Well....

So I finally sat down and worked out my distance for yesterdays run (long story, but I didn't have my Nike pod in my shoe as i'd put them in my new shoes to try out and forgot to change them back), and as suspected, I lied, I didn't do 18, I did 14.2. I thought it was a tad short......:0)

Oh well, this week was supposed to be a 14 anyway, with next week an 18, but as i'm doing a half marathon race next weekend i'd switched them over. I'm moving into Jenny and Dougs next weekend too (did I mention TIME FLIES!), which will actually work out great for the race, as they live about 2 miles from the start - so i'll run to the start and run back, thereby making it up to pretty darn close to 18 miles next weekend. I'm not sure i'll feel like that was such a good idea next weekend on the way back, but ah well, at least i'll have done the miles, all be it a little broken up!

Hope you're all having a good one, on the cards for today is....you guessed it....packing! And we're moving my large plant pots to Laura's house, as she's going to take them over. First, it must be nap time! I'm already a big fan of midday napping (really need to land a job in Spain!), but with all this running, I seem to need the naps more, especially since my schedule has been so crazy it's been 5-6hrs max at night for me for the last couple of weeks.

Damariscotta Webcam

Check out the webcam from the village in Maine the Darling Marine Center is just down the road from - http://www.mainecoastbookshop.com/webcam2.html

There's a rumor on the loose that just up the coast there is snow......already.....31st October! As I sit here tucked up in my blankets at 74F, I know i'm pretty much in for it......!

I think I have a shoe problem.....

My new running shoes arrived this week. My neighbors were laughing - "why are their boxes arriving when you're leaving so soon!". If only they knew.....

I couldn't find my running shoes around the island (except in one store that wanted $20 over internet price), so I ordered online. Here's what I ended up getting....

A new pair of Nike Structure Triax (left), the shoe that ended my shin splints so i'm sticking to like glue. While Road Runner Sports had free shipping I decided it was more economic to buy the trail running version of the same shoe (right - 'aint they pretty!) at the same time  to get me psyched up for running in Maine - can I hear a woot woot? The difference I hear you ask - the trail running version is water-resistant (gore-tex), has a grippier sole, slightly more cushion and nifty things like a sewn in tongue to stop water getting in there. And they are purple. Why oh why don't they make the road running version in purple? Why oh why don't my feet and legs like running shoes that are actually purple? Since the rest of my life is purple, there is a mystery....

clockwise from left: My first marathon shoes (structure triax 12, 500+ miles), my current running shoes (100 miles), my new trail shoes (0 miles) and my new road running shoes (0 miles)

My kingdom of shoes. I should put all these outside the door then my neighbors would really think i'm hiding dead bodies in my 300 sq ft house! Kidding aside, this shot actually makes me feel better about this purchase I really could have done without right now. Look at the difference between my current running shoes and the new ones. I can't believe how worn they look already at 100 miles in (the blue ones were also originally white mesh, not grey!), and there is another 189 miles to go before the marathon!

By the time the marathon comes along, I could have risked injury just having the one pair of shoes. Last year I got a stress fracture in my foot from the marathon, probably because i'd worn the same shoes throughout the training as I did in the race, now at least i'll have a pair i'll gently break-in, and i'm more likely to get to Maine still being able to walk (a bonus!).

I really thought when I first started running you could throw on any shoes and just go. Shin splints taught me I needed to have the right shoe that supports in the right places. Now returning shin and knee pain have taught me you need to keep track of how many miles your shoes have - running shoes average between 300 - 500 miles a pair before they need to be replaced, and I learnt that the hard way! In normal running that would probably last me a year, in marathon training those miles add up fast. The program i'm on sees around 450 miles in training over 12 weeks to get you ready - and that's the novice level!

