Pass or Fail

I don't know about you, but when I am running a long run, I can't think very well. Sometimes I decide to do a loop when I am in the middle of the run, but my addition skills are lacking, and I end up running way less or way more than I anticipated. Sometimes I get lost when I am running on trails.

And sometimes, cool things happen to me and I don't even realize it.

At mile 30 during the race on Sunday, I heard a runner coming up behind me and I glanced back to see a tan, fit man coming up pretty fast behind me. As he passed me, I said, "good job", as we do when we are being passed at the end of a long race. I could barely muster a "good job"; I definitely couldn't pass anyone at that point! He said something to me about the walkers (we were in a park on a paved loop around a lake at this point) being in his way. As I ran behind him, over the thoughts of how much my blisters were hurting and how glad I would be to be done, I remember thinking, "that guy has some KILLER calf muscles". I kind of watched his tan, muscular legs as he quickly ran away from me. 

That was the end of that. He looked like every other runner. Shorts, check. Hat, check. Glasses, shoes, shirt. Muscular legs, skinny frame. Check, check, check.

Yesterday the results were posted, as well as some photos on the Facebook group for this race. Guess who beat me by 49 seconds? Guessssss! Come on; I will wait.

....

....

If you guessed Oprah, you were wrong. She only runs marathons. Plus, I am faster than her!

If you guessed Scott Jurek, you were wrong also. But that would have been cool.

And you wouldn't have been off by much.

In case you don't know who Dean Karnazes is, he ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, is a famous ultra runner and wrote a few books about running. He also hails from the Bay Area, but I have never seen him around. So I am a little star struck!

Have you ever met a celebrity (and yes, being passed by one counts!)? If you could meet one (living) famous person, who would it be? What would you say to them?

Tuesday Training (6)

I thought I would start off today's post with some jokes. I did not think of these myself, although I may add some to the list. They came from the website run100s.com, which is a great resource if you are ever thinking about doing an ultra. Some of you can probably relate to these! I know I can.

You might be an ultra runner if (sung to the tune of "you might be a redneck"):

- You wonder why they don't make all running socks a dusty brown color.

My feet after the Ultra

- You postpone your wedding because it will interfere with your training. (I thought of Amber on this one; she did not postpone her wedding, but she DID train for a marathon and plan a wedding at the same time!)

- You don't recognize your friends with their regular clothes on. (or this one should be that MY friends don't recognize ME!)

 the party dress that got all the comments

- 6am is sleeping in

- You're tempted to look for a bush when there's a long line for the public restroom

- Your ideal way to celebrate your birthday is to run at least your age in miles (almost did it!).

- You can recite the protein grams of each energy bar by heart

- You know the location of every 7-11, restroom, and water fountain within a 25-mile radius of your house.

- You rotate your running shoes more often than you rotate your tires.

- You walk up the stairs and run down them.

You can find more here. And now, I want to specifically comment on a couple of them:

- Your crew tries to keep you motivated by saying, "You're in second place and only 6 hours behind first with 25 miles to go!"

This kind of happened to me on Sunday. I was told I was the 5th girl and the girl in front of me was ONLY 10 minutes ahead. I thought the guy was joking. Now I am not so sure. 

- The start of a marathon feels like a 5K and you're wondering "Why is everyone in such a rush? Where the ##@@**!! is the fire?"

I found this one funny for two reasons. (1) I have a marathon in two weeks and I only hope it feels like a 5k. I doubt it will, although I did try to do the ultra first, so it would seem "shorter", and (2) It's kind of true in regards to pace. I can only imagine, since my 50k (which is the shortest of the ultras) was done at a pretty easy pace compared to marathon pace. I bet those 100 mile runs are pretty "slow and easy wins the race" kind of attitude.

An actual recap of the ultra will be up later in the week. For now, here's the low down on this week's training.

Week 1 - 4
Week 5 - 8
Week 9 - 11
Week 12 - 13
Week 14 - 15

Week 16:

Monday: Rest / 6 mile walk
Tuesday: 4.5 miles @ 8:47 pace / 5 mile walk
Wednesday: Rest / 3 mile walk
Thursday: 10 miles @ 8:13 pace / 2 mile walk
Friday: Rest/ 2 mile walk
Saturday: Rest / 2 mile walk
Sunday: 31 miles @ an undisclosed pace :) (you have to wait for the recap!)

I have been walking every day, both on running days and rest days. This week was a little strange, as I only ran 3 days, because I wasn't sure about how much rest I should have before the ultra and I was pretty tired most of the week, so I decided not to overdo it. I walked instead, to keep some miles, but to take it easy a little. I am glad I did, because I am not really sore today! I may even go for a run this evening!

Total Miles: 45
Miles This Cycle: 648

According to RunningAhead, those miles were completed in 102 hours, giving me an approximate average pace per mile of 9:22. This week I have a pretty easy taper week ahead of me and then next week, it's "Take It Easy" time and then...marathon weekend!

