Shelter from the Storm

My few loyal readers may have noticed that I’ve sort of fallen off the wagon in terms of tracking my marathon training. I’ve been very busy, but I have been running. However, instead of boring you with a list of my workouts I’ll just share one great one:

Last Friday I left work at three and rushed home to meet my father. We ate some toast with pb and honey and headed out for a fifteen miler sans Garmin. (I’d forgotten to recharge the battery and hey, I know the route already.) My dad wore his stopwatch, but we really didn’t worry about time. We just ran and talked about family and marathons and my favorite or least favorite parts of my route. We slowed down a few times, but we never stopped, we just ran along the port of Barcelona, together. And about 2 hours in, my dad finally said what I needed to hear, “if you can do this run, you´re gonna be fine in the marathon.”

Low-grade sickness

All last week I had a sort of low-grade sickness going on: chills, itchy throat and major stomach pains. For a while I thought I had E Coli, but then decided it was just a nasty combo of heat, work stress and smog. Anyhow, I won’t bore you all with the details, but suffice to say I was exhausted and even started thinking that I might be anemic. Vegetarian +woman+ runner? I probably should check those iron levels because all I wanted to do all day, everyday was sleep.

I managed to get in three runs + one day of CORE

7 miles on Tuesday

5 on Wednesday + CORE

13 on Sunday

Not what I had planned, but hey sometimes you get what you get.

This week my dad arrives! I can't wait to run and bike with him.

Plan:

Monday: 3 miles

Tuesday: 6

Wednesday: cross train CORE

Thursday: 7

Friday: cross train CORE

Saturday: LR 10 miles with Dad 5 on my own

Sunday: 4 mile recovery

Compare and contrast. Best short shorts.

I didn't buy my first pair of running shorts until after my first half marathon. Up until that point I’d just stuck with capri tights. I wish I could say that thanks to running I lost tons of weight, looked amazing, and therefore was no longer modest about showing off my upper thigh, but that's not really the case.

Anyhow, last summer, I trained in tight shorts. The European way. The Spanish ladies rock the spandex top and bottom and when in Rome…even if you look kind of like an embutido.

On my visit to Oxford, Mississippi last August I couldn’t get over the fact that the college co-eds basically had a uniform for class, working out, and walking around town: oversized tee-shirt and Nike tempo shorts. I thought that I’d never wear such revealing shorts: I mean if 22-year-old sorority girls weren’t looking that great in them what would I look like?

But then, back in Barcelona, in September, I did some long runs in some very humid weather and realized that the Euro short tights are rather, well, stuffy and thus I took the plunge: I ordered the Nike shorts and discovered that allowing air to flow is very comfortable. And that my thighs were slimmer than I had previously believed.

Now, are Nike tempos totally chafe free? Well, I’m not sure, but better safe than sorry so I always apply mad amounts of bodyglide. For months I’ve been a Nike tempo convert, but lately I’ve decided that it’s a pain to smear on all that bodyglide for shorter runs and that the Euro style can be quite convenient for shorter mid-week workouts.

For the time being, I’ll stick with the Tempos for the longer runs. Euro shorts are also revealing, in a less flattering way actually. I’d rather show some skin then outline my crotch. What about you?

What are your favorite running shorts?

Seeing that I’m showing off my thighs all over town, do you think one day I’ll also be able to show off my tummy?

Hungry, hungry sharks

My appetite has certainly decided that I’m training for a marathon. I went way too wild with eating this weekend: wine and chocolates Saturday evening at a Montjuic picnic and then potato chips at the beach on Sunday, beer in the evening and pizza for dinner. I basically rolled my big belly out of bed this morning!

So let’s see if I can justify any of this through my training…

Week 8

Monday Planned cross train Reality: Did weights for arms.

Tuesday Planned 6 miles Reality: 7 fairly fast miles!

Wednesday Planned 6 miles Reality: work ruined my plan. Big fat 0

Thursday Planned 5 miles Reality: 3.5 miles with the Abster

Friday Planned: cross-train ARMS and CORE Reality: 3 miles I always prefer running to strength training.

Saturday: Planned: 14 miles Reality: 14.3 miles

Sunday: swimming and/or 3 mile recovery run Reality: major core and abs + a short swim. It’s now Monday and I’m really hurtin’ from yesterday’s crunches and planks, but I will keep up with it in order to one day in the distant future be able to strut at the beach!

Week 9: Concentrate on healthy eating!

Monday: Easy 6

Tuesday: CORE

Wednesday: 7 miles 5 at tempo pace

Thursday: 6 miles + CORE

Friday: 3 miles easy

Saturday 15 miles

Sunday CORE + swimming