Three Things Thursday

1. Seriously, Mother Nature. Get your head on straight and figure out the weather. I'm kind of sick of one day being hot, humid and in the 80s and a day later being in the low 50s with rain and lots of wind. It is nearly the end of May after all.

2. I tried something completely different Monday. I went to Water Zumba with my Mom. Let's just say it was interesting. Kind of fun, but not necessarily something I'd like to do with any kind of regularity. Because let's just say I have coordination.

3. Green Bay was on Sunday, other than my attempt at Water Zumba, I haven't done anything this week. I'm taking it easy. But that will change on Saturday, when I head out for my first long training run with the Pacesetters group in preparation for the Fox Cities half in September. I'm hooking up with the free community training group in hopes of getting my mojo back and actually running a half better prepared than I was this spring.

Three Things Thursday: Green Bay edition

1. You all read about the poster thief at the Packers Tailgate Tour stop. Well, he may have stole my autographed poster, but he doesn't get to run through Lambeau Field on Sunday. That's right, it's Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon week.

2. I said it before, but I'm so not ready for this race. Like Raleigh, this will be another race that I'll run as much as I can and then just do some kind of run/walk thing until I cross the finish line. There were times this last week that I seriously considered taking a DNS. I mean, I'm not prepared. Yes, I know I can cover the 13.1 miles, but I know the time on the finish line clock won't be pretty. But then I think. This is at Lambeau. I mean, seriously. How often do I get the chance to run through the players tunnel and take a lap around Lambeau Field? Not often. So that pretty much decided it for me. I'll just keep it low key, have a good run and enjoy that lap around Lambeau.

3. The weather man scared me earlier in the week, calling for heavy rain. But in the last few days, the chance of rain has diminished and weathermen are even starting to say that the rain chance will be "late" in the day. Plenty of time to finish 13.1 miles without having to swim. The only problem? As that rain chance goes down, the temps seem to be going up, to the point where we're looking at a high near 80. Gulp.

Three Things Thursday

1. We had a few days of gorgeous weather. And today? It's in the 50s, cold, kind of windy and rainy. I didn't have a gym bag with me. And in decent weather, I would have just run a couple of miles in the rain. But did I mention it was cold and windy too? So I made the executive decision to skip the run. And I was OK with that.

2. Is it odd? I still haven't fully recovered my running mojo, I have a half marathon in just over a week that I'm pretty unprepared for and yet I'm somewhat psyched to put together a training plan, stick to it and get ready to rock a fall half? Oh, it is? Well. I guess I'm odd then.

3. First I've got a 5K this weekend, the Sole Burner 5K, one that I've done the past few years with my family. Too bad the weather is supposed to be utter crap. Oh well. I'll run the race, hopefully tack on a few extra miles afterward and then I'll be able to count it as a last "long" run before Green Bay.

Three Things Thursday

1. The calendar may say it's only Thursday, but in my mind it's Friday. That's because today is the last day of my work week. Granted I earned the upcoming three-day weekend by working on Sunday. Actually by working eight of the last nine days since I got back from vacation. That just doesn't seem right in my mind.

2. It's going to be a fun weekend though. Friday will be full of errands, you know, things I've been putting off doing for weeks. But Saturday? Saturday I get to jump in a car with some runner friends and do Runaway to the Bay, a 55-mile relay from Oshkosh to Green Bay. I did it last year with friends and it was tons of fun (also profitable since I made money selling tutus). Since two of my teammates are getting ready for the Green Bay Marathon, they both need to do 18-20 miles, so I'll only have to run like 8 miles, broken up into two legs, Saturday. Fun!

3. Apparently Mother Nature finally got the memo that's nearly the end of April. We finally get a weather forecast with 60s in it! And sunshine! Thankfully that includes this weekend. Should be great weather for Runaway to the Bay and I have a feeling I'll also be pulling my bike out of my parents' basement for a spin. Can't. Wait.

Three Things Thursday

1. Birthdays. Yeah, it kind of stinks sometimes when you have to admit you're another year older. But in general, they're happy, fun days. Today was not one of those birthdays. A car that refused to start, getting stuck at work much later than I'm used to and hearing that it'll cost me $450 to fix the non-starting car. Yup. Not really the makings of a happy birthday. But then general thought among friends is I should just do a birthday do-over or, heck, just celebrate all weekend. It's got to get better than today.

