Thursday, October 4, 2012

My Victory Lap

Miles Run This Week: 3
Days until Newport: 9!

Well, I can count the numbers of days left until Newport on my fingers. While my training hasn't gone exactly how I planned, I'm also uninjured at this point, and able to run the 2 weeks leading up to the race, so I'm pretty stoked about that.

And, I think I finally don't care about my time. I could beat myself up, and worry about breaking 5 hours, but ya know what? Not this one. This is going to be about making good on a challenge I laid out for myself. This is going to be about the friends and the family who have supported me along this marathon of marathons. This is going to be about the views, the toughness of the race itself, and knowing that I have endured through 4, so why not 1 more? I'm looking forward to just running. And not particularly caring what my pace is, who has passed me, or friends who have run faster.

It's just me, my legs, and my 26.2 mile victory lap.

Friday, August 3, 2012

T.O. From Running

Miles Run this Week: 7.6
Days until Newport: 72

I woke up this morning to a shout out from a fellow runner, Amanda (née @RunOnWaffles). Turns out, she's the raddest, and has nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award.



Amanda and I found each other by accident: I was helping her as a shopper in distress. (For those of you who don't know, my day time gig is the omnipresent Concierge for Rue La La.) She ID'd herself as a marathoner in her profile, so we started talking, natch. We bonded over our love of peanut butter, the Yankees, and that we were both running bloggers. At the time, I was still planning on running the MCM, and she's in DC, so we were a match made for interwebz heaven. Since that day, we have been tweeting support for each other while we train (she's gunning for Philly this year). As I've said before, I love the community that running has fostered for me, and she's been a huge part of that. 

Part of receiving this nomination includes listing seven things about yourself, and nominating other bloggers. 

Seven thing to know about the Boots
1. I'm as crazy about craft beer as I am about running. I love IPAs, Belgians, porters, stouts...the list goes on and on. I've been on a German kick as of late, since I think I destroyed my pallet with West Coast IPAs for the better part of this decade, and Germans make very balanced, drinkable beers. I subscribe to Beer Advocate, and have even started brewing with my boyfriend. My go-to beers are Narragansett, Harpoon IPA and Pretty Things Jack D'or. Outside of New England, I've been spotted with Saranac or Yuengling (which you can't get in Mass) in my hand. 


2. I was born a city-dweller.  When I was 9, I stepped off a bus, into the middle of Manhattan for a day trip. Literally, at that very moment, I knew I wanted to live in a city. I was hell-bent on getting out of the 'burbs, and at 18, I moved to Boston, happy as a clam, never to return to Upstate for more than 2 weeks at a time. Leaving an urban area causes panic attacks and bewilderment. 

3. I hate the number 3. Seriously. Things in 3s bug the bejeesus out of me. Did you ever try to be part of a friendship of three? Fucking. Nightmare. But triangles are my preferred shape. <Boom> Head explodes. 

4. I played the clarinet in the school band. 5th-9th grade. I made it into an elite band of junior high and high school players, and we were invited to play at the White House. We played songs from different war eras (Civil, WWII and Gulf War...I just realized how awkward that set it...just now). I wore a big hoop skirt made by one of my friend's aunts. Then I quit because band was super nerdy. 

5. My favorite movie is Clueless. Always and forever. I can still manage to quote it at least once a week, if not once a day. 


6. I got the same SAT score on both the math and verbal sections...twice. It drove my mother nuts. For some reason, she thought that the SATs would finally settle which set of subjects I was stronger in (math + science, or art-y-ish things). Sorry. I'm just totally balanced. And brilliant. (And modest.)

7. My best Halloween costume, ever: The ("slutty") Red Stripe Man. 2006. 


Seriously.

Nominations

Some bloggers that rock my internets!

Ms. Meister from Running While Smiling
Miriam from Sometimes I Veg
Geno from Running FTW





Thursday, July 26, 2012

New Outlook: Newport

Miles run this week: 7.6
Days until Newport: 79

Another blogging hiatus! I took that rest month in June pretty literally. At the 4-week rest mark, I ran my favorite race: the BAA 10K. It was nice to go out and run this race just to run, rather than gunning for a PR. It also marked my "revival of running" anniversary. My PR last year in this event rekindled my relationship with running; I bought a couple books and started really looking at what it would take to be the runner I want to be.

I didn't PR. But that's OK. I ran the second half of my race faster than the first half. This is the first race I have in memory (or ever) that I successfully ran negative splits (which is a holy grail for me...and is part of the art of racing). It was also nice to be able to run a race with my bestie.





Now I'm back at it for the Newport Marathon.

There's a noticeable change between my mentality before Burlington and my current state of the union. Burlington was a no-holds-bard quest for a sub-5 hour marathon. I didn't miss many workouts, but when I did and had to make them up, I prioritized the hard over the easy. I ran fast. A lot. And then I got hurt.

This time...I don't know. I don't really care if I break 5 hours. I mean, sure, it'd be nice to say that I completed my primary goal (finishing 5 marathons before 10/25/12) and my secondary goal (running sub-five hours). But after I hurt God-knows-what in my right leg, I realized that destroying my body for the sake of an arbitrary goal isn't sustainable or smart. If I want to run until I'm an old lady, I have to be realistic about what my body is capable of, and accept certain truths. This doesn't mean I can't always be pushing for improvement, it just means it might be slower increments of improvement, to allow my body to catch up. I think I can go back to running to be healthy - in all senses of the word - rather than being hung up on a time.

Sometimes I see times that other runners - or even people who don't consider themselves "runners" put up. And I could lie and say that I don't compare myself to them (even though one of the things I love about running is how individual it is). But I do. And that has been fueling these time caps in my head. To be a "real" runner is to BQ. To be a "real" runner, you need to run a sub-25 5K and a sub-45 10K. I know that for the most part, those numbers are so far out of reach for me - so much so, that it doesn't even bother me.

But can't I be proud of myself for merely just setting the goal of running the race, rather than worrying about how long it took me to get to the end? Especially since I tend to gravitate towards events that need at least 2 months of prep work, isn't more of the process just lacing up on days I'd rather sit on the couch? Or prioritizing my schedule to make sure I get a work out in?

I started running because my lifestyle was unhealthy, and I didn't want to have to worry about heart disease, diabetes or other weight-related health complications. But I feel like with Burlington, I swung the pendulum the other way: I became so focused on getting the miles in (without other workouts), that I'm doing damage to my muscles, joints and bones.

My goal for Newport is to finish the race, healthy. Which can be broad, but I'm thinking of it as:
-Enough cross training & strength workouts to balance out all the impacts from running
-Listening to my body, and rather than bagging a workout because it's sore, doing an easy one instead (i.e. not bombing race pace up Summit Ave)
-Carb loading properly, so I'm not just packing in sugar and fat that I have to work off for months to come

My theory for Burlington was: if I stick to the training plan, the minutes will melt off my finish time naturally, which was largely true. I did PR.

My theory for Newport is: if I stick to the training plan and are safe & smart about it, I won't have a 2 week layup before the race, and therefore, I'll probably PR.