The other thing in my parcel? Easy Laces! These bungee laces were really an awesome find (my friend Laura bought me a pair for xmas!) - not only are they super easy for the on and off (great after a hard workout, and awesome for plane security lines!), but they also support my foot so much better during running than normal laces - not too tight, even so no hard spots and just enough flex. I stopped having foot aches and pinches, and stopped having to re-tie laces a dozen times on runs when I discovered these. I've tried another companies bungee laces too - Easy Laces are my favorite - and I needed another pair to put on my trail runners - don't they look good!

The only problem.....

Nike laces are NICE! Anyone need laces for stocking stuffers??

This week saw me run 34 miles (18 miles today!) - my third longest week (Marathon week is number 2 at 36.2 miles and in 3 weeks I have a 40 miler) - so i'm off to have some ice cream! Hope you all have a good weekend and Happy Halloween!

Packing....

My office, half packed......also a storage area for boxes, because....

....there is literally no room for any packing boxes in the lab right now. It is packed to the gills down there, both with "stuff" and with people. At the moment we have 7 people vying for time in there. In 1.5 weeks i'm closing the lab, as in 2 weeks, the container arrives and we need time to clean equipment, turn it off, and pack it! 

I thought sending all the samples would free up some room down there, however it looks like all the shelves are just being filled up once again. Good thing i'm going to be getting nearly treble the amount of lab space in Maine, I need it! 

Three Things Thursday!

Haliewa Beach Park. 

1. There is still 185 unclaimed miles to sponsor me for! Be sure to check out my SADS Fundraising page to help me through those painful training miles!

2. The move. It's happening. And it's happening soon. On friday it'll be exactly 2 weeks until the container arrives. It's less than 2 weeks until I close the lab. Everyone is going nuts in there, and the sink got totally blocked on monday slowing down progress (one of the joys of owning your own lab, having to go out and buy $100 worth of drain-o). It's really happening....

3. I start teaching next friday. Argh. I actually enjoy this course, but the first few lectures kind of suck for topics (evolution - always a fun one when half your audience is creationist), it'll be a week before I get into the fun marine stuff, the lectures I actually enjoy giving. But I guess that's why I get paid the big (ha ha) bucks.....

Where's Belle?

There she is! My little car is just 24hrs out of LA onboard the MV Mahimahi (that's tuna in Hawaiian!). After this i'm not going to be able to track her though, so i'm a little scared. I think i'm a little too attached to my car.....

Loving in running!

Loving my rocking North Face Eat My Dust run skirt! I've had this for about 6 months and adore it (it has compression shorts under to stop my rugby player thighs rubbing), this photo was taken after this mornings 16 miler! Don't love - that I got it in closeout so can't get another, and definitely don't love that my house is filled with boxes, ug. I also kind of love how this photo makes me look way skinnier than I am in reality right now, must be my best angle....:0)

Loving Espresso Love and Island Nectars Gu! These, and Vanilla, are my favorites. I love love love the Island Nectars, I did get this box free though through a GU offer, and am not sure i'd fork out again for the "Roctanes" (it's not like I go fast enough to really need those!), but it tastes just like Mai Tais, and who doesn't need a Mai Tai at mile 20??

And my Amphipod! I love Amphipods, this is the Run Lite Air Stretch, just picked it up the other day and tried it on todays long one - love it! It is so hot here, and in certain areas water fountains are not placed the ideal distances. It's also good to take along some energy drink powder to fuel up alongside the GU. I love that it's velcro, my previous low budget one was a buckle, and so hard to adjust mid run, this one is awesome and really doesn't bounce at all. When I walked I lowered it on my hips, when I ran I revelcro-ed it higher up. The one I got is a little too large (the only size they had, and a coupon I had runs out soon), so I need to sew some more velcro on there today, an afternoon project.....after those boxes.....

Skirt Sports

I'm such a sucker for "kit", but man, isn't this Skirt Sports running skirt so darn pretty!?! No, I haven't ordered it........i'm trying to be good.....but it is purple and has flowers on it........and it benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society........anyone need an xmas present idea??

