Thanks for all of your feedback on car buying. You all had some helpful thoughts and suggestions I had not thought of. The Honda CRV seems to be one that I should have higher on my list. This anonymous commenter had something interesting to say:
The Charger is actually a really reasonable choice. If you opt for the V6 and AWD you will get an average of 21 mpg, but you will NEVER get stuck in the snow. The Charger's V6 produces 292 horsepower which will freaking rock your world, Beth. And you can get all this for under 30k NEW!! Sounds like your son Sam is a super intelligent and cool young man. The hummer H3 with an inline 5 cylinder engine is also an excellent choice.
Took me about three seconds flat to realize it was my son, Sam. Clearly he needs more supervision.
So - I thought I was done racing for awhile – I was going to kick back and do this heart rate training thing and pick my nose. But, Team Refuel offered me an entry to the Denver Rock and Roll Half on September 22, so I snatched that baby up. Not to whine, but if you sign up now, it is $115 + $9 processing fee. That is $124 to run a stinking half marathon. I have bitched about the cost of races before. Yes, I have. So, I’ll stop. Especially since I’m not paying.
IMHO, Rock and Roll puts on great races (minus last year’s puke fest in Vegas). I think a lot of people have the mindset that they are okay paying for the fun extras like cool race medals, frequent aid stations, a brand name race shirt and bands every mile or so.
I ran Denver last year with Joie to help her break two hours (we did 1:54- go Joie!). It’s a scenic course going through some of Denver’s major parks and usually there is outstanding weather. Although now that I said that there will be a snowstorm or heat wave or tsunami. We get those a lot in Denver.
Denver’s a pretty nice and runner friendly city – if you watched Dynasty, then you know what I am talking about. Just like if you watch South Park you know a lot about Colorado mountain towns and how every child has huge white eyes and continually spews the f-word.
Remember Linda Evan’s feathered hair and Alexis’ up-dos? F-bombs around the fire. How heartwarming
In May, Forbes came out with a list of the top ten best cities for runners:
- Chicago
- New York
- Portland
- Boulder
- Washington D.C.
- San Francisco
- Austin
- Minneapolis
- Boston
- Atlanta
I’ve only run in four of these cities, so apparently I have a lot of traveling to do. I don’t know what they base their conclusions on, and I’m too lazy to figure it out. Probably something to do with weather, scenery, availability of running trails and number of bushes available for emergency evacuations (Boulder is especially strong in that area).
But, back to the race. I am not going to be sidelined from my heart rate training while getting ready for this half. Even though my long runs feel like I am running in place, through molasses and tar, I am sticking with it to see what kind of results I can get over the long term.
My plan for Denver is to “race” it (I use that term loosely) with a goal of staying at 80-85% of my max heart rate (165 bpms). I did a comfortable tempo run at that pace the other day and I think I was so happy to be running faster that I was almost euphoric. Denver will in no way be a PR for me, but it will be a test of this heart rate training experiment. I am also thrilled because my dear friend, Erika, is running – it will be her first half ever!
By the way, even though you train at certain heart rates, your racing rates are different (since you are racing – DUH). According to Runner’s World suggested rates are:
- 5K – 95-97% of heart rate max (almost full exertion)
- 10K – 92-94%
- Half marathon – 85-88%
- Marathon – 80-85%
Just information to confuse you more.
What’s the most you’ve ever paid for a race? I think mine was the Boulder 70.3 at $250.
What do you think the best city is for running? I am obviously partial to Boulder, but also love D.C. There is nothing like running on the Mall near all of the monuments. Rock Creek Park is amazing too.
What’s one city you’ve never run in, but have on your list? For me, it’s San Francisco. I want to be killed by the hills. I am enamored by this city and have never been. I’d love to go, eat my face off, and take some amazing runs.
Here is where I’m going to figure out my max heart rate for real.
SUAR
