life – Page 22 – The Celiathlete

September 22, 2013

Marathon Training Week #15 – Climbing one last mountain before the taper

Oy! What a week this has been. I’ve certainly been keeping myself busy, not just with a new position at work (and getting settled into that…which hasn’t been too difficult, but I had to move my desk and get comfortable in a new area with different people around and new stresses), turning 33, and maintaining my training schedule through a very tiring, very trying week.

When I say tiring…I do mean that I am physically tired. Perhaps it is a good thing that after my run on Saturday morning the official taper begins. I said perhaps…because while a lot of runners I know love and truly enjoy their tapers…I get taper madness. I do not taper well. At all. Cutting back on mileage will be a relief to some, but I love being out on those roads. I know that the taper is an important step to arriving to my race recharged and ready…so I will abide by it. But I might not be the most pleasant person to be around.

Fair warning.

That being said…with the taper on the horizon this week ushered in my last 20 mile run in my program (which I technically did last week…but I have a pace one in my schedule that I didn’t abide by…meaning I ran the mileage but not at the paces suggested…) so I figured I would at least attempt it. I might fail. I might fail hard. But I’m going to at least make the effort. If I fail, I dust myself off and try again another time. Pacing is not my strong point. I tend to run hard most of the time and have to remind myself to take an easier effort. This is why running with groups is good for me. But with the pace requirements on Saturday…I chose to go solo.

But…before I get into that…let’s take a look at this past week’s training…

Sunday morning meant another very early morning for me. I was meeting with the running group my friend Kelsie runs with on weekends for their long run. They were doing 18 today. And after doing 20 on Saturday, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep up. I also had gotten to bed a lot later than planned because I was watching Star Trek: Into Darkness, which was important, you see. So, the original plan had been to watch the movie and get to bed on time…but…yeah…not so much. I got up at 3:30 a.m. to lather on the sunscreen (for another dark run!) and eat before hopping in my car and meeting up with the Indiana contingent of the running group at the designated meeting spot. We all car pooled over to the Kroger near Papa John’s Stadium in Louisville where we met up with the rest of the group. One runner was only doing half the mileage, so we started out in Iroquois Park. We ran from the Kroger through the darkness, giving fair warning to the other runners in the group when poles in the running/bike lane cropped up. No need to have someone collide with that. YIKES! We entered the park and started on our way. Let me tell you…Iroquois Park isn’t really in the best part of Louisville…and it is really creepy in the darkness. We heard strange noises in the woods, which urged quite a few of us to pick up our pace in the end. Not being able to see the looming hills of Iroquois, for me, definitely made navigating them easier. I ran for most of these 18 miles with Lori, who is really great and pushing the pace in the difficult parts. We left the park and the hills behind and went on to the flatter roads of the city. Here, we simply ran 4.5 miles straight down a road, then turned around and headed back. The problem was, we had to change up the route due to one of the roads being one way, so when we got back to Kroger, we still had just under a mile to go. So, Lori and I decided we would run up the street until we hit 17.5 and then turn around and run back, and when we hit 18…we’d cool down with a walk back to the cars in the parking lot at Kroger. Alicia, one of the other ladies in the group, is nursing a foot injury of some sort. She was not looking good at the end of the race, but it seems like taking time off to heal isn’t part of her plan. YIKES! I hope she can at least let it heal up so that it won’t be as painful or that she puts herself out of commission. We runners do some really stupid and silly things in the name of our training…but with me being so close to my race…I err on the side of caution. Anyway…it was a cool and crisp morning that led into a really great run. I had a great time.

Monday…always comes too soon. Another later than usual bed time for me. This time because I was watching Dr. Who (the Ninth Doctor…in case you were wondering) when my phone rang. It was my mom…and sometimes we just get to talking and talking and talking…and before I knew it, an entire hour had passed. And it was beyond my bed time. SO…my roomie and I shut off the television and I went and crashed out. Because Monday morning had a 6 mile easy run on the schedule. I woke up feeling less than refreshed. On top of that…the 70° weather in the morning returned. I really had to push myself on this run. Not only was I tired…but my legs were tired too. Somehow…and I still don’t know how…I managed some negative splits. Not bad for running through exhaustion. And…as we all know by now…Monday is also my Daily Double. My fun run group meets on Monday…so after having a really easy dinner of grilled cheese…I was out the door and heading to Louisville. My roomie was driving, thank goodness, because I was falling asleep on the way over. This is so out of character for me, but I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. We got to the running store and my friend, Natalie, was talking about how tired she was too. I told her we could run easy and be the tail end of the group today…which sounded like a plan. But then, as we ran into Cherokee Park, our Ironman, Patrick, called out…”Hey…let’s do hill repeats!” Mind you, I have been pushing for hill repeat sessions with the fun run group for awhile and kept getting vetoed. He said we’d run each hill three times…which meant the hill going up to Hogan’s Fountain and Dog Hill were going to be our hill repeaters. At first I thought he was kidding, but he said we should do it. So…about 6 of us started off doing it…while the rest of the group ran on to just do the Scenic Loop. These are not easy hills to run, and I was wearing my Newtons, wanting to break them in on an easy run. HA! Well, no time like the present. The six of us regrouped at the top, just past Hogan’s Fountain when our first three hill repeats were done. From there, we took an easy pace through the park on the Scenic Loop, making jokes about running every incline, even the small ones, three times. We didn’t…but I imagine that would make one really amusing YouTube video. We grabbed some water at the water fountain and we were already 3 miles in. I’d be finishing up if I was just doing the loop, but I was only halfway there. And Dog Hill was, literally, right around the corner. There were times I felt like bailing, but I never quit on a challenge. So three times up and down Dog Hill…and I was suddenly feeling very bad ass. Honestly, these were hard…but I pushed myself through them. With tired legs and a tired body…I gave it all I had and in the end…I felt like I conquered the world. It was a light run back to the store, except we only needed .25 more of a mile to hit 6 miles, and I like round numbers. So…the four of us that remained (the other two bailed on Dog Hill) rounded the corner and ran down an alley until we could turn around and head back to the store. Another 6 miles on Monday for me. 12 in one day. Whew.

Tuesday is the Cross Training Day. And with my marathon coming up, I have been taking it a little easier on the machines. After all, I refuse to do something stupid that will cost me valuable training time or knock me out of commission for my race. It is not happening. So, my early morning at the gym meant that I hit up the Arc Trainer. Because it’s Arc Trainer Tuesday. For me, anyway. This time I set it for Program 8, which is the Cardio program, and kept it at Level 5, which gave me a bunch of different inclines and resistances to work with. I ended up managing 2.18 miles with the various hills and resistances in 45 minutes. Not bad. From there…my least favorite machine…the stationary bike…was next. I don’t know what it is about the stationary bike, but I hate it. It bores me. I think it’s that I’m putting in so much effort and not actually getting anywhere. The same reason I hate the treadmill (dreadmill). But I powered through 10 minutes on that bike, which is really all I could stand to be honest, and got in 3.84 miles. Not bad considering how dead-to-the-world my legs felt. Went downstairs to do some strength training and then went into work.

Wednesday is my pacing/speed work day. This one called for an 8 mile tempo run. I am awful at pacing. And doing it in the dark when I really can’t make sure I am on pace makes it even more difficult. I had this inner voice in my head for much of the way telling me that I can’t do it. I can’t maintain the pace I was holding. But…I shut them up and pushed through those doubts and proved that I could. In fact, I ended up doing more negative splits than tempo pace. Whoops. But that last mile…I pushed out a sub-7 minute mile and that felt amazing. It was something I really needed. So, pacing needs some work…but damn…that felt good. Later that night, after work, I started a new circuit training routine. Holy crap…this one had me sweating from the start. Not easy. Nice to change it up, but damn. I knew I’d be feeling that one in the morning.

Thursday was more than just my second easy run of the week. September 19 also marked my birthday. This year…I was turning 33. Ironically, my training plan had a second cross training day in…which I would be doing. No run was actually scheduled, probably in preparation for the upcoming long run (20 miler) on Saturday. But…I had to run on my birthday. Ever since I started running, I’ve run on my birthday. Since I turned 33, and there was no way I would be running 33 miles and running 33 kilometers would be 20 miles…I didn’t have time for that either. So…I figured another 6 miles would be perfect…since 3+3=6. It seemed perfect. It was 70° that morning, but I didn’t let that get to me. I refused. I pushed through and turned out the most beautiful and perfect negative splits. A great birthday gift to myself, for sure. After that, I headed to the gym for the cross training. I ended up on the broken elliptical that day…which doesn’t configure the stride right. So, while I was probably using more effort trying to match my normal mileage, it wasn’t happening. In 49 minutes, I managed 8.57 miles. Ugh. After that, I moved on to 10 minutes on the Cardio Wave machine…and rocked out 4.14 miles. I alternated between two of the higher levels. Then it was downstairs to hit the weights for a bit of strength training before heading to the office for a long day at work. Trust me though…my Wonder Woman cake that my local allergen-free bakery made for me was consumed greedily that evening after a dinner of gluten-free and vegan grilled cheese (stuffed with kale and tomato, YUM!).

Friday is the rest day. Ah…the rest day. The rest day that I said I would respect and keep holy. I normally go for a walk…but I have these great Newtons I’m working on breaking in and getting used to how they feel…I decided I would, for the second week in a row, take them out for an easy jog. Nothing hard. No pushing. Easy does it. Just as what happened last year when I wore the Newtons…I actually turned out fantastic mileage. In fact, I ran a rather quick 2 miles in them, without feeling like I was running. I decided to cool down then with really easy running…and that actually turned out a faster 2 miles (total of 4 that morning), and it felt like a walk in the park. In fact, my last mile was, for the second time this week…a sub-7. I was shocked. It just didn’t even feel like I was working hard. But…I ended that session there, despite feeling like I could go on. I’m easing into the mileage in these because it is working my legs differently and my muscles feel it. Besides…my last (and third) 20 mile run of my training program.

Saturday morning. This was it. The last 20 mile run of my training plan. After this…the taper would start. I had skipped the 20 mile intervals in my previous 20 mile run, opting instead to run it with people. But I know how important pacing and intervals are and I really, really didn’t want to ignore that run. So…as I was going on my own for my run today…I figured this last 20 miler would be the perfect opportunity to work through it. I also decided that I needed to simulate race day as much as possible…and that meant running a relatively flat course. Chicago, after all, is flat. As much as I didn’t want to do it…I chose to do my run in the flattest area I could think of in Louisville. Seneca Park. I also knew that this was going to test me mentally as well as physically. Why? First of all, the morning greeted me with rain. I figured what better way to wrap up my last long run than in the rain. This meant that I wore my old, heavy, to-big-for-me shoes instead of the ones I am wearing for the marathon. That sucked…but I figured I wouldn’t let it get me down. I’d attempt to do the training intervals, but the important thing, mainly, was to get the mileage done. But…there was more. You see, the “track” at Seneca Park is basically a 1.2 mile loop. Yes…I looped the park until I hit my mileage. My intervals as laid out by my training plan was specific. I was to run miles 1-8 at my long slow distance pace. So, I got to the park, walked a little while my Garmin found its satellites, and then was high-fived by Cathy and wished luck. My long slow distance pace when I am on my own is much quicker than my long slow distance pace when I run with a group. It’s faster. And I kept needing to remind myself to ease up and slow down. The most challenging part was to come. Before I hit mile 3, Cathy was off to run some errands and head home to get the house prepped for our friend Greg, who was visiting this weekend. I was on my own in the light rain, in the still-dark morning. There were large puddles that would cross the track, so I’d have to duck off the pavement and into the muddy grass. But, hey…I needed to do this. For the sake of my training. At mile 8, I turned around and ran the other way on the track. Miles 9-17 were to be run at marathon pace. So I picked up my pace for these 9 miles, pushing it more and keeping it as steady as I dared. My legs were tired from the first 8 miles, which should have been done slower than I ran them. But I pressed on, and I pushed. The rain stopped, but I now had some wind to deal with. And at some points it was me running right into it. I did my best not to let it phase me, but I was so happy when mile 17 hit. I once again turned around to run the other way, now in a mind to start the cool down. Miles 18-20 were to be done again at my long slow distance pace. What I ended up running was miles 8-24 at my long slow distance pace. I got so much encouragement from the runners at the park. They kept saying I was strong. That I looked good. I love the running community around here. You might not even know someone, but you still just give them a thumbs up, a smile, a compliment. It’s awesome. I polished up my run, having completed a full 24 miles. And my time…was fantastic. I couldn’t believe it when I paused my Garmin at the end of the run. And I still felt great. Which was good, because Greg was on his way. I went home to shower after grabbing some coffee and a snack (I was run-gry) and prepare for his arrival. And then…after he arrived, we were off for a day in Louisville, starting with gluten-free vegan pizza at Annie May’s Sweet Café, and then shopping. I ended up buying some DVDs at Half Price Books, but passed on the dress I was going to purchase for my birthday get-together tomorrow. Priorities…right? Right. Anyway…it was a good day. Here I am over 12 hours later…no ice bath necessary…still feeling amazing. And badass.

So…there it is. Now…three weeks until my first marathon…the taper begins. And I do intend to abide closely to my schedule for the taper because I want my legs to feel strong and rested when I get to Chicago. I don’t want any doubts in my head on marathon morning. I want all my hard work and effort to pay off in the end, which is why, while I’m sure I will become a raving maniac due to the cut-back on the mileage, I will follow my program as it is laid out. Because…I feel ready for this. I am ready for this. I can’t believe I am saying that.

