One the schedule this morning was a 3 mile recovery run and I needed it. Yesterday was a tough day – 7 miles at pace, circuit training during my lunch break and then swimming laps after work. On top of those three workouts yesterday, I went to sleep a little later than usual last night so I was tired, in several ways, when I woke up this morning. On top of vaguely sore legs, droopy eyelids and a lack-of-sleep induced brain fog, it was also raining – 3 easy miles was probably the most I could muster.
As I stepped outside, wearing shorts and a long-sleeve t-shirt, it was drizzling but seemed to be letting up. As I walked to the bike path my legs, eyelids and brain seemed to come around to the idea of an easy run and I thought, “Well, this shouldn’t be too bad.”
I hit the start button my Garmin and off I went in to the cold, dark drizzle.
I hadn’t run more than a half a mile before it started raining harder and before long my shirt and hat were soaked. Slow and steady, and now wet as well, I ran along the bike trail, happy for the brief shelter offered as I ran under the overpasses. I’d shake the rain off my arms and wipe down the brim of my hat, which seems like a silly thing to do knowing that in 2 seconds I’d be right back out in the rain.
The rain energized me as I hit the turnaround point 1.5 miles away. I wasn’t tempted to go any further but I was also a little surprised to hit the halfway point so soon. Running felt good.
On the way back I hit a few puddles, tried my best to avoid them, soaked my shoes anyway, eventually gave up and splashed right through them. My tired muscles and sleepiness were washed away completely by the time I finished the run
Daily Dozen:
3 miles – easy
Upper body & core strength training @ lunch hour
Showing posts with label good run. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good run. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
How I Fartlek
fart•lek
–noun
a training technique, used especially among runners, consisting of bursts of intense effort loosely alternating with less strenuous activity.
In my quest to run a strong marathon this summer, I’ve been adding speedwork to my running. The plan that I chose to follow (Hal Higdon’s Intermediate II) includes pace runs the day before the long run, meaning I try to run these miles as close to my planned marathon pace (9 minute miles) as possible. However, I’ve also made one run a week a fartlek run.
Most of the time you’ll find fartlek described as speedplay, encouraging the runner to add in bursts of speed by picking landmarks along their route, running fast to the landmark, slowing down, recovering and starting the process over again. I’ve tried this. It does not work for me because I, too often, am lazy. I need a coach to shout at me through a giant megaphone – “Run Fast NOW!”
Since I don’t have coach, giant megaphone or no, I had given up on fartlek runs. That is, until I came up with another idea.
One of the podcasts I look forward to listening to while out for a run is NPR’s All Songs Considered and on a run a few weeks ago, I decided to run hard each time a song was played and recover as best I could when the hosts were talking. This ended up being just the thing I needed to do fartlek runs.
Sometimes the hosts only do a short introduction between songs and some times they talk longer. Sometimes the songs are four or five minutes long and sometimes they only play parts of songs. I never know going in to the run where I’ll be – up hill, down hill, straight away – when the next song starts. I can’t go easy on myself because I’m not the one calling the shots.
And that is how I fartlek.
Daily Dozen:
7.5 miles run to work – fartlek miles 2-5
Circuit Training @ lunch hour
Swimming, 30 minutes
–noun
a training technique, used especially among runners, consisting of bursts of intense effort loosely alternating with less strenuous activity.
In my quest to run a strong marathon this summer, I’ve been adding speedwork to my running. The plan that I chose to follow (Hal Higdon’s Intermediate II) includes pace runs the day before the long run, meaning I try to run these miles as close to my planned marathon pace (9 minute miles) as possible. However, I’ve also made one run a week a fartlek run.
Most of the time you’ll find fartlek described as speedplay, encouraging the runner to add in bursts of speed by picking landmarks along their route, running fast to the landmark, slowing down, recovering and starting the process over again. I’ve tried this. It does not work for me because I, too often, am lazy. I need a coach to shout at me through a giant megaphone – “Run Fast NOW!”
Since I don’t have coach, giant megaphone or no, I had given up on fartlek runs. That is, until I came up with another idea.
One of the podcasts I look forward to listening to while out for a run is NPR’s All Songs Considered and on a run a few weeks ago, I decided to run hard each time a song was played and recover as best I could when the hosts were talking. This ended up being just the thing I needed to do fartlek runs.
Sometimes the hosts only do a short introduction between songs and some times they talk longer. Sometimes the songs are four or five minutes long and sometimes they only play parts of songs. I never know going in to the run where I’ll be – up hill, down hill, straight away – when the next song starts. I can’t go easy on myself because I’m not the one calling the shots.
And that is how I fartlek.
Daily Dozen:
7.5 miles run to work – fartlek miles 2-5
Circuit Training @ lunch hour
Swimming, 30 minutes
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
A good run, a realization and a new goal
This is my fourth attempt at following a marathon plan with specific types of runs – tempo, marathon pace, intervals, etc. Once again, I have discovered that this type of training just isn’t for me.
I get discouraged when I can’t hit the paces I am supposed to hit and always end up injured. However, for my first marathon, I followed a plan that simply had me running miles and it is the only training plan that I have been able to feel successful at following. I knew what to run that day and I just did it without much further thought. Plan says 5, run 5. Plans says 16, run 16. Just get the miles done.
And I was able to get the miles done. And, it was actually a confidence builder to succeed at the plan. Lately, I just seem frustrated at myself for not being able to improve and succeed at specific speedwork.
I want to get back to that feeling I had during my first round of marathon training: the feeling of pride and wonder as I discovered each week what new mileage milestones my body was capable of hitting. I want to go back to a time when I didn’t think twice about race pace or worry about running the race faster than last time.
My new goal for Charleston is to run a strong race. What strong means will depend on the day. I want to have fun out there. I don’t want to run a strong race and then feel down about it because it doesn’t meet the time expectation I foolishly set for myself. If I run a sub-4 hour marathon, great. If I PR, wonderful. If I run my strongest race and it is 30 minutes slower than I planned, I want that to be fine as well.
Today, rather than run the prescribed speedwork – 2 x 4 miles at MP, with .5 recovery – I went out for a long pre-work run listening to an All Songs Considered podcast. I decided to run faster whenever there was a song playing and then slow it down when there was talking. The pressure of hitting a specific pace on a cold, windy morning (and being disappointed and so frustrated in myself that I quit running) wasn’t part of my run. I ran the “fast” pace that felt good and have no idea what that means in numbers.
I ended the run with a smile on my face, feeling confident and strong. Boy, that sure felt good, I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow.
Daily Dozen
9.5 miles
XT in gym @ lunch hour
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Race Report: The Skyline Challenge 50K Ultra-Marathon
What am I doing here?
That was the thought running through my mind in the early morning hours on Saturday, July 10th. What in the world am I doing standing in the rain, before the sun has even come up, surrounded by 100 or so people, waiting for someone to shout “GO!” so that I could spend the next 8 hours running/walking/moving forward through the mountains?
I have been in such a funk lately that I just couldn’t wrap my brain around the fact that I had actually signed up for an ultra-marathon several months ago and now I was asking my legs to go through with it even though my brain and heart just weren’t in to it. What am I doing here?
I won’t bury the lead here – I had a great day, a great race and I loved just about every second of this experience. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the race. My brain has been churning away faster than it ever has before considering possible future races and experiences. I keep playing back the race in my head, trying to hold on to every second of the race at once – all 8 hours and 9 minutes, all 29,340 seconds at once.
Even though I’m hobbling around on sore, weak post-race legs, I feel completely reenergized and strong. Sunday I couldn’t help staring at my legs in amazement at what they are capable of accomplishing.
Start to Aid Station #1
It had rained heavily all night but it was only just drizzling when I woke up Saturday morning. As I walked to the race start from the campground, I wasn’t sure how to feel about the rain. While it was cooling things off significantly compared to the last few days, I also wasn’t prepared to be slipping and sliding along muddy trails all day long. The drizzle continued through the pre-race announcements and the short time we waited on the dirt road for the race to start but as soon as they shouted “GO!” I forgot about the rain and didn’t take notice of when it stopped. It couldn’t have continued for more than a mile or two.
In fact as soon as I heard the word “GO!” and took off at a slow trot toward the trails my mind started to focused on getting to the first aid station. The aid stations were supposed to be 4-5 miles apart and I just focused on getting to the first. I’d figure out the rest once I got there.
According to the pre-race announcements it was 5 miles to the first aid station and afterwards we’d hit a long uphill. “You’ll hate this hill now and you’ll hate it even more when you get there” the race director told us. However, I couldn’t think past the first aid station. I knew I had to make it there and that was it.
The trail was muddy from the rain and there were huge puddles along the course forcing us to tiptoe around them. Also, we were still bunched up so this part of the race was a little slow. After a moderate climb we spread out a bit and I even ended up going down the wrong trail for about 5 minutes with a large group of runners before we realized we hadn’t seen pink or orange ribbons in a while. It was a bit of a “Who’s on First” routine trying to figure out which of the three trails we needed to follow but we eventually figured it out and I made it to the first aid station in tact.
Aid Station #1 to Aid Station #2
I grabbed 3 Oreos, a gel and filled my hand-held water bottle and headed back out on the course. I ate the three cookies and saved the gel for later knowing that I would probably need a boost after we hit the “hill” the race director warned us about. After the ups and downs during that first section it was hard to imagine what could be worse that would necessitate a warning from the RD.
This would be the shortest distance between aid stations of the day at roughly 3 miles but it involved that now infamous (at least in my imagination) incline. Even though the sun had come up, it was still overcast and the mud on the trails had not improved. We were still a bit bunched up as we all hit that steep hill, with large rocks and slippery mud. I managed to power hike my way to the top without incident but others seemed to be struggling up the muddy trail and a few even fell in to the mud.
Once at the top, I didn’t take time to catch my breath, happy to be able to run again. I made it to the next Aid Station faster than I expected, hitting a short (but rocky, hilly and exposed) out-and-back. Again, I grabbed a few cookies and a gel or two for the road before heading back out on the trails.
