Dialing it in...

There’s a craze sweeping the running world, one that you may or may not have participated in – virtual racing. 

What is virtual racing?  Well, you sign up to run a theme- or cause-based specific distance, within a specific timeframe, you pay a fee, and the organizing party sends you race swag for the event.  Once that timeframe rolls around, you (alone or with a group of running buddies) don your gear, run the distance (honor system here), and take your commemorative selfies to post to social media.

Some people love this concept.  There’s no pressure to get to a starting line at a specific time on a specific day.  You control the venue.  You control the time of day you run.  You control your course, making it as hard or easy as you want.  Heck, you can even control the weather, to a point, postponing your event if the weather doesn’t suit your temperament.    

You run your race and no one else’s.  The pressure to be as good as the runners around you doesn’t exist.  Only you can intimidate yourself.  There’s no comparing how you run or how fast you run with others.  You don’t have to have the coolest gear.  You set your intention and pace from the beginning, no fighting crowds to find open course or battling to get out of the finisher’s corral and stumble back to your car.

Me?  I’ve been skeptical about virtual races.  There are so many things I feel are part of the race experience.  I enjoy the anticipation of the gun at the starting line, using my fellow competitors to push myself harder, trying out new courses out of necessity, earning my swag only after crossing the finish line.  I don’t feel like those things are really available through virtual racing.     

But, there are other, worthwhile things, available through virtual racing.”

Recently, I ran my first virtual race via Flex it Pink…the Run for the Heroes.  The price was right (mid $30s for the bib, tank, and medal), and the cause was right (Mission 22 – www.mission22.com – raising awareness about veteran suicide).  I could run a 5k or 10k (my choice) and only needed to complete the “race” sometime between June 30 – July 9.

Last weekend was my “race date” and I wasn’t alone.  When you live on a military installation, and races are often far away or expensive, virtual racing is appealing, so there’s often a small group participating in one virtual race or another.  And this cause hits home pretty hard.  Many of us have known service members who came home from deployment, suffering PTSD, who took their own lives.

Because I’m mid-training plan, I chose to add my “race” into the middle of a training workout…mid-long run of course. 

So, I met up with three other ladies on base and we slogged through a hot morning together to “dial it in.”  We didn’t chose the easiest course (yeah, we voluntarily took on hills), so that we avoided a simple out and back, but when you’ve got company and conversation you often don’t notice the challenging aspects of a particular route.  Of course we wore our race shirts – totally taboo….I never wear a race shirt until it’s earned, but who can say no to a post-run group photo in our gear.  The camaraderie was great, we supported a cause worth broadcasting to as many people as possible, and, bonus for me, also broke up my long run.

How about you?  Have you participated in a virtual race?  What did you think?  Would you do it again?

Question for me is, will I do it again?  Well, probably.  I’m not likely to run a virtual race for the theme of it (there are plenty of those out there), but for a good cause, it is certainly worth it!  But, because I really love the atmosphere of an in-person event, that will continue to be my go to.   Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  822.79 miles

Observations:  I am so happy that everything seems to be working right now.  I know I'm running a risk with my left foot tendons, but I've had a weak with almost no signs of stress there.

MARATHON TRAINING WEEK FIVE:

Monday - 6 miles interval (switched to 5 miles with hills)

Tuesday - 6 miles easy (split this between Tuesday and Thursday)

Wednesday - 5 miles hills (completed a 6 mile tempo run)

Thursday - Off (see Tuesday)

Friday - 3-4 miles easy

Saturday - 16 mile long run (will be Sunday on the treadmill....yuck)

Sunday - Off

Getting My Groove Back...

It's super hard to establish a routine, but it's super easy to break one....especially when you travel.

Now, I need to qualify that statement a little bit because I travel a lot.  I don't tend to slack off when I'm on the road.  In fact, I am the queen of foreign country hotel gym treadmills if it isn't safe enough or convenient enough to run outside.  I make time when I'm on the road domestically.  I worked hard to create a routine, I'm darn determined to keep it.  Except when...