This is what happens when I look around the internet for new running shoes.....

Three things Thursday

I noticed this around the Blogosphere, and thought i'd join in. It's a way to express three things that are on your mind, in an all be it random manner. Since I often come out with random thoughts throughout the day, taking part in this really appeals....:0)

1. I wonder if my friend Ali will have had her baby by the time this is posted tomorrow AM (i'm writing this Weds night while icing my leggies from running, as if I did it thursday night, for most of you it would be friday already!). She went into labor today, a week early, so I certainly hope so!

2. I miss my car. Pathetic I know, but I do. It's really a sign this is all happening. Keep telling myself i'm moving to the most beautiful place in the world and that makes me feel better about it. The best thing is that that is true too.

3. I am also sad because it's time to say goodbye to last years marathon shoes. In an effort to preserve my "new" shoes (~30 miles on them) for the marathon so they're still a little squishy, i've been wearing my old shoes (~400 miles on them) in the week and just using the new ones for weekends. Jenny warned me about wearing my old shoes this weekend, and I so should have listened. Today my 8 mile got turned into my 4 mile as my shins are KILLING me. So I ended up walking a lot today to try and make sure I don't damage myself, as there isn't time to heal. So that pretty much means i'm going to put out and buy yet another pair of running shoes (if anyone tells you running is a cheap sport, slap them), as otherwise my "new" shoes won't be in too good a shape by Dec 12th to go the distance. Bye bye first marathon shoes, i'll always think of you fondly!

Impossible is Nothing

Impossible is not a fact.
It's an opinion.

Impossible is not a declaration.
It's a dare.

Impossible is potential.
Impossible is temporary.

Bye bye Beach Belle

Maybe I should re-name you to Snow Belle when we get to Maine!

A day at the beach.

Today we celebrated Laura's birthday with a beach day - yeah! I can't remember the last time I spent ALL day at the beach, but it's been a really long time (like, I don't think i've done it since moving to Hawaii!). The day started with some diving, followed by a picnic, more diving and more picnic! Over two dives we saw octopus, white tip reef sharks, moray eels, tons of reef fish (including two purple wrasse who were so cute!) and lots and lots of turtles! After the disappointment of Alaska diving (or lack there of), it was so nice to get in the water with good friends.

Can't get a much better sunday than that, and it was super nice to not spend the weekend packing! Tomorrow a big day, my car is leaving the island, i'm dropping it off at the shipping port tomorrow morning bright and early. Gulp!

Cordellia, Me, Laura and Jeff ready for a fun dive at the Haleiwa Trench! Why am I wearing a hood and gloves? Just trying out some of Laura's kit she likes for cold-water diving, so I have an idea of what I need for Maine!

A paddleboarder rides out at sunset.

Sunset over Kaena Point.

Hope you all had a good weekend too!

$1 a mile!

I'm much more of a passive fundraiser than active, I just don't have the time these days to actively pursue people and put in the groundwork to raise large sums. So i've set a modest goal this year to raise $1 per training mile between now and the marathon - a total of $285 - for the SADS Foundation, a foundation that is dedicated to raising awareness of Sudden Arrhythmia Death (also known as Sudden Adult Death), and in particular genetic heart conditions that are often the cause of unknown and unexplainable fatalities. I am running in honor of my sister, Sophie Megan, who we lost to SADS seven years ago.

Here is my fundraising site - $1 = 1 mile of my pain - you know you want to lay claim to my pain! I'll put a link up on the sidebar too. If I get to my goal of $285, maybe i'll even try and get a better time than last year......:0)

Regardless of whether you can donate to this great cause (I never have the money to sponsor people so totally understand!), please do take a moment to look over the SADS Foundation website and help spread the word. Since Sophie's death I now know 3 people who have gone through similar experiences with a loved one, so this is amazingly common, yet so few people know about it. Many Arrhythmia syndromes have been identified through research, many warning signs identified, and many are now treatable. With more public awareness and research, many more sudden, unexplainable deaths will be prevented.

