Omgggggggg....

...am I on sugar overload. J and I inhaled three boxes of Girl Scout cookies (1 each of Samoas, Tagalongs, and Do-si-dos) in less than 48 hours, which is a new record for us. I also ate my weight in fancy chocolate last night and in chocolate Easter candy (Cadbury Creme Egg and a coconut cream egg) today in preparation for...Ash Wednesday. Aka the day I give up chocolate. 'Til Easter Sunday, approximately six weeks or so away. Eeep.

Back to the fancy chocolates, though. Two of the postrace goodies for the half I'm doing in May are apparently pink champagne and fancy chocolates. Like, pretty colored and shaped chocolates. Since my training group is in partnership with this race, we got to sample the pink champagne and fancy chocolates after our Mardi Gras fun run last night. Yes, you heard me. Mardi Gras. Think beads (which did not annoy me too badly), masks (which I refused to wear), and glow sticks (because it was dark out). You could go as long as you wanted (I went 4 miles) and as fast as you wanted (which ended up averaging 8:45/mile pace, not too shabby), and whenever you got back there would be bubbly and pretty yummies waiting for you. Why can't every run be like that?

Speaking of running, let me tell you what's not fun. Running 72 laps (aka 8 miles) around the track at the gym. "Why did you do this, silly girl?" you ask? Three words-torrential f'ing downpours. Which is what I woke up to Saturday morning. I could have sucked it up and gone to my group run. I SHOULD have sucked it up and gone to my group run. But I didn't. I went to the gym instead. And learned that it IS possible to survive 72 laps. And that those laps are much easier with quick water/calf stretching breaks every 2 miles (aka 18 laps).

Yeah, you heard that right. Calf stretching breaks. I think I may have a combo of a mild right calf strain+mild shin splints. So I'm stretching the hell out of both and icing whenever I can, and things seem to be feeling better. Lesson learned? Before you leave the house for a long run, make sure the shoes you're wearing are your most recent pair. And not the pair you replaced six months ago. Whoops :$

One more running geek moment, I promise. If you're not a running geek, stop reading now.

I get to go hear Bart Yasso (aka the Chief Running Officer at Runner's World) talk on Saturday! He's giving a talk at Ohio State that's organized by the running store that my training group is sponsored by so its all I've been hearing about for the last month. I figure it should be an interesting talk, since Bart's done all sorts of cool stuff. I'm going to try to squeeze in part of my long run beforehand-I'm planning on running a 4 mile race Saturday evening, so my morning run will probably only be 5 miles since I need to do 9 total this weekend. We'll see what happens.

On the food front, I am back to buckling down. Weight is starting to creep on again and I don't like it. Maybe its the extra rest I've been doing thanks to my shin/calf issues. Maybe its the rainy weather. More likely, it's probably due to the fact that Cadbury Creme Eggs are now everywhere I look (at the grocery, anyway). Either way, this shit has got to stop. Veggies, I'm coming for you...

Last week's training:

Monday: a miserable mile on the track at the gym. Was supposed to be three but got cut short due to shin pain. Went home and iced instead.

Tuesday: rest

Weds: Shin felt better so I attempted speedwork. 1 mile warm, 2 miles at tempo, 1 min rest, 2 miles at lactate threshold (aka approx 15 sec/mile faster than tempo), 1 min rest, 2 miles at tempo, 1 min rest, 1 mile cooldown. My shin/calf did not hate me. YAY!

Thurs: Spin class. Oh, how I missed spin class.

Fri: Rest

Saturday: 72 laps (aka 8 miles) of long run fun on the track at the gym, thanks to Mother Nature.

Sunday: Rest. And by rest, I mean sheer laziness.


2 months 'til the race...yeeha!