7:00 AM - Alarm went off, hit snooze
7:01 AM - Buttercup lays across my stomach and licks my nose. I choose to believe this is an act of love rather than a message to get my lazy butt out of bed because she has to pee.
7:09 AM - Snooze went off, hit again
7:10 AM - Sota paws my leg. Not sure if this is because she wants to play or because she also has to pee. Regardless, I roll over and go back to sleep.
7:18 AM - Snooze went off, hit again
7:27 AM - Snooze went off, hit again
7:36 AM - Snooze went off, got up, let the dogs outside, began to get ready
7:50 AM - Forced Micah out of bed and gave him some 'tude because he's known about our plans for today for at least a month. And informed him that we were late.
8:10 AM - Headed on our way to Hyannis, MA for the Hyannis Half Marathon, the first of the Cape Cod race trilogy. We were prepared with our running gear, oatmeal, granola bars, 3 clementines, 1 banana, 2 bottles of water, and saltines.
9:35 AM - Pulled into the Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis. Did not see any signs for the race or anyone else wearing their obnoxious running gear. Began to get worried.
9:38 AM - Asked the lady at the registration desk where we should go to get our packets for the Hyannis Half. She smiled and informed us we were a week early, but next week we could get our bibs at the next building over in the recreation area. Also need to mention, we were not the first to make this mistake.
9:39 AM - I hung my head in shame and apologized to Micah for making him get out of bed.
9:40 AM - Back in the car, headed for home.
Oops.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
I don't care if it's February, I'm calling this springtime
For all you cynics out there (Micah) who says it's only a couple days of nice weather, I say NO! I saw a guy in shorts, sandals, and a sleeveless shirt today. Normally I would never trust a man wearing a sleeveless shirt outside of a gym but since this guy's saying what I want to hear, I'll drink that glass of kool-aid. It's spring, dagnabbit.
Weekdays mean short runs (between 2 and 5 miles) and today is the first day this year I have been able to run a quality short run outside. Sure I was dodging Lake Michigan-sized puddles
but I will gladly take the puddles over inch-thick-ankle-spraining-icy sidewalks.
We ran a little over two miles tonight, just to get the blood flowing. The first loop we averaged 10:22 min miles. The second was 8:14 min miles. The difference? 1 squirrel and 1 dog at the .0001 mile marker. Sota hasn't seen a squirrel in over 2 months, so when we saw this jerk running across the electric lines I knew we had a problem. First she stands on her hind legs and whines. Then the screaming begins. The sounds that came out of this animal rivaled those of a mob of 12 year old girls at a Justin Bieber concert. Cars slowed down to see what the problem was. Mothers hugged their children closer. Micah and Buttercup walked away like they didn't know us. I dragged her away from the squirrel and settled her down to the point of only semi-embarrassment, just to the point where Micah would wave at me if I said hello. But she looked for that squirrel for the rest of the run. She dragged me through bushes, snow banks, and puddles for the rest of the mile ready to pounce on anything that moved. Needless to say, once we were back at the house she was thrown inside so Micah and I could continue on our run sans crazy monster dog. Add desensitizing my neurotic pet to small critters to my list of things to do.
Yay spring.
Weekdays mean short runs (between 2 and 5 miles) and today is the first day this year I have been able to run a quality short run outside. Sure I was dodging Lake Michigan-sized puddles
We ran a little over two miles tonight, just to get the blood flowing. The first loop we averaged 10:22 min miles. The second was 8:14 min miles. The difference? 1 squirrel and 1 dog at the .0001 mile marker. Sota hasn't seen a squirrel in over 2 months, so when we saw this jerk running across the electric lines I knew we had a problem. First she stands on her hind legs and whines. Then the screaming begins. The sounds that came out of this animal rivaled those of a mob of 12 year old girls at a Justin Bieber concert. Cars slowed down to see what the problem was. Mothers hugged their children closer. Micah and Buttercup walked away like they didn't know us. I dragged her away from the squirrel and settled her down to the point of only semi-embarrassment, just to the point where Micah would wave at me if I said hello. But she looked for that squirrel for the rest of the run. She dragged me through bushes, snow banks, and puddles for the rest of the mile ready to pounce on anything that moved. Needless to say, once we were back at the house she was thrown inside so Micah and I could continue on our run sans crazy monster dog. Add desensitizing my neurotic pet to small critters to my list of things to do.
Yay spring.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
It's Award Season!!