So…here’s to not giving in too much to taper madness. This is recovery time. And I can’t wait to see what I can do in three weeks. Until then…hang with me…because I’m sure I’ll have some fun taper stories.

Three weeks.

*FLAIL*

September 14, 2013

Marathon Training Week #14 – Breathing easy again and finally cooling down!

I admit it. I struggled last week with running. Not so much with the race at Disney…but all the running at altitude really sapped my energy level. In fact, I ended up with a mild case of altitude sickness due to jumping into 12.5 miles in Boulder the day after I arrived. Not the smartest thing I ever did, and unfortunately, the runs I did after that one all sucked…mightily. It was a struggle to push through them. I found myself stopping often, downing water, continuing, and stopping again…to catch my breath…to just rest…my body was not enjoying a moment of any of those runs.

And it really messed with my head.

But…I continued on my training plan and rounded out another week, only to have to start this one still at altitude. And, I think I did okay with it…but it was still a struggle to get through the miles before getting on a plane and heading home. The difference I felt though…made me confident once again that I hadn’t lost anything while in Colorado, save for lung capacity or something.

Let’s take a look at how this week unfolded!

Sunday was the day I was going to be leaving Colorado and heading back to Louisville. However, I wasn’t due back until very late due to the flight schedule. So, I got up early (I never sleep in…ever!) and went to do one final run in Denver, Colorado. I kept an easy, slow, steady pace, but continued to struggle. My energy level just never got back to normal after that run in Boulder on Thursday morning, so the proceeding runs all just felt…awful. This one was a little better, but I was still fighting for air, for strength, for anything to validate that I could still, indeed, run. I ended up managing 11 very tough miles, earning one last merit badge in the trials of running at altitude. I was proud of myself for that and headed back up to the hotel room to shower, change, devour a good breakfast, and then get ready to fly back to Louisville, Kentucky in a couple of hours. The important thing was…I got all my necessary runs in…even if they were slow, and hard, and made me feel like a failure when it came to running.

Monday…was…in a word…interesting. No…seriously. Here’s why. The flight in from Atlanta ended up arriving later in Louisville due to waiting on a couple of passengers whose flight was running late. So, our ride picked us up later than anticipated and we got home later than planned. I still needed to get a few necessary items for lunch and snacks at the office from the grocery store. My roomie went to bed and I went shopping. By the time I got home, it was after midnight. And all the travel on Sunday and the long run in Denver hadn’t worn me out enough because I was wide awake. Being that it was now officially Monday, I slipped into my shorts, a tank top, and laced up my shoes. With all my reflective gear on, this weary traveler went out and did her 6 easy miles for marathon training. Instead of waking up at 4 a.m. to do so, I just got it done a little past midnight. What a difference the (albeit humid) river valley made. I felt like a rockstar out there running. My breathing was easy. My strength felt like it was there. And I churned out a great run in the end. I headed back upstairs and took a shower. This put me climbing into bed around 2 a.m. I got up to get ready for work around 4 a.m. to bake cookies for my first friend I made in the running community as he was moving to Dayton, Ohio for a girl…and a new job. I also had to get breakfast ready and finish putting together lunch and snack items. So, running on fumes all day, I, naturally, have to do my Daily Double as is tradition on Monday nights. My fun run group was meeting and it was Keith’s last night. And I made amazing gluten-free chocolate chip cookies in his honor. I also chose this run to be my first time running in my new Newton’s I bought while in Boulder, Colorado. I LOVE THESE SHOES! They do take some getting used to and my calf muscles were feeling them for the next few days. Apparently, I shouldn’t be rocking out 3 miles yet in these shoes. Instructions I later read in the box said to start with a mile until they feel comfortable and then gradually add on. Whoops. Needless to say, I felt, for the first time in a long time, that I rocked the fun run. And I was taking it easy due to fatigue and everything. But another 3.3 miles felt amazing that day. After enjoying a cookie and wishing Keith well with his future endeavors…I went home to shower (again) and get some rest.

Tuesday morning didn’t mean sleeping in. Nope. It was cross-training day. And I hit up the gym as always…except as I am now a month away from my marathon, I ease up on the cross-training intensity because I don’t want to get injured pushing it at the gym. How embarrassing. So, while I finally took my first day off from running in a week, I wasn’t taking a day off yet. Since it was Tuesday, this meant it was the day of the Arc Trainer. I love this machine and hate it at the same time. For some reason, the gym was stupid hot that day, so Cathy turned on the fan behind the machines and it was a great boost with some cool air. I did 2.3 miles on the Arc Trainer on Program 7 – Strength – at Level 5 in 45 minutes. Not bad considering how difficult the resistance gets at that level setting. Yikes. Then, it was over to the rowing machine for 10 minutes. I managed 1.17 miles rowing, which isn’t bad given how tired I was. Then it was downstairs for some strength training before heading into the office for work. After work I would normally do my circuit training, but my body was telling me that wouldn’t be a good idea. And I listened and gave this exhausted body a break that night. Actually, I made a deal that I would not circuit train at all this week and get back to it this coming week. So, game on. The plan was to go to bed early…but that didn’t happen.

Wednesday morning, as always, brings about the speed work/pacing portion of my weekly training schedule. This week I was to do a 5 mile tempo run. Doesn’t seem too bad, right? Nope. Except with how humid and hot it was in the morning, my legs felt like they had no energy at all. I knew by body was tired, my legs were really pushing it, and while I ran faster than I thought, I didn’t quite nail that tempo pace. I wasn’t all over the place, but I wouldn’t call the paces for each mile close enough in speed to be at tempo pace. Ah well…you win some, you lose some. Given the circumstances, I was happy with what I managed. I, once again, intended to go to bed early…and once again…that didn’t happen. Hey! The Master Chef finale was on and I wasn’t going to miss that!! Priorities. Anything with Gordon Ramsay is a priority!

Thursday morning came with another early rising. I had another 6 easy miles to put in and I got up and out the door in good time. Once again I was greeted with stifling heat and humidity. It was just nasty out there. My legs, once again, felt heavy and just completely wiped of any energy. I started off slow and just tried to maintain that, fueling (because I really needed it) halfway through. I hydrated every mile, alternating water and my electrolyte drink. When all was said and done and I pushed through to my full six miles, I discovered I actually ran it faster than I did on Monday. And I hit negative splits. Sometimes the body just surprises you. I felt on top of the world after that run. After that…it was the second day of gym time. Thursdays always means the ellpitical, so I set it for Level 7 as always and just did my best to get through the 49 minutes (I do a 4 minute cool down) I do every week on that machine. I managed 9.06 miles on Level 7 this week…which isn’t my best by any means, but I’m taking it easier and keeping things at a decent intensity to stay healthy and on my feet. After that, it was over to the Cardio Wave machine, where I did an impressive 4.04 miles in 10 minutes. I guess my legs liked the change of movement, not going forward and back for once. After that…downstairs for strength and then into work. Once more, I intended to get to bed early…but, of course, it didn’t happen.

Friday is the rest day that I am to keep holy. And…I did. Sorta. Kinda. Not really. I KNOW!! BAD!! BAD ME!! Normally I take a walk in the morning, just to take the edge off of not being able to run. But this morning, I wanted to break in my Newton’s a little more. So, I justified that by taking an easy jog in them. I did 2 miles at a comfortable pace, then slowed it down for one more mile. It felt good and I wanted to be out there longer. Maybe it was the gorgeous 66° weather that morning. Maybe it was the way I was easily finding my stride. Either way…it was the perfect morning, but I stayed to the 3 miles I intended and then went upstairs to get ready for a busy day at the office. I knew I was getting up early for my long run on Sunday, so I thought to go to bed early…but I got wrapped up in watching Dr. Who…and once again, that didn’t happen.

Saturday is the morning of my long run. This week, it was supposed to be 13 miles. But…no one in my running group was really doing that mileage. But, there was a group doing 20 miles…so I joined three fabulous ladies at North End Café on Frankfort Avenue at 6 a.m. to rock out my second 20 miler. It was 51° this morning and I was loving the brisk, cool air. It just made the run feel so much easier. I kept it slower than I normally would, which is what I should be doing on these long runs anyway. And I had some great conversations and enjoyed getting to know Nikki, Lindsay, and Abbey in the process. We ran a route I had never done before, starting and ending in the same place and having one of the most incredible 20 mile runs. We ran the last 4 miles of it with better speed, getting faster with each one. None of us felt like we were about to die at any point during this run. It was fantastic. I enjoyed the company, the distance, and the way I felt while running and after running. It was just the 20 miler I needed. After walking it off a little afterwards, I headed out to grab some breakfast at Annie May’s Sweet Café, order my birthday cake, get groceries for the week, and treat myself to some ice cream before heading home and collapsing for a little bit. It’s been a busy week…but my adventure continues tomorrow with another early start.

No rest for the trainee…

Maybe a nap tomorrow. But…unlikely. I am not good at napping.

Anyway…my return to the Ohio River Valley made me feel confident again in my fitness level, my running, and all the miles I’ve been logging for training. This coming week I have some challenging runs ahead of me, but I’m feeling good about what I’m doing and accomplishing. Some days are easier than others, and not having adequate rest this past week has definitely drained me in some ways. But I feel so good after coming back to this area. I just got a boost from getting out of the high altitude. So…it all just seems to be falling back into place.

And that’s good. Because after next week…I start to taper. And that might not be pretty…

September 8, 2013

Marathon Training Week #13 – From the Valleys to the Mountains

This week has brought about a lot of excitement, very little rest, some really great times, and then…a mild, mild case of elevation sickness. But, I guess that’s what happens when you travel from a river valley to one of the Happiest Places on Earth (Disneyland), to the gorgeous mountains of Colorado. Yes…this week has definitely served me up a wave of emotions and feelings. But…every single moment has been worth it. The challenges that have come with each different experience has only served to show how strong I truly am…or how much I really need to focus on certain things that might affect my training.

In the end, what came out of it all was an amazing and very tiring week of emotional highs and lows. But I feel that it was just what I needed to show me what needs to really be worked on and what I’m doing right. Knowing this with a month to go before my marathon gives me much a much better perspective and enough time to make any changes that will be necessary in the end.

So…let’s take a look at this insanely trying and exciting week…

Sunday was an emotional high! I mean, I was running in the Disneyland Half Marathon! How could I not be a happy girl while running in one of the Happiest Places on Earth. It’s Disneyland! And by completing the Disneyland Half Marathon, not only was I walking away with a finisher’s medal for the half marathon itself, but because I also ran Disney World in February (Disney Princess Half Marathon), I would also be receiving a medal for the Coast to Coast Challenge. Amazing. My friend Jenn (Indy) was also running for the same thing. And yes…we were both dressing up. I promised my niece, Kaytlynn, that I would run as Belle…so I managed to pull that together with a gold Sparkle Skirt, a gold sports bra, and rose pony tail holders. Indy dressed up as Lilo from Lilo & Stitch, complete with grass skirt and a stuffed Stitched on her back. She was very adorable. As with all Disney races, this one also came with an extremely early wake-up call. Like…3:00 a.m. I set my alarm and tumbled into bed late. Why late? Because Indy, myself, Cathy, and our good friend Tawn all went to watch the World of Color water show Saturday night. Keep in mind, on Friday, I was up at 3 a.m. to get in my training run before work and my airplane trip to Los Angeles. Then, with all the excitement of all four of us girls being together again, I was up beyond 24 hours that day…finally settling in on an air mattress for a couple of hours. That morning was a 5 a.m. alarm to work through showers and get ready to head to Disneyland for a fun-filled and very active day. This involved not only rides and a ton of walking around, but also the race expo. I figured at that point…why not stay for World of Color. We were catching gluten-free pizza at Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port…or…I was. Cathy went for a slice of regular pizza and the other two girls got pasta. So…the late return to the hotel (which was a walk)…then getting everything laid out for the race meant that early morning alarm felt like it came way too soon. And I was restless anyway. What this lead to, however, was me falling asleep on my feet in the start corral. No joke. There I am in Corral A…the lead corral…and I’m dozing off. But, as soon as that starting gun went off…and I was leaving the start gate, I perked up. It was a hot and humid race…which you can read more about in my race report, but I pushed through without pushing too hard. I was not to PR…so I stuck to my guns and didn’t. I finished up my second fastest half marathon to date, which I’m proud of given the hot and humid circumstances. Jenn was not as happy at the finish line when she came in, but she survived and while Tawn, Cathy and I hit the park that afternoon, she went back to the hotel and rested up. Disneyland Half Marathon…complete success in 1:42:39. I’ll take that.

Monday morning I knew would be an interesting run. For one thing, I was still at the hotel in Disneyland, and unlike the resort I stayed at in Disney World, there were no running trails and there wasn’t even a fitness center. So, I got up again at 5:00 a.m. to get dressed and ready to do an easy training run. My plan called for 7 miles easy and I definitely took it easy. For one thing, it was still dark outside. I was in an unfamiliar city. And I wanted to make sure I was hyper aware of my surroundings. The hotel was near a bus stop, and there was someone sleeping on the bench. Some of the parking lots had people walking through them, sometimes almost lurking…so I was taking it slow and easy and not straying too far from the hotel. What this meant was a lot of running to the end of the sidewalk, slowing, turning, and running back. I would loop the parking lot at the hotel as well. So, this was a very, very deliberate training run. I didn’t care. I finished it up with enough time for me to shower and get packed up and help load the car up before heading back into Disneyland for gluten-free Mickey waffles for breakfast. The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent wandering around Disneyland and making the most of our time…save for the hour we had to take to drop off Tawn at the train station and say goodbye as she headed back to Fresno. Sadness. But…we took in Fantasmic that night and enjoyed a carby-good pasta dinner before we headed back to Indy’s house.

