So, after months and months of daydreaming about barefoot running, I've finally bit the bullet and ordered my first pair of Vibram Five Fingers.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_KSO_f.cfm
This desire to try barefoot running has come from not only the inspiration of reading "Born to Run" (borntorun.org), but also from the realization that even when injured, my legs and feet feel just great when I am barefoot. There's got to be something to that. I'm willing to try to figure that out for myself. There are many who criticize this barefoot running movement, but if you look at any new idea, new technology, new invention; there is always criticism until the right people, or just simply enough people are out there to share their first hand experiences. I'm willing to take that risk if it means a chance to run almost injury free for the rest of my life. It's also about awareness of one's body and the freedom of knowing how and why our own bodies do what they do. It's also a celebration of our potential to always push further and become better human beings. So, I'll try to keep y'all posted on how this goes.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A New Perspective on "Healthy"
Let's see, where did I leave off?...
Oh, waaay back in the fall, I was taking time off of running and then easing back into it, including more cross training, etc. So far so good as of October...
Until I was blessed with the swine flu. There went an entire extra month without any exercise at all. Nothing. In fact, walking into the kitchen from the living room and trying to do dishes or fix a snack was exhausting enough. Amazing what a little microscopic pest can do! 10 straight days with a fever over 100, seven pounds lighter, two dozen cans of chicken noodle soup, probably 50 cups of tea, four doctors visits and one to the E.R. so they wouldn't feel left out. Also, almost 3 weeks of missed work, missed the most important music performance of the year (veteran's day), and a house that looked like it was occupied by the Tasmanian devil. Swine flu, I hate you.
Needless to say, December and January were spent regaining my stamina. It took a while, but it came back 100% plus. By February, I was back into a steady running routine, which included 2-3 days per week of cross training. It's worked pretty well as I am now up to 18 miles for my long runs. Thank goodness, for recovery, as being sick when your husband is deployed seriously sucks.
What I've learned from this year and these experiences:
Embrace and cherish every day that you feel healthy and active. Never miss the opportunity to do some thing healthy for yourself. There's something about being so ill for so long that teaches you an awareness of your body that you've never had before. Since having recovered from injury and illness, I've become aware of how great I feel when I eat well, rest well, and keep my social ties active. It's no longer a challenge to do this because I no longer crave late nights and crappy food. I don't really know how this happened, but I'm not complaining.
Oh, waaay back in the fall, I was taking time off of running and then easing back into it, including more cross training, etc. So far so good as of October...
Until I was blessed with the swine flu. There went an entire extra month without any exercise at all. Nothing. In fact, walking into the kitchen from the living room and trying to do dishes or fix a snack was exhausting enough. Amazing what a little microscopic pest can do! 10 straight days with a fever over 100, seven pounds lighter, two dozen cans of chicken noodle soup, probably 50 cups of tea, four doctors visits and one to the E.R. so they wouldn't feel left out. Also, almost 3 weeks of missed work, missed the most important music performance of the year (veteran's day), and a house that looked like it was occupied by the Tasmanian devil. Swine flu, I hate you.
Needless to say, December and January were spent regaining my stamina. It took a while, but it came back 100% plus. By February, I was back into a steady running routine, which included 2-3 days per week of cross training. It's worked pretty well as I am now up to 18 miles for my long runs. Thank goodness, for recovery, as being sick when your husband is deployed seriously sucks.
What I've learned from this year and these experiences:
Embrace and cherish every day that you feel healthy and active. Never miss the opportunity to do some thing healthy for yourself. There's something about being so ill for so long that teaches you an awareness of your body that you've never had before. Since having recovered from injury and illness, I've become aware of how great I feel when I eat well, rest well, and keep my social ties active. It's no longer a challenge to do this because I no longer crave late nights and crappy food. I don't really know how this happened, but I'm not complaining.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Adventures in the land of unidentified injury.
If you've read previous posts, you'll see that this year has been pretty successful in the way of running...up until this summer, that is. Shortly after completing my first trail marathon, which also happened to be my fourth marathon in four months, I was stopped dead in my running tracks.
