Working on the run...

Warmer temps have arrived.  Green is bursting from the trees.  Flowers are blooming.  Spring is in the air!  That means it's no excuse time for getting outside for a nice run. 

Today for the fitness challenge, we were asked to post a picture of ourselves outside...breaking free from the walls that have penned us in throughout the winter.  What better way to celebrate Earth Day!  So I decided it was time for a semi-annual "Stacie in front of the Capitol" pic.  Enjoy!

As you can tell, this was a "worktime" run.  Sometimes this is the only way to get it done if you work full time and have a family.  I'm often asked how I manage to exercise during the work day.  Tongue in cheek, but total reality, my response is "with my blackberry in hand."  I run during my "lunch break" so I'm not missing the real action.  But I do stop at red lights to keep current with what's happening on the blackberry.  And, rest assured, I am responding throughout my runs to any incoming actions. 

Doesn't that make it hard to get in a worthwhile workout?  Well, no.  My lunchtime runs are almost always base miles.  I save the effort workouts (when I get them in) for a time when my training can be uninterrupted by the outside world.

Base miles are important building blocks for all runners.  There is a training progression that every runner goes through with each new cycle. 

Base miles always on the front end...and throughout.  Which is lucky for me.   Because my work also has me on the road a lot, I tend to spend those weeks focused on base miles.  It can be difficult to schedule much more than that when you are worried about making it from one location to the next or the weather or altitude causes physical changes to your body (like my recent travel through New Mexico, Nebraska and North Dakota where we had altitude, high heat and low heat all in a course of hours).  The one thing that keeps these runs fresh is the every changing scenery.

So, if you are like me and don't like to use work or family as an excuse for not taking care of your training needs, then embrace the base miles.  Happy trails!

Stats -

Miles:  3.1 (Thursday); 4.11 (today)
Time:  26:00 (not a road run); 43:06 (average pace of 10:29)
Location:  Minot North Dakota; Capitol Hill
Feeling:  a little tired

At altitude...

An alarm should never start beeping at 5am…unless it’s super important, like a big race or an exciting trip.  The fact that I was merely waking up for a morning run before a work day in Albuquerque, New Mexico certainly didn’t stop that alarm.

Compound the early wake up with a city that sits more than a mile above sea level.  For those of us who train at roughly sea level, altitude can be an unaccustomed challenge. 

A couple years ago I spent a few weeks off and on out here for a school and remember the first couple days of a week always felt like there was a weight on my lungs.  I was a bit light headed, winded by a simple set of stairs and working to catch a good breath.  Add a workout onto that. 

While I was receiving my certification as a running coach we had a conversation about racing at altitude.   The general wisdom was to arrive several days early to acclimate.  I would say I missed the boat on that one…but it was an light workout and no one was timing me, so oh well.  It wasn’t too bad.

Altitude behind me, I climb on yet another plane today to take me to Omaha, Nebraska.  If I can squeeze in a run, I will have nothing but super flat, close to sea level ground in front of me.  Happy trails!

Stats -

Miles:  3.5

Time:  30:15
Location:  Albuquerque, New Mexico
Feeling:  my lungs long for sea level

Onward ho...

All good things must come to an end.  The last bit of an ice cream cone.  The last page of a great book.  The final chord of a favorite hymn.  The final steps across the finish line of an amazing race.  And yes, even maternity leave.

This past week has been a celebration of my time at home with Baby K.  We’ve spent more time physically active together.  We had two great power walks this week.  Wednesday was the usual trip to the library.  The day was bright and sunny.  I actually had to take off my track jacket halfway through because (a) it was warm and (b) I was working hard enough to generate a good lather. 

On Friday, Baby K and I had Striders business over at Quiet Waters (mark your calendars for the Anniversary Run 15K on December 14).  While we were there, and since it was an amazing day, we decided to get in our power walk there.  The trail that rings the park was surprisingly bustling with walkers, joggers and strollers for mid-day during the work week.