But, this is number 5 for me. The last of a crazy trip of self-discovery. I think I'm going to back burner my "PR OR BUST" attitude, and just enjoy the capstone of the challenge I gave myself over 3 years ago.


Thursday, May 31, 2012

Burlington: The Final Shakedown

Miles Run this Week: 26.2

Well, it's over.

It's kind of hard to believe. I've been preparing for this race for months and months, to have it all be over in a day.

I got up super early on race day - I'm usually a person who rolls out of bed and cruises to the start line with mere minutes to spare. But this time, be it nerves or knowing what kind of prep it takes to even get to the start line. So I was up at 5:30. I went and grabbed an egg and put it on top of my (cold) rice and ate as much as I could stomach.

I foam rolled my right quad and did the resistance band exercises trainer-coach recommended. When I said goodbye to Joe, I cracked. All I remember is bursting into tears and blubbing, "What if I can't?" It was the final moment of doubt. All I wanted was to go into this with zero uncertainty, to know that I had trained and that I was ready. Joe came back with "Well, we'll cry about it later, not now."

And then I sauntered over to the waiting area for the shuttle bus to the start.

One of my favorite feelings during a whole race is the pre-race silence with your fellow runners. We all sat on the curb in a silent electricity. Maybe all of us were thinking about what we wanted to accomplish. Maybe we were all thinking about our play lists. Maybe we weren't thinking at all.

I got to the start area an unprecedented 50 minutes ahead of time. Gave me a chance to take it all in:


Could have been worse.

I paced around the start area, getting a lay of the land: portos, pace group gatherings, a good place to plop down and get dressed. Since my track days, I don't usually show up to the race in my sneakers and the clothes I'm planning on running in. Usually it's flip flops and a hoodie with some tear away pants. Why mess with a pre-race ritual? 

So eventually,  I got dressed, and I was ready to go!


My best friend and running buddy met me at the start line - which was awesome for a bunch of reasons. One of them was the baggage check line spanned into New York State, so there was no way I was going to be able to store my bag before the gun time. It was also just great to have someone there to help the nerves. She gave me her running hat (white to match). There wasn't a cloud in the sky - perfect for a beach day, FAIL for a long, long run like mine. I needed something to keep the sun off my face (plus, my biggest fear is looking like a raisin before 40). 

Finally, I got into the start corral. I actually ran into the 1 person I knew who was running, right in front of the 4:30 pace group. The chances of that happening seemed so low - but then I got to commiserate while we waited for actual starting gun (and not puke everywhere...because that's how I felt). Finally, the gun went off.


I crossed the mats, and just started running. I mean, what else was I going to do? 

I found the 4:45 pace group and stuck by them, holding my breath, waiting to see what my knee would be able to take. About 2 miles in, I realized how hot it was going to be that day. It was probably only in the 60s at the start, but it was also 8 AM. I had run in the heat in Boston, but there was also a ton of shade around the Charles path, so while it's hot, there is always a lot of relief.

I saw my entourage around mile 3, and then I was off for the first 6+ mile stretch outside Burlington. 

The most striking thing to me about Burlington was the distribution of spectators. While I liked that I came through downtown 3 times before the finish, and the crowd through Burlington was energizing, the other stretches were boring and soul-sucking. 

The 4ish to 8ish mile loop was only saved by the fact that it was an out-and-back turnaround leg, meaning that we eventually were running by the elites (which is always cool - to see people with those strides and that kind of power is always inspiring and humbling all at once) and the other pace groups. Since we were less than 10K in, nerves and spirits were still high, so everyone was cheery and encouraging when we saw each other. 

I cruised past the 5 mile marker, and then went on high alert - waiting for any sign from my knee area that it was about to lock up and that my race would be over. I took at picture of the mile 6 marker to tell my friends that I had at least made it through my first hurdle. Miles 7 through 8 were a long, grinding hill. Like a fool, I spent a ton of energy trying to stay with the 4:45 pace group up this hill, lest I look like a wimp to my friends to be dropped before mile 9. Total idiot. 

So I caught 4:45 and came through downtown Burlington at miles 9 and 10. Bands were rocking. I saw my entourage. Things were looking good.

Miles 10 and 11 were pretty terrible. There were spectators, sure. But we're in this long stretch of warehouses and commercial areas, no shade in sight. And that's when the sun started slowly crushing my will to run/live. Around 12, I lost 4:45 for good. I didn't even really care. Now it wasn't about time. It was about  getting through it. (I ate more GU gummies to help my brain space...being this angry at 13 is not a good way to enter the 51%.) 

So from 12 to 13, there was a gorgeous view of the lake (for about 100m) and a Newfie that was the size of a small bear. I actually asked the owners if I could ride him to the finish line. They politely declined. 

I pushed through to 13.1, where the 2 person relay hand-off was. People were in happy and peppy, mostly because they were either ending or just beginning. I wasn't doing either, so I glared. Don't get me wrong - I'm all for the half and whole race day...but I think splitting the whole into 2 halves and watching fresh legs speed away while you have 13.1 on your legs and need to go 13.1 more is cruel. (And don't EVEN GET ME STARTED on the 5-person relay they had going. More on that around 21.)

But 13 to 14 were easily the best views of Lake Champlain. And there was a breeze which was pretty clutch. Around 13.5, a friend called me. I literally had to pick up (since it was interrupting my tunes!) and answer with "I'm running a marathon...what's up?" This may be the most creative hello I've ever had. 

At 13.7 I stopped to stretch. Another girl stopped with me; all we did was look at each other and laugh. There are no words for the pain, the emotions, the knowing that you're over halfway there, but still have so far to go. 

Thennnn around 13.9, I realized I was going to have to run up the giant-ass hill. OH COME ON. 

At 14ish, I saw my fluorescent entourage again. One of them said, "Amy, you're not even sweating!" thinking it was a compliment. I replied with "Um....that's bad." And I picked up some more food and water. And I looked up at the hill. Welp, this was it. 

There were these AWESOME drums (that you can hear in this video of the race) that literally propelled me up the hill. I also knew that 2 of my best friends were up there, waiting for me. I couldn't look like a pussy! So slowly but surely, I started climbing that hill. You can see how far it was and the incline: 
Allllll the way behind me was my food and water pick up. Ugh, that thing was a beast, but I saw my girls waiting for me at the top and just focused on getting to them. When I got to them, I hugged them like I had just come out of captivity or something. My face pretty much said it all, the perfect mixture of joy and pain:


And then I was on my way for the final 11 miles, with no entourage action until the end.

Miles 15.5 through 19 seem to be a blur in my head. There were people with spraying hoses and a little shade to take the edge off. Somewhere in there I think there was a little kid with a broken arm handing out ice chips with his mom. I stopped and asked "What happened, buddy?" and he replied with, "I broke my arm...but not by running." At some point around there, I saw the 5:00 pace group, and kind of deflated. Especially since they dropped me pretty quickly. It was the nail in the coffin that I would not break 5 hours in this race.