Aid Station #2 to Aid Station #3
The next part of the course was a lot of fun. We ran along the top of the mountain, hitting an overlook that would have been very nice had we not been fogged in. After a few miles of relatively flat but rocky trails, we hit the switchbacks down the other side of the mountain. It was a lot of fun to bomb the switchbacks, barely slowing for the turns, using trees to make the 180 degree turns easier. I didn’t take much notice of how long we were on this section of the trail and I should have because it would be important for the way back but I had a great deal of fun running down that mountain.
Coming off the switchbacks we ended up on a wider fire road with plenty of room to let loose. I cruised the flats and down hills, walked the up hills, and felt like I was in the zone.
The sun started to come out and at this point, I had been out on the course a little under 3 hours 30 minutes. It was starting to warm up but the trees were providing a nice shade and I welcomed the opportunity to dry out a little bit.
I had been aiming to hit each of the aid stations in 1 hour 15 minutes or less and I was on target. I felt surprisingly good considering I had run nearly 15 miles on hilly, rocky terrain.
I made it to Aid Station #3, refilled my water bottle, grabbed some pretzels, cookies and gummy bears and some salt tablets and headed down the road.
Aid Station #3 to Aid Station #4
There was a small bit of road running after leaving aid station #3 but I didn’t mind it before we hit a wide gravel trail with some rolling ups and downs. I also finally saw the lead runners coming back and got my first taste of just how supportive and friendly ultra-runners can be. Every single runner who passed me going the other direction had a smile and words of encouragement. I’ve cheered on faster runners in plenty of road races but never once have the lead runners broken focus in order to tell me “good job” or “keep it up” or “looking strong.” It was an awesome show of support.
Nearly to Aid Station #4, we headed up a long, winding hill. I walked most of it but it felt great knowing I was so close to the turn around point.
As I came up to the top of the hill, I realized I had only seen 7 or 8 woman coming back the other direction, meaning I was in the top ten (now, there were only about 100 runners I would guess and only a quarter of those runners were women but still…top ten!!). I breezed through the aid station, grabbed some goodies and gels and headed back down the hill.
Aid Station #4 to Aid Station #5
I felt GREAT. I was flying.
I hooked up with another runner going down the hill who was from Northern VA and we started talking about ultras and running in DC, etc. He was amazed that this was my first ultra and that I was looking so good. It was fun to have someone else to talk to and it must have shown because everyone commented on how much fun we were having as we passed.
Then, I realized we hadn’t passed anyone for a while. Then, I realized we hadn’t seen an orange or pink ribbon in a while. Then, I realized that we were running on a road, not a trail and had been for some time. Then, full realization set it…we had missed a turn (it wasn’t just me and my new friend, there were 5 of us strung out along the road) and were not on the course. We headed back the way we came and I took off. I didn’t really care that we were lost or that I had run two extra miles. I just wanted to get back to the course because I had something to prove to myself now.
I’d be lying if I said getting lost and running extra miles didn’t knock the wind out of my sails a bit but I was still having a good time. I was also happy to be back on track.
Aid Station #5 to Aid Station #6
As we back-tracked along the course, it didn’t occur to me what I had to face. As I quickly made my way through the fifth aid station, refilling and restocking, I was just focused on the task at hand. We got back on the wide jeep road and before too long we were back in the woods and headed toward the switchbacks.
Oh crap! The switchbacks.
As I headed up the mountain, I kept telling myself that the run down didn’t seem that long so the hike up couldn’t be that brutal. But I just kept climbing up and up. By this time, no one was around me. I couldn’t see anyone head of me or anyone climbing up. For 30 minutes of steady power hiking, I just followed the trail from orange or pink ribbon to orange or pink ribbon. I started questioning the situation and myself. What if I was supposed to turn off somewhere and this was only supposed to be for the climb down? Where is everyone else? What am I doing out here? When will this end? God, my legs are killing me! This is supposed to be a running race, not a hiking race. Argh! I will even admit to mumbling expletives as I hiked up the never-ending mountain.
I still wasn’t any close to the top but after 30 minutes I saw a group of runners slowly gaining on me. I was so excited to see another human being that I didn’t even care that they were coming up so fast it looked like I was standing still.
Fifteen minutes later – after 45 minutes (I’m guess-timating) of walking up a mountain – I finally made it to the top. The group behind me soon passed me but I took off running after them. It wasn’t easy, or fast, my legs were officially shot after that long climb.
However, I was eager to get to the next (and last!) aid station. As I left the last aid station, #5, I heard someone say that we were at mile 22 so I was trying to do the math and figure how much more running we’d have to do after the #6.
As I finished the trail and headed back down and back up the gully to get to the final aid station (what was aid station #2 also) I heard someone as they ran by me going the other direction – “once you get to the aid station, it’s only four miles to the finish.”
I have never, ever wanted to see an aid station as much as I wanted to see this one. I knew that the worst of the course was over and I knew I would finish. I was quick to grab my goodies and refill my water (I took a swig of soda because I was intrigued that they were offering it at all the aid stations. Blech! Last thing in the world I wanted while running). I was out of there and on my way to the finish.
Aid Station #6 to Finish
I kept an eye on the one woman in front of me the whole way to the finish. I didn’t have the energy left to pass her but I knew that if I kept her in sight I would be able to keep a decent pace.
The sharp climb up the mountain really zapped my energy and fried my legs. It actually felt better to run than to walk but I wasn’t able to run any of the steep down hills any longer. My quads were shot and didn’t have the strength to hold my knee in place on the left leg so it started to hurt on the down hills. It wasn’t terrible pain and it went away as soon as I was able to run on level ground or walk up hill. (I even started to wish for up hills while I was stumbling back down the “hill” from the beginning of the course, which thankfully had dried out by this time. I wasn’t looking forward to sliding down the mud on that one).
And before I knew it, I was on the dirt road headed back toward the campground and the finish line. Cars were passing me and the drivers would wave and shout encouragement (much faster runners than me headed home, I can’t blame them). I saw the lake, I made the last turn and I headed for the finish line as fast as I could, which was surprisingly fast considering all I had been through.
I felt no pain. I felt no fatigue. I just felt elated.
Someone near the finish line spotted me and started shouting and cheering. She was pretty impressed with my finishing sprint and said so. I turned in to the grass and down the finish chute…and then I was done. I finished my first ultra. I ran 31 miles. I ran MORE than 31 miles since I got lost! I did it in 8 hours and 9 minutes. Right on target.
It was the absolute toughest thing I’ve ever had to do but it is definitely something I would do tomorrow if I could.
Pros:
Start to Aid Station #1
Me after finishing the race
The course profile - Mountains!
- First ultra-marathon experience couldn’t be beat
- Challenging – I’m so proud I was able to finish
- Nice performance shirt
- Awesome food at the end and I nice low-key picnic feel
- I got nothing – it was great!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Difference a Day Makes
Yesterday I woke up and just didn’t feel like running so I didn’t. I went one mile of my planned 10, heard the one mile beep on my Garmin, looked down saw the time and just stopped running. I walked back to the house. Today I woke up and couldn’t wait to get out the door. I did 6.5 miles and would have kept going if it hadn’t been time to get ready for work. In fact, as I got closer to the house I made the decision to pull a double today and run during my lunch break.
So what was the difference?
The weather was about the same both mornings – high 60s/low 70s with gross humidity. I got about the same amount of sleep both nights prior to the runs – 7.5 hours-ish. However, dinner the night before may have had something to do with (or, everything).
Monday night was happy hour at a bar where my husband and split a plate of (yummy!) nachos, sliders and a pitcher of beer. Although this doesn’t happen often and isn’t a dinner I am particularly proud of, I have done it plenty of times. I woke up Tuesday morning feeling drained and completely apathetic toward running.
…and my “run” reflected that feeling.
Tuesday evening we had breakfast for dinner (three pancakes and three sausage links), a bowl of baked swiss chard chips and a slice of Tomato Soup Cake. While not a gold star dinner, it beat the pants off the previous night’s bar food nosh-fest. This morning I woke up and felt good.
…and my RUN reflected how I felt.
It is a lesson I learn over and over again: Eat bad, feel bad. Eat well, feel well. It really isn’t rocket science but constantly need to remind myself.
I recently read a forum post about the idea of “eating to run, not running to eat.” In other words, runners often say they run so that they can eat whatever they want without gaining weight. When you are running 50 miles a week, a Big Mac isn’t going to push the scales up. However, we runners also pay excruciating attention to our on-the-run nutrition and fueling. We have fueling plans and hydration plans for races – specific miles to eat gels, alternating Gatorade and water at aid stations, packing gummy bears and orange slices. I would make sense to apply the same passion and interest to our pre-run nutrition as well.
Lesson Re-Learned: Eat to Run (and not the other way around)
Daily Dozen:
6.48 miles @ morning run
Planned, 2 mile run/walk hill intervals on the treadmill & stretching @ lunch break
So what was the difference?
The weather was about the same both mornings – high 60s/low 70s with gross humidity. I got about the same amount of sleep both nights prior to the runs – 7.5 hours-ish. However, dinner the night before may have had something to do with (or, everything).
Monday night was happy hour at a bar where my husband and split a plate of (yummy!) nachos, sliders and a pitcher of beer. Although this doesn’t happen often and isn’t a dinner I am particularly proud of, I have done it plenty of times. I woke up Tuesday morning feeling drained and completely apathetic toward running.
…and my “run” reflected that feeling.
Tuesday evening we had breakfast for dinner (three pancakes and three sausage links), a bowl of baked swiss chard chips and a slice of Tomato Soup Cake. While not a gold star dinner, it beat the pants off the previous night’s bar food nosh-fest. This morning I woke up and felt good.
…and my RUN reflected how I felt.
It is a lesson I learn over and over again: Eat bad, feel bad. Eat well, feel well. It really isn’t rocket science but constantly need to remind myself.
I recently read a forum post about the idea of “eating to run, not running to eat.” In other words, runners often say they run so that they can eat whatever they want without gaining weight. When you are running 50 miles a week, a Big Mac isn’t going to push the scales up. However, we runners also pay excruciating attention to our on-the-run nutrition and fueling. We have fueling plans and hydration plans for races – specific miles to eat gels, alternating Gatorade and water at aid stations, packing gummy bears and orange slices. I would make sense to apply the same passion and interest to our pre-run nutrition as well.
