Had my first race since the marathon on Saturday, the Helvetia Half Marathon in Hillsboro. I went into it with mixed feelings. On the one hand I was not as well-prepared for it as I had been for the marathon. I totally slacked off in training: my longest training run was 10.5 miles and I averaged 15-20 miles per week. Pathetic! But on the other hand, I came to realize how nice it was to do things backward and get that pesky marathon out of the way first. I felt like I had nothing to prove to myself or to anyone else, and approached the race only wanting to enjoy myself. Well, that and to at least equal my halfway time in the marathon, which was exactly 2:00:00. (Seriously, they set up a clock at the exact halfway point and as I was running toward it in the canyon I realized I was going to hit two hours on the nose. Pretty neat.)
It was a gorgeous summer day in Oregon, sunny from the get-go but not too hot. My two friends who were going to run with me both bailed (thanks, guys!), so I drove out alone at 6:15 am. After crawling through the traffic from Rt. 26 to the stadium (The distance from 26 to the parking lot? About 1.5 miles. It took me 45 minutes to lurch through it. My clutch leg was getting tired and I actually worried about it affecting my performance. Anyway…), I slathered on sunscreen, decided to go with the dri-fit tank top and not the tech shirt, double- and triple-checked that I had my car key with me, and got in line for the ladies room. (Natch.)
I knew that there would be water/Gleukos stops about every mile and a half, and I really don't like wearing my hydration belt, so I left it at home. Plus I forgot my watch (can you tell I half-assed this thing?), so all together I felt oddly naked. I lined up at the start, chatted with a nice Portland Fit lady for a few minutes, then set off.
The race had both a half marathon and a 10k, which started at the same time. There were about 3,000 people at the start line – that's a lot of bodies. (Oh, and I think I half-assed it? I saw several guys getting ready to run wearing jean shorts. Doesn't that chafe?) I started out slow partly by choice and partly by circumstance. A lotta dodging and weaving the first few miles.
I took in at least a cup of water or Gleukos at every stop, and had some ClifShot at the turnaround point, even though I didn't really want it. I took it because it was there, swallowed about half, then looked futilely for a trash can until the next water stop. The famous middle hills were tough, and I was panting at the top of two of them, but overall it was great. I love running hills because they break the monotony and make the flat stretches seem so easy. I made the right call going sleeveless: by the end of the race I was H-O-T. After the mid-point it was pretty much direct-sun city for five miles. (BTW, having the photogs at Mile 12? Not cool! Dude, we were all sweating and icky.)
But that's okay, because I finished way below my goal time and 472nd out of 2607 participants. Top 20% baby! I'm like the front of the middle of the pack. :) On the last rolling hills I passed some people who were in bad shape, wheezing and soaked with sweat and what-not. I was feeling great, and I didn't know whether shouting encouragement as I passed would inspire renewed vigor or white-hot rage. So I kept my pie-hole shut.
The finish line was in the stadium, which was fun. I got my pretty green medal and stumbled over to the water table. I was thirsty but knew better than to chug, so I grabbed two cups to sip as I made my way to the car. Once I got off the freeway I drove with the window down and music blaring, checking out the medal at red lights, feeling groovy knowing that I'd gotten my weekend's exercise and it wasn't even 10:30 yet. Rock on!
Next stop: Haulin' Aspen Trail Half (how much do I love that name?) in August and the Portland Marathon in October.
Oh hey, PS - Ice baths are SO MUCH EASIER in the summer time.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Clearly my life is a WIP
So I was originally thinking about running the North Olympic Discovery marathon in June. But I'm reevaluating. The issue I'm "running" into (ha!) is that I appear to be overbooked for the next, oh, four months. Summer in Portland is glorious, and while I really have grown to enjoy running, I don't love it to the point where I want to give something else up to accommodate it. It's one thing to spend half of a cold rainy February Saturday running. When that Saturday is sunny and warm and not humid (and not buggy) and there are Beer & Wine Fests to visit, sandcastle competitions at the coast to "Ohh and Ahh" over, camp-outs to be joined, music festivals to patronize, kites to be flown, volunteer galas to, um, volunteer at, barbecues & baseball games to attend, frisbees to be thrown, DB races to be won…well, it gets a lot harder to find the time. Plus my work travel schedule is picking up, which I don't even want to contemplate. I can see myself getting in 25-30 miles a week, with the occasional free Saturday to fit in a 10+ long run. Really just not enough to prepare the way I want to. So, I'm thinking that I'll stay in good running shape, but not plan on running another big M until the Portland marathon in October. We'll see, though.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
So...what do I do now?
I'm still sort of in shock. I was making plans with a friend for later this week and I realized that I could go out any night I wanted. The epic awesomeness of that has not yet sunk in. I wrote a little race report below - in summary: it was great, it was hard, it went by in a flash.
I took the whole day off on Friday, even though we weren't leaving until mid-day, because I knew I would be completely useless at work. I got up at 8, packed, and then putzed around and got nervous until noon. Funny aside – clearly my mind was elsewhere when I left my house, because somehow I ended up on the on-ramp to I-84 West instead of East. Sigh. That was a fun 10-minute detour.
The drive up was unremarkable, though very pretty. Packet pick-up was a snap. The pasta dinner was good – I was glad they had lots of salad too. I didn't eat a ton, just a normal dinner. I read something while training that said if you are going to carb-load, do it two nights before (i.e. Thursday night for me), because eating a ton the night before a race will just weigh you down (and maybe make you queasy). The nutrients won't be in your system until the following night at the earliest. That's how I prepared for my long runs and it worked for me, so I stuck with it. T and I drove to our hotel in Ellensburg. (We didn't go via the course, as I read another piece of advice that said doing so tends to make first-timers nervous. Like, I have to run THIS far? I think it was a good call.) We checked the weather, I laid out all my stuff, and we were in bed by 9:30. I have bedtime-only narcolepsy (note: not a real medical condition), so I had no problems getting to sleep. The first alarm went off at 5:45 (we set three…) and I woke up immediately. Got dressed, had water, coffee, two slices of whole grain toast with butter and grape jelly, and water. T and I arranged late check-out (it required some eye-batting, since I asked for an hour later than their usual late check-out) then left for the race HQ. The race has basically taken over the local Days Inn, so I got to use an indoor bathroom rather than a porta-potty. Of course by the time I got to the start line I had to pee again (and I didn't find a vacant porta-potty until Mile 16).
I got near the back of the middle at the start, and before I knew it we were off. The first few miles I considered kind of a warm-up, and tried to find a good settled pace. I also found the first of my pace bunnies. I admit that I really had no race strategy. I just wanted to run the whole way and beat Oprah's time. At the pasta dinner, one of the women who'd run the race before said they had pacers who wore rabbit ears, hence the name pace bunnies. I was hoping to find one during the race but I guess they didn't have them this year. So, I created my own pace bunnies. I'd find someone who seemed comfortable, and whose pace I liked, and stick to them like glue (figuring pretty much everyone there has more experience than I do). The first was a guy in a blue singlet and shorts. I stuck with him for about miles 1-3. Then either he slowed down or I sped up, and I passed him. After the first aid station I started following two women who were chatting as they ran. I stuck with them for about 3 more miles, until the next aid station. They stopped; I grabbed some water and kept moving. I was on my own for awhile until I found another bunny. He was a marathon maniac and (again) I stuck with him until an aid station. I then got slowly passed by a woman in blue whom I tried to keep pace with, but I could tell she was just a little too fast. I hung back, and by then we were in the middle miles. Twas then I found the Pace Bunny to end all bunnies. Her name was Gina and she was a 100-Marathon Club Member (her singlet told me these things). I figured: Here is a woman who knows her marathons! Stick with her, kid, and you'll be fine. So I did, until tragically, she stopped at an aid station. I was torn, and for a moment I actually stopped too (and grabbed an orange slice and some pretzels). But I knew that the longer I held the still the worse it would feel to start again, so I left without Gina. ::Single tear:: I figured that if she passed me, I would just velcro myself back onto her. She never did though, although it turns out she finished only about a minute behind me.
The rest of the race I ran pretty much bunny-less, although near the end I tried (and unfortunately failed) to run faster than these two really annoying people behind me. Ugh. The major hill at Mile 22 was ghastly. My quads felt the way I imagine tenderized chicken cutlets feel after being hammered with a mallet by an angry little Frenchman. I absolutely refused to stop though, and "powered" through it (powered = ran at approximately 2 mph). After that hill it was pretty much smooth sailing. I got a lot of friendly encouragement from people I was passing. I felt good, all things considered.