But really, I really, really didn't care. I felt a thousand times stronger than I felt in Chicago. I had trained. I had actually prepared for this race. I guess for some people, that would make the missing the goal time sting more, but for me, it was more comforting. I'd finish when I finished. Regardless of what the time was when I crossed the line, I knew I had succeeded in many other ways.

It was in the middle of that thought process that I hit the wall. At about 19.5. With 6.3 to go. Ugh. So I started running 2 minutes, walking a minute. My pace slowed from the 11ish pace I was carrying to high 13s. Joe texted me that he was waiting for me at mile 24 - which could have been 1000 miles away as far as I was concerned.

When I got onto the bike path - the final 5ish miles, I was just spent. I didn't know where I was, I was so tired that I couldn't even think about what the distance would be at home (which is one of my tricks to getting through stretches of the unknown), and my stomach was grumbling. While I was eating literally anything I had left in my pouch, this girl goes powering by me. Not like...oh, running a couple minutes walking a couple minutes...full on 5-K pace. So here's the thing: I'm a back-of-the-packer. When you're not trying to Boston Qualify, you're hanging out in the 4ish hour and beyond, you are not at 5-K pace at mile 21. (For reference, my 5-K pace is somewhere in the low 9s...and I was running 13:40s at mile 21). 

I think the final straw was the 5-person relay team aspect. I mean, I get it. Marathons take a lot out of you: 18 weeks of training, grueling mileage and speed work, the time commitment, the wear and tear on your legs. But...really? 5 people? That's like...a little over 5 miles a person. That's not even a 10K. So take your fresh legs for the last 5, and get real. I love my fellow runners, and I would never belittle someone whose goal was different than mine...but I was really insulted that these people are flying through this marathon course, picking off all the people who dedicated 18+ weeks to training and really experiencing and appreciating the marathon as a personal accomplishment. I think relay teams are great - just during a relay event. It is what drove me to decide I will never run this race again. [/rant]

The one plus of the bike path was the sporadic views of the lake:

So I kept on. I saw Joe a little after 24, and the first thing he said to me was, "You can still PR." I had been watching my time tick by on my watch, calculating how many minutes I had left to PR (to that point, my best time was 5:18:07 at Baystate in 2009) - dividing that time by the mileage I had left, and then comparing that to what my mile splits were to that point. So yes, I knew I could PR. I was hoping I actually would - but in past races, I have become complacent with only a couple miles to go, thinking I could dog it, and then tacking on unnecessary time onto my finish. So I tried not to think about it. My legs didn't really care, anyway. They were dead and achy. 

After Joe handed me more water bottles, I croaked, "Run with me". I was so lonely on this path. I had no one to talk to, I didn't know where I was, and the finish could have been in New Hampshire for all I knew. So like a champ, he ran-walked with me. He let me run ahead when we saw one of the course photographers, so that it would be a picture of just myself. He stayed with me through about 25.75, and then told me the rest was mine. I moaned and started jogging on without him.

I turned a corner, and someone yells "You only have a quarter mile from here!" I was like A QUARTER MILE?! And my legs forgot about the 25.95 they had gone, and I started to run.  I got onto the sidewalk, that I knew led to the finish line, and I was ready. I started picking people off, one by one (I think I accidentally elbowed an old man - sorry!) and saw the banner that said ALMOST DONE that was attached to 2 hay bales. I knew I had PR'ed - I only had a little bit to go, and I was in the 5:13 zone:


So I cranked. Oh God, it hurt so bad and was so euphoric at the same time. 

They said my name as I crossed the finish line. 5:14:41. I PR'd by 3+ minutes. I felt great. 

I got my medal and met my entourage to give them all the biggest hugs, ever:



I really have to give a shout out to my friends and my sister for making the trek up to Vermont with me, and were my support system - not just on race day, but since I started reevaluating running last May. These guys keep me going through the exhaustion and the pain:


After I finished a large Ben & Jerry's ice cream, I sat down to take my sneakers off. Around mile 7, I had realized I forgot to put the anti-chafe on my feet. I cursed myself, but I never felt any pain, which was a win. So I nonchalantly start peeling off my socks, to find this gem (warning: it's pretty frikken gross):

So after a trip to the med tent to fix it up (thanks to those poor medics who touched my feet AND THEN had to deal with the blister) - we were headed to the bar! I got my celebratory beer (aptly named the Ayinger Celebrator): 

I made it about 5 sips in and then......


All in all, it was a great weekend, and a fun race. I have 136 days until Newport (let the countdown begin!) but for now, I'm focusing on resting and recovering (and reading about how to break through that wall). 

Special thanks to Val and Tim, who documented Burlington awesomely - I swiped a bunch of their pictures for this post. 

The quest for 4:59:59 begins again on July 8th! 









Saturday, May 26, 2012

Happy & Meditative

Miles Run this Week: 1 (!!!)
HOURS until Burlington: 21

Well, I'm here. The second I got to the hotel room, I changed into my running clothes and started doing the quad workout my "trainer and coach" gave me to do before a test mile.

I realized that I had made it about 7 minutes into that mile.

The first 4ish minutes I was just holding my breath (figuratively), waiting to feel the pain or any tweaking, or any sign that I was going to meet my doom.

Then around 7 minutes, I looked up. The sun was setting over Lake Champlain. I was running down a road I didn't know. And it hit me: I'm here. I made it. 365+ days in the making. I'm running in Burlington. 


I finished my mile, and the doom never showed up.

So now here I sit, alone in my hotel room, listening to Bon Iver and doing the quad workout again. And I feel calm. Running is what I love to do. It has seen me though some of my darkest moments. And I have trained and thought about this weekend for months and months. And now I just have to get out there and do what I love to do.

I picked up my Bib at the expo and signed up for a pace group.

While I've been training for a 4:30 finish, I signed up for the 4:45 group, just in case. I'd rather make it through 15 miles a little slower and drop the hammer on the last 10 if I'm feeling good than burn myself out or flare up my right leg and DNF.

Come to find out, there is a couple that is getting married at the end of the race, and the bride is also in the 4:45 pace group. If that doesn't make you burst into happy tears, nothing will (of course, if you're already on the verge of bursting into tears at a moment's notice like I am right now, I guess this is a no-brainer).

My biggest fear of not finishing and being pushed into a black hole of depression is gone. Running is what pulls me out of those places, not what puts me in them. When I was so broken at the end of Chicago - it wasn't running that put me there, it was myself. Every time I go into one of those ruts, I'm the one who got me there. Running has been what gets me out.

I have nothing to be ashamed of for this race. I have trained my ass off (literally - I fit into a size medium women's shirt today at the expo. Really.) There will be no depression. I can say from the depths of myself that I worked as hard as I could, and that I should be proud that I have stuck to this training plan, if nothing else.

The race was supposed to be the crowning achievement, the product of all this hard work. But when I was visiting my trainer-coach, she said, "This is a good place to be. You never performed at this level before, so you opened something up in your body. We'll figure out what it was, and how to control it, and from there, you can get to a whole new level of running."

