Thank You Mister Photographer Man

When I received the link to the Blast photos (see horrid pic from last blog entry) I was horrified! The thought that anyone visiting the photography site need merely to type in my name to find photograph evidence of the MOST embarassing run of my life was humiliating. So I did what I thought any girl trying to protect her dignity would do, I emailed the company and begged to have the photographs removed from the site. With a wish and a prayer I sent my request out into the email world and I hoped for the best. Here is how it all went down...

(My email to Customer Service):
Is there anyway I can have my photos removed from the site? They are truly the most hideous pictures of me I have ever seen. I blame myself for the tragic outfit choice, but I would love to have my photos de-tagged so that others do not have to witness these horrifying images. I really appreciate any help you can give!!!

(Customer Service Reply):
Hello,
Thank you for your email. We can delete your images from our website, but once they are deleted, they are permanently gone and cannot be retrieved. Also, we cannot delete all photo's if other people are in the picture with you. Please provide the photo id numbers of the photo's you would like to have removed.
Best Regards,
Shay

Customer Service

(My Reply):
Shay,
THANK YOU so much for your help.The photos I would like to have removed are: (photo id numbers have been removed from this email to protect my dignity, err, i mean, identity). I really appreciate you helping me out with this. I promise to wear a better outfit and SMILE for the cameras during my next race.
Thank you,
Lindsey

So, I would say I learned a lot with this experience. First off, it never hurts to at least ASK for what you want. Second, Shay is my favoritey-fav person of the week. Third, carefully consider all race-day wardrobe decisions.... the camera is always watching.

If It's Broke, You Better Fix It

This is a picture of a broken runner. This photo was taken of me (with Indy) just before the finish line at the Blast. Probably one of the WORST racing photos ever taken. Even the marathon pictures look better than this (mostly because Emily had an eagle-eye out for photographers and would remind me to SMILE for all the marathon picture spots). This picture marks the last time I have run. Meaning I have not laced up the ol' GOLD sauconys in 8 days. Unacceptable, but is has felt unavoidable.

Looking at this picture helps explain things a bit. Those 4 miles of the Blast were rough. I finished, I was happy with my time, but it was not easy. I guess my expressions says it all. Does this look like a girl who could keep going for 22.2 more miles? No sir. So, I took a week off. I had a pity party, each day I promised myself I would run, and each day I found excuses to justify not doing it: heat, rain, humidity, too early, too late, too tired; the list is never ending. But it has to end. Because the marathon is October 12 and there is no way I will not be there.

So, the running strike ends. I have a run planned with Em after work today. And a run planned for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The reward: Brad Paisley Concert on Friday night. And then another run on Saturday or Sunday. I think I might need to blog each day this week to keep myself accountable. But I think I will settle for getting my runs in and see how often I can blog (I don't want to completely overwhelm myself). Any encouragement is welcome! I mean we all fall off the wagon now and again, right?

Blast It

This past weekend I participated in the Hyde Park Blast. It is difficult to decide which of the two main activities is my favorite; the 4 mile run followed by kegs n' eggs or the evening block party complete with $3.50 draft beers, local Hyde Park food, and some of my favorite friends. Luckily for any readers the only picture of me taken during the festivities was at the Block Party. All camera lenses would have been shattered by either my pre-race 7am sleepy face or my post-race 8:39:46am sweaty, disgusting, hyperventilating face. This picture was captured by a CinWeekly photographer at the block party (he claimed to not recognize the ever-so-famous Pig Bloggers). Gathered together for the Block Party on Saturday night are: Wes, me, Liz, Em, Casey, Eldrich, and Vanessa. It was a great ending to another fun Blast weekend.

My only goal this year was to beat my Blast time last year. At this time last year I was still rocking an arm cast (a result of a rather embarassing dancing accident at a Memorial Weekend wedding after-party). Due to the cast I hadn't been running much that summer and the best time I could manage was a 40:57. Surely a marathon runner could do better? Well, maybe not. Given my laziness during the month of May, the extreme temperatures, and the doggie drama (see Em's blog) I was hoping for the best, but not expecting much. Despite all the various problems, delays, and potty breaks (for Indy, not for me) I was very happy to finish in 39:46. A big thanks to Huey for pulling me through a sub-9 first mile and Indy for keeping me going through the next 3.

Next up is "basic training" until a half-marathon in Columbus on July 26. I remember how excited and proud I felt after my first 13 mile run in Flying Pig marathon training. I can only hope I will be at the same place (both mentally and physically) when I attempt that same distance on the 26th. The summer sun is definitely adding challenges to this marathon schedule. I never would have guessed it, but it turns out I am more a cold weather girl than I thought. Bring on the February long runs in tighty-tights, I can't handle this hot weather!