certain time because I started super early and no pressure to run a certain pace. I just ran and listened to some podcast on my phone. I seem to like listening to podcast on my long runs lately. Maybe because it's similar to running with someone... It was a pretty awesome run!

This morning I did the same thing. I just ran. I didn't pay any attention to pace. I let my body decide what it wanted to do. It was awesome and I ended up averaging 8:57 per mile. Really awesome! I ran into my Team in Training mentor from my first event and her husband while shopping Sunday. They both said how glad they were that I was sticking with it (while also trying to talk me into triathlons. Lots of people have been trying to talk me into them....). My reply was that it's a lot easier to enjoy running when you're in good shape. But it's more than that. All you have to do is listen. Listen to what your body is saying while you're running. You can have fun no mater what pace you're going. I have many friends who prove this over and over again. I'm starting to get excited about my race in February. I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing and just enjoy the run. Who knows what will happen. That's the exciting part. I'm actually looking forward to running 18 miles this weekend. I know I can do it. I've run further than that many times. And I'm going to have fun! Yeah, lots of fun, and listen to a several podcasts too :)

Cleaning out the old

2009-12-28T22:47:00.000-05:00

I've gotten some new stuff for Christmas. My mom got me some awesome new slippers (it's the little things that make a difference when you run long distances) that the dogs are very interested in (they think my new slippers could be a stuffie), and I splurgered on a pretty dress from Anthropologie with my Christmas money. Oh, and I went shoe shopping today :). Which brings me to this evenings cleaning. I needed to find space for my new shoes, which got me to thinking about cleaning up the dresser and closet. I need more room for all of my running gear. It's multiplied greatly over the past couple of years. I have tons of old t-shirts that I don't wear that have some fond memories attached to them. Maybe I just need to find somewhere to store them. I don't think I'll ever wear them again. They are rather big now. It's hard to take them out. I keep thinking I might need some of these things again, but most of the clothes I'm thinking about taking out are too big.

Does anyone else have this problem? or is this just another weird thing about me?

Christmas Lights

2009-12-24T09:24:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!! one of my favorite things this time of year is to drive around to see all of the Christmas lights people have put up. Since I started playing for Christmas Eve services that's gotten more and more difficult (my family use to drive around after dinner Christmas Eve before church). So, I was super excited that people have been leaving lights on over night so that I get to see them while I'm out running. So, my trusty iPhone and I had a little fun on my 4 mile run this morning :)

Enjoy!

View from the porch

This house decorates there mailbox for every holiday. It makes me laugh :)

close up

I liked the blow up snow globe

The dogs are never really sure what to do with this one. Are they fake, are they real animals? We're so confused :)

My new friend

2009-12-20T16:55:00.000-05:00

What do you think of my new friend? :) he needs a name, but I haven't thought of one yet....

I like to keep him on my dresser because he makes me smile. He has a very fun gift card to one of my favorite stores inside his mouth. Hope he doesn't eat it!

I'm really happy to have a little break from things over the next couple of weeks. It's nice to be out of some the of negative stuff I've been around recently. I was bouncing off the walls this morning, a clear sign that I'm both feeling better and a little lighter (people were suggesting decaf at Starbucks between the church services I played for this morning). I have a little art project planned for my mirror. I use it all the time to practice my violin. It's actually the reason I bought it in grad school. I want a place that can remind me of the good stuff.

Trying to rise above

2009-12-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

I spent a large part of yesterday afternoon feeling like I was an awful person. I shouldn't have let a conversation go where it went. I have learned from past experiences in this particular situation that every time I let this happen I leave feeling like a horrible person. Everything about me is wrong. Everything I've done is wrong. It makes me feel bad for days. This started earlier in the year. It's not constructive or healthy, but it's something that I currently cannot get out of. Add two not so great auditions into the mix and it's no wonder I left for vacation in a not so great mood. Add on top of that being questioned if I was taking us in the right direction, being told that I was wrong, that everything I was doing was awful. It didn't help me feel any better. This one situation is effecting everything else. Over the summer I made the decision to avoid the whole thing. To focus on what I was doing at work, at home, and just do the best I could. I started to attack my practicing like I was on a mission. A mission to get to where I want to go in terms of performing. Going to my lessons makes me happy. Running makes me happy. Trying to have fun with my students and laughing makes me happy. I like it when they tell me I'm silly.

