Non Sequitur Box

On Sunday, I ran the Unitedhealthcare Newport Half Marathon in Newport, RI. My goals for this race were to negative split, start slow-finish fast (1:25:00), and win. I knew the course would be challenging, but I was ready for a vacation! Monday was an easy run; Tuesday was a 3 mile race at work (18:00 flat!); Wednesday was a light run; Thursday was a day on the elliptical; Friday was my travel day (did lots of SMR during travel) and I jogged 4.5 miles and did core work; Saturday was completely off. I told myself it would be a nice vacation, race win or not. On Friday, I did some basics--picked up my packet, drove the course, bought Oktoberfest tickets, ate lunch in Newport, and checked into my room at Bay Willows Inn. Packet pickup was easy. There was a lot of parking at Second Beach, and it was free in the off season, so I got to check out the beach after I picked up my race packet. I bought a tube of anti-chafe cream (it works) and had some good science talk about mentors. Lunch was

On a lonely Friday evening, I went to watch The Giver in theaters alone. It got a lot of bad reviews, but I enjoyed it. The Giver is another book I enjoyed since childhood. When I got home, I downloaded The Giver quartet (by Lois Lowry) to my Kindle account and blazed through the series. In order, the series includes The Giver , Gathering Blue , Messenger , and Son . As a warning, I've included a bunch of spoilers. The Giver The first book in the series, we are introduced to Jonas and his utopian society where there is no music, no color, no dancing, no love, no real emotions. Life and death is planned. Climate is controlled, and there are no animals (except fish). Everyone is assigned a position in life at their special coming-of-age ceremony, but Jonas is selected . He is the Receiver, who will go to the Giver every day for training. The Giver is a man who holds all the memories (good and bad) before the time of the community. These are passed down from Giver to Receive

I read this book over the summer, so some of the details may have escaped me. I remember enjoying The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin as a young girl, so I re-read the book this year. I am happy to report that I still enjoyed the book. It is a very simple book, but I think children and adults (who are young at heart) can both enjoy it. The Westing Gam e is a mystery surrounding the tenants of Sunset Towers. Our heroine is young Turtle Wexler. The other tenants are somewhat humorous caricatures. Turtle's father is a doctor and her mother is odd. Her sister is quiet and pretty, to be married to a young doctor. There is the Chinese high school track star and his parents, who run the restaurant on the top floor of Sunset Towers. On the first floor is a coffee shop, run by a couple who have two young boys. One of the boys is friends with the track star; their other son has a disability and is confined to a wheelchair. There is a wise lawyer, an attention-starved secretary, a doorman,

Today I ran the 3rd annual Navy-Air Force Half Marathon in Washington, D.C. I met my three goals of negative splitting, running under 1:25:00, and placing in the top 10 for females. Preparation I've been training with Capital Area Runners for a few months now, and I've run new PRs at multiple distances (1 mile, 4 mile, 10k). I was already signed up for the Richmond Marathon in November, and I had set Newport (RI) Half as my tune-up race in October. Coach said I should run this race as a secondary tune-up. I'm easily convinced. My weekly mileage has been 40-60 miles for the past month. My last hard workout was last Tuesday (6x1200m). I ran easy 7.5, easy 5, easy 4 (last mile pick-up), and easy 2 miles for Tuesday through Saturday. Core work every day, of course. Pre-Race The race only offered one race pick-up day, at the Washington Nationals baseball stadium. I got there early, and it was already hectic/slow. I felt bad for those standing in the rain later in the day

