This weekend, I finally took in the bike that my mom's friend donated to the Sarah Mennone Insanity Cause (ie my triathlon training). It hasn't been used in about 20 years or so (ok at least 10), so it needs some work, but in general, it's a good bike. Someone at the bike shop even offered to buy it (I turned them down since it's a short bike and I'd have trouble finding a frame that small again). I have to wait until next Wednesday to get it back, but luckily I have a sweet boyfriend who offered to rent bikes with me yesterday. We went to a shop in Georgetown, they handed us 2 bikes and shooed us back out. No helmet, no instructions, just be back by 6.
So...they say you never forget how to ride a bike. I didn't forget, but I think there were some experiences that I never got around to as a kid. For example, riding up a hill. Or riding next to cars. I grew up in a residential neighborhood, where if someone whizzed past you over the 25 mph speed limit, your mom probably knew you they were and would ream them out later. Or if she didn't know, your neighbor did, and would follow similar lines. But now if someone yells at me for going too slow or not making it up a hill, if a car honks or swerves too close, there's no one to fix it. A terrifying and necessary realization to come to.
In general, I need to dedicate some serious bike time now that the weather has gotten nicer. My butt is sore, so I must have done something right! I'm looking forward to learning a lot as I move forward in my training.
By the way, does anyone know how gears work?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Talent
There are several definitions that we can use for this word. Let’s explore.
“A unit of value equal to the value of a talent of gold or silver.”
Uhh…I don’t really feel like talking about money in this entry. Although if anyone cares to know, I prefer gold to silver.
“The natural endowments of a person.”
By this definition, my “talent” is encased in my chest. Let’s find another definition that doesn’t require a bra.
“A special often athletic, creative or artistic aptitude; general intelligence or mental power.”
Ah. Let us linger here. This one is much better. I suppose the question of talent comes up quite often when you’re growing up – oh little Jimmy is so talented at coloring. Little Tommy is so talented at singing the alphabet. Etc Etc. Fantastic, but is that really a talent? Is it possible to grow in and out of talents? I suppose like all things they must be honed and refined with constant effort, but the very definition seems to imply that it’s natural, something that just happens. How do we know if we’re talented? I assume that it’s something obvious to other people. I’m always amazed by the talent of other people around me, and it makes me wonder if everyone has one, or if some of us are doomed to go through life with effort without talent. And is that such a bad thing? I’m trying to decide.
I guess what I’m getting at here is that I’m by no means talented at running. It’s not a talent, I have no great athletic aptitude, it’s not that I’m doing something that other people can’t be doing. It’s a lot of legwork. Hahahaha. But seriously people, I’m not fast, I’m not constant, and I’m not anything but dedicated. Can “being dedicated” be classified as a talent? No, that’s more of a personal character trait.
What’s so fantastic about this is that it means that really anyone can be doing what I’m doing. Whether you’ve never run before or whether you’ve run your whole life, you can reach and surpass what I’ve done. What’s so humbling about this is that you can reach and surpass what I’ve done. I am forced to admit that although I maintain a blog and am vocal about my love for running and physical fitness (yay step classes!), I have very little natural talent, in this area, or in other areas of my life. There’s really no such thing as artificial talent, is there. So I am basically a noisy, loud cesspool of talentless waste in our society. How sad!
But inspiring for you! If a noisy, loud, cesspool of talentless waste can run a marathon…..YOU CAN TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
(ok I know this was a self-pitying, whiney post….but don’t worry about me. I have my natural endowments to fall back on.)
“A unit of value equal to the value of a talent of gold or silver.”
Uhh…I don’t really feel like talking about money in this entry. Although if anyone cares to know, I prefer gold to silver.
“The natural endowments of a person.”
By this definition, my “talent” is encased in my chest. Let’s find another definition that doesn’t require a bra.
“A special often athletic, creative or artistic aptitude; general intelligence or mental power.”
Ah. Let us linger here. This one is much better. I suppose the question of talent comes up quite often when you’re growing up – oh little Jimmy is so talented at coloring. Little Tommy is so talented at singing the alphabet. Etc Etc. Fantastic, but is that really a talent? Is it possible to grow in and out of talents? I suppose like all things they must be honed and refined with constant effort, but the very definition seems to imply that it’s natural, something that just happens. How do we know if we’re talented? I assume that it’s something obvious to other people. I’m always amazed by the talent of other people around me, and it makes me wonder if everyone has one, or if some of us are doomed to go through life with effort without talent. And is that such a bad thing? I’m trying to decide.
