The Commoner and The Taper

My favorite part of Marathon or Half Marathon training is definitely the beginning with the super low mileage and all the promise of a task ahead. The taper is the reward for all the hard work and the celebration that will be your race.

Last night the Commoners called and said let's go to Maggianos we'll have a 9:15PM reservation.  We vowed on just appetizers and salad because we never really eat the main course anyway.  We usually send that home to Beth's Family.

It was raining, it was late, I couldn't even find Kristen's house because they changed the road but not really.  Stopped at the Gap to pick up Rosa because she gets her haircut in the work room there, bought some pants, and went on our way.

So we had drinks at the bar and we watched people get kicked out and then argue the fact that they were kicked out for a really long time with a very patient manager.  It was mildly entertaining.

Then we got to our table and we had this little tiny waitress who forgot things and never left.  She literally would stand there not saying anything but making faces.  I was mildly annoyed by this.

Having only apps was genius.  Talkity waitress told us we should have Boston Cream Pie instead of cheese cake.  I like the cheesecake better. 

I finally got home at midnight.  This day did not hold a run because it was raining so badly.  It's okay to have a missed run sometimes.  I don't feel bad about it.

Despite of getting to sleep at midnight.  I had a pretty good six mile run today.

Highlight of Saturday?  Fried zucchini. My new favorite

Random photo of the day-Snow on the way to Reno-because I hear some of you are having snow.

Song of the Day

Encore by Jay Z and Lincoln Park.  

I just love it-especially where they go Hova over and over

The Commoner's Late Night Run

I didn't get out for my run until 6PM.  On top of that I didn't get home from the board meeting until 10PM last night.  So the last thing I wanted to do was go for a run.

But Danny always convinces me that I should go.  So I made a deal with myself. I could run as slow as I wanted but I couldn't walk and I didn't have to do intervals when I slowed down.  That's when I do intervals when I start slugging.

This baby could have outrun me.  But it didn't really matter because  I did it.  I ran .  Even though I was tired and it was late and cold and windy.  I did it.  Oh and it was only three miles because on days when i have other things to do I have to shorten my runs.  That's okay because you do what you have to do.

Speaking of marathons.  For the third year in a row my city.  My hometown city-New York has rejected me from their marathon.  I don't know why I do it but I always enter and I always get rejected. Blast you New York why do you always reject me.

At least once there was a Bicycle Marathon.  I think I wasn't even racing then so maybe someone gave it to me.

What ever.  I have DC.  I'll run there.  Phooey NY 

Anyway.  The highlight of the day was NOT Making it in to the marathon because I already have a marathon this year.

Here's the song of the day for you.

Graceland from the Central Park Concert by Paul Simon.  Why Graceland?  I really want to go there. And Central Park in honor of my rejection.

Random Photo of the Day.  My mother made these for my shower.  She was very talented and artistic.  I am not.

The Commoner Calls All Hands On Desk

It was all hands on deck today at work to get a project done.  We couldn't get it done but at least we all worked on it and it wasn't my fault.

Aye Captain I can steer this ship

It's nice to have a team to rely on.  

My 3 mile shortened run was great!  No it was hard and windy, I almost got hit by a car and my time sucked.   But it was  a run in the books and it didn't rain

No chocolate (for lent) no gum = sadness

I am a trouper because I lasted until the end of the board meeting.  4 hours. 10 O'Clock.  One of the last of 4 to make it.  It was like  a round of survivor.  That victory was the highlight of the day.

I hung in there like these guys on the edge of the building.

That victory was the highlight of the day.

#100HappyDays
Packages from Amazon

Song of the day?  None -not one single song spoke to me

So here's a Random-Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World

I try this every day.

Random Photo?

The Commoner and the Rest Day

I was so sure that today I would feel sore and really tired from my great (no sarcasm it was great) 12 mile run yesterday.  

I expected to be a zombie.

But I wasn't.  I felt really good.  Maybe it was all the foam rolling.  I expect to get all 5 runs in this week.  That's a miracle when that happens.

Every time I take on a long run I look down at my legs and go really?  These legs are going to go that far?   

They always do. They never let me down.

I had to teach kindergarten for half a day.  Those little kids are very very cute.  Maybe they gave me energy.

This kind of energy!

So the highlight of the day?  Getting to see my friend and mentor Joy Winke.  She's the Thinking Maps lady.  She's so positive!


Song of the Day?

I put this back on the list because.....it came on during The Voice.  I found myself dancing.  Happy-good for watching on TV tiresome for working out.

I need this picture of the day.  If it were socially acceptable I would have it in my office.  So I keep it in my head.