I have pushed myself to my limits. Maybe tomorrow my limits come sooner than the finish line, and that's OK. Because I'm not done as a runner. And I have challenged myself in a way that I can take this and run with it, as a real marathoner. As a runner.

Tomorrow I'll have live tweets from checkpoints on the race course (automated): @Running_Boots. You can  also get race info from @RunVermont.

Be back later for a before-bed-check-in!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Keeping Positive

Miles Run this Week: 0 :(
Days Until Burlington: 3 (!!!!)

My GU Gummies are purchased. New headphones are ready. Playlist has been fortified. Race plan has been turned over to my entourage. In less than 72 hours, I will be at the start line for the marathon.

I'm still nursing my IT band - I literally have not run at all (except for the bus when I'm late) in almost 2 weeks. I got a massage on Tuesday to loosen up my glutes and hamstrings in hopes they will release the death grip on my ITB.

For the past 10 days, I have been scared. The thought that I will only get 5 miles into this race makes my insides churn. I have felt a little helpless and hopeless, knowing that only time can heal an injury like this, and not knowing if I have enough of that. I've been waking up every day, hoping that day is the day I can spring out of bed, feel no pain, and know that I can dominate this race. I want to able to cash in on all my training since last May (last May! I've been prepping for this for over a year!). Every morning I wake up, feeling a pinch or a soreness somewhere else on my right leg, and immediately feeling let down. I'm disappointed in myself. That my brain let me think it was OK to fly down those hills. In my legs for not taking advantage of all the other work I was doing to strengthen them. In my core for always being weak.

I've been talking and blogging about this race for...what seems like forever. And now, I'm only a couple days out, and I'm unsure if I can actually put my money where my mouth is.

This was the race to redeem me from Chicago. To silence the sympathetic, "Well, you finished the marathon" replies after I didn't do what I wanted to do. And now there will be the sympathetic excuses, "Well, you were hurt. You still finished, but you were hurt." There is a possibility this will be my first DNF. The possibility of that raises chunks in my throat and my eyes to immediately tear up.

So this morning, I woke up. My leg is still sore from the massage. Then I realized that where it's sore are the places that it's always sore: my hip, my glute, my hip flexor.

I listened to my marathon playlist on the way to work. And then I made a decision.

My ITB is going to be fine. It's not going to hold me back. It had enough time to heal.

At this point, being negative will do nothing but continue this fear spiral I've been on.

I can honestly say that this is the first race I've been this prepared for. I ran the miles. I'm eating the carbs. I printed out the race course. I know exactly what I'm going to eat and when. Now I just need to believe that my legs are ready, too.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

We Are Family

Miles Run this Week: 0
Days Until Burlington: 12

With Monster Month over, capped by a 20 mile peak run, my focus is on resting and carb loading (properly...which *apparently* doesn't include beer. Total sham.)

The rest part typically comes in the form of the "taper" - meaning I curb my total running mileage to let my legs rest and recover from a helluva month prior. Last week my long run was supposed to be 13 miles (as opposed to the 16-18-20s I've been doing).

Supposed to be.

In my unbelievable 20 miler, where I CRUSHED miles and felt like I had the power to flip over cars, I ran...nay...I RACED downhill from Brighton for the last 2-ish miles. Like a FOOL.

My IT band decided to rain down wrath on me last week. Like...circa 2004 knee pain wrath. So, I rested Monday - Wednesday. Thursday was a 6 miler...I made it 5 before searing pain. So I rested Friday and Saturday. Sunday I headed out for my 13 miler, got to 5.1, and my right leg was done. DONE. No stretching. No weight bearing. Done.

So as I hobbled home, I started to panic. This is the first time I've really trained for a race like this. I've read a nutrition book. I've printed out the course map and the elevation profile to plan water stops, food pick ups, and arrange my playlist for the tough parts.

And now my IT band decides it's mad at my knee, and I can't get above 5 miles? No. Nonononono.

I have had season-ending injuries before: a stress fracture in high school sidelined my entire senior year of soccer. I've had this nagging IT injury in my knee all through ultimate. I was carried off the field my last game as a senior because of this pain. No. Nononononono.

Instead of bursting into tears (which is really all you want to do if you think you're watching your goal creep away), I put an SOS up on Facebook.
"Quad/knee/IT band can't make it more than 5 miles at a time :( Limping home...anyone have rehab suggestions so I'm good to go in 2 weeks? Really worried..."

While running is absolutely an individual's event - how you do is up to you, and in the end, you're really only racing yourself - the running community is more expansive and supportive than any team I've ever played on.  I have reconnected with people from college over our love of running. I have been inspired by coworkers and women in my running group that have tackled races with strength and grace. Even as I interact with Members of Rue, I always find fellow runners, and we stick together - regardless of geography or whether or not we have even met. 

The outpouring of answers and support from my little question-turned-digital-support-group gave me another reason to love running. I have bonded with these women, even if we barely knew each other 10 years ago when we met, over the common feeling of empowerment. Instead of using running to isolate myself, it has enriched my community. In times where is seems women's propensity to tear each other down is at an all-time high, I belong to a sisterhood of support, encouragement and thoughtful dialog. Rather than feeling like the only person who has ever botched her training on the 20 miler, I saw that it's actually a common pit fall, and that it's something that many have overcome. 

So equipped with this knowledge and a lot of painkillers and ice, my outlook has improved. I'm even Smiling While Running

Friday, May 4, 2012

Fueling the Monster

Miles Run this Week: 4.0
Days until Burlington: 23

One of the most common phrases in running is "hitting the wall". The "wall" usually shows up at a totally inconvenient time in a race - usually about 75% of the way through - so you have juuuuust enough left to do that it seems like eternity and virtually impossible to finish, but you've completed so much you just. can't. quit. 

Hitting the wall, in science, means that you've depleted your sugar stores, and your brain is trying to save yourself. Knowing the science-y angle makes it all the more appealing to stop what you're doing. 

Usually I hit the wall at 4 miles in a 10K. You hear marathoners perpetually hitting the wall at 20. 

I "ran" 20 miles 2 weeks ago...and hit the wall at 14 miles. I clawed my way to 17, but I couldn't scale that wall anymore after that, and had to walk/gimp 3 miles home. It was a very humbling blow. I haven't been excited about running for the past two weeks. 

I have hit the emotional wall. I'm tired all the time. I am trying to squeeze running in during really weird times, not being able to follow my schedule to the letter. I feel tremendously guilty because I know that all these missing miles can add up to missing my goal time. That makes me want to run even less. I try and tell myself that I'm training harder and more often than I ever did for Boston, Lowell or Chicago. But it's nagging at me.

I have another 20 miler this weekend. I had to push it out to Sunday because I delayed my speed workout (guilt guilt guilt). After a rough 14 mile "rest" run last week, I'm terrified I can't tackle this 20 miles. April into May is my "Monster Month", which is the 4 weeks of training that is marked by a bunch of levels of intensity: you run faster, or you run just an assload of miles (which in this case, can be these 20 milers). 

