Tag Archives: Sharon Mann

Obsessed With Omni

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When I crashed my bike a few weeks back, I managed to tear a hole in my running shoes.  Somehow, the crash ripped a small hole in the mesh on the inside of my right shoe, but it didn’t hinder my ability to run in them.  Well, if you saw my pace, you would think differently, but it really had nothing to do with the shoe.  I swear.

 

Then, last Friday I felt that familiar knee pain that usually occurs when a shoe has seen its last mile.  It’s been nearly 6 months since I bought my last pair, therefore, the timing seemed about right and honestly, I was pleased with the coincidence.

 

As much as I loved my Brooks Infiniti, I believe my weird toe pain may have been caused by a narrow toe box.  Therefore, Lee at The Running Center fitted me for a new shoe: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9.  I loved the width of the shoe and when I tested them on the treadmill, the shoes seemed fine despite having less cushion than the Infiniti.

 

Saturday morning, I couldn’t wait to test out my new shoes.  I went for a short 3 mile run, but as I drew closer to 3 mile mark, I felt a sharp pain in my heel.  I immediately stopped running and walked home.  Obviously the wrong shoes for me, I boxed up the bad boys and took them back to store.

 

Once I returned to The Running Center, I explained to staff that I loved the width of the Brooks Adrenaline, but I needed something with more cushion.  Then, entered a new option: Saucony Pro Grid Omni 8.  This shoe has lovely cushion for the pushin’, but I especially loved the stretchy mesh side panel.  However, my big toe hit the front of the shoe, which meant I had to go up a half size.  With the next size up, I felt the shoe slipping on my heel, so my new BFF at The Running Center taught me this nifty lacing trick, which incidentally also happens to be the way my running partner, Tiffany, laces her shoes.

 

 

So, in my short running career (almost three years now), I have grown a half size bigger and I’ve tested and tried 7 different styles of shoes: Asics 2130, Asics Nimbus, Asics Kensei, Asics Kanyano, Brooks Infiniti, Brooks Adrenaline and Saucony Omni.  My DH believes I’m evolving as a runner and my needs are changing.  Um…yeah…sure, we’ll go with that. 

 

This morning, I ran with my new shoes.  No weird toe pain.  No knee pain.  I only felt my happy heel hitting a nice, comfy cushion.  Too bad my BFF Sharon Mann tortured me the day before with a kickboxing and several reps of squats.  My feet and knees felt great but my quads were killing me!

 

3 Miles

Time 31:17

Pace 10:25

Back in the Saddle Again

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I must have burned myself out with my sprint work on Tuesday, because I seem to be lacking some steam over the past few days.  I can’t seem to summon the energy to even get out of bed, which could be a sign that I’m overtraining in this ridiculous heat.  Plus, my allergies have been taking a toll on me over the past week, but at least I haven’t had an asthma attack! :-P

 

Usually, I’m an early riser (around 5:00), but as of late, I find myself waking up around 7:30.  When these rare occasions of oversleeping occur, my body needs the rest therefore I give in to it and sometimes without choice.  Unfortunately, it screws with my training schedule, but if I am indeed overtraining, then the rest is necessary and truly welcomed.

 

Since I missed my run on Wednesday, my BFF Sharon Mann tortured me with a boot camp muscle conditioning routine.  Between squats, lunges and sore calves from my sprint work on Tuesday, my legs were killing me.  Two days later, my quads still hurt.

 

Thursday, I wanted to fit in a 4 mile run since I intend to run 8 miles on Saturday.  But once again, I woke up late which caused me to run after 7:30 a.m. and would hinder any runner’s performance.  Florida runners have a rule of thumb to avoid the brutal summer heat: not after 7:30 and not before 7:30 p.m.  Running at 7:30 a.m. was definitely a struggle for me to say the least.  With the humidity, the blazing summer sun and sore calves, I forced myself to finish the four miles.

 

4 miles

Time 40:47

Pace 10:07

 

At least while in the blazing sun, I could work on my tan as I have a lovely tan line across my waist from my running shorts.

 

Today, I wanted to run 3 miles and bike 10 miles, but slept through that work-out too.  So although I skipped the run, I did ride 10 miles.  Since my quads are still sore, it was a really tough ride.  Somehow, I seemed to perform better last week with a bruised who-ha.  Not that I want to repeat that, mind you!  I will happily go slower to keep all my girlie parts in tact.

 

Bike-10 miles

Time 43:19

Speed 13.9 mph

 

And in case you’re wondering…no, I did not fall off my bike. 

 

 

At the start of my ride, Kelly, drove passed me and I gave a little wave.  It got a bit shaky there for a moment, but I didn’t fall.  Note to self: give a cordial nod when riding bike to avoid a nasty spill.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

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Since the Striders participated in the River Rap Run on Saturday, no run was scheduled at the trail this week.  Given this news, Tiffany, Amanda and I fell back into our usual running routine and met for an early Sunday morning run once again.

