tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71306023236214990712008-06-27T05:40:24.047+01:00Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-40345543699716000762008-06-23T13:05:00.002+01:002008-06-23T13:19:11.985+01:00

All things in balance - that's my desire for my life. In my early 20s, I had a pretty good balance. I left graduate school because it didn't leave room for balance. I played rugby, and trained to a degree that would let me play at a level that would challenge me yet not require me to do this to the exclusion of all else (to the disappointment of my obsessed friends...who, to their credit, are

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-19563601471764382362008-06-19T13:13:00.002+01:002008-06-19T13:23:50.497+01:00

In reply to some comments lately: Yes, Jess, OFM is directly east of BFE. Both are past Over the River and Through The Woods, though less far than Mars. Laura - let me know when you find a top like that you can run in. I'll buy 100. Joe - Even though I've been going out with the hashers, I haven't yet really been running "with" anyone. People generally hook up with their pace-friends. I don't

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-50170284658314011212008-06-17T10:51:00.002+01:002008-06-17T10:57:00.725+01:00

Went out for another hash yesterday. Some familiar (to me) faces but since I haven't been in a month they thought I was a newbie again. Much older crowd than last time, and the location (Clapham South) is in outer-fucking-mongolia as far as my regular tube riding goes. Still, good to see a new area of London, and I was keeping up much better than last time. Partly I think it was that the trail

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-10226688878026550912008-06-16T12:15:00.002+01:002008-06-16T12:21:11.021+01:00

No running at all this weekend. Friday afternoon was spent in search of a dress for a Saturday Bat Mitzvah. Then of course Saturday was the event, which we planned very poorly for. Early wakeup, train to Heathrow to hire a car, drive to temple, listen to Hebrew. Congratulate honorees. Now have 5 hours to kill before reception but are hours from home. Wish we had brought something to do, or had

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-2924778024124474562008-06-12T11:28:00.003+01:002008-06-12T11:41:16.195+01:00

The theme for this week's Take it and Run Thursday is "As you begin your marathon training, don't forget..." I suspect others will have good advice about running the thing. Not me. My advice is "don't forget to kiss your wife (or kids, or dog, or boyfriend, or or or)." I mean this both literally and figuratively. Literally: Marathon training takes a lot of physical energy. You'll probably be up

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-74159776424946597012008-06-12T10:52:00.004+01:002008-06-12T11:04:39.200+01:00

I beat back Morning Brain this morning, who reared her ugly head at 5:45 with thoughts of going back to sleep and putting off the run until tomorrow afternoon. Rational me was awake enough to say, "remember how great you felt on Tuesday when you ran before work? Get up." and I only hit snooze twice (8 minutes total - I have a short snoozer) and was out of bed before 6. Yay me. Took the first 2

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-71271614819768713992008-06-11T12:58:00.002+01:002008-06-11T13:10:46.936+01:00

About a year ago, my sister and I did an Urban Dare together. (Side note - totally fun! Thanks to dad and Meg for help from home.) I was just getting into running and pretty out of shape, plus the format of the event is that there's a fair amount of stop-and-starting. Combined, this made for a sweaty me who would get cooled off and then start running again. I have a couple of these bras. I

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-12866958088686472322008-06-11T12:13:00.002+01:002008-06-11T12:25:03.170+01:00

Runners go through an enormous number of shoes. Whether you donate your used ones to the homeless, get them remade into athletic track surface, or putter around in the garden with them, you've got to do something to keep them from cluttering your closet after the cushioning has worn out and they've done their required 500 miles (that could be 12 pair a year if you run as much as Betsy!). The

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-22474548633597943822008-06-10T10:32:00.004+01:002008-06-10T12:31:01.567+01:00

I love interval training, I really do. It appeals to my competitive nature, and if I'm honest it gives me time to rest my lazy butt! I went out for the first Key Run #1 on my new half marathon training plan this morning - 12x400 (well, quarter miles). Target time: 2:30. Actual times: 2:15/2:30/2:49/2:49/2:40/2:21/2:14/2:25/2:45/2:25/2:59/2:15 - average 2:32. Pretty good, I'd say - but I did take

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-66110412801395346562008-06-09T16:52:00.005+01:002008-06-09T17:27:59.653+01:00

Only 2 posts ago I went on and on about the 10ks I planned to run this summer, and how I was going to do FIRST-like training for them, and blah blah blah. I'm going to do the same here about my new half-marathon plan, which should have me running a 2 1/2 hour half marathon in October - that's an 11:15 pace, people! I totally know I can do it. I did have to make a little modification, because I

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-5515207050977152232008-06-05T15:18:00.002+01:002008-06-05T15:23:40.316+01:00

Man, I go away on holiday/work trip and then get too busy to read, and finally things calm down and I find you have written 200 blog posts and I try to be a good blogger so I read them all even though I am mostly too lazy to comment. Finally caught up... Anyway, yesterday was supposed to be the Heart First 10k but I'd had a crap week at work so far but yesterday was awesome so I wanted to

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-40662240714799988782008-05-21T12:15:00.003+01:002008-05-21T12:48:30.081+01:00

I asked for a kick in the pants to get my lazy butt out of bed. Consider me kicked. I'm doing a vaguely-FIRST-like training for a couple of weeks before a 10k. I based the times off a good (for me) training run, one that would have had me running a 33-ish minute 5k, with the idea that after the 10k I will re-evaluate (or maybe just continue with these training paces) for another 10k (probably