I changed up my training schedule at this point, using Tuesday as my rest day. This meant the rest of my running would be done in Colorado. With this being our final full day in California…and also Indy’s birthday, we were going to take in a few adventures of Indy’s choice. And what this involved was some great car rides out to Vasquez Rocks, where we climbed on the same rocks used in Star Trek episodes. Geek out!! We’re such nerds! From there, we headed to the beach, stopping at a roadside stand for a watermelon and some fresh strawberries. We hit up Will Rogers State Beach, which is where they filmed Baywatch, believe it or not. That afternoon was spent lounging on the beach, playing in the surf, and eating some delicious, ripe fruit. I did a small amount of running on the beach…just to say I did it. But as the sun was starting to go down, we packed up our stuff and headed back towards her house. We changed and went out for her birthday dinner, where I enjoyed a fantastic Edamame Salad that had fresh vegetables and avocado, fulfilling my requirement to eat something in California with avocado on/in it. I went out of my training plan for the special occasion and enjoyed a gluten-free beer. And…to make the LA experience complete…celebrity sighting at the table next to ours…Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. Amazing! It was a perfect California day.

Wednesday morning came too soon and Cathy and I packed up our suitcases, ate some melon and strawberries, then Indy took us the Burbank airport. We checked our bags, got through security, and spent over an hour just walking back and forth. We wanted to keep busy at the airport because we’d be sitting on the plane for over 2 hours. We did eventually board our plane and make the 2 hour flight to Denver, Colorado. We landed, grabbed some Caribou Coffee, then headed out to claim our luggage. Then…get our rental car. We ended up getting a Prius, which is AWESOME. We hit the road up to Boulder, Colorado for the first night. We were staying at the Twin Lakes Inn, which has housed elite runners that come into the area. Shalane Flanagan has stayed there. SO cool. We settled in, went to a local pizza place for gluten-free pizza, and then got a few items from the grocery store for the next morning. When we got back in, I changed into workout clothes and we headed out to the local fitness club that allowed guests from the Twin Lakes Inn to use their facility for free. I chose to just use Wednesday as my cross training day, so I rocked out 3.25 miles on the elliptical, using the aerobic setting which had me working my arms more in some sections, just my legs, and reversing directions in the midst of the strides. I did that for 45 minutes. Then managed 3.6 miles in 10 minutes on the stationary bike. And to polish off the cross-training for the night, I did 5 minutes, or about 0.45 miles on the stair climber. It was a successful workout, I felt, for being so physically exhausted from travel and from lack of sleep since leaving Indiana on Friday.

Thursday I swapped out an easy run in order to do my long run. What better way to introduce myself to Colorado than with my 12 mile run? And I was away from the city, so it meant I had beautiful scenery and a gorgeous morning to do that with. I figured that I would enjoy 12 miles outside of Boulder, Colorado than through Denver. It took me longer than it normally would, but running in higher elevation is difficult. For real. The air is thin…and it made running feel 10 times as difficult as it normally would have been. And this was also a hilly course I was running. I was determined to do it though. Call me stubborn. Maybe I just wanted the bragging rights…but I did 12.5 miles in the same amount of time I have done a half marathon…but I expected this to be a difficult run. I just wasn’t prepared for how difficult it would feel. I fueled and hydrated throughout the entire thing. I was proud of myself for getting the long run done under those circumstances and Cathy and I hit up our favorite breakfast spot in Boulder that morning…The Buff…where I got an omelet as big as my head, some carby-good breakfast potatoes, and gluten-free toast. Yes…I ate the entire thing. But it was the big and main meal of the day. After that, it was shopping in Boulder, then a drive down to Denver, Colorado. Got checked into the hotel and enjoyed a light gluten-free dinner at a dedicated gluten-free deli. Food choices haven’t been the best on this trip, but I feel I have at least been feeding my body and giving it the fuel it needs. I did feel very tired and sluggish the rest of the day though.

I woke up just after 5 a.m. on Friday morning to do some more easy running. I still felt a little off and rather tired…but I had a run to do before getting into the Prius and heading to Colorado Springs for the morning. There were gluten-free crepes waiting for me. This was one of the most difficult and hardest 7 miles I have run yet. It took much longer than I would have liked, but I had to stop every half mile to catch my breath and drink some water. I just didn’t feel right. I eventually just started pushing until I was stopping every mile to hydrate and catch my breath, but it was just zapping my energy and I felt like my endurance was just completely gone. I finished up the run, went back to the room and ate an orange and showered. The entire time I was in Colorado springs, I felt sluggish and tired. After a bit of research and lots of water drinking, I think I might have a mild case of altitude sickness brought on by the 12.5 mile run in Boulder. Ugh. After enjoying a great morning in Colorado Springs, Cathy and I returned to the hotel where we took time to drink more water and just relax. Just what I needed. I immediately started to feel better. I have a salad lined up for dinner and then some delicious fro yo for dessert before relaxing for the night at the hotel. Hoping I can get through my required 7.5 miles of speed work before heading up into the mountains on Saturday.

Saturday, due to the whole mix-up-the-training-schedule scheme to fit everything in on vacation meant…speed work. SPEED. WORK. Speed work at elevation sucks just about as much as I figured it would. I once again got up early…around 5:30 a.m. knowing that I had 7.5 miles to work in before hitting the road to meet up with Sharon and head up to the top of the world. My training plan called for 1.5 mile warm-up, followed by 6 x 800 meters with 5 x 400 meter recovery, then a 1.5 mile cool down. I also knew that these would not be as fast as most speed work I do would be because I was still feeling the effects of my slight elevation sickness. I managed to get through it in under an hour though, so I was proud of that. A few hotel employees did compliment me on my running and a random woman said that I was up early to work out and when I said I was in training she said, “For a marathon?” I told her that I was…in fact…Chicago. She wished me good luck and it made me feel really, really good. Which is what I needed after this very trying and very difficult week of training at high altitude. Kudos to the athletes who train like this on purpose.

Tomorrow is the final day of my vacation and much of it will be spent in airports as I make my way back to Louisville from the beautiful state of Colorado. I have to say, training at altitude can be very disheartening. I have felt like I lost a lot of endurance each time I have run in Colorado. Maybe I have. I’ve been attempting, for the most part, to keep up with my clean eating and my restriction on alcohol. I made exceptions for the special celebratory dinner at Disneyland after the half marathon and at the pub for Indy’s birthday…but those were special occasions and worth the straying from my plan. But it’s back on track this coming week. Some of me dreads the training runs upon returning to Louisville…but it’s mostly because I feel like I’m off…that I’ve lost some fitness, despite not really straying from the schedule. The runs in Boulder and Denver have just messed with my thinking and I just need to remember that running at altitude is way different than running in the Ohio River Valley. So, I will focus on breaking in my brand new Newton’s I bought in Boulder from the main factory store and seeing what they do for my running form. That is my mission this week. That…and returning to my long runs on Saturday with my group. I have missed them.

So…here is to returning to real life…as much as I would much rather stay on vacation forever. Hell, I’d stay in Colorado if I could. Maybe one day. Maybe…

August 30, 2013

Marathon Training Week #12 – Taking someone along for the ride…

Last Saturday, when I was supposed to be out running 18 miles at my long slow distance with my training group…I was instead at Iroquois Park, gearing up for a small 5K race that I run every year. It was important to me, and it did mean shifting the schedule around. Normally this would have meant I’d just meet up with someone on Sunday instead, but much of my group was volunteering at one of the water stops at the Louisville Ironman…so it meant my 18 mile run would be done solo…and I’d keep it on the Indiana side of the river instead of taking it over to Louisville.

No problem. I mapped it out so I had a route, and actually memorized it without a problem. That’s quite unusual for me. I’m such a scatterbrain at times. But this stuck. Maybe because the long runs are the foundation of my training plan and the runs I look forward to the most. I’ll be honest though…I wasn’t looking forward to this one. 18 miles would take me around 2 hours and change to complete…and that was if the elements were ideal. And on Sunday morning, it was a humid morning in the high 60s…and once that sun came up…it was hot.

I had jokingly suggested that my roommate, Cathy, ride her bike and shadow me on my 18 mile run. Since this run was done on a route that wouldn’t take me back near my apartment, nor really around to any water fountains (they aren’t readily available around here like they are in Louisville), I figured she could be my roving water stop. She actually seemed game for it, despite being worried about taking on the hills. I figured she had plenty of time all week to back out of it…but she never made any indication that she intended to do that. On Saturday night, I asked if she was really going to come along. She said she was…and seemed adamant about it.

So…for the first time ever, she got to see me through an entire run. And at the end…I was glad she was there to push me to finish strong.

This week would normally be a taper week…as I have a half marathon next Sunday…but my main focus is on the marathon. It just so happened that this week required a 13 mile run, so the training schedule fell right into place. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect alignment. But…no taper was happening. And I promised my sports nutritionist not to all-out race this half marathon and keep it at my training pace. So…I hope I can manage to keep myself from getting carried away. Guess time will tell.

That being said…let’s take a look at how this week shook out leading up to the Disneyland Half Marathon.

Cathy and I after our 18 mile adventure!

Sunday, while normally was the “Do What Feels Good” distance or rest day…it wasn’t happening this week. As I mentioned, my usual long run day on Saturday was replaced with a short 5K race. I rocked the race, but it meant the long run had to be pushed to Sunday. I was a bit unhappy with the dramatic drop in my mileage for the week because of the 5K…but…I’m not overly concerned now. I’m doing the work…and that’s the important factor here. Anyway, I got up early to get ready and slap on some sunscreen before the sun even came up. I ate my usual breakfast of cereal…no banana today because I didn’t have one and forgot to pick one up. No worries. I packed three GU packs in my skirt and started to fill up my water bottles with NUUN. My roommate was up and moving, making it even more likely that she was at least going to start this adventure with me. I was fairly certain she’d ditch it after the first couple of miles. I got her suited up in my reflective vest and she ate a quick breakfast and went to pump up the wheels of her bike. We were waiting on the sky to lighten up just enough to feel safe out on the roads. She put on her bike helmet and hauled her bike down. I went to get warmed up, as usual, with a slow mile through the apartment complex parking lots. And soon…after she added more air to her tires…we were hitting the road. At first, she had some trouble actually shadowing me…but she got the hang of it. And she did a fantastic job seeing me around New Albany, biking the entire time and either being just slightly ahead of me, or just behind. And, let me tell you, one of the best things in the world is hitting your final mile on a hot day where you just want to STOP…and hearing this slightly off-pitch voice start singing the Rocky Theme at you…followed by other inspirational songs. She even botched Queen lyrics, making me laugh. It was fantastic and when my watch hit 18 miles, we high fived and called it a day. I was so proud of her for making the entire 18 mile journey with me. She never complained once and she was always asking at stop lights if I needed the Sports Beans I had her take just in case…more NUUN…or more water. She now has a good idea of what I do on my long runs and I quite enjoyed having a roving water stop…and my own personal radio of inspiration at the very end. I got through that run because of her.

Monday…ah…Monday. My training schedule called for 7 miles…but with my upcoming week of craziness…I bumped it up to 8 miles. This also meant that I needed to get up a wee bit earlier to get the run done. So, at 3:30 a.m., I’m up and getting dressed, eating a light bite and downing 16 ounces of water. I had hoped to hit the ground running early, but I spent about 15 minutes searching for my reflective vest that I had let my roommate wear the day before. I couldn’t find it anywhere. So, finally, I grabbed my winter reflective vest and headed out to run. The winter reflective vest was super, super hot and the morning was warm (74 degrees) and humid. And it was just after 4 a.m. I started out, and immediately found that the vest was just too much. But, I needed to be seen, so I kept it on. My roommate later showed me she hung it up on my drying rack…on the back part that I couldn’t see. At least I know it’s there for tomorrow. Anyway…it was a miserable and slower 8 miles this morning. My legs were feeling the 18 mile hot run on Sunday…and the dehydration I think the vest was causing me. I hydrated (with Gatorade and water) every mile…but it was a struggle to get through this one. I managed. Needless to say, Monday is, of course…the weekly Daily Double. Most of the group wanted to run trails…but Natalie said she ran trails last week. She recommended hills due to all my bitching about not running them, but I ran hills at the race on Saturday and then everywhere I turned on Sunday. So, we opted to run one of our fun run routes backwards…not even going inside Cherokee Park. What came of this was a nice, relaxing, easy 3.6 mile run that felt awesome. And the company of Natalie and Harry was perfect. Once again…we talked about lots of things, but I got to talk to Natalie about Celiac and gluten intolerance and how we just like to eat…all…the…food. For the second run of the day, it sure did feel good.

