Run to Remember...

Not every run serves your training plan.  Sometimes a run is about so much more.

On Memorial Day, across the country, thousands of runners and non-runners took to the streets and trails to dedicate their miles to fallen service members with wear blue: run to remember.

Here on 29, though it was a hot, hot morning in the desert, Stroller Warriors banded together to add our own miles to this remembrance.  Running in memory of friends, running in memory of loved ones, or running in memory of total strangers, more than thirty women and children (even a few men) joined in to dedicate a 5K.

Miss A, Baby K, and I ran in memory of Corporal Terrence P. Allen, USMC, who was killed in Al Anbar Province on September 15, 2007 while serving with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC.  

My children took to the challenge of running this course (challenge because it was hot, they have short legs, and it was 3.1 miles) like the champs they are.  Well, let's be realistic, Baby K actually cruised in the jogging stroller for all but about a quarter mile.  But he ran that quarter mile with heart.

The run also gave me the opportunity to talk with Miss A about why we were really out there on that course.  It can be confusing for small children when their moms or dads deploy into combat zones.  It's even more confusing when they don't come back home alive.  Miss A, after our talk, was happy that her daddy has come home from all his deployments, though saddened that some don't.  She picked up her chin and said "let's do this for him {CPL Allen}."

We did not know Corporal Allen before dedicating our run to his memory (we were matched with hi by wear blue: run to remember), but I have taken the time to learn about him since.  He was just 21 years old, from New Jersey, and a newly wed.  A young man who enlisted even before he graduated high school.  This young man had a long-term goal to become a high school history teacher.

After it was over, to reward my children, of course I let them have some play time on the tanks.  After all, Memorial Day is about both remembering and celebrating...what better way than playing on the tanks that have given so much to our country as well.  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  658.48 miles

Observations:  I've still got soreness in my tendon that borders on pain.  It dissipates a bit once I get a mile or so into a run.  I'm currently treating it with a bit of spray on Icy Hot before workouts to numb the pain.

 

  I'll be able to focus on healing it after Zooma half next weekend.

It's Getting Hot Out Here...

It's summertime....well almost summertime.  Who really can tell the difference out here in the desert?  The calendar may still say it's spring, but with temperatures topping 100 degrees more often than not now, I'd say summer is in full swing.  (At least I say that now.  Wait until July and August when it's well over 110 most of the time).

Though it might be tempting, higher temperatures don't mean taking a break from running.  They just mean you have to run smarter.  So, in this post, I thought I'd talk about 4 things I currently love for my summer running.

But first, I want to recap an opportunity to roll with my homie this week - yep, Baby K (not so baby anymore) was back in the jogging stroller for a SW29 workout on Wednesday.  It's so rare that this little one is willing to sit in a stroller for a whole workout anymore, so I took advantage.

For days, Baby K had been asking to stay home from daycare with mama and do what I do during the day (though I'm pretty sure that didn't include wanting to do my work with me).  I finally let him stay home for a day with mama, to include a run, albeit one that was billed as an "endurance run".

So, I packed up the water bottles and snacks to stash in the stroller, put on breathable clothes for both of us, and strolled to the start...on what would be the HOTTEST day of the week (with a high of 105).  After slathering enough sunscreen on for a football team, we headed out for a four mile out and back.  (We were told to cut back to 30 minutes because of the heat, but I really had a bare minimum number of miles I needed for my mental plan).

I will tell you, it was a hot run.  Not only was it hot, I was pushing the jogging stroller for the first time in months.  The route seemed only to go up, and no matter how much water I drank, it didn't seem like enough. 

At the two mile mark, Baby K and I were completely on our own, with everybody else having turned back at least half a mile earlier.  It was a mental challenge to push through the waves of heat rolling over our bodies, oh and also that slight head wind on the way back that seemed to push back against the hood of the stroller creating more resistance. 

We finished, though it wasn't pretty.  Baby K has had his fill of running for a little while.  And, we even found more water to quench our thirst back at the finish.  All in all, it wasn't as bad with hind sight as it was while struggling through it.  That said, I'm going to stick to early morning runs or the treadmill on future days this hot.

Back to the things I'm loving right now (I am receiving no compensation for the rave reviews you'll see below).


Banana Boat Sport CoolZone sunscreen - Out here in the desert, the sun beats down like no where else.  Literally, it can feel like your skin is being seared.  That makes sunscreen an essential, especially with red hair and fair skin.  This sunscreen goes on easy and always cools the skin, so it feels awesome reapplying every 45-60 minutes.