Vacation can be a tough one.  Especially a vacation with a schedule.  And even more so when the vacation is chock full of other physical activity like hiking and paddling.  It is SOOOOO hard to keep at the running routine when your legs are tired from a day of hiking, or your body is heavy from 2 hours of stand up paddling in stiff headwinds.  Not to mention, sleeping on an air mattress in a very cold tent, or drinking just a little too much wine the night before.  Those can hinder maintaining a routine too.

Did you catch that maybe I had those things happen last week on vacation?  Yeah.  My family traveled to Lake Mead, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Bearizona for 6 days of hiking, paddling and nature.  I had every intention of not letting down on my training schedule.  Every workout is important to achieving my goals.  But you know what they say about the best intentions.  I think I only ran twice last week.

Don't get me wrong.  I was not slacker.  I was still covering 6-10 miles a day, just a little differently. (I did run through Bryce Canyon City, UT and in Kingman, AZ, but that's only two).

However, those days off do make it difficult to right the ship and get back on track.  I'm finding I need to shift my training schedule around a little this week (maybe decreasing the intensity of my effort workouts) to allow my body to readjust back into my routine.  Well, that and the extreme heat warning we've got this week until Saturday night.  I'll be dragging myself out the door to get it done.

What gets you off track?  How do you get your groove back after?  Me, I have to thrust all my energy into getting one foot back in front of the other and just getting it done.  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  784.96 miles

Observations:  One advantage to shifting the routine for a week was that my left leg injuries were given a rest.  Frankly I've got no pain left in my calf.  I still get a bit sore in my foot tendons after a run, but not as bad.  Now, just to defeat the heat this week.

MARATHON TRAINING WEEK FOUR:

Monday - 6 mile repeats (switched to 5 miles treadmill....stiff and getting back into it)

Tuesday - 6 miles easy (shifted to Wednesday due to the 4th of July)

Wednesday - 5 miles hills (shifted to Thursday flat due to heat)

Thursday - Off (you know this didn't happen)

Friday - 3-4 miles easy

Saturday - 12 mile long run

Sunday - Off

Shoes, Glorious Shoes....

As a runner, there are few things in life more thrilling than opening a new pair of running shoes.  They are clean - unmarred by hundreds of miles on dirty roads or trails.  They smell fresh - not yet wreaking from all that sweat soaked into the liner.  Most of all, they feel like heaven on weary feet and are probably the single most important equipment investment you can make as a runner (to have a more enjoyable experience and avert the risk of injury). 

That first run in fresh shoes provides me that "ahhh" moment of relief after running too long in shoes that had broken down in the heel or blown out in the toe....especially since I stretch my shoes out to about 500-550 miles.  Why this post now?  We'll, I just got a new pair delivered today and I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing (at least in my head, because my shoes have been feeling really flat lately and not so comfortable).

The issue of running shoes tends to raise the most questions from novice runners who may ask - "just how long do running shoes last?" or "what kind of shoes do you wear?"

My sad, old shoes.

Answering the second question first, I'm a New Balance devotee....New Balance 1080 to be exact.  I've worn this shoe, in all it's various improvements, for years.  I go through 3-4 pairs a year, at about $140 a pop (ouch!!!!!).  Now, I'm also going to tell my runners it doesn't matter what shoe I wear, it only matters what shoe is right for you.

Every runner, whether new or experienced, should visit a specialized running store to buy the first good pair of shoes and then every couple years, at least, to ensure the shoe is still working for your gait (after all, we all change with age).  I advise new runners not to get caught up in buying the coolest looking shoe or the one that was on sale at the department store (unless you already know that it will work for your foot type, weight distribution, and gait).

My new, glorious shoes

Now back to the first question...how long should your running shoes last.  This actually depends on a couple factors - weight, gait, running surface.  A good rule of thumb is 300-500 miles, some brands or physical therapists will recommend no more than 400 miles.  After a couple pair, you should start to recognize how your shoes impact your run and body as they near the grave. 