Tuesday is cross-training day. But I was a very, very bad girl this morning. I went for a run. I did. I admit it right now…I got up and got into my running clothes, slipped into my running shoes, got that reflective gear on and went out for a slow…slow…easy run in the morning. I didn’t want to press it too much because it was actually a cross-training day and I was still hitting up my gym to accomplish that part of the training plan. It was a gross 78 degrees out at 4 a.m. and I took the humidity and heat in stride, maintaining an easier pace than I normally would sustain on an easy run day. It was a good call because I was dripping at the end of the 4 miles I decided to run. I even took it out to the street to hit a few more light hills…just because. I don’t know why. Neither my upcoming half marathon nor my marathon are particularly hilly. I guess I’m just working on building up some strength. Speaking of which…cross-training commenced at the gym. Tuesday means it is Arc Trainer morning. Today I set it for Program 6 – Intervals 1:2 – Level 5. This meant that I was at a moderate step for about 1 minute, then for 30 seconds, the resistance got harder and the incline got steeper. My legs were feeling strong and I pushed out 2.56 miles in 45 minutes on this machine. Then it was time to hit that stationary bike. I hate the stationary bike more than I hate the dreaded treadmill (dreadmill). Seriously. It is SO boring. I kept it as interesting as I possibly could by changing up the resistance very mile. And, despite it all…in 10 minutes, I pushed out 3.9 miles, which isn’t too shabby. Then it was downstairs to hit up a few strength machines. Want to get rid of these noodley arms, you see…

Wednesday is the speed work/pacing day. And this Wednesday meant…speed work. Since school is back in session, I can’t get over to the track to bust out my work…so this meant hitting up the gym and getting it done…on the treadmill. This might have been a blessing this morning as the humidity was just…stifling and the air was hot, hot, hot. I still dislike doing treadmill work, but got up early, grabbed a bite, then went to the gym to get my speed work done. I always keep in mind never to push faster than I would normally run if I were running these sprints on the track. Keeping that in mind, I had 8 miles total to do…2 mile warm up, then 3 x 1600 meters with 2 x 800 recovery, then a 2 mile cool down. I made sure I was stretched and warm before I even started because the worst thing to do when working on speed work…is to do it with cold muscles. That is a recipe for injury. I hit the 1600s hard and fast and made sure I had an easy recovery in between. My 8 miles was done in 1:03:36, which isn’t bad considering the 4 miles of warm up and cool down I did at a much slower pace than I would normally run on my own. I was pleased with it. But, I am so out of practice on the treadmill (not a bad thing!)…that I kept hitting my pinky against the bar and now it’s rather bruised and a bit swollen. Sort of hurts to bend too. MEH! Yuck. Went home and did the last day of Level 2 of the circuit training required for the week before the trip. When I get back…boosting it up to the next level. Sort of fearing that and looking forward to it.

Thursday ushered in another easy run day. This was, once again, supposed to be 7 miles, but I bumped it up to 8, just like I did on Monday and yesterday with the speed work. I’m heading out of town on Friday afternoon, so going a few extra miles before taking Saturday completely off was part of the plan early in the week. That’s why I ran on Tuesday, which is normally just cross-training. Let me tell you…the humidity and heat this morning was horrible. At 3:30 a.m…when I headed out the door to run, it was 78 degrees with 86% humidity and a 70 degree dew point. Already my legs were exhausted from my 8 mile speed work and circuit training from the day before, but I told myself just to run easy. I didn’t want to push too hard in this kind of weather, nor did I want to risk injury by pushing too much on tired legs. So…I just ran an easy-peasy 8 miler, remembering to hydrate often (with both Gatorade and water) along the way. It took just over an hour and was close, but just slightly slower than my Monday and Wednesday runs. So, I don’t feel too bad about that. I tend to take my Thursday runs easy anyway because it also is another morning at the gym. The morning was all about hustling to get to the gym a little earlier than usual. Like I said…I’m heading out of town this weekend, so I’m working a bit more at the office to make sure I have everything in order and done. The gym schedule had me on the Octane Fitness 4700 Elliptical Machine…which is really more of a cross trainer than anything. Which might be why I love it so much. It is really a full-body workout on this machine. Upper and lower body get worked and it has various programs to choose from. I usually just do the Loop program, Level 7, and just go with it. But, I think after Chicago, I might try some of the other options on there. Anyway, I managed 8.97 miles in 49 minutes, which isn’t too shabby on these tired legs. From there it was over to the Cardio Wave machine to work these legs a little more, but get them moving in a different direction. Managed 3.97 miles on that in 10 minutes, which is a new record for me. I had it set for Level 13 instead of varying the resistance throughout. Figured I’d keep a steady rhythm for a little more of a challenge. It was definitely a challenge. After that, it was downstairs to hit up a few strength machines before heading in for a long, long day at the office.

Friday is normally my rest day…which I always try to respect and keep holy. However, Saturday is going to be my “rest” day…if you can call it that. In a couple of hours, I’ll be heading to the airport to fly out to Los Angeles, CA. The best part of this trip…hanging with my GIRLS!! Indy and Tawn are both going to be there and it has been quite a few years since our last encounter. Well. the four of us (Indy, Tawn, Cathy and myself). I got to see Indy at the Disney World Princess Half Marathon back in February. But…no Tawn. So…it’s happening. Both Indy and I are participating in the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday. So, with Saturday being a day of rest…I figured I could venture out and do a bit of a shake-out run before the long day of travel ahead. And that’s exactly what I did. Once again, the morning greeted me with temperatures in the high 70s. It was 75 degrees at 3 a.m. The humidity was at 81% as well, making it…oh, just so enjoyable. Everyone loves running in a sauna, right? Right? Yeah…not so much. For the first 4 miles, I was pulling a good pace though. The only problem was…my usual running clothes were packed for my trip to California and Colorado…so I was wearing shorter running shorts than usual…and the mace I carry with me was smacking against my thigh. I didn’t notice. HOW I didn’t notice, I still don’t know. But…when it finally hit me that my leg was hurting, I realized my mace had now given me a nice welt and bruise on my right thigh. Lovely. I stopped and moved the mace further back on fuel belt and that fixed the problem. Finished out the run and even did it with negative splits. It was also my fastest run this week. Not too shabby for a blech kind of morning. I showered. I foam rolled. I finished up packing and headed into work. Getting ready to head out to the airport. California bound. Doing Disneyland with my GIRLS!!

Saturday is normally my long run day, but as I am racing in the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday, Saturday is my day of rest. This actually works out since my training plan called for 13 miles this week (it’s a step-back week on mileage). So, instead of running, I’ll be hitting up the race expo, and seeing some of what Disneyland has to offer with Tawn, Indy, and Cathy. And let me tell you…I totally can’t wait. Running the Disney Princess Half Marathon back in February at Disney World was so much fun, I can’t wait to see what sights, sounds, and adventures Disneyland holds!

August 26, 2013

Marathon Training Week #11 – Getting back into the racing game…

I’m going to say it right here and now…so listen up! 5K races are my least favorite distance. I never feel like I’m pushing myself fast enough, despite pushing these short little legs harder and harder with each mile. And at the end of a 5K…I never have the drive or the energy for that final kick that so many of my running friends have. And it makes me dislike that distance even more.

Let’s face it…these short little legs were made to go long. I actually would rather run a longer race any day than a 5K race. Winning an award at the shorter races is all fine and good…but I love the challenge of the longer run. I love to push my legs past the distance they think they can go…and prove to myself that my passion for the longer distances truly is what drives me when I run.

With that all being said…this past weekend, I had to shift my long run to Sunday because…well…Saturday I had a 5K race. Normally I wouldn’t have signed up for one. I’ve been avoiding races to focus more on my marathon training…but this is one race I would never dream of missing. My Aunt Debbie died 3 years ago from colon cancer, and here in Louisville, for the past three years, I have ran in the Walk Away from Colon Cancer & 5K Run. The only difference between the past two years and this year…is that this year I wasn’t returning from an injury that kept me out of running. This year, the Walk Away From Colon Cancer & 5K Run was not a comeback run. This year…I was free to run it as I chose…and I chose to run a smart, safe, and fun race. And that’s how it should be.

Having the race on Saturday also decreased my usual weekly mileage…but…you know…it was worth it. I’ve racked up some crazy mileage over the past couple of weeks, I think giving these legs a shorter, but harder (as in speed and the fact that I tested them out on the hills of Iroquois Park), run was just what they needed. Speed work. Hill work. All in just over 22 minutes…done.

I admit, however, that the morning of the race I was not in a racing mindset. I hadn’t actually raced since The Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY back in early July…and I was having a hard time finding that run hard, run fast mindset. Regardless, I took to the course and had a fun, beautiful, and very hot run yesterday morning. And it was for a good cause and in memory of my aunt. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

But…that was the end of the week…I still had the entire week before I got to my race…so…

Sunday is the normal “Whatever My Legs Feel Like” training run…or rest day. It just depends on how I feel that morning. Except, keep in mind, I busted out 20 miles the previous day. So, as I was getting ready for bed, I asked my roommate what I should run in the morning. She shrugged and said, “I don’t know…13 miles?” Then paused. “No…do 13.1.” Ah…a half marathon challenge. I was game. I figured I could run it at the LSD pace and have a good morning run. I guess I was feeling super that morning, despite the heavy mileage on Saturday…because I took to the streets and my legs felt strong and good…not tired…not sore. I was having a great run. The first half of the run was rather flat, but then I decided to challenge myself and run a very hilly second half. I just wanted to see how I would do on tired legs with a bit of a challenge, I guess. I wasn’t slowed in the slightest and somehow ended up rocking out 13.1 miles in a time faster than my half marathon PR. If only this had been in a race. I was super-stoked. Super surprised. And super proud of myself. That was on legs that had gone 20 miles the day before? Had I not been the one running, I wouldn’t have believed it myself. I was feeling amazing and hit negative splits to boot!! Yeah…I was feeling sort of invincible that morning, I guess. I was all smiles after that and feeling like Beast Mode was activated. If only every run felt that awesome. That evening was the Bruno Mars concert that my roomie and I had tickets for. I didn’t get home until well after midnight…and my legs were tired and sore, not just from the previous two runs, but from standing the entire show. LOVED that concert though. Had such a great time.

But…Monday morning rolled around and that meant it was back to the training schedule. That morning I was not feeling as awesome. In fact, I felt a bit defeated. The schedule called for 7 miles. And I did get 7 miles out that morning. But, I was running on very tired and somewhat sore legs. In fact, I actually went to bed in my running clothes…because I wanted to get more than 4 hours of sleep. And to knock out 7 miles…I needed all the time I could manage if I wasn’t getting up until 5 a.m. The later start sort of threw me off, but sleeping in my running clothes was sheer genius, because it meant I just needed to slip into my compression sleeves and my shoes before hitting the road that morning. It definitely got me out the door quicker. There was also a definite change from the weather I had the previous Monday morning. So, with the return of the humidity, the run just felt hard. I managed to press on and rocked the run with negative splits, but it was a hard-fought battle. And then…even with the tired legs, I wouldn’t dream of missing my Monday night fun run. So after a long, long day at work, I went home to eat and change and headed off to Louisville to do a run with my group. We were supposed to do hill work, which is something I really need to focus on. However…they vetoed it before I got there and half of the group was going to run trails, and the rest were going to hit up the Scenic Loop in Cherokee Park. I am not currently running trails because I don’t want to get injured, so I stuck to the road. And for the first mile was running with the group. My legs were still sore from all the hard efforts I put on them…as well as sitting for a long period of time at the office…but none of that seemed to matter. I got to the hill after Hogan’s Fountain and I was off. I had intended to stick with everyone, but I got ahead and there was no stopping me. I didn’t push…not for speed or anything because my Achilles was acting up a little…and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt myself on a fun run. Foam rolling commenced the moment I got home. Monday’s Daily Double was in the books.

Tuesday, of course, meant it was my cross-training day. And, as is the norm for Tuesdays, I resist the urge to run, even though I have the time and the ability to do so…and instead head to the gym before work. Tuesdays means it’s Arc Trainer day. The Arc Trainer, by the way, is basically the high calorie burning solution to the modern elliptical, built to be safe for high intensity workouts. In other words…it works like an elliptical, but is scientifically tested to be gentler on your joints, burn 16% more calories than a standard elliptical, and it can help the user train for strength, power, endurance, cardio and weight loss. It has this range of incline and resistance levels which makes this seem like 3 machines in one. Honestly. At lower incline levels, it’s has a glide like a cross country skier. In the mid-range levels, the motion is a stride, like on an elliptical but with proper positioning. And at the higher levels, it has the climb of a stepper or climber. I use the preset programs on the machines which automatically changes up resistance, incline, and the intervals. It makes this machine challenging, yet still puts you through a total body workout. It’s an elliptical on crack and I love to hate it. This time, I was on Program 5 – Intervals 1:1, meaning I had 1 minute at a lower incline, then it shot me up to hard resistance and the “climber” mode for 1 minute and it would rotate this out. I did this for 45 minutes on Level 7 and managed to dig out 2.08 miles. After that, it was on to the Cardio Wave. If you’re not familiar with this machine either, it is also like an elliptical machine, except that this one focuses more on strengthening the gluteus and lower limbs while still focusing on the core stabilizer muscles…so you get a full body workout that is safe and non-impact. And…your legs move from side-to-side and not the usual forward and back motion that I get with other ellpiptical machines and my running. It’s a nice change of pace and it works three different planes of movement simultaneously: extension, abduction and external rotation. My roommate hates this machine, but I love it. And I rocked 3.89 miles on it set to a steady Level 13 that morning. Then it was downstairs to hit up a few strength machines to help build up some muscle. After work, it was time to circuit train and that took some convincing. I knew it needed to be done, my body was just tired. But…my roomie and I knocked it out of the park and it actually helped loosen up the muscles and tendons that were giving me issues on my runs on Monday. So…bonus!