 
Admittedly, when I woke up on Saturday morning, I was thankful not to be running.  With no signs of a hangover, I survived the after-party of the tap house run, but not the race.  My legs were killing me and I felt so dehydrated, which are all signs of overtraining.  Between trying to increase my speed and the Juneathon, my calves and hamstrings were rebelling and my body begged for a day of rest.

 

On Sunday, I wanted to run 8 miles but with my legs complaining, I decided to take it easy.  Since Amanda runs much slower than me, she helped me slow down my pace quite a bit and my legs were thankful.

 

However, by the time 8:30 a.m. rolled around, I had only gone 7 miles and I couldn’t bare the heat any longer.  We will definitely need to start earlier if we going to move at a snail’s pace while still attempting to add on the miles.

Time: 1:21:33

Pace: 11:38

 

When I left my house for this morning’s run, the air felt cooler.  With all the moisture in the air, small patches of fog materialized around me and a cool breeze seemed to follow the fog.   Some small gray clouds also hovered in the sky and it appeared that rain could be in today’s forecast.

 

But another type of storm approached, as I stretched before my run.  My stalker drove past me and different type of chill came over me.  I’ve managed avoiding him for some time now and the look on his face seemed very displeased with my absence.  Thankfully, he hurried on his way to work and I dodge another interaction with him.

 

Once the magnificent orange sphere began to rise, the cool air and fog began to disappear.  At that point, I was nearly finished with my run and happy to have avoided the heat and my stalker.

3.02

Time: 30:11

Pace: 9:58

 

As for my 3 mile run, my legs were still a bit sore and complaining, but, I felt like I needed to torture myself do a bit more.  After my run, I broke my back did some Pilates with my BFF Sharon.

Sunday Running Log #12

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My training had quite a set back this week due to the funk I caught.  Terrible aches all over caused me to spend most of the week lying on the couch.  It hurt just thinking about standing, so running was out of the question.

 

Saturday, my legs felt as if I ran marathon.  Can you get sore from sitting around doing nothing?  I tried some yoga to help stretch out the soreness and to ready my muscles for a long run the next day.  The yoga definitely helped with the soreness. 

 

Then, a cold snap hit on Saturday night.  With my body not fully recovered from the funk combined with the cooler weather, I overslept on Sunday morning and only ran 6 miles.

 

The roads were unusual quiet for Sunday morning.  I didn’t spot another runner and there was no church traffic or sleeping it off tailgating traffic.  I suppose a lot of people overslept.  Cold snaps have a tendency to cause everyone to start hibernating.

 

This week, I plan to get back on track with my training.  Today, I will do some yoga with my BFF Sharon Mann.  Tuesday, I will 3 miles.  I will run 7 mile on Wednesday and 4 miles on Thursday.  On Sunday, I will attempt my longest run yet: 15 miles. 

 

I heard my running partner, Tiffany, didn’t make it to 15 miles this week either.  Hopefully, next Sunday we will both be back on track.

Loopy for Longleaf

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As previously mentioned, I have a sponsor flipping the bill for me to compete in the Longleaf Triathlon on Sunday, October 19.  This sprint consists of a 1/4 mile swim, 9 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run.  

 

Did I happen to mention that the 1/4 mile swim is in a LAKE?  See, here in Florida, we don’t have your typical freshwater lakes like ya’ll do up north.  We have mucky, green algae cesspools where water moccasins and alligators live.  However, I’m not so worried about the creatures getting me as the microscopic critters and Killer Amoeba that may find its way into my nose.  I just hope my swim cap helps keep the brain eating organisms out of my ears.

 

As for my training,  I missed my long Sunday run this week because my family and I spent the day at Sea World (more about that later).  On Monday, I was too hung over tired to even think about any kind of work-out. 

 

On Tuesday, I ran 4.03 miles in 40:44 in the dark early morning.  From the sewers, I heard gurgling noises of an angry clown.  Either the sewer maintenance men only retrieved part of him or they really pissed him off which caused him to make those unearthly sounds.

 

 

Wednesday morning, my DH left early for work, which meant no run for me.  Instead, I kick boxed with my BFF, Sharon Mann. 

 

Today, I squeezed in some triathlon training, by running 4.12 miles in 41:16 and biking 10:13 miles in 44:45.  Not the greatest time, but at least I didn’t fall off my bike.

 

Friday, I will run another short distance 4-5 miles.  Saturday, I would like run a short distance (~2 miles) and swim 12 laps.

Chick in Chaos, Part 5

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I think I started sobering up from my long weekend away with my girlfriends sometime on Wednesday.  It is safe to assume the weekend was completely wasted in more ways then one. 