The most amazing moment for me came when I ran out of the canyon and could see the finish line. All of a sudden it hit me that I was going to do it. Not only was I about to finish my first marathon, but I was going to do it exactly the way I dreamed. I'd run the whole way and I wasn't destroyed. There might have been some sobbing, until I realized it was messing with my breathing. Back to business, kiddo.
I got to the finish, I got my hug, my rose, my hi-tek space blanket, and my medal, plus some fig newtons that were the absolute best thing I'd ever tasted in my life. T was crying. Strangely, I was not.
**
I think I've caught the bug. I started looking around to see when my next marathon will be. I should've signed up for Newport, danggit, which is now full. The Eugene Marathon is May 5 but it's like $105. Yowza!! North Olympic is in June, and only about $65. I think I'll aim for that. Oh, and yes, everyone I know (except Steve the fellow marathoner) thinks I've lost my remaining marbles.
I took the whole day off on Friday, even though we weren't leaving until mid-day, because I knew I would be completely useless at work. I got up at 8, packed, and then putzed around and got nervous until noon. Funny aside – clearly my mind was elsewhere when I left my house, because somehow I ended up on the on-ramp to I-84 West instead of East. Sigh. That was a fun 10-minute detour.
The drive up was unremarkable, though very pretty. Packet pick-up was a snap. The pasta dinner was good – I was glad they had lots of salad too. I didn't eat a ton, just a normal dinner. I read something while training that said if you are going to carb-load, do it two nights before (i.e. Thursday night for me), because eating a ton the night before a race will just weigh you down (and maybe make you queasy). The nutrients won't be in your system until the following night at the earliest. That's how I prepared for my long runs and it worked for me, so I stuck with it. T and I drove to our hotel in Ellensburg. (We didn't go via the course, as I read another piece of advice that said doing so tends to make first-timers nervous. Like, I have to run THIS far? I think it was a good call.) We checked the weather, I laid out all my stuff, and we were in bed by 9:30. I have bedtime-only narcolepsy (note: not a real medical condition), so I had no problems getting to sleep. The first alarm went off at 5:45 (we set three…) and I woke up immediately. Got dressed, had water, coffee, two slices of whole grain toast with butter and grape jelly, and water. T and I arranged late check-out (it required some eye-batting, since I asked for an hour later than their usual late check-out) then left for the race HQ. The race has basically taken over the local Days Inn, so I got to use an indoor bathroom rather than a porta-potty. Of course by the time I got to the start line I had to pee again (and I didn't find a vacant porta-potty until Mile 16).
I got near the back of the middle at the start, and before I knew it we were off. The first few miles I considered kind of a warm-up, and tried to find a good settled pace. I also found the first of my pace bunnies. I admit that I really had no race strategy. I just wanted to run the whole way and beat Oprah's time. At the pasta dinner, one of the women who'd run the race before said they had pacers who wore rabbit ears, hence the name pace bunnies. I was hoping to find one during the race but I guess they didn't have them this year. So, I created my own pace bunnies. I'd find someone who seemed comfortable, and whose pace I liked, and stick to them like glue (figuring pretty much everyone there has more experience than I do). The first was a guy in a blue singlet and shorts. I stuck with him for about miles 1-3. Then either he slowed down or I sped up, and I passed him. After the first aid station I started following two women who were chatting as they ran. I stuck with them for about 3 more miles, until the next aid station. They stopped; I grabbed some water and kept moving. I was on my own for awhile until I found another bunny. He was a marathon maniac and (again) I stuck with him until an aid station. I then got slowly passed by a woman in blue whom I tried to keep pace with, but I could tell she was just a little too fast. I hung back, and by then we were in the middle miles. Twas then I found the Pace Bunny to end all bunnies. Her name was Gina and she was a 100-Marathon Club Member (her singlet told me these things). I figured: Here is a woman who knows her marathons! Stick with her, kid, and you'll be fine. So I did, until tragically, she stopped at an aid station. I was torn, and for a moment I actually stopped too (and grabbed an orange slice and some pretzels). But I knew that the longer I held the still the worse it would feel to start again, so I left without Gina. ::Single tear:: I figured that if she passed me, I would just velcro myself back onto her. She never did though, although it turns out she finished only about a minute behind me.
The rest of the race I ran pretty much bunny-less, although near the end I tried (and unfortunately failed) to run faster than these two really annoying people behind me. Ugh. The major hill at Mile 22 was ghastly. My quads felt the way I imagine tenderized chicken cutlets feel after being hammered with a mallet by an angry little Frenchman. I absolutely refused to stop though, and "powered" through it (powered = ran at approximately 2 mph). After that hill it was pretty much smooth sailing. I got a lot of friendly encouragement from people I was passing. I felt good, all things considered.
The most amazing moment for me came when I ran out of the canyon and could see the finish line. All of a sudden it hit me that I was going to do it. Not only was I about to finish my first marathon, but I was going to do it exactly the way I dreamed. I'd run the whole way and I wasn't destroyed. There might have been some sobbing, until I realized it was messing with my breathing. Back to business, kiddo.
I got to the finish, I got my hug, my rose, my hi-tek space blanket, and my medal, plus some fig newtons that were the absolute best thing I'd ever tasted in my life. T was crying. Strangely, I was not.
**
I think I've caught the bug. I started looking around to see when my next marathon will be. I should've signed up for Newport, danggit, which is now full. The Eugene Marathon is May 5 but it's like $105. Yowza!! North Olympic is in June, and only about $65. I think I'll aim for that. Oh, and yes, everyone I know (except Steve the fellow marathoner) thinks I've lost my remaining marbles.
PS - My new goal MIGHT be to qualify for Boston. But I just don't know if I care that much.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
T-minus two days...
48 hours from now I will be DONE! with this whole marathon thing. (yeeahhhuummm, sort of...I might have already committed to another one.) My boss & coworkers surprised me with a card and a little gifty-basket type thing full of water, Luna bars, and ibuprofen. Ah, they know me well. It was a very sweet thing to do, and I promised I would bring in my medal on Monday so they could stop by my office and genuflect. ;)
I know I complained lustily about how running had taken over my life just a few short weeks ago, but man have I missed it. (Remember, as a woman it's my prerogative to change my mind frequently and without understandable motivation.) I haven't had a long run since March 22, and that was only 15 miles! Practically nothing! I hesitate to say it but…I grew to really like the long runs. (BUT NOT THE ICE BATHS! I will never be down with those.) Getting stronger every week and conquering distances that I thought were a long way to drive is really…(okay, I have to say it, even though I hate this word) empowering. (It's been totally co-opted for PC bullshit to the point of meaninglessness – providing coffee in the break room does NOT constitute "coworker empowerment". Alright, I'm done.) For reals, though, it is awesome to know that I have this kind of dedication and follow-through in me. I decided I wanted to run a marathon. I researched, planned, and trained for it on my own. There was no one shaking me on Saturday mornings, telling me to get my butt in gear and get out the door early. I wasn't going to disappoint anyone except myself if I skipped a cold, rainy midweek run. It is very reassuring to know that I have stick-to-it-tive-ness.
And now that I'm off my high horse: tapering still sucks. To paraphrase Michelle: "I feel fat. My right ankle hurts. Are you coughing? Stay away from me! I need to get more water. Now my left shin hurts. I need to go to the bathroom AGAIN. These pants feel tight. My nose is running, is this allergies or am I getting sick? Better go wash my hands again. My side hurts, what if I pulled a muscle? I have to go to the bathroom. Did I break my shoes in enough? I have to remember to clip my toenails before I leave. Better grab some more water. What if I oversleep and miss the race? My ankle still hurts. What if I tear a contact lens marathon morning? I have to pee."
Ah, the joys of running.
I know I complained lustily about how running had taken over my life just a few short weeks ago, but man have I missed it. (Remember, as a woman it's my prerogative to change my mind frequently and without understandable motivation.) I haven't had a long run since March 22, and that was only 15 miles! Practically nothing! I hesitate to say it but…I grew to really like the long runs. (BUT NOT THE ICE BATHS! I will never be down with those.) Getting stronger every week and conquering distances that I thought were a long way to drive is really…(okay, I have to say it, even though I hate this word) empowering. (It's been totally co-opted for PC bullshit to the point of meaninglessness – providing coffee in the break room does NOT constitute "coworker empowerment". Alright, I'm done.) For reals, though, it is awesome to know that I have this kind of dedication and follow-through in me. I decided I wanted to run a marathon. I researched, planned, and trained for it on my own. There was no one shaking me on Saturday mornings, telling me to get my butt in gear and get out the door early. I wasn't going to disappoint anyone except myself if I skipped a cold, rainy midweek run. It is very reassuring to know that I have stick-to-it-tive-ness.