The Commoner's Great Run

I knew today was going to be a great 12 mile run.  I could feel it and I knew it.  And it was...

See?  So happy.  I've made peace with the long runs.  I better since I'm going to be doing many many of them soon.  Anyway-the run was pretty fast.  It means that I can lower the goal pace of my half marathon run.

I didn't check the rest of my running schedule so I wasn't aware that this would be our last run on the trail until the week of June 23rd when marathon training begins.   I didn't get to bid farewell to the trail and all the parts of it that I love.  

It is of note that I was entertained by the aches of several different body parts that took turns aching.  My hip, my foot, some nerved thing, my shoulders.  Never very badly never all at the same time never enough to stop.  Just enough to know I was working hard.  And I was.

After all this is no trip to Disneyland

Anyway great run in the books and that was the Highlight of the Day.

Song of the Day?

 Pompeii by Bastille.  I love how he sings with an English Accent.  I also love the drum section and the African Beat.  It's a very 80s song.  I like the line "How am I going to be an optimist about this"

 I love this sad looking picture of Benjie like he's in a Charles Dickens story.

Have a great Monday

The Commoner's Day In School

Seriously today did not involve running -again-because today (and last night) were my occasional 6 time a semester class with Honey and her side kick who's name I never can remember.

Last night's class gave me a headache because she went through our entire thesis paper laying out all of the major work laying ahead of us over the next year.  I had a Sosa Ranchez level eye headache.

When I came home from class today-which didn't give me a headache I was so tired and hungry I made Rob take me out to eat.  It always seems like every restaurant in Hollister serves the same thing.  We ended up at Running Rooster because they have crazy good pizza's.  Not NY pizza but pizza.

Highlight of the day?  Coming home from Running Rooster and deciding to do nothing else productive the rest of the day.

Hey HBO's Girls.  I hung with you for all of your seasons and I finally really like your show.  That took a long time.

Ha Ha wrong girls.

Song of the Day?

If I Were A Boy-Beyonce
Because it's hard work to be a Woman

Tomorrow is the last long training run for The San Francisco Rock and Roll Half Marathon.  My training has not been very strict but I'll get a break for a while before the marathon training begins.  I'll still run but just maintenance restorative get ready for the crazy runs.

The Commoners Garmin is Making Things Up

It's not quite marathon training yet.  That starts at the end of June.  Never mind I woke up at 3 worrying about how I would hydrate enough on my 20 mile training run in October.  Nope it's regular half marathon training.

I'm thirsty!

Anyway.  Today's 4 mile run was actually pretty great.  Record breaking for sure.  I never break 10 minute miles running by myself after work in the heat.  But I did today.  My run also ended earlier because Mr. Garmin said my 4 miles ended earlier than usual.  Hey GARMINS don't lie.  It's a fact.  I jogged a little further because I didn't believe it.

Would I lie to you?

I would never ever doubt my garmin.  They must have made the roads longer today.  I went with it.

It was a great run in spite of the fact that Tracy and I decided to have Dickey's Barbque for lunch.  That was yummy.

Highlight of the day?

Dickey's Barbque for sure.  Salty goodness of double order of onion strings. I think I ate brisket.  It's all the same.

You had barbecue with out me?

Song of the Day?  

Empire State of Mind-Jay Z and Alisha Keys

Concrete Jungle

My mother made crazy good cakes and cookies.  This is the cake to my wedding shower.

The Commoner and A Lucky Day or Two

I've been pretty much in muck.  Working, running, school work, repeat. Throw in laundry.   But then without even noticing great things started happening.

4 Lucky Things

First before I begin.  I didn't run today because I had to go to a CTA (California Teacher's Association) dinner.  Kristen makes me go to these things but only sometimes. She entices me with free food because I love to eat.

Kristen is in the middle

So the lucky things.  1.  Yesterday I received a strange phone call from Dallas.  Why would I answer that?  I should have.  Turns out I entered the Chili's text to win Sunday contest by texting a number to them.  I won a $10 gift card.  I'm so lucky!

Take the Lucky Phone Call!

2.  We had a marathon strategy.  All the best marathons have gone to a lottery system.  The strange thing about me?  -stop I know there are many.  When I run every day I insist on running alone.  When I race there better be minimum 20 or 30,000 people running with me and a MILLION cheering me on.  

Those races are popular because they are fun.  So we thought enter the lottery for Marine Corp and New York.  We will know if we don't get in and then can enter Chicago and if we don't make those-you can still just sign up for Los Angeles.  If we are really lucky we don't get in any.

