SOTR: "Dog Days Are Over" - Florence + The Machine

I'm not really sure where I first heard this song, but I'm completely obsessed with it.*

Video:

Lyrics:

Happiness hit her like a train on a track

Coming towards her stuck still no turning back

She hid around corners and she hid under beds

She killed it with kisses and from it she fled

With every bubble she sank with her drink

And washed it away down the kitchen sink

The dog days are over

The dog days are done

The horses are coming

So you better run

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father

Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers

Leave all your love and your longing behind

You can't carry it with you if you want to survive

The dog days are over

The dog days are done

Can you hear the horses?

'Cause here they come

And I never wanted anything from you

Except everything you had and what was left after that too, oh

Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back

Struck from a great height by someone who should know better than that

The dog days are over

The dog days are done

Can you hear the horses?

'Cause here they come

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father

Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers

Leave all your love and your longing behind

You can't carry it with you if you want to survive

The dog days are over

The dog days are done

Can you hear the horses?

'Cause here they come

The dog days are over

The dog days are done

The horses are coming

So you better run

*Edit: I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that, upon further thought, I believe I first heard this song on Glee.  Humiliating.  Between that, my love for So You Think You Can Dance, and reading all of the Twilight books, you'd think I was a 14 year-old girl.

I guess I kind of am, in spirit.

Lunchtime Run

Although the Mister and I don't really get too much into Valentine's Day (put it this way: I was going to buy him a card this year, but when I saw it cost $6 - SIX DOLLARS - I just came home and told him what it said instead), I felt a bit guilty for missing the evening due to Monday night Zumba.  So today, I thought I'd try to make it home at a more reasonable hour, and ran my scheduled four miles at lunchtime.

I am typically an evening runner - I try to get into work (which is a half hour away) by 7:00-7:30 a.m., and it is WAY too freaking cold to run at 4:30 in the morning, which is how early I'd have to start to make it happen.  Plus, who wants to get up that darn early anyway?  But today I tried the "lunchtime run," and I gotta tell ya, I was pretty excited.  I'm not too sure my co-workers were excited, given that it was fairly warm out (40 degrees F), and I did not shower afterwards (sorry - at least I used lots of deodorant!!), but it was so nice to get it out of the way today.

In lieu of an evening run, Jeff and I took the pups to the P-A-R-K (oh, I guess I only have to spell it when the pups are listening, huh?).  They were super excited and it made a slightly smelly afternoon all the worthwhile.

My babies:

Susie and Jugdish

Flying Pig Training Re-Cap: Week 7

Success!  Another 100% week.  That's only the second one so far, so I guess I shouldn't toot my own horn too much.

Monday, 2/7 - Zumba

Tuesday, 2/8 - 4.3 miles in 46 minutes (10:46 average)

Wednesday, 2/9 - 7 miles in 1 hour, 18 minutes (11:05 average)

Thursday, 2/10 - 4.1 miles in 45 minutes (10:57 average)

Friday, 2/11 - off

Saturday, 2/12 - 14 miles in 2 hour, 42 minutes (11:24 average) - including 5 miles of run/walk

Sunday, 2/13 - off

While I'm very pleased that I managed to get all of my miles in this week, I'm a bit disappointed at my times.  Well, I guess I shouldn't say "disappointed" - I just know that as the mileage builds, my pace gets slower and slower.  My goals for the Pig include (in this order):

(1) Finishing.

(2) Finishing in under 5 1/2 hours, thus beating my Detroit time of 5 hours, 38 minutes, 26 seconds.  (This would be "the public goal.")

I want to be realistic, though.  The Pig is hilly - very hilly.*  So finishing is goal #1.  Anything beyond that is a bonus.  Onwards and upwards (literally)!

*Holy crap, that course is hilly.  Whose idea was this, anyway?!

2011 Flying Pig Training Mileage Stats

Scheduled (This Week): 29

Completed (This Week): 29 (100%)

Scheduled (Overall): 153

Completed (Overall): 125 (82%)

Run/Walk

It is a BEAUTIFUL day in the 'Nati today - perfect for a long training run: 45 degrees and sunny!  Such a welcome change from the sub-20 temps we had earlier this week!