And now that I'm off my high horse: tapering still sucks. To paraphrase Michelle: "I feel fat. My right ankle hurts. Are you coughing? Stay away from me! I need to get more water. Now my left shin hurts. I need to go to the bathroom AGAIN. These pants feel tight. My nose is running, is this allergies or am I getting sick? Better go wash my hands again. My side hurts, what if I pulled a muscle? I have to go to the bathroom. Did I break my shoes in enough? I have to remember to clip my toenails before I leave. Better grab some more water. What if I oversleep and miss the race? My ankle still hurts. What if I tear a contact lens marathon morning? I have to pee."
Ah, the joys of running.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Too nervous to think of a title.
Sorry for the lack of updates. The last week can be summed up thusly: tapering blows. Seriously, that's about the long and short of it. Okay, it's not ALL bad. I was almost embarrassed by all the free time I had on Saturday, needing to run only a paltry 8 miles. (Sigh…I remember back when that was my long run. Cue the "Wonder Years" theme.) But I find myself using all this free time to get nervous. I was fine until today – I woke up at 4:30 this morning and rather than roll over and go back to sleep in 2.6 seconds as I usually would, it hit me that THIS IS MARATHON WEEK (holy hand basket!). Once that thought was planted, trying to get back to sleep was a Herculean task. I actually resorted to counting sheep for gods sake.
I checked the weather up in Yakima, and at the risk of jinxing myself, I'm going out on a limb and saying I don't think weather will be an issue (cringe…knock on wood…salt over the shoulder). This whole week looks the same: partly sunny, highs in the mid-60s. Perfect! And in order to make that seem even more ideal, I ran my Saturday eight outside in the lovely Portland springtime. Here’s a timeline:
miles 1-3: overcast
mile 4: rain
mile 5: hail
mile 6: sun comes out (still hailing!)
miles 7-8: hail stops, I get uncomfortably warm and give off steam
I'm taking Friday off and driving up to Yakima around noon. I figure that will give me time to go to the expo and pick up my packet, check into the hotel, maybe drive part or all of the course, and find a paper bag to breath in. I strong-armed my friend Tina into coming with me (and that's totally a metaphor – I arm-wrestled her once and she beat me handily. She may be small, but she's stringy.). So I will have a small cheering section. :) I'm hoping to see the Back of the Packer – she is totally inspiring. I want to find whatever it is that supplies her energy and bottle it and sell it. I'd be rich!!
Note to self: I have to remember to ask for late checkout at the hotel. I want to be able to take an ice bath afterward. My feelings toward ice baths are well-documented, but damn it all, they work. Damn it.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Onto that long downward spiral called tapering
I ended up doing an unbelievable 22.34 miles on Saturday. Holy Shit, is all I can say. And then on Sunday I did the Shamrock 5k, meaning I was half a mile away from a marathon over the two days. I have to say, it really REALLY increased my confidence going into the marathon. Not only did I get within 4 miles of the marathon distance on Saturday, but it was NOT an easy run. From the get-go I felt zapped of energy. By the time I turned around somewhere in the wilds of Gresham (more on that below) I felt like a zombie. But around mile 17 I got comfortable with my zombie-ness, and finished easily. I felt much better than I had after my brush with 20 two weeks before. I'm now paying for it, though. I've started to taper so my runs have topped off at 5 mile this week but they have not been easy. I can feel that my legs are empty. They are juice-less lead weights. I'm sure I'll get my energy back after a few more days of eating bread and taking it slow. My long run Saturday is 15 miles and it'll be on an unpaved trail, which sounds like heaven.
So how did I end up doing 22.34 miles? I have the city of Gresham and a faulty bridge to thank for that. First, the bridge. At mile 13.5 on the Springwater one of the footbridges is down. They detour the path onto a nearby road for maybe half a mile, until the road loops around and crosses the trail again past the bridge. I never really bothered to figure out how much distance the detour added because I only ran it once or twice. Turns out, it adds a lot. Plus, once you leave Portland and enter Gresham, the mile markers stop appearing every half mile and start appearing when the city of Gresham feels like paying for one. Turns out, that isn't very often. Basically they put up a marker when the path crosses a major street. Thus the 15.12 mile marker, and the 16.42. Super. I really did not want to go short of my goal again, so I soldiered on even when I was pretty sure I'd hit 10.5 miles. I finally turned around at 242nd Street. On Sunday when I mapped it, I found that I had run 11.17 miles out. Wow.
So how did I end up doing 22.34 miles? I have the city of Gresham and a faulty bridge to thank for that. First, the bridge. At mile 13.5 on the Springwater one of the footbridges is down. They detour the path onto a nearby road for maybe half a mile, until the road loops around and crosses the trail again past the bridge. I never really bothered to figure out how much distance the detour added because I only ran it once or twice. Turns out, it adds a lot. Plus, once you leave Portland and enter Gresham, the mile markers stop appearing every half mile and start appearing when the city of Gresham feels like paying for one. Turns out, that isn't very often. Basically they put up a marker when the path crosses a major street. Thus the 15.12 mile marker, and the 16.42. Super. I really did not want to go short of my goal again, so I soldiered on even when I was pretty sure I'd hit 10.5 miles. I finally turned around at 242nd Street. On Sunday when I mapped it, I found that I had run 11.17 miles out. Wow.
Monday, March 10, 2008
I still cannot figure this running thing out.
Apparently, this is my recipe for an amazing long run: on Thursday feel ill, complete only 3 of 5 miles, and barely eat anything. Friday, stay out late eating gooey cheese, crackers, and chocolate, and oh yeah, drinking too much wine. Get up at 6 am (grghhmrmr) on Saturday to make it to pool practice by 7:15; afterwards devour three ginormous slices of French toast slathered in butter and syrup. Then change, go running, and finish thirteen miles in 1:58:08, a pace of 9:05. (!) And, except for the French toast jostling around and making its presence known, feel great doing it. WTF?
I have no idea why I felt so good - the only thing I can think of is that it seems like my body finally "got" it. Particularly after I turned at the half-way point, all the mechanics came together. I felt fluid, comfortable. I was leading with my hips and letting them set the pace (apparently the pace they wanted was 'fast'), which led to my feet falling more softly. I walked yesterday and took a yoga class. I feel so good. I hope that when I run tomorrow I'll find that it wasn't just a one-off deal. I hope that I've turned a corner in my running and I can find more peace than struggle moving forward.
I have no idea why I felt so good - the only thing I can think of is that it seems like my body finally "got" it. Particularly after I turned at the half-way point, all the mechanics came together. I felt fluid, comfortable. I was leading with my hips and letting them set the pace (apparently the pace they wanted was 'fast'), which led to my feet falling more softly. I walked yesterday and took a yoga class. I feel so good. I hope that when I run tomorrow I'll find that it wasn't just a one-off deal. I hope that I've turned a corner in my running and I can find more peace than struggle moving forward.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Crunch Time!
That is what we're getting down to. Running and my social life are in a no-holds-barred six-week cage fight to the death. So far its been something of a draw. Last week I did my first planned two-part run. I had a party to go to on Wednesday after work, so first I ran my midweek long run (8 miles) on Tuesday. On Wednesday I ran three miles at lunch, then two more after I got back from the party around 7:30. Thursday was five miles at the gym, then pizza and canasta with my friend who is (tragically) moving to Milwaukee.
Plus, as I mentioned, I went to the coast last weekend. There was not the remotest chance in hell that I would skip a long run, so I went to bed early (right when things were warming up…siiiiiiiiiiiigh) and ran 19 miles along the Siletz River south of Lincoln City, OR. (Digression: Oh man!! If every long run could be like this long run, I would run 8 more marathons this year. It was, seriously, just about perfect: I was dressed perfectly for the weather, which was ideal; the scenery was beautiful; there were mile markers on the road, so I didn't have to guess; I had just enough Gatorade and ShotBloks [secondary digression: I'm now devoted to ShotBloks]; it was not easy but I never stopped and only once around mile 17 did I even truly desire to walk; there were some nice hills to give my legs a change of pace; I did my ice bath in the ocean; and I left for the run early enough that despite having to take an ocean bath and then shower [I had sand in…everything], I was still ready to roll at the same time as everyone else. Marvelous.) This week is more of the same – I'm taking Friday off and heading to Sunriver with some friends. I can't do my long run on Saturday because a) Sunriver is covered in snow and b) I agreed to go snowshoeing. Luckily the run is only 13 miles, which is (knock on wood) practically easy at this point. My plan is to run 10 miles today, 6 miles tomorrow, and the 13 miles on Thursday. That gives me 29 miles for the week, which is only two below my scheduled distance. If I have time on Sunday after I get home I'll knock out a quick 2-3 miler to reach my goal. I'm hoping that I don't feel terrible clumping all my mileage together like this, but it's really the only option that allows me to pretend like I still have a life.