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-38848123646526507122008-05-20T11:15:00.004+01:002008-05-20T11:22:28.981+01:00

I went out for my first hash last night. It was really fun, and the people were so welcoming. They tried to get me to come out for another one tonight, but the one I went to last night is supposed to be a "social" hash and and I was middle-to-back of the pack. Tonight's is a "runners" hash so I think I'll wait until I improve a bit before I join them. In any case, I'll totally be back, though I

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-69100828435505685732008-05-18T14:59:00.003+01:002008-05-18T15:14:23.976+01:00

Bill raises a good point - the way to get over the post marathon dithering is to have the next one lined up. So I picked one. It's about 3 weeks from now, so my training certainly won't make me peak, but the price is right (free!), the location is right (in London), and it's a distance I can feel confident in (anywhere between 1.25 and 10k, completely up to you on the day). I'm planning for 10k,

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-67769038086630063622008-05-18T00:14:00.004+01:002008-05-18T15:38:41.237+01:00

I know, I know, this is a running blog. This post has absolutely to do with running, and may generate strong feeling in the comments, but it's about something too near and dear to me not to comment on. As of May 15, same-sex couples in California have access to the rights, benefits, and responsibilities of marriage. NY state recognizes such marriages performed in other states. It's a happy day

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-38244593722807770832008-05-16T15:11:00.002+01:002008-05-16T15:20:14.362+01:00

Why haven't I been running lately? It's all to do with the conflict between Morning Brain and Afternoon Brain. Afternoon Brain says, "Let's work out." Morning Brain says, "I'm sleepy. I'll go with Afternoon Brain (AB)." AB: Remember, we don't generally get home before 7:30 or 8. The job that gets going about 11 (even though we've been there since 9) plus the hour commute and a need to eat at a

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-44619635199358101252008-05-06T11:46:00.004+01:002008-05-06T11:56:19.009+01:00

Here's a little something for all you Googlers who are looking for a review of the Bendon Sports Max bra I reviewed in my most popular post. As I mentioned in that post, this bra quickly became my new favourite. It had a good squish/bounce-control factor but was still comfortable enough that I was willing to overlook the fact that I had to get help to get it off after every run. (Though that may

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-87776532236940913582008-05-04T14:48:00.000+01:002008-05-04T14:49:32.764+01:00

I just entered the ballot for the 2009 London Marathon. Is it an addiction? Can running 12 marathons be the 12 steps?

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-79483228329535993752008-05-03T23:41:00.003+01:002008-05-18T22:31:20.902+01:00

I was so confused by the race map that came with my race packet. I walked all over Blackpool the day before the marathon, and felt more equipped to read and understand it, but I still got it wrong. Here's the actual race path I ran - starting from red and ending with purple (ROYGP, with apologies to my first grade teacher). Water stops, as best I can remember them, in blue.

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-55619189120819619042008-05-01T09:44:00.002+01:002008-05-18T22:31:20.903+01:00

I realised that my race report may have given a rather dejected impression of my race. I'm still working on an objective Blackpool Marathon review, but in the meantime I thought it would be good to reiterate how extraordinarily pleased I am about my marathon. In some ways, even, the hurdles that Blackpool (or Crappool as Bill has christened it!) threw at me make me even more proud of myself. It

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-789315801971424802008-04-30T11:49:00.003+01:002008-05-18T22:31:20.904+01:00

Choose a big-city or beginner-friendly marathon. I explicitly chose a small marathon like Blackpool, because I didn’t want to run my first in London where I’d be shoulder-to-shoulder the whole time, and I stand by that decision. But if I had my first to do over, I’d run one that had more support for the average-to-slow runner. It’s obnoxious to have them open the road before you’re finished,

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-85078717549989328852008-04-28T19:08:00.006+01:002008-05-18T22:31:44.337+01:00

Pre-race: Friday night we packed up. I was really antsy. I bought two bags of Percy Pigs for the weekend and taped 5 20p coins to one bag for toilet stops along the race course, planning for the second to go in my post-race kit (insert foreshadowing times two here). We took the train from London to Blackpool on Saturday. Once we arrived, we dropped our things at the Warwick Holiday Flats.

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-74400403982200740192008-04-28T16:46:00.002+01:002008-05-18T22:31:20.905+01:00

Still working on the race report (4 pages and counting...feel free to skip that post!) but I did it. Bit of a slog but I finished in 5:26:48.

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-4828948309062230222008-04-25T12:02:00.003+01:002008-05-18T22:27:28.352+01:00

Elite Feet has given me 10 more reasons to know I can finish the marathon. Bill has agreed to "run" with me, even though he had a fabulous Boston run and is suffering through the post-race shuffle. I'm planning for a 5 to 5.5 hour finish, so I suspect he'll be ok. Oh, and I promise to bring (and wear) sunscreen, even though it looks like rain. I'm leaving in the morning, and depending on the

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130602323621499071.post-89022783589954274612008-04-23T13:44:00.004+01:002008-05-18T22:27:28.352+01:00

Juls wrote a post that describes how I'm feeling about running these days. Slow Poke too. Must be going around these days. I like to run. I enjoy it when I get out there. But the waking up at 6, I could do without. And by the time I get home from work, I'm pretty well done for the day and no real interest in going out to run. Plus, if Meg is home I feel guilty leaving to run especially as that

Megan Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01733285819106564601noreply@blogger.com