You never know what a run will hold!

SEVEN DAYS TO THE BIG RACE....

We spent almost 11 hours in our car driving straight home from North Carolina yesterday.  I had a lot of time to think about my running plan for the next two days.  Should I get a long run in?

I am happy with the two miles I snuck in on the treadmill at the hotel we stayed at on the way up to our North Carolina destination.  I'm also happy that I got four miles in on a winding, rocky mountain road by our cabin.  But for the next four days I didn't have a chance to run.  We were busy opening presents, eating out, sight seeing and of course making cookies and eating them!

I'd like to think that the .2 mile staircase up and down to see the biggest water fall in the SouthEast, and the five story stair case and 3 hour walking tour at the Biltmore Estate, and the many trails in the woods going up and down hills that we walked on our vacation amount to something that will be valuable for me.

BUT TODAY- my first day home I hit the park trail with high hopes for a long run.  I basically rolled out of bed got dressed, gathered my running gear and headed out.  It wasn't until I was pulling into the park that I realized I had a pounding sinus headache lingering from the night before.  My eyes had continuous pressure behind them that made me tempted to just keep them closed.  But I had calculated that today was the day for a possible last 12 miles.

As I got out of my car I realized one important fail - I hadn't worn my typical running shorts with the convenient tiny pocket inside just the right size for my car key.  (My legs are just too white to wear running shorts at this point in the winter so I'm all about leggings.)  I had no where to put my key.  Nothing.  I got creative and slid my keyless key into the space between my arm band where the velcro loops back through the feed.  It was snug but had no bottom.  I figured if it slipped out surely I would feel it before it hit the ground.
YOU KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING!?!!!!

NEVER to be mistaken for a key holder...never, never, never!

I ran a strong mile, feeling pretty good other than the continuous pressure behind my eyes.  I hit one mile- reached over to my mile tracker to hit the "lap" to record my time and VOILA- my key was gone!  I had felt NOTHING!   Somewhere over the last mile it had slipped out.  TERROR!   The key clearly is marked with my car model and my car model is usually the ONLY ONE like it in the parking lot!  TERROR!

I turned around and ran incredibly briskly backtracking my mile and scanning the side where I run.   I then proceeded to interview everyone coming toward me if they had seen a keyless key.  Of course this is really a feat as most people have headsets on so every encounter consisted of me asking and them saying "WHAT?" as they pulled their earbuds out and me repeating it - all this while still in running motion.

FINALLY - a lady says YES- she has seen it and placed in on the side of the trail.  (Possibly not a bright idea)  but at least its been seen.  She says a way back- obviously it fell out early.   I ask 4 more people on my way to this key and they all proceed to tell me it now is on a journey to the Park Ranger via two women walking.   Now I am SPRINTING back as fast as I can.    I see these women and I am trying so hard to catch up with them!   This is TOTALLY RUINING MY RUN!  I mean I AM running but not timing - not a consistent long distant run/walk-   I know this sprint will kill my long distance!~

I reach the women - I am WINDED - I get my key - I thank them over and over and turn back around and RUN!

Now my run is exhausted, my legs are already done, aching and about to give out from a long sprint and I am stopping for the next two miles answering the repeated question of "Did you get your key?"

The neat thing is I got to actually speak to people I have been sharing a trail with for the last year.  I especially was glad to speak to the "little old Asian man" who inspired me to shuffle more as I watched him do long distance runs at a consistent pace.  In the beginning he would pass me - now months later I pass him.  He has no idea he inspires me.  But today I got to ask him about my key and he smiled and told me about the ladies.  Trivial but cool for me personally.

So as I hit six miles I knew there was no long run for me.  I am toying with the idea of maybe running to the church and back tomorrow trying for 10 miles.  I've never done a straight run outside the park.  This would be something new.

You just never know what a run will hold.

HERES A NEAT VIDEO MY FRIEND SENT ME ABOUT THE RUNDISNEY RACE.  ENOY!

CHRISTMAS ...

So it's the week of Christmas.  School is out- I think I've made it clear what that does to my routine!  There are several if not a myriad of things to do that do not include running.  But thankfully I am so entrenched with my training so this year those things DO include running.

 I have made a purpose of getting UP and OUT to do a run this week.  Today I put in a good six knowing that for the next two days we will be traveling up to the mountains.  What I will find there in the form of trails - SAFE trails- is unknown.  So I am looking at this as an adventure.

What I do know is that RunDisney's Official Trainer, Jeff Galloway, was just up in the Highlands of North Carolina holding a Run Conference!   Too crazy to think that he was staying 2 miles from where we will be staying.  He and his conference attendees ran in the snow, so I know there is good running up there!  I am predicting a couple miles every other day at least.

I am already missing my long run - and the thought of not doing one this week after months of weekly long runs is a STRANGE thought.  Its widely known that runners especially two weeks from a race are like pent up animals with this craving to train as much as possible before the race.  I feel it - but I am very satisfied with my accomplishment in training that I'm not concerned about ability right now - but LOSING it is daunting.  I have to trust my body to have memory of all that was developed and keep my fitness with the normal runs I can fit in over the next 7 days.  By the time I get back it will be too late to try a long run....we will see.

So - here's to the effort to not overeat and fit in good 2 milers when I can!   Say a prayer!

Just a positive affirmation for the day...

I saw this on a FaceBook fan page for KendrickFitness.  So I did what any good "facebooker" would do - I stole it - for your enjoyment of course!

Yesterday I ran 6 miles at 1.6.  I was a little disappointed hoping that I would be able to break my 1.5 and maybe by a miracle hit 1hour.  No go.  The Frisco Melt, shoe string french fries and Chocolate Milkshake from Steak-n-Shake the night before did me no good!

Looking over my lap times each mile I did do my third mile in 10.9 minutes which is a new PB for me.  Just don't mind that mile two as 12:43.  I seriously have no consistency in my pace or time.  I would call myself a schizophrenic runner for lack of better term.  While I'm on that subject I was wondering if anybody ever had this sensation:   you are running and you feel your body catch up with your legs?   No?  I knew I was losing my mind.   I really shouldn't be concerned since it's just a "passing" sensation...pun intended. LOL!