I'm wracking my brain to figure out what I can do better. I've been so consumed by running since February, I'm tried of thinking about what percent of carbs I should be eating, or what kind of protein I'm eating, or the fact I'd rather chug 6 beers than 6 bottles of water. This is the absolute worst time to be worn out from training. This is when I need it the most.

I sincerely believe that these long runs are less about the miles on my legs, and more about preparing me emotionally and mentally for running as fast as I can for over 26 miles. Sure, I've finished marathons before, but this time, it's not about just finishing. It's about toeing that start line, knowing that I have prepared myself for beyond just the finishers medal. It's about pushing my body to a level of performance it has never achieved. It's about taking that disappointed, broken runner from Chicago, and pulling her up onto her own personal podium of 1st place Amy. 

The other reason I have these long runs is to figure out what works and what doesn't. During a 4+ hour run, I can see how dehydrated I get (very) and how hungry I am (not at all...which is bad). 

A couple months ago, I went to a seminar at Landry's Bikes that was hosted by chef Biju Thomas and Allen Lim, who were Radioshack and Team Garmin's chefs while they rode the Tour de France. One of the points they brought up is how your body responds to things like GU. Basically - you can't break it down easily, so your body pulls in as much water as it can, resulting in stomach aches and dehydration. While they were talking about it for cyclists, I got that creeping feeling....it's happened to me, too. (This epiphany led to me buying their book and has started a new awareness of eating natural, whole foods. Which is a totally different post.)

So I started diluting my GUs in water. I don't have the horrible sick feeling I used to....but I don't think my body is getting the fuel it needs to power through 20 miles. 

While I run to lose weight (or now, to maintain, because I'm so close to my goal!), there is a tipping point when you're tacking endurance events. Usually, less food and calorie depletion is met with joy and welcoming....until you hit about 2 hours of pain. And then, you better have been stuffing your face this whole time, or you're going to end up sitting under a tree, 3 miles from home (6 if you take your loop), throwing a tantrum and eating as many crackers as you can, wondering why you can't hack it. 

My GU water, while chocolate-y, doesn't cut it.

So while I've come back completely defeated two weekends in a row after my long runs, I am so glad it happened during the Monster, and not during the race. This weekend will be honey packets (easier sugar source for the body to breakdown) and homemade peanut butter (less sugar and no additives) on crackers (salt and east to breakdown). And maybe I'll kill the 20 miles. Maybe I'll find something else I need to do.

But these long runs are a lot like regular life. You think something's going to go a certain way because of all the prep you've been doing around it, just to find out there are factors you never considered. And you can crush under that pressure of failure, or you can re-calibrate and try again, until you've figured out all the pieces. 

So this Sunday, I'll throw on the outfit I plan on running the race in (because I also need to know where I need to watch out for chafing...which is a whole other monster), and pack up my little pouch with my fuel and water and my charge up iPhone, and try 20 again, knowing that in 3 weeks, all the work will come to some sort of result (and hoping it's the one I want). 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Being a real runner: 10 Mile Run

Miles Run this Week: 0
Days Until Burlington: 76

Wow! So much to catch up on. To be honest, I'd rather be slacking on my blogging than my running.

I finished week 5 yesterday with my first 10 mile run since 2010. The last 10 miler I really remember doing was in April of 2010, to peak for my half marathon in New York. I remember there was a wicked headwind and it was hovering around 45.Thankfully, winter just flat out forgot to make it to Boston this year, so it was already in the high 50s yesterday when I headed out.

Per my training plan, I should be hitting my miles at an 11:08 pace. I don't know if it's just me being stupid, or me being stronger than the past, but hitting 11:08s seem impossible. I'm hovering more in the 10:40s - which would have me running 9:40s (theoretically) for the marathon. 9:40s used to be my race pace for 5 milers/10Ks, so it's a little jarring to think that now I could keep that up for 4 to 5 times the distance (in fact it's crazypants to me).

So, the 10 miles went pretty OK. My legs started to ache at about 8.5, but it was the ache I get at like...20 or 21 miles during the race, so I felt a little satisfied with the pain (masochist) and my ability to push through the last 1.5 despite the pain. I finished up last week with 22 miles.

I think the other big news (other than a 10 miler I didn't cry after) is I decided against the Marine Corps Marathon. The travel costs were really the biggest factor - the flying, the hoteling, the race fee. It also always bugged me that I would be running 3 days after my birthday, instead of finishing the 5 marathons before October 25. So after a lot of thinking and researching, I decided to run the Amica Marathon  in Newport, Rhode Island on Columbus Day Weekend. Reasons why this change is bad ass:

(a) Look at this view!

(b) I run marathon #5 eleven days before my birthday. Just make it!
(c) It's the same weekend as Chicago, which means I can do the bulk of my long runs with my running buddy/BFF Val. 
(d) I will have finished marathons in 3 of the 5 states in New England. I don't know if I'll ever be one of those crazy "50 marathons in 50 states" people (looking at you, Alaska, and most of the states in the South) - but this is a decent start. 
(e) MCM sold out in like 4 hours. What?

And lastly, I am really impressed with RunVermont, which is the group that organizes Burlington. They have a segment in their blog to meet the pace group captains - which is a pretty neat idea. I never really thought about the pace group captains before; there were leaders in Chicago, but I was more focused on other things. To be a pace leader, you really have to be in tune with internal pacing, which is something I'm kind of terrible at. It's been fun reading about the journeys of the pace group captains, and how similar their stories sound to mine. The 4:30 leaders are Jen Sorrell and Laura Skladzinski - these are the women I will follow to my marathon PR. 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Miles Run this Week: 8.0
Days Until Burlington: 94

Under 100 days to go! This morning I dragged myself out of bed to run hills. Surprisingly, I effing hate hills. A deep-seeded hatred. So, obviously, I picked the most notorious hill in all of Boston: Summit Ave. With a climb of about 240 ft, I turned the corner of Beacon, and it kind of looked like this:



(In comparison, the infamous "Heartbreak Hill" on the Boston Marathon route is only a climb of 88 ft. It just happens at the worst possible time, ever.)

My marathon training guide recommended I "spring" up the hill, meaning I focus on high knees, and landing on the balls of my feet rather than trying to drive into the hill with my legs (which ultimately kills your calves and can lead to plantar fasciitis). My pace was about 10:40's when I got to Summit...and then dropped to 12:44s as I "sprung" up it. But as a sprinter in high school...this form is how you run...everything. So I took tiny steps and drove my knees, and looked back a couple times to show myself how far I went.

There is nothing that makes you feel like a total beast (in a good way) at 7 AM than conquering Summit Ave. I promise you that.

This was also my 2nd run in my NEW SNEAKERS! I went to Marathon Sports on Sunday to get refit, since the edition of my shoes have been retired (but I've found that sometimes, a redesign happens between numbers, and then life sucks).

I tried a pair of Asics, but on the test jog, my knees immediately started to hurt. I tried a pair of Sauconys, and I felt the hollow space where the arch support was missing. Then, I was brought a pair of Nikes. I recoiled.