It's my favorite time of year! And with all the snow we've gotten recently, this is the perfect excuse to curl up and fit in as many movies as I possibly can before awards night. I've got a list of the movies I need to watch before February 27 so I can make my "educated" Oscar picks.
So, join my Oscar pool and see if you can beat me! I am an Oscar-force to be reckoned with. It's a double win, donate to the Melanoma Foundation of New England and enter to win some moolah for your movie knowledge! Each entry is $10 - $5 will go to the winner's pot and $5 will go to the Melanoma Foundation of New England. Payments can be sent through Paypal to massmas4444@yahoo.com or email me at silletto.allie@gmail.com to get my info to send a personal check. The Oscar pool can be found at http://www.funofficepools.com/.
To join, just click join pool.
If the link does not work, copy http://www.funofficepools.com/
And now, here is a good example of what Micah and I looked like running yesterday afternoon on the snow and ice packed sidewalks. Watch Sota as she runs past Micah...
Faceplant.
So, join my Oscar pool and see if you can beat me! I am an Oscar-force to be reckoned with. It's a double win, donate to the Melanoma Foundation of New England and enter to win some moolah for your movie knowledge! Each entry is $10 - $5 will go to the winner's pot and $5 will go to the Melanoma Foundation of New England. Payments can be sent through Paypal to massmas4444@yahoo.com or email me at silletto.allie@gmail.com to get my info to send a personal check. The Oscar pool can be found at http://www.funofficepools.com/.
To join, just click join pool.
If the link does not work, copy http://www.funofficepools.com/
- Pool Name: Silletto Charity Pool
- Password: allison
- Type: Oscar Pool -- select a winner from each category, win the points if you are right.
- Description: It's Oscar season! This pool will support the Running for Cover Boston Marathon team for the Melanoma Foundation of New England. Sign up for $10, half the registration will go to the winner's payout and the other half will be donated to MFNE.
And now, here is a good example of what Micah and I looked like running yesterday afternoon on the snow and ice packed sidewalks. Watch Sota as she runs past Micah...
Faceplant.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Snow Moat, Snow Problem
Another week and a 12 mile long-run down. As most of you already know, we have gotten a ton of snow the past couple of weeks. The best bet for finding a safe, non-icy long distance route is to stay on a main road and go out and back which makes for an exceptionally boring run. And, because of where I live, Mass Ave would be the only road with enough sidewalks to make a long run out of. Running on Mass Ave means running through Harvard Square and, for whatever reason, I never have good runs when I run through Harvard. To combat the unknown sidewalks, Harvard, and the cold, Micah and I split yesterday's long run between running outside and on the treadmill. It worked out well, except running on the street right after getting off the treadmill is not easy. I felt like I had sea legs and was a little wobbly on our way back home.
My running stories this week aren't really worthy of a blog so I'm going to turn this over to my two dogs, Minnesota (Sota) and Buttercup. Sota is master of escaping in general and the mounds of snow in the backyard has made it even easier for her to figure a way out. The neighbors had piled the snow from their driveway over our bushes and into our yard, giving her a bridge to get out. When I saw what they had done, I hoped that Sota's fear of everything would keep her in the yard. Unfortunately, Sota is afraid of everything but snow and jumping. In lieu of a run on Friday, I decided I would knock down her bridge and shovel a moat in between the bushes and our yard. After an hour and a half of shoveling and excavating of ice blocks, I had a pretty nice pathway.
Surely this would keep Sota's tricks at bay. I was very proud of myself and decided my hard work was certainly deserving of some hot chocolate. This sense of accomplishment was short lived. I was inside for all of two minutes before I heard barking. From the front porch. I opened the door and there was my little Houdini. Smiling and taunting me with her unbelievable escaping abilities. The only way I was going to be able to put a stop to this was to figure out exactly where she was getting out. I put my snow gear back on, took the girls outside, walked on the other side of the fence and called her. Please note that in the photo above that there are no trampolines of any kind in our yard.
Unbelievable. This isn't even fair.
My running stories this week aren't really worthy of a blog so I'm going to turn this over to my two dogs, Minnesota (Sota) and Buttercup. Sota is master of escaping in general and the mounds of snow in the backyard has made it even easier for her to figure a way out. The neighbors had piled the snow from their driveway over our bushes and into our yard, giving her a bridge to get out. When I saw what they had done, I hoped that Sota's fear of everything would keep her in the yard. Unfortunately, Sota is afraid of everything but snow and jumping. In lieu of a run on Friday, I decided I would knock down her bridge and shovel a moat in between the bushes and our yard. After an hour and a half of shoveling and excavating of ice blocks, I had a pretty nice pathway.
