Boston ... Stronger.

Hello Sole Sister readers -- it has been a long time! Pardon me while I dust off this blog, but I do so with urgency because as of right now, Sole Sister M and I are less than ONE WEEK from running in the 118th Boston Marathon. 

This was a good mailbox day. 

I'm finding it hard to find adequate words to describe how excited, nervous, proud, and patriotic I'm feeling. Quite frankly, even though I'm currently elbows deep in packing lists and public transit schedules and itinerary timing, a large part of me still does not quite believe that we soon will be getting on a plane and flying to Boston. I'm not even quite sure that it will hit me once we get on the ground -- it could take standing on Boylston Street to realize that nearly two years of planning and hard work, both by us and our loved ones, has finally led to the culmination of a quiet little dream that was hatched at a Fricker's restaurant in Perrysburg.

It was a tough, snowy training cycle this time around for many runners, Sole Sisters included. 

In our northwest Ohio neck of the woods, spring is finally unfurling after what was the harshest winter in about 35 years. (Though today's forecast calls for an inch and a half of snow -- no, I'm not joking.) With every sunny day, people and plants are stretching toward the warming orb with the joy of a lazy sunning tabby cat.  Seriously folks, if you live someplace where you didn't chatter through the sub-zero temps brought by a succession of polar vortices or fill your snow shovels with hundreds of feet of snow, you can count yourself blessed (and let me know if you have room for a family of four). For M and me, a lot of our training was done indoors this year, until we absolutely had to get out and gut through longer runs in the (fill-in-the-blank) snow, slush, wind, hail, rain, etc. Our Christmas exchange gifts this year? For me -- YaxTrax. For her -- knee-high thermal running socks. To this winter, we say "sno-thank you." 

How cold was it? M's Salted Caramel GU froze mid-run during a 15-miler at Wildwood. 

My running attire could have doubled as bank-robber gear. 

I am a firm believer, however, that until you know the bad times, you can't fully appreciate the good times. That is what makes the promise of this particular spring so tantalizing. Spring is a time of renewal, rebirth. After the year that the city of Boston has had, dealing with the shock of the bombings at the marathon finish line, the tragic loss of life, and the gut-wrenching recoveries that the bombing victims have had to endure and still do endure, I'd like to think that part of the renewal process will be furthered by the return of runners to the nation's oldest annual marathon. 

This will be our very first Boston Marathon. This will be my first time in the city of Boston, period. When we made it our goal in March 2013 to qualify for Boston 2014, we had no way of knowing that when we did qualify, we'd be coming to run the 118th race as part of what is Boston's road to recovery.

 I want this race to be a giant victory parade for the city of Boston. I want this race to symbolize that in the heart of each of the 36,000 runners beats the cadence, "You will not take this from me." I want 26.2 miles of relentless footfalls to deliver the message, "You messed with the wrong people." I want the all of the spectators' cheers and joyful tears, the elites' blazing-fast victories (go Shalane!) and the back-of-the-packers's personal bests to herald the fact that this city is not only Boston Strong, but has grown Boston Stronger. 

***

We are heading out on Friday, and the race is this Monday, April 21. If you'd like to track our progress, you can do so in a couple of ways. 

• For cell phone updates, text our bib numbers (Victoria) 18396 and (McKenzie) 16787 to  345678 
• Get updates via email by registering for AT&T Athlete Alert 

Thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement -- it's really helped us to bring our dreams to life and knowing that we have such a great support net back home really keeps us moving through the tough times. You guys are great!! 

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other.  -- V.

With a Rebel Yell ... YES-FM Rebellion Run 5k report and a look ahead

Super Sauconys! We're both currently using the Kinvara 4 model.

Hey everybody! Happy autumn days to all of you. I hope you are enjoying the cool down in temperatures as much as we are!

Well, we Sole Sisters are getting down to the final weeks before our fall marathons -- V has the inaugural Northern Ohio Marathon on Oct. 13 and M has Detroit on Oct. 20. Summer fun waylaid our intended long training program, so we're now doing something like this:

Trying to find the right balance of mileage and speed work without injuring ourselves is the key.