Check out this 2016 article from Health, that I think addresses the issue well for most runners:  "3 Signs You Need a New Pair of Running Shoes."

So how do you keep track of the mileage on your shoes?  Well, here is a tried and true method (but it does require that you keep your running shoes for running only, and maintain other shoes for walking, gym workouts, etc):

• Keep a written running log/journal. Identify in your written log when you start wearing a new pair and log the miles and shoe feel after each run.  I do this electronically on MapMyRun rather than keeping a paper journal.  It has the same end result, but MapMyRun will send me email reminders throughout the life of a pair of shoes about how many miles I'm racking up.  Are there other methods you use to track the mileage on your shoes?

So, now that I've talked about how much I love a new pair of shoes, it's time to take that first run!  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  738.4 miles

Observations:  I'm still struggling with the left leg injuries.  When I feel that tell tale tingling of pain in my left foot that signals overuse, I've pulled back my workout.  I can't afford another turn in the boot.  I'm also unhappy with the calf tendon.  It was feeling better, but then during a HITT workout, it seemed to take a turn back in the wrong direction.  Let's see if the new shoes help out a bit.  If I could transplant my left leg, all would be hunky dory! (though I will admit that the heat is really sapping the energy).

MARATHON TRAINING WEEK TWO:

Monday - 6 miles interval (switched to 5 miles ladder - warmup, 400-800-1200-800-400 with a 400 recovery and cool down....it was hot as Hades at about 110)

Tuesday - 6 miles easy

Wednesday - 5 miles tempo

Thursday - Off

Friday - 3-4 miles easy

Saturday - 12

mile long run

Sunday - Off

Zooma, Zoom, Zoom...

A week and a half ago, I was back in Annapolis with another opportunity to do one of my favorite things....helping other women achieve their running goals.  For the third time, I was a pacer at Zooma Annapolis for the half marathon distance, which is enormously rewarding.

It all starts with entering the starting corral with a stick that shows the goal finish time you'll be guiding.  Women start asking you what that pace is, how you will achieve it, what the course is like, doubting whether they can keep up, knowing they'll rock it.  The questions and emotions are all across the board.

Then the starting gun blasts and you hit the pavement.  The first mile of a race is always tough, because you're getting the kinks out of your legs from standing in the starting corral, so I like to distract runners by asking where they are from, whether this is their first "fill in the blank distance" race, whether they have had the opportunity to explore the town.  Really anything to distract from the torture of the first mile. 

A little later on, I like to preview upcoming tough sections of the race to eliminate surprises.  On this course, the back half of the race is hills....no kidding, tough hills.  It can be a real bitch to hit those without having known about them in advance. 

I also like to play tour guide.  After all, this is Annapolis, one of the most amazing towns in the US....you wouldn't want to miss anything (just because you were panting and cursing your bad luck to sign up for a race that is almost always sweltering hot and humid).

When I get a few miles in, I also like to really start getting to know the folks around me.  Many racers have amazing, funny, or tragic reasons for strapping on their shoes and starting a race.  I enjoy learning about why runners run and drawing some of my own inspiration and motivation from them.

Back on course...the Zooma back half, which I already said was tough, include three U-turns, which are mentally tough for all runners, let alone novices.  Providing motivation to keep moving means digging deep and overcoming my own angst over U-turns (though they do allow me to see more of the runners on the course and wave to friends).

But the real fantastic part of pacing Zooma comes in the final mile.  Ladies are worn out.  They've just completed a grueling several miles of hills, the sun is starting to beat down, and all they want to do is be done with it, hitting the wine tent at the finish line.  Mentally and emotionally pushing runners through this part of the race can be tough, because I feel the same way they do (especially this year since all my own training has occurred in the desert where it's dry, not humid like the mid-Atlantic).