Do you do a lot of walking? Do you have any "you might be a runner / ultra runner / marathon runner if..." jokes? Do your friend's recognize you if you wear a dress (or slacks if you are a boy)?

Shoot the Breeze

I went to a friend's house last weekend for her daughter's 2nd birthday party. The good thing about 2nd birthdays is that the kid doesn't care if there are other kids there or if it's just an excuse for all of Mom and Dad's friends to get together at a party with a Mickey Mouse theme and eat cupcakes and shoot the breeze. My friend's parents and her husband's parents were also there. We had a great time hanging out and I even wore a dress, just for fun. I am normally a pants wearer; I have an aversion to my own knees. So this was a big deal.

Here are some of the conversations that were floating around. They will be A and I will be Me.

A: You look nice. What's the occasion?
Me: It's 104 degrees in your neck of the woods. (it was 75 in Oakland)
A: I know; that's why I am not wearing a shirt and I am sweating and I am downing beers like it's going out of style.
Me: Oh? That's why? I just thought that was your normal Saturday style.
A: Actually, it is.

A: So you have a race tomorrow?
Me: Yep
A: How far is it?
Me: 50k
A: (quizzical look on face) How far is that?
Me: 31 miles
A: (shocked look on face) 31 Miles? How long will that take?
Me: About 6 hours
A: (incredulous look on face) 6 hours! That's crazy!
(as I secretly agree and start to doubt why the heck I am doing this race)

A: So you must eat really healthy since you run so much
(as I am stuffing my face with my third coconut toasted cupcake in less than 5 minutes in the name of "carb loading")

A: My niece ran a marathon in Hawaii. You should do that one. I am not sure how far her marathon was though. Maybe yours is longer.

On Sunday, I ran the race. All 31 miles of it. I did not die. I will do a recap later. All I can say right now is:

Dear Toilet -- Were you always so low? I think you should be about 2 feet taller so I can stand up and don't have to bend my knees to use you.

Dear Belly -- When are you going to stop crying out for food? You are insatiable.

Dear Feet -- I am deeply sorry. I have abused you greatly. Will you ever forgive me?

How was your weekend? Do you ever have weird conversations (about running or anything else) with your friends' families? Do you have any "dear" questions for anyone today?

New York - London - Paris!!

Hello Again Darlings,

I'm so excited firstly to be posting twice in one weekend, and secondly to be announcing my imminent travels to EUROPE. August 29th I will be zipping off for an extended labor day weekend to visit not one, but two, of my favorite cities in the WHOLE world. London, Paris, London, Paris, oh my where do I even begin?! The vibe, the sweets, the art, the fashion, I'm bursting at the seams with excitement. It's been five years since I was last in Paris and my heart aches thinking of all the things I miss so dearly. Laduree I'm giving you ample warning!!

Before I sign off I would love to ask you, my beautiful readers, what you would like to see more of from my upcoming travels? In the past I've blogged massive postcards but I'm thinking of breaking it up. I want to be able to cover more individual moments, special happenings, amazing street style, cool on site sketches?! What do you all think? Travel is after all at the forefront of my inspiration here on TWD, so why not delve a little deeper into my getaways across the globe?! Let me read your thoughts below...

Bisous Bisous,
Meag

Camel Riding in Luxor

Photo by Adam Heisler

Happy Saturday Lovelies!!

I hope you all had a fantastic week. My life has been so crazy as per usual and to be honest this is my first Saturday in three weeks that I'm not spending in the office HALLELUJAH. Yes...true story. So where do I even begin? I guess with a camel ride in Luxor, Egypt?! Just go with it. I returned from my trip to Egypt almost exactly 4 months ago and my life has not been the same since. Every uncertainty, every lingering unanswered question, somehow miraculously came to light and now here I am finally at peace.

I lost old friends and made new ones. I finally landed a creative corporate fashion job in July, and got my visa to stay in New York. I pushed myself further and further out of my comfort zone to the point that I don't even recognize my own life anymore. And even though I continue to walk the same streets, nothing feels the same.

So what does this all have to do with a camel ride in Luxor you ask?! Well I'll tell you. My trip to Egypt was prompted by a longing for control in an otherwise very uncertain life. I wanted to be shaken out of my perpetual state of anxiety, and reminded of the thrill of discovering something new. Riding on that camel through a local village in Luxor, just days before returning to New York, I can remember still thinking of all the unanswered questions that lay ahead, but finally feeling strong enough to face the truth.

Now when I look back at this photo I see all the things I didn't in that moment and I'm happy. I'm not who I was then, but I'm remarkably proud of everything I've accomplished since. So here I am today, thinking of my travel plans for the end of the month, the exciting new illustration opportunities on my plate, the direction I want my blog to go in, the creative challenges I'm thrilled by at work, and I'm more excited than I've ever been. I realize and accept that the most important things in life are almost always worth the wait.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend ahead and the courage to keep believing in your dreams.

