Bunday SUNday: Crash course in bunny GI emergencies

If you want to know about my rabbit's latest "trying to die" escapade keep reading. If not, I'll be back later with a running update. Or maybe a clothes update. Or maybe both.

Last night was the second biggest scare I've had since I got the bun, following closely behind the time she tried to kill herself by eating my Macbook Pro power cord.

I was gone most of yesterday and she was completely fine when I left early in the morning. I got home around 5 and opened her hutch to let her out and sat down on the couch with my computer. I didn't pay attention to her much at first but she didn't come out right away and when she did she laid on my IT box (I have a fabric covered box I cut hole in the back of and have my routers and cable connectors in there vs being in a mess on the floor and she loves laying on it) for a while by the air conditioner, then got up shortly after and went into her crockpot box that she likes to hang out in (it's too funny for me to get rid of). She was in there for a little while and then came out and stretched out on the edge of my area rug. That's when I really started to notice her because she seemed really uncomfortable and she was stretched out and kept flopping from one side to the other. When I really took notice was when Trixie jumped over her and she didn't even move which never happens, usually that triggers Nascar laps around the coffee table.

Shortly after she went back in her box and I was now really worried so I got out her bag of yogurt drops which usually has her running and she completely ignored me. I pulled her out of her box and she was really listless and her eyes were glassy. I put her on her back in my arms to pet her because that usually comforts her and shortly after I did she had diarrhea all over my leg (FYI rabbit diarrhea doesn't smell like anything in case you were wondering). I put her back on her stomach on my lap and she just layed their not even trying to move.

Cue me freaking out at this point because diarrhea is extremely dangerous for rabbits. They typically have very hard, small stool (little cocoa puff pellets) so diarrhea means that they are losing fluids from their body very quickly. Rabbits have a very sensitive GI tract that needs to be kept moving at all times or else they will suffer from GI stasis that can turn fatal very quickly. Too much fluid loss will slow the GI movement down or stop it completely which can lead to necrosis (death) of their internal organs. Add in the fact that I had no idea how long this had been going on during the day or the last time she had eaten in with the fact that she is only 3.5lbs and it was a pretty serious situation. Rabbits, like horses and rodents, also lack the ability to vomit so if something is upsetting their stomach it has to move through vs out.

I have always prided myself in being calm and level headed in emergency veterinary medical situations as I had been trained to be for years but if it's my pets, forget it. Any knowledge or experience I have quickly goes out the door and I go right to assuming the very worst and want to get them to a veterinarian ASAP and am usually a blubbering, sobbing mess while doing so. I called the emergency hospital here in Syracuse to see if they would see her because I have been in there a lot recently for work and I know they sometimes have a doctor on who isn't necessarily trained in exotics medicine but who will be willing to see her anyway, otherwise I would have to rush her to Cornell which is about an hour away. Luck was on our side though and one of the doctors agreed to see her.

All told from start to finish I had her at the emergency room within 15-20 minutes of figuring out she was sick. The technicians there were really nice and ignored the fact that I was a crying mess and took very good care of her. She was really uncomfortable and I could tell because she kept digging at her blanket and sitting hunched up with her belly tucked in. I was really concerned that it was a foreign body since she does like to eat random things that I don't even know how she finds but the doctor said her stomach felt empty with no obvious mass which also ruled out trichobezoars (hair balls). She offered to do rads (x-rays, for the record, are the beams that take an image called a radiograph so it's been beaten out of me to call them x-rays) but cautioned me that she may not be sure of what she was looking at since the emergency hospital only took 3-4 rabbit rads a year. She thought that it was probably a bacterial infection or a virus (I am still suspecting hair balls issues despite her belly being empty) so I agreed with her that supportive care would be the best route and I would take her to her regular veterinarian on Monday (where I used to work so I know they are very familiar with rabbits) if it persisted. She got some subcutaneous fluids under her skin to help get her GI tract moving, some injections of pain meds and antibiotics that we were also sent home with and we were on our way, one stoned bunny and $250 poorer.

I cleaned her hutch when I got her home so that I could monitor any eating or pooping and she was pretty out of it most of the night. She ate a little bit of hay but not enough to make me happy so I syringe fed her Critical Care several times which is never her favorite thing. I checked on her several times during the night and she was bright eyed and happy at 3am and actually took a treat. This morning there is a lot of poop in the pan (really, aren't you glad you've read all about my rabbit's pooping?) and she is a happy normal bun. I think, cautiously, that the crisis was averted. Thank goodness.