On Wednesday of this week, I ran a mile around a track (yes, a true mile, not a 1600m). I did the same thing this morning. I had a good race on Wednesday and a bad race today. I was really aiming to run faster today. Wednesday was a long day of hydrating at work and making it through traffic to a warm, overcast track mile race. DC Road Runners put on the race at T.C. Williams High School. Our coach uses the race day as the team photo day. I ran in the ladies' fast heat (under 6:00, over 5:15) with a few of my teammates from Capital Area Runners. It was okay. It felt good, even if I didn't negative split. Here are my splits: 1:22 2:44 4:09 5:29 I was happy with that, seeing as I ran a 5:28 at the Loudon Street Mile (downhill road mile), and this made the track mile official. On Thursday, I ran 3 miles and 10 miles, both relaxed and slow. On Friday I ran 6.5 miles. **This next paragraph has TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Stop reading if you can't handle female body cycle

So much for reading a book a month. I'm all over the place this year with reading books, papers, and work-related information. My new goal is just to read 12 books non-work-related this year. The most recent book I finished was Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I really enjoyed this book. Gladwell covers various instances of success who are seemingly "outliers" at first glance. He delves deeper into the subjects, exposing each person's unique circumstances that allowed them to succeed. As someone who wants to consider herself a "success" someday, I was slightly disheartened at the thought of not being able to "make it" through my own hustle. At the same time, I realized all the people and sheer luck that has led to my success so far. In Outliers , Gladwell explains why being at the slightly older age range of your learning or sport group gives you an edge. He uses a team of hockey players as an example. The difference lies in childhood--if you

 I finally ran faster than my previous best 10k at the Lawyers Have Heart 10k this morning! My previous best 10k was 38:46, run on a track in 2008. I ran that race with Sarah Burns, one of my fellow Navy track/XC athletes. We ran at Towson, on a slightly drizzly spring morning, temperatures in the low 60's. We had teammates calling out our splits every 200m. I think we traded off every mile or every 5 laps and then let the engines loose on the final lap. I hadn't seen sub-39:00 since. While training on my own, I've gotten close recently--39:00 last fall at Race for the Parks 10k--but no banana, no cigar, almost doesn't count. Since training with Capital Area Runners, I've set PRs in the 4 mile and the 1 mile. It's nice that I continued in that fashion today. I would also like to thank Bancroft McGavin Horvath & Judkins, P.C. for allowing me to race with them, covering my entry fee, and giving me a great singlet to wear. Pre-Race: I went climbing/c

I started this blog after a few "significant" running races. Here is a quick overview of some races I did that Athlinks kindly recorded for me. Another day I'll write quick race recaps for my triathlons. Rock 'n' Roll VA Beach Half Marathon 2007 : 1:33:00 My first half marathon!  I had no clue how to pace this. My boyfriend at the time couldn't run it since he was dealing with plantar pain. I began my long distance running addiction while training for this race. I only ran up to 13 miles, but that was a big deal for me. 5k: 21:50 10k: 43:38 10mi: 1:10:47 11mi: 1:18:05 Marine Corps Marathon 2007 : 3:19:12 Since I tackled my first half marathon, and one of my upperclassmen (Rick P.) was giving away/transferring his bib, I decided to go for the full marathon the next month. This was the day after I ran in the Patriot League Championship for cross-country (6k course). I definitely started out a little too fast, but I didn't stop! My boyfriend at the

Today I ran in Potomac River Running Store's Mother's Day 4 Miler. The race was held near Baron Cameron Park in Reston, VA. This was my first race on this course and my second four miler. My goal was to break 26:00 (my previous PR was 25:01 at Four Courts Four Miler). I knew I should break 25:41 (which is what I ran my "tempo" four mile last time). Prep: For the past two weeks, I've been training with Capital Area Runners under the coaching of Coach George Buckheit. I'm still lifting three days a week, but I'm not focusing too much on huge gains (I keep it heavy, but I don't push the volume or intensity unnecessarily). I also added planks/push-ups back into my core routine, as I have been doing more concentric/eccentric movements and neglecting isometric movements. On the downside, this past week I worked with some isocyanantes and accidentally got exposed (somehow I found chemical rashes on my arms, abs, chest, and nose even though I was wear