Today I had 14 miles on the schedule.  My friend from work, Ashley, who is also training for the Pig, joined me.  She normally trains with a running group, but the scheduled run was across town, and since she's just down the street from me, we decided to run together.

Ashley does the "run/walk" method, where runs are broken up with scheduled walk breaks.  Her split is 3:1 - run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute.  I've done some shorter training runs with her before, and this method is not as easy as it sounds.  I prefer the "straight run" method, just because I'm somewhat convinced that if I walk, I might not be able to start back running again.  But I gotta tell you, this run/walk thing is tough.

My average "straight run" pace is about 11:00 minute miles.  Ashley's run pace is about 9:00-9:30 minute miles, so it just about evens out with the walk breaks.  In fact, our marathon finish times (we both have one under our belts) is almost the same.

Unfortunately, Ashley was feeling a bit under the weather today, so she went home after 5 miles (major kudos to her for getting those in - it's not easy to run while sick!!).  I did the remaining 9 at my normal "straight run" method.

Now I'm finally home, showered, fed, and recovering.  Oh, and preparing for tonight's Cincy Winter Beer Fest.  I think I've earned the right to enjoy a couple of these:

Happy Saturday!

Flying Pig Training Re-Cap: Week 6

Try not to be too impressed by me this week.  <-- (Ex: sarcasm)

Monday, 1/31 - Zumba

Tuesday, 2/1 - off

Wednesday, 2/2 - off

Thursday, 2/3 - off

Friday, 2/4 - off

Saturday, 2/5 - 9 miles in 1 hour, 41 minutes (11:12 average)

Sunday, 2/6 - off

Jeesh.  This week really put a hurtin' on my stats (below).  I'm blaming the vertigo.

2011 Flying Pig Training Mileage Stats

Scheduled (This Week): 21

Completed (This Week): 9 (43%)

Scheduled (Overall): 124

Completed (Overall): 96 (77%)

SOTR: "All These Things That I've Done" - The Killers

Some people like to run without headphones (crazy weirdos) - not me.  Music is an absolute necessity for me while running.  In fact, the longer the run, the more I depend on music to keep me going, and the louder I crank it up (tell me that - loudly - when I complain of hearing loss in 50 years).  So I figured I'd pay homage to some of my favorite running tunes in a new series: "Song of the Run" (which will henceforth be known as "SOTR").

On today's 4-miler (in a FRIGID 20 degrees, by the way), I heard one of my favorites, "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers.

I had a pretty good obsession going with The Killers for a few years during and after college.  Not only are their songs amazing to run to, they also double as the perfect bar anthem ("Mr. Brightside," anyone?).

Video:

Lyrics: 
When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on
I wanna stand up, I wanna let go
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't
I wanna shine on in the hearts of men
I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand

Another head aches, another heart breaks
I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes
I need direction to perfection, no no no no

Help me out
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the back burner
You know you got to help me out

And when there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy I used to be

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the back burner
You know you got to help me out
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier
I got soul, but I'm not a soldier
...

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the back burner
You know you got to help me out
You're gonna bring yourself down
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the back burner
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down

Over and out, last call for sin
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
If you can hold on
If you can hold on

And who doesn't love a video with cowboys and crazy chicks with boomerangs?

Chickpea Salad

After a late-night Zumba session (yes, 7:15-8:15 p.m. is considered a "late-night" workout for old folks like me!), I was hungry, but didn't want to stuff myself with full-on dinner so close to bedtime (again: old!).  So with the expert advice of the Mister, I whipped up a little post-workout chickpea salad.

3/4 cup cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup cucumber, cut up into small pieces
small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.  Um, that's it.  I warmed mine up (strange as it may sound) - maybe it makes it feel like more of a "winter" meal that way?

According to Calorie Count, this salad has about 286 calories, 9 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbs, and nearly 9 grams of fiber (about 35% of the recommended daily allowance!).

Food Coma

Total food coma going on over here.  The Mister and I decided to stay home to watch the big game (currently 21-17 Green Bay!), and decided on a menu of "appetizers for dinner."  Behold:

Homemade Mozzarella Cheese Sticks and Pepper Jack Cheese Cubes

Potato Skins

Oh, and a beer (Bell's Amber - amazing).  I am stuffffffffffffed.  The Mister also made himself some chicken wings (and the skins with bacon were his, obviously).