Then you make the right hand turn, see the Blue Angel looming in front of you and give the ladies one big "this is it....DO NOT LET ME CROSS THAT LINE BEFORE YOU!"  And they don't.

What means more to me than all the rest of it are the ladies who come up to you after the race and tell you they couldn't have done it without you, or that they've never gone so fast, or that the near constant "ladies, you've got this" gave them enough of a lift to meet their goals.  Almost nothing tops the feelings generated by the comments I receive from my runners after the finish line.  If you ever have a chance to pace a race, do it!

A note about my pacing philosophy:  Some pacers will hold a steady pace the whole race.  Some will go slower at the start to save energy for the end.  Because I only pace for races in Annapolis, my philosophy is focused on getting runners through that tough hill section, which appears in every race 10 miles and above - I like to push the runners about 5-10 seconds per mile faster than the average required split to bank time while the temps are still low, energy is still high, and runners aren't questioning the wisdom of entering a race with so many hills yet.  This bit of reserved time almost always gets used up once the heat of the day emerges, hills happen, and energy is sapped.  Then, as I stated above, I like to push my runners in the last couple hundred meters to leave me in the dust.  Frankly, leaving that last bit of energy out on the race course always boosts your pleasure at meeting your goal because you know you put everything you had into it.  And then, I try to loop back with as many of my group runners as I can find for high fives and "you rock"s. 

So, Lara, thanks for once again calling on me to serve as a pacer and to Lululemon for supplying the pacing team with great tops!  Come find me next time at the Annapolis Ten Miler in August!  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  719 miles

Observations:  I took a few days off from running after Zooma to heal a couple injuries that have been plaguing me this spring - both on the left side of my body.  As I launched into my own marathon training this week, I didn't want to be staring down at overuse injuries too early in training.  While the time off was helpful, I'm still watching the tendon near the calf and the tendons in the foot (last year's injury that landed me in a boot after Ragnar).  If they get any worse, I'm going to consult a sports doc to ensure I'm training safe.  No goal is worth laying yourself up for days, weeks, or even months....if need be, I can always defer the BQ to next year (I already deferred it from last year due to getting out of the boot only a week before my goal race).

MARATHON TRAINING WEEK ONE:

Monday - 5 mile repeats (completed on Tuesday)

Tuesday - 6 miles easy (ended up being 6 miles sustained hill workout Wednesday)

Wednesday - 5 miles tempo (turned into 5 easy on Thursday to compensate for two effort days)

Thursday - Off (well, you know I ran because I had to take Monday off)

Friday - 3-4 miles easy

Saturday - 10 mile long run

Sunday - Off

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.

Finding ways....

...to get it done may take an extreme amount of determination and a little creativity from time to time.


So, let me set the stage for you - husband is out of town for a couple weeks, which means I've got the kids, work, activities, and running to sort through, schedule and get done with only one set of hands.  No problem.


During the week, much of that is easily accomplished because the kids are in school/daycare.  Come the weekend, however, scheduling the running workouts can be a little more challenging. 


Usually, for me, weekends alone with the kids means getting in my miles on the treadmill in the garage.  I loathe long runs on the treadmill, so I thought I'd be clever and do 5 miles on the treadmill yesterday and 5 miles on the treadmill today instead of all at once.


That plan flew out the window pretty quickly yesterday evening when I went into the garage to get started, only to find out something was wrong with the electrical outlets, so my treadmill had no power.  Triple grrrr.


On to plan B.  Luckily, the base has a nice, rubber-surface track around the pretty turf football field.  And next to that track, even more luckily, is the super-duper playground.  On the down side, though, there is only one thing I hate more than doing a long run on the treadmill - doing a long run on the track.  So I had to cut my miles back today to 5 miles (though the kids wouldn't have allowed any more than that at any rate because they tire quickly on the big playground).


Off to the playground we go. 

Now, as some of you other mama runners know, kids can be very needy at the playground, which ultimately makes track miles next to the playground look more like an interval workout.  Run two laps, push the kids on the swings, run three laps, figure out why one is crying, run three laps, help one reach the monkey bars...you get the idea.

