I was really excited to run the Jolly Holly 5k this year. I signed up as soon as registration opened up.
The last time I ran this race was November 27, 2015. I ran it one month after running my BQ (PR) marathon at Steamtown and 1 week before my PR half marathon at Rehoboth. It was a great race where I PR'd my 5k with a 24:02.
2015 was such a good, great year!!
The Jolly Holly is held the day after Thanksgiving at 6:00 at night right before the Christmas parade.
For Thanksgivi
My last bloop was a collection of what I saw while spectating the marathon spectators. I had a pretty good view as I ran the 26.2 miles through and around downtown Charlotte.
Training was half-hearted. I didn't put in sufficient weekly miles nor was I consistent at speed work. With everything else going on in life, I was somewhat apathetic about it too. I combined that with a cold 3 days before and a fairly consistent 15 - 20mph wind on race day. To ensure a painful day, I started with the
This shirt is old and fadedAll the color's washed awayI've had it now for more damn yearsThan I can count anyway
-- the prophet m.c. carpenter i have a confession: i did not run the 2015 marshall marathon.
choosing a shirt to run in is easy. i reach in the pile, pull something out at random, and take a nap while i drive to the mad dog start line. it’s not until a ways down the trail that i become curious about what i’m wearing.
shirts are an odd thing. i don’t want to be presumptuous w
After that dreadmill run I had three fun ones, since the weather got decent for a few days. An easy 5.5 out and back on the Target path, a slow uphill (150 feet) out and quick downhill (150 feet) back on Seven Mile. They've extended the walkway along the road for another half mile past Haggerty Road. Someday they're supposed to complete a walking/biking park all the way to Northville Road (2 miles), but this is at least better than it used to be. Fun to see a 7 in the pace - first one of those i
Part 1 of my White River race recap is here, and part 2 here.
A PR is a PR, and as Steph Bruce quoted, "You're not allowed to be disappointed with a PR because it's the best you've ever done". I'm embarrassed to admit that I have been disappointed with PRs, many times - but I have recently come a long way with not letting the disappointment of not meeting a higher expectation overshadow doing something I've never done before! It's rare (unheard of?) to have everything align perfectly for
Part 1 of my White River race recap is here.
The first mile of this race contains a significant downhill, and then the course follows a curvy road along the river out and back 6.05ish miles. My plan was to start at my goal pace, 6:05, which would be like 6:25 effort (per Strava's grade adjusted pace) on mile one, making it kind of a "free" mile. Last time I ran the race, many runners went out ridiculously fast on the downhill, so I expected that again. I eased out and while I felt like I
The short:
When a race really excites me, I just know it's a good idea! Once I brought up the possibility of racing the White River Half 2 weeks after the Indy Monumental Marathon and 2 weeks before the California International Marathon, I became almost giddy with excitement about the option. My coach and I talked it over, and since I recover well and would be doing my biggest workout of this very abbreviated training cycle on November 24 anyway, we decided to go for it! I ended up winn
Hi folks. I think most of you know me, but maybe you've forgotten all about me. Nah, no one forgets Apple Pie! 😁
A quick recap: I ran on and off for most of my life. I was on the cross country team, but to be truthful that was more kicking my own rear end to get in shape for wrestling season each year. I was never at the front of the pack, but never really bothered about not being there either. In 2010, after not running for a few years, I was sitting on my couch feeling kinda sedenta
First, thanks to all the old-timers for popping up with a bloop. Nice to know the Loop is still breathing.
November has been a big bust for me. Six weeks ago I was on track for another record mileage year, over 1500 miles. But my long string of mostly injury-free running came to an end as I tweaked a ligament just below my ankle. Ah well. Luckily it was AFTER my trail marathon, so it didn't ruin any big plans. So I vowed to take some time off and let it heal.
Sadly, it is like most of
Some of the most amazing humans I call my friends I met through the Loop. Some I've still never met in person (KRG!) and some I've even vacationed to go see (Moose and Countess FiFi!).
Life has been "interesting" the past 2 years but I have nothing epic to post pics of and most of you are friends with me on FB and/or follow me on IG so you see the high points. My big win for 2019 was a trip with hubby Chris to northern Arizona where we did all the tourist hot spots. He loved the Grand C
1) When given a gift don't look it in the mouth.... Ummm I don't think that's quite right...
Friday's weather was supposed to be beautiful. Saturday's was to be super blustery. I did the old switcheroo on the training plan and ran 9 on Friday and 5 on Saturday.
I ran Friday's 9 @ 9:39 on all of the surfaces. I found a dirt road that says private road/ Do Not Enter .... ( I'm sure doesn't apply to me, right?) that connects to a pine needle/ sand trail that connects to the huge shopping
I’ve always loved camping. Particularly backpacking. Putting everything you need to survive on your back and walking into the wilderness for days or weeks at a time is tremendously freeing. You’re no longer bound by calendars and emails and due dates; when your next food and shelter are not guaranteed the volume on those alarms and LED notifications is turned down considerably. And few things bring me the same joy as the horrified look on the faces of people I encounter after walking out of the
Somehow, despite my best efforts at willpower, I can't resist a garbo mandate. So here I am.