Lesson Re-Learned: Eat to Run (and not the other way around)
Daily Dozen:
6.48 miles @ morning run
Planned, 2 mile run/walk hill intervals on the treadmill & stretching @ lunch break
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Welcome Back
It is good to be back.
I know I shouldn’t rush recovery after a marathon but that doesn’t mean I can’t be excited about getting back out on my bike paths and streets.
This morning I headed out for a short 2-miler and I felt good and smooth.
I’ve really missed getting out in the morning, before even having a chance to think about work and cleaning the house and running errands and folding clothes, getting out before the sun comes up and just simply running. I love how I feel after a long, hard run, knowing that I have my whole day ahead of me and I’ve managed to accomplish so much.
I can honestly say that I’m excited to get back in to the groove of a fifty mile week.
As I set out this morning, running with a slight skip in my step, as they say, because of Sunday’s marathon PR, the future seemed limitless. Maybe I can one day break four hours, heck, maybe I’ll even qualify for Boston one day. I should shoot for that this fall, or tomorrow…
I got tired about mile 1 and even though I pushed just a bit further down the bike path before I turned around, I knew that this was a gentle reminder to be happy with my accomplishment now and to not be so quick to jump to the next impossible dream.
I made it through my 2 miles this morning and as I walked back to the house I felt very content and happy, which is such a relief from the anxiety and nerves of the past three weeks.
Daily Dozen:
2.3 miles run @ morning
Strength training @ lunch hour
I know I shouldn’t rush recovery after a marathon but that doesn’t mean I can’t be excited about getting back out on my bike paths and streets.
This morning I headed out for a short 2-miler and I felt good and smooth.
I’ve really missed getting out in the morning, before even having a chance to think about work and cleaning the house and running errands and folding clothes, getting out before the sun comes up and just simply running. I love how I feel after a long, hard run, knowing that I have my whole day ahead of me and I’ve managed to accomplish so much.
I can honestly say that I’m excited to get back in to the groove of a fifty mile week.
As I set out this morning, running with a slight skip in my step, as they say, because of Sunday’s marathon PR, the future seemed limitless. Maybe I can one day break four hours, heck, maybe I’ll even qualify for Boston one day. I should shoot for that this fall, or tomorrow…
I got tired about mile 1 and even though I pushed just a bit further down the bike path before I turned around, I knew that this was a gentle reminder to be happy with my accomplishment now and to not be so quick to jump to the next impossible dream.
I made it through my 2 miles this morning and as I walked back to the house I felt very content and happy, which is such a relief from the anxiety and nerves of the past three weeks.
Daily Dozen:
2.3 miles run @ morning
Strength training @ lunch hour
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Fast
What is it about running fast that makes it feel so good? Why is it that covering 5 miles at a normal, easy pace is nothing like covering those same 5 miles at a fast pace?
This morning I set out at 5 am for a hilly 5-miler. Thursdays I like to hit the hills and speed things up a little bit; bang out a good, hard workout with enough time to recover for the weekend long run. This morning, probably because I had a schedule rest day yesterday, I felt great. “Don’t push, just run” I repeated to myself as I cruised along the dark bike path, up, over and down the hills. My legs felt fresh and smooth. It was easy; easier than previous short runs.
The best part was letting myself run at a fast pace. Fast, when you don’t have to work for it, is an amazing feeling. I feel like I anything is possible and better yet, like I could run on and on forever.
After 3.5 years of running, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am just not built for speed. Endurance is my where my running strength lies. I can dial in to a 10:30 to 11:00 minute pace and just go and go, for hours. However, I also have to keep reminding myself that although I may not have been genetically blessed with speedy legs doesn’t mean that I can’t get faster. This morning’s near-effortless hilly run at a 9:30 pace feels as good, if not better than completing a 20-miler at 10:30 pace the previous weekend.
I’m looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish at the marathon, the distance that demands both speed and endurance.
Weather watch for April 24:
(Because I need something to focus my obsession on for the next few days)
Showers (40% chance), high of 71, low of 57 – I’m actually encouraged by that, better than sunny with a high of 85!! (:Knocking every piece of wood in the vicinity:)
Daily Dozen:
5.04 miles – hilly route
Walking and stretching XT @ lunch hour
This morning I set out at 5 am for a hilly 5-miler. Thursdays I like to hit the hills and speed things up a little bit; bang out a good, hard workout with enough time to recover for the weekend long run. This morning, probably because I had a schedule rest day yesterday, I felt great. “Don’t push, just run” I repeated to myself as I cruised along the dark bike path, up, over and down the hills. My legs felt fresh and smooth. It was easy; easier than previous short runs.
The best part was letting myself run at a fast pace. Fast, when you don’t have to work for it, is an amazing feeling. I feel like I anything is possible and better yet, like I could run on and on forever.
After 3.5 years of running, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am just not built for speed. Endurance is my where my running strength lies. I can dial in to a 10:30 to 11:00 minute pace and just go and go, for hours. However, I also have to keep reminding myself that although I may not have been genetically blessed with speedy legs doesn’t mean that I can’t get faster. This morning’s near-effortless hilly run at a 9:30 pace feels as good, if not better than completing a 20-miler at 10:30 pace the previous weekend.
I’m looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish at the marathon, the distance that demands both speed and endurance.
Weather watch for April 24:
(Because I need something to focus my obsession on for the next few days)
Showers (40% chance), high of 71, low of 57 – I’m actually encouraged by that, better than sunny with a high of 85!! (:Knocking every piece of wood in the vicinity:)
Daily Dozen:
5.04 miles – hilly route
Walking and stretching XT @ lunch hour
Monday, April 12, 2010
Taper, Here I Come
Well, the damage has been done. Yesterday I completed my final long run of this round of marathon training. All that is left is the next two week’s of tapering – shorter runs and more sleep.
I feel confident coming off of the long run yesterday. While, I can’t say running 20 miles was easy, it certainly wasn’t as difficult as it has been in the past. I finished running strong yesterday and I am only minimally sore today. Completing the run was a tremendous boost to my confidence going in to the marathon, especially falling the run previous weekend’s attempt at 20 miles. I’m feeling very good about the marathon.
Some people have a hard time tapering before their marathon. They get antsy when they have more time on their hands because of the mileage reduction that goes along with the taper. However, I look forward to tapering. In fact, I see it as my reward for all the hard work I put in over the past few months. I ran hard. I ran long. Before I attempt to run both harder and longer during the marathon, I get a little break in order to rest and recover.
I don’t experience that taper madness that some runners complain of. I don’t feel like I need to squeeze in one more long run, I’ve yet to feel any phantom aches and pains or injuries and I don’t obsess over the coming marathon. I’ve read about other runners having issues with all of these things during their taper. Not me – I am looking forward to the extra sleep. Zzzzzzz
On deck tomorrow – “only” 5 miles.
Daily Dozen:
4.41 miles – very easy pace, feeling good, still on a high from yesterday’s run
I feel confident coming off of the long run yesterday. While, I can’t say running 20 miles was easy, it certainly wasn’t as difficult as it has been in the past. I finished running strong yesterday and I am only minimally sore today. Completing the run was a tremendous boost to my confidence going in to the marathon, especially falling the run previous weekend’s attempt at 20 miles. I’m feeling very good about the marathon.
Some people have a hard time tapering before their marathon. They get antsy when they have more time on their hands because of the mileage reduction that goes along with the taper. However, I look forward to tapering. In fact, I see it as my reward for all the hard work I put in over the past few months. I ran hard. I ran long. Before I attempt to run both harder and longer during the marathon, I get a little break in order to rest and recover.
I don’t experience that taper madness that some runners complain of. I don’t feel like I need to squeeze in one more long run, I’ve yet to feel any phantom aches and pains or injuries and I don’t obsess over the coming marathon. I’ve read about other runners having issues with all of these things during their taper. Not me – I am looking forward to the extra sleep. Zzzzzzz
On deck tomorrow – “only” 5 miles.
Daily Dozen:
4.41 miles – very easy pace, feeling good, still on a high from yesterday’s run
Monday, April 5, 2010
A Tale of Two Runs
It turns out my body was going to make the decision for me. (Yes, I should have known that all along).
I woke up Saturday morning ready to face a 20 miler. I dressed, I ate, I packed my pockets w/ Fig Newtons, and I headed out the door. The morning was cloudy and the day was a bit cooler than I was expecting but it was a good temperature for running. I set off, plotting various routes.
The first mile went off well. I was enthusiastic and confident. However, that proved to be a short-lived experience. My heartrate was increased from the beginning of the run and by mile 2 I realized that it just wasn’t going to be my day. The decision to not run long was not a difficult one for me to make, unfortunately. Other days it would have been a struggle between my brain, my heart and my legs but not that day. I would live to run another day, I decided and then I headed home racking up only 5.6 of the 20 planned miles.
Despite the easy decision, I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness once I got home. I quit and there are no other ways to describe it. I may have made the “right” decisions but it still means that the right decision was to quit.
As I threw my sweaty (but not sweat I had earned, I thought) clothes in to the laundry basket and climbed in to a hot shower, I was a little down on myself. I’ve run through worse conditions, through legs that were more tired. I’ve willed myself through much tougher mental roadblocks. What was going on that I quit so easily?
I never did find the answer. I went on with my day and slowly the disappointment and sadness melted away being replaced by more important things like spending time with family.
I woke up the next day much earlier than I expected and the first thought that popped in to my head – I want to run. I crawled out of bed, stumbled around getting dressed in the dark and snuck out of my in-laws house, ready for a run in the country. The difference between running that morning and running the previous morning was stark. Where I felt sluggish and tired the day before, I was smooth and energized the next morning. Where I regretted not having the time to run longer that morning, the previous morning I regretted making plans around a long run that ended up being a bust so I had too much time. Where as my pace never warmed up past a crawl on Saturday morning, Sunday morning there was a spring in my step and I just couldn’t hold back.
I ended up running under 10 minute miles without every intending to run at my marathon goal pace. I just started running and I settled in to a fast pace. I don’t’ know that I could have slowed myself down even if I had wanted to because the pace felt so right. Slowing down would have been impossible.
