Reading, Biking and Running

So, it's been a little longer than I would prefer, but these things happen.  I've been busy.  The school year is winding down.  The Ride for Roswell is 10 days a way.  And I've run a bunch of races.

I'm so happy school is almost over!  We've all had enough!  I'm looking forward to reading lots of books that I want to read.  For ME.  Not for school.  I have a huge 'to read' list.  I don't even know where I'm going to begin!  But I'm excited!

As you may remember, I'm doing the 45 mile Ride for Roswell on June 21st.  I've passed the minimum for donations, but if you'd still like to donate, click here.  I'm riding in memory of my Aunt Renne.  This past Saturday, I did my first ride longer than 20 miles (this season).  I've been doing some of the official training rides.  It was rainy and me and another guy were the only ones to show up.  So we basically did the ride.  We went just over 41 miles.  We returned on the bike path instead of the roads, like we will on the day of the ride.  Without police presence, we thought it safer to take the path back.  The last 10 miles were a struggle.  My thighs were on fire!  But I got back to my car.  I was sore the rest of the day, but other than a little leg fatigue, I felt fine on Sunday!

My running has been progressing.  Memorial Day week, I did 3 races.  I did the 3rd leg of the Buffalo Marathon Relay.  As long as I've been paying attention, this day is always HOT!  This was an exception!  It was freezing!!!  Ok, it was actually perfect for running, but since I wasn't running until mile 12.4, I was freezing while waiting my turn.  The first mile was just working out the stiffness from waiting around, but after that, I felt really good.  One thing that did bother me, and this is totally a me thing... not long after I started running, it was just me and the marathoners on the course.  Every time a spectator cheered me on, I felt bad.  I just started running.  These other people are running 20 miles more than me!  And anytime I passed a marathoner, I wanted to yell out that I was just a relayer... not one of them.  But anyway, that's just a me thing.  My leg of the race was 10K (6.2 miles).  Not sure how, but I ran almost 2 minutes faster than any of my previous 10Ks!

On the Thursday of that week, I did the first Gay 5K in Buffalo.  It was awesome!!!  That's me on the left!

Buffalo's first Gay 5K

They better have this race every year!  For a first time, it was very well done.  Everyone was very friendly and very welcoming.  The after party was great.  It was a very hot day.  Probably the hottest I've run in so far this year.  I finished Sub-30, but it wasn't a PR.  However, and this has nothing to do with the race, I do have one complaint.  I was disappointed by the people I call friends, who were horrified that I would support "those people".  "Those people" are my friends.  "Those people" are my family.  They are PEOPLE.  And they deserve the same rights everyone else has.  And just who are you to judge??


I ended that week with the Girls on the Run 5K.  I've done this race in the past.  It's not a great race if you care about your time.  But I totally support the cause.  Wish I could start a program at my school, but we're a poor district and our families just can't afford the $150 per girl.  Anyway, it was a rainy day.  Not really raining at the time.  It had rained and was going to rain again.  Very windy.  And very humid.  I was tired and I felt like death.  Girls were stopping all over the place.  A lady from the Checkers running club kept running right on top of me.  Every time I moved to get away from her, she followed.  It's like she was stuck to me with glue!  Ugh, get away from me!  I just wanted this race to be over!  When I finally crossed the finish line, I looked at my Garmin.  29:19.  20 seconds faster than I've ever ran a 5K.  What?  How is that possible?  Was it a true 5K?  Yup... 3.13 miles.  Holy crap!  Imagine if I didn't feel like death!

So, I'm definitely getting faster.  I'm trying to figure out why.  I haven't run as many miles as I had at this time last year.  I don't do speed work when I do run.  The only thing I'm doing different this year is Boot Camp.  I've been going once a week since the beginning of December.  Maria and I tried it last Spring when we saw a Groupon.  I enjoyed it, but at the time, I was always exhausted by the time I got to my long runs.  So after the Groupon ended, I didn't join.  But I knew I needed something, so I went back.  It is expensive, but i enjoy it and it keeps me accountable.  And I'm running faster!  So, it's working!

Ride for Roswell

On June 22nd, I am riding my bike 45 miles in memory of my Aunt Renne in the Ride for Roswell.  The ride benefits Roswell Park Cancer Institute, here in Buffalo.  Aunt Renne lost her battle with ovarian cancer in November 2008.  The night before Pat and I got engaged...  She left behind a husband, 2 kids, 6 grandkids, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, all who miss her dearly.

Me and my bike after the Summer Sizzler 2011.

I have done the Ride for Roswell before.  I've done 30 miles four times.  It's rained at least 3 of those...  I'm hoping for a nice day this year!  I have never gone more than 32ish miles on my bike.  This is the first year for 45 miles.  It was only open to the first 250 riders who registered.  I wasn't sure whether I wanted to do the ride this year.  I so enjoyed the 30 mile route, but I wanted to challenge myself to a greater distance.  The next distance up was 44 miles and a completely different route.  What if it sucked?  When I saw that a new 45 mile route had been added, I was intrigued.  It follows the 30 mile route along the river walk and continues all the way to canal side.  Yes!  I signed up immediately.

So, I did my first outside ride yesterday. About 7.31 miles.  During a high wind advisory.  I have a little more than 2 months to make 45 miles seem like nothing! 

If my bike and I are going to be BFFs, I need to be comfortable.  I need a better seat.  I'm going to end up with an old lady seat, aren't I?  Whatever.  As long as my butt doesn't hurt!  I will keep you posted!

Every little bit helps, so if you'd like to donate, you can do it here.  Thanks in advance!

OK, For Real This Time...

So, it's been more than a year since my last post.  And in that last post, I vowed to do better when it comes to posting.  So, I'm not making any such promises this time.  Let's just see what happens.