Nothing to see here, however. Injury after injury, all involving left foot. This time I was working slowly back to running, doing intervals of one minute run, one and a half minutes walk, and did a 5k that way in early November (PW of 45 minutes, but I was kind of excited to think it was a beginning.) Woke up the next morning in pain (surgical ankle) and am now going through the familiar routine of w
It's 42 and rainy with winds up to 30 mph and I'm walking through a crime riddled ghost town of a neighborhood to run a 5K that I have no idea if I'll be able to run. I'm meeting Frenchie there. It's his third race ever and he's been doing so well. This one has a medal and I am determined for him to get a medal. It's why I made him sign up and why I didn't tell him that 40's and rainy is the worst weather to run in. It's why I didn't stay bundled up at home. It's why I didn't just call it
I didn’t know the Loop lived. I guess I am stuck in the past! Thanks for the heads up Garbo! II have done nothing spectacular since my last bloop years ago. Come to think of it, I have done nothing spectacular in the past 62 years. Well off to save the World. and pick up a pie.
Fellow Loopsters,
I heard there was some sort of Loop comeback for Thanksgiving – and so here I am. Plus, Garbanzo’s threats in case of non-compliance are nothing to joke about. Blame it on his scary hirsute looks of late, I’m not taking any chances on upsetting him.
But… how do you condense more than two years of absence in a format that’s vaguely interesting enough not to bore every reader to death?And that can be also enjoyed by analphabets worldwide? “Stuff yer bloop with pictures!
Every day this week I wanted to sit down and chronicle this last trip. Don't know that I'd call it an epic adventure, but there were plenty of highlights and interesting new experiences.
Where to start.
I'll go back all the way for review, in case anyone needs a refresher. Connor, my #2, finished his masters in Public Health last spring and had been trying to get work in the field ever since. Those who have or who know someone who has been in the job market understands how discouraging
I have officially become a Loopster MIA. I’m not even lurking lately *hangs head in shame* both here and on Loopville. To be fair, what used to be the Loop is now like an empty ballroom after a big party… the majority of the people have disappeared for sleep, Uber, bigger parties elsewhere, or waking up on a friend’s couch without pants on, not remembering how they got there. Except for Dave lingering to drink a little more cake and punch and Gwen requesting one more song from the DJ and Sara da
Charlotte Marathon Spectating the Spectators report
• Women in animal costumes - at least they look warm.
• And more of them.
• There's Dustin.
• Guy in red fleece onesie style pajamas with snowflake print - and his dog.
• "Good job! You got this! Keep it up! Looking strong! Gatorade! Water! Almost there!"
• This DJ is playing a Stevie Wonder song - wait that's a band and a guy singing - good impersonation!
• There's Dustin again.
• Tissues offe
I have an appointment with a trusted podiatrist tomorrow. I have been doing tons of research and putting much thought into a cortisone injection for my ankle. I think that when I initially injured it that the inflammation from that caused a domino affect of inflammation all throughout. I’m hoping that if I can get that under control that maybe it will finally heal.
I hope so. I’m finally admitting that I’m injured and I’m kinda sad about it.
I think that we can all lear
I certainly hope Dave gets home to bake us all the pie we earned. He seems to have gotten lost in the PNW.
*** Pie picture stolen from Dave’s FB page. It’s easy to steal when no one is home. I’m hoping he puts turkeys on for decoration.
It was one of those weird Tejas Trails night races a long time ago. Gumbo knows them.
They swerve all over the place. The old RD was big on packing a bunch of race into a small course.
I was having a lousy night. Trail running on a technical course in the dark isn't as much fun as the brochure would indicate. I should probably get a flashlight. I was toodling (yes, that's a technical trail term) along, looking for ribbons or markers or glowing squirrels or anything that might suggest I
I asked Daddy-O if Ernie Pooks Running Shoes was coming back to the Gram any time soon. Well, EPRS appeared today!
I have to post as agreed by contract. No Doubt.
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I was listening to a Marathon Training Academy podcast the other day. Lots of driving of late - It’s My Life.
Usually I only like the RRs but they were interviewing an author in this episode. Susan Lacke. She is a triathlete, runner, former alcoholic and smoker who is deaf.
She wrote a book titled Running O
I guess I’ll try writing a race report. This will be the first race report since I wrote about my first marathon a little over a year ago.
Yep - Marshall was my first and I did a second at the end of March this year. It was the Carmel Marathon and it didn’t go as well as Marshall. I went a little more aggressive and blew up around 20 miles like so many do. Enough about that.
So not long after Carmel, I decided that I wanted to do a 50K trail race. For years, I’ve been far more into tra
The Short:
It's no secret that I went to Indy with the goal of running 2:45:00 or better. I truly felt like my fitness was there, whereas before my past OTQ attempts I've always felt more comfortable with 6:20ish but tried anyway since that is so close to the 6:17 average needed. My pace plan was 6:20 for the first 10K, then 6:15 from there on, dropping lower towards the end if I was up for it - and although I never looked at my watch I averaged 6:19 for the first 10K and 6:14 from there
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