Things shifted into low gear this past week, as expected, and I was fine with the cutback in training but not quite prepared for this website to go down in flames, a missing iPod at the worst possible moment or a cold that only seemed to appear at 3:00am for days. But, you only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low, right? Let’s find out.
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
RUNNING
Since this was a cutback week for training, my “long” run was six miles and the rest were mostly easy. I had my usual track session on Monday but used the indoor track at the gym this time so as not to be disturbed by gym class. Instead, I was cheered on by some retirees as I swooshed passed them, churning and burning my way though 8 x 800s. Good times.
My start and finish line was under the stars and stripes. #motivation
Monday – 8 x 800s | 7.06 miles | 7:34 average pace
Tuesday – 5 miles easy before swim | 7:54 average pace
Friday – long run | 6 miles | 7:40 average pace
Total = 18.06 miles
CYCLING
Not much to write home about here except that I’m glad I still have my bike. One of my darling children left the door to our garage wide open all night long and, when I discovered it at 5:00am the next morning, and saw my precious bike was not in its place I almost had a heart attack…because you know that is the first thing I checked…then I remembered it was in the basement on the trainer.
My child lived to see another day.
Since I was in low gear last week I had only one day on the bike, for a whopping 18 miles. So sad.
SWIMMING
As predicted I did not make it to either group swim day but I managed three days all by my lonesome. My coach has me doing a ton of drills right now that are fantastically boring. If it were not for my waterfi iPod, I could literally die of swim boredom.
Tuesday – swim after run 1,750 yards
Wednesday – endurance swim 2,250 yards
Friday – form swim after run 1,800 yards
Total = 5,800 yards
THINGS I LOVE
The kindness of strangers.
Picture this. I’m at the indoor track about to run in circles for the better part of an hour when I suddenly discover my iPod is nowhere to be found in my gym bag. It’s Monday and I just wore in on Friday for my long run. I check my bag over and over, not being able to comprehend that it’s just not in there. I slowly start to panic about doing 8 x 800s on an indoor track without music. It’s a recipe for insanity.
I test my wireless headphones with my iPhone music, position my bag with my phone in it so it’s almost in the center of the track and pray I don’t lose the signal. It works. I thank the running gods (i.e. Bill Gates) but wonder where in the hell I left my iPod?
When I get home I check the few places it may be, even though I’m pretty sure I must have left it in the locker at the YMCA, the same YMCA where another one of my iPods was stolen (out of the spin room) and, a few years later, all my MAC make-up. I decide to call and just see if by chance someone who is not a thief found my iPod and turned it in.
They did!
I was happily reunited with it the next day and I’m so grateful to the honest person who found it. Whoever you are, I hope karma finds you and gives you a new car.
THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH
My website crashing.
It was a simple update to my plug-ins gone wrong. If you’re a tech nerd you may know what I’m talking about, if not, it doesn’t really matter. The point is that with one click I saw the two words no blogger ever wants to see: Fatal Error.
I died.
This is actual footage.
I called my host (Go Daddy) because this actually happened once before and it was easily fixed by someone a lot smarter than I am. Well, not this time. Oh no, this time I had to pay $80 and wait almost 72 hours for someone to fix it. Total nightmare.
If you’re reading this, I hope you can’t feel my anxiety spilling out of the pages. It was a rough few days.
TELEVISION
Speaking of total nightmares, let’s talk about McDonald’s. On a recommendation from a friend, my husband and I decided to watch The Founder, starring Michael Keaton, on a lame Saturday night. I was astounded at how little I knew about the beginnings of the fast food giant and even started feeling like the movie, based on the true story of Ray Kroc, may change how I feel about the food chain.
Without giving anything away I can firmly say that, although I thought it impossible, I hate McDonald’s even more.
The movie is totally worth the watch because the way McDonald’s got it’s start and how it ended up being the bane of America’s obese existence is as fascinating and disgusting as the menu.
Enjoy responsibly with fries.
READING
My picks of the week include:
Should You Be Grateful for the Hardest Thing in Your Life?
By Scott Shute for LinkedIn
It’s an interesting question and Shute makes a good argument after having a conversation with a “differently abled” basketball player. However, when I first read the title and thought about my hardest thing – – the death of my mom when I was 17 – – “grateful” is not something I have ever been . Still, I recommend reading it as Shute gives a thoughtful perspective for those really hard times in your professional or racing life.