I guess what I’m getting at here is that I’m by no means talented at running. It’s not a talent, I have no great athletic aptitude, it’s not that I’m doing something that other people can’t be doing. It’s a lot of legwork. Hahahaha. But seriously people, I’m not fast, I’m not constant, and I’m not anything but dedicated. Can “being dedicated” be classified as a talent? No, that’s more of a personal character trait.
What’s so fantastic about this is that it means that really anyone can be doing what I’m doing. Whether you’ve never run before or whether you’ve run your whole life, you can reach and surpass what I’ve done. What’s so humbling about this is that you can reach and surpass what I’ve done. I am forced to admit that although I maintain a blog and am vocal about my love for running and physical fitness (yay step classes!), I have very little natural talent, in this area, or in other areas of my life. There’s really no such thing as artificial talent, is there. So I am basically a noisy, loud cesspool of talentless waste in our society. How sad!
But inspiring for you! If a noisy, loud, cesspool of talentless waste can run a marathon…..YOU CAN TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
(ok I know this was a self-pitying, whiney post….but don’t worry about me. I have my natural endowments to fall back on.)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Runner Who Was a Bicycle
Every runner has run into problems with cyclists. You might love them, you might be one of them when you’re not running. But when you’re running down the sidewalk, street, path and out of nowhere pops a manic cyclist with their dang bell that you can’t hear through your ipod, well, they seem like nothing more than a dinky, but dangerous, car. Personally, it always makes me wonder why they don’t just find a way to stay out of the way of runners since they are faster and consider themselves more agile. I’ve almost gotten hit many a time, especially when I’m down by the Potomac.
But actually, this is a story about swimming.
Last night I went over to the public pool at Eastern Market and got in to do some laps. I was the first person in the slow lane and after I had completed a few laps in glorious solitude, a girl came over and joined me. First of all, I know that some people don’t have any other bathing suit than a bikini, but it really does look stupid in an indoor public pool. Just saying. Then she started doing weird laps – not swimming but kind of walking back and forth in the lane. It took me a while to realize that she was running underwater and it just looked like she was walking because of the resistance. I finally asked her if she was a runner, hoping to gain some great training secret for my triathlon. But she just told me that she was a runner and she was injured, so this helped her maintain her cardio while she couldn’t run. Great. I was all sympathy for my fellow runner, my fellow champion of the pavement.
But we weren’t on the pavement, we were in a 3-4 foot wide lane in a swimming pool and when 2 other people came in our lane (who, by the way, were definitely not slow swimmers, but I decided to find solidarity with them as well), I expected her to move. Not like I thought she would, more like I thought she should. And I thought she’d figure it out, but she didn’t. she kept going back and forth on one side, making us swim around her, almost making me crash into another swimmer once or twice. And she was not going all the way back to the end of the lane when she was done, presumably so that we couldn’t ask her to get the heck out of our lane. There is an area of the pool for people not swimming laps and I really wished that she would move there. I know that when I do my triathlon there will be other people in the water, but probably not going in all different directions? Also the fact that I’m training for my triathlon, not READY for my triathlon, makes a big difference in how I approach working with other people in my workouts. I also realize that not everyone is training for a triathlon, some people are training for other events and some people are just there because they can swim and like to show off. But somewhere in there, we have to find respect for everyone and this chick was definitely not doing it. Therefore, she was the bicycle in our lane and I really wanted to just knock her bell off, if you know what I mean. I’ll share the road with you, but let’s get some space in the lane.
But actually, this is a story about swimming.
Last night I went over to the public pool at Eastern Market and got in to do some laps. I was the first person in the slow lane and after I had completed a few laps in glorious solitude, a girl came over and joined me. First of all, I know that some people don’t have any other bathing suit than a bikini, but it really does look stupid in an indoor public pool. Just saying. Then she started doing weird laps – not swimming but kind of walking back and forth in the lane. It took me a while to realize that she was running underwater and it just looked like she was walking because of the resistance. I finally asked her if she was a runner, hoping to gain some great training secret for my triathlon. But she just told me that she was a runner and she was injured, so this helped her maintain her cardio while she couldn’t run. Great. I was all sympathy for my fellow runner, my fellow champion of the pavement.
