I am alive and busy. Finals week has creeped up and I have been working a lot and trying to combat illness, junk food cravings and an achy body so I can run.
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to my friend ERIN! She qualified for the Olympic Trials yesterday with a freaking blazing marathon of 2:43:55. Phew! Off to Houston she goes, she deserves this so much and works harder at her sport than anyone I know.
Definitely stole this off her facebook, I'm sure she won't get me for copyright infringement
In other news, I registered for the Bayshore Marathon. Oh the drama of registering for this popular race! The server could not handle so many online registrations at once so it crashed and had to be repaired in the midst of registration. Luckily, I mailed my registration in good old hard copy format postmarked the same day and I got in, phewwww!
I posted a miscellaneous story but Leah pointed out it was fabricated, darn it, and thank you Leah! Since I have nothing else to report, check out an amazing speech made by an amazing young man in support of gay marriage. He is only 19!!! It is awesome!
At what point should you consider yourself a runner? I think this answer varies with everyone, as does how to interpret a book and so forth.
I am a very black or white person so the grey area is hard for me to imagine. When do you consider yourself a runner?
For me, this answer is simple. I am NOT a runner. I ran track in highschool, I was a 400 meter girl. I still never felt like a "runner."
I have a time goal in mind (as we all do) but I don't think I'll ever achieve that. If I ever do, maybe I will call myself a runner. Are you a runner if you only run marathons? If you just love to run? If you can run sub 6 minute miles? If you run over 100 miles/week? When are you a runner?
Since I cannot answer any of these questions, my answer remains the same, I am not a runner.
What do you guys think?
For some reason, I have always considered myself a cyclist. Let me elaborate here, I am NOT the fastest cyclist in the world. I will say that most of my victories in triathlon do come from the bike portion but I am not the fastest.
I think that I just love biking and I love my bike. I never even thought twice about calling myself a cyclist or when I should start? I know that road cyclists may disagree, but I still consider cycling my love and passion.
Maybe that is what happens when you love to run? You just call yourself a runner?
This upcoming Saturday marks exactly two weeks after my marathon. It also marks exactly one week from the time that I really pulled the $hit out of my right calf, hamstring and glute *sighhh.
I was feeling so motivated and I biked on Saturday, ran 4 miles on Sunday (along with biking again) and then decided it was necessary that I do some light handstands/flips.
I'm not sure why I do this, EVERY TIME I get inured! I am too old to flip anymore on hard surfaces. I feel like it is an acquired skill that I never want to take for granted though. I mean it's a cool party trick!
The sad part is, I was feeling particularly motivated to run a few days after my marathon. That is the addiction of endurance sports, right? "I could have gone faster." "I can do so much better." "That wasn't good enough." Crap!
I braved the pool, the weight room and even the local brewery. I decided that since my leg muscle was out of commission, my esophagus was not.
And I may have ended up doing a little of this...
Or a lot...
Okay so no AA meetings soon for me. I woke up this morning feeling miraculously better and I think I'll attempt a little 2-3 mile run realll slow.
Pull it together Shelby! I am trying!
What is your post race guilt?
Have you ever re injured yourself right after a race and been down for the count for a while?
Betsy and I had a GLORIOUS reunion! I set her up on her trainer right in front of the big screen in the living room and we rode an amazing 30 minutes yesterday and today. I said to Betsy, "We have to get fast so we can do well at Arizona." Betsy silently agreed. Betsy is like my trusty horse who will never leave my side.
She said she is excited to be decked out in her racing gear and she wants me to stop neglecting her for my running shoes.
She did tell me that she is excited to be out of bike room and that she likes to see daylight every once in a while.
Betsy I have MISSED you!
Okay, enough on Betsy. Today marks exactly the 8th day since the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. It also marks my first run since the race. I honestly thought that my legs would be okay. My legs were not okay. My lungs were not okay. My stomach was doing flips.
But, I did it and after my week long binge of simple sugar, alcohol and sitting around, it felt SO good to work up a sweat.
On a random note, Erin and I have decided to do a Christmas bake-a-thon. We will include the following recipe:
If you are interested in checking out the website that we got this bad boy recipe from, check it out!
Oh and do not forget to check out the recipe itself!
Our list of foods will include several other things. We have not really narrowed it down, as we are game for anything that is probably highly caloric and highly simple sugar.
Any suggestions? Let us know =)
What did you guys do this weekend? Solved people's pain through exercise, drank wine and stayed up too late
What is your FAVORITE holiday dessert? Oooh since dessert is my main food group...I'd have to say...fancy popcorn
Last night we lost an all time great, a legend, not only a boxing legend but a real example of what a humble athlete and man should be in life. Joe Frazier lost his battle with liver cancer. He died at the age of 67.
