Man has it been hot these last couple of days in New York City. We are experiencing one of the worst heat spells and it does not seem to be letting up at all. This is not a good thing especially since I will be taking part in the Queens Half this Saturday (7/24). Have I told you guys how much I dislike running in the heat? I must have because I think about it all the time so I figure I must be blogging about it too..lol.
This Saturday goal is to keep my PR of 2:14 or better. My only concern is this darn heat! On the positive side we will be starting at 7:00 a.m. and I am excited and lucky because Coach Skinny Vinny will also be running the half so we will get a great stretch before and after the run.
There has been so much that has been going on these last couple of weeks. Let me give you a quick recap:
World Cup has ended (insert sad face), Spain beat the Netherlands...which I still don't understand how that happened but, oh well, such is life. My favorite moment is still when my dream team of Germany beat, slaughtered Argentina 4 to 0 (insert Happy Go Lucky Face)
World Cup 2014 fund has started!! I along with other die hard fans have started a saving fund. We started with $25 dollars a week. We figure (by we I mean Vane and I) that we need to save around $5,000 to attend a two week session of the world cup. The problem now is trying to figure out which two weeks we can attend. If only we can go for the whole month...auhh to wishful thinking.
I had my first trip to the Catskills. The weekend of the 23rd I, along with Blondie, Vane, Mattie, Ren and Kelsey, went to Ren's house and I have to tell you...it was amazing. I had never been up there and it was unbelievable. There was no humidity, it was quiet and Ren's parents are amazing. We went for a nice, but hard 5.1 mile run while we were up there and then jumped into the lake which was amazing!! The rest of the weekend consisted of putting together Ren's grill which was done by Blondie and Mattie (we later cooked Alaskan Salmon YUMS), napping in a hammock and tubing for the first time. This was awesome. I even have the bruises to prove how awesome I was. My favorite part of the weekend had to be Ren's mom making her famous Blueberry pancakes...man do they live up to the hype.
Now its back to training and I mean hard. Our mileage is going up for sure and with this heat I really need to buckle down and get my act together. I need to start doing more cross training....I have been saying that for about a month now...maybe putting myself on full blast will push me to make it happen.
Last but not least I found the 53 Runner's Commandments by Joe Kelly, check them out..
1. Don’t be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner, not even other whiners.
2. Walking out the door is often the toughest part of a run.
3. Don’t make running your life. Make it part of your life.
4. During group training runs, don’t let anyone run alone.
5. Keep promises, especially ones made to yourself.
6. When doing group runs, start on time no matter who’s missing.
7. The faster you are the less you should talk about your times.
8. Keep a quarter in your pocket. One day you’ll need to call for a ride.
9. Don’t compare yourself to other runners.
10. All runners are equal, some are just faster than others.
11. Keep in mind that the later in the day it gets, the more likely it is that you won’t run.
12. For a change of pace, get driven out and then run back.
13. If it was easy, everybody would be a runner.
14. When standing in starting lines, remind yourself how fortunate you are to be there.
15. Getting out of shape is much easier than getting into shape.
16. A bad day of running still beats a good day at work.
17. Talk like a runner. “Singlets” are worn on warm days. “Tank tops” are worn to the beach.
18. Don’t talk about your running injuries. People don’t want to hear about your sore knee or black toe.
19. Don’t always run alone.
20. Don’t always run with people.
21. Approach running as if the quality of your life depended on it.
22. No matter how slow you run it is still faster than someone sitting on a couch.
23. Keep in mind that the harder you run during training, the luckier you’ll get during racing.
24. Races aren’t just for those who can run fast.
25. There are no shortcuts to running excellence.
26. The best runs sometimes come on days when you didn’t feel like running.
27. Be modest after a race, especially if you have reason to brag.
28. If you say, “Let’s run this race together,” then you must stay with that person no matter how slow.
29. Think twice before agreeing to run with someone during a race.
30. There is nothing boring about running. There are, however, boring people who run.
31. Look at hills as opportunities to pass people.
32. Distance running is like cod liver oil. At first it makes you feel awful, then it makes you feel better.
33. Never throw away the instructions to your running watch.
34. Don’t try to outrun dogs.
35. Don’t trust runners who show up at races claiming to be tired, out of shape, or not feeling well.
36. Don’t wait for perfect weather. If you do, you won’t run very often.
37. When tempted to stop being a runner, make a list of the reasons you started.
38. Never run alongside very old or very young racers. They get all of the applause.
39. Without goals, training has no purpose.
40. During training runs, let the slowest runner in the group set the pace.
41. The first year in a new age group offers the best opportunity for trophies.
42. Go for broke, but be prepared to be broken.
43. Spend more time running on the roads than sitting on the couch.
44. Make progress in your training, but progress at your own rate.
45. “Winning” means different things to different people.
46. Unless you make your living as a runner, don’t take running too seriously.
47. Runners who never fail are runners who never try anything great.
48. Never tell a runner that he or she doesn’t look good in tights.
49. Never confuse the Ben-Gay tube with the toothpaste tube.
50. Never apologize for doing the best you can.
51. Preventing running injuries is easier than curing them.
52. Running is simple. Don’t make it complicated.
53. Running is always enjoyable. Sometimes, though, the joy doesn’t come until the end of the run!
