Happy Mardi Gras!

I had to work.
Our store is on the corner that a parade turns on - so we had floats and screaming people on two sides.
This is the street after I left work, hours after the parade was over.

Happy Mardi Gras!

The best marathon pace bands online - print your own.

Pace bands > Garmins.
That's right, I said it! If you run with a Garmin you are probably constantly glancing to see your current pace (so not helpful) or maybe your average pace (a bit more helpful) but you aren't seeing the big picture. The big picture tells you how close you are to your goal, and for that you need a pace bracelet. At a glance you can see if you're going to make your time, if you're moving too fast, or how many minutes you need to make up in the last 10 miles to hit your goal.
I'm on team pace band.
You can order snazzy pace charts and bands pre-made, but it's much smarter to make your own since presumably you'll be changing pace over the years (at least I hope so).

Please feel free to link to this post on your blog or share via email. Here is why: when you Google "print pace bands", etc., a TON of malignant, virus-containing sites pop up. I have carefully navigated this morass after being warned by my friend Bj who clicked on one accidentally (luckily he uses Apple!).  So to save some poor fellow runner from virus-land, I've done all the leg-work for you  :)


Here are the best pace bracelets out there:
Cliff Bars: I like that the band has larger print than most, but the smeary colored background at major miles makes it hard to read. Not my favorite.
Marathonguide:  I like this band because you can create different distances. I printed one up for a 30k this year. Then I left it at home. Awesome.
Runner's World: Don't use this one. It creates a PDF with a black background, so when you print it you waste a gallon of ink.
Taper madness: Simple, clear, easy to read.The basics.
Katy fit: Super extensive Excel spreadsheet that lets you really play with your times; you can choose to negative split and the band will adjust miles accordingly; your pace per mile will be shown to the right. Two different sizes to choose from.
Running Room: Prints in bold so it's good for people with who are too vain to run in glasses (Abe? are you reading?) and has a variety of distance options.
My marathon pace: For an important race, download the paceband created specifically for your marathon! These bands actually take into account the terrain and course of several big name races. The full version you have to pay for. Just the band is free to download. There is A LOT of info here: even the "generic flat marathon" pace band has options; you can choose to "fade" at the end or "slow start". If you choose a specific marathon, your band will be adjusted to account for hills, trails, etc. You can print in a variety of sizes.
Runner's Toolbox: The most distance options, but the bracelet has remarkably small font. It might still be helpful if you wanted to create one for an unusual distance. If you hit "get splits" instead of "make a wristband" you can copy and paste the splits into Word and adjust the font and size to your own liking.
Fellrnr: This gentleman created a triple-pace band that adds in two safety cushion columns in addition to standard splits. In other words, if you know you fade at the end of a marathon, or if you expect late hills to kick your booty, you can build in a 1 or 2 minute cushion.

So there you have it. The best printable pace bracelets online! Enjoy and happy racing!

Nike tempo shorts clearance

Nike has tempo shorts for $15.97 right now!
You can get solid colors here and prints here.

I don't like pink so I bought the "mango" ones instead

And to save you even more...enter the promotional code 3PTSHOT for an extra 20% off all clearance. It brings the price down to $12.78. DO THIS TODAY AS THIS COUPON EXPIRES MARCH 7th!
As of now (this morning) you can still find all sizes if you aren't picky about colors.

Jazz Half Marathon early bird entry

If you register now it's just $50 - until March 6th.

You better run it in costume. It's Halloween weekend!!!!

Day off and lovely weather!

I'm off work today (but really I have about 100 things to do with our new program, including answering ten really, really silly emails that should have an obvious answer....c'mon people!) and for once the weather is gorgeous!

After I clean my house top to bottom and make banana muffins to freeze for work snacks, I will be enjoying a lovely run (maybe a long one). Then I will revel in some free time. I think I'll sit out in my back yard...

My landlord's rusty shed is so quaint.

I didn't plant the flowers. If I had they'd be SO dead already.

And enjoy my pansies and azaleas while I read this:

This stupid book cost me $35!

It's the Commission E monographs, the only source of evidence-based herbal medicine. I like to keep up on my herbs so I can answer patient questions without sounding silly.

Speaking of silly, this conversation took place yesterday:
Lady in the funny hat, handing me a bottle of Maalox anti-gas extra strength: "I took this for diarrhea, is that going to be a problem?"
Me: "Well, that product mainly treats gas and heart-burn. It won't help your diarrhea."
Lady in the funny hat: "I know, I read the bottle after I bought it and took some. But you know, I thought it was for diarrhea because it's blue."
Me: ??? (quizzical face)
Lady in the funny hat: "You know, I always think of blue bottles as being for diarrhea and yellow bottles as being for gas. I mean, don't you associate colors with things? I would never think a blue bottle would treat gas! I mean, blue is a cool color!"
Me: !!! (distressed face)
Me (recovering): "You know, it's probably best to read the package label instead of going by color, since some company change packaging fairly often. For now, let's talk about your symptoms and other health conditions and then we can choose a product that will help relieve your diarrhea."
Lady in the funny hat: "Mmmmmm. Well, you know, to me it's just kind of all mental, do you know what I mean? So I think I'll just stick with the blue bottle. Ok?"
Me: "Um, Immodium comes in a kind of aqua box, is that close enough to blue?"
My job is awesome. 

Help me decide what to put in my banana muffins:
1. Chopped cashews
2. Chocolate chips
3. Dried Bing cherries soaked in brandy (don't judge, it will bake out)
4. Orange peel
5. Coconut milk
6. Turkey pepperoni (it's just hanging out in my fridge looking lonely)

Awwww...

...my husband made me a mix tape!

Funny story: When my husband and I first met we were discussing the music we listened to in the car, and, as love-struck young boys are wont to do, he promised to make me a CD. This turned out to be a huge ordeal, as his old law school lap top started having problems copying MP3's. He was so intent on getting me the CD and not coming across as a flake who promises things and never delivers that he...
...bought a new computer so he could have the CD ready for me at our next date.
Aw, shucks. That's so cute!!!
Apparently the romance isn't dead because he made me a new one to listen to on my 5-minute commute.

Portion Control...

... is being exercised by others in my life. Perhaps I should be taking a hint.

Exhibit A: David and I went out for sushi at a new place, Unadi and Sushi (side note: it was cheap and fantastic). We ordered four rolls. Our chef made three and informed us that three was enough.
Exhibit B: We went to happy hour at The American Sector and ordered six sloppy joe sliders. The waitress looked at us critically. "SIX?" she asked. "Do you know how big they are?!"

Maybe I need to take a hint.