SaltStick Fastchew Tabs in Tart Orange - During the hot summer months, as you're sweating buckets, replenishing electrolytes is almost as important as drinking plenty of water.  I used o take the type of salt or electrolyte tabs that you had to swallow with water.  Then I discovered these little gems.  So easy to take, not chalky, and they don't leave an awkward after taste.  Bonus, shortly after chewing a tab, I tend to feel my energy soar again. 

Fitletic Water Belt - Sure, there are lots of hydration options for every runner type.  For me, for summer runs 5-12 miles, I chose the Fitletic hydration belt.  It holds two water bottles (8 oz each) on parts of the waist that don't interrupt my running form, has loops for your mid-run nutrition, and tabs to hold your race bib.  My favorite part is the flat zipper compartment with a slot for your id and also large enough to hold an iPhone in a case, plus my roll of SaltStick tabs.

Skin Slick - This is a new addition to my running bag.  I've been a devotee of body glide for a long time, going through tubes and tubes every season.  Recently I discover the Skin Slick, which is a newer anti-chafe topical that comes in an aerosol can.  It's easy to apply, and you don't have to touch the skin.  Why is that important?  Well, I'll never forget the night before a race once when a good friend learned that her husband had borrowed her body glide for a race the week before....to glide up his private parts.  Yeah, there are just things that shouldn't be shared.  So, with the Skin Slick, you can share away and not have to worry about what body part was being treated.  Bonus - it seems to work just as well as body glide so far.

What are your summertime gear favorites?

Alright, it's time to prep my gear for tomorrow's long run (early enough in the morning to avoid the nasty heat).  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  637.48 miles

Observations:  I've still got soreness in my tendon that borders on pain.  It dissipates a bit once I get a mile or so into a run.  I'll be able to focus on healing it after Zooma half next weekend.

Recent Workouts:

Monday:  Easy Run

Tuesday:  mile warm up, 2 strength exercises, treadmill mile (repeat the exercises and treadmill mile for five rotations)

Wednesday:  Stroller Run

Thursday:  the gym was closed so I took the day off from my strength interval routine

Friday:  Stop, Drop & Roll with SW29, a blend of running and strength

Saturday:  Long Run (10 miles planned)

Sunday:  Easy Run

Hills, Hills, Hills....

Hills are the scourge of the running world, a place of private inward pain and challenge where every runner is equal, forced by the incline and their own relative fitness to become a better version of themselves on their journey to the top.                         

 -- Martin Dugard, To Be A Runner

 Many runners love to hate hills.  I have a slightly different relationship with them...give me hills any day.  That doesn't exactly mean I love them, I just don't mind the feel of the strain in my legs during that upward journey. 

"Are you crazy?" you might ask.  Well, yes, but hills aren't the reason why.

Let me tell you something about me and hills.  Hills are a mental game, as much as a physical game.  If your head is in it, the hill just never seems all that bad.  If you go into a hill workout thinking it's going to hurt and not wanting to do it, well, then, the hills may ultimately seem impossible.  Since I like being challenged in my running, the mental game is in the right place.

Also, hills, on the up, require more hamstring than quad.  Down hills require more quad and concentration (especially if the grade is steep).  While I have more frequently injured my hamstrings (usually the left one), they are much stronger than my quads on the average day.  I often find myself powering up a hill and being overly caution on the down.

Funny story...a couple years ago I was running a 10 mile race south of Annapolis.  I kept leap frogging this pair of runners, and it always happened on the hills.  I would gain speed, and distance from them, on the up hills as I powered through.  They would catch, and pass me, on the down hills.  After about 8 miles of this, they both commented on how it was strange to them that a runner could have more speed on the up than the down.

So fast forward to this past week...hill work on the agenda.  YES!  (Well realistically, almost every run on or around this base has some hill work in it because nothing is flat....NOTHING).  But, there's a particular run we do in one of the neighborhoods that involves first climbing up to the "main' street across the neighborhood, then sprinting uphill to each cul de sac off the "main" street and recovering on the down hill and over to the next cul de sac.  This goes on for 30-40 minutes.

"Holy begeezus", you might say.  Many do.  I've seen the social media traffic to that effect.  But, hey, this one is right in my wheelhouse.  I find I run this workout at a much faster pace than relatively flat, fast runs.  Why?  Again, the strength and mental agility that I've built on the ups.  You can gain that too....just start with removing all the hate for hills from your mind, and the rest will come much more easily.

A note about hills - hill workouts are a great effort workout in your training plan (and they really make your glutes look nice come swimsuit season).  Many runners know that they are a staple of a well-trained runner, but not many of them know why.  So, here goes.

