Running - It's Not Math

Miles Run This Week: 10.2
Days until Burlington: 195

So, the goal to run 5 days a week is already going pretty well (she says on day 3). But when it was intermittently raining last night, it was somehow easier for me to get out and run, knowing that there was no pressure to run a certain distance, more to just get another day under my legs. (I ended up doing a modest 3.1.) 

Today I signed up for the St. Pete's 10K, so in less than 30 days, I'll be running here:

 

With views like this:



which is WAAAAAAY better than any 10K I'm going to run in January in Boston.

This week was my first week of adding back "speed work" - which - for the record - is actually a terrible idea because I'm also increasing the miles I run (this is a recipe for injury). But on Wednesday, I did my first tempo run in a while. Tempo runs are a warm up, with about 20-30 minutes of "near race pace" running with a cool down. These get your legs used to running for a long time at a faster clip (which is obviously different from sprinting). One of the toughest things to gauge for me is my "race pace" - since pretty much every race for me has had varying degrees of preparation behind it - I don't really know what's "typical" or what's "me at my best". I mean - I have PRs in each distance, but then I'll have a race right near it that is like...a full minute per mile off.

A lot of training is allegedly based on pacing. You run long, slow distance runs about 2 minutes slower per mile than your race pace. You run tempo runs about 20 seconds off your race page. Race pace race pace race pace.

While I've been running for 3 years, this is still something I have no idea how to measure. Which makes me panic a little. Then I was reading my Runner's World - and someone said, "RUN! It's not math." So last night, I just did what felt OK on my legs - which was much slower than I would have liked, but I know is the way to stay injury-free.

It also helps to run with a view!

What's Luck Got To Do With It?

Miles Run this Week: 4

Days until Burlington: 197

While at a party this weekend, someone said to me (about marathon training), "I'd say good luck, but I know luck doesn't have a lot to do with it." He's absolutely right - luck might make you a naturally fast runner. Luck might get you perfect weather on race day. But luck falls short for endurance sports - it's always preparedness. 

After writing last week about how hard it is to get out there this time of year...I totally succumbed to cheesecake and gift wrapping and non-running. I've now had two weeks in a row below 10 miles - which isn't bad, per se, (better than two weeks in a row at 0 miles), but I've got about 8 weeks before I'm at a 25 mile a week (plus) clip. I am terrified that I'll just burn out, and hover around 10 miles, and then suddenly have to make a 150% increase. I haven't been hitting my targets to prevent that. I'm doing OK...but I could be doing better. 

But running is like that. Most things in life are like that. You have your expectations (of yourself, of others, of the weather) and sometimes, you miss. So, you recalculate and refocus. I mean, I guess you could give up - but if that's your response to things, I doubt you're even reading this right now. Most likely, you're on your couch, barely on the radar (which is fine, if you have cheesecake, and are just taking a couple nights off of running). 

One of the tactics that always helps me is rewording my goal, so that the same things will be accomplished, but my focus won't be on unrealistic (lofty) goals, or putting stress on myself to meet a goal that I just flubbed. 

This entire marathon has been built on this premise. Usually, I'm beating myself up over miles, and staring at a 4:59:59 marathon time that I essentially make impossible to reach, because I'm not running the miles. It's a vicious cycle (that landed me a nice 6+ time last time). So, much like my focus for Burlington has changed (stick to the training plan, and the time will most likely follow), I have to change up my approach to my building miles. 

My goal from now until February (when I start training) is to run 5 days a week. Maybe I can only do a mile some days because of time. Maybe I can only do a mile before my legs shred. Last night I did 4 miles because there was no wind by the Charles - and those days are pretty tough to find. I was feeling good, so instead of 3, I did 4. If I'm running 5 days a week, it'll be pretty easy to hit those mileage weeks I've been missing. 

To also keep me focused, I'm looking at some races to put on my calendar. To kick off 2012, I'm running the St. Pete's Beach Classic 10K when I go to see my parents in Tampa MLK weekend. Definitely looking to get the speed back to what it was in June for another sub-hour 10K. (Especially because my Mom and Dad will be watching - and the last time they saw me run a race, it was the final quarter mile of Boston - so needless to say, I wasn't looking my best.) 

Just making sure my luck won't run out!

Packed Schedule v Running

Miles run this week: 2
Days until Burlington: 204

Welp, the holiday season is upon us, which means weekends full of parties and cookies, miles ramping up, miles in the freezing cold, and pals are starting to train for Boston.

