I did end up running five miles on Wednesday – go me! I think I've found my mantra as well; while I was running there were a few times when I really, really wanted to stop. At those times I found myself saying "Tough as nails" over and over again. I guess it worked.
On Thursday I almost skipped my run again. (Bad Becca!) I had a lunch date and plans after work, so my first opportunity to run was 7:30 at night. I pretty much talked myself out of running on the bus ride home. But I found that after getting inside I was on autopilot, and I changed into warm running clothes without thinking. By the time I remembered that I'd talked myself out of running, I was ready to go. Might as well go ahead with it, I figured. It was a good run, up Mt. Tabor and back down.
On Saturday I ran nine miles. Nine! Wowza! The human body is amazing. I never thought that it would be so simple, this training thing. Now I don't mean simple as in easy, because it ain't easy. But its so...straightforward. I just keep running and magically the distances I can run get longer and longer. When I was beginning this endeavor, five miles was my long run. At the end of a five miler I would think (exhaustedly) "Someday, at this point, I will be only half done," and it practically broke me. I wondered why in the name of Pete I was doing this to myself. But now I finish nine miles and I think "I can't wait until the day when, at this point, I will be only half done."
Monday, December 17, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
My body is cashing checks my ego can't...wait...what?
I started lifting weights last year for a variety of reasons but mainly because I was developing under-arm jiggle and it scared me. I built up to a 3-days a week weight-lifting routine, which I actually enjoyed. I find lifting weights very satisfying for some reason. Anyway, now that I am running so much I've cut back to just once a week. Normally I lift weights on Sunday, so that I have Monday (a rest day) to recover. Since I ran on Sunday, I lifted on Monday, giving me no day to recover between lifting weights and running. And just to clarify, I don't do the wimpy girly weight-training where you do like 30 reps of a 10-pound weight. I do a reasonably comprehensive set of exercises at pretty much the max weight that I can, so I tend to have muscle fatigue the day after. Generally I kind of like the feeling, as it isn't painful at all, just a noticeable kind of tiredness. Makes me feel virtuous. But add that to my still-tender little legs and you get a BAD RUN. BAD BAD BAD. Did I mention my run yesterday was BAD? Ugh. I almost called it quits at mile 2, and my left hip still hurts. I'm trying to decide whether to attempt my five miles after work today or skip it as a precaution and ride the exercise bike instead. I think I will warm-up and see how I feel. I have a tendency to obsess about things - right now I'm having a very strident internal dialogue about whether skipping one little mid-week run will derail my entire dream of running a marathon. (It couldn’t, its just five miles in a training program of hundreds of miles) (Are you sure?!) (Yes. No. Yes. Well, maybe.) (What if it did?) (Well, what if I do run and I aggravate my hip and I can't train for weeks?) What if, what if, what if? Sigh. My internal self needs a good slap across the face.
Monday, December 10, 2007
See below for whining
miles: Saturday, 8.5 outdoors, Sunday, 3.1 outdoors
total program miles: 122.1
pain level: noticeable discomfort
Owie, owie, owie, my legs are stiff. I had an amazing run on Saturday morning, everything was ideal. The weather was gorgeous, I felt awesome, not a speck of pain, energized (I remembered a gel this time!), and to top it off I didn't listen to my iPod and the time still flew by. When I reached the half-way point I thought "No way I did four and a quarter miles already!" As I cruised into the driveway I felt on top of the world. I did a good cool-down with stretches, and later in the day I took a walk to loosen up, but I could still feel myself getting stiff.
When I woke up on Sunday my legs were all "No thanks, boss, no running today, we'll just sit on the couch if its all the same to you." But of course I had signed up to run a 5k on Sunday with my friend T, and this was her first 5k ever. So I had to go. I popped some ibuprofen and headed out into the frigid air. It was bleeding cold yesterday in the Portland metro area, it even snowed as the run was finishing up. Yuck. I have to say, though, once I finished warming up and the run started, I felt good. I didn't push myself too hard.
But this morning – yikes. My legs feel like warped planks of wood.
I think the problem must be that my run on Saturday was conducted entirely on sidewalks, concrete sidewalks. I can't think of what else could have caused the stiffness, as I've run 8 miles twice before (once on packed dirt and once on the treadmill) and felt little stiffness the days following. Assuming that to be the case, I now face a dilemma. To run in my neighborhood means to run on concrete. The streets are asphalt but too busy to be run in, and there are no trails of meaningful distance within an easy walk. I have resisted the idea of driving to a running spot because it seems like a waste of both time and fuel to drive so that I may run. Of course I don't want to tear my poor legs up either. I've come up with a tentative plan, yes, ANOTHER tentative plan (we'll see how long this one lasts). In order to minimize the strain on my system, I'm going to try running all my weekday runs on the treadmill. I'm thinking I'll try the Springwater corridor for long weekend runs – yes it’s a drive, but a short one at least, and its asphalt. And if I'm feeling virtuous, I can even take the bus.
An aside: The gel I brought with me on Saturday was Espresso Love Gu. I "ate" it after about 4 miles. (It doesn't feel right to me to say that I "took" a gel, although that seems to be the agreed phrasing in the on-line community. But you don't really "eat" a gel either, since it just sort of slithers down one's throat. "Ingested" is too cumbersome and suggestive...maybe "swallowed", since that is really what you do with a gel?) One thing in its favor, it tasted a heckuva lot better than Lemon Sublime Gu. I tried that flavor a few weeks ago and nearly gagged. Blech. Anyway, as I tore the top off the little packet I was imagining that this would be a burdensome and awkward ritual that, while necessary, would assume its place near dental cleanings and the hand-washing of delicates at the bottom of the list of desirable activities. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I sort of squirted the stuff into my mouth and it took care of the rest, just sort of shimmying downward without any help from me. I barely had time to notice the taste before it was gone. Swallowing the whole thing took maybe 20 seconds and I was able to run the entire time. I'm going to keep experimenting – this week I'm trying Shot Bloks – but the Gu experience was not unpleasant
total program miles: 122.1
pain level: noticeable discomfort
Owie, owie, owie, my legs are stiff. I had an amazing run on Saturday morning, everything was ideal. The weather was gorgeous, I felt awesome, not a speck of pain, energized (I remembered a gel this time!), and to top it off I didn't listen to my iPod and the time still flew by. When I reached the half-way point I thought "No way I did four and a quarter miles already!" As I cruised into the driveway I felt on top of the world. I did a good cool-down with stretches, and later in the day I took a walk to loosen up, but I could still feel myself getting stiff.
When I woke up on Sunday my legs were all "No thanks, boss, no running today, we'll just sit on the couch if its all the same to you." But of course I had signed up to run a 5k on Sunday with my friend T, and this was her first 5k ever. So I had to go. I popped some ibuprofen and headed out into the frigid air. It was bleeding cold yesterday in the Portland metro area, it even snowed as the run was finishing up. Yuck. I have to say, though, once I finished warming up and the run started, I felt good. I didn't push myself too hard.
But this morning – yikes. My legs feel like warped planks of wood.
I think the problem must be that my run on Saturday was conducted entirely on sidewalks, concrete sidewalks. I can't think of what else could have caused the stiffness, as I've run 8 miles twice before (once on packed dirt and once on the treadmill) and felt little stiffness the days following. Assuming that to be the case, I now face a dilemma. To run in my neighborhood means to run on concrete. The streets are asphalt but too busy to be run in, and there are no trails of meaningful distance within an easy walk. I have resisted the idea of driving to a running spot because it seems like a waste of both time and fuel to drive so that I may run. Of course I don't want to tear my poor legs up either. I've come up with a tentative plan, yes, ANOTHER tentative plan (we'll see how long this one lasts). In order to minimize the strain on my system, I'm going to try running all my weekday runs on the treadmill. I'm thinking I'll try the Springwater corridor for long weekend runs – yes it’s a drive, but a short one at least, and its asphalt. And if I'm feeling virtuous, I can even take the bus.
An aside: The gel I brought with me on Saturday was Espresso Love Gu. I "ate" it after about 4 miles. (It doesn't feel right to me to say that I "took" a gel, although that seems to be the agreed phrasing in the on-line community. But you don't really "eat" a gel either, since it just sort of slithers down one's throat. "Ingested" is too cumbersome and suggestive...maybe "swallowed", since that is really what you do with a gel?) One thing in its favor, it tasted a heckuva lot better than Lemon Sublime Gu. I tried that flavor a few weeks ago and nearly gagged. Blech. Anyway, as I tore the top off the little packet I was imagining that this would be a burdensome and awkward ritual that, while necessary, would assume its place near dental cleanings and the hand-washing of delicates at the bottom of the list of desirable activities. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I sort of squirted the stuff into my mouth and it took care of the rest, just sort of shimmying downward without any help from me. I barely had time to notice the taste before it was gone. Swallowing the whole thing took maybe 20 seconds and I was able to run the entire time. I'm going to keep experimenting – this week I'm trying Shot Bloks – but the Gu experience was not unpleasant
Monday, December 3, 2007
Oh yeah, by the way...anyone catch the Jets game this weekend?
Y'know, THE ONE WHERE THEY DIDN'T LOSE?
I realize that I am crowing about a victory over an 0-12 team that is the worst in the NFL. But the Dolphins were actually FAVORED TO WIN by 1.5 points! People thought the Jets would lose to the Dolphins! Oh injustice not to be borne! Honey, there aren't enough Bloody Marys on the Western seaboard to drown my sorrow had that happened. Instead, I'm happy to say that we are now ranked 30th out of 32!! Eat that, Rams! Booyah!