Much love,
Meag xx

Oh Dear

Dear Saturday -- I can't wait to see you. It seems like it has been so long since we hung out. Please pick me up a good book and some nice weather before you stop by my house.

Dear Popcorn -- I haven't seen you in years, but for some reason, you popped into my life just when I needed you. I have been glad to share my last few evenings with you. Your friend salt ain't bad either. See you again tomorrow!

Dear San Francisco -- You have been so clear lately. It has been a joy to look over at you and see your hills and your blue water and your bridges. You make me very happy.

Dear Garden Zucchini -- Where are your friends? I have been told that you never travel alone and to beware, as you can quickly become overwhelming, but right now there is only one of you. I can't wait to get this party started.

Dear Neighbor Who Was Out Watering His Lawn the Other Day -- You said good morning to the guy getting into the Honda, but when I walked by and said good morning to you, you mumbled several things that sounded like curse words under your breath and turned away. Did I do something to offend you?

Dear Unnamed Dog -- Please don't poop on my lawn. It's gross. If you really must however, do it on the neighbor who was watering his lawn's lawn.

Dear Dog Owner -- Please pick up your dog poop. I am tired of having to duck and dodge it when I am running on the sidewalk or when I am getting my newspaper from my own yard.

Dear Running -- We have not been very good friends lately. Maybe it's time we gave each other a little space. Maybe it's time to see other fitness methods for a while and see how we feel in a couple of months.

Dear Marathon -- You scare me. You are big and you are hot and you are way stronger than me. I am not sure I would win if I fought you. Please play nice.

Dear Wine -- Will you go out with me? On Friday night? Can we make it a threesome? I have a glass who is very interested in meeting you. 

Dear Facebook Friend -- Yes, your baby is very cute. But I do NOT need to see a bazillion photos of the baby. I also do not need a status update about the baby every 4.5 minutes. Let it be cute once a week; that would make you a better friend in my opinion. 

Dear Current Books -- I am sorry, but I am just not that into you.

Who do you want to write a letter to today? 

Tuesday Training (5)

If you hate training posts, check out the first few days of my hike to Everest base camp.  Otherwise, read on McDuff! Also, whether you do or don't like training posts, can you please send some well wishes towards my parents, who are in the middle of a pretty nasty forest fire right now!? I appreciate it.

source

And now onto the training recap!

Week 1 - 4
Week 5 - 8
Week 9 - 11
Week 12 - 13

Week 14: This week I still had trouble getting motivated. I was really, really not feeling like running. It was a struggle to get out the door. Every day. However, as usual, once I went and did it, I felt fine. Also, my pace was faster than it had been the week before, when I ran more miles, but at a much slower pace.

Monday: Rest
Tuesday:  Rest
Wednesday: 7 miles @ 9:29 pace (run with Dad)
Thursday: 5.5 miles @ 8:28 pace
Friday: 10 miles @ 8:37 pace
Saturday: 13.1 miles @ 9:01 pace (Bad Bass Half)
Sunday: Rest

Total Miles Week 14: 36

Week 15: After asking for your advice the other day, I decided to flip this week with week 16, which meant a low mileage week this week and the 57 mile week for week 16 (the week of the Ultra). Not only that, but I even decided to skim a few off Hal's suggested mileage. I only ran three days, which is two less than normal. It felt good physically, but super, super lazy mentally. It's still hard not to feel like I am wasting time or being lazy when I am not running! However, my 13 mile run on Saturday felt great! It was also about a 2200 ft elevation gain, but I was really feeling good, the weather was cooperating and my feet just kept moving! I need more of these runs!

Monday: Cross-Train -- 1.5 hours of painting
Tuesday: 12 miles @ 11:07 pace (trail run)
Wednesday: Cross-Train -- 1.5 hours of painting
Thursday: 7 miles @ 8:14 pace
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 13.1 miles @ 8:25 pace
Sunday: Rest

Total Miles Week 15: 32

The verdict? I think 18 weeks is too long for a training program (my last one was 12 but was added to a half marathon base). I am not feeling very much in love with the idea of running right now. I still love it once I get into it, but it's been really hard to get motivated to get out and do it. I also notice that even my faster paces are not fast enough. In order to get a 3:30 marathon, I need an 8 minute pace. For 26 (point two!) miles.

So, next up for this week? I have the Ultra on Sunday, which is a 50k, so I plan to have three shorter runs this week, giving me a total of 4 runs and somewhere around 50-60 miles. Then it's taper time for the Santa Rosa Marathon!

Ha! Something to make you laugh? I put my best half marathon time into the McMillan Pace Calculator, and, according to that, I should be able to run this weekend's 50k in 4 hours and 15 minutes. At a pace of 8:13. Um, I am sorry Mr. McMillan, but you need an elevation factor in that equation! Can you imagine running 30 hilly miles at an 8 minute pace? No? Me neither. Good luck with that.

Have you used the McMillan calculator? What kind of natural disasters have you been through where you live? Do you count painting as cross training?