So today I have had the day off.  I got my roots done at the salon.  It had been FOREVER!   I find that during training I give up on my hair in a lot of ways.  I mean - I pull it up in a pony tail to run and if I know I'm running the next day and I have nowhere important to go that night I just leave it till after the next run the next day.  I mean really what's the point?  Granted it was really bad during my TRI training, but it's definitely something I notice now too.   I'll just be pleased to see some blonde again on the top when I pull it back tomorrow in my next ponytail cycle.

And THAT is the news for the day!

FRANTIC...

Today I had a pre-race panic.    Disney's Marathon Weekend is a HUGE race.   It's shear hugeness is better said with the made up word GIANORMITY!
(gei-norm-i-tie)

Looking at other known GIANORMOUS races like the Boston Marathon at about 29,000 people and the New York City Marathon at 47,000 participants, Disney's Marathon Weekend draws over 50,000 racers alone - 55,000 in 2010.  This doesn't count the families and spectators with them.

Now, the Disney Marathon Weekend is just that, a weekend of several races.   Friday begins with 5k and 10k races for adults and children races.  It moves onto Saturday with the Half Marathon and Sunday the Full Marathon.  The portion that I am numbered in is about 22,000 in the Half Marathon race!  Yikes!  That is a daunting number for a first time Half Marathon Runner.

But that is not what got me frantic today.  It wasn't trying to run with that many people...it was reserving a room on Disney property so I can catch a shuttle at 3:30 AM- yes, that's A + M - to the start gathering place and the race begins at 5:30 AM. (I don't think I've seen 5:30 AM since Austin was a baby!)
My hubby has been so confident in waiting until four weeks before the race to do this it put me in a panic today...sheer utter panic.  The kind of panic that makes your stomach tight and your heart rush.

I was never MORE relieved than when he opened his laptop and in 5 minutes on travelocity.com found several rooms available without having to sell my first or second born to afford it.  Ah, I think I will be able to sleep tonight.

Now that my training has hit a stride and the room is reserved, I only have to mull through all the pre-race and  post race logistics.  They are as follows:

1.  Having some supernatural ability to predict the Florida winter weather on January 7th, so as to decide what I should be wearing in the early morning hours of the race and what I can discard (to literally throw away on the race curbs) as I peel those layers off as the sun rises.  (Disney actually picks up all discarded clothing and donates them to charities).

2. Picking up my race packet the day before at a Disney Property location (ESPN World Sports Complex):  checking in, getting my race number,  getting the race chip and testing it.  Then walking around exhibit hall in a dazed awe.

3.  Deciding specifically when we need to catch the shuttle bus to get to the Epcot starting point. This will determine the wake up time - did I say it was probably around 3:30 A - M?

4.  Knowing exactly what I will need to bring to the race, regarding any "luggage' that I will want at the end of the race- like a change of clothes, or water or in my case fresh lip gloss and other makeup.  Those are checked-in and transported to the finish location.

5.  Getting a grip on the time line and the race route.

6.  Trying to firm up where my family should be and when....they are thrilled at the early hour!  This year I hope to be able to not look like I'm disoriented and retarded like my TRIATHLON pics when I came out of the water.  I still can't bear to make that public but here it is. Go ahead and get a good laugh at  my expense.  I'm middle-aged I can handle it.  (btw- I've lost weight since that TRI!)

I am literally hearing my husband call my name but not able to mentally associate where it was coming from
I just swam in the Disney's nasty lagoon for a 1/2 mile...I'm in post traumatic shock!

7.  Working on a plan of what to eat and when to go to bed and knowing I won't sleep well and just trying to stack up sleep the week before like a hibernating bear hoping that will work instead.

And that's about it.   It's almost like the training was the easy part!

33 Days....

It is absolutely unbelievable that in just 33 days the race will be here and over.  More amazingly is that I already feel ready.

Today I did a long run by myself - 12 miles in 2.17.  This is my best time yet.  I took great care to stretch really well before and after,  I discovered a perfect set of stretches for the muscles I seem to over use on my runs, particular my glutes!  Not sure why my glutes get worked so hard - tried to figure out how my gate makes that happen.   But that is where I feel the pain every time at the end.  So the term pain in the butt is a very true statement in my life right now.  But the stretches I am doing feel oh so good and I find myself just stopping in the middle of something I'm doing to stretch.  I think this may be a runner's habitual action.

 
On my way home from the trail my thoughts were having their own race today.  I was filled with awe and satisfaction.  Awe because it still blows my mind that I am running at all much less the distance that I have trained to now achieve.  When I started this I could barely do  2 miles very strong.  Though it has taken a solid 8 months I now stand here at a 12 mile run looking back instead of 2 miles looking toward what seems like the impossible. THis leads to satisfaction.

I have such a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that I feel reaching these run goals is enough.  I hate to say it and I don't mean disrespect to the race itself, but if I didn't even run the race I feel so proud, satisfied and good about the training and achievement; that is as good as a medal.  So it's almost as if I am looking at the race with the idea that the race is the REWARD to all the hard work instead of the hard work at the end of training!  So what I am looking forward to with the race is being at Disney, being with all those other runners who have trained faithful as well, experiencing the thrill of the run, and the rush of the finish line - nothing is like the thrill of the finish line!  Oh yes, the medal.  


Another random thought is:  It's also funny to me that just two days ago on my six mile run I set a new goal for time that really boosted my motivation to continue training after the race.  I ran six miles in 1.05.  I never have been able to get faster than that time.  Today I actually tried to push to get under 1 hour for six miles and was so disappointed I didn't do it.  I don't want to waste energy trying to do that now before this race.  I just want to do the entire 13.1 under 2.45.  So I am goaling to work getting a 59 minute 6 miles when I hit the trail after the race.

On side note for the day:
I came home after 12 miles and rested for about an hour and then hung window coverings in my bedroom the rest of the day.  This entailed climbing up and down repeatedly on a ladder.  I'm really feeling the burn tonight.  Ouch~!