But instead of an intended rest day Saturday, I (V here) tackled the YES-FM Rebellion Run 5k at Fallen Timbers. This was the first year the Christian radio station has put on a 5k, and it was great initial event that I hope to see grow with future editions.

Side note: while M sat this one out, Saturday was no day of slack for her, either. This lady, starting around 7 a.m., ran -- RAN -- the 8 or so miles it takes from her house to my house in Perrysburg to then catch a ride with me to Fallen Timbers and cheer me on. She also schlepped my stuff and provided hot coffee and chocolate milk at the finish line -- what a friend, right??

Runner friends bring you chocolate milk at the finish line. And they don't look alarmed if you appear to be ready to hurl. 

The race started near the Red Robin at the Shops at Fallen Timbers, and I was immediately struck by how cheerful and helpful the volunteers were at the sign-up tables and throughout. One nice woman stopped us and said, "Wow, you look like a runner!" Well, that just made my day and also made me giggle.

Many of you know that I am an absolute sucker for swag. Seriously, it's one of my favorite things about running. Dangle a little plastic trinket, a free pair of shoelaces, or a water bottle in front of me -- I'm a-running. The Rebellion Run swag bag was great and a pleasant surprise, especially for a first-time event.

Swag city!  

Check it out: free Chick-fil-A and two appetizers from Granite City, and the ever-popular Dave's sealed envelope (Is it free socks? Is it a discount on purchase? Is it a $500 shopping spree? Is it money off sandals you likely won't buy?), a letter opener, and a frisbee, along with lots of literature. Nicely done.

It came time for the start, and it was well-organized -- you'd expect a radio station to have good audio, and they did; no problems at all hearing that it was time to line up. A nice prayer was said interceding on behalf of the runners, and with a blast from an air horn, we were off.

The course took us through the "main drag" of Fallen Timbers, then we turned out on the bike path toward the Jerome Road entrance of the Wabash Cannonball Trail. There was a water stop around the 1-mile mark, which with the loop became the water stop around the 2-mile mark as well.

 I decided before the race, with M's help, that I'd try to keep it at a steady 7-minute mile for the first two, then bring it on for the last mile.  This differs from my run-until-you-are-exhausted first mile, then gut it out plan, which really isn't much of a strategy at all.

This plan kept me on the elbow of a skilled female runner for most of the first half of the race. It's always a tough judgment -- just how close do you stay to someone in a race? I don't want to be intrusive, but I don't want to ease off the pace, either. She and I traded the lead around the mile and half mark, then she came back in front of me around mile 2. At that point, I felt good and the thought came into my head that I could actually be the overall women's winner, if I could push it some. And then I thought, "hey, I could actually WIN something." That was it -- the inner swag hunter in me said "kick it into gear, woman."

Watch out, kids, zombies are chasing me. 

I drew on the experience of our recently completed Yasso 800s, and willed myself to dig deep and go go go. I passed the woman in front of me, and I was too nervous to look behind me and too nervous to even think about slowing down. I knew no one else was in front of me, and I looked at my Garmin: 2.65 miles completed. It crossed my mind that maybe I made the move too early, and I tried to swallow down the fear that I would slow down and get caught. The turn into Fallen Timbers came quickly, and I knew that it was the last turn I'd have to make before I could see the finish line. I still didn't look behind me; I had no idea if she was on my heels or if she had fallen back.

It didn't matter: I could see the end. I knew this would not be my PR race, but I knew that I'd never once been the first woman to cross a finish line in any of my races. I could see M and her bright smile, and I could see my friends John and Raynae and their son, Logan, too. I pushed and ran, and crossed the line, gratefully accepting the Popsicle stick that signified I was the fourth finisher, and the first woman. I paused, dry-heaved once, twice, tried to breathe, looked at the concerned folks at the finisher's table who were waiting for me to turn in the Popsicle stick (who also looked like they wouldn't want it if I puked on myself), smiled to myself at their expressions, and then made it to the table and logged my name and time (it was just over a 22; in the dry-heaving I forgot to stop both my Garmin and my Nike+, and I don't see results posted yet).