Wednesday marathon training is always speed work/pacing day. And today…it was all about pacing. The schedule called for 8 miles…yes…8 miles. But this was to be a Tempo Run…meaning I was to build up to about my 10K race pace, hold that for a couple of miles, then ease back down. I ended up steadily building up my pace, making this tempo run more of 8 miles with negative splits. Whoops. So, I guess I ddi one better than what training called for. And that was a miserable morning. Because it was 8 miles and would take about an hour to do, I got up half an hour earlier and headed out. It was 70 degrees at 3:30 a.m. and we had 92% humidity. Needless to say, I was dripping by the end of it and was more than happy to hop into the shower before getting dressed for work and making a healthy breakfast. After work, it was the second session of the circuit training and this one really felt hard. My legs were screaming for some rest. I promised if they got through “the shred” than they could have some downtime. They saw me through the circuits and weights…and so…I rested them that evening.

Thursday was a lot easier this week. Training simply called for 4 easy miles. Four miles…and I’d be done. It was another humid morning and my legs were tired…but my four miles ended up as 5 miles. I wasn’t at all happy with that run, honestly. Maybe that is why I pushed the extra mile. Or…that I just am not used to lower mileage under 5 miles at times…regardless…I got through the run, but it was not a happy 5 miles at all. After that, it was the second day at the gym. With my legs angry at me for that run this morning, I knew better than to really push it on the cardio portion of this workout. So, when I climbed on the elliptical, I set it for my usual Level 7, but didn’t push on the speed too much. I managed under 9 miles in 49 minutes…which is under what I normally can do. But, I was listening to my body. The second machine of the day was 10 minutes on the rowing machine. Ah…the rowing machine of doom. I put on my gloves and settled in for a L-O-N-G 10 minutes. But the rowing machine is such a great machine in that it works so much of your body. Not only are you working biceps, back, and shoulders, but you also work your quads, glutes, and core muscles as well. So…while I hate it…I love the workout I get from this machine. After that…it was downstairs for some more strength machines before heading to work.

Friday is the dreaded, but necessary, rest day. And, since I was going to be racing on Saturday, I definitely wanted to keep it holy. I admit though…I did take myself out for another brisk morning walk. This has become the Friday norm. I walked 3.26 miles that morning in 36:42…which is good. Very good. It also took the edge off the rest day so I wouldn’t be cranky, crabby and miserable. It worked. And the rest of the day felt okay because I had at least gotten some form of movement in for the day.

Saturday…it’s usually my long slow distance run. And this week I was to run 18 miles. Except, I had another commitment on Saturday morning. *GASP* I know. But this was important. As I mentioned, my Aunt Debbie died from colon cancer a few years ago. Every year since, I have been a part of this race. It’s the Walk Away From Colon Cancer & 5K Run. I would never dream of missing this. Even if it meant I didn’t get to meet up with my running group and do my usual long run. The long run was pushed back to Sunday…which I’ll tell you all about next week. But Saturday was all about honoring my aunt’s memory, running for a great cause, and putting some speed work and hill work into play simultaneously. I won’t lie…a part of me was hoping to rock out a sub-22 5K, which is something I am still chasing…but Iroquois Park is not the place for that. And I knew that going into this race…but it was a dream. It will happen…one day. Until then…I just sort of ran this race with how I felt. My legs were rested. My mind was clear. And I was focused on just getting to that finish line. Like I said…5Ks are my least favorite distance. I place a lot when I run them, I just don’t like running them. That being said…this race was hot and hilly…but I just went out there to have some fun and “do some work.” And I did. In fact, I ended up finishing 27/799 finishers overall, 4/496 female finishers, and I was 1/67 in my age division. WOOHOO!! The speed and hill endurance will come with practice. This was my 2nd fastest 5K to date…and that is saying something! I thought about running more later that day, but I had so much going on…shopping for items for my upcoming trip, grocery shopping, cleaning…and since Sunday was now going to be my 18 miler…without a group…I thought my legs needed the rest of the day off.

So, this was a much lower mileage week than my previous ones, but I think it was good that I listened to my body…and my heart…and ran what I needed to run, the speed I needed or felt like I needed to run. I still managed to nail my training, and that’s saying something. This week was a tough one, despite having fewer miles…but I got through it and knocked it out. Proving once again, even if my body is tired…my determination always makes me feel stronger and better. Lack of sleep and harder runs made the lower mileage this week a welcome change of pace…but it never once slowed me down.

Time to see what I can manage this coming week…

August 4, 2013May 11, 2015

Marathon Training Week #8 – Daily Doubles

Halfway!! I am officially halfway through my marathon training for the Chicago Marathon!!

This has been one crazy week for my training. Honestly. Not just from a time perspective, but there was just a lot going on for me with my running and training schedule. Some of it was part of the plan. Some of it…well…some of it was bonus…extra…things I do for fun. And that’s good to have in there every now and again. The key is to keep it easy and run smart. As long as I listen to my body and not get stubborn, I’ll be fine.

It seemed I was doing quite a few doubles this week. That was not actually intended…it was just how it worked out. Regardless, I can feel my legs growing stronger because while they have been worked hard once already, they still power through another run. Sometimes faster…sometimes slower. They run as they feel and I don’t push it. I have a goal to come out of this year uninjured and so far that’s worked out for me.

Let’s take a look at this week of pulling double duty…

Sunday is either an easy run or a day of rest. I normally opt for the easy run unless my legs are just crying out for some down time. But, this past Sunday I was invited by my good friend Kelsie to go running with her running group. I never turn down a chance to get out and run with people. I have a blast getting out with others, talking, running, and just having a good time. You don’t even think about the miles when you’re in that sort of a zone. They were meeting up in Jeffersonville, Indiana to run for 11 miles. I had done 15 the previous morning, but I was feeling up to it and feeling good. I met up with her group at 5:30 a.m. and we all headed out to run across the Second Street Bridge and head up Bardstown until we hit 5.5 miles. Turning around and heading back. We all talked about races, goals, pace, and some amendments to our own goals we had set. Kelsie and I figured out why we click so well…we’re both Virgos. And we had really great conversation for much of the run, talking about fundraising, about family, everything. Running was not the only subject, nor were our upcoming marathons. It was a gorgeous morning with 57 degree temperatures. We finished up just as the sun was coming up. A beautiful 11 miles with good people and great motivation. My legs weren’t screaming at me at all. They felt strong the entire way. It was an easy pace, with great people and I would certainly do it again in a heartbeat.

Minion cake for my Monday fun run group! Yes…I made that!

Monday returned with a vengeance. The weather that morning was perfect for a run. And I took advantage of that for sure. I was scheduled for 7 easy miles, which I totally devoured that morning. I was shocked, actually, since I was coming off a weekend of two longer than usual runs. But my legs were still feeling amazing and that was what mattered. I even managed some awesome negative splits. And, as usual, Monday also brings around my group fun run after work. After rushing home to eat a quick meal and getting ready, I grabbed a special cake I made for my group and headed out to meet up with them. Laura had heard about a World Championship Dainty Competition going on in the area, so we headed a different direction than usual, up Eastern Parkway, and took it over to Goss, where the event was being held. We all paused to watch for a few minutes, then continued along the way. I mostly stayed in the front with Harry and Natalie. Harry and I have been trying to get through to Natalie that she doesn’t have to sprint through every run. Especially since she is recovering from arm surgery and now an injury to her leg. She is stubborn though, but hopefully she’ll learn. We finished up another 4.1 miles that day and then returned to the store to cut into and devour the cake I made. What was this special cake? I made a cake shaped like a Minion from Despicable Me. We all love Minions in my running group. It was a gluten-free and dairy-free cake…and it was a hit!!

Tuesday, however, I was starting to feel all that running. This was a no run…but cross training day. So, Cathy and I hit the gym. She was returning from having her wisdom tooth out. So, we hit the Arc Trainer first. I did 45 minutes on Program 2 – Hills – on Level 5. This was a challenge. But I pushed through those 45 minutes of hills, which means a change in intervals, resistance, and inclines. It was tough, but I managed 2.38 miles. Then it was over to the Cardio Wave machine. I love this machine because it moves my legs from side to side instead of just the standard front and back motion. In 10 minutes, I did 3.69 miles and was ready to call it a day. But some strength training was up next. I hit that up, left the gym…and was supposed to come home from work and fit in some circuit training. My legs were saying “NO!” So, I decided with Cathy still coming back from her tooth and my legs telling me to lay off…we’d take a break this week from circuit training and come back to it next week. We were both happy with that decision.

Wednesday is my speed work/pacing day. This week called for a 6 mile tempo run. And, aside from having some issues with my fuel belt staying in place that morning, I was mostly successful in rocking this out. I held a great pace, I worked into the tempo, sustained it, then cooled down. I felt good about it when it was done, I just needed to get past scooching my fuel belt down throughout the entire thing. I fueled halfway through just as my sports nutritionist is requiring me to do while out running. And it was a good pacing day. When I finished it up, I felt good…so that was the important part.

Thursday…was insane. I went out in the morning for my 5 mile easy run, which I managed better than I thought I would. I didn’t check the weather like I normally do that morning, and figured it would be cool like the past few mornings have been. Wrong. The air was very humid, but I did have a wind. A strong headwind that hit me on the inclines of this run. Despite that, I still rocked out those 5 easy miles and even managed negative splits. Thursday is also our other day to hit up the gym. This time, I did 49 minutes on the elliptical machine. The last four minutes are a cool down, but I was doing good, despite having busy legs all week. I did 9.38 miles in 49 minutes that morning. Then I went over to the rowing machine for 10 minutes. The rowing machine always kicks my booty. It just works my body all over. It’s great cross training and great on the core, back, arms, and even the legs. I really struggled this morning though, starting to feel the fatigue set into my legs. So…I did 1.17 miles in those 10 minutes, then headed downstairs for a couple of strength machines. But my day didn’t end there. Nope. Thursday was also the BlueMile Brew Mile at Molly Malone’s. I haven’t missed a Brew Mile yet this year. And the one at Molly’s is one of my favorites. Despite having to run through Eastern Cemetery. I had actually gotten there in good time and met up with Natalie. We probably should have been stretching, but instead we just got to talking. This happens with us. We met up with Ellen and Andrew from BlueMile as well…and more talking. Then Laura showed up…and we all just talked. No stretching actually occurred. Not really. We were directed to walk toward Eastern Cemetery, so we did. All of us lined up and we were given the course directions by Derek. And then…we were off. Despite these tired, overworked legs, I rocked off a mile in 6:42, which is fantastic for me, I think. I wasn’t sure I would be able to push it having not stretched and having just really tired legs, but I got through it and I pushed and pushed. It was a brilliant mile and all of us finished in great time. Then, we headed back to Molly’s for the giveaways and drinks. I bought Cathy a Magners while I sipped on some much-needed water. I even won a $15 BlueMile Gift Certificate in the prize drawings. WOOHOO!!

Friday…the much needed day of rest. And I’m really good about obeying this for the most part. I have been going out for a walk in the morning. It’s not running…it’s walking. Which, I suppose, doesn’t really mean I am resting. And I tend to walk fast too. So, that morning I went for 3 miles and did that in 34:26. It was beautiful out. Nice breeze. It just felt good. And, on lunch, Cathy and I went for another walk (pulling a double again!), in which we managed 1.65 miles in 23 minutes. It was good and I didn’t push much because I knew Saturday held my long run.

Saturday morning came and normally I would be running with Matthew and company. Matthew and Dawn, however, had decided to spontaneously run a marathon in Tennessee…so they weren’t going to be there. I had 12 miles to run for this week, as it was a fall-back week. A few other people needed to go that distance as well. So, I met up with Laura and a couple of other ladies for the early start at 6:30 a.m. We headed out from Bardstown toward the Second Street Bridge. From there, the other two ladies turned around, as they were only going 6-7 miles respectively. Laura and I continued on, heading down toward the Waterfront. Here Laura took me the opposite way, away from the Big Four Pedestrian Bridge…which was a very scenic and new route for me. And I loved it. We had great conversation, said hello to other runners and bikers that we passed, and she even showed me the trivia about river boats. Oh, and if you don’t know much about trains…Laura can fill you in. I loved learning so much about them. I just love trivia and knowledge…especially on things I normally know nothing about. We reached our turnaround point, then headed back along toward the riverfront before taking Main to Market to Baxter back to the store. I was going to stop at 12 miles, but I felt so good coming up the hill on Baxter, that I just kept going. When it hit the corner near Blue Mile, I was only 0.10 miles off from 13, so I made Cathy run behind me as I worked to hit that 13 mile mark. She jogged for about 20 feet before just heading to the car, where I met her after my watch hit that 13th mile. And I felt good at the end of it. Which was what I wanted to feel. We had a Maroon 5 concert that night and I had every intention of rocking out another 12 – 13 miles on Sunday, despite getting home at 2 a.m. But that…will wait for next week.

