Getting back to a routine, or trying

By | November 17, 2019

and a whole bunch of meandering thoughts on a weird week.

I didn’t end up getting as much of the routine as I wanted due to a mid-late week battle with food poisoning, but I’m back on my feet now and easing back into things.

Teddy brigade

close up of Marathon Teddy

I am not an I HATE WINTER person when it comes to running. There are mornings where I’ll be grumbling, but in general give me 20 over 80 any day for running.  Getting out of bed on a chilly, dark day? That’s another story. Especially with that marathon present to myself, marathon teddy

I was looking at my upcoming race calendar and where are they? Central Park, Central Park, Delray, Central Park (maybe, haven’t signed up for this one), Fort Lauderdale, Riverside Park, Central Park, Central Park, Bermuda. I guess I’m already escaping winter. I finally updated the race calendar/race recaps which I hadn’t. Oops

One of my expo purchases was the NYC Marathon edition of the 1080s, and I’m so glad I did, because I love them, and because the new 1080s are FUGLY.  I may need to put finding a new shoe on my 2020 list because no. Function > fashion, but NO.

Nicely done, Engravably Yours!

I never managed to get my medal engraved last week during Marathon Monday at the pavillion or later in the week at the Run Center due to lines. I wasn’t too worried as there were options and there’s nothing special about NYRR’s own engraving as they use a vendor. I was at mom’s over the weekend and remembered a shop we’d used for personalized gifts as kids and stopped in. Mom picked it up Wednesday and I love the font. Yay small businesses.

For the first time in a very long time (i.e. the year that I quit #GoTheDist), logging my steps is making me mad. I still track them as I wear my fitbit 24/7, but seeing that I’m not hitting my goal isn’t making me happy. Luckily it’s mostly (see above re: food poisoning) within my control, so time to take those steps. No pun intended. That said, I think no junk steps during marathon training was a good one, and I might need to re-look at step goals for 2020. Onto steps..

Weekly run down with birthday girl Deborah and Kim. Also, happy birthday Coco and Deb:

  • never miss a Monday: missing my brain. Had plans to meet a dear friend for a run/walk as she re-starts running after some medical down time. I forgot: my socks, my Garmin. Luckily I can run in work socks and she tagged me in Strava. Definitely one of those I’d forget my head if it weren’t screwed on days.
  • Tuesday: work craziness had me at the office long after I planned on being at the gym. I still made it for some strength training, PT and foam rolling.
  • Wednesday: was meant to be my first workout with Rogue post marathon. I bailed a mile into it as my stomach wasn’t having it.
  • Thursday: minimal steps as the body is not meant to exist on 400 calories
  • Friday: did not push recovery

Love the accents on my new shoeses

  • Saturday: six Central Park miles. I missed that loop.This felt good. I was not pushing the pace as food had been minimal since Wednesday, and it was a smart move to take a chew on a short run given the lack of food. I had water with me but forgot the park fountains would be off. Guess it’s back to the hydration belt, although I did just buy myself an SPI belt with the JackRabbit Bunny Bucks in the marathon goodie bag
  • Sunday: spectating the ultra. Gym PT. Continuing closet clean out & organization. Hardcore adulting.

Plan for the week:

  • Monday: run with friends
  • Tuesday: off
  • Wednesday: dinner with Darlene, Elizabeth
  • Thursday: return of the office run group?
  • Friday: off. Birthday mischief with friends
  • Saturday: birthday miles. Distance TBC. Tickets to A Christmas Carol and dinner with mom & Bob
  • Sunday: Race to Deliver 4M. My 4M PR is almost two years old and I’m not sure I’m anywhere close to it, but it will be fun to try. Or set a new benchmark. I’m very curious to see what effect marathon volume had on my speed overall. I did see that pace in a time trial in July, but 4M very different from 2M.

17 thoughts on “Getting back to a routine, or trying

  1. Coco

    Another November birthday girl? How awesome is that. I am counting on you to engage in lots of birthday shenanigans! I am having a hard time getting out of bed in the dark, but once I’m up I’m ready to go. It’s the pull of the warm bed that is so hard to get over! Your medal looks great. Ugh on food poisoning. Glad you are recovered.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yep, we’re exactly a week apart. November babies are the best. I love that most of us are on FB now, makes it easy to get the exact date. I promise, there will be birthday shenanigans. Even though it’s not holiday adjacent this year, it’s still turning into birthweek with different people on different days. I feel like it kind of kicked off with the marathon in some ways.
      Definitely on the once I’m up – especially last weekend at mom’s when I had the mattress pad on.
      Thanks – me too! Was not in the plans this week