I'm looking at my schedule of miles, and the day before Christmas Eve I have a 10 miler slated. I finally manned up and ran 7 miles (without spin class before - much smarter) again...now I'm staring down 10? I'm starting to remember why I took 2011 off of marathoning. The time it demands alone is mentally grueling - nevermind that 68 minutes outside in 40-ish degree weather made my hands so cold that they were swollen when I got home.

But when I'm out there, I feel incredible. Thinking about the mere fact that I've run so many miles makes me run faster, and happier while I'm out there.

It's the getting out there that's tough. My whiney inner lazy fat kid takes over:
-It's dark out when you get home from work!
-You have so many cookies to make for parties!
-You have cheesecake in the fridge and Teen Mom 2 on DVR!
-There are so many presents to wrap!
-Cheesecake!

I ran two miles on the treadmill yesterday - and the way this week is shaping up, it's looking like I'll end up doing about 9 out of my 18 miles on the 'mill. This is awful for a couple reasons - (1) running on the treadmill is some form of torture from an ancient, evil civilization (2) it's hard on the body, particularly the hips (which are already a sad state of affairs for me). Between the cookie baking, present shopping and tree trimming, it looks like my only option.

I just keep thinking about how much happier I will be in Burlington if I lay the good groundwork now! (And cheesecake.)

And on the 7th day...there was Protein

Miles Run Today: 0. Miles run this week: 0.
Days until Burlington: 218

Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days I've had since my triathlon training schedule. My legs were like jelly the rest of the day, and they were like concrete when I woke up this morning.

And then I ate. And I ate and I ate and I ate. I even went out of my way to get a Greek yogurt because it has like 3 times the protein of a regular yogurt (but unfortunately has the consistency of grade school paste).

I hate rest days. Mostly because all I do is plow through whatever sort of food is in my way, and then do nothing to burn it off. My inner control freak starts it's calorie count hand-wringing on rest days. The obsessive, addicted little guy tries to tell me that I don't need a rest day...or strength training can be considered a rest day...or...how are you going to eat all that butternut squash? It's a rest day.

I've been able to breathe calmly through these this year, because between all my cross training, all those calories (and pounds) seem to fall off of me anyway (for the first time in 29 years - I can actually say weight is "falling off of me").

Everything I read says rest is important - if not more important - than logging miles. (Sometimes I take that more to heart than necessary. I think at some point, my rest days were flirting with "couch potato mode".) The sensible side of me knows that without a day or two off a week, I get cranky. I get fed up with continuous training. I don't even want to run 1 mile, let alone 10. So I am resting. And I am eating. And I am trying to make sure I walk that fine line between "not enough" and "too much". Because "it's better to be underdone than over cooked" (which I pulled from a Runner's World blog post I can't seem to find anywhere).

The Wall and the Drugs

Miles Run Today: 7.0   Miles for the week: 16
Days until Burlington: 219

Today's run was the furthest I've run in 2011. When I made my resolution to not run a race over 7 miles, all my training came down with it (which was the point). Even when my training program for the BAA 10K called for 7 or 8 milers...I mustered maybe a 6 miler.

These 7 miles have been looming on my training calendar for a while (I was originally slated to do 9 - I'm no where close to that right now). I've come to realize that everything over 6 miles is a mental block for me. Because it seems so much more...serious....somehow.

A six-miler is something I can bang out in about an hour. While 7 miles is only about 10ish minutes more, it's almost like the gateway drug to long, slow, distance runs. Because after 7 comes 8. And after 8 miles, 10 miles is just a inevitable formality at that point. Ten miles means you are a DISTANCE RUNNER, at least in my mind (especially since it's just under 2 hours of running for me). So, I've been sputtering at 6. Once I get over 6, my run at Burlington (no pun intended) is real. Then I am really in a build stage for a training stage.

There are still seeds of doubt scattered throughout me when I think about marathoning again. Will I burn out and have another lackluster time? Will this time finally be the time my IT band gives out, and sidelines me for a couple months? Will I puss out when it starts to snow? The conquering of the 7 miler for me is the first strep towards manning up and taking on my fears and this 26.2 head on.

To help, I tried my first spin class this morning. Forty-five minutes later, I'm hooked. I felt like I was triathlon training again (in a good way - without the swimming). It's going to be a great addition to my training - because it puts me in "the zone". Every now and then when I'm exercising, while I look like I've just gotten out of the shower because I'm soaked with sweat, and my muscles are burning just enough so I know I'm real, I go into my zen-like state and feel like I could like...flip over a car or something. It only comes out in runs for me now when I'm racing (or realize I'm killing my pace). But this morning, probably 2 or 3 times, I reached that euphoria.