If we want to get stronger and faster, we must increase the force requirements of our workout. Tempo runs, time trials and fast reps on the track are good, but they don't generate maximum force. Hills do. 

"Running up hills forces the knees to lift higher, one of the most desirable developments for any runner, because this governs stride speed and length," wrote Lydiard (with Garth Gilmour) in his book Running With Lydiard. "It also develops the muscle fibers, increasing power." 

In fact, we can target all three types of muscle fiber (a "fiber" is what we call a muscle cell) with hill training: slow-twitch (Type I), intermediate fast-twitch (Type IIa) and fast-twitch (Type IIx). Slow-twitch produces the least force of the fiber types, but it works aerobically and takes a long time to fatigue, making it perfect for endurance activities. Intermediate fibers produce more force than slow-twitch, creating the long, powerful strides associated with middle-distance running. Fast-twitch fibers produce the most force of all, but they function anaerobically and are useful only for short bursts.

-- Pete Magill, "Mastering Hill Workouts," Runners World, Dec 6, 2011 

So next time your coach (or the training plan you got from a friend or other resource) calls for a hill workout, dig deep, put on a determined happy face, and tackle that beast with a smile.  You'll be surprised how much better hills make your running overall.  Happy trails!!!

 2017 miles to date: 618.24 miles

Observations:  I'm battling a tendon issue in my lower left leg.  It can be pretty painful, but once I get moving, the pain almost entirely dissipates.  Battling my inner self that says I don't need to have it checked out to make sure it isn't something worse.  Who's going to win this one.

Recent workouts:

Monday - easy run

Tuesday - mile warm up, 2 strength exercises, treadmill mile (repeat the exercises and treadmill mile for four rotations)

Wednesday - hill workout

Thursday - mile warm up, 2 strength exercises, treadmill mile (repeat the exercises and treadmill mile for four rotations)

Friday - easy run

Saturday - rest

Tomorrow - long run (so long as my leg holds out)

Magical Miles....

What could be better than feeling the wind blow through your hair as your feet hit pavement during a good run?  Well, doing it in the happiest place on earth, of course!

This past weekend, I packed up my bags and headed to Disneyland for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon weekend.  I have been looking forward to seeing how west coast Disney races compare to the stimulation you get at an east coast Disney race.  Is the energy the same?  How much do you get to run through the parks?  Do you see characters at every turn?

Bottomline up front – I truly enjoyed the experience and will do it again.  I finished the 10k in 20^th place in my division (top 3% of the whole race field) and the half marathon in 49th place in my division (top 4% overall).  I’ve always been happy to recommend Disney races to anybody looking for a running experience (as opposed to hitting a new PR).

So, back to the weekend.  I showed up last Friday afternoon to check in for the half marathon.  I was surprised to find that registration was actually still open for all races (the east coast races sell out in about a day) and thought to myself, “What the heck?”  and upgraded to the Pixie Dust Challenge.  This means running a 10k on Saturday and then the half marathon on Sunday.

I wasn’t concerned about the mileage.  I’m trained, and I ran a similar challenge at Walt Disney World just last year.  But, since I showed up equipped to run one race, I needed to find a second set of running clothes at the expo (against the golden rule which is don’t wear anything new on race day).

I'm cheap, so race photos

are watermarked.

So I moseyed up to the 10K start line at 4:30am on Saturday (longer Disney races all start at 5:30am….gotta get that park open on time after all).  I didn’t plan on pushing too hard because of the half marathon on Sunday.  When the race started (with no fireworks like the east coast cousins), I settled into a nice comfortable pace. 

I was pleasantly surprised that the much of the race wound through the parks, giving this Disneyland rookie a good orientation to the Mouse’s first house.  If you’ve never been to California Adventure, be prepared for breathtaking backdrops.  Sadly, characters were few and far between along the race course to keep the mind entertained.

Closing in on the finish, I realized my legs felt good, my mind was alert, and the weather was perfect.  I turned it up just a bit for a stronger finish than I originally set out for.  Then I went back to the hotel, showered and got ready for a day in the park with the family.

On Sunday, I arose to a similar timeline of events.  This time, I met up with a friend who was also racing and walked over to Downtown Disney so she could drop her gear.  Now here’s where I made the worst decision of the whole weekend.  On the way to the starting corrals, I realized I hadn’t eaten and was starved.  So, I quickly grabbed a warm buttered croissant at Starbucks (one of the advantages to the west coast races is that everything is closer and some of the restaurants open super early for racers).  That croissant worked a number on my stomach the whole first half of the race.