2. What might have helped? Being able to go to the gym tonight after my no good, terrible day. But since I have no functioning car and am relying on a co-worker for a ride to and from work, that wasn't going to happen. And it would have been nice, not only to relieve the stress, but also because I haven't worked out all week. Between a crazy work schedule and below zero temps, it just hasn't been happening. And I'm definitely at the point where I need to sweat.

3. On the bright side? It's going to snow tonight. That puts a little smile on my face, because I'm really not a fan of seeing green grass in January when the temperatures are so freaking cold. Besides, it might be nice to be able to use my new snowshoes again.

Three Things Thursday

1. I'll be blunt. I haven't been running. Nope. I've had good intentions. I've packed my gym bag, told myself I was going to run. But when it comes time to actually lace up the shoes and pound the pavement? Nope. Not happening. Part of me feels a little guilty. Part of me doesn't. I'm calling it a break. I'll get back into a routine soonish. Probably the first of the year.

2.So what have I been doing? Not a whole heck of a lot. Reading. I managed to catch up on this season of Glee and still have Revenge and Once Upon a Time on my list of shows to catch up on. And you know what? I've liked this lazy period.

3. And the holidays? Oh boy. I can't believe Christmas is so close. And me? I haven't even STARTED to get ready. No present has been bought. Wrapping hasn't even been thought about. No cards have been mailed. Yes, my tree is up, but that's the extent of my preparation. Looks like it's time to put on a Santa hat and start getting things done.

Three Things Thursday: Tyranena Edition

1. Want to hear something funny? I'm running the Tyranena Beer Run half marathon this weekend. Why's that funny you ask? Well, since my stellar performance at Fox Cities on Sept. 23, I've run a grand total of 33 miles. Yup. You read that right. I believe if you look back at my training log, you'll find one 10.3 miles run and a handful of 3- and 4-milers. Needless to say I haven't had much of a desire to run this month. So, I'll go into the run Saturday woefully undertrained. I fully expect to be slow, I'll probably end up walking some (the cranky IT band isn't going to like those hills) and there's a chance I might just set a PW for the year. But I'm OK with that because....

2. I never signed up for this race to be fast. I signed up because of all the people who will be there! My Ragnar Chicago team will be there for a mini-reunion, a ton of the Milwaukee/Madison running peeps I know will be there along with my running partner in crime Peggy and our good friend Myriah. So if I have to run 13.1 miles in order to hang out and drink beer with these folks? It's totally worth it. Needless to say I'm super excited.

3. What's not so exciting? Looking at the forecast.

Huh. Rain. Temps in the low 40s. I shouldn't be surprised. After all, it seems like every race I've run this year (with the exception of Fox Cities and the Madison Mini) has come with not so ideal weather conditions. The saving grace? We all know weathermen aren't exactly the most reliable folks. Heck, when I looked at the weather forecast Wednesday afternoon, the rain chance was higher. So there's hope yet that the rain drops will disappear or just be random, light sprinkles.

Bonus Thing: Since it is a race, I really should have some goals. But I admit, I feel a little odd putting goals out there since I honestly don't care that much about the number on the clock when I cross the finish line. But I'll throw some out there.

A Goal: 2:25. This might be do-able. Who knows.

B Goal: 2:30. I think I should be able to do this, even with some planned walking.

C Goal: Just have a great time, running and spending time with friends.

Three Things Thursday: Fox Cities Edition

1. The next time I lace up my running shoes I'll be getting ready to tackle the Fox Cities Half Marathon. Tonight was my final run of the training plan. I was told somewhere between one and three miles. I headed out planning on just doing an easy two miles, but somewhere around Mile 1.5 I decided to just tack on an extra mile and finish with 3. I took the first mile easy, pushed it a little bit in Mile 2 and finished with a final easier mile. It felt good. Now just to spend some quality time with my foam roller and I'll be ready for Sunday.