I've been juggling a few books recently, so for my March-April-May book, I read Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer. I borrowed this book from a co-worker who has a phD in biology. One day, we started talking about cats, and he mentioned toxoplasma gondii. He told me this tale about a parasite that gets on rats, makes the rat hang around cats, and the parasite gets onto the cat. This parasite is also found on humans who own cats, and it has connections with neurological disorders (schizophrenia) and other psychological effects. This tale was true, and I was intrigued, so he lent me this book. I absolutely loved this book! I kept stopping to tell my boyfriend about parasites. I had my opinions about parasites change as I read the book. When I started reading Parasite Rex , I realized how dangerous parasites can be. Zimmer explains how a simple parasite can cause sleeping sickness or river blindness, as he has seen in Africa. I even avoided pork for a short time while I was reading ab

This week I joined Capital Area Runners under the coaching of George Buckheit. I learned about the team when I saw a group of ladies in red jerseys running some of the local races together. They always performed very well. Last fall, I had the pleasure of meeting Coach Buckheit. This moment was after the majority of the fall marathons and the beginning of the cold weather (when I retreated indoors for my speed workouts). I told myself I would come out next spring...maybe. Here were are today. I trained with them for a week before committing. That week included two long runs, a tempo workout, and a track workout. George was great about answering all my questions (about his training methods, training that I'm used to, my self-training methods), giving me input on my current training plan (which was running me into the ground), and treating me like I was already a member of the team. I think it's important to have a coach with whom you get along and with whose training methods

Yesterday I ran my third race of the year at Pacers' Four Courts Four Miler in Arlington, VA. Race Prep I've slowly been adding a few more speed workouts, mostly just shorter intervals (I did my first 2x1600m this week), and bumping my long run up to 12 miles each weekend. For the most part, I'm eating healthier and sleeping in until 6:00AM. The night before, I ran 2 miles, picked up my race packet, climbed one route at the gym (what can I say? I didn't feel very energetic), and went to Shooter McGee's in Alexandria for a not-so-healthy dinner. I had 3/4ths of a beer (Kona Longboard) and a lobster crab cake sandwich with fries on the side (one of the few non-red meat items on the menu...no red meat on Fridays during Lent). After falling asleep at the dinner table, my boy finally agreed to go home. I was in bed by 11:30PM. Pre-Race The weather was perfect for racing--low 50's, slightly cloudy! The race didn't begin until 9AM, so I was able to sleep

In February I read YOU (Only Faster) by Greg McMillan, M.S. This is, hands down, the best book I've read for training plans for runners. That's a bold statement. I used to flip through books for workout ideas, always tweaking workouts or schedules, feeling slightly bad about not following the plan to a T. When I bought YOU , I was expecting something similar, so I bought it on my Kindle app back in December and just now got around to reading it. I was so wrong about what I thought this book was going to be. Greg McMillan does a superior job explaining training for beginning and long time runners. He offers many tools for athletes looking to dial in their speed. Before reading this book, I would recommend his online running calculator at McMillan Running  to other runners looking for a guide of paces to hit during workouts. I would watch a few of his training videos, read his emails, dream about going out to Arizona to train with him some summer for vacation, but, for t

Below is my prospective race schedule for the year. I don't have any serious races planned (yet). Of course, this schedule might change due to weather, sickness, injury, climbing trips, classes, desire to do triathlons, or vacation time. I bought the =PR= (Potomac River Running Store) race bundle (four races for $100), so I will be doing at least four of their races this year (but aiming for at least seven). Italics means I've registered for that race already. Come join me! =PR= Race Series: http://prracing.enmotive.com/ Pacers Races: http://runpacers.com/run/races/ January 1: =PR= New Year's Day 5k (Reston, VA) - 19:15 February 16: Pacers George Washington Birthday Classic 10k (Alexandria, VA ) - 39:13 March 15: Pacers Four Courts Four Miler (Arlington, VA) - 25:01 April May 11: =PR= Mother's Day 4 Miler (Reston, VA) June 14: Lawyers Have Heart 10k (Washington, DC) 21: =PR= Twilight Festival Four Miler (Ashburn, VA) July August 17: =PR=