One of the things I love about running faster paces is that there is span of time after the struggle of warming up but before the paces catches up to your muscles and forces you to slow down when the possibilities seem limitless. I really can run close to a 4 hour marathon. After this marathon I really will run a sub-4 marathon. I should sign up for the ultra-marathon I have been eyeballing. I should just keep running and running and running and…
Before I knew I was close to home and I reined in my speed-induced daydreaming. Back to reality, I told myself as I turned down the home stretching, forcing my legs to slow. I didn’t want to experience a blow up or a slow down. I wanted those possibilities to remain just that…possible.
Both Saturday and Sunday, I ended my runs on my own terms. Both times, I made the decision to stop and both times it was the “right” decision to make. Honestly, I’m not even sure what my point is here. I’m sure there is a lesson in there somewhere. What I do know is that Sunday’s run wiped Saturday’s run off the radar and thank goodness for that.
Daily Dozen:
5.22 miles – feeling good, running strong
I woke up Saturday morning ready to face a 20 miler. I dressed, I ate, I packed my pockets w/ Fig Newtons, and I headed out the door. The morning was cloudy and the day was a bit cooler than I was expecting but it was a good temperature for running. I set off, plotting various routes.
The first mile went off well. I was enthusiastic and confident. However, that proved to be a short-lived experience. My heartrate was increased from the beginning of the run and by mile 2 I realized that it just wasn’t going to be my day. The decision to not run long was not a difficult one for me to make, unfortunately. Other days it would have been a struggle between my brain, my heart and my legs but not that day. I would live to run another day, I decided and then I headed home racking up only 5.6 of the 20 planned miles.
Despite the easy decision, I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness once I got home. I quit and there are no other ways to describe it. I may have made the “right” decisions but it still means that the right decision was to quit.
As I threw my sweaty (but not sweat I had earned, I thought) clothes in to the laundry basket and climbed in to a hot shower, I was a little down on myself. I’ve run through worse conditions, through legs that were more tired. I’ve willed myself through much tougher mental roadblocks. What was going on that I quit so easily?
I never did find the answer. I went on with my day and slowly the disappointment and sadness melted away being replaced by more important things like spending time with family.
I woke up the next day much earlier than I expected and the first thought that popped in to my head – I want to run. I crawled out of bed, stumbled around getting dressed in the dark and snuck out of my in-laws house, ready for a run in the country. The difference between running that morning and running the previous morning was stark. Where I felt sluggish and tired the day before, I was smooth and energized the next morning. Where I regretted not having the time to run longer that morning, the previous morning I regretted making plans around a long run that ended up being a bust so I had too much time. Where as my pace never warmed up past a crawl on Saturday morning, Sunday morning there was a spring in my step and I just couldn’t hold back.
I ended up running under 10 minute miles without every intending to run at my marathon goal pace. I just started running and I settled in to a fast pace. I don’t’ know that I could have slowed myself down even if I had wanted to because the pace felt so right. Slowing down would have been impossible.
One of the things I love about running faster paces is that there is span of time after the struggle of warming up but before the paces catches up to your muscles and forces you to slow down when the possibilities seem limitless. I really can run close to a 4 hour marathon. After this marathon I really will run a sub-4 marathon. I should sign up for the ultra-marathon I have been eyeballing. I should just keep running and running and running and…
Before I knew I was close to home and I reined in my speed-induced daydreaming. Back to reality, I told myself as I turned down the home stretching, forcing my legs to slow. I didn’t want to experience a blow up or a slow down. I wanted those possibilities to remain just that…possible.
Both Saturday and Sunday, I ended my runs on my own terms. Both times, I made the decision to stop and both times it was the “right” decision to make. Honestly, I’m not even sure what my point is here. I’m sure there is a lesson in there somewhere. What I do know is that Sunday’s run wiped Saturday’s run off the radar and thank goodness for that.
Daily Dozen:
5.22 miles – feeling good, running strong
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Four Courts Four Miler - Race Report
Regardless of whether I am in the middle of training for a marathon or not, I enjoy running local races. Races that do not involve travel on my part. Races, for all intents and purposes, right outside my door. The Four Courts Four Miler is just such a race.
It was the inaugural event this year put on by Pacers, a local running store, and sponsored by Ireland’s Four Courts, a local Irish pub-style restaurant in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. You can’t tell by the photo above but everything about this race was green and Irish.
As I mentioned previously, I was a little nervous going in to the race. Running had not been going as well as I had liked and logic would usually dictate that a runner who is already tired and possibly facing the specter of overtraining shouldn’t try to find an answer in racing and pushing their running. It sounds like I am court disaster and maybe, I was? I don’t know.
What I do know is that something clicked at the race.
It felt good to be in that crowd of fellow, green bedecked runners. The drizzling rain didn’t seem to phase any of us once the race started (beforehand is another story – it was pouring rain for the hour or so before the race meant that me and my loyal cheering section were soaked on the walk to the race). I was passing the Mile 1 marker before I knew it and nearly to the half way point of this four mile race before I even felt like I was even pushing the pace. Everything felt easy and that was such a relief after weeks of legs o’ lead.
Around the 2.5 mile point, I was “leapt” by the leprechaun. One of the fun parts of this race was that one of the super speedy Pacer-sponsored runners (turns out he is also Irish) started the race 8 minutes after the start gun. For every runner he beat to the finish line (or “leapt” if you will) the running store would donate a dollar to a local charity. I was hoping to be in Mile 3 by the time he passed me but in the middle of the race it didn’t even matter. Running felt good. My pace felt right. I was relaxed but still focused on racing hard (quite the contradiction, I know). Being beat by a local elite runner was of no consequence to me because I was having a great race.
The other catch to this race was that the first mile was downhill, the next two miles were more or less flat, and the final mile was up, up, uphill. However, I wasn’t worried for two reasons. One, I love running hills and as long as I didn’t flatline my legs during the first three miles I would be able to pass runners left and right going uphill. Two, I run this hilly section (although it feels like a mile long hill, it is actually two hills with a very brief flat-ish section in the middle) several times a week.
I passed the Mile 3 marker and took the hill in stride, keeping my legs turnover short but quick and my breathing steady. While everyone else slowed down, I picked up the pace. My second half split was actually faster than my first half split, which is not the norm for a course with this downhill/uphill profile.
As I raced toward the finish line, I spotted two runners between me and the end and I told myself to do whatever I could to pass them. I charged. I kicked. I sprinted. As much as one can charge, kick and sprint while running up a reasonably steep hill, I gave it all I had. I beat one of the two runners solidly. The other one was just ahead of me as we crossed the line; he had saved a little for the end and I wasn’t expecting it.
It felt so good to cross that finish line. It was a real confidence booster to look down at my watch and realize I had beaten the goal I had set for myself. As I was catching my breath, my fans (husband, Mom and Dad) found me and then I found the water. We didn’t stick around for the end of the race or the after party (although it did look like a bunch of fun) because we had plans for the rest of the day.
I am feeling much more positive about Nashville after this race. It feels so good to be back!
Splits (kinda – I didn’t hit the lap button on my watch so I’m working from memory)
Mile 1 – I didn’t want to look.
Mile 2 – 17 minutes and some change, right on target
Mile 3 – 25 minutes and some change, woohoo, doing better than target
Mile 4 – 34:27, a minute and a half better than I was expecting and a faster split than the first half
Pros:
- Local (for me) and walkable to start/finish
- Nice shirt – tech fabric with the Kiss Me I’m A Runner slogan. Love it!
- Great race management
- Hilly finish – yes, this can be a positive attribute to a race
Cons:
- Nothing really – a great small, local race
Friday, March 5, 2010
So Whose Legs Have I Been Running On?
My legs have felt more like my own this week than they have in previous weeks. Running hasn’t been such a struggle and my pace is improving without extra effort on my part. In fact, three of my 5 runs this week have actually been in the 10s for an average overall pace, rather than the 11s I was seeing last week and the week before.
It’s better than just an improvement in pace though. My legs are feeling better; not so much like they had been dipped in wet cement. What a relief.
I had nearly resigned myself to the slower pace and the leaden legs, wondering if I should curtail all of my running plans for the year. Maybe I will run/walk the marathon in April since I had already signed up and call it quits for the rest of the year, I thought.
Honestly, I was surprisingly OK with that idea. Not that I would prefer to have my tentative plans spoiled by a silly overuse injury (I should have known better – my paces, especially on the long runs were just too fast. I’m not at 10 minute miles yet. I knew better but was dazzles by the specter of single digit pace. I’ll get there but I’m not breaking through just yet) and the snow. Yet, delaying my plans and living to race another year was more important to me.
I am determined to be a life long runner. I want to be pushing my kids in a jogging stroller just as much as I want to be winning age group awards when I’m 70 just because I was the only 70 year-old to show up.
I am back to feeling optimistic about not only the upcoming training and marathon but also the rest of my running life.
Daily Dozen:
10 miles run commute
It’s better than just an improvement in pace though. My legs are feeling better; not so much like they had been dipped in wet cement. What a relief.
I had nearly resigned myself to the slower pace and the leaden legs, wondering if I should curtail all of my running plans for the year. Maybe I will run/walk the marathon in April since I had already signed up and call it quits for the rest of the year, I thought.
Honestly, I was surprisingly OK with that idea. Not that I would prefer to have my tentative plans spoiled by a silly overuse injury (I should have known better – my paces, especially on the long runs were just too fast. I’m not at 10 minute miles yet. I knew better but was dazzles by the specter of single digit pace. I’ll get there but I’m not breaking through just yet) and the snow. Yet, delaying my plans and living to race another year was more important to me.
I am determined to be a life long runner. I want to be pushing my kids in a jogging stroller just as much as I want to be winning age group awards when I’m 70 just because I was the only 70 year-old to show up.
I am back to feeling optimistic about not only the upcoming training and marathon but also the rest of my running life.
Daily Dozen:
10 miles run commute
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Love-Hate
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with running these passed two weeks. I have been back in a groove in terms of consistency. For about a month now, I’ve only been able to run on and off due to injury recovery time, snow and a little bit of good ol’ fashioned laziness. However, I’m back to running nearly every day and mentally, I’m loving it.