Sidenote: At the post-game conference, Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor said (snarkily) of the Jets: ''They (stink) too. They beat us. They'll go home happy, and their fans will be happy that they got three wins this year. Good for them.'' To that I say: Damn Right, Jason Taylor! Jets fans will take any wins we can scrounge up.
Winter weather is finally here...super
miles: 8 (indoors)
total program miles: 99.5 (almost a century! woot!)
pain level: naught, at least from running. I was ambitious at the gym last night, and my arms are tired.
Saturday the forecast was for snow, which we get maybe once a year in Portland. (Aside: Oh man, is it funny how this city responds to snow. They have no salt trucks and like two plows, so when there is any measurable accumulation on the ground the city basically rolls over and plays dead. It's accepted that everything shuts down on snowy days.) Anywho, I made the call to run indoors (again!) and did 8 miles on the treadmill. I never, ever thought I'd say this, but the dratted thing is growing on me. It is so easy on the legs (that one time notwithstanding) and it really keeps you honest in terms of pacing. I screwed up though, because I forgot to bring a gel with me. I figured at eight miles I should start using gels or bars or something to keep my energy up, but as I was walking into the gym I realized I'd left mine on the kitchen table. Ooops. I suppose I could've bought something at the gym but I balked at that, since: a) everything is overpriced; and b) it is aimed primarily at weight-lifters who need umpteen million calories of protein a day, not endurance athletes who need a quick carb boost (did I just call myself an athlete??). By about 7.3 miles I was feeling really tired. My legs were great (in a role reversal from earlier in my training) but my tank was just empty. I actually sped up the pace at the end because I just wanted to be finished! I felt good knowing that I could do that, that my body could kick it up even when tired.
I'm now arguing with myself strenuously over which training program to follow. I've never run a very long distance before, so I question whether it's wise to run three 20-milers before my first marathon. I don't want to exhaust myself. Conversely, I can see how the more experience I get at high mileage the better. What it all comes down to, I guess, is how my body responds to high mileage. It makes me nervous because I am emphatically NOT built like a distance runner. On Saturday there was a girl on a treadmill in front of me, and she was small and lean and efficient, and did I mention small? She was practically floating, no jiggle anywhere, no perceived effort. Me, well, I'm carrying around extra weight in certain female areas, if you know what I mean. When I jump, parts of me keeping moving after I'm back on the ground. I don't mind having a "figure," to use my mother's euphemism, but it means that I'm carrying extra baggage with me at all times, weight that will never melt away or turn into muscle. Imagine running with a 15 pound turkey strapped to your back, or better yet flapping around your chest, and you'll have an idea of the ways in which I am not built like a runner. Title 9 and it's 4- and 5- dumbbell sports bras have been a godsend to me, but just because the girls aren't moving around doesn't mean they aren't along for the ride.
PS - It never snowed a flake on Saturday, thank you meteorologists of the greater metro area.
total program miles: 99.5 (almost a century! woot!)
pain level: naught, at least from running. I was ambitious at the gym last night, and my arms are tired.
Saturday the forecast was for snow, which we get maybe once a year in Portland. (Aside: Oh man, is it funny how this city responds to snow. They have no salt trucks and like two plows, so when there is any measurable accumulation on the ground the city basically rolls over and plays dead. It's accepted that everything shuts down on snowy days.) Anywho, I made the call to run indoors (again!) and did 8 miles on the treadmill. I never, ever thought I'd say this, but the dratted thing is growing on me. It is so easy on the legs (that one time notwithstanding) and it really keeps you honest in terms of pacing. I screwed up though, because I forgot to bring a gel with me. I figured at eight miles I should start using gels or bars or something to keep my energy up, but as I was walking into the gym I realized I'd left mine on the kitchen table. Ooops. I suppose I could've bought something at the gym but I balked at that, since: a) everything is overpriced; and b) it is aimed primarily at weight-lifters who need umpteen million calories of protein a day, not endurance athletes who need a quick carb boost (did I just call myself an athlete??). By about 7.3 miles I was feeling really tired. My legs were great (in a role reversal from earlier in my training) but my tank was just empty. I actually sped up the pace at the end because I just wanted to be finished! I felt good knowing that I could do that, that my body could kick it up even when tired.
I'm now arguing with myself strenuously over which training program to follow. I've never run a very long distance before, so I question whether it's wise to run three 20-milers before my first marathon. I don't want to exhaust myself. Conversely, I can see how the more experience I get at high mileage the better. What it all comes down to, I guess, is how my body responds to high mileage. It makes me nervous because I am emphatically NOT built like a distance runner. On Saturday there was a girl on a treadmill in front of me, and she was small and lean and efficient, and did I mention small? She was practically floating, no jiggle anywhere, no perceived effort. Me, well, I'm carrying around extra weight in certain female areas, if you know what I mean. When I jump, parts of me keeping moving after I'm back on the ground. I don't mind having a "figure," to use my mother's euphemism, but it means that I'm carrying extra baggage with me at all times, weight that will never melt away or turn into muscle. Imagine running with a 15 pound turkey strapped to your back, or better yet flapping around your chest, and you'll have an idea of the ways in which I am not built like a runner. Title 9 and it's 4- and 5- dumbbell sports bras have been a godsend to me, but just because the girls aren't moving around doesn't mean they aren't along for the ride.
PS - It never snowed a flake on Saturday, thank you meteorologists of the greater metro area.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Phew
I had some great luck today. I went for a run at lunch again, 5 miles this time, and I did an out and back across the river and two miles into the Springwater Corridor. It was threatening rain, and the whole time I was running I was thinking "please please please don't rain on me, please!" And guess what? It mostly didn't! It had just started as I finished by cool-down walk and returned to my building. Yay! I win!
So, as I may have mentioned, I had been planning on running according to Hal Higdon's 2nd novice training program. Which, technically, begins next week. (Eep.) After doing some more reading, I'm thinking about changing to a NY Road Runners plan. My reason for contemplating the switch is that Hal only has one run at or above 20 miles. Knowing myself, I think I would feel better prepared if I did two or three. I need to make a choice this week, clearly, since the number of very long runs sets the pace for the rest of the weekend runs. Hmmmm. Things to contemplate.
So, as I may have mentioned, I had been planning on running according to Hal Higdon's 2nd novice training program. Which, technically, begins next week. (Eep.) After doing some more reading, I'm thinking about changing to a NY Road Runners plan. My reason for contemplating the switch is that Hal only has one run at or above 20 miles. Knowing myself, I think I would feel better prepared if I did two or three. I need to make a choice this week, clearly, since the number of very long runs sets the pace for the rest of the weekend runs. Hmmmm. Things to contemplate.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
FYI, Samoyeds are a breed of dog
miles: 4 (outdoors)
total program miles: 83.5
pain level: minimal
It's been busybusybusy the past week, hence the lack of updates. A few exciting things happened. On Saturday I went running with my friend Tina and her two Samoyeds. Tina recently completed a Couch-to-5k program, and she is feeling great about running. I'm slowly chipping away at her to run a marathon. After we ran three miles, she started walking and I ran another 5. Wohoo! 8 miles! That's the most I've ever done. And I felt gooood. I've noticed something about my running recently: I usually feel great at the start, tighten up around 2 or 2.5 miles, then loosen back up and get in a groove by 3.5 or 4. When Tina and I reached three miles I was tempted to just start walking and do a long run on Sunday. But I kept going and after another mile I felt so steady and strong that I didn't want to stop at 8. It happened to me again today, too. I went running on my lunch break (more about that below) and about halfway through 4 miles I got really tight and uncomfortable. I plowed on through and by the time five minutes had gone by I felt dandy.
As I mentioned above, I've been running during my lunch hour. I enjoy it because I actually get to run in DAYLIGHT! On a weekday! Yahoodles! My building has locker rooms, and we're located just a few blocks from Waterfront Park so it’s a pretty run, too. I think I'll keep it up during the week because running in daylight (even if its weak, clouded-over, damp daylight) is so much easier to face than running at night. Once the sun sets I tend toward sedentary. Plus it frees up my evenings. I've noticed on other runners' blogs, particularly those on a tight training schedule, that by the time they are near the end of training they feel like they’ve lost touch with all of their old friends and have no social life because they have to run five days a week (and the rest of the time they're exhausted). If I run at lunch I can still make evening plans, even if said plans are to do laundry and sit on the couch reading an Agatha Christie novel.
total program miles: 83.5
pain level: minimal
It's been busybusybusy the past week, hence the lack of updates. A few exciting things happened. On Saturday I went running with my friend Tina and her two Samoyeds. Tina recently completed a Couch-to-5k program, and she is feeling great about running. I'm slowly chipping away at her to run a marathon. After we ran three miles, she started walking and I ran another 5. Wohoo! 8 miles! That's the most I've ever done. And I felt gooood. I've noticed something about my running recently: I usually feel great at the start, tighten up around 2 or 2.5 miles, then loosen back up and get in a groove by 3.5 or 4. When Tina and I reached three miles I was tempted to just start walking and do a long run on Sunday. But I kept going and after another mile I felt so steady and strong that I didn't want to stop at 8. It happened to me again today, too. I went running on my lunch break (more about that below) and about halfway through 4 miles I got really tight and uncomfortable. I plowed on through and by the time five minutes had gone by I felt dandy.
As I mentioned above, I've been running during my lunch hour. I enjoy it because I actually get to run in DAYLIGHT! On a weekday! Yahoodles! My building has locker rooms, and we're located just a few blocks from Waterfront Park so it’s a pretty run, too. I think I'll keep it up during the week because running in daylight (even if its weak, clouded-over, damp daylight) is so much easier to face than running at night. Once the sun sets I tend toward sedentary. Plus it frees up my evenings. I've noticed on other runners' blogs, particularly those on a tight training schedule, that by the time they are near the end of training they feel like they’ve lost touch with all of their old friends and have no social life because they have to run five days a week (and the rest of the time they're exhausted). If I run at lunch I can still make evening plans, even if said plans are to do laundry and sit on the couch reading an Agatha Christie novel.