If you are not familiar with Joe Frazier, you should be. You should also see what boxing used to be. These men ruled the world. The most famous fights were between him and Muhammad Ali where he beat him once in 1971 and lost to him two other times including Thrilla in Manila, one of the most famous fights and sporting events in the world.
Ali was the mouthy, show pony champion, relentlessly taunting Frazier calling him "ugly" and a "gorilla" among other things. Frazier was a silent, stern champion who proved what he had to do in the ring. Check out him knocking down Ali below:
Ali even had a gorilla doll he carried around and punched during interviews which he pretended was Joe Frazier.
Whether you like boxing or not, these men made it something special back then. They were champions for years, fought long and hard fights and brought excitement to the sport. They really helped make sports what they are today. They fought for their titles, equality, to support their families and so much more.
Ali and Frazier finally reconciled their differences years after their fights. Frazier finally forgave Ali for taunting him and they became friends of sorts.
Rest in peace Joe Frazier, your achievement, humility and courage will always be remembered!
That was my first thought today that ran through my head quite frequently after I finished this race.
First of all people who love marathons are seriously crazy. That shit hurts-I don't care who you are and how tough you claim to be-if it doesn't hurt a LOT-maybe you aren't trying hard enough...but...I can't imagine 26.2 relatively pain free miles of anything especially running!
Indianapolis is a cool city and my dad and I stayed at a cool hotel. The Crowne Plaza is located conveniently two blocks from the start/finish area and 1/2 a block away from the convention center. Did I mention it's an old train station converted to a hotel and conference center?
They even have box cars that are now converted into rooms! We didn't stay in one unfortunately but someday for sure.
If you need advice on how not to run a marathon, ask me. Here are the ways to not run a marathon as I learned today:
Get little sleep the night before because loud children are playing in the hallway until 1 a.m. along with your father who snores like a grizzly bear in the bed next to you who is also an insomniac
Go out 10 seconds faster per mile for the first 10k of your race and not realize it because you are really bad at math!
Run your first 13.1 way too hard and skip 6-7 aid stations because they are super short, crowded and come at you out of nowhere (my major complaint about this race!)
Have your stomach not accept anything the whole race so just give up on eating anything
Any more advice? I'm sure I could give you more!
Jim I STOLE this from Google only to find out it is from your site haha! Woops =)
Overall, the race was pretty cool, I'm not too picky about races in general. We did get a cool shirt and the volunteers were awesome. It was a small race so it was lonely at times but that really doesn't bother me considering there's virtually no one at triathlons anyway.
Some asshole tried to pull out into the road and intentionally hit runners! I could not believe it, it happened right in front of me. An angry runner ran up to the car, punched off his side mirror and tried to break his window. The idiot sat there honking at everyone in his car-hello there's a MARATHON going on dude! Oh some people!
The course was flat and had a lot of support actually but like I said the aid stations came up soo quick and were pretty short. Maybe I'm just not pushy enough? I paid for this later!
I'm alive, I ran a marathon, my knee didn't blow out this time and I survived. Did I run my goal time? No. In fact, the last 10k crashed my pace-which is ordinary I hear for a marathon. Do I want to do another one? Hell no, only at the end of an Ironman.
Nothing but respect for the distance AND the awesome studs I know who dominate this! It was a good experience but someone has been calling my name from bike room lately...
A friend of mine gave me a great inspirational "card/letter" for my marathon tomorrow. One of my favorite parts of it says, "after mile 20 this is the marathon. This is where you run outside of your body."
I guess I will see how hard that is tomorrow, anything after 22 miles is uncharted territory for me!
Good luck to everyone else racing this weekend. I will be thinking of you as I am running tomorrow. Most importantly I will be thinking about how in one year in Arizona I will have to do this same thing after a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike ride =) Talk about motivation!
But this award I was tagged in...school/work have been super crazy lately and yes I suck at blogging woops =/
I was nominated by Leah at Chasing Atalanta. Seven random facts about myself:
1. I have a beautiful Marilyn Monroe portrait on my right thigh. A guy in Jackson, Michigan did this tattoo when I was 19. He was so excited about the tattoo, he entered it in competitions and it won several times! He is now in California doing tattoos for the rich and famous...and wouldn't you know that I cannot remember his name?!