I was thinking about it, and I shouldn’t really complain because this was my decision, yada yada, but this blog would be like two paragraphs if I never complained, so here goes. Last week was actually my peak mileage week at 37; I have a few more 35 miles weeks coming up. My pace is (a little bit) faster than 10 min/mile, but when you factor in changing, warm-up, stretching, cool-down, ice-bath, etc., running 35 miles a week is like having a part-time job. I seriously cannot fathom how normal people who have a job and a family churn out 50-mile weeks (aside from running much faster than I do). More than anything, it's the time commitment that makes me hesitant to commit to another marathon. Particularly now that summer is on its way, with all the hiking, and the barbecues, the weekend camping trips and the dragon-boating. Practice for DB starts March 1…eek. I'm thankful there is just a month of overlap between racing and running. I think I'm tired now…
Plus, as I mentioned, I went to the coast last weekend. There was not the remotest chance in hell that I would skip a long run, so I went to bed early (right when things were warming up…siiiiiiiiiiiigh) and ran 19 miles along the Siletz River south of Lincoln City, OR. (Digression: Oh man!! If every long run could be like this long run, I would run 8 more marathons this year. It was, seriously, just about perfect: I was dressed perfectly for the weather, which was ideal; the scenery was beautiful; there were mile markers on the road, so I didn't have to guess; I had just enough Gatorade and ShotBloks [secondary digression: I'm now devoted to ShotBloks]; it was not easy but I never stopped and only once around mile 17 did I even truly desire to walk; there were some nice hills to give my legs a change of pace; I did my ice bath in the ocean; and I left for the run early enough that despite having to take an ocean bath and then shower [I had sand in…everything], I was still ready to roll at the same time as everyone else. Marvelous.) This week is more of the same – I'm taking Friday off and heading to Sunriver with some friends. I can't do my long run on Saturday because a) Sunriver is covered in snow and b) I agreed to go snowshoeing. Luckily the run is only 13 miles, which is (knock on wood) practically easy at this point. My plan is to run 10 miles today, 6 miles tomorrow, and the 13 miles on Thursday. That gives me 29 miles for the week, which is only two below my scheduled distance. If I have time on Sunday after I get home I'll knock out a quick 2-3 miler to reach my goal. I'm hoping that I don't feel terrible clumping all my mileage together like this, but it's really the only option that allows me to pretend like I still have a life.
I was thinking about it, and I shouldn’t really complain because this was my decision, yada yada, but this blog would be like two paragraphs if I never complained, so here goes. Last week was actually my peak mileage week at 37; I have a few more 35 miles weeks coming up. My pace is (a little bit) faster than 10 min/mile, but when you factor in changing, warm-up, stretching, cool-down, ice-bath, etc., running 35 miles a week is like having a part-time job. I seriously cannot fathom how normal people who have a job and a family churn out 50-mile weeks (aside from running much faster than I do). More than anything, it's the time commitment that makes me hesitant to commit to another marathon. Particularly now that summer is on its way, with all the hiking, and the barbecues, the weekend camping trips and the dragon-boating. Practice for DB starts March 1…eek. I'm thankful there is just a month of overlap between racing and running. I think I'm tired now…
Pictures from this weekend. It was SO gorgeous...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Alas, ShotBloks
Hmmm…yeah. Well, first things first, I did twelve miles on Saturday and it was great. For the first time EVER, I ran the SC and was not precipitated on, not even a little. That right there would have made it noteworthy. I was also well-rested because I moved a short run from Thursday to Sunday (Thursday was my B-day), so I had two days' rest going into it. That gave me the confidence to really work on my pace, and I finished the 12 miles in 1:47:06, for a pace of 8:55! Holy crap! It went by in a flash. I don't think I need to tell you how much this boosts my confidence.
The questionable part was that I tried Shot Bloks for the first time. I sort of wondered how you were supposed to ingest them on the run, and then I read a suggestion that you sort of tuck a square into your cheek and let it dissolve. That's nice in theory, but in practice having my cheek puffed out messed with my breathing, and made me feel like a chipmunk. They took forever to dissolve (I ended up chewing them a little because I needed to take another square while the old one was still hanging around). Plus, my tummy (which normally doesn't bother me at all) seemed a little uneasy about the Bloks. It just gurgled and felt vaguely out of sorts. On the other hand – I kept up a 8:55 pace on a relatively long run, and that may be because I pretty much constantly had a Blok in my mouth. On my 19-miler this weekend I think I'll try them again – that is a true long run, and I'll be on one day's rest.
I’m not really nervous about nineteen – now that whatever was bugging me in January is gone I feel great about running. I am a bit anxious about the route, however. At the last minute I was invited to the beach this weekend (and I will never turn down a free beach weekend), so I'm trying to find a route nearby that seems safe. I emailed the local runner's club, hopefully they'll have some suggestions. And for the ice bath – into the ocean!! Can't wait.
The questionable part was that I tried Shot Bloks for the first time. I sort of wondered how you were supposed to ingest them on the run, and then I read a suggestion that you sort of tuck a square into your cheek and let it dissolve. That's nice in theory, but in practice having my cheek puffed out messed with my breathing, and made me feel like a chipmunk. They took forever to dissolve (I ended up chewing them a little because I needed to take another square while the old one was still hanging around). Plus, my tummy (which normally doesn't bother me at all) seemed a little uneasy about the Bloks. It just gurgled and felt vaguely out of sorts. On the other hand – I kept up a 8:55 pace on a relatively long run, and that may be because I pretty much constantly had a Blok in my mouth. On my 19-miler this weekend I think I'll try them again – that is a true long run, and I'll be on one day's rest.
I’m not really nervous about nineteen – now that whatever was bugging me in January is gone I feel great about running. I am a bit anxious about the route, however. At the last minute I was invited to the beach this weekend (and I will never turn down a free beach weekend), so I'm trying to find a route nearby that seems safe. I emailed the local runner's club, hopefully they'll have some suggestions. And for the ice bath – into the ocean!! Can't wait.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Seventeen miles on Saturday – wow.
Even as I was running, I couldn't believe I was doing it. To think my long run just a few months ago was five!
I was indeed in the rain for three hours straight, although it did mix with snow for a while in the middle, which was nice. I think I made the right choice in what I wore, even though I was WAY more bundled up than any of the other runners I saw (all four of them). It's one thing to get soaked to the skin on my short runs during the week, when I can come home and take a hot shower right away. I was concerned about getting soaked in the first half-hour, then having two and half more hours in which to get all chafe-y and uncomfortable.
I'm now convinced that I had a bad, clingy cold the last few weeks. I feel like a new runner now. Not only did I have plenty of energy on Saturday night, on Sunday I was fine. I even contemplated going for a short run, but settled on some yoga and a long walk instead. It is such a huge relief to know that I wasn't feeling crummy from the running but from some lousy germs that I probably got from my dad (thanks, Pop).
***
Now that I'm into the highest mileages I'll be doing, I've been thinking a lot about what to eat after a long run. I know it's important to get a lot of protein, carbs, etc., but I wanted to avoid nutrition bars and recovery powder thingies because they are both expensive and of dubious, perhaps chemical origin. So I googled around for awhile and stumbled across a great recipe on a website which (of course) I cannot locate now. I would give credit where it is due if I wasn't such a spaz.
Anywho, the recipe is below. I really like it. It's fast & easy to make, it's muy tasty, and I can drink it while I'm doing other things like stretching or getting in the ice bath (AAAAHHHHH!).
1 cup milk (soy or dairy)
1/3 cu. of either powdered skim milk or soy protein powder
2 tbs. of instant pudding mix, for flavor and to thicken the shake (I use butterscotch…mmmmm)
4 ice cubes
Combine everything in a blender and pulse until smooth
The original recipe called for dairy milk and the milk powder, neither of which I have at home, ergo I used soy milk & powder. The result was super tasty. The pudding mix, while adding sugar, also makes the shake uber-palatable. I was worried it would be one of those "choke it down, its good for you" things, but now I look forward to it. It fills me up, gives me a lot of protein and carbs, and I haven't been as sore on Sundays since I've been making them (although that may be due to other things too – like shaking off that persistent cold). The added bonus is that it costs like 40 cents a shake, as opposed to $3 and higher for commercial brands.
PS - How much do ice baths *#$%&`%*#$ suck????
I was indeed in the rain for three hours straight, although it did mix with snow for a while in the middle, which was nice. I think I made the right choice in what I wore, even though I was WAY more bundled up than any of the other runners I saw (all four of them). It's one thing to get soaked to the skin on my short runs during the week, when I can come home and take a hot shower right away. I was concerned about getting soaked in the first half-hour, then having two and half more hours in which to get all chafe-y and uncomfortable.