Thanksgiving Victory- December Challenge and....

Well, Thanksgiving week is officially over. I am -have to say- PROUD of myself!   I didn't overeat and I didn't gain any weight, in fact I feel a little slimmer.  THIS IS A FIRST of my lifetime!  It's a victory that is a great feeling.  I do have one conclusion on this matter:  I was so busy cleaning, cooking and hosting I didn't have time to over eat!   So "yay" for ME~!

 I think I've made it clear how detrimental school being out is on my running discipline and that was the case this week.  I did get two short runs in on the road just outside my neighborhood, which were really intense and I counted as a good runs.  They are my short two and a half milers with two nice inclines  going up and over an over pass.  So it was not all a loss.  BUT there was no LONG RUN this week.

I'm not sweating it.  I feel good.  I feel VERY confident.  And this worries me a little!   JK.  It's never good to feel too confident I think.  My middle age is showing in that remark.

My run partner, Lisa, and I have hit over 12 miles on our long runs twice now and that sets us up pretty good for 5 weeks left to the race. ( Just saying 5 weeks out is exhilarating!  I can't believe we are at this point!  )  Having done that we are where we know we can do this race.  So any other long runs are icing on the cake and it is now just important to stay fine-tuned and keep our fitness level at an optimum.

It's also important to factor in that two weeks prior to the race there will be a tapering down.  So that really only leaves three weeks of endurance and time training left.  Thinking ahead about those two weeks before the race is the huge interruption of Christmas week!   We will be in the mountains of North Carolina at that time.  I guess any runs I get in that week will definitely be including "hills" - so tapering down will probably begin promptly!

As I look at December full face I see a calendar already full in the next two weeks with appointments that are tempting to throw my training schedule off.  I am going to have to be strategic and in control.  I am going to have to prioritize and make training my number one unmovable standing appointment.  That has never worked for me so far, HA!   However,  I do feel an inner gut feeling of intensity that only a person registered and committed for a race feels.  It is instinctual and intense.  I think it's called FOCUS.

(just added a previous blog to update on my "Runner's Slump")

A Good TWELVE....

I'm sticking this post in between my post on "SLUMP" and "THANKSGIVING VICTORY".  I realized I never "came back" after my "Slump"to clarify what happened next and that probably left the thousands of my faithful readers "hanging".  (yes that's sarcasm- I have one follower and according to my stats I have maybe 40 random readers a month- so this is for all of you, whoever you are and my sister..the follower!)

After my slump which lasted a full week I met my run partner Lisa for a 12 miler on Bayshore Blvd in Tampa...a runners MECCA!

Not sure how I thought 12 miles was a good icebreaker for a slump but it was on my schedule so I did it.  I had to prove to myself the slump was random, plus it was time to get a 12 miler in together.  I made myself do it as if I had a regular week of good runs to prepare me.  (silly girl!)

We had our running belts tapped off with full water bottles, our mini cliff bars, a good night's sleep and a mapped out route.  We ran 2.4 miles straight down a side road, talking consistently and forgetting our last agreement not to talk so much.   When we came back to our starting point to begin the 10 miles up and back the Boulevard we made a bathroom break and then started our Run/Walk interval.

Oh that first 5.9 miles was wonderful!  The breeze, the sun not fully out, lots of energy and adrenaline pumping because we were feeling so strong compared to our last partner run.  I knew it was probably an omen to keep saying how strong we felt and how much we had improved in stamina...blasted over-confidence!

We got a little disoriented as we finished out that first straight 5.9 before we turned around to go back. We had never run over to Davis Island and the road split and the side walk didn't follow the GPS route.  We stopped momentarily to check the GPS and take a bite of our mini bars.  We headed back feeling awesome about our time and distance and then...well you know....you can guess.   The sun blasted down like a space heater over head and the breeze dissipated and we started hydrating like crazy because the heat was rising.  I drank so much water I started rationing the last have bottle desperate not to be left with two empty bottles for the last few miles.

 Then it hit me hard...what, I'm not sure.  It was a mix of I'm gonna throw-up because I drank too much, sun stroke or I didn't stretch when I should have....whatever it was I bottomed out with two miles to go.  I reasoned that we should not have ran straight out of the gate so hard then we would be having our endorphin push instead of exhaustion.  (I say "we" even though "I" was the only one who was struggling).  Regardless I began to whine.  Lisa was so patient and encouraging. I saw clearly the benefits of a run partner.  Though I wished I had been the strong one....oh well there's always next time! LOL!

We stopped briefly to stretch and I whined some more.  I cut short a couple run intervals elongating the walks.  Then I got sick of myself!  How pathetic that I was cheating on a three minute interval and there's just two miles to go....SUCK IT UP CARMEN!  I just pushed through the next two intervals and I saw the sidewalk getting shorter toward our finish line and I let it go.  Just let it go.  It was that easy.  Just let the exhaustion and whining go.

We got to our cars and drank the extra bottles of water we had in our cars and talked.  We figured out our time and we were pretty encouraged.  I apologized profusely for my breakdown and I vowed in my head I would never whine like that again!

Twelve...two...zero....that's a SLUMP!

That's what I have run the last two runs this week.  Seems too crazy to believe after maxing a 12 miler out last Friday.  But this week I have had ZERO endurance to the point it has freaked me out.  I'm not concerned about it in the long term, specifically on race day, but it's so incredibly disappointing.

Tuesday I was up and motivated to do four miles, but when I took my first couple paces I felt so sluggish.  I did what I always do to push through the first portion where my body always fights back.  But I never made a flip.  I reduced my run at a half mile to a fast walk.  I tried to get back a run but just really had no strength.  I ended up walking to finish out the two, basically getting 0 miles of running.  I racked it up to not having coffee or enough sleep.   I justified my lack of running and tried to make it up with some heavy housework.

Now today on Wednesday I set a goal of 6 miles.  I was feeling mentally positive, made sure I had breakfast and coffee and pulled into my trail area positive.  I ran one mile hard - but it was a very very difficult run. I was zapped at the mile marker walked for 60 seconds started back up but just couldn't do it again. I walked two miles and just concentrated on prayer to make the most of my alone time walking.
I got home thinking I would punish myself with a quick trip over the over-passes by my house but it started to rain.

