the NYC Half

sorry I have been MIA on the blog. truth is, i have been a bit of a delinquent... but between Hal's encouraging words, and NYPolak's inspiring ones i motivated to get back on the training wagon last week! (check out the bump in my miles on the nike challenge-yeah, that's right!!) and i'm proud to say, i've taken the weekend long runs to the next level. yes ladies and gentlemen, i have now run my first double digit run!!! and the big news is that i didn't die trying!! yay! to prove it, here are pictures of me amid the masses at the NYC Half Marathon last sunday (i ditched at 10 miles since it was just a training run). ran through central park (surprisingly tough/lots of hills--good practice for the sfaffy though), times square (v cool) and ultimately ended up on the west side highway. these pics were taken around mile 8 running through times square...and you'll see that i am definitely looking a bit red faced, doing lots of huffing and puffing! HAHA however, please note that my legs and arms are actually moving--i am indeed running! and by the way, it was really hot and humid, hence the red face. actually Cube, in homage to you, at every water stop i shamelessly poured water all over myself and then recklessly threw my used water cups to the ground!! yeah! hardcore!! HAHA

all in all (and i can't believe i'm actually going to say this...) it was ACTUALLY a really fun time. and it made me SO excited for the real deal this weekend... can't wait to reunite with Cube and Croat and "just do the damn thing"! xoxo

Where Has All The Hardcore Gone?

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies.....where has all the hardcore gone? I mean I go to check the Nike Challenge page and see Cube hasn't even run once in like a week. Chilena is talking about drinks and having fun in place of tears and sweat. I don't even want to know what Croat is up to. Probably something so heinously un-hardcore that the mere site of this blog makes her cringe with shame and guilt....

I mean come on ladies. I used to come to A Cube, a Croat and a Chilena for motivation. Now it's Artie who's given the pep talks? Cube I mean I get it you are studying for the most important test of your professional career. I get it. but come on ZERO.ZERO runs. I mean hey I don't mind smoking you by 20 miles but I do like a challenge.

I think it's time to bust out the good ole Catalunya flag story to motivate some butts onto the concrete. You see ladies there is a legend in Barcelona about the Catalan flag and it goes something like this:

There once was a Catalunian Count by the name of Guifré el Pilóss also known as Wilfred the Hairy, who had a mighty Golden Shield, and was also known as a tremendous marathon runner*. Old Willie loved his country so much that he would run around defending it against all invaders to his dying breath (Much in the same way hardcore runners defend their hearts against the invading forces of Sloth and Laziness). Soon his beloved Barcelona came under attack from the Moors and he was killed in an intense battle defending his homeland. As he lay there dying, his fingers covered in blood he reached for his Golden shield which lay next to him and with his dying breath he smeared his bloody finger tips onto the shield and cried out "I may die now...but I gave those Moors one hell of a RUN**". That is why the Catalan flag is gold with red stripes you see. Now young ladies the lesson we take away from this is: Even though you may be attacked by the forces of Ease, Laziness and Drinking Good Times you must fight on and RUN. Run until you are bloody and dying and smearing your finger tips onto your racing bibs. The Count and Coach Hal would be proud.


*Was not known as a tremendous marathon runner. We all know the Spanish hate all forms of physical activity. Let's not kid ourselves.