10-10-10

Anything special happened to you? No? Didn't think so.....:0)

Today was a good day though, I finally got caught up on sleep (it's been a long week of early mornings and late nights), especially after yesterdays 10 miler (which went surprisingly awesome!). So although I still woke up at 5am, I stayed in bed and managed to snooze some more until 7, then ate breakfast in bed doodling on the net. My kind of morning....:0)

Then I went on a hike with a bunch of people from work. We did the Williwilinui trail, which goes right up a ridge into the center of Oahu. It started out hot, but unfortunately the clouds came in before we got to the top, so no long views for us, but it was so so nice to be out and hiking, and I came back covered in mud, sweaty and happy....:0) I did forget my camera though - doh! So excuse the poor quality photos from my phone!

The gang

Part of the trail - it was pretty good, but we were lucky it hadn't rained in a few days, otherwise it would have been super slippy!

Insert view over Kailua on the windward side here.....

Another cool thing happened this weekend. On saturday I ran my 10 miler around Diamondhead, and I am now officially over 500 miles on my mile counter (which started just after I finished my first half marathon - my first try at running - and so is a little low!) - woo hoo! Zero miles to 500 miles in just over a year. That makes me happy too!

Hope everyone had a happy weekend too!

Little helper!

Had a fun few hours late this afternoon with little H. Hung around work for a bit, then went back to my place for me to change quickly, but someone got into the packing supplies and was having a ball so we hung around at my place before heading home to see mamma and dadda for pizza! 

Nice duck tape....though it'd be better purple! 

"up up", the new word of the day! 

Still a little climber. My giant white chair was a hit! 

Especially since it meant she could reach the key rack. 

Keys are still a huge favorite! 

Bubble wrap isn't bad either! 

Play date

Tomorrow afternoon I have a play-date with Hannah while Jenny goes for a haircut, and i'm so excited about it, what an awesome way to end a friday! Not sure what we're going to do yet, we probably have 2hrs max, so maybe a visit to the play-park is in order. The picture above is one from this summer, before I headed to Alaska, taken by Jenny, so cute! Since I got back she's started calling out for me on a regular basis apparently, my name is Mary, but we're working on that (she has an Aunty Mary who she's learning by photos and has us a little confused!). Jenny said they dropped by the mall on their way home the other day and as soon as they got in there she started calling "Mary, Mary!". Pretty funny...:0)

In other news I sat and packed another box tonight. Wrapped fragile items in bubble wrap and have cleared a couple of shelves. In work I packed all my books this week. Boxes are starting to be a feature, guess that's not going to go away for a while. I also flaked on running this week. Argh. Wasn't feeling too good and my shin has been hurting, so combined it seemed good to take it easy this week, so I walked into work a bunch instead. Still going to do my 10 miles this weekend. No matter what "dont' skimp on the long runs" is what they all say, so 10 miles I shall.....even if I walk it.....:0)

The Sound of Science

Love this!

Which Gu are you?

Marathon training has hit it's mid point - today I did a half marathon - 2hrs and 25 minutes - 20 minutes shorter than i've run that distance before - yeah! To celebrate the beginning of really long runs, I bought a box of mixed flavor GUs, to try and mix up my mid-run nutrition a bit more (I pretty much have stuck to lemon lime or vanilla). GUs have done me well through long runs (1hr+), the texture sucks (imaging chugging a bottle of corn syrup if you haven't tried these), but it really does give that much needed boost of energy and keeps you going. Unfortunately, as nice as it sounded, Chocolate Outrage is not for me, maybe i'll try the mint chocolate next week....:0)

So this weeks training -

Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 7 miles
Thursday - 4 miles
Saturday - 15 miles

Wish me luck!

The difference between you and me....

From XKCD Comics

Happy Weekend!