It didn't help my mental state this morning when I got home and my hubby asked me how my run went.  I told him not good, gave him my distance and pace and then reported the fact I just don't have it this week.  His response, "Ohhhhhh, wow, what are you going to do if that happens on the race?"  With inflection of great concern.  Gee, thanks.  Now I was feeling depressed.

 Maybe this is hormonal.  In fact I just finished an article in Runner's World   that actually states that the most difficult time to run for women is not during the time of her period but the week before!  Apparently, that is when progesterone is at a peak and causes fatigue.  Ahhhhh, let's see if that is what it is.  (There's more to this hormonal story than I'm writing...being mid-forties adds many more possibilities to the challenges of hormones or lack there of...making this running thing even more challenging, interesting and beneficial.)

So - I consider this a RUNNER'S SLUMP.  I don't think anything is wrong with a couple days of a slump, just not a couple weeks and not this close to the race.  So I'll have to keep getting out there and hope that I'll be pleasantly surprised that my motivation and more importantly my endurance back!

…And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

But, Somehow you’ll escape

And once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.

(-Excerpt from Dr. Seuss Oh, The Places You’ll Go!)

BEHIND the SCENES....or knees.

So last night, after the 12 mile (or more) run, I was definitely having some pain and some swelling behind my knees, primarily on the right.   I did some "rolling" to massage my muscles, took an anti-inflammatory, downed some joint-support EmergenC and got a really long night's sleep!  Feeling better today.

 I have notice some weakness in my knees the last two weeks when getting up and down but it was minor;  not painful, just slow in getting their bearings.  But the back of the knee was something new and the fact that the right leg was predominant got my attention.  So of course I googled!

So here are the two muscles behind the knee.  They are supposed to be weaker and unassuming muscles because their primary function is to connect the top and bottom muscles of the leg and to facilitate the movement. I don't understand all of their functions but I did find out that there are two factors that can cause their pain.

 First, your feet have the most affect on these muscles.  How you land on your foot and how you turn your foot to power off again.   It is said that flat feet or shoes without good arch support can be a factor.  (Oh Lord, do not tell my husband who just helped me buy a new pair of shoes!!) Secondly, any swelling in this area might not have to do with these muscles at all but is a leakage of fluid from the knee into this area.

It is said that treatment for this area includes the following:
      - icing
      - massaging trigger points which are the OTHER muscles above and below this specific area.
         It is encouraged NOT to do vigorous massage directly on this area as there
          are very delicate tissues and blood vessels there that can be easily damaged.  (Oh Lord, I read that
           AFTER I used my roller there with some vigor to "work it out"!  Always read first, do later!)
     -  specific exercises/stretches that target the "trigger muscles".

With all that being said I can say a couple of things about how this happened to me.  I truly believe on the last mile I pushed myself too hard.  The fact that I was running like an "old man", shuffling, was the alert that my muscles were NOT wanting to run anymore and I was making my legs a slave to my determination.   I should have walked that last bit and listened to my body.      I think it may not be wise to do a "weird" form just to get through the discomfort.



I also think that with my new shoes I do have to watch my landing and powering off.   I did notice that my left foot got out of control and kept absurdly hitting my other foot on the side periodically how this would make my right knee have more pain I don't understand, but it does tell me I was wacky in my control of my feet!  I do know that my knees have been compromised and I need to pay way more attention to my landing and adjusting all that.  Doing that stuff can make a huge difference.

These are NOT my legs by the way....

Sometimes we put too much emphasis on our shoes and expect our shoes to do all the correcting.  They aren't BRACES - they are shoes and can only do mild correction.  The rest is up to us in our training to correct in form and make it a habit.  SO I have a lot of work to still do on that.   My thoughts are that I had just gotten it right and got new shoes which have literally shifted me and making me do new corrections.  Perhaps I will look into some taping or compressions that give a little bit of support in trigger areas.

The truth is just being "off" by a little in your spine alignment, the way you land on your foot, and which side of your body you are working harder can put tremendous undue pressure on joints and muscles and if repeated over and over brings injury.  That's a lot to pay attention to as you run, but it is ultimately incredibly beneficial - specially being in the post-mid-life category.  This group is working against a life-time of body shifting because of spinal compromises and the habitual joint and stance accommodations the body has already settled into.

Just some thought "the morning after"!

Oh and this...just a little Saturday laugh...

Today's Blog brought to you by the number "12" and the letters O M G!

One good thing about a 2-3 hour run is it gives you plenty of time to think about your blog.  I had this one figured out half-way through 12 miles!

I started my day with a sketchy 6 hours of sleep; meaning the off and on few I got as my sick son coughed all night long.   Moms don't sleep while their sleeping children cough.

I was up this morning with my running belt, extra water, cliff bars and winter running gear set to go.  It was 52 degrees on this Florida November morning; coldest morning yet this winter.  So naturally I had layers on and even went back inside at the last second before driving off to get a scarf, lest my neck be too chilled on my run.

Well, my first pointer to this being a hard run happened when I parked where I usually do by the trail in the park with a need already to use the restroom.  I had really hydrated up the night before and in the morning, so I needed "to go" right from the start.  As I got my water belt on, my iPhone strap on and my Gymboss Interval watch on I made my way to the bathrooms right at the parking lot by the trail - and Viola!  They were closed for repairs!!!      Let it be widely known that when a 45 year old woman who's  had two children and several bottles of water needs to pee and then she is denied access to do so - ITS ON!!!!   I had to go all the more and NOW!

I had to walk briskly across the parking lot over several little turn-in roads to another bathroom facing the opposite direction away from the trail.  I was freezing and did my business as fast as possible all the while wondering what "MAN"  made the decision to close those bathrooms!

