2009 report card

At the end of last year, I posted some running goals for myself. How’d I do?

1. Run at least two half marathons triskos. Set new trisko PR of 2 hours or less (down from 2:05).

Goal OBLITERATED! I ran four half marathons in 2009, three of them in a 29 day period, earning me a spot in the Half Fanatics. Of those four triskos, the first was the best, with a finishing time of 1:56:51. Boo-yah!


2. Run at least one marathon, setting a PR of 4:30 or less (down from 4:38).

Goal FAILED! As awesome as I was at Goal #1, the second was not meant to be. I started a new job in February, which requires frequent travel. I do run while I’m on the road, but when I’m home on weekends, I don’t want to ditch Steve and Jack to go run 20 miles. I’m sure I’ll tackle the marathon again some day, but at this point, I’m not called to it. The half marathon is my favorite distance, not only because it suits my lifestyle, but because I feel like I can more successfully race it, not just survive it.


3. Get a Fuel Belt and a Road ID. That should be easy enough, but they are important things to do nevertheless.

Goal accomplished, and I’m glad I did. The Fuel Belt has given me the freedom to explore a bit more on my long runs, to go further afield of my house and the bottle of Gatorade that was always waiting at the end of my driveway. And that’s been great. And because I have been running while travelling, the Road ID gives me a little bit more peace of mind.


4. Run at least three new races.

Betsy SMASH puny race goal! In 2009, I ran 13 new races: an indoor track meet (one event, three races, so I am counting it as three), the Frostbite Footrace, the St. Patrick’s Day 5K, Steve’s Old Time Tap Chaser 5K, Imagination Library 5K, the Madison Half Marathon, 13.1 Chicago, an outdoor track meet (one race), Run With Carl, the Quad Cities Half Marathon, and the Governor’s Cross Country two-mile. I do have to travel for my new job, but the wellness program sponsors 50% of my entry fees to local races, thus making it very appealing to check out new things.



5. Here's the big one: get more involved in running locally. I love my online running friends, but I also want to make some real life running friends. To that end, I am working to participate more in my local running club. I am also planning on joining the group track workouts on Tuesday nights, and anything else I can think of. I want to go to races and see people I know.

Done and done! I’ve been going to club meetings, joined training groups for the Quad Cities Distance Classic and the Quad Cities Half Marathon, and volunteered for a couple of races while I was injured, just to stay in touch. And it’s worked!

Thanks to a combination of goal 4 and goal 5, I got second place in my age group in my running club’s 2009 circuit. Fellow Runner JP gave me my t-shirt and medal, insisted on getting his picture taken with “my favorite age group, women from 30-39,” then later told me that he was really glad I’d come out and done so much running this year. I really feel like I’m part of something bigger, and it’s great.

I’m mulling over 2010 goals now, but in the meantime, I’m happy with how well 2009 has turned out.

My Socks Life

My socks life has been pretty boring for quite a while.

For most of the time that I've been a runner, my socks have been totally vanilla. From 1984-2007, you could describe them in three words: cheap white cotton. When I decided to train for a marathon, I upgraded to cheap white non-cotton, fearing blisters.

Is it time for a socks change?

The fine folks at Wright Sock and Runners' Lounge think it might be. I have been chosen to participate in the Wright Socks challenge. I scored six pair of Wright Socks to test and review here on my blog. You might be wondering if that means that you can expect more of this cringe-inducing sock puns for the duration of the challenge. Yes, you can. To do anything less would be to admit de-feet.

My current socks of choice, the cheap white non-cottons, are C9 from Target. Do I like them? Eh, they're okay. They serve their purpose of providing a barrier between my foot and my shoe, but they don't really do much else. I do get blisters after long runs, though Body Glide seems to make that a little better. They are comfortable enough, and I can get them readily for about two bucks a pair.

That might not seem like much, but as far as I'm concerned, the Wright Socks have a lot to live up to. I can't throw a pair in the cart while I'm stocking up on paper towels. And at five or six bucks a pair, they better do more than just provide a barrier between my shoes and my feet. If I'm going to abandon the C9's, they need to (wait for it...) knock my socks off.