For the record, rabbits are awesome and before getting one I worked with them for years and had no idea how much fun they could be because they have such awesome personalities when fostered properly. But good lord they are EXPENSIVE. She was actually a gift to me but the cost to purchase her was $39.95. Over the last year that I have had her I have spent easily $1000+ on veterinary care for her because she needed to be spayed or she broke a toenail at the base or she tried to kill herself or she tried to kill her GI tract...sigh. This rabbit.

Rules of running on the road.

Today ended up being a pretty good day. Why? Because my eyeliner came out perfectly. Scoff if you will but if you are a wearer of liquid eyeliner then you understand. You have one chance to make it perfect and if it comes out badly your whole day is pretty much shot. But if it comes out exactly the way it should it's bound to be a banner day.

I was in Rochester today and at one point I was in a really pretty but very busy neighborhood. I was leaving one of my hospitals and came to a stop sign to turn right onto the road in front of me. There were parked cars on both sides of the street and all along the street in front of me (the road I was on and the one I was turning onto created a T shape). It was hard to see because of all the cars parked on the road but I fully stopped, checked both sides and turned right. What I couldn't see, because he was on the ROAD on the other side of the parked cars and not the sidewalk where he belonged) was a runner. I didn't come anywhere near hitting him but I did cut him off because I couldn't see him at all so as he ran by me he whacked the back of my car.

Of course this whole thing annoyed me because as a runner I know that I did nothing wrong. I couldn't see him, he wasn't running where was supposed to be and it was the middle of the day in a busy neighborhood. I drive a different rental car every week for work and this week I had a Kia Sportage which has a million more blind spots than my little Mazda3. Yes, pedestrians have the right of way but they need to be aware of the fact that there are a lot of blind areas in a situation like that and act accordingly. Likewise cars need to be as aware as they can of runners as I know a lot of people who have been hit or run off the road either by accident or intentionally. I do most of my running on trails but there are some places I like to run when I am traveling (Stroudsburg, PA is a prime example, I love running in that town) so when I am in a city or busy town I am always more aware of cars.

Here are some rules of running that I stick by in urban situations:

1) Don't wear dark colors. You're not a ninja and people need to see you. My favorite running clothes are bright fluorescent colors with reflective strips so that people can see me coming.

2) Don't run on the road if you can run on the sidewalk. I know that sidewalk running can be difficult but you vs a car isn't a battle you want to partake in.

3) Be aware that you seeing an oncoming car is easy but it's not always easy for them to see you. Likewise a huge shoulder you're running on can be very small to a car so try to run as far to the right as you can if there is traffic.

4) Don't run on roads with ear buds in. I've already squawked enough about how I feel about running with music anyway but this is too dangerous.

5) Stop at red lights and stop signs if you see a car coming. You need to obey traffic laws, too.

6) You aren't invincible and you won't always win even if you think you are in the right. Always assume that they didn't see you if you're not sure.

7) Please be aware than not all drivers are friendly to runners and they may very well try to run you off the road or even hit you.

8) If a car is rude to you or clearly saw you and still didn't stop or slow down give the side a whack but only if you're not sure that they won't get out and beat you (which is why I never do it because I am pretty much convinced that I am only 5 seconds away from someone's road rage at all times).

9) Most of these rules apply to a road race too, especially a small one. Not all races shut down roads or if you're at the back of the pack like my disastrous Mountain Goat this year then even if they had the roads closed they will eventually start to reopen them.

10) If you're running in a group and see a car either ahead of you or behind you yell "car!" to let everyone know. Usually they're more aware of a group but you can never be too safe.

Or you could ignore all of this just run trails to avoid this. That's what I usually do :)

My current grocery list

I went running again this morning and it was nowhere near as magical as it was yesterday. My body felt out of control and I couldn't get a good stride. As a matter of fact if you envision a person running and flailing while doing windmills with your arms I'm pretty sure that's what my form looked like. I think it was because my legs were super tight because I don't stretch. Ever. I know, I know, total badness but it makes no sense to me. Stretching before you run is like trying to bend a piece of uncooked spaghetti and after you run your body is already loose. Maybe I'll give it a try someday but not today. Probably not tomorrow either.

In addition to stretching I think I need to start putting on sunscreen before I run. I run on trails so there isn't a lot of sun exposure but there must be enough because my freckles are out of control, it's pretty ridiculous. There's more than there looks, thank goodness for my new foundation.