I’m not much of a walker, but one of the interesting things I’ve learned while power walking these past several weeks with Baby K is that walking can be a great glute workout – especially when you focus on your foot strike, speed and stead movement.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve finished and felt like I’d done a workout especially focused on that particularly troublesome muscle for women.  While I’m happy to be moving back into full-time running (not as a function of time or fitness, but because I’ll be going back to my lunch time runs at work), I’ve learned a bit about the benefits of walking.

In addition to the two power walks, I also logged three runs.  Wednesday and Thursday I took on my usual 4 mile route out College Parkway to Log Inn Road and back.  You can tell spring sports season is upon us because I had to play chicken with a number of soccer mom vehicles all rushing to get their kids to practice at Bay Head Park.  Car dodging aside, finding the rhythm that works for my feet, my heart and my head has been invigorating.  You don’t realize how much something is part of you are forced into a bit of a vacation.  This particular route is familiar enough to help me regain that rhythm.

Saturday found me back on the streets of DTA (that’s downtown Annapolis for you non-Annapolitans) with my bestest of best running buddies, Brie.  I was so happy to be hitting the pavement with her.  It’s been months…at least since October.  It’s funny, at the end of 2012 and into 2013 I was getting faster and she was slowing down as she advanced in her pregnancy.  Then this past year she was getting faster as I was slowing down as I advanced in pregnancy.  For the next future period of time, I think we’re both moving forward and eventually I will regain my speed so I don’t slow her down anymore.

Sun and warm spring temperatures propelled us through DTA, across the Naval Academy and back through her neighborhood to browse the yard sales as we made our way back to her house.  It was slow, but improving.  Give me another month and I bet I can bring my average pace down to 9-10 minutes per mile. 

As for the weight loss challenge – week one saw me with an overall body percentage loss of nearly 2%.  I’m not going to lie, ensuring I put down 100 ounces of water a day was tough but the daily booty blast workout was tougher.  Oh yeah, and then I learned that I was doing more than necessary…in fact double on those exercises that should have been alternating legs not the rep number per leg.  Who knows, maybe as a result my booty will be that much more irresistible come bikini season.

So as I return to a more normal routine, back to work, back to normal, I will look back on maternity leave fondly for what it taught me and the time it gave me to be with Baby K but I will look forward to really getting that rhythm back – or maybe even a better rhythm.  Happy trails!!!  

Stats – (There’s a week worth of backlog here, so bear with me)

Miles:  4.01 (Wed), 4.1 (Wed power walk); 4.25 (Thurs); 4.22 (Fri power walk); 7.15 (Sat)

Times:  42:12 (10:31); 1:03:47 (15:33); 45:40 (10:44); 1:10:00 (16:35); 1:19:30 (11:07)

Location:  Broadneck Peninsula and Quiet Waters Park

Feeling:  everything works, despite the exhausted glutes from the booty blast workouts
 

It's what counts...

When you've got a great running community to support you, you can do almost anything.

This morning I mosied up to the start line of the Cherry Pit Ten Miler, my first Striders champ series race of the year (no Iron Man for me this year...I was just out of the hospital with a baby when the Valentine's Day 5K was run).  Last year I ran a 10-mile PR at this race.  A year and a baby make a lot of difference and are very humbling for this maniac runner who just took for granted that I would keep getting better and better when I began my PR streak last year.  As I've said before, I'm looking at a rebuilding year.

Since coming back from pregnancy (it's been nine weeks now),  this was definitely my longest run.  Did I have any business racing 10 miles with only a 7 miler under my belt since November?  Probably not, but oh well.  I didn't really expect much (especially since I did a six mile run and barre class yesterday).

Thanks to the great conversation with Jen Bornemann for the whole run, I actually surprised myself.  I think Jen and I are a good match right now as far as fitness and pace.  We are both rebuilding.  We both wish rebuilding would go a bit faster.  And, we have a lot to talk about.  How often can you go ten miles without a single lull in the conversation? 