M delivered hug, coffee, and chocolate milk, in that order, and we waited and cheered the rest of the field. There was a little mix-up over the reading of the overall women's and women's masters division winners, but hey, no one said coordinating a 5k was easy, lol. It was a great experience, and I commend YES-FM, the volunteers and the sponsors for a great event.

One of my new favorite shirts. Soooo soft and comfy.

In other business -- This is a big, nerve-wracking week. This is the week when we find out whether M gets accepted to run in Boston. Please: Direct all good vibes her way. We'll know by Wednesday, and you can be sure we'll let YOU know how it goes. Thanks in advance for the karmic boost.

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other. -- V.  

Change is a Good Thing -- Welcome Back

Wobble, wobble, wobble, WACK!! KaBLAM. POW!!! Stumble-tumble-roll, roll, roll. Owie owie owie OUCH! 

What was THAT, you ask? Well, that was me. Falling off the fitness wagon. I won't say I've been totally unhealthy, I haven't, but I have been slowly backsliding from where I think my potential fit level is. I've gained a little weight (no one would really notice but me), my fast doesn't come as easily, and I'm strong, but not as strong as I could be. Do you know what the awesome thing about this is, though? These are all things that are within my control, and I can choose to get back up to the level where I want to be. 

Summer really can be a tough time to train, with vacation time, kids being out of school, hotter days, and general fun things to do that pop up. Who'd rather do a long run than attend a family barbecue? Well, not this girl. This is one reason that I generally do not like fall marathons -- I just have such a hard time consistently training for them. Strange as it might sound, I'd much rather wake up early in January and knock out a 14 miler when it's 14 degrees out than run outside in the summer. 

This is in full view from my treadmill. Helps keep the mental meanies out of my way.

Falling off the wagon doesn't just have a physical effect on me -- it also wreaks havoc with my mental game. And even when I'm at my fittest, my biggest challenge is always shutting up the voices of self-doubt that can creep up on me during a run -- most especially during a race. These voices generally say, "Why are you doing this?" "This is stupid; you aren't really a runner." "Remember when you dropped out of that 800-meter race in high school? You're still not an athlete." "I can hear your heart beating. And, you just got passed. Ugh." And so on. If that's what I'm facing when I logically know I'm physically able to conquer anything, you can believe the chorus thrums louder when I start to skip workouts. 

Yes, Virginia, there really are fit girl problems. That sounds like fodder for another blog post. 

So, this is my rededication to running, my commit to fit. While our kids are over just part-time during the week, having them back in school provides more of a routine for me that I can take advantage of.  (Sidebar: I commend all of you caregivers who are working your healthy routines while doing parenting 100% of the time, day in, day out. You are my heroes and are setting a great example for your kids. Kudos.) Also, I had nothing to prepare for during the summer. There was no greater cause for me to be disciplined. Well, I am going to do at least a half in October, if not the full. I'm planning to register for the inaugural Northern Ohio marathon, which is Oct. 13 in Lake County, Ohio, home to the lovely family of Coach B. Lesson learned: Be working toward something. Set goals and don't meander aimlessly. Focus your energy, be it in the gym, on the road, at work. Know what you are working toward, otherwise you'll go in a circle and not upward. 

The swag for the Northern Ohio marathon includes a Brooks Essential half-zip pullover. I'm IN.  

As a springboard,  I'm somewhat crazily doing a half marathon this Saturday in Bowling Green. I'm not as prepared as I'd necessarily like to be, but M and I both agreed we're viewing this not so much as a "race" as it is a "run." :-) I passed the tests I'd set for myself to see if tackling this half was feasible. I wanted to run 5 on Tuesday, then 10 on Thursday. I did both of those, but on a treadmill. In air-conditioning. I'll rest Friday, and try to focus on miles and not time on Saturday morning. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. 