I don't recall doing anything particularly jarring that would have caused me long-term pain, as the last two marathons felt pretty good. Two days after my trail marathon, I stepped out for an easy 2-mile recovery jog and every step initiated a sharp pain through the middle of my left thigh. Baffled and frustrated I stopped my run and took a few days off. After my short break, I tried running again and the pain was still there, just not as intense. So, I decided to make a doctor's appointment. I wanted to start with my regular doctor, hoping that he would steer me in the right direction of what kind of specialist to see (physical therapist? Ortho? Sports Medicine?). My appointment was a bit disappointing. I explained my issue to him, much like I did in this blog. Of course, no surprise, he scolded me for running so many marathons....yeah, he just doesn't get it. He made the assumption that I went from couch potato to 40 miles per week all of the sudden. What he didn't seem to understand was that I did not suddenly increase my mileage. I built up my weekly mileage over the course of 6 months. In fact, my weekly mileage before and after each race decreased a lot, because I'd like to think I train smart. Next, he pushed, pulled, wiggled, and bent my leg, trying to reproduce the pain while I was lying down. Having no success, he quickly concluded that I had a stress fracture in my femur. He didn't even want me to get an x-ray as he didn't think it was necessary. I insisted on one, so he ordered it for me anyway. Fortunately, they found nothing in the x-ray. Unfortunately, I was then sent off with my doctor's solution: Stop running and consider taking up biking or swimming. (insert the sound of nails on a chalkboard here)
To tell someone who runs, not just for fun, but for sanity, for accomplishment, for therapy, for camaraderie and for the simple love of being outside, doing what our bodies were built to do; to stop running is like telling Lance Armstrong to stop riding his bike and take up tennis because he has a sore knee. It just doesn't make sense - or perhaps it's a death sentence, you decide.
Since my doc wouldn't refer me to a specialist, I decided to do it myself, only to discover that my health care organization doesn't have a sports medicine department and does not contract out to any. Great. My next best choice was orthopedics, so I gave them a call. This appointment was a little more encouraging. The ortho doc had me run up and down the hallway and had me do some standing exercises to evaluate my leg. Then he ordered a bone scan. The earliest scan I could get was three weeks out, and in the meantime I was ordered to steer clear of all impact exercise until further notice! Gaaaah! Having already not run for three weeks and then knowing that it would be at least another three weeks, I felt extremely bummed and frustrated. I could already see myself becoming more easily irritated on any given day, and I found myself a bit more anxious in the evenings. This limitation couldn't have come at a worse time, as Mike left for deployment and school stared up again. ugh!
I did my best to keep up my cardio with my bicycle, the elliptical machine, etc. There is nothing in the world that could truly replace the experience you get from running. I quickly began to miss being outside and on my own two feet. I also found myself struggling to stay motivated to be active. I gained a greater appreciation for what Mike must have gone through when recovering from foot surgeries. I would occasionally "cheat" and run the 100 feet to the mailbox just to get a quick fix. I found myself feeling jealous every time I would read a race report or announcements on facebook about someone running a really cool marathon. I still feel that way.
The bone scan was not all that exciting. More so, it revealed no evidence of stress fracture. The only parts of the bone that looked stressed at all were the areas where the muscle is connected to the bone. Hmmm....
Well, the follow up appointment was both good and bad. The nurse who checked me in made some comments that made me want to slap her. "Oh, you're a runner! From looking at you, I would have never guessed." was the first thing that came out of her mouth. My response was, "well, if you went to watch a marathon, you would be surprised about all of the different shapes and sizes of even the experienced runners." Her response was, "yeah, we'd all like to think that, wouldn't we?" Good thing I was in a good mood because her face could have easily been placed into dark crevasses otherwise. When the doc and I looked at the bone scan results, he felt that it would be okay to start running again. The plan now is to start at a measly 15 minutes for the first week, and add 5 minutes each week, pending my leg feels okay. He also wants me to incorporate some weight training and cross training to make sure that my muscle structures are balanced. He felt that the stress on the bones was due to overuse of some muscles and under use of others. This made a lot of sense, so I figured I'd stick with it.