Monday, November 19, 2007
And then I bought rain pants.
distance:7 miles, indoors
total program distance: 63.5 miles
pain level: naught
I woke up on Saturday to pouring, pouring rain. Portland rain is usually relatively mild and friendly but this was angry rain. I couldn’t face the thought of being out in it for more than an hour. So I did it again: I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. It was better. But I'm still not a convert.
I did a longer, more thorough warm-up and I did not feel any pain while running. But I was completely BORED OUT OF MY MIND. The treadmill that I was on had a broken head-phone jack, so I couldn’t watch the college football game or Spanglish (on second thought, maybe that's a good thing), and when I wear my iPod on the deathmill I feel like it's in the way of my arms, so no music. If there was music playing at the gym it was too quiet to hear. It was quite warm. So I was running, staring at a heating duct across the gym, sweating, for about 95 minutes (taking into account warm-up and cool-down). I started doubting myself: how can I run a marathon if I can't even get through 7 miles on the treadmill? I was questioning my commitment and my abilities. It was not good. But after about 4 miles I got in a groove and stopped thinking so damn much.
On the plus side, I felt tired by the end but very comfortable. In the middle of the run I entered a weird zone where I was moving but I didn't feel like I was doing anything. My body was just going along on its own. Actually it was kind of amazing how great my legs felt (although I was still glad to stop). And I have to admit it felt really, really good to have all these people around me get on, run for a few minutes, and get off while I was still going strong. In addition, now when someone says "It was as dull as watching paint dry" I can counter with "Was it as boring as being on a treadmill for an hour and a half with no music and nothing to do but look at but the ceiling?"
total program distance: 63.5 miles
pain level: naught
I woke up on Saturday to pouring, pouring rain. Portland rain is usually relatively mild and friendly but this was angry rain. I couldn’t face the thought of being out in it for more than an hour. So I did it again: I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. It was better. But I'm still not a convert.
I did a longer, more thorough warm-up and I did not feel any pain while running. But I was completely BORED OUT OF MY MIND. The treadmill that I was on had a broken head-phone jack, so I couldn’t watch the college football game or Spanglish (on second thought, maybe that's a good thing), and when I wear my iPod on the deathmill I feel like it's in the way of my arms, so no music. If there was music playing at the gym it was too quiet to hear. It was quite warm. So I was running, staring at a heating duct across the gym, sweating, for about 95 minutes (taking into account warm-up and cool-down). I started doubting myself: how can I run a marathon if I can't even get through 7 miles on the treadmill? I was questioning my commitment and my abilities. It was not good. But after about 4 miles I got in a groove and stopped thinking so damn much.
On the plus side, I felt tired by the end but very comfortable. In the middle of the run I entered a weird zone where I was moving but I didn't feel like I was doing anything. My body was just going along on its own. Actually it was kind of amazing how great my legs felt (although I was still glad to stop). And I have to admit it felt really, really good to have all these people around me get on, run for a few minutes, and get off while I was still going strong. In addition, now when someone says "It was as dull as watching paint dry" I can counter with "Was it as boring as being on a treadmill for an hour and a half with no music and nothing to do but look at but the ceiling?"
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Thinking Happy Thoughts
distance: 5 miles
total program distance: 53.5 miles (wohoo, I've already run more than two marathons!)
pain level: slight
I have a little problem, or maybe I should put on my positive thinking hat and say I have an "opportunity for improvement". My "opportunity" is thus: I'm not used to running on flat ground. I live on the side of a big ole hill (actually it’s a big ole shield volcano), and back in the day when I was just running for running's sake and not training for anything, I used to run 2.2 miles up to the top of the hill, and 2.2 miles down. This is still my favorite run because the top of the mountain is a lovely park with big trees and dirt paths, the view is spectacular, and there is a water fountain. Anyway, my point is that I can run up- & downhill till the cows come home. I like hills, I can pace myself well on hills, my legs don't bother me when I run hills. Running flat is another story. I think I'm just not used to it, but whatever the reason, doing an all-flat course is like death to me. So why did I plan a 5-mile flat course last night, you ask? Good question. Possible answers include: A) I need to get used to flats – Yakima is super flat; B) I'm a masochist; C) Temporary Insanity; D) I'm occasionally dumb.
The above is how I am rationalizing the following: my run last night was hard, probably the hardest one so far. About halfway through I really wanted to stop. I didn't have any sharp pains, my legs just felt crappy, or rather crampy. Like they were very fragile and about to stop working. But I finished and did a long cool-down walk, and I feel okay today, a little tight but no lingering soreness or anything.
Something else I've noticed about myself is that I don't like to stop or slow down while I'm running. I know that some people like to intersperse walking with running, or walk through the aid stations, but so far I've found that changing my pace seriously throws me off. At one point last night (and only one point) I felt good, solid, comfortable, my legs didn't feel weird and I was breathing well. And then some jackass in an SUV pulls out right in front me (almost over me – and I know he saw me, we made eye contact!), I have to stop short, and when I get going again my legs are all out of whack. I noticed it each time I was held by a light. When I started up again I felt worse, even if jog in place or hop in little circles around the light pole (greatly amusing the waiting drivers I'm sure). I suppose I'll have to figure out a way to manage it though, once my runs get up in the double digits and I have to eat (or at least swallow) on the move.
The above is how I am rationalizing the following: my run last night was hard, probably the hardest one so far. About halfway through I really wanted to stop. I didn't have any sharp pains, my legs just felt crappy, or rather crampy. Like they were very fragile and about to stop working. But I finished and did a long cool-down walk, and I feel okay today, a little tight but no lingering soreness or anything.
Something else I've noticed about myself is that I don't like to stop or slow down while I'm running. I know that some people like to intersperse walking with running, or walk through the aid stations, but so far I've found that changing my pace seriously throws me off. At one point last night (and only one point) I felt good, solid, comfortable, my legs didn't feel weird and I was breathing well. And then some jackass in an SUV pulls out right in front me (almost over me – and I know he saw me, we made eye contact!), I have to stop short, and when I get going again my legs are all out of whack. I noticed it each time I was held by a light. When I started up again I felt worse, even if jog in place or hop in little circles around the light pole (greatly amusing the waiting drivers I'm sure). I suppose I'll have to figure out a way to manage it though, once my runs get up in the double digits and I have to eat (or at least swallow) on the move.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
distance: 2.5 miles indoors, .5 outdoors
total program distance: 48.5 miles
pain level: minimal aches
Hmmm. Yeah. Change of plans: I HATE TREADMILLS. Oh god do I hate treadmills. I got on, did a walk warm-up for three minutes and then a very light jog for another three. I felt okay at that point, but after I sped up things fell completely apart. I could feel that my form was terrible but each time I tried to adjust I either came close to sliding right off or overcompensated and bumped the front handle bar thingy. It was warm and humid in the gym so I was sweating and thirsty, and of course I had to slow down to drink water (if I can't tweak my form while running, can you IMAGINE the disfigurement that would result if I tried to take a drink?). My shins were hurting and my arms felt all awkward and in the way, and to top it off I'd grabbed a inferior hair elastic so my ponytail was sliding further and further down my head and little bits of hair were escaping and sticking to my neck and cheeks. I was supposed to do 3 miles but I made it to 2.5 and said to myself "you know what? you're miserable. stop doing this." So I did. I did a walking cool down and went home. I tried really hard not to beat myself up over it – I told myself to focus on having a really good run on Wednesday (outdoors of course, I guess I'll be investing in some more running pants).
…But wait! There is a happy coda to the story. I played bridge last night at my friend H's house. She lives about 2 miles from me, so I walked over to stretch out my legs and get a bit more exercise. Well, we had a magnificent time as always. By the last hand no one could remember what was trump and there were several empty wine bottles strewn about. I might have had one glass of wine more than was strictly necessary, but I was feeling great. We wrapped up around 10 and I headed home. It was cold and late, so I thought, "why not catch the bus?" I called to find out when it was coming and found out I had five minutes to make it the .6 miles to the bus stop. For a second I thought "You'll never get there…might as well start walkin' home, kid." Then the puissant, bitchy, capable part of me spoke up and said "Get your butt moving soldier! You owe me half a mile, dammit!" So I started running, in my tired old converse sneakers and jeans, my completely unsupportive underwire bra bouncing around, my tote bag clutched to my chest. I thought that I'd feel pain or discomfort in my legs but no. Running through these quiet, dark streets, seeing and hearing my breath, smelling the wet leaves – somehow it was wonderful. (I'm sure part of this was the wine's gift to me.) Sure I looked goofy, but I caught that bus and thus got an extra 15 minutes of sleep. So I'd say that my running day yesterday was glorious.
total program distance: 48.5 miles
pain level: minimal aches
Hmmm. Yeah. Change of plans: I HATE TREADMILLS. Oh god do I hate treadmills. I got on, did a walk warm-up for three minutes and then a very light jog for another three. I felt okay at that point, but after I sped up things fell completely apart. I could feel that my form was terrible but each time I tried to adjust I either came close to sliding right off or overcompensated and bumped the front handle bar thingy. It was warm and humid in the gym so I was sweating and thirsty, and of course I had to slow down to drink water (if I can't tweak my form while running, can you IMAGINE the disfigurement that would result if I tried to take a drink?). My shins were hurting and my arms felt all awkward and in the way, and to top it off I'd grabbed a inferior hair elastic so my ponytail was sliding further and further down my head and little bits of hair were escaping and sticking to my neck and cheeks. I was supposed to do 3 miles but I made it to 2.5 and said to myself "you know what? you're miserable. stop doing this." So I did. I did a walking cool down and went home. I tried really hard not to beat myself up over it – I told myself to focus on having a really good run on Wednesday (outdoors of course, I guess I'll be investing in some more running pants).