I swung around the lot back to the trail feeling much more positive and started my Gymboss Interval watch and started running.  It wasn't even a 1/4 of mile in that a horrible thought hit me...I have to go again!  My water belt was putting just the right amount of pressure on my bladder that I obviously too hurriedly did not empty properly.   But by this point I was too far in the path and my Interval timer was going I really couldn't go back so I kept running.  Well take a guess- the next two miles were hard.

My screaming bladder became secondary as I began to sweat with my scarf choking my neck and the two layers of jackets constricting me.  I spent a 1/2 mile trying to detach myself from my outer clothes while running.  This is no easy feat with an IPhone band high with earphone wires on one arm, an Interval timer around the wrist and a water belt all on the OUTSIDE of these clothes I'm trying to shed.  I finally stopped running to do this and had to run carrying them until the swing around at the end of the two miles to the parking lot.

That's when I remembered the bathrooms were closed!  I had to then run to the far bathrooms with my load of clothes and finish that out.  Then I ran back to the parking lot to put away my jacket in my car.  That's when it hit me that I had been doing this with my Interval watch going and had no idea what that distance amounted to nor to how much time it took.   Now my timing and distance was compromised!  Not happy!

I made a flash decision to abandon my Run/Walk method and run like the wind to make up time...whatever that was.   I did this for two miles.    When I remembered I hadn't eaten anything.  I was about to reach into my water belt for the miniature Cliff bar (brownie flavored) when I remembered the large Macadamia White Chocolate one I had in the car.  At this point I was flustered and felt I needed some refreshing and I stopped and got it, taking two bites, leaving it and going on.

 As I went back to my Run/Walk method with the remnants of the Macadamia White Chocolate melting in my mouth all I could think of was the rest of that bar on the front seat of my car and that I wanted it.  Well Hallelujah!  Finally some good motivation.  I hit a stride and got moving around the trail to get the rest of it.  After I finished the bar I came to myself and had a good rest of a run.    The rest is history.

I will say however,  having "booked it" those two miles to make up time was not the smartest strategy for doing a longer distance today.  On my twelfth mile I was running like the 80 year old man I see sometimes on the trial shuffling along and my thighs and glutes were as hard as a rock.  Mile 12 was a booger.

Mile twelve is done and it needs to be redone the right way.  My time once I figured out my Intervals and the added 24 minutes on the stopwatch on my phone calculated my run at 144 minutes.   Now I say I did 12 but the run to those bathrooms were at least 1/4 mile...who knows.   So- next week it's back for a redo of 12!

It's all SENSATIONAL from here!

Today I purchased my new shoes.  Love them!  Haven't actually run in them but the SENSATION as I slipped them on and walked around in them was far beyond what I have had for two years in my old shoes...God bless them.  It's kind of sad to let old shoes go.  After all they saw the birth of the athlete side of me.  They saw my first full mile and my first long run of 11.  They even rode with me on my 12 mile bike at my first TRI.  So, I sort of feel an urge to shrine them.  My new shoes have 8 weeks to do any breaking they need - and my feet have 8 weeks to heal from any affects of the breaking.  I think, maybe naively, that this wont be necessary.  I will let you know.

The second thing on my mind today is another SENSATION.  I'm not sure what the name for it is, but I'm pretty sure there must be an official lingo for it.  It's what I felt as I neared race day for my TRI, when I was swimming, biking and running and doing it like I actually could be in a race and not without someone laughing at me.  Its a feeling that I am sure everyone feels when they have now accomplished things they've never dreamed they would be able to do, when they reach those goals they set months ago with a lot of doubt.  Now they are actually doing it and doing it with some confidence and assurance they can do at least that much on race day!

I now have more hurdles behind me in physical endurance than before me...yes I know I still have the race to do, but the grueling day in day out training where every day is a challenge while I'm fully aware there is still so much more to accomplish is vanishing. For instance, I have only 2.1 more miles to add to my longest run.  That's nothing compared to being at 1 mile looking for 10 more.  Sure I expect to be experiencing a lot of challenges on race day (more like pain and discomfort and exhaustion) in those last few miles, but it's different.

It's different because along with this Sensation I have now is another Sensation.  It is a HIGH!
Yes, a high!   A race pre-race HIGH!   I'm experiencing the excitement of the anticipated thousands of new people running or doing their run all aroundme.  It's a high from finally being running at the location I've been picturing in my head and reading about in blogs by other runners.  It's the high of the thought of  picking up my race packet, walking around the EXPO, finding out my number, etc.  All my thoughts are starting to be more about the race than the training aspect!

Even today after getting my shoes I went right to the store and loaded up on energy snacks and vitamin drinks and perused everything available that I might consider to start eating and using on my training runs so I can decided what to actually use on race day.  The preparation of the actual race.

I guess that's it.  The training turns to race day.  Everything now is about race day.  The shoes, the socks, the shorts, the belt, the energy pops, the song list, the pre-race schedule, the bed time, the wake-up time, the travel to the start line.   All of it is now pointed there.  And it is just beyond exciting and thrilling and I can't wait.

This Sensation is such that I know I will have to do this again...and again.  I know that because I remember it from last time and now I am having it again and it's awesome!  What would I do with myself if I wasn't training or racing?

So the report now - is SENSATIONAL!

Eleven..

I reached Eleven miles today...actually 11.1 - that little point one is very important!

Today on the long run I noticed a few things that started happening around mile 9.

1.  My left knee had a glitch and starting hurting periodically.

2.  I started chaffing...I know who wants to know that? But this is a common problem for runners.   Constant friction rubs the skin raw and it hurts.  Just remember this run takes over 2 hours of constant moving.  Nobody talks about it much, but you have to keep your arms a little further out from your body so they don't keep rubbing your sides.  Wearing the right running shorts helps for thighs that rub together.  There is even a product to apply that relieves and prevents it.  I'll be making adjustments necessary!

3.  My right foot again started hurting in the arch.  My feet could totally feel the pavement and it was a little painful.  I had to make a conscious adjustment to my landing to work it out.  Again, I think a nice new pair of shoes will solve this.  I love the shoes I have now- but I've trained in them for 3 years and I think they are ready to sit on the sidelines.  I also noticed a blister forming from- yes believe it or not- friction  against the edge of the lining in my shoe at the arch.