 

Last Friday, Lori and I ran on the beach, but were easily distracted by the gorgeous seashells along the shore.  We would run a few steps then stop to grab a sand dollar or a conch.  Not the best run, but some really spectacular seashelling.

 

Since I drank myself into a stupor on Friday, there was not a snowball’s chance in hell I would be able to run on Saturday.  Late night binge drinking mixed with constant chitchatting makes a great sleep deprivation cocktail, but it’s a small price to pay when spending a fantastic time on the beach with your girlfriends.

 

As for the rest of this week, so far I have only managed one 3.5 mile run and not much other training.  I have spent most of the week sleeping and catching up on housework.  Even the ladies in my mommy group started to wonder about my absence from the Internet.  Plus, my DH is out of town which means I will be lucky to squeeze in some Sharon Mann time in the next couple of days.  I can only hope that this Sunday I will be back on track with my usual long Sunday run.

 

Next Saturday is the Chaotic Coteeman Triathlon and I am really worried about my performance since my training has taken a huge hit in the last week.  Fortunately, my friend, Leslie, lent me her bike. (It’s a real racing bike, which she won at the Babes and Bums Triathlon.  Hopefully, no old men will be passing me this time!)  Now, I just need to fit in an 11 mile bike ride some time before the race.  But before I even think about riding that thing, I need to buy a comfy seat.  I wouldn’t want to bruise my bodacious badunkadunk while training!

Insomnia Sucks

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I am such a slacker.  I haven’t run at all this week.  Normally, I wake up around 5:30 a.m., check my e-mail, blog for a bit and then set off for my morning run around 6:15 a.m.  But this week, I find myself waking up at 2:00 a.m. and staying awake for a couple of hours.  It’s terrible.  I long for 40 more winks, but instead, I lie there staring at the ceiling.  After an unsuccessful attempt to fall back to sleep, I move to the couch for some mind numbing comfort by choosing to stare at the boob tube instead of the ceiling.  Thank goodness for TNT and its early morning marathon of drama shows.  About one and a half episodes of Cold Case is my prescription for sleep. 

 

Unfortunately, this little hiccup in my slumber is causing me to sleep until 7:00 a.m. and missing my morning run.  At 7:00, my children awake ready for the usual morning routine.  By the time, I feed my girls and hurry Allana off to school, it’s too late and too hot for any running.  To make up for missing my morning runs, I have been hanging out with my best friend, Sharon Mann.  As much as I adore Sharon, even her most intensive boot camp work-out is the not the same as a good run.

 

On top of that, I have had this hung over feeling all week as a result from a long weekend.  I feel as if I can’t catch up on anything.  Although I look around my house to find the housework finished and my kids fed and bathed, I don’t really understand why I am feeling this restlessness.  It’s nothing a glass of wine or beer can’t fix.

 

Then, this afternoon, I had one of those Aha! Oprah moments.  This past week, I have been drinking caffeinated drinks in the late afternoon, like a Starbucks vanilla latte or Tazo Chai tea.  I think caffeine is the culprit keeping from counting sheep.  With this revelation, I abstained from an afternoon pick-me-up today.  We’ll see if I can get some decent shut-eye tonight and be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for my run tomorrow morning.  Hopefully, my theory is right and this little experiment better be worth missing my afternoon tea.

Chick in Chaos

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As a personal goal, I try to register for at least one race a month.  With the threat thrill of an approaching race, I find it prevents me from slacking off too much and I stay motivated and focused.  Since I thoroughly enjoyed the Babes and Bum Triathlon, I wanted to try my hand at another tri and with that, I registered for my next challenge: the Chaotic CoteeMan on September 27. 

Despite my excitement for another triathlon, I overslept this morning and missed my window of opportunity to run.  Plus, another rainy day here in the Sunshine State has put a damper on any desire to exercise.  UGH!  Rain makes me so lazy and I am really enjoying my pajamas today.  Once again, I am tempted by my couch and Twilight.  I must fight the temptation and pay my friend, Sharon Mann, a visit to kick this chick in shape for the chaos challenge I face next month.  Besides, I need to do something to avoid eating the banana bread and The Hungry Housewife’s Winning Lemon Loaf I baked today.  My badunkadunk butt thanks you, Leslie.  Pass the fat pants and hand over the cookie.

The Monkey Wrench

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My DH had to go into work early today, which threw a monkey wrench in today’s plan.  So, no early morning run for me.  It’s o.k., though.  I’m a mom and flexibility is my middle name!  LOL

With that, I turned to my good ol’ reliable friend, Sharon Mann and she happily kicked my butt for about an hour.    I love her boot camp and kick-boxing work-outs.  I want to be Sharon when I grow up.  Could I at least have her abs?

I digressed.  Back on track tomorrow!  Wednesday will be my running day.