Well hello November…and Thanksgiving…and the holiday season! How’d you get here so darn fast? It’s time to sit down with Deborah and Coco and YOU and catch up over a hot beverage. I’m going with Starbucks Winter Blend. Squirrels store nuts for the winter, I store Winter Blend when it’s on sale at Costco because it’s delicious and it flies off the shelf fast.
Over coffee I’d give you a hip update. Dr. Miracle bless his heart, got me in promptly. After an assessment, he confirmed my hips/piriformis are indeed wonky, and agreed I most likely injured myself when I stepped down hard and wrong during that first mile at Sea Wheeze. I got adjusted, which felt amazing btw, and he did some hocus pocus on the hip, but he doesn’t want to see me again until after I get an x-ray to rule out stress fracture. Because, you know a petite, caucasian woman of a certain age is in the target sfx group.
Over coffee I’d tell you I decided to DNS Philly. In my heart of hearts I committed to this one for social reasons. I wanted to enjoy a weekend with some of my best running friends. This weekend was doomed for many reasons. My hip does not need the pressure of a November race + Jill is nursing injuries of her own. With Tokyo AND London on the horizon, I’ve been shaking my money tree so hard and the Caveman has been so supportive. But let’s just say I’m at critical mass on that front. Philly would be the straw that breaks the Caveman’s…I mean camel’s back. Finally and maybe most important, my heart was never in it. You need passion to train for a marathon and I don’t have it for Philly, that’s why I dropped to the half. It’s hard to let any race go, especially after you’ve paid for it, but it’s the right choice and I’m not going to agonize over it.
Over coffee I’d tell you I saw the strangest thing the other day. I was in the car sitting at a stoplight. To my left, just off the road was a dead deer. A car was stopped near it with its flashers on. An older looking guy was with the deer. Since I knew this was a long light, I watched as he proceeded to cut the deer’s underbelly open and remove what I’m guessing were organs. He wore gloves yet had blood up to his elbows and he had a plastic bag there. Now seriously WTH?? Are deer organs a delicacy? After some Googling when I got home, I learned he was likely helping himself to the “gut pile” and apparently it’s quite sought after. Good thing I’m not squeamish.
(Google images)
Over coffee I’d tell you the World Marathon Majors has a BIG announcement coming on Monday. In their cryptic way they said if you only need one more star to be a 6-star finisher, they may be able to “help you” get that final star. I’d ask you what you thought that meant. Then I’d tell you I’m pretty sure they’re adding a 7th major…and maybe an 8th…and a 9th…and then I’d wonder if there was indeed somebody pulling strings for me to get into Tokyo AND London next year…or is it a coincidence?
Over coffee I’d tell you that Halloween was pretty much a non-event in our neighborhood. We never get a ton of trick or treaters but this year’s 2 kids was a pretty dismal count, especially when you consider the gorgeous weather. Thing 2 went with her friends to a bigger neighborhood and Thing 1 has aged out of the fun. End of an era.
What would you tell me over coffee? What do you think the WMM’s big announcement will be? Ever heard of a gut pile? Good luck to everyone running NYCM this weekend!
I’m linking up with Meranda and Lacey for the Friday Five.
Yes, very curious what cities get announced on Monday. I’ve heard Singapore, but no others.
Hope you get good answers on your hip, but had to chuckle on your choice of phrasing for hocus pocus.
Well, I am so glad you didn’t share that gut pile story over lunch yesterday! LOL!! I have never heard of that. Years ago, my uncle came upon a dead deer up in northern Wisconsin. It was still warm (the carcass), so he took it home and “cleaned it” for the meat. Pretty sure he wasn’t into the gut pile altho next time I see him, I will ask.
I totally understand your reasons for doing a DNF for Philly. You’ve got some huge races on the horizon and of course you would want to be healthy for those! Plus you can always do Philly another year.
That sucks about the lack of trick or treaters 🙁 It started slow at my house but then we got a rush of kids from 7-7:30pm and I was luckily able to get rid of all my candy, thank goodness!
