Any Questions?

So Saturday, hubby and I take the kids to the the living history event at the Gaines Mill Battlefield. No - before you ask - this is NOT the General Lee Must Have Been Part Mountain Goat battlefield from last week's post.

We listen to the Confederate re-enactors explaining all about the uniforms, and what life as a soldier was really like,and watch the demonstrations of battle formations (complete with musket firing). Learned a lot about the battle tactics -- the first sargeant was hollering out about the enemy attacking from this side - "RANK FIRE" or obliques, or company fire, etc etc. We also learned the importance of priming your weapon (?) where they put a fresh percussion cap on and fired in case they had any misfired powder inside (which at least one gun did).

Then two volunteers representing the 5th New York Regiment and the Zouaves show us all about their bright red & blue uniforms and explain their history, followed up by a demonstration of their bayonet drills (super nifty even if it was only one guy doing it. Imagine an entire field full of these guys!)

At the end, the Zouave from the 5th New York asks for questions. Timmy raises his hand. "Yes sir?" says the Zouave.

In his very best 4-year-old Elmer Fudd voice: "Why dey shoot de howse?"

My First Post

Hmmmm...I feel as though I have a lot of power here...I can write anything I want and it will be available to the world...what does one even blog about? Should you only post a blog when you have something clever or poignant to say? I have neither, but this is America, and I will write if I want to...
After all of that, maybe I will wait to write something action-packed and exciting after my race on Sunday. If the snakes don't get me first.
Peace out!

HOG Rally Report

I've learned a lot this weekend at the Virginia State Harley Owners Group Rally (aka HOG).

1. Harley riders cannot be stereotyped. There's rich people, trailer trash, and everything in between.
2. Harley riders are not to be feared. Nicest people you'd ever want to meet, they just like to be LOUD (loud pipes, loud voices)
3. Harley riders are NOT runners.

So, I was on my own for running Saturday. I had 12 miles on the schedule, and was in Fredericksburg VA for the rally. Poking around on the Internet, I discovered that a road through the Fredericksburg Battlefield national park was a 5.5 mile out & back run. OK - sounds like just the ticket.

Saturday a.m., bright & early, I find my way (not particularly successfully I might add) to the visitor center for the battlefield. Looking online, it looks like the visitor center is across the street from the battlefield road.

• Off I go, running down the hill in the direction of the battlefield.
• Hmmm. Nothing down here but tire stores and a big intersection. This can't be right!
• Turn around, chug back up hill.
• Pause at visitor center to look at the big map plaque to get bearings.
• Get even more confused, but start running the OTHER direction, as there appears to be a church on the map and I know I passed a church.
• Ask dude in 7Eleven parking lot - he tells me to keep going a ways.
• 3 blocks later, dude from 7Eleven finds me in his car and tells me he sent me the wrong way. "Good thing you have water!"
• Run past visitor center again and start down hill. Ask people eating breakfast outside at the Battlefield Restaurant where I am going. I need to go down the hill, across Route 3, and take the first left.
• Run down hill again. Cross Route 3 and start up hill on the other side, past the recycler and auto body shop.
• Spot National Parks sign! Hooray!
• Notice the parking lot behind National Parks sign. Crap. Oh well, I'm here.
• Enjoying run through the cool woods. "This is nice!"
• Start to see a bit of a hill ahead. Hmm - hill workout.
• Hill looms larger & larger.
• Road curves up the hill so you can't see the crest.
• Cursing General Lee for fighting his g-d battle on a stupid MOUNTAIN.
• FINALLY crest the mountain. Thank goodness! Why aren't there flags from different countries up here?
• Running down the other side, start worrying about the return trip.
• Enjoy the miles through the park. Cursing the lost-ness at the beginning, as I won't have time to make the full out & back.
• Do my first-ever Clif Shot (Mango Tango) and keep it down. How DO you describe the consistency of those things? Maybe molasses?
• Running back, eyeing each slope with horror trying to determine if it's the start of THE MOUNTAIN.
• Start up the mountain. Pass nice "silver sneakers" walker man with his cute Ward Cleaver hat who tells me "good luck up the hill. I'll be back here pushing.". HA HA HA. I could take you, old man!
• Have to look strong and not at point of death up this mountain. Where are the SHERPAS? Come ON, people!
• Fake laugh at fellow runner who is going down mountain when he says "you are going the wrong way!"
• Make it to the top and collapse in agony. No, actually it's make it to the top and have to walk for 50 yards to avoid passing out. Notice that the park service signs are made of corrugated plastic, not metal. Hmm!
• Continue out past the parking lot (stupid National Park Service website lousy map), down hill, past recycler
• Sprint across Route 3 (have to look like a cool runner chick for the cars at the light)
• Back up yet ANOTHER hill
• Collapse in the other parking lot.
• 11.5 miles. Good ENOUGH! (click to see Garmin report)
• Stats: 44% of time going uphill, 42% of time going downhill, 13% of time flat.2,500ft elevation change

Schedules

Hmm. Well my training schedule for my first half marathon on Labor Day weekend has arrived. I have to give a hint to anyone else who gets schedules, don't accidentally open up your schedule and look at what you are doing a month from now, as your eyes will pop and then you will just be a bloody mess, not to mention unable to do any quality running.

So, cause I am all into self-torture (that's why we run, right?) I did the math. I'm dropping in to the schedule at the 20 mile week level. OK, that may not sound like much, but after being on reserve and injured reserve, it's rather mind-boggling.

BUT - I have to do the happy dance of joy because I am training for the Rock n Roll Half, not for the JFK Ultra Marathon. Yep, that's right. The other wacky girls here on 4GirlsRunning.com are training for an Ultra Marathon of 50 miles, since 26.2 miles isn't painful enough.

I have to admire their dedication and willpower. The thought of running 26.2 miles at this point in my running career is daunting, and 13.1 for the RnR half is just right, like Goldilocks said. Plus, they are realistic in their goal that they will be completing a 42 mile race, as getting that coveted vest at the 42 mile check point is pretty darn tough.

So, here I am not really whining but being concerned, shall we say, about the intensity of my schedule with 17 - 22 miles each week, and their schedule says things like "3 - 4 hour run, 20-24 miles", on top of being training coaches for the SportsBackers Marathon Training Team. Go Pink Nation! And they think they go through shoes now!

I remain inspired by these women and their strength. They totally kick assphalt in so many ways, and I will continue to run with them and follow their lead as they teach me to listen to my BODY and not to my brain. Thank you, as always, ladies, for being there to cheer me on, encourage and inspire me 3 days per week. I'm looking forward to the day when I can pass on your wisdom to others, guiding them on a journey of self-discovery.

You Might Be A Runner If....

Like a certain comic who makes a living from the line "You might be a redneck...", here's my contribution to whatever future comic wants to use it: "You might be a runner if...."

• When it's really REALLY hot outside, you come home from the grocery store wishing you had worn a technical shirt and wicking underwear.
• You pity anyone who wears cotton and goes outside.
• You have to take a water bottle with you to the mailbox.

Here's the weather RIGHT NOW as I write this -- 98.6 degrees. Hmm - that's our internal body temperature. Why don't we feel comfy when our insides match our outsides?

I would like to thank the girls for getting together yesterday's trail run around the James River here in Richmond. It was beautiful, relatively cool, and it felt really good to get out and moving again. My only complaint -- it was too beautiful -- I wanted to stop and watch the herons fishing or the river rush by. If you haven't run the trails around Belle Isle or Brown's Island, I highly recommend it, especially in the early morning hours.