Beer, food, and football.  The American way.

Dizzy Spells

So I haven't posted my Week 6 weekly recap yet, mostly because I'm a bit ashamed at the results - but also because I have been telling myself the big fat lie that I will somehow sneak in a 6-miler into my busy Sunday - complete with a friend's baby shower (what, you aren't going to a baby shower on Super Bowl Sunday?) - and will get a 3-miler in between work and Zumba tomorrow - neither of which is likely to happen.  Anyhow, truth is (spoiler alert!) that I missed three of my four runs this week.

What the heck happened?  Well, beginning last Monday, I was having these really strange dizzy spells.  All day long, I was feeling lightheaded and sometimes had to sit down or lean against the wall to avoid falling over.  The dizzy spells were accompanied by a slight sore throat and a general weak feeling, so I'm pretty sure I was fighting some sort of minor cold/flu.  Anyhow, I feel loads better today - so no doctor's visit necessary (I HATE going to the doctor, which is interesting, as I truly LOVE going to the dentist).

As for the Super Bowl?  Go Packers!!  (Let's be honest, really it's: "Go <insertanyteambesidestheSteelers>!")

Nike+ iPod

For my birthday last fall, my mom and step-dad bought me the best present imaginable: a Nike+ for my new awesome iPod Nano (also a birthday present, courtesy of the World's Greatest Husband).  This one thingie (technical term) plugs into your iPod, while another thingie attaches to your shoe, and tracks your running distance, time, pace, and calories burned.  THEN, you can upload your results to the Nike+ website.  This is an amazing invention for a nerdy, data-tracking accountant like me.

The thingie and the other thingie.

I'm starting to notice something, though.  I am not too sure my Nike+ is tracking my distance properly.  Case in point: two weeks ago, I logged and 11 mile run in 2 hours, 9 minutes.  Although I actually only ran 11 miles (I know because I ran on a measured path), Nike+ told me I did 11.86 miles.  Hmm.  Then, last week, I ran 12 miles (again, the same measured path) in 2 hours, 10 minutes.  Um, no way I improved my pace so much as to achieve an extra mile in a single minute!  Furthermore, Nike+ said I wasn't finished and needed another 3/4 of a mile or so to reach my goal of 12 miles.  Wha?!  Now I'm really confused.

So lesson learned: I can "re-calibrate" the Nike+ after finishing a run.  I can do the appropriate distance, then, no matter what distance the thingie (again, technical term) tells me I did, I can override it by inputting the correct mileage.  My ASSumption is that it then recalculates my pace accordingly (guess I should validate that, huh).

All in all, the Nike+ iPod is a super cool techy gadget that I LOVE - but I need to remember not to rely on its measurements 100%.  Good thing I'm not an elite athlete training to WIN the 2011 Flying Pig - I just want to finish the darn thingie!

Flying Pig Training Re-Cap: Week 5

Monday, 1/24 - Zumba

Tuesday, 1/25 - 3 miles in 31 minutes (10:28 average)

Wednesday, 1/26 - 6.5 miles in 1 hour, 11 minutes (10:55 average)

Thursday, 1/27 - 3 miles in 33 minutes (11:01 average)

Friday, 1/28 - off

Saturday, 1/29 - 12 miles in 2 hours, 11 minutes (10:54 average)

Sunday, 1/30 - Zumbathon

Finally!  A full week of training - no runs missed!  It is some sort of miracle, I tell ya.  Plus I did an extra Zumba session on Sunday (2 hour fundraiser for the American Heart Association).  It's a Festivus miracle!

2011 Flying Pig Training Mileage Stats

Scheduled (This Week): 24

Completed (This Week): 24 (100%)

Scheduled (Overall): 103

Completed (Overall): 87 (84%)

Bad Blogger.

Okay, obviously I'm not the best at this whole blogging thing.  My last post was nearly two weeks ago!  But because fewer than a handful of folks even know this blog exists, I don't feel like I'm letting the world down (sorry to those few current readers, though).  :)