Back in 2008, when I knew nothing about running, I wandered into Niketown. I told them that I was training for the Boston Marathon, and needed sneakers. So, without looking at my feet, without asking if I had any nagging injuries, without any considerations at all, the girl pointed to a shoe, and told me it was what I needed. Without knowing that feet swell when distance running (compounded by the fact that Nike runs small), I got a size 10, instead of an 11.

I lost 4 toenails after Boston '09. I had knee pain (probably from my weak hip, which wasn't supported in these shoes) and I've been trying to prehab/rehab ever since. I decided that Nike, the godfather of running sneakers, had gotten too big, too focused on all the other sports, and I would never, ever buy a pair of Nike running sneakers.

Turns out, my anger was misdirected. It's not the sneakers that killed me. It was the misinformation. The Nikes that were brought out on Sunday are like running on clouds. Check out these puppies:

Nike Zoom Structure Triax+ 15


Bonus: they look super cute with my hyper-colored socks!

This week is also my longest mileage week since 2010. Week 2 closed down with 17 miles, which I combined with a lot of strength training, so they were a tough 17. This week is 20 miles, with my long run at 9 miles. The weather for Saturday looks like there's another awesomely windy day ahead. Just need to keep cranking! 



Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Rest Day = Best Day

Miles Run This Week: 3
Days Until Burlington: 102

New layout! Twitters! Links! Races! Other blogs I dig! Teknologeeez!

Before the blogeekout, Monday I had what should have been an easy 3-mile run. I strength trained beforehand, which will make my awkward arm jiggle eventually go away, but is particularly exhausting ( Dom focuses on keeping our heart rate up). Since I calculated out what my pace should be (to compensate for the 0.16 discrepancy on my MapMyRun app), I can't just cruise at whatever speed and figure that's enough. About 1.75 miles in, hitting that 10:58 pace was hard. And this was in base building mode.

My hope is that running these at a slow pace tired will lead to stronger runs in the future (good); but it could actually lead to me hurting myself (not good). So I am proceeding with extreme caution.

Tuesday was my much needed (and earned) rest day. My off day can pretty much be summed up in two actions: sitting on the couch and eating EVERYTHING in sight. Yesterday was no exception. And it was delicious.

Usually when I go into human-vacuum mode, I start to panic. How am I going to burn all these off? Usually while I'm eating an entire sleeve of cookies, I can justify it with the "I'm going for a run tonight" (which is easily the only reason I run anymore...so I can eat), but I've realized that my body knows what's up. I've been training long enough now that it knows I get 1 day a week to go bananapants (and eat those) and I just pack it in.

Luckily, last night "packing it in" consisted of omega-3 rich salmon and nutrient-rich sweet potatoes, so that helped calm the guilt factor down. (The Reese's hearts, however, did not.)

One of the fringe benefits of getting up early to make the breakfast burrito is I now have an extra 5-ish minutes in my morning to foam roll. While I'm already in a deep, loving relationship with my foam roller, it's also kind of on a booty-call level: I typically only go to it when I need something. This 2-AM-approach only helps the surface knot, and is short term at best (if that). I've heard that you should foam roll daily - but who the hell has time for that? But in an effort to reduce the "owowowowow", I'm borderline proposing to my roller.
Also - the hotel for Burlington has been booked! Now I have to go!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Week 1: Done-zo

Miles Run This Week: 0
Days Until Burlington: 104

Well, week 1 of 16 is in the books! Part of me feels a little pathetic that I'm celebrating the first week of training, but this is the only time I can remember doing the following things while training:

(a) Starting my schedule on time
(b) Actually running the distance on the schedule
(c) Not living in unbearable pain while trying to accomplish (b)

So these are 3 steps in the right direction. I ran a total of 15 miles last week (which is my highest since the beginning of January), and I swapped a couple days here and there (because of the cold in Wisconsin). I ended up running 6 miles on Saturday and running 2 yesterday (instead of 3 on Friday and 5 on Saturday), and today I feel 100% fine. Totally not my usual marathon-training gig.

This week I have 17 miles total, with a 7 mile run on Saturday. Totally doable. I'm trying for 6 weeks of solid cross-training to make sure that when my mileage volume increases, I have a strong athletic base to draw from. This means 2 or 3 days a week of strength training, a day of spinning, and a day on the elliptical until my half marathon in March. I also figure I can trick myself out of fatigue by making it seem like I'm cutting back on activities (rather than noticing the 27-36 miles a week I'm running instead).

My 6 miler was in a snow shower. Well - as "snowy" as it has been here this winter (not complaining!). With the new revelation that my GPS is off by 0.16 miles, I had to compensate and run 6.16 miles, which was kind of annoying. I was supposed to be hitting 11:15s all week, but I hammered out this run at 10:51s. Not the greatest idea, but 6 miles for me right now is kind of my baseline - I've raced it, I've run a couple miles over it, and I've been running it consistently enough since Novemberish that it's really not going to wreak havoc on my legs. I'll have to much more careful when I get to 9+ miles, since I haven't seen those distances since summer 2010.

My stride suffered a little bit, too. I did a strength session with my trainer (and co-worker) Dom, and he toasts me every time. My glutes were SCREAMING the whole 6 miles. I better have the cutest-but-in-a-swimsuit this side of hell come summer time!

Today I start week 2 with 3 miles at an 11:15 pace. I'm also torturing myself with another session with Dom - but I'll be cutting back to twice-a-month, since his workouts take me out of commission for 48+ hours.

I've also started to focus on what I'm eating a bit more, and making an effort to eat fresher, less processed foods. My BFF/running buddy Val gave me a recipe for a breakfast burrito that she swears by. It has a balance of "healthier" fats (which, growing up in the 90s, is inconceivable. Fat needs to be avoided at all costs!), protein and fiber, to leave you fuller longer. I tweaked it a bit (because it called for cheese, and I already have 2 dairy servings a day, and sun dried tomatoes, which I can't get myself to like. Bleck.):

1 whole wheat tortilla
1 egg, scrambled (I added fresh ground pepper to it, too)
1/4 cup sprouts
1/4 of an avocado
2 pieces of deli-sliced turkey

It comes out at 305 calories, 14g of fat (mostly the avocado), 23g protein, 15g of fiber (because I got tortillas that had 12g in them).

I ate at my normal time (9ish) and wasn't hungry again until around 12:30 (as opposed to 10:15). I'm moved my yogurt-fruit-oatmeal eating until the afternoon and cut out the frozen lunch - mostly because of the high sodium. Day 1 is going pretty well, and the money I spent on the fresh ingredients was saved on not buying those frozen meals - those bad boys are expensive!

The one struggle I see is I'm missing my daily calorie count by about 200, and that's enough to send my body into starvation mode (theoretically. Does your body think you're starving it if it's not hungry, though?). Deprivation while training at the level I want to train at won't totally fly (although, I think that's what happened when I was training for my tri last year). Guess I'll have to eat a couple cookies to balance it out :)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Burlington Kickoff!