Since my last post, I've been mostly unfulfilled in my reading life.  Most of the books I've read have been ok, but nothing fabulous.  A few exceptions:

           
Yes, they're all children's or YA chapter books.  But they were excellent reads.  I'm still searching for an adult read that is as good as these!

My running career has been pretty exciting.  In March 2012, we (me, Maria and Mary) had the bright idea to run a half marathon.  We picked the Mighty Niagara in September and training began in April.  Considering I had never ran further than 6.2 miles and I now had to do a little more than twice that, I was less than optimistic that this would actually happen.  But I paid and trained and race day came.  I was as ready as I was going to be.  My goal was to finish in less than 2:30.

I woke up and it was pouring.  Literally raining buckets.  And it was cold.  I trained in the rain.  But rain and 80 degrees.  Not rain and barely 60 degrees!  This had the makings of the worst day of my life!  I was so upset!  But I paid the money and trained for 5 months.  This was not the time to not show up.  So Maria and I went.  Just as the race was starting, the rain stopped.  Yippee!!

I started slow.  For a while, I could count the people behind me on one hand!  But I gradually started passing people.  I ran the entire race without having to stop and walk.  I missed my goal by less than 2 minutes!  But I finished.  I had run a half marathon.  13.1 miles! 

It's all about the sticker!

Time has passed and I'm ready to do it again.  September 21, 2013 is the Mighty Niagara Half Marathon and 5 weeks later, October 27, 2013 is the Niagara Falls International Half Marathon.  I'm aiming for both!  I probably don't need 5 months of training, but it worked for me last year and I was really prepared, so I'm going to do it again. 

It all begins April 16th!

What did you read over break?

That's what a 3rd grade teacher asked me in the hall the other day.  So I started telling her about all the books I brought home from school to read.  New books I bought and put out right away for the kids, so I never had a chance to read them.  As I was telling her all this, she stopped me and said, "No.  What ADULT books did you read over break?"  After having to think about it, I had to laugh.  I read 6 kids chapter books and 1 adult book.

I like this teacher a lot and she did laugh with me when I had to think about the adult books I read.  The sacrifices we make for our kids...

Anyway, the only adult book I read was Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner.  I've read several other books by her, and like those, this one did not disappoint!  She has a way of telling stories about multiple people who seem to have nothing to do with each other, but as you keep reading, you see how their lives are intertwined.  If that sounds like something you'd like, check it out!

Getting on with it...

So I haven't posted since August.  I didn't stop reading.  I just didn't really read anything that inspired me to blog.  I'm going to give it a try again this year.  But I'm not going to just do books this time around.

On goodreads.com, I did a reading challenge last year and I read more then 135 books.  I do count the books I read at my job as an Elementary School Librarian.  I don't think that counts as cheating. My goal for 2012 is 150 books.

Anyway, I'm also trying to be a runner.  I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that before.  I've done a bunch of 5K's, a few 10K's and a duathlon.  I want to do more!  On dailymile.com, I've accepted a challenge to run 366 miles in 2012 (a mile a day).  Looking at my running mileage for 2011, I was just under 300 miles (the counter also counts bike mileage).  I didn't want to pick a challenge that was unrealistic and this one seems attainable.

So the plan for 2012... I'll blog about books I love and books I hate.  I'll also blog about successes and failures in my running life.

Wish me luck!  :)

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits

by Ayelet Waldman

This is the 2nd book by her I've read.  I really like her!  Both books have made me cry.  A lot.  They felt so real.  If I wasn't the main character, I felt like she was my best friend and I was experiencing everything along side her.

***SPOILER ALERT***

This is the story of Emilia Greenleaf.  She is the second wife of Jack Wolfe, step mother to 5 year old William.  William is very smart, but incredibly sheltered.  She tries to like him.  She tries to do fun things with him.  But something wrong always happens and William tattles to his mom, who then calls ranting ang raving about how Emilia's trying to kill her child.

There is something going on in the background that we don't know about.  As the story goes on, we kind of know, but aren't sure.  Two months before, Emilia gave birth to a beautiful, healthy daughter, Isabel.  Isabel died of SIDS on her first night home.  As devastating as this is, there's still more that we don't know.  Emilia's life is spiraling out of control.  Her marriage to Jack is strained.  She and William have good days and bad.  Things finally hit the fan and this is when we learn the rest of the story.  Read the book to find out!

I would recommend this to someone who doesn't mind having a good cry.  Someone who likes books that feel real.


4.5 out of 5 stars.


Currently reading:  The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley

My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict's Attempt to Discover If Not Being A Dumb Ass Is the New Black; Or, A Culture-Up Manifesto

by Jen Lancaster

I finished this one a while ago and never got around to writing about it.  Like the others, I enjoyed this one, too!  At some point, I will read every book by her. 

In this installment, Jen decides she isn't cultured enough and sets out to rectify that situation.  She watches movies, reads books, goes to the opera and other live shows (plays, dancing, etc.), as well as partaking in cultural dining.  Basically, through any means possible.  It all started with her attending function with socialites and having nothing to talk about except what happened on the latest  reality show or a 1980s John Hughes movie.  And apparently, socialites know nothing about these topics.

I appreciate that she realizes she's not as cultured or as classy as she'd like to be.  And at certain events she doesn't feel as though she fits in.  Who among us hasn't felt that way at some point?  Let's face it, those who think they're classy, do everything to make the rest of us feel like dirt, which in my opinion, isn't very classy...

If you've read other Jen Lancaster books and enjoyed them, I'm sure you will enjoy this one, too.


4.5 out of 5 stars.


Currently reading:  The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley