Wrong Turn at Lungfish

Was it Kierkegaard or Dick Van Patten who said, "Oops, I did it again?

Someone like that anyway.

So, I set out on my 9 mile run this Sunday.  Eight miles two weeks before, a 10K race last week - nice easy progression.  And . . . I forgot the road jogged left and I stayed straight - onto a different road - en route to an eleven mile run, the middle of which had a decided uphill slant, somewhat similar to Everest.  (OK, so I compare all the hills I run to mountains - it makes me feel better.)  There is a decided loss in intensity when you realize you have no idea where you are going - or how long the run is going to end up being.  Add in the fact that it was exactly 32 degrees, and it was a much more challenging morning than I had planned.  But, I still did well considering, and that makes me pretty pleased.  I missed the personal fanfare of setting out on my first double digit run though - it just kind of happened.  Oh well.

I'm still following my half-marathon schedule ending on January 21st, my original goal.  I'm switching to the marathon training one next week culminating in the ING Marathon on March 29th.  Yes, looking back at what I've written here, there a significant gap.  I went to the Group Run at Big Peach, and it was a 'start the training for the ING Half/Full.'  With $15 off the entry fee - I made the decision then and there and signed up for 26.2.  I'm really going to do it.

There's a lot I want to write about that . . . but I'll hold off for now.  Suffice to say, I think it is going to be a pretty momentous event in my life when I cross that finish line.    

Run a 10K Race . . .Check!

My first distance race!  And, YES, I define 6.2 miles as distance considering I used to think anything beyond a mile was absurd!  Even though I have done 8 miles in training at this point, finishing this race was a huge feeling of accomplishment.  While I was pretty calm at the start, the questions were running through my head, Can I keep the pace I want, not go out too fast and gas at the end, not have to walk....all the standard questions.  Short answer, yes!  (Which is what I mentally screamed out as I crossed the finish line.)  

And almost more important than the distance to me - I broke through a HUGE mental block.  All through the race each time we hit a hill (and there were a lot of them) there would be someone near me cursing or complaining.... and it was such a realization that they weren't bothering me at all!  In one of the books I read, it mentions something to the effect of, 'treat a hill as a nice change of pace where you get to break the monotony of the flats and use different muscles.'  When I read it, I thought, "Yeah right, I'm running hills in training and they're just...miserable."  I have been petrified of hills in a race (and if I had looked into this course a little more beforehand, I might have skipped it as my first 10K.)  But yesterday, that quote is really how I felt, and that was a huge weight off my chest.    To find out that training works (Thanks Hal!) is just such a great feeling!  Now THAT'S motivation!    

Going the Distance

80 miles this month, including two 8 mile runs.  I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment!  

I' m doing my first group run this Saturday at Big Peach which should be fun.  The only time I've run with a group is in a race situation, this should be an interesting change.  Only three miles - then I'll do my long run on Sunday.

Running with Daddy

Just didn't want to run again - that same motivation for the short runs, but I'm glad I did.  

This started off as just another standard 4 mile run on the treadmill.  It ended up as a great run - I still feel good and it was three hours ago! It's kind of hard to explain why it was so good.  My focus just narrowed down to . . ..quiet.  I had my music on, but it faded into the background.  My body was on autopilot - just a good steady rhythm.  And I was completely relaxed.  

After I finished I was tired, although much looser than normal - but I felt refreshed as kooky as that sounds.  Stress, everything, had just bled away.  I still feel … centered (and I swore I would never, ever talk like that by the way.) Wow, I hope I can recapture this often.        
WTSHWYF? 

Who Woulda' Thunk? Not Me, That's For Sure

Did eight for the second week in a row.  Pause for the obligatory (Holy cow - I remember when I thought that being able to run three miles IN A ROW was the ultimate in fitness!)

I modified my 7 mile route to add another mile to it - and literally laughed out loud at mile 4 or so.  It didn't even occur to me when I mapped it out that I had thrown Mt. McKinley and a few sister mountains into my route.  OK, slight exaggeration, but I added one seriously hilly road into the middle of my run.  I actually enjoy it though - it breaks up the monotony and I know it is helping my training.  That feeling of finally cresting the hill to start a downhill or a flat is a rewarding one!

I'll actually put this into print now - although it has been going through my head for the past month or so.  I was going to do the ING 1/2 marathon in March.  That was really the culmination of everything I wanted to accomplish in running.  I wanted the little oval sticker that says 13.1 to put on my car, to be able to say I ran a half marathon, and to prove to myself that I could run a half.  I really had absolutely no plans to go beyond 13.1 when I started this whole journey.  So why in the heck is 26.2 running through my head constantly all of a sudden??????

But, I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it - a full marathon in March.  Huh.  It's a pretty exciting thought actually.  

Still Here

Still running, despite the silence.  Had a great seven mile run last weekend and am hoping to duplicate it this Sunday.  It was great just because it felt...right...almost all the way through the run.  Sure, I had bits and pieces of it where I was dragging or wishing I was about a mile further than I was, but overall, I just chugged along.  (And most importantly, I still felt relatively fresh at the end.  That was a first.)

Funny though, my short runs during the week have started to give me problems.  Motivation to do them is still a bit of a problem, but that's not even what I mean.   I am finding the three-four mile runs harder and harder.  I suppose it's because I've upped my pace, but I was hoping these runs would be more routine by now.  Maybe I was fooling myself.   

Lightning 5K

Ran the "Lightning" 5K in Sandy Springs this weekend.  (You know, after running a race in Florida, my definition of a "flat course" is different than most people's here in GA!  I didn't feel like lightning, that's for sure.)

I love hanging out before the race, stretching, getting ready etc.  I end up having great conversations with various people - and it make me realize what a neat sport this is.  Neat because 'winning' and 'doing well' are such relative terms - they mean such different things depending on who you are talking to.  I was talking to a woman who was excited to be running her first 5K - a personal goal - and we were discussing starting off slow, how we trained, all the standard chit chat.  Then she slipped in that she was particularly proud about doing this because she had lost 97 pounds.  97 pounds!?  How incredible is that?  I can't fathom the kind of dedication that must have taken.  (She turned in a great time too!)  Talked to someone else who was shooting for a sub 20 time; someone else who had run 50+ races . . . it's just neat to see how diverse the experience and the expectations are.      

The race itself . . . was tougher than my previous one.  First, I had no idea where I was in terms of distance.  There was a little sign with a one on it at the one mile, and then there was a little .5 after that.  (1.5 I assume).  Then there was another .5 (2?  2.5?) and finally a .6 (1.6, .6 miles from the finish?)  Since I didn't have a watch I guess this didn't matter as much, but it was tough not knowing how much further I had.  The last half mile (or so) hurt.  I think I really lost some time there - which means I must have been moving a lot quicker than I planned at the start.  After a whole discussion about how it is better to start slowly too!  Oh well. 

I had no surge at the end either - I was right behind a guy for the last quarter of a mile or so and I went to sprint the last little bit to pass him - - and absolutely nothing happened.  Weird feeling.  My legs basically said, 'nope, we're doing jest fine at this speed thankyaverymuch.'    

The timing chips were interesting.  (The chip is attached to the back of the race number and they just assume gun time is the start time.  So, you lose a little if you're not at the front of the pack.)  Well, I came trotting across the finish line and there are a couple of guys standing there with paddles that look suspiciously like the ones they use to restart your heart . . . which felt somewhat appropriate.  Anyway, they wave them in front of your number to register your time.  

After that it was bananas, bagels, and breathe.  I went up to watch the start of the 10K which was shortly after that and then hung around a while for the awards ceremony.  It didn't seem like it was going to happen any time soon so I left.

Well, I just found the posting of the official times . . . and I got first in my age bracket!!!  All of a sudden, I feel a lot better about my race!  It's all relative. ...        

Gooooooaaaaaaalllllllll

My motivation to run seems to be lagging a bit lately.  I'm always happy I've run after I run, but the thought of going for the run is draining.  Still doing the runs mind you, but the drive isn't there like it was.  Since I plan on doing this for quite a while, that just doesn't sit right with me.   

Well, thinking about it, I realized this is probably because I've set my goal too far out.  Right now, I'm training for a half marathon in January (or March if I decide that flying to Naples is a bit much.)  Effectively what I did was take a 1/2 marathon training program and double it up - repeating each week of training for a more gradual increase. 

The program does call for a 5K and a 10K in the middle, but I decided there was no point in committing to a specific race until right before since I have the flexibility.  So I have a defined goal of January - - or March plus intermediate goals of September-ish and November-ish.  I realized this just doesn't work for me.  If I've scheduled/paid for it, it drives me - if I haven't I tend to drift.

So I'm running a 5k this weekend and I'm figuring out my 10K for November and probably throwing another 5K in for fun.  We'll see if that puts the exclamation back in it.    

I'm Meeeelting

It . . .was . . .hot . . .
My latest epiphany - 3:15 PM is not the optimum time to run 6 miles.  I know - my brilliance astounds you; I'm used to that reaction.  Besides the fact that it was sunny and approximately one million degrees, I didn't even prep well.  

I don't usually run with water, but, using at least one brain cell, I took an 8 oz bottle.  This was easily about 12 oz too little.  I never felt light-headed, but I definitely felt the effects.  Not the normal tired at all.  

Stopped a few times in the shade just to cool down and I probably ended the run about the right time (as in before I ended up a quivering mass on the sidewalk).  

My first 5 minutes back in the house was spent with my head underneath the tap in the kitchen.  This whole running water in the house thing - what a great invention!

Anyway, so much for sleeping in even a little bit on Sundays.  My long runs are now going to be first thing in the morning.   

Labor Day Blues

You know, you wouldn't think that taking three days off from running - and spending those three days drinking beer and eating whatever the heck you feel like - would affect your running, but sure enough it does!

Keeping On . . .Keeping On

I think I've turned a corner in my running (I hope that's not the equivalent of saying, 'Hey y'all watch this' because that usually results in a ' moron of the week' YouTube video).  Lately, I feel able to mentally push through the tougher spots a little better.  I didn't realize how big that was. Also, I can . . . feel . . . my stride a little more.  By that I mean that when I'm running with the correct form, it feels right - and conversely, it feels wrong when I'm not using the right form.  Seems extremely basic, but it's a breakthrough for me.  

And - - I'm 17 shy of 300 total miles.  That's cool!  My aim is to hit it before this month ends.  

So That's the Feeling . . .

Today I hit . . . . the zone.  Yes, that mystical (mythical?) place that runners talk about apparently really exists.  Usually when I run, it's a constant litany of checks - Abs engaged? check.  Upper body straight? check.  Chin up, arms pumping (elbow to side hand to side), easy stride, roll from heel to toe . . . abs still engaged? check.  Toss in the pace checks, music critique, traffic awareness, and general environment processing and it's a wonder my mind doesn't wear out before my body does.  

Today was an easy treadmill run and for the first time I just . . . ran.  Turned off the brain and just tried to dial in a rhythm.  And all of a sudden, it just felt right.  My stride felt fluid and effortless.   And I swear, the treadmill slowed to half speed.  It didn't (I actually checked it finally - and that broke the whole spell) but I just felt like I was putting no effort at all into the run.  Pretty...friggin...cool.  Lasted 3/4 of a mile, but even the rest of the run was a really good one.     

Jacksonville Tour De Pain

The Tour De Pain consists of three races in 24 hours - a 4 mile on Friday evening, a 5K on Saturday morning, and a 1 mile on Saturday afternoon. I flew into Jacksonville for this race - what a rock star. I need a big personalized bag and a sponsor . . . Anyway, I read about it on line and decided it would be a nice reward for the training I've been doing, a good test of that training, and a little incentive as well.

I was a little nervous going into it. First, I was going from only having run a single race to doing three of them in a couple of days. Second, and mainly, I did NOT want to gas out in a race and have to walk - but I also didn't want to do worse than my previous 5K time. I used Hal Higdon's (Thanks Melissa!) intermediate training plan to get ready for this one - and didn't feel like I had really improved that much. Sure, my training runs have gotten longer since my first 5K in May, but I wasn't seeing any real change in my times.

I set what I thought were realistic goals - 40 min for the 4 mile, less than 30 min for the 5K, and a 9 min mile. Ran the 4 on Friday in 37:38 - over two minutes faster than I planned. I was ecstatic! It was a beach run, mainly packed sand, but there were about 4 spots (each way on the up and back) were you literally had to leap over water, plus the last .1 was soft and shifting sand. I could have gone home happy right there.

The 5K was on the streets. Much bigger field than my previous 5K - I think they said there were about 1100 people running. It's a cool feeling when that cannon (yes, cannon - very, very LOUD cannon) goes off and that big mass of arms and legs starts moving forward. Well, my 'less than 30' came out as a 25:54 - -and I couldn't stop smiling. (I also couldn't breathe for a little while afterward, but that's beside the point.) I guess Hal knows what he's doing!

So going into the mile, I was aware that 9 min was probably high. I verbally revised to 8.5 (and secretly promised myself that I would hit 8). 7:35 is what the clock showed at the end.
Would I have been happy if I had only hit my initial goal? Actually yes, but I also probably would have resigned myself to being a plodder rather than a runner. Now I'm walking a little taller - - - and starting to look for half marathons in 2009 . . . 

On Running

So, I'm a runner... 

After slogging away at this for over 9 months now, I can say that.

Everyone talks about the high you get from running; but I think I like being able to say, "I'm a runner" even more than I like running. 

OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration I'll grant you. I love the constant sense of achievement. I ran 5 miles - that's
the most I've ever run by far! And nary a few later, "I ran 10K - I didn't think it was humanely possible for me to run non-stop for over 6 miles." Plus, in addition to the mileage creeping up, the times start creeping (and I do mean creeping) down.... 

That's the real thrill. But saying (or writing) those words has a really nice feel to it. To me, it means I'm in shape, 
it means I'm dedicated, it means I'm constantly improving, and it means I can wear these really bright ugly shoes as a badge of honor.

Throw in the health benefits, feeling better, sleeping better . . . yeah, I think I'll be sticking with this.