      Reply
  2. Birchwood Pie

    Hey Happy Birthday, we should do a virtual Bday party for all of the November WRD bdays. I stopped tracking my steps this year when I switched from fitbit to Garmin, and I have to say that I really haven’t missed it. I figure that on any given running/dog walking day it’s a given that I’m hitting my steps and I don’t need to stress about it on rest days. Good luck on next Sunday’s race!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      We really should! Are you also November?
      I think I’m going to take a hard look at step counting in 2020 since I KNOW I won’t top 2019 and that will be frustrating given my annual growth. I think my spreadsheets -yes, plural, might get sunset. Good to know I’m not alone.
      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Kim at Running on the Fly

    Your medal looks great! Believe it or not, I’ve done nine marathons (well, technically, two were ultras) and I have not had any of the medals engraved.And I’m the sentimental who still has the very pair of shoes I wore for my first half marathon (though they’re well beyond functionality). I still have every race bib ever worn LOL Hope your upcoming race goes well!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I go back and forth with bibs. In the beginning I saved all of them. Now I think about whether I like the bib and whether it’s “nice” material. For my last Half I gave my medal to my nephew as a birthday present and I have no idea where the bib is. Maybe my mom’s car.

      Besides Cherry Blossom, who sent us a plaque to affix to the medal, the only medals I’ve had engraved are the NYC Borough Series ones. Coincidentally or not, those are the only medals that aren’t in a heap on my coffee table since the medal hanger fell off the wall.

      It started with Lebow because it was my first Half. And then Brooklyn Half because the line wasn’t long. I didn’t have Queens done because I was so mad at that race/my performance – turned out I was getting sick. I had the Bronx one engraved, I think. Need to check. Those races got me the guaranteed entry into this year’s NYC Half, and I had that one engraved too. I’m not sure if they’ll continue to do engraving for Lebow as it’s no longer 4/6

      I just tossed my first pair of New Balance. They were too small and after being at mom’s without running in them for ten months, they were too stiff. That was hard. If I lived in a house I’d still have them.

      Reply
  4. Liz Dexter

    Lovely engraving – I’ve never done that, either! And hooray that you’re still running although boo to the food poisoning.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      if you’d asked me when I’d start running again I’d have said December. LOL. I missed running too much, although it was all easy until day.

      Reply
  5. Lisa @ Mile by Mile

    That medal engraving came out great! Sorry about the food poisoning. Steps can be so frustrating on non-running days. I’ve sort of stopped looking. Especially if I did another workout like strength training I try not to worry about the step count, I pay more attention to getting up and moving around every once in awhile.

    Reply
  6. Chocolaterunsjudy

    I tried to comment on my Ipad yesterday, but like Zenaida’s, I just get a spinning clock. No idea why. Very weird. Happy pre-birthday (because I will no doubt forget about it as the week goes on).

    Food poisoning is no fun. I once had what I think was a mild case after a half, which made it impossible to eat after the half — definitely wasn’t fun. Very glad it happened AFTER the marathon!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Gremlins. I had some comment issues too, although not on yours or mine. I think it was Wendy’s.
      In Meb’s book he talks about running New York (? I think – but it might have been London) with food poisoning, and the podcast I listened to at the weekend talked about Shalane running the 10K through food poisoning in Beijng. Cannot fathom it, I could barely handle my walking commute.

      Reply
      1. Chocolaterunsjudy

        I don’t think I’d have the energy to run a race if I had had food poisoning. Luckily for me it was after the race. Maybe during, because I had to make a pitstop — so far it’s the only one I’ve ever made in a race! — but otherwise seemed ok at the time. Yup, it definitely wasn’t pleasant. Kind of like the one time I got sea sick . . .

        Reply
  7. Darlene

    I think I had sympathy food poisoning. Last Wed night I was sick all night. Fortunately I was ok by Thursday.

    I ran 6 too on Saturday in our old haunts. Nice to relax and run whatever.

    So excited to celebrate your birthday with you.

    Reply
  8. Renée

    late again with the WRD but dang, sorry to hear you had food poisoning! AWFUL. I guess recovery week after the marathon is the right timing for it (and not before the marathon) right? just trying to #glasshalffull it…

    you’re right about the 1080’s… fugly!!

    hope you are much more recovered now that the new week is almost over!

    love the engraving! I never do that – I only did it this year when I PR’d my 5K distance. Maybe I’ll do that with my other PR medals! who says you have to do it with the race org, right?

    Reply

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