But we weren’t on the pavement, we were in a 3-4 foot wide lane in a swimming pool and when 2 other people came in our lane (who, by the way, were definitely not slow swimmers, but I decided to find solidarity with them as well), I expected her to move. Not like I thought she would, more like I thought she should. And I thought she’d figure it out, but she didn’t. she kept going back and forth on one side, making us swim around her, almost making me crash into another swimmer once or twice. And she was not going all the way back to the end of the lane when she was done, presumably so that we couldn’t ask her to get the heck out of our lane. There is an area of the pool for people not swimming laps and I really wished that she would move there. I know that when I do my triathlon there will be other people in the water, but probably not going in all different directions? Also the fact that I’m training for my triathlon, not READY for my triathlon, makes a big difference in how I approach working with other people in my workouts. I also realize that not everyone is training for a triathlon, some people are training for other events and some people are just there because they can swim and like to show off. But somewhere in there, we have to find respect for everyone and this chick was definitely not doing it. Therefore, she was the bicycle in our lane and I really wanted to just knock her bell off, if you know what I mean. I’ll share the road with you, but let’s get some space in the lane.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
To the spectators...
To the brave people who wake up early and come out on the course with their dunkin donuts cups…to the kind souls who break out the cow bells and the clappers…to the rebels who bring beer and Dixie cups for the runners, for the thoughtful mothers who put Vaseline on tongue depressors and hold them out as we pass, to the folks who hand out the Gatorade and the water…to my mother who held a sign up throughout my entire first marathon…this post is for you.
I did the Cherry Blossom 10 miler on Sunday. It was a pretty race, but incredibly disorganized. I was really irritated by the lines at bib pickup – it was chaotic, they sent us one way, then herded us another. At the end of the race, the usual corrals that they pass us through like sheep or cows were absent. And it did NOT WORK. Chaos and panic ensued. We sighed in bitter agony as we attempted to find our post race bananas. Don’t mess with a runner who can’t find his banana.
But what also irked me about this race was…well there were 2 things. First, a TON of people in the race had headphones on. It took me a while to get there but I fully support the headphone ban in races. I hate trying to weave around people who are so completely zoned out. I hate trying to comfort someone who is obviously suffering but Nelly Furtado is blaring in their ears. I hate hearing the soft strains of Nelly Furtado invade my race as someone who has their ipod turned up too loud comes up and jogs next to me as if to say, go ahead, I dare you. Rip my headphones out.
I think that this discouraged our spectators from cheering. Or else they didn’t have their Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee. Because they were soooo quiet! One of the best parts of a race is that people are there to yell and scream and cheer! But there were stretches where I just wanted to yell at the crowds, I wanted to cheer on our cheerleaders, to give them some pep to pass back. The Marine Corps Marathon had absolutely the best cheering crowds and I guess I got spoiled. I think it's the nicest, most wonderful thing to do. I hold some of those people in higher regard than myself and my companions in the race - after all, we are the ones who paid money and trained. If we didn't come we would just be copping out. Their presence is a genuine show of support, love, and manic cruelty (who wants to watch people run a marathon?!?!!). I don't think I would even do races if there weren't crowds.
Whenever I pass a race now (if I randomly find one that I’m not running in), I yell and I clap and I pull out my emergency cowbell. Cause believe it or not, hearing someone scream, go runners you can do it! Is way more motivating than Kanye West telling you that he’s not saying she’s a golddigger.
I did the Cherry Blossom 10 miler on Sunday. It was a pretty race, but incredibly disorganized. I was really irritated by the lines at bib pickup – it was chaotic, they sent us one way, then herded us another. At the end of the race, the usual corrals that they pass us through like sheep or cows were absent. And it did NOT WORK. Chaos and panic ensued. We sighed in bitter agony as we attempted to find our post race bananas. Don’t mess with a runner who can’t find his banana.
But what also irked me about this race was…well there were 2 things. First, a TON of people in the race had headphones on. It took me a while to get there but I fully support the headphone ban in races. I hate trying to weave around people who are so completely zoned out. I hate trying to comfort someone who is obviously suffering but Nelly Furtado is blaring in their ears. I hate hearing the soft strains of Nelly Furtado invade my race as someone who has their ipod turned up too loud comes up and jogs next to me as if to say, go ahead, I dare you. Rip my headphones out.
