Split Personality

Last week I got to indulge both sides of my personality. I spent the Monday-Thursday in Las Vegas for work. I was staying at a nice hotel, eating FANTASTIC meals, drinking fancy Starbucks lattes, and running strict interval workouts on the strip. I wore suits and makeup and sipped martinis.

Then Friday-Sunday I drove up to Utah to go skiing. I stayed in a tiny one room cabin, wore the same clothes for 3 days, ate nothing but peanut butter and jelly and Honey Bunches of Oats, and had no TV or internet. I was a ski hermit. I was the first one on lift every morning and the last one off. The skiing was glorious- fresh powder and bright sunshine. Something about the mountain in Utah even made me ski differently. Instead of bombing down the hill as fast as possible, I slowed down, I was playful. I skied in and out of the woods, dove into deep piles of powder.

It still seems strange to me that I could be so happy in two places so different.

New Year

I rang in the New Year in a low key, but very me, way. I went up to NH and spent the day Nordic skiing with my Dad, step-mom, and little sister. It's rare that all of us are together for an entire day. We got up early and we skiing by 10. It was a great day. About 25 degrees and snowing lightly. It was my first time out on my xc skis this season. I forget that I love that feeling of gliding. I did about 4.5 hours and at least 10 miles, and unlike after a long run I didn't feel pounded to death. We all went out to a nice dinner. Then, my sister and I spent the next 2 days downhill skiing. It snowed for 3 straight days. Eat, sleep, ski in the fresh snow. Life doesn't get any better.

Now I'm having a hard time adjusting to the real world. Early mornings, work, and long marathon training runs. Which makes me ask myself, why did I decide to do another marathon if I dread the training this much?

I feel good

Marathon training has officially started. Last weekend I did 13 miles, and this weekend I did 15. Despite the fact that I dread my long runs beforehand, when I'm actually running I feel great. On Christmas I did 15 miles around Southport at a 9:05 pace. I didn't walk a single hill. Which is pretty amazing if you've seen the island: it's hilly! Last year I was excited for my training, but then by the end of every run I'm just dead. So now I just need to find a way to drum up some excitement before the run. I'm thinking a training buddy is the key. Anyone interested?

cortisone and my next marathon

After having persistent heel pain for more than 8 months, I finally went to a specialist on Tuesday. He agreed that it's probably plantar fasciitis, and gave me a cortisone shot. It hurt. 3 days later and it still hurts.

Also on Tuesday, I decided that even if I don't get a spot in Boston, I will run a marathon this spring. Probably Virginia Beach in March. That means I need to start doing some serious running.

It occurred to me that I night as I was trying to sleep, that maybe I'm a little crazy. I have this running injury that just won't heal, and here I am planning my next marathon. What lengths will I go to in order to keep running?

Isn't this a running blog?

Warning, this post will not wax poetic about the joys of running. Nope, today I'm going to talk about how much more I love skiing than running. Yesterday was my first day on the slopes. I went alone. It was cold and windy. There were only 3 top to bottom runs open. I loved every minute of it. Putting on my boots (and snow pants, and jacket, and head sock, and helmet, and goggles, and gloves- running does require way less gear I will give it that) I was practically giddy.

At the top of the mountain before my first run I looked out over the White Mountains of New Hampshire and savored the view for a few seconds, and then I was done savoring. I was there to move, not to stand still and enjoy the scenery. I ski fast. My first run, and every run after that, I had a huge smile on my face, as I sped down the mountain. I love making big swooping turns, getting way over on my edges. It is the closest I'll ever get to flying. When I'm skiing, I get this intense happiness that I rarely get anywhere else.

I was trying to figure out what it is that I love so much. The speed and the motion for sure, but I think it's more. When I'm skiing I don't have time to think. I am going so fast that it requires complete concentration. I'm the type of person whose mind never shuts off. So those few minutes of downhill are like a vacation for my brain. I arrive in the bottom with a racing heart, a frozen face, and a refreshed mind. Ski on.

Snowy and nasty and great

So I woke up this morning to find 4-5 inches of fresh snow. Much better than the rain and sleet that was forcast (although that is here now). I briefly considered the elliptical, but ]just couldn't bring myself to shut myself in the dark basement. I pulled on my Yak Trax, my reflective vest, and I was out the door.

Nothing had been plowed yet, and the snow was wet so it kept caking up in my Yak Trax. The snow was also piling up on top of my head and melting down my neck. So between the funny drag, stop foot motion I had to do every few steps, and the crazy head shaking to shake the snow off, I'm sure I looked pretty funny. Of course all the drivers thought I was crazy anyway, just for running in the snow.

I tried to stay on the side streets and sidewalks, but there were a few times where I had to run on the shoulder of the road. That was the only unpleasant part, because every time a car went by I got sprayed with cold, dirty slush.

Despite the fact that I was sliding all over, and threw in 6 hill repeats on a long hill, I still managed a sub 10 min. mile pace.

Of course today was the easy day- it was the day with fresh fluffy power, and few people on the roads. It's the next few runs that will be nasty as the rain and sleet that followed the snow will turn the roads and sidewalks into a icy mess. And based on the fact that not even the roads were plowed today, I'm not holding my breath that they'll plow the sidewalks.

The cold that won't let go

I've now been sick for 3 weeks. I have my appetite back (darn), but not my energy. When my alarm goes off I actually consider not getting out of bed (that never happens), and then the whole workout feels hard. Wednesday my lungs were burning and I felt like I was running a 5:10 pace. Then I looked at my Garmin- actual pace was 9:57. Even Zumba felt hard last night. I've slept so much that I now lie awake at night, had so many fluids I have to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes, and eaten so my fruit that the acid from the citrus is eating away my mouth. And I'm still not better. Grrrrrr