As far as the blog goes, I've got to be honest: The RW Streak challenge had me b-u-r-n-e-d out. The collages. The mileage. The entries ("I ran. I ran again. I ran alone. I ran with M. I ran, it hurt. I ran, it felt good.).  It just got to be too much. SO: I pledge to write once a week at minimum, on a thought-out topic. I'm not intending my portion of the blog to be a workout diary, but I'll include a little bit of what I'm up to, just to stay accountable. I know M is dedicated to her fitness and her running, and she's an Advocare rep now, too, so if you need the supplement hookup and other amazing products, she is your woman! Link to M's Advocare Site

M is so dedicated that even disgusting dive-bombing bugs wouldn't keep her from completing a muggy night run. I took the treadmill route. I'm a bug-fearing wuss. M is not. 

If you have questions, comments, suggestions, our email inbox is always open (solesisters2014@gmail.com) and we would love to hear from you and what you are up to, and what your goals are! Keep in touch!!! 

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other.  -- V.   

Donut Day Dash 5K -- We Came, We Saw, We Devoured 12 Donuts ...

They said it simply couldn't be done. They said the feat shouldn't even be attempted. They said the world would have no appetite for such a stunt. Well, whoever they were (and they could just have been the voices in our head) -- they were WRONG.  

Hatched from run-addled minds less than a week ago, the Inaugural Sole Sister Donut Day Dash 5K came to fruition on National Donut Day, June 7, 2013, at Woodland Park in Perrysburg, Ohio. The challenge: Complete a 5K while stopping to eat an entire glazed doughnut every half mile, with water being available at each doughnut station to wash it down. (Milk was vetoed early, and coffee would just be too hot.) 

The day began at 7:50 a.m., with Sole Sister M stopping at V's house with the dozen doughnnuts, procured from a nearby Tim Hortons. The cashier had asked M brightly, "So, are you taking the doughnuts into the office for National Donut Day?" In response to which M smiled and said, "Well, no. We're going to run and eat doughnuts -- six of them -- while dressed up like loons at a park in a made-up two-person race that has no prizes, no medals, no T-shirts, and no spectators." The cashier then took her money, turned away slowly, and was heard to mumble something like "crazy runners ... waste of good doughnuts ... what's wrong with people ..." 

At the house, we divvied up the glazed bounty into three containers, to be strategically placed along the route. Then, we pinned on our race bibs (recycled from past 5Ks -- we thought having numbers might help us look more organized, and possibly less crazy) and donned our chosen chapeaux -- a giant foam hotdog hat for M and a sparkly pink pig cap for V. 

"You look like a pig viking," M said. 
"Excellent. I know what I'll go as for Halloween, " I replied. 

Doughnuts in tow, we made our way to the park, which was pretty much empty, except for a pair of "serious" looking runners and a couple walking the crushed-limestone perimeter. With our cell phone cameras ready to record the adventure, we trotted out a warm-up mile just to place the doughuts at the stations. We had Home Base, Station 1, and Station 2. The park started getting a little more crowded at this point (it was just past 8 a.m.), and the looks we garnered registered emotions ranging from confused to quizzical.  A cheering section of sorts assembled in the playground area -- as M ran past the swings, a young voice rang out "HOT DOG! I LOVE HOT DOGS!" And so we'd cheer along with her, to encourage her enthusiasm -- we had a feeling we'd need it by the final doughnut. 

 With the stations all set up, it was go time. Earlier, M had said she was going to really run the race hard; I had thought up a strategy that involved grabbing the doughnut, ripping it in two, and eating it on the run to save time. When push came to shove, however, we just decided to wing it. 

We dashed for the doughnuts, and the first bites were pure, sugary bliss.  It was alarming just how quickly we could down two glazed lardbombs. One set down the hatch, water sipped, and we were on the move. "HOT DOG! GO HOT DOG!" our young friend shouted. "WOOOOO!" we replied, practically skipping after the initial sugar rush hit our bloodstreams.  