Starting off running again was easy as pie. I guess all of that cardio on the bike and at the YMCA paid off. Pfew! My next challenge was not to get back into shape, but to deal with "the itch." You see, if I go more than 3-4 days without running outside, and then I start running again, my skin starts to itch and burn so badly that I almost feel nauseated and I just want to rip it all off. After a few days consecutively with some outside runs, it goes away. This is another issue that I have yet to figure out. It's not an allergic reaction to my clothes or anything, but it sure is miserable. My first run was only 7 minutes because I just couldn't stand the itch and I had to sooth it by taking a hot shower right away. The next day was better. I made it one whole mile before I thought I was going to puke from the itching and burning. Day three, I made it my entire 15 minutes with just a slight itch that was manageable. Then I went a few days with some cross-training, trying to be a good girl and listen to my doctor. Unfortunately, that meant, that my next run, which happened to be this morning, I had to suffer the itch again. I was able to run two sets of 10 minutes with a 12 minute walk in between.
So, the next challenge will be to come up with a training routine that allows me to run frequently enough to avoid the itch, but also get in that cross training. It sounds easy, but being a full time music teacher, it is quite challenging. I often have no idea what time I will get home from work. I can't exercise before work, because then I won't have the stamina to teach in the afternoon. I'm sure I'll figure it out, but I am certainly feeling challenged, frustrated, and discouraged. My next marathon goal keeps getting pushed back further and further. I am sure that once I get back into the flow of things, I will be a much stronger runner, but to be honest, I am having trouble seeing the light. I bought new running shoes today in hopes that I will be motivated to use them. So far, so good, as I am looking forward to running tomorrow morning. We'll see how far I get this time.
*sigh*
I don't recall doing anything particularly jarring that would have caused me long-term pain, as the last two marathons felt pretty good. Two days after my trail marathon, I stepped out for an easy 2-mile recovery jog and every step initiated a sharp pain through the middle of my left thigh. Baffled and frustrated I stopped my run and took a few days off. After my short break, I tried running again and the pain was still there, just not as intense. So, I decided to make a doctor's appointment. I wanted to start with my regular doctor, hoping that he would steer me in the right direction of what kind of specialist to see (physical therapist? Ortho? Sports Medicine?). My appointment was a bit disappointing. I explained my issue to him, much like I did in this blog. Of course, no surprise, he scolded me for running so many marathons....yeah, he just doesn't get it. He made the assumption that I went from couch potato to 40 miles per week all of the sudden. What he didn't seem to understand was that I did not suddenly increase my mileage. I built up my weekly mileage over the course of 6 months. In fact, my weekly mileage before and after each race decreased a lot, because I'd like to think I train smart. Next, he pushed, pulled, wiggled, and bent my leg, trying to reproduce the pain while I was lying down. Having no success, he quickly concluded that I had a stress fracture in my femur. He didn't even want me to get an x-ray as he didn't think it was necessary. I insisted on one, so he ordered it for me anyway. Fortunately, they found nothing in the x-ray. Unfortunately, I was then sent off with my doctor's solution: Stop running and consider taking up biking or swimming. (insert the sound of nails on a chalkboard here)
To tell someone who runs, not just for fun, but for sanity, for accomplishment, for therapy, for camaraderie and for the simple love of being outside, doing what our bodies were built to do; to stop running is like telling Lance Armstrong to stop riding his bike and take up tennis because he has a sore knee. It just doesn't make sense - or perhaps it's a death sentence, you decide.
Since my doc wouldn't refer me to a specialist, I decided to do it myself, only to discover that my health care organization doesn't have a sports medicine department and does not contract out to any. Great. My next best choice was orthopedics, so I gave them a call. This appointment was a little more encouraging. The ortho doc had me run up and down the hallway and had me do some standing exercises to evaluate my leg. Then he ordered a bone scan. The earliest scan I could get was three weeks out, and in the meantime I was ordered to steer clear of all impact exercise until further notice! Gaaaah! Having already not run for three weeks and then knowing that it would be at least another three weeks, I felt extremely bummed and frustrated. I could already see myself becoming more easily irritated on any given day, and I found myself a bit more anxious in the evenings. This limitation couldn't have come at a worse time, as Mike left for deployment and school stared up again. ugh!