This is my tattoo, only a head shot of Marilyn though
2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE dogs, I cannot have one because I don't have time for one and Colin wants us to get a house before we get one =( When we move, we are planning on getting an Old English Bulldog and a Bull Mastiff. They will be hopefully male and female so they can be named after University of Florida's mascot, Albert and the female will be named Alberta-Colin is UF alumni and UF fans are obnoxious!!!
3. As you all may know, I am a FOOD hound! I cannot stop eating-ever- and I really have been eating more than any 110 pound human should because of this marathon deal. My teachers at school laugh at me (as does everyone at work) because I am constantly walking around chewing something. The other day my teacher asked me in front of the class if I had ever been checked for tapeworms!
4. I LOVE craigslist, it is an unhealthy addiction! I feel like I'm doing something illegal when I'm looking at furniture/house decor things and dealing with people. Don't worry, Colin goes with me if I ever make a purchase =) I also really like looking at the Missed Connections forum-people write anonymously about seeing a certain person and see if they respond-SO funny!
"Your name starts with an "a"
we talk sometimes and I'd just like to get to know you a little more outside of the work setting.
Reply with your name!"
5. I love kids and I love working with them. On Fridays when I have some spare time I try to go to a local elementary school and tutor the kids who are having trouble with math. If I had the patience I would be a teacher someday but I don't see that happening anytime soon! The kids said two weeks ago that it was "the coolest thing ever" that I was there to help them =)
6. I wear size 6 shoes, exactly! I can even squeeze into a pair of 5.5s comfortably when they are casual shoes. I always find the greatest deals on the sales rack. People always say that I have "baby feet." Considering I am 5'2" it might look awkward if I wore a size 10, just saying!
7. I am obsessed with reality junk television shows. I don't know why, I think that because I am surrounded by so many smart people in my life that sometimes just watching something so mind numbing and stupid is hilarious! My favorite junk shows:
I am supposed to tag people, but I am honestly too lazy to do this, so if you are reading this, do it!
Okay for those of you who do not know, I am OBSESSED with Marilyn Monroe. I wrote a biography on her in 4th grade and I've been hooked ever since. A new movie "My Week with Marilyn" is coming out towards the end of November. I am EXCITED! Check out the movie trailer!
Of course I will be disappointed because no one can ever match the beauty of Marilyn, but I am thankful that someone is giving tribute to at least a small part of her life on the big screen =)
And just a few random things about this weekend:
Last night I had two drinks and was drunk, like woohoo go to sleep now drunk
I will be running a marathon in exactly 7 days
I have three huge papers due next week, including a 12 page recommendation report I have yet to start =/
Today is the last day of my beginners running group. In 8 weeks I was supposed to take a group of 5 women and get them ready to run a 5k-guess what? Only one made it and is walking a 5k this a.m. due to hurting her back at home
My friend who is a psychologist diagnosed me yesterday with Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Who DOESN'T spend 5 hours on their day off cleaning their house/apartment/car in some sort of ritualistic pattern?
I will be dog sitting THIS guy for 3 days-cannot wait!
Anyone with any marathon tips-highly appreciated =) I am a rookie at this business and just trying to survive. Have a great weekend!
You are now less than two weeks away. I am getting more nervous as you are approaching. I had a BAD experience with you two years ago and I will not let that happen again dear Marathon.
You have made my legs hurt, my lungs burn, my lunch come back up and my body feel like crap on Sundays. You have made my feet really ugly and made my clothes really smelly. You have made me get up earlier than I've wanted to (most days of the week) and made me run in the rain lately-boo.
But-you have motivated me in so many ways! You always make me feel better after I get out there and run. You make me feel like I have a purpose while running. You have relieved me from school and work related stress, you have made me shed unnecessary pounds I was carrying and you are making me better for triathlons.
I think about you every day and I cannot wait to meet again on November 5th. We will have a good date this time marathon =)
I was supposed to run this race. I did not run the marathon. Boo.
I got to spectate some of my fast friends and also my pregnant friend who ran the half. Now that is awesome. She found out she was pregnant about two months ago and never even thought about NOT doing the race, and she finished 15 seconds faster than last year when she was not preggo! Amazing!
I met up with Melissa who ran a nice half, not a PR for her but great considering her recent traveling/being sick episode...
Colin ran a great race. He has not been training a lot and some IT band issues have left him with 0 miles lately. He still managed to pull of a 1:21 half marathon and felt good afterward. Go Colin!
We saw Leah cruise in for a 3rd place finish overall in the half as well-congrats Leah! She earned some $ for that one =)
Overall, a good day. I was supposed to run the 5k but a recent calf issue has left me with a crappy running schedule last week and I decided I'd try and give it a rest. I don't really want to strain this muscle even worse than it is already three weeks before Indianapolis!