…But wait! There is a happy coda to the story. I played bridge last night at my friend H's house. She lives about 2 miles from me, so I walked over to stretch out my legs and get a bit more exercise. Well, we had a magnificent time as always. By the last hand no one could remember what was trump and there were several empty wine bottles strewn about. I might have had one glass of wine more than was strictly necessary, but I was feeling great. We wrapped up around 10 and I headed home. It was cold and late, so I thought, "why not catch the bus?" I called to find out when it was coming and found out I had five minutes to make it the .6 miles to the bus stop. For a second I thought "You'll never get there…might as well start walkin' home, kid." Then the puissant, bitchy, capable part of me spoke up and said "Get your butt moving soldier! You owe me half a mile, dammit!" So I started running, in my tired old converse sneakers and jeans, my completely unsupportive underwire bra bouncing around, my tote bag clutched to my chest. I thought that I'd feel pain or discomfort in my legs but no. Running through these quiet, dark streets, seeing and hearing my breath, smelling the wet leaves – somehow it was wonderful. (I'm sure part of this was the wine's gift to me.) Sure I looked goofy, but I caught that bus and thus got an extra 15 minutes of sleep. So I'd say that my running day yesterday was glorious.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
distance last week: 16.9 miles (outdoors)
total program distance: 45.5 miles
pain level: my right arm is aching from all the bowling. But everything else is fizz-ine.
As I mentioned below, running in Montana was great. I was staying at a ranch off a hardpack dirt road, very easy on the legs. What wasn't easy on the legs was the temperature in the mornings. On Tuesday it was 20 degrees! I'm sure people from the Northern plains are scoffing and snorting into their mufflers at my puny, weak Portlandian tolerance for cold, but man, it was COLD. Portland sees 20 degrees maybe twice a year. The running pants I brought were grossly inadequate, and I never felt like I really warmed up. Consequently, I ran in the afternoons for the rest of the week and felt much better.
Oh, and of course, as soon as I pointed out how nice the weather has been the rain shows up. And the high winds. Yesterday was one of those days in which it was completely impossible to stay dry because the wind was blowing the rain both sideways and up, somehow, thus rendering even the most advanced, coastal-weather-ready, rain jacket/hat/umbrella combo powerless to stop the soaking. After the first few weeks, though, you stop trying and accept that for the next four months you will be damp at all times. I brought my gym clothes to work today, so I can run on the treadmill. Depending on the weather (oh who am I kidding, it'll be rainy), I think I'll run at the gym during the week and do my long weekend run outside. Yakima has a history of being dry on race day, but there is no point in tempting fate by not acclimating to running in wet weather. (I would run outside more during the week, but I can't stand the thought of a day where I: get up in the dark; go to work in the dark & rain; leave work in the dark & rain; get home, change out of my soggy clothes into dry clothes; and then head back out into the dark & rain to go running. It might break me.) Portland is a great city and there is a lot to recommend it during the winter months, but the weather? Not one of them.
total program distance: 45.5 miles
pain level: my right arm is aching from all the bowling. But everything else is fizz-ine.
As I mentioned below, running in Montana was great. I was staying at a ranch off a hardpack dirt road, very easy on the legs. What wasn't easy on the legs was the temperature in the mornings. On Tuesday it was 20 degrees! I'm sure people from the Northern plains are scoffing and snorting into their mufflers at my puny, weak Portlandian tolerance for cold, but man, it was COLD. Portland sees 20 degrees maybe twice a year. The running pants I brought were grossly inadequate, and I never felt like I really warmed up. Consequently, I ran in the afternoons for the rest of the week and felt much better.
Oh, and of course, as soon as I pointed out how nice the weather has been the rain shows up. And the high winds. Yesterday was one of those days in which it was completely impossible to stay dry because the wind was blowing the rain both sideways and up, somehow, thus rendering even the most advanced, coastal-weather-ready, rain jacket/hat/umbrella combo powerless to stop the soaking. After the first few weeks, though, you stop trying and accept that for the next four months you will be damp at all times. I brought my gym clothes to work today, so I can run on the treadmill. Depending on the weather (oh who am I kidding, it'll be rainy), I think I'll run at the gym during the week and do my long weekend run outside. Yakima has a history of being dry on race day, but there is no point in tempting fate by not acclimating to running in wet weather. (I would run outside more during the week, but I can't stand the thought of a day where I: get up in the dark; go to work in the dark & rain; leave work in the dark & rain; get home, change out of my soggy clothes into dry clothes; and then head back out into the dark & rain to go running. It might break me.) Portland is a great city and there is a lot to recommend it during the winter months, but the weather? Not one of them.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Back at Home and Feelin' Fine
I got back from Montana this morning and immediately laced on my shoes and went running. The gorgeous weather is hanging on this year, it's really a treat. Normally by this time Portland hasn't seen the sun for weeks and we all plod around with vaguely damp feet that just never quite dry out. But today? Mostly sunny and highs in the 60s. If this is global warming, sign me up! (Disclaimer: that last line was in jest, please don't write me a pedantic email about it. MOM - I'm talking to you here.)
Anyway, since the weather was so gorgeous I was excited to get out there. I did my runs in Montana - holy frijoles what a gorgeous place, it was hard to run for all the scenery-and I was feeling full of energy. I didn't have a route planned out (I was scheduled for 6 miles), but I sort of guess based on my last fiver, and headed out. It was pretty much an out-and-back, and when I was still shy of the halfway mark I checked my watch. It said I'd already been out 27 minutes! Boo! That would have put me below a 10 min mile pace, since according to my (unresearched) route I was below 3 miles at that point. But I felt like I was going my normal 9:30 speed. By the last mile I was completely determined to make my 10-min mile pace and really pushed myself. I missed it by three minutes..but that turned out to be okay. See, when I mapped my run it turns out I did 6.9 miles! Holy moly! That's like a 9:10 pace (or something close to it, I haven't quite got the hang of the seconds thing). And I felt good, strong, no pain. I was tired but I felt like I could have kept going. I now feel like SUPERWOMAN! I love this!
Anyway, since the weather was so gorgeous I was excited to get out there. I did my runs in Montana - holy frijoles what a gorgeous place, it was hard to run for all the scenery-and I was feeling full of energy. I didn't have a route planned out (I was scheduled for 6 miles), but I sort of guess based on my last fiver, and headed out. It was pretty much an out-and-back, and when I was still shy of the halfway mark I checked my watch. It said I'd already been out 27 minutes! Boo! That would have put me below a 10 min mile pace, since according to my (unresearched) route I was below 3 miles at that point. But I felt like I was going my normal 9:30 speed. By the last mile I was completely determined to make my 10-min mile pace and really pushed myself. I missed it by three minutes..but that turned out to be okay. See, when I mapped my run it turns out I did 6.9 miles! Holy moly! That's like a 9:10 pace (or something close to it, I haven't quite got the hang of the seconds thing). And I felt good, strong, no pain. I was tired but I felt like I could have kept going. I now feel like SUPERWOMAN! I love this!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Feeling Righteously Indignant
My friend sent this link to me, knowing the deep, abiding, borderline unhealthy relationship I have with my iPod.
My first knee-jerk reaction was "Are they serious? Who the hell cares?!" Like, how has listening to music become a big enough deal that it is anything but a personal choice? After I read the article and some of the many, many comments, I have some more coherent thoughts. (Disclaimer: obviously, I've never run a marathon before. Heck, I've never run more than 7 miles in a row. But I plan on doing both, so I feel justified in at least expressing my opinions.) First of all, it really pissed me off to read comments like this one: "The whole purpose of running is to be able to put everything aside and just be able to run free for as long as you can, with just your thoughts and the natural sounds of surroundings you are running in." Um, excuse me? Do not tell me why I run. If that is why you run, comment person, then more power to you. But don't go telling me that I'm missing the purpose of running because I listen to music. (Clearly, I tend to get a little overexcited when people tell me what to do in an unreasonable manner...deep breaths…calming, zen-like breaths…) Second, when I run I listen to my music at a reasonable volume (as do most people I've come in contact with). I can hear my own footfalls, I can hear passing cars, dogs barking, I can talk to other runners and walkers if I'm at the track. So I don't buy the safety concerns. Like the article said, no one could come up with a single incident related to headphone wearing. So here's my feeling: if runners want to listen to their headphones, let them. I do not plan on starting the Yakima marathon with my ipod on, however I will be carrying it with me. And when I get to Mile 17 and I'm deep in the canyon and my legs hurt and I'm tired and there is no one else on the road and I really want to stop, I think that what will keep me going is a little infusion of upbeat, happy tunes.
It's odd that I read this today, because last night I made the decision (the PERSONAL decision) to run without my iPod. For one thing I am trying to wean myself off of it a little bit. (I think that it will mean more to me to start out quiet and put it on toward the end of long runs when I'm hurting.) Also, I made the call (it was a PERSONAL decision) that since it was quite dark when I left the house that I should be totally focused on running safely (I also wore a godawful bright yellow reflective vest). The run wasn't great. It kind of stank, actually, but I'm proud I went out at all considering how I felt last night. I know what went wrong: I did a shoddy warm-up. I knew it as soon as I started running but I figured that since it was only three miles I'd be fine. I'm NEVER THINKING THAT AGAIN. One thing that not wearing an ipod will do? It'll make discomfort much harder to hobble on through. I did an extra long cool down to compensate and then stretched for half an hour in front of the TV. I feel fine this morning, so I'm treating it as a lesson learned and moving on. Fingers crossed, my 6-miler this weekend will go more smoothly. I haven't run six miles in years! But I know I can do it! Positive thinking! Woot!
My first knee-jerk reaction was "Are they serious? Who the hell cares?!" Like, how has listening to music become a big enough deal that it is anything but a personal choice? After I read the article and some of the many, many comments, I have some more coherent thoughts. (Disclaimer: obviously, I've never run a marathon before. Heck, I've never run more than 7 miles in a row. But I plan on doing both, so I feel justified in at least expressing my opinions.) First of all, it really pissed me off to read comments like this one: "The whole purpose of running is to be able to put everything aside and just be able to run free for as long as you can, with just your thoughts and the natural sounds of surroundings you are running in." Um, excuse me? Do not tell me why I run. If that is why you run, comment person, then more power to you. But don't go telling me that I'm missing the purpose of running because I listen to music. (Clearly, I tend to get a little overexcited when people tell me what to do in an unreasonable manner...deep breaths…calming, zen-like breaths…) Second, when I run I listen to my music at a reasonable volume (as do most people I've come in contact with). I can hear my own footfalls, I can hear passing cars, dogs barking, I can talk to other runners and walkers if I'm at the track. So I don't buy the safety concerns. Like the article said, no one could come up with a single incident related to headphone wearing. So here's my feeling: if runners want to listen to their headphones, let them. I do not plan on starting the Yakima marathon with my ipod on, however I will be carrying it with me. And when I get to Mile 17 and I'm deep in the canyon and my legs hurt and I'm tired and there is no one else on the road and I really want to stop, I think that what will keep me going is a little infusion of upbeat, happy tunes.
It's odd that I read this today, because last night I made the decision (the PERSONAL decision) to run without my iPod. For one thing I am trying to wean myself off of it a little bit. (I think that it will mean more to me to start out quiet and put it on toward the end of long runs when I'm hurting.) Also, I made the call (it was a PERSONAL decision) that since it was quite dark when I left the house that I should be totally focused on running safely (I also wore a godawful bright yellow reflective vest). The run wasn't great. It kind of stank, actually, but I'm proud I went out at all considering how I felt last night. I know what went wrong: I did a shoddy warm-up. I knew it as soon as I started running but I figured that since it was only three miles I'd be fine. I'm NEVER THINKING THAT AGAIN. One thing that not wearing an ipod will do? It'll make discomfort much harder to hobble on through. I did an extra long cool down to compensate and then stretched for half an hour in front of the TV. I feel fine this morning, so I'm treating it as a lesson learned and moving on. Fingers crossed, my 6-miler this weekend will go more smoothly. I haven't run six miles in years! But I know I can do it! Positive thinking! Woot!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Heading to Big Sky Country
distance: 4.3 miles (outdoors) total program distance: 22.6 miles pain level: naught
I'm off to Missoula, Montana next week. I've never been, but somehow I know a dozen people from there (I swear there are all of 12 native Portlanders left in the city). (Hyperbole content of the previous sentence: elevated.) They all say its gorgeous, and I have a list of Things To Do and See. I'm excited about getting some time off, going horseback riding, snowshoeing, hot springs-ing, relaxing. And I get to run in a whole new state! Joyous day! Seriously though, I'm bringing all my gear and I plan on following my schedule while there. I don't know if I'll have internet access or not, so there may be no posts. But come on, it's Montana not Borneo! (And even Borneo had internet cafes.) Hopefully I'll be able to update.
My run last night was good. Again, no discomfort, but I'm beginning to think it might be the shoes after all. When I got back inside I took them off to stretch and immediately my right big toe (which had been hurting for reasons unrelated to running – note to self, don't leave a large heavy chair in between your bed and bathroom, drink a full glass of water before hitting the sack, and then try to navigate in the dark at 2am…) began to throb and my right front calf got a little achy. So perhaps the Mizunos are indeed marvelous. As I have no desire to scientifically experiment and determine which change is responsible for my now pain-free running experience, I'm going to keep things just the way they are.
Digression: As I mentioned earlier (I think, I'm too lazy to check), I started running again this summer as way to exercise outdoors on weekdays rather than be stuck in the gym starting longingly at the sunshine. I know a lot of people really hate gyms, which is fair enough – I don't particularly like going myself. But what I've found is that if I bring my clothes with me and plan to go after work, I will go. If you've ever tried to make a commitment to a gym, I think you know what I'm getting at when I emphasize that accomplishment. No matter how sincere you are about getting fit, it's really easy to talk yourself out of going to the gym, especially if you have to go home to change and then try to leave again. Your couch becomes a black hole sucking you, a beer, and a bag of chips into downward into a spiral of laziness and indolence. Today feels like one of those days to me, and I'm really wishing I had brought my clothes to work so I could just head to the gym, run on the treadmill, plod home, and fall into the sweet embrace of my couch.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Boo!
(the above borrowed from Vanilla)
distance: 3.3 miles (outdoors)
total program distance: 18.3 miles
pain level: bizarre, see below
Happy Halloween! I was Axl Rose this year – it was for an 80s-themed party. The good news: everyone recognized me. The bad news: there was another Axl there! But he went for the acid-washed jeans and aviators look, while I was more "Live and Let Die"-ish. We had fun posing together. Good times. Tragically if I wore the whole get-up to work I think I'd be fired (or at least sent home for the day), so I'm not in full kilt 'n' bandanna regalia. Bummer.
I enjoyed the Marathon program last night, though I was disappointed by its brevity. Nova had so much material to cover that everything felt skimmed over, and it was really hard to get invested in the fate of the runners because they were hardly ever on camera. It could easily have been made into a much longer, multi-part documentary, maybe 4 hours or so. I mean they trained for 9 months! And it was all cut down to an hour! It took some of them five times that long just to finish the marathon. But I still enjoyed it (maybe I even cheered at the TV a little when they all finished…) and it reassured me that finishing a marathon is a reasonable goal for myself.
My run last night was about 3.3 flat miles, took me about 30 minutes with some stoplights in the mix. I really paid attention to my form while running, trying to follow the ChiRunning principles. I struggle most with relaxation – I tend to get preoccupied with keeping my head up, leaning, hitting mid-foot, and so on. And then all of a sudden I realize I've been holding my shoulders tense for two miles. It's a journey, I guess. The author advises that it will take 1-3 months to really get comfortable with the new form. So far, I think its been worth it. Last night I felt no pain at all. (Although I do wish that I had introduced the new shoes and ChiRunning independently of one another. I think that a lot of the pain reduction is from ChiRunning, but maybe the Mizunos are miraculous.) I did get a new and different feeling in my legs though: they feel kind of… weary. Like on the inside. I mean, it makes sense. The whole idea of ChiRunning is to use your core and line up your column so that it does the work and absorbs the shock rather than the relatively delicate muscles in your legs. So I'm trading muscle pain for skeletal discomfort. Now I'll take discomfort over pain any day, but I'm not sure what my run is going to be like tonight. I'm hoping that if I do a really good long warm-up I'll feel dandy.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
True confession:
I am a terrible, terrible bowler. I'm not quite sure how I ended up in two bowling leagues this fall, but it sure wasn't by having any sort of skill or talent at bowling. The worst part is that I'm not even consistently bad. That would be amusing and forgivable. No, I have to show flashes of brilliance that instill a false sense of hope in my soon-to-be heartbroken teammates. I might start a game with a strike, then follow up with 3/-, 5/-, and 0/-. It's just wrong.
Tonight is the NOVA broadcast of Marathon Challenge. It's showing in Oregon on OPB at 8pm (that's Channel 10 for PDXers). I've had this on my calendar since I read it about last month. It is a documentary about a group of first-time marathoners training for the Boston Marathon. The BM is one of those near-mythical occurrences that I know exist, but can't imagine ever participating in, like reaching the top of Mount Everest or finding a gas station downtown. To qualify for Boston I'd have to run an 8:25/mile pace. HA! I laugh. I'm all for positive thinking but let's not get crazy. My goal is to finish the darn thing, I'll worry about my time later. Thus I'm hoping to live vicariously through the people I see on TV (because no one's ever done that before…), and get a sense of what it's like from this program.
No running last night (rest day), but I did go to the gym and use an odd machine that was like the offspring of an elliptical trainer and a stair climber. I wanted to ride the bike so I could read, but I went to the Hollywood 24 Hour Fitness which is completely packed on Mondays (okay, all the time). I almost miss the old Hollywood 24HF – yes it was kind of like the dive bar of gyms, kind of seedy and dank, and yes my umbrella was stolen there, but it was never outrageously crowded and the people that went there seemed less jerky than the ones that flood the new building. Or maybe its just that the lighting is so much better now. Either way, I always felt comfortable in the old space, the new one: not so much.
***
The picture below is one I took on a trip to Newport in March this year. Apparently, the Newport Marathon is really awesome...and it's close by...and I'm a crazy person to even consider it....
Tonight is the NOVA broadcast of Marathon Challenge. It's showing in Oregon on OPB at 8pm (that's Channel 10 for PDXers). I've had this on my calendar since I read it about last month. It is a documentary about a group of first-time marathoners training for the Boston Marathon. The BM is one of those near-mythical occurrences that I know exist, but can't imagine ever participating in, like reaching the top of Mount Everest or finding a gas station downtown. To qualify for Boston I'd have to run an 8:25/mile pace. HA! I laugh. I'm all for positive thinking but let's not get crazy. My goal is to finish the darn thing, I'll worry about my time later. Thus I'm hoping to live vicariously through the people I see on TV (because no one's ever done that before…), and get a sense of what it's like from this program.