My box of socks arrived Thursday, and they look fantastic. There are all different kinds to try - thick, thin, double-layer, and single layer. The first pair will be tested today.

Sock Monkeying

Peer pressure has been building on me in a big way to try compression socks. For a while there, it seemed like every blogger and her brother was getting a pair of compression socks to test out. (and by the way, I am more than happy to review any products any readers might have laying around. I have tens of readers!) Then, Runners World featured them as well. Across the board, people seemed to love them. Said they were comfortable and really aided in recovery after long runs. Also, they are knee socks, which is what I wear whenever possible during the winter. I had to try some myself.

The only thing holding me back was the $30 price tag. Maybe I'm cheap, you guys, but $30 is a lot to pay for a pair of socks. Other than my shoes, I don't know if I have any running gear that cost $30. Okay, maybe a jacket. But still!

Regardless, the peer pressure kept on pressuring (as is its job), and I finally caved and tried a pair of Recovery Socks.

The socks came lightning fast, and I could hardly wait for a long run to try them out. I ran a tough 12 miler in the pouring rain and was more than happy to put some cozy knee socks on.

Friends, they are indeed tight. You have to really pay attention to what you're doing to get them to fit right on your legs, but once you work that out, they are really comfy. I had experienced some cramping in my calves during the run, and that totally shut down as soon as I put on the socks. Score! I wore them all day (including hidden under a pair of jeans when I took Jack to the art museum). I felt great and had absolutely no soreness after my run.

The only drawback I found was that I really liked them, thus creating the need to buy more ridiculously expensive socks.

This time, I decided to mix it up with Recovery Socks' competitor Oxysox. Oxysox are a couple bucks cheaper, and as an added bonus, come in red. Just like the Recovery Socks, they came in the mail quickly.

I tried out the Oxysox after Sunday's trisko dress rehearsal ("half marathon training run"). I liked them even better than the Recovery Socks. They were easier to get on, slightly more comfortable, and did I mention they were red?

I plan on wearing my Crazy Expensive Socks after all of my long runs moving forward. Maybe even after really challenging speed work. And when I travel for races, I'll wear a pair right after the race, then another pair if I'm driving home the next day. The true test will come in the winter when I try them out under tights during a run for extra warmth.

And now, the peer pressure is on you. Any temptation to try Crazy Expensive Socks? What's your most expensive running gear (other than shoes)?

It's Gotta Be The Shoes

Buying running shoes fills me with anticipation. They are not just Asics 2140’s in a size 8-1/2 with blue trim. These are the shoes that will support me for hundreds of miles, whose brilliant white color will be grayed with puddles, splattered with mud, and caked with dirt. These shoes may be the ones that I wear when I run an amazing, inspiring workout on the track, that will suffer with me on a wrenching tempo run, and that will triumph when I PR at a race. $100 is a small price to pay, 100 words too small a tribute.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

There's no getting around it: it's cold outside. So, what's a runner - who hates treadmills with a hot passion - to do?

Suck it up, gain some toughness points, wear the right gear, and go running anyway. Oh yeah, and share some tips with my fellow runners.

When I went out for my run tonight, the temperature was 9 degrees - with a wind chill factor of 10 below.

First, I put on a base layer:

My sports bra is Target's C9 (the official running outfitter of Betsy) and cost about $15. The tights are Asics Legato, which my brother got for me for my birthday. I believe they cost about $30. They are quite warm, and on most cold days are sufficient. The socks are by DeFeet, and I got them for free last February when I ran the Chili Chase. They're not the socks of my dreams, but they aren't bad.

Next, a long sleeved wicking shirt and a pair of fleece pants:

The shirt is by Asics and cost about $30. It is awesome. Besides being cute, see the little white holes in the sleeve? I can hook my thumb through there, which prevents a gap between my sleeve and my glove. How cool is that? The pants are by Under Armour and cost about $45. They are warm, comfy, and have a zippered pocket, plus they are roomy enough to wear the tights underneath if I need to.