I think that this discouraged our spectators from cheering. Or else they didn’t have their Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee. Because they were soooo quiet! One of the best parts of a race is that people are there to yell and scream and cheer! But there were stretches where I just wanted to yell at the crowds, I wanted to cheer on our cheerleaders, to give them some pep to pass back. The Marine Corps Marathon had absolutely the best cheering crowds and I guess I got spoiled. I think it's the nicest, most wonderful thing to do. I hold some of those people in higher regard than myself and my companions in the race - after all, we are the ones who paid money and trained. If we didn't come we would just be copping out. Their presence is a genuine show of support, love, and manic cruelty (who wants to watch people run a marathon?!?!!). I don't think I would even do races if there weren't crowds.
Whenever I pass a race now (if I randomly find one that I’m not running in), I yell and I clap and I pull out my emergency cowbell. Cause believe it or not, hearing someone scream, go runners you can do it! Is way more motivating than Kanye West telling you that he’s not saying she’s a golddigger.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Hi, my name is Sarah and I'm addicted to running
Registration for the Marine Corps Marathon opened at noon yesterday. To my great horror, I am overwhelmed with the desire to register. Not like, haha that would be fun to do 2 marathons in 2 weeks. It’s more of an urge: could I possibly overcome such a great and wonderous feat? Doing some research on this, I find that I would not be the first person to do this, obviously. Looking at one site, I found a man who had done 6 marathons in 6 weeks for his 60th birthday…and then 7 in 7 weeks for his 70th birthday! Some people do 2 marathons in one day! Granted, the admittance of such acts were under a title of “Insanity at its purest level.” But apparently a common insanity, not one that just strikes every 50 years. This is a daily occurrence! Lots of people do this!
But I am trying to keep a level head here. I think I wouldn’t hesitate if this didn’t occur one month after my first triathlon. Why is it that the triathlon seems so tiny? It’s obviously a much bigger deal, it’s caused much more worry in all of your hearts, and I signed up so that I would have a bigger challenge. And yet I find myself poo-pooing my participation, scoffing at the 10k run at the end (is this a race or child’s play?), mocking the 24 mile bike course (so what if there’s hills? Hills are there to make your butt tight, as I read in a recent posting), and the swim? Well the swim is the intimidating part, but you use different muscles with swimming than for running, so really it doesn’t affect my running ability. Or so I’m telling myself.
Why does this idea thrill me so much? I can’t really say. I haven’t quite figured that out yet. I think a part of it is that I’m so intimidated by so much in my life. I’m not sitting in my room plagued by fear and worry, but at the same time there are some things that I just haven’t mastered yet. There are parts of my life that seem so uncertain, so complicated, and so out of control. Or out of my control. Having something like this, having a challenge like this, makes me feel like I’m stronger, more assured. I feel like I’ve found my niche and while I am lacking talent in many areas of my life (I’ve yet to learn to carry a tune for example and although I have convinced myself that I am an excellent dancer, something tells me I am actually only spinning in continuous circles….), I seem to have found some sort of natural ability in the form of self torture/running. Perhaps I’m not fast and perhaps endurance isn’t exactly a talent, but it is a habit, a part of myself that I have honed and developed. And now it is something that I want to test.
There is also the irritating fact that the Marine Corps Marathon is a mere $88. While many marathons are far more, this seems like a bargain and being the faithful shopper that I am, it’s really hard to pass up a good bargain. $88 to challenge myself and for the 4.5 hours of glory running and having people cheer me on, yell my name, and the excuse to consume GU? Man….that’s cheap.
So far everyone thinks I’m nuts…is there ANYONE who would support this? I’m so tempted to do it on the sly, but then again, how the HECK do you run a marathon on the sly?
But I am trying to keep a level head here. I think I wouldn’t hesitate if this didn’t occur one month after my first triathlon. Why is it that the triathlon seems so tiny? It’s obviously a much bigger deal, it’s caused much more worry in all of your hearts, and I signed up so that I would have a bigger challenge. And yet I find myself poo-pooing my participation, scoffing at the 10k run at the end (is this a race or child’s play?), mocking the 24 mile bike course (so what if there’s hills? Hills are there to make your butt tight, as I read in a recent posting), and the swim? Well the swim is the intimidating part, but you use different muscles with swimming than for running, so really it doesn’t affect my running ability. Or so I’m telling myself.