So many times today it would have been easy to just throw in the towel, because, well it was just easier to not do the run than to balance the run and the kids.  Well screw that.  Nothing in life worth having is easy, so this buttercup sucked it up and made it work.

And then, when you least expect it, your kids are standing in front of you on the track right before your last lap, ready to run it with you.  And all you can do is smile and be happy you found the way to make it happen, because the kids are watching and learn more from you pushing through than quitting.

What creative ways do you use to get your workout in when life happens?

Here's to looking forward to the return of my husband next weekend, though I love having my kids to myself sometimes, to share in helping me find ways to keep getting it done.  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date: 534.07 miles

Observations:  Two more weekends of kickball, and then I can devote my muscles to running.  The constant change back and forth has caused my training to suffer a bit, since they aren't like sports, but kickball has been a fun extra activity this spring.

BONUS - what exactly does 5 miles on the track, with a couple of trips to the playground throughout, look like?  Here you go!

 

Goals...

...can be big.  They can be small.  They can be fluid.  They can be short-term or long-term. 

We may love them, or we may hate them, but we all have goals. 

For me, goals are a very important part of helping me approach a new year, or new effort.  Looking forward is fun and invigorating (setting new goals and investing in reaching them).  So here's how I've laid out my year:

• Mileage Goals - I will run 1600 miles in 2017!  Since I'm also participating in Run the Year, that means I need to add at least 417 miles of walking or hiking that is purposeful.  Many participants use ALL their mileage, including whatever they walk on a daily basis.  If that was the case, I'd already be finished.  I'm focusing only on those miles that I set aside specifically as walking, running, or hiking miles. 
• Time Goals - 5:55:00 50k (if I get the opportunity to run an ultra this year), 3:45:00 marathon (BQ), 1:45:00 half marathon, 1:20:00 ten miler, 37:30 five miler. Boston is the big one....I'm really buckling down to qualify in 2017.
• Coaching Goals - In person and online, I will help runners identify their personal running and fitness goals and develop reasonable plans to achieve those goals.  I'm also hoping I can provide inspiration to new or struggling runners seeking joy in the sport I love and live. 
• Personal Goals - My blog will be a regular outlet for writing.  Blogging helps me, personally, in keeping track of where I am and how I'm doing reaching my running goals.  I will build my personal strength through consistent strength workouts aimed at streamlining my body.  I will challenge myself to express a positive self-body image.  Most importantly, I will be present, physically and emotionally, for my family.

What are your goals?

A quick word about effort workouts - First of all, what is an effort workout?  An effort workout can be defined as anything other than "normal running."  That includes fast workouts (intervals, tempo, hills, fartleks) and long runs.  It also includes cross-training and non-running sports.  The rule of thumb is to include no more than 2-4 effort sessions per week.  For newer runners, I'd recommend the low end of the spectrum.  Why am I mentioning this?  Lately, I've been concerned that too many runners are encouraging others to focus on more and faster...pushing themselves toward injury or burn out.  Take a look at your weekly plan and figure out if you've got the right balance of base/easy runs and effort session.

So that's about it for now.  I'm excited to keep plugging toward my goals and seeing what this year brings.  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  522.86 miles

Observations:  Earlier this week, my right glute was super sore (yeah, that's right....butt cheek ache) from too many butt drops in the bouncy house over the weekend.  Ah, the challenges of growing older.  I took the beginning of the week a bit easier to rest it and not push toward a real injury.  Now, no more butt cheek ache.

WORKOUTS THIS WEEK

Monday: easy run

Tuesday: 2 strength exercises, treadmill mile (repeat the exercises and treadmill mile for four rotations)

Wednesday: 3.3 mile easy run with a friend, then a track workout - 500m warm up, 10x100m w/ 100m rest and strength exercises, 500m cool down

Thursday: easy run

Friday:  tempo run

Saturday:  easy run

Sunday:  easy run