Surely this would keep Sota's tricks at bay. I was very proud of myself and decided my hard work was certainly deserving of some hot chocolate. This sense of accomplishment was short lived. I was inside for all of two minutes before I heard barking. From the front porch. I opened the door and there was my little Houdini. Smiling and taunting me with her unbelievable escaping abilities. The only way I was going to be able to put a stop to this was to figure out exactly where she was getting out. I put my snow gear back on, took the girls outside, walked on the other side of the fence and called her. Please note that in the photo above that there are no trampolines of any kind in our yard.
Unbelievable. This isn't even fair.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Baby, it's cold outside
January in Boston = Cold
As you are dodging snow banks and icy spots on the sidewalk, it's easy to think to yourself, "self, what is wrong with you? It's 29° out here. You could be watching Jersey Shore in your cozy living room. There's lots of unfinished business between the ladies of the house and Deena is definitely going to add to the trainwreck-nicity that makes the show so great." (I tend to ramble and make up words when I talk to myself.) But this is what I've signed up for. Unfortunately, you have to get through January to make it to April.
We've had two snowstorms so far, so Micah and I finally broke down and joined a gym. Planet Fitness at Porter Square. I can get there by walking, driving or public transportation so there is officially no excuse for skipping trainings now. And now I have equipment readily available to start training for the Tough Mudder 2 weeks after the marathon. It's not a 26.2 mile race, but there is mud and toughness involved so I need to be ready. I was really excited walking into the gym because I noticed that each treadmill had its own tv. There are only about 15 channels to choose from, but it beats staring at the timer for an entire run. However, I ended up running a 12 minute mile pace because going faster made the screen bounce. A girl can't watch Kind of Queens and Adventures of Old Christine on a shaky screen. To remedy the situation, I moved to a bike. Technically Wednesday is cross training day so this justified my move. All I can say is I hope I get better about running in front of a tv. I'm not sure if I will make it outside for an 11 mile run this Saturday and based on my first run at Planet Fitness, it will take me the entire day to watch tv/run.
For the record, I never watch either of these shows. I only cared because they were on.
As you are dodging snow banks and icy spots on the sidewalk, it's easy to think to yourself, "self, what is wrong with you? It's 29° out here. You could be watching Jersey Shore in your cozy living room. There's lots of unfinished business between the ladies of the house and Deena is definitely going to add to the trainwreck-nicity that makes the show so great." (I tend to ramble and make up words when I talk to myself.) But this is what I've signed up for. Unfortunately, you have to get through January to make it to April.
We've had two snowstorms so far, so Micah and I finally broke down and joined a gym. Planet Fitness at Porter Square. I can get there by walking, driving or public transportation so there is officially no excuse for skipping trainings now. And now I have equipment readily available to start training for the Tough Mudder 2 weeks after the marathon. It's not a 26.2 mile race, but there is mud and toughness involved so I need to be ready. I was really excited walking into the gym because I noticed that each treadmill had its own tv. There are only about 15 channels to choose from, but it beats staring at the timer for an entire run. However, I ended up running a 12 minute mile pace because going faster made the screen bounce. A girl can't watch Kind of Queens and Adventures of Old Christine on a shaky screen. To remedy the situation, I moved to a bike. Technically Wednesday is cross training day so this justified my move. All I can say is I hope I get better about running in front of a tv. I'm not sure if I will make it outside for an 11 mile run this Saturday and based on my first run at Planet Fitness, it will take me the entire day to watch tv/run.
For the record, I never watch either of these shows. I only cared because they were on.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
The Holidays
My entire body is sore.
For Christmas, I took a week and a half off work and traveled to Newburgh, IN and Louisville, KY to spend as much time with family as I could. With the exception of the actual traveling, it was a fantastic vacation. I was a little concerned on my way down that I wouldn't be able to run anywhere. The only sidewalks I knew of were in neighborhoods (mostly small - I could squeeze a mile out of my parents' subdivision) and at the elementary and high schools (4 laps = 1 mile). This meant I would have to count while I ran. No way. Get real. So, I went to a gym with my dad to run on a treadmill. Please note, I only brought running clothes for outdoor running. No sleeveless shirts in my suitcase. Running inside is HOT and running on a treadmill is harder than I thought. I quickly realized I am not a "metronome" runner. When I run on the street, I must change my pace and shorten/lengthen my stride constantly. I kept scooting up against the front of the treadmill and hitting my hands against the display, and ended up adjusting the speeds high, low, high, low for most of the run. And the distractions in a gym are unbelievable! I had my ipod, six TVs to choose from, and all kinds of people moving around downstairs in the weightlifting section to watch. I was switching from college basketball, to the news, to George Lopez, to music, to laughing at people, and back to music. I couldn't help myself! It was pretty entertaining, though. This is something I may need to get used to - at least a little bit. Any more blizzards come through Boston and I will definitely need to have a training back up plan.
I decided to try my long run outside and, surprisingly, Newburgh has a nice, new Riverfront Trail. It's still a work in progress, but it made for a very nice run. I went back and forth to get my 9 miles in and thoroughly enjoyed the sites of the Ohio River. My parents came with me and ran/walked the trail to start their training for the Bourbon Chase in October 2011! We decided Dad needs new shoes.
The rest of the week I took it easy. I was really enjoying my full days of laziness and spending time with the family. Oh, and eating. We ate a lot. I was back in my old stomping grounds and thought it was necessary to grab a bite to eat at all the faves. We hit up B-Dubs, White Castle (not necessarily a fave, but a must-have), Moe's, Acapulco's, and much more. Add those on to the delicious (and much more wholesome) dinners at home and I think I could cut out eating for a good part of 2011. Great marathon training foods.
On the plane ride back to Beantown, I couldn't get comfortable because I hurt so much. I can't laugh or even sneeze without doubling over in pain. You would think marathon training, right? Not even close. Call it Xbox Kinect. Call it Track & Field games. Sprints, Javelin Throw, Long Jump, Discus, Hurdles. Call it Boxing. Head, body, head, body, KO. Oh the pain. I'm positive my body can hold up for a 26.2 mile run but put me in front a TV with a controller-less video game and I am a goner.
For Christmas, I took a week and a half off work and traveled to Newburgh, IN and Louisville, KY to spend as much time with family as I could. With the exception of the actual traveling, it was a fantastic vacation. I was a little concerned on my way down that I wouldn't be able to run anywhere. The only sidewalks I knew of were in neighborhoods (mostly small - I could squeeze a mile out of my parents' subdivision) and at the elementary and high schools (4 laps = 1 mile). This meant I would have to count while I ran. No way. Get real. So, I went to a gym with my dad to run on a treadmill. Please note, I only brought running clothes for outdoor running. No sleeveless shirts in my suitcase. Running inside is HOT and running on a treadmill is harder than I thought. I quickly realized I am not a "metronome" runner. When I run on the street, I must change my pace and shorten/lengthen my stride constantly. I kept scooting up against the front of the treadmill and hitting my hands against the display, and ended up adjusting the speeds high, low, high, low for most of the run. And the distractions in a gym are unbelievable! I had my ipod, six TVs to choose from, and all kinds of people moving around downstairs in the weightlifting section to watch. I was switching from college basketball, to the news, to George Lopez, to music, to laughing at people, and back to music. I couldn't help myself! It was pretty entertaining, though. This is something I may need to get used to - at least a little bit. Any more blizzards come through Boston and I will definitely need to have a training back up plan.
I decided to try my long run outside and, surprisingly, Newburgh has a nice, new Riverfront Trail. It's still a work in progress, but it made for a very nice run. I went back and forth to get my 9 miles in and thoroughly enjoyed the sites of the Ohio River. My parents came with me and ran/walked the trail to start their training for the Bourbon Chase in October 2011! We decided Dad needs new shoes.
The rest of the week I took it easy. I was really enjoying my full days of laziness and spending time with the family. Oh, and eating. We ate a lot. I was back in my old stomping grounds and thought it was necessary to grab a bite to eat at all the faves. We hit up B-Dubs, White Castle (not necessarily a fave, but a must-have), Moe's, Acapulco's, and much more. Add those on to the delicious (and much more wholesome) dinners at home and I think I could cut out eating for a good part of 2011. Great marathon training foods.
On the plane ride back to Beantown, I couldn't get comfortable because I hurt so much. I can't laugh or even sneeze without doubling over in pain. You would think marathon training, right? Not even close. Call it Xbox Kinect. Call it Track & Field games. Sprints, Javelin Throw, Long Jump, Discus, Hurdles. Call it Boxing. Head, body, head, body, KO. Oh the pain. I'm positive my body can hold up for a 26.2 mile run but put me in front a TV with a controller-less video game and I am a goner.
Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Fresh Pond Park
Last weekend, we went to Green Bay, WI to watch the Packers - 49ers game. And no, I did not run while in Wisconsin. I raced from heated building to heated building, ate, drank beer and watched football as a good mid-Westerner should. I did, however, run my 5 miles Friday after work to get the training in before we left. I ran from my house to Fresh Pond Park and back. It's a pretty decent run, nice and flat, and the route goes right past Chipotle. So let's just say I "got hurt" or "hit the wall" and needed some delicious guac to get my strength back, wonderful Chipotle is right there. Not this run, though. Micah and I ran the five miles without a hitch. No runner's knee to speak of.
Fresh Pond Park is a fairly popular place to go. It's got a nice little path around a pond (it’s fresh…get it?) and people bring their dogs and strollers and walk around. Which is fine. Great, even. Only problem is, everyone at Fresh Pond seems to think they are the only ones at Fresh Pond. This is a popular place to take dogs off leash and let them run, which again, is great. I'm always looking for another place to take my dogs where I can let them run and play. Typically, however, when my dogs are off leash I try to have at least the vaguest clue as to where they are in the park. In between dodging feral dogs (and hearing in the distance "oh, he's normally really good with people, I don't understand what happened") you have to also weave in and out of the hordes of people who, from what I can tell, are playing the "who can take up more of the sidewalk?" game. Everyone wins at this game but me. Here's what happens:
We are running, la di da, down the sidewalk. Up ahead we see a young lady taking a nice stroll around the Pond.
She hears the pitter-patter of our feet coming up behind us. It's clear we're going to pass her. I'm looking very athletic with my running gloves, runner's knee strap and reflective gear, so it's pretty obvious I will be moving at a much faster pace than she is. Her reaction?
Where did that come from? Did the baby and the dogs just appear? Maybe she was hiding them in her awesome white peacoat that was probably recently purchased in Montreal (underground, no less). Is she just going to leave that poor baby naked on the sidewalk? More importantly, her yoga pose is in really poor form.
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little. There was no baby. I photo-shopped that in. From my run I learned I need to steer clear of parks or any other place that encourages people to “stroll.” I’m better off on the sidewalks of busy streets shared with my fellow runners or other pedestrians who have places to be and are far too busy to purposefully get in my way.
On another note, this post has taken about 2 weeks to complete. Between starting and finishing I have been to Montreal and completed my first semester as an MBA student of Arizona State University. Going out of the country and getting a 97% on my Accounting final should make up for the missed posts, right? I am currently on my way to Newburgh, IN and Louisville, KY to visit the family. And yes, I brought my running clothes with me. Training doesn’t stop just because it’s Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone!
Fresh Pond Park is a fairly popular place to go. It's got a nice little path around a pond (it’s fresh…get it?) and people bring their dogs and strollers and walk around. Which is fine. Great, even. Only problem is, everyone at Fresh Pond seems to think they are the only ones at Fresh Pond. This is a popular place to take dogs off leash and let them run, which again, is great. I'm always looking for another place to take my dogs where I can let them run and play. Typically, however, when my dogs are off leash I try to have at least the vaguest clue as to where they are in the park. In between dodging feral dogs (and hearing in the distance "oh, he's normally really good with people, I don't understand what happened") you have to also weave in and out of the hordes of people who, from what I can tell, are playing the "who can take up more of the sidewalk?" game. Everyone wins at this game but me. Here's what happens:
We are running, la di da, down the sidewalk. Up ahead we see a young lady taking a nice stroll around the Pond.
She hears the pitter-patter of our feet coming up behind us. It's clear we're going to pass her. I'm looking very athletic with my running gloves, runner's knee strap and reflective gear, so it's pretty obvious I will be moving at a much faster pace than she is. Her reaction?
Where did that come from? Did the baby and the dogs just appear? Maybe she was hiding them in her awesome white peacoat that was probably recently purchased in Montreal (underground, no less). Is she just going to leave that poor baby naked on the sidewalk? More importantly, her yoga pose is in really poor form.
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little. There was no baby. I photo-shopped that in. From my run I learned I need to steer clear of parks or any other place that encourages people to “stroll.” I’m better off on the sidewalks of busy streets shared with my fellow runners or other pedestrians who have places to be and are far too busy to purposefully get in my way.
On another note, this post has taken about 2 weeks to complete. Between starting and finishing I have been to Montreal and completed my first semester as an MBA student of Arizona State University. Going out of the country and getting a 97% on my Accounting final should make up for the missed posts, right? I am currently on my way to Newburgh, IN and Louisville, KY to visit the family. And yes, I brought my running clothes with me. Training doesn’t stop just because it’s Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone!
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