It's on the way

My new Garmin has been shipped!!!!!! Estimated delivery Tuesday, Oct. 5th!!

I knew this day would come eventually

Well, I did it.  I made my decision.  I am getting a Garmin 205 to replace my 201 that recently quit.  The 201 is laying on the table right next to me.  I feel so bad replacing her.  I read several things online and tried them all and nothing brought her back to life.  There is one more thing which involves opening it up which I haven't tried but I might.  From what I read 6 years is longer than most last. 
I'm looking forward to playing with my new toy but I will miss the old Garmie too.  I just hope that the new one isn't too complicated to learn how to use.  One thing I like is that it is BLUE!!!!!!!!!! The only thing better would be pink!  Maybe there will be a pink Garmin someday!!!
The next few days I will have to run routes that I know the distance.  Sunday I am running a half marathon as my long run so I don't have to worry about distance there. 
I will pass 1000 miles for the year so far this week!!!!!!! 
When new Garmie gets here I will post pics, not that anyone doesn't know what one looks like. 
Runner Nerd who is getting a new toy soon!

sad sad day

After nearly 6 years of faithful service I am very sad to report that my Garmin Forerunner 201 has quit.  Garmie has been there with me on most of my runs keeping track of the time, distance and mile splits for me.  She hung in there with me for 3 hours 25 minutes on Saturday and I never even got a chance to upload that run to Garmin Connect. 
I am going to miss her.  I don't want a new one; I just want that one.  :(

A very sad Runner Nerd

Is it really time for......

Tomorrow morning is the final 20 miler!!!  Then it's taper time!!!!!!  I will be so ready for it after this week!!
6 Monday, 6 Tuesday, 8 Wednesday, 6.5 Thursday, 4 Friday = 30.5--> on track for a 50+ mile week!!!
Had dinner, clothes ready, accel-gel in little pouch, backpack packed. time for bed, I need to roll out at 6AM.  I am doing the Detroit Marathon group training run on a course closed to traffic and water and gatorade every 2 miles. 
Later

The 50 mile week begins!!!

I had the most awesome 6 miler ever!!  Everything was perfect! The weather was great, lots of runners were out there running, walkers walking, bikers biking and rowers rowing!!  I love to see the rowers out there on Argo Pond practicing.  I also had so much fun for another reason!! Why is it so much fun climbing over or ducking under baracades????  The trail along the mill race is closed this week so they can remove fallen trees and fix up a couple places where the edge along the water is bad.  When they are finished for the day there is no reason that people can't use the trail but they leave it closed 24/7 Monday thru Thursday.  (this started after Labor day and not sure how many weeks it's going to take)  The workers were gone when I got to the trail.  A biker was just pushing his bike around the edge of the barracade coming off of the trail so I asked him if there were any workers and he said no so I ducked through the middle of the barracade and continued on.  At the other end of the trail I had to duck through the barricade there and then they had the path under the broadway bridge blocked off so I hopped over that and on I went!  On the way back it was the same in reverse!  The Argo Bluffs trail through the woods is open in Argo Park now but the top of the stairs at the other end is still blocked off so I got to climb over that again!!  I explored a new trail today at the end of Island Drive.  I've seen people on foot and on bikes coming from there and going into it but there are "Do not enter" signs posted.  I decided this was the day to explore since I needed 6 miles and my usual route is only 4.5.  It turns out this used to be a road.  There is a very old and rusted road sign for a sharp curve at one point.  It eventually becomes a still used road.  It looks as if they closed off the road at the last house and from there on did not maintain it anymore.  I could see bike tracks and foot prints so there is regular use of it.  The funny thing is that at the other end where it becomes a used road again there is no "do not enter" sign.  There are posts so that a vehicle can't drive through but no signs. 
After I finished my run I went to a core workout class.  I've been going for a few weeks now.  It's held at the running store.  It's just a 30 minute workout but I am sore the next day!  Tonight I learned that I can't balance on a bosu ball!!  They are getting more and more equipment and this was the first time they've had the bosu balls.  I kept falling off!
This week is my highest mileage week of marathon training!  It will also be the highest mileage week of the entire year!  Hard to believe it's almost time to taper!  Seems like I just started training.
Tomorrow is speed work with a group of mostly women I run with on Tuesday mornings.  The coach is having a photographer there tomorrow to take pictures.
Time for bed. 

