It took me a little under two hours and twenty-eight minutes to run 13.1 miles through Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, a old, rural community in Albuquerque’s North Valley. I ran past prickly pear, gorgeous adobes, acequias (irrigation ditches), cottonwood seeds blowing like spring snowflakes, a dozen sheep, one goat, five horses, and three Vergins de Guadalupe.
Around mile nine or ten, things got really hard. My muscles started to seize up, and even though I tried to hold my pace, I actually added a few minutes to each mile. About a half mile out, I asked everyone I passed, “I’m almost there, right?” It was glorious to stop and even better to have met my goal of under two hours thirty minutes. Thanks, everyone, for cheering me on!
Valerie asked what I like to listen to when I run, so here goes:
Mainly old stuff, like Bruce Springsteen, Midnight Oil, INXS, Tom Petty, Led Zepplin, some Australian oldies (hooray for Cool Daddy’s Eagle Rock!), The Cars, U2, some not so typical stuff, like a Cajun/Zydeco CD called Bayou Hot Sauce, an Australian Aboriginal band called Yothu Yindi, a Navajo singer named Sharon Birch, Aaron Copeland’s Rodeo, and in reserve for those last few hard miles, ridiculous, peppy music I can’t take seriously but helps me keep going, like anything by the Black-Eyed Peas, Hey Ya, and (I can’t believe I’m admitting this) the B-52’s.
Mainly old stuff, like Bruce Springsteen, Midnight Oil, INXS, Tom Petty, Led Zepplin, some Australian oldies (hooray for Cool Daddy’s Eagle Rock!), The Cars, U2, some not so typical stuff, like a Cajun/Zydeco CD called Bayou Hot Sauce, an Australian Aboriginal band called Yothu Yindi, a Navajo singer named Sharon Birch, Aaron Copeland’s Rodeo, and in reserve for those last few hard miles, ridiculous, peppy music I can’t take seriously but helps me keep going, like anything by the Black-Eyed Peas, Hey Ya, and (I can’t believe I’m admitting this) the B-52’s.
The ice cream cake story:
I brought home this gorgeous, enormous Dairy Queen birthday cake a few weeks ago, ready to keep it in the freezer until my ten-year-old’s party. Except it didn’t fit in the freezer; it barely fit in the fridge. With the party three hours later, all I could imagine was being left with a brown pool of mush to serve my boy and his friends. I ran to my neighbor’s house in a panic, and thankfully the cake fit in the freezer there. This made me feel warm and fuzzy. Having only lived here nine months, I’m already at the sharing a neighbor’s freezer stage! The kids got to chow on perfectly frozen/partially thawed pieces of ice cream cake. I had to stash extras on tin-foiled papered plates because even with less cake, I couldn’t get that box to squish into the freezer.
I brought home this gorgeous, enormous Dairy Queen birthday cake a few weeks ago, ready to keep it in the freezer until my ten-year-old’s party. Except it didn’t fit in the freezer; it barely fit in the fridge. With the party three hours later, all I could imagine was being left with a brown pool of mush to serve my boy and his friends. I ran to my neighbor’s house in a panic, and thankfully the cake fit in the freezer there. This made me feel warm and fuzzy. Having only lived here nine months, I’m already at the sharing a neighbor’s freezer stage! The kids got to chow on perfectly frozen/partially thawed pieces of ice cream cake. I had to stash extras on tin-foiled papered plates because even with less cake, I couldn’t get that box to squish into the freezer.
The curry recipe:
Here’s the link, Sara, for that wonderful curried shrimp. Anyone else a curry fan? I think I could eat it everyday.
Here’s the link, Sara, for that wonderful curried shrimp. Anyone else a curry fan? I think I could eat it everyday.
Wednesday I’ll answer Natalie‘s question about finding an agent and my road to publication and Heidi’s about how writing dreams add up to reality.
Great job finishing the half marathon! That’s such an accomplishment. I’m lucky if I can get through my fifteen minute workout lately. I am so out of shape!!
And … ice cream cake … YUM!
Amy
Congratulations on the Marathon. Loved the curried shrimp recipe. Glad you saved the cake. I made a birthday cake yesterday from scratch and frosted it with microwave fudge. Rule at our house: Kids have to decorate their own cake. Action figures are encouraged.
I’m so impressed you ran it. I can barely run two blocks.
And I love ice cream cake. Yum! Looking forward to the answer to my question.
Good for you, Caroline! I walk. I don’t run.
You deserve the delicious-sounding curried shrimp AND the ice cream cake after all that running.
Congrats.
Congrats on the half. I’m running my first half in two weeks. I appreciated your story. Yeah, what’s with mile 10?! I ran ten this past weekend, I felt good until that last mile. My feet just hurt. Relax and enjoy this week.
Congrats on the half! I’m walking in my 5th half in 2 weeks. And I am currently resting my knee (grr) which I slightly hyperextended and I’ve not been doing as much rest of it as I should so it’s also not healing as fast as it would if I’d just lay off!
Mmm, ice cream cake sounds very good right now.
That’s a really good time on the half marathon! I used to do crazy things like that a lifetime ago, only I never had that good of a time 🙂
All the best to Carin and Bfav on your half-marathons in two weeks. And Sherrie, you are very kind. I’m pretty slow, but it works for me!
I love the descriptions of all the things you ran past in the marathon, Caroline. Beautiful writing. I have to admit that every time I hear Love Shack, it gets me pumped up. But not to run or even walk – you guys all put me to shame. I just like to dance around the house! But since you guys are all in such great shape, I think I better go jump on my exercise bike and get some reading done while I”m at it. I’m new to your blog. Very nice! Oh, and congrats on your book. Very exciting, and it will be fun to follow your journey.
I’m totally impressed. I run three times a week, but I only go two miles! 13.1 would probably be the end of me.
I went through a huge Midnight Oil phase years ago. Fun!
Congratulations! I think I’ll stick to surviving a 5k first and go from there. A half marathon. I am IMPRESSED!