No running last night (rest day), but I did go to the gym and use an odd machine that was like the offspring of an elliptical trainer and a stair climber. I wanted to ride the bike so I could read, but I went to the Hollywood 24 Hour Fitness which is completely packed on Mondays (okay, all the time). I almost miss the old Hollywood 24HF – yes it was kind of like the dive bar of gyms, kind of seedy and dank, and yes my umbrella was stolen there, but it was never outrageously crowded and the people that went there seemed less jerky than the ones that flood the new building. Or maybe its just that the lighting is so much better now. Either way, I always felt comfortable in the old space, the new one: not so much.
***
The picture below is one I took on a trip to Newport in March this year. Apparently, the Newport Marathon is really awesome...and it's close by...and I'm a crazy person to even consider it....
Monday, October 29, 2007
Weekend Report - Good News
distance: 5 miles (outdoors)
total program distance: 15 miles
pain level: naught
On Saturday morning I headed to Fit Right NW on 23rd to get some new shoes. The store came very highly recommended, and I wasn't disappointed. The woman who helped was very attentive and professional, and the gait analysis was interesting. My left foot lands almost perfectly neutral (yay!) but my right foot turns out (boo!). She recommended neutral shoes, because its apparently better to undercorrect overpronation than to overcorrect a good landing. I got a pair of Mizuno's – I had never heard of the brand but I gotta say, they feel great. Also, on Friday night I picked up the ChiRunning DVD from the library and watched part of it. Stick with me, there is a point to all this, and that point is that my five-mile run on Saturday felt GREAT! Perhaps even amazing. I kept the pace up, I felt almost no pain or discomfort at all, and right around mile 4 I fell into this awesome groove like I was barely working at all. I almost didn't want to stop at five miles, but we’ve all heard the horror stories of the over-enthusiastic so I reined it in. I was on a total high the rest of the day.
Sunday I lifted weights and went for a walk as my cross-training. It was a gorgeous fall day in Portland, bright blue skies, unusually warm, beautiful foliage. Today is bowling day; beforehand I'm going to ride the stationary bike for a little bit. I've put my mental foot down that Friday is going to be my honest-to-goodness rest day, no planned exercise. It's a struggle for me to take rest days - I think because I'm terrified of falling off the exercise wagon and putting on all the weight I lost. You hear and read all these stories of yo-yo dieters, and how only a small percentage of people manage to lose weight and keep it off. I've kept it off for about…seven years now. At this point I feel confident that I won't gain it back, because I love exercising and how it makes me feel, and I never want to be as uncomfortable with myself as I was when I was heavier. But I still have those concerns in the back of my mind, and they make it very hard to be lazy for even one day.
Digression: So the Red Sox won the World Series last night. As a life-long Yankees fan, I find it interesting how the Sox are being labeled the new Yankees because of their huge payroll and burgeoning dynasty, and more insidiously because the Sox are developing the casual, non-fanatical "fans" who only wear Sox ballcaps and watch Sox games when they get to the playoffs. This is funny to me because I am a born-and-bred New Yorker who has always rooted for the Yankees, and my roommate is a born-and-bred Massachusetts-ian who is a diehard Sox fan (somehow we avoid coming to blows). So I have dealt for years, especially living so far from NY, with the taunts of "Oh, the Yankees, well its easy to root for them, no wonder you're a fan." (What I want to tell these people is that being a true NY fan means I also root for the Jets. THE JETS, people! I've had more than my fair share of heartbreak.) And now she is facing the same sort of thing for her BS cap. I find it amusing. At least I don't have to worry about getting taunted for picking an easy football team to love. The Jets are like...I can't even think of a suitable metaphor. They are like the burnt, deflated souffle in the NFL kitchen.
total program distance: 15 miles
pain level: naught
On Saturday morning I headed to Fit Right NW on 23rd to get some new shoes. The store came very highly recommended, and I wasn't disappointed. The woman who helped was very attentive and professional, and the gait analysis was interesting. My left foot lands almost perfectly neutral (yay!) but my right foot turns out (boo!). She recommended neutral shoes, because its apparently better to undercorrect overpronation than to overcorrect a good landing. I got a pair of Mizuno's – I had never heard of the brand but I gotta say, they feel great. Also, on Friday night I picked up the ChiRunning DVD from the library and watched part of it. Stick with me, there is a point to all this, and that point is that my five-mile run on Saturday felt GREAT! Perhaps even amazing. I kept the pace up, I felt almost no pain or discomfort at all, and right around mile 4 I fell into this awesome groove like I was barely working at all. I almost didn't want to stop at five miles, but we’ve all heard the horror stories of the over-enthusiastic so I reined it in. I was on a total high the rest of the day.
Sunday I lifted weights and went for a walk as my cross-training. It was a gorgeous fall day in Portland, bright blue skies, unusually warm, beautiful foliage. Today is bowling day; beforehand I'm going to ride the stationary bike for a little bit. I've put my mental foot down that Friday is going to be my honest-to-goodness rest day, no planned exercise. It's a struggle for me to take rest days - I think because I'm terrified of falling off the exercise wagon and putting on all the weight I lost. You hear and read all these stories of yo-yo dieters, and how only a small percentage of people manage to lose weight and keep it off. I've kept it off for about…seven years now. At this point I feel confident that I won't gain it back, because I love exercising and how it makes me feel, and I never want to be as uncomfortable with myself as I was when I was heavier. But I still have those concerns in the back of my mind, and they make it very hard to be lazy for even one day.
Digression: So the Red Sox won the World Series last night. As a life-long Yankees fan, I find it interesting how the Sox are being labeled the new Yankees because of their huge payroll and burgeoning dynasty, and more insidiously because the Sox are developing the casual, non-fanatical "fans" who only wear Sox ballcaps and watch Sox games when they get to the playoffs. This is funny to me because I am a born-and-bred New Yorker who has always rooted for the Yankees, and my roommate is a born-and-bred Massachusetts-ian who is a diehard Sox fan (somehow we avoid coming to blows). So I have dealt for years, especially living so far from NY, with the taunts of "Oh, the Yankees, well its easy to root for them, no wonder you're a fan." (What I want to tell these people is that being a true NY fan means I also root for the Jets. THE JETS, people! I've had more than my fair share of heartbreak.) And now she is facing the same sort of thing for her BS cap. I find it amusing. At least I don't have to worry about getting taunted for picking an easy football team to love. The Jets are like...I can't even think of a suitable metaphor. They are like the burnt, deflated souffle in the NFL kitchen.
Friday, October 26, 2007
I had something of a reversal yesterday. My legs felt great at the beginning of the run, really fresh and energetic. But by the time I headed back down the hill they were totally tight and crampy. I did a kind of modified fartlek (tee hee!) around the track, speeding up when I felt like it and then returning to my normal pace (which is still faster than I'm used to). I dunno, maybe that was too much for my first three-days-in-a-row week. I stretched really thoroughly, and I don't feel any soreness today. I hope I can keep up the pace on my five mile run this Saturday. Now that I've started running faster and not just slagging along I don't want to stop. Speed is addictive.
Before my run I'm going into town to get some new sneakers at Fit Right NW. I really like the NBs I have now, but I've also had them for years (and probably well over the recommended 500 miles) and they've started to hurt my right big toe.
Musing alert: Back in July I toyed with the idea of running the Portland marathon this year (its in October). But I didn't have enough time to train and dropped the idea. Now I've made the decision to (as various highly-compensated sports figures keep reminding me) just do it. And I really think I'm going to – I don't think this will end up the Shelf of Rebecca's Failed Big Ideas. But its funny (from a meta standpoint) to monitor the ups-and-downs of my fear/exhilaration ratio. Sometimes I read a great, positive story like this and I think "I can totally rock the marathon!" And then I read an account like this, where the runner prepared well, hydrated, was young & in good shape and still ran into big problems (no pun intended, although that's a beauty, huh?). I know that if I follow my training plan and I prepare responsibly, I will finish the marathon. Maybe not in a stellar time, but I'll finish nonetheless. Many people have done it with much less running experience than I have (I rationalize). If I can complete my long runs without feeling like death I'll be okay – mentally I know that. But there is still that nagging part of me that wonders if I've set myself up for a very public failure. If I really want to succeed, I need to purge that voice. I need to believe that I can do this, that I have the grit and will have the training to be successful.
(cue inspirational soundtrack please)
Before my run I'm going into town to get some new sneakers at Fit Right NW. I really like the NBs I have now, but I've also had them for years (and probably well over the recommended 500 miles) and they've started to hurt my right big toe.
Musing alert: Back in July I toyed with the idea of running the Portland marathon this year (its in October). But I didn't have enough time to train and dropped the idea. Now I've made the decision to (as various highly-compensated sports figures keep reminding me) just do it. And I really think I'm going to – I don't think this will end up the Shelf of Rebecca's Failed Big Ideas. But its funny (from a meta standpoint) to monitor the ups-and-downs of my fear/exhilaration ratio. Sometimes I read a great, positive story like this and I think "I can totally rock the marathon!" And then I read an account like this, where the runner prepared well, hydrated, was young & in good shape and still ran into big problems (no pun intended, although that's a beauty, huh?). I know that if I follow my training plan and I prepare responsibly, I will finish the marathon. Maybe not in a stellar time, but I'll finish nonetheless. Many people have done it with much less running experience than I have (I rationalize). If I can complete my long runs without feeling like death I'll be okay – mentally I know that. But there is still that nagging part of me that wonders if I've set myself up for a very public failure. If I really want to succeed, I need to purge that voice. I need to believe that I can do this, that I have the grit and will have the training to be successful.
