Languid but Lucid

Oh mercy...well, wouldn't ya know...it's T-minus 11 days (8 business days) until the TIR. Right now, I'm feeling a little nauseous and under-prepared, but at the same time ready...to get it over with. I lost some sleep this last weekend due to having too much fun, and I still haven't recovered. That is to say, every morning this week so far, I've laid in bed for an additional 30 minutes, drifting in and out of consciousness, trying to disguise the laziness by "mentally preparing" for the day.

I'm nauseous because of nerves. I'm nervous because of several things going on in my life right now, and one of those "things" is about my race pace during the TIR. I haven't worked on quickening my speed at all. Last year, I was nervous about my knees and how they would hold up. I was also concerned about pulling a muscle. Those things are still on my mind, but now I've added sloth-like pace worries to the list. I guess this is all normal stuff for a runner, except that I knew I wasn't pushing myself from day one of my training, and I still continued the same languid pattern. Silly human.

Why would anyone get the 'buttock backpack?'

I'm under-prepared in that I haven't exactly packed anything for the race, yet (yowza, I don't even have a backpack!). I have been "mentally preparing" for how I would pack my bag and what clothes I would wear. I always collect little toiletries here and there in case of weekend trips, vacations, and long-a$@&% relay races, so I know I'll have some stock of bare essentials. It's important to have everything organized and laid out in such a way that your clothes and race stuff are easy to find. This cannot be more true than when you run a weekend-long relay race! Last year, I had a Ziplock bag for each outfit I ran in, more Ziplocks organized by toiletry type, and what I thought was an easy breezy sport clutch for my money/license. My pseudo-purse ended up breaking (the zipper, that is), and the the bag I replaced it with broke, too (zipper be damned!). I think I ended up carrying around my money in yet another Ziplock bag.

Training Plan Follies

Wow, yikes. I have about two weeks left of February, then the first week of March, and then BAM! The TIR is here. I have had about a 75% success rate with the training plan....although, last Thursday I turned a 70 minute run into 15 minutes because of procrastination and competing priorities. My last LONG run was this past Sunday at 120 minutes. I ended up running (with a little walking) for about an hour and a half. The trail was one my brother had suggested, as I was staying at his place and hanging with the family. Little did I know that the trail was only about a mile or so long, so that left about 110 more minutes to kill. I ended up running all over town (they call me the fireman...cause that's my name...). It was somewhat pleasant though and kept the scenery interesting.

I'm as scared now, about the TIR, as I was when I saw this pic

Prep...paration?
Last Tuesday, I was suppose to take a 60 minute hill run but my running partner was MIA. By the time I found him, I was already back at my apartment and it was dark. So, I improvised and ran the stairwells of about nine of the three story buildings in my apartment complex. I lasted about 30 minutes. I have no idea if this aided in my training, but my attention span didn't wain.

Other times, I do try my best to run the amount I am required. I may not be running fast, but I'm getting my heart rate up and I'm moving around. Do I ever run more than what my training plan suggests? Well, I--

So this weekend, my Sunday is a three-run day, meaning, I run three different times during the day. That will be the true test of how prepared I am. And if I'm not prepared and fall flat on my face? I will be looking for another hobby very soon.

What a time to be addicted to migas

In Texas, it is hard to avoid Tex-Mex cuisine, and I don't care how Vegan, health-conscious, or disciplined you are, someone will coerce you to one of those fine dining establishments, if only for the happy hour specials. And, they always have vegetarian options. I'm addicted to migas these days. In fact, I've learned how to make them quite well. All that tortilla and cheese, well, is not good for running. It makes me feel like I'm running in slow motion. And, it should. My body hasn't ever turned a kind eye to dairy, so I know what I'm getting into.

Part of running is diet. You don't have to be on a diet, but you have to watch what you eat. I eat ok... with the exception of my Tex-Mex binges. I was told by a friend today that I wouldn't need those energy bars before a run (as much) if I ate better. And slept better. I felt like a slug after that comment, but I can see how it could make sense. So, I did some research to find out if there were any "energy foods" out there that I wouldn't be opposed to added in to my diet:
 - Oatmeal - Yes!
 - Almonds - I already eat these but they are so tiny. How can something so tiny pack any kind of punch?
 - Yogurt - I already got this
 - Baby Kitties - I wouldn't recommend this one...
 - Fruit - I'm never without bananas
 - Migas - ahh, ha...just kidding ;)
 - Popcorn - Got this...
 - Hummus - Got this..... :/
 - Veggies - Got---hey wait a second, I eat all of these foods already.

What about energy food sources?
 - Whole Grains - I have YET to find a 100% Whole Grain loaf of bread at HEB. I guess a trip to Whole Foods is in order
 - Iron - You mean licking an iron gate isn't enough? I have eat iron, too?
 - Vitamin E - I bought some Vitamin E pills because I heard they helped with skin health. Double score!
 - Zinc - Just saying the word makes me feel more energetic. I know you're suppose to take zinc when you're sick...guess more spinach is in order.