And yet…
Although I am back to running consistently, I am struggling physically. My pace is much slower than it was back in January and I am really tired. Some times it is just fatigue in my legs and other times, I have little energy. Where have my speed and gumption gone? Did I really lose them that quickly? Ugh!
I tell myself that it’s OK; that I have permission to build back up slow and steady; that no matter what pace I am running, at least I am running. I tell myself these things over and over again and one of these days, I’ll even start believing it.
It is frustrating to feel like I have been set far back from where I was and have the date of the marathon fast approaching. I’ve revised my long run, I’ll still be able to get in some good 18 and 20 miles and I know I’ll be fine (maybe not running as close to a 4 hour marathon as I was hoping but fine nonetheless). Yet, there is a little voice inside me casting doubt and bumming me out when I am struggling to complete a run.
Let me clarify this last point. I haven’t been struggling due to an injury or pain but rather my legs just feel so leaden at times. I am getting a good amount of sleep most nights, I am eating as “healthy” as I normally do (are you going to begrudge me a cookie after coming in from a 2 hour run?) and I haven’t been doing anything out of the ordinary with cross-training or strength training. My paces have been much slower. I have no way of explaining why I am so tired during so many of my runs. Even more frustrating is that it seems to come and go; when I think I have finally warmed up and found a good rhythm my legs will suddenly fill with wet sand.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous post or two, I have also been finding new routes through the surrounding neighborhoods because the bike paths that I normally run on have been impassable due to snow, ice and fallen trees.
When my runs are good, I find that this spirit of discovery and exploration provides a nice spring in my step. However, when I’m struggling to run because my legs are fatigued I find new routes to be exhausting mentally. I am constantly calculating distances in my head and the questions seem endless – when should I turn around, when should I turn down a side street, how far will this road take before I have to alter my route, where will this road lead – the whole time being painfully aware of the absolute shortest route back home and a premature to my run. I find myself constantly having to convince my legs not to take that route and every turn, every side street, every unexpected hill restarts the dialogue.
And yet…
I haven’t bailed on a run yet. That’s something to be proud of and today’s run actually felt much easier. I felt more like myself out there running in the cold, wet morning. It is good to be back (and fingers crossed that it lasts).
Daily Dozen:
6 miles @ early morning
And yet…
Although I am back to running consistently, I am struggling physically. My pace is much slower than it was back in January and I am really tired. Some times it is just fatigue in my legs and other times, I have little energy. Where have my speed and gumption gone? Did I really lose them that quickly? Ugh!
I tell myself that it’s OK; that I have permission to build back up slow and steady; that no matter what pace I am running, at least I am running. I tell myself these things over and over again and one of these days, I’ll even start believing it.
It is frustrating to feel like I have been set far back from where I was and have the date of the marathon fast approaching. I’ve revised my long run, I’ll still be able to get in some good 18 and 20 miles and I know I’ll be fine (maybe not running as close to a 4 hour marathon as I was hoping but fine nonetheless). Yet, there is a little voice inside me casting doubt and bumming me out when I am struggling to complete a run.
Let me clarify this last point. I haven’t been struggling due to an injury or pain but rather my legs just feel so leaden at times. I am getting a good amount of sleep most nights, I am eating as “healthy” as I normally do (are you going to begrudge me a cookie after coming in from a 2 hour run?) and I haven’t been doing anything out of the ordinary with cross-training or strength training. My paces have been much slower. I have no way of explaining why I am so tired during so many of my runs. Even more frustrating is that it seems to come and go; when I think I have finally warmed up and found a good rhythm my legs will suddenly fill with wet sand.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous post or two, I have also been finding new routes through the surrounding neighborhoods because the bike paths that I normally run on have been impassable due to snow, ice and fallen trees.
A Tree Blocked Bike Path
Another downed tree, less than 1/2 mile away
The bamboo also got in to the blocking action
When my runs are good, I find that this spirit of discovery and exploration provides a nice spring in my step. However, when I’m struggling to run because my legs are fatigued I find new routes to be exhausting mentally. I am constantly calculating distances in my head and the questions seem endless – when should I turn around, when should I turn down a side street, how far will this road take before I have to alter my route, where will this road lead – the whole time being painfully aware of the absolute shortest route back home and a premature to my run. I find myself constantly having to convince my legs not to take that route and every turn, every side street, every unexpected hill restarts the dialogue.
And yet…
I haven’t bailed on a run yet. That’s something to be proud of and today’s run actually felt much easier. I felt more like myself out there running in the cold, wet morning. It is good to be back (and fingers crossed that it lasts).
Daily Dozen:
6 miles @ early morning
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
On My Way Back
Ok – Yesterday’s post was just all-kinds of negative energy. Sorry about that! That isn’t normally who I am. Still, I was a bit apprehensive about this morning’s run. The last thing I wanted or needed was a repeat of the day before.
However, from the first step the anxiety melted away. My leg was somewhat tight was definitely better than it has been (yay!), the freshly fallen snow was fun and challenging rather than a tedious, and even though I was going at a much slower pace than normal (12 minute miles compared to 10:30 miles) I felt like I was in the groove.
It feels good to be on my way back.
Daily Dozen:
5.1 miles @ morning run, freshly fallen snow
XT and strength training @ lunch hour
However, from the first step the anxiety melted away. My leg was somewhat tight was definitely better than it has been (yay!), the freshly fallen snow was fun and challenging rather than a tedious, and even though I was going at a much slower pace than normal (12 minute miles compared to 10:30 miles) I felt like I was in the groove.
It feels good to be on my way back.
Daily Dozen:
5.1 miles @ morning run, freshly fallen snow
XT and strength training @ lunch hour
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
A Nice Welcome Back
After taking last week off, I’m back to running. I am off two minds looking back on my self-imposed / snow-imposed hiatus. On the one hand, it felt good to stay up a little later than my usual 8 o’clock bedtime and even better to sleep in 2 hours more than usual. However, I also let myself eat many more cookies than I usually do and by the middle of the week I was feeling sluggish and unhealthy.
I’ve run every morning since Saturday but it wasn’t until this morning that I felt like I was finally back in the groove. The first run post-hiatus went better than I expected, especially since it was raining cats and dogs during the run. I did a five mile run and with the unusually warm temperatures, the rain actually felt nice instead of burdensome. The bike trails were still snow covered before it started raining so I was running through puddles of slush/snow mix. By the end of the five miles, I was happy to be inside some place warm and dry but still thrilled to have completed a run finally.
Sunday was a gorgeous winter morning. Cold but refreshingly crisp (instead of biting), the snow glistened in the snow and ice glistened in the snow as it slowly melted. Birds were out chirping and there were plenty of runners out on the trails, many of whom looking to equally glad to be out running on such a beautiful morning. The bike path had been significantly cleared from the previous day’s warmer temperature and rain so dodging ice was less of an issue than the day before. I only slipped once; the bridges were still covered in snow, slush and ice.
The schedule has a long run of 15 miles for Sunday but I told myself to just go out and run until it felt like it was time to come home. I ended up running a very satisfying 9.5 miles.
Monday I ran an easy 5.3 miles in the early morning hours before work and it made me realize how much I missed my predawn runs. I went out at an easy and relaxed pace – like a little, running monk, Ommmmmm.
I am surprised at how easy it was to get back in to my routine and that none of the runs have been a struggle but it wasn’t until today that I felt like I was really back from a break. This morning’s 10 miles were perfect. I felt like I was gliding along the path this morning instead of pounding away at the pavement. It was effortless and energizing. I didn’t see anyone else on the bike path for close to an hour so it was just me floating along this morning, enjoying the solitude, the dark, the (relative) quiet. Running felt awesome – I felt quick, the hills hardly gave me any issues, I felt like the Energizer Bunny, as trite as that is, it is true! It turns out my pace wasn’t anything surprising (I was secretly hoping it would be even though I wasn’t pushing the pace at all) – a steady 10 minute mile but it felt so easy.
It is good to be back!
Daily Dozen:
10 miles run @ early morning
(planned) Strength Training @ lunch hour(planned) 3 miles run/walk after work w/ Jenn
I’ve run every morning since Saturday but it wasn’t until this morning that I felt like I was finally back in the groove. The first run post-hiatus went better than I expected, especially since it was raining cats and dogs during the run. I did a five mile run and with the unusually warm temperatures, the rain actually felt nice instead of burdensome. The bike trails were still snow covered before it started raining so I was running through puddles of slush/snow mix. By the end of the five miles, I was happy to be inside some place warm and dry but still thrilled to have completed a run finally.
Sunday was a gorgeous winter morning. Cold but refreshingly crisp (instead of biting), the snow glistened in the snow and ice glistened in the snow as it slowly melted. Birds were out chirping and there were plenty of runners out on the trails, many of whom looking to equally glad to be out running on such a beautiful morning. The bike path had been significantly cleared from the previous day’s warmer temperature and rain so dodging ice was less of an issue than the day before. I only slipped once; the bridges were still covered in snow, slush and ice.
The schedule has a long run of 15 miles for Sunday but I told myself to just go out and run until it felt like it was time to come home. I ended up running a very satisfying 9.5 miles.
Monday I ran an easy 5.3 miles in the early morning hours before work and it made me realize how much I missed my predawn runs. I went out at an easy and relaxed pace – like a little, running monk, Ommmmmm.
I am surprised at how easy it was to get back in to my routine and that none of the runs have been a struggle but it wasn’t until today that I felt like I was really back from a break. This morning’s 10 miles were perfect. I felt like I was gliding along the path this morning instead of pounding away at the pavement. It was effortless and energizing. I didn’t see anyone else on the bike path for close to an hour so it was just me floating along this morning, enjoying the solitude, the dark, the (relative) quiet. Running felt awesome – I felt quick, the hills hardly gave me any issues, I felt like the Energizer Bunny, as trite as that is, it is true! It turns out my pace wasn’t anything surprising (I was secretly hoping it would be even though I wasn’t pushing the pace at all) – a steady 10 minute mile but it felt so easy.
It is good to be back!