I did my best to keep up my cardio with my bicycle, the elliptical machine, etc. There is nothing in the world that could truly replace the experience you get from running. I quickly began to miss being outside and on my own two feet. I also found myself struggling to stay motivated to be active. I gained a greater appreciation for what Mike must have gone through when recovering from foot surgeries. I would occasionally "cheat" and run the 100 feet to the mailbox just to get a quick fix. I found myself feeling jealous every time I would read a race report or announcements on facebook about someone running a really cool marathon. I still feel that way.
The bone scan was not all that exciting. More so, it revealed no evidence of stress fracture. The only parts of the bone that looked stressed at all were the areas where the muscle is connected to the bone. Hmmm....
Well, the follow up appointment was both good and bad. The nurse who checked me in made some comments that made me want to slap her. "Oh, you're a runner! From looking at you, I would have never guessed." was the first thing that came out of her mouth. My response was, "well, if you went to watch a marathon, you would be surprised about all of the different shapes and sizes of even the experienced runners." Her response was, "yeah, we'd all like to think that, wouldn't we?" Good thing I was in a good mood because her face could have easily been placed into dark crevasses otherwise. When the doc and I looked at the bone scan results, he felt that it would be okay to start running again. The plan now is to start at a measly 15 minutes for the first week, and add 5 minutes each week, pending my leg feels okay. He also wants me to incorporate some weight training and cross training to make sure that my muscle structures are balanced. He felt that the stress on the bones was due to overuse of some muscles and under use of others. This made a lot of sense, so I figured I'd stick with it.
Starting off running again was easy as pie. I guess all of that cardio on the bike and at the YMCA paid off. Pfew! My next challenge was not to get back into shape, but to deal with "the itch." You see, if I go more than 3-4 days without running outside, and then I start running again, my skin starts to itch and burn so badly that I almost feel nauseated and I just want to rip it all off. After a few days consecutively with some outside runs, it goes away. This is another issue that I have yet to figure out. It's not an allergic reaction to my clothes or anything, but it sure is miserable. My first run was only 7 minutes because I just couldn't stand the itch and I had to sooth it by taking a hot shower right away. The next day was better. I made it one whole mile before I thought I was going to puke from the itching and burning. Day three, I made it my entire 15 minutes with just a slight itch that was manageable. Then I went a few days with some cross-training, trying to be a good girl and listen to my doctor. Unfortunately, that meant, that my next run, which happened to be this morning, I had to suffer the itch again. I was able to run two sets of 10 minutes with a 12 minute walk in between.
So, the next challenge will be to come up with a training routine that allows me to run frequently enough to avoid the itch, but also get in that cross training. It sounds easy, but being a full time music teacher, it is quite challenging. I often have no idea what time I will get home from work. I can't exercise before work, because then I won't have the stamina to teach in the afternoon. I'm sure I'll figure it out, but I am certainly feeling challenged, frustrated, and discouraged. My next marathon goal keeps getting pushed back further and further. I am sure that once I get back into the flow of things, I will be a much stronger runner, but to be honest, I am having trouble seeing the light. I bought new running shoes today in hopes that I will be motivated to use them. So far, so good, as I am looking forward to running tomorrow morning. We'll see how far I get this time.
*sigh*
Friday, July 31, 2009
You know you're a running addict when...
Your doctor tells you that you may have a stress fracture in your femur, but you still get angry at him when he tells you not to run.
You get depressed when you can't torture your body with multi-hour long runs in the sweltering heat.
You're grumbling as you ride your bike on beautiful mornings along beautiful Northwest trails because you would rather be running them.
You sneak in little runs to the mailbox, to/from your car in the parking lot, and across the yard with your dog, just to get a little "fix."
You refuse to let your race number for the event you had to forfeit go to waste because of doctors orders, so you convince a man twice your age to run it for you.
You try to think positive and plan to reward your recovery and return to running with a new pair of shoes. You'll be skipping out on school shopping for a couple of months to get these shoes.
You get depressed when you can't torture your body with multi-hour long runs in the sweltering heat.
You're grumbling as you ride your bike on beautiful mornings along beautiful Northwest trails because you would rather be running them.
You sneak in little runs to the mailbox, to/from your car in the parking lot, and across the yard with your dog, just to get a little "fix."
You refuse to let your race number for the event you had to forfeit go to waste because of doctors orders, so you convince a man twice your age to run it for you.