I'm now convinced that I had a bad, clingy cold the last few weeks. I feel like a new runner now. Not only did I have plenty of energy on Saturday night, on Sunday I was fine. I even contemplated going for a short run, but settled on some yoga and a long walk instead. It is such a huge relief to know that I wasn't feeling crummy from the running but from some lousy germs that I probably got from my dad (thanks, Pop).
***
Now that I'm into the highest mileages I'll be doing, I've been thinking a lot about what to eat after a long run. I know it's important to get a lot of protein, carbs, etc., but I wanted to avoid nutrition bars and recovery powder thingies because they are both expensive and of dubious, perhaps chemical origin. So I googled around for awhile and stumbled across a great recipe on a website which (of course) I cannot locate now. I would give credit where it is due if I wasn't such a spaz.
Anywho, the recipe is below. I really like it. It's fast & easy to make, it's muy tasty, and I can drink it while I'm doing other things like stretching or getting in the ice bath (AAAAHHHHH!).
1 cup milk (soy or dairy)
1/3 cu. of either powdered skim milk or soy protein powder
2 tbs. of instant pudding mix, for flavor and to thicken the shake (I use butterscotch…mmmmm)
4 ice cubes
Combine everything in a blender and pulse until smooth
The original recipe called for dairy milk and the milk powder, neither of which I have at home, ergo I used soy milk & powder. The result was super tasty. The pudding mix, while adding sugar, also makes the shake uber-palatable. I was worried it would be one of those "choke it down, its good for you" things, but now I look forward to it. It fills me up, gives me a lot of protein and carbs, and I haven't been as sore on Sundays since I've been making them (although that may be due to other things too – like shaking off that persistent cold). The added bonus is that it costs like 40 cents a shake, as opposed to $3 and higher for commercial brands.
PS - How much do ice baths *#$%&`%*#$ suck????
Monday, February 4, 2008
Shave Your 5k Challenge
I might not be as crazy as Brian here, but among my friends & family I am the only person insane enough to train for a marathon (thus far). Ergo, I have no one to grill for information or beg for reassurance that I am not, in fact, certifiable. Thus I turn to you dear internet, custodian of all humanly wisdom, to be comforted by the fact that if I am insane, I am certainly not suffering alone. One of the blogs I read with some regularity is Half-Fast. A few weeks ago he announced the Shave Your 5K Challenge. In one sentence: the challenge is to see who can improve their 5K time the most, both in plain minutes/seconds, and in percentage. I didn't hesitate to enter because: A) What a great name; B) I already have a qualifying time from the Ho-Ho 5K I ran in December; and C) That time was really slow. Nowhere to go but down! (She says now.) If you haven't already, you should head on over and check it out. Nothing like making your training goals public and trash-talking the competition to motivate some serious work-outs!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Maybe I'll stash them in a plastic baggie...
Ran at the gym during lunch yesterday, then promptly drank too much that night. We threw a party for a retiring coworker at a local bar. (Hey, only 40 years till I'm there!) Normally I'm pretty good at sticking to one or two, but last night drinks kept appearing in my hand as if by magic. I paid for maybe one drink yet imbibed many more over the course of four hours. When I got home (I wasn't driving, don't worry) I drank a ton of water and had some toast, so this morning I felt fine.
I'm trying to stay positive for tomorrow. It's still supposed to rain all day, so I'm steeling myself. There is no way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks that I'm running 17 miles inside, so outdoors it is. I'm going to wear rain pants over my running tights, and a slicker. I have to admit that in a masochistic way I like running in the rain. Somehow rainy runs seem to go by more quickly, maybe because my brain is too much occupied thinking "what the heck is wrong with me that I’m out here in the rain while other people are huddled in front of the fire drinking coffee?" to notice that time is passing. Plus whenever you come across another runner in the rain there is that treasured nod of acknowledgement for a fellow badass. There is one hands down bummer though – no matter where you stash your tissues, they get damp. You know what I mean. It's wintertime, its cold, you're running, you get the sniffles. In dry or snowy weather you can leave them in your jacket pocket and you'll be okay. But when you're out in the rain for three hours, tissues turn into a limp, soggy mess no matter how well you try to protect them.
I'm trying to stay positive for tomorrow. It's still supposed to rain all day, so I'm steeling myself. There is no way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks that I'm running 17 miles inside, so outdoors it is. I'm going to wear rain pants over my running tights, and a slicker. I have to admit that in a masochistic way I like running in the rain. Somehow rainy runs seem to go by more quickly, maybe because my brain is too much occupied thinking "what the heck is wrong with me that I’m out here in the rain while other people are huddled in front of the fire drinking coffee?" to notice that time is passing. Plus whenever you come across another runner in the rain there is that treasured nod of acknowledgement for a fellow badass. There is one hands down bummer though – no matter where you stash your tissues, they get damp. You know what I mean. It's wintertime, its cold, you're running, you get the sniffles. In dry or snowy weather you can leave them in your jacket pocket and you'll be okay. But when you're out in the rain for three hours, tissues turn into a limp, soggy mess no matter how well you try to protect them.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Worried I was going to fall on my butt a few times
Last night, again, the thought of running at the gym (this time for over an hour) gave me the shakes. Plus (and this may be TMI for some folks) I was feeling…gassy. There I said it, now the whole world (in theory) knows that I had gas last night. (Sorry mom.) Anyway, I didn't want to be like Amy, so I went home and headed out in the rain. I hadn’t thought of where to run, and sort of assumed I'd just go up to the reservoir. But when I got to where I would turn to head that way I decided to keep going up the mountain. Once I got to the park I remembered why I don’t do that this time of year. Once you are off the streets and inside the park, the frequency of streetlamps goes way down, making it hard to see speed bumps, piles of slick mouldering leaves, and crazy people laying in the street talking about Nirvana (don't know if they meant the band or the state of ultimate enlightenment). And although there are still a surprisingly high number of runners, dog walkers, and bikers out and about in the winter darkness, I can't help but feel nervous in the unlit areas. So I didn't go all the way to the top, just looped around the back and to the reservoir, where I finished up with laps. It was incredibly windy on the more exposed south side – I felt like I was running up against a linebacker. I didn't really track my mileage, just did seventy minutes, so it was probably a little over 7 miles. I felt really good.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Singing in the rai- wait, the sleet... no, now its snow
I had an interesting run last night. I couldn’t face the treadmill, not yet, so I ran outside. I started at my house down at the base of Mt. Tabor (~200 ft. elevation) and ran up to the track around the reservoir (~530 ft.). At my house, it was raining. At 55th Ave, halfway up, it was sleeting (ouch). And at the reservoir it was snowing. The snow was beautiful, big old flakes, and it wasn't sticking so I could enjoy it without worrying about sliding around. I descended through the weather again on my way home. Very cool.
I'm scheduled for 17 miles on Saturday and its making me nervous. I will never flake on a long run, and compared to the last few weeks I'm feeling good. But its supposed to rain all day, and 17 is creeping awfully close to 20. I guess its just daunting. Plus I had a dream about it last night in which things kept coming up and I couldn't run until nearly sunset, plus I'd forgotten my water and gels. It was unpleasant – I need to have a talk with my subconscious about making me more nervous than I already am with these nighttime shenanigans.
Sidebar: I've been upping my carb eating the past few weeks. I'm a veggie-tarian but I was still on the light side when it came to starchy carbs. I eat a lot of fruit, cheese, veggies, yogurt, cheese. Cheese. But given how tired I was feeling after my long runs I decided some dietary tinkering was necessary. I'm hoping a 7:30 bedtime won't be necessary again this Saturday. I'm willing to make certain sacrifices for marathon training but going to bed at 7:30 on party night? Not acceptable.
I'm scheduled for 17 miles on Saturday and its making me nervous. I will never flake on a long run, and compared to the last few weeks I'm feeling good. But its supposed to rain all day, and 17 is creeping awfully close to 20. I guess its just daunting. Plus I had a dream about it last night in which things kept coming up and I couldn't run until nearly sunset, plus I'd forgotten my water and gels. It was unpleasant – I need to have a talk with my subconscious about making me more nervous than I already am with these nighttime shenanigans.
Sidebar: I've been upping my carb eating the past few weeks. I'm a veggie-tarian but I was still on the light side when it came to starchy carbs. I eat a lot of fruit, cheese, veggies, yogurt, cheese. Cheese. But given how tired I was feeling after my long runs I decided some dietary tinkering was necessary. I'm hoping a 7:30 bedtime won't be necessary again this Saturday. I'm willing to make certain sacrifices for marathon training but going to bed at 7:30 on party night? Not acceptable.