We're still not dressed yet:

The vest is by the official running outfitter of Betsy, Target's C9. I probably paid about $20 for it, and at the time I really wasn't sure how much I would like it. Silly me - it is one of my favorite pieces of running clothing. It really helps me stay just that little extra bit warmer, it looks cute, and it has a ton of pockets. Then, we've got two pair of gloves, both of which I got for free from races. Yep, sometimes I wear both of them, and tonight was that kind of night. The blue thing? That's a Survivor buff that I got as a gift when I attended the finale party of Survivor: All-Stars. It's a handy little item that can be a headband, a tube top, pretty much anything. In the winter, I wear it around my neck, and when it's especially cold, pull it over my face. The only drawback is that eventually, the moisture from my breath gets it wet, but for shorter runs, it's nice to have. The hat is from the Des Moines Marathon, a great little souvenir that I believe was $10.

Speaking of race memorbilia...

I next put on my windbreaker, which is made by Brooks and has the Quad Cities Marathon logo on it. I paid $40 for it and I love it. It's lightweight, has plenty of pockets, and is, of course, red.


Finally, safety is important, and when it's dark and icy out, runners need to be extra careful:

My vest is by Jogalite, cost about $15, and is reflective. I always wear it when I run at night and am working to convince myself that it's so uncool that it actually turns the corner to be cool again. That really, unless I was a hardcore athlete, I would not own something so dorky. Play along with me. The little red thing is a clip-on light by Nathan. It was $8, and I wear it clipped to my hat to make me extra visible. Finally, attached to my shoes are Get a Grip Ice Joggers, which were $20 at Road Runner Sports. They are rubber, stretch over my shoes, and have small spikes in them to give a better grip on snow and ice. This was the first time I've used them, and I liked them a lot. I felt like my footing was a bit more sure, and they weren't obnoxious when I did run across a cleared area.

Altogether all of this gear set me back $233, which doesn't count my shoes themselves. On a cold winter night's run, I was comfortable and felt safe. $233 worth of running clothes isn't cheap, but it's a lot less expensive than a gym membership or a treadmill.

Best of all, running in the winter is a wonderful experience. First of all, anyone who sees you thinks that you are hardcore and is impressed by you, always a good thing. But better still, it's a beautiful and peaceful time to be out running. It's quiet, the snow sparkles, and there is no better way to see the Christmas lights in my neighborhood. Plus, you get to leave the house looking just this crazy:

The Quest

The theme this week at Runners' Lounge is running hopes, dreams, wishes, and whatnot (the "and whatnot" might not be in their official description of it, but the word whatnot is sadly underutilized). Take It and Run Thursday isn't until tomorrow, and I am already crafting a post that will be so beautiful and moving that you'll find yourself saying, in the words of Flight of the Conchords,

"I'm not crying
It's just been raining
on my face
And if you think you see some tear tracks down my cheeks
Please. Please, don't tell my mates"

Or maybe not. The point is that tomorrow's running hope, dream, wish, and whatnot from me will be on the more serious side. Today's RHDWW is a bit less so, though not so frivolous that I won't be using the proper term for it. And that term is Quest.

I am on a quest, Internet, for the perfect pair of winter running socks.

The socks I wear in warm weather are fine - they are no-show socks that don't give me blisters and are soft and cushy. Even better, they are C9 brand from Target, the Official Running Outfitter of Betsy, so they are reasonably priced and easy to buy.

But when the weather turns cold, they are inadequate. They leave my ankles exposed to snow and wind and my toesies freeze.

My perfect cold weather running socks must meet minimum running sock standards - providing some extra cushioning, and not providing blisters.

They also need to be very warm, but not itchy. Not ankle-length, but rather knee-length, to give some extra warmth under my tights*. And while we're dreaming, I'd prefer that they also be striped.

If any of you can help me in my quest, you will win a coveted Wasser No-Prize.



*Truth be told, I am toying with the idea of wearing my regular socks and putting a pair of legwarmers over the tights. One can actually purchase legwarmers not just in antique stores as you might imagine, but at the Official Running Outfitter of Betsy, Target. A concern is that people who see me out running and sporting a pair of legwarmers might laugh at me, though I suppose I could always respond with something diplomatic like, "Laugh it up, fatass; at least I'm out here running. And by the way, there's a Dorito stuck to your shirt."