You try to think positive and plan to reward your recovery and return to running with a new pair of shoes. You'll be skipping out on school shopping for a couple of months to get these shoes.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Crescent Forest Trail Marathon - Check!
I did it ... I pushed my limits and finished my first trail marathon today. I'd like to count it as an ultra, but it was advertised as a marathon...so be it. 27.4 miles of beautiful Washington wilderness. 5 hours, 24 minutes...not bad.
I learned many things, both good and bad, about my body, trail runs, and running equipment today.
Preparing for a marathon when you're on a diet is a little nerve-racking. My habit is to just stuff my face with pasta throughout the day prior to the race and wake race morning not even hungry. For some reason, I had it in my head that this was the best way to pack those carbohydrates and other energy stores in. Well, I am learning that you're body can only process so much and the rest either becomes fat or goes right through ya. So, I had two "weight watchers" servings of whole wheat pasta and that was it. I woke up in the morning hungry. That made me worry, because it's not what I am used to. To ease my mind, I had two servings of Kashi cereal, which is only about two cups of food. On the drive to the race, I sucked down one energy gel. Now I was ready. Even with double servings and a gel, I still consumed less than half of the amount of food as before previous marathons.
Body Lesson #1: No need to feed to the point of massive belly bloat.
I really wanted to wear my marathon maniacs jersey today, as this was my first race as an official maniac. Fortunately it fit. Unfortunately, the fit was just a little too snug for comfort. As long as I keep up on my weight loss plan, I should be able to sport my yellow cat-on-head-of-crazy-runner paraphanilia by my next marathon.
Body/Equipment Lesson #2: Healthy eating habits lead to fitting into the clothes you want.
Jenny ran the early-start time with me. Gig Harbor was overcast and about 58 degrees...PERFECT running weather. Much better than the 93 degrees the day before. It was kind of nice to start a race with only a handful of people...quiet, peaceful, content people who are just out there to enjoy a trail run. Nobody was there to compete against anyone else. How refreshing!
Trail Lesson #1: Trail runners are generally very nice people.
The first mile or two of the trail was pleasant, but you still had to watch your footing for the occasional stump, root or rock. Otherwise it was soft, dry dirt. Nice. Miles 2-5 had some very bushy areas where you had no choice but to slow down and sometimes walk to get through it. Wanting to finish in time to make it to my nephew's birthday party, I stupidly PLOWED through the brush, unintentionally scraping and bruising my ankles and shins.
Trail Lesson #2: Do not be fooled by the fluffy foliage. Bushes will bite when threatened.
The second half of the loop (which was actually a figure 8) was a little more technical in the way of rocky, rooty footing, hills, twists and turns. The trail, however was wide enough to gain some speed. This is where I got a little too cocky and took it a little too fast. By the end of Loop repeat 2, I was only halfway done and felt like I had gone much further.
Body Lesson #3: Just because it's fun, doesn't mean you should forget about pacing strategies.
Due to some technical difficulties, our race director was not able to move the porta-potty from his front yard down to the start line. So, after Loop 2, in desperation, I sacrificed some time to walk the 0.1 distance to his yard for relief.
Trail Lesson #3: Always bring toilet paper or tissue to an unsupported race to avoid time consuming trips off course for the bathroom.
After the little bathroom detour, I realized that only if I could maintain a sub 11:00 minute pace for the next 13.5 miles, would I make it to that party. Knowing the terrain and my careless early race-pacing I knew that wasn't going to happen. Maybe I could do it in a road marathon, but certainly not today. So, I decided that this lap would be an "easy" one. Easy meaning that I would stop plowing through things and actually take the time to get through the brush injury free. It also meant walking up all of the steep inclines. This was a good thing, as somehow there seemed to be more inclines the third time around the loop. Hmmm....wonder how they got there?
Trail Lesson #4: Running repeat loops causes hills to grow in the forest.
The temperature started rising a little at this time and I found myself needing to wipe alot of sweat off of my face and neck. This would be a simple task, except that with each swipe, I also discovered that I was squishing bugs. Yep, I had bugs on my face and neck. Surprisingly, I have no bug bites. I suspect that the combination of massive sweat and slimy sunscreen made the bugs stick to me like a windshield. Yumm...