Soon, the miles ahead turned into miles behind (though it would be hard to forget every foot of all those hills...my glutes are not happy right now).  And sooner than I expected, the finish line loomed ahead of us.  Jen was awesome and I greatly appreciate the comraderie when I really expected to be running solo today.  Thanks Jen!

And, who can forget to give a shout out to that cheering squad at the finish line?  I love hearing the diva cheering me through the final sprint of a race.  She is so excited and I love it.  Today she was joined by one of her friends, the daughter of my friend Ann, who crossed the finish about 10 minutes ahead of me (proud of you Ann!).

While the rest of the day was slightly less ambitious than the beginning, the race wasn't the end of the exercise.  I got to take the diva for a bike ride and some playground time in the sun.  Then tonight she joined me for my booty blaster workout (my daily activity for the weight loss challenge). 

Wait, I've also got to tell you about this week's nutritional challenge...100 ounces of water daily.  Holy pee time.  I think I may have crossed the 100 ounce threshold a few times in my life, but only when dictated by activity and environment.  Conscientiously thinking about drinking 100 ounces of water is a very different endeavor.  Let's see how I do with it for the rest of the week.

As I head off to get my pre-bedtime muscle rub down from my husband, I'm fastforwarding to tomorrow and am fairly certain that after a 16 mile weekend (33+ mile week!), I'm going to need to take a day of rest from running.  Though I end the week exhausted, I feel motivated and happy with what I've accomplished.  Thanks for the support of my friends, family and running community.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -

Miles:  10.13
Time:  1:50:36 (average pace of 10:55 per mile)
Location:  Edgewater, MD...Cherry Pit Ten course
Feeling:  exhausted but put together

Laugh out loud...

It's healthy to laugh like nobody's watching.  I love those moments and am so glad I had one today...even if it was only funny to me (and it often is...only funny to me, that is).

I had the bright idea to get up early and run from my house to the gym before my barre class this morning.  It's only six miles.  Well, it's only six UPHILL miles. 

I've lived in my current house for almost six years and I drive the stretch of College Parkway between Cape St. Clair and Route 2 pretty often.  How did I not notice the road runs uphill when going West (the direction to get to the gym)?  I'm not talking short bursts up with a downhill to recover before the next short burst up.  It is nearly an incline the entire way.  Yowzer, can you say glute workout!

By the time I reached the gym, I was getting a little loopy.  (Did I mention I forgot to eat breakfast before heading out for my adventure?  Not my smartest move this weekend).  And when I get loopy, things get real funny.  Especially the inside jokes.

Today a list of thoughts every runner has while out for a run was circulating on Buzzfeed here.  If you aren't a runner, you won't understand it, mostly.  But (a) I was loopy, so lots of things are funny, and (b) at various times in my running career every one of the statements was true, which leads me to (c) - it really was just that funny.  When I got to 42-53, I was basically rolling on the floor in the dance studio at the Y and I'm pretty certain the other folks in my class, who were going about their business just waiting for barre to begin, thought I really needed a straightjacket as an accessory to my outfit.

So here I was, laughing out loud, semi-delirious from lack of sustenance and starting a barre class that may as well bill itself as torture you pay to enjoy.  I'm not sure God intended people to do some of those things, but if it ensures I have the body of a runway model by swimsuit season then I'll take it.

Six miles, a good laugh and an hour of barre later, I feel pretty physically exhausted....but really darn good.  You just can't beat the stress buster and mental high you get from exercise.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -

Miles:  6
Time:  1:07:22 (average pace of 11:14 per mile)
Location:  College Parkway
Feeling:  woohoo (is that a feeling?)

Being brave...

...and being honest. 

Today I started a weight loss challenge.  They say it takes 9 months to gain the baby weight and it takes 9 months to lose it.  Well, the part of my brain that tells me regularly that my body isn't good enough just can't wait 9 months and I know I can do something about it...now.