**Not actually said by Count Guifré el Pilóss. He probably said something about courage or freedom or something.

a letter to hal

dear coach hal,

there's something that's troubling me. i don't know what's happening but i'm turning into a slacker. it's, well, all quite disturbing and i feel awful. the truth of the matter is that i've only run 3 miles in the past week. shameful, i know. no doubt you are both surprised as well as very disappointed. as you should be. but let me explain, see, it all started about a week ago when i took this trip to hong kong--the 15 hr flights there and back along with a 12 hr time difference were not at all conducive to training runs. but while i was slacking in hong kong, i promised myself i would make up the mileage when i returned to nyc...but upon my return, i just kept coming up with more and more excuses. "is it really a good idea to go running during an oppressive heat wave?"..."i'm still trying to get over this jet lag, surely it's more important to sleep an extra hour?" and i am still tempted to argue that these actually were not excuses but valid reasons why i had to put my training on hold. but now here's the problem. now i just can't stop making excuses. tonight was the limit. tonight the excuses started to border on rationale for slothfulness. unacceptable! what happened is, i left work on the early side to be sure to make it home in time for a 9-miler. i had promised myself that tonight i was going to get right back on that training wagon. and then... i made it home from work...and after almost 2 hours of chatting on the phone (a good chunk of that chat time was with cube might i add) i realized it was 8:30PM and night had fallen...and so, a new excuse: "it's dark, and absolutely not safe to run in the park now, right?" now, i'm sure you could help me rationalize that it would have been irresponsible to go on a run under those circumstances. this might be true, but enough is enough. no more excuses. i want to get out of this rut. i need to be held accountable! i need some pressure. hal, i want to be a good trainee again. when you say run, i want to shout "how far hal? just tell me how far!" so here, right on this blog, i will commit to you, and to all our loyal readers, that tomorrow morning, before work, i WILL run 9 miles. no more excuses. i'm no wimp. i'm hardcore. i can be the best trainee ever. i mean, i was kicking cube's butt in the nike challenge and now...!!! well, no more! watch out. la chilena is back!

all the best, from your loyal trainee...

is it festivus yet?

Airing of Grievances

The celebration of Festivus begins with the Airing of Grievances, which takes place immediately after the Festivus dinner has been served. It consists of lashing out at others and the world about how one has been disappointed in the past year.

Frank Costanza: I got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you're gonna hear about it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

HOLA SFAFFERS!

now indeed, YOU'RE gonna hear about it.

chilena! are you in the business of training any more? i see NEGATIVE movement on the nike challenge charts, and yet i continue to receive texts in which you claim to be "at dinner" and "at a bar". where are your priorities?!

and croat! you have fallen off the face of earth as well. you were last spotted by me guzzling wine at cafe iberico into the wee hrs of the night. i also receive various texts from you discussing "dinner with your bf" and "bday parties" you just have to attend that preclude you from running. where is the discipline??

and to the both of you: WHERE IS THE BLOGGING?!

thankfully, C3 has been capably maintained by our very talented and funny guest bloggers, Nypolak and Bex, during your absence. (we love you, guest bloggers! besos!)

but i am troubled by the fact that both of you seem to think that things like "work" and "work-related travel" and "boozing" and "love lives" are more important than "running in the heat" and "subsequently blogging about it". FOR SHAME!!!

LOVE,
~CUBE

hot time, summer in the city

omg. it is ridics outside. of course i stayed in this morning doing some work etc, and finally, very intelligently, decide to go out for my run around, oh 2pm (aka hottest time of the day).

it was BAD.

i forced myself to get through 3 miles, but i swear it felt like i had run 3 back to back marathons, all uphill. whew!

after i finally (FINALLY) hit 3, i called it a day, turned off the nike+ (thats for you, doubting schmalvy) and made myself at least WALK 4 more miles. so i strolled and let myself get crazy sportsbra tan lines and listened to lectures (woohoo! double tasking!). bought a slurpee with the little bit of just-in-case money i had tucked in my shorts and called it a day. the end.

The start of it all....

So Miss Cube so nicely invited me to be a guest blogger, probably thinking as a fellow runner I might add some good motivation or insight. Sadly, running a marathon, even two, doesn't prevent a person, okay maybe it just happens to me, from becoming a total lazy bones.

First let me take a little credit. I do think I may justifiably take responsibility for inspiring Cube to train for her first marathon. And I may be wrong, but I am pretty sure she had never had the courage for a half before then either. And I think, definitely may be wrong here, it has been known to happen, that neither Croat nor Chilena have run a 1/2-er (or longer) before. So if I am correct that I got Cube going, and Cube got Croat and Chilena going, then I like to think that even without great words of wisdom, I deserve to be a guest blogger since without me, there may not have been a blog at all :).

Okay before I give a little background to how I so nicely inspired this domino effect, let me say, that I am not sure I am technically savvy enough to do this blogging thing. It took me way to long to figure out how to post, and then when I saved it, took excruciatingly too long to then find where it went. So I must say, that I am pretty excited to be back on a roll.

