tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48558398078453146442024-03-13T09:43:36.866-07:00Diary of a Recovering RunnerAfter years of attempting to become a runner, I finally trained for - and finished - my first marathon. This is a chronicle of the training for that first gigantic goal and all the insanity that comes after crossing the finish line.Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-39089647850807632722011-04-15T18:12:00.000-07:002011-04-15T18:12:47.791-07:00YogaBelieve it or not, I've actually had a lot to say over the past couple of weeks, but just haven't had a chance to sit down and type it all out. Looks like things are going to start picking up again pretty quick here...<br />
<a href="http://www.healthyoga.com/images/79185.woman%20doing%20yoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.healthyoga.com/images/79185.woman%20doing%20yoga.jpg" width="233" /></a><br />
I mentioned being interested, <a href="http://valduff.blogspot.com/2009/11/little-different-lot-new-bikram-yoga.html">and I've done it once before</a>, but I'm picking up hot yoga. Living Social had a fabulous deal a little over a week ago. For $20 you could attend 20 hot yoga classes at<a href="http://www.blissfulspirits.com/albuquerque-hot-yoga"> Blissful Spirits Hot Yoga</a>. Considering that this is about 90% off the price of a 20 class membership, I went ahead and jumped on that, even though I'd already decided to hold off on the hot yoga until I was in better shape. Well, it turns out that my friend, T, had also bought the same deal and we immediately made plans to go two days later (last Thursday, 4/7).<br />
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Apparently, T and I were not the only ones who bought the Living Social deal. In fact, 880+ others had joined in on purchasing that, and it almost seemed like every single one of them had decided to attend the same class we had. I'll just say this....the 105 degrees that the room is heated to must have been well over that in reality. 50+ people showed up for that first class...we were squished together and everyone's body heat just increased the temperature in the room. Within the first few minutes I knew I was in for a real workout.<br />
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And a workout it was. Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the fact that I was new and wasn't in my comfort zone. Maybe it was the fact that I've been pretty stationary for the past three months. Whatever it was, this class was rough. I couldn't hold some of the poses and I couldn't drink enough water. I started to get pretty down on myself and sunk into a foul mood...until the instructor reminded us to remember our dedications that we'd set at the beginning of class. Mine was to gain clarity in a difficult situation I was facing and to find inner peace. Just remembering that that was why I was there was enough to push through.<br />
<a href="http://www.koreanbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/yoga-pose-550x365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://www.koreanbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/yoga-pose-550x365.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
I left that first class with a red face, soaked clothes and drenched hair, but I also felt like I'd had the most amazing massage of my life. I felt relaxed, happy and at ease. Nothing bad mattered. This feeling lasted for several days and all I could talk about was how fabulous the class was. I couldn't wait to go back!<br />
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So my plan is to attend class every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Running/cycling/whatever can fit in around that. Now that I have experienced this other side to "working out" (because to me <i>working out</i> is usually not fun), it's all I want to do. I really think that I'll be able to see some real benefits in my life - not just physical side effects, but the mental and emotional clarity that I need.Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-79095647484758499182011-04-08T18:11:00.000-07:002011-04-08T18:11:29.222-07:0099 DaysI have never denied the fact that I am a lazy person. If I get an extra day off of work, you can bet that my only plan will be to sleep as much as possible. There's not much that I love more than pulling on a pair of pajamas and sitting on the couch with a glass of wine and a book (or the computer). But that's all over now.<br />
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<a href="http://www.runningshoes.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/pavement_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://www.runningshoes.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/pavement_11.jpg" width="200" /></a>After 99 days of either putting absolutely no weight on my foot, a lot of sitting on my ever-widening ass, or spinning away mindlessly on my trainer, I'm finally able to start running again! And I did. On the 100th day. :)<br />
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I need to clarify though. I'm using the word "running" very loosely here. My goal was 30 minutes, distance didn't matter. Pace didn't matter. All I needed to do was move for 30 minutes. I alternated 1 minute of running and 4 minutes of walking - <a href="http://valduff.blogspot.com/2008/02/and-we-begin.html">just like I did over three years ago when I was first learning how to run</a>. It was an amazing experience. I was a little sore and felt it in my foot and calf, but it wasn't painful. I only covered a mile and a half (approximately. I didn't want to measure it out) and who knows how much of that I actually <i>ran</i>, but it was awesome.<br />
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My new plan is to lay off the racing. For a long time, when I first started running and up through my first marathon, being slow really didn't bother me. I was out there, doing something that I enjoyed, and that's what mattered. But somewhere along the way, I let it get to me. And little by little, running lost it's glamour. I couldn't find the enjoyment in it and it was such a chore. I need to rediscover that and I think the way to do that is to just go out there, and run. No watches, no training plans, no structure at all. All I want now is to feel my body moving.Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-34381529536851618862011-03-15T14:16:00.000-07:002011-03-15T14:16:36.172-07:00A Fresh StartI decided that this blog needed a new name, and since I'm not real excited by the idea of continuing with long distance running, I settled on this.<br />
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I wrote in the past about Bikram Yoga and I think I'm going to pick this up again. A local studio opened a location about 15 minutes from house and are offering a fantastic deal for new students, so I'll probably swing by the studio sometime this week.<br />