Yes, Running Clothes Are Hideous
By Martin Fritz Huber for Outside online
When I first read the title I thought it had to be written by a non-runner. I happen to think women’s running clothes are pretty amazing (stylish even!), but I know they can appear as abomination to those who don’t run. Once I started reading, and realized it was from a man’s perspective, I couldn’t agree more.
I wear the required uniform.
Yeah…tights.
“…when it comes to running clothes, a certain degree of inappropriateness is guaranteed, no matter the season. Is there a category of athletic attire that’s more emphatically uncool? With the exception of golf, I would have to say no.”
I always say that the required running attire is reason enough for my husband to never become a serious runner. Don’t even get him started on the cycling gear.
RANDOM STORY OF THE WEEK
I’m assuming most of you have already heard the story of the public running pooper? If not, you’re in for a real treat.
Apparently there is a woman in Colorado who is openly pooping on the run, and right in front of people, when (according to the local news) there is a park with bathrooms nearby. It also mentioned she brings toilet paper which I’m not sure makes it better or worse…
I will be the first to admit that I have pooped many, many, many times in the woods or somewhere else that was not a bathroom, in the 15+ years I have been running. However, I will add that I go out of my way (and even got poison ivy on my ass once!) to conceal myself because, obviously!
Runners really do not need one more reason for people to hate them. #makeitstop
[Tweet “The Rundown is in low gear this week with #workouts, a website crash and the #truth about #McDonalds.”]
How was your week? It HAD to be better than mine!
Ever had something important lost returned to you?
Care to comment on the pooper?
Despite your difficulties this week – your post was still positive, way to see the glass half full! ALSO that pooper running story is wild – and i HATED HOW RUDE/NOT NICE OF A PERSON THE FOUNDER OF MCDONALDS WAS – what a thief!
Aw, thank you! I try to be positive after all is said and done. It’s a good life if these are my biggest worries, right?
And OMG I KNOW!!!!! Total thief and steal a NAME??? I mean their actual NAME? He has to be in hell.
I had dealin with website stuff. It’s so over my head that I wouldn’t know what to do first. Glad you are back up and running! You got me intrigued about the Mcdonalds story. I can’t stand that place either so you know I need to watch. And the mad pooper? Wtf?!? I’m guilty of pooping in random spots but I don’t do it in someone’s front yard. Those people have a runner looking for vindication!
You should totally watch it but it will make you even more upset about that vial place!
I think you are correct about the vindication of the pooper. Crazy gross.
I know your week was less than stellar but I almost SNARFED my coffee twice while reading this post. LOL!
Why do people “steal” stuff at the gym?? Someone once took my flatiron and hairbrush! So frustrating.
I hope the people that turned in your iPod also get a car. Good KARMA people. If it is NOT yours, return it!
I competed in my last TRI of the season this Saturday. While I am very HAPPY to not be training as much, I am also getting all sorts of antsy about the offseason. I am not the best at indoor swims or indoor bike rides… any advice would be greatly appreciated? How do you handle the “Offseason” or do you train all year???
Hooray for the coffee snarf! Best compliment for sure and (kind of) worth the bad week 🙂
I handle the offseason with a coach (HA!) and focus on what I love best which is running. I usually schedule a half marathon in the fall to keep me busy and, it’s also a great time to strength train (Orangetheory anyone?) and do yoga or other “fun” classes I can’t do when I’m swimming, biking and running like a loon during the season. Hope that helps! And congrats on completing your tri season!!
I was the victim of actual theft this weekend, which was fun. They immediately used my credit cards, so I know it was outright theft. Assholes.
Should you be grateful for the hardest thing in your life? Not necessarily, but you should be grateful to have had the support and strength to find your way back from it. I would never choose to have Crohn’s, or to have gone through IVF, or to never have been able to make it in my career field, but those things have made me who I am and brought me to where I am. I wouldn’t have the life I do, otherwise. So I don’t regret them, but grateful is a stretch. I accept them for what they are.
I read about your wallet being stolen and that is SO MUCH WORSE! But sounds like your bank was awesome about it and gave you replacement cards ASAP…but still.
And, 100% yes to your comments on being grateful for the hardest thing in your life. The author may have been better off with a different word…
I honestly would never blog again if my website crashed and couldn’t be recovered. I would take it as a sign. But since yours could be fixed, it could not have been a sign. Therefore, you must keep blogging!