Daily Dozen:
10 miles run @ early morning
(planned) Strength Training @ lunch hour(planned) 3 miles run/walk after work w/ Jenn
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Breakthrough
I am so happy with the way my running is progressing this fall. I am running stronger and faster, and it feels good. When I finished my run this morning, I was proud of myself and my running.
When I started running, I read as much as I could about how to start running. I mean, it sounds easy…just go out and run…but it turns out, there is quite a bit to learn. Everything I read aimed at beginner running emphasized that slow was the name of the game. If you wanted to make it the distance and cross the finish line (how ever far away that finish line may be) strong, you had to go slow and avoid crashing.
This is exactly how I ran during the training for my first marathon. I repeated “slow and easy, just take it easy Becki, nice and slow” over and over on every long run; and, it worked. I progressed from 10 to 12 to 15 to 18 to 20 milers and finished each one tired but strong and with confidence.
I was so careful not to go out too fast and that caution developed into apprehension and fear. I honestly believe that I have been afraid to go fast, thinking that if I ran fast I would crash. I was afraid of the fatigue and ache. I was afraid of the pain. It is so silly but somehow so very, very true. As I continued to run after my first marathon, I never really let go of the “slow and easy” approach.
However, something changed after I was injured last year. My running mantra changed from “slow and easy” to “steady and strong” as I rebuilt my running base. I credit this new mantra for helping me improve my marathon time by 15 minutes and finishing strong in my third marathon.
That race was just the beginning because this summer and fall, after recovering from the marathon, I have been focused on increasing my weekly mileage. Forty miles used to be my marathon peak week and now, after slowly building up all summer and fall, for the past month it has been my normal weekly mileage. I feel like a whole new runner – stronger, faster and more confident in my ability.
…and it shows. I have run a PR at every race distance this fall except for the marathon. My 5K PR dropped by two minutes and I know I could have run that one faster (I was just starting to lose my fear of running fast and was still transition to higher mileage). I smashed my 10K PR by over six minutes. I brought my 10 mile race PR down a minute after a tough a race (well, tough for me). However, the one that proves to me I am truly improving is my new half marathon PR, dropping it six minutes and feeling like I could have run forever as I crossed the finish line even after a ridiculous 6.25 mile “warm up” run. I wish I had a marathon planned this fall because I know I could make a serious dent in that PR as well. I think this is sufficient evidence that I’ve had a breakthrough in my running. I’m so excited to see what this new level of running holds for me.
Daily Dozen:
6 miles in the morning (rainy and cold)
Strength Training @ lunch hour
When I started running, I read as much as I could about how to start running. I mean, it sounds easy…just go out and run…but it turns out, there is quite a bit to learn. Everything I read aimed at beginner running emphasized that slow was the name of the game. If you wanted to make it the distance and cross the finish line (how ever far away that finish line may be) strong, you had to go slow and avoid crashing.
This is exactly how I ran during the training for my first marathon. I repeated “slow and easy, just take it easy Becki, nice and slow” over and over on every long run; and, it worked. I progressed from 10 to 12 to 15 to 18 to 20 milers and finished each one tired but strong and with confidence.
I was so careful not to go out too fast and that caution developed into apprehension and fear. I honestly believe that I have been afraid to go fast, thinking that if I ran fast I would crash. I was afraid of the fatigue and ache. I was afraid of the pain. It is so silly but somehow so very, very true. As I continued to run after my first marathon, I never really let go of the “slow and easy” approach.
However, something changed after I was injured last year. My running mantra changed from “slow and easy” to “steady and strong” as I rebuilt my running base. I credit this new mantra for helping me improve my marathon time by 15 minutes and finishing strong in my third marathon.
That race was just the beginning because this summer and fall, after recovering from the marathon, I have been focused on increasing my weekly mileage. Forty miles used to be my marathon peak week and now, after slowly building up all summer and fall, for the past month it has been my normal weekly mileage. I feel like a whole new runner – stronger, faster and more confident in my ability.
…and it shows. I have run a PR at every race distance this fall except for the marathon. My 5K PR dropped by two minutes and I know I could have run that one faster (I was just starting to lose my fear of running fast and was still transition to higher mileage). I smashed my 10K PR by over six minutes. I brought my 10 mile race PR down a minute after a tough a race (well, tough for me). However, the one that proves to me I am truly improving is my new half marathon PR, dropping it six minutes and feeling like I could have run forever as I crossed the finish line even after a ridiculous 6.25 mile “warm up” run. I wish I had a marathon planned this fall because I know I could make a serious dent in that PR as well. I think this is sufficient evidence that I’ve had a breakthrough in my running. I’m so excited to see what this new level of running holds for me.
Daily Dozen:
6 miles in the morning (rainy and cold)
Strength Training @ lunch hour
Monday, November 9, 2009
GCF Inaugural Half Marathon – Race Report
The perfect day – these are the only words that come to mind to describe my race at the GCF Inaugural Half Marathon. The PERFECT day.
The morning turned out to be an ideal fall morning to run a race – cool and clear with temperatures in the 40s (rising slowly but steadily all day – 50s by the end of the race and 70s by the afternoon). We couldn’t have asked for better race conditions. However, my race story starts before the morning dawned.
With the race starting at 7 am and the metro not opening until 7 am, I was trying to figure out how to get to the race without having to resort to driving. I hate driving in the city and although it wouldn’t have been bad getting in since it was so early, I was hoping to avoid the drive back after the race. Mike offered to wake up early to drive me in and drop me off at the race site. It was tempting to take him up on the offer but I know he would have hated waking up that early so I let him off the hook (but major points for offering!).
That left the bike or the power of my own two feet and since I had come to terms with the fact that I wouldn’t be breaking any PRs (see here and here) for the race I made the decision to run to the race. At my 10K two months ago, I finally came around to the idea of warming up before a race so the run to the race would serve as an extended warm-up - uhm, 6.25 miles to be exact.
I left the house at 5:30 and had an hour and a half to make it to the race site, pick up my race packet and check my bag. I was a little worried about making it on time so I was running just a bit faster than my easy pace. As the day dawned and I realized just what I had gotten myself in to – I would be running 19 miles that day, the longest I’ve run (by far) since the marathon in May. I just shook my head and laughed at the stunt I was pulling but I had already committed. The only option was to go with the flow, anticipate the blow up I was sure to experience on the half marathon course and come to terms with it in the hopes of alleviating any disappointment. Just Run, I told myself, Just Run.
Doing just that, I got to the start area at 6:30 (whoa! I covered 6.25 miles in 1 hour and 1 minute, which equals a sub-10 minute pace. Oops, so much for a warm-up…that’s marathon pace!). I quickly found my packet, put on my bib, threw my gloves and ID in my bag, checked it and hit the bathroom line. With all that done, I took the time to stretch out from my run to the race and soak up my surroundings.
There were 2000+ people running the race that morning, add to that the race organizers and volunteers and you get quite a lot of people out and about in the early morning hours to support an amazing cause. It felt great to be a part of something charitable even if I was doing it for my own reasons. It gave me a good feeling for the race ahead. From the start, throughout the race, all the way to the finish festival, the GCF put on a great race with excellent organization. Amazing! (Even more so considering it was an inaugural event).
The course for the half marathon was three, 4+ mile loops. I have never run a loop course before so I was skeptical on how it would turn out. Would I get bored? Would I get tired of making almost all left turns (and in this case many of them 180 degree turns)? Would I be able to convince my legs to run the same route again and again when they were tired? As the gun went off and the race got underway, these questions dissipated because I quickly found a groove.
From the very first step I was in the zone and because the crowd was relatively small, especially for a DC race, it quickly thinned out and there was hardly any bobbing and weaving. Maybe the 6.25 mile, marathon pace warm-up wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Just after the 3rd mile, I hit a water stop and gulped down a Powerade. I was feeling good but concerned I couldn’t keep up the pace for the ten miles that I had ahead of me. Rather than hitting the lap button on my watch at the mile markers, I decided to continue with my “Just Run” motto and only concern myself with time after each loop. I hit the first loop in 37:xx minutes.
OK, that’s under a 9 minute pace....and I was hoping I would be able to maintain a 10 minute pace considering my 6.25 mile warm-up. But can I keep this up? I was feeling good and figured there was nothing I could do about it now, I might as well keep going until the wall came crashing down on me. I might as well get as far as I could before that happened. Going through the second loop, I started to get tired and could feel the miles on my legs – Mile 6 of the race was my Mile 12 for the day, etc. Amazingly I made it through that loop – Mile 9 (my Mile 15, oy!), one more loop to go. Just hold on, I told myself.
I didn’t even look at my watch. I didn’t want to know (turns out it was 36:xx – my fastest loop). I just hit the button and kept running. Damn the watch. Damn my time. Damn the miles I had run before the race. Just Run.
I hit Mile 10, only three more to go, and saw the official race clock read 1:26:xx and with a quick calculation my whole outlook on the race changed: even if I slowed down to 10 minute miles, if I could do better than that slower pace for the next 3 miles, the next 30 minutes, I would come across the line in 1:56:xx – that’s a PR! With that realization, I was totally reinvigorated. If I could get a PR even if slowed down, imagine how much I could smash my previous time (1:58:29) if I kept my faster pace. Now I was on a mission. Forget the wall, forget slowing down; I was going to get this done.
With each mile marker I hit, I did a quick calculation and with each calculation I projected my finish time to be faster and faster. Finally, I made the turn down Pennsylvania Avenue for the last time and I knew I was going to do it. My legs were tired but finishing at a fast pace wouldn’t be a problem. I ran and ran down Pennsylvania for what seemed like miles but it was only about ¾ a mile long. I heard the crowd and announcer at the finish line and I tried to pick up my pace. However, there was no kick left in my legs but they were machine-like in that they had zeroed in a pace and could go at that pace forever. Finally, with the finish line getting closer and closer I was able to read the clock at the 13 mile marker – 1:52:01 it read.
I had one minute to run .1 miles in order to be a 1:52 half marathoner. That is all that matter. I had to cross the line before the clock read 1:53:00. I ran strong and as I came close to the line, the announcer said, “…and here comes, Becki… [seriously, he announced my name and I pumped my fist]…she definitely knows how to celebrate, Becki in the white hat and the pretty ponytail getting it done.” I did it – 1:52:38!!!