"It's Donut Day! It's Donut Day," we gleefully squealed, gravel crunching underfoot like so many sprinkles on an iced cake ring. We got some thumbs up; we got some questioning glances. Yes, at this point, and even through about Doughnut Three, it was all good times. 

Ooof. And then, somewhere around Doughnut Four, the sweet treats started to stage a revolt. What had been, mere minutes before, a celebration of all that was fun and fluffy in life started to turn into a reminder that no matter how fast you try to go, you just can't outrun the weight of gluttony.  

"My fingers are all sticky -- can you pour some water on my hands?" M asked at Doughnut Five. "I feel so heavy. You could use what's in my stomach to stucco a house," I replied. And, the burping. Oh, the burping that one does after scarfing down five doughnuts is comical, crude, and absolutely necessary if you are going to be doing anything except lying on a couch somewhere. 

And then, we were down to the final challenge -- Doughnut Six awaited at Home Base. We mustered what was left of our strength (our dignity having been left at the start line), and ambled toward the picnic bench. "This is the worst station," M intoned. "I don't think I can finish this one," I replied.

"I feel sooo heavy right now ..."

"Please, tell me we're almost done..."

But, we are runners. We run through rain, we run through pain, we run through mental anguish, and by God, we were going to run through a dozen doughnuts. Why? Because we said we would, and part of being a runner is setting goals that you accomplish just for yourself. Even if they seem unattainable, or even quite ridiculous, as in this case. So, after choking down the last few bites, humming impromptu and off-key renditions of the "Rocky" theme song and "Eye of the Tiger," we celebrated National Donut Day and eating a half-dozen doughnuts apiece by ... running one more mile, doughnut-free. 

We've pretty much pledged that we don't want to see, smell, or taste another doughnut for at least six months, if not until NEXT Donut Day. 

And in case you're wondering, that whole run, which ended up being a 4 miler, took 42:35.58. Our average pace, including eating, drinking, and photography time, was about a 10:38 minute mile. The splits were: mile 1 -- 9:00, mile 2 -- 11:02, mile 3 -- 14:00, mile 4 --8:31

And: Here's how that last doughnut stop went down: 

Thank you all for tuning in to the Inaugural Donut Day 5K! 

-- The Sole Sisters 

P.S.  The Streak lives on ... 

HAPPY NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!! Plus: Gone Streaking -- The Day 9 Recap

 Happy National Running Day everyone! We're so excited to celebrate our national holiday with all of you in spirit when we hit the road today. The holiday poses a single fill-in-the blank phrase for us: "I RUN ____" making us consider just why it is we opt to lace up our shoes and go outside or hit the treadmill. Why DO we do this? For us Sole Sisters, we have a list as long as our arms (that doesn't necessarily mean V's list is shorter and M's is longer, mind you...), so it's hard to distill it to one pithy little phrase.  So today, we run for all the reasons we already know, and for the reasons we've yet to find out -- for the truths about ourselves and each other that will reveal themselves out on the wooded trails, the sweaty dreadmill treadmills, the open roads, the long stretches of beach sand, the hard mountain paths, and beyond. Thanks for being along for the journey, runner friends. Here's to hoping your path brings you peace and truth, health and happiness.

AND  we are happy to say ... THE STREAK IS STILL ALIVE! M picks up where we last left off:

OK, so V and I made the mutual decision last night to sleep instead of blog!  This was probably one of the BEST decisions she and I have made in awhile ... Well, aside from deciding on how we are going to celebrate National Donut Day (stay tuned).

Yesterday was Day 9 of our streak and we are right on track!  I must say, this is the FIRST time that either of us have ran this many days in a row!  It was another beautiful day here in the Midwest and we both took full advantage of what Mother Nature had to offer!

I was able to get another 5 miles in right around sunset at a 7:38 pace.  Like I said, the weather has been amazing, so I wanted to soak it in!

As you can see in my pic, I horsed around with the kids on the swing set!  Those rings are no joke... A few flips and holding myself upside down and my arms were feeling it.  V says I am like a big kid and I will agree 100%!!  Once I was inside, I pumped out some push-ups and sit-ups for good measure.  Overall, a fantastic workout!!