So one my wonder what exactly did I do to inspire Cube. You must be thinking it was some eloquent, heart-moving speech or perhaps just persistence that wore her down (i.e. Cube-style in terms of getting others to join a race with her)...but no...I must admit that it was my sheer former patheticness that really inspired the Cube...Truly. Because after spending 4 years at college with me when she saw that in the entire time, I worked out maybe all of three times total, Cube fully knew that I was by far the least athletic person ever. So when she heard that I was going to train for a marathon, she like everyone else, didn't really believe me (my boyfriend basically fell off the bed laughing trying to picture me doing this, since my lack of any physical exercise definitely continued up until 4 months before the scheduled marathon). So I am pretty sure, since Cube has since confirmed, that once I completed a marathon, she realized anyone could complete one. So thanks to my prior non-athleticness, you are all running a half marathon!!!

Now sadly, I need to somehow kick my ass back into gear since I have signed up for the Philly marathon in the fall and have absolutely no motivation to do a single run (haven't run, except one pathetic attempt in the blazing sun) since May (when I managed to get running for a month).

So...if anyone has any words of inspiration for a former marathon completer, who tends to relapse to her prior laziness...(maybe shame works?), feel free to send some motivation my way as well ;). If not, hopefully my current state of laziness (interrupted by a spurt of athleticism) will inspire a whole new generation of distance runners.

The Cyborgs Amoung Us...

First of all let me just start off by saying how incredibly honored and humbled I am to be selected as a guest poster on one of my favorite blogs A Cube, a Croat and a Chilena... I've been a loyal reader ever since I was informed of it's existence and have loved it ever since. This being my first guest post I can only hope to emulate its high journalistic and editorial standards as well as entertain the literally tens of people who casually look at this blog from around the Chicago, NYC metro areas (plus randoms from Europe).

As an avid running enthusiast of Polish decent I've come across my fair share of funny anecdotes and humorous stories about the sport. One of particular interest to the contributing Croatian and Chilean female runners of this blog is my ongoing Nike Plus challenge with a one Cuban running nazi powerhouse. We are into our 3rd or 4th week of the challenge appropriately named Let's Do the Damn Thing, the winner of which will gain the title of most hardcore and lifetime bragging rights. In the beginning we were pretty neck and neck in terms of total mileage run and I was feeling good about myself. As the days went on however I began to notice a troubling fact about my Cuban challenger; her total miles run kept going up at an increasingly exponential rate. At first this didn't seem possible and I had to consult a former running partner who let's call Schmalvy or Rhode Islander. The Rhode Islander hinted at the possibility that perhaps Miss Cuban was walking around with her Nike Plus to accumulate miles. How else could someone explain the shear millage this little Platano was racking up? I entertained this theory for a while but knowing the Cube fairly well I am fully convinced of her integrity and know she would never intentionally do something like that. Which lead me to my current revised theory of her mutant, cyborg origins. I've come to suspect that or little Cuban is really a female cyborg from the distant future come back to run an insane amount of miles, torture me and save John Connor from a similarly constructed Arnold Schwarzenegger cyborg. That's what I am going with (to make myself feel better for lagging over 10 miles behind). If anyone has a more plausible story, which I highly doubt, I am open to suggestions.

p.s. On a final note of frustration I was in Las Vegas this weekend for a convention. Obviously the only thing on my mind was how I was going to get a run in so that the Cube's lead could look less embarrassing. I was staying at the Mandalin Bay (which by the way if you have never stayed in is HUGE and really nice). Being that it was Las Vegas and 105 degrees outside I thought I would suck it and run on the treadmill at the hotel gym (something which I find to be unbearable at best). I knew I had to get at least something in because there was no way the Cube was letting out and skipping a "long run" on a weekend. God forbid she upset old Hal. Turns out it cost 30 bucks to use the dumb gym even for hotel guests. I was like screw this I'll suck it up and run outside. So it's super hot and super dry out but I'm thinking ok Arts (I call myself Artie in my head, despite the fact that is and has never been my real name. Just a quick side note for all you (one) foreign readers). So I'm thinking ok Arts Let's Do The Damn Thing and run at least 2 miles in this desert heat. I get chugging along and manage to pull out a decent 3 miler despite the heat and obvious discomfort. I get home today and check the challenge website and come to find our little Pollo a la Barbacoa is smoking me by 10 miles. Anyway just a frustrating final note from this exhausted Pole.