So, there was a lot of daily doubles going on this week, whether in running or walking. But I can feel my legs are getting used to working even when fatigued. And that, I feel, is a good thing. The marathon is going to drain me…so knowing my legs can carry me through, even when tired, is just making me feel better about the entire situation. I’m loving every bit of my training…and the extra stuff I do for fun. Because I can’t just keep it serious all the time. I love to run…so when the opportunity comes up to run a mile for charity…to run with friends…to bake a cake and share it with good people…that’s what I do. It’s good for me to adjust my running, to take it easier than usual at times, because it helps build endurance and strength. That’s a hard lesson to learn. I can’t be all-out all the time or I will get injured. Those long, slow distances are key to going the distance and making it to the finish line at the very end of it all.

Definitely looking forward to this coming week…which won’t include as many doubles. In fact…Monday should be the only one. I keep learning from all my training and fun runs. I take in great advice, I learn about what my body is capable of managing, and I just enjoy the feeling I get when I hit stop on my Garmin and realize just how far I’ve gone.

I might have been pulling double duty this past week on the running, but I ran smart to ensure I could handle it. And that is the key!

July 21, 2013

Marathon Training Week #6 – It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity…

So…here is the vicious cycle. I dislike cold weather runs. So, during the winter all I do is talk about how I can’t wait for it to get warm again. Then, in my area, we usually have about three days of spring and then the dog days of summer set in. Living in the Ohio River Valley makes for some rather intense humidity. And, wow, has Mother Nature ever been throwing the wet towel on me for every run this past week.

But…there are so many things I have learned in the past two years about running in the heat. First of all, I do understand that when there are heat advisories…it is best not to push it. Either take it inside or slow it down. That’s the next thing…when running in hell-like conditions…slow your pace. Just do it. There comes a point where your body will tell you it has had enough…and it won’t be pretty. Slow it down, make it through the run.

HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!!

I can’t emphasize that enough. I’ve been doing a lot of practice with hydrating while out on the run. Both with water and, yes, with Gatorade. The Gatorade came as a suggestion from my sports nutritionist, whom I am meeting up with again today. Why? Carbs, sugar, and electrolytes. I tend to sweat salt. When I get done with a run on a hot, hot day…I’m caked with white. This means dehydration is a huge risk. So, I hydrate often and rotate between water and Gatorade.

This coming week, I am praying for a break in this stifling humidity. There is nothing worse than feeling like you’re breathing through a wet towel on each and every run. That being said…let’s take a look at this week’s training and see what I have learned…

Sunday is normally my easy run or rest day. BUT…not this Sunday. This Sunday was The Boilermaker 15K in Utica, New York. Race day! My rest day last week fell on Saturday, as I rearranged the training schedule to fit this race in. And trust me…this one was brutal. For one thing, it wasn’t supposed to be as hot as it was that morning. I woke up and it was already in the high 70s with a very high humidity. This meant I went running in my company running skirt and a bra top. The less fabric on me…the better. Along with the heat and humidity…was hills. This course was hilly, especially in the first half of the race. This turned out to be a tough race. I brought Gatorade and water for the route and there were over 20 aid stations on the 9.3 mile course. I finished with a new 15K PR…surprisingly, as by Mile 7, I realized I should have been fueling better when the heat started to get me…so I took a GU and kept on trekking. This was hard. And afterwards, as my schedule had me set for 10 miles for my long run, I did a slow, easy shake-out run in an alley for the remaining mileage that day. Then, I had to shower, get in a car, and not move for a very long time…which my legs and body didn’t appreciate. I was so sore by the time I got back into Columbus, Ohio early Monday morning. And with fatigue settling in, I didn’t bother to foam roll either. Live and learn. More stretch breaks…even if it means more time on the road.

Monday morning I was up just a little past 6:30 a.m., despite my late night/early morning return to Columbus, Ohio. My training plan still had me on schedule for a 6 mile easy run, and despite very sore legs, I was determined to get it done. This meant looping Jenn’s neighborhood, which is the route I usually do when I’m in town visiting her. That particular morning…I felt defeated on the run. My legs were screaming at me from sitting so long in the car after racing. The humidity was draining. I found myself stopping every half mile to catch my breath, hydrate, and at mile 3, fuel. It was just hard that morning to even get going and I just felt like crying every time my legs told me to stop. But, I got through it. And then, after grabbing breakfast…had to climb back in the car for the drive back to Louisville. Upon arriving back at home, I had to change and get ready to get back into the car and head out to my Monday fun run. I thought about skipping it, but Cathy told me it would be good to go, especially after being forced to sit in a car that long again. That was part of the problem…my legs were hurting. But I went. And, due to the high humidity and heat, it was decided that we were going to run trails. Now, I have never run trails before…and the very thought of doing so while I’m in training for a marathon scared the daylights out of me. But, Cathy encouraged me to just do it and I was told we would go easy. Natalie, who I run with often, said that if I felt uncomfortable on the trails, we could hop off in Cherokee Park and simply run the loop. Here’s to good friends looking out for me. I actually did okay and rocked out just under 3 miles of trail running. Trails keep the pace slower, which was good in that heat. And the tree cover meant no hot sun beating down…and there was actually a breeze on the trails. I’m glad I was convinced to go along.

Tuesday is the usual cross training day. This week I was scheduled for 40-50 minutes of cross training. That’s rather normal on Tuesdays now. So, I got on the Arc Trainer for 45 minutes, using the cardio setting on Level 5, and managed 2.38 with various intervals, resistance, and inclines. It felt good and I was quite happy with how I felt on there. I was trying to be very cautious with my legs, which were still not happy with me from the previous two days of sitting in the car. I then got on the stationary bike for 10 minutes and managed a whopping 3.91 miles. I guess I was trying to prove to my legs that I was boss and they would just need to shake it off and feel better. I hit up a few strength machines before calling it a day. That night…yoga to stretch everything out.

Wednesday is my speed work or pacing day and this week called for a 7 mile Tempo run. I used the first mile to warm up and then began to turn up the speed to just under my 10K pace. It was another intensely humid day…the worst one we had all summer. And it was 4 a.m. So, I figured I would do the best tempo run I could manage. It was a little slower than my last 7 mile tempo run from the week before, but you adjust to the conditions. No sense doing damage to myself by pushing too hard in weather that I shouldn’t be pushing through. I kept the speed build gradual and really pushed for a strong finish. This tempo run took a lot to get through, but I did manage, and that was the important part. The key was hydration and fueling. It gave me a strong finish and I felt good at the end of it. Then, that evening while dinner baked in the oven…circuit training. Working on building up some muscle.

Thursday called for 5 easy miles. It was another hot, humid, sticky, and gross morning. I really kept the pace easy because it just felt like I had a wet towel draped over me. It was hard to breathe and really hard to convince my legs to keep going. They were starting to feel better from the days of sitting in the car and more sitting at the office (I wasn’t taking lunches because I was making up time for being off on Monday). Despite all of that working against me, I managed beautiful negative splits that morning. And when I saw that…I felt so much better about that run. I stretched out again that evening with about 20 minutes of yoga.

Friday brought about the dreaded day of rest. I have such a hard time with the rest day. But I did vow to respect it and keep it holy each week. Normally I go for a walk on lunch, but with the time I was making up at the office, I decided to get up at my normal run time and get my walk in early. Good thing too, as things went crazy at the office with one of my accounts. Anyway, I managed 2.4 miles in 30 minutes, which got me out and moving without tiring out my legs. Good thing too…because Saturday was shaping up…

Saturday is long run training day. Run long at an easy pace. I was scheduled for 14 miles, but my training partner in crime was scheduled for 18. I decided I could boost my run up for 4 miles. After all, only a couple of weeks ago, I managed 15.5…and this was only 2.5 miles more. I woke up early, got dressed for the stifling humidity and 80 degree morning that awaited. I drank water. I ate some cereal. Then after applying a liberal amount of sunscreen, I got in the car and headed into Louisville to meet up with Matthew at 6:30 a.m. I downed a banana on the way, which would give it time to settle. I felt good as I stretched. And when he arrived, we headed out for 18 miles. Originally we had hoped to do this at an 8:30 pace…but the weather conditions made this virtually impossible. We took a few walk breaks to cool down, we stopped for water. It was hot. And the heat and humidity was definitely taking its toll. We made good friends with the manager of Denny’s, who let us cool off in their lobby and gave us free ice water. YAY! Then…we had the scary spill. Matthew’s leg cramped up while we were in our last 3 miles. His foot hit the sidewalk and he took a tumble. He fell into me, but I stayed upright. He hit the ground hard though…and I was so worried about him. It just looked bad. He said he was fine…and a lot of drivers and a biker all checked in on him. He dusted himself up, all scraped and battered…and we pressed on…slow and steady. But we managed to get our 18 miles in. It was slower than we would have liked, but given the weather conditions, we ran it smart. And that was the important thing. Matthew’s okay, by the way. And we’ve already got next week’s training run in the works.

This past week brought about some of the hottest conditions in this area this year. The humidity has been killer, bringing about air quality warnings. I get out early to run, and even that was hard on most days this past week. I’m hoping the humidity breaks soon because this sort of weather is so hard to work through. And it does affect you, as a runner, mentally. Runners are very number-focused…and on these dog days of summer, you have to worry more about your well-being, your body, making sure you are hydrated and fueled…and focus less on pace and speed. You still get in your training…it just may not be done as soon as you hoped or wanted.

But…even these hot and humid runs serve as good training and good lessons as far as how weather can affect you. These fall marathons could have these conditions…or they could be cooler…rained on…or just perfect. You just don’t know. Adjusting training to keep yourself safe and healthy is best. Safety first…always!

July 12, 2013

Marathon Training Week #5 – Where I learn the value of sleep…

Another week done. I know…I know…it’s only Friday, but I’m heading out of town this week for a race on Sunday in Upstate, New York. And that means that today ended my week of training as tomorrow, the day of the heaviest travel, I am using as my rest day. In the end, it all balances out. Really. I promise.

With that in mind, I had to approach this week keeping in mind that I would have very tired legs by the end of it. What I didn’t count on was also having new shoes. Yep. Just bought a new pair of kicks. Still not sure how I feel about them…they feel lighter than the Nike’s I was previously in…but…it’s too soon to tell. Of course, this meant my Friday run was not only being done on tired legs…but fresh shoes. So, I did my best to keep it easy. No sense injuring myself before a race…let alone during the middle of my training, right? Right!

So…this week I learned the valuable lesson of sleep. And how necessary it is. Last week with the concert during the week and then the convention over the weekend, I got less sleep than I normally do. And I already get the very minimal. Not because I choose to be that way…but I’ve never required eight full hours of sleep. I function best on 5 hours. But…I wasn’t getting that the week before. And this current week has been just as full with activities and getting things ready for the trip to New York. So…sleep has been rather scarce. I’ve been up later than usual…then getting up at normal time to hit the roads and get my training runs in. I’m really feeling the effects. There are times I’m finding it hard to stay focused on things or maybe even nodding off on the couch. So…after this trip, there is a break in the schedule and things come back on an even keel…so sleep will be a priority. I bet my running will improve too.

I’m still feeling the sting of hurtful things said by people to me about how I look. But…whatever. I’m going to brush it off and know that I am happy and healthy and I don’t need them to drag me down and make me feel ugly. Rise above it, right? Right.

So…with that in mind…here’s how this weeks marathon training went…

Sunday is my easy run or rest day. I was still at the convention, so I went and hit the treadmill at the fitness center of the hotel I where I was staying. I rocked out some intervals, doing one mile at an easy warm-up pace, then rocking out 7 x 800 meters with 6 x 400 meters recovery in between each one. Then, I polished it off with a 1 mile cool down at an easy pace. It was just the start I needed to the day. The gluten-free veggie burger with fries at Cheeseburger in Paradise for lunch was a nice bonus for the day.

Monday morning came way too quickly…and had me back to running in the dark. The 4-H Fairgrounds are close to my apartment and Monday was marking the start of the fair. With that in mind, I decided to stick close to home this week, just to be safe. Safety is always first. I was scheduled for an easy 6 mile run, and that’s what I did. It felt good, despite the 92% humidity that morning. I survived. I think I just needed to get out there and run it all out. I did just that. And, of cousre, Monday marks my Fun Run night, so the Monday Daily Double continued in full swing. I once again went running with Natalie and Harry, up near Cave Hill Cemetery. We didn’t turn this time, we ran around a statue and continued on. And Natalie, as we neared the end, pushed me to have a good finishing kick. She promised to work with me on that finishing kick if I could help her down the road with marathon training. That seems like a fair deal. And she made me work for it. I kicked it and we finished a great 3 mile run. It was hot and humid out and we walked a little. Keep in mind, this lady is running in a cast. She’s hardcore! It was another run that I needed today,with two of my favorite people! I was so tired though…and it was starting to show. Went home, showered, and had to finish getting things ready for work the following day. Later than usual night. Ugh.

Tuesday is the usual cross training day. This week I was scheduled for 40-50 minutes of cross training. No problem. I hit up the gym and did 45 minutes on the Arc Trainer on the Pike’s Peak setting once again, keeping it with the Level 5 setting as well. It’s comfortable, yet challenging, and that was what I wanted. I didn’t want to push too hard due to The Boilermaker this weekend, but I needed some hill work somehow. And this was how I was going to accomplish it. After 45 minutes, I managed 2.38 miles of hills. It was tough…but I pushed on through. Then I moved onto the Cardio Wave machine, which is similar to an elliptical, but your feet move from side-to-side instead of front and back, changing it up a little on the legs. I got in 3.9 miles on there. Felt happy with both of those performances. I capped off my gym day with some strength training. Then headed to work.