(cue inspirational soundtrack please)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
First things first:
The sunset last night was gorgeous.
distance: 4 miles (outdoors)
total program distance: 7 miles
pain level: minimal
Heeding my wishes, the rain stopped as I left work. By the time I got up the hill the sun had broken through the dark clouds and was shining on all the wet, brightly colored leaves on the hill and on the streets down to the river…it was amazing. (This picture is not from last night, but it captures the general awesomeness of the view at sunset.) I had hoped that the rain would get rid of the bugs around the reservoir – not so much. Something I forgot to mention yesterday is that on the track around the lower reservoir there are little swarms of gnat-like creatures (perhaps gnats). They congregate on the south-eastern side and fly right at my face height (goddamn it). It is really, really hard to keep good race form and breathing when you inhale clouds of gnats every twenty paces or so. Ugh. It was better tonight, but I was also smart and wore a baseball hat. That way I could pull the brim down and angle my head aawy for the few minutes that I was running through their turf. I can't wait for the first freeze to kill those suckers off.
My legs felt stiff/fatigued yesterday as I was coming home, but after I warmed up they seemed okay. The first mile, as usual, was tight. I took it slow, like a continuation of my warm-up, and my shins limbered up. I think they will be my problem area. I've never had any knee, back, or thigh problems, ::knock on wood:: The only thing that gives me trouble are sore shins, which I know are shin splints. They aren't very bad though, just sort of a dull ache rather than any sharp pain, and I've never had to stop running because of them. I've been following the advice of the NY Road Runners gurus and doing their stretching regime, which helps. Hopefully as I get more mileage in I'll reduce the shin splints and not get any other aches and pains. (Yeah right!)
It's definitely my legs that hold me back – that's sort of a "duh!" thing to say, I know. But last night I was running around the track and I felt like I wasn’t breathing hard enough (again, I could nose breath). I consciously tried to go faster but it was hard for me to make my legs go fast enough to get my breathing elevated. They were all "dude, you've always been happy to just sort of plod along, why shake things up?" Clearly I need to do some speedwork to get my legs used to going faster, since cardiovascularly (apparently that isn't a word, but it should be) I'm doing just fine so far. Tonight I have a 3-miler; I think I'm going to go up to the track and try running one lap fast-ish. As fast-ish as I can manage. We'll see how that goes...
My legs felt stiff/fatigued yesterday as I was coming home, but after I warmed up they seemed okay. The first mile, as usual, was tight. I took it slow, like a continuation of my warm-up, and my shins limbered up. I think they will be my problem area. I've never had any knee, back, or thigh problems, ::knock on wood:: The only thing that gives me trouble are sore shins, which I know are shin splints. They aren't very bad though, just sort of a dull ache rather than any sharp pain, and I've never had to stop running because of them. I've been following the advice of the NY Road Runners gurus and doing their stretching regime, which helps. Hopefully as I get more mileage in I'll reduce the shin splints and not get any other aches and pains. (Yeah right!)
It's definitely my legs that hold me back – that's sort of a "duh!" thing to say, I know. But last night I was running around the track and I felt like I wasn’t breathing hard enough (again, I could nose breath). I consciously tried to go faster but it was hard for me to make my legs go fast enough to get my breathing elevated. They were all "dude, you've always been happy to just sort of plod along, why shake things up?" Clearly I need to do some speedwork to get my legs used to going faster, since cardiovascularly (apparently that isn't a word, but it should be) I'm doing just fine so far. Tonight I have a 3-miler; I think I'm going to go up to the track and try running one lap fast-ish. As fast-ish as I can manage. We'll see how that goes...
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
One run down: so far, so good
distance: 3 miles (outdoors)
total program distance: 3 miles
pain level: naught
On the bus coming home last night I read the form chapter in The Competitive Runner's Guide. He basically said don't try very hard to correct your natural form, but gave some tips to keep in mind. I tried a few last night. My favorite was imagining that I was holding potato chips between my middle fingers and thumbs to keep from straining my hands. I have a tendency to run with them straight out, alá the chase scenes in cop movies, which now that I've thought about it would probably hurt my forearms after 4 hours of holding them that way. So I tried to focus on that and on making sure I wasn't overstriding. I think I did well on both counts.
The main thing I did last night was try to self-monitor my heart-rate and breathing. What I noticed is once I got up the hill to the track and got in a rhythm, I was easily breathing through my nose and really was barely exerting myself. Bad girl! So I upped the pace until I was breathing a comfortable 2-2 (two footfalls on the inhale, two on the exhale). And man was I going fast! For me, that is. I was really surprised by how good it felt. As I said below, I've never timed myself ever, it's just been guesstimating. I didn't wear a watch last night either, but I think I did pretty close to a 5k, with a substantial hill thrown in, and I was at or just under 30 minutes. Sweet! Now all I have to do is be able to run at that pace for 4 hours!! Gee, nothing to it. :) But it does give me a lot of hope and encouragement. Heading down my street at the end of the run I felt great. We'll see how I feel after three days in a row. My previous schedule was every other day.
Total topic change: pumpkin spice lattes. I have a weird thing for PSLs, as I cleverly call them. They are full of empty sugar calories, and if you get one prepared the way I like it (double tall soy) it costs $4.20, which is just flipping wrong. But on a cold, brisk fall day, a well-prepared PSL is like…well, its like a little slice of heaven you can warm your hands around. But therein lies the rub – they must be well-prepared. If not, a PSL is the coffee equivalent of a two-day old 7-11 maple bar with some nutmeg on top. I've found that the Starbucks in this town vary wildly in the quality of PSLs they produce. The Starbucks on Third makes amazing PSLs, and it is a constant struggle to avoid the temptation when I walk by on the way to work. But this weekend I went to the Starbucks on west Burnside and…um…20th-ish, and the PSL was so bad that I DIDN'T EVEN DRINK THE WHOLE THING! Sacrilege! I felt terrible but I just couldn’t drink the damn thing it was so cloying. Anyway, it's turned me off of PSLs for awhile, which is probably a good thing.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Week Negative Six
Today is my first structured running day. I have six weeks before the start of Hal Higdon's 18-week program but I wanted to get in the groove sooner than that. I extrapolated his plan backwards to this week with the same scheduled days on and off and slightly reduced mileage. [A little digression on my running background: I first took up running as a senior in high school. I was overweight and I wanted to not be overweight. I also did Tae Bo and used my mom's old exercise bike, but neither seemed to really give me the cardio I thought I needed. So I started running (very, very slowly). I did the whole walk/run combo for a few months (holy painful shin splints Batman!) until I could go for 30 minutes straight. I reached my peak as runner the summer after freshman year of college. I was living at home and working in retail 30 hours a week, leaving me with a lot of time to run. I did 6 miles a day 6 days a week on the trails at the state park. It was awesome, I loved it, and I still love trail running more than anything. I never kept my times or thought about racing; I was running purely for fun & exercise at that point. Sadly, I did not keep running when I went back to school (for a variety of reasons, both mundane and exotic). I stayed in decent shape but not through running. I'd jog a few miles once or twice a month but that was it. End digression.] This summer I eased back into regular running as a way to get out of the gym and enjoy the great weather. I would say that since August I've been running 3-5 miles about 3 times a week, with a lot of hill work thrown in because oh hey, I live on a big hill. My goal for the next six weeks is to build up to a strong, reliable base of about 17 miles per week while starting to extend my long runs on Saturdays. I don't plan on incorporating any speed work until I actually start the program, because I want my base to be rock solid. At the end of six weeks I'd like to be chafing at the bit to increase my intensity. We'll see how it goes of course, in six weeks I may be crying uncle and taking up boxing or something. (In which case I'll field suggestions on renaming this blog. I vote for "My First Concussion.")
I've been wanting to get as many races of any distance under my belt as possible, so that I can get used to the atmosphere and the nerves before a race start (I assume it is slightly different than dragonboat racing). I plan on doing the Pier Park XC race on 11/17 and the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. I'm already committed to the Ho-Ho 5k on 12/9.
Gear update: I realized that I need to get an HRM. Everything I've read is all "heart rate this" and "heart rate that". Clearly a heart rate monitor is a key training tool and it make a lot of sense to me. But I was really torn between getting a fancy thing like the Forerunner or a simple HRM watch. My problem with the Forerunner is I don't need the GPS capability - I plan on mapping all my runs ahead of time. Plus, based on what the consumer reviewers had to say about the Forerunner's tracking capabilities I'm probably not missing anything. Really I just want an HRM/stopwatch combo, so I got a Timex Ironman watch for seventy bucks from Amazon. Once I've taken it out for a few runs I'll share my thoughts.
(Check out this completely unnecessary photo of my cat! Sweet!)
I've been wanting to get as many races of any distance under my belt as possible, so that I can get used to the atmosphere and the nerves before a race start (I assume it is slightly different than dragonboat racing). I plan on doing the Pier Park XC race on 11/17 and the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. I'm already committed to the Ho-Ho 5k on 12/9.
Gear update: I realized that I need to get an HRM. Everything I've read is all "heart rate this" and "heart rate that". Clearly a heart rate monitor is a key training tool and it make a lot of sense to me. But I was really torn between getting a fancy thing like the Forerunner or a simple HRM watch. My problem with the Forerunner is I don't need the GPS capability - I plan on mapping all my runs ahead of time. Plus, based on what the consumer reviewers had to say about the Forerunner's tracking capabilities I'm probably not missing anything. Really I just want an HRM/stopwatch combo, so I got a Timex Ironman watch for seventy bucks from Amazon. Once I've taken it out for a few runs I'll share my thoughts.
(Check out this completely unnecessary photo of my cat! Sweet!)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Someone has a case of the Mondays...