So, how do we deal with things that bring us down? How do we let something roll off our backs when it continues to hurt over and over again? This morning I went running even though I've been fighting a cold for days. I over dressed for my 6 miles and ended up sweating a lot (my hair was soaked), and it felt soooo good! It was just what I needed. At least until the memory of everything from yesterday comes back. I have some ideas for getting out of this funk. Now I just need to start doing some of them.

trying to stay mentally tough

2009-12-15T10:54:00.000-05:00

last weekend was a long weekend, which is odd because i don't have any performances. Instead, some of my students played at Phipps Plaza Saturday morning, one of my students was performing on a friend's recital Sunday and needed her violin tuned, and then I had my lesson Sunday evening. Playing has been challenging since the shoulder rest broke Friday afternoon.

My shoulder was soooo sore by the time the kids were done playing (I was playing duet parts). Needless to say practicing Saturday afternoon was challenging. I've pulled out my old sponges to use until my new shoulder rest gets here (which finally shipped this morning 3 days after I ordered it. I don't think USPS is 2nd day delivery like I requested. sigh). This of course can open a whole can of worms among violinist. Shoulder rest vs. sponge (or nothing)? I played for 4 years using a sponge. Believe me I get the arguement. However, I have an unusually long neck for a violinist. Hence the need for speedy delivery of the new shoulder rest. My shoulder, neck, and back all hurt. It's not a lot of fun. I couldn't even make it through a 60 minute lesson on Sunday. I'm trying to practice technique stuff and no solo stuff because I'm worried that I'll mess things up. I'm totally compensating because I cannot hold my violin the same at the moment.

The other problem is that I am once again sick :(. I slept for almost 12 hours Sunday and woke up feeling like a truck had hit me. After cranky knee throwing a wrench in training last week I'm a little nervous about training for my marathon in 8 weeks. I did do a lot of cross training last week, and I did a 20 minute yoga core workout this morning (love yogadownload.com). My legs feel strong. I'm just nervous about running 26.2 without enough training. I've done it before. My first marathon I only got a 15 mile run in as my longest before the race. It was miserable. I don't ever want to go into another race under trained. I feel like I can get away with under training for almost any distance other than a marathon. It's a different monster. Fingers are crossed that i can go running tomorrow. I'm spraying Lysol everywhere trying to kill the germs!!!

The death of a shoulder rest

2009-12-11T18:33:00.000-05:00

My shoulder rest has been cracking for a while now in the most unusual place along the side. Yesterday evening there was a very loud crack while I was practicing across the middle of the shoulder rest. Another loud crack this afternoon, and then finally in the middle of our final rehearsal for our student's performance in the morning it gave one final loud crack and split in half :(. I'm going to try calling the store I bought it from to see if there is anything they can do. I only bought it 9 months ago. My last shoulder rest was purchased in 1997 and has never died...

Field Trip to the Big Peach

2009-12-09T12:02:00.000-05:00

Do you smell that?

Take a deep breathe. Do you smell it now?

That my friends is the smell of new running shoes!!!!!! I haven't posted much on my runs this week because well... they kind of stunk. Not in terms of them being rotten runs, but because my knee has been bothering me a lot. So, this morning I crossed trained on the stationary bike (6.6 miles on a hill program) and then got in the car for a trip to my friendly Big Peach Running Co for some new shoes. If you live in Atlanta get yourself to the Big Peach ASAP!!!!!! I love everything about the store. I seriously think I could spend the whole day there and be as happy as a lark :). I have been fitted with the best shoes since I started shopping there 1 1/2 years ago. They have an awesome fit process where they do a digital picture of your arches (it also shows how you distribute your weight) and they video you running, then rewind and put it on slow motion so they can see exactly how you land on your feet. The first running store would just eyeball it. I had a lot of issues back then. Now I have a new running store :). And yes, a good pair of running shoes can be a little pricey, but think of it this way:

old shoes $120 divided by 339 miles = $0.35 per mile
if new shoes have same miles $90 divided by 339 = $0.27 per mile

Laura helped me pick out a new shoe, but the same brand (mizunos). As soon as I got my orthotics in them I just knew!! (they felt great & light!!! Imagine what I can do with lighter shoes?!!!) The runner ups were the same way. I got my orthotics in them and just knew they were not the ones for me. That's okay. They were still nice. Hopefully cranky knee and achey ankles will go away on my long run Friday. I really want to strap the news shoes on now and go for a run (a very good sign), butt I just don't have the time. After putting my old ones back on I can definitely tell they are dead, dead, dead. Achey ankle is back. Now worries. I'll rock my new shoes on Friday :)