I felt ready to climb the wall of the 7 miler.

Luckily, it's also 60 degrees in Boston today. In late November. This is unheard of. I just hope it doesn't mean I'm doing my peak run in May in the snow.

Running is my drug.

MapMyR...Whoa. Really?

Miles Run Today: 4.0 Miles for the week: 6.0
Days Until Burlington: 225

So I downloaded MapMyRun for my iPhone - more because I'm tired of having to come home and track how far I went or eyeballing it on the USATF site. Since I'm going to start really climbing in mileage - the last thing I want to do is run more (or less) than I'm supposed to (more concerned about the running more than I have to).

Yesterday I went for a easy two miler...and I was really surprised:
(a) Have I really been underestimating my mileage this much? I'm like 4 blocks away from where I usually hit a mile.
(b) Am I really running this fast? No way. No WAY. This is like...20 seconds off my race pace. Really? Really.

I'm not one to fight good news - but it just seems a little....too good. But, it's on Google. so it must be true, right?

I also have to recalibrate my training schedule - which is pretty typical for me. This time, I'm trying to have 20+ mile weeks before I actually start my race training (since there's no "Couch to 20 miles a week plan...shocker). I kind of dipped towards the end of September and early October, because I knew I weeks of maintaining 25 miles a week (which is what I start Burlington training). Welp, I just looked at it...to ramp up safely (10% increase for 3 weeks, reduced mileage for a week), I will get up to 23 miles a week, drop to 18 for recovery, and roll right into training. Not super what I wanted to do, but it's yet another hash mark in the "laziness will make you pay" column. I really hate that column.

Annnnnd I'm looking into spin classes for cross training. Right now I just sit on the stationary bike outside the spin studio, and stare creepily while their in class, trying to determine if this would be way out of my league/how hardcore people are. Current questions that are looming:
(a) Will I look like a humongous tool if I wear cycling shorts with the padding in the butt?
(b) Will I look like a humongous tool if I wear sneakers instead of the clippy shoes?
(c) How much will this really shred my legs?

But tonight's run was perfect. It was 61 degrees, so I was running in short sleeve (in November!). There was no wind, so the river was like glass. Harvard reflected perfectly in the water. It was pretty rad (and 1 reason why I run). Best part: I've really been running 4 miles this whole time, not 3.8 like I originally thought.

Four and Five in Twenty Twelve

Miles run this evening 3.8
Days until Burlington: 230

Registration for the Burlington City Marathon in Vermont opened up on November 1st. The reminder was sitting on my calendar taunting me a little bit while I waited for pay day. Should I really sign up? Am I really going to train this time? Am I really trying to PR on a mountain course?

After I floundered (almost literally) in Chicago in 2010, I took this year off of marathoning. My pride was hurt, and with it went my confidence, my desire and my reasons to run. Every race, I watch people pass me by as I plod along, and I wonder why I choose something I'm not very good at to be my passion. I always hate the "But you finished! That's incredible!" comments that come after my "I had the most horrible time ever. I didn't even train." statement that has become my CM10 soundbite.

So for 2011, I haven't run anything over 7 miles yet - not even in training. I focused on getting faster. I focused on shorter distances. I did a triathlon to get some cross training. And I really, really, really thought about why I run (one reason: I really, really, really hate swimming). Because the why fuels the when and the how often, which would ultimately feed into the how good I get.

The lynch pin race for me was the BAA 10K. If I didn't break an hour, after all the track workouts, training runs and lifting, I doubt I would have continued running. I just would have been too broken (why do I suck at marathons? Will there ever be enough training to run a 59:59 10K? Maybe I should take up competitive zumba) to run. Luckily, I ran it in 58:36 (thanks to help from my running buddy and a good cheering section), so here I am, staring down 2012.

Back in 2009, while I was in the middle of running the Boston Marathon, I decided I wanted to run 5 marathons before I turned 30. Back in 2009, 30 seemed like...at least 4000 years away. Now it means I have to run 2 marathons before October 25, 2012. Oof.

So like I said, here I am. Signed up for marathon #4, on a mountain course, trying to break 5 hours (which would be 1:19:50 over my last time, but a 19:07 improvement over my PR). I