Miles Run This Week: 3.0

Days until Burlington: 110

Monday morning I (officially) kicked off my training for the marathon! It was an easy 3-miler at a 11:15 pace – more like a recovery run than anything.

Sunday I ran the Super Sunday 5 miler, and PRed with a finish of 47:49 (a 9:34 pace). My last 5 miler I ran at a 9:58 pace, so I was pretty happy about the results. It was about 30 at gun time (seem to be the trend for my races this season – train in mild temps, race when it’s tits cold) and the first mile was BRUTAL. My fingers lost feeling and my feet started to get numb, which made it feel like I had bricks at the end of my legs – but I tore out of the start with an 8:36 mile – I think it was my body trying to warm me up, and had nothing to do with actual running (fight or flight!). The course was nice and straight forward – down to Harvard(ish) and come back down Cambridge Street to Kendall. 

I noticed that the GPS on my MapMyRun had that same weird discrepancy as the St. Pete’s Beach 10K – 0.16 miles. Seriously, I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but it threw off all my paces and dashed some hopes and dreams to run the whole thing in sub-9s (OK, my legs actually dashed that dream, but let’s blame the technology instead).  Looks like I’m going to have to start subtracting 0.16 from all my distance runs, and recalculating my pace from there, which in theory, defeats the whole purpose of running with the GPS and pacing on my phone.

The good news is that the same thing also happened in this race as St. Pete’s Beach: I passed more people at the end than people passed me. This is kind of a big moment for me – I’ve been working for almost 3 years to learn how to race; to pace and to finish strong rather than burn out with a half mile or mile to go.  I saw a few girls in front of me the first couple miles, and the pride in my head started nagging, “They shouldn’t be beating you. Look at how big her ass is. She shouldn’t be beating you. Is that girl wearing Sketchers? She definitely shouldn’t be beating you.” But I told it to shut up; this is my last “fun run” for the next 16 weeks, I wasn’t going to get hung up on proving something to…nobody. Who knows? Maybe those girls work a hell of a lot harder than I do, and deserve to be in front of me. One thing I’ve learned in running is that it doesn’t matter what it looks like while you’re running – you get out of it what you put into it. If you do tons of work and still have a big ass – maybe you’re running 8:30s and have a big ass. Maybe you’re thin and can only run 10:45s. Doesn’t matter in the end; running is still just for you.

So I passed the 5K mark and registered a 29ish “split” (which is about my 5K PR in October). So I started focus on my cadence and breathing. And then, on a hill, I caught the girl with the big ass. We ran next to each other for a little bit; I could tell she did not want me to pass her. This game is essential to racing and pushing yourself. So she played tag with me for about half a mile, but eventually she dropped off and I didn’t see her again. My other target had bright pink Under Armour and had shoulders like a linebacker. I didn’t speed up – that’s always my fatal mistake. I figured if I catch her, I catch her. If I don’t, at least I ran hard to chase her. I caught her at the water stop at 4 – she didn’t even stand a chance. With about 0.8 to go, I saw the girl with the Sketchers and she had a Brady jersey on. At the turn to go back to Kendall, me and my Giants shirt smoked her. SMOKED.

And then I started to crank. I started chanting “turnover turnover turnover” to focus on my legs. At the last turn to get to the finish, I started sprinting. Sprinting! I usually want to puke by that time. I passed 5 more people – FIVE!  - and only had one girl come of nowhere to pass me right before the finish mats.
It was a great race to run right before I start focusing everything towards Burlington.  Even though I didn’t really want to get out of bed Monday morning, I’m glad I did. I debated – with the ole “Well I’ll run after work tonight” – but even I knew I was bullshitting. So I logged 3 miles on the treadmill while I watched all the sad Patriots fans whining about how Tom Brady should be able to glue the ball into wide receivers’ hands.

This week, I’m supposed to run 15 miles, with my long run at 5 miles. Last week, I ran 11.8 miles, with my 5 mile race as my long run. I am getting so excited thinking about how prepared I am to start training, and how all the preparation – dating back to April 2011 – is going to translate into a marathon time that will reflect all this hard work! 

Sunday, January 22, 2012

St. Pete's Beach Classic Review

Miles Run This Week: 4.1
Days until Burlington: 128

Back from vacation! Florida was exactly what I needed - low humidity, warm temps, and awesome running routes. My 4 mile run this week had these as the turnaround point:



 So things could have been worse. On Saturday the 14th, I ran the St. Pete's Beach Classic 10K with Joe. My parents came to watch (not really knowing what to expect) - so around 6:30 AM, we were packed up and off to St. Pete's Beach. It was about 50 degrees and pretty gusty when we got there - but we had about an hour and a half to kill, and the sun had just come up.

One thing I hate is standing in the start corral, freezing to death while you wait for the gun. But that's what we did.

The field didn't look very big - considering the races I've run in the Boston area, I'm used to being packed in at the start, and having to weave through the crowd after the start (total aside - if you're not a sub 6:00 min/mile runner, you being at the front will not make a difference, trust me. No need to start your jog from the front if the pack and run 3 across with all your friends - be real with yourself and get into the middle with the rest of us). Joe and I cruised right through the jogging pack, and after about .3 of a mile, settled into a nice 9:25 pace.

The course was flat - as in, real flat, not 0 elevation change because you kill yourself up a hill but get to dog it back down. A real flat. It was also weave-y, which isn't my favorite. All in all, I added about .15 to the run because of the turns (since race courses are measured in tangents). This might not sound like a lot, but in order to hold pace, I'd have to run a little bit faster to compensate the difference.

Things I noticed about running in the South versus running in the North:
-Everyone was nicer. I know this sounds like a cliche, but there was a guy ahead of Joe and me for about half a mile that was thanking every single spectator  for coming out to watch. I suspect that he has never run a race that draws a big crowd (like Boston or Chicago) - otherwise, he would be exhausted by mile 2 with all his gratitude.
-Everyone seemed slower. Or newer to a race setting. One of my race hallmarks is to pass a whole bunch of people at the beginning, only to be picked off by 70% of them again at the end. This time, I passed a bunch of people, kept passing more, and none of them ever caught up.

So I paced us to about 9:17s til about mile 4, when I  hit the wall. Joe picked up the pace to 9:15s and started shaving off time until we were cranking at 9:05s. I didn't whine, I didn't complain, all I said was, "My stomach is starting to hurt" and he replied with "Then you're doing it right." (Jerk.)

The worst part of the race was the last mile - you crossed the start mats at the mile 5 marker, and then had to run down to a turnaround and back. I'm really glad I looked at the course map ahead of time, or I would have been pissed. We watched some guy turn on his afterburners about 250 yards from the start mats - letting me know that he had no idea how far a 10K really was. Joe and I caught him about a quarter mile after his premature sprintalation, and passed him without any effort.

Once we hit the turnaround, we were running straight into the headwind. I had to start ramping up my speed to make sure the wind wouldn't slow me down. We stayed at 9:05s (but had that extra distance in there to negate that speed - awesome).