I was the 115th woman to cross the finish line out of 549 and 48th in my age group.
In a word – PERFECT!
I wore my race shirt for the rest of the day with pride. I am only slightly sore today but in a good way. I believe I’ve recently experienced a break-through in my running and this half marathon performance is proof. Running that race and especially crossing that finish line, shattering my previous PR by 5 minutes made me want to scream, “AHHHH, I Love Running.”
Pros:
Excellent Start, Course and Finish Organization
Loop course – wouldn’t want to do a loop course for all my races but it worked for me at this race
Great cause w/ enthusiastic runners, volunteers, and organizers
Nice race shirt (even if it is cotton)
Cons:
Due to early start time (which I love), it is not metro accessible for the start (though I did metro home)
Expensive for a half ($75!)
No convenient packet pick up (i.e. metro accessible) other than race day
It is never a problem for me but there were no bathrooms on the course, only at the start/finish way off the course.
The morning turned out to be an ideal fall morning to run a race – cool and clear with temperatures in the 40s (rising slowly but steadily all day – 50s by the end of the race and 70s by the afternoon). We couldn’t have asked for better race conditions. However, my race story starts before the morning dawned.
With the race starting at 7 am and the metro not opening until 7 am, I was trying to figure out how to get to the race without having to resort to driving. I hate driving in the city and although it wouldn’t have been bad getting in since it was so early, I was hoping to avoid the drive back after the race. Mike offered to wake up early to drive me in and drop me off at the race site. It was tempting to take him up on the offer but I know he would have hated waking up that early so I let him off the hook (but major points for offering!).
That left the bike or the power of my own two feet and since I had come to terms with the fact that I wouldn’t be breaking any PRs (see here and here) for the race I made the decision to run to the race. At my 10K two months ago, I finally came around to the idea of warming up before a race so the run to the race would serve as an extended warm-up - uhm, 6.25 miles to be exact.
I left the house at 5:30 and had an hour and a half to make it to the race site, pick up my race packet and check my bag. I was a little worried about making it on time so I was running just a bit faster than my easy pace. As the day dawned and I realized just what I had gotten myself in to – I would be running 19 miles that day, the longest I’ve run (by far) since the marathon in May. I just shook my head and laughed at the stunt I was pulling but I had already committed. The only option was to go with the flow, anticipate the blow up I was sure to experience on the half marathon course and come to terms with it in the hopes of alleviating any disappointment. Just Run, I told myself, Just Run.
Doing just that, I got to the start area at 6:30 (whoa! I covered 6.25 miles in 1 hour and 1 minute, which equals a sub-10 minute pace. Oops, so much for a warm-up…that’s marathon pace!). I quickly found my packet, put on my bib, threw my gloves and ID in my bag, checked it and hit the bathroom line. With all that done, I took the time to stretch out from my run to the race and soak up my surroundings.
There were 2000+ people running the race that morning, add to that the race organizers and volunteers and you get quite a lot of people out and about in the early morning hours to support an amazing cause. It felt great to be a part of something charitable even if I was doing it for my own reasons. It gave me a good feeling for the race ahead. From the start, throughout the race, all the way to the finish festival, the GCF put on a great race with excellent organization. Amazing! (Even more so considering it was an inaugural event).
The course for the half marathon was three, 4+ mile loops. I have never run a loop course before so I was skeptical on how it would turn out. Would I get bored? Would I get tired of making almost all left turns (and in this case many of them 180 degree turns)? Would I be able to convince my legs to run the same route again and again when they were tired? As the gun went off and the race got underway, these questions dissipated because I quickly found a groove.
From the very first step I was in the zone and because the crowd was relatively small, especially for a DC race, it quickly thinned out and there was hardly any bobbing and weaving. Maybe the 6.25 mile, marathon pace warm-up wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Just after the 3rd mile, I hit a water stop and gulped down a Powerade. I was feeling good but concerned I couldn’t keep up the pace for the ten miles that I had ahead of me. Rather than hitting the lap button on my watch at the mile markers, I decided to continue with my “Just Run” motto and only concern myself with time after each loop. I hit the first loop in 37:xx minutes.
OK, that’s under a 9 minute pace....and I was hoping I would be able to maintain a 10 minute pace considering my 6.25 mile warm-up. But can I keep this up? I was feeling good and figured there was nothing I could do about it now, I might as well keep going until the wall came crashing down on me. I might as well get as far as I could before that happened. Going through the second loop, I started to get tired and could feel the miles on my legs – Mile 6 of the race was my Mile 12 for the day, etc. Amazingly I made it through that loop – Mile 9 (my Mile 15, oy!), one more loop to go. Just hold on, I told myself.
I didn’t even look at my watch. I didn’t want to know (turns out it was 36:xx – my fastest loop). I just hit the button and kept running. Damn the watch. Damn my time. Damn the miles I had run before the race. Just Run.
I hit Mile 10, only three more to go, and saw the official race clock read 1:26:xx and with a quick calculation my whole outlook on the race changed: even if I slowed down to 10 minute miles, if I could do better than that slower pace for the next 3 miles, the next 30 minutes, I would come across the line in 1:56:xx – that’s a PR! With that realization, I was totally reinvigorated. If I could get a PR even if slowed down, imagine how much I could smash my previous time (1:58:29) if I kept my faster pace. Now I was on a mission. Forget the wall, forget slowing down; I was going to get this done.
With each mile marker I hit, I did a quick calculation and with each calculation I projected my finish time to be faster and faster. Finally, I made the turn down Pennsylvania Avenue for the last time and I knew I was going to do it. My legs were tired but finishing at a fast pace wouldn’t be a problem. I ran and ran down Pennsylvania for what seemed like miles but it was only about ¾ a mile long. I heard the crowd and announcer at the finish line and I tried to pick up my pace. However, there was no kick left in my legs but they were machine-like in that they had zeroed in a pace and could go at that pace forever. Finally, with the finish line getting closer and closer I was able to read the clock at the 13 mile marker – 1:52:01 it read.
I had one minute to run .1 miles in order to be a 1:52 half marathoner. That is all that matter. I had to cross the line before the clock read 1:53:00. I ran strong and as I came close to the line, the announcer said, “…and here comes, Becki… [seriously, he announced my name and I pumped my fist]…she definitely knows how to celebrate, Becki in the white hat and the pretty ponytail getting it done.” I did it – 1:52:38!!!
I was the 115th woman to cross the finish line out of 549 and 48th in my age group.
In a word – PERFECT!
I wore my race shirt for the rest of the day with pride. I am only slightly sore today but in a good way. I believe I’ve recently experienced a break-through in my running and this half marathon performance is proof. Running that race and especially crossing that finish line, shattering my previous PR by 5 minutes made me want to scream, “AHHHH, I Love Running.”
Pros:
Excellent Start, Course and Finish Organization
Loop course – wouldn’t want to do a loop course for all my races but it worked for me at this race
Great cause w/ enthusiastic runners, volunteers, and organizers
Nice race shirt (even if it is cotton)
Cons:
Due to early start time (which I love), it is not metro accessible for the start (though I did metro home)
Expensive for a half ($75!)
No convenient packet pick up (i.e. metro accessible) other than race day
It is never a problem for me but there were no bathrooms on the course, only at the start/finish way off the course.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Rainy Run
This morning I woke up to a surprise – rain; steady rain, not a light mist or drizzle, real rain! Rain will drive some runners to the treadmill, or worse back to bed, but not this runner. This runner loves to run in the rain.
There is this wonderful metamorphosis that happens between the start and finish of a rain run and it never ceases to make me giddy to go through it.
Stepping out for a run when it is raining is a tremendous act of willpower. People run to get out of the rain; watch any city street or store parking lot while it is raining and everyone is running for cover. I am fighting those instincts when I purposefully step out in to the rain and that first step is a deliberate act of defiance. I will not give in to the urge to find someplace safe and dry and hunker down until this rain passes. However, there is still that first moment when my shoulders scrunch up to my ears and my eyes squint under the brim of my hat, which I pull down further on to my head. I know it is raining but I still want to fight it.
Then that moment passes and I take off on my run.
An autumn rain can be confusing because it isn’t quite as cold as I expect it to be but then again, it isn’t exactly warm like a late summer sprinkle. Although I’ve purposefully defied the rain by stepping in to and remaining in it to run, I still gingerly avoid the puddles. I jump over them. Shuffle from one side of the trail to the other around them. Rain is falling steadily from above and yet I still try to avoid it from below for as long as I can. Why?
Who knows? Who cares? Leaping over the puddles is fun and it quickly becomes a game. Can I make it over this one or should I run around? How high can I jump this time? “Weeeeee” is the sound going through my head as I sail over them and by the time I hit the turn around point, 2.5 miles out, I am thoroughly and completely soaked through and through, including the beginnings some very wet socks.
Up to this point, about three miles, I manage to keep my feet relatively dry. I navigate the puddles and the rain is steady but not hard. That all changes as I run up the twisty-turny hill around mile 3. It starts to pour as I run up the hill. Harder and harder it rains as I work harder and harder to get up this hill and by the time I make it to the top, every inch of me is not only wet but soaking, dripping wet. My socks are squishing inside my very wet shoes.
As I approach the next big puddle, assessing it for depth, length and circumference I realized that my efforts are futile. I may as well accept my wet fate and run through the puddle.
Once you give up on one puddle and run through it, the change is instantaneous and the next thing you know, you’re splashing through all of the rest. Two more miles of running, splashing, splishing, sploshing, and kicking up water. No, giving up isn’t correct. It is better described as giving in.
I gave in to the rain this morning and had a great time.
I finish my run with pools of water gathering in my rain shell (it stood no chance against this steady rain) and forming in my shoes. Peeling off my wet clothes as soon as I get in the house, I am truly happy to have been a part of this rainy morning.
Plus it feels pretty bad-ass to be out in the rain running an easy 5-miler. I bet all the people in their cars that I passed along the way thought I was absolutely batty.
Daily Dozen:
5 easy miles in the rain
There is this wonderful metamorphosis that happens between the start and finish of a rain run and it never ceases to make me giddy to go through it.