4.  My sweet little Gymboss Interval Trainer for the third time fogged up and I couldn't see the times of my intervals or how many I had done or had yet to do.  I had spent time last night trying to seal it with clear nail polish around the seams.  That was irritating, but it still vibrated to alert me to the intervals of Run/Walk just the same.  But nonetheless it pipped me off!  Thankfully I had my timer on my iphone that gave me a visual of my time.

5.  I'm thinking I will wear my water belt next time so I don't have to get off the track to get my water and snack which takes time.  Its amazing what a minute does to your time and pace.

BUT I did do several great things that I will keep doing and they ramped me up with a successful mindset!

1.  I logged every lap (mile) on my iphone timer.  This gave me a specific record of my time every mile so I can see when and where I am lagging as well as my average time.

2. I drank a lot of water the night before, taking in EmergenC last night and this morning.

3.  I had a little bit of coffee and a granola bar - in other words I gave my energy level a boost.

4.  I rehydrated, even just a bit, every two miles and on mile 6 I ate part of a mini Clif Bar to bring my sugar level up.  I noticed I actually got hungry!

5.  I picked up my pace significantly, pushing myself on the runs and then replenished and evened out my breathing during walks.  I didn't mindlessly run or walk- I gauged my paces in response to where I was in my body.

6.  On mile 8 & 9 I responded to a spurt of adrenaline and ran through the entire mile 8 and part of 9 without any walks.  This boosted my moral because I made up time and was totally stoked to do 10 and 11.

7.  I almost forgot this, but I stretched before I left the house.

When I ended my run, I stretched slowly with deep breathing because I could feel my legs aching.  I rehydrated immediately and ate a high protein meal as soon as I got home.

SO TODAY- I am one HAPPY, SUCCESSFUL Runner in Training.  

NICE TO SEE YOU ELEVEN you only took me 2.07!!!!

See this guy?

He stung me yesterday on my run....twice.  Well, maybe not exactly this one, but a cousin of his for sure!

I've been writing some informative blogs the last two times and thought I would stick this personal, random, just FYI blog in the mix.

But seriously , he stung me...did I say TWICE?

I was having a good moderate run of 4 miles timed just right before my long run on Friday..  So I was happy to have timed my week out perfectly, getting that run in was important in that flow.

Just as I was to mile 3,  feeling oh so fine,  I had just taken off my jacket.  A few paces later I felt it; a sharp piercing needle point poke.  It was right below my arm band for my iphone.  So I naturally thought somehow the armband was pinching me.  As I reached to adjust the band, the piercing became evident it was a bug and I swatted it upon which it landed on my shirt on my side.  In a split second it stung me again there under my ribs.  It happened so fast I was stunned and never stopped running in the process!

I was thankful that the woman I had just passed was far enough behind me around the last bend she didn't see the commotion and most likely embarrassing reaction.  I was NOT thankful that I had one more mile to run and on the backside of my trail with no short cuts to get to my car.  I had to keep running.

I am amazed that I have never in my life of 45 years been officially stung by a wasp or bee like creature before.  Probably because when I have seen one I run faster and they have no hope of getting me.  I am also amazed that this particular wasp had an opportunity to land on me without me noticing WHILE I WAS MOVING AND RUNNING!   Obviously this was a strain of mutant ninja covert wasps!  I never saw it coming!  That gave me something to think about while I was running with my arm and side on fire with intermittent piercing shooting pain. 

I was wondering for a little bit of my run back to car, with only one arm pumping and the other held out a distance from my side holding my shirt away from my side because each swath of material rubbing on the sting was crazy pain,   I was wondering, having never been bitten before, if I was one of the statistics of people who have allergic reactions to stings.   I kept monitoring my breathing, feeling my throat as I swallowed and moving my tongue around to feel if it was swelling or not.  A mental few pictures of "HITCH" came to my mind with Will Smith's lips swollen...it wasn't funny at the time.

I was tempted to tell a few people I passed (because at that point I was running pretty fast just to get it over with) that I had been stung.  I knew they wouldn't care and it really wasn't important to anyone except me, so I opted to do what most people do with non-important personal information, I posted it on Face Book as soon as I got in the car.

Well now here I am the next day after spending yesterday using every concoction of home remedies written as comments on my Face book post and fretful night of getting up to reapply cortisone.   I am convinced I need to do a blog on all the things that have happened and I have seen on the trail when I run.  I first have to get my phone out in time to capture the guy riding a unicycle playing the guitar!

HYDRATION! DRINK UP!

Here is something that is a key component of going the distance.  It's not great shoes, physical condition, or a good training schedule.  It is HYDRATION!

 I just read a great article this morning.  It's focus is pre-race hydration, but it truly give the insight in HOW to hydrate well.  I think the one thing new I have learned about hydration is to change my thoughts from just "RE-HYDRATING" during and after exertion but BEFORE.  In other words, "hydrating UP" not just before a race but before training and KEEPING my body hydrated all the time even during rest periods or non-training seasons.  There are so many benefits to staying hydrated that we only realize it once we do it.  Many common health complaints, such as headaches, lethargy, depression and bloating or weight gain disappear with a regular hydration lifestyle. For a runner dehydration even on its lowest level can affect performance through fatigue, poor performance, decreased coordination and muscle cramping.

Here is a portion of the article written by  Sarah Piampiano, 2011 Ironman World Championship Top American Amateur

I still have a lot to learn about the race, but here are a few pre- and post-race tips that either worked well for me or that I picked up along the way.

Sarah Piampiano @ 2011 IM World Championships

1. HydrationBefore: Staying hydrated was probably the most valuable thing I did leading up to the actual event.  I began my hydration routine a full 2 weeks before the race.  I was never without a water bottle and tried to drink at least one bottle per hour. I often used Emergen-C for electrolyte replacement and added salt or sodium citrate to every third bottle I drank.

  Lucky for me, I don’t get the unfavorable side effects that significant consumption of vitamin C can bring, so Emergen-C was a great resource for me.  However, if you are like many individuals who
can’t handle more than a few packets a day, try to find another electrolyte alternative (Nuun tablets are a good option).

