Happy 200th!

I can't believe this is my 200th post! Admittedly, this blog existed for a while before most of you started reading it. Don't feel bad, my parents just started reading it last week. I know. But still. 200! That makes me smile.

So what do I have planned for such a momentous occasion? Some race strategizing and some travel recap...including a picture I took just for you.

Race Strategizing

The US Half is in 27 days. I need to quickly get shorter, faster, then taper. I don't have much time. My project after writing this post is to put together my training schedule for the next 3 weeks. I think it's going to include a 10 mile race. I've never raced at that distance before, so in addition to being great race prep, it's just plain exciting in its own right.

Goals: I want to PR, which means beating a 2:06:09. I didn't write down my goals before L&C. It makes me too nervous. I'm going to do it anyway (that's courage, right?) and set 4 for this race:

The PR: sub-2:06:09

The hopefully safe goal: 2:04:00

The real goal: 2:02:00

The I-can't-believe-I-just-ran-that goal: 1:59:59

Travel Recap

I spent the latter part of last week in Minneapolis. It is a lovely city.

That's right. I said it. It's lovely. I, the girl who once proclaimed that the entire Midwest should be converted to a penal colony. I, the girl who semi-seriously refers to the Upper Midwest (I'm looking at you, Dakotas and MN) as Canada. I, who once said that the three meanest people I'd ever met had all either come from or moved to Minnesota (ok, that one is still true). And here I was, wholeheartedly enjoying Minneapolis. There. I said it.

Yesterday when I boarded the plane to come home, I started flipping through the in-plane magazine. And then I saw this. And took this picture for you.

This thing belongs in a category with the downhill treadmill ShutUpAndRun found a while ago. Or in a category with cigarettes, because you'd might as well burn your money (pun only sort of intended, reveled in regardless). This ad has prompted me to add a "bullshit" label for this post. What's the craziest piece of exercise equipment or workout plan you ever saw? 'Cause this thing is up there with the Mountain Dew and watermelon diet. Seriously.