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Other than that, nothing exciting yet. Hopefully soon though - I haven't been this boring for so long in a while!Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-51489464586719216062011-03-09T09:40:00.000-08:002011-03-09T10:07:30.509-08:00Moving alongI've been really bad about this blog thing - and I realize that I start many, many entries that way. There has just been absolutely nothing worth writing about going on. I know it sounds a little sad, but I love that there is nothing BIG going on. For once. I'm not training for some ridiculously long race, studying for an incredibly hard exam, building a house or changing jobs. I'm just being, and I really hope that I can last the rest of the year like this (please please please, don't let things get out of control!). <div><div><div></div><br /><div>I was cleared to start rid<a href="http://rtmulcahy.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/vegas-night.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 255px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 168px" alt="" src="http://rtmulcahy.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/vegas-night.jpg" border="0" /></a>ing a stationary bike a few weeks ago, so I managed to find a fabulous deal on a fluid trainer on craigslist. I've been doing that a few times a week, although I'm trying ride every day, Mon-Thurs and again on Sat for this week. So far, so good. I'll be good to go running-wise on April 4 so I'll probably start that up again that afternoon, although I'm still in limbo with my running goals for this year (and most likely next year too). I was toying with the idea of Rock n' Roll Denver <a href="http://valduff.blogspot.com/2008/10/reason-were-all-here.html">(which, for those of you who remember, was my first marathon)</a> but I just saw that Rock n' Roll Vegas will be held in the evening this year. Hmm...an extra month and a half to train, a night time race, and VEGAS?! Count me in! Um...for the half, anyway.</div><br /><div>We're tentatively making travel plans for the year too. Generally we do one<a href="http://www.cringel.com/files/images/adia-2007-11-17-DSC-1096-pincher-of-frozen-margarita-beach-clouds-thailand-koh-samui-cringel.com.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 169px" alt="" src="http://www.cringel.com/files/images/adia-2007-11-17-DSC-1096-pincher-of-frozen-margarita-beach-clouds-thailand-koh-samui-cringel.com.jpg" border="0" /></a> big trip in spring/early summer for our anniversary and then maybe a few long weekends in Denver or Vegas, but that won't be the case this year. Although we were planning a week in Madrid this May, we're holding off until we can go for 2+ weeks at a time. Maybe next fall or in early 2013. We're planning a road trip to Vegas this May with my BFF and her boyfriend, and then we're going to wrap up the week in Dallas so we can catch Jimmy Buffett. Yes, I know. You just can't help what you love, right? And I love beaches, drinks and having a good time...therefore, my love for Jimmy Buffett is explainable. :)</div><br /><div></div><div>So bey<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4yLKGxmnrDS1hfC-AdsggaUEyXLkfxDrB2jlDDZS4QH49nUnSfBE-8VIahwbgGDQvTV2CaQ8n24vMHsQrX1agAisdWb3r6kF5IVN1-plwIowzFcqkPZR1grFUBkFlcWMBHwaK9I28Pw/s1600/untitled.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582142233520049122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 113px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4yLKGxmnrDS1hfC-AdsggaUEyXLkfxDrB2jlDDZS4QH49nUnSfBE-8VIahwbgGDQvTV2CaQ8n24vMHsQrX1agAisdWb3r6kF5IVN1-plwIowzFcqkPZR1grFUBkFlcWMBHwaK9I28Pw/s200/untitled.bmp" border="0" /></a>ond that, my plan is to just kind of sit. Maybe get started on some landscaping for my back yard (blech, not exciting). I started playing around with making some jewelery so I'd like to see where that can go...not that it'll make a millionaire or anything, but at least it's something to fill my time. And I love that I can look at something and say "Hey, I can make that!" Yeah, it's not the best photo, but you can't be too picky when you're stuck at work with just a folder and the camera on your phone.</div><div> </div><div>So...lets see if anything exciting comes up within the next couple of months - I need something to write about!</div></div></div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-373659258605300242011-02-01T17:26:00.000-08:002011-02-01T17:32:15.271-08:00Brrrr!Like most of the country, I'm freezing my behind off right now! The banner at the bottom of the TV screen says that it's 10* in ABQ and I've heard over and over all day that the police dept is discouraging any travel in the metro area...scary, when the hubs drives for a living and HAS to be at work (and therefore, driving).<div><br /></div><div>But I'll admit it - I'm a sucker for cold weather. I say I want to live somewhere that gets a real winter, and maybe I'd regret it once I'm actually there, but I'm totally digging this. The unfortunate thing about Albuquerque is that we're not really equipped to handle this, so even though there was only an inch or so of snow on the ground this morning, the roads were too icy to even consider getting to work (well, when you're on crutches and have to rely on other people to drive you). But even working from home today, I was actually so busy I didn't even get to eat lunch till about 5.00 tonight. Fun times.</div><div><br /></div><div>But for now, I'm going to hobble my way to the kitchen to mix a warming, adult beverage (what, it's cold!), and then settle back down on the couch to wait for the hubs to get home. :)</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-22502474463210822142011-01-29T11:57:00.000-08:002011-01-29T12:03:41.838-08:008 days down!I can't believe that it's already been a week since my surgery. I'm definitely ready to get off this couch, but I know it's going to be quite the event going back to work. Just hobbling around the living room is enough to get me out of breath - I'm not sure how it'll be running around an entire floor full of accounting people, but I'm sure I'll manage. I just keep telling myself that these crutches are an excellent way to work on my upper body strength. ;-)<div><br /></div><div>So far everything is going great though. I had a little scare on Wednesday morning when I fell in the bathroom trying to put my hair up. I ended up in more pain that I can describe and having to go see the doctor...but the good news is that he took the cast off and put me in a boot a couple of days early (and everything was fine, just sore for a day or two). Walking on it is nearly impossible though, but I plan to work on that a little this weekend. I doubt it'll be enough for me to get completely off the crutches by Monday morning, but hopefully I'll be a little more comfortable at work.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't have any feeling in the front of my leg, down around my ankle, but I'm sure it'll come back. The doctor didn't seem concerned at all about it on Wednesday and I had some serious tingling and a little pain in that area all day yesterday....hopefully that just means that the nerves are waking up.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the great news is that I'll be able to start running again after the 6 week mark! It'll be slow going and the doctor warned me that at 6 weeks I may still be struggling with just walking around in a regular shoe, but I'm excited that it's coming. Even though I'm not sure how much running I'll be doing, I feel that once I hit that 6 week mark I'll be able to do pretty much anything I want to - time to get the bike tuned up!</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-84127038548418357332011-01-25T18:01:00.001-08:002011-01-25T18:01:55.251-08:00Post-Op<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Well, I’m 4 days post-op from my plantar fascia release and so far, so good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m in a splint/cast thing for this week and then I’ll graduate to a boot on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ll be in that 24 hours a day for two weeks, then at nighttime only for an additional three weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s been rough having to rely so heavily on other people to do simple things for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Want to go upstairs to grab my hairbrush?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Nope, gotta wait till the hubs is home so he can pick me up (I never mastered the crutches on the stairs, so I crawl and then can’t get up at the top).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Want a re-fill on my water or soda?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Better hope my sweatshirt with the pockets is near by because I can’t carry anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And lets not even talk about attempting to take a shower.</p><p class="MsoNormal">But despite all of this, I’m doing pretty good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Very low pain, and save for one bad experience on the Vicodin, it’s been very manageable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have no idea when I’ll be able to start running again…I’m assuming it will be sometime after I’m completely done with the boot, but that’s a question I plan to ask the doctor on Friday.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve always known that my friends and family rock, but they have been truly amazing the past few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We haven’t had to cook a single meal thanks to my family and all my friends/neighbors (funny story – we’re very close friends with 4 other couples in our neighborhood…3 of those couples actually live on our street within a few houses of ours).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am really a very lucky girl to have these people in my life.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-29178382494156730302011-01-13T08:05:00.000-08:002011-01-13T08:35:14.713-08:00Sometimes I Just Need to Hear Myself Talk…or type. Whatever.<br /><a href="http://img4.realsimple.com/images/health/first-aid-basics/0703/foot-bandage_300.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 193px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 186px" alt="" src="http://img4.realsimple.com/images/health/first-aid-basics/0703/foot-bandage_300.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />My surgery is drawing closer – pre op is in five days– and I have very limited information on what to expect. This isn’t my doctor’s fault at all. He offered to tell me about it time and time again, but I thought that by keeping myself in the dark, it would never happen and I’d wake up one morning pain-free. Yeah, that didn’t happen and now I’m kicking myself a little bit.<br /><br /><p align="justify">Regardless, I have 100% full faith and trust in my doctor. Maybe I’m a little crazy just blindly trusting someone to slice open my body, but I’ve always liked him and felt confident in his work.</p><p align="justify">Anyway, I’m done whining.</p><p align="justify">So the hubs and I have been in our house for almost seven months now – holy god, where did the time go???! We have yet to do any decorating and it’s getting to the point of being ridiculous. We literally have two pictures hung (one is an amazing painting done by a very close friend, the other is a series of three wedding photos that my sister framed for us) and I haven’t put any thought at all what I want to do with the rest of the house. Until this weekend when the close painter friend brought it up (okay, he said that our house was really boring and I needed to work on that. True – harsh, but true...and FWIW, he said it with love).</p><div align="justify">So this is my idea. Please note that I am not an artist and this is not to scale. Also, the big squares are windows (which actually have white, wood blinds on them) and the little squares are pictures that I have yet to find. They are supposed to be the same size, similar in design and hanging in a straight line (although I’m not sure how many I’d actually need). There is also an armchair in the corner and we’re considering buying a couple of black leather ottomans to put under the window (or one big, long one…can you see how indecisive I am?).</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><p align="justify"></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561707189433350866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 397px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 183px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlleVO2TI86ml5Nty5vPdb3-8AqofhDaRJBUh0Lg872ypW6jPQI6qrqtwUE-SSTaIYBEls0VPS1aHC0Icza-beOeIGAnqJ0SQqXOH_4ddRFDlQg8uHri5duk_Vk_01J2XuyGibI71ER8U/s200/Living+room.bmp" border="0" /> So. That is what I want, in a nutshell. But it’s nearly impossible to find it because although I don’t know <em>specifically</em> what I want, I DEFINITELY know that I DON’T want anything that I’ve seen so far. It needs to be a little funky, but not completely out there. And they all need to tie together nicely and to be obvious that they’re related, but not matchy-matchy. Oh, and brightly colored too. Or maybe black and white photographs.<br /><br />So, yeah. If you can find what I’m looking for, you get a gold star.<br /><br /><p align="justify">What’s that saying? If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself? </p><a href="http://www.slrcamerablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/nikon-em.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 207px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 169px" alt="" src="http://www.slrcamerablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/nikon-em.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p align="justify">I’ve always wanted to be a photographer. My mom is a photographer and I grew up in her darkroom. I started to take classes when I was in college, but once I was informed that I’m not creative (not exactly a lie), I dropped it. Hence, I am now an accountant who has spent the past several months feeling lost and unhappy with where I am in life. Don’t get me wrong, I really like my job and I work with a great group of people. While I’m not sure that Beancounter is the right title for me forever, it is definitely where I should be right now. </p><p align="justify">But still…I’ve felt this disappointment in myself lately. I need a hobby. So here I am, with the 35mm camera I got when I started college and a roll of film, hoping desperately that I can somehow take the jumbled, disorganized ideas in my head and create something that I want to look at for at least the next couple of years.<br /><a href="http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/clipart/uk/dk/sci_matter/image_sci_matter051.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/clipart/uk/dk/sci_matter/image_sci_matter051.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="justify">And yes, you read that right. A 35mm camera and a roll of film. I’ve gone through two point-and-shoot digital cameras over the past five-ish years, the last of which died a horrific death on Halloween night, so I’m currently camera-less. I need a new point-and-shoot, but don’t have the cash to spend on it. And I really, really, really want a DSLR, which I definitely can’t afford right now. So, here goes nothing. An uncreative chick with a camera, undefined ideas and a roll (or six) of film. I feel better already.</p>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-16250880824384990172011-01-04T11:43:00.000-08:002011-01-04T12:56:24.119-08:00New BeginningsThis is certainly the time of year for new beginnings and I intend to have a few myself.<br /><br />I have been in a funk. A deep, deep funk. I'm not sure that anything is really <em>wrong</em> with me, but I sure as hell have not been myself. I've had a very full past three years...mostly more good than bad, but still...very full. I got married and changed jobs in 2007, only to change jobs again in February of 2008. In fact, I started my new job the same day that my very first running program began, thus 2008 is now known as The Year of the Marathon. I ran the Denver Marathon only 9 months after that first, scary running group meeting. Since then I've fallen into injury after injury...knees, hamstrings, hips, then my foot. I pushed through plantar fasciitis so I could run the NYC Maraton in November 2009. Really, come on. You don't get into NYC on your first try and then NOT run it. I think that was the beginning of the end. I just didn't enjoy running anymore. It felt like a chore to just put my shoes on every time, and a lot of times, I'd get dressed only to end up sitting on the couch and feeling like a failure. When I signed up for Chicago in early 2010, I felt like it was something I needed to do. I'd run a marathon each year for the past two. What kind of a loser would just stop?<br /><br />Well. Me.<br /><br />Yes, there were other issues (like my foot being ready to fall off) but at the very base of it, I just didn't feel like it. I've run off and on since July, but nothing serious. Everytime I'd start to miss it, my foot would act up and I'd lay off for a while more. I think I've had enough...and I use "think" because while I've definitely had it up to here with this pain, I'm still not sure what I'm going to do once it's all fixed. But, regardless of where the future takes me, I've decided that getting this issue fixed is my top priority right now, so on January 21, my podiatrist will perform plantar fasciitis surgery on my right foot.<br /><br />I'm excited to have something that is more likely to work (trust me, I've done it all), but at the same time, this is kind of a big, scary step and I'm hopeful that I'm one of the many that don't have any issues going forward.<br /><br />So, I guess all I can do at this point is sit back and see where things go from here.Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-55510740983605193372010-10-05T13:15:00.000-07:002010-10-05T13:25:47.504-07:00So.I pretty much suck at this whole blogging thing. And I really, really suck at this whole fitness thing. Granted, I'm about ready to amputate my foot - just walking around all day on Saturday was enough to make it hurt enough to produce tears every time I took a step on Sunday - but it's not like I've really been doing anything in the meantime. The Duke City HM is completely out...I could do the 5k if I want, but I'm not sure I do. Sure, I'm disappointed in myself, but I'd be a big, fat liar if I said that I haven't enjoyed some of the time off. But speaking of, I <em>will</em> be big and fat(ter) before too long if I don't get back into things soon here.<br /><br />But while I'm trying to do that, I've decided that this blog needs some life, so all of you who read this (who could be no one at all for all I know) will now get a close glimpse into my life. I'm - by far - not an interesting person, but I don't want this thing to die off. I also don't want it to turn into a "woe is me" thing either. And considering I haven't done much running lately, I really don't have anything to say about that.<br /><br />Really, I'm a little shocked at myself. I worked so hard a couple of years ago to get myself to Denver and then it all just slowly unraveled. I go back to the podiatrist next Tuesday, so hopefully he'll have some good news for me and that can get me going again. <br /><br />Ok, now I'll step away from the "woe is me" thing. For real.<br /><br />For those of you who have stuck around, thank you. I have a lot to work out and it's nice to know that some of you are still there. Lets hope this can get going again.Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-33533126307803327912010-09-07T20:20:00.001-07:002010-09-07T20:25:47.571-07:00Week 1 - CompleteWell, it kinda bled into Week 2, but I'm actually on track to make it to the Duke City Half next month. The next two weeks will be completely insane...I have some training for work from Sept 13-16, but I'm flying in on Saturday afternoon and leaving Friday afternoon. Come on, I'm not going all the way to Orlando without make a stop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. :)<div><br /></div><div>So I'll get home from Orlando on Friday night, go to a concert here on Saturday night (Zac Brown Band) and then fly out on Sunday night to Dallas. Thankfully, I'm only going to be in Dallas for 3 days and my time there always goes so fast. Unfortunately, my Dallas trip is only one in a sequence of them. I'm assigned on a project out there till mid-November, and while I enjoy my co-workers in that office and the change of scenery, it will wreck havoc on my training.</div><div><br /></div><div>At least I have something planned for now. Now it's just a matter of actually registering and keeping up with the training. Oh, and buying a new pair of shoes. :)</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-24321045123325268222010-09-01T09:46:00.001-07:002010-09-01T09:48:31.707-07:00A Man With a PlanOk, so I'm not a man, but I do have a plan...and it's about damn time.<br /><br />I'm going to run the Duke City Half Marathon. It's not ideal and I've been avoiding this (local) race for the past couple of years for a few different reasons (can you say "disorganized"?) but I need some kind of a goal besides seeing how many times in a day I can run to the fridge from the couch. So I have about 7 weeks and am starting out on Saturday at 4 miles. I know I can do this, but I need to commit 100% to it.<br /><br />And this probably means skipping out on the Albuquerque Beer Festival the day before. FML.Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-29338036165344212492010-08-18T18:59:00.000-07:002010-08-18T19:05:34.355-07:00Break Time = DoneOk, I'm going to admit it. I haven't run in about a month. I have no excuse besides the fact that I enjoy sleeping, so I did a lot of that. I don't miss getting up at 4AM every Saturday just so I'll have enough time to eat without having to worry about puking on my double digit run. I don't miss spending hours of my weekend on hot, hilly roads. But this past week I realized that I did miss being active and actually moving around. So even though I skipped out on my circuit class at the gym tonight (PS, I also took about 3 weeks off from that...last week I went twice though) I figured I was already dressed, it was overcast, breezy and not 95 degrees....so I went for a run.<div><br /></div><div>Just a small run. A 2 mile run. That was uphill both ways (ok, only a little uphill on the way out but a huge, long, steep uphill on the way back). It sucked and it was slow, but I only walked a total of three times, a minute each time.</div><div><br /></div><div>And now I'm sitting on the couch, all stinky and gross, and I feel fabulous. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe - MAYBE - I'll get up and do this again in the morning. Or maybe I'll sleep in.</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-13143780705454489502010-07-28T13:30:00.000-07:002010-07-28T13:48:40.738-07:00Hard decisionsI've decided to drop out of the Chicago Marathon. Just saying it out loud makes me sick to my stomach. I'm in a really weird place over it. I want to do it...running a marathon is indescribable and I've enjoyed every second of my hours upon hours of the two I've done. After running NYC last year, I was so looking forward to doing Chicago. Plus, I have an amazing friend who lives out there that I haven't seen in a really long time and another friend was going to be there the same weekend. But between an injury for the hubs (although he's feeling better now) and my PF acting up on a daily basis, plus a new house (with a new mortgage to go along with it) it's just hard to justify.<br /><br />And what's probably the most important reason to skip it...<br /><br />I'm just not that into it.<br /><br />I feel so guilty for even thinking that way, but really...I just don't wanna. I've pushed through two marathons with other big life events going on in the background (CPA exam, job changes, etc) and now that things are calming down a bit I just want to sit. Well, maybe not "sit" (but that sounds really good too...) but go without a focus. I'm in decent half marathon shape right now and there are a couple of those coming up over the next couple of months. Maybe I'll do those. Or maybe I won't. Maybe I'll get up and run 6 miles on Friday...or maybe I'll make it 4 and decide that I'm done for the weekend...or maybe I'll get to the 6 and decide to keep going (unlikely).