The key here is to ABP – Always Be Peeing.  A word of caution though:  people who only hydrate the few days
before the race will likely pee out many crucial nutrients the body needs.  Give yourself ample time to incorporate your hydration plan into your pre-race routine.

After:  Post race it is easy to forget about hydrating.  I was a culprit of that.  It’s ok to relax and drink other liquids, but remember that keeping your body pumped up with liquids will help you recover much faster.  Keep the fluids  coming in!   

(The American College of Sports Medicine suggest that the guideline for good hydration should be to drink no more than 1 cup of water every 20 minutes and to add into your regimen some sodium, potassium and electrolytes. )

Just writing this is making me thirsty.

W A R N I N G:

The number one reason people don't show up at race day?

INJURY!

The main reason for injury?

OVER TRAINING!

The number reason for over training?

OVER ACHIEVEMENT!

As the weeks on the calendar seem to get shorter between you and race day, it is definitely a temptation to push every training, especially long run days, to the very point of exhaustion.  The stress of getting to the race and not having trained enough is a reoccurring nightmare and even daydream of a runner registered for a big race- novice and veteran!

I know in these last weeks I have thoroughly examined my training schedule and I see clearly the gap closing in and wondering if I'll be ready.   It's hard to take a rest day when you could be running and racking up miles on your log.  It's easy to keep running when that sharp pain keeps showing up but you think you will run it out.  It's totally tempting to add one more mile on your long run even though you already added two.  All that is a recipe for a training injury that not only can keep you out of training but also the race.  

And then there is the dreaded two weeks before the big race when you are urged to "taper down"  The taper down week or two has to be the hardest part of training.   To do LESS before you have to run the MOST!  What kind of sense does that make??  But it does.  You can't run your height of miles if your body isn't in ultimate rested condition.  But once again this is where the MIND of the RUNNER is the most powerful tool he has.  Because the mind is always running or wants to anyway.

So I'm determined to train smart and be careful even though at this point I want to push myself more than ever before.  The only positive thing about this temptation is the sign of total motivation!  I can feel the adrenaline increasing every week now!  But I'm going to make sure I make it to the race, because you can't cross a finish line until you start it!

Here is the article that inspired this warning in red blog;

                               Who Quits Before Race Day?
         Injury From Overtraining, Fear of Undertraining Can Lead to 15,000 No-Shows

                                                                                 By KEVIN HELLIKER

Run + Walk = WIN!

I just thought I would sing the praises of the Run/Walk Method for any doubter and for any "wishing on a star" new runners.

This method is truly a great tool for 40+ people looking to take up running or those who have physical challenges including never running before.  This method is not a cop-out nor is it less of a workout.  It simply is the smart way toward endurance running without injury and over-exhaustion.  I also truly believe that is it the glue to keep you running and from quitting because you can't run a long distance or for a long consistent time.

So here are some links that will educate and guide you into a new world of running through the Run/Walk System.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/health/02well.html?_r=1&ref=health

The Leading expert and creator of a fail-proof Training system is Jeff Galloway.  Jeff has a plethora of information through video, articles, blogs, podcasts, apps and downloadable training plans.  You can start at this link:

jeffgalloway.com

With this method there is really no excuse not to run!   Yes I have the fever and I'm determined to spread it!  

I also want to thank my friend, Sarah Urich, who was my first inspiration to do a long distance race and recommended the Jeff Galloway Training!

Mile Marker...

Today I hit ten miles on my long run.  This is a miracle....or not.  Miracles come easily and spontaneously but I pushed and willed myself to the finish line of this run!  

Ten is an all important number for me in my training distance.  It means I am only three miles short of the race distance.  Ten means I am not a novice to long runs. Ten means the impossible is possible.

 I originally was planning to do 9 which was one mile over my last long run.  I was in a tizzy about getting this long run in before the rain came and determined to have a good one because the entire week I had not put in the miles I needed on normal run days.  This needed to be good to beat the hum-drums of  lack of discipline. Before I left the house I read on my Jeff Galloway plan, this week called for 9.5 miles. When got on the track and I hit that I thought what the heck, lets go to ten.  I mean really, after 8 it's all a blur anyway! JK!

This run was one that I also was pushing for a better time. Since my last run with Lisa I was convinced have get into a faster pace and cadence. (This wasn't just because of my long run with Lisa but because I was just getting sick of a year of watching 20 year old young things, 60 year old things and people with bad knees passing me all the time!)

I came out of the gate running fast and strong but  started feeling the effects of that push halfway through and my legs were having issues.  Usually exhaustion in the form of not catching my breath or fatigue gets the better of me, today my muscle strength or lack thereof were my nemesis.  Even my feet hurt.  I could feel the pound of the track and I was forming a blister on my right foot toe. (I think it's time for an investment in better shoes.) However, using the 3 minute run/1 minute walk intervals, the one minute walks literally kept me from cramping up or just falling from fatigue in my legs.

 This one minute walk- which seems like 10 seconds - truly is the life-savor for people who aren't ready to do full out-right runs.  There is NO SHAME in doing this program!  In fact it's the SMART thing to do if you have ANY physical challenges including being over 40, even if you use it as a start to your running life.  It PREVENTS injury during training which can take you out of your race, lets you finish the race stronger and your recovery time afterward is MUCH EASIER!  And for all the doubters and scoffers of the run/walk system -especially those who DON'T EVEN RUN themselves- you are still getting an incredibly challenging training and race.  Running and walking for over 10 miles or two hours is tough no matter HOW YOU DO IT!

One thing that hit me the most on this 10 miler was just how LONG it takes.  Regardless of how fast you  go, it takes a chunk of time to do it.  My time was 1 hour 56 minutes averaging 11.6 minutes per mile. That's two hours of running.  I never have thought of myself as ADH, but this is one scenario where that applies.  I can't tell you how I'm thinking, let's be done with this already.  I actually ran faster just trying to get it over and move on to something else in my day.  Hey, whatever the motivation, use it!