Lastly, I need to mention to all you readers that I am officially registered for the Detroit Free Press Marathon that takes place on October 20th of this year.  This will be my fourth year running this race and my goal is to PR.  Not that me registering for Detroit is a newsflash, but what I am about to tell you next definitely is... My husband, who half the time is unwilling to run a 5k unless I threaten him with violence, has decided to run the half-marathon course that Detroit offers!! I am beyond excited about this! He will have to be dedicated to a training program, but I have confidence he can do it! If anything, I know some seriously good blog material will stem from this!

Have a great day all and remember, today is National Running Day!  Get out there and get some miles in!!

 Hey all! V here. Yep, Day 9 was a good one for me as well. I had told Coach B that I'm just going to head out for 1 ... and he said "whatever; there's no way you're just going to run a mile." Well, isn't he just the wise one. It was a gorgeous day and so, no, there was no way just a mile would do, so I stretched it out to a 5k to take advantage of the cooler temps and brilliant sunshine. Sometimes you just have to run what you feel -- some days it's best to slow down or stop if you're hurt, and some days if you're feeling good you should *ahem, pardon ME Nike* just do it. You need to learn to read the signs as a runner.

And that's what the signs were telling me on Day 9. M and I will get to run Day 10 together during the National Running Day event in Sylvania, so we'll keep you posted on that as well. Plus ... big doings are being planned for National Donut Day on Friday. We'll keep you posted.

Plus: School is OUT for the summer! So, we hope to get our Sole Children involved in the running world as well. As you can see, my whole sole family is thrilled that school is out:

Celebratory dinner marking the end of school. I think everyone got a little stir crazy.

Have fun out there, everyone!!

Also: happy to report that the streak is still going strong for Sara near Cincy and Debbie in Delaware. We have a few more jumping on the streak too -- let us know how you're doing out there!
Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other. -- V

We're Going Streaking! Day 5 -- Reunited, and It Feels So Good

Hey everyone! Sole Sister V, giving you the daily deets on The Streak. M has adventures this weekend, so this was the only time the two of us could team up to pound the pavement together.

Ready to run!!  

After a brief detour to pick up some birthday doughnuts (happy 11th Sole Child Lu!), I arrived at M's (early of course) and we started a leisurely trot toward Nature Trails Park in Northwood. 
A mile or so in, we noticed, dang, it's pretty hot out here. Way to welcome M back to the world of long runs -- this was her longest since the hot and sweaty, red-flagged Cleveland Marathon! Lookin' good though!  

M determinedly makes her way to the park.

 Nature Trails Park is a little gem! The one-mile loop winds through both woodland and prairie areas, and there are even workout and stretching stations set up every so often. We made our loop, said "hi" to friend Lisa who spotted us on the path, and then headed back for the 3-mile return trip. 

Great little park on Curtice Road. 

Shaky park pic because V was going supafast .. ok, not really. Be careful running and photographing, folks!

The pace was conversational, and yep, we pretty much yapped the whole time, which is really the best part about running with a partner, anyway. We can come up with all kinds of great collaborative ideas on the road. Hmmm, maybe instead of sitting in a giant conference room, world leaders should be forced to run a marathon together until they're so worn down they come up with a solution for the world's problems ... 

Diplomats should go toe to toe ...

We made it back safe and sound and sweaty, and celebrated over Gatorade and whole-wheat raspberry muffins (yum). 

Elvis the Kitchen Fish examines V's Gatorade. "What lives in THERE??"

 After M's Day 4 Usain Bolt impersonation, the slower pace of 8:29 was a welcome change, though the 7 miles overall and the heat did leave us a little Jell-o legged. And reminded us that we're going to need to get some more Body Glide (ouch).  
So that's it -- Day 5 and the streak is still alive! We'll catch up with you all later! 

-- The Sole Sisters

We're Going Streaking: Day Four Forecast -- Speed & Sun

Good evening readers and fellow runners!  Sole Sister M here to start off the report on Day Four of "THE STREAK"!!

