When I was a junior at Boston University in 1996, I got the first extra hole in my head at a hemp fest held in the commons. Twenty-one years later, I got the second at a tattoo place, completely sober and all by myself. I’m celebrating my live like you were dying year and, quite possibly, going though a mid-life crisis. Either way, re-piercing my nose after 21 years seemed like the right thing to do.

Let’s see what other crazy things I was up to last week, shall we?

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 25, 2017

RUNNING

I continued with my Monday speed session and this week it was a mix of 800s and 400s which seemed a lot easier than last week’s 8 x 800s. My body is adapting to the speed but so much of the success of my workouts has to do with how I feel going into them. If, on paper (really, on my phone) my workout looks do-able, it always goes better.

I’m working on knowing that every workout my coach gives me is do-able but, when I see paces like sub 7:00 min/miles, my brain goes to it’s hiding place!

Running in circles at the indoor track.

My long run this week was the shorter version of my favorite marathon workout with 11 total miles broken into 3 at marathon pace (7:40), 4 at half marathon pace (7:15) and 3 at 7:00 flat, with a one mile cool down. Obviously this was a tough one. I didn’t exactly hit my pace for the first three miles (it was more like 7:54) but I chipped away at it and, by the time I reached the final 3, I nailed the 7:00 min pace and felt strong! And I really, really, really enjoyed the mile cool down. Plus is was a stunning, crisp fall day.

Monday – speed with 3 x (400, 800, 400) | 6 miles

Tuesday – easy run before swim | 5.84 miles

Friday – long run | 11 miles

Total = 22.84

CYCLING

Once again I had only two days of cycling this week but both were fantastic!

I had the rare chance to ride with, not one, but two other women and we did a long, easy ride all over the state and back. The weather was gorgeous and the scenery was stunning! One of the best things about living way out here in the country are the miles and miles of back roads to ride on. We were able to ride three across the road for a good portion of the ride. It was like being on a closed course in the great outdoors.

I didn’t even take any pictures. #sorrynotsorry

Wednesday – long ride | 35 miles

Sunday – “pleasure ride” | 20 miles

Total = 55 miles

SWIMMING

More form swimming in the pool for me! < – – that exclamation point is pure sarcasm since it’s boring as hell!

My coach thew me a bone on Thursday when I was able to do 3 x 400 (16 laps) as part of my drills and swim free most of the time.

So of course, after I decided to pierce my nose I thought about how soon I would be able to essentially submerge an open wound in a public pool. According to the instructions I was sent home with, it’s three weeks. Yeah, so that’s not happening. Stay tuned for my raging nostril infection in next week’s edition…

Tuesday – form swim | 2,600 yards

Thursday – 400s and form | 2,100 yards

Total = 4,700 yards

GEAR

I have a new pair of Brooks and I absolutely love them! I think they have “retired” the Launch line and introduced a similar shoe in the Revel.

I love the knit upper because it’s super comfy and allows for breathability which means less funk when you take them off. They were perfect for me right out of the box and I actually love the color, or really lack of color, because I am sick to death of these obnoxiously loud running shoe colors.

I need to buy another pair before Vegas, where black and white running shoes are probably frowned upon.

THINGS I LOVE

So this is kind of old news because it now happened almost two weeks ago but I saw Katy Perry in concert with my bestie and her twin daughters and it was kind of amazing.

Waiting for the show to start!

The show was visually stunning, the dancers were amazing and Ms. Perry is gorgeous and has a serious set of pipes! It’s truly an incredible show and I would recommend it highly, especially if you have girls of a certain age, of which there were tons at the show.

Yes, the now famous “left shark” made an appearance.

However, all her music is pretty sugary and a tad on the hokey side and so too was the show. My favorites were Roar, Dark Horse and Thinking of You, which she did while sitting on Saturn and flying around the arena amongst giant planets hanging from the ceiling so…

THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH

The runner/cyclist war.

Maybe it’s not even a thing but I’ll be the first to admit runners are far friendlier on any given path or trail but why add fuel to the fire?

In the latest edition of Runner’s World the cover story is about the popularity of so-called running crews and how they are everything the traditional, preppy, matching outfit wearing harriers of yesteryear are not. That is all fantastic but, what I take issue with is this quote from the NYC running crew called Resident Runners:

“To run in New York is to run through chaos—to time the lights, to hurdle fetid puddles, to piss off cyclists.”

Really?

They also added this tidbit about their “nemesis:”

BTW – Runner’s World profiled five other crews from Los Angles to Cleveland to Brazil, none of which had a nemesis and all of whom used positive phrases and talked instead about how they rise, causes they run for and how “giving it your all” is their focus.

There’s enough hate already so why not focus on love since that’s what running is all about?

READING

Slim pickings this week since I was actually doing a lot of work. Whomp whomp.

I started reading My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry, because it kept popping up in my reading lists, insisting that I buy it and read it immediately! I felt like I was giving into one of the boys whiny requests simply because I couldn’t stand the nagging.

It wasn’t a bad book per se, it was just kind of meh. The writing and story line were enough to keep me interested but afterward I felt like I wasted a ton of time reading and listening to it. I also kind of wished all the characters died in the end. I kind of got my wish so that was semi-satisfying.

Why Isn’t Your Toddler Paying the Mortgage? | by Katherine Rosman for the New York Times

I love this article about tiny little social media stars and how they’re making exhorbonent amounts of money by doing nothing. It’s mind boggling and I wish my kids would hurry up and become Instagram or YouTube stars. Sheesh.

RANDOM PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Say you have had a really long day and you have to pick up your dog at “camp” with your kids in tow. The kids stay outside because they want to play in the dog pee infested grass while you go claim back your wild animal. While you are getting said beast, you hear a scream from outside so you run out and see this…

That’s right. My kids somehow managed to get that weird zombie looking plushie of theirs attached to the 10 foot high window by a suction cup the size of a dime. How the hell do they do this ridiculousness and why can’t they capture it on film so it can go viral and they can pay the mortgage?

[Tweet “The Rundown finally has another hole in her head! Plus pictures from @katyperry, new shoes and twin antics. #train4life”]

 

How was your week?

Have you ever pierced anything? Ever have it re-pierced?

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