My 11.6 per mile is pretty good especially knowing my first few miles were well in the 10 minute range and knowing without doubt the last two or three were a struggle as my muscles were recovering from the push I put on them.  (The point of reference that makes this good time is the fact my normal mile is 11 minutes in the past and my goal is to shave at least one minute off that for the entire race.)

So today its all about embracing ...

Bayshore Boulevard Run - 8 Miles

I know this is blog is dated October 28th - but I'm blogging about my run last week. It's too eventful to leave out before I blog about my run today.



Last Saturday was my first long run with my Half Marathon partner, Lisa.  We've been training separately and have been anticipating a run together.  We decided to meet half way in Tampa to run on beautiful Bayshore Boulevard.  This is a coveted scenic running track on Tampa Bay.  The sidewalk runs along on the Bayside of the Boulevard for almost 8 miles and the other side is lined with million dollar homes and high-rise condominiums.  We happened to choose the first cool crisp Saturday in October under 70 degrees!

When we met each other in the parking lot we were high on excitement.  The cool weather, the early hour that reminded us of race day, the scenic beauty all got the best of us.  As we shivered we decided not to take our water-belts deceiving ourselves that the coolness would somehow keep us from dehydrating.  I know, that was stupid, but we weren't in our right minds with our giddiness creating a fog-like nonsensicalness.

I set my Gymboss Interval Trainer on our 3/1 run/walk alarm and off we went toward the end of the Boulevard that marked 4 miles.  So, first mistake: no water belts.  Second mistake, we talked non-stop for four miles.    We ran at a slow pace and winded ourselves with the lack of oxygen from talking and laughing.

At 3 1/2 miles we caught a flood of Susan Komen Breast Cancer runners, regretting that we could have done a 5k with them and counted it as part of our training!   The good news was they had a string of porta potties that was placed at just the right mile marker when we needed it!  After that short detour, we realized we were needing hydration and we hadn't reached the end of the Boulevard of 4 miles before our turn around.  That meant NO WATER for 4 more miles!  S-T-U-P-I-D!

You know how it is when you know you CAN'T have something?   You want it even more.  We were so thirsty and not only that we were getting drained from talking, our sugar level was plummeting and we were feeling the dehydration as the sun came beaming down dissipating the crisp cool air.  As we began to calculate our slow pace and the length of time it would take us to get back, Lisa announced we weren't talking anymore!  I announced we needed to pick it up.  THE FUN WAS OVER! LOL!

We pushed ourselves back to our starting point talk only about how to steal passing runner's water bottles!   As we got to the edge of the parking area where our cars were I announced we were cutting through, cheating us .1 of a mile.  We each went into our cars and immediately got out our water bottles.

We chugged our water down and laughed at ourselves, proud we did eight miles, did it together and vowed to learn from our mistakes for next time!

Lisa has been a friend of mine for 15 years through the good, bad, ugly and miraculous.  This training and the race itself will proove to be all of the above!  I'm glad we are doing it together.  Friends make everything better.

This is within my reach!

This is within my reach!

What a revelation!

Especially since four days ago I was thinking there is no way I will be able to run 13.1 miles!

Today I increased my long run by two miles, from six to eight.  This was a major milestone to say the least with 10 weeks remaining before the race. I was needing to see some major headway in my distance and endurance to convince myself this whole half marathon thing is doable.

I had committed to Jeff Galloway's Run/walk system last week                                                                  ( http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html )despite the doubts I had about it.  I felt like if I did it I would somehow be in the "Special-Ed" category of marathoners.  I mean seriously- running for just three minutes and then "giving-in" to a walk for a minute over and over?!  But I became increasingly aware that I was having absolutely no progression in my endurance and had to do something to break the barrier.

Jeff Galloway, Olympian Marathon Champion, & RunDisney's Official Traininer

I started this mindset change by doing two workout runs on hills because I felt my legs must be suffering from lack of strength.  It's amazing what little changes and challenges obtained can do to your mental confidence.  I got a new app on my phone that featured a run/walk workout with prompts telling me when to start running and when to walk.  It also allowed me to set it to the pace I needed for my "magic mile" time which worked out to the 3/1 ratio.  With many doubts I did my six mile long run last week.  I finished 6 miles at 77 minutes which I wasn't sure was good or not but I was not tired or hurting when I finished nor did I have ANY muscle discomfort afterward.  This is a perk of the run/walk that I liked.

So this week - I kept with one major hill run and a couple more normal runs with just a little increase to 4 miles and awaited my long run today.  I started my morning having gotten six hours of sleep- blah!  But I was hydrated, full of vitamins and having eaten well the entire week.  I put on my app and concluded I would run eight miles no matter what because I needed to add two miles to gauge my max miles coming with a decrease a week or two before.  I really needed to see myself come up in numbers so that I was well over half way there to my goal.

As I started my first three minutes I was fighting with myself mentally with exhaustion!  I did that for the next 4 intervals until I was well past 3 miles!  You would think running three minutes is nothing - but when you have a battle mentally about how tired you are going in - it doesn't matter if its three minutes or three seconds, you are crying out "just go home"!   The good news is this - when I hit 5 miles I got excited that I was almost at my last long run distance which for some reason made me hit the roof with determination to go eight!   This stuff is 90% mental belief!!!

I finished my 85 minute prompt program at 6 1/2 miles.  Now I was on my own to finish eight.  I quickly put my stop watch on and counted three minutes in my head and a minute to walk.  But when I started back up to run I had such a rush come over me I continued to run the complete eight!  I have to just testify that it was some miracle of adrenaline or mental resilience or "By God Jeff Galloway is a GENIUS the program WORKS".  Jeff states that if you stick with the system you will run your last two miles more powerfully than your first and I CAN SAY THIS IS TOTALLY TRUE!  At least today and for eight!

So I got in my car with my body tingling from adrenaline and endorphines and my mind racing with the thoughts "this is within my reach!"  I only have 5 more miles to add to hit the race length- I can do it!  I can do it!  I can do it! Yay, yay, yay!!!

I am going to wear this medal!