Wednesday is my speed work or pacing day and this week called for a 7 mile Tempo run. I used the first mile to warm up and then began to turn up the speed to just under my 10K pace. It was a gradual thing because it was so humid that day. The rain was supposed to be coming down, but it was pushed back to later in the afternoon. That level of humidity at 4 a.m. is intense. The sun isn’t even up yet, and I felt so drained with each mile I pushed through. I did get the Tempo run accomplished with success, I just turned down the speed to train smart. And I hydrated, hydrated, hydrated!

Thursday called for 6 easy miles. So, out I went to get that done. With the rain that had come through, I had hoped that the humidity broke, but sadly…it hadn’t. The teperature was 77 degrees that morning with 93% humidity and a high dew point as well. So, I struggled through these six miles, taking them easy because I didn’t want to do damage to myself. Humidity sucks and it can really just drain every bit of energy out of you. I felt like I was breathing through a wet towel for much of this run. But I got through it, and went inside to have breakfast and head to the gym. I rocked out 9.2 miles on the elliptical in 49 minutes, which made me feel good about life. So did the cool gym environment and the fan that was blowing toward me. Ahhh…relief. Then I hit the rowing machine to get every muscle in my body working. I managed 1.19 miles in 10 minutes. Some strength training followed. Then, on this particular Thursday, I was registered to run in the third BlueMile Brew Mile. This was so much fun, but my legs were just…tired. So tired. I went ahead and tried on the Nike Free shoes that they had for runners to test out at the run. I hated them. I want to move toward minimalist shoes…but those were definitely not for me. The mile went well. It had slight hills and we rounded a sapling at the halfway point, which took some of the momentum away, but I finished in 7:12. My slowest Brew Mile to date. Much water followed. And hanging out with Harry and Laura from my running group. It was a good time. After that, I went to BlueMile and shopped for new shoes. I walked out with a new pair of kicks – Pearl Izumi EM ROAD M 3’s. They are 2 ounces lighter than my Nike’s. I was going to test drive them Friday morning…

Friday…is usually my rest day. But not today. Nope. Not today. With the race being on Sunday and with Saturday being a major travel day, I moved my rest day to Saturday and my normal run I would do on Sunday got bumped to Friday. Sunday I am racing, so I still get a run in. I’m just a bit late on my long run. Anyway, the humidity finally broke and this morning’s run felt amazing. So did the shoes. Although, I can tell they need more breaking in. This will make the Boilermaker 15K interesting…new shoes not quite broken in. Oh boy, oh boy! At least they aren’t giving me blisters. That’s the important part. The lift in humidity made such a difference. I felt so much better during the run. No stopping to cool down. Nope. I think I might have smiled again on this run. It felt great. The shoes are going to take some getting used to…but I think they’ll do good. Next time, I’m getting my Adidas Boosts.

Saturday I should be running 14 miles. But I changed it up with my following week due to the race on Sunday. Next week was supposed to be 10 miles. My 15K is 9.3 miles, so I figure on Sunday I’ll cool off with a short 0.7 mile run after I finish up the race. But Saturday is a lot of time in the car, a race expo, and my rest day this week. We’ll leave it at that.

Another week in the books. Meeting with my sports nutritionist again as the mileage increases and making some adjustments to my regimen. Looking forward to learning more, doing more, and putting the time in to make my first marathon a success. I guess that means getting my sleep pattern back under control as well. But that will have to wait until I get back from Utica.

July 7, 2013

Marathon Training Week #4 – Running away from the pain…

UGH…what a week. What a terrible, draining, awful week. Lack of sleep, a lot of tears, and…my relaxing weekend was anything but relaxing. In fact, it only served to make me more self-conscious of myself. And that’s what sucks. I wanted to be able to escape everything that was weighing down on me this week…and instead I caught it once again. Seems the only place I feel like myself these days is when I’m out running. And that bothers me.

That being said, my first month of Marathon training is in the books. I am so proud of myself and everything I have accomplished these past four weeks. I’m already anticipating the next month…all the miles, the speed work, the pacing, every easy run, and every hard one as well. I’m going to earn these 26.2 miles…while I am running a couple of other races, I’m treating them as training…not as races. My main focus is that big 26.2.

As many of you might have previously read, I had some very hurtful things said to me this past week by someone I considered a good friend. It stung. It hurt. And, wow, did it every set my self-confidence back, especially on body image. I was heading into a weekend at a sci-fi convention, and I normally never worry about this sort of thing, but it was still weighing (no pun intended) heavy on my heart and in my mind. And then…while at the convention I caught crap from people as well. I am SO tired of feeling as though I am the ugliest person because of my size, build, and the fact that I RUN!

YES!! I run. I’m in training…so I am running a lot. But my body is strong, my heart is strong, and my willpower is stronger. I am no stranger to hurtful words about appearance…I got that a lot growing up. Always picked on. But, we’re all adults here. I don’t want to be told that should I ever get cancer I would never survive. WTF?! I run my body…and my body, in return, runs perfectly. I take care of myself. I eat plenty. I exercise to stay healthy. When I’m in a place I am hoping to escape my problems, I don’t need them thrown at me, loudly.

And…for the record…RUNNING WILL NOT KILL ME!

That being said…my marathon training this week started off fantastic, and then…began to suffer. Mostly because I let things get to me. I let words cut me down and scar me. In fact…I lost my spirit this week…the run just felt so hard. It might have been the humidity. It might have been the hurtful words of friends running through my head. Maybe it was both.

In the end, more nice things by true friends were said to lift me up and help me find my center again. And that…is what got me through.

Sunday is my easy run or rest day. As is usual with me, I took my feet out for a spin on the pavement that morning. It was humid, humid, humid out there on Sunday, so I kept it close to home and headed out before the sun was up. I finished up just as it was cresting over some of the hills. It was a relaxing run and while the humidity was a drag, I managed to press on through. And that was after running an accidental 15.5 miles the day before. I was feeling good.

Monday means it’s back to running in the dark. That’s fine, except the added challenge on this particular Monday was that I was out until about 2:00 a.m. at a concert in Cincinnati. The concert was The Goo Goo Dolls with Matchbox Twenty…and it was wonderful…but the 5 easy miles called for in my training was quite hard on weekend-weary and concert-weary legs and total sleep deprivation. I actually went out running an hour later than usual, because I felt sleep was more important…but I was still just tired at the end of it all. Of course, Monday also means it’s Fun Run night, so the Monday Daily Double was still on. I really just wanted to take an easy run, so Harry and Natalie took me on a great run that went by Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, then through some of the neighborhoods in the Highlands before ending 3 miles later back at the store. We let Natalie set the pace…and, wow, she has a kick there at the end. She promised she’d teach me all about finding that strength at the end of a run. That’s good, because I need it. Monday…was a tiring, but good day. Got in late after running some errands, trying to prep for this weekend.

Tuesday is the usual cross training day. This week I was scheduled for 40-50 minutes of cross training. No problem. I hit up the gym and did 45 minutes on the Arc Trainer on the Pike’s Peak setting. The Boilermaker is this coming weekend in Utica, New York, so hill work is important. I haven’t been taking on hills as often as I should be so I’m feeling a little unprepared for this course. But, as I sad, I’m to be treating these races as training runs, not races, per my sports nutritionist. So…I’ll just do what I can and leave the rest up to how I feel. I set the Arc Trainer for Level 5 so I could have some more resistance and steeper inclines. It was a challenge and one I met. Felt good. The rowing machine was next. UGH. Rowing. It’s a great core workout, working a lot of your upper body, legs, back, arms, and core, but it can be very boring and very, very difficult. I struggled, but managed 1.2 miles on the machine in 10 minutes. Not too shabby. I capped off my gym day with some strength training. Then headed to work.

Wednesday is my speed work or pacing day and this week called for a 7 mile Fartlek run. I used the first mile to warm up and then hit the pavement for some intermittent bursts of speed with some recovery in between each part. I felt good coming in from this run. My legs felt up to the challenge, though they were screaming at me toward the end. I pushed through the morning humidity, and just felt like I had really accomplished a great run. Speed work is something I’m trying to focus more on, but it’s not always easy to do around here. So, this felt like a victory. Then, as I was sitting down on my computer with some water and some time to relax, I got hit up by a friend with some very hurtful words. My legs were taken out from under me. And after I lengthy blog on the subject, I felt I could put it behind me. Wow…was I ever wrong.

Thursday called for 5 easy miles. I really just wanted to get out there and run this day. There was still a lot on my mind. The words that were said to me were still lingering in my brain, and still breaking my heart. I thought I could run it off…but my body had other ideas. I pretty much kept stopping after each mile or less, finding the need to catch my breath or just take a moment. The humidity was awful and stifling. Then, the rain started to come down soon after I came in from my run, because when I left for the gym, it was non-stop rain. And it never really let up that day. My gym workout was awful and disappointing as well. My elliptical effort was not there. I tried to push it…but it wasn’t happening. I felt defeated and deflated. Nothing was going right. The stationary bike was my 10 minute effort that day. And as much as I hate the stationary bike, it was the only part of my workout where I felt I accomplished something amazing. My legs just needed to go fast…and they finally did. I 3.85 miles that morning in 10 minutes. And it made me feel a little better about life. Some strength training followed.

Friday…the rest day. I spent the morning wanting nothing more than to just go out for a short run. Two miles wouldn’t hurt, right? I just felt like I needed to prove to myself I still had my passion for the run. But…it is the day of rest and I vowed to respect and honor that day, so, in the end, I finished packing my suitcase and getting everything ready for the convention I was attending this weekend. I prepared breakfast, went to work, and went for a walk at lunch. I need to just let these rest days do their job. Letting my muscles and body recover from a week of a very draining and hard week just needed to happen. I didn’t want to rest…but I made myself rest.

Saturday was my Long Slow Distance (LSD) pace long run for a scheduled 10 miles, per my marathon training. The trick here was…I was in Indianapolis for a convention. What to do? Well, I knew BlueMile (my favorite running store in Louisville) had two locations in Indianapolis, so I contacted them to see if they had any running groups heading out on Saturday morning for training runs. Both the Broad Ripple and Carmel stores did, but Broad Ripple was closer to where I was staying. So, after a night of being up past midnight, not being able to sleep, and general…BLAH…I hauled myself out of bed at 5:50 a.m. to get ready to head out to Broad Ripple. I got dressed, put on sunscreen, ate half of a granola bar, giving the other half to my roomie. We headed out of the hotel a little later than planned…and discovered that it was raining. Great. Joy. Ah well…I need new shoes anyway. On the way to the store, I ate my banana I had brought with me. We arrived and went into the store. I stretched and soon they were making announcements and telling which races had to run for how long that day. I don’t run by time, I run by miles, so I figured I would head out with them and then just go to the 5 miles, turn around, and head back. I basically did that. There was 95% humidity that morning and a steady misting of rain for most of the run. But we headed out on the beautiful Monan Trail and ran it for 3 miles. At the 3 mile point, there was a water/Gatorade stop and everyone turned around. I did as well, running two miles back down, then turning back around, heading back toward the Kroger water stop to get me to 7 miles. Then, it was three miles back to the store. In the end, I ended up going 10.25 miles that morning…in the humidity and the rain. And I felt good at the end of it. My effort was kept easy due to that humidity, but I was loving my run that morning. New scenery, new people, and just a new experience. Then it was back to the convention and a very late night…er…early morning.

And that was the round-up for my first month of training. In the end, what I’m finding out is…there are so many misconceptions about this sport out there. There are also a lot of people who don’t understand the mechanics of a distance runner. And…they probably never will. I feel rattled and scarred from the hurtful words that were said, and I’m trying so hard not to continue to dwell on it. I have a 15K race coming up this weekend and the best part is…I get to see a lot of friends from high school who I haven’t seen since…well…high school. And that is going to be a fun and amazing time and I really just can’t wait to make it happen.

Here’s hoping I learn to soar again this coming week…

July 3, 2013

The WEIGHT of the world, the HEART of the matter, and the SPIRIT of the marathoner

This is a difficult blog to write, but after receiving a very hurtful message from a friend via a social network site…I really felt there were a few things I needed to address. I’m sure others have been thinking it. I’m certain some may have even said things behind my back. But…before I even get to it, I want to emphasize to everyone reading this…

Words hurt. Words hurt more than anything else can because they can last forever. Choose them wisely.

With that in mind, please proceed with the rest of this blog keeping an open mind.

WEIGHT

Let’s face it…society has put a face on what it perceives as beautiful and perfect. There is one word that haunts women every single day of their lives. DIET. I hate the word. Yet, there is no escaping it. You see, society has put this standard of what women and men should look like. And if you don’t fit into these standards, well, then you should do something about it. After all…you aren’t beautiful unless you’re 100 pounds soaking wet, right?

WRONG!!

Before I start to dissect the word diet…and incorporate it with my life on the run (literally), I think I need to get one thing across about being gluten-free.

