Short Lived Moments of Greatness with a few random thoughts on Life, running, and Pizza tossed in.

 I ran my first race since the marathon yesterday. 14.12 miles (they measured the course wrong) of up and down mountain terrain, it was the most challenging half marathon I have run to date (that did not include electrocution). But I had a great time doing it! Beautiful scenery, well organized race, and plentiful aid stations.  I went into the race for the enjoyment of running and knowing full well that this would not be a PR race for me. My training has not been the best and I really do not have the urge to break any speed records. I averaged a 12:50 pace and came in at 3 hours, slow but considering I walked the back half of the race, I will take it! the second  6.5 miles were up hill on a uneven dirt road, this portion of the race KICKED. MY. ASS.  I couldn't breathe, I couldn't feel my quads, and the only thing that kept me going was the fact that an 80 year old man (Who I had passed on the way down) was quickly passing me and eventually put so much distance between us that I lost him. We were at 5k-6k feet and the elevation coupled with the uphill just crushed me, I still have a cough today from the lack of oxygen in the air. I also ran with Scott, Stacey, and Heather... my partners in idiocy.

So since I had 3 hours to kill I had a lot of time to think and try to take my mind off of running and knee pain. Here is a quick list of random thoughts that go through my head while running.

1. I am hungry
2. I should eat
3. What should I eat
4. I am running 13 miles, I can eat whatever I want
5. Pizza, definitely pizza
6. How much pizza
7. A whole one (and if you think I mean a whole slice, A. welcome to my blog, B. you're adorable)
8. Where can I get pizza at 9 am
9. Oh hey, there is my tendinitis. I didn't miss you.
10.This feels like longer than 13.1 miles

I also wore my Blerch shirt from The Oatmeal ( if you are a runner and you don't know what the oatmeal is, I recommend googling the oatmeal, long distance running. You're Welcome.) and I had a few people come up and compliment my shirt and ask me if I ran into the wall.... But I do not believe in the wall! (this will make a whole lot more sense if you read the oatmeal, http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running, go ahead I will wait.
.
.
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See?! now you understand the awesomness and the Blerch.
So anyways, I wore my Blerch shirt and I had this fleeting moment of awesomness... I had a lady come up to me and start frantically pointing at my shirt, I was wearing my headphones and jamming out to NKOTB so I am not entirely sure how long she was doing this for but I finally pulled my headphones out and tried to understand what she was saying and make sure she wasn't having a seizure. She told me she loved my shirt and loves that blog, here is how that conversation went

her: I love your shirt, I read that blog all the time!
me: Thanks!, yeah I love the Oatmeal!
Her: the what?
me:


The oatmeal, its the website where I got this shirt and the guy who originally wrote about the Blerch!

Her: Oh, no I read it on some lady's blog.
Me: (inner voice) Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. I have just met a complete stranger that reads my blog!
Me: (Actual voice) Really?! what is the name of it??
Her: Oh, I can't remember
Me. Oh. Does it have something to do with a Fat Kid?
Her: No, no. that's not it.
Me: Ok Byeeeeee, gotta run


I got so momentarily excited, I finally found that runners high that all those crack pot ultra marathoners talk about but it was quickly shot down. At this point I picked up my pace so I could get out of distance and stop to giggle like an idiot at myself.
So all it all it was a good race, I did not eat pizza but I did make a waiter at red lobster uncomfortable with the amount of cheddar bay bisuits and endless shrimp I put away.

Have a great weekend everyone, beat down those fat kids (Inner! Inner fat kids! Don't go abusing children with glandular problems!)

Don't judge.

It's only 1 tablespoon and I am starving... DONT JUDGE :)




You can also now follow the fat kid on twitter as I awkardly try to narate my batlles, play by play, against the fat kid. It's not pretty but you can't say I didn't warn you!

@bdmyinnerfatkid

#beatingdownmyinnerfatkid
#stillnotsureimdoingthisright

 

Woooo Saaaah

I worry way too much, I stress, I create imaginary situations that may or may not happen but have not happened yet and I worry about that. I worry about anything I can worry about. It’s not my best quality but I have also found its part of what makes me, me. It’s why I push myself harder to be the best I can be, it’s what keeps me going when all I want to do is take a nap. Today is one of those days, I am just dragging ass. I can’t drink enough coffee to keep my eyes open and my give a shit is broken. I know I just need to get through the day, go home, make dinner, and just relax. Maybe go for a run to help decompress and come back tomorrow ready to go. 

So as I was thinking about what I would write I decided to shut my brain off and scan facebook for a little while, as I was doing this I came across one of those Jesus loves you E-Cards that said “my child, you worry too much. I’ve got this, remember? –God”

Now, I am not an overly religious person, I am a Christmas and easter mass/service going, catholic raised, Lutheran married hybrid.  But this struck a chord with me, sometimes the one thing I have to remember is just to have faith. Faith in whatever you chose to believe in. Whether that is God, the universe, or the idea that the cardinals may one day win the superbowl… Just Faith that things will happen the way they are supposed to.  As much as my bossy pants self would love to control every situation and every moment of every day, I can’t.

My promise to myself today is to not worry (too much). Projects will get handled, Training will happen, Races will be run, Appointments will be made (and kept). I have faith that I will find time for it all and I will accomplish what I set out to accomplish, maybe not with style or the upmost class, and I may stick a straw in a wine bottle as I work but it will get done.  

Stupid salad and its stupid leaves.

My salad is pissing me off today.