A runner's first race can be exciting and daunting. I'm writing this for beginners (or runners who still get nervous before races). Having your mental game ready can lead to a positive race experience. Trust the training. IF you've been training, this applies. At the start of many marathons (or even someone's first 5k), runners begin to question if they're in good enough shape, if they've done enough speed work and long runs, if they can handle the weather, if they will get injured mid-race, if they're properly hydrated and fueld, if, if, if. Trust your training. Did you have a knowledgeable coach and/or good training plan? Did you follow it (or adjust when necessary)? You are as prepared as you ever will be. There is nothing more you can do now but start the race. Set multiple goals. If you like goals, then I suggest you come up with three goals. A perfect race goal is your highest, perfect goal (champion, winning team). A great race goal is second

Yesterday I ran the George Washington Birthday Classic 10k in Alexandria, VA. The race is put on by Pacers (local running store). Pre-Race 0630 - I woke up to a message from our fearless local Team Red White Blue leader Bill. He didn't ask if I had finally signed up or if I was going to bundle up and come cheer. He just said, "See you soon. You can zoom past all of us." The time stamp was 0553. He was probably already onsite, setting up the Team RWB tent. 0700 - I tried to go back to sleep. I was happy in the warmth of bed, but the thoughts of everyone else freezing and running a 10k before I even got out of bed bothered me. I pulled on some workout clothes and put a few layers of sweats and jackets and hats on and zombied out to my car. Before I realized what was happening, I was driving to Alexandria. 0735 - Parking was a breeze inside the free parking garage. This made me very happy. I met up with the group, said I didn't register and that race day regist

One of my favorite socializing activities is discussing how or why something is (basically, trying to talk to the scientist in each one of us). I'm an introvert who doesn't interact with people often, so I try to make it easier for myself by inserting science and/or math into the socializing equation. Car Talk puzzlers are great for this; sometimes it's the only thing my boyfriend and I talk discuss on long drives. This week I had two hot topics for discussion. Frozen Balls for Scotch Last Sunday, I went to buy my boyfriend a birthday gift. I decided to go to a cocktail store and get him some spherical ice molds (for whiskey). The lady informed me, "The trick to clear ice is to use hot water." I thanked her and went home. I passed this information to the recipient of the gift, who agreed we should do an experiment. Round one was done without me, and I thought he didn't use enough control, but my boyfriend used hot tap water and room temperature filter

One thing I have not discussed on this website is my love for classic point-and-click adventure games. I wasn't a true gamer like my brothers, but I loved games with puzzles. I enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, logic puzzles, science, mysteries, and these games with challenges. What started with Myst and Riven expanded to the Broken Sword series (I've only played the first two) and Adventure Game Studio, a game engine created by Chris Jones ( http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/ ). In high school, I tried to make my own game, which was soon interrupted by college and other responsibilities (How did I have so much time to draw so much, learn a new program, run, do my homework, and complete all my chores while going to school 45 minutes away from where I lived? When did I sleep?). Now, on sick days, all I do is play adventure games if I feel well enough to sit up and think. In this month, I've played through quite a few games (for cheap, mind you). Available for download on GOG.c

In January, I read $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau. It is a book about beginning your own startup on minimal costs. Guillebeau uses many examples throughout his book, from children running a garbage service aboard a medical ship to a man who sells mattresses (and delivers them by bicycle). As someone who likes to daydream and taunt the idea of starting my own side business, I found the book to be a good resource. The stories are inspiring (from losing a job to "making it" on your own), especially when you can picture yourself in that person's shoes. I constantly found myself thinking, "If she can do it, then I can do it too!" Guillebeau doesn't sugarcoat the issue of starting your own business. He interviews people on what worked, what didn't work, and what changes had to be made. He emphasizes that it will take a lot of time and real work to achieve a goal. I liked that