10, 11, 12, 13, 14, how many races am I doing, and why Chipotle isn't training food...

First off I was going to blog about this hellacious track work out my husband had us do, and regardless if 4 hours past since lunch, a carnitas Chipotle burrito isn't good food to eat before you run it. More on that later...

Last night my husband was stuffing more races in his calendar then George Costanza had papers and all sorts of ephemera stuffed in his wallet (does anyone remember that Seinfeld episode besides me?) and said, "I am stopping at 20 that's a nice round number". Turns out he really had 21 races on his calendar, a not round number, but what's one race amongst friends right? I laughed and told him I wasn't doing a crazy amount of races. That I would be okay with a few and training, that was all I wanted to do. It feels good to be comfortable with just wanting to train and do a few races, not anything long course. He agreed with my strategy, no long course races for me this year, and a lighter schedule. But you know, it's hard to keep your schedule light when you wake up, open your email, and get notifications saying you registered for yet another race you had no flipping idea about. This morning it was the Whistlestart 5k. What the heck? It was like the Sweetheart 8k. I know I didn't register for it, but like a robot I woke up, stumbled out the door and ran for 46 minutes of my life to finish it. So now I have a 5k to run on March 14. Uhm Yay? I was hoping to do around 0 races this season, that's a nice round number, but no, as it stands right now, barring any more surprise races that I register for amnesiatically, I am running in 14 different races this season. Yes, 14. 14 isn't a nice round number to start, it's all edgy, to end, 14 is way more then a few.

So there's the rub, what to do? You have my husband looking up races and then asking, like he did last night, "Hey you want to do an early season tri with me? There's one, the Rumpass in Bumpass at Lake Anna." All snickering aside, I refuse to do anything that sounds like I have a Rump-ass and someone will be bumping my ass. Sorry, it's a matter of principal. It would be like doing a You'll-be-fina in Vagina race or something. I can't do it based on the name and because it will be an open water swim that was described as having water warmed up by 4 or 5 degrees by the nuclear power plant there. Hmmmm, having a race named after a heinie and the possibility of a third eye or being able to be used as a nightlight when I get out of the water, uhhhh, no. Not me. And again, I wanted a light season, so really 15 would make things so not light for my schedule. But then I wake up to this new 5k in my mailbox. At least it's not named a 5k Ditty in Ti....oops, I digress...

Granted some races are 5ks or the Muddy Buddy, which is just a fun race. When I met the guy who organizes it, I told him we'd be there, like he's really going to remember me if I'm not there, but I need to redeem myself after that wicked spill I took last year. I need to do better, if I don't Brad might get a new buddy to get muddy with...So really, they're not all A races. Some are just to do and to keep me training. But 14, that's way more then I had considered. I just got done telling a friend my race season would be light, okay, totally lied about that.

Back to my burrito. Brad had a track workout with this group he has been training with for the Ukrops 10k. He has a goal of Kenyan proportions as far as time goes in my eyes, but he couldn't make the track work out due to work. I always step in when he can't get out there with his group. So we bundle up, it was colder then cold and windy, two of our girls wanted to go with us and we head to the track. He tells me it will be an easier workout then he thought and easy is good in my book. We had Chipotle burritos for lunch. They are the size of nerf footballs, and I love mine with that mega spicy sauce on it. I always get the same, carnitas, black beans, rice and spicy sauce. No cheese, no guacamole, nothing else. Just meat, beans and spice. We needed something to eat, we had been dealing with a major ice catastrophe at the rink, our Olympia died in the middle of cutting the ice and that lead to ice damage, all the way down to the sand beneath, paint gone etc. and a patch job in addition to cancelling public sessions and free style. By the time we were done with all of that, we needed quick eats and I had to go get the kids. I figured our track work out would be cancelled, I had kids to pick up, Brad had meetings at 7:30p. But as luck would have it, Brad figured out a way for us to do it. My stomach did a flip thinking about running with a burrito sloshing around in it all the while. Where was I again, oh yes, easier workout...So we warm up for a mile. Nice easy 10 minute per mile pace. It was lovely, then the clouds parted and lightning bolts started shooting at me, not really, but that's what the work out was like. We had 3 sets of 1200 meters. I had to do mine in 5 minutes and 45 seconds. Ready, set, go and we start the first one. I did the first lap okay, I was at a minute 30, on pace for hitting that 5 minute 45 second goal. I didn't look at my watch for the second and third lap. I was concentrating on keeping that burrito to the confines of my stomach...ugh, it wanted to make a guest appearance. DONE with the first 1200 and I did it in 5 minutes, 45 seconds. Still gulping for air and trying not to barf, I settle enough to try another. I make it, but in 6 minutes even. Still, Senor Burrito is knocking on the back of my throat, begging to say hi to everyone outside my lips. I calm down and do the third set of 1200. This one, once again is in 6 minutes. When I was done, I had to walk over by the woods just in case. I didn't want to leave my calling card where people might walk, but the urge to wretch passes and here comes my mentally unstable husband with that crazy smile on his face I have come to love for some reason saying, Now we only have 2 sets of 800 and we're done! This wasn't so bad was it?? I am afraid to open my mouth and say anything, just in case. Thankfully it was darkish and Brad couldn't see the look I was giving him. Okay two sets of 800 meters, I can do this, I can do this I am thinking. We start the first set and by the middle of my first 400 meters, I am thinking this is it, I am going to be doing a Mexican technicolor yawn, insert hat dance music here. I had to stop at the end of that 400 and walk over to my place near the woods that I was before. I get myself settled down and actually decide to try the last 800. My husband's enthusiasm rubbed off on me, either that or he beats me about the head in my sleep and I am slightly brain damaged and don't know it yet. I start my last 800 and realize I am only going to be able to do another 400. See, when I get sick, whatever comes up I can't eat again for years, ask Brad how long he went without a Pizza Margherita from the last time I was sick. I LOVE Chipotle burritos, I didn't want to live without them for 5 years so I sacrificed my work out to a degree.

But I did learn a valuable lesson from it this, and that is SKIP the freaking track work out after you have ice problems and sit home with a glass of $2 buck Chuck in your hand instead. Then sit and laugh at races like the Rumpass in Bumpass and be glad you ate that burrito for lunch! Not at all what you were thinking was it ;)