I also forgot to take my medication for my back today after I ran (never take medication before you run, your liver will thank you for it) so I've been miserable all day. I didn't think they were doing much but it turns out they're doing something. It's another night on the ice bed for me, I can't wait *sigh*

I frequently get asked what I eat to lose weight and it really isn't all that exciting and varies week to week. I usually go grocery shopping every day because I never know when I'll be home and when I'll be on the road so I hate buying a lot and having it go bad before the end of the week when I get home (which has happened more times than I can count). I go through phases of what I eat and I will usually eat the same exact thing every day for a few weeks and then switch it up. I've been that way since I was small, from kindergarten to sixth grade I took a half of a jelly sandwich (peanut butter is the devil), a baggie of Doritos and a juice box to school every day for lunch. When I hit sixth grade I decide that jelly sandwiches were lame and switched to ham (no condiments) until my junior year of high school when I started buying lunch. Should you think I am making this up you can ask my mom, she'd be more than happy to embarrass me with all that and more.

My current shopping list (or variation of because I don't buy this all on one day) is:
-18 count Large eggs (I eat three scrambled eggs every morning and yes, my cholesterol is perfect).
-Kind Almond and Coconut bars
-Boneless, skinless chicken
-No salt added canned green beans (I don't like them if they are fresh or frozen)
-Grapes
-Strawberries
-No sugar added mandarin oranges (I'm not supposed to eat citrus fruit because of a bladder condition I have but this is my current obsession)
-Sharp cheese
-String cheese
-Country Crock margarine (for ma BEANS!)
-Shake and Bake (for ma CHICKEN! I developed an aversion to chicken two weeks ago so I added that in with success!)
-Chunky almond butter
-BBQ soy nuts
-Seagrams Frozen Sangria (hey, you can't be perfect all the time)

Other things that rotate in and out but that I'm not currently eating because of the low carb/refined sugar thing: Chobani Pomegranate Greek Yogurt, Crofter's organic strawberry jam, whole wheat English muffins, Annie's cheddar buns and fruit snacks (I'm 5), Pirate's Booty, Snyder's Pretzel rods, and other random things.

I usually eat eggs for breakfast, cheese and fruit for a snack, a salad or a Kind bar for lunch (since I'm not usually home), and chicken and green beans for dinner (if I'm not home I usually get a salad at Panera or the grocery store). I am well aware of the fact that I'm not eating enough calories every day but it's a work in progress. Cutting carbs and sugar out of your diet really do a number on your calorie count, at least for me and I'm still working to find the balance. The good news is that once I am done losing weight I will go back to eating carbs and sugar because as long as I run a few times a week I maintain my weight really well. And I miss spaghetti *sob*

Speaking of food, I think Archie finally had enough of Trixie going into her hutch to steal her catnip toy so she killed her. She doesn't appear to be showing any remorse, either.

Stuff people who don't run say

I went running today for the first time in three weeks (other than the Boilermaker) and it was so awesome I thought I might cry. Then when I saw that my MapMyRun app automatically uploaded my distance and time to Facebook I almost cried again because it wasn't anything to brag about. 3.1 miles in 39 minutes is 5 minutes slower than my first 5k time. I'm determined not to beat myself up over it because I took it really slow and walked some in case my back hurt. Instead the opposite happened, my drive home was the first drive since I was injured that my back didn't say a word to me. Right now is a different story though because I spent most of the day cleaning my house and it turns out my back doesn't like me scrubbing the toilet. I don't like it either, Back, but it needs to be done.

Depending on how I feel in the morning I am going to run again. Mentally I was a million times better and I managed to stay awake for most of the day with the exception of 10 minutes when I fell asleep sitting up like I have narcolepsy because these muscle relaxers and I aren't friends. Now I'm sitting against 3 ice packs which is super awesome (except not).

Guess what IS super awesome?? Two weeks from today is the women's Olympic marathon. I'm really excited to watch Kara Goucher run it and I'm interested to see how Desiree Davila does since she came out of nowhere in Boston 2011. I'm pretty sad to see that Deena Kastor didn't make the team though, she's pretty amazing. To prep for my Olympic marathon watching I am reading Kara Goucher's book Running for Women . I've had it for a few months but found it while I was cleaning today, it got lost in the shuffle of the library of my house. I'm not as excited about the men's marathon but if I come across it I'll probably watch it to see Meb and Ryan Hall duke it out.

Yesterday I came across this hilarious video called Stuff Non Runners say:

IT'S ALL SO TRUE!!! Let me clear up some misconceptions for anyone who was wondering:

1) There is only one marathon distance and it is 26.2 miles. If you aren't running that distance, you aren't running a marathon. A 5k is 3.1 miles, a 10k is 6.2 miles, a 15k is 9.3 miles, a half marathon is 13.1 miles and an Ultramarathon is anything over 26.2 miles (I usually see them between 50-100k or as 24 hour runs).

2) No, I won't blow out my knees because I take care of them. I wear good shoes, I take rest days if something hurts, I roll my IT band if it's unhappy and I run 100% on trails (pavement is the devil for knees because there is no give and rods are highest in the middle and slanting on the sides so one leg ends up in the position of being longer than the other). And if I DO blow out my knees, I had some good running days to talk about.

3) For as much as I hear the people who have "bad knees" line it must be a national epidemic ;)

Just run, people!

Tangent Saturday

Janae (who I do not personally know but I read her blog daily so I live in the internet world that we are BFF's) writes at Hungry Runner Girl which is my FAVORITE blog. I have no idea how she stays so happy all the time although I spend about as much time being sarcastic and it doesn't take much work at all. She has Tangent Tuesday so I figured I would have a Tangent Saturday because my brain is in 5 million places. Here we go...

-I fell asleep at 7pm last night. Seven. Pee. Em. And then I woke up at 6am, stayed in bed watching Top Chef All Stars and fell asleep again at 10:30am. What the heck? It's probably just the medication I'm on for my back finally catching up with me, I don't like taking medication of any sort for that reason, they just make me tired.

-It will be two weeks tomorrow since I last ran (at the Boilermaker no less). My back isn't really any better but it's not any worse so I'll probably crack tomorrow. I have a race in two weeks and even though it's just a 10k I can't waste this much time in my training because I'm barely hanging onto my base at this point. Why am I so worried about losing my base? Because...

-...I SIGNED UP FOR MY NEXT BIG RACE!!! Which one did I decide on? The Wineglass Half Marathon in Corning, NY. And you will probably laugh when you find out why I really wanted to do it but...it's for the medal. Corning is known for having the Corning Museum of Glass which is one of my favorite places and the medal is made of glass so I must have it! I also get wine for running it, too. WIN! Other than those things it's in a really pretty part of central NY and I'm excited to run through there in the fall. It's about 2 hours from me so it's in my territory and I've been there quite a few times but I've never run a race there. Oh, and it's all downhill but I've heard it's not the quad killer kind. And the icing on the cake? Joan Benoit Samuelson will be running it and she's kind of a big deal. I might hyperventilate if I get anywhere near her (which I won't because she's a cheetah and I'm a chia pet in speed comparison). I can't wait!

Photo from the race website

-Funny story about the half marathon: I hemmed and hawed about signing up for it for absolutely NO reason other than I am a world class procrastinator because I decided I wanted to run it over a month ago. I went to the website several times to do it and just never went through with it. Finally on Monday I signed up and it turns out I was the last to get in because a half hour after I signed up they made a facebook post that it was closed and that I was the last one to get in. Therefore I am now a celebrity (in my own mind).

-Apparently I missed the first episode of the new season of Project Runway Thursday night which almost broke my heart until I found out that I could watch the entire episode on Lifetime.com. I haven't really loved the transition of PR from Bravo to Lifetime however Bravo would have never provided the full episodes to watch if you missed it so that makes my little heart happy. Who else is excited for Season 10?

-The bun is officially obsessed with Romance by Ralph Lauren perfume. I don't usually wear it in the summer (I've been wearing DKNY Pure Verbena a lot) but I wore it the other day and she would not stop sniffing my arms. She spent 5 minutes at one point sniffing them and then she kept coming back to me. She's not right.

-In other bun news I went to turn on my tv the other night and after over a year of her never once touching my remotes I found this:

It's cool, Archie. I didn't know what those buttons were anyway.

-After months of dress stalking again at the Gap, I scored a dress I really wanted for $20 instead of the original $60. It's in cobalt blue which is the color I've been wearing the most this summer and I love it. It has spandex in it so it doesn't lose it's shape and it fits so well. If you come across these on sale in the store (it's not on sale online) try it on! I know it looks boring but I promise you won't regret it.

Find it here!

-Speaking of shopping, on the same day I ended up in Sephora (it's right next to the Gap and I couldn't resist its siren call) and I finally bought the Dior foundation that I've been using the last two months just with samples that they have given me (Sephora will give you a sample of almost anything in the store if you ask). The price of it hurt but it's by far the best foundation I've used because it's lightweight, clean feeling and with one layer it doesn't cover all of my freckles (two layers and it will). I know it will last me a long time, too. So when you go to the mall to try on that dress stop by Sephora and get a sample of the Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Wear Makeup. Just do it.