The second part of this Loop 3 was challenging. I think my bad pacing from before was catching up to me, but I had a little more cramping than usual at around mile 18. Thanks to my nifty hydration pack, I refueled and rehydrated the cramps away. Yippee!
Body Lesson #4: Drink water, suck lots of fuel, even when you don't feel like it. Especially if you're sweating so much that you're drowning bugs.
Loop #4 couldn't come soon enough. I started to get a little bit of a second wind. The legs were tight, but I'm learning something about my body - upper body matters too. I knew that, but I didn't think about it. At the beginning of this loop there is a chicken wire fence which keeps a large dog in someone's backyard. Well, as I was adjusting my water tube, this dog charged toward me and barked like he wanted to kill me. This startled me enough while my body was twisted and I pulled an intercostal muscle (the ones inbetween your ribs). That really sucked...hurt like the dickens...no way to stretch it. ugh. About mile 22, I stumbled a little and stubbed my foot on a stump. Determined not to roll and ankle or cramp up a leg, I continued my forward motion, avoided falling and to my relief was able to keep running. Strangely though, both of my arms cramped up. This was something new. I guess in my efforts to keep my legs loose, I passed the tightness to my arms. ouch! Fortunately, there was some random old dude at the mid-loop aid table that was willing to squeeze my shoulders and help loosen the tension enough for me to take off the hydration pack and stretch things out a little.
Body Lesson #3: Care for thy arms. For it is difficult to run with crampy arms.
The last few miles were tough, but nothing beyond expected. I was actually quite surprised that I had gone this far without a single moment of doubt that I could finish the race. The best part about the finish is that it came much sooner than expected. My garmin was pretty inaccurate today due to forgetting to start it until about 0.6 miles into the race and all of the twists and rolls of the trail that it doesn't calculate. Nice!
Other lessons:
Equipment: My hydration pack is awesome, but if I make it too tight, my fingers will turn blue. Also, I should probably invest in a good pair of trail shoes and some gaiters.
Body: 70% mental stamina + 30% physical effort = 100% running confidence.
Trail: Almost always a slower pace. In battle of man vs. trail, trail will always win, so you might as well just go with it. Also, small races are very lovely on local trails; much better than on roads because I had to run alone the entire race. That was freedom!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Good things and cool stuff
Despite my husband's sabbatical from home, I've been able to make the best of the situation. I've taken advantage of the quiet time, allowing me to finish my master's project and get it edited several times before the deadline. I truly never thought I could ever finish it. Now, to dive into the unknown by taking the 2-hour oral exam. For some reason, I am not worried about it.
I've also decided to take this "alone" time to get back into a weight loss program. Last year, I started weight watchers online and discovered that it really works. Life circumstances kept me from continuing, but this summer I am back with it. In fact, only having to shop and feed myself, I've been able to eat the right things, get on my own schedule and work in some type of exercise almost every day. The payoff so far is 5 pounds within two weeks. I've got another marathon next weekend, so I'm sure the next couple weeks will slow down a little as I battle my intense preference for carbs. Meanwhile, I am going to enjoy my success thus far.
Losing even 5 pounds is also helping my running. I have found that I don't feel that icky jiggle as much in the areas of my body where the fat likes to collect (I'm sure every woman knows what I'm talking about). I've also noticed that I've had the stamina to do most of my runs in the 10 min./mile or just under range - even my 18.5 miler was an average of 45 seconds per mile faster than any of my long runs in the spring. This is good. :)
To make my running improvements even more enjoyable is the addition of my Nathan Intensity 2.0 Hydration Vest (compliments of the hubby). I ran with the bladder completely full today, just to see what it will feel like. 8 miles later, I am still a huge fan. I felt no discomfort due to the weight, nor did I chafe! Nice! The funny thing is that I found myself forgetting that I was hauling 70 oz. of water on my back and complained to myself about being thirsty, only to realize that relief was as simple as popping open the mouth piece and sucking in the nice, fresh and cool water from the tube! What luxury! I am certainly looking forward to using it during my first trail marathon this coming weekend.