ONLY 12 Miles

One of the things I love about the later part of training for a marathon is being able to say things like: "I ONLY ran 12 miles today!"  "Oh, I ONLY ran 10 miles yesterday!!!"  After last weeks 20 miler this weeks long run was ONLY 12 miles and those 12 miles seemed to go by quite fast and I was done before I knew it!!  I even negative split!  I did the run with a training group yesterday morning.  Next week is another 20 miler which will be at a big Detroit Marathon training run in Hines Park.  I am not going to Grand Rapids for the 20 mile training run there because I need to get back home and get ready for a hayride we are hosting here for our church. 
Today I went to the trail for an easy 4 mile recovery run.  Not sure what came over me but I took off and felt really good, not even stiff or anything.  I ran 4 miles in just shy of 37 minutes so just over 9 min miles!!! 
Four weeks from today is M day!!  I'm excited and nervous.  This is going to be the last marathon until I'm done with school so I don't want it to be a disaster; I want it to be fun and memorable and all that so I will be ready to do another one when I'm done with school.
Well, time for some homework.
Runner Nerd

Eating during classes

Sometimes I just don't get it.  I've posted before about things that are so very different from when I was in college wayyyyyy back when after I graduated from high school.  I can't believe how many people eat during classes.  There is ALWAYS somebody eating something and usually several people.  It's usually junk food.  This has been in every class I've been in.  They are also drinking Mt. Dew, Red Bull, Monster, and other of those types of energy drinks.  Today the gal sitting next to me had a bag of pretzels and a big bottle of flavored carbonated water, I think it's 1 liter.  She ate the pretzels the first few minutes of class but during the rest of the 1.5 hour class she unscrewed the cover, drank and replaced the cover every few minutes.  It's not really all that big of a deal just strange.  I don't know if I just don't remember it but I really don't think anyone ever ate in class way back when.
I was talking with one of my running group friends last Thursday.  He's 50 and also going to college.  He was telling me about one of his classes this semester where the teacher started the first class with all the rules which included no talking, no laptops, NO EATING among others.  I sure wish I'd have a class where the teacher says no eating!!  My phychology professor doesn't allow laptops, cell phones or talking during class.  It's kind of funny because I thought all those things would be a given, maybe laptops in certain classes where appropriate but not most classes. 
I'm probably just showing my age and should stop now!!! 
I had to miss my running group this morning due to car problems.  (quite possibly the worst thing to happen after running injuries)  Maybe that's why I was noticing all the annoying things people do in college today--lack of running!!  I did go running after class but it sure wasn't a hard core speedworkout like I would have done in the running group. 

Runner Nerd

I don't like what I see

The last few days when I've been running I've been seeing something I really don't like at all.  It's the leaves.  They're changing colors.  I see summer slipping away.  I am not ready.  This summer was wonderful.  I loved it.  This summer was a gift from God to MEEEEEEE!!!!! 
I know it was sometimes hard to run on really hot days and I ran really really slow which was frustrating BUT....It also felt sooooooo good.  I also love the tan line I get on my back from the summer running tops!!!! 
The only good thing is that something I'm really looking forward to is getting closer!!  The New Years Eve midnight run in New York City!!  This is something I've always wanted to do and it looks like I'm finally going to get to! Less than 4 months!!!!!!
5 weeks from today is marathon day!!!!

20 miles

I did my first 20 miler of training for this marathon today!  My longest run before this was 16 (last week) and I decided to go for it and jump to 20 miles today.  The last 2 miles were tough. 
I have to do this again in 2 weeks. 
My new shoes felt good. 
I ran in a group training run so I was always in a group.  I once ran a 20 miler all by myself and I hope I never do that again!  In 2 weeks there is a 20 mile training run on the course of the marathon and I think I'm going to go to that.  WOW! Only 2 weeks left before tapering starts! 
This is going to be my last marathon until I am done with school so I hope it's not a disaster. 
I added up my mileage for the week and came up with 48.8 miles! I am sooooo tempted to go out and run 1.2 miles tomorrow to make it 50 but I doubt very much that I will.  I need a rest day. 
I'm super tired now.  That is something I've noticed this year.  On days I run any distance I am wiped out around 8pm. 
5 weeks from tomorrow is the day!!!! 

New Shoes!!!!

Last Saturday my feet hurt while running.  Yesterday they hurt again and they were sore last night even after I was home.  The light bulb came on!!  I checked my log book to discover that I had run 529 miles in them.  Time for new shoes!!!!  Tonight was running group at the running store, how convenient!!  I knew that my shoes had been made into a new model so I was hoping that I'd like them as much as I like these.  I needed a half size bigger, 10 1/2,  in the new model, Gel Foundation 9.  (I wore size 11 in the Gel Foundation 6) 
so, anyway, I now have these new very bright white and light blue shoes.  I HAVE TO GET THEM DIRTY!!!  They are sooooooooo white!!  I will take them for their first run tomorrow after work!!  (I got them after the run tonight, didn't get there in time to get them first.)
Old shoes, 532.5 miles.  New shoes, 0 miles.

Birthday thoughts

Well, it's once again the anniversary of the day I was born.  Earlier today I told someone that it's my 10th 39th birthday!!!  That got me thinking though....I am weigh around 30 lbs less and I am in wayyyyyy better shape than I was on my original 39th birthday!!  I was not yet running at that point. 
I went to my Tuesday morning running group today and we did 14 400s.  I was actually very consistent today, they were all right around 1:55!!  a few were faster and a couple were slower but all were under 2 minutes!!!  Soooooooo, no sleeping in or breakfast in bed or any such thing as that on my birthday!!!  Who, in their right mind would run 14 400s with a mere 1 minute rest on their birthday???????  Actually there were 2 people doing that today!!  It was also one of the other's birthday too!  She's only 45 and runs faster than me.  After running I had to get to the Y to shower and change and then it was off to class.  This is my last semester of pre-reqs!!  In January I start the Respiratory Therapy Program!!  I can't wait. 
Two years ago I ran a half marathon on my birthday, last year I participated in the run across the Mackinac Bridge on my birthday and this year I had my running group on my birthday.  Most women my age would think I was nuts!!
Speaking of the Labor Day run across the Mackinac Bridge, this is the last Labor Day that Gov. Granholm will be in office.  She is who started the RUN.  Michigan's Governors have been walking across the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day since it was built in the 50s.  The story goes that shortly after Gov. G was elected she was told that she would be walking across the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day and her response was, "NO, I'm not I am RUNNING across!"  At first the Bridge Authority said it was not possible but she insisted and they worked it out.  There is an application process and until 2008 only 300, now it is 400, people would be chosen.  Michigan residents only, of course!  Runners start in groups of 30 every few minutes because of vibrations or something.  Anyway, what I am getting at, I wonder if the Bridge run will be continued with a new Governor coming in this year.  Hmmmm, I wonder if either Virg or Rick are runners.  I will have to look into that!!  I am sure that many who have been chosen to run will be writing in support of this fun event.  I am lucky to have been chosen to run both times I applied!!  It is a lot of fun. 

So, today I celebrate my health!!  I consider myself lucky to be able to zip around the track 14 times in less than 2 minutes each time!!!  I look forward to just over 5 weeks away when I once again run 26.2 miles!!!!  It won't be my fastest one but I, a 48 yr old girl, can do it!!!!!