-Have a happy Saturday!

Birchbox vs Glossybox

Monthly beauty subscriptions are becoming big in the makeup world and I jumped on the Birchbox bandwagon about a year ago. I often get stuck in the rut of only using my favorite staple products from my favorite brands (Mac, Nars, Dior and Urban Decay) so I forgot to look at other products or I don't want to spend the money to try them and end up hating them. Birchbox was a way for me to get samples of things that I would probably never think to try so I can figure out if I like them or not without spending a lot of money.

Birchbox is a monthly beauty box that is $10 and contains 4-5 deluxe sample size beauty products. More often than not I receive 4 samples and then a "lifestyle" sample. Sometimes it's a granola bar, sometimes it's some coasters or note cards but it's always a fun extra. There is always a card in each box that explains what the sample is, how to use it and how much a full size retails for. Sometimes I even get a full sized product! Once you sign up your create a beauty profile and they will send you samples tailored around your needs (oily skin, dry hair, etc) once a month and often times they have a theme or a collaborator. After you receive your box you can go online and review your samples for which you get 10 points for every review. For every 100 points you accumulate you get $10 credit from the Birchbox store where you can buy full sized products of things that were in your box. Not everyone gets the same things in their box every month so there are lots of things to choose from. You also get points for referring people.

For an example of what is typically included in a box, here are the last two months of mine.

My June Birchbox, the theme was summer travel:

My July box (which I got today), the theme was the five senses and they teamed up with Glamour magazine:

Usually if I get a sample that I don't really care for or know I won't like (like hair oil, I don't have curly hair so it would be a disaster) i just pass it on to my mom or a friend. My mom usually gets pretty excited about it so I might sign her up for a subscription as a gift. They also just launched Birchbox man for the guy in your life.

I've really liked Birchbox (even though I often complain about getting ANOTHER eye cream sample but I'm 32 so that's to be expected) so when Glossybox launched in the US in May I signed up for that one, too. Glossybox has been a global subscription service but finally launched in the US. It is double the price of Birchbox but the samples are much bigger and higher end. I have liked both of the boxes I have gotten so far but I will say that I don't love their shipping. I didn't get June's box until the first week of July which was frustrating but seeing as they just launched here I'm giving them some time to iron things out to decide which subscription I would rather keep (I signed up with the thought that I would only keep one but I really do love the surprise of it when it comes and they come at different times so...I'm not sure yet). They also don't have points that go towards products like Birchbox does. You get 200 points for referring someone but it has to be through an email and every 1000 points you accumulate you can get a free box. So, eh. Not nearly as exciting as free Kate Spade Twirl perfume (BB has that available right now). I like the packaging a lot more though, the box is big and pink and will be great for Christmas gifts.

My May Glossybox:

The nail polish and toothpaste were full size and yes, that IS a deluxe sample sized Burberry lipstick (which I about died over when I opened it). I didn't like the Phyto hair mask and it's a huge sample so I gave it to my mom and she likes it.

June's Glossybox arrived last week and the contents are already dispersed all over my house but I will say I got a full sized tube of Beauty Addicts mascara, First Aid Beauty shaving cream that I LOVE, Kinerase face cream, Shea Terra Organics body lotion, Wella professionals hair mask (that I LOVE) and a perfume sample (which I hated, can't win them all).

If you want to join Birchbox here is their website:

Birchbox

OR if you love me and want me to earn points for you signing up here is my referral link (because there are a lot of Deborah Lippman nail polishes that I would love to get without paying for, it's almost like shoplifting but without being Winona Ryder)

SIgn up here and help me get free nail polish! Or not. No pressure ;)

The website for Glossy Box is:

Glossybox

I think I am going to start posting every month what I get in my boxes so if you sign up let me know and we can compare!

And lest I go an entire post without talking about my pets (which would be a tragedy), here they are fighting over the outer box that the Glossy Box comes in:

Archie won. She always does.

Bunday Monday: The Lagomorph Terror

I'm still home. On the couch. Bored. Whining. Tired of laying down. But it's for the best, at least that's what I keep telling myself because I really want to go running but I don't want a permanent injury. This whole being a responsible, logical adult thing isn't my favorite.

At least the bun is ecstatic that I've been home so much because that means limited cage time and unlimited terror time. She is a little ball of bunny fury, that's for sure. Her full name is Archimedes (after the mathematician and physicist because I'm a nerd) which I only call her when she is in trouble which means I've been saying it non-stop all weekend.