I've also decided to take this "alone" time to get back into a weight loss program. Last year, I started weight watchers online and discovered that it really works. Life circumstances kept me from continuing, but this summer I am back with it. In fact, only having to shop and feed myself, I've been able to eat the right things, get on my own schedule and work in some type of exercise almost every day. The payoff so far is 5 pounds within two weeks. I've got another marathon next weekend, so I'm sure the next couple weeks will slow down a little as I battle my intense preference for carbs. Meanwhile, I am going to enjoy my success thus far.
Losing even 5 pounds is also helping my running. I have found that I don't feel that icky jiggle as much in the areas of my body where the fat likes to collect (I'm sure every woman knows what I'm talking about). I've also noticed that I've had the stamina to do most of my runs in the 10 min./mile or just under range - even my 18.5 miler was an average of 45 seconds per mile faster than any of my long runs in the spring. This is good. :)
To make my running improvements even more enjoyable is the addition of my Nathan Intensity 2.0 Hydration Vest (compliments of the hubby). I ran with the bladder completely full today, just to see what it will feel like. 8 miles later, I am still a huge fan. I felt no discomfort due to the weight, nor did I chafe! Nice! The funny thing is that I found myself forgetting that I was hauling 70 oz. of water on my back and complained to myself about being thirsty, only to realize that relief was as simple as popping open the mouth piece and sucking in the nice, fresh and cool water from the tube! What luxury! I am certainly looking forward to using it during my first trail marathon this coming weekend.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Moving forward in many ways
Last night (4th of July) at 9pm I drove Mike to the airport so he could go to a one-month training course related to a recent promotion. He won't actually receive the promotion until he finishes this course and his number on the list comes up. I am very proud of him for pushing through and doing what it takes to advance his career, despite his injuries and related challenges. I am not so pleased with the Army system in sending him to various training for a total of 3 months within the 6 months before his deployment, but that's the Army life...gotta love it.
On the drive home from the airport I enjoyed the constant multitude of fireworks displays that blanketed the horizon. That made up for having to send off my husband at a time when we should be home celebrating together. He called me from Georgia several times today, which reassured me that this month, despite his absence, all will be fine. Another moment of pride for Mike is when he told me that, although it was over 100 degrees with nearly 100% humidity, he did a mock PT run and improved his time from a couple of days ago by almost a minute.
This morning I woke up around 4:45 am...likely just after most people finally got to bed. Although cool outside, it was still shorts weather. The air appeared foggy, but I knew by the smell that it was just the residual smoke from the previous night sitting in the stagnant air. I really enjoyed the unusually quiet and calm first 6 miles of the day. The mountain was stunning and the birds were out exploring in the rubble on the streets.
Immediately after this first 6 miles, I took off to the Ruston Starbucks to park and continue my mileage for the day. Having no one to meet me, I slapped on the Ipod and went on my way. After about a mile on Ruston way, I realized that the course from the waterfront to Pt. Defiance where I would meet the club today was probably further than I had estimated. I gave myself 40 minutes to travel what I thought was 3 miles, but turned out to be 4. This meant that I had to book it at a 10 minute pace per mile or faster. I had the confidence to do it because I was sub 10 during last weeks 15 miler. What made it difficult was the humid, stagnant stench and smoke from the City's celebration the night before. There's nothing yuckier than drunken bums throwing up near the benches, dozens of rotten potta-potties, overflowing garbage cans (some that had caught on fire), waste management trucks in action and the residual smoke mixed with the natural stinky shore smell that occurs with low tide and hot temperatures....particularly when you're huffing and puffing to run faster than usual. Oi vey. Note to self: avoid Ruston Way on July 5th (and January 1st, just to be proactive about it). So, I made my illegal journey through the tunnel and plugged up then down the hill to Pt. Defiance....made it just in time! Pfew!
The jog around 5-mile drive was wonderful - all shade, easy pace and good conversations. Upon completion of the loop, I saw that I had about 4 miles to go to reach my 18 mile goal for the day. Having no interest in touring the stinky waterfront once again, I opted to run up Pearl St., over to 30th and down the big hill back to the Ruston Starbucks. This was all fine and dandy for about a mile, when I realized that the gradual uphill climb would continue until I reached 20th and Proctor (approx. Mile 17). The sun was beating down, but I just plugged away. I tried weaving through the neighborhoods in hopes to minimize my hills, but had no luck. Fortunately, I came upon a small coffee shop where I was able to re-fill my water bottle with precious ice water! Ahhhh! At this point I confirmed my theory that even during long runs, I prefer the short and steep uphills to the long, never-ending gradual inclines. The trip down 30th to complete my run confirmed that downhill running is no fun at mile 17, particularly when it's that steep; so steep, in fact, that I felt sick to my tummy (like you would on a fair ride) when I tried to run down. I am not sure at this point if this alternate route was any better than Ruston.
