Thursday, November 24, 2011

Turkey Trotting and Turkey Eating

This morning I "pre-burned" approximately 620 calories by running a 10K turkey trot held at the YMCA where I am a member.  This afternoon I ate wayyyyyyy more calories than that at my sister's house!!  My brother in law cooked a 28 lb turkey on a charcoal grill; it was really good!!  I also had plenty of cake and ice cream!! 

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who may happen to read this!!

Runner Nerd
Thankful for running shoes and ice cream!!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

It's running group day and it's raining out there.

I'm sitting here in the library, been studying for a few hours and it's just about time to leave for running group.  Normally that would make me excited and anticipatory (is that really a word) but it's raining outside and I HATE running in the rain.  It's also cold - 38 degrees to be exact.  I'm not looking forward to this; I'm actually wishing I could study more - now that IS crazy!! 
Two more weeks to go!!  My last final is Dec. 7th and it can't come soon enough.  My brain is exhausted!  I got a much needed 100% on an exam in a class last week.  I'm in the 4.0 range but just barely.  Now I just have to ace that final. 

Well, I am off to run in the rain, get soaked and freeze! 

Runner Nerd
needs a break!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

More silly running - Lightfest 8K

This time of year is what many runners consider to be the offseason.  During the offseason it's a time to forget about real training.  Running still happens, of course.  There are a bunch of holiday themed races and fun runs where people have fun and dress funny!  I ran a halloween 5K where I dressed in a big pumpkin shirt and spider knee socks!!  My "costume" was minimal compared to many of the participants. 
Last night was another fun event.  It was the Wayne County Lightfest 8K.  Lightfest is a drive through light display that opens this coming weekend.  On Tuesday of the week of the opening they have a run through the lights.  They say it's a dress rehearsal to make sure everything is in place but I think it's a ploy to get hundreds of people to pay $20 so they can pay the electric bill for all those lights!!  It's crazy how many people show up for this run.  It's not timed, there are no numbers, no chips, no winners; it's purely for fun.  I said to one of my running group friends that this proves that runners don't need much of an excuse to run!  I wore a string of christmas lights and a flashing bracelet and glow braclets around my wrists and a glow necklace on my head!! They give everyone a glow necklace to wear since it's a night run.  The first year I did this run the necklace bobbed up and down and hit my nose constantly.  The last 2 years I wrapped them around my lower leg but this year I saw someone else with theirs on their head so I tried it and found that it would stay there!!  This year was the warmest it has ever been for this race; it was 53 degrees!!  I only needed one layer!  It's usually cold.  Last year it was not only cold but rained the whole time and I remember being frozen and soaked.  I was really happy this year!! 
Before the run.
  When else can you wear Christmas lights and a glow thingy on your head in public and be perectly acceptable!

On the bus after the run with a running group friend
 This run is a point to point.  After the run busses take runners back to where we parked.  The bus had crazy music playing and had lights that flashed with the music and a strobe light somewhere down near the floor. 
So, that was fun!  I ran the 8K in just over 47 minutes which is pretty good for me these days.  I'm always amazed at how runs like these are always over so fast. 
In a couple of weeks I will be running another christmas themed run and I'm going to have my christmas lights again!!  I also have a pair of red and white striped knee socks to wear.  I was going to wear them last night but it was too warm at 53 degrees!  The week after that I have one more Christmas run; it's a women only run. 

This semester is winding down which cannot happen fast enough!  I had a good week last week!  I rocked a very difficult exam - I got 105%!!  I missed one so I actually got 98% but the teacher ended up throwing out 2 of the questions so I got an extra point for each of those since I got them right and there was 5 extra credit point problems which I got right!!  True nerd style!!! 

Runner Nerd
runs with lights!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Just for fun running events

This was the scene last night before a night run. 
Neon green or yellow and reflective trim.  The run was a fun run to commerate the date being 11-11-11.  Runners really don't need much of an excuse to have a run!  One of the members of the running group I run with hosted at his house which is near a lake that has a trail going around it.  There was a full moon last night which made running even more fun.  I was happy when I saw this picture because I wasn't sure if the old running pants I was wearing were still reflective on the trim along the zippers at the bottom of the legs.  I can see from this picture that they are!  It looks really dull compared to how it used to look.  (I'm the one on the left with my back to the camera)
That was last night at 7pm.
Today at 9am I was at it again!  I ran a 5K and a 10K back to back; it's the Iron Turkey!  I ran a 30 minute 5K and just over an hour 10K so it was like a long run.  The 2 races are an hour apart; 5K at 9 and 10K at 10.  I had a half hour between them and when I started the 10K I was stiff and had a really hard time getting my body moving again.  I had the best race number today!!!! I am the one in the middle with the race number!
I had the best race number!

All too soon racing was over and I had to go back to my other life - being the world's oldest college student.  After going home and showering it was off to the library for a few hours of studying for an exam I have on Monday - oh, the excitement! 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Forget what I said about cold weather gear in my last post!

November 8th and it's 65 degrees at 6:30pm!  Yes, that was the situation this evening here in, of all places, southeast Michigan! 
I had tights, baselayer and long sleeve shirt stuffed in my bag and then I realized that it was already 52 degrees at 9:30am, so in went a pair of shorts and short sleeve shirt just in case.  I'm glad I threw in those just in case provisions! 
I studied in the library all afternoon (true nerd style) then headed over to the running store for group run.  I passed a business just down the street from the running store that has a sign which displays the temperature and it said 65! 
This was our first run post time change.  It was completely dark well before our start time of 6:30pm.  Until now it was still light when we started but dark by the time we finished.  Nothing a neon yellow running shirt, headlamp and reflective arm bands can't make work! 
Last week I got new running shoes.  Every time I get new running shoes I can't wait to get them dirty!  They are soooooo white and clean, I can be seen coming a mile away!  I got more dirt on them tonight.  The dirt roads weren't really muddy but it had rained a little so there was slightly wet dirt to pick up!!
Well, running is done so it's time to get back to the nerd part of Runner Nerd; big test tomorrow.
Runner Nerd
enjoying unseasonable November weather