 Here is what is going on as I write this:

She is obsessed with biting in my hair which is fine except sometimes she bites hard! And then when she gets scolded she looks at me like she has no idea why she's in trouble. Don't underestimate the intelligence of an animal at the bottom of the food chain, people. She is well aware of her actions.

She does give kisses though too to make up for it though which is why she's still around.

She also has a death wish because she keeps jumping OVER Trixie laying on the back of the couch which has me convinced that any minute I am going to have a hissing, scratching, ticked of cat land in my lap (which wouldn't be the first time).

I can't say that I blame Trixie though because this was my view on Saturday night right before she launched herself from the couch directly onto my face.

Anyone interested in a little rabbit? 3lb, spayed, fully housebroken, comes with a telephone book and unlimited paper towel rolls. Answers to Archie and will come when a yogurt drop bag is shaken. Will pay you to take and delivery is available.

Boilermaker 2012 Recap

Boilermaker 2012 has come and gone and it went better than I thought it would.

Getting to the race definitely didn't start out the way I wanted it to, that's for sure. I am chronically late to everything in my life except for races, I like to be there at least an hour early. For a big race like the Boilermaker I am much happier with an hour and a half especially since I knew so many people running it. I really wanted to get to the start line and walk around, talk to people, take pictures of random things that I could then post on the various sources of social media I flood on a daily basis but that wasn't meant to be. The people I was going to follow so I could run with my friend showed up to the meeting place an hour later than I did and it was over a half hour still to get to the race (I live about an hour away). I was less than happy about it and probably slammed every door on my car several times when we arrived at the place we parked because I am super mature and am therefore a door slammer and have been for years. I know, I know, I'm not perfect. If I was what would I have to work towards for the next 50 years? The good news is I am usually only mad for about 30 seconds and then it's over. I am also notoriously grumpy on the morning of a race until I am parked and at the start line and then I'm fine, I just get really anxious until I am THERE. Consider yourself warned if you ever run a race with me.

When we finally parked it was about 7:10am (technically 10 minutes after the buses were supposed to stop running to take us to the start line) and the race started at 8:00am. Thankfully there were buses still running as there were so many people but we didn't get to the actual start line until about 7:40. By the time everyone else stopped at the bathrooms I got to the start line literally less than 10 minutes before the race started. To say I was unhappy about it is an understatement but it is what it is. I'll know better next time. I did somehow manage to see a guy I graduated high school with in the sea of 14,000 runners which is funny because the last time I ran it he was the only person I saw that I knew at the start line as well.

*Side note: My dad used to work for Utica Transit Authority for 30 years which then got bought out by Centro but he used to always run buses for the Boilermaker so when I was little I always got excited on Boilermaker day because he would bring home things that people left on the buses. Once he brought me a name tag from McDonald's and I think it was one of the best things of my young life since I only got to go there once every two or three months so it was a magical wonderland to me.

The race itself went pretty well. I got caught up in the crowd and went out way to fast and psyched myself out of the race within the first mile and a half. It was a total head game because I was so scared I would be almost dead last like I was at the Mountain Goat that I thought I couldn't do it and that I should drop out. I was actually thinking to myself that I hated racing and I have no idea why I keep doing it (which is a total lie but running is a mind game and that's why I like it so much). But my friend was awesome and stayed with me (I helped her through her first Boilermaker two years ago so she helped me through this one) and after walking for a bit I was able to find a manageable pace and run the rest of it.

The route itself isn't that exciting and if you remove the hometown appeal and spectators from it I would probably say it's one of my least favorite routes to run. Most of it is on flat road with no shade which is hard for me to run when I love hills so much. There are two hills, Heartbreak Hill and the hill behind the golf course that a lot of people say are hard but after training for the Mountain Goat for three years straight I don't think they're that bad. You are all formally invited to run the Goat next year and tell me what you think about Colvin ;) The best part of the road behind the golf course is the amazing view and the almost mile of race you can bang out going all downhill. What makes the race AWESOME are the amount of amazing people that gather to cheer on the runners. It is almost a solid 9.3 miles of bands and people cheering for you and belly dancers and Irish step dancers and it's such an amazing sense of support and community. Right before the last hill of the race there were a group of kids who had made up a chant and a little dance about it being the last hill which was so cute. I probably stopped 4-5 times to hug people that were either watching or volunteering and I would never try to run this race for time and cut that out. The best part is that my babysitter (aka my second mom, the most amazing woman I know) and her husband are in the same spot every year and they get so excited for my gross sweaty hugs and I cry every time I see them.