Regardless, I finished it and I finished strong. I am proud of my progress, not only in my ability to get those long runs in with strength and without hesitation, but also that I have the confidence to go it alone. This would have not been the case one year ago. I am looking forward to my next string of marathons - almost one per month until the springtime. This will be a great distraction during Mike's deployment and a great opportunity to continue to work through my mission to conquer panic disorder and reclaim my life. Right now it's looking good.
On the drive home from the airport I enjoyed the constant multitude of fireworks displays that blanketed the horizon. That made up for having to send off my husband at a time when we should be home celebrating together. He called me from Georgia several times today, which reassured me that this month, despite his absence, all will be fine. Another moment of pride for Mike is when he told me that, although it was over 100 degrees with nearly 100% humidity, he did a mock PT run and improved his time from a couple of days ago by almost a minute.
This morning I woke up around 4:45 am...likely just after most people finally got to bed. Although cool outside, it was still shorts weather. The air appeared foggy, but I knew by the smell that it was just the residual smoke from the previous night sitting in the stagnant air. I really enjoyed the unusually quiet and calm first 6 miles of the day. The mountain was stunning and the birds were out exploring in the rubble on the streets.
Immediately after this first 6 miles, I took off to the Ruston Starbucks to park and continue my mileage for the day. Having no one to meet me, I slapped on the Ipod and went on my way. After about a mile on Ruston way, I realized that the course from the waterfront to Pt. Defiance where I would meet the club today was probably further than I had estimated. I gave myself 40 minutes to travel what I thought was 3 miles, but turned out to be 4. This meant that I had to book it at a 10 minute pace per mile or faster. I had the confidence to do it because I was sub 10 during last weeks 15 miler. What made it difficult was the humid, stagnant stench and smoke from the City's celebration the night before. There's nothing yuckier than drunken bums throwing up near the benches, dozens of rotten potta-potties, overflowing garbage cans (some that had caught on fire), waste management trucks in action and the residual smoke mixed with the natural stinky shore smell that occurs with low tide and hot temperatures....particularly when you're huffing and puffing to run faster than usual. Oi vey. Note to self: avoid Ruston Way on July 5th (and January 1st, just to be proactive about it). So, I made my illegal journey through the tunnel and plugged up then down the hill to Pt. Defiance....made it just in time! Pfew!
The jog around 5-mile drive was wonderful - all shade, easy pace and good conversations. Upon completion of the loop, I saw that I had about 4 miles to go to reach my 18 mile goal for the day. Having no interest in touring the stinky waterfront once again, I opted to run up Pearl St., over to 30th and down the big hill back to the Ruston Starbucks. This was all fine and dandy for about a mile, when I realized that the gradual uphill climb would continue until I reached 20th and Proctor (approx. Mile 17). The sun was beating down, but I just plugged away. I tried weaving through the neighborhoods in hopes to minimize my hills, but had no luck. Fortunately, I came upon a small coffee shop where I was able to re-fill my water bottle with precious ice water! Ahhhh! At this point I confirmed my theory that even during long runs, I prefer the short and steep uphills to the long, never-ending gradual inclines. The trip down 30th to complete my run confirmed that downhill running is no fun at mile 17, particularly when it's that steep; so steep, in fact, that I felt sick to my tummy (like you would on a fair ride) when I tried to run down. I am not sure at this point if this alternate route was any better than Ruston.
Regardless, I finished it and I finished strong. I am proud of my progress, not only in my ability to get those long runs in with strength and without hesitation, but also that I have the confidence to go it alone. This would have not been the case one year ago. I am looking forward to my next string of marathons - almost one per month until the springtime. This will be a great distraction during Mike's deployment and a great opportunity to continue to work through my mission to conquer panic disorder and reclaim my life. Right now it's looking good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