Hope you all enjoyed my first guest post. I hope it was entertaining and somewhat enlightening to all the many (one) readers of A Cube, A Croat and a Chilena... Thank you and get those runs in.

What's in a shoe?

What a week. Sfaffy training was chellenging due to a sick day Monday, a 6:30 am flight Wednesday, followed by a 5:30 am flight Thursday... Finally back home on Friday and excited to get in a loooong run with Cube. I planned on stopping at Fleet Feet early afternoon before making it to Cube's, to finally get a pair of running shoes I love. My current running shoes are okay (Nike btw and designed for the Nike+ chip I don't have yet!!), but they're pretty worn out and rub my feet in weird places - one place strangely being the third toe on my left foot. Gross, I agree, but bottom line is that they are not the right runnig shoe.

Needless to say, ended up working too late and had only enough time to run down to Cube's for a Friday late run. Slipped on the old Nikes and we ran 9 miles! It was great even though my feet were hating me afterward. Next day, decided to slip on a dress and wear my 3.5-inch peep toe heels, for Saurday night sushi and drinks with friends . My sore and now burning legs didn't appreciate them but the heels were unquestionably cute. Justin decided to wear sandals so had to hustle to keep up. Made it to Martini Park - a semi new martini bar downtown. Walked up to the bouncer and all he says is, "No sandals, man." Of course no sandals. Justin, what were you thinking? Not the right shoe.

That wasn't going to slow us down, so we take a cab back to his place to change. Made ourselves a quick vodka tonic and Justin was now in leather dress shoes. But wait, I have to run upstairs to go to the bathroom before we leave. And I mean run. Kicked off the uncomfortable heels, ran into the bathroom and didn't even have a chance to flip on the lights before I crashed into metal and tools. This time, no shoes to blame, foot bleeding all over the place. Forgot Justin is doing some work in there and that poor little third toe slipped right under some metal. Now I am on the bathroom floor with one thought - ER or no ER? I mean, I see the flap of skin and blood. but it will heal on its own, right?

Didn't go to the ER but forced to wear a couple of bandaids and uncovered shoes for a while. It will likely be about a week until Fleet Feet or even my next run, but the next time you slip on your running shoe, work pump or even that cute sandal, stop to think - what's really in a shoe?

i'm hungry!

cube did you do your run today? i had big plans to run my 5 miler last night buuuuuut instead went to delicious big italian meal at da andrea (your old hood in wv!!). lots of wine, bread, pasta, more wine! yum yum. btw, my appetite has been INSATIABLE the past few weeks. i think i can rationalize increased food intake because we're burning like 100 calories per mile...not to mention increased metabolism! which basically means my huge italian feast last night practically gets canceled out by 7 mile run from this past weekend...riiiiight?

oh, and i was discussing insatiable appetite over dinner with a certain at-times completely tactless boy last night...and just as i was popping another olive in my mouth he says i should "be careful!", not so subtly hinting that i may blow up like a whale lest i watch my food consumption. (btw, guess who tactless boy is..) ha! well, i'll show him. and in the meantime, i'm going to enjoy unreal equation of increased food intake miraculously equaling slimmer more toned bod as long as i can!! i love training for the sfaffy!!

oh, so yeah, doing 5 miler tonight instead. ;)

trash talk, parts iii-iv

nypolak: ok, ok, i see where this needs to go
nypolak: well hold on to your hats, 'cause im doing nothing but running this month
--------------------------------------------------
nypolak: how the hell did you get from 19-31 in one wknd?
nypolak: i think youre walking around with your chip, taking it everywhere
nypolak: i thought i would surpass you this wknd with my 6 miler
nypolak: damn it now i have to stop eating and only run all day
nypolak: well, you gotta do what you gotta do--so lets do the damn thing.

BRING IT!

today i ran to...