I made sure that I stopped at most of the water stations to stay hydrated and around the 6 mile mark I totally ran out of energy so my friend was sweet enough to share her Shot Blocks with me. It was the first time I had tried them and I was worried about how my stomach would react but I had no issues. I have been thinking about carrying gummy bears with me during long runs so I think I'm going to start since they really seemed to help. Overall I ran it pretty slow and conservatively which is what I've been training for anyway. My goal was to come in at around 2 hours and I came in at 2 hours and 14 seconds. I have this weird ability to predict when I will finish the race within 5 minutes and this one was no exception. When I ran it in 2010 I finished it in 1:45 but that was because I was with my friend who had never run 15k before that day and I am pretty sure I could have done it in under 1:30 (she could have finished this year's in much less than 2:00 but she stayed with me the whole way). My goal next year is 1:20 because I want to be able to finish the Goat in 1:30 (only because you get a medal). Lofty goals, I know, but I can do it.

After the race I felt sick like I usually do but not as awful as two years ago and I think it's because I drank so much water and ate the Shot Blocks. I am starting to figure out that if I don't replace my electrolytes then my heart starts acting up and there was no Gatorade on the route. I also has the biggest blister I have ever gotten in my running career when I finally sat down and took my shoes off. Not big in circumference, big in that it was probably a quarter inch high (yes, of course I took a picture of it but I am sparing you all, you are welcome). I wore my Mizunos and I officially HATE them. I am going to still get the rest of my miles out of them and then I'm going back to my Ravennas. My friend actually said she was surprised to see me wearing them because they are a lot more of a stability shoe than I usually wear and she's right, for some reason Fleet Feet always wants to put me in stability shoes and nothing good comes of it (I know my Ravennas are light stability but they don't bother me nearly as much).

Right after the race hanging out on a random train caboose.

I stayed for a little bit after the race but not very long, there are way too many people at the after party and I hate huge crowds. My back was starting to hurt pretty bad anyway so I went to my mom's instead (she lives about 20 minutes away) and laid in the middle of the back yard (literally) for a half hour while she tried to convince me that the frogs in the pond they built a few years ago answer her when she makes frog sounds at them. I wish I was making this up but she's a little crazy (it's a genetic thing that I clearly inherited).

This video will show what I mean by a lot of people, it's a time lapse video of the 2010 after party start to finish behind the Saranac Brewery and it's so cool! If you're wondering how many people wander into the after party for the free beer the answer is about 40,000.

Overall the race went pretty much as I expected. There were so many people I knew running it for the first time this year and it was awesome to check Facebook after the race and see my feed blowing up with people's times and pictures of the race. I am really happy that I was able to train for it in a conservative way instead of trying to push myself too hard too fast and I can't wait for next year. As for what's next for me, it looks like it's going to be the Wineglass Half Marathon in Corning, NY in September (mostly because of the medal, it's made out of glass because of the Corning Museum of Glass and I am obsessed with decorative glass pieces). In between that I have Beach to Beacon 10k in Maine in August (which means I get to run TWO races with Joan Benoit Samuelson this year, B2B and the Wineglass although she will be far ahead of me, she is the first women to ever win the marathon in the Olympics) and a 5k I am doing with some friends in Boston which will probably involve a lot of drinking and me trying to find my way to Sweet cupcake shop in Cambridge.

I'm sure there will be more races I'll add in but those are it so far. I am also going to start the Half Marathon training program with Fleet Feet on July 31 to try and reduce my times which will be my first ever coaching, I am SO EXCITED!!! (that needs more !!!!!!!!!)

By the way, does anyone else cry like a baby at the end of Undercover Boss or is it just me? It's probably just me but it really does get me every damn time.

Baby got back.....pain.

Should you be looking for me the next 3-4 days I will be here:

I injured my back at work two weeks ago and was finally able to go to the doctor for it yesterday which means I am flat out, literally, until at least Monday. Because I travel so much for work I do a lot of driving which is really aggravating the snot out of it. I've spent most nights for the last two weeks laying on the floor of my living room on top of three ice packs with a bottle of Advil and a gallon of water while the bun tries to launch herself off my face in glee because she is downright giddy when I'm at her level.

"It is my bunny mission to lick every freckle off your face."

