A tip from the runner’s group was to get good socks. Good socks? I’ve heard about the importance of getting good shoes but not socks. Still I was only training for only a half-marathon so I figured that my cotton ones will do. They did until the day I was doing miles 11 and 12. There was a sharp pain on my toes. So the day before the half-marathon I got an $8 pair at one of the booths in the exhibition hall. It did make a difference in my 13.1 mile run. My thighs hurt, but not a thing on my toes. I still use my old socks for short runs, but 10 miles over I’m wearing these running socks definitely.

The book opens with Dean Karnazes doing his first 200 mile ultramarathon, running on mile 50 in the middle of the night he calls Round Table Pizza, orders for delivery large pizza with extra everything on it, entire cheesecake, coffee and instructs to meet him at an intersection after 20 minutes. He chows them down on the run. For this supposedly relay race he was the only runner doing the entire route, earning him the moniker “Team Dean”.

After the first page I was hooked. I got coffee and a seat at the Border’s Seattle’s Best Café to see if it was really worth the $12 (I usually borrow books from  the library or shop Amazon) and a few more pages afterwards I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink at night without reading some more. So I eventually finished the 300 page book in almost one seating (Evan woke up from his nap in the last 40 pages), and enjoyed every minute of it. It’s one of the most entertaining and inspiring books I’ve read in years. It’s almost hard to believe that what I was reading was a non-fiction.

To read more about Dean Karnazes’ impressive feat (ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive dates, ran 135 mile across Death Valley in 120 degree temp, ran a marathon in the South Pole, ran a 350 mile run) visit his ultramarathonman.com website.

I didn’t  know I had a tea collection until I lined up the boxes of tea from the cupboard for this photo shoot. My sister in law Mary Pat gives me interesting tea. I have already almost used up her 2 tin boxes of the Harney and Sons because it’s my favorite – the fruity, lemony taste is just lovely.  The “generic” Peppermint tea I still love drinking with my toasted english muffin with honey. I also give tablespoons of warm peppermint tea with honey to my son to relieve a bad cough. You should see how my little boy laps it up. Last Tuesday I asked my husband to get me Chamomile tea when allergies and eyestrain from doing my online portfolio were causing my eyes to be sore and red for a couple of weeks. Putting the cooled off tea bags in my eyes worked like a charm in just one 20 minute session. I also love the Toasted Green Tea which was introduced to me by my officemate Shiho. Right now, I am having  The Blue Mango Green tea from Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse (also another gift from Mary Pat) for the first time and it’s exotic.

I probably have finally found a substitute for my diet coke which I am convinced has been giving me middle of the night hunger pangs, strong enough to rouse me from sleep at 3 in the morning. And no, regular soda is out of the question. An 8 oz. can is already worth 2 WW precious points. That’s an equivalent of half cup of rice, you know.

And I almost did not show up. I have been having bad allergies the past days, didn’t get to sleep until 11pm, woke up at 3am, couldn’t go back to sleep, got up at 6am, arrived 23 minutes late (I thought the race started at 8am and so did many others)  but I couldn’t let my $60 registration fee go to waste. I ended up doing so much better than I had expected – must be the adrenaline and the competitive spirit in me. My chip time was 2:18:21. My pace was 10:34. My breathing was pretty good all throughout,  it was only my legs that were killing me. The last 3 miles seemed neverending.

Will I join a full marathon? Don’t ask me when my thighs are killing me still. However when I feel ready I just might.

Legend:
Cardio – running in minutes except when indicated. I am following a training schedule.
Strength – from dvd workout, ideal is 20 minutes (equivalent to 1 pt) 3 times a week
Stretch – from dvd workout, ideal is 20 minutes (equivalent to 1 pt) 3 times a week
Daily Points – 19 pts
Bonus points – 35 pts
Activity points – from the exercises I do
Water – 6 servings is recommended
Veggies – 5 servings is recommended

My official weigh in day is Thursday. I gained 1 pound. Arggghhhh. Okay, I’ll do it the Weight Watchers way and give myself another week to panic. Damn those munchies. Another reason why I should count points.