Introducing.....

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

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?

The Hay is in the Barn

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.

Getting Antsy

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?