I did not choose to go gluten-free because it’s one of the latest fad diets out there. For an entire year I suffered, silently, from a diet that was literally killing me. I had turned 30 and life was good. I had become a vegetarian a year before, feeling good about my food choices…and then something happened. The food I loved no longer loved me back. I would eat a meal, and get struck with intense pain in my stomach and side. I’d feel sick. My body felt weak and tired all the time. There were nights I would sit down to watch something and literally fall asleep on the couch. I had no energy. I had no idea what was going on. And, with all of that going on, I was dropping weight drastically…for no reason that I could fathom. I was still eating like I normally was. I just never felt good after doing so. Confused…and, yes…scared…I headed in to see my doctor. Numerous tests were run with results being inconclusive. Then…my best friend growing up, Heather, told me to talk to my doctor about the possibility of gluten being an issue. After the unfathomable money that I poured into hospital tests and blood tests and scans that came back with no answers, this seemed simple enough.

Heather hit the nail on the head. My body was not absorbing nutrients properly. I was a Celiac and didn’t even know it. My body was trying to tell me something…and I couldn’t figure out what it was. I was just desperately trying to put weight back in, and inadvertently, doing further damage to my system. The gluten-free diet is not a way for me to quickly shed some pounds. I have to be gluten-free. Trust me…I wouldn’t choose to eat like this if I didn’t absolutely have to. Even a slight spec of gluten in my food can cause a horrible reaction. And that’s not something I am okay with. So, when I say I am gluten-free…it is a medical diagnosis…not me leaping onto the bandwagon of the latest diet craze.

But…let’s talk diet crazes…

Women literally spend hundreds of dollars on the latest diet craze to hit the bookshelves, internet, and talk show circuit. From Atkins to South Beach to Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig to Paleo and everything in between. Every diet is created to sell you something or on the idea of something. But, let me also emphasize this…especially to the ladies who are reading this blog…

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

I know that sometimes it’s hard to look past that reflection in the mirror, but, we are better than what society deems as perfect. We are perfection. Every one of us. We are perfect because we are so different. We are perfect with our flaws and our scars. And we don’t need to and shouldn’t punish ourselves for not living up to an unrealistic standard that is pushed on us by the world around us. Love your flaws. Love your body, even if it isn’t perfect. Nothing is perfect…get used to imperfection.

I had a lot of hurtful things said to me when I was dropping weight and couldn’t figure out why. I did not like being called a skeleton. I didn’t like the whispers behind my back or the all-out hurtful things that were being said about me. The smallest derogative comment about being just “skin and bones” would send me into a breakdown of crippling tears. I couldn’t explain the situation…because I didn’t even know what to make of it. All I knew was people would say very hurtful things about my body…and it would get back to me. I’d put on the brave face in public, but if I could find a bathroom, or the safe haven of my car, I’d let the tears flow. Weight problems work both ways…and the overweight aren’t the only ones who get chided for looking a certain way.

With that in mind, let me turn to one of my least favorite words in the English language…and beyond: DIET.

Why do I have such disdain for this word? Because it honestly makes people crazy!!

I’ve witnessed it. I see it almost every day with the women in my office. They fuss over points, and what they eat and if they eat this then they can’t have this…and OH MY GOD…I put on ONE POUND!! Diet’s bring out the worst in people, rather than the best. I’ve seen some of the nicest people fall into the diet trap…and they change…and not for the better. Sure, at first the weight drops off…but then what? The foods they were restricting begin to be consumed again…and the weight comes back. And then the diet happens again. Yo-yo dieting is not healthy. Not for your body, your mind, or your soul. Trust me. We’ve all been there. Even me.

As I am training for my first marathon, I enlisted the help of a sports nutritionist. After getting the okay from my doctor to proceed with training, I wanted to be sure that I was doing everything…and I mean…EVERYTHING right to get myself from that start line to 26.2 miles down the road where the finish line waited. I wanted to make sure I was not only working out right, but I wanted to make certain that I was feeding my body right, treating it right, giving it proper nutrition and proper fuel to function. I wanted my body to come out of my marathon in the best shape possible. And I wanted to do it the healthy, correct way. Which is why I sought the help of a professional.

And already I have learned so much about food. I already thought I knew a lot…but she has been a huge help to me and has definitely changed the way I view food. Food is not the enemy. Say it with me…

FOOD IS NOT THE ENEMY!

Now…stop treating it as such. Food, to any athlete, is fuel. It’s what gives our body calories…and those calories give us energy…which we burn…and then we need to refuel. The problem with such restrictive diets is that, so often, we (I’m included) stay so focused on the number on the scale. My nutritionist offered me this advice…

DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY DAY…AND THROW AWAY THE SCALE!

We are more than numbers. We are so much more. And as you train for a long distance event, such as a half marathon or a marathon, your focus needs to switch from your weight…to how you are treating your body. And this attitude should carry over into every day…whether you are in training or not.

Ever wonder why fad diets don’t work? It’s all in the math. If you usually eat proteins, fats, and carbohydrates (as you should) and you remove one of those food groups from your eating plan, you’ll lose weight…but only while you’re on the plan. The moment you reintroduce those foods you haven’t been eating…BAM…you gain weight and sometimes it’s more than you lost in the first place. Yo-yo dieting and fad diets only serve to tax the body because it sends it into “starvation” mode. The metabolism goes into hibernation, preparing for scant food supplies. Food is necessary for energy…so this is definitely not what the aspiring athletes should be aiming for. The body is like a computer and it prefers to burn energy from carbohydrates rather than fat, since carbs are more readily utilized. Nourishment is key…and to do that you need to keep your body maintained with high-quality food, especially lean protein and complex carbohydrates, otherwise you end up depleting your muscle tissue and your energy in the process.

This was the first thing I learned from my nutritionist. I used to go out running for miles without putting anything…anything in my stomach. Mistake number one. Because I was running, literally, on empty. My body had no fuel…so instead of burning the calories from having something in my stomach, instead it was leaching off my muscles, which is draining. She recommended I eat something before heading out…and drink 16 ounces of water. I run in the eearly morning hours, so this seemed daunting at first. But, I grabbed a handful of gluten-free trail mix or cereal when I get up…grab my water bottle I fill the night before, and as I dress, I make sure I get food and water into my system. I pack a fuel belt with GU or Sports Beans, per her recommendation, as well as put Gatorade in one water bottle and water in the other. Every 3-4 miles, I am to fuel. I am to make sure I hydrate while I run. Despite wearing a fuel belt, I rarely ever touched the water I was hauling with me. That’s changed.

And in the month I have been doing this…guess what? I’ve become a stronger, better, faster runner. I’m finally getting the hang of treating my body with the respect of an athlete. Food…is fuel. So, after going over that, I learned more about glycogen…which is the carbohydrates that are stored in the muscles and liver…and when they are not fueled or topped off during long workouts and runs, they become depleted. The result…hitting the wall. I needed to balance some nutrition out…making sure my carbohydrate to protein ratio was around 2:1 or 3:1. And she (as a gluten-free, vegan, distance runner) even gave me fantastic sources of vegetarian protein and recommended a few recipes and snack ideas.

I have grown into a lean…mean…running machine. And since figuring out what was wrong with my body 2 years ago…and moving forward to properly hydrating, fueling, and recovering after running and workout sessions, my body has only become better, stronger, and more efficient.

Yes…I am petite…but I come from a family of petite women. Judging me based on what you perceive to be “the norm” is hurtful and harmful. Calling me a “skeleton with skin” or other such hurtful words is not helping me any. And when you have no idea what I’ve been through or am dealing with, it is unfair to even make the assumption that I am not taking care of myself. Thank you for your concern…but I am taking care of me. It’s been a long road. It still is a long road. And I’m not 100% happy with my body. My self-image is not good. And every time someone says something about me that is that hurtful…it only sets me back.

WORDS HURT! And you can’t take them back. You can apologize…but it doesn’t erase what was said. That’s the horrible truth.

Athletes…both men and women…treat your body with respect, treat it well, and fuel it right…and the results will be far more than you could even imagine on any sort of diet. Trust me.

HEART

Dean Karnazes Quote — Quote from Dean Karnazes

A common misconception that runners hear all the time is that we are destroying our bodies. The constant pounding on the pavement is wearing down our joints, we’re destroying our bodies, and that so-and-so died from running a marathon.

Do people die after long distance races. Yes. Was it the race that killed them? Nope. It’s normally a pre-existing condition that perhaps they didn’t even know about.

Runners are not only the nicest people I have come into contact with, they are also some of the healthiest. But, it is inevitable, we all get hurt at some point. But this is no different than any other sport? So, why do runners take such a hit when it comes to injuries?

I wish I knew.

I’ve been injured twice. The first injury came when I boosted my race mileage from a 5K to a 5 Miler. My foot suffered a stress fracture and I developed runners knee from trying to land differently and alter my gait. This was back in 2011 when I first started running. I recovered, but it took a couple of months to heal. With the permission of my orthopedic doctor, I was still allowed to run in the Chicago Half Marathon (my first half marathon) on September 11, 2011, because he knew I’d do it anyway…but also because he was giving me exercises to do to get my leg back into working order. It worked. I had to tape my knee up…but I ran my first half marathon without ever having run over 5 miles on the road. I was determined…and even though I was unprepared, nothing felt as good as crossing that finish line and meeting up with my friends Heather and Cathy at the end of it. AMAZING. I couldn’t wait to do it again.

My second injury happened because I was running injured. I was at a 4 mile race almost a year ago. And after hobbling through to the finish line, I ended up stepping off a curb and tearing my plantar fascia. This was extremely painful. I couldn’t even walk. I had my first DNS (Did Not Start) on two races. I was on crutches for 2 weeks. And then…I got in to see my doctor who got me in to see a podiatrist…and the situation improved. I was in the midst of training for the Indianapolis Women’s Half Marathon…and I told my podiatrist this exact thing. And he told me as long as I took it easy…I could still run it. He taught me the Low Dye tape job, and that took me off my crutches. And soon, I was out running very slow 2 mile runs…easing into more mileage as he allowed…until I made it to half marathon weekend. That race was a hot mess. With 90% humidity, it was red flagged from the start…but I made it through better than expected…and that was that.

You see…the heart of a runner is nothing to mess with. Runners are very passionate about their sport. And you can tell when someone truly loves running simply by the way they talk about it…or the way they interact with others who share that same passion. I have been welcomed into so many running groups. I feel so blessed to have these people in my life. It means I don’t ever have to run alone. I can talk about anything and everything to these people because…they get it. They know. They understand. Because they have the heart of a runner too.

Look at what happened at the Boston Marathon. I wasn’t even there. I knew people who were. They were all safe. But the impact of that event affected me so deeply. I found myself depressed. I’d run through my thoughts and fears and the “what-if” scenarios every time I hit the pavement. I’d just run it out…for those who couldn’t. I donated money to the One Fund…more than I can even count anymore. That attack just tore my legs out from under me…it affected me on such a deep and emotional level. And that’s what it means to have the heart of a runner.

And when someone indicates that this passion you have is destroying you…it’s not only insulting…it’s inaccurate. And, dammit, it hurts like hell to be told all the time that running is bad. Running is not bad. Running is my freedom. Running is my “me-time.” Running has brought so many amazing people into my life. Running has taken me places I never dreamed. Running has helped me improve myself continuously, push a little harder, and to just remember to have fun. Running is fun. And, hopefully, I’ll keep chasing down my dreams.

My body has never been stronger…my heart has never been prouder. I am a runner. And I’m not going to stop.

SPIRIT

Runners train tirelessly and sometimes endlessly for one thing…and that’s to meet a goal. They may not reach it the first time, but they keep trying. If they fall down, they pick themselves up. If they fail, they try again. When others crumble before the finish line, they turn around, help that person up, and carry them across. This is the spirit of running.

And, let me tell you, I have spirit. Yes…I let the careless and thoughtless words of someone hurt me and tear me down today. But I’ve had countless people pick me up, lift me up, and guide me back onto the path I am taking.

Knock me down…I’ll get back up. I’m not perfect. But I don’t have to be.

What I am is a human being…with feelings and emotions and expectations. And, unfortunately…I do have self-image issues. And I do lack confidence at time. And yes…sometimes I even doubt my abilities. Sometimes I hear that voice in my head telling me I can’t…and I silence it, push a little harder, and prove to myself that I CAN. Life isn’t easy. And it does have it’s bumps and roadblocks. But…if you have a strong spirit…you can accomplish great things.

I know that I am doing everything right when it comes to my training and my body. I have gotten a physical check-up and an okay to start marathon training from my doctor. I am consulting with a sports nutritionist. I am following all the guidelines she laid out. I’m discovering how important it is to fuel, hydrate, and…REST. Rest is essential to the body and although I hate rest days…I respect them…I take them…and I come back stronger thanks to them. If that’s not spirit…I don’t know what is.

You want to see what the human spirit is capable of…then go watch a marathon. Be inspired.

Me…I think the events of this morning have only gone to make me more determined to do great things and to prove to myself and all naysayers just what I am capable of. I am going to focus on the positive and prove that I am a bigger and better person. I will take the high road. That’s not to say I still don’t get upset and cry when I think of what was said to me…I will allow myself that. But I won’t let them take away what means so much to me. Never.

As someone in a running group said to me this morning…sometimes it is best to take a moment and reflect on all the amazing things your body has done- the finish lines crossed and the ones yet to cross- then take a moment to look in the mirror and yell yourself you are a beautiful work in progress.

I AM A BEAUTIFUL WORK IN PROGRESS!

And so are all of you!