I decided today at work that my run was going to be short and sweet.  Sister V and I are headed out tomorrow morning for a 7 miler, so I knew I wanted to keep tonight's run brief.  I didn't just want to head out the door and run though... I needed a challenge of some sort!  Hmmm... I've got it!! Let's see how fast I can run a mile!  In the three and a half years that I have been running, I have NEVER done this!

I got the girls to bed and geared up!! I knew my iPod was coming along tonight.  Music always seems to give me the added boost I need.  I headed outside, set the Garmin and I was off... The first half mile was done at a sub 6 minute pace.  Unfortunately, I lost steam after that.  I ended with a 6:21 pace overall.  My total run time tonight was two miles and I averaged a 7:16 pace. Keeping the streak alive, baby!!

I thought I would have run the mile a little bit faster than what I did.  I didn't throw up though, which leads me to believe that I could have pushed myself a little bit harder.  Even though it wasn't as fast as I expected, this was still MY FASTEST MILE EVER!  Something to be happy about either way!  Annnndd.... improving my mile time gives me something to work on.  I know V and I will have a blast doing some sprints and watching our times decrease!!

To celebrate my fastest mile as of yet, I decided to entertain all of you with a "selfie" of me posing like Usain Bolt.  You are welcome! 

Also, a special Sole Sister SHOUT OUT to Jodi Zeigler who began streaking along with us!  Glad you have you on board, hot mama!

And lastly, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Sole Child Lucy who turned 11 today!!! Hope you enjoyed your day!

Hi everyone! V here. I decided to take advantage of the great weather for Day 4 and turn The Streak into a multisport adventure. Our region of northwest Ohio is looking at a stretch of rain coming up, so this could be the last shot at a decent bike/run/swim day for awhile. 

It's my experience that while working at night is definitely terrible for a traditional social life or for any hope of decent sleep before most races, it does have some distinct advantages. One solid perk is that I have my days free to go grocery shopping when most people are working. Can't say how much I enjoy this. But more relevant to this blog is that I have all kinds of daylight to burn, if I want to get up early and get moving. Because Day Four called for more than a run, I broke the news to Harry that I was leaving, wheeled my bike out around noon (OK, so I had slept in some), and headed the three miles it takes to get to the entrance to Sidecut Metropark that I use. 

Best bike ever. Love, love, love. 

"Thank goodness for shade," was my overwhelming thought when I arrived at Sidecut already sweating from the hot bike ride over. The trails in Sidecut wind along the Maumee, and the views can be just beautiful, with cottonwood seeds blowing (and sticking to your sweaty skin -- my arms were starting to look like cotton balls), ducks and geese swimming, and fisherpeople, well, fishing. I got three trail miles in, at a nice pace of 8:20.  

Adventure awaits! 

I traced my three mile bike route home and then -- time to swim! I tell you what, this Ohio girl just wanted to feel the sun soak into my bones after slogging through a long, cold winter. So I swam and swam, and swam some more. 

Look: I caught a Coach B!

I then laid out in the sun for awhile to try to even out the 12 different types of tan lines I get from the different attire required for running, biking, and swimming, plus the strap marks I get from my Garmin and the armband for my iPhone. Because, seriously, a farmer's tan has NOTHING on a multisport enthusiast's tan. I can end up looking like a combination of Dalmatian/zebra. I didn't realize just how MUCH sun I got until I got to work, and the red on my neck and back started to throb with my heartbeat ... 

Don't tell my dermatologist -- this early season burn will be our little secret, OK?  
So, learn from my mistake -- the sun is no joke! And it's no fun to try to run with a sunburn, so find a friend and slather on the SPF. 

The actual time spent running. I can't seem to go fewer than 3. I really intended to just get one in, but it was so nice at the park that I had to keep going. I hope I don't regret it once M and I go for 7 tomorrow! Stay tuned -- I'll probably be a crispy critter limping along, lol. 

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other. -- V.