Monday, January 28, 2008
I admit, I wimped out
Saturday morning dawned cold & icky (a scientific term). It was raining/icing steadily, and I made the call that it would be silly to put myself through another long run in miserable weather. Plus, parts of the sidewalk by my house were slippery enough that I nearly went toes over ass while walking on them. Thus to the gym I went, to complete twelve grueling miles on the treadmill. Shudder. Yuck. Blarg. I really hate when I have to restart the treadmill. I don't know if this is a 24 Hour Fitness thing or is universal, but all the treadmills at the gym have a max of 60 minutes per session. Even if I do a separate warm-up, that's a max of 6 miles, give or take a few tenths. Ergo, if I want to do more than 6 miles I have to let the treadmill come to a complete stop, furiously press the "restart" and "speed up" buttons, and try to get back into the groove I was so ignominiously booted out of. I realize that in the grand scheme of Life's Inconveniences this one ranks pretty low, somewhere in the vicinity of changing the oil in your car, but way below flossing or the stomach flu. Still. Oh, and another thing I've come to dislike about doing long runs at the gym is that I get funny looks from people while swallowing gels. I get that most people on the treadmill at the gym are walking or running 2 or 3 miles, and have most likely never run long enough to need a gel. I get that it might be weird to see the gal next to you trying to subtly ooze some goo out of a tube into her sweaty face while simultaneously trying not to fall off the back of the treadmill into the guy behind her. But do ya gotta stare?
To look on the bright side of the gym thing, I wasn't on one of the machines that faces the wall, and I got to watch most of Paycheck, a completely forgettable action movie from the 90s that I vaguely remember seeing at the drive-in with my two best friends in high school. We went to see it because we had a thing for Ben Affleck, who spends the entire movie looking like an insurance salesman with tanorexia and a pomade fixation.
To look on the bright side of the gym thing, I wasn't on one of the machines that faces the wall, and I got to watch most of Paycheck, a completely forgettable action movie from the 90s that I vaguely remember seeing at the drive-in with my two best friends in high school. We went to see it because we had a thing for Ben Affleck, who spends the entire movie looking like an insurance salesman with tanorexia and a pomade fixation.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Notes from around
Last night = fastest four miles EVER. I wasn't super-motivated or energized, oh no. It was just late and ASS COLD outside (for Portland, I mean). I literally sprinted up the first half of Mt. Tabor in an effort to stop shivering. Brrr. I know that it really isn't that cold here, in the grand scheme of winter. Where I grew up we hit ten below a few times a year, and in Moscow it got down to maybe -20, consistently (it was all Celsius, so who really knows?). But its all about what you're used to, and in Portland we're used to 45 degrees and rain, not this 27 degrees and sun thing. When I was in college I studied abroad junior year, Prague in the fall and Singapore in the spring. I left Prague on January 1, spent 36 hours at home in New York, then flew to Singapore. The temperature gradient was about...hmm…sixty degrees. My first ten days in S'pore were miserable, just awful. I was sweating buckets every time I left the sweet embrace of the AC. But then my body figured out that I was no longer in the middle of a Central European winter and hey, maybe I shouldn't sweat out every ounce of moisture I ingest. After that I found the climate quite pleasant (if somewhat boring). Anyway, my point is, it was cold last night and don't make fun of me just because I've been softened by this easy Pacific NW living. I still got out there and ran.
So, a digression: I've been striving for real honesty about my training, and how difficult it is. I have a tendency to sugarcoat things in hindsight, and I want to make sure that I don't do that here. (In case I get the crazy notion to do this again.) The past couple of weeks have been trying, to say the least. But I also don't want to give the impression that this training is nothing but a torturous exercise in masochism. That's just a small part of it. :) In that spirit, here are a couple of notes & shout-outs from my training thus far:
1. To the men who ride their bikes along the Springwater Corridor on Saturday mornings: thank you. Y'all definitely improve the scenery, especially from (ahem) the backside.
2. Thanks to Portland Parks and Rec for creating & maintaining the SC. It's great to be able to go for 40 miles (in theory!) on a smooth, safe, straight trail.
3. A baseball hat is my absolute best friend when running outside. It keeps the sun out, the rain off, and the sleet manageable.
4. Memo to the guy next to me at the gym: if you rest your entire upper body on the sideguards of the treadmill, it doesn’t count as running. Sheesh.
5. Hammer gel is yummy, especially the raspberry and apple-cinnamon flavors. I have not yet figured out how to eat Sport Beans (Beanz?). Do you eat them while running? One at a time? Where do you put the opened pack if you don't eat them all at once?
…Now I just have to steel myself for tomorrow's 12 "Wintry Mix" miles. Prepare for some whining about that one...
So, a digression: I've been striving for real honesty about my training, and how difficult it is. I have a tendency to sugarcoat things in hindsight, and I want to make sure that I don't do that here. (In case I get the crazy notion to do this again.) The past couple of weeks have been trying, to say the least. But I also don't want to give the impression that this training is nothing but a torturous exercise in masochism. That's just a small part of it. :) In that spirit, here are a couple of notes & shout-outs from my training thus far:
1. To the men who ride their bikes along the Springwater Corridor on Saturday mornings: thank you. Y'all definitely improve the scenery, especially from (ahem) the backside.
2. Thanks to Portland Parks and Rec for creating & maintaining the SC. It's great to be able to go for 40 miles (in theory!) on a smooth, safe, straight trail.
3. A baseball hat is my absolute best friend when running outside. It keeps the sun out, the rain off, and the sleet manageable.
4. Memo to the guy next to me at the gym: if you rest your entire upper body on the sideguards of the treadmill, it doesn’t count as running. Sheesh.
5. Hammer gel is yummy, especially the raspberry and apple-cinnamon flavors. I have not yet figured out how to eat Sport Beans (Beanz?). Do you eat them while running? One at a time? Where do you put the opened pack if you don't eat them all at once?
…Now I just have to steel myself for tomorrow's 12 "Wintry Mix" miles. Prepare for some whining about that one...
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Here's hoping
I completed my 15 miles on Saturday. It was hard. I thought ten miles in the rain was bad, then I went fifteen in the sleet & hail. In all honesty it wasn't coming down the entire length of the run. But it stung my face and hands and made the path slippery. The last three miles I increased my pace: one) to see if I could; and two) because I just wanted to be done. I was tired, and that night I went to bed at 7:45. Last week was my first 30-mile week, and it took it out of me. I think/hope I'm still wrestling with a cold, because I could easily go to bed at 8 every night, and I refuse to let this training take over my life.
Today it was sunny and completely beautiful in Portland. An extremely rare day for us this time of year, and I jumped at the chance to run outside on my lunch break. It is runs like the one I enjoyed today that remind me of why I like running in the first place. I was going along the Springwater Corridor at a perfectly comfortable pace, my legs felt good, my breathing was perfect, the sun and wind were on my back, the river was sparkling. I felt a great amount of joy, and it was remarkable to think that this is something that I would seek out – that I would consider running to be a… relaxation activity. It's hard to explain, but I think anyone who feels the need to coerce themselves into exercising knows what I'm trying to get at. Today's run was like a break, like a mini-vacation in the middle of the workday. There is nothing that I could have done that I would have enjoyed more than running four miles in the beautiful sunshine.
That feeling has been missing these last few weeks – this great run came at the perfect time. I've been feeling worn down, and the lingering hip thing has cast a pall over running the past 6 weeks or so. Running was a chore, something to get out of the way so that I could spend the rest of my free time doing "fun" things. But today running was a fun thing. I need to capture that spirit and bottle it so that this weekend, when the rain and snow are due back, I can face my long run with a smile and not a grimace.
Today it was sunny and completely beautiful in Portland. An extremely rare day for us this time of year, and I jumped at the chance to run outside on my lunch break. It is runs like the one I enjoyed today that remind me of why I like running in the first place. I was going along the Springwater Corridor at a perfectly comfortable pace, my legs felt good, my breathing was perfect, the sun and wind were on my back, the river was sparkling. I felt a great amount of joy, and it was remarkable to think that this is something that I would seek out – that I would consider running to be a… relaxation activity. It's hard to explain, but I think anyone who feels the need to coerce themselves into exercising knows what I'm trying to get at. Today's run was like a break, like a mini-vacation in the middle of the workday. There is nothing that I could have done that I would have enjoyed more than running four miles in the beautiful sunshine.