<br /><br />So it looks like 2010 is shaping up to be a pretty interesting year. I'm curious, and a little nervous to see where I end up, at least fitness-wise.<br /><br />Also, I know this is totally unrelated, but I wanted to send out a quick congrats and "I love you" to my sister, Hope...she's marrying an amazing man on Saturday! Pictures to come!Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-17999747691329353572010-07-04T20:25:00.001-07:002010-07-04T20:34:37.517-07:00I swear...I don't know where the time has gone, but I've gotten really, really bad about blogging. I guess that all I can do for the time being is to give you all a quick little update about what has happened in the past month.<div><br /></div><div>First, the hubs and I closed on our new house on June 17 and promptly moved in. Somehow all of our stuff made it into the garage by late morning on the 18th thanks to a group of dedicated friends and family. It was shocking how fast it all went. The unpacking on the other hand...not so fast. The kitchen and dining room are completely done, the living room is about 95% done but all three bedrooms upstairs are a complete disaster. Thankfully the hubs's friend is coming to stay for a couple of days on Tuesday so I'll finish the guest room tomorrow.</div><div><br /></div><div>Running is slow-going, but that's not unusual. We have both paved and dirt trails literally right outside our front door, so I'm digging that. It's been great to be able to just step outside and go. Because of that I've been a teensy bit better about going in the morning before work, but I'm always late when I do it because I just can't get myself up. I'm hoping this coming week will be a little easier. Also, I was getting ready to leave for my 10 mile run yesterday morning when my Garmin Forerunner refused to turn on, so I went blind. Somehow I got 11.21 miles in, so at least I wasn't under. But the extra mile plus the heat and humidity and the fact that I forgot to eat before I left caught up with me about 7 miles in. I really struggled with the end of that run and actually stopped at home around 8 miles in to re-fill my water. I'm really surprised that I went back out and finished instead of laying on the couch the rest of the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, thanks to the recommendation of some of my running friends, I've joined <a href="http://www.swsinm.com/">Southwest Sports Institute (SWSI</a>) and am loving it. They really focus a lot on using your own body weight to work out, coupled with the fact that absolutely everyone is welcome. It's a great gym and I'm having a lot of fun going. I've been pretty good about making it to the circuit class several times now and they just started offering yoga, so I'll be getting more into that once I buy a new mat (thankfully this blog post is now updating my shopping list for tomorrow).</div><div><br /></div><div>So happy 4th to everyone and hopefully I'll be a little better about updating this thing in the future. :)</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-8383909205596359662010-06-02T20:11:00.000-07:002010-06-02T20:31:17.615-07:00Eeeek!It's been about a month since I had time to blog...I can't believe how fast the time's gone!<div><div><br /></div><div>Quick updates:</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 98px;" src="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs502.ash1/29734_600713707867_11603897_34079457_2627970_s.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></div><div><i>House:</i> We close in two weeks from tomorrow! The kitchen looks absolutely amazing and is by far my favorite room in the house...and we don't even have appliances yet! All that's really needed still is appliances, carpet and toilets (although that may have been done over the past couple of days). Now that it's getting so close, I'm getting super excited!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 98px;" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs547.snc3/29984_600768138787_11603897_34081523_4978475_s.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><div><i>Trip:</i> The hubs and I got back from our big trip of the year almost two weeks ago. It was fabulous - 5 days in Belize! Well, it was supposed to be 6 days, but thanks to a mishap at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ABQ</span> airport, we were stuck in Houston the night we left. Oh well, it was still a wonderful trip to celebrate 3 years of marriage...which I really can't believe at all. I absolutely loved the trip though and would do it again in a heartbeat!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Running:</i> Well, not much to report. I think I'm laying off races the rest of the year and will just focus on Chicago this year. I really want to do well (I know, I've said it about 9,000 times so far) so I'm going to try focusing</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 112px; height: 119px;" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:vW_ETetOdtDlvM:http://totallytwitterpated.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/stopwatch.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><div> on just one thing. I'm getting some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">speedwork</span> in now thanks to my friends at <a href="http://www.fleetfeetalbuquerque.com/">Fleet Feet Albuquerque</a>. So far it's going really well even though I just started...I did a quick 6 miles last weekend and was shocked with my time, especially considering it was hot and hilly. Here's hoping I can meet my goal for Chicago! And no, I'm not telling you what my goal is. :) Only the hubs has been told and I'd be willing to bet money that he doesn't even remember. </div><div><br /></div><div>So that's pretty much it. Not a lot. I know (and hope) the next two weeks fly by and then we'll have the adventure of getting the house set up and reasonably ready for visitors!</div></div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-46991210625324783982010-05-03T08:09:00.000-07:002010-05-03T08:52:15.664-07:00Race Report - Albuquerque Run for the Zoo 10k<a href="http://www.cabq.gov/biopark/common/images/hz_promo.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 270px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 197px" alt="" src="http://www.cabq.gov/biopark/common/images/hz_promo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This was my first 10k ever and it. was. amazing! I think I really liked racing that distance (not that there's much "racing" for me, but you know what I mean). The weather was confused as to what time of year it was - it was May 2 but about 35 degrees and had snowed/rained the day before. Not typical balmy May weather, and as such, most of my winter running stuff has been packed and put in storage. Luckily I had a couple of things with me and the jacket that I got from No Boundaries just a couple of weeks ago.<br /><div><br /><div></div><div>The race is funky little loop thing that starts right by the zoo, cuts through a very small portion of the zoo and then hits a long street...you go south on this street, turn around and go north, pass the area that you enter this street, turn around and go south, and then cut through some neighborhoods to the finish. So, in short, you can see everyone ahead of you a few times (and be reminded that you are at the back of the pack). I went into this with one goal - run the entire distance. No walk breaks. Not even for water. I've done a six mile training run without walk breaks once before, but half way through this race, I realized that I'd stopped in the middle of it to chat with a couple of friends...so this was new for me.</div><br /><div></div><a href="http://www.partypants.co.uk/60s-70s-fancy-dress-costumes/pink-lady-costume.