We turned the corner for the finish, and there were my mom and dad - so then I had to really sprint to make it look hard (it was already kind of hard). True to form, my mom tried to take a picture, not realizing that we weren't going to slow down just for a photo op (I think she's got a shot of just my arm).

Official time when we crossed the mats was 57:25 - so a 9:15 pace. I beat my previous PR by over a minute (1:09 to be exact)! I also came in 89 out of 323 women - which is probably one of my top finishes to date (but like I said....I don't think it was because of some blistering speed....I just think I wasn't racing tough runners like I do in Boston).

Regardless - I'm pretty stoked at my run, especially considering the fact I wasn't actually training for this race, and I could come out and lay a time down like that. Of course, now my hip has been yelling at me for over a week because of the pace I took (and I ran it in my Reeboks instead of my Saucony's - guess I do still need that support!).

I finished plotting out the training scheduled for Burlington - my goal race pace for this marathon is 10:18s, something that is totally doable (and sustainable for 26.2 miles - unlike my 9:15s that probably would have burnt out around 7 or 8). I think my biggest concerns right now are strengthening my hip abductors to stop this nagging pain, and keeping flexible and relaxed to avoid any other injuries.

Fifteen weeks to go!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Hey Slacker: Give Me Your Money!

Miles Run This Week: 0
Days Until Burlington: 130

OK. First things first - black bean soup was a smashing success. It would have been REALLY good with

some bacon (which many of the recipes called for) or some ground meat (but then it would have been chili). All in all, it was incredibly filling and tasty. The celery was essential to adding some texture/crunch to the other ingredients (so it was good to not saute it too long). 

This morning I dragged myself to the gym for the 6:30 spin class - which had better results for me than when I went to the Thursday class. I suspect it's because this is the spin class with a cute, straight dude as the instructor. I also made sure I didn't sit behind a big sweaty guy - girls butts are way nicer to look at (at least in this class). Last week I sat behind a guy who wore light colored cotton shorts to class, and was definitely part of Resolutionpalooza. Every intense interval was a sweaty TMI. Even though Tuesday spin doesn't really fit into my week...it might be worth it to switch some things around.

One thing that spinning and running have in common for me - they both tighten my piriformis. The piriformis is a muscle in your glute that controls your hip's range of motion. If it gets too tight, it can start to irritate your sciatic nerve, giving you some pretty gnarly pain in your back and leg. I've found it just makes my IT band a horrible mess (more than it already is). It's a legitimate pain in the ass. My go-to to helping me keep it in check is this puppy (which is actually called the pigeon, not puppy):


  

Since it's deemed an intermediate position, you should probably go check out the steps a the Yoga Journal to avoid hurting yourself (especially if you're doing this pose to avoid getting hurt - irony!). It's also a double-feature - I use it to get at my hip flexors, too. Some times I just prop my leg up on the bathroom sink while I'm brushing my teeth, too. Essentially the same stretch (but standing up, obv). 

Lastly, my Runner's World email mentioned a new app to motivate you to go to the gym. The original story ran in the New York Times ; the gist of the app: you lock yourself into number of days and duration each week (minimum 1 day for 30 mins) and then put some moolah down (minimum of $5) - if you don't man up and go for the times and days you originally set, you lose your cash. All the money taken from the slackers is then pooled together and divided up equally among the people who met their gym goals for the week. Meaning, if you're a gym rat, download this app, and low-ball yourself, you could get paid for going to the gym (without an endorsement from Nike paying your way).

While the RW forum brought up some good points (why not donate the money to charity?) - this app raised some bigger questions for me. (Aside from the gym-rat detailed above.) 
  • If you don't know how to set realistic goals for yourself, you'll go broke quick. We've all met (or been) the person whose intentions, while well-meaning, are completely batshit. There's a reason that all the "Couch potato to runner" workouts focus on 5Ks - because you can't going from a couch potato to a marathoner. Or how many of us have sat at our desks on a Monday saying, "OK! This week's the week! I'm going to the gym EVERY DAY." Guess what? There's not couch potato to 6 day a week cardio plan, either. Is there something to keep this in check from over extending your reach? 
  • This reinforces the stigma that working out is a chore/something that we all know we "should" do, versus setting it up as something we WANT to do. I get that the money will probably re-prioritize your day to make you squeeze in a workout - isn't that what paying for a gym membership is anyway?  I'm already paying $2.50 a day for the BSC, if I don't go all week, didn't I just waste about $20? I don't go to the gym because of the $$ - I do it so my pants fit (and to run a sub-5 hour marathon). 
  • It forces you to do something to your body that maybe you shouldn't be doing. Rest days are necessary. If you're the fool up there who over extended yourself, you might force yourself to slave away on the treadmill - risking overuse injury (or worse). The $5 you saved that week isn't going to cover the physical therapy costs if you fuck up your knee or get a stress fracture because you didn't want to skip a day that you needed to skip. 
I'm rolling this app into the Re-tards Tones/Sketcher sneakers, Vibram 5 finger shoes and Zumba category: for people who are looking for a quick fix, most likely because they aren't working out for themselves. 




Monday, January 9, 2012

Meatless Monday #1: Black Bean Soup

Miles Run This Week: 0
Days until Burlington: 131

Last night I capped off a 19.16 mile week - which is the highest volume week for me since Chicago, and featured my longest run (8.14 miles) since 2010 on Saturday. The 8 miles took me 90 minutes; it coincided perfectly with the base building I'm trying to do in the month of January (which had me completing a 90 minute run). I used the heart rate monitor to keep my pace in check - which I think is a big reason I was able to complete this run. I finished up the weekend with a 40 minute recovery run, for only 3.3 miles. It was probably a little too long (my legs are fried today) - but it was so awesome to check off the 19 miles from my to-do list.

Today was supposed to kick off my Meatless Monday resolution, and I just realized I had chicken soup for lunch. Curses!

Tonight I'll be making black bean soup for dinner (to consciously be no-meat) with a modified recipe (taking out the chili pepper) from allrecipes.com:  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 (15 ounce) cans black beans
  • 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, carrots and garlic for 5 minutes. Season with chili powder, cumin, and black pepper; cook for 1 minute. Stir in vegetable broth, 2 cans of beans, and corn. Bring to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, process remaining 2 cans beans and tomatoes until smooth. Stir into boiling soup mixture, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Seems easy enough - and looks yummy!

 Vegan Black Bean Soup Recipe

I'll report back and see how mine actually turns out!

This week is also Florida and my 10K race! I'm anxious to see if all the other training I did after the BAA 10K kept my fitness up/improved my fitness so I can stay under an hour for finish time again. I think it'll help that Joe (my rabbit) has decided to run it with me. I ran with him on NYE, and he pushed my pace to 9:30s for 5.5 miles, and I wasn't dying (or really feeling like I was at full throttle pace). Of course, I'll also be going from temps in the 30s and 40s to 60s and 70s - so that might hinder it a bit. I'm planning to run Thursday - Sunday because it will be warm! And sunny! And nice! But I'm still wary about burning myself out. 

Tonight's focus (other than no-meat resolution) will be yoga (another resolution!) to keep my hammies and my hips flexible!