That feeling has been missing these last few weeks – this great run came at the perfect time. I've been feeling worn down, and the lingering hip thing has cast a pall over running the past 6 weeks or so. Running was a chore, something to get out of the way so that I could spend the rest of my free time doing "fun" things. But today running was a fun thing. I need to capture that spirit and bottle it so that this weekend, when the rain and snow are due back, I can face my long run with a smile and not a grimace.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Hoping 15 miles on Saturday won't kill me
My seven miles last night was a mixed bag. On the positive side, my hip didn't hurt at all. Excellent. My toe hurt a few times, but mildly. Good. On the negative said, my right leg hurt last night. WTF? Assuredly not good. I'm just praying that it was getting sick of compensating for a weak left leg, and that now I'm working on the left leg the right will stop complaining. Either that or I'm taking up swimming. Seriously. I pretty much told myself that I would train as long as it was fun and I wasn't hurting myself. I had and have every intention of finishing the marathon, but not at the risk of doing long-term damage to poor little legs. They're trying hard, but I have to respect that they might have limits under 26.2 miles. I don't want to...but if it comes to that I will swallow my pride and throw in the towel. Of course that will be my absolute, dead-last resort, because I have a feeling that my legs are a lot less sensitive than my ego.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Oh left leg, why can't you be more like right leg?
I went to see a chiropractor this morning, for the first time ever. The pain I've had in my left hip has not been getting better, and I figured better nip it in the bud now before it becomes really severe. Dr. Awesome (as I'll be calling him) was great. He's a runner too, so he had some ideas right away about what could be causing it.
It's his opinion that the hip pain is actually caused by my foot and how it strikes the ground. Because of a weak arch it's twisting too much and causing the rest of the leg to sort of swirl counter-clockwise, which ends up putting a lot of torsion on the hip. And that leads to "ow." I have a bunch of exercises to do, every 3-4 hours (not quite sure how I'm going to do them at work…), to strengthen the foot, ankle, and thigh. Fingers crossed, they'll strengthen the weak muscles, thus taking stress off the hip.
My four miles yesterday (on the treadmill) weren't pretty. I felt like I was unconsciously favoring my right leg over my left (which I know is bad), then trying to consciously stop. It was excessively awkward. Plus I'm still feeling a bit worn, so I wasn't able to go as fast as I've gone recently. On the positive side, I decided to turn it into a kind of half-assed hill workout and cranked the incline to 5 for a few minutes at a time. That made the time pass relatively quickly, and by the end I was pretty much pain-free. We'll see how things go tonight - I'm hopeful.
It's his opinion that the hip pain is actually caused by my foot and how it strikes the ground. Because of a weak arch it's twisting too much and causing the rest of the leg to sort of swirl counter-clockwise, which ends up putting a lot of torsion on the hip. And that leads to "ow." I have a bunch of exercises to do, every 3-4 hours (not quite sure how I'm going to do them at work…), to strengthen the foot, ankle, and thigh. Fingers crossed, they'll strengthen the weak muscles, thus taking stress off the hip.
My four miles yesterday (on the treadmill) weren't pretty. I felt like I was unconsciously favoring my right leg over my left (which I know is bad), then trying to consciously stop. It was excessively awkward. Plus I'm still feeling a bit worn, so I wasn't able to go as fast as I've gone recently. On the positive side, I decided to turn it into a kind of half-assed hill workout and cranked the incline to 5 for a few minutes at a time. That made the time pass relatively quickly, and by the end I was pretty much pain-free. We'll see how things go tonight - I'm hopeful.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Pardon my French…
...but there is no way to express how truly awful my run was on Saturday except through cursing: it was a fucking nightmare. Seriously, from start to finish it was a total CF. I came thisclose to scrapping the whole thing after two miles, but managed to convince myself to use it as a pre-marathon test to see just how much pain and misery I can endure. Which is a lot, apparently. What was so horrible about it? 1) I think I had a fever; 2) My throat hurt and my body ached even before I laced up; 3) it rained on me again; 4) I had a kink in my right calf that never really went away; 5) I brought a Strawberry-Banana Power Gel with me and it was so vile I nearly gagged; and 6) MY IDIOT TOE HURT. I don’t know why my stupid left big toe hurt but OH DEAR GOD I never knew a toe could cause so much pain. That was the killer. Every other step I contemplated stopping. I did stop once to take my shoe off and make sure the damn thing wasn't broken. Jeez, I'm still all jittery and strung-out about it. After I hit the 10-mile mark I practically had to crawl the half-mile back to my car. On Sunday I was so feverish & tired that I passed the majority of the day on the couch watching football (okay, in all honesty I probably would have done that anyway)(go Giants!). Ugh. I feel better today (doped up on Dayquil).
I'm truly concerned about the toe thing – even though it isn't broken (I don't think) it still hurts, though not as badly. I'm going to take it easy again today, and hopefully my run tomorrow won't be another exercise in masochism. Shudder.
I'm truly concerned about the toe thing – even though it isn't broken (I don't think) it still hurts, though not as badly. I'm going to take it easy again today, and hopefully my run tomorrow won't be another exercise in masochism. Shudder.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Stop the presses!
miles: 3.1 indoors
total program miles: 213.2
pain level: mild, with stiffness and light cursing
I had a good three mile run yesterday! I can't believe it. I ran on the treadmill during my lunch hour, and I kept waiting for that familiar discomfort to rear its ugly head after the first mile - and it never did! I felt rather elated.
Today, on the other hand, I feel like crap. I'm fighting an icky cold that's going around the office and I basically feel like a lump, plus I'm really sore (still) from my Monday exercises. There is an explanation for that, and like most explanations in my life it has its origins in unabashed laziness. On Sunday my plan was to go the gym and lift weights. Yeah, didn't happen. I spent most of the day sitting on the couch eating waffles. So instead I lifted weights Monday, and tried a new approach. I had a nebulous idea that free weights were better for you than machines; I'm not sure where it came from, maybe I just absorbed it via osmosis from breathing in gym air.
Anywho, I read an article in Health over the weekend about machines that aren't really good for you because you can easily use them incorrectly & hurt yourself, or they induce movement that is unnatural. Most of the machines I use were in there, natch. I've never hurt myself lifting weights but I thought I'd give a new approach a try, shake things up a little. (I know! I'm a crazy person, somebody stop me.) Also, in the interest of full disclosure there is another reason why I resist free weights: I don't like the free weight area. It intimidates me, with its wall of mirrors and 10-to-1 guy/girl ratio. I'm just not comfortable standing there staring at myself lifting little ten-pound weights with what I'm sure is unfortunate form. And I know its paranoid but I always get this feeling like someone is watching me, which I think is rude, but in order to check I'd have to look around at all the other lifters and thus be that rude person and, well, basically the free weight area is a shame spiral waiting to happen. I tried Monday but I still felt very awkward. The end result is that I spent most of the time doing squats and forward lunges. Um, ouch. Yesterday I was walking almost bowlegged, it was comical. But to come full circle, I think that it helped me have the good run yesterday by really stretching out my hips and glutes. We'll see how the six miles goes today.
total program miles: 213.2
pain level: mild, with stiffness and light cursing
I had a good three mile run yesterday! I can't believe it. I ran on the treadmill during my lunch hour, and I kept waiting for that familiar discomfort to rear its ugly head after the first mile - and it never did! I felt rather elated.
Today, on the other hand, I feel like crap. I'm fighting an icky cold that's going around the office and I basically feel like a lump, plus I'm really sore (still) from my Monday exercises. There is an explanation for that, and like most explanations in my life it has its origins in unabashed laziness. On Sunday my plan was to go the gym and lift weights. Yeah, didn't happen. I spent most of the day sitting on the couch eating waffles. So instead I lifted weights Monday, and tried a new approach. I had a nebulous idea that free weights were better for you than machines; I'm not sure where it came from, maybe I just absorbed it via osmosis from breathing in gym air.
Anywho, I read an article in Health over the weekend about machines that aren't really good for you because you can easily use them incorrectly & hurt yourself, or they induce movement that is unnatural. Most of the machines I use were in there, natch. I've never hurt myself lifting weights but I thought I'd give a new approach a try, shake things up a little. (I know! I'm a crazy person, somebody stop me.) Also, in the interest of full disclosure there is another reason why I resist free weights: I don't like the free weight area. It intimidates me, with its wall of mirrors and 10-to-1 guy/girl ratio. I'm just not comfortable standing there staring at myself lifting little ten-pound weights with what I'm sure is unfortunate form. And I know its paranoid but I always get this feeling like someone is watching me, which I think is rude, but in order to check I'd have to look around at all the other lifters and thus be that rude person and, well, basically the free weight area is a shame spiral waiting to happen. I tried Monday but I still felt very awkward. The end result is that I spent most of the time doing squats and forward lunges. Um, ouch. Yesterday I was walking almost bowlegged, it was comical. But to come full circle, I think that it helped me have the good run yesterday by really stretching out my hips and glutes. We'll see how the six miles goes today.