Why does this idea thrill me so much? I can’t really say. I haven’t quite figured that out yet. I think a part of it is that I’m so intimidated by so much in my life. I’m not sitting in my room plagued by fear and worry, but at the same time there are some things that I just haven’t mastered yet. There are parts of my life that seem so uncertain, so complicated, and so out of control. Or out of my control. Having something like this, having a challenge like this, makes me feel like I’m stronger, more assured. I feel like I’ve found my niche and while I am lacking talent in many areas of my life (I’ve yet to learn to carry a tune for example and although I have convinced myself that I am an excellent dancer, something tells me I am actually only spinning in continuous circles….), I seem to have found some sort of natural ability in the form of self torture/running. Perhaps I’m not fast and perhaps endurance isn’t exactly a talent, but it is a habit, a part of myself that I have honed and developed. And now it is something that I want to test.
There is also the irritating fact that the Marine Corps Marathon is a mere $88. While many marathons are far more, this seems like a bargain and being the faithful shopper that I am, it’s really hard to pass up a good bargain. $88 to challenge myself and for the 4.5 hours of glory running and having people cheer me on, yell my name, and the excuse to consume GU? Man….that’s cheap.
So far everyone thinks I’m nuts…is there ANYONE who would support this? I’m so tempted to do it on the sly, but then again, how the HECK do you run a marathon on the sly?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Public Service Announcement
BEEP BEEP BEEP BOOP BOOP BEEP
So I don't think I mentioned this...but I have made it into the Nike Women's Marathon this October!
(yes this is one month after my triathlon)
YAY!!!!!!! Now I will not be jealously grabbing my friend's Tiffany's necklace! But the best news is that 3 of my friends are going with me and to help them out, I've developed a NEW training blog: http://trainermennone.blogspot.com!
WOW!
AMAZING!
A TRAINING BLOG!
HOW FANTASTICAL!
So I don't think I mentioned this...but I have made it into the Nike Women's Marathon this October!
(yes this is one month after my triathlon)
YAY!!!!!!! Now I will not be jealously grabbing my friend's Tiffany's necklace! But the best news is that 3 of my friends are going with me and to help them out, I've developed a NEW training blog: http://trainermennone.blogspot.com!
WOW!
AMAZING!
A TRAINING BLOG!
HOW FANTASTICAL!
5:30am Coffee Break
For anyone who keeps up with running literature, or even follows the NY Times, you may have noticed a recent article about the benefits of coffee before running. Caffeine is the only stimulant currently legal to use in running (drat!...wait...what else could you possibly use? I don't even know). The articles that I read said that it's a great way to get a burst of energy (WOW coffee does that?!?! who knew!??) and that many runners will go on a caffeine fast for a few weeks before a big race to get a really good jolt the day of.
So, I got up this morning at 5:30 (actually birds woke me up at 4:18 and I never really fell back asleep) and was going to go to the gym. I thought I'd do a cycling class, but that didn't pan out, but, details, details, who needs them? I figured I might as well have some coffee before my workout since I had gotten up so early with those stupid birds. I made about 2 cups (measuring here, not actual cups that I drank) of delicious hazelnut coffee and gulped them down as I got ready.
Results? Ok first I must admit that I am somewhat of a caffeine junkie and I probably have somewhat of a buildup in my system. I think it was more of a placebo effect and I didn't get anything out of it. Coffee has a bad reputation as being a poop catalyst, but I didn't have that problem when I was working out. Was anyone eating breakfast just now? Bet you're done!
Would I drink coffee again before working out? Yes and no. I do like starting my day with coffee and it does have a placebo effect on me. I don't like have to make coffee before 6am, because it takes a little while and it requires effort, which I lack when I first get up. Jury's still out on caffeine.
So, I got up this morning at 5:30 (actually birds woke me up at 4:18 and I never really fell back asleep) and was going to go to the gym. I thought I'd do a cycling class, but that didn't pan out, but, details, details, who needs them? I figured I might as well have some coffee before my workout since I had gotten up so early with those stupid birds. I made about 2 cups (measuring here, not actual cups that I drank) of delicious hazelnut coffee and gulped them down as I got ready.
Results? Ok first I must admit that I am somewhat of a caffeine junkie and I probably have somewhat of a buildup in my system. I think it was more of a placebo effect and I didn't get anything out of it. Coffee has a bad reputation as being a poop catalyst, but I didn't have that problem when I was working out. Was anyone eating breakfast just now? Bet you're done!
Would I drink coffee again before working out? Yes and no. I do like starting my day with coffee and it does have a placebo effect on me. I don't like have to make coffee before 6am, because it takes a little while and it requires effort, which I lack when I first get up. Jury's still out on caffeine.
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