Tag Archives: planning

14 February 2011

The Family Vacation

By Nicki

We do not take many family vacations.  Back when there was still a dad in the family unit and there were only four little ones under the age of five (doesn’t look nearly as daunting when I spell out those numbers), we drove cross country to visit my mom.  That was the type of family vacation we took then.

After the end of the marriage and with six kids under the age of 12 or 13 or 14, the trips were much smaller.  I would load them all in the car and head to HersheyPark for the day.  Yes, I consider a three hour drive to an amusement park a day trip with six kids.  But, more recently, family trips have circled around soccer tournaments and college visits.  Well, two of the children (really hard to say as all  are out of their teens but one nowadays) and I are heading to Myrtle Beach for a small vacation.

Myrtle Beach in February?  Yes! That is a vacation but not the normal family vacation.  You see I am running a marathon on Saturday of our trip.  My youngest, 16 years of age, is doing a 100K bike tour on the Sunday of our trip.  Planning is different for this type of a trip.  I need certain clothing.  Number 6 needs certain types of clothing.  Number 6 needs his bike.  I need energy gels and electrolyte drinks.  We both need water.  We both  need sleep.

So what type of planning goes into a family trip like this?  Not much.  I did my research and booked a hotel.  Unsure at that point in time who, or maybe more importantly how many, would be accompanying me, I have a suite with two double beds and a pull out sofa.  It’s a plus that the hotel is on the ocean, although I am pretty sure my room is not on the ocean side of the hotel.  It is an additional plus that the hotel is approximately at mile 10 of the marathon.  Woot!

Next on the planning was food.  I try to eat certain things before, during and after a run that is long – even though I have never run 26.2  miles before in my life (you read that right, never).  I want my pre-race breakfast that I would have if I were at home.  I want coffee.  I want oatmeal and a bagel.  I want my pre-race Gatorade01 which is on my shopping list as I type.  I want my energy gels, in the flavors I like, that do not upset my stomach.  These are also on my shopping list.  I want my post race drink, Gatorade03.  Again, on the shopping list.  Can you see what I am doing this weekend, other than a couple of short runs?

I have places where we can all eat in Myrtle Beach.  I have checked out a brew pub online.  I have a friend whose family has an Italian restaurant.  These are all in my phone or will be soon.  I also have the GPS navigator charged and it will go in the car.  I have printed directions to different places (I hate depending on one source when I am somewhere I am not familiar with).  I am ready to go.  Now it is the last of the taper and some visits with friends and then out the door Thursday night.

8 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Family, Fitness, Just my Thoughts

2 January 2011

2011 Race Schedule

By Nicki

So I know that most people list “resolutions” at the beginning of a new year.  I have already told you all where I stand on the word resolution.  I will say that some of my 2011 goals – which are in rough form at the moment but will be here soon – involve running.  I can’t imagine my life without running.  To that end, here is my 2011 race schedule to date.

Before I let you see the race plans, let me say I intend to run two marathons, four to five half marathons (five if I have issues and only run one marathon), a hand full of 5Ks and some other races that I just really loved last year.  I am planning on topping out at 1600 miles for the year.

January 2011:   The January Freeze Series hosted by the Triple Cities Runners’ Club will be my only January races.  I am not driving to Cazenovia for the Chili Chilly this year.  I am planning on running at least one, and hopefully more than one, of these 10K races at Otsiningo Park.  I also intend – for me, the girl who swore she would never run a race – to join TCRC this year.

February 2011:  My first marathon is slated for February 19th.  This is a family trip to Myrtle Beach.  Hotel room is booked.  Kids are looking forward to the trip.  Youngest thinks he will bike the day after the marathon, just not sure how far as he doesn’t want to do the 100K ride without someone else doing it with him (don’t even think of looking at me!).

March 2011:  I am going for two races in March. I am going to run the St. Patrick’s 4 miler on March 12th in Binghamton and then travel to Rock Hill for the Celebrate Life Half Marathon.  This is a beautiful race and I fully intend to be there.  There is an outside possibility I will run the Chenango Fork XV at the end of the month but not totally sure on that race yet.

April 2011:  I am running the Skunk Cabbage Half Marathon in Ithaca on April 10th.

May 2011: I am running the Mountain Goat 10 miler the first Sunday of the month.  I am hoping that it is slightly less warm – it was 80 plus at the finish last year – than last year.  I am running the inaugural Binghamton Bridge Run Half Marathon on May 15th.

June 2011:  I am running the Vestal XX on June 18th.  I am also intending to do the Red Dress Run at the end of the month. The Red Dress Run is a 5K and is held on a weeknight.

July 2011:  I am running the Boilermaker in Utica again.  I loved this race last year, even though it freaked me out to take eight minutes to reach the start line as there were so many people registered and running the race.  I am also hoping Jeanne is putting together a 5K to benefit the Newark Valley High School cross country team.  While I am not a grass runner, I had a blast at this run.

August 2011:  My friend Chris is trying to convince me to participate in the Cayuga Lake Triathlon.  I am not totally sure about this but it is August 7th.  On the running front, I am looking at the Turning Stone half marathon on August 21st.  Last year I did the Catharine Valley Half  which was a trail run sort of.  While it was nice, Turning Stone is just a couple hours away and will help me in reaching my goal of four half marathons this year.

September 2011:  I would love to head to Delaware to run in the Dogfish Dash which is a 10K but I am hoping to run a second marathon in October so will run the Ithaca 5&10 again this month.  This will be a birthday run for me this year.  Can’t think of a better way to turn 50.

October 2011:  I learned a lesson last year when I didn’t register in time to run the Wineglass Marathon that I need to plan ahead.  Unfortunately, I am now torn.  I will run either Wineglass at the beginning of October or will run the inaugural Empire marathon in Syracuse mid-October.  I do have to take into consideration that this is my son’s senior year in high school which may come into which weekend is better for me to be running a marathon.

November 2011:  I will run the Turkey Trot 8K that TCRC has as it benefits the scholarship program they have.  Last year’s Turkey Trot allowed TCRC to give out four $1000 scholarships this year.

December 2011: Again, I will register for the It’s a Wonderful Run 5K.   Hopefully, I will not feel like crap and not go to the race.  I will also run the Y’s Resolution Run at the end of the month as that was fantastic!

10 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

28 August 2010

Life Lessons from the Long Run

By Nicki

Yesterday was my longest run to date, 20 miles.  There are many reasons this is important but the biggest thing is I learned some lessons I can apply to life in general.

Plan your work and work your plan.

I have been following a plan for marathon training.  There are a few “ifs” or “buts” in that statement.  I started at week six as I didn’t decide I was going to run an October marathon until after I ran the Boilermaker in July.  This was not a stretch as I was already running the miles necessary to step right in but it is not something everyone could do.  As with life or with work, I had to evaluate if I was at the right point to jump in the plan at that moment.  I needed to be realistic in my assessments of both my current fitness and running ability and the time I had in the future.  Assessments of skills and time available occur regularly in my freelance life and are an ongoing thing in my personal life also.

Flexibility

With life and work, as with running, the plan needs to be slightly flexible.  First, I didn’t start the running plan at the beginning.  Second, each week I have played with it a bit.  I haven’t made wholesale changes but I have rearranged runs and, in the case of one week where I wanted to run a 5K with friends, daily distances to fit into what I had the ability to do.

This week was no different.  Tuesday, after a day of cross training on Monday, I saw the extended weather forecast for highs in the 90′s on Sunday.  Even if I started early, I would be running in heat at least part of the time so I quickly rethought my week.  I decided to take a rest day on Thursday and do the long run – all 20 miles – on Friday morning.  Friday’s high was only predicted to be in the low 70′s.  That 20 degree difference would be huge in my overall feeling after the run was finished.

Friday came and with it more flexibility.  I was up by 6 am and getting breakfast and such ready.  There was fog.  Heavy fog.  I wanted to be out the door by 6:30 at the latest.  I never left for the run until 10.  The fog was heavy.  I got involved in work.  I didn’t check and got behind.

In my personal life, I like to have things on the calendar.  The reason for this is so I know I have the time and the energy to do the things I enjoy – hanging out with friends, parties, going out.  On the other hand, I like the flexibility to just drop everything and go out with friends when they show up at my door.

Hydration is KING!

I know I need to drink water daily.  I know that hydration is extraordinarily important to a runner.  I need to plan those water/sports drink drops better for the next 20 miler.  I was getting really thirsty when my friend Kristy saw me along the road.  She stopped to see if I was okay.  I fibbed a bit and said yeah but only because I knew that my sports drinks were just ahead.  Unfortunately, I had been about two or three miles without any fluids and had been fairly low for two or three miles prior to that.

Life is similar to running.  If you do not get the sleep you need, the mind stimulation you need, the hydration you need, you cannot function the way you would like.

Are you a runner?  If so, what life lessons have you learned from running?  If not, what do you do in your “spare” time?  What life lessons have learned from hobbies or vocations?

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

7 March 2010

Nerves Starting

By Nicki

I guess people were anticipating that I would have been nervous about posing naked for a sketching class last weekend.  I have to say that I have always believed that the human body is a work of art.  Sketches are portrayals of that art, through the eye of the artist.  I don’t see a problem with that at all.

Now, I am getting nerves.  I am a planner.  This week is going to be planned to a “T” as in one week  - so next Sunday – I will be running my first half marathon.  You are probably wondering what I could possibly have to plan.  Race registration is paid for; hotel reservation is made.  Yahoo! maps have been employed so I know where I am going.  I realize that Saturday night is the night we lose an hour’s sleep by returning to Daylight Savings Time.

Here is my anal planning and where it is going.  I turned my ankle last Sunday.  I am truly a klutz.  I was simply walking along and hit uneven pavement and that was that – a cut on my knee on one leg, slight hole in my new jeans (probably a part that annoyed me a lot more than the knee or the ankle), and an ankle that is the size of a lacrosse ball when run on or walked on a lot.  So, to be sure I am able to get 13.1 miles out of the ankle on March 14th, I have scheduled my upcoming week to the hour.

I have meal plans figured out for the entire week as I want to be sure I am eating well.  I have my pre-race meal all set and am taking it with me to the hotel.

I have figured time into each day to stretch, to ice my ankle, to do a short run or a quick Pilates workout.  I have work figured into the schedule.  I have everything figured out but still have some nerves.

My nerves stem not taking anyone with me to the race.  I have done a few really long runs – ten miles plus.  Every time I drive shortly after these, the driving is uncomfortable.  I don’t have anyone to ask to go with me.  My running friends do not live close to me or are in the middle of training that is very important.  My daughter has plans for the weekend.  I am going alone.  That brings nerves up for me.

I travel alone all the time.  I don’t know why I am so concerned about this one trip.  I just am nervous about it.  I think I figure if I schedule and plan, I will not get as nervous.  Here’s hoping!

13 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

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