And finally a few random questions for you all to ponder:
Who is your celebrity crush? I have many, Lance Armstrong really and Tyrese
When was the last time you cried? When the Secretary of State lady turned me away for the 3rd time which meant no Detroit Marathon for me
What is your middle name? Jo, I am named after my mom's dad who was a WWII veteran and a great person. Unfortunately, my middle name is VERY hillbilly-Shelby Jo. Yikes.
HOLY crap weekend you have SO much going on, it makes my stomach flip flop!
Today begins the WORLD GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS!!! And the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!
And tomorrow my friends in Chi Town are running their hardest to qualify for the Olympic Trials. That's a 2:46:00 marathon ladies and gents-that these tough chicks have to run!
My predictions for gymnastics World Champion:
The current US National Champion, Jordyn Wieber-bring home the gold!!!
Ironman World Champion Female:
No introduction needed here!
Ironman World Champion for men:
Andreas Raelert, super sad brother Michael could not be here to help him. This dude can RUNNN!
And during all of this excitement I will be confined to a pilates workshop from 10-5 =( Oh well, at least when I get back I can answer a few of your shoulder, low back pain and hip problems =)
Have a GREAT weekend and please send strong thoughts to those ladies trying to reach that Oly trials qualifying mark tomorrow!
Lately I have been a food monster...NOTHING out of the ordinary, however, I have consumed an odd varitey of foods considering I usually crave empty calories and junk.
I go through 1.5 big tubs of greek yogurt per week: I have also been eating broccoli like it's my last meal: I'm not complaining about my latest food craving, just mystified. Anyhoo, I'd like to introduce a recipe I stole from one of my Facebook friends. I have NOT made it yet, I will make it tonight for the first time!
FRUIT PIZZA!
Bake a sugar cookie at recommended temperature/time
Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes
Mix up 2 blocks of cream cheese with 1-1.5 cups of powdered sugar
Spread frosting over cookie and add fruit
I DID not promise a healthy recipe!!!
Now onto my personal favorite, HOMEMADE SALSA!
Seed then dice 4-6 roma tomatoes
Dice 1/3 cup onion (more or less to taste)
Dice 1 small, med or large jalapeno (the more the spicier yeeeowww!)
Optional: Dice 1 pepper of choice (I usually use an Anaheim chile, a mild pepper...)
Dice 1/3 cup celery
Finely chop 4-5 large sprigs of fresh cilantro (be sure to pull the leaves off first chopping only them)
Mix together
Squeeze the juice of 1 fresh lime over top of mixture, mix again
Let sit at least 1 hour in the fridge to mix all of the yummy tastes =)
ENJOY! I realize the salsa recipe may be a little late, considering everyone's gardens are done producing for the year around Michigan =(
First of all, congratulations to fellow blogger/friend Leah from Chasing Atalanta on her engagement! Read the story here it is an awesome story so check it out!
Friday I had a long run then drove 5 hours to Chicago for a Thai Massage certification, part 1 of numerous parts. BAD idea-do NOT get into a car after a long run. Your muscles will seize up and feel like bricks. You will have to stop at every rest area and pee-oh and your legs will feel like $hit the rest of the weekend too.
I have not been to Chicago since I was about 12 years old so I really forgot how beautiful the city is. I am still a NYC fan (the busier the better for me) but Chicago was pretty cool on it's own.
Have you ever heard of Thai Massage? The name can be deceiving, considering it is more of a stretching, range of motion series coupled with a few trigger point releases and much more. Check out this video to learn more.
The guy I took the workshop with is a genius. Not only does he know every bone, muscle, tendon and ligament in the body without hesitation, he's studied in Thailand for years, has multiple degrees/certifications concerning massage and the human body, and he is an awesome guy. He works in a hospital performing a 4.5-5 hour sequence to help relieve chronic pain and several other things such as plantar, sciatica, migraines and much more.
Anyone interested in me doing the 1 hour sequence on them, let me know! I need to do 30 hours before my next class =)
My running schedule took quite a fail these last two weeks with school and work getting in the way. I had an awesome long run on Friday so that gave me back some self confidence.
I am officially registered for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on Saturday, Nov. 5th.
I am very disappointed that I cannot run Detroit but I am super excited to still run the 5k, see Colin run the half and several other people run as well. It honestly gives me more time to run so I can hopefully reach my time goal on Nov. 5th.
And finally, good luck to Erin and Sue who are trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials in Chicago this upcoming Saturday!!!
These are some seriously fast ladies and I am going to be biting my nails to see if they are able to hit the qualifying mark!