...Walgreens! ok wow, i know that is so lame. and really on so many levels. first, it's lame bc i did not actually do a real run, as i had been promising myself i would do today AND yesterday. second, it's lame bc i have become unnaturally excited about walgreens in the past few wks since i have relocated to chicago. there are a few reasons for this as well. for starters, walgreens has a pretty decent selection of goods on sale--i think it definitely outshines my old rite aid across the street (which kind of sucked) AND the duane reade one block further down 6th ave in nyc. additionally, my life has become exponentionaly more boring than it was when i resided in nyc with my normal nyc life--so now these trips to the drug store are like a TREAT! it is amazing what seems exciting after holing up in your apt studying all day (ie rows of moisturizers and band-aids).

i also once again reaffirmed that i AM jane consumer. i decided recently that i am dissatisfied with my usual facial moisturizer and must switch to something new immediately. so on my walgreens field trip this evening (yay!), i spent countless precious minutes of my life holding two bottles made by the same company that i like very much. product 1 was very reasonably priced and seemed like it would do a pretty decent job. product 2 was inexplicably more than 3x as much....but it promised me id be "positively radiant"! and obvs i want to be positively radiant!! i have so little going for me right now and my life is so pathetic, i felt it was the least i could do to treat myself to something that would "leave skin smooth, reflect light to immediately enhance skin's appearance, and improve skin's radiance"!!! right?? and also it has spf. that kind of sealed it--i mean i am also being diligent and doing something good for me. long story short--i was sold! chalk up another victory in consumer product manufacturers of america vs. jane consumer. anyway...

in addition to being lazy and entranced by walgreens, my other excuses for not running today are as follows: (1) it was REALLY hot today. like ridics 86 degrees forever. (2) i was waiting for it to "cool down", and when it finally did later in the evening, it looked like it was def going to rain, which would pose a danger of water damage to my ipod and nike+ electronics. (3) i am really REALLY sore from my awesome yoga class (awesome yoga class in chi-what?!) yesterday. like i can barely walk.

all of that to say--IM GOING TOMORROW MORNING, I SWEAR!!!

8 Mile Run

I'm a wo-man, I'ma make a new plan
Time for me to just start running, and travel new land
Time for me to just take matters into my own hands
Once I'm over this run man I'ma never look back
(8 Mile Run) And I'm gone, I know right where I'm goin
Sorry momma I'm grown, I must travel alone
ain't gon' follow the footsteps I'm making my own
There's no way that I know how to escape from this 8 Mile Run

Trash Talk #2

my own personal fave courtesy of nike:

you can run as fast as you want, but you'll still be eating the dirt i'm kicking up.
greetz!!!!

Trash Talk

from another ongoing Nike Challenge:

NYPolak: I forgot to tell you, Lance Armstrong spoke to me.
NYPolak: He congratulated me on being awesome
NYPolak: and creeping up on you ever so slyly.

8 miles????

the famed hal higdon builds flexibility into his training schedules, so much so, that if you don't carefully track your runs, you may find you have absolutely no idea where you fall on the long distance running endurance development timeline. my method of Crossing Off Runs on Printed Schedule Tacked to Office Wall seemed like a good one... that is if i had bothered to cross of the runs i'd done. so after some intense calculation/deliberation/denialation i've come to the conclusion that we are in week 8, hence expected to run 8 miles this weekend.

please tell me this isn't true!!!

given that my july 4th plans consist of bbq'ing and lazing on the beach...would be very pleased to learn otherwise... cube/croat??

Fan Mail!

omg! i was delighted to find out tonight that "A Cube, a Croat and a Chilena" (C3) has at least one secret loyal reader in addition to those previously mentioned (that would be Cube's mom once and Cube's boyfriend, under duress)!

from our (e-)mailbag, from a fan out in sunny California!!!

[Cube],

I am so excited you are in Chicago. I have been secretly following your
blog. I am in chi for 10 days or so. I will give you a call. I should have
some free time. Maybe you, [childhood friend of Cube's and secret loyal reader's] and I can get together. Your blog is awesome and so are all of you--keep up the great work, you will all be champions out in SF!*

*ok, fine i added the last line.

the bottom line is that we have readers, from all over the country--from the west coast to the midwest to the east coast--that are all cheering us on in some way or another (maybe?). YES!!!