2. After a spring and summer of running in unseasonably hot weather, I had to do a double take when I first saw the weather forecast for race day. Ten days out, I figured there was a good chance the weatherman was wrong, that it would change and we'd be running in 80s and humid. Guys. It didn't change. A high of 57? Instead I'm left rethinking my race day outfit. I have a feeling shorts and tank will be a bit chilly at the starting line when the temperature is maybe going to be 40. Can't tell you how excited I am to run in this kind of weather!

3. So goals. Of course I've got them. If I hadn't eased up on the mileage and the number of runs per week this summer due that pesky IT band injury I've been dealing with, I might have more aggressive goals. But the IT band happened. Some runs were missed. Some miles were cut. But I think I still had a decent training cycle and there might be a season-PR in these legs. Especially given the conditions.

A Goal: Sub-2:19. This would be a new overall PR for me. Everything. And I mean everything, including a fully cooperating IT band, would have to be perfect on race day for this to happen.

B Goal: Sub-2:25. This is what I was aiming for a the Madison Mini last month with Katie. And through 7  miles it was possible. Then the IT band got cranky. But I think part of that was due to the hills. Fox Cities? Unless you count two bridges, it's pretty flat. I think this is doable.

C Goal: Sub-2:30. This would give me my fastest half marathon of the year. I'd be happy with that.

D Goal: Have fun. Don't die.

Three Things Thursday

1. Packers! So I know it's technically Week 2 of the NFL season, but since I was out spectating and cheering on the Ironman Wisconsin course on Sunday during the Packers loss to the 49ers, this is my first chance to see the Green and Gold play in the regular season. I'm a happy Packers fan.

2. Before the game, I did make sure I got a run in. Let's just say I was loving every minute of that 4 mile run. I'm pretty sure the fact that it was 60 degrees and overcast had a little bit to do with it. And I ran without my Garmin. Well, technically I had it on, but since it died a half-mile into my run, it was pretty useless. And I haven't run without the Garmin in a long time. It was nice to run by feel rather than a number on the screen. Overall a great run.

3. It's hard to come up with a No. 3 tonight. Probably because I'm distracted by the football that's on my TV screen. So there is no No. 3.

Three Things Thursday

1. I opted to skip my run tonight. I just wasn't feeling it. What I was feeling was a delayed onset of muscle soreness that I can only attribute to the brutally hot speed work session I tackled on Tuesday. As in, I woke up this morning - 36 hours later - and holy stiff, achy, sore muscles. Calves, hips, the toosh. I had intentions to get a short, easy 3-4 miles in tonight, but like I said, I opted not to.

2. Part of my reasoning? I've got 14 miles staring me in the face Saturday. The last long training run before taper starts for Fox Cities Half, which is 2.5 weeks away. Gulp. 14 miles, huh? It's been a long time since I ran that far.

3. But if I can get those 14 miles pounded out, it'll be a fun rest of the weekend. After I run, shower, eat and quite possibly get a short nap, I'm heading south to Madison. It's Ironman Wisconsin weekend and I'm pumped to watch a good friend's husband tackle his first IM. The maps have been printed out, the cowbells rounded up and I'm ready to go. I remember how fun and inspiring it was last year and I have no doubt it will be very similar this year. I can't wait.

Four for Friday

Source: www.andyroddick.com

1. I love tennis. And I should be excited that the U.S. Open is on right now. But after hearing the news yesterday, I don't know if I want the tournament to end. On his 30th birthday, Andy Roddick announced late Thursday afternoon that the Open will be his final tournament. He's hanging up his racket and retiring. Sigh. I love watching Roddick play. He's fun to watch and he's done some great things for men's tennis in the United States. When I lived in Indiana in 2003, I got a chance to see him play in Indianapolis a few months before he won the U.S. Open, his only Grand Slam title. Needless to say I'll be parked in front of a TV tonight to watch him play his second round match at the Open under the lights. I like what what this SI writer had to say about Roddick's decision.

2. Speaking of sports. College football is back! I didn't watch the season's opening game last night, Vanderbilt versus South Carolina, but I'm counting down the minutes until the Badgers kick off their season Saturday against the University of Northern Iowa. And NFL football starts next week. This is what makes fall weekends so fun.