Well I knew early on that one of us got in because the Marine Corp marathon was having a lottery today and they had withdrawn money.  Woo hoo!  Which one of us gets to run?  Which gets to go to the Smithsonian  (me please?)  Turns out it was me!  I"M IN!  Marathon number 2.

Rob was even luckier because he was one of the last 1000 to get in

Everyone's so happy to hear me talk about running 24/7 again!

So Kristen made me go to this dinner and I won 2 Prizes!!! One I won't get to use because it's for entry for a team of 2 to the Summer CTA Institute in UCLA.  I won't be doing this Hesta job next year so the union gets to use it.  It's like 2000 dollars. 

Then I won a Target card too.  I am the luckiest duck ever.  

So now you know my highlight of the day?  Which was it?  HELLO   The marathon of course.  DC Here we come.

Song of the day?  

Pardon the foul language of the EminEm song.  I heard it on the radio in the car and was amazed at his ability to actually rap about this subject matter.  It's pretty deep.  And it features Nate Russ from F.U.N.   I love that guy.  

Spoiler alert-Mature subject language.

Picture of the day?

This is foam roller.  We are going to become very good friends from June through October.

The Commoner And The Lotteries

I'm the girl who always enters the lottery but never checks to see if I won.  That's a problem.  We gave my sister in law lottery tickets all the way in Ireland. She already knows she won $5 and she doesn't even have the internet.

What? We could be rich?

In fact today I found out I won a Chili's $10 gift card.

Anyway the point is we have a marathon strategy this year.  We entered Marine Corp in DC based on their lottery system.  We find out tomorrow if we got in.  We entered New York and find out if we got in on that lottery on March 26th.  If we don't get in those we can still enter the Chicago marathon lottery.  If we strike out three times there's always the LA marathon.  Apparently people love to run marathons now and you can't just enter them anymore.  

That's okay we're all a little crazy sometimes.

So tomorrow is the big day for the Marine Corp announcement.  Rob has taken over race entries.  He keeps spread sheets on everything.  His geography is sometimes off and you may take a really long shuttle ride but that's okay.  I am not so organized these days.  I hear this one is a great one though.  I haven't been to DC in years and I really want to run it.

He really wears Irish stuff every day.  And no he's not giving me the finger.  I think.

I had a great run today.  I didn't want to do it.  Why? You know-it's Tuesday, I'm tired, it's hot.  but I had no excuse so I did it.  4 miles. I knew I was dragging because when I run if my time slips off my pace I make myself do crazy intervals as punishment.  I did LOTS of those today.  So overall my time was really good.  10:06 pace in the heat, after work, by myself, four miles, on a Tuesday and Oh year I had McDonalds for lunch.

Plus I was a little let's say 'weary' before my run.  I felt much better after-and at the end of the day-isn't that the point.  I did think I might pass out at mile 2.  BTW

Highlight of the day?  I get to work with first grade English Language Learners every day.  I love them.  Today one of them used the word impressive in a sentence and he used it correctly.  That was impressive.

This sunset is impressive.

Hey King of Queens.  I laughed out loud tonight.  So funny.

Song of the Day-Make the Money

I enjoyed running to this today and even though I'm not making anymore money these days it spoke to me.

Random Photo of the Day

In honor of St. Patrick's Day and because I miss them.  My cute Irish nieces.

The Commoner's Saint Patrick Day

It's Monday-it's rest day-it's St. Patrick's Day.  I really wanted to be tired at home watching the parade on live stream somewhere.  I even texted Rob let's go to the Claudagh.  Now.  Which was 9AM.  But hey I'm on Irish Time.

Because in California we celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a great Jewish Deli Sandwich

Bob didn't bite on my offer so I muddled through a quiet day.  Kids dressed in green most adults not.  Really people? Where is the spirit?

Anyway.  Nothing much actually happened today.  I left work early to make Shepherds Pie.  Can you believe I didn't make any soda bread this year?  I wasn't feeling it.  The lack of merriment and the general missing of the Irish Family or at least the New York Parade and Dinner at Lily Flannigans. Had hit pretty hard by 3.  Really -even the Quiet Man was no where to be found.

I should have just hopped on a plane.

So my highlight of the day?
Rob did the dishes!

No wonder we ran away to Vegas-he's a keeper.

Song of the day?  Has to be something Irish right?

Bad by U2.  Reminds me of 1984-one of my favorite years.  Vintage U2-my first trip to Ireland and Yes there truly exist 7 Towers and I knew where they were.

Picture of the Day

Danny celebrating St. Patricks Day.  You can tell by the weather they wore Irish stuff all the time.  Because he is actually Irish and on Long Island most people were.