100 days

I got some bad news on Wednesday night. I found out that my stepmother has lung cancer and my grandma has liver cancer. They were diagnosed on the same day. Obviously, not great stuff to hear.

Yesterday I was feeling sort of blah and realized I was using this news as an excuse to not do the 7-mile run on my training plan. I could have run yesterday morning before going to campus, but I didn't. I could have run when I got home, but didn't. Last night at about 6:00 I was sitting on the coach, eating watermelon, and trying to talk myself into going for my run.

I thought about my grandma and how she coped with life's problems. Sort of the WWGD (what would Grandma do) question...I can't say that my grandma would have run seven miles, but she would have kept moving. Whether it was mowing the grass or fixing something around the house, she just got the job done. My job yesterday was to run seven miles, so I ran my seven miles. I got the job done.

The funny thing was that as I was sitting on the couch deciding whether to run, I ate a lot of watermelon. To be specific, I ate half a watermelon. After running about half a mile, I realized I had eaten WAY too much watermelon. My stomach started cramping and I actually had to double over a couple of times! It was my own dumb fault, so I vowed to run through it, and I am glad that I did. The stomach pain went away after about four miles.

I have been doing an excellent job sticking to my training plan. I feel like I'm sort of in a groove, so let's hope that lasts! Today marks 100 days until the Fox Cities Marathon!

A dozen miles

We got 12 miles done this morning. It's a hot one (although breezy), so I'm glad we got an early start (7 a.m.). I felt great throughout the run and after--no aches and pains and lots of energy. I felt like I had another 5-6 miles in me today. Maybe this marathon thing really is do-able.

As for this week, I've got some 6 and 7 mile runs--and then next weekend Jessica and I will do 9 on either Saturday or Sunday to taper for the half-marathon the weekend after.

On rest days, I need to find a way to cross-train. I don't want to bike because biking is scary for me. I am clumsy on the bike and fall a lot. I am honestly afraid of hurting myself. I could do the spin bike inside but that's boring. I could swim but it's a hassle to find a pool open when I want to swim. I may buy a pool pass for a pool close to our house. The only issue is that lap swim is only from 12:15 to 1 on weekdays. I can't always make that time, but sometimes I can. I really would like to find a way to get outside on non-running days this summer!

Have a great week!

Sub-par is only good in golf

I had a sub-par run tonight. It started out great. In fact, I felt great for about 2 1/2 miles. Then things went downhill quickly. Obviously, I survived--but in retrospect, I am wondering if I didn't drink and eat enough today to get through. Or maybe I did drink and eat enough but just not the right things at the right time. It's okay though. There will be better days. I'm not too worried about it.

It's crazy how things work. I felt worse after 4 1/2 miles today than I did after running 11 miles a couple of weekends ago. Some days you feel like you can run forever. Some days you wonder if you are going to be able to make it home. So tonight I came home, had a good dinner, and tried to get hydrated. I probably should have done an ice bath, but I didn't.

We will be running 12 miles on Sunday. It is supposed to get up to 90 degrees, so we plan to go early. We are doing a half marathon on June 24 (also a Sunday) which starts at 7 a.m., so this is about as close to a test run as we can get.

Tempo Run

Today I did a six mile tempo run. Why? Because my iPhone Smart Coach told me to. I've decided that the best strategy for me in training for this marathon might be to take it day by day and do the run it tells me to without looking ahead too much. I am thinking that this may keep me from being intimidated by the four months of training ahead of me.

After my run today, I took a look at my phone to see what was in store for tomorrow. It's another six mile run but at an easy pace.

A tempo run is a run that is faster in the middle but slow at the start and end. Bill ran with me, so I was more accountable to keep the quicker pace in the four miles in the middle. By the end of the fast part, I was ready to slow down! I don't do a lot of running where I really push the pace. I need to get used to that.

Recommended: Smart Coach from Runner's World for iPhone

I just got an iPhone. Obviously, this doesn't make me unique or cool in any way. Everybody and their uncle has one. However, I will tell you about a free app I LOVE. It's Smart Coach from Runner's World. Read more here:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-321--13476-0,00.html

I've used this feature online before, but it's great to be able to use it on my phone and simply have each day's workout laid out for me. It takes into account things like your current race time, how hard you want to train, and how many hours you've been running. It then spits out a training plan for your desired race. Another fun feature is that it does a countdown...110 days until my marathon!