 

 I know what an Idiotic, ridiculous sentence that is but it's how I feel today. I made myself a decent breakfast (egg whites with sauteed spinach and mushrooms) I had mini sweet peppers for my snack and lunch was supposed to be a salad with grilled chicken and avocado. Supposed to, being the key words in that sentence. My first hint that lunch wasn't going my way was when I realized I was out of dressing and I would have to eat my salad dry. Second hint was my frozen and wilted lettuce. So instead of eating my salad anyways, I cut up my chicken and avocado and proceeded to eat it with excruciating slowness as I shot dirty looks at my uncooperative salad.

 

Childish? Yes. Ridiculous? Yes.

 

But I'm still pissed off at an inanimate object because its not the dairy queen blizzard mixed with a shot of rum that I want it to be.

 

I may eat it later if I get hungry enough (that seems highly probable, my stomach seems to think it is constantly on the verge of starvation) but for right now I am ignoring it and its stupid vitamin packed leaves.

 

Ok. My rant against lettuce is over :)

 

 

This guy gets me...

 

Da Bears.

It is officially football season in the Ellis household, we have switched from watching the Diamondbacks to watching the wildcats and bears. Saturdays and Sundays are now devoted to football, pork, couches, beer, and Da Bears.  Bear Down is screamed out on a regular basis, along with Bill Swerski and the Super Fans quotes. We wear jerseys, eat bad food, and scream at our TV, all in the name of football. This is one of my favorite times of the year, not because I am a overly devoted football fan but because I am an overly devoted food fan. I love cold weather, football themed food. Yes it is still over 100 degrees on a regular basis in Arizona but that's our fall season. We will be trick or treating in tank tops and shorts...  So with fall and football comes pumpkin spice lattes, brauts, chili, and all sorts of dips. Can we just take a few minutes to pay homage to all the dips?
1. Cheese dips, this is a general category because I don't have the time to list all my favorite cheese based dips.
2. Bean dips
3. Spinach/Artichoke Dips
3. Salsa Dips
4. Ranch/onion Dips
5. Cream cheese dips
Plus all the fantastic dipping vessels, toasted bread, fresh pretzels, chips, etc.

I love all this food but I can't eat all this food so I have to stay away from it all. So on this rainy Sunday morning as I sip my coffee and watch Da Bears I am writing, because if I am writing then I am not eating, or cooking, or baking. Which is exactly what I would like to be doing. We are having turkey chili for dinner, this is kind of a compromise on my part. It sounds good, and it sounds like rainy day football food but its healthy. I know, I know. This is very un-american of me. Somewhere up in heaven Chris Farley is crying over his sausage and beer. But I can't let myself rationalize every bad food decision I make. Believe me this was hard, I walked around the grocery store for a good 45 minutes picking up and putting down different ingredients for different calorie laden, deliciousness. I finally squashed the fat kid who was running around the cheese aisle like a bath salt crazed maniac and left with the few items I actually needed. I didn't even buy cornbread or biscuits to go with our Chili. I am resolved to not make a holiday out of every weekend and allow all the work I do during the week to be crushed. I will repeat this over and over again to myself as I enjoy my chili and try to not pout over the lack of pie.

Happy Sunday everyone!


Turkey Chili recipe:

Extra lean ground turkey (1lb)
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 onion chopped
can of tomato sauce (low sodium)
can of pinto beans
can of kidney beans
cumin, red chili flakes, salt (all to taste)

brown ground turkey, onions, garlic, and bell peppers until turkey is cooked all the way through the vegetables have softened. Add tomato sauce, beans, and seasoning. Allow to simmer on low heat and serve when ready. This also works well in a crockpot!

We top with cheese and onions

Ode to Running

I signed up for another 1/2 marathon, I am not sure why, and I am not sure how, but I did it. Not only am I running 13.1 miles but I am doing it at 6,500 ft and on a trail. No I have never run long distance at elevation, no I have never done a trail race before, and no I have not been training for the last 3 months. So this should be fun.... I have written a training schedule that will include 4 runs a week, 2 cross training days, and 3 lifting days. I am just going to start crushing and snorting ibuprofen.  So in honor of getting back into running and all that comes along with it. Here is my Ode to running (Sounds fancy right?)

Ode to Running

Here's to the early mornings to beat the heat, the half drunken stumble you do out the door at 4 am to try and get 10 miles in. 

Here's to the gallons of peanut butter, vaseline, body glide, goo, powerade, and water. Which you may  or may not consume in any particular order. 

Here's to proudly (ish) leaving your house wearing spandex and a fanny pack around your waist. 

Here is hiding your fanny pack and spandex when friends come over. 

Here is to the small wave, the high five, the nod, or the please dear god call 911 that you give your fellow runners on early Saturday mornings. 

Here's to act like its no big deal when you consume more calories than a baby calf after a 10 mile run then proceed to crash in a pool of your own sweat and happiness. 

Here is to significant others who dutifully pop blisters, wash your god awful laundry, stretch you when you feel like your muscles have been replaced with concrete, and stay with you in spite of it all. 

Here's to new races, new shirts, and new stickers

Here's too spending way to much money in pre race exhibit halls. Hell, here's to spending too much money!

Here's to new shoes every other week that cost more than your car payment but promise to stop your shin splints forever. 

Here's to having an excuse to eat pizza and drink beer (carb loading)

Here's to enjoying the hell out of yourself and learning to step outside your comfort zone. 

I guess that wasn't really and ode. In fact I don't really know what an Ode is. Lets call it a cheers, yes. Cheers to running and runners!