3. Running wise, it hasn't been the most stellar week. I spent a good chunk of time, about four days, battling a nasty migraine. I missed a 13-mile run over the weekend. I missed a short recovery run on Monday. I missed work on Tuesday and therefore speed work that night. I did get a short 3-mile run in on Wednesday and another 4.25 miles in on Thursday. Both of those runs felt pretty good, but I'll be interested to see how this weekend's long run goes.

4. I can't wait for the long holiday weekend. I don't think this statement needs any further explanation. Enjoy the weekend!

Three Things Thursday: Madison Mini Edition

1. So I'm running a race this weekend. Specifically the Madison Mini Marathon. It will be my second attempt at the race (remember last year's 1.5 hour delay due to lightning?) and I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of difference a year makes.

2. I've been hesitant to put together a list of goals for this race though. Technically it's just a training run. Heck, my training plan only has me running 12 miles on Saturday. And there's that whole IT band issue that I've been dealing with all summer. Guess what? It still doesn't like hills. Guess what the Mini has? You bet, hills. But the weather is supposed to be perfect - temperatures in the 50s at the start line and only a high in the low 70s - so of course I start thinking.

A Goal: Sub 2:25

B Goal: 2:25

C Goal: 2:30

D Goal: Don't die. Have fun.

I'll tell you right off, that A Goal? Probably not going to happen, unless some Kenyans invade my body overnight. I'm just not ready for that yet. I think the B Goal will be a challenge, but a good challenge. And one that realistically could be met. Of course it helps that I'll be running with a Twitter friend Katie, who is also shooting for that goal. And if I only hit the C Goal? I'll be happy. After all, it's just a training run.

3. The "Don't die. Have fun." goal shouldn't require too much work. I get to meet up with and hang out with a bunch of friends - both those I already know and new friends that I haven't actually met yet in real life. Can't wait. Should definitely be a fun weekend.

Three Things Thursday

1. I've got Olympic fever. When I've been at home the last two weeks, chances are the television is on. And chances are it's tuned into the Olympics. I just can't stop watching. I love it. The athletes. Their stories. The competition. The tears of joy. The tears of disappointment. Such great stuff happens when the Olympics roll around. My favorite events have been the swimming, gymnastics and volleyball. But I watch it all. I don't discriminate when it comes to Olympic sports.

2. I was off of work last week, giving me ample time to catch the first week of the games. It was pretty amazing. Being able to watch so much of the action and also having an entire week to do whatever I pleased and not have to worry about work. Granted, going back to work after 10 days off was hard.

3. Running has been going well. But I'll save that for another post. Because there's Olympics to watch and my bed is calling my name.

Three Things Thursday: Ragnar Edition

1. It's Ragnar Chicago Eve! And I'm so excited! Grant I've still got a living room floor covered in stuff I need to pack and I still need to track down a few things, but I figure I've got all day to do that. That is why I took the day off today after all. I'm super excited to meet up with my team, The Panty Raiders, tomorrow morning and whatever the next 36 hours has in store as we travel 200 miles from Madison to Chicago. Can't. Wait.

2. What I could wait for is the heat. We got an e-mail from the race director with this nugget in it:

Oh. A heat index over 100 degrees on Friturday. That sounds swell. Especially since I'll be running my legs at approximately 6 p.m. on Friday, 3:30 a.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. I'm pretty sure that last leg will be brutal. Quite possibly the hardest 4.8 miles I'll ever run. Needless to say, any plans for fast legs have been thrown out the window and it'll be a "have fun, finish and don't die" kind of race plan. :) Of course, am I surprised we're getting this kind of weather? Remember Columbus, Ohio and Green Bay? Hot. I should be used to this by now, shouldn't I?

3. So obviously I won't be around until Sunday afternoon at the earliest. But chances are, I'll be trying to sleep then, or I'll be so sleep deprived I'll have hit that slap happy state where I'm UNABLE to fall asleep even though I want to. But I'll be back next week with a full report on my 36-hours of running, sleeplessness and shenanigans that was Ragnar Chicago. If you want, follow me on Twitter, @BadgerJen2002, for updates. Or follow @ThePantyRaiders for updates from my entire team!

Three Things Thursday

1. Good news is I survived a double-race day in Columbus, Ohio last weekend. I'll tell you this much, it was kind of brutal. Hot and humid, not conditions this Wisconsin girl is used to.