Mantua Potato Stomp in 2005,
back to a healthy weight.

I've always been an athlete.  But that doesn't mean I've always been good to myself and been in top condition.  I also have a very solid body.  I always weigh far more than I look because of it.  That's a mental challenge.  Ten years ago I didn't like what I saw in the mirror anymore and I threw myself into Weight Watchers and the gym to get myself from point A to point B.  Point B was 50 pounds lighter but not necessarily super healthy.  In fact, I lost too much weight.  While the scale said 132, and that is pretty normal for a woman who is 5'5", my body fat percentage went to 8%.  Way too low.  Over the next year or so I put some weight back on and increased my overall body condition. 

Now I'm almost back to the point at which I originally decided enough was enough.  I don't want to do Weight Watchers again.  I become too obsessive and I do want to enjoy meals with my family.

My husband's solution to losing the weight is to buy a bunch of new clothes and burn the receipt.  That may be a motivator, but it won't actually help lose the weight and improve my body condition.

Here's my solution:

1. I can watch my eating (you know, stop grabbing that between meal snack, or three). 
2. I can be diligent about my strength training (I'm regular about my running but less so about the strength work that is the real fat burner). 
3. I can stop being too hard on myself when I look in the mirror (which tends to drive me to number one in this list).
4. I can use the accountability of the weight loss challenge to keep me on track.

Starting fresh...about 30
pounds to take off.

So here's where bravery comes into play.  This morning I took the dredded "before" selfie, the post-pregnant me, and I'm going to share it publicly.  This is huge for me, but I'm looking forward to returning to the Stacie above.

Now for yesterday's workouts.  Baby K and I got in a really nice power walk in the afternoon.  I'm out of routes from my house that are easy to do with a standard baby stroller, so we went to the library again and picked out some more videos for the diva.  I only get one more week of these walks with Baby K before I go back to work full-time.  I've really enjoyed spending the time with him outside.

Last night I hit the gym for a run and strength training.  I'm getting happier with the pacing on my runs.  I've still got a long way to go before I'm back to the pace I was running last summer - consistently in the low-to-mid- 7:00s - but seeing the speed pick up is helping me mentally.

This weekend I'm going for some big numbers and I could use the positive vibes.  I'm hoping by this time Sunday I will have logged 30+ miles.  It will be my first good running week in a long time.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -

Miles:  4.03 power walk, 3.06 run
Time:  1:02:49 (average pace of 15:35 per mile), 30:05 (average pace of 9:50 per mile)
Location:  Broadneck Peninsula, Greater Annapolis Y
Feeling:  exhausted in the muscles, but good in spirit

Two months and counting...

How do you celebrate the arrival of spring and your baby reaching two months?  You walk and run of course.  Or at least I do.

After partaking in the growing tradition of taking photos by the month with cute stickers pasted to your baby's belly, Baby K and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful afternoon.  How?  Yeah, we power walked to the library and it couldn't have been a better day to do it.  Well maybe it could, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

It's been a long winter, so  we were excited to see the daffodils in full bloom and the tulips pushing through the soggy ground after a weekend of rain.  Our trip to the library and back, aside from enjoying the sun, was relatively un eventful.  Frankly I don't mind that.  Better uneventful than, say, getting hit by a school bus that doesn't pay attention to people in crosswalks (that almost happened to me last summer).

Tonight I hit the gym for another run and some strength training.  Remember that pledge to be stronger next time?  I'm serious...this lady is getting her guns in order and it feels good. 

Before bed the diva asked me "mama, how was your workout?"  I love being able to tell her I worked hard and it felt good.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -

Miles:  4.04 power walk, 3.04 run
Time:  1:04:20 (average pace of 15:55 per mile), 31:00 (average pace of 10:12 per mile)
Location:  Broadneck Peninsula, Greater Annapolis Y
Feeling:  happy to be healthy