Shared Passions and Common Ground

As of today, my father-in-law is registered for the Pigman Half-Ironman triathlon in August. He actually ran the Dam to Dam 20k yesterday.

My father-in-law (Bill) is one of my favorite people, but he and I don't have a ton in common. He likes to hunt, and obviously that ain't my bag. He loves a good steak, and I'm a vegetarian. He likes ultimate fighting (as do my husband and mother-in-law) and I really don't get it--I've tried. However, we get along quite well and I enjoy his company a lot. In particular, he has a great sense of humor and I appreciate that he can take a joke like a pro. He can dish it out but he can take it too (as they say).

Where we do have common ground is with running and triathlon stuff. He may not get my need to not eat meat, but he gets my need to run a marathon. And it gives us something that we share and something to talk about.

The reason I bring this up is because running is a hobby or passion that many people share. Although running can be a very solitary activity, interacting over running is a social thing. I may be at a party where I feel out of place, but if I can find someone who enjoys running, we can have an enjoyable and surprisingly lengthy conversation. It's a good thing for me, especially since I am not always the best conversationalist.

I'm sure this isn't unique to running. I don't meant to imply that people who run are "above" others in any sense because they have a shared love of running, or that you should limit interactions with people who don't run. If you are a knitter, and you meet another knitter, you might have a sudden sense that that person "gets" you in a certain way. I often have that feeling when I realize someone I've met is obsessed with their pets (like I am, admittedly). It's just a matter of being passionate about something and discovering you share that passion with another person.

One thing I don't like is when runners continually post the length of their run on Facebook. This is my pet peeve. I am also annoyed by people who continually spout their running statistics. You ran a half-marathon in 1:28? I don't really care. Your run today was 3.2388 miles in 26 minutes. So what? I find this is usually in sort of a bragging sense and it's also self-indulgent to think that others care about your specific statistics. What links runners is not your stats and numbers. In fact, that what separates us. You may win a race, whereas I am in the middle of the pack. Our specs may be quite different, but that's not the point.

We all have goals, and sometimes I think it doesn't really matter what are goals are. Our secretary at work recently lost a lot of weight (more than 50 lbs) and has started walking. She did a four mile local race a few weeks back. She could never have done this a few years ago. She came into work on Monday and posted the results on her office door. It wasn't about how fast she was. It was about doing it. Is that really that different than me doing a marathon in August?

When she was telling me about her four mile walk, I mentioned I was doing a half-marathon in June and a marathon in September. I hope it didn't come off as me trying to top her achievement. That wasn't how I intended it AT ALL. In fact, what I meant was that I understood. Her doing this race is really not different than me doing a marathon. It doesn't matter how far or how fast. It matters that it's your goal and you get it done. I really think the feeling is the same whether you're trying to qualify for the Olympics or you are finishing your first 5k.

Saturday morning run

Jessica and I ran nine miles this morning. It was a good run for me. It wasn't incredibly fast, but it was comfortable and I felt like I could have run forever. I think everyone who runs has days like that. Everyone who runs also has days when they feel like crap after a mile, but so goes life.

I am convinced that you can do a lot to make sure that you are going to have a good long run---you can eat right, stay hydrated, sleep well, etc---but there's always some intangible that you just can't account for. Sometimes you do everything right and have a crappy painful run. This always means that there are days when you don't prepare well but run great. However, I choose to control what I can, so I try to do what I need to do to be able to enjoy my run rather than muddle through it.

If you are interested in track and field, the Prefontaine Classic is today:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/story/2012-06-02/prefontaine-classic/55338876/1

Rain Down on Me

No one came to my aerobics class tonight. Instead of coming home, I went running. It just happened to be raining. Sometimes running in the rain really sucks. Your shoes and socks get wet. It's easy to slip and fall. It can be just miserable. But sometimes running in the rain makes you feel bad ass. Tonight was a combination of both. I felt bad ass at times, but it was also a bit cold and I wasn't dressed for it---because I planned to teach aerobics rather than run.

I only ran three miles tonight, but it was the fastest three miles I've run all summer. Of course, fast for me is not fast for other people, but I had a little bit of a burn in my lungs going, which felt good. I should do that more often just to remind myself what it feels like. I like to run in my "comfort zone" without really pushing. It's good to remember what it feels like to push.

Jessica and I have nine miles to do on Saturday. It's a recovery week. After running over 11 last week, nine sounds pretty short. The week after that we'll do 12 miles, which is the longest we will run before the half marathon.

Long Run Day!

I've forgotten to post for a few days. So much for my everyday blogging goal.