<--This is from the Ho-Ho 5k back in December. I finally got around to looking at the pictures. Note my festive, seasonally appropriate attire and deep discomfort at having my photo taken.
Monday, January 7, 2008
I now consider myself hardcore
Seriously. Saturday I ran 13 miles, ten of which were completed in the pouring rain. On Friday night the forecast was for scattered showers Saturday morning, and when I got up the sky was pretty clear. Now I shouldn’t blame the weather people for deceiving me – I've lived here long enough to know that the weather can pull a 180 in minutes. Really I have only myself to blame. I thought it would be nice to run outside, and if I got sprinkled on, well, that's good experience right?
As I drove down to the Springwater corridor in southeast Portland, it wasn't raining. As I warmed up it wasn't raining, and when I started to run it still wasn't raining. It actually looked as if it might clear up. But then I hit 3 miles, struggling as always, and it started to rain on me. Little piddles at first, then harder and harder until it was seriously pouring. It did that for the next ten miles. What surprised me was that it honestly wasn't that horrible (of course I may be blocking some things out). I think the worst part was that I'd unwisely worn cotton socks, and I was preoccupied that like, at the turnaround point I'd start to get blisters or chafing and have to decide whether to run through it or stop and walk the 6.5 miles back to the car. But it never happened, even though by the end my feet were so wet that every time they hit the ground little jets of water squirted out the front and sides. Other than that I was relatively comfortable. I was wearing breathable capris and top layers that didn't chafe, and a baseball cap that kept the rain out of my eyes (although it got so saturated that water started pooling at the edges and dripping down). I never felt any pain anywhere, although I was really tired by the end. On Sunday (thanks to another horrible ice bath) I was fine, a little stiff. One odd thing was that as soon as I stopped running (oh blessed relief), my knees hurt. Like they were actually tender. After the ice bath they felt pretty much fine, but it was strange that I felt totally fine while running and then had problems walking.
As I mentioned above, the first 3.5 miles pretty much stank. It seems to be my pattern that once I get past the warm-up miles I can settle in and cruise along pretty comfortably. It's hard though, to start off feeling really terrible, and questioning whether you can finish 13 miles when you can't even do four, blah blah blah. It's a mental struggle to keep going. But I do, and then before I know it I'm at the turnaround point. And then I'm done - 13 miles!! A half-marathon!! And I did it in about 2 hours and four minutes. Oh, and no i-Pod! Go me!
As I drove down to the Springwater corridor in southeast Portland, it wasn't raining. As I warmed up it wasn't raining, and when I started to run it still wasn't raining. It actually looked as if it might clear up. But then I hit 3 miles, struggling as always, and it started to rain on me. Little piddles at first, then harder and harder until it was seriously pouring. It did that for the next ten miles. What surprised me was that it honestly wasn't that horrible (of course I may be blocking some things out). I think the worst part was that I'd unwisely worn cotton socks, and I was preoccupied that like, at the turnaround point I'd start to get blisters or chafing and have to decide whether to run through it or stop and walk the 6.5 miles back to the car. But it never happened, even though by the end my feet were so wet that every time they hit the ground little jets of water squirted out the front and sides. Other than that I was relatively comfortable. I was wearing breathable capris and top layers that didn't chafe, and a baseball cap that kept the rain out of my eyes (although it got so saturated that water started pooling at the edges and dripping down). I never felt any pain anywhere, although I was really tired by the end. On Sunday (thanks to another horrible ice bath) I was fine, a little stiff. One odd thing was that as soon as I stopped running (oh blessed relief), my knees hurt. Like they were actually tender. After the ice bath they felt pretty much fine, but it was strange that I felt totally fine while running and then had problems walking.
As I mentioned above, the first 3.5 miles pretty much stank. It seems to be my pattern that once I get past the warm-up miles I can settle in and cruise along pretty comfortably. It's hard though, to start off feeling really terrible, and questioning whether you can finish 13 miles when you can't even do four, blah blah blah. It's a mental struggle to keep going. But I do, and then before I know it I'm at the turnaround point. And then I'm done - 13 miles!! A half-marathon!! And I did it in about 2 hours and four minutes. Oh, and no i-Pod! Go me!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
They finished with a win! Yahoo!
So I'm sure that no one is aware of this outside the greater NY/NJ metro area (unless maybe you live in Kansas City and are currently huddled under a rock to hide your shame), but the Jets actually won their last game of the season to end with a Not-Rock-Bottom 4-12 record.
But they almost blew it. It was overtime, they'd won the toss, and managed to string together a respectable series of carries. They were in relatively easy field goal range for Mike Nugent, or as I like to call him, "Nuuuuuuuge". (To get the full effect of that nickname, when you read it picture a drunken frat-boy in a toga, waving an MGD around.) KC calls a timeout. I swear at them roundly for prolonging the season by 30 seconds. Nuuuuuge kicks...he makes it...the crowd (all 23 hardy souls) goes wild...aaaaaaand the yellow flag drops. Holding, offense. 10 yard penalty. &#$*(%?!?!? #$(%(#$*'in holding???? I threw myself onto the floor to express what all the curses in the world could not manage. They line up again, now 43 yards away. The crowd holds its breath...aaaand....KC calls a timeout. From the floor, I loudly wish that I had a teleportation machine so I could right this instant kick Herman Edwards in the crotch. Another 30 seconds tick by...Nuuuuuuuge kicks...AND IT'S GOOooOooOOOoooD!
Thank goodness another season is over with.
But they almost blew it. It was overtime, they'd won the toss, and managed to string together a respectable series of carries. They were in relatively easy field goal range for Mike Nugent, or as I like to call him, "Nuuuuuuuge". (To get the full effect of that nickname, when you read it picture a drunken frat-boy in a toga, waving an MGD around.) KC calls a timeout. I swear at them roundly for prolonging the season by 30 seconds. Nuuuuuge kicks...he makes it...the crowd (all 23 hardy souls) goes wild...aaaaaaand the yellow flag drops. Holding, offense. 10 yard penalty. &#$*(%?!?!? #$(%(#$*'in holding???? I threw myself onto the floor to express what all the curses in the world could not manage. They line up again, now 43 yards away. The crowd holds its breath...aaaand....KC calls a timeout. From the floor, I loudly wish that I had a teleportation machine so I could right this instant kick Herman Edwards in the crotch. Another 30 seconds tick by...Nuuuuuuuge kicks...AND IT'S GOOooOooOOOoooD!
Thank goodness another season is over with.
2008: Year of the Marathon!
Happy New Year!! I had grand plans that while I was on vacation I would write long and fascinating blog posts, and then I never turned on the computer. I did keep running though, logging my first double-digit run of ten miles the Saturday before Christmas. I ran on the rural-ish asphalt roads around my parents' house in upstate New York. It was gorgeous scenery, and the run was as close to a piece of cake as ten miles can be. I got totally into the zone in the last few miles, and when I got to my stopping point I was actually disappointed. In addition to my first ten miles, I also had my first ice bath that day. YOWZA! It was way, WAAAAY worse than the run. But I felt myself getting stiff after I stretched out, so I figured it would be a good idea. And it was – on Sunday I felt completely and totally fine. No soreness at all. So I am now an ardent supporter of the ice bath, even if it does approach the height of masochism to exhaust yourself running and then climb into a bathtub filled with frigid water and ice cubes. I almost laughed at the absurdity. This weekend I'm up to 13 miles…eep. I have to say I'm intimidated. That's basically a half-marathon. I've already started psyching myself up and drinking lots of water and tea. Thirteen miles!!
So, when I started this site I got the little counter deal on the right side because it seemed like a good idea to have a reminder of when this whole deal was going down. When I first put it up the days remaining was like...170 or something in that range. Some safe, large number. Now I look and its below 100, which sort of wigs me out. But I'm still confident & feeling good about my running. Since I started training, let's say 70 days ago, I have doubled the length of my long runs from five to ten miles. Now, I have about 83 days (not counting taper) to double it again and get comfortable with running for hours.
To kick off the New Year on a positive note: I know I can do this.
So, when I started this site I got the little counter deal on the right side because it seemed like a good idea to have a reminder of when this whole deal was going down. When I first put it up the days remaining was like...170 or something in that range. Some safe, large number. Now I look and its below 100, which sort of wigs me out. But I'm still confident & feeling good about my running. Since I started training, let's say 70 days ago, I have doubled the length of my long runs from five to ten miles. Now, I have about 83 days (not counting taper) to double it again and get comfortable with running for hours.
To kick off the New Year on a positive note: I know I can do this.
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