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 119px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 186px" alt="" src="http://www.partypants.co.uk/60s-70s-fancy-dress-costumes/pink-lady-costume.jpg" border="0" /></a> I paired up with my friend, D, not knowing that she had the same goal, and we took off. Things were going great - sometimes she'd pull a little ahead, sometimes I pulled ahead, but we were side by side for the most part. Until Mile 2. That's where we met the Pink Ladies. This was another running duo (obviously women wearing pink) who decided to time their walk/run intervals to us. They'd walk...we'd catch up and pass them...they'd run till they passed us by a good little distance and then walk...we'd catch up...etc. They were annoying, but not enough to make me want to scream, even though one of them punched me in the side thanks to flailing her arms about as she walked when I tried to run past her.<br /><br /><div>But then we met The Group of Doom. This was a group of three women, all of them slightly older than D and I but far more in need of a good throat punch. They'd walk, all three side by side (thus, taki<a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:Gi0PNgaXueurZM:http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff262/predalien2/doom_movie_logo_280705.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 173px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 114px" alt="" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:Gi0PNgaXueurZM:http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff262/predalien2/doom_movie_logo_280705.jpg" border="0" /></a>ng up most of the road) and peek over their shoulders every few seconds. As soon as we got even to them, they'd take off as fast as they could for about 30-60 seconds, and stop to walk, again peeking over their shoulders. This annoyed me to no end. Maybe it's because we'd already been dealing with the Pink Ladies when we met The Group of Doom...maybe it's because they spread out and walked side by side, taking up the entire street and making it hard to pass through them...maybe it was the fact that they were so blatantly using us as a target. The fact of the matter is, I'm slow...I get passed all the time, so it won't hurt my feelings if you pass me and stay up there. On the other hand, I understand how it is to be in the back, but hey - someone's gotta be last and it isn't <em>always</em> going to be me!</div><br /><div></div><div>Anyway, thanks to D's "relax, ignore them" comments, we finally tired them out and stayed ahead around Mile 5...at which point, D grew wings and took off. I managed to hang with her for a few minutes, but I knew that if I wanted to finish without puking, I'd have to let her go. I ended up finishing a little behind her in 1:18:43 (according to my Garmin, I haven't found official results yet). Even though this would be an instant PR thanks to the fact that it was my first 10k, this is faster than I normally do 6 mile training runs - by about 3 minutes - so I'm pretty excited.</div><br /><div>Next up:</div><div>Laying on a beach in Belize: May 15-21</div><div>Not really sure after that...maybe Will Run for Wine 5k?</div></div></div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-7820445713148690132010-04-25T19:52:00.000-07:002010-04-25T20:37:37.077-07:003 Lousy Little Letters, A Race Report - and 1 Amazing ThingBeing as there is so much good in my life, I'm going to focus on that first. On Thursday, April 15, 2010, at 7.13 in the morning, my amazingly beautiful nephew was born. Logan Kent weigh<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRLP_zyP_JsEMsQVSGYOQacmQ9ia5QJCzJp7i8p26jd1XYC60xNqmg1oaS0QjAhw68ij-QNl-OkFFetyHTxFVXO2rpnz6dJYtPSr-Yb-FprjEf8vl6kdWEPfwDgsJ00hIN4KWaHWzdzw/s200/25331_1229280223983_1588414926_30495337_2529850_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464275902233658050" />ed in at 7 pounds, 3.8 ounces and was 20.75 inches long. He is truly, without any doubt, the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on. I am so excited to have a little nephew! While I was super happy during my sister's pregnancy, I'm honestly surprised by how excited and in love I am with this little dude. Don't get me wrong - I knew I'd be happy and that I'd like the kid - but as a self-proclaimed anti-child person, I'm literally shocked by my reaction to him. I love this kid more than words can describe. So that's my one amazing thing...and he is one of the best things to happen to our family! :)<div><br /></div><div><br /><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 112px; height: 150px;" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ekScrr4FPnNnnM:http://faystar.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/margarita_1_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></div><div>Now, a short race report for the Will Run for Margaritas 5k that was held on April 10. This race was at 1.00 on a Saturday afternoon - seems like a fabulous idea, right? You get to sleep in, go on a 3 mile jaunt and then enjoy happy hour specials at a local New Mexican restaurant chain. This was a good idea in theory only. 1.00 PM is much too late for a spring race in New Mexico. It. was. HOT. And disorganized. The course was something I can't even begin to describe, but I'll suffice it to say that we had to stop twice to get through a tiny little fence. Even though I'm complaining about this, it won't deter me from participating in the remaining two events that the same company is sponsoring - we have Will Run for Wine on May 29 (with complimentary access to the local wine festival following the race) and Will Run for Beer in June. Let's just say I believe in running for a good cause - and drinking refreshing adult beverages after a race is a fantastic cause!</div><div><br /></div><div>And now on to my disturbing news. Last weekend - April 17 - the hubs and I participated in the Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Half Marathon. This race has been around for a while, but it was given a new name this year. I've never participated in it (there's a laundry list of reasons, but I'll sum it up to say that the shop that sponsors it makes a complete and utter mess out of their races, so I choose to stay as far away as possible). This was the hub's 2nd year doing it and he did great - 2:11 and some change. Me, on the other hand...it was one of the worst days I've had in a very long time. I didn't finish. I have never, ever, ever, EVER dropped out of a race before, but I knew from the get-go that this wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. First of all, there was a good .5+ mile walk to the start - no biggie, I've done longer. But I've never walked through .5+ miles of deep, slippery mud to get to the start...and even though the hubs kept telling me that that would be part of the course, I chose to ignore him and hope that he was wrong. He wasn't. Just like the Margarita run the week before, we all stopped at a bridge that required we cross 2-3 people at a time...and then we hit the mud. For 3 miles. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure what was wrong...I don't know if it was the fact that I slacked on my icing/stretching the week prior, or if it was the fact that I was </div><div>"gripping" the ground with my toes for both the walk to the start and </div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="http://images.cafepress.com/product_zoom/215122841v1_225x225_Front_padToSquare-true.png" border="0" alt="" />for those first 3 miles. It was probably a combination. But whatever it was, my legs felt like lead within the first couple of miles and my foot had that familiar and terrible tearing feeling by the time we got off the mud and onto the pavement. I stopped to stretch, I re-tied my shoes...nothing was working. Finally, I got to 7 miles and decided I'd had enough. I called my dad and asked him to come get me. I walked another half mile to get to a busier intersection so my dad could find me...and I stood there crying for a good 10 minutes waiting. It was humiliating. My dad was nice enough to not only take me to the finish line, but he stuck around with me and the hubs while we said our goodbyes to everyone and then drove us to our car so we wouldn't have to do that slippery mud again.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know I made the right choice...I took all of last week off and my foot is really feeling better. I did 3 miles Saturday morning and it was perfectly fine. But it was the hardest, most heart-breaking choice I've ever made. I actually trained for this specific race - every other half marathon I've done has been a part of marathon training. Oh well. I've moved on (for the most part) and have Chicago to focus on now. And a new baby in the family. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Next up: Run for the Zoo 10k (my first 10k!) on May 2</div><div> Laying on a beach in Belize May 15-21</div><div> Will Run for Wine 5k on May 29</div><div> <br /><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-29053314969365656902010-04-05T16:57:00.000-07:002010-04-05T17:06:36.567-07:00Houses, and Travel and Races - oh my!So it's been forever since I last popped in here. Honestly, I think about it all the time, but there's just so much going on.<br /><br />Our condo is under contract to be sold. As of right now, we're expected to close on April 19. We had the appraisal today, so fingers crossed it went well. We're mostly moved out and really just need to get out bedroom and kitchen packed up, which I don't think we can really do until we're about ready to leave (which will be official on the 18th). In related news, the new house is coming up great! It's actually a house now, four walls, a roof and all! We got windows, doors, plumbing throughout and ductwork in last week. This week is electrical. I can't believe how fast it's going, but I know once we move out of the condo it will seem to slooooww down.<br /><br />It looks like I'll be working out of Dallas for a while too. Right now the plan is for me to go out 3 days/week and the project will last about 6 weeks. I'm not sure if I'll be out here the entire 6 weeks, but I'm here now and will be next week as well. If it wasn't such crazy timing with the house and all, I'd be way more excited. I really like Texas a lot and I enjoy my coworkers out here (even though I hardly see them) and I know I'd have a lot more fun if I wasn't so dead tired. As of right now, I've been up since 4 AM and am planning on hitting the sack as soon as I'm done with this entry.<br /><br />In health news (since that's what this is supposed to be about), I have quite the race calendar over the next several weeks. I have a 5k this coming Saturday (Will Run for Margaritas 5k - seriously, how can you skip out on that?!), a half marathon and a 5k next weekend (the 17 and 18), another 5k the 25th, a 10k on May 2 and I think another 5k somewhere in there. Whew. It's going to be a busy next few weeks. Granted, I'm not actually registered for any of these races, so it'll be interesting to see which ones I have the time for (and that my bank account will be able to support).<br /><br />The half is a sure thing though - I've actually trained for this one. I'm anxious to see how I do. Stay posted for race reports.<br /><br />Ok, It's 7.05 out here and I'm ready for bed. Adios!Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-23523852199509197052010-03-01T18:39:00.000-08:002010-03-01T18:43:07.465-08:00A foot follow upWell, I went to the podiatrist again today and the good news is that nothing's wrong with my Achilles, which is what I was worried about. He's still convinced it's plantar fasciitis and that it's treatable. Since I've already gotten the custom orthotics and have done a round of anti-inflammatories, he suggested either a cortisone injection or physical therapy 3 days/week for 3 weeks (minimum). I'll be the first to say that I'm a gigantic baby when it comes to shots...I will cry and beg doctors to not give them to me. But that's the route I went. I just can't see struggling with this for at least another 3 weeks when I can take the next 5 days off and then feel better.<div><br /></div><div>The injection was a bitch and I'm glad it's over. My foot's been numb all night and it's terrible to walk on, but it should feel better tomorrow (numbing-wise...it may be a little more painful than normal). I hope this is all that I need. I'm not sure I can keep going with this.</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-85698067132902562522010-02-28T08:36:00.000-08:002010-02-28T08:56:37.137-08:00Race Report - Up and Running 5k...and a little extraSo I ran the second race in <a href="http://www.fleetfeetalbuquerque.com/">Fleet Feet Albuquerque</a>'s Gran Prix 5k series. This one was familiar but a little different. The race was on the Bosque bike trail starting at the Alameda Open Space, where I generally run since it's so close to home. This one started up on the bridge though, over the river, went down under Alameda and continued a little passed Paseo before turning around and going back...very familiar for the most part, except for the giant, steep hill around Mile 3. It's not a long hill, but it's very steep.<div><br /></div><div>Overall it was a great race, complete with lots of friends. It was freezing cold with a headwind all the way through the turn around, complete with a little snow (or ice...one flake hurt when it smacked me in the lip). I finished in 41:09 and I was thrilled with it considering I haven't had time to run during the week BUT I managed to run the entire thing without stopping. This is one of my goals for the year - I really want to get better at running further without walk breaks. I still plan on taking walk breaks for Chicago, but if I can make it through a half without stopping, I'll be elated.</div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, I had a 6 mile training run yesterday, which I was a little nervous for. Again, I haven't had the time to run as much as I should and I honestly haven't run that far since NYC. Not only did I make the 6 miles without dying, it was the fastest I've ever run that distance. I went in with a plan though. I ran the first and last miles as slow as I wanted (13:30 pace for the first mile) and then each of the middle miles faster than the one before. So, for Mile 2 I had to keep it below 13:00 pace, Mile 3 was below 12:50 pace, Mile 4 was below 12:45 pace and Mile 5 had to be below 12:40 pace...the exciting part was that I never saw my watch go above 12:20 on Mile 5. Yeah, I know that's crawling for some people, but I was blown away. Overall I finished in 1:17:25...before that my fastest was 1:20. I'm glad I set up my watch to show my current pace, so I'm going to see if I can keep this going.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not much else is going on. Work's been nuts, but it should have calmed down over the weekend. I have an appt with the podiatrist tomorrow because my foot isn't getting any better - actually my Achilles is starting to bother me now and I'm getting a little worried about it. Maybe it wasn't PF after all. I'll update once I get some answers from the doc tomorrow. The permits have been pulled for the new house and the foundation will be started tomorrow. I can't wait to see our new home come up from the ground (literally)! I'll be back with pictures once we get some dirt moved around. :)</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-21863116718328580332010-02-20T20:30:00.000-08:002010-02-20T20:53:38.213-08:00Talk about slacking off...So, it's probably been about a month since I've had anything to say and it has been a CRAZY month. Not too much to report on the fitness-side of things. With my crazy work schedule lately, it's been hard to get out during the week. Luckily all that is slowing down and I should be able to get back into a good routine this week. I have a 5k tomorrow morning and I'll be doing a 2 mile "warm up" before that to make up for missing today's run...<div><br /></div><div>And I missed today's run because the hubs and I are in the process of building a new house! I can't believe it! We initially bought our condo thinking we'd be here for about 2-3 years and then either move into a bigger house or possibly move out of state...4 1/2 years later we finally decided to take the plunge. It helps a lot that a couple of our best friends will be living 2 houses away from us and that we have several other friends building on the same street. We listed the condo a week ago and have had 4 showings (3 were the same couple) but no offers yet. I'm a little nervous about selling the condo before closing on the new house (yes, I realize this may be the dumbest thing I've ever done) but it'll all work out. So, we signed the contract for the new houseon Thursday and we're expected to get started the end of this coming week...closing will be the end of June to mid-July!</div><div><br /></div><div>And this is where our new home will be (eventually):</div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPD5knWgFIuzYDFAHl9xIFnvJ3XBVZfq60K-NLTINPmkuCOPtmYFgMk5YBO2y1xWYcuslSPhGIQImr4LJOZD-NqSGrierT8UQCJDFnIoEVaXfl3mhbvw8RxHEHkL244ze5-oP8hNyfq8/s200/DSCN0646-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440554447942931602" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And here's me and the hubs chillin' at the lot last weekend:</div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyghKM2J3KdMCK83tJ9CoLHjSziFroSagZHdHsXt0dKyokr0SYxqGsy9RrQe67BDHNeLD9fj88ePaorPqPG3UOkxcMjWClzG4xZmpx-tU-VMZr5jFna4ZyqTkHjVROfciQJ8CL0emw5I0/s200/494470593_1737046561_0.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440554806424634258" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'll be back tomorrow with a race report!</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-12945434702981693742010-01-26T20:12:00.000-08:002010-01-26T20:21:40.033-08:00Here We Go AgainSo my laziness is finally catching up to me and I've decided that I'd better re-join my running group this year if I don't want to sit around and watch my ass spread even larger. I haven't actually registered yet, thanks to 11-13 hour days at work, but I'll be there bright and early Saturday morning to register and get my 3 miles in. I've still been able to get out on the weekends, but it's the weekly runs that are hard (see above re: 11-13 hour work days). Maybe once I spend some money it'll motivate me to juggle my schedule around a bit. And one of my co-worker friends is joining too so that'll probably help.<div><br /></div><div>I'm considering a gym membership too. I will not run on a treadmill - seriously, if my life depended on it, I'd probably choose death - but it'd be nice to have a yoga class and a pool available if/when I want them. I'm trying to decide between two gyms right now...a pricey, very nice gym with one location a 5 minute walk from my office and another location on my way home from work (and about a 5 minute drive from home) OR a not-so-pricey, not-so-nice gym with more convenient group class times, still on my way home from work (about a 10 minute drive from my house) and no where near my office. Ugh, the decision making process kills me. Thus, the whole plan has been tabled for at least another few days.</div><div><br /></div><div>So yeah, not much else to add considering my laziness has taken over. Hopefully more to report on Saturday after my first No Boundaries meeting of 2010.</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-15782344136843567542010-01-16T18:58:00.000-08:002010-01-16T19:10:05.844-08:00A Late Race Report - Run to Resolve 5kI ran this 5k a few weeks ago and just never got around to updating my blog. My local running shop, <a href="http://www.fleetfeetalbuquerque.com/">Fleet Feet Albuquerque</a>, has a Gran Prix going this year - a race per month. The Run to Resolve 5k was the kick off to the Gran Prix and my first race of 2010. It was held in a weird area, starting at the soccer fields right next to Journal Pavilion and then wound its way through a cross country trail. The course was a little challenging with some up and down hills and some off-road terrain, but it was nice and different from the usual race. Like everything Fleet Feet does, it was well-organized and fun. It was a small group, about 50 people total, but it was a nice change compared to my last two races (the Turkey Trek, also sponsored by Fleet Feet, and the NYC Marathon). I was impressed, though not surprised, and will be participating in as many of the races as possible this year.<div><br /></div><div>Also, last weekend a couple of my friends, Cindy and Denise, participated in the Goofy Challenge at Disney World. For those of you not in the know, the Goofy Challenge is a half marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday. Making the whole thing even more impressive is the fact that this was Denise's very first full marathon. Congrats to them!</div><div><br /></div><div>Running-wise, things have been a little slow around here. Work has been crazy with year-end stuff going on but we're hoping to get all of that wrapped up by mid-February and to get back on a decent schedule. I'm considering re-joining my running group for their spring session this year. I was dead-set on not joining this year (at all), but now I'm having second thoughts. I do better when I have structure, and even though I've found that I enjoy running alone more than with a group, I think that having a group environment is helpful for me. I'm going to talk to a few people and get some more opinions before making a concrete decision though.</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855839807845314644.post-20312669518141780562010-01-02T19:53:00.000-08:002010-01-02T20:09:37.681-08:00Welcome, 2010All right, here we go...the start of a new decade. I think I'm looking forward to this. Don't get me wrong, 2009 was a good year, but I'm glad to see it go and to move on to the fresh, new year.<div><br /></div><div>Anyone who knows me half-way decently knows that I'm not one for New Years resolutions. I don't understand the point of waiting till a specific date to start bettering yourself. What's wrong with today, right now, this very second? As for bettering myself, I've already come up with a few ideas. Some have been put into place, some will begin when the time is right.</div><div><br /></div><div>- I'm going to take my training for Chicago seriously. I won't have my exam this year (!!), so that really should make it a lot easier, time-wise/stress-wise. This will be my "big" race of the year. Nothing else will really matter.</div><div><br /></div><div>- That said, if I don't make another race because of Chicago training, that's okay. I'm not going to let myself get upset over. Which leads to...</div><div><br /></div><div>- I'm not going to let my friends influence me so much. If I don't feel like doing something, I'm not going to do it. They're an amazing group of people and I know they won't be "mad" if I don't follow along with whatever they do...now I just need to act on that and get over this feeling of letting them down.</div><div><br /></div><div>- I really need to carve out some more "me" time, which includes "me and the hubs" time. Between my exam and his school/work schedules, we haven't seen a lot of each other over the past year and a half.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy New Year to everyone! I'll be kicking it off with a bang tomorrow (the 3rd) with a 5k and continuing with some of that "me and the hubs" time while we really get into some home projects. Hope everyone has a great 2010!</div>Val Duffingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12641931139906908108noreply@blogger.com4