Anyway, today I ran 11 miles with Jessica. Actually, we ran 11.3 miles. I felt pretty good. In fact, I would say I felt great. As I was driving home after our run, I was thinking about how I had this running thing down.

Then it occurred to me. Today I ran 11 miles. Even if I were to run another 11 miles, I STILL would have a few more miles before it was a marathon. And that's a long way.

The longest I have ever run in my life (if I remember correctly) is 15 miles. That is 9 miles short of a marathon! Good Lord.

It's okay though. I have plenty of time to train, and I'll get there. It may not always be pleasant, but maybe that's what a goal is all about.

I treated myself to a small Oreo blizzard at DQ today after running. It was excellent. Worth every calorie. And tonight I am going to have pizza. I've decided that I should eat what I want to eat on days when I have a long run, and then be a little more restrained on other days.

I did an ice bath today. The first 5 minutes are terrible. Then your body gets used to it, or maybe a better term is "numb." I do think it makes a difference though. 

About a month until the half marathon, and still four months until the full marathon.

The good news is that I am not yet injured--even slightly!

Running Guidelines

As I was running today, I came up with some guidelines for myself to stay healthy this summer as I am training. These have been things that have worked for me in the past. I thought that maybe writing them out in a list would help me to follow through. 

My running guidelines:

1. If I run more than 8 miles, I have to take an ice bath.
2. Always consume something within 30 minutes of finishing a run. Ideally (for me), this would be a smoothie with Greek yogurt, chocolate milk, or a beverage designed for recovery (like the one made by Gatorade).
3. Never run more than an hour without water.
4. Run no more than 6 days per week.
5. Stretch while watching TV at night.
6. Go through AT LEAST three full water bottles of water/Crystal Light per day.
7. Run early or late on hot days.

Tomorrow tomorrow

Why, hello there!

I am getting a massage tomorrow. I am incredibly excited about this. Getting a massage is probably one of my favorite things in the world. My massage is at noon. I don't feel like running after a massage (and it's not wise anyway), so I plan to do a semi-long run in the morning. I am thinking my semi-long run will be about 7 miles...we shall see.

Bill has started reading my favorite book, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I'm excited he's reading it because I am interested to hear his thoughts on some of the material presented in the book.

Because of this book (and other stuff I've read), I will make sure to say "I get to run 7 miles tomorrow," rather than "I have to run 7 miles tomorrow." And it's true...if I couldn't run tomorrow, I'd be upset about it, so I shouldn't complain that I HAVE to do it. When I had knee surgery, all I did was complain about how I couldn't run. Now that I can run, it seems ridiculous to complain that I can run. Also, I don't HAVE to run at all. I have a choice. So when someone says, "I have to go running," or "I have to workout," or something like that, I always want to point out that they do have a choice.

Well, that's all for tonight!

One Sentence Blog

I have read a book, the Happiness Project, that suggests writing a one sentence journal or blog entry but doing so everyday. Today, my one sentence could be:

"I meant to accomplish something--really I did."

"At least I mowed the grass (well, just the backyard)."

"It's not necessary to shower every single day, right?"


 "Naps are for losers, and I am a loser."

"I have over 100 channels and there is nothing to watch on Sunday afternoons."

"Cutting the dogs' nails was the most ambitious thing I did today."

I still plan to go running with Bill when he gets home, so I guess it's not an entirely lazy day.

New Treats

I ran 10 miles with Jessica today. I felt pretty good for the most part. We started before 9 a.m., which was good because it got pretty warm today. At mile 5, we had some Gatorade, and throughout the run, we ate Starburst. It may not have been enough calories to sustain energy. When I got home, Bill was ready to go to Scheel's to buy some stuff, so I tagged along and picked up some stuff designed for eating while running.

Here is what I got:

Clif Shot Bloks: I've never had these before, but they looked interesting.

Sport Beans: These are my old standby. I like their texture. However, Bill thinks they are too gritty for eating while running. Some of the Sports Beans are caffeinated.

Honey Stinger: I have never had these before, and I'm not sure what to think about them. These were the most unique thing I brought home.

GU Chomps: These are similar to the Clif Shot Blocks but made by GU. I am not a fan of the traditional GU. I think it's gross, so we'll see what I think of these.

Another thing I've been eating lately is the Mojo Bar. I like the peanut butter pretzel--but I haven't tried any other flavors. I wouldn't eat this while running, but it's a good snack or breakfast on the go for me. I also ate quite a few of them on our trip to NY because they are portable.

