10 Random Things...

Found this on a few blogs, so thought I would partake. Here are 10 random things about me that you may not know:

1) I'm obsessed with numbers and calculations. In races or any run where time is a relevant factor, I am constantly trying to calculate what I need to run to get to X time, what pace I need to run, etc. It's somewhat annoying, but actually gets me through run a lot quicker.

2) On that tangent, I have a little OCD with even numbers. It's hard to explain. For instance, when I chew food, I have to chew and even number of times. I have to step an even number of times. I have to have the volume on an even number, etc. For those who wonder about odd number miles I run, I make sure to run 7.02 miles instead of 7 - it's crazy, I know.

3) I HATE racing. I hate the butterflies before the race, I hate thinking about the race, I hate the feeling of pushing myself to limits I rarely go. I hate stressing myself over every detail and if I could have done any more.

4) I LOVE racing. I love the competition, I love outkicking someone down the stretch, I love winning age group prizes, I love the preparation that goes into training and the hard work I have done, I love PRing, and most of all I love achieving any goal I have set for myself and looking back at the hard work that it took to get there.

5) I am such a woman when it comes to race apparel. I plan out race outfits for major races well in advance, spend hours online searching for the perfect jersey/shorts to wear, it is pretty sickening. It is like a girl trying to find a prom dress - just awful.

6) Favorite cities I have ever run in - New York City, Chicago, and Denver. NYC is just a world within a huge city, and the architecture is absolutely spellbinding. Obviously, the marathon was one of my top 5 moments ever, but also remember a great run Shane and I did during our baseball trip one morning - hungover as hell, but just did a big city loop downtown with the biggest buldings surrounding us. Chi, the Lakefront is my home away from home. I have run countless miles on it, raced on it, the works. One of my most favorite runs ever was the 2-3 miles we did the day before the marathon last year - had our entire group out there, just going at a nice, easy pace, and enjoyed the day with Lake Michigan to one side and downtown in the background. Denver is one of the most scenic cities period. Great downtown area, parks everywhere, mountains in the background. The long run Timmy and I did a few months ago was a lot of fun, and I was pretty much staring around in awe at everything during our run.

7) When I started running, I couldn't run without my Ipod - just couldn't focus, and the runs were so long without music! Now, don't need the Ipod, I just play classical music in my head of pieces I have performed in. I don't understand my weird brain, but I remember almost every orchestra/symphony piece I have ever performed - I swear my brain is like an archive for all those pieces. Beethoven's 5th, Pines of Rome, Finlandia, Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings, Russlan and Ludmilla - there's a 10 mile run right there.

8) On that tangent, best song/music to play in my head when I'm doing a hard workout sans music player? John Williams' Olympic March. Just motivates me like crazy, so inspiring, and makes me want to run through a wall. Symbolizes excellence and the best of the best, which I strive to achieve.

9) My secret before big races? 2 beers at dinner. Probably not the best idea, but usually calms the nerves and helps me sleep better.

10) Before races, I make it a point to try to find dirt to rub between my hands. Why is this? I picked it up from the movie Gladiator - Russell Crowe's character Maximus would rub dirt in his hands before battle. I think it might help with sweaty palms? Anyways, I use that as a precursor to visualize the race and help me get focused.

Tuesday, had a long day at work that was pretty stressful, got out for a nice run. Weather was low 40's, and it was late so chillier than normal. Just did a basic loop around town, strapped on my Ipod and away I went! Felt pretty good, pushed it harder than I should have but I had a lot on my mind. Total mileage: 7 miles - went sans watch, ran somewhere between 51-54 minutes.

Wednesday, worked kind of late, got home and met up with Mike so was running the long run with me. We had scheduled an 18 miler, so I broke it up into 6 mile intervals. Had been a pretty sunny day, and the skies were clear so had a little more time to play with on the trails. Did 3 out and back before it got pretty dark, then did my 6 mile loop around town which has some hills here and there. Felt pretty decent - last loop, nothing crazy to report, but went by pretty quickly. Traffic had let up at that point, so didn't have too many issues crossing streets. Negative split every 6 miler, glad that was over with. Total mileage: 18.25 miles - splits were: 8:54, 8:34, 8:30, 8:31, 8:25, 8:21, 8:27, 8:27, 8:20, 8:10, 8:14, 8:14, 8:13, 8:15, 8:06, 8:09, 8:02, 7:56.

Legs feel pretty good, albeit a little tired. Lots of big runs the last week, so don't want to go too nuts. Will probably take tonight off, then do a fartlek tomorrow and easy run on Saturday before the big race on Sunday!