Stepping out for a run when it is raining is a tremendous act of willpower. People run to get out of the rain; watch any city street or store parking lot while it is raining and everyone is running for cover. I am fighting those instincts when I purposefully step out in to the rain and that first step is a deliberate act of defiance. I will not give in to the urge to find someplace safe and dry and hunker down until this rain passes. However, there is still that first moment when my shoulders scrunch up to my ears and my eyes squint under the brim of my hat, which I pull down further on to my head. I know it is raining but I still want to fight it.
Then that moment passes and I take off on my run.
An autumn rain can be confusing because it isn’t quite as cold as I expect it to be but then again, it isn’t exactly warm like a late summer sprinkle. Although I’ve purposefully defied the rain by stepping in to and remaining in it to run, I still gingerly avoid the puddles. I jump over them. Shuffle from one side of the trail to the other around them. Rain is falling steadily from above and yet I still try to avoid it from below for as long as I can. Why?
Who knows? Who cares? Leaping over the puddles is fun and it quickly becomes a game. Can I make it over this one or should I run around? How high can I jump this time? “Weeeeee” is the sound going through my head as I sail over them and by the time I hit the turn around point, 2.5 miles out, I am thoroughly and completely soaked through and through, including the beginnings some very wet socks.
Up to this point, about three miles, I manage to keep my feet relatively dry. I navigate the puddles and the rain is steady but not hard. That all changes as I run up the twisty-turny hill around mile 3. It starts to pour as I run up the hill. Harder and harder it rains as I work harder and harder to get up this hill and by the time I make it to the top, every inch of me is not only wet but soaking, dripping wet. My socks are squishing inside my very wet shoes.
As I approach the next big puddle, assessing it for depth, length and circumference I realized that my efforts are futile. I may as well accept my wet fate and run through the puddle.
Once you give up on one puddle and run through it, the change is instantaneous and the next thing you know, you’re splashing through all of the rest. Two more miles of running, splashing, splishing, sploshing, and kicking up water. No, giving up isn’t correct. It is better described as giving in.
I gave in to the rain this morning and had a great time.
I finish my run with pools of water gathering in my rain shell (it stood no chance against this steady rain) and forming in my shoes. Peeling off my wet clothes as soon as I get in the house, I am truly happy to have been a part of this rainy morning.
Plus it feels pretty bad-ass to be out in the rain running an easy 5-miler. I bet all the people in their cars that I passed along the way thought I was absolutely batty.
Daily Dozen:
5 easy miles in the rain
Monday, October 19, 2009
These Runs Are Real
Five miles in the cold, early morning – this is my bread and butter run. This run is my base, my confidence boost I cherry-pick each week, knowing I can easily complete the distance. I let myself just run it at the pace that felt right, leaves crunching under my feet, past the quiet, dark houses. It was just me a few other runs and some cyclists. We were the only ones in on the secret.
These runs can feel a bit surreal at times. I get home, stretch, grab some water or strawberry milk if I’m starting to get hungry, and then jump in the shower. By the time I’m walking to work an hour later – when the sun has come up and the neighborhood is collectively on its way to work – it can feel like the cold, dark morning run wasn’t really a part of the morning, it feels like something that happened a long time ago, something a dreamed.
As I cram myself on to the train, make my way in to the city and get to my desk, there is no evidence that I even ran this morning. The sweat has been washed off and the tangles brushed out my hair. My running clothes are drying in the hamper, my shoes put away neatly and my Garmin is recharging in its dock. All of those things are at home and here I am part of the morning commute in to the city without any proof that this morning’s run was real.
The only reminder that I didn’t make it all up is the wonderful tired feeling in my legs as I walk up the stairs in the metro station or get up to make a copy at work. I love that feeling – not soreness or pain or fatigue, just the feeling you get when you know you’ve had a good run. My legs feel tired but ready for more. It is the little love note I leave to myself to make sure I remember the run was real.
Daily Dozen:
5.07 miles easy (10:03 pace)
Core work @ lunch hour (planned)
These runs can feel a bit surreal at times. I get home, stretch, grab some water or strawberry milk if I’m starting to get hungry, and then jump in the shower. By the time I’m walking to work an hour later – when the sun has come up and the neighborhood is collectively on its way to work – it can feel like the cold, dark morning run wasn’t really a part of the morning, it feels like something that happened a long time ago, something a dreamed.
As I cram myself on to the train, make my way in to the city and get to my desk, there is no evidence that I even ran this morning. The sweat has been washed off and the tangles brushed out my hair. My running clothes are drying in the hamper, my shoes put away neatly and my Garmin is recharging in its dock. All of those things are at home and here I am part of the morning commute in to the city without any proof that this morning’s run was real.
The only reminder that I didn’t make it all up is the wonderful tired feeling in my legs as I walk up the stairs in the metro station or get up to make a copy at work. I love that feeling – not soreness or pain or fatigue, just the feeling you get when you know you’ve had a good run. My legs feel tired but ready for more. It is the little love note I leave to myself to make sure I remember the run was real.
Daily Dozen:
5.07 miles easy (10:03 pace)
Core work @ lunch hour (planned)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
I Love Fall
I know Fall technically started last week but the weather didn't get the notice until today.
Last week, I was still coming home from my morning runs and thinking how deceptively humid it was outside. I would read 65 degrees on the thermometer but once I started running I would realize that little needle had no concept of humidity.
This morning I headed out into a chill, 50 degrees and wonderfully crisp. Somehow the chill in the air made the morning seem brighter and clearer even thought the sun was still an hour and a half from rising.
I couldn't help but have a good run. I headed out for my hilly route and attacked each hill. Sometimes the attacks were focused efforts - eyes on the top, arms pumping back and forth like pistons, legs pounding up the hill relentlessly. Other times, I would relax in to hill, strong and tough but still gliding effortlessly. I would get to the top of the hill and breeze over it, sometimes not even realizing it was over. Still, other hills I attacked ferociously, just digging in with maxing effort, eating it up and spitting it out raw!
It felt good. It was over too quickly. I wanted more but still felt satisfied.
Mmmm - I love Fall.
Last week, I was still coming home from my morning runs and thinking how deceptively humid it was outside. I would read 65 degrees on the thermometer but once I started running I would realize that little needle had no concept of humidity.
This morning I headed out into a chill, 50 degrees and wonderfully crisp. Somehow the chill in the air made the morning seem brighter and clearer even thought the sun was still an hour and a half from rising.
I couldn't help but have a good run. I headed out for my hilly route and attacked each hill. Sometimes the attacks were focused efforts - eyes on the top, arms pumping back and forth like pistons, legs pounding up the hill relentlessly. Other times, I would relax in to hill, strong and tough but still gliding effortlessly. I would get to the top of the hill and breeze over it, sometimes not even realizing it was over. Still, other hills I attacked ferociously, just digging in with maxing effort, eating it up and spitting it out raw!
It felt good. It was over too quickly. I wanted more but still felt satisfied.
Mmmm - I love Fall.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Go to your Happy Pace
“Just run at your happy pace. Find your happy pace. Don’t worry about pushing the pace or slowing down, just run. Just run.”
That is what I was telling myself on my run this morning…and it felt great. I am so in love with running right now, it is amazing. I almost don’t want to go on and on about how wonderful running has been for me because I don’t want to jinx anything (but it beats having to go on and on about injuries and recovering from injuries).
My alarm went off this morning at 4:35 and I was tired. It took me longer than usual to shake the sleep away while I was getting ready; I kept stalling, reluctant to walk out the door. I guess I was afraid I would have a bad run but I wouldn’t say the feeling was that defined. I was just hesitant for some reason.
However, I did eventually leave and walked the few blocks to the bike path. It was cooler than it has been recently, around 50 degrees according to the thermometer (I was actually shivering this morning…yay! Fall is here; hopefully to stay). The cool temps woke me up and something changed. Once I took my first steps running, I was no longer hesitant. My attitude and outlook was optimistic. My running felt great – strong and smooth. As I headed toward my hilly route, I just let myself go.
Run at your happy pace, whatever that is.
I ran strong and fast, zooming down the bike path, working without pushing. I didn’t scare off the pace. I didn’t force myself to slow down or tell myself to hold back. I found a perfect balance – pumping up the hills, coasting down the other side and reveling in the flat sections. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation or doubt anywhere in the run.
I wanted to keep going, running on and on in to the coming morning but then I was at the end and it was time to start the rest of the day. It was a dream run and like a dream I’m having trouble coming up with an explanation. It just all felt – right – this morning.
Daily Dozen:
6.79 miles @ my happy pace (which it turns out is a 10:09 average)
That is what I was telling myself on my run this morning…and it felt great. I am so in love with running right now, it is amazing. I almost don’t want to go on and on about how wonderful running has been for me because I don’t want to jinx anything (but it beats having to go on and on about injuries and recovering from injuries).
My alarm went off this morning at 4:35 and I was tired. It took me longer than usual to shake the sleep away while I was getting ready; I kept stalling, reluctant to walk out the door. I guess I was afraid I would have a bad run but I wouldn’t say the feeling was that defined. I was just hesitant for some reason.
However, I did eventually leave and walked the few blocks to the bike path. It was cooler than it has been recently, around 50 degrees according to the thermometer (I was actually shivering this morning…yay! Fall is here; hopefully to stay). The cool temps woke me up and something changed. Once I took my first steps running, I was no longer hesitant. My attitude and outlook was optimistic. My running felt great – strong and smooth. As I headed toward my hilly route, I just let myself go.
Run at your happy pace, whatever that is.
I ran strong and fast, zooming down the bike path, working without pushing. I didn’t scare off the pace. I didn’t force myself to slow down or tell myself to hold back. I found a perfect balance – pumping up the hills, coasting down the other side and reveling in the flat sections. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation or doubt anywhere in the run.
I wanted to keep going, running on and on in to the coming morning but then I was at the end and it was time to start the rest of the day. It was a dream run and like a dream I’m having trouble coming up with an explanation. It just all felt – right – this morning.
Daily Dozen:
6.79 miles @ my happy pace (which it turns out is a 10:09 average)
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