At the start (again no fireworks), I headed out at a comfortable pace.  My legs were a little more rough than Saturday thanks to a Saturday race followed by a day of walking in the park, but nothing unmanageable.  The first half of the race followed the same course as the 10k, and then took a turn out into Anaheim for the next half.  I really enjoyed getting to see a bit of the town…and the famous Anaheim parrots atop the power lines.

Now, since that croissant had destroyed my stomach in the first half of the race, I had a lot of time to make up in order to still hit my minimum acceptable finish of sub 2 hours.  I really had to crank up the speed by a good 30-40 seconds per mile.  Thank goodness my legs are trained for better than that, so I was able to make the push without really killing myself.  Actually, I probably could have given it a little more, but I was content with where I’d finish.

Around mile 11, we turned back onto Disney property and wound around backlots.  As my mind wandered to the playlist blaring through my ear buds, I had an epiphany.  Have you ever listened to Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You”?  Well let me tell you, it’s not about a guy….It has to be about her relationship with running.  Listen to it closely next time and tell me if I'm wrong.

Finally, the finish.  I came in right behind two Smees (the costumes were, of course, cute….Disney races are all about the costumes.  Don’t ask me about mine, though, I don’t do costumes).  I always enjoy that final sprint the last couple hundred meters of a race.  The challenge and thrill of passing people in that final push is exhilarating. 

Since I was a Pixie Dust Challenge finisher, I walked through the chute to collect my two medals (to add to my medal from Saturday.  Disney does AMAZING medals!).  Another Disney race in the history books….and overall I loved it!

A quick word about nutrition…consistency in nutrition is important for your overall performance.  Changing it up before a big event, or eating something you know your body doesn’t react well to are huge no nos. Twice now in the past year I’ve made a bad decision based on what sounded like a good idea at the time – last November I ate some rice pudding the night before the Richmond Half when I know my body doesn’t do dairy, and now the buttered croissant.  Much like your running gear, stick to tried and true nutritional choices before an event or your performance will pay the price.  If you want to try a new diet or menu plan, do it during a valley in your training and log how the change impacts your physical and mental game.  Same goes for your fuel during a run.  If you’re looking to make a change, try it out during training instead of race day, or race day won’t be much fun.  Have you ever suffered the results of a poor nutrition choice?

Next time I’m looking forward to giving you all a rundown of my recent workout types and locations (I’ve been having fun) and talking a little about the importance of hydration with summer on the horizon.  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date: 601.02 miles

Observations: I've got some muscle aches still related to overtraining that could do with a nice rest day or two.  My left hamstring is singing again and I'm not looking for a repeat of last year.  Same with the foot tendons and I've got to tell you, I refuse to put a couple weeks in a boot like last fall because of those darn things.  Need to dial back for a bit to fully recover before moving on and up.

Knowing when...

...to take a rest day is one of the most important, but also one of the hardest, lessons to learn.  We're runners.  We think we're super human.  We could run and run and run....until we can't.

Lately, I've been running myself into the ground.  I run.  I lift.  I run some more.  Then I go to kickball practice.  And after hip hop class, I run again.  Last night and this morning I was cranky, sore, run down, and so much more.  My body was screaming for a rest day as loathe as I am to take a whole day off (as much as I could give it one, because after all, I have my hip hop class on Mondays).

I feel almost as worn out and stretched to the max as I did in January when I went on a 31 day running streak.  (I felt a certain level of accomplishment, but I've never been more tired and close to real injury as going 31 days without a rest day.)

Yes, it's true.  I have a hard time remembering that my body needs rest as much as it needs the workout.  In fact, without the rest, my body will never realize the benefits to or improvements gained from the workouts.

What happens to your body on rest day?  I like this graphic....it's a quick and easy reminder of

all the good your body gains on that day without much purposeful physical exertion.

How can you tell when you need a rest day?  More often than not, our bodies will actually be screaming at us when rest day is needed, but, again, we're all super human so we ignore the screams and keeping pressing on.  Therefore, it is incumbent upon us as athletes to take stock from time to time of all the things our body is silently saying.  This Runner's World article from July 2016 is a great tool to help you think about the cues your body is using to tell you to take that dreaded rest day:

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/10-signs-that-you-need-a-rest-day.


And if you still haven't figured it out?  Call me....I'll talk you off the workout ledge and into a pair of comfy shoes and recovery clothes.  Happy trails!!!


2017 miles to date:  No more than yesterday....didn't you get that?  Today was rest day.


Observations:  A couple of muscles are nagging at me from overtraining, and my energy levels are tanked.  Will be starting fresh tomorrow.