2. The bad news is I haven't had time to write any posts about the half marathon, or the 5K or even the rest of a pretty cool weekend with friends. Work has been uber-busy this week. Nothing like coming back from a 4-day mini vacation and being sucked into long days at the office, and outside the office, dealing with things like flooding rivers, drying up lakes, heroin and murder. Add to it I've been working on finishing up a video for my parents' anniversary party this weekend. So all of that has left little time to blog.

3. But when I do get time (and I'm hoping there's some of that this weekend), I'll write about Columbus. And probably the Sole Burner 5K, because that's this weekend. In other words, once I can write, I've got a lot to write about.

Bonus: But for now, it's time to stop blogging and get to finishing up that video for my parents.

Three Things Thursday: Capital City Half Marathon edition

1. My road trip to Ohio begins today! Of course I left all of my packing until last night and finished it up this morning before I headed out. It's not just a simple trip that requires getting in a car and pointing it towards Ohio today. Nope. First I'm headed to Milwaukee, where I'll park my car and hop on the Amtrak to Chicago, where I'll meet up with Peggy at Union Station. Then we'll point the car towards the Buckeye State.

2. Looking at that forecast scares this Wisconsin girl a little bit. When you look at the hourly forecast it says it'll already be 70 at 8 a.m. Saturday morning when the race starts. 70? At 8 a.m.? And I've still got to run 13.1 miles? This Wisconsin girl isn't used to running long distances in that kind of heat. Remember, other than the crazy warm March we had, it's been in the 40s and 50s around here. We were lucky to hit 60 earlier this week. So seeing that forecast is a bit scary.


3. So of course weather comes into play when I set some goals. This isn't my A race for the spring. I'm holding out for Green Bay to go all out. But still, I want to do well. So while this is still essentially a training run for me, I would like to push it a bit harder than I did two weeks ago at the Oshkosh Half. That being said, my goals for the race are:

A Goal: Sub-2:20. This would be a new PR. Still not sure I'm in PR shape though. 

B Goal: 2:25. I think this is possible. 

C Goal: 2:27, slightly faster than Oshkosh.

D Goal: Enjoy the course, show some Badger pride as I run through Columbus and have fun.

Bonus: I'm super excited for the national anthem. The race organizers announced earlier this week that Jerry DePizzo, the saxophonist for O.A.R. (one of my favorite bands) will be performing the national anthem on race morning. The guy is absolutely amazing to listen to. Take a listen to his rendition of the anthem at last year's race.

OK. I'm off to Columbus. I'll be back either late this weekend when I get back to Wisconsin (doubtful) or early next week to fill you in on all the Ohio happenings. Or check out my Twitter feed, @BadgerJen2002, for more timely updates. And because I'm going to Columbus and O.A.R. is on my mind, I leave you with this appropriate video, "Road Outside Columbus."

Three Things Thursday

1. New shoes! I was adding up mileage on my trusty pair of Brooks Ghost 3s on Sunday after the half marathon when I realized I had logged 460 miles on those babies. Uh, oops. I normally replace my shoes somewhere in the 350 to 400 mile range. This might explain some of the IT band issues I've been having recently. 

So after work on Tuesday I headed over to my local running store for a new pair of shoes. I was expecting to have to try a few different pairs on knowing that Brooks recently switched to the Ghost 4s and I wasn't sure if they'd feel the same as the 3s. But when I walked in the door, the store employee told me they were almost exactly the same. Only problem was they had a limited supply because Brooks is getting ready to unveil the Ghost 5s in the next month or two. Just my luck. They had one pair of Ghost 4s. In my size. Score! I tried them on, they felt wonderful and I was done. I had my new pair of shoes. The best part? Since a new model is coming out soon, they gave them to me for 20% off! Even better.

2. As soon as I got home I put those puppies on and took them for a run. The shoes felt wonderful. The run? Not so much. Heavy legs. Run felt hard. I was expecting this kind of given the fact that I had just run a half marathon two days earlier. But I pushed through and finished with 2.5 miles.

3. One week until I leave for Ohio! I'm looking forward to the vacation. Looking forward to hanging out with friends for a few days. And of course running the actual half marathon.