13.1+13.1 = 26.2

In four months, I am running a marathon. This just hit me the other day. I have run lots of half marathons (maybe 12-15, not sure), so I decided the next logical step was to sign up for a marathon. However, it just occurred to me that a full marathon is twice the length of a half marathon. Obviously, I understood this before, but the gravity of this fact hit me all at once. A full marathon is like running a half marathon and then running back to the start. So a half marathon is not a huge challenge for me, but a full marathon sometimes seems a bit much. I am wishing there was a 2/3 marathon or even a 3/4 marathon.

Tomorrow I will run 10 miles. I've run 10 miles many times before but it will be the first time I've done this distance since last fall. I've been tired, so I didn't run yesterday or today after doing a few 5-6 mile runs earlier this week. I did teach aerobics last night and this morning, so I have gotten some workouts in. I'm also making an effort to eat the right things so I don't make my runs harder than they have to be.

The funny thing about training for a marathon is that there are times when I think 26.2 is not a big deal. Lots of people have done it before. I am disciplined enough to do the training, and (during the summer) I have the time to do the training. I will be fine. Then there are moments when I wonder what the heck I am doing. It's not even that I wonder IF I can do it but I wonder why I would want to do it. I don't really think running a marathon is crazy. If anything is crazy, it's the training. It's going out on a Saturday morning by yourself to run 20 miles by yourself. Can I do that? And why would I want to do that?  There's never an in-between. Either I am thinking it's no big deal or I am questioning why I decided to take this on. 100% one way or the other.

I have a lot of things going for me. I am generally good with goals. When I set a goal, I follow through. I've been healthy recently--no issues with my IT bands for a while. I have support from my husband (who will run with me some). I've read a lot about distance running, so I am hopefully educated enough to not make major mistakes in training. And I've learned some lessons by making mistakes in the past, of course. The other thing I have going for me is that I don't have a goal time. It's a success if I run it. I am not trying to run it in under 4 hours (I probably won't--my guess is 4:20 or something like that). I don't want to set a goal time and not reach it, and then be disappointed when I should be celebrating running a marathon. Besides, what difference does my time really make? I am never going to finish first or last. I am always going to be somewhere in the middle of the pack.

I also have some challenges. First of all, I'm not a natural runner. I didn't run in high school. My run isn't natural or graceful. Also, I've not always been injury free. I've had minor knee surgery. If I were an ideal runner, I'd be a few pounds lighter. I hate getting up early to beat the heat and do long runs when it gets hot. But that's okay. I'll get this done anyway.

I'm also thinking that I should set a goal of writing a blog entry each day this summer. It doesn't have to be a long blog entry; a short one is fine. However, I like writing, so making time to do it is important, especially since I do have a little more time in the summer. So running and writing. Here I come.

Stick a fork in me

Well...I might have overdone it. Last week I went to NYC with a friend, and I was so excited to run in Central Park that I kept running, and running...I did at least 7-8 miles on Wednesday, and probably about the same on Thursday and Friday. In addition, we walked at least 10 miles a day, and I am not exaggerating that. I ate enough while we were there, but maybe not enough of the right things. I got home Saturday and ran 9 miles with Jessica on Sunday.

I made an error here...you are not supposed to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10%. I did that last week, and then some. Yesterday I felt like crap. I taught aerobics and was barely functional the rest of the day. I took an afternoon nap and then got up and was in a fog the rest of the day.

I did run tonight (4 miles with Bill) and felt okay. However, I am realizing that I need to take better care of myself if I am really going to do a marathon and stay injury-free. This means not increasing mileage too quickly, getting enough sleep, eating right, etc. I've been feeling dizzy and lightheaded at times as well. I am hoping taking care of myself better will take care of this issue.

I ordered a few books on marathon training last night. I've read a lot of books on running, but a refresher would be good. I am also thinking about seeing a nutritionist.

But I digress...my trip to New York City with Holly was a lot of fun. She is a great travel buddy. And she's still talking to me after our trip. She's much more adventurous than me in many ways (I can be too timid when I travel), and that's a good thing. Running in Central Park was amazing. I don't care what anyone says--it's clean and safe. In fact, I would say it's safer than the trails I run on in Waterloo (which can sometimes be a bit isolated). New Yorkers were generally quite friendly and helpful. I sneezed on the street and three people said bless you--and they were NOT tourists.