I think the hardest things I have been through are my divorce and my eating disorder. I am definitely grateful for my marriage and divorce – I am so much more compassionate, more mature, and a better person all around as a result. My eating disorder…well, I guess I am grateful because I have since been able to help a lot of people as a result. But I think it all depends on what your “hardest thing” is. I have just always tried to see the positive in my situations because otherwise life is too depressing. Losing your mom is a whole different animal, though.
It’s funny you mention it as a “sign” because I was going back and forth about a controversial blog post I wrote and then that happened… hmmm. Not sure that post will see the light of day – LOL!!
And YES to being grateful for HARD things but maybe not the HARDEST. So many good points!
The pooper…unbelievable! I’ve done my share of free-poopin’ while on runs, but never, ever in a person’s yard. Wow. What amazes me is that they actually have a pic of the person and she has yet to be identified. Not that it matters who it is, but she does have a year’s supply of Charmin waiting for her. My husband would turn me in for that in a second!
I’m amazed at that too! How has she not been identified? And I had not heard that about the TP!! OMG so funny!
Ugh, so sorry it was such a rough week!! I have 800s on my plan this week too… I’ll triple check the music situation. Although on an outdoor track, I’m okay without.
We almost watched that movie this weekend! Curious to check it out.
Agreed that an outdoor track is a different story but I do like the push music gives me when I’m grinding out 800s. I hope yours went well!! And you should definitely watch the movie – super interesting but also infuriating!
I just had to put my coffee down, get off my butt and go upstairs, and grab my copy of Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed so I could quote her correctly… she is writing a response to a father who lost a son and she says, “The strange and painful truth is that I’m a better person because I lost my mom young. When you say you experience my writing as sacred what you are touching is the divine place within me that is my mother.” The hardest things in our lives absolutely shape who we are….
Oh.My.God.
Wow.
– – off to get the book
THANK YOU!
I cannot believe that pooper! Especially since all the articles state that there are restrooms a block or so away… why? Why? My stomach rebels against me more often than I would like on a run, but I would rather shit myself than shit in wide open on someone’s property. She’s got to be taking revenge on them or something.
I have a hard time being grateful for the hard things in life. It’s a constant stumbling block for me. I’m certainly not grateful that I’m going to spend the better part of December recovering from surgery to treat endometriosis (granted, I scheduled it for that time because I run less then anyway!). I try to bear hardships well, but a huge gap exists between bearing things well and being grateful for them.
So, so, so true!!! Very well said Laura and I’m sorry you even have to have that surgery.
Also, so, so true about the pooper. I think she is looking for vengeance, although I cannot possibly imagine what would make her resort to THAT!?
Always love reading this Allie! So glad your bike was not stolen! Phew. And the mad pooper . . .. haha, wonder if they will ever solve the mystery?
Me too! Thank you friend. And, I cannot believe they haven’t solved the mystery yet!? It seems like such a clear picture!
Oh boy, so much to say and so little time!
The polite pooper… i dunno, i kinda feel like who cares? i mean at least she’s wiping??? i just don’t really have much to say about the woman. after all, who knows what she’s going through… but i do wanna know who is taking the pics of the polite pooper??? seems kinda rude 😀
that is SOOOO amazing that you got your iPod back!!! a few months ago, i left my apple watch at the gym, right at the pool after i taught 2 spin classes and then wanted to relax in the pool. i was so worn out that i forgot to put it back on and left the gym. i realized it after i got in my car, drove back, and it was gone. i was super sad and bummed, and put out an alert. immediately a guy called my friend from my watch, who called me and told me thsi guy has my watch. he met me at whole foods and gave it back to me. i was so touched and grateful that i sent him a whole foods gift card because he refused payment. i’ll never forget you gary zimmerman!!!
LOL – of course you don’t care! You are too funny my friend. And that is an AWESOME story about your watch!! Doesn’t it just make you feel so much better about the world and the people in it? Especially now! You rock Gary!!!
No comment on the pooper – who gives a crap? 😉 I remember when my husband was training for a marathon and he knew which houses on his route he could stop at when nature called. We have some very gracious friends…
OMG seriously? Only a man would be able to poop at someone else’s house and then take off running again! That is hilarious!!