I even have a massive bruise I unknowingly gave myself during my sales meeting in Philly this week because sitting in a chair for 8 hours made me unconsciously rub the small of my back as hard as I could to try and relieve the burning and I bruise like a peach. Anyway, I went to the doctor yesterday and he put me on an NSAID and a muscle relaxer (which puts me to sleep within a half hour of taking it) and told me no sitting or driving until Monday and recommended no running until it's better. I may or may not have cried about the running part and may or may not have eaten a piece of Wegman's Ultimate Chocolate cake to drown my sorrows. And I may or may not be able to stick to the no running thing. I'm going to try my best but running really doesn't bother it, it's the sitting.

The good news is I have an awesome nurse although she refuses to refill my Nalgene bottle or get me another Kind bar. Something about the lack of opposable* thumbs?

So should you need me I will be right where I am now, watching Netflix until my eyes cross (I just watched Spirit of the Marathon again and it was just as amazing as the first five times and I cried just the same at the end), looking up races I might want to run in the next 10 years, creating dream shopping carts at Sephora and Amazon and writing up my Boilermaker recap. Yes, I finished it. Yes, my back hurt pretty darn bad afterwards. Yes, I delayed going to the doctor because I didn't want him to tell me I shouldn't run the race. And yes, my Mizunos are officially on my most hated list right before being in crowds of people and after broccoli.

To end this on a happy note, guess what I FINALLY got to do when I was in Philly?

That's right. I went to Pat's, the original cheesesteak place. For you non-North easterners cheesesteaks are made with Cheese Whiz and steak that I am not sure actually came from a real cow but damn they are DELICIOUS. To order one without onions you roll up the the counter with your $9.50, order a "Whiz wit out!" in a confident voice and are then presented with 6 inches of heaven (that sounds awful...so I'm leaving it). It was seriously one of the greatest moments of my life although I made my friend who lives there order it, he's not a chicken like I am. I'm from NY and we will most likely cut you if you are from any other state and act like you know what good pizza is so I didn't want to risk it (Chicago included in that statement, I don't know what that mess was that I was presented with when I was there a couple of years ago but a slice was an inch thick, nowhere near the size of my head and I couldn't roll it up to shove it in my mouth which is pizza FAIL).

OMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM!!!

*The spell check in blogger does not include the word "opposable". Clearly they are forgetting to show respect to their evolutionary roots.

Sometimes I run a lot. Sometimes I don't.

Sometimes eating healthy is dangerous. Take, for example, eating cookies in bed. It's annoying to have cumbs in bed but other than having to sweep the sheets 15 times in order to finally fall asleep without little pinchy things annoying you there's no other harm. However should you eat an Almond Coconut Kind bar in bed it's all fun and games until you wake up in the middle of the night with an almond sticking straight out of the back of your thigh.

This is a completely hypothetical thought, of course. I would never eat in bed. Ever.

So last week...training week 6? 7? I don't even know. Apparently in my mind it was a taper week because other than my 7 miles on Sunday I didn't run again. Not once. I was even in my very favorite town to run in (Stroudsburg, PA) Thursday night and I didn't run there because I slept until 7am on Friday which is extrememly unlike me because I am almost physically incapable of sleeping past 6:30. I didn't even run on Saturday because I just layed around in bed half of the day and watched Season 5 of Top Chef from Netflix instead which was important because I have only watched that season 3 other times.

Training Week 6 (or 7):
Sunday: 7 miles

Womp womp.

But here's how I feel about it:

I read a lot of running blogs where the ladies are super mega awesome and bust out double digits DAILY and think nothing of it and which is amazing. But I'm not one of those girls. I love to run but it doesn't always come easy and that's ok. I am also a single woman who routinely works well over 40 hours a week and who travels almost every day by car which, for some reason, makes you feel like someone beat you silly with a hockey stick after a while. I have a unique situation but so does everyone really so you know what I say? Just do the best that you can and don't beat yourself up over it. I'll never be someone who runs 40 miles a week, I don't have the time or the desire. But what I CAN be is the best runner I am able to which some weeks is 20 miles and some weeks is 2 miles.

And sometimes that means laying in bed instead of running. To let my muscles rest. Or something.

I busted out 7 miles yesterday and 2 today though (only two today because my back is really unhappy with me, I have no idea what its issue is. Might have something to do with all the driving I did last week and sitting at my desk today). Probably 3-4 tomorrow and 5-7 on Wednesday and then nothing until Sunday which is the BOILERMAKER! Start praying for me now. Please? For those of you running it you'll already have been at the after party for an hour and will be headed home by the time I cross the finish line but guess what? I'm crossing it. Yeah buddy.

Gratutious bun shot: