Off to my final “secret meeting” at Kaiser. Post more later!
…When you leave for vacation on Thursday! đ I’m off to Rochester NY to visit the family, celebrate my older bro’s bday, hang with my ridiculously adorable nieces, see Wicked, eat real NY subs and get massages! So, I can handle Monday! At least this week!
I iced my knees before bed for good measure while Duke licked the ice block the whole time. A two-fer đ I woke up only a tad bit sore. Ate an english muffin with Adam’s PB and then hit the road to WA this morning for work which is only 20 minutes away, but still annoying because I am perpetually directionally challenged. Seriously. I have considered getting a compass implanted in my wrist.  I have received 5 compasses and 2 GPS navigation systems as gifts. Someone saying something ???? See–I wasn’t kidding! The good thing about working at hospitals is you just have to follow the big blue H sign đ Then I left for the big blue H where my personal office is located in downtown Portland.
Got to the office, inhaled some coffee and worked more. Riveting. Had a spinach salad with shredded chicken and a string cheese. Round 2 was a garden burger patty (no bun) with mustard and a handful of peanut M&M’s that haunt me from the CEO’s office. I am always pretty hungry the day after a race as well as the day of. BUT, I don’t need as many carbs today as I did all weekend, so I reduced those and upped the protein.
Heading out to ride the stationary bike at the gym for 30mins to loosen up my tight muscles and read trash mags. Then preparing for interview #3. Please let this be the last…..my garden is in need of some love. Here it is last year. Right now it is a pile of brown dirt the dogs till for us đ I gotta get out there!
Before I say anything else, I promised my boyfriend I would confess my sin on my blog: I smoked a cigarette last night, uncharacteristically and TWO days before a race! Sometimes I find myself in moments of an identity crisis. I act as if there are no consequences to my actions and that I can do what I want because I say so (Insert visual of me throwing a tantrum). I don’t know why I did that, but I am going to take some time to think about it. Since this blog is partially here for accountability sake, I am glad my better half encouraged to me be honest.
Picture of perfect health!
Moving on, this is still a running blog, and after a short post-work nap yesterday i got a speedy 3.25 final miler in before the race tomorrow. My legs felt like lead though. I haven’t been eating as nutritiously as normal this week, because I’ve been busy and I’m probably a little dehydrated as well from the happy hours. WHO AM I??? I also told Allison at Green Dog Wine I would do the CUT THE CRAP CHALLENGE, and I was a major fail. So that, starts today through  the rest of April and I am publishing this for the world to see. I won’t fail! This means no dairy, no booze, and certainly no more cancer sticks. Lots of water and lots of running!
This afternoon I have to pick up my packet at the convention center. What I hate most pre-race is that I get MAJOR freakshow nervous about parking–not the race itself, but getting there! Does anyone else get this way? ESPECIALLY, when I am racing alone…which seems to be more and more frequent since MK moved away and few people care to run long distances with me.
Bridge to Brews 2009
Anyhow, once kimi gets her lazy A** outta bed, I am off to brunch with kimi and it will be CTC approved!
Finally, my cherished Friday, you are here!! This is going to be a F-U-N weekend. To back up a bit, I never did my 3 miler yesterday and swapped it out for a rest day and plan to do my last run before the race today instead. I opted to go to The Canvas straight from work to help Ashley and Jacob with some cleaning. Afterward, Eddie and I went to Life of Riley for some dinner. We got there with 2 minutes left in happy hour, so we ordered some wings and tofu tacos AND a burger because I am a pig was HANGRY and when my blood sugar drops I become the devil herself…ask my mother, she will confirm that she has seen me with horns.Â
 Anyhow, we followed that up with a trip to Ben & Jerry’s and E shared a few spoonfuls with me, but I am not an ice cream lover. My digestive system,  I should say, does not like ice cream đ I love indulgent nights like that once in a while and I truly believe food is meant to be enjoyed with others. I have a hard time with people who put way too many restrictions on themselves. I love food, but know when it is meant to be fully enjoyed and when it is more or less fuel for my athletic performance or for survival. When I am just fueling my body for the standard work week breakfast and lunches, it is strictly for nutrients alone. Tofu, quinoa, lots and lots of green vegetables, brown rice, oats and bananas. For races and long runs I eat lots of carbs and protein, usually in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio. When I go out, I tend to order things I do not make at home, which are usually either 1) more indulgent (like red meat) or 2) require lots of specialized ingredients (like Indian food). Lately, I realize that these indulgences are not as easy to recover from as they once were. The extra fat and calories and sheer richness of the food does a whammy (did I just say whammy?!!) on my body for the next 24hours. Insert Idea: Maybe you should revisit this!!  I especially avoid this pre-race. So from tonight through 10am sunday morning, it is bland food, lots of carbs and lots of water. Oh, and I should say that M-F I drink about 1-2 gallons or more of water a day. I should move my office to the bathroom đ
Tonight, my good friend and old roomie from graduate school is driving up from Corvallis for the night, and she is one of my favorite friends to just “chill” with. We just talk, watch movies and snuggle with my dogs .It  is so nice to have a friend to relax with in that way. I have a netflix waiting for us too. Hope everyone has a great Friday!! Tomorrow is jam packed with fun–stay tuned!
Good morning, world. No one has read anything I have written yet, but I dream big, so I am addressing the world đ
Off to a good start today, despite a non-stop day yesterday and a late night. After work, I met a friend for a 5 mile loop around the waterfront and we kept at a 7:30 pace for the first 3 miles. She is faster than I am, and the only way to get faster is to train faster, so it is very helpful for me to have a running buddy besides this guy, who will go at only “I pee on stuff every 2 feet” pace:
Sure do love Duke though đ anyhow, after my run I had to race to the salon as I mentioned and during that short commute I received an email and phone call from Kaiser Permanente regarding a position I have been working my tail off to get. They want me to come in AGAIN, but I am pretty much sure this means i am a shoe-in! It would be really strategic career move to get into Kaiser, so I am really looking forward to the next “step”. Don’t want to say too much yet. Then I went to meet my friend Kate for a quick beer and to catch up and didn’t make it home until 9pm! E wanted something specific for dinner and went to the store to get the ingredients, and that NEVER happens (he’ll eat whatever I am craving and cook) so I obliged and made shrimp alfredo from scratch and we sat down to the table at 9:45. A very late dinner, but I did it nonetheless.
Tonight, I have an easy 3 miler, because I am tapering for the race on Sunday and then head to The Canvas to help my friend Ashley do some final cleaning of her new business, before the opening on Saturday. The boyf is going to display some of his artwork there as well and will be hanging up pictures tonight. Fun for the whole fam!
It is supposed to be a really nice day in Portland today, well about 60 degrees, but that is a marked improvement from the rain and monsoon winds that have wrecked havoc on my backyard and running plans. So, I’m planning to meet a friend at 4pm and run the Tom McCall Riverfront park for a 4-5 miler then head to get my hairs cut at Boufant at 5:30. I’m headed home to NY next week and I can’t go looking janky đ
I got an email yesterday about portland marathon clinic and that they offer free saturday runs even if you don’t sign up for the paid training plans. I know I don’t need to pay for a training plan since a book and some willpower will do me just fine thanks đ BUT I do think i will need company on those long hot runs saturday mornings and hope to meet some really cool people. More to come on that.
Hope anyone reading this has a great day!
Hello, everyone, glad you’re here. If you’d like to hear why I am, please check the About “B” section!
I just finished a short 4 mile run averaging an 8:30 pace and it was tough and shouldn’t have been which is frustrating. Â I consider 8:15-30 to be a comfortable yet fast pace and that is my race average for most distances. I have been running for over 10 years, and while I would like to be faster, I haven’t been pushing myself : ( But that is going to change this spring and summer!
It has been very windy and cold and wet in Portland, and getting out has been challenging. I’m all for a run in the rain, but I’m talking monsoon winds and rains here people! Plus, this is a taper week as I am doing the Race for the Roses half marathon on Sunday. I was really looking forward to it until I realized the night before was the opening of my friend’s new business The Canvas art bar and cafe. I have been by her side from inception of the concept and now for the opening so I’m a little bummed I need to be in bed early, but that is the life of a runner.
I am planning on running the Cinco de Mayo Half marathon on, May 5th and then training for the Portland Marathon, which is the second time I have signed up for a 26.2 miler, but was injured last time halfway through my training. Good ole ITB issues. Running circles in the same direction on a track like an idiot didn’t help, but what can I say, I was a novice!! Anyhow, this marathon covers many of the great bridges in Portland, hence the title of my blog. The content will hopefully evolve with time, but for now, the intent is to blog about my training to get me over those bridges! The one below is a mile from my house and one of the best in the city.
Time to eat some shredded chicken burritos and relax. Tomorrow is a busy day!
B Runs Bridges (in and around portland) 