Three Things Thursday

1. One last thought on Run Away to the Bay. The tutus. They were a good decision financially. See we went to the after party at The Bar wearing our tutus. Other teams would come up to us, say they saw us on the route and that they loved the tutus. We were glad to hear the positive feedback. Well as the party wound down, some non-runner folks came out on to the patio where we were sitting. Myriah, still wearing her tutu, left to go get one more free beer and came back tutu-less with beer in one hand and money in the other. She sold the tutu. And there was high demand for the two other tutus that were left at our table - my red and white one and the pink one I brought along for Peggy to use. Long story short, I sold the tutus and made $25. A good deal since they really didn't cost much to make. And the cash? It paid for dinner later on - although I did feel a little bit like a stripper paying for my dinner in ones.

2. I've really got to go get a new pair of shoes this weekend. As in, I probably should have done it a few weeks ago in order to break them in a bit before the Capital City Half Marathon on May 5. If anything they'll reach that perfect stage of broken in-ness (is that a word?) by the time Green Bay rolls around on May 20.

3. As you're all aware, I'm a University of Wisconsin graduate. I love my Badgers. And yesterday? My alma mater was doing something pretty cool, in my opinion. It was called #UWRightNow, a multimedia project lead by University Communications to show what was going on at UW for 24 hours. Students, faculty, alumni all submitted what was happening on campus or what UW meant to them through Twitter, YouTube and email. Watching what was going on throughout the day was pretty neat and was yet another reason why I love my university. And of course it made me miss Madison. I'll always be a Badger. Go here to check it out.

Three Things Thursday

1. Countdown to running group reunion! In just over two weeks I get to see some of my favorite running buddies when we tackle Runaway to the Bay, a 55-mile relay from Oshkosh to Green Bay. So excited for this first-year event. Not only for the running aspect, but just getting to hang out with these girls, who I logged so many miles with last year.

2. I had an iPod failure on multiple runs this week. Monday night (when I decided to run in circles for 10 miles), I was all set to try out a new play list. See how the music matched up with the run, if I needed to move songs around, etc. Well, apparently I started with the wrong play list and didn't realize it until 4 miles into the run. Sigh. This is why I try to only have one play list loaded on the iPod Shuffle at a time. And then last night? I'm less than a mile into my run and the music fades to nothing. Nope, no transition between songs. I'm talking mid-song. The iPod was dead as a doornail. Guess I should listen the next time the Apple Lady says, "Battery low." At least I learned I can still (barely) run for 3 miles without tunes or a friend to talk to.

3. In non-running news, guess what happens when there's no new TV on, college basketball is limited to the weekends and you need something to entertain you on TV? You get sucked into a series that you're almost ashamed to admit you like. At least I did. And that's how I've managed to watch 2 entire seasons of Gossip Girl in the last 2.5 weeks. Can't. Tear. Myself. Away. I have Season 3 in my hands right now, and I've been good in terms of limiting how much I watch. I told myself I needed to do other things this week, like run and read this thing called a book. But I can assure you there will be more Gossip Girl viewing this weekend.

Three Things Thursday

 Photo Credit: New You Daily News/Associated Press

1. My Badgers are in the Sweet Sixteen! Needless to say I'm beyond excited to go home and watch them take on Syracuse tonight. I have a feeling waiting until 6 p.m. will be kind of difficult.

2. I'm hoping to sneak in a short run tonight before the game starts. This might be hard considering the start time. But if I can be out of work by 5 it is very possible that I'll be able to squeeze in 2 or 3 miles and a quick shower before tip-off.

3. I haven't mentioned a thing about my bracket this year. That's because it was busted beyond belief in the span of a few hours last Friday when both Missouri and Duke lost their opening games. In fact, the entire left side of my bracket was a disaster after the first round. Not pretty. In fact the only region that I picked well in was the East Region, where my Badgers are a No. 4 seed. I ended up going 7-1 in the first round, only because I went out on a limb and picked No. 12 Harvard over No. 5 Vanderbilt. Didn't matter because Vandy ended up getting beat by Bucky. But like I said, the bracket? It's busted. And I'm bringing up the rear in the pool I'm in. Not pretty. But the tournament's been fun to watch.