Actually that's not true, I feel fine (I mean, for a Monday). I got plenty of sleep last night, I was out the door on time, and I feel really vibrant and excited about this whole endeavor. I got "The Competitive Runner's Guide" out of the library and read the first few chapters on Sunday. Very informative, especially the stretching chapter. I'm definitely going to incorporate some speedwork into my training, although I'll have to plan carefully given the dearth of running tracks in this town. I told two more friends about my plan...it's getting to the point of no return!
I had a slight scare this weekend. I did a good five miles at the gym on Friday, then up Mount Tabor on Saturday morning (~3+ miles, straight up and down). I felt fine, a little bit of fatigue in the legs but I think I could've gone further if it was in the plan. Anyway, I did my cool-down and stretches and then got in the shower. I'm feeling all happy, singing to myself, and then BAM! I brought my knee down really, really, motherfucking hard against the soap holder in the shower. It hurt like hell, and when I tried to put my weight on it my whole leg was like "uh-uh, no way." I was terrified that I'd done some damage to it and iced that sucker for about an hour after I limped out of the shower. It hurt for the rest of Saturday and was sore on Sunday as well, but seems to be a lot better today, fingers crossed. It's a rest day today, but I'm going to go to the gym at lunch and take a leisurely pedal on the bike. Nothing hard, just enough to get my heart up a little. I'm sort of combining my approaches here, we'll see.
For my cross training on Sunday I lifted weights for about half an hour, then walked around downtown running errands for two hours. I got two new sports bras at Title 9, wohoo! I can't wait to try them out.
I had a slight scare this weekend. I did a good five miles at the gym on Friday, then up Mount Tabor on Saturday morning (~3+ miles, straight up and down). I felt fine, a little bit of fatigue in the legs but I think I could've gone further if it was in the plan. Anyway, I did my cool-down and stretches and then got in the shower. I'm feeling all happy, singing to myself, and then BAM! I brought my knee down really, really, motherfucking hard against the soap holder in the shower. It hurt like hell, and when I tried to put my weight on it my whole leg was like "uh-uh, no way." I was terrified that I'd done some damage to it and iced that sucker for about an hour after I limped out of the shower. It hurt for the rest of Saturday and was sore on Sunday as well, but seems to be a lot better today, fingers crossed. It's a rest day today, but I'm going to go to the gym at lunch and take a leisurely pedal on the bike. Nothing hard, just enough to get my heart up a little. I'm sort of combining my approaches here, we'll see.
For my cross training on Sunday I lifted weights for about half an hour, then walked around downtown running errands for two hours. I got two new sports bras at Title 9, wohoo! I can't wait to try them out.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
"Gear" Run down
I put gear in quotes up there because basically, I have none. I have my lovely, wonderful New Balance shoes that I've had for years and which will undoubtedly need replacing if I truly get serious in the coming months. I have some cotton ankle socks, some running shorts (meeeeow!), a pair of cold weather running pants (i.e. my new best friends, thank you PDX weather), some sports bras. I also have an i-pod that is like a fifth limb to me, I seriously cannot leave the house without it, period. (More on that later.) My point is that I don't have a heart-rate monitor, or one of those fancy water belt deals that will turn me into a human camel, or even a stopwatch. I figure I'm going to give myself until the end of November (at which point I'll be up to 8 miles at a time) before I make any gear purchases. No point in spending my hard-earned lucre on things that may, for all I know, end up on the dusty Shelf of Rebecca's Failed Big Ideas along with 3 bolo ties, a pair of wooden clogs, half a home-brewing kit, an assortment of wigs, and 18 connected paper clips. But when some merchant does manage to pry a few crumpled bills from my miserly little claw, I will happily share the news and any opinion I form concerning such gear.
Digression: Writing the title made me think of that movie "The Run Down" with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (love that his real name is Dwayne, btw). Anyone seen that? It's one of those movies that looked bad in the previews and was in fact quite bad and yet...it had its moments. And those moments made forking over two hours of your life not such a rotten deal. Let's just say that watching a drugged out Rock be assaulted by angry jungle monkeys is just as funny as it sounds. Clearly, serious cinephiles should drop everything and flock to Movie Madness. Do it now! They close at 10!!
Okay, just remembered I was going to write about my i-pod. So when I used to trail run in college I didn't listen to music because the trails were rough so you needed to pay really close attention to your footing and music was too distracting. But since I've been running on ASS-phalt I've listen to my Fifth Limb non-stop because I tend to get bored out of my mind. However, as Hal (Higdon) told me wisely, if you are going to be outside running for hours, potentially in the dark and/or poor weather conditions, it's important not to space out and put yourself in danger (from drivers/scary dogs/creepy people). So I'm going to try to wean myself off of it (it's not that I don't love you baby...no don't look at me like that...). We'll see.
Digression: Writing the title made me think of that movie "The Run Down" with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (love that his real name is Dwayne, btw). Anyone seen that? It's one of those movies that looked bad in the previews and was in fact quite bad and yet...it had its moments. And those moments made forking over two hours of your life not such a rotten deal. Let's just say that watching a drugged out Rock be assaulted by angry jungle monkeys is just as funny as it sounds. Clearly, serious cinephiles should drop everything and flock to Movie Madness. Do it now! They close at 10!!
Okay, just remembered I was going to write about my i-pod. So when I used to trail run in college I didn't listen to music because the trails were rough so you needed to pay really close attention to your footing and music was too distracting. But since I've been running on ASS-phalt I've listen to my Fifth Limb non-stop because I tend to get bored out of my mind. However, as Hal (Higdon) told me wisely, if you are going to be outside running for hours, potentially in the dark and/or poor weather conditions, it's important not to space out and put yourself in danger (from drivers/scary dogs/creepy people). So I'm going to try to wean myself off of it (it's not that I don't love you baby...no don't look at me like that...). We'll see.
Plans foiled already; new resolve sought
Okay, so I completely forgot about dinner with my parents tonight. I had all these plans to take a long run after work and now I have to try and squeeze in a quickie during lunch. I don't really WANT to run at lunch because a) I feel hurried and b) (vanity alert) my hair will get all unfortunate. But, if I run at a decent pace at lunch time I can do three miles easily, and then tomorrow do a nice longer run. And then? Oh, then its time to LAY ON THE COUCH and watch a movie and eat plain popcorn with nutritional yeast (because yes, yes I am going to drive to Freddies on Friday unless its not raining in which case I will stop by on my way home). (AND YES, I like nutritional yeast, thank you KATHERINE for corrupting my heretofore pure love of popcorn!!)
I'm looking at running up Tabor and doing laps around the reservoir. So, if it takes one mile to get up to the Reservoir, and one lap is .561 miles, then I could do an easy 5-miler by running up there, doing six laps, and running back. And if I run for speed, I should be able to do it in ~50 minutes. And eventually maybe 45. I don't think I have hugely unrealistic goals. Lofty maybe, ambitious, but not out of this world. I just have to stick to the plan.
Digression alert: You know here's the thing: really, its not that bad. If I can get my pace up, the runs during the week are fine, the max is 8 miles, which should take less than an hour and a half. And on the weekends, yes, you're talking hours, but whatever. It's not like you have anything better to be doing, really. Look, I know I want to do this. I want to be physically able to run 26.2 miles (in a row, dammit!), I want to have that sense of accomplishment and yes, maybe I do want the T-shirt and the medal too. And I feel like less-fit people than myself have done it. So basically, I just need to make a plan and stick to it, no excuses and no wimping out. If you know that you won't be able to run after work, you WILL get up and run before.
I'm looking at running up Tabor and doing laps around the reservoir. So, if it takes one mile to get up to the Reservoir, and one lap is .561 miles, then I could do an easy 5-miler by running up there, doing six laps, and running back. And if I run for speed, I should be able to do it in ~50 minutes. And eventually maybe 45. I don't think I have hugely unrealistic goals. Lofty maybe, ambitious, but not out of this world. I just have to stick to the plan.
Digression alert: You know here's the thing: really, its not that bad. If I can get my pace up, the runs during the week are fine, the max is 8 miles, which should take less than an hour and a half. And on the weekends, yes, you're talking hours, but whatever. It's not like you have anything better to be doing, really. Look, I know I want to do this. I want to be physically able to run 26.2 miles (in a row, dammit!), I want to have that sense of accomplishment and yes, maybe I do want the T-shirt and the medal too. And I feel like less-fit people than myself have done it. So basically, I just need to make a plan and stick to it, no excuses and no wimping out. If you know that you won't be able to run after work, you WILL get up and run before.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The moment of truth
I think I might have finally made up my mind to do it. Forget talking about it and thinking about it. I'm going to throw my hat in the ring. I found a marathon up in Washington in April that just looks gorgeous. It's the Yakima River Canyon Marathon, and basically the course just follows along the river at the bottom of an amazing high desert canyon. It's smallish, about 500 runners, with a good mix of fast and slow runners. As an added bonus there aren't a lot of spectators, which I think will be fine with me. That marathon is on April 5. I copied Hal Higdon's training schedule into an Excel spreadsheet and compared it to my upcoming schedule. I'd have to start following his calendar the week of December 3, meaning I have a good six weeks to work on getting my mileage up over twenty and my long run to 8+ miles. Totally doable. I might have a slight hiccup in the middle, since I'm flying back to NY end of December, but luckily the flight out is on a rest day and the flight back is at 7:20 PM, so I shouldn't have a problem fitting in a run in the AM. I am a tad concerned RE: snow at home. It hasn't been terribly snowy the past couple of years, but it easily could snow which would, of course, drive me inside. And I don't think the Vassar indoor track is open during Christmas week. Hmmm. I guess that is something to worry about closer to the date. Maybe I could find an open gym and just get a temp membership or something.
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