Despite hunting being a big deal when I lived in VT, no, I’ve never heard of a gut pile & am glad I have also not seen one.
Sending good vibes to that hip!
I would guess that they’re adding marathons, too. Luckily that doesn’t effect me at all. 🙂
I think you made the right decision to DNS Philly (as much as I love that race). You have a lot on your plate, and you want to get your piriformis healed up to train for London and Tokyo! Wonder what the Majors’ announcement is!
And the gut pile thing is just too disgusting! I would not have been able to watch. Ugh!
Eeewwww, even the term “gut pile” sounds nasty, let alone what it actually is. Our trick-or-treaters were average. Our neighborhood is slowly turning over to a younger crowd, so we actually have several visitors on Halloween…and only 5 pieces of left-over candy 😉
I’m sorry about your hip. I hope it’s nothing!
An x-ray won’t show a stress fracture until after it has started to heal. A bone scan (different from a bone density test) is the best way to diagnose one, and it’s way cheaper than an MRI.
Eww, that just sounds gross.
I missed that you got into both London and Tokyo! Big year for you.
Sounds like a good decision to take a pass on Philly. I don’t even know what to say about the whole “gut pile” thing – just eeewww! Keeping my fingers crossed for you that the x-ray will show nothing more serious.
No shame in not doing the full marathon!
I would be so disgusted by that deer situation! I was squeamish just reading it..haha.
I have no desire to run the world majors but I too am interested in their big announcement now! Perhaps they are giving away some free entries?????
I had to drop out of a half marathon here recently because of injury and I felt the same way. I was able to go volunteer so it made me feel better about it. The deer thing sounds so weird but I’m sure that was definitely what he was looking for! You wouldn’t see that in our neighborhood LOL. Same here with Halloween. I believe most families on my street are older so there’s not many kids who go around. Plus it rained all day on Wednesday so I think that kept people indoors.
Passion is very much needed for training that long. Sounds like you have it for Tokyo and London. Philly will be there at other times if you want to do it.
I’m super sad I won’t see you at all this year….and most likely next year… 🙁
Ugh on the “gut pile”. I’m not sure I could have seen that without losing it.
Our Halloween was so disappointing. There’s a neighborhood parade and “pizza party” so maybe the kids don’t trick-or-treat? Or maybe one (or 3 or 5) more pieces of candy wasn’t worth trekking up our hill.
Did you get that x-ray yet? Nosy friends want to know.
I’m sorry about your hip and the DNS BUT it is always good when you know you made the right decision and you accept and are at total peace with it. Most of the time when I dns, I am at peace. HOWEVER, About 6 weeks ago, I was struggling over whether to run a half. I ended up driving an hour to the race and literally lining up at the start line. With 2 minutes to spare, I bailed and walked back to the car. It was the SHITTIEST morning ever. I just could not make a decision and didn’t know what to do.
I had a DNS for Dublin and I don’t regret it. I was also doing it for social reasons and my heart DEFINITELY wasn’t in it. They changed the course and it was entirely OUT of the city parts that are what tourists love to see. The highlights. The ha’penny bridge. The Guinness store house. Well you know, you ran it! Anyway when I heard that Ryanair was striking and maybe the flights would be cancelled, I decided not to go. 3 times was enough anyway.
I would tell you over coffee how happy and excited I am for you to get your 6 star! I’m totally frightened of Tokyo, the are SO strict with the time. Someone i know from the RTW group on facebook actually already got swept at 10K! Can you imagine?? Anyway, I would tell you over coffee I haven’t got a clue what the announcement will be. So much speculation it’s nuts!
gut pile!! GROSS.
I hope your hip issues get sorted and you do NOT have a stress fracture!
Umm that deer story is pretty disturbing! I’m glad your adjustment felt good and I really hope its not a stress fracture! It doesn’t sound like it is, but probably good to get that ruled out. Interesting about the WMMs!