Here are my NY highlights:

1. Ellis Island (Statue of Liberty was okay but couldn't go in it because it is closed for renovations. Ellis Island Museum was outstanding. We stayed until it closed. They had to kick us out.)

2. Central Park--which was much larger, cleaner, and safer than I anticipated

3. The Naked exhibit at the Met--Yes, it was an exhibit entirely of photos of naked people (tastefully done, of course).

4. The Percy Shelley exhibit at the NY Public Library--This exhibit was only about the size of my living room, but I really enjoyed it.

5. Getting a massage at sketchy and somewhat questionable massage place--Need I say more? It was a great massage. Outstanding.

Officially in Training

I guess you could say I am officially in training. I am registered for the Fox Cities Marathon (in Wisconsin) on September 23. That's about five months away, so I've got plenty of time to build up my mileage. In fact, I don't want to do to much too soon because I don't want to get burnt out and injured.

My running buddy Jessica and I are doing the Sturgis Falls Half Marathon (here in Cedar Falls) on June 26. We've been doing a long run together each weekend. We talk the whole time and it goes really fast. Yesterday we did 7.5 miles. Despite drinking on Friday night and less than stellar weather, I felt pretty good. Today's weather was sub-par as well, but I got out to do 6 miles a while ago.

Starting this week, my job will be a bit more flexible, so I am hoping to get a few more weekly runs in (I've only been running about 3-4 times a week). The weather will also start to cooperate more and more, which will be fantastic. To be honest, I don't mind when it's a little cooler. It's the wind in the spring that can sometimes be annoying. I've been running mostly on the weekends and minimally during the week. This week I will start to focus more on running Monday-Friday. I should add that I've been teaching five aerobics classes each week. Just because of that time commitment, I haven't been running very much during the work week.

On a related note (sort of), we are lucky to live in a place where we have a great trail system. I know I've said this before, but I am saying it again because Jessica and I went for a run yesterday that took us on a loop around Big Woods Lake. I've lived here almost six years and trained for several half marathons, but I had never been on this part of the trails before. I looked at the map of the trails the other day and realized there are a lot of parts of the trail that I have never explored.

That's all for now! Have a great week!

Sunday Sunday Sunday

Happy Easter! Bill and I had a great brunch this morning with friends and then took a nap. After that, we ran five miles. Our friends Pat and Bob then stopped over tonight to pick up their dog who we watched for the weekend. All in all, a good day.

Tomorrow I teach aerobics at 8 a.m. I am probably going to do a run from the Rec Center after that. I don't teach at the university on Mondays (well, until my night class at 5:30), so I can go in later unless I have meetings or student appointments. One of the best features of my job is my flexibility. I usually work at least 50-60 hours a week, but I can work some of those hours at home, on weekends, in the evenings, etc.

The dogs are pretty tired tonight after their weekend with our canine houseguest. That's good to see. They are pretty lazy usually, so I like to see them get some exercise. People think our house must be crazy because we have three dogs. However, they really don't have all that much energy most of the time. We are done with the puppy stage, for sure.

I am still in discussions with myself about which marathon I want to do. However, I have a feeling I will register for one soon. I've been feeling pretty good about my running. Don't get me wrong. I'm not getting faster or anything. When I say I've been feeling good about running, it's because I haven't had issues with injuries and aches/pains. I haven't even done much icing, and I have only taken one or two ice baths since Christmas. And ice baths are hell. If you have never taken a bath in, well, ice water, I don't recommend it for the relaxation value. It's great to avoid soreness from running, but it's not fun.

I also have to admit that the beautiful weather has helped me get into running this spring. We've had a warm winter and that trend has continued into spring. If only Iowa was like this every year...I have a feeling I could live here the rest of my life and we might never have a winter/spring like this. Winter here can be pretty brutal, but this year was fairly gentle.

In other random comments...

I've recently become somewhat obsessed with skincare. This is because I got a good deal on a facial at a place up in Waverly from Dealgarden.com. I had a great conversation about skincare with the esthetician. I learned a lot, and now I am into skincare. I've bought some new products, but one of the things I am committing to do is to wear waterproof sunscreen when I go running. I have always been a sunscreen person, but I'm sure I just sweat it off when I run--why didn't I think of this sooner? If I had thought of this 10 years ago, I would probably look 5 years younger! I'm also trying to wear sunglasses more. I've never been good about wearing sunglasses. I typically lose them, but I bought a more expensive pair